the cold winds howl....

All last night, as "Hurricane Sandy" winds howled through the woods behind our house, a line from one of my favourite books came to mind...

(Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman)

 

Nothing major happened here in regards to the hurricane....just alot of loud fierce wind during the night. There were a few minor things I noticed throughout the town... like just down the street from us, part of a wooden fence blew over. There is a huge dead tree lodged/stuck at the top of the dam in town. Oh...and a tiny pumpkin rolled off a porch onto the middle of the main street.  Ha! That was about the extent of the storm damage.

 

Saw this on facebook and it made me chuckle:

 

"Hurricane Sandy washed a laptop into the ocean. Now a Dell is rolling in the deep."

 

Busy times around here. Just got through another weekend of lots of activities/plans. Now we're in the middle of a week with more of the same. It was and will all be lovely and good.

 

The weekend included Boys Club at the church (for Keith and Max), roses (Keith surprised me with a bouquet), a trip to the garage for my trailblazer which was having a leaking gas problem (not good!), haircut (Keith), hockey game in Acton (4-0 loss for our Huskies), church (Keith taught SS, we were greeters, baptism Sunday), Gerry, Magda & Guillermo over for lunch (and meeting for the first time) and a hockey game at WRC vs. Acton (5-0 loss for our Huskies).

 

This week includes all the regular things associated with school (homework, spelling tests, etc), lots of hockey activities and practices, piano lessons and playdates with friends. I'm hoping to cook up/freeze pumpkin and get lots of laundry and ironing done and a bunch of photo editing.

 

This morning I met up with Deanna at Cafe Meme's here in town. We used to see each other at least once a day at school drop off/pick up. Now that the boys are getting older that has changed. So we decided we're just going to have to make a point of meeting up for coffee to stay in touch. Apparently we were waaaaay overdue because we managed to drink enough coffee and talk our way through three hours worth of conversation. And I'm pretty sure we could have kept going.....if errands and other things wouldn't have been calling us.

 

 

 

I've been rather blessed in the past few days by various chances to chat and talk with old and new friends. On Friday morning I had a coffee/walk with Carol. There is something so comforting about talking with an old friend that you go waaaaaay back with. I always look forward to our walks and talks. :)  On Saturday afternoon, Judy (a co-worker of Keith's) came out to watch Max's hockey game since she lives in the same town. I've met her at the company Christmas party once or twice but didn't really know her at all. She's so sweet and nice. She's a hockey mom who has great perspective on the whole thing...and she came prepared with loose change to treat Max to a pop after the game. I really really enjoyed chatting with her. :) On Sunday Gerry introduced us to his wife Magda and her son Guillermo for the first time. They have just emigrated here from Columbia and been here in Canada for one week. We've heard so much about Magda and Guillermo so it was wonderful to finally meet them and we had a wonderful visit together. Max and Guillermo got along great...playing mini-sticks and soccer in the basement. Magda speaks English very well. She is so sweet and gentle and funny! Really looking forward to getting to know her better.  And then a nice three hour coffee date with Deanna today getting caught up with each other's lives. It's good to get her perspective on life with her nine year old boy. Very good! And to top it all off, I'm really enjoying the other mom's on Max's hockey team....very nice, down-to-earth women who are friendly and chatty and funny. We see alot of each other on the weekends so that is all very good. :)

 

 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

 

There are still times when I struggle to figure out where I belong/fit in here in Ontario. Why things happened the way they did....when they did....where they did. Mostly alot of why questions. All kinds of thoughts float through my mind about the future. Lots of "what ifs".  But really, I just need to remind myself of the verse above and live one day at a time. I suspect the future will take care of itself... whether I worry and fret about it. Or not. :)

Class Trip #3

Grade Four. It's the year of class trips. Or so I was told/warned by previous grade four moms who've been through it. Today was an all day field trip to Apps' Mill Nature Centre located outside of Paris.

 

First up, we watched how an arrowhead is made, followed by string making (out of milkweed) and then a demonstration on making a fire without matches....

 

All the kids had a chance to work together to make fire without matches as well....

 

 

At noon, it was time for a weiner roast...

 

 

 

 

After lunch, we were split into groups and off we went on a nature hike where we learned many many many many many things....like different teas that can be made by boiling tree bark, we ate sumac, wild garlic and all kinds of other woodsy things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And at the end of the afternoon, we all piled back on the bus and made it back just in time to hear the final bell dismiss everyone for the day. Thoughts overall? Hmmmm......I'm glad I have the opportunity to go along on these class trips. It gives me ears and eyes as to what Max's classmates are like and into. As well as what is being taught. And when I know what's being taught, I can talk to Max about it and we can discuss what we agree/don't agree with. For example....evolution was strongly talked about this morning...how man evolved over long periods of time. Blech. Why do they have to teach that to 9 year olds? At least I'm aware and we are able to discuss everything from a biblical perspective at home.

 

Tonight I am tired from the outdoorsy day. So is Max. A soak in the hot tub and perhaps a movie is in order. :)

 

Max's school photo for this year. When did he get so grownup looking?!

potluck

This is a potluck dinner post. It includes all kinds of randomness that I found on recent memory cards in my camera and phone.

 

Last weekend we were in Niagara Falls/St. Catharines for a hockey tournament. Didn't take any photos. Except for this one...a gorgeous rainbow on Saturday morning as we were heading to a game. 

 

This next one is from two weekends ago at the Arthur tourney... Someone is all smiles after winning their last game against Owen Sound. (I think?)

 

The mysterious pink experiment. Solely conducted by Max...

He saved broken coloured pencil crayon leads (which happened to be mostly pink and orange) and poured hot water over them in a jar. This is what happened. They puffed up big, basically exploded and turned the water a very lovely shade of hot pink. A few days later, Keith and him added the contents of a glow stick to the mixture hoping to make it "light up". The pink mixture was too concentrated and there wasn't enough glow stuff to make it happen. The result was a very stinky chemically smelling mixture which we promptly disposed of. This was not a school experiement. It was just Max being curious. He can hardly wait to take chemistry in school. Clearly, he doesn't take after me. ;)

 

Hard at work on his homework. It never ends...

 

Keith left on Sunday afternoon to go moose hunting with his dad in the great north. He is due home sometime in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Max and I have more than enough to keep busy with so the time is flying by. Yesterday (Monday) was a warm and blissfully beautiful fall day. Heather and I texted back and forth and she ended up stopping by for lunch. It was so nice, we ate outdoors on the deck. Until we got chased indoors by bees....they just kept swarming us. We both did not want to risk a sting. They must have been after our pie... ;)

 

So that nice Monday....I knew it would be short lived....lots of rain was and still is showing up on the radar.  In the fall, our backyard is absolutely gorgous. Pictures (cellphone or dslr) just don't do it justice. There is one little drawback of this beautiful autumn splendor backdrop...the insane amount of leaves that fall on our little patch of lawn. Which of course require some backbone and muscle...

  

After Heather left, I dug in and got busy raking. Max helped with loading leaves on the wheelbarrow and carting them into the woods. We made sure there was time for jumping into leaf piles. That's a must.

 

 

 

And climbing trees of course. That's also a must.

 

 

 

 

  

 

Sunday afternoon, LeeAnne and Vanessa hung out with Max and me for a while. They both wanted some pictures done for Christmas cards. So we hopped into my truck and drove into the downtown and took some fun shots. At the very end I got a few of them mugging it up together for the camera.

 

 

 

 

That pretty much covers it all photo wise.

 

Max's hockey coaches have issued at 10,000 puck shooting challenge to the boys. They want to the team to work on their puck shooting skills at home so they each have to shoot a certain amout of pucks within the next couple of weeks. If they hit 10,000 shots as a team, they get a pizza and bowling party. Max is all over that challenge. He's been out there rain and shine.

 

Today there was hockey practice at 6:30am and hockey at The Zone at 7:30pm. And alot of other stuff in between. A tiring day for everyone. Tomorrow Max has a field trip all day and I'm going along. It's mostly outdoors. It's supposed to rain. I'd better get to bed. I'll need as much energy as possible to get through a soggy wet outdoorsy type day with all those grade 4 boys!

 

And only one and a half more sleeps til Keith gets home. Woohoo!

My mama's birthday...

Yesterday (October 17) was my mama's birthday. She is 61 years young. I think she is the most beautiful woman I know. Inside and out. :)

 

This fall hasn't been the greatest weather wise. But yesterday afternoon, it was warm and gorgeous outdoors. The perfect birthday gift.

 

I was running errands in Kitchener and around noon, I got a text from the birthday girl herself. She wondered if I was nearby and if so, could I please stop by "Laura". She had a birthday GC from my dad to spend and wanted some help picking out clothes. As luck would have it, I was passing by. So we had a very fun and impromptu little shopping spree at Laura together. No pictures to show for it though. (What was I thinking?!)

 

Keith is in Alberta right now on business. So after school, Max and I drove over to Linwood so he (and I once again!) could wish his grandma a happy birthday. Since it was so nice outside, I was able to get these beautiful marvelous photos of my mom. Love!

 

Vanessa and Max were outside throwing around a football...'Tis the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we got a whole bunch of sweet, priceless shots like these...

 

 

 

They aren't perfect. Lots of laughing and clowning around. But that's why I like them. My favourite shots are never one the ones where everyone is looking at the camera. I like the ones that tell some sort of a story. :)

 

 

Heather outdid herself by making this delicious rich truffley chocolate birthday cake. She is quite the amazing baker. I don't have patience for that type of thing. I'm more all about making "pie" myself. But I'm quite happy and glad that I have a sister who likes to take on edible projects like this! (Totally worth the two pounds I gained when I stepped on the scale at WW this morning. OUCH!!) 

 

I have always wanted those model legs that go on forever. So I was quite tickled to discover that I too, am long and lean! Only in my shadow life, mind you. But it did happen. Once.

 

Pizza for dinner. LeeAnne brought it along with her. Yum!

 

 

The cake was one big glowing firey mess by the time all the candles and sparklers were lit!

 

Happy Birthday Mama Bear. Just look at her cute little grin! The most amazing cook I know of (which is why I have to go to weight watchers so religiously....Sunday dinners at her house, make me fall off the wagon!) and she has such a beautiful, classic, timeless way of dressing (still remember how I loved her creamy gold strappy shoes when I was a little girl. Ooooh! I'd wear them today if they were still around. Yes I would!)  and she works sooooooo hard and never stops...Gardening and marketing and garlicking and turkeying and chickening and everything else in between. She's a wonderful wonderful lady...the best mama I could ask for!

 

And now it's Thursday night...approaching the end of another busy week. Keith gets home tomorrow morning. He's on the red-eye right now as I type this. We have a hockey tournament again this weekend so that will take care of all of our free time.

 

This evening, the sun came out in that last hour before dark. I snapped this photo of the glowing woods behind our house. The leaves are getting thinner and thinner and the sunlight is peeking through more all the time. A couple more windy days and it won't look like this anymore....

 

"Be on the lookout for mercies. The more we look for them, the more of them we will see.

Blessings brighten when we count them."

~Unknown