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A Mouse Trap Free Zone

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Dear blogging friends and family.

I hope this post finds you well. I haven’t been doing a lot of writing on my blog, but I have been writing. Every two weeks I meet with my writing group and we write about all sorts of things. Recently, one of my writing buds suggested a mouse trap as our writing prompt. Okay, I said and I took it home and turned the idea of it over and over in my mind for two whole weeks. Since we’ve had cats in our house for most of my life mice have never been a huge problem but I finally came up with a memory that I unearthed the night before my writing group was to meet. Yes, I know, nothing like doing things the last minute hey? But, sometimes the best things in life are just whipped up at the last moment.

I hope you like the story below and it reminds you that the things we are most afraid of, when put into perspective, are actually the things that teach us the most in life. Here is my “Mouse trap free zone,” story….

Ring, Ring.” Picking up our cordless phone I said,  “Hello?” “Debbie, can you and David come right over?” my mom asked in a high pitched, panicked voice. “Sure, what’s up?” I asked, motioning for my husband who was starting to rise off the couch to stay right where he was. “I think I just saw a mouse race across the room, “she said fearfully, “ and you know how I am…..” “Yeah,” I said, “we’ll be right over.”

On the drive over to my mom’s house I shared a story from my past. It was 1967 and I was 7 years old and we were living in Chilliwack. Mom had been a widow for two years and was pulling herself out of the fog of grief. She had taken an evening secretarial course and recently found a job working as a hotel desk clerk at the Empress. At this lovely hotel she was able to put a smile on her face for the guests and step away from the heaviness in her life for a few hours every day. Anyway, we were settling into our new life and had moved into a small house perfect for the three of us. We used to laugh over our fancy address, “49 Broadway,” which made our street sound better than the modest homes surrounding us. One rare evening that she was home, for she often worked the night shift, I heard my mom’s distressed voice.

Ahhh! She shrieked and I ran into our kitchen to find mom standing on one of our grey vinyl and chrome kitchen chairs. She was jumping up and down as much as one can while balancing. Her eyes were wildly searching the room. “Mouse,” my mom shrieked and I quickly joined her on another chair.  A second later, my older sister Joni ran in from the back bedroom. Although she was only eleven or twelve at the time,  with calm control she took in the whole scene and asked, “where’d it go?” “Under the stove I think, “ mom said, her finger frantically pointing while still hopping up and down. 

Joni casually flicked her long ponytail behind her shoulder and took a broom out of the closet. She plopped down on her tummy and slowly pushed the wooden end of the broom under the stove. In a flash, a little grey mouse raced out from under the stove and huddled under the baseboard beneath the sink. “Eek,” mom shouted, “hit it with the broom Joni!” she yelled. Taking one look at Joni I knew that was the last thing she was ever going to do. She had taken care of her good friend Lorna’s pet rats while Dad was still alive. He had let her keep them in his garage and she took really good care of them and I’m sure was sad when Lorna returned from her trip and she had to give them back. I knew the last thing she would do was kill the mouse but I didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening on the chair with mom either. “Joni do something,” I pleaded. 

Joni left the kitchen and came back with a box that had been in our utility room. The mouse hadn’t moved but it’s little pink nose was twitching madly. While mom and I looked on, Joni carefully placed the box near the mouse and then as if she was riding in a cattle round up, she basically herded the mouse into the box with the broom and quick, bam, boom she closed the lid. She turned to look at us and said, “You can come down now.”

There were many other mouse related incidents in the years after Dad died but mom would never lay mouse traps in our house. As much as mom hated the mice, she didn’t want to hurt them.  When I was ten years old my mom was dating Hamish Macintosh and one day he brought over a Siamese kitten to give us. He didn’t last long, Hamish that is, but that cat, whom we named Kitty, took care of our mouse problem for a long, long time and was a favoured friend of mom’s.  

I was just wrapping up the story when David and I finally arrived at my mom’s house. After Hamish left, my mom did meet a really nice guy. Bud was my step dad for thirteen years. He was a kind, generous person and along with our cat Kitty, he kept the mice at bay in our house. When mom called us for help she was a widow again and Kitty was gone too. We got out of the car, only to see mom standing at the screen door nervously looking at us and then back into the house. When David got close to her she had relief in her eyes, she exhaled and said, “thanks so much for coming.” A moment later, Mom and I assumed our position on top of the kitchen chairs, shrieking as we spotted the mouse running through the kitchen. David calmly took stock of the situation, then just like Jon did twenty five years earlier, he caught the mouse easily. He turned to us and said, “You can come down now.”

Mom’s left us almost ten years ago now and we have had a few mouse incidence since then but I’m not scared of mice anymore. I realize now there are bigger things to be scared of in life.

 I miss mom!

Memories are a mouse trap free zone. They capture the moments and strip them of anything irritating and remove animosity and leave instead a tiny grey mouse, with a soft pink nose that looks at you and reminds you to be brave. 

The End

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I want to thank my sister B for correcting a few things in my story, regarding the Empress hotel and Hamish’s last name. The one above is the edited version. Also, when I mentioned to my sister J that I was writing a story about the time we lived together in Chilliwack she shared with me that she actually flushed the mouse down the toilet!!! I never knew that until now. Also, I thought the pet rats were her rats but she was actually rat sitting for her best friend Lorna. Isn’t that a funny thing about memories and how we shape them to be what we need in life. Anyway, it was a fun topic to write about and I hope you enjoyed the story. It certainly whooshed me back in time when mom and I were standing on chairs, freaked out about a mouse under our feet! Ha….I miss her…especially this time of year.

I have another story coming soon that I just wrote called, “The Gift of Winter’s Solstice.” Although the weather has been warm for this time of year, winter is quickly approaching and it was a piece I needed to write. My writing group seemed to enjoy it and oh we had so much fun as we always do listening to each other’s stories. I will share it with you soon. But for now, I will wave goodbye and hope you are staying warm.

Winter’s coming!

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

Blessings from Hope

Tall, Dark, and Handsome

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Until recently I’ve been in a deep funk. This Covid 19 pandemic is dragging on, and on, with no end in sight. This past summer we experienced another depressing season of wildfires and choking smoke, reminding me that our planet is crying in crisis. I’ve been reflecting on whether global warming can even be reversed at this stage and it weighs heavy on my chest, like a  hopeless stone. 

Little things have been happening though, like small electric shock treatments clearing the dark fog from my brain. Another of those happened this past weekend. It was supposedly a Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I have to say that I can’t feel very thankful however for how our country has and continues to treat our indigenous people. Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving this year, we chose to welcome fall into our midst. We also celebrated my husband David’s birthday.

This year his birthday fell on Saturday, October 9th, 2021. While he and our our oldest daughter Alyssa, and our three younger kids. Will, Kate and Victoria went for a long walk through our nearby Kalamalka Provincial Park, I stayed home making a four layer, chocolate cake which I call, “Tall, Dark, and Handsome.” 

For two hours, I was home with just our Siamese cat Ryuuki, who was curled up, sleeping on the window seat in our kitchen. Other than the whirring noise from our mixer, our house was still and quiet. In the silence, it occurred to me that I’m seldom alone these days. David started working from home two years ago, when he and his partner bought their engineering company. Every day I hear him in our den participating in Zoom meetings and looking intently at the drawings on his computer. He has jobs all over B.C, Alberta, Saskatchewan and they even have a job down in Alabama. The project manager working down there calls it,”the Red Neck Riviera.” Long before vaccines were being rolled out here in Canada, they were readily available at any pharmacy down there but the majority of the population refused to be vaccinated. They claimed there was a government conspiracy to control the south and tracking devices were in the vaccine. David always comes out of his office at the end of the day full of interesting stories, even though he never leaves the house. 

Anyway, as I was icing Tall, Dark and Handsome, I  wondered if the lack of alone time was perhaps the cause of my slow funk into oblivion. I’m one of those people who likes their own company and I tend to be an introverted person, so perhaps this was the reason for my current mental state. Or it could be that everyone but me has a useful purpose. David heads into the den each morning and is our main breadwinner. Our older daughter Grace is enrolled in University and even though she is largely taking those classes from her bedroom, she has a life. Our younger children, Will, Kate and Tori are now back to school and are busy members of the Kokanee swim club. Also, they have their respective music lessons and instruments to practice. I have the endless task of doing laundry, and other chores like icing this cake. With this thought, I finished the cake, topping it with luscious, maraschino cherries and sparkly white sprinkles. 

While wrapping David’s birthday gifts, I started to relax into the quiet, breathing in the peace of our home. Once  all the presents were wrapped, I whipped through the house straightening things and when everything was done, I sat next to Yuuki on the window seat, sipping some peppermint tea and stroking his soft fur. Someone was wind surfing on Kal Lake below our house, and the colourful sails flew across the white caps without a care in the world. Just as I was wondering whether David and the kids were ever going to come home, I heard the rolling hum of our garage door opener. Moments later, noisy,  rosy, red cheeked children spilled into the kitchen. My tall husband, his brown hair messy from the wind, smiled at me. He poured a cup of coffee and the kids oohed and awed over the cake sitting on the counter. As they pulled out the hot chocolate and boiled some water, they talked over each other, telling me about all the sights and sounds from their walk. Each had their own story to tell. 

A little piece of gratitude flashed into my heart and I gave thanks for the perspective of quiet, and the joy of happy noise. Of course, the sight of Tall, Dark and Handsome didn’t hurt either…and I’m not talking about cake! 

My tall, dark and handsome husband…David. (On his birthday October 9th 2021, Kal Park
Our oldest daughter Alyssa, out for a birthday walk at Kal Park

Will above, being silly. Our little tree huggers, Kate and Tori, below.

Tall, Dark and Handsome is just a double batch of my Rich Chocolate Cake recipe. If you want to make it, check out the previous hyperlink for the recipe…I often make it for Valentine’s day. If you are feeding a crowd this recipe with four layers will do it and then some.

Happy Fall….and Happy Birthday David!

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

Blessings from Hope

A Touch of Blue

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“In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.” ~David Suzuki~

The view from our upper deck on a brilliant early 2021 summer day. Is this simple blue colour going to be a thing of the past in the future?

Dear family, friends and blog readers,

Now that we are safely on the other side of summer and cooler days are with us, I’d like to take a moment to look back in the rear window, as we leave summer 2021 behind.

Summer of 2021 was the third worst wildfire season on record in our Province. Day after day we endured scorching hot weather. Smoky air, thick as pea soup, filled our lungs if we ventured outside. Every morning I woke hoping to see a little bit of blue sky, but most days heavy grey blankets of smoke covered our valley, making me feel claustrophobic, like being stuck in a box without a lid.

On our hottest days we often were visited by a deer or three. A few times we had a mom with her spotted twins. Being outside was like living in an oven but on the north side of our yard, under our Japanese Maple, there was a bit of relief.

A bit of history so we don’t forget; our 2021 wildfire season began officially when the George Road fire seven kilometres south of Lytton started on June 17th. While we were away on our first camping trip of the season, an oppressive heat dome covered our Province and we experienced record breaking temperature spikes. The plump ripe cherries ready for picking in our yard suddenly became dehydrated clumps in our trees and our strawberry plants, normally at their juiciest peak, were cooked to dry, brittle leaves.

Our cherry harvest totally destroyed by the early heat in July 2021

On June 28th, while we were camping, a Province wide campfire ban was declared and while we cooled off in Mabel lake, the little town of Lytton, the hottest place in Canada for three consecutive days, was destroyed by fire. Two people died in that fire.

During our week camping at the end of June and into early July 2021 a heat dome covered our Province and while we were staying cool in the mountains up at Mable Lake, wild fires erupted everywhere

By July 20th, people in 2900 properties in our Province were evacuated and our Public Safety Minister, Mike Farnsworth, declared a wildfire related state of emergency in our Province.

Fires were burning everywhere.

The darkest days for our little community of 40,000 people happened on August 6th and 7th. I’ll never forget Friday, August 6th, as the air was thick and heavy with smoke. Dark grey clouds started to billow up from where I knew fire fighters were combating the White Rock Lake fire burning across the valley from us. All day long it felt like we were in a war zone, as helicopters flew over head with lines hanging down holding water filled buckets. Then by mid afternoon, the wind started to whip up the lake below our house and I ran around frantically, first rolling down the poolside patio umbrella and then racing up to our second floor deck, rolling down the umbrella outside of our family room so it wouldn’t blow away. Once the umbrellas were rolled down the poles continues to bend and sway and the trees around our house whistled in the hot wind.

This image was taken on an ordinary summer day in 2021…this was not one of the worst smoky days either…those days you could hardly see our neighbours…but this one gives you the idea of what we lived through this past summer….no blue sky and no clean air to breathe.
I snapped this picture mid afternoon on August 6th, in a few hours the sky would be as black as night. A few days prior to this the community of Monte Lake north of us was ravaged by the same, White Rock Lake wildfire. Many people lost their homes to this fire!

Standing on our upper deck I could see grey smoke billowing up into the sky from what was called the White Rock Lake Fire across our valley. By 6 pm the sky was as dark as night. Pieces of wildfire debris were dropping from the sky as David came back after picking up our daughter Grace, who had been working at the waterslides. The windshield of our van was covered in black dust and there were black fir needles caught in the windshield wiper blades. It felt like Armageddon had arrived and all night the winds raged. The next morning we woke to pieces of burnt moss and blacked bark laying everywhere. The trees, grass and drive way were covered with the black scorched remnants of the fire, which we found out later had moved 2 kilometres every hour the night before.

On Saturday morning the 7th, we woke to an evacuation alert. That’s when we realized we didn’t really have anywhere to go, as every direction in our Province was not safe. That was also a moment of realization that what was truly important wasn’t a material item that we could just pack up and take with us. Our only priority was keeping our family safe. Our house, our pool, our second car, all those patio umbrellas, and T.V.’s etc…well, they didn’t matter in the big scope of things. Yet, those were the things we had worked so hard to acquire.

Our earth is suffering from mass consumerism. We are in this situation after a century of our earth’s population trying to have it all. Bigger houses, more stuff, fancier cars, exotic vacations. Our world is at a breaking point and it’s only going to get worse, unless we start shifting our priorities and focus on this climate crisis.

At the end of summer of 2021, nearly 8,700 square kilometres of land in B.C. was burnt and at the height of the wildfire season, the number of active wildfires in B.C. was over 300. We were not alone in facing fires this past summer; so many other parts of Canada and other countries around the world faced a similar experience. Can we do anything to change global warming?

The good news is that there is something we can all do…

Here are ten things the David Suzuki Foundation suggests we can do now to assist in this global crisis: (details of each can be found at the link below)

1. Urge government to take bold, ambitious climate action now

2. Use energy wisely — and save money too!

3. Get charged up with renewables

4. Eat for a climate-stable planet

5. Start a climate conversation

6. Green your commute

7. Consume less, waste less, enjoy life more

8. Invest in renewables and divest from fossil fuels

9. Mobilize for local climate action

10. Get politically active and vote

Click on the following hyper link if you want to read the specifics regarding the above suggestions. Top Ten Things You Can Do About Climate Change

GREAT NEWS!

We are already doing number 5 if you’re reading this blog post! Being aware and changing our perspective is the first step.

My family celebrated fall this weekend by going on several walks. The air is starting to be crisp and clear, some leaves are changing to brilliant reds, golds and oranges and are starting to fall, making that satisfying crunch under our feet. The kids climbed some trees and revelled under a blue sky. A blue so peaceful it makes me grateful. After the 2021 summer we experienced, it’s these simple things that make me happiest.  Being with my family in nature. There is nothing more that fills me up with joy.

How about you? What brings you joy and makes you grateful?

While we can’t take on the world’s issues all on our own, we CAN each be that little drop in the bucket that David Suzuki talks about; each of us can make choices every day to live on this earth in a conscious, more intentional way. Yes there will always be people who do more, or less but do what you can. Look at the list above and ask yourself, what can I do today.

Let’s fill up that bucket, allowing it to spill over and provide the earth what it needs to heal. Need inspiration? Just go for a walk in nature today and listen to what the earth tells you.

At the beginning of summer 2021, Victoria and Kate took their violins down to the beach below our house and played, “Touch of Blue.”

Thank you for visiting today. Thank you for being a beautiful drop. Thank you for helping me stay inspired.

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

Blessings from Hope

A tiny place of peace

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A month ago we were returning from the west coast, after helping our son Harrison move into his new place. Harrison is starting his fifth year living in Victoria, the capital city of our Province. He’s been enrolled in the University of Victoria’s Gustavson business school. This is a coop program, where you study academically at the University, but then have the opportunity to work for several companies throughout the program to enhance your education. This fall, Harrison secured a wonderful opportunity to work for a large investment company, located in Toronto (he’s working in Victoria, on line due to the pandemic) and next Spring, if all goes well, he will complete his degree.

He’s been doing exceptionally well and has even garnered some scholarship money. The only downside to attending the University of Victoria has been the housing situation. It’s never been great for students, as the University only has enough housing for first year students and this year the demand was so great that they couldn’t even accommodate those request. It’s not like we were ignorant of this fact, since our older children, Alyssa and Mitchell both completed their degrees at U Vic, but you know, you always hope that something will be found.

The first year Harrison lived on campus but by the second year, since U Vic doesn’t have adequate housing, he had to secure something off campus. Fortunately, Harrison made some great friends and he and three other guys rented a house together, where they lived for year two and three. Then in year four, wanting a change, he and his two other roommates, rented a trendy 3 bedroom apartment in the Uptown area of Victoria. That worked well last year but his roommates, both business students, are spending their last year of school learning abroad, so Harrison had to find something else. By this time however, he was really ready to find his own place. Easier said than done, since demand was out weighing inventory and this blew the roof off rental prices. Well, all real estate for that matter!

Victoria is one of the nicest places to live in Canada….this is a picture of the inner harbour

It was literally down to the wire and we were telling Harrison that he could always come home for the fall, since he was working on line anyway, but then he found a place. A perfect place. The fact that the real estate agent hired to rent the suite, had also attended U Vic’s business school, might have swayed things his way as he secured it quickly. It’s always good to have mutual connections!

Harrison’s new, 400 something square foot, one bedroom condo suite is located in a styling building on the edge of downtown Victoria; walking distance to the famous inner harbour and has all the amenities that living in the city brings.

That cool urban lifestyle is attractive in so many ways.

Harrison’s new place to hang his hat, has a unique look

When we agreed to help Harrison move out of his apartment and into his new place, I thought it was going to be two busy days but Harrison had been busy selling unwanted items and decluttering with a vengeance. It’s not that he had tons of things. In fact the fact that he didn’t, made it a lot easier. as he could pick up each item, down to individual math books for instance and say, “do I need this? do I want it?” and then find a home for it. He had also rented a van and started packing some things in it before we arrived on August 30th.

Will, Kate, Tori and David….no whales on our trip over but it’s always fun going through the Active pass and looking at Ocean side cabins
There is something so restorative about being on the ferry to Vancouver Island…always an adventure!

We arrived late afternoon on August 30th, and with the help of our three youngest kids, Will, Kate and Tori, we were able to move Harry out of his apartment and fully pack his van in a matter of hours. Easy, peasy! We were able to pick up dinner and have a lovely evening back in our hotel room. He was officially out of his apartment and everything he owned was in the van or in the back of our mini van. It was a breeze.

The next morning, August 31st, we were up early. Harrison and his Dad went off on several errands; Harrison had to meet with his previous landlord to hand over the keys and have the final walk through of his old place. He had to pick up the keys for his new condo’s elevator, so we could have it exclusively the next morning for his move. Later in the day, he finally got to see his new condo, while picking up the keys from the real estate agent. Up to that point, he had only seen pictures of his place but both he and his Dad were thrilled seeing it for the first time and they returned to the hotel later that day with many stories. The kids and I had stayed in our hotel for most of the day. I took them swimming in the poo,l which we had reserved for our own use, we had read, played games and snacked a bunch.

We had the pool all to ourselves while Harrison and David accomplished moving errands

When David and Harrison returned, we went to do some shopping, (new bedding etc) and to pick up dinner. We did get to bed early though, as we knew the next day would be busy.

We got up early the next morning and put on our running shoes, ready for the big move. Harrison had the elevator and parking spot reserved from 9 to 1 pm and I thought we would really have to hustle to get everything in during those hours. Between the five of us however, we were able to move him into his place in 45 minutes. I kid you not!!! We packed that elevator maybe three, at the outset, four times and were easily up and into his apartment with all of his belongings in NO TIME. The kids were a big help! Once everything was in the suite, David and Harrison put his bed together and the kids and I unpacked all the kitchen items, washed them, and placed them in the perfectly tiny and well appointed kitchen.

By noon, the kitchen was all set up. David and Harrison went out on a few errands; to return the elevator key, and the moving van, etc and the kids and I remained. The only hitch was that the new white sheet set we had bought from Homesense the day before, only had 1 flat sheet it it. Where was the fitted sheet and pillow cases that were supposedly inside? No problem though, as we had a number of things to still obtain and we would return it and find another set, garbage can and cutlery container, to name a few other helpful items to make things feel homier.

This picture is from the advertisement of the building and while it isn’t Harrison’s bathroom configuration….it has the same colours and finishes…small but chic! I loved the flooring which you can’t see here but it’s black and white.

While Harrison and David were gone, I made up his bed with the bedding we had, and the kids being so exhausted, actually all laid down in a row on his bed and fell asleep on the cozy duvet. I was shocked at how fast they all dropped into a deep slumber but the place was so restful that even I wanted to just lay down and dream. I didn’t though. I unpacked a few more boxes and moved the furniture around into a better configuration. Not that Harrison had much, but having less makes it more fun. (Harrison’s girlfriend Dani, had lent him a few pieces that fit in beautifully with the decor of the place…she has incredible taste) When David and Harrison returned a few hours later everything was in place. Other than a few Rubbermaid boxes, which I stacked in the hall, there really was nothing else to do. He could literally just start to live.

…except we needed food.

I couldn’t resist putting baby bear in the middle of the pillows when I found him in one of Harrison’s boxes. He’s had him for 22 years now!

With the thought of food, the little kids woke up and we took off again. We had lunch in the van as we drove to Costco, and then we had a delightful time shopping for food to fill Harrison’s fridge. After living with roommates for several years this was the nicest part for Harrison, as the whole fridge and freezer would be his alone and he could fill it with all the food he wanted. It made me so happy too! In the picture below, his fridge is behind the wall to Harrison’s right and the stacking washing machine and dryer are in the cabinet to his left.

Harrison and David on move in day…..almost everything is unpacked! The ceilings are super high and the feel is an urban loft with exposed pipes etc….the hall wall is concrete. The floors are a dark distressed wood….easy to clean!
Harrison’s first moment to sit in his new digs
The moving crew

Once we returned and filled his fridge and freezer, we took off again for a delightful walk to Victoria’s historic inner harbour. We soaked up the downtown life; watching people, window shopping, and taking in all the sights of Harrison’s new neighbourhood. As the day’s curtain slowly closed, the evening breeze gently flowed in from the ocean. We ended our walk at one of our favourite places to eat in Victoria, “Tacofino.” We ordered up our chosen taco’s and ate them right on the street. On our walk back to Harry’s place I was thinking, “what a cool, hip place to live.” It suits Harrison perfectly.

Will, David, Tori and Kate in front of the infamous Empress Hotel in Victoria’s inner harbour
The sun set as we were down at the inner harbour on this Sept 1st, 2021….it was an exciting and fun day

Returning to Harrison’s building, we all hugged and took a few more pictures, then it was time for us to say goodbye and return to our hotel for our final night’s stay in Victoria. It was the easiest and most fun move I’ve ever experienced. Since then, we have spoken to Harrison many times and each time he marvels over the joy he feels in his new place. While it’s nice to live with other people, there is something to be said for having a place all your own. It’s a place where you can really relax and be at peace.

Harrison has found that in his tiny place.

Well dear blogging friends, family and blog readers, I will close for now as I’m off to bed. It’s late here and as per usual, the only time I feel like I can write is when the house is quiet. I hope this post was somewhat coherent as a result, ha! I’m glad to have shared Harrison’s move with you. While we may not have a small footprint of our own, we can always carefully edit our belongings and surround ourselves with only things we love and use. We can all have a place of peace to call our own.

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

Blessings from Hope

The Path Towards Truth and Reconciliation

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Welcome friends, family and blog readers. With National Truth and Reconciliation day happening tomorrow, I thought I would write a piece for my blog. At Hope’s homestead I’m not just wanting to chat about the environment and becoming more sustainable, or even sharing one of our family’s latest recipes, lately I’m finding this blog is evolving beyond just those topics.

Today I wanted to share a piece of my heart and something my family is feeling strongly about in the event of the discovery of the 215 unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School last May. Since then, there have been even more at other schools across Canada. I hope you are feeling as outraged as I am and my story resonates with you. Come walk the path with me towards Truth and Reconciliation

~Blessings from Lee~aka Hope

The Path

Even though it was just  after nine in the morning and our campsite was surrounded by the cooling forest, I knew the day was going to be another scorcher. On our first day at the Mabel Lake Provincial campground, after setting up our tents, we jumped in the frigid mountain lake and were refreshingly restored. In all the years we’ve been coming here, never have we swam in this lake so early in the season. Then half way through the week, another first, a campfire ban was declared. Temperatures were racing well over 35 Celsius. making the threat of forest fires imminent. 

On this July 1st, 2021, I was stirring the bubbling oatmeal over the cook stove when my twelve year old son William opened the tent flap and emerged with porcupine like hair and a pillow creased face. He plunked down into one of the black, folding chairs, circling the empty firepit and asked, “what’s for breakfast?” 

“How about some cinnamon spiced oatmeal?” I asked and then added, “or can you make some toast with jam and peanut butter.” “I’ll start with the oatmeal,” replied Will, as he dug around in our camp kitchen box, looking for his turquoise bowl and spoon. 

As Will hungrily ate his oatmeal I pulled out our large Canada flag and some rope. I strung it from one fir tree to another at the back of our campsite. “I thought you weren’t going to put up the flag this year mom,” he said. I stood back appreciating the placement of the flag, admiring the bright red maple leaf amongst the deep green of the trees. I remembered the conversation we had had after the 215 unmarked graves had been discovered at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School a month back. I had been so sad and then so flipping angry that I went on a bit of a rampage in our kitchen, the day we heard the news. The day I questioned the country I called home.

That day a discussion ensued around our kitchen table. Our ten year old twin daughters were sitting on the window seat and Will and his older sister Grace were in their respective seats. My husband David came quietly into the kitchen, his eyes opening wide as he questioned what I was so upset about. As we started to eat I shared the story I had just heard on the National News and everyone listened intently.

Kamloops Indian Residential School where the remains of 215 children were found in unmarked graves in May 2021

We had home-schooled the kids for the first year of the pandemic and I had encouraged them to learn the history of Canada’s indigenous people. It worked into the curriculum beautifully as we were studying the European explorers who had come to Canada. To get to the truth of the matter though we had to dig deep and reflect on that time in history to discover the ugly fact that settlers invaded this Country and basically took the land from the Aboriginal people. Will was learning about the various levels of Government and how Canada was established. Our Indigenous people’s history was woven throughout these stories but we were always questioning the truth and trying to understand the climate at various times throughout history. 

When the news of the discovered unmarked graves in Kamloops was broadcast, it was one more story layered over what my children were learning. At the dinner table that evening, our daughter Grace shared her remembered experience while touring that school, a few years earlier. She said it felt like a tragically sad place that was deeply haunted. It was a field trip that taught her more than any reading on the subject could do, since she was there feeling the heavy energy at the site. Why hadn’t I been taught this 40 years before when I was in school? I knew why, because I was living in the thick of society’s darkest secrets and our Country wanted to bury the truth so they didn’t have to be accountable. Even my own family was burying something.

All these things poured, like a raging river over my mind’s jagged thoughts. Scant memories about my great grandmother, Mary Caroline Ling, also flooded in. She had been my maternal Grandfather’s mom; a First Nations woman. Our family’s skeleton in the closet if you will. An ancestor that was not talked about. I knew so little about her, except she was the second wife to Charles Herrling, and they had had two children together; August (my grandfather) and his brother, Joseph. Charles Herrling had emigrated from Austria and settled on the Island near Hope, which today carries his name, and is called, “Herrling’s Island.” I don’t recall any stories of Mary Caroline, but the impression my mom gave me of her dad, was that he was a man of few words. A picture I have of him shows a man with glistening dark hair and shining eyes. But what of his mother, Mary Caroline? I may never know, as my family seemed to gladly bury her memory. 

August Victor Herrling (January 10, 1882- August 1946)` My maternal Grandfather (He died after being kicked by a horse but my older sister B says that it wasn’t an immediate death but he apparently lingered for a bit but finally succumbed to his injuries…probably brain injury)

I was thinking about all these things when Will asked me why I was hanging up the flag. I sat with a sigh on one of the folding chairs and looked at Will. “You know I have mixed emotions about Canada day this year. It’s not a simple thing. I love our country. I used to be proud to be Canadian but it’s hard to be proud of a country formed on stolen land and I can’t imagine how I would feel if society said I wasn’t fit to raise my children, and took you all away from me.  What if I never saw you again?”

Will had stuck some bread to his marshmallow roasting stick and was toasting it over the propane stove while solemnly listening to my thoughts. Then he said, “I want to camp every July 1st ‘cause being in the forest  and at the lake is the best. I like paddling in my kayak. I like learning to fish, even if I never catch anything. Even making toast on a stick makes me happy. “

Above…Will (12 years old)on his kayak, learning to fish. July 2021

Victoria and Kathryn in Mable Lake during our camping week…notice the Canada Flag floatie that Will received for his birthday in June
Victoria, Will and Kate on their bikes during our camping week at Mable Lake, the first week of July 2021

“Yeah,” I said, and smiled at how the simplest things make us happy and wondered why we always want more. It was time to give back the land and long past time to apologize for missing children, lives destroyed, lost languages and culture.

But what could I do?

 Just then we heard a siren and with that piercing sound my twin daughters excitedly popped out from their tent. We all ran to stand at the entrance to our campsite and looked up and down the road, trying to see where the noise was coming from. Around the bend in the road we spied the Green Fish and Game truck coming towards us at a snail’s pace. It’s lights were flashing and it’s siren was blaring. What the heck I thought! Then as it got closer it dawned on me that we were about to see a parade. 

Here we were far from the city and people still came together to remember this Canada day.  Riding behind the truck, were kids of all ages on their bikes or scooters decorated with red and white balloons. Canada flag stickers were pressed on their sweaty cheeks, people with dogs, bouncing along on leashes bedecked with red and white ribbons, smiled and waved their tiny Canada flags. Parents pulled little kids in decorated wagons or pushed them in strollers. Everyone was singing our country’s National anthem. “Oh Canada,” At the end of the parade was the camp attendant’s golf cart. On the back of the cart was a large sheet cake and the attendants were busy cutting and passing out cake to the campers along the parade route. My kids were were jumping up and down once they saw the cake. 

Moments later, we all sat around our fireless pit, eating the yummy cake. All was quiet once again, only the crows were cawing as they looked down at my kids’ faces, smeared with white icing. I was thinking, “that was nice.” Maybe being part of a larger community of people who are working together to make Canada a good place for everyone to live is the beginning towards Truth and Reconciliation.

Any path with cake is a good place to start.

The End

Thank you for reading the above story which I wrote in honour of our first National Truth and Reconciliation day tomorrow. As I was writing, I was wondering what I could do next and I found this helpful link. If you want to join me on the path where we can make a difference, click on the link below to learn more.

Non-Indigenous people — here’s what you can do, right now

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

Blessings from Lee

Life in A SNOW globe

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We’ve been living under the shadow of this Covid 19 pandemic for 18 months now and I’ve hardly posted on my blog. That may not sound like a long time but it’s the longest year and a half of my life. Normally an optimistic, glass half full, everything is rosy type person, this pandemic has wiped hope from my days and left me feeling dry and brittle, like a broken shell lying on the beach. I haven’t even had the energy to write, which tells you how dark things have gotten, since writing is my cathartic release for processing life events. But today, after the kids were safely off at school I thought I’d better sit down and start typing to find that little piece in me that holds the light. To find that light I need to travel back.

I invite you along the journey, for your light may help me find mine.

For my family this pandemic became real when we found out that our daughter Grace’s high school trip to the U.K. was cancelled. She was to leave on March 15th, 2020 and be in Ireland wearing green and celebrating St. Paddy’s day on the 17th. We were in a state of flux for several days before the planned departure day and then our Provincial health officer, Bonnie Henry, advised people to cancel trips, which our school district promptly did. A few days later, our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced that our National borders would be closed as of March 18th. That settled any idea of travelling in or out of our country. Our daughter Grace’s trip to the U.K. would not happen and our older son Mitchell, who had been in Australia for the past year, would not be coming home until the borders opened again.

I think that was the first day my depression crept silently into our house, like a small grey mouse looking for a bread crumb.

Spring break arrived and while we revelled in the momentary halt in our world’s rotation, we also spent large moments huddled around our T.V. set waiting for news about the spreading virus. Restrictions came one after the other. First, with recommendations for people to isolate in place and distance themselves. In the beginning, our health authorities didn’t insist on masks but I thought that must be a mistake. Wasn’t this a respiratory virus and wouldn’t we want to prevent the virus from entering our mouth and nose? Eventually, masks were mandated and our family’s back door ledge became a mask filled epitaph and our new bohemian decor was replete with hand sanitizing bottles which littered our house.

At first, it was a lark and an adventure and we took the task on with abundant enthusiasm. After all, this was our opportunity to spend more time with our kids and also guide their learning in areas that we viewed were important. We spent our mornings studying math, science, English, and socials. The kids had more time to practice their music and after lunch we went on long hikes up the mountain behind our house. Tea time at 3 pm was relished by all as we sat outside savouring the muffins and scones we had made together; an opportunity to teach fractions, measurement and a life skill. Later in the afternoon we scattered around the living room, settling into the various chairs and couches, pulling blankets over ourselves like we were heading into a long winter hibernation. We plowed through novel after novel in this state and some of us had lovely naps.

Kate, Will and Tori on the mountain behind our house. Almost everyday we went on this hike during our homeschooling year together.

At first, I was in a state of bliss, lulled into this isolation novelty but as summer arrived and the pandemic situation didn’t improve, I wondered if life would ever normalize. Throughout that spring and summer our world shook again as we watched incidence, like the murder of George Floyd, a black man who took his last breath under the knee of an abusive police officer in the States. Sadly, this wasn’t an isolated incident and while we were all sequestered like jurors in court, we watched similar events occur again and again. Black Lives Matter rallies were held and then far right advocates and white supremacist crawled out of the wood work like ants after sugar to spread their message of hate. We watched in horror as the U.S. coped with civil unrest but sadly it wasn’t isolated to one country. While the world came to a screeching halt due to the pandemic, we had a moment to glimpse how minorities are treated all over the world. Here in Canada, a microscope clearly illuminated the horrid treatment our Indigenous peoples have experienced throughout the ages and continue despite our journey towards Truth and Reconciliation.

I cried every day.

Then a huge shake up came in the fall of 2020 when the United States held their election and all hell seemed to break loose as the Republican president Trump was voted out of office in favour of Biden, a democrat. There were riots and protests and the snow globe was shaken again, this time causing a blizzard of epic proportions. The world shook as Democracy in the U.S. was on trial., This historic event seemed to crack open the darkest corners of our world and hate mongers flooded out of the darkness, like the wicked witch’s flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz movie. Throughout it all, like Dorothy, I just wanted to go home; back to life before the storm. (If you want a image of this click on the video below)

In the fall of 2020, the spark I felt when we started homeschooling blew out and our days dragged as we trudged through the curriculum set out by the Province. Our youngest daughter Kate hated math so much that each morning was a new battle. Her twin Victoria, was flying through the lessons, trying hard to please and do her best but became extremely anxious whenever we left the house on our rare and infrequent big grocery shops. She’s hung onto us like she’d never see us again as we opened the garage door. Her hands were also clear indicators of her fears, as they were red and raw from her constant washing and hand sanitizing.

At age 11, all of our son William’s work was done on line and he quickly got sucked into the vortex of the ether world, coming away from the blue screen looking disengaged and blurry eyed. In hindsight, I wished we hadn’t join the School District’s V Learn program as it didn’t work for us. We should have taken the leap and became independent homeschoolers but I didn’t want our children to lose their spots in our coveted elementary school. If we had become homeschooling rebels, we would have had to register in a different school once the pandemic was over and I knew our children wanted to return to their former school. We did our best day by day but it wore us all down.

That little grey mouse found more than a crumb and grew bigger every day.

Finally, in February of 2021, a glimmer of light started to shine through the dark clouds of the pandemic. Several vaccines were being rolled out and our oldest population, being the most vulnerable, were slowly being vaccinated. Surely it was only a matter of time before our whole population would be protected from this virus.

Spring arrived but the snow kept falling….above Victoria and Will on our deck greeting another snow fall.

With the vaccination hope, despite the fact that the pandemic wasn’t over, a new school term was beginning in February 2021, so we decided to send our children back to school for the spring session. We had home schooled them almost a year by this point and they wanted to see their friends again. We had a few scares when our children were exposed to others who contracted Covid 19 and we had to self isolate but thankfully, none of us ever became sick. The school year ended and by mid summer our whole family was vaccinated. Everyone except our twin daughters, who are only ten, and the vaccine hasn’t been approved for them yet.

I’m not going to go in depth here regarding the extremely hot weather we experienced this past summer and the drought that ensued or the hundreds of forest fires raging in our Province. I did want to touch on it though as the air quality was so bad for most of the summer that we could hardly see the lake right below our house. One day we had an evacuation alert and felt what it must have been like for so many people in our province who had to leave their homes due to the fires. That gave us a sense of being trapped in the glass dome and having no where to go. Scary!

The health of our earth has to be a priority or we as a species will not survive.

I thought by the time fall of 2021 arrived the snow would finally settle and we would be moving into a post Covid world but then the big hand shook the globe and we stumbled around looking for the light despite another raging storm with a pending National election along with this fourth wave. Anti Maskers and vaccine protesters spilled into the streets defying common sense, creating havoc in our world. And instead of party leaders telling us what they would do to get us out of this pandemic or deal with the climate crisis, they kept ranting and raving that this election should not have been held during a pandemic. That was no help at all in my opinion and frankly I’m tired of our country’s leaders acting like five year olds that haven’t learned to get a long with each other….but I digress.

Scientists have been warning us that this Corona virus keeps evolving and mutating and unless we achieve herd immunity, we will never be free of it. I recently read a joke on my Facebook feed page that said, “I swear we are fighting two pandemics right now; the Coronavirus and Stupidity.” It looks like we may be in this pandemic awhile longer judging from those few who believe it’s all about their rights that are being taken away. Obviously these people don’t care about the greater good for our society.

Today is the first day of fall and with the transition of seasons it causes me to reflect. A realization that we may never know normal again and if it comes, it will only be a false sense of calm. With the climate crisis banging loudly on our doorsteps, I fear we either choose to don our warmest coats and hats to weather the next storm or find a big hammer to break the glass. I believe I will choose the latter, ’cause I’m holding the vision of a tiny piece of hope lying amongst all that fake snow.

I want to thank you for holding a space of light for me to write this piece.

Over the last year and a half I know this pandemic has touched us all differently and that phrase, “we are in the same storm but not in the same boat,” is so true. No matter where you are along your journey, I hope you will help me lift this hammer to break the glass ’cause I’m tired of having someone else shake the globe.

The only way for us to get out of this storm is together. And the thought that we are together brings me hope.

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

Blessings from Hope