All posts in Bits Of My Personality

The Avocado

by admin on March 14, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me with 1 Comment

No aversions to avocados in this house.  The kids have had little choice but to figure out how to enjoy it, as I keep introducing it in many different ways… and they have to cope and eat because Mom likes it so much.  We have enjoyed my ‘light quacamoli’ for years but this year I found a FAST fresh little side salad, that is so pretty and appetizing, even the kids enjoy.

AVOCADOS IN OIL

  • Slice up one or two avocados and spread out on a nice big plate.
  • Drizzle extra virgin olive oil gracefully over the fruit.
  • Squeeze some fresh lime juice over your salad.
  • Sprinkle with cilantro (fresh or dried) and sea salt to taste.

I can eat this as a meal unto itself it is so tasty.  It sure went nicely with the ‘Black Bean Salsa’ soup we had for supper tonight (see picture below).

Enjoy and eat!

TTFN

Moose Jaw Treasures

by admin on March 10, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Little Things with No comments

 I enjoy finding treasures with character, and I found character in Moose Jaw INDEED.  Feel free to check out the link to my post on our girl’s weekend RIGHT HERE!

Yes the phone in the photo above works.  This candle stick corded phone is an original.  Something this special deserves to be used so I have it set up in the kitchen and have put the cordless phones in other locations.

Winter is a fact of life here so why not cozy up with style?!  I was going to buy the pink cup cake mittens but thought these owl ones where way more mature (wink).  I do so like owls!

 So not a huge hall from my last trip, but all very special.  Most of the items where found in a cute little collectible antique place that I will have to visit every time I return to that wonderful little city called Moose Jaw Saskatchewan.

Happy treasure hunting!

TTFN

On A Quiet Day

by admin on March 8, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Foodie Like Me, Life Keeps Changing, Little Things, Mama Heart Mushings, People In My Heart with No comments

Rough start to the day, but these chocolate drop cookies, I had whipped up last night, where a slightly sweet invite back into the world of appetite.

The recipe is from my ‘Salem Church’ cookbook… a book that means so much to me personally (used to be my home church). Each recipe holds a name I usually recognition, a woman I know or knew of, this makes me smile and feel like they have shared them just with me… Never do the recipes taste as good, prepared by myself, as they did at the church functions, prepared by THE holder of the recipe…
It is a not much kind of day.  My littlest guy and I are in our pj’s and I am working on feeling better.  

Iron-man is keeping him company.  He is a big superhero fan and although we have cut down on most of the toys around here he sure enjoys the ones we kept.  His iron-man toy used to be his big brothers, but my bigger guy never was as into the whole superhero thing.   

So my boy and his toy have been doing everything together.  Morning cartoons, ‘iron-man armored up’ of course.  Breakfast was together.  They wanted oranges, yogurt and honey toast.  If I ask my little guy to come up stairs he has to fly iron-man the whole way, with sound effects and all.  Iron man has been really busy shooting the bad guys all over my house and I appreciate that, gotta clean out the riff raff.


You can’t find better company then a boy and his superhero.


Such a different time of my life this is.  I choose the do nothing days, slowing things down is up to me.  Used to be with babies and toddlers all around slow and not much was the normal kind of day.  Now the nothing days are the special days.


TTFN

Hit and Miss

by admin on March 6, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Little Things with No comments
  (When baby boy and I got up today we noticed it was CANADA outside!)

Snow has been hit and miss this year, so we where happy to see such an intense snow fall that it left drifts and stuck to the trees, windows and siding of the house.  No complaints here as we have been waiting for this.  It was beautiful and not actually too cold to be out.  We spent a good part of the day shoveling.

Took a lunch break from pushing snow and noticed a neighbor going out of his way to come over and do the street part of our walks with his snow blower!  Must get to know this neighbor, a thanks is in order as I am thankful!  Feeling very blessed.

Enjoy the photos, it is pretty isn’t it?!  Even if you are not a winter fan I think everyone can see the beauty in it.

TTFN

Spa Weekend

by admin on March 6, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality with No comments
 Third annual girls weekend away.  
Second time going to Moose Jaw Saskatchewan 
and their ‘Temple Garden Mineral Spa’.  
First time EVER getting a massage.
 

 It was a weekend of relaxing and eating mostly.  Each evening we took in a movie right in our hotel room.  We soaked in the mineral waters and puttered around the hotel a great deal more then in the past.  Such a slow pace meant we even got naps in.

While we got in some shopping it is so often more about the food with Mirelle and I.  We find such pleasure in not just stopping in anywhere to eat or have a coffee break.  I think after this trip we have pretty much hit each of the special dining locations that Moose Jaw has to offer.  We went to the hotel’s restaurant twice as it was amazing!

(Our favorite dish at the hotel’s restaurant.  A crepe seafood dish.)

(My sister enjoying her breakfast and coffee at one of our favorite coffee shops.)
(One of the nicest places we have ever dined at was an art galleries cafe.)

This time around I really saw the appeal of a ‘spa weekend’.  Wondering around in your robes and slippers, getting massages and floating in the spa waters.  Having a coffee at the pool side starbucks cafe and snoozing through out the day.  Yeah this was actually a break!

 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan MARCH 2012

TTFN

Kathy

by admin on February 28, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful), Little Things, People In My Heart, The Pet with 1 Comment

Been going to a series of conferences for the last while, on my own.  In general I appreciate getting time alone.  The plus to this time of learning alone has been plenty of head space to take it all in.  The downer has been it is often nice to have someone to bounce off that new and expanded info.

The Lord sends encouragers at the simplest of times.  I sat down to eat at the lunch provided and a lady I had only recently met made sure to come over and sit with me so I wasn’t alone.  We found we had a connection in the church we attend and I was enjoying getting to know her bit by bit.

More people filled up the table and as we chatted I realised I was siting with neighbors!  On my left sat a couple that lives on the same crescent as us.  We had been getting along so well talking about gardening, organic eating and dogs.  We connected over Riddick (this isn’t the first time he has made my family recognisable).  They indeed knew my dog and recognised my eldest children that trailed around after him daily.  They too felt this was a real blessing to connect at such an unforeseen location and numbers where exchanged, plans for tea put in motion.

I now stood at the entrance to the conferences lecture hall, if you will, the sanctuary of a west side church.  Most people had come with someone and had spread out making little room for those of us who where flying solo.  Out of the blue Kathy, whom I would learn was her name, asked if I was looking for a seat.  She lead me to her spot and pointed out the available space next to her.  We chatted and found many a point of connection in why we where at the conference.  Both of us where finding great joy in learning as older women who have done the family thing for years.  A friendship seed was indeed planted as we ended up doing the courses practical application with one another; as we worked on our prayer ministry tools, together, a connection of the Spirit in us was lit.

I smiled to myself because I had just started to feel down about going to all of these lectures on my own when the Lord expanded my social circle so easily.  If I had decided to be uncomfortable and withdrawn, which in the past I was pron to do at such events, I would have missed out on a blessing.  It really drives home the point that there are people all around us to bless and be blessed by in the simplest way possible, sharing a little conversation and kindness.

TTFN

DO NOT Call My Children Tweens

by admin on February 24, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Four Little Eggs In My Nest with 3 Comments

tween – A child between middle childhood and adolescence, usually between 8 and 12 years old.

             

NOW my definition – A creation of consumer focused advertisers, seeking to expand their teen girl spending high.  Teen girls consume a lot, so why not treat girls who are younger like teens sooner so they will spend like their elders?!

For definitions resembling mine look at these links:

HERE
and HERE

My beef – These kids are still KIDS!  Why rush them out of an already too short childhood?  Boys and girls alike, their innocence is INDEED threatened by the consumer mind set that is at the core of the tween trend.  Once made a commercial commodity they are under threat from the most successful advertising campaign style to date; and that is SEX.  Most of the STUFF aimed at tweens are indeed focused around sex; to look older, sexier or meant to produce a type of lust in their young little hearts (ex: the lust craze after young pop stars)

This is my rant, agree or not, but I am wearing my heart on my sleeve because I have seen this pinch put on kids (especially girls) as early as in grade one!  By the time they reach grade four, if the parents aren’t letting them embrace this trend then the parents are classed as strict and over the top.

Do I feel the pressure?  Yes, but not in any way to give into this tween crap…. I feel the pressure to educate my children in defence against this stuff, to pray protection over their precious hearts and demand others let them be themselves, let them BE CHILDREN!

I mostly feel disappointed in my own culture, sad for the children swallowed up in this and amazed that it is seen as harmless.  I’m tired of it already.

TTFN

Where I Come From

by admin on February 2, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Life Keeps Changing, Little Things, Mama Heart Mushings, Northern Tales with No comments
(My Dad’s most faithful fishing buddy, TANK the minpin.)

We all have a story to tell.  I am working so hard at learning to REALLY listen to others and their story.  I am also learning to share mine when asked.  My kids are dragging it out of me bit by bit.  Often at bed time they ask me to tell them about ‘where I come from’.

Bless their little hearts, they know I enjoy sharing crazy stories once I get into it.  I try to not brush the requests off so much, as they get great joy out of what to them seems like another world… that other world being my upbringing.  They are prairie born city kids and I was a northern bush born farm kid.  We eventually had a phone and most modern utilities; but for the first few years of my life we had no plumbing, no electricity, no phone, wood heat and a goat/rabbit/chicken/little bit of everything else farm, by a lake, with limited road access and lotsa bedrock and bush to play on.

I think I will start sharing a few of the stories I remember on here too.

(THE dog and THE Dad that took me hunting.)

Chicken hunting brought Dad and me together.  Wild chickens, spruce hens and the like, are not very clever and oh so taste-y.  Dad, Mel (the English lab) and I would camo up and hit the trails on a weekend.  Tags and shot guns in hand we would travel sandy roads through the bush till we found the prey.  We shared the shooting and often the boys (my brothers) where along too.  Mel would point and retrieve and we all enjoyed it a great deal.  The snacks where good and the conversation better.

The night we where heading home and he took my hand while I poured my heart out about how hard high school was for me I will never forget.  We had just finished a day of hunting.  It had been very joyful but my heart was heavy at the idea of school the next day.  I got very quiet going home, so he asked me about it, and with tears I poured out my heart.  I don’t know what negative pressures I would have given into during those three nasty years, if it wasn’t for the reliable support I got from my folks.  With patience he offered encouragement, support and a willingly present listening ear.

Dad always had time for us.  If we where willing to strap on the grubs (rough clothing) and go fishing, hunting or just lumbering through the bush with him he was very very available.

I tell my kids this story to encourage them to find something, anything, like bird hunting was for me, as a way to make the time to talk with their Dad and to BE with their Dad often.  It takes two to make it work.  Dad was available and I was not shy about taking him up on it.

TTFN

Hello There :)

by admin on February 1, 2012 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Feeling It (Thankful) with 2 Comments

Well helllllooooo there!  A pretty little camera that made my heart skip a beat when I got to take it home.  While I was picking it out, with my husband’s help, I honestly felt a little doubtful that I would actually be getting one after all the waiting.  Seven months camera-less, saving… and ta-da, a digital that finally out does my lovely and faithful old analog.   I have been waiting to invest in a REAL camera till I felt like they where in our price range and able to out do my analog… then we had to do the saving up part.  My last camera dying in August spurred it all on to immanency. 

I am a happy girl and wonder if this will put a little umph into my blogging again?

I am pretty enthusiastic about being a student of photography once more.  Much to learn and I am sure I will enjoy the process. Watch out kids, your click happy Mama is back!

Very thankful.

TTFN

Give to Your Children

by admin on January 30, 2012 in Bits Of My Personality, Do I Call It Parenting Advice?, Feeling It (Thankful) with No comments

Was chatting with a friend about how one can work at showing our children the relationship we have with Christ and not just the traditions.  We where talking about how you have to just start, start doing and talking about all things spiritual with your kids before it will become less mystical, less difficult.

It had me thinking of the harm MAKING our kids read the Bible can be.  Why not GIVE them the scriptures instead?  Encourage them to make it there own instead of making them take on something that is ours.

Finding time to let Christ lead us to verses meant for our children specifically and then gifting it to them, teaching them how they can look it up for themselves to read through themselves;  it all helps make a memory for our kids, a loving memory, instead of just another chore.
 
God bless and ENJOY giving to your kids!

TTFN

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