A LITTLE HOLIDAY

Well this is just a short post to say I'll be offline for a whole week. Yikes, I don't know how that's going to go, but we are staying in a little cabin on a lake that has no internet. We are very lucky to have someone take care of our house for the entire 7 days, including the chickens, so we are able to go as an entire family of 5 for the first time in a very very long time. When you have a 20 year old, they tend to want to do things on their own, so I am so excited and happy to have all my kids together, on a vacation, all under one roof. It's what makes Mom's happy. I'm so excited to do some fun cooking and grilling and have a few gin and tonics on the deck. When we take time off, we really get in to food and cooking and I can't wait to try a few new recipes that I have gotten from a great blog I follow called Foodie in WV.

So without further ado, I bid you farewell for a week.  Stay safe everyone and when I come back I'm sure I will have a lot of new photos and ideas to share. I am taking my laptop so I can continue to write, I just won't be able to post anything. So please don't forget about me, because I really appreciate all of you that have taken the time in your day to visit me here.

Danielle

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS

So it is no secret that I love to read books. I have devoured them since the time I learned to read. When my classmates in Grade One were still in to the picture books, I was on to the novels. And nothing has changed.  I enjoy almost all kinds of books too, from your simple summer beach reads I call them, to travel, thrillers or books that make you reach deep down inside. To me there is nothing more satisfying than curling up with a good read, letting the world fade away and to be able to disappear in to another place. Whether it be to another time, another country or another life, reading takes you places in your mind that you would otherwise never go. It is the ultimate great escape.

Now reading isn't a cheap past time by any means. Books, especially hard covers are a little pricey, so I do try to opt for the used book stores if I can. And I have also tried reading online with my Blackberry Tablet. It's not the same as a real book by any means, but it does allow me to purchase a new book as soon as I am done the last one.

So being the avid reader I am, I had automatically assumed my children would follow suit. They always had access to a full shelf of books to choose from. I read to them when they were young, and I still encourage them to read as often as I can. But turning my children in to readers has proven difficult. The distractions of internet, TV, movies and Video games has prevailed. Even though I time limit these things, reading just doesn't seem to have caught on and I have come to the conclusion that it isn't something you can force on anyone.

At first I felt like somewhat of a failure as a parent. Family members or friends would want to buy them books for Christmas, and I felt too ashamed to tell them they would never be read. I did try to say it once and was met with a disapproving silence, followed by a few sentences of how that couldn't be, I'm just choosing the wrong books, which of course only made me feel worse and I never mentioned it again. And then the books would arrive and on the shelf they would go, collecting dust. I even caught my kids lying to people, saying they had read them because they had caught on to my feelings of failure as a parent and wanted to please me. Not a fine moment.

But now suddenly, everything seems to be changing. My son is reading a book he loves, my daughter is reading constantly and I couldn't be happier. Will it last? I hope so, believe me, my fingers are crossed. I would like to think it has been my amazing influence that has made them finally pick up a book, but I acknowledge this is probably not the case. In fact my nagging at them to read probably did more harm than good. But what I have learned from the whole situation is this. I should never be ashamed as a parent about what my children like to do or not do. It is not a measure of their intelligence or future success if they don't want to read books. And it certainly isn't a measure of mine. I haven't done anything wrong as a parent, and they haven't done anything wrong by not enjoying what I had hoped they would enjoy. And what someone else might think or feel shouldn't and now doesn't matter to me anymore. My children are their own person. In every way. I can only lead by example and hope that whatever they choose in life, for their hobbies, their careers, their friends or their future spouse, it will be something that they chose, for themselves, without my influence. It needs to be whatever pleases and makes them feel joy, happiness and fulfillment. And my own insecurities as a parent, and inevitably my own wishes to please other family members or friends and have them think of me as a good parent, was only showing my kids that I was trying to be someone or something I wasn't to please others. Something I never in a million years want them to do.

So whether my kids read, play music, dance, excel at sports or don't do any of these things at all, I am proud of them. Learning by our mistakes as parents are the greatest lessons we can pass on to our kids. Telling them we are in fact not perfect and do make mistakes( I know, big shock ) is as important as letting them know we love them, unconditionally, no matter what, every day.

CAMPING IN THE HEAT

It has been extremely hot here in Nova Scotia the last few days. And by hot I mean HOT. It is 32 degrees and the humidity is high, but I can't complain, it's beautiful out. That said, we decided to try and beat the heat by going camping near the ocean. It's always cooler at the ocean right? Wrong! But, it was gorgeous.

We have a favorite spot we love to camp at. Thomas Raddall Provincial Park is about an hour and ten minutes from our house, and it is absolutely lovely. And the fact that it's so close by came in very very handy when upon arrival we discovered not only had we forgotten the tent, but the beds too! No wonder the car was empty. Anyways, after going back, retrieving our supplies and returning, the weekend was amazing and fun. We love the park for it's beautiful white sandy beaches, nature trails and private camp spots. And the night skies are unobstructed by any light so you are treated to incredible star gazing.

One of the things that was so special this trip were the Fireflies that were every where around the campsite as darkness fell. Their flashing lights lit up the bushes as sparks from the campfire rose up in to the night sky where the heavens full of stars twinkled above. There are seldom moments that come along in life that are completely and utterly perfect. And truly, this was one of those times.

When it came time to go to bed, I rolled up the sides of the tent fly to expose the mesh ceiling above. This way, as we snuggled down in to our sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep we could see the sky above us and the stars were the last thing we saw before our eyes closed and sleep took over.

Another amazing trip in Nova Scotia, a province that is unsurpassed in its beautiful coastline, quiet, white sandy beaches, and friendly people.

AHHH SUMMER

After a little bout of very wet weather, summer has returned to us. The pool is full, the sun is hot, and the wash is on the line once more.

We actually had a few days where not only did it rain, but our internet went on the fritz at the same time. It would work, then wouldn't, until it shut down altogether. We were then faced with finding other things to do that didn't require an internet connection. Pretty tough thing around our house as we use it for Movies, TV and writing this blog of course! When the provider told us it would be 10 days before they would be around to fix it, we turned to one another in  horror. Whatever would we do? Well, we did lots of things. We read books, cleaned up, played cards and the kids turned our living room in to a puppet theatre. So all in all, it was a good time. And suddenly for reasons unknown, it has started working again all on its own, and we are back online just as the sun has reappeared once again.

So we are back to outdoor living. I'm sitting in my gazebo in the shade writing on my laptop as the kids splash in the pool. The chickens are drying out in their pen, and the dogs are lounging in the grass in the heat of the sun. The breeze through the trees is heavenly and the air is fresh and clean. I'm sitting next to a bouquet of wildflowers I picked from the edge of the woods, and I feel so content and comfortable.

It truly is amazing to me that when the rain falls, and there are no distractions, all the things we can find to do. What I had thought was going to be many days of bored kids, and internet withdrawals, turned in to creativity and time spent together playing and talking.

I really appreciate summer time with the kids. It is a blessing to be with them. And as fast as summer will go, and life will return to normal in September, I for one am going to savor every moment. It truly is a wonderful life.

THE LOVING TREE

A few weeks ago, on our camping trip to Digby Neck, we came across an amazing, magical little place. In the forest were two old apple trees side by side, their trunks entwined. From their gnarly branches, and from the other trees in the grove, hung hundreds of multicolored hearts with names and dates of individuals who had come before us. There were hearts of all kinds scattered along the ground that had blown off in previous storms, and weathered hearts where the writing was no longer visible.

We were mesmerized as we stood reading all the different inscriptions made by lovers, families and friends. The birds in the forest were singing, adding to the magic, and we were shaded from the warm day by the old branches of the apple tree as we silently read the many names and dates on the various hearts hanging there above us.

When I read the little poem on the apple tree I was reminded how beautiful the love of two people can be, and what it can produce. My husband and I held hands under the apple tree and smiled to one another. We are like the apple trees, two but as one, entwined together our roots running deep. We weather each storm as one, holding on to one another, our love and devotion giving us strength to endure what ever life holds. And as we stood and looked at our amazing children there with us, we truly were able to see what beautiful fruit love brings.

We added our own hearts to the tree, and they now swing in the breeze under the old apple trees. Our names added to the many others before us, who walked beneath the canopy of the forest and paused to reflect on what it means to love and be loved.

The poem on the apple tree


 

And as we walked away, my son snapped a picture of us. It was of our heart between us, linking us together as one. I love you my hubby, forever and always.

 

 

 

 

 

SCHOOLS OUT

So school is out and suddenly two faces are staring at me as if to say, well, what's the plan? Now, because we are a one income family, the plan doesn't consist of a lot of high priced ideas. We really needed to brain storm and think of ways to have fun, while not spending bucket loads of money in the mean time. We do have a couple of trips planned this summer, one camping in Newfoundland and a week at a cottage, but other than that, our days stretch out before us, unplanned.

So after some discussion about what would keep us all happy and occupied we came up with Geocaching. It's something I have only tried a couple times, and had a blast, and it is something I think my kids are really going to enjoy. It's going to get us out of the house, and in to the woods. It's also going to make us even more familiar with our community and the surrounding areas, and get us exercising as well.

For those of you not familiar with Geocaching,  it is an activity where you use a GPS ( Global Positioning System ) to hide and seek containers called caches. Some of these have prizes, so you take one and replace it with something else, and they will have a notebook that you can sign. It's a really good way of getting outdoors and gives the kids a purpose, instead of just saying hey, lets go for a walk. It's like a treasure hunt, but with coordinates. When you visit the official Geocaching website, you can log in and find all the different caches in your area, or for any area you will be visiting, because Geocaches are found all over the world.

The kids are very excited about it, and so am I. I have ordered my GPS and am looking forward to its arrival next week, and then we can begin our summer journeys. Of course I will be letting you know all about our mishaps and adventures along the way, and if any of you out there enjoy this hobby as well, let me know any tips you may have to help us get started.

So other than that, I think we will be spending time at the lake swimming, going to the beach, tending the veggie garden and hanging around the house. Sounds like a pretty good summer to me. Now if only this rain would let up, we could actually get out there and enjoy some of the things we are planning to do. Hmmm, maybe I should be planning some indoor activities too.

THE EDIBLE CATTAIL

So all these years I've driven past them on the road, seen them growing in the marsh, and they are a major inhabitant of my neighbours pond, but I never knew they were edible. The all too common Cattail is apparently a wealth of nourishment and a host of many medicinal properties. When I was on Facebook this morning my favorite Chef, Chef Michael Smith posted a recipe for Cattails. I immediately thought to myself, what? Cattails? Don't they grow in the ditch on the side of the road? So I immediately turned to Google for the answer of course. And what I found was a wealth of information. Not only can you eat them, they provide a year round source of nourishment. I found a website that explains all the different uses for the Incredible Cat Tail and I was blown away by how many different uses it has.

Now am I going to give it a try? I don't know. I wonder what my neighbours will think when they see me in rubber boots, stealing the Cattails out of their pond. Well in all honesty, they probably won't think much, they know me well enough to know I have some pretty wild ideas. But whether or not I will get up the nerve to cook it and try it, I'm not sure.

But what this new little piece of knowledge has done for me, is raised an interest in what different plants are edible in the environment around us. I would love to go through the forest with someone that has knowledge about different plants and how to eat them. It would be so interesting and I would be so excited to find out what different things around me I could utilize. Not just in everyday life, but also in an emergency situation, if one should find themselves lost or stranded in the woods for any period of time.

Once again, nature has surprised me, as it does everyday. I can only imagine what other things are out there just waiting for me to discover.

As for trying the Cattails, if I do get up the nerve to give it a go, you will be the first to know. And if anyone out there has ever tried them, please comment or email me. I would be really curious to find out the best way to eat them, prepare them, and utilize them to the best of their potential. And to my neighbours, if you see someone in your pond, with knee high rubber boots and knife, don't be afraid, its just crazy old me. And don't worry I'll invite you for supper if you dare.