Filling Pots.

We have been slowly filling up our pots

for the decks and the front veranda. It's

a long process to get it all done but now

that our fires are contained, we can grow!

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

Home. The only place I want to be ....

What I'm wearing .... light green pants, pink socks, purple long sleeveless shirt, pink tank, light grey long sweater and green scarf. Two braids over my long hair, tied in the back. Casual for an event I helped with today.

What I'm reading .... just finishing up "Spare" by Prince Harry. A very interesting read. I have another "royal" book to start.

What's happening in my kitchen .... dd and dh are making dinner. Loudly! I don't even know what they're talking about but they are loud! Laughing and loud!

What's outside my window .... a storm is brewing outside. The wind is horrendous, the sky has turned dark and it sounds like thunder is on its way. Truthfully, we just need the rain! It's better here now but regular showers would keep the fires at bay and the green we have now stays.

What I'm thankful for .... my family, my home, my friends and our community.

What I'm smelling .... dinner cooking. I don't have much of an appetite in the morning, so it's making me feel a bit ill. Dh has promised to light one of my lovely candles after to mask the smell .... it's a good smell, just not today.

What I'm hearing .... wind, talking, cooking, laundry, tv and laughter. They both think they're pretty funny!

What I'm crafting .... items for our baby loss walk in August. Lots of time but I like to get them done now. One last thing later when it gets super busy.

What's on my mind .... it's a scrambled one tonight.

Words to live by .... "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." ~ Albert Einstein

Having an amazing week!

~ Chy

Bleeding Hearts.

It's finally Spring in our region when my Bleeding Heart begins to bloom. I love the tiny pink and white hearts that hang from the branches and dance in the breeze. Reminds me of the one that my mom had in our garden at the first house we lived in when we first moved to Alberta when I was 12. I had never seen one before and was fascinated by the blooms. I recall my mom not having time for gardening when we lived in Saskatchewan ~ 2 young kids, a busy career, a husband who often had to travel meant out garden was pretty basic with just trees, grass and a few bushes. I don't ever recall pots of flowers or a flower bed. When we moved provinces, I remember she was so excited to have a house with an established garden that was full of perennials. She did have to plant annuals in the brick planter under the front window but the rest was basically all done for her. Weeding was often an issue. It bugs me to this day to see weeds in our garden (pulled as quick as they come) because she didn't spend a lot of time weeding either. I always wished for a beautiful yard and it was a commitment we made to each other with our first house to never leave the yard work to sit. With the acreage, we've had to relax that a bit and learn to live with a more natural landscape vs. totally manicured. I do love the direction we've done in with our original blank canvas that is now starting to truly look like everything has purpose and a place. Permaculture and working with nature is helping but I also love our little gardens we've created around the cottage. One day, it will all be finished! How happy we'll be to just sit and enjoy it all. For now, we marvel at little Bleeding Hearts and dream of full gardens in the years to come. 

How is your sweet garden coming along?

Is it where you wish it to be or still in progress?

~ Chy

Right Here. Right Now.

What I'm wearing .... ripped jeans, a purple t, grey tank underneath, straight hair and bare feet.

What I'm reading .... work reports and emails. Not exciting! It's a day off due to the long weekend but I'm getting ready to be back at work after 4 days at home.

What's happening in my kitchen .... dh is getting ready to make dinner once we're finished watching "Coronation Street." A Sunday dinner on a Monday.

What's outside my window .... ash, cloud, thick, smoky air. We actually had a bit of a break today when we woke up to light clouds, blue sky and no smoke. But it's back!

What I'm thankful for .... our firefighters and first responders keeping our homes safe and the fires under control, as best they can.

What I'm smelling .... the smoke in the air!

What I'm hearing .... our show on tv. And in the background, the dryer tumbling our clothes so I can fold them.

What I'm crafting .... hanging pictures in the cottage, like the sweet one above in our bedroom. Not quite "crafting" but ensuring we have some beautiful art to look at on our sweet lavender colored walls.

What's on my mind .... work tomorrow, our upcoming music festival, fund development and a new project in the works.

Words to live by .... "All things are difficult, before they are easy." ~ Thomas Fuller

Having an amazing week!

~ Chy

The Storm.

Weeks after the wildfire in our region,

we finally had a big storm that moved in,

doused the flames, purified the air and

brought back the green to our trees. So

very thankful for the firefighters who

ensured our homes were safe. Bravo!!

~ Chy

 

Prince Harry!

On my way back to work from the conference,

look who we spotted in the car beside us. Prince

Harry! Okay, so it was just a decal, but it did

take us a moment to realize it wasn't real ....

~ Chy

Conference Day.

After the evening session with Dr. Wolfelt, we all settled in for the day session. He is amazing and I'm proud my practice uses many of his teachings. It was another beautiful day, with beautiful company, beautiful words, and the best part ~ reconnecting with a number of people who we hadn't seen since before Covid. A homecoming!

                                      ~ Chy

Conference Night.

An "almost" annual evening with the best in the field ~ Dr. Alan Wofelt. He had a break during Covid so this was the first time back in Canada since then. We were allowed to have a free conference table to showcase our specialized baby loss program and our grief counselling services to grieving families who attended the evening, and for the community professionals who attended the following day sessions. Met so many amazing individuals and families. Blessed our community provides such amazing experiences for both the grievers and the supporters. Everyone wins!

P.S. The amazing soup in the top photo was my dinner with my other baby loss program directors. We always come early to set up and then take some time to have dinner together, catching up and supporting each other. The bottom plate is the snacks provided to both the attendees and the table hosts. So yummy and such a great event!

                                     ~ Chy

Birthday Girl.

Younger daughter had her 30th Birthday

today. But it was cut short by an alert

about a fire just a few moments from our

little country cottage in the big woods.

We had to stop celebrating to get ready

to be evacuated but thankfully at the

end of the night, the fire was contained,

and we could go back to honoring our

sweet C for the rest of the weekend.

She did love her gifts, especially the

$10 bills in the million envelopes! And

her ice cream cake to enjoy. A birthday

she will truly never, ever forget. Happy

Birthday C! We love you to bits, forever!

~ Chy

Welcome May.

I love May. The garden starts to really bloom, we have our dd's birthday to celebrate, the school year is coming to an end, and the weather tends to be warm but not overly hot. We can sleep with all the windows open again and change out our flannel sheets for light weave soft cotton ones. And put all the sweaters in to storage and gather the Summer clothes we've missed! However, this year, we are surrounded by wildfires and unusually warm temperatures. Wait! Let me change that! Not warm but scorching hot. We keep hitting 30 C which is totally out of character. Usually at this time, we'll be around 18 to 20. Hardly any rain hit our region in April, so this is a huge worry. It's usually this hot in late July, not May! Hoping it all changes soon. We're not used to fires here and having survived a house fire, the thought of another experience is not something we wish to go thru again. We're well insured but we love our sweet cottage and beautiful location. Fingers crossed May soon becomes a rainy month and we can relax and enjoy it!

                     How is your May going so far?

                                     ~ Chy