Monday, December 24, 2007

Success

A week ago I committed to doing 3 workouts in a week. I'm proud to say I accomplished my goal and I have the sore body to prove it. I did 2 Turbo Jam workouts and went to the gym once. It felt great being back at the gym and I love that it's two minutes from our house. Having a successful week has given me the motivation I need to keep going. I think 3 workouts a week is a good goal for now. I'll let you know how I'm doing along the way.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

I Think They Know It's Christmas!

I've been hearing this song a lot on the radio this week and in years past, but never paid much attention to the lyrics until now. It was written in the '80s by Sir Bob Geldof to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief. While I understand the sentiment, I think I'd be embarrassed to play it for any of my friends in Africa. Your thoughts?

It's Christmastime
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmastime, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmastime

But say a prayer

Pray for the other ones
At Christmastime it's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging
chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you

And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
(Oooh) Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone
(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?

Feed the world
Feed the world

Feed the world

Let them know it's Christmastime again

Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmastime again

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Walking




Yesterday I went for my first walk in awhile. Joel had my car and his was being serviced at Midas. When it was ready I went to pick it up. Midas is less than a kilometre from our house but I enjoyed the short journey through the crisp air. It made me think that I want to walk more. We just moved to an area where pretty much anything you need is a 5 minute walk away... Loblaws, the gym, a pool, the library, a big mall, Swiss Chalet, Wendy's, Home Sense, Dollarama... the list goes on. I don't really ever need my car again, although I'm not quite willing to give it up yet.

One of my goals for 2008 is to walk to church one Sunday... 7.3 km according to google maps. It doesn't sound far, but since I usually just walk from my car to the house and back, it'll be a start. In Zimbabwe Joel and I used to walk in the evening around Mtshabezi. No one else walked for the fun of it. People walked when they had a place to go, and they often walked a long way, with no water in the hot sun. The least I can do is walk a few blocks for some groceries. Walking... you should try it!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Working Out



There are several things I want to work on in my life. One of them is exercise. We have a love-hate relationship. I know it's good for me and that I should do it. I even enjoy it when I actually start and love the feeling of finishing a workout. So why don't I do it? The honest answer is I'm probably lazy. I feel like this is the time of life I need to nail down the discipline. I have no kids, some days I don't have a job (the joys of supply teaching)... time is definitely not an excuse. If I don't get in the habit now, what will I do when I'm actually busy? I'm generally a healthy person and want to stay that way, but I know that as I get older I'm actually going to have to be proactive about it so now's the best time to start.

I joined Good Life for December and January. Teachers get a sweet deal so I thought I'd try it out. Of course I haven't been yet. I also have some workout DVDs I can do at home that I actually really enjoy. They're called Turbo Jam and it's a high energy combination of kick-boxing and dance. I've done it enough that I know the moves and it's a lot of fun (even though I know the picture makes it look a little cheezy). But again, it's been weeks since I've done it.

So, all this to say that this week I'm going to do it. I'm going to exercise. I'm going to commit to working out 3 times and at least one of those will be at the gym. You, my blogging community, can keep me accountable, and in a week I'll let you know how I did. And I hope that putting that out there will help me actually do it. Any tips, advice, stories of success or failure are welcome!

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Zimbabwe Update Video

As most of you know, Joel and I returned to Zimbabwe last month with another couple from our church, Jamie and Arja Sanfilippo. One of our main goals was just to reconnect with people we became close to in our year there. We also wanted to update our church community on the situation in Zimbabwe, as things seem to get worse every day. The result of that is a video Jamie put together. You can check it out on our Africa blog at www.themeetinghouse.ca/africa You will meet my good friend Rebecca and also three children who touched our hearts in a big way. It is definitely worth your time!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Happy Birthday to Joel!!

Joel's 30th in Zimbabwe last year


Today is Joel's birthday! Last night as we were driving home from IKEA, completely exhausted, and car full of stuff for our new house, we decided to celebrate it next week when we've settled a bit more in our place and feel more relaxed. It's Miller tradition anyway... we hardly ever celebrate birthdays on the actual day. Joel doesn't like surprises and likes to plan what we do to celebrate.... no pressure for me and apparently more fun for him! Last year for his big 30th, we watched a movie at the theatre in Bulawayo, spent a night away and ate dinner at our favourite restaurant in Zimbabwe, New Orleans. I believe the birthday cake followed sometime in January due to severals delays, including a power outage about 10 minutes into trying to bake it the first time. Hopefully he'll get this year's cake before 2008!

Happy birthday to my amazing husband! I celebrate you and your life and am thankful I get to share it with you!

Sunday, December 9, 2007

I'm officially a blogger!

I've wanted to start a blog for awhile. I love reading other people's blogs to find out what they're up to and what they're thinking about. Through different stages in life I've been into journaling and have always loved going back to read my thoughts. Our blog from our year in Zimbabwe (www.themeetinghouse.ca/africa) has been a great record for me of our experiences there. The pen and paper journal hasn't worked for me over the past few years, so I thought I'd try the online version.... and why not share it with the world?! I don't claim to be an eloquent writer, but if you're interested, this will be a place to see what's going on in my head and in my life. Enjoy!