34 Years!

This post has to fall under the 'amazing' category. It may not seem that amazing to many but to me it is. How is it possible that I have been married for 34 years?!! It was just a minute ago that I was 34. And now I have been married to my wonderful husband for well over half of my lifetime. When I think back over those 34 years I feel so blessed and yes, amazed. The adventures we have had together!

This is my marriage by the numbers:

5 absolutely fantastic, talented and beautiful children

2 times living overseas in Japan - once in Osaka with our young family and then later in Tokyo

5 years in North Vancouver

20 homes/apartments we have lived in (I shudder to think of all those moves)

6 full-fledged houses

3 homes we 'built'

5 most number of years we have lived in any one place

2 university degrees - one for each of us

2 loved sons-in-law

1 beautiful and loved daughter-in-law

5 sweet, smart and beautiful grandchildren

untold hours of joy, tears, and triumph together

(looks like 5 should be, must be my lucky number)

A while ago I was reading in the journal that I wrote when we were newly married. I was surprised by the maturity of the goals I recorded on our wedding day. In a nutshell I wanted to be a companion in every significant sense - someone who would encourage the best and understand the less than the best in my new husband. I don't know how well I have succeeded to date but it has been a privilege to try and I mean to keep trying. One thing I do know is that I am a much, much better person as a result of David's influence than I would ever have been without it. I knew the moment I saw him that I wanted him "to pick me! pick me!" and I am ever so grateful and happy that he did. One of the things I hoped for on our wedding day was that I would love him more with the passage of time than I did then and I can say for sure that if I had known then how much I would love him now I would have been.....amazed.

Photo by Eden Lang 2007

Finally, I did it!

I have been playing around with the idea of a blog for a while and finally sat and down and started the process this morning. The concept is that this will be a vehicle for me to share whatever I find that I think is cool, amazing or just yummy in some way. What do you think?

First thing to share:

Good for You Date Muffins

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 scoop (2 heaping Tbsp) vanilla whey protein powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup hempseed (hulled)

14 dates, pitted and finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup prune puree (aka baby food) or sub applesauce if you want

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine oatmeal and milk and let soak. In a separate large bowl combine flour,whey powder, baking powder,soda, salt, cinnamon, pecans, flaxseed, hempseed and dates.

To oatmeal add: eggs, oil, puree, sugar and yogurt. Stir into dry ingredients.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

What makes these good for you? Good omega 3's via the flaxseed and hemp (also good protein here and in the whey), calcium, low fat/high fibre and utterly delicious.

Try them - promise you'll like 'em!