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Puppy love 

Today Dottie met Aladdin. She was not impressed. Really mom? Another cat? She seemed to say to me with her big brown eyes. Just wait until she finds out there is one more after that! 

Aladdin marched across the floor while Dottie danced around behind him trying to figure him out. Finally she decided to chase him away and came bounding up to him with the intention of scaring him. 

Except instead of being afraid or running away, he did this:

 Here doggie, let me roll over so you can scratch my belly

Talk about no fear. 

This was my happiness moment. Watching how Aladdin has won over Dottie and (slowly) Ella by kindness instead of through fear. A life lesson we could all learn from.  

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Nature drive 

This afternoon Jenna and I headed over to my cousin’s house. On our drive back home we looked across the field and saw deer grazing in the pasture. When we looked back to the road,  we saw a great horned owl   He was giant, sitting there on the post having something for dinner. Of course by the time I stopped the car and opened my camera app on the phone he was gone, but he looked like this:

An amazing creature. 

  

Happiness moment, driving around home and being so intimately connected to nature. It’s good for my soul. 

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The Lion King

Today’s happiness moment was being treated by my mom to the Lion King. 

My favourite line 

  

When Jacob was a small child he lived and breathed the Lion King the way the little ones now do with Frozen. Hours were spent with him playing on the side of the couch with Scar and Moufassa (help me brother). 

I love those memories of little Jacob. He was such an awesome child (he’s a pretty sweet young adult too. No complaints there). It was pretty special to share that moment with my kids and my mom. Happiness. 

When we got home, Jenna went upstairs and started yelling for me. Today was the first day we had let Abu and Aladdin roam freely and I was afraid Ella had snapped and hurt one of them when we were away. But no….. my mom’s black and white cat Flower had climbed up into the roof of our mud room and was sitting on the outside of the second story window staring at Ella. Ella lost her mind. Too many black and white cats.  They’re everywhere. She ran full tilt at the window screaming and yowling. Flower casually hopped down onto the roof and somehow made it back to ground safely. Ella is still swearing and muttering too many black and white ones. I’m a fancy tail. Don’t they know I’m a fancy tail? I don’t hang with these plain tails…. Ah Ella. We love you. Abu and Aladdin are happily curled up on Jenna’s bed oblivious to all the commotion. Happy house. 

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…and then this happened. 

Jenna finally wore me down. The end of May/beginning of June, Abu and Aladdin moved into Pet Valu and were waiting to be adopted. Jenna dragged me in there at least twice a week to play with them. She asked me every time to please apply to adopt them. I said no every time. 

After 2.5 months of this Jenna was going to the SPCA camp and I figured for sure she’d fall in love with every animal there and I wouldn’t have to worry. Nope. We would leave camp and go visit Abu and Aladdin. 

After almost 3 months they were still sitting in their cage waiting for a home. I think the problem was they needed to be adopted together and no one was taking two cats. 

Friday the weather changed here (did I mention it snowed here yesterday?) And Ella caught her first fall mouse – she left it proudly displayed in the kitchen. I figured she needed some extra help. And. Well….

Alladin on top, Abu on bottom. Alladin has an extra toe on each foot. Passed out elephant in the corner.  
I am officially the crazy cat lady. Ella is mad as can be, the kids are happy, the dog is in denial. 

A family happiness moment. Today we played with them and tried to make them comfortable in their new home. A heart expanding with love moment. 

As an aside, they are 1. If they live until 16-18 (which is pretty normal for my cats), I will be in my 60s and still have these cuties. 

Crazy, happy cat lady. 

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Doing the right thing. 

My happiness moment was this evening in Cochrane with the kids. We were in the parking lot and Jacob came to me and said we needed to go to the TD Bank. Since we don’t bank there I had no idea what he was talking about and said as much. 

He showed me someone’s bank card that he had found on the ground behind our car. He was insistent that it be returned safely to the bank for the owner to be notified. He took it over himself, explained what had happened and turned the card in. 

When he got back in the car he smiled and said that feels so good, having done the right thing and helped that person out. I bet they’ll be really upset that it’s lost and then relieved that the bank has it. What if they’d just deposited 10 million dollars and then they’d lost it?

Watching him know what the right thing to do is and act on it was a happiness moment and a proud parent moment. 

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Swinging

Today’s happiness moment was sitting with my mother in law watching the kids on the swings. 

Jenna’s joy leap in motion is how I feel this summer. Leaping towards happiness. Leaping into life.   

A secondary moment was walking the labyrinth with them. They actually took it pretty seriously and then went and sat quietly in the middle when they were done so I could finish. As soon as I told them it was like a waking mediation they were excited to try it. 

  

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The best days of my life 

Today was one of those big happiness days. We packed so much into the day, I’m kind of amazed I’m still upright- and it’s only 9pm. 

Jenna and I did a last hurrah road trip for the summer. We went to Waterton, which is one of my happiness places. 

On the way there we stopped in Pincher Creek and had lunch with one of my forever friends. I can’t remember meeting her, she’s just always kind of been there. I was probably around 6 though and we were on our ponies in Pony Club when we would have met. We have seen each other through almost every phase of life. 

This last phase (the holy crap we are adults one) has been a bit more challenging though, as we both have lived a bit of the gypsy lifestyle and moved all over the place – and usually in opposite directions. 

Thanks partially to social media but mostly to a solid foundation, we were able to sit down today after a 14 year absence and yack non stop the entire lunch – while Jenna sat there looking at is like we were aliens. Why are you guys speaking  in  two word sentences and then doubling  over in laughter? 

Because that’s how we have aways been. That lunch was a big happiness moment today. She was around for some of the best days of my life, and even with the difficult emotions of this year, I feel like I am back in the best days of my life. Happiness is growing all around. 

Jenna and I headed to Waterton after our walk. I’d read a blog by BettyLivin and took her advice about a trail towards Blakiston Falls. Of course, I hadn’t read her blog recently and thought I had a better memory than I actually do, so we ended up just walking to the Falls instead of the canyon I was searching for – which still was beautiful and a lot of fun. 

  

Then back to the town for some rock skipping at the lake. An important tradition. 

Bison paddock on the way home. They were only about 30 feet off the road. This was taken with my iPhone. It was a little too close for comfort. We were in our car and on the road, but I still sat there with my foot on the gas. I have no idea how the guy on a buffalo (who is a family friend) ever got on one of those. No thank you. 
   

I’m so grateful these best days of my life keep coming. I’m thankful for old friends I’m reconnecting with and new ones I’m making. For the feeling of stability and security. For the smiles of joy on my kids’ faces as they tell me how happy they are to be home. There is much that is right in the world. 

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My fairy godmother. 

I am really lucky in the godmother department. When I was a kid, my godmother really was like a fairy godmother – always stopping by with treats, good cheer, and a twinkle in her eye. She is the standard by which godmothers are set. I’m afraid I’ve failed terribly in comparison in my appointment with my niece, but it is an incredibly hard act to follow. 

This afternoon, her daughter – my sister’s godmother- had us over for tea. Not your North American tea either please and thank you. High tea (they are Scottish) with scones and jam, little sandwiches, butter tarts…. you get the picture. 

We sat outside and visited – something we have not done properly in years. Something that was so important to do with these life long friends who are family. They have been an incredibly important part of my life and it was a very blessed happiness moment to get to spend the afternoon with them.  

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Friendship. 

I had tea today with a dear friend. She’s a wonderful combination of friend and family – I have always felt so comfortable around her and we have always been able to talk about anything. We sat on out on her beautiful deck looking at the mountains and fields and sky and chatted for hours. I love the kind of friendship where you can talk about everything and nothing. 

She said something today that made me think about the effort I need to put into my friendships – even these easy ones. Maybe especially these easy ones. She didn’t say this in relation to me, yet it hit home. It was that some of us want to have friends, we complain about not having friends or spending enough time with friends – yet we don’t want to put in the effort that comes with having a friend. I’m so like that. I never get together with my friends. What? Go out tonight? But I’m tired. I want to go to bed and read.  It’s the unfortunate price of being an introvert. Yet when I’m out and with my friends I’m so happy. 

So, I need to stay mindful of putting in that effort because it brings me joy. 

Sitting with her and chin-wagging was a happiness moment. 

A bonus one was coming home to a bored little girl and doing this to entertain her:

   
   
Like a friendship, it took some effort – an hour to catch and tack up the horses – but so worth it. I actually enjoy the process of riding almost as much as the actual riding. 

I mentioned during my visit today that if I could pick what I wanted to be when I grow up that it would be what I’m doing right now. I love being with the kids, being a mom full time, working on strengthening all of our relationships. I am very blessed and grateful. 

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The community hall 

One of the most difficult things about leaving home 10 years ago was the loss of our community. We moved to three very different places with three very different cultures (Quebec, New England, and Southern Virginia). We learned a lot, made some friends and did our best to settle in, but nowhere was home like it is here. 

My family is lucky enough to be a part of a very special community. Being from an old ranching family, most of the people in our area are either related or have been neighbors for 150 years. This makes for some strong bonds, some strife, and some fun parties. 

We have an old community hall which is not far from my house. My grandparents generation built the hall and brought the community together there. Actually, I learned today that the same people who put the wood on the old house I’m living in did the inside of the hall. 

There are old pictures of parties at the hall. My grandpa playing the fiddle, and various other relatives playing instruments while people danced. As a kid, I remember going to dances there. Well, to be clear us kids got to go to the pre dance dance because later on it got a little wild (as an adult later on I went to these dances and I agree with that assessment).   We would dance around, do the Butterfly, giggle with friends and cousins, and sit on the phone two seater outhouse and talk about how cool it was (they have indoor plumbing now thank goodness). 

At Christmas time, families would gather there for the annual Christmas concert. We would preform whatever talents we had, and at the end of the evening Santa would arrive and give us all presents. We used to call Santa on one of those old fashioned phones attached to a wall to see how much longer he was going to be. Some of my favorite Christmas memories are of those parties. 

Every year there’s a Stampede breakfast and the community comes together to visit and eat. It’s a great way to catch up on what everyone’s up to and it’s one of those events that you know all the old aunts and uncles are going to be at. 

It is a true community and I appreciate it now even more than I did before we left. Being a part of this tribe has always grounded me and made me feel at home and safe. 

My happiness moment today was going to a bridal shower at the hall. The bride has also been gone from the community for quite a few years. Yet everyone showed up to support her and celebrate with her. We sat around and looked at presents, visited, drank tea, and ate all those yummy treats that only show up at hall parties. This happiness moment made me shine from the inside out. I am so blessed to be part of this community, and I now to get to bring the kids up here in this safety net of love. 

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