Disgusting Work

Gutting is a disgusting job...
Gutting and giving The White House a new life is a lot of work.  Today we took down some walls and got rid of the 50 year old insulation.  The stench of mice urine and feces was atrocious.  With every armful of the stuff, dust particles flew into the air and the smell overwhelming,  it was not fun, not one little bit.  In fact it was the most disgusting thing that I have ever done.  And this is coming from someone who has changed a lot of dirty diapers.

I take my hat off to people who do this for a living.  It is the most toxic thing that I have ever worked with.  We wore protective gear such as face masks, gloves and glasses and still it seemed to have penetrated into our lungs, to have stuck to our clothes and to the inside of our nostrils, just gross!
 
 The room we were working in today has pigeons living in the ceiling. As we worked at removing the junk from the room we could hear the pigeons above our heads in distress.  They must be wondering who in the world is disturbing their home.  Unfortunately for them the ceiling will soon be coming down and so will their home.  Unfortunately for them and unfortunately for us as that will be another gross  disgusting job.

Stuff

There was lots of "stuff" left behind from the previous owners that need to be sorted, thrown out, donated and organized.  I cannot believe how much "stuff" there is.  Let's begin with floating devices.  Between the floating chair, water trampoline,  blow up whale, blow up boat, floating mattresses, we could have a party of 30 floating on the lake at the same time.  There are 4 dehumidifiers, boxes of odds and ends, and some bits and pieces that I do not know where it belongs.

 Do you remember the 1972 Russians vs Canada Hockey Game?  Where Paul Henderson shot the puck, scored against the USSR and Canada leaped for joy.   I was 2 years old and although I come from a huge hockey family, I am unfamiliar with this hockey event.  Do you remember it? This game is a strong childhood memory for Jay. He remembers being in grade 5, watching it in the school gym on a small black and white television.

Why am a reaching to the past?  Well the previous owners left behind hockey posters and hockey cards from that game.  There are about 1000 posters and 120 boxes of French Hockey Cards.  Do you know of anyone that would want them?

Picture of the posters and cards are soon to come.

He shoots he scores!

A little side story...

I pride myself for being born into  a Hockey family.  Hockey night in Canada was  a regular event in our household.  I have vivid memories of my dad and his friends leaning in towards the tv, barely breathing waiting for a potential goal.  When there was a goal the leaning men jumped off their seats with a: "He shoots, he scores!".  The echo of their joy rang through the house. Often on those hockey nights my father would ask me to make him popcorn.  He would say that I was the best popcorn maker and  I loved hearing those words.  

I can still remember our popcorn maker.  It was one of those Vintage Hamilton Beach Butter ups. You might of had one just like it as a kid with the big orange/ yellow see through lid. It made the best popcorn.

Speaking of Vintage we have made some great finds today. I can't wait to share those with you.

Stayed tuned for my next blog post.  I will write about hosting the Guruganesha band here at Jay's.  They are arriving tonight. We have 7 beds made and looking forward to having mantra singing gurus around.

Have a listen to the band.  They are highly uplifting.

A New Project

Once upon a time there was a white house that sat on the edge of a small lake in what appeared to be in the middle of nowhere.  This house was owned by the church and served many functions.  For one  it held summer camps for boys and girls.  In the summer months the echo of children playing in the cool lake water echoed through the trees.  A big room held rows of bunk beds, a separate building housed a huge 6 burner stove to provide food to hungry bellies.  This 2600 square foot building also housed young girls who were with child out of wed lock.  In those days (over 70 years ago), it was a sin to be pregnant with no husband.  To solve the "problem" girls would go away from their community to give birth and give up their child for adoption.  The white house was one of those places where they would find refuge in the pregnancy months. 

Once the church no longer owned the property it sat dormant and unused for many years. Later it was owned by a family who ran their ebay business from it.  And now in this very present, it is being revived by Jay, Randy(contractor) and I.  It is getting a new face lift. It got leveled so it now sits straight and proud, it is getting new windows, new shingles and so much more.  I am so excited about this project, it is sooooooooooo much fun and a dream come true.  What will we do with the white house once it is restored to it's glory? That my friend will have to wait. For now watch the development unfold and later find out what history will evolve within the walls of this very interesting building that sits on a beautiful lake.

Do you have any guesses?

 You must admit that this weekend has been an A+ for weather.  I am here sitting over looking a lake.  The sun rays are glittering diamonds in the water and there is a slight breeze caressing my sun kissed face.  I feel blessed and happy.

I helped plant 125 cedar trees.  Neighbors came to help and we tagged trees with people's name in their honour.  I planted one for Zoe, Owen, Jay and Me :)  I also planted many more and it was hard work, shoveling, raking, patting, watering and I loved every minute of it.  I loved running my hands through the soil and I loved getting dirt under my finger nails.  Why was I planting so many trees, you might ask?   Well.  It's a secret that I am not ready to divulge.  In time the secret will be revealed but for now I will need to be all secretive and leave you in intrigue.  Let me just say that I am very excited for this project.  It is something that I have been dreaming of, for about a decade.  It seems, to now be materializing in front of my very eyes and I feel so grateful.

I have also been enjoying the luxury of floating on the lake letting the breeze carry me.  I've been swimming and enjoying the cool water against my skin.  I've also been ....

 Felting!!!!
Yes, I have a vernissage in Luskville.  I will be giving 3 art courses at the Pontiac school of Arts and the Vernissage is for people to learn about the artists and to promote our art courses.  Yes, I wet felted a wall hanging and found the perfect frame.  It's an old window frame which I just love.  The paint is so old that it's left cracks and such. It's old, rustic and I love it!  I also made a doll with an intricate face.  Too bad I don't have a photo to show you.

For now I need to curl up in bed, have a good night's sleep and have a great week with my kids and daycare family.  Much love to you!

Sunshine in my heart

I have been keeping my word to slowing down and taking life a little easier and feel the better for it.  Even though the last few weeks has kept our sky grey and murky,  there it sunshine in my heart.  I have to give the credit to yoga.  Last weekend I did yin teacher training. I hadn`t done a training in a long time, it felt so good to be back at it.  It felt like coming home of sorts.

Yin Yoga is a beautiful practice of holding the posture for a 3-5 minutes which stretches the fascia in the body and makes you feel so good.  We live such a yang (active) lifestyle that yin (relaxing) balances it out quite nicely.  I have increased my home practice and notice that my thoughts are less on worries of my audit and more on the moment and I must say that the moment is good, really good.  I feel lucky to be living the life that I live.   We have the capacity to change our thought patterns.  Things that we have been told are truths and what we believe to be true can be changed.  It is in our power to change. For inspiration on believing in yourself and the power of change.  Watch the attached video it is amazing.

Slowing Down

 This blog post kind of took a life of it`s own.  A lot is written that I hadn`t intended and lots of intentions were omitted.  Some of it is personal and every fiber in my being told me to press delete but I  have decided to step out of my box and post it anyway.  So here it goes...

These days I am taking life at a slower pace.  My to trip to Botswana made me realize that I need a break from the business of life.  I have been way too busy these last few years and I have taken inventory and realize that I want to spend more time with my kids, and my yoga practice.   I am trading a bit of doing for a bit of being. This coming weekend is the great Handmade Harvest Craft Sale in Almont.  My Annie Bananie table was meant to be there with felted goodies ready for the appreciative buyer but alas I couldn't get it together but more on that later.  I started felting an elephant and my arm numb to the point where I could barely write.  The nerves of my right arm seem to be telling me something.

Some of you might know this some of you might but I have been getting phantom migraines.  I had never heard of this phenomenon before.  What is that exactly?  Funny enough it is a migraine without the headache.  How can one have a migraine without a headache? Seems odd doesn't it?  Migraines come with a variety of symptoms other than the common piercing pain in ones head.   In my experience I get a flickering light in my peripheral vision.  The first time it happened I freaked out, the light was intense, the world seemed to be far away (which means I was about to pass out) and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest (fear).  I got so scared that I called the ambulance.  It turns out that the flickering lights are the aura of a migraine and the beating in my chest and the disappearing world a panic attack.   So apparently some people get the aura of a migraine without getting the headache. My first bout of it was 2 weeks before leaving for Africa.  On my return from Africa, the aura came back 3 times in a week and I got freaked out.  This was the catalyst for my slowing down.  In my 41 years of life I had never had phantom migraines and the manifestation was a wake up call.  Our bodies communicate with us through our aches and pains and this one I cannot ignore.  My father had a stroke at a young age and I do not want that to be me.   In fact that day when I first "saw the light" I thought I was having a stroke which was terrifying.  It takes an event like that to shake you to the bones and make you realize how scared you are of death!

Funny enough after making this hard decision of taking life easier with less things to do and more time to be I got a phone call.  It is one of those calls that we all dread and hate to get.  Yep, I got that call from CRA and am getting audited for 2009.  So now I am swimming in  papers, receipts and thoughts.  I have been using the stress of this as a tool to meditate.  Whenever I notice myself getting caught up in my mind with thoughts of my audit I take deep breaths and meditate on the fact that I am healthy,  that I have great kids, a great community and that I have everything that I need.  I watch my breath and the discomfort of my stress.  Sometimes the discomfort leaves and others it`s harder to work with.  The demons in my head seem to crop up when I want to be sleeping so that in the morning sheet are in disarray and so am I.  

I am thankful for all the people in my life that give the greatest hugs. I am thankful for the fact that I am taking yin teacher training (starting this morning),  I am thankful for all the little people in my life as their light, laughter and joy keep me things in perspective.  I am thankful for my struggles as they are what makes me stronger.

Now that you have read all that I did not intend to write stay tuned for what I did!I could not post this post without some pics.  Here is little Avery who is part of my daycare family and also my niece.  She really looks like my sister in these photos, just beautiful.  She is the sweetest little girl, a little fairy.

May you shine your light everywhere.

Have you ever had such a great weekend that come Tuesday morning you are still feeling the good vibes?  I just had one of those weekends.  First of all it was a weekend all to myself, no children, no boyfriend, only me.  A "me" weekend doesn't come around often so I decided on doing all the things that I love. 

It is amazing what we can accomplish when we are free to do whatever we chose.  I had the time to  organized my house so that now everywhere I go things look organized and shiny which is great to clear my head.  I did 3 yoga classes which was so awesome.  My body feels light and ache free, my mind feels relaxed and positive.  All these things were great in themselves but I have 3 highlights which I am dying to share with you. 

Highlight number one transpired on Saturday.  Picture a group of  6 women, 3 guitars and song sheets scattered on the floor revealing old songs, new songs, classic songs and so on.  Yes, we women sat around playing music and singing our little hearts out.   We sang like you sing when you think nobody is watching.  It was so amazing to have all our voices come together. We were like teenage girls singing sappy songs after a breakup.  

I am not sure if you know this but I have a guitar.  I bought it 2 years ago.  I know a few chords and most recently learned to strum.  I am not the best singer in fact in grade 7 I had to beg my teacher to let me join the school choir for Christmas mass.  The great thing is, is that I am choosing not to care about my voice and just sing anyway.  Actually part of buying a guitar is to eradicate my belief that I cannot play an instrument.  It is taking some work and dedication but I am slowly learning and can even play a couple of songs.  It is very liberating to go from I can't do that, to I can!

 Highlight number two brings us to Sunday where I hosted my very first clothing swap which was so the best!!! I love clothing swaps about 15 people came and formed a mountain of clothes in the middle of the daycare quiet room.  We then went through the clothes, trying on what we liked and helped find some finds for others.  I found some new outfits, one of which I am wearing at this very moment.   What freedom to have a new set of clothes that did not cost a cent and to share my tired digs with someone else!

I want you to get excited about who you are, what you are, what you have, and what can still be for you.  I want to inspire you to see that you can go far beyond where you are right now.

-Virginia Satir, Peoplemaking

To have one`s individuality  completely ignored is like being pushed quite out of life. Like being blown out as one blows out a light. 

- Evelyn Scott

When I approach a child he inspires in me two sentiments: tenderness for what he is; and respect for what he may become.

-Louis Pasteur