A Marriage of 2 of my favourite things

2 things I will not tire of: my favourite guitar (our 1965 sunburst gibson) and my new fave bike.
Pictured here together as I made my way up to the school on the Hill in Crabrook to play for a Preschool Fair. Long hill. Thnkful for my mug of PERFECT Easter Egg Mocha that Mike concocted for me before my departure (as seen in my mug holder in pic)

Well, Fernie seems to be coming closer into our life all the time..funny how that happens when you embark on a new adventure, or become interested in a new hobby or subject-suddenly the world is AFLAME with it! I am meeting so many present or past Fernie residents, all asking questions and telling stories about life in Fernie. Tomorrow we are off to take a peak at the Elementary school, as Mike is having his first ever Gallery Opening (Wine and Cheese) at the Arts Station in Fernie, and we are excited to see how it goes!!

I want to take the kids for a walk along the river tomorrow, maybe I should find out what it is called first :) Then hit the Fernie Library. Feeling like an explorer...

Nuggets

I have just spent a wonderful day in a workshop our in town with Gordon Neufeld speaking on the issue of "Holding on to your Kids".
Talk about heartening!

He spoke to the power of attachment-when we have it, we truly are able to grow into our full potential-when we parent with it-we pass on this legacy like a gardener that tend her field by ensuring the conditions are prime for growth and maturity.
I was thinking about this lately from a school child's perspective. My own, that is.
I remember how the teachers who connected with me, who found a way of treasuring me and holding my presence with respect and kindness-how they actually changed my life. I imitated them. I internalized their instructions. I hung on to their praise. They fed my curiosity. I truly learned what they were teaching me-because they cared for me. I followed them with my heart even years outside their classroom. It wasn't a matter of their technique or teaching prowes, it was their ability to create an attachment that had me wanting to please and grow and gain maturity.
There was only a handful of those teachers in my school career... Miss Ferris, Mrs Renton-Rose, Mrs MacPherson, Mr Lenz, Mrs B. I am so grateful for their belief in me and my "ness".

In this last decade, I have been given 2 creative, lively and unsatiably curious creatures to nurture and protect in the same way. And suddenly, once again rekindled, I am thrilled to the challenge of this.

Have Tent..will settle

It has been shockingly snowy these days. Even my Supper Strongbow Fortifyer doesnt seem to dull the gloom that I feel when I look outside most eves this week and see a snowly whiteout.

Not shockingly, however, the kids seem to take everything with the secret smile of childhood. its like they have no expectations that the world need behave in a certain way because of something as flippant as, say, the name of a month or a season. They take what is before them and create it into something worthwhile, and almost always-highly evolved and enjoyable.

As I was sewing up a frenzy again this week, the two offspring got busy playing.... Not deterred by being stuck indoors due to regular and frantic snow freakouts...here is what they did:


set up camp in the one available space...our only bathroom. Complete with a suitcase full of food, and of course, only a hop skip and jump from both "the river" and "the outhouse".

Ahhh, we grumpy grown ups have much to be taught in the realm of lemons and lemonaid.

April Fool-and a radish for a Spring

Well, I have been so excited about the Spring coming and was quite frustrated (along with the rest of southern Aberta) at the unbelievable snowstorm that came our way for April Fools Day.

Alas-I had my heart set on Spring, and was not to be deterred from from what I am calling my "midlife crisis". Since hitting my 40th year almost a month ago, I have been drinking deep from the cup of contmplation, and one of the things that I have really wanted to act on was my desire to be more car-free. My last gas-up at the pump had my heart racing and thought-ok, we NEED to make a change here.

Long Story Short-let me introduce you to my Radish (which came home on top of the car from Calgary yesterday):

Finn, Wren, Banjo and I ALL fit!!!

My dandy little Radish (whom I think I might start calling "reddish") and I took the kids and dog to school this morning-and only dumped in the snow once...in very slow motion. I did a quick stop to the grocery store for apples and milk as well and I am so very excited about this glorious way of 3-season travel. Less money spent on gas, less emissions for our planet (as long as sweat is a safe emission, that is), more money for gin and tonics and limes..when the Spring sunshine comes on the patio.

win-win-win.