the beautiful song of this treeh's leaves

tomorrow my littlest sister is running her first marathon for the leukemia & lymphoma society of canada. this one is for many people, but especially honours our mother who died from leukemia 20 years ago (back when the little one was just 5). i am so proud of her, you have no idea. this tiny creature - all 4 feet 8.5 inches of her - is my hero.

this is not her first charity event. in recent years, she has donated her hair, she has shaven her head, baked cookies, walked & ran other charity walks - all in an effort to raise money for various diseases. when i think of all she has accomplished and all she is setting out to do in the name of others, i am left speechless and filled with tears. she won't be able to hear me cheering loudly on the streets she's running down, but she knows i will be there in spirit.

please check out her blog at the link to the right titled "tracking treeh"

mental conditioning

the title's actually a bit confusing, but let me explain and then you'll get it.

so i was at the gas station yesterday, filling up my tank. now, i don't drive some big gas guzzler - it's a 16 gallon, 4 cylinder sedan that gets me 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway. and now that gas prices have dropped to about $3.85/gallon locally, i still thought it was "great" that it only cost me $50 to fill my tank instead of the $60 it cost me about a month ago.

what the heck planet am i living on that THAT was okay?! when i first bought my car 3 years ago, i think it cost me $40 to fill that same tank!

see how the government screws you over by conditioning you into thinking that, "well it wasn't as bad as before, so it must be okay now."

i am so not signing up for that. gimme back my $3.25/gallon and i'll shut up.

i started when i was five

i just came back from my son's high school after attending a session on starting your child's college application process. i was coming straight from work so i didn't have time to change out of my work attire. but i suppose it didn't matter anyway given the exchange that went on with two volunteer moms there who were directing the flow of parents.

lady #1 - "are you the parent of a senior?"

me - "yes"

lady #2 - "WOW"


- thanks mom & dad!

fun with 17 year olds

so many times when my son was a tot, i remember thinking how quickly he would grow up and one day, he wouldn't want to hang out with me anymore. and in recent years, we kinda do our own thing, but together. i've always been a realist about his growing up, so i can't say seeing him getting ready for his own life upsets me. he's got a wonderful group of friends - they're more like the brothers he'll never have, i guess. and i was so happy to spend an afternoon with them, taking their senior photos. i can imagine how awkward it may be, having your mom photograph you and your friends, but all the boys took it in stride, even having fun with "the parentals". it was the highlight of my afternoon.

in search of change

i had an epiphany earlier this week - i need a change in my life. i need to simplify things, or at least properly juggle all the things on my plate. the last year has been a struggle, what with past health issues running the show. but it's time for me to lay down the tracks of my life with me steering my own course.

i laid out a plan for myself last february, but told only a few people, so there was little accountability on my part and of course, resulted in little action. perhaps now, with a clear vision and having put it out in the universe (or at least the web), i'm more likely to stay on track.

so, i'm actively looking for a job change and going back to school. i know it sounds like it's not simplifying, but really it is...

...you'll just have to trust me on this one.