One Part Inspiration...

My husband casually said to me one day "I'm going on a business trip on Monday, can you come?"   I moved heaven and earth and off we went. It was a beautiful day.  We meandered (careened - my husband doesn't believe in using brakes through mountain passes) up the highway, and came to the little town which hosted the 2010 Olympics. At first, I wondered what I was going to do with over three hours of "me" time while he attended the course.  But it didn't take long to find my way.  I wandered through the town, chatting with store owners and finding out all kinds of information.  It is a very friendly town, and most everyone is from somewhere else, so there's always an international flavour which I don't expereince too many other places. There were lots of shops and even more shop owners who were happy to chat about the nice weather and try to locate  products I was on the look out for.  One shop owner even left her doors open later tha...

Friday night, I was reading the paper and saw that there was a garage sale on our street.  This is an unusual occurrence because we don't live in the main area of town.  In fact, we are rather removed from the centre.  Since we've moved here, we haven't been to a whole lot of garage sales, because on a Saturday morning, after the pancake breakfast, it seems too much work to pile in the van and head to town to find cheap treasures. However, we could walk to this one, so on Saturday morning, we got up and pulled ourselves together enough to look presentable, and headed down the road. The garage sale was full of treasures.  There were reasonable ones, cheap ones, and even free ones.  But the best part was introducing ourselves to some new neighbours and greeting a few with whom we had already begun to establish neighbourly relations.  When the garage sale people found out who we were, they commented "Oh, YOu're The SHeep PeopPle".  We smiled and apolog...

Last year, about this time, I made a trip to the local building store, to get supplies for the Father's Day gift.  It has been a year since the work began on it.  Both the boys gave their Dad a hand, as he began putting together a place for us to enjoy a cup of tea, on a warm summer night. Many hours were poured into the first stage of this getaway. And then other things took precedence, and once there had been enough progress to be able to walk outside the front door, with a bit of support for us, the work halted. All winter, we dreamt about how it would look, once we got the decking on. We took lots of virtual trips to our lovely little bench, where we would sit, and look at the virtual landscape, and enjoy the virtual hanging baskets. Once the weather cleared In between spring weather systems, my husband forged ahead on putting our dreams into reality.  First, the patio stones were brought out and the measurements done.  Before the day wa...

When he was little, he would begin dreaming of his birthday party, several months ahead. Every day he asked me how many days it was until the celebration. Finally I told him that I would not discuss his birthday until the 1st of March. So he never said a word for the rest of February. On February 28, he was asked to say grace. " Thank you God this day. Thank you for this year. And thank you God, that it is almost March the 1st ." Over the years, we have had many types of celebrations. I remember planning hot dog roasts, making bingo games, and a laser tag expedition, or two. But this birthday was different. He was going to be responsible to plan it all. For several weeks we had discussions about what types of activities he would have, who would come, how long they would stay, and what kind of food we would serve.. I set up an on-line 'sign up', but in the end, he got it all done on another social network. The kids arrived at one. The last of them left at nine. It went...

Who doesn't love a bargain ? Raise your hand. Thank you for coming. You are excused......... Now to the rest of you, who like me, get a big kick out of finding the best places to pay as little as possible for the things you love, we will call the meeting to order. [sound of the gavel] Exhibit #1 New Jammies . [with a side trip to "T-shirts at a great price"] I had been into the store just after New Year's. I was looking for a few long-sleeved t-shirts to add to my wardrobe. I happened into the store for their 70% off sale. I had a budget of 25$. As I was browsing through the racks of shirts, I came across the cutest pair of jammies. They were a soft and wintery-warm two-piece set, with a t-shirt and snowflaked patterned bottoms. SOOOO CUTE!!! SO WARM. And yet, if I bought them I would be over my limit. Reluctantly, I put them back. I comforted myself with the knowledge that I had scored three t-shirts for under 25$. Fast-forward a couple of weeks. I checked back in th...

Every Christmas I make a little game of trying to find the present that has a 'wow' factor. This is what fuels my gift-giving. I love wrapping up the gift, knowing that the person will totally love what I am giving. I can hardly wait for them to open it up and see it. I have enough experience to know I cannot possibly find the perfect gift for everyone on the list, but if I have at least one person to whom I can give the most wonderful present, I am happy. This year, it was a co-worker of mine. We always draw names amongst the staff for an exchange we have sometime in December. When I saw her name on the paper I drew, I clapped my hands in excitement. She is a person whom I have come to love and respect. We share a common province of origin, a common workplace, a common faith, and we both have children. Over the years I have come to admire her ability to see the bottom line, and define it in a most logical, no-nonsense-mixed-with-compassion, sort of way. One year, I was lament...

Finally! A job I can do. All these months, I have walked around The Pokeaway , wielding the odd broom, holding screwdrivers, wrenches, flash lights, and attaching extension cord to the one plug we have in the barn. And now, we are at the point where painting is beginning. I can do that! I am dangerous with a paint extension pole. Walls, ceilings, t-shirts, fingers, hair, - nothing is safe from my reach. As I was painting tonight, I was thinking of the many times I have painted in my life. My earliest recollection of painting was when my Dad told me I could paint the inside of the garage. I have a sneaky suspicion, he let me do the garage, because he was afraid of what I would do to the house, if he let me. At any rate, I donned a beautiful red bandanna and went at it. Grey. Buckets of it. My sister came along and took a black and white photo of me - with a 'Brownie Star Flash' camera. Mostly what you see in the picture is the top of my head and lots of the wall. [She has impr...

Get sent on errand by husband, who firmly believes you have the capacity to drive the truck with the oversized trailer to get supplies. Return after several hours with supplies (and a few less fingernails). Get advice from every person who watches you try to back into position. Watch the trailer get unhitched, and wait to see what will happen to your most excellent Father's Day gift. The following week, arrive to find husband and boys working diligently to put together the gift. Imagine if you will, a swing in the right corner. In future weeks, watch for the unfolding of this gift. Look forward to congratulating yourself on thinking of such a fine gift. Like they say, you should always give something that you would love yourself.

I admit it. I'm a reward card junkie. If I go to a store, and the salesperson even breathes something sounding like ".. .Interested in our savings card? ", I have to hold myself back from jumping over the counter. "Sure". I say, while inwardly calculating my cost savings. " Let's see, 10% on regular purchases, for a whole year...and I shop here at least 3 times a year, that should add up to ... 2.....3.....maybe even 5 dollars...I'm in ". It's got so I have to have a special slot or ten in my wallet for my cards. I sign up for cards which cost nothing: I just have to purchase 3000$ worth and I will get 5$ off the next purchase AFTER that. I sign up cards which cost something, but not much: $10 for the card and I'll save the sales tax on this purchase alone . And occasionally, I sign up for the cards which cost more money. [I have yet to admit that to my husband. The card does comes in handy when I want to book a flight and...