The plans

Well, here I am at vacation week. Day one - awake at 0530, crawled out of bed at 0600 and decided to start the day. Here are the plans for vacation week:

Saturday: Finish decorating the house, do a Partylite show at 2pm, clean
Sunday: Partylite Open House, work on courses
Monday: Catch up on courses, maybe bake
Tuesday: Go to Victoria to meet with my trainer to get hooked up to my insulin pump
Wednesday: Dad and I go Christmas shopping, just the two of us. Our annual tradition, he usually buys breakfast!
Thursday: Catch up on courses, again maybe bake
Friday: Continue with courses, Central Care Home Management Christmas party in Victoria
Saturday: relax!!!!
Sunday: Repeat Saturday.
Monday: Back to work, boo hoo.

I am sure my plans will be altered, but here's hoping for the best!

Seems like forever...

It has been many weeks since my last post and quite honestly not all my fault. Haha. I tried blogging about two weeks ago and for some reason it would not post and I got frustrated and gave up. So here I am back to try again!

Work is still going fairly well. Some minor struggles, but getting through them. I finally feel that I have my office set up in a way that works for me. Yes, I have my own office at work. I have never had that! What a luxury.

I am hoping to be starting on the insulin pump in the next two weeks. I had an appointment with my endocrinologist a couple weeks back and he stated that if I wanted to have a baby the best thing would be get on an insulin pump as that currently gives the best control with blood sugars. I was against the pump for many years because I didn't want to be attached to a machine everywhere I went. So, I have put my selfish thoughts aside and decided that this is the best option, at least for now. So I have the pump sitting in a box and waiting for my trainer and I go have a day that we can meet. Hopefully, next week!

Geoff and I are planning (at least this week) to move the Victoria for the 1st of February and probably renting. It doesn't look like we will be able to buy a place for awhile, so renting in Vic seems like the next best option. That is our plan for now, although that can definately change. We hope to make a final decision by the 2nd week of December, so that we can give our current landlord as much notice as possible. Geoff thought we might like to move January 1st, I said no way!!! Too much going on then.

Geoff is just finishing up his last few weeks of his undergraduate degree and then he will have his Bachelor's. Hallelujah, that will be done! He then hopes to take a couple of courses at UVIC in January. They are pre-reqs for the summer Master's program at UVIC. He has made a decision (at least for this week) to try to get into the Summer program. It is a 6 week program during the summer months and then he would be doing some projects during the 'off' time. He would be done in 3 years. He is hoping to find some kind of work in Victoria with his degree, so we are trying to think positive thoughts in that area.

I have started a total of 3 courses in my Health Care admin program, I think I am a little crazy! It is a lot of work, but I do love the pressure.

I have a weeks vacation starting December 1st. So looking forward to that and not having to commute and getting to sleep in if I like!

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Will post more as the Christmas season gets ever close. Yeah! I love this time of year!

McNab's corn maze

Geoff and I went to the corn maze on Friday, yes in the rain. It was completely muddy, but still fun and we had the entire corn maze to ourselves. We went two years ago and it was extremely cold then, so it was a little warmer yesterday. I encourage everyone to do a corn maze sometime in their life, although I do warn to do it with someone, not on your own. It can be a bit fun to get lost, but could be a little scary if you got lost by yourself. Interestingly yesterday, Geoff wanted to check out one part of the maze to see if it led anywhere. After a couple of minutes I called out his name and I got no response. Hmm, I thought, I might have to find my way back myself. So I called again a couple more times and then we found each other. We were told when we started the maze that there are 4 Emu's in the maze and not to be scared as they won't hurt us. Well, when we first started out, two scooted past us. We later met up with all four at the petting zoo area.



All in all we had a good time, we also stopped at the cranberry farm just down the street and picked up some cranberry salsa - so good!



Until the next post....

It's about time....

Well, here I go again, time to catch up. I am trying to remember all the things that have happened in the recent weeks. So here goes...

Geoff and i went to Kelowna for a Baptist Housing Awards Banquet on October 3rd until the 4th. Baptist Housing paid for everything, including accommodations. We, as a group, bused it to Kelowna and we had fun. I had heard that we would be playing games on the bus and I was looking forward to just some time to relax, nap and read. I thought oh, oh, I really don't want to play games on the bus and neither did Geoff, but you know, it was kind of fun! I am trying to be more open minded, plus we did have time for a nap and a read! We stayed at the Coast Capri in Kelowna and toured one of the new facilities that Baptist Housing has recently acquired. It was nice weekend and we also got to meet up with Cory and Sara, Geoff's brother and sister in law for breakfast. It was nice to see them as we hadn't seen them since our wedding. We are hoping that they can make it for Christmas on the island, but will need to wait until closer to the time.

I am on vacation this week and attempting to get some things done around the house. Cleaning, purging of stuff and basically trying to make things a little more organized and not so cluttered. Well, I am into day 6 and haven't accomplished too much at this point. I was up at 0630 this morning, couldn't sleep and thought I would get started on the day and hopefully tackle the garage before lunch. I puttered a bit this morning until about 0800 and then Dad called to see if Geoff and I wanted to go for breakfast. Well, I never turn down a change to eat out for breakfast, so we went to the Doghouse and then came home and I have been slowly working in the office since. I am hoping after I finish here I will get to the garage. Geoff has a night class this evening, so will have the house to myself, so will see how much I get done. I am also thinking that I might like to change the living room furniture around again, so will see.

I am still enjoying my job, but have enjoyed this week of not having to get up at 0500. Geoff and I have decided to put off buying a house/condo/townhouse at this point, because too many obstacles have come in our way. I thought I could use part of my pension from the college as a down payment, but found out that yes I can transfer the funds into an RRSP and will probably make more money on it than if I just left it, but also found out that it has to go into a fixed RRSP, which means that I can not touch it. Unfortunately, BC is the only province (as far as I am told) to still have fixed RRSP's. The topic is supposed to be on the legislature topics but because Mr. Campbell has cancelled the last two legislature meetings, I don't anticipate anything changing there soon. Just another reason I don't care for Mr. Campbell (sorry, but I really don't like him, particularly since what he has done with health care).

So we wait. Geoff will be done school very soon and hopefully we can start to save more and get the down payment without using an RRSP, but it will take time. For now, I continue to commute. Hope the weather is kind to me!

Well, I should get cracking back at the organizing and maybe I will post more later today, but then maybe not :)

Way too long

It has been an extremely long time since my last post and have a few things to catch up on. I also had some trouble trying to start a new post for the last few days. As it is early in the am and I should be getting ready for work, I will update, hopefully, this evening when I get home from work. I will blog on....:)

Feeling inspired

I am beginning to see a pattern in my blogging. It seems to happen once weekly and when I am needing to procrastinate. I have just recently returned from the grocery store where I feel I spent too much money and quite possibly on things we really don't need. Well, what to say. I stayed away from my two current favorite stores today, so I think that is some progress.

I hope that people are reading and enjoying the blog. Please make comments if you like, there is a little icon at the end of each post and you can comment. You don't have to be a blogger to do so.

I am still in the process of cleaning and organizing. It has been on my list for over 3 weeks to work on the garage, but alas, there the mess still sits. One day I will get to it, perhaps when I am on vacation in 4 weeks.

I had a lovely visit with Gilaine last evening. Gilaine is my former co-worker at Mala and I miss working with her. We met for greek food at Bravo in Duncan and shared some stories. It was great talking with her and catching up on what is going on at the Cowichan campus and catching her up on my job. She is heading off to Turkey for a month in a few weeks, so I wish her a safe trip and to take lots of pictures!

I will be looking at two new places/condos on Monday after work, but am feeling that my heart is still at the place in Sooke. I just don't want to close any options, just in case.

I am hoping to make some gingersnaps this weekend, as long as it doesn't get too hot. I really don't like have the oven on during the hot weather. My gingersnaps aren't the hard ones, but they are a little firm on the outside but super soft on the inside. Yum. Hmm, maybe I will get to making some, haha.

Geoff cleaned the bathrooms before heading off to work, so that leaves me with the kitchen, livingroom, diningroom and laundry. Not too bad and I think I can handle it :) Geoff is finding it a bit hard this semester as he is taking three regular classes, one independent study and one audit class, plus working 4 shifts a week. He thinks he may be losing two of his shifts because the person he is taking over for is coming back the middle of October. I think we are both really looking forward to December when he is done school and he can possibly quit working at his current job. He really is not liking working for this company. If we move to the Victoria area, he can find quite a bit of work in his field, possibly even with his degree. Wouldn't that be nice. He is playing around with the idea to go to UVIC to get his master's, but online is not out just yet. Guess we just wait and see.

Well, I should get at putting things away. Until the next post....

Saturday

Taking a break from cleaning and organizing, my usual procrastination. I was up this morning around 5 am, more than likely due to the fact that that is the time I get up to go to work. I tried to go back to sleep, but my mind was racing with all of the things I could get accomplished today. Hmm. I went out for a bit this morning looking at some used furniture places, i.e. "Belongings" (downtown Duncan) and "Oh my gosh" (at Whippletree). I love their stuff! They bring in old things, fix them up and sell them for somewhat reasonable prices. I found a great bedside table (I am looking for two) at "Oh my gosh", but it was $249.00, but it is an antique and it was originally from Cowichan Station. The owner did say that they get things like that in all the time but they are pretty much one of a kinds, which is cool. I'll have to talk about it with Geoff and see what he thinks. I'd also like to get a sleigh bed for our room, but that is a little out of our price range at the moment. I'll need to save my loonies and twoonies for that!

Both of the places that Geoff and I like in Sooke have come down in price quite a bit in the last week. I hope this is a good sign for us to buy soon. I have an appointment with the bank at the end of the month to see what our prospects are like. I need to keep remembering to pray, so that we can be led where we need to go, not just where we want to go.

I'm thinking of changing the furniture around in the living room again. I get bored every so often with the layout, so will see what I can come up with today.

I have requested vacation during the week of Thanksgiving and the first week of December. I am hoping that during that week of Thanksgiving to not only indulge in turkey, but to also purge our house of some more of our clutter (might be a time to have a garage sale, might be too late in the year, but will wait and see). I took the first week of December off, so that either I can be working on our new pad (I hope) or to get the Christmas decorations out and about or both! I love the season and usually decorate on the 1st of December.

Well, I think I have had a long enough break for now. Should get back at the cleaning and organizing!

The Weekend

Well, I was able to relax some on the weekend and also procrastinated and built something. Not bad for a long weekend. I spent most of Saturday organizing my Partylite closest in the office. I have separated the current from the past products and feel somewhat prepared for my next Partylite Open House. I did a Partylite show on Sunday afternoon and did okay. Got 3 more bookings, so that is always good, helps with a little extra cash. Most of the extra cash just goes to more candles! I am so thankful that Geoff likes candles, otherwise it all may drive him crazy! ha ha. After the show Geoff and I went out to Mom and Dad's for BBQ which was good and we also got to try out their new outdoor fireplace. I love the smell of campfire! I didn't bring any marshmallows though :(

Today was spent putting together our new Buffet and Hutch! Yeah! Sold our old one on Saturday, so could hardly wait until the new one was put together. And I did it all by myself. Geoff made dinner. Geoff made a funny comment today. He thought that the roles were definitely reversed in our home. I was building something and he was in the kitchen. We are okay with the reversed "roles" as we for the most part don't believe in the women and men 'roles.' Although I am quite content for him to take the garbage out! Ha ha. I am very pleased with the buffet and hutch, it has so much more storage than our old one. The one thing that I do miss though is drawers for cutlery. I think I may see if I can find a nice basket to put the cutlery in.

Well, I should go and do some things to get ready for work tomorrow. Next Saturday I hope to tackle the garage and get it ready for a garage sale sometime in the future! Wish me luck!

Geoffrey's Birthday

Tomorrow is Geoffrey's 37th birthday! Happy Birthday dear! I have to work all day, but am going to try to get home a little earlier than usual. We have plans to go with my parents out for dinner (Geoff's wants some ribs) and then back to our place for pie and ice cream. Geoff didn't want cake and loves pie, so there you go. I would make it, but pies are not my thing, cheesecakes are more of my thing. one day I will try to make a pie for my hubby. Won't he be surprised, although I have made pumpkin pie and it wasn't too bad.

Geoff and I are off to look at some more condos in the Victoria area on Tuesday. Geoff usually comes down to Vic with me one day a week every two weeks. Although today I have been giving some thought to whether it might be better to buy something in Duncan. Geoff is beginning to establish some roots here. He is volunteering with Cowichan Family Life and making some connections. Although he really does not like his current job, but that won't be forever. Just some food for thought for me. The thing is there is a small possibility we could actually buy a house here, where the very best we could hope for in Victoria is a townhouse. Well, we need to keep praying and see what God has planned.

Well, I should start getting ready for work tomorrow. 530 am comes early! Cheers!

Emma the cat

It is 6 am and I am awake on a Saturday for no good reason! Bah. I have a cold and it woke me up, so I decided to just get up and play on the computer. I thought I would add something to my blog and see if I could download some pictures. This entry will be about my very bad cat Emma. Emma is 9 years old now and has been with me since she was just a very small kitten. She had the biggest ears when she was a baby, thankfully she grew into them! The reason I call her bad is that often she does not play nice. She likes to bite and attack my ankles (she'll wrap her paws around my ankles and take a chomp out!). Other times she'll be sitting beside me and just reach out and bite. Now interestingly she does not do that to Geoff. hmm. But, Geoff who was never one for cats, but Emma has won him over. She now goes to the 'spa' (this is what Geoff calls it). The spa is when she crawls up into Geoff's lap and he brushes her. She thinks that is the greatest thing! I am glad that she is in our lives as she brings a lot of joy even with the scars on my legs!

A little history on the bad cat...when Susan and I were first roommates, I really missed my dog. We weren't allowed dogs in our apartment, but we could have a cat. So off we went to the SPCA to look at cats. We first went into the adult cat section and Susan found one that she quite liked. Interestingly she could barely lift this cat. He was HUGE! Plus, the fact that he was only a year old, all I could think of was 'health problems!.' After looking at the adult cats we went where the kittens were. We were watching and there looked like one that was kind of being picked on by the other kittens. This little kitten got away and went onto a ledge and was looking longingly out the window. How sad. I looked at her collar and her name was Sheba. Well, it was meant to be...that was my dogs name. So off we went with our new little Emma (we changed the name). We also found out that she had an interesting history. Emma's mother, her sister and Emma were found in a box on the railroad tracks in Nanaimo. Somebody found them and took them to the Women's Shelter, the shelter in turn took them to the SPCA. So she had a slightly hard start to her little life.

Shortly after bringing her home we found out why she was being picked on. Of course, Susan and I didn't see what happened before the 'picking on' but we think Emma probably started it!!! Ha, ha. I remember one of the first nights shortly after we brought her home, it was so funny. Cats are often nocturnal, so she would get very busy. At the time Susan and I were nursing students, we studied lots (well, you know) and went to bed late. When we went to bed, it was because we were tired. Well, Emma thought this was the time to play. Susan and I each had our own room, so Emma would jump on one bed, play all around and then go to the other bed. Back and forth, back and forth. One night we decided to close our doors. Well, Emma was smarter than we thought. Our bedrooms were down a hallway, so Emma would start at the farthest end of the hallway, starting running and body slam herself on our doors. She did this until Susan finally opened her door. For a little kitten she had a powerful bodyslam! Needless to say Emma pretty much had us wrapped around her little paw.

She is a little different in some of her behaviours, I have a friend who works at a Veterinary clinic and she said that that makes her 'special.' I think that is cute. Emma likes to pull out her belly fur. Her stomach is completely bald. I took her to the vet and they couldn't really find anything wrong with her. Thought she might need some medications. Didn't touch her. She certainly is special!

Well, I think I better close this post and see if I can do some other productive things, perhaps finally clean out this office! Wish me luck...

Hmm...

Well, so much for posting regularly. Just a short note to say nothing is really new. My new job is going well, from my standpoint anyway! Geoff and I continue to look for a new place to live, but haven't found anything that we super like, except for a place we can't have! It's an adult only building and they are very strict about that. God has a plan for us we know, particularly since the bank would like us to wait until I have been in my position for 3 months, which will be October 1st. The commute to Victoria isn't too bad right now, but it has been very decent weather so far. I am a little concerned once it comes to fall/winter seasons.

Geoff is beginning to get ready for his last semester of school and we continue to have discussions of him not going to his graduation, which will be this December. I'd like him to go, but he doesn't want to go. It is his decision of course, but I love to celebrate anything and everything! haha.

Well, that's it for now. See how long it takes me to write again!

The beginning

I have been inspired by a friend to start my own blog. Really have no idea if anyone will be interetsed in reading the goings on of Geoff's and my life, but what the heck. After reading Cass's blog I have been inspired. I had a short visit with Cass and Sam yesterday and felt inspired by Cass's blog (I have been reading through yours this morning!). It is wonderful to read about the goings on and transitions in a friends life and what a great way to keep those memories.

Not sure how long I will be able to keep this up, but I am willing to give it a go!

There are some new changes for Geoff and I in the near future and it would be great to be able to write about them. I have always wanted to write a book and maybe this will give me some inspiration and some practice! So I think I will leave this short note for now and wait to see when the next inspiration hits me!