Canadutch
Today I am in the best mood. I’m not sure why, considering I was dragged out of a dead sleep by the cramps from hell… which ordinarily would leave me in a positively foul mood, but I won’t question it!
It’s a dark, grey, rainy and dreary day today in the Netherlands and instead of feeling sad and blue I feel fantastic. I’m not thinking about the things I miss or what I could be doing in a bigger and better way somewhere else, as I have in previous years at this time. Instead I’m thinking about all the things that come together to make me as happy as I am today.
- I love my husband, because he’s not just loving, thoughtful and attentive but also crazy, silly and completely childish in all the right ways.
- I love that I have now lost 40 lbs and I don’t feel at all discouraged or ready to give up.
- I love that my mother, having never travelled without my father, got on a plane and came all the way to the Netherlands on her own to spend time with me this year!
- I love that my father is passionate about music again and is writing and performing his own beautiful songs, even though I cry every time he sings them for me.
- I love that I am crafting again… whether it’s knitting, cross stitching or quilting, it relaxes me and makes me feel happy and productive.
- I love that my hair is finally growing out. I hated it short and am glad that it’s a bit longer and feels more like me again.
- I love that I have a best friend who really GETS me and that I can be 100% myself with.
- I love that my husband and I are feeling a lot happier due to us rebuilding some lost relationships that were important to us.
- I love that Christmas is only 39 days away and that I am not ashamed that I start counting at 50something.
- I love that I have a really cool group of friends who like to do fun things like Halloween parties, photography, and crafting. I even have a friend with a husband who knits! How cool is that? Not cool that he knits better than me though.
- I love Facebook, even though a lot of people hate it. I love it because I live far from home and it has helped me get in touch and keep in touch with a lot of old friends. It has also helped me make new friends here in NL.
- I love that even though my dogs can sometimes be totally out of control with their barking, jumping, licking and playing, my heart melts and I’m in love again every time we have a cuddle.
- I love that it’s November and I’m already looking forward to planning our camping trips next summer!
- I love that instead of bringing homesickness and tears, Christmas now brings me squeals of joy, decorating and spending time with good friends.
- I love that I fit into a pair of jeans 2 sizes smaller than I was wearing 5 months ago.
- I love that I have people in my life now who are encouraging and who push me to get out and do things more rather than joining me in my misery and validating all of my hate and anger about life here, like some have in the past.
- I love that Weight Watchers is a program that still allows me to eat a quarter pounder combo when my PMS demands it!
- I love that my husband’s current project has allowed him to work from home so much over the past year.
- I love that we can spend THAT much time together and still be totally in love and happy with each other.
- I love that I’m going back to Canada for a visit next year and will be able to spend some quality time with my parents and be there for my mother’s 60th birthday!
- I love that even though my husband HATES scary movies, I still get to enjoy them with my friend Alan, who loves the scary flicks just as much as I do!
- I love living in a country that makes me feel like no matter who my friends and family are, they will have all the rights and acceptance that anyone else will.
- I love that the shops in NL are starting to realize that not all plus sized women are giants, and have petite sizes now too.
- I love that I am learning to cook new things and unlike when I lived in Canada, I can honestly say I can cook something other than grill cheese and Kraft Dinner! Even though I PALE in comparison with the culinary skills of my friends, I am still proud of my progress so far!
- I love my friends children because they are so cute and funny… and they make me feel better because my complete hatred of most other children made me feel like a bit of a kid hating bitch.
- I love hats and gloves and scarves and I can’t wait for the weather to be cool enough to need them!
- I love Intratuin for having such an amazing selection of Christmas items and making up for the pathetic display in many other shops.
- I love Bit Torrent and that it allows me to keep up to date with all my beloved American shows.
- I love this speech by J.K. Rowling which my husband sent me that I just stopped writing to watch.
- Almost forgot!! I’m SOOOOOO loving that New Moon is only a week away!!
Ok I’m done gushing now.
Considering the grey November weather, this is the happiest thing I have read in a while!
You like Xmas, don’t you? I remember that.
.-= Zhu´s last blog ..Greyish November =-.
OH yes, I do :D I love it!
Aww! I was in kind of a crappy mood today, but this cheered me right up! Thank you!
.-= alala´s last blog ..Sinterklaas =-.
You’re welcome! Tbh I wrote it to try to -stay- in a cheery mood because I’ve learned to appreciate them here in NL in the winter time haha
Congratulations for the weight loss – that’s very impressive!
.-= Avitable´s last blog ..Moon water =-.
Thanks Avi, still pales in comparison to your 100+ but I’ll get there eventually. I may msg you now and then to remind me of how good it feels, if / when I ever feel like giving up! You should post more before and afters though, for those of us who are still trying to get there!
Email me anytime!
.-= Avitable´s last blog ..Thankful =-.
Wow. :) I love this post :) Thanks Tammy! Your positive energy really rubs off!
.-= Renée´s last blog ..Sinterklaas, wie kent hem niet? =-.
Thanks Renee! Glad it rubs off! I’ll be needing someone to rub some good energy off on me in January I’m sure, that’s when I find it hardest to stay positive. That sounded really dirty.
Wow that was really great to read Tammy!! I am so proud of you for the weight loss..WW is the only way to go in my opinion. You can still eat what you like and you don’t feel like a huge 3rd wheel when eating out with others.
Im soooooo excited for christmas too..Im making a christmas cd, ordering come christmas movies off of bol.com and this year there isnt sadness, just excitement!!
.-= Sonya´s last blog ..Apple Crisp with Vanilla Sauce =-.
I so wish we lived closer to each other, you could teach me to bake, I could hate you for it… aah good times! :P Seriously though, I’d love to have someone close by who went as Christmas crazy as me :P
You seem to be thinking of all the good things that happened lately at the same time. No wonder you’re happy :-) I think u tweeted about a few of them too Breigh :-)
.-= Nigel Babu´s last blog ..Pushing 150 kg =-.
Yeah Nigel, I have tweeted a lot of these things, you’re right. I’m afraid that Twitter and Facebook are slowly killing my blog. Every time I think I should blog about something, everyone already knows! haha
“I love that the shops in NL are starting to realize that not all plus sized women are giants, and have petite sizes now too.”– I find this positively baffling because I cannot find pants long enough for me in this country!!
I’m glad you’re spreading the good cheer around, one needs it when the weather looks like this!
.-= mub´s last blog ..A few how-tos! =-.
Oh no I have the exact opposite problem! When I get normal sized pants they are always WAY too long. I’ve even had petites that were too long sometimes! haha I am short and I have even shorter limbs. It’s ridiculous!