getting lost

I love how getting away can bring on a such a new perspective on life. I spent this past weekend in Toronto with family, taking pictures, and exploring the city. It was a quick trip and every moment was spent on the go. It was so great to be able to wake up every morning, get dressed and walk out the door and grab a Starbucks. My last day there I woke up to a damp misty morning. It had rained heavily all night and I was expecting a cold west coast morning, surprisingly I was met with warm humidity and the hustle and bustle of a busy city life, far different than what I am used to. Everyone has a place to be. Nobody really knows anybody and everyone is in their own little world. What really struck me was how entwined I am in my little Auguston bubble. Like most people in my community, they are off to work and leaving their community to work or be with people from anywhere but there. I on the other hand do not do this on a daily basis. I know all of my neighbours, I walk to and from the school 3 times a day with the same people, I go to church in the same community as all of these people and I work from home and work mostly with people from my community. Honestly, I feel like I need out! There is such a big world out there and I want to be part of it. I'm not sure where these thoughts will lead me, probably not too far, but I do feel like a need a change, even if it's a small one. I used to take art classes every Wednesday night. I met many different people there from all over. Some older, some younger, all with such interesting stories. I find myself craving that, not necessarily art classes, but something. This is definitely a rambling post, but getting lost in a city like Toronto was nice, even for a few days. Here are some pics my mom took while I was there.

Leaving on a jet plane,

don't know when I'll be back again...okay, actually I'll be home Sunday afternoon, I just wanted to finish the line in the song.

Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Toronto for the weekend. I will be doing a couple of shoots as well as visiting family. As I get ready to leave I am feeling a mix of emotions.

* I am looking forward to getting lost in another city

* There are a few of you out there that I will really miss

* It will be great seeing my family

* Taking pictures in a different city is super fun!

* I like riding the subway

* I hope I'm not getting sick

* I hope I haven't forgotten anything

* Responsibilities? I'm traveling without kids, I have no responsibilities :)

* Life is good

peace out...

lj

Really?

Wow, I am not sure really where to begin this blog entry. I'll start with the fact that after nearly nine months of planning, a lovely Pig Roast is going to be held right across the street from my house in just over 24 hours. I've come to grips with it. Really I have. I mean why would watching a poor little pig spin helplessly on a stick over hot flames right in front of my house for hours on end be at all disturbing?

Okay, skip to another random fact about my life... trust me, this will all come together at the end.

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a book at the library on business. More specifically Starbucks. How Starbucks became so successful so quickly. Really, a very interesting book, with a lot of ideas to incorporate into my business, or anyone's business for that matter. So tonight I was going through my Twitter contacts and came across this article about how Starbucks is now un-cool. I was intrigued, so I clicked the link. (here's the link if you're interested) I thought it was kind of funny. I also noticed on the page a bunch of "ads." No not the kind of ads you're thinking... good clean ads. Or at least I thought. One of the ads said "Learn to Cook!" Well, that sounds good, I would love to learn to cook. So I clicked it. Okay, was so not prepared to see a 7 minute video on how to butcher a lamb. A.whole.lamb. AYKM??? Gross, and so uncalled for. BTW, I am not posting the link to the lamb video, if you want to see a carcass being cut up come to the pig roast on Sunday. Really, I'm not bitter :-)

Today...

Today I:

- dropped off BOTH kids at school

- had a long and difficult conversation with someone I love

- began designing a sample album for weddings

- placed an order with my lab

- burned and printed a dvd

- returned e-mails

- got a wonderful, unexpected phone call

- lit some candles and read a magazine

- was annoyed that the magazine I was reading had the super interesting article I really wanted to read torn out! (that's what I get for taking mags out of the library)

- cut the grass, weeded the garden, put away the outdoor furniture for the winter

- was totally grossed out by the high number of enormous spiders I came across while in the garden...ewwwww!

- talked with neighbours on the way home from school

- made banana muffins

- helped Elissa with homework

- did some laundry

- made dinner

- and now I am gearing myself up for a run, hoping to do 6 or 7 kms, although I feel like I am being blind-sided by a cold...yuck!

So I was talking with my SIL Brooke today and she was telling me about this uber cool site that lets you download music for free onto your computer and create your own personal playlist. So... since I am always wanting some new proofing music I thought I would give this a try.

Here is my newest playlist... a very random mix

http://www.playlist.com/larajane

I finally know what I am!

So I was reading this running magazine yesterday morning with my coffee. I think I may actually me slightly addicted to theses mags because every time I finish reading one I feel the need to read more and more, like I can't get enough info. Anyway, so I was reading through this one magazine when I stumbled across an article called "The Ideal Runner's Diet."

Hmmm, perfect I thought; I need to know what a good running diet would consist of.

So the article began by talking about how many runners follow one of two philosophies. "You're either a carnivore or a vegetarian." I was like, shoot, I don't really like meat, but I'll eat it, although I secretly kind of wish I could call myself a vegetarian. Then the article went on to say that you can have the best of both worlds, and this is ideally what runner's should eat. Basically making plant foods (fruits, veggies, grain, and legumes) the mainstay of our meals, while still eating animal protein-just less of it. The person who follows this diet, actually has a name I discovered. They are called "flexitarians." Yes, flexitarians! I was sooo stoked to read that people like me actually have a label! Not that I like to be labeled, but this is a label I think I can live with. Actually, this is a label I am very excited about! And the best thing about being a flexitarian, is that it is the "ideal runner's diet!"

Anyway, just thought I would blog about how excited I am to be a flexitarian!!

9/11

The question I hear being thrown around lately is "what were doing when you first heard about the attacks?" So here I am eight years later thinking about that tragic day and all that has happened since.

I had just started a teaching job at a great Preschool in Vancouver. As I got into my Jeep that morning to drive to work I turned on the radio. A happy song was playing, the sun was shining, all seemed right with the world. Little did I know our world was changing, very fast. As the song ended, and I pulled into the parking lot of the school (yes I actually only worked like 6 blocks away) the news came on. The WTC had just been hit. I remember thinking "what, that can't be right." I was in a bit of a hurry to open the doors and get on with my day, so I pushed it to the back of my mind. It wasn't until parents started arriving with their children and were buzzing about this that I began to realize what was really going on. I went home that afternoon and was glued to the tv. I was in disbelief. I was sick, I was sad. My mind began to spin. I began wondering what our future held.

I was ten weeks pregnant with Elissa. I was scared for my baby. What kind of future will she have? How can I be bringing a child into this world, this world filled with hatred, bitterness, and war?

A lot has changed since then. A lot. Life went on, and life continues to go on. Joel was still in University. We lived in a one bedroom apartment on West 44th. We didn't go to church. We didn't see much family. I worked part time.

A lot has changed in 8 years. I wonder what the year 2017 will look like.

Our world is forever changing, as are we.

all in a day

Just when I thought life couldn't get more interesting, it did.

Last Wednesday my mom came over to give me a chance to get out kid-free and run some errands. I was greatly looking forward to this brief amount of freedom and wondered how much I could squeeze into a small frame of time. It all started at good old Costco, where I had planned to meet my MIL and SIL. We were on a mission to pick out a 40th birthday present for another SIL. With that task done, I desperately needed to continue on with some grocery shopping, as I had been putting it off all week. As I started loading my cart with the essentials, my cell rang. It was my mom. My mom never calls my cell, so I thought it was a bit odd. She was calling to say that she thought Connor had broken his arm after falling from the monkey bars. Now a few months ago, Connor had done the same thing, fell from the monkey bars, but his arm in the end hadn't been broken. Needless to say I ditched my cart and drove home. Once I got home, he was lying on the front grass in shock. Our wonderful neighbour had wrapped and iced his arm and said it was pretty bad.

I rushed him to Emergency where we sat for 7 hours. Nothing really prepared me for what his arm looked like though. I literally felt sick to my stomach when the nurse took his sling and ice off. During that time he had an IV put in him and was pumped full morphine and gravol. He drifted in and out of sleep all afternoon. They brought in a portable x-ray machine because they didn't want to move him. He had dislocated a bone as well as fractured three others. The ER Dr. said he had never seen anything like this. At that point it was decided he needed surgery. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the ER with him waiting for the Orthopedic surgeon to come and take a look. He came in and said it was pretty bad and he definitely needed surgery that night. I have to admit, by this time I was both physically and emotionally exhausted. I hadn't eaten anything all day aside from a smoothie that morning, and Joel was away on business. They had to cut off his shirt and put him in a little gown. He was then wheeled up to the OR where I had to get scrubs on as well. I sat with Connor in this little curtained off room waiting for them to come and get us. I looked down at his little body. His arm looking so wrong and so painful. He had an IV in his other arm. He looked up at me with his big brown eyes and said "Jesus is in the room right mom?" I had been strong for him all day, but when I heard him say that I began to weep. I thought of all the other mothers who had been in this same situation. The fear that had gripped them before sending their precious babies into the unknown. I said a prayer through my tears with him. He told me he loved me. They came to get us, and it was time. They hooked him up to all sorts of monitors and put a mask on his face. He went out really fast, kind of scary. Now it was a waiting game.

I waited alone for over an hour. My SIL came and sat with me for a bit since she had just finished her shift on a different floor. It was nice to have company. She left and I was alone again. It was a rather lonely day, even though I had been surrounded by nurses and Dr's. Another SIL came just as I was allowed to go be with Connor. I sat with him and waited for him to wake up. He gradually came to. The surgery had gone well. Connor seemed okay, but had some trouble breathing. They had put a tube down his throat during surgery and it seemed to hinder his breathing a bit. We were then taken to the Pediatric ward where he spent the night recovering. It had been a long couple of days. Joel did finally arrived late Wednesday night, which was a relief.

Connor is adjusting well, but is still on Tylenol 3 at night.

It was quite the experience, one I hope to never re-live.