River View Lunch

Every now and then this summer I have had enough time to go home from work and have lunch with my daughter.
Not too long ago we decided to go out, but not having much cash on hand we had to be frugal.
We decided to go and see Mike at our favorite chip truck by Giant Tiger.  The girl had her favorite poutine (she says Mike makes the best) and I had an order of fries with stinky malt vinegar and salt.  Mike has foodie fans from as far away as Kansas and they come to him every year!
Having Mike's fries for lunch is a special thing but having a great location to chow down those delectables is even better.  We headed for a nearby park on the edge of the Ottawa River.

This is right in our home town.  Isn't it something?

I often eat my lunch down here when the kids go to school.  It relaxes me, helps me be still so I can listen to what God wants me to hear.  And when I leave I am refreshed. 

Even watching the moored boats rock in the water is soothing.

Walks on the boardwalk are always interesting.

Even after a short lunch I feel like I have been on vacation.

Don't get me wrong.  I like fancy restaurants.  But when my daughter and I can sit back, enjoy the food, the scenery and share what is on our hearts...  this can't be beat.

Race Day

My day has been one of many races against the clock.

Sometimes that happens.
 You get up and it begins, racing through chores and preparations just to get out of the house to speed off to work.  You race to get the work done for a deadline (which happens to be your 30 minute lunch).  Then it is a rush to run an errand and also get a little bit to eat because you only had time to pack half a lunch.  You push it in your mouth because you are due at another client's.  They have put a deadline on some work (for the end of the workday), so of course you kick it up a notch to get it done.  Your head starts to spin.  You know before the work is done that the most-lovable-daughter-in-the-whole-world is waiting to be picked up from day camp.  With her in the van, you speed off to an associate's to pick up some paperwork, head home, start dinner (and do the dishes 'cause you need clean ones to eat off of), finish off some paperwork for the evening's 2 meetings and make sure your most-lovable-son-in-the-whole-world is organized for his first evening of hockey conditioning camp.  As soon as everyone is fed, you drive the 25 minutes to the rink and set up a table to greet the families coming for the camp, meet ever-so-briefly a couple of times with key people in the camp, head off to the meetings, and when the meetings are all finally over 3 hours later you arrive home to find that someone has used the last of the milk and drank the last of the orange juice which were really meant for tomorrow morning.   And your wonderful teenage son wants me to help him make a snack before I drive him to his buddy's home for a sleepover.
Well, I figured at the end of all this I deserved a treat from Tim Horton's... but only after I bought some milk for the morning cereal.
Do you ever have any crazy days like this?  When I have a 'race day' like this (yes, this was not the first and likely not the last), I usually end the day remembering how important it is to have time to slow down and reflect, time to spend chatting with my Maker.  And I feel guilty.  Rightly so.
God, you are awesome.  Without you watching over me and helping me, the day would not have had these accomplished tasks.   And to think I didn't bother to slow down long enough to thank You.  Please forgive me.
Prayer isn't meant to happen once a day, at the end of the day, when we can hardly keep our eyes open.  God wants to have conversations with us all day, throughout the day.  When I remember to do that, those are the sweetest days.
Thank you for your love, Father.

Wow!  What a crazy month!

See this tree?

Well, it was blocking my driveway.  It once was half of a beautiful 60 ft maple tree that helped to shade our back yard.  In the fall our maple trees turn some amazing colours.  

A tv station came to interview me about the tree.  That was a hoot. I didn't get to see how it turned out as our satellite dish for our tv had been moved by the wind in the storm and we weren't getting service.  

The tree came down in the first of two strong storms.  The second storm two days later actually did more damage than the one responsible for this. Roofs were torn off, trees uprooted and some were without hydro for days.   It didn't affect my immediate area like the first did.  We were lucky.  

A wonderful friend came over with a chain saw a couple days later and cut it up enough that we could move it out of the way.  Another friend is willing to take away the maple wood for his outdoor furnace in exchange for some grass fed beef  :)  The city was kind enough to clean up the brush.

The day after this storm, I drove my daughter and niece to a beach not far from here.  They had a great time in the water.  

It had rained a little before we left home.  When we arrived at the beach we were treated to a beautiful rainbow and we could actually see the end of it on an island in front of us.  So pretty.

 We enjoyed ourselves for a long time and then it got dark and we headed home.  This was the same area that was hit hard by the second storm the very next day.  I drove through it a week later and was astounded by the damage.  It looked like a tornado had hit it, but I don't think Environment Canada ever confirmed it.

We've celebrated 2  birthdays including a sleepover with some hyper pre teen girls, my freezer broke, a back screen door fell of the hinges, I made yogurt, learned to steam fresh eggs in the shell, worked for new clients, my son started an off ice conditioning camp and had a professional come in and evaluate my home for an upgrade in insulation (this means exploratory holes in the walls).

There were the usual soccer nights...

.... note another rainbow.

 I kept registrations straight for an AA on ice conditioning camp that starts this week, familiarized myself with the ins and outs of my new position as secretary to two area hockey boards, sang a few times at my church, took my son to the hospital's emergency department (he's ok) and met with some friends to consider a new business venture (more on that to come).  My garden is producing more wax beans than I can keep up with and I can never gather enough snow peas as my daughter eats them right off the plants too fast!

And in the middle of it all I was able to pick up the new computer I ordered and went through a slight learning curve.  Richard Barber at Tenet Computer Group, the new laptop exceeds my expectations!

It has been another busy month.

How is your summer going?

Happy Canada Day!

Canada Day is known for family get togethers, street parties, concerts, barbeques, potlucks, picnics, face painting and of course, beautiful fireworks.

Red & White decor is everywhere.  Everyone is dressed in red & white.  The Maple Leaf (the red one, not the blue & white hockey one) is on display in yards, on cars & vans and even attached to some hats.

However you plan to mark Canada's 146th birthday, stay safe and celebrate!

Don't think it's too early

It's 40C or 105F out today.  A hot day for my neck of the woods. 

When it's this hot I wish one of my children were still getting ice time.  That I had a hockey rink to retreat to, somewhere cooler, much cooler, cold even.  
But there is another reason to be thinking hockey in June.  Hockey camps.  Skills camps.  Conditioning camps.  4 on 4 play.  In many large urban centres, if your child wasn't regstered for these activites in May, you will have no luck trying to get them accepted into a decent program.
I am lucky enough to be in a smaller urban setting.  This means there is still room in certain programs.  But beware.  Some of them are already full and no longer accepting applications. 

Fees can range from $100 to $1,000 or more depending on the program and the locale.

There was a time when hockey was anybody's sport.  Family income was never a barrier, because the sport was inexpensive.  I remember buying my brothers each a $15 hockey stick for Christmas and they were thrilled.  The expensive sticks weren't much more. 

Now, any child who has been playing for even a few years understands that playing with cheap equipment is embarrassing.  It is common place to see 12 year olds playing with $150 or $200 sticks.  Seriously.

Hockey, like so many other children's activities has become something for the more affluent families.  Like skiing or dance.  And more.

Does your child enjoy an organized extracurricular activity?  What does it cost?  Is that reasonable to you?

Pay attention

As parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles, we have to pay attention to our children's sports injuries.

A 17 yr old girl, a beautiful teenage athlete, died last May due to a concussion she received in a high school rugby game in Ottawa.  Concussions are serious and deserve our attention.

http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/article/1623073--rugby-death-serves-as-stark-reminder...

A young man I know was benched last week at a competitive soccer tournament because of a concussion.  Smart move.  He had suffered his first concussion during the winter, in a hockey game.  Some would think that with all the high tech equipment our children now wear in such a sport that they are protected.  And certainly a 14 year old would not receive something serious like Sidney Crosby did.  Right?  Wrong!
The young man who was benched had his parents keeping a close eye on him throughout his hockey season.  They were smart enough to be concerned  He seemed to heal well.

Until he accidentally ran into a soccer referee.  His head collided with the ref's elbow.  Soccer players wear equipment to protect their legs, not their heads.  He hit hard enough that later, on the drive home, he had severe headaches and was vomiting.  Bear in mind, he did not hit hard enough to break the referee's elbow, but it was certainly hard enough considering the previous head injury.  So, under a doctor's care again, his parents haven't been letting him play soccer.  Wise.

Now you might think that would be the end of the story.  Not quite.  This young man hasn't played a sport since the soccer injury.  He felt well.  Today he came home from school with blurry vision and feeling nauseous.  More than two weeks later.  Some parents may have handed him some ibuprofen and told him to lie down for a while.  Afterall, he has to study for exams.  Don't do it.  The effects of a serious concussion can last for months!

I have seen a 13yr old hockey player go almost 4 months before the doctor allowed him back on the ice.  Serious stuff.
Please parents, keep a close watch over your children.  These injuries are not to be ignored or passed over as insignificant.  And the effects of repeated concussions can follow them into and throughout adulthood.  Among the issues is a higher chance of dementia as they age.  Take a look at this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klESLYtbRe8

Take the cautious road.  Pay attention.  When anyone suspects a head injury, have it medically checked out.  Don't think that your child will tell you all the symptoms.  They might fear you will stop them from playing, maybe thinking they can shake it off, or worse - that their friends will call them a wimp.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Have them examined by a doctor.

As for the young soccer/hockey player, hang in there buddy.  Don't rush this!  Be patient with the healing process and get well.

Too much to do

Too much to do and too little time! 
It's a trap so many of us fall into, especially single parents.  Why do we do it?
For some of us, it is a 'keeping up with the Joneses' syndrome.
Or it can be that we want our children to have it all.
Or maybe there just isn't anyone else to do half of it for us.
I'm guilty of all the above.
Whatever the excuse, do you over schedule yourself?  Why do you do it?

It's a beautiful day here, 68F or 20C.  Great for yard work.  Yes, I live in a part of Canada that easily considers this to be shorts and tank top weather.  You would too if you have ever experienced a -40C winter day.  What does that convert to in farenheit you say ?  Ha!  As the locals say, when it is that cold, who cares?

So the front lawn is cut.  Some gardening scheduled.  My official work day at a client's is done.  Cake is baked for school lunches.  But there are errands to run and housework here to do as well.  My son will have to go to his soccer game without me tonight.  There is too much to do.  I hardly ever miss my children's soccer or hockey games, but tonight is one of those nights when something has got to give.

Have you ever had to miss a child's game because you (or others) expect too much of yourself?

Everyday is a fresh start...

Starting again. 
As an older single mom raising two children (of the awesome variety) in a small town, my life has been peppered with fresh starts.  Each time, like you, I want life to be better for my family.  I search it, I test it (well sometimes I do this step), I play (experimenting can be good), I work at it (this one can take a long time).
In anycase, fresh starts are about improving getting better.  I used to write in a journal, the odd newspaper article and even dabbled in fiction.  I have been too busy the last several years to take another stab at writing regularly.  But now my two children are a bit older (ds is 15, dd will be 11 shortly) and I seem to have small windows of opportunity, sometimes peep holes, sometimes picture windows.
This blog is intended to be my documentation of an ongoing journey.  Be forewarned!  I have many interests!  From cooking/baking, nutrition, gardening, self sufficiency, spiritual pursuits, singing at my church, casual fashion, my children's sports (soccer and hockey) and schooling to interior decorating and creating spaces outside.  My list expands or shrinks as the schedule permits.  Hmmm.... I bet that sounds like some of you!
I have several projects on the go right now (doesn't everybody?).  I am knitting dish cloths for myself, vegetable gardening, trying to come up with a nice looking edible landscape for my front yard, self employed (a cleaning business), manager for my son's competitive soccer team.  Both my children play soccer and hockey.  Don't worry, I know I've missed some, but hey, everyday is a fresh start....
I'll fill you in some more as we travel life together  :)