With An Angel On My Shoulder

Have You Seen My New Bloggy Home Yet?

2010-01-06T22:27:00.004-06:00

I moved my blog on New Years Day. If you haven't come to see my new blog, head on over HERE now. This blog will be available for archive reading but I won't be posting here anymore. I hope you'll join me at my new bloggy home!

p.s. I am slowly but surely moving all the blogs I follow over to the new blog, so if I haven't come to visit you for a while, my advice is to leave a comment on my new blog, so I don't miss you in the shuffle!

Moving Day (The Change I Told You About!)

2009-12-31T23:59:00.005-06:00

Hop on! This blog is moving..... over HERE.

(comments off)

Changes Are A-Comin'!

2009-12-31T00:00:00.002-06:00

Hehehe

No, I won't really edit your face, so don't be scared....

Although, I do hope you'll like the changes!

I have decided, in fact, that the biggest change will take place precisely at the very moment 2009 turns into 2010.

So, be sure to come back then and see what I've been busy doing! You don't want to miss it!

WW: Snow Storm

2009-12-30T02:27:00.004-06:00

The day before this photo, we could still see the sidewalk, which is unusual this time of year.

It started to snow sometime after midnight, I think, and this photo was taken around 6 pm. By the next morning there was probably twice as much snow as seen in this photo.

Is it spring yet....? I'm so over winter.

Card: Long Stem Flower

2009-12-27T00:00:00.001-06:00

I made this card for my auntie who turned 99 earlier this month. I made it kind of on a whim after making these cards. I had been drained of energy and ideas. I had made the flower part for another card but did not end up using it, and I had the leaves from another project as well so I ended up just taking a tiny little sliver from green paper to use as a stem.

I liked how it turned out and I think I might make a whole set of these with different color flowers to put on my etsy shop once I open it. I might even make a notebook with this. Simple to make, but pretty. Curious to know if you all like them as much as I do.

Wow, I Won!

2009-12-26T11:30:00.004-06:00

Wow, I am shocked and excited to have won one of the giveaways for the 25 Days of Giveaways (which stretched out to 29 Days!).

You can see what I won HERE.

Thanks, April!

Also, Katy over at In Hannah's Honor decided that everyone who left a comment on her giveaway will win a little something, so I won over there too! I'm looking forward to see what it will be!

Thanks Katy!

And the biggest thanks to Tina over at Living Without Sophia and Ellie for organizing this giveaway event!

The Day After Christmas or Reason # 61124 Why I Miss You

2009-12-26T11:01:00.003-06:00

Bear and I used to write each other silly notes.

The day after Christmas in 2007, which ended up being our last Christmas together, I wrote this silly note to Bear:

T'was the Day After Christmas
and all through the house
not a creature was stirring
not even a mouse
(except the house was a mess
and who was left to clean it but the mrs!)

Momma is so tired
All she wants to do is sit by the fire
(except there is no fireplace to be seen
so momma keeps warm by doin' the cleanin'!)

The stockings are flung over the chair
emptied of the contents Santa put there
(surprised Santa came by this year
to leave presents for one naughty bear)

©2007tla

Special Handling Please ( A Christmas Poem for the Bereaved)

2009-12-25T09:21:00.002-06:00

SPECIAL HANDLING PLEASE

I was handed a package the other day.
It was wrapped securely to be mailed away
Attached to the outside as plain as could be
Was a simple note for all to see.

Please rush through the holiday season;
Too painful to open for any reason.
Contained within, find one broken heart-
Fragile, broken, falling apart.

Tried to go shopping the other day;
The hype of the season blew me away.

Sat down to write cards,
That was insane.
Couldn't find the list
Or think of my name.

People say,
"Come over, be of good cheer."
"Celebrate the holidays,
Prepare a New Year."

But my grief overwhelms me
Like waves in the sea.
Can they cope with my crying,
an unsettled me?

I don't have any holiday cheer.
Decorations, traditions, big family meal
I can't do this year.
Do you know how I feel?

Guilty and frustrated!
I've let everyone down!
Our holiday celebrations
used to be the best in town.

So just ship me away
Address unknown
When my grief is better
I might fly home.

written by: Mary J. Pinkava

Christmas in Heaven

2009-12-24T11:00:00.002-06:00

CHRISTMAS IN HEAVEN

We're wondering what Christmas in Heaven is like
As we grieve alone and pray,
longing for one who has gone before
To spend Christmas in Heaven today.

And so in our dreams we wander far
From the scenes and sounds of earth
‘Til we catch the strains of the Heavenly choir
As they sing of the Christ Child's birth.

The Angels we envision there
As they join in the festive play
And there amid the throng is our Loved One
Spending Christmas in Heaven today.

There's joy in the faith that teaches
When our life's work is done
Of a place in Heaven awaiting
And the crown we worked for is won.

In our grief may we learn well the lesson
So to work and suffer and pray
As to merit the joys of our loved one
And to spend Christmas together some day.

Author Unknown

WW: Reason # 47884 Why I Miss You

2009-12-23T11:00:00.005-06:00

These are just a few of the tags. I can't find the rest, or maybe they got tossed. Anyway, he felt that he was only allowed to give a certain number of gifts so he had to come up with some other ideas. They included "Santa", "The Christmas Elves", "The Christmas Ghost", snowmen, reindeer, etc. Anyway, that's the kinda guy he was. And he never forgot Babybear either. sigh

MPM

2009-12-21T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hoping this menu plan will keep me fed during the hardest week of the year. Not only will I grieve my family and the holiday, but the delicious meals we usually made. Wish me luck.

Monday - Popeye Pasta
Tuesday - "Coke" Chicken, Rice & Carrots
Wednesday- Stirfried Rice with shrimp (using leftover rice), spring rolls and possibly something else, undecided.
Thursday - Homemade Pizza
Friday - Rosemary Chicken, Homemade Fries and Carrots
Saturday - Spaghetti Squash and Farmers Sausage
Sunday - Beef Stew

I am also looking for your favorite potato soup recipes and more ideas for OAMC (once a month cooking). Help a girl out, will ya?

Cards - Assorted Pack

2009-12-20T11:00:00.005-06:00

I recently received an order for an assortment of 10 cards.

It was quite the challenge to come up with 10 different cards in a short time span, and especially since I was asked for no girly colors like pink or purple (flowers were okay though!).

It was fun to do.

Although remind me in the future to request orders to be made further in advance!

Post-It Notes Are For More Than Posting Notes

2009-12-19T03:26:00.002-06:00

(sometimes insomnia is a good thing... I find cool videos like this one)

Friday Funny: Biggest Snowman

2009-12-18T13:53:00.005-06:00

(click to enlarge)

Somewhat MIA and Some Bloggy News.

2009-12-17T11:24:00.004-06:00

I'm not really MIA. I'm reading through some blogs posts, but not as many as usual. And commenting on only a very few. The reason being they are mostly about Christmas, and I'm trying to ignore the holiday. I really don't want to bring you all down, because you all deserve to be happy and enjoy the time with your families.

You'd think it would be easier to relax, not having to buy presents or wrap them or make a bunch of cards to write in, stuff into envelopes and lug to the post office to buy stamps. No where to go, and no company coming.

You'd think it'd be easier, but it's not.

I know I'd be complaining about the lack of time and how much there is to do too, if I were everyone else, but I'm not. This year, I wish I WAS, you know?

Now, I don't want this post to become one of my whiny ones. I reserve those for the cancer blog. I know not everyone reads over there, it's just too sad and depressing.

So, for now, I am busying myself with trying to get some things organized, like my email contacts and getting things set up for my blog renovation. I am still here.

And speaking of my email and blog organization, if I had your email address at one time or another, I have emailed you recently. I will be deleting email contacts that I don't hear from by the end of December. It doesn't mean you won't be able to email me, but I won't be able to email you. It also doesn't mean I don't like you or don't want anything to do with you. It's just a way for me to start anew with my email.

The new year will bring some changes to my blog that will hopefully make my blog more enjoyable to read. Watch for announcements and email updates.

Thanks to everyone who responded to this post. I have so many choices! Now, I just need to decide who I would like to design my blog layout and how much I can afford to spend. And we all know how quick and decisive I am. *snort*

In the meantime, I'd love to hear ideas from you that help you make your blog the success it is. What are some of your tricks to keeping it organized and a pleasurable experience for all?

What are some of the features on my blog that you like best, and would like to see stick around in the new year? Which tags on my blog's sidebar that interest you most?

What are some features you have seen in OTHER blogs or that you have on your own, that you might like to see on my blog?

And, should you have time or even want to, feel free to go through my archives and let me know some of the posts I've written that you like best.

While my blog is ultimately for me, and I'll do as I darn well want, I still would like to know what my readers like best. It's good for me to be aware so that I can challenge myself to be the best blogger I can be. It gives me a focal point and will help my writing skills improve.

Did you know, once upon a time, I fancied myself a writer? I thought I'd go into journalism and become some famous magazine writer. That never happened because I'm a rambler at heart, but I still attempt to write and still long to be the kind of writer that I love to read.

Also, before I forget, I am looking for people who would like to be a Follower of the Month in the upcoming months. If you're interested, please let me know. Either comment below or email me.

Just a few moments ago I said I am a rambler at heart, and if this post doesn't prove that, then nothing will. And so, I shall end this post before I ramble right into tomorrow.

Toy Drive 2009

2009-12-12T13:18:00.003-06:00

Every year, I donate a teddy bear in memory of my babybear to the Children's Miracle Toy Drive. This is the teddy bear I donated this year.

I like to think he'll bring a smile to some deserving child this year. Just because Christmas no longer exists for me, doesn't mean it has to cease to exist for someone else.

Friday Funny: Hippo

2009-12-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

Customized Blog Layouts

2009-12-09T18:32:00.005-06:00

Just wondering for those of you who have customized backgrounds, where did you get them? Were they costly?

As much as I like alot of the freebies I've found over the last couple of years, I'm leaning towards a customized blog layout this time around, and so who better to ask than my readers, who may have suggestions where the best place to go to is.

There are some other changes in store for the new year as well, at least for my blog, I hope!

WW: View From My Kitchen Window

2009-12-09T14:33:00.004-06:00

This was the view from my kitchen while I was cooking OAMC. Taken on Dec. 5 around 4:30 pm. It was dark within 10 minutes of this photo. If you look closely you can see horses in the field. This, is why we bought this shabby house. A country view in the city.

MPM - Dec. 7-13 Plus Final OAMC Tally

2009-12-07T00:00:00.001-06:00

The above photos are rest of the results of my OAMC this week. You can see my other posts about it HERE and HERE. Whew! After all that I don't think I ever want to cook again... at least til next month!

Unfortunately, it won't be quite that simple, but at least alot of the work is done!

It ended up being over the course of three days. Now don't feel entirely sorry for me, because it was partly my fault due to lack of planning and also being my first time, it was hard to know exactly what needed to be done and what I could do to make it easier.

Next month, I hope to be more prepared in advance. So, I'm already trying to plan ahead. I'd love to hear from you for more ideas. I can't live off casseroles and soups and marinaded chicken. Well, I could, but I'd get bored fast. I also made some pancakes Saturday morning and decided to freeze some. It's going to be really beneficial when I go back to work to have breakfast in the freezer too, so I am going to look for more ideas for breakfast.

Well, that said, here's my menu for this week....

Monday - Hamburger Soup
Tuesday - pick up something (weekly shopping day - don't need much though, now that I'm doing the big shopping at the beginning of the month, mostly fresh dairy and produce so who knows I may get home in time to make something instead!)
Wednesday - Rosemary Chicken with Potato Wedges and Carrots
Thursday - Basa Fish and Homemade Fries (perhaps leftover wedges from Wednesday to save even more time!)
Friday - "Coke Chicken"*, Rice and Carrots
Saturday - Homemade Pizza (just gotta decide what kind of pizza!)
Sunday - Sweet Potato Soup *

*new to me

Follower of the Month: Amber

2009-12-06T17:05:00.004-06:00

(I apologize for being late with this month's Follower of the Month!)

December's Follower of the Month is Amber of Viva Voce.

Amber is a newlywed who lives just a few hours south of me. One of these days, I hope to meet up with her. She has been a follower of mine pretty much since the beginning and has been very supportive during my trials over the last year or so. Thanks, Amber!

So, let's get to know Amber a little more, shall we?

1. What’s your name?

Amber

2. Tell us a little bit about you.

I am 26 (almost 27!) years old. I live in North Dakota. I grew up in a very small town (13 in my graduating class), and I gradually moved to bigger towns. ;) I graduated from college in Dec. of 06 with a BA in English and moved to my current city for a job that I absolutely love. I just got married on September 26 to an amazing man who makes all my days good days.

I love music (Alkaline Trio, Tegan & Sara, Death Cab for Cutie, Against Me, Say Anything, etc) and good books (I am currently reading The Middle Place). I also love margaritas, summer, the color green and Elvis Presley.

3. When did you start blogging, and why?

Honestly, I started reading blogs and I just thought that I could do it too. I have been blogging since the spring of ’07.

4. Tell us a bit about your blog(s).

It’s a mish mash of a lot of stuff. General life stuff, wedding planning, apartment hunting, life as a newlywed, and I have Fridays devoted to interesting things that I find on the internet or elsewhere.

5. Has blogging changed you or your outlook on life at all?

Yes, I think so. Through other people sharing their life experience, I have learned to be more grateful for my own.

6. Link us to 1-3 of your favorite posts from your own blog.

I am horrible at listing my favorite posts.

Being With You

You Know, Like An Anteater

7. Link us to 1-3 of your favorite fellow bloggers.

It’s hard to pick just three.

Apathetic Fish

Life on the Hilltop

Snapshots of My Life

8. How did you come to be a follower of mine, and why do you follow me?

You were one of the first people that left a comment on my blog. I had to return the favor, and I never stopped reading.

9. What, if anything, have you gained from reading my blog?

I don’t think people realize what an incredible amount of strength they have within themselves and you are living, breathing proof of that strength. Through many hardships, you have persevered. It helps me to better trust the old saying that God never gives you more than you can handle, and there is always a glimmer of hope that things will get easier and things will get better no matter the circumstance.

10 Tell me the truth, you’re going to brag to all your bloggy friends that you were my follower-of-the-month, aren’t you? ;-)

Duh!

*****

Thank you for being my follower of the month, Amber!

If you would like to be a follower of the month, just send me an email with "I want to be a follower of the month" in the subject line!

Another Anniversary of The Crappy Kind

2009-12-05T00:35:00.004-06:00

So a year ago today, I finally brought my husband home....

in a jar.*

a JAR.

a JAR.

and so he sits on my dresser
with my daughter
who's also

IN A JAR.

* yes, I know it's called an urn but that's the first word that came to my mind when I saw babybear's urn for the first time.

Desperately Seeking Chicken Ideas

2009-12-04T11:10:00.001-06:00

As you all know, I started OAMC this week. Well I'm totally stumped what to do with the rest of the chicken breasts. Help?

It must be something I can put in the freezer.

It must be done today, because otherwise the chicken is going to go bad in my fridge. It's been there since Tuesday, and the date on it is Sunday so... yikes.

While I realize I can just put it in the freezer as is, I already have tons of chicken in the freezer "as is" and I was hoping to avoid that.

It's My Birthday, And I'll Cry If I Want To.

2009-12-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

By the time this posts, it will be my birthday.

The calendar says I'm 34 this year, but I don't believe it at all. I'm pretty sure I'm much, much, much older.

I feel like I have lots to say right now but I can't seem to come up with any coherent thoughts.

All I want to do is cry.

Not because I'm getting older.

Oh, no.

Getting older is no big deal...

if you have someone to get old with...

if you're raising a family...

if you're happy...

OAMC day 2

2009-12-03T21:11:00.003-06:00

Result of Day 1. see post HERE.

Day 2 was totally unsuccessful. All I did was marinade 4 chicken breasts and made 1 batch of hummus which I split into 2 bags.

I still have 10 chicken breasts left to do something with but I can't decide what as well as a pkg of hamburger.

I have tons of chicken that is plain, not marinaded or anything in my freezer so I really don't want to throw them in plain, but I think I will have to if I can't decide what to do with them. Everything I 've thought of would require me to go back to the store and I'm really not up to doing that.

I should not have bought that pkg of chicken when I really didn't need it. I'm regretting the decision terribly.

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I really didn't want to do anymore work in the kitchen but it looks like I will have to. I can't leave the chicken in the fridge much longer.

If anyone has suggestions as to what I can do with the chicken, please let me know. I really don't want to have to go to the store.

What I learned today:

* I really need to be more organized and prepared.
* I will not split it over 2 days again, but should I have to, I'll take a day off in between.
* Was reminded how alone I am.
* No amount of coke will keep me awake when I'm exhausted.

All I can say is that, I better not have any days where I can't decide what to have for supper, after all this. Even though, technically, I didn't make much.

Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) - 1st Attempt

2009-12-02T18:29:00.004-06:00

I have always tried to put leftovers in the freezer for later meals and sometimes doubling up a recipe so that there would be leftovers to store.

But as I searched for more ideas for freezer meals and make ahead meals and menu planning, I came across "OAMC" which stands for Once a Month Cooking. Basically, this means you spend an entire day or a few days cooking at the beginning of the month and then the bulk of your cooking and meals are more or less ready when it's time to eat the rest of the month.

I did a little research (blog hopping) and worried it would be too complicated but several people were talking about doing this and I thought, well, why not give it a try.

I apologize, I didn't take any photos this month. It was more important for me to get "into it" this month. Soon, I hope, it will be second nature and then I can photograph my OAMC days.

I tried to plan ahead what I would make based on my menu for an entire month. However, I could not come up with a full month menu (which I had hoped to post this past Monday for Menu Plan Monday), but I did come up with a few freezer meal ideas.

Since the first Tuesday of the month is 10% off day at Sobey's, I decided to wait to go do some grocery shopping on that day so I could get my meats from there. I usually do my shopping at Superstore because it is cheaper but I do all my meat shopping at Sobey's (except when the Farmers' Market is open) because their meats are better quality, in my opinion.I don't know if I'm really saving money on meats by going for 10% off day but it's what I've always done.

So, this morning I woke up early, partly thanks to my pup who had to potty. I did not allow myself to sit down until I at least got started on my OAMC.

Early in the day, it occurred to me to go to Twitter and follow some OAMC tweets on there, which inspired, encouraged and motivated me to keep going throughout the day. (You can follow me on Twitter @waaoms)

There was some poor planning on my part, but overall it went well considering it is my first time doing this with the intention of cooking specifically to put things in the freezer.

Here's what I accomplished:

4 meals worth of Maple Pork Tenderloin
3 meals worth of Meat Sauce
6 meals worth of Hamburger Soup (+ 2 bowls that I ate for supper tonight)

I also divided a jumbo pack of Chicken Legs into individual ziploc bags for future meals, but did not do anything to prep them.

Tomorrow, I will continue, as I have 1 more pkg of hamburger and a jumbo pack of chicken breasts to deal with. I am not sure exactly what all I will do with this. I'll probably make a hamburger casserole. I wanted to make chili but again due to poor planning, I don't have all the ingredients I will need, as it went in the meat sauce. I thought about making a chicken souvlaki marinade but I did that a couple weeks ago and I still have 6 left in the freezer currently. I also have plenty of chicken breasts that are not prepped in any way in the freezer and some that are chopped up, but not cooked, already. I probably should not have bought the jumbo pack this time but it was a good sale and I eat more chicken than any other meat. Sometimes, though, I forget that things last longer now that it's just me, and so I actually had alot more left than I thought.

Any suggestions you may have regarding chicken, or even the hamburger, let me know!

In addition to the above, I also already had some other meals frozen such as Butternut Squash Soup, and 1 or two meals left of Beef Stew and Hamburger Soup (I made more because I love it in the winter time). It's been really nice to be able to just go to the freezer and pop out a bag of frozen soup or stew and put it in a pot without thawing it first.

What I've Learned So Far:

* I like ziploc bags better than regular bags that use twist ties. They flatten better. The air squeezes out of them better. They are easier to close while full. They take up somewhat less space in the freezer. May be worth spending the extra cents on these for Freezer Meals. Will see how I like it post-freeze.

* Sharpie Pens are not the same as Sharpie Permanent Markers and will smear off the bags. I realized this early on, and switched to the marker.

* Putting out a bowl to use for garbage scrap saves a whole lot of time. Also having a brand garbage bag ready is handy when the bowl gets full.

* Having pre-chopped veggies from the farmer's market was a bonus, I used them in the soup, more in the casserole tomorrow, if I decide to make the casserole.

* Washing dishes as I go along saves heartache at the end of the day. Although it was late when the Hamburger Soup cooled off enough to put away, so I didn't wash that yet. No big deal.

* I think this will become a regular event for me.

I realize that many of you who do OAMC have families and you might wonder why someone like me who is cooking for just themselves would want or need to do OAMC. Truth be told, I really do not need to, but when you're the only cook, and are a bit of a foodie, it can get difficult to cook every single day. I am one of those people who refuse to eat anything that I don't think tastes good. I'm very picky! Also, for me, it gets depressing some days, not having my family here to cook for. Supper was the one time of day we almost always had together, and so it was a special time of the day. Also, I am trying to come up with ways to make my life easier when I go back to work (because I have to go back, it's been a year already), and I think this will help make the transition easier. Or maybe not, but I won't be able to use a job as an excuse why I couldn't cook and therefore am starving. (Yes, I am dramatic like that, especially when I'm upset and depressed.)

Did you do OAMC? What did you make? Share your Freezer Meal and Make-Ahead ideas with me.

Catch me on Twitter tomorrow (Thursday) as I post updates with my second day of OAMC.

25 Days of Giveaways from Bereaved Mothers to Bereaved Mothers

2009-11-29T10:38:00.004-06:00

Today is Bear's Birthday, so I was not going to do my usual posting on this blog today.

However, I heard about this giveaway event for bereaved parents and thought I'd share.

For 25 days, there will be a new giveaway each day, from a bereaved parent to other bereaved parents. Today is already day 3, so if you're a bereaved parent, head over to this blog to find out more details!

one year

2009-11-26T19:44:00.002-06:00

I just wrote THIS POST on my other blog.

I don't know if I'll be up to much the next few days.

Product Review: Brother PT-1230 Label Maker

2009-11-26T00:00:00.001-06:00

In September 2007, I emptied out the entire pantry and organized it, putting things in containers and assigning designated spots for everything. You can see my post about it HERE.

It has stayed pretty much organized since, with exception of a few months earlier this year. I got it back the way it should in no time because everything was already containerized and had a designated spot.

However, one thing was missing: LABELS! I have been wanting a label maker for a long time and I finally found this one:

Brother P-Touch PT-1230 PC Label Maker

I pined over it for a few weeks and then one day said I'm going to get it!

I went to the store determined to get it no matter how much it cost, and much to my delight, it happened to be on sale!

I absolutely LOVE it! It's so easy to use. The only downside is that you need 6 AAA batteries, but even that's not too terrible.

Let me show you how easy it is!

First you put the batteries in it and attach it to your computer.

Then this screen automatically pops up!

After you type in what you want the label to say, you click print:

Then you press the cutter and the label will be perfectly cut for you.

Then... the best part of all... you put it on the container or whatever it is you're wanting to label!

Isn't it Beautiful!?!

Now, don't be surprised if I turn into a Crazy Labeling Lady!

Before I forget, you can change font size and label size as well. You can make it 2 lines instead of one. I decided to try it at the automatic size and I liked it so I used that for the pantry containers.

*note* I am not, in anyway, being paid for this review. This review is my own personal opinion that I am offering to my fellow bloggers *note*

Another Pay-It-Forward Contest!

2009-11-23T18:25:00.004-06:00

I am joining in with Audrey's Country Crafts to pay it forward with a handmade item.

One of her rules was to post a blog post about it so that's what I'm doing! :)

If I win, I will hold a pay it forward contest for my readers.

Wish me luck!

(p.s. I won 4 pay-it-forward contests last year, it was so much fun! But I'm still waiting for 2 of the prizes..... they had 365 days to send it and the year is almost up so hopefully they haven't forgotten! I can't wait to see what I get and then "pay it forward")

click HERE to see more about the previous pay it forward contests.

MPM - Nov. 23

2009-11-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

Monday

Maple Pork Tenderloin
Mashed Potato
Carrots

Tuesday

Acorn Squash
Honey Breakfast Sausage

Wednesday

Taco Salad

Thursday

Roasted Garlic, Basil & Tomato Pizza

Friday

Leftovers
(1 year anniversary of his death)

Saturday

Leftovers or Chicken Wraps.

Sunday

Birthday Cake. :(
(for what should have been my husband's 39th birthday)
(don't know if I'll have the heart to eat anything else)

I'm so sorry! (Patches the Bear update)

2009-11-22T22:00:00.004-06:00

I just realized that the McLinky for the Patches the Bear sign up has been closed. If I don't forget, tomorrow I will create a new Mclinky to post directly under that one.

I apologize to anyone who went to sign up but was unable to.

And I'm still waiting to hear from Patches to find out how his trip is going!! Hopefully, he will check in soon...

My New Craft Addiction

2009-11-22T00:00:00.001-06:00

Can you guess what this is??

It's a magnetic bookmark!

(sorry for the poor quality photos)

I totally stole this idea from Jill over at Controlling My Chaos.

I've already made a few more!

Six Word Saturday / Candlelighting

2009-11-21T11:40:00.004-06:00

Missing my Babybear
and her Daddy.

(this week will be 1 year since he flew away too)

Last night, I went to the local TCF Candle Light Ceremony.

Here are Bear and Babybear's candles burning...

The photo didn't come out quite as I wanted it to. I was trying to get their candles to be clear while showing all the other candles in the background. However, I think it still turned out pretty nice.

I debated about going.... but I'm glad I went.

Friday Funny : Organizing Chores

2009-11-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

(this week I've been trying to get organized. This funny kind of mirrors how I feel! )

Brain Dump: 11/19/09

2009-11-19T16:18:00.005-06:00

Do I need a subtitle for my Brain Dump posts?

**********

The weather here is still incredibly nice for November. Still no snow. Hope I'm not jinxing it.

**********

But if I did jinx it, I finally found some Ecotraction and bought two bags. (see my review here) Glad to have it before I need it.

**********

May open my Etsy Shop sooner than originally planned. Watch for details.

**********

What's with all the hype about a vampire movie? Vampires suck. Suck. Get it? bwahahaha

**********

I should change my name to Moody McMoody. My mood swings are out of control this week, and it's not even my time of the month.

**********

I just made a bookmark.

**********

I need to recharge the batteries in my camera.

**********

Finally bought a labeller today. I decided I'd buy it even if it wasn't on sale. And it just so happened to be on sale. Can't wait to try it. I've been itching to label the food storage bins in my pantry.

**********

If I dump anything else out of my brain, I won't have anything left for next time.

**********

Have a good weekend!

WW: Snugglebug

2009-11-18T10:56:00.002-06:00

My favorite time of day is when we are in bed for the night and Emma snuggles up to me and falls asleep. What a lovely way to end the day.

Tears for My Baby

2009-11-17T10:44:00.002-06:00

I got this wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday from a wonderful bloggy friend, YaYa

It was totally unexpected. I did know about the photograph as she emailed it to me one day but I didn't know she was sending me the rest of the of the package. It was a really nice surprise. THANK YOU, Alicia.

You may remember YaYa from when she was featured as my follower of the month and from her visit with Patches the Bear.

Alicia has two blogs. Tears for My Baby (her care package site) and YaYa Stuff. This warm-hearted blogger is going through a rough time right now, I am not sure how she finds it in her to think of other people right now.

Alicia and her husband Josh have had a few losses in pregnancy and have been trying to adopt for a few years now. Just last week, following a tragic death of a family member, they were informed that a birthmother had chosen them to be her baby's adoptive parents. The news got better. The baby was due within the week and the mother was already dilated. They were over the moon with joy!

And only a few days later, their world came crashing down again when they found out the birthmother had the baby over the weekend and decided to keep the baby after all.

Needless to say, YaYa could use some loving. So head on over to her blog and give her some much deserved hugs. (Alicia).

A Letter To My Doggie

2009-11-16T14:49:00.003-06:00

Dear Emmie,

If you don't like baths....

.....don't roll around in poo.

Love, Mommy.
xoxo

Yes. She. Did.
can we say ewwwwwww!

Brain Dump

2009-11-14T15:45:00.000-06:00

Brain Dump - it's where I dump all the thoughts from my brain into a random blog post. I recently saw the phrase "Brain Dump" from Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie when she used it in this post. I thought it might be a better way to title my random posts. I hope she doesn't mind too terribly that I've snagged that phrase for my own personal use.

Brain Dump may replace my Friday Fragments posts for it will then open up the possibility of putting a random thought post any time during the week.

Like today, Saturday.

It'll also allow for Fridays to be just for Friday Funny, thus ending the week on a more positive (humorous) note.

So, let the brain dumping begin:

I am trying to get more organized (aren't I always?) but right now I'm stuck because of three main reasons. 1) Money 2) Pain and 3)can't figure out a schedule that works.
I'm trying to develop a routine. It's hard. They say it takes 30 days to develop habits, but what if the habits you're trying to develop are not at the same time every day, or are not something you do every day?
I would like to change my blog a bit, but while I have ideas, I'm not sure where to start.
I am trying to catch up on my crafting projects. I had a little motivation spurt the other day. I would share these projects with you, but the people they are for sometimes read my blog.
I think I am going to open an ETSY shop in the next month or so. Just need to come up with some cards and notebooks, but it can be difficult to make them without a specific person in mind.
I am so behind in book reviews. You must think I haven't read any books lately, but in fact, I have about 10 books waiting for me to do book reviews. Should I even bother at this point? Maybe I will do an all-in-one post and just give quick blurbs. I've also been behind in movie reviews, though I do have a couple stored in my drafts.
The weather here is unbelievable. I am trying to enjoy the weather as much as possible while I can. I think this is to make up for our miserable summer and early fall.
The other day I went into the kitchen and saw this on my floor:

smiley made out of kibble

There are at least 3 cats that hang out in my yard, my neighbor's yard and the yard on the other side of theirs . Wouldn't mind so much but they are making Emma crazy and they have been leaving mice and birds and apparently they left a rabbit in my neighbor's yard. The local shelters won't get them, but will rent out a trap for $60. Which wouldn't be too bad but you have to get one for each cat, I think. I might investigate more. I worry about the mice/birds/rabbits/etc. because of my dog and the neighborhood kids.

two of the cats hanging out on my neighbor's shed

I'm addicted to Farmville. I was bored one day and gave in.

My addiction to Farmville is so bad that just mentioning it above made me go check it.
Emma just ate a fabric butterfly.
I saw this at the store the other day. It made me sad because it is PERFECT for Bear. We usually gave each other a few ornaments every year. But Christmas no longer exists in our house.

I keep thinking today is Sunday.
I'm going to be on an emotional roller coaster the next few weeks with Bear's 1st angel day coming up, followed by his birthday 2 days later and my birthday 5 days after his, and not to mention with Christmas coming up. (My second without him and my 5th without her) So bear with me, will you. I'll try to keep my negative posting on my other blog, but it might slip out here too.
I haven't ended this post because I think as soon as I do I will think of something awesome to say.
But I haven't yet, so I'll end it now and do another brain dumping soon.

Win A Kindle

2009-11-13T22:14:00.002-06:00

Bibliofreak is having a great giveaway. You could win a Kindle!

Click HERE to find out how to enter!

Good luck!

Friday Funny: Polar Bear Meeting

2009-11-13T00:04:00.003-06:00

Remembrance Day

2009-11-11T15:32:00.002-06:00

You can see my post about Remembrance Day over at my other blog.

WW: Is It Really November?

2009-11-11T14:15:00.005-06:00

This is my yard just the other day.
(Can you see Emma?)
I can hardly believe it is November.
I have no complaints though!
My province is known for it's long, cold and snowy winters that start in October and go through til April or May.
Usually by now, the snow is up to my knees.
So. No complaints about the weather this year!
(although, we did have snow early in October!)
I thought I included a photo in that post... but I guess not... so..

when it first started
don't worry, that stove is gone now too!

a little bit later
there was even more by morning!

Attempt At Menu Planning Leads To Extreme Blog Hopping

2009-11-09T10:37:00.004-06:00

So, I've been attempting to get back on track with my menu planning.

I have alot of good recipes but I find myself not wanting to make alot of them for one reason or another. "It's too much work for one person", "It makes me sad", "My husband loved this dish", "The last time we ate it was... ".

It's all just excuses. In truth, most of the newer recipes I've been making are equal in the amount of prep work or time it takes to make. I still get sad because my husband can't try these new recipes. So, my excuses don't really matter in the end.

However, I still find myself obsessively looking for new recipes. Yesterday, I spent the bulk of the day looking at food blogs. Drooling, getting hungrier by the second. There are so many fantastic food blogs out there! One of these days I'll compile a list of links on my blog.

It lead me to wonder though, how come there isn't a way (that I've noticed anyway - correct me if I'm wrong) to categorize your blog links in the blog reader on blogger? It would help alot!

Anyway, here's my attempt to menu plan this week:

Monday - Roasted Red Pepper Soup (gotta use up the last of the farmers market peppers)

Tuesday - Shrimp Stir Fried Rice and Spring Rolls (using leftover rice from Sunday's meal)

Wednesday - Tortellini Soup with Garlic and Rosemary Infused Broth *new*

Thursday - Chicken Souvlaki (which I marinaded and froze last week in my attempts to start freezer meals), Lemon Potatoes and Greek Salad

Friday - Probably take out (since I have a doctor's appointment late in the afternoon) or something really quick. Suggestions welcomed!

Saturday - ?

Sunday - Butternut Squash Soup (I was going to chop up all the squash and freeze it for later use but cutting up raw squash is a real pain.)

Looking for some new ideas for Acorn Squash .... any suggestions?

What's on your menus this week?

Cards: Sympathy

2009-11-08T00:00:00.001-06:00

My friend's dad died a couple weeks ago. I made these cards for her (first one) and for her mom (second one).

I don't think they'll read my blog before they get the cards, and if they do, no big deal.

The color is more creamy than white, but my camera refused to show the true color. I'm in love with my Stampin' Up Scallop Circle Punch, which I created the flowers for these two cards as I did for the thank you cards in this post.

Follower of the Month - Jacquelyn

2009-11-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

November's Follower of the Month is Jacquelyn from Broken Angel. Jacquelyn's blog is dedicated to her precious son Trevor who lived for 22 minutes. I have not had an opportunity to get to know Jacquelyn very well so when she raised her virtual hand to be my Follower of the Month, I thought it would be a great chance to get to know her a little bit more.

And now, here's Jacquelyn:

1. What’s your name?

My name is Jacquelyn Woods; my friends and family call me Jackie, Jax, Jac, etc.

2. Tell us a little bit about you.

Well, I’m a 24-year-old young lady from Rhode Island, USA. The smallest state in the union! I grew up mostly in Warwick, Rhode Island and now live in a town here called South Kingstown. I am the mother of a beautiful Angel in Heaven; his name is Trevor Michael A., and he’ll be five this month. He was born on November 22, 2004 (11/22), at 11:22 PM, at 22 weeks gestation, and lived for 22 minutes. Needless to say, 11:22 and 22 alone are significant numbers to me. Trevor’s father is no longer in my life, for various reasons. I’ve been living on my own for almost two years now. This weekend (Nov. 1^st), I will be moving into a new apartment with a good friend of mine, hoping to save money on rent for both of us. I’m currently single, and have only really been in one semi-serious relationship since the end of my five-and-a-half year relationship with Trevor’s father. My passions are music (my favorites include Hanson, Rolling Stones, Evanescence, Taylor Swift, my brother/friends’ up-and-coming band, NFP [Neurosis From Pillory], and in general rock, country and some Christian/worship), spending time with friends and family, TV/movies, and my newest obsession is the Twilight series. I am a newly devoted Christian; though my faith is something I’m still getting a grip on. I have learned that the only way to get through something is to take it one day at a time. I’ve learned to expect good and bad days; and I’ve learned, most of all, that everyone needs someone, sometimes.

3. When did you start blogging, and why?

I started blogging in April of this year. I began my blog, because until then my son was almost a secret. Trevor’s father wanted nothing to do with honoring his memory. I was young, scared, and did what I was told when he decided we would never talk about our son. Then, I told my best friend about him and I felt like a thousand-pound weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I met another young woman at church who has also lost her son to premature birth complications. She told me about her blog, and from then on out I was hooked! It was such a relief to be able to share my feelings with others who have been in my situation. I haven’t stopped blogging since!

4. Tell us a bit about your blog(s).

My blog is dedicated to Trevor Michael’s life and memory. I named my blog Broken Angel, for various reasons. I originally got the idea from a song by Hanson, by the same name, “Broken Angel”. The song has always reminded me of Trevor (I will link to lyrics in question # 6), because of the struggle there. I’m not sure that this song was written about a child lost; in fact, it’s probably about something all together different, but I interpret it to mean something to my son and I. My son is what one would consider, a Broken Angel, in a way. The idea originally was that the Angel in me died along with Trevor, so I was left broken, as well. Not every single post on my blog has been about my son; but the principle of my blogging experience has always been for him. I’m no professional blogger, but I am in love with my page layout and I think my Little Man would be proud of his Mama.

5. Has blogging changed you or your outlook on life at all?

Absolutely! I was never one for forming online relationships of any kind. But, as soon as I saw (and felt) the love and support between other bloggers and myself, it was hard to ignore. I have never felt more understood, or more comfortable being honest about my mistakes, my feelings, or my beautiful baby boy. Until I began blogging, I didn’t think the death of your child was something you were “allowed” to talk about. Many of the women in my family have lost children/miscarried; and no one ever speaks of it. Trevor’s father also thought it was a horrible idea to talk about our son. I just assumed the death of a baby was something taboo, like people didn’t talk about it. I understand that the world is still naïve about the subject. But in the blog world, there are testimonies, pictures, dedications, and support on all ends of the spectrum. I feel like my son makes me PART of something, for once, instead of making me different and odd. My fellow Baby Lost Mamas and Daddies have made me proud and confident about honoring my son’s life. Trevor went from a taboo subject in the back of my mind, to the most open, important thing about me. He defines part of me now; and I’m glad.

6. Link us to 1-3 of your favorite posts from your own blog.

First, I’ll start with this post: - It’s titled “How My Angel Earned His Wings”. It’s sad, graphic at times, but brutally honest. It was my first post ever, and it tells the story of my son, his father, and myself.
Second, The Secret Garden Meeting - September is the post including the lyrics to the song “Broken Angel”, as promised above.
My third and final favorite is definitely this post: Inspired - because it illustrates that I've realized before how awesome this blog world is!

7. Link us to 1-3 of your favorite fellow bloggers.

First and foremost, there is JACLYN @ Simply Reminisce. She is the above-mentioned friend who I met at church. Really, the person who taught me to open up about Trevor. She’s the reason I found the blogging world at all.
Second is KAYLEIGH’S STORY. When I began following this blog, sweet Kayleigh was in the NICU, battling with many complications. Her story inspired me from the moment I laid eyes on her. Kayleigh recently went to be with God in Heaven; and we all miss her, but know she is in a better place. I have learned a lot from her parents’ posts, and I still follow what the family is up to now. There are always inspirational words found on these pages!
Thirdly, I would have linked to With An Angel On My Shoulder…but you’re already here! So you already know how inspiring this blog is!

8. How did you come to be a follower of mine, and why do you follow me?

I have a tendency to browse other people’s blog lists, looking for blogs that spark my interest. I don’t know through whose blog I found your page, but as soon as I read your story, my heart went out to you. Of course, you could relate to how I feel about losing a precious baby. Besides all of that mushy stuff…I have yet to be bored by your blog! I love that you share all of your crafts and activities with us. It’s so much fun, and a good break sometimes in the usually full-of-emotion blogs I read. I love this follower-of-the-month idea; and I’m also on the list for Patches the Bear! Your honesty and down-to-earth attitude is also a big plus.

9. What, if anything, have you gained from reading my blog?

First off, the loss of your daughter was a great loss for you; and that is the place in which we can most relate. But also, the loss of your husband of course, breaks my heart. I obviously could never imagine what you feel about him. The closest I have come to your loss was losing my best friend, Jordan, in high school to leukemia. For sure, I can’t even begin to understand your loss here, but I will tell you what kept me the most interested in your blog: your perseverance. I thought, if you are surviving not only the loss of a child like me, but also the loss of your spouse…then I would have to survive, as well. There were days when I would feel like giving up; felt like losing my mind. But then I think, there are people out there (you especially) who have been through far worse than I have, and have come out much, much stronger than me. So in a way, you’ve given me some of my strength to move on…and thank you for that.

10 Tell me the truth, you’re going to brag to all your bloggy friends that you were my follower-of-the-month, aren’t you? ;-)

Of course! As soon as it posts, I will be bragging about it on my own page! Thanks again for the opportunity!

**********

Thank you for being my Follower of the Month, Jacquelyn! It has been great getting to know you a little bit more and learning more about your blogging history. Everyone, be sure to go say Hi to Jacquelyn over at her blog!

If you're here from Jacquelyn's blog, please drop a line so I know you were here and so I can come say hi to you!

If you are one of my followers and would like to be a Follower of the Month, be sure to let me know!

Friday Funny: I love Sky

2009-11-06T10:40:00.001-06:00

Patches' Tour: 1st stop - YaYa

2009-11-01T11:04:00.005-06:00

Patches has made his first stop on his "Patching Up Broken Hearts" Tour. His first stop was in Rochester, NY where he visited with Ya-Ya. Patches spent some time with Ya-Ya remembering her babies gone too soon, Finn and Flicka.

To read more about Patches' visit with Ya-Ya, head over HERE and read her post. Also, check out her "Tears for My Baby" blog which is the blog she makes care packages for bereaved parents.

**********

Are you a bereaved parent who lost their child(ren) via pregnancy and infant loss? Would you like a visit from Patches? Go to THIS POST to read more about Patches' Tour and to sign up for a visit.

Orange Notebook

2009-11-01T08:44:00.004-06:00

I made this altered notebook for YaYa who is just a little obsessed with the color orange.

It's a bit brighter orange than the photo shows. I was a little miffed at myself because I was off-centred with the word "notes" but otherwise I think it turned out. She did a little write up on it HERE.

YaYa was the first to get a visit from Patches the Bear. So, watch her blog to hear about Patches' time in the YaYa house!

Haunted by What Should've Been.

2009-10-30T15:13:00.002-05:00

So, today, the day before Halloween, which happens to also be my brother's birthday...is a day that haunts me....

... because today is my EDD (expected due date) anniversary.

So, I should be having a little birthday party this weekend for a 4 year old girl.

But instead, once again, I will put on my "happy mask" and await the trick-or-treaters that will come to my door tomorrow night.

I will, once again, hold back tears whenever I see a little girl dressed up as a princess or some other adorable costume.

This year, I will also be completely alone, and won't be able to go upstairs when it's all done and crawl into bed where my husband can give me a hug, as he has the last few years, except last year, when he was in the hospital. But last year, I still had a tiny glimmer of hope.

This year, I am handing out potato chips instead of candy. The potato chips are in honor of my husband because he had a chip addiction like none other I've ever seen. We could never give out chips before because he probably would've sat down and ate them all in one sitting. Oh yes, it was that bad.

But today, I think, what hurts the most is that today was supposed to be my little girl's birthday. Except that on the day of my EDD in 2005, she had already been dead and gone for 3 months.

Today, also, is 1 year since Emma saw her daddy.

Normally, I'd post this over at my other blog but I don't know if anyone would read it, and I really need a hug today.

Even if I have to settle for a virtual hug. :(

Friday Funny (and a Not-So-Funny Request!)

2009-10-30T11:31:00.003-05:00

So, tomorrow is the last Farmer's Market of the season. I am hoping to go and get a ton of squash and a few other things.

I want to do a little freezer meal planning so I can get away with no cooking for a while. I am therefore asking all of YOU for your favorite freezer meal recipes and/or tips.

I have been searching online and I've found a few recipes that look good but I'm interested to hear what are your tried-and-true recipes.

I am also looking for "quick" meal ideas as well. Since it is just me now ( :( ) I just don't feel up to cooking alot but being a foodie means I can't bring myself to eat crapola (aka processed food). I find myself just going without (thereby starving) than giving in to anything less than good, in my opinion.

So if you have any tried-and-true recipes to share, please provide the recipes or links to the recipes in the comments below. (I do not yet have a slow cooker, so for now, no slow cooker recipes, please. If and when I get one, I'll put in another request!)

Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with. Thanks in advance!

My Trip In Pictures

2009-10-29T13:12:00.004-05:00

Gosh, it sure takes time to recover from a trip even if it's only 3 days long. But I won't keep you waiting any longer.... here is a quick overview of the weekend and a few of the (nearly 200) photos I took.

Friday:

I arrived at the airport at 5:30 AM on Friday after a sleepless night. The line was so long. It took forever to get through. I didn't even get a chance to sit from the time I got there til the time we boarded the plane at 6:40. I almost missed the plane because I went to the bathroom. I had a stop-over in Chicago, which was less than 20 min between the time I got off the plane and time to board the next one so again it was a quick run to the bathroom then in line to get on the plane. The only reason I had time to do that was because the plane was delayed by 5 minutes. Finally arrived in St. Louis around 11:00 AM

The plane ride in.

Went to see The Angel of Hope with a fellow SHARE mommy. It meant so much to me to finally see the statue in person. The statue is of an angel who represents hope for bereaved parents. If you haven't read "The Christmas Box" by Richard Paul Evans, you really should. See my review of the book HERE)

with the Angel of Hope.

Went out for dinner with several SHARE mommies (and a couple daddies too). Four out of the 5 children that were there are Rainbow Babies (babies born after a loss). More than half of these people that were at the dinner have been people whom I have been chatting with for over 4 years. They have been there for me practically from the start of my grief. I'm so thankful for this chance to meet them in person.

out for supper with SHARE sistas.

Saturday:

Went to the SHARE Walk for Remembrance and Hope. Thankfully I got a ride there with a SHARE mommy and her family. Met up with a few other SHARE sistas there too. It was a very beautiful day. I had to laugh though, because everyone else was being sissy and complaining about how cold they were and I was warm and in fact, at times, I was fanning myself to cool off. They should come visit me in Canada, where it really IS cold. Over all, though, it was a beautiful ceremony. They read out the babies names, which was bittersweet because there were too many names. That only meant there were that many losses. I was happy to find a sign language interpreter standing near the stage so I was able to "hear" everything. It was especially nice when my daughter's name was read. A woman sang a beautiful song, which the interpreter signed. I tried to capture it in photos but it doesn't really do it justice. It was only too late when I thought that I could've set my camera to videotape it. After that, we went for a walk. People were finishing the walk as others were starting, the line was that long. I've heard there was well over 1000 people there.

my balloon for babybear.

crowd shot.

Later that day I walked around the area near the hotel because the girl I was supposed to hang out with got sick.

A couple blocks away from the hotel I found two wild swans. I spent almost half an hour just sitting there watching them and taking photos.

the swans.

with the swans...

Sunday:

One of the SHARE mommies took me to see the Arch before I had to catch my plane.
and yes, I went all the way to the top! Afterwards, we went for a quick bite to eat and then I had to go home.

The Arch.

On the way home, another connection in Chicago. But by the time I got to Chicago, I was sick! My lay-over this time was nearly 2 hours. I really wanted to get a Chicago Style pizza IN Chicago but my stomach was hurting too bad and I spent most of the time there in the bathroom. Fun, eh? Bought some tums at the airport. $3.00 for this tiny little thing. But it helped. Even though I was still not feeling great by the time I got home nearly 2 hours later, I was at least feeling a little better.

Even though I had a nice trip, met some wonderful people, there is still nothing like coming home. By the time I got home, my dog had already been dropped off and was waiting for me. I was greeted with lots of hugs and kisses and a couple looks on her face that said "How-Dare-You-Leave-Me-thank-god-you're-back!" Within 10 minutes of my arriving home she plopped down and promptly fell asleep for the night.

**********

Things I learned about flying on my trip:

Just because you're allowed to take stuff with you doesn't mean you're allowed to bring the same thing back. (They allowed me to take my body wash there and then said it was too big when I came back so the confiscated it. booooo)

I wore the same outfit on the way in (with exception of underwear and socks!). On the way in, nothing, but on the way back they made me take off my sweater. (I had a tank top under it).

(And because I was sick, this just all upset me and I started to cry! But I kept it together long enough so they wouldn't call security on me or something, cuz that would be just my luck too, haha!)

Everything is so gosh-darn expensive. (I knew that but now I KNOW it.)

Do not rely on cell phone alerts you set up. I had mine set up and the gates alerts were wrong! They were also late in coming to my cell phone. They should have been telling me my plane was on time, etc. but they weren't sent until I was already on the plane and the cell phone was shut off as per regulations, so I didn't even get the alerts until I was already at my designations.

***********
All in all, I'm glad I went. I hope I get to go again in the future, as well as to other locations to meet other SHARE sistas. Hopefully they all still like me now that they've met me in person!

Hope you've enjoyed my little whirlwind trip in photos.

WW: SHARE Walk for Remembrance & Hope

2009-10-28T11:26:00.002-05:00

Here's me with my balloon and my
SHARE bear this past Saturday
in St. Louis, MO.

Back to Reality

2009-10-26T23:19:00.002-05:00

(I'm sure you're all doing this right now, aren't you?)

Home again from my whirlwind trip. It was a lot of fun, though I do wish it hadn't taken such a big chunk out of my bank account. Worth it though. I know money can be made again, but opportunities may not come back. The only disappointment was that a couple girls got sick, and also the fact that I wasn't able to spend as much time as I might have liked to talk to each person individually for any length of time. However, I'm glad I did go and had a chance to meet these wonderful people who have been an important part of my healing process especially in the early days after I lost my daughter.

Today I spent most of the day in a funk, the post-vacation blues, what-have-you. Yet again, the reality of my life slapped me in my face when I came home. The only bright spot was that my dog had returned from her mini-vacation at my cousin's prior to my return and so I got lots of hugs and kisses and snuggles when I opened the door. I think she was slightly worried that I wasn't coming home again, like her daddy.

I'll post more as the week progresses. Right now, I think, I am just going to rest.

Friday Funny: BRB

2009-10-23T00:00:00.003-05:00

(actually, I'm going to St. Louis, but I will BRB)

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

2009-10-22T12:21:00.003-05:00

By this time tomorrow I'll be here:

(St. Louis, Missouri)

(I'm totally freaking out!)

Who Wants To Be November's Follower of the Month?

2009-10-21T03:06:00.002-05:00

I just realized I don't have a Follower of the Month lined up for November....

if you're interested, please give me a shout! I'm leaving on my trip Friday morning so I'd like to send you the questions before I leave but if not, then immediately when I return.

Where Can I Find Free Easy SlideShow Program Online?

2009-10-20T15:06:00.003-05:00

I'm looking for a slideshow program online that I can make a slideshow with.

I was using onetruemedia as I have in the past but now they won't let you add captionings to the slideshow photos unless you PAY for it and I am not willing to pay for it at this point, not to mention I can't afford to.

so where do you get your slideshows done??

I heard Flickr was one option so I tried that but I couldn't figure it out at all. What a pain.

If you use flicker, HOW do you use it? I can't figure it out and that just frustrates me!!!!

Patches Tour Around Blogville: Begins Trip

2009-10-19T10:51:00.003-05:00

October 15, 2009 - Patches begins his trip.
Here he is going out the door...

**********

Watch for more updates on Patches adventures!

**********

Would you like a visit from Patches? See THIS POST for more details and to sign up.

**********

What You've Been Waiting To See....

2009-10-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

It started like this....

and turned into this....

but wait! I wasn't done yet...

Finally after many hours, days and lots of hard work it ended up like this....

Still wondering what I was up to??

Well, wait no more!

Not one,

Not two,

but
NINETY....

(that's right! 9-0)

90 thank you cards.

My biggest order ever. (Well, technically, my first order too!)

Made for my brother and his new wife to send out to their wedding guests.

They seem to like how the cards turned out.

Whew! Thank goodness!

(I wasn't going to share this til they had them sent out to their guests just in case anyone happened to see these but my sister-in-law told me to go ahead and post it, so I did!)

Friday Fragments: Just One More Week!

2009-10-16T20:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Friday Fragments!

**********
Man, I was wondering why no one commented on this today... it turns out I forgot to change the date to show up in today's posts... oops.

**********

I finally, finally, FINALLY finished the project I talked about HERE. I may have to wait a little longer to share it with you because some of my occasional readers (who NEVER COMMENT, HELLO!?!) may be one of the recipients of said project. But I can tell you this: the people who ordered them loved how they turned out. At least that,s what they tell me. For all I know they went home and threw it all in the garbage. lol ;)

**********

I'm really excited and nervous! In just one week, I'm hopping on a plane and flying OUTTA HERE! Granted, it's only for less than 3 days and I've spent all this money I don't have to pay for the plane ticket... but I'm going!

Where, you ask? I'm heading to St. Louis, MO for the SHARE Walk to Remember. I've decided to go because I have the time, and they changed the date for this year, so I have the opportunity. Plus, above all, I really need some in-real-life hugs from my SHARE SISTAS! I don't know if I have any bloggy friends who live in that area... but if I do, send me an email!

**********

The only not-so-great thing is that I'm still not sure exactly who's taking care of Emma while I'm gone. My neighbor has offered to let her out to potty and feed her but she'll be stuck here alone almost all weekend otherwise. But, that's better than nothing, I guess! She spent alot of time alone like that when her daddy was in the hospital last year, but I came home most nights. I guess the thing that worries me about leaving her alone is that she's been going nuts at the cats that have taken up residence in our neighborhood.

**********

I'm feeling a bit like I'm running full speed but in slow motion! In truth, I'm sitting on my wide behind. Not much is getting accomplished and I'm feeling bad about that.

**********

How long does a baby have to live in order to be considered alive? I read THIS POST about a very special little boy who was considered stillborn even though he lived and breathed for 2 full minutes. His mom has started a petition to change the law in her state, so please go check it out.

**********

If you are an angel mommy to a baby lost in pregnancy or as an infant, Patches the Bear would like to come visit you. Sign up HERE!

**********

As I lit the candles for last night's Wave of Light, I asked for a sign. Immediately, the candles began to flicker and my puppy came over all curious. Then the phone rang. (I didn't answer it) I don't know if it was a sign or what. After that I went and laid down on the bed and my pup and I cuddled as we watched the lights flicker. It was nice. Sad, but nice.

**********

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

**********

Friday Funny:

(so that's how those LOLCats are made!)

Wave of Light 2009 Photo

2009-10-15T22:17:00.002-05:00

The big one is obviously Bear's and the little one is Babybear's.

We Were Gonna Have A Baby...

2009-10-15T12:36:00.001-05:00

I've posted this on my blog before, but think it's worthy of posting again.

Her Name Is Tyla Renee

2009-10-15T09:34:00.003-05:00

With today being October 15th...I'm desperately wanting to hear my daughter's name.

Her nickname is Babybear, and that is how she is widely known as. She had that nickname before she was born, before we knew she was a girl. Her daddy's nickname is Bear, and so, of course, she was babybear.

But... I've decided to step out of my comfort zone and just put her name out there. I mean, really, what's the worst that could happen?

Her name is Tyla Renee. My beautiful babybear gone too soon.

Light Your Candles Tonight, in Memory of All Babies Gone Too Soon

2009-10-15T09:13:00.003-05:00

Patches the Bear Wants To Visit You! (updated !!!)

2009-10-14T08:59:00.006-05:00

(update: Patches now has his own blog..... Click HERE to see his travels and to sign up for him...)

You may recall THIS POST where I introduced you to Patches the Bear.

He is about to embark on his journey to patch up hearts that were broken by pregnancy or infant loss.

How it will work:

He will travel from October 15, 2009 - October 15, 2010. Although, he may change his mind and decide to travel forever. :)
He will be sent from one Blogger to another. Each blogger who gets him will take a photo (or many photos) of his "traveling adventure" ... the photos can be of the blogger holding him, or the bear with something that meaningful .. that reminds you of your baby/babies... Their headstones or a photo of them or whatever you feel comfortable taking a photo of. It is recommended, however, that you blur out any last names from photos for privacy and safety reasons.
Each blogger will send the photos via email to me, along with description of photo and/or a story told by the bear and /or a letter to Bear from them.
Bloggers must send me a link to their blogs. Bloggers may post about him on their own blogs but must send me the link to that post. Bloggers must send me a link to their blog whether or not they post a post about the bear. The reason for this is so that when I post about the bear's adventures, I can link to your blog.
Each blogger will keep him for no more than 1 week, and then pass him along to the next blogger.
Each blogger, should they choose, may send their own personal cards or other items to the next blogger to keep. The bear, however, must continue to travel.
The bear is no bigger than my palm, so should not cost too much to mail around. However, due to cost of international shipping, the bear will only be traveling in Canada and the US.
Every so often, I will post an update on the bear's travels, with the photos/stories I receive via email.

Who will get the bear?

You must be a blogger.
You must be a bereaved parent via pregnancy or infant loss
You must live in either Canada or the US.
You must be willing to mail the bear to another blogger after your visit.
You must love bears.

How do I sign up?

Using the form below, add your name (using your blog as a link). When you get the bear, you are responsible to contact the person directly below your name. If you, for some reason, are unable to contact that person, move on to the next person on the list. (Since YaYa helped me come up with this idea, Patches is on his way to visit her. The first person on this list will be contacted by YaYa, and then that person will contact the second person, and so forth)

Any further changes will be posted.

If you are participating in this, please feel free to link this post in your blog and invite other bereaved parents to join.

Currently, I have the linky set for one month. But should we have even more participants interested after that, I will create a second linky.

Hope I've covered everything here...

Safe travels, Patches the bear! Enjoy your journey!

You asked....

2009-10-11T15:08:00.003-05:00

Recently, I mentioned I was in a Bloggy Stump and offered to answer any of your questions.

The offer is still up, so keep on asking away. But in the meantime, here are a few questions and their answers.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Sarah asked...

Well, seeing as I'm hungry and about to fix lunch, I have food on the brain. So, what's your favorite food?

It is really difficult to come up with a single answer for this. I consider myself a bit of a foodie. I do not like a whole lot of processed foods and frozen meals. I make almost everything from scratch, which these days means sometimes I don't eat because I don't have the energy to cook from scratch and I can't bring myself to eat any less quality. Currently, though, as I type this, I have some homemade hamburger soup simmering on the stove. I really need a stock pot. I decided to double the recipe so I could freeze some soup for later meals, but I ended up having to put some of it into a second pot because I didn't have enough room. It's things like this that frustrate me and make me not eat these days. That, and the fact my dishwasher no longer cleans dishes so I have to hand wash all my dishes.

Dena asked....

How do you get that rolling blog roll on your side bar..I want one on mine???

I posted about the scrolling blog roll HERE. It's actually quite simple once you know the codes.

If anyone is interested in me putting their blog button on my scrolling blog roll, just let me know and I'll add it.

Lana asked....

In your opinion, what is the one thing about Canada the makes it "the" place to live? (Yay Canada!) Also, what is one thing in your province that you can't find (or might be rare to find) in other provinces?

Well, I thought about this, and I couldn't think of any good answers.... but one thing you can't find in any other province is ... ME! (though I would visit!)

Jen asked .....

If you could go anywhere where would it be?

I've always wanted to go to Australia.

Teresa asked....

As for a question, let me think. I don't know you very well at all so I guess I have a lot questions. How 'bout this? What do you do, or have you done in the past, for a living? AND....Have you always lived in Canada?

Currently, I'm in between careers. Quite truthfully, I have not been looking for a job, but I do have to get looking very soon. I have been living off my husband's life insurance and it soon will run out if I am not careful. But I am having a hard time even thinking about going back to work. I am trained as a library technician but I have not worked in a library for over 5 years. I was unemployed for several months before getting a data entry job. I had to leave that job when I was pregnant and ended up in the hospital and then on bedrest. After that I refused to work for a whole year because I was getting my maternity leave time even if I wasn't getting the money. I'm stubborn that way. Then it took several months to find another job once I did start looking. My last 2 jobs were just crappy jobs that I took because I couldn't find anything else. I have a hard time finding jobs because of my hearing loss, and not to mention the fact that I really want to be a stay at home mom, so my lack of enthusiasm for working probably shows, if I even get an interview (which I have had bad luck even getting interviews)

And yes, I have always lived in Canada. I have always lived in the same province, but not the same city.

Pam asked ....

Have you had snow this week?

Yes... I whined about it HERE.

Bee and Rose asked....

What is your favorite type of music?

Well, I do not listen to alot of music on account of my hearing loss. I can HEAR the music (with my hearing aid) but I do not always hear the singing / lyrics. I don't listen to the radio or anything like that but I do watch music videos (I miss CMT - I think I'll upgrade my tv so I can get that again) but if they are not captioned, I do not always know what I'm hearing. As I kind of mentioned already, I am a fan of CMT which is Country Music. I know it's not for everyone, I think the reason I like it is because it's easy for someone like me to follow, once I know the words. But I do like other music as well. I believe songs should have some kind of meaning behind them.

Mel asked....

A question for you...or perhaps a few...

Where is your favourite place to eat?

My favorite place to eat, well, I have not been there in a few years ... maybe only once if that since we moved into the house because it is kind of far and my husband's job and mine were opposite shifts and then with him being sick last year, we just never had that many opportunities to go since it takes at least 1 hour for the food to even come to the table... but I still consider it to be one of my favorite places to eat... and that's Massawa in the village. We used to live down there so we went all the time.

What is your favourite colour?

Lately I'm partial to brown tones.

What's your favourite season and why?

When it actually feels like spring or autumn, then those are my favorite seasons. Summer is too hot (when it's "normal") and winter is too cold.

Have a question?? Ask away!! Ill do another segment soon.

cry winter has arrived cry

2009-10-09T13:20:00.003-05:00

It literally just began snowing. I was JUST outside, where it was NOT snowing. I walked inside and now there's big huge flakes of ugly WHITE stuff floating to the ground.

I'm not impressed.

We had all of 3 days worth of summer this year.

And virtually no autumn.

Right smack dab into Winter.

Where we'll probably remain til, oh, May or thereabouts.

Friday Fragments: Thanks, I Guess.

2009-10-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Friday Fragments.

**********

As you know, this past Saturday was our local Walk to Remember. As I am on the committee, I was super busy last week getting everything ready for the event. I barely made it home after the walk was finished before I had a huge crashburn. I slept and lazed around most of the rest of the weekend, and I have yet to regain my energy!

**********

I don't know what to subtitle my Friday Fragments anymore!

**********

I'm now atwitter on Twitter!
Find me @waaoms or see my updates on the sidebar of my blog.

If you are a twit, have you any advice?!

**********

This week I discovered that there is a new version of Let's Make A Deal with Wayne Brady as the host. Now, the original Let's Make A Deal was well before my time, so I have never watched it. Only heard about it. It's fun! (Plus Wayne Brady is not too hard on the eyes either!)

**********

ETSY SHOP OWNERS: Have your products reviewed on my blog. Please email me for further information. You must be willing to ship your products to Canada for me to review.

**********

Last week, I noticed my brakes were making all kinds of noise. Groannnnnn... Screeeeecchhhh. I took the car in and turns out my brakes were "metal-to-metal", and in all, it cost me 900 dollars to get my oil changed and my brakes fixed. Yowza! 200 of that was just for "inspection and labor" and another 100 of that was for taxes!

**********

I need a job.... but I can't bring myself to look for one...

**********

I keep going back and forth about my trip later this month. I know I can't really afford it (especially after those brakes!) But it may very well be my only chance to go. I haven't bought a plane ticket yet... better get to that this weekend if I'm going to go. And find someone to take care of my dog. (on the upside, my hotel room is booked)

**********

Speaking of trips, Patches the Bear will be on his way sometime this week. He's a little behind schedule but he's heading out. Next week one day I will post a Mr. Linky for all of you who would like to take part of this and have a visit with Patches.

**********

**********

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving. *sigh* It's hard to know what to be thankful for.

**********
Here's a photo of our last Thanksgiving at home (2007)

I originally posted this photo HERE.

**********

One year ago this week, my husband ended up in the hospital for what turned out to be the rest of his life.

*********

10 years ago this week, my husband and I started (unofficially) dating. I say unofficially because we were "just friends" and didn't admit, even to ourselves, that we were becoming anything more. I remember exactly when because my friend had a baby that week and I went "home" for Thanksgiving early so I could meet the baby. After I left the hospital, I didn't feel like going to my mom's house so I went to see my friend who I hadn't seen in a long time, who later became my husband.

**********

And did I mention my daughter was due in October?

**********

I miss my family.

**********

Apparently, I'm Weird.

**********

It's cold here. I think we had exactly 3 days of summer this year. So much for Global "warming". It's supposed to snow this weekend.

**********

I'm still accepting questions for my most recent segment of Ask Me. So, don't be shy. Ask me!

************

I'm still working on the project I ~~showed you~~ teased you about HERE. Hopefully, I'll get it done this weekend. I'm anxious to show you what it is!

**********

Well, hope you all have a great weekend. But first, check out the Friday Funny below:

**********

Friday Funny:

Bloggy Slump

2009-10-07T10:29:00.004-05:00

I'm in a bit of a bloggy slump. I have plenty to blog about but I can't seem to organize it into coherent thoughts.

So, I thought I'd do another session of Ask Me!

Ask me anything (within reason). Post your questions in the comments below, or, if you rather, you can email me at withananagelonmyshoulder {at} gmail {dot} com.

The questions can be serious or fun... whatever you want. I can't promise I'll answer every question but I'll certainly try. You can also send me "will you post about..." questions too!

I will later do a post with my answers.

Walk to Remember 2009

2009-10-04T10:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was our 3rd Annual Walk to Remember for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness. It was yet another success!

This year we had approximately 50 people, which is nearly double the size of our first walk in 2007. I find it hard to believe it started with me saying "I wish there was a walk in our city. Maybe I could start one." Yes, I brag a little bit, but I can't help it, I'm proud of this achievement!

But, of course, I could not have done it without the help of the committee. This year, we had 3 new members on our committee and they were absolutely wonderful. In fact, I won't lie, I let them do more work this year than I did myself, because, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't all that sure I wanted to put on the walk this year without my husband.

In the end, however, I'm glad we went through with it and that it appears everyone enjoyed the event. The day was a bit chilly, but thankfully it did not rain, or worse... well, I won't say that forbidden word. The sun made a brief appearance when we released the balloons. I took that as a sign that our babies were very happy to have balloons to play with.

Planning for next year's walk will commence shortly. As we were packing up to go, the committee was already buzzing about ideas for next year, how we can make this bigger, better!

I would like to thank everyone who came this year, who helped made this walk a success. I would especially like to thank all the beautiful babies, and in particular, my babybear, for giving me a purpose in life.

Here are a few photos from the walk:

Follower of the Month - Shea

2009-10-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

October's Follower of the Month is Shea, otherwise known as The Fascinating Girl.

I met Shea a few years ago on SHARE and as we found ourselves moving on from SHARE, we began to stalk each other in Blogville.

Shea's blog is full of witty sarcasm and humorous self- criticism. Don't be fooled by Shea's cuteness. She keeps it real. Shea has a knack for finding humor in any situation. You can't help but laugh as you read some of her stories, because, most likely, you have experienced similar situations yourself. Especially if you're a mom. You can always count on Shea for a pick-me-up on a gloomy day.

And now, my fellow bloggers, please allow me to introduce you to Shea!

1.What's your name?

Shea

2.Tell us a little bit about you.

Wow I didn't know this was going to be so hard! Um I grew up in Alberta Canada. Due to teenage drama, I ended up going to school at Brigham Young University in Utah instead of University of Calgary. Karma kicked me in the ass and now I'm stuck in Utah. I've been married to Ryan for 15 years. He is a detective/trooper/sergeant, which is why we are stuck in Utah. I have two beautiful daughters, Hanna and Grace. I have one beautiful daughter in heaven, Evie. I also have 4 angel babies that I never got the pleasure of meeting. So my girls are kind of a miracle. I went back to work this year teaching 27 first graders and I'm just trying to keep my head above water and my eyes open past 7pm.

3.When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging after Evie was born. My therapist told me journal writing would be therapeutic and blogging was kind of a new thingy so I thought I'd try it. I also thought it would help keep family in Canada updated. It has been very good for me and helped keep me off anti-depressants and out of therapy.

4.Tell us a bit about your blog(s).

Well, I like to think of it as a diary or journal. I wish I could write everything I think because I have some funny stuff rolling around in my head but I've learned (you can view snotty blog comments yourself) that you can't write everything you think because people you might never think of could be reading your blog. So it's just about my life, my thoughts, my struggles. I try to not make it all about my family or kids and I try to make it kind of humorous. Self-deprecating maybe.

5.Has blogging changed you or your outlook on life at all?

It has made me feel more confident about my writing. Believe me, I know I'm not a great writer but I like to hear that I made people smile or laugh. Everyone wants to be liked, right? I've also realized that others struggle with the same things I do. It's comforting to know you're not the only crazy one out there. I've also been disturbed by how willing people are to say really horrible things when they are under the cloak of anonymity. I'm trying to learn not to internalize hurtful comments.

6.Link us to 1 - 3 of your favorite posts from your own blog(s).

Sex Education in the Nordstrom Family Bathroom

Mrs. Nolipsmomhaircrazyeyes

Missing Evie

7.Link us to 1 - 3 of your favorite fellow bloggers

I have friends who blog but it was too hard to pick. I'm just putting some that I read religiously. Now that I work full-time I don't have as much time to read. I barely have time to write.

Smitten Kitchen

Mimi Smartypants

Post Secret

8.How did you come to be a follower of mine and why do you follow me?

I met Ter on the SHARE discussion boards. She was always so nice and helped me through a horrible time. Honestly that time of my life is really foggy so all I know is that I somehow started reading her blog. Must have been linked from the SHARE site. (note from Ter: I probably harassed her "doyagottablogdoyadoyadoya?")

9.What, if anything, have you gained from reading from my blog?

I have friends who have found Ter's blog from mine, they don't know her but they always comment on how they are moved by reading her entries. I feel the same way. I've learned not to take life for granted. That you might not have as long with a loved one as you might think. Oh and I love her even more because she's Canadian!

10. Tell me the truth, you're going to brag to all your bloggy friends that you were my follower of the month, aren't you? ;)

Sister, I'm mailing out flyers!

**********

Thank you for being my Follower of the Month, Shea! I hope you enjoyed your time here.

Please go over to The Fascinating Girl and say hello to Shea!

If you are here from Shea's blog, Welcome! Please leave a comment so I know you were here. And should you be so inclined, please become a follower too!

**********

If you would like to be a Follower of the Month, all you have to do is email me! The Follower of the Month is posted the first Saturday of every month.

No Friday Fragments Today But...

2009-10-02T08:57:00.003-05:00

No Friday Fragments today. Tomorrow is our Walk to Remember and I have much to do to get things ready.

In case you missed it... please read THIS POST to see my new idea!

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow to see October's Follower of the Month. She's Fascinating! :)

And in the main time, Check out this funny that I saw entitled "The Shortest Safari Story".

Bear Love for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness

2009-10-01T20:33:00.006-05:00

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. October 15th is particularly notable as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Recognized in the U.S., several provinces across Canada and I believe also a few other countries around the world.

This is kind of a spur of the moment idea that came to me...

In honor of October 15th, my province now officially recognizing October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day and the fact my daughter, better known as "Babybear", was due to be born in October 2005 (she died in July at 26 weeks gestation), I've decided to spread some Bear Love.

Isn't he adorable?

Now he just needs a name. I'm open to suggestions!

I put these bears in the memory boxes I make to donate to the hospital, though I haven't made one for a while.

My idea (with a little help from YaYa in fine-tuning my original idea):

This little bear would like to travel around blogville spreading love. Because it is October, I think we should spread the love among bereaved parents who have suffered a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or a loss shortly after birth.

How it will work:

He will travel from October 15, 2009 - October 15, 2010. Although, he may change his mind and decide to travel forever. :)

He will be sent from one Blogger to another. Each blogger who gets him will take a photo (or many photos) of his "traveling adventure" ... the photos can be of the blogger holding him, or the bear with something that meaningful .. that reminds you of your baby/babies... Their headstones or a photo of them or whatever you feel comfortable taking a photo of. It is recommended, however, that you blur out any last names from photos for privacy and safety reasons.

Each blogger will send the photos via email to me, along with description of photo and/or a story told by the bear and /or a letter to Bear from them. Bloggers may post about him on their own blogs but must send me the link to that post. Bloggers must send me a link to their blog whether or not they post a post about the bear. The reason for this is so that when I post about the bear's adventures, I can link to your blog.

Each blogger will keep him for no more than 1 week, and then pass him along to the next blogger.

Each blogger, should they choose, may send their own personal cards or other items to the next blogger to keep. The bear, however, must continue to travel.

The bear is no bigger than my palm, so should not cost too much to mail around. However, due to cost of international shipping, perhaps we should keep this bear traveling in Canada and the US.

Every so often, I will post an update on the bear's travels, with the photos/stories (I may even create a blog just for him.)

Who will get the bear?

* You must be a blogger.
* You must be a bereaved parent via pregnancy or infant loss
* You must live in either Canada or the US.
* You must be willing to mail the bear to another blogger after your visit.
* You must love bears.

Further guidelines will be announced later.

Now before this little bear goes on his adventure... we need to sort out a few wrinkles in his travel plan. And he'd like your help in solving these few problems...

1. What is his name? The poor guy doesn't have a name! (Give your suggestions here and next week I will post a poll with some of the suggestions and see which name is chosen.)

2. My first thought was to send him around to all my bloggy friends who are bereaved parents. But then I realized that some of my bloggy friends don't know each other. So we have 3 options of how to work this.

Option 1: If you want to partake in Bear Love, you can send me an email and I will pass along your address to the person who will send the bear to you. This option may be the most complicated.

Option 2: You will send the bear to someone you know in blogville. This means that not everyone I know will get a visit from the bear, but many other people will.

Option 3: I can post a Mr. Linky or similar thing and if you wish to partake you will post a link to your blog, and the person who has the bear will click the name that comes immediately AFTER theirs, and email that person to say they have the bear and will be sending it to them and inquire their mailing addresses. If you do not hear from that person within a set amount of time, you may move to the next person on the list. This option will allow anyone who is interested in Bear Love to participate.

Please answer the poll below and the option with the most responses will be the way we do this.

3. If you have any suggestions for a blog name if I start one for this adventure, let me know! Again, I will do a poll later to choose the best name.

Looking forward to all your ideas and suggestions!

Edit: just as I was about to post this, I thought of a name for the bear! He has some patches on his body and so I thought "Patches" would be a good name... for he will be patching up the tears in your heart.... what do you think!? Still open to suggestions...

A Conversation

2009-09-29T17:18:00.001-05:00

Emma : bark bark there's a cat in our yard bark bark bark

Mommy: Emma, We do NOT bark like that!

Emma: *Yawn* You're so boring, mommy.

I See The Moon Experiment...

2009-09-29T13:24:00.004-05:00

Jen over at Diamonds, Fur and Laundry has posted a cool challenge for us. All you have to do is take a photo of the moon tomorrow night (September 30th) and send it to her.

You can see the details of the challenge HERE.

(a photo of the moon I took a couple years ago)

Why I Haven't Blogged Much Recently....

2009-09-28T15:13:00.005-05:00

Remember this...?

It's been turned into this...

To Be Continued...

For Amber and Tyler....

2009-09-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

Today, my bloggy friend Amber is getting married!

Friday Fragments: Don't Know What My Subtitle Should Be

2009-09-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Friday Fragments.

**********

Have you tried this cheese?

It's Moroccan Spice Cheese and oh-so-good!

**********
Ironic, don't you think....

...that you need kitchen sheers to cut the ties off the kitchen sheers you just bought?

**********

I want this:

**********

I've been busy with planning our local Walk to Remember which is on October 3rd. And that project I ~~mentioned~~ teased you about in this post.

**********

Also I've been attempting to get my house back in some kind of order. Fail.

**********

I got my passport this week! Yay!

**********
Friday Funny - Polar Bear Attack :

WW: Preview

2009-09-23T11:53:00.002-05:00

Some of you are curious to know what I'm working on now...

I can't tell you yet, but here's a preview:

I'm using each of these colors in my current project!

Heartbreaking...

2009-09-22T23:26:00.002-05:00

In the last couple months, I have come across 3 heartbreaking stories in blogville of new moms dying shortly after their babies were born.

First, I came across this blog recently when I saw a link to a tutorial and clicked it only to find out the blogger had passed away just days before. Her baby was 14 days old.

Then, Jenners, my September Follower of the Month, posted this post about her friend. Her baby was just born.

And then tonight, I saw a post requesting prayers for this blogger, only to find out she, too, has passed away. Her baby was less than 1 week old.

As a bereaved mom, I can sympathize that they will not see their babies grow up. The difference is, their babies WILL grow up, just, not with them. I don't know any of these women but they all seem to be very loving women who wanted their babies as much as I wanted mine, and yet, they, too, can not be with their babies.

As a bereaved wife, I can sympathize for their husbands.

Sometimes, life is just too sad...

... and I wonder... what's the point?

Book Review: The Memory Keeper's Daughter

2009-09-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards.

One winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry delivers his own twins. Upon realizing the second twin, a daughter, had Down's Syndrome, Dr. Henry makes a decision that forever shapes the future of his family. He hands the little girl to his nurse and tells her to take her away to an institution. He then tells his wife that their daughter has died during birth.

While his wife grieves for her daughter, the nurse, Caroline, decides to go away and raise this child as her own.

The story follows both Caroline and the Henry's over the next 20 years, and how this one night, this one decision, changed them all in very profound ways.

Conclusion:

I enjoyed this book, but also found myself emotionally relating, in particular to Norah Henry, who believes her child has died.

(I have heard that this book has been made into a movie, but I can't find it on zip.ca.)

Altered Notebook: Blue/Purple

2009-09-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

I made this notebook for my blogoversary / 100th follower giveaway winner. I hope she likes it!

Friday Fragments: how ice cream can be depressing

2009-09-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Friday Fragments!

**********
I'm on season 6!

**********

I got my Stampin' Up! order this week. I'm so excited!

**********

There seems to be an invasion of cats in my neighborhood these days. Emma, being the good watch dog that she is, growls at each and every single one of them.

**********

This week, October 15th (Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day) became official in my province. And I was there to witness the proceedings as the Bill was passed. It was certainly bittersweet.

**********

**********

Our Walk to Remember is in just a couple weeks! Better get cracking on getting everything ready.

**********

I had my very favorite gelati this week for the first time in forEVER. Since I wrote this post. I got the same flavors you see there.

**********

In reading that post, I realize it was written just a few days before we found out my husband's cancer was back. He had worked an extra shift on Sunday (even though he was in alot of pain) and took the car which he normally didn't during the rest of the week) and stopped to pick some up on his way home. *sigh*

**********

I'm really missing my family.

**********

Well, this edition of Friday Fragments has come depressing. Let's move on to the Friday Funny:

Biggest Loser (Season 8) - Like Looking In A Mirror

2009-09-15T21:54:00.004-05:00

I do not talk about television alot on my blog, but believe you me, I sure watch a lot of it. Probably too much, in fact.

However, tonight, I would like to talk about The Biggest Loser.

Earlier tonight, The Biggest Loser premiered it's 8th season. I never watched this show until recently. I started watching it in repeats in the middle of the night during bouts of insomnia. Last season, I watched it in prime time from beginning to end. I'm hooked.

This season, I think, will be an emotional one to watch. Right from the get-go there was lots of tears and lots of surprises and even some very scary moments.

Any of you watching tonight will probably have already guessed that I relate most to Abby.

Abby, besides having a weight problem, also lost her entire family. I cried and I cried as I heard her story. I hope she wins, if for no other reason than the fact that she's me. In many ways, she really is me.

I've been saying for a while now that if The Biggest Loser ever gets a Canadian version of the show, I will apply for it. But until now, I thought, why would they choose someone who isn't worried about dying. Who, in fact, would be happy to die, given the chance?

I guess this proves me wrong. They chose Abby to be a contestant on the show.

Abby said it best, when she talked about not being afraid to die. But since she's here, she will live the best life she can.

And so... then... will I.

(Please come to Canada, Biggest Loser, please, please, pretty please, [and no whipped cream nor cherries on top because that would defeat the purpose but I'll eat it if you don't come here!]?)

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2009-09-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

I just love this soup, especially right now with fresh Farmer's Market veggies.

This is a combination of two recipes which I tweaked to my own liking.

I usually don't measure, so you might have to play around with your measurements. The measurements below are just estimates since the size of the veggies vary based on what's available at the market each week.

**********

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

4 red peppers, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 can chicken broth

1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp sugar
salt & pepper (to taste)
dash hot sauce
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp flour

dollop sour cream
Parmesan cheese, shredded.

Place Peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place in 450 oven for approximately 40-50 minutes until softened. Remove and cool.

Puree in food processor. Transfer to pot and add remaining ingredients except Parmesan Cheese and Sour Cream.

Heat through.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and sour Cream on top.

Enjoy!

Serves 3-4.

Altered Notebook: Little Flower

2009-09-13T08:05:00.001-05:00

Made for my friend whose little girl is nicknamed "Little Flower".

Friday Fragments: Ow! My Aching Back Hip!

2009-09-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Friday Fragments....

**********
Never Forget:

**********

Friday Fragments are a little late this week... It's hard to come up with things to say!

**********

I had a bloggy idea that might be fun... going to think about how I can get this to work and then later I will tell you all about it. So keep an eye out...!

**********

I still haven't regained my energy since coming back home.

**********

It's raining again. Surprise, Surprise.

**********

My brother just moved to the same city as me. Across town, so we won't annoy each other too much.

**********

My doctor's appointment regarding my hip pain didn't amount to much - just more appointments.

**********

I was supposed to start school this week. I'm kind of sad and kind of glad that it didn't work out this year.

**********

I would like to focus more on my health issues and such but everything seems to be taking way longer than it should.

**********

I guess I better try and find a job.

**********

The next few weeks will be busy getting our local Walk to Remember organized. It's being held on October 3rd!

**********

Friday Funny: (So. That explains it! )

Etsy Shop Spotlight: Creative G's Boutique

2009-09-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I am starting a new feature on my blog: Etsy Shop Spotlight. This feature will spotlight an Etsy Shop whose products I believe are worthy of promoting.

Perhaps Etsy Shop Spotlight will become a regular feature on my blog. If you are an Etsy Shop Owner and would like me to promote your shop and/or products, please email me!

Etsy Shop Spotlight:

1. What is your name?

Sarah G.

2. What is the name of your shop? When did it open?

It’s called Creative G’s Boutique and I opened it last November.

3. Tell us a little about the product(s) you sell on your shop?

I have invitations, Mommy Calling Cards, Etsy Store designs and more. It’s really a sampling of what I can do...I can accommodate custom design orders. The key to my store though is that I don’t print anything. I prepare the graphic file and the buyer can use it to print at home, send to printer or use it for email/blogs.

Here are a few of my designs (click images for product details):

4. Is there a bit of history behind your product(s)? When did you start making your product? What was your inspiration?

I actually started it as a way to brush up on my graphic design skills. I had used those skills in college but then never used them again. So I wanted to teach myself again and at the same time, I had friends and family that wanted me to design invitations for them. So I decided to post a few of those online as well as some other graphic design items (Etsy store banners, mommy calling cards, etc). I do a lot of custom invitation designs via friends and family.

5. Would you recommend Etsy to other sellers? What are the pros/cons?

Etsy is great because of the wonderful selection of products from very talented artists. You can find anything you want and you know that the items are truly unique and not commercial or retail in any way.

6. Have you got a memorable experience as an Etsy seller and/or buyer that you would like to share?

Haven’t sold anything yet purely b/c I don’t spend as much time as I should promoting my store. That is my goal for this year!

**********

Sarah G. has offered a free custom design for the first With An Angel On My Shoulder reader to "visit my store and heart me :)" She will be tracking this on her shop once this post is published. So, head on over to Creative G's Boutique and check out all her wonderful graphics!

Thank you, Sarah G., for partaking in this Etsy Shop Spotlight!

WW: At The Lake

2009-09-09T00:00:00.001-05:00

Got Smoothie?

2009-09-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ever since I got that $2 hand-held blender at a garage sale, I've been on a smoothie craze. But I need some more smoothie ideas. I have googled some interesting recipes, but I'm curious, my dear readers, what are some of your tried-and-true smoothie recipes?

The one pictured above (sorry for poor quality) is a strawberry/banana one. Delicious, yes, but not very interesting!

Definitely a good breakfast option for me because I find it difficult to stomach breakfast, even when I'm hungry. Plus it helps boost up my healthy food intake. Not to mention, it tastes great!

So, come on, share your favorite smoothie ideas!

Wedding Card

2009-09-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Follower of the Month - Jenners

2009-09-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

September's Follower of the Month is Jenners. You may know Jenners from either of her blogs: Life With A Little One and More or Find Your Next Book Here.

Jenners has a odd sense of humor that makes readers come back again and again. Her blog posts can be thought provoking or laugh out loud funny. You just never know what you're going to get when you hop on over to Jenner's blogs. She might have a book review, a silly game or a humorous story. She often pokes fun at herself, and I think this makes readers relate to her.

Her book reviews are more detailed than mine, but they never give away the story. There have been many times she mentions a book that I never heard of or never would have thought to read if it hadn't been for her review. (But I still refuse to read the Vampire Books!) In fact, I am currently reading a book that I won from her giveaway! And that's another thing, she gives away alot of books!

And now, please give a warm welcome to Jenners!

(don't you just want to steal that cookie right out of her hands?)

1.What's your name?

Jenners (my secret Internet persona who is way more funny and quick-witted than my real self).

2.Tell us a little bit about you.

I'm 40ish (ok...I'm going to be 42 this month), and I have a son who is soon going to be 5. I'm a stay-at-home mom because I'm totally lucky to have a hard-working husband (never hurts to suck up, right?) who allows me to stay home and care for our son and maintain the household (which I do very shabbily, I might add -- the housekeeping -- not the child-rearing). I love chocolate, warm bread and reading. I'm a total nerd, and I have photographic proof (see my favorite posts).

3.When did you start blogging and why?

I started blogging in November 2008 because I felt like my brain was stagnating a bit being at home all the time. I needed a creative outlet and something that was "just for me." A friend gave me a link to her blog and when I saw it, I thought "I could totally do this." The rest -- as they say -- is history. (Well, that sounds a bit overblown but let's just say I now have two blogs and I blog way more often than the friend who inspired me.)

4.Tell us a bit about your blog(s).

Well, my "personal blog" is called Life With A Little One and More and is subtitled "The writings of a stay-at-home mom who found she had a lot to say." Although I include a lot of stuff about my family life, I also write about silly things and I like to play creative writing games. It definitely has a light, comic tone to it and sometimes I think it is more about the "More" in the title than the "Little One."

I also have a book blog called Find Your Next Book Here. I've always been an avid reader and I love to write and talk about books. When I first started blogging, I realized the book stuff might totally overtake my personal stuff so I created a separate blog just for the book stuff. It has been most rewarding -- I've gotten to interview authors, receive Advanced Reading Copies, and been exposed to more books and genres than I ever thought possible. The core of that blog is writing book reviews for all the books I read, but I've also gotten into participating in and hosting reading challenges.

5.Has blogging changed you or your outlook on life at all?

I think blogging has made me more confident in myself as a writer and as a person. The more I blog, the easier I find it to write. And I've been pleasantly surprised at the kind comments people leave me or people who stick around and read almost every post I write. Amazing really! It makes me feel like I have something worthwhile to say. And it has relieved a lot of the "stay at home mom boredom" I was experiencing.

6.Link us to 1 - 3 of your favorite posts from your own blog(s)

I think my "signature" post is "Evolution of A Nerd"

I've also had a lot of positive feedback on my advice for bloggers post called "Goldilocks and the Three Bloggers."

7.Link us to 1 - 3 of your favorite fellow bloggers.

Oh...that is so hard to do. I have so many blogs that I love. I'm just going to share a few that just jumped into my mind.

First of all, one of my favorite book blogs is ...a lovely shore breeze.Caite has a great grumpy sense of humor that just cracks me up -- I'll read anything she writes just because I enjoy her writing so much.

In the same category, I'm a big fan of Debbie over at Suburb Sanity

and I think Caitlin (your follower last month) should have a bazillion more readers than she does.

I could go on and on but I'll stop there. Just check out my blogroll!

8.How did you come to be a follower of mine and why do you follow me?

I'm pretty sure you contacted me one day after Yaya did a post where she thanked all her regular commenters and we were near each other on the list and you came over to say "hi." At least that is what I remember. Does that ring any bells with you? Anyway, I was so moved by your story and amazed that you had gone through so much but were still maintaining and going on with life. That inspires me and reminds me not to be such a complainer.

9.What, if anything, have you gained from reading from my blog?

Well, I have gained a new mission in life: to get you to read the Twilight books. I will succeed someday!

10. Tell me the truth, you're going to brag to all your bloggy friends that you were my follower of the month, aren't you? ;)

OF COURSE!!

**********

Thanks for following me Jenners!

If you are here from Jenner's blog(s) to read her interview, welcome. I hope you'll take some time to look around my blog and say hello. I would love to meet you too!

**********

You, too, can be a Folllower of the Month! All you have to do is email me and let me know you want to be interviewed! Follower of the Month interviews are posted the first Saturday of every month. It is a way to get to know my followers a little bit and introduce them to my other followers!

**********

Friday Fragments: Sleepy

2009-09-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to another edition of Friday Fragments.

**********

After a busy week last week, with a funeral and a wedding to attend and lots of driving, I've been so POOPED this week. It's difficult to muster up some energy!

**********

I had to take Emma to the funeral with me. I didn't have time to drop her off anywhere! It was a graveside funeral, so I was able to see her from the gravesite the whole time. I left her in the car with the windows rolled part way down. She cried the whole time! Tried to get out through the window, but couldn't get more than her head and paw out. When I looked back at the car, I nearly burst out laughing because she looked so silly. Oh, that doggie, she makes me smile in the worst of times.

**********

The gravesite was atop a hill with a beautiful view of the lake below (the same lake my brother got married just a few days later!) .

**********

As promised, I am embarrassing myself by showing you a photo of me in the dress at the wedding. (It's the only photo I have of myself - I stayed behind the camera for the most part - not sure if anyone else got a photo of me but let's hope not.)

Please ignore the fatty fat.

(You could click the picture to make it bigger, but I don't recommend it)

(It looked better on the hanger, don't you think?)

(and omg, I look like my mother. eeek! that's really scary!)

**********
I made my very first Stampin' Up! order this week! Very exciting! A bit expensive, but I gave in because I couldn't find any similar supplies anywhere!

I ordered this

and this

I bought them because I've been "hired" to do a project which I'll tell you about at a later date!

**********

A few weeks ago I bought a hand-held blender at a yardsale for $2. It looked like it had never been taken out of the box! It came with a mixing cup with a lid and a stand to hang the blender up on the wall. Pretty good for $2, eh?

The best part is it works better than my full size blender! I say this because I made a smoothie and it crushed my partly frozen strawberries with ease, whereas with my full size blender, they always got stuck and barely crushed at all! I also made some salad dressing with it and mixed some homemade soup instead of putting it in the food processor (which I also love). It's going to be a real handy gadget to have!

**********

September's Follower of the Month will be featured tomorrow! (September already!)

Be sure to come by and check out the interview!

**********

Let me know if you want me to feature your blog button on my sidebar!

**********

Friday Funny:

WW: Wedding

2009-09-02T00:00:00.002-05:00

Just one of many photos I took at my brother's wedding this past weekend. She isn't posing for me when I took this photo.... she was waiting for their professional photographer to set her camera to take some beach shots.

I think this photo turned out pretty well except for the little blur on the right-hand side. I didn't feel like taking the time to crop it for the blog. ;)

Home

2009-09-01T10:50:00.002-05:00

We're home.

Actually, we got back yesterday morning, but I was exhausted.

Still am.

Can someone send me some energy?? I have so much to do around here now that I'm back but I'm afraid a case of lazyitis is trying to take over!

Friday Fragments: Away

2009-08-28T00:00:00.003-05:00

No Friday Fragments today, since I'm away.

But here's a Friday Funny to keep you amused:

2nd Blogiversary!

2009-08-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's my Blogiversary!

Give me a kiss!

**********

Today is officially my second blogiversary!

I already did my giveaway earlier this month when my followers counter reached 100.

So I thought we'd celebrate with a little Emma-Lovin'!

**********

Thank you for making my blog what it is! And keep coming back!

**********

WW: Saying Goodbye

2009-08-26T00:00:00.001-05:00

Today, I'm heading to my father-in-law's funeral.

This photo is from our wedding day. In looking at our wedding photos, I started to count the number of people who have died since that day. My great aunt K., my great uncle S., my great uncle B., our daughter, our best man G., my husband, and now my father-in-law.

Its a difficult thing to realize... so many deaths in such a short while...

But today, we shall say goodbye to my father-in-law, and lay him to rest.

~*~*~
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room.
~*~*~

(author unknown)

With An Angel On My Shoulder

Have You Seen My New Bloggy Home Yet?

Moving Day (The Change I Told You About!)

Changes Are A-Comin'!

WW: Snow Storm

Card: Long Stem Flower

Wow, I Won!

The Day After Christmas or Reason # 61124 Why I Miss You

Special Handling Please ( A Christmas Poem for the Bereaved)

Christmas in Heaven

WW: Reason # 47884 Why I Miss You

MPM

Cards - Assorted Pack

Post-It Notes Are For More Than Posting Notes

Friday Funny: Biggest Snowman

Somewhat MIA and Some Bloggy News.

Toy Drive 2009

Friday Funny: Hippo

Customized Blog Layouts

WW: View From My Kitchen Window

MPM - Dec. 7-13 Plus Final OAMC Tally

Follower of the Month: Amber

Another Anniversary of The Crappy Kind

Desperately Seeking Chicken Ideas

It's My Birthday, And I'll Cry If I Want To.

OAMC day 2

Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) - 1st Attempt

25 Days of Giveaways from Bereaved Mothers to Bereaved Mothers

one year

Product Review: Brother PT-1230 Label Maker

Another Pay-It-Forward Contest!

MPM - Nov. 23

I'm so sorry! (Patches the Bear update)

My New Craft Addiction

Six Word Saturday / Candlelighting

Friday Funny : Organizing Chores

Brain Dump: 11/19/09

WW: Snugglebug

Tears for My Baby

A Letter To My Doggie

Brain Dump

Win A Kindle

Friday Funny: Polar Bear Meeting

Remembrance Day

WW: Is It Really November?

Attempt At Menu Planning Leads To Extreme Blog Hopping

Cards: Sympathy

Follower of the Month - Jacquelyn

Friday Funny: I love Sky

Patches' Tour: 1st stop - YaYa

Orange Notebook

Haunted by What Should've Been.

Friday Funny (and a Not-So-Funny Request!)

My Trip In Pictures

WW: SHARE Walk for Remembrance & Hope

Back to Reality

Friday Funny: BRB

Leaving on a Jet Plane....

Who Wants To Be November's Follower of the Month?

Where Can I Find Free Easy SlideShow Program Online?

Patches Tour Around Blogville: Begins Trip

What You've Been Waiting To See....

Friday Fragments: Just One More Week!

Wave of Light 2009 Photo

We Were Gonna Have A Baby...

Her Name Is Tyla Renee

Light Your Candles Tonight, in Memory of All Babies Gone Too Soon

Patches the Bear Wants To Visit You! (updated !!!)

You asked....

*cry* winter has arrived *cry*

Friday Fragments: Thanks, I Guess.

Bloggy Slump

Walk to Remember 2009

Follower of the Month - Shea

No Friday Fragments Today But...

Bear Love for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness

A Conversation

I See The Moon Experiment...

Why I Haven't Blogged Much Recently....

For Amber and Tyler....

cry winter has arrived cry