New Blog  

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Hey there! We decided to amalgamate all of our blogs together into one and we'd love it if you would follow us there.

Nin and Foster's Road to ...

See you there!

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Vacay Aftermath - Scariest Thing I Have Ever Done!  

Thursday, November 15, 2012

There is a feeling you get after a great vacation, a sense that you can conquer the world. This is especially true when you feel like you have to wear a costume to go to work, and vacation is a time when you can relax and feel like yourself. 

When vacation was over I was left with this need to make my life into what I want it to be, not accept what I am given. That's right - I felt all empowered with superhero spirit! What is the ultimate dream I have always had? To be a full time published writer, that's what! To this end I have been working on a novel off and on for years, treating it very much as a learning process. Let's be honest, I had no clue how to do this so learning had to be the first priority.

Sustaining a novel length story is a very different beast that writing a short story!

I am just finishing up a second draft of my novel, a huge accomplishment in itself, but with this feeling of invincibility infusing my actions, I decided to take things a step further. I booked a professional editor for mid March!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!
*Gratuitous funny cat photo to relieve tension and anxiety*

This is putting myself out there in a way I never have before. OMG, I am scared to death. It is an expensive thing, but I decided I just had to figure out a way to pay for it. So, as if what I had done so far wasn't scary enough I STARTED AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN TO PAY FOR IT!!! 
The help I have gotten so far has been amazing. I am so touched by even the donations of $1 that I tear up every time. The words of support from people have been incredible. I am still so scared that I occasionally walk around saying I might barf, but I am also very thankful. Grateful. Blessed.

This is where I ask for help, the hardest part. I am not very good at this and am having to set that part of me aside right now. If you can donate anything at all, know that I am so very appreciative. Even a dollar will help make my dream a reality. If you can't manage that, then every Tweet, every blog, every Facebook share or link is such a huge help. I can't tell you how much I have wanted this all of my life and I wish I were in a situation where asking for help was not needed, but I can't let that get in my way!

Trying to hold on to that Superhero Spirit!

~ Denise

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Crazy Vacay Part Trois - Travel Log  

Monday, November 12, 2012

We have already established that our vacation helped us to settle on details of the dreams we are working towards, and we have come up with some new shop products. After our visit home to Moncton and our time spent in the Valley, there was one remaining place to go.


MELISA TIME!!!
There she is in all of her cuteness. She is so amazing. Unfortunately, the weather sucked so we picked her up and took her to Bridgewater Mall and experienced her true awesomeness. She knows everyone in the entire town! She was like the Queen being greeted by her subjects. I swear, it was nuts, but she deserves it. Who wouldn't want to know her?

We drove around and I saw some beautiful parts of the South Shore that I have never seen before. Melina brought me to this fantastic cemetery that I want to return to when it isn't raining. Melisa sang along with Rob Zombie in the back seat and showed off the new words she's learned. She sure can say 'pumpkin'!

Finally we met up with Melina's mom to celebrate her 65th Birthday, because that needs to be celebrated. We had hidden the fact that we rented a car until the day before when Melina called her and said 'Surprise, we're driving down to take you to birthday supper!!'. She was very pleased. And Melisa got to sing 'Happy Birthday', which is one of her favourite things.

It was a great day and when we have a car we will have many more Melisa Days.

~ Denise

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Crazy Vacay Part Deux - Travel Log  

Friday, November 9, 2012

A rented car for us always means one thing - driving to the Annapolis Valley! Love it there. It is where we always dream of having our house in the country, the end goal of all of our hard work. And trips to the Valley at this time of year mean something even more important: PUMPKIN PEOPLE!!!!


You may not know that this is my very favourite, bar none, thing in the whole entire world! I mean, an entire town (Kentville) gets together and puts these amazing pumpkin people down the main street. Every year there is a theme and this year seemed to be Pixar movies. We saw Shrek, Brave, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc. and tons more. 



Come on! Are these not absolutely pure joy?? Everyone nearby should see these, and not just once. Every single year. No question. OMG I love them.

But on this day we did a little more. We also drove through the town of Canning, an absolutely beautiful place that has completely won us over. It has a great artistic community and the energy there is simply fantastic. Just past Canning is this beautiful spot.
I spoke in my previous post about how we visited Sackville, NB with the thought that we could live there someday. Here's the thing, as beautiful as everywhere else is, there is nowhere on the planet that gives us the feeling that the Valley does. There is a point on the highway on the way there that we come over a hill, and every time it is like I feel a huge exhale. It is the most amazing feeling: HOME. I have never had such an incredible sense of being exactly where I am supposed to be, and I know Melina feels the same way.

So, huge decision made. We have narrowed where we want to live down to an area (Canning) within the most perfect place on the planet to us (Valley).

Now the vacation time was not all play. We also spent some time coming up with a brand new product, and I think this is one that will definitely help to get us where we want to be. My idea, Melina's sewing.

* I used to be a cosmetician. I think about makeup a lot.

~ Denise

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Crazy Vacay Part One - Travel Log  

Thursday, November 8, 2012

We were very ready for vacation. Can you say burnout? It has been a nutty year of health issues, work changes, and trying to hold on to our goals. So by the time October 25th rolled around, we were psyched!

I should mention the teeny tiny itsy bitsy moment of clumsiness that I had, as it had threatened to derail our plans. For those who know me, I am generally the image of poise and grace, so try not to be too shocked. :) On Tuesday I was taking a shower and getting ready for work. You would think this to be a safe pursuit; and you would be wrong. My foot slipped, I fell flailing out of the bathtub, hitting the previously injured small of my back on the side of the tub and smashing my head against the cupboard doors under the sink. How hard did I hit my head, you may ask? Hard enough to break the doors entirely off of their hinges, is my reply. My mother used to call me 'tête de plâtre' (roughly translated as 'cement head') when I was a kid. Apparently she was right.

The doors my head broke, and that tried to break my head.

I would have included photos of my bruising, but no one needs to see the top of my butt. That would be a whole other  kind of blog.

Anyhoo, the fear was that I wouldn't be able to handle sitting in a car as much as we were planning. The first day of vacation we had made plans to drive home, to Moncton,  to see my family, returning the same day. Roughly 3 hours each way. We had so many plans for our time with a rental car and I was terrified this would ruin everything.

But it didn't! We made it home and had an amazing dinner with 3 of my sisters - Debbie, Donna and Darlene - Debbie's awesome husband, Dave, and my parents. And what an anomaly this restaurant was! A vegetarian restaurant that is s good that tons of carnivores eat there and there is a wait for a table  almost every night. Crazy! I wish it was here. Now, we were there for our own vegan benefit, though everyone enjoyed their meal. Funniest moment? When my family were having an extended convo about the best places to buy untainted and delicious meat in the city. I leaned to Melina and said, "I'll bet ours is the only table here having this discussion." Haha! I love my family a lot.
Another brief word only mentioned as it leads into the next post. On the way to Moncton we drove quickly through a town that I had wanted Melina to see. As readers of this blog, you will know that our end goal is a house in the country supporting ourselves. *sigh* A dream. Sackville has some appeal as a town as it is only 45 minutes outside of Moncton, has a small University and some Fine Arts outlets. Driving through, Melina was a smitten kitten. Gorgeous houses, lovely trees. A wonderful energy. Will we move there? More later.
Sackville, New Brunswick
We drove home from Moncton that night thrilled to have seen everyone. I want to be able to do that more often. It is one of the huge reasons that we are so excited to get a car in the new year. I love my mom and dad, and my sisters. Debbie and Dave were like a second set of parents to me when I was growing up, and I love to see them.

It was a great beginning to our vacation! And my back was doing fine. OK, maybe a little owie. ;)

~ Denise

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Got a Plan  

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

So, when we talk about moving to the country a big part of getting there is wheels. We can't walk everywhere when we aren't in Halifax. Even in the city, it isn't very practical. And terribly time consuming. Denise mocks me for being a sherpa but I have little choice. I need stuff so I lug it all over the place.


This is the Toyota Yaris. Fuel efficient is key.

The plan is in about 6 months, Denise and I will pool our resources and purchase a car.

OMG!OMG!OMG! I have dreamed of this day for so long. I have been going on-line and 'building' my cars for years. From Jaguars to Kias, I've built them.


And, four door sedan, for family! I like the red. No idea what Denise prefers.


At this point in the process, I'm gonna tell you what I'm - I mean we (ahem!) - are thinking of.

Denise's dad knows a lot about cars, and he will be (hopefully) helping us so we don't get totally ripped off. We aren't dumb, but we've never done this before. Yikes. This is major.

When we have a car, not only will we be able to do our errands much quicker, but we can visit our families as most of them live out of town. And we can visit some far flung friends as well.

Stay tuned. We'll tell you how it goes.

-Melina  :D


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On a Special 'Mission'  

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Ok, I've talked about my love of the British pop music of the 1980's here before, but it's a time for another bout of 'I miss the 80's' blues.

Things have been coming together lately, and when that happens, I tend to look back at how far I've come. Being a teenager sucks, and I vividly remember that. There wasn't a lot to look forward to, no stability and very little hope of a brighter future. But, by the good lady above, I had my music. Some days that was all I had.

Geez, it sort of makes me sad to think of that sad girl alone in her room in the woods, listening to her tapes over and over again. There was no internet, no car, very few friends. There was my music and my music magazines.

The Mission UK. 



The music I liked, and still like, runs the spectrum of types and styles, but my heart belonged to goth brit pop. The Mission UK, the Cure, Bauhaus, the Cult, the Smiths, Depeche Mode and Specimen. *Sigh* Love.

I still list the Mission UK as my favourite band. Most people haven't the foggiest who they are, and that is just fine. Being as happy in my life as I am now, I can look back and smile. And dance and sing along and maybe add some bit of  black glitter glory to my day.



The Mission UK, in all their 1980's glory.




The Wayne Hussey (of the Mission UK) today.

-Melina  :D

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