Day 29 - A Photo That Can Always Make Me Smile

Chris CLAIMS that he doesn't like animals, especially cats. We have had two sweet cats, Bella & Jazz, and I would often catch him petting them as he walked by (when he thought no one was watching!)

This is a photo of him with a rescued kitten at Beaverfoot Lodge, our favourite mountain retreat, near Golden BC.

Day 28 - An Image That Best Represents My Greatest Fear

I fear that I will have a boring life, a meaningless existence. I fear that I will not have created anything, or "have anything to show for it." I am not content or would be disappointed to discover that my existence is just to be a FUNNEL that produced offspring who will have a grander purpose...

So this FEAR causes me to self-sabotage, waste my time, and to be inactive & stagnant. Focussing on my fear distracts me from my PURPOSE & MEANING in life... to be a servant of GOD and fulfill HIS purpose for me. And what exactly is that I wonder still?

I can relate to the idea Ayn Rand puts forward of drifting helplessly... it's how I often feel...

"A central purpose serves to integrate all the other concerns of a man’s life. It establishes the hierarchy, the relative importance, of his values, it saves him from pointless inner conflicts, it permits him to enjoy life on a wide scale and to carry that enjoyment into any area open to his mind; whereas a man without a purpose is lost in chaos. He does not know what his values are. He does not know how to judge. He cannot tell what is or is not important to him, and, therefore, he drifts helplessly at the mercy of any chance stimulus or any whim of the moment. He can enjoy nothing. He spends his life searching for some value which he will never find . . . .

The man without a purpose is a man who drifts at the mercy of random feelings or unidentified urges and is capable of any evil, because he is totally out of control of his own life. In order to be in control of your life, you have to have a purpose—a productive purpose . . . . The man who has no purpose, but has to act, acts to destroy others. That is not the same thing as a productive or creative purpose." Ayn Rand

You cannot find meaning & purpose in a hobby, or a person, or a career.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes"- Marcel Proust

Day 27 - A Photo of Myself with a Member of My Family

This is a photo of Bianca & I. We were in Montreal in October 2009, so she would be about 17 months old when it was taken.

I remember that it was my first time ever being in Montreal / Quebec, and I was SO Excited!! I woke up in the morning, and looked out of the Fairmont Hotel window at the city for my first time. I was so impressed to see a park below me, attractive urban features, and in the distance, through the fog, rose a small mountain in the middle of the city!! I really had no idea that Mont Royal would be INSIDE the city! At once I promised myself that we would walk there! So after breakfast Sydney, Bianca & I meandered our way through the downtown, through malls, past art exhibits and up the hill through the GORGEOUS McGill University Campus. We stopped to watch a First Nations Rain Dance at a Pow Wow, and continued up past the Hogwarts-looking Royal Victoria Hospital. We enjoyed the paved forest trail where the maple leaves were just beginning to turn golden. It was a a wonderful adventure!

Day 26 - A Picture of Something That Mean A LOT to Me

I love my family!

Day 25 - A Picture of my Day

Today was Bianca's very first dance class ever! It is called "Salsa Tots" and it is taught by Reanna Maitland @ DanceCo. I liked how the Merengue, Salsa, Cha-Cha and Cucaracha were taught by using familiar childrens' songs.

Day 24 - A Photo of Something I Wish I Could Change

I wish I could change the man-made nuclear disaster happening in Japan at the moment. Words such as "Exposed Fuel Rods" and "Meltdown" strike terror in our hearts. Japanese residents have been evacuated, some must be taking their "Doomsday Pills" of Iodine to prevent their thyroid from allowing their bodies from absorbing the RADIOactive Iodine... and we hear of explosions, and radioactive clouds travelling east over the Pacific Ocean.
God please be with the Japanese people devastated by the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear disaster!

Day 23 - A Photo of One of My Favourite Books

From Page 1 I could not put this book down.

It's an astonishing & entertaining autobiographical story of a successful MSNBC reporter who grew up in poverty & neglect with eccentric, artistic transient parents in the USA.

Day 22: A Photo of Something I Wish I Was Better At

I love running!!

Day 21 - A Photo of Something I Wish I Could Forget.

I am SO done with winter & snow!

I have done my best to make the most of it, and embrace the season. I get out and drive around, I went skiing in the mountains twice. However, everyone is weary of it, not just me! I typically enjoy 30+C weather the most. How many more days, weeks, months must we endure?

Day 20 - A Picture of Somewhere I’d Love to Travel

I have wanted to go to Barcelona for a very long time!! I am intrigued by Spanish language, music, rythmn, flamenco, art, & architecture.

Day 19 - A Picture of When I Was Little

Well I am sorry but this is the only jpg I have of me when I was young, and I think it is in Grade 9 so I was 14. I know, it's hysterical. This hairstyle took a LOT of work, I'll have you know!! First, I had to crimp it all, and then curl UP half the bangs and curl down the front of my bangs, generously applying the hairspray, of course! Care and attention must also be placed on creating "wing effects" to frame your face, like all good 80's hair band members did. At least my parents let me have freedom with my hair, when it came to make-up, that was a different story!! Not a speck of make-up!

That's me, when I was still living on a mountain, my name was still hyphenated and I was incredibly excited about the world and my future...

Day 18 - My Biggest Insecurity

It took me a while to think of one. In fact, I even had to look up the definition of what it means to be insecure. I have friends that are insecure about their bodies. They think they need their boobs lifted, tummies tucked, their hair & veins lasered, their wrinkles botoxed. For me, I just don't obsess about those things. I want to live in the moment, at a deeper level. I want to focus on what's important, bless the people around me... and sometimes that means that I am going to forego the housework in order to spend time with my kids or go for a walk in the sunshine. So my biggest insecurity is disorganization. I really feel vulnerable when I'm caught red-handed with a messy house! I get so ashamed when I screw up schedules and appear disorganized to others.

Day 17 - Someone That Recently Made a Difference in My Life.

This person WAS an awesome friend & a important part of my support network... and then I realized that every gift, talent & project I was undertaking was being copied by her. She tried to outdo me. She thought that she surpassed me. The irony is that I am in competition with no one; in fact, we are all on our own journey. I like to be original. When I saw my creativity being mimicked, I lost all interest in the projects, one by one. I observed her metamorphosis progressing. She went from a fiercely loyal confidante to a pretentious, selfish individual and began treating me with contempt & superiority. It was laughable because I had basically created the monster. I threw my hands up and walked away from the relationship. I mourned the expired lost friendship for a time, but I am grateful that I have since shaken the dust from my feet and moved on!

Day 16 - Someone That Inspires Me

For this blog entry a few people came to my mind, and I narrowed it down to 5 women who really inspire me. For privacy, I will just list their initials. CG, TB, DF, KH & TM. I realized that the greatest reason why they inspire me is because they are able to balance their love & devotion to their families with their careers. I know that these women are not perfect, but it is inspiring to me to see examples of women who have not lost themselves. They are not shadows behind their husbands or have not abandoned themselves to solely be mothers & servants for their children. Instead, they are role models to their children because they are pursuing their dreams & living purposeful & creative lives as individuals, as well as being a blessing to their loved ones. Coincidentally, one of these Inspiring women is coming to have a glass wine with me tonight! :)

C.G. is inspiring to me because she has a successful career and still takes the time to train to run marathons! She loves travelling, has a flair for decorating and fashion. She is so goal oriented, she makes a plan and then goes for it!

Day 15 - Something I want to do before I die.

I have always wanted to go see the Unesco World Heritage Site at Machu Picchu in Peru. I think the views in the mountains would be so dramatic, as well and the history and the steppe style of farming.

This is a place I would love to wander around in before I die!

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

Happy Valentine's Day to my Sexy Beast!! Chris is so thoughtful & romantic... I am a such a lucky girl!

Day 13 - My Favourite Band or Artist

Ooooh this is a difficult one for me to chose just one... I am obsessed with art and music! I like Drake's voice and his cleaner songs. His voice is very sultry. I just started exploring Rap, R&B & Hip Hop since 2009. I like the songs that aren't full of anger, rage,sex & swearing... kind of challenging to find them, I know! I really like Timbaland too, he did a great collaborative album with a lot of different artists, including Drake last year. Here is a link to "Say Something": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9pYU-fa18

I love a variety of art, from the sculpture "Cupid & Psyche" by Antonio Canova to the jewelry art by my friend Terri McNamara; but at the moment I really am feeling Modigliani! This painting is called "Jeanne Hebuterne with Hat and Necklace."

I wonder

when Souls Are Formed.

Day 12 - Something I Love

I love Pure Dark Chocolate with pecans or almonds from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory or Bernard Callebaut,

I LOVE Second Cup skim mochas with whip, and playing Setters of Catan (Xplorers Cities & Knights) online!

Day 11 - Something I hate

Beets are disgusting. I do, however, love steamed beet greens.

Day 10 - Someone I do the craziest things with :)

Tina is an awesome friend to blow off steam with!!! When life gets monotonous & filled with repetitive, tedious chores, I know I can give her a call and we can have an exciting time together. Sometimes this might include hearing live blues music or some dancing, but then there are our EPIC road trips!! We have had many grand adventures, always replete with a soundtrack usually containing a few singable Bon Jovi songs!! One time we went hiking to waterfalls in Nordegg... we camped at the David Thompson Resort and enjoyed a hot tub with startling mountain views.

We went Whitewater rafting the Kickinghorse Pass from Ragged Ass Road to Golden BC together; I think that was actually the last time I went camping. I remember inflating the air mattress and then it wouldn't fit inside the door of our little tent :) Then we we decided to go enjoy the Beaverfoot Mountain Lodge Sauna... complete with a glacier water cold pool to cool off in... and a few uninvited guests.

Then there was the road trip of 2009 when we kayaked from Invermere-on-the-Lake through the Columbia River Wetlands to Radium BC. Breathtaking! White Swan Provincial Park was also amazing... it was my first time going in natural hot springs, so pristine to be among the rocks and not at an artificial pool! They were at the end of a terrifying single lane gravel mountain road with cliff face on one side and deep canyon on the other. Whatever types of active, grand adventures we attempt, we often top off the trip with a luxurious, cozy hotel room and fabulous food and wine. Tina is a friend that I can be crazy with, but she is also a sister in Christ, whom I know I can always trust! I can't wait for our next fascinating experience!

Day 9 - Someone Who Got Me Through The Most

That person is my Saviour!!! I firmly believe that He has commanded legions of angels to protect me! I have been in some awful, unfortunate situations, yet no harm has come to me.
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

SO SUDDENLY I was craving a classy metropolitan lunch... Joey's on Jasper Avenue for Ginger Beef... and then immediately realized I had no babysitter, and no date. So I made it myself. ON a nest of chow mein noodles, just like the restaurant. I would divulge the recipe, but I am actually intending to write a cookbook one day, so no can do!!

I need to help Bianca make some girlfriends, so she can enjoy being a little girl. She is surrounded by Super Heroes, capes, and little boys making sound effects constantly... poor thing.

Day 8 - A Picture That Makes Me Laugh

"Also I wouldn't want my child to be a social pariah so there's that."

This is an example of a cartoon by Natalie Dee, an artist who fascinates me!! She definitely is not for everyone, and she sometimes / often uses profanity & vulgarity in her computerized drawings, which she publishes online daily. She has a warped brain, her comics have dark, sarcastic & witty humour. Her style is easily recognizable and since I have been following her website for years I get her jokes pretty quickly. She used to loathe the idea of having children, and now she has one. She loves hot dogs, her dog and mocking her husband, American politics & media. She hates cats & stupid people. The following is a link to her January 2011 comics:

http://www.nataliedee.com/archives/2011/Jan/

Day 7 - My Most Treasured Item

My most treasured item is my 10 year anniversary ring. To me, it is perfect!! Chris got it for me to celebrate 10 years of marriage on August 23, 2007. I chose it at Adama's Goldsmith in Southgate Mall. It has a burgundy ruby in the center, which is my July birthstone, and there are 3 diamonds on each side. I lost it for a year in behind a drawer in our dresser, and it made me sick and haunted me for year! I prayed and prayed that I would find it, and one day Chris did! The band is 18K gold and it is thicker than my wedding & engagement rings. It is a real treasure to me especially because it represents the years of work, sacrifice & love we have put toward our relationship!

Day 6 - Someone I Would Like to Trade Places with For a Day

I would like to trade places with my Grandma for a day. I suspect that she silently tolerates a lot of pain daily and I think that it would be a nice gift for her to be relieved from her stresses for 24 hours and be able to have my healthy body for a day. I'm sure she would love to be "young again" for a day so she could play with my 3 kids and spend time in my comfortable home. I think that after a day in my Grandmother's life, I would appreciate all the luxuries and health that I am blessed with (even more than I already do!!)
P.S. I'm pretty sure that she would think I'm nuts for dreaming this one up!! LOL

Day 5 - My Favourite Memory

My favourite memory is my 30th birthday on July 11th. We saved up for a year for my first trip to Europe. It was a trip to see the art, architecture, cities & sights I had dreamed of seeing from the time I was a child. We landed @ Schipol airport in Amsterdam and then we took the high speed train to Paris. As we entered Paris, Chris told me that for my birthday present he had a limosine waiting for us. I said,
"Wouldn't it be great, just like a movie, if the driver was holding up a sign with our name on it?" Guess what happened!!!! Our massive name was on a white card! The Sicilian driver lead us to the car, and as I left the train station I looked back at the facade of Le Gare du Nord and the tears started streaming down my face... it was ornately carved with sculptures and columns... unlike anything this small town girl had ever seen before... I put my sunglasses on and cried all the way down the Champs-Elysées, under L'arc de Triumph to the Hotel Claridge Bellman, because of the beauty of the architecture, blaconies, cornices, the gold covered ornaments on the Pont Alexandre III bridge, the Seine... We unloaded our luggage in our small hotel room. The wall paper was a burnt saffron colour portraying a pastoral scene, and had a matching duvet cover. This type of decor could only be successfully pulled off in Paris. We decided to explore and chose a restaurant near our hotel, La Fermette Marbeuf 1900 and had a fabulous dinner. For dessert, Chris had the Creme Brulee and a cappuccino. Then we decided to go for a walk, and crossed a bridge and saw the Eiffel Tower. We went up it in the elevator, and the lights on the bridge began to sparkle as dusk fell. There was a warm summer breeze as we enjoyed the view of Paris at night. This is my favourite memory of the happiest birthday of my life. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Look at you,
So into me.
I am wise enough to know
You will suck the life out of me,
And then move on.

Day 4 - Something I'd Like To Do Again

I had the BEST time in Europe. I would definitely like to return. I could imagine spending a few more days in Paris, walking, walking, seeing the sights that I missed and returning to my favourites. I would go to Notre Dame this time, and see the parts of the Louvre I had no time to visit. I would return to lovely Versailles to see Marie Antoinette's private quarters and just walk in the gardens again.

I would get off the train to wander the countryside near Mt. St. Victoire, which Cezanne painted about 60 times. I remember seeing it through the window, and wanting to stop and stay! I would return to the Cinque Terre in Italy and spend more time walking & boating between all 5 lovely towns, feasting on the local fare! I would return to Florence, and see the things I that I missed, like a tour of the interior of the Duomo and to view the Boticellis in the Uffizi Gallery, walk through the Ponte Vecchio, and buy some leather handbags in the market.

I would love to return to Rimini and soak up the sun on the beach!
LORD, I LOVE ITALY!! xoxoxox

Day 3 - My Favourite Shows

These are my three favourite shows currently on TV!

Desperate Housewives is the only tv show that Chris and I watch together; it is in it's 7th season and I fear that it may be near the end. We find the witty writing and the hilarious characters very entertaining. I love the friendships & the dynamics among the women on Wisteria Lane!

I also love the characters, setting, wardrobe & plots in Gossip Girl! I absolutely LOVE New York City, and while I was there I was thrilled to be at places where the GG characters were filmed in the Upper East Side, Central Park, or where they ate their lunch while attending Constance Billard School, on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example!! Gossip Girl is in Season 4, and my favourite on-again off-again couple is Chuck (played by Ed Westwick) and Queen B Blair Waldorf, played by Leighton Meester. B's character dresses very high class and preppy. In the fall of Season 3 when Blair attended a polo match wearing a Tiffany Key necklace, I fell in love with it and Chris bought me one for Christmas!! WOW! Then in the fall of season 4 2010, the girls pledging to enter fraternities were also given Tiffany Keys!! Serena Van der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively is gorgeous & has a very sexy yet classy style. Oh and I was thrilled when Chris and I attended the musical "Chicago" on Broadway that the character Mr. Humphrey from Gossip Girl, Matthew Settle, played the lawyer in the musical!! This was the role played by Richard Gere in the movie adaptation of Chicago.

Big Bang Theory ROCKS!! I love the science, the nerdiness and the hilarity of it ALL!

Day 2 - Someone I've been close to the longest

<- okay maybe I am a bit of a speed demon (on @ Seadoo in the Okanagan)

The person whom I have been closest to the longest is my friend Marla Jean. Our mothers were friends from the time we were born, so we grew up together. Her house was a kilometer down the mountain from the pristine plateau our log house was built on. My mom taught her cartwheels, how to bake & clean and about Jesus Christ. We spent many pleasant summer days together, playing along the two gurgling streams on our acreage, raking the leaves off of the ground to create "floors" for our playhouses. I remember reclining on tree trunks that bent across the creeks, sharing what was going on in our homes & hearts. We used to play in the hayloft of our barn, or go horseback riding or bask in the sunshine on the hay bales... My dad would groan when she would break up the peace of the wilderness by yelling, a 1/2 a km away, a "haloooo Bonnie-Jean!"

In high school we chose different paths and friends.... I chose friends who were Christian girls, pursuing spiritual lives... but still Marla & I were close confidants. School girl friendships often wax and wane as you grow up, get married, and have children; but I have to say, that Marla and I are closer than ever. She has changed so much since high school. She pursues Christ and loves her family passionately! And we know that through the roller coaster that is life, although we are a province away, we are only a text or a phone call away! Always ready to support each other and share a prayer. Love you Mars Bar! :) From your Winding Road friend, Bonnie-Jean.

Proverbs 18:24
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Day 1 - Something I Like

I like Skiing, A LOT! I would like to go every weekend. I grew up in the mountains and used to ski 3 times a year with my school or family... but I have always wanted to do it more often. Then I moved to Edmonton, our nearest mountain is a 4 hour drive away. Life gets in the way, it's hard to follow your passions.

Last weekend I went on a road trip to Banff with my lovely snow boarding friend Simone, it was a wonderful girls' trip!! I became myself again, for 2 1/2 days. It was divine, much needed, therapeutic. On Friday evening we drove 3 1/2 hours to Calgary & chatted all the way. We met up with Miss T & Simone's sis and went to the Blues Can to enjoy some live music from Chicago. On Saturday we toodled our way through Canmore & Banff and then swam in the pool at the Banff Springs Hotel where we were staying. On Sunday morning we had breakfast room service and then we skiied @ Sunshine Village. We have had a tonne of snow this winter, so there was some fabulous powder. We started with Standish Mountain on the Strawberry Express, but the runs were too short and easy. My favourite run for the day was #27 World Cup Downhill, on Lookout Mountain using the Angel Express. Now if I could only ski more often I would love to spend the day on Goat's Eye! My next ski trip will be with Chris @ Lake Louise in March!!!

30 Day Challenge

30 day challenge.....
Credit for these topics go to "Dawn." Not sure if she created them herself, but she is my source.
Day one: A picture of something you like
Day two: A picture of you and someone you’ve been close to the longest.
Day three: A picture of your favorite show
Day four: A picture of something you’d like to do again.
Day five: A picture of your favourite memory
Day six: A picture of someone you’d like to trade places with for a day.
Day seven: A picture of your most treasured item.
Day eight: A picture that makes you laugh.
Day nine: A picture of someone that got you through the most.
Day ten: A picture of you and the person you did the craziest things with.
Day eleven: A picture of something you hate.
Day twelve: A picture of something you love.
Day thirteen: A picture of your favourite band or artist
Day fourteen: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
Day fifteen: A picture of something you want to do before you die.
Day sixteen: A picture of someone that inspires you.
Day seventeen: A picture of someone that recently made a difference in your life.
Day eighteen: A picture of your biggest insecurity.
Day nineteen: A picture of when you were little.
Day twenty: A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel.
Day twenty-one: A picture of something you wish you can forget.
Day twenty-two: A picture of something you wish you were better at.
Day twenty-three: A picture of your favourite book.
Day twenty-four: A picture of something you wish you could change.
Day twenty-five: A picture of your day.
Day twenty-six: A picture of something that means a lot to you.
Day twenty-seven: A picture of yourself and a family member.
Day twenty-eight: A picture of something you’re afraid of.
Day twenty-nine: A picture that can always make you smile.
Day thirty: A picture of someone you miss