Using the Rome method.

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Well, I knew that I was only going to be in Rome for a short amount of time (read: one hour), so i decided to adapt the phrase to fit with the great United States of America.

All that really mean is I went to McDonalds for lunch an had some sweet tea as well. Remind me to never have sweet tea again.

An update on me would be the following:
Two hours into the flight from New York to Rome, the I lot told us that they were having some maintenance concerns and rather that risk flyin over the Atlantic we turned back. I was all for going ahead but who listens to me?

Back at JFK, me and a very nice, helpful attendant spent about an hour figuring out how to get me to Athens in time. I'll be flying to London tomorrow morning and from here to Athens In The evening which will have me arriving at two thirty in the morning, not ideal, but it's all part of the adventure.

This is the first time I have ever done something like this by myself before and I thought I handled Everything quite well. Until I made it to the hotel room and realized I couldn't phone my mother. That's when the waterworks finally decided they were allowed to come out in public.

So wish me luck! I'm actually quite excited that I will be able to say I've 'been to London', although not technically , since an airport is international ground.

Now I get to I sleep in my complimentary hotel bed for two hours before starting another full day of flying tomorrow.
Night!

P.S. this was frantically typed on my iPod touch so you might have to guess at some things that I'm trying to say.

Crunch time.

25 hours until departure from Kamloops.

I'm not fully packed.

And for some reason I have not started freaking out yet.


On Monday, April 16th 2012, I will be flying out of Seattle to experience one of the biggest highlights of my life (I'm pretty sure I can say that, this is a pretty big deal).

I will be spending 7 weeks learning about God and the Bible on a sail boat in Greece.
(If you would like to know a little bit more about all of it you can click here)

As if that isn't enough, I will be back packing around Europe after my school is over.

I'm sorry this isn't a lot of information on what I am doing but I don't want to waste precious few hours left at home killing time on a computer. When I get back I will have the full story for you, and a ton of pictures, I'm sure.

I don't want to promise any blog posts while I'm gone, but check back occasionally just in case I manage to squeeze out an update somewhere.

See you in ten weeks!

A pinteresting weekend.

It's feels like it has been such a long time since I have done an 'updating post'. You know, just reminding everybody what I'm up too and all of that fun stuff.
So, really, I'm not even sure that you know much about where I work (a construction site as a 'housekeeper') or what I do in my spare time and weekends (not much on anything, to be honest.).
This post will help delve into that mystery.

As I said previously I work on a construction site. I usually lead with that sentence when I am telling people, but that's a silly idea since then they get really impressed, and I have to let them down by saying all I really do is sweep and pull nails. I guess even holding a hammer is pretty intense for some people. Me, not so much.

I love my job.

I have from the beginning. The cleaning aspect of it is right up my alley, and the whole idea of building a hotel...just seems really cool, and I get to be a part of that.

Anyway, I didn't really come on here tonight to rave about my amazing job.
I was just going to mention that fact that I switched from five 8 hour days to four 10 hour days, but you know me, never giving up the chance to let people know I'm so intense I wear steel toe boots.(I'll leave out the high vis safety vest, 'cause that's just not cool in any way.)

With this change of course means I have a longer weekend, and who can complain about that.
I've noticed that I can get A LOT done with this extra day if I set my mind to it.
A couple weeks ago I painted a whole room on the Friday, and had all of my stuff moved into said room by the end of the weekend. You would think the painting part would take the longest, but you underestimate how much 'stuff' I have possess.

But on the other hand I've noticed how little I can get done in that time if I'm really procrastinating. Which is what I did this weekend. In the end you might say I did a lot. But since it wasn't what needed to get done, I call it nothing.

What needed to get done: Packing my backpack for my upcoming trip.

It didn't get done.

What DID get done:
4 new recipes I found on Pinterest.
1 419 page book.
1 2 1/2 hour nap.
A billion youtube clips of the show "Ellen". Seriously, how have I never seen this show before? Very entertaining.
A second viewing of "The Hunger Games". Well done, in my opinion, but I had no memory of the book, and it seemed that a lot of the movie was shaky and out of focus...possibly supposed to be like that, but it annoyed the crap out of me.
And a whole bunch of other meaningless things.

PINTEREST!
I'm sure if you are a women, over the age of 15 and under the age of 65, you have discovered this online sensation. I've talked to people who love it, and people who just don't get it. Personally, I love it...in spurts. But sometimes I just forget about it, or don't think it is worth my time. I mostly use it for recipes, although you would never know it if you saw my FOOD! pinboard. The thing is, I don't want to pin a recipe until I know it is a success, but by the time I try the recipe out, I forget where the pin originated from. Alright, for all of you blog readers out there who aren't Pinterest fanatics, I will digress.

Well, I'll show you a sample of what I made first.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Squares.
My favourite part of this recipe is that there are no marshmallows! Wait...that's my second fav part. The best part is that it has peanut butter in it :D! But seriously, as much as I like making rice krispie squares, melting the marshmallows stress me out, I'm always worried they will burn, or I won't be able to mix the rice in fast enough. I don't know if you can tell or not but I get stressed easy, I will prove it later on in the post.

'The best ever blueberry muffins'
Okay now. Have you ever been to Starbucks? Have you ever tried their Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins?
Well I have, and they are DELICIOUS! And ever since I had my first one a couple of months ago, I have been searching for a recipe that can replicate that taste. My first attempt was with 'Buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake'(found on Pinterest as well.), but it was too lemony. Not saying that was a bad thing, but just not the taste I was looking for.
But these muffins here, I think they come pretty close. I actually didn't taste them until just now, which is a day later, and they were in a tupperware which made them a bit moist so not the ideal for a muffin, but yumm, I give them a thumbs up.)

Now, I've told you about my job, my weekend, next would be my excuse for the lack of blog posting...which can be boiled down to the job and the weekend.
You see, when you work ten hour days, you come home and it's already past dinnertime, and you are tired and you don't really want to do anything. Now, I could give you blog updates about all the funny youtube videos I've been watching, and the plot of the latest book I read, but that just don't sound very fun at all. Unless it's a really hilarious clip.
On the weekends I have mainly been catching up on stuff that I can no longer do on the weekdays, and getting ready for my trip, so again, not very blog worthy.

You might argue that a real writer could make something out of nothing and create the greatest stories out of all the blah I just told you about, but I'm not a real writer. I just started this blog back when I was 14 for no apparent reason at all. Haha, I just realized this blog still has no reason, so I haven't come very far, have I?
And... There is the whole factor of followers. I see the amount of followers I have rise all the time, and it scares me a little. That might be a bit of the reason I have been hiding out lately.
The idea that so many people are waiting so see what I say next...just a wee bit nerve wracking.

Alright, I feel as this post is getting a little long-winded so I'll just end with one announcement.

Exactly 2 weeks from now I will be in Seattle less than twelve hours away from my flight to Athens, Greece. Am I freaking out? YES!
This is where the stress part comes in. I have been planning this trip for months. But not really planning, because I knew I would be stressed out by it, so I kept putting it off. Well, it's pretty close now, so it can't really be avoided anymore. But if you know me at all, you know that packing of any kind gets me worked up. And the thing is...I just don't know how to pack for this trip, especially when all my stuff has to fit into one 55 litre backpack (trust me, it's not as big as it sounds). So. That's that. I have come pretty close to hyperventilating a couple of times. It hasn't been pretty. But hopefully I will get the situation in control as soon as possible so I won't be a quivering mess for the remaining two weeks.

I will be back soon with more information about my trip.

Thank you all for reading!

Happy things.

                                                        My brother is getting married!

Haha, no, I did not just find out. I have known since a couple days before he proposed...back...whenever that was :). But since I didn't have a picture of them together yet, I decided to wait.
The picture isn't that great, I'm blaming it on the 'Blah' look that Kamloops always gets in the winter.

This is pretty exciting news though. It will be the first wedding on both the Lefebvre and the Laitinen sides.

Other good things are...This song!
Usually when I hear new music by my favourite artists, it takes me a while to adjust and start liking them. But this song was insta-mega love.
The catchy beat, the band, the use of the word 'groovy', all the necessary parts to create a hit song. I listen to it a lot. Maybe too much. B.M. complained at work the other day...



Now, here is my apology for not being around in the blogging atmosphere of late. I didn't really feel in the mood even today. But I knew you guy's must be craving a little dose of Hannah. And I'm happy to oblige.
But please don't complain if you don't hear from me again for a while. (A while= 1-3 weeks.)

A rush of energy and cheer.

I have never seemed to be that great at routine. I am getting better at it these days, what with having a steady full time job and all. Maybe a little too routine at times. I wake up at the same time every morning, and have specific times for each little task that needs to be done before leaving the house.
But things like remembering to rip off a page of my daily flip calendar usually get forgotten until I'm catching up on everything on the weekend.
That happened this week.

So here I am, late Saturday night, cleaning my room so I can wake up to tranquility in the morning, ripping off several pages in succession.
When I come across this one:

"Happiness 911
Need a quick jolt of happiness, right now? Try this:
Rid yourself of a nagging task. Answer a difficult email, purchase something you need, or call to make that dentist's appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to do list will give you a rush of energy and cheer."

I laughed a little, since I had just finished a headache making hour of filing my tax return. The daunting task had been hanging over my head ever since I got the notice in the mail in early January.
It was frustrating. And I was not kidding about the head ache, it hurts.
But...it's done! I do feel very cheerful. And the added bonus of getting quite a bit of money back makes it that much better.

Of course that was only one irksome task off of a list of many...but I'll worry about those another day.

Christian humour.

I told one of the guys I work with that I was going away to Bible school.

"Bible school...I did that when I was younger!"
"....Oh, really? Are you sure?" Let's just say he didn't strike me as the type.
"Yeah, here in Kamloops."
"Riiiiigggghhht."
"Almost every Sunday, I think my parents probably just wanted to get rid of us kids."
"...That's not Bible school, hun, that's Sunday school. Just a *bit* of a difference."

I would have some blonde humour for you too, but she who will not be named threatened me into changing my mind :).

He called me Tweety Bird.

Before this week I had never dealt with death.

For some reason I thought I would be able to handle it pretty well when the time came, although as some of you may remember me saying before I am very sympathetic. Seeing someone grieving in a movie is enough to start my waterworks.


A week ago today, I was having dinner at my 'pseudo family's' house. It was an early dinner and I had been planning to go to a concert that night of a artist that I had been waiting months to see.

But I got a call.

My grampa was in the hospital and it was time to say goodbye.
He was unconscious, so we couldn't interact with him, but we stayed there all evening, gathered around his bed.
There seemed to be no change, though, so everybody left for their separate homes.

But the second call came at 3am the next morning.

And now he's gone.

When you have known someone your entire life, it is hard to accept that they can be gone and never to return.
It hurts my heart.

My brother and I played a song at the funeral today.
It was a song by one of my grampa's favorite singers.
I didn't actually get to record me and Behn playing it, but I sat down and quickly did a video of it when I got home.
So here is Country Roads by John Denver.

Christmas '08. Enjoying the handknitted toque his daughter, Missy, made for him.

TiLt.

On a complete side note: Today I was running in the snow, and I slipped. Down I went. The entire right side of my body smashed into the frozen ground. Ow. :)

1. Experiencing something so funny that you laugh until you cry. And then burst out laughing the rest of the afternoon every time you remember.
2. Taking pictures of snooowww!

3. My Valentines tulips.

4. Pinterest. To be honest, I've gotten quite addicted. Of course I say that after two days of forgetting that it exists.

5. Getting so wrapped up in a book that you can't doing anything else until it is finished.

6. Bed time. Night, y'all.

Be my Valentine.

Love, it's a special day
We should celebrate and appreciate
That you and me found something pretty neat
And I know some say this day is arbitrary


But it's a good excuse, put our love to use
Baby, I know what to do
Baby,I will love you
I'll love you, I'll love you


Love, I don't need those things
I don't need no ring
I don't need anything
But you with me
'Cause in your company
I feel happy, oh so happy and complete


So won't you be my honey bee?
Giving me kisses all the time
Be mine, be my Valentine


So won't you be my honey bee?
Giving sweet kisses all the time
Be mine, be my Valentine

Arbitrary?

To be honest...Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays.
I'm pretty sure I like it more than my own birthday.
Love > Candy.
But, there is actually lots of candy on February 14th so that could be reason it's the superior day.

Stay tuned for lots of love...and hearts and all that happy stuff.


I just realized that it's Thursday. So I'll be short and simple and say this day is someThing I Love.

The Challenge.

At least one set a day.

For one month.

Ready.

Get set.

Go.

*This is in realization that I actually leave pretty quick, and I need to be in great physical shape for the itinerary I have planned.
**Although, my wrist is acting up right now, so the push ups and burpees are impossible at the moment.

The hunt for inspiration.

Hm. The blog title sounds so exciting, I wish the post could live up the expectation.

Today I realized that even though weekends with a long to do list, that keeps you busy and makes you feel accomplished, are good, sometimes the lazy kind are just as great.

And they give you time to do things that you usually don't think you have time for, or maybe you just justify not doing them by having busying yourself with other things.

Like painting.
The thrill of giving a room a fresh face by just throwing on a couple coats of paint goes away...after the first coat. Good thing I have weeks, or even months to do it.

And taking pictures.
Which is where the title comes in.
On a day like today, when I'm energized enough to go outside with my camera, but not actually leave the property, it takes a creative mind to think up new and original shots since I keep taking pictures in the same location.

Maybe this is actually a test to see how great of a photographer I really am, because I'm sure the greatest of photographers can put a hundred different spins on the same landscape or object.

So, here is a little sampling of my afternoon.

We have a creek flowing through our backyard. CRAZY!

And a little bridge over the creek to get to a mini, private island.

This would be unedited me. Why put on my painted face when I'm not going anywhere?

Happy Saturday, everyone!

tilt

1. knowing that the weekend is just an 8 hour shift away.
This is my first 'normal week' job, so having a real weekend is delicious.

2. Butter tarts. I could eat these things by the dozen. Sans raisins of course.

3. Crossword puzzles. Like with everything else in my life, I have seasons where I gobble the puzzles up, and other seasons where I don't touch the book for weeks. Other things in my life that also have seasons: Tea, Music, Photography.

4. Walking around in my steel toe boots and grungy work wear and just feeling official. Like I'm legit.

5. Feeling financially stable.

6. DQ Ice cream cake. Eating it in layers. Chocolate icecream, fudge and cookie, fake icing, white icecream.

7. House sitting.

Happiness is...

Finding a MEC vest at Value Village for only $10!
Researching online(I just had to..) it seems that it would have been around $80 originally.
And it doesn't look like it's been worn at all.

SCORE!

Just goes to show that getting off your butt and driving to town for an evening out actually is sometimes a good idea, even though your body is telling you that you should just lie in bed perusing Pinterest.

p.s. I tried on this sweet, simple white dress that totally could have been a wedding dress...but even though I'm being prepared and planning my wedding already, I feel as if that is something that should wait a while.

Sloth.

This is just a must see video clip.

It's a baking party.

What happens when the parents go away for several days?

PARTY!

Or not.

It has gone something like this...

Clean, clean, clean, clean.
*wait! I need to make dinner. Let's find some meat in the freezer.*
Clean the freezer.
Discover 29 black bananas, bags of raspberries, and some tart shells.
24 hours later= 5 loaves of banana bread, 2 dozen chocolate chip banana muffins, 2 dozen butter tarts and two containers of homemade raspberry jam, oh, and the kitchen is spotless in spite of all this.

Sometimes I wish I was a normal teenager.
Although I know all the mothers out there reading this are probably wishing I was their daughter.

And since I know I won't eat all of this myself, I made up a plate for the neighbours as a thank you for plowing the snow off our driveway.

I don't want to be Susie Homemaker, but apparently I can't get away from her.
Let's just keep this on the down low, though. It could kill my reputation :).

Making the change.

Everything needs change.

Or how else would life move on?

Sometimes you need to make the change happen, even if you know it will hurt for a while, before things get better.

Okay, that sentiment is true. But in my case, I'm just being dramatic.

Picture Linus from the comic strip Peanuts.

Better yet, I'll picture him here for you.

Now here is me.

                                                     
                                                I have had this blanket for years.

Years, and years, and years.

Don't believe me?

Here is a picture from about the time I got it.

Now that cute baby beside me looks something like this. (he's okay to hold a camera, but being in front of it is a reason to duck every time.) Over ten years, for sure.

Did I mention that is was my Aunties property before it was mine?

Yes, it may be a comfort to me, and filled with sentimental value, but along with all that great stuff, it's probably filled with billions of dust mites and all the other things that come from being old and used for years. Up until a little while ago it was very soft and comfy. But lately it's just really pilly and the stuffing is coming apart making it's job of keeping me warm very hard to do.

So, today, although it breaks my heart, I'm saying goodbye.

Change makes you change, and that can be a good thing.

At least I'm not giving myself bangs like I keep thinking about, right?

p.s. Is it just me, or does everybody have trouble with putting pictures on their posts and getting into a big headache over it? My words always go everywhere and it takes me so much extra time trying to figure out how to get everything back how I want it.

If anybody has any tips, I would greatly appreciate them.

That, or I might just stop posting pictures :).

Sometimes it's necessary.

But to be honest, my day wasn't bad at all, just one little thing...

It already feels like the weekend, though.
I guess it might have to do with the fact that I have started the to do list already, which is usually a strictly weekend task.

But since it happens to be Thursday, I'll leave you with a little bit of happy.

1. Baking chocolate chip cookies for the thousandth time.
2. Impressing my mother with my singing skills.
3. Taking bottles back to the recycling depot. It feels like free money, even though technically you actually paid that money.
4. $2.99 kids combos from Wendy's. Such a great deal. And just the right amount of food for my little stomach.
5. Being able to fix something, and make it work like it's supposed to.
6. Friday.
7. Planning and anticipation. (let's just say...I'll be posting some before and after pictures after all the planning and doing are done)
8. Sunshine.
9. Sunshine melting away the snow so I don't have to shovel it anymore.
10. Romantic snowfalls. But it isn't very nice that they always happen while I'm working so I can't stop and take the time to enjoy.
11. Washing my car and making it pretty.
12. Enjoying the little things.

Sticking with tradition.

One year ago today, I posted a belated happy birthday post.

This year I promised myself that I would actually remember on the right day, and I planned for it weeks in advance, but...I forgot...again.

So I figured I could try and at least make thing semi consistent by posting my belated birthday wish on the same day as last year! Yes, I know I'm a sad, sad girl.

Here is to 5 years in the Blogger world!

And we want to make this sentiment short and sweet, so I will not go on a speech about how good the years have been to us.
But I will be enjoying a celebratory dessert tomorrow.

Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.


Hannah's Notes: Either I'm getting to the point where I can make anything taste good, or these cookies really are the "Best Big, Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies".
Since I was just making normal sized cookies the baking time was probably lessened, but I didn't use a timer.
Remember the trick to making a chewy cookie is taking the pan out when they have just browned a little bit, cause they will continue cooking when you leave them on the pan for a few minutes.
To help make them super light, I creamed the butter and sugars for a lot longer than is probably normal.
Original Source Found Here.

You are invited.

You are cordially invited to:
My Funeral.

Now, there is no specific date or time for this event yet, since it actually hasn't happened yet, but the end is near, folks.
You see, I work outside.
And it is cold outside.
Right now temperatures are resting at -22 c. with wind chill making it -33.

At work yesterday it was -14 or something around there and I was doing pretty good. There was a lot of snow to shovel so that was a good way to keep warm. But my fingers almost didn't make it.

So, I was overjoyed when I got to work this morning and they told us all that if we didn't want to work we didn't have to. But don't expect this to happen again.
I stopped at Princess Auto on the way home to buy some insulated work gloves, spending the big bucks.
I'm going to try and enjoy this unexpected day off while staving off the worry of having to go back out there tomorrow, which will be about the same temperature.

Hopefully, you will hear from me in the next week to assure you I am still among the living. But if not, I would prefer my funeral was more like a party, so bring the bottles of bubbly and thudding bass tunes!

The reveal.

So.
I will not mention names, but apparently some people were getting impatient waiting for the revealing of the big excitement I had a while ago.
Now, to be honest, I wasn't doing this to keep you in suspense. I just have a habit of promising things, and then forgetting to follow through, no matter the fact that it's staring me in the face every time I visit my blog.

You probably guessed it by now, but just for the satisfaction of the much loved 'before' and 'after' pictures, I will post the big news.

Yes, I got my braces off!
Only about 7 months late. But now that they are off, I'll stop being bitter about that fact.

Of course, there was really no point in having the braces at all. They were put on for a specific reason, that was not straightening my teeth, and they didn't fix the problem.
That's kind of a bummer, but there's not much I can do about all that.

I'm just so happy. I can eat apples again!

Tales from the work site.

For all you girls out there, who thought that working on a construction site would be helpful in growing up and showing the world what you are made of, think again.

Instead of feeling grown up, you will feel younger.
Because you will have a whole list of father-type men who will be looking out for you and trying to prevent you from spreading your wings.

Or maybe it's just me.

Lance asked me to help him in the scaffolding yesterday. Lance being a young guy, knowing that I was fully capable.
Of course, I didn't make him aware that I was scared of heights until I got to 3 stories off the ground.
*pause* Okay. I'm not totally scared of heights. Heck, I was cliff jumping this summer. But, the scaffolding was sketchy. Of course it was. The whole reason I was supposed to be going up there was to secure it.*

But we were doing the job and I was remembering to breathe and everything was just fine.

Until Fatherly figure #1 came along and told me that if I was not totally comfortable with doing this I should come down, because if I fall, I will not be living to tell the tale after.
Pf. I had the hang of it down and I was good to go.
But FF#1 must have told FF#2 who happens to be my boss, who came along and told me to get down.
:(. So much for trying to prove my worth.

Haha.

Okay. So I was semi relieved at not having to be up there anymore, but..
Sometimes I wonder if these guys think the only thing I am good for is sweeping?

They didn't have a problem with the other guy doing the same job and he was taking even more risks.

I guess I should just enjoy being a child while I still can.

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Today, I was going out after work, and since I didn't want to be trying to get ready in my car in the freezing cold, I made up my face and put contacts in before I left for work in the morning.

Boy, was that a bad idea.

Apparently going from no make up and glasses, to heavy make up and contacts is quite the difference.
I was getting comments all day about it.
I'm not very good at accepting compliments.
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There is this one guy who keeps calling me Hailey. I answer to it now, because I know he means me. I haven't tried to correct him. I guess I am just seeing how long it will go before he figures it out or someone tells him.
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TILT

1. My favorite meal for dinner.
2. Free money from the government.
3. Okay-ish looking passport photos.
4. Whispering.
5. Great sales on Fruit Gushers.
6. Rae's new little sister. Yet to be named. I'll give you a little more back story at a later date.

Like new.

Something really exciting happened this week.
Like super duper exciting.
*Not being able to sleep like on Christmas eve* exciting.
Want to take a guess?

4 ways to stick to your New Year's Resolutions.

"Some 44 percent of Americans make New Year's Resolutions, but although resolutions are fun to make, they're hard to keep. To help yourself keep yours, try these strategies:

1. Be specific. "Make more friends" and "Strengthen friendships" are vague resolutions. Make yours more concrete: "Remember birthdays," "Make plans," or "No gossip".

2. Write it down.

3. Review your resolution constantly. If your resolution is buzzing through your head, it's easier to stick to.

4. Hold yourself accountable. Tell other people about you resolution, join or form a like-minded group, score yourself on a daily chart-- whatever helps make you feel accountable." -The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

I needed a new calender for the year 2012, so I stopped by the calender store in the mall which was of course having big sales. I spent a lot of time in there. There were so many that I wanted, but I couldn't narrow it down. For some reason I felt as if this was a huge deal. I spent so much time in there that the cashier even made a remark about it. Boy, did I feel silly.
I treated myself to a daily flip calender as well, because it seemed like something that would help me on this whole road of appreciation and thankfulness.

Of course, I've cheated and looked ahead already to get an idea of what it's all about.
Some are applicable, some are confusing but I'll work them out as I get to them, such is life, no?

I won't be writing down each one every day but I'm sure throughout the year I will be posting some of the really good ones, like yesterdays:

"Happiness comes not from having more, not from having less, but from wanting what you have"

I think that was perfect advice, for anyone, but especially for me, going into this season of trying to save every penny for traveling when I feel like going out and buying things every weekend.

Happy New Year!

Here's to the many adventures ahead in 2012.

Counting down the hours.

Today it the last day of 2011.

I'm not a big believer in the whole 'it's a new year, fresh start' deal.
Sure, it's good to make resolutions if you are the type who will actually persevere and see them through. But if you are the person who just makes them because that's the thing to do, and then a week later you quit, well then, what's the point?

I looked through my January posts of this year and couldn't find my 2011 resolutions, which might be a good thing because I only vaguely remember some, and I definitely did not complete them. Did I attempt, and go for more than a week? Yes. So I think it's safe to say I can try again this year.

Looking back on 2011, I had some fun times, but I wouldn't say it was a spectacular year. Just a normal one. This year I moved away from home, applied for Bible School and made some new quality friendships. But it also just felt like a waiting year. Nothing big was happening and I was always just wanting to be at the next step already. I don't regret anything I did, though. And I think that's a pretty good sign.

Towards the start of the year I found a song that I made into my 'song of the year' and I tried to remember to play it whenever I was feeling down and discouraged. And when it did randomly play on my ipod I used that time to think about life and just be glad for where I was in it. I'm sad this year has ended if only because that means I have to leave that song behind and pick a new one.

It even has a focus on England, which is neat because it's my life goal to live there.
Oh p.s. I found this song BEFORE it became a top 40 hit. just an fyi.



So, my goals for 2012 are these:

1. Spend more time with Reggie. I thought I'd start out nice and easy with a light hearted one :). But a little more seriously. The idea of stopping what I'm doing, taking a seat and spending time without distractions.
I know I have been spending more time at home so it might not feel like I am as busy, but even when I am at home I fill that time up. Usually with the computer, or watching movies. So I need to learn how to clear my head, and think about things that really need to be addressed. I am not so great with that.

2. Get baptized. My pseudo sister has actually already drawn out a contract and forced me to sign :) so expect that to be happening very soon.

3.Start my post secondary education. I don't try to hide the fact that I hate school, and I'm not very good at it. Partner that with the fact that I have no idea what I want to do, and it makes it an impossible situation. But I'm hoping that in my time at Bible school I will be able to learn enough about myself that I will have an idea what should be happening next.

4.Write 1 original song and record it. There is back story behind that, but I don't feel like going into it.

I'm going to stop there.
I feel as these things will give me enough on my plate without adding any more.

Happy New Years!
And let's all try and get used to writing a new year down instead of 2011, I know it will take me a couple weeks at least.

Layered Pumpkin Loaf Recipe.

Yumm!

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 package (8 ounces) Neufchatel cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat), softened
1/4 cup pepitas, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a large bowl, stir pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 egg whites, buttermilk and oil, until combined. 
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.  Add to pumpkin mixture and fold gently just until moistened.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining granulated sugar and remaining egg white until well blended.
Spoon half the pumpkin batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Spread the cream cheese mixture in a layer over that batter.  Top cream cheese layer with remaining pumpkin batter (You will want to spread the top pumpkin layer a little bit with a silicone spatula, but it is ok if a little cream cheese is still visible). 
Sprinkle the top layer with chopped pepitas, if desired.  It helps to gently pat the pepitas into the batter
Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Loosen bread from sides of pan; cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Hannah's Notes: I didn't add the pepitas.

                             There seemed to be a little too much cream cheese mixture.

                              Also a little too much batter in general. Maybe do two small loaf pans

                              instead of the one 5 by 9, or risk filling it too full and having it rise way 

                              too high and falling a lot.

                              I will definitely be trying this recipe to make muffins at a later date.

Original recipe source here.

Rolled Sugar Cookies Recipe.

You can find the original source here.
I encourage you to click on the link and check out her blog. She has lots of other yummy recipes.
But I made a simplified look for those of you who would like to print the recipe out and try it.
You can find that here.

It says only to cook them for 5 minutes or they will brown and turn crunchy.
But personally, I like them crunchy :).
And if you are like me, you will open a tub of store bought icing rather than making a homemade one. Icing has never been one of my specialties.

Cranberry Bliss Bar Recipe

I'm doing the recipes on different posts for sake of short posts and easier referencing later.

Have you ever been to Starbucks and tried their Cranberry Bliss Bar?
To be honest, I never have. But I figured if it's from Starbucks it must be good.
Now, I'm sorry to the person who originally pointed me in the direction, but I've completely forgotten who you were/are :).

Of course, I've never had the actual thing so I don't know for sure this is what it should taste like, but it tastes pretty great to me, anyway.

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed 

3 eggs 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 teaspoon ginger 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup diced dried cranberries

6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks 

Frosting

4-ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup diced dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Make cake by beating butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in flour until smooth. Mix 3/4 cup diced dried cranberries and white chocolate into the batter by hand. Pour batter into a well-greased 9x13" baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake is light brown on the edges. Allow cake to cool. 

3. Make frosting by combining softened cream cheese, 3 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread frosting over the top of the cake.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of diced cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

5. Whisk together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and shortening. Drizzle icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion or use a pastry bag with a fine tip to drizzle frosting across the top of the cake.

6. Allow cake to sit for several hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Makes 16 bars.

Click here for recipe source.

T.I.L.T. *Christmas Edition*

1. Taking a walk down the road early Christmas morning before everyone else has woken up.
2. Not working for 9 whole days!
3.Hanging out with my family. That great sense of happiness and perfection when you are all gathered around, joking and laughing over things that happened years ago.
4. Boxing day shopping. Hah. This is only the second time I have been. And I don't mind it that much. It's all just a bunch of waiting in lines, which I might have liked better if I had though to bring my book. But then I would probably have looked too nerdy.
5. The great things that come from boxing day shopping. Example: A scarf with giraffes on it!
You cannot imagine the rush of excitement I got when I saw this thing. There was a never a doubt in my mind about buying it.

Giraffes? Brilliant!

6. Inviting non related friends to the Christmas dinner and giving them the third degree the entire night.
Poor Brian. I guess since we all know each other, dinners like this get a tad old, so we bring in new comers to spice things up. We pummeled him with questions about his life pretty much all night.
7. Turkey Sandwiches. Bread, mayo, cranberry sauce, turkey and just the right amount of salt and pepper. It might sound less than delectable, but to me it is the ultimate combination of tastes.
8. Doing Christmas baking AFTER Christmas. Less stress, and then you don't have to share with your holiday guests :D.
I will be posting recipes for three yummy recipes as a follow up later.


In the case of this post, I believe less is more,
you get just a little hint of what makes my Christmas happy.

Back to work blues...

My weekend was amazing.
What makes it so great, you ask?

Answer: The absence of everything.

Once upon a time I was a social butterfly that couldn't imagine spending 5 waking hours at home, much less a whole weekend. But I've grown up, and now it's my favorite thing to do.

It's not that I sleep the day away.
Oh, no.
Being a 'mature' adult comes with a mature internal alarm clock that wakes me up at seven thirty on a Saturday. But I read in bed for hours, which is a luxury that is unimaginable on a weekday.

And when it comes to Sunday night, the thought of having to start a new week does not lift my spirits one bit. It makes me quite cranky.

So here are five happy things, since in a round about way this post has been a complaint :).

1. 9 days off at Christmas.
2. Tuesday dinner with the Pseudo family.
3. Expensive, almost-never-been-used hand me downs.
4. Eating fatty foods all day Saturday but not gaining a pound.
5. Sleep. Goodnight....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Every day I'm shovelin'

I guess one of the reasons I have been avoiding this post is because there is so much I could say, but it also seems like there isn't anything to say at all.
I'll give it a whirl anyways.

I have a new job. Well, been at it for 3 weeks now but it still feels pretty new.
I work on a construction site.

*pause for astonished gasps and questioning looks*

Yupp.

Okay, okay. I'll try and explain myself.

Rewind three and a half weeks earlier.

While still happily working away in my Arbys occupation, I get an offer to work on a construction site as a cleaner (I'm not sure there is an official term for what I do). They didn't really give me much description of the job or really anything information about...anything. But all I did know was it was full time hours and a heck of a lot more than I was getting paid at my current job. So I agreed to go in for an interview.

Pretty sure what I experienced cannot be considered an interview in any way.
Kind of went like this. *yes I admit I will be exaggerating but not by much*

Bossman: We need someone to clean, and pick up nails.
Me: I love to clean.
Bossman: You'll be getting paid ~~/per hour, is that alright?
Me: Yupp.
Bossman: Can you start tomorrow?

Honestly that was it. That and a little speech about how if any of the guys were to give me problems I should tell him straight away.
I didn't even give a resume.

So that was on a Wednesday but I didn't start until the Monday after. And the whole weekend I was just a bundle of nerves seeing as I didn't even really know what I was going to be required to do!
I had no clue what cleaning a construction site would entail.

I got the cutest boots though. Haha, listen to me being all girly. They are steel toed because it's a requirement. A high visibility safety vest and a hard hat are also requirements, which is why you will not be seeing a picture of my day to day work 'uniform'.

The cuteness of my boots only lasted the two days before I started work though, because all I did the first day was sweep the underground parking lot. And by the end of the day, those boots looked like they had already been in service for years. I was quite disappointed.

I don't want to bore you with details of that first day of sweeping.
But I'll tell you that that is what I do the most.
Sweep.
Because of course twenty minutes after I sweep a certain spot it just gets dirty again. So it makes for a never ending job.

I have dabbled in other things as well.

Vacuuming.
Stripping. Hah. Funny story. I was taking some nails out of a board and one of the guys walks by and he asks if I had gotten any stripper jokes yet. And I was just so confused, until he explained that the job I was doing was called stripping.

On that side note: The guys that I work with are really nice. I know the cliche construction man is rude, inappropriate and all of that but the only thing I have had a problem with so far is their language. Oh my, do these guys swear up a storm. Not pleasant to listen to at all.

Shoveling.
Since it has snowed the last couple days that it what I do all day, instead of sweeping. I guess it makes for a fit body at least. Cause that snow is sure heavy.

So that is just a little hint of what I am doing right now, I'm sure as the days go on I will have many more little stories that may include some of the nicknames I have created for the guys in my head, such as 'Creepy man', 'Gramps', or 'Dobby'.

Oh. By the way, it is a hotel construction site. Building a new Sandman hotel which is apparently going to have a 4.5 star rating. If you ever want to check out the building, you can find us on Lorne Street across from Riverside Park.

P.s. I bought a tool belt yesterday. It's getting pretty official.

Things that are yummy.

Michael Bublé

Sometimes you just have to remember that I'm a teenage girl :).

To be honest, I've never really listened to his music. But when you get a free song from Starbucks 'Pick of the Week', you go for it. And I actually have been tempted to buy his Christmas album.
We shall see.

Iris = Message.

A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

(review from Amazon.com)

Thursday.

1. *sometimes* I get the urge to write sentences sans capitals. I think it looks cute. But only sometimes (read: almost never). All the other times I can't stand not having capitals. I 'm confusing like that.

2. saying the word sans instead of no. It makes me seem more french, oui? :D




3. Dressing up on the weekends. When you work a job like mine, and you feel nasty and unattractive all week it's nice to slip on a dress and look good for a change.
4. The boss letting you off an hour and half early.

5. Spending a little time before bed each night, with the lights off and my little fake candles flickering in the darkness.
6.Crossing off the to do list.

7. Getting texts that ACTUALLY make me 'lol'. (That's the best you are going to get, buddy.)
8.Unexpected happiness.

9. My purple pen. Strange, since I don't like purple.
10. My new Visa!

11. Peppermint Mocha's. Okay, I know I have already gone on about these things, but seriously? They are the best! I sat in Starbucks for a while after work yesterday, reading my book and sipping my PM and it was just a delightful time.

Ravings of a Tuesday.

Something that I dislike:
Politeness.

Hah.
I better explain myself here, before I lose all of my followers.

I dislike the forced politeness, the kind that doesn't really mean anything, and doesn't help at all.
Case in point:

"Hey, how are you?"

Now, if you are friends with the person and they honestly want to know how you are, that is one thing.
When the person is just asking out of 'politeness' and doesn't even really stop to hear the answer, that is when it annoys me.

And nobody ever really tells the truth anyway. It's always "Fine", "Good", "Great", etc.

I would rather we skip all that and go with just a nice "Hello" instead of going through the stages of common courtesy.

*Moving on to next segment*

Today at work, Sparky*, asked me how I was doing. Now this is a guy who actually stops to talk to me so I knew it was more than just going through the motions. I paused, and said "Good, I guess.". He replied with, "Good? A 'you are alive and here' type of thing?". And I agreed.

Which brings me to my main point of the day.

A lot of us when we reply to this question say something neutral, usually tending to go with the "Fine"s and "Not too bad"s. Because in our mind, we aren't doing too great, although we don't want to admit it in polite conversation.
But honestly? We are doing way better than we think we are.

Here are some #Firstworldproblems that we face, click on the link if you want to laugh at how needy North Americans are.

Now, I wasn't expecting this post to go in the directing of 'the glad game', but why not? (if you have never read or watched Pollyanna then I'm disappointed.)

I could say I'm not doing so well because I had to wake up at six in the morning to drive twenty minutes to work only to get there and have to work for 8 hours in the cold.
Or I could be thankful for the fact that I am alive(!), have a job, a car, and a body that is able to work. The list could go on but I'm just giving you an example here.

Living here in Canada, we are blessed with SO MUCH. But we don't even realize it. It's sad really.
I have been privileged to travel to Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico and I have seen people living in desperate situations. My heart was saddened by this, but not enough apparently, because I still complain when Tim Hortons messes up my order three times in a row.

Over this next week. every time I complain or think I am having a bad day, I am going to challenge myself to think of five things I am blessed to have.
I encourage you to do the same, or just take moment now to.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent(or not so)

P.s. One of these days I'm planning on writing a post on my new job. I keep having great ideas for it, but by the time it gets around to writing, I have forgotten them all.

Sometimes...

I'm trying to decide why you read my blog.
There are a couple categories that you might label yourself as.
1. My mother, trying to find out information about my life, since I withhold it from her in 'real life'.
2. My stalker. People always warn you from saying too much personal information online just in case someone is collecting that info and using it against you. But I really can't be bothered with thinking through everything I say. Maybe I'm hoping if I say something too personal, you will warn me and I can remove it before I am murdered in my sleep.
3. The friends that feel obligated to read just in case I ask them at any given moment "Did you read my blog?"
4. Then, I like to believe there is a small group of faithful readers who read my thoughts because they actually enjoy them. Maybe not to learn new things, I hardly think I am teaching you guys anything, but to laugh, because laughing is good for the soul.

The most wasted of all days is that in which we have not laughed. ~Nicolas Chamfort

If you have any other categories you would like to share, go ahead. Maybe you will be able to make me laugh as well.