Heather in Alaska!!!

I've been trying to post a comment on your blog lately and it just won't let me!!! I'm having that problem with a few peoples blogs......anyway I enjoyed your post about the spelling...

...have to admit the grouse post wasn't my favourite...its a FAB picture though - your DS looks so proud.....its just we have 'pet' grouse living in our woods...they had babies this year......they are soooo sweet.

Of course I keep telling Lloyd that I want to move to the middle of nowhere and live in Alaska...he says he'd HAVE to hunt and it would just be a normal part of life........but I can't grasp that concept yet lol..........I'm still getting used to the love of hunting they have here in AB.......lol!

But I loved reading about how you cooked the grouse...you're a stronger woman than I ;)

My Altar.......................

I had a new mantel fitted over the fire last year......it was going to be my altar....a special place for special things.....(most people have an altar - they just don't realise itor call it something different..............its often a shelf or mantel where they display special things and pictures..............)

Well Lloyd was getting a tv to hang on the wall above the fire......and of course the bigger one was on sale so he got the bigger one which means I have NO room on my new mantel for anything bigger than a couple of inches lol...I guess I could start collecting those nasty little miniature cottages lol but I'm not 'in to' dust collectors like those...............

So anyway I have this little shelf in MY room...my writing/ reading/ study room...............and it has a few special things on it including a few stems of oats from my friend Chrystals field! I think they are so pretty :)

Anyway...here above is my altar atm...................it changes dependning on season, mood and special things I wnat to display................

duh!

So its 4:20pm and I'm trying to figure out why I am hungry already...we don't have dinner until 6pm or so normally....then I realise .....I forgot to have lunch! I can't believe I forgot! Doesn't seem any point now but Lloyd will be cross because when I don't eat I put myself at risk of a migraine..............

Making you happy.....day 2

Go to page 2 of your Happiness Diary

(You can do your diary task any time of the day but evenings, just before bed might be best as the feelings you are left with will drift through you while you are asleep).

Write down 10 good things you have in your life: people, things, health, work, favourite place, food, sport... any 10 things that you are grateful to have. Things that you would miss if you didn't have them. Think for a minute about what it is you love about each item and why they/it is important to you.

Remember that TV programme "Why Don't You?" (why-don't-you-just-switch-off-your-television -set-and-go-and-do-something-less-boring-instead)? Well do it! Turn it off at some point and do something else instead.

If you really can't think of anything you fancy doing, here are some ideas...

• Sort out your photos ready to put in albums.
• Go through your wardrobe and move all wintry stuff into storage (or bin). Then hang your summer stuff ready for the sun!
• Write a letter to someone you haven't been in touch with for ages: auntie, cousin, old school friend, go through your Christmas card list for inspiration. In many ways we've lost the art of letter writing and it's so lovely to receive something by snail mail.
• Go for a 15 minute walk.
• Do a little gentle gardening.
• Just sit outside. Listen to the sounds.
• Play a board game.
• Write a poem.
• Phone a friend.
• Do your nails / eyebrows / hair / face pack.
• Apply some fake tan.
• Talk to or play with your children.
• Talk to your partner.
• Read a book or magazine.
• Have a bath.

How often do you laugh? The "happiness aim" is to have at least one really good laugh every day. Can you think of ways for you to have a laugh? What used to make you laugh?

If you are out of practice or stuck for ideas, here's a quick one. Do you remember the no-yes-no game? Play with your kids or partner or involve a friend (doesn't matter if they think you're nuts - they'll enjoy it to). Each person has a turn. The other asks you questions to which you can answer anything but Yes or No.
"What's Your name?"
"Jane"
"Are you sure"
"er..."
It's harder than it looks!

Initiate a conversation with another woman who you have seen around but never or rarely spoken to, whether at the school gates, bus stop, gym or just in the grocery store, park or stores.

Perhaps say how pretty/handsome their child is, or compliment their shoes, coat, necklace. Just be interested in them. Before you go, ask their name.

Phone a friend

Not the friends you see regularly but someone you haven't spoken to for ages. An old school friend perhaps? Or an old work colleague? Before you ring, think of 4 things you'd really like to know about them or from them - jot the questions down. Have you got 2 interesting things to tell them too?

When you ring check with them whether it’s a good time to talk, and if it isn’t, book in a time over the next few days.

Physical Exercise:

A key element of making yourself happier is exercise. It's important on so many levels: physical, mental, emotional - but often we are so exhausted from just getting through the day: cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, working and of course children can be emotionally exhausting with their relentless questions "why mum?", "when mum?" "how mum?". So it's not surprising that we find it difficult to motivate ourselves to do regular exercise. But the scientists have put it firmly in the "Happiness prescription" : In fact they suggest 20 minutes, 3 times a week.

So between us, we need to find some exercises that can fit into our daily life and the motivation to do it.

Today:
Borrow or buy a skipping rope. Local toy shops or supermarkets often sell them for just a couple of pounds. Or find some rope (as we did when we were kids). Do 100 skips... yes you can! Go on...Try to remember the rhymes we skipped to as little girls:

Teddy bear teddy bear turn around, teddy bear teddy bear turn around, teddy bear touch the ground, teddy bear teddy bear show our shoe, teddy bear teddy bear count to 2, 3, 4.....99, 100!

Then try backwards - can you still do it? Try that one where you cross your arms...

Rest when you need to but try to do another 100 and then another.

Enjoy feeling out of breath. Enjoy feeling youthful. And enjoy that lovely glow in your cheeks that will last for hours.

The small print: be sensible - if you haven't done any exercise for years and are out of shape or have an illness DONT skip till you drop! Take it at your own pace and stop when you want to!

splash.................oops!!!!!!

Last night a lady dropped an electrical item into her husbands bath and electrocuted him......I loved the way that on the news they emphasised that it was an ACCIDENT lol!!!!

A rainy Friday morning.......

This weather is just making me so so sleepy and lazy...I feel like a bear that wants to hibernate.....shutting down for winter........it just makes me want to do nothing!

The kids are very busy though....I think I have WEIRD kids lol........Chris and Laurie are having a long multiplication contest to see who gets the most right...they run in after each question to see who has it right..................Chris says if they did this in school there would be more mistakes but much more fun :)

How many kids pick math for fun?????

Laurie is also on page 13 (letter sized) of his story (novel??????)

The girls have been doing writing and math and all kinds of things at the table and are now doing a craft.....coloured paper and glue sticks etc are all over the table.................

Sam is sleeping.....maybe he's like me and wants to hibernate...he loves to be outside so much but after a while of splashing in puddles and standing in wind and rain you get fed up.....being outside isn't quite the same................

I wanted to say...those of you near Edmonton...if you ever want to come over for coffee and get some fresh farm eggs then just pm me or email me.............(you know where) and bring the kids over....they can go in and get the eggs themselves if they want to and meet our chickens.........if we're home then we're always up for visitors and we have plenty of eggs :)

So we were supposed to meet some friends out at another friends house by Tofield but that got cancelled......so now everyone is meeting at Millennium this morning but we're not in the mood this morning so we decided not to go..........we may run into town later though....Susie has a friend coming to sleep over tonight so we need a few extra groceries ideally but I may just get Lloyd to pick them up on his way home.............

Well its 11:10am and I'm getting hungry so I think I will go have breakfast.....hmmmmm toast or Special K Vanilla Almond???????? I don't feel like oatmeal today.

so lazy.............

I can't believe how little I have done today......I really should get up and move to wake myself up......Lloyd is stuck in a meeting and won't leave work for another 20 minutes or so which is REALLY late for him :(

Our plans for tomorrow have been cancelled.....so now I'm not sure what to do..........it will be rainy and cold again..............maybe we will head to Lets Play for a while..............maybe MP...........the library..............what to do? What to do?........................Susannahs friend arrives at 4:30pm for the sleepover so we have to be home by then but we need to run into town anyway......hmmmmm

scenes from our day...................

Susie outside playing with the dogs in the rain (wearing Abigails coat):

Sam sweeping the dining room:

A game of risk:

The lemon bars ready to eat. They are sticky and sweet and yummy and I figure they have lemon juice in them so that makes them a health food!:

Laurence writing his story...he's written six pages now:

Susannah outside of her 'fort':

The girls helping Crris with his lemon bars by mixing the filling and 'taste-testing'....a very important role ;).....................:

Happy Birthday Charlynn!

Happy Birthday
to one of my regular blog readers
Charlynn...
for yesterday!

DQ is wonderful....mmmmmm their blizzards!!! And oh wow their Brownie Earthquakes.........mmmmmm I had never been in a DQ until last year...sadly since then I have been in them faaaaar too often :)
(Charlynn left a comment to says he went to DQ yesterday!)

Thank you for making me realise I had comments to moderate ;)

I hope you had a great birthday..............

How to be happy..............

I was reading a blog recently and the writer couldn't work out why she was happy...I mentioned to her that I had just worked on 'happiness' and that I would post in my blog for all to read.

Back in May I took part in a three week Happiness challenge....it was aimed at Moms in the UK but I think the principles work for anyone..............we had take a questionnaire at the start to work out how happy were were with our lives and then several weeks later we had to take the questionnaire again to see if the challenge had helped.

Each day we were sent 'homework' to do that was based on the following 10 principles:

The 10 basic Happiness Principles:

Count your blessings
Have a good laugh every day
Daily kindness – do a good turn
Treat yourself every day
Cut TV viewing by half
Say hello to a stranger
Look after something you've planted
Get physical
Phone or talk to a friend
Talk time – an hour conversation with good friend or partner


Day 1 was:

Welcome to Day 1 of Making you Happy

Here are your happiness tasks for today!

Don't dismiss any of these ideas as overly simplistic - they are all rooted in some scientifically proven happiness principle ...instead just shrug your shoulders, keep an open mind (what have you got to lose?) and go with the flow.

Do as many as you can - print out the list and tick them off at the end of the day if it helps

Get yourself a little notebook or pad and entitle it My Happiness Diary

On the first page, under day 1, write 10 things you like about yourself. Don't feel self conscious: this is your chance to think about the best bits about being you. If you had to write an advert about yourself, what might you say? Are you kind? clever? A good mum? A loyal friend? Good fun? Thoughtful? If you find it very hard, think about what your closest family (Mum, sister, best friend, partner) might say about you?
10 wonderful things about you!

Ok I will post the next one tomorrow :)

Yikes :(

Just talked to a friend of mine on her cell.....
she has a flat tyre downtown and its pouring with rain :(

Not the ideal day to have to change a tyre...................yikes.

I hope she gets it sorted soon...............

getting stuff done........................

It has been raining again all day........they say we may get snow tonight but who knows...its set to warm up again on Sunday..............

Today I have been getting some more stuff organized....booking field trips to the museum and planning a workshop here for Remembrance Day in November............I cancelled the childrens fitness class and called up Parks and Rec to see if they had talked with the homeschooling community before planning classes......NO (duh) why not???? Surely if you are planning classes for a group of people you talk to them first to see a what day is best b) what classes are wanted or needed c) what ages should it be for d) what activity/ for fun/ for phys ed curriculum/ for fitness........................

So I phoned them and asked if the homeschool community could have a part in planning activities and she was thrilled to have contact with us and sorryt hat are needs aren't being met...someone just needed to taslk to them!

So I am researching what is needed and when..................

The Lets Play field trip has been planned (thank you R) and one of the homeschool Moms has planned a monthly Barbie playdate which Susannah is VERY excited about!

I've booked a tour of the museum for November too.........

So with the city workshops, Science centre workshops.......museum workshops, HS drop in group, playdates, Barbie playdates, MP..........well we have lots to look forward to :) Its going to be a good homeschooling year this year.

Susie and Laurence made scrambled eggs for lunch..............on their own................Chris is now baking lemon bards............again on his own.................Abigail is playing oin the fort they built yesterday.......................

Chris wrote an essay on Japan this morning and Susie used a rollwercoaster plot thingy (lol) to create the basis of a story..................Laurence has started writing a story.............he's written three pages so far...................

Susie and I drove the garbage down to the end of the driveway and then drove to the mail box...............nothing interesting...a reminder from Walmart for Chris's eye check up and some junk mail from the dvd club........................

I did some laundry....................I haven't walked the dogs yet......I will have to drag my butt out in the rain shortly I guess lol....................................but they have been playing outside for a while so they are fine....in fact their friends Yogi and Gizmo came over to play so they were running about with them for a while................

I should do something with the kids....I've been really lazy today..............I know they are doing 'stuff' and what I've been doing ahs been for them but I've also been ultra lazy and sat around a lot and read far too many blogs ;)

And the idea of sitting here all afternoon and eating the lemon bars CHris is making sounds very good to me :)

Here is the recipe he is following:


Winning Lemon Bars:

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (8 ounces) butter
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 4 beaten eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• sifted confectioners' sugar

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 325°. Blend butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Pat into ungreased 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

For filling, blend together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, and lemon peel.

Pour over first layer. Return to oven and bake at 325° for 20 minutes. Loosen around edges, cut into bars and sift confectioners' sugar over the top while warm

Its raining its pouring.............

.................the old man is snoring,
He went to bed
and bumped his head
and couldn't get up in the morning!


(you might need to click on the pictures and make them full size to see the rain but WOW was it ever raining hard when I took these just now...............

Collecting Fall leaves...............

Monday evening the girls walked with Lloyd and I and stopped to coolect Fall leaves in all different colours for an art project.............

I thought this was Tuesday evening at first but I just realized susie had short hair by Tuesday night so it must have been Monday...wow this week is going so fast!

Chicken little in recovery.......................

So our quarantined chicken with the poorly foot is well on the way to recovery...she's still laying an egg a day and is eating and drinking and not pecking at her foot......hopefully she can be reunited with her 'friends' this weekend..................................