Family Life

Living Large with Minimalism

/ Lee Reynolds

 


‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment.’ ~Thich Nhat Hanh

Last year, in my spare moments, I started to Google simplicity. I visited our local library seeking every book they had on the subject. I’m at a place in my life where many of my friends are starting to downsize because their youngest child/children are leaving the nest and although we are YEARS away from our youngest leaving home, a large part of me wants to shift and seek a richer lifestyle. My heart desires less stuff so we can experience more life.

In my quest, I wanted to be inspired with ideas to create a more meaningful lifestyle to raise our younger children. Although our intention was good while raising our older kids, looking back I see that it was centered on a busy, consumer oriented life. We have achieved the “Canadian/American” dream. We have a large home with a pool, the children attend excellent schools and have all sorts of  enrichment type activities. We want for nothing, and yet, I feel like A LOT is lacking.

For the last several years I knew that the stuff we had accumulated, which was to make life easier and more fun, wasn’t making us any more joy filled. In fact, it caused more stress since things always need to be repaired, cleaned and maintained. In my quest to look for an alternative path, I was amazed to find that many people all over the world are intensely interested in the same sort of thing. It’s like we are all waking up and seeing that we have bought a used bill of goods. More is less.

During my search, I stumbled across people who live in “Tiny Houses.” These are small houses (usually under 300 square ft) that normally wouldn’t meet building standards but since they are built on trailer beds with wheels, they do not fall under normal building codes but rather under vehicle codes. The people who choose this lifestyle usually have one thing in common; they want more life and less stuff.

I love to take virtual tours of these tiny houses and often lay in bed at night dreaming of how much freedom this would create in my life if we had less square footage. Just imagine, it would take probably minutes to wash a few dishes, make a bed or two (there are even small families in these houses) and clean the tiny, closet like bathroom. Just think, it would be hard to lose anything in this size of house! To me this is luxury living. MAYBE it’s not your idea of nirvana, but there is a huge part of me that desires this life style.

The dream goes back to when my Dad converted a back yard shed and turned it into my playhouse. There was a real stove and cupboards for my little dishes and my baby dolls seemed to really love it there too. I would take dirt and leaves and cook amazing meals on my stove. Outside my house was our garden with butterflies flitting around and there were always a cat or two hanging around, begging to curl up in my lap. Now that is heaven to me.

Sigh!

What has propelled me to start thinking seriously about living more simply? Well……

A few things have, let’s say, been accumulating in my home which is causing some discontent and distress. First, the growing pile of singular socks in my laundry room is driving me wild. Do you have this in your house? Where does the other matching sock go? My kids say that my washer must eat them. I think the likely situation is that the sock attaches itself to another piece of clothing, (since I don’t use static fighting fabric sheets…..I just throw in a lavender soaked rag instead) and then gets put away in someones drawer never to be seen again. (And I have to stress here, there are not just a few socks but a huge pile of singular socks waiting for their partner to appear.) And socks are expensive…especially basketball socks, YIKES!

Also, it seems to take longer and longer each morning to put our house in any semblance of order and that is even when I have asked each child to make their bed and bring their laundry to the wash basket. I don’t know if  I’m slowing down but most mornings I feel as if I’m walking through sludge, going room to room straightening things up.

As I sort through my laundry looking for missing socks, I have been pondering my life.

Image result for missing sock pile

I’m sure my niece, N, who is an efficiency expert with her company would say, “Auntie, the problem is with the number of kids you have.” Hmmmm…. I’m just assuming here of course, but I’m sure most people would say, how can you have a simple life with 8 kids? I did try to Google simple living with a large family and you know what I found? Not much.

So it looks like I’m leading the pack or perhaps there are large families out there but they are having so much fun enjoying living simply, that they don’t see the need to reach out and share their secrets. Maybe, living large “with minimalism” is an oxymoron, but my gut says that there really isn’t a huge contradiction here after all. I think it’s one and the same. Living large is what being a minimalist is all about. We want more LIFE. And I guess since I have 8 kids, it is a play on words but I think it’s possible to have a large family and live simply. I’m kind of excited to share this journey with you…..if you are interested in what we are doing that is.

I did find one book on our library’s list that may help me and once it comes in and I have a chance to read it, I will share the contents with you. I can’t wait!

When 2015 began, I knew I was going to continue to move in the direction of being more sustainable, by growing a large garden, using our resources with care, raising children who are earth conscious but I had no idea that only 2 months into the year, I would be thinking of becoming a minimalist.

A few things have shifted my thinking. First, as I meditate more and feel a greater connection to my soul, I feel expansive. I don’t need things or a large home to feel happy any longer. I want more time to just be in THAT space. Also, I want more time just being with those I love.

 

It’s the simple moments that are precious….the girls sitting on the window seat  in awe of another snow day.

Another inspiration is with regards to our oldest daughter Alyssa. If you read my blog, you know she left last August to teach over in the U.K. As I said goodbye to her at the airport, she was pulling two connected suitcases and had a carry on slung over her shoulder.

I helped her wash and iron the clothes she carefully selected, so I know what she packed. A lot of black. Black pants, tights, a few black dresses, a black skirt and then a stack of different shirts to coordinate with all the bottoms. For the next two years these will be her only possessions. What she desires is experiences. Where is she right now? On her school’s break in Paris.

This is all Alyssa is going to have for possessions for the next two years….keep in mind all her career clothes are in these suitcases along with her tablet, her computer, her camera. Could you live out of two suitcases for 2 years? She didn’t even take a book….and she is a book LOVER!

 

Alyssa in her black London Fog coat …she is capturing life in Europe

Then our son Mitchell, who is away at University, came home last week for a part of his reading week. He was here for 6 nights and 5 full days and all he brought with him were one pair of pants, two t-shirts, a plaid shirt, a jean jacket and a comfy pair of jersey type pants that he wore to relax and sleep in. He had a great week visiting with his old school friends, he went up skiing with the family, he went to his little brother’s music class and said hello to his old guitar teacher and he even cheered his 16 year old brother, Harrison on during one of his basketball games.We watched movies together and I made many of his favourite meals and desserts.

 

Mitchell being silly with his little sisters..”making memories”

We had a wonderful week full of fun and made some lasting memories but as he walked up the driveway with only a backpack it occurred to me that my older children have the right idea. They are both living life fully and not encumbered with stuff. Since Mitchell brought only a few items home, there was nothing to maintain and it was a breeze for him to pack again. Mid week, I did throw his clothes in the wash with the rest of the family’s and I think I lost one of his socks too, but other than that there was no effort involved.

Then finally, I was thinking about how I’m about to embark on my yearly, intense spring cleaning session.
Image result for spring cleaning and decluttering tips

Ask the kids how gruelling it is and they will assure you that they would rather be anywhere else but in our house for spring cleaning. I go room to room, de-clutter, clean what items are left and organize our belongings so that there a place for everything. (you know that saying….)

 

Then I do a deep cleaning in each room. This process normally takes at least a month since my day to day life is usually spent doing our usual maintenance and household upkeep. And finally I perform a space clearing ceremony in our house. I go room to room with some sage/lavender smudge sticks, a feather, a bell, flowers, etc and I bless our home.

Once I have finished with the interior, I take that spring cleaning energy out into the yard. I prune all our shrubs, trees, rake the grass, pick up the debris leftover from winter, sweep all the walkways and driveway. I wash all the windows on the outside of the house and clean our little front yard pond while also setting out our water feature fountain at the front door.

Then I take out all our stored outdoor furniture and set them up; two patio table/umbrella and chair sets, our front yard Adirondack chairs, our red ones for the backyard fire pit, and then I haven’t even started talking about the kids tiny house or the garden/compost (or David opening up our pool and cleaning the hot tub for spring)….I’m exhausted just writing this and I’m sure I forgot a lot………So yeah…..I wish the little house below were MY HOUSE.

Our kids playhouse and playground….what would life be like if this was where we lived?…..some families in the world do live in spaces this small.

Does all this sound familiar to you too? If you have been thinking that you want more life and less stuff too, then we are kindred spirits. Let me share a few really cool Youtube videos that I discovered recently. Maybe you will join me and others around the world in paring down and living more.

It’s not just our stuff, it’s our thoughts, it’s the things we say “yes,” but really want to say, “sorry, no.” It’s the activities we register our children in, creating another generation of people who don’t know how to slow down. It’s even as simple as our breathing. When was the last time you took a really deep, slow breath?…instead of tons of shallow ones?

Well, I’ve been staying up late listening to some really wise people talk about the minimalist movement and I hope they inspire you to start on a new path…if you aren’t already there.

First, I found these two guys, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus. They had a really powerful TEDx talk, called, “A Rich life with Less Stuff.” (click on the hyper-link below) They also have a web site called, “TheMinimalist.com.

If you want some inspiration check out this video by The Minimalists, (A Rich life with less stuff)

And another one is with Angela Horn (I love her accent) called, “The less you own, the more you have.” This video REALLY resonated with me as she starts her talk reflecting on clearing out her mother and father’s family home. After my mom passed away 3 years ago this month, I started looking at all of my stuff with a new light and now ask myself, “what do I want to leave my kids to  go through after I’m gone?”

Check out Angela’s videos below or better yet, this hyperlink to the TEDx talk she gave in Capetown……. “Less you own the more you have. In this video she shares the two steps that you need to make towards having more.

1) Clear the clutter
2) Stop buying new stuff

 

Well, enough said. Ha! When I think about minimalism, I want it to relate to EVERY aspect of my life. Not just stuff. I want less thoughts, more love and peace.

Will you join me in the ranks of people all over the world who are ditching the “Dream” and working in the direction of a simpler more fulfilling life? It starts with refusing to bring more stuff into your home, while working slowly through the belongings you do own. While you do, think about this, if this was your last day on earth, how would you want to spend it? With the stuff you own or with the people you love?

Are you in”
Stay tuned as I share some things that we will be doing around our home.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Carrot Cake~A Hero’s Journey

/ Lee Reynolds

“Not all those who wander are lost.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
 
As you may or may not know, I’m a HUGE Lord of the Ring fan. Well, maybe not as massive a fan as my daughter Alyssa, who could probably teach a University level course on Tolkien’s writing and Middle Earth history. She has been known to speak Elvish and when she performed her Irish Dance steps as a child/teen, I could almost see the Elves and Hobbits dancing beside her as her curls bounced to the lilting Celtic music.

When she and her brother Clark, (she on piano and Clark on violin) used to play one of the songs from the movie, “In Dreams,” I used to weep in sadness that we did not live in such a world or a time as is portrayed in Tolkien’s literature. It was a time and place of innocence and magic. I’d like to think I did play a bit part in creating her passion for this literature, since I introduced her to Tolkien when she was around 11 or 12. My mom and I also kept her belief in faeries/elves and the like alive by surrounding her with faerie stories and music.

(If you are unable to see the video below, click on this hyperlink which will take you to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, “In Dreams.”….for inspiration to journey starts there)

I think of our dear daughter now, over in the U.K. teaching English to the English and I have to smile for she is finally living in a country steeped in history. A country where Tolkien was inspired to write his Middle Earth tales, she is starting her epic journey.

Teaching isn’t the easiest thing to do when one is more comfortable behind the piano, behind a book, behind the camera, sitting in the corner observing.

She pushes her comfort zone each day as she faces things that are hard and difficult. It may be modern times but courage and determination are needed. I think if Gandalf were really alive and well he would say, “Well done, Alyssa! Stay with the quest.”

And when I look at another of our children, Mitchell, who was just home from University for part of his February reading week, my heart goes out to him as he often struggles trying to find his authentic self and the path that he must walk. I try to share mother wisdom with him but all the wisdom in my heart will not help him on his journey. Only he knows the way and it’s my job to trust and let go that he will listen well to his heart and follow where it bids him to travel. I have lived long enough to know that it will turn out right.

In my own life, when my friends and family questioned many of my life choices; to leave a comfortable career, to have more children later in life than society deems prudent; to leave the city and move out to the country, I had to shut out those voices and go inward. I had to find my own path and keep following the signs along the way, encouraging me to stay true to myself. My life is now rich with what I love to do, care for my family, write, garden, and while many would not think this is a worthy life purpose, I know it is the way that I will grow as a soul.

What about you? Do you question your life’s path? It’s really simple to follow the road signs if you recognize the symbols along the way although they aren’t always easy to discern. I remember trying to decide about a certain life choice years ago. The two doors were open wide but I just couldn’t decide which one to walk through. I was praying for guidance daily. Minute to minute uttering the words, “help me with the direction to take,” as my mantra.

Then one day as I was driving our children to their after school activities and of course we were in a hurry as usual, hoping that we wouldn’t be late but of course we got behind a slow moving vehicle. I had to step on the brakes, take a deep breath and when I did, I realized the car in front of me had a bumper sticker in the rear that read, “Trust Comes First.”

As soon as I read those words, I got shivers as if my guardian angel were sitting right beside me whispering the message directly into my ear. I knew what I had to do in that second. I let go of any fear that I had been holding onto and knew which door to walk through. I wanted to follow that car and when the driver finally stopped to say, “Thank you, as you have no idea how much your bumper sticker helped me today.” Do you ever wonder why certain people or things are put on your path at a precise time? There are no coincidences in life. Everything happens for a reason but we aren’t often listening or watching for guidance.

And so, while I continue on my hero’s journey, a part of that is trusting that goodness will always prevail. That my children will be okay and that the messages that Tolkien wrote about in the Lord of the Rings and his other books have reached them. Every Christmas we have a tradition now of watching the movies together, often we are quoting the lines at the same time, they are entrenched in our memory.

(If unable to see the above, check this hyperlink to the Youtube video of Gandalf …”All you need to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

While there are many lines from the book/movie that are profound, the above has to be my favourite, as it helps me to remember to live fully and never let fear take over.

And before I leave today, I wanted to share my Carrot Cake recipe with you, my dear readers because, well, at the end of a journey, one needs to find nourishment and comfort. Also, carrot cake happens to be one of my daughter Alyssa’s favourite desserts. This recipe was given to me by my sister C, years ago and I have made hundreds of carrot cakes since then. Do we ever really realize how the smallest things we contribute and share can change the world? This simple, easy recipe has created moments for our family to stop on our path, celebrate life, restore ourselves and have the energy to carry on….like lembas bread.

Thank you C  for this recipe. I hope it becomes a family fav for you too.

Hope’s Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 cups flour (1 cup white, 1 cup whole wheat flour)
2 cups sugar  (1 cup white, 1 cup brown sugar)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rapeseed oil or any light oil of your choice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp all-spice
4 eggs
3 cups finely grated carrots (I don’t use my food processor…I like grating by hand for this recipe)

Directions

1. Sift dry ingredients
2. Add oil to dry and stir really well…this is a thick mixture
3. Add eggs, one at a time until well combined
4. Add carrots and ensure blended well

5. Pour mixture into a lightly greased pan of your choice. (I use a bundt pan or a 9×13 pan)

Bake for 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes…if using a glass pan….bake at 325 degrees

Cream Cheese frosting
1- 4 ounce package or 1/2 of the large 8 ounce package
3 tsp milk
11/2 tsp sugar
8 tbsp of icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
Blend cheese and milk then slowly add the additional ingredients until smooth

Adjust the amounts depending on whether you want a glaze or a thick icing on your cake

When the cake is cooled, ice with the above and sprinkle walnuts on top….Journey’s End

I’m serving the cake on my mother’s “Forget Me Not” china tea set….we all make such a difference in each other’s lives

 

 

 

My beautiful son Mitchell, home for reading week…now back on his path

 

My darling daughter Alyssa, on her Hero’s journey….this pic from.her day trip to Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge

The next time you are wondering about your life purpose or whether you are on the right path,, all you have to do is trust that everything will become clear in time, let go…and  ENJOY.

YOU are the hero in your own journey!

(If you can’t see the Youtube video above…click here for the video of “Into the West” from Lord of the Rings)

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Gandalf and Pippin from the Return of the King….”The Journey Does Not End Here.”

Blessings from Hope

Healing Our Body, Our Soul and Mother Earth

/ Lee Reynolds
Wisdom to heal is within each of us
Little did I know but this blog post was inspired early this morning, when I selected one of the tiny wisdom cards from my seashell. The words on the card said, “Slow down~When you move too fast, you miss so much.”~
These precious cards were given to me this past Christmas by my niece, T, who lives in Victoria with her family. Her husband R and her two beautiful daughters, H and M. My niece T, is a gentle soul with a warrior’s heart. She is sensitive, compassionate, kind, loving and oh so generous. Thank you T, for helping me remember what I already know.
(If you are interested in learning more about these cards….I will put more details below)
The wisdom cards given to me by my niece T…..this one says, “Slow down, when you move too fast, you miss SO much.”

As I went about my morning, I thought about this message and very quickly it became clear how it  would resonate in my life. First, I received an email from my wonderful sister B, who is a strong, intuitive woman with such a kind heart. She goes out of her way to help others for instance, rather than going to high tea to celebrate her birthday this past Sunday, she asked how she could help our son who was flying back to the city to start his second term of University.

She not only picked up Mitchell but his friend as well, she took them grocery shopping at Costco and then drove Mitchell to his dorm and his friend to the place he resides while going to school. Other than a foot injury last year, she always seems to be so healthy. She is really good at listening to her body and soul, and taking care of both,  but is service to others another key to staying healthy?

Then, she told me about her daughter T and her granddaughters not feeling well this week. Flu season is here after all, but I just went hmmmm, maybe there is a message I can learn from all of this today. T (who you may remember gave me the wisdom cards) and her husband both work, lead a busy life in a large city, raising their two beautiful girls but they are really good at listening to their bodies. What’s up….are they able to slow down enough for what their bodies need?

Then I received another lovely email from my sister, C, who is a yogi, a personal trainer, a reiki master, an artist, and I think a modern mystic…but aren’t we all? Except most of us aren’t truly tuned in or even trying to listen. Anyway, she wrote me an interesting email titled, “Universal Health.” In her email, whether she realized it or not, she inspired me on ways to stay healthy, and also help the earth. She mentioned that this month she was involved in some art classes and then she talked about hanging their laundry to dry and how she loved the smell of air dried clothes.

Finally, she wrote about their green bathroom practice to save water, “when it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Okay, maybe TMI, but I was thinking of how her whole life has been devoted to staying healthy within her mind, body and soul, while inspiring others to follow suit. Also, by walking the earth gently it allows healing to take place which in turn nourishes us. Mother earth give us the basics for perfect health, clean water, air and healthy food, not to mention beauty everywhere to feed our soul.

She then took me down memory lane when she used to teach fitness and on her business card were the words, “Universal Health.” Her creative, and artistic son, S, drew a picture of a cute alien in meditative pose, floating above the world with, “Universal Health” as the heading. She wasn’t just promoting her ability to train individuals towards greater fitness and health but she was referring to how we could heal the earth, and hence heal ourselves by creating a healthy Universe for us ALL to enjoy.

Okay, too many coincidences for me to ignore. I had to write about health and how we can heal ourselves. It also seemed like the perfect blog post for a New Year, when so many people are working towards their conscious intention of obtaining great health, more joy, greener living…etc. Thank you to my sisters, and my niece for this inspiration.Although, you have no idea how extensive you touch my life in so many other ways.  Okay, here is my post for today….

 

 

 

Recently my family had a lovely, relaxing holiday, as well as two bonus snow days which were magical.  I thought we were ready to start the New Year with gusto and although everyone finally returned to school and their respective jobs this week, some of us were not functioning at our best.
Now that is understandable, as it takes a few days to re-adjust to getting up earlier and fitting back into a regimented structured schedule, but over the holidays a few of our children caught cold viruses and weren’t recovering as fast as I would have liked.
Will got sick first, a few days after Christmas. Although he had had a slight cough, I was surprised how quickly his croup incident came upon us. We had put him to bed, thinking nothing other than it had been a lovely day. There was no warning whatsoever, until in the middle of the night, I awoke to our little guy’s barking cough. I knew exactly what was occurring when I saw him sitting up in bed, gasping for air.
The first croup incident occurred when he was a toddler. When we realized he was having such a hard time catching his breath we did the logical thing and rushed him to the ER at our nearby hospital. When we arrived, they diagnosed him as having croup and administered medicine through an inhaler. However, he had improved so much just by being out in the cold air on the way to the hospital, that the next time he had a croup incident, we just took him outside first rather than rushing him to the ER.
At the back of my mind though, I’m always second guessing taking my child outside, instead of to the hospital. As I sit rocking him, bundled in a warm comforter, whispering soothing words, “it’s okay, it’s okay, take little breaths, little breaths,” I’m praying inside, “please God, keep him breathing, keep his heart beating.” It’s such a terrifying experience as a parent and yet, a part of me is also saying to myself,…..”Hope, it’s okay, it’s okay… JUST keep breathing.” We always know the path to take deep inside.

What is always amazing to me is how resilient children are. They can be extremely sick one night and then bright and chipper the next morning. It’s so surreal. But there is a lesson here, as small children live in the moment and appreciate the smallest things in life. Their joy and exuberance is another key.

Then, a few days after putting the vaporizer away, we heard that tell tale, barking cough coming from the twin’s room. Both girls had had colds, but it was Kate who was struggling to breathe one night. Although she and her twin, Victoria had been tiny 5 pounders, when they were born, they have been healthy babies and toddlers. We have been really thankful that they have hardly had a cold in their 31/2 years. So when she caught the croup virus, it really caught us off guard. Thankfully, like Will she recovered nicely after a trip outside and an evening with the vaporizer in her room. Then a few days later, Victoria, who also caught a cold, developed a rash all over her body, which I understand is a common side effect from some cold viruses.

Not only were the little ones feeling unwell but our oldest daughter Alyssa, who has been teaching in the U.K. since September, and working so hard at her new position, caught the flu right before Christmas and she spent the whole holiday coughing and was extremely tired. And back in our home, Grace had a cough and Clark also had been really tired and suffering from a sore throat. As the kids got ready to head back to school, I KNEW I had to do something drastic. I opened up my pantry and went into my laundry room, where I keep my herbs.

Okay, my pantry needs serious organization work…but keeping a well stocked pantry with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, flax, oats, quinoa, can really give you the boost when you are needing a quick energy fix.
I use this indoor expandable clothing rack to dry my herbs…it’s great and accessible when I need to refill my herb jars.
Being able to grow my own herbs has taken my cooking to another level…one of greater health AND looking at my herbs reminds me of that song by Simon and Garfunkel…”Scarborough Fair”….see below

If you can’t click on the link above, click here to hear and view… Simon and Garfunkel’s song, “Scarborough Fair” which I always think of when I’m using “parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme” in my cooking…love this classic sweet melody….sing it while making your soup to heal your family

I took stock and knew that things like garlic, ginger, “parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme”, brown rice, vegetables, all simmered in an aromatic broth would heal us. There is something restorative about these foods, they are our comfort foods, allowing our bodies to balance and return to perfect health. Here is my version of a healing Soul Soup….

Hope’s Chicken and Rice Soup…(although I have added chicken, vegetable broth and more veggies works beautifully with the rice and all the garlic and ginger too…let your heart be your guide)

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
4 tbsp fresh minced ginger
2 celery stick
6 Chicken Thighs
12 cups of  chicken broth 
1 cup of uncooked basmati brown rice
5 large carrots
1 tbsp parsley (and if you have any fresh as well you can add it to the soup when serving)
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp rosemary
Salt and pepper
(optional: swiss chard or spinach)

Directions: 

1. Soak 1 cup of brown rice (I use basmati) in 2 cups of water
2. Bake chicken, seasoned with some salt, pepper, garlic and ginger in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes

I sprinkled the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder and ginger powder…and caught all the juice in the tin foil and added it to the broth



3. In a large stock pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and saute, 1 diced onions, 1 cup up celery stick, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 tbsp of fresh minced ginger…cook until translucent. 

 

4. Add 12 cups of chicken broth

5. Add the dried parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, oh and salt and pepper to taste. Then carrots.

oops, sideways…but you get the idea…lot of lovely dried herbs are the key to flavour

 

And if you are making it a totally veggie soup…be creative..I love beans and mushrooms with carrots

6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and saute second medium diced onion, 2nd celery stick, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp minced ginger…add the cooked chicken. Allow the chicken to brown really well creating more broth for the soup. (we are funny about meat…we like to cook it really well…especially chicken…plus it just makes more broth) After cooking for about 10 minutes, add chicken to the stock pot….add salt and pepper liberally as you are browning the chicken

After cooking the chicken in the oven, browning it with onions, celery, garlic and more ginger just layer the flavors again.


7. Rinse the rice and add to the stock pot.

I had been soaking the rice in a jar…rinse it and then add it to the soup…boiling and then simmering

8. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour…..or until the rice is cooked. (I like making my soup mid afternoon and simmering for a few hours until dinner…the smell in the house is like aromatherapy in my opinion) Also, if you want to add some swiss chard or spinach do so just before serving the soup…the added greens are lovely and add more nutrition to your soup.

Light a few candles, serve with a green salad, bread sticks (recipe below) and a glass of white wine…or in our kids case, they had their Umma’s special, “pink lady”drink..which is cranberry juice and ginger ale which is perfect when your tummy isn’t feeling all that great and you are maybe a bit dehydrated….it makes it festive for the kids to have a special drink.

 

Okay, actually this doesn’t look all that great…ha…but then I had to serve 9 people and wasn’t able to touch up before the photo shoot…but you wouldn’t believe the flavour…D came home for lunch the next day so he could have more soup!…good thing his office is just 5 minutes away from home.

 

My family was saying…’really mom, another blog post…can’t we just eat already…it was so delicious and restorative HERE’S TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!

 

The little girls sitting next to us at their little table were thrilled with the Soul Soup…”we are all in perfect health!”..CHEERS!

Although, I did not make bread sticks on the day that I made this delicious soup, as we had some good heart buns in the house, I love making my bread sticks to go along with my soups…or my pasta…well my kids like bread sticks anytime. Here’s the recipe. Mitchell brought the recipe home from his grade 9 Foods class. I have never been a fan of taking Foods in high school for our kids because I teach them how to cook at home but this was one recipe, I was thankful to receive as we enjoy it several times a month.

Mitchell’s Bread sticks…also known as our Crazy bread recipe

Ingredients

5 cups Flour
5 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 tsp yeast
450 ml of hot water

Topping;
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
75 ml parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 F

1 Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast
2. Add hot water to make sof dough
3. Turn out dough onto lightly floured counter
Knead until smooth, and elastic, about 2 minutes
4. Cover, with a damp paper towel, Let rest 5 minutes
5. Meanwhile, combine melted butter, and garlic powder
6,  Roll out dough to 1 cm thickness.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush on half of the melted butter
8. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
9. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until lightly brown..watch closely
10. Remove from oven and brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Cut into sticks or shapes of your choice

I make a large batch and they disappear very fast…the little kids begging for some BEFORE dinner

Then as if that weren’t enough, as this health idea was brewing in my brain all day, I received a phone call from our son Mitchell. As I mentioned earlier, he is back in Victoria attending his second term of University, but today he called me to say he went to the clinic as he wasn’t feeling great and it’s now confirmed that he has contracted mono. (His roommate in his University cluster had caught it in the fall) I absolutely knew by then, that after the little ones were in bed tonight, I would be writing a blog post about health and healing.

I wondered why he was so tired during the holiday break. While he worked really hard at his grocery store position, both weeks while home, as well as filled each moment visiting family and friends, he seemed more under the weather than is normal for this energetic, upbeat 18 year old, (almost 19 year old) so I was concerned. Knowing this virus was brewing, makes me wish I had made some soul soup for him before he left to return to school.

Well, as for the Wisdom card message, “Slow Down, when you move so fast, you miss So much, ” a few thoughts have come to me today. First, often we become sick to begin with by burning the candle at both ends, if you will and not allowing any light to infuse our lives. We work so hard and life for many people today is stressful. It’s also, not aligned with what our earth needs to heal itself either.

When we slow down and connect with nature, we are able to balance ourselves and recognize what each of us needs to do in order to stay in perfect health and keep our Universe healthy as well. By living consciously, breathing deeply, moving and connecting out in nature, eating whole, as close to nature food, we stay in our natural state. Perfect health.

So the next time you become ill, say thank you. It’s an opportunity to slow down and allow contemplation and connection to occur….”what are you meant to be doing after all?”

 

And before I close, I just wanted to share some information about the precious wisdom cards and a link to an interesting TED Talks presentation by Allan Savory below. First about the precious cards.

These card were created by a Victoria, B.C. yoga teacher, mother and nature lover, “Linda Cirella.” Each deck contains 80 cards and is printed on eco-friendly paper in Victoria, B.C.  Canada
These cards were created to remind you of what you already know deep within your core; and to help you to connect with it….because when you embody that wisdom you shine BRIGHTLY and you feel more ALIVE. And as a result you have more to give to others…So the world gets a little brighter!!!

Thank you again to T for the cards and to my sister B and my sister C…for always inspiring me! YOU ARE LOVED!

 

If you are interested in purchasing the cards contact Linda at om_shantii@yahoo.ca 

Wisdom is always a great gift to share.

And my final thought for the day is in regards to a Ted Talk my sacred sister, L, sent to me about healing our planet by Allan Savory. (thanks L…your angels must have whispered to send it to me)

Here’s the link to the Youtube video, but if you are using an apple product you may have to click here to see it. “Allan Savory’s presentation on TED Talks, how to green the world’s deserts and reverse climate change”

I believe it’s worth the time it takes to view it….slow down, when you move too fast you miss so much.

You never know when you will pick up a tiny piece of wisdom, put it in your back pocket and contemplate how it may change the world. Remember, we are ALL connected!

Until, I see you again, may you be WELL, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit Blast Muffins~Snowy Days

/ Lee Reynolds

This is what the lake and surrounding hills looked like on Christmas day 2014..so much for a white Christmas

 

And then, this was a picture from our deck yesterday, January 5th, 2015. Looks like winter is finally here

And not only has winter finally arrived but yesterday and today were SNOW DAYS!

I don’t remember a time in the last 20 years when we received so much snow or there was a snow day declared, although in 1998 we did have a snowy Christmas. That was the year that Harrison was born on December 19th. It was also the year that my husband D. brought Harrison and I home from the hospital on the 21st and then promptly went to bed with a terrible flu. He didn’t get up for 10 days and when he did, he had a terrible cough for months later. Our oldest, Alyssa, said she remembered that Christmas being really snowy and it was probably because with a new baby in the house and a sick husband, I had the three older children, then 8, 5, (almost 6) and 2, (almost 3) outside a lot helping me shovel the drive-way…although being still young, they were probably sledding in our yard.

Anyway, it’s been a while since we had a snow day. D, couldn’t even go to work on the first day so what did we do?

Well, the little kids did some colouring in their new books.

Will tried to read a really funny book he received for Christmas…

And Clark and Harrison shoveled….

And shoveled…..

And Shoveled…..and these were just a few of the pictures I snapped of them digging us out.

Of course D and I also took our turns. After all we do own 4 snow shovels so this white stuff is not unheard of…but we don’t usually get such a large snowfall all at once.

The four younger kids loved it and were thrilled with their first SNOW DAY break.

 

 

 

So let us remember this early January snowfall. Both Mitchell, who is back at University and Alyssa, who is in London teaching, are not going to experience sore aching backs from shoveling this year. We miss them both a lot!

I loved having two days added to the end of our holidays where we could just hang out, get used to waking up earlier and I was able to wrap my head around the fact that soon it will be business as usual…back to school, basketball games, piano lessons, jazz band practice, preschool, swimming,…well you get the picture. A busy life.

This time was an extension to the magic I felt over the holidays. Snow, pure and crisp laying a blanket on the world and for a moment we could breathe deeply and be still.

Me, in repose on the sofa, looking down the lake, while sipping some hot tea.

Of course I also took advantage of the fact that I didn’t have to drive kids anywhere. On Monday, I un-decorated the house…is that a word…”un-decorated?”

It’s always kind of sad taking down decorations, as I love twinkling white lights all over the house. Normally, I’m usually in a rush and pack everything away quickly but on Monday, I was able to linger over the sentiment that our ornaments hold. The Popsicle stick ornament, shaped like a tree with a picture of Alyssa holding our cat Ninja….the fall of 2000. We had to say goodbye to our dear Siamese cat and you could see the tears in Alyssa’s eyes in the picture and the love in Ninja’s.

Then there was my Hope Angel, given to me by my best friend Tamara while we were trying to conceive and a soft white teddy with silver thread in memory of our soulbaby we lost the next Christmas. The Christmas of 2002 though, had a little angel holding a sign that said, “It’s a girl!” That was the Christmas, Grace Elizabeth arrived. I put away golden cello’s and wooden violins, little girls in ballet shoes and on skis, little teddies kicking soccer balls and playing basketball and then there were the 6 stars, representing our 6 children at the time. Of course, we had to buy two more when the twins were born in 2011.

It was a joy, going down memory lane and carefully packing away all the Christmas decorations with care. Then while shoveling the driveway late yesterday, I noticed something in the snow and when I went to pick it up it was a snowman ornament holding a pair of skis. On the skis it said, “Clark, 2000.” He would have been involved in the Nancy Greene Ski program that year and it was our custom to choose ornaments based on our children’s hobbies or interests. It must have fallen off the real Christmas tree, as we were taking it out and putting it in the snow bank.

A memory from Christmas’s past and our oldest son who was downhill skiing

 

This truly was a beautiful tree….of course I say that every year!

Today, we did more shoveling and the boys put the Christmas tree boxes (10 Rubbermaid) down in the crawl space. I had all the kids strip their sheets on their beds and in between washing clothes and bedding, I made yummy muffins. This is a recipe that my sister J really liked as there is a delicious crumble on top of them. If you are looking for a great berry muffin recipe check this one out….

Hope’s Fruit Blast Muffins…for a large crowd

Ingredients

3 cups of flour….I use 11/2 cups of whole wheat and 11/2 of white flour
11/2 cups of sugar…again, I use half brown sugar and half white
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil….coconut oil is very nice
2 eggs
2/3 cup of milk (whatever you want, almond, rice, cow)
2 cups of berries…I used blueberry today but a mixed berry blast is lovely

Then for the topping…add the following to a medium size bowl
1 cup of brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup of cut up butter
1 tbsp of cinnamon
Mix them all together with a pastry cutter…or a fork

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or line the cups
2. Combine 3 cups of flour, 11/2 cups of sugar, the salt and the baking powder.
3. Place the oil into a 2 cup measuring cup; add the eggs and then enough milk to fill the cup.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and then fold in the blueberries.
5. Fill the muffin cups right to the top and then sprinkle the topping mixture 

6. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes and then put on a cooling rack….enjoy warm. 

Note: This recipe made 22 big muffins…but if that seems like a lot…you have to try them…they disappear really fast…and of course you can always take a few freshly from the oven to your neighbours, who may be feeling kind of  isolated and “snownly” 

Muffins are ready guys…come on in and warm up.

 

 Make muffins and they will come…..
Well, tomorrow our kids go back to school, from our kindergarten son to our University son, all classes are scheduled to be going. The little girls go back to preschool and after school, the avalanche of activities begins anew. Am I ready for the New Year? Not really. The holidays and this snow day experience reminds me that slowly down is precious. I wish we could have snow days, every day, but maybe we can keep the feeling of unwinding, and turning inward all year long. It’s an idea.
Wishing you a year full of snow days.
 
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful
Blessings from Hope

 

Cranberry Bliss Bars and Eggnog Lattés~Happy Holidays

/ Lee Reynolds

I had many creative ideas and things I wanted to share with all of you over the holidays but once December came, an avalanche of birthday parties, Christmas affairs, concerts and basketball games over took me. There really wasn’t even time for me to do my usual monumental baking fest. All I was able to squeeze in, were a few evenings of baking some sugar and shortbread cookies to take to the various parties, Christmas fundraisers and holiday events.

One morning I had the little girls do a photo shoot..this is Victoria Hope with Mr. Nutcracker
And Kathryn Mira…she was trying on several dresses as you will see

Also, I spent most of December in a shadow of gloom which causes writer’s block for me.  Even if I had time or energy to write, I didn’t have any spirit to do so.

It all started with the things that had been breaking down in our household (zippers, dryers, furnaces…see previous blog) in the fall and then just as December started to unfold, I broke one of my back molars eating popcorn. I was hoping our dentist could repair my tooth but the first words out of his mouth after looking into mine were, “you are going to need a crown.” Which I knew meant, anything we had squirreled away to give the children an awesome Christmas was going to be residing in my mouth. At least I would be  able to eat turkey dinner.

 

I’m so glad that I saved a few of Grace’s fancy dresses as the little girls had fun dressing up on this photo shoot

As upbeat and hopeful as I am, most of the time, I have my moments of sadness and often the holidays trigger my lack of faith in the greater good. This year, I was recalling the dream I held close to my heart last Christmas. We had just toured a beautiful Christmas tree farm for sale and D had said, as soon as the New Year began, we would work really hard to get our house on the market so we could sell it and purchase “my” dream home/acreage. But, things didn’t work out that way. For one reason or another, by the time we did have our house ready for the market, the Christmas tree farm had finally sold.

I was sad that my life wasn’t where I had imagined it to be this holiday season. I really do believe, that when we put our attention and focus on ANYTHING, that is what will manifest in our life. It’s after all, the Universal law of attraction.  And yet, this Christmas my faith was shaken. How could I feel hopeful about the future when  my dream from this past year had not come true? And now, as I write these words, it is so obvious that what continued to show up for me once I started feeling blue, was more feelings of lack. A lack of faith, trust and belief.

All these feelings, despite the fact that this BELIEVE sign sits above me daily in my kitchen…why I didn’t look up a bit more during the holiday, I don’t know. We should all keep our head up!

One night when D and I were on our way to the mall with a bundle of Christmas Wish letters stuffed in my purse from our children, I broke down. I let my sorrow pour out, telling him that I felt so bad about my tooth and wondered aloud how we were going to make everyone’s dreams come true on our budget. (not to mention my lack of faith) He didn’t have a solution but reminded me that  Christmas wasn’t about commercial gifts. (I should have known that!) Around this time, I spoke with a dear friend one day after we had each dropped our little ones off at preschool. We go back quite a ways and have both experienced the sadness of infertility…and now here we are with our daughters in preschool together. (that should have been miracle enough!….hello!)

I was feeling really bad that we may not be able to contribute to the preschool’s fundraiser and their December donation request for contributions as of yet and further to that, Harrison’s band teacher had just made a rude comment about the small poinsettia order we had placed for the jazz band’s fundraiser. I was feeling really stretched and vulnerable.

It was my dear friend, whose own husband has had a precarious work situation all fall, who inspired me to look at the bigger picture. She said, “at least we aren’t sitting helplessly beside our sick child at the Children’s hospital and we certainly weren’t homeless.” As I left her to go to the mall to find stocking items, I pondered her words. She was so right. We had a warm home, food to eat and I was grateful that all our children were  healthy.

We were blessed this Christmas to be able to send a few shoe boxes filled with gifts via Samaritan’s purse…I wish we could have watched the children’s faces as they opened the things Grace and Will carefully selected for them.

 

Amongst the flurry of activities in December, there were moments of pure bliss. And not surprising, they had NOTHING to do with the whole commercialized aspect of the holidays. One moment, was sitting through a basketball tournament where our son Harrison’s team did not win any games. They came close but didn’t win once. They never gave up heart though and played with all they could to the bitter end. When our son accepted the tournament’s all star award for his team, I couldn’t have been prouder than if their team had come first place. It wasn’t about winning or losing, it truly was about how they played the game. That buoyed my spirits.

They were boosted further when Clark got a call from the Science Centre, where he works through the school year, to say that he had won a turkey. Hmmm, we didn’t even know we were in the running.

Then there was the moment I was sitting in the front row of the audience and watching our daughter, Grace perform the lead acting and singing role in her school’s Christmas concert. The play was called, “The Holly and the Ivy,” and she played Holly Day. Holly, wanted to be a deputy Santa, with the hopes of being the REAL Santa one day. In the play, she experienced gender discrimination and fought to teach others to accept differences and recognize everyone’s mutual strengths. Her voice was clear and strong as she sang, “A heart full of love.” In that moment, with tears in my eyes, I thought the Christmas message doesn’t get any clearer than that…it’s about treating others with love and kindness, being accepting and having eternal hope. At moments like this, I wondered if the whole play had been orchestrated and my daughter chosen to play the lead, just so I got the message.

Grace before her piano concert…she was our Christmas baby in 2002..reminding me to believe in dreams

Then D and I shared a magical afternoon as we headed up to the mountains to search for our family’s Christmas tree. We were unable to take the family this year since we don’t have a roof rack on our new van and there was no way to put a tree in the back portion of the van since the little ones have their car seats safely fastened in the rear. We decided to drive our new little Honda Fit  up the mountains one Sunday afternoon before Christmas. The kids were contentedly watching a Christmas movie and besides, I think a “real” tree was more my thing than theirs.  After all, we did have several artificial trees throughout our house, all various sizes and the little ones had helped me decorate a few of the trees earlier in December.

So D and I headed up the valley, and turned onto a road that eventually becomes a forest service road, where it is legal to remove Christmas trees. D was a bit reluctant, since he had traveled to Vancouver and back the day before, picking up our son, Mitchell, from the Vancouver Island ferry as his first University term was finally over. D had traveled 900 kilometres in one day, so being back behind the wheel wasn’t really how he wanted to spend the rest of his weekend. Not to mention, the last time we went tree hunting in the forest he seemed to remember sparse trees so he wasn’t very optimistic that we would find anything. On top of that, was the fact that our little Honda Fit wasn’t exactly the front wheel drive sleigh we were driving during our last visit to the woods. I, on the other hand, was adamant I would not purchase a real Christmas tree since my dream to have a Christmas tree farm had not come true this past year. I wanted to cut my own tree and not spend any money doing it. We worked our way up the mountain with our little car, the air growing colder every mile. In the valley we hadn’t had more than a skiff of snow but as we climbed higher the snow lay deeper and the trees glistened with heavy blankets of white.

It seemed like forever before we came to the forest service sign and snow started to softly fall. Other than a few four wheel drive vehicles, it felt like we were all alone in the forest. Since we had left quite late in the afternoon, the sky was darkening. I had visions of being stuck on the side of the road and I regretted not packing a thermos of hot cocoa, some snacks and a blanket…until we turned a corner in the road and then I saw it. Like that moment in the movie, “Christmas Vacation,” when the Griswold family comes upon their tree for the first time and it’s lit up and angels are singing, I knew our tree had been found.


There wasn’t a break in the clouds and music playing but the tree appeared illuminated nonetheless. Even D saw it. Since it was on the opposite side to where we were driving, D slowly did a U turn further up the road and as we started to move back in the direction of the tree, we jumped as a loud blast broke through the forest silence and we were further shocked to see a sanding truck thundering towards us. It was scary how quickly that truck came upon us.

For a moment I had visions of us on the evening news with the headlines,”Local couple and parents to 8 children, who were up in the mountains looking for a Christmas tree, were killed by a sanding truck.” I know, morbid hey? Thankfully, D’s reactions were quick. He put on his right signal light, and easily pulled over to the edge of the narrow road just as the truck barreled past us, making our little car shake. D put on the hazard lights, grabbed his saw and jumped out of the car. I was still in shock over how close we had come to having an accident. It felt mystical how we were spared. By the time I opened my door, D had climbed up the slight incline, moving through the snow and was already assessing the tree. I joined him still wondering how he could just move on from that close call. I felt like something amazing had just occurred and as I looked around, everything seemed more intense and heightened. The air was crisper, the silence deeper, the forest around us felt sacred.

The tree was enchanting. It was the perfect height for our family room and nicely full. I could just imagine it in our house decorated with the children’s homemade ornaments and popcorn strings. I had saved some dried baby’s breath from my garden and thought that would give it a whimsical look as the white lights twinkled. As I got closer to the tree though and actually felt the branches, I had a moment where I just wanted to turn around and go home, leaving it to grow another year in the forest. I knew that if we cut it down, it would not be a home for birds, or a refuge for little animals on the coldest of days. It’s beauty would be enjoyed only for a few weeks, camouflaged beneath our ornaments. Then D asked me if this was the one and I just nodded and said,  “it’s perfect!”

The next thing I knew, we were lifting it into the back of the little Honda Fit and the top of it was

Our beautiful tree 2014

hanging out of the car at least 4 feet. As we slowly drove down the mountain, the snow glowed white as the skies drew a dark purple curtain over the valley below.  The one benefit of the sanding truck was that he had started to spread dirt as soon as he passed us, so our drive down the mountain wasn’t as precarious as D feared as the road was getting icier. As we drove along the country road in our bright red Honda sleigh, I thought we must be a sight for sore eyes with our tree hanging out the back of the car. Inside, both D who had been chatty on the drive up the hill, were suddenly quiet, immersed in our own thoughts. The smell of fresh fir filled our nostrils and for the first time it felt like Christmas. When the kids heard us come home, they piled out of the house to see our new tree and I was just so happy to see their beautiful faces.

The final magical thing that happened this Christmas was that somehow we were able to give our children everything they had asked for on their wish list. As I was telling my sister J, and brother-in-law B, who popped in this afternoon for a New Year’s Eve visit, Christmas ended up being a bit like Jesus’s loaves and fishes story. There was enough for everyone.  Enough for our children, enough for the places we wanted to donate, and even bigger dreams came true when D came home with a small bonus from his office. Why did I ever doubt? Have I not been blessed, time and time again? There is ALWAYS, always, ENOUGH!!!

Of course the Christmas story is the BIG one this time of year (and Will loved to remind his little sisters that Santa isn’t in the word, Christmas…(I should have been listening to him!)

 

This is the manger, my Dad made over 50 years ago…this Christmas it sat on the dresser in my bedroom…reminding me of what the season is about…..gifts of love.

….but for me this year…the loaves and fishes story was also huge….in case you have forgotten, here’s how it goes, …

 

Matthew 14:13-21New International Version (NIV)

 

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

After setting up our real Christmas tree in the family room that Sunday night before Christmas and decorating it with the kids the following day, (and not even saying anything when they only decorated the top three feet of the tree and often put a dozen ornaments on the same branch) I started seeing clearly all the goodness in my life.

Our fishes and loaves stretched beautifully. Again and again little miracles kept happening. As I looked down the pew, where our family sat enjoying our church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service, I felt an enormous sense of peace and bliss. The season of love and light was upon me and I realized that just like the first Christmas when Jesus was born in a simple stable, it was the smallest things that held the most joy for me this season. Sitting together with all of my family in one place and knowing, Alyssa was also being cared for in the U.K. by a dear, kind cousin J (my Dad’s first cousin) and her generous family, well what more could I ask for than that?  I was filled with peace and bliss

And now I will share a few Christmas moments with you….bliss abounds.

On Christmas morning, to allow the older kids to blissfully sleep in longer, we got the little ones bathed and ready for the day…hence all dressed up…it was hard to drag out the morning as they were so excited to see what was in their stockings

 

Finally, they are in the family room….Harrison and Grace are still in their Christmas Eve  P.J’s
I’m showing this picture as our cats were lingering in the back,looking for their share of the fishes and loaves…yes even miracles stretch for kitties and they received treats too. The little girls had asked for dolls as well as a kitty for Kate, and Victoria had asked for a puppy. When I found these dolls holding a kitty and a puppy, I thought I had struck gold! This is what I mean about everything working out perfectly.
Harrison’s basketball team are called the Lakers…since we live near a lake I guess…he was thrilled when we found this hat for him

 

Grace desperately needed socks this Christmas and she was very blessed because even her Auntie must have mysteriously got a hold of the wish list…she is laughing as she opens a second package with socks…warm feet, warm heart!
Mitchell is just happy to be home from University…there is nothing like moving away from home to make you appreciate the littlest things
Clark’s boots got a hole in them right before Christmas…we were not going to get him new boots but when we found these on a “deal”….like they were meant for him…we bought them and they fit perfectly..he was overjoyed!
Will asked for a telescope, a watch and a yo yo this Christmas….he was thrilled to be looking at the heavens

 

Here’s Clark, our oldest son setting up Will’s telescope late in the day on Christmas and giving the kids some astronomy tips
I stopped between mashing potatoes and making gravy to snap this picture on Christmas day…it was blissful

Another magic moment came when it started to snow after Christmas.  It has been an unseasonably warm fall and early winter and it’s almost unheard of in these parts not to get a good dump of snow by Christmas. Then, it started to fall gently, enveloping our little town with a white, peaceful blanket and a few days after Christmas we had enough for the kids to go sledding and making forts in our yard.Will was thrilled since he received a new sled for Christmas.

Here’s a picture of the kids outside today…on New Year’s Eve 2014
And what’s great about going outside…coming in for hot cocoa and watching the movie, “Frozen”

 

And so those were a few of my Christmas 2014 memories. Last Christmas, when D and I were out doing a marathon holiday shopping fest, I was absolutely exhausted and desperately needed to eat and drink something. Unlike most people, over the holidays I usually lose 5 or so pounds since I’m so busy. I swear that having a bunch of kids is a weight loss program, especially at Christmas, (who knew, maybe more people will have a large family now) so I probably hadn’t eaten much on that day. We were in my favourite store, “Chapters,” where there is also a Starbucks located inside.

I’m not a coffee drinker. Never have been and was planning to steer myself through a lifetime of “not” getting addicted to the brown stuff but that night, I needed something and the deep, rich smell of coffee was enticing. I was going to order a herbal tea but then I was lured by the lovely sounds of an eggnog latte. In addition, since they were about to close up the store, they offered some free cranberry bliss bars on the house. Well, normally I don’t indulge in too many sweets but I was starving and needed a serious sugar boost, so we gratefully accepted the free bars and took our drinks.

Well I should have been more wary of becoming a coffee addict since my mother LOVED it and I know most of the world also enjoys it. I thought I was strong enough to have one cup and then return to my tea habit but nope. It turns out that if there is eggnog AND coffee in the house, I will be drinking it…and lots of it. I still mainly drink tea but at Thanksgiving time, I’m all about pumpkin spice lattes and during the Christmas holiday season, it’s all about eggnog lattes…..

Also, as if that wasn’t bad enough, I’m also an absolute steadfast fan of Cranberry Bliss bars. If you have not tried these….oh for heaven sakes, you haven’t known bliss.

So even though our family has a recipe book full of our Christmas favourites, I want to share my recipe for Cranberry Bliss bars and Eggnog lattes with you. Last year I tried various recipes and this is my favourite……I hope it will become a family favourite for you too.

Now, when I get up in the morning, the first thing I ask D to do, is make a full coffee pot, so I can drink them all day. Yes, I will have to start doing my green drinks and my juicing in the New Year….but for now, I’m going to enjoy what I call, holiday bliss, I hope you will join me.

Oh, Alyssa, I wish you were here this Christmas…you LOVE CRANBERRIES….this is for you dear daughter and for all my blog buddies who haven’t tried these…YET!

Here’s what you need for some bliss….

Cranberry Bliss Bars

 

 

 

 

Ingredients
Cake Base:
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1¼ C brown sugar, packed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp ground powder ginger
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1½ C flour
  • ¼ C minced dried cranberries
  • ¼ C quality white chocolate. I used a Lindt white chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ C minced candied ginger
Frosting:
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1½ C powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp grated orange rind
Drizzle:
  • 2 Tbsp minced dried cranberries
  • ⅓ C white chocolate, melted

 

Instructions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 pan
  2. Beat together butter and sugar and then add eggs and vanilla beating until light and fluffy
  3. Add flour, powdered ginger and salt
  4. Beat well
  5. Fold in the cranberries, chocolate chunks and minced candied ginger
  6. Spread batter in pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown
  7. After cake cools, mix all frosting ingredients together and spread over top of cake
  8. Sprinkle with minced cranberries
  9. Use a cake decorating bag of melted chocolate with a small round decorating tip to drizzle the chocolate over the cake
  10. Cut into triangles…or bars…your choice but I like the look of triangles

 

 

I like to cut them into triangles but warning these are really rich…oh I love the ginger in them, yummy!

And to accompany the perfect Christmas treat….an eggnog latte

Holiday Eggnog Latte

 

Ingredients
  • 2 shots espresso OR ½ cup of double/triple concentrated coffee
  • ⅔ cup eggnog
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • sugar…to taste
  • optional whipped cream and nutmeg
  • Variation: If you want to make this as an evening cocktail, add a shot of rum.

 

Instructions

 

  1. Pour espresso/concentrated coffee into a mug and add steamed eggnog/milk mixture.
  2. If you prefer your eggnog latte sweeter, add a little sugar.
  3. Top off with whipped cream and a pinch of nutmeg.
  4. *If you don’t have an espresso machine, do what I do most often. Just warm your eggnog/milk mixture in the microwave. Cook times may vary but I prefer heating mine for 2 minutes.
I love Starbucks Christmas blend…but any medium roast coffee is great for your latte

 

This is bliss in my house….happy holidays!

Another special moment…once Mitchell came home for Christmas we had our annual photo shoot at our local Super Store….this year we got out in record time and everyone was smiling…gotta love that!
Here is a picture of the twins, “they always have each other’s back” wearing their beautiful plaid dresses
Although this picture didn’t turn out..I had to show it to you…this was the holiday cards we sent out..note the Christmas tree on the card…very meaningful this year

So that is a wrap dear blog friends and family. If I have learned ANYTHING at all this year…it is to believe in magic and miracles…because again and again they keep appearing in my life. I hope your upcoming year is full of what your heart desires.

Bliss at the very least.

 

Here’s an appropriate song for the occasion, “The Last Goodbye” sung by Billy Boyd, from the third Hobbit movie, (we went last night and I thought it was the perfect song as we say goodbye to 2014)

Good bye 2014

And…..

May all your wishes and dreams come true.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessing from Hope

 

Homemade Ice Cream Cake~ Bath Salts

/ Lee Reynolds

Welcome December and my busiest month of the year.

Welcome to The Spa at Orchard Ridge

As if this month isn’t busy enough, we have three children
who all have birthdays in the next couple of weeks. We eat a lot of cake this month. Clark our oldest son, will turn 22 on December 20th and Harrison, will be sweet 16 on December 19th. I’ll never forget when I went into labour with Harry, the day before his older brother was about to turn 6 years old. It was getting close to midnight and I told
my Doctor to break my water to move things along, as
I wanted our oldest son to have his “own” birthday.  As it turned out, Harrison was born before midnight and when we told Clark he wouldn’t have to share his birthday, he replied quite graciously, that he wouldn’t have minded sharing his birthday and having Harrison was the best birthday present he would ever receive.

When we found out we were expecting Grace, we were just so
thrilled that we hardly blinked when we found out her due date was December 18th. I actually thought it would be really cool
to have three children’s birthdays in a row but she had other ideas and arrived 2 weeks early on December 5th. She will turn 12 this coming Friday but last weekend, we celebrated by giving her a Spa Getaway party.

I had so much fun planning her birthday and that is also why I wasn’t blogging last week. Sadly, I didn’t take enough pictures to share today. I wasn’t really thinking “blog opportunity” when planning and throwing my daughter her birthday. However, I did take some pictures of the Ice Cream Cake I made and a few pictures of the Bath Salts that the girls made on the morning after the sleepover. I thought you may like to see them and have the recipes. The Bath Salts are easy, fun to make and I personally think they would make great gifts for teachers this holiday season.

The night before the party, we took Grace to her voice recital where she sang a cute Hawaiian Christmas song which set the perfect mood for returning home to make an ice cream cake.

The cake takes about 15 minutes to make. Max. When I think of all the years we used to buy our children their frozen cakes in the past I cringe. The last cake we had, was ridiculously expensive and had freezer burn so I’m glad to have found a great recipe to share with you now. Okay, maybe being totally sustainable means you have your own cow and you can make your OWN ice cream, etc, but hey, making things yourself is rewarding and does make you feel independent of others in many ways. Plus it’s just plain delicious. I know from past experiences, children who visit us and taste our own homemade Ice Cream cakes are amazed, asking several times, “and you made THIS?”

Hope’s Ice Cream Cake

1 box of oreo type cookies
1/4 cup melted butter
1 carton of ice cream
possibly two if you want two flavours or colours
Whipping Cream
Anything you want to garnish the cake with

 

The first thing you need to do is set out your ice cream of choice and let it sit and soften while you are preparing the crust. Grace really likes mint, so we purchased Breyers Mint Chocolate chip Ice Cream. I find that a large container is enough, although as you will see later, I often use a small amount of vanilla or chocolate to bring the ice cream to the top of the cake pan.

To make the crust you need a box of cookies. Typically, we use Oreo type cookies but our local Super Store has a store brand this time of year with candy cane filling in the middle. It’s perfect for the season and goes delightfully with our mint ice cream.

Set aside several cookies, which can later be split apart or broken up to garnish your cake. Then grind the rest of the cookies with a food processor, or you can put them into a freezer bag and break them up into fine crumbs with a rolling pin.

Put the crumbs into a mixing bowl and add 1/4 cup of melted, cooled, butter. Mix really well until well combined.

 

Press the cookie mixture into a spring form pan. I find there is a fine line over how hard to press the crumb mixture down. If you press too hard it can be really difficult to cut later, so press just enough to spread on the pan evenly.

 

Put all of the softened ice cream into a bowl and mix until creamy. If your ice cream is still quite hard, just let it soften a bit more.

Take the creamy, softened ice cream and spread it on top of your cookie crust in your spring form pan

My mint chocolate chip ice cream only went 3/4s of the way up the pan, so I put the cake in the freezer to let the first layer harden as I softened some vanilla ice cream. Once softened, I put a few drops of red food colouring in and stirred it really well. I thought this was a nice touch for a spa cake, calm green and soft pink always comes to mind when I think of relaxation and girls.

During this next step, you can get as creative as you like when making your cake. In the past, I have made strawberry ice cream cakes with the top being chocolate ice cream and then garnishing the whole cake with strawberries and cookies. I have also made a chocolate, strawberry and vanilla cake…you can also sprinkle cookie crumbs between layers.

For this cake though, I thought the light pink was a lovely finishing touch.

 

Once the cake pan is topped with the softened ice cream of your choice, cover it and place it in the freezer. For a good set, leave it 24 hours.

About an hour before the party, I brought out the cake and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then I carefully unlatched the lock on the spring form pan and lifted it up off the cake. I transferred the cake onto a crystal cake dish and brought out the items that I was going to decorate the cake with. For this cake I chose some red and green sprinkles, left over cookies split in half, some crushed candy canes and of course whipping cream.

 

You can whip your own cream but I find buying the kind in a can the easiest for a nice decorative touch.

This is my favourite part as I love to decorate; houses, packages, and in this this case, a cake. It’s like beautifying and putting your own touch on things. I didn’t have more than 5 minutes though, since I was doing last minute cleaning, cooking, spa prep. And that is the true beauty of this cake…it takes no time to make it look sensational.
And here it is, a few cookies around the sides, some along the top and I used the whipping cream and sprinkles/crushed candy canes, to do the rest. I didn’t take a picture of it after it was cut since I was the spa coordinator along with the cook, baker and bottle washer. It was beautiful though, with the chocolate crust, then the light green ice cream and finally the soft pink as the top….it almost looked like icing. Oh and it was yummy too. ( Hint..if you ever do a spa party for your child….ask a friend/sister/neighbour, etc to help out….so you can take pictures)

As I was busy getting things ready in the afternoon I DID snap a picture of our chalk board and all the things we had planned for the evening. When the girls arrived, I had spa music playing, candles lit and I used lots of aromatherapy to make the house smell relaxing.

 

This was the “waiting room”…I had a salt crystal light, candles, and a water feature tinkling at our front door…of course I Googled some great spa music and it was playing on my computer all night…oh and the smell in the house…lovely scents from the store “Saje”

Once everyone had arrived and settled in, we served dinner. I thought the appropriate dinner selection would be one less spicy but our daughter loves butter chicken, vegetable samosa’s etc, and ceasar salad so that was our menu.

After dinner, each girl was asked to find a comfy chair in our living room, where I had placed a white plastic bucket filled with hot water at the foot. In the water, I had poured a mixture of sea salts, epsom salts and some lavender essential oil….and of course a touch of blue food colouring. The girls settled in comfortably, chatting easily, as the spa music filled the room. It didn’t hurt that we had already decorated our house with greenery and white lights everywhere, which really set a peaceful mood.

As they were soaking their feet, I went from girl to girl and placed the honey facial mask that I had made ahead of time.

Hope’s Facial Mask

1 egg,
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of flour
Lavender Essential oil…(I also put in a few drops of vanilla)

After they all had their facial masks on, I placed a “cold” cucumber slices over their eyes. Each girl went “awwww,” as they felt the refreshing cucumber go on their eyes. As they relaxed, I went around from girl to girl and massaged their feet using an exfoliating product I had purchased at the “Body Shop” but I  had read that a homemade product of sugar and honey works great too.

This would have worked a lot better had I had some help, as I was really moving from girl to girl and in and out of the kitchen with fresh hot water to add to the their foot baths. They didn’t seem to notice though since they were all really quiet (amazing for 11 year old chatty girls!) as they had their heads back, just enjoying the treatment.

After about 20 minutes with the mask on their face, I heated up some wet wash clothes, with lavender sprinkled on them, in the microwave. Once heated, I gently placed it over each of their faces, with just their noses exposed. Each of them, audiably sighed, and as they relaxed further into this warmth, I went around the room and took their feet out of the foot bath. I gave each of them one final foot massage rubbing in some lovely rich “Satsumi,” body butter from from the store, The Body Shop. The smell is absolutely lovely.

Once all the girls had their feet massaged. I gave them a new round of warm wash clothes to wipe off their honey masks. I then brought in lovely red towels for them to dry their faces (we really needed new towels and these were on sale at The Bay recently…I thought they looked rather festive and although one thinks of WHITE for spa towels…I thought these were warm and rich looking and lovely with the white lights and candles and all the greenery. (For some of the greenery, D went out just before the party and pruned some of our pine bushes) I put the towels in their laps and brought each of them a small bucket of warm water, in which I had placed a light vanilla scented soap, some epsom salts and dried peppermint leaves from our garden. Oh this was lovely, and the girls seemed to really enjoy soaking not just their fingers but immersed their whole hands into the warm water. After about another 15 minutes, I brought clean warm water and they rinsed off their hands. Then, I gave them all some of the Satsumi body butter for their hands. Finally, I gave them all an emery board and asked that they file their toe nails and finger nails.

It was time to play the Nail game. I pushed everything out of the way and laid down on the floor a warm fleece blanket that I had just heated in the dryer. The girls sat down forming a circle and I  explained the game.

We had a selection of 5 nail colours plus a clear colour set aside. Each girl threw dice to see who would go first…the highest throw started the game. The first girl chose a nail polish bottle of her choice and spun it. The person the bottle pointed to when it stopped spinning was instructed to roll the dice. The number it landed on would then determine how many toe nails she had to paint the selected colour. She would then paint her nails, which ever toe nail she chose, and then she selected the next colour and spun the bottle and the game continued for a long time. Choruses of laughter spilled from the living room. When all their toes were painted, the game was over. The girls had such a great time and in the end, everyone seemed really happy with the results of their pedicure. (Note…if you are doing this make sure to put down a blanket that is not near and dear to you…in case some nail polish gets spilled.) Also, before they started painting their nails, I gave them nail painting instructions 101 so they spread the polish with ease. (One stroke down the middle…then sides…finishing with a Q tip with nail polish remover to take away any overages)

 

After their pedicure, the girls painted their finger nails the colour of their choice.(It helped that I bought Sally Hanson, fast dry nail polish) After that, the girls went out to the hot tub, where I could hear them laughing and giggling. When they came in they were all prunes but they said it was wonderful, luxuriating in the hot water with the cold winter air on their faces. It was perfect as I was able to clean up from the spa part of our evening and set out the cake, popcorn, punch, pop, licorice for the movie/sleepover portion of the party.

The next morning, after D’s delicious pancakes (he really knows how to make a great breakfast!) I had the girls make Lavender Bath Salts to take home. It was really fun watching them turn some basic ingredients into a lovely gift and I was thinking, hmmmm….I should include this in my blog in case you are looking for a homemade gift to give to someone special this holiday season.

Hope’s Bath Salts

A glass container
Epsom Salts
Sea Salts 
Food Colouring
Essential Oil of your choice….we used Lavender 
Ribbon of your choice…we used raffia ribbon for a cottage look

Mix 1 part epsom salts with 1 part sea salts. Add the food colouring of your choice. You have to really mix the colouring in well until you get a nice consistency. The girls used blue and a bit of red for a lovely blue. Finally, add and stir in the essential oil of your choice.

Ideally, you would let it sit and dry overnight but we had to pour with a funnel into the girls glass containers and added a label and the raffia ribbon. You can do different colours and layer it as you desire or have it all the same colour. One Christmas our girls made peppermint bath salts and did one layer of green, then pink, alternating layers right to the top of the jar…fixing a bow and attaching a candy cane beneath it…the sky is the limit regarding your choice of scent and colours..and jars. Canning jars would be really cool with the raffia ribbon!

I wished I had taken pictures of the girl’s thank you bags but you know how busy things get at parties….but here’s what I did in case you are wanting to throw your daughter a spa party. I went to the dollar store and found really pretty glitzy clutch purses. The make up bags that they had were kind of tacky and weren’t big enough for what I wanted to put in them.

Inside these bright pink, glittery bags, (like evening bags) I placed a bar of lavender soap, nail polish remover (in case the parents weren’t thrilled over the girls manicures/pedicures) a few emery boards, some cotton squares(put into t little bag to keep them sterile) and a bottle of nice nail polish (I didn’t get these at the dollar store but bought a good quality bottle of nail polish) Finally, when you are 11, turning 12, you still like candy, so I threw a handful of wrapped candy….holiday variety, since she is my December baby. I wrapped the whole purse with raffia ribbon as it was bulging full. In addition to their bath salts, it was a nice way to say thank you for coming. Grace is really blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Well, that’s one birthday down, two more to go….the next one is a SWEET SIXTEEN for my quickly growing sweet boy, uummm, young man,  Harrison…stay tuned. Although celebrating each of our children’s birthdays is very special, remembering the journey to Grace, reminds me how special this time of year truly is. It’s the season of light. The season of miracles. The season of love.

Before I close I thought an appropriate YouTube video was, (click here if you can’t see below) Joe Cocker’s song, “You ARE so Beautiful.” because although this blog post was all about Grace’s spa beauty party, she reminds me all the time what beauty is all about.

 

     Happy Birthday Grace. Your soul shines!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Being Grateful~Happy Birthday to My Sister

/ Lee Reynolds

After a really tough week, yes another tough week, I’m so very grateful.

If you have been following along with what’s going on in my life, things have been falling apart around here; zippers, dryers, furnaces, and then on the weekend I broke a tooth while eating popcorn watching a movie. Yes, I’m doing the shift and let go dance every day, while remembering on my most difficult days that I often grow the most as a soul. I’m learning A LOT lately.

Tomorrow, is my sister C’s birthday. As I was making up an email note for her this evening, I came across the most beautiful Grateful song I really wanted to share with my blog readers. Also, with many of my friends from the States celebrating their Thanksgiving tomorrow I thought it was very appropriate. While they are eating turkey and pumpkin pie this weekend, I will be counting my blessings and remembering how fortunate I am to have sisters, and blog sisters as well all over the world. What are you thankful for? The practice of writing down 5 things that you are grateful for really does generate more happiness into our lives. What are your top 5 things you are grateful for?

Today for me, I’m grateful for:

1. A wise and wonderful sister who inspires me to live my best life. (and two others who love me, too)

2. A son with a working zipper on his coat and a GREAT HAT.

3. A dryer that is working.

4. Two gas fireplaces that are working until the heating guy can repair our furnace

5. A wonderful dentist who can get me in next week to repair my tooth

…..and the list goes on and on, health, home, food, family, friends and as my beautiful son Harrison often says when I ask, “how are things?”  he says, “LG mom,” translated to….life’s GOOD!

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear sister, C….and

Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. sisters.

Check out this Youtube video, Gratitude, a love song to the world...I hope it inspires you and brings you joy. (click on the hyper link if you can’t see it below)

Until I see you again, may you be well, HAPPY and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Tomorrow is my sister C’s birthday and as I sent her an email greeting because my birthday card is not going to get to her in time, I

Gingersnaps~Living With Will

/ Lee Reynolds

Oh the blessing of free will. Some may call it a curse. Some may call it a gift. Last week, I made a number of excellent choices and then some that, in hindsight, I wished I had not made. But then even as I write these words I know, even our worst choices bring insights and so it’s all good.

As you probably recall from reading my last blog post called, “When Things Fall Apart,” a number of things were breaking down in our household. Things did not improve as the week unfolded, despite my new mantra expecting only Marvelous things to occur.

On Thursday morning, again the house was very chilly when we awoke and when I went to turn on our gas powered furnace,  I didn’t hear that warm hum. I cycled power and it worked for a bit and then stopped. Big problem. Direction? To call our furnace repair guy. Result. He’s coming later in the afternoon.

Of course, he came exactly when I was due to pick up our University son from the bus and right after that I was due to take Grace to her piano lesson. Thankfully, D had agreed to come home, (his office is about a 5 minute drive away) which is a good thing since I don’t understand the language of the skilled trades person. After they come to look at whatever it is that is not working, they try to explain what is wrong and how they plan to fix it and frankly, I’m always surprised that they don’t notice my perplexed facial expression because they continue to talk, as if we are on the same page. Thank you D for coming to my rescue.

In the meantime, I was ready to bundle up the little girls into the van to go and collect Clark, but when I looked out at our drive-way, I see the repair man’s truck is squarely in the path of my van. I decided to wait until D arrived home so I could leave the little ones with him and steal his little economical red Honda Fit. His treasured car I might add, which is really funny when I think of how times have changed. When I met him he had just sold his red Corvette and bought a Camaro. Again, it’s interesting the roads we choose to travel as well as how we choose to travel them.

 

Anyway, I zoomed up the hill, picked up Clark, who had been waiting for awhile, and arrived home just as the school bus was dropping Grace and Will off. Since it was a cold day, the first thing I noticed when I saw Will come into our yard was, that his head was bare. As he was coming into the house I asked, “Where is your new hat Will?” He sloughed off his new coat, {remember the one in which I had to replace the zipper recently? And, further to that, the one that I’d bought because I had fallen in LOVE with the HAT which happened to go beautifully with the jacket) and said, “M, took it off.” “What?” I said. He replied, “M took it while I was on the bus.”

Although I knew I had to be out the door shortly to take Grace to piano, I tried to clarify where his hat was since I KNOW from experience, the longer something goes missing, the chance of getting it back are slim. Amber Alert starts to flash in my mind. As it turned out, based on both Grace and Will’s statements, Will had his new hat when he got on the bus and while he was looking out the window, ” M”, who was sitting beside him, took it off. Will asked for his hat back but she was looking away, when he asked again, she didn’t respond. She got off the bus before him and he didn’t get his hat back.

Well, even though I was conscious, EXTREMELY, consciously aware of my feelings, anger, starting to bubble up from an unknown source, anger and frustration that another child should remove our son’s hat, I still made the “choice” to continue down this path. In fact, I became even more livid as I tried to find M’s phone number but there are like 50 people with her last name in our phone book. And remember, this is a small town! I tried calling a few who live in our area but each time it was the wrong number. Glancing at my watch, it was time to take Grace to her piano lesson. I grabbed an apple, an orange, some crackers and cheese and threw them on a plate for the children’s after school snack, Grace snatched a bit of everything and we were out the door.

Thank heavens, our older son was home to keep an eye on the little ones. On the way out of our sub-division we stopped off at the cul-de-sac, where Grace thought the M girl lived on. She had seen her get off the bus with her younger sister and she was pretty sure she knew which house they lived in. M is Grace’s age. Actually, in the same grade but in a different class and so she is familiar with her. We stopped at the house where she thought she lived and I rang the bell. No answer. We continued to piano.

Although I like to stay for her 3/4 hour lesson, that day I had to run and pick up Harrison after his jazz band practice.  On my way back to our area, I decided to stop once again at M’s house. This time a teenage boy answers and said, “No, she didn’t live there, but there are two girls next door.” Quickly, keeping an eye on the time, I ran next door and rang the bell. A young, Filipino woman came to the door. I explained nicely to her that our kindergarten son was sitting beside M on the bus earlier and he said, she had taken his hat. I wanted to know if she knew anything about it.

The woman looked shocked and while she was apologetically saying, “oh my, I’m sorry, what does it look like?” as she was rummaging around a backpack at the door, I told her that it was black with a red stripe and cool brim. She shook her head no and said it wasn’t in M’s back pack. She further said, M was at her dance class but she would talk to her when she picked her up. I assumed she was the nanny, as she referenced her employer a few times. Before I left, I mentioned that I was surprised M was sitting with Will at all, since I understood the older children were suppose to sit at the back of the bus. My older daughter doesn’t even sit with him. She just looked at me blankly, like she didn’t know what the rules were, so I gave her my phone number and said, “thanks.”

I was still pretty annoyed at this point. I was thinking back to a time when my oldest son got off the bus without his rather expensive ski gloves we had purchased for him. He always had cold hands so we made sure to get a really warm pair this particular winter. He said one of the kids grabbed them and threw them to the back of the bus and for awhile all the kids were throwing them around. This was a Friday and our family was going skiing that weekend. We never got those gloves back.

Ever since our children were small, we have taught them to take care of their things, to appreciate what they have and to understand it takes effort to provide nice things for them. While some may feel that this is putting too much emphasize on stuff, I believe it teaches them to respect belongings. Theirs and other people’s. While I understand we all choose different parenting philosophies, at the very least, respecting other people’s space and their, “things.” is in my opinion, a really important lesson in life.

I got to the high school and Harrison didn’t come out. I shut off the car engine, text him but he didn’t respond. I raced into the school, knowing Grace’s piano lesson was going to end soon, and stopped outside of the band room. Teens were flying out and thankfully, one asked who I was looking for and I told him. He replied that Harrison wasn’t there that day. The band teacher, Mr. M. must have seen me at the door, as he came over and said Harrison hadn’t shown up after school. Was there a Dr.’s appointment or something? I just shook my head, smiled and decided to check out the gym. I continued down the hall and who do I see shooting hoops with a few other boys? Harrison.

When he saw me, he quickly collected his belongings and came out rather sheepishly. I asked him why he wasn’t at his jazz band practice and he mumbled something about, not wanting to go.. He perked up and said, “oh Mom, I’m number one on the list posted for the basketball team.” I nodded my acknowledgement, but I didn’t let the first part slide. As we walked down the hall, I asked him why he didn’t go to band and he said he wanted to play basketball instead after school. By this time we were outside the band room, so I told him that he better go and apologize to his band teacher.

As it turned out Harrison was not in Mr. M’s good books anyway. At the band concert, the night before, he had apparently been talking and laughed briefly, during  the 5 minute Bach flute solo. Mr. M had had words with him and the other boy involved after the concert. In addition, he was annoyed when he told the jazz band to make some “noise,” while warming up and Harrison had done just that, TOO much, in Mr. M’s estimation. Harrison later told me it was a GREAT fill! (Harrison plays the drums by the way)  D and I were at the back of the concert room so we never heard anything but we were not looking for poor behavior. He played really well as far as we were concerned (you can always hear your child when they play drums) but he had clearly made some bad choices during the concert for sure.

Harrison right before his band concert last Wednesday night

He apologized to Mr. M over his prior night’s behavior and not attending his band practice and we were back in the van to pick up Grace, with me talking, Harrison would say, lecturing, about the choices we make in life and the results we desire. Ownership and being respectful, being the theme. We arrived 5 minutes late to pick up Grace, who was getting cold as it was getting dark by this point. The rest of the night went off without a hitch, dinner, clean up, bath, stories, bed. It was when I was making children’s lunches for the next day that I received a phone call.

It was M’s mom calling about my query over Will’s hat. She was absolutely spitting mad and told me that under no circumstances should I have come to her door, upsetting her nanny, and accusing her daughter of taking Will’s hat. She further went on to say that her child was kind hearted and would NEVER take someone’s hat. I tried to explain that this was blown WAY out of proportion but she had made up her mind as to my intentions. I told her that I was simply wanting to get his hat back and I started on the trail of the missing hat based on where Will thought it was. She basically said, I shouldn’t listen to something a kindergarten aged child said and I should look around our house for the lost hat which will most likely turn up.

Near the end of our conversation, she threw this out, “It is JUST a HAT.” As if I were being ridiculous and out of line. I explained that we do have 8 children to cloth and it isn’t just a hat to us but the principal of teaching our children to be responsible with their things. She then, quite condescendingly said, “we probably can find a few hats lying around here if you really need one.” At that point, I knew we weren’t getting anywhere. I apologized if her nanny was upset by my appearance and before we said goodbye, I mentioned that I had called the school, left a message with the principal as I wanted to discuss bus seating policy and the incident.

I didn’t sleep that night. I kept thinking about the choices I had made with regards to the actions of the missing hat. Was it just a hat or was it the principal of other people being disrespectful towards our belongings? Also, on my mind was my beautiful teenage son, who was making his own choices. Sometimes not the best ones. I went to sleep finally, thinking about hats, drum sticks, and conversations  all playing out in my mind.

Things always look better in the morning. The house was warm as the furnace had been repaired. The little girls had a lovely morning at preschool and when we arrived home at lunch time, I received a phone call from D. He said that the principal, Mr. S. had apparently tried to contact me but I was having tea with an old friend  and I hadn’t been checking my messages. D said that Mr. S had taken the steps of having all the people involved in the hat fiasco, into his office. As it turns out, a girl by the name of, get this, HOPE, had taken Will’s hat off his head. She had been sitting behind him on the bus and when she got up to get off at her stop, she had dropped it behind his back. She thought he would have noticed but he didn’t. Apparently, this time Hope was the culprit but she told Mr. S that other children had been doing it as well, namely, M and her younger sister, D.  M admitted that yes, she had done it before. It was unclear whether M was aware this time that Hope had taken Will’s hat although she had been the one to say Hope should also be included in the meeting. The Principal told them both that he had zero tolerance for hat removal, or any touching of other people’s belongings whatsoever. They were being warned that if he hears about this again, they will be off the bus.

Was I feeling vindicated? Well, sort of. But then, crazy me, I try to think about it from the other person’s perspective and I see that I could have handled it differently. First I could have stayed in my Zen place. I could have let the incident go totally and just bought Will a new hat. Although, saying that, I have to qualify that by saying, this hat was PERFECT. Also, as you know, I’m careful with our money and gee, did I really have to buy a new hat when we had a perfectly good hat “somewhere.” So yeah, I was unresolved even after all of this was hashed out. The right choice is not always clear and we never know what the outcome will be when we go down  a certain path.

Mr. S, the Principal, did track down Will’s hat. It was left on the bus and he has given instructions for the bus people to return it to Will today. The bus should be dropping the kids off shortly and it will all be resolved. Until the next time that is.

I know this is just one incident in my life, one week of choices, but the real point here is, when we have the will power to choose which direction we are going to take, in every aspect of our life, the choices we make always impact more than ourselves and no matter which way we go, if we are open to it, we learn our biggest lessons in life and we teach as well. Yes, I could have taken the higher road and let the hat go. We would have ALL lived in peace and harmony, EXCEPT, until the next time one of the kids on the bus (or in life) thinks nothing of messing around with other people’s things. Isn’t it part of our job as a community to teach identify moral lessons? It’s part of living in a peaceful society.

Also, another big lesson I want my children to learn is that stuff isn’t important. I know, I know, this is a contradiction of what I have been talking about but the a particular piece in the scripture has always stayed with me from my childhood Sunday school lessons and that is, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6) This bible verse has always resonated with me and I’d like to believe I’m not materialistic.

Everything we have been given of material goods, is to bring us joy on the earth, make life easier and being grateful for those things is an important lesson too. I hope our children learn a few lessons from this whole experience, all of our children, Will, Grace, Harrison, etc…that respect is an important part of living on this earth, and choosing to be kind. Always kind. When we take that path, we are never wrong.

Well, I must close but before I do, I want to give you the recipe for my ginger snap cookies which I think are the perfect choice to go with late fall/early winter weather. I have a full cookie jar with these cookies right now thanks to my dear, DEAREST, son Harrison. While D and I were out doing our Christmas shopping for his oldest sister Alyssa yesterday, (who will NOT be home this Christmas and we want to send her a package soon) he had made a huge batch of these for the family. (Alyssa would love these too…they are her fav) I came home to a hot cup of tea and a plate of cookies. I showed him how to sprinkle an icing sugar star on top. They were so delicious that I thought I would add them to this blog post today. Thank you Harrison. I respect your excellent baking skills.

I hope you enjoy them too, if you want to make them more festive, simply make a stencil of a star or whatever…maybe I should have put a hat on our cookies. Whatever choices you make on this earth, I hope the lessons that result are gentle,

and your cookie jar is ALWAYS full!

Harrison’s Ginger Snaps

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup of margarine or butter, softened
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
21/4 cups all purpose flour (Harrison used whole wheat yesterday and it was great)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, margarine, molasses and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup sugar, mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling. (You don’t have to do this last step…Harrison didn’t yesterday and they were great)

Heat oven to 350 degree F. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in 1/4 cup sugar. Space 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degree F. For 8 to 12 minutes or until set. (Cookies will puff up and then flatten during baking.) Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Yields 3-4 dozen

We double the recipe for our large family so they last the week.

 

Will just came home and look what is on his head!

Looking at the above picture, it reminds me me of a story Dr. Wayne Dyer tells, of a woman who was walking on the beach with her small son. Suddenly, a huge wave washes upon the shore and pulls her son into the ocean. She gets down on her hands and knees and cries, “Oh God, please, please, bring my son back to me!” On the next wave her son reappears, none the worse for wear. She looks him over from top to bottom and says, “but he was wearing a HAT” 
 

                                               

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Light and Fluffy Waffles and Snow

/ Lee Reynolds
This was a shot from our deck at 7:30 this morning…our first snowfall of 2014

To put you in the mood as you read this blog post, play the following YouTube video clip. It’s from one of my favourite Christmas movie’s called, “White Christmas.” It’s called, “Snow.” (click on the hyper-link if you can’t view below)

Snow, white and fluffy, reminding me of the ivory snow flakes I put into my homemade laundry soap, softly drifted down from the heavens last night. I felt the possibilities of such in my bones, as I went to pick up the children from school yesterday. At the time, only heavy wet rain drops were plopping on my windshield but later, when I had to take Grace to her Christmas choir rehearsal, it had changed to the white stuff. Oh the first snowfall of the year is glorious.

I LOVE snow. A peaceful feeling and memories of childhood envelope me, as I’m in awe over our first snowfall. One of my favourite memories from childhood, was being bundled into my red one piece snow suit and going outside with my family to play in the snow. This was when we lived in Hope, B.C., back when my Dad was still alive. We made a massive snowman, taller than my dad and he even had a lap for me to sit on. Pictures of me with my three older sisters and Dad, and of course our snowman, are treasured photos now.

The smell of crisp, cold winter days also fill me with joy, as I remember the times when my step Dad, Bud and I would go and feed our horses. As our green Ford truck would come into view, our horses would lift up their heads and snorts of mist would puff from their noses, as they sauntered over to meet us at the gate. My horse, Blondie’s velvet nose would push me in the tummy, and she would nuzzle me until I gave her the carrot or apple in my pocket. Knowing she was as happy to see me, as I was to see her, made those cold, snowy days, magical moments. She of course is long gone, along with my father, and my step father but as snow falls, my thoughts of them bring them alive once more.

Last night, the little ones had a hot tub before going to bed. As we lifted the hot tub cover, steam rolled up into the night sky. Safely, under the cover of our upper deck, the children floated around and their excited voices echoed into the blanketed white. “Can we go and play in it”? They asked? “Sure,” I said, so they climbed out wearing nothing but their birthday suits. They ran to the edge of our deck, gingerly touching their naked toes on the white ground, and then they ran back to the hot tub, giggling, filled with glee. My step Dad, Bud would have looked at me and said, “making memories.”

At bedtime, all warm in their fleece jammies, we read a story called, “Big Snow” by Jonathan Bean. It was about a little boy who while “helping” his mother do some holiday cleaning, was antsy as he kept a watchful eye on the progress of the winter snowfall. He was hoping for a big snow. Inside, he is underfoot, turning  white sheet changing and tub scrubbing into imaginary whiteouts. I love when his father comes home early from work and the whole family goes out for a walk in the deep snow.

It was the perfect book to read to our children on our first night of snow. I hope they have magical memories of this special time of year.

This Saturday morning, I had to get up early and take D to the hospital where he was undergoing a colonoscopy. Groan! Yes, I know, not the most fun procedure in the world and certainly not delightful to prepare for. I felt truly bad for him as he was up most of the night. I’ve just returned from dropping him off at our local hospital and also taking our oldest son, Clark to his job at the Science Centre. There was a sleepover there last night and Clark is on the first shift this morning, getting the kids their breakfast, making flubber, etc. I’m sure they will be talking about snow and perhaps looking at snowflakes through a microscope, exploring the marvelous world of science. Serious fun!

I’m going to make a quick batch of my light and fluffy waffles for the kids. Harrison was at a birthday party last night. Do you call it that when teens are turning 16? It was suppose to be a sleepover but at 10:30 he appeared home and as he poured himself a bowl of cereal, he said they had done everything he had wanted to and he knew his Dad was going to the hospital in the morning and I may need him. Yes, there were moments this week when I had to shake my head at some of his teenage judgement calls, but then he rises to the occasion, like last night and I think, “okay, maybe he will be ready to learn to drive soon.” He turns 16 next month. I have a month to ponder that.

So I’m making waffles this morning and realized I haven’t put a breakfast recipe on my blog yet. Do you want a great waffle recipe? This one has a few extra steps than the basic waffle recipe but it results in light and fluffy waffles. Waffles your family will remember as being the best they have ever eaten! So make up a batch for your family, serve them near a window, so they can eat and enjoy the magic going on outside, no matter where you live in the world. Making Memories!

Hope’s Light and Fluffy Waffles

  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1¾ cups whole milk
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 oz (½ stick) whole butter
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

    1. Pre-heat your waffle iron to its hottest setting.

 

    1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

 

    1. Separate the eggs. Put the whites in a glass bowl and the yolks in another.

 

    1. Melt the butter over a low heat, then remove it and let it cool

 

    1. Beat the yolks thoroughly. Whisk in the milk, oil and melted butter.

 

    1. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then add the sugar and continue mixing until you get nice stiff peaks. (This makes the waffles fluffy)

 

    1. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently until combined.

 

    1. Carefully fold in the beaten egg whites to the batter, don’t over mix.

 

    1. Spray both surfaces of your waffle iron with cooking spray.

 

    1. Pour ½ to ¾ cup (depending on your waffle iron) batter onto the iron and close it.

 

    1. Cook until the waffle iron’s indicator light shows that cooking is complete, or until no more steam comes out. The finished waffle should be golden brown and crispy.

 

  1. Lift the waffle out of the iron with a pair of tongs and either serve right away or transfer it to the oven to keep warm.
I add some fruit, some syrup and sprinkle it with icing sugar and serve it to the girls.

 

The little girls have been wearing their bear hats all week…Bears love waffles!
Me yelling, “Harrison” come and get it….I really have to start using a bell at mealtime

 

 

My older kids love weekends when we make waffles etc and take time for breakfast
Grace is always up for a smoothie

Add a fruit smoothie to the breakfast and you’ve given your family a healthy start to the day along with memories of icing sugar sprinkled waffles on snow covered mornings.

Fruit Smoothie

This is the one I make most often as all my children love it.

Add some crushed ice to the bottom of your blender…I use about 1- 2 cups.

Then I fill 1/2 of my blender, about 4-6 cups with whatever milk we have on hand….almond, rice, or cow’s milk…let your taste be your guide

I then add 1 – 1 1/2 cups of yogurt…strawberry or blueberry is our choice

Add a banana and then frozen fruit…we like blueberries and strawberries. The more you add the fruitier the smoothie…also my girls like more strawberries for a pink colour smoothie ….but lots of blueberries looks great too…not to mention loaded with antioxidents.

Blend it until everything is well combined and serve.

(Note…I like to add some ground flax seeds for extra fibre for my smoothie but some kids don’t like it) 

Well, blog readers, I hate to leave you mid blog but the hospital just called and it’s time to pick up D and bring him home. I’m going to add some scrambled eggs to his breakfast when he gets home. He must so hungry since he hasn’t eaten since Thursday night!

While I’m off, I’m going to leave the little ones home with Harrison and Grace. I’ve promised them a special video to watch while I’m gone. Have you ever watched the “Snowman” movie? I’m adding a link below and maybe you can watch it with your family on the next wintery day. (unless you live in Florida like my good friend, K)

The music is hauntingly beautiful and reminds me of when my older children were playing their violins and cello, with our local Carriage House String Orchestra.  Alyssa also, played it on the piano and I wonder if Grace, who is now taking voice lessons, will sing it in the future. Tingles cover my arms as I listen, knowing angels are listening to it with me. Wrap yourself up with warm memories and know, each moment you are making more magic in the world.

Okay, I’ve got to run but I hope you enjoy this movie and the music as well. Here’s the YouTube video of “The Snowman.”...for young and old. (click on the hyper link if you can’t view below)

 

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

When Things Fall Apart

/ Lee Reynolds

My dryer is broken.

My Ruby red LG dryer–broken dryer

You may remember reading last week about my belief in Murphy’s law, coinciding with D’s business trips. Something ALWAYS happens when he goes out of town. Of course, if I truly believe in the law of attraction, which I do, I will start reciting this mantra, “something marvelous always occurs when D is working out of town.”

But last week, I had no such insight.

D has since returned, delved into the dryer’s malfunction (did I mention he is handy?) and has ordered a new circuit board. Of course, just finding a place that would provide, said part was an ordeal. I get SO frustrated when we find a part in our cousin country, (the U.S.) but for WHATEVER reason, things can’t always be shipped to Canada. (Free trade stinks at times) Anyway, don’t get me started, we did finally find the part but of course, it is NOW on order.

Until then, I’ve threatened the children within an inch of their life, to NOT put anything but socks and underwear in the wash. To hang up their towels after use and under no circumstances are they to put their sheets in the laundry basket. Even the little kids know the drill and they carefully strip down, laying the approved items for the wash aside and putting their other clothes back in their drawers/closet.

Even under these strict rules, with 8 people living in our home, there is still wash to do each day and each day I pray for good weather so I can set it out on our deck to dry.

First thing I do every morning is assess the drying weather

Now for some strange reason, when it is MY choice to dry our clothes on the deck it’s okay. I feel really empowered by the whole concept of saving energy and using wind and solar power to dry our clothes but when I have no choice, I feel like a victim to the appliance manufacturers, who can’t seem to construct machines that will last more than 5 years.

Our clothes drying outside…underwear and socks are inside

For the first 15 years of our marriage we had the same washing machine pair and since then we have had to replace them every 5 years like clockwork, which is ridiculous in my books. Yes, sure, we have a larger than average family and for the last 5 years our family is very large but still, this new LG was purchased after Will was born 5 years ago. You would think it could make it until he was in grade 1 before breaking down.

Okay, enough venting about my dryer, except to say, I actually would dry everything outside,(and sneer at the dryer manufactures) if there was a way of drying clothes outside without everything, like towels, feeling scratchy boards. Send me a comment if you have a solution In the spring, I may even ask D to construct a clothesline, although our neighbours may protest over us airing our “clean” laundry to dry. Sigh.

I actually thought I was doing really well with D out of town last week, dealing with the day to day drama until Will came home from school on Thursday with a broken zipper on his new coat. His NEW coat. He had only worn it for a week and the little metal thingy on the bottom of the zipper broke off so the zipper slide wouldn’t stay attached.

The metal piece on the right..broke off

I was livid! BUT again, Murphy’s law prevailed (D was still away at this point) and wouldn’t you know I had just thrown out the store receipt, along with the price tags, etc in the garbage on Tuesday. I wasn’t exactly sure it went in the Tuesday garbage, but just to be sure, I went through the garbage we had accumulated since Tuesday, reviewing each item carefully. It was Friday morning at this point and surprisingly we had a lot of garbage. Yuck!

Have you ever done a garbage inspection? It was amazing what I found. PERFECTLY GOOD STUFF! A bag full of nuts, dried fruit and yogurt covered bits, (expensive nuts, I might add), an apple, a perfectly good pencil, an unopened juice box with straw still attached, cat food cans that still had food in them, (the children feed the cats) and then what really surprised me were things that could be recycled, for instance toilet paper rolls, and quite a bit of potential compost material…like apple cores, banana peels, etc. Very insightful.

Suffice it to say, garbage inspections will continue, (as gross and stinky as they are) regularly since the goal of being less wasteful is high on my priority list. And perhaps I will have to get the children to do some research on garbage waste in our country and we can enjoy a field trip to the dump, which really should have a new name, something like “precious land.” Okay, again I got sidetracked…where was I?

Oh YES, since I must have thrown out the store receipt (which yes, when I think of it, should have been recycled too…in which case we would still have them in our recycling bin) I had to come up with a solution to Will’s broken zipper. What to do? Well, after the garbage inspection, I pulled out our yellow pages and called every single tailor and seamstress listed. Three. There are probably more but I don’t have any connections in the sewing industry which I think is a lost art by the way. And again, Murphy’s law, every one of them said they could do it but not for 3 weeks. That was the magic time frame for all of them. I told them my son would freeze by then but thanked them for their time.

Then I decided to google how to repair a zipper but sadly this didn’t appear to be easily manuvered, so I decided as ridiculous as it is to repair a brand new coat, I had to walk my talk and not only be frugal but sustainable. I would have to do it myself. On Sunday, I warned all the kids that the big repair job was being conducted and they were to keep themselves busy so I could focus on ripping out the broken zipper and reattach the new one we had purchased at Fabricland on Saturday.

Well, at first I couldn’t see how to even begin and I was so worried I was going to put a hole in the nylon material but after about 1/2 hour I finally made a tiny opening and things progressed from there. Once the zipper was removed, I carefully pinned the new one to the coat, being conscious to place the zipper bottom, at the bottom of the jacket. Believe me, I have done some funny things over the years when I sew. Harrison, our 15 year old, must have inherited my lack of sewing perception, as his Home Ec teacher told him not to become a bridge builder when he grows up, as he had sewed the legs shut to the boxer shorts he was making last year.

Sewing the zipper was really easy and quick or so I thought. When I went to zip up the jacket, the zipper got stuck on the material since I had sewed the zipper too close to the edges of the jacket. So, with teeth clenched and screams to the children, “do not BUG me,” I ripped out the zipper again and re-sewed it. This time, being careful to ensure the material had some clearance to allow the zipper to flow along the teeth without any blockages. Voila! Not the prettiest job but it got the job done and Will would not freeze this winter.

Will checking out the new zipper

 

Also, I learned a few valuable lessons. In the future, when we purchase anything that costs over say $50.00 dollars (and this coat was much higher than that) I will retain the receipts and tags in an envelope for safe keeping. We do this with appliances…however isn’t it interesting that the unit always breaks down exactly one day after any warranty expires?

Well my dryer still isn’t fixed but D assures me that the part will be here soon, fingers crossed that this is the magic part. Will went to school on Monday with a working zipper and all was going okay until I woke up yesterday to a freezing house. D had already left for work very early, at 6:45 to take Harrison to jazz band and Clark to the University bus. He didn’t notice how chilly the house was but one hour later when the kids were going out the door the house still wasn’t heating up.

D came home at lunch, per my frozen request and cycled the power (I think that was the correct term he used) and geesh, I could have done that. It seemed to get our furnace working but again this morning, it didn’t kick in. So now we have another ISSUE to deal with.

Our gas fireplace kept us warm

Add some concerns we have over our daughter in the U.K. and her teaching profession and our out of town University son, finding a comfort zone to marinade in while away from home and things in my life, to a degree seem to be falling apart. Do you ever wonder why things seem to go wrong. And in threes too? There is that old wives tale anyway.

I don’t think they really go wrong in threes, they go wrong in a series of threes, a life time of threes. Life is just full of things falling apart. And that is the essence of life. Unless, UNLESS, you shift your perspective AND learn the fine art of surrender.

I often say that “letting go” is my major life lesson. It seems to be in the theme of EVERYTHING I experience in life. Something falls apart, I notice it, I react….sometimes I OVER REACT, and thankfully as I’m growing wiser, I then shift and let go and then I’m back into the well being stage. UNTIL the next thing. Which at times can be moments later. It feels like a delicate dance I do on this earth school.

Then last night, as I was at my meditation meeting, things became clearer. Things fall apart in order to teach me the lessons I need to learn. To enforce the understanding that we are impermanent and things are ALWAYS changing. Then I laughed and wondered if once I became proficient at this life dance, if in the future I wouldn’t even be aware when things go awry because I will smoothly waltz past any obstacles. My awareness will be that everything is perfect and things are not broken at all.

In this light, and maybe as a result of my attraction expectation, instead of things falling apart, things will be coming together. Like a beautiful dance, where at first you are just learning the steps and finally after a lot of practice, it artfully flows together with the music.

For instance on Sunday when I was sewing Will’s zipper in place. Grace took the time to host a tea party for the three little ones. She made some “Mother’s Helper Tea” that my sister B had given me and filled a plate full of cookies we picked up from her school’s Christmas Fair Market. She made the afternoon fun for the little ones as I tried to repair the jacket. She reminded me that things do come together with the smallest effort. My children have been the best teachers in my life. They are CONSTANTLY changing and growing and with such ease and grace. They live in the moment and enjoy each experience.

Grace brought up her Beatrix Potter tea set and her fairies to join the party
Invite some friends to the party
Kate, Grace, Will and Victoria enjoy their Mother’s Helper Tea and Cookies
Would you care for another biscuit, Kathryn? Yes, thank you.

Check out this YouTube video, it’s one of my fav artists from when I was young, Cat Stevens singing, Oh Very Young....reminds me of how quickly life unfolds and reminds me also, not to stress when things fall apart…we are impermanent and life is short. Our children are truly are best teachers. Even though they are changing and growing every day, they live happily in the moment.

 The lyrics to Oh Very Young

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You’re only dancing on this earth for a short while
And though your dreams may toss and turn you now
They will vanish away like your daddy’s best jeans
Denim Blue fading up to the sky
And though you want him to last forever
You know he never will
(You know he never will)
And the patches make the goodbye harder still

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
There’ll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will
(You know you never will)
And the goodbye makes the journey harder still

Oh very young
What will you leave us this time
You’re only dancing on this earth for a short while
Oh very young
What will you leave us this time

Hmmmm….good lessons to learn when things fall apart.

What do you do when things fall apart? Watch your reaction the next time and notice how you dance to the music.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Sweet Dreams

/ Lee Reynolds

 

 

Today was pajama day at the twins preschool. They have been talking about it since last week when their teachers gave them a sneak preview of the upcoming event. I kind of wish they hadn’t done that, since every night since then, before they went to bed, they asked with hopeful smiles, “is it pajama day tomorrow?” Each night, I would have to say, “not quite yet” and then after depressing groans, we would count down the days until the big P day.

We discussed which stuffed animal they would bring and every day their selections changed. After their preschool class on Wednesday, when they made little bear hats for the BIG day, I decided to set out their new pajamas and we made one final choice of teddy and set them on their dresser.

D went out of town on Wednesday morning and was going to be away for the rest of the work week, so I knew anything I could organize for all the children’s various activities would be helpful in running a smooth ship. Of course, every time D goes away, something ALWAYS happens. It’s Murphy’s law. This trip, my LG dryer stopped working around the time he was packing for his trip which I thought was really interesting. Then today it started to snow…but thankfully only a few flakes drifted down. I do NOT have snow tires on yet. As I said, it’s always something.

Any planning and organizing I can do ahead of time is a lifesaver. As tired as I may be at times, getting things ready the night before, always makes things flow better in the morning. When I tucked the little girls into bed last night, (Thursday night) they knew the next morning was pajama day and they were so “becited” as Victoria likes to say.

Good night little girls….

Sweet Dreams!

The final teddies have been selected…notice the Beatrix Potter books…they love these…and to the right, the angels holding three babies up in the air…the inscription under their feet is, “I knew you before you were born”

 

 

“I’m so BECITED!” said Victoria

When you wake up in the morning it will be the big P day.

Kate kicking back but looking forward to waking up on Friday

I didn’t sleep really well last night. I kept waking up and looking at the clock. 2 am, 3 am, 4 am. I was so worried that the alarm I set, was not going to go off. Then finally I got 2 hours of solid sleep because the next time I squinted at the digital clock beside our bed, it was 6 am.  I just laid, feeling exhausted. Wondering how I was going to get through our busy day.

I had to get up soon in order to drive Harrison to his High School Jazz band meeting and then get Will and Grace up and off to school. Then get the little girls out of their jammies, bathed and dressed into  their “new snowflake” pajamas for their special party day.

Thank heavens, our University son was staying home to work on a large project due next week. That was one kid I didn’t have to drive around. If I could just get through the morning, all I had to do later in the day was pick up Harrison from school at 4 pm (he likes to go into the weight room after school) and then take Grace to a swimming assessment, as she has been wanting to join our local swim club. After dinner I knew D would return home and I could exhale. Also, remember, my dryer has been broken most of the week and for someone who does at least 2 loads of wash a day (minimum) it has been another challenge to deal with…washing the least bit of clothes and hanging them to dry.

I thought I was doing really well. I even had time to take a few pictures of the girls after they were ready in their new pajamas with their teddies in their arms.

For some reason this picture didn’t turn out well….were they moving or was their too much light?..but you get to see them in their new pajamas….which for some reason was really thrilling for them. Oh no, fashion divas!

I finally got them all bundled up in their warm coats, hats and gloves because it was really COLD here this morning and hoisted them up into their car seats. Both were complaining that it was tight. Note to self, get D to adjust the car seat straps because I can’t figure out how to adjust them….do they need booster seats ALREADY?…seems like just yesterday we bought these Britax seats.

Here’s a snap I took of the girls the other day all bundled up…but of course Victoria likes to take off her gloves…I need to put a string on those gloves as sure as shooting we are going to lose them

Seems like just yesterday they came home from the hospital in their infant car seats.

We jammed to Van Morrison all the way to preschool. As I looked into the rear view mirror and saw them rocking side to side in time to the beat, with big smiles on their faces, I experienced a flash of  deja vu. Before they were born and I mean BEFORE, they were even conceived. While we were just trying to conceive, I used to look into the rear view mirror of my van and dream about little ones in the back seat. I never dreamed I would have TWIN daughters, well okay, maybe for a second, but I don’t think I could imagine a dream that big, coming true.

As we drove into the preschool parking lot, it wasn’t just the little girls getting excited for their pajama day,  I was starting to feel rather bubbly over the affair. As I parked, other little ones clutching teddies and holding their parents hands were going down the steps to the preschool. WAIT!

BACK UP! The other ones were clutching, TEDDIES! AHHHHH! I knew before I even looked in the back seat that we were teddyless. No teddies. In a car that normally has a few story books, a sleeve of crackers, an apple, someone’s hoodie, a whole bag of things on route to the Goodwill, but this time of course, NO teddies in sight. Again, Murphy’s law at work. When the van is always loaded with all sorts of stuff…except on the day that you need a few lovies…well that is par for the course when D is out of town. Blame it on me being too clean and organized this week.

I didn’t say a thing to the girls. We grabbed their lady bug back packs and headed for the door and it didn’t take them more than a second to realize that something was wrong with this picture. As we walked into the welcoming room and they saw all their friends holding their stuffies, that was it. Victoria’s lip started to tremble and Kate’s brow furrowed even more than usual and she gave me a look that said, “Mom, this just won’t do!”

I acknowledged their disappointment and apologized several times for forgetting their teddies. Victoria asked me several times if I could PLEEESE just drive home and get them. Kate let her do all the talking but was very invested in what her sister was saying. I started to tell them it’s really unfortunate that we forgot their teddies but to drive home would be a waste of gas (totally against my being green and frugal) and perhaps their teddies were happier at home anyway.

Victoria’s eyes grew round and surprised. I don’t think she has ever heard me say no to anything, of any consequence anyway. When I saw that look of deep, DEEP, disappointment in her eyes, I KNEW, I was going to cave. As tired as I was, I knew I was was going to drive all the way home, pick up teddies and then drive all the way back to the preschool. (you know we don’t live right in town right?) I was prepared to do that for my daughters and they recognized me relenting and had hope in their eyes….and then their teacher, Miss C, had overheard our conversation and she came to the rescue.

“Kate and Victoria, how would you like to bring one of the preschool stuffies to the pajama party?” she offered. They looked at each other and almost in unison said, “Okay.” And off they went in search of a furry friend. I whispered, “thank you” to Miss C, and followed the girls into the next room where said stuffed animals lived when they weren’t in the arms of a child.

As I kissed two, HAPPY, little girls goodbye, each holding a new friend, I thought how very blessed I was to experience this moment. Although over the years of trying to conceive these last babies to complete our family, I experienced a lot of disappointment, it was only when I was able to shift my focus and let go, when they arrived at long last. My sweet dream came true. Doubly blessed with them and thrice blessed with William, Kathryn and Victoria.

Isn’t that true for anything we desire in life though?. Sometimes, no amount of laser focus on our intention, brings what we want into our life. Sometimes, we have to shift, take a deep breath and let go and then and only then is disappointment replaced with joy and peace. A sense of well being floats over us and then, sometimes, something even better than we ever DREAM comes to us.

As I walked into our house, look who greeted me….

The little girls teddies, Audrey and Lavender, waiting patiently and contentedly, side by side on our stair railing. Perhaps how my little girls waited for us, wherever they were before coming to earth.

This was a good lesson for me today. After a really busy week, things turned out really well. I just need to follow the little girls lead and be open to bringing another furry friend to the party.

When I went back to pick up the girls from preschool, they were happy and excited and as we headed  to the van, with me wearing Victoria’s bear hat on my head, they took turns sharing stories of all the fun activities they had experienced that morning. I told them that I was REALLY proud of how they accepted the bear disaster with such grace and how I would like to do something fun with them when we got home. Soooooooo…

As soon our coats were put away, with bears in their arms, we all went down to our Hobbit’s Hollow (our crawl space media room….I have to write a blog post about this space) and we made two big bowls of popcorn. We brought it upstairs, I made a healthy smoothie and  hooked up my computer to our big screen T.V. in the family room and we proceeded to have a Beatrix Potter film festival. The movie we watched is called, (click on the hyperlink if you can’t see the YouTube link below)
The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends, episode 1

It’s a delightful show and the music is beautiful.

I often think of Will, Kathryn and Victoria as my little bunnies and some of our favourite books to read together are the little books we have by Beatrix Potter. Alyssa loved them when she was a young child and I think it inspired her fondness for Victorian literature.

When Grace was a baby, I bought this sweet wooden wall hanging, (very cottagy) with three little bunnies hopping on a blue wooden ribbon. I didn’t know then that we would be welcoming three more little ones into our family. (Watch how you decorate your house is all I can say) Below, is a picture of the little nursery we made for Will when he was a baby. See the three bunnies on the end wall. Talk about using space wisely. We turned our former walk in closet into a delightful nursery. Here are a few pictures from when he was a baby.

I love the colour of the nursery’s walls. It’s called “soft earth” by Ralph Lauren. Lovely and peaceful. In this picture you can see the three bunnies over the crib

 

The room is so small that we did the entire end wall in mirror
His bedding was sage green and cream and had little lady bugs and dragon flies on it….little did we know but his baby sisters would be born in May and were called our little “lady bugs” when I was pregnant with them
The blue chair in his room was bought almost 20 years ago for our first baby’s nursery…..I’ve nursed every one of our little ones in this chair….the pillow is one I made and embroidered for Will…”Allow Miracles to Happen” The crib is also old…we bought it for our first baby 20 years earlier…originally it was white but we put a tea stain on it for Will…and D reinforced it to make sure it was still safe for him.

 

Will was only 23 months old when the twins came to earth, so we left him in the nursery and the babies crib was in our room for the first year of their life. They slept comfortably and happily together in that crib until they were one. Often I would find them curled up together in the middle of the night. Notice the the pair of cottage craft bunnies over their bed…the Bunny theme continues.

 

I I thought I would share the above pictures because so many people I know wonder where we find room for all of our children. I like our babies and young children close so this has worked out really    well for us. There was a time when we thought we had to have everything for our children. When     we had our first baby, we had a fancy nursery for her and I think she would have been much happier in her crib right next to our bed. We all have to find what works for us, but my advice to new parents is, don’t spend a lot on baby things, decorations, baby clothes, because babies just want to be in  your arms. They want to be held and feel safe.
Isn’t that truly what we all want?
Well, D arrived home safely as I was typing this blog post. I took about 1/2 hour to bring him up todate on all the happenings and then he said, “I’ll just read it in your blog.” So, dear readers, I think I had better go and follow him to bed. Each of us has to find ways to shift when disappointment arises in our lives but I hope the next time you are saying, “oh crap,” you will put on your pajamas, find a furry friend to hug, make some popcorn and watch a good movie…or better yet, find a great blog to read.
 
                                                          
For those of you with little ones, I hope you sit and watch the above YouTube together. It’s really quite magical. And of course, may all your sweet dreams come true.
 
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
Blessings from Hope

Lest We Forget and Lentil Soup

/ Lee Reynolds

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

~An excerpt from Laurence Binyon’s poem, “They Shall Grow Not Old”~

What does Remembrance day and lentil soup have in common? Well from as far back as I can remember, November 11th was normally cold, dreary and wet, so soup just seems to be the appropriate thing to eat. Warmed the bones and the heart. Also, it’s something that you can make easily that doesn’t take tremendous effort and yet it’s satisfying at the end of the day.

But today the weather is glorious. I woke up to blue skies and although I knew it was cold outside as there was frost, FINALLY, on the ground. Even though the weather was nice, albeit cold, I still felt like soup. On a day when I think of my step father Bud and all the war stories he told of his years in the navy, I want to wrap myself in a blanket, eat soup and be thankful for those who gave up their lives so I could live in freedom.

Before starting my soup though, I decided to go out to the garden, one last time to salvage any remaining vegetables so I could make one last fresh juice from our garden. So with clippers in hand, out I went picking an assortment of things.

I picked kale, swiss chard, parsley, and even some lavender and also gathered some leek seeds
In the war days people were encouraged to grow Victory Gardens and these last vegetables of the season would have been precious.

 

So with the last vegetables form our garden, I juiced a a delicious vegetable drink with a bit of ginger

 

This is the stuff that helps me keep up with these little ones

 

D, who had been out in the garage attic, looking for skates, skis and winter boots, came in for a drink….Cheers D!

 

Bottoms up, Victoria and Kate

 

Will, who was outside helping D find skates…came in when he heard the juicer…he LOVES his green drink!

So with delicious juice in our tummies, the boys went back to the garage attic, and the little girls continued colouring, (check out the Activity Village site for great free colouring pages you can print off…there is something for every age) and I got started on my lentil soup for dinner. I wanted to get the soup made and simmering, and then head back out to the garden. The weather was really nice and since our compost bin was full, I needed to dig a hole to put our kitchen compost scraps somewhere.

I love soup. It’s my ultimate comfort food and as a mom, I like how I can make it early in the day and it just gets better as it simmers on the back burner. I know we are going to eat a healthy dinner without any mad scramble at the end of the day and I can spend a good bulk of my day, doing what I  love or dig into a bigger project. Literally, today I would be digging holes to put debris I couldn’t cram in the compost any longer.

If you like making soup too, join me as I chop and talk. I don’t need a recipe for soup, I just start with my stock pot, some extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic and seasoning and then add what I have on hand. Here’s how I’m making my soup today.

And before we get going, let’s put on a song called, “We’ll Meet Again.” by Vera Lynn…this takes me back to when I was small and even though I was born at the tail end of the baby boom generation,…I remember hearing these songs from my childhood and they left a lasting impression

Hope’s Remembrance Day Lentil Soup

Ingredients

2 cups of dried green lentils
1 cup chopped onions (2 large onions)
1 cup chopped leeks, white part only (depending on the size, maybe 2 leeks)…from my garden, yes!
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup medium-diced celery (3 stalks)
2 cups diced carrots (3 to 5 carrots)
8 cups of vegetable stock
2 fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup of tomato sauce,,,,I had some left over spaghetti sauce in the fridge
2 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar
Sour Cream, fresh parsley for topping….opt freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Saute onions, leeks, garlic with olive oil. Add seasonings, cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are translucent.

 

 Add the seasonings and continue to cook. Ahhh… layering the flavours
In a large pot, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

Add the celery and carrots and cook for 10 more minutes.
 Add the tomatoes, cook for another 5 minutes
Add drained lentils and vegetable stock

 





Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are soft. Taste the soup and add any last seasoning to taste. Add the red wine and serve hot, topped with sour cream, parsley, grated parmesan cheese.

 While the soup is simmering, let’s make my easy and quick, dinner buns.

I love the smell of bread baking in the kitchen don’t you? Pure comfort!

Hope’s Quick and Easy Dinner buns

    • 4 1/2 cups flour

 

    • 4 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

 

    • 1 cup milk

 

    • 3/4 cup water

 

    • 1/2 cup margarine or butter

 

    • 1/3-1/2 cup white sugar

 

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

 Directions

1. Mix 2 cups of flour and yeast in a large bowl

2. In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a lukewarm in the microwave or on the top of the stove

3. Add all at once to flour mixture and mix until smooth. I use my kitchenaid stand mixer

4. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough..2 -21/2 cups

5. Mix well until dough is soft and slightly sticky, then turn out onto a floured surface and let it rest under a greased bowl for 15 minutes.

6. Shape dough into balls and place on a greased baking pan…I like to top the buns with a mixture of oatmeal, ground flax seed and sunflower seeds but you can top it with anything you have on hand…or nothing.

7. Cover with a tea towel for 45 minutes to let it rise

8. Bake in preheated oven at 400 F for 12 to 15 minutes

  So with the soup on the back burner, and the buns rising, I decided to make some healthy cookies as well since our cookie jar was empty and tomorrow the kids are going back to school.

I always think of my mother in law, Doreen when I make cookies. My husband says that his mom never made cookies for him and 3 siblings. She used to say, “I would make cookies, but they will just get eaten.” Which I always thought was so funny. Another thing D would say if we hadn’t heard from her in a while (since they didn’t live in our town and to connect meant we had to call long distance) she would say, “I would have phoned, but I didn’t know if you would be home.”

Now don’t get me wrong at all, D’s mom Doreen was a LOVELY lady but she was quirky sometimes. I certainly had my moments with her when she was alive and some things really set me off, but when I hear other women complaining about their mother in laws, I wish I could give them some advice and tell them to treasure the days. If stuff is coming up, then it’s a good thing and an opportunity to look at yourself in the mirror.  I wish I had been a more tolerant and loving daughter in law. I see it now but it’s all in hindsight, although on this Remembrance day, I’m not just thinking of the veterans, I’m thinking of lost moments with people like Doreen. She was a special person and I don’t know if I ever told her that when she was alive. 

In memory of Doreen and things that I’m learning, my kitchen motto is, “you can never have too many cookies and the faster they get eaten the better.” ~by Lee Reynolds~

So with that, here is the Cookie Recipe I’m making today.

I have a general basic cookie recipe that I use and I just change the add ons based on what I have in my pantry and often the time of year as well. Today, it feels like we need a cinnamon type cookie…something soft, chewy and a bit spicy.  Something that feels like a comfort cookie. Wish you were here Alyssa….you too Doreen!

 Hope’s Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of margarine

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

Now this is where you get creative…today

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of dried cherries…which I love but my husband said he wished I had put in raisins

My older kids said they wished we had white chocolates and pecans….but I didn’t….and anyway that isn’t as healthy but you see what I mean…this is where you can create your own cookie combo….today for us..it was walnuts and cherries…oh almonds and coconut…maybe with a few chocolate chips would be good too. Okay, you see, the cookie baker in me gets carried away. These turned out really chewy, a nice soft texture and not too sweet…the cherries were a nice touch 

Directions.

Cream the butter in a large bowl…I use my kitchenaid mixer

 Add the white and brown sugar

 Add the 3 eggs, mixing well after each addition

 Mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, the flour, oatmeal, etc and then add them to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. See the consistency below.

 Now the part I often ask my kids to help me with so I can get outside…whoever is in the house and there is usually one older child lingering around the kitchen…usually our 15 year old Harrison although today it’s Clark……I get him to bake the cookies in a preheated oven…350 degrees F…for 10 minutes or until golden brown…if you over bake the cookies they will be crunchy…we like them soft so we find around 10 minutes is perfect.

As you can see from this picture, the sun is shining into my kitchen…time to get outside

 The cookie jar is full, AND there is a tupperware container of cookies in the freezer as well. This makes 3 dozen, nice size cookies

 But first, since D has been trying on skates, I thought it would be nice to offer a cookie…..

 

And also offer one to Harrison who was out raking a few leaves for my compost pile.

One of my compost bins…absolutely full. So I decided to do some trench composting. (Makes me think of the men in the trenches during war.) Have you heard of it? It’s where you dig a hole in your garden and deposit your kitchen scraps and leaves or any debris from your garden and at this time of year…there is LOTS. Everything decomposes exactly where you need it.

So whenever we have a full bucket with kitchen scraps, which is daily in our house, we dig a big hole, put the scraps in and top them with leaves…nothing like composting in the spot you want to enrich your soil. The little girls have really gotten into helping mom as you can see.

 

The top two pictures were taken last week, when my tomatoes etc were still in the garden

 

 

 

These pictures were taken this weekend…it’s really taken a turn towards winter but we can still dig in the garden

So after being out in the garden in the afternoon, it was nice to come in and have a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie and chat about what Remembrance Day means to my children

They do understand the sacrifice others have made for them and appreciate the peace we are living in right now.  Lest we forget.

 And now it’s time to dish up dinner, open up the Pumpkineater ale my brother in law B gave us. It’s from Howe Sound Brewing on the Sunshine coast…brewed with barley, fresh roasted pumpkin, hops, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, water and yeast. Apparently produced in very limited quantities. Thanks B…wish you were here.

Now, I’m not normally much of a beer drinking but I do recall my mom and her friends all going to the legion after the Remembrance day ceremonies so I’m giving it a go….plus doesn’t it sound like it would compliment lentil soup? (It was good…but strong)

Clark is showing me how to pour the ale

 

Our 21 year old drinking his protein shake AND the ale at dinner…thanks for baking the cookies Clark

 

 

D, loves when I’m taking pictures for my blog…as he doesn’t have to dish up himself!

Before we eat, let’s give thanks for the abundance in our lives and today, for those who fought bravely so that we could live freely and in peace. Amen

 

If you are unable to see the YouTube video of the Remembrance Day…last post click on the hyperlink

This blog post is dedicated to my step father, J. R. Finch, my uncle Stan Herrling, my uncle Gordon Clark, and also to my mother in law, Doreen. May you all rest in peace and know how much you were loved

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

(p.s. this post was written on November 11, 2014…but didn’t get published until the 12th)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegetarian Chili~Growing Older and Wiser?

/ Lee Reynolds

Dearest blog readers, I’m sorry I haven’t written many posts this week but it’s been a birthday week for me. First, to celebrate my best friend T’s birthday on the 5th, and then mine yesterday. I’ve spent the whole week being introspective and reflecting on my wishes the last time I blew out a blaze of candles. I have grown a year older, but I wonder, am I any wiser?

At the beginning of the week I was feeling rather blue. I know it had a lot to do with the consumption of sugar from Halloween, which I tried to curtail but in the moment it’s fun to try a little of everything from the treat bowl. It takes me right back to my childhood but now I understand how damaging processed sugar is towards our health. It’s evil wrapped in brightly coloured packages.

As we ate a few treats with our children, D and I were remembering the little boxes of raisins, the handfuls of peanuts and the apples we would receive during our childhood trick or treat forays. Whatever happened to those? Our kids looked horrified and said, if they received anything like THAT, it would be suspect and they would probably have to throw it out. I was thinking, NOT if we knew our neighbours better. Anyway, this isn’t a blog about Halloween treats, but the sugar dump from that occasion prompted my depressed feelings.

Sadly, I kept them growing, (have you ever done this?) by allowing myself to think about both of my parents who are no longer on this earth school. You’d think I’d get used to that loss, after all I have spent most of my life without my Dad physically present and it’s been 2 1/2 years since my mom passed away. On special occasions, like Halloween and my birthday week, it doesn’t get any easier. Do you know what I mean?

Thankfully, I snapped myself out of my glum at least a bit, by banning the sugar. I took all the kid’s Halloween loot and our remaining candy bags that we didn’t give out and  put it all in the garage.  Now you may be thinking, “why did you take the kids candy too?” My response is, because just like clockwork, a few days after the candy gorge, all my little ones, and big ones started to feel yucky. Hmmmm, no wonder. Am I getting any wiser? At the twin’s preschool class, after their morning circle time, I heard their teacher asking whether they had any candy left from trick or treating, and one child said they traded in their candy for a toy. What do you think of that?

Anyway, my plan was, we would forget all about the said candy and when we did find the hardened candy bars and stale chip bags the next time my husband did a wood working project, my children (and me) would not find it appealing any longer. Can you compost that stuff? PROBABLY NOT! I transgress.

On Monday, I started my meditation with Dr. Deepak Chopra and Oprah, (are you joining me?) and my first session stirred up some emotions I thought I had let go. The meditation series is called, “The Energy of Attraction.”    and day one was about the Nature of Desire. The centering thought was, “my life moves forward through desire,” and the quote for the day was;


“You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed.” ― Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
As I explored my feelings, I realized I was still grieving over the loss of our Christmas tree farm and  if my deepest desire wasn’t coming true, what did that make me? I had so wanted to be living in the country by this birthday.
So Tuesday started with me being rather glum again, until I found my sister C at my doorstep with hugs, kind words and a lovely lavender coloured bag heavy with birthday surprises. She also brought a few keepsakes that belonged to my father and mother. She had kept them all this time and wanted me to have them. Although she was with me only a short time on Tuesday, the connection was sweet, loving and meaningful. (thank you C)
My sister C said that since I was writing, (and our daughter Alyssa too…check out her Introvert in the Corner blog) perhaps I would like our Dad’s typewriter (he was a writer as well) and a few of our mother’s beloved books. Perfect for reading by the fire throughout the winter. After C left, I place them on mom’s Hope chest in our Den, under our family portraits with a little angel between them.
I felt so buoyed by her impromptu visit, that I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and join a meditation support group that was held at our local library Tuesday night. I felt safe very quickly and the evening was wonderful and restorative, but  L O N G. We sat in a circle and during our second meditation session, I sensed rainbow filled light energy slowly circling around us and above us, creating a tunnel with vibrating, coloured light and at the top was brilliant white light.

Before the session was over, the newcomers continued to meditate, while the regulars in the group, laid hands on our heads with silent blessings. Before the first hands were felt on my head, there was a soft rush of warm air and the feeling of peace.

It was an amazing experience, until I went to get up. After sitting cross legged for almost 2 hours of meditating, chanting and discussing experiences that brought us joy, my right foot had gone totally numb. When I went to stand, my foot didn’t move and as I looked down at my non functioning appendage, it appeared to resemble a rubber fake foot, totally disengaged from my leg. Ahhhhh! Looking back it was so funny, but in the moment I thought I would never walk again.

After that Tuesday night meditation session, my week got even better. On Wednesday, I remembered how blessed I was to have a best friend in T as I sent her a birthday card and wrote a blog post about our friendship . How can we ever stay in a place of sadness when we start to count our blessings. Thanks mom for that lesson and to you, T for being my dearest friend.

Then on Thursday morning, D came home to watch the little girls, while I attended the PAL’s kindergarten program, where parents are inspired to assist their young learners towards literacy, numeracy etc. I came home excited to rearrange our family room, so our children could access the various play things we had in our home. They just needed to be organized to a degree where they were readily accessible. As I worked away, before the older kids came home from school, I dropped into a funk again, as I recalled how functional the Christmas tree farm house would have been. It was the perfect lay out and flow for our family dynamic. While our current home is great, it wasn’t designed to house 6 children, not to mention 8, when everyone is home.

Later that night though, my spirits soared as I found out Harrison’s volleyball team did really well at their play-offs. His high school is known for, “Honour and Excellence” and isn’t the largest high school in our small town but they are known for their strong academics. Normally, the boys sports teams don’t do incredibly well at play offs but this year they made it to third place.  That is HUGE and so while others may wonder why we were so happy, the fact they didn’t come in last was a big deal for a rag tag team.

And if that weren’t enough, while at the volleyball play-offs, D received a call that Grace had been chosen to play the lead, “Holly Day,” in our elementary school’s Christmas concert. She will have the most speaking and singing parts of anyone. We were absolutely thrilled and Grace, who is 11, and is in grade 6, as well as grade 6 in piano with the Royal Conservatory, and a voice student at our local music school, was stunned when she heard. She thought she did well at the audition but she came home saying there were some girls with wonderful voices so she wasn’t holding out much hope for a big part. Did I mention she is humble? I however am very proud of her and it really was another highlight in our week.

So many great things happening in one week and yet, I still felt sad, like a black umbrella of dark emotions covered my head.

I don’t know about you, but I always find I’d rather skip my birthday totally, as so much STUFF comes up. On my actual birthday, yesterday, November 8th, I woke up wanting to sleep the day away rather than face what was to come. Since it was Saturday and nothing was planned, I thought sleeping in a bit would wash away the negative feelings, but it just made it worse. When you are a mom to 8 kids, 6 of whom are still living at home, you know you can’t take even a day off, let alone a morning from ANYTHING. So when I finally did get up, the kids were hungry, the laundry pile was huge, the dishwasher needed to be emptied and filled again, the cats were meowing. Well you get the idea. You don’t really have a day off…even on your birthday.

Now I’m not normally a person who believes her glass is half empty, as you have probably figured out from reading any of my blog posts but I kept looking at what I didn’t have in my life. I wouldn’t be selling Christmas trees this holiday season or baking cookies in my new farm kitchen. I wouldn’t be organizing a large children’s play room or getting chicken eggs from our coop. Oh crap! What a roller coaster of emotions…UNTIL.

My sister J came to our door, totally unexpected but boy was I happy to see her shining face and feel her warm hug. Amongst the mess of our house and chaos of noisy children, we somehow shared a pot of “David’s Mother’s Helper tea, my oldest sister B had given me during her last visit in October. (see the Get Grounded Earthlings post…thank you B) It was lovely to sink into a chair and talk to J about the week and also share some of my feelings. Do we ever really know how deeply we touch each other? And also, why  certain people are put onto our path and in our lives.

I don’t think my sister J knew the extent of my blues. I like to believe I’m quite an upbeat positive person and as a result good things keep showing up for me but for some reason when my birthday comes around, I feel sad. Is it about getting a year older? Maybe. Although one of my mantras is, “I’m ageless!” Seeing my cake glowing brighter with more candles every year though reminds me in one sense, how many years I have experienced on earth and then it also reminds me that I AM growing wiser as well. I am more enlightened. Feeling melancholy is okay, and actually part of the process. We need to feel the depths of sadness in order to recognize great joy when it arrives. It’s part of growing as a soul.

After J left, I picked up my socks, literally and figuratively, since my laundry pile was knee high (and full of socks to be partnered) and she had lifted my spirits. As I cleaned and organized, our 15 year old son Harrison, made me a decadent chocolate cake, complete with bits of left over Halloween chocolates on top. (I gave him some of the stash) D and I made dinner and the evening turned out really better than I had ever expected after such a emotional week.

I blew out the flurry of candles, to cheers from the children, and then marvelled over the thoughtful gifts everyone had chosen for me. I felt more and more blessed. Today, as I look again at all my new treasures, I see there is a theme, as if everyone got together and chose something unique and special that belonged with the next gift. Although, I don’t have my farm, YET, everyone gave me a little piece of HOPE to keep my dreams alive.

The collection of thoughtful gifts given by my sisters, friends and even our oldest son took time to find something for his me

 

So Happy Birthday to me!….I’m getting older…and yes a bit wiser.

And since I’m a fall baby, perhaps you want to share in cooking one of my favourite fall dinners, Vegetarian Chili…recipe is below. Can you believe that as of today, we still haven’t had any frost in our area and I still had tomatoes, green peppers, hot red peppers and carrots etc. growing in our garden. When you find abundant blessings this late in fall what do you do? Make vegetarian chili.

Can you believe we are still eating from our garden…and it’s November!

The little kids helped out in the garden today…it’s starting to get cold now but…

 

I’ve never picked anything in our garden this late in the fall…tomatoes, peppers, carrots, kale, swiss chard, parsley..all still going,,,,but tomorrow is bringing cold weather at last

 

While I was at it, I put some of my hot red chili peppers in the dehydrator for my next chili

If you are wanting something to lift your spirits, make this chili and think of me.

Hope’s Vegetarian Chili

It helps to get everything chopped ahead of time
Ingredients
  • 2 large 28oz cans of whole tomatoes and their juice or if you canned any of your own….a large jar of stewed tomatoes..also if you have some fresh tomatoes, chop and use as well
  • 2 can of beans, drained and rinsed (I used kidney..but you can use anything)
  • 2 cup of frozen corn
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 small peppers or one large pepper, diced (I used a green but you can use any colour)
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced…I used two smaller ones
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1-3 tablespoons chili powder (more will be spicier)
  • ¼-2 teaspoons of chili flakes (I used fresh red hot chili peppers from our garden)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro,  parsley, diced avocados or green onion.

 

Instructions
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 1 minute. .Add celery and saute until tender. Add spices and cook stirring for about 30 seconds.
2. Add carrots, peppers and cut up fresh tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Once the chili begins to simmer, reduce the heat to a medium low.  
3. Add beans
4. Add corn
5. Add stewed tomatoes

6. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low. Continuing cooking chili for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ready to serve anytime you are ready to eat. 

We served our chili on a bed of rice, along with a corn meal muffin and kale salad. We also like sour cream and grated cheese on top but tonight we put a sprig of parsley…still growing in our garden. 

What a great, healthy fall dinner…..perfect for celebrating fall birthdays.

And to top a fall birthday dinner….chocolate cake of course…made specially by our son Harrison
This is the recipe from my blog post, “The Places that Scare You”

Thanks Harrison. I know I said taking Foods at school was a waste of time since we also teach these life skills at home, But you are turning into a really good cook and gee, since we have to eat everyday for our whole life this is a good skill to hone. I’m now a big proponent of these life skill courses in the later grades in school. Yummy!

Even May Ling is interested in cake

I listen to a wide variety of music but this week, whenever I got into my van…ha…Van Morrison sang to me. This particular song spoke to me this week, “When God Shines His Light.” (click on this hyper link if you are not able to see the YouTube below)…..I don’t know why but it lifted me up…I hope you enjoy it and know one of the blessings I count each day, is having you reading my blog. THANK YOU!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

You’ve Got A Friend

/ Lee Reynolds / 1 Comment

 

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor was right on. She must have had a really good friend to inspire her to write the above quote. Does that friend still send ripples of love out into the world now? What would we be without our friends?

I have had my share of friends over my lifetime, but only a handful have remained close, and only one has been with me through thick and thin in my adult years.

I met my best friend Tamara, 17 years ago this fall. Her oldest daughter, A was in a Piano Pathways class at our local music school, with our oldest son Clark. Some of the nicest people I have met, have been at our music school. There is something really magical that occurs everyday in this harmony filled heritage house.
Smith House; City of Vernon, 2010
The former Smith house in Vernon is now our community music school….magic happens here.

Although we were both busy with young families, I looked forward to our weekly connection in the waiting room. We discovered that Clark and A were in kindergarten at the same school and she was a neighbour as well. As the music year unfolded, I admired her nurturing manner as she cared for her younger children. She always spoke to them softly and treated them with utmost respect, as if they were precious jewels. Later, I witness this again and again and realized this was her nature with everyone. She is a precious gem.

As our friendship grew, we shared many of the same memories as we snapped pictures of our children at the music parties and all the various school functions. In addition, we shared a mutual interest in reading and for almost 5 years, we met monthly with our Thursday night book club. I’ll never forget getting to know her at a deeper level after discussing the book, “Vinegar Hill,” by Manette Ansay. 

There was something about the characters in that story which prompted T to open up and share a  glimpse into her life. It was then, I realized I had found a kindred spirit  and I started becoming more intimate with my life story as a result.

Isn’t it true, when we open up our heart, we connect with other people at a deeply satisfying level?
Slowly,  slowly I uncovered more of myself for her to see and was happy to find her embracing even my darkest fears.

As I had this outlet in real life, to allow my authentic self to be exposed, I found my dear friend appreciated me even more. She gave me the confidence to shine in other areas of my life and with other friends.  “A true friend accepts who you are, but also helps you become who you were meant to be.”

My deepest wish also was released. Although I was 40 years old and way beyond when most women close their womb service, I dearly wanted another child. T embraced this dream and encouraged me to listen to my heart. Other friends at the time, said I was crazy for trying to conceive at my age, so instead of bringing them closer I shut down. Oh yes, we remained friends but sadly it was with me covering up my heart’s desire with a mask.

When we are trying to manifest our greatest wishes, we need to surround ourselves with positive and supportive people. I was starting to grow as a person and while all my friends helped to create who I am today, it was T who loved me for who I was and inspired me to be even better. I felt like I was taking a deep breath when I was around other people and holding it until I was about to explode, but with T, I could exhale into her accepting arms.  She has been like a really good quilt that ages with you but never loses it’s warmth. And, I wonder today if all of T’s friends think she is their BEST FRIEND too. Hmmm.

T and I shared my tears and trials over trying to conceive. She listened as I cried in deep grief over a sad pregnancy loss right before Christmas 2001. That Christmas she brought me a beautiful Christmas ornament with an Angel that had a banner that read, “HOPE.” This word has held such powerful energy illuminating my path. Over the years and to this day, that ornament is the first one placed on the top of our holiday tree. It reminds me not to just have faith on this earth, but that our BEST friends have been sent to us, to keep us on our path. She has touched my soul and in many ways is my earth angel.


This is a picture of my Hope Angel given to me by T

Even though T, got pregnant with her fourth before I was able to conceive our amazing Grace, she never flaunted her pregnancy. She shared each month and her growing tummy gently with love and compassion and I was thrilled when her baby daughter V arrived. We had both dreamed of baby girls.

T’s daughter V….and Grace are good friends as well

She was the first one I told I was pregnant other than my husband D, and she rejoiced with me when Grace arrived safely the following December. It was a year almost to the the day since she gave me the HOPE Angel Christmas ornament. She generously showered Grace with delicate baby outfits and thoughtful gifts just for me. Then, over the next 10 years, although we were not living in the same town, she was beside me as we tried to complete our family. She was the ONLY one who knew the depth of my struggle but she never once suggested I give up my dream. She was there with a shoulder to cry on and also laughed when life was filled with happiness. Once again, she was the first of my friends to hear the news that Will was on his way, and then a bit over a year later, thrilled over the news of twin girls coming.

Until now, few knew what a tough journey it was to bring these Soulbabies to earth and none to the degree that T shared. I treasure the fact, she never left my side.

And so that brings me to now. Today, November 5,  a very special person was born on this earth. It was 40 something years ago but whose counting right T? We are ageless! I didn’t want the night to draw it’s curtain and for the stars to appear, without wishing my best friend,….

A very Happy Birthday T! May all your wishes and dreams come true! You deserve the best in life
Love you lots,
Always your friend,Lee/aka Hope

                                      
Although we no longer live in the same town, I always feel connected to her. She is forever more a part of me. Isn’t that what best friends do…they teach us to love really well and to open our hearts really wide. 

Thank you T, for being the BEST FRIEND I have needed on this earth. I wish you everything good you have bestowed upon me…..so watch out for a Universe full of Goodness coming right at you. 

And for my dear blog friends, may you be blessed with wonderful friends leaving footprints in your heart too. This is my deepest wish for us all. It’s hard enough walking this earth at times but knowing someone dear walks with you makes it bearable.

It’s because of my friend T’s unconditional love and support over the years, that my heart is open enough to send out this message, not just now but in every interaction I have on earth. Each of us can touch the world with this light filled energy. Each of us can be a BEST FRIEND!




 

                              Here is T with our new baby Will…remember he is the little guy who would cry when out of my arms for the first 6 months?………..Did I mention she is a baby whisperer?

To all BEST FRIENDS out there SHINE ON!…..and to T, thanks for helping me to shine!

Here’s a fav of mine, Carole King, singing, “You’ve got a Friend/” 

If you are using an apple product (and I know you have an Apple T) click on the hyperlink above to listen to Carole sing….about friends.

 Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 

Halloween Sugar Cookies and Fruit Pumpkins

/ Lee Reynolds
This year I made a scary Farmer out of paper mache and surrounded him with pumpkin friends

 

Over our front entrance is a large spider made out of a stuffed garbage bag

It’s over for another year! Spooky memories and fun dress up moments are behind us. My camera packed with oodles of pictures remembering another tradition marking our little one’s childhood years. Our big ones too.

Harrison ready for the dance

Our Halloween celebrations started when I went to my Sacred Circle book club last Wednesday to discuss the book, “The Places that Scare Us.” by Pema Chodron. While we were talking about our fears, my 15 year old was at his high school Halloween dance. He pulled an outfit together after school on Wednesday,  don’t ask me what he was wearing, a cross between a Mexican Amigo and a prisoner. Notice his striped pants which I thought were odd but he felt it went with the ensemble. Who am I to judge?

I really miss our older son Mitchell, who is away at his first year of University. He always used to come up with the most creative outfits with minutes to spare. It used to drive me crazy since I’m a huge planner and a bit controlling, okay, who am I kidding, a lot controlling, but he seemed to enjoy the whole process of selecting his Halloween outfits.

Mitchell dressed up at his Campo Cello summer camp…..I think this was the year they were playing songs by The Beatles

On Friday I dropped the little girls off at their preschool where they were having a Halloween party.

 

 

As soon as I dropped the girls off at preschool,

Fireman William

I raced over to help at Will’s kindergarten class
where his teacher had planned a Scavenger hunt, Halloween bingo, a craft centre making Witch’s hands (plastic gloves, with candy corn for fingernails, filled up with popcorn, then tied with an elastic and the finishing touch, a plastic spider ring on one of the fingers, and an imagination
table full of Halloween stickers and stamps.

They had a great time and the snacks were yummy too.

Here’s a few pictures of his kindergarten party.

 

 

 I love, LOVE the fruit pumpkins that a few moms brought to the party…check it out!
Also, tucked behind, is the basket of sugar cookies I brought…notice it’s almost empty!

 

  After Will’s party, I raced home to relieve D of the little girl’s care. After preschool he picked them up and brought them home as the kindergarten party was longer than their time at preschool. He returned to work where they were having a Halloween social luncheon and the girls and I put the finishing touches on the outside decorations, see above, and dragged our old mini stereo outside so we could play scary music for the trick or treaters later.
Grace invited a friend over for a Halloween sleepover, so after an early dinner, they headed off first into the night….dressed up as flower children from the 60’s.  Again, no input from me, like her brother, she pulled the whole outfit together from our tickle trunk. I was really proud how sustainable and creative we were this Halloween, using what we had without consuming.
Not the best picture but the girls were so anxious to get out the door….peace out!
Then it was time to get the little people dressed for the night. Did I mention that it rained most of the day? Thankfully, the showers stopped long enough while they were out trick or treating, however it was a lot of fun avoiding puddles wearing long princess gowns.
Happy Halloween 2014, Will is a Ninja, Kate is a Fairy Princess, Victoria is a Queen, of course!
 Notice how bundled the little ones are….there are layers and layers under their dresses and Ninja Costumes….but hey, when I was little, our mom would put our coats on over our costume so I think this is so much better from a dress up point of view. At least we don’t live farther up north!
Well that is a few snap shots into our Halloween in case you were interested. What I am really happy to share with you is a long time favourite recipe for Sugar Cookies, which I make for every occasion. At Christmas, they are our fav cookie and we decorate trees, angels, stars and candy canes all out of my sugar cookie recipe, but at Halloween time, OF COURSE they are Pumpkins.
If you don’t have a great Sugar Cookie recipe, you have to try this one. The secret is in the nutmeg, not rolling them too thin so they are chewy and of course not over baking them.
So tuck this recipe away until next year, or save for the next holiday where you need sugar cookies. I hope it becomes a tradition for your family too.
Enjoy!
Hope’s Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
4 cups all purpose Flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional…but I never delete it)
11/2 cups of butter…I use half margarine and butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups white granulated sugar
4 eggs
 
Directions
 
Measure flour without sifting, add baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir well to blend.
 
Cream shortening in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add vanilla and gradually add sugar mixing until creamy.
 
Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add dry ingredients. Combine thoroughly.
Chill dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours/ overnight is best
I break the dough into four packets…wrapping it in wax paper.
When you are ready to bake, roll out chilled dough on a lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. 
Cut out cookies close together using floured cookie cutters….I use a Tupperware Pumpkin shaped cutter.
Place on lightly greased or sprayed cookie sheet 2 inches apart…for chewy cookies make sure they are thick…unless you like a crunchy sugar cookie then roll out thinner
Bake in a preheated oven 375 degree F. for 8 to 10 minutes…watch it closely. Put cookies onto a cooling rack until cool.
Frost with a butter icing and decorate with candies of your choice. I love the spearmint green chewy candies for the stems and then like candy corn for the nose although this year we couldn’t find them at the Super Store…all sold out…so I improvised. Chocolate chip pieces are great for eyes and mouths…although this year the little girls and I selected different candies for the eyes and nose…be creative!
And here is the basket of sugar cookies I took to the Kindergarten party.
my sugar cookies…they went fast!
Thanks so much for coming for a visit. Hey and before I go…don’t forget about Dr. Deepak Chopra’s meditation challenge...it starts tomorrow/ There is still time to register for this free guided meditation session. I’d LOVE if you joined with me….and I hope to write a few blog posts about meditating, and also creating the life we desire.
 I’d better get to bed as I’m going to get up early and connect with my soul. Here’s the link….or click on the hyper link words above if you are using an apple product.

 

 

Life is so good! I hope you join me in the meditation challenge called, “Energy of Attraction”…..let Deepak “mind the time” as you connect with the greater part of you. May all your dreams come true.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

The Places That Scare You!~Chicken Casserole with Chocolate Cake

/ Lee Reynolds

BOO!

Okay, so you’re not scared. It’s only a picture of our twins, trying on the Halloween outfit they will wear to their preschool party on Friday. I couldn’t resist though as they were so darn cute. But going back to the word,”BOO!” Was I ever a bit scared four years ago this week, when I went in for my first ultrasound after finding out I was pregnant. I’ll never forget the ultrasound technologist telling us that she wasn’t a Doctor and therefore couldn’t tell us anything….but she said she could show us “something”, and then she moved her ultrasound wand across my lower belly and said, “here is one “thing”, and here is two.”

My husband who was casually chewing gum and holding Will throughout the exam didn’t stop chewing, instead he said,”look Will, there is your new baby brother or sister.” He hadn’t picked up on what the technologist was showing us AT ALL

I, on the other hand am an old hand at ultrasounds and was heightened to every word she uttered from the time she asked us to follow her into the exam room. You see, I had been spotting and was so scared  the first words I would hear were, “I’m so sorry there is no heart beat.” So when I saw those two flickering heart beats I was elated, truly excited, but yes also extremely scared.  We called them our Boo babies at the time.

When D and I left the building I stopped him before we got to the car and said, “you know what she was showing us don’t you?” And he just went, “Huh?” And it was then I uttered the words, “Twins!” He stopped chewing his gum and just went quiet. He was in that state for many weeks and although I was scared, I was just so happy to have babies with heart beats. When you have tried a long time to complete your family and you are finally pregnant, you just enjoy each day that comes and try not to be fearful about the future.

Thankfully, the pregnancy went well and the girls are thriving and healthy. Talking about my fear, reminds me of the fears of many women. The fear first that they may never find a partner in order to have a child, or the strength and courage to choose motherhood as a single person if they are partnerless. Then there is the fear of infertility, which can be devastating, debilitating and sadly, in many cases cause severe depression. As if infertility isn’t bad enough, often women then have to pull themselves out of the trenches of deep darkness to fight their battle for a child.  And even when that dream finally comes true, they then have to deal with issues from post traumatic stress while trying to find some semblance of happiness being a new mom.

Then still others have the fear of  not experiencing a healthy pregnancy, dealing with a painful labour, difficult delivery and finally having a living, breathing child.. And that is all before their baby arrives on earth. Don’t get me going about once the baby arrives as I will let your imagination take over from there, although I will leave you with this one story of  when our first baby slept through the night for the first time. I asked D to check on her as I was so scared we had lost her in the night. You see, our OB-GYN who delivered her, had just lost his infant son from sudden death syndrome a few months earlier and I thought, if it could happen to him well we are not immune. Irrational I know, but this is the stuff of life. FEAR!

Well, I could go on and on with regards to fears, but what I wanted to say was thisHalloween time of year reminds me of the day, 4 years ago that we found out we were having TWO BOO babies……and it’s been a wonderful experience. Yes, my hands are full as many people often comment, but they are full of multiple blessings. The biggest thing that scares us is often fear itself.

This post though is REALLY about a book review I wanted to share since tonight is my Sacred Circle book club meeting and the book we are discussing is, “The Places that Scare You, a guide to fearlessness in difficult times,” by Pema Chodron. I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to read this book or not, (I invited you to be a sacred sister on one of my blogs in September) but in case you haven’t and in case you have your share of anxiety and fears, this book gives one many insights to  contemplate and incorporate  into ones life.

Front Cover

I have recently written about the terrorism that occurred in Canada on a prior post (Earthlings Get Grounded) and a thought that really rang home to me was on Page 7 of this book. The author wrote, “Hatred never ceases by hatred-but by love alone is healed. This is an ancient and eternal law.”

On page 42, Pema Chodron writes, “In cultivating loving kindness we train first to be honest, loving and compassionate towards ourselves.”

And on Page 52, she says, “As a result of compassionate practise, we will start to have a deeper understanding of the roots of suffering.”

It was quite timely to read this and so I thought, “I send love to all terrorists around the world.” I know many would not understand this way of thinking but if we truly believe we are all connected, I’m only hurting myself by thinking anything but love.

In Chapter three, “The Buddha taught that there are three principal characteristics  of human existence. They are, “impermanence, egolessness, or dissatisfaction.”

Recognizing these qualities, to be real and true in our own experience helps us to relax with things as they are.

I loved this concept since the theme of my life is all about surrender It’s a life lesson that runs through each moment of my life as I attempt to not attach to anything, instead, just notice what I’m reacting to and then letting it go. I’m not brilliant one day and a screw up the next. I’m not what I do, or what people think if me. IF I don’t attach to anything, then nothing, NO THING, can influence me or make me feel good, or bad.

It’s a journey for sure but something I’m finding easier as I’m getting older. Good thing too since one of the biggest fears most humans have is dying. Accepting that our earthly body is always in a state of change, and will eventually stop functioning is either a freeing idea or scary to some. Understanding that we ARE, not the human body, that this is only our vehicle while on this earth and eventually it will stop working, makes it easier to let go of even dissatisfaction, like aging, or a part of our body that appears not perfect to us.

The other main idea that was presented in this book has to do with the sweet spot in life. Is it when things are going great and all our dreams are coming true? Nope! It’s when things are really tough and difficult. When we are able to remain in that place and stand our ground, that is when we become true warriors. It’s when we really soften and become more compassionate towards ourselves, and others. It’s when we glimpse the idea that we are all connected.

On page 122, Chodron writes, “The fact we spend a long time in the middle, the juicy spot is  the fruitful place to be—resting here completely—steadfastly experiencing the clarity of the present moment is called, Enlightenment.”

I loved the quote at the beginning of Chapter 7 on Loving Kindness-

“Peace between Countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.”                                    ~Mahatma Gandhi~

“No matter where we are on the journey-we are always stepping further into groundlessness. Enlightenment is not the end-it’s just the beginning of fully entering into we know not what.”

The last words of that sentence….WE KNOW NOT WHAT….isn’t that our worst fear? That we don’t know what is ahead of us and that is something that is really hard for most people to deal with…letting go and trusting that ALL SHALL BE WELL.

Before I close my book review, I liked how Pema Chodron brought in stories of her experiences with her teachers. A few simple words they said to her in response to her training came back to me and resonated with my soul, they were, “It’s no big deal.” and “It’s Okay.”

Although this book was rich with wonderful ideas, at the end of it, I was just thinking to myself, I’m okay, and it’s no big deal. And that is what I’m taking to book club tonight.

As we are about to head into Trick or Treat season, when scary creatures are ringing our door bell, literal or figuritively, I thought I would leave you with a comfort food recipe that I made last night. PERFECT for making this weekend, “Country Chicken Casserole and Biscuits” and a recipe for a quick “Chocolate cake,” you can whip up really fast and delicious enough to impress your scariest guests.

Happy Halloween! if I don’t get the chance to post again…it’s really busy around here this time of year although I had hoped to get my famous sugar cookie recipe on my blog…stay tuned for my pumpkin cookie recipes. I have to make it for Will’s kindergarten class party so I will try to bring you in the kitchen for some fun creations. Enjoy this special time of year when we really have to look fear in the face and say, BOO!

Hope’s Country Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

Ingredients
  • 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup sliced celery
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups of vegetables whatever you have….I used brocoli, cauliflower, swiss chard and kale,
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • if you have some sage and parsley they make a nice seasoning that you can add when you cook the celery, onions and garlic

 Note: If you want a really creamy sauce double the sauce ingredients above

 

Instructions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
  2. Bake chicken pieces until lightly browned, no longer pink. ( it took 40 mins for my breast pieces which were quite thick) Remove from oven, cut up into small 1 inch pieces. Set aside
  3. Cut up potatoes into nice big chunks and boil until almost done, add carrots and the rest of the vegetables…cook until all are tender. Remove and drain water.
  4. In a sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp butter, cook celery, onions, garlic until tender. Add chicken broth and cook until boiling. Remove.
  5. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and then slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper if you wish.
  6.  Put chicken and vegetables into a a casserole dish along with the chicken broth and  white sauce, mix well.  

(Make biscuits  and put on top of casserole….bake in hot oven 450 F for 12 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown)

This is what it looks like before adding the biscuits….since this was such a large pan though, next time I would add more white sauce…and also next time I’m going to do the English Pea and carrots….my kids aren’t crazy about peas but I LOVE THEM ..my Grandma Clark used to say, “they will put hair on your chest!”

Hope’s Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups All purpose Flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk

(For our larger family I double the recipe….any extra biscuits get eaten with jam the next day)

Instructions

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of course cornmeal. Make a well in the centre of these ingredients; add liquid slowly. When all the liquid has been added, stir dough rather vigorously until it comes freely from the side of the bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead lightly for a few minutes. roll or pat out to desired thickness–about 1/2 inch thick. Bake in a hot oven, 450 degrees F. Makes 12 biscuits

 

David loves it when I’m cooking for my “blog” because he often gets a glass of wine too….

Tonight we added a nice white wine that my sister J and brother in law B, gave D for his birthday. B says it is the best quality white wine for it’s price…we love B.C. wine! Thanks J and B!

 

Perfect with my Country Chicken Casserole with Biscuits….ENJOY!

And for another comfort food that will surely chase anything you are scared of, AWAY>>>>

Hope’s Comfort Food Homemade Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder (opt)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water…I had left over coffee so I added a cup of hot coffee

 

Instructions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring or 1-13×9 pan.
  2. For the cake:
  3. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
  4. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water(coffee if you have it) to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  5. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans or in one large pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan or let cool completely and ice in pan. .
  7. Frost cake with a Buttercream icing….I added a tsp of hot water with instant coffee for a mocha flavour to my icing
 I was in such a rush, taking kids to piano, picking up University kid, Skyping other University kid from a distance to see how his Mid term exam went, and texting high school kid to see when Volleyball practise ended that I was lucky to ice this cake…turned out really great although the decoration of coconut and almonds weren’t the greatest…hey but it’s life. I’m glad I don’t have all the time in the world to set up my blog posts looking perfect because you know, life isn’t like that…not real life and that is nothing to be scared of. It’s sometimes messy but tastes GREAT!

This cake was the perfect comfort dessert after the Country Chicken Casserole with biscuits…I hope you try it out on a day that you need some home cooking to comfort you.

If you are interested in hearing more from Pema Chodron, on Fear and Fearlessness.…check out this YouTube video.

 

And another one with Oprah…..why fear is nothing to be afraid of

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy, peaceful…and FEARLESS!

Blessings from Hope

 

Chicken Club Pizza and Urban Farming Symposium

/ Lee Reynolds

Rhode Island Red It’s TGIF day (thank God it’s Friday)! I feel like I have to spell out that acronym since my 15 year old didn’t have a clue when I said it this morning. He is always making fun of me for my lack of social media expertise and other computer tech skills but there are still a few things I can still teach him, like, silly end of the week acronyms and how to make a really good pizza.

Anyway, I’m so EXCITED that Friday is finally here. That means one more sleep and D and I are off to experience  our first Urban Farming Symposium.The symposium is being organized by Patchwork Farms, which is an organic community collective farm situated next to our local college. The purpose of this event, is to teach enthusiastic people like me, to learn more so we can integrate urban agriculture practices into our daily life. I’ve been putting this out into the Universe since last winter when I saw some cool workshops I wanted to attend in Vancouver, but of course the distance makes that difficult with a family in tow. But here it is, being taught in my own backyard. Well practically since I can see the farm from my back deck.

Some of the topics on the agenda are:

1. From lawn to mini-farm
2. The Urban Beescape
3. Grow your own bread
4. Winterize your soil
5. Sustainable Environment Network Society presentation
6. Figs in the Okanagan
7. Food Farming and Community…and more

I did not see the topic of raising chickens on the agenda but I’m going to network and see what I can find out with regards to changing our by-laws. I want to know what others are doing in our community to increase awareness on the benefits of backyard chickens.  Did you know that one chicken can eat a large amount of your kitchen waste which reduces landfill gases and the long term results are improved soil for the urban farmer?

The ironic part of all this, is our nearby city of Vernon allows their citizens to have 3 or 4 chickens per household. However, we rural residents, aren’t allowed the luxury of a few eggs every day, despite the fact our community motto is, “Rural Living at it’s BEST.” I guess they mean, the peace and quiet and quick boat access to the lake, but no chicken noise or smell.

Like anything else, I’m going to put my attention on what I want, “chickens” and know it’s just a matter of time before we have a few in our backyard. Bees too. Just like I attracted this symposium to occur. Don’t you just love the, “law of attraction!” I’m interested in learning more about keeping bees in our organic garden and of course honey would be a nice side benefit not to mention great pollination on our homestead. Our daughter Grace keeps asking for a bunny or two as well, which I understand produces excellent, immediate garden waste. A side benefit to this is she gets a pet she doesn’t have to walk. (Don’t get me going about my dream for a Golden Retriever, that wish comes with a country farm, lots of space and room for the dog to roam)

This picture reminds me of my sister C’s retriever Sunny….I’m holding the vision of a country farm and a new puppy

 

So tonight, I’m going to make enough pizza so the kids have lunch tomorrow since this is an all day event. Oh did I mention, lunch will be served at the symposium as well. For a mom who makes 21 meals for my family each week, PLUS snacks, well I can’t tell you how marvelous THAT IS! Our older kids agreed to care for the younger ones which is also another huge gift. They know how important growing my urban homestead is and also I’m sure they are planning to take turns watching the little ones so they can have some free time playing computer games, etc. without me nagging about getting outside, doing chores in the house or doing their homework. Hey, it’s a WIN/WIN.

Well, enough about what I’m doing this weekend, How would you like to join me in making an amazing pizza. I tell you, other than my pesto sauce pizza….this is a winner.

So if you want to grab your apron and join me in the kitchen, let’s get the flour out.

We started making these when my 15 year old son Harrison said he really liked my homemade pizzas but he missed the ‘ole chicken club pizza we used to get from Panago Pizza. So I started doing some experimenting and came up with, I think, even a better version of this particular pizza. (no offence Panago, IF I had to buy take out, it would be from you)

Okay, here is what you need to make this pizza. Of course a good pizza starts with an amazing crust. I can whip this up in my sleep now.

Hope’s Homemade Pizza Crust recipe

Ingredients

3 cups of flour
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
11/2 cups of warm water
1 tbsp yeast (I buy the quick rising kind from Costco’s…it’s in a large box for around $5.00 dollars.)
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Non stick spray for the pizza pan

Directions

Add 11/2 cups of warm water to a large bowl
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of yeast on the top of the water and let it sit for at least 5 minutes
Mix the flour (and I like to use unbleached white with some whole wheat…the combination can be your choice…We like 1/2 and 1/2 but if you aren’t use to whole wheat flour use less at first) then
the sugar and the salt together until well combined.
Then take a fork stir the water and yeast really well, making sure the yeast has dissolved really well into the warm water…it should be frothy. Then add your tbsp of olive oil and mix well again.
Finally, add the dry ingredients to the wet and combine. When a ball has formed I put it on a lightly floured counter and turn it over and over, kneading it like bread with my hands. I continue to mix until all the flour is worked in. This usually takes about 2 minutes. Sometimes it’s still sticky and if that is the case, then add a tiny bit of flour to the mixture so your hands don’t stick to the dough but not too much or your crust will be heavy.
Then I let the dough sit in a warm bowl with a damp cloth on top for at least 15 minutes. The longer you let it sit the more it will rise but I’m usually making mine right before dinner so I don’t have time to let it rise higher. If you want a thinner crust you can split the dough into two balls but we like our crust thick so this recipe is used for one large pizza. 

Now for the fun part.

Pizza topping for the Chicken Club

Spray the pan or lightly grease with olive oil
Take the dough and spread it evenly over the pan, working out from the middle.
I find it easiest to have a 1/2 cup of flour handy, I make sure my hands are well floured and if the dough is sticky, then I sprinkle a little flour to make it easier to spread.

Everything you need, crust, mozzarella, cooked chicken, onion, ham, ranch dressing and Parmesan cheese, opt bacon pieces

Chicken Club Ingredients

About 1/2 cup of Ranch dressing…I use Hidden Valley we buy at Costco
1 cup of thinly sliced black forest ham
1 cup of cut of cooked chicken pieces (I pre-cooked 6 boneless chicken thighs) 
1/2 of a red onion thinly sliced….if I were making it just for me…I’d use a whole red onion
Parmesan Cheese
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
(opt) bacon bits

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

1. Spread the ranch dressing all over the pizza crust until it’s well covered

 

2.  Spread the thinly sliced black forest ham

3. Scatter red onion on top of the ham

 
4. Layer the cooked chicken on top of the ham and onion

5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of the ham, onion and chicken (note if you want to use bacon bits as well this is a good time to sprinkle it on top of the ham, onions and chicken)

6. Spread the mozzarella over the entire pizza

 Now it’s time to put into a preheated oven @ 425 degrees F…middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s cooked to your taste. We like our pizza crust soft and chewy so we don’t cook it as long as someone who would want the crust a bit crunchier. Just watch closely after 15 minutes.

Ready for the oven and as you can tell, the crust has  risen quite a bit since I first spread it on the pan. This is the pizza for dinner but I’m also making a cheese pizza so the kids have something for lunch tomorrow as well.

Here’s their cheese before going in the oven.

The little kids like three kinds of cheese; Parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella on a basil tomato sauce

Here it is….TGIF Chicken Club Pizza…enjoy!

Happy TGIF day! Add a Caesar salad and dinner is served.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and it becomes a family favourite in your house.

Oh and stay tuned as I will take notes and maybe some pictures too at the farm symposium tomorrow. It’s going to be enlightening and anything I learn, you will hear about it first.


If you can’t see this YouTube video, click here, Jack Johnston’s “Home” song at a Farm Aid 2012 concert .I like how genuine he is…and isn’t it true, home is wherever your heart is…nothing has to be fancy, In fact the simpler it is, the better in so many ways. Love out to Farmers!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

The Upside Down of Raising a Special Boy

/ Lee Reynolds

 

 

I’ve been holding my breath ever since Will started kindergarten a month ago. Today I exhaled. There is a lot of history here which I could never start to share completely with you but I will give you a peak into the last 6 years. Well, actually it goes farther back than that. It goes back to June 2004 when D and I got surprisingly pregnant with our “Moonbeam” baby.

I say, surprisingly because this baby was conceived AFTER our daughter Grace was born, when I was in my 40’s. We had worked so hard to bring her into the world and neither of us thought we would ever get pregnant again. During the full moon cycle that month, another baby was conceived. I’ll never forget that night since I woke up in the wee hours to see a luminous full moon reflecting white light off the waters of the lake below our home. It was breathtaking and full of magic.

We were absolutely shocked when we found out I was pregnant. I mean if you knew how hard and what we had gone through to conceive Grace, then you’d understand our amazement. D walked around very quiet, his way of processing the news, and I just stayed busy with our other children. In my quiet moments I would think about our new baby and I was in awe.

Just as we were wrapping our heads around the idea of six children and starting to work with a contractor to design and build a bigger house for us, I miscarried. D seemed relieved as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. We had missed the bullet of sleepless nights, years of diapers, and of course a lifetime of caring for another child.  I was sad. Over the course of the weeks and months after the miscarriage, I couldn’t shake my grief. I felt like someone was lost. Someone was missing. Like a piece of me was gone forever. I started dreaming about a child and then I started to hear a soft whisper telling me he was patiently waiting.We came together in my dreams and danced with joy.

Even though I knew the odds of getting pregnant again were against us due to my age, and the risk of having a baby with health issues were high, I convinced D to join me in the journey of trying to bring our Moonbeam baby back into our lives.

Me in 2008 before Will was conceived

 

D in 2008

I won’t go detail regarding the efforts we went to conceive, in this short blog post because I’m actually writing a book on this journey, but when I finally found out we were pregnant again, I knew there was a very special soul coming to earth. I would breathe light filled energy, full of love into my womb and just smile. Of course, after experiencing several miscarriages, I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop but my heart said to enjoy each day. I would blow my fears out into the Universe and recite my mantra, “all shall be well.”

Will was born on June 25, 2009 after a quick but intense labour and delivery. When my Doctor lifted him up to place him on my tummy, I knew him instantly. He was the baby from my dreams. He was our Moonbeam baby. He was round and chubby and looked like a happy Buddha except he was crying loudly. When he was wrapped in warm cotton blankets and placed into my arms he quieted, wide eyed at the world around him.

From day one I sensed he was a bit different than our other babies. I couldn’t even put him down to go to the bathroom or he would cry bitterly. I thought this was a bit odd since our other babies would sleep a lot in the first few days on earth. He would rouse as soon as I would lay him down and start to cry, and so I hardly put him down. He slept with me and I wore him in a sling.

Will home from the hospital…just putting him next to this cake for a picture made him fussy….Grace is thrilled

 

When Will was just 7 weeks old we went camping…yes I look rough but I was so happy to have this baby…this is the sling he basically lived in for the first 6 months of his life

I thought once he settle into the rhythm of our household, he would relax but he never did.

 

He loved being near his siblings and would quiet when they were close. In this picture from L to R..Mitchell is 13, Harrison is 10 and Grace is 6

Since I’d waited so long to have him in my arms, as exhausted as I was with a newborn and 5 older children, I just didn’t put him down, literally. For six months he was always in my arms. When I had to put him  in his car seat to travel anywhere, he fussed and was always on the verge of really howling. As soon as he settled into my arms, he would fall asleep or just smile at the world around him.

 

I felt like I had to pinch myself…he was with me at last
I loved having our baby close

Something I learned with our other children was how fast the first year flies by and a good mantra to live by was, “this too shall pass.” Occasionally, at the Baby Mamas group I attended, I realized Will was an extremely high needs baby compared to others but he was so healthy, so beautiful, that I just chocked it up to him being an extremely special and unique soul.

This wise soul taught so much BEFORE he was even came to earth

Since we listened to his intense needs from day one, he grew to be a confident, trusting little boy. We found he attached easily to other people and had the ability to love deeply and give immense hugs. I had a few intuitive people comment on the light filled energy surrounding him and they told me he was a special soul.

A rare moment that he slept out of my arms…it never lasted more than 20 minutes

When Will started preschool, concerns over his social development became apparent. On the very first day he gave his teachers huge hugs which made me so proud but then I later learned, showing physical affection was discouraged.  If he was going to fit into acceptable parameters, then we would have to work with him. Encourage him to give his friends space and remember not to pop their “bubble,” and to ask if giving a hug would be alright. He had this huge personality. Most of the children were shy, some were not communicating well, others were having separation anxiety when their parents left them. He was living life large, confident, as if he had waited a long time to come to earth. He wasn’t going to waste another moment. Everything was great! Each day was better than before. The smallest thing would make his exclaim to me, “Mommy, this was the BEST day!”

Will with his preschool helpers

He was intensely curious and interested in everything. He would ask endless questions, even when he knew the answers. I do know he overwhelmed other friends at preschool with his intensity, his size, for he was big for his age. He was also a high needs child, in the sense that he demanded attention and was easily stimulated. If the teachers added a small touch in the playroom for instance, Will would be the first to notice it. Things that I had thought were brilliant seemed like barriers to his learning from his teacher’s point of view. It made me sad to think he had to limit himself to be socially acceptable and curtail his immense enthusiasm. Readying himself for school.

Will on his preschool graduation day, June 2014. His light is ALWAYS on.

As you know, I have qualms about the school system providing him what he needs but I have been hesitant in believing I am totally capable of creating a well balanced, rich learning environment for him to thrive as well. A part of me feels the educators know best and it is in Will’s interests to learn how to quell his intensity, be patient, resist his impulses and learn to moderate the way he responds to stimulation. The part that doesn’t feel right, is the feeling that we have bought a bag of used goods. That our education system in not keeping pace with children like Will. Well to be honest, most children, for each child is unique and special. Each learns at their own pace and it’s tragic that we have to hold those who are accelerated in their thinking back for others to catch up, or visa versa. Will still has social issues to deal with but he is flying with regards to his academic achievements. We all have “stuff” to work on and the fact that he remains so joy filled buoys me into believing he is still teaching me, not the other way around.

Will reminds me to slide through life with joy…here he is at Davison Orchard Farm

Last week at kindergarten, the children were playing a game called, “you catch me and kiss me” and Will was chasing girls AND boys and when he caught them, he tried to kiss them. He’s fast by the way, so this probably scared a few of the children as they were caught easily. They are all learning their limits. He and the other children were told that this was not appropriate and they were asked to stop playing this game. Will must have been taunted because he was caught doing it again and received time out. Then, a few days later he told me that the children were asking him to chase them again, he said, “Mommy, I told them no,” but he was obviously sad about it as he hung his head. He’s struggling to know how to make friends.

Then today there was another incident. The class was outside making apple juice and although I didn’t get the full story, I heard that Will had pushed another little boy and received more time out. When I picked him up after school he ran to me, clinging as if he hadn’t seen me in years. When I heard about the incident I was perplexed. I want him so fit in but not lose his own spirit along the way. It seems like once children start school they start losing their soul light. He’s struggling to find his place in his kindergarten class. His place in the world.

I just don’t remember this from raising our other children. Most of our children were quieter, not so intense. Their teachers always said they were very well behaved  and it was hard getting them to talk. They all did extremely well academically but were socially withdrawn compared to Will….although probably more the norm. So this huge soul energy is new to me. I just don’t want his spirit to be crushed in the haste to teach him socially acceptable behavior. Maybe we parents all feel the same about our children but because we waited so long to have this little guy, I just want everything to be easy for him now that he is here. I want the world to recognize the gifts of love and joy he has brought.

While we raced around after school today, driving Grace to piano, the little kids to the library, picking up Harrison and his volleyball friends from jazz band and driving them to their volleyball game, and finally, picking up our oldest son from the University bus, it dawned on me. No amount of worrying or concern was going to solve this but it’s no big deal. The mantra that I had used while I was pregnant with Will, would provide peace for me. No matter what, “all shall be well.” Will taught me to let go and trust before he was on earth and now, I have to remember this lesson.

I’m thankful that he is here. That I even have this issue to contemplate and that reminds me of the lyrics of a song I used to sing to our older children, “Who’s to say, what’s impossible, well they forget, this world keeps spinning and with each new day I can feel a change in everything.”

So I don’t know what you are facing in your life, but we all have fears and doubts, especially for our children. Or even if you are trying to conceive, you may have huge doubts and fears (whose to say what’s impossible)…..maybe this blog post will help you feel a connection. Remembering that it’s okay, all shall be well…..feel a change in everything.

Sing along with me in this YouTube video….Jack Johnson and Curious George…he reminds me a lot of my sweet boy….”where there is a Will there is a way.” My Moonbeam baby arrived almost 5 years  to the night I woke in wonder over seeing that magical June 2004 moon. Sometimes miracles are so subtle.

Allow Miracles to Happen….at every stage of your life

 

 (If you are unable to see the video below, check out this hyper-link to connect to Jack Johnson’s “Upside Down” song)
 

JACK JOHNSON LYRICS

“Upside Down”

Who’s to say
What’s impossible                                                          

My endlessly loving, enthusiastic, curious little boy

Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There’s no stopping curiosity

I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found
I’ll share this love I find with everyone
We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs
I don’t want this feeling to go away

Who’s to say
I can’t do everything
Well I can try
And as I roll along I begin to find
Things aren’t always just what they seem

I want to turn the whole thing upside down
I’ll find the things they say just can’t be found
I’ll share this love I find with everyone
We’ll sing and dance to Mother Nature’s songs
This world keeps spinning and there’s no time to waste
Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and

Upside down
Who’s to say what’s impossible and can’t be found
I don’t want this feeling to go away

Please don’t go away
Please don’t go away
Please don’t go away
Is this how it’s supposed to be
Is this how it’s supposed to be

And until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Crazy Bread~Law of Attraction

/ Lee Reynolds

L

Last Friday, I experienced another law of attraction experience. The day started much as it always does with a hurried scramble to deliver all the children to their various school settings. While the twins were at preschool, I spent the morning doing some birthday shopping for D, whose birthday is on October 9th. I went from place to place looking for just the right gift. He is difficult to shop for since everything he would REALLY want is expensive but there is always his favourite things; Starbucks coffee, a good book and socks. Everywhere I went though I saw things I would LOVE if it were my birthday, but it wouldn’t be my birthday for another month.

I collected the little girls who were all excited about their upcoming Pumpkin Patch tour and as we drove home they asked me what they would do at Davison Orchards. (the farm we would visit the following week) I told them that Mr. Davison would take them on a wagon ride up into his pumpkin patch where they could select their own pumpkin. They were thrilled. “REALLY mommy?” they asked. “Really,” I said. Their eyes were shining as they said, “Wow!”

Our pumpkin harvest from our little ‘ole pumpkin patch

I guess they would much prefer to travel across town, pay $7.00 each to have a tractor ride up to a field and choose a small pumpkin of their own, than head into our backyard homestead and choose one of our many pumpkins for their very own. We have been abundantly blessed with pumpkins this fall, even though I only planted one pumpkin plant. Regardless, I was pondering how excited little children get over the smallest things and how the smallest things makes them so joy filled. Hmmmm.

While the little girls ate their lunch and chatted about the things twins talk about (still often their own language in many ways) I flipped through our Friday edition of our Morning Star. (our local paper) There wasn’t really anything interesting in the paper but when I went to pick up the pile of flyers I had set aside before reading the paper, one flyer caught my eye. On the front of the flyer was a picture of the food processor of my dreams. I know, I know, REALLY, a food processor. Yes. That is one of the things that I dream about.

When I made my energy bars awhile ago, I wished I had a better food processor as the kids were complaining that the dates weren’t cut up fine enough, although I liked the chunky texture, but I knew even my hummus would turn out better with a higher quality food processor. I couldn’t even imagine how delightful my coleslaw would be with a new food processor. I try to live in a place of gratitude. However, there are days when I’m presented with something I REALLY want and when that occurs, I say, “yes THAT is what I want. I put it out into the Universe and let it go. Then I return to being happy in the moment TRUSTING it’s on it’s way to me.

Last Friday, was no different. I looked at the food processor in the flyer, which was on sale, 50% off it’s regular price, AND if you spent over a certain amount the store would give you a $20.00 gift card on top of that. This was a great deal. I went through how I could manifest this food processor NOW, but then remembered that D’s birthday was the following week and I still wanted to pick up a really nice gift for him. Something more than coffee, a book and socks. The food processor would have to wait. I looked at the flyer longingly one more time and put it on my desk.

As the afternoon wore on, I got busy making a homemade pasta sauce. The kids came home from school and I started to make my crazy bread recipe when the doorbell rang. As one of the kids opened the door, I heard familiar voices. My sister J and my brother-in-law, B, in for a visit. Oh yes! I brought them into the kitchen so we could visit, as I continued to work on my crazy bread. We caught up on the latest in each other’s lives and they mentioned  they were really stopping by to give me the last of our mom’s legacy.

My mom, E, died in February 2012 from a stroke. Although her death was sudden, we knew she was failing fast from dementia and her quality of life was quickly changing. She was becoming more fragile each day and it was really a blessing that she left the earth so quickly and with my sister J beside her as she took her last breath. Mom had been frugal most of her life but was generous to her family while she was alive and beyond. I wasn’t expecting anything in the way of monetary funds after all it was 2014 and all the earthly proceeds had been processed shortly after she had passed, but here J and B were with a final gift from mom. They left the bills sitting above my desk in the kitchen, J, telling me not to forget about the money.

My Mom, E, who taught me early on to count my blessings. She lived in a state of gratitude and grace.

After they left, I finished my crazy bread  and then took the folded bills and sat in my mom’s old wing chair in my family room. Gratefully I said, “oh mom, you continue to give.” As I unrolled the money and counted, I heard the words, “now you can buy the food processor!!!” Those words seemed to come from the chair itself and were spoken with as much excitement and joy as when our little girls talked about their upcoming pumpkin patch tour.

How fast does the Law of Attraction happen” F A S T!!! Well, in this case it was really fast. I have had other experiences that took what felt like a lifetime. I have learned that there is a process that needs to be followed. Mostly, it has to do with wishing, believing, trusting,and letting go. And then feeling the joy of knowing it’s on the way. Anticipating whatever you dream about is almost as much fun as having it in your arms. Whether we are aware of it or not, we are using the law of attraction all the time. Each moment of every day we are presented with choices, do you want this, or that?

I started studying it when I was trying to conceive our last few children and I’m a strong believer, especially when you can manifest something NOT of this earth and then it comes into your arms. If that can occur, then we are limitless and can achieve anything we want,

 

It’s lovely to dream but even better when it comes true. Thanks Mom!

And look what is sitting on my kitchen counter today? And the cool thing is along with the food processor, I also received a $20.00 gift card that enabled me to buy a little something more for my husband’s birthday. Bonus. The Universe always gives us even more than we can EVER dream!

So what do YOU want? Close your eyes and make your wish. Blow your dream out into the Universe knowing it is already on it’s way to you. Rejoice. When it comes to you, whisper, “Thank you.”

Now to bring you a piece of my Friday manifestation here is my Crazy bread recipe…perfect for any pasta dish.

My kids love this stuff! It has looked prettier but when J and B were here I forgot to cut it before I baked it so it was not in nice rectangles as usual….oh but I would MUCH rather have visits  than perfect food…next time J and B…you have to stay for dinner!

Hope’s Crazy Bread recipe

I make a large batch because it goes fast..and my kids like to snack on it the next day…but you can half the ingredients if you have a smaller family.

Ingredients

5 cups flour
5 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 tsp yeast
450 ml hot water

Topping;

125 ml (1/2 cup) melted butter
2 tsp garlic powder

 

30 ml Parmesan
sprinkle basil and oregano

Preheat oven to 425 F.

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and yeast.
2. Add hot water to make soft dough.
3. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter.
     Knead until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes.
4. Cover with a damp paper towel. Let rest 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine melted butter and garlic powder
6. Roll out dough to 1 cm thickness. Cut into shapes.
7. Using a pastry brush, brush on half of the melted butter and shake on the basil and oregano
8. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
9. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Watch closely.
10. Remove from the oven.
11. Brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 

 

Our Friday fun dinner, pasta, salad, crazy bread…and for D and I, a nice glass of red wine. Salute!

Another manifestation for me is this blog….I dreamed about it and every time I finish a post, I have to pinch myself, it’s really real. I hope some of the stuff I ramble on about touches your life and you remember to let go and let God. Enjoy your life.

(Noe, if you are having problems connecting with the YouTube videos below, check on the highlighted links below)

If you want to learn more about the Law of Attraction check out this YouTube video. It’s a story Oprah tells about a strong woman not giving up on her dream.

And if that story isn’t inspirational enough, check out Oprah’s story on the art of allowing, the key is in surrendering.

 

Absolutely amazing hey! Allow Miracles to happen.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Chocolate Quinoa Cake AND Symptoms of Inner Peace

/ Lee Reynolds

My 5 year old son, Will woke up early this morning. TOO early. “Time to get up Mommy,” he sang out to me as he bounced around my bed. I cracked an eye open to peak at the clock beside my bed and groaned, “Will, it’s too early to get up.” With that he crawled into my bed and curled up next to me, wrapping his chilly bare feet around my legs. Oh to only have another 15 minutes of deep sleep would have been heaven, I thought.

As if he had read my thoughts, he promptly kissed me on my forehead, which is our sacred place for kissing one another. He has tried a number of times to kiss me on my lips but I always tell him that is where Daddy kisses me and I want my children to have their own special place to physically show love. We have chosen the third eye area which seems so appropriate since he is so much “in” soul.

That kiss, warmed my grumpy spirit and I started to think about the upcoming day. My monkey brain turning already. As soon as I wake up and am somewhat conscious, it likes to take over and run my life. It was going to be a busy morning getting Will and Grace ready for school and on the 8 am bus and then  since the high school bus no longer picks up in our area, (don’t get me started) I would have to drive Harrison to school. Then return home quickly, get the little girls ready, drive our oldest son to the University bus stop and then the twins to preschool. So much rushing in such a short amount of time.

Will interrupts my running silent dialogue and asks, “can I start the bath mom?” I look at the clock again and see now it is time to get up so reluctantly I say, “oh all right.” He pops out of our warm cocoon and a moment later, I can hear water running in the bath.

We have a morning ritual before the little girls wake up. Will and I like to have a bath together. We have been doing this since he was around a year old and sadly I can see the end coming since he is now in school and getting too old to bath with his mom. (Usually around kindergarten time, at least in our house, that is usually the signal for more modesty) But for the present time, he is still my bath mate.

One good thing we did when we built our house was install a really big, deep tub in our master bathroom and it has been delightful bathing with our  little ones over the years. I’m a bath person. I could spend hours in there and in the old days, before children, I used to read whole novels in one sitting, (or rather bathing) replacing the hot water every hour or so. I hardly think about those days now for having a sweet little boy to bath with and chat the morning away is so much nicer in my opinion.

Here is a glimpse into our master bath…you can get a tiny sense of the tub etc that I could while away my days…or chat with my little people while they are enjoying a ritual bath.

When I think the bath must be full enough I get up and see Will in his birthday suit and poised on the edge of the tub. He is deep in thought and looking out of our large bathroom window. It looks straight down the lake which is below our house. My husband always says, how many houses do you know where you can sit on the throne and look down a lake? Did I mention the back of our house is private too? So this is where I find Will this morning. I ask him, ‘what’s up Bud?” and he turns to me with a glowing smile and says with tons of enthusiasm, “Isn’t nature BEAUTIFUL Mommy?”

This is the view of the lake from our lower deck..outside the back of the house…it’s not exactly the view out of the bathroom window…which is even better…but gives you an idea.

I walked over to the edge of our tub to look down the lake. We have lived above the lake for over 20 years and although this was one of the main reasons we built our house here, I often take it for granted. It’s only when we have people at our front door and their mouth is gaping open as they look through our house, out to this panoramic view of the lake, that I stop to appreciate the view. But this morning I stopped to see it anew. White mist is lingering over the glistening grey/blue water and the sky is starting to glow lighter and brighter as the promise of another lovely fall day begins..

I looked down at my son’s blonde curls and was in awe at his coming. His BEING. At his ability to always bring me right back to the moment appreciating beauty of the here and now. This awareness reminded me of the 12 Symptoms of Inner Peace I used to recite regularly to ensure I was in that state. I haven’t looked at those signs in years because I am often reminded daily, through my children’s eyes, how spectacular earth is and how blessed I am to be alive.

In case you don’t have a daily reminder, check out the 12 Symptoms of Inner Peace. How many can you count occurring in your life lately?

SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

 

by  Saskia Davis

 

 

 

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many already have been exposed;  and it is possible that people, everywhere,  could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what, up to now,  has been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

 

        

 

         Signs & Symptoms of Inner Peace

 

A tendency to think and act  spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences

 

 

 

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment

 

 

 

A loss of interest in judging other people

 

 

 

A loss of interest in judging self

 

 

 

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of   others

 

 

 

A loss of interest in conflict

 

 

 

A loss of  ability to worry

 

                                                         

 

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

 

 

 

Contented feelings of connectedness

 

with others  & nature

 

 

 

Frequent attacks of smiling 

 

 

 

An increasing tendency to let things

 

happen rather  than  make them happen

 

 

 

An increased susceptibility to love extended  by others  and  the uncontrollable urge to  extend it

 

 

 

WARNING

 

If you  have  some or all of the above symptoms, be advised that your condition of inner peace may be too far advanced to be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of  these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.     © 1984
     
                                                       
Isn’t that GREAT?
And if you would like to add to your Inner Peace quotient, check out my recipe for Chocolate Quinoa Cake.
You won’t be able to contain your smile once you taste a bite of this moist, decadent cake.
This recipe was given to me by my soul sisters, Yania. She made it for one of our Sacred Book club meetings. She is one of the most conscious consumer of healthy food products I know, other than my oldest daughter Alyssa.  This is now a regular favourite in our house. I hope you like it too.
Yania’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake
You will need the following ingredients:
The only other thing you need, not shown is sugar and salt
 Ingredients:
 
2/3 cup white or golden quinoa
11/3 cups water to cook quinoa
1/3 cup milk (any milk will do but we use almond milk)
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter melted and cooled (you could also use coconut oil which would give it a nice taste)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 white or cane sugar (this was originally 11/2 cups but was cut in half and is still great)
11/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Bring Quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. cover, reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Keep moist. Turn off head and cool a bit.

Bring quinoa and water to boil, put lid on and then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes



Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 8 inch round or square cake pans. Line with parchment paper.

Combine milk, eggs, and vanilla in a mixer/blender or food processor. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa and butter and continue to blend until smooth.

Adding the cooked quinoa to the milk, eggs and vanilla



Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the contents of the wet ingredients and mix really well. 

Mixing the sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda together



Divide batter between pans and bake on centre oven rack for  40 minutes. The key is to not over bake. Our oven, like Yania’s whipped this cake up in less time than that…30 minutes for us until the toothpick came out clean. 

I just sprayed my pans with a cooking spray but next time I’m going to put down parchment paper



Let sit for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn cakes onto a rack to cool completely. I put our cakes into the freezer for a bit because I wanted to ice them quickly and serve the cake after dinner. It was great because it was easier to frost.

I put jam between the layers and frosted it with a traditional chocolate icing, topping it with dried cherries and a few almonds. The next time I make this, I’m going to make the cake with coconut oil and also make the chocolate icing with coconut oil as well…did I mention I love coconut. But let your taste buds be your guide. My husband would also like me to make a chocolate mocha icing another time as he loves coffee and then I would put a few chocolate coffee beans on top as a garnish.

I added little pieces of dark chocolate to the icing for a little extra something…topped the cake with dried cherries and almonds


This cake is so moist and wonderful. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

And when you eat it, think of a blonde little boy who loves life and who lives in a state of Inner Peace…he inspires me daily.

It’s all good!

 

And serving up my little man first who reminds me that chocolate cake adds to our Inner Peace

 

What a nice way to end a wonderful day!

I hope you try this healthy and yummy chocolate quinoa cake….and while you are eating your piece, enjoy a song that Will and I like to sing before bed….”I see skies of blue, clouds of white, the bright blessed day and the dark sacred night….la, la,la, la…la”.

(If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view the following but hopefully this link will bring you to the YouTube video, Louis Armstrong’s song, “It’s a Wonderful World.”

It’s a WONDERFUL world!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 
 

What Can I Give?

/ Lee Reynolds

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”~Mother Teresa~

If we REALLY believe we are ALL connected on this earth and ripples of kindness can touch the WHOLE world, then what is stopping us from giving even a little each day.

The other day when I was at our Super Store shopping, ALL by myself, a very rare occasion since Will was enjoying his first full day of kindergarten and the little girls were at preschool, I had an opportunity to help another person.

Our grocery store offers a weekly free product if you buy over a certain amount of groceries. This was not a big shop week for me but in front of me was a man about my age with a little toddler in his cart and a TON of groceries. I knew from experience that he was going to be WAY over the minimum amount for his free item but I didn’t see the said item at the end of the conveyor belt.

The cashiers are told NOT to offer the free item unless the customer requests it, which kind of irks me, so when the cashier told him the total amount and the man was about to pay for his groceries, I piped up, “what’s the free item this week if you spend over $250.00 dollars? The man looked at me and then the cashier, who looked sheepish and said, “oh, it’s the FINISH dish washing detergent,” but you have to have the item so I can run the code through.

The man shifted, looked at his toddler in the cart and I jumped in saying, “I’ll go get it for you while you load your cart.” I flew off in a flash, forgetting  since the twins were born that occasionally when I run, I sometimes have bladder issues. Thank heavens though, this time there was no unfortunate incidence…maybe doing a good deed helps the bladder. Anyway, I got back in no time and gave the product to the cashier who thanked me actually really nicely. The man thanked me NOT once but several times and I told him that, “hey, I’m a mom and you can’t just leave your little one in the cart to run and get the free item.”

As he was paying for his groceries and continuing to load his cart, he opened right up to me telling me he had just come home after being up north working for two weeks and they had nothing in the house. He said they probably could use the dish washing detergent and he hadn’t even checked when he left the house. He further told me that he had 5 children and the little guy in the cart, his youngest, was stuck to him at the hip since he had arrived home. I had made a friend. It made me feel really great.

And that wasn’t all, the older couple behind me were beaming at me when I returned with the item and the older man leaned in to me as I was paying for my groceries and said, “that was really nice of you.”

NOW, I’m not trying to blow my own horn or anything but this incident just demonstrates how something so simple, as helping another person out really is, plus, I benefited, as I got a bit more exercise than I had planned. It was a WIN/WIN. We are all busy and get involved with our own dramas but if we can just take a moment to look into the next person’s eyes and realize they are US. If we can offer them something to make their day easier, even if it’s a smile or a compliment, (like the one the older gentleman gave ME) well don’t you think at the end of the day the WHOLE WORLD would run smoother.

JUST THINK ABOUT IT!

And check out this video if you want to be inspired further. (If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view this YouTube video below, and if so, you can click on this link to see this inspiring message.)

Let’s send a ripple of small things with great love into the world.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Caesar Salad and Living Fully

/ Lee Reynolds

What does a Caesar salad and living fully, have in common? Very little, unless you look at it from my perspective. A few events and experiences in the last week have inspired this blog post and finally this morning everything is formulating clearly in my mind.

If you aren’t interested in the connection, then scroll down to find my easy and delicious Caesar salad recipe. If you have a cup of tea nearby AND the time to immerse yourself in one of my novellas, then I invite you to read on.

Our oldest son “Clark,” which interestingly enough is old English and means scholar, likes to watch our National news whenever he emerges from his room. We usually only see Clark at meal time and on the rare occasion he wishes to be with his family, which is usually only at mealtime. Now, I don’t want to give you the idea that Clark is anti social or anti- family. Far from it. After all he chose to stay home and attend our local University, even though he had been accepted at an excellent University a distance from our home.

Clark brought home dry ice from his day at the science centre

He can be quite an extrovert. He can talk to anyone about anything, anytime of the day.  For only being 21 he is quite accomplished, having achieved his second Dan black belt in Tae Kwon Do, became an accredited lifeguard, as well as excelling in playing violin and sax in our local youth symphony and jazz band. When he isn’t studying Science at University, you can find him in our local gym lifting weights, creating music and playing games with friends or working at the Science Centre. He is known as the Science guy in the birthday party set, as he can make a mean cup of flubber and give you a wild ride on the gyro chair. When he does come home, he is pleasant, regales us with a few interesting tidbits from his day and then he heads to his room to recharge. I also think he squeezes out his sponge, so when he re-emerges he is capable of absorbing more knowledge.

When he does make that entrance, it usually coincides with opening the fridge and turning on the T.V. to our news station. I suppose this is one of his many sources for knowledge but personally, I find the news too disturbing. Terrorism, countries fighting and killing their neighbours, and even our  own federal government politicians squabbling like little children. It all seems to unnerve me and put a damper on my daily enthusiasm.

Clark appears to be unmoved by the events transpiring all over the world. He is able to watch with detachment but with interest as he forms his own ideas about the world he lives in and perhaps too, how he would like to help it evolve. His is the next generation to create change and if Clark is any indicator of how they will manage, it will certainly be with conscious intent. He lives fully in the moment and makes wherever he is a better place.

Another source of news comes from our local paper. The “Morning Star.” It brings a piece of community into our homes and reminds us how closely we are all connected. Even though it’s only a few dozen pages in length, at most, I usually don’t have much time for this, published three times a week paper. Thankfully, while the little girls played, I took the time last Wednesday to flip through the pages as I would have missed out on something that has impacted me. Maybe this is how Clark views his obsession of watching the global news.

When I turned to the obituary section, I got hit in the gut with shock and sadness over seeing a friend’s picture. I say friend, because whenever I saw ” Erin,” I always felt good. She was the best sort of friend. One who always makes you feel happy that you ran into her. I met her for the first time when her oldest child was in preschool with my 3rd oldest, Mitchell. She had a lovely laid back attitude and a quick, light laugh that filled the air with joy. I loved that she didn’t bat an eye when her little daughter wore a tiara to preschool every single day throughout the year. I used to be more controlling and would have encouraged our child to leave the head piece at home, so when I asked her about it she said, something like, “well I’m going to let her be a princess for as long as she wants.” I LOVED that about her. I aspire to be more like that.

Over the years, I would bump into Erin at our local music school, where we would discuss the benefits of music lessons and how to encourage practice without pushing our children. Then there were the times I saw her at soccer games, me yelling my head off but her with a relaxed, “whatever” attitude. She was always interested in our ever growing family and would always say, “I don’t know how you do it!” Which made me feel stronger somehow and even though things may have been difficult the morning I saw her, after her comment, I would dig deeper and find the best of myself to mother our brood.

I haven’t seen her in a number of years as although our children attended the same high school, once children become teens they aren’t always accompanied by their parents. It wasn’t until I was helping out at the grad decorating afternoon last June when I heard someone say, “did you hear about Erin?” And I said, “no, what are you talking about?” Over the years I have been so absorbed raising our family and have not kept my ear to the community gossip. I had heard our family was often the subject, with our larger size and us having children well into our 40’s. I preferred to distance myself from people who were in the “know.” But this had put me at a disadvantage as well, since I wasn’t aware when someone was having a hard time.

I had no idea she had been battling brain cancer and was in the final days of her fight. Throughout Mitchell’s graduation weekend, I kept thinking about Erin, her two children, her family and how they were doing. It impacted me. D said he saw her not looking so great at the grad picture gathering but I had missed her. Mitchell too had been affected by this news. He knew all about it of course because of social media/Facebook, but he hadn’t ever said anything to me until I asked him about it. I know he was thinking in his teen terms something to the effect,”by the grace of God go I,” in that his mother was physically well and his classmate, he had known since preschool, was losing her’s.

Over the summer, I was on my guard every time I opened the paper wondering if this would be the day I would hear about Erin leaving the earth. The summer came and went and she presumably fought on. Then on September 18th, as we had just heard  the teacher’s strike was over and our kids were going back to school, she lost her fight. She was going home. I was so sad when I saw her face on the obituary page. She shouldn’t be there. Heck, we are almost the same age. Her youngest still hasn’t even graduated from high school. Do you ever wonder about life? How things don’t seem fair. Beautiful, kind, generous people, leaving the world while evil persists in all sorts of individuals.

Of course if you have read my blog, you know about my husbands co- worker, whose young teen son was killed in a boating accident this past June. And then, our oldest daughter’s high school friend dying in May, from complications after a double lung transplant. She had fought CF with hope and optimism her whole life and would have turned 24 last June.

While all these events touched me, I was thinking, the one thing we have in common is that we are ALL going to die.  This used to be a joke in my husband’s family since his Dad sold cemetary property and planned funerals. He used to say, “none of us get out of here alive.” The other thing we have in common is we have a choice how we are going to live?

My 11 year old daughter Grace had a sleepover on Friday night. Early in the week she had come home from her first days at school a bit depressed since her good friend had moved to Alberta. When I suggested a back to school sleepover party on Friday night she perked right up. I knew she was excited about it because when I went into her room to collect the garbage from her wicker basket under her desk, I saw a piece of paper outlining fun ideas for her party. “Dinner, 2 hours at our local rec centre pool, movie/popcorn, games”…it just made me smile.

As I was thinking about my friend Erin letting her little girl be a princess when she was small, I thought about my Grace and how I wanted her to enjoy her princess years too. She is going to be leaving childhood pretty soon and becoming a teen and I wanted her to have some wonderful memories of this special time.

I decided to make a homemade pizza, which is often our Friday night dinner anyway, and also make a caesar salad which is Grace’s all time favourite. When I was at the grocery store though I forgot to pick up the dressing we usually purchase. The old me, would have called D to bring some home after work (using more gas to drive to the store) but the new me, trying to be frugal while being more sustainable, with a can do attitude, decided to make it from scratch. I Googled a bunch of recipes and came up with a creation for our evening’s salad. It absolutely amazes me how empowered I feel when I don’t need a product….cross out caesar dressing off my grocery list. I can now make it from SCRATCH.  I know weird but I get a great sense of satisfaction from little things in life, like THAT.

Grace and her friends, I was admiring all the girl’s long hair and of course, I was seeing their invisible princess tiaras too.

The pizzas turned out delicious (cheese being the top choice for the girls but wow..the vegetarian I made was superb, if I do say so myself) and the salad was sensational. I made a large bowl but every last bit of romaine was eaten. A great sign of success! Especially among tweens, who don’t always like their veggies. The sleepover was smashing too. The girls liked the dinner, the pool time, the movies, the popcorn/licorice. In morning, D got up early on Saturday to make them pancakes with fruit, syrup and whipped cream and I made them a fruit smoothie. One of the girls had to get up early to go to her gymnastics class and then she said her family were off for an afternoon hike at a mountain about a 2 hour drive from our hometown. This family is always living life with “gusto.” They always are doing something physically challenging.

The celebration of life service for my friend was later that afternoon. I didn’t attend. I thought about it but then felt a better place for me to remember her was in my garden. So while D puttered around the garage, I mowed the lawn, cultivated around my still growing herbs and turned the contents in our compost bin. Once living grass, leaves, vegetable and fruit peelings are now rich, dark fertile dirt. Full of potential for new living things to grow in next spring.

We all are going to die but we also have a choice how we are going to live.What things can we grow in our fertile lives. What do we want to create,  how we can be a service to those around us, how we can help those who are struggling all around the world. It’s a reality check that brings me daily back to how I want to live fully.

A while ago, I did a meditation challenge with Dr. Deepak Chopra and I wrote down something on his web site that touched me.

“Today, and everyday, I give that which I want to receive.” I nourish the Universe and the Universe nourishes me.”

Yes, sometimes it’s just about making a great ceasar salad and letting my daughter be a princess for a bit longer but mostly it’s living life with gusto. Giving all of me to the world. I have a lovely quote on a book mark I use for my soul filled books and as I absorb new ideas and thoughts, I close my book on this idea;

“If there is light in the soul…..there will be peace in the world.” ~Chinese proverb~

Today, what I can share with the world is my caesar salad recipe and my light.

Buddha said~”Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”



Today, I’m thinking of Erin. All the kind, encouraging things she said to me and all the laughs she shared with me. All the light she brought to the world. I hope she is at peace.

“Precious Lord, take my hand.
Lead me on. Let me stand.
I am tired. I am weak. I am worn.
Through the storm,
Through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord
and lead me home.”

~African-American Spiritual~

Please join me in lighting the world and living fully while we are here, for my friend Erin, for all the people struggling, and for the people whom you have loved and hold close to your heart.

.

AND now, finally here is my caesar salad recipe…..for after all, we have to eat too. This is part of living life with gusto, my dear Italian friend Jane would wholeheartedly agree!

Here’s are the main ingredients you will need

You will also need croutons, bacon bits,

Grace’s Caesar Salad 

Ingredients

1 head of romaine lettuce
1 cup of homemade croutons
1/8 cup bacon bits (you can purchase vegan bacon bits too)
2 cups of croutons (easy to make)
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese


Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable_oil
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp white_wine_vinegar
2 tsp Dijon_mustard or 2 tsp of dried mustard
2 tsp  anchovy_paste (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire_sauce
3 tbsp light mayonnaise 

Preparation

1. Dressing: In bowl, whisk together oil, cheese, vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, garlic, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in mayonnaise until smooth.

 

 

 

 2. Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces to make about 20 cups (5 L); place in large bowl. Add dressing, croutons, bacon bits and cheese; toss to combine.

 

And here is our Friday night, sleepover dinner. A dinner fit for princesses!

 

 

We loved this so much, that I made a lentil soup on Saturday night and ANOTHER caesar salad, this time, adding roasted chicken pieces to the salad. It was sooo yummy, and hopefully it will go down as one of Grace’s childhood favourites.
As for me, “I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.”

~John Burroughs~And all the blog posts I want to write. Thanks dear family and friends for sharing in my life, reading my novellas and lighting the world with your love.


Live life with your heart wide open

 
Until we meet again, may you be well, peaceful and happy.Blessings from Hope

      Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

      / Lee Reynolds

      Tis the season. Soup season that is. Nothing says home, more than coming in the house after a long day to smell a delicious aroma drifting from the kitchen. Knowing it’s healthy and satisfying makes it our family’s fall comfort food. After a season of raw vegetables, salads and fruits, it’s like putting on a wool sweater to warm your body.


      I was inspired to make this soup when Harrison woke up feeling under the weather. He had had his braces tightened, was feeling headachy and on top of that, felt like a cold was on his doorstep. I knew I had to make something easy to chew and filling. I went out into the garden to be inspired and when I saw the butternut squash, gleaming in the sun amongst the dying vines, I thought PERFECT!

       

      (I planted 6 butternut squash plants in an area that wasn’t ideal. I had pulled up yucca plants from this area and I didn’t get all the roots up so I had little yucca plants growing up all around my squash this summer….but despite the competition for water and sun, the squash prevailed. Sadly, we won’t have any to store for the winter as we LOVE squash and have eaten almost all of it. Next year, I’d like to plant twice the squash for our size family.)

       

      I probably focus on our 15 year old Harrison’s growing needs the most lately, since he literally grows a 1/8 of an inch every night. Okay, maybe that is an exaggerations. Let’s just say, his basketball coach is going to love seeing him this year! Anyway, I get worried when his braces are tightened as his food consumption drops a lot.

      Then I came inside to rummaged around the pantry (noticing that many of my bottles needed to be topped up and it’s generally disorganized….another blog post for sure) and found some ginger root. I had purchased the ginger to make some tea but had forgotten all about it. Another PERFECT ingredient. I also dug some boneless chicken thighs from the freezer and although this soup is lovely with just vegetables, I find adding some pieces of chicken and broth very satisfying, especially for our son who basically lives on smoothies for days after he has his braces tightened.  If you are a vegetarian, of course please disregard the chicken aspect and use vegetable broth.

      So without further ado, let’s get cooking.

      Hope’s Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

      Ingredients

      • 1 butternut squash (peeled, seeds removed, and cubed)
      • (note, you can use 2 butternut squash instead of the carrots
      • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
      • 4 large carrots 
      • 3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
      • 3 tsp cinnamon
      • 2 tsp nutmeg
      • Salt and pepper
      • 1 cup thinly sliced onion
      • 3 large garlic cloves
      • 1/8 cup brown sugar
      • 1 lb chicken
      • 8 cups chicken broth
      • 2 cups cooked rice (I used a Basmati because Harrison loves that…but personally I prefer a nutty brown rice
      • Chopped fresh parsley
      • Sour Cream for a topping, (opt)



      Directions:

      Put the rice on and while it’s cooking;



      Peel, the squash, remove the seeds and cube. Peel and chop the carrots. Mince the ginger, set aside 1 tbsp for later, and then crush 1 garlic clove.



      Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil on a baking sheet and add the squash, the carrots, 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tbsp of ginger, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and sprinkle with sea salt with freshly ground pepper. Coat all really well in the oil and put in the oven to roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

      If you are using chicken, you can cook it on a separate pan while the vegetables are roasting.

      While the vegetables are roasting, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan, add 1 cup of chopped onion, 2 of the remaining garlic cloves (minced). Cook onions and garlic until translucent. Add 1 tbsp of minced ginger, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and 1/8 of a cup of brown sugar. Cook until carmelized. 



      Transfer the onion mixture to a soup pot, add the chicken and cook well until both are sizzling, add the chicken broth at this point. Bring to a boil, then add the rice and the roasted vegetables.


      Add the chicken to the onions
      Add 8 cups of chicken broth…less if you want to puree it
      Add your roasted veggies and your rice




      The magic in this soup is layering all the seasonings, otherwise it will be bland. Finally, if you aren’t using chicken, if you wish, you can puree the soup in your food processor. I wanted our soup to have soft chunks for a filling main dinner soup. It would make a delightful fall soup prior to your entre. For our family, soup, salad, a rosemary dinner bun and old fashion rice pudding for dessert was perfect.




      Ladle your soup into a bowl, add a sprig of parsley and a dollop of sour cream which is refreshing and a nice complement to the ginger. This is a warming soup full of flavour. Enjoy!

      As if that wasn’t good enough….finish it off with some old fashion rice pudding. Oh my, talk about comfort food or WHAT!

      This was the creamiest rice pudding ever! Harrison ate his portion and before bed he sat down to finish off the rest of the casserole dish.

      I don’t know if it’s more enjoyable to eat all this wonderful homemade stuff or to hear my family’s contented sounds as they consume it.

      This to me is one of the best parts of nurturing my children. Watching them appreciate food and grow.

      If you are also interested in making the Rosemary dinner buns here is the recipe.

      Rosemary Dinner Buns

      Ingredients

      *1 tbsp white sugar
      *1 cup warm water
      *1 package active dry yeast or 1 tbsp (I buy Red Star active dry yeast from Costco )
      *1 tsp salt

      Our rosemary plant next to the Kale
      *2 tbsp softened butter
      *2 tbsp rosemary….I went to the garden and picked it fresh
      *1 tsp Italian seasoning
      *3 cups bread flour…although you can use an all purpose as well
      *1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
      *1  beaten egg (opt)
       
       

      Directions

      1. Dissolve the sugar in warm water in a medium bowl, and mix in the yeast. When yeast is bubbly, mix in salt, butter, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and Italian seasoning. Mix in 2 cups flour. Gradually add remaining flour to form a workable dough, and knead 10 to 12 minutes.
      2. Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, cover, and allow to rise 1 hour in a warm location.
      3. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper. Shape dough into 2 round loaves, and place on the baking sheet. I like to shape my dough into balls and put on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Cover, and allow to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
      4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
      5. Brush loaves with egg. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brow

      The Rosemary buns were such a nice flavour, next to the warming squash/ginger soup.

      Finally, if you are a lover of Rice pudding, then you have to try this recipe. I actually had Harrison make it while I was making the soup and the buns. (he wasn’t feeling that bad) We have been working in the kitchen together for years. I like to encourage all of our children to help me in the kitchen from the time they are small. We like to  make muffins, pancakes, cookies; things they are excited to eat.

      Once they are around 11 or 12, I like to get them working on main dishes and of course teach them to cook the foods they love. Harrison was more than happy to make this dessert for this meal and ended up eating the majority, which was good since he hadn’t been eating much since visiting his orthodontist the day before. This is an excellent recipe to make if you have left over rice. I just made extra rice, when I made the Butternut Squash and Ginger soup.

      Okay, get ready for comfort food extrordinaire……

      Old Fashion Rice Pudding

      * 3/4 cup uncooked white rice,
      * 2 cups milk, divided
      * 1/3 cup white sugar
      * 1/4 tsp salt
      * 1 egg beaten
      * 2/3 cup raisins
      * 1 tbsp butter
      * 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
      *  2 tsp cinnamon
      * 1 tsp nutmeg

       

      Directions

      1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir rice into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
      2. In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

       

      After cooking the rice pudding on the stove top, pour it into a casserole dish, sprinkle it with cinnamon and nutmeg, put a lid on top and put it in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until it thickens. Pour into dishes with a little piece of mint on top. It’s a wonderful finish to this evenings meal.

      We doubled the recipe for our gang but this is perfect if you have a family of 4, unless you love rice pudding. Then there is never enough!

      Put in a fancy dish, add a sprig of mint and it looks like something from a restaurant

      I hope you try this delightful trio of recipes. Thanks for coming today, it’s always a pleasure having you in our kitchen.
      Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

      Welcome Fall

      / Lee Reynolds

      Welcome Fall! Will started his first day of kindergarten today. If you can call it that. It was more like a few moments in class, as it only lasted long enough for me to go to the grocery store for a quick shop with the little girls and to the library. He was excited all the same.

      Will on his first morning of kindergarten….so excited!

      I was going to launch right into my latest creation from our kitchen, (Butternut Squash and Ginger soup with rosemary buns and real old fashion rice pudding) but my gosh, we had some real excitement around the ‘ole homestead tonight. The kind of excitement I was anticipating should we move to the country.

      As I was cleaning up the dinner dishes and talking to our daughter Grace about her first full day (a REAL full day) at school, our doorbell rang. It was our neighbour from 2 houses over saying he had just seen a bear.

      It was a blonde bear and it had just jumped his fence with ease and was in our direct neighbour’s back yard. He thought we would want to know as he knew our little ones were in the hot tub. (another reason I want to move to the country as our kids are incredibly noisy, although our neighbours have never said anything. I can ONLY IMAGINE what they think)

       

      I digress. I told him that in all the years we have lived here, (21) we have only ever had one bear incident that didn’t end well. I had come home from a lovely fall walk with our little little boys (now big ones) and was shocked to see two men on our deck, one with a rifle. They were conservation officers. When I asked them what was up, they said our neighbour had called them. Apparently, she had seen a bear off and on in her yard for a day or two and she thought it was now in the neighbour’s yard below us. They have large apple trees and don’t pick them regularly. The officer asked me when the school bus was due and I looked at my watch and told him any moment now.

      With that information, they nodded, left our deck and walked over to the yard where they had spotted the bear. I stood on the deck with our 2 little boys, all excited about THE gun which was a big thing because the only guns we allowed in our house, were ones they made out of duplo blocks, despite the fact that their Dad used to be a champion trap and skeet shooter. Before we knew it, the conservation officers were in the next yard,  and there was a loud explosion. We saw the bear drop from the tree. At first, not knowing my guns, I thought the animal was just tranquilized but then I saw the blood, oozing from under it’s body. A moment later the school bus drove up, stopped, and the neighbourhood kids, plus our oldest two, spilled out, none the wiser.

      So that was our last experience with wildlife. Our children’s school is further out, more on our valley bottom and often there are cougar sightings and occasionally the odd bear travels through as there is a creek near the school. Nothing of any consequence though.

      Anyway, back to my story tonight.  I zoomed downstairs and told D to get out of the hot tub because of the bear sighting. As he got himself and the little kids out, he was telling me that Barbara, our direct neighbour yelled something over to him about a “bear” but he thought she was making a joke about their bare butts (the kids, not D’s) in the tub and he just laughed it off. As we quickly got the little ones into their jammies, we talked about how rare it was to see any wild life. We told the little ones if  they hurried, they may be able to catch sight of the bear from our upstairs deck.

      They were bubbling with excitement as they hustled upstairs and onto the deck. The evening was quickly closing in and dusk was settling. They purveyed the area but nothing materialized. Being cold and disappointed, they came inside still talking excitedly about the bear. As I looked out our kitchen window into the darkening sky, I saw a large owl perching on the top of our 40 foot birch tree. The kids were ooing and awing over this huge owl as our oldest son, Clark and his girlfriend walked in the front door.

      As we talked over each other, sharing snippets of what had just transpired, the owl flew off. WOW! It had an amazing wing span. We then went out the front door to see if we could catch a glimpse of anything. As you have probably seen from my pictures, our front yard is really quite secluded. Our drive way comes down to the front of our house and on either side of our property, there are tall pyramid cedar trees giving us total privacy from our neighbours. As we cautiously looked around, calling for our cats to come in, Clark’s girlfriend said, “oh look, a deer.” There on the ridge of the mountain behind our house was the silhouette of a deer.

      Wow!

      Then before heading off for stories, Will and Grace decided to look for the bear one more time from our upstairs deck. A moment later they were shrieking for us to come and see. When when we got there, the bear had dropped down into the bushes. They said, they had watched him lumber along the pool deck (yes, all of our neighbours have watering holes too) swatting at something in the bushes and then he dropped out of sight. As we continued to watch for while, hoping to catch another glimpse, twilight settled and a curtain finally fell, leaving us to wonder.
      .
      A bear, an owl, and then a deer. Do we have to move to the country after all? This was one of the reasons I had wanted to move. I wanted to see the wild aspect of our world on a daily basis. I’m sure having deer eat my flowers/veggies or having bear get into our fruit trees would get old fast. Also, having hawks and eagles, (both of which we see regularly) pick up my little chicks and maybe even larger chickens too, would be a pain. But, to get up close and marvel at wild life, well that is pretty amazing.

      Our subdivision’s motto is “Rural living at it’s best,” and tonight I was thinking how fitting that was.

      So sorry if you had wanted to read about my delicious Butternut Squash and ginger soup recipe, you will have to stay tuned…….I got side tracked with real life happening here tonight.

      Look deep into nature,
      and then you will understand everything better.
      -Albert Einstein 

      Until I see you again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope

       

      Summer Ends on this Soul Sunday

      / Lee Reynolds

      Goodbye summer!

      It’s been sweet. There have been so many wonderful memories and special moments to hold close to my heart.

      Summer ends today on this sacred Sunday.

      Yesterday, after working really hard around the house and yard, me cleaning the house, then mowing our lawns and working in the garden, while D cleaned the pool and cleared the junk lying around in the garage, we popped our kids into the van, picked up the LAST slurpee of the season, dropped some books off at the library and went for a drive into the country.

      We drove past fields of corn still growing, farmers mowing their final cut of hay, and cows fattening up, lazily eating late summer grass. As the kids slurped the last of summer’s sugar, we in the front seats, talked about how 2014 hadn’t gone as we had planned, We started talking about what we wanted our future to look like.

      We looked at some acreages (just land) that were for sale. Some too small, others too steep and tree filled, and then we drove past the BEAUTIFUL old fashion (but new) farm house, I have fallen in love with. It’s too far out for D to commute. Too far from the high school and University bus, and well, although it has an abundance of land, 78 acres, we’ve aptly named it, “the ON the grid house.” It has a high power electric line, (138 k.V.) I think D said, running down the middle of the huge hay field. While I LOVE this house and can imagine our family living there, having all my innards humming, isn’t my idea of living off the land. Plus, in our opinion they are asking too much money. So we drive on.

      When we came to a side road, D asked if I wanted to take it, knowing full well we would eventually come to another road. A road I had dreamed would lead us to our new home. I just nodded and for the longest time we drove silently thinking of what was ahead. Then we started to chat, admiring the farms with quaint houses with matching red barns, or making a comment about how some people don’t care for their precious land and allow debris to clutter up their property. We are envious.

      Eventually, we came to the road that would take us past the farm we had dreamed of living in this fall. Interestingly enough, the name of the road didn’t ever dawn on me until now. It’s called, “Hurt Road.” Do you ever think about the power of names? D smiled at me as he turned right and we meandered along the road, drinking in the beauty of the late summer glory. We were seeing this road for the first time  in late summer, since we found this property late last year when snow was almost on the ground. Everything was so green, rich and beautiful.

      Finally, we came to the Christmas tree farm’s first drive way,….it has this lovely 1/2 circle drive way that you enter from one side and leave from the other. I rolled down my window and the crisp scent of fall filled the air. You could hardly see the house, although it’s only situated 100 or so feet from the road. The deciduous trees are so thick with leaves but here and there are colours of yellow, orange and red. The trees know fall is coming.

      For a few seconds, I let myself daydream about turning into the drive-way and going home, then reality hit. This is someone else’s house now. The pain hit. Sheepishly, I asked D if we could leave a note on the front door, asking the new owners to contact us if they ever wanted to sell. He reminded me the house had sold at the top of our price range and they would want more money, IF they ever were to sell. I slumped into my seat for a minute as we slowly drove down the road and then sat up a bit taller to admire a horse we were driving by. I was sad. We turned around at the end of the road, as it is a dead end road, (just what I wanted) and this time as we cruised by the farm, an insight came to me.

      It dawned on me, until I say goodbye to the dream of THAT farm, I will never have my heart open to find another just as wonderful. A place for all my family to grow, to learn, to connect. A place where we can sit around the dining room table, like the Walton family from my favourite childhood T.V. show. A place where we can become even more sustainable and independent. A place where we can become not just farmers, but be soul FILLED people.

      And that is also the way it is in life. If we are always hanging onto a time, a place, or things, our hearts and minds aren’t open for new experiences. As time travels and we continue on our path, we need to open our arms and our hearts for the joy that is waiting. As I say goodbye to summer, I say Hello to the unknown of fall and the memories to come. Abundant blessings to be sure.

      This post also reminds me that right now, RIGHT NOW, is all that matters. Right now, is the gift given on this last day of summer. On a Soul Sunday. I’m going to go and have a relaxing bath, get dressed and join D and the kids who I can hear are in the kitchen laughing while making pancakes. There is fresh fruit and maple syrup too. Ahhhh the luxury of living in the moment. The bliss of it all.

      As I leave you, if you haven’t checked out Oprah’s Soul Sunday interviews to help you connect with the sacred, I would highly recommend them. They help me remember we are all connected and living our dream, right now!

      Note: If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view the video below. If so check out this link that should connect you to the video with Dr. Brian Weiss and Oprah talking about grief and living)

       

      Join me in welcoming Fall!

      It’s going to be the BEST season yet!

      Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

      Blessings from Hope