Elmo

Now how is it that Elmo keeps turning up in my world?  Elmo ceased to exist in my world for about 15 years, now it seems everywhere I go there's Elmo. Yesterday Elmo jumped right into my grocery cart, how that happened who knows but I'm sure Elyssa's going to love her new Elmo book. ;-)

In the Thick of Things

It's that time of year again, the time of year where I feel like I'm the captain of a sinking ship. The assignments, readings, presentations, mid term exams and getting all the paperwork in order to go to Australia are all compounded and crazy making. 

 In the thick of things I'm not even trying to clean up my sort of organized mess, I wouldn't be able to find anything if I did... and heaven forbid, I'd be the captain going down with her ship.

If you want something bad enough in life, never, never, never give up, no matter how messy it gets. 

Sit A While

Sit a while, relax and take a load off...

enjoy the view,

inhale the crispness in the air, look up and be grateful for the abundance within our lives.

"The season for enjoying the fullness of life -- partaking of the harvest,
sharing the harvest with others, and reinvesting and saving portions
of the harvest for yet another season of growth."
-   Denis Waitley

"A" is for...

A is for Australia,

A is for Adelaide, which is in Australia.

On Saturday I submitted a proposal to do my final placement in Australia. I received a phone call today which informed me that there were a lot of applicants for this opportunity, I was informed that my references from the faculty were very strong and I was told that my proposal touched the hearts of those who read it. There are 3 students from across Alberta who were selected, I'm one of them! I'll leave sometime towards the end of January and be home either in May or June. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, a dream come true!

A is for an adventure and an amazing opportunity!

A Blessed Morning

What a treat to wake up to a busy little girl, she's such a happy child who is full of fun and adventure.

"Good morning, lets see what I can find to do at Grammy's house."

 "Lets color..."

"... and read to Abbie"

 

We watched Elmo and ducks at least 10 times (her favorite Sesame Street Clip), we played with her toys, read some books and had a great time together. The only problem is time passes way to quickly when I'm spending time with my precious granddaughter, it was time for Elyssa to go home before I knew it.

 

Baby Steps

Precious baby shoes for a precious baby girl. 

We'll be up early in the morning without a doubt so I'd best be calling it a night soon.

The First Day of Fall

The University of Alberta Butterdome is a multi use space used to support various sport and recreational programs, it holds approximately 6000 people. I think it's rather obvious why the building is called the Butterdome, it's yellow like butter, or maybe they paint it yellow like butter so they don't have to change the name...yes I digress, now back to my post. 

What caught my attention today is the tree which is blending in nicely with the building, it's close to the same shade of yellow. 

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower."
Albert Camus

I had just left class and was walking and talking with one of my peers, I told her I just HAD to take a photo of this shrub. I'm not too sure what this young lady made of this but if she's going to walk and talk with me she might as well get to know me and my ways, as I will hers. She's inquisitive, brilliant, and tolerant, a young lady who will go far in life in my opinion. 

 

Yup, it was another beautiful day, a wonderful day to welcome the change of seasons.  

Color My World Autumn

(click to enlarge, this one is worth the click!)

Well it's official, (it's after midnight here), it's the first day of Autumn and the trees are playing along and turning color. Don't you just love the earthy tones? The one thing I love about fall is the beautiful colors, that and people don't  seem to be in quite so much of a rush. Summer is a fast season it seems, people are in a hurry to get to where they are going and go figure... to do nothing. Fall it's back to routine and not everyone is in such a rush to get to work or hit the books. Sure there's still rush hour traffic but there's not the idiots hurrying to get out to the lake or home to BBQ, it's time to chill out. 

Ahhhh, Autumn, glorious colorful Autumn.

Rarely a Dull Moment

I pass by this neighborhood pub daily on my way to classes. Today I snapped a photo of this place because I liked the bike in the front and that this building looks like it belongs either in the past or in the country. It never dawned on me until tonight that I used to be a bartender back in the day at this establishment, hmmm how many years and essays ago was that? I'll venture a guess and say it's got to be at least 18 years ago and too many essays to even begin to count. 

From bartender/manager to social worker... interesting career change I must admit.  

I'm pretty sure those of you who visit my blog regularly have realized by now that there's rarely a dull moment in my world... and you don't even know the whole story!  How I live today is an extremely mellowed out version of my past life, but I'll save all that for the book I'm going to write one day.

Yup, rarely a dull moment.

Hot Stuff

Today I had a new furnace installed, pretty soon this entire house will be new at this rate! The old furnace was still working but it was as old as the house so it would have been a gamble to keep it.

I was in class most of the day, my last class ended at 9pm and by the time I got home the house was crazy making hot, the furnace wouldn't kick out and the temperature kept on rising. I tried to call the company that did the install, no answer, then I tried the on call guy, no answer. I hope this isn't the type of service I'll receive in the future if something else goes wrong. For tonight I shut the furnace off and you bet I'll be calling them in the morning.

It's amazing how small furnaces are today and this particular model is supposed to be 97% energy efficient. Hmmm, I don't think that applies to today though.

On the Inside Lookin' Out

Tonight as I was heading downstairs I caught a glimpse of the sun going down, the pinks in the sky were so beautiful. I figure as long as we still have color in our skies I'd best be snapping photos, soon enough the skies will turn grey and there's going to be white fluffy stuff coming down and coloring our side of the world white. Before anybody says anything note I refrained from using that four letter "s" word. ;-)

It's amazing when you're on the inside looking out, things can look so different.  I believe it's all in ones perspective.

The quote comes to mind that goes something like this, I don't know who said it, or something like it, but I like what it says... if I'm even saying it right (yup, it's been a long day!)

Take a look at the world; If you don't like what you see change it. If you can't change it, change the way you look at it. 

On that happy note it's time to put these tired eyes to bed, enjoy what you do and do what you enjoy! 

Edmonton Streetcar

This morning my oldest son called and invited me to go with them on an adventure.
I don't have a ton of free time but I was missing my granddaughter and decided to put the studies on hold, some things in life are more important than receiving an "A", this was one of them.
We walked down Whyte Avenue where's some quaint shops, tons of restaurants and a different type of an atmosphere than the "normal" hustle and bustle of city life even when the avenue is jam packed with people... which on a Sunday morning it isn't. 

After our walk we went on the Streetcar, it was a wonderful experience and the first time we all had been on this venture. The streetcar was built in 1912, in September 1951 all service came to an end and the remaining streetcars were stripped, the bodies were sold for further use as cottages or farm buildings. Our museum recovered the car and spent 17 years restoring it, it had to be rebuilt from scratch. The end result is amazing.

The conductor played his role well, he was our tour guide and informed us of the history as well as many other interesting facts.

My granddaughter was intrigued, she seemed to really enjoy being on the "toot, toot". 

Even though our time together went too fast, as time seems to when you're having fun, I'm grateful Shayne and Sandy invited me to come along for the ride. 

...uggggh, back to reading now. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

BBMA

The big gala was tonight, the Belcourt, Brosseau Metis Awards that is. There was approximately 400 people in attendance and the night was filled with fantastic food and phenomenal entertainment.

 I love the violin, there's something about hearing it that makes my heart dance! 

These young Metis dancers are amazing...

There were RCMP as well as city police as invited guests to be a part of the procession to walk the Elders in. There's something about this next photo which I admire.  

An officer saluting while the National Anthem was being sung. 

And for the final shot, a photo with myself and this handsome young man, he was on the planning committee, helped in every way possible and was also a sash recipient.  

 It was a wonderful celebration, one I hope to be a part of again next year.

Center of Attention

Tomorrow night is the big celebration for the Belcourt Brosseau Metis Awards, it's an award which I was one of the recipients of last year and this year I've volunteered, a thank you though giving back. The planning committee has been meeting once a month, then it was down to two weeks, and here we are already setting up tonight and getting ready what we can for the huge event tomorrow. 

This is the centerpiece in the reception area, I think that these flowers are awesome, they add a touch of class to the already classy room... if that makes any sense!

 Tomorrow I'll post more on the actual event. It's unfortunate but this will have to be my final part in volunteering this year, my studies come first... I haven't come this far to let what I've worked so hard for slip away on me. The irony of this is that I'm being trained in a helping profession, until I'm finished my training I won't have time to help anyone... something just doesn't quite make sense to me on this one.

Plumbing 101

It's been a challenging few days, there's so much to do and so little time... BUT all stops in my world when the kitchen sink gets clogged. 

I tried One Second Plumber, a chemical or something that you shoot down the drain, that didn't work so out came the plumbing wrench. I've never taken a sink apart before and after a bit of a struggle I got the pipes apart. Of all things there was a knife stuck in the pipes, it wasn't hard to tell it'd been there for quite some time, that and a few other things I don't care to mention. I decided to replace one of the parts, nothing a trip to Home Depot couldn't help me with, and I'm happy to report that my first attempt to fix anything like this worked... it's now back to business in the kitchen as usual. 

Now back to my assigned readings... I can't wait til this phase of this educational journey is done!

Color Your World

Even though today was a super busy day, an extra long day... you know one of those days where you just can't wait to get home and put on the comfy jammy pants and put your feet up... well I stopped long enough to appreciate the color left in my world and thought I'd share it with you so you can have some color in your world as well. 

"The whole world as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color." 

Hans Hoffman

Even though it's getting pretty chilly outdoors now, (yup it's coat season again), there's just something about flowers and color that warms the soul.

Sunset Sunday

Since I've been blogging I've been inspired by many of you, not only through your photos but my your words and friendship as well. Scott has inspired me to capture sunsets and post them on Sunday. I've always loved sunsets, the sun going down reminds me to be grateful for yet another day no matter what has transpired. 

"Peace...is seeing a sunset and knowing who to thank."

Unknown

"It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream."

Bern Williams

More on Campus

This is yet another one of the many buildings on the UofA campus, the Timms Centre for the Arts.  This is interesting, I googled what the Timms Centre is and here's what I found:

"Located on the University of Alberta campus, the TIMMS CENTRE for the ARTS is the perfect location for a wide variety of events. We host meetings, guest speaker and lecture series, product launches, business mixers, weddings, cocktail receptions, photography sessions, dance and musical recitals, theatre productions and intimate dinners." 

Not only can I get an education at the UofA, I can host a formal party when I win the lottery! 

The reflection on the building was beautiful...

... for now this photo will be what I hang onto, 'til I can have the party that is! :-)

Lost

This afternoon I came out to the farm, it's going to be a quick trip so I thought I'd save some time getting here and I took a different route. Well wouldn't you know it I left my GPS at home and I got lost. I'm almost glad I took the wrong road, the route really was scenic. 

Up and over the hill to see what was on the other side, there was no sense turning back because it would only take me to where I came from and I wouldn't have gotten anywhere... something like life in general. 

The fields are so beautiful I had to stop and take photos. It's such an amazing time of year with everything so full of color. (This photo looks so much better enlarged, just click on it and you'll see what I mean).

As I drove further I recognized a lake and pulled in to take some photos. The play area was empty and it looked so lonely. 

Seeings I was at the lake anyways... 

... I figured I might as well get my feet wet. 

My last trip to the lake this year was purely accidental, getting lost sometimes has its perks. I really should get lost more often, it seems this is the only way I take a break these days. 

Blogger Changes?

Does anyone know if Blogger is changing things here or what's going on with this site? The posting page is totally different, I can't seem to access dashboard at all and now I'm wondering if I missed some news about Blogger.

This is frustrating, I can't seem to view others blogs right now, time to back away from my computer and come back later when I have more time. 

Thanks.

TGIF

Thank God it's Friday.  

Even though this week was a short week I'm glad it's over. I've managed to find my classes and as I look around my desk I see piles of books, notes, course outlines, and work waiting to be done. Let the games commence!

 The following photo is from campus, behind the teepee is Pembina Hall, I've done a prior post about this particular building and one day I'll go back and take photos inside because it's amazingly beautiful in there. 

The party on campus continued all throughout the afternoon, the base thumped non-stop  and it was distracting, but I'm sure the kids were enjoying the music and beautiful weather. 

On my way home I noticed Julio's Barrio was hopping, they have the right idea. The entire front of their restaurant opens up and this concept attracts a lot of people on hot days like today. 

Tonight my son, daughter-in-law, and my granddaughter were out for a walk and stopped in for a visit, what a perfect beginning to my weekend! 

"A granddaughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer."

~Unknown 

Rutherford House

Today I passed by the Rutherford House on the way to my criminology class, the home is a place I'd love to visit one day with my Rebel and shoot some indoor photos.

The Rutherford House was the home of the first Premier of Alberta, Alexander Cameron Rutherford. In 1911, A.C. Rutherford, his wife Mattie and their family moved into this beautiful brick mansion near the university campus.

I knew the University of Alberta campus is huge but I never realized just how big it is until I googled some information about it tonight. The main campus covers 50 city blocks with over 90 buildings, no wonder I feel a bit intimidated when trying to find a class! I don't think that I'll have a problem coming up with a photo a day for quite some time attending this educational institution.

Firsts

Today it was my first day back at university, I felt intimated to a degree because the university I'm attending is huge. I prepared myself...

map in hand away I went.

The campus was like an anthill, people were busy finding where they wanted to go, some were looking lost and confused, while others must have been between classes, they were relaxing outdoors and enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having.

It's going to be an experience finding all of my classes, but the good thing is the ones that know their way around don't mind pointing me in the general direction I need to be headed towards. 

After class I met up with a friend, I was going downtown and offered her a ride. She spotted this wee fella as we passed by one elementary school.

My heart went out to him as he hid behind this tree at recess...I could relate to the feelings of the first week in school.

Reflection

I've been reflecting on this summer and I'm sitting here wondering where it slipped away on me. Is it just me or does time seem to speed up as you age? I'm in no hurry to get any older, nor am I in any rush to get anywhere in particular... well other than this degree I've been chasing. 

I went out for a bit tonight, down to the nearest man made lake and shot a few photos, this one is my favorite of the bunch.

And here's a beautiful quote on reflection:

"Religions are a reflection of who man thinks God is, which is usually wrong. The best way to know who God really is, is to observe nature, know who you are, be who God created you to be and who God is will show up."

~ Candi Taylor-Jeter

Spa Day

"Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend." 
 Corey Ford

... and Abbie has us trained very well I must say. She loves going for her spa day, loves me for taking her there and she rewards me with unconditional love, it really is the best $60 I've ever spent! 

Lotions, Potions and Aging

Today I come to the conclusion that I must be going through a mid life crisis, it's sad but funny at the same time. I look at my dresser and there's the potions and lotions that claim to take away or prevent wrinkles, people it's going to happen no matter how much we spend. There I've finally admitted it. 

 Where do they come up with the names for some of these products? Oil of Olay has some interesting history, rich history for P&G who gladly take our hard earned dollars.

"Olay (known until 1999 as Oil of Olay in South Africa and North America...) is one of the top skin care retail brands in the world, except for Japan, and is one of Procter & Gamble's multi-billion dollar brands. For the 2009 fiscal year ended June 30 Olay accounted for an estimated $2.8 billion of P&G's $79 billion in revenue."


Something is totally wrong here, why do we all want to look so young? I'm saying "we" because obviously I'm not the only one purchasing this product!


The small bottle that says "tighten and lift" is a Purity Product, it's worth $50 a bottle and here's the real kicker, you still have to apply lotion AFTER applying this product. No worries though, Purity Product also carries 30ml of lotion for another $50. This product has got me tighter all right, I'm going to tighten up my purse strings so that they don't lift any more of my hard earned dollars!



It's all a scam, a marketing ploy to rob us of our hard earned dollars. Seriously, what's wrong with a few wrinkles? They show I have life experience and my laugh lines show I love to laugh, nothing wrong with that as far as I'm concerned. And so what, I don't turn heads as often as I did in my youth, at least I still do occasionally... very occasionally.

So here it is, I'm not happy that I'm getting wrinkles but what can I do other than a face lift? I'm a grandmother, 48 years old and loving life... less the wrinkles that is. When I get my degree and start working I'll save all of my lotion and potion dollars and put it towards my Harley fund... yup, that's going to be the fun stage of my mid life crisis! And at the rate I spend money on products I'll have my Harley in no time at all!

... carry on, smoke if you wish (outside on the patio please) and how would you like that cup of tea?

For good measure here's a quote on aging:

"There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt." 

~ Unknown