13 Hours of Rain

Spaghetti on the floor, compliments of my son as he experimented with gravity from the heights of his chair. "I wants!" echoing off the walls, courtesy of my daughter who hasn't quite learned how to phrase her requests in a polite manner. And the lowercase "e" fridge magnet is missing. "Where is the e???" I ask, frazzled. "Is it in the garbage?" "Yes," she replies. "Did YOU put it in the garbage?" my voice begins to rise. "Yes." "Why did you do THAT?" "Because." "BECAUSE!" I begin digging, sweeping through mango peels, egg shells, and other unmentionable refuse. No "e". "Actually, I didn't put it in the garbage," she remarked. "WHAT! Then why did you LIE about it?!!" The question reverberated in the room at dangerous decibel levels. My son looked stunned. My daughter's head dropped and accidentally hit her bowl of half eaten s...

"It must be nice to be a teacher," I've had people tell me with a bit of sarcasm in their voice, "You get the summers off!" Yes, many would like to be a teacher in the months of July and August! If they only knew what we have to do the rest of the year! I believe there are MANY misconceptions about the teaching profession. And in recent times, public disdain for the teaching profession has risen in our province. And it frustrates me because many of the complainers have no clue what it is really like to be a teacher. First, let me set the record straight for those of you who do not know. Teachers do NOT get paid for summer (which means all the hours I put in during the month in August to get ready for the school year was gratis!). We get remunerated for the days we teach. Thus, if you are a beginning teacher, with a family and a mortgage, saving for the summer can be a challenge. Second, we do not get paid, for the most part, for the extra-curricular work w...

Some days I wish to just run away to some lone hill in the middle of nowhere. There, I'd open my arms wide, tilt my head back, and let the wind sweep over me. And I'd breathe in warm air and let nature overtake my senses. Then, I'd let go. I'd let go of all the anxieties, fears, hopes, plans, dreams, visions, frustrations, and all that other stuff I am too scared to admit I feel. Silence would follow. Silence... Then God would speak... "Why are you here, my child?" He'd ask. "I'm tired, Lord," I'd reply. "Tired of what?" would come the answer. "You know..." I'd shrug. "I do. I know more deeply than anyone can. But you need to tell me. I desire to hear it from you," He'd gently whisper. "My heart is filled with so much. I feel like I'll burst. I desire so much. Some things are frivolous. Others are meaningful. I'm finding it difficult to prioritize. What should I do? What sho...

Sometimes blogging is discouraging. You work hard at composing a post that you believe is thoughtful and the comment counter remains at zero. I do not write this to guilt my readers into commenting. But I do understand why people don't comment as often on my blog: The weather is getting warmer and there is more exciting things to do than read blogs. I do not allow my blog to freely circulate on the world wide web. You can only get here because you were given the address or you linked in from somewhere else. Thus, my readership is small in comparison to others. This results in less comments. I don't consistently "link up" with other communities, neither do I ask others to "link up" to me. As a result, I am not in the chain of people linking up to each other. Which means I do not receive much traffic through my blog. I only follow blogs of people I know in person. And most of the people who follow me know me in person. Again, more reasons for very few comme...

Dear God, Thank you for this moment. The breeze is pleasant. The sound of birds surround me. And it is quiet. I'm out here on the deck, with a strong cup of tea and a delectable peanut butter cookie. My children are sleeping. All is well. Forgive me for the times I have complained about this place. Help me to use your material blessings for your glory and honor. In Your Grip, Forever, Rain

LAUGHTER  I've been pondering about mental illnesses, such as depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, OCD, etc. Many people on both sides of our family are diagnosed with various mental illnesses. Several of them are on medications for their problems. Now this post is written in NO WAY to judge the validity of any one's diagnosis. I am NOT an expert on mental illnesses. I just have second hand knowledge by observing various individuals and working along side special education teachers. Rather, this post is written to process incidents in my own life. I had an absolutely positive attitude on Election Day, for which I am thankful. My spirits were high and joyful. This day contrasted with the preceding and seceding days, where I felt overwhelmed, discouraged, and negative. Why is that? After doing some personal reflection and analysis, I have come up with six key elements that assisted in transforming a usual day into a superb day. SLEEP. My son had a good night, which m...

What a Canadian Federal Election! Refreshing, actually! Canada elected a Conservative majority. Even though I didn't vote "Blue", I am thrilled that the results are different this time around. I am looking forward to political stability. Or so I hope! For the first time in Canadian history, the New Democrat Party is the official oppostion. Amazing! Interestingly enough, the Conservatives and NDP are polar opposites on many issues. This indicates that our country is split in its views. Great show for Jack Layton! We have a good looking man moving into Stornoway. The Green Party may actually have a seat! Way to go Elizabeth May! The Bloc Quebecois - HA! Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Gilles Duceppe! I find it absolutely RIDICULOUS that we have a federal party that has a blatant agenda to separate from confederation. I voted for the losers. Michael Ignatieff should resign.

I need fresh inspiration. Or actually, a bit of rest. Or maybe a chance to slow down and not worry so much. I am not sure what I need right now. So many thoughts. Not enough time. Feeling random. Wondering how this post will enfold if I just-let-go. Summer is coming. But I am scared. That as soon as it starts, it will be over. Pessimistic, I know. I would like to do so much over the next few months. Plant flowers. Fix banisters. Paint a living room. Maybe even build some raised garden beds? So much to do!!!! So little time... At the same time I'd like to e-x-p-l-o-r-e. What makes this region unique? What memories do I want to create with my family? Where do I want to go??? Sometimes I am tired of putting other people's needs over mine. Selfish, I know. Do other Mothers feel this way? Right now I feel this way. What do you do when your baby is crying for two hours in the middle of the night when you are soooooo tired and soooooo exhausted. You rock that precious child and p...