Mental Holiday

Wow...that was a long hiatus away from this blog, wasn't it?

I can't believe I started this in 2006 (and barely at that!) and am just finally coming back now. The recent renewal of the blog challenges on ScrapShare gave me the kick in the pants I needed and Lee's challenge inspired me to finally give this blog thing another fighting chance.

Here is Lee's challenge:

When the phone is ringing, the doorbell is going off, kids are yelling, laundry is overwhelming and dinner has burned and you sit down to a cup of tea, where do you let your mind go?

I pondered this question for a few minutes and it really made me realize that I really am just a simple, no-nonsense person. Many people would likely picture themselves on an exotic island or travelling the world to exciting places. Although I do dream of doing those things so much that my heart aches....when I REALLY need to go on a Mental Holiday, I go to the simple, normal, comfortable, happy places I've already been.

I can't think of just one particular place as it changes with each situation, with my mood, environment, season, etc. I am a true daydreamer and thinker...my mind is never at ease (in a good way!).

-I could be planning my next scrapbook layout

-I could be planning a strategy on one of my digital photo jobs

-I could be back 30 years ago fishing with my grandparents up north in Restoule or with my family at our nifty, "triangle-shaped" A-frame cottage where we spent so much time as kids

-I could be sitting in my scrap studio enjoying the sunset out my window (sometimes when the hustle and bustle of kids yelling, phone ringing, laundry calling, etc is going on...I have been known to lterally do just that from time to time...in fact, toooo much sometimes as that is where my computer also sits! ;) ) .

Some days it looks more like this.... (which is quite often where I take my Mental Holiday if it is mid-August and the weather is sweltering outside!)

-I could be reliving some happy, carefree memories from when dh and I were first dating, excited about what the future held for us and the many more special memories we've built along the way as we've travelled that journey together (ok, now I'm sounding sappy....but I really mean it!)

-I could be remembering my children as babies or taking a glimpse back at their growing up years when they still thought Paul and I were the beesknees and we could see the world through their eyes and have an answer for any of their questions. :) Or I could be marvelling at the amazing people they have become (don't ask me about how I got all teary-eyed at the chiropractor's office last week of all places as I watched my dd maturely and intelligently discuss everything with the staff and the realization hit me that my 'baby' no longer needed me to speak for her any more...she had become an adult)

-I could be thinking about one of my many dear friends and family members and thinking how blessed I am to be 'rich in friendship'

-I could be 8 years old and sitting at the counter of my grandparent's snack bar/coffee shop enjoying a double scoop chocolate ice cream cone or working on a puzzle or knitting a scarf or talking to the customers while my grandmother babysat me

-I could be back in my childhood home, sitting around a loud, raucous dinner table with my mother and brothers and sisters, saying the same grace that we use to this day, livly recounting our day's events to each other, joking and teasing each other and being in awe and amazement by their stories and wanting to be just like them

-I could be going for walks and building forts and making snowmen with my children

-I could be back in time, sitting beside my older sister, spending many hours watching her paint and draw and turn a canvas into a beautiful piece of art (and often being suckered into being her model...might as well make myself useful, right? lol Man! I wish I had kept all those paintings and drawings now!). I could also be watching my other sister as she got ready for a date, thinking how beautiful she was and helping her pick out her clothes.

-I could be back sitting with one of my older brothers in our rec room, listening to their cool music turned up full blast and they would let me pick out whatever I wanted to listen to from their collection of 1000's of records or when they would tell me to hop in mom's car (or their proudly owned vehicles after they saved up enough to buy them) and they would take me for a racing tour...up and down and up and down the main street of our little town (now I know they were likely just checking out the girls and the one sure way to get mom to allow them to borrow her car was to say they were going to take me for a ride. LOL)

-I could be listening to my uncle sing with at least one of us kids always on his knee, belting out the hilarious songs that I still remember and laugh at today (Betsy the Heffer, Don't Squeeze My Charmin', My Heidi, etc)

-I could be sitting in my grandmother's livingroom with my siblings and cousins while the adults visited in the kitchen, and us kids busting a gut as we imitated our one aunt and uncle who both had a VERY distinctive laugh. We still imitate them to this day! LOL

-I could be planning something ahead in the future and envisioning what we're going to do

WOW...I think I really do daydream a lot! There are many more places I go to for Mental Holidays, but before I bore you with the details, those were just a few examples off the top of my head.

Pretty boring, huh?

Ok...I'm not only a Blog Stalker, but now I'm also a Blog Post Thief as well!

I thought the best way for people to get to know is to answer some questions. I confess, here it is only my second post and I am already a Blog Topic Thief! However, apparently I'm not the only one! I took this from Melissa's blog...who got it from Pamela's blog....who got it from....

Here are my 50 answers...

1. FIRST NAME? Jan
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, believe it or not, "Jan" was my nanny's/babysitter's name and I was named after her. "Louise" (my middle name) is just a name picked out of thin air because my parents thought it went well with Jan. That is where my nickname, "Weezie" comes from.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? I cried during a post on the message board the other day. Funny thing is I can't remember what the topic was now, but it really moved me at the time.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not usually unless I take my time...but then my writing is more printing than writing anyway.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Turkey or ham...pretty equal on those two.
6. KIDS? Brittnee 14 and Cameron 12
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, once I got to know me. I can be quite shy and sometimes hard to get to know but am a VERY loyal friend and count my blessings that I have many life-long friends.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?Not really unless you count this blog, but it is still too new to tell if I will keep writing in it as much as I should. ;)
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes, sometimes...especially around those I know well....my poor dh! lol
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILLS? Yes.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Yes
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Honeycomb
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, it's a terrible habit that drives my poor mother crazy! ;)
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Emotionally I think I am. I have had enough hurdles in life to not be otherwise. Physically I think I'm average...although I did go in a fun arm-wrestling competition once and came in 2nd place (shhh..did I say that out loud?)
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Tin Roof. Come to think of it...anything with chocolate in it as long as it doesn't have mint and the more chocolate, the better.
16. SHOE SIZE? 8.5-9
17. RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? The extra weight that I have gained.
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? First person who comes to mind is my father, but since I was so young when he died, I don't really remember him much. I would have to say that I miss my grandmother the most. She is still living, but with dimentia and Alzheimer's...I mourn who she once was.
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Yes
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? Blue Jeans and black socks (no shoes)
22. LAST THING YOU ATE? The rest of the Hershey's kisses I got from Paul for Valentine's Day.
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? "These Dreams" by Heart
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Mustard Yellow
25. What is your FAVORITE SMELL? I agree, Melissa, Lilac is one of my favourite smells...brings back a lot of memories.
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My friend Lizz asking if I knew how she could operate her computer if her mouse wasn't working. :)
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their smile.
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Coke
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Darts...and don't you dare tell me it isn't a sport. ;)
31. HAIR COLOR? Copper/Red. Of course, that is not what they roots say they are!
32. EYE COLOR? Hazel
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes, thank goodness I finally got rid of the glasses...I wore them since I was 9 months old!
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Dessert....chocolate. Other....EVERYTHING! lol Honestly, food LOVES me and I love it just as much back so I have a hard time picking one favourite!
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy Ending.
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Meet the Fockers
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Black with white stripes.
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer...and I live in Canada so I agree with you, Melissa!
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Both
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Brownie Volcanoe...to DIE for!
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Melissa and Christy since they are the first 2 to comment so far. ;)
42. Least LIKELY TO RESPOND? Hmm....my mother? She just doesn't enjoy 'lurking' on the computer after spending all day at work on it.
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Wishblade manuals! I usually always have a novel going but have been falling asleep nightly with some sort of Wishblade literature. ;)
44. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSEPAD? Don't have a mousepad.
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Watched part of Wedding Crashers movie but gave up and went back to my scrap/computer room.
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Children laughing
47. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Both....funny that Paul McCartney's "Open the Door" just came on the iPod as I am typing this!
48. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME? This is pathetic, but I haven't been any further than PA. Grew up in a family of 6 with a widowed mother...mom just didn't have the money (or the patience) to tote all of us on vacations very far away and my hubby is a home-body. I now know I will just have to go myself if I want to go anywhere further than 5 or 6 hours away! lol
49. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Bwaahhhaaa, Melissa! Sorry, I can't lick my nose! Hmmm...will have to think about that one.
50. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? December 19, 1969 in Strathroy, Ontario

I Have Given Up Blog-Stalking!
Ok, ok, I take that back. I know I will STILL make my round of visits to various blogs (you folks are just too darn interesting to give it up! lol)...but at least now I won't feel guilty about doing it since I will also be 'contributing' and enabling some 'blog-stalkers' myself.
Although, truth be known, I don't know how many interesting posts I'll have and you'll likely be clamouring to stay AWAY from reading my blog out of boredom! :)
But, without much further ado....here I am at last! Welcome to my little piece of the web!