Another Year Ending

And so 2011 comes to a close. It's crazy, especially considering that I still write 200- before realizing my mistake. Let me just say this to get it out of the way, I in no way believe in the foolishness that states that 2012 is the end of the world. That being said, I can't help but wonder what the new year will bring.

In all honesty, I don't know if I could have imagined myself where I am right now at the beginning of 2011. It seems like so far away but as if 2010 was only yesterday. Confusing how much life is an oxymoron isn't it?

Two thousand and twelve will hold a lot of lasts for me, as well as firsts I am sure. In a short year I will be wrapping up my life in here and preparing to move away for university. Regardless of the fact-that I have come to terms with, expectant and waiting even-it still seems as if it is creeping up over my shoulder.

The coming year scares me, I won't lie. I will have to give it my all. When I send out my transcipts to universities, these are the days they will see, this upcoming year will decide where my future take me. A little stressful if you ask me. I have so many big plans for this 2012; Italy & Spain in March, I want to enter a writing competition and I want to travel to Ottawa this summer. Who knows if I will accomplish those last two but if I can get to Europe, why the hell not?


This year has been a crazy one, it feels as if it was forever ago I was living in Quebec, not just the beginning of this year. I still miss it out there but it served its purpose for me, it taught and showed me so many things. Rebecca is and will be a best friend for life and I miss her like crazy, as well as everyone else in St-Raymond. This year has helped me come to terms with myself and helped me make decisions for myself and not just everyone else. Thinking back to how I started high school it is crazy how much I have changed...but my dreams remain big and the same. With persistance and determination one can accomplish anything, right?


While I have bittersweet feelings about 2011 coming to a close I truly believe that what remains around the corner will be even greater. I will always have the amazing memories to look back on from this year, as well as many photographs. With that being said, I can't help but say full steam ahead for 2012. Time slows down for no one, it will always march on. So, I guess it is with baited breath that I wait and see if this new year will match my expectations.

We hold the reigns to our own life.

I have been wanting to write about this for a long time, ever since I had to take a taxi to school and the cabbie told me that these are the best years of my life. You hear it all the time, everywhere; high school is the best four years of your life. On Monday the words came back to me, someone else was saying high school was and would be the best years of your life.

I don't get it.

Why would anyone want the best years of their life to be the ones that includes the stressful days of exams, cramming to finish an essay and the drama? Personally, I love high school. I love my friends and I love the memories that we are making throughout the halls of my school. But high school will only be the best years of your life if you let it.

I fully intend on not letting the late nights of stressing, the long days of classes, the thousands of pages of notes and the petty drama of who did what be my glory days. No. I intend on graduating and going out into this crazy world to obtain a degree and kick ass in the writing field. Naive? Perhaps. But I hold onto the hope that there is so much more out the waiting for me than studying to pass a test or exam.

Just grateful.

It always makes me a bit sad whenever Christmas is over. The holiday has come and gone, you finally realize quite how much you spent and the magic seems to have fizzled out over night. I won't lie and say that this year has been any different. But some how, a little of the magic still remains. Maybe it's the prospect of numerous opportunities in the coming new year or maybe it's the fact that time is passing by quicker than ever now and I am trying to enjoy every minute of it.

My flight to Italy leaves in sixty-three days. I remember this trip being a figment of my imagination, something I only imagined when I closed my eyes at night and dreamed. The fact is that until, let's just admit it, Christmas morning I had no clue how my mother and I were going to find the remaining money to pay off the trip. That was until I opened a present from my father and promptly burst into tears, hugged my mother tight and sobbed. Enough money to pay off this months payment and a half of next. The thought that whizzed through my brain in that moment were joined with a flurry of emotion. This is happening, I am going. I was shocked. Beyond shocked.

It all feels so real now, there is no more guessing and no more panic, just girl-ish planning. What should I wear on the plane? What footwear is appropriate? Ouu, those shoes would look adorable out dancing in Spain!

I feel dizzy thinking about it. Everyone keeps saying things like, I know there's not many Christmas presents, I'm sorry, but don't forget Italy is under that tree too! Like I could ever forget, I don't think I could be more full of gratitude. I am forever grateful and doubt that I could say thank you enough. Four months ago this trip was so far out of reach, with it's 3,130$ price tag. But now, it's only sixty-three days away, and I just can't believe it.

santa claus is coming to town!

This morning I awoke to my dad running in my room yelling, "Anna! Anna! Get up!". I thought someone had died or the house was on fire the way he was acting about but then he told me that there was snow outside! I assure you my response mirrored his, I scrambled to my window and just watched the snow with Spencer, singing White Christmas until my alarm went off. My first thought when I saw the snow was, Santa does exist! All week all I have been asking for is snow!It is still snowing outside and it is the pristine, perfect, movie-like kind of snow. All day it has been a mixture of great big flakes and tiny petite flakes. Thankfully today was a half day and we didn't do much except in Physics, I couldn't contain my excitement at all.

Sarah, Shantel and I exchanged Christmas presents today and I gave Kaela her present. Sarah loved her jar of little quotes and we were both fighting back tears, especially since she saw the doctor last night and was prescribed anti-depressants...off topic but she also loved the CD I made her. She gave me some yummy Christmas scented lotion, lip balm and shower gel from Yves Rocher. The first two night huntress novels and a new HP book mark because Spencer wrecked my old one! Along with that she bought me cute Parisien earrings, a collar for Spencer, a new cat toy for him, play doh (!), quite scrapbooking stickers and many cute little gifts, she really did spoil me. I suppose though I spoiled her as well!

Shantel bought me the Scottish smut that I had asked her to, it is set in Inverness so I am excited to read that over Christmas break. She bought me two candles and a candle in a Christmas mug! The Christmas mug is so cute and I will use it for sure after I burn the candle. She picked up the skirt that she had told me about and I am trying to figure out a way to wear it for Christmas Eve, it is a mixture of purple and gray so I am confused on how to style it... She also got me some awesome Leafs gloves! Which I love!

Solange sent me a card with a 10$ Tim card in it and I am bummed that I didn't send out there cards yet! I probably won't get around to it until after Christmas unfortunately, however, better late than never! As well I received my package from Scotland! I love it! I won MPVT's Christmas contest and it was there waiting for me when I got home, it is packed full of cute Christmas goodies and I already broke into the chocolate but am saving the rest to open on Christmas morning!

I still have to knit Mum's scarf, which I know I won't finish, but I am planning on just wrapping it unfinished to show her. Today was a great day and with the snow it is finally feeling like Christmas, I think I am going to go have some soup now and cook some gingerbread and butter cookies. 'Tis the season for giving my friends. <3

sleigh bells ring, are ya listening?

Only a week until Christmas Day. I can't believe it. I got a lot of my remaining Christmas shopping done yesterday, and got home before one in the afternoon I might add. The lines were crazy and I was in the the line-up at Michael's for half an hour, easy. The line wrapped all the way around into an aisle. Regardless, I would do it again because I got 40% of my entire purchase, hell yes.

I still have to pick up a few more things for Sarah, buy Shantel's gifts and buy Herb some sugar-less candy. I am still debating buying a few more items, like some cooking stuff for Tom, another shirt for Steve and maybe a frame with a cadet picture for James. But I am so close to being done I am very excited, I have spent way too much already and can see myself spending another 100 or so before I am done because I still need to go buy all of my baking supplies! That will probably be Wednesday or so.

This weekend has been a very productive one that's for sure. Today really felt like it was Monday. With the Christmas shopping yesterday and then we decorated the Christmas tree last night! I have also knitted so frickin' much this weekend. At almost any given moment if you poked your head into my bedroom I would be knitting while listening to some Christmas music, because I am that cool.

I am so excited to give everyone their presents and I know it will be worth all of the bloody money I spent! :)

christmastime means something more

So with the sound of five new born kittens I settle down to write this blog posts. That's right, Oreo had her kittens the night before last on the eleventh, there are five of them and they are still so tiny! I had forgotten how small they are when they are first born, what with Spencer still being a kitten in my eyes and now he weighs more and is double the size of Oreo.

Today I set up the tree at Herb's and signed loads of cards but for some reason felt very out of touch of the holiday cheer. Odd, I know, especially coming from me but Herb was very non-christmas-y today and was generally an old grouch so I guess that wouldn't help anyone's Christmas cheer. Hopefully having his tree set up will help him think of the true meaning of Christmas, the memories from times spent in Christmases past with family and friends, not the artificial, commercialized side of things.

I suppose my doctor's appointment today didn't help matters much either. The doctor examined my shoulder and the pain in it has migrated mostly...well everywhere. However the main point of main has moved from lower on the front of my shoulder onto the top of my shoulder and she mentioned my AC joint which hopefully will only be a grade I or maximum II, I did have to go get a few x-rays done though so I guess I will know more when they return. For now however she prescribed me Naprosyn and told me to go see a Physiotherapist. I am really not looking forward to seeing a physiotherapist because even the little examination she did today on my shoulder has limited my range of motion considerably, which is a lot considering I don't have full range of motion even if no one has examined it. It also has quite the dull ache going on...

Anyways, enough boring depressing things about my stupid shoulder, hopefully everything will heal perfectly and I will be able to get back into the pool to train so I can kick ass next season. Tomorrow, my plans to go Christmas shopping are still on and I have made yet another list, I believe I am on #3 or 4 now? Regardless, I just know I will forget something. My main concern right now is getting everything that I need to mail out together, I just know that I won't get them there by Christmas, at least that is what my panicked-self is thinking. Whatever, if they don't get it then it will make for an awesome after Christmas gift!

have a holly jolly christmas

Alright, *blinks* this is basically the intro to the cliched little Christmas story I have been writing on the side *gulps*.

Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.

It was a cold and stormy night in the English countryside. Gloria Weston watched from the window of the friend's quaint cottage as the snow fell densely from the dark sky and made a thick blanket on the cold, hard ground. Already the tires of Gloria's second hand Corolla were halfway submergerged into it's fluffy, white depths. Pulling the borrowed jumper closer to her body Gloria turned to face the room once more where her friend Daniel was crouched, adding more logs to the burning fireplace.

"Dan, when is the network saying the snow will let up? I need to get back into the city tonight." she asked.

"I don't think anyone really knows when it will stop...the storm came out of no where." Daniel replied while replacing the fire grate and joining Gloria on the couch.

Gloria bit her bottom lip trying to think of what to do while Daniel glanced out of the window. With only five days until Christmas it was crucial for her to return to the city as soon as possible. She had only meant to stay at Dan's for the afternoon and now it was well past half six.

...tbc...

i'm dreaming of a white christmas

I have never actually writting a Dream Christmas List and if you look around the internet it seems as if I am the only one...so just for kicks, and for a quick post while I am in the mood I figured why not make up my own Christmas List, full of some reasonable and...not-so-reasonable gifts.

My Dream Christmas List 2011

1. Bleu de Chanel - Okay I know this is a cologne but ever since the first time I smelled this I have dreamed of having it and wearing it non-stop.


2. In Love Tresor by Lancome - I smelled this for the first time last week and will admit that the real reason I walked over to the counter was because they had a drop dead gorgeous ad of Emma Watson but the perfume itself smells amazing as well and I love it!


3. The Entire Box Set of Boy Meets World - Maybe it is because I am going through a nostalgic phase and a DVD kick but I am missing this show like crazy and am sick of watching episodes online!


4. Huge Head Phones - For one, my ear phones have been broke for what seems like ever and I really want a honking pair of heavy duty head phones that will block all out other noise. Especially with my flight to Italy coming up in only 80 days.


5. Oversized Graphic Pullovers - Again, for Italy. I have been planning my plane outfit and it consists of comfort, comfort, comfort, ie: leggings, sweater and a sports bra. I found a hoodie online that has an awesome quote on the front, for 50$ I am on the fence but I know it is something I would get a lot of wear out of.


6. Sherlock - Ever since watching an episode of this in my Law class on Halloween. He is cute in a geeky way and portrays Sherlock Holmes perfectly. I love him!


7. A Mens Watch - I have recieved watches for christmases past but never, ever wore one of them, naughty I know! This year however I have been loving the big faced watches that are everywhere's and found the perfect option from the Mens Dept. for only 20$. I might even treat myself to this after Christmas.


8. DVDs in General - I don't know why but I am hardly ever in the mood to watch movies on the tv, holiday movies being the exception, I think it is the commercials. That's why I have really been wanting plenty of DVDs, I have had to actually restrain myself from buying so many, there are so many sales going on!


9. CDs - It seems my favorite bands have all come out with new CD's the past month and a half, Hedley, Marianas Trench, Punk Goes Pop 4 and I really want to get my hands on Avenged Sevenfold's new album!


10. A Clean Bill of Health, for everyone - My OCD made my round this to ten but I think this wish is the most important of all. My family has been in and out of the hospital too much lately, mum with her cancer, Herb was recently diagnosed with diabetes and I have two different uncles going through a very hard time with cancer also, although it is a very less extreme situation I myself am going in on Tuesday to get my shoulder checked out from when I injured it while swimming over a month again so I am very nervous about that! :S

santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

With Christmas only two weeks away the panic has definitely set in. I still have so much more to do and time just seems to be speeding up. It seems like just last week Christmas was well over a month away and I wasn't worrying about finishing all of my Christmas shopping. Because I like organization, organization, organization, I wrote up two lists this evening. One of the stores I still need to get to, seven, and a list of things I still need to buy...which is quite a bit.

Luckily I made plans last week to go Christmas shopping this coming Wednesday which seems like a lifetime away but I know the next two days will pass by at the speed of light (and yet again I make another Physics reference). Thankfully, because of my joy for the upcoming season I have had my gift list planned for the past month+, so except for the few exceptions (read: boyfriend and dad...) I know basically what I am getting everyone. Now it is just time to go out and find it/get a great deal.

Panicking and stress aside I can't believe this joyous season is finally here, it makes me so happy. I have been indulging in many, many cups of hot chocolate and planning my Christmas Baking 2011 List religiously for the past week, adding and removing, buying special tins. For a few gifts this year I have even decided to give some sweets in the pretty tins. Thank JP my dad owes me 40$ and I told him to hold onto it, or else I would have accidently spent it on gifts when I need it to buy all of my many ingredients!

I know all I have been writing about seems to be Christmas stuff, gifts and baking but I swear my Christmas original story is actually coming along, I love the beginning, it makes me feel all cuddly and cozy and I want to be in the middle of the countryside during the middle of a snowstorm as well. Is that weird? My Christmas fanfic hasn't moved past nine pages though, brainy me even wrote out a little brainstorm but with school lately I just really haven't had the time to write... Damn grade eleven, all of the teachers are trying to teach as much as they can before the Christmas holidays because the semester is winding down! And if that isn't a scary thought I don't know what is! Exams...the year half over...it's even the off-season for swimming now...

Well with my pregnant kitty Oreo burrowed underneath my bent legs under the covers and the Christmas music playing I think I am going to end this here.

simply having a wonderful christmastime

I am currently here laying with the only cat who continues to lay with me, Spencer, in my fuzzy, oversized pajama pants with a long sleeved henley shirt on. I am sweating my ass off and I haven't even gotten under the covers yet. But it is December dammit and it is time for long, fleece pajamas. Regardless of what global warming would like to do. I really don't understand how people can travel to someplace hot during the holidays. I mean if that it all you know I can understand it, but for me it isn't the holidays unless it is well below zero and you can see your breath in front of you. Anyways...

I really wanted to post everyday in December but unfortunately I just do NOT think that will work out, considering I have already missed three days. I will put it down as being very busy and exhausted! All the time.

I put some of the Christmas lights up around the stairs on Saturday which took me most of the afternoon because they didn't come assembled! Literally, the cord with all wrapped up nice and neat and the bulbs were off to the other side of the box!! So I had to plop on down on my deck, the one day it actually was quite nippy outside, and screw in all 50 lightbulbs. Sigh...on the plus side, it looks beautiful and makes me happy.

I still haven't finished Christmas shopping because I am broke until Wednesday but I have most of what I am buying for everyone planned out. And Tom's present came today!! The first time I have ever ordered online so it was a little nerve wracking but all I have to do is go pick it up from the post office tomorrow. So excited for Christmas, it's getting so close! I have my baking list all written out and am getting very antsy to start baking! I bought adorable Christmas tins this year so I might talk to Tom about going halfers on the ingredients and then we can just hand out tinned baked goods as presents to the rest of the family. Regardless I know I will be handing them out to a few people as gifts and am even pondering the idea of giving them to teachers....?

up on the housetop, reindeer paws

Life has been so crazy lately. Between tests, homework, extra-curriculars, Provincials just around the corner and Christmas coming up it's been enough to make me pull my hair out. Because of my bum shoulder I only qualified in one event this year, 100 fly, and only because there was only six swimmers so I have been trying to bounce back from feeling awful about that. I thought this was going to be my year, unfortunately next year is going to be my last hope.

Enough about that, I have to keep my glass "half full", even though that alone has been so had to do lately! The past couple days have been hectic so I am just grateful the weekend is upon us and looking forward to doing some very Christmas-y things.

I am booked to work the Imperial twice this Sunday so I am super excited for that, I absolutely loved volunteering at the Christmas Carol show and mum and I adored A Celtic Christmas, which because of my discount we got 40$ off of each ticket!!

Other than that I plan on putting up some Christmas lights and decorations throughout the house tomorrow along with wrapping a few of the presents I have already bought. It's been a little difficult this year to buy everyone Christmas presents, I am not even close to finishing already, but I think I have been doing pretty well. I am currently almost done knitting Grammie P her scarf and and halfway done mum's scarf. I just keep on buying and buying for mum, I can't help myself! Leah is already done and Tom is halfway done, Sarah I have only bought a few items for but hopefully I should be able to wrap up everything soon enough!