a fresh new week...

we spent a rainy day today working on *last week's* workbook/schoolwork/etc. this whole scheduling thing - scheduling in the curriculum areas - while I see it's merit in the sense of giving the children something to check off, a visual confirmation of what's been 'done' during the day and week... well, it just rubs my free-spirited mind the WRONG way.

i prefer my lifelong learning to be more of an organic journey, less scripted by external doctrine and more from the heart... if i want to spend an entire day curled up in front of the woodstove, working on a cross-stitch, why not?! Likewise, if the children want to spend a day playing Lego, or colouring and cutting out paper doll clothes, why not?! who cares what's been accomplished so long as you are inspired and passionate and full of wonder and enthusiasm about how you spend your time? i think that coming from a place of inspiration and passion, no matter what 'subject' it's towards, i think you have a much better chance of remembering and truly learning than being forced to think of things in terms of distinct subjects... alas...

ds really doesn't like bookwork... he stalls and fusses and asks how to spell words and just generally drags his feet, and in personality, we're so alike that his way of being just pushes my buttons sometimes - it's like having a mirror at all the things i'm not comfortable about myself (like being sensitive, intense, and emotional), having them reflected back to deal with... NOW. and continuous self-reflection isn't easy, ya know. :P anyways, i'm not about to just cross off the schedule; i think there's something to be learned from catching up, even if it means spending a rainy day inside at the kitchen table. don't think that i'm a task master; he was off playing every few minutes... and although he awoke fresh this morning determined to catch up entirely - he's not there yet because of the foot dragging. although he made a fair attempt to catch up, it might be a couple more days yet before he's behind the eight ball again.

on the flip side, dd and i played many duets today on the piano, and that's enjoyable. she doesn't like to sit alone at the piano, but offer to play duets for the pieces she's learning and she delights in having a partner. ds, otoh, enjoys playing alone and will happily forego his workbook for a few minutes tickling the ivories.

apart from that, their glorious snowman lost his head today. steady rain weakened his neck. the ground is returning to its normal green and it's considerably warmer today than the past week or so.

i was disappointed today to hear the property we're contemplating looking at on the mainland already has a conditional offer on it, and unless we can come up with an unconditional offer (and carry two mortgages on one income?!?) it's not looking promising. life will unfold as it's meant to, this i am sure of, so i'm trying not to worry, to just let things be.

I hab a code...

Ugh. Seriously. What is WITH these sinus infections?!? Granted, today is *much* better than yesterday, but still, enough already! Yesterday I drank 2 tsp of ACV in a glass of warm water, I took about 70 drops of oil of oregano in water throughout the day and also rinsed my sinuses with warm sea salt water. All of it helped and today I definitely do think I'm managing alright, but really, any time now, it could just GO AWAY!!!! ...for eternity.

Well, it's finally come down to dh & I talking about moving. The 6 hr commute at either end of his workweek is weighing heavily on him and none of us enjoy that we don't see him during the workweek, and with all the OT available this year, we won't be seeing him for 5 days at a time very often. We've been here 12+ years, and have gotten very comfortable in our home... it is the only home the kids have known. It's a beautiful acreage in the forest, with a seasonal creek through the back and less then 500m to the ocean. It's truly a piece of paradise. So the thought of leaving and moving to the mainland is... less than appealing. But the reality is, dh's been commuting for 2 yrs now and we both realize he's not getting a posting over here this year, which means a minimum of 3 yrs... and it could be another 2 (or more) after that before an opening comes up on the island. And ultimately, do we want to be doing this for 2, 3... even 5 more years?!? Not so much. So there's talk. Talk about the staggering amount of work that needs to be done around here to get this place ready to put on the market... and just where is the time (& money) going to come from to do all that?!? Then there's talk about the aspect of downsizing - obviously we're not going to find a house & acre over there that's in our budget, so we have to wrap our heads around letting go of a lot of possessions (which actually I think is a blessing), but it's the animals - the dog, cats, chickens - that I wonder and worry about. I doubt we can bring 23 chickens with us (lol), let alone 3 outdoor cats, and the dog, well... *sigh* So it's not without serious apprehension that I'm pondering this possible move. I'm not jumping up and down with joy at the thought of moving, period, let alone to the city. I love it out here in the country. It's quiet, rural, but you've still got a very supportive community around you. Doesn't matter what window I look out of, all I see is green - trees, trees, everywhere. I'd miss that terribly. There's so much I'd miss, but I can see that being overly attached to this property & lifestyle at the expense of being together as a family isn't productive. Moving is never stress-free but maybe it's what needs to be done this year. idk. what do you think?

*ANOTHER* sinus infection?!?!?

omG this is, i think, the fourth sinus infection I've had in what feels like as many months. good RIDDANCE!!!! ds and i are both sniffling away, sinuses plugged, and i'm praying and hoping it doesn't go into our eustachian tubes again. ear infections are so awful!! i don't know what's bringing these sinus infections on... i mean, my diet is so much healthier than the average person's, imo, and so is ds's. so what's up with the sinus infections?! i know i haven't been in that daily exercise habit, and that's probably got something to do with it. also, i got to thinking today that it's something psychically with my sixth chakra... why the repeated blockage, i don't know. if you can shed some light on this, *please do*.

And it snowed today! not just a little; we probably got 6 or 8 inches of snow! *highly unusual for our area* it was such a shock; yesterday it was sunny and the crocuses were in full bloom, and today they're buried beneath the snow. dh & the kids made the coolest snowman - he's wearing sunglasses and has his beach towel and flippers and is ready for the beach, but looks rather grumpy about the snow. LOL I'm not sure how long the snow will last, but at least the roads are clear - we drove about 160 kms tonight and had no problems at all, 'though we saw *several* vehicles in the ditches. I should be more confident in inclement weather; after all, I have AWD and brand new all-season tires, but honestly, I am scared silly about driving in snow. I strongly dislike the idea that if something goes wrong I'd have to be the responsible adult, I'd have to stay calm and care for my children. It's such a ridiculous notion; I mean, I'm the lone adult with my children most of the time, and most of the time, I'm alright with it... especially when things are routine and we're in the confines of our comfort zone. But when things go outside that zone - like inclement weather, for example - well, that sends my stress levels high. Especially seeing other vehicles in the ditches. Not terribly reassuring for my frazzled nerves and creative imagination! LOL Ahhh well, we made it home just fine, and I think it's important for me to go outside that comfort zone when the opportunity presents itself. We could've stayed home today, but chose not to. It's important for me to have good experiences outside the comfort zone, to build my confidence that I can, in fact, handle stressful situations... even if it is something minor like driving in snow.

well, this sniffly mama's off to bed.
*namaste*

terrific tuesday!

My nephew's 4 today! happy birthday, buddy! :D miss you!!!

we all woke up fighting the *slightest* of colds. unusual, but alright, whatever. i confess i hadn't even thought of taking oil of oregano until just now. i just ignored it all day; it was so slight it wasn't worth my attention, really, but it's definitely *something*. :P

BEAUTIFUL sunny day today, albeit cold... like around 3C. brrrrrr. (oh shush up if you're on the prairies already) It *tried* to do this funny snow-freezing rain thing briefly (very briefly) but mostly just sunshine all day. Somehow, though, we spent part of the afternoon inside at the kitchen table. dd's decided to make a family tree on poster paper and is drawing and cutting out little circles for every person, their picture and name in the circle. Very cute. ds prefers playing piano to practising his penmanship but its a necessary evil these days it seems, so he was completing workbook pages.

Tai chi this morning was great. Do you know I've done it daily for over a week now? It feels great to do even just one set each day... usually either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I am loving the movement in the spine, loosening things up in there, releasing tension. Feels soooooooo good. I managed to make it for about half of the continuing class and then taught for an hour. Instructing is so rewarding. While we practised today I listened as everyone's feet stepped in unison into the next position. *bliss* And to think that about 6 weeks ago, they were just starting, and here we are, probably 25 or 30 moves into the set! They're doing really *really* well. Most enjoyable!

I've been a little more conscious the past couple days of my food intake. I don't usually write down ahead of time what I'm going to eat for the day, rather, I fly by the seat of my pants. Which I know isn't an advised plan of attack when it comes to people who have a tendency to overeating. I just kinda realized I'd slipped into overeating (even if it was raw), and wanted to be a little more aware of what I was ingesting. I've started making smaller quantities of smoothie - 1.25L instead of 2L. It makes a big difference. However I still feel like I'm overeating. It's really hard to become aware of our emotional state in regards to food, and to curb ourselves from reaching unconsciously for food. Today I realized even chewing gum is a mind-numbing thing.

The other part of the equation is that I'm just not active daily like I have been. I've struggled to get myself back into a daily exercise routine. Tai chi is not enough for me, although its benefits are wonderful, for sure. I just think as humans we have become (generalization here) very sedentary compared to our ancestors, and it's not to our benefit. Well, I'll work to get back to that place of daily movement. I'll learn to embrace it yet.

Grateful for Life and its abundant blessings
~n~

natural body care

Just wanted to share what I've found to be good, natural alternatives to chemically-laden commercial body-care products. I started looking for alternatives when I came across the idea (not mine, so I won't take credit where it's not due, lol) that you shouldn't put things *on* your body that you wouldn't put *in* your body.

Shampoo: use baking soda. I use about a tbsp or maybe two. Mix it into a paste in my hand, continue as usual. (dd was helping me fill the various b soda glass jars today and while my back was turned, stuck a wet finger in to taste it. She says it tastes horrible. LOL)

Conditioner: apple cider vinegar, usually with 3-5 drops of essential oil (one of: lemon, orange, lavender, tea tree). again, i use about 1 tbsp and put it in a glass jar. when i'm ready to use it, i fill the jar up with water and pour over my hair. i find it works well on my hair (which is not coloured, btw), but on my daughter's hair, which is VERY long and quite CURLY, it doesn't do the trick. for her, i haven't found a good alternative to commercial conditioner, and furthermore, while it's in her hair, *that's* when i brush her hair. seems to work much better than brushing *after* the bath.

Soap: i have a wonderful, organic coconut soap that's available through rawfoodsooke. love it.

Deoderant: i don't usually wear any, to be honest. i have an organic, natural brand that is lemongrass scented that i do wear sometimes. and i also have a popular/commercial brand that is baby-powder scented that i wear only when i'm going out for a formal evening... to its credit, it does work. But it has things in it that i'd rather not put on my body on a regular basis. i have tried just rubbing b soda on and yes, it does work, but that's an every-day kind of thing, imo, not a going-out for a formal evening out option. thankfully, formal evenings out are rare around here. ;)

Toothpaste: At the moment, I'm using a mint toothpaste that is a natural, but popular, brand (like the natural deoderant). Sometimes I just use baking soda. Some people I know use a neem toothpaste and swear by it. Others use tooth 'shreds'; I haven't seen them available in Canada but would be curious to try things other than what I'm currently using.

Moisturizer: A few years ago I really liked Aveda's sensitive skin moisturizer. Most of the time now, though, if I use any at all, I'll use cert org extra virgin coconut oil. Or a little EVOO. And on my lips, at the moment I'm really enjoying a Burt's Bees lip balm.

That's about it. I hardly ever wear make-up; maybe a dozen times each year, if that. (so yes, i do have some, but even then, it's a pretty simple routine: foundation, powder, lipstick, and *sometimes* mascara, which I find irritates my eyes terribly). Usually I only wear make-up because my face (cheeks) have moments where they flare up from what i've been told is roseacea. I actually have little burst blood vessels in my cheeks that never go away. Someone suggested laser treatments could reduce or eliminate them, but i'm not keen on that at this moment. So when we're headed for a formal evening out, I choose make-up over having to go through the evening explaining my skin.

I'm really a pretty low-maintenance person. I buy baking soda in bulk through the food co-op, as well as apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and olive oil, and soap. Funny when I think about it, though, because when I was 18ish I was soooooo high maintenance with my fake nails and highlighted hair and daily make-up and on and on. yeesh. good riddance!!! (i should try & find a picture somewhere... or, maybe not.)

The raw food order is going in tomorrow and there are a few more items available: http://rawfoodsooke.blogspot.com

A nice week. It was dd's birth day, then dh's birth day... and lots of tai chi. Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, and today. I think I also may have done a little on Wed, too. Hard to remember.

Today I made some curry nori sticks to put in the dehydrator, as well as some (raw) pizza crusts. I hadn't had nori sticks in quite a long time, but picked up a 3-pack while on my way to tai chi yesterday (as well as a shot of wheatgrass... which I can now swill in my mouth before swallowing! *progress* - no gagging, LOL)... anyways, the nori sticks were *so* good, so I made some walnut curry pate and then some sunflower curry pate this morning, wrapped up some, and they're happily dehydrating now.

Spent most of the day outside with dd - she played on the trampoline (well, I came and lay with her and watched the clouds float by for a while, too) while I cleaned the chicken coop, washed the car, and moved dirt. ;) We blew bubbles and she & the dog chased them and listened to the spa channel on the radio of the car. It was so cute; she said chasing bubbles with the spa music on made her think of fairies and magic. so sweet!

Work for dh is crazy right now - somehow they've got themselves into a position where they only have 70% of the staff that they need to fill all the shifts, so there is plenty of opportunity for overtime... and it looks like it will be this way 'til at LEAST early fall, likely 'til the end of the year. I imagine most of the remaining staff will experience some degree of burn out before then. :( Being an essential service you'd think whoever's in charge of staffing would see the challenges facing this office.

I can see some assistance is needed mediating the play behind me, so good night. I'll be back another day.

raw food bulk order - going in monday 21st @ noon

if you're interested in ordering anything, here's the link:
rawfoodsooke.blogspot.com

Things on my mind...

Things on my mind today... (consider yourself warned)

• relationships with our fathers. Just in general, really. And nothing specific that I'm thinking, I'm just observing people and their fathers, and listening to people talk about their relationships with their fathers. I'm just finding it interesting. And my thoughts go out to those who struggle in their relationships with their fathers, as they struggle for peace and healing, acceptance, and unconditional Love.
• I was trying to figure out why I'm so passionate about growing my own food. Or more generally, why I feel the need to take the bull by the horns, as it were, when I see things that aren't right in the world. When I see something that needs fixin', I generally jump right in and start fixing (sometimes without consulting anyone else to see if anyone's tried anything already). And I wondered why, for example, when I was a kid and picked raspberries for a summer job (as well as delivering newspapers daily), my dad said something to the effect of, 'get your fill of hard, physical, outdoor work so that you'll remember that, and go off to college and get a good job'. Something to that effect, anyways. And so I *did* get a degree, but the office didn't bring me a sense of fulfillment. And I asked myself why, over the past decade, have I become more and more passionate about food security, about the connection we have with our food, with the farmers, supporting the local economy, and so on? I wondered the other day why we don't value farmers more highly? Why is farming looked down upon? Why do we all think it's just sooooooo much work? ('too much for me', we think. 'Let someone else grow my food.') That it's something we only did when the 70's oil crisis peaked? Not something we do because of a love for the Earth, or an appreciation of great-tasting food, or simply because the very act of tending for another species brings us joy?
• I've been reading Toby Hemenway's book about permaculture (Gaia's Garden, 2nd ed). I'm not far into it, but what strikes me is the idea that we, as humans, can coexist with other species. That our gardens don't need to be tidy little plots of foods for us, but nothing for other species. That it doesn't have to be an inordinate amount of work on our part to grow our own food. I like the idea of planting things all mixed together. I'm not describing what I'm experiencing as I read it well, but I hope to expand on my thoughts on this in the future.
• 'Invasive' plants or 'opportunistic' plants. Is Scot's (or Scotch, as I tend to call it) Broom an invasive plant? Or simply opportunistic? What about alders, salmon berries, salal, and oregon grape? These are plants that come in once the soil has been disturbed. But who's doing the disturbing?! Humans. *We're* the invasive species!
• And on a completely different note, there's the strange dreams I've been having lately: two nights ago I got shot in the neck in one dream??? and last night I was in an auditorium, watching something like the golden globes or emmys live (weird since I don't watch tv), and then this gang broke into the auditorium (fwiw they were wearing pink satin jackets, LOL) and they GASSED everyone who was left. my dd & I were there, and I awoke suddenly as soon as I realized the gas was not just the 'fog' they put for special effects. disturbing dreams, to say the least.

Anyhow, that's generally what's on my mind this moment.

Love and Light to you,

~n~

happy valentine's day!

it's my daughter's 7th birthday today (her picture's here). she had a wonderful party yesterday surrounded by family and friends... AND the weather cooperated (no rain!). The kids played outside on the trampoline and also inside (pin the fairy on the flower!) and had a barbie cake (picture to come) and a great time.

i have been feeling under-the-weather for several days now... i realize it came on slowly starting about a week ago - a general digestive upsettedness that i ignored fairly well until the weekend. I am alright during the day but towards evening I crash. Saturday night I was asleep by 9 and last night by 8:30. *not* like me at all. *sigh*

wishing you a very happy valentine's day. may the year ahead be filled with an abundance of Love in all its expressions for you.

a peek in the pantry

I feel like I didn't get a whole lot accomplished today, but in retrospect, it was all good. dd played at a friend's while I taught tai chi, and the class is going really really well. I picked up our food co-op order afterwards and got to meet my friend's new puppy, who (of course) is adorable. Husky/Shepherd/Collie cross; 14 1/2 weeks old. very sweet puppy. and smart. I came home and had good intentions of getting out and doing yardwork (it was overcast but not raining) but ended up playing duets with my daughter on the piano (*most* enjoyable!) and hanging out at the table while my son did workbook pages. We put his hanging shelf unit back up (it fell down when the roof was getting fixed; those roofers were thumping around up there, and i'd (foolishly) only used 1/2" screws to install the shelf. Today I put 2" screws in and it's not going anywhere now!). Got all his books and stuff back onto the shelf and generally tidied his room. Got myself mentally in order for the weekend; it's dd's bday party on Sunday and I still have to clean the house, make the cake, prepare food and put goody bags together. There's time, right?!? (she said, hoping...) I'll start the pre-party-panic tomorrow. LOL That's what it's known as around here: PPP. "You in full PPP?" "Sure am." So really I'm feeling like the only 'task' that got done today was putting ds's shelf back up. It's not much (considering the multitude of unfinished house maintenance tasks), but it's a step in the right direction. We'll have to tackle dd's room tomorrow. There's paper dolls, stuffies, pretend food, tea party stuff, Barbies, Polly Pockets and more out at the moment. All in a space that measures 8'x16'. What I neglected to mention was all the housework and little things I did today - laundry, dishes, caring for the animals, etc., etc. So really it was a productive day... if it's important to measure productivity, that is. LOL

On a completely different note, (lol) I've started washing my hair with baking soda. I've been rinsing with apple cider vinegar (and a few drops of essential oil: lemon or orange usually, sometimes lavender) for a while now, but switching to baking soda for washing is new. So far it seems to be working quite well for my hair. I also read that baking soda can be used in place of deoderant, among its many varied uses. I generally buy a 10 lb bag of b soda through our food co-op.

As you know, I eat raw vegan, for the most part. My son is vegetarian and dd and dh are omnivores (although dd eats vegetarian at least 50% of the time). So our cupboards and fridge really do have quite the variety of foods. From time to time it's good for me to reflect on just what I have in the house that's "my" food, and I thought I'd share what's on the shelves/in the fridge at the moment, in no particular order: (all organic unless otherwise noted)

• maca powder
• kelp flakes
• raw nori sheets
• raw agave
• extra virgin coconut oil
• extra virgin olive oil
• goji berries
• incan/goldenberries
• purple and white mulberries
• dried mango
• dried apricots
• dried cranberries
• thompson and golden raisins
• currants
• black sphinx dates
• dried plums
• dried cherries
• raw cacao nibs
• raw cacao powder
• cacao butter
• whole cacao beans
• carob powder
• himalayan salt
• pacific sea salt
• dulse
• acerola cherry powder
• acai berry powder
• chlorella powder
• spirulina powder
• wheatgrass powder
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• hemp seeds
• chia seeds
• sesame seeds
• almonds
• walnuts
• pecans
• cashews
• brazil nuts
• brown flax
• golden flax
• flax crackers already made
• nutritional yeast
• sprouted almond butter
• dried figs
• sundried tomatoes
• coconut sugar
• buckwheat, including sprouted dried buckwheat
• kelp noodles
• sprouted trail mix
• nama shoyu
• vanilla beans and homemade non-alcoholic vanilla extract
• apple cider vinegar (as well as balsamic and white)
• some pine nut/red pepper salad dressing
• miso
• dried wild mushrooms
• dried stinging nettle
• whole hullless oat groats
• a large assortment of dried herbs and spices, as well as condiments like sweet chili sauce, pickled ginger, stone ground dijon mustard, etc.
• a variety of sprouting seeds, and a tray of half-grown wheatgrass

Then of course, there's the produce (about half of which is non-organic at the moment):

• bananas
• apples, org
• lime
• lemon
• ginger
• yam, org
• garlic, org
• onion, org
• broccoli
• carrots, org
• bell peppers (red, orange & yellow)
• cucumber
• cabbage, org
• celery, org
• mushrooms, org
• collards, org
• kale, org
• romaine lettuce
• oranges, org
• jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke, org
• tomato
• green onions, org
• kombucha (I have about 2L in the fridge, and also have two new batches on the go)
• some sprouted almond milk
• frozen berry blend (blackberry, raspberry, blueberry)
• frozen raw chocolates, raisin nut fudge with young coconut topping, and caramel bars

WOW! What variety!!! (And that's just off the top of my head; if I looked, there's probably more) I was saying to someone the other day how I have never been the person who's cupboards were bare. I'm no Mother Hubbard, that's for sure. Even in university, when everyone is so stereotypically poor, I always had food to eat. It's one of my 'issues'. LOL But let's not open that can of worms! lmao

Suffice to say, there's plenty of variety available to me in terms of food. Plenty. I like that I have a variety of foods with which to create raw food entrees, although admittedly, I stick to a few staples, like green smoothies, nettle tea, chia pudding, salads, and trail mix. But if I *want* to, I have options. LOTS of options, by the looks of it. Time to get creative in the kitchen! ;D

feelin' the energy

I did two sets of tai chi last night before bed (and slept soooo well, btw) and one set this morning outside in the crisp morning air. I went to class tonight and left before doing a set with the class (I had my children with me) but I have to say that I am *really* enjoying tai chi! I am amazed at how I am feeling the energy flow through me as I practice. Bringing the hands towards each other, the energy intensifies, and when the hands pass each other, I can feel the energy so vividly. I feel it in my hands, and in my feet. It's a wonderful, beautiful feeling. One of the other women at class tonight remarked that I had this "sweet expression" on my face as I practiced; like I was off in another world. It's not that I was; quite the opposite - I was actually fully present in this world, in this moment! Quite absorbed in the moment. I do know what she means, though. Feeling the energy is something new for me in my tai chi practice and I am continually surprised and elated by the sensations.

I am beginning to grasp more fully how what I bring to the set, to my practice, is what I will get out of it. If I come to my practice bedraggled and stressed, I see quite clearly how this energy affects those around me in class. I also see how, if I relax into calmness and serenity, how this, too, permeates and affects the group's energy. So it's becoming a conscious choice as to what state of mind, of emotion, I will bring to the class, not only when I'm instructing, but also as a student.

Namaste'

Moving Forward

I feel like I'm making good progress outside. I've spent a couple hours each day for the past four days out there, pulling the Scotch Broom. (you should see the bonfire pile!) I've cleared our boulevard on one side of our driveway - it's about 50 feet long and about 10 feet wide. Well, nearly cleared. I uncovered a volunteer holly tree/bush that's about 4 feet tall and in good shape. There's a couple cedars, pines, and firs along there as well. I have a plan for moving forward now that the broom's cleared: lay down a double layer of cardboard (so the broom, salal, and salmon berries don't come back with a vengeance), then lay some chicken manure on mixed with the dirt (of which I have plenty in the yard). Purchase some cedar hedging and plant those - I may need 10 trees I think. Then I'd like to plant some rosemary or lavender in front of those and then wildflower mix in the ditch. That's the plan.

It's been so sunny that I've been taking advantage of the sunshine and have put aside indoor tasks such as cleaning, any kind of computer work, preparing for dd's birthday party, etc. Apparently it's supposed to rain this weekend so I'll have time to catch up then, perhaps.

Feeling blessed,
~n~

Broom Puller

I confess: For two days now I've been yanking Scotch Broom out of the yard, and yes, I plan on burning it. Not just composting it, but actually bonfiring it all. (there's lots!) I realize I may have gone a little nuts pulling the broom out - both yesterday and today my knees ache from using the broom puller tool. Pulling broom is no easy task. Well, it is if you get them out when they're small, but seriously, some of these plants were over 6 feet (2m) tall! I realized today there's just been so many excuses over the past 13 years... having babies to care for, and then there's the whole 'it's-just-too-hard' excuse. Ahh, but it feels sooooo good to get these invasive plants out of the ground. I still have another patch to go (well, at least one), probably another good day's work (if it's sunny, that is, LOL - me, the fairweather yard worker)... and then it's onto the field where the broom are also out of control.

Umm, soooo... does anyone know how to get rid of salal?!?

Food Security

I went out to the Victoria Film Festival tonight, to the world premiere of Nick Versteeg from DV Cuisine's newest film, Food Security: Simple and Safe, It's in Your Hands. It was a sold out show, and we saw people outside the theatre who had shown up on the off-chance tickets would still be available. So people really wanted to see this film!

I have previously seen another of Nick's films, Island on the Edge. Also about food security, it detailed the precarious position that Vancouver Island (and the Gulf Islands) are in when it comes to supplying local inhabitants with local food. I've heard the sobering statistic many many times that our island, as big as it is, only has a 3-day supply of food, should anything (natural disaster) disconnect us from transporting in food. Three days.

I'd really enjoyed seeing Island on the Edge, and the Q&A following with Nick. It was shown as an Awareness Night film, a local monthly movie night of movies that are of importance to local community.

It was with excitement that I headed out to see Food Security tonight, and it did not disappoint. It was inspiring, with its stories from new, young, local, organic farmers. It was informative. It was beautiful, capturing the seasons at Versteeg's own farm, The Laughing Geese. And it generated discussion. The ride home with my friend was wonderful as we each shared dreams and plans for our properties... and broke things down into bite-size steps we can implement immediately. (I'm going to pull broom, and plant cover crops!!!)

I wish Nick and his latest film success. Food security is a topic he (and I) are obviously passionate about. Why would I want to grow my own food? Because I want to take responsibility for that; I don't want to put that responsibility entirely in someone else's hands.

Good luck, Nick!

callllllllm

So the Universe threw a curveball at me today: we were on our way to piano lessons when I suddenly had the first flat tire... ever. I realized tonight I've been driving two DECADES now and I've never EVER had a flat (at least, not that I can remember, LOL). To boot, we were waaaaaay down a single-lane, badly paved country road with no cell reception... which just happens to be about 400m from the piano teacher's house. (thank-you, Loving Universe!) So I walked the children to their lesson, used her phone to call a tow truck (um, ya, I kinda remember Dad teaching me how to change a tire... 20 years ago. But having no experience in these matters since, I figured that's what the insurance is for. So suck up the pride and call, right?!)... They were there within 20 mins and had it changed in less than 5. Now see? It would've taken me at LEAST that long to take the tire off, let alone put the spare on, not to mention it was raining, too. LOL (thank-you, wonderful tow truck drivers!) The funny thing is, I wasn't stressed about it. It was this fun (and funny) adventure. The tire was fixed before the kids were finished piano, so it didn't put me out timing-wise (Thursdays are tight with timings, too). I zipped them over to the rec ctr so one could skate while the other swims (I am a multi-tasker extraordinaire!), and I then zipped (yes, zipped) over to the tire shop to have them repair it...

So the young feller there brings the tire in and says, well, this is the hole. (It's a 4" gash on the sidewall - OOPS) And this is what caused it (piece of... well, not bark mulch, but kinda looked like it... about 6" long, 4" wide and an inch thick? it was fairly large. and was clearly not a nail). So the tire is unrepairable. And being AWD, guess what? You can't just replace ONE tire, oh noooooo... no, you have to replace all FOUR. I'm sorry... did you just say all FOUR for one flat?! So that will cost in the neighbourhood of... *gasp*

*breathes deep. waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy deep*

and laughs.

So I go back, pick the kids up, grab them each a veggie sub & a water and we're off to tai chi class for a couple hours (which was awesome, btw). I'm still on my spare, but in the end, well, maybe the tire store can find a used single tire tomorrow instead of having to replace all four. Maybe the tires are still under the vehicle's warranty. Maybe there's just no sense worrying about that which i have no control over. Sometimes it's just better to laugh.

dd reminded me that it was like my dream two nights ago. I was coming out of a mall, across the parking lot, and there were cars all around me up on blocks with their tires missing. I look across and my car, too (same freakin' tire, if you can believe it) is off the vehicle and it's up on a jack and the back door is up/open... I wouldn't have made the connection but that's exactly today: the driver rear tire off the vehicle, the back door was open, two men (two truck drivers) - who thankfully, unlike in my dream, did not beat me over the head with a crowbar and steal my stereo and change and run away. LMAO see why i don't share my dreams?!? LOL

All I know is whoever's behind it all... (the universe, I mean) - God or whatever you want to call "It"... has a GREAT sense of humour.

*LOVELY* week!

Maybe this'll come across kinda Pollyanna-ish, but life ROCKS right now! (The sunshine for 2 days helped tremendously, I think) I feel really grounded and centered. I feel very connected to Spirit, and I'm reflecting on how I am in various relationships in my life and am consciously letting go of that which no longer serves the relationship well. Makes for great conversations when we can connect deeper with a Loved one. I'm eating mindfully, gratefully. The hike on Tuesday was great and although I did hear that some of the others were tremendously sore the next day, I felt great Wednesday morning. Wednesday I went to the chiropractor and had a good adjustment. But I'm still reeling off the weekend tai chi workshop.

Yep, life's great. Today I'd been hoping to pull scotch broom and get outside in the sun, but alas, it's raining again... more than a heavy mist but not like our usual west coast rain. An inside day.

I'm making raw apple crumble today. The kids have been playing piano and reading books and are watching Little House on the Prairie. We decorated one kitchen window for Chinese New Year (made paper lanterns and cut out decorations), and hung Valentine decorations on the other. Looking very festive in here! Other than that, we're working on the plans for dd's upcoming birthday party. We were thinking of offering face painting; I think the kids will enjoy that. And dd's hoping to play pin the wings on the fairy, a game she was given for Christmas. :) That's about as far as the plans have gotten so far.

Blessings,
~n~

greetings from the birthday girl...

i'm not quite officially 36 yet... i was born later in the evening than this... but yep, it's my Birth Day and it's been great!

i had a green smoothie for breakfast and then headed off to tai chi class... attended an hour of the continuing class and then taught for another hour. Came home, made lunch for the children, packed up a cup of sprouted trail mix, a banana and an orange and a cup of chia pudding (deeeelicious) and headed off for a hike. we hiked with friends (5 other homeschooling families) and went for 3 HOURS, half of which was straight uphill!!! We were truly blessed with a beeeeeautiful sunny day and some GORGEOUS views of Juan de Fuca straight from up those hills. The kids and I came home and flopped out for an hour. (We kinda flaked out on going to dd's ballet class. oh well) Went out for dinner with grammy & grampa... i had salad, chamomile tea and a piece of blackberry pie.

lots of birthday wishes came in from friends and family and i appreciate having each and every one of them in my life! i have so so much to be thankful for.

Where will I focus my time in the upcoming year?

• my health (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual)
• my relationships (with my children, husband, family and friends, with everyone)
• personal growth (going for that 'softness'... compassion and Love)
• connection to the earth (gardening, as one example)

That's quite the list. Not just a to-do list like 'finish the cob oven' or something tangible like that! So here's to the upcoming year! 36! Woo Hoo!!!