tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37888669787209715492024-03-05T02:23:58.825-05:00ElementalJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-14695498025628787462015-05-20T13:02:00.004-04:002015-05-20T13:02:44.267-04:00Moving...againHey friends. We've taken this whole blog, and put it in another place...annoying, I know. But there ya have it. And here ya have it: <a href="http://www.girlgonevalley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Girl Gone Valley </a><br />
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See ya there! Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-58749224967149065972014-08-04T09:06:00.001-04:002014-08-04T09:06:53.821-04:00Summer dazeWe've been here, there, and everywhere over the past few weeks, soaking up every ounce of summer that we can. The homefront has been sorely neglected (and the darkening sky says I'm not going to get to the grass cutting today) but we are content in the knowing that there is always a tomorrow. One month till the kiddies go back to school...we'll cut the grass then. In the mean time, we're busy having fun! <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh61HMuVVKa-HtKl6PslQWNFMn71N1lot85Um_4D5gq2YcW9mcT_O363dH3YKAXemhscegu9YECy1A5hanDWug-2ZTmPmLFJ04oJ2FIulFkTLJGSjYOiOz39vRP4w0i5J7-Tfa-gf6jgB/s640/blogger-image-632264109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXh61HMuVVKa-HtKl6PslQWNFMn71N1lot85Um_4D5gq2YcW9mcT_O363dH3YKAXemhscegu9YECy1A5hanDWug-2ZTmPmLFJ04oJ2FIulFkTLJGSjYOiOz39vRP4w0i5J7-Tfa-gf6jgB/s640/blogger-image-632264109.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECfYhzkQp12zF6ku5anmlL7XCFOC9PHGekNGsxJITshEvfJG921-clDHB4_A60DnwZZNI01osgNHV3Wvgw22e1RwrcyaQ0DvmMGZlpFPGxFDJvG_zJsyWiKuNjW-VmXZzhXWWP46rTcEF/s640/blogger-image--745124229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECfYhzkQp12zF6ku5anmlL7XCFOC9PHGekNGsxJITshEvfJG921-clDHB4_A60DnwZZNI01osgNHV3Wvgw22e1RwrcyaQ0DvmMGZlpFPGxFDJvG_zJsyWiKuNjW-VmXZzhXWWP46rTcEF/s640/blogger-image--745124229.jpg"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyYL_pz5p3DFIBDuzoLreZIP9hHEPx9mnEYO1Vzssbqn-k6EgegFuZa3EfX2Ygrcy0OX4KjpUa0Rd5OTcH-XVvXRN8zTZeKIpdooF8aLt_8-zstqIR1soDX9Cp66V1bY66Kj5Nc3OTu4S/s640/blogger-image-748788474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ7jMlbpDavwZrrhA4CAKEuEbSxcwtojxbpG5_ryvN09t9DE6uCok4UK0CecebgHz7tGwBZrVYUB54KsWKrgma_HIor3hSx5nyVPrNA6WEfDHjJ5w-hUCjK3QMP-ISajGkz4WtBdzxqQQn/s640/blogger-image-1505309794.jpg"></a></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-68312873638265499222014-07-22T13:45:00.001-04:002014-07-22T13:45:27.835-04:00Most of usMost of us are not the Mothers or Fathers you hear about on the 6 o'clock news. We're not the ones leaving our kids in the car while we head into the salon for a 45 minute mani-pedi. We're not the ones letting our 6 year old stay home alone with only an iPad to keep them company while we head out for our midnight shift at the bar. We're not even the ones who let our kids ride around town on their bikes, unsupervised for hours on end. Most of us are good, if not great parents. <div><br></div><div>Most of us trust our kids. We've taught them about strangers, about safety, about what to do in the case of an emergency. And how to be responsible. </div><div><br></div><div>And most of us great parents sometimes make choices that others may deem irresponsible. We leave our kids in the car for a few minutes here and there; to pay for gas, when we only have two hands and three kids. To run into the bank where we can see our car from the road. But they're OUR kids. And our decisions to make. </div><div><br></div><div>Most of us are smart, and have the same values we've taught to our kids - responsibility, evaluating the danger of a situation and making responsible choices. </div><div><br></div><div>And yet, strangers on the street judge our choices, without ever having met us, or our kids. </div><div><br></div><div>Trust us. Trust that we are good parents that love our children and want the best for them. Trust that we know our kids better than you. </div><div><br></div><div>And if you think a kid may be in danger, or distress, of course, reach out to help. </div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Helping means "can I help you carry something, so you can hold your child's hand?" "Can I give you my grocery cart, so you don't have to run across the lot to grab one with four kids in tow?" Helping means watching a child for signs of distress. A kid in a car, playing on an iPad in the shade is not in distress. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Of COURSE there are times to get the authorities involved, but most of the time, everything is just fine. </div><div><br></div><div>We've all made it this far. Most of our parents made choices that we'd shudder at, yet we're all still here. </div><div><br></div><div>So, seriously. Trust us. </div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-28278256893518871052014-06-12T07:34:00.001-04:002014-06-12T07:34:36.603-04:00Bedtime Snuggles<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFcZvJGff7OJltAXls7-7f6XSjcJtpDm57KxEuQh-RBq1FLlrLD5NfD6c1VLCjfkr7bt6vWDHk5hmTQx777ZvPEbX_6KDBPpufI530vQhRwldXciKxjyue0b5we5RJ2HE0l_GEhg2CXTs/s640/blogger-image-1011607630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFcZvJGff7OJltAXls7-7f6XSjcJtpDm57KxEuQh-RBq1FLlrLD5NfD6c1VLCjfkr7bt6vWDHk5hmTQx777ZvPEbX_6KDBPpufI530vQhRwldXciKxjyue0b5we5RJ2HE0l_GEhg2CXTs/s640/blogger-image-1011607630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAVleAw7ydvASFR8NUy_4ep_pKePvU9cytSbVWwxxLlJwzoZiISXw_gO1lr7VT6IwuB4-2mItZ9R58IiTU01RKr_RKMSOuefXrMG86ghthdIC_SZYLatM5A-Chlb1tlFDp7QhBsntw1oA/s640/blogger-image-1863503466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAVleAw7ydvASFR8NUy_4ep_pKePvU9cytSbVWwxxLlJwzoZiISXw_gO1lr7VT6IwuB4-2mItZ9R58IiTU01RKr_RKMSOuefXrMG86ghthdIC_SZYLatM5A-Chlb1tlFDp7QhBsntw1oA/s640/blogger-image-1863503466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3DT-Oqk5GLWiFuKXBeRZVPT0_HEb-qRS04aj8gfXmJiOllTOpUBdK9TT-luhGzNzNOkf7Pl7cCA2Ur7jQY3wP6keTIjdYJVaRjYeirdmtm6ro8uWjsqiel07DZARtNgmGwcIChkURWsS/s640/blogger-image-1254105190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3DT-Oqk5GLWiFuKXBeRZVPT0_HEb-qRS04aj8gfXmJiOllTOpUBdK9TT-luhGzNzNOkf7Pl7cCA2Ur7jQY3wP6keTIjdYJVaRjYeirdmtm6ro8uWjsqiel07DZARtNgmGwcIChkURWsS/s640/blogger-image-1254105190.jpg"></a></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAVleAw7ydvASFR8NUy_4ep_pKePvU9cytSbVWwxxLlJwzoZiISXw_gO1lr7VT6IwuB4-2mItZ9R58IiTU01RKr_RKMSOuefXrMG86ghthdIC_SZYLatM5A-Chlb1tlFDp7QhBsntw1oA/s640/blogger-image-1863503466.jpg"></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFcZvJGff7OJltAXls7-7f6XSjcJtpDm57KxEuQh-RBq1FLlrLD5NfD6c1VLCjfkr7bt6vWDHk5hmTQx777ZvPEbX_6KDBPpufI530vQhRwldXciKxjyue0b5we5RJ2HE0l_GEhg2CXTs/s640/blogger-image-1011607630.jpg"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For the past few nights, Corben hasn't been interested in his bed. I think he's figured out that the living room is where it's at, mostly because it's where mama is at, after Mama is done snuggling...but Corben is not. So he creeps quietly down the stairs, hoping I don't notice him (which is practically impossible) and quietly snuggles in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I love it, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. And I want to remember these moments, so I write about them. That is all. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">(And Corben is right, his bed sucks. Poor kid.)</div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-14839359871804554322014-06-07T22:21:00.001-04:002014-06-07T22:21:52.785-04:00Just a minute.Corben came to me this afternoon, while I was in conversation with other adults. He had a complaint, about some other kids (one of whom was his brother,) who didn't want to share toys with him. Mid conversation, I had my attention elsewhere and didn't answer him right away. <div><br></div><div>"Mom" he tugged on my shirt a few minutes later. </div><div><br></div><div>"Mom."</div><div><br></div><div>"Mom, can you give me some advice, like you usually do."</div><div><br></div><div>Whoa, that got my attention. This kid isn't coming to me to bother me in the midst of my conversation, he's coming for a bit of guidance. A bit of helpful, loving, grown-up words of wisdom.</div><div><br></div><div>And that I am totally happy to give. </div><div><br></div><div>Sometimes I feel like my kids need all of me, every minute. And there are times that they certainly do. But most if the time, especially as they get older and more independent, there is less of that. Usually, they only need a minute. </div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-6682448321563347152014-04-30T21:57:00.001-04:002014-04-30T21:57:30.086-04:00IntertwinedSteve has been away for nearly 2 weeks now. There is very little that I enjoy about him being away, but there is one tiny pleasure that I look forward to. <div><br></div><div>Night time snuggles with my boys. </div><div><br></div><div>When he's away, we do random nights where the boys get to sleep all night in the "big bed." We co-slept with both boys, and it's nice to have them in our luxurious large bed to snuggle with again. </div><div><br></div><div>Corben in particular is just lovely to cuddle up with. (Nothing against G, but he's all long and gangly limbs, plus he grinds the hell out of his teeth.) Corbie curls up into a ball and likes to snuggle up in the crook o<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">f my arm. His arms tangle with mine, and he finds my hand to hold. His legs get wrapped up in mine too. We are tangled up together, like we used to be in the days when he grew inside me, boy and his Mama. </span></div><div><br></div><div>I know these days are fleeting. My boys won't always want to curl up with me in the night. So while they do, I'll hold them tight; the tops of their heads wil be the last thing I kiss goodnight in the evening, and the first thing I kiss good morning in the light of dawn. And I'll curl up with them, tangled up in sweet dreams of sunshine...at the same time, looking forward to having the man that brought these precious gifts to me back in his rightful spot! </div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-7824370125668796962014-04-28T21:38:00.000-04:002014-05-01T06:58:34.872-04:00Reset<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Today could have gone very poorly. In fact, it started out that way. I had barely been up for 10 minutes before it started heading south. But then, on my way home from dropping Griffin off at school (nearly half an hour late, after a very tumultuous morning) I made the decision to start over. To not let my shitty morning take control over my entire day.<br />
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Take two. Hit the reset button. Start the day fresh. </div>
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And damned if we didn't have the best day ever! </div>
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It's all within our control. Attitude is everything. (And the sunshine doesn't hurt either!)<br />
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Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-75864156836108265822014-04-22T18:30:00.002-04:002014-04-22T18:30:39.764-04:00Ramble ramble blah blah blah One might take a quick look at my blog and think that I fell off the face of the planet for most of February. And March. And maybe April too.<br />
<br />
Truth be told, winter was loooong, people. And goddamnit if I didn't just about pack up my bags and hitch a ride south to warmer places. But I didn't. And we perservered. And here we are.<br />
<br />
All indications seem to point to spring actually arriving sometime in the near future. Yesterday was sunny, dare I say HOT even (almost 20C!) and there was some porch sitting and some cocktail drinking, and some praying that this bit of delight would keep on.<br />
<br />
Today it's a balmy 5 degrees again, with a wind that will knock your bunnies over. (If you had bunnies.) (Which, I do.)<br />
<br />
I don't know what kind of dark pit I fell into this winter, but it's nice to be out of it. The garlic is starting to poke it's head out of the ground, finally! On Saturday I moved the aforementioned bunnies out of their House of Poop back into the great outdoors. We celebrated Easter Weekend with yard work, and new bicycles, and waay too much chocolate. And today I've decided to do some much needed computer work. In my chair. All day.<br />
<br />
Yes.<br />
<br />
So much has gone on in the past few months that I don't even know where to start. Truth be told, I had to go though my Instagram feed to remember it all. Sad.<br />
<br />
There was a ski trip to Elicotteville, a million and a half (ok, not quite, but close) baby bunnies, lots of snow, lots of snuggles, lots of hot chocolate. And lots and lots of soap. <br />
<br />
The One of a Kind Show was the biggest baddest thing to happen in the
past few months. A soapy whirlwind of a good/exhausting time, it was a
dream come true!<br />
<br />
And then there were smashed windows, trips to Stratford, more baby bunnies, and finally, little green things popping out of the ground. The children, along with the grass, are growing like weeds. <br />
<br />
And I don't know where I'm going with all this.<br />
<br />
I feel like I've lost my bloggy voice over the past few months, and I'm struggling to find it again. I want to pick up my camera again, and enjoy the little things that offer so much beauty in a single shot. And then write about them. But the inspiration just hasn't been there. If I had actually blogged the number of times I had THOUGHT about blogging, this space wouldn't have been the dead zone that it has been for so many weeks. <br />
<br />
I feel like there are SO. MANY. THINGS. trying to fight for my attention. The children, the husband, the dog, the rabbits, the groceries, the yardwork, the soap business, my friends, my family, my community. Plus there's the relaxation that they tell us we're supposed to be doing. The laundry we should be washing, the dishes we should be doing, blah blah blah. And the blog we should be writing. Right.<br />
<br />
Balance. It was supposed to be my word for 2014. My "thing" that I was supposed to be finding.<br />
<br />
So far I feel like I'm sucking at the balance thing.<br />
<br />
I feel like there are lots of other things that I'm rocking. The soapy side of life is certainly rocking. But the rest seems to be a bit unbalanced.<br />
<br />
I think I'm rambled out. I think I've out-rambled my welcome, even though it's my damn blog.<br />
<br />
Maybe just writing something, anything, will help me get back in the saddle again. Who knows.<br />
<br />
For now, I sit, and dream about summer and fresh tomatoes and summer festivals and days at the pond. And no matter how unbalanced I feel, I can sit here in this spot knowing I'm at least unbalanced in the best spot in the world. And without even asking around, I know for certain that I'm not alone.<br />
<br />
And that's worth a lot.<br />
<br />
(If you made it this far you deserve a freaking medal!)<br />
<br />
xoxox <br />
<br />
<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-39783646167788259772014-03-07T08:08:00.000-05:002014-03-07T08:08:37.009-05:00Longest. Winter. Ever. You feel it, I feel it, and the kids are certainly feeling it. This has been the LONGEST WINTER EVER.<br />
<br />
It's also been the coldest winter in 34 years, since 1980.<br />
<br />
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</xml><![endif]-->Our house, built sometime in the early 1830's, as a barn, was converted into a home in 1980. So this has been the coldest winter that this home has
ever experienced.
<br />
<br />
And trust me when I say that we've felt every shivering cold breath of
it.<br />
<br />
You may remember the <a href="http://simplyelemental.blogspot.ca/2014/02/everything-in-its-place.html" target="_blank">last time we spoke, </a>that we were prepping for some major
minor renos. Well, they didn't quite go as expected. We couldn't get to
where we needed to get with the insulation, without ripping up the floor, which
we wern't prepared to do on that day. And so no insulation. Which, in
retrospect, was very very bad. (See above about coldest winter.) <br />
<br />
And so, without insulation, our house is cold. Our house is not too
bad when it's -10C outside. But when it dips to -25C at night, or god
forbid, lower then it dips in here too. This morning it was 52 degrees in
the house (a chilly 11C) with everything cranking at full. There is
nothing to be done, the heater can't keep up when there is -25 degree air
seeping in all along the floor. (And holy EFF is the floor ever cold. )<br />
<br />
The other day it finally got to me. The cold inside, coupled with the
cold outside, coupled with my car's new-found dislike of the cold, and its subsequent
refusal to start, two days running (or not running, as the case may be) tipped
me over the edge into "sobbing puddle of Mom." <br />
<br />
And then Corbie came to me and hugged my leg. Gave it a little pat.
"Its ok, Mommy."<br />
<br />
Deep breath. Winter won't last forever.<br />
<br />
And this morning I looked at the forecast and realized that today, right
now, is the coldest that it's going to be for the foreseeable future. I'm only
going to get warmer. The house is only going to get warmer. The grass is
only going to get greener (once we find it under all the snow.) <br />
<br />
And next year, when winter rolls around, we will be better prepared. More
insulation. If all goes well, a wood stove, hopefully even two.<br />
<br />
And a bloody vacation planned for February, just in case.<br />
<br />
But we're all ok. We're alive, we have each other. We have warm
blankets and tea and hot water bottles, and the love. We have a (albeit
poorly insulated) roof over our heads. All in all, life ain't so bad.<br />
<br />
And pretty soon, I'll be gardening. And thanks to the long winter,
there is more bunny poop piled up here than you can shake a stick
at. <br />
<br />
The gardens this year are going to be fab! <br />
<br />
Stay warm, peeps, spring is coming!<br />
<br />
xoxox<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-87339484626673877842014-02-03T22:43:00.000-05:002014-02-03T22:43:00.214-05:00Everything in it's place.We're planning for some major minor renovations this week, and the house has been in a state of bordering-on-chaos for a few days now. Not chaos, just boardering on it. Juuuuust on the edge. <br />
<br />
Our major minor renovations is just a little bit of insulation on the upper floor, but it necessitates getting rid of anything furniture-wise around the outside perimiter of the house. And everything in the living room. <br />
<br />
One of the unfortuate things that lies around the outside edge of our house is our kitchen cabinets and our sink.<br />
<br />
The same one that we tore out about a year ago and put back in. We will now repeat that action, with the ripping out (again) and the putting back in (again.) <br />
<br />
It also involves some spray stuff in the basement, which necessitates moving everything away from the north, south, and west wall of our basement. East side gonna be crowwwwded...<br />
<br />
Anyway, my point is this:<br />
<br />
There is so much stress on simplifying these days. But when I moved my plants and my book shelves, and a few pieces of extra furniture out of the living room, it didn't feel simple. <br />
<br />
It felt empty.<br />
<br />
Our living room is one of the magical places in the house, where we have managed to narrow it down to just enough stuff to fit in the room. It's perfect - when everything is put in it's place, the room is a little haven of warmth and loveliness.<br />
<br />
There are no other rooms like this in the house! (Except maybe the bathroom...almost.)<br />
<br />
The kids rooms have too many toys, our room has too many clothes. There is too much fabric in my sewing room, too much crap-of-all-kinds in the basement (and way too many mason jars.) Oh, and I run a business down there. <br />
<br />
There is too much useless junk in the kitchen, and too much recycling and garbage, and too much DAMN DOG FOOD ALL OVER THE FLOOR. <br />
<br />
BUT. When it feels overwhelming, as it often does, I need to remember that I don't need to get rid of everything in site. <br />
<br />
Nope. Just what doesn't fit. <br />
<br />
Everything in the home needs to have a place. When you clean up the house, it should be easy to put everything away, because everything has a place to go to. (Its easier to get kids on board then too, because it's just about putting things in their spot.) If it doesn't have a place, maybe it's gotta go. Or maybe it needs a spot in storage. Or maybe if it's really that important, then something else needs to go so the important thing can have a place.<br />
<br />
Simplifying can often feel so overwhelming. But we do have a decent amount of space in this house, and some pretty good storage solutions, and some good Virgo brains to go along with it.<br />
<br />
I just need to do a little bit of letting go of things (something I'm not very good at) and a little bit of organizing and labeling (something I AM very good at) and we're not going to be too far off the wonderful little heavenly bliss of our living room.<br />
<br />
Everything in it's place. That's it. Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-70276184824599995852014-01-30T09:55:00.000-05:002014-01-30T10:00:55.900-05:00ChoiceI spent the day yesterday glaring and making angry noises at my computer, and all the silly people on Facebook. <br />
<br />
Hardly productive.<br />
<br />
Our area of the world has been in a bit of a deep freeze for the past few weeks. January has been c-c-c-cold. February is shaping up to be not much different. We're in the middle of a "good old fashioned winter" which is to say lots of snow, lots of cold, lots of wind. Which, around here, results in lots of road closures, lots of cancelled buses and closed schools. Some people have been stuck in their houses for close to a week now, as closed roads keep them from going anywhere. People are running out of groceries, small towns are running out of gas, and tempers are running high.<br />
<br />
Yesterday was particularly bad in Dufferin - everything looked good in the morning, good enough to send the kiddies to school, but then one by one the roads started closing. White-outs everywhere, and then at 1pm the county declared a state of emergency, closed the schools, cancelled the afternoon buses, and all of a sudden there were hundreds of kids stranded at their schools. Chaos ensued.<br />
<br />
(Just a note - Dufferin is the county that we moved AWAY FROM 18 months ago, not the one that we currently live in. However, we still live very close to the border of the county, so it's road closures tend to affect us, although not nearly in the way that they used to.)<br />
<br />
Many parents spent the day griping about the decisions the school board had made to send the kids to school. Run the buses, keep the schools open, keep exams running in highschools. "It's not safe!" they all shouted. "Call the media, tell them how the board is risking the safety of our kids!" "Our kids have to write exams, they have no choice but to go to school."<br />
<br />
And that's when I started making my angry noises at the screen.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing - you, I, whoever, we ALWAYS have a choice.<br />
<br />
<br />
I tried to explain this to some people yesterday, and it fell on deaf ears. <br />
<br />
If you don't feel that it's safe to put your kids on the bus, despite what the school boards say, then DON'T DO IT. Your choice. Not the school board, not the school, YOU. You even have a choice to write exams or not. <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".dt.1:3:1:$comment649238171801572_649256068466449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".dt.1:3:1:$comment649238171801572_649256068466449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".dt.1:3:1:$comment649238171801572_649256068466449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0">
If you feel like your children are being asked to RISK THEIR LIVES to
go write an exam, then you need to decide what is more important - their
life, or their exam. You could drive them, or, if they miss it they
could potentially write it later, take their mark without their exam, or
worst case, retake the course. All of these things are better options
than potentially getting killed on your way to school on treacherous
roads. It is YOUR choice.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".dt.1:3:1:$comment649238171801572_649256068466449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3"><span data-reactid=".dt.1:3:1:$comment649238171801572_649256068466449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0"><span data-reactid=".dt.1:3:1:$comment649238171801572_649256068466449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.0:3.0.$end:0:$0:0"></span></span></span>This is a lesson for yesterday, and ultimately, for life. <br />
<br />
I think too many people sit around and blame others for what is happening in their lives. They blame chance, or circumstance, and wallow in their lives, thinking there is no way to change things.<br />
<br />
Untrue. There is always a way. We always have a choice to make a positive change. Sometimes you have to get creative, go way out of your comfort zone, ask for help. But there is always a choice to be made. <br />
<br />
Sometimes, granted, we can not control the things that happen to us. We can't control the weather, accidents happen, people die suddenly, some things are out of our control. But we CAN control how we react to those things. We can wallow in them, or choose to take a step in a different direction.<br />
<br />
There is no such thing as "I have no choice." You ALWAYS have one. You are the maker of your own destiny. The trailblazer of your own path. The person in charge of YOUR life is YOU.<br />
<br />
And the person in charge of my life is me. Every choice that I have made, and then we as a family has made has brought us to where we are. IT IS NO ACCIDENT that we live in the greatest place in the world (in our mind, anyway) and are stupidly happy. We made it so.<br />
<br />
So if you're unhappy with some facet of your life?<br />
<br />
Change it.<br />
<br />
YES, you can. <br />
<br />
Find the thing that sings to your soul, and then make a move towards it.<br />
<br />
Even if it is a teeny tiny move. Its STILL a move. A step in the right direction.<br />
<br />
Somedays it will feel like you've hardly moved at all. Some days you may move backwards. But tomorrow is a new day, and another chance to move forward again. <br />
<br />
Some days you win, some days you learn.<br />
<br />
<i>Human
progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the
goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the
tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. Martin Luther King, Jr. </i><br />
<br />
YOU, and only you can make the choice.<br />
<br />
The choice to be happy lies in YOUR hands.<br />
<br />
So go, be happy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(And thanks to Marianne, who bugged me about blogging again. Blogging makes me happy! xoxox) <br />
<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-86411537112777466372014-01-22T21:37:00.000-05:002014-05-01T06:58:15.365-04:00#365gratefulA dream come true. I shall call them "Wash" and "Dry"<br />
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Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-82382606766060892442014-01-20T16:08:00.001-05:002014-01-20T16:08:18.115-05:00UnpluggedThis weekend, we tried a little something new on Sunday. We put away the phones, the ipads, the computers, and spent the day 100% unplugged.<br />
<br />
It was so needed.<br />
<br />
And it was SO awesome!<br />
<br />
We played with each other. Read books, made and drank copious amounts of tea. Did puzzles, played with lego, drew, dreamed, and talked to each other. Like really talked.<br />
<br />
(Some of us even went back to bed when "we" realized there was no morning show to be had!)
<br />
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We invited some friends for dinner, and then spent the afternoon tidying up the house. Finishing off the weekend with a delicious meal with friends, and a clean house, full of love for each other was perfect. <br />
<br />
We'll do it again, no doubt. <br />
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<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-74884978491940739012014-01-16T22:04:00.001-05:002014-01-16T22:04:26.371-05:00#365GratefulOh how I have missed thee, old friend! <div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRYH7xoxi4uffUpOpfDGBAGERnazAqCZPnB4AIf_MgTwscQnRsplXDdBez4vY1lnRNRlKvZAvddZN5lYfqylaMhj8U9Y5YYe8N5td4vOHhsJ7PIkCUxXwVNXdLxrJQ66D6249ia2RejHX/s640/blogger-image-55184867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRYH7xoxi4uffUpOpfDGBAGERnazAqCZPnB4AIf_MgTwscQnRsplXDdBez4vY1lnRNRlKvZAvddZN5lYfqylaMhj8U9Y5YYe8N5td4vOHhsJ7PIkCUxXwVNXdLxrJQ66D6249ia2RejHX/s640/blogger-image-55184867.jpg"></a></div></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-11822915624680382582014-01-09T23:06:00.000-05:002014-01-09T23:06:00.593-05:00A year of CorbenOne photo a month, for one year. (Except for October...there's two, I couldn't pick.) All Corben, all the time. <br />
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Happy Birthday dude!<br />
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(And sorry about the watermarks, but I wasn't about to re-upload them all!)<br />
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January 2013</div>
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February 2013</div>
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March 2013</div>
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April 2013</div>
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May 2013</div>
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June 2013</div>
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August 2013</div>
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September 2013</div>
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October 2013</div>
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Annnd October again</div>
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November 2013</div>
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December 2013 </div>
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Happy Birthday, to the coolest, awesomest kid I know. Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-40955312835963821822014-01-03T22:18:00.001-05:002014-01-03T22:18:57.203-05:00Oh SnapWe're in the middle of a "cold snap" right now. <br />
<br />
(Why "snap?" I don't know. We need to "snap" the heck out of it, pronto.)<br />
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Anywho.<br />
<br />
The temperature is minus holymothertruckingcold outside right now, which is about 5 degrees warmer than it was this morning. We're pretty sure the temperatures dipped down into the minus 30's (celsius) last night. If the number of layers I needed to wear to bed is any indication, it was extreme cold.<br />
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It has come to our attention that our house is woefully inadequately insulated. WOEFULLY. WHOA-FULLY INADEQUATE.<br />
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And when its holymothertruckingcold outside? Well then it only slightly less than holymothertruckingcold inside too.<br />
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Our poor little propane fireplaces have been running non-stop for three days, and not once have we actually got up to the temperature that the thermostat is set to (a paltry 67 F...I am aiming low...and still not getting there.) The propane bill this month is going to make me weep frozen tears of sadness into my cup of tea, oh yes it will.<br />
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But we soldier on. Blankets. Hot chocolate (with Baileys, of course.) Toques in the house. Hot water bottles in the bed.
Tonight I kicked Corben out of his room to the trundle bed in G's room,
so Steve and I can sleep in his bed (on the upper floor, where the little heat that there is rises to) because I'm tired of seeing my gawd damn breath as I lay in bed.<br />
<br />
I always said I wanted to live like a pioneer.<br />
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Be careful what you wish for internets, be oh so very careful! ;)<br />
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Stay toasty, my friends! Send warm thoughts!<br />
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xoxo <br />
<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-49375342303872669402013-12-30T22:23:00.001-05:002013-12-30T22:23:10.203-05:00Happy Holidays! T'was the night before Christmas. <br />
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Breakfast on Christmas morn. We had to wait until about 10am till Grandma and Grandpa arrived to open presents, but the kids were SO GREAT. <br />
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We spent a good part of the morning watching the deer wander in the park next door. <br />
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Fresh from the groomer, our Prince. <br />
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All smiles. <br />
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"It's just what I've always wanted!" (The only thing Corbs wanted from Santa was a Hot Wheels Track.)<br />
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A gift for my Mom. (There is a lovely woman named Dot, with a company called the <a href="http://bustedbutton.com/" target="_blank">Busted Button</a> who makes these art pieces, but it sadly wasn't in the budget this year, so we went ahead and made our own - I'm very happy with how they turned out!) <br />
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Playing with lego next to the heater. <br />
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<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-77186139451747970702013-12-22T22:55:00.000-05:002013-12-30T23:11:16.875-05:00Happy Solstice<br />
(Oh yes, we're back-dating posts here.)<br />
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Oh my how I love to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The return of the light.<br />
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After a morning at the Last Chance Christmas Market in Creemore, I filled my car with goodies and headed home. We started the fire early, enjoyed rabbit stew, and venison roasted over the fire. Plus good friends, many many good friends. The children ran around in the snow until way past their bedtime...both of them actually asked me to go to bed, they were so tired. We took a break from the fire mid evening, when someone got the idea to go Christmas Caroling. So up and down main street we went, singing our (only slightly inebriated) hearts out to those who would listen. All of this in the midst of one of the worst ice storms in recent history in our area. (We enjoyed about half rain and half snow all night, but we were pretty saturated by the end of the evening.)<br />
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I look forward to doing this again next year, and attaching a bit more ritual to it. (This year we burned a piece of furniture that has been hanging around here for much too long, injuring me many times. It is SO wonderful to let go of things and start new. ) A wonderful evening, with wonderful people, in the place that I know is truly my home.<br />
<br />
Happy Solstice, my friends. Enjoy the return of the light! <br />
<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-28846300837880383822013-11-24T23:01:00.001-05:002013-11-25T11:01:12.730-05:00Adventures in RoadkillOur valley runs along side a river. Steep sloping hills up one side, and the other, and a river that rushes its way noisily through the middle of it. And the road, our road, that follows the river, with thick bush abutting the road for most of the trek.<br />
<br />
On Monday morning, as Steve was driving home from dropping Corben off at daycare, a deer on her way from one place to another bound out of those bushes at a most unfortunate time, and met with the front bumper of Steve's car, sending her flying up and over the car and landing in the ditch beside the road.<br />
<br />
When Steve stopped the car, and got out to check on the car and the deer, she was lying in the ditch, still alive, but clearly injured as she wasn't able to move. Since deer that are shot often bolt, and run for miles on the adrenaline of their injuries, it was clearly bad. <br />
<br />
He quickly came home to try and find a friend (with a gun) to put this poor thing out of her misery. A few phone calls later and we discovered that we couldn't actually shoot the deer, we needed to call the OPP to do it. (Otherwise any schmuck with a gun, outside hunting season, could claim to just be "putting the deer out of it's misery" for one excuse or another. It would be considered poaching if they were caught.)<br />
<br />
To make a long story short, about a half hour later Steve came home, our friend Dan following behind him with an expired deer in the back of his truck.<br />
<br />
Despite her unfortunate, untimely end, we weren't about to let her go to waste.<br />
<br />
So all of a sudden we had a deer in our back yard that needed to be dealt with. Gutted and hung. And me? I've processed one rabbit in my life. One. But one more phone call and we had an experienced hunter in our back yard, showing us the ins and outs of gutting a deer.<br />
<br />
Hardly the Monday morning any of us had anticipated.<br />
<br />
A short time later, we had a gutted deer hanging in our yard.<br />
<br />
On Friday night, with an impeding snow storm approaching, it was time to get the deer down from her perch, and deal with processing her.<br />
<br />
Now, we live in an incredible community. When we needed to haul a dead deer from the side of the road, and gut it, there were a half a dozen people that we could have called to help us, and they would have come. At the same time, if you've got a deer hanging in your yard, and you want to keep it for your freezer, then the mentality is you best get to work figuring out how to take care of that. There are lots of folks here happy to provide guidance and even a helping hand, but nobody is going to do it FOR you. Put on your big girl Carharts, and do it yourself. <br />
<br />
The job of butchering in this family seems to have fallen to me.<br />
<br />
And because we wanted to keep the deer, not to mention the pelt, on Friday night I skinned and quartered* a deer, in our neighbour Kyle's garage (of course) for the first, but likely not last time. (*I'm not sure why the call it quartering, because it's more like 6 pieces, but maybe that's too much math.) <br />
<br />
It was seriously cool.<br />
<br />
Luckily for me, this "road kill" deer was a good practice deer. Her pelvis was so completely shattered that the meat on the inside was pretty much a write off, so it was pretty hard for me to screw it up.<br />
<br />
But I did it. And it was awesome. It's so wonderfully cool to see the inside workings of such an amazing creature. How bone comes together, and how muscles run along the body. Learning about cuts of meat and where they come from and why some are better than others. Not to mention walking away with a decent sized pelt.<br />
<br />
Now, scraping and tanning the pelt is an adventure all of it's own, and a shitpile of work, a pile that I've decided to put off until the spring. In the meantime the hide is rolled and bagged and frozen until I can give up a weekend to just sit and scrape. I'm looking forward to that too, it's going to take a ton of work and patience, but I have dreams of <strike>ditching</strike> giving the kids to the loving arms of their grandparents for the weekend, and sitting beside a smouldering fire for three days; cooking shit on the fire, drinking wine, and sinking my teeth into this beautiful piece of fur. (It's good to have a dream.)<br />
<br />
So now, with a self-satisfied pat on the back, I can say that I know how to gut, skin, and quarter a deer. Put that shit on my resume, shall I? Thanks to my excellent teacher, Neighbour Jim, who only skinned his first deer winter. But then he skinned his second. And third. Gifts from the Valley.<br />
<br />
Who knew I, we, any of us was such a redneck?<br />
<br />
And to the Mama deer, who was in such an unfortunate place at an unfortunate time, we are grateful for her - the lessons she brings, and the meat, and the fur, and we promise we won't let any of them go to waste. <br />
<br />
Self sufficiency. Living off the land. Organic, free range venison at it's finest. These are all very, very good things that I've been dreaming of for a while.<br />
<br />
<div class="bq_s">
<div class="bq_fq bq_fq_lrg" style="margin: 0px;">
<i>Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.</i><br />
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div class="bq_fq_a">
<i>
<a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ralph_waldo_emerson.html">
Ralph Waldo Emerson
</a></i>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
xoxoxJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-14509314126228433132013-11-21T21:47:00.000-05:002013-11-21T21:47:58.352-05:00Country DaysWell hello there, long time no see.<br />
<br />
What a crazy few weeks it has been. Oh look, its actually been a whole MONTH since I've been here. For shame!<br />
<br />
Between getting ready for holiday craft shows and all the other insanity of...well..life, there hasn't been a moment to spare.<br />
<br />
But there are Things! Happening! To be true.<br />
<br />
We have 6 baby bunnies, alive and well, that will soon be bouncing around their enclosure. A far cry from the last tragedy involving bunnies. They are fat, and happy, and they made ME so happy.<br />
<br />
We've been busily preparing for winter as well. Gardens to put to bed, garlic to plant, windows to seal up. Oh, and a bunny hutch to build! It's main purpose is actually to be a greenhouse for the spring, at which point we will kick the bunnies back out to the great outdoors. <br />
<br />
We also currently have a deer hanging in our backyard. Yes, a deer. It jumped out of the bushes onto the road the other day, as deer are want to do round these parts, and lo and behold if Steve's car wasn't in it's way. The OPP had to come and put it down, as it was severly injured, but luckily we got to keep it. Luckily as well I had the experience of helping butcher a deer last week. And now I get to do one all on my own. Oh the things I have learned here in the valley! Between the deer, and the side of pork that we have arriving this week, and the rabbits that need to be processed, imma gonna need a bigger freezer!<br />
<br />
And we wait for snow, and deck the halls, and eat ALL THE MEAT. And carry on carrying on, in this lovely spot that we call home.<br />
<br />
I guess that's all I really popped in to say - life is good, my friends, life is good! <br />
<br />Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-6921091050239281552013-10-19T09:44:00.001-04:002013-10-23T22:07:36.301-04:00Here we go!Today I wore my long johns and leg warmers. Now it's snowing. I don't know if it's a product of growing older or what, but I find myself dreading winter more and more each year. And to be that chilly in the second last week of October frightens me…what's it going to be like in January?<div><br></div><div>Nevertheless, we carry-on. Safe in the knowing that we have lots of wool clothing and blankets to keep us warm. And if all else fails we have each other!</div><div><br></div><div>Snuggle up, my friends, winter is on it's way!</div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-28738130991633192142013-10-10T22:03:00.000-04:002013-10-10T22:13:48.506-04:00Life Lessons from a baby bunnyIts a week after our Mama rabbit gave us our first litter. How excited I was to see that first litter arrive, I felt like I had given birth to those little kits! My heart swelled with excitement at the newborn life, and the miracle of it all. (And the expediency...rabbits are only pregnant for about 31 days!) And TEN babies! Oh how my chest ached just at the thought of it, of nursing ten babies until they were ready to wean (which, again with the expediency, is a mere 6 weeks later.)<br />
<br />
But our Mama rabbit never nursed those babies. Her mothering instinct never kicked in. We've learned that this is very common for first time mother rabbits. But that doesn't make it any easier.<br />
<br />
We were down to two little fighting babies for a while there. Oh how I tried to keep those two little fighters alive. Went so far as to snuggle them down my shirt (kangaroo care...for bunnies) and feed them kitten formula. <br />
<br />
One week those little guys fought to hang on. And I fought with them, for them. On Tuesday night, I went out to find our lone bunny Vincent (his brother died earlier that day) out of his nest box, and cold on the wire. I brought him inside, cold and limp, with blood on his paws and back from where he got stuck on the wire. I brought him in to cry over his little body, shaken in my defeat, feeling like I and not the Mama rabbit had failed at her job. But then slowly, as I held him in my hands, he started to occasionally twitch. And then a little more. I dropped everything I had planned for that night and sat in my rocking chair, with a heating pad and a syringe full of kitten milk replacement, with a baby rabbit down my shirt, doing everything that I could to keep him alive and give him a shot at a decent life.<br />
<br />
Of course, as some pointed out, it's ironic to work so hard to save something that I am eventually going to kill. But the point is, that in the mean time, this little bunny - a living creature - deserved the best life that he can possibly have. We are all going to die in the end; me, you, our kids, our pets, the deer in the bushes, the cows in the field. We all have a right to the best possible life we can live <i>in that time frame between our first breath and our last.</i> As humans, it is <u>us</u> that have the choice of how we achieve that best possible life. As for these animals, we've taken on the responsibility for them. We actually give a shit about their quality of life, despite the fact that some day, they will be food.<br />
<br />
A friend wrote this to me, it made me feel really, really good about our efforts. She said <span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][2]"></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]">"I'm
so sad. Lovely to see your caring and effort - challenging the myth
that people don't care about the animals they eat. Obviously you cared."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]">And I did. Likely even too much. It sure would have been hard if that bunny had lived, to some day put him on the table after all that effort. So, lesson learned. Nature is in charge here, not me.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]">What a lovely lesson to take away from all this - that nature and the universe is in charge. That we need to have <i>trust</i>. That we need to let go of <i>fear</i>. And I love that feeling that we get when we drop everything that we were going to do, because something more important came along - it always amazes me how our priorities can shift in the face of trouble or crisis. How the seemingly huge things that you were sweating over hours ago seem suddenly meaningless and insignificant. It also proves to me what great things we can accomplish if we (ok, I) focus and make something a priority (even those this time around the end result wasn't in my favour. I sure did learn though, so much.)</span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]"><br /></span></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]">Yes, they were just a litter of 10 tiny bunnies, that lived only a short time. But for me they were so much more than that. They were a humbling lesson in the power of the universe, the importance of focus and dedication, and the enormous responsibility we've taken on to give a small heard of creatures a decent life. </span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]"><br /></span></span></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5xsS_bUV54E7qlmtW5jbeQBChe004dfKLwW0yE6uk6OI9Wvmp_ko5AdiFYNK3bAPW8YevLD_YFob_ZHRWPpZC07R-t-B9wGEyOa36Yp1oWra9BE4KDXwHc8B4cj-9OVZN_u92_vqVwDu/s1600/vincent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5xsS_bUV54E7qlmtW5jbeQBChe004dfKLwW0yE6uk6OI9Wvmp_ko5AdiFYNK3bAPW8YevLD_YFob_ZHRWPpZC07R-t-B9wGEyOa36Yp1oWra9BE4KDXwHc8B4cj-9OVZN_u92_vqVwDu/s320/vincent.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[5n2md].[1][4][1]{comment10153341449585646_429523974}.[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].[0]">Better luck next time, Mama Rabbit. </span></span></span>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-73446559934826251982013-10-05T22:25:00.000-04:002013-10-05T22:25:30.036-04:00Trials and Tribulations of raising Rabbits. It's been a disappointing few days in the Rabbit Raising department here in the Valley. On Thursday afternoon, I suspected the babies weren't being fed, but I really had no idea if that was true or not. The kits were still pretty active, peeping like only kits can do (baby bunnies make cute little squeaky noises) and since they only usually get fed once a day, it was quite likely that I was being a paranoid first time rabbit mom.<br />
<br />
But by Friday morning, when I found one of them barely alive, and the rest pretty chilly, we knew that things weren't going so well. <br />
<br />
First time Mama rabbits are pretty famous for screwing things up. Never expect anything from a first litter, is what I've been told. They don't have the babies in the nest (in which case they die from cold) or they don't feed them. Or they just plain eat them. <br />
<br />
Makes me feel not so bad for all the silly things that I did my first time around!<br />
<br />
Yesterday afternoon, me and our new roomie Jess went about getting the kits to feed. Feed from their Mama, who we picked up, snuggled on her back, and let the kits roam around her belly. We did the first go-round outside, and didn't have much luck getting any of them to do anything. They were cold and listless and not interested in much. I decided to leave the heating pad under their next box, so they could concentrate on just living, instead of having to stay warm too.<br />
<br />
Later in the evening, we moved the whole operation inside, and gave a real college try to get the kits to feed. <br />
<br />
Three of them were too far gone, so we sadly gave up on them.<br />
<br />
Four of them gave a go at eating, some a little harder than the others.<br />
<br />
This morning we were down to two, which honestly, is two more than I thought there would be. <br />
<br />
Oh, who would have thought that this would all be so very difficult!<br />
<br />
It was late this evening (in the dark) when we got around to feeding them again. We were thrilled to find two warm and active kits in the nest box! Mama wasn't too interested in being caught for her daily ritual, but relaxed right into it when we got down to business. The two kits scurried and rooted, and found their Mama's milk, and got down to filling their bellies, which they were quite successful at in the end! We put two satiated kits back in their nest and will cross our fingers till morning.<br />
<br />
One of the reasons we decided to raise rabbits was that it was purported to be SO easy. SO easy, that is, when everything goes right. But when things go wrong, it's not terribly easy at all. Nor do I think it will be terribly easy when the time comes to send these little ones off to the freezer, after working so hard to save their lives.<br />
<br />
However, its that working hard that makes me feel good about all this. What sort of treatment do you think these kits and this mother may have had in a high-output operation? Likely not what happened in the past 48 hours! We're doing our best to give these animals the greatest shot we can at a decent life. Knowing that we gave them that make me ok with it all. Makes me root for these little fighters just that little bit harder.<br />
<br />
Go, bunny babies, go! Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-18138961592395226172013-10-02T20:05:00.000-04:002013-10-02T20:05:52.030-04:00This MomentThis moment happened this morning, when I opened up our bunny cage, not really expecting to see anything. But instead, I saw this:<br />
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Baby rabbits. 7 of them. (There were 10 total, but three of them didn't make it.)<br />
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I might have squealed. OK, I totally did.<br />
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And then I ran inside and squealed to the children.<br />
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Is it odd to be so darn proud of a rabbit? Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788866978720971549.post-60280472408394078482013-10-01T11:59:00.000-04:002013-10-01T11:59:30.778-04:00GratituesdayToday, and hopefully for Tuesdays to come, I'm linking up with <a href="http://lusaorganics.typepad.com/clean/" target="_blank">Rachel at Clean</a> to share a bit of gratitude. 7 things that make me grateful. Because like Rachel says,<br />
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"Taking just a moment to appreciate what we have can change everything."<br />
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This week I am grateful for:<br />
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-My husband, who works so hard for this family, on his days at work, and on his days off too.<br />
-This beautful autumn weather, the sun makes me smile.<br />
-My daily walks with my dear friend Kelly. We just started them again, and they do me (and her!) so much good!<br />
-I am grateful that we live in a community surrounded by amazing people, amazing women especially. They inspire.<br />
-That we have the opportunity to raise our own meat in our own backyard. <br />
-The bounty that our garden keeps giving us.<br />
-And of course, my new Greenhouse!<br />
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Peace, my friends!<br />
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Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04264227264937700027noreply@blogger.com1