Just NB

This weekend I went to Vermont.  That sounds kind of funny. I live really close to the US border and I decided last weekend to head there. Firstly, because there’s a Trader Joe’s and if you’ve ever shopped at Trader Joe’s, you’ll understand why I would drive two hours and into a different country to visit, what is basically, a grocery store. But it’s an amazing health food, organic, grass-fed, everything store, PLUS incredibly creative junk food ideas.  Trader Joes's is also the only store in the world that sells this one kind of toffee that Louis adores, and since he’s celebrating a milestone birthday, I kinda want to spoil him.   Last week when I took Maggie to the vet, I asked for a copy of all her immunizations and a report that would clear her for crossing the border.  Saturday around lunchtime , I packed up our stuff in the old Civic and we set onward to the US. Maggie travels very well in a car and well, I didn’t want to go alone.  In the end, it would pr...

It seems like it's been a long time since I've written any updates. I think it's because the first week back to work was super tough (also was the same week that Louis left for Cuba), it ended up with me crying in my car with a ticket because I didn't properly stop at a stop sign. I cried after the policeman left…but I have this amazing makeup spray that I put on before I leave and even after a MEGA cry, a sprint to the train I got through Friday looking like nothing was wrong. I was happy to call it a week…..   I'm still adjusting to life in Montreal. I keep saying I commute an hour each way, but door to door, it's three hours and forty two minutes every day. Wow. The weird thing is, this is pretty much seen as normal. AND, it could be MUCH worse. Right now, I drive to the train station, do my morning meditation and sleep on the train, walk 1.3 km (uphill, on the ice/snow), then I'm at work. I kinda wish I didn't do that calculation….because I kept ...

Oh 2014. You were by far one of my most challenging years. I started off sick in bed, then went to Cuba with my BFF and came back to reconcile with Louis. I watched my grandfather become more & more ill. I moved across Canada to start again.  It hasn't been an easy year for us. We were both unemployed for seven months, I went through a very dark depression (that I rarely write about publicly, but I'd really like to one day because I would love to save someone from going through the same medical mistakes that I went through because we didn't know how to get the proper medical care. It's really a lot more complex than one would think). Thankfully, after coming out of my dark place, I found a pretty cool job. It's only been two months but I think things are going well and can only get better.  Louis is working away from home, something that I struggled with a lot the first week but managed to adapt to the second week pretty well. I'm not saying it's perfect...

Our first Christmas was celebrated on Sunday with the girls. We ate sushi for supper & baklava for supper.  I think Maggie was the happiest of all with her new $3 stuffed toy.  Then we went to the tiniest, oldest church in old Montreal to listen to a choir. Christmas #2 was spent with good friends! So much food & so much fun!!! And a Quebecois büche de noël, of which I ate faaarrrrr to much of. Last night we had Christmas #3 with One of Louis' brother, sister, mom, & extended family. Somehow I didn't take a single picture!! Tonight (the 25th) we are living on leftovers and are safely back in the comforts of our own home. Maggie is back (we didn't take her to Quebec City) & Christmas #4 is spent on our couch, cuddling watching a movie, recovering from too many late nights!!  This was my first Christmas in Quebec & I had so much fun. I missed my family a lot. I ate too much. But I had such a wonderful time & I feel so blessed.  Merry Christmas t...

So very thankful this year. This is the best Christmas card of my life. 

I found myself crying a lot this week. Part of it was just being overwhelmed with all of the adjustments in my life that I am still...well, adjusting to. But a lot of it came from the pre-holiday stress/emotions/blah...   I've been very vocal about "focusing on creating the new" instead of looking back on what was. I tend to fall into this trap where I cling on to previous Christmases, longing for them to be same as this year, when life changes, people change, and circumstances change.   Last year, I NEVER would have expected in a gazillion years that I'd be in downtown Montreal, working, communiting, MARRIED (last year I was seperated), MARRIED HAPPILY (finally), with a husband that works in Cuba...oh the differences are too many to list.   But still, I think back to my extended family all over Canada (and in the Emirates) and sometimes I get a little teary. Also, my step-daughters have friends and another family of their own, and I don't get to spend...

I'm totally getting into my work routine. It's still not perfect and I'm usually so bagged in the evenings. I can't figure out how I'm supposed to have time to make supper (when Louis isn't home), clean up a bit, pack my lunch, workout, eat supper, shower, and go to bed at a reasonable hour (or a rather early hour since I am attempting to get 8 hours of sleep and I'm up at 05h05).   Every morning, I wake up, turn on my curlers, snooze once, then really wake up, shower, let the dog outside, do makeup/hair, get dressed, play with dog, drive to train station, sit in train, turn on my morning meditation on my iphone (this is so so so awesome and helps me so much), walk 1.3km to work, make my coffee, eat my breakfast, and then get started with my day.   The thing is lately, I'm so tired that I fall asleep on the train in the morning. This morning I fell asleep SO HARD that I didn't wake up until the very last stop, which thankfully, is my stop. My...