Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.
~ Hilary Cooper
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
To One Person, You May Be the World
Sometimes ... other people's words take my breath away. This video was one of those moments for me:
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I'm Going to Stop Complaining Now
We live in a time where insulation, heat, electricity, running water and a wealth of material possessions are the norm for most of us.
Children are entertained by more toys and gadgets that most people could store in one small room of their homes.
We live in homes that are spacious, privacy and 'a room to call your own' is nothing unusual.
Most of us have cupboards, refrigerators and freezers store an excess of food. We don't have to worry about keeping our vegetables from freezing or keeping our milk cool enough so that it doesn't go sour.
We turn on the radio, the television set, the computer and entertainment is at our fingertips. We don't think twice the numerous electrical appliances that make cooking a meal easy.
We take all that we have for granted. And (if you are like me), you actually complain about being cooped up in a 1000 sq ft home (2000 sq ft, if you count the basement which is fully developed and utilized) with a young family of three.
As I finished writing my last post, I suddenly heard voices from the past calling out to me. Here are a few excerpts from the book of memories that my mom's family compiled:
Imagine … living in a two story 9’ X 12’ uninsulated house in the middle of the prairies. Your nearest neighbors are a half mile away. Your only sources of transportation (other than walking) are some horses, a (horse drawn) cart, wagon and sleigh. A trip to town and back takes an entire day.
There is no electricity, your water sources are an open well, the slough, rain or snow. Heat is a coal and wood stove in the kitchen and a coal and wood heater in the living room. There is no such thing as ‘indoor plumbing’ – you have an outhouse. And in the winter … well, you don’t even want to think about winter!
Your only income is that which you can earn on the farm (remember, you have only your horses and plow to clear and farm your land). You can grow your own vegetables and raise your own milk and meat sources. But there isn’t a fridge or freezer to store the fruits of your labor. Oh, and just for the fun of it, let’s throw in a drought that lasts the better part of ten years.
And … imagine doing all of this while raising your family of five (four of which, were born within a four year time span) in this small, cold house without any of today’s conveniences.
This is not a two week camping trip. This is your life. This is what it was like to live in the time My Mom's Family grew up.
“Winter!!! What can I say about those months of freezing cold, snow and blizzards. Of which, we experienced all.”
They would wake up in the morning and the blankets (heavy homemade quilts and one horse hair hide) on top would be stiff from the frost. “If it wasn’t for us four kids in bed together we would have froze.” It was pretty cold everywhere – in fact the barn was far warmer than the house, from the heat of the animals. There was really very little heat until summer arrived.
In winter, to keep warmer, the girls wore pantaloons (like bloomers - elastic at the waist and knees), with stockings, held up with an elastic garter (or quite often a sealer ring) and the top flopped down. When winter set in, you wore moccasins with overshoes that buckled over top of the moccasins. They were usually used for two winters and it seemed as though they always had holes in them, though they would have had to have been new at one point. You had a winter coat and that was it. You didn’t have a jacket for all seasons as we do these days.
"The winters were very severe, with no roads – only those made by the teams of horses driven in winter to schools, town and anywhere you went.
“Homes and schools were heated by wood and coal, with no such thing as insulation heard of yet. It made for very uncomfortable living at times, not to mention our cold trips to school (by sleigh, with heated stones to keep our feet from freezing).”
“The one incident that I will never forget – our dad was bringing us home from school in a blizzard. Our team of horses got bogged down in deep snow and couldn’t go any further. Fortunately, we were right near a neighbor’s driveway. We walked there, three of us kids (the youngest was in Grade 1 at the time) and our dad. Our horses were put in their barn and us kids were taken straight to the house, where we were made very welcome. Their housekeeper immediately made us hot chocolate, which we could not drink (as our hands were shaking so, with cold). Eventually we thawed out and we drank our hot chocolate. We had to sleep upstairs, all three of us in one bed, in a dark, strange room. How scary! I can’t remember, but there were probably more tears, but it was a very happy ending to a very worried day. My dad and a friend of theirs took a fresh team of horses and a bob sleigh and both went on home and got there safely. You can imagine what an enormous relief that was to our mother.” There were other incidents like this, involving other families in the district. It was a time where there wasn’t the convenience of a phone in the home, to put a person’s mind at rest. The only thing a person could do was wait it out and hope for the best.
“The winters were really hard. Very cold and the housing was poor. When it was 35 to 40° (Fahrenheit) below zero, with any wind it was just about impossible to keep the house warm. We all sat as close to the stove as we could. In the morning, we would jump out of bed, run downstairs into the kitchen and stand on the oven door. All four girls, but alas, one day the oven door broke. ‘Poor Mom.’ I don’t remember how long it was before it was fixed. Yes, we ‘all’ did stand on the oven door at the same time. We were all very small, skinny kids at that time.”
The theme throughout the collection of these memories was acceptance. This was their life. They grew up in the years of the Depression and knew no different. And as my mom's oldest sister wrote:
"One the whole, it was a good life – a real learning experience. Something the generations after us (I am sure) could never understand or believe. That is why we are writing this – to help keep them in touch with the past. We are all very happy we lived in the era we did – me, my sisters and our brother."
I am going to go and enjoy this cool, winter day cooped up with my young daycare family now. I shall endeavor to appreciate every convenience that this day brings.
Children are entertained by more toys and gadgets that most people could store in one small room of their homes.
We live in homes that are spacious, privacy and 'a room to call your own' is nothing unusual.
Most of us have cupboards, refrigerators and freezers store an excess of food. We don't have to worry about keeping our vegetables from freezing or keeping our milk cool enough so that it doesn't go sour.
We turn on the radio, the television set, the computer and entertainment is at our fingertips. We don't think twice the numerous electrical appliances that make cooking a meal easy.
We take all that we have for granted. And (if you are like me), you actually complain about being cooped up in a 1000 sq ft home (2000 sq ft, if you count the basement which is fully developed and utilized) with a young family of three.
As I finished writing my last post, I suddenly heard voices from the past calling out to me. Here are a few excerpts from the book of memories that my mom's family compiled:
Imagine … living in a two story 9’ X 12’ uninsulated house in the middle of the prairies. Your nearest neighbors are a half mile away. Your only sources of transportation (other than walking) are some horses, a (horse drawn) cart, wagon and sleigh. A trip to town and back takes an entire day.
There is no electricity, your water sources are an open well, the slough, rain or snow. Heat is a coal and wood stove in the kitchen and a coal and wood heater in the living room. There is no such thing as ‘indoor plumbing’ – you have an outhouse. And in the winter … well, you don’t even want to think about winter!
Your only income is that which you can earn on the farm (remember, you have only your horses and plow to clear and farm your land). You can grow your own vegetables and raise your own milk and meat sources. But there isn’t a fridge or freezer to store the fruits of your labor. Oh, and just for the fun of it, let’s throw in a drought that lasts the better part of ten years.
And … imagine doing all of this while raising your family of five (four of which, were born within a four year time span) in this small, cold house without any of today’s conveniences.
This is not a two week camping trip. This is your life. This is what it was like to live in the time My Mom's Family grew up.
“Winter!!! What can I say about those months of freezing cold, snow and blizzards. Of which, we experienced all.”
They would wake up in the morning and the blankets (heavy homemade quilts and one horse hair hide) on top would be stiff from the frost. “If it wasn’t for us four kids in bed together we would have froze.” It was pretty cold everywhere – in fact the barn was far warmer than the house, from the heat of the animals. There was really very little heat until summer arrived.
In winter, to keep warmer, the girls wore pantaloons (like bloomers - elastic at the waist and knees), with stockings, held up with an elastic garter (or quite often a sealer ring) and the top flopped down. When winter set in, you wore moccasins with overshoes that buckled over top of the moccasins. They were usually used for two winters and it seemed as though they always had holes in them, though they would have had to have been new at one point. You had a winter coat and that was it. You didn’t have a jacket for all seasons as we do these days.
"The winters were very severe, with no roads – only those made by the teams of horses driven in winter to schools, town and anywhere you went.
“Homes and schools were heated by wood and coal, with no such thing as insulation heard of yet. It made for very uncomfortable living at times, not to mention our cold trips to school (by sleigh, with heated stones to keep our feet from freezing).”
“The one incident that I will never forget – our dad was bringing us home from school in a blizzard. Our team of horses got bogged down in deep snow and couldn’t go any further. Fortunately, we were right near a neighbor’s driveway. We walked there, three of us kids (the youngest was in Grade 1 at the time) and our dad. Our horses were put in their barn and us kids were taken straight to the house, where we were made very welcome. Their housekeeper immediately made us hot chocolate, which we could not drink (as our hands were shaking so, with cold). Eventually we thawed out and we drank our hot chocolate. We had to sleep upstairs, all three of us in one bed, in a dark, strange room. How scary! I can’t remember, but there were probably more tears, but it was a very happy ending to a very worried day. My dad and a friend of theirs took a fresh team of horses and a bob sleigh and both went on home and got there safely. You can imagine what an enormous relief that was to our mother.” There were other incidents like this, involving other families in the district. It was a time where there wasn’t the convenience of a phone in the home, to put a person’s mind at rest. The only thing a person could do was wait it out and hope for the best.
“The winters were really hard. Very cold and the housing was poor. When it was 35 to 40° (Fahrenheit) below zero, with any wind it was just about impossible to keep the house warm. We all sat as close to the stove as we could. In the morning, we would jump out of bed, run downstairs into the kitchen and stand on the oven door. All four girls, but alas, one day the oven door broke. ‘Poor Mom.’ I don’t remember how long it was before it was fixed. Yes, we ‘all’ did stand on the oven door at the same time. We were all very small, skinny kids at that time.”
The theme throughout the collection of these memories was acceptance. This was their life. They grew up in the years of the Depression and knew no different. And as my mom's oldest sister wrote:
"One the whole, it was a good life – a real learning experience. Something the generations after us (I am sure) could never understand or believe. That is why we are writing this – to help keep them in touch with the past. We are all very happy we lived in the era we did – me, my sisters and our brother."
I am going to go and enjoy this cool, winter day cooped up with my young daycare family now. I shall endeavor to appreciate every convenience that this day brings.
Too Much Winter
Note to my sister vacationing in Yuma for the next month - "This blog is for you!"
It is true. Every day we wake up to, is one day closer to spring.
It is February 5th. We are very close to having logged the first week of February. February is a short month. Three days shorter than most. As my mom would say "Time goes quickly. Spring is right around the corner!"
We have mountains of snow outside. If I were to toss the kids that I babysit into our front yard, I would quite literally lose them. My Youngest has no memory of snow banks ever being this big. Granted, in the 'old days' (when he was little), the snow in the front yard was packed down from all of the kids that played in that snow.
Winter can be such an adventure. When there is enough snow to play in ... and temperatures are moderate enough that you can brave the weather without running the risk of freezing exposed body parts. And when you are tall (old) enough to dress up for the weather and explore all that the season has to offer.
This winter has not felt like that. I've been cooped up in the house with 1 & 2 year-olds for three months. I have had quite enough of this season. But yesterday?? Our temperatures soared to -5 degrees Celsius. It was almost melting!
Yes Mom, you are right. Spring will be here before we know it. And it won't be a moment too soon ...
It is true. Every day we wake up to, is one day closer to spring.
It is February 5th. We are very close to having logged the first week of February. February is a short month. Three days shorter than most. As my mom would say "Time goes quickly. Spring is right around the corner!"
 |
| Does this scene have a look of "Spring is right around the corner?!" |
 |
| 'Frosty', our smaller snowman has been buried for weeks. Only the head of the 'Dad Snowman' peeks out from above the snow these days. |
 |
| Could you find a child in this snowbank if they were airlifted and dropped in? |
Yes Mom, you are right. Spring will be here before we know it. And it won't be a moment too soon ...
 |
| Winter! Winter! Go away!! Come again another day! |
P.S. to my sister, "By the time you get back ... I do hope that things are looking a lot more like spring around here. But of course you know without me saying - it could get worse before it gets better."
Monday, February 4, 2013
Grateful for Mondays ...
Another Monday morning has rolled around oh-so-quickly. I woke up in a stupor in the middle of last night and thought I was going to wake up to a Sunday morning. My heart sunk when I realized that I had already spent my Sunday. So Monday morning it is ...
Gratitude. Focus on gratitude!
I woke up with my alarm this morning. I am grateful for the ability to sleep. I went to bed at 9:30 last night. I was quickly losing consciousness in front of the TV so I thought that I may as well take advantage of the opportunity to sleep eight solid hours in my bed. And I did.
As I near the end of another month's supply of my prescription, I was grateful for the three month supply that my pharmacy offered me the last time that I filled it. One month speeds by so quickly and it feels like I am forever filling that prescription. Three months is awesome. As I took my pill this morning, I thought to myself "Add this to my gratitude journal! Three month refills!!"
The gift of giving. A few little opportunities arose over the weekend where I suddenly felt like I knew the 'right thing to do'. Just little things. Sometimes it is truly not the gift ... but the gesture that matters. The act of giving is a wonderful gift to the giver. I am grateful when I am on the giving end.
I am grateful that I have a reason to wake up. Every morning. Working from home is not without its pitfalls, but the benefits far outweigh them. There is a continuity to my days/weeks/months that has not been here for a few years. I love knowing that I have a job to do. Every week day.
I am grateful for the contrasts in my life. Weekdays verses weekends. Bitterly cold winter days verses mildly cold winter days. Good days verses bad days. We simply don't appreciate the little things in life unless we have something to compare them to.
I am grateful for my family. My friends. Laughter. My life.
I am grateful for Mondays. They mean that I have work to do and the opportunity to work through another week and make every attempt to improve that which I could have done better last week.
A new week. A new beginning. A new day.
Happy Monday!
Gratitude. Focus on gratitude!
I woke up with my alarm this morning. I am grateful for the ability to sleep. I went to bed at 9:30 last night. I was quickly losing consciousness in front of the TV so I thought that I may as well take advantage of the opportunity to sleep eight solid hours in my bed. And I did.
As I near the end of another month's supply of my prescription, I was grateful for the three month supply that my pharmacy offered me the last time that I filled it. One month speeds by so quickly and it feels like I am forever filling that prescription. Three months is awesome. As I took my pill this morning, I thought to myself "Add this to my gratitude journal! Three month refills!!"
The gift of giving. A few little opportunities arose over the weekend where I suddenly felt like I knew the 'right thing to do'. Just little things. Sometimes it is truly not the gift ... but the gesture that matters. The act of giving is a wonderful gift to the giver. I am grateful when I am on the giving end.
I am grateful that I have a reason to wake up. Every morning. Working from home is not without its pitfalls, but the benefits far outweigh them. There is a continuity to my days/weeks/months that has not been here for a few years. I love knowing that I have a job to do. Every week day.
I am grateful for the contrasts in my life. Weekdays verses weekends. Bitterly cold winter days verses mildly cold winter days. Good days verses bad days. We simply don't appreciate the little things in life unless we have something to compare them to.
I am grateful for my family. My friends. Laughter. My life.
I am grateful for Mondays. They mean that I have work to do and the opportunity to work through another week and make every attempt to improve that which I could have done better last week.
A new week. A new beginning. A new day.
Happy Monday!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
He Who Laughs ... Lasts
Laughter is an instant vacation.
~ Milton Berle
I laughed like I haven't laughed in years. I laughed long. I laughed hard. I did not laugh alone. I spent yesterday with my cousin (who has always felt like a sister to me) and her family.
My aunt is 86 years old. My uncle is 90. When my aunt heard that my cousin and I were going to drop by for a visit after our coffee date yesterday, my aunt turned around and invited us (and her whole family) for a turkey supper. Her impromptu invitation filled a 'table for twelve'.
My cousin & I laugh together, like I laugh with no one else. Every memory that I have with this family involves laughter. The story telling gets better with age. As far as I know, the tales are not embellished as the years evolve.
The stories have been told so many times and with such great emotion and detail, that there are times (so I heard yesterday) where the 'owner' of the story is up for debate. "That is my story!" says one cousin to another. "She does this all of the time. She has heard me tell the story so many times that she thinks it is her story!" Laughter fills the room as they duke it out (verbally) over the true ownership of the story.
I sat back and watched the dynamics between my cousin and her husband and immediately felt that she must have fallen in love with his sense of humor. They laugh together. He turned the mundane task of buying pop into a humorous anecdote. And that was just the beginning...
This is a family where material possessions and lavish holidays hold no priority. It is all about making a house a home and gathering their family together to make memories and make those memories last.
My aunt and uncle are in good health. There was no talk of illnesses, loss and the despair that so many people are feeling these days. Conversation was uplifting and the company was great. As I looked at my aunt and uncle, I would have never guessed their ages. Laughter is keeping them youthful at heart and as healthy as their bodies allow.
My aunt and uncle are in good health. There was no talk of illnesses, loss and the despair that so many people are feeling these days. Conversation was uplifting and the company was great. As I looked at my aunt and uncle, I would have never guessed their ages. Laughter is keeping them youthful at heart and as healthy as their bodies allow.
It was a day that I will remember forever. A day where I was enveloped in laughter ... spent with a family that means the world to me.
These are days we will never get back. Spend them wisely. Reach out to a friend or a family member and laugh together. You won't regret it.
Seven days without laughter makes one weak.
~ Mort Walker
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Set a Date, a Place and a Time ...
My cousin and I have been making vague, "We must get together sometime ..." plans for a few years now. As we parted ways after seeing each other at a funeral recently, we were going through the motions of repeating that statement once again when I suggested that we really had to be specific. Because it wasn't working any other way.
Out of the clear blue sky, I chimed off, "How about ... we meet at 4:00, February 2nd, at Your Home Town (about the half way meeting place between the cities we both live in)." When I remembered to check the calendar when I got home, I was more than a little surprised to see that February 2nd landed on a Saturday. I sent off an email to my cousin to see how her calendar looked that day and she said it worked great. But, "How about we make it 2:00, meet for coffee and then go over to visit my parents afterwards ..."
So a plan was made. We have just endured a week of severe winter weather where I wouldn't even consider leaving the city. But the long term forecast for Saturday, February 2nd was mild. The forecast never changed. The skies parted once again and made (what looked to be) impossible things possible.
One minor glitch arose. A friend of her husband's family passed away this week and they had a funeral to attend. "How would 4:00 work ... only we will just go straight to my parent's (for a supper invitation which was extended) instead?"
Hmmm. 4:00 on February 2nd at our Intended Meeting Place. Exactly according to our initial 'plan' when I reached out and spoke the first words that came to mind.
We will miss out on our one-on-one visit, but I suppose when I look at this day in reverse I will find a grander plan was at play.
But for now? I had a reason to get up this morning. I have much to do before my 'date with destiny' ...
Be specific in what you ask for in life. Make note of your wishes. Tuck them away and come back to them after a while. You will be amazed at how many dreams come true when you dare to dream. Dare to believe wishes come true. And go out and meet life half way.
The dreams don't have to be big. They do have to exist. Set a date, a place and a time for what you want to happen in your life. Start small and make things happen. You will not be disappointed.
Out of the clear blue sky, I chimed off, "How about ... we meet at 4:00, February 2nd, at Your Home Town (about the half way meeting place between the cities we both live in)." When I remembered to check the calendar when I got home, I was more than a little surprised to see that February 2nd landed on a Saturday. I sent off an email to my cousin to see how her calendar looked that day and she said it worked great. But, "How about we make it 2:00, meet for coffee and then go over to visit my parents afterwards ..."
So a plan was made. We have just endured a week of severe winter weather where I wouldn't even consider leaving the city. But the long term forecast for Saturday, February 2nd was mild. The forecast never changed. The skies parted once again and made (what looked to be) impossible things possible.
One minor glitch arose. A friend of her husband's family passed away this week and they had a funeral to attend. "How would 4:00 work ... only we will just go straight to my parent's (for a supper invitation which was extended) instead?"
Hmmm. 4:00 on February 2nd at our Intended Meeting Place. Exactly according to our initial 'plan' when I reached out and spoke the first words that came to mind.
We will miss out on our one-on-one visit, but I suppose when I look at this day in reverse I will find a grander plan was at play.
But for now? I had a reason to get up this morning. I have much to do before my 'date with destiny' ...
Be specific in what you ask for in life. Make note of your wishes. Tuck them away and come back to them after a while. You will be amazed at how many dreams come true when you dare to dream. Dare to believe wishes come true. And go out and meet life half way.
The dreams don't have to be big. They do have to exist. Set a date, a place and a time for what you want to happen in your life. Start small and make things happen. You will not be disappointed.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Gratitude
I have stumbled upon what I believe may be my new 'Oprah' ... I have watched Katie Couric's new talk show twice this week. Each time, I was lifted up and out of my own thoughts and they were replaced with positive information and inspiration.
Today's show was about how to de-stress your life. I absorbed information this afternoon that has the potential to change the direction of my thoughts.
One of the suggestions was focusing on gratitude. This is nothing new to me. I've heard this before. I try to be grateful and focus on the positive in whatever life hands me. But as I headed off to bed tonight, I thought that perhaps I should get myself back into the habit of writing down that which I am grateful for.
One day blends into the next more often than not. Today was not extraordinary. That is, until I started to think about what I was grateful for. Little things became bigger than they felt when I lived the day. Here are just a few samples of what I am grateful for today:
Today was one of those days...
Today's show was about how to de-stress your life. I absorbed information this afternoon that has the potential to change the direction of my thoughts.
One of the suggestions was focusing on gratitude. This is nothing new to me. I've heard this before. I try to be grateful and focus on the positive in whatever life hands me. But as I headed off to bed tonight, I thought that perhaps I should get myself back into the habit of writing down that which I am grateful for.
One day blends into the next more often than not. Today was not extraordinary. That is, until I started to think about what I was grateful for. Little things became bigger than they felt when I lived the day. Here are just a few samples of what I am grateful for today:
- An email from a friend that contained a link to a (dance) video that made my heart happy first thing this morning. I watched this video. Twice. I watched the outtakes. I googled Matt Harding (the person who inspired this video and danced around the world) and I was inspired. Truly inspired. And happy. I didn't write this morning because I was too busy savoring these joyful moments.
- A change in our daycare schedule provided me with a little break that I needed. Moments within my daycare day provided me with new insight. Outstretched arms, a smile that was just for me, a child accidentally showing me how much he has learned. Many small moments turned a challenging day into a joyful one, when I play it backwards.
- Coffee with a friend. I find it very, very hard to leave the house. I find it harder to turn down an invitation. Every single time I walk out of our door and enter the real world, I am rewarded. I needed to get out. I didn't want to go out. I'm grateful for an invitation from a friend that put me exactly where I most needed to be.
- A reprieve in our weather! Our temperatures soared to -25ish degrees today. Not exactly a heat wave, but I'll take it over -45 degrees any day! And tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer.
- My flyers. They weren't dropped off early enough for me to deliver them before my daycare family arrived. Their delay meant that I could savor the dance video that made #1 of this list. Instead, I delivered them after everyone left for the day and I truly got to savor every last second of our extended sunlight hours! And ... the timing was close to perfect. I finished delivering them just in time to meet my friend who was available to meet for coffee right at about the very same time.
Today was one of those days...
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