I'm having a hard time letting go of what was supposed to be a temporary blogging site.
Still posting over here: http://www.tatyannashope.com/blog Bigger image sizes and the fact that our friends in China can access it combined with blogger's glitchyness lately have made it even more comfy over there. Please feel free to stop by. :)

Just a quick note to say Hi :) We're back. After being unable to update Tatyanna's other blogsite for all of last week I'm ridiculously behind...but will be caught up soon....I hope.

Looking forward to catching up on all of the 365's that I've missed out on for the last 5 weeks!

Update

Tatyanna and family arrived in China safely, but Janelle cannot access blogger to post. She has set up a temporary blog and will be blogging for the next six weeks or so here:

http://zazalak15835.c3.cmdwebsites.com/blog

Please update your bookmarks!

89/365 Farewell

Today was a day full of goodbyes. This morning we laid my grandma to rest and this afternoon we loaded up our van and drove to the airport hotel in the city. Our plane leaves tomorrow at 7 a.m. Emotions are swirling in a volatile whirlwind beneath the surface but if I were to reach in and grab one, I'm fairly certain that I would come up with mind numbing fatigue.

88/365

Resting up before the big trip....only 2 more days!!!

I'm hoping that I can keep posting to Tatyanna's site from Beijing but won't know until I get there. Blogspot blogs as well as sites like facebook and twitter are all banned. On previous trips I could still access my dashboard (in Mandarin) to write the post but once I pressed "publish" the entry disappeared to the other side of the great firewall that surrounds China. I have plan b and c in place so although it may take a few days to start posting from Beijing, I'm hopeful that I will be able to keep updating things here! I won't however, be able to read any of the 365's that I have been following. My morning coffee just won't be the same!

87/365

On our last trip to Beijing we travelled with numerous books and had to leave many of them behind to keep our luggage under the weight restriction. This time we got smart...enter the Kobo. At the moment I have an eclectic mix of classic and modern literature combined with some Junie B Jones and the Magic Tree House series. I would love some title suggestions if anyone has any!

86/365 Empty

Ever since we moved into this house two years ago, the wall behind the couch in the living room has remained empty. We would tease my grandma that it was just waiting for one of her renaissance style needle point pieces and that it was entirely possible that it just might go missing when she was at a bake sale or down playing tile rummy with her friends.
Today I received the object of our banter and just can't bring myself to hang it....not yet.

It's with a heavy heart that I type this message. Tonight my grandma went home. I am so grateful for the time we had over the last few days and am relieved that her passing was peaceful and surrounded by family. Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers over the last few days.

85/365

"Which shirt should I wear today love? Blue or red?"

"Are you really asking me that question? I'm thinking that blue might not send the right message given the circumstances." *

***

They say that you can't complain about the government if you don't vote. Trent decided to go one step further and run for office. This morning he made the drive to Killarney to attend the meeting that will officially name him as the Liberal party candidate for the Spruce Woods district.

And in truly "man fashion" he slept in, tossed on a suit and went out the door with wet hair. If it was me I'd have had the bedroom covered in rejected outfits and been up at dawn trying to look presentable and going over what I should say. Equality in some areas is never going to happen.

*in Canada, red=Liberal, blue=Conservative

84/365 Cards for grandma

Our vigil at my grandma's bedside continues and as visitors come and go throughout the day, it is so very apparent at just how much she is loved. She was truly a remarkable woman.
At this point we are praying for peace. As much as we want to keep her here with us, it is not to be.

83/365

82/365

I know it's not "flash back on the first", but I wanted to share an image taken this summer. This is how I will remember my grandma.....impeccable hair, stylish clothes (always accessorized) and a genuine smile for everyone. She was the epitome of class and grace and I'm fairly certain that she could hold her own with the queen herself.

While the prognosis is very bleak, we have been blessed with extra time. My dear grandma has been able to speak with us and although she is just a shadow of her former self, it does all of our hearts a world of good to be able to catch a glimpse of the woman we all love so very much.

The plan for the next few days is to keep her surrounded by love and uplifted in prayer while we wait to see what will transpire.

81/365 Waiting....

....for more info....a sign of improvement....a response.

***
16 years ago I loaded my Mustang with all my earthly possessions (which really only amounted to ratty blue jeans and skate t-shirts, some punk rock CD's and a border collie puppy named Kurt) and moved to my grandma's house in the city. University was about to start and I was eager to begin my life as an "adult".

Over the months that followed we settled into a peaceful camaraderie and I spent hours sprawled on her living room floor surrounded by textbooks and binders while she watched jeopardy or did crosswords in her chair behind me. I know there were probably times where I drove her crazy with my late nights and rag tag group of friends but she took it all in stride and never once voiced her disapproval. Even when my mischievous pup ate her government issued GST rebate cheque, she only laughed at the absurdity of having to call and request a new one using the reasoning of "my dog ate it".

Eventually I moved into a house of my own but it was not uncommon to come home from class to find her happily digging in my backyard, helping me turn what started as a rough patch of thistles and weeds into a flower garden that I could be proud of.

Although her health has prevented her from doing any gardening over the last few years her role in my life was far from diminished and she is still the person that I call with questions about growing things (and my inability to do so) or cooking or knitting - because no one can beat my grandma when it comes to any of those things.

She has been a such a strong presence throughout my entire life and I find it hard to imagine the possibility of a future without her in it. To say that she enriched my life would be the grossest of understatements and I can honestly say that her influence has made me a better person.

80/365

Every year in the spring my inner slacker comes out in full force and I have zero will power to protest when Lexi spies the seasonal Pillsbury offerings in the grocery store cooler and gazes up at me with pleading brown eyes. No fuss, no extra dishes just freshly baked cookies in 12 minutes. I can appreciate such things! Also? Who can resist a cookie with a bunny on it?

79/365 Raining on the outside....raining on the inside....

Somehow the grey skies seem fitting today.

If you could spare a moment to pray for my grandma, I would very much appreciate it. She is made of awesome and is not doing so well at the moment.

78/365

This was not exactly what we had planned for today. :(
Fortunately all is well and Tatyanna is back home now.

77/365

It's been a quest of sorts, finding the perfect pair of "shoes" for my increasingly hard to fit daughter. The combination of circulation that borders on abysmal and feet that are starting to point down and rotate inwards have made all standard footwear an impossibility. You name it, we tried it. Nothing was suitable, which was fine with Lexi who aquired all the rejects and now has a variety of cozy slipper type shoes at her disposal.
And then by random happenstance I found myself here: Wooly Baby - maker of funky and eco friendly wool slippers
Feeling more than a little hopeful I sent an email to the owner of the shop inquiring as to the particulars on the slippers and whether she could do a custom order. After a few emails back and forth, I placed my order and waited. Today, the anticipated package arrived in the mail and when I placed them on Tatyanna's feet, it was instantly apparent that they were PERFECT! Soft felted wool made from upcycled sweaters, with leather on the bottom for warmth (and grip/durability if one needed it) The shape was just right to keep them on her feet without affecting her circulation in the least. One hour later, her toes were still toasty and hadn't turned an all too familar shade of purple. Success!
We opted for neutral, earthy toned "low tops" for our first pair but I will definitely be back for something a little funkier...stripes perhaps? I love the fact that they weren't an identical pair but rather a collection of complementary tones, somehow that seemed all the more perfect for my quirky girl.
I don't normally do product pitches on Tatyanna's site but I know how difficult it can be to find shoes for kiddos with medical challenges so I wanted to share. I would definitely recommend Josie at Wooly Baby! The workmanship was excellent, the transaction was smooth and we had the finished product within the specified time frame. The website indicates what is currently in stock/ready to ship but she was very open to doing a customs order in a size that fit Tatyanna. I only wish that I had ordered another pair or two. :)

76/365 I spy.....

To some, it's just a loose ring snaffle bit...to others it's a perfectly good monacle.



I'm cringing just a little at the peeling paint on my kitchen wall behind Lexi in this photo. What started out as a tiny knick quickly turned into something a little more substantial...although I'm thinking that it just may have had some help from a certain 5 year old who couldn't resist giving it a peel or two. It was rather timely though as we intended to repaint the house this spring.

75/365 Never lose....

74/365 A night out....

It had been a long time since Trent and I were able to enjoy an evening without some semblance of an entourage. Thanks to our awesome respite worker, we were actually able to go out to a movie...one that didn't involve colourful animated characters. As much as I enjoy my kids, sometimes it's nice to watch a movie without multiple trips to the bathroom or popcorn stand.

Trying to capture light trails would be much easier if there was actually traffic.

73/365

Just one of those lazy days. "Daytime attire" optional.