A Funny Cartoon & some Links

Parents go here for great inspiration and to help support fair trade.

Money saving tips recycled for today's economy.

Also The Simplicity Project

The way we speak to our kids can make a huge difference in encouraging them in the right ways.

A lesson on living from Deepak Chopra

Join the Daily Action group and do one thing a day.

Who says one person can't change the world? Start your own petition.

Are you a tree-hugger? Take the quiz and find out.

peace

Hereditary Love

yes, a pic of my hatchling running through the cemetery where my parents are buried ....why not?

I just walked my hatchling to school. Today is Track & Field. The one part of school that I truly loved and anticipated every spring. I even stopped smoking (in high school) to train.
It's the one way my daughter takes after me. (NOT the smoking part), but she has the short muscular legs that can carry her fast and far ahead of the other runners. She was walking at 9 months and is a speedy little thing, and always brings home a handful of 1st. place ribbons.
Last night (why do they always wait until the last minute?), I had to bring her to the mall to buy new running shoes. She already has several pairs, but the "skater-style" shoes aren't good for sprinting and long jump, etc.

One of my favourite memories is competing at a high school track meet when I was 16, and my Dad showed up in the midst of a zillion teenagers. I don't even know how he found me. It was a sunny & hot day and I squinted at him from under my baseball cap, a bit panicked that something was wrong at home, because it was not common for my parents to support me in anything I did. My mother was too selfish and disinterested unless I did something "bad". And my dad was just too busy and always trying to keep his head above water, working and supporting and caring for our family.
I said "hi Dad!", with all my friends huddled around me. He said, "I just wanted to stop by and say good luck today." My heart melted. I hugged him and thanked him and didn't care at all that it was SO NOT COOL for your parents to come to our high school.
I was overwhelmed with emotion and watched him walk back to his car. Even my friends didn't dare make fun of it...they knew this little visit meant the world to me. "Awwwwww..." and my tribe of friends all hugged me and wiped away my happy tears.

I kicked ass that day too! Won every event that I participated in and even brought my losing relay team home(I was the anchor girl), with a first place ribbon! That little boost of love increased my adrenaline for the whole day.

And it's because of my dad and that day that I'm always the mom to go to my daughter's Track & Field days. I volunteer every year if I'm not working that day. I bring blankets for them to sit on and bottles of water and granola bars, I take a zillion pictures and cheer them all on!
I swelled with pride this morning when I arrived at the school with my hatchling, and her own little "tribe" came running towards us, excited that again, I will be there today.
I'm still "cool" enough and I cherish every single minute of it!

Off to the bus stop with my camera and my case of water!
peace

Seven Up!

The cool and au natural homeschooling mom, LadySilverOak has given me this award. (Thank you!) She is just awesome... you really need to check out her blog!



Here are the rules:
Copy & paste this award to your blog.
List 7 of your favorite things and pass it along to at least 7 others.

Okay...here we go!

1. SPRING!! I love the smell of the earth warming up and seeing all the little shoots growing. Bike riding and nature hikes with my hatchling.

2. Going to the Farmer's Market every weekend with my hatchling. ...and all the fruit picking we'll soon be able to do. I love that I'm planting a garden this year and growing some of our own vegetables.

3. Going to the movies, specifically horror movies. Not the blood & gore like SAW or Friday the 13th, but the really spooky stuff with all the twists and turns that scare the crap out of you! Sixth Sense, What Lies Beneath, The Others, and just out on DVD, I highly recommend The Uninvited.

4. Visiting my brother in Toronto... hanging out, eating out, going to the coolest bookstores, coffee houses, and new age stores.

5. Thunder and lightening and rainstorms.

6. Waking up really early and having my hot, strong coffee while watching the sunrise.

7. When my house is all clean and quiet, the dishes are done, laundry caught up, hatchling tucked cozy in her bed, and I light candles and burn incense and sit on my couch drinking Indian spice chai tea.

And now I tag....

Dia
Tori
Moonroot
Lissa
Solsticedreamer
Genie
Butterfly

Have fun ladies! I'll be coming around to check up on ya!

Blessed Beltane

our kitties enjoying the spring weather

Beltane is a time to devote energy to growth and integration. It is a time of celebration, exuberance and hope, when we should enjoy and appreciate the gifts of nature.

This is the day to laugh and banter about having the most joyous of times!
Done! Stayed up into the wee hours of the night talking and laughing till it hurt, with this friend.

Dandelion Salad
1/2 pound torn dandelion greens
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, toss together dandelion greens, red onion, and tomatoes. Season with basil, salt, and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Chair Score

*Thanks to all of you for the fabulous comments regarding my last post. It's nice to be understood, encouraged and get all your opinions on "our body images".
I am working out, eating healthier, smoking less, (it can't be any harder to quit heroine, I swear!). I'll be documenting much of this particular "getting healthy" journey right here, so stay tuned.

Today I have to show you the coolest, ORANGE-EST!, retro chairs I picked up for nothing! Zero! Free!





I was in our small downtown area, littering the stores and businesses with my resumes, and I went to this particular office supply/stationery store that has been there since dinosaurs ruled the earth! The owner is a sweet old man and they were clearing out some inventory- desks, filing cabinets etc. I am looking for a new computer desk/work table; and although I'll likely find and repaint someone's old dining table at a yard sale, I thought I'd take a look. We went down to the basement of this store that's been in business with the same staff since the early 70's. Stacks of clearance priced desks, office furniture, boardroom meeting tables and swivel chairs filled the space, but way way way back in the one corner, these orange swivel chairs caught my eye.

"Wow, are those orange chairs for sale?"

"Those old things?", he says laughing..."They've been around since the 1970's"

"I can tell!!! That's what makes them so great! Are they for sale?"

"Oh my - you can HAVE those if you want...get them out of here!"

OH MY FREAKIN GAWD!! SCORE!!!!!!

They only cost me the price of a taxi-van to get them back to my apartment. 7 bucks!
I cleaned them up & wiped down the vinyl really well with a mixture of vinegar, baking soda & tea tree oil. They came up nice and clean and ORANGE, and I cannot believe what great shape they're in. I threw a couple throw cushions on the seats for now, but I have to find some seriously retro fabric to make new ones.

I love them! They are my signature colour - orange! and go great with all the other mismatched bohemian furnishings I already have!

Have a great weekend everyone!
peace