Creating - 30 Days of Lists project

Here are the last of the pages that I did for the 30 Days of Lists project.  I love how these lists show a little of who I am and what's important to me.  I wish I had a little treasure book like this from one of my grandmothers!

Day 25 - The Title of My Autobiography

Options:

- She Loved Colour

- Tales of a Travelling Gramma

- Life and Times of the Teacher and the Farmer

- Gardens and Greenhouses After 50

- God, Grandkids and the Good Life

- Finding Your Creative Side - It's Never Too Late!

- Life Is a Pan of Brownies (with kudos to Erma Bombeck)

- I Never Dreamt It Would Be This Amazing

- Lessons from a Perfectly Ordinary Woman

Day #26 - My Morning Routine

1.  Hit the snooze button on the clock radio repeatedly.

2.  Get up at the last possible moment.

3.  Brush teeth while filling kettle with water for tea.

4.  Shower and dry.

5.  Towel dry hair, apply styling cream.

6.  Put Oil of Olay moisturizer on face.

7.  Make a pot of Sweet Wild Orange Tazo tea.

8.  Get dressed (outfit laid out before going to bed last night).

9.  Dry hair - which takes longer now that I've grown this bob.

10.  Style hair, lightly gel and spray.

11.  Go back to bedroom for earrings, jewellery or scarf and watch.

12.  Grab lunch (waiting in the fridge since last night), tea and breakfast (a muffin, sliced cheddar cheese and banana).

13.  Head out to school     UNLESS . . . .

I'm not working.  Then - stay in bed and read until 8:30 a.m. :)

Day 27 - If I Could Do It Over 

I would take more pictures of our everydays when our children were growing up.  What was I thinking to take our children's first photos when they were 10 days old??!!  What about all the newborn details or in the hospital or us as a family?  Moments gone forever.  I am so happy that our kids are doing better!

I would play more and stress less about the house (and hire a housekeeper much earlier on!).  I would read even more stories to our children as toddlers.  I would invite my parents to come and be part of the "doing" years.  I would travel more in Alberta with our kids, including lots of camping.  

I would go to every single trackmeet, volleyball and basketball game, hockey tournament, swim meet and school dance.  I would have kept up the figure skating lessons, gymnastics club, swim club and added dance classes for our girls.

Day #28 - Favourite Foods (actual title was Food for My Last Meal)

- pizza, vegetarian or shrmp and mushroom

-  nachos and cheese 

- salad with nuts, cheese and berries

- pumpkin soup

- raspberry or lemon cheesecake

- shrimp dip on crackers or toast

- brownies

- berries with brown sugar and cream

- chai latte'

- Mom's apple pie

- perogies

- iced tea

- Greek lemon yogurt

- dill pickles

- sweet potato fries

- poutine

- sauerkraut and pork ribs on mashed potatoes

- waffles with whipped cream and berries

- bacon

- baked ham

(and I could go on!)

Day #29 - Songs That Make Me Want to Dance

- anything by the Beach Boys

- rock and roll oldies

- country and western song

- sound tracks from musicals like RENT,  Miss Saigon, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, CATS, The Phantom of the Opera

- shautesse and heel 'n toe polka music

- old time waltz music

- songs from my younger days

Day #30 - Letter to Myself

Dear Future Self,

You did the right thing when you decided to retire.  The time you are spending with your grandchildren is precious, beyond anything else you could be doing.  And you have more little ones coming to also treasure.   Offer continually to be a part of their lives and support your children as they parent these little ones.  

Continue to start your day with God and lean on His word and guidance.  Enjoy the beauty He has created and the opportunities He puts in your path.  Remember He has designed you for a purpose - don't waste your one wild and precious life.  You are blessed!

Love,

Crystal

I absolutely loved this project and the lists that I've recorded.  You should try it in September!

Creating

I had a rare day at home today and it was absolutely lovely!  Time to transplant some peppers, bring a big vase of mayday branches in to the house, visit the greenhouse and get some flowers, laugh while the grandchildren played in their little swimming pool and then put my flower pots together.  A very good, sunshine-y, full of growing things kind of day!

I want to share a few more pages in my 30 Days of Lists project today.

Day #18 - Family Traditions

- we celebrate Christmas when everyone can be home, no matter what the day is

- we always have a real Christmas tree

- no artificial flowers, no matter what, anytime

- church on Sundays

- brday cake and candles

- phone calls on birthdays and anniversaries

- colouring Easter eggs

- Christmas Eve candlelight service 

Day #19 - Dear House, You Could Make Me Happy By

1.  Keeping your floor neat and tidy at all times, especially when outside comes inside on boots and shoes during busy farm times.  

2.  Washing windows, inside and out, monthly.  It's really a pain to drag ladders around past the shrubs.

3.  Dusting your shelves and nooks on a weekly basis.

4.  Repainting your walls in the year's freshest colours with no moving of furniture, pictures or wall decor.

In return I promise to continue loving you, just as I have for the past 34 years.  I also promise to fill you with friends and family, laughter and good times.  You will be able to share in the fun at all times.  

Your co-owner, 

Crystal  XOXOXOX

Day #20 - Favourite Memories

#1 favourite memory from my childhood:

Summer stays with Grampa and Gramma Hetman at the farm and Alberta Beach:

- revels in the freezer in the pumphouse

- geese sleeping along the garden fence in the afternoon

- walking with Grampa to get the cows

- picking blueberries in the swamp

- Grampa driving into the hayloft from the hill behind the barn

- Gramma collecting vegetables from the garden and eggs from the chicken house in her apron

- sleeping upstairs

- strolls along the pier at Lac Ste. Anne as sun went down

- Gramma baking Dole banana boxes full of doughnuts for us

Day #21 - What Would I Do With One More Hour In My Day

- finish some sewing

- write a letter, send a card, tape up a package to mail away

- finish vacuuming and washing the floors

- create in my studio

- download the camera

- write and post a new blog entry

- read a few more pages in a great book

- organize lunch and clothes for another day of subbing

- talk to and cuddle sweet grandchildren

- bake muffins or brownies

Day #22 - A Care Package Would Have

- photos, lots of photos! 

- magazines like Better Homes and Gardens or Martha Stewart

- chocolate

- a new CD of praise music

- photobooks (thanks, M!)

- pens in all colours

- pretty paper and envelopes

- candles, all sizes and scents

- bright, colorful fabric

- scrapbook supplies

- fresh flowers

- tea in new flavours

- chocolate covered almonds

- a big book with lots of pages (or more than 1!)

Day #23 - Confess

- I don't like to be the centre of attention - I'd rather plan the party for someone else

- I have a hard time being humourous, I'm much more of a practical person

- when I am passionate about something you will know - I can't not tell you

- I love giving gifts to others

- reading is my "escape and dream" time

- I am not really good friends with my rolling pin or pastry crust

- I wish I could hire a landscaper, a weed-puller and a maid - the rest I'll handle :)

Day #24 - I Am Famous For

- brownies

- gifts stashed away for "someday"

- handmade cards

- take photos at family gatherings

- traditional Christmas celebrations

- vacuuming at the last possible moment

- giving books

- shopping for Christmas all year

- coming to school at the last minute

- cooking and sewing advice

- playing with our grandchildren

One more installment to come!  And I am still in love with this project!

Creating

Here are some more pages from my 30 Days of Lists project.  Already I love looking back at these even though it's only been a few weeks since I created them!

Day #5 (which I forgot to photograph earlier) - Words to Live By

- I'm sorry.

- Please forgive me.

- I love you.

- Let's talk.

- Can you help me?

- I'm proud of you.

- Good night / Good bye - I love you.

- What would you like to do?

- Gramma, can you come over?

- Where should we go next?

- Let's take the scenic route.

- It's all in God's hands.

Day #10 - Today Was Awesome Because

- the sun shone

- we worked in the greenhouse

- it was Saturday!

- Fabricland had 50% off all fabric in the store

- Costco let me in at 5:53 p.m.

- I had a Chapters gift card to use

- I travelled to Edmonton and back safely

- Kelsey texted me

- I went to bed early - daylight savings time started

Day #11 - Right Now

- I am easing back into babysitting

- enjoying Blake's affection and the way he calls me "Gram"

- enjoying Helayna and Meadow's kindergarten year

- praying for new soon-to-arrive babes

- looking at booking a trip to NB in June

- staying up way too late!

- figuring out photo displays for a 90th birthday party

- reading Deb's pick for April's book club

- doing 4 days of subbing at CSS - and surviving!

Day #12 - Super Powers I'd Like to Have

- photographic memory so I remember where I put things

- grow money trees

- mad baking skills, especially with a rolling pin

- green thumb so plans and seeds grow

- wiggle my nose and have housework done

- pastry making chef

- aerobic breathing for hiking

- fly anywhere in the world

- ability to power nap to gain hours

- super-hostess for entertaining and being prepared

- super human strength to lift things

Day #13 - 10 Years Ago I Was

- 47 years old

- had 1 married daughter

- was teaching third grade

- hadn't travelled outside of North America

- had 3 kids in university

- not blogging

- didn't have a garden

- yearning for a camper and a quad

- only 1 year into not milking cows anymore

- helping with new baby calves from our beef cows

- staying home in spring break

- a scrapbooker, not a sewer

- consumed by my work

So much has changed!

Day #14 - Tools and Toys to Try

- flatiron for hair

- iPad

- scooter

- iPod

- iPhone

- Kitchen Aid food processor

Day #15 - Overheard Today

- "You're our sub?!?!" on day 1

- "Are you coming again tomorrow?" on day 3

- "I wish you could be our teacher everyday." (loved that one!)

- "Why can't I sit here?!?!  That seating plan is for the other room."

- "Can you come back again tomorrow?  I want to work with you again."

- "Let's have her come in to cover those classes."

- "I want to talk to Gramma too."

Day #16 - Pet Peeves

- bad manners, especially at meals

- discussing bodily functions in public

- bath towels not hung up straight to dry

- wild children in public spaces

- not acknowledging colleagues when passing in the hallway

- empty containers put back in the fridge or cupboard

- dirty dishes piled helter-skelter in the sink

- vehicles driven home with the gas tank on empty

- eating from the crockpot before it's finished cooking

- wearing dirty clothes when visiting

- messes on the coffee table

- water splashed from the shower or tub and not wiped up

Day #17 - Favourite Dayz(s) of the Year

- Christmas - any of the days we have our family home to celebrate

- our grandchildren's birthdays

- first day of summer vacation or spring break

- when daylight saving time "falls back"

- vacation days away from home

- camping and quadding days

- paydays

- sleepovers, including going to my sister's

- wedding days

- lazy, weekend days

- sunny days

Creating

 Prompted by Monika at i love it all, I signed up for the 30 Days of Lists project for the month of March.  I enjoyed the daily focus on a prompt and put them all together in a simple composition book (that I got when I took a class from Stacy Julian a few years back).   A stack of Basic Grey tags that were left over from other projects made interesting title plates on each page and I used up a whole bunch of stickers and rubons - which explains the creative spelling in some places.  It was awesome to think up the journaling and then use up some supplies on this very fun project!

Here are the first 9 pages that I created.

#1 - Challenges for this month:

- finish 30 Days of lists AND record in book with supplies

- take 12 B&W photos on the 12th

- sew tablecloth and ironing board cover for Naomi

- babysit 2 days

- sew 2 quilts

- start tomato seeds

(some of these are carrying over into April - yikes!)

#2 - Goals

- cook and eat grain-free, especially wheat

- sub half-time

- clean another section of the basement = bags to thrift store + bags to garbage

- sew Meadow's nightgown

- bring apple branches in for forcing

#3 - Perfect Weekend

- longer than two days

- sleeping in

- not much scheduled

- books to read

- time to create

- a road trip

- clean house before the weekend

- photo ops and a camera

- good food

- friends and family

- chocolate and dessert

- sunshine

#4 - I'll Put Off These Things Until Tomorrow

- farm accounting

- vacuuming

- washing windows and walls 

- exercising

- cleaning out the basement

- garden weeding

- throwing out pictures

I forgot to take a picture of #5!

#6 - Things to Collect

- fabric - in all colours and patterns

- scrapbook supplies, especially paper

- dishes and cups, serving platters and bowls

- earring and bracelets, on holiday too

- books and specialty notepads

#7 - I Am Inspired By

- nature and our world

- colours of all kinds and intensities

- my children and grandchildren

- PINTEREST  

- other bloggers

- my job and children

- the seasons

- my mother, sisters and grandmother

#8 - Say No To

- refined sugar

- sitting instead of exercising

- evening snacks

- wasting time online

- cleaning procrastination

- weeds in the garden

- messy floors

- a cluttered basement

#9 - Happy Places 

- wherever our grandchildren are

- talking to our children and grandchildren on the phone

- Vancouver Island in the springtime

- on a tropical beach like Zanzibar

- on a trip to see a new part of the world

- sleeping in

- where chai latte's are served

- on a golf course

- with friends, camping and quadding

- in bookstores and libraries

- in front of the fire, reading

30 Days of Autumn Ends

Day 30

The lake is freezing over and so my photo journey through Autumn 2008 ends.  

Thank you for following the season with me!

30 Days of Autumn

Day 29

The days are way shorter now but the sunsets still are beautiful!  And there's still no snow or cold weather.  One of the ski hills in the city opened tonight - the latest opening date in 25 years!!

30 Days of Autumn

Day 28



The view from our door, out across a resting landscape, waiting for a blanket of snow

30 Days of Autumn

Day 27



Cranberries for the birds to eat this winter

30 Days of Autumn

Day 26



Oh, so empty are the apple trees

30 Days of Autumn

Day 25



Still some pumpkin goodness hanging on here!!

30 Days of Autumn

Autumn - the empty branches, frosty mornings, need a warm jacket kind - continues to linger here so I continue to share images of these last days until I reach the magic "30".

Day 24



"Along the Path" - How much have I left on my pathway through life? Has there been any beauty or is it broken, stepped on pieces?

30 Days of Autumn

Day 23

30 Days of Autumn

Day 22



The path less travelled along the shores of Pigeon Lake

30 Days of Autumn

Day 21



Once again, along the shore of Pigeon Lake - a never ending source of wonderful pictures and scenic views

30 Days of Autumn

Day 20



Autumn sunset at Sundance Beach, Pigeon Lake (just 4.5 miles from our house)

30 Days of Autumn

Day 19



Reflection on Pigeon Lake

This project is going more slowly than I ever imagined! I will try to show the images before the snow flies!!

30 Days of Autumn

Day 18



I think this is such an inviting bench - we could sit and have a wonderful visit here!

30 Days of Autumn

Day 17



Fenceline - again thanks to Bob. I'm so glad we took lots of pictures the last few weeks as the big wind from the last 2 days has pretty much stripped the leaves from the trees. And the forecast for tomorrow? Flurries!!!! I'm not ready for that!

30 Days of Autumn

Day 16



I am having such fun documenting this season! There are literally pictures waiting to be snapped everywhere :))

30 Days of Autumn

Day 15 - Halfway!



The colors of the flowers and the water in the birdbath made me smile when I spotted this on one of my walk's at the lake.