embrace winter...

December 1, 2019 Arlene Giddings

the first day of december…

I have been thinking
that this year
I might try something different.

Every year, I fight winter tooth and nail.
I hate the cold.
I hate bundling up. I hate shovelling.
I hate worrying if there is oil in the tank.
I hate, I hate and I hate.

But this year, I am going to turn that around.

I am going to embrace winter.
(ok. Let me re-phrase that. I am going to try my hardest to embrace winter).

I made a list (cause….you know…I love a good list…)
(plus…added bonus…some of these are also on my fifty before fifty…
so DOUBLE WHAMMY…wait…is a double whammy a good thing? haha)

EMBRACE WINTER

hot drink recipes
ice skating
sledding
cross country skiing
downhill skiing (which i should leave til the last cause I will probably break a bone)
snow shoes complete! ♥
marvel movie marathon
bake cookies complete! ♥
make a snowman army
make a puzzle
cut out snowflakes
go bowling
winter bonfire
board game night
pj party
walks outside…get sunlight/vitamin d when you can
try curling complete! ♥
make a winter playlist
make snow angels
get a new candle
sauna/hot tub nights
tubing
make a snow fort
have a snowball fight
nap by a fireplace
bubble bath
blanket fort pj popcorn cartoon nights
read SOOO many books
go look at Christmas lights complete! ♥

I think that should cover this winter. :)
but it occurred to me that A LOT of these would be much more fun
if done with other people soooo…I may be
looking for willing (or slightly unwilling) volunteers…heehee.

I actually took pugsley out for a wintry walk on the trails today
as an attempt to get a good start on this list right away…
and honestly…it was by far the best choice I could have made today.

and see…in the spirit of “embracing” winter,
I bought myself a pretty red shovel.
……………………………………………………….

oh…and unrelated-but-must-be-said…
the response to this story about my geek girl ink cards
in one of our local papers has blown my mind…
in a very good way. :) I was completely surprised
and sooooo incredibly happy with all the comments, likes,
emails, orders and support.

My heart is full. ♥ Thank you!!!!

i missed my friday i'm in love list...

September 29, 2018 Arlene Giddings

so this is likely going to be a post
with a lot of random things
that i am currently loving
but in no particular order
because my plan
WAS to do a fall list
but wanted to have some fall photos
to go with that
but i don’t have any yet
because my plan is to go out with the camera tomorrow
(and when i say camera, i mean poor little back up camera
because my 70D broke last weekend which is causing me
great sadness…but that sad story does not belong on a
friday i’m in love list…) and
so there will be some random shots thrown in to this post
because…well…that’s what i do…
including this photo
that i love in a hundred different ways
because i found this little bit of broken poetry
unexpectedly
while climbing
onto the back of a bench
when taking maternity photos
and immediately loved it.

i know.
weird things make me immensely happy.

so anyway!
on with the list of random things i am loving today.

♥ chicken burgers. I know…that’s a big stretch for me
from my usual chicken fingers but…I’m on a bit of a
chicken burger binge. Hahaha. Last week it was chicken fricot,
next week I plan to be on a grilled cheese kick.
High-brow culinary tastes, I know. :)

♥ this show. How did I not know about this show?
I loved the pilot…I REALLY hope it keeps going.

♥ i loved this…such a great idea…somehow i suspect it wouldn’t be the
same today…

♥ i can’t even tell you HOW MUCH I AGREE WITH THIS. Play is
incredibly important (and honestly, not just for kids…for grown ups, too).

♥ maybe I’m hungry…there seem to be a lot of posts about food…
but…..this is a gift I would write a thank you note for. :)

♥ working on some new cards…a little bit of fall…a little bit of anne & diana…

♥ this guy is coming to moncton!

♥ i was invited to trivia last night at a local restaurant/bar.
Normally, if I am already in my pjs, well, I’m pretty much done
for the night but I actually changed back into real person clothes
and went out AND I AM SO GLAD I DID. I suck at trivia but the
caesars were good. Oh! And the company, heeheehee!

♥ i started this course a couple of weeks ago and am really enjoying it.
This week they are talking about meditation and I can’t wait! :)

♥ this made me laugh…and think.

♥ this made me mad…and cry…and curse…and cheer…and think.

♥ my 18 year old has me totally hooked on this song…

friday i'm in love...

November 18, 2016 Arlene Giddings

i have been on an editing binge since last weekend...
it's felt a little like tunnel vision.
and i've been avoiding social media a little
cause it's best to avoid anything that makes you
sad
instead of
happy...

things that have made me smile:

beautiful editions of anne of green gables and i cannot wait for the new series coming out!
what do when your partner (or someone you love) is having a panic attack
the pep talk generator...cause sometimes...the world needs a small pep talk
i am addicted to this tim hortons chicken bacon ranch wrap
that coles bookstore has leuchtturm1917s for only 24.00!
and speaking of addictions...please take this bag of sweet & salty popcorn away from me
but...i am totally going to try this!
i kind of can't wait for this...i will never like it more than the cartoon...but that still leaves room for me to love it
IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS CARTOON/MOVIE SPECIAL TIME!!!!

this year....i am watching them ALL...all of them i say...
while eating bags and bags
of sweet & salty popcorn...
i have to make a list...and poll people for their favorites...
i don't want to miss anything! :)
feel free to share your favorites
(i always feel funny asking that...like...
maybe nobody's even reading this...)
(maybe i'm talking to myself)
(not that this would be that odd coming
from the girl whose mother took her to the dr
because of her strong ties to her imaginary friends).

heh.

random gratefulness...

October 11, 2016 Arlene Giddings

thanksgiving is over...
but in the spirit of thanksgiving,
here is a very random list of things
that i have recently been
thankful for...

my family and friends
a warm cozy orange house
fall leaves
dirt roads
marshmellow bananas
3 day old chicken fricot
tylenol
youtube yoga videos (especially those specific to calming raging headaches)
hot apple cider
pjs with feet
maple french toast bagels
trips to moncton to see my girl
jasmine thomspon
hazelnut cream candles
secret weddings

tragically hip
a huge flock of geese that flew right towards my window at work
pigs
judge judy
tomato soup with basil

getting lost on dirt roads and finding my way out of trails in the woods

sugar doughnuts
forehead kisses
the song emma wrote

polka dot rain boots
people so sweet and supportive at the bullet journal session i did
watching almost famous again
that campbell knows all the words to tiny dancer
talking to my mom on the phone
bonecrushing hugs
early morning mist in the fields

goalsetter... {nablopomo day 22}

November 22, 2015 Arlene Giddings

if you know me, even a little, you will know
i am a list maker...
i have an app on my phone
just for lists.
lists like:

Pick up
Groceries
Car
Movies to watch
Movies i have watched
Movies i would watch again
Finances
Music i love
Holidaze
Books i want to read
Books i have read
i want i want i want
Blog-about
Lunch ideas
Sizes
Things i want to know more about
Winter bucket list
I want to::

and that's just what is currently on there. :)
i also keep lists in my day-timer...first...and most importantly is "yay!"
where i post little things that happen during the week that make me smile
like finding a parking spot on a thursday morning or seeing a tiny flock of birds

and last week i added a special note to myself...
a reminder to calm down. to breathe. to let go.
and some ideas of what to do INSTEAD of working for
at least a little bit of the night...(and seriously when i read that...that sounds kind of sad.)
and, for the record, there are stickers...cause...well...they are stickers!

you will notice...i forgot to call my mother.

but mainly for the really important things...
like dinner dates with best friends <3

so...all this is to say that I am adding a new line to the Goals list for this week.
last week was all nablopomo and calm the eff down
(seriously, that's what it said. calm the eff down.)

but this week, i am adding walking...
and eating right again. but walking...I have to got to get back to doing something
other than sitting in a computer chair.
so i have made a commitment.
and
it's in the daytimer
so it's pretty much set in stone (it is written in pen)(and not the erasable one).

wish me luck.