Family Time

I've been separated for over a year now. Becoming a "modern" family after 11 years of marriage has been difficult and liberating. The hardest part is being separated from my children. I miss them when they are away and cherish our time together. Spending quality time has become very important to us. For us this means being active, connecting with nature and being creative. On this adventure we decided to go for a bike ride.
Our adventure brought us to the Arboretum where this old tree has Zoe enamored. It's a tree you would swear is inhabited by fairies and gnomes. It's great big trunk and branches tells a tale of age and wisdom. As Zoe climbed I marveled at how much she's grown. She is becoming a young girl and I feel time slipping (like the song: "time is ticking, ticking, into the future"). As a mother time is measured by the growth of my children. I love my children so much and hope to give them lasting memories of my love for them.Owen is a boy at heart. He loves exploring and being active. He is also growing up fast. I am no longer a mother to babies. He always amazes with his great ideas and love how he expresses himself.

I recently bought bound sketch books for "Family Art Time". We took our books out and sketched whatever called to us in that moment. Owen was inspired by a rainbow and Zoe and I by trees. As we quietly sketched side by side I felt a deep connection to my family and mother nature. It was a special moment which was felt by all 3 of us. Our books will be kept in a special place and come out in these moments of quiet creative inspiration.

As a single mom I mourn the loss of my family unit and revel in the opportunities we create to bond and connect on a deep level. It seems that coming together and doing the simple things is the key.

Weekending

What a great weekend!! The sun came out and the grey clouds made way for blue sky.
We've had so much rain it's crazy, water levels have risen. Above you can see how much the lake has gone up.
I am so blessed to have the opportunity to spend time in the country with good company. Nature is my religion and time spent around trees and water is my meditation. When I return home my body feels relaxed and my mind at peace.

Flowers on the Shore Line

The lake enticed me in again this afternoon. The rains have been so heavy that the shore line has risen a couple of feet. The sky is grey and everything is so lush. I swam to the middle of the lake (well almost) and took in my surroundings. It amazes me how relaxed I feel in the presence of trees, water and hills. My body relaxes and let's go of days of tension. I begin to breathe easier and fall into the moment. This is where I want to be, in my body with my breath in the now.

I am a water child, I love water. I grew up by a lake. I get my love for water from my father. One memory of him I hold close to my heart. I remember him teaching me the side stroke. I can still see his long arms moving him forward in the water. In that moment I had his total attention.

Swimming connects me with my inner child. It's what I loved to do as a child and it's what I love to do as an adult.




This Day Lily captured my attention as I walked out of the water. It's colour is so vibrant and so beautiful.

Let it rain :)

It's raining yes. It's been raining and cold for days. This morning as rain fell from the sky I decided to join mother nature in her tapestry. I got out of bed, walked out the door and ran with reckless abandon towards the shore line and the lake welcomed me as I dove in. I love the feeling of my naked body being massaged by the cool healing water. As pebbles fell around me I felt nurtured and comforted. The pebbles fell from the sky softly splashing and rippling. As nature romanced me in her story my spirit sang and rejoiced. Today a glow of happiness surrounds me. I feel grateful to be alive, grateful for the people in my life and grateful for the simple things in life. The more I mature, the more I realize that for me happiness resides in the simple things, in being close to nature, family and friends.

The Market

Yesterday we walked from center town to the Ottawa market. Sasha's little 3 year old legs walked him all the way there and back! There are many things that I love about buying my produce from our local growers. Reducing the mileage between where my food was grown to my plate is one. Another is connecting with the people who worked their land to produce nutritious, yummy, veggies and fruit. One lady gave us each a carrot and biting into that carrot was heavenly. It tasted earthy and so fresh compared to the carrots at the big grocery stores. Her hands were rough with a little dirt under her finger nails, all signs of her hard work. At another stall a young girl gave us our strawberries with the words "freshly picked this morning".

Coming back from the market I always end up with less packaging and am inspired to eat more things that my body welcomes. Last but not least it's important to me to be a model for my children. For them to learn small ways in which to reduce our carbon footprint.

Cabin Life

Once upon a time 3 women, 6 children spent 3 three nights in a small cabin. There were no distractions, no phone, no tv, no computer only human interaction and nature's playground.

Despite the rain and cold breeze they swam and rejoiced in the feeling
of cold water invigorating their beings.

They shared food.

They came together and created a gratitude alphabet. There were so many things
to be grateful for: apples, books...daddy, earth....ice cream....love...mommies...
ocean...

They ate well.

They danced.

They played.

They ate some more.

They got creative.

They spun some magic.


They shard one another's thoughts and wisdom.

They collaborated.

The most important thing that happened on those 3 nights and 4 days was that they
connected on a deep level. They tasted the nectar of life as friendships deepened and hearts opened to the simplicity of life.

Bubble Fun

Do you ever tell your children not to blow in their drinks? We all like to break the rules sometimes and this is an activity that lends itself to exactly that.
Put a tablespoon of natural dish soap in a cup and fill half of the cup with water. Now's the time to blow through your soapy water with a straw and watch as bubbles erupt!

Yesterday

It's been cold and raining and it does not feel like July. Today, I caught myself complaining about the rain, wishing things were different. In this state of complaining I then looked at
the children that grace my life and their smiles. They aren't bothered by the rain and in fact they revel in it. They splash in puddles, dance under the falling drops, fill buckets of water and
always smile no matter whether it's hot, cold, rainy or sunny. I've decided to take the lesson and live with them in the moment. To take advantage of every opportunity and smile!

Here are some shots of the little ones yesterday at the park. Although it was coolish ( I wore long sleeves) they had no complaints and had fun, fun and more fun.

Zoe

Matisse

Owen

Elodie

Ian

Sasha

My Daily Infusion

I feed my body with daily herbal infusions. This ritual is an important part of my day. It begins in the evening when I bring my kettle to a boil, take a handful of dried herbs (oat straw or nettle) and place them in a mason jar. I then pour the steaming water over plant matter. Throughout the night as I sleep my concoction of hot water seeps into my dry herbs, extracting all of the good stuff the plant has to offer. In the morning I strain the liquid from the leaves and drink the liquid full of minerals and vitamins.

My body benefits from this daily ritual in so many ways. For example an infusion of Nettle is like taking a multivitamin. It’s high in chromium, iron, zinc, potassium, vitamins and so much more. Oatstraw is soothing and nourishing and helps build a strong nervous and endocrine system. It’s good for the heart, liver and helps ease inflammation in the body.

My daily intake of herbal infusions connect me to my body as I feel good about nourishing my cells with what they need. It gives me energy to live a full life with the people that I love.