What?!!!?

Well I have to say, it was a very interesting night at the scale at Weight Watchers tonight. It goes to show you that the body is the most un-predictable thing ever! Tonight's weigh in showed a 5 lbs LOSS at the scale! I have never in all my months at WW shown such a drop at the scales. I'm of course very happy about this, but on the other hand a little worried because ideally you should loose no more than .5 to 2 lbs to have a healthy maintainable weight loss. What did I do differently this past week? I have no idea! Could it be the activity from the last two weeks catching up with me? Is it the result of what happened on Thursday night? Is something wrong? I'll be truly concerned if I show another big drop next week, then I will know something is wrong but I'll cross that bridge if I get to it. I also want to be extra vigilant this upcoming week not to sabotage this excellent result at the scale.

I had a new start tonight on the stitching front, I finally started Margaret's Neighbourhood Round Robin. For her RR she wanted us to stitch a house we'd love to live in. It might sound silly, but I decided on the house from Cross Eyed Cricket's Sleepy Hollow. I picked this house because I've always wanted a house with a veranda, I don't have it but I can dream right? My progress is pretty pitiful so I won't bore you with a picture.

Taking It Easy Has Its Advantages

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians, I hope you enjoyed your long weekend.

I have to say the advantage to being forced to take things easy this past weekend has been lots of stitching time with no complaints from the peanut gallery (Todd). I've stitched a lot this weekend, and every stitching moment was spent working on Jeannette Douglas's Pomegranates and Pears and guess what????

Pomegranates and Pears

c2007 Jeannette Douglas

Stitched on 32ct R&R Antique Cotton

Stitched with : Gloriana - Silk, Lorikeet and Princess Perle Petite, NPI, Belle Soie, Soi d'Alger, Thread Gatherer, GAST Wool, Mill Hill Beads

I have to say I came to fall in love with working on this piece and really enjoyed all the different fibers and stitches. This design may look scary and hard, but I assure you its not! Also the colours in this photo are nowhere near as rich as they are in real life!

A Very Rough Start To A Long Weekend

I got to start the long weekend one day sooner than expected, and not in a manner I would suggest to anyone! I spent a fair amount of today in bed, recovering from a very rough night on Thursday, which included a visit to the ER.

I had a great evening yesterday, I had met Christin and some old friends who I used to work with, for dinner. We went to the Parliament Pub downtown right across from Parliament Hill. I had a very yummy chicken panini. It was a great visit with my old co-workers, Christin brought me my copy of the JCS Ornament Issue (finally), and Christin and I wrapped up the evening with a walk on Parliament Hill, and a quick stop in Old Navy. I wanted a new pair of jeans (once again my pants are getting big), and there was a gorgeous red wool jacket I positively drooled on. But I left the jacket there, and got just the jeans.

When I got home I was feeling good and full of energy, I felt like going for a run. So I got changed and hopped onto the treadmill for a 5K run. Near the end of my run I started to break out into hives. That didn't bother me too much, I break out in hives from time to time, nothing new right? The hives were pretty bad by the time I got off of the treadmill, I was literally covered head to toe in thousands of them. I took a reactine and wanted to get in the shower. I was in the shower for only a minute or two when I realized something was wrong. My vision started going snowy and my hearing was muffled. I knew I had to get out of there. Thank goodness Todd was nearby he knew I wasn't feeling right and when I went to get a towel I passed out. I didn't even know it had happened the next thing I knew I was on the floor, apparently he managed to help me down as a fell.

Todd helped me to get to the bedroom, I know I passed out at least once maybe twice more on the way there. In the end I think I passed out about four or five times over a short period of time before Todd was able to help me get dressed and get me into the car to go to the hospital.

In the end we don't know what happened last night, why I kept passing out. I had bloodwork done, that came back okay (elevated white blood cell count but that was to be expected with the hives), I had an ECG my heart is healthy. My blood pressure which was low when I went in was back to normal when I was discharged at 1:30am (feeling pretty weak and tired). I now have an appointment later this week to follow up with my family doctor.

As of this evening I am fine and feeling more like myself than I have in the last 24 hours. I've also done some stitching (a sure sign I'm getting back to normal).

Needless to say I stayed home from work today, took things very easy, with a 5 hour nap in the afternoon.

Not Much

Not much, that's exactly what's been going on... thus this post's title. After having much to share with you or tell you over the last while I feel like now there's nothing!

I have been working away on Pomegranates and Pears as usual. Still addicted to it and here's where it stands as of quitting time tonight.

Weigh in last night was needless to say disappointing, especially how active I was last week with a day of hiking and Sunday's 5K run. I gained half a pound. I've had this happen before and its frustrating... where I've had an active week and either I've had no loss or a slight gain. I know there's a number of factors that can make things like this happen... muscle weighs more than fat. I could have gained muscle this week. It is possible despite being active, I didn't fuel my body enough. Hormones can affect your weight loss, sodium intake, water. Oh so many factors that makes this journey a little frustrating some weeks! Hopefully my active week will be reflected at the scales next week!

I Did It!

Today was the day, across Canada it was run day for the CIBC Run For The Cure, raising money for Breast Cancer Research. For the first time, I participated in the Run For the Cure, in Ottawa there was over 10,000 participants. It was something I had to do after having a breast cancer scare in April of 2007. Last year I was in no shape and too much pain (my foot) to participate but this year I was going to do it. I started running on my treadmill in June with doing the run in mind. Today I did the run and I ran! I didn't stop, I didn't walk, for the first time ever I ran 5KM. It was a moving event and I encourage everyone to participate! I want to say a huge thank you to those who donated toward my run, my final total was $705.00! Nationwide 28 million was raised through this year's run.

Now onto our favourite topic, stitching! I have to say I am addicted to Pomegranates and Pears! I haven't been able to put it down and I think I've made excellent progress this weekend! I couldn't put it down!

October Goals & The Gatineaus

I had a fantastic day yesterday! For the first time, I went on one of the field trips at the school! The Grade 10 Science classes were going to Gatineau Park for the day, hiking (Pink Lake & King Mountain) and I really wanted to go. I had never been to the Gatineaus before, like most of us we never seem to go and experience the things in our own back yards! Wow! This is one place I definitely want to go back to there is so much to see, and so many trails to hike! Also the fall colours are in full bloom right now so the views and vistas were spectacular. I took about 200 pictures yesterday and here's a small sample!

I'm a little stiff this morning but not too sore after all those stairs and hiking!

September Goal Review

Finish Vonna's Neighbourhood RR - YES
Start Margaret's Neighbourhood RR - NO
Stitch an ornament - DID TWO
Stitch Fair and Square - YES

I did pretty good on those goals but I got a little lazy with picking something for Margaret's RR so I haven't even started that yet (must do that today). I also stitched up model for Dragon Dreams and got to work a little on Pomegranates and Pears.

October Goals

Stitch Margaret's Neighbourhood RR

Stitch an ornament

Stitch Blogiversary Gift

Work on Pomegranates and Pears

Fair & Square Round 9 Received

Well I have to say for once, I am absolutely impressed by Canada Post! I put Jane's squares for Round 9 of Fair and Square in the mail Monday night, they arrived today! I wonder if my envelope smells faintly of rocket fuel?

I stitched her this lovely freebie that was put out by Gift Of Stitching, I don't know when or where I got it, sorry ladies!

French Inspired Hearts

c Gift of Stitching

Stitched on 32ct Natural Linen

Stithced with Caron Waterlillies Black Forest

The last two nights I have continued working on Pomegranates and Pears by Jeanntte Douglas. I still haven't had the desire or inspiration to work on anything new... and I have Margaret's RR I should be working on. Hopefully this weekend I'll have the "omph" to go through my charts and find just the right house.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to have some great pictures to share with you! I'm off on a field trip to Gatineau Park, hiking with the grade 10 students! The fall colours are at their peak!

I'm also working myself up to getting psyched for this Sunday's Run for the Cure (still taking donations link on sidebar!). Anyone whose known me over the years knows that running is the last thing I like to do!

Thank you everyone for such positive and motivation comments from my last blog entry! You all support and encourage me so much in each endeavour I take on!!! I'm also very touched that some of you out there have been inspired by my weight loss journey and have started taking one of your own. Be persistent and consistent and it will happen! Gather your supporters around you and don't be afraid to share with the world what you are trying to accomplish, I know its not easy! I was asked have I rewarded myself? Well the other day I went out and got myself a pink iPod Shuffle, I guess that's my reward. The main reason I got it was so that I'd have music for my run on Sunday, to help keep my mind off of how hard it feels. Also I recently got some "rewards/gifts" from my best friend Christin and her Mom. Christin's Mom (I call her Mom) got me some new pj's, I hadn't bought myself some new ones. Christin treated me with a gift certificate to see my hairdresser so that I'm looking good when I go to the Stitch One Knit Too's Retreat at the Ganenoque Inn later this month! Thanks!