Winter Wonderland

We are supposed to get a fair bit of snow this weekend. I am hoping we do. So far, so good. Although the 20cm that was forecast has now been downgraded to about 10cm. Good enough. 10cm is enough to cover the copious amount of sunflower seed shells that have collected under the feeders. I scoop them up and toss them out every now and then but a fresh white dusting of snow makes everything look so sparkly and clean don't you think?

Anyway, Paul has decided to take advantage of the stormy weather to re-do all of the lighting in the house.In fact, he plans to replace the kitchen counters and floors in the near future as well. Although he was hoping to get up and start early in the morning, he ended up getting a fire call in the middle of the night and didn't get home until 4:30am. He was a bit behind schedule but he caught up quickly.

 He replaced the yoga studio light and the two hall lights. He took down some cupboards in kitchen to open it up (the cupboards over the peninsula). Wow, what a huge difference! The kitchen looks huge. And this very afternoon he was going to install some pendant lights over the counter top. The reason I say WAS going to is because when he got up into the attic to cut the holes, he pulled back some of the insulation and lo and behold... he found a cute little brown bat. He screamed like a girl quickly came back down, closed the trap and told me I'd have to wait until spring to get the lights installed.In his defense, I don't think I would like to be lying down in a cramped attic with my belly touching the joists and my back touching the rafters and have a bat 6 inches from my face either.

So now what to do? Is there just one or are there more? I already told him we are not killing it. After finding that cute little mouse in a trap in the garage I vowed I would not to that again. We could wait until spring and hope it/they flies/fly away. That would be best. The irony of this whole situation is this: I bought a bat house in the spring and Paul put it up outside. I checked that stupid thing every day for a bat and none was to be found. Of course not! Why would a bat live in a cramped little bat house when he could live in the wide expanse of an insulated attic?

So back to the snow. He is having a little nap, and probably dreaming about bats. Athena is flying around the house pretending to be a bat and I just got a pan full of Bolognese simmering for the afternoon in preparation for tonight's dinner. I am heading upstairs to practice some yoga. Later on I'll work on that sweater I have been knitting for myself for what seems like forever. I'll likely have a glass of wine or two and just settle in for the duration of this storm. I like weekends like that.

Artistic Design

I have always wanted to paint pictures.

I don't know what makes me think that I can.

When I was in elementary school I sketched a bit.

And I was okay at it.

The other day Paul took out my easel and set it up in

a prominent spot so I could easily get to it.

Truth be told, staring at that blank canvass intimidates me

more than anything else.

Early that same morning, he also gave Athena a small canvass to paint on.
 Later in the day, I got out the acrylics and put them into anempty egg carton for her.

She got set up. Put her paint shirt on and immediately started

to draw on the blank space.

 

Soon after, she was filling in the picture with the paints.

Carefully. CARELESSLY.

I asked her how she does it.

How does she just start a painting without even thinking about it?



She said "You think I didn't think about it but I did.

I just saw it in my head and I made it."

If only.

If only I was courageous enough to do that.

If only I was carefree enough to do that.

If only I had the vision to do that.

If only I had the innocence and perspective of a child.

If only.

Best Gifts Ever

This has been a good year. Yes, I know, it is only the first week of January but still...
We have been spending a record number of hours outdoors and I couldn't be happier. Did I ever mention to you that I love winter? Didn't think so. So let me say, I LOVE winter.

In fact, I'll find any excuse to go outside. The bird feeders need to be filled. The driveway has to be shoveled. The garbage needs to go to the curb. Any reason at all. Today, little miss A and I went snowshoeing for nearly 2 hours.  We traversed hills and dale. Navigated bush and trees. We crossed no less that 3 sets of barbed wire fence. First I had to show her how to step on the bottom stringer and hold the middle stringer so I could maneuver through. She did well!

We followed rabbit trails in hopes to find one. No luck. We saw deer trails as well. She was hoping to find a wolf. No luck there either. (Just so you know, wolf packs are found at least 2 hours north of our home but that did not dampen her hopes.) What fun. What exercise!! I think I may have trouble walking tomorrow. My yoga practice will likely not contain standing poses.

All of this reminded me of two of the best gifts I got this Christmas but neglected to mention. Athena bought me a black mushers hat, not unlike the one she has. And Paul got me some really warm gloves/mittens which at first I was not crazy about but now I absolutely love. I am warm no matter what the weather. The cap and gloves, along with my Sorrel boots, ski pants and down jacket and I can stay out for hours. Pure joy!

Simple, Perfect, Beautiful

(picture not my own)

I have seen many snowfalls in my 45 years on this earth. Most of us have. It has been some time since I've experienced heavy snowfall. Never have I ever seen anything like the east coast saw these past weeks, although I admit I would like to just once... or maybe twice.

Yesterday, in my attempt to spend more time outdoors, I beheld something I don't think I ever have before. The pure loveliness of a single perfect snowflake. Have you ever really looked at one? I am ashamed to admit that I don't think I ever have. But yesterday as I was sitting on one of Athena's swings watching her play, it began to snow. I had just finished shovelling snow from the previous night's snowfall and was just relaxing in the quietness of the day. I was wearing my black jacket and black ski pants and had been out for almost an hour already so my outdoor "warmies" were already cold.

 So there I sat and a single snowflake fell onto my lap with the backdrop of the black clothing. I looked at it closely. It was perfectly symmetrical and so so tiny. Another fell and yet another. Each snowflake different. I sat there for a long time just admiring their beauty and marvelling at the wonder of it all.

Simple, perfect, beautiful.

Thoughts on the New Year

(Painting by Kumi Rajagopal)


I always find myself waxing nostalgic on New Years Eve. As I replace my old calendar with the new, I look over each month and reminisce. What a year it has been. A year of disappointments and joys. A year of change and yet no change. A year of stress in some areas and peace in others. A year of sickness and health. Of love and of loss. Of hardship and of carefree days. I am sure the same can be said of your year as well.

I like to review the old year on New Year's Eve. What worked? What didn't? What would we have liked to have done differently? What would we do the same? Which leads to the questions: What would I like to accomplish in the next year? What do I want my life to look like? What do I want to let slip away? What do I want to change?

This year I am not making a list of things I want to stop doing. I am making a mental list of the things I would like to start doing. I find it much more appealing to focus on the positive.

This year I plan to:

**Study yoga more in depth. In fact, I plan to practice yoga every day this month as a jump start. I want to study the philosophy of yoga. The yamas and niyamas. All the limbs of yoga. And on that note, does anyone have any book suggestions to help me on my way?

**Be more creative. Although it is true that in the last 2 and 1/2 years I have never been without some sort of craft project on the go, I would like to become creative in other ways. Cooking, drawing, playing piano. Things like that.

**Pay more attention to healthy eating and cooking. Almost all of our meals are homemade already but I would like to get my carnivore husband and daughter eating more vegetarian meals. More fresh living foods.

**Grow my sense of gratitude and appreciation...for my family, my neighbors, my home, my town, my country.

**Go outside more. Every day. Find something new to appreciate and wonder at. Spend time communing with the natural world.

**Develop a spiritual connection to something greater than myself.

**Be fully present in whatever it is that I am doing, whether it is watching my little one play, ironing clothes or filling bird feeders.

**Live simply. Love freely. Laugh often.

And so on this first day of the new year I wish for you enough. Enough work to keep you busy. Enough joy to keep you smiling. Enough health to keep you vital. Enough means to supply your needs. Enough hardship to make you stronger and to make you appreciate the good times. Enough faith to keep you going.

Happy New Year to you all.