Ostara Blessings

It is the time for the earth to be reborn and for us to invoke images of fertility to awaken the soil and bless it with abundance.

Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word "east" comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word "aurora" which means " to shine"). Modern pagans have generally accepted the spelling "Ostara" which honors this goddess as our word for the Vernal Equinox.

Many Christians and others who celebrate Easter often see this holiday (which observes Christ's resurrection from the dead after his death on Good Friday) as being synonymous with rebirth and rejuvenation: the symbolic resurrection of Christ is echoed in the awakening of the plant and animal life around us. But if we look more closely at some of these Easter customs, we will see that the origins are surprisingly, pagan! Eggs, bunnies, candy, Easter baskets, new clothes, all these "traditions" have their origin in practices which may have little or nothing to do with the Christian holiday.

Why do we use eggs and decorate them at this time of year? Have you ever wondered how eggs came from rabbits and why both are so celebrated at this particular time of year? It is a question well-worth pondering. Decorating eggs and spending time with them, acknowledging them and their symbol of fertility was something that ancient pagans did to aide the mother earth in her quest for richness of soil, abundance of crops, and bountiful harvests in the coming months. This has been an image that has carried through the thousands and thousands of years bringing us to the activities of today that find many children gathered around the table dipping cooked or hollowed out eggs in pots of dye.

Today we were lucky enough to have my friend Doris and Quinn's friend, Alex here to decorate eggs. Doris has been running classes on the art of Pysanka for ten years and today she offered us an intimate opportunity to try our skills at this ancient art.

Ostara is a time to celebrate the arrival of Spring, the renewal and rebirth of Nature herself, and the coming lushness of Summer. It is at this time when light and darkness are in balance, yet the light is growing stronger by the day. The forces of masculine and feminine energy, yin and yang, are also in balance at this time.

At this time we think of renewing ourselves. We renew our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations. We think of renewing our relationships. This is an excellent time of year to begin anything new or to completely revitalize something. This is also an excellent month for prosperity rituals or rituals that have anything to do with growth.

In the Pagan Wheel of the Year, this is the time when the great Mother Goddess, again a virgin at Candlemas, welcomes the young Sun God unto her and conceives a child of this divine union. The child will be born nine months later, at Yule, the Winter Solstice.

There is much symbolism in eggs themselves. The golden orb of its yolk represents the Sun God, its white shell is seen as the White Goddess, and the whole is a symbol of rebirth. The Goddess Eostre's patron animal was the hare. And although the references are not recalled, the symbolism of the hare and rabbit's associations with fertility are not forgotten. The Spring Equinox is a time of new beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for future grains, and of tending gardens. Spring is a time of the Earth's renewal, a rousing of nature after the cold sleep of winter. As such, it is an ideal time to clean your home to welcome the new season. "Spring cleaning" is much more than simply physical work. It may be seen as a concentrated effort to rid your home of the problems and negativity of the past months, and to prepare for the coming spring and summer. To do this, many Pagans approach the task of cleaning their homes with positive thoughts. This frees the home of any negative feelings brought about by a harsh winter.

To that end we are enjoying a particularly windy day here in Georgetown. It is my hope that this wind brings forth a wonderful new season filled with more of the love and abundance that we have been blessed to have been experiencing in recent months. It is a great time to rid ourselves of those qualities about ourselves that make us least happy and to foster, aide, and feed those which make us glad to be a part of this fabulous world!!


Information for this post, with my own thoughts sprinkled in, are from two sites I found. You are welcome to check them out for yourself by clicking here and here.

Happy weekend!

Appetizer

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting?

I would say about 8, most of the time. When it counts I think I deliver but there are certain days when I can barely read it let alone everyone around me.

Soup

Do you prefer baths or showers?

Showers. Every once in a while I take the time for a bath but the reality of life is that there is little time for the luxury of a bath.

Salad

What was the last bad movie you watched?

I can't even think of one. I don't watch a boatload of movies. I did see "Elisabeth" or whatever that new Cate Blanchett movie is called. I liked it though.

Main Course

Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life.

Checking my email. It means that I am often found at my computer (to the frustration of my spouse). I can live without checking it. I just like to check it whenever I get a chance.

Dessert

Which instrument is your favorite to listen to?

Sax. There is something about John Coltrane that just makes me weak in the knees.

We took time for a romantic interlude

You can imagine that we don't have a lot of opportunities to get away by ourselves with the schedule I have and clients being due all over the place. WELL . . . my March 12th client delivered two weeks early and so Doug and I followed the lead and example set out for us by our very dear friends, Karen and Larry.

Two weeks ago we (and three other couples) met up in Toronto with Karen and Larry to have dinner and drinks. When we set off home, they set off back to their hotel. They were using some of Larry's points to spend a night in Toronto and alone. Pure genius!

We talked about it and started looking into the options. Then my client delivered and we had a hole in our calendar. Doug's points were spent booking us a room at the Delta Chelsea downtown.

What fun to learn on Thursday that we were expecting to receive a HUGE dumping of snow on Saturday. My sister and Chris were set up to have the boys stay with them while we were away but when it came down to it we couldn't take the risk of driving them over there. We didn't mind taking the risk ourselves but we didn't want our kids in the car in that weather.

Doug's mom came through and saved our romantic lives. She offered to keep the boys and we set out. It took slightly longer to get to our destination but we were safe and had a wonderful time. We walked through the Eaton Centre, dined at a lovely Italian restaurant near the hotel and finished our time out with drinks on the 27th floor of the hotel.

When we settled into our room we pulled out my laptop and enjoyed the Eddie Izzard video we had borrowed from friends over a month ago. Wholly CARP! What fun. It was hysterical.

We arrived home yesterday to find the snow that you have been seeing in the pictures on this message. Doug and I have helped the boys (over this VERY snow-filled winter) cut a fort into the snowbanks. So after Doug cut it back out (we did get about a foot of snow over Friday and Saturday) they used it as a place to launch some of their snowball attacks.

It's a wonderful life.

It's MONDAY!!

Appetizer

If you could be any current celebrity for one whole week, who would you want to be?

I can't think of anyone per se. I love the idea of being in front of a large group and singing again as I haven't done that in many years. I guess I would pick a vocal artist that I like who happens to be on tour currently so I could revel in the energy of singing in public. Otherwise I might be Ed Begley Jr. as I admire his commitment to the environment and wish I could make as many changes with my immediate world as he has with his.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you enjoy talking on the phone?

It depends on the situation. Mostly a 6 I guess. If I am enjoying time with my family (something I don't get to do very often) then I resent answering the phone. If I get to it though and it is someone who really just wants to ask a few questions or get an answer about something and they are quick, I don't even mind that much. I don't initiate a lot of calls but I receive plenty. I try not to act as though it interrupts my life. Sometimes it does but no one can know what you were doing before they called so it isn't like they are TRYING to interrupt.

Salad

Name a charitable organization to which you have donated (or would like to).

Green Party (both provincial and national). I donate both time and money and I LOVE being involved in a grassroots organization that focuses on trying to make a better world for my children to grow up rather than the politically f***ed up mess we have now.

Main Course

What is a food you like so much you could eat it every single day for a month?

Pasta. My pants wouldn't agree that it should be eaten every day for a month but I do!!

Dessert

Have you or anyone in your family had the flu this year?

All four in my immediate family have had the influenza virus pass through our bodies. Not fun. The only savings grace is that there isn't any vomiting with it. We coughed, hacked, sneezed, ached, moaned and sweat (fever) for about a week each. It was a sad and pathetic sight actually. Now we are healthy and stronger for having fought it!!

Medieval Times

Friends of ours took us to the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament on Friday evening. We had a GREAT time. Quinn was totally enthralled and Fergus was captivated. Both have talked about little else since then.

What follows are a series of images of the evening. We were on the Red/Yellow side which meant he was the knight we were to support. We ate with our hands, drank soup from pewter bowls and laughed with our friends. What a wonderful experience.

Good Sunday to you!

Appetizer

Who was the last person you hugged?

My husband. He is the best hugger. Although my kids are pretty awesome too. I just stood in the kitchen and hugged Doug for the amazing dinner he made for our family tonight (while I slept). He totally ROCKS!

Soup

Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

Wash your hair from time to time. It looks crappy and smells yucky when you don't. (Is this really a question???)

Salad

What does the color yellow make you think of?

Sun. Happiness. Love. My bedroom. The walls are yellow. My family. We like to snuggle on the bed in our room to watch movies or read stories or just spend time as a family.

Main Course

If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around?

Babies. This is a neat question. My husband DOES make his living as a photographer and digital imager. He takes pictures of cars though. Inanimate objects are his preferred choice. I like babies. Or flowers.

Dessert

What was the longest book you ever read?

Time Traveller's Wife? I don't actually know but it was one I read recently that was pretty long. I loved it BTW!!

Monday's Feast (who's kidding who here?)

Appetizer

Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

I suppose I probably have but to be honest I do better hearing other people tell tales of their success with playing jokes on others than actually completing the act myself. My sister and Chris' sealing of Ada's bedroom door with weather barrier was probably the best I've heard. Oh, and when he convinced her that the sale of their house had not gone through.

Soup

What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

A pepper mill and an empty spice container. Do people actually have "matchy, matchy" S&P shakers? I guess I was never given any and didn't think to buy them. I suppose what I have is better than having to grind the pepper in a mortar and pestle or than getting the salt straight from the box.

Salad

Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

Doug and I are hoping to stay in Toronto one night in April just to have a night alone. Friends of ours do it and it sounds like a GREAT idea. I am also going to NJ in July to see some incredible people.

Main Course

What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

Green Beaver Apres Ski Winter Body Lotion. I know, the research department could have come up with a MUCH better name for a product being marketed to womyn then "Green Beaver" but it is 100% Natural, Canadian AND it doesn't make my eczema worse!!!

Dessert

Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.

I am really not that imaginative. I like to eat dessert. I suspect that much is obvious. I don't like to invent something. Not for dessert. You don't mess with that stuff. Now, I will throw things together in a pot and call it dinner and it often comes out better than I anticipated but I can't do that for dessert.
How about: 2 scoops of Mapleton's Dairy Organic Chocolate Ice Cream, topped with one sliced banana, a Tbsp. of maple syrup and coconut flakes. We'll call it: a Canadian Chocolate Monkey.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

Name one thing that is unique about you.

Not only do I do labour support and postpartum support (sometimes 40 hours a week) but I also homeschool my children. I don't know anyone else who homeschools with a work schedule like I have. I am blessed with wonderful family who make this possibility a reality for us.

Soup

Fill in the blank: My favorite _________ is __________ but I like _________ too.

My favourite drink is wine but I like martinis too!

Salad

What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?

The bookshelves are oak. The bed frame is pine. We have almost most no MDF so we are able to avoid exposure to the toxic carcinogens in MDF furnishings. I like all wood though -- except I like it oiled and more than stained.

Main Course

Who do you talk to most often on the phone?

Doug. My love. My life partner. My best friend. My husband. The father of my children. My lifeline. My dream-come-true.

Dessert

What level of responsibility do you have in your job?

Depends on the job. At the hospital I am an educator. I am employed by the hospital but as long as I have evidence to back up everything I am saying, I can say pretty much what I need to in order to cover the content. I am also self-employed. In that case (since my business is now co-owned) I have half the say in everything that is done and covered with my business. I work for other people though (labour and postpartum support, etc.) so I have to make them happy. I guess they dictate their happiness and therefore what I say and do.

Friday's Feast . . . when I woke up on Tuesday

Okay, so it is a few days late. Can't blame me really. I began working midnights last week with a family who has just had twin girls. I work Sunday-Thursday 10-6 and when I get home I try to get a few hours sleep before the boys need to be anywhere and do anything. Now, if only I could get the babies to sleep. I know they WILL sleep and I was MUCH more patient with my own children. It is hard to be patient.

Anyway, the author of Friday's Feast is having "technical difficulties" so I took these questions from my friend Steph and I don't know where she got them.


1. Cake or pie?

Pie. Pumpkin pie. I know that doesn't sound very romantic but it will always have special meaning for me. My dad's birthday is 3 days before mine. He always had a chocolate cake for his and so as to be able to have a special dessert without repeating the choice we opted for pumpkin pie (fitting for a Halloween birthday, wouldn't you say?). Now, that said, I LOVE cake too. Dessert of any kind really.

2. What is your favorite kind of candy?

That's hard to choose. Depends on my mood. Sometimes there is nothing better than a Werther's Original toffee. Other times I love to have a mint. Swedish berries are probably my favourite though.

3. Do you actually like conversation hearts?

Can't say that I have ever had them. I must admit here that I had to open a new tab and Google "conversation hearts" to find out what on earth they are. They are pastel though and so I dislike them on principle! ;o)

4. Would you prefer chocolates or flowers from a loved one?

OR??? I have to choose??? Then flowers. I can buy my own chocolate but I rarely buy myself flowers. Lillies, or daisies, or roses, or irises, or fresia, or tulips.

5. What is the sweetest thing someone has ever done for you?

So many people have done so many amazing things for me. I am truly blessed in the friends and family that I have. The most recent and therefore most significant "sweetest thing" is the time my business partner used some of her points to send Doug and I to Niagara Falls for a night. Then the womyn on the BEST email list in the WORLD (they are my tribe) pooled their resources to buy us an extra night. We had never been away together like that for a weekend since before the boys were born. It was an extremely special and amazing gift that has more meaning then any of the gift givers could ever know!! Makes me weepy all over again.

Friday's Feast, once recovered

So, the Leeson and Gardiner family spent the greater portion of the last week in bed. I woke with the influenza virus last Sunday and spent the next 48 hours in bed. I returned to work later in the week to learn the it was a bug being passed around the hospital (so much for them having all of their employees be vaccinated). Every department was missing staff for this virus. Oh well. It felt as though we were going to die, but we didn't and now I am here to Friday's Feast about my life.

Appetizer - What is your favorite kind of cereal?

Depends on the day. Sometimes it is rolled oats in the form of oatmeal. Once in a while it is Weetabix -- not flakes, the biscuits. Today (and recently) it has been flaked cereal with pieces of dried fruit in it.

Soup - When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

Martini glasses, bought last month, they went in the kitchen and they sit on the counter waiting to be used. I have been one week martini-free since becoming infected with the damn flu-bug. Hard to sip apple martinis when coughing up a lung.

Salad - What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

There have been a few. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Ikea commercial when the woman comes out of the store looking at her receipt and yells across the parking lot to her husband to "start the car! Start the car!!!" (She thinks she is getting a "steal.")

I also liked the one where the baby was in the Jolly Jumper and while mom talked on the phone the dog pulled the baby back enough to get some serious elasticity in the spring, released and the baby was able to fly through the air to fetch the block of cheese from the counter.

Main Course - Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

Rosemary Jackal

Dessert - Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.

danced since Doug and I were first dating. I miss going out to the bar to dance. I wouldn't necessarily want to now because I wouldn't know the music or be near the age of anyone in the bar but I remember loving the act of going out to dance and just let me body move to the music.

Friday's Feast - on time!

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?

A countless number. I am blessed to be homeschooling my boys so I have loads of opportunities to laugh with them through the day. I also do work that I love and have time with couples expecting babies. They laugh often as do I when we are all together.

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?

I have two pairs. My regular, everyday sunglasses are a huge, black-rimmed pair. They block out lots of light. My favourite pair are brown-rimmed. Ahhh, brown. My favourite colour.

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

From the east coast of Canada to the west coast of Canada. My family has to come with me. I want my husband and children to see this fabulous and vast country.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

My friends. Almost everyone I know in this community I know through the local LLLC Group. I was blessed to meet them when I first moved here. Friendships formed that have lasted since then. It has been an endless gift. LLLC in general has been a gift to me. Through them I have met most of my closest friends from all around the world (Maryland, Texas, NJ, Connecticut, Pacific Northwest - in Canada and US, Florida, UK, New Zealand, ALL around the world really).

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

Violet. Don't know why. Just think it would look cool!

Friday's Feast - on Sunday this time

Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

Generally I would say water. I love a cold glass of water. When I want a beverage of a different kid it depends entirely on who I am with and what time of day it is. With Doug I want red wine. With girlfriends I want martinis. On a summer day I want a gin and tonic. But at the end of it all I just want water. Pretty much never soda.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

Desk? What desk? The kitchen table you mean? ohhhhh!! a fork. a knife. a spoon.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

You're asking someone who helps womyn cope during labour about her honesty? It depends on the circumstances. At home a 9+. In a delivery room, sometimes a 3.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

Kansas City, Mo. I would change it to Missouri City. Makes more sense to me. Shouldn't Kansas City be in Kansas????

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

My children. for both. Other things that stress me out? Driving. People who don't seem to care about the environment. People who use paper towel instead of rags or dish towels. Lack of respect.

Other things that calm me down? Music. Making an effort to spend time reconnecting with people who mean a lot to me. Going for a walk.

How do we glide?? Let me just tell you.

When Fergus was about three my BIL (Chris) was still at York University and playing hockey with the York Yeomen. He and Fergus thought that Fergus might like to learn to skate and so for Christmas or his birthday (I can't remember which) Fergus received a new pair of skates.

Chris took Fergus out onto the ice and patiently tried to teach my son how to balance on the ice. Fergus' issue at the time is one that I continue to suffer with. He wants to try a new skill after having had it described to him and then he wants to perfectly execute said skill. As you can imagine, if you have ever been skating before, it was not as easy as it looked -- or as he wanted it to be.

He hung up his skates after a few attempts and then Chris finished at York before Quinn got a chance to learn from his beloved uncle. We never thought to try as a family because Fergus had been so miserable about it.

In December Quinn was invited to participate in a weekly skating exercise with Alex, another homeschooled boy in town. I warned the adult taking them that Quinn had never been on skates before and so I didn't know how they would all fare. I had nothing to worry about. While Quinn didn't step onto the ice and immediately take off with perfect balance and beautiful cross-cuts, he did manage to have enough fun to want to continue on this path every Tuesday afternoon.

By the winter holidays Fergus' curiousity was piqued. He thought that he may, too, enjoy whiling away some of his time on the unforgiving ice surface here in town. Cool! He and I set off for the second-hand skate store. (As unlikely as this may sound to some of you in the south this *is* Canada after all. There are TWO of these types of stores in our town. I know. I didn't believe it myself until I was looking for a store in which to buy inexpensive skates.) We each managed to find a pair of hockey skates. No toe-pics. That was going to be a bit of a challenge for me but hey, I hadn't been on skates in (dare I say it) probably 20+ years so the lack of toe-pics weren't going to be my only hurdle.

We went out a couple of weeks ago and Fergus had a GREAT time. By the end of the first hour his feet hurt and his knees felt weak but he was ecstatic! He had had a wonderful time. By the end he was managing to glide for short distances and wasn't feeling the need to hang onto the wall. What a wonderful change in such a short time.

This past Tuesday Fergus and I planned to skate with Quinn and his friend, Alex. Unfortunately we were not home from my MIL's ophthalmologist appointment to make it worthwhile to pay to skate. Since Quinn is only 6 he skates free so we popped his skates on for the last 20 minutes. I promised Fergus that he, Quinn and I would skate the following day (Wednesday) when we would have a chance to spend the whole 80 minutes on the ice. My MIL, Christena, was with us while Quinn was skating and loved watching the kids on the ice.

Christena used to be something of a seasoned skater herself, when her children were young. She did ice dancing and all kinds of other, more technical moves. As soon as she saw Quinn on the ice you could see her starting to become excited about the prospects of moving about on frozen water.

Well, Wednesday dawned bright and early and by noon all of us were psyched about heading to the arena. The boys and I were settling in to eat some lunch before leaving when Christena came up to visit. (Given she lives downstairs, these brief visits are normal and expected.) She asked if I would take her to the second-hand skate store so she could get some skates. She had been thinking about it all night and really wanted the chance to join us on the ice.

Off we went. She walked into the store (try to imagine a store -- much like a grocery store -- with rows of shelves lined with skates), saw a pair she liked, tried them on and bought them. We were in and out of the store (including time spent sharpening the blades) in less than ten minutes. It was really funny.

She helped me get the boys laced up and we were on the ice by 1:00. She took one hesitant step (not having been skating since Doug was a young boy) before pushing off and skating comfortably and confidently. She isn't jumping . . . YET! It will happen in the next couple of weeks I bet.

She and I alternated helping each of the boys back and forth over the 80 minutes we skated. With the focused concentration the boys received we were able to help them make massive improvements in their skills. Fergus was flying around the rink (relative to how he had been circulating the edges the week before) by the time we had to leave.

Christena plans to come with us every week and the boys are so excited that she wants to do this with us. (Me too!)

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is your middle name? Would you change any of your names if you could? If so, what would you like to be called?

Marie. It is a name that is common in my paternal blood line so no, I wouldn't change it. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that I was named after my grandfather (NO his name was NOT "Samantha." He was Sam, just Sam, nothing else). If I was to change my name at all I would probably just be Sam. It falls out of the mouth more easily.

Soup
If you were a fashion designer, which fabrics, colors, and styles would you probably use the most?

Organic Bamboo and Organic Cotton. There is nothing like wearing cotton and bamboo. They are the two most soft and comfortable natural fabrics I have ever touched. Of course, synthetic fibre just isn't (shudder, shudder) an option for this "natural womyn." As for colours, I am an "earth tones" kind of gal. Love brown, orange, sometimes green, not-white light colours. NEVER (did I yell that??) pastels. And clean, simple lines. I hate sequins (for me), embossing, decorations, fancy stitching. Just simple and plain. Oh yeah, and I would rather go naked then wear pink or purple.

Salad
What is your least favorite chore, and why?

Dusting. There just isn't any obvious visual that it's done. With tidying you see a cleaner floor. When dishes are done the counters are clear. With bathrooms, well . . . you get what I mean.

Main Course
What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life?

Fire. Both of my maternal cousins were killed in a house fire when I was 5. I still remember the phone ringing in the dead of night and the sound of my mother's voice as I sat on the stairs and listened to her receive the news that her sister's children had died. It will haunt me forever.

Dessert
Where are you sitting right now? Name 3 things you can see at this moment.

At the kitchen table (in my "office"). I can see my children writing "thank you" cards for the holiday gifts they received. I can see the "Pirates of the Caribbean" Lego ships that Fergus has put together (I should post a picture of that). I can also see the new/used skates we got so that we can all skate together at the daily shinny at the local arena. (I am surprised at how fast some of it comes back . . . although I miss the toe picks of old since I am now using hockey skates).

Jan 11 and no snow

Well, I was telling some of my sisters (an online community that I am all but blood related to) that the weather here has completely changed. Since I was so fast to post images of our wonderful white winter-ness outside the front door last week, I thought I should be equally quick to show you how grey, brown and dismal winter looks this week.

According to Environment Canada our area received "hurricane force winds" two days ago and as a result the downtown core of Toronto was shut down for the afternoon and evening. We didn't see much here though other than the displacement of neighbours recycling bins as the flew through the air with the greatest of ease.

I hope, for the sake of my children AND of myself, that we are back to winter weather soon. That said, this thaw did give me a chance to plant the bulbs that I had hoped to plant in the fall but forgot.

Happy Friday to you. The Friday's Feast is coming soon.

Playing in the snow is a gift!!!

This will be an "image intensive" entry. (I didn't know that phrase existed until I was reading Suna's blog and learned that an entry with loads of pictures and less text is considered "image intensive." Most of my entries tend to be like that.)

Yesterday we spent some time playing outside in the snow. This year, as I think I mentioned yesterday, we have more snow than usual. So we have been piling the snow from the driveway into the yard. I took time to build the boys a bit of a fort, which they have been working on too. Now they are off out to carve cubby-holes in the walls (for storage) and windows and everything. I remember playing in the snow like this when I was young and it is great to do this with the boys too.

Hope the snow stays though. They are talking about the weather climbing to +13*C next week. It is currently -14*C and therefore COLD!!! If the fort is well packed down then a few days of rain and/or warm weather will not do too much to break down the walls. Makes everything icy though.

Have a wonderful and sunny day wherever you are reading this from!


PS - Lee, I have a Tim's AND a donut for you last night!!!

It's 2008!

Where does the time go? In a flash we leave the heavy emotions of 2007 behind and focus on carving a new path in 2008.

We attended our annual New Year's Eve party with the same group of friends as in years past. This was our 9th time connecting for the festivities. The boys decided at 6 pm that they wanted their hair cut for the party so that they could look "cool." So, I dug out my shears and clippers and set to work cutting their hair before we left. Funny how influenced they are by holidays.

Upon returning home, around 1:00 a.m. EARLY the morning of the 1st we all snuggled into Doug's and my bed. Doug and I have a king-sized bed so there is room for all four of us. I asked everyone what their resolutions were for the new year. After defining the word "resolutions" for Quinn he was the first to tell us what he resolves to do.

Quinn: I resolve to write thank you cards for the gifts I received over the holidays (he came up with that ON HIS OWN!!)
Fergus: I resolve (after I buy the PSP game I have had my eye on) to save my money this year.
Doug: I resolve to be happier (and for a guy who has had a really crappy 2007, I suspect that he will be successful)
Sam: I resolve to make more time for my family to spend time with them and do new and different things with them.

And, with these resolutions voiced, we settled down for a long sleep. Upon rising yesterday we discovered a different world than when we had gone to bed. We found about 4 inches of new snow lying over everything. I had a breastfeeding consultation to go to so that meant Doug and I got to start the day by shoveling. It was heavy snow underneath so the lifting and lugging was harder than we initially thought it would be.

They boys now have a great mountain of snow in the front yard to play in. In fact, I think I will send them out there right now!! I can't remember when we last had a winter with this kind of snow in the Greater Toronto Area. Lots of places west and/or south of us here get loads of snow. Not here though. We received more snow in December 2007 than we had ALL winter last year.

Anyway, we were to travel to Kitchener for our annual New Year's Day dinner with Kelly and Chris (LONG-TIME friends) but with the blowing snow here I couldn't take that risk. I have a client due on Jan. 10 who has been going regularly for extra doctor's appointments re: the baby so I couldn't take the chance of being storm-stayed in Kitchener. They often get lots more snow there than we get here.

It made me sad not to be able to go and see them but I think Kelly, who is currently pregnant herself, understands. We will see them again at the end of the month instead. (That's when we both had spaces available in our schedules.)

Because we were staying in town we decided to spend some time at one of the many hills (here in Halton Hills) to go tobogganing. The boys love tobogganing and Doug and I do too so this was a great family activity. I think Quinn was still somewhat worn out from the previous night's activities (and the celebrating of the previous few weeks) that he could only go up and down the hill half a dozen times or so before he decided that he was a better observer than participant this time around.

We finished our activities off with a stop at the most traditional of Canadian establishments, Tim Horton's! Everyone enjoyed a hot chocolate while we discussed our best runs of the day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR one and ALL!!

Friday's Feast - on Monday morning

Appetizer - Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.

A better balance of work and family. I spend too much time not being with my family and I need to see them more when we are able to be all together. The second is taking bigger, better steps towards being environmentally responsible and eco-friendly in our home.

Soup - With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?

Miss Piggy. No, wait. She is a puppet and I suppose that doesn't count. I love to sing though and am pretty headstrong so she works otherwise. Are there any cartoons like that?? Donald Duck I would have to say.

Salad - What time of day (or night) were you born?

2:45 p.m. I think.

Main Course - Tell us something special about your hometown.

My hometown is a small, Scot-celebrating location in southern Ontario. Fergus hosts the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games which people come to from all around the world. It also has one more special connection for me; with Doug being of Scottish ancestry and my being from Fergus it seemed fitting to name our eldest child: "Fergus."

Dessert - If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?

As long as the content was positive and friendly, Leanne Hall-Willier. She and I went to Belgium together 20 years ago this spring and I would love to know what is going on with her now. I think she lives in Ottawa and I heard she has a son, Hunter maybe?, and I would love to have a chance to reconnect. I haven't seen her since Doug and I were in university.

Benazir Bhutto

I wept as I heard the horrific news yesterday. It was a shock to my heart and my head that this womyn would be assassinated. I understand, as has been pointed out by a very smart man I know of, that she was not without her skeletons. I just think she was the best of all of the options available. She was a womyn who wanted what was best for her country.

She knew she was putting her life at risk by returning to her beloved home country but she took that risk and ran with it in order to be able to work on something she believed in. She stood up for her beliefs. More of us should be willing to do that.

Go in peace, Benazir.

Our Yule/Solstice Celebrations

This morning's was a FANTASTIC ceremony. We met at the sacred space in Guelph at 6:30 (I even got up early enough to bake a quiche to take with me - can you BELIEVE it???). Fergus is a true kin to me and is also quite a night owl. That said he was able to get out of bed at 5:45 (after going to bed at 12:30 this morning when our friends left our Yule party) and got himself ready to go.

Once everyone had arrived we went outside and chanted in the parking lot. Once it was certain that all of us knew the words to the various song and chants that we would be using we walked down, chanting/singing all the way, to the river's edge. We stomped out a circle in the snow (there were about 20-25 of us) and welcomed the elements. Two members of the circle acted out the meaning of the Solstice. We went around the circle stating what, in our lives, we were grateful for that sometimes also causes us challenges. Fergus said he was grateful for technology. It was sweet because I think everyone can relate to the idea of technology being wonderful and yet a challenge too.

Once we finished and closed the circle we walked back up to the sacred space (UU Fellowship Hall) and feasted on all of the food that everyone brought. I LOVE a good breakfast pot luck. It was YUMMY!

Anyway that was our celebration this morning. It followed a WONDERFUL evening, after sunset, when we spent time as a family exchanging our holiday gifts. The boys each got one big gift this year from us instead of a series of small gifts. They are now the proud owners of Sony PSP's. Other's knew they were getting them so they also have a few games to play too.

After the gift exchange a few of our friends came by and celebrated the holiday with us. We managed to light the house with candles and holiday lights. It was great fun. We kept the red candle remnant from this year (as we had last year) to light next year's candles. That's the best I can do for honouring the Yule Log tradition.

It has been since before Fergus was born that I was able to take part in ritual that involved fellow wiccans/pagans, outside of my immediate family. It was amazing. And to have Fergus there with me, loving every second of it . . . it wasn't just amazing . . . it was MAGICAL!

Friday's Feast

Well, the person who writes Friday's Feast is taking today off, and who can blame them? So, I have decided to try my hand at writing one. We shall see how it goes.

Appetizer: What is your first thought upon waking in the morning?

Is it sunny? I always want the day to start sunny and then if it has to rain, fine but I prefer a sunny start. (my second thought is always: are the boys awake yet?)

Soup: What do you do when you finally have ten minutes to yourself and know that no one is looking?

raid the cupboards for chocolate and check my email - not very adventurous I'm afraid

Salad: Of all of the "alternative" therapies available, which is the one you have most trouble believing actually works?

Therapeautic Touch. I know that it *does* work because I have seen it yet I still can't imagine it working when there isn't even a laying on of hands anywhere.

Main Course: Name something that you never told your childhood friends because, at the time, you were totally embarrassed about but now are not so afraid of.

That I was scared of the dark. In all seriousness, when I am home alone I am STILL terrified of the dark.

Dessert: If you could subscribe to one magazine and only one, what would it be? (It can be out of print if you need it to be.) And do you subscribe to it now?

Ms. I used to buy it all of the time but have fallen out of the loop. I don't even know if it is still in print. When I read it I felt completely invincible and that I mattered. I love Mothering magazine but these days reading it is more because of the work I do than because of my role as a mom. I am still a "Ms." and I always will be. Never to be a MRS.

Our personal plans for Yule

We are going to a sunrise ceremony tomorrow morning (well, Fergus and I are going while Doug and Quinn stay in bed) with some wiccans from the UU fellowship/congregation/place we have been going to. We have to be in Guelph for 6:30 a.m. and will walk to the river, observe the sunrise and then walk back to the fellowship to enjoy a potluck breakfast feast.

Tonight though, we are trying something new and have invited over some of our local friends (who honour the changing of the seasons with us although it is not their path). They are coming over for snacks and a party and we will light our home by candlelight.

We will start things off before our friends arrive with a small gathering of just our family. We have always done the gifts on the eve of the solstice and so the boys are vibrating with excitement about what they will get tonight. Fergus is old enough to know that he is supposed to be more excited about the giving than the receiving but is too young to let that win over. (In fact, many of us as adults have trouble with that too, don't we?) It is so much fun to watch him grow and mature.

Have a great celebration everyone, however you celebrate.

Our reason for the season

What follows is what we, in my immediate family, honour about this season. An explanation of my faith.
*************************
Yule: the Winter Solstice, Yuletide (Teutonic), Alban Arthan (Caledonii)
Around Dec. 21
This Sabbat represents the rebirth of light. Here, on the longest night of the year, the Goddess gives birth to the Sun God and hope for new light is reborn.
Yule is a time of awakening to new goals and leaving old regrets behind. Yule coincides closely with the Christian Christmas celebration. Christmas was once a movable feast celebrated many different times during the year. The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace the pagan celebration with the Christian one.
The Christian tradition of a Christmas tree has its origins in the Pagan Yule celebration. Pagan families would bring a live tree into the home so the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm during the cold winter months. Bells were hung in the limbs so you could tell when a spirit was present.
Food and treats were hung on the branches for the spirits to eat and a five-pointed star, the pentagram, symbol of the five elements, was placed atop the tree.
The colors of the season, red and green, also are of Pagan origin, as is the custom of exchanging gifts.
A solar festival, The reindeer stag is also a reminder of the Horned God. You will find that many traditional Christmas decorations have some type of Pagan ancestry or significance that can be added to your Yule holiday. Yule is celebrated by fire and the use of a Yule log. Many enjoy the practice of lighting the Yule Log. If you choose to burn one, select a proper log of oak or pine (never Elder). Carve or chalk upon it a figure of the Sun (a rayed disc) or the Horned God (a horned circle). Set it alight in the fireplace at dusk, on Yule. This is a graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred fire of the Mother Goddess. As the log burns, visualize the Sun shining within it and think of the coming warmer days. Traditionally, a portion of the Yule Log is saved to be used in lighting next year's log. This piece is kept throughout the year to protect the home.

from (almost) ZERO to 60 - centimetres that is

Here are a series of pictures that I have and that I had. The summer shots are from two years ago so the gardens look very different now (well, this past summer I mean). I just thought it would be fun to show the comparison.

We hardly had any snow (a couple of inches but that was about it) until yesterday. We got between 20 and 30 centimetres (8-12 inches) in a 14 hour period. WOW! The boys are totally excited and we have plans to go out and spend the afternoon tobogganing while the school children still have classes.

Have a great day!!!

The boys play outside

This is an old series of pictures but I found them on my desktop. Fergus and Quinn are often gifted with the presence of their friend, Liam. These images were taken after our first big-enough-to-go-outside snowfall this year. We have had lots of snow now though. Not as much as my friends in the US but quite a bit for early December none-the-less.





Have a holly-jolly holiday season!

We have another new web site

My business partner has, thankfully, a tech background and found a template that we love. This site template has the colours we have been using for our business cards, postcards and folios. It looks better in my opinion and hope that people find it equally easy to navigate. We are averaging 40+ hits a day to the site and want it to be spot on.

Life has been incredibly busy as of late (which is why I posted so many entries here today, when I had some time) and I don't know if I will get to post again before the holidays. If not, please have a wonderful time with family and friends.

Much love to all!!

Friday's Feast December 14th

Appetizer - Make up a word and give us its definition.

Childrience - that is to have patience with your children as they do things in their own way, on their own schedule; even when you are already ten minutes late.

Soup - What is currently your favorite song?

Blues Traveler's "Christmas"

Salad - What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?

I don't have a Christmas list. I would like something for Yule though and that is for my family to join me for the sunrise ceremony at the river in Guelph on the 22nd. So far it sounds as though it is something they are considering; even though it means being up and ready to leave home by 5:45 am.

Main Course - Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.

Ombre Rose reminds me of my mom. I don't think she has worn it in years but whenever I smell it I turn and look for her.

Dessert - Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why?

Barney the Purple Dinosaur. He is just creepy.

Friday's Feast from Dec. 7th

Appetizer - What was the last game you purchased?

For me or for anyone? The last game we bought that we all play is "Uno Spin." Bought it when we were in Germantown (having the time of our lives with AMAZING friends and creating memories to last a lifetime) and we played it there a few times. The games we played helped to create a few wonderful memories too.

Soup - Name something in which you don’t believe.

A higher power (God, Allah, whomoever) who sits in judgment.

Salad - If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?

Probably Julia Roberts or Gwen Stephani. Most likely the former though. I love the way she puts parenting first and wears her children and mothers from her heart instead of from the pages of mainstream thought processes.

Main Course - What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

Things are more rapidly accomplished when I don't nag about them.

Dessert - Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Dimly lit, music with fond memories attached playing in the background, candles, incense, snacks, water, my children with me as well as Doug, somewhere we can all veg together and just hang out without phones or other outside influences.

Friday Feast from November

Appetizer - What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

I don't do rides very well. I am kind of a stable, two-feet-on-the-ground kind of gal. If I am going to ride a ride then I like it to be entertaining without any big ups or downs.

Soup - How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

I look for a familiar face and latch on to that person, almost stalker-like. If I don't see anyone I know then I find a chair in the corner and try to make myself invisible.

Salad - On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

8-9 if it is something I know about, understand the thought process behind and if I am not trying to convert. One thing I truly cannot abide is proselytizing and I am not on this planet to convert other people to my way of thinking. That said, I have extremely strong opinions and will share them when I am asked.

Main Course - Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

Nope. Why break a perfect record. I believe I am to be introduced to various viruses, etc. in everyday life and that doing so helps keep my immune system strong. I like to have a strong immune system.

Dessert - Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

Depends on the week. I usually don't watch anything at all until about 11:00 at night and then I sometimes don't watch any and I sometimes watch 2 hours. As I say, it depends on the day.

Friday's Feast, on a Monday

ahhh, better late than never as they say.

Appetizer: What was your first “real” job?
This could be open to a fair amount of interpretation. When I thought that I wanted nothing more than to be the world's greatest hairdresser I applied for and got a job as an apprentice in the coolest hair salon in Collingwood, ON. I was only there for a while and then moved to another salon. All in all I spent two years working at learning the art of hair styling. I still miss aspects of "Headlines" and "Marion's." (The two salons I worked at.)
The work I do now is more related to the courses and such that I have taken over the years and so I guess I am now working at my first "real" job. I love what I do though, if that counts!!

Soup: Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity?
The ocean's edge. There is nothing more breathtaking to me that the oceanscape. It is where I feel largest and smallest at the same time. I take a fair amount of creative inspiration from a quiet evening spent with Doug and the boys too.

Salad: Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…
I burp while I am trying to teach a class. They are never loud belches but they are enough that it is pretty hard to pretend they didn't happen.

Main Course: What values did your parents instill in you?
Be grateful for employment. No one ever owed me my job. I was to feel privileged to have been given the job in the first place and do what was asked of me in order to keep it. This was particularly relevant when I was a teen and all of my friends were complaining about their jobs and telling their bosses when they would and wouldn't work. My father, a business owner, could not abide by his employees telling him how things would be. He was happy to try to accommodate when asked but never when told. Wow! Can you tell that lesson stuck??

Dessert: Name 3 fads from your teenage years.
BIG, permed hair, stone-washed jeans pinned at the calves and ankles to be as tight as was physically possible, and ghetto blasters

Have I Told You???

about my latest venture???

My friend, Kristin, and I have opened a new business. We are babyREADY!!! We play the role of "baby planners" although shower planning, layette purchasing and diaper cakes are not our only areas of focus. We will continue to offer the programs and services that I have always offered with Hand In Hand Prenatal Services. I will continue to teach prenatal and breastfeeding classes.
Now we also have more selection of the types of classes being offered. One of the new classes is a Grandparent Preparation class outlining how things have changed and how to know what parents are doing now. There will also be discussion in the class about how to understand that it isn't personal when children make different choices. This is taught by my friend -- a grandmother herself -- and Canadian award-winning author, Teresa Pitman.
I am also going to continue attending births in the role of labour support. It's in my blood. I can't stop. I LOVE that part of the work I do more than any other!!!

I hope you will take a minute to check out our website and tell me what you think. We even have a blog section there too.

The Candy Fairy Arrives again

As I may have posted last year, although I don't remember if I did or not, my children leave their Hallowe'en candy out for the Candy Fairy who arrives and either leaves money or a gift in exchange for the sweets. It has been working well for the past 7 Hallowe'ens that we have celebrated and since they still buy it, I am still game for CF to keep coming.

This year the boys couldn't decide for sure what it was that they wanted. At first they talked about pooling their CF gifts and getting a video game. This idea didn't last long however. Finally it was settled. They would ask, again, for money to buy their own things. (This is actually the Candy Fairy's favourite choice as she is pretty lazy you understand.)

Fergus has been collecting his weekly allowance and coupled that savings with the $20.00 from the CF and was able to buy himself a Mini XPV. Quinn bought himself a cool looking Bionicle that he has been coveting for a long time. Both are gloriously happy and I managed to capture some of their excitement (with Fergus' gift anyway) outside today.


I also managed to spend some time standing on the stool outside of our house waving a broom in my hands. It seems that when you fly a remote control plane into a tree, no amount of revving the engine will untangle it from the snare of branches that trap it. At the end of the day it was a long garden stake that poked and prodded the little plane out of the tree.

Below is a feature I have found on the blogs of a few womyn who mean a great deal to me. It's called FRIDAY FEAST!! Hopefully I will remember to do this on a weekly basis.

Appetizer: Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?
Licorice, TWIZZLERS preferably, and always red (the best part of having high blood pressure is that I don't have to pretend to like black licorice because I wouldn't be allowed to eat it anyway)

Soup: What year did you start using the Internet?
I remember a friend taking me to a new, small, and virtually empty "internet cafe" in the fall of 1996. I was pregnant with Fergus and she was showing me how to do more than just read email, which I had been doing for a while.


Salad: What is your first name in Pig Latin?
amanthaSay


Main Course: Name something you are picky about.
Recycling and being environmentally responsible whenever possible.


Dessert: Fill in the blanks: I ____ ____ yesterday and I ____ ____ today.
felt overwhelmed . . . feel less-so

Special days in a child's life

A friend of mine from a very special email list I am on posted that this morning at 8:28 a.m her daughter would be 5 years, 5 months, 5 days, 5 hours and 5 minutes old. What a neat thing to read.

I decided to calculate it with my boys and so at 00:07 January 09th/08 Fergus will be 9 years, 9 months, 9 days, 9 hours and 9 minutes old.

Quinn will celebrate his special moment in time at 16:04 November 25th/07. At that time he will be 6 years, 6 months, 6 days, 6 hours, and 6 minutes old.

Time for you to do the math. Can you tell me what time of day and on what date my respective children were born????

Can you believe it? I've been "memed"

What the heck is that you ask? Good question. Well, it is something my friend Suna did. A friend of hers "memed" her and now she has to tag others.
The Rules: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

So, here it goes . . . my 8 random things . . .
1. I can't stand not colouring my hair. I get bored and need the change.
2. Despite the size of the item I am knitting, I am pretty much always bored with it by the time I am 2/3 finished.
3. I actually like having my MIL in the same house.
4. I am a Facebook addict.
5. I especially love giving and receiving home-made gifts as opposed to freshly bought gifts.
6. Starting this new business (babyREADY) has made me happier than I thought I could ever be -- as far as employment goes.
7. I wish I liked the cold more because I love the idea of outdoor winter sports and activities.
8. I wish we could afford to travel more with the boys and take them neat and exciting places.

Now the idea is that I am to tag 8 people. The challenge is that I don't think I know 8 people who blog. I know Suna tagged Stephanie but I am going to tag her too and then Steph can do it once for both of us. Kristin is my business partner, until she realises what I have done with this tagging thing. I will try my SIL at MTC but think that since she isn't with that company anymore, that she isn't likely checking that blogmail (hopefully though). I'll send it to Jennifer, Vicki, Barbara, Robin and Sandy too, although I will admit now that I am sorry I am sending it on. I am excited to see what each of you put down as your "8 random things about you" though.

Take care