Wintry Day.

We are officially snowed in today! Yesterday, a heavy snowfall warning was issued for our region and we quickly shifted our day around so we could stay home today and just work, while the snow fell silently outside. One promise we made to each other was that if we moved to the country, we would not chance our lives if the weather was bad. So far, for the most part, we've been able to navigate this each Winter. It was hard when I was at the hospice to travel all the way into the Big City but I managed to work thru it all. But now we have more flexibility and it's made Winter less stressful. The snow started last night and has been falling all day. Road reports have not been good. We plan to venture into town tomorrow for a Christmas breakfast with the Chamber and to visit my mom's new care home as she moves on Monday. But we'll wait to see if the roads get better. Not worth the risk if we can avoid it. 

The one thing I love about snowy days out here is how beautiful our landscape becomes. It's so quiet out here and the snow sits so prettily wherever it falls. In town, there is such a rush to shake the flakes off everything that it's not as breathtaking. We feel so very fortunate to have this beautiful spot we call home. And snowy days means we can be inside, cozy and safe in our little cottage.

Last night, we were at severals events, and in between dh commented how he was loving our activie social life but couldn't wait to get home to the cottage to be cozy and warm! I totally agreed. Loving this time in our lives but home is where we most often want to be. Today, I slept in a bit, knowing I didn't have to travel in, then had a hot shower, put on my cozies and settled in on the comfy couch to work away at several projects. We applied for funding for Summer Students, attended a webinar on marketing our new centre, caught up on emails, posted on Social Media, read a lot, wrote a bit and tonight, I hope to bake a bit for our Christmas Celebration on Friday for all our littles and the parents. On Monday, we'll work a short day, and have a Christmas lunch for our team, then head home to get ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We have our neighbors coming over a couple of days after the holidays to celebrate (we have them over each year) but the rest of the time will just be us. We do hope to visit with our son and his little family. Waiting to hear what their plans are, If not before, then after. Love the holidays every year!

Wishing you a beautiful evening and hope you are cozied down in your little cottage, wherever you live and with whatever weather you have in your neck of the woods! 

💗 Chy 💗

Blogtober: Day 31.

Wishing everyone, where ever you

are, a safe and Happy Halloween!

~ Chy

Home Sweet Home.

So happy to be home. As much fun as

we had, home will always be my very

favorite place to be. It is our safe place

and where can truly be authentic. Love!

~ Chy

Home.

I think I've written a bit in the past about what "home" means to me. Came across this sweet little graphic and just had to post. Yes, home is a place but more than that, it's a feeling. Comfort. Safety. Family. Memories. When I was small, we moved constantly. We weren't allowed to really decorate walls ~ they had to stay white or cream, as within months, my dad would find the next "best house" and we'd be packing up again. He was a realtor and I can understand the lure of seeing so many houses and knowing that we could gain equity by constantly moving up. What I hated was not feeling like our houses were ever really comfy, or safe, or "home." I longed for roots, to grow up on a street where we had constant friendships. Or the feelling of security. Changing schools at least every year, if not twice in a year was not fun. How do you make connections if moving is just around the corner? Finally, we built a house when I was about 16 and I lived there until we were married at 22. My parents sold that house 2 years later ~ but it was the longest time they were ever in a home for a long spell. The walls stayed white but in time, my mom did start to hang pictures and even wallpapered (wow!) the dining room, though it was only 1 wall. She loved that house and I know it was hard when they sold, moved to a condo and then a few years later moved out to the coast. There was a string of homes there too, until they finally found their "dream home" and lived there until my dad became ill and they moved back here to be close to family until his death. Mom stayed in the condo until she moved into assisted living where she's been for the last 6 years. Her final home but one that is beautiful and homey. We hung up pictures and made her unit so cozy.

When we were first married, we bought our first place and did own it for 4 years. In that time, a friend lived with for 2 years in our lower level, we welcomed 2 babies and started fostering. So we needed more space and found a sweet house that had a garage and beautiful garden. The original owners had built it about 6 years before we moved in, and we maintained it for 2 years, making it our own with fresh paint and adding to the garden. We hung pictures, created new memories and settled in to the neighborhood. But we started to hear stories about the school system in the big City and truly wanted the best education we could have for our kids. My dad helped us find a newly renovated but classic home just down the street from an amazing elementary school in a little hamlet, next to the big City. The best of both. Small home town feel but the amenities just a short drive away. We were there for years BUT we had a house fire 6 months after living there and our kids really struggled with the trauma. It also didn't have a garage and our plans to build a garage were thwarted by a neighbor who proteested that the sunlight streaming in to her front window would be restricted. So after 2 years of trying to get of the "fire family" status and the nasty neighbor, we were out for a drive one day and came across a sign for an open house in a neighborhood we had always loved but never thought we'd be able to live in. And as we pulled up, we realized it was a house my dad had taken us to see before we were married ~ a classic 2 storey with attached garage, 4 bedrooms upstairs, main floor sunken family room with fire place, main floor laundry, huge living room with bow window that covered the whole wall and french doors, and across the hall, a separate dining room, also with french doors. And a full basement that was mostly finished. It had a quiet back yard, amazing neighbors and down the street from 4 different parks and a park. No stores or businesses, so traffic was just families coming and going. Freshly painted with brand new floors, we jumped at the chance when we found out the price. Our "fire house" had increased dramatically because it was basically brand new inside, so the equity made this long ago dream come true. We thought we'd be there for a few years and then move on as the kids got older but in reality, we owned this house for 26 years. It was hard to let go of it when we built our dream home in the woods, but the family that bought it were just as thrilled as we were all those years ago. Now we're in the forest, in a cottage I can't imagine ever leaving but know that one day, the upkeep of country living will get to be too much. It will be so hard to move in to town with neighbor so close but many by then, we'll be okay with it. For now, we cherish our quiet, our privacy, our new home and all the joy it's brought to our lives. It is a place, but for the first time in my life, this spot, this building, this time feels like home, like love, like security, like heaven. I hope we can keep this feeling for the remainder of our days, with sunshine streaming through windows,  a landscape that changes 4 times a year and keeps us in awe, neighbors down the lane and magical moments with wildlife that share the forest with us. Feeling blessed to be here doesn't quite describe my thoughts perfectly. But it's pretty close. Heaven on Earth!

Are you living where you want to be?

Is it home or just a place to be?

~ Chy

Night Storms.

I truly wish we could have storms during

the day. At night, it's so hard to navigate

the fears I carry from childhood when

the skies are dark and loud. Beyond scary!

~ Chy

4 A.M. ....

I'm snuggled in bed, comfy duvet and

pillows cocooning my weary body. A

storm is raging outside and hasn't let

up in over 2 hours. The wind is the

strongest element, making me a bit

worried for what the morning will

bring. For now, we're safe and cozy

in our little cottage, nested and warm.

Waiting.

There is a huge storm brewing. 

Warnings are flashing across our 

tv screens & we've been well

cautioned to stay inside. Severe

thunder, lightening, wind, hail

& heavy rain are expected. 

I got 95% of my gardening done, 

just in time! Then had a long, 

hot bath, feeling the effects of

the pulling of weeds & the 

turning of dirt. 

Picked up warm, just baked

blueberry muffins & chocolate

milk for comfort tonight. I hate

with a passion thunder & 

lightening. We've altered our

plans so we can be home. 

Safe & sound!

The rumbles have started &

the wind has picked up. 

Sprinkles of rain are pitter

pattering on the roof. 

Wish us luck that in the

end, all will be well!

How do you weather 

a storm this big?