Day 42: Unexpected card in the mail

Hi again,
Today I recieved a Christmas card in the mail and I really wasn't expecting it and it really brightened my day to know that someone was thinking of me to send me a card. I don't have a lot to share on this but it just so completely made my day that I have to mention it. Something so simple can be so wonderful and thoughtful as sending a card to someone you know. It doesn't have to be some big extravegant gift to bring a smile to someone's face, at least not for me. The card couldn't have come on a better day also and I love it when timing is so perfect. She also included coupons and I appreciate those so much too! So it left me feeling very thankful today. Anyways this is why I am thankful for getting an unexpected card in the mail. :)

Day 41: Frost

Hi again,
Today I had alot of things to be thankful for and I am thankful for all of them but I only post one on here. What I chose for today is the frost on the trees this morning and I believe it is called Hoar Frost. It is so incredibly beautiful when all the trees are blanketed in this thick frost and the sun is shining making everything glitter almost. It happens on cold clear nights so it is interesting trying to brave the chilly air to get photographs but it is completely worth it! There is something so magical about walking under frost covered trees with bits of frost gently falling as the sun rises and warms everything up. Usually a little later in the day it can be fun to walk outside as the frost starts to fall off the trees faster and it can feel like it is snowing on a clear sunny day. lol This is one part of winter that makes winter worth it-waking up to such a beautiful sight outside. I do wish it didn't need to be so cold for this frost to occur though! I feel that no matter what I say-I can't do it justice though because it is so pretty and so hard to put into words. Pictures don't always do it justice either. Here is a couple photos and the one is a close up photo though to show you a bit of what it looked like this morning. I have more but I don't have time to go through them and post them right now. Hopefully I can add a few more tomorrow. :)

Here is a photo I captured last year of the frost falling off the trees that I really love and would like to also share with you.

So this is why I am thankful for the frost today. It definitely put a smile on my face!

Day 40: Today isn't yesterday

Hi again,
I suppose I have a few things that I can be thankful for today but I am really thankful that today wasn't yesterday or like yesterday. Yesterday my back was so bad that it kept me down. I had to spend most of the day laying down because it was too painful to move around much. When I did have to move around, it was extremely painful and I was pretty much in tears. I actually have a prescription for what is possibly causing the pain this time around but yesterday it wasn't working. I am not saying this to cause people to feel bad for me because I don't want that-it's just to share why I am thankful today isn't yesterday. Today the pain subsided somewhat again and even though it's still pretty bad, I can move around today and I didn't miss out on so much today. I am so grateful that each day is a new day with new possibilities and sometimes the pain from the day before doesn't carry over into the next day or at least it calms down somewhat. I am thankful that we don't have to carry the problems from the day before into the next day and we can start fresh if we want to. Since my back is still bothering me a bit, I will leave it at this. I will keep it short and sweet. :)

Day 39: Peanut Butter

Hi again,
This post is actually for yesterday because I was in pretty bad shape yesterday and I wasn't able to really sit at the computer much. It was one of those days where my back is so bad that it manages to keep me down. But I was able to be up a bit more today so I am thankful for that but that isn't what I am writing about. lol
Yesterday I was thankful for Peanut Butter. I am pretty much addicted to Peanut butter and would go crazy if I couldn't have it every day. I actually got Peanut butter as a Christmas gift last year and it was one of the best gifts I got! Yep I am crazy about Peanut Butter and anything that contains peanut butter! I don't know what it is that makes it so amazing but I just love it. Yesterday I was having a really rough day and it felt like there wasn't alot to be thankful for but I realized I had my peanut butter to be thankful for. I understand it sounds weird and I guess I am a bit weird but I love peanut butter. I have to say I do prefer Kraft over any other brand that I have ever tried though. It is one item I am willing to pay more for if I have to because other brands are not as good. But Kraft is usually cheaper anyways. :) Also when I eat peanut butter, either on a sandwich or just straight out of the jar, it makes me smile. So this is why I am thankful for peanut butter.

Day 38: Kraft Canada website

Hi again,
Today I am thankful for another website - http://www.kraftcanada.com/ This site has many wonderful recipes. It is set up quite well also, where you can enter ingredients you have on hand and it shows recipes containing those ingredients. Well this week I had apples that I needed to use and was wanting something different than the usual Apple pie or Apple Crisp. I ended up finding a recipe called Harvest Fruit Dessert and it is absolutely AMAZING! I wasn't even thinking about combining cheesecake and apples but it worked out quite well. I tweaked the recipe a bit to my liking-I used straight apple instead of apple and plums and I added a crumble topping on top. It is nice to have a great site where there are amazing recipes and it is free-you don't have to buy any cookbooks where you only find one or two recipes you'll use and the rest of the cookbook is useless. They also have a free magazine they send out if you like that sort of thing as well as weekly emails with amazing mouth watering recipes! It is really helpful when you are out of ideas and need to make supper or dessert or any baking. They also have alot of neat tips and how-to videos on the site. As you can tell, I love food and I love baking! Well I love baking most of the time-some days I wish I could just buy it and save time and energy. lol This site really came in handy for me this week and I am really thankful for it and I am really really enjoying the dessert! The rest of my family is enjoying the dessert also. lol My dad isn't even a fan of cheesecake and he loves this one! Anyways that is why I am thankful for the Kraft Canada website! :)

Day 37: Eye Glasses

Hi again,
Today I am thankful for my eye glasses. I often think how amazing it is to have glasses that enable me to see everything that I otherwise would not be able to see. I think back to every time that my glasses prescription changes and I get the right prescription and the change is phenomenal sometimes! You see what you see and you think that is all there is to see but then you get glasses and realize how much you have been missing. You also realize that what you thought was clear isn't clear at all. I also think about the cost of glasses and how many people don't have the ability to be able to see everything so well. I am so incredibly grateful for my glasses because I really can't see much of anything without them. I would be running into everything! Also without the right glasses, I would be unable to read and reading is a passion of mine so it would be sad. Plus I would be unable to drive without glasses so it would affect my independance as well. So that is why I am grateful for glasses!

I just thought I would like to mention something. I know I mention alot how I am blessed to have something that many others don't have and I don't say anything about helping others less fortunate who don't have these things. I just want to say that it isn't that I don't think we should but that I don't want to tell others what to do. I think we should help others when we are able but it also isn't my place to tell anyone what to do. I do my best to help others when I can but I am not one to say what I do or don't do because I don't feel it is something that I need to mention. If you need to mention what you do for others-then maybe you are not doing it for the right reasons. Yet sometimes there are times to mention stuff we do or that others do I suppose. But I do hope that by mentioning these blessings and reminding people of the things we haven and others don't, that maybe people might see opportunities to help out others who don't have what we have. I know I see alot of opportunities to help others and wish I could do more but I can't do everything. If everyone does just a little then it adds up. I don't know if this makes sense but it is something I felt I should add. I want to leave you with one last thought though. If you choose to donate time or money to a charity, please make sure it is legit or go with a charity you know is trustworthy. With news about scammers out there, it is important to know where your money goes. I am not trying to scare people away from donating but I just think that if we are smart about it then we can still help others and do some good without it ending up in the wrong hands. thanks.

Day 36: Smartcanucks.ca

Hi again,
Today I want to share about this amazing site because it is wonderful not only for the coupons and freebies but also for the community of members on the site. First the coupons and deals that are posted on the site by members is more than amazing because it would be impossible to discover all these deals on our own. Because so many contribute to the site and comment on the deals and coupons-it makes it so handy for everyone to be able to take advantage of all the offers out there available to Canadians and know which ones to avoid. I have gotten a heads up to so many amazing deals that have saved me so much money that I can't help but give high praise for this site. I wish that I could spend so much more time on smartcanucks but due to back problems still, I can't be on there as much as I would like. But it is set up so that you can spend as little or as much time as you have to see the deals and save money. If you have limited time-you can simply visit the page you come to first where the best deals posted on the site by members is shared. If you have more time, you can enter the site and scroll through different sections to see everything that is being posted. If you have more time still, you can get more involved by meeting people on there and trading coupons. There are also meet ups that happen in different cities across Canada where fellow Smartcanuckers get together in person and trade coupons.
Second, the community of members on the site is so amazing and everyone has a common interest-saving money! I have been part of the site now for a couple of years and the majority of the members are so kind and helpful for anything I need help with. I also have met people through the site and created friendships on the site. Some don't agree with making friends with people online because you don't know who the person is on the other end and whether they are who they say they are and you have to be careful but sometimes you find great people too. I don't share intimate details on the site and online forums are never a place for that but I have met some people who I have really connected with. These few people share my love of pets or understand chronic pain like what I have dealt with and still do. Today I found myself going to someone I know on there for desperate help with training my puppy because my puppy is being so bratty. This isn't coupon related but the site is the reason we met and one of the wonderful things about the site. She is amazing at knowing what to do with dogs or cats and the solutions she gives work!
Anyways I know this post is long but I really wanted to share alot of what Smartcanucks.ca is about to really give it justice. I hope I have!! Some say that using coupons is a waste of time and not worth it but it actually is definitely worth it. Sometimes you just need a little help on where to find the deals and coupons. This site gives people that help. This is why I am thankful for http://www.smartcanucks.ca/ !!!!

Day 35: the internet

Hi again,
Today I am thankful for the internet. There is so much you can do on the internet like research, chat rooms, podcasts, facebook, keeping up to date with news, writing blogs and so on. My top use of the internet today was keeping up with what the weather is doing and what it is going to do. Today was so cold and it was interesting to know just how cold it was and what the windchill was because when it gets cold-a little wind can make it nasty. It is important for me to know how cold it is because it affects how long I will stay outside for, because depending on how cold it is changes how fast I could get frostbite. Today the temperature was below -30 for part of the day with a windchill this morning of -43 for like an hour. Exposed skin can freeze in less than 10minutes. So the internet is handy to be able to check the weather before heading outside. The internet is also handy for keeping in touch with friends on facebook (lol) or through email and sharing pictures and what not. But the internet can also have it's issues too like when someone takes some information and spreads it around and it becomes viral and soon everyone knows about it. Sometimes the info isn't even correct which isn't good. Or it can be a pr nightmare when someone makes a comment they shouldn't and soon it's on youtube and everyone knows about it. lol But that isn't what this post is about and for the most part the internet is handy. :) I am thankful for the ability to connect with others and to research products/brands before spending my money on them or looking up businesses and what they offer. To think that I have only been using the internet since grade 10 is odd because it feels like I have been using it so much longer than that! My first experience with the internet was in highschool and the first site I visited was ask jeeves during the lunch hour. lol It was the neatest thing. Anyways one last thought before I go, the internet has even provided us with new slogans like "google it" lol This is why I am thankful for the internet. :-)

Day 34: Heated Vehicles

Hi again,
Well today without a doubt I am definitely thankful not only for vehicles but a heated vehicle!!! Today was quite cold (-32 with windchill) and we had to go get groceries. How nice it is to have a vehicle with heat that we don't have to walk to get groceries and we don't have to wait at a bus stop in -32! Also I was commenting to my mom that we can be thankful we are not using a horse and buggy that our mode of transportation isn't open! I can't imagine how people used to do that. Of course there wasn't really any other choice then so maybe people were tougher then but it sure would have been cold! We can step into a vehicle and turn on the heat and be warm until we reach our destination. Having heat is amazing and sure makes a difference also. If we didn't have heat in the vehicle it would be a pretty cold ride also. I know that it is something that alot of people don't have and so I am very thankful for it. Anyways that is why I am thankful for heated vehicles.

Day 33: Telephones

Hi again,
First I want to say that yesterday I never really even thought about the blog and it completely escaped my mind which is odd because usually I am thinking about it through out the day and trying to see the blessings each day. Last night when I was finally in bed at close to midnight, it came to me that I hadn't posted on my blog. lol Not sure what was going on with my mind yesterday that I didn't even think about it.
Anyways I am not sure if Telephones are too similar to cell phones that I should have picked something else but yesterday I was talking to someone on the phone and it is actually quite handy and neat to be able to do that. With all our technology now, telephones may not always seem that interesting or advanced but they are definitely useful still.Yesterday was quite a weird day for me and I didn't feel there was much about yesterday that was positive but being able to just pick up the phone and reach someone who is either a few km's away or in a completely different country is great. Otherwise we would have to travel to see the person face to face to talk to them or send a message by mail or messenger which would not be very convenient and quite slow. Or we could use internet but my guess would be that if we didn't have telephones then we probably wouldn't have internet either. I think about what it must have been like before the phone was invented and how long it would take to relay messages and I can't imagine what that would have been like. I guess it is just another simple device that we use every day and I don't always think about that it hasn't always been around. lol When I think about how a telephone works-it is quite neat also. So that is why I am thankful for telephones. have a good night!

Day 32: Cookies

Hi again,
Well it is late and I didn't really spend much time thinking about this today and I actually thought of this for other reasons but cookies are so yummy! I don't have any homebaked cookies right now but I have some that were bought and had a cookie today actually and really enjoyed it and then a friend of mine posted about eating a cookie on her profile-it was actually in reference to Stephen Duckett (CEO of AHS) and some stuff he said and so cookies are on my mind. lol I won't get into that because I am being thankful for cookies and not him eating his cookie. lol I guess I can also be thankful for laughs I get from politicians who say and do stupid things and while it is sad it is still funny. I will post the link on the bottom if you want to see it. Anyways back to cookies-what can I say other than I love cookies. :o) The best cookies are the ones almost straight out of the oven and still so soft and hot. Peanut Butter chocolate chip are the best in my opinion! I suppose today I am thankful for Superstore's brand of cookies-the decandent chocolate chunk which is what I ate today. If you haven't tried them-you really have to! I know there are much better cookies out there but these are quite good. I apologize for not being very serious and all but I am half asleep and still can't get over Duckett's response. I am laughing while thinking how sad it is that this man is in charge of AHS. Anyways that is why I am thankful for cookies.
Duckett eating his cookie

Day 31: Homemade Cinnamon buns

Hi again,
Today I am thankful for homemade cinnamon buns-not the homemade that you make from a can but the homemade that you make from scratch. :) It wasn't planned but today my mom made cinnamon buns. They are so yummy and way better than anything out of a can ever could be and really brightened my day. So it is definitely something to be thankful for and completely worth mentioning on here! :)
I would also like to take a moment and say I was also quite thankful to see the sun shine through the clouds today also as it has sort of been missing for most of the week. lol It didn't shine all day but the bits of sunshine we did get (between the flurries) were nice. Really nice after about 4days of clouds and snow like we got this week. :)

Day 30: Woodstoves

Hi again,
Wow already basically a month in! Only 11 months left. lol I hope to continue with this after the year is up but I am not sure where I will be in a year so I can't make promises. Anyways today I am soooooo incredibly thankful for our woodstove!!! Today I sat in front of it when ever I could because it is nice and warm beside the woodstove. It was so cold outside today with the windchill that I was really reminded of how much I love the woodstove. I remember last winter we were without it for a bit at the beginning of winter and we missed it terribly. It is so nice to have to not only help heat the house but also to sit in front of to warm up after being outside and getting cold. So that is why I am thankful for woodstoves.

Day 29: warm winter clothing

Hi again,
Today has been a really rough day so this post may or may not seem that big but today it was all I could think of to be thankful for to post about that I haven't posted yet. I am so thankful for warm winter clothing like toques and mitts and scarves and boots on a day like today! It started snowing yesterday and we have about 5inches of snow and it is still snowing. It is nice to have winter clothing to wear outside to stay warm and there are alot of people who don't have something as simple as that. I know I complain about having to bundle up to go outside but at least I have the ability to and it is important to remember that and be thankful for that. I know I realize how thankful I am for my toque when I forget to put it on and my ears get so cold or when I forget to take my mitts with me and my fingers get cold and I realize how much I love my mittens! So that is why I am thankful for warm winter clothing.
I thought I would like to end this post with a few things I am also thankful for today that I have already mentioned before but would like to mention again. Today I was super thankful for heat in our house and a roof over my head. I am so thankful for clean drinking water and enough food to eat also. We lost our power today for a few minutes which reminded me about being thankful for power-especially on a chilly day like today.

Day 28: Eyesight

Hi again
Today I have been thinking lots about what I should write about and how there are some blessings I am thankful for today that I have already wrote about and can't write about today. Yet I am still thankful for those blessings such as heat. So I need to think of something else that I haven't wrote about yet and I thought about my eyesight. Today it snowed a few inches and it will be snow that is not going to be leaving any time soon and while it can be a pain (it causes bad roads), it can also be pretty. I find it beautiful to look outside after a fresh snowfall and everything is white and undisturbed by people's foot prints, vehicle's tire tracks, pets or wildlife. There is just something somewhat magical about it. I would not be able to experience this without my eyesight. Nor would I be able to experience the amazing sunsets or beautiful rainbows after a storm or cute little adorable kittens. I would miss out on so much. I can't imagine not having my eyesight and missing out on so many beautiful sights. I also understand though how if I never had it, it may not feel like such a loss because I have no sense of smell and never have and while I know I am missing out on something-I don't really know because I have never experienced it. I think it may be worse to know what you are missing. Yet I am not sure. Anyways I am so grateful for my eyesight because I get to see so many beautiful things and can't imagine living without it. But I suppose if it was the other way around like it is for my sense of smell, I would not be able to imagine life with it. Aside from that-there is so much beauty around us and I am grateful to be able to see it and experience it and that is why I am thankful for eyesight!

Day 27: Xrays

Hi again,
This post is for yesterday and yesterday I had to travel to Edmonton for an appointment with my specialist to see how my back is doing and for him to check on the rods and make sure things are good etc. I am thankful for xrays because it makes it possible for my specialist to see my spine and the rods and screws and he can see when/if there is anything wrong in those areas. Beyond my back, xrays make it possible to see if a bone is broken or something isn't right. Xrays have their limits of course and that is where the ct scan and mri comes in but yesterday I was just thinking about the xrays and how fast it is and easy. I know xrays come with controversy over whether being exposed to the radiation is worth it or if there is enough to even be a problem but I am not sure there is any better alternative to it. If there wasn't xrays, I am not sure how my specialist would check my back each time. Maybe there are other ways but I have to admit that xrays are helpful. I don't want to offend anyone and I understand the problem with radiation but for me and my circumstances-they are helpful. As for the results I recieved, the rods and screws are not loose but there is a problem that needs attention. It isn't serious and I won't get into it here. That isn't why you come to read my blog! Thanks for reading my blog posts-I really appreciate it!

Day 26: Clocks/time

Hi again,
Well today I was going around doing stuff and I thought about how much I depend on the time to know where to be when and when a show is on and when it is meal time and so on. I realized I have been doing this for almost a month now and I haven't even been thankful for clocks/watches/time yet! Clocks really make the world go round in a way. Personally I see clocks/time are important for appointments and schedules and transportation and on and on. Of course there never seems to be enough of it in one day. lol I am actually writing this rather quickly because I have to head to bed early so I can manage to wake up early tomorrow morning because I have to leave for an appointment with a specialist. That is partly why I am thinking about clocks because it is important in terms of appointments to know what time it is and I have an appointment tomorrow. :) Clocks help keep me on time... mostly... I sort of have a habit of running late. lol I am thankful for that-well thankful for clocks to keep me on time and not the running late part. :) I suppose clocks are only as useful as the amount we use them? Anyways I guess this post is short and sweet as I am in a bit of a hurry (to head to bed) yet I think I have shared why I am thankful for clocks. :) I noticed I have a new follower on my blog also! Welcome! To everyone reading my posts-thanks so much for joining me in my journey with this project and I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Day 25: Warm blankets

Hi again,
I know that I missed yesterday again and I apologize. I had another migraine and staring at the computer isn't too fun with a migraine so I thought I would just leave it till today. I know I shouldn't make a habit of this yet some days it seems pretty difficult to get myself to the computer so I hope you understand. :)
Well it is getting more and more chilly outside and I have been thankful for heat but I haven't yet mentioned warm blankets!! I really love having blankets that keep me nice and cozy and warm during the chilly months of the year and I am so thankful that I can have them. It is so nice to curl up under a blanket that is nice and thick and keeps me warm. It is really nice to curl up in a blanket while watching tv or reading a book and I stay nice and warm. That is why I am thankful for warm blankets. :)

Day 24: Chocolate

Hi again,
Well today got a little late but it is still before midnight. :) lol Well today is a simple one. Chocolate. I really don't know how I would manage without chocolate or chocolate flavoured products. I am a Chocoholic for sure and it is something that is so good and I am so thankful for it. I also love clearance chocolate after holidays which is mainly when I purchase or "stock up". Chocolate keeps very well in the freezer so it is a good place to store it so it doesn't get old tasting. It is perfect for dessert or a snack or occasionally for breakfast. lol I mean is chocolate cake for breakfast really a bad thing every once in awhile? lol People eat pancakes for breakfast and to me they are both not so healthy. Anyways chocolate is very good and I am very thankful and privileged for the ability to have this wonderful treat because I am very aware that so many people around the world do not even have enough food-let alone chocolate. Now since this post is somewhat short-I would like to share a few quotes/jokes with you about chocolate.

<>Nobody knows the truffles I've seen. anonymous  <>>Seven days without chocolate makes one weak. anonymous  "There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate." - Linda Grayson
"Life is like a box of chocolates ... You never know what you're gonna get." - Forrest Gump
"Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for Mondays." - Anonymous
Man cannot live on chocolate alone; but woman sure can.
-- Author Unknown
Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: Deliciusness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good.
Mariska Hargitay
"Never ever get between a girl and her CHOCOLATE!"

Day 23: Veterans and Remembrance Day

Hi again,
I suppose it isn't that surprising that I would be thankful for Veterans today but I am. I am thankful for them and the price they paid and continue to pay for the freedom we so dearly love and enjoy. I have been reading posts on facebook as people remember and some of the posts are quite thought provoking. One states that freedom isn't free and to thank a Veteran. That is so incredibly true. Another is one that is being copied and pasted and I copied and pasted it this morning to my profile and I would like to share it here. "A veteran is someone, who at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to Canada for an amount up to, and including, their life. That is beyond honor. Copy and paste this as your status if you are a Veteran, know a Veteran, Love a Veteran or... support the Troops ♥" I am not aware of who originally wrote this but it is well written and very true. My family is dutch and moved to Canada and we call Canada our home. I was born in Canada and so was my mom but my dad immigrated here at the age of 18. So I don't have any relatives that fought for Canada but they still fought for freedom and justice. My Opa (my dad's dad) didn't fight in the army but he helped Jews escape and he helped them hide and I find this so amazing and I love to think about this every rememberance day. I don't know alot about it but only bits and pieces because he didn't want to share the memories with his children and obviously not his grandchildren. My dad could only share with me what he knows but it is enough to be so proud of my Opa and what he did for other human beings who were treated so terribly. My Opa was not a Veteran but he fought for justice in his own way and I know he was only one of many who did this and they should also be remembered for the sacrifices they made. People like Corrie Tenboom and her family helped the Jews and they paid a price for it also. I am not trying to take away from the Veterans and their service to the country and I am not trying to be disrespectful to the Veterans by including those who were not in the army but helped fight in their own way. I am just using today to remember all who fought for freedom and justice. My Opa helped the Jews most likely because he felt they deserved freedom and isn't that what Remembrance day is about? I am also so thankful for all the Veterans who have and are fighting for Canada because Canada is my home and I love that we can experience the freedom that we do here. We should never take freedom for granted or the sacrifices that so many made for us to have this freedom. I hope I have been respectful in this post and I haven't offended anyone. One last thought-today when I was taking in the moment of silence and watching the ceremony on tv and the camera was showing the Veteran's faces, I could only imagine the memories they have and many of which they may not want to remember but do. I felt for them and what they experienced and soldiers of today continue to experience and I feel so grateful for them and their service to this wonderful country. I admire them for the sacrifice they make to give up a comfortable life here and to go places where they need to go to fight for the freedom of others so that we can continue to live our comfortable lives here. I also admire their families for what they go through while their family members are off fighting for freedom. Let us not forget. Thank you Veterans.

Day 22: Generators

Hi again,
This post is for yesterday and after the power went out, my dad hooked up the generator which is enough to power the basic stuff like water so we can flush the toilets and wash our hands and the freezers and fridge and some lights that we are not in the dark. I am sooooo extremely thankful for that generator and it gives us the ability to flush the toilet and wash our hands!!! That is probably the biggest thing for me. lol I am able to go camping and use outhouses and all that but it is different in a house to not have plumbing. I don't want to share too much information so I will leave it at that. lol I also appreciate being able to wash my hands because we have pets and I like to wash my hands between touching them and eating food and so on. Also the microwave is another important item to have power and the generator makes that possible! I feel like I am sounding spoiled for feeling the want to have these "necessities". I am sort of spoiled to have the ability to have this even during a power outage and all the other things I have when the power isn't off. Spoiled in the sense that so many don't even have power at any time or clean water like I have mentioned in previous posts. I do try not to take any of it for granted but it is difficult sometimes to be aware of all that we do have when we are running around in our busy lives. But aside from that-I am so thankful for that generator!!! I remember when we got it yrs ago and it has been well used since. For some reason we have alot of instances where the power goes out. lol

Day 21: Free Product Coupons

Hi again,
I considered leaving this blessing for another day when I had a bigger "score" but I thought about it and decided why hold off? Free product coupons, or fpc's for short, are amazing and really make my day. lol I did not start finding many until I joined a wonderful site called Smart Canucks which is for Canadians and is all about Canadian deals and the deals are found and posted by Canadians. It is a community of Canadians who find the deals and share them with other Canadians. I suppose I should be writing a post about the site actually? Well anyways I find out about so many fpc's being offered through this site and the most recent coupon was for the new Cottonelle moist wipes which run about 4-5.00. Some may say this isn't something very interesting or something people need which may be true but I have also recieved fpc's for cereal (i.e-Multigrain Cheerios, orange juice, yogurt, bananas, etc) and baking supplies (i.e-cake mixes, pie crusts, eggs, etc) and frozen food and others (books, magazine subscriptions to Canadian Living and Canadian Gardening and Homemakers). Then there is the high value coupons where I end up getting items for free or almost free (i.e Tylenol, advil, razors, and the list goes on and on) but that is another post for another day. :)  The examples I listed are just off the top of my head. there are many more but those are what came to mind. People say coupons do not save you money but I really beg to differ. Being part of this site has helped me and my family save hundreds of dollars and only on items we need and use. In my house, it isn't a good deal if you would not have bought it otherwise. I do not currently have an income due to recovering from back surgery and the coupons have definitely helped me to afford what I need without spending too much. But you have to be smart and not buy items just because you have a coupon and maybe I can post about that more another day how it is possible. I would like to share more about Smart Canucks but I will leave that for another post. In the mean time-feel free to check it out!!!

An apology for my absense

Hi again-this isn't a post for the project but I wanted to offer an apology for missing a couple of days. It has been an interesting couple of days though with being sick and a power outage and the internet not working and more. lol I am not trying to make excuses but only trying to explain where I have been. it seems that when it rains it pours? lol But I am back today and even when the power was out and the internet was out-I was still thinking about what I would post and I chose something for each day despite not having the ability to post it. So I will still post it as I have done before. I am hoping this doesn't happen too often. But I suppose sometimes stuff happens that might prevent me from getting on here. But I will always catch up. :)

Day 20: Pet's love and joy they bring to us

Hi again,
Today I have been thinking about pets and the love they share with us and give us. Dogs are amazing and are loyal and give unconditional love and no matter what you do or don't do-they love you. Cats offer love too yet in a different way. I tend to feel cats are more conditional in the love they give but maybe that makes it more rewarding when they love you back because you know you have done something right. lol Pets give such joy also and reach us all on a different level than other people do. They can be good listeners despite not knowing what you are saying to them. They make us smile by the funny things that they do and they seem to like when we smile so sometimes they will try to do it again for more smiles. Dogs and cats both seem to be in tune with our emotions alot of times and some will attempt to comfort owners when they need it. My cat will lay with me when I cry and cheer me up and he isn't much of a cuddly cat so that is quite something. :) I love how my puppy is always so excited and happy to see me even if it has only been an hour since I last saw her. The joy she has becomes contagious and it spreads to me which is a very good thing! I am so thankful for my cat and puppy and have really been thinking about that today and wanted to share this with you all today!

Day 19: Taking deep breaths

Hi again. Today has been interesting and I actually wasn't sure what I would write about because I have been dealing with an awful migraine all day and spent most of the day trying to sleep through it. Well I was watching tv and I saw something and it reminded me of something I am incredibly thankful for. I actually haven't forgotten about this blessing but didn't think of writing about it in here. That thing is taking deep breaths. You may be saying huh? if you don't know me very well. Let me give a brief explanation of why this is so important to me if possible because I can be a bit long winded. lol I was born with a disorder called kyphosis (curvature of the spine) but I wasn't diagnosed until it was quite bad and I was dealing with alot of different health problems that I didn't know were related to my back. I would like to say here that the curve was very visible but I thought it was my fault and didn't know it was because of a disorder. One of the health problems was having difficulty breathing and it is because when the spine curves that there isn't sufficient room for the lungs to expand. I started noticing difficulty breathing just before highschool if I remember correctly which made it murder for highschool gym class. From that point on I could not take a deep breath and it was always a lot of shallow breaths but I didn't know why. Anyways I ended up also getting asthma and it wasn't until after I had my back surgery that I could finally start taking deep breaths again. Of course it wasn't right away because there was a complication of a punctured lung or something (I can't remember the details) but once I had recovered from that and I could finally take a deep breath in-it was so incredibly amazing! I still find myself taking in a deep breath just because I can and I can get all the oxygen I need and I love it! In alot of ways I guess I am thankful for what happened because of having the ability to breath deeply taken away, I was able to realize how amazing it is to have that and it makes me so much more thankful for being able to simply take a deep breath. I still have asthma a little bit but it is quite mild and I am thankful for that too. Taking deep breaths is something so simple and so ordinary for so many people that often people don't think about how amazing it really is. I don't say that to cause people to feel bad but to remind you all and me not to ever take it for granted and to be thankful for it. I know I am!

Day 18: Sunsets

Today's post is about sunsets. I am so thankful and grateful for sunsets because they are so beautiful and sometimes so amazing that they take my breath away. I have taken so many photos of sunsets to try to capture the beauty but somehow I find that photos never really do them justice. I have always enjoyed sunsets and when I was young it was annoying when the days would get longer and the sun would set past my bed time. lol I think sunsets are maybe one of those gifts God gives us every day to enjoy if we take the time to watch. A few years ago when my health got really bad, I started to place special emphasis on sunsets because they were the one thing I had to look forward to and also signified that I made it through one more day. It may sound odd or weird but that is one way I made it through the pain I faced each day. I also love how sunsets are even more beautiful when there are some clouds involved and the way the sun shines through them. It can make a regular sunset into a spectacular sight. I definitely miss the sunsets when it is too cloudy or stormy or dreary to see the sun set. Those days really remind me how thankful I am for sunsets as well as the breath taking sunsets do too. Anyways that is why I am so thankful for sunsets. :)

Day 17: Freedom

I once again missed posting yesterday and I will post yesterday's post today and todays post later like I have done before. Last night I was out and I was talking to a friend of mine about being thankful and we were talking about how there are many things to be thankful for and she mentioned about how we are not slaves which is so true. It got me thinking about the freedom we have here in Canada and it is something to be very thankful for!!! I am thankful to her for reminding me of this! We have freedom to say what we like (freedom of speech) and we can work to make money for ourselves (we are not slaves) and we can try to "get ahead". I think about our freedom and I think about other countries where there are so many limits on freedom of speech and other countries that still deal with slavery and we are so very blessed to live here. We can't always get what we want but most of us have what we need and I think that is huge. Some don't have what they need here and I do feel it is almost our responsibility to help those who need help but I won't get in to that here. I know many who do so much for others in need and I think they are amazing. Anyways back to the topic of this post-I wonder if I would not able to have this blog if we didn't have freedom of speech or if it would at least be censored. But I am most thankful for not living in a country where slavery is normal and I have choices and I can choose what to do with my life. Of course with freedom comes responsibility for our choices we make whether good or bad but I can live with that. :)

Day 16: Cell Phones

Hi again,
I suppose day 15 and 16 sort of go together in the sense that both are a form of technology. I have to admit that I had a rough day today and it was pretty tough to come up with something. But I knew these days would come and these are the days I need to do this even more. I am really thankful for cell phones and so often I wonder how on earth my family and I got by without them. lol I had pretty much graduated before we had our first cell phone and even internet in our home. lol That isn't even that long ago I suppose-around 10yrs give or take. No I am not completely sharing my age! lol I never leave home without my cell phone and I usually even have it with me while I am at home. It isn't even just a phone any longer-you can have internet and music and video and a camera and so on so naturally I keep it with me. But for the phone it is so nice because if I am driving and get stuck or something-I can call someone. If I am running late-I can call. If I am lost and need directions-I can call. Heck even if I fall and can't get up I can call. lol Then there is the ability to check email and facebook and twitter wherever I am when ever I want. There is a danger in that though because I feel I get too into that and I am not really present with people physically around me. But it can be handy if used correctly. I love that when the power goes out that I still have access to a phone and I am still connected to internet which is helpful to know what is going on sometimes. So that is why I am thankful for cell phones. :)

Day 15: Digital Cameras

I am quickly realizing that Wednesdays are tough days for me to post so I am thinking I need to find a way to make it possible so I am not posting twice every Thursday. Not that posting twice in one day is difficult though. :)
For the 15th day (technically yesterday) I want to talk about digital cameras. Yesterday I had my puppy Coco outside for a run and took my camera with me and captured a bunch of photos and thought how great it is to be able to do that. Cameras freeze moments in time that will last forever. Cameras can capture photos that evoke feelings of happiness and even sadness or contemplation. They share moments with people who are not able to be there for that moment in person. Our lives are filled with images captured by cameras almost everywhere we look from advertisements on bilboards to photos in magazines to our photos we took on our last vacation. For myself, I love being able to grab my camera and shoot a ton of pictures and then go through and pick the best ones. I love that I can use my camera to take photos of important events in my life that I can look back on and be reminded of those moments in my life. I love the phrase that a picture is worth a thousand words because it is so true. We wouldn't have pictures without cameras unless we would paint them all by hand. lol I can't imagine doing that-can you? I also love that cameras are digital and no longer film cameras even though the film cameras had their place too. It is neat how cameras have evolved over the years and it makes me wonder what cameras will be available in even 10yrs. But aside from where cameras will be in the future, they are an amazing piece of technology that I don't think I could live without. That is why I am thankful for digital cameras.

Day 14: Ability to walk

Hi again. Today I have been thinking about how thankful I am to have legs that work and I can walk. I may not be the most graceful and I often have pain but that doesn't matter because I can walk and I am starting to be able to run again without having to worry about my back. Up until this year it was still too painful for me to run very well despite being given the go ahead by my specialist (who did my back surgeries) to do so. This summer I actually jogged again for the first time since before my first surgery back in 2007 (and not just an attempt but actual jogging!) and it was quite a thrill! Since then I have been working on slowly being able to run longer because as you can imagine, not being able to run for 3yrs has had it's toll. I was out of breath after just a few strides but now I am jogging a bit each morning with our new puppy and I am so thankful for that ability. I got to experience for a little bit what it is like to be stuck in a wheel chair and it helped me to be so much more thankful for the use of my legs. I look back to when I used to play soccer and I am no where near that point and may never be again but I don't mind. Just to be able to move around on my own is quite amazing. When you really think about how often you walk and where you walk and if you had to be in a wheel chair and needed to think about stairs and doors and wheel chair accessible buildings, being able to walk around is pretty darn amazing!

Day 13: Pain-what it has taught me

Hi again. This is something I have been wanting to post about but have been struggling with how to post about it. Just the title has had me thinking because I thought about just titling it Pain but I am not sure I am thankful for the pain and then I thought about "lessons learned through Pain" but I don't know if they are really lessons that I have learned. So I finally came up with the title I have now. This is something that I am not always thankful for because pain isn't enjoyable and I sometimes lose sight of things. But I am thankful for it. Before you make judgments that I obviously haven't been through that much to be able to be thankful for it-let me explain why I am thankful. I have lived most of my life with chronic pain and I have been through alot and I am still going through alot. It is never easy in the least bit to go through it but I have learned so much from it. The obvious reason is that it has made me stronger than I ever could be if I hadn't experienced what I have. I have realized I can deal with alot more pain than I thought I could. My tolerance for pain has definitely increased that I can handle alot more pain now than I could before. It has taught me to be thankful for the little things and how to take life one day at a time and even sometimes one hour/minute at a time because it is all I can handle. I can also relate to people that I am better equipped to help others. I can relate to people in wheel chairs because I have been there even if only for a short time. I can relate to people with chronic pain because I have been and still am there. I can relate to others who are shut in because I have been there. I can relate to others who go through undescribable pain because I have been there and thankfully no longer there. I can relate to people who suffer through depression because of the pain because I have been there. I am not trying to complain or come across as oh look at me I have been through so much-I am hoping I am coming across as showing reasons I am thankful for the pain and what it has taught me and it was never for nothing. I really wish we could learn stuff without going through the pain because it is never something I want to go through and never want others to go through either. But sometimes I remember that in the end it will help me become a better person and a stronger person and it won't last forever and it makes it a little easier to bear. I am not saying that we have to enjoy pain because I can't imagine any reason why or how anyone could but that when we go through it, we can know that it can teach us something and we are not going through it for nothing. That we shouldn't become bitter because of what we have to suffer through. We all have pain and we all suffer and some more than others and we can learn from it. I don't have any answers why there is so much pain and this is not supposed to be an answer why-I just know that we can learn from it and use it to make us better people and be thankful for what it teaches us. I am slowly learning patience through this also. I am not a patient person naturally and is something I really have to work at and going through surgeries and long recoveries has been helpful in learning patience. I am hoping that I have been able to get my thoughts across clearly. I do want to say that it seems through suffering I have found God and I think that He doesn't take away the pain but gives me strength to get through it. I don't understand this but I think that God hurts with us but maybe He knows what we can handle and He sees what we will learn from it and He allows it. I think God won't allow what we can't handle and He must step in somehow but I don't know for sure. I am only trying to grasp at understanding here and this is just my thoughts on this and understand I could be very wrong but that is what I see. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. Anyways that is why I am thankful for pain-what it has taught me.