tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23237009921829892102024-03-14T00:15:14.612-06:00Stargazing MermaidPictures, cats, pictures of cats.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.comBlogger492125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-4466512606739221482018-08-22T17:23:00.003-06:002022-01-13T22:53:58.448-07:00Book review: The Last Days of the Romanovs<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7115074-the-last-days-of-the-romanovs" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1311993530m/7115074.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7115074-the-last-days-of-the-romanovs">The Last Days of the Romanovs: Tragedy at Ekaterinburg</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146124.Helen_Rappaport">Helen Rappaport</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2498952833">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Wow. The author takes us on quite the journey in this book. She introduces us to Ekaterinburg and the people within. We learn about the revolutionary forces in Russia and how they affect this city.<br />
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But most of all, we meet the Romanovs in exquisite detail. The passive father who suppresses his feelings, the tormented mother whose madness brought down a dynasty, and their five cherished children. We get to know their captors and their allies, we learn of some of the people who wanted to rescue the royal family. But they were too well-guarded and in the chaos of the Russian Revolution, the resources just weren't there for a rescue.<br />
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When woven together, we have a stunningly crafted book that lays out why the Romanovs were murdered, on a personal and on a national level. Their enemies did their very best to obliterate the Romanovs and they almost succeeded. It would take time and shifting priorities in the USSR before their remains and their fate came to light.<br />
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I've already read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/146124.Helen_Rappaport" title="Helen Rappaport" rel="nofollow">Helen Rappaport</a>'s book, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25688943.The_Romanov_Sisters_The_Lost_Lives_of_the_Daughters_of_Nicholas_and_Alexandra" title="The Romanov Sisters The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport" rel="nofollow">The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra</a>, so I wasn't too disappointed at how the daughters are the most enigmatic Romanovs in this book. Read the other book for its rich detail.<br />
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The amount of information is carefully parcelled out so that it isn't overwhelming. I have to say that the execution scene is the most detailed one I've ever read and it is grisly. I would say that the author included many details to reinforce how horrific the crime was. She also details the poorly planned disposal of the remains, in such a way that it seems incredible that the bodies were undiscovered for decades.<br />
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While reading this book, it struck me that is a very rare glimpse because there aren't even photographs of the Romanovs in Ekaterinberg. One can easily find photos of the Romanovs under arrest at the Alexander Palance and in Tobolsk. The last few images were captured on their way to Ekaterinberg. The Bolsheviks whitewashed the windows of the Ipatiev House and erected barricades so that the former royals were cut off from the rest of the world. <br />
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So it is Rappaport who vividly describes the family and the conditions they were living in. I could easily imagine the scene where local women entered the house to wash the floors. They were the last civilians to see the family alive. Rappaport uses their testimonies to make the scenes come alive - I could see the friendly daughters who happily help the workers, grateful for any kind of physical exercise. I could also envision the diminished Nicholass II and the imperious Alexandra, the human beings that shattered the women's visions of the exalted Tsar and Tsaritsa. Most poignantly, the women tell us of a frail and sickly Alexey, who was never meant to grow old in the world he was born in.<br />
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My interest in reading about the Romanovs came from information about my own family tree. Eight years ago, I was told that my paternal grandmother's mother was a chambermaid to the Tsaritsa, and her husband was a doctor in the Tsar's army. I don't know how true that is, but I started reading more about the Romanovs to learn more about that part of my ancestry. Books like this are wonderful resources, so textured and detailed that the era is brought to life cmore.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7858902-angela">View all my reviews</a><br />
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-35008437980055787402015-12-01T19:02:00.003-07:002015-12-01T19:02:46.113-07:00MckMama goes viral again...for posting her manicure on Instagram. While driving. Because her fingernails are more important than her kids?<br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="6" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/-rbhskQlpD/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Thanksgiving nails. 💙</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Jennifer McKinney (@mckmama77) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-11-29T18:21:20+00:00">Nov 29, 2015 at 10:21am PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-62404948781395957672015-06-21T15:20:00.000-06:002015-06-21T15:20:41.773-06:00My week on Instagram. June 21 2015<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/4C5JmDEyez/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Thank goodness a man was selling umbrellas at the Chinook train station.</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Angela Boyko (@angelamermaid) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-06-17T21:22:57+00:00">Jun 17, 2015 at 2:22pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><br />
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/4NLZKokyfY/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">I crocheted a blanket. Charlie approves.</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Angela Boyko (@angelamermaid) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-06-21T21:14:46+00:00">Jun 21, 2015 at 2:14pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-71566329268695732122015-04-15T10:56:00.001-06:002015-04-15T10:56:52.772-06:00Guest starring ...I interviewed my friend Susan for my artist website. She designs knitting patterns. <a href="http://www.angelaboykoart.com/susan-elizabeth-designer-knitter/" target="_blank" title="Read it here">Read it here</a>. At some point in the near future, she will interview me.<br />
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I would like to continue doing guest spots like this, for my artist website and for <a href="http://www.enchantedmermaidtreasures.com" target="_blank" title="Enchanted Mermaid Treasures">Enchanted Mermaid Treasures</a>. If you would like to write a guest blog or be interviewed for one of these sites, let me know. Your subject matter needs to be art-related and/or mermaid related. You can write about what inspires you, or what you've learned about Etsy or share some photography tips.<br />
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What's in it for you - more exposure for you, backlinks to your website(s) to help your search engine optimization.<br />
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What's in it for me - more traffic to my site if you choose to link to it and say "Hey I wrote a guest blog/was interviewed!". More content.<br />
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I would be willing to write a guest blog for you or be interviewed.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/6372458121" title="Changing the sheets by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6110/6372458121_117bdcd077.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Changing the sheets"></a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-16822486127981941082015-03-29T10:32:00.000-06:002015-03-29T10:32:29.158-06:00Noro waves scarfI've finished a Noro waves scarf, and I love it. I used three different skeins of Noro Silk Garden, so that I could capture all of the colours of the rainbow. The pattern itself was easy to pick up. To knit it yourself, you'll need to know the knit stitch, how to do a yarn over, and how to drop yarn overs.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/16966587232" title="Noro waves scarf by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7614/16966587232_4bfbe0cec6.jpg" width="500" height="267" alt="Noro waves scarf"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/angelamermaid/f277-kudo-waves-scarf" title="Project on Ravelry">Project on Ravelry</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/f277-kudo-waves-scarf" title="Free pattern on Ravelry">Pattern on Ravelry</a> (It's free!)Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-84693049079233785022015-03-19T12:29:00.000-06:002015-03-19T12:29:01.978-06:003 tools that are improving my entrepreneurshipI never saw myself as an entrepreneur. I thought I would be a worker bee, settled into a comfortable hive somewhere. <br />
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There are things in life beyond our control. Like your company laying off 400 people during a reorganization. Including you.<br />
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When I found myself holding an envelope with details of my severance package, I had no idea of what was to come. I missed being a worker bee. As I started doing temp work to keep engaged in the labour market, I discovered something else. I missed being a queen bee. Because that's what it felt like, having my niche and my strengths in my former position. <br />
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Part of the stress of job hunting is that so much is out of your control. You can have a great resume and have a great interview - but you can't do anything about someone else being more qualified. <br />
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So that's how I started putting together <a href="http://www.enchantedmermaidtreasures.com" target="_blank" title="Enchanted Mermaid Treasures">Enchanted Mermaid Treasures</a>. I planned it as a source of extra income and a way to maintain my HTML and CSS skills, while celebrating my love of mermaids.<br />
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So I built it. And started building <a href="http://www.angelaboykoart.com" target="_blank" title="Angela Boyko Art">Angela Boyko Art</a>, because I've been returning to my creative roots over the last year. <br />
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Sounds simple, right? Well, you can build the site, but that doesn't mean visitors will come. I have had some sales, but I discovered that there was a lot I didn't know about marketing and SEO. Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools have helped me see where my traffic is coming from. Now I need to know how to get better exposure.<br />
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I tried a Facebook ad - ended up paying $1 a click but no sales. I tried Google Adwords - averaged .15 per click but also did not produce a sale. <br />
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So now I'm digging in to figure out how I can improve my site and my advertising. These have proven to be valuable resources:<br />
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<b><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/" target="_blank" title="Wordpress SEO by Yoast">Wordpress SEO by Yoast</a></b><br />
I had a love/hate relationship with this plugin when I started, because it was so hard to write at least 300 words per page! But now I love it. It points out specific things to update, such as putting the keyword in the title, URL, and alt tags. It tells me to have at least one image per blog post. And it's free!<br />
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<b>Chapter 1 of "<a href="http://www.quicksprout.com/the-definitive-guide-to-copywriting-chapter-1/" target="_blank" title="The Definitive Guide to Copywriting">The Definitive Guide to Copywriting</a>"</b><br />
Yes, chapter 1. I haven't finished the guide. I'm including this because chapter 1 asks some really good questions about your product. The questions had me thinking about my sites from a different perspective, and I'm going to be revising a lot of copy. <br />
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<b><a href="https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6069823?hl=en" target="_blank" title="Google AdWords courses">Google AdWords courses</a></b><br />
Google wants you to buy advertising. Google wants you to reap the benefits of advertising with them. So they've provided free online courses. I'm in the second course and the worksheet is asking some very thought-provoking questions. I'm not sure how to define my audience when I don't have much of one right now. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. <br />
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And because every blog post should have a photo ...<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/0a1UpDkyXX/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">Today I received my new business cards and new postcards for Etsy #cards #etsy</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Angela Boyko (@angelamermaid) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-03-19T18:25:43+00:00">Mar 19, 2015 at 11:25am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-35777981991796734542015-03-17T14:36:00.001-06:002015-03-20T00:32:54.281-06:00What's going onI'm slowly putting together my artist website, <a href="http://www.angelaboykoart.com">Angela Boyko Art</a>. <br />
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Progress is slow because:<br />
<ul><li>I'm also looking for work</li>
<li>I had a job interview yesterday!</li>
<li>I'm also building <a href="http://www.enchantedmermaidtreasures.com">a mermaid niche website</a> at the same time</li>
<li>I'm also constantly creating new products for Zazzle</li>
<li>I went to Red Deer this weekend to celebrate my birthday</li>
<li>I'm also learning SEO and marketing<br />
<li>I'm also writing chapter 4 of my Crowen fanfiction <a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10920704/1/Branching-Out">Branching Out</a></li><br />
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<li>I have three cats that demand my attention on occasion. Not today, because I clipped their claws and they're all mad at me.</li><br />
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<li>I cook at home rather than eat out, so there goes some time.</li><br />
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<li>I need to sleep. I need to practise good sleep hygiene. So staying up until 1am to code doesn't work for me.</li><br />
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<br />
</ul>One of my Zazzle stores is <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/12_steps_to_serenity">12 Steps Serenity</a>. I just added a <a href="http://www.angelaboykoart.com/serenity-collection/">Serenity Collection</a> to the website. I forgot knitting! This is part of a group blanket going to the ICU at the Foothills hospital. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/16558835259" title="Blanket by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7615/16558835259_404988a98a_z.jpg" width="640" height="356" alt="Blanket"></a> What have you been up to lately?Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-29700108932516790712015-02-28T19:46:00.000-07:002015-02-28T22:26:06.500-07:00Thank you, Leonard Nimoy<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/4568710785" title="NIMOY by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3594/4568710785_eb58ae975b_z.jpg" width="640" height="512" alt="My photo op with Leonard Nimoy"></a><br />
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I had never been to a science fiction/fantasy/comic book convention prior to April 25, 2010. My buddy Phil, one of the organizers of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, got me to go because Leonard Nimoy was going to be there and it was a Big Deal. He also said I should buy a photo op, because hello? Leonard. Nimoy.<br />
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So I bought a one day pass and a photo op, This is what I blogged about my photo op with Leonard Nimoy:<br />
<blockquote>I stepped up, he put his arm around me and asked how I was, I said, "Great! How are you?", he said, "great, thanks!" And we smiled for the camera and I thanked him and bounced out of the way so the next person could step up. Short but very sweet. I enjoyed watching him while I was in line - he was really very gracious with everyone.</blockquote><br />
Because of a massive screw-up by the company doing the photo ops, I didn't get a printed copy of the photo. I didn't even get a digital copy until a week later. It's not the most flattering picture of me, but my excitement is genuine. When Leonard Nimoy put his arm around me, I felt special. And bold enough to hold up <i>Star Wars</i> toys with a <i>Star Trek</i> actor. Those toys have been in every photo op since.<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything, Leonard. For your words of wisdom that have been prospering online, your kindness to everyone, your arm around me. Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-64508364182838699672015-01-02T00:03:00.000-07:002015-01-02T00:03:10.419-07:00Joy Jar<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/xV5y7kEybI/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">On the left is my Joy Jar of 2013. It contains 365 scraps of paper. Every night I wrote down something that brought me joy and put it in the jar. I didn't have a Joy Jar in 2014. There was joy and I accomplished some goals but right now, 2014 represents being laid off and dealing with depression and anxiety. On the right is my Joy Jar for 2015. :-) #joyjar #hope</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Angelamermaid (@angelamermaid) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-01-02T06:54:25+00:00">Jan 1, 2015 at 10:54pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-57191283924755514862014-12-26T01:13:00.000-07:002014-12-26T01:20:56.278-07:00Parentverse - behind the scenes of fanfictionWarning for teases about my next big Parentverse story, "Branching Out". I wouldn't really call them spoilers, your mileage may vary.<br>
<br>
One of my hobbies is writing fanfiction. Specifically, Cristina/Owen "Crowen" from <i>Grey's Anatomy</i>.<br>
<br>
I just loved this pairing so much that I started writing to fill in the gaps. If they were butting heads onscreen or not communication clearly, I could write a story where they work things out.<br>
<br>
I had some little vignettes in my first story "<a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4763224/1/Six-Times-That-Owen-Says-Thank-You-to-Cristina">Six Times That Owen Says Thank You to Cristina</a>" and people told me that they wanted to know about what happened in between. Specifically, how did they become parents to the unnamed daughter at the end? <br>
<br>
So I wrote "<a href="https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4769550/1/The-TwentyFour-Months-Before">The Twenty-Four Months Before</a>" to explain what happened in the twenty-four months before their daughter, Chloe, was born.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://angelamermaid.blogspot.com/2014/12/parentverse.html#more">Read more »</a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-85439132650190874402014-12-19T13:54:00.001-07:002014-12-19T13:54:23.431-07:00Noro waves scarf in progress<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/wxXZQEkyey/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">#knitting #noro #wool</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Angelamermaid (@angelamermaid) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-12-19T02:21:09+00:00">Dec 12, 2014 at 6:21pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-26168549673321869502014-12-01T14:00:00.000-07:002014-12-01T14:00:01.866-07:00As seen on Cute Overload years ago <div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/mother_elk_kisses_baby_postcard-239333732403610966?rf=238525027562118979"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.ca/mother_elk_kisses_baby_postcard-r7b042b4b8a234e36a147df185ba59efe_vgbaq_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Mother elk kisses baby postcard" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/mother_elk_kisses_baby_postcard-239333732403610966?rf=238525027562118979">Mother elk kisses baby postcard</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/angelamermaid*">Angelamermaid</a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/custom/postcards?rf=238525027562118979">Full Color postcard printing</a> on zazzle </div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-72893119809592920352014-11-27T15:30:00.000-07:002014-11-27T15:30:01.347-07:00Finished products <div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/postcard_of_a_knitting_brown_mouse-239533797571239433?rf=238525027562118979"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.ca/postcard_of_a_knitting_brown_mouse-r6f42d4bf46354103b2e8b2de3115b476_vgbaq_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Postcard of a knitting brown mouse" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/postcard_of_a_knitting_brown_mouse-239533797571239433?rf=238525027562118979">Postcard of a knitting brown mouse</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/angelamermaid*">Angelamermaid</a> <br /> Browse more <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/postcrossing+postcards?rf=238525027562118979">Postcrossing Postcards</a> </div><br />
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/postcard_of_a_grey_hamster_knitting_a_scarf-239472193461797779?rf=238525027562118979"> <img src="http://rlv.zcache.ca/postcard_of_a_grey_hamster_knitting_a_scarf-re844a10e35d241e5a062b5517b82b854_vgbaq_8byvr_325.jpg" alt="Postcard of a grey hamster knitting a scarf" style="border:0;" /> </a> <br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/postcard_of_a_grey_hamster_knitting_a_scarf-239472193461797779?rf=238525027562118979">Postcard of a grey hamster knitting a scarf</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/angelamermaid*">Angelamermaid</a> <br /> Create a <a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/custom/postcards?rf=238525027562118979">Full color postcard</a> with zazzle.ca </div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-37537745410525498662014-11-24T15:00:00.000-07:002014-11-24T15:00:04.420-07:00Work in progress<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/vxZmpsEyS0/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top">#work in progress #knitting #mice #drawing</a></p><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by Angelamermaid (@angelamermaid) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2014-11-24T06:09:04+00:00">Nov 11, 2014 at 10:09pm PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-76538377252482461832014-10-24T17:48:00.003-06:002014-10-24T17:48:37.654-06:00Honouring the FallenVeterans lining the Highway of Heroes.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Our <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/veterans?src=hash">#veterans</a> standing proud <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFBTrenton?src=hash">#CFBTrenton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CanadaStrong?src=hash">#CanadaStrong</a> <a href="http://t.co/lindAT0PA8">pic.twitter.com/lindAT0PA8</a></p>— Dawn Marie (@inkdgirl55) <a href="https://twitter.com/inkdgirl55/status/525739250776801280">October 24, 2014</a></blockquote><br />
<br />
This has been a difficult week in Canada. My dad was in the Canadian Armed Forces, I grew up around soldiers. To have two killed in one week because of who they were and the uniforms they wore is a terrible thing. <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Patrice Vincent, soldier killed in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, was close to retirement <a href="http://t.co/QMRNIfo4LL">http://t.co/QMRNIfo4LL</a> <a href="http://t.co/trMSk7v8gn">pic.twitter.com/trMSk7v8gn</a></p>— CBC News (@CBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCNews/status/525549792341262336">October 24, 2014</a></blockquote><br />
We remain strong and unified.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-77607675728978773862014-10-07T18:00:00.000-06:002014-10-07T18:00:05.704-06:00Light the NightI'm having a "Damn, I took <i>that</i>?" moment. <br />
<br />
<div class="pixels-photo"> <p><img src="https://gp1.wac.edgecastcdn.net/806614/photos/photos.500px.net/85635809/2358e2a7fa3952c285d7913e58a5631abc602d27/4.jpg" alt="Photograph Light the Night by Angela Boyko on 500px"></p> <a href="https://500px.com/photo/85635809/light-the-night-by-angela-boyko">Light the Night by Angela Boyko on 500px</a><br />
</div><script type="text/javascript" src="https://500px.com/embed.js"></script>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-28914427012480560992014-10-07T16:00:00.000-06:002014-10-07T16:00:02.076-06:00Light the NightIt was an honour to be asked to photograph "Light the Night", a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada.<br />
<br />
I wanted to share the most meaningful photo to me. An older woman was holding the little girl up, and she said to the little girl, "Write your name on his shirt, because he's walking to support you."<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/15279277378" title="Light the Night by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3928/15279277378_e604fa79c8_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Light the Night"></a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-59545202820829597792014-10-03T21:04:00.001-06:002014-10-05T16:59:03.757-06:00It's like 2010 all over again.Because I'm finally using Instagram.<br />
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<iframe src="http://instagram.com/p/ttuB5uEyS8/embed/" width="612" height="692" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-79116952460551982812014-09-18T01:25:00.000-06:002014-09-18T01:25:56.317-06:00My contribution to WikimediaI couldn't help but notice the Wikipedia Loves Monuments contest happening this month. I looked at it, and discovered that there was an unphotographed monument very close to my house. So I went for a walk recently and ...<br />
<br />
now Wikimedia has a photo of the Bow Valley Ranch House, aka the William Roper Hull Ranche House.<br />
<a title="By Angela Boyko (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWilliam_Roper_Hull_Ranche_House.jpg"><img width="512" alt="William Roper Hull Ranche House" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/William_Roper_Hull_Ranche_House.jpg/512px-William_Roper_Hull_Ranche_House.jpg"/></a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-17637650486008746632014-09-12T23:00:00.003-06:002014-09-12T23:00:19.726-06:00Being someone's little sisterOne of the best parts of having a long-lost sister is learning what it's like to have a big sister. I called mine last night, in some frustration over my job search.<br />
<br />
She was sad that she couldn't get her Skype to work because she couldn't see me.<br />
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I told her I looked like crap. She told me that she wanted to see me anyways.<br />
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Long-lost sisters are the best. Everyone should have one. ;-)Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-85919224742168286032014-09-08T15:00:00.000-06:002014-09-08T15:00:00.874-06:00Lake Agnes hikeMy first fitness goal of 2014 was going to San Diego and walking a 5K Mermaid Marathon in February. <a href="http://angelamermaid.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-original-reason-to-go-to-san-diego.html">Done</a>.<br>
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My second fitness goal was the <a href="http://angelamermaid.blogspot.ca/2014/06/colour-us-rad.html">Colour Me Rad</a> 5K. More challenging because part of it involved walking up Canada Olympic Park. The gain was 131m. <br>
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My third fitness goal was to hike to the Lake Agnes Teahouse, by Lake Lousie in Banff National Park. Now, a 3.5 km hike may seem easy, until you realize that it's uphill all the way. <br>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/3806303855" title="2009-0809path3 by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2504/3806303855_3cc2e7ecf6_o.jpg" width="480" height="720" alt="2009-0809path3"></a><br>
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I tried to hike it once, on a whim, in 2009. I wasn't prepared for how hard it was and I only made it halfway. Back then, I knew there was something wrong inside of my neck with a pinched nerve, so when the back of my neck throbbed hard, I knew it was time to turn around (in 2010 a MRI revealed that I had a herniated disc, that had ruptured against my spinal cord. All better now thanks to surgery).<br>
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It was one of those things that had been marked "incomplete" in my mind. And so, I decided that on August 24, 2014, I would do it. My first two fitness goals were part of the training, I started adding more hillwork and bought trekking poles.<br>
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I asked friends and family to join me, and we ended up a brave group of 4. My dream was fixed in my mind. We would get to the top and celebrate with a nice cup of tea in the famous teahouse.<br>
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<i>My friend Susan, me, brother-in-law Tim, sister Mary-Anne. All optimistic that we could do it!</i><br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/15174972285" title="Lake Agnes hike 2014 by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3865/15174972285_922df37de7_o.jpg" width="610" height="458" alt="Lake Agnes hike 2014"></a><br>
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We laid down some expectations first. This was not going to be a race. The goal was to get to the top no matter how long it took. We could stop for as many breaks as needed to catch our breath. <br>
<a href="http://angelamermaid.blogspot.com/2014/09/lake-agnes-hike.html#more">Read more »</a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-4287975187209288252014-08-29T22:50:00.002-06:002014-08-29T22:52:10.154-06:00Postcard blogRather that turn this into a postcard blog - I made a separate postcard blog. :-) --> <a href="http://mermaidpost.blogspot.ca/">Mermaid's Postcards</a>.<br />
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Please let me know in the comments if you have a postcard blog you'd like me to check out.Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-7154997244562652452014-08-25T20:11:00.001-06:002014-08-25T20:31:13.396-06:00Postcards in the mail, week of August 18Another great week of postcards in my mail box!<br>
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<b>August 18 </b><br>
A private swap from within Canada!<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/14851498898" title="Received postcard by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3855/14851498898_63b8ab9061_z.jpg" width="610" height="406" alt="Received postcard"></a><br>
<br>
This adorable critter was an official Postcrossing postcard from Finland.<br>
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/15015096956" title="Received postcard by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3900/15015096956_be54bf4708_z.jpg" width="449" height="640" alt="Received postcard"></a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://angelamermaid.blogspot.com/2014/08/postcards-in-mail-week-of-august-18.html#more">Read more »</a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-20020208755668031532014-08-19T21:56:00.000-06:002014-08-19T21:56:59.635-06:00Charge!Brooks Medieval Faire, August 1, 2014.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/14717057228" title="Brooks Medieval Faire by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3881/14717057228_b51c710e7d_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Brooks Medieval Faire"></a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323700992182989210.post-27323532117154157822014-08-18T15:00:00.000-06:002014-08-18T15:00:01.436-06:00HermioneSomeone did <i>not</i> enjoy her visit to the vet for a check-up. :-)<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/angelamermaid/14768670888" title="Hermione by Angela Boyko, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3911/14768670888_4a14d3a1c6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Hermione"></a>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00562717740471408760noreply@blogger.com0