27/52 weeks

52 weeks of daily life in pictures:
trials and celebrations,
the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.

Join me if you like.

** Oh Canada! ... Our home and native land...

It was a scorching HOT day - just ask her! 

In fact we've had regular temperatures of 30C PLUS humidity for almost two weeks. A few thunder storms here and there, lightning blasting the skies, there are no more doubts summer has indeed arrived.

We were able to attend a wonderful Canada Day celebration not too far from our home, though not for long before the heat became all too much for everyone. A snack on the deck while observing plenty of entertainment and live music below; a face painting station, balloon man, swimming pool, and (new to us) multiple activities such as segway tours, and then, we were done.

Off for home, we attempted to return later in the evening when the day began to cool just a tad, the humidity leveled a wee bit, and a lovely dusk sunset began beckoning us to return again. And the return was worth every ounce of effort!

We all have nothing but total awe and sincere appreciation for the fabulous fireworks show we were spectators of, the evening's ending resulting in a rousing applause for the super colorful and all of the prolific dancing parade of celebratory lights offered in the sky above. 

Oh Canada!  

** Slurping up more blog posts with the assistance of free wifi as I'm apparently now unable to complete the downloads at home.

I've had a few visits to either coffee shops or libraries for the purpose of downloading each blog book so I can begin the editing process and personal photo placements. The goal is to have all blog posts published into books, tangible pages filled with memories and our family journals, those posts which have been chronicling our days while living life in the east. I'm finding this process good timing with the new email announcing a July special discount, so my fingers are tapping the keyboard when I'm able to these days.

I've decided to make one for each six months of a year, and change the color for the book covers per year also. So far I have two shades of blue, two shades of green, and a creamsicle orange for color choices. 

Oh the memories we have weaved are now becoming stored and treasured within the covers of these books! 

** It was a unanimous decision that our fire pit was far too small for our bonfire preferences. 

After purchasing more curved landscape bricks, these four took on the initiative to re-carve and widen out the perimeter, then placing the bricks in their circular motion. With marshmallows in hand, we were able to enjoy a real lovely bonfire shortly afterward. Yeah gang!

 

** This butterfly has been visiting daily outside of my window, very obviously attracted to my florals in the garden. I hadn't taken the time to gulp back its presence until this day, just a few moments to be thankful for the little bit of grace its presence brought to my day. 

"Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine."  

~Jeffrey Glassberg

Life truly is precious and most beautiful, and yet also fragile as all get out!  

Like the butterfly we are free to float, to select well and fly freely, fully able to discern and put into practice what is truly right and good in our personal world.

As every moment in our lives counts for something, so too do words that are able to have a drastic ripple effect. It is then and always when we believe life really is tenderly and seriously fragile when uttered words have the ability to shatter the upcoming seconds of life. Words, like those from almost six weeks ago - "you have a bacterium present in your lungs that is related to the tuberculosis family, though in your case likely not contagious".

With a well known pending mail strike here in Canada, even so, important medical records were sloppily dropped into the system, and then haphazardly forgotten as time has drifted forward. After being passed from Respiratory Doctor to the Infectious Diseases expert, as of this typing there are still no answers afforded upon this family for required treatment. If you could please offer a prayer....I sure do humbly thank you.

Like the butterfly in flickering motion, our thoughts drift toward the hope of answers, though nothing at all (!) seems to make sense some days. 

I'm very certain that although we don't have a clue why difficult situations present themselves in our lives the way they do, sometime down the road, may we become blessed to acquire that long sought after knowledge we yearn so desperately to know about more fully at present, and be able to comprehend and understand as to why they visited the way they once did.

I myself am completely praying and banking on that thought!

** Sunsets and outdoor horse lessons have crept in at later hours than past months, momentarily though before we switch to morning lesson times. While the girls have been in the barn tacking up and preparing their horses, I am greeted by a sudden sunset shimmering sparkle when the light catches on my crucifix hanging from my rear view mirror, those few glimmering and winking seconds where time stands still, just for a second, and I'm feeling led to nod and begin uttering much thanksgiving for anything and every thing in the presence of my day.

** There are strange footprints along the shore of our preferred beach location these days. Among many noted are raccoons, deer and beaver!

On our property, we've had new friends from the forest come to visit; two baby rabbits and mommy cottontail not far behind, pheasant, wild turkeys, turkey vultures, pleated woodpeckers have returned, baby birdies galore are tumbling and learning to fly from their nesting, and even the oddest sighting of a female peacock, perhaps an escapee from a local exotic zoo has appeared on our property.

The black bears have been hiding, along with the coyote packs though we have spotted two babies and not long ago, heard their awful wailing in the distance in the dead of night.

The chipmunks are pesky as all get out and a problem if the population increases. The weasels are now brown in color, and are often seen carrying a baby chippie for their evening meal. There has been a pesky one attempting to scratch his way into our home again, picking at the fireplace outtake steel covering  with us waking up to him in the week hours of the morning. Just what we need - another weasel indoors.

Squirrels have been limited this year, just a few black ones running about. The bats flying about our heads during our bonfires have been heartily welcomed, as I'm hoping they will continue to freely fly about and enjoy munching up our dreadful mosquito population by night.

** Summer is a time for appreciating the great abundance of fresh farmed and local food. I'm loving my summer salads, those complete with fresh in season berries, slivered almonds, and a light drizzle of poppyseed dressing. 

A great book on the side makes the perfect companion. This one is titled "Frugal Luxuries of the Seasons", the second I've enjoyed from author "Tracey McBride". Her books are seemingly rare and out of print these days, but lucky me, I found this one at a recent homeschooling used book sale. It's been lovely summer reading.

 

** I AM Canadian.... is the slogan of "Molson Canadian brewery", and I snapped this photo above on Canada Day when my husband ordered one in the heat of the day during our snack on the upper restaurant deck. It was one of those hot summer day, most ordinary moments, now frozen in time forever in a digital (Kodak) photo.

 

** Don't let this bubble bee in the photo above fool you, he is GINORMOUS! There have been many of these buzzing bees working hard pollinating in our garden these days, very beautiful actually when finding oneself suddenly up close and personal with them. And big!

It takes my breath away to notice them in my midst, actually that's because I'm holding my breath and hoping not to get stung by one of them!

My goodness, are they ever huge!

** Going through a stack of my children's artwork this week, I came upon this delightful and heart warming pencil sketched portrait of our family. 

It's during these sorts of unexpected visits to days gone by where I can once more visualize how a childlike mind views his own family during his youthful years. He includes each one, he depends on them, sees them all lined up in a row in his mind, something which provides the vision of strength in numbers for loving hearts, all united with the parents at the helm of the lineup.

These portraits fast become small and yet powerful reminders, and hold spontaneous blessings galore for this mommy's heart. 

If you don't have one of your family already, ask your child/children to draw a photo of your family members, and then observe just how it is presented back to you. We have many of these sweet little pieces of art in our home, some very intricately detailed with icons or symbols drawn on each person's frontage, so cute!

I'm going to find them all, going on a sketch-hunt this week, and then they will all be blown up and framed! There are blessings in these simple pleasures, and reminders of what is ultimately important in life - MY FAMILY!  

Here is a very famous quote (smiling) from another who felt the same as I ...

"The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other."

~ MARIO PUZO, The Family

Head on over to Barbara's to check out the invitation to join the

52 week photography link-up party.