One Hundred Alligators And A Purse

 I had just gotten off of work at Costco last Thursday and had to kill some time in Sherwood Park before an interview at a dental clinic. I decided the best use of my time was to go to Michael’s Craft Store and browse the aisles. Lately I have been feeling like I need a challenge but I wasn’t sure what kind of task I wanted to take on. I started down the third aisle and then there it was - the puzzle section of this lovely craft store! I don’t think I have done one of these since I was a kid and I instantly knew this was what I was searching for. I’ve just graduated from NAIT and have been job searching but I can’t help but feel a void where Studying and working on school course packs used to occupy my time. I needed to find something to take care of the gap but still use my thought process, cause we all know what they say “if you don’t use it you lose it.” I carefully examined all my options and finally settled on this cute little puzzle titled “one hundred alligators and a purse.” 

To be honest the little guy brushing his teeth in the left hand corner was what sold me. While I was comparing and thinking of the challenge level I wanted (550, 750 or 2000 pieces) a girl who worked there came up and we started talking. We chatted about school, work, hobbies and interests. She was so sweet and very helpful! I love when you can go anywhere and have a great conversation with a complete stranger but leave feeling like friends. She even gave me a 50% off coupon so my puzzle purchase was even more justifiable. Some may find this silly but I’m so excited to get started. I am also still working on a quilt that I started three years ago so between these two projects, work and other life demands – I think I’m set!

                                                        750 is really A LOT of pieces!

Conquered the fear and cleaned my car

I have had this long standing fear of the spray nozzles people use to clean their cars at a car wash. My fear has two categories:

#1-The power and pressure that the sprayer has

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#2-The issue of running out of time and/or coins before your car is really, truly clean

It sounds silly but seriously those sprayers hold soo much power.  I had a neighbor that went to the wash one day and the water blasted the paint right off her vehicle! Ever since then I have been determined to avoid the high pressure soakers and instead find other methods to clean my car.

The other form of stress in this whole silly process is that there is clearly a time limit to the cleaning you do. However they never tell you how much time you have left so you gotta be prepared with all your loonies, toonies or car wash tokens. I feel like it’s a ticking time bomb or a game or perfection- you never know when your time will be up. If that’s your last coin and your still spraying those soapy bubbles, well I guess that’s too bad for you.

I’ve had my ’91 dynasty since October 2009 and I’ve only washed it once. How horrible- I know! The one time I washed it I went to one of those drive through, no touch machines. This was nice because I didn’t get wet or have to hang onto that powerful water- blasting nozzle. But yesterday I did it!!! I washed my car with the pressure hose and it wasn’t soo bad, still powerful but not as terrifying as I thought. The force did startle me at first, causing me to scream but I got a grip (of the situation and the sprayer) and got it done!What a good day!

                                               Always gotta read the instructions first!

Biking The Trestles

Mountain biking was another huge highlight! We loaded up two cars with bikes and headed out to a beautiful mountain area. The air was so cool and crisp you couldn’t help but breathe deeper. We rode along a well-used path and crossed some pretty amazing tressels along the way. If you’ve never seen or been on a trestle you have to go! Pretty much they are these long wooden bike or walking bridges that connect mountains or passes. The structure is so intricate and it almost looks like art the way the wood is arranged. 

The paths are narrow which can feel awkward as you try and pass someone but they are an experience that’s for sure. The bike ride was really great. Near the end of our journey we stopped to have a snack so we sat down on a bench just off the trail. As we were eating I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I was surprised when I saw this little guy.

 I guess he wanted a snack too. He got a little too close for Paddy and she almost fell off the bench because she wasn’t expecting this little visitor. I’m so grateful that we have these magnificent mountains (and wildlife) not too far from us! 

            How pretty is this?! Seriously we are sooo lucky to live in such a beautiful country!

                                                  Sadie and Paddy on the trestle

                                                                           Lauren

                                                               Stopped for a break

Float

Have you ever floated down a lazy river? It’s something I think everyone should do at least once. You gotta pick the hottest day to go so you get the whole experience! Sadie, Lauren and I went to one in Pentiction and it was soo much fun!!! It was good we went when we did because the last day of the season was the next day. We rented our little floaties and then headed down to the start point. This place had a pick up service at the halfway mark, which was nice so we decided to take full advantage of this. I had been to this lazy river years before and remembered there was an Elvis Presley impersonator at the pick up point. My expectation for a lovely rendition of “you ain’t nothing but a hound dog” was met as “Relvis” belted out the tunes on a small stage. It was a nice warm day and just chillin in the floaties was so great. Floating along the water gave us a great opportunity to chat as friends and many laughs were shared. It was oh so nice of Lauren to get out of her tube and push us to deeper depths when the water got too shallow. The water was kind of chilly that day, so way to go girl for takin one for the team! Over all it was great fun- I wish they had a lazy river in Edmonton…

I didn't take any photos while I was there but this is one off the internet. This is such a great way to spend a summer afternoon!

Books, Books and more Books!

We also go to go to The Book Shop in Penticton while we were in BC. This is a HUGE used bookstore; I think it holds some kind of a record in Canada for its size. You walk in and the shelves go from the floor to the roof. We’re talkin nine plus feet here! Any genre, any author – I’m sure you’d find it there. The smell of old pages hits you as soon as you come in the front doors and at first it can be quite overwhelming (the size not the smell :) ), where the heck should you even begin to look? We spent a few hours walking around and I came across some great finds. Seriously this place was amazing!!! The owners have a few pug dogs and one of them talks! Strangest thing ever but on command she will say "I love you" and you can actually tell that's what was said. So if you only ever go there for Clementine the pug, I assure you, you will not leave disappointed.

                                                                 Sadie reading

                                                                Jo loves this place

                                           I'm not kidding- from the floor to the roof!!!!

                                                The ladder isn't even tall enough

                                                                       Front entrance

                                                                   Lauren :)

                                        I could only reach the bottom quarter of the shelf

Spirit Animal

One of our craziest adventures was finding out our spirit animal/center animal on our power wheel. Now this may sound a little silly but it’s actually pretty neat! One day we were all hanging out in the living room after breakfast just talking and Sadie mentioned that she has always wanted to know what her spirit animal was. Paddy said that she had a friend, Sue, who was a shaman and she would probably be more than happy to do a drum journey with us to find out our power creature. It was so nice of Paddy and Jo to get in touch with Sue and set it up! Alrighty so you may be wondering what the heck a shaman or a drum journey is. I had no idea at that point either. But basically (as far as my knowledge goes) a shaman is a person who helps guide you through meditation and they also have some healing powers. I guess another way of stating it is they are spiritual leaders. A drum journey is a process where the shaman drums a certain beat as you are guided through meditation. Sue was really good at explaining the whole process and I’ll try and do the same so it kind of makes sense. Pretty much I laid on a table and wore this eye mask to block out all the light. Sue began to drum and she asked me to imagine a light coming up through my feet then to my legs, torso, arms, shoulders and head. By this point I was so calm and my body felt at one with the table. It was the same feeling I have when I do yoga, super relaxed! Then Sue asked me to imagine a specific scenery in nature either one that I knew or had made up. She got me to visualize the details and imagine I was standing right there in the middle of it all. I thought of a forest but it was really hard to focus at first. My mind is usually everywhere and I can’t daydream let alone meditate. Finally I got it all figured out and I was ready for the next step. She then asked me to imagine myself in my scenery picking up a stone from the ground in the east and then putting it down in the east. As directed, I did this for all the other directions, west north, south, southeast and so on. This was done to build the circle. After the circle is built you call in your center power animal. There is only one so when it comes in you ask if it is your true center animal. Sometimes you don’t see it right away or you only see a portion so you can ask it questions to confirm what it really is. At first I saw a patch of brown fur so I thought it was a squirrel but then it got bigger so maybe it was a beaver? I asked it to show me its tail and there it was, not a beaver but a big fat......

Good fishermen know all the angles,reel experts can tackle anything

 I hadn’t been fishing in so long so it was a treat when Jesse, Paddy and Jo’s friend agreed to take us out on his boat for the day. My only other fishing experiences have been at my aunt and uncles pond but that thing is rigged. You know there are fish in it, because they put them in there. It’s very different when your out on the lake and the fish are wild. The thrill of catching one is just a thousand times more fulfilling. I caught two bass and a lot of seaweed! It was such a fun day and I’ve decided that I love fishing! The ride back on the boat was super rough though; Lauren and I sat on the front of the boat and every time a wave crashed against the boat we went flying into the air and then SMACK, we’d hit the boat so hard I was sure I’d have to book an appointment with my chiropractor as soon as I got home. There were a few too many times I thought I’d just fly off the boat so I ducked down and wedged myself between the cooler and the side of the boat. Super uncomfortable but way safer!!

                                                                   Hahaha! Caught One!!!!

                                           Jesse,Sadie and I just chillin' on the boat

 Lauren looked so surprised that she was a good bass fisher. She beat Sadie and I with a grand total of 3 little fishies

                                                                    Proud moment!

                                                             Never fish and tell :)

                                    These girls are just so awesome and beautiful!