All posts in Life Keeps Changing

Withdrawal

by admin on July 6, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Life Keeps Changing, Little Things, The Jogger Within?, The Pet with 1 Comment
(A RELATED THOUGHT… or perhaps not… but wanted to share…
Everyday as I head outside I see these daisies… and many many more… all over my front lawn… SO IS LIFE, they seem to say to me… they are unplanned for and not socially acceptable all over my lawn… but… sorry neighbors they are the very reason I mow my front lawn infrequently. I far prefer these hearty and lovely little flowers to the sad brown grass that tries to survive under my glorious trees. I didn’t plan for my lawn to be any different from the neighbors but these little beauties are all that survives well and they are much prettier then what I would have controlled into being.)

Wow do I need to write!! I feel like all the fabulous moments my kids and I are experiencing are fading into oblivion without my having the ability to record and think them through on the family blog. Thankfully I haven’t needed a lot of de-stress blogging so I have been okay with letting this public blog lie… letting the sleeping blog lie… hmmmm, I like that… anyhow.

I need to be okay with the risk of memory lose as I have no personal computer to update so frequently. I need to just grab this summer by the… heat waves…. ??… and GO WITH IT! This is where life is right now! No computer for me and so I must cope with the blogging withdrawal and continue on.SUMMER, by the way, has been absolutely fabulous so far! The big kids are at camp and I am spoiling the smaller two. Garnet and I are getting lots of alone time and the dog is getting fun in the sun with an even more active me. I am not letting the specialist appointments slow me down. We, meaning Riddick THE DOG and I, are back to short jogs each morning and enjoying the energy boost that that provides.

(‘gasp’ a jogging photo… kinda… me right after a run, looking good cuz I took down my sweaty pony tail before picture was snapped, he he he)

There have been gallons of iced tea drank already, plenty of patio time, fun stops at parks, pools and more. The garden is doing super well in spite of the water ban. What else can I add? Going north to the grand folks with my crew next week and hope to put some deliciously northern snap shots on here soon enough and the fun continues after that trip with tea parties, camp for me and my two babies, a tenting weekend and swimming lessons.How will I cope with school starting again?

TTFN

You Shan’t Hear Me Singing “Rain, Rain, Go Away!”

by admin on June 17, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Book Flavor, Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing with No comments
Or “come again another day!” for that matter 🙂

( The little ones of the house have been lulled to sleep by the drumming of the rain out our windows. )

Thanking my God for rainy days right now. We are in the middle of a water ban, right after I planted my little garden plot, but the Lord has provided and even though my hands are tied about watering the baby seeds, there’s already signs of green life in my patch of dirt.

Oh, I can find many more reasons to be thankful for rainy days. Grey days reek havoc on my emotional state, whether I want to admit it or not, but when the clouds burst forth in rain I feel a weight lifted and I can be heard letting a deep down sigh of relief out. It is pouring so beautifully today that I can hear it all around me, though I sit happily dry and cozy in my living room. It caught us just coming home from more errands. The little ones and I got very wet very fast, giggles came naturally as the water streamed down our noses and through our hair. We laughed all the way to the back door.

Mostly I am thankful for the rain because it gives me a sense of relief… that it is okay to stay home and just enjoy my little house and my kids. I feel like it is a good excuse to just relax and read and drink tea.Today I am indulging in an audio book! I haven’t done this before but I couldn’t find a copy of C.S. Lewis’s ‘Problem with Pain’ in the library system, all they had was the audio book and so I grabbed it. I am actually very interested as to how it will go, lounging on the chaise, watching the rain, listening to the book read to me… I fear I will fall asleep simply because of the delicious comfort and peace of it all… and not because of the literature itself for I always find Lewis engaging. One isn’t forced to keep ones eyes open (or in my case eye) to enjoy the book when it is a recording.

Bits and bites about my years of fatigue and feeling rotten have ended up on my blog but I usually keep it about the weak days… I don’t like to talk about the anxious days. Fact is I seem to burn myself up on my good energy days and then I have a day or more where I just can’t move which is followed by feelings of inadequacy. Rainy days slow me down, give me permission to ignore my ‘go go GO’ mind and this is why I am truly thankful for the rain today.

On a more positive note, the ball is rolling in regards to my health and the health care system. Specialist appointments are popping up and I am relieved. They will likely lead to more and more appointments as we FINALLY work out not just the genetic disease I have, but the good bad day roller coaster I ride as well.

Thank you Jesus for rain, for how it brings me peace and makes my garden grow. Truly I planted the seeds but you made the increase! This daughter loves you so!

“when pain is to be born, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympathy more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all.”
~C.S. Lewis (The Problem of Pain)

TTFN

Beginner Jogger

by admin on June 15, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, The Jogger Within?, The Pet with 1 Comment

I have avoided calling myself a “jogger” for a long time… I kept saying I am just getting into it… just trying to be active, nothing more… but the fact is I can honestly say I now LIKE IT! I really do! It took the whole winter but I feel confident enough to call myself a jogger… or at least to be open to telling people I jog.

Steps to Jogging Confidence
(these are my steps… you know, what was in my head when I set out to master jogging… going from HATING IT to ENJOYING IT)

1) Proving to yourself that you are disciplined, that it isn’t just a fad and that you are not a fraud…

Joggers have a reputation. They are strong, disciplined and really passionate. I didn’t wanna be a joke and jump into calling myself a jogger too quickly, so this is why proving I had the discipline to keep it up was important to me. Started jogging shortly after getting our dog, Riddick, to keep him well exercised. When I started to see benefits in my health it became something for me too. I got up almost daily and jogged with my dog before the kids awoke (around six). I managed to maintain this for the whole winter. The discipline it took alone to getting up and out there made me feel pretty good about myself.

2) Being willing to be spotted jogging.

Long before jogging myself, I always spotted them. I followed their form and wondered about their style of run and their outfits… So going from early, and dark, morning jogs to doing it during the light of day was stressful for me. Thankfully I was able to start into this stage while still in my frumpy winter gear. I didn’t want to be spotted doing a shot-y job of what is called jogging. What if my running form looks like the funky chicken and I just don’t know?! Daylight brought out self confidence issues in the jogger me, but the harder step was letting the bulky winter wear go and dawning the work out gear for warmer weather

3) Buying and wearing those tight work out outfits.

I like mary janes (a type of shoe, flats) and dresses, big flow-y dresses… not a sporty girl… sooooo the sporty gear sure was intimating and felt so foreign when I started wearing it. I just had to tell myself over and over to stand up straight and suck it in baby!

It was also really hard for me to invest the cash on shoes that weren’t super cute. My very sporty biking husband informed the clerk “DON’T let her pick based on how they look!” The clerk informed him she had a lot of colorful types that no one else wanted and was more then thrilled to pawn them off on someone like me. This made me grin. They are as cute as sneakers can get, I assume, COLORFUL and very comfortable. (Pssst! Did I mention they match the little jogging skirt I had picked up just before the shoe clinic visit?! Don’t tell my husband!)

4) Jogging socially!

I have no idea why I put this off to last?!! Jogging with girl friends has turned out to be one of THE BEST parts of jogging! We have a beautiful river side city to enjoy and company really helps you go longer without getting side tracked. Is this why people get ipods and listen to inspiring music as they jog? I haven’t tried that yet, but since I am not a highly competitive sort I will often cut jogs short, when I am alone, because I get bored or my mind leads me on to other things and pretty soon I feel drawn away from my work out. Anyhow, the girls inspire me. I really look forward to our weekend jogs together! We have a beautiful route along the river and over a couple of the bridges. It doesn’t hurt that this route just happens to lead us to an award winning coffee shop at the end.

(The coffee!)

Well this is all I have for now. Ramblings of everything that has been bobbing around in my head since I started this adventure. I am a happy person in my body and all the more as I continue to exercise regularly.

P.s. Sorry, no jogging pictures of myself or my jogging pals… speaking of confidence… I don’t know about them but I don’t think I am ready for a jogging self photo on my blog yet:)

TTFN

2 Days Ago We Celebrated

by admin on June 12, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Life Keeps Changing, My Romance with No comments

Two days ago we celebrated our eleventh year of marriage. Just last year we had a big tenth vow renewal ceremony in a sweet little church with our children and our close family all around us. Perhaps it has kicked something off in our lives? Before last years anniversary Garnet and I usually found our anniversary a very uneventful day, due to being in the thick of the baby and toddler years. I feel like we have shook off those years with last years celebration. I was finally able to see the good side to baby years being memories and started to get excited about all the freedoms coming our way, as we let our children grow and teach them to be more independent of us.

This year, so many loved ones wished us well and encouraged us to really celebrate again. We where approached by many willing babysitters and a day of childless fun came together. We dined for breakfast, as that is our favorite meal, shopped where we can never normally go with four kids in tow (second hand book stores, hat stores, stores full of exotic breakable items) and then we gardened together. We talked, we fussed over one another and we felt so blessed to know our kids where happy and fine without us… thus we really relaxed and enjoyed the quiet, with only one anothers attention and touch.When my beautiful babies are babies no longer, far from my mothering reach, working on their own paths and life stories, I will have my husband still. I will hold to him, look at him, fuss over him with a bursting heart. It is a blessing to look into your mans eyes and still see your beau. He makes it easy for me; he hasn’t lost his sense of humor through all our hard times, he hasn’t lost that golden smile through the sad times and he hasn’t lost his love for me through my unlovable times.

I love you Garnet!

TTFN

Gardening and Love

by admin on June 11, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Foodie Like Me, Life Keeps Changing, My Romance, People In My Heart with 2 Comments
(My DAD and I.)

My parents surprised me with a short visit and a day of shopping for my garden plot. I was so blessed by them paying for my seeds and plants, as well as a few other garden supplies! What a gift! It is like our whole garden is now a living present from my mom and dad! My littlest two and I went out to the green houses with them a couple days ago and it was a lovely morning. It left me eager to get those plants and seeds in the dirt and I was super glad to find the time yesterday.Time to put on grubbies and get our hands dirty. Time to get our garden in for the summer!

What is as romantic as your man willingly helping you with the garden on your anniversary?! Garnet and I celebrated 11 years yesterday and four hours of that kid-less day (kid-less do to help from family) was spent in the dirt. At the end of it all my man mentioned what a great idea a community garden is and he even mentioned his interest in gardening has been peeked because of the community aspect. He found joy in gardening!! WIN:)

Here are all my plants, seeds and supplies loaded up in the bike trailer to be transported to the community garden down the street. Garnet took the dog and met me there. There was a great deal of work to do and I was super thankful for Garnets muscle and no kid distractions or interruptions while we got er done!

It was really special watching others working on their plots as we worked on ours, sharing the tools with neighbors and chatting it up with other gardeners as well as curious passers by!

We had to dig out our path ways (a rule of the garden committees) and then we had to set up our dirt and top soil for planting. We then put the plants in and finally got down in the dirt to get the seeds in. Finished off with a healthy watering and before we knew it it had been four hours of work and we where hungry and ready for supper.

FINISHED!

The advice mom and dad gave us was as valuable as the supplies! This garden was bought and payed for by people who love my man and I… and our kids, planted with the man I love (and who loves me) and grown to feed the kids Garnet and I love!

There where times this spring when I was sure the plot wouldn’t work out for me… I wouldn’t get one or if I did I wouldn’t be able to use it… well we have come a long way now. There is a lot more work ahead, to keep this garden healthy, but I am just so pleased with the sense of relaxation I get from gardening, the sense of community it brings being part of this big garden with many plots and with the love that brought the garden together… for me.

TTFN

Getting a Plot!

by admin on June 8, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Foodie Like Me, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Life Keeps Changing, The Pet with 1 Comment
(A view of the community garden from the top of our parks sled hill.)

Due to feeling off I missed the official PLOT MEETING where they presented all the garden members with their little pieces of earth. I thought perhaps I had lost my chance to be part of the community garden then but I got an email that if I could find the time to come by for some info and advice they had my spot. It is a grand spot too, 10 by 20 and smack in the middle of the garden. They have water hooked up all around the garden, a shed full of tools for our use and paths around each of the plots that they plan to make clear with wood chips soon. It is so pretty and it is just dirt so far! Can’t wait till it fills out with green plants and FOOD!There where already gardeners filling their plots! Even last night there where gardeners hard at work while we followed our cheerful noses around.

I had a good look around, played in my dirt for a bit and let the kids climb the near by trees. Riddick made friends with some residents of Sherbrook (the building right near the garden, they helped get this all started) and we all had a good look around before letting energy out by running up and down the sled hill a few times. We must have been entertaining to watch.

(Yes those are the oldest three rolling down the hill and my littlest guy doing his best to run without falling head over heals after them.)


After the good run around on the hill we headed to the park as a reward for the kids letting me do my thing at the garden.

It felt good to be out and about in the evening. To be active in our community on a lovely spring evening. I look forward to getting the kids settled in the evenings this summer and running over to fuss with our plot.

Sure hope I have lots of chances to bring the kids and Riddick as well so they can be part of it. If they continue to enjoy the bushes so much I might actually be able to keep them content while I work… gotta try picnics near the garden too and perhaps I will be able to at least get the older three involved in the work. So much to think about… hope I have a chance to get some seeds or plants A.S.A.P.!!

(Riddick and I watching the crew at the park before we headed home for bed time.)

TTFN

Get Going With the Pink Bike and the Trailer

by admin on June 7, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Contest, Four Little Eggs In My Nest, Life Keeps Changing, Little Things with 6 Comments
(Photo courtesy of my four year old and her knack for cutting my head of in pictures.)

I was THRILLED about the play date we had booked for this a.m. because it gave me a good reason to set up the bike and trailer and kick off using it this summer. I always wish I had more opportunities then I do each year to get it out! It will not be long before the kids are too big for it! Anyhow, play date was in our old neighborhood. I love this area for biking because of all the pretty cat walks. We had a lovely ride there but on the way back I was in a hurry, the wind was no longer at my back and the trek is up hill back home so I was pretty much warn out when we got back. I love my pink beauty but it sure doesn’t help that it has no gears at such a time.

CONTEST
Speaking of my beautiful ride, she needs a pet name! So I am putting it out there and starting a contest on both my blogs. If I get a good name idea, for my bike, from a reader I will send you a little something.

Align CenterHave a lovely JUNE day!

TTFN

Weary

by admin on May 30, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Life Keeps Changing with 1 Comment
Not the only woman to feel and become weary and wish to stop thinking and feeling for a bit but I am gonna just keep loving even though it hurts, for my own sake as well as for others. I am actually physically warn out though… as a result of the mental run around going on and the throbbing heart in my chest…

I look at my kids and my man and my dog and I remember joy and peace.

I resolve this week to look past the pain and do what I do because I like doing it!

I am going to clean up my house and do my laundry with blaring pumped up music, like I always do on Mondays.
I am going to go out and socialize with people who invest in my soul, as I often do on Tuesdays.
I am going to explore a park and the market with my littlest two, as I look forward to doing each Wednesday.
I am going to hang laundry in my pretty back yard and back bread in my cozy home, as I delight to do on Thursdays.I am going to find a coffee or tea date for Friday, as I tend to do; as if to wrap up my week with a treat.
I am going to try a little something new this week, as my adventurous side gets excited about, and start jogging with my dog again, as my practical side urges me to do… I AM GONNA DO!

Lol, just keep swimming, just keep swimming… wasn’t it a little blue cartoon fish who spoke those words of wisdom?

Bring on the week, the work and the fun can blur into one if I am moving with joints lubricated with love and joy in the Lord.

TTFN

A late ‘Marriage Monday’ on Moving

by admin on May 17, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, Marriage Monday, My Romance, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

Beyond applicable, I have to say! My brother and his family are in the middle of moving a couple provinces away. From observing their experience, and remembering ours, I have points of view to draw on that include children in the mix. However, I think my tip is good for even the grandparents in a move or the childless couples out there.

The biggest thing I can advise is YOU LET THEM COME TO YOU! Everyone who you feel you need to really connect with before you leave needs to come your way. Let them know and then let it go. It is far to frantic a time for you, to disrupted and strange for the children; the remedy to ease that chaos is to really internalize your gaze to your little family and let everyone come to you. Don’t sweat the goodbyes as there are no real goodbyes now a days with Internet, phones and skype. Hold your little family together and find all the time you can to give your spouse and your children direct and patient attention at this time. Everyone else can either join in or butt out, and I mean butt out in the most friendly manner possible:)

Just my two cents.

First Monday of every month at Chrysalis

TTFN

Romanticizing Memories

by admin on April 21, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, Mama Heart Mushings, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

No one had to tell me… I knew when I weaned my last baby that I would miss that stage of life. I had enjoyed pregnancy, birth, and nursing enough to know I would miss it, the nursing in particular… At first it was a hurt birthed out of fear of leaving the familiar behind. Now, with the advantages to this new stage in life obvious to me, the hurt has changed to a longing. Suppose it will always be a time of my life that has a sentimental and bitter sweet hurting to each memory from it. It would appear that I am getting close to being able to romanticize those years in my mind.

TTFN

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →