Thankful for this Blog

J and I started this blog to "encourage" us to find something new to be thankful for each and every day.  It's worked!  I find myself thinking at various times during the day of something I can blog about later that evening.  It's good to always be aware of how many things are happening in and around our lives that we can be thankful for.
However, this was to be a joined blog and J has found herself in a crazy busy life right now.  Her blogs are always more interesting to read than mine so until she finds the time to get back on this site, I will keep my thankfulness to myself and look forward to rejoining you once we are both able to be consistent again.  I know our thousands of viewers eagerly anticipate that day :)  A.

Outdoor Pools

Another hot day - another new location to endure the heat.  We went to a tiny hamlet about an hours drive away and enjoyed the day in their outdoor pool.  We don't have an outdoor pool in our community so it is quite the novelty to go to an outdoor pool on a beautiful, hot day.  Being a small community, the staff was very relaxed about pool rules, there were very few people present and we got to watch deer wandering around outside the fence.  Pretty great way to spend an afternoon!  A.

Walking Barefoot

In our house, we have a summer rule - no socks allowed.  If someone decides to wear socks, I just don't wash them and eventually the kids have no socks left to wear.  I love summer and being able to run outside without having to put shoes on all the time.  It's like a kind of freedom to be able to go wherever I want without shoes or socks.  Just another reason why summer is the best season!  A.

Bonus Points

I really strongly dislike that all stores carry "rewards" cards now.  My wallet is too full.  However, today I used some of those reward points and then I really liked them!  Here's to buying $110 worth of merchandise but only paying $30.  Only thousands of purchases made by yours truly before I get to do that again :)  A.

When a Plan Works

It's been a hot July (which I've mentioned only a few times already) and the kids are getting tired of hanging out at the lake.  Today they were bored stiff and I suggested going to the river.  We've been there already too so we decided to try a new place by the river.  It took forever to find the site that was recommended to us and the kids were getting pretty grumpy with all the backtracking and walking around but when we finally found the place, we all agreed that this is the place to go back to.  It was private, had many areas to explore, had a warm back inlet as well as the full river.  We had a great afternoon and will definitely go back.  I love it when I force the kids to do something they don't want to do and it ends out working out beautifully :)  A.

Kissing Cousins (or Tackling)

My extended family celebrates birthdays about once a month.  Today we celebrated my son's 14th birthday and my niece's 13th birthday.  It's a lot of fun watching the cousins grow up together and see how their games change.  Many years ago, they enjoyed jumping on the trampoline or swinging on the swing set together.  Not so many years ago, the game of choice was lego.  Today they got a game of soccer going with the "young" cousins against the "old" cousins (school age vs. graduated).  The school age kids kicked some serious butt!  They then changed to a game of rugby/ football.  I couldn't quite figure it out but at one point, one of the larger cousins picked up my youngest child and ran with him across the goal line.  I guess that counted for a point somehow.  The game also involved a lot of wrestling matches happening at various random times.
It was a lot of fun watching the cousins play together.  There were about 12 of them ranging in age from 11 to 23 and they had a blast.  I love family gatherings and I love that the cousins have the chance to grow up together and enjoy each others' company at least once a month.  A.

Gracious Parents

We babysit two small boys from down the road today while both parents worked.  (I guess they aren't that small - 11 and 7 years old).  They came in and played their electronics for quite awhile before I told them they needed to finish up because I was going to "kick them outside" in a few minutes.  After they went outside with my boys, I took a quick shower and came back down to find the older boy back inside.  I asked where his little brother was and he answered that he assumed he was outside with the other 3 boys.  Awful babysitter that I am, I believed him and went on with my daily chores.  It was probably only a few minutes later when I got a call from the mom at work.  She asked if I was aware that the youngest son was now back at his house!  He thought that when I said I was kicking them out, that meant it was time to go home.  So he walked home (about 15 minutes) all by himself and then phoned his mom to find out what to do next.  The mom had a hard time telling me the story because she was laughing so hard.  I felt horrible but she thought it was hilarious.  Of course we ran out and picked him up immediately and brought him back.
I'm thankful that the young boy was okay, that the mom thought it was funny and that the rest of the day went well with no more children wandering off.   And if any of you ever need a babysitter, you may want to consider a different neighbour.  This one is not terribly trustworthy!  A.

Early Runs

This is yesterday's post.  Just ignore the date.

I've been involved in a kids day camp all week so I've had to be out of the house by 8:00 (I know, J.  Sleeping in for you!).  So out of necessity, I've been running at 6:00 a.m.  I do this during the school year but only a fool gets up that early when they are on holidays!  (Once again, case in point J).  But I was reminded how much I enjoy those early runs.  People tend to be happier early in the morning.  That makes no sense whatsoever but I get more smiles and waves from people driving by.  I run into several other people also out getting their exercise (1 other runner, 1 dog walker and 1 lone walker - also a raspberry picker).  The sun on the quiet lake is spectacular - no motor boats, no noisy kids or sea-doos.  It really is a wonderful time of the day to be out.  Hopefully I can motivate myself to keep at least one early run a week for the rest of the summer.  It's a great way to start the day.  A.

Fresh Produce

I warned you that I would start blogging about my garden and greenhouse once they started producing.  Well here we go!  Tonight we had a greek salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers and oregano from our greenhouse.  I could have picked a green pepper too but it was a little too small.  There is nothing like a fresh, (and I mean fresh!), salad.  Now I just have to figure out how to grow olives and feta cheese.  Hmmm.  A.

Rain

We've had quite the heat wave here.  It's been unseasonally hot and we've gone without any precipitation for a few weeks.  We had rain today.  Not a lot but a beautiful, all day shower.  It was too bad I was busy all day because I would have loved to have gone for a run - best runs ever are in the rain.  Everything looks a little greener now, the air is fresher, the temperature more bearable.  I'm so thankful for today's rain.  A.

Anonymous Help

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days.  Our internet was down for two or three of them and the other one or two were just really late nights.

I've had a technical question brewing in my mind for some time which I've been searching the net for answers.  Depending on your question, you can find the exact answer you're looking for, just by your wording.  For instance, my sister once googled "accidents involving Rotweillers" just because she didn't want us to get one.  Of course she found all kinds of answers to support her cause.
I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing a biased search so I went to the experts on public forums specific to my query.  It's really interesting and fascinating, being able to ask professionals in a particular field (I assume) a question and get all kinds of answers.  These are strangers who are more than willing to answer another stranger's question just because they are passionate about their area of expertise.  That's quite something!

I'm thankful for those people out there who enjoy what they do and share their knowledge and advice with others.  Then it's my option to take it or leave it, but it's still there for the taking.  And since I missed a few days, I'm also thankful for:  family game night (Apples to Apples - I lost), neighbours who give you a bucket of fresh strawberries already cleaned, a grandpa who takes his grandsons out for lunch just because, 152 kids who come to daily Bible camp with all their enthusiasm and vitality, and hanging out with your friends around a campfire.  Good night!  A.

Junk Food and Sugar Highs.

I have always been one to love sugar. Its not really much of a surprise... at all...
Lately however- due to that goal I mentioned a while ago (yep, still talking about it) all of that crap is limited to *drumroll please* once a week!
It's fairly safe to say that I ate myself sick on this fine night, and I enjoyed every second of it.
Yep, that's it!
J

Late Night Boat Ride

It was another beautiful day here and we decided to head out for a quick boat ride at 9:00.  The lake was quiet, the sun was getting ready to set - it was wonderful.  A couple of the kids went for a few tub rides, our niece went for her first ski of the season, then my husband and I dumped everyone at the dock and went for a quick ride -  just the two of us.  I'm very thankful we can drop everything, forget about obligations for an hour, and just enjoy ourselves.  A.

bff's - fer real!

I met my bff in summer camp when I was 16 or 17 years old.  We were both counselors in training and lived on other sides of the province.  She was a city girl, I was a country girl.  She came from a small family of two, I had four siblings.  We hit it off immediately and when I got engaged three years later, she was the obvious choice as my maid of honour.  I was in her wedding the next year.

Fast forward too many years.  Keep me in the same place I was born and move my friend a four days drive further north from where she grew up.  Every summer her and her family take the four day drive back to her childhood home to catch up with all the family.  It has become tradition for her to stop by on her way back home at the end of her trip for a quick visit.  We spend the majority of the first night catching up and it's like we have never been a part.  She just texted me her anticipated date of arrival here and I'm already excited to sit down with her and find out what she's been up to.  We may only talk once a year but we have a friendship that surpasses the need to spend lots of time together.  I'm sure you'll hear about it once she's here :)  I'm very thankful for a true friend.  A.

Public Libraries

My boys and I visited the public library today for the first time in a couple years.  They were bored.  I needed to find something for them to do and somewhere for them to go before I became a mother on the police's "Most Wanted" section.  So we went to the library! 

What a great place to go!  They took a long time finding the books they wanted then settled down on beanbag chairs to peruse their newest treasures.  It was wonderful!  And free!!!  And now they each have a stack of books that will hopefully keep them busy for the next few days.  Whoever came up with the idea of a public library where people can come in, hang out, play computer, and take books home - all for free .... well they deserve a medal!    A.

The Ultimate Pallet

First of all, I think I misspelled "pallet".  What I am referring to is the artist's tool for mixing paints.  Is it spelled like that?

As I'm writing this, I'm overlooking a spectacular sunset waiting to happen.  The sun is still shining fully on the opposite side of the lake but our yard is already in shadows.  Because of this difference in lighting, I am seeing the most tremendous colours.  There must be 23 different shades of green in our yard alone, never mind the distant hills.  The cliffs across the lake, which are usually a grey-ish brown colour, are now a brilliant gold with shades of every colour of the spectrum.  Throw into this the splashes of colour from the flowers and shrubs and you have a virtual artist's paintbox which has exploded, creating this landscape just for me tonight. 

I'm always amazed when I hear that people think nature happened by chance.  No one but an all powerful God could have created all these colours and majesty.  Thank-you for this brilliant present tonight, God!  A.

Water

Today was our hottest day of the summer so far.   It was too hot to do anything but sit and endure the heat OR go to the lake and play in the water.  So we chose to do the second option.  Thank goodness for a cool lake a few minutes away where we can hang out and enjoy the hot summer day!  A.

We all fall down...

But get up for the weekend!
That's right!
I'm thankful for the weekend!
Even though it's summer, my life has been just as hectic as ever, especially now that I have another job (did I mention that it starts at 5am)!?
So yeah, the weekend.
She's a beaut.
J

Man Made Wonders

A short distance from our town is a hydro dam.  Well, "short" is in the eyes of the beholder I guess.  According to my kids, it's a long, long way away.  Anyway, the reservoir that was created by the building of this dam has been filling up from all the rain and snow melting to the point that it is overfull.  When this happens, approximately every seven to ten years, they have to open a spillway to empty out a portion of the lake/ reservoir.  We went to see that tonight.  It's really quite spectacular.  The amount of water that comes out of that spillway is enormous and the fall rivals any waterfall in the world for it's massiveness and power.  Rumour has it that the spillway will be open for about a month in order to empty out the lake to a comfortable level so we wanted to get out there quickly to see it for ourselves.  The dam itself is a impressive work of man but to see the awesome plume of water coming out the side of it - well that's a site that only can be appreciated by seeing it yourself.  It was a great evening!  (Good to see you blogging even on the road, J.  Don't spend too much $$$!).  A.

Bright lights, big city.

I consider myself a small town girl.
I live in northern Canada in a «patch-town». If you don't live in a patch-town, then I'll tell you right now that «the patch» is another term for the oilfields that almost everyone in this region works in. This being the case, almost all of the men are gone for most of the year (it's a male dominated occupation) and all in all, there is only about 20,000 people in my town, but 40,000 including all the people who are in and out.
Because we are so far north, there isn't a lot for shopping, or... anything at all to do for that matter. So when we get to come to a bigger city, we consider it as a bit of a treat.
Honestly, I'm two hours away from home right now, in a city that isn't much bigger than ours, but I'm thankful for the time away, and the summer.
Adiós!
J

Caterers

We had a large work bbq tonight for my husband's business.  We had 90 people in our yard for supper!  Thank goodness for the caterer they hired.  Everything was taken care of from the marinated steaks right down to the real bacon bits for the already cooked baked potatoes.  Everyone kept thanking us for a great supper and I felt very guilty accepting that thanks because I literally did nothing but put it all out on the tables.  I'm very thankful that I can entertain 90 people by doing nothing more than putting out some tables and mowing the lawns.  Thank-you for a great supper caterers!  A.

Road trip!!!

I love road trips!! So much!
I know I haven't posted all week, and that I'll explain later, but today I am thankful for road trips!
J

Lazy Summer Days

It was a beautiful day today.  For me it was really my first day of holidays at home and I intended on treating it like a holiday.  There were many things I should have been doing but I chose to hang out at the lake, go for a bike ride with my son and read a magazine on the deck.  Pretty great way to spend a warm, sunny day!  Yay for summer!  A.

Helping the Economy While Bonding

Sorry I haven't blogged for a couple days (although I see J hasn't either!!).  My daughter and I went away for a mom/ daughter trip to celebrate her 16th birthday.  We had a wonderful time together shopping, site seeing, shopping, eating out, shopping, visiting with friends, shopping.  We came home late last night with much heavier suitcases and the city we left that much richer for it :)  I'm very thankful for the time I could spend with my girl and for the fun we had together.  A.

Patriotic Thankfulness

It has to be said - I AM CANADIAN!  And fiercely proud of it.  I'm thankful for our free country that offers so much.  It's a great place to call home :)  A.