Can you believe NEXT WEEKEND we spring ahead and set our clocks forward ONE HOUR? That means, yes, it will be light after say 6 pm! This happens next week, so Spring really is close by- right? It’s been a long winter for me personally and I’m blessed with living somewhere that doesn’t traditionally get a ‘white winter’ or temperatures too cold. But this past winter seemed to stretch on especially long and we did get show and we did go below freezing!! So I’m ready for Spring to be sprung upon us; I don’t care what those pesky little groundhogs had to say. I say BRING SPRING ON.

While we wait though, this last little stretch can seem unbearable. It’s important to keep your spirits up during the colder months because it’s easy to let depression and the blues creep in. I’m my own worst enemy in this one, but you gotta exercise. It’s vital. I realize that, I know it, and I’m trying…I really do feel better when I leave the gym but it’s the getting there part that can be a challenge.

Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet. With fruit we can bring in a little ‘sunshine’- I saw whole pineapples on sale last week at a local grocer. When was the last time you bought a pineapple? And lets be honest, fresh pineapple tastes a world better than canned tidbits doesn’t it?

Have some quiet time. Just because you spend part of Saturday lounging in bed reading doesn’t mean your lazy…it means your giving your body a break and a little treat. If we’re not good to ourselves, who will be? Don’t be afraid to indulge and have a lazy day. It’s when those lazy days turn into weeks and months that a problem will arise…

Pull out your recipe books or ask friends/coworkers for some new dishes to try. I’ve got a few recipes from coworkers I’m excited about but haven’t yet tried…one is Low Fat Pumpkin Muffins and then I picked up on Facebook on the gardein page for ‘Chick’n Pot Pie’. I love experimenting in the kitchen and used to do it so much more. I’d like to get back to that as it always made me smile…

Take a walk. Or better yet, does your city have some botanical or tropical gardens under cover? My Guy, Moops and I went to some here in QE Park awhile back and the heady, wet smell of fresh earth mixed with the vibrant colours made my head spin. While it was cold outside, inside was warm….(the pics above at beginning of this post is from there…)

Embrace this time before Spring and try to keep your head up. It can be tough but we’re ALMOST THERE! Tell me your ideas at keeping the winter blues at bay…

I don’t have trouble believing this story. It’s about a little weight-loss experiment where the author ate a mostly “junk food” based diet (think Twinkies…) and lost the pounds. He did it by cutting calories- so of course this makes sense. This is a common sense answer to an age old equation: If you put in less calories than you normally eat on a day-to-day basis, then you WILL lose the weight….just the same as if you burn more calories than you put into your body you WILL lose weight. Makes total sense right? I think we all need to keep this story in perspective. It’s not about WHAT the author put into his body so much as it’s about HOW MUCH he put into his body. I think he made a really valid point and I hope consumers see this: we need to watch how much we eat. I don’t mean what we’re eating necessarily, because I do believe treating ourselves is a great way to live…but the amount of food we’re ingesting. Simply put we’re eating too many calories.

This site can give you an idea of how many calories you burn on an average day; so what your body needs to function at the level you are accustomed to. If you take the amount and eat LESS calories, along with a regular exercise regime, you WILL lose weight.

Did you know 3500 calories make up a pound? Think about the calorie dense foods/drinks you may indulge in on a daily basis, and then eliminate them. How about soda? Drink alot of that? One can of Coke  has 140 calories approximately. Are you someone who has 3 Cokes a day, 7 days a week? If you cut those out you would see a savings of almost 2800 calories a week! It’s the little things people! How about a little treat with your morning cuppa coffee at Starbucks? Personally I love the Banana Nut Bread but at almost 600 calories a (teeny) slice, I have learned to pass it up. Imagine one of those bad boys 5 days a week? Saying no to that bread is equivalent to a pound of fat. Chew on that.

It’s common sense living. Take the initiative and look at what you’re eating every day. If you’re struggling to lose weight than make a few simple changes with your diet…baby steps…

2nd Physio appointment today. My knee is STILL too inflamed to really do much. I know it’s getting better because the degree of pain is definitely decreasing each day…but not enough I guess. I have some stretches to do as my quad muscle on the injured leg is under some serious strain and tighter than it should be….BUT here’s the catch, to really work out that quad, it strains my knee and I can’t put any extra pressure on it. I AM GOING OUT OF MY MIND. I’m trying to stay positive but I seriously feel like a hugely fat, bloated creature who has her ass glued to the couch (or a chair, you get the picture) and never far from her ice pack. It’s a hot image…not…More than anything I just want to get out and at least, WALK…I seem to think I’m a Super Hero though, and attempt to walk more than I should, and end up a block from home snivelling and shuffling towards the front steps…

I will get there. Slowly but surely. Knee injuries, tendon and ligament tears are not to be taken lightly.

Today marked Day 5 of my cleanse. So far so good. I do love the taste of the tea that you drink at night….(although only every night for first 5 days and then it changes a bit..). If you like herbal teas like chamomile or fennel based blends, then this won’t be unpleasant to you at all. I find it very soothing. Since it has only been five days and my Doctor did say, after seeing recent x-rays, that I’m looking better but still not great up in the ‘ol colon…it’s really too soon for me to tell. I’m doing OK with the directions on the cleanse, the steps etc, and I do feel like it is *helping*. More to come!

Don't do it alone...

So I’ve given myself an hour to write tonight…I’m not 100% comfortable still in my ‘writing’ area but it’s shaping up slowly. A work in progress if you will…

I mentioned I’ve gained some weight back lately and My Guy and I decided to work together more vigorously at getting out and working up a sweat. (mind out of the gutter please!) Just knowing I have his support makes a world of difference. I don’t know if the average person, like my co-workers for example, can tell I’ve gained weight but I certainly can and that’s the issue. I’m not totally happy in this body in it’s current shape- so I need to fix that. It’s so much better to have a support system, and have that person you can go out and do things with. If you’re struggling to lose weight, or to even start on a fitness regime- grab a buddy. I can’t stress how hard it is to do this on your own…

When I lost over 50 lbs several years ago, at the beginning of my journey…I started alone. I had just left a relationship, moved to a new neighborhood and was depressed at the recent changes in my life. I felt I had nobody to ask to help me, and so I struggled through alone. I won’t lie…it was hard. Looking back I feel pride I did it yes…but I remember alot of loneliness during that time. There were people I could have asked but I didn’t want to ‘burden’ anyone. I know now, a true friend would NEVER think it a burden to help someone on a path to being more happy and healthy.

Having My Guy to come home to, and walk with or run with just gives me that added little kick-in-the-butt I need. After all, us BOTH getting out and moving only makes our relationship stronger….right?

I’m back to marking on my calendar with a funky little sticker, when I do get out and get my heart racing and blood flowing. I suggested this a few years back when I needed any little thing to keep me going…and I still stick to it. Looking at the calendar covered in smiley faces and seeing my effort laid right out in front of me really makes me feel good. Life is short and we gotta take care of the little things that make us feel GOOD. Plain and simple…

Grab a buddy, get out, get moving and feel how good it can be. Remember baby steps and go at your OWN PACE…

Love CM

I’ve lived in quite a few cities…it’s not like I just moved from town to town…ok well maybe I did…but hey, I got to discover my country. I lived in several of our wonderful provinces, but I never for one moment, lost sight that British Columbia was my Home. I always knew deep down my travels would lead me back here, to the Island or the Mainland- that wasn’t the issue, it was just the ‘coming home’ part of it.

In all the cities I’ve lived in, I never hated any of them; they each had a certain charm…but there was this invisible string that somehow kept me connected to BC, to Vancouver in particular, so that I never felt far from home.

I can say with 100% honesty and clarity today, I love where I am and where I live. I wouldn’t trade living in Vancouver for anything….this city has the best of everything and, it’s unbelievably gorgeous to be in. It may rain alot, and our winters are often ‘green’, not white…but to any Vancouverite, that’s part the charm. If we want ‘white’, we can go up any of the many mountains and ski hills that are on the North Shore.

The cuisine is varied and eclectic, the neighborhoods diverse and the range of entertainment available- astounding. Vancouver truly is a world class city. I’ve moved to the suburbs and to the Valley over my years back home and never was I as happy and fulfilled, as I was when I lived IN the city itself. I’m relishing a move back now, into the trendy Main Street area and My Guy and I are lapping up all this funky neighborhood has to offer. Just walking down the the street awards us with endless heritage homes, one-of-a-kind cafes, fascinating characters and the tantalizing aromas of local patios offering up lunch…

I’m happy where I am. My Guy and I are about to begin an exercise regime that will take us both walking/running up into a local park…we have both made a promise to support one another in this…and just the simple act of walking through my new neighborhood brings a smile to my face. This is what I’ve talked about people; loving where you are NOW and making the most of it. Get up and move! Get out and see! What is outside your door, is literally there for you to walk into and discover.

If you don’t like where you are, or what you see when you look out the door- how can you change it? What steps can you take to get to where you need to be?

Answer me that. Wait, no…you owe yourself the answer to that…

Love CM

Sometimes I feel like a utter and complete wreck. If it’s not my bowels bothering me, it’s my head…which pounded for 3 days and I went to the doctor at My Guy’s insistence. I grumbled, “I’m not a SICKIE!” but my doc said I’ve got an ear infection…in both ears. I wish at times I could rip these hunks of flesh off my head and chuck them in the ocean for all the grief my ears have caused me over the years. This was one more little thing to add on to make me feel just a little bit crappy…I’m on different antibiotic drops (with a steroid in it) and it’s only day 2 but I have high hopes. So to those who know me and work with me, just speak a little louder because I swear, I’m not ignoring you!

The new digs are great but there are some problems in the name of Aslan, the cat. He’s keeping us up at night, every night, with his meowing, batting at the pulls on the blinds, beating up his brother, swatting My Guy’s alarm clock off his bed-side table at 4 am….the list goes on. I thought maybe it’s just because we’re in a new place and surely he’ll calm down…but no, not so far and we’re both getting grumpy. Shutting the bedroom door does no good because Aslan just throws his big body against the door and howls in rage…then the other cat gets all agitated…and the madness never stops…See this vicious cycle?

On the bright side, everything I need is within walking distance now. Technically it was before but I had to wade through Suburbia-Hell to get to it, so I always hopped in my car to get where I needed to go that much faster. Now it’s different. I WANT to walk along Main…I want to walk to my doctors and take Cambie back or explore a new little street and discover a tucked away little family grocer I never knew existed.

I’m standing here on this invisible line; one step in front of me is this new life and I’m so eager to jump head first into it. It’s one step at a time, one day at a time and all these little obstacles (like my ears and Aslans night-time antics) are just little bumps along the way. Life is a collection of these little things and we should be in tune to them.

Before I leave, let me leave you with one little story…it happened this morning at 7 am. I decided to walk out with My Guy as he left for work, a little kiss on the back porch, you know how it is. As I’m standing there watching him walk off in the pouring rain, I see some of the items we haven’t really found a home for yet, getting wet so I think “I should go move those out of the rain.” I reach behind me and pull the door closed so the crazy cats don’t escape…little do I know My Guy has locked the door (the bottom twisty-type lock). I go about my business and move some stuff and decide it was a dumb idea, too cold and want to go back inside…BAM! I walk into the door as I attempt to turn the handle. It’s locked! It’s 7 am, and I’m in a robe and slippers…the more I hesitate the farther down the street towards the bus stop, is My Guy. I hitch up my robe, kick off my slippers and run down the side of house bellowing his name…he can’t hear me! It’s raining and he’s probably running for the bus…I bellow more for good measure though.

I had to admit defeat and thought long and hard about the possibilities of crawling through the barred windows (albeit the bars are quite decorative and all) while the 2 cats stared at me. No doubt they were wondering what the hell I was doing on the wrong side of the window when there was breakfast to be dished out…

Hundreds of thoughts flew through my head: ‘Yay I can take the day off, but wait how will I call in? And wait, what kind of day off will it be in the rain?’ Sigh. The landlords live 2 streets up the road so again, I hike up my robe, clutch my slippers to my chest and head out into the rain. It’s pouring- hard, typical Vancouver rain. Unrelenting. (Turns out the radio announced it was the wettest day today…but I digress) I run up the street in my bare feet, the cool water feels kind of nice actually and it’s liberating to fly by morning commuters in your robe; a flash of my fuchsia nightie lending me a touch of mystery (or so I like to think…).

I rounded the hedge to landlords house, and there He was. On the porch, face to face with a drenched mad-woman, no doubt homeless in a robe with wet slippers in her hand…I had nothing to say but ‘Um hi. I locked myself out…’ and he laughed. I laughed too.

…I ran home with the spare keys clutched in my fingers, the cool wetness no longer feeling that great because my feet felt raw….but I got in to the warmth and to my hungry cats!

That my friends, was a helluva way to wake up…and all before my coffee!

When I say almost I mean, I’m not due back until Monday August 16th at the clinic. Phew. I need time to rest after my vacation ‘home’ to the Island. As you can see from my previous post it was alot of hard work shuttling between swimming holes and cold beers, sun-tanning and late nights. We got back last night, had some settling in to do and needed to lavish a weeks worth of attention to My Boys who actually didn’t seem to notice someone else had been looking after them and I was now HOME. Sigh.

One thing I did when I was back home, that I’ve missed in my life here…is get outside and appreciate what nature has to offer. I think I forgot to stop and appreciate where I do live, and it took a trip for me to stop and take in all the smells and sights of just being outside. I may be biased, but the air sure feels a helluva lot cleaner back home, the water just that much clearer and pure…the mountains that surrounded my parents house literally took my breath away.

We vowed to get off our butts once we got back and get out and GET MOVING more…to feel as alive as we felt there….here. I may live in the city, and probably always will, but my heart will always be in the small town I grew up in, and I value that way of life. My goals this fall are simple: get more active, continue to eat well and conquer what ails me- NATURALLY. I have an amazing support system in My Guy and I have treasured friends who constantly motivate me to embrace each day. I’m lucky. I’m truly lucky to have my entire life before me and to be in control of how I approach it. I’m happy I’m not alone in facing it and thankful for the little things.

I wanted to end this post by acknowledging a few things I’m thankful for:

- I’m thankful I had a good friend who watched over My Boys while I got to go home. Knowing that they were taken care of and happy, made all the difference.

- I’m thankful I had this time to visit with my parents. I miss them very much.

- I’m thankful My Guy got to experience my home-town memories and see the place (and people) that made me who I am…

- I’m thankful I have a car that could take me home without any worries!

A few snapshots of my vacation, to sum it up for you…

Here's the slug we named The Great Canadian Leopard Slug...

The best shoes to wear in a river...can walk with ease!

Our version of that Corona Commercial, but with Stella.

The Deep Hole. One of the swimming holes of my youth.

I’m home. I arrived last week, and My Guy followed a few days later. It’s great to be home and in the place I grew up in, on the Island, but it’s also tinged with sadness at the place it’s become. It’s quiet. Like a ghost town actually…and that’s not how I remember it. Big Industry moved out of the town some years ago, and with that went a good deal of the population- in came retirees from all over North America to replace them…

This is still the sweet village I remember, just a little frayed around the edges and a little less people out and about. What hasn’t changed is the natural splendor of this small hamlet nestled in a valley surrounded by tall mountains, some still capped with snow. The pristine rivers still flow and the swimming holes remain as idyllic as I remember. What amazed me yesterday as we were out hiking and taking in the sights, how few people were out in the sun. I realized it’s not because they don’t want to- it’s because there is HARDLY ANYBODY to be out! We had the river to ourselves, took the Peppercorn trail through the still glistening wet forest, stopping at every rocky beach to behold the perfectly clear green water. You could all the way to bottom and count the rocks there…it was that pure and clean.

My Guy couldn’t believe the stunning beauty or the fact we had it all to ourselves. We didn’t talk much as we sat on the rocks and looked out over the river; there weren’t words to describe the colors and the tranquility we were experiencing.

There truly is no place like home. This is West Coat living at it’s finest- did I mention cell phones don’t even work here? (of course there is the Internet though, phew!) I’m so happy right now, and so content but with each moment I can’t wait to get back to The City and get on with The Move…new changes are a-comin’!

I hope this post finds everyone happy where they are in life, and if not, that you have the means to start making the changes to being where YOU want to be. Where you NEED to be. Now I’m going to go out t0 my parents back yard, sit on the swing in the sun and watch the blue jays play in the garden. And the best part? Zucchini from the garden for dinner.

I thought it would NEVER get here. My summer vacation. I finished up last day of work yesterday and I’m off until Aug 16th. What’s a girl to do? A trip back “home” to the Island is #1 on the agenda and that will take place on August 5th. I can’t wait. It’s been probably 2.5 years since I’ve been home to the place I grew up in. My Guy will be joining me on Aug 7th; I’ll run down to the ferry and pick him up…on the way back to my Folks Place I have grand plans to show him all my favourite little beaches and shops along the way. There is a certain way to Island life and it gets really prominent the closer I get the the North Island….the communities get smaller, the smiles get a little wider and the open wilderness is that much BIGGER.

I love the city I live in now, don’t get me wrong, but home truly is where my heart lies. I certainly didn’t appreciate it’s natural beauty as a teenager- I only wanted to get out, and get to the city, but I absolutely love introducing people to where I’m from. The town has changed a fair amount but the places that mean something to me, are still there. Big Bend, Peppercorn Park, the high school, The Deep Hole…

Stay tuned for my updates and pics about my trip…I hope you’re relaxing and enjoying your summer.

Love CM

Maybe it’s because I’m going through some digestive health issues, but it seems to me that ALOT of women I know are experiencing varying degrees of medical problems involving digestion and intestinal upset. Right now, I know of 6 women personally who are going through *something* that is equally frustrating and disheartening. They’ve all struggled through their doctors testing and re-testing…of living with some kind of pain…and of experimenting what they can and cannot eat successfully. I don’t know if it’s my little world, or is this a sign of something bigger?

Personally speaking, I don’t do alot of dairy. This isn’t because I’m a vegetarian (if I was a Vegan I would abstain from eating dairy) but rather because I feel my body can’t handle it properly and it just causes me too much discomfort in the end. I love my cereal but have found a soy milk I love (Silk) and eat cheese in moderation…

My next avenue to explore is a gluten-free diet. Gluten seems to be a major player in abdominal pain and in the 6 women I know of with issues, 3 are in some stage of attempting to go gluten free. It’s like a last ditch attempt at a pain free and uplifting day…

So what’s a person to do? Go gluten free? Go Veg? I firmly believe everything we put into our bodies must be something we are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE is the right thing for us. We need to make conscious decisions and eat right….eat for LIFE.

In my research I’ve found some really great gluten free blogs and sites I wanted to share for those of you who may be looking down this avenue…

I’m really impressed with this site, Gluten Free Girl because it’s colorful, fun and the recipes are REAL. By that, I mean not frou-frou recipes that you have to hunt all over the city for a few weird ingredients that NOBODY in their right mind keeps in the kitchen. I’ve told a few people already about this blog and they love it….

A Gluten Free Day is another great blog mainly because the variety is really amazing….(plus the desserts!).

Stop over at I Am Gluten Free for one bloggers take on living gluten free and check out the yummy looking recipes!

All you have to do is Google “gluten free” for a wealth of information. This is definitely a road I’m considering taking, I’m just not 100% sure yet…I’m taking one day at a time and making sure I give my body the absolute best…

I’d love to hear YOUR story.