A Purse Full of Trinkets

A lesson from the life of Pooh: Finding Your Honey Pot

2012-02-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

Today was hard. I mean, today was HARD. My kid is sick, I am 33 weeks pregnant, I had a 'pre term labor' scare this week and am still having loads of [mostly] painless contractions, my moms cancer is getting worse, and the ordinary things, like clean laundry to fold and dirty dishes to load still need to happen. But I just don't have it in me. So my teeth don't get brushed, I have crazy hair

When Trouble Knocks

2012-02-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

There are some things that you never think you'll have to go through - they don't even wander across your mind. You know that they happen, and you know people they have happened to. But inside your heart there's this special little mechanism that makes you feel safe from those terrible things happening to you. Until one does. On December 16th, 2011, my Mother, Heather, was diagnosed with Stage

What the BEAN!?

2011-10-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have always loved hearing people call me creative. It floats my boat, no lie. But in parenting, I have found my rather limp limits and head butted them for nearly three years now. It's mind blowing, being a parent. (pause) Correction: while it's entirely possible to parent using solely your survival skills, Blue's Clues and goldfish (you know what I'm talking about), trying to engage as a

The Craving, The Satiation, The Recipe

2011-10-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have been horrifically sick with some sort of demon cold, but today, DAY 10, the tide seems to have turned, and although I still look and sound sick, I feel SO MUCH better. During my convalescence I found myself with an intense pregnancy craving for some kind of Coconut Curry Shrimp Dish. So bad. I must've seen a picture of it somewhere, because I could practically taste the coconut creaminess

Do You Love A Musician?

2011-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have started in earnest on my Christmas shopping, and I think Etsy is pretty much the most fabulous shopping site on the whole internet, in part because I have my own shop there, but I have curated a gift guide for Musicians, in light of the fact that Christmas is coming and I know more musicians than 'non-musicians'. If you want some cool ideas for musician gifts, check it out.

Note To Self

2011-10-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

If you are pregnant and you get a cold and you lay on the couch all morning in an unmedicated semi-conscious daze letting your two year old stuff herself with crackers and take herself to the potty while you snuggle into her favorite blanket, hoping she won't notice, you should know there will be consequences...

Realest Love

2011-10-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'd like to write about real love, not the kind in books or movies - not the steamy kind, nor the pining kind, nor the magic-other worldly kind. I'd like to write about real love, committed, everyday, kitchen sink, lawn mowing real love Because I'm getting quite fat - pregnant with our second child, and my husband palms my belly with evident pride and says I am doing the most important

Milestone

2011-08-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Late last night I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. In the dim light filtering through the blinds I took stock of my churning thoughts. Something, just on the edge of my memory, was trying to be noticed. And then, in a warm flood, I remembered the day I took an airplane ride, a skinny know-nothing kid with a mountain of mess bottled up inside, and left my entire life behind in the hope

Coward

2011-06-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Chums, I haven't written anything very personal in a long while. Which is not me - I've always been a communicator. But I've realized through a series of unpleasant conversations that people can use the things you write against you. Is it ridiculous that I have only just (after years of blogging and a lifetime of writing) accepted this obvious truth? I used to tell everything about my

Don't Make Me Come Up There

2011-05-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this Book. There's even a giveaway for it! If you are a mom this is the book for you! Vic

Finding Joy In: Spring

2011-04-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning the trees were in flower and the ginger cat across the street was friendly:

Finding Joy In: Molasses Cookies in the Oven

2011-04-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Inspired By: Seeing the Everyday

Red Sky At Morning

2011-03-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm yours on the water sink or swim I'm crawling out going in The storms rage wether I walk or not so before this storm blows I want you to know I'm Yours, only Yours, On the water.

180 Degrees of Perspective

2011-03-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

This post is an admission of such gross hypocrisy that I am sure that at least two of you will fight the urge to vomit up your coffee and toast. Yes, dear, dear friends. I, your lovely Victoria, am a hypocrite. No, no - shhhhh darlings, don't cry. It was bound to happen one day - only Jesus is perfect. Please, pull your self together. I need the catharsis that comes of confession. I need you this

Vintage adVantage

2011-03-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

Despite the beauty of the women's liberation and the un-listable collection of gifts the past 50 years have given us, today I wondered just how much 'liberation' is good for society as I watched a pair of very young mothers texting while sitting in McDonald's with their babies. I thought about how people used to wear leather shoes so they could re-sole them, and how women used to wear a dress and

The She Beast needs some Fruit

2011-03-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

Today for my devo, I read the passage in Ephesians that talks about the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:19-23 "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like

Homemaking

2011-03-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

I read all of these stay at home earth mother type blogs. I enjoy them a lot. The only rub is I can't tell if I am reading fiction or not. These women just seem too AMAZING to be true. Organic produce eating, vegan cotton knitting, four child bearing, happy marriage having women. They take pictures as they bake or walk to the park that would adorn magazines. People mail them presents all the

The Baddest Girl and The Goodest God

2011-02-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

So here's me, working out my salvation, and my husband trying not to get in trouble: "Sam, did you see that? I totally don't like that person. They are rude and interrupt." "Well, poppet..." "I know, I know. I'm sorry. Dear God, help me be kind and gentle spirited..." to the total douche head with the ego problem. Opps. Sorry Lord. Help me see the good in that person... And so it goes on. I

Motherhood. It will change your life. At least it will change the scent of your life.

2011-02-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

This has been one of those days. I don't know if they happen to you, but every so often I will have an extraordinary day in which all manner of unexpected mayhem breaks forth upon me all at once. My whole life, like irregular clockwork, this has happened. I will wake up, ready for the day, a TO DO list as long as my arm and then suddenly - SHAZZZZZZAAAAham! Chaos. So - this morning I woke up

Reaching For Stars

2011-01-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

I have been so stressed out this last little while. So stressed out that my eyeballs hurt. I would swear to you that that isn't even possible, and yet here I am with eyeballs that want to jump out of my head like mutinous sailors abandoning ship. And a headache. And upset tummy. And comfort food cravings. And sleeplessness. I am talking about serious stress, here, kids. But you know, as much as I

Snowfall in Effect

2011-01-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

When I went to bed here on BC's west coast, I pooh-poohed the snow fall warnings. I mean, the weather guy called for 15 cm last week and nothing fell. But as of 15 minutes ago this is my yard. And it's still falling. It's got to be a foot and a half. It's amazing.

All Things

2011-01-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

Dear God, paint it beautiful let longing be a twilight purple that sweeps in epic swirls across the horizon and if we must confess all we've been hiding, let it become a persimmon and crimson field of flowers stretching off into the dusk turn a charcoal sketch into pigment and oil please make my time here beautiful (ecc 3:1-8)

Lolita's Luggage Etsy SALE!

2010-12-29T16:59:00.001-08:00

Hi ALL! Free shipping and 25% off in my etsy shop! I am blowing out my crochet stuff and starting fresh this year with my fabulous new jewelry line!! Coupon code: WinterBlowout2010 Go NOW!!!!

Thankful.

2010-12-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

For generosity that takes you by surprise, for the kind of laughter that messes up your make-up, for the kind of love that heals your soul, for train rides and twinkle lights, for the kind of friends that survive life's storms with you, for quiet moments lit by firelight, for naps without time limits, for presents that make you feel spoilt, for a toddlers delight in simple

Salvation Road

2010-12-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

We ache our songs out into the skyThe moon stares back in aweThe blood and tears that bathe our dreams and fearsGlisten wet and black in the night And the power given to this frail framecreation covets even as it is tamedNone gave less, or were given moreand it shows in this waltzing strugglebetween the given redeemed and the dying dark that over this soul, the morning star

Please God, please...

2010-11-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, everything stops making sense all at once. You find yourself in the middle of your life, stalled and rolling backwards in a busy intersection, heading for an accident. You just have to stop and sit cross-legged amongst the chaos to gather your bearings. No one else stops moving. In fact, they even get angry with you for being in the way. You cause confusion, irritation and a serious

Food For Thought, From The Archives

2010-11-07T21:14:00.001-08:00

This is life – its complicated and often painfulbut its my life – the time to live it allSo I’m thinking we should laugh moreand sleep lessAnd stop and listen to the silenceand dance crazy when they’re lookingand stop being so crazy and analCause you’ll die as you live (crazy and anal) (June 2, 2005)

Must Read: For the SAHM

2010-10-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Lovies, I read a lovely blog called "A Soft Place To Land" and todays post was on the quandry of insignificance a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) faces. If you've ever struggled with the decision to stay home, read IT, fellow SAHMS. Read it. I cried a little (so emotional these days). Love, Victoria

Etsy Crush

2010-10-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

ARRRGGHHHH! I found it. My absolute favorite art shop. Meet Stephanie Corfee. I am in love. She paints the song in my heart. Please, feel free to buy me this, this or this. Or this. Or this... Confession... my eyes even watered a bit when I saw these...

Rain in my head day

2010-09-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

I feel discouraged today. I don't really know why. Some days are just like that. You don't want to wake up, get up, dress or even leave your bedroom, and yet you have to so you do. It's not pretty, but it works. Unable to reconcile myself to domestic routine, I instead went to wal-mart and bought diapers and vitamins. I stopped at VV and picked up brown tights so I can layer my summer skirts now

One Half of A Whole

2010-09-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

My Husband is away at a man thing this weekend. He never takes time for himself, so I am really happy for him to have a whole weekend away from his husband/dad/work duties with a bunch of good guys, yummy food and his geetar. But seriously. I MISS HIM. I only dropped him off at 4:30 last night. It's been a grand total of 20 hours and I have re-organized my big craft room, done the cross word,

Belly Hulk

2010-09-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else out there irritated by the size sticker 28"? Every pretty dress I see on Etsy says waist size 28 inches OR SMALLER, and frankly Scarlett, I don't give a dam (misspelt on purpose) why or how, I just think its RUDE to put a dress for sale that only .1% of the population will be able to FIT INTO, but that 50% of the population will think is pretty and want to wear. My waist is so far

Finding My Stride

2010-09-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

The other evening, after my daughter was in bed and both of the boys were out for the evening, I spent my time baking. My husband sat eating ice cream at the kitchen table doing a Sudoku puzzle while I selected my recipe and gathered measuring spoons and bowls. In the cozy evening light, accompanied by quiet music and in the presence of my favorite person, I measured flour carefully and finely

The Show Must Go On

2010-09-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

So, I am pretty pleased to announce to the world in general that I got a part in a local theater troupe for the November/December play this year. It will be the first musical show to play in the new arts center, and it will be my first show in a very long time. And I am so happy and surprised that it's been a source of pleasure constantly since I got the call. It's British Pantomime, which is

Mini - Vacation, Just for the Girls

2010-08-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

I should go away more often. That was so relaxing. But I was so busy having a good time that only got pictures of our departure. Sorry.But I guess that's what you hope for when you go away - so much goodness that there's no room for anything else...

Live Generously

2010-08-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I always love this scripture. Live generously. It just sounds so 'right'. Unfortunately, no matter how right it sounds, it's a real challenge to me. I know plenty of people who live this way and I admire all of them greatly, and yet... something in me gets all exhausted and spent just thinking about it. Phone calls in the night, plans upset, people and peoples expectations all weighing me down

cranky bad day.

2010-08-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am having a no-good, cranky face, disaster at every turn kind of day. Firstly, I am experiencing fierce pms so I am irritable, tired and voraciously hungry. Then, my husband woke me up early to prepare for a morning visit from friends. Which was cancelled at the last minute, after we had been running around the house for 45 minutes like retarded monkeys. Then he made me (seriously. when does he

It's Okay Not To Hate Your Belly

2010-08-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

So, it may or may not surprise you that, like most women, I grapple with my fair share of body hate. This kind of loathing has nothing to do with size or weight. It's all about the idea in your head. You can look like a super model (or in my case, like a young mom about town) but feel like a world war two tank (enormous, obsolete and as UGLY as a green utilitarian death machine can get). My

Why I Love My Husband...

2010-08-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up the other morning to find my daughter fed, changed and dressed. My honey let me sleep in and did all of the mornings baby duties. Including hair. Yes, that is twist tie. In lieu of an elastic.

Novel Thought

2010-07-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Today, after procrastinating for about three weeks, I packed up all of my fiction. My husband and I are book people. Every night for the first few months of our marriage, my husband read aloud to me from J.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Early on in our relationship, we read each other's favorite authors and found ourselves to be kindred readers. We now own what I would refer to as a modest library -

Following

2010-07-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

People in general have a problem with Christianity, namely Jesus, because they don't want no one, especially no one they can't see, telling them what to do. Tonight, as I was reading my blog followers list, I noticed at the bottom of my dashboard in blue, "What is Following?" It reminded me how so many people are concerned with what they will have to give up to follow God. Yes, it's true,

The Dance

2010-06-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

Something magical happened. At six pm I was in Vancouver handing a small blue ticket to a tall man in an old train station. We had loaded six adults into the Buick and trundled our way down highway one, navigating the narrows and lows of downtown to make an unfamiliar destination in good time. In the lobby, I had just met an ex-grade five teacher named Carrie (who's lovely face left me in no

Bad Hair

2010-06-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

I have a hate/hate relationship with my hair. Serious. So much so that I rarely get it cut because I figure better the devil you know than the devil you don't. So last night i got a hair cut. I am not sure how long it's been. At least 4 months. Maybe more. Again - I'm not sure. I thought anything would be better than what I had. I got an Aussie hairdresser. I took it as a good sign. But I think I

When There Isn't a Miracle

2010-06-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

This morning my feet were heavy. And my arms were heavy. And my heart was heavy. Every direction I looked in was grey. Mundane. Purposeless. A big, fuzzy, sleepy, purposeless dinosaur. I've mentioned before that I occasionally struggle with hopelessness (how shocking, I must be backsliding!). Sometimes it gets so big that I feel it pressing down on me like a soaking wet woolen blanket and I

REST

2010-06-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

This morning, before I made the days plan, I asked God what I should do today. No, I was not to drive to Langley. No, I was not to take Aria swimming. No, I was not to paint the spare room I was to rest. This is a bit unusual because yesterday that's what I did all day long. I've been feeling so foot draggin' tired this week that I slept and read all day and watched a movie with my man at the end

Worth A Thousand Words

2010-05-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

For Christmas we got a gift certificate to a really swanky local photographer. I am super excited to have professional family photographs, but as soon as I made the appointment - dread settled in. I am not photogenic. I look ponchy in photos. I don't know what to wear. My husband panics and instead of smiling, does a face that looks more like a psych evaluation photo. My daughter doesn't stay

Alabaster white is sooo last season

2010-05-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Personal Goal this summer:Get a tan on my pasty white stick legs for once in my life. Status: Fluorescent white (dang) and stubbly.

Growing

2010-05-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

I am learning a lovely, wholesome, fresh, life giving new thing about myself right now. I love green. As in: green things that grow. There are five plants on my kitchen window sill, growing invisibly and drinking in sunlight as I type. Five pots on my back patio (I am growing my own onions and garlic and herbs!) are fighting the wind and cold to

Coping

2010-04-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

When I was in my early twenties, every time something truly disruptive would happen in life I would change my hairstyle; when my first love broke my heart, I went and had 2 feet of hair cut off. When he did it again, I died it pink. Another time, I got sunshine gold streaks and a nose ring. I never really planned it - I would just feel this intense urge to get out of the house, and would find

Sharpening Iron

2010-04-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

let me sing my song in silence of a bird with broken wings let me sing my song in daylight let the sun flash off the irony of the haunting tune to the silent song you be blind and I'll be mute and I'll pretend a different truth till it's truth and I'll walk the way I've been taught to where none can follow me I'll dance through mist ushering night from grey to gold where none can follow me

Harvest in the City

2010-04-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ever since my revelation on the practical nature of the will of God earlier this month, I have been thinking a lot. It's obvious that people who are suffering in practical and emotional ways are very close to the heart of God, and if you read your Bible AT ALL, it's obvious that He wants us to help them. So it's clear what direction I need to be heading, but I am trying to figure out specifics.

Sunday Afternoon

2010-04-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

We just ate sandwiches on the front lawn and then had a nap in the sun, listening to the lawnmowers in the distance. It was lovely.

Rest

2010-04-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am posting from USA, baby! At 4pm yesterday I picked up my husband and began the 3 hour drive down to Mukilteo, Washington, where a dear friend of mine lives. It took just over 3.5 hours (second 'random' border inspection this year), and with each mile that passed, I felt my anxiety drifting away. It's good to get away from the norm once in a while. This morning we did the token shopping trip

Blessed

2010-04-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."

Manna

2010-04-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am reading a Christian novel this week, which I never do because of early exposure to some really poorly written stuff. I have always been an avid reader, and picky about books. Not picky about what I read, but about how it's written. I'd read anything, doesn't matter what its about, so long as it grabs the attention and transports the soul to alternate realities. Which as a teenager (it's

The Will of My Father

2010-04-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

I regularly follow a blog written by an entertaining, thoughtful and rather transparent acquaintance of mine who is full of longings I can relate to and burdens I recognize as my own. From the first I have returned regularly to listen to her thoughts and have found her voice showing me things I wouldn't have seen on my own. This week, her posts have taken me on a reluctant journey through a land

(Edited for Content)

2010-03-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

I just had the most HORRIBLE Doctor's appointment with my gastrointestinologist an hour ago. I had a very fitting title for this post, but considering my religious views and the average moral temperature of my readers, I erased it (but I didn't feel the least bit bad for typing it out). This doctor is an older man, perhaps in his late sixties, and he is one of THE. MOST. unprofessional,

Badly Behaved Old Ladies

2010-03-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have temporarily re-entered the work force for a few weeks and, as always, interacting with people in a public setting is very interesting and thought provoking. I mostly serve women between the ages of 40 and 80 in the retired and wealthy category. Maybe it's a prejudice, but I always expect them to be indulgently good tempered and well mannered; I figure a woman who's survived the child

Again About the Food

2010-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

This Naturopath Diet is ravaging my self control. I have not had a cheat free day in at least two weeks. I've been drinking coffee. I ate french fries and gravy. I crave ice cream. I lust after pizza. It's HORRIBLE. I am being defeated by food. But this morning, I start fresh. It is a new day, and I am able (though not very willing). I just need to remember that I am doing this ONCE, for life.

Judgement

2010-03-12T16:41:00.000-08:00

Isn't judgement an interesting part of daily life? Intellectually speaking, I mean. It can motivate us in the deepest parts, direct us in our life choices, effect our relationships and even make a difference in the clothes we choose to wear. It can cripple us with insecurity, set us free from our past and keep us apart from people we don't know (okay, AND the ones we do). Judgement.

Food

2010-03-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned before that I am on a naturopath diet. Last week I received even more restrictions. Pretty much all I can eat is certain produce, meat and rice. I am grateful for this opportunity to heal my body. But I REALLY miss milk. And cheese. And tea. And cereal. And CINNAMON BUNS! AKKKKKK!!!! (me running into the horizon, arms full of pastry and salty snacks). I am really surprised at

Night Song

2010-03-08T23:09:00.000-08:00

everyone is in bed, but me and I am like a sound board lit up with flickering lights and dials reaching out to share the easy rythm of my day the anxiety that chased me the book I got in the mail and the new sauce I made up ... on nights like these I remember being seventeen and blissfully ignorant of the future I'd be getting ready to go out about this time and a car full of rowdies would

Cherry Blossoms

2010-03-08T08:04:00.000-08:00

I noticed yesterday evening that the Cherry Blossoms are starting to bloom. Having grown up on the Prairies where such sights are rare, it is still one of my favorite things about living on the West Coast. The little girl in me is more than a little bit delighted to see a tree deck herself out in pink each spring before settling down with her expected coat of leaves, like some unsure debutant

Mother Love

2010-03-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

I received a phone call last night that has got me all stirred up in a happy tizzy. An old friend of mine has been granted a dearest wish - she's going to have a baby. I am so happy - and when I think of that tiny little bud growing already, I am filled with such a lovely warmth. As hard as it was to be pregnant or give birth, I know now what all mothers know: some things cannot be measured. The

A New, Green Life

2010-03-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

I am getting into gardening these days. All I've done up until this point is a tiny bit of weeding and killing every house plant I've ever owned by neglect. But now that I have my own yard its one of those things that ought to be done - and strangely enough (even though I have only gone at it for 3 or 4 hours to date) I think I am falling in love. There is something very satisfying about turning

My Husband, My Friend

2010-02-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

There's this historical show about a little known [and little liked] politician called "Samuel Adams" that we watched on DVD sometime last year. He was one of the founding fathers in the USA. It was entertaining and educational, but I write today about the scene close to the very end where his wife dies after being his confidant, advisor and companion for their whole lives. She suffers a stroke

Walk-In Clinics and Check-Out Lines

2010-02-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days where you have so much to do that you give up precious quiet minutes to do house cleaning and instead of looking at a clean house after 2 hours, you are looking at a tidy underwear drawer that you had no intention of organizing. My excuse is sleep deprivation - after 3 nights of waking and sweating through the night, my daughter broke out in a rash today. It took me 2

Dream

2010-02-16T07:34:00.001-08:00

Last night I had a dream about the church I grew up in. I am there with none of my friends or family.Lonely.People recognize me, but no one smiles.Awkward.It's dark, and I have to sing, and I am late for my cue.Failing.I finish and jump off of the stage to run out and my skirt flips up.Exposed.I try to leave, but I see an old boyfriend, and I can't because I want to know that I mattered to him.

SELFISH

2010-02-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

I was talking with a friend a few days ago, and I realized mid-conversation that I had totally steam rolled what she was trying to tell me in order to talk about myself. CRINGE. It was one of those on-the-fly-between-moments conversations that I deliberated going back to her and apologizing about, but then I just felt like I should CHANGE instead of apologizing about being so selfish. The best

Going Under

2010-02-10T14:56:00.000-08:00

Today I had my first ever adventure with General Anesthetic.Truthfully, I have been nervous about it ever since I found out six weeks ago. I mean, I know that its a routine thing that happens thousands of times a day, but with all of the questions the medical staff ask you and all of the stories you hear, there's definitely room for anxiety between your ears the first time.And it's weird, because

Two Small Pills

2010-02-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

In preparation for an upcoming procedure, I had to take two very small pills last night. They looked innocent, tasted innocent and went down easy.But, without giving you ANY details whatsoever, I lost four pounds between the hours of 11pm and 6am and a lot of sleep. On one hand, I have not weighed this little in probably about six or seven years, but on the other hand, when I think of the two

Where Is My Pride And Prejudice

2010-02-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

Last night I polished off the last few chapters of that delectable literary treat, Pride and Prejudice. Again. It is one of my stand-by re-reads. When I am enveloped in Miss Jane's pages, the world disappears, and I am walking in a country lane lined in willows and I am strolling down the streets of a long gone London with a basket and a parasol. I swear to you, I can see it even now. Astonished

Galadriel-toria

2010-01-31T18:32:00.000-08:00

Last night, 8:oo pmKitchen Floor, between a rock and a hard placeWoman cryingIt's been a difficult week. Which is difficult in itself because my life is good - super blessed and full of good things. So I always feel like such a patsy faced snivelling whiner when I say "It's been a difficult week." It's not that the good things have changed, there are more than ever, but this frickin' Naturopath

Natural Path

2010-01-26T15:56:00.001-08:00

Oh, today I don't feel so good.It's this special Dr. prescribed diet I am on. It's making my body crazy. Isn't that strange?I am trying to get better, but before I can, I must get worse. This is true in so many areas of life. Relationships, Spirituality, Health, Finances. I think this denotes Intelligent Design.If it was easy to get better we wouldn't learn our lessons, would we?Nope. We'd just

Zen Flesh

2010-01-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

In the past, I have always found it nearly impossible to exercise self control in pretty much every area of my life. Food? Glutton! Money? Irresponsible, untraceable spending! Mouth? Flapping at the gums! Inner world? Chaos!Slowly (and beginning well into my adult years) as life has brought different seasons, I've found small successes. When I got married my spending HAD to change, and so it did.

Hell's Handbasket: Fact or Myth

2010-01-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

I am sure you are familiar with the statement, "The world's going to hell in a handbasket!" and if you are anything like me, you have thoughts quite similar to it pretty much anytime you come into contact with the media and its many arms. Or drive in rush hour traffic. Or grocery shop at Superstore betwixt the hours of 2pm-8pm.And in many ways we could argue that it's true. But a statement like

To Write, or Not To Write

2010-01-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

I have been intending to write here twice a week, but lately I am filled with ambivalence when I create a new post in this particular blog. I think of this as my heart blog, and there's been so much change and conflict in this last year that I feel like my heart has retreated to a distance and is watching the world from a safe place. Which makes it difficult to write about. I am learning that

Google Analytics...

2010-01-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I was just checking my visitor rates/statistics and all of that on Google Analytics, and I just have to say to my readers from Hungary, Malaysia, France, Greece, Brazil, the UK and Portugal - I LOVE you guys, and I have to say I am rather flattered. You have made a housewife from Canada feel like a Million Bucks. Er... or Pounds. Oh, wait, that doesn't sound right... what I mean to say

Black Rain Cloud In My Hair Day

2010-01-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhh!Today was a STINKER!Last night I had a conversation that upset my tummy and gave me a head ache and a back ache, so I didn't sleep well. So I slept in.So I had to get me and my girl ready for church in 15 minutes which means no shower.Which was bad because yesterday I couldn't wear deodorant (don't ask) so I was stinky.So I washed my arm pits in the sink.Luckily I was able to wear jeans

Let It Be Enough

2010-01-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight my daughter was cranky for no discernible reason. She napped, was changed and ate. And then she followed me around the house crying and making her Meh-meh-meh-meh-MEH-MEH sounds. Yes, I picked her up, but it is ridiculous to carry a 25 pound child around all night. So she Meh-meh'd me right up the wall and into the basement, where I furiously attacked my mending pile and left her Daddy to

Those Many Blind Men

2010-01-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

As simply as replacing an old calendar with a new one on the first day of a new year, I find my seasons, my thoughts, my whole field of vision has completely and utterly changed. For the first time in my whole life, I feel like I am standing in, walking in, running in, dancing in, LIVING in WIDE OPEN SPACES.And no matter how hard I wrack my brain, I don't know what changed it. Where the magical

It's A New Year

2010-01-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

You know what I thought when I woke up on new years day?As I snuggled my baby into consciousness with a bottle of warm milk and a fuzzy robe with my husband looking on, I thought,"am I allowed to be this happy?"So far, it's been the best year of my life.

Tradition is Good

2009-12-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

Last night we had some of our dearest friends over for a boys vs. girls gingerbread making contest. We were sustained by homemade apple cider and christmas jazz music. I think, from the photos, you'll be able to guess which house won. I also think it's pretty clear which team was which.Strange, but I don't even feel smug about winning by such an extraordinary landslide - the 'other contestants'

Christmas in Peace

2009-12-22T19:08:00.001-08:00

Pretty much, I am LOVING Christmas this year. Firstly, my husband gets 2 whole weeks of vacation.Secondly, my little brother is going to be able to stay with us over the break.Thirdly, it is our first Christmas in our own home...Today I celebrated all of this by laying in this morning (if you can call 7:45 a lay in), staying home most of the day, sewing my daughter a wool plaid jumper and making

One Body

2009-11-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

Tonight as I was making supper, singing my lungs out and chopping onion, the butcher knife I was using slipped and I chopped my finger. I don't remember the first few seconds, but soon after that I was white knuckle holding my finger, afraid to unclasp my trembling hands and look at how bad it was. A split second from song to unnerving silence and suddenly I was guessing how long the wait in the

Rememberance Day

2009-11-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

My Grandpa was a veteran - he lied about his age when he was 14 or something and got into the Navy. He never talked about it to me, but I know that a piece of shrapnel hit him in the face and he had really bad nosebleeds for the rest of his life. Some of the photographs he shot of battleships sinking are in history books. He had bad dreams about it until the day he died. Today I wish I had been

Pause

2009-11-09T18:25:00.001-08:00

i find it difficult to write these daysthere's so much to saybut the words are like stones in my stomachwisdom breeds silenceand fear breeds silenceI am silenti think i liked ignorance better(what I mean to say is,being blind was easier -I could blame everybody else)quietly I sit before stumbling blocks big as mountainstrying to mark out a pathway throughGod knows, they seem too big to move

When it is all worth it

2009-10-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

I was in the middle of making black bean soup this morning when the phone rang. My daughter was pulling at the hem of my robe, the beans were burning, I was sweating like a pig and I answered mid-task.I am one of the people who scream WHYYYYYYYYY!?!?!!?!?!!!! at the night sky. I don't suffer silently. I rail against fate and pain and suffering. Im not much for resignation and patience. I'm not

A Solitary Wednesday Evening

2009-10-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening. In the solitude of my basement craft room.Just like every other wednesday evening, the house is empty but for my sleeping infant. Husband out gigging. MC student out at youth. And me soaking up the solitude.Not a wife or a mom or a janitor or a cook. A lone wolf on the prowl. But not really prowling, just enjoying the prowl. You know.Thinking. And thinking in solitude is like

Marsh-hell-o R.I.P.

2009-09-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,I write to you tonight a tale of hair curling despair, the bitterness of thwarted lusts, and an disturbing account of expired food stuffs. Please, go get a cup of tea, your slippers and make sure the lights are on. You are going to want comfort and security as you read this. And on through the long night ahead.Today was a 'git-er-done'n'dirty day. I stole [all of the] money from my

Haus Frau-scurity

2009-09-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today I was white picket fenced-inI talked about teething, x-rays and immunizationsI bought groceries on specialWashed clothing, floors and chubby handsCooked, folded, comforted, swept and organizedI relayed messages, arranged schedules and pondered recipesAnd at eight o'clock tonightI realized my whole day had been livedspent completelyon the care and feeding of otherswhich is a really good,

Disappointment

2009-09-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

This morning, I should be busywith the business of beautifyingbut I am sitting, in my husbands robetrying to use a cup of hot tea to melt down the cold cube of disappointmentI carry in the left side of my chest.There are places I am due atpeople to be spoken totasks to be finished and my daughter to be tended toBut those terribly important To-Do'sloose their 'terribly important'as bitterness

Spaghetti Brains

2009-09-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get so caught up in your thoughts that when you finally come up for air and try to trace where you've been all you can see is a big plate of spaghetti where your brains should be? Apparently, this is a common woman thing, because I have heard us compared to spaghetti, whereas men are compared to waffles. All those tidy little boxes. Dirty Buggers. Yes, with a capital DB. Wouldn't it

Let God Be God

2009-09-13T20:41:00.001-07:00

I will not forget. I will not forget. I will not forget. I will not fall into this place again. I will learn. I will fight. I will not lay down in the dark and die. I will not forget.I will not forget. I will not forget. I will not forget. I will never open that door again. Faith may be blind, but it must be shrewd. God is love, but He is fire, too. I will not forget.I will not forget. I won't

Make Me a Bird

2009-09-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a difficult couple of months.But at night the stars shine brighter.In this dark, I have seen how rich I truly am.Those who fear fighting have fought for me.The Light of Love has come from unexpected places (and people).Gifts (ever the language that touches my heart) have surprised me.Dreams I hardly dared dream have come to pass effortlessly.And I have been surprised at the resilience I

Scrubbie Girl and Eternal Rest.

2009-08-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight everyone is out of the house but for me and baby (who is in bed), so I decided to be superwoman and do everything at once, because we are going away for a week in about 34 hours and I have house guests to provide for. Doing my eighth load of laundry in two days, scrubbing 3 bathrooms in an hour and cleaning my rather neglected kitchen filled me with purpose, and I felt like a pretty

crumbs

2009-08-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, I am still here. Just so busy. Don't forget me. I'll be back.

Garage Sailing

2009-07-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the morning burst like an enormous neon orange over the ridge of our little mountain. It was glorious. And so, even after a broken sleep, I was giddy with the excitement of the day and could not rest past 7 o'clock. Because we had planned a very special day. Of Garage Sailing. This is something I grew up doing for hours on random Saturdays so it isn't a grubby sort of poor-chore that

Off Line Hobbit

2009-06-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day with internet for the next 2 weeks, because Shaw is 'busy' or some BS like that. I hate the act of moving. Really hate it. Its so labor intensive, and sucks the blood out of your good intentions, so that by the end of it all you are doing is throwing spices in a box marked 'kitchen' and hoping they don't spill onto the laundry you stuffed on the bottom. But what I really

Moving

2009-06-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

We've bought our first house!I have been preoccupied with all the house drama, packing and being a mom, so I've neglected you. Truthfully, I've been of two minds wether or not to erase this thing... I don't have the time or inspiration to be a faithful blogger anymore. Anyways, I am so excited and distracted! A house! This is a great thing....