Cup 22 - Sheena x 50!

May 31, 2014

While the blog started out as a document to my catching up with people I hadn't seen in a while, some weeks I just want to write about important people who I might see often, but want to honour.  Sheena is one of those people.  Celebrating her 50th birthday this week Sheena is an inspiration and a role model.  Achieving yet another milestone in her life, this is the perfect week to honour her.

Why is she a role model?  I'm not sure I can pin point one reason; unless that reason is to say "everything about her"!  So many things about Sheena make me shake my head in awe and make me think "wow".  She is a life-long learner who is still aspiring to (and pursing) greater career heights.  Google 'Muscle Activation Technique' (MAT) and learn she is one of only ten "Masters" in Canada.  Wow.  Not only is this one of her latest achievements but scaling back on a safe and reliable office job to pursue her own personal training business was where this all started a mere five or six years ago.  Wow.  Sheena has overcome health challenges in her past as well as more recently.  She tells the story of overcoming weight battles to becoming a marathon runner.  Wow. Like me, she faced, fought (and won) against skin cancer melanoma.  Wow.  She is a dog lover who has fostered and adopted sweet souls, only to have them taken from her too soon but then turns around to do it all again.  Wow.

I see Sheena every week or so and she always has a tale to tell about something new she has learned, read or done.  She is forever taking courses, going to workshops, planning seminars for others, volunteering, leading running groups or traveling to run herself.  She is a caretaker of others and I feel fortunate to be one of those "others".  We met about seven years back when she was leading Boot Camps and I was a bride-to-be hoping to be all that I could be!  (Still hoping...but that's not on her!)  After a few years as her client in this format I switched to be one who visits her home studio.  Better than our workouts are our conversations.  I love how enthusiastic she is and how energetic she is.  There is always the latest project to hear about or the latest goal she is striving toward.  She inspires me.  She was in the back of my mind when I set the goal to have (and write about) these 52 Cups of Coffee.  (Although this week it was a mimosa - see photo below!)

Sheena turned 50 this week and hosted a Garden Party for those in her circle.  I feel privileged to be in said circle.  Yep, it was her birthday and she threw us a party.  It was as lovely as she is.  I especially love how proud and celebratory she is about this next chapter in her life.  All women should approach life as she does.  This woman is going to try to.  Happy Birthday Sheena!  xo

Cup 21 - Marti and Tyler

May 25, 2014

Hearts of gold and generous to a fault - perhaps because they have hearts of....literally....gold?! Marti (the Mrs.) and Tyler are two of our favourite people.  Imported from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, we are only but two of the fortunate recipients of their friendship and energy since they arrived in Calgary a few years back.  They are parents to two amazing young girls (although not so young anymore, going into grade 4 & 5), Summer and Nevada.  The girls are as genuine and outgoing as their mom and dad.  (Nevada perhaps a bit more-so; mom and dad might have their hands full with that one.  But both so fun and funny!!)

Although they recently moved to Bearspaw, we used to be Tuscany buddies.  We have enjoyed football games together as well house parties (they are great at costumes!), ski trips, wings and beer at the local pub, concerts,  golfing, dancing at the Ranchman's, casino visits, birthday parties at piano bars and other mischief (as mischievous as plus-40 years olds get, anyway).  Typing the list, it sounds like we must see each other all the time but it isn't true!  Prior to a quick visit this weekend it had been six months since we went to the Tim McGraw concert together.  Hate how time flies!

Of course, their young family keeps them busy but so does their successful, new business at which they both work hard, six days a week.  One of the rare couples who can pull it off, they live together, play together and work together.  And they seem to do it all with poise and humour, charm and ease.  (If they're reading this, they might disagree - but they don't need to tell anyone else that!)  Marti is so funny, sweet and stylish; a great mom, sister, daughter, wife and friend. She speaks so highly of everyone in her immediate and extended family and that is even BEFORE she gets to chatting over her signature red wine!  ;)  Tyler is one of those amazing people who, for someone still relatively young, has done so much.   Business owner?  Check. Actor?  Check. Long-haul truck driver?  Check.  Pilot's license?  Check.  Am I forgetting somethings?  Check, check, check. He is ambitious and interesting, witty and wise and captures a room when he tells a story.  He has a level of motivation and the positive attitude we should all aspire to.  And although their whole family is experiencing great success (and SOOO deservedly so...) Marti and Tyler remain down-to-earth, matter-of-fact and unassuming.   I love it.  I love them.  And they seem to like us too!  Although sometimes I suspect it's mostly just the ridiculous antics of my husband (ask them about his golf game...).  Regardless, we are so happy to know them and that they are in our lives.  Thanks Prince Albert for sharing!

Cup 20 - Lynn (and the Backstreet Boys!)

May 18, 2014

Sorry if the title is deceiving.  I'm not actually friends with the BackStreet Boys. And I certainly didn't have coffee with them. But I did get together with another friend from the 80's this weekend. We indulged in this guilty pleasure we hold in common as we attended the concert of the aforementioned boy band.

Lynn and I met in Cochrane in junior high school and became even better friends during high school.  I think the first person from her family that I met was her dad, who ran the Cochrane arena concession.  Every Thursday I would figure skate late and, during our break, would regularly buy a burger, Mars bar and grape slush from him (I was clearly on the strict diet of a high performing athlete.)  I think I was in grade 6-8 then.  It was late in grade 9 and then especially high school that Lynn and I connected.

Lynn was unique to me in that she was my first friend who had adult siblings.  The baby of five, I thought it was so wild that she had a sister who was married, and an even older one who was living "common law" - I had never heard of common law!  She was even an auntie herself! We shared living in a small town in common as we navigated entertaining ourselves.  Too young to have a driver's license and in a town still being too small to have anything "interesting" (according to 14 years olds) to do, we went to local hockey games together, house parties, rented many VHS tapes and generally just strolled the streets.  She was a regular at our house; I at hers.  I took her niece skating, on occasion.  My dad helped teach Lynn to drive.  I will never forget her practicing in our car and it almost turning out very badly!

Lynn was (is!) a good athlete.  She played fastball then and is a great golfer now.  Golfing is something we have in common now although she does it with a lot more frequency and is much better at it!  Also in common now is that we both live in Tuscany and have a love of golden retrievers.  Although Lynn and Dan lost their boy, Dillon, several years back, she still checks in regularly on Brier.  We credit Lynn and her husband Dan (and Dillon) for improving Brier's quality of life after they gave us the grippy boots Dillon used to wear.  They made all the difference for Brier on our slippery floors.  Lynn and Dan brought Brier a Quarter Pounder with Cheese during that week, several months back, when we thought it was his last...

Since high school Lynn moved quite a lot.  I think there were two addresses in Cochrane, followed by two or three in Calgary, before she moved back to Cochrane, and then (got married and) moved back to Calgary...and then AUSTRALIA for three years!  She and Dan now have a beautiful home near us although I don't think for a moment they have put down roots. What's reassuring is knowing that it doesn't matter where she lives.  She is loyal and open and always interested in picking up where our last visit left us off.    She is great about staying connected and in touch.  We have almost 30 years behind us and many, many more ahead of us.

Backstreet might be Back but Lynn isn't going anywhere!

Cup 19 - My Mom!!

May 11, 2014

Happy Mother's Day!  

Okay, I think I have cheated at least once already this year, by capitalizing on a special occasion to tell you about a person I actually see quite a lot.  Oh well. Despite not being 100% true to the intention of starting this blog, I am 100% committed to being able to brag about the people I love the most.  (And that love ME the most!!)  Meet, Angie.  My amazing mom.  Who better to celebrate today than her?!

Everyone thinks their mom is the best mom and so there's probably nothing I can tell you about her to convince you to vote for mine over yours.  That's okay.  My mom wouldn't want you to do that anyway.  But I will tell you why she is amazing...

She is tireless and selfless and thoughtful and optimistic and willing to do anything for anyone with a smile.  She has a beautiful smile.  Since I was a kid she has re-invented herself multiple times.  She went from working for the Boys and Girls Club after University to being a clerk at Woodwards and a school bus driver.  When my brother and I were in school, she went back to school and became a teacher.  She rocked that career for 15 years and then became a land administrator, working with my dad.  Since retiring from that final career she fills her days with granddaughters and grandmothers (mine - I still have two of them who require regular rides to appointments and such) she golfs and knits and lunches with friends and gardens and looks after two homes, one here and one in Scottsdale where they spend three months a year.  She never seems to be in a bad mood - even if she's sick - and I can't count the number of times someone has said a variation of, "Your mom is the nicest lady."  I could never argue.  It's true and I feel so proud and lucky that she's mine and I'm hers.  She and my dad have been so generous over the years, taking us on amazing, fun-filled family holidays, indulging us in our sporting hobbies (even after it was clear we were never going to get rich doing it) and always being willing and able to lend a hand or an ear or a dime.  It doesn't matter how old we get, we will clearly always be her kids.

Such descriptions only scratch the surface, of course.  Today was Mother's Day and she hosted brunch for 15 people (I know, epic fail by Mike and me).  But that's just who she is.  She hosted her mother and mother-in-law, my mother-in-law and Mike's mother-in law in addition to my sister-in-law who is also a mother.  Confused yet?  Needless to say, it was a full house.  A fun house.  A happy house.  My mom's house!

I wasn't named after her, per se, although I do inadvertently get called Angela a lot - and often by people who have never even met her!  I don't mind.  I learned long ago to answer to both and consider it a compliment.  I strive to emulate her in as many ways as possible, in honour of who she is and what she taught me.  Again, it's all much deeper than a generic blog can capture, but a mother and daughter's whole story is personal too and so you only get this peek.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.  I love you!
xxxooo

Cup 18 - Kimberley and William

May 4, 2014

Derek and I have quite a lot in common with Kimberley and William.  But they are much cooler, better put together versions of us - who I aspire for us to be.  

Kimberley is a teacher.  But she's a funky art teacher at a private high school campus.  Her home is filled with original masterpieces and the evidence of her Masters degree is bound in a book! (Darn thesis people!)  Where I researched how adminstrators might better be supporting beginning teachers in an effort to fight increasing attrition rates, Kimberley intertwined her educational journey through the history of the corset, of all things.  It is a beautiful metaphor to read.

William is the consumate handy-many who can talk all things tools and lathes and welders and machining with Derek.  William, however, takes the hobby (passion!) one step further by making his living doing it.  To the envy of my husband, Williams gets to work with his hands everyday and has built everything from delicate pens to intricate boxes to elaborate decks.  In truth, he is as much an artist as Kimberley is.  They have both just found outlets whereby they also get paid for being creative. Kudos!

We caught up with these friends this weekend as they are wonderful entertainers.  We ventured away from our homebody tendencies to join the party, for a change.  Thanks to them we reconnected with other faces from the past and, as this small world never escapes us, I ran into classmates I had gone to both high school (in Cochrane) and elementary school (in Springbank) with.  Actually, it turns out Kimberley went to school in Springbank too but, being half a decade younger than me we didn't ever share the playground.  We have only known these friends for about three years and there is always something new to be learned, despite all the things I report we have in common.  (Perhaps just wishful?)

Starving artists they definitely are not.  Fabulous friends they definitely are.

Cup 17 - Chris

April 27, 2014

My first "catch-up" with an out-of-province friend!  Not that I took the road trip to BC. And not that Christine wouldn't prefer to not be making these road trips to Calgary herself (details later).  But lucky for me, she was able to carve out some time for a lunch date during one of many, recent whirlwind visits to our fair city.

Chris and I met in 2008 when she became a new administrator in Cochrane.  She wasn't new to the job itself, but new to Alberta.  I was a relative newbie in my role as well and so we immediately had that in common.  She also worked, and became good friends, with Diane (see Cup 1), we sat on some committees together, and she and her new hubby, Marvin, lived nearby in Tuscany.  One of my biggest regrets, while they lived in my same community, was never visiting their place at Christmas time.  It sounds like Marvin was (perhaps still is) the Clark Griswald of Christmas decorations on their block.  Maybe Halloween decorations too!

While we didn't work for the same school board for a long time, we did have some excellent professional conversations and I feel very fortunate to have her still in my network.  Chris is wonderful about staying up to speed about what is still going on here, East of her re-location back to Sparwood, BC. Besides lunch last week, we have also been able to connect at recent leadership conferences.  Chris left Alberta, after 4 years with Rocky View, to tackle on her own principalship and is now in her second school, seeing her name on the big office door. However, as with most people, a career and professional ties are rarely the most interesting or important parts of a person...

Through the blessing of surrogacy, Chris and Marvin over-achieved in their dream for a little one and are now uber-proud parents to twins Charlie and Carter.  Everyone who knows them love seeing the boys' progress through photos. (Each parent was able to claim one boy to either be their personal Flames/Stampeders fan or Oilers/Eskimos fan and we will commonly see the boys dressed in theme according to these rivalries.)  More recently though, those in their circle not only see their progress in photos but we frequently read about this family's journey through Christine's new blog.  Earlier this year little Carter was diagnosed with Type One Juvenile Diabetes (hence, the unrequested recent, trips to Calgary and the Alberta Children's Hospital) and his devoted mama has been tracking everything they are learning and going through.  Everyone should check out Chris' blog to learn some things. I know I have: http://twinalivingwithd.blogspot.ca . While it is "neat" (?!) to have each other's blogs to read, of course I wish she could have chosen something else as her focus! How Chris is managing to keep her wits about her while she and Marvin wrestle with new realities, and still run a school is a testament to who she is, who Marvin is, and who all the fabulous people are in their support circle.  I would like to think I am one, albeit from the province next door.

I look forward to keeping in touch with Chris thanks to social media and intentionally finding more opportunities to meet up in person.  I especially look forward to continuing to read Chris' blog, ideally finding out they are beating JD.  I'm not sure if Carter is the Stampeder or the Eskimo but he's a fighter.  So is his mama.