Embrace Life

One Frame at a Time | Stormy Days

I have sat down to type this post for way too long.

The only thing I've got right is the photo!

A storm drain. 

What a wild few days!

The weather, as seen on the television and via internet, was tragic and frightening. Though the effects of the Frankenstorm was not felt here to the same degree as in the States. Every autumn it is so sad to see the news from various places, big and small, as they suffer the punishment of the storms. We did lose some power for a time. We did have a lot of blustery wind - more of the Winnie the Pooh variety than anything considered violent. The rain has arrived in fits and starts. It is really no different than most tropical storms that come north - they often defines our autumn weather. Always the tail end of something terrible.

It gives me pause. A pause created by a society collectively holding it's breath in anticipation of something awful.

As a result, I'm so incredibly grateful for having healthy kids, a roof over my head, a vehicle (albeit a tiny little Matrix rental) and always something to keep me busy.

Life is good.

hello monday | 47

hello orange and gray. i love fog as much as i love fall.

hello workshop. so much for my plan to sign up for nothing in 2013!

hello frankenstorm. i suppose erring on the side of panic is better than the alternative.

hello parenting. so very tired of being treated like i'm stupid.

hello matrix. i really do miss my suburban.

hello u.s. elections. the end is near-ish! though the divisive rhetoric will remain.

hello new recipes. enjoying many new options as palates mature.

hello upper school play. looking forward to watching my boy on stage.

hello court. seriously? this will be two hours wasted. believe me, i'm sure.

hello bathroom. fixtures have finally arrived, we can begin!

hello elementary. this is the best new show of the season.

hello monday. you are my most favourite day of the week.
i love that you provide me with 52 fresh starts every year.

 

what are you saying hello to on this brand new monday?
head on over to lisa's blog and link up in the comments.

things we do | massey hall

For the most part, I have four selective eaters. They've always been that way. Of the four, I have one picky eater. Or should I say, I had one picky eater. A couple of years ago, and with daily thanks since to Jamie Oliver and his "Food Revolution" television show, Cole eats real food. We've moved beyond microwaveable crap to tasty and nutritious choices.

Claire is my best eater, trying new things and enjoying nutritionally balanced offerings with the occasional binge of Dr. Pepper and Mars bars (newly changed to ginger ale and peanut M&Ms). Chloé prefers most of her food to be white - yes, ick - and carb filled. Caden has always been my most active child in the kitchen, often willing to try new things and help me prepare.

I've learned to choose my battles. In order to keep things well rounded and healthy we may indulge in far too much of some of the same things: roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, "mama" rice, sauteed tomatoes and mushrooms, wilted spinach and oodles of salad. Not a large selection, but the kids will eat all of it! A few times a week I experiment - usually from a Jamie Oliver or Barefoot Contessa cookbook - and if there are enough thumbs up, it will enter the rotation.

For the longest time we had Jamie Chicken at least once a week. Things have changed and now that Claire - my only white meat eater - has moved out of the house, I purchase a crazy amount of "club pack" chicken thighs as preparing a whole chicken was a waste. I still appreciate the lessons learned via Jamie Oliver through his television show, his cookbooks, his TED talk.

What does all of this have to do with Massey Hall?

Well, Jamie Oliver came to town!

Jamie Oliver has a new cookbook out and I was thrilled learn that he was on a book tour which would bring him to Toronto. I was even more thrilled that my boys wanted to come to Massey Hall and hear him with me!

After a CRAZY day - that included dentist appointments and voice lessons - we hopped into the truck and drove into Toronto to hear a very engaging man speak about his "special needs", his passion for food, his determination to make good food accessible and his life with four young children. He was engaging and charming and Cole was thrilled we attended. Caden kept expecting a cooking demonstration and was less than happy that after an hour and a half there was no food preparation.

As part of the price of admission we each received a copy of the new cookbook - Jamie Oliver's Great Britain. Cole got home and promptly folded over pages filled with recipes he'd like me to make for the family. Who knows, this time around he might even help me make them?

As you can imagine, no matter how much we love the man, we do not need three copies of one cookbook!

If you're interested in a copy, leave a comment answering:

What is the favourite vegetable in your house and how best is it prepared?

I'll draw for a winner sometime later in the week - let's say, Friday the 2nd by noon my time :)

real right now | body work

Nope, not my body :)

My truck ...

It's a really tight turn from the ramp on the right into my parking garage and the wall got the better part of the Suburban :(

It's painful to look at it - scraped off the back end. Gives me chills - the noise was awful. Lucky for me, I have a GREAT auto centre and the truck was dropped off within a couple of hours of this most recent act of stupidity! 

A few lessons:

Be more patient with that turn.
Remember that the turning radius is tighter for the back of any vehicle.
Treat myself with kindness. AKA: Shit Happens.

Funnily enough, earlier in the day, I was sitting writing notes which turned my mind to pondering the multitude of things - good and bad - that have happened in my life over the last few months. It seems like I'm on some kind of crazy, fast-forward, with so much going on. Life, it seems, has sped up significantly in the last year or so. I finally realized what's going on.

I am active and ENGAGED.

My life has always been busy, but not full. Now I can say, with relief, it has become full and rewarding. A lot happens, push and pull, when you are living conscious and conscientious life. We all can get so caught up in the competition for busy, but I've now turned the corner and adjusted my attitude. I don't compete with lists and to do's - I am content with full. I am content with REAL.

This accident is simply a representation of my getting up off my butt, getting out of the house, engaging the world and doing something. It was so easy to be fearful, small, disconnected while trapped in my house. It was easy and miserable.

Now I'm not in the least bit afraid, small, disconnected, trapped or miserable.

Though I recognize what made me that woman, I'm holding tight to that part of me which is fearful of returning to that place. I am holding, equally tight, that part of me that celebrates my engagement.

There you have it, my real right now.

hello monday | 46

fog and holiday lights. it's that time of year.

hello minneapolis. looking forward to an evening with maya - and more!

hello my friend. thanks for giving me time away.

hello chisholm. thinking i may need a personal parking place.

hello evaluations. hoping for some answers, or less questions anyway.

hello new magazine. loved every single page.

hello parent/teacher night. four kids, not enough time!

hello hamstring pull. much preferred to a concussion.

hello bar mitzvah. it's going to be a great night for my girl!

hello music festival. this should be a fun experience.

hello free time. planning on planning nothing for a while.

hello monday. you are my most favourite day of the week.
i love that you provide me with 52 fresh starts every year.

 

what are you saying hello to on this brand new monday?
head on over to lisa's blog and link up in the comments.

places we go | maritimes

Our plans fell through, then they were on again, then fell through and then we went. The weekend before we left for our University tour of the Maritimes, I posted on Facebook and had family and friends respond with invitations to visit and recommendations for hotels and restaurants. It was fabulous.

Originally we were going to forego our Down East plans as Claire was to write her SAT exam on the weekend we'd planned to be away. It turns out she deferred them to November and kind of forgot to tell me, our family travel coordinator. I never saw my university before my first day on campus and I think it's very important for my kids to visit the area and get a feel for a place before they decide to live there for (hopefully) four years, or more.

WEDNESDAY | Trans Canada Highway

We headed out of Oakville on a Wednesday, with a plan to stop at a hotel en route. Well, that didn't happen. Since we had a 2PM appointment for a tour of UNB Fredericton, it didn't make sense to check into a room for three hours. We went straight through. The total drive to Frederiction was 1,396km, 17H15M, one nap, lots of fog and a carload of grateful non-French speaking fans of XM radio!

On the road. The fog was thick until we hit the other side of Toronto. We were all talking until around 1AM, aka at another standstill in Montreal as there was a traffic jam. And a lot of this:

CONSTRUCTION! Honestly, from one end of Quebec to the other it was one big construction zone and I was glad to be driving it through the night. I couldn't imagine the back-up should we be driving during the day. Combined with the fact not one sign had any English on it I have to admit I was a bit fearful I'd forget my gauche (left) from my droit (right) and end up in a ditch - or worse! That is what provided the impetus to just continue.

THURSDAY | Fredericton, New Brunswick

I took an hour-long nap somewhere outside Riviere du Loup and then drove on. By the time the kids woke up we were encased in fog again. Serious fog. Hello Northern New Brunswick!

When we arrived in Fredericton around 11AM our hotel room wasn't ready so we went off to Boston Pizza (ick) for lunch. I was more than a bit blotto so no photos of UNB! Claire and Cole went on a guided tour and I checked into the Lord Beaverbrook with Chloé and Caden. We had an early dinner at the Grampy-recommended Swiss Chalet (my kids love that) and then hit the sack!

FRIDAY | Rothesay, New Brunswick; Amherst, Nova Scotia and Halifax, Nova Scotia

We woke in Fredericton and I tried to make up for my lack of photo taking of the day before:

They make me laugh!

Then we were on the road. A perfect opportunity for Claire to get in some practice:

We met my parents for lunch in Saint John at a great new hamburger place:

Then a quick trip to their place in Rothesay. It is so beautiful. Then it was time to head to Amherst, Nova Scotia to see my friend - and first year at Mt. A roommate, Wendy. For the first time in 28 years I could be found in Sackville. Never in my wildest imaginings did I ever think I'd ever be back. The bookstore was closed so no sweatshirts for the kids' growing collections. I can't say I'm terribly upset about that.

We arrived in Amherst to see this sign: "Closed for Renovations". It really should have said Closed for DEMOLITION. There was no evidence of a McDonalds except for the remaining drive through signs.

Then we met up with Wendy and her family for dinner. It was so great to see her. It's been far too long and though we keep in touch via Facebook it really is no subsitute for the real thing. I don't know how my kids are going look at me in the same way after stories of togas and smurfs.

Yes, she's as sweet as she looks!

Back on the road ...

There was a lot of this. And, a random 18Km toll road in the middle of Nova Scotia!

We arrived in Halifax around 9PM and the city was gorgeous with the sparkling lights reflected on the water. The kids were enamoured from the start.

SATURDAY | Halifax, Nova Scotia

My friend Elaine sent me with a care package for her daughter who is at Dalhousie, taking the course Claire is looking into. Mission accomplished! Marissa then took the kids on a tour and hung around with them for the "official" tour, too!

My girl LOVES stone and I knew she'd fall in love with the Dalhousie campus. She did.

Then it was time for a late lunch. We met another daughter of another friend who is up from the US to attend King's - which is affiliated but separate from Dal. An option for Cole who is considering journalism. I can only hope when I ask my children to entertain random unmet internet friends that they show the same kindness and confidence as we received from Hope!

I've only recently become a fan of bread pudding, but I have to say, if you like it and happen to be in Halifax, head over to this pub! The food was AMAZING and the desserts even better :)

That night Claire went back to Dal and stayed overnight with Marissa and her friends. How better to get the full university experience? She had a great time and really got an understanding of life in residence - which is not the same as residence at high school. While she was doing that, I met on online friend who I think I can safely say is now a friend for real! What a lovely evening trading stories of parenting, backgrounds, ideas, observations and dreams. I hope to spend more time online and off with my friend, Sue.

SUNDAY | Truro, Nova Scotia

We got all packed up again and checked out of the hotel. Fortified with breakfast from Cora's we were on the road ... again! This time to Truro to visit with and share Thanksgiving dinner with my cousin Peter and his family. Before arriving at his place, I bored my kids silly with a tour of the town as I spent just about every summer and many Christmases of my childhood in Truro.

We arrived at Pete's place and the kids were introduced, by his son Taylor, to the fine art of Washer Toss:

No, they're not competitive at all.

We were then treated to a FEAST! Kathy totally outdid herself. Turkey and ham and potatoes and carrots and best of all ... GREAT COMPANY. My aunt Beth, a dear and lovely woman, was there and I'm sure overwhelmed with the noise and energy of my four - but in a good way, I hope! She is so sweet and if I'm in the least bit considered a good mum it is completely due to her example.

Liz and Paul were there with their daughter and her boyfriend. It was such a wonderful visit - a true kitchen party. I do wish we were closer. I'm so glad my kids were able to experience my family and friends. So kind and generous - all of them. The whole trip was tossed together with such short notice to see all of these people was such a great lesson for all of my children.

Sadly, our evening came to an end:

Until next time!

MONDAY | Trans Canada Highway

6AM came early ...

According to Google Maps, the drive from Truro, Nova Scotia is 19 hours to Oakville.

We managed to make it in 18, even with a couple of rest stops for food, etc. The photo above is the only stop in Quebec. I had forgotten about the 401 parking lot between Kingston and Ajax. What a grind!

We had a deadline. Claire had to be back in boarding for 9:30PM. It was extended to 11PM and we drove up to the doors at exactly on time.

We didn't do the "tourist" visit this time around and next time I hope to take the kids to see some of the gorgeous sites enjoyed in my youth: Cabot Trail, Peggy's Cove, PEI, Shediac - though last Thanksgiving I was happy to have a chance to take them to the incredible Hopewell Rocks. This was more business: UNB and Dalhousie/Kings are under consideration. Nope, no Mount A, where I went for my days and nights of whist and rye. Too small, too cold. 

This trip taught all of my kids a few things: how gorgeous the Maritimes are, how friendly the people, how wonderful my friends and our family are no matter the distance of time and location. Most important, and the biggest shock when I left Ontario for school in NB, though this part of the world looks small on a map but it takes forever to get anywhere and no one is in a hurry. THAT will take some getting used to if any of them choose to go to school Down East.

So many wonderful things to consider.

Of the places we go, this is one of my favourite.

Food | Chicken in White Wine

Disclaimer: I am not a foodie, I like good food. 

While at the beach this summer, I found a number of old cookbooks - most circa 1999. A lot has changed in the world of food consumption since then, but one thing has not changed: good food is still good food. I chose a few recipes and brought them home with me to try. Some I Ieft alone, others I tweaked to meet my new Canyon Ranch-inspired sensibilities. Forever ago (late August), I shared my plans, and though we are well on our way to rediscovery, I've not posted much since.

Though most of my recent cooking has come from those older books, this meal came as a result of our visit to Target to get sleeping bags on our way to Darien Lake in August. I was on a recipe-collecting roll and bought this book because of this recipe on the cover. My boys were insistent!

CHICKEN IN WHITE WINE
serves 6 (in my house, would serve more somewhere else!)

3 slices bacon, chopped
8 pieces chicken, we prefer thighs
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 head garlic, cloves peeled
1 tablespoon tomato paste
227g (half pound) cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
2 cups (450mL) chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 small red potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, cut into 2” lengths
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Serve with multigrain baguette and garden salad.

1. Heat a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Add chicken to Dutch oven, in batches, and cook until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to plate as it is browned.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion, celery and garlic to Dutch oven; cook, stirring until vegetables are lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until smooth. Add mushrooms and pearl onions; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, wine, potatoes, and carrots; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pot.

4. Return chicken and bacon to Dutch oven. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and juices run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, whisk together flour and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in about 1/4 cup of hot stew liquid until blended. Add liquid to put and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with fresh parsley (if you remember, often I don’t!).

— FROM MY KITCHEN BY WAY OF WEIGHT WATCHERS “ONE POT COOKBOOK”, 2012

* * * * *

The timing of this project is great as the brilliant Cathy Zielske has developed new recipe book templates! I'm now able to get my act together and all recipes blog-worthy are also book worthy!

* * * * *

Now that I have a fabulous format, I am hoping to get a complete recipe book put together in the next few months. Claire will be heading off to University late next summer and I'd like her to have some of the favourite family recipes ready to go along with her.

I'll share more as soon as I remember to take photos of the finished meals - before the kids get to them! It's good stuff :)

hello monday | 45

this is claire's view at school - as of last week, before the rain!

hello audition. what a great experience!

hello dancing with the stars. this all star season is my guilty pleasure.

hello lunch with friends. glad our plans came together.

hello evaluations. hoping for some answers.

hello walkathon. maybe a dry one this year? please?

hello carnegie hall. i suppose it's a start. holy moly!

hello possible concussion. fingers crossed the tests show all is okay.

hello jamie oliver. looking forward to some inspiration.

hello blissdomcanada'12. totally out of my comfort zone. scared to bits.

hello rain and cold. autumn has definitely arrived.

hello monday. you are my most favourite day of the week.
i love that you provide me with 52 fresh starts every year.

 

what are you saying hello to on this brand new monday?
head on over to lisa's blog and link up in the comments.

12 of 12 | October

Here we are, the 12th of the month, again. I am so happy I started this project so long ago. What an incredible record I've had of our everyday lives - if one day a month. So manageable :)

01 | All dapper and ready to head to school. I love it that he always starts his day with a big smile and upbeat attitude!

02 | Like most mornings this one had a "last second" something-for-school. Chloé needed a family photo for her 5 Things project in guidance.

03 | The shower is all measured out and things are going to be framed up today.

04 | I love mail - especially when cheques come in! This was the first time we turned in textbooks at the end of the school year. I'm so pleased the system works. I buy only "used" books and happy to know I've provided the same "happy mail" for someone else.

05 | Our Fortino's has an escalator which I think is really cool. People up the left and carts up the right. I waited until all of the kids from STA cleared out and went over to grab a sandwich and soup for lunch.

06 | Yum. Wild mushroom soup and a turkey club.

07 | I spent most of my day in front of the Big Mac catching up on all things www. I edited some photos, wrote some articles, read so much good stuff and caught a couple of TED talks. It was tougher today than most with the noise from the bathroom right above me. At this point, I should be used to the noise of workmen and their tools as it seems to be my constant companion, though this is a different project from last month. Sigh.

08 | Pick up time from school. Chloé got the coveted "shotgun" seat. I'm so happy to see that she's wearing her Optimates tie!

09 | I do this drive so often! Up and down Lakeshore - 1km up, 1 km down. Crazy, but the kids' napsacks are so very heavy I can't make them walk every day.

10 | Dinner time is always "what do you want?" with an "I don't know response". Tonight was a bit different as Claire was so happy to have pasta. Apparently they don't serve it at school. Next time I'll be better prepared with more ingredients and maybe a salad to go with the baguette!

11 | Back to residence to pick up her forgotten math assignment. I love that she is so dedicated to  improving her (already decent) marks this year. Not so crazy over her doing homework all weekend! I don't get to see her enough as it is.

12 | Cole went off to Canada's Wonderland with his friend, Ben. They were meeting up with a group of their friends a the Halloween Haunt. It's a traditional event and kids go from all over - which fills me with anxiety. It's like a parent test. I trust him, so he went and I crossed my fingers!

And with that, I put the camera away for the day.

48 by 49

WHY 48 by 49? | In order for me to be a full and complete person, I have to keep learning and experiencing as much as possible. 2011, certainly the end of it, beat the crap out of me and left me with a desperate desire to crawl under a rock. My family refers this (less than) charming aspect of my personality as "turtling". It took me about a year to recover and now 48 by 49 has been chosen provide me with accountability for getting out and about and gently force me to experience new things each week.

WEEK 01 | HEALTH

I'm learning you can't be successful without building a sturdy foundation for change. Through August and September, I built an accurate baseline with my FitBit. How much do I move? How much do I sleep? How much do I need to improve? So, it appears I am naturally at 30% of my "goal" of 10,000 steps as well as the other activities being tracked. Now that the weather is cooperating, I walk around the 50 acre campus at the kids' school three times then head home a couple of times each week. With help of my iPhone, I've set reminders through the day to "get off butt and ... walk around the block or do laundry or run up the stairs" and it's working! Upcoming, I have scheduled "appointments" in that same iPhone to visit our local YMCA four mornings a week to swim and walk before I get the kids off to school.

WEEK 02 | B12 DEFICIENCY

As is often the case, when you turn your attention to one aspect of your life, in this case heath, a lot of things come along with it. For me, I have very little energy. I thought it was simply the thyroid disease I was diagnosed with 18 months ago. I came to realize it has to be something else, in addition. Is it age? menopause? laziness? thyroid disease? I do suffer from all of those things, but my blood tests came back that I have trace amounts of B12 even with a monthly shot and an oral losenge taken twice daily. My natural habit is not to push for answers or be confrontational with the "expert" aka doctor. Now I'm hounding my family doctor and my naturopath to figure out what is going on. In the meantime I'm getting shots, taking my meds and moving more - can't hurt, right?

WEEK 03 | NOVEL

I finished Gone Girl a couple of weeks ago. It was chilling and stays with me still in it's casual horror. Seriously scary stuff. The whole book was good: beginning, middle and end. That's what I need. A book that doesn't disappoint at the end. I am now reading The Dovekeepers by my favourite Alice Hoffman and it's a bit of a grind at this point, but I know she won't let me down. I'm also in the middle of Daring Greatly and it has been validating and engaging.

WEEK 04 | REGAINED SELF RESPECT

It was high time for me to practice what I preach. Some people stay in a volunteer capacity because they "should" even when they are being undermined and treated without respect. I used to subscribe to that philosophy, but I don't any more. With much regret, and fear of mistaken perception, I resigned from my position as clothing buyer for our school shop. It was a job I loved and was most passionate about. They hired a new manager and our roles are redundant. This is in addition to the disappointing fact that she is a rude woman who hoards power and information while trying to undermine those who "work" for her. I worked for that type in the corporate world, I didn't need to suffer that again in my volunteer world. Whatever will I do with all my free time? 44 more things to discover!

________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

pmm | chloé earns optimates

For her efforts last school year - grade 7 - Chloé worked hard for an 85+ average which earned her Optimates. Last night was a dinner and ceremony for the students in Middle School and their parents. It was a lovely event!

Chloé received her pin and certificate, presented by Katrina Samson, Head of School; and, Innes van Nostrand, Principal.

I am so very proud of my girl.

real right now | bathroom renovation

My new home feels like one big (unanticipated) fix-it project.

I am starting to believe that the homes that need fixing find me or maybe it's simply that most of the property built in this area within the last 25 years was slapped together without much mind to craftmanship or pride, but we're onto another project.

(Yes, I had an inspection but most of the issues were well masked by the previous owners. Sigh.)

Fortunately, my imagination had recently turned to "what if" scenarios and one of those was "what if I redid the master bath". I already know the materials and the look, I just hadn't anticipated the timing.

The time is now!

I left with the kids for our adventures in the Maritimes over the Thanksgiving Weekend on Wednesday evening and the bathroom looked like "before". We arrived home late last night to see the "after". Even better? NOT A SPECK OF DUST or debris or any mess whatsoever. My room was draped in plastic and much care was taken to protect the house. I am very pleased.

I am not sure what the week will bring, but I know I'm off to Pottery Barn to purchase a new vanity and then to Hamilton to buy fixtures.

Fingers crossed this project finishes up as well as it started :) I can't wait to see how it turns out!

hello monday | 44 the thankful version - late!

beauty is everywhere - even highway rest stops.

hello thanksgiving. new adventures in familiar and unfamiliar places.

hello highway. i can't believe we did it!

hello university tours. so many choices, the visits definitely helped.

hello family. wow. you are all remarkable. generous, thoughtful and kind.

hello washer toss. looks like i'll be building boxes for this new game.

hello new travel question. "will there be a pool?" has replaced "how much longer?"

hello driving daughter. the suburban is big, but she can manage it!

hello house don. thank you for letting her arrive past curfew.

hello tidy mess. bathroom is ripped out and not a speck of dust. so happy.

hello dead camera battery. sometimes it's worth just being part of it all.

hello monday. you are my most favourite day of the week.
i love that you provide me with 52 fresh starts every year.

 

what are you saying hello to on this brand new monday?
head on over to lisa's blog and link up in the comments.

4 Simple Goals | October 2012

My 4 Simple Goals, October 2012 - The "catch up" edition. I missed September!

1. Blog. I personally read blogs via Google Reader which means, as a result, I rarely know what the virtual homes of the bloggers I admire look like. I know I have to make my virtual home more current, organized and less cluttered. Time to update!
2. Project Life. My life has been getting in the way of this project! I have to get caught up to a manageable level. I want to get the most out of Project REAL Life as I can - and I can't when I'm so far behind.
3. Garage. Time to hang up the bikes and get organized before the snow flies! Maybe I'll even be able to sweep it out.
4. Winter Prep. So as not to be caught unaware, it's time to fit for winter boots and coats and replace lost hats and mitts. And, of course, donate whatever doesn't fit and toss whatever doesn't have a match!

REWARD*: Put a few new songs I've loved on my iPod/iPhone.  

What about you? Do you have a few activity oriented goals you'd like to meet? If so and you participate, let me know! I'd love to see what you have planned.

 *I recognize that meeting the goals is reward in itself. This is a reward beyond that - a small tangible token.

ing around here | october

watching the leaves slowly turn the vibrant colours of autumn. more each day.

packing light is the only way to travel. tougher as the weather turns cool.

paying for more home repairs. sigh. water really does not like me. at all.

listening to the new mumford and sons. love.

encouraging chloé as she plays basketball, she's a really good defensive player.

cooking chicken, a lot of chicken. and vegetables.

stopping football, this will be caden's last season. the risk just isn't worth it.

celebrating thanksgiving with family. happy.

cultivating a new relationship with my eldest. she's amazing.

waiting for things to end before they start again. need time to breathe.

marveling at the risilience of my children. wish it weren't necessary.

planning road trips with the kids. down east. down south. a bit west. 

anticipating only good things ahead. 

have you linked up with ali? since tuesday is, on my new schedule, dedicated to a project life post, and i don't actually have one (ugh) this will have to do! at least it will be a part of my project for this week, once i get to it!

hello monday | 43

good thing i knew exactly what i wanted. bathroom emergency left little time to decide.

hello october. welcoming the cooler weather and colour you bring :)

hello more construction. big leak = new master bath.

hello new sectional. so gorgeous and comfy - definitely worth the wait!

hello clutter. must set a deadline and just clear it out. no excuses.

hello daring greatly. and the read-along.

hello new television season. looking good so far!

hello basketball. love how my girl enjoys plaing this game.

hello new classes. doing this one with claire.

hello senior shots. hope to get these done this week.

hello education specialist. wondering what the results will be!

hello monday. you are my most favourite day of the week.
i love that you provide me with 52 fresh starts every year.

 

what are you saying hello to on this brand new monday?
head on over to lisa's blog and link up in the comments.