In Living Color

I have decided that spring is God's reward to us for surviving the winter! For months the trees have been bare, the grass has been brown and nature has been asleep. Yesterday I was riding my bike, yes it was warm enough to go bike riding, and just had to marvel at the beautiful colors all around me. It is like the city has just taken a deep breath and burst into life.

Spring was always beautiful in Georgia with the dogwoods, azaleas, daffodils and forsythia, and Texas had beautiful azaleas in spring too. But it still wasn't the stark contrast from winter that it is up here. After months of brutal freezing weather and dreary days the beginning of spring is even more of a contrast. You just can't believe how amazing it is to drive around and see the yellow forsythia stand out like a bright light all around. It really is like God's reward for surviving the winter. "You made it and now you get to revel in all these splendid colors!" Bring it on!

Enjoy life, in living color!

Weighing In

Did you know that people lose weight the same way in the U.S. and Canada? I do. I work for "a popular weight loss program" and have worked for that company is the U.S. and in Canada. One thing that is consistent in my life is that fact that when I go into the meeting room, it's all the same.

I like my job. I get to meet a lot of different people who are all struggling with the same thing. These people are usually at the point where they are ready to change. It is often inspiring to see people go on this journey and to share in their success. I take very little responsibility for their success, they have done the hard part. I was just there to "weigh them in" and talk to, inform and motivate them, my favorite part!

Lately, I have witnessed many successes. Success is contagious. I have had many members lose over 25 lbs. in a 12 or 20 week session and go on to reach their ultimate goals. I love seeing their commitment and their confidence grow as they become the person they used to be or the person they always wanted to be but never thought they could be as far as weight is concerned. This does something to their attitude too. When you get control of how and what you eat you also get control of other things in your life. Anyway, it is nice to be surrounded by good positive people who are committed to losing weight. Plus, we sure do have fun at our meetings!

A fun positive environment, celebrations every week, looking and feeling better every week and we all have a common goal and want to be there. What more could you ask for?

Pedestrians

It is supposed to go up to 20C tomorrow! Spring is definitely in the air, which means the pedestrians are out! During my recent trip to Houston I made a few observations. The weather was perfect and if it were that temperature around here the sidewalks would be full of pedestrians. In Houston the only people out walking were heading to their cars. No one walks in Houston if they don't have to, my friend Valerie said everyone would think they were homeless if they walked somewhere. So true.

Well, people walk here. I am always shocked to see the number of pedestrians out even on cold snowy days. People just walk here. Now that the weather is getting nicer there are even more people outside and walking. I haven't really decided if people walk more up here because they are just happy to have nice weather and really appreciate it or if they walk because they want to. I am leaning towards the want to because they walk even when it is freezing. Mass transit helps too, you can take the bus or the train and then have to walk to your final destination. But then again, I see people walking everywhere! I must say, I missed seeing people outside walking when I was in Houston, I have gotten very used to seeing people out and about.

One more thing about the pedestrians. I have actually gotten used to watching out for people crossing the street in crosswalks while I am driving. When we first came here I was so used to not having to wait to turn or to even look to see if someone was crossing the street. Those poor people I have almost run over....I am now much more conscious of the crosswalks. They actually get used here....and sometimes even by me! I love it!

Hello Grammy

Daniel turned a year old on Sunday! Apparently he loves phones (I'm sure this is due to the fact that his mother also loves the phone and is on it often) so Rachel said he got 3 phones for gifts. Here he is calling someone, I can only hope it is me! How cute! We will be spending Easter with them and it will be fun to see Daniel walking and playing in person and not on video on the internet. The last time we saw him was at Christmas and he has changed so much since then.

Looking forward to Easter, seeing family and the promise of spring. Really, it is going to get here eventually.....as I look out at what I hope is the LAST snow of this season!

Isn't it Ironic?

I was in Houston last week and had to laugh out loud when I opened the newspaper and this was the headline.

The article is not talking about policemen either. After my post on guns in Texas I found this a bit ironic. The article goes on to explain that the legislation is trying to allow people to have guns in their personal vehicles as long as the vehicle is locked. Yikes!


I don't know if spring can be ironic but if "poignantly contrary" describes irony then the spring in Texas is just that to the spring in Toronto.
Exhibit A and B

Spring in Toronto, March 29, 2009

hey, there are buds on that tree!

Spring in Houston, March 27, 2009

Aside from the stark contrast between spring up here and spring down there, my visit was a great one. I just loved visiting friends and relatives. At one point while I was driving about 75mph on the freeway I had a thought that I could easily slip right back into my life in Houston. Yup, except for the weather ( and mildew, frizzy hair and profuse sweating it produces) it isn't such a bad place. I think the fact that I have friends and relatives there may have something to do with it.

OH, fashion alert. Boy do I miss summer clothes! Boy do I miss wearing fun colors and sandals! Is this because it is the end of winter and I'm just plain tired of dark clothes or is it a north/south thing? Everyone down there is dressed in bright colors it seems and the clothes are so much more fun. I did do my share of economic stimulating. Now I am going to vow to bring color to Canada. I am going to push the season and wear all that yellow, turquoise and pink that I got "down south".

That's all the news that is fit to print today. Waiting for inspiration....

To Quote U2...."It's A Beautiful Day"!

Georgian Bay

(taken out the open sunroof!)
Ski jumping event at Blue Mountain

The village at Blue Mountain

Yesterday TJ and I decided to take a drive. It really was a beautiful day and since neither of us had been to Collingwood we decided, what the heck. There are a few ski resorts up there and one in particular I wanted to see so we took off in the morning. We brought our ski stuff, just in case. It was funny when we pulled up to the resort we parked and walked around and the only things there were a ski rental place and a lift ticket sales booth. I was somewhat disappointed because this was not what I had expected, where was the "cute village" with shops and restaurants? After chatting with one of the employees we found out we needed to drive to the next base area for the village, whew. I would have hated it if we had driven 2 hours for this!

We were not disappointed and the village was very cute. I also expected it to be very crowded because it was a Saturday, the weather was incredible, and it was the beginning of March break. Must say it was not that crowded either. After looking around and figuring out that it was going to cost us about $200 to ski for the three hours we had before we had to head home, we decided to have lunch in the pub and ski another day, darn. There was a special ski jumping event so we sat outside and watched crazy people fly off the jump and some of them stick the landing and others wipe out at the bottom. Basically, we did the apres ski without skiing but boy did I want to get to the top of that mountain, if for no other reason than to see the view of the water! Another time.

On the drive home we passed Georgian Bay and it was very scenic, blue water with some ice at the edges, and the sky was perfectly clear. We opened the sun roof for most of the drive and it was heavenly! I am thinking that spring really is right around the corner. It was a beautiful day!

Doesn't everyone in Texas have a gun?

If you want to know what the rest of the world thinks of the US then move away. Before you think that my allegiance has changed, it hasn't. I was raised in the US and you can take the girl out of the States but you can't take the States out of the girl. That being said, I have spent a lot of my life in Canada and it has influenced who I am too. Balance and perspective are both good things.

Today I had an experience that is not a unique one, it has happened many times since we moved here. At the risk of alienating a reader or two, I will go on. I was getting a pedicure (ahhhh) this afternoon and chatting with the girl there. She found out I was from the States and her comments were, "oh, life is so fast and busy there, we are so much more relaxed and calm here." "Were you ever afraid living there? Guns are everywhere, can't anyone have a gun?" I can't tell you how many times I have heard about the prevelance of guns in the States. I can honestly say that I have never seen a handgun in my life, and hope to never see one, except in a policeman's holster. But inevitably when people find out I'm from Texas specifically they always want to know if everyone has a gun in Texas.

The perspective part depends on what is "normal" to you. I was raised in a country where people were allowed to have guns. People up here are not used to guns, they still have that respect and a certain amount of fear when it comes to guns. We have been desensitised to them to a certain extent, we are used to hearing about shootings. This does not mean it is less criminal. It is big news up here if someone gets shot. That does not mean there is no crime, I have heard about more stabbings than ever up here. I guess if you don't have a gun, then use a knife.

Stereotypes abound. I guess the thing about stereotypes is that they are just that, not everyone in Texas has a gun and not all of life is calm and peaceful in Canada as I watch the news about a shooting in town. I'm sure they bought that gun in the States.....another thing I hear around here.