Goodbye March.

I love March for St. Patrick's Day, for green grass

that suddenly shows up, for shoots on trees and

buds on bushes. It's also hard, with our son Bretton's

birthday on the 25th and my dad's on the 28th. I

like to hold on to the idea they're both together in

Heaven, maybe riding skate boards! My sweet loves!

~ Chy

Books with Flowers.

I stole this amazing image from Victoria

Magazine. I'd love to style my bookcases

like this, with a section for each color

in the rainbow. Wouldn't this be sweet?

~ Chy

Morning Sun.

I love the morning sun as it streams

through the shutters in the nook in the

cottage. A new season, early sun, warm

light and a cozy place we call home.

~ Chy

Spring Project #1.

You may remember I bought this amazing vintage

cabinet last year. And this Spring, I'm planning to

paint it a lovely sage green. Just have to figure out

when, in between work, the festival and workshops!

~ Chy

Sweet Bean.

Our sweet bean is away this week,

visiting his dad, the wife and all his

siblings. Our cottage is quiet and too

still. Missing this sweet bean tonight!

~ Chy

Tiny Pups.

I love when puppies come to work.

This little one was just 8 weeks old.

One day, we'll have a pup again.
Until then, I dream of tiny furballs!

~ Chy

Painting, Painting.

We're getting ready to sell our other house ... and

part of the "getting ready" is painting, painting,

painting .... ceilings, doors, trim .... it's never ending.

But at the end of the day, it will be so worth the time!

~ Chy

Unique Workshop.

On April 5th, my dear partner in our baby

loss program and I will be facilitating a

new workshop series that we're calling

"Dreams Interrupted." The audience will

be families who have been touched by the

loss of a precious baby during pregnancy

or any time after birth. I'm so excited for

this brand new series as we've become really

good at presenting events and unique offers

for support. Can't wait to deliver this event!

~ Chy

Heavy Fog.

Woke up to heavy, thick fog today that

was causing accidents on the roads. I

have to drive in to town this morning

but it looks like it's now lifting and the

sun has shown up. It was so bad earlier

that we couldn't see the end of our land.

Fog is common at this time of year as

we move from cold to warm to cold.

I find it so eery and really it is not one

of the weather pieces I enjoy at all ....

~ Chy

Bowl of Love.

Dh surprised me with my cereal ~ a

bowl full of love! Cheerios has issued

a limited edition and he picked up a

few boxes from Costco. Isn't it sweet?

~ Chy

Hanging On.

I shot this very sweet pic not too long ago of our grandson who was sitting beside me on the comfy couch, reading his book. I looked over and noticed he had "Groot" hanging on to his arm. He looks just how I truly feel lately ..... just hanging on! Life is busy and stress has once again crept back in. I know this is just part of living but I wish it never had to be. So many things to think about, to worry about, to try and figure out. There is alot ~ I don't even know where to start!

Thinking about .... a big conference I've been asked if I'd like to attend in just 2 weeks in the Rocky Mountains. A change of scenery will be great and I'm currently working through the agenda to figure out which sessions I might like to attend. 

Worrying about .... my mom who has Covid but is doing well, our old house that we've been working on slowly to get ready for selling, the pain in my foot which is a mystery and won't go away, and a "thing" that is kind of, well actually it is really hanging over our heads. I don't see resolution anytime soon and it drives me crazy when "things" sit and we have to wait. I just want it to be all over. But have no control of when that will happen and what the outcome will be. I think of it each and every day and then try to move forward to keep living and enjoying the pieces of our life that don't have this stress attached. I have to believe it will end soon.

Figuring out .... what's next with the other house. We've filled holes, I'm off to the house tomorrow to sand and take down a few screws in the walls (will fill those too). I'll clean tomorrow, lay down drop cloths and start to paint all the walls, the ceilings and the trim. Dh will be repairing the banisters our renters were not kind too and then I can paint those as well. We have someone who is interested in seeing the house so the big push is to get this done asap so she can take a peek. They want to buy privately, we want to sell privately and the market is so crazy right now that if she doesn't buy it, we may still be able to do a quick sale. We're told a house hits the market and sells by the end of the day. Dh doesn't even think we need to do a lot of work, just list but I do want it to show well so that we get a decent price. I don't mind painting, it's a cheap fix and the renters never cleaned the walls and their kids even wrote on a few, so my thought is if I have to put hours and hours in to scrubbling walls, why not just paint! I find painting is my therapy. A few days in the house, with my music and my brush, my writing pad and a pen, and I'll have life figured out by the end of the week! I think it will look new again ~ so fresh.

Having a bit of a lazy Sunday morning. Dh is watching a race, dd is working out, other dd is in her apartment downstairs so I have no idea what she's up to but grandson is off for the week to his dad's so she's likely enjoying some peace and quiet! And I'm still cozy in bed, writing, reading blogs, munching on a treat and mustering up the energy to hop out of bed and enjoy a long, warm shower. We're heading off to a hockey game this afternoon, courtesy of a dear friend who's company has a skybox at the arena. It's a fun affair as the seats are premium, we get to indulge in an amazing buffet dinner (game is at 4 so this is our big meal for today) and the company is so much fun! Excited to go!

Wishing you a wonderful sunny day today.

I'll be back later to catch up on all your blogs!

~ Chy

Where is Spring?

The snow fell but the cottage was warm.

In time, the sun came out and the melt

began. March came in so warm and we

were hopeful Winter was over. But it

hasn't ended, with bits of snow here and

there. One day Spring will be show up!

~ Chy

Bereavement Boxes.

When a resident in our hospice dies,

we present the family with a unique

Bereavement Box. It doesn't replace

their family member, but the message

we are providing is that even after the

death, we are still here and thinking

of each of them. We put a book with

daily passages if they wish to read it,

a candle, a bracelet (or one for each

family member), tea, kleenex, a stone,

words of affirmation from our grief

team and a beautiful suncatcher with

a crystal and rainbow beads to hang

up in memory. The box is for future

items to keep or for cards the family

receives from others during this time.

~ Chy

Tiny Bretton.

Our sweet and tiny baby boy was born

still on March 25th, 1996. Yesterday,

he would have turned 26 years old if

he was still with us. Each year, we do

honor his birthday with a sweet cake

and a candle, and we spend time with

his precious items that show his short

time in our lives. His death created a

change in our lives and we now view

this as a gift. A change for myself in

my career path and a change for us in

how we view the World. A sweet gift.

Bretton~Ellijah Lucas will always be our

tiniest son and he will be forever loved.

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

The sun after a very blizzardy day.

And now it's melting all away.

What I'm wearing .... my grey yoga pants, a light pink tank top with a loose sage green long sleeved henley, my oversized and so comfy flowered zip up, and grey socks. 

What I'm reading .... blogs, blogs and more blogs!

What's happening in my kitchen .... it's cleaned up for the night and very quiet.

What's outside my window .... snow! On the first day of Spring, we had a blizzard!

What I'm thankful for .... our warm and cozy cottage, many projects to work on when the weather is not great, a yummy dinner, books to read and a comfy bed to fall in to later tonight.

What I'm smelling .... nothing in the moment but the laundry is almost ready to come out of the dryer and that smell is always so lovely.

What I'm hearing .... the dryer doing its thing!

What I'm crafting .... dgd's dollhouse. Almost done ....

What's on my mind .... the war is on my mind. Can't believe this is happening. 

Words to live by .... "I sometimes wonder about you ...." Dgs on hearing that I like to pay extra on our bills so I often end up with a credit. He thinks my system is "crazy" but we end up with a month or two each year that we have no bills to pay. I always aim for December and January. He says he won't be doing this when he has to pay bills some day ....

I haven't done this in a while but

hope you'll enjoy all my responses.

~ Chy

Tidy Cabinets.

So excited to be back at work tomorrow.

My team and I spent time over the last

week re-organizing our cabinets and

now it's so much easier to grab supplies.

~ Chy

Rose Wine.

My daughter was gifted a bottle of rose.

This is the most amazing wine container

I've ever seen! I'm going to source it out

and buy one. I'll have to "gift" the wine

to someone else as it's only the lovely

bottle I truly want. Isn't it the sweetest?

~ Chy

My New Hero ....

Dh started his new job, his last career

move on March 1st. He's so excited to

work for this company and they have

done an amazing job welcoming him

into the fold. The best part? It's all at

home so he doesn't have a commute.

I love that his final position before we

retire is less stress and more time for

his other creative pursuits. Love that

he took the initiative and now he has

a brand new office in our turret that is

full of sun and life. My new hero ....

~ Chy

Good Girls.

Realized that we were so far behind in this

series so now we're trying to catch up so

we can then watch the newest season. It

is an amazing and very funny show called

"Good Girls" ~ have you been watching?

If not, I highly recommend. Go watch it!

~ Chy

St. Paddy's Day.

After a warm shower on St. Paddy's Day,

I quickly dressed, got half way down the

stairs before I realized I was dressed in

purple and had to quickly change to green.

I went to pick up dd at her centre at the

end of the day and though she is a full

grown adult, she was quite excited to

show me the tiny leprechaun she made.

A mama can be proud at any age, right?

She did a great job helping her littles.

This year, for the first time ever, the day

was quiet and not full of celebration. My

family is Irish on one side, so we've it

has always been a day to honor. But we

had a death at hospice, so it was not in

the cards to be a day full of celebration.

Did you celebrate St. Paddy's Day?

Or was it a quiet, serene day for you?

~ Chy

I Give Up ....

Yup. Our first day of Spring. And just

as the season changed this morning,

the big snow began. We are under a

"Heavy Snowfall Warning" with has

a prediction of up to 20 cm of wet and

heavy snow, freezing rain and very high

winds. I am so done with Winter. We

can't even get away from it on the first

day of Spring this year. Our memorial

service will have to change. I GIVE UP!

~ Chy

A Sunflower.

The sunflower is the International

Symbol of Hospice but it is also the

national flower of Ukraine. Around

our community, we see sunflowers

being painted, shared, hung up as a

sign of support for those caught up

in the conflict. I hope we will all find

the sunlight soon and stand very tall.

~ Chy

Office Update.

I'll have to take some pictures during the day when

my new office is full of sunlight. I ended up staying

the night recently at our hospice when a blizzard blew

in to town. I packed a bag that morning when I knew

the weather was going to change. And it turned out

to be the right move. I'm now settled in to this space

and am loving how cozy and comfy it's become in a

very short time. My clients love their sessions in this

welcoming spot and even staff is coming by to chat

more and more as the days go by. I love how it's not

so much an office but a gathering place. You can see

by the final two pictures that even sleeping is comfy!

What do you think of my new space now

that it's all set up and open for my clients.

~ Chy

Can It Really Be?

The sun is shining. The snow is melting

away. The birds are on the feeder and

singing away. The trees are looking like

there may be buds on the branches. Can

it really be? Is this the Spring we need?

I am so hopeful this is it. Please, please!

~ Chy

Tech Frustration.

I'm so frustrated! Every year, for the last 10 years, we've hosted a walk for families who have been touched by the loss of a precious baby during pregnancy, or anytime after birth. I've not been super keen on our website design (my work) so trying to change it around to a cleaner look. I redid our baby loss page and love the look. But for whatever reason, the walk site is not letting me do a new look. It's not cooperating when I try to move a photo or adjust words. I may have to start all over again. I just shut it down for now as the frustration is making me tense. I'm definitely not a "techie" though I'm still over the moon with how I designed the first website. Isn't it pretty? www.heartsbabyloss.com. I won't share the baby walk link here as I'm sure you'll agree .... it's not pretty, in the moment! I'll try again later today.

It's cloudy and snow is in the forecast today and all thru the night. I'm so done with our snow this year. Way more than we typically get and it never seems to end. Tomorrow is supposed to be super warm and sunny, so it will likely melt. But still .... Winter, go away! I want to sit in the sun, garden all season and enjoy our acreage, without the ongoing snow.

Other than rejigging the website, the only other tasks I have on tap for today is to write a couple of grants that are due in April, send some emails and attend our board meeting at 4 pm. No work tonight. Feet up, popcorn bowl filled and a lovely cooler to enjoy. Not sure what we'll watch on the telly but I'm sure a good show will pop up or we'll click on our PVR and see what we've recorded but not yet watched. 

What's on your plate for this chilly Sunday?

Is your snow all gone? Or is your garden sprouting?

~ Chy

Daily Writing.

A warm sweater and my cozy blanket on a cloudy, windy and very chilly day. Just 9 days until Spring, though after the extra snow this week with icy roads and blowing winds, I'm not sure it will ever show up! This weekend is promising to be sunny and warm, with temperatures that will hopefully start to melt our mountains of snow. Hoping!

I write every day. Not always in my blog but writing is a tool and a healing resource for me that takes up a chunk of my day. I feel blessed to be able to have the time to write and hope one day to finally finish the book I began several years ago. It's hard to think about the idea of finishing it and then letting it go out in to the big World where there is a possibility that it would get torn to shreds by others with their own opinions on my style or the story. Always a gamble. I told dh maybe I should just publish enough copies to give to family and friends and not worry or think about the need for it to sit on a bookstore shelf ~ though that would be an amazing dream! Maybe the bookstore would let me take my one copy, place it on a shelf, take a photo and slither away to the comfort of our cottage, book in hand, safe from the wolves out there who may not be so kind.

My heart is heavy today. I have no words for our current World events. The threat of a full blown war is keeping me awake a night, as I'm sure it is for millions of us around the globe. Gas is crazy expensive right now, which is puzzling as we are a gas exporter here ~ the plants exist all over our province, so it's not clear to us why our gas has doubled. Our utilities have skyrocketed, groceries are hard to find for some items and clearly more expensive. Life is hard and though we feel blessed to be safe and warm and fed, I can't help but cry for those in the Ukraine and other countries that have far worse things to worry about. I don't know how this will all end. Is peace possible? Or are we all at the hands of a mad men who wish to rule a World that is disintegrating? None of it makes sense and has truly brought me back to being 10 years old and having to practice sitting under our desks in school, clasping our hands behind our heads and laying them in our laps, in case of a nuclear bomb. That time in my life imprinted on my mind that the very adults who were to care for us as children were also the very adults who were creating the threat and the fear. I love childhood memories but the fear I felt then has returned to my little heart and I'm so frustrated that World peace does not seem to matter to a select few who have agendas most of us can't understand. Love still wins.

Today is my day off but I have lots of work to do. Shower, make a call to a brand new potential donor who is requesting time to chat (exciting!), converse with my work mates at hospice about our final tasks for our upcoming Spring Memorial Service, finish my outline for a meeting at 1 pm with  my co-facilitator for our workshop series we're launching in April (registrations coming in already!), time to write later this afternoon and I hope at some point today to work on the roof of our granddaughter's dollhouse. I had started this process and then ripped it off when it wasn't going well. Started a different method and so far, it's working better. Now to finish it so we can deliver it to their home soon and she can enjoy playing with it. I can't wait to see her reaction. Walls to paint and floors to put in and then we should be good to go. Ironically, I have the last week of March off and so far, the plan is to paint our other house inside and work on the floors so we can get it up for sale. A mini version now and the big version in a few weeks. 

Wishing you a beautiful day.

Even if it's filled with worries. 

~ Chy

Friday Dinners.

It's Friday and that means we get to

enjoy a lovely take out meal tonight.

We go back and forth between Edo

and Subway. My favorite is above.

Do you treat yourself to dinner?

I love when someone else cooks!

~ Chy