Inspiration

I'm told with some regularity that I'm seen as fit, and active. I laugh when this comes up, especially after my recent injury. I do try to stay active. I'm lucky that I have a career that does not force me to sit at a desk for hours upon hours. BUT I am for from fit! I will get there though! Know why? Because of my family.

I realized the other day while looking through my facebook feed that I am hard-wired to be active, it's in my genes, my family is leading by example.

Here's just a small example....

As some of you know my grandmother had a stroke last spring at the age of 75. This originally left her almost completely paralyzed on her left side, face, arm, and leg. Her right side was also slightly effected. This occurred in mid-April. She was out of the rehab centre and walking(slowly and with a cane, but walking none the less)by Canada Day. The next week we all boarded a plane along side her to go to a family wedding. She continues to live in her own home, and with my grandfather's assistance cooks all their meals from scratch, keeps on top of the housework better than the rest of us, and continues to travel. The real inspiration though came a few weeks ago, at a family wedding, when we all got to see my Grandparents dance together as gracefully as they always have.

My Aunt was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes when she was 17 years old. By the time she was 22 she was over 200lbs. She then began jogging, and eating better, and became healthy and fit. I remember as a child going along with her for "runs", she would jog while carrying me on HER SHOULDERS!!! She gave up jogging by 30 because it bothered her knees. However, she got a stationary bike and an inclined ab board for her house, and EVERY day would spend 45 minutes on the bike, and do 200 sit ups. The week before my wedding she had to have abdominal surgery, she was told she would have to miss my wedding. She said come hell or high water she would be there! Know what? She was! Know why? Her abdominal muscles were so strong that she was able to be discharged earlier than most people. She continues to exercise regularly and she is in her 50's, having had Juvenile Diabetes for over 30 years, and she does not have any of the associated conditions that so often are fatal to diabetics MUCH younger than she is.

Another Aunt is becoming a certified yoga instructor this summer. She has already been instructing yoga, pilates, and boot camp for a few years on the small island she lives on. She also regularly runs the 10km to and from work. She and my Uncle are planning their vacation "south" for next winter. They are going to go to Machu Picchu. She is over 50 years old.

My MOM!!!! She inspires just about everyone who knows her. Five years ago she was 70lbs overweight. My sister had just headed off to spend a year abroad in Australia for University. The plan was that when Sis was finished in November, Mom would go to Australia for six weeks so they could travel together and then come home together in time for Christmas. During that year Sis was away, Mom started jogging 3 times a week with her friend, she also started going to the gym for personal training 3 times a week. By the time she arrived in Australia, she was 60lbs lighter and almost unrecognizable to Sis(she walked past her in the airport). Mom also arrived having recently received her SCUBA diving certification so that they could go diving on The Great Barrier Reef(they did 11 dives in 3 days). Mom has continued with the running and the training. She has done many 5km runs, completed the 10km this past weekend for Ottawa Race Weekend, and has done the 60km Weekend to End Women's Cancers 3 times. All of this has been accomplished AFTER turning 50!

So this summer I am taking my health seriously. I am getting off my ass and truly getting active and fit. If all these amazing people in my life can do these amazing things, I have no excuse do I? How about you?

Get Your Shit Together - Week 5

That's right, week 5. Also week 4 did not mysteriously disappear into cyberspace, it never existed. We all have those weeks. I'm OK with it.

This is just a quick post, because this is going to be one of those crazy weeks, and I have shit I need to get together already tonight.

This Week's Challenges

1) Do your TAXES. Or at the very least pull all the stuff together, get your totals figured out and hand it off to your accountant.

2) Figure out a fun new thing you are going to try this summer. I am currently looking into trying Adventure Racing, cause I'm a little insane and it's something that just about every person that has met me sees me doing. Also it looks like a blast :-)

3) Spend some time with family doing something creative. The boys and I will be decorating Easter eggs on Good Friday. They have requested it and it's an activity that I remember always doing with my Mom when I was growing up. They really didn't need to ask.

I hope you all have an amazing week. I also hope that you are all organized enough that you don't have to venture into a grocery store on Saturday(worst day of the year to do groceries)

Get Your Shit Together Challenge - Week 3

Hey All, I hope you enjoyed last week's challenges. I personally found the reduction in the number of challenges to be much more manageable and way less overwhelming. How did you all find it?

Recap of the Week 2 challenges

1) Get completely on top of your laundry this week. This includes bedding and towels.
I didn't manage to get on top of this one. I will continue to plug away at it this week, and I'm confident I will be all clean for next week's post.


2) Spend time on professional development this week. Read some journal articles, register for a class or course, or even volunteer for a new project at work.
Some of you may know that I am currently working on a Holistic Nutrition diploma. This has been a struggle since I am doing it as home study and the only deadline is the program completion date(February 2012). I worked on my course work just about every day this week. This makes me very happy!


3) Make a commitment to your health this week. Go for a walk, get to the gym, drink your 8 glasses of water every day, or eat at least one vegetarian meal.
I chose to focus on my water consumption this week. I was successful at getting at least a litre of the wet stuff into me every day. Yay!


I'm proud of myself. It may not seem like much, but for a chronic procrastinator and non-finisher it feels great to check a few things off my list.

Week # 3 Challenges

1) If you and/or your family members drink their water from a reusable bottle, put them through the dishwasher, or give them a really thorough clean a few times this week. Even though it's just water going into them day after day they still build up bacteria and stuff inside and outside.

2)Both my kids schools are preparing for their annual used book sales. If you have school age kids chances are your schools are doing the same thing. This week go through your books and get rid of ones you will never look at again. If you don't have a book sale to give them too then just send them to a donation place.

3)Meal Plan. This doesn't really need more explanation.

Good Luck my Lovelies, and have a wonderful week.

Get Your Shit Together Challenge - Week 2

I just have to take a moment to say WOW!!! It seems that this is a topic and a challenge that just about everyone can get behind. Last weeks post had the highest number of hits of any of my posts so far. Thank You! Hopefully after a year we will all be well on our way to having our shit together.

First I'll let you know how I did with last weeks tasks

Health and Wellness
-Make at least one health related appointment you have been putting off
I cheated a bit on this one, as I had already fulfilled this task 2 days before starting the challenge. I figured since it was something "I" had been putting off, others would have been as well.

Creativity
-Chose one unfinished project, and work on it at least every other day all week
I failed miserably on this one. I had plans to work on my Mom's birthday gift, but never touched it.

Professional
-Begin pulling together your tax requirements. If you have already filed, good for you, want to come help me out?
This one didn't happen either.

Family
-If you have kids, play at least one board game with them this week. If you don't have kids, call a relative that you haven't talked to for a while(maybe see if they want to play a board game too).
Yet another item I didn't check off. I was only home with the boys 2 evenings this week and one was spent at the pool for diving.

Diet
-Try one new recipe that contains ingredients that in theory EVERY member of your household will eat. Aim for it being a healthy recipe.
Yay! I did manage to do this, however, only 2 out of 3 of us liked the "cashew crusted chicken"

Household
-Pick one room in your home, and purge 10 DIFFERENT items. This means 10 books doesn't count.
Look at that! Another item not completed. Seeing a pattern?

Stuff
-Make one appointment/send one e-mail/mail something that you have been avoiding.
Completed! Appointment made to meet with my lawyer to move forward and complete my divorce. Talk about an appointment worthy of avoiding.


Now we get to the new challenges. I have decided in light of my only half completed list that I still ended up being overzealous despite my best effort to the contrary. In light of this revelation I will be "simplifying" the challenge. For the time being each week will involve 3 challenges. They will not currently be categorized, but perhaps that will change in the coming months as we all get our shit a little bit more "together".


Week # 2 Challenges


1) Get completely on top of your laundry this week. This includes bedding and towels.


2) Spend time on professional development this week. Read some journal articles, register for a class or course, or even volunteer for a new project at work.


3) Make a commitment to your health this week. Go for a walk, get to the gym, drink your 8 glasses of water every day, or eat at least one vegetarian meal.


Good Luck every one. I know I will get this list completed, I hope you will too.

Get Your Shit Together Challenge

I have now officially past my one year single anniversary. This past year was a year of survival. I have managed to mostly keep my head above water as well as on straight. Now it's time to clean up, clear out, and lay the ground work for what will be a most magical and happy life. Since we can all always use a bit of a kick in the butt to move forward and improve ourselves, I thought I would make this a challenge to others as well as myself.

The aim is that each Sunday I will post a number of challenges for the coming week. This means there is an ENTIRE week to accomplish these few items. I am going to break them into categories with the aim to have a challenge from each category each week. I'm hoping that this will combat my issues with being overzealous. I know that it may look like a lot, but I bet that each and every item could be accomplished in the week just by "unplugging" for no more than 30 minutes each day.

Categories will be; Health and Wellness, Creativity, Professional, Family, Diet, Household, Stuff.

Health and Wellness
-Make at least one health related appointment you have been putting off

Creativity
-Chose one unfinished project, and work on it at least every other day all week

Professional
-Begin pulling together your tax requirements. If you have already filed, good for you, want to come help me out?

Family
-If you have kids, play at least one board game with them this week. If you don't have kids, call a relative that you haven't talked to for a while(maybe see if they want to play a board game too).

Diet
-Try one new recipe that contains ingredients that in theory EVERY member of your household will eat. Aim for it being a healthy recipe.

Household
-Pick one room in your home, and purge 10 DIFFERENT items. This means 10 books doesn't count.

Stuff
-Make one appointment/send one e-mail/mail something that you have been avoiding.

Thanks for joining me, at the end of the week I would love to hear how you did. I will let you know how things go.

Bucket List

I've decided to start a bucket list, this is sort of in keeping with my Year of New Experiences. I'm always up for suggestions, or hearing the top items on your own list, or even better hearing about the ones you've completed.

• Drive a race car
• Eat a RIPE mango, right off the tree(they grow on trees, right?)
• Get a massage on every continent
• Take boys on Coast-to-Coast multi-month Canadian experience
• Get motorcycle license and ride cross country/continent
• See every Ontario provincial park
• Go whitewater rafting
• Learn to play an instrument, preferably banjo, mandolin, Irish flute
• Speed skate
• Learn to swing dance
• Train for and "compete" in an athletic endeavour
• Travel to every continent
• Build my dream house
• Sell my wares at a craft show
• Earn a Masters degree

Of course this will be an ever evolving list, help me add to it, or help me check off some items :-)

Single Parenting is Lonely

When I separated a year ago it was scary. There were so many unknows. Was I going to be able to keep living in the house my kids were comfy in? Was I going to be able to afford the things we needed? Would my boys be happy? There was one thing that I wasn't concerned about though, loneliness.

I was excited about the prospect of having a quiet house to myself. I was glad to have some time off to explore my own interests. I thought I would spend my "off" weekends going out with friends. I was on twitter, I was meeting new people.

Now here I am, one year later. Lonely! Prepare for the whiny part. I have not spent an evening with friends in over 4 weeks. I have not spent an evening with friends not in my home since New Years Eve. I have not had a friend call me up and say, "Lets go out" in I have no idea how long(possibly not since before my separation). A very large number of my pre-separation friends we not even "available" for my birthday(not all of them, some I still love). On a side note, my twitter friends braved a long drive in a huge snowstorm for my birthday.

The reality of my social life right now is that I have 2 groups of friends. The first group are married. They hang out with other married couples. They go out with girlfriends during the week cause that's when they can have hubs look after the kids. They spend their weekends with their family, or going out as a couple(often with other couples). I don't hold any of it against them, I did the same thing. It just doesn't help my social life any.
The second group are single. Either they are completely single(no partner, no kids) and we don't have a huge amount in common. Or they are single parents, and somehow it appears EVERY single parent in Ottawa has the opposite visitation schedule from me.

I now know why single Moms jump back into the dating game so quickly. So, to all the people out there that worry because a friend is in your opinion "dating too soon", they are just lonely, invite them out for dinner.


p.s. this post was not written to make anyone feel guilty, I love all my friends. It just gets lonely being alone so much.