The Master Plan

Up to now, I have been living my life according to “the plan”.

I am not one that likes to let things just happen.  I rarely make decisions on impulse or at the last minute.  I am not saying that I can’t be flexible and adapt to change.  Working in Government, I have had to change course or let things go based on changing priorities or new management. I seem to be able to do this fairly easily and without second thought.

But when it comes to my life, I don’t leave things to chance.  It seems that my life is clearly laid out and that I have gotten on the train without thinking of getting off before destination.

When I graduated from high school, the plan was to get a career, meet the man of my dreams, get married then have kids.  And it’s exactly what I did.  I never doubted that it would not happen which is a good thing because I did not have a “plan B”.

Because growing up I idealized my mom and the person that she was, the plan was to work in Government.   I started my career as a secretary and becoming a Communications Advisor, and more specifically in Web Communications, was not part of the plan.  In retrospect, I could not have planned this because the Internet was not even invented at the time (well perhaps it was, but no one had computers back in 1984 when I got my first full time job).

It was part of the plan that we would “someday” buy a house but it was precipitated when one day my dad suggested we buy 2 semi-detach houses and live side-by-side.  The move came quickly and although we we had not planned to be homeowners at the time, we can’t thank my dad enough for making this happen for us.  His plan became our plan and we happily lived side-by-side for 13 years.  My daughters got to live beside their wonderful “pépère” and he took care of them as he has taken care of me throughout my life.

In 2000, we decided to spread our wings and buy a single family home.  Our plan became my dad’s plan as he also decided to move to a condo.

The plan was to live in our new house for 15 years, then move into a condo of our own and travel the world once we retire.

But again, the plan has changed and we bought the cottage.  I would not say it was on the spur of the moment as we had talked about it for the past 4 years, but it was sudden. The plan is to spend our summers at the cottage and buy a smaller house to live in during the colder season after we retire.

But a plan is only that, a plan.  Along the way there have been slight delays, bumps in the road and change of track.  That’s what keeps life interesting.

Both Serge and I like to talk about and make plans for our retirement which will happen in the next 3 to 4 years, according to the plan. 

In the meantime, I plan on having lots of happy family times, do some travelling and spend lots of time taking photographs.

In the end, I hope that life’s “master plan” includes Serge and I living a long life and growing old together, because that is also my plan.

For the love of chocolate

What would I not do right now to get some chocolates? To most people, being without chocolate is no big deal, but to me, it’s a matter of survival.

Being "confined" to my home recovering from my operation has meant that I am fully dependent on Serge to feed my addiction. I have been without chocolate for the last few days and it’s all I can think about.

Those of you who can't go a day without coffee will understand my need and my despair. Luckily, it does not go so far as having the shakes, but it is a physical need.

I eat chocolate on a daily basis as my co-workers can attest. It does not need to be a big piece or even good quality, I will eat it all. At work, I often eat one of the small Halloween-sized chocolate bars and it satisfies me. It’s better that I not keep a large supply in my desk, as I am unable to stop once I start. I could never understand how some people can buy a 70% cocoa chocolate bar, put it in their desk and have one piece per day. They are obviously not into chocolate to the extent that I am.

I have no qualms about paying alot of money for quality chocolates. Imagine my joy when Serge and I travelled to Belgium and Austria in 2009. Chocolate was available everywhere. Although Belgium is known for having beer pubs on every corner and over 800 types of beers, it is also the same for its chocolate stores. There are some on every street corner and the chocolate is not only excellent, it is cheap. There was even a chocolate factory beside our hotel in Bruxelles. My all-time favourite chocolate is Léonidas which is made in Belgium. I ate it by the truck load and it was fresh and delicious. What more could a girl want. I brought back so many boxes, I was hoping not to be stopped at the border and having to explain my stach.  Supprising that there were even some left to bring back :)

Chocolate is part of every celebration, event, travel, etc. Some people like to drink a good wine to celebrate life events; I choose a good box of chocolate. Whenever I eat a desert, you can be sure that my preference is always a chocolate-based confection. When I travel, I am always on the lookout for the local chocolate store. This summer, Serge and I went to Philadelphia, and we stopped in at "Philly Chocolate" where we had chocolate that will rival any Belgium or Swiss chocolate (in my opinion).

Serge does not have a sweet tooth and does not care for desert all that much but he does love a good chocolate, although his taste run more into exotic flavours which no one else would eat :)

That suits me just fine, as it means that I will not find him eating the ones I love...hazelnut, milk chocolate, caramel, pecan, truffles....I must stop as my mouth is watering and it is making matters worse.

So today, I come before you and confess "I am a chocoholic". But you won't see me in any meeting or trying any special cures to try and kick my habit. Some say "chocolate is better than sex", so come home quickly honey I need you...to bring me chocolates, of course.

Mozart Pistachio Chocolates in Salzburg, Austria

50 Shades of.....YELLOW

When looking through my pics, I found myself noticing a common thread in some of my photos...YELLOW.

Yellow is a welcoming colour (I am automatically attracted to a yellow-colored house), it's a warm color (nothing like a sunny yellow room) and it stands out in any garden (think about black-eyed susans or dandelions - although usually undesireable on a lawn).  Nothing says "happy" like yellow...as seen in the famous "happy face". 

So today, I invite you to see life through my YELLOW-colored glasses. Surprisingly, by the power of suggestion, even if some of the pics have other colors, I predict you will notice that your eye will be drawn to the color yellow in each pic.

I hope you enjoy my "yellow series" and stay tuned for future studies in color coming soon!

Note: click on the thumbnail to see a larger version of each pic.



Feeling hot, hot, hot

When a woman gets to be my age...not yet 50 but very close...one can expect to have symptoms associated with pre-menopause. So most of us wait for them, fear them and hear about them as if it’s like getting the plague.

For about a year now, every time I've been moody, sad or unusually hot, I've been told by my family that it was pre-menopause. I always brushed it off thinking that when it did happen I would surely know. I often joked about the 34 symptoms of menopause (Google it if you are curious to know what they are :). It’s easy to associate every little change to the dreaded "M". I've heard monologues and songs about it (Clémence Desrocher), seen ads on television, and waited like every other women for it to start.

Fast forward to October 24^th and my hysterectomy. My doctor went into details telling me what I could expect from the operation and that it would automatically "throw" me into menopause. He said I could expect it to start in the week following my operation.

So I waited with baited breath, and when nothing happened, I thought to myself, maybe it would skip me. Who knew, some women report hardly being bothered by hot flashes.  I was starting to feel a bit smug and 5 days ago, right on cue as my doctor had predicted, came the dreaded hot flashes.

At first I was not sure that it was that, I thought the furnace was maybe malfunctioning or it was because of my leather couch...I do find I get hot sitting on it. But no, it is what it is...no doubt about it. It takes over my body and suddenly creep's up on me without warning. The feeling is like suddenly opening the oven to check on a roast.

Serge came home one night after work and I was wearing shorts...not so unusual if it was not for the fact that we are in November. I have now started a second closet in my first floor office which includes; shorts, capris, long pants and jogging pants. This is necessary to deal with the many changes in temperature that my body goes through during the day...or sometime within a period of 5 minutes. You see, it’s not only the hot flashes that are inconvenient and that cause me to strip, but these are followed by cold flashes, where I'm freezing and change back into my jogging pants and sweater.

I went out for lunch with my dad yesterday (trying to get rid of my cabin fever) and after lunch I was so hot, I had him turn on the air conditioning in the car. Thankfully he complied and did not say anything...now there's a good man :)

Unfortunately, I'm on my own, since I can't take hormones given my mom’s history with breast cancer. It’s definitely not worth the risk and the reason I opted for a full hysterectomy.

But not to worry, up to now, it is bearable, quite funny in fact and I am taking it in stride. I am even prepared for when I go back to work (check out the cute flower fan I bought that plugs into the USB port of my computer). And the Internet is full of remedies and tricks that can help...so they say.

As for my family, I ask you to be patient and pretend you don't notice my constant change of clothes, and rejoice, that I won't be complaining about my periods anymore. As for the other 33 symptoms of menopause, I am still waiting for them to kick in.

I know that the hot flashes will go away...sometime in the future, and that it’s all part of being a woman. And I am sure Serge would tell you that being a man is not any better, since he has to put up with me....for better or for worst....remember honey :)

A new perspective on life

As much as I love photography, I also love interior decorating. My house is cluttered with decorating magazines and design books and I watch design shows non-stop for inspiration.

I think it ties into my love of photography. I can sit for hours pouring over beautiful photographs in my magazines, and love to surf online reading design blogs. I love to look at beautifully decorated rooms and although I have my own style, I can appreciate other styles as well.

I never tire of it. I have worked long and hard to decorate my home, not for others to admire mind you, but for me and my family to love.

Too me, its all about painting a picture, the one I have imagined in my mind or reproducing something I have seen in a magazine. Its also a past time or a hobby...one that keeps me happy and often occupies my mind. Its all about the quest and the pleasure of hunting for that perfect item or great bargain.

As my patient husband will tell you, it as to be just right, in fact, it has to be perfect. I have purchased and returned items that were less then "perfect" on so many occasions, you would not believe. I am lucky that Serge shares my passion (or pretends to :) as I have been dragging him to furniture and decor stores for the past 30 years. Funny that our first outing together was to go to Ikea to buy furniture for his apartment, and this, even before we were even a couple!

Some women love shopping for shoes or clothes but me, its shopping for that special item to decorate my home. Véro also shares my love of decorating, so our shopping trips and discussions are often focussed on decorating.

On numerous occasions, my friends and colleagues have asked me for decorating advice and I've done virtual shopping for them to help find that special item to decorate their homes.

All this said, over the last few years, although we have done some renos, the house has felt a bit neglected because of other priorities, e.g. illnesses, family commitments, etc. and the renos we started have not been completed.

Then 2 months ago, my perspective changed. With the purchase of our cottage, I no longer feel invested in my house. In fact, we are thinking of selling it for a much smaller place in the near future; one that does not need as much tlc so that we can spend more time at the cottage.

I now have "Cottage Life" and "Home and Cabin" magazines on my coffee table and I am now watching "Chic Shack" instead of "Design Inc" (decorating shows). I spend all my waking hours thinking of how I will decorate the cottage, you could say its my new project and I am now at the planning stage. Surprisingly, I am focusing on a more minimal decor to avoid having to dust and clean and to spend more time relaxing and living instead. And because we have had to start with replacing the roof and some windows, my budget for decorating is almost non-existant so, I am looking forward to the summer so that I can visit flea markets looking for bargains and unique items.  In any case, I will start with the furniture left by the previous owners as a starting point and built on that.

As for the house, we will complete the renos over the coming months, but this will be done so that the house is ready to sell to a new family.

 

In my mind, I've already put up the "for sale" sign and I've moved on to my next decorating adventure, my cottage.

Oups, I almost forgot that our new smaller house will also need decorating...I guess I will have many projects to entertain me for a while yet!

 

 

Remembrance Day

I have never taken a particular interest in war...I guess because wars scare me.

As I watch the news every night, I can't help but be saddened for all the children, men and women who live with oppression, war and lack of freedom.

I feel very lucky to live in a country that is at peace with its neighbours and the world.

Every year on November 11th, I observe a minute of silence, and give thanks for the courage of the men and women who have fought in the great wars under very difficult conditions. The freedom we have today I attribute to them.

To want world peace seems idealistic and unattainable but one can always dream.

I particularly like this quote from Albert Einstein:

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

So on November 11th, please join me and take a minute to reflect and give thanks.

What's in a Name



It’s funny how we get attached to a name. Whether it is a given name or family name, most of us get very insulted when our name is mispronounced or misspelled. Our name is who we are, it is given to us at birth whether we like the name or not.

In my case, having a French name sometimes complicates things.  I often get called Lisa, Lees, Lyse or Liz. I have a co-worker that does not seem to be able to remember that it is Lise not Liz. This really annoys me and even though I have corrected her countless times, she just keeps calling me Liz. I have fantasized of miss-pronouncing her name so she can see how it feels, but that would be nasty, and I’m not a nasty person.  So I have decided to let it go and just grind my teeth when she says...hi Liz!!!

Growing up with a family name like Bigras (translation in English would be something like "twice fat") and being overweight on top of it, I was lucky that I was never teased about my name...probably because I had great friends!!

However, I was more than happy to take on Lacroix, when I married Serge.  No insult intended to my family (cousins, aunts, uncles and dad who proudly carry the name). It’s a great family who is very close knit and I am proud to be part of it, even if I chose to change my name to Lacroix.

Since I have been Lise Lacroix for almost 30 years, imagine my surprise when we purchased the cottage on the Quebec side and I was told that I would be known as "Lise Bigras" on the purchase agreement (since women keep their maiden names in Quebec). Even my will is made out in my maiden name. I am also known as Lise Bigras at Hydro Québec and in the municipality and post office of Saint-Emile-de-Suffolk.

When it came time to sign the papers, I had not signed Lise Bigras in such a long time, I had to focus really hard to ensure I did not make a mistake and sign Lacroix instead. When the receptionist called "Lise Bigras" in the waiting room, it felt weird and as if she was calling someone else, not me. Even weirder that she should call me "Madame Bigras", as this was my mom's name, not mine.

Lise Bigras to me was a young girl who I left behind at the altar to start a new chapter in my life. I became Lise Lacroix by choice and my daughters carry the name.

You may think this is trivial and that I am making too much out of a name. Perhaps as quoted in Romeo and Juliet: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", but nonetheless my name is at the essence of who I am.

I may be known legally as Lise Bigras in Québec, but the responsible mature adult that I have become, is and will always be, Lise Lacroix.

 

 

Three is a crowd!

I spent a nice weekend at the cottage with Serge and the girls…and Hoffie, our English springer spaniel.

The girls decided to go back Saturday night, so we were left alone with Hoffie.  We had decided to go to the cottage to see the progress being done on the installation of the new roof.  Because it was not yet completed, the tradesmen had covered the open roof with a large tarp and 2x2s to hold the whole thing down.

All day Saturday, the wind was fierce and the sound of the wind passing through the tarp was deafening and to top it off, the 2x2s kept flying off the roof landing on the deck with a loud thump.

Of course, this was quite disturbing for Hoffie, who is a bit of a scary cat (sorry Hoffie for the insult).

When it was time to go to bed, Serge and I  wondered how we would manage with Hoffie.  You see, the new cottage has a large dining and living room but the bedrooms are rather small and we only have double beds for the moment.  There is about 12 inches of floor space around the bed.

So Serge decided to put a cushion on the floor so that Hoffie could sleep on it.  You can’t fit 2 adults and a 57 pound dog in a double bed…or can you.

I have always been more of a cat person.  Before Hoffie, I did not really like dogs.  All past experiences I had with dogs had been rather negative.  Then Hoffie came into our lives, primarily to help Serge go through his chemo and radiotherapy treatments, but Hoffie quickly became an important part of our family. 

I will admit that I actually consider Hoffie to be my little boy.  When he’s scared of thunder during a storm or when the fire alarm goes off when I’m cooking, he runs to me…his mommy.  For everything else, it’s Serge, his best friend!

So, when we were in bed last night and the wind started its loud swooshing on the roof and the 2x2s continued flying off the roof, I was the one who "invited" Hoffie to hop on the bed. 

Big mistake!

Of course Hoffie did not wait to be told twice and decided that he could spread out between us instead of staying at the foot of the bed and “sharing” the cramped spaces.  We did manage to sleep a little but we were not comfortable and way to cramped.

I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and laughed as Serge was almost hanging off the side of bed because Hoffie was sprawled in his place.  At that point, we realized that we would not be able to sleep unless drastic measures were taken.  Hoffie was taking too much space and he was like a furnace (I was boiling hot and not due to hot flashes, I assure you).

What were we to do…get Hoffie to jump off the bed and sleep outside the room?  Get him to sleep on the floor…all alone and scared? 

Don’t worry….no dogs were hurt as an outcome of this story!

At 4:32, Serge got up with Hoffie, to give me the bed and went and slept on the couch, so that Hoffie could have all the space he needed and have his daddy beside him for security.

The morale of this story is that 3 is a crowd and that Hoffie always wins….no matter what.  After all, how can you say no to such a cute face and sad eyes.

However, we are now back at home and what happens at the cottage stays at the cottage (or something like that). 

Tonight our "57 pound baby" goes back to sleeping on the carpet on the landing….outside our bedroom door!  Cesar Millan (the dog wisperer)would be proud of me, as he always says, its not the dog that needs re-training, its the humans :)

Are you prepared?



The images I have been seeing on the news in the last few days have been of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Sandy.   Who would have thought that 80% of Atlantic City, that we visited this summer, would be flooded and changed forever by the “Frankenstorm”.  To think that New York, such a big metropolitain city, could come to a complete halt and be left in the dark for so many days with shortages of gas, food and water.

I always felt rather secure in thinking that these kinds of disasters happen elsewhere, or in countries, far, far away.  But Atlantic City and New York…seem incredibly real and close to me.

When the news first started reporting on Hurricane Sandy, my daughter asked me if we were prepared in the event of an emergency.  She had read online about the 72 hour challenge which “encourages Canadians to be prepared to cope on their own for at least the first 72 hours of an emergency”.  I had also heard of this initiative a few years ago but did not feel overly concerned at the time.

I told her, we have lots of food in the freezer and a BBQ connected directly to the natural gas line to use for cooking.  We also have a gas fireplace to keep warm and that gas would never run out!  I actually felt pretty secure…but is thinking you are prepared, enough?

Hurricane Sandy also hit parts of New Jersey and wreaked havoc on houses near the shore.  Gas lines were seriously damaged and the gas supply was cut in order to prevent fires and explosions. 

So if this was to happen here, there goes my plan of using our “endless supply” of natural gas for cooking and heat.  And what if there was a shortage of water, could I survive on Diet Pepsi alone (always on hand in my house). 

Without gas to put in the car, could we even drive to get to the supplies we needed…and that is assuming, supplies would even be available. Would we run out of cash, as we only use plastic to make purchases.

It makes one reconsider the soundness of thinking that it always happens elsewhere and to someone else and that we would "somehow" get through it no problem.   

I am not worried about a hurricane coming down on Orleans anytime soon but other disasters such as earthquakes could happen here.  We have seen devastating floods in western Canada recently, forest fires in BC and even the great ice storm in Quebec and Ontario in the 1990s.

Of course, I am not going to go crazy and start stock piling food and water in my basement, but perhaps, I will visit the Get Prepared website and read up on making a kit to last the first 72 hours of an emergency.  

I believe everything happens for a reason and maybe, just maybe, Sandy will have had a positive effect on me and my family and will have brought home the importance of making a plan.

I hope that the people of New York, Atlantic City and New Jersey will be able to recover quickly from Hurricane Sandy and that I will never have to use my emergency preparedness kit.

How about you…are you prepared?

Tic Toc Tic Toc

Have you noticed that you often wish you could have a break from “life”.  What I mean is just some time to do nothing, to take it easy and to think of only you.

I know I did.  Working all week, cleaning the house, running errands on the weekend, taking care of our parents, family and social activities, etc. seemed overwhelming and I was often feeling tired. 

So, having had an operation a week ago and having been given the instructions to “do nothing, to take it easy, to think only of myself” should come as a welcome respite from “life”.

Turns out, it isn’t!  I think the problem is that my brain does not know how to be in “take it easy mode”.  It keeps working although my body is not following suit.  It goes over all the things I should or could be doing and I am sitting here feeling like I am wasting time.

Humans are funny, we spend our whole life running after time trying to make the most of it and when you are handed “time” on a silver platter, you don’t know what to do with it.  I can’t help but wonder if this is what retirement will be like.  Too much time.

I’ve always thought that I was someone who had enough interests to keep me busy (like reading, photography, writing, electronic scrapbooking, decorating, etc).  But having interests is not enough, you also need health.  Because my body is taking all my energy to recover from this operation, it seems like there is no energy left to do anything else.

I know this is only a temporary condition (for which I am thankful) and most of you will say, take it one day at a time, enjoy the break, be patient…but I have come to realize, that I am not a very patient person.  I expect a lot from myself.  I expect to be “tougher” than everyone else and be able to get better…faster.  Funny me!!

In conclusion, although this is not a New Year’s resolution by any means, in the next few weeks, I vow to do nothing, to take it easy and to think of only myself and to work at “enjoying my free time”. 

But once my body is “healthy again”, I vow to work at improving my overall health to ensure that I can face my retirement with a healthy mind and body so that I can take advantage of my precious time.

I know, that within a few months, I will be back to my old self of doing too much, of thinking of others first because that is who I am.  I just hope that I can look back on this “gift of time” and learn from it.

Time may be precious but health is priceless.