Category Archives: happiness

happiness

Wifi reset

We have been without internet for more than 2 weeks. We have up our tv satellite last summer and now stream everything, but living where we do our only option is Xplornet and it’s 500gb package. Usually we are out for a few days, but this was a long one.

Instead of watching our own shows separately, we’ve been watching Family Guy and Mr Bean on the DVD player together.

An interesting thing happened today. Instead of being excited that we could go back to our own shows, we are sitting here together – as a family – watching Family Guy.

Internet makes our world better in so many ways, but I have to say unplugging is so nice too. We do more things together, read more, and play games. Who would have thought?

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happiness

Twin Lakes

Dad always was telling us stories of his childhood at the cottage at Twin Lakes. His lifelong love of swimming began there, his strong sense of family grew there, and I know that part of his heart always stayed there.

This morning I had a call from my aunt (dad’s sister) that my uncle (dad’s brother) passed away last night. He was the one sibling who stayed in New Liskeard, ran the family law office, and raised his family there.

My heart aches for my cousins. They lost their mom only a couple of months before my mom died. It’s a lot to process at the best of times, but it’s just so close.

One thing I know for sure is that family is filled with love. I have been on the receiving end of it, and I’m so happy to be part of it.

Today I told my kids the stories I remembered dad telling me of his childhood back home and how my uncle loved and looked after his family.

Dad and his siblings 19 years ago at my wedding

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happiness

On the hill

I was driving down Cochrane Hill today, stuck behind a big truck going very slowly when I had a childhood memory pop up.

When we were kids often we had horse activities at times when dad wasn’t available and mom would have to take us ourselves. Now that I’m a mom I realize how hard it is just to get two humans out of the house, forget tack, horses, and hooking up the trailer (forget loading the horses and driving us.

The fact that mom could do all this given her physical limitations is absolutely amazing.

I remember often her having to drive the trailer up Cochrane Hill – and when we were little she was hauling with just our old Jeep. She’d have to drive through the flat part of town as fast as she could, and even so we’d get 3/4 of the way up the hill and we’d slow to a walking pace.

We always got wherever we were going – she had more patience than I did clearly – but sometimes I look at the things we did or places we went and I’m quite amazed at how brave mom was.

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Fondue and Mr. Bean

It’s still -475 (well it really was -32c) and we decided it was a good night to full our bellies with cheese and our hearts with smiles. So fondue and Mr. Bean it was.

I love them all, but I think my favorite episode is the church one. I’ve felt the same way in church many times – and every time I hear that one with the hallelujah I giggle out loud.

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Communication Day 2019

It was speech day at our 4H club today. Both kids were nervous and complaining about how they didn’t want to do it all week – but both got up and gave fantastic speeches. They are quite gifted public speakers it seems, and both have moved up to the next level to compete.

The boy, who likes it more than the girl, could actually have a career as a speaker. I was told by a leader today that he reminded them of my dad – charismatic, able to explain his point clearly, and well composed. That’s high praise – my dad was a really skilled speaker and really enjoyed drawing people in. Winning aside, that was huge praise for the boy.

4H has been a huge blessing for our family.

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happiness

Love cuddles

When we got Ella 4.5 years ago she made it quickly known that she was a close but no touching kind of cat. Not to say that she didn’t ever want cuddles, but she’d quickly get overtouched and need some personal space.

She was annoyed she had so share her world with the dog. But when we added more cats I thought she’d lose her mind.

But slowly she got used to her new siblings. She started to relax more, was more cuddly more often, and generally seemed happier.

And now things like this happen

The power of love never ceases to amaze me.

Often those who act like they need love the least actually crave it the most. True for Ella, but also true for the rest of us humans.

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