You are my sunshine

When Grand Pa Eric was alive, he'd sing, whistle or hum the song "You are my sunshine". This was his song and I'll always think of him when I hear it. Being it's an older song (it came out in the 1930s) I don't hear it much and some of the only times I am reminded of it is when it pops into my head. Grand Pa Eric was our next door neighbour, so we'd hear the song all the time... he'd whistle it when he was sitting on the balcony smoking his pipe or cigar, or we could hear it when he was in the kitchen and he'd even sing it when we were over.

Today, while I was emptying the dishwasher, I was thinking of Eric (not Grand Pa Eric, but my boyfriend) and the chorus of "You are my sunshine" popped into my head. I call Eric my sunshine, and it's true, he is my sunshine. He brightens up any day... he makes bad days good and good days better. For some reason, the combination of thinking of my boyfriend, the song and my Grand Pa made me quite sad. Still now I find writing this entry rather difficult. I guess it's because my Grand Pa Eric was such an amazing man and such a large part of my life. Just a few months after his passing, I met Eric, my boyfriend (well at that time he was just one of Darla's friends) who is now a large part of my life. When I think of the song, I remember Grand Pa Eric but I also think of my sunshine, Eric. And now I realize that Grand Pa Eric probably sang this song to his wife, May. And when he sang it, he probably sang it for her even though she wasn't around (he was very sad when she passed away but he always told wonderful stories about her and how she'd make birthday, Christmas or anniversary cards and he'd kept them all.).

Anyways I am not too sure where I am going with this... but they were just marking thoughts, so I thought I'd share em.

You Are My Sunshine

The other night dear, as I lay sleeping,
I dreamed I held you in my arms,
but when I woke dear, I was mistaken,
and I hung my head and cried.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
you make me happy when skies are gray
you'll never know dear, how much I love you,
please don't take my sunshine away.

I'll always love you and make you happy
if you will only say the same
but if you leave me to love another
you'll regret it all some day

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
you make me happy, when skies are gray,
you'll never know dear, how much I love you,
please don't take my sunshine away.

You told me once dear you really loved me
that no one else could come between
but now you've left me and love another
you have shattered all my dreams.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
you make me happy, when skies are gray,
you'll never know dear, how much I love you,
please don't take my sunshine away.

I'm Your Man

A few nights ago downloaded (from iTunes) Michael Buble's CD, Call Me Irresponsible, and there's this one song that I just havn't been able to get out of my head. It's called I'm Your Man (originally done by Leonard Cohen... it's not even comparable! Buble does it much better.) You can find a videoclip of the song here. It's not such good quality but it's better then just reading the lyrics.
When he sings "Cuz I'm your man" it just makes me melt and if a guy sang that to me like Buble does (or even if he adds his own twist) I'd be mush.
" And I'd howl at your beauty
Like a dog in heat"
On that note, I am going to bed... and I am going to have sweet dreams.

Fancy Boots fancy boots

Yes I am dedicating an entire entry to my kick ass boots! I take public transit and I have been for the past 9 years. I don't drive (it's on my to do list) so this is how I get from point A to point B. There are a few things that we have to get used to while living in Vancouver. The rain is one of them. All of last year, I was missing one very important element to my rainy day bus taking get up... Rain boots! All of last year, I dodged and tip toed around puddles on my way to school. I kept an eye out for rain boots but I couldn't seem to find any.
Yesterday my brother and I were in Winners. He was trying on some shoes and I was... well just there (it's a thing we do... when it comes time for back to school shopping, we go together. This year I am too broke to do any shopping, so my bro was the one doing the shopping). I spotted these beauties a few isles over. I tried them on and it was instant attraction :) You know what else is great about them? They were only $30! I am so damn proud of these things! When I came home, I showed Eric. I was like a little kid at Christmas. Now I can't wait for it to rain!!! Now I gotta get a matching umbrella!

The title of this blog is from a song that was on my Disney Sing along cassette when I was a kid. When I was in high school, my friend Jace and I watched (and sang along) to the cassette and our fave song (now our inside joke) is A Cowboy Needs a Horse. I don't know which movie it was from... it was an old clip so maybe it was just that, a clip. But anyways it's a good song :)

Be gentle with yourself...

This is something I have to keep reminding myself. I tend to take on a few things thinking it won't be a big deal... then I look at my calendar and realize how much I've taken on! Next week is gonna be a doozie!

Monday - 8am to 5pm Foodsafe
Tuesday - AM Research and Statistics class (quiz this class), need to find a tutor for this bad boy, I am SO lost! PM outreach until 9pm
Wednesday - Class from 8 to 4:30 (quiz that day too), naturopath appointment from 5 to 6, salsa class from 7 to 8 and HOPEFULLY I'll be able to stick around for the salsa mixer that goes from 9 to 11pm
Thursday - 8 to 4:30 store set up then 6 to 9 Outreach
Friday - AM class then 12 to 8:30 store set up
Saturday - Playland & PNE with friends YAY! I am looking forward to this :)
Sunday - ADT reunion

All this Foodsafe and store set up is for a job that I got (that was this past week's project). There's a new Urban Fare opening up in Coal Harbour and I'll be working there when the store opens up. Until then I'm helping them set up (I think this will be cool because how often do you get to help open a store?!). Anyways I am pretty excited about this new job! Certainly that I will be able to work in the bakery! I am just going to have to be careful that I don't take on too many shifts and neglect school... Speaking of neglecting school. I should be studying... heehee... better get to that.

Outreach: Weekend to End Breast Cancer

On Saturday, after our orientation at Friends for Life, we had an outreach at the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. We worked in the medical tent, along with many other massage therapists (some in training, some were RMTs) and chiropractors. We had 3 massage tables and 4 massage chairs that we worked on (it was nice to change things up). Every 15 minutes, we'd get a new walker to work on. It was non stop for 4 and a half hours. It was intense! Almost like a massage marathon. You sure felt great though. The people that we worked on were so grateful for the work that we did.
I was really touched by this one little boy (possibly about 5 years old) who was wearing a t-shirt that was written "My Mommy My Hero" and next to him was his mum, short hair and all, smiling and looking strong. There were other cancer survivors there too, we worked on many of them. It was really something else. I worked on this one lady who'd never had a massage and was a bit tentative to try. However after walking 35km that day, I think anyone would be up for a massage, whether they'd had one before or not. I worked mostly on her lower back and legs and when I finished, she looked so content, it was fantastic. She even gave me a hug. I am sure that is against the PD stuff we learnt, but this seemed to be different. Many girls had their pictures taken with walkers that they'd worked on. The walkers were just so happy that we were there and volunteering our time to participate in this event.
After our "massage marathon", we enjoyed a yummy dinner and listened to the live music. The cover band was pretty good! I wanted to get up and dance but no one else seemed like they'd want to. It was nice to just sit there and get to know some of the girls. Our class merged with the class ahead of us, so now we're 7 in the class (that's counting me, we're more like 6 1/2... we would have been 10 but then Maja, Pam, and Kirsten had to take a term off). It will make for a change in dynamics because they're more mature (and less catty). It makes me wish that I was in that class full time. Mind you I am sure the other class I am going in will be great as well.
Anyways after our outreach, Darla and I still had some energy left, so we went 5 pin bowling. Her bowling name was D Man and I was OJ Fresh :) It was quite a lot of fun but after the first game, I soon realized that it may not have been the best idea to go bowling after 4 and a half hours of massage! My second game, I wasn't even able to break 100. I couldn't manage to bowl properly because my arm wouldn't lift the ball... so I granny bowled a lot :P Jace was working so it was good to catch up with him (seems to be the only time when I can!).
Still having some energy left, we went to Capers to say hello to Darla's boyfriend, Jerry, and to pick up some Pakoras and sesame snacks. We then made our way to Kino's Cafe (which I was calling Pino's Cafe... hee hee). Kino's is a Flamenco bar that I'd wanted to go to for the past two years (never got around to it though... until now). It was really fantastic! The beer and humus great and the music and dance was even better! I think I'll be going there for my birthday :)

Outreach #2 Orientation: Friend for Life

Saturday was a busy day! At 12:30 we had our orientation at Friends for Life. This will be our second outreach for level 400. Friend for life seems like it's going to be a great outreach. It's a place where people with AIDS, Cancer, Hepatitis C and other "qualifying illnesses" can go for free treatments. The free treatments that they offer are massage (basic Swedish, Thai, Indian head, hot stone, Shiatsu), naturopathy, yoga, energy healing, reflexology, reiki and chiropractic. They also offer counselling , art therapy, herbology, traditional Chinese medicine and group support. All of the people who offer these services volunteer, that is why the services are free. It's really a fantastic place with a great vibe to it too.
I was so excited when I entered in the Friends for Life house because it's VERY similar to the type of business that I want to open when I graduate! Anyways I am really looking forward to this outreach. I think it's going to be a fantastic opportunity... it won't come without it's difficulties though.

Outreach #1 Orientation: Aurora Center

For level 400, we've got two outreaches scheduled. The first one is at the Aurora Center and the second is at Friends for Life. Yesterday was my orientation for the Aurora Center.
The Aurora Center is a wonderful place where women from all around British Columbia can go to get help with their addictions to drugs or alcohol. The reality is, most of these women with addictions have also had a past where physical abuse, trauma, or other sorts of things have happened to them. So you can imagine how unsure and a little scared I was when I came into this environment. I wasn't afraid of the women but rather of what's happened in my past, and what might come up while working with these women. But hey it's an outreach, it's not optional and if anything, I'll benefit from this and I too will become a stronger person (having to deal with my own shit as well).
As I walked up to the hospital where the outreach was located, I noticed that right next door was the retirement home where my Grand Pa Eric spent the last few years of his life and passed away there. I entered the hospital with memories of Grand Pa still lingering in my mind. In the front entrance, there was a woman sitting in a wheel chair holding a new born baby. Her husband (or boyfriend... never know these days) was outside installing the baby seat. She had the most serene look to herself and looked at her new born baby in the most tender and loving way.
As I walked around, trying to find my way, I saw more new moms and their babies with that same joy on their face. I came into the wrong entrance but I was really enjoying walking through the halls of the maternity ward. There were women walking around, holding their pregnant bellies and who looked to be having contractions... It was really neat. I tried hard to fight down tears because I felt like this is where I belonged... working with these women and these little babies. I can't wait to finish my program so I can get there!!!
After walking through the maternity ward, I found my way to Aurora Center and there the rest of my class mates were waiting. The orientation went well, the lady who gave us the orientation was very helpful. It was nice to see where we were going to be working. It's really a great environment for these women. It doesn't seem like an institution, it's more like a dormitory. They have all sorts of activities like art expression, writing and journaling, yoga, nutritional food and guidance, fitness classes, spiritual care services and musical therapy. Oh and massage therapy too :) That'd be me and the other girls in my class! Because it's a holistic approach to healing it's not as linear and "tight assed" as the more conventional ways of dealing with addiction, abuse and other women's issues.
I think it'll be great working there... I can see how at times it may be difficult, certainly knowing that I am an emotional person and I tend to take on the emotions that others around me carry, but I can also see how this will be rewarding for really everyone who's involved in this.
Oh and during the orientation, my teacher Denise (also the assistant Dean now), let out that she was pregnant. It had been a while that I'd been thinking that Denise was pregnant, probably a few weeks before we left for break. I don't know what it was about her but I just had that feeling. So I am happy for her and her husband! The baby's due on February 9th :)

Baby News!

So I am pretty stoked because my cousin Catherine is pregnant! She due on February 14th :) How cute :P She's happy too which is wonderful to see. I've started to crochet her a lemon yellow and white baby blanket... It's SO cute and delicate! I love it!
My cousin Remi is pregnant too! Well his girlfriend is anyways! And she's due on April 4th! I wish I was in Winnipeg so I could be... well I'm still just a cousin... but I'd be a great cousin (or would I...). Anyways I found this news out about 2 weeks after I found out about my cousin Catherine, so now I gotta busta move to crochet TWO baby blankets!!! Plus finish the one for my Grand Maman Fontaine.
Also Grand Maman Fontaine surprised me this trip with a wonderful cross stitched baby blanket. The story behind this treasure is that when Grand Maman finished up the baby blanket for my little cousin Matthieu (Juile, my cousin, and Tyler's little one), she showed it to her nephew, Christian, age 11, and he said "where's my baby blanket?" Grand Papa and Grand Maman laughed and said that he was too old for a baby blanket. His answer to that was "Not for me, for my baby." Of course Christian doesn't have a baby or even a girlfriend for that matter (well not to our knowledge).
That got Grand Maman thinking... she's got the health and time now, she should cross stitch baby blankets for all her 11 nieces and nephews. So there we go, when I got there, she was just finishing up the 11th blanket. When she showed it to me, I had to hold back tears. How wonderful a gift would that be to my little baby(ies)? A blanket made from their Great Grand Maman (that may or may not be around when they are born). I still can't even believe it! It's so beautiful too! Talk about touching! I'm really fortunate... and it's not even MY blanket!!

Chain Maille

So yesterday I posted an add on Craigslist to sell my chain maille bra that I bought when I was 17 (yeah which 17 year old owns a 100$ chain maille bra...). I am quite surprised at the number of responses! So far I've had 3! We'll see if any of them go through but had I have known that it was this easy to get rid of it, I would have gotten rid of it a while ago.
Some of you may be wondering why I am getting rid of it... well it's a A cup / small B cup and... I'm not... and it's not quite cute and fuzzy. Change in taste I guess.

Oakanagan

Less then 24 hours after arriving from Winnipeg, I was off again, but this time, to the Oakanagan. After Eric put in a half day at work, we set off to join my parents in the Valley.
Looking back, I am surprised how much we managed to pack in our short time there. We biked part of the Kettle Valley Railroad (well what used to be a railroad), wine tasted along the Naramata bench, played Boccee, had an outstanding lamb meal cooked on a wood fire, went peach picking (picked 42 pounds of peaches... the basement smells AMAZING!!), more wine tasting and ended our stay with a round of mini golf.
The highlight of that trip was sitting on the patio at Nk'Mip, with Eric, enjoying a wonderful lunch of duck and ostrich and watching the breath taking view of the valley. I really was in my element there. Outstanding food (I'd never tried duck or ostrich before), fantastic company and a really beautiful view.
The mini golf was damn fun as well! Ah well it was all good fun and it was great to get to share it all with Eric. Now I'm back at school and I've got to finish up an assignment and type up today's notes!

Back to school...

Well I've already attended my first class... the break that we had was a nice one and though I am tempted to say it wasn't long enough, I don't want to complain because it was MUCH better then just having a week off.
My trip to the Peg was as fun as visiting family can be... and though some may think it's not fun at all, it was :) It wasn't Maui... but it was still fun. One thing that I hadn't taken into account was that now the cousins aren't living with the aunts and uncles. Before it was easy, visit 8 aunts, uncles on Mum's side and visit 5 aunts and uncles on Dad's side and you've done the rounds because the cousins lived at home and that was that... but now, that's not the case, not only do you visit aunts and uncles, you also visit your cousins... and we're not talking families of 2 or 3, there are some families of 4 and 5! That makes ALOT of people to visit. Needless to say, most of my days were spent having breakfast with one family, lunch with an other, dinner with an other and a visit with someone else in the late evening.
I managed to spend quite a bit of time with my grand parents (both sides) which was nice because that was my main reason for going there. I realize that my grand parents aren't getting younger and... well I want to spend as much time with them as I can before they go.
It was fun hanging out with my cousins though because I hadn't seen some in a long time (like my cousin Karine or Danielle). Some I even got to know (my cousin Catherine) and I even discovered new cousins (Matthieu, my cousin Julie's little one and Mercedes, a far cousin of mine who happens to be sharing a house with my cousin Michelle). I've come to realized that I am pretty much related to everyone in St. Boniface (the french part of Winnipeg... yes Winnipeg has a french part, it's like a little town within the city). I've also found that Winnipeg is prettier and more interesting then I thought it was.
I was pretty upset when I saw that the old paints sign was painted over (this was a building on the corner of where my Fontaine grand parents used to live... it's how I knew that we were close after sometimes many hours of traveling because we often drove to the Peg)... it just goes to show that times change. I was happy to find out though that Pic a Pop still exists. It turns out that Sugar Mountain, a candy store, bought Pic a Pop and carries the stuff within their stores. Grand Maman and Grand Papa Fontaine used to have a fridge FULL of every colour/flavour of pic a pop that was made. And when we'd have family gatherings (or anytime really) you could go to the fridge and pic the flavour you'd like. So I bought a 6 pack (lime, grape and cola) to bring back to Vancouver. I shared a grape with my brother and Eric and it was just as I had remembered it. Coloured, artificially flavored water :) Yum! The memories!
I managed to make it up to Remi's cabin for an evening and that was good fun because there I was able to hang out with my cousin Remi and his girlfriend Suzie, Carmene and her boyfriend Mike was also there and my cousin Catherine as well. It's hard to keep track of cousins, never mind cousins boyfriend and girlfriends, but Suzie and Mike have been long term boyfriends and girlfriends so it's almost like they are part of the family (despite me meeting them for the first time).
I was also able to spend a good three days at the farm with Grand Maman. My cousin Joey was also there so I got to spend some time with him. The farm is such a fantastic place! I love it there so much! One of the days, I just played cards with Grand Maman, baked a fruit crumble with her, played more cards, lay in the shade of the apple tree and read Harry Potter (which I am not finished yet) and then in the evening, while Grand Maman and Uncle Ger went to a funeral, I got to help Joey on the farm (straightening piles of hay bales, sorting bolts while he worked on various farm equipment, piling wood that Joey would chop down, driving the tractor...). That day was the most perfect day. Joey and I even went and visited Grand Papa's grave... There I paid my respects but instead of approaching it with sad spirits, I went there with a feeling of respect and celebration.
My Grand Papa's death is something that I still haven't quite accepted and I find it really hard thinking about it. I've mentioned it a few times to Eric. He has a bit of s different view on death, so this time when I visited Grand Papa, I changed my perspective and my visit wasn't as sad as it usually was.
It was nice to get away from Vancouver and have a bit of a change of scenery. I'm also really glad I took this trip to visit family (though I think for my next break - or the one after, depending on if I can save up to get away in 4 months - I will be going somewhere tropical and warm where all I have to do is spend time with me and do what me wants.).