Notes from inside the oven....

Or at least it feels like I am sat in the oven....it's already 32c at mid day and they forecast it to get a fair bit hotter by supper time.........it didn't cool off last night either and was lready 24c by the time I was watching the breakfast news.

Lloyd has driven the boys in to town...Chris is working at the library today and then meeting some friends at the mall before heading back to A's house for a sleepover...and Laurie is sleeping over at the twins house too.........Lloyd took Sam too so all my boys are out right now :) the only other male is Cairo the cat who, if he has any sense, has climbed into the coolness of the barn.........everyone and everything else here at home is female......me, my daughters, the dogs, the rabbits and the chickens :)

So what are our plans? We think we are going into the cool basement for much of the day...we're going to sort it all out and hopefully throw out a ton of stuff...........then this evening we may head into town, pick up some iced capps and then drive out to Elk Island Park at dusk and take some photographs......

Tomorrow probably much of the same except collecting the boys at some point..........

I love to read. Normally I like to have one fiction book on the go and a few non fiction......but right now I seem to have found myself in the midst of several books at once...but it's nice because depending on my mood that day/ moment I can pick or choose what I want to read or do......

So right now I am reading Nicholas Sparks 'Nights in Rodanthe' which is a small novel, romantic and light......with scenes from the Outer Banks of North Carolina...perfect to read when I'm sat out on the porch in the evening.

I'm also reading Jennifer Weiners 'Goodnight Nobody'.....which is an ok book..........a bit too 'desperate housewives'-ish for me though...but I plan to finish it anyway....

I'm reading a lovely Canadian book...autobiographical I guess....it's called 'The Perfection of the Morning - an apprenticeship in nature' by Sharon Butala who left the city to marry a farmer who ranches in the middle of nowhere in Sask. I wish the book had pictures....I would love to see everything she discusses.......it would make a fab blog! lol!

I'm also reading Sarah Ban Breathnach's 'Something More - Excavating your authentic Self' which is kind of a follow on book to Simple Abundance.

And I am working through Sarah Ban Breathnach's workbook - 'The Simple Abundance Companion' - excellent! I have borrowed this from the library but think it will definitely be on my Christmas Wish List!!!

The other books that seem to be in constant use in this house are the 'of Alberta' series.........ie Bugs of Alberta, Birds of Alberta, wild flowers of Alberta, Mammals of Alberta..........Abigail loves finding things in these books......she keeps a notebook and writes down the page number of her favourites....and is always asking me to give her the name of something to look up!

I am very proud to say I have met John Acorn the author of most of those books and also the photographer Ian Sheldon..........and had emails from John!!! Am I sad or what??? I get a real buzz from meeting my heroes like that........people I so admire...

Hmmmm admiration.......I recently got to know someone I admired for a long while....it's funny how you can build such a picture in your mind of how great this person is, yet when you finally get to know them you can be so utterly disappointed.....This person I admired had always seemed so knowledgable and fascinating and yet now I just see her as arrogant and fairly ignorant where social skills are concerned...someone who seems to gleen pleasure from making people feel bad about themselves...which to me just seems like a huge sign of insecurity...as if they need to make others feel inferior simply to make themselves feel better....

And yeah yeah I realise that 'no one can make you feel anything...you choose how you feel......blah blah blah...I was married to a psychotherapist for 10 years....been there done that!

Back to heroes.......I am a huge HUGE fan of Daryl Benson....photographer extraordinaire........his pictures of Alberta are incredible....and he grew up in Sherwood Park...and he's SELF TAUGHT!!!! Anyway...my Mom gave me the money to buy his beautiful book 'Alberta' last year but I waited and waited for a book signing and yay...the week after Costco opened here HE WAS THERE!!!!!! So I met him and he signed my book and I chatted with him for a while and inside I was gushing!!!! But I played it cool and I don't think I stopped smiling the whole day :) he signed my book 'For Jane - NEVER stop shooting!'

http://www.darylbenson.com/

I was one very happy girly!

Hot chick pics.......

It was 33c yesterday...so these are some very HOT chicks ;)

Luckily they get plenty of shade and air and water......they spend most of their time during the day inside........coming out in the evening.....the temporary run is working well for now.....hopefully the bigger run will be ready soon......

I love listening to the chickens clucking as they walk around......very sweet...and so relaxing to listen to...........they like the scraps they get as extras and they LOVE watermelon :)

They are getting more and more confident now and just walk up to you when you go near the run.....

Fridays sunset...........

Up close and personal

THIS is why I so love where we live........THIS is what it's all about.......seeing wildlife in our own back yard. Up close and personal with this provinces amazing wildlife.

We placed a salt lick in the back field last Fall and animals have often licked it......we see tracks and signs...but rarely do we see animals there and even more rarely do they hang around for me to grab my camera, the right lense and get into position....

But this beautiful stunning amazing creature took the time to hang around and lick the salt block and nibble the berries and plants........and when I walked up closer to it, it just posed perfectly for the camera before hopping away across our side field......

I haven't sorted through the hundreds of pictures yet and I know I wnat to keep the best for a local photographic competition...but here are a couple.....

THIS is why I love living here so much.

Stinky feet

Sam loves it when we smell his feet and pretend they are stinky!!! Here are a couple of pictures of Daddy playing this game with him this afternoon.......I love how his face lights up when he laughs.

coolin' off in the water

We had a great time at the splashpark.....4 other families came by and we didn't leave until just before 4pm.......I'm too tired and hot and bothered to write much at the computer tonight but thought I'd post piccies.........Sam kept helping himself to other peoples food and shoes and toys from their blankets....I really should train him to aim for the wallets instead ;) he had so much fun in the water.......I have more pictures of him than anyone else because all the others were racing about with their friends the whole time not willing to pose for the camera!

Splashpark

We're off to the splashpark today with a few other families.......is it strange that I love it there as much as the kids? I see all these Moms there sat on the grass refusing to get wet. yelling at their kids to stay away with water..."This is a dry zone" they yell........it's a SPLASHPARK duh!!!! I wear my swimsuit and get soaked.....I play with the kids and have a blast! I look like a drowned rat by the end but who cares....

I remember seeing the mother of DD's friend in the local pool one day.........I had been swimming and messing around in the deep end...hair was plastered to my face.......I was flushed...no make up because I was in the pool...and there she was......this Barbie Mom....sat in the shallow water straining to keep her head as high as possible to avoid getting her perfect hair wet, full face of make up (in the pool??????) hair sprayed hair and dainty ear rings.......

Does she call that 'taking her DD swimming'??????????

So anyway, the picnic is packed and the blankets are in the car.......we've packed LOTS of water bottles because its going to be 32c out today.........big bottle of sun cream......hats........and all the water guns and toys.........

And the camera ;)

Lloyd is working from home today so he will get some peace and quiet while we are out :)

When we get home Abigail wants to go fishing in the pond...which sounds like fun too...she asked if it can be just me and her.........we have (or had) 98 goldfish in there so hopefully we'll catch at least one!

Have a great day everyone :)

It's too @#$#^%* hot!!!!

'nuff said!!!!!

Do boogers grow?

Four is such a wonderful age.......I was watching Abigail today....we were in the foyer at Millennium Place today waiting for the party to start and I was watching Abigail....she was dancing and twirling around and totally enjoying herself. I stood there thinking how wonderful to be so young...to not care what others think...so that if you feel like dancing you can just dance......

Abigail told me today that she has grown quite a bit since she turned four, so that must mean she's five now.......she then asked if she could drive when she is fifteen.......I said no.....Daddy probably won't let her. I think he'll most likely chain her up when she's fifteen and keep her locked up until she's thirty just to keep her safe lol! And keep the boys away!! ;) that or sharpen his knife collection ;)

Oh and Abigails other question for today (she always likes to ask questions when we are in the car......) was 'Do Bogies (boogers) grow?'

Hmmmm I wasn't sure how to answer that one...so I said no, they don't grow like we do...but they can get bigger.......which then lead to more booger questions from Susannah....like what makes boogers green.......

fun fun fun!

Raspberry picking

When we got home this evening we headed outside to pick some of the raspberries......Lloyd pulled Sam and Abby in the wagon to the raspberry bushes in the back field......it's too hot out for me.....I'm not keen on this heat...I like 24c and below.....and the back field was full of hungry mosquitoes...but we did get quite a few raspberries :)

Laurie went to J's birthday party at Millennium Place today......his Mom works there so they had a total blast and the playground to themselves! They swam, played in the gym, had endless pizza and had wall climbing competitions to end the party......Laurie had a great time! We dropped him off mid afternoon and then I took the girls to the library to play the pirate treasure game.....I picked up my books too...we bought picnic food for tomorrow in Safeway and I picked up Lloyds glasses........he looks so good in his new glasses...and they are so clear...I had no idea how bad his other glasses were...but these new ones let me see his eyes :) I keep staring at him....... :)

We had a bit of an adventure with the rabbits who had burrowed under the coop....but we got them out and they are now safely back where they should be :)

I used up the last of the tomatoes and pepoers tonight in a pasta sauce....which we had with wholewheat pasta, a crisp salad and crunchy french bread.......very simple...it was too hot to bother with much.......on the way to collect Laurie tonight we stopped off for iced capps......and I can't wait to cool off at the splashpark tomorrow.....it's set to be 32 tomorrow.

sharing a bed...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5197440.stm

So sharing a bed drains mens brains....yet helps women sleep more deeply??????? Uh Lloyd I think we switched roles somewhere along the line..........

Lloyd sleeps better when I am beside him....yet I don't sleep at all..............he doesn't keep me awake at all...I just don't sleep.....yet he hates to sleep without me..........

so uh yeah, we switched roles.............

I WANT SOME SLEEP!!!!!

Thank you Pam for the advice....I'm going herb shopping this weekend.................is marijuana a herb?????????????????? That might help lol!

Actually I have to admit something....I have never tried an illegal drug....I have never smoked anything.....I would actually quite like to try something just to say I have....but I have lead a very dull life and never smoked anything........I have several friends here who have offered to share some with me over the years but but I htink they are all talk ;) because they've never come through for me lol!

I even worked in a methodone clinic for a while...dishing out the sticky green liquid to heroin addicts, swapping dirty needles for clean and watching dirty children playing on the floor while their parents were totally out of it on crack on the sofas behind.....loooooooovely place to work!

I guess for me it will be chamomile, Valerian and the rest..........

Passion

I have been thinking about this subject a lot lately.......what are you passionate about? I keep meeting people who have a very strong passion for someting...... a huge interest/ hobby/ subject that they are wholeheartedly passionate about.......I don't think I have ever felt that way about anything.....and I wonder why.....is it just that I have yet to find my niche? I haven't stumbled across the one thing that will consume me for years to come?

I 'do' a lot.....I have 'tried' even more.......but haven't found anything I can be passionate about for longer than a few months...I get bored too easily......I just lose interest......

Scrapbooking, card making, yoga, candlemaking, writing, watercolour, hiking, running, tennis, ice skating, gardening, cross stitch, journaling, book groups, forum moderating, blogging,altered book/ tin making, going to the gym, photography, swimming, bird watching, musical instruments, weightwatchers, moms groups, religion (all and every including wicca)..........pottery, netball, aquasize, Egyptology, astrology, astronomy, voluntary work,

these are just a few of the things I have had passing interests in over the last few years.......but nothing I have been PASSIONATE about........enjoyed yes, had fun with yes, but passion? No.

I wish I could find something that I could be passionate about, get excited over......I love my photography but I'm not passionate about it.

My home, yes........I LOVE it here....but it's not quite what I mean........

I see that through unschooling my children are more able to find their passions in life and this pleases me......they are free from peer pressure and rigidity and routine to find their interests and spend as much time as they choose following them...to the depth of their choice.........

I have that time too.......I'm just not sure which direction to follow.......

So what are you PASSIONATE about?

pictures of the day

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5198354.stm

Picture 5.....OMG is that sweet or what?????? And the last picture too - wow! That minivan!!!

How to keep blogging and not lose your job

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5195714.stm

Bloggers who have been fired :)

My Wednesday.....

Wednesday went from being a crappy day when I was in a bad mood to being a really great day.......my Mum phoned for a chat and to tell me her birthday gift had finally arrived......I chatted to S on the phone for a while too which was nice.....I went for a nice long walk with the dogs and then the children came and found me and joined me for the last part of the walk and for some photographs!

Lloyd had to go into town for his optometrists appointment so we turned it into a bit of a date night.....strolled around the farmers market where I bought two more of the FAB dips by the Dip-sea Chicks...theird dips are wonderful!!! I bought Roasted red pepper and walnut dip and also Feta and Jalapeno dip.......yum!!! Thats my lunch today :) Lloyd made me laugh the whole time as usual...with his comments about various people in the crowds and various things people were selling......like the solar lights with plastic frogs sat on them.......wouldn't they just look fab going up our driveway????? lol!

After the farmers market we headed to Starbucks and sat chatting over coffee and carrot cake.....then we strolled around the store and I finally got a close up look at the Pirateology book I was thinking of buying...they do Egyptology and dragonology books in the series too......

I bought another of Nicholas Sparks books too .......for some reason the summer months always put me in the mood to read his novels.......it must be all the scenesfrom the Outer Banks and beaches of North Carolina...they make me crave sea air....even fictional sea air ;) and romance!

Lloyd headed off for his eye appointment and I strolled around the mall buying birthday gifts for a party Laurie is going to today......then I met Lloyd back at the optical store.....I had no idea how much fun it can be choosing glasses.....and I also had no idea how WELL I suit glasses....I found a couple of pairs that I LOVE....I think I should get my eyes checked........I've never needed glasses but maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I had to have some!!! Although maybe the price is a downside...Lloyd got two pairs of glasses on a buy one get one free deal...yet the total was still well over $600!!!!!! Thank goodness health insurance covers most of that! He got himself a nice pair of glasses for work and a pair of prescription sunglasses for driving.......

Trying on all the glasses was so much fun......much better than going clothes shopping.......NONE of the glasses I tried on made my butt look big!!!! ;)

Shopping with Lloyd is also a lot of fun - I spent the whole time with a silly grin on my face.....laughing out loud at his funny comments.....there is nothing sexier than a man who can make you laugh :)

After running into Safeway we headed home......

A few minutes after we got in, N phoned to ask us if we'd like to go to the parade with her today.....thankfully we can't make it because Laurie has a party to go to.......the parade would be fun to watch but getting there early and having to deal with the crowds in the heat (they expect over 200,000 people there today) then deal with the crowds at the wading pool with several festivals downtown all in one day and soooo many people is NOT my idea of fun...all that hanging around waiting with little kids........maybe a ina few years when I don't have one in a stroller who needs naps..........

So that was pretty much my Wednesday......I arranged to meet a few friends at the splashpark Friday.......I didn't sleep well again and kept getting up to see the coyotes who were quite close to the house last night........they sounded like hyenas giggling last night......

This morning I woke up all groggy again from lack of sleep.....the rabbits had gone missing from the coop.....so we hunted for them and found they had dug under the coop so we have blocked up any gaps around the coop and hopefully that will contain them until Lloyd can do something permanent.....it's now 10:43 and I should ahve breakfast.....Oh and Laurie Greenwood the book lady was on Global again today......she was discussinga book that sounds wonderful......'Ghosting - a Double Life' by Jennie Eedal.....so I think I will get that at the weekend........oh and I have to go to the library later and collect the books I ordered........

Not sure what else we will do when we drop Laurie to the party...but we'll do something! Maybe swim......maybe the playground.....maybe the thrift store.......maybe ice cream.........