A Whisper

Sometimes when we sit quietly and listen to the nothingness it says so much.  And sometimes an answer to one of those questions that never seem to make sense are whispered to us.   This poem was attached to a random link.  I could almost hear B whispering this to me, with her trademark "right?" on the end, although you always knew the right answer.  I'm glad your happy, I know your happy. You wouldn't have it any other way. Love you, miss you, but don't worry we'll keep our ears opened, we'll be listening.

If Tomorrow Starts Without Me Author believed to be David Romano When tomorrow starts without me, And I'm not there to see, If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me, I wish so much you wouldn't cry The way you did today, While thinking of the many things, We didn't get to say. I know how much you love me, As much as I love you, and each time that you think of me, I know you'll miss me too. But when tomorrow starts without me, Please try to understand, That an angel came and called my name, And took me by the hand, and said my place was ready, In heaven far above, And that I'd have to leave behind All those I dearly love. But as I turned to walk away, A tear fell from my eye For all my life, I'd always thought, I didn't want to die. I had so much to live for, So much left yet to do, It seemed almost impossible, That I was leaving you. I thought of all the yesterdays The good ones and the bad, I thought of all the love we shared, and all the fun we had If I could re-live yesterday Just even for a while, I'd say good-bye and kiss you And maybe see you smile. But then I fully realized, That this could never be, For emptiness and memories, would take the place of me. And when I thought of worldly things, I might miss come tomorrow, I thought of you, and when I did, My heart was filled with sorrow. But when I walked through heaven's gates, I felt so much at home When God looked down and smiled at me, From His great golden throne. He said, "This is eternity, And all I've promised you." Today your life on earth is past, But here life starts anew I promise no tomorrow, But today will always last, And since each day's the same way There's no longing for the past. You have been so faithful, So trusting and so true. Though there were times You did some things You knew you shouldn't do. But you have been forgiven And now at last you're free. So won't you come and take my hand And share my life with me? So when tomorrow starts without me, Don't think we're far apart, For every time you think of me, I'm right here, in your heart.

Sew What?

I am a closet sewer..yes I will confess that I have a closet full...very full of patterns and material that have all been purchased with good intentions...But finally the guilt has over come me and finally on Friday night I did it.  I sewed something to wear to my Oma's birthday shin dig. 
I have this shirt that I love so I just used that for the pattern, set it out on the pool table, snip, snip...some sewing, ripping when I discovered that I had the good side of the material on the inside...ripping some more...a few choice words and then some more sewing.  One fitting to make sure I could get it over my head and voila!  Here it is.

Tree Of Life

Today I attended the birthday party for my oma who turned 90! It was nice to see family who I haven't seen in a while...like 5 years.  The time that passed showed the most through the kids...how they have all grown. We all did the usual catching up and chatting about what is new and what has happened.  It's was during these conversations that a trend started to show itself. The glass is half full or half empty view, and it is amazing how most glasses are half empty.  So many wonderful things happening in everyone's lives I spoke to but I had to dig it out of them, but anything negative and unwanted was right there to share.  I guess you can look at life like a tree.  You can see the beauty, the protection it gives, the life it offers through the air it provides, the sounds it weaves, the power and will to reach and grow...or you can see all the gnarly roots it has that hinders gardening, the shade that doesn't allow grass to grow, the mess of leaves in the fall...it's all about prospective I guess.  It's a gift to be able to see life through a glass that's half full. I have an amazing girlfriend who through everything that is happening in her life has this amazing capacity to see "the good, the positive".  It's a beautiful gift you have B, and I so admire you for your courage and strength and your guidance in viewing life this way.  I have learned so much by watching and listening to you.  You inspire so many of us to grow.  My oma said she didn't want anything for her birthday, but since my love language is "gifts", that I just couldn't do.  So I made her this necklace, called Tree of Life. Happy Birthday Oma.

Summer Camp

It's June the first today!!! How crazy is that.  May being as crazy busy as it was just flew by and now it's time to start planning our summer fun, summer camp for the kids. So here is the post for all of you to suggest some themes that we can run once a week.  What day still has to be decided.  Some of the suggestions have been, G.O. tracking, Fun and Field Day, Market Day, Splash Pad/Park day, Fun House Poetry Slam, Lets go Fly a Kite (design a kite)...so here you go let's add to the list and then we'll pick 8 and a few in the back pocket that will work for rain days. So remember to write down your suggestions as a comment and we'll work out the details from there.

I've Cracked UP

It has been awhile since I've entered something in this neck of the woods but here I am, with something fun.  For Easter I got creative with the dessert.  Something simple like mini cupcakes with a little flare can become something Speggtacular!!!  Nice :)

This fun idea came out of a very inspiring book called "What's New Cupcake" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.  If your looking for a WOW factor at a Birthday party or gathering you'll find something in this book or their other book called "Hello, Cupcake".  It's edible art.

Just let it Flow -Smash Journaling

art from healing arts journaling

A thought, a song, a ticket, or maybe a gum wrapper, they all tell a story, about a moment in our life.

I invite you to watch this very fun inspiring video that a girlfriend told me about, free form journaling, then go out and pick up a book that will work for you, or maybe you have something floating around the house and start journaling.

Once a week I am going to do a specific theme that will touch on things that would maybe not come up in everyday conversation with my kids.  Hopefully this will become a keepsake, or memoir, perhaps a best seller...just joking around... or the kids might think it's the alter ego of their mom, but either way it will give them a little glimpse of the person they will hopefully get to know when they realize that there's a little more than one dimension.

The topics will range from anything to a first date, to what was a favourite Halloween costume, to what the kids might be when they get older, to what happiness is.  As you will see in the video it's a free and fun for all in putting these journals together.  So if you have some topics that you think would be fun to journal please send them this way and I'll add them to the list.  I'll be putting a tab for the journal on this page and keep adding to it.  Here is the video, enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmaWY7Wk0qA

Out and About - Cultural Exposure

I found this site featured in the May 2008 issue of the magazine Parenting.http://kidsoffthecouch.blogspot.com/Kids Off the Couch is an amazing resource for parents to get the family out and about.  Even though alot of the destinations are located in the States or more specifically L.A. and New York, the ideas and adventures are doable anywhere. There are over 200 free archived adventures to pick from and the great thing about this site is they create a cultural experience by suggesting books and films to compliment the adventure your about to take.  We've done the chocolate adventure where the kids went to a chocolate shop and picked out a few morsels and then had to critique and sort which was their favourite.  We watched Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and even made our own chocolate suckers and fudge.  A memorable experience that they still talk about.  Check it out... Just in time for March break.

Date Night - The Debaters

Tonight is date night but instead of going out we are going to try something a little different. We are going to pour ourselves a glass of wine or two, sit down by the fireplace and upload an audio episode of the talk show "The Debaters" from CBC Radio One.  If you go on itunes you can listen to snippets of each episode and for $11.99 you can download one of their seasons which as approximately 31 episodes running about 30 minutes each. That's like 15 hours of entertainment for...get ready for it...this will be cheapest date ever..$0.39, plus the bottle of wine.  So enjoy an evening of Canadian Comedians facing off on current events using a combination of fact and funny. The topics range from customer service to cosmetic surgery. Our episode tonight is tackling vegetarianism and the middle-aged white man.
Off to get the wine. Cheers.

Shades of Contentment

This Paragraph comes from the book 1001, Ways to Live in the Moment by Barbara Ann Kipfer
"Make a distinction between happiness, which is an emotion, and joy, which is a state of being.  Happiness is precarious - it depends on health, good fortune, and the satisfaction of various conditions (even the weather if you're planning a picnic).  Joy is the positive energy that arises from awareness.  It's the default setting of the balanced soul.  Nothing can take joy away from you once you find it within."

Happy Valentines Day.

What you see is what you get

Well today marks another notch on my "life" pole...35 years to be exact.  It was well celebrated with a wonderful dinner I must say...of stuffed Cornish hen with wild rice, mushroom and tarragon, mashed ginger sweet potatoes, green beans with shallots and roasted hazelnuts and a mango chutney.  Accompanied with a glass of white wine and my 3 food critics and favourite company,  who agreed that it was pretty yummy. Watched a movie with the honey which was good training for the new eye balls to practise focusing.  I find that I like to do a little self reflection on the b-day and maybe it's because of my new found vision that my new mantra for my year is going to be "what you see is what you get"...and I don't mean settling...I mean excepting.  That idea being applied to myself, my kids, my husband and all the other people that are in my life or touch it in some way.  I like how it was quoted in the Happiness project for February. " I love_____, just as they are". The "just as they are" part is up to them...my role is to except, and love.  We'll see how it goes, but the good intention is there and that's the first ingredient to this recipe and my resolve to the "socks", the ladies will know what I mean :)

Make Someone's Day

I can still recall the day. It was 2004 a sunny spring afternoon, when I was driving by a Tim Hortons thinking "I really need a coffee".  The baby just finished a 1 hour screaming fit but was finally sleeping...peace, for the drive home.  I remember rummaging to find enough change.  Boy was I tired, and stressed at the thought of having to hear more screaming if the now slumbering angel wakes up...coffee was worth the risk I needed something to help me stay awake.  I placed my order and drove up to retrieve the steaming cup of heaven.  I reached out to hand over the money when the lady at the window said;"Don't worry about it, the person in front says to have a nice day".  I was shocked. Do I know that person?  I remember that the car was a Toyota Corolla in a taupe colour...not bad for mama brain...but no, that person who treated me to a coffee was someone I have never met. Such a simple gesture, to make such a big impact.  Today when my little one suggested a drive through Timmy's for a timbit, I thought sure way not. Over the last 6 years whenever I drive out from the window and look back in my rear view window I see what I looked like 6 years ago,shocked with a confused smile.  I don't do Tim Horton's very often but when I do I always look forward to making someone's day. Try it, it's addictive.

Bottom's Up

It's that time of year again where the sniffles and coughing and sleepless nights of ear aches and headaches and...How many more days till summer? Anyone?  I'm not sure I really want to know, it's still only January...SIGH.......If you feel a cold coming on try this concoction: hot water, cayenne pepper, lemon or lime juice and honey.  It won't cure the cold , but it will help clear the fog and your sinuses.  The water will hydrate, the honey will soothe and help with the inflammation, the citrus will help kill microbes while the Cayenne warms the body and promotes the elimination of toxins.  If things look very dire and your sitting there in the evening a little drop of the old remedy of whisky or scotch to your cup will help lull you to sleep. As they say sleep is the best medicine.  Stay well.

Under a Minute

The new rule for January and part of the Happier Quest. It's all about mind set.  Instead of "it will take a minute", I'm telling myself it will take less than.  This mantra is from the book I'm currently enjoying and embarking on a little girlfriend book club, which will be fun. The book, "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, utilizes this in her month of January which focuses on Vitality and Energy and I will have to say it works. I am a piler with good intentions.  Throughout the day I find things that need to go upstairs or downstairs and vice versa. The result leads to piles everywhere, which sometimes get put away in the evening, but not always...and then they just get added to and added to...you get the visual.  So now I Just Do It.  I have actually timed some of these errands...and they actually do take under a minute and in the end would probably take the same amount of time to put away when piled.  I'm looking at these few extra trips up and down the stairs as my cardio that can go towards my time for skipping.  I might not have to do that part of the work out for awhile.  Give it a try...just keep repeating "it will take less than a minute". I'll keep you posted on how long it takes me to train Steve.

Be Vulnerable Today

My first tidbit of something inspiring.  I stumbled on this thought provoking clip in the Bodyrocker web comments section, where it seemed to get lost.  I couldn't have watched it at a better time, since I was just contemplating this blogging thing and opening myself to anyone...well vulnerability is a good thing.  Have a watch and see what you think...her comment near the end concerning the relationship between parents and kids gave me a refreshing prospective. This was a great addition to accompany my "happier" quest, which I will be expanding on this week.