WOW! Thank you!

Well, if I didn't already feel like Bellevagas was our home... I certainly do now!

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reach out to us over these past few days!

Thank you to Karen from Grey Haron Yarn Shop who is giving me her SLR Sony Alpha A-100!!!! This is such a very kind thing to offer. I promised her that should my camera come about being found, I will return her camera to her, of course. In the meantime, what a very thoughtful gift! I am so touched by this!

Thank you to my client Erin who came by with a HUG and two, family heirloom cameras to give to me because most of my vintage cameras were stolen too. I am even tempted to buy some films and shoot like I used to with those just for fun! I was nearly in tears when both of you ladies reached out with these.

Another friend, who has moved away but is also a photographer and used to shoot locally, reached out saying she understood why my heart is broken over this loss. Laurie Zabo said, "I know it's only a thing, but I'm sorry you lost your camera...it's an extension of your eyes and holds many memories." You can't get the moments back that were still on the camera. All our friends took so many months getting costumes ready and coming to our events fully decked out in 1970's or film character attire. The loss of the pictures is harder to handle than the camera and lenses. Those can be replaced but the pictures... they are gone!

Laurie owns a wonderful upcycled art company now in Nova Scotia called SeaWitch Studio Reclaimed Sea Art!

Please consider supporting local and Canadian if you are buying this year... especially these two wonderful ladies who have been so wonderful to us, not only through this time but in general!

So many of you have sent FB messages and left comments on my posts and it means a lot. I know it could be worse, I know it has been worse for many, but that does not take away from the fact that we experienced something terrible, and it takes a minute to process. BUT THE BLESSINGS ARE THERE in the dark corners... you just must look for them. LOOK AT YOU! You are reaching out to offer us to start a Go Fund Me when you have little yourselves. YOU who are giving of your own cameras that hold dreams you once had or family memories.... YOU!!!! YOU are one of our BLESSINGS!

Another blessing is that ... it's just stuff and that lead me to making the commitment to taking on the NO SPEND Challenge. I spent a bunch more of last night researching and I have found some really fun videos and I plan to share this ONE YEAR journey of mine with you all via Blog post/ Newsletter/ Youtube Videos!

Here is one of the videos I watched last night, and I think it shares what I am attempting to do concisely. I will also add that when we have food that is nearing its due date... something MUST be done to save it! This weekend I hope to make a video for you all because I found something in my refrigerator today that accidentally got left open and is now pretty darn hard... so I am going to try to make something to save it! Also, there are no extras. For me that means that sweets, unless I bake them myself or have a package of something already, are off the table too. THIS is going to be a very difficult thing for me.

We have already purchased a couple of tickets to plays for the Holiday season... these events will be greatly experienced now that we know that for the rest of the year there will be no more. We have discussed cancelling our cable package and Netflix and will investigate the options of that BUT... entitled as I am... I just cannot miss Coronation Street after all these years and my grandmother watching it for all her years and my MUM and I sharing conversations about episodes. My MATCH does not spend and has very little so games and sports for him... but we are researching to see if there is a way around it and see if we can find those two things elsewhere. Games he already owns, and replacements are allowed on trade (not buying new). Games take months for him to get through as do knitting projects for me.

So, you see... a blessing of something fun for us to try was hidden in the dark corners of this experience! I am excited to try! I only purchased food yesterday and at a lower priced grocery too!

This morning, I got up earlier than normal (or at least just before on-time) and walked Norman. It was a pleasant walk as it always is with my dragon. But now that I have begun my No-spend challenge... I found myself looking all around me with new eyes! I think the gift of Karen's SLR camera is going to offer me much joy in the coming months! I also had time to think about what I could do for my MATCH today to begin his day with something nice and I decided to bake some biscuits first thing that we could enjoy for breakfast! That was quite a surprise for him it seems, and he thoroughly enjoyed some right out of the oven before heading to work! I used the Epicure quick biscuit mix because they are gluten free and QUICK as they say! A lovely way to begin... giving someone... the one I love the most in this world... a small surprise to begin the day!

THANK YOU for your support, love and friendship! Where would we be without you!

I would like to mention that Community Votes Belleville has started! We would be very grateful for your votes! Just click the link above or image below and choose your category. I am in for Mrs. Rees Vintage Beauty Parlour (hair salon and Candles) and Sweet Pea & Grey Hare (candles). Jason is in for Jaybird Digital Arts (Graphic Designer).

You can only vote one time... THANK YOU for your votes. Jason and I have both placed Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum for our product and services over the last few years... Thank you again for that and we thank you for voting for us again!

Don't forget to poke around in all the categories and vote for your favorites in each!