weather: cool and clear. lovely.
mood inside: quiet and cozy. just waiting for duck dynasty :)
drinking a mug of steamy hot earl grey tea.
cooking has always been more of a burden than a joy. i'm hoping to change and have a better relationship with food preparation by enrolling in a 12-week culinary program. i can only hope my attitude improves. i'm exhausted after years of "ick" to anything green - or *gasp* healthy - and my kids former preference for chicken nuggets and kraft dinner. as their tastes change (thank goodness!) it's time for me to remind myself how to enjoy the process and results of mindful cooking.
listening to the boys banter with each other. love it! things are so different around our home when the girls are away.
watching: survivor: blood vs water. i haven't watched the show in a while. thought it would be a fun thing to catch. so far, so good - fun concept this year, well, fun until it implodes.
reading the new "oprah" and "real simple" magazines i picked up on my visit to fortino's earlier today.
wearing a long gray sweater over black yoga pants and sneakers. i love comfy clothes!
packing up a "care package" to send out to claire at university. i've been collecting goodies all month. can't wait for her to open it up!
planning on installing pot lights througout the first floor. very exciting stuff :) we won't live in such dreary darkness this winter.
feeling energised. i know i'm on the right path. i'm taking it all in.
wanting the painter to finish up already so that i can have less disruption in my house. i'd like to put claire, cole and chloé's rooms back together!
needing to find someone to come with me to the sensory deprivation tank place in toronto! this is definitely something i want to try.
wishing i could be more content with the amount of stuff i do manage to accomplish than all the rest of the stuff left to do on my list. i'm too much of a project magpie!
waiting for chloé to return from temagami. she's only just left for a week up at the northern campus. in this case no news is good news, i'm sure she's having a grand time.
thinking the best phrase i've heard in a long time is one from my friend, robin: "like nailing jello to the wall". oh my goodness. those words so appropriately summed up last week and i greatly appreciated the laugh they provided.
enjoying having the kids rooms re-painted. lots of blues and grays - very soothing tones. all but caden's room because he chose "waterfall" by benjamin moore and it is still perfect for him.
paying close attention to the things that are happening around me. fascinating.
encouraging myself to escape my comfort zone and try new things. scary and fun. i'm trying to focus on the fun.
celebrating the big and the little things around me.
cultivating some wonderful new (and old) relationships. i am blessed to have my life populated by such warm, kind, open, honest, layered and smart people.
marveling at how much dust lands in my house in one day!
anticipating learning a whole slew of new and wonderful things in the very near future. time to start ticking off all those things on the list - one thing at a time. so much to look forward to!
and tada, a portrait of moi (for those who haven't seen it on facebook):
