I am thankful for:
-The Lord, of course, who must be thanked for everything from the intricately exquisite orange-eyed moth I stared at through the sliding door window last evening to the grace He daily gives for me to deal with the children I prayed for (and yet feel some days as though the strength on my behalf to fulfill their needs is absent)
-my ever-patient husband who is much zanier than most realize, who calms my spirit and forces me out of my egocentric bubble
-our children, who can scream like banshees and cuddle like koalas
-the two independent feline creatures we call ours (when in reality everyone knows a cat owns YOU versus the other way around)
-a non-leaking roof over our heads, food in our bellies and in our fridge, water to drink (that doesn't have to be hauled for miles) and somewhat clean air to breathe
-soil and seeds sprouting into "fresh eats" (I can taste those tangy, divine peas already...)
-days of rain and days of sun; weeks of snow and weeks of fire-coloured tree leaves
-family (on both sides) that gives and gives and gives some more - family that reaches out through tears and joy - family that is vulnerable and strong all at the right times
-a few moments right now of solitude and sanity - silence, save for the wind whispering then bellowing over the laundry on the clothesline
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Spell Check????
Who can catch the error??? (What are you supposed to mix the scrub in?!?!) One of my customers pointed out my miss on the spell check for my newsletter and I am still laughing!
Sockeye Scrub
For use in the kitchen and bath, on tiles, counter tops, etc. The scrub is great for scouring, so it is not recommended for certain cook tops.
* cup baking soda
* cup borax
2 Tbsp liquid soap
1 Tbsp d-limonene
Instructions:
Using a metal or glass bowel, mix together baking soda, borax, and liquid soap. Add d-limonene with a metal spoon, mix well.
Note: D-limonene is a concentrated citrus extract that can be purchased locally from Voyager Soap and Candle.
Sockeye Scrub
For use in the kitchen and bath, on tiles, counter tops, etc. The scrub is great for scouring, so it is not recommended for certain cook tops.
* cup baking soda
* cup borax
2 Tbsp liquid soap
1 Tbsp d-limonene
Instructions:
Using a metal or glass bowel, mix together baking soda, borax, and liquid soap. Add d-limonene with a metal spoon, mix well.
Note: D-limonene is a concentrated citrus extract that can be purchased locally from Voyager Soap and Candle.
Morning....Morning? Oh...Morning!
Lyn Andrews' "The Sisters of O'Donnell" under my belt, I dreamily sway through my day...okay, so that was overly romantic...half of the characters kicked the Victorian era bucket; I was up too late reading (well, midnight, so not horrifically late); Rebekah just shoved her hand down a ball-popping toy and had to be rescued; and Gavin's chauffeur to school needs soon to depart. Welcome to another day! Feeling rather chipper, though, I search for my galoshes amongst the footwear crowding the closet base, and get ready to take on the day!
Coffeeeeeeee....a recent study just "proved" that caffeine, though it wakes you up, doesn't actually give any sort of "jolt" like us addicts claim.....still I dream of that moment when the warm liquid meets tongue and all is right in the world....
Coffeeeeeeee....Did I mention coffee? Must locate children, who are bounding about the basement, flashlights in hand, searching for "a scary rooster with a mask on and a tractor" (because we have so many of those odd ball creatures meandering about our home!).
Coffeeeeeeee....a recent study just "proved" that caffeine, though it wakes you up, doesn't actually give any sort of "jolt" like us addicts claim.....still I dream of that moment when the warm liquid meets tongue and all is right in the world....
Coffeeeeeeee....Did I mention coffee? Must locate children, who are bounding about the basement, flashlights in hand, searching for "a scary rooster with a mask on and a tractor" (because we have so many of those odd ball creatures meandering about our home!).
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Story of the New-to-Us Trampoline's Brief Life
We HAD a trampoline. Notice the past tense...for one whole wonderfully giggle-inducing hour we had a trampoline.
Somehow our son made a deal with "Pond Papa" (my dad) that the pieces of trampoline un-used for the last six years (taken down for our wedding, actually, and then forgotten in the depths of the spiderwebby, ramshackly-piled barn at my parents' place) should be resurrected in our yard. Dad uncovered all necessary parts, dumped them in the backyard, and thus began the set-up process; Jeff and my dad lovingly and painstakingly counted spring holes, allocated and re-allocated somewhat rusty four-inch long springs into mat hooks, and with great pride eventually announced the ready-ness of the trampoline. Only a couple of spring holds were missing. Immediately both kids, lifted on, bounced contentedly (though somewhat bone-jarringly - chiropractic issues came to mind).
Dumping buckets of water from the kiddie pool on to the mucky top I threw on some rags and the kids and I scrubbed and slid and bobbed about. Jeff decided that the safety and occupation of the trampoline meant lawn cutting time and so he zipped about on the riding mower as we chuckled and tickled and sang and held hands. "When are you going to start doing back flips?" joked my neighbour.
There's only so much movement a 2 and 4 year old can handle so secretly I was awaiting their bedtime when Jeff and I could have bounce wars, like we did before we were married, and like my siblings and I used to have (try to get the other person "down" without physically touching them). Gavin stepped close to one of the missing spring holds and generated a slight (half-foot?) rip that immediately caused him great grief - he shrieked, filled with this horrid, possessive angst surrounding the possibility of a broken new toy. "It's okay," I reassured him, "it's just a teeny rip - it should be fine." (Famous last words?)
Then, well then, the happiness of it all was abruptly cut short (no loss of limbs, and no blood, so read on)...as Jeff rounded one side of the trampoline I decided to lift the ladder we had used a step stool up so he could continue his cut right close to the trampoline edge. As I lifted the ladder and shifted towards the other side to set it in a new position, half of the trampoline gave way - springs were launched as far as half way across our yard and I plummeted to the ground, scraping only my arm in the descent.
"ARE YOU OKAY???" the neighbour, with a look of terror, bellowed from her porch. The kids were wailing - high-pitched outbursts (not apparently due to my fall but because their new exercise regime had been cut short)...
We HAD a trampoline...for one whole wonderfully giggle-inducing hour we had a trampoline...
Somehow our son made a deal with "Pond Papa" (my dad) that the pieces of trampoline un-used for the last six years (taken down for our wedding, actually, and then forgotten in the depths of the spiderwebby, ramshackly-piled barn at my parents' place) should be resurrected in our yard. Dad uncovered all necessary parts, dumped them in the backyard, and thus began the set-up process; Jeff and my dad lovingly and painstakingly counted spring holes, allocated and re-allocated somewhat rusty four-inch long springs into mat hooks, and with great pride eventually announced the ready-ness of the trampoline. Only a couple of spring holds were missing. Immediately both kids, lifted on, bounced contentedly (though somewhat bone-jarringly - chiropractic issues came to mind).
Dumping buckets of water from the kiddie pool on to the mucky top I threw on some rags and the kids and I scrubbed and slid and bobbed about. Jeff decided that the safety and occupation of the trampoline meant lawn cutting time and so he zipped about on the riding mower as we chuckled and tickled and sang and held hands. "When are you going to start doing back flips?" joked my neighbour.
There's only so much movement a 2 and 4 year old can handle so secretly I was awaiting their bedtime when Jeff and I could have bounce wars, like we did before we were married, and like my siblings and I used to have (try to get the other person "down" without physically touching them). Gavin stepped close to one of the missing spring holds and generated a slight (half-foot?) rip that immediately caused him great grief - he shrieked, filled with this horrid, possessive angst surrounding the possibility of a broken new toy. "It's okay," I reassured him, "it's just a teeny rip - it should be fine." (Famous last words?)
Then, well then, the happiness of it all was abruptly cut short (no loss of limbs, and no blood, so read on)...as Jeff rounded one side of the trampoline I decided to lift the ladder we had used a step stool up so he could continue his cut right close to the trampoline edge. As I lifted the ladder and shifted towards the other side to set it in a new position, half of the trampoline gave way - springs were launched as far as half way across our yard and I plummeted to the ground, scraping only my arm in the descent.
"ARE YOU OKAY???" the neighbour, with a look of terror, bellowed from her porch. The kids were wailing - high-pitched outbursts (not apparently due to my fall but because their new exercise regime had been cut short)...
We HAD a trampoline...for one whole wonderfully giggle-inducing hour we had a trampoline...
Thursday, June 3, 2010
To Decaf or Not To Decaf?
Decaf that isn't decaf does funny things to you (and your sleep schedule)...Just in case you needed to know that!?! (At 1:30 in the morning...)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Dead Worms & Coffee Beans
It’s raining – pouring, in fact, so since gardening is dubious, I suppose writing will have to do (yes, yes, I should be making business calls….)
Is it symbolic, I wonder, that a crispy dead worm, curled almost into a perfect circle, and a flawless coffee bean abide on my bathroom counter top – or at least have for most of today? Both brought in by our 2 ½ year old, lovingly caressed before finding a home while she used the toilet (and then apparently, abruptly forgotten about)…the mocha nugget was given to her this morning at the local coffee shop – spied while she was sitting atop the ledge where I ordered my addiction, it was nestled amongst several others decoratively in a saucer. The young woman serving us allegedly recognized a longing and offered my daughter the bean with a strict “but don’t eat it!”. Which must be confusing when she knows I daily drink liquid made from this little brown treasure?
And the worm? Well, every dead worm (and alive, though those are usually returned to a garden bed or mucky lawn spot to “go find their mommy and daddy who will be worried”) is picked up by our budding scientist. She cradles them, holds them up to our faces, almost cooing “they’re soooooo cute!” And then most of them make their way into our household (later unearthed, pardon the pun, in the pockets of shorts, doll dresses, knapsacks). Last week we revived what she thought to be a deceased invertebrate – a few sprinkles of water, a cool spot beside the freshly-planted tomatoes, and the beefy creature was nowhere to be found half an hour later.
So what do they mean other than: 1) dead things make their way into our home and remain for unlimited amounts of time (which states quite clearly my standard of housecleaning abilities); 2) our life consists of poisonous caffeinated potions and crusty no-longer-wiggling “ornaments” and other such fondly clutched oddities that are on display in the most-used room in the house; 3) unlike her mother, our daughter is a collector (yikes!)? Here’s what I uncovered on the internet (“’googling’ doesn’t mean research” as Dan Brown would say and though I am in agreement, here are some entertaining “answers” to what worms and coffee beans just may be confessing about my/our life….)
According to http://www.dreamsleep.net/worms_dream_meaning.html
“Psychological Meaning: These may be phallic symbols. Associated with dirt and decay worms may indicate that you have negative attitude to sex. Alternatively, they may symbolise helplessness. If you feel downtrodden and oppressed, perhaps its time for the ‘worm to turn’.
Mystical Meaning: Dream books claim that worms are a danger of infectious diseases. If you dream of destroying worms, you will receive money.”
http://users.netnitco.net/~legend01/worm.htm “Worms are symbolic of death and the grave, yet they are also connected with rebirth, transformation, and transition.” [nope, not me at all?!?]
http://www.experienceproject.com/dream-dictionary/Coffee-dreams To dream of drinking coffee, denotes the disapproval of friends toward your marriage intentions. If married, disagreements and frequent quarrels are implied. To dream of dealing in coffee, portends business failures. If selling, sure loss. Buying it, you may with ease retain your credit. For a young woman to see or handle coffee she will be made a by-word if she is not discreet in her actions. To dream of roasting coffee, for a young woman it denotes escape from evil by luckily marrying a stranger. To see ground coffee, foretells successful struggles with adversity. Parched coffee, warns you of the evil attentions of strangers. Green coffee, denotes you have bold enemies who will show you no quarter, but will fight for your overthrow.
Hmmmmm…and I surmised a simple lack of cleanliness???
Is it symbolic, I wonder, that a crispy dead worm, curled almost into a perfect circle, and a flawless coffee bean abide on my bathroom counter top – or at least have for most of today? Both brought in by our 2 ½ year old, lovingly caressed before finding a home while she used the toilet (and then apparently, abruptly forgotten about)…the mocha nugget was given to her this morning at the local coffee shop – spied while she was sitting atop the ledge where I ordered my addiction, it was nestled amongst several others decoratively in a saucer. The young woman serving us allegedly recognized a longing and offered my daughter the bean with a strict “but don’t eat it!”. Which must be confusing when she knows I daily drink liquid made from this little brown treasure?
And the worm? Well, every dead worm (and alive, though those are usually returned to a garden bed or mucky lawn spot to “go find their mommy and daddy who will be worried”) is picked up by our budding scientist. She cradles them, holds them up to our faces, almost cooing “they’re soooooo cute!” And then most of them make their way into our household (later unearthed, pardon the pun, in the pockets of shorts, doll dresses, knapsacks). Last week we revived what she thought to be a deceased invertebrate – a few sprinkles of water, a cool spot beside the freshly-planted tomatoes, and the beefy creature was nowhere to be found half an hour later.
So what do they mean other than: 1) dead things make their way into our home and remain for unlimited amounts of time (which states quite clearly my standard of housecleaning abilities); 2) our life consists of poisonous caffeinated potions and crusty no-longer-wiggling “ornaments” and other such fondly clutched oddities that are on display in the most-used room in the house; 3) unlike her mother, our daughter is a collector (yikes!)? Here’s what I uncovered on the internet (“’googling’ doesn’t mean research” as Dan Brown would say and though I am in agreement, here are some entertaining “answers” to what worms and coffee beans just may be confessing about my/our life….)
According to http://www.dreamsleep.net/worms_dream_meaning.html
“Psychological Meaning: These may be phallic symbols. Associated with dirt and decay worms may indicate that you have negative attitude to sex. Alternatively, they may symbolise helplessness. If you feel downtrodden and oppressed, perhaps its time for the ‘worm to turn’.
Mystical Meaning: Dream books claim that worms are a danger of infectious diseases. If you dream of destroying worms, you will receive money.”
http://users.netnitco.net/~legend01/worm.htm “Worms are symbolic of death and the grave, yet they are also connected with rebirth, transformation, and transition.” [nope, not me at all?!?]
http://www.experienceproject.com/dream-dictionary/Coffee-dreams To dream of drinking coffee, denotes the disapproval of friends toward your marriage intentions. If married, disagreements and frequent quarrels are implied. To dream of dealing in coffee, portends business failures. If selling, sure loss. Buying it, you may with ease retain your credit. For a young woman to see or handle coffee she will be made a by-word if she is not discreet in her actions. To dream of roasting coffee, for a young woman it denotes escape from evil by luckily marrying a stranger. To see ground coffee, foretells successful struggles with adversity. Parched coffee, warns you of the evil attentions of strangers. Green coffee, denotes you have bold enemies who will show you no quarter, but will fight for your overthrow.
Hmmmmm…and I surmised a simple lack of cleanliness???
Gratitude
Our 2 1/2 year old daughter says thank you for everything. "Thank you, Mommmy, for taking me to the toilet", "thank you for helping me wash my hands", "thank you for taking me to the library, Mommy", "thank you for getting me a toad book"...do you think I am supposed to be learning something????
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