What was that name again?

Posted on September 23, 2009 by

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Sarah Michelle Gellar had her baby! It was a girl! And she … she stole two of my baby names???

What???

Well, uh, congratulations. Charlotte Grace is a beautiful name. I only hope that I don’t steal it back someday, and have everyone think I copied her
I mean, come on. Shouldn’t she have named her Kuquat or Diamond or some other weird celebrity baby name, and saved a normal name for us normal folk?

Easy as one … pant … two … pant … three!

Posted on September 23, 2009 by

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You know how life gets in the way of stuff? Yeah, life got in the way of my awesome running goals.

I worked a lot of late nights last week, so last night was Run #2, and it went very well.
I decided to go alone this time, because as much as I liked Darling Husband and Little Dog trotting with me, I felt like I’d be able to focus more with just my iPod. And I did!

Quick recap:
  • Started out walking to warm up
  • Ran flat-out for 1 minute
  • Dropped to a walk
  • Ran flat-out for 2 minutes — thrilled to see improvement already!
  • Walked for a few minutes
  • Got spooked by shadow, as I thought it was someone creeping up behind me
  • Ran for 3 minutes straight!!!
  • Dropped to exhausted walk
  • Got spooked by shadow again — thought someone was chasing me!
  • Dragged myself up the giant hill, with my calves on fire
  • Almost called Darling Husband to pick me up, but eventually made it on my own
  • Shed icky clothes immediately and jumped into the jacuzzi with cake-scented bubbles, mmm!
I’m not sure how long I was gone — really must invest in digital-watchy-deal — but I went further than my original run with Darling Husband: a loop through the top of the neighbourhood, then a loop down to the main road and back up.

What I’m liking: The very “fit” feeling I get while running, the fact that it really does clear your mind like everyone says, and the fact that after my bath I just drank water (no snacks, no Diet Coke!)
What I’m not liking: The way my face looks after a run. Red, but fades to a gross reddish-yellow, instead of its usual pale white. I guess the yellowish tinge is from lots of blood still rushing through it? Maybe?

The most … "wonderful?" … time of the year

Posted on September 22, 2009 by

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Every Christmas, I have the best intentions to immediately begin shopping for the following year. But I just never follow through with it.
Every Christmas, I have the best intentions to relax and enjoy the “most wonderful time of year.” And I end up being bogged down with shopping, wrapping, cleaning, work — which always goes bananas around the holidays, because clients are extra-psycho.
This year, I have a plan. I want to be free to go to holiday get-togethers and not have to worry about wrapping and shopping. I want to be free to relax and enjoy spending time with the fam.
Goals for before Christmas:
  • Have all shopping finished — and I mean all shopping, and no “I-just-have-a-couple-of-little-things-to-pick-up” crap — by November 23. This is frightening, since I haven’t started yet, gulp.
  • Have the tree up/condo decorated by November 29.
  • Have all hand-made cards finished by November 30.
  • Have all cards written and mailed by December 7.
  • Have all wrapping finished by December 14 — ooh, I love wrapping! Can’t wait.
  • Have all presents sorted and labeled (according to the family home in which they are destined, i.e. mine, his, siblings’ homes) by December 21. Last year I was shoving wrapped gifts into garbage bags on Christmas Eve. Uh, not again.
Goals for during Christmas:
  • Enjoy
  • Relax
  • Appreciate
Goals for after Christmas:
  • Actually attend Boxing Day sales, for once in my life (or at least shop online sales). Everyone always gets such great deals at these, but I despise crowds, so I never go.
  • Begin saving for the following Christmas. If we saved a bit of money every month specifically for Christmas, then maybe my credit card won’t feel its usual pinch in November and December.
  • Begin making holiday cards. It’s never too early to start this, as I’m realizing now.
  • Begin making holiday gifts. Same deal.
Have you made any Christmas-y goals?

Couldn’t have said it better myself …

Posted on September 21, 2009 by

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So Hard
By The Dixie Chicks

Back when we started
We didn’t know how hard it was
Living on nothing
But what the wind would bring to us
Now we’ve got something
I can imagine fighting for
So why is fighting all that we’re good at anymore

And sometimes I don’t have the energy
To prove everybody wrong
And I try my best to be strong
But you know it’s so hard
It’s so hard

It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come fast
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard

It felt like a given
Something a woman’s born to do
A natural ambition
To see a reflection of me and you

And I’d feel so guilty
If that was a gift I couldn’t give
And could you be happy
If life wasn’t how we pictured it

And sometimes I just want to wait it out
To prove everybody wrong
And I need your help to move on
Cause you know it’s so hard
It’s so hard

It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come fast
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
So hard

I can live for the moment
When all these clouds open up for me to see
And show me a vision
Of you and me swimming peacefully

Last night you told me
That you can’t remember
How to feel free

It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come fast
It’s so hard when it doesn’t come easy, easy

It’s so hard


Songs about trying to conceive, pregnancy and babies

Posted on September 19, 2009 by

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Over the past few months, I’ve started “collecting” songs about trying to conceive, pregnancy, and babies.

Sometimes when you can’t stop thinking about something, it helps to listen to songs by people who are going through the same thing.
Here’s a list of what I’ve come up with so far …

I’m Heather Laura Clarke. I’m a writer living in beautiful Nova Scotia, I have a 15-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, I married my high school sweetheart, and this is the story of my handmade life.

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