My Everything Corner

A view of our home from the 'backyard' - Sept. 2011 It seems like moments ago I was journalling about how much I was looking forward to our road trip, and now we're on our way home. Sometimes I wonder if it was ever worth leaving home at all. Thinking back over the last couple of days, the scenery, our first real road trip with our children, feeling nostalgic because this how we started our marriage, (roadtrips), it wasn't only worth it, it was necessary. Giving the kids the experince of travel is a source of education you just cannot replicate in the classroom. Enjoying my husband's company without all the demands of work and home has been so refreshing. Giving myself a different perspective, and taking a break from the everyday routine of being a housewife has been very nourishing. My own bed, my creative space, my pets and time to myself are all good reasons to go home and get resettled. Not to mention all the wonderful photos I now have of the ...

As we are leaving Edson, AB. this afternoon on our way to Jasper, the landscape takes on a different look and my little guy says, "Wow, I can see mountains! I have an awesome feeling.". I do love the honesty of young children. Before they learn to stop and think if what they are about to say is cool or not. Not that this is always a good thing. There are many situations we have been in where my child's honesty was not appreciated. But I digress. We have taken the children out of school for half the week in order to enjoy the fall weather. Why go camping in the much cooler weather you ask? Well for one thing, the campfire is that much more practical and enjoyable. The stars come out far earlier and are way brighter this time of year. And of course, nothing beats Mother Nature's autumn display, making the drive a "nothing but a good feeling" time. We left Theodore yesterday, and drove to Lloydminster, where we set up our tent trailer at a frie...

When you look around, what do you see?  Things as they are?  Or things as they could be?  If you would like to see change, do you think of ways you could do it yourself, or do you hope someone else will do it eventually?  Does uncertainty keep you from starting?  And if so, how does that make you feel?  Can you recall a time when you were not sure where to start, but started anyway, and eventually found yourself very impressed with the results?  Do we need to know the outcome before we start something?  If we constantly let fear stop us where we stand, can we live happily in stagnation?  What scares us anyway?  The fear of rejection, or worse, perhaps no reaction at all from our fellow creators?  Do we need constant reassurance from the people in our lives in order to go ahead with things?  If that is the case, won't it become nearly impossible to get out of bed in the morning?  When we do accomplish something and re...

Somewhere between harvesting and processing the last of the corn off the garden, and cooking a chicken dinner for supper, I managed to put out my fall decorations. The pussy willows in the tall, green tin have been there since early spring, but I just love them too much to throw them out, so I just added a few fall picks to the arrangement, and Voila!  I think it works quite nicely. The black, primitive kitty is new this year.  I fell in love with him and I know I won't be packing him away at the end of the season.  I also changed the picture in the scrapbooking frame.  It's of Halloween 5 years ago, so the kids are just cute as buttons, and it makes me smile and shake my head at the same time.  How the time is flying! That handsome owl was originally bought to be an outdoor ornament, but I set him there in the early spring, and there he stayed. This antique wash stand is always a breeze to decorate, and it is probably my favourite thing to change...

The fall, is for me, the best season.  I know I'm not alone here.  When in one season, I always enjoy it and find myself looking forward to what the next one will bring.  But I would love to stretch Autumn out by several months.  The cooler weather, and harvesting my garden.  Enjoying cooking again because I'm not busy trying to cool off.  I enjoy being at home and in my yard more.  This is when I tend to do the most home improving, nesting for the winter I suppose.  In the winter, I find myself in the city more often, wandering the mall and other shops.  In the summer, it's the beach, and road trips, (I hate winter driving).  The spring is my next favourite season, but because it leaves me with very little choice (yardwork, yardwork, yardwork), I still prefer the fall.  There is a little bit of everything in this season for me, and I find I feel more balanced now than at any other time of year. On a fun note, here are some co...

    Harvest in my garden this year not only promises to be bountiful, but also very interesting.  A few of the gourds here look just as pictured on their seed package, but thanks to cross polination, we have some very unique specimens as well.  Every time we take a walk through the patch we get another surprise, which usually leads to discussing how we are going to use the new find in our Halloween display.  We just can't wait to pull out all the little creepy crawlies and create a spooky but fun display with everything we pull out of the patch.                                                              ...

The Moon on July 2, as seen from my deck.  (not quite full) Although a day shy of being full, the moon was beautiful lastnight.  I was lucky enough to have my sister-in-law over to give me a few tips on how to photograph it.   I have been trying to get some photos of the awesome lightening we've been experiencing, but without success.  The moon was a much more forgiving subject, as it stayed in one place long enough for the camera to capture it.  We've all seen amazing photos of the moon before, but being able to catch this much detail with my little camera was very satisfying. Most have heard the saying, "I love you to the moon and back".  In my family, this saying has taken on a life of its own.  We go on and on getting more creative each time and competing to see who can get in the last words.  It usually goes something like this: "I love you."  "I love you to the moon and back."  "I love you to the moon, go around 100...

The kids, Bear and I were out playing on the bales last night (again),  when Kaitlynn announced loudly that she had to go to the bathroom, but didn't think she would make it to the house.  She ran off behind some tall grass, but I could still see enough to realize she was taking off everything from the waist down, including her boots.  Jared was sitting next to me, and I said, "I need to teach that farm girl a thing or two about emergency 'field trips'".  Bear decided to join Kaitlynn out of curiousity, and I tried to call him back, without success.  After a moment, Kaitlynn starts yelling at Bear, and is starting to sound quite frantic.  I asked her if she needed some help, and she literally screamed "YES!".  So off I went, telling Jared to stay on the bales in hopes of saving what little dignity my daughter had left.  There was quite a surprise.  Kaitlynn's little 'field trip' turned out to be quite the episode.  'Numbe...

The kids have built their dragon nests in the bales, and are now playing out there every chance they get.  The game involves touring around the 10 acres and looking for a specific grass and other oddities to add to their homes.  It takes up entire afternoons.                                                                                                                         ...

Here is a series of photos I took of my dog, Bear, as he is running up to greet meet me. I was just going out to check on my kids, take a few photos and call them in for supper.  Bear was playing on the bales with them, and when he noticed me, launched himself off the bales and started running toward me. I just love watching him run!  In the last few years of my last dog, Ginger's life, there was no more running and bouncing.  The arthritis had taken that freedom away, and watching her was often filled with more pain than joy. Bear is just over 6 months old and weighs in at over 60 pounds.  He is a force to be reckoned with.  At this point I am already starting to brace myself for the impact! I'm loving the one ear up, one ear down look.  He has big floppy ears that will often turn inside out when he shakes his head. Just look at that face!  He has not started to slow down yet, so I know if he hits me, it's going to knock m...

Last year at this time, I was still living in Cold Lake, Alberta.  I would have been packing and showing the house, and getting ready for the move in July.  Now I'm all settled in, and enjoying the house.  Time for yardwork!  There is not much I'm able to do without a tractor, as much of the work that needs doing is major landscaping.  But I can make a few improvements... Here is my fire pit area (one of them anyway).  I didn't mind the fire pit on its own, but the rocks make it look fabulous.  You can see I've been raking leaves in the background.  There is still a lot more raking to do. This is an overall view of the part of the yard I've been working on.  It is on the west side of the house, and right now is my favourite part of the entire 10 acres.  I can't wait to see what it will look like when the trees fill in and my planters are overflowing!  Cleaning up fallen branches, pruning trees, raking and weeding we...

Vicki at 2 Bags Full...  creates these beautiful yarn nests you see in the photo, and she is giving one away at the end of May!  I do not usually promote giveaways, but I had to make an exception for Vicki.  Not only is she uncommonly kind, but her blog is always a delight to read and look at.  Her photos from all over the world are phenomenal, and I always feel inspired in some way after visiting her little corner of blogland.     Great art picks up where nature ends. ~Marc Chagall.  That is how I feel about these wonderful, little nests!   I hope you feel encouraged to visit Vicki's blog, and even if the nests aren't your thing, take a look around, and absorb some of the lovely energy that resides there.

My house is turning into a zoo.  I will soon be able to charge money to anyone entering my home.  A gecko, several cats, a puppy, a fish, and who knows what will show up next. This little orange guy is Georgie's (the kitten he's hugging) big brother.  It took quite awhile to gain his trust, but he is now the friendliest cat in the house, and he does not show a desire to go outdoors, although that is where he was raised.  His momma is still around, but we rarely see her now that our new puppy has taken over the deck.  But she is showing up at her cat house everyday for food and was chased under the truck today by that puppy who has yet to learn what kitty claws can do. These kittens are a fun pair, going at it like gladiators one minute, and then curling up into a tight ball the next.  Their personalities are like night and day.  Georgie, the female, being far more uptight, aloof and chosey about when and how she will be handled.  Crush is far mo...

My husband likes to surprise people.  So when my daughter found the kites hidden for her and her brother, there were 3 very disappointed people.  My husband, because his big reveal was ruined, and my two little ones because Dad wasn't ready to give the kites to them yet.  The next couple of days, I had a son who went on with life like it was no big deal.  As long as he has his bicycle and a puddle, he's happy.   And I had my little girl trying to find things to do to impress her Dad to the point of giving in on the kites.  This past Saturday morning, that Dad took the kites and quietly went to his shop to start assembly.  My son, being curious as a kitten followed shortly after and came running back to the house after about 5 seconds outdoors, yelling at the top of his lungs that Dad was putting their kites together.    After another 5 seconds had passed, they were bot...

After losing our German Sheperd, Ginger after Christmas, we started to think about giving another pup a good home.  We found this guy at the SPCA in Saskatoon. His name was Mega Bear, but we have since shortened his name to Bear.  We were told he is a Rotweiller, German Sheperd cross, but his history is unknown, so it is anyone's guess.  He is between 4 and 5 months old, and is very large for his age.  Hence the name Mega Bear. He is very lovable, a big teddy bear and he does not like to be separated from his new family.  I've been doing some training with him everyday, and he is a very quick learner.  A pleasure to work with. I needed a dog in my life again.  I have several other pets including cats, a lizard and a fish, but nothing compares to the love of a dog.  The enjoyment I get from spending time with this critter is immeasurable.  Whether I'm playing fetch with him, going for a walk, grooming, or just having him lie on my fe...

 When my day seems dreary, with rain soon to follow. When the pit of my stomach feels lonely and hollow. When the plans I have made, seem to turn against me. Your strong loving arms are a safe place to be. You let me snuggle, all toasty and warm. You build me a haven away from life's storm.           Author Unknown I put together this little collection in honour of a relationship I could not live without. Do you have someone wonderful in your life?  Someone you thank your lucky stars for everyday?  I am one of those fortunate people.  For all the cards, the letters, the dates we've been on, the kisses, the flowers, the hugs, the gifts, the road trips, our home, our family, and for all the promises of a future we have yet to share - Thank-you.

Our beautiful German Shepard, Husky cross passed away just before New Year's.  Ginger was 14 years old, and was, everyone agreed, the best dog anyone could ask for.  While living in Rainbow Lake, before we had children, we had two cats when this adorable little pup came onto our radar.  Neither of could refuse, and for the next year or so, I spent a great deal of my time learning how to train, and training my dog.  It paid off.  She was extremely well behaved, and while remaining instinctive about people, treated everyone with due respect.  She travelled with us, camped with us, slept under our feet during movies, went for long walks, and generally impressed anyone we met.  I especially loved combing her fur, playing frisbee with her, and kissing the wee black spots on her white muzzle. A few years after we adopted Ginger, we moved to a very busy corner in the city of Lloydminster, and decided it would be best if she went to live on the family far...