My Everything Corner

We woke up, had our breakfast.  The kids went off to school.  I jumped right into my normal morning routine while my husband headed out to clean grain.  Nothing  has changed.  Life goes on. But wait, someone who has been in our lives for a very long time is gone.  Shouldn't there be a substantial pause?  Every time I think about what our family went through this past weekend, my stomach turns, and it is a frequent thought.  I'm wondering how everyone is doing.  We so quickly went our separate ways, and it feels awful.  I want to gather our little family together and have an entire week to just be together, talk about Uncle and recognize the enormity of how our lives have changed.   But everyone is dealing with this in their own way and I pray that everyone is okay.  I hope they understand themselves and how it is they are dealing with the loss, and that they are taking care of themselves. I've known Uncle Mike ...

I know someone who it seems, is in the process of dying.  How long will it be?  That's anyone's guess. Everyone seems to have accepted it, and yet, none of us are prepared for the change it will bring to our family.  It is a family that is continuing to get smaller in numbers.  There was a time when it was growing.  Our elderly were healthy and babies were being born.  It was wonderful, and we all felt good about living. Now, there have been no births for 10 years and in that time we have lost several people. I also know someone who to her core, is a caregiver.  A nurturer through and through and to a fault. Do we let her take it all on herself, this entire process of holding the hand of our loved one as he prepares to leave?  She would let us.  And it would be easy to take advantage of that because we all have busy, middle age lives.   In a perfect world, she would be spending her late years gradually slowing down and enjoying ...

We've all completed projects that we're not too proud of.  But hopefully, after the frustration passes, we can have a good laugh at ourselves.  That is what happened this morning when my little sister called me up and confessed that the sheep she had started knitting a while ago was now complete.    Now, first let me say how brave I think my little sister is.  She began with no pattern, she has very little experience knitting, and she absolutely knows how to laugh at herself with the right audience.    When I asked her how it turned out, she said, "I'm really not too happy with it."  So, I got her to send me a photo, and that is when the giggles ensued.   I said, "Well, the body looks good."  And then I asked, "Are those white blobs supposed to be his eyes?"  She started laughing, and then to keep it going I added, "Instead of a grazing-in-the-field sheep, he's a run-over-by-a-car sheep."  It went on from th...

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.                                                                                                                         ...

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...

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...

Meet Jared, my 6 year old boy, a tumbling ball of energy.  I've yet to meet a Mother of a little boy who cannot relate to me. His most frequent question is,"Mommy, can I climb this?".  His second favourite is, "Mommy, can I hit this with that?".  His third, and this is what makes up for all the rest, is, "Mommy, can I have a kiss and a hug?".  Well, at least I don't have to say no all the time. Creative, imaginative, energetic, and my favourite, snuggly, are all words that perfectly describe my little guy.  My daughter was the poster girl for independence, never wanting to be held, let alone snuggled, so since this wee creature entered my life 6 years ago, well, let's just say, I've yet to have a snuggle-free day.  Works for me, as I've always been a snuggler and it drove me crazy when I learnt that my first baby (girl) just needed to be put down to stop crying. I miss the days of having a tiny baby in my arms, and even though my kids a...

"I can fly!', are not  words any Mother wants to hear from her young child.  But when they've spent 3 days working on a flight suit that they hope will make them airborne, one hopes that they will achieve at least a slight lift off. My 8, almost 9 year old daughter, Kaitlynn has always had a strong, vivid imagination and a drive to create.  She is constantly coming up with new ideas, and actually, a lot of them have worked.  So when she came to me with her paper feather suit and asked me, "Mommy, tell me honestly.  Do you think I'll be able to fly with this suit?"  I have to admit, I was a bit stumped as to what my answer should be.  Should I be honest and tell her exactly what was going to happen?  Or should I falsely encourage her and tell her to jump off the roof?  I decided to walk the middle ground and said something to the effect of, "I think you might need a few more feathers and a stronger support for those feathers, but go play ...

There is nothing like a wide open space to encourage kids to play outside. My kids have always loved the outdoors, but since we've moved out here, they've at least tripled their time outdoors. Between the snake nest, the salamander crossing and the froggy patch, they are always on some sort of adventure, exploring and collecting. Not long after we moved in, we added bicycling to our repertoire of things to do outdoors. Within minutes Jared was off his training wheels, and my daughter wasn't far behind. Now we all ride together. Our favourite road runs just east of our place. It is quiet and there is a large water feature about a mile down where we love to watch the ducks swim and flap around. It is still very green here, but soon will be my favourite time of year to be outdoors. Once the colours start to change and the leaves start to cover the road and once I need a sweater to be comfortable outside and it gets dark early enough to enjoy the stars again. Th...

After nearly 14 years of living in town, (our entire marriage) we are moving to a 10 acre parcel in the country. Currently in Cold Lake, Alberta, the move will take us over 700 kilometers Southeast to near a little town along Highway 16 called Theodore. The nearest center is Yorkton, Saskatchewan with a population of just over 16,000, not that much different from where we are now at just over 13,000. So what would take us there? Family. We were both born and raised on farms, within 8 miles of each other. My Husband intends to continue working his current camp job,(week in and week out) and help out his Father and brother on their large, 17 quarter section grain farm. The ultimate goal is to retire into the farm. The photo is of my two little ones, now 5 and 8 years old, exploring what will be their new yard by the end of this month. Most of that water has dried up already, but we know what we have to look forward to in the Spring. Not only are they excited about the new open yard, but ...

This one, I first read this morning on a blog I follow, " Artful Living on the Bluff ". Out of the entire, lovely collection, this one stood out the most. I am definitely guilty of not staying focused. I find it very easy to jump around from idea to idea, constantly trying new things, with very little, or no focus on any one thing. "People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully." - Steve Jobs Another favourite... "And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin This one came to me at a time when I had to make certain decisions and changes in the way I dealt with loved ones. When you believe that a choice could hurt someone, even it seems best for everyone involved, it is very difficult to get past blaming yourself for...

My Grandfather always had a bag of 'Dad's' cookies on hand. Out of all the choices, the chocolate chip ones remain my favorite. I love to bake, and I rarely buy cookies, but about once a year, I come across a bag of these, and there in no resisting, (and yes, this is the big bag). One bite, and I'm transported back to a young girl on a warm autumn day, waiting for Grandpa to come back into the yard, turn off the tractor, and invite me to share his lunch with him. He always brought extra, and he even let me have some of his coffee, just a sip. It was the perfect afternoon moment. Later on, when Grandpa could no longer farm, we visited him in town. There was always a bag of cookies sitting by his refridgerator. He must have spent more money on cookies than any other grocery, because there were 5 of us Grandaughters, and we were constantly there, eating his cookies. When we got old enough, he sent us uptown with the money and a list, and I would always, without ...

I always said that I wouldn't be the parent who answered 'because' to my children's questions. But sometimes, there really is not a better answer. There are just certain things I do not want to explain yet. Like this recent question that truly caught me off guard, "Mommy, why do boys and girls have to be together to make a baby?". My answer, "Because, they just do." She's 8 years old, does she really need that answered honestly yet? My son often resorts to this word to answer my many questions for him. "Sweetie, why do you need to take apart your sandwiches before eating them?" My son calmly replies, "Because, I just do." There are many times I will dignify my children's questions with long, drawn out reasons that satisfy them. "Mommy, why do I have to clean up my room?" My answer, "Because, if you don't, Mommy can't clean the floors in your room, and then all sorts of little nasties will w...

I have a Sister who is obsessed with Autumn and even more so with Halloween. Her birthday is on the 11th of her favourite month of the year, and for some reason, I never have any doubt as to what to get her. This year I designed her a necklace and 3 pairs of earrings to go with it. All done in copper, semi-precious stones and glass, these pieces look great for fall. The dragon's vein agate pendant puts it over the top for Halloween, and is removable for a more subtle look. But since my Sister thinks it should be Halloween year round, I doubt she'll ever take it off. Now Lynn has a busy lifestyle, working at least 2 jobs, raising 3 kids and taking care of her rather substantial home. But this year, she took the time to come visit me in Cold Lake, only a week before Halloween. She came because she wanted to share in one of my favourite times of the year, and help decorate the house for the occasion. It was a crazy, fun week-end. We indulged in a bit of wine, creme brulee, roast c...

Combing the beaches of Cold Lake near our home is one of our favourite things to do. The first nice day after a bit of a wind storm is always the best time go. A fresh supply of beach glass and new, polished stones are there for us to chose from, and to add to our, getting rather large, collections. People often associate beach glass with ocean beaches, and I've met quite a few people who are very surprised when I tell them that I have a large supply of glass from the tiny little beach right beside the Marina. The collection looks fantastic diplayed in a nice jar, but the plan is to eventually create some jewelry from the various pieces. It is good to have a wide variety of shapes and sizes to chose from when creating a piece. For the longest time, my little ones scoured the beaches with me and gave me their finds to add to my collection. But they have recently asked for their own jars and have started up their own little collections, and I will have to be replacing their jars for ...

Question: What would be a good idea for an art project this afternoon Munchkins? Answer: Feet painting!!! Question: Feet what? Answer: You know, 'From Bill Nye the Science Guy'. Question: OK, should I go find the supplies? Answer: Yes, right now Mommy!!! Question: (In my mind) Why did I agree to this? Well, it wasn't anything to worry about. I just brought out some warm, soapy water in a bowl when the kids were done, and left the paintings to dry in the sun. Now we have some updated art for their rooms, and some great keepsakes of their little 7 and 5 year old feet.

As I was working on the computer this morning, updating my jewelry shop on Etsy, my daughter, now 7, announced that she definitely needed her own shop. She said she new exactly what she wanted to make, and then begged me to create a shop for her. I was quite uncertain, at first, that this was a good idea. After doing a bit of light reading in the Etsy 'Do's and Don'ts' section, I was convinced that my daughter had a great plan. Running a shop under a parent's supervision could become a great learning experience. Little did I know that while I was teaching her about the cost of shipping and materials, she would be teaching me just how much she understands about people and their lives. The first card she came out with said, 'Who put stickers on the wall?' . She then explained that this card would be for the person who knew a child that was forever getting into trouble, and this could be their way of showing them that they loved that child...no matter wh...

On July the third, my beautiful little sister married the love of her life in their yard in rural Manitoba. My husband and I were in charge of the photography, and regardless of both of us being amateurs, we were able to capture some beautiful photos throughout the day. This is my favourite by far. We took photos of everyone and everything that took place from morning until well into the next morning. But, we made one collosal mistake. I was so busy helping my husband organize everyone for photos, that we forgot to take photos of the bride and myself, her matron of honour. How horrible is that? We decided not to try and fake our way out of it, and instead the lack of those photos will tell the true story of that day and just how truly chaotic it was. Chaos often has way of turning out beautifully.