Ick. Just ick.

Ick.

Absolutely.

What?  Why am I going ick?  I'll explain.  Monday past, I was out in a t-shirt and capris.  THIS is what I get today:

Yup.  Snow.

Everywhere.

 

 

It started snowing this late last night/early this morning....and it hasn't stopped!  So underfoot it a wet, slushy mess that does nothing but make you cold and wet - I would know, since I went outside to take the damn pictures.

 

The only  thing this is good for?  I did get some nice pictures.

 

This is the first flower we see every year.  Poor thing, should have stayed underground for a little while yet!

 

Dogberry tree that's just starting to leaf out....

 

 







So...yup...I'm perfectly justified with the ick. 

 

~CT

Random thoughts...

You've been warned...

Took a fabulous hike (again) this evening, me, my dog, and my cousin. While doing so, my mind tends to go off on tangents.

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There were a few seagulls floating around close to shore, and the water was a little choppy.  These birds were just a-floating there, bobbing away.  I couldn't help but wonder;  "do seagulls get seasick"?  Because if they did, that would seriously suck.  For the seagulls, not me.  I'd
probably find that funny.

*************

I REALLY want a bag of Lay's Salt & Vinegar chips...but suffering after is just not worth it.  This, discovered the hard way.  Damn things have lactose in them, which is the death-knell for foods when you're lactose intolerant.  Yeah, I can take a Lactaid, but to eat a few chips?  Not freaking likely.  I could eat another brand, but dammit!  They're just not as good.  So, I'll settle for thinking about them every damn time I go to the store.

*************

And in the midst of all of this, I'm thinking about cake.  Yep, cake. Not eating it, but one that I've been asked to make.  Next weekend, I'm participating in a Party In Pink Zumbathon.  I like doing cakes as a kind of hobby, so my Zumba instructor asked if I could make a cake to celebrate the event.  So while out walking, I`m mentally planning how to execute said cake.  I think I've gotten it figured out. Just maybe.

*************

See?  My mind tends to wander...and those are some of the directions it went.

~CT

My Zumba Story

Hi.

My name is Cayla, and I've been doing Zumba for nearly two years now.  A couple of times out at a class, and at least once a week using the Wii.

Why is this remarkable, you might ask?  I would say that it's really not, except that I'm doing it while dealing with a disability.

I have HSN (Hereditary Sensory Neuropathy).  If you Google it, there are literally dozens upon dozens of pages that will come up in the results.  Basically, this form affects fine motor skills.  Mine was injury onset - starting with spraining my ankle.  Now, when I walk, my feet tend to drop, which can make walking difficult and tiresome.  Without my braces, I have to walk lifting my legs from the hips, which, after a few minutes, becomes really hard.

On May 2, 2011, I went to my first Zumba class.  I went, not knowing if I would be able to do it, if my feet would allow me to make it through that first hour.  (This was before I got the braces I have now).

(As you can see, my toes don't lie flat on the floor - they curl a little.  This is due to the tendons in the back of my leg getting tighter and shorter)

It was a basics class, with the first song I ever learned the choreography to being "Que Te Mueve".  I made it through that class, and was hooked.  Some songs I found nearly impossible to do, but I kept going, kept learning new steps.

After a year, I got some new braces!  They are probably the ugliest things ever, but really, I'm not complaining...much...because they do help me so much.

(They're not as complicated as they look, but they *are* that ugly.  Really)

Zumba has really been my saving grace.  It keeps me active, and that's key in keeping symptoms of this disease at bay.  Since starting Zumba, my core strength and balance has improved so much.

There are things in Zumba that I still physically cannot do. Things like pointing my toes - those heel-toe moves are brutal!  Things like heel lifts - again, because I can't stand on my toes.  Samba kicks my butt...again, because the toes thing.  I am the QUEEN of modifying moves.  They might look a little different, but it works!

Since getting those braces, I'm constantly discovering things that I can do, things that I used to do before all of this.  Things like jumping.  A simple jump out. jump in.  The first night at Zumba, I nearly cried when it was time in the choreography to do the dreaded jumping jack move, but to my complete and utter astonishment, I did it!

After two years of Zumba, I can stand in a line at a store or the bank, or at Tim Horton`s without having to shuffle (much), or having to have something to lean on.  The little things that most people take for granted.  I know I sure took it for granted before the onset of HSN.

Zumba has given me back some of the things that this disease started to take away.  My core strength has improved, and with it, my balance.

I just love Zumba so much!  I go around telling people that if I can do it, then they can too!  Disability shouldn't stand in the way of doing something that's just SO much damn fun!

If you're thinking about trying Zumba, but there's "something" holding you back, an injury, or the inability to move a certain way, please just give it a try.  Zumba is for everyone.  If there's something you can't do, don't, or modify the move so that you can.  I do it all the time.  The thing is, it's all about moving, and most importantly, having fun while you're doing it! 

Zumba is not about losing weight for me.  That's just an added bonus for me.  (Although, I have gone down a couple of sizes!)  It's about keeping myself active, and reasonably fit.  Yeah, it's a little harder for me, but I dearly love a challenge!  Tell me that I can't, and I'll do my damnedest to make you eat those words.  Someone, a couple of years ago told me that they didn't think that I'd be able to do Zumba, because of my feet.  Look at me now!

(That's me, on the right.  Yes, with the neon pink legs.  You can clearly see my braces.  This was taken at a recent Party in Pink Zumbathon. )

When I say it's for everyone, I mean everyone.  My mother, who is in a wheelchair, does Zumba.  No, she's not up doing the Meringue, or the Salsa, but she IS doing the arm movements...even if there aren't any.  She's doing arm movements for everything.  So, yeah, Zumba is for anyone and everyone.

I love it so much, that it's become a goal of mine to get certified as an instructor.

Why become an instructor?  Because 1) I think I'd be good at it, and 2) I want to show people that physical limitations shouldn't hold you back from doing something that's this awesome!

If I can inspire just one person out there....whether it be to go to a Zumba class, or just lace up their sneakers to walk to the end of their driveway and back...to not let the physical limitations get in way of being physically active, then job well done.

******UPDATE******

I really should have done this sooner - but I'll be honest.  I forgot.  Repeatedly.

As of November 1st, 2014, I officially became a ZIN member.  That's right!  I got licensed to teach Zumba!  And I started teaching my own class in February of 2015.

So, if I can do it, so can you!  

*********************

Post coming soon...

I'll be posting something soon, but it's taking some time to get it to gel enough in my head.

I was asked on facebook to post something about my love for Zumba, my disability, and my goal to become an instructor, in spite of the aforementioned disability.   The post is coming, but it's taking some time!

The crab...and the protest

I wasn’t going to say anything.  I *was* going to keep my mouth shut, and stay out of it.  But after seeing some of the comments...well, that went right out the window.

I would say that I don’t want to offend anyone, but let’s be honest.  People only say that when they know what they’re about to say/do IS going to offend someone.  But I’m not really worried about that.  I feel the need to get my two cents worth in, and if you don’t like what I’ve got to say – too bad.

I’ve seen people mouthing off, without knowing the facts.  I’m not saying that I know them all, but I think I’ve got a pretty good grasp on it all.

“It’s shameful”.  “There must have been a better way”.  “What a waste”.  “Look at what the fishermen did, just because they were ‘upset’”.

Upset?  That’s a mild word for it all.

What was done today was done in protest.  There is a tie-up ongoing, and this was a slap in the face for the fishermen supporting each other while it’s ongoing.

Why is there a tie-up?  To the best of my understanding, it’s due to the abysmal price of $1.83 for PREMUIM crab.  Before you jump down my throat, let me clarify something.  Before the crab season was set to open (again, this is how I understood it – I might be wrong), the processors were touting prices over the $2 mark.  But when it came time to sit down and set a price for this season, suddenly, all they could ‘afford’ was $1.83.

Meetings were held.  Lots of meetings were held.  Rallies were held.  More meetings.  The consensus was that this wasn’t going to be acceptable.  At all.  So, a tie-up.  Fishermen are tired of being dictated to by the buyers.  It’s just a modern version of the merchant system, no better, just different.

It’s my understanding that the crab in question was from the west coast.  It’s also my understanding that the crab fishery on the west coast isn’t the bigger fishery, as it is here on the east coast.  $1.83/lb isn’t going to make or break them.  $1.83 will BREAK fishermen on the east coast, for whom the majority of their income comes from the crab fishery.

Why can’t we stop ragging on the fishery?  We should be supporting the fishermen.  The fishery is a source of new money in our economy.  The fishery is what BUILT  this province!  We should remember that the fishery is still the backbone of our province and yes, the economy.  What the processors are doing is as effective as trying to break our collective backs.

Was it a waste?  Probably not, as I’m told that the crab wasn’t fit to process in the first place.  Out of 30 000 pounds, there MIGHT have been 1 000 pounds of live crab.  I don’t know about you, but you couldn’t pay me to eat shellfish that’s been dead for who knows how long.

A better way?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Drastic times call for drastic measures.

As for saying that if there are fishermen willing to sell for $1.83, they should be allowed to do so.  As I said, $1.83 might be fine for someone who doesn’t depend on the crab for the majority of their yearly income. Should we doom some to lose most of their income, just because a few want to sell at the current price?

Fishermen would rather be fishing.  But should they put their lives on the line for nothing?  They are taking a stand, and I for one, will stand with them.

My place to find my Zen

Every once in a while, you find a place that brings you absolute peace.  Mine just happens to be the beach.  Whether it's full of people in the summer, or all but deserted (like it is at this time of year), the beach brings me peace.  If I can get down there when the waves are especially violent, it's even better.  Odd, don't you think?  Something so violent brings me such peace...anyway, I thought I'd share some pictures.

I love getting these big spray shots

 These particular waves did a bit of damage the the beach

 A calmer day.

 This was taken today - note the Arctic pack ice coming in the bay!

 Capelin Gulch in the foreground, Sandy Cove Beach in the back.  Beauty!                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

There you have it.  A little glimpse at one of my favorite places.

~CT

Todays Fishery...as I see it

The fishery affects me in my everyday life, and has for as long as I can remember.

My father is a fisherman, his father was a fisherman, and so on.  And my big brother is a fisherman.  Every year, they put pots, nets, traps in the water in a valiant attempt to earn a decent living.

Some fishermen (or fisherpeople, if you want to be politically correct - which I usually don't care overmuch about) DO earn a decent living.  These are the ones that fish off of the boats that are owned by the plants.

My point isn't this.  I'm talking about the fishermen who own small enterprises, or the inshore fishery.  Fishermen like my father.

Fishermen have to buy licenses, in order to legally catch the fish...otherwise, they would be poaching, and run the risk of losing everything.  And they have a set amount that they are allowed to catch.  They have to buy tags for their gear.  They have have dockside monitors (which they have to pay for), which they often have to wait for, before they can unload their catch.

They have to pay for fuel (I don't know about anywhere else, but fuel prices are ridiculous here!), they have to pay for bait (which the plants set the prices for).

My point?  Every time a fisherman turns around, there is another expense.  I don't think that there's another primary industry like that.

This year's crab season opened Friday past.  No one is on the water fishing. All the boats are tied up to the wharves in protest of the slap in the face that the plant owners have termed a fair price.  Less than $2 a pound - which makes it completely unfeasible financially to catch anything.

This is the second time in the past 10 years that this has happened. 

The fishery is a multi-billion dollar industry, mostly in favor of the plant owners.  They claim that they can't afford to pay anymore for the product.  But they expect the fishermen to catch it for next to nothing. 

Sir William Coaker fought long and hard for the rights of fishermen, and in fact, established the first Fishermen's Unions.

*If you're ever on the East Coast of Newfoundland, and going out towards Bonavista, stop in Port Union -  Coaker House is there, which is the birthplace of the aforementioned union.*

The purpose of the union was to end the 'merchant system', whereby the fishermen would be forever in debt to their buyers for everything.  They would 'buy' the catch, in exchange for household items, foodstuffs, clothing, and so on.  Most years, there would never be enough catch, so the fishermen would start the next season in debt.  It was rare indeed for the fishermen to actually see any money.  That was the merchant system of my great-grandparents days.

The merchant system is alive and well today.  Only now, it has the full support of the government.  While the fishermen no longer receive everything they need from they buyers, the buyers still have absolute control over fishermen.  In that they can set these insulting prices, that won't give the fishermen enough to live on throughout the season, let alone earn enough to get through the winter.

I don't know what's going on.  Newfoundland has seen some prosperity in the last decade, but precious little has made it's way to rural Newfoundland.  In fact, it seems that our current government would like nothing better than to see rural Newfoundland wither and die.

If you ever come to Newfoundland, skip the cities, and visit rural Newfoundland.  Check out what the government wants to disappear.

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This is my rant for today.  Told you some days would be a little more contentious.

~CT

The Paranormal and Me

I'll admit it.  I have a "thing" for all things paranormal.  I think I always have.

Do I believe?  Ghosts?  You betcha.  Aliens? Absolutely. 

Before you all go running to get the men in white coats, I'll tell you that having experiences with this stuff will make you believe.  And I have.  With both.  But, my friends, that's another story for another day.

Back to my aforementioned "thing".  Call it what you will.

If there's anything on TV that's related to the paranormal, you'd best not disturb me until it's over.  It started with 'Paranormal State' on A&E...which led to the discovery of 'Paranormal State: The New Class', and 'Psychic Children'.  All on A&E.  I loved these shows, because they displayed the possibilities of all things that were 'other'.

I'm not a straight up, show me something and I'll believe that's it's paranormal, either.  I LOVE shows that will debunk what they see.  SyFy's 'Fact or Faked' is wicked for this...they'll take different cases (be it paranormal or aliens) and do EVERYTHING that they can to disprove the whole thing. 

Call me what you will, there's one paranormal show that I can't stand! Newfoundland Paranormal.  I understand that it was done on a very low budget, but really, it's more of what NOT to do while conducting  an investigation.  I won't go into details, but if you ever see it on TV, watch it, and you'll see what I mean.

So.  Me and the paranormal, we get along just fine...'Ghost Adventures' (I follow those guys on Twitter), 'Ghost Hunters' (I follow the ones I can find...), these are my new favorites.  Sadly, the Travel Channel that we get here isn't caught up to the current season, so YouTube has become my best friend.

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So there, you see, these are the things I think. Today it's paranormal TV.  Tomorrow could be commercials, it could be music, could be current events.  Could be all about my cat and/or dog.  That's just it.  With me, you just never know!  Although, I have an idea for a few recipe posts, when the mood strikes to post it.

~CT

Follow me on Twitter!  @wyldefyre1982
        -OR-
Visit my Facebook page (which is dedicated to my handmade stuff)
www.facebook.com/CaylasCraftyCreations.

Welcome to my world!

Hello!

I've been toying with (re)starting a blog for so long, that I began to get on my own nerves!

I used to blog WAY back when...let's see...Yahoo! still had their 360 pages, and then I jumped ship to Multiply.  Both of those were great for a little while, but I lost interest because the format was always changing.  So here I am.  A very small fish in a very large pond. 

I have an opinion on nearly everything, and love to discuss/debate/argue it, so some posts may be quite contentious.  I also have a love of the ridiculous, and the absurd.  Goes great with my warped sense of humor.

So that's a taste of what's coming....stay tuned!

CT