Tag Archives: spring

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Quack quack. Look at me. 

Today Jenna joined me on her bike while I took Dottie for a walk. Even though I know better I got fooled by the calmness of the protected yard and we were almost blown away waking down the road. 

When we were coming back we saw a big bird flying over the slough. We stopped to figure out if it was a hawk or an eagle. As we were standing there staring at it and having a great discussion about what it was a mallard duck flew right up in front of us. It then got down on our level and very loudly quacked itself in about a 10 foot circle around us. Quack quack. Look at me. Quack quack. Then he flew off leaving us looking at what was very obviously a hawk. 

We giggled at the attention issues the duck had. I’ve never seen a bird so badly need to be noticed. 

As we were getting closer to home Jenna started riding her bike around me yelling quack quack. Look at me mommy. Quack quack. 

The happness moment for the day. 

Later while driving a bald eagle did fly by us and do a nice lazy circle before flying off. 

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Glamping

Today ends our Glamping (glam camping) trip. For the past few weeks we’ve had a whole house set up with borrowed furniture (some of it lawn) from family. Which has been so kind and actually sort of fun. But today our stuff cleared customs and tomorrow it gets filled (somehow) into the house. We are so excited. 

But today we made use of the empty space. Ella started climbing up the dog kennel and scratching at her kennel this morning. This was odd behavior because it was just bought for her flight here and isn’t a safe place for her to go. I went over to see what she was doing and found a mouse that my husband had snuck inside for her to play with. Almost 3 weeks go by and she decides to find the mouse. 

So we played fetch across the red carpet 

  

See the Glamping style chairs? They’re actually very comfortable. 

  

I am so jealous because while I was out at customs the kids built a huge fort city in the open rooms and are going to have the sleepover to end all sleepovers with their cousins tonight. 

A happiness moment. 

  

However, my happiness moment today was out on my morning walk when the swans flew honking along with me. I love them. 

 

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Icicle

I have to admit, when I woke up this morning and looked out and saw there was still snow on the ground I rolled over and moaned “nooooo, it’s Apirl 7. Snow? Still?” I am a summer person.

But Jenna, Jenna came running to me later in the morning when we were getting ready to go over to my parents’ place and said “mommy, you need to come out back so I can show you the icicles.”

She was so excited, I grumbled my way around the back of the house, and sure enough, there on the roof of the mud room were a row of wonderful icicles hanging.

She grabbed one and ran off with it.

She sucked on that icicle the whole time I showered and got ready, kept it in the car with her the entire way into town and finally announced at the door of her grandma’s house that she was done with it and threw it on the lawn (it was a much, much smaller version by that time).

Her finding joy in the weather, appreciating the sun and the icicles and the beautiful morning was my moment of happiness today.

Except that before all of that,

This

Happened:

I had been sitting having my morning cup of tea watching the Golden Girls when I was joined by Jacob shortly followed by Jenna. They sat and giggled and watched the episode with me and when it was over I went to turn of my iPad and move on with the morning. Both of them informed me that they weren’t done watching and wanted to see the next episode. Fun family bonding time – also a heart warming happiness moment.

We needed them because there were some unpleasant moments today too. I am so grateful that I have the intention to focus on and find a happiness moment in every day.

I am completely humbled by the grace and bravery of my dad. I learn so much about how to be a quietly strong person from him.

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Easter Sunday

This was our Easter morning view. A little snowy but beautiful all the same. To me Easter is a Vancouver Island thing with flowers and the ocean and walking logs by the beach on the way into Sidney for lunch. 

But Easter here is pretty amazing too.   

  

 We saw this on the way home from church. Pretty majestic.  

Happiness moment of the day was a family meal at my cousin’s place   I so love those times. Lots of love and laughter. I was extra heart warmed that part of the blessing included gratitude that we have come home. 

What a blessed Easter   

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Freedom dog 

 My little Dotted Dog has some issues. She’s socially challenged and a little neurotic   This is why we get along so well. I understand those issues well. 

She has a history of chasing cars and being unsociable with dogs. It’s not that she’s aggressive, but since she has no social skills (and thinks she’s a human ) she’s run into some difficulties. More so typically with owners. 

This mornng she met my cousin’s dog, Star, who is 7 months old and full of energy. I was a little worried about how it would go. But Star came running at her like Dottie was the most amazing being in the world and Dottie decided to just pretend she wasn’t there. Eventually they ended up settling into an ok kind of walk with Star bouncing and Dottie with her cloak of invisibility. 

Out on the walk, Dottie saw what may have been her first gopher. I never saw it to be sure but there certainly was something of interest there. 

    

But the biggest deal of all was that as soon as we got back in the yard I let her off her leash. Because of the car chasing and general neurosis she’s always on a leash. But now she has more freedom. 

 

My moment of happiness. Freedom. 

This made me think how true this is for all of us. Dottie is not the only one to have freedom. Jacob got to walk to Tim Hortons with friends. Today the kids walked the mall by themselves. Freedoms they never had before.

 There is a huge amount of freedom that comes with the feeling of security and belonging.  

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My sanity walks

Walking  the river in Roanoke began the healing of my spirit. Ever since I stopped riding I’d been searching for something to take on that spiritual healing part of my life. I have found it somewhat both through yoga and my morning walks. 

Well, now my morning walks look like this:

   

And not only is it beautiful, but it is the place where my spirit soars. Where with every step I take I have a memory attached to it. This road I walk I have ridden my beloved ponies hundred of times over the years. I have ridden down this road with my grandpa, my mom, my dad, my sister, my cousin, my dog. I have even pretended to chase cows down this road. 

Today as I stopped to admire the view I heard honking. I thought it was geese, but when I turned 2 pairs of swans were right over my head   They flew and honked right  past me  heading towards my parents’ place. I had to just stand in the middle of the road and be happy and grateful that I was here in that exact moment. My moment of happiness.    

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Pussywillows. 

I have a lot to write about but tonight I’m too tired. 

Today’s happiness moment was walking down the lane with Jenna and seeing pussywillows. It, along with the fact that the cows have been moved in to calf, and that the swans are on the slough, means that spring is coming to the ranch. I’m happy I get to share this with her. I brought a pussywillow plant into Dad today so he could enjoy some of the spring reminders as well 

  

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Signs of spring 



This is my happiness moment for the day. Crocuses always remind me of springtime at the ranch. Which means family, calves, green coming back, long days, that gopher and crocus in the snow picture at my parents’ place, and the beginning of summer fun. It also reminds me of the flower book my dad put together with stories of all the wild flowers we grew up picking or looking at.  

Today on my walk I saw actual leaves starting to pop on trees. I saw these crocuses growing in the garden of a friend of mine. 

Spring. New beginnings. New life. New hope. Seasons change and we have to embrace the new and find love in happiness in every single minute. It’s the only way. 

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Sunshine happy people

Whatever cloud was floating around me yesterday certainly lifted today. It was sunny and 21C which seemed to turn the entire valley into a bunch of sunshine happy people. Usually on Sunday mornings before church I meet a friend at the local coffee shop and we catch up on our week, discuss a spiritual book we are reading, and make a goal for ourselves to follow for the upcoming week. This woman plucked me out of the congregation at church and invited me to join her about 3 years ago and it has been a wonderful friendship that has given me a lot of happiness and spiritual grounding.

This morning we started off sitting in the sunshine in the window before she suggested we move outside. Outside!!! On February 8th!! We sat outside at 9:30 in the morning and had coffee and tea and a visit – and it was warm!!! 

I think it kind of baked some happiness into my insides because the whole rest of the day was a sunshine happy kind of day. One of those glorious days where things just click and feel right.

We made Valentine’s Day cards in Children’s Chapel (still find it funny I’m the one teaching Children’s Chapel – but whatever, I actually really enjoy it). It was so heart warming to see how excited the kids got to make a card for someone they love. They’re just so open and free with their feelings, I learn a lot from them.

Later I walked the dog along the river with what seemed like the population of the entire valley out enjoying the sun – and actually ran into 3 different people I knew. Which, in this place where we usually still feel like transplants is a really big deal. It goes a long way to making us feel more at home.

This afternoon a friend of mine put this link on their Facebook page. REM singing the  Furry Happy Monsters – because anything that involves the Muppets makes me happy.

Today on day 14 of 44 days of happiness, it was a Sunshine Happy People day. 

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🎶 There’s a bluebird on your windowsill 🎶

There’s a bluebird on your windowsill, there’s a rainbow in your sky…

Every time I see a bluebird I think of three things: that song, spring, and chocolate.

When I was a kid, my mom had a deal with us that the person that saw the first bluebird of the year got a chocolate bar. This was a big deal for us as chocolate was hard to come by in our house (which probably helps explain the stashes of it I have hidden in my house now). But it also meant that spring had really and truly arrived. Many a barn swallow or purple martin was mistaken for a bluebird – there always had to be someone else to vouch for the fact that we’d actually seen the bluebird.

The past few days here I’ve been dealing with the winter blahs. It’s been cold (by Virginia standards, not Alberta standards) and windy, but more than that I think I’m just so tired of no leaves on the trees, no colour, no warmth.

Today on my walk this little guy landed on a branch in front of me and started singing. He let me get right up to him before he flew a few feet ahead sang to me again. This went on for quite a while. I was actually starting to feel kind of like I was in a Disney movie – walking through the woods with birds singing at me. I was looking at him while he was serenading me and thinking “he sure looks like a bluebird. It must be one of those barn swallows again.”

I came home and double checked in my bird book. Sure enough, it was an Eastern Bluebird, which is different from the Mountain Bluebird that I grew up looking for,  and apparently they live year round here. But, whatever. I’ve never seen them in the winter, and I’m taking it as a sign of spring.

here he is singing to me from one of the branches. The picture’s not very good because it was SO cold and the dog kept tugging on her leash to keep going

IMG_2948Day 12 of the 44 days of happiness was brought to me by my Bluebird. I want to say thank you to him for singing to me the joys of spring.

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