Author: The Widow Badass

Oh, What a Feeling! What a Rush!

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The Winter Olympics are now over but I am still so pumped!

The Men’s Gold Medal Hockey Game – I watched the last 10 minutes of the 3rd period on the computer while tidying up some stuff at work on Sunday. When the US scored in the final seconds, putting the game into overtime, I was so tense, I just couldn’t sit still and watch anymore. I called JD to say I was on my way home. He asked when I would arrive. I said “By the time Canada wins the gold”. “So, in 4 years then?” came the reply – JD’s way of steeling himself in case we lost.

On the way home, I tried to relax by coming up with consoling thoughts (a survival strategy) in case we did lose. Thoughts like : “Well, the women got gold in hockey anyway”, and “Our goalie couldn’t help himself, facing such an onslaught” and “We still have the most gold medals we’ve ever won, and the most of a host country”. Somewhat calmer, I charged into the house, shouted hi to JD and ran right to the remote. The TV revealed the hoisting of the flags and there was the Maple Leaf in centre, top position, and then the camera panned to our team, hung in gold medals and smiling. OMG, OMG, OMG – we did it!!!!

I was glued to the TV from then on, watching replay after replay, analysis after analysis, interview after interview.

I watched the Closing Ceremonies in their entirety too (and taped them for JD, who was finishing an assignment on the computer) and I have to say how much I just LOVED the piece with Michael Buble (sorry I can’t figure out how to accent his name in Blogger) and The Maple Leaf Forever.

Flying moose! Dancing canoes! Giant inflatable beavers and Mounties! Scantily clad Mountie and Maple Leaf showgirls! Cutouts of tabletop hockey game players! Loggers, bears, and courier des bois! Plaid flannel shirts! Stetsons! Cloggers! The only things missing were mocassins, igloos, Niagara Falls and maple syrup. Oh yeah, and a dogsled or two. Maybe a snowmobile too. (Bob and Doug McKenzie would have been a nice touch, however diverting from the Canadian souvenir theme).

It was like the tackiest Canadian tourist trap gift shop sprung to marvelous, over-the-top, self-deprecating life! Like Night at the Smithsonian, only at Table Rock in Niagara Falls instead. (Only in Canada can something be both over-the-top and self-deprecating at the same time).

What I didn’t like about the Closing Ceremonies were the two pieces by William Shatner and Catherine O’Hara. Not only unfunny, but O’Hara’s piece was very un-Canadian – rude, and somewhat gloating. Too bad, because I usually really like Catherine O’Hara. What was she and/or the writer of this piece thinking?!?!?!?

Overall, I thought it was a good ceremony though, although I must confess I don’t have anything to compare it too, never having watched a closing ceremony before.
This morning I ordered the 5 disc Commemorative DVD set just because….I AM CANADIAN. After fuelling up with my “Ode to the 2010 Olympics” breakfast: steel cut oats with cinnamon, dates and raisins, mixed with Greek yogurt and topped with golden-y (is that a word?) maple syrup!

Weddin’ Plannin’ Saturday

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Despite the continued snow dumping by Ma Nature this weekend, I did manage to get a fair bit of stuff done towards the nuptials.

I met with Gillian, who kindly trudged through knee-deep snow with me so I could see the Ellis Chapel. Still as beautiful inside as I remembered it to be. And now with electricity! Woohoo! (Not sure if we’ll even use it, but woohoo anyways!!!)

Afterwards I met with Mizzus K for a crazy good dark cherry mocha at Starbucks, and she graciously informed me that she would like to design and create our invitations as her wedding gift to us. Well, of course I jumped at that one!

So off to Michael’s we decided to go, for inspiration and ideas on colour scheme etc. But first I asked her if she wouldn’t mind accompanying me to Klara Johnson’s shop to look at wedding cakes. Her cakes are expensive, but truly works of art. I fell in love with a display cake decorated with orchids made of sugar paste. So beautiful…(Now I need to get JD over there to look at it, and agree the extra expense will be worth it!)

Mizzus K and I spent HOURS at Michael’s, pouring over papers and looking at the invitation kits for ideas. Almost immediately I found a something…it’s not a stamp…but not sure what it’s called. Anyways, it cuts out a silhouette of a dragonfly when applied to paper. This was our starting point. Now for the papers – Mizzus K and I both were agreed on looking for a variety of different textures and patterns that complemented each other. After what seemed like forever, we came to find 3-4 beautiful papers that had everything I was looking for: rich colours, great patterns, shimmer and shine, that worked together beautifully. After that, finding coordinating ribbon was a snap. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with!

As a bonus, I picked up a lovely cake topper – a silver letter S, studded with diamond-like stones, for JD’s last name, the one I will be assuming after the marriage. I can see it already, tucked behind that sugar orchid….

Um, yeah, it’s Winter calling. Sorry I’m late…

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This is what Mizz Lucy and I woke up to on Feb 23rd – winter wonderland. Um, a little late, doncha think? I was hopin’ this would be winter’s (first and ) last hurrah, but we continue to get snow dumped on us as we head into March.

 

I do really think that February is the longest and cruelest month, and this winter, though exceptional weather-wise, hasn’t changed my opinion much. Well, nothing to do but make the most of it.

 

Wednesday’s photo (Feb 24), I tried to capture the beauty of the sunrise coming over the hill in the part of the trail I walk Mizz Lucy on every morning, that I call the “Cathedral”. It’s a steep hill covered in tall thin deciduous trees, which seems to me like a church, the way God would design it. If She was “into” churches. Which I am not entirely convinced is true. It’s the only church I really feel comfortable in.
Feb 25th brought us another snow storm. Blowing winds, a sudden drop in temperatures, snow…again. I hurried into the grocery store on the way home from working late, just wanting to get a few necessary things. But ended up with all this:

 

There was just so much good stuff on sale! What gives? Is it the recession? Or Wal-Mart Supercentres providing competition? No matter, it’s bargain-city right now, for those that have any extra cash.

When I arrived at the store it was fairly busy, but suddenly it seemed to just empty out. A store employee asked me if there was a storm brewing, is that why the store was devoid of customers? I said definitely, that it was nasty out. Someone else piped up that the women’s gold medal game was on (Congrats Canadian Womens Hockey Team on your Gold! Smoke ’em if you got ’em. Oh yeah, you did….Ha!), and also Survivor. (Is that show still going on?!?!? Haven’t they run out of deserted islands yet?). It was certainly a good night to get home and stay home, whatever the reason.

 

And now this morning, this:

I got up nice and early, planning to walk Mizz L as usual, and then have time to do an upper body workout. On the way back to the house, I laughed at the absurdity of hurrying inside to lift dumbells to the instructor on the DVD when I had a driveway full of snow I could be lifting instead! So I made things easier for Edward by clearing a path to the street. Shoulda brushed him off before I cleaned up the driveway though….

And now tonight I get to do it all over again ‘cos it’s snowing and snowing hard and heavy. However, things are looking up for next week. Temps in the pluses for most of it. Yay!

On a completely different subject: I’ve been tracking my weight loss for the past 3 weeks and I’m averaging 0.9 lbs lost per week. At this rate I will lose 26 pounds by the wedding date. Not too shabby! I developed a little Excel spreadsheet and even created a graph in it to help me track my progress towards this goal. I am delighted that I am seeing success with making just a couple of little changes to my lifestyle and being more mindful of everything I eat and how much I move.

Now to get back to snow shovelling. Wish me luck!

 

 

Goin’ to the Chah-pull, an’ We’re Gonna Get Mah-ried…

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Feb 21 POD – Ellis Chapel – Drive-by “Shooting”

Yesterday was a bee-yoo-ti-ful day, and we took a moment to drive by the chapel we are going to book for the wedding. A tiny, lovely chapel in the country near the Village. The caretaker is going to be showing it to us on Saturday. My sis and her hubby had their nuptials there, about 14 or so years ago. Hey Sis – they have electricity in the building now – one whole outlet!

In contrast to yesterday’s great weather (sunny, +5°C), is this (not so) hot mess (Feb 22 POD):

Taken through the Venetian blinds in my work’s lunch room. Today is my other Sis’s Birthday. Hope the weather is better in your part of the province, Mizz C!

What Gives? And Assorted Ramblings….

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Feb 18th POD – What is UP with these nails of mine? They have never been this strong or long…that I can remember, anyways.
For years (almost a decade), I have worn acrylic nails on and off (mostly on) because I was tired of having a less than perfect set of nails. There was always one or more that broke once they got a little length happening, which meant of course that they all had to be cut down to size. (See above: obsession with achieving nail “perfection” at all times.)
The other great thing about wearing acrylics is that the polish stays perfect until you want to take it off – no chipping!
Now, for some reason my nails are all long strong and perfect. This sent me to the Net to research what I could be ingesting that would result in this change. Looks like Biotin is the likely suspect, but where is it coming from in my diet?

I take the following supplements religiously – fish oil (because of my bad cardiovascular genetics), vitamin D (because my doc said so), evening primrose oil (because I read in Prevention that it could help with my thinning hair), and a daily multivitamin (just because). Could they be contributing? Because I really don’t think I’ve changed my diet all that much over the past few months.
Oh, to keep them looking like this till the wedding day!

Speaking of, I have been thinking a bit about footwear, now that I have THE DRESS. I am thinking of wearing shoes with colour, specifically pink….because I love pink, and they would add a flash of whimsy with the dress.

I already own a beautiful pair of pink leather sandals, by Franco Sarto. I’ve only worn them a couple of times and the heel height is nice and low so they are more comfortable than sky-high stilettos.

Only problem is I can already imagine me sinking into the grass during outside photos, thanks to the little spike heels. (And Mizz J is urging me to buy new shoes to wear on my wedding day, so there’s that to contend with as well. LOL!)

If I could find the perfect pair of pink peep toe wedges or flats, I think my problem would be solved. In the meantime, these sandals (Feb 19th POD) will be my backup plan.
What about pink running shoes? I can see me wearing a cute little pair, ala Cybill Shepherd, (in)famous for wearing sneakers under her gowns when she walked the red carpet in glamourous gowns. I’ve been racking up the steps on my step counter lately, and comfort in walking/standing is becoming of prime importance! Feb 20th POD – steps so far today….

Well, enough blogging – time to get walking. Need to hit at least 10,000 steps today!

I have entered a world of pain, and it hurts so good

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Feb 17th POD – Personal Training with Jackie – Abs workout

In about 90 days I go for my first fitting of my wedding dress. If that isn’t inspiration to work out and eat right, I don’t know what is.

Yesterday my date with Jackie involved my (non-existent) abs. Well, I am thoroughly convinced of their existence now, let me tell you. Keepin’ my eye on the prize as I struggle through the workout, telling myself it will be so rewarding when I can actually do the full set with good form!

Feb 18th POD – Same DVD, this time the Upper Body Workout.
Not quite the same struggle as with the abs.
Despite feeling the muscle soreness (Hello muscles! Ah yes, I remember you now…), it does feel really good to be working out again.
Why do I stop from time to time? And why do I have to keep relearning this lesson? I AM worth the time to do this, no matter how busy life gets.

The Dress

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(JD, if you ever take the notion to start reading this blog, please look no further!)

Well, knock me over with a feather. I have a dress.

First dress shop, first dress I tried on.

The consultant pulled this one for me, after she quizzed me about what I was looking for and sized up my personality and body type. (Man, she IS good.)

Of course I tried on many dresses after that, but none could compare to that first dress. Mizz J was with me and knew it was THE DRESS when I had it on.

I tried it on again, after all of the other dresses. Mizz J clinched it for me when she said “Mom, I would get married in that dress!”

The dress does wonders for my current (abundance of) figure. I ordered it in my current size, knowing that even if I didn’t lose another ounce, I would look and feel as good as can be in that dress.

And the consultant assured me it could be taken down 2 more sizes if need be. What more can anyone ask for? Plus it was within the “budget”, coming in at well under a thousand bucks.

Three months from now, the dress will come in, and I will go for my first fitting. Now I have a goal to work towards.

The dress is white.
Some people say that second-time brides should not wear white, but some people say that anything goes anymore and women can wear whatever colour they like, even white for a subsequent wedding.

I chose white because my husband-to-be asked me to.

Here is the dress (Feb 16 POD):

Dinner and a Movie Night

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Feb 15th POD – Menu from Princess Cafe
The Princess is an independent movie house (now with cafe!) in a City Near the Village. JD and I do love to go to the show, but aren’t always quick enough. Hence the movies we want to see sometimes have cleared out of the mainstream theatres by the time we’re able to go. This is what happened with Up in the Air.
After a quick search on the Net, we found it is was still “around”, playing at the Princess. We decided it would be fun to ask good friends of ours (plus we had an ulterior motive – mwahahaha!) and they said yes to Dinner and a Movie at the Princess.
Mizzus J also said yes to my ulterior motive: asking her to stand up with me at my wedding! She has been a very close and “stand-up” friend of mine for over 25 years now. Been through all my trials (lots) and triumphs (few) with me, always had my back. Our kids grew up together and our sons are still close friends. It is only fitting she stand up with me yet again on this special day.

Valentine’s Day Inspiration

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Yesterday it was finally time to say good-bye to Christmas. A last look at this years’ Swarovski before it got packed away (Feb 14th pic).

Some may think it strange that we keep the tree and decorations up this long afterwards, but one year they stayed up till Easter. Which was just a bit too long, even for me. It felt like the Christmas decor was preventing Spring from coming!
JD’s mom (who passed away shortly after we started dating in 2002) used to keep a little tiny tree up all year long, as a reminder for her family to keep the Christmas spirit in their hearts every day of the year. I wouldn’t mind doing something similar after the move to our new place. JD’s dad still keeps her tree up, as well as buying her a single rose every week and placing it next to her urn on the mantel. Very sweet.

As I was dismantling the tree and packing the ornaments carefully away, I was inspired by the colours in one box of ornaments:

These are the colours I would love to have incorporated into the wedding decorations, flowers and invitations. Soft pinks, creams, gold, silver…even some lavender. Now I have a definitive colour scheme and my artistic and crafty friend Mizzus K and I can go shopping for invitation-making supplies!

It’s Time to Get Serious…

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Feb 11th POD

About fitness and the wedding, that is.

Purchased a few cheap exercise DVDs to spur me on. Two for kicking my butt, and one for STRESS RELIEF! With a bonus talk by the Dalai Lama on meditation….how could I pass that one up? Plus, did I mention it was cheap?

Feb 12 POD – Catching Olympic Fever – Go Canada!!!!!

Since paying attention to my eating and trying to ramp up the activity (thank you Pedometer!), I have been feeling so much better and I have lost 2 pounds to boot! My body really does want to heal itself, I just have to give it a chance.

I started off slowly, by just increasing the amount of time and intensity of walking Mizz Lucy. Now I am adding workouts in the pool (sprinting laps), elliptical trainer, and DVD workouts.

Feb 13th – Date with Jackie Warner for a 15 minute total body circuit training session. Oh my goddess….I have no core strength. Sad. But I certainly have progress to make in that area, and that will be rewarding to note of as I get stronger. No wonder I have been struggling so much with most belly dance moves!
Who knew you could get so much done in 15 minutes? I am impressed. And pleasantly sore 2 days later. Not crazy-Frankenstein-walk soreness, but just enough that you remember you worked your body good.
Wedding planning got kicked off into a higher gear this week. We met with (and booked) our photographer, the lovely Jillian. Who was a fountain of wedding advice, due to her experiences at weddings of all sorts. And we also met with Tracey, at the Village Hotel, who was/continues to be also most helpful! Things are starting to come together, that’s for sure. And about time.
And, in talking things through with these two, we are slowly developing the picture of what we want our guests to experience. We’ve nixed the DJ/Dance idea in favour of live music and hope we can find someone to fit that bill. Guitar, piano…someone who sings too would be wonderful.
Otherwise we just may be recording hours of our favourite tunes and investing in an iPod and some speakers. We’ve also decided against a receiving line. The guest list is small enough that we won’t have any problem mixing and mingling with everybody immediately afterwards and during the rest of the night. Wedding dress shopping starts tomorrow. Things are starting to come together, all right!