Energy Lackluster

Well i still haven't found the spring to put into my step I've done nothing but lounge around since i finished work, face book seems to take over and its a bad distraction not to mention boring at times. I promised myself i would go back to the gym today after 2 years of absence ...did I? NO! I'm looking for a good excuse but alas cannot find one (wasn't for trying) anyway a girl cant go to the gym without appropriate foot attire! there an excuse...which will be addressed tomorrow.

I have become obsessed with checking the immigration website or my emails to see if a decision has been made on our permanent residency application....it still says 'in process'' this is very annoying they started to process our pack on August 19th!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the more there are no changes the more desperate i am becoming.

I went to the mail box today, the first time in a week- didn't find anything from the immigration people but got a wonderful surprise from family back home in the UK....... Christmas cards, Colman's casserole mixes and letters which was so nice, as usual i cried, hubby was asleep at the time so he doesn't know they have arrived, i haven't opened cards from his side of the family.... i thought i would let him do that. Depending on the Canadian postal service i'm hopeful family should receive theirs before Christmas.

So here are a few snaps of the contents:

 This card is from my in-law's it is so cute i love it, it has a very festive story inside its that long its like a book.............love it Tony and Sandra....its a keeper!

These are a few of the Colman's casserole mixes my mum sent us, you can get them in BC from the 'English' Store at $4 each!!! which I refuse to pay so its a bit of luxury when mum sends em over especially in winter, Walmart is the same franchise as Asda in the UK.

And these are the Christmas cards from my side of the family, the Rudolf one is what my mum sent to the 'pets' Molly our chocolate lab throws her head back when she howl's at you for attention, we all find it hilarious and of course Winni the pooh was perfect for me i love all the characters especially piglet! cute......thanks again family you are missed so much we both love you all, have a fab Christmas and new year from me n hubby (and the pets) .

feeling the strain

Its been one heck of a week at work, despite loving my job its impossible to provide nursing care without the man power yet it seems the same standards are expected well wake up because that isnt possible. After 5x12hr shifts im completely exhausted so much so i slept non-stop for 13hours waking up with a bladder the size of a camels hump!!!!!! do i feel any better....NO, im thinking im getting too old for this malarky.

so im on my days of *sigh* and i have a long list of wants and needs but dont yet have the energy to deal with any of them. just rest up says the hubby- that doesnt get the chores done!

its nearing christmas ...less than two weeks to go and i have no idea what to buy my hubby all i want is immigration to send that email for our passport requests....well i have been a very good girl maybe santa can arrange something.

bye for now have a good week everyone x

Feeling down today :(

today wasn't the best of days *sigh* i have resided myself to the fact that we will not be visiting family back in the UK anytime soon, its just too expensive what with the flights, the dog kennel fees etc etc, i spoke to mum using skype and it was a nice surprise that my brother was there too, so nice to hear their voices but its not the same as needing a hug!

I remember this empty feeling from last Christmas its just terrible, i know its gonna take alot to get through another festive season without seeing them even though Canada is where we feel we belong. To our new friends here in BC, i will be counting on you for diversional therapy !

On a happier note MR E.R bought me a bird feeder, its hung right outside the dining room window, i have always loved bird watching from being a little girl, so was my delight to see the most colourful woodpecker on my feeder today *grin* until i realised how much it could eat !!!!!! so i shall be going to the store tomorrow for a SACK of bird feed.

I also found my guest bed ...it was under the mountain of ironing i had but alas its done, i even had time to make Christmas cards for my in-laws.

for the past few nights its been 'Movie' night in the E.R household... i can highly recommend Eclipse for those who have not seen it but i disliked the Expendables....it was just has been actors trying to look like they are as good as they use to be highly disappointed. Tonight's choice by Mr E.R is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' which I've been waiting to watch, so on that note off i go to get ready for the movies :)

have a wonderful evening all

Mrs E.R x

Almost days off

Thank the lord or as my co-workers say 'sweet baby jesus' its been a very busy set of shifts and im longing to curl up in my bed - the next 4 hours can hurry along !

It wont be much of a sleep today too excited for the christmas party tonight :) and yes im wearing a dress !

hope you all have a wonderful day

E.R x

December where did you come from ?

Where has this year gone? it doesnt seem that a year ago me n hubby were preparing for our first christmas in canada ! and now here we are preparing for our second. Its been quite the year on the whole filled full of joy and happiness and lots to be thankful for, it has also been a very testing time in many ways and im hoping to put those behind us and move on.

I always find this time of year difficult especially in my profession where i see families lose their loved one's to illness, its also the anniversary of the loss of my dad who i miss terribly but i know he's up their having a blast!

 

The good part or maybe the bad depending on how you look at it is, the amount of treats that find themselves into the workplace and around my house. Considering there is only the two of us at home we do tend to over indulge and have way too much naughty things to eat, i will have to try not to do that this year but i cant promise anything....

MMMMMMMMMM

Alas my first two hand made christmas cards

I was determined to set some time aside to attempt to make some Christmas cards today, so using my 'Cricut' machine and the 'Christmas Cheer' cartridge I set to work.........

The Results :

This One is for my wonderful mother who I love dearly

This one is for my brother and his girlfriend

It took me a few hours to make just too as I'm new to this whole thing of card making and scrap booking... a novice as you may say but I'm pleased with the results, had alot of fun and just hope the family back home like them.

After the fun had finished it was back to the chores of ironing my scrubs for work tomorrow, i work the day shift, maybe with brokeshopaholic i think :) and will be wishing my 4 shifts to be as pleasant as possible for come Friday its my works Christmas party, I'm taking Mr English Rose and secretly i think he's a little nervous about meeting everyone *giggle* but i know he will take it in his stride as he always does.

Please feel free to comment on my efforts today

Bye for now x

Dec the halls !

So its that time of year again...yeah you got it when the snow falls and people either dont care about the risks of winter driving or they drive like they do if they were walking in it !  I have to say my experience of some canadian drivers leaves me steaming at the ears and thats during the summer, let alone in the winter time, not care in the world for their own safety let alone anyone elses, it drives me insane - pardon the pun ! you only have yourself to blame so if your behind me when im driving you'll notice i go S.L.O.W.L.Y not to annoy you to ensure I'M safe as i hate driving in the winter, us UK folk are not accustomed to driving in such conditions and ohhhhh was a pleased to be on days off when the snow fell. That day was 'pyjama day' in the Ehglish Rose household :) total Bliss ........... BUT i did have some play time as you can see :

And so after a little fun with the girls and the pretty surroundings it was back in doors to tackle the worst job for me yeah you got it ....... PUTTING UP THE TREE !

think i did a good job though ... whatta ya think?

Even Molly and Velvet wanted to join in the festive fun !

And we have light !

November to remember !

 

Hi Guy's,

Well its been quite the month in the English Rose household most of which has not been in a good way I'm sorry to report. To start with we have been struggling with 1 laptop which has been over heating and last week it finally gave up the fight and off to computer heaven it went, our other laptop went to see if it could be fixed, i wasn't expecting much after all, flames were seen coming outta the back ! and you guessed it the mother board got 'fried'. how upset i was to go a week without the WWW at my fingertips.

My husbands truck broke down in Abbotsford last week, he had to get towed home and we don't have breakdown coverage, my truck decided she would do the same 2 days after my husbands mine was easy to fix a little hole in the pipe preventing her from running properly, alas they are both back on the road again for how long ? who knows !

The laptop situation has now been resolved as I'm typing this with my new one, getting use to the US keyboard is a bit weird the @ button is in a different place compared to my poorly UK laptop but i like the new one, as long as i can facebook, contact family in the UK then I'm happy.

Its also been very stressful at the office despite loving my job as an RN, the last few weeks have really made me think about my career, its been such a challenge coming to nurse in Canada and I'm so grateful for such wonderful co-workers who i admire so much, who support my learning, who show such compassion despite our difficulties but i remain proud to be part of such a team. I'm thinking it could be time for some changes in the near future and have to get organised!!

On a lighter note there have been some good times in the last month, i had a fab time with mum being here, i thought the five week visit would feel like a 'bit too much' if you hear what I'm saying but it wasn't that bad, we had a wonderful time, we enjoyed our 3 days in Whistler despite it raining all the time, we shopped - well that's what women do right ? and off course sampled the local beers on offer, husband did the cooking and i did the dog walking at ridiculous o'clock but a good time was had by all.

the final week with mum was nice and relaxed, we watched movies: Marley & Me, The Proposal and a few other tear jerkers and the rest of the week was spent having lunches in Clayburn Tea-Shop a little bit of home-from-home for us both and of course the food is just as good. It was emotional to see mum at the airport to go home, knowing we wont be there for her 70th Birthday on Jan 2nd is hard but god willing she will be back here trying to take over my kitchen again!

The last few days for me and hubby has been trying to cope in the ridiculous weather, OMG were not use to such cold in fact the coldest its been in the UK is -7. Its shocking, I'm paranoid in case the tortoises freeze to death now they're hibernating, the dogs aren't happy and its an excuse to stay snuggled in bed under the winter blankets :). Hubby and I are waiting to hear about our passport requests then we can have our permanent residency which has been 3 yrs in the waiting were excited but nervous too, it will change so much for us both to have the security of staying in this beautiful country. we cant wait to buy a house and truly settle down. In the meantime its back to work, keep everything crossed and hope Santa brings some Christmas cheer to the English Rose household x

Bye for now

Ms English Rose x

October is one of my fav months

I love this time of year ! gone are the very sweaty, not being able to sleep days replaced by pleasant days with beautiful autumn colours- better known here in Canada as 'Fall'. The crisp mornings and the warmth of the sun on your skin.....LOVE IT.

In the English Rose house hold it is the start of preparing the tortoises for hibernation, so Doris and Whistler are 1 week of 6 of starvation and the cooling of the temperatures in their 'house' so they graduall+y become slower and start to sleep, you see it takes 6 weeks for them to be 'poop free' sorry for the expression but they need to be cleared out or they can die. This will be my 2nd year of hibernating them and it makes me very nervous incase they dont wake up in a few months time.

My Mum has been on vacation almost 4 weeks now she goes back to the UK next friday :( there have been times when its been stressful, especially when she tries to take over the cooking !!!!!! but its going well and were looking forward to a weekend in Whistler. Its been nice to catch up on things too and just have her around, i have noticed that the dogs have put weight on though and mum swears 'im not giving them treats' ... yeah right !

Both hubby and I have been working very hard, when we do see each other its briefly or we cant be bothered to talk or were cranky so were looking forward to getting away. This last few weeks at 'the office' have been crazy busy and it shows with us all striving to do our best but often feeling you have achieved very little .Me n Step-Daughter have decided to make amends :) its taught us both alot about each other.

The last month has been a shopping fest which is fuelled by my mother... she is such a bad influence but it did result in me buying a new pair of black calf length sassy boots and yes i will put a pic of them on here, i dont normally buy black, i prefer brown but i love them and as you know if you dont love it dont buy it !

well thats my latest update i dont have time for anything else to tell you the office is calling ...........


bye for now :)

Emotional :) or :(

Well another month has gone by since my last posting, where has the time gone?
Lots has happened in the English Rose household some good some not so good, myself and step-daughter ended up having a row the other week which resulted us deciding not to contact each other, you see we chat through facebook, so have blocked her and her mum, yes you guessed it, it was quite the argument, but i was taught honesty is the best policy and it hurts to hear the truth but life goes on ! ya gotta pull ya big girl pants up and move forward. So that's what i have done.

I have decided to join the gym at work and there are some good classes included in the very cheap membership such as yoga, Pilate's, kick boxing and 'Zumba' which I'm very excited about- its like an aerobics class to Latin American music....cant wait to try that out, so its my first ever yoga class this coming Monday.

On a more positive note as some of you are aware Mr English Rose and myself have been in Canada for 14 months and have been waiting to progress through the immigration process for our permanent residency well we finally got our medical requests 3 days ago so we have our medicals booked for next Tuesday, to get that large white envelope was like an early Christmas present and we have been on cloud nine ever since. So its going to be quite the week next week with fitness classes, medicals, and then my mum arrives from the UK next Saturday for 5 weeks ! its a good job my hubby get on well with his mother-in-law *chuckling to myself*

five weeks is a long time but its been a year since i had a cuddle from my mum...oh i love her and miss her so much so i have to plan what we are going to do, unfortunately i don't have any vacation time so its Canadian TV all the way mother :)

time at the office has been relatively good lately and i love my co-workers they are so supportive and provide lots of laughter, its a happy place most of the time but i enjoy my days of and they're filled by Beauticontrol deliveries and products, spa invites, make-up, lotions and perfumes that smell like chocolate or brown sugar yummmmmyyyyyyyyyy .

well i have to get back to work now... see ya all soon

x

what a month its been

time has flown by this last month I've been so busy my feet haven't touched the ground!

you see my step-children Thomas aged 18 and Olivia aged 17 have been on vacation here in abbotsford with their dad and myself since the 18th of July and we have had a blast.

we did all the local things like going to Roley lake with the dogs but it was far too busy, we had a picnic in Stanley park, went into Vancouver and the pride parade was on- which was wonderful to see but i would say that the pride parade in Manchester in the UK is more risky than the Canadian one.

we went up mount baker and off course Olivia and I were in flip-flops in 2 meters of snow, my husband got vertigo going up in the car and we all got altitude sickness and headaches! but was worth the photos we got.

we spent the day in the states and returned another day to go to Seattle which i fell in love with.

Olivia made full use of the bathroom, hot water, sunbathing and face booking opportunities in between being miserable most of the time and Thomas was in awe with Canada, BC and all it has to offer, in fact he took 1450 photos on his vacation !!!!!!

they have been back in the UK a week now and the house seems empty, my husband and I have been in low mood despite them disagreeing all the time...you know typical teenagers but we miss them both.

My hubby and I have struggled this week at work its been quite a shock, the humid weather doesn't help much either because i have trouble sleeping in the day when I'm on nights.

so we have a few more weeks to ourselves in the house then my mum arrives at the end of September for 5 weeks----YES 5 WEEKS! yikes i hear you say ... i am fortunate that hubby loves his mother-in-law very much and they get on very well.

I have also decided to become a BeautiControl Independent Consultant....oh what joy this has brought, i love their body products from exfoliating, cleaning , toning, moisturising, firming, and then there is their make-up products which are all mineral elements so natural products that just feel so nice on your skin and they don't clog up the pores. I received the new autumn brochure this week and the make-up colours are beauti-full!

I am looking forward to having some Spa days and of course will be calling on my new friends to be the host of a spa at their homes - inviting their friends to come along and experience some pampering and get to sample the products. This i am really looking forward to .

so i am sorry for being away for so long i do plan on posting some pictures from the vacation file ---soooo many to chose from.

Regards

English Rose

the excitement mounts :)

well as your aware by now my step-children arrive this Sunday from the UK and the excitement i have is almost uncontrollable ! I have so much to do before they get here and i wont be doing much today having just finished night shift but alas I'm now on my days off.

I have the usual chores of cleaning but i have to clean my carpets don't you just hate having to do that, i so wish we had found a rental with wood flooring it would make my life easier, Ive stripped the covers of both settee's and they re being washed, we've run out of gas for the BBQ so hubby can go stand in that stupid queue in walmart to get a new one because I'm refusing to do that chore.

at least the weather is holding out in fact its quite pleasant right now.... i love a breezy sunny day it makes you feel so much happier and it makes my dogs sleepy and sometimes cranky ......see for yourselves !

Excited to say the least !

well its been a while since i last posted and that's because my stupid laptop decided it would over heat smell like rubber, spark and then set on fire....all of this whilst it was on my lap!!!!!!!!!!! so i hastily threw it across the room and hence its gone to laptop heaven...or hell ! so i have had to resort to using my hubby's laptop which he's none too pleased about....

We have the 'kids' joining us from the UK this Sunday...well i say kids they're 17 and almost 19 and its their first visit to Canada and the first time since last June that we have seen them.... EXCITED is an understatement, they're coming for three weeks and a friend of ours has let us stay in his villa with hot-tub and pool in whistler even better its dog friendly which is good for us, we have someone else lending us 4 body jackets and a 4 person canoe ...RESULT :) we are so thankful for having such good friends. the kids are excited its they're first time away from their mum, first long-haul flight and have an itinerary as long as a baseball pitch, were just praying that the weather stays nice.

this week i have also decided to become an independent consultant selling the Beauticontrol products which are just Divine, its so nice to treat yourself or someone else to a bit of luxury and have some nice body products- in fact i gave my husband his 1st ever manicure which he was amazed at the results :) being a drywaller he usually has ruff hands - but not anymore. so I'm getting excited at putting in my first order next week and i find out that the beautiful rocket girl uses the same products :).

apart from the organising to be done for when the kids arrive life has been has busy as ever at work, no rest for the wicked as they say, i have managed to find some me time at the lake last week with my new girly friends only to find i hadn't put enough sun lotion on and promptly burnt myself ! i was not happy...but I'm healing now :)

i have 2 more night shifts to work then I'm off until weds of next week and its gonna be such an exciting day on Sunday when we go to the airport, just hope the kids enjoy BC as much as we do !

bye for now

English Rose

today was not a good day

today wasn't a good day at the office i just had to get that off my chest in fact it was totally crappy! way too crazy not enough pairs of hands to do the jobs that needed to be done i wasn't even working where i usually do which sometimes its nice to have a change and it wasn't as bad as where i should have been working! their day was worse by all accounts and it saddens me that my work mates had such an awful day.... i got away from work 30minutes late so arrived home at midnight and as you can see its 01.15 and I'm still wide awake.... ohh 11.15-23.15 shift i DO NOT LIKE YOU and i would be alot happier if you was not part of my life. I have 3 days off now before i return for 2 day shifts and 2 more of them shifts i hate :( on the up side i get to spend Canada day with my hubby who i have missed so much this week.

so i am going to finish my white wine spritzer and try to go to sleep

Goodnight

English Rose

What a week :)

Well its been some time since I last posted and so much has happened in the last week all for the better ! firstly I had a wonderful email from my nephew whose in the navy to tell me he's going to propose to his girlfriend, who also happens to be in the navy so they don't get to see each other that much and I'm soooo excited, i will eventually get to wear at hat to future wedding,  also my wonderful hubby gets himself  his second pay rise and complement from his boss and on top of all of that we have finally booked the flights for the kids to come visit their dad and me, they arrive in 3 weeks for 3 weeks and i cant wait they are so excited to see what British Columbia has to offer. Then just when i though i had received my 3 lots off good news I get a call from the bank to say that the Canadian immigration has finally cashed our bankers draft!!!! which means they are dealing with our permanent residency application and will send us our letter to tell us to go and get our medicals done and shortly after that we shall be permanent residents in this amazing country. All the tears, leaving family and close friends and making new lives here will have been worth it...its already been quite a journey!

We have made some further renovations to our rental house, now that the downstairs powder room is finished, and the deck has been extended I bought 3 new rugs for the hall and a gorgeous bright red futon which is in our living room...its quite racy! and we love it ...well it was a bargain. We still have the upstairs bathroom to upgrade yet.

I have lots of bleaching and cleaning to do before the kids arrive and trips to plan, they want to stay over in whistler and Seattle so i must get a move on and get the dogs booked into the kennels for those nights, I cant believe its been over a year since we left the UK and its been amazing I love my new life. We also have my mum come and stay with us at the end of august and i think she may stay for 3-4 weeks....look forward to that. Well that was my week, i feel quite exhausted and I'm currently working 3x 11.15-23.15 shifts at work i hate them with a passion, i get home and cant sleep!!!!! in fact I'm lucky if i am asleep by 3am after getting home at midnight, management really need to address this issue!!!! ENUF SAID.

well thats it for now

English Rose

Happy Father's Day

I know your not here for me to say to you happy father's day, you've been with the angels 13 years now and i think of you everyday and miss you very much..... Love you dad ! xxx

Bertha is back :)

I am so much happier today, I finally got my truck back, not at 9am like the garage man said - it was gone 2pm!!!!! but alas she is parked up outside with a happy owner on the inside ....yeahhhhhh.

Its been hit and miss today with the weather a bit gloomy and miserable and its starting to affect my mood, Ive been in a 'I cant be bothered' mood, even the dogs spent the day sulking..... the worst thing is for me when I feel like that is I eat....LOTS and its all the feel good foods like pastries and cinnamon buns etc, then I feel sick and disappointed in myself......


I just want summer to hurry up !!!!!!!!!

with that said I'm going to go to sleep and dream of warm sandy beaches, golden sands and sangria

Ohhh dismay....my truck is sick :(

I bought myself a 'truck' in Feb 2010, I called her Bertha because she is big and beefy its a UK thing to give your vehicle a name but alas she became sick on our way home from our trip to the Golden Ears Park, the mechanics bill is on the large size but I get Bertha back in the morning :) I miss her when she's not parked on the drive in all her glory. Bertha is a 1997 Ford Expedition and her Air-Con decided it wasn't going to play anymore the poor old girl, I'm hoping she will feel like a spring lamb again with lots of energy when I go to pick her up. The garage man has been so nice...which you would expect - he's the one who gets the job done and takes all your money but this man (Jason) drove me home this morning as I had no ride and he's coming to collect me at 9am as he knows I would have to get a taxi to pick Bertha up. I was flabbergasted at this service and I can tell you now - you wouldn't get that kind of service in the UK!!! I made a point of telling the nice garage man this and his reply was 'its the little things that help us keep our customers' well I have a feeling I shall be seeing the garage again in the future and would highly recommend them. Personal thank-you to Paul (H) for suggesting them to me :).

I spent the rest of the morning scrap booking and playing with the cricut machine which I'm starting to like more and more, I managed to get 4 pages done, they need a few more embellishments yet but I'm pleased with my 1st attempts. Lunch time quickly crept up on me - my girlfriend (AS) called and we went out for coffee and a catch up which was lovely.

I spent the evening relaxing with Mr E.R,a glass of wine and the dogs by my side on the sundeck, chatting about our day....... BLISS !

What's a girl to do?

Ive been feeling a little fed up since Sunday, we took the dogs out early morning to Allouette Lake at the Golden Ears Park, it was lovely, hubby took some fab photos with his new camera everything was going fine until we were half way home when my truck decides to pull a 'sicky' we took the risk to attempt to get home and she did us proud in getting us that far...thanks Bertha (yeah that is her name) now she is parked on the drive looking very sad as she is poorly and i feel like i have been stripped of my Independence again ! I'm worried that she wont be feeling better by Monday when i have to go back to work .

So since Bertha was rendered 'out of action' I've been doing the usual chores around the house cooking, cleaning, washing and spent 3 hours ironing yesterday. I moan about wanting some me time and when i get it i don't know what to do with myself !!

I have the daily ritual where i check the e-mails, check flights for the kids to come from the UK this summer ( they still haven't reduced in price) then i check facebook and usually catch up with family on their but even that has been quiet this past few days.

I just don't know what i want to do with myself..... I think i might head off into the scrap booking room and see if I can find my inspiration

Bye for now

What a year!

A year ago today my family and I emigrated from the UK to British Columbia and what a year its been, a complete fresh start, there is something quite exhilarating about that..... we look back at the week before we moved here what utter chaos, removal boxes everywhere, giving our belongings away, the goodbyes and heartache, the worry of whether the pets will survive the plane journey and now......what joy to be here. We have met some amazing people, settled into the Canadian ways and enjoying our jobs. The pets have settled in very well too. We have achieved so much its hard to think how we have managed to do all of that in our first year but we have.

Were going to friends today to watch England play the USA in the world cup..... were not 'footie' fans really but are looking forward to it and meeting new people but just for now I'm going to sit here on my sundeck for a little while longer enjoying the sounds of the birds whilst I sip my coffee

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.”



Lewis Carroll

Spring Cleaning...Yuk!

Spring Cleaning is a job I loathe....a strong word I know but I really do hate it......but have to say I find some kind of peace and achievement when its done, this morning was spent bleaching the window frames in our rental, they were a little mouldy but not any more *smiles. Its been a long time I wore bright yellow marigolds and I'm thankful I did because that industrial bleach hurt my eyes and throat....would not have liked in on my skin! It certainly did a good job, I'm pleased with the result.

This afternoon I took a trip back to Best Buy which happens to be my third trip in two days *sighs..... Mr English Rose has been longing for a Digital SLR camera for some time now, he use to enjoy his photography way before we both met and as it was his birthday a few days ago I decided I would treat him, so in between my night shifts I went to Best Buy and managed to get a really good deal on a Canon EOS T2i DSLR 18 Megapixil with Accessory Pack- this included a bag, UV Filter and Battery....after I had bartered and got myself the deal I was told by sales assistant that they didn't have the camera in stock Arghhhhhh, delivery would be that day after 3pm, well I couldn't wait as I was on Nights, so finally got it the day after, hubby was very pleased and shocked....after unpacking the accessory pack my hubby realised that the battery didn't fit his camera it fits the Canon EOS T1i. *huff and after all of that the shop doesn't stock the batteries !!!! not BEST after all. Never mind there is always eBay !!!! so here's me hoping for some amazing photos in the future .

VACATION

Its true I'm officially on vacation ! sigh ...... I've finished my last set of four shifts five days ago but have picked up three overtime shifts in that time ....how insane and boy do I feel it as I type this. We have so many people off sick at work now, its ridiculous and as much as I miss my work mates I want them all to be well so best to stay away from work till your 100%. I am not due back into work until June 19th and I have a job list so long to achieve in that time which mainly includes painting, the usual chores around the house, I find it so frustrating that we are in a rental and we want to do some renovations but cant, we have family coming to visit in the summer and we feel were trapped inside a 1970's tardis ! The owners have agreed to paying for laminate flooring and new floor tiling in the bathroom so that will make the place nicer, my hubby who does house Reno's for his job has already replaced the downstairs powder room toilet and basin, painted, new flooring and crown mouldings, it looks fantabulous...I must post a pic, we also replaced the whole ceiling in the laundry room which was previously in a sad state with a huge water stain from a leak and some of the tiles missing, now its lovely with a sunken light all at no cost ....that's even better. I'm very house proud you see and its driving me insane to the point of obsession but I tell myself everyday its a rental !!!!!! That day of owning our own ohhhhhh what joy and celebration that will be.

This weekend (June 12th) is a busy day for me and Mr English Rose - not only is there a party invite as its the first England soccer match against the USA in the World Cup, but it is also our 1 year Anniversary of emigrating to BC - its been one heck of a year filled with joy, tears, uncertainties, laughter and happiness, but NO REGRETS, we have made some what we hope will be good friends and have tried to embrace the Canadian way of life as much as possible....whilst keeping the British sense of humour and of course the local Boltonian accent :-) .

So having made it as clear as possible to staffing at work NOT TO CALL ME - I am hoping to fulfill most if not all of my job list...here's to a good vacation......

Smiles of the Week

These are what made me smile this week: in the pic top left is the delivery of my new cricut cartridges :) i intend to play with them this week as I'm on vacation. the picture to the right is of one of my favourite stores in Abbotsford. I just love going in their to see whats new or pick up a bargain in the clearance section.... we all love a bargain! And the final picture is of our two dogs sat next to the dinner table on my husbands birthday, I think they look cute in their party hat's - hubby was too shy to come on the photo, the dogs were treated to beef stew for sitting still for the photo !

MMMMMMMMMMMMM YUMMY!!!

Tonight, hubby and I went to the Greek Island's Restaurant on SFW in Abbotsford. We understand what our friends meant by westernised greek experience.... the atmosphere was pleasant,  the food was quite authentic and service at the restaurant was excellent, We LOVE Caesar salad - a simple dish but ohhh sooo tasty, hubby had lamb and I had shrimp, scallop and crab filo pastry wrap.... it was yummy and of course the vino Blanc and Rouge was freely flowing and continued to do so at home. Were both very tired now, I've only just finished night shift and hubster is back at work tomorrow so its time to say good night all :). Thank-you Greek Island's Restaurant for making our tummies content !

Tea for Two

So I asked my cute little friend Miss C to help me customise my blog and adjust my page layout and this is what we came up with ! I like my background very 'English Rose' I must say. Miss C showed me how to add in cute pictures to my blog like my fellow followers and others do, whilst showing me we came across this Tea Cup which reminded me of having tea with my Nana when I was a little girl, she had a Tea Set just like this one - so thanks Miss C for your help earlier :)

Birthday Wishes

Today is my Husband's birthday, unfortunately I'm doing night shifts over the next few days but we hope to try out the Greek restaurant on Sunday night that we have heard so much about 'The Greek Islands' . We use to holiday at least twice a year in 'Zante' we have fond memories of our vacations there, hopping on our moped and seeking out the secluded little beach coves and taking in the lovely warm sun. We both love Greek food and if they have stifado or kleftico on the menu then hubby will be a happy birthday boy. This time last year we were at our leaving /hubby's birthday party in the UK, so much has happened since that day and I am hoping hubby's 1st birthday celebration in Canada provides him with good memories. I have a few surprises, luckily he will be at work when I get home so I plan to decorate the sundeck, I've hidden his cards from the UK so he thinks he hasn't got any and then it will be off to bed for me.
So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr English Rose! mwah x

what made me smile this week ?

Ive decided to post pictures of what has made me smile over the past week, I'm going to make this my regular feature on my blog....

 

these pics were all take from my back garden in Abbotsford. I like the hummingbird Ive never seen one before !

Friends

I must say I've made some really nice friends since moving here, today was spent helping our friends move home and what day it was, hubby and I have viewed many homes over the past few months but due to certain circumstances we cant buy yet, one of the houses that we really liked was bought by our friend AS and CS and family, i still have photos on my phone from when WE viewed it!!!!!!!!! The day went like clock work, many turned out to help and they were overwhelmed by that...it sure made light work of the task- well i say light work that's not entirely true I'm aching from head to toe but it was worth it to see them move in their new abode. the day went fast, fuelled by coffee, Timmi's and pizza, this was followed by an afternoon nap and boy did i need that. I'm proud of my achievements today.

"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
     Ralph Waldo Emerson

So I Decided To Blog !

Well its just turned may 28th-2010 and I decide its time to start my own blog... I couldn't think of a quirky name to call my blog... so I just chose 'The English Rose' I'm not really sure why other than being English, from the 'Rose County' having pale skin and having the love of all things 'country' . I emigrated with husband, two Labrador's called 'molly and Velvet' and two tortoises called 'Doris and Whistler' on June 12th - 2009 and its been one heck of a journey. I love my new life in Canada, I have found some amazing friends, who happen to be my work mates mainly and it was surprising how many Ex-Pats there are here in Abbotsford, British Columbia. One person in particular (AS) and her family have been my rock since we got here, I don't know what I would have done without you...thank-you so much. Today has been a lazy day having just finished five 12-hour shifts at the office, I finally had a lovely sleep (no wonder really) when I was greeted by my hubby turning up early from work, what a nice surprise.... I spent the afternoon embracing my two new pleasures in my life..... watching humming birds and scrap booking...although not at the same time!



Its not often I just sit on the sundeck having some 'Me Time'... a coffee in hand listening to the birds chirping away..... I certainly wouldn't have done that back in the UK. This was followed by a sudden urge to bath the dogs and oh my they do smell nice mmmmmm. The evening ended with a few glasses of wine and face book....I was just going to go to sleep when I thought about creating you...my English Rose Blog..... here's to a happy future :) x

Goodnight :)