Stylish Blogger Award

I had a visitor to my blog who kindly chose me to receive a Stylish blog Award. This is so cool and I hope it means that more people will come and visit my blog (and encourage me to put more on my blog). It was like an early Christmas present!

To accept this award, I must do the following:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded me this award
2. Share 8 things about yourself
3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards

Requirements for Award:

1. Thanks to Raechel

I give great thanks and appreciation to Raechel (at http://raechelscards.blogspot.com/) for visiting my blog and choosing me to get this award.

2. Share Eight things about me:

- I love the lights at Christmas time

- I've been scrapbooking since 1998.

- My 1st scrapbooking album(s) was for a trip to Australia

- I need to join a Cricut Cartridge Addiction Group ;)

- I had my son when I was 41 & glad I didn't miss this opportunity to have a child

- I have traveled to Australia, Cooks Islands, Japan, Bali, several European Countries, US States & Canadian provinces.

- I spend too much time on the internet

- I eat too much junk and fast food

3. Pay it forward - here are some great blogs (of Cricut Circle Members) that you should visit!

http://scrapaholicjen.blogspot.com/

http://las-cricut.blogspot.com/

http://www.nadiasbeautifulmess.blogspot.com/

http://chasinkeegan.blogspot.com/

http://scrappercreations.blogspot.com/

http://liliesandpaper.blogspot.com/

http://www.canadianpapershaper.blogspot.com/

http://www.catscrapsalot.blogspot.com/

http://www.scrapcavecreations.com/

4. I'm off to visit these blogs and tell them about their award

- Join me there.

Outdoor Christmas lights

The temperature was about -6C today (instead of -28C it was last week) so we thought we better get out and put up our outdoor lights (since we couldn't do it earlier since I was too sick).

I love the icicle lights and last year several sections in a few of the strings burnt out, so we needed new ones. I wanted the LED cool-white ones (because they are more blue than yellow) so I bought 6 boxes of them. We started putting them up and I quickly realized that we wouldn't have enough to make the strings of them reach the power outlet. I was thinking about an extension cord but GJA thought we could get one of the sets from last year (that still work) and use that. Well... there was one that still lit all the lights, so up it went, even though I knew it was a bad idea.

Neither of us wanted to stand in the snow to put up lights across the front porch, so there were WAY too many icicle lights so he wound them back and forth for a bit. Not happy...it needs to be across the front porch, but since I'm the one that would have to stand in the snow, I''ll live with it. ANYHOW...GJA turned on the lights and YUCK...the old lights are YELLOW compared to the nice, beautiful blue-white ones...AARRGGH!

This MUST be changed...we need the weather to cooperate for a little longer so that one string can be changed. I drove like a crazy woman to Canadian Tire to get more lights...and I got the last 4 boxes of the cool-white. If I wanted multi-color or yellow-white...there were tons left.

I'll try to take a picture of this disaster...and PLEASE PLEASE let the weather be nice next weekend so this can be changed. GJA has to work today...and then zip back in time for the Grey Cup (since the Riders are in and its being played in town...its important for him to watch...whatever)....so they won't be changed today.

Go http://scrapperdee-rambling.blogspot.com/2010/12/outdoor-christmas-lights.html for the photo

Video from Santa

Here's a link to a video message to PJ from Santa:

http://magicsanta.ca/player.html?code=PBOBDQ

My longest illness

I'm (hopefully) at the end of the longest illness that I'll ever have (knock on wood). I started with a cold the 1st of October and by Thanksgiving (October 9) I had a 2-day stomach virus - which was quite unpleasant and resulted in NO turkey for anyone...boo hoo.

That settled down into a cough...which expanded to my sinuses. I hadn't slept a full night sleep in about a week because I couldn't breath and it made the cough worse. By Nov 7, it was unbearable. I coughed and it felt like my brain was going to splat into my skull and every step hurt...so I decided to go to a DR. I was so sure the DR would say...its a cold, go home, but he gave me a prescription for antibiotics for a sinus infection.

A 10 day termination notice for the infection was given. I had to take 2, 500 mg horse pills every day for 10 days and I took the 1st 2-pill dose that evening during supper. The next morning I could tell that some of the pressure in my head had lessened....phew. That night, it took the 2nd 2-pill dose. Then 2 hours later, I was sick to my stomach and lost my supper...boo. The next morning, more of the same...and it just wouldn't stop. I went to the pharmacist and she agreed that it was a very bad reaction to the medication, so had to contact the Dr to get a new prescription. I couldn't eat that entire day...and around 4pm, I finally was able to keep water down - good times.

I got the new medication that night, but waited until the next evening to start again. I wanted to be able to keep food down before I tried to take the medication. These pills were small and I only needed 1, 250 mg a day for 5 days...odd....and the medication continues to do its thing to the infection for the full 10 days.

The 10th day was yesterday night - I've been able to sleep through the night for the last week (phew) but I'm still pretty tired from all the weeks with poor sleep. I'm still coughing, but at least the pressure in my head is gone.

I hope this is the longest illness I have to deal with...and I'm still knocking on wood.

2010 Christmas Cards

I have ALL of my Christmas cards made & have been put in addressed envelopes and are written in. I still have to finish the newsletter (as pathetic as it will be, its still got to get done) and print photos...then I'm ready to MAIL them! WOO HOO - its always good to get those out in snail-mail land.

I'll take a photo of a card (or 2) and post them before I mail them all away.

I changed my template and I LOVE it!

OMG - one of the Canadian cricut circle members gave me a link to a wonderful blog where there are some free templates and backgrounds for blogs here in blogger.

I am so excited. I chose one of the "I love winter" ones...because its blue (not because I love winter!)

Here's the link to her blog:

http://www.leeloublogs.blogspot.com/

Missed it by THAT MUCH

I missed the delivery of my new machine yesterday by 1 hr...argh! They are going to attempt again today before 5pm...so you just know they'll be here when I'm off getting PJ from school!

At least I know its in the city - this long LONG wait is almost over! I've been waiting for it since Sept 15.