Beauty in Transition

Living in a country with four seasons has taught me to appreciate change and find the beauty and opportunity in transition. The splendour of the autumn foliage is the opening act for the blustery winter to come. It takes summer out on a high note and leaves us wanting when it finally recedes and all that remains are stark, naked trees and the gray chill of November.

If we take our queue from nature, we could trust the transitional periods in our lives that may be tumultuous and even painful, knowing that it's something that we have to go through to get through it.

So for now we celebrate each precious remaining sunny, autumn day with long walks immersed in golden and fallen leaves and deep blue skies; and give silent thanks for the gifts that come with change.

Winding Down

It was better than expected.
Nature's soothing balm for the soul.
From brittle stark, fresh tender buds of brilliant green emerge, slowly unfurling to face the sun.
A simple reminder that life begins anew; opportunities abound.

Message received. And as this weekend, the first vacation of the season, slowly recoils and winds down, I also wind down, grateful for the rest, ready to face all that awaits. Another week of living fully, and in the moment.

And I whisper a quiet prayer of thanks.

Prelude to Summer

What a difference a week can make. When we were up at the cottage last weekend the landscape was dull and beige with not a hint of green in sight, nothing - with the exception of the evergreen trees. It was as though springtime was in hiding, camouflaged as November.

With the first long weekend upon us, the weather forecast was not promising with very cool temperatures and high probability of rain expected. Hubby and I debated whether we should stay or go north to  the cottage. We both needed a respite from busytown and threw caution to the wind.

To our disbelief the highways, typically jammed on a Friday of the long weekend (or any Friday for that matter), were free and clear. We soared unencumbered to our place of peace.

The first night was a frosty 3 degrees Celsius - and that was inside! We plugged in the heater and stoked the fire and with the help of my wool socks and fleece, I finally got warmed up.

Saturday was a little cloudy and chilly but by late afternoon the sky cleared and it warmed up. Today was spectacular. The lake sparkled like a bedazzled blanket of blue and the sun shone all day high in the cloudless sky. Even the buds on the trees were coaxed out of hiding, and by the end of the day, you couldn't help but notice the greenery showing through. We ate our dinner out on our deck as the blue jays, chickadees and other birds and squirrels serenaded us. The lake was quiet, devoid of the usual cottagers.

Hubby and I took a drive into the nearby village of Magnetawan and gave Fritz a stroll. With the area having a harsh winter of frigid temps and over seven feet of snow, the water levels are high wherever we look. Rivers run freely over the dams crashing into already saturated lakes. Boat houses sit low in the water and trees stand in ponds. I snapped a few shots to share. Hopefully over the next month or two the water levels will reside and the trees can recover.

We are so fortunate to have this retreat, this chance to commune with nature and be inspired by its glory. All in all it was indeed a peaceful weekend and an exciting prelude to the summer ahead.

End of Week End

Thank you sun for showing up, coming out, and shining so brilliantly. I needed you! Your presence made every chore a pleasure. Okay, maybe I am getting a little carried away - but everything is better when the sun is shining.

With cottage season almost upon us, our time to get things done around the house and yard is sparse so we made good use of this weekend to catch up and get things in a respectable state so we can enjoy our weekends up North. Hubby ripped the weathered old top off the pool and worked all day to transform the pool of algae into an alluring oasis for more than the mosquitoes. I declared war on the overgrown shrubs and bushes with a pair of rusty cutters I discovered in the garage. I flew into action snipping, cutting, and ripping out the excess, piling it high on the lawn behind me. I couldn't wait to show hubby my enthusiastic effort to assist in restoring our yard to our former glory. So when he emerged from house after eating his lunch to tell me that he needed the pile out of the way so he could mow the lawn - my pride quickly shifted to panic. He told me not to rush - that he was starting with the front.

I soon realized that I had gotten more than a little carried away and I considered crawling under the four foot high pile I'd created. But the old competitive "I can do it" attitude kicked in and I made like a whirling dervish cutting the branches down to size and stuffing them into the yard waste bags, finishing just as hubby rounded the corner. He smiled widely and said "wow, you did it!"

We took a break and relaxed under the breezy canopy, and surveyed our work. We agreed that we are lucky to have the beautiful home we have and although it requires lots of work, it really is a labour of love. Lucky us. Poor muscles and bones. But thankfully - I have Aleve! And so goes another end to our week end. It's been a good one; a sunny one - and everything is better in the sunshine.

Finger Lickin'

The homey aroma of garlic and savoury met us at the door and triggered my "I'm starving" reflex. Dinner at the in-laws! Papa Pete was dressed in his "going out for some "air" outfit - sweatpants, tee shirt and toque pulled down past his eyebrows - as he took our coats. I couldn't help but smile as he cracked, "at least it'll keep the girls away".

It had been a while since we'd been together and I was looking forward to the visit. MIH's sing-song greeting came from the dining room where she was immersed in all things baby shower. She's about to  realize her dream of becoming a grandma to a newbie and her excitement is palpable and ever present.

It's been about five or six weeks now since I made the commitment to myself to eat healthy and consciously and to my surprise, it's been easy. By filling up on nutrient rich foods, I no longer have the desire or need to snack on empty calories. I live by the mantra - make every calorie count, and it's worked. I have lost just over 10 pounds and a few bellies but what has got me most excited is how my clothes are fitting -- they fit! No more deep inhales before buttoning my pants or a few muffin toppers  above the belt. I feel stronger and fitter.

That being said, I couldn't wait to chomp on the comfort food that Papa Pete is famous for. With nostalgic tunes singing from the AM radio station, hubby applied his techno wizardry to his mom's new computer, and Papa Pete and I chatted - my eyeballs sucking in the sight of the boiling ribs, marinating chicken, and corn and cob. It was all I could do to keep the drool under check.

Then it was dinner time! The ribs were served up dripping in barbeque sauce with a side of extra spicy and I swapped my chicken with hubby for more ribs. I lost myself in the meat, ravenously gnawing, chewing and licking my sticky fingers, containing all conversation to occasional "mmmmm's" and "oh my God these are delicious". I was in flavour heaven and all I left on my plate were the bones - stripped clean.

What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday night. No fighting (we made politics off limits!) - no awkward lapses of dead air - just lively laughter and chatter, and glorious eats on a platter!
What more could a girl ask for ... a great family and great eats.

I stepped timidly onto the scale this morning convinced that the five pounds of meat I devoured would be reflected in the weight -- but glory be, I dodged a bullet and was exactly the same as the morning before! And for that and all of the above, I am truly grateful!

The Miserables

We dined on movie theatre pizza washed down with a side of popcorn and coke. Don't think we covered any known food groups in the process, but it was a necessary evil if we wanted to catch an early flick after work, and before my bedtime. 

Hubby agreed to see Les Miserables with me -- or as he calls it -- "The Miserables". He thinks the French pronunciation sounds pretentious...  It was a big deal to get him out to this movie (even though it was pay back for The Hobbit) as he despises musicals, when, as he puts it, actors suddenly burst into song "for no apparent reason". He persevered and even I couldn't contain my giggles at one point when they "suddenly burst into song for no apparent reason". I swear I saw him tapping his foot or perhaps it was just an uncomfortable twitch.

The movie was as triumphant as the stage production - yielding tears, gasps, the occasional laugh via the comedic relief, and more tears. The tale is a tragedy of mammoth proportion; a story of love, forgiveness, and devotion. The music was simply wonderful - large and inspiring and the acting was superb. Hugh Jackman carried the film and Anne Hathaway's performance was epic. Shall I go on? Can you tell I enjoyed the film -- enough to bellow out the main theme song in the theatre parking lot (mainly to irk hubby).

Sitting now by the fire with my crazy schnauzer curled up at my feet, I'd say that it's been the perfect close to the week. And I am feeling anything but miserable.

"Take my love. For love is everlasting. And remember. The truth that once was spoken. To love another person. Is to see the face of God."   lyrics from Les Miserable finale

Weekly Roundup

Time to breathe.

In the past week I've been to the East Coast and back; met a heroine of mine; got and fought the flu; held the hand of a surviving grand lady; wrapped my arms around the neck of another who is thriving; celebrated the birthday of my daughter; wished my "ex" a happy one too; offered a little TLC to my ailing hubby; and walked with my sister and Fritz through the forest, in the fresh autumn air. I made long and short distance connections with my daughters and parents - and ended my Sunday with spaghetti and meatballs.

I love my life! My heart lightens with every conversation, call, and connection. And really, isn't that what life is all about -- human connection. I am fortunate in that I live immersed in and surrounded by loving souls. I have lots of people to check in with and my phone rings often. What a sweet sound - love calling (except for those guys trying to sell me windows and doors). 

I got a chance to meet Barbara Coloroso in Halifax last week. She wrote a book, "Kids are Worth It", more than twenty years ago that saved my parenting @ss.  Kidlet got the full benefit of the wisdom I garnered from the book but it was a lifesaver for me. Ms Coloroso was speaking at the conference and I was able to tell her how much she meant to me and my family. This tiny, feisty lady packs a punch that belies her diminutive stature. "If I had known how much fun being a grand parent would be, I would've skipped parenting!" Yup - she's funny too. 

And the bonus, icing on the cake, was to wake up and, only after I finished my morning coffee, discover I had forgotten to turn my clock back; an hour in my pocket.

So after a long, full day I will go to bed with visions of elections dancing in my head. Life is good, and for that I am truly grateful.

Winding Down

Summer has faded quickly and fall is anxious to take the stage. With only a few weeks in the season left, hubby and I are making sure to spend every moment possible at the cottage. We had lots of company this weekend and with the rain and damp driving everyone inside, the cabin was bursting with family. A fire roared in the fireplace; wine uncorked; steak grilled; and loads of chatter completed the picture. I slept fitfully knowing that my loved ones were just next door and the newlyweds were tucked away in the bunkie.

The local fall fair went on as planned despite the fowl weather; you can't keep country folk down. We donned rain gear and trudged onwards -- afterall, the pink goat and 700 pound pig awaited!

Autumn in Canada is a magical, mystical time; the transition to the cooler season presents its own brand of beauty, and is a much loved "opening act" for winter. I thought I would share yet more glimpses of our weekend up north.

In the pink

This ain't no beauty contest!

Why can't we come?

The migration begins -- overhead -- look closely.

A little rain didn't stop the dockside fishing

Morning mist

Autumn colours creeping in

Friday Nights

Friday nights are delicious; best consumed slowly, leisurely in small bites to make them last. It is the end of the week; the beginning of the weekend. Time to exhale and just be for a few hours before facing "must do's". It's a seemingly unproductive evening but frankly, I'm spent and it's enough just to wrestle these power surges - sweater on - sweater off - sweat -  cold - sweat.

It's been a great week - there were many gifts: impromptu dinner with sis at Dad and T's (homemade stew and date squares), new job for daughter (one she's been wanting), lunch at the gym three times this week,  two more pound  gained (and it darn well better be muscle!), more followers for Soul Snax (now one shy of this blog), weekly giving sorted out (blog post to follow),  bonding with Kidlet over Stephen Lewis and feminism, a quarrel and make up, snuggles from hubby, and laughter at work.

With Fritz in my lap, my hair piled on top of my head, bleary eyed as I type this post, I have a famjam to look forward to this weekend. Kidlet is having a birthday. So I see potato leek soup and mashed potatoes (her favourites) in my near future.

So I've managed to stretch out my Friday night into an oasis of peace, donning a cloak of calm, shedding the rest like dirty laundry. The weekend awaits! Hope yours is delicious!

All Better!

huh um *clears throat* I'm back! After a three day horizontal holiday (cable tv is the pits by the way), burning through boxes of lotion-treated Kleenex (I'm worth it) and slurping enough cups of tea to float a boat - I am here to celebrate the virtues of NyQuil! I dispensed of my nasty ailment just in time to go to work today. I started off slowly but as the hours wore on, my cold wore off.

So I am back, better than ever. Just thought you'd want to know.  : )

And I am going to China. Did I mention that?

Closed for the Season

It's what we do here in  winterland -- we hibernate; bundle up; snuggle in and shut down -- or at least we try to. Hubby bribed dragged me out of our cave with promises of treats from the German deli. After sampling more samples than I ought to - but chocking it up to maintaining that layer of insulating fat we so desperately need to survive in the wild, we took a stroll on the boardwalk. Dr Doolittle chatted with the geese who had decided to forgo their trip south dummies and apologised to them for not having bread to share. And we wonder why they don't migrate...

The temps dropped to -12 C, confusing the creeks -- freeze or not to freeze -- and plunging us head on into our frigid winter, bypassing any fashion of acclimatization. It's not unlike having a bucket of cold water dumped on you without warning. I barely exchanged my umbrella for the ice scraper and snow brush but being the contingency planner that I am -- I was indeed prepared. Hubby was my willing partner in crime as I insisted braving the breeze off the lake to snap some "cold" shots - that is until the battery in my camera succumbed to the cold and my fingers lost all sensation. I took this as a sign to retreat to the cave, but only after replenishing all lost calories with a trip to the fish and chip shop.

After a four-hour duck into my Pop's place to roll his last three years and 600+ blog posts tidily into hardcover books and a glass or two of his finest fermented grapes, I am once again back in the cave, content and sufficed, bundled up and snuggled in and ready to shut down. Cause that is what we do here in winterland.

Weekend Wrap Up

Visit with my dad was brief this afternoon. He hasn't slept alot since his procedure and they had him on a tour of the facility today in his modest, open backed hospital issued gown for a plethora of tests: ultrasounds, x-rays, scans, blood work and the list goes on.  He was spent by the time he got back to his room but managed to organize us and his space for optimal comfort. We adjusted the TV, applied cold cloths, tried to slide his onto his side, exercised his leg, and arranged his water, eyeglasses, tissue, earphones within his easy reach. He has this hospital thing down pat. But we could see the weariness in his eyes from physical exertion, pain and little sleep, and kept our visit short.

Give a Little: I discovered a giving circle that awards $5000 grants to nonprofits working to make the world fair for girls. In the give a little spirit, I donated $5 to 5 for Fairness. Love this concept of accumulating and then dispersing critical amounts to organizations that the members of the circle vote on.

We wrapped up a busy day with family time with hubby's parents: roast beef dinner (compliments of Papa Pete) in a silvery, sparkly Christmas wonderland compliments of MIH.

The tree was up, candles flickered and the Christmas cactus showed off tiny pink buds that will burst into  a mighty shade of pink by Christmas. I wrestled Mr Tibbs the Shar Pei to the ground and he retaliated by putting my whole arm in his mouth for a mock chomp. Papa Pete served up his pot roast on platters -- each of us got our own platter -- followed by lemon cake. Comfort food!

Relaxing back on the couch admiring the sparkle, I could feel the stirrings of Christmas excitement. I think this year the best present I could get would be to see my Pops home safe and sound enjoying new found pain relief and possibilities.

So all in all, it's been an eventful weekend and tonight I am signing off with peace and hope in my heart and prayers for Dad and T for the challenges they will face in the coming weeks.

Thankful.

Platter full of comfort

Nosy Mr Tibbs 

MIH and Papa Pete

And That's the Kind of Weekend It Was ...

The clock says it is only 8:35 but I am fighting to keep my eyes open. Sleep beckons; clearly my body did not receive the memo about the time change.

It's been a good weekend with lots of time to reorganize, rake fallen leaves, wash bedding, talk wedding plans, visit and catch up with my kids, sis and parents. Weather-wise it was a perfect autumn weekend with bright blue skies and earthy coloured leaves still clinging to the branches. It's odd how some trees are still green, while others are dressed in various shades of gold. And then there are the trees that stand bare, having already shed their leaves. Where is the rhyme or reason?

I had ordered a documentary entitled "Triage: Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma" so I snagged hubby to watch it with me Saturday night. pay back for Howard Jones It did not disappoint. Maybe it wasn't the best choice for date movie night (eating as we watched footage of the genocide and refugee camps), however it left me with lots to process afterwards and reinforced my admiration for James Orbinski. I read his book An Imperfect Offering last summer and it made a lasting impression on me.

Health is going to be a keynote this month. My father-in-law is trying to get answers to some health issues and is awaiting results of the tests. My dad is preparing himself for the second take on his spinal operation near the end of the month. We'll all be logging in some hospital time this month and as I do, I will say a silent prayer of gratitude for the health care system in my country that makes it possible for all - regardless of economic standing - to receive the tests and treatments they need, at no cost.

If health is the overriding theme for the month, friendship will be the theme for the week with lots dinners out and catching up to do. And I wonder why I'm fat.

Post Publish Update: As he was out for his last "rest break" for the night, Fritz found himself nose to nose with our friendly resident skunk and yes, horrors of horrors, managed to get himself blasted once again. I cannot begin to describe the stench of our house, yet again!

Pups, Pregnancy and Pictures

What a relief to awake to sunshine today after a full week of dreary. A sunbeam streamed in the window, beckoning to me. So I left my nasty headache on my pillow and joined the day; I had a good feeling ... and rightfully so!

Another fur-ball joined the tribe. My almost thirty daughter she hates when I say that picked up her puppy this morning and brought it over for a Fritz inspection. Of course the precious little ball of fur with the button nose sucked us all in and we found ourselves cooing and speaking in high pitched baby voices. Fritz was skittish and confused. He went nose to nose with the pint-size while we held our collective breath, hoping he wouldn't pull a sudden lunge or nasty attack. But he didn't. It was as though he knew that this little one was harmless and needed a delicate touch. In mere moments, the little puppy was shadowing Fritz all over the house. So, so cute and endearing.

Next on my agenda today was a little photo shoot for a young couple expecting a baby in January. My Tender Heart friend is going to be a grandma and I offered to document the pregnancy. We headed to the lake on this perfect fall day and soon we had a little audience watching the loving young couple pose for me.   The banter between the couple was easy and affectionate; and I couldn't help but get caught up in the joy of impending parenthood. I teased them and cracked inappropriate jokes to try to ease them into the poses. We exchanged "when I was pregnant" stories and we laughed as the lingering audience tossed out little quips and advice. Just like puppies, everyone loves a pregnant woman ... and the possibility and potential she carries under her blouse.

It's been a while since I've done a photo shoot for someone else and I thoroughly enjoyed it even though my DSLR and I are in the process of getting reacquainted. It was a good day, filled with life -- fur, button noses, beaming faces, bulging bellies - other than mine - and photos. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

Meet Runyon - my daughter's pup 

Parents in waiting

Measuring the girth

Simply Perfect

It's been one of those days that I will file under "simply perfect". Mother Nature so generously bestowed some beautiful autumn weather, with warm brilliant sunshine haloing the gold and yellow leaves. I shut the furnace off and threw open the windows to let the fresh air blow through the house. I cleaned my fridge, made a call to update my dad on the election results, gloated over the Liberal victory with him and then dashed off to do my grocery shopping with my eldest girl.

I was feeling the abundance so I said "yes" to everyone who was collecting. I baked pumpkin tarts, made a brownie mile high cake and peeled everything that needed the outer layer removed. I stopped short of my neck. I filled vases with rustic bouquets and lit pumpkin spice votives and resisted the urge to eat them. Tomorrow we are having the family over for Thanksgiving dinner and I am almost ready. Tomorrow I will dust off the vacuum, declutter (dump everything into a laundry basket) the top of every flat service in the kitchen, make stuffing, and set the table. Hubby will coax the innards out of the turkey and work his magic on the 20 lb bird. My stomach just growled. I'm getting hungry.

I think I may have ingested half my daily calories in cake batter. I got to lick the spatulas AND the bowls ... and now you know what made this day simply perfect!  To my fellow Canadians celebrating Thanksgiving, I wish you a wonderful weekend and hope that you have someone you love to share the wishbone with.