A year from now ....

.... and it will be the last day of November.

Today is the last day of November
that we'll ever have in this house. 

A year from now, we'll be celebrating the
last day of November in the country,
in the woods, away from all that is now. 

It's both exciting and terrifying all at once. 

I'm learning to let go of the fear of what will be. 

And keep the memories of what was.

A year from now, this will be but a thought.

And a year from now, life will be different.

But tonight, for just a moment, I'm 

taking in this last day, in this house, on this street.

And it feels alright.

Happy last day of November!!

The Perils of Snow!

Hi everyone!

With the heavy snowfall we've just endured, comes things that only occur when nature is done. Icy roads, poor visibility and bitter cold. Tonight, we're not getting to sleep as easily as we normally do because of the very loud noises coming from the graders. It it so loud, it actually sounds like they are just outside our bedroom window but in fact, they are quite a distance away. They will be working around the clock to get the snow moved before tomorrow mornings commute. We feel so fortunate to have a county that is providing this service to keep our roads safe and clear. But oh, the noise!! It's almost like nails scrapping down a chalkboard as they scrape away the snow and hit the concrete pavement. It will so nice to drive again after being cooped up inside for the last four days. 

If only they could scrape quietly!!

How are your roads in your world?

Gratitude.

Hi everyone!

One of my blogging goals this year was to increase the number of followers I have. I'm so excited to see a few more have joined the "follow" team and thank each of you for jumping in to this eclectic blog, full of real life, an occasional tale and pictures depicting the journey of our family.

If you've been here for a while, thanks for hanging on!

If you've just joined in, thanks for connecting to this blog!!

The Sound of Music Live.

Hi everyone!

Just as I was about to turn the tv off for the night, I came across The Sound of Music Live, a show we really enjoyed last year when it was on in December. My first movie when I was small, this story has always been a favorite. The live version was met with criticism as well as accolades. We thought it was well cast, well performed and put together with great thought and incredible, meticulous detail. 

Now our tv will be on a bit longer tonight!

Did you see the live broadcast last year? 

Or are you watching it now?

My New Favorite Sunday Night Show!

The Newsroom.

An Aaron Sorkin production.

Seriously, another Sorkin masterpiece. 

Nothing else to say but brilliant!

Do you have a favorite Sunday Night Show?

I'm Going In ~ Wish Me Luck!!

Hi everyone!

The time has come. (Cue dramatic music). We have two rooms in our house that have suddenly, with all our renovating, sorting, purging and packing, become the place to "put" things that need to be out of the way. All of us have contributed to the clutter and yesterday, it got to me! We've not lived with stuff out of place to this degree. It actually totally embarrasses me to even think of taking a picture and posting the mess. But after reading someone else's blog, where they posted a spot in their home that had become cluttered, and then she posted a week later with the incredible progress, I became inspired to do the same. Because if I post, I have to purge it, right? You, my faithful blog readers will be my coaching team. I can hear you all now, shouting to the rooftops "Go Chy Go!!"

This room used to be our youngest son's room. Hence the "sports" wall paper border. After he moved out, we kept it pretty empty for a while. At that time, all our kids had moved on, except for our youngest daughter, so it was really a wasted space for a while. Then we were gifted the huge dollhouse peeking out on the left. A few months later, we bought the purple couch for $100 ~ brand new and still had the tag on but the family was transferred and had to sell it quick. It was a $1400 couch! So we put in the metal shelves for books and dollhouse reno tools and it became the "dollhouses studio." Now it has become a spot for boxes for packing (empty), piles of "stuff" to sort to donate or sell. A few items from renovating as well, including four boxes of flooring we still need to lay, paint for the walls and the blinds that need to be hung up. Good thing we're still here!

Same room, expanded view. 

Scary, isn't it?

Here's the second room that has caused me so much stress lately. It was our "nursery" and then my art studio for the last few years. But again, with all our sorting and purging, it has become a different studio of sorts. Maybe more like a "packing warehouse!" I'm happy we can see the floor but so stressed by the stuff we need to pack. The rest of the house is so neat and orderly, and then you come up the stairs and here's what you see. Ugh! I can't wait for it all to be gone. 

A secondary view.

So my dear blog buddies, will you encourage me to get this finished? Yesterday, I cleared out a lovely section in the art studio, with items meant to go back to work (why are they in my house?), items for donation now tucked away into my car for drop off at the charity shop and items for packing that are now in the intended box or sitting on the table to be wrapped. It's a start and I'm tired and sore today, so I know I made a good dent. I will post pictures as soon as it's all done. We have a strict time limit as our oldest son is coming home for Christmas and he'll be sleeping, snug as a bug, in the "sports" themed room on the purple couch. His arrival is set for early on December 21st. Can't wait!

Do you have a spot in your house that you avoid?

A place where things pile up and the door is shut?

Frugal Friday Finds.

Hi everyone!

I'm a day late to add in my finds for last week's "Frugal Friday". Thankfully, we were still experiencing good weather then, not like this week! What we found on our travels:

Two sweet lambs, two bright frames, one knitting book 

and one Santa. All six items added up to $2.00. So cheap

but perfect condition and the lambs were free!

Four lavender hearts for .20 cents.

A book I pined for a few years ago.

Can't beat the price @ .10 cents.

Once we move to our acreage,

landscaping our yard will be the next task.

Quite happy to pay .10 cents for this guide.

Hoping our new garden will be a healing one!

Again, a mere .10 cents for this edition. 

Our favorite Salt Spring Island artist,

Jill Louise Campbell. This framed

print was $1.50. Will be re~framed soon.

A vintage print I had always hoped to own.

Now it's mine, for a sweet .50 cents.

Another favorite artist, Robert Duncan.

A few weeks ago, we bought another one,

in the same frame. This one cost us .50 cents.

Both prints together.

Combined price of $1.00.

Isn't she sweet!

Our grand total, including the quilt, was $6.00. 

Well below our budget of $20.00 for the week.

Have you found any frugal finds recently?

Winter Storm.

Hi everyone!

After being stuck inside for the last three days, it was time today to venture out and take a few pictures of the winter storm that snowed us in. The snow began, as predicted on Wednesday and we've been shoveling out every since. Accumulation has finally stopped and today, the sun shone, though the chill in the air is bitter cold. I snuck outside in my woolies and slippers to snap away but chose to stay home when everyone else went out to do a bit of shopping. We picked up groceries and a few extras before the snow, so there wasn't anything we truly needed. I think my family truly just needed to get out of the house after a few days of being home and not venturing out to work or school. I've loved this time, being snuggled up inside our warm house, using the time to become grounded again, preparing for Christmas, catching up on letter writing and taking some time for a nap or two! It was nice to step outside for a bit of sun but just as quick I was back inside in the warmth.

The sun on Wednesday when it first began.

Today, the snow pile is a bit taller.

The cedar in front of our window, buried!

Pretty in the sun.

A drift on the roof.

Pretty blue sky.

This fir always looks so pretty covered in snow.

The sun is deceiving. It's bitterly cold here!

How was the weather in your world today?

Have you been snowed in yet?

Tiny Christmas Oranges!

Hi everyone,

I love finding Mandarin Oranges at Christmas. Such a treat! These little juicy and sweet guys are now our favorites:

Bigger than a U.S. nickel.

But smaller than a typical Mandarin.

What is your favorite Christmas treat?

Christmas Tree Day!

Hi everyone!

We're a bit behind this year with our holiday decorating. Most of our Christmas stuff is packed and I really don't want to start unpacking boxes at this point. So we've decided to have a pared down experience this year. One tree, lights and a few bobbles and ribbons on the tree. Our stockings are hung up on the fireplace, the snowman shelf is done and our wreath is on the front door. No outside lights or lit deer in our backyard. This year, our season will be quiet and less busy. And we're so looking forward to it! Our last festive family celebration in this old house. 

Our tree, a month before Christmas!

Now we just need the decorations!!

How are your holiday plans coming along?

Menu Planning.

Hi everyone!

I've been fascinated by many blog writers who diligently plan their weekly menus for their families. In our house, we decide on the day what we feel like having for dinner. Which means we have to have a good stock of items on hand on any given day. Or be willing to hop over to the store on a whim. Not always the best thing for our frugal budget. Because we're moving out to the country, "hopping over to the store" will be completely out of the question. So now we will become diligent menu planners for our family, our sanity and primarily, our frugal but healthy budget.

And look what I found to help us out! A menu planning pad, complete with the days of the week categorized and a handy dandy shopping list column. Best part? It was just $2 at the thrift store!! I love a deal that helps us save more.

How do you do menu planning in your house?

Sweet Literary Memories!

Hi everyone!

Do you remember Scholastic Book Orders as a kid? I couldn't wait to take home the order forms, tucked away safely in my backpack, to pour over the forms and choose books that I hoped my mom would agree to buy. Most often, my choices would fit into the budget. Sometimes I'd have to agree to make my list smaller. But books were important in our house and growing our family library was the goal.

When our kids started school, I was surprised but oh so excited to learn that the Scholastic Book Orders were still popular. Just like when I was a kid, I couldn't wait to get home to pour over the forms when my kids would announce that they were tucked away in their backpacks. Even with our very tight budget with many small children, we managed to make book orders a priority. Our children were voracious readers (still are) and growing our own family library at home was very important to all of us. 

So guess what I get to do now? Yup, Scholastic Book Orders are once again back in our lives. We're a 3rd generation book order family! Our grandson now comes home with his book order tucked away in his backpack. And we curl up together on the couch  and pour over the forms, choosing books and growing his little library. His favorite thing now is to get tucked into bed with a book or two each night. Warms my heart that his mama knows the value of this practice. And we're happy to contribute to his bookcase!

Did you children come home with book orders 

tucked away in their backpacks?

Daylight Moon.

Hi everyone!

Our Sunday was an eclectic mix of sun and cloud. And these amazing shots too. The very full moon, in the daylight. 

Covered by cloud.

And bright in the sun!

Did you have a view like this today?

A trip to the Country.

Hi everyone!

We're off for a quick trip out to the Country, to see how our new house looks now that the snow has arrived. Our builder and his family left last weekend for a well deserved vacation and are back home today. So we've had not notices about what has taken place this week. He did tell us before he left what was planned, with a caution of course that schedules sometimes change with weather and deliveries. The one hope this week was to have our siding installed. At the time he had left, the bundles of material had not yet arrived but they were expected. Then we had a snowfall and a short deep freeze, so even if the siding did arrive, we're not sure that it would have been installed. Dh and our girls are so anxious to see it. Me? I've got butterflies in my stomach! 

I'm so nervous because we have steered away from the typical material that all houses are wrapped in around this part of the world. What is normal is a basic, straight vinyl siding, as shown below. Kind of boring, don't you agree?

Our budget for this house was set for straight vinyl in muted tones. Darker tones are more money. Of course, upon learning this, we both wanted a darker color. Our builder priced it out and we started to see where in our budget we could make it work. But I really wrestled with the look.

We discovered, with the new siding budget, we could have a second color, at no additional charge. So we chose the green for the body of the house and the grey for the peaks and the gabled end where the art studio is. But it still wasn't right. Something was off. Then one night, I figured it out!

The whole issue with the siding was staring right at us! The straight look of the vinyl was wrong, oh so wrong, because we aren't building a modern, contemporary house. In fact, we're trying to build a house that actually looks like it's 100 years old! Vinyl siding was not going to do it!! We found the shingled siding from the same supplier and although it boosted our budget a bit more, it was still comfortable and a look we really want. And the bonus? Dark colors are not extra. And it's a thicker material, which will continue to help us achieve our goal of an energy efficient, cozy home. 

As with the original plan, the body of our home will be in the darker green shingled siding and the peaks and gabled end will be covered with the grey color. So excited that we made this decision. But now that we're driving out today, I'm scared! What if it's installed and we hate it? Ahhhh!

Wish us luck it looks good. 

I'm hope we've made the right choice. 

Do you ever agonize over big decisions?

This boy ....

.... loves to build!

He can spend hours putting Lego together.

Or any kind of building blocks he can find.

Always so proud of his creations.

Warms our hearts to see him so confident.

I'm off to work with a new family today.

Enjoy your frosty Saturday!!

Stunning.

Hi everyone!

We live next door to an incredibly vibrant city, famous for our sports stars (think Gretzky!) and our intriguing and popular festivals, all year long! Both my dh and I grew up here but we chose to move to a small suburb just a few minutes away when our children were young, to access the best educational system in our province and provide our children with a safe, small town upbringing. We both feel very fortunate to have the best of both worlds ~ a city with everything you could ever need right next door to our quiet (but growing) hamlet. I love both options all the time.

Right now, both communities are blanketed in a soft layer of snow. But today, someone sent this amazing photo to me and I just had to share. Taken in the fall, it shows the river valley in the city. And one of our favorite places to stay ~ the "castle" in the forefront is the Fairmont Hotel McDonald. We've stayed a few times when we've been involved in things like the Folk Fest or other arts based activities that we needed to be closer too than home was. Always we are treated like royalty there and it's hard to leave after so much pampering. Now I have this stunning photo to cherish. I can't wait to have a break and stay at the castle again one day. So many good memories! A perfect spot in a great city!!

Do you have a favorite castle to stay in?

Or a favorite spot just to get away?

Remember.

It's a Hot Tea kind of day!

Hi everyone!

I'm not a coffee drinker. I hate the taste of milk ~ unless it's chocolate! Beer is not on my agenda. Wine has to be really chilled and a certain kind for me to sip it. Pop hurts my throat. And water, well, don't get me started on the awful tasting tap water we have in our region. Yuck! Ugh! No way!!

So what do I drink, you ask?

I love lemonade. And limeade. Cranberry juice. Apple juice. Mike's Hard Lemonade. Or Mike's Limeade! See a pattern there? I will tolerate bottled water if it's flavored. My favorite is the Vitamin Water line. Or water that has been purified and chilled in my yoga inspired water bottle. 

But my favorite drink, in the winter, is "good old fashioned, make a chilled body warm, a teary day bright and anytime comfort is needed" tea! Who can resist yummy tea?

Isn't this tea pot sweet?

Sadly, it's not mine!

I have a lovely tea pot collection.

But they are all packed now. 

Except for this favorite one, used daily:

A warm cup of tea on a cold Monday afternoon.

My tea pot and cup sit waiting each day.

Are you a tea drinker?

What is your favorite flavor?

Winter Shelf.

Hi everyone!

Here's the beginnings of our "Winter Shelf" that tends to be very snowmen heavy. Our little B is showing his great gramma where to place everything. Such an organizer!

He was quite determined to fill the upper shelf. 

The snowman he's "fixing" is the one he bought for me today at the store when he and his mama went for groceries. He couldn't wait to bring it home to show me! A kind and caring heart, this sweet little boy has.

Have you started to decorate your home?