The world is simply far too big for me to even think for one second I have a clue all the places I would love to see. There is probably 1/2 the world I am unaware exists.

My daughter recently travelled to Morocco, and Portugal. I would love to someday visit there.

I believe my number one Bucket list item for travel is Tanzania, Africa. I would love to stay at the Taasalodge where you can have breakfast with giraffes. There is a African safari tour in jeeps amongst jungle wildlife. That my friends would be a absolutely amazing.

I truly have been blessed to have travelled to some pretty awesome places. This past summer we travelled to Alaska which was a bucket list place. It was one of the most exciting places we’ve been. So beautiful, open air, fresh and stunningly serene.

Is there any place you’d love to visit that you have not yet? I’m sure there are many more places, but if I had to state my first and most challenging to get too it would be Tanzania Africa to drink tea with the giraffes~

Until tomorrow my lovelies, good night and god bless~

Ohhh man, I love to read!!! I have so many books that I love, I don’t think I could pick just one.

Honestly, I have read a lot. I suppose one that comes to mind when asked about significant books would be the Christopher Reeve book “Still Me”

I read that book a very long time ago, but it was a book that I could easily relate too.

I remember it was April 1995, and Paul and I were sitting in a Burger King in Brampton Ont. awaiting a court date. On the news, as we sat there having some breakfast it had announced that Christopher Reeves had been injured and sustained a spinal cord injury. It was predicted that he would be paralyzed from the neck down. He was in hospital doing tests, needed a breathing tube, conscious but in serious condition.

Ironically at that time, literally one month earlier I was in a car accident which resulted in my infant son sustaining a C2 Spinal Cord Injury. As we sat there in Burger King, watching the news about Christoper Reeves lying in a hospital bed unable to move anything below his neck, our son was in the exact same state. Our little 16 month old baby was lying in an ICU hospital room in Hamilton Ont. with my parents who were “babysitting” him while I had been subpoenaed to court.

I would not have imagined leaving him there that day, he was still in grave condition. I did try to get out of the court that day but it was a very serious situation and I didn’t want to let the little girl down who I was testifying for. You see, about 5 months prior to my accident a little girl in my preschool classroom had told me her father had touched her in places he wasn’t suppose too. It shattered my world. I could not believe I was hearing this. My heart broke for her. Her mother did press charges, and I was one of the witnesses.

I had to be there. I just hated leaving Braden at the hospital, although I knew he was in good hands. We had the best nurses and my parents were there with him. Luckily the crown attorney took my statement and let me leave. I didn’t have to stay, they felt terrible about my circumstances and let me go.

On this day however, I remember not feeling so alone. As sad as i had felt for Superman, I had finally not been alone. The news was spreading and Spinal Cord Injuries became in the forefront. The world was quickly learning about Spinal Cord Injury.

Still Me was a book that helped me accept our fate. It gave me permission to laugh at things that not many would even consider laughing at. The book gave me insight on how Braden may be feeling eventually as a young man with a spinal cord injury. It gave me some hope for his future and it allowed me to be angry.

I’m not sure if it was my favourite book, but I can say it was the book with the biggest impact and the book that I could relate to the most. I’m sad he has passed, Christopher Reeves was more than Superman to me he was hope~

Well my lovelies, until tomorrow good night and god bless~

Day 9~

Five things to do more often, once again I will start with the fifth idea and count down. Number 1 being the most important to me.

5. Organize- I need to organize my life. I feel very unsettled right now in life, I have so apples in the air I don’t even know where to start. I just can’t find the energy either, whenever I try to start to organize I get side tracked and then I get discouraged. I’m going to work on this…start with one thing at a time.

4. Exercise- Now, you think this would be my number one. But honestly, I exercised every day. What I would like to do is exercise with more substance. I need more. I’d love to start a Pilates class, or maybe start lifting some weights…i don’t know. I’m working towards it though.

3. Eating Healthier- this one…this is something that could be number one. It’s not that I eat poorly, I just eat too much sugar. I have an addiction to sugar. Another thing I’d like to do is eat less meat. I would love to start meatless Monday’s back. That’s something I can do….I’ll start this coming Monday.

2. Blogging- I’m loving this daily challenge of blogging. I use to blog daily, for years~

I suppose its a lot different today, i can’t really blog about my family anymore. My kids are adults and have their own lives. I truly shouldn’t share their lives here, it wouldn’t be fair to them. So that makes it a bit more of a challenge. I have to be way more creative with my posts. I’m working on it.

1.Volunteer- This has been something very dear to my heart. I have always had some sort of volunteer position in my life. This is the first time I am not volunteering. I’m in between so much in life right now. Not sure where I’m going to be living in the next 6 months. So I can’t commit to anything. My hope is that I will be in Cambridge, possibly Kitchener. I have two ideas lined up for the fall. One is at a public school volunteering with a children’s reading program, and the other is at a teenage mother pregnancy home. Like i said, I’m not sure where I’ll be in six months so it will be interesting to see how all these things play out.

That’s it for today my lovelies, until tomorrow good night and god bless~

Five things that I would like to do less often? I will go in order of relevance to me. Five being the least important and one being the most~

5. Eat donuts….I would say Paul and I take a trip to our local donut shop once a week. Yep! We have one night a week where we eat some pretty amazing donuts. I suppose maybe we should cut that back to two times a month. Especially considering how hard it seems to be for me to loose some weight.

4. Shop On-line…I’m a shopper, and I love the online option. I wish I could possibly cut back on this. To be honest I’m mostly buying things for my dogs, its a terrible habit. I’m going to work on that.

3. Swearing….I’m a curser. I’m sorry. I do swear a lot, mostly while with friends while socializing and telling stories. I don’t typically swear while sitting at home with my family. I don’t just curse at my kids or my husband, i do have words. It’s just when I’m with friends, I tend to enhance a story with some F words.

2. Being so pessimistic…I definitely need to work on this. I am a very kind, loving person. I truly do want the best for people and I love to see friends and family happy. Unfortunately I do tend to think a bit negatively a little too often. I guess part of it is due to my PTSD, and I do work very hard at staying positive. I am not at all naive, and I am very suspicious of people. You pretty much have to prove to me first that you are a good person, until I see the good in you…i will hold you hostage and not let you too close.

1. Stop checking social media. I do a lot of my work from my phone and iPad. The job that I have is pretty much all related to communication and google searching. So i spend a lot of time on my phone. Sometimes when I’m waiting for someone, or waiting for a meeting I just hop on my phone and pop onto facebook. Takes two minutes, but I hate how it makes me feel. I need to stop. This one I will work on. Unfortunately I am not one of those people who can check facebook, instagram or twitter throughout the day and not comment, like or subscribe. Those people make me laugh, they claim that they are never on fb but you darn well know they are creeping around watching what’s going on in others life’s. I just can’t sit back and watch, I like to show support but liking a status or commenting on a picture. I like to support people and if that means thumbing up a status..then thats what I’ll do. I can’t scroll past consciously and ignore it. That’s who I am~

Well my lovelies, until next time..good night and god bless~

I am a talker, I like to talk things through when I am stressed. If I can find someone to listen, someone who I can trust then i like too talk my problems out.

I have an amazing psychologist who I have been seeing for a few years, he helps tremendously with issues that arise in my life. He also helps with my PTSD diagnosis.

One thing I do when I’m stressed is cook, I love nothing more than to get a new recipe and try it out. I love to be alone in my kitchen, no one home, music on and off I go. In my own little world.

I also love to listen to music, typically while I am cooking. But music for me is very important, it alone is therapy. I was raised with a mother who also played music as much as she could. It always felt safe when the music played, the demeanour in the house was happy. We loved music, and I continued to play it in my own home as my children grew.

I also enjoy watching YouTube, there is something about fluffing off to be alone and watching a good YouTube Channel. Whether its a family blogger or a paranormal channel, that kind of thing helps keep my mind off struggles.

Massage for me is a release of tension, and I am lucky enough to two massages a month.

I have to say, the number one thing I do for stress is run. I absolutely love my treadmill. I do manage to get on it everyday for an hour. It helps with back pain, my mental health and my overall state of being. If I could leave you with any advice it would be that any form of exercise is life changing. It’s not even about weight loss, its about the feeling of running off stress, anxiety and pain. Exercise is better than any drug.

I do have PTSD and my mental health at times is very fragile. I am constantly in a state of fight or flight and I am struggling greatly with anxiety.

I live a structured life, I find following a routine helps me cope and with daily life. Life is simple when i know what each day is going to bring, I plan out each day, it hasn’t always been like that but I have found the last couple years that its easier to cope if I have a plan.

I hope that I have left you with some ideas, if you are struggling with stress please take care of you~ As a mother I know its a challenge to find the time for you, kids, husbands, partners, pets and jobs take so much from us. It’s so very important to give back to you. Each day find some time for you, jump on the treadmill, read a book, write a blog, visit a psychologist or have coffee with a friend. Even if that means getting up long before anyone in your house wakes, do it…it will make a difference in your life.

Well my lovelies, until next time…good night and god bless~

These questions are literally trying to kill me….I wish i could take more time to answer these questions, they are loaded.

I do want to put my very best into these posts but I’d need so much time to type the answers that i would like.

So I’m just going to answer these questions the best way I can with the amount of time I have.

3 small things that can change world…

1. Peace- we just need peace. We need people to respect one another and understand our differences.

2. Keep our world clean- we need to educate our human race on keeping this world clean. Stop polluting our water, our land and air. Each one of us could make small changes in helping keep or worked clean.

3. Bring back family values- I fear we have lost our family values. Where has the family unit gone? I don’t mean the traditional family, mom, dad and 2.5 kids. That’s not being reasonable or realistic. I don’t think there are rules when it comes to your family unit. It doesn’t matter who makes up your family. Any group of loving, caring committed people living together and functioning as a unit can be considered a family. Where I think its gone wrong is through connection. Have we lost our connectedness?

Are we so consumed with a busy life that we no longer take the time to connect with our family? We carry phones around all day, searching for the next connection on social media. Yet we sit comfortably still right next to our loves ones without reaching out and associating with them. We need to put down our technology, sit down at dinner tables, bring back the magic of Christmas and pull together our own sets of family values.

Well my lovelies, in a nutshell thats my story 🙂

Unitl next time, good night and god bless~

100 Things I Want To Teach My Daughter…I Will Never Be Tired Of Being Your Mommy~

99. I will never be tired of being your mommy~

This one is probably one of the most important ones….I want you to know that I will never get tired of being your momma. I love you more than anyone else in this world and will always love you more than anyone can. It doesn’t matter to me which path you go down, which choices you make in life…I will never stop loving you. Even after today’s events, there is nothing that can change how I feel about you…you are extra special, and don’t ever forget that. 
I promise to laugh with you, to not judge you and to always be available when you need me. I love and value every minute I have with you, and I can only hope that someday we will have even more time together. I am looking forward to those days, when you are a grown woman with children of your own. Regardless of what you do in your life, always remember that I will be in your corner. I am your biggest fan, and I will always be here when you need me. I promise to give you all the space you need to grow and make your own decisions, but I will forever linger closely to be sure you are doing well, because that’s my job. 
So don’t get mad when I give you my advice, or share my concerns…cause I will always be there to do so. Always remember..I will never be tired of being your mommy~

This is definitely one of the easiest blogs I will write. The only thing I need to be content is my family~

There is nothing more important then them. As long as I have them and they are all healthy and happy my whole world is perfect~

I’m not going to lie, I’ve had some pretty amazing compliments over the years. I don’t want to sound like I’m being high and mighty on myself, but there has been some very incredible people cross paths in my life. I have been blessed to have come in contact with so many courageous people.

I would have to say though that one of my best compliments would have to be from my mom~

“You are one of the strongest women in the world”

THAT!!!! Coming from MY mom, the reason why that too me is so honorary is because my mom has not only had to overcome the challenges that my life has brought into the family, but she has also over come many trials and tribulations in her own life.

Let me tell you that woman has over come more pain and suffering than anyone I know, and she has never once complained about it. She always has a smile, she always thinks of the positive and she encourages me more than anyone else in the world.

She has taught me to be who I am today, because of her I am able to over come the sufferings that I have endured.

Not only has she shown me how to survive she has taught me to how to celebrate. She finds the positive in any situation, and she has encouraged me to do the same.

I sort of feel like my posts could be so much better, unfortunately i have been very busy. I haven’t been able to take some time to put effort into these posts. I apologize, i hope to get better.

Unitl next time my lovelies, good night~

100 Things I Want To Teach My Daughter #90

#90- If he makes you cry anything but happy tears, he’s not worth it~

Don’t mistaken these words of wisdom as to hold out for prince charming…he’s gonna be perfect.
You know there is NO such thing as Prince Charming. But what I do want you to know is any guy who makes you cry because he is hurting you in anyway…he isn’t worth it!

I don’t mean you need to be hard on him, there will be those nights in your life when nothing but a tub of ice cream can make you feel better. Trust me girl, men can be clueless. Sometimes they have no idea what’s going on with a woman and worse they have no idea how to make it better.
He will say stupid things, he’ll do ridiculous things, more than likely he’ll look at another girl at the wrong time leaving you in a whirlwind spell of insane emotional turmoil. Men don’t think like we do, but the good ones will at least try. He’ll never be perfect but neither will you. 
If there is something he does or says that leaves you welling up with sad or angry tears, before you throw him to the hounds of hell always check yourself first. Figure out what might really be making you emotional, if there may be an overreacting emoticon going off in your mind. Put that away for a bit, use your words and your indoor voice.
My most valuable piece of advice for this topic is simple.

When you cry because of  something that may be due to your man, pay attention to how he tries to fix it*

I don’t want you ever going into a relationship with someone believing he is a bad boyfriend if he makes you cry. He is only a bad boyfriend if it happens repeatedly and if he doesn’t take the time to help repair the damage. If you find yourself in tears more than you are laughing…then get out of that relationship. Promise me you will not spend another day with someone who doesn’t make it his life long goal to see you happy, to make you smile. 

Going back to the occasional sad tears, don’t make him pay for it forever. If he handles it accordingly and adjusts this situation so you both feel better..then immediately let it go. 
Another thing I want you to remember is too always talk it out, be sure to express your feelings and listen to his. If you find your guy struggling with what to do, tell him what you need. It took me a few years to get this one right.
Men are NOT mind readers, they also for the most part cannot read clues or play head games with emotions. You need to be factual and real, they need to be told directly what you need or want.

Don’t play games with him, you’ll get nowhere~

If you hold up your end of the deal in a relationship and your significant other isn’t….don’t waste another moment with him. Promise mommy you’ll get out.

I’m not saying to necessarily give up, always give it your all especially if you have a real love for him. But remember it takes two, he has to sacrifice and give his all as well. If you find your feelings are being played with, LEAVE.

Any man willing to stay up all night until you feel better, is in my books a keeper. With that said, be fair. He is human, he will make mistakes and you owe it too him to understand that. 
But always remember…
Fool me once shame on you, Fool me twice shame on me~