Tomorrow...

the questions begin to get answered.

The last word on this year's list...

These were my choices for this season of my life - I did them and I did them well - When I laughed, I laughed hard, when I screamed, I screamed loud and when I played, I played long.   I did them as "extras" in my regular life  - I loved them - AND, I would do them all over again, if I had this year again.  All this being said, my next list will look quite a bit different to this one, in fact, each of my lists always seem to look fairly different from one another.

                                                         But for this time round...

                                                                                                 I am satisfied, content and happy.

Additional Bucket List Things...

Snow-shoeing

A picnic in the snow
Extremely rare bird sightings
Watching Snow Owls

Helicopter trip (IN THE FRONT SEAT - noggal!)

A date with me old hubby

Searched for the hearts of 31 people and found glimpses into many (Well 30 to be truthful - day 18 was a fluke!)

 

Spray-painted a picture

Built a swing chair

Zip-lining

Birthday on the beach watching the sunrise (Seen the sunrise MANY times on the beach, but first time to have my birthday on the beach watching the sunrise).

                                                                               Did a health experiment - found some great results

Climbed great mountain!

Went fishing AND CAUGHT A FISH!  ;)

Walked among the tree tops

Learned to SCUBA dive





                Second Row to a Canucks game

To summarise the things that happened to me for this BIG YEAR; things that have been kicked off my bucket list...

I start with this:

                                            The Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights)

 

Yes, the sky actually DID turn all these colours!  The light was like music playing in the sky.

I could have danced all night...

 

 

 

 

Each day ..

I will be posting a little something until I reveal what I have planned for December...  Please keep reading...

The Grand Finale Begins...

This year was born out of the desire in my heart for something different.  A year that would not be remembered for a particular day within that year, but for a lifetime because of the whole year.  A year remembered by not just me, but by others who may have been touched by something that happened to me, within this year.

Counting my blessings and sharing a bit of comedy with you as an interlude...

Just too sweet and funny not to watch...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGxob19JH-U

December's Grand Finale

Well, eleven months are up and the Grand Finale is just a week or two away.

December the last of twelve dreams...  soon to be fulfilled.

THE GLORIOUS CANUCKS

It has always been my dream to go to a Canucks Game.  I really do love hockey.  I know, I know, when I first came here - I would talk about "That Ice Hockey Game that everyone watches"...  "and, why on earth do they need to constantly fight"...   "how old are they anyway?"  etc, etc.

Well, time has moved forward and we (the province), got ourselves into a position of fighting it out for the Stanley Cup.  The  season's prize.   The goal of every team.   Yip, that was three years ago already!  All the competitiveness of getting into the finals, got me all riled up and watching it during that season made me fall in love with hockey.  I haven't been the same since. 

Now getting tickets to go to see them play...  well, that's just another story altogether.  I kept receiving a gentle nudge from friends, to rather go watch a "giants" game.  That would be cheaper they said.  That would be MUCH easier to get into they said.

BUT...

there is a saying "A boere maak 'n plan." (A farmer always makes a plan)

Not to say that I am a farmer.  However, just like the farmers, I never give up!

We began to speak up and ask around...  And, I have to tell you all out there, that not only did I get to see my wonderful team.  But I sat two seats  from the glass!  YIP, RIGHT UP FRONT!!!  AND, not only that, the incredible man who got me connected with the tickets, LOANED me a REAL JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!   Man alive, I was SOOOOOOO excited.  I was besides myself.   As you can tell from the picture, the man who wears it, is a pretty big man! 

 

So, here's a BIG SHOUT OUT to Scotty.

 

Mr Robertson, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING MAKE MY DREAM COME TRUE!!!

 

Below, one of my guys...  (Hendrik Sedin - Captain) getting ready for the puck to drop.

 

My boys in blue!

 

 

What a FANTASTIC evening.   

One of my dreams...

Will soon be coming true!


Hanging out for November 14th!!!

WhooHooooo!

Hanging out for "Movember"!

Down, down, down...

Okie-doakie, then.  Done quite a lot of things on the ground this year, so now it's time to soar to new heights and move to some depths.  LOL, Well a couple of meters above ground and a couple of meters below the water - at least!!!

As mentioned in my previous post, we did the up, up, up thing, so now it was time to do the down, down, down thing.

And down...?  Where could that take me?  Exploring caves, mining, spelunking...

Well, so many choices, but most too far away and some I've done before.

The ocean has never held great attraction for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love the whole beach walking, sand-castle building, sea swimming, listening to the ocean thing, but for MY heart, it doesn't call to me like walking the mountains and exploring the land does.  In fact, some of our family live on the coast and the constant whispering, calling and often blustering noise of the winds and the waves, outside their homes gets on my nerves after a while, and I just want to go home to my peaceful quiet, no ocean world.

Well, scuba came up and as I haven't done that before - I thought this should be the way to go!

Down, down, down into the swimming pool we went - all 1 to 3 meters!  I am proud to say that I managed to do all the tasks set before us, such as, removing bubbles from my mask, removing and replacing the mouth piece, lying on the bottom of the pool, doing push-ups, swimming and even a somersault, (even though - I confess, I was the last person to do each thing, each time - well, mostly, and I was called a "fraidy cat", when I came out of the water by...  well..., not the instructor!)  I am thrilled to have had the experience!  So blessed.  Any negatives?  I was pretty cold, but that's about it!  Everything else was a fabulous and certainly not ordinary, experience.

Pic:  K HR

Pic:  K HR

 

 

Would I ever do this again?  Well, it was a great experience.  I can't fault it.  The instructor was AWESOME.  The company was FANTASTIC, but, I have been paragliding before, and I LOVED that more!  I  reckon I would jump off a mountain again faster than go Scuba Diving, but my hubby reckons no.  He thinks just add fish and coral, and I'd be there in a heart-beat!  We'll see -right?

 

 

 

 

 



Up, up, up...

 

I guess I have always been intrigued at the idea of walking through the tree-tops.  It just sounds so dreadfully romantic and picturesque.  It sounds like you'll see and hear life that wouldn't been seen or heard so easily down on the ground.  It sounds like you'll be able to look out and see the wonders of God's creation far and wide.  So when a friend told me that she had done the tree-top experience and raved on about it, my interest bubbled even more.

 

At least more than a year passed though, before the subject of walking through canopies of leaves was raised again.  This time by different friends.  On finding out its whereabouts and on invitation, we took to walkin' up high.  Well, not THAT high, but high enough to say we're walking through ornithological suburbs.

 

The metal bridge wobbled and wiggled from side to side, up and down and created quite a stir with multiple participants on the walk.  There was a view out to the ocean, but if there were any birds or wildlife in the trees prior to our arrival, they must have taken one look at the noise approaching and left the country - let's just hope - not permanently!

 

 

 

AND THE OVERALL FUN OF IT?    Well, we did the walk twice!  So, it was sorta mildly exciting !?  I think...

I would definitely do it again, but this time, with less of the anticipation of potential adventure and more as an afternoon stroll to enjoy the peace!

So then - what for September?

Well, as said before I plan to learn the guitar.

And so,  I cut my finger nails short and began my lessons.  Wow, those strings are pretty tough on these sweet little fingers of mine!  LOL.  Yes, what a wimp - I know.  I have been practising my strumming and the finger exercises of playing the notes one at a time.

I continue to persist in my endeavours.  I doubt there shall come a time, when anyone will buy an album of mine, however, I believe there will come a time when I will be able to play at least one song fluently. 

Anything else???

Well, actually yes, there was. 

FISHING!

Fishing?  You did what?  You went fishing?

I do not go fishing.  If I had to catch a fish I would not know what to do with it.  BUT yes, I did go fishing in September.

My husband fishes and I certainly didn't think it would be something that I would or ever COULD do, so I thought I would put myself to the test and try it out.  You know - push the limits - that's what this year is all about.  THIS WOULD PUSH ME RIGHT TO THE LIMIT.

Now let's put things into order here.  I am a big old softly when it comes to animals (and plenty of other things tooo)  and yes, that does include the sweet little fishies out there, so holding a fishing rod in my hands is a pretty big deal.  The idea was to go fishing with my hubby, enjoy the "fishing experience" with him and NOT CATCH A SINGLE THING!!!

Unfortunately, I am way too lucky for that!   IN FACT, read on and find out just how lucky I am...

It certainly was unbelievably soothing - just as my hubby said.  Casting, reeling, casting, reeling.  The sun going down.  Fisher people standing in and along the shallow water of the broader waters flowing in from the Pacific Ocean.  Cast and reel, cast and reel.  No breeze, soft sand, warm sun.  Casting and reeling.  I loved the throw of the line and funnily enough felt excited to see salmon jumping just past my throws.

Without thinking I began to pull a little harder than normal, saw my line straighten, gently, almost seasoned in my reeling began to lean back and reel slower but firmer.  Then, my brain caught up and I realised what I was doing...

A FISH!  I CAUGHT A FISH!

I screamed, threw my rod into the air and ran away waving my hands in the air, like... well, like a most UN-seasoned fisherperson!

"Help!"  I screamed, "Help me, I caught a fish!"  (And, yes there were snickers of laughter from some fishermen along the beach...  However...)

I was delivered by one of my children running to catch the rod.  They began to reel in my poor trapped catch! 

What laughter when the fish appeared.  The MOST PERFECT FISH I could have ever caught for myself.

The fish was dearly departed.

A fisherman had previously caught the fish, cleaned it and thrown it back into the waters.  My hook had sunk and caught on one of the bones.  I reeled in a dead fish.  It was in no way going to suffer in my hands, it had already died at the hands of another.  But there on the end of my rod was a full fish.


YES, I WENT FISHING AND I CAUGHT A FISH!!!!

 

Well, well, well...  little accidents sometimes cause BIG problems.

Just a few weeks ago, while we were still travelling through September, I found myself working at the computer and "zoom-kalaboom", just like that, my world spiralled into a bit of silliness for a few weeks.

Two blocks up the street a new young driver, travelling way too quickly, took the corner and smacked into an electrical pole.  Two family members actually heard the zing travel down the electricity lines before the power went out.  We are guessing that my computer must have been backing up at the time OR SOMETHING!!!  :), because, my computer was the only one in the house that bombed out.  I lost everything!   We had to buy a new hard drive.  After it was installed, the long tough road of trying to recover everything then ensued.  Finally though, things are now back to normal.

So, dear friends out there - you were not forgotten, instead, we have been working hard to get back to you as soon as we could.  And to the dear young driver who cost me a couple hundred dollars...    grrrrrr - slow down!

September you are here far too soon!

How can we be nine months into the year.  Is it really possible?

I want to learn something new in September.  I LOVE to learn, it's one of my favourite things to do.  I always love to take courses on different subjects.  Learn, learn here and learn, learn there.

I think this year, I would like to learn how to play the guitar.  My goal is to learn how to strum and play three chords in September.  This should give me enough music to be able to play at least one song...,  well, I hope!!!

Do you think it can be achieved in three weeks?   Mmmmm, let me give it a bash and I will tell you.

August is closing...

As August comes to a close, I am realising that this is the first month, that I may be unable to complete my task...

Bread update...

Eating too much...

Courage, courage, courage!

I so wish that I had courage!  There is something I want to do for myself - but I have no courage to even ask for help on it.   If it was for someone else, it would be easy-peezey-lemon-squeezey for me, but asking for myself????  Just can't do it!

Isn't that weird - not even having courage to ask for help??    Yes, us humans are complicated and just too weird.

What to do, what to do, what to do???

The Grouse Grind

 

I fell and put both my neck and my lower back out just a couple of weeks ago, however, the Grouse Grind has been on my Bucket List ever since I arrived in this country.  I have known since the beginning of the year, that this is one of the things I wanted to accomplish and kick off the list by the end of this 12 month journey.  Now, I also haven't hiked in a year, so I knew that this would be pretty tough and I would need to be in the right frame of mind, to be able to complete the task.  Being the person I am, I only knew the day I decided that I was going, THAT I WAS ACTUALLY GOING.  A couple of hours before we left to get to the mountain, I gathered up the family and informed them of what we were going to do.

 

 

 

I suggest that when you hike this trail, you take the above questions very seriously.

It took me longer than the suggested time for the hike.

The first quarter of the trail is longer than each of the other quarters individually, only because the markers are marked by elevation and not by distance.  I found the first quarter tougher than the last three quarters, but that is only because mentally, I wasn't prepared for the first.  I was far more prepared mentally for the second, third and fourth quarters.  However, physically, the quarters get steeper as they go along, so be prepared.

Once again, my family were fantastic and gently hung out with me as I took the long climb.  I wish that they had run on ahead sometimes, but other times, I was so glad to have them near me to enjoy the journey.  Nearer the top of the mountain, as dusk began to set in, we were ferociously attacked by black flies and mosquitoes and this is something too, that one needs to be aware of and calculate into the journey.  They CAN test your patience, but there's nothing you can do about it.

Some rules for the journey, if it is your first time?

Well, first read the rules above and follow them - they know what they're talking about!  :)

Then,

1. Carry water.
2. Carry a can of sweet fruit juice and maybe a banana or something light - that extra bit of energy
    is great for spurring you on, half way up!
3. MOVE OVER for faster climbers coming up behind you - the path is narrow.
4. Set yourself goals and reach each one of them in your own time - not someone else's.
5. Don't believe the painted 1/4 or 3/4 markers on the trees.  The real 1/4 and 3/4 markers  (and 1/2 way marker),  are all signed on boards nailed onto the trees.
6. Stop and smile.  Enjoy yourself - this is an amazing journey and one you will be proud of completing!

Sometimes reaching your goal seems to be a grind...

The slow climb

And so it begins...

 

 

Pushing to the limit...

Have you ever thought about doing something that will push you to the limit?  I mean physically and mentally, maybe socially or spiritually.

Well, this month I would like to see if I can push myself, spiritually, socially, mentally and physically.  Some will be places that I haven't been, some will be places that I have been to and lost over the course of the years.

The questions is :  "What will do that?"

Giving UP Bread!!! Yucky task - DONE!

This has been hands down the toughest most awful experiment I have ever done!!!  5 days ago, I came close to actually ruining the entire experiment.  I watched my children - yet again - put their bread into the toaster - and simply picked up my own slice and popped it in.

My eldest, saved me.  She looked me square in the eye and asked me if I wanted to start this experiment all over again?  "You've come so far", she said, "you're so close to the end."  "Do you want to start this experiment from the beginning again?"

Without her I could have been eating bread 5 days ago already!

Well, I made it.  It is the 2nd of Aug, and I am extremely surprised at how I am not particularly interested in rushing off to the bread basket.

I had some pretty tough times through the month, especially initially.  However, as the month progressed I found myself, not only, not missing bread, but actually ignoring those around me eating it.

I can't say that there were any particular triggers that would suddenly send me into an "I need bread now!"  frenzy.  There weren't any delicious smells, at those points, and it wasn't at any particular times of the day.  All I can say is, that when it happened, it happened quick and was savage!  But it also passed within a reasonable time.

Will I go back to eating bread?

Giving up eating bread, has not done anything for me health wise or weight wise.  It just has simply been that I have substituted bread with other goodies.  I have realised how simple it is to eat bread - almost an excuse for not having to try find food that would otherwise be a healthy choice.  When there is a busy life - it is the quickest thing on hand to do the job of filling the gut and providing energy for a short time.

I think for myself, I will certainly continue to eat bread, but I don't think I will use it in my daily life anymore.  It will be interesting to see how often I eat bread over the course of the next month and in the months to come.

I will make it clear that I did NOT do any bread baking over this past month, so when I do bake bread again, that may end up being another challenge...

                                                                    OR MAYBE NOT?





AND FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST...?

Coming soon!

Two Days and Counting...

Today and tomorrow.  Two days and counting!

Did you know?

Did you know that a doughnut has less calories than a muffin?

Huh!

 

 

 

 

Day 23

Day 23 and I have gone up and down in my wishes for bread.  When the thoughts of bread subside, I genuinely forget about it for days at a time now, even when the kids eat it.  However, the couple of times it has gotten into my thoughts and the wonderful yummy smell into my nose, I have craved it with a vengeance!

My time is up next week and I need to make a decision about what I plan to do.  I have come so far with this project.  Would I just go back to bread full time?  It hasn't made any difference to my weight loss.  Should I continue to just move forward and free myself of bread forever, once and for all?  What are the advantages of eating bread?  What are the advantages of not eating it?

I need to consider well, the impact that it has on my and our, life and lives.  I need to consider the work it takes to substitute it.

We all love bread, that's a given - but what should I do?

Five days have past

The last five days have been dreadful.  I thought day nine would have been a turning point for me, as I made those sandwiches and with all honestly did not crave even the sneakiest little bite.  However, the days that followed tormented me.  Every little piece of toast that my children popped, called out my name, wiggle it's delicious smell up my nose and crunch yummingly in my ears as they ate.

I have wanted to give up so many times over these past five days.

BUT...

 

I am half way there...

 

I HAVE to do it...

 

I couldn't have come THIS FAR, just to give up this ridiculous, stupid, dumb, needing to know the answer, experiment!

Thankful

Just sitting on my swing and thanking God for doughnuts.

No, I'm not eating them - just thinking about them...

With the permission of Lindsey T.M. I have submitted the following on her behalf.




"Morning!!! Well after reading your message and blog im also trying not to eat cake or bread !! ive lasted two days so far!!! whew its hard work but im determined to try for a week, one day at a time as they say :-) x"




It is good to know that someone else out there is trying this experiment.  It will be good to compare notes and results.  However, more than that it is always encouraging and motivating to have someone walk the road too!  THANKS Lindsey!

How odd...

An extremely ODD thing happened today!

I don't miss bread - In fact, I was making sandwiches for guests coming to tea, and I had no desire to eat even the tiniest one.

I don't actually want white bread anywhere near my mouth right now!

How extremely ODD!

No news ...

Eight days - no bread - no cake.

 

Tummy hungry,

 

Bum still fat!

 

 

 

 

 

On scale - no weight loss...

 

 

 

 

 

Have decided to definitely NOT give up on experiment, as I couldn't have given up my beloved bread, not to have some conclusive evidence either way.

 

 

Husband thinks I'm nuts!

 

 

 

 

Heart-breaking...

Really????   Lindsey T.M. has broken the news to me, that she DOES still eat bread (a couple of slices a day) and cake in small portions.

This is heart-breaking news...

I feel the very least that she should be, if she is going to have an amazing body and be ridiculously fit at this age, is :

an OCD on fruit and veggie and be a health nut!

It has been 6 days - no bread, no cake and still loads of fat butt hangin' around me!

Oh, and that would be my own butt... btw (wishing it was someone else's though).

 

Maybe I should do some exercise?

 

I'm too tired of thinking about this, I'm going to bed!

 

 

Now that I have confessed my sins...

This has been very difficult for me to put up on the site.  For the last couple of days I have been fighting a mental battle about my July plans.

It's seemed so easy for me in June, but then July 1 came and I spoke about my beloved bread..., July 2 I wrote on the sweetness of cakes, but the thought of moving beyond that just seems overwhelming!

For July, I would LOVE to complete the experiment of giving up bread and cake for one month!

 

I have ALWAYS WANTED to do this experiment - but I've never taken the time.  And it is ALWAYS an ongoing debate in our house.  Is bread (mainly) - (and cake in smallish quantities) REALLY bad for you?

So many questions to answer:

 

Does bread have a major impact on one's body?

 

Is cake really bad for you?  How can something so sweet and yummy, which brings joy to one's heart, turn around and bite you in the butt? 

(Yeah, I know, that's one's funny!)

How much weight could one loose if one actually did give up bread and cake for a month?

Is it even possible to loose weight by actually giving bread up for a month?

What would happen to my energy levels without this kind of food?  Because as we all know - we only eat these two foods for maintaining energy.  They both just happen to come with the wonderful side effects of being fantastically delicious!

The list of questions goes on and on.

I am inspired by a woman - Let's call her :  Lindsey T.M., who was in my class at school and who, of course is my age.  She is crazy fit and has a body to match.  She is very inspiring.  Is it possible for me to turn my life around and get back into shape - or is it just too late?

DOES Lindsey T.M. eat bread and/or cake?

Is she a health freak?

Has she always been one?

 

Is her world that of fruit, veggies and exercise only - or does she have a happier life?  (CAKE AND BREAD - which surely can't be possible - right? - One can't be happy without those two things!)

 

(She certainly does look happy for some reason.)

 

So many questions, so little time...




Well, the truth is:  I have been without food now for 4 days.  (Bread - that is...),  I have had to substitute the food I am missing with fresh vegetables and fruit.  Do you think that 31 days without bread and cake could have an impact?  I am not sure...  even more so, I am struggling to NOT eat it and have almost given in multiple times daily already, to the bread which is calling for me.

 

 

What should I do?  What should I do?

I love cake!

I LOVE cake!

Besides bread - cake is my favourite thing in the whole wide world!

 

 

I love vanilla cake, chocolate cake, gateau cakes, angel cakes, mini cakes, giant cakes, tiered cakes, layered creamy cakes.  Cake with fruit, cake without fruit.  Cake, cake, cake!

Cake is simply wonderful!

I love making cake - it's always a celebration of something or someone.

It puts smiles onto people's faces!

It makes them happy...

                                                                                                   It makes me happy!

 

 

 

Here is proof that I love cake...

 

             

 

 

Here are a few of the cakes I have made and taken part in devouring!

 

 

 

Yes, sadly the truth is...

 

I LOVE BREAD AND CAKE!