Whats Outside Your Window?

Good evening everyone! Hoping you are all well and enjoying a warm cup of cider or hot chocolate. As I sit in my room looking out my bedroom window, I'm amazed at the picture perfect view I have. I've been stuck in bed this past month with my fibromyalgia deciding to flare so I have had a lot of time to enjoy my view.

I guess I should back up a little bit so you all understand the irony of the situation of 'enjoying' the view from my room. Our family does not live in a fancy home nor do we live out in the country where we can see deer feeding in the meadow and cardinals dancing in the trees.

 No...we live in a small  but comfortable home in town. I have 4 huge pine trees in my backyard that my husband and his buddy keep teasing me should come down so that they can build a garage. A couple of sheds,  a wonderful deck  and a fire pit finish off our small piece of 'heaven'.

So, now you are all up to speed on my little backyard view. I spend a lot of time sitting here watching days pass by. I can see little chickadees flitting between all my bird feeders and hear the occasional  annoyed squirrel chattering at the birds that are 'stealing' the bird seed and berries in the trees. I watch as snow gently falls and paints the branches with a sparkling white fluff. As my day drifts to late afternoon, the golden sun shine sparkles behind my trees and just lights them up.

Here it is, Dec 18, and I think I've been able to attend to my 'Christmas events & chores' list about 5 times this month. I remember baking batches of cookies and shopping endlessly. Attending children's pageants, work parties, mailing Christmas cards and hardly breaking a sweat! Now, all I have accomplished is 2 batches of cookies and lots of online shopping. I was also privileged to be invited to and able to attend 2 parties. And the 'icing on my Christmas cookie' was being able to help my husband host an evening with some friends.

So here I am...a week before Christmas...stuck in bed staring out my window. Crossing my fingers that UPS will bring my parcels here on time. I can't stress because it's out of my control. But I do realize how very blessed I am as my boys help me with out complaint and my husband curls upstairs with me and keeps me company even though he has other things to do. And I am very grateful for the very beautiful view out my bedroom window.


Hoping you are all having a healthy and stress free week before Santa makes his big arrival!! Enjoy your hot chocolate and take time to enjoy the view out your window.

Happy Turkey Day USA!

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends to the South! I'm sure by now many of you are either in the midst of preparations or already at the table enjoying a wonderfully prepared meal.  I hope all of your family and friends have arrived safely to their destinations and someone out there is saving me a piece of pumpkin pie! Ha!!

I like Thanksgiving. Granted, in Canada, we do it in October when the weather is way nicer! The leaves are changing colour, the weather is just hitting the Fall coolness. I love coming in from outside and smelling the turkey cooking and feeling the warmth of the fire in the wood burning stove. The best part for me though, is that Thanksgiving is just Thanksgiving.

Okay....I see the puzzled looks. What I mean is, the main focus for Thanksgiving is 'Thankfulness'. That's it. You don't need presents, or decorations. I'm fortunate my children live at home and working dinners around girlfriend's families hasn't been difficult. We just enjoy this super yummy meal together. Share memories, laugh, eat pie with real whip cream like it will never run out. Its not hard to be thankful.

I am sure you are all being asked what you are thankful for today and I am sure many of you all have your standard pat answers ready and waiting. You are thankful for you families, jobs, health, wealth....and don't get me wrong, those are great things to be thankful for. But how about a can of cinnamon buns in the fridge when you have a sudden huge craving? Let me tell you...my son's girlfriend is extremely thankful that tin is in there today! Ha!!

I think sometimes we get to caught up in the moment of holidays. We think everything has to be perfect, everything has  to be deep and meaningful. But is it worth it to be so stressed over a day?

I think at the end of the day, we need to step back from all the hustle and bustle of these very high stress and high expectation days and just be thankful for the little things that really matter. Like yummy warm cinnamon buns when you reallllly had a craving! And I know I am very thankful that I can share moments in time with all of you on such a great day!

Happy Turkey Day!! 

Its The Same Backyard...

Good Day Everyone! Nov 1 and it's snowing quite steadily out my window. No late winter for us I am guessing. My boys have stocked the side of the house with wood for the wood burning stove inside, winter jackets, boots and mitts are all out.

My little 6lbs dog that we nickname 'Prey' because she flinches at everything just LOVES snow!! I open up the back door and she just shoots out there like a little bullet. No sniffing and gingerly checking to see what may come swooping from the sky. No second and third backward glances to see if I will follow to protect her. Nope...Kira (Prey) just boots it out there, skids around the slippery corner and plays in the backyard until I call her back inside.

Its funny. Its the same backyard. Only thing that's changed is that there is snow back there. So why the change of heart? Why the big heart of bravery?

We see this in ourselves too. We live day in and day out in the same environment until one day some small (or large) thing changes. Could be a book we read, changing the furniture in a room or maybe the death or birth in your family. All of a sudden we step back and shake our mental selves and say "Hey! I can do more then this!"

So my friends...as you gaze out into your backyards this week...I hope you see what makes you brave. Even if its attacking that book you always said you would....or going back to school (YEAH Patti!! Way proud of you!!) Just remember, no act of change is too small to try. Just think of my silly little dog skidding around to the backyard.

Have a great day everyone! Stay warm!

Happy 1st Anniversary!!

Good Afternoon to all my Friends and Family!! I was curled up with a warm cup of my favourite flavoured coffee and looking at the calendar when it dawned on me....Holy Moly!! It has been a year since I started this blog! I am just in awe at how fast the time has flown and the people I have met along this journey so far.

For those who do not know how a blog works ( and I am still learning as I go! ha!!) there are pages attached that show me which countries readers come from (which has been really cool! My kids and I have discovered country names we have never heard of before!!) and and page with a graph that shows me how many people have read my blog that day, that week, month and that year. There are other pages but those are my favourite.

Its been an amazing journey so far this year. I can not believe how much has happened just in my own personal family...losses...great achievements...new jobs...And even as I am writing this a huge storm is attacking Eastern Canada and USA today after leaving some smaller countries like Cuba laying in devastation. I sit here in the warmth and safety of my home and wonder how many of those people maybe joined our little family here and are they safe?

What an amazing year, I have to say! When I first set 'pen to paper' I was not to sure how this was going to fare. Would I actually keep it going? Would anyone actually want to read what I had to say? (According to the statistics...over 4500 of you did!! WooHoo!!) And I know compared to huge blogs out there those aren't huge numbers...but for someone who started with 93 people the first month...thats way exciting to see...and from people spanning the entire globe! WOW!!

So thank you everyone!! Without you there would be no Happy 1st Anniversary!! 

Calm Before The Storm

Good evening friends and family! I can hardly believe that the calendar is saying that it is the end of September. But the leaves are turning to thier warm Fall colours and the evenings have a definate crispness to them that was not there a few weeks ago.

I love this time of year. Everything is so pretty. Kids are all settled back in school so the house is nice and quiet. Its kind of like the calm before the storm.

"Storm?" You ask?

Well...I kind of pause and look at it this way. Most of the year has flown by. Our family has had losses and had fabulous additions. We planned and enjoyed our first road trip of such grand proportions. 2012 has flown by very quickly so far.

I just looked at the calendar and realized next weekend is Thanksgiving. And that also means.....Christmas is around the corner!!! STORM!!!


The baking, the shopping, wrapping of presents, school concerts, family dinners, work parties....and I am sure you can all add to the list. It will just start getting crazy! Not bad...just crazy! Ha!

So for right now, I am enjoying the beauty around me. The pretty coloured trees, the crunch of the laves under foot and the cool Fall nights. We will chat next week after the craziness has started!

Hope your weekend is filled with jumping in leaf piles, some warm cider and maybe some friends gathered around around a fire pit. Remember...this is the calm before the storm!!
 Enjoy this weekend!

Are You A Crier Or A Celebrator?

Where did the summer go? I must admit...I have been grasping on to any little teeny bit of summer I can get but as of this morning I had to admit summer is over. We had a wonderful summer and I just don't want to let it go! I could even delay the inevitable 'Back to School Shopping' because all of my sons are in high school or beyond and have reached the stage where they only require looking good.

1st Day of School

My youngest started High School today. My middle son will be graduating High School this year. Its going to be a very exciting year in our house hold! I got up early this morning (which is amazing for those of you who know me!!) so I could grab a picture of my son before he left with his dad for his first day. He was dressed up in his new school clothes and a big excited smile on his face.

I quickly snapped a few pictures, waved good bye and went back inside to finish my mug of tea. Its amazing to me how quickly time has flown. There are parents bringing their youngsters in for their very first day of 'real' school today, and its harder to tell who's crying harder...the kids or the moms!
Now here my family is at the stage of life where we barely stop the truck rolling in front of the school so the kid can jump out before being spotted with his embarrassing parents.Ha!!

So as I sit here and mourn a very great summer and revel in a wonderfully quite house, I pose to you all...are you criers or celebrators on your child's first day of school? I must confess...I did cry for my oldest's first day of grade one....but now....ahhhh...the peace and tranquillity is bliss beyond compare.

So moms...dads!! Send me your pictures!! Send me your stories!! Lets start this new school year with smiles of excitement. Email me your family pics of your child(ren) on the first day or week of school. My next post I will hopefully have enough pictures to make a unique poster of everyone's excited faces!

What A Wonderful Summer!!

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all enjoying your summer and relaxing as much as possible. It seems this time of year flies by so quickly. Just 8 weeks ago my family was preparing for our first family vacation in about 7 years, and 2 of the boys were also getting ready to go to camp.

Now here we are on the middle day of August, camp is done, our suitcases are unpacked and wonderful memories were created. Stores are pushing school supplies, gardens are full of produce and evenings are getting cooler. Ugh!!! I'm not ready for it to be over!!!!

This year my family decided we wanted to go on and adventure for our holiday. Usually our 'vacation' has entailed renting a small cabin for 3 or 4 nights and enjoying the peace and quiet of the prairies. Well this year that idea just did not seem to grab any one. ( except me...I love the cabin...) So we kind of hemmed and hawed and I came up with an odd and wildly crazy idea. I suggested to my 3 young, adventurous men and my husband that we buy an old camper van..fix it up so its driveable...let the kids paint it...and see how far we can go in 2 weeks!

Adventure Van 2012

Game on!! So we had 6 weeks to find a van that suited our needs, fit in a tight budget, paint it up, fix it up and go on vacation. What an exciting time!! Our Adventure Van 2012 made it all the way to Las Vegas and back to Alberta...no air conditioning though (and it was 104F!!) so we need to fix that for next time!!

We saw the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon! Drove through deserts...saw the lights in Vegas....mountains in Montana. Everyday was something new and beautiful to see out those windows. We drove Route 66 and ate at the Road Kill Cafe! Ha!! One of the most exciting things we saw was vultures munching on some roadkill while we were driving up to Area 51!! We just don't see stuff like that here at home.

One Of Our Favorite Stops

It was so much fun...everyday was an adventure for us. But the very best part of the whole trip for myself was just being with my family. Experiencing all these awesome things with them. Hearing the boys laughing in the hotel rooms, or joking around in the van. There was no fighting or arguing. There was just this kind of rare magical freedom of being away from all that was normal to us and sharing all these new experiences without judgement or rivalry that usually goes on when kids are at home. And as parents we were away from all our regular day to day grind and could just enjoy everything around us.

The summer of 2012 has certainly left our family with plenty of memories. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to have gone on this vacation with all my boys and to have shared all the wonders we saw and experienced together (even the 104f heat in the van! ha!!). I may even be so bold to say I think they may have enjoyed it too because they were talking about what needed fixing for next year's adventure!

Hope you are all having a safe and memory packed summer!!

Grand Canyon 2012

Mistakes...?

Happy Summer everyone! By now I'm sure you are all in full heat wave mode. Peeling skin from the first sun burn, hot dogs and hamburgers are getting to be common supper fare, and the hum of fans and air conditioners can be heard everywhere.

One thing I find lacking, at least on the street we live on...is children racing their bikes or roller blading or sitting on the corner moaning how bored they are. Ha! Gone are the days of spontaneous childhood adventures. Spending unsupervised days at the pool or hours riding our bikes. We didn't have cell phones to check in. We knocked on friend's doors, we didn't have play dates. No 'helicopter parents'.

My children aren't really children anymore. My youngest will by turning 15 at the end of this month, the middle is 17 and my oldest turned 20 this year. I have 3 very wonderful young men that I encouraged to have childhoods like myself and my husband. It was frowned upon quite a bit. Letting a 10 and 7 year old ride their bikes to the park a block away from our home 'unsupervised' was horrible parenting! Riding their bikes together, after myself or my husband had shown them the way, to places further then the park as they got older was so unsafe. Was careless parenting. Was sending my children into needless danger.

I shake my head at these parents that hover. These are the same people that climbed trees as kids, rode bikes til dark, played tag and slid down hot metal slides. What changed?

This past weekend my middle son had to help bury his best friend. He stood with his group of buddies under a beautiful summer sun in a cemetery listening to the drums beating and watched as they lowered his friend into the ground. That day was something I wish my son and all friends and family never had to go through. I was very proud of the boys. They acted very honorably and I'm sure their buddy was hugging them tight through out the whole service.

I wont lie. I was definitely a helicopter parent this past week...and it probably wont stop right away. Not as long as my son is hurting. We all make mistakes...there are times to step in..times to step back ...but as long as we learn.

May the rest of our summer be uneventful. Full of healing, love, laughter and sunshine.

May you all have safe summer vacations full of loving memories, laughter and some yummy ice tea!

In Loving Memory 

Ice Tea And Lazy Dayz...

Matt Grade 9 Grad 2012

Happy summer everyone! Its finally arrived! My middle son finally wrote his last exam on Monday so our family is  officially able to say we are on summer break! My youngest graduated from grade 9 this year, my middle young man will graduating grade 12 next year and my oldest just turned 20, which means there are no more little kids in my house any more. (Well...in my heart they will always be little!)       Needless to say this will be a different kind of summer then from years gone by.

This year will be filled with work schedules, mom can I borrow the truck?, all night parties by the fire pit....and who knows...maybe even a summer romance or two? Gone are the days of just setting up the baby pool and making Popsicles, grabbing an ice tea and enjoying the afternoon with the boys. Now they sleep til noon ( as teens are known to do!) or send me a text or two to let me know they are still breathing. They show up when they are hungry, tired or need fresh clothing. Sometimes I miss being a teen! ha!!

This summer will definitely be a summer of changes. Now when I grab that ice tea I can bring my book out there with me and READ. I don't have to watch my children carefully. There shouldn't be anyone choking on hotdogs or slipping on wet grass. No cuts to bandage, no fruits to cut up or drinks to be poured.

This summer we are taking a family vacation...an adventure if you prefer! Since everyone is so busy doing their own thing I thought lets combine these skills and see what we end up with. So we purchased a 1984 GMC Vandura (needs some love...) and each kid is contributing to the end product. They want to paint and wire and change fluids etc and make it our own. Then we will pack up and head south and explore Southern USA near Las Vegas. No set destination in mind...just pack up and go!

But in the mean time, I'm in that kind of limbo stage. I've done the hectic crazy summers when the kids were little. Taking them to the out door pool, or running to day camps. Soon enough I will have little grandchildren running around one day starting the cycle over again. But for now...I think I will go pour myself some ice tea ad go curl up on my deck with a good book. Enjoy the beginning of your summer everyone!

Congrats its June!!

Good afternoon my friends! Hope you are enjoying the sunshine and bird songs, and the switch from warm hot ciders to refreshing lemonade and ice tea. I'm sure most of you have your gardens in and have settled into the new schedule of lawn mowing and garden maintenance. ( Which for some is a pleasure and for some a chore..ha!)

My perennial flower garden has been busy going through its spring flowers and every year I'm always pleasantly surprised by whats out there. Right now I have beautiful sunny yellow irises and these huge orange poppies that always amaze me! My miniature lilac bushes are full of sweet smelling buds just waiting for some sun to burst them open. I love the smell! And in the evening when I'm in my room I can smell the lilacs that are just under my bedroom window.

I'm always so surprised at how effortlessly all these plants and flowers seem to know exactly when to peek their heads out of the snow and earth to greet the new Spring season. One by one  they each follow, filling my gardens with waves of color and scents.

As the school year rushes to a close, and everyone is busy going to end of year concerts, banquets, and for many graduation ceremonies I know many parents think 'Wow! This school year flew by!'  The mass of color and taffeta and giggling girls, the spiffed up young men, brightly decorated gyms, speeches, music. For a brief moment in time its like my garden. They were all in there just waiting for their turn to bloom and dance in the sunshine.

So happy end of school year everyone! Congrats to everyone finishing their school year and a special congratulations going out to my brother in law!! WooHoo!! Your the special dandelion in my garden dude!! Way proud of you!

Happy May!

Oh how I love May! In my front yard I have a tree called a May Day (how appropriate!) and it blooms for about 1 week. They are these delicate white blossoms that have the sweetest smell. When you walk out on to the front deck you are engulfed by the beauty of the aroma. Then as quickly as the blossoms are there, we usually get a wind or rain and then poof! The magical display is over. I look forward to this Spring display every year because it is right around my birthday. It sort of feels like it is Mother Nature's special gift for me.


So I'm kind of on a rant today. Just warning everyone ahead of time! Ha!! I may have to back up a bit to explain myself before I go on my rant though so bear with me. I'm not sure how universal the 'ribbon' is to support certain causes such as pink ribbon for breast cancer, or the yellow one to support the troops, but here in Canada and in the United States I've seen them everywhere. Now before anyone gets their panties in a knot...I think these ribbons are a great idea. Or they were a great idea...

Let me explain...Back in the day when they first started...it was such a unique idea, it stood out. People saw that ribbon on your car or pinned to your jacket and they knew you were supporting an important cause. Then these causes started having special walk a thons...then special days...then months...all good things. But they over shadowed the 'less popular' conditions.
I think some conditions has been very creative with their 'ribbons'. Men's prostrate cancer uses a necktie, autism uses a ribbon with puzzle pieces and fibromyalgia incorporates a butterfly with their ribbon. But how often do we see the unique ones? How often do you know when does Autism have a Walk a Thon, or is there a Prostate Awareness Month? I only stumbled on Fibromyalgia Awareness Day (May 12 FYI) because I saw a clip art similar to this on posted on a friend's Facebook page. And folks...I HAVE Fibro!!!

And how uncoordinated is this? In the USA, May is Arthritis Awareness Month. Again..something I stumbled on as I did a bit of research for my rant today. But guess what? Arthritis Awareness Month is September in Canada! So either Arthritis got lucky and we get double exposure, or the two countries could not get together and coordinate a month together and make a strong front and really gain a lot of exposure like Breast Cancer or the Heart and Stroke Campaign do every year. (Bet you know what color ribbons those two are & what months they are in!)

Now like I said..I was in the mood for a rant...not a fight. I know each and every cause is near and dear to everyone out there. The purple and blue are fights I deal with every day, but I have close friends and family who have fought the pink and red, the running shoes...the daffodils...the list goes on and on. All I'm suggesting is hey folks...lets let the little guys be heard too. I know the pink ribbon is important...but I want to know when the other guys have their months too. I think they deserve more then a 2 minute blurb on the noon news. They deserve the whole month of awareness just like the bigger campaigns do!

So my friends...May is  Arthritis Awareness Month! I may be just a wee little blog but if we all take a few min and realize hey..blue is arthritis...we all learned something new today!

Thanks for the rant!! Enjoy your afternoon!!

Happy Mom Day!!

Wow! Where did Spring go? Seems like just last week I was I was planting my seeds in containers on my counters and glaring at the snow piles on my yard. Today, the sun is shining, grass is green, buds are close to blooming on my trees and bushes and my seedling are ready for my garden. Welcome May! Welcome to sitting on the deck and laughing with friends, or laying in the sun and listening to the birds. Freedom from the indoors! Shorts, sunshine, long lazy days ahead! Can you tell I'm a warm weather girl? Ha!!

Well, one of the wonderful things about May is that my mom usually makes her annual visit to our house to come spoil her grandboys and my husband and myself. This year was no exception with her arriving in late April and staying until the beginning of May. This year she was even able to extend her visit by a few days, but it never seems like it long enough!

One tradition my mom and I started a few years back is having our 'Girl Day'. I must admit I look forward to our girl day. Living in a house full of boys, 'girlie' stuff is limited to flower prints on my paper towels. Our day involves NO boys! We run off to the spa in the afternoon and get pampered with either manicures or pedicures. This year the spa was having a special that started the day that we went. All the spa services were 50% off!! Well we were in girl heaven!! 3 hours later...pretty toes AND pretty fingers!!

Next stop...supper! Another part of the tradition is going to a restaurant called Cheesecake Cafe. We usually get this yummy soup that is put inside a yummy fresh baked bun. Well...our 'luck' was holding out, because we walked into the restaurant and they had a fantastic meal deal that even included a piece of their famous cheesecake. Ohhh...it was sooo good! But ohhh were we so very full!!!!
 

So, pretty toes, pretty fingers, very full tummies...only thing left to do on our girl day was go shopping!! So off to the mall we waddled! ( I would say ran, but we were way to full to run any where!! ha!!) Our luck held out even at the mall too, because every store we went into was having some sort of sale also! It was truly a perfect 'Girl Day' !

I just want to take this opportunity to send out a great big thank you and Happy Mother's Day to my mom. I love our special day and I very much look forward to it each year. You come and help and support me. You sat through all those doctors appointments, drove down to pick up the kids and eagle eyed my medicine! Thank you mom! 

 I love you...Happy Mother's Day!

Its That Time Of Year!!

Weee! Hi Everyone! So very excited today! And a little harried to, if I'm going to be honest! As you all know my past month has been a little rough between losing my sweetheart at the end of March, and having a real rough patch with my Fibro. But this past weekend things started to look up! So I hope you have your warm mug of something yummy and a few minutes to share your day with me.

This weekend the sun decided to finally shine like it was really Spring in our little corner of the planet! The golden rays felt so wonderful shining in my bedroom window and the breeze smelled like Spring. Ahh...FINALLY!! So I grabbed my proverbial whip, and started snapping my men into action because folks....its 'THAT TIME OF YEAR'

Ok..I guess I should actually clarify a few things in that last paragraph before the next entry in my blog is my obituary. I didn't actually snap my whip.I had been gently nagging on and off for some time (well...one of the jobs that got done had been on the list like 8 years but I don't care, it's done!!) But Ii digress...I didn't snap any whips last weekend because I was pretty much sound asleep most of the weekend. I woke up to all the jobs magically accomplished!!

Wow!! I hear all you wives out there saying that!! I know!! I was saying it too!! And you guys...I hear the grumbling...I know my guy made you all look bad. The man let his sick wife sleep the weekend away, and did chores without nagging!! Things like painting and trim work! (My bathroom looks fabulous!!) Why?! Why would he do such a thing to you guys?

Well..before there is a huge riot at our house and you men come dragging him out and demanding his Man Card, let me finish explaining the rest of that first paragraph...'THAT TIME OF YEAR' .

'THAT TIME OF YEAR' is that super special awesome wonderful time of year that my mom comes to visit. Which also equates to my house getting several much needed small renovations finished and tidied up. (My middle son remarked the other day as things were getting cleaned up and put into place that his Gramma should come visit more often!!) So this time tomorrow I will have picked my mom up from the airport and the fun will have begun!!

Oh...I mentioned I was a bit harried too, didn't I? Well...thats because the room my mom is supposed to sleep in I can barely see the floor! Argh..teenagers! I still have 24hrs...don't worry mom!

Plodding Along

Good afternoon to you all! Hope everyone enjoyed their over dose of chocolate from our favorite Easter Bunny last weekend. We had a fun time with a quick Easter Egg Hunt and then my guys (and the girlfriend!) all showered and shaved and got all handsome for me (well..the girlfriend didn't get handsome for me...but she did dress up pretty...) and we went out for Easter Brunch. We chatted and laughed and snuck wee mini bottles of ketchup into my purse. heehee! It was a wonderful day.

Last few posts I had been hoping to get more organized and cleaned up in my house and life. And to some degree I am happy to report that I have made some great strides. My paper work is not in the same shambles it was once in, and a few of my rooms have had quite of bit of stripping down and cleaning up done to them.

As the snow finally edges away from my yard I can see my gardens and see little crocuses and mini hyacinths peeking through the layers of mulch I left to protect them over winter. Now I see the next project on my list and am anxious to get out doors to begin it. My body and I have been at odds over these recent projects though, so this could be an interesting endevour!

It seems the days I hope to get the projects accomplished that require using my 'brain' such as my blog, or reading or paying bills or home work....my brain goes to mush, or better known as 'Fibro Fog'. Its kind of like a mixture of a head cold, hang over, head ache, can I go to bed feeling. Which sucks because you have usually been in bed for the last 2 days already. I sit down with the best of intentions to accomplish a task and the next thing I know I'm snoozing away and have lost several hours of my already very short day.

My other body 'trick' is the Buzz. The Buzz is sneaky because it can sneak up on me and strike suddenly or it can crawl up slowly and creep its way along your body. When its creeping I try to hurry because you know once its in full throttle you wont be able to work any more, and that probably makes the Buzz worse because you push yourself. Sigh...its a never ending cycle.

But I had a wonderful chat with my Uncle this past week and we decided that sometimes we may make 'poor' decisions and over do and end up paying for it the next day ( or two or three...) but ultimately, that day that we over did...those moments are usually well worth it. Those over done days were days doing things we enjoy doing, spending time with our family...gardening...even running errands!

So Mother Nature...please make up your mind! I did see grass for a whole day before you decided to snow again this past weekend. My seeds are sprouting and I'm anxious to get into my gardens! Even if it means I'm going to pay for it for a few days....

For all of you enjoying a nice warm Spring...I don't want to hear it!! Ha!! And mom..no laughing at me, you will be here next week freezing with us!!

Enjoy your sunshine!!

Changes~

Welcome everyone to my wild and crazy existence! Snow is melting, then falling again, crocuses are blooming, 'herds' of ducks, sometimes known as Canadian Geese, have been seen near our home! Actually as I lay here in my bed in the pre dawn I can hear some flying over head honking at eachother.

My youngest just returned from a 9 day trip to Victoria, B.C. with his Air Cadet Troop. Wow! The things he was able to see and able to do was amazing! He rode a Ferry, went in a light house, boarded a navel ship...it was a whirlwind trip. My young man came back home full of new life experiences.

Matt hugging a Red Wood Tree 

Also this past week, my mom has earned the wonderful bragging rights of being officially RETIRED! Not early retirement, not a package deal, not laid off, not pushed out the door....nope folks! She is one of those few people who has that rare honor and distinction of being able to say she did her job to the very last day and is now officially retired. The only thing that would make this moment any sweeter would be to have my Dad here to celebrate with us. Congrats Mom!! We are VERY proud of you!! 

Part of the 'retirement' changes  that happened this past weekend at my mom's house was my sister and her family moved out after spending several years living there while going to school. My sister and her husband finished their degrees and are now ready to leave the nest. So they packed up the dog, my nephew and niece and headed out to a wonderful new townhouse that I can't wait to see on my next visit out East! (Hey! Send pics when you are all settled in!!!)

Speaking of visits out East and changes...my next visit will involve welcoming a new niece or nephew for my brother and sister in law this Fall. Another little bundle to love and hold and cuddle! It was such a wonderful phone call when we received the news!!! I can hardly wait to meet the newest member of our growing family. ( I wonder if we should have a post on wives tales about pregnancy and babies? hmmm)

2012 has certainly been a year of change for myself and my family. While most of the changes have been wonderful and exciting, I have just one sad change to share. This past week we had to make the very difficult decision to put my very best and loyal companion of 13.5 years down. The house just doesn't seem the same with out my friend pattering beside me and truck rides are definitely not the same without her sitting 'shot gun'. I miss her less then feminine snore at night and her excited face when I would get home from anywhere. But most of all I just miss my girl.

So that, my friends, has been my exciting and eventful week of changes. Not all the changes have been great, but all have been life changing. All have been cause for celebrations...stories told, moments recalled and shared, tears cried & hugs given (thanks Bestie). Each of these changes were shared with loved ones. All the exciting moments with sweat and boxes (gee sorry we missed the move guys...) and celebrations with friends for my mom! Each of these changes (and more to come in the months to follow I'm sure) will set new and exciting moments and stories and friendships into motion.

“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change -” 

― Heraclitus

Wow! What a week! I think I need more then a warm cup of something this week! Ha!!

Nala 1998-2012

Um Is It Spring Or Is It Just A Tease?

Hi everyone! Rumor has it that there are parts of this wonderful continent that have bragging rights to actually seeing Spring in March! People are getting a chance to rake their lawns & get their gardens ready at least a month a head of normal. I must say I hate you all. Ha!!

Where I live it was an extremely mild winter and I certainly wont complain....much!  We hardly had any snow and only a couple real cold snaps. And even those were short enough I could bundle up with my dogs and and hide by my wood burning stove and wait it out.

My Niece & Nephew Discovering The Mud Puddle 

But now this is just not fair and is ridiculous! Balmy mid 20c weather out East and here we had snow storms and received 4" of snow! Arghhhh! I neeeeed Spring!!! I need to play in my gardens and plant stuff and sit on my deck and get some color on my face. I look in the mirror and I'm sure Casper the ghost has more color then I do!!

I hear the chickadees chirping in the trees, and we found a lady bug on one of our windows yesterday. I have my trays of seeds started in my living room. (and sorry kids...no wacky tabacky in there for you!). All I'm missing is the heat and sunshine and SPRING!!!

And for all you folks out East...do you think its really safe to start your gardening? Or is Mother Nature waiting to pull a fast one on you?

Oh I get so excited this time of year...the new plants...new containers...new ideas for out side! And our season is so short I have to cram as much as I can into it. I guess thats why we all get so crazy once the snow finally lets go of our yards and we finally catch a glimpse of those first green shoots peeking through the warm dirt.

So Mother Nature, even though you have been really kind to most of us this past winter, I for one am more then ready to to get my shovel and rake out...paint brush and stain for my deck ( I need to finish that project from last year...yikes!) I want to have supper on my deck, sit around my fire pit and get sun burns while sitting with my Bestie drinkin our slushies! (Yup...another summer goal my friend!!!)

So Happy Spring to everyone! Here's hoping you all have a great mud puddle to enjoy!

My Niece in her puddle =)

ORGANIZE!!!

Hi everyone! Happy belated Pi day to all of you who celebrate it....to the rest of you who have no idea of what I am talking about, its ok, it just means you have a normal house hold with out geeks, Ha! Also want to say Welcome back home Bestie!!! I missed ya!!

This one is for you Alex! ;-)

                                           






 So it must be Spring because for some really really weird reason I have been bitten by the organize bug. I know...its supposed to be the cleaning bug, and be rest assured...along with the organize bug, the cleaning bug is right behind.

For instance, I shared with you all how I had a few unwanted visitors staying in my house. (which I believe we have gotten a hold of!! woohoo!) Well, I started going on a cleaning binge after that, well, because, hey....I found mouse poop in my kitchen!! So   I scrubbed and cleaned and moved things around (this bothers the men in my house hold very much FYI) and then as I moved the microwave to clean under it I hit a mother load of mouse poop. Welll...now the microwave is going.

So within a week, I sold the microwave, scrubbed entire kitchen, bought new microwave, cleaned livingroom, sold dining room set, replaced with a fabulous new one we actually sit at and spend time as a family. And as I clear out a room I see new possibilities for the next one...hmmm...sell this piece, move these pieces, clean this up, throw this out, finish this project up...organize my important papers! (this I started last night! fancy binder and everything!!) Phewwww!!!

So I'm hoping to get lots of this inside stuff organized before it gets really nice outside because I have big plans for outside this summer. I have a deck I need to finish staining, I have some new gardens beds to be built as soon as the snow melts so I can get my herb and veggies growing, I need to get my yard cleaned up and my flower gardens tidied up....and....and...and...

Geez what is wrong with me?? Why am I sitting here? I have a huge list to burn through!! See you this Fall! ( oh...after I get the kids off to school...and the gardens cleaned up...and the patios all tidied up for winter...and...and....)

HeeHee!! Enjoy your day and I hope you have warm Spring sunshine shining through your windows and not too many chores to get done!