It's Irie

Jah, man, de Reggae music make everything Irie.

It's my ultimate stress-free sounding and I needed it today from sun-up to sun-down. At what point did I know it was going to be a reggae music day, you may ask? Was it when my 2 year old started squeezing the kittens? Or perhaps when my almost 1 decided to scream relentlessly for 2 hours while I tried to clean the van for the first time this year. Was it when my sourdough starter jar (which I have been storing like a golden treasure for the last 2 weeks) inexplicably burst a perfectly round hole in the side spilling my precious, smelly slop over the whole kitchen? Or was it the flax seed grinder that decided to sprout my flaxseed into a mouldy mess instead of storing it nicely?

Regardless, the bread got baked, the van got cleaned, the kids got spanked, and all to the heavenly sounds of reggae music. ahhhhhhh, my hair starts to dread just listening to it, moving and soothing, shuffling and bobbing.

It took less than 2 minutes for my 2 year old to poop on the floor, squish it, step in it, and announce it with pride, but the reggae takes all the sadness away. It took less than one minute for my 2 year old to crumble styrofoam bits all over the living room floor, but the reggae music takes all the sadness away. It took less than one second for the loud toy to wake the sleeping baby from his first nap today, but the reggae music take all the sadness away. That, and writing a sob story email and blog, nothing like venting to take all the sadness away. It's Irie (all right)

I Survived Hurricane Rowan

I blame the weather, the clouds are hanging so low and heavy it's enough to give a person a headache just being under them. Then there are the short bursts of rain, which I actually enjoy, the clouds releasing their somberness, like a good cry after a hard day. But I still blame the weather for turning my angelic little Rowan into a screaming water fountain: literally, since this morning he has shed enough tears to fill a small front yard water feature. The ladies at the play group were looking at me with a mixture of compassion and horror while I could see them thinking, "please Lord let that never be me". Rowan was oblivious, evidently caught up in screaming, however Lucas caught on and cowered behind my pant leg. No amount of shaking could loosen him off. I tried to see the humor in it all and was finally able to start a hysterical kind of small laughter (he ha ha ha, he hah ha e-e-e-e-e) after leaving the grocery store where the neighbouring cashier sang I've got a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts, deedle ee dee to my wretchedly weeping child while I stood in a daze and totally forgot that I had to pack my own groceries. "He must be teething" I think I said that to about 20-30 people throughout the morning blitz, but honestly, I have no clue.

Hurricane survival guide, don't try to be prepared cause theres no way you can be, keep your wits about you cause it aint going to help to hit the deer jumping across the road, bong Tim Tams in the aftermath while trying to ease the knots in your jaw and upper back. If you don't know how to bong a Tim Tam, go to Australia and find out cause it's really worth the trip.

New Projects

Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I'm trying to come up with something izzy but my mind is to bogged down with new projects. I've started weaving again at the Guild in Rocky and I just finished some black and white chair covers that still need to be upholstered, I think the antique chairs I made them for will look outstanding with the handwoven look. I'm also trying to spin but having a spinning wheel in the house with young children and cats just doesn't seem to work. Here are some nice hand-spun and hand-dyed wools waiting to be woven into some fanciful thing.

It's so unbelievably refreshing to get outside. I've had the worst case of cabin fever and now my poor house is being sorely neglected but I don't care, I'll tend to that when I'm stuck indoors next winter! My little chickens are 3 weeks old and starting to hold their own but I still worry continually about them. In fact, I must confess, I'm starting to obsess about my animals. Of course, being me, I have psycho-analysed this behaviour to great lengths and I am temporarily concluding that my lack of social life has led to the need to make up good reasons why I "can't" get out much, there-by leading to compulsive animal welfare worry. I've been eagerly anticipating figuring out what kind of chickens I have cause I ordered a "heritage package" and the hatchery just sends whatever they have on hand that day and until they grow real feathers it's hard to tell what they are. It'll still be a few months before I'll be able to tell male from female but I'm desperately trying to determine breeds, though every day I see a new feather and have to reevaluate. Yeah, I know, I'm obsessing, would you believe me if I said it keeps me up at night... I mean, this is me we're talking about.

I've also gone back on a promise I made myself to not do any gardening this year cause it would just burn me out, what with livestock obsessing and all, but unfortunately I did not share this plan with my husband who just went out and bought a bunch of seeds and I can't just let them sit there and DIE! Yes, I planted them (according to the proper moon phase and everything) and now the little shoots are starting to come up, though I have no where to put the little plants cause they will soon be evicted from the bunkhouse where they are now happily growing. We're trying to have the bunkhouse ready to rent May 1st. I guess I feel like I'm obsessing because it's not just that I'm taking care of these little chicks and plants but I'm falling in LOVE with them in a weird sort of way and when one chick was recently threatening to die I think I cried for about an hour, I mean real crying. I just am so worried that everythings going to DIE and it will all be because of ME and my inadequacy! sigh, deep breath, let it go. Ok, I'm ok. So, I can now conclude that obsessions are not healthy behaviours, and neither are internet addictions. I rather think I've said enough for today! Tootle E Too!

Ah, Luxury...

You know, Calgary is not so bad when you're willing to overlook crazy road names and crazier traffic. In fact, Calgary is wonderful with time spent in the good company of friends and luxury. I just had a fabulous day with Katka and Matthew, sharing snippets of conversation while ooohing and ahhhing over cute babys and marveling at Lucas' ability to rampage through the toys then fall asleep lop-sided in the stroller. How does he do that? And if that was not lovely enough for one day, I was then treated to an exquisitely seared buffalo burger by Dalyce, chef extrodinaire, and now topping it all off, like a great big sprinkle of that pretty stuff on a latte, high-speed internet!!! A day of luxury FOR SURE.




Now I'm in for the one handed blogging as Rowan is occupying the other. Behold the fair goats, Champis (swedish word for a soft drink), and Lisa (named and owned by Mor-mor). Champis is the mother and I got about 3 cups of milk from her in one milking the first day, mmmmmmmh!, and it was delicious! Rowan isn't ready for goats milk yet but he was ready for Mor-mor to feed him. We will miss you Mor-mor, have a good summer in Sweden!We will enjoy Lisa in your absence and think of you often.

Which Rowan

Hi'y'all! I'm currently having a gorgeously peaceful moment all to myself, the kids are in bed and I can't sleep (spring ahead time change, icky). There are so many wonderful apsects to my life right now, I feel so loved by my friends and I'm in love with my most handsome man. I'm getting good vibes from all my animals and I'm looking forward to extending the flock once again having somewhat recovered from the aftermath of the pysco-dog killing spree. On the flip side, living out in the boon-docks certainly has its share of disadvantages, most of them being psycological, but I'm feeling rather sunny, spring is on its way! I'm trying to choose which of these two shots to keep as my framed baby picture and to send away to all the family as the alternative shot to the studio at Wal-Mart disaster. I've already commented on that in past blogs but basically I got a really good shot of Lucas at the studio and a really unfortunate shot of Rowan that I was forced to send out with all the Christmas cards cause I had no other alternative. Soooo, finally, the alternatives!! Tough choice. Oh yeah, and ignore the one of me, I'm just using that for my profile.