In which I feel so ridiculously positive that I even make myself gag.

This is definitely weird. Here it is a chilly February morning and I have some kind of strange "joie de vivre" thing going on. Why? I have no idea. Sure I have already had my 3 cups of coffee for the day before 9 am and I am a little giddy from lack of sleep due to my dear wee octopus daughter crawling into bed with me at annoying-o'clock but shouldn't that just make me feel moody? (And shouldn't poorly written run-on sentences make me a bit cranky too?) Where has all this positive energy come from?

When in doubt, analyze the heck out of it to suffocate any chance of it happening again. Here are the theories:

1. Someone slipped something into my PB and H toast this morning.
2. Kids were very cooperative and I think I didn't hear the word "no" once this morning.
3. I was blog-surfing before breakfast and came across this page which made me shift my perspective on my super Aspie kid.
4. The sun is shining and it isn't -30c and for some reason I want to spend time outside.
5. The planets have aligned in some unusual way and my cat is purring next to me.

Whatever. I'm going to lace up my skates and hit the canal today, all by myself, just for fun and at my own pace, before the planets shift and it all comes crashing down again.

Happy Thursday!

Honest Scrap Award Thingy

Oh happy day! They like me! They really like me.... or at least someone knows I exist.  Which is nice for a little blog newby. Two friends passed on this award to me this week!  A big thanks to Lynn at turtlehead for giving me the Honest Scrap Award, taking the time to read my posts and being so nice and supportive when she comments.  Also a big thanks to Anna at Life Is Good … At The Beach.  She’s a great person to know in the real world as well as in blog-land.  I am always inspired by her creativity and warm personality.  Cheers ladies!

The Honest Scrap Award Rules say that I must:

1. Brag about the award.
2. Include the name of the blogger who gave you the award and link back to that blogger.
3. Choose a selection of blogs that you find brilliant in honest content.
4. Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with this award.
5. List at least ten honest things about yourself.

So here it goes. I'm going with 10 "I believe" things so you can get a peek into my quirky foundation of being.

1. I believe the "I Believe" song was a little too overplayed during the 2010 Olympics on our Canadian networks. Don't get me wrong. It is a catchy tune with a lovely heart-warming, sappy message. I hummed it way too much but after a while the dread started to wear in. Like when you have pizza for the 5th day in a row - great at first but a big turnoff by the end. Even the school was piping it into the halls in the mornings to inspire the kids, so they hummed it all day too. Overload.

2. I believe that there is such a thing as Karma.  From this I mean that you become a better person by being better to others.  Often this reaps reward in others helping you out or simply feeling better about you day.  I am a person of faith (Christian) but most of my spiritual beliefs are based on leading a real life of kindness and love.  Sounds a little flakey but it works for me. 

3. I believe that success is when you live up to your own dreams and potential, not what society deems successful.  It took a while to understand this.  From time to time I feel inadequate being a SAHM and not using my degree for the betterment of the world.  But I am thrilled to have this wonderful window of time to help my kids live up to their potential and all that.  I am lucky to be able to afford to do so.  Now I am embracing the SAHM challenge, …most days.

4.  I believe all talents have value.  I have come to appreciate the smaller things so much more lately.  My son has Asperger’s Syndrome which is frustrating at times but also totally joyful.  His talents are atypical.  His memory can be amazing and he loves music.  He is so passionate at times I think he might burst from excitement.  These are talents that may or may not have practical applications but I know are important. 

5. I believe the sum is often better than the parts.  Like peanut butter and chocolate.  Triple yum!  Although pure chocolate does have it’s place at the pinnacle of decadence….  OK, sometimes the sum is great than it’s parts.  I think I will have to go to the kitchen and experiment with this hypothesis now….

6. I believe in the power of family.  I am part of an immediate family and an extended family that loves me for who I am.  I know they are people I can depend on.  We are not perfect and that is part of our charm.  We have been through much laughter and tears, joy and frustration but we are always together, unconditionally.

7. I believe in the power of friendship.  Friends play such an important part in our lives.  Whether they touch us daily, we only get to see them on occasion or even if we have only met online, they help complete us.  One of the things I like about getting older is that I am making new friends all the time.  I moved to Ottawa about a year and a half ago now and have already met some remarkable people who I am proud to call my friends.  The women I met when my children were babies are woven deep into my soul now and I am so lucky to have grown with them through those times.  Heck, I am even reconnecting with long lost friends on Facebook.  Everlasting. 

8.  I believe going back to nature can be one of the most centering things you can do.  There is a peace that comes over me when I get to an empty beach or hike among the trees.  I breathe deeper.  I smile more.  I live in the moment, enjoying the beauty of it all.  I feel honoured to live in Canada where nature is so abundant and getting out into it can be as short as  trip to the back garden.  I need to do this more often.

9. I believe in unconditional love.  There is much to say on this topic which I will get into sometime in the future.  Deep love may end in deep grief but the pain is nothing in comparison to the value of that love.  What hasn’t killed me has made me stronger and I am thankful.

10. I believe in gratitude.  I think this is one of the most important lessons we can teach our children – to be thankful.  We are SO lucky to be here in Canada, living the life that we do.  It is easy to take it for granted.  Children live much in the present and think it is the end of the world if they don’t have the latest zhu zhu pet or Webkiz.  But we have food, shelter, friends and family who love us, health and education and so much more.  There are also the daily things to be grateful for.  Having someone share an umbrella in a downpour or being in a class that embraces diversity.  It is a perspective that leads to a happy life.

There you go.  Quite the long spiel but if you got to the bottom of it, you get the unofficial patience award.  I hope you “get” me a little better from these honest beliefs. 

There are lots of bloggers who are so worthy of the Honest Scrap Award.  Here are a few who I enjoy and would love to see what they honestly come up with if they are up to the challenge:

Allison at Bibliomama – a great writer and the one who inspired me to blog in the first place.

Mary Lynn at Riding in a Handbasket –a lovely blogger and she is nice enough to be a follower to my little blog.

My friend at Spirited Blessings – a remarkable mom and person who I wish lived closer.

About Me...

Well I'm stuck. So silly really. I have been putting off filling in this area on my little blog. And why? Because I simply do not know how to define my "me-ness". Kinda sad. So here are the bare facts.

1. I am a stay at home mom to two kids who are now in school full time.

2. I am married for over 17 years to a great guy who happens to work a lot, both in and out of town.

3. I have a cat.


Hmmmm. Sounds pretty dull. It defines myself in terms of others but says little about me as a real person. So I am stuck.


Maybe there's hope. This is one of the reasons I've started to blog. To write, to express more about who I am, what I like, where I'm going in life. Bear with me. I am aiming to be more than a mom, a wife, a pet owner and many things to others. I am aiming to be more for me.

So here comes my first attempt at more about me for me-sake. Five random facts about me:

1. Two of my favourite foods begin with "c" - coffee and chocolate. Mighty healthy mix. I'm all for setting my blinders and seeing the antioxidant arguments for both, or some other redeeming quality to them. But basically, I just love them, especially together like chocolate cheesecake and a fresh brewed coffee is heavenly. Now I'm making myself hungry. I must move on.

2. I love to hike. Both the trail variety and the urban explore. I love letting my thoughts wander as I see the sights, smell the air, laugh at the people/chipmunks/aliens I see along the way. I love how strong it makes me feel and that I am not conquered when I get home. I love to hike with family (usually at a slow pace with lots of enticing for the wee ones to keep up) or with friends with great conversation or great silence, or simply on my own, wandering with my whims. Sounds like a blog post of the future.

3. I am a ridiculously positive person most of the time for others but am the first one to criticise myself. I suppose many of us are this way. I have a dozen things I'd change about myself but love others for exactly who they are.

4. I am one of the little talked about B-type personalities. Yep, the non-A-type. I never get high blood pressure or feel overly competitive. I can procrastinate with the best of them but do well when there is a dead line. I have been working on this post for days and have put off finishing it. My house is full of unfinished projects. Is there a self-help group for folks like me? Now that I read this, I think I need it.

5. I would love to go to Italy again. I've never been with my husband and I would love to immerse myself in the culture and sights. I'm not sure how this will ever happen but maybe when we retire. Hmmm.

There. It is a start.