Bonus tulips!

Oh poor neglected website.  I think often of things I would like to write about, but the time to do so never seems to materialize.  January was sort of a weird month.  I'm not exactly sure what was keeping me so busy but I felt like I didn't have any free time.  I'm hoping to get back on track, and I have some thoughts about making some changes to get writing more regularly.  Promises, promises.

In any case...January.  Not a stellar month for my 101 Things project but I managed to accomplish a few things:

• My most impressive progress was towards Thing 43, Try 101 New Recipes, as I tried 13 new recipes in January, bringing my current total to 50 of 101.  Not too shabby.  Yummy:  The carrot cupcakes and cream cheese frosting recipes from Hello Cupcake.  Disastrous:  A promising recipe for Cumin-scented Cornbread (from this beautiful cookbook I received as a Christmas gift) which did not at any time become "dough" that I could "pour" into the pan, and became rather a crumble of sorts.

• D and I went out on a date night!  Nice!  We went out for sushi and then wandered around Chapters, and I believe we were home by 10.  But still!  We were out!

• I believe I met all of my other monthly commitments (getting together with a friend, calling my sister twice, sending a handwritten letter etc.) except for taking a morning or afternoon for a photo shoot.  Boo.  

Yeah, it seems that's about it really.  I'll have to do better.  I've been looking up times for CPR courses and meditation classes and blood donation appointments so hopefully I can check a few of those things off soon. 

I'm finding myself a bit bogged down in the daily grind - cleaning and cooking and laundry and caring for small humans and repeat.  Coincidentally, sort of a Groundhog Day situation (the movie, I mean...there aren't people watching to see if I see my shadow so they can make some inane weather prediction...or are there?).  My own stuff is getting pushed further and further down the list of priorities.  But I'll keep on keeping on and see what I can do to crowbar some me time back into the schedule.

And so it's at this time, when I already feel completely overwhelmed with the stuff on my to do list, that I've decided to join Twitter.  It's the thing to do, I suppose, and I figure it's one more way to get writing and to connect to other grown ups in the outside world.  So follow me, why don't you.  I promise you it will either be entertaining or a terrible waste of all of our time.  It could go either way.

All right, let's do this thing February! 

(more than five words tomorrow)

So yes.  2012.  Nice to see you.

December came and went quickly, much like the whole of 2011 itself.  We had a nice holiday with family although some audacious kindergarten punk had the nerve to give Isla a cold right before Christmas, so we passed that gift around.  The littlest one, Ev, not only had a cold but was also teething, which resulted in a few not so silent nights.  But halls were decked and we were, for the most part, merry and bright.  I even survived my first Christmas without stuffing.  That's some willpower, right there.  My mother-in-law made me some allergen-free bread, BREAD I COULD EAT, which was possibly the best gift of all, so that softened the blow.  

I'm still working on getting back into the swing of things around here.  There are new toys that need homes and laundry that needs doing but all I really feel like doing is eating chips and watching TV and sleeping.  Is that so wrong?  I may possibly be in a bit of a post-holiday slump.  It doesn't help that it is winter and I cannot get warm and wrangling children into an ungodly amount of snow gear is enough to make anyone want to kick themselves in the face. 

So this seems like a good time to focus on some happy things, yes?  I have plenty to be thankful for and overall 2011 was a pretty terrific year.  In no particular order, these are my top 11 HappyMakers for 2011:

1) My Children
An easy one.  I may gripe about the day to day frustrations of life as a mom but my kids are two seriously amazing tiny people and the frustrations are far, far outweighed by all the joy they have brought into my life. Every measure of time that passes with them sees some pretty wonderful moments and milestones, but 2011 was particularly eventful.  Our four year old, Isla, started school and is learning new things at lightning speed.  This was the year her imagination really took flight and the most incredible ideas and insights and hilarious songs come out of her mouth.  And as for our Miss Ev, well, there's a pretty huge leap between 6 months and 18 months old, which she'll be next week.  From barely sitting up to climbing and dancing, from the odd "dada!" to a constant stream of "thank you! again! open! up! dance! fuffin!" (that last being "muffin") and her current favourite "a nose!".  Seeing her personality reveal itself has been amazing and watching the love develop between the two girls has been very happymaking indeed.

2) Other People's Children
Several friends welcomed new tiny people into their lives this year, all baby girls as it happens.  There seems to be a baby girl trend, at least with the people in my life (amongst my closest friends, we have one boy and six girls).  But babies of any sort are most lovely and I'm so thrilled about the safe and healthy arrivals of these little ones.

Mirror Lake, Lake Placid NY, April 2011

3) My Husband
"Get a room!" I hear you shout.  I know.  At the risk of being all sentimental and embarrassing, I have to admit publicly that I do actually like my husband.  You might not know it, given that I don't mention him all that often, but I am in fact rather fond of him.  We celebrated 15 years of couplehood back in November and, while I dearly miss his adorable accent, I still think he's as awesome and funny and cute as I did back when I was 18.  He works damn hard for our family and he comes home every day and looks at his daughters like they're the centre of his universe, which they are.  And that's all I can really ask for.  I'll even forgive him for teaching our daughter the phrase "fish toots", although he's going to have to deal with any phone calls home from her teacher. 

4) Other People's Husbands
Jokes!  Aside from anything else, when would I have the time?

Forest Walk, Charleston Lake Provincial Park, May 2011

4) Family, near and far
I have a pretty fantastic family and they don't hear it enough.  Especially those who never contact me (burn!).  The ones who do though, and especially the ones who visit, are very appreciated.  We had several visits this past year from relatives from afar, some of whom we hadn't seen in 10 years, and I hope to have the opportunity to reconnect with others this year.  As for family closer to home, I'm incredibly grateful for my amazing in-laws and my mom and her partner for all of their love and support and tremendous kindness.  Oh, and the free babysitting.  Many, many thanks for that (and thank you in advance for your continuing support). 

5) The Adirondacks
Last spring, D and I took a trip to Lake Placid, New York with some friends for a few days and had a great time.  We did a little bit of hiking, a fair bit of drinking, and a whole lot of eating.  It was pretty awesome.  It was nice to have some adult time and to see a new place and to sleep in a little.  Oh my goodness the sleeping in.  Glorious.

The River at Marcy Dam, near Lake Placid NY, April 2011

6) Camping
A few weeks before Ev arrived in the summer of 2010, my husband announced that he had bought a camping trailer and he hoped I liked it.  There had been no time to consult with me on the purchase, you see, as it had just been posted on Kijiji for an insanely low price and he had to pull the trigger.  Lucky for him, I approved.  It's an awesome little trailer, just the right size for our family, although I will admit moments of frustration when I've been overwhelmed trying to do everything I do at home but in a significantly smaller and colder space.  For the most part though it has brought us much joy and we managed to get out camping four times last year.  A lot of amazing memories were made and in particular I will never forget my daughter Isla singing The Saw Doctors' Only One Girl by the campfire.  Amazing.

7) Halifax
I've written endlessly about the trip to Halifax my daughter Isla and I took in October, so I won't say much more.  But, setting aside the distinct lack of whales, the trip really was a highlight for 2011, most importantly because of the one on one time Isla and I got to spend together.  Hopefully someday we'll get back out that way as a family of four.

Closeup of Water, Charleston Lake, May 2011

8) Good Health
For all my complaining about having to breakup with dairy and eggs and sugar, I'm thankful that I became aware of my food allergies because it provided me with something positive and proactive I could do to take control of my health and reduce the frequency of my arthritis flareups.  Which I believe it has.  My RA flare-ups were always kind of intermittent anyways, so it's hard to know for sure if my diet changes are keeping the pain at bay, but I do know that when I have a flare-up it is pretty uncannily connected to my "cheating" and eating something I'm allergic to.  So I think I'm on a good path.  I began medication for the RA this year too, which I wasn't too thrilled about, but I think it was another good decision.  Although I definitely need to get exercising more, overall I'm feeling pretty good.  I'm grateful too for the good health of my loved ones and I hope that 2012 will only see more of the same.

9) Writing
I am so, so pleased that I started writing again this past year.  It has been a terrific outlet and so fantastic to feel creative again, and to give myself time for something that is only for me (although the positive feedback has been nice too, and I appreciate you all for reading).  I am feeling excited about some ideas I have for things to write this year and I don't think I would be writing at all, let alone feeling confident and happy about it, if I hadn't had pushed myself to start this blog and to submit something to a contest and just take the time to do it.  So now I just have to carve out some more time for it and keep the momentum going.

Killbear Provincial Park, June 2011

10) Morning Dance Party
For my last HappyMaker, something that has truly brought nothing but pure joy.  This year our family began the tradition of what we call "Morning Dance Party", taking some time most mornings to put on some good tunes and dance our butts off in the living room.  Both girls love to dance and their eyes light up and their feet get moving as soon as any bit of music comes on.  Such a fun way to start the day (and the cardio doesn't hurt either).With Isla in school, and our trip and then the holidays, Morning Dance Party kind of got put on the back burner for awhile but I plan to reinstate the tradition beginning tomorrow morning.  MmmBop?  Yes, I think so.

11) My Old (Golden) Girls
Ha.  I posted this entry and then realized that there were only 10 things in my "Top 11".  And its a good thing I have one left over because I neglected something pretty darn important: my pretty terrific friends.  I'm lucky to have a great group of girlfriends who have known and loved me (ha) for a very long time (hidden in between the scathing insults there is genuine affection, I'm sure of it).  I consider them my family and can't imagine my life without them.  For one thing, I don't know if anyone else would power secondhand shop with me with quite as much glee.  They are truly the Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia to my Rose (I'm pretty sure I'm Rose guys).

2011 was a pretty great year but onwards to 2012 I say.  So far so good and I'm looking forward to the rest.  Particularly the warm weather part.  That will be nice.

I will update again soon with my 101 Things recap for December and my plans for the project in 2012.  And other thoughts and musings and insights and brilliance.  Or, you know, haikus.  Perhaps some haikus. 

Footprints (Mama and Isla), Killbear Provincial Park, June 2011

(Parts One, Two, Three, Four, and Five)

Considering it has been two months since this trip, I think I should probably wrap this thing up, so here's the final installment of our Halifax trip photos.

Where were we?  Lighthouses, scarecrows, "whalewatching", beaches, scary animals...ah yes.  Well, after a few days outside the city, we decided to spend our last two days exploring Halifax itself.  Our first stop was the Public Gardens.  My camera and I were very happy there:

In the middle of the pond is a replica of the Titanic:

Loveliness all around.  I could have spent the entire day there, I think, and I hope to get back to Halifax some day to do just that.  It was really beautiful and, considering it's right in the heart of the city, remarkably peaceful.

We then went to the Discovery Centre, which is like a science centre-type place.  We had a lot of fun, but I have no decent photos to share.  We returned to the waterfront and made our way down toward Pier 21.

You may be familiar with Pier 21.  It is where many immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century arrived and first set foot on Canadian soil.  My maternal great grandmother Henna arrived here from Finland in 1927, with a four year old and a sick 4 month old in tow.  At times when I find myself complaining about the struggle to get my children out the door or another of a million frustrations, I think about Henna.  And then I whisper a thank you and shut my trap.  My paternal grandfather also immigrated to Halifax from Finland, in 1928 I believe, so the place holds a lot of significance for me.

I had hoped to be able to stand out on the pier, where my ancestors once stood, but because it is still an active pier and there were cruise ships docked, this was not permitted.  Curse you cruise ship!

I was pretty crushed, I must admit.  Almost as disappointing was discovering Pier 21 shot glasses in the gift shop, amongst other random paraphenalia completely removed from the history of the place.  But it does have to be said that the folks at the museum itself seem to be doing an excellent job of keeping the site's history alive and working to maintain and improve the records of those who arrived at the Pier.

We took some photos outside and, despite the tourists and the tacky gift shop offerings and the modern buildings encroaching on the pier, it felt good to be there and I felt like my ancestors would have been happy that we made the trip.  I'd like to take both my girls there again some day, when they're old enough to understand what the place is all about.

Wednesday October 12th was our last full day.  We spent the morning at an awesome park near the Museum of Natural History, and then had a wander through the Museum itself.  I have no interesting photos to share of either, but here's a pretty cool mural nearby:

We then headed back downtown.  We passed by St. Paul's Anglican Church where, the story goes, "as a result of the intense light and heat generated by the Halifax Explosion in 1917, the profile of one of the church's deacons was etched into one of the windows on the second storey."  Judge for yourself, why don't you:

An interesting story, in any case.  Next, we caught a ferry over to Dartmouth which afforded some nice views of Halifax from the water.  Unfortunately my camera did not do them justice.

Back in Halifax we went out for a last night dinner at a place called The Wooden Monkey.  Most enjoyable.  And then the morning of the 13th we had a quick trip to Point Pleasant Park before grabbing lunch and heading to the airport. 

It was an amazing trip.  It was fantastic to see my sister Leah and her boyfriend Chris, to spend so much one-on-one time with my sweet Isla who is growing up way too fast, and to see a beautiful part of the country.  And we had amazing weather to boot, with not one drop of rain until we were heading to the airport to go home.

We're hoping to get back some day, with the whole family in tow, so we'll have to start saving our pennies.  And next time, NEXT TIME, I will preorder my whales in advance. 

Wow, really?  Eleven days since my last post?  I guess so.  Well I'm sorry for my lack of posting but it has been a helluva few weeks around here.  All fine and good, just busy and stressful and requiring the bulk of my already limited attention.  

So November.  I'm happy to see the end of you.  That said, although I didn't meet the goals I had set for myself, some small amounts of progress were made toward my 101 Things:

• I submitted a piece of writing to the Writers' Union of Canada's Short Prose Competition at the beginning of the month (Thing 1).  I can't believe I completed something in time, let alone something I'm actually kind of happy with.  I'm hoping to do some more writing this month.

• My husband and I went out on a date (Thing 51)!  Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had been unable to go out at all in September or October so it was nice to get this Thing back on track and spend some time together.

• I tried seven new recipes, bringing my total up to 32, so I'm nearly a third of the way to my goal of 101 (Thing 43).  The best find was this recipe for allergen-free pancakes.  Mine did not turn out quite as fluffy as those in her photo, but they were still pretty damn good and easy to make.  It's nice to have something to eat for breakfast other than rice cereal, because I'm not an infant.

• I managed an afternoon to myself (Thing 92), before meeting up with some friends (Thing 53) in Toronto for a super fun girls weekend. 
  

• I also wrote three handwritten letters.
  

• And my daughter Evy decided she was tired of waiting for me to get around to it, so she literally took it into her own hands to "Gleefully take down the wallpaper in the kitchen" (Thing 49).  My attempts to stop her were only half-hearted. 

So, some progress, but I have a few incompletes this month.  I didn't manage to get out to take any photos (Thing 14).  I also don't believe we went out on an outing as a family of four (Thing 59) and I'm not sure I spoke to my sister on the phone twice (Thing 60).  Not good. 

I'd like to say that I'll do better in December but I don't think the busyness and stress are going anywhere any time soon.  But I'm going to try, because I set these Things as priorities for a reason.  It is much too easy to get lost in the tasks and to-dos and problems of life, and far too tempting to put myself and my own personal goals last on the list.  I don't want to do that anymore.  I'm a much healthier, happier person (and correspondingly more productive) when I can make time for myself, and I don't think it's any surprise that, with the lack of attention paid to myself in November, I experienced a downswing in mood and energy.  It's probably no accident that I also had more RA flareups.  So, I'm going to try to get back on track.

And given all this stress, I'm thinking it might be the ideal time to Try a Meditation Class (Thing 99).  Or perhaps Become an Expert in a Specialist Subject (Thing 27) wherein that subject is wine.

(Parts One, Two, Three and Four)

The computer is being fairly cooperative with me at the moment so I have managed to sort some more Nova Scotia photos.  Let's continue, shall we?  This one will be two, two, two days in one!

Following our less than inspiring wildlife excursion "whalewatching" in Lunenberg, the following day (the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend) we decided to take Isla out to the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, about 40 minutes outside of Halifax.  Animals in cages couldn't possibly elude us!  Before we headed out of town, we had a wee wander around the Hydrostone District of Halifax, a lovely neighbourhood of homes and shops built in 1920 following the Halifax Explosion in 1917.

And then it was animal time.

(Please excuse the brief break in proceedings, as Isla discovers that when she presses the letters on my computer they appear on the screen:)

AAAABBBCDYYYP578lVVUSSW321MBGHYU76TRFDCXS W32QSAXZCVVVNGGGGGG/////? HYRDXXCBHUI   N  ZFCCCC,KUTGBVFDEXSZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ    

(It really is rather amazing).

So, as I was saying, we then headed up to Shubenacadie.  The wildlife park was pretty awesome.  Just the right size to explore with a preschooler in a couple of hours. 

There were lots of deer which came right up to the fence to be pet and fed:

I'm not sure how this buck got so lucky, but he was the only one with about 8 or 9 doe, in a lovely large enclosure protected from predators and hunters, where people feed him.  Doesn't he look pleased with himself:

We had a really nice wander around and I took loads of pictures, most of which didn't turn out too well because animals don't pose on command (super annoying, animals!), but here are a few of the better shots. 

Now I've mentionned before in previous blogs that lynx freak me the hell out.  They look like magical creatures to me, like they should not exist in the real world.  It messes with my mind.  But this one, I'll admit, looks downright cuddly:

Okay, no, still freaky.  Gah, nightmares.  Somewhat less freaky was this owl.  Only somewhat.

Hmmm...it does sort of look like it's plotting your demise, doesn't it?  Okay, something cute!

Oh man, that fox totally wants a hug!  All better now.

A fun afternoon.  HOWEVER...I had been most interested in seeing Sable Island horses, as the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park is apparently the only place in the world you can see them other than Sable Island itself, and guess what?  They were not there!  I don't recall what the deal was, but I'm betting they were in cahoots with the whales.  Ah well, who needs 'em?  Stupid horses!

Isla's favourite part, of course, was feeding the ducks and geese.  You know, the part we could have done without paying admission.  Sigh. 

The next morning, Thanksgiving Monday, we headed out for Crystal Crescent Beach to meet up with my friend Heather and her son Garcin.  They used to live in Kingston and Garcin is the exact same age as Isla - they were born on the exact same day in the same hospital, only a few hours apart, although we didn't meet until the kids were about 10 or 11 months old.  A few years ago they moved to Halifax and we've managed to stay in touch.

The kids didn't really remember each other but that didn't stop them from having a blast playing together.  It was pretty neat to see these two kids who used to crawl around on a blanket at the park now jumping in and out of the water and scrambling up sandbanks, giggling all the while.  And they held hands walking along the boardwalk.  So cute.  Again, no pictures of the kidlets for you, but here are some pretty beach pics:

A beautiful place.

Leah also took a picture of Isla and I waving at the ocean.  This is part one of a two part project:  I'm hoping that when we go to the west coast of Ireland, hopefully next summer or the one after, I can get a companion picture of Isla and I waving the other way.  I think it would be really funny to put the two photos side by side, as if we're waving at ourselves across the ocean and across time.  Funny, right?  Not geeky?  That's what I thought.

The afternoon was spent preparing our Thanksgiving feast.  Leah and Chris are vegetarians so we made this amazing lentil nut loaf.  So, so good - I did not miss the turkey one bit!  And there was much thanks given for the chance to spend Thanksgiving together.

Next time:  Flowers yay!  Cruise ships boo!

I've been dealing with a pretty bad RA flareup over the last few days - lots of achiness and fatigue - but my fingers aren't too bad tonight and I think it would do me good to focus on some of the things that have brought me joy this week.  So without further ado, here are my Top Ten HappyMakers of the Week (in no particular order):

My Friends

Okay, well, this is in no particular order but it's no mistake that this is first on my list.  Last weekend I hightailed it out of Kingston, Pickering-bound, to visit with my three closest friends, Jacquie, Erika and Kristen (I have listed them in no particular order also...or have I?).  Erika and I have been friends for 25 years and the four of us bonded in high school.  We all have spouses and children and very busy lives, and we live in different towns, but we make a point to get together once every two to three months, after weeks of planning and copious emails.  I consider these girls my family and feel very fortunate to have them as a part of my life.  (I had planned to get a photo of us over the weekend but apparently we were too busy gabbing).

Secondhand Shopping

When the ladies and I get together, our main activity is hardcore bargain shopping.  We are pros at it.  If there is a deal to be found, we will find it.  We leave no Value Village unturned.  Last weekend we filled up Jacquie's van with our purchases and, as Jac pointed out, it would be interesting to figure out the total retail price of what we bought versus what we paid for it.  I'm sure it would have been vast. 

I seriously do not understand why people pay full price for things in regular stores.  I don't get it.  Because there is such great stuff to be found secondhand, at ludicrously awesome prices. Nowadays I buy almost everything secondhand - probably about 98% of the girls' clothes and most of mine as well, plus almost all toys and books - so much in fact that I can no longer stomach paying regular price for anything.  $20 for a shirt sounds preposterous to me, because it is.  I can find that same shirt for $4, I guarantee you.

My best find this past weekend was this Melissa and Doug puppet (I mention the brand because parents will know it's a good one...really good quality and not cheap!):

I bought it for $3 and I saw it brand new at a toy store the other day for $33.  What a deal!

P.S. Please don't mention this puppet to my daughters as Santa will be bringing it to them for Christmas.

Pretty Rainbow Bowls 

It seems I might have a thing with bowls, given that bowls were on my last HappyMakers list too.  Jacquie had just bought these awesome multi-coloured mixing bowls which come with lids and I coveted them.  Fortunately they still had some at Kitchen Stuff Plus, still on sale for $15, when I stopped in on my way out of town.  Happiness!  Seriously, aren't these fun?

I enjoyed some popcorn in the green bowl last night and I'm pretty sure it made the popcorn taste better (it must have, because I ate the whole damn bowlful).  Exciting times, around here.

Handwritten Letters

One of the greatest sources of joy for me this past week was the arrival of a handwritten letter from my friend Jen!  Such a fun surprise and it really did make my day.  It didn't hurt that the letter included fun colour photocopies with annotations.  I'm rarely this enthusiastic about an email so it has hit home that handwritten letters really do mean something and can brighten someone's day substantially.  Thanks Jen (keep an eye on your mailbox)!

Smartwool Hiking Socks

When we were heading to the Adirondacks to do some hiking last spring, I picked up some Smartwool hiking socks.  As soon as I got them on my feet I'm pretty sure I swooned.  So freaking comfortable (this should be their slogan).  After we got back from our trip, I washed them and tucked them into my sock drawer and it was only this week that it occurred to me that I don't have to be hiking to wear them!  What a revolutionary idea!  So I pulled those puppies out and joy joy joy. 

Marcel the Shell

Okay, anyone on Facebook has already seen this I'm sure, but I have to say it made me smile (I also just found out I can embed a YouTube link here....fun!):

Kindergarten

My feelings about kindergarten have done a complete 180 from how they were at the start of September, when the thought of my little girl being away from me for hours was heartbreaking.  Okay, it's still heartbreaking, but every day I'm seeing how amazing kindergarten is for her.  She's clapping out syllables, and singing O Canada, and practicing phonics.  She loves her teacher (as do I) and she is so excited to see her friends in the kindergarten yard every morning and to tell me all about what they did at recess, which apparently this week involved making salad out of stones and leaves. 

I had the opportunity on Wednesday to join her class for a short classroom visit at the start of the day, and it was awesome to see them all put their lunchbags in their cubbies, count how many girls and boys were there that day (they were all met: 16 boys and 4 girls), be letter detectives and look for particular letters in the Morning Message their teacher had written out, and to sing their letter songs.  And then it was time to practice writing their letters and quick like bunnies they all went to their particular tables (Isla is in the red group) and started writing and colouring away and there she is writing K like it ain't no thing.

Isla complains sometimes that the days are long, which I totally understand, but it's rare that she complains about going to school, which makes it easier on me.  I am still going to completely lose it when it's time for her to go full-time but for now, it's all really good.

Memory Foam

Whoever invented memory foam needs a medal, perhaps a Nobel Peace Prize.  We have a memory foam mattress topper, which makes our already extra deep mattress ridiculously tall, and it is the most comfortable thing ever.  My weary joints have been very grateful this week.

Mandarin Oranges

How delicious are these things?  And seedless and convenient and in a paper box instead of the wooden crates that clementines come in which pile up in our garage because what do you do with them?  The girls are equally excited about them and look how pretty:

A Warm Home

I was out and about with the little one yesterday, in and out of stores as we ran errands, and damn it was cold out.  It wasn't even less than 0 celsius but it felt bitterly cold.  And it occurred to me rather quickly, as I was feeling a little sorry for myself shivering during the minute and a half it took me to get from my car to the door, that I have a lot to be thankful for.  I have warm clothes on my back, and a car with heating (and heated seats for goodness' sake!) to get me where I need to go.  And I have a lovely warm home, filled with everything I could ever want or need.  Including a pretty great family.

So while it's good to find joy in the small things, I'm also trying to keep in mind the big things to be grateful for.  My HappyMakers list doesn't include "finding half a sandwich" or "panhandling enough money for a coffee" or "getting a place to sleep out of the wind for a few hours", as it may for others.  I have much to be thankful for.

Including you, dear readers.  I don't say it enough, or ever, that I appreciate that you read my insane ramblings.  It's no quick read, that's for sure, but I hope you find some joy in it.  And if not, get some bowls and socks.  Seems to do the trick for me.

(Parts One, Two, and Three)

If my computer had a soul and could talk, I'm sure it would express its heartfelt apology for the delay in Nova Scotia trip photos.  It can't believe that it has been such a jerk, all changing photo file names and rejecting rotate requests and duplicating photos at whim.  So much guilt.  So much remorse.  It will never happen again, baby, I swear!

So, where were we?  Oh yes, we had just left the beautiful but whale-free Lunenberg.  On our way back to Halifax, we had a quick stop back in Mahone Bay for carrot cake and scones (vacation!), and then my sister suggested we pop into a little place called Chester.  I think with a name like Chester, I was picturing the municipal-equivalent of a 50 year old man who lives with his mom and his many collections which he would be happy to tell you all about.  I was like "Meh, sure, if you think it's a nice place" and wasn't expecting much.   

Yes, well, here's what we found in Chester:

So yeah.  Breathtakingly beautiful.  We played around on the beach and, sorry not to share, but I got some amazing photos of my gorgeous daughter Isla with the sunlight reflecting on the water around her.  It was so peaceful and lovely. 

We got back in the car and started heading out but very quickly decided that yes, twist our arms, we would have dinner on Chester's beautiful waterfront at a restaurant called The Rope Loft, which had an outdoor patio on the water.  It doesn't get much better than fish and chips, good company, and this view:

An absolutely wonderful way to finish the day.

And now I am plotting my return to Chester and I think I've got it figured out.  I'm going to become the head of Chester's tourism department because it will mean (a) I get to live there and (b) I'll have the easiest job ever.  I would just have to post one of the photos above with the caption "What is your problem?  Why do you not live here already?"

Next time (technology-willing): Suck it whales, I fed a deer!

My darling first-born daughter Isla is four years old today.  I can hardly believe it.  Four years ago at this time, on a dark and stormy Hallowe'en night, I had been pushing for an hour, with another hour to go.  I was eyeing the clock.  At 11 days late, I had felt that she was meant to be a Hallowe'en baby and midnight was my goal.  And finally, there she was.  At 11:58 p.m.  Beautiful and healthy and ours.

And now here she is, sleeping in her room in her big girl bed after a day at kindergarten and a night of first-time trick-or-treating, our amazing four year old sweetheart.  The kid with a million questions and dance moves, silly and giggly and loud, learning about syllables and writing her name and telling me her baby sister was the baby she always wanted.  The kid who is so proud to finally be able to say "breakfast" instead of "breakfick", who opened a talking Tinkerbell card that told her that her "wish would come true" and questioned "How does she know that?".  The kid who told her Auntie Leah today that a kid in her class was away from school, and was probably in Halifax visiting his Auntie Leah. 

Four years old and growing up much too quickly.  But she still calls the sun room the "sum roon" and pistachios "mustachios" and she still wants "Twinkle Twinkle" at bedtime and I hope she still will a little while longer.

We celebrated with a party with family yesterday and again, I won't share photos of the girls but I give you cupcake photos in their stead.  I made these!  Yay!  And little ones for her classroom because I'm trying hard to become "that mom" that the other moms hate.  I really don't think I'm better than you; I just like to bake cupcakes.  (Oh also, she said smugly, I made these Martha Stewart owl wings for my girls.  No big deal.) 

A quick dispatch from the land of crazy.  I have approximately four billion things on my still-to-do list before Isla's birthday and Halloween and that stupid writing contest deadline and my house falls into a shambles. 

I unexpectedly completed a Thing this week, Thing 36: Get Glasses.  Clearly Contacts was having a free glasses promotion (I think they have it all the time) so I got a new pair of glasses for only the cost of shipping.  Glasses for $12!  Sold!

Here's the photo evidence: 

P.S. I'm trying to woo my computer into cooperating with me so I can post more Halifax trip photos with a minimum of hassle, but my advances do not seem to be working.  This sexy secretary's about to go all angry librarian.