Jens 29th

It has been an extremely busy weekend, but a good one for some family time.  It forces us to slow down and smell the coffee, or maybe even have one.  So today was our oldest daughters 29th birthday!  Wow, I can't believe it, where has the time gone.  We had a nice get together at Jens, with of course ice-cream cake and good conversation.  I told her birth story last year so I will contain myself, haha.  But one thing I do know is she was the best gift to our family after the year we had, so God is good and he gave us someone very special so we could move forward in this life and be happy again.  Happy Birthday Jen.

Of course we had to have the homemade ice-cream cake from Mantua.  It is only the best.  I usually order the large with butterscotch and reeses pieces inside, and it is so good.

Leave it to me to try and decorate the top of the cake, haha.

Cole has a lot of musical talent and loves to sing Happy Birthday.

He also loves to blow out the candles.

Jen loves her little boys, and so do we.  I hope you had a great day Jen.

My Moms 83rd Birthday

Well we had another successful birthday for my mom.  She usually celebrates with all of her sisters which she is still so lucky to have.  They celebrate all of their birthdays together, then we have our own on her day.  As hard as it is for me to try and forget 30 yrs ago on this day, it changed our lives, I decided there is nothing I can do about that, and if you let old memories to keep coming in (especially the bad ones), then that just sets the tone for the day.  My mom never mentions it, I know so we won't get upset, but we are very strong people.  So we had our little celebration and mom and Yvon bought themselves a new tree, so my sister mentioned that we should decorate it.  So without moms permission haha, we went ahead and did it.  There was Brenda, Jen, Kim, myself all had a hand in it, while the great grandsons decorated their own that great grammie had setup for them.  In a flash it was done, and I hope she likes it!  If not believe me she will change it, haha.  Happy Birthday mom. luv you.

Mom & the boys went to blow out her candles and of course Peter takes one big blow and they didn't even get to do it, so we had to relight.  Funny thing is mom didn't even realize Peter did it, haha.

Okay boys, lets do this again.  I am glad they are getting to know and love their great grammie.  Especially since she feeds them alot! haha.

I am sure my mom will remember this day.

Cole absolutely loved the nutcracker.

Cole and mommy

My daughters and my sister.

So happy everyone got together.  Tyler came up from the city to help celebrate.  And so did Brenda.

We create some noise and confusion but we love it, haha.  This is my daughter Jen, Tylers girlfriend Violet, Son Tyler, daughter Kim and Jens son Cole.

Sister Brenda, mom Phyllis and myself

I think they enjoyed it.  Mom & Yvon.

Well that is how we left it, I wonder if it will look that way the next time we go in, haha.

First Major Nov Snow Fall

Well we knew it had to happen.  We have had a little snow, nothing major, so the storm yesterday caused a lot of havic in Nova Scotia.  We must have gotten over 30 cm for sure here.  Our roads got bad fast and some were not even cleared by the next afternoon.  The roads were grease, I spun all the way up the mountain, and boy was I nervous, but like the little engine that could, I did.  Well I get to stay inside and decorate my hubby is busy outside getting the yard cleaned out and also others in the neighbourhood.

Peter went out last night to get ahead of the game, good thing he did or I wouldn't have gotten out this morning.

I think we will take my car this morning, haha.

Oh, I love Nova Scotia, really I do.

We are going to have plus 10 temps on the weekend, this will lower.

But we need to find the beauty in everything.

Decorating More

Little by little I am getting out my Christmas things.  I like to work with the things I have already.  I usually don't have to go buy anything new.  Except for my tree this year but it was only a couple of new things.  And my husband already had bought me the bulbs after Christmas last year.  So here is my update for today.

I reuse things that have been given to me as gifts.  I was given this cute basket with some homemade peanut brittle!  And it was so good.  So of course I ate the treat and kept the basket and just put some bulbs in it.

Having some leftover bulbs this year, they look so cute as decorations, just put them anywhere.  I put the bigger ones in a flower vase, that of course was given to me.

Just setting a little can on top of a box looks so cute.  You don't have to be professional to have a nice display.

More of last years bulbs, I just put them in another vase and placed them on the floor by the tree.

I put my nice cinnamon scented pinecones on a tv tray, put some mini lights inside and whatever else to deck it out.

May I like my basket here, I love my table cloth I got at the NSCC flee market for a big $1. 

I always wanted cabinets low enough (well first so I could reach inside, because I am short) and secondly for the space on top

I just added some pine branches from my pine tree outside to my craft.

What was I thinking, snowmen without snow.  So I added the snow today.

Got my Dickens village set up.

And of course my special ornament, my cousin, Janet, who I miss very much gave to me.  I always say she is watching from my tree.  That's it for today, wonder what I will find tomorrow.  I hope you enjoy viewing as much as I enjoy showing.

Slow Cooker Meal


I haven't used a slow cooker much through the years, but am now having fun with it.  So today I decided to do an inside round oven roast.  I get it when they are on sale at Sobeys.  And only add a few potatoes and carrots, and a packet of club house pot roast seasoning and you have supper, and we love it.

To start, I spray my crockpot with a little cooking spray.  Then I add the potatoes and carrots.  I brown the roast in my cast iron frying pan and add that to the top of the vegs, then top with an onion and a couple slivers of green pepper.

To top it off, I add a package of Club House seasoning with a cup of water.  Then put it on low for 8 hrs, and supper was wonderful.  I meant to take a picture of the finished but was to hungry and forgot :)

Christmas Tree

My updated tree from yesterday.  I know I had enough on it, but something just wasn't right.  So when I was at Michaels today I noticed how there ribbon was done, and it was to late to string mine in rows, it just didn't look right after it was already decorated, so I took my ribbon that I already had and cut it into sections and did them like I guess ribbon candy and just stuck them in the tree.  And I am satisfied, for today that is, lol.

This is what I did to my ribbon.

Starting to get the snowmen out.  Everything on this shelf was a gift at one point or another.  I truly appreciate what people give to me.

Tis The Season

Well, it is that time of year when we start thinking about the Christmas season and what we need to do to get ready.  It is nice to plan ahead so there won't be so much work and worry.  Now that would be nice, wouldn't it?  My mom hosts every other event, so at Christmas we do our own, and with our family growing, it is for quite a few.  But I don't mind, I stress over things so they will be perfect of course.  So this year, mainly because of my allergies we have decided to purchase an artificial tree this year.  Now that the children have all moved out we figured we were safe getting one, haha.  They haven't said too much about going fake.  We got it for an awesome price, so bought it, being frugal I had to make sure it was a good purchase.  Now the next good thing about artificial is you can put it up as early as you want, so on the weekend I decided to put up the tree!  I never put it up until the middle of December.  My tree is usually red and gold, but my husband got me some bulbs at Home Depot last year after Christmas, marked way down (I am teaching him :)) But one problem is that the Martha Stewart bulbs were red/white/silver.  So that just changed my red and gold theme.  So okay without buying all new I went through my Christmas stuff and luckily found more red bulbs I got at Michaels on sale, and more red, the only thing I had to buy was the pointsettas, and I found them on sale at Zellers.  I wanted white, but settled for red.  The tree skirt, I purchased last year at the after Christmas clearance sales.  So I am enjoying my new tree, so far.  We had to purchase some pine scented sticks to put on it for that Christmas smell.  Actually I can't wait to celebrate Christmas this year for some reason, so I am looking forward to it.  Usually for our Christmas meal we do the turkey, and all of the fixings, homemade dressing, gravy, homemade cheesecake, which they love me to do.  Homemade rolls, coleslaw.  Okay that's enough, I am starting to see all the work involved, haha.  Merry Christmas season to everyone, and take time to enjoy the people in your life and just spend some time sitting with someone and having a good conversation and really be there.  If this turns out yellow, I pressed spell check and turned everything that color!

Merry Christmas Everyone.

November is for Remembering

Even though I am fine talking about things, November is the month my families lives changed forever.  I know I have talked about my brother before, but November is for remembering.  If there is someone out there thinking about suicide, maybe they should just take a minute and think it through.  I have seen a lot of shows lately on the subject, and how it impacts a family.  I know when you are depressed, your family is the last ones you can or want to think about.  I honestly think if someone is going to do something life changing, they will keep it to themselves.  I watched Anderson Cooper and his mom is Gloria Vanderbilt and his brother ended his life by suicide, that is how they like to refer it as.  They are still dealing with it, and it is sad.  Do you think the person who does this, thinks it through?  Or are they so caught up in there own reality that they can't think of anyone else.  I lost my brother by suicide, he was 19.  Great guy, loved life and took his own life, and mine will never be the same.  So is it okay?  I say no, not because I went through it, but there is help.  Find someone to talk to and if you don't have anyone, well the internet has become so popular that there are help sites everywhere.  I walked in the suicide walk that was here one year, it was nice.  But haven't heard of one since.  It is happening everyday, someone, somewhere, is feeling helpless and hopeless.  But if they only knew, someone loves them, somewhere, life is worth living, and everyone deserves a chance no matter how hard it may seem.  Anyway, there are alot of happy blogs out there but I see things for what they are, and sometimes they aren't so happy.  My brother Kevin Pineo took his life by suicide on my moms birthday, Nov 26th, 1981, may you rest in peace because I am pretty sure if you were thinking that day you would have never have made the decision you did. Your family loved you then and will love you forever. xoxo

My Dukan Diet Part II

Well it has been 2 months since I started the Dukan Diet.  I have reached the goal they told be was best for my body, which I am happy with.  I have lost 21 pounds!  Can't believe it.  What it has done for me is make me more aware of what I put in my mouth, and get exercise back in my day.  I (we) eat better now then before.  Now I am at the stage where they call it the consolidation stage.  Where I have to be in this stage for 100 days I believe, where I start adding certain foods back in my diet and can have protein with vegs everyday, not one day protein/one protein, veg.  Which I will like because when it is protein day only, the choices are many.  I can add 2 slices of whole grain bread and a fresh fruit everyday!  I am excited about that, haha.  One thing about this diet is you actually taste you food again, and enjoy the flavor.  I haven't started the consolidation yet because I am worried to start gaining, I don't want to have wasted all this time and gain it back.  So I will continue to work hard and be the determined person I am and hope for the best results.  People would probably say it isn't safe but after the initial loss it slows down and comes off gradual.  My blood pressure has dropped big time!  My colitis, still in check.  So how can I complain.  My only down side is dizzy spells, but even they are getting better.  I didn't want to lose a big amount, just enough so I could feel comfortable in my own skin again.  So I can walk up a hill and not have pains in my neck.  To give myself a fighting chance to eat right, which I thought I was doing, but now I know I wasn't.  So I don't regret doing this at all, now I will let you know how the next step goes, fingers crossed.  Wish me luck.

On Our daughters graduation day, And we both felt good!

Pan American Games, Mexico

This is my husbands niece Amanda Sin.  She is the first one to receive a medal (Bronze) in the Pan Am games!  In mountain biking.  She is a symbol of what a person should strive to be.  She grew up right here in little ol Nova Scotia.  Went on to get her Forestry Engineering then Physiotherapist.  But her longing was always for her mountain bike.  So as she travelled around the world biking, her passion grew.  Now a member of one of the best womens team in the world right now.  Her husband is a great support to her.  The games were the last big bang of the year.  And it couldn't have ended better.  We got to see her for a visit this summer, she came right from Sweden home to see her mom.  She even brought us a chocolate bar right from Sweden.  As I was on my diet then, my husband and son volunteered to taste test and said it was the best chocolate they have had.  While she was here she didn't know how much practise she would get in but of course one day she biked all the way to Bedford!  Took 3 hrs and she did fine.  Don't get to see her very often as she lives in Ontario with her hubby, but sure is good to spend time with her.  Very proud of her and her accomplishments.  So if you think you can't do something, just think about it again and go for it!