EdD 2011 Cohort Rocks!

What a fun weekend at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville. Our cohort was invited to the Educational Institute to meet and mingle with cohorts from previous years. Well-meet we did!
Above are pictures from our fun and partying. The first one is the pre-party. We gathered to plot and plan and get ready to show the 2009 cohort that we were not only the "new kids on the block", but also the most fun.

A light hearted rumour was spread that the 2011 cohort was "slow" and perhaps not as bright as the 2009 cohort. This good natured but incessant teasing got our cohort to thinking of ways to get them back. We decided that buying some t-shirts and having a saying applied to them would be a fitting way to crash the Saturday night banquet (we would have a captive audience).

So-behind close doors our cohort secretly doned our newly stenciled t-shirts with the following words: Stuqid is as Stupid Does-2011 Eddy

When the cohorts and teachers were all nicely seated waiting for dinner to begin, we marched in giving an eloquent speech thanking the 2009 cohort for all their kind comments and making us feel very welcome. We then ripped our coats open to reveal our t-shirts and yelled "process this!"
The pictures testify to the laughter and fun we had with our statement. With this- we firming postioned our group as the "fun" and certainly not "slow" cohort. I think it was at this moment that our initiation into the Doctor of Education was complete.

We danced the night away with our teachers and all the attending cohorts. I cannot remember having that much fun and I will remember it for years to come.
To my 2011 Eddy cohort...I feel so fortunate and blessed to be with you. I know you will be my friends for life and I look forward to many more years of conspiring against the other cohorts and wearing our t-shirts to all the Educational Institutes as a reminder that we RULE!

Renovations and New Grandbabies

As I prepare for the birth of my second grand child, I have come to realize that my downstairs is old and in desperate need of some renovations.
My daughter Melody and her husband Scott, have decided to have their baby in Kelowna rather than Fort McMurray. When they come here for Christmas- Melody will stay until the birth of her son in February. Scott will come back at that time and stay until their baby boy is able to travel.

This decision set off a flurry of excited activity with my desire to make a beautiful and comfortable "home away from home" for them. I surveyed the downstairs and decided the old carpets just had to go. I also wanted to buy new beds and a crib so they could settle in (perhaps some ulterior motive on my part to encourage them back often)LOL.

As you can see my the pictures above-I have put new flooring in the rec room. The room still needs coffee tables (ordered and should be here shortly) and some flowers and decoration pieces. The large TV can't be seen in the pictures. I love the floors.

I decided that new carpets would be best for the 2 bedrooms downstairs for warmth. Because I don't have time to paint- I have decided to work with the wall color my daughter painted when she lived at home, and buy new bedding to match. Note the new faux leather queen bed and side table. Also, I will have an espresso colored crib in the room soon. The carpet is very soft to walk on and will keep my daughter, son- in- law and grandson warm.
I am doing a similar theme in the 2nd room (minus the crib) so I can have guests (you are all welcome to visit).

I am a very proud and excited Nana. I already have a grand daughter named Emily- and I love her very much and now have a crib and nice room that she can bring her mommy and daddy to for a visit. Being a Nana is the best role in the world. I look forward to having all my grandchildren visit often in Kelowna.

Getting Fit for Life

I have decided to take on a new health life plan...AKA...diet. Above is my before picture taken this year.
As a child, teenager and young woman, I was always thin. In fact my nick name (thanks mom) was "bones" during my growing up years. Even after having all my children I was thin. I could eat what I wanted and I never exercised.

I swear that when I turned 30 my body decided to add salt to my already open wound and throw on some extra weight. 10 extra pounds to be exact! I dealt with this thinking that I could easily take it off whenever I wanted so I didn't give it much thought...big mistake...huge...because I didn't take it off and when my 40s rolled around the weight kept creeping on. Suddenly I was faced with 25 extra pounds. Hmmmmm-doesn't look that great when a person is used to being thin!!
Many diets ensued - sometimes with good success for a while...other times disastrous with me gaining even more. I decided that my "metabolism" was in slug mode or that I surely had a thyroid problem...funny thing is my doctors disagreed...what do they know!(LOL)

When my 50s unceremoniously rolled around this summer, I found myself even heavier. Do you know that whenever I am walking down the street and see myself in a store window- I am completely shocked at the person staring at me? I wonder who that is until I realize it is me and my heart sinks. I am equally shocked when I try on clothes in a store and they don't fit or are tight...I automatically check the size in case I brought the wrong one into the change room. Good grief...can we say denial??

So-why am I telling you this? I have decided that I want to be a healthy and fit woman for the rest of my life. I picture above is my before picture so you can all see me at my highest weight (and no...I won't say what that is!!). I figure that if I share this with you, I will be more inclined to stick to my program so that I won't be humiliated in front of you all. Therefore, I will keep you all in the loop and post pictures periodically to chronical my journey to health and fitness. So...stay tuned!!