365 Days of 40 - Day 1

Today is my first day as a 40 year old. Age has never been a big deal for me.... but the number 40 had a big impact on me. 40. seriously, I can't be 40. Do I look 40? What does that even mean? Anyway, I'm going to document daily the life of a 40 year old, because I think 40 is a lifechanging age.

So, Day 1 as a 40 year old.... I forgot to eat breakfast, ingested beef jerky and cake for lunch, but had a fabulous beef dip dinner made by one of my very best friends. Lesson - eat breakfast, plan for lunch and marry Joanne as she always makes amazing dinners! And she's an amazing mom!

What have I learned on Day 1.... if you are trying to feel younger by hanging with your older friends... they will run circles around you. If you hang with your younger friends, they remind you that you could be their mother (yikes), but seriously, if you just hang with your FRIENDS and nobody is thinking about age, YOU FEEL YOUNG. I seriously love my friends, old, young and in between!!!

Thought I'd throw some pictures up here from our girls weekend in Edmonton.

What better combination than friends, food, shopping and cocktails to unwind from life - and throw in a rented Hummer and we're good to go!

Please see my new blog... http://dot2dotconnections.blogspot.com/

The reason I started my blog was to connect with family and friends across this tiny planet. It worked perfectly in the beginning... then work got busy, facebook became popular among all my circles, and it became too hard to keep up. BUT, I follow some great blogs and have been very inspired and am creating a new blog focusing on Northern artists of all type. My blogging course has homework.. and oh boy... the homework is pushing me to get this blog done. I have the graphics done, the plan done... what's stopping me???? Just tonight, I was talking to artist, Janet Pacey and said "I'm going to post a new artist every week' and she translated that to 'oh, you are going to do an artist a month'. So sad, she knows me so well. She knows my type so well - best of intentions, so hard to follow through with the schedule I keep - but I'll try!!!!

Keep posted... and the new blog will be revealed soon.... sooner than even I thought!

ps - we had our Skills Canada competiton for Graphic Design today - thank you to Canadian North for the day off!!!! - and the kids from Yellowknife, Fort Smith and Inuvik all did amazingly well. that might be my first post in my new blog.... those high school kids have such amazing potential! wow! I had tears in my eyes at the awards ceremony, as usual. Amazing!

I want to thank one of my very best friends for our partnership in the Skills competition, our girls' road trips, our runs and just being able to be ourselves with each other and enjoy the friendship! I admire you and thank God for our friendship!

Welcome to my much neglected blog. I am newly inspired to continue posting and will be launching a new blog after I take my course from Decor8 blogger Holly Becker. Stay tuned...

I am so thankful for spring - the sun makes such a difference for renewed energy!

Happy Easter!

Once again, we had a wonderful Easter dinner with family and friends. We still miss having Johnson's here for every holiday dinner!!! One reason could be that me and turkey just don't get along. Don't get me wrong, I love turkey, I can eat turkey - I just have issues when it comes to cooking turkey, or in this case, buying turkey.

Sunday morning, I wake up leisurely and figure I better get out my 'cook from frozen pre-stuffed bird' and find out how long to cook it for. I begin to read the instructions "Thaw for 4-5 days in the fridge". OK - I grabbed the wrong turkey! I'm still not in panic mode yet - I'll just go to Co-op and exchange it. As I enter the deserted parking lot, closed for Easter Sunday, I get a twinge of panic - but that's OK - there's still Extra Foods. I get there, and they do not carry "cook from frozen, pre-stuffed" turkeys, but they do sell 'turkey in a box'. hmmmm, nope- can't do it. Get home with my frozen 20lb bird determined to thaw and cook it by 5pm. After half an hour on-line learning that there is absolutely no way I will cook that turkey today, I opt for two turkeys in a box (for twice the price to begin with) and away we go. It was turkey. It was stuffed. What more can you ask for - Oh and it came with gravy already made - another recipe I've yet to conquer.

My last turkey story had me flipping the bird in the pot because I had accidentally cooked it upside down - little did I know that people do that on purpose!

All in all, Easter was great. So thankful for family and friends!

Canadian Idol- here they come!

Taylor and Morgan sang their tunes (and even danced a little) in front of a packed house. They both did amazingly well - I was so proud of them and equally impressed with their bravery!