Busy Weekend

I cannot believe the weekend went by so quickly.

Friday night Kim and I went out on a date. It was nice.

After date went over to Kass's house for a girls night. Thanks Kass all of your friends are really nice.

Missed out on the Beyonce concert but that is ok Kass's house was fun!

Saturday Karyn and I did a shoot.

Teena and Trey came over.

Out for diner with 2 couples+ nice time.

Sunday

gym

met Friend for coffee and then walked over to our beginner triathlon training session.

Shopping

home

walk on ice.........ahhhh I was sooo frustrated it was soooo slippery! Winter go AWAY!!!!

Bed.

And a little Yodabear to top it all off!!!!

And oh yeah I have not had aspertame since my last post!!!!!!!

DearDiet Coke, I miss you a little but I HATE YOU!!!!!

No more Aspertame!

I am done. No more Diet Coke. I can't do it anymore. I have been drinking that poison since I was a kid. Never the full strength coke.....ewwww that is yuck. The real chemically enhanced diet stuff what I have loved forever. Tonight I had my favourite meal of chicken and rice with water....no diet coke. I love eating chicken rice and diet coke.....it is soooo good. Diet coke and popcorn, diet coke and Vietnamese food..........
NO MORE I am done!!!!!!
This is Day one of NO aspertame!!!!

I love this but that is why I am FAT!!!

Aspartame & Weight Loss



"The fact that aspartame fattens people is generally well known. We have all seen the post cards and comics that depict an overweight person with a Diet Coke in one hand while reaching for a bowl of corn chips with the other hand. The reason aspartame so strikingly stimulates the appetite is it provides over half of its content in a form of a phenylalanine isolate.

The amino acid phenylalanine outcompetes all the other at enzyme sites in the body. This suppresses the formation of dopamine from tyrosine and the formation of serotonin from tryptophan. The serotonin is the neurotransmitter that reports carbohydrate metabolism. When your serotonin levels are not allowed to raise as they normally do when you eat carbohydrates you crave more and more food. The dopamine is the neurotransmitter that lets you feel satisfied, so when you use aspartame you have unsatisfiable cravings. The aspartame also poisons your metabolism so you cannot burn calories.

One of the major components of the aspartame molecule is methyl alcohol. Methyl alcohol has long been recognized in medicine for its ability to block metabolism. For this reason when doctors see somebody who has been poisoned by ingesting methyl alcohol or methyl esters they can accurately predict the patient will develop a severe acidosis because the food cannot be metabolized in the normal manner and the breakdown products of the methyl alcohol in addition to the acids developed from the blocked metabolism gravely endanger the patients life. NutraSweet, is a very aggravated form of methyl alcohol poisoning.

Moreover, the neuroexcitotoxins act in the brain to stimulate appetite. This is why manufacturers put it into foods. It does not actually change the taste of food at all, but the food taste better to you because your appetite has been stimulated.

Arsenic is routinely included in chicken food when the chickens are being raised for meat production because it poisons the metabolism and the chickens don't burn off the calories, they turn it into fat, and thus they produce rapid weight gain for the farmer.

When the FDA first looked at this molecule they held aspartame off the market for many years because it is a potent chelating agent which carries many heavy metals including arsenic into the body. The heavy metal poisoning from Nutrasweet also poisons your metabolism, blocks the burning of calories and on the long haul this virtually irreversible poisoning from heavy metals will continue to encourage weight gain."

James Bowen, M.D.


More information on aspartame www.dorway.com See last page of protest of National Soft Drink Assoc - on aspartame making you crave carbohydrates Also see Dr. Sandra Cabot's position paper titled Aspartame Makes You Fatter

Not much new really

 I have not been up to date on here much lately and I do not have an excuse. Last week I was still really upset about loosing my girl Kasey. This week I am getting better. Thanks for all of your comments and support!

Yesterday My friend Allison came over and we took pictures of here baby bump. I will post a couple on here soon.....

Off to school to deal with this NYC trip that I planned....now I am not entirely sure why I did. No matter what u cannot make everyone happy! If I ever become a parent of non-fur babies please tell me not to love with my head in sand!!!!!!

New Vehicle

 Here it is our new car! we traded in the Ford F-150 we had for 4 weeks and now we are driving a "crossover" but really it is a kick ass wagon. I love wagons and always have! It is AWD and waaayyyy cheaper on gas! The ol' truck had a drinking problem and we just could not afford to keep up. I drive 50k a day to and from work so we need something safe & affordable.

I want to go see Beyonce on Friday but have no tickets and no one to go with!!!! Does anyone want to take me?????

REALLY OLD Photography

Karyn and are getting together to take pictures again. This is just a bunch of our really OLD stuff. We are looking for subjects to shoot if anyone is interested! 

My heart is slowly healing from my loss last weekend.  Although I really think that each time we loose someone we love a small part of our heart is lost forever!

Please adopt a pet

If I have taken anything away from this experience, if I have one message from Kasey that she would want me to tell others is that if you can PLEASE ADOPT A PET.
I rescued her from a shelter and gave her 7 really wonderful years. She was left in a shelter for 3 months all alone. There are many misconceptions about rescuing an animal.....many people think that they are bad, misbehaved or untrainable. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
The second I picked Kasey up from the shelter she was mine, she would have given anything for me from day one. Animals that are rescued will repay you for the rest of their existence for saving them. Everyday they are saying Thank you and I love you to you. They really are. Please look past the awful metal cages, the loud noise and brutal smell of a shelter. Look into the animals eyes and save their soul. Save a life!!!I PROMISE YOU it is worth it!

You never know why a dog has been left behind. Their owner may have become sick or was old and passed away. They may have have to leave behind a loveable companion, a best friend. They may have had to move. They may have been left with no choice and it could have been heartbreaking for both. You never know...give a rescue a chance!
Less than a week ago I had 3 dogs, 2 rescues and one I have had since he was a puppy from a breeder. I am telling you the biggest headache has come from my breeder dog. I love him dearly however I have vowed never to get another dog that is not a rescue.
If anyone is thinking of getting a dog PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE think about adopting!!!!!

Still sooooooo SAD:(

I am heartbroken.

She still LOVed to eat. Why did I take that away from her? Why didn't I make her the best meal in the world on Saturday? WHy?

I miss you

 It has been just about 24 hours since I said my final goodbye and my heart seems to hurt more. I feel guilt...I should have spoiled her rotten on her last weekend. I should have given her a nice haircut so she was cooler and not so warm. I should have given her any food she wanted.  I should have given her more love. I should have slept on the floor with her through the night. I should have had the vet come over and not put her through the stress of the vet clinic so she could fall asleep forever at home with all of us. I am soooo beyond sorry my girl:( Please forgive me!

Rainbow Bridge Poem

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... Author unknown

Wait for me Kasey! I am sooooo sorry. I miss you and I love you.

My Heart is Broken

7 years ago I walked into the Clagary shelter looking for a little dog. Little dogs were impossible to find but I didn't want another big dog. Week after week I returned to the shelter. Every single week I saw the sweetest pair of brown eyes. In the same cage each week there she was. A big girl with the saddest face. The only dog that NEVER barked. She was quite, she was alone and had been there 4 weeks in a row. Before my final visit to the shelter I said that if she was there this time I was taking her home. That was 7 years ago. They thought she was about 7 years old then with bad hips. She was dropped off at the shelter and had been there for 3 months......all alone. I rescued her from 3 months of hell.

I gave her a best friend, a good life and hopefully everything she could have ever wanted. She was safe, loved and even spolied.

Today I said goodbye forever and I am lost without her.

My heart is broken.

3 pics from our walk

 Friday was great.

It has warmed up.

Went for a Long walk.

Took a few pics along the way.

Had a mellow evening with Kass at Indigo.

Today we are off to Costco.

Thursday but kind of like a Friday

It is Thursday but it is kind of like a Friday b/c tomorrow is a PD day at work and we have no kids. I didn't really have any yesterday either due to the weather. I love snow days....kind of.
Went to the gym this morning.
Kissed Koda b/c he really did get cuter over night.
Meeting what I hope to be our new clening lady today.
NYC trip with students is officially ago for next April!
Had diner with Karyn and talked about allof our photo plans last night. If anyone is looking for any kind of pics were are offering. BLOG coming soon!!!!!!
Today a super awesome talented photographer is coming to school to do a workshop!!! Check him out here Chad Coombs!
Gotta go my morning shower is being comprimised by blogging again!

Snow Day in March

It is March 11 and today the temp is -47 with the winchill! No Joke! One good thing about today is that no buses are running which means no kids at school today and I was able to get a morning workout in for the second day in a row...baby steps!!!!! I HATE WINTER!!!!!

Mexican mumu's & Dollywood

Well good news everyone!!!!!!

1. My mom is coming home from Mexico soon with some new mexican mumu's to add to my current collection of one long pinky!

2. I looked online and DOLLYWOOD is really close to Ashville, NC!!!!! Dollywood here we come!!!!Kim is napping on the couch right now and does not know that I found this awesome information out! I just know he will be thrilled!

Stuff

1. It is Friday and the last day of the work week....yeaaahhh!

2. kim works this weekend which means I can focus on my 2 online photography classes!

3. Signed up for a 3rd photo class yesterday! Cori call ASAP!

4. Total classes I am taking is 4...love it! Especially b/c they are inexpensive yet FULL of useful information!

5. Found out that one of my students in going to ACAD next year. This makes me proud that I have had one student each year since I have been teaching in my tiny town go to ART school. I am pretty sure it was never an option before. They were stuck working with yarn and construction paper in grade 12....yes I am serious. That is what you get in rural communities that value sports and little else.

6. Missing Katie and I will call her this weekend.

7. I decided that I would rather blog this morning rather than shower so i need to go tie my hair back and get ready for work.

red mountie inspiration board from C-Star

365 stuff

Kim is going to be home a little late b/c he is working so I decided to take some random 365 shots around here.

1. I went nuts on endamame beans about a year ago so much so I started to hate them. Had them the other day and I like them again. Although I pulled this freezer burnt bag out of the freezer.

2. Back into Dog food. Yes it is true. Those of you that know me know that I was totally against Dog food for a number of years. Well, I have opened my eye's to the new holistic/natural brands that are really well balanced and full of vitamins and minerals I just was not getting with my home cooked meals. I am a bad cook even for dogs!!!!!

3. The shot of the open can looks great hey!

4. Bathroom shot to show you that I am, always have been and always will be a product junkie! My friend Lauren and i have been into beauty products since we were about 11 years old. No joke.!!!!We would go over to each other's house and admire each other product collections. Actually when we babysat for people we would dive right into the mother products......and I mean dive. We would slather ourselves head to toe in whatever they had!!! Bad Girls!!!!!

It is funny b/c Lauren has kids now and will be needing baby-sitter's and I reminded her the other day what we used to do to people's products. Hope she does not hire girls like us!

That brings me to another Lauren baby sitting story.....we were both looking after her younger sister when we were like 14 years old and decided that her sister was fine sleeping on her own but that we for sure needed to take a little ride in her mom's T-bid! Yep, we left a little kid slepping and went joy-riding at 14 years old!!!!! NICE!!!!! Wow I went from a beauty product shot to something totally unrelated!!!!! How is my ADD?

5. A little glimpse into my 365 binder.

I want to go here!!!!

We are going to North Caroilina this summer and I want to go here1!!!!In fact I want to go everywhere in NC. The problem is I know nothing about NC. Do you? If you do can you please please please leave a comment about where to go, what to see and what to do!!!!!!

Thanks!

cover of my 365

 My own version of Becky Higgens 365

Binder cost $3

The photo with the blue frame is how it looked before I messed it up.

The MAKE letter I am painting

Benji is always helping me craft

Another inspiration board!

 Check this out! My friend Courtney at C-Star events has used us in another inspiration board. She is planning a RCMP wedding for August and obviously likes our pictures and I am honored!!!!

  It has been a busy week and I have been out of touch:

-staff meeting Monday Blahhhh

-Art show Wednesday night

-Came home from show and found out that 2 of my dogs were out roaming the neighbourhood in -44 weather. A wonderful neighbour rescued them! Our front door flew open and no one was home. It will not latch b/c it is soooo cold and we cannot lock it!!!!!

-Art show was wonderful!

-Friday night out for diner and drinks

-Saturday I had my hair done, took Grandma out for her 90th and out to a movie

-Sunday doing a little online photo class and putting up our 2nd art show at MYSTIC JAVA.

-Leigh Ann I totally agree and am thinking the same thing. Expect an email from me today....I have been really busy!

BYE!!!