I've been feeling nostalgic lately.  Past jobs, past relationships, past interests.  Not that the interests are no longer, well, interesting.  They've just been pushed aside for new and not always exciting ventures.  Take my music tastes for example.  Anyone who knows me is fully aware that eclectic doesn't quite cut it when describing my musical affections.  From Garth Brooks to Metallica to Celine Dion I'm anything but pigeon-holed into one genre.  Those who know me also know that my numero uno, number one, would leave my husband for (he knows and is completely supportive) all time love would be The Tea Party and their lead singer Jeff Martin.  Again, my husband was aprised of, and is understanding of 3 things:

1. I love him with everything I have.
2. I would give my life for him if the need presented itself.
3. I would leave him if Jeff Martin, Johnny Depp or Garth Brooks suddenly realized they actually want me and not their current gorgeous wives.

Sorry, make that 4 things...I ultimately married him for my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer...in red!

Obviously this is a joke (except for the stand mixer part), but I feel the need to inform people that it's a joke.  And I hate having to inform people that it's a joke, but whatever.  You can't, please everyone so let's get back to why I started this post; The Tea Party.  Now my beloved band has been broken up for many years now which makes me so very thankful that I was able to see them live so many times.  6 to be exact.  But one of those times I will never forget.  I have a best friend who is also a fan.  Thankfully, he's a fan of me as well.  He took me to see them perform with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.  Amazing doesn't come close to describing the experience.  Sadly this link is their performance on a special "The Daily Planet" with the Toronto Orchestra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQwkAyKtytc  but you get the idea.  Jeff's voice is so haunting, so true, I just lose myself in it.  Talking or speaking it doesn't matter.  I'd know that voice anywhere.

Where I'm going with all this is that I realized I haven't listened to them in months.  I haven't put in their CD, DVD, nothing.  I'm losing myself in the stresses of life and forgetting about the little things that used to make me so happy and at peace.  So with this post, I've been youtubing like crazy and relaxing to Jeff's voice and the thrum of the bass.  I'll sign off with links to a few of my favorite videos.  I hope you enjoy.

Lullaby  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txfr2Y20RgU
Heaven Coming Down  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfaATa-qmG4
These Living Arms (one of our wedding songs)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SdAs2Er5L8 sadly, no video was ever made for this song.  But it's my favorite.


Mmmmmmmm....nothing sexier than a man and a guitar.....gonna be a good night.

So my mom tells me today that the birds are eating my strawberries.  This is my first garden that has actually broken crust. And by broken crust, I mean my 5 rows of corn are over 6 inches tall, as are my 5 rows of potatoes...(it's a communal garden, there's no way Doug and I could get through all those potatoes!).  To get back on topic, the damn birds are eating my strawberries.  MY strawberries!  I could do the obvious thing and head outside to cover them with chicken wire.  That'll keep the smarmy bastards out.  Problem with that brilliant plan is this.  No amount of bug spray is keeping me un-bitten.  For someone who swells up to golf ball size with every bite, this is a really bad year.  Mother Nature really is a bitch.

It came to me today that I'd like to do a blog.  I don't know why; I don't think I can really explain it.  Maybe I need to get my thoughts out; help to lower my stress level.  Maybe I just feel left out of this whole technology gig.  Whatever it is, it's officially started. 

So we've chosen to name our blog Strong Beginnings 2009.  By we, I'm obviously including my husband in this venture.  Poor guy.  Anyways, Strong is our last name and Beginnings 2009 would be the year we were married and began the "official" portion of our journey.  They say the first year is supposed to be the hardest.  No one ever says how hard.  And who the hell is "They" anyways??  Why do "They" seem to know everything yet divulge nothing of their own experiences?  We've picked up our lives and moved back to my home province of Saskatchewan in hopes of a better quality of life.  This is our journey.