Tag Archives: deer

happiness

Just watch out for bears and stuff 

The girls and I finally got back out for our evening walk/bike ride. After it being so dry it has been raining non stop the last couple of weeks. We had a little break in storm clouds and took full advantage. 

Those girls make me laugh so hard. They have such a good time together out on their bikes. They make all the trucks honk their being horns and they play crazy, made up games on their bikes. 

As we were passing a field we saw two bucks quietly grazing. Our presence scared them and they quickly bounced away. 


The girls saw me trying to take their picture and informed me that there was no way my iPhone could take a good photo from that far away. Then they said if you want a good picture of some deer, look closely – here come some now. And they put their fingers up like antlers and proceeded to prance all over the road laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Which of course made me laugh just as hard. Time spent being silly with those two made for a great happiness moment today. 

They rode their bikes a bit ahead of me and as we parted we all did our typical have fun, just look out for bears and stuff. 

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Morning giggles

The day started off with some happiness giggles. Jacob was using google translate to repeat sentences back to himself in English. He said he uses it sometimes when he’s having difficulty reading something in class – I thought this was brilliant problem solving on his part. This morning however he was using it just to be silly. 

As we were heading into town he typed hahahahahahaha into the translator and we were laughing at how silly the robotic voice sounded laughing. 

We turned the corner and ran into our family of deer having their morning meal. They lifted their heads up to greet us while munching away. Jenna started laughing and pointed out they were chewing and opening their mouthes in time to the translator saying hahahahaha. They were! It was the cutest thing to watch. 

My happiness moment, sitting on the road with the two people I love most and enjoying the morning. We are blessed. 

  

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The swans (happiness bonus)

I made Jenna join me for forced family fun time this evening and we went for a walk along the ridge. Although it took some encouraging to get her there, once she got going she didn’t want to stop. 

It was a perfect Alberta spring evening. The mountains were sharp, the cows and calves were eating supper, the deer were out, and we were joined by the visiting swans. I love where we live. 

The naughty dotted dog discovering the deer 

The mountains   
  
The swans.  

Being on this ridge always makes me feel so much closer to dad. I miss him incedibly. The more we get into spring, the more I realize how long he’s been gone. It makes me happy to walk in a place that brought him such joy. 

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Ray a drop of golden sun 

This evening the kids and I were bouncing along the road chattering and giggling when we had to stop to let a herd of deer pass in front of the car. 

  
Then, because it’s us and all, we started singing very loudly and very badly Do-Re-Mi from the Sound of Music. Jacob even kindly rolled his window down so the deer could hear us howling out the song. 

As we went around the corner we turned into the ray a drop of golden sun part of the song 

  
I always wanted to live in a musical. Tonight was about as close as it’s going to get. My happiness moment with the kids. 

Home. This is what my happiness looks like.   

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Family is family wherever you are 

One of the great gifts Dad left us with last spring was reuniting us with his family. There’s a great distance between Alberta and Ontario, and even though we now have email and FaceTime and texting, it’s still not the same as the in-person stuff.

A few days before Dad died my aunts and uncles (his sisters) came out to see him. He actually ended up passing away as they were getting on their planes and heading home. Just in case there was any doubt that it was important for him to see them – he hung on just long enough. They pretty much got home and  then turned around to come back for the funeral.

But, the benefit of those intense visits was that it bonded us together in a tighter way than we had ever been before. Through all the grief of losing a brother, husband, father, and grandfather, we found our way together into a closer unit. I know Dad would be so happy about that. Family was so incredibly important to him.

This afternoon we had my cousin’s daughter (Dad’s great niece – his sister’s granddaughter) and her boyfriend come out for a visit. I think the last time I saw her she was about 4, and she’s 21 now. It’s been a long time. Yet she called us up because she was out here and wanted to see us. Family – there is that special bond.

It’s so weird because we know all the same people yet we didn’t know each other at all. However, because of that bond it was so easy and comfortable. She is a lovely young lady (good job parents!) and it was such a delight to get to know her a little bit better. A great happiness moment.

We went out for a little drive. I love seeing home through other people’s eyes. One thing I really noticed about her is how excited she is about life. She has so much energy and joy about what she’s doing and was so engaged in what was going on around her. That’s a great way to live.

we had to stop to see the deer

I love this church

I may have ended up in jail…

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The slow road 

Sometimes I get frustrated by how long it is taking me to get my mojo back. I know part of it is impatience, part of it is the fact that that it has seriously been a long, slow road.  Like, I’ve been on this road for a few years now. I just want to be stronger and have my zing back already. I miss that version of me. 

I guess what it also shows is how completely broken I was before I started reaching for better things. When I remember that, and think about where I was, then all I am is proud and excited at how far I’ve come in my journey to make a better life. The best thing is it’s made a better life for those around me too. 

The kids are reaching for the stars while learning what it means to feel firmly grounded and supported. 

Both of my kids are fascinated by these happiness moments I’ve been watching for in the last few months. Often we will be driving to town, or sitting at the dinner table and one of them will start asking what our happiness moment was today. An awesome byproduct of me looking for mine is that they look for theirs now too. 

Tonight I was sitting on the couch contemplating life and Jenna sat down beside me. She asked me what my happiness moment was, and I wasn’t sure yet. Then she cuddled up beside me and we just sat there. Voilà! Instant happiness moment. 

The good thing about being on this long and slow road is that I’m able to take the time to soak in these little happiness moments. The little ones that all add up and make life. 

We took the long slow road home today in the snow and came across one of our four legged friends trying to hide on us. 

  
Being able to slow down and breathe in nature is my antidepressant and anti- anxiety. 

  
So, I will breathe deeply and dig down and keep on this long and slow road. At least I’m headed in the right direction. I’m headed home. 

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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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Deer me

 
Today was the day of the deer. First we saw this lady and her friends out for their morning stroll while we were driving to school. They usually hang out at one corner every morning, happily standing on the side of the road. As you can tell, she is not afraid of me at al.   


Almost every morning while I’m sitting having my tea a few deer come into my back yard and stare in my window at me. I figure they’re asking when I will be planting the garden and if I could please plant something yummy for them. 

This afternoon this one was lying at the edge of the old garden having an afternoon sun nap. Even though I was standing fairly close and had my dog with me, she was not bothered enough to get up. 

   

Happiness moment, spending time in nature and soothing my soul. 

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