Food guide

January 31st, 2008

So it's not really a secret that I like to eat...
who doesn't?
I'm not big on "crash" diets,
That would be why when I first saw this book on the Ellen Degeneres Show
I knew I HAD to have it!!
This isn't one of those typical what to eat diet books
it takes simple everyday junkfood and tells you which crap is healthier!
For example...
The big mac, better for you than the Whopper!
With the Big Mac being 540 calories and 29g of fat,
the Whopper... 760 calories and 47g of fat!
Who ever would have thought that McDonalds would be a healthier choice?
But the best part is it doesn't just tell you what fast food places are better.
It tells you what easter goodies or halloween treats would be the better choice.
At the movies or ballpark.
Big holiday family dinners, tells you which choices are best.
Regular everyday condiments,
juices, starbucks, breads, pasta and sauces...
etc...
I actually just sit and read this book for no random reason!
I can't explain it!
But its a realistic book one that I'm sure I'll consider the next time the kids want pizza
or McDonalds!

Guitar Heroes

January 30th, 2008

This is Preston and Hayden playing guitar.
They're two of my three guitar gods.
All 3 of my boys play...
well Preston is really just starting.
This electric guitar of Hayden's, he bought himself
with his Christmas money.
It amazes me how fast they learn how to play!
Here, they're playing Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple.
Preston can really only play the first few notes, but you can tell what song it is!!

Maybe it's just cuz I'm Mom!

A Tribute

January 29th, 2008

Today Preston had a doctor's appointment.
He got a prescription for an infected eczema rash,
so we needed to go to the pharmacy about a 15-20 minute
walk away through downtown Oshawa.
En route to the pharmacy, it donned on me that this was a perfect photo
opportunity for today!
We came across a large monument,
a tribute to the many fallen soldiers from the Oshawa area.
"Garden of the Unforgotten"
This was beside that monument,
painted on the side of a band shell.
I liked it, a splash of color in the middle of a dreary wet winter,
but also a tribute to the many who give the ultimate sacrifice for us, our country, and our freedoms!

Beautiful winter night

January 28th, 2008

To say I was uninspired today doesn't even begin to describe my day.
I worked til midnight and quite honestly I'm getting tired of taking pictures of
things within my home...
So I was waiting for my taxi tonight to get home,
and remembered I had to take a picture,
nothing special about tonight,
weather was a bit cool, but a clear night.
So I took a picture of a tree in front of my work,
then made it look like a beautiful winter night!
Can't wait til I can take pretty pictures!

Houston, we have a penguin problem!

January 27th, 2008

My soon to be 19 year old son, Wes, has a problem.
I mean aside from the usual problems that teenage boys have.
He seems to love penguins.
This is a bit of his penguin collection
he's got a penguin calender, penguin pants.
Pretty much anything penguin, you're pretty sure it's a safe buy...
In this picture he's got a penguin figure or statue (that's what he calls it)
that his girlfriends mother bought for him
of a penguin on a sled, with a baby penguin on it's back.
3 penguin movies, 9 little toy figures,
penguin gummies (he won't eat them!)
Penguin poop,
Penguin hot chocolate.
A penguin pen, magnet,
pillow and blanket,
a key chain (one of his two)
and 7 stuffed penguins!
It's actually cute to see him in a store with penguins,
it's like when he was a little boy in a dollar store or toy store,
he gets all giddy and excited!
Guess that just proves that boys never do grow up!!

What's in a name?

January 26th, 2008

So this is my family crest... well it's my husband's family crest, so through marriage,
my family crest.
I don't understand men and their attachment to their last names,
I know it's not just my husband like this...
My maiden name is Nott,
if I say that one of the kids is behaving like a "Nott" or has "Nott" features or atributes,
my husband gets upset!
"They aren't Nott's!"

But I am!

Sure, I took his name when we married,
but at the core, I'm a Nott.
So if my children possess these characteristics
or traits I should be allowed to call them Nott traits!
There is an undisputed stubbornness among the Nott clan,
we all know it! And I'm reminded all the time that I have my father's stubbornness.
My father, last name, NOTT!
So when my children have that stubbornness aren't they "Nott" at that moment?
Why can't I have the same attachment to my family name?
I married him and took his last name,
does that mean WHO I am changes too?
I don't think so!!
Not this girl!
I've got that Nott stubborn streak going!!
Of course the children do have their father's last name,
and just as my husband got this crest from his father
(it's supposed to go to the oldest son!)
Wes will one day get this crest...
Hayden and Preston are upset that they too don't get a crest...
It starts young, this last name thing!

Truth in fridge magnets.

January 25th, 2008


I saw this magnet in a dollar store and HAD to buy it!
Why...
Because sadly, I'm the mother of 2 teenage boys!
When I read this magnet I had a visual image of me physically trying to nail jello in its solidish form to a tree...
which of course is just as possible as raising teenagers,
you think you can do it, only to realize it's an impossible feat!
I remember being a teenager, back in the good old days of knowing it all...

I wish I knew half as much now as I did back then!

Mother and Daughter

January 24th, 2008

This is my friend Stephanie and her brand spankin new baby girl Jaylah.
Stephanie and Jaylah came to visit today,
I forgot that all newborns do is sleep!
I've had 3 babies, and with 16 nieces and nephews under my belt
I've definitely held and cuddled my fair share of newborns...
Jaylah by far, has got to be the tiniest baby I've ever held!
Born on January 5th, she weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces.
Not so sure what she weighs now, but I assure you it's not much!
She was wearing green so I fixed the color of her sleeper for this picture!!

Jax in action

January 23rd, 2008

Feeling uninspired today, I decided that Jax was great subject matter...
Here he is stealin an apple off the couch.
Well it's not really stealing, it was his apple,
Just he didn't want the piece that was cut off,
he wanted the WHOLE apple!

Cookie Press

January 22nd, 2008

At the request of my non-bff I am now posting a picture of my cookie press...
There are 12 shapes of cookies that can be made, among some of which are a christmas tree, pumpkin, and a heart.
It's simple to use,
a fact that is evident by the fact that I can use it!
Simply hold the gun to your cookie tray, pull the trigger,
and when you lift,
VOILA!
A nicely shaped, perfect sized cookie!

Cookie Time

January 21st, 2008

So today, I decided that I was really going to bake cookies to fill THE cookie jar.
So when I got home from work tonight at 10pm, I started the baking process...
I got a new cookie press recently and thought it would "fun" to play with it tonight...
Well shortbreads are my favorite cookies (really, I haven't met a cookie I didn't eat!!)
and I thought that they would look nice when made with a cookie press...
So 201 cookies later, the cookie jar holds 116...
Believe it or not, a single batch of cookie dough made that many cookies with the press!
Sadly, I'll likely have to make more in a week!

Hayden has puberty

January 20th, 2008

So while this is a picture of Hayden, the story itself is actually a story about Preston,
my very intelligent and inquisitive 9 year old son.
This is Hayden, just turned 13, you can see just above his left eyebrow, he's got a zit.

One day last spring, I don't remember what was on TV, but whatever it was, prompted Preston to ask what puberty was.
So being the lazy mom I am, and wanting to give my son the best information
I could find, I googled puberty and found a web site (I wish I bookmarked!) that explained
what puberty was, aimed at the young inquiring minds!
I proceeded to read the numerous changes that the male body goes through, both physically and emotionally.
As I'm reading all this with Preston sitting on my lap, following me, I can see him absorbing
all this information that's being fed to him.
He says to me...
"Mom, I don't know how to say this....
I think Hayden has puberty"

I literally laughed my ass off! Hayden HAS puberty like he had the flu or a common cold!
I then broke the news to my then 8 year old son that he too, one day, would HAVE puberty!

7 Grandchildren

January 19th, 2008

So this last summer, we decided that for my dad we would get all of his 7 (soon to be be 8) grandkids together for a portrait. You would think that this wouldn't be all that difficult, however I assure it was quite the ordeal...
Wes, the oldest of the bunch, wears NOTHING but black, and was very resistant to having to wear a white t-shirt.
I informed him that this was for his grandfather, the same grandfather who spoiled him rotten, all he'd have to do is say "I want" and good ol Papa, would get!!
He bitched, and whined about the white t-shirt but at the end of it all I won!
Alyssa, my brothers youngest, and the only girl among them, was the most difficult.
Refusing to smile and look at the camera at the same time....
Of course babies always make any task more challenging, so Logan, my sisters first child was wiggly and whiny.
Preston and Austin, the younger two boys laying on the ground were trying too hard to keep a smile on no matter how fake it looked!
Hayden and Kyle the two 12 year olds (at the time) were fine,
very laid back, but obviously they know they're beautiful boys and the camera loves them...
In the room with the kids and the photographers, there were 2,
was my brother, sister and myself.
Of course all these 30-something grown-ups were doing everything,
from fart noises and teasing,
imitating and play fighting
just to get 7 grandchildren smiling and looking good for their grandfather....
of the seemingly millions of pictures and poses taken that day, this is one of the two poses that we chose to purchase,
the other, was the same pose but with the kids all cracking up laughing not all looking at the camera.
All in all, it was a fun day, and I dread doing it again with 8 grandchildren!

My Stick

January 18th, 2008

Christmas 2006 again, my non-bff, Jaimi got me a music DVD and this bamboo which was only as tall as the lowest larger leaves. My husband's reply to these thoughtful gifts... MY gifts... "oh, so she got you a coaster and a stick"...
So this is my stick, it's really the only plant life I have because I have the innate ability to kill any form of plant life in my possession....
So how my stick has grown 11 whole inches in 2 years and not died is beyond me!!
My bamboo stick is like my friendship with Jaims,
it's grown bigger, and stronger, is impossible to kill,
and made my move from London to Oshawa difficult!
I love my stick...
It reminds me of Jaimi!

Matchbox 20

January 17th, 2008

So I get a phone call from Jaimi today at like 12:40pm asking me if I'd watched the view today...
"No" I say, "why"...
"MATCHBOX 20 was on!!
Extra special thanx to two little words
TIME SHIFTING
I watched The View at 1pm est.
So I thought I'd take a picture of Rob Thomas doin what he does oh so well...
look pretty, and singing!
Having to wait 5 years for Matchbox to put out more music was torture,
but Rob's solo album was awesome!!
I know both Jaimi and I are ELATED that the boys are at it again!!

Global Warming

January 16th, 2008

So in mid January, this GIANT puddle, should be a pile of snow, or perhaps a sheet of ice, in fact just one month ago, it was a pile of snow, and sadly, now it's a giant puddle... deep enough that my shoes would have gotten soaked had I walked through it.
Today was warm enough that I didn't need my winter coat, just a sweater...
It's sad really,
one of my fondest memories when I was a child was going sledding, and ice skating, my kids only had a couple good weeks of tobogganing so far this year... I want winter back!!
Sure its cold, and people get miserable because of snow, slush and all that crap, but this is Canada after all!!

Jax, the hyper bunny rabbit

January 15th, 2008

A friend of mine from from work, Dana, was moving to Banff and was unable to take her pet bunny with her...
so this is our other bunny Jax, he's what we call a tad energetic, Trix is a very calm relaxed family pet, Jax absolutely MUST be watched!!
He's a lot of fun, very interactive, and I think the cutest thing about him is his ears,
the one is ALWAYS up and the other, is ALWAYS down...
Kinda adds character!

Brutal reality

January 14th, 2008


My middle son, Hayden, currently about to turn 13, had his whole life change in a HUGE way on January 1st 2003.
Just 2 weeks before his 8th birthday, at a time of season where kids are enjoying their Christmas scores and looking forward to going back to school to share with their friends their list of gifts they'd gotten,
Hayden was diagnosed with type 1 (juvenile) diabetes.
This picture is a picture of his everyday reality,
a glucometer, insulin pens, pen needles, sharps disposals, test strips, corn syrup for low blood sugars, hand sanitizer so he can clean his hands fast, alcohol for cleaning his insulin pens,
all of this sits on top a 3 drawer caddy which is full of supplies, nutrition guides for carb counting, and a whole lot more.
Hayden takes 4 needles a day, tests his blood sugar with finger pokes at least 4 times a day!
He HAS to eat, even when he's sick and doesn't want to, if not, off to the hospital for an IV...
Crappy reality for a child, but it is a reality that many kids are forced to live with,
thankfully the solution is as simple as needles and monitoring.
The only real advantage to this happening to Hayden, (the optimist in me has to find one!)
aside from it showing me just how very strong my young man can be, is it has turned him into
such a responsible young man, reliable, and trust worthy.
He deals with diabetes in a responsible way, and is currently looking forward to possibly getting an insulin pump which means less needles...

Now to wait for a cure....

Portrait of us

January 13th, 2008

I don't even know what to call this one... this a photo of a portrait my mother had drawn in chalk for my grandmother so many moons ago that they stopped counting!
I'm the one on the left with my little sister.
Now this is the thing, the picture that the chalk drawing was taken from.... I remember it being taken!!
I was wearing a native headband (Dad's side of the family is Native Indian)
I was also on my knees, because, I guess,
I was considerably taller than my sister who is not only 2 and a half years younger but also was a preemie baby, so size was always an issue.
Even kneeling beside my sister I was still just her eye level in the photograph!
So Mom had the artist remove the headband and make me appear taller than my sister.
This was a gift for my grandmother from my mom,
I guess when my grandmother moved from a house into a seniors building she gave the sketch back to my mother, who after a number of years, in turn, gave it to me...
Perhaps not so obvious in this photo,
as was the case through most of my childhood
my sister and I are wearing nearly identical dresses,
the only difference?
Colour!
Mine blue, hers red!!

WHY???

Most thoughtful Christmas gift ever.

January 12, 2008

December 25th 2006, BIG surprise, my father who lives in a different province was coming to visit his kids.
He told my sister, and he told my brother, my older sister is developmentally disabled, so she wouldn't understand even if she was told, and my other brother lives with my father so he knew, so really this a surprise for me and my boys.
Or so my dad thought.
My sister and I are very close and of course she let me know my dad's plans.
My father who usually gives cash or gift cards, cash to the grandkids, and gift cards to his kids, decided that this year instead of gift cards, he got gifts for the females of the bunch. Me, my sisters, and my brother's girlfriend, (he got nothing!!)
I got this, which I must admit made me cry. I love music so very much, I listen to all types and spend any spare time listening to it.
Of course my father would know that music is my passion, and for the first time ever, I honestly felt like my father thought of me when he bought me a gift!
Proving to me that it really is the thought behind the gift that counts. This is something I really will cherish for the rest of my life, knowing that my father knew me and thought of me!

Most Cherished Possession

January 11th, 2008

I suppose there is really no need for explanation here,
family, immediate and extended, truly is the most important thing.
Some wait their whole lives to have a fraction of what I've been blessed with.
A large extended family full of love.
I know some families who all argue and fight, brothers and sisters who haven't talked to each other for years.
I am proud to say that both my husband and I are the second of 5 kids, and we both talk to all of our siblings.
I am very proud of my family, large, lots of nieces and nephews.
Not to mention my 3 Taitertots!
3 young men that I've been blessed to raise and torture!
Of course now that one of the young men is almost 19 I've realized the challenges don't end with puberty!! I can't wait til he's human again!!

Old Hat

January 10th, 2008

This is my husbands hat, well really it's an extension of his head!
He's had this had for as far back as I can remember, I guess 12ish years, when he got it, it was very crisp, black, suede. This had has seen many things, fishing trips, excursions to amusement parks, walks in the rain, snow. It's been in the coldest of cold and the hottest of hot weathers. He wears this everywhere but to work, he gets many compliments on this hat, I guess he feel about this hat the way I do my big, ugly purse...
I however think that his hat suits him and will be very sad for him and with him when his hat doesn't block the rain and sun for him anymore.
It's such a big part of him!

THE Cookie Jar

January 9th, 2008

So from as far back as I can remember (3 or 4 years of age) my godmother (Aunt Babe) always had the BEST home-made cookies.
EVERYTIME I went to her place as a little girl, before even my coat was off I'd run to her kitchen open the cupboard door and find THE cookie jar... always freshly filled with peanut butter and shortbread cookies. I don't remember a time in my life where Aunt Babe didn't have cookies waiting for me. In fact, if you look at the bow on the bear, you can see how old it is because the paint is all chipping off!
My mother had taken THE cookie jar when my Aunt Babe passed away in 1991.
In 2002 when my Mom passed she gave THE cookie jar to my sister, today, my sister gave it to me!!
I can't wait to fill it with cookies tomorrow, I'm thinking a nice fresh batch of shortbread!!

Mom's Chair

January 8th, 2008

Although this chair is not at all my style, it was my mother's rocking chair, so of course it holds a lot of sentimental value to me. A chair that no one is allowed to sit on, reserves a seat for mom, even if only in my heart!
It's dusty because it was put in another room to make space for the Christmas tree that is about to come down, so I thought a piece of my dear mother was definitely called for!

My Purse

January 7th, 2008

This is my current purse I'm using, the husband doesn't like it cuz it's too big and ugly. But big is what I love about it!!!
It probably could hold the kitchen sink!
Funny thing about my $45 avon purse... I was looking through a magazine at work,
saw a Guess add with a woman holding a purse VERY similar to mine!!
Hubby says mine is ugly...
what do men know about purses anyway??

Mazda MX 3

January 6th, 2008

This car belongs to my friend Julie from work, the dashboard is pink as well... and the paint is sparkalie pink, something I fear is lost on this photo due to the fact that it was night time and raining when I took this picture!! I've been in this car more than once, its a itty bitty thing but sure is a nice ride, can't help but feel girly!!

Non-Bff's

January 5th, 2008

NON-BFF'S I guess the picture says it all!! So this is the last time I saw Jaimi... Hopefull 2008 will allow us more time to visit!

View from my Balcony

January 4th, 2008

Ok so I've discovered how work and family will impede my ability to post pictures daily, I will take them daily, and make every effort to post them daily, but life does get busy! I know what Pic I wanna take today, but I work til 1:30am.... see so many obstacles!

As for this photo, across the street is a 7-11, beer store, kitty corner, liquor store, blockbuster, price chopper among many others!! Way off in the distance.... Lake Ontario!!

From the outside looking in....

January 3rd, 2008

Ok so today I'm cheating, but not really.... two pictures, one of my building, the other a close up of my balcony... mine is the one with the satellite dish and something sticking out of the bottom... what's across the street from that balcony may follow another day! But at least I was outside... it was snowing today. In the top pic of the whole building, my balcony is third down from the top, third row over from the right!!

Polka dot shower curtain

January 2nd, 2008

Truly uninspired as of yet, another day of laziness, haven't ventured outside of the homestead in 2008... unless you count the balcony! Tomorrow I'll be out in the world, hopefully I'll cross paths with something that piques my interest!

So for today, my shower curtain, if you look close enough you can find the art in this photo!! Look close though!!

Trix

January 1st, 2008

Start a photo blog on January 1st, 2008, sounds simple enough right? WRONG!! I did take the picture yesterday, however in typical procrastinator form I'm only getting around to posting it today!!

So being a holiday, I really had no desire or urge to leave my home so for my picture, a family pet! Trix! One of our two bunnies!!