Oh Canada .... Toronto!

What a beautiful city, Toronto, Canada. It was a glorious day flying here. Left Salt Lake where the weather was gray and gloomy. Got above the clouds and the sun was out all the way here. Chicago was a beautiful site as well. When I was here in October it was so foggy and rainy I couldn't even see the city. But today was a perfect day for site seeing.

O.K. ... I didn't think this would freak me out, but it did. A glass floor high above the city. Everyone was laying on the floor getting pictures. It really made me nervous and sick to step on the glass floor and see the street and tiny carsfar below! The elevator to the top had a window in it too. What an experience.

My great friend, Dina Anker, picked me up from the airport and escorted me to the CN Tower where she treated me to a wonderful dinner and view of the city. I didn't realize until I got here that the tower is higher than the Empire State Building and is considered one of the Wonders of the World. We ate in the 360 revolving restaurant high above the city. It kinda freaked me out at first, trying to get used to the floor moving as were were eating our dinner. The food was divine and so was the company. Dina is such a sweetheart. I've known her for years and I always think of Stampin' Up! events with her holding the Canadian flag and always the first one to run through the doors!

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I love Canada. If it weren't for my family living in the states I think I'd move here.

Had a beautiful evening with Caroline LeBel's group. My presentation went well and we had a great time. Tomorrow I'll be demonstrating 4 projects. It will be a fun day watching all of the wonderful stamping presentations and seeing the beautiful stamped projects. I've already got a ton of photos to post when I get home.

Love to All!

And to you big sistie, Bev ... I'm safe and sound. But it does make me feel good to know that you worry about me when I travel!

Emma Laurel Martineau Came Into the World!

I'm a new granny! Emma Laurel Martineau was born at 6:15 p.m. this evening. She arrived so fast Granny didn't get to see her birth. Why didn't someone warn me that traffic is horrible on a Friday night heading south? Oh well ... it proves that mother can deliver fine without Granny being there!

Linda the Rapsta!

Howdy Everyone!

Hope you enjoy the 'rap'. I certainly had a fun time making the video. However, the stache was a little difficult to remove after the video shoot. My mom would turn over in her grave if she saw me dress and act like that. And then again, maybe she'd just laugh! Thanks to Bella for writing the script and Dawn for putting it all together! We make a fun team, don't you think?

So here's the deal... Leave a comment about my rap video and you'll be entered into a drawing for a FREE pass to UStamp with Dawn and Friends, Spring Soiree ... 2010.

Life is GREAT! I have two grand babies on the way. One almost arrived yesterday and then decided to wait for a while. Just hope he/she arrives before my Toronto trip next week. Did I say Toronto? You bet! I'm busily stamping projects for Carolyn LeBel's Stampin' Palooza on the 19th and 20th of this month. I'll be speaking to her group meeting on Friday night and then doing a stamping presentation Saturday morning. I can't wait. Last year was soooo much fun and I'm expecting this year's event to be just as fun, if not more!

If I can figure out how to post a calendar of events on this blog, I'll put up my speaking schedule. I'm out and about to several locations this Spring and hope to see many of my readers at the events! Can't wait to get my loves and hugs from you!!

Weight loss update .... tah dah ... I'm down 105 pounds. I only have 2 more pounds to lose until I hit goal. Well, maybe 7, but my husband thinks I'm at goal now. He said my loose skin probably weighs at least 7 pounds! I go to my surgeon at the end of this month and he'll tell me if I've hit goal or if he wants me to lose more. It's crazy when I shop for clothes, which isn't often, because I can't afford it, but when I hold up a size 12 pant I think, "There's no way this butt will fit into those pants." I buy them ... take them home ... put them on, thinking that I'll have to get a pair of pliers to get them zipped up ... and lo and behold they slip right on and zip right up with no effort on my part. See, I told you, it's CRAZY, but I'm loving it! I feel superb and have oodles of energy. I sleep so much better and feel so refreshed and full of energy each morning.

Got to get back to my stamping. I've got a couple of projects to get done for UStamp. Going to be a creative crew gal again for Dawn's next round. I feel honored to be asked!

Love yah and see yah soon!

It's A Wonderful Life!

It's a wonderful life ... it really is! Things are just rolling along and going great. I absolutely love my new job. I never thought I could find a place that I would love as much as my old job, but I have. As I mentioned a few posts ago I'm working for a small office in Bountiful, Utah. It's a short commute from home, only 15 miles away. Since I'm going against traffic it doesn't take me long at all to get to work. I'm actually working for two companies, Aspire Home Health Care and Hospice, and World Joy. Who would have ever thought that I would be working for a Hospice company? Only my mother would have guessed it! Since I've had a lot of experience with Hospice over the last 4 years and a lot of experience administering health care, this is the PERFECT fit for me! I was just asked to be the Volunteer Coordinator and the Bereavement Coordinator for the Hospice side. I'm delighted! I'll get to go on home visits with the nurse to get to know our patients. So, I'm looking for volunteers to come help out ... singers, dancers, instrument players, you name it ... we can use you! I'll also have the opportunity of going out on visits with our social worker and inititate a bereavement program for our families.

I love working for the World Joy side of the company as well. It involves working with the owners of both companies, who are fine, outstanding men. I'm in charge of the annual benefit dinner which will be held in September. So, I'll be asking companies to donate product and services for our auction to help raise money for our efforts in Ghana, Africa. We just started building a Kindergarten school in Ekorso. The North Logan community and Skyview High School have donated enough money to build a school in Ghana. It's amazing to see the improvements that will take place in Ghana. Here's a photo of one of their schools, prior to World Joy coming in and building a new school for them.

The Ghanain people are known to be the happiest people on the face of the earth, yet they have so little. Here's some more pictures from one of World Joy's trip to the Atiwa District in Ghana.

Look at these beautiful children! Ever since I was a little girl I've always wanted a black baby. Wish I wasn't too old to adopt one of these gorgeous children. I'd do it in a heart beat! Perhaps one of my children could. Now that's a thought!

Hey, wouldn't it be cool if Stampin' Up! designed a stamp set for World Joy and then some of the proceeds from the sale could be donated to World Joy. Geez Louise ... the proceeds could help build a much needed community center in Atiwa and they could even name it "Stampin' Up!" Now that's a thought!

I've got several speaking engagements lined up for the Spring. I'll have to post the whereabouts and when on my blog so if you're in the area, you'll want to sign up for the event so we can re-connect and visit with each other. I'm having a blast ... an absolute ball. It really is a wonderful life!