halls harbour in black and white

This week, my dear friend Tania and I made a little trip to Hall's Harbour together (with Ryder and Wesley too). 

With our drive-thru Tim's coffees, homemade pumpkin muffins and cameras in hand, we went for a lovely little walk along the rocky beach at low tide. We had the whole beach to ourselves and really just took our time talking and observing our surroundings. It was a lovely day, hardly any wind. 

One of the prettiest parts of the walk were the icicles and little waterfall along the cliff. It was just so gorgeous, and Tania and I kept saying how our children would love to see this. 

walking is good

Over the years, my walks have taken on different purposes in my life. When I was a brand new mama with baby Noah, I remember pushing him for hours in our state of the art stroller, so that I could get him to sleep. I'd walk all over Hamilton. The top of the mountain where we lived, or I'd drive down to the waterfront and take a long walk there.
When we moved to Whitehorse, I remember reluctantly walking the trails behind our house. Always fearful of a bear encounter (never had one). We then moved to a different community in Whitehorse, where I felt braver to walk the trails. I remember enjoying those walks, looking for eagles and cranberries along the way.
When we moved to Beaver Creek, my walks became my only escape during my days. Ryder made me feel more safe about walking the trails. We'd often look for fairy houses, mushrooms and of course, cranberries. I remember feeling that the only way I could push through some of those hard days, was to get out and walk.
It wasn't until this past fall, that I discovered this set of trails not far from our home. On my second or third visit (the kids were with me), we witnessed a beautiful Barred Owl, land right above us in the tall pines. It was magical.
It wasn't long before I claimed these trails as mine (although I know others use it too). I feel so so so fortunate to have this bit of nature right at my door step.
More and more, I am discovering that my walks in the woods are really important to me for a whole host of reasons. They help me clear my mind. Help me to detach from distractions. My walks get me moving, exercising. They help me, in my search for quiet, and help me to slow down and just be present. Being surrounded by nature is very therapeutic, and I am finding that it is very important that I carve out the time in my week for a good long walk.

hope, a walk and written snapshots

It's 2 days post election time, and I am still riding on a political high. I used to wonder if I was in the minority when it comes to passion about politics. I'm vocal (too vocal for some) about where my political values lie, and I am not afraid to approach a debate about certain topics. But on Monday Oct 19th, Canada blew me away with our election results. I think I am still in shock (in a good way), because after 10 years of crappy voter turn out and sad results, we saw an overwhelming demand for change from the citizens of this country that I love so so much. It was awesome!
Yes, my party won the election, so of course I am happy. I would've been happy with any of the more Center to Left (Green, NDP, Liberal) parties winning, but I am a Liberal at heart and truly do believe and have faith in our new Prime Minister, Justin Pierre Trudeau. His passion for our country, his stance on equality for all Canadians, his ability to reach out and listen, I believe he is genuine and here to help our country.
So with that, I've been walking around on a bit of a high (no pun intended, yes, he plans to legalize marijuana). I have a spring in my step, and a renewed sense of hope for our country. Hope that we will once again embrace diversity of cultures, and not divide Canadians as "us and them". Hope that our government will move towards renewable and inventive ways to produce energy. Hope that arts and culture will once again be valued. Let's see where this government takes us. I'm counting on them to keep those promises.

...

Out on a walk this morning with Ryder (both kids were at school), I happened upon a most beautiful spot that I had never seen before. I wondered if it was private property, as it looked well maintained. There, I found beautiful tall maples, a pond, little foot bridges. It was such a pretty spot, so I captured a few snaps on my phone.

...

Written snapshots (taking a "snapshot" in my mind, purposely not picking up a camera).

~ rolling over, very early in the morning, to feel the cozy, warm and soft body of Katia next to me. Her jammies, so soft. Her little hands grasping for me. A moment of stillness (when in the day, she is anything but still).

~ Me, down in the kitchen,  early in the evening, when the kids are tucked in bed, making mini chocolate zucchini muffins for lunchboxes. Stirring, mixing, blending ingredients. Muffins made with love for my family.

~ Changing the sheets on my bed, to soft, brand new, flannel sheets. Perfect for chilly nights. Perfect for cozying up, while we read bed time stories. Inviting me to rest and find refuge.

a winter's walk

 powdery snow, just lightly falling off my mitten

Today everyone was under the weather and didn't have the energy, nor the interest of going outside for a walk. I on the other hand needed to get out, and so I bundled up and went off with Ryder to the firebreak which is just behind our home. 

At this point in my Northern living, I am well versed in how to dress for my outdoor walks. 

Snowpants, a parka, a neckwarmer, good mittens, a hat and my Sorrel boots. These are the things that keep me warm and comfortable, and allow me to take off for longer stretches. 

My walks have taken on many meanings to me, since moving to our little community. Sometimes it is to observe nature, sometimes it is to get exercise and fresh air, sometimes it is to escape my boredom, sometimes it is to work out my frustrations/loneliness/feelings. Today, I needed to get out. I needed  a change of scenery and a walk all alone (well with Ryder of course) was just what I needed. 

As I headed down the path, with Ryder bounding off, in and out of the bush, I marveled at the scenery before me. Today was an overcast day, casting a monochromatic colour scheme of greyish/blueish tones across the land. The trees were heavy looking with snow, which is so misleading, as anyone who has lived in the Yukon knows, the snow is as light as a feather. I took a picture to try and show just how light and powdery the snow here is. A far cry from the heavy, wet, thick snow of the East that I grew up with. 

I walked on, listening to the crunch crunch crunch of my boots, hitting the snowy ground beneath me. I could hear nothing but my footsteps, the occasional faint tweet of a bird, and Ryder's collar tags clinking together as he zig-zagged in and out of the bush. 

My mind wandered to so many things, ideas, people and thoughts, as it so often does when I go for walks. It's like an uninterrupted (no media, no other people) opportunity for my mind to have a stream of consciousness. These walks of mine, are probably the closest thing I have right now to any form of meditation or prayer, something I crave so very much. 

With the impending feeling that we are about to learn of where our next posting will be, I feel as though I am really trying to take in and learn to appreciate what I have at this very moment in my life. Where these walks once were a cure to boredom or a desperate place to go- just to get out of the house, I am now seeing them as a true gift of beauty and value. Here is a place, where I am emerssed in nature, completely free to think and be and walk.  One day, I might not have such a path, just steps from my home, where I can be completely alone and where Ryder can have the freedom to roam and explore. 

Some pictures from today's walk. 

xox

the path of heart shaped rocks

the rocks we've found on the path

When I was a little girl and we would be visiting the beach, my mother would always send me out on a mission to find a heart shaped rock. She had a "collection", she said... although I never did see that collection of hers. None the less, I was always on the lookout for heart shaped rocks and to this day, I still am.

One summer, while visiting PEI, I told my husband that for my 30th birthday, I would like him to find me a heart shaped rock. The poor guy was under a lot of pressure! Not only was I turning 30, but I was very pregnant with baby number 2, so I think he felt that he had to come up with something.

Well I'm not sure how he did it, but in my birthday card that year, I received the most perfect and tiny heart shaped rock, and I still have it in a frame. Sigh. I love my husband.

Fast forward a few years, and here we are in Beaver Creek.

Last Fall, as I would walk Noah to school along the path that leads our part of town to the main part of town, I would often scour the ground for heart shaped rocks. Oddly enough, I remember finding 2 in one day and took some pictures of them. I was so excited to find these little beauties, and took it as a sign that I would find a way to love this new little town of ours.

Now that the snow has melted (yay!), we have been once again really enjoying our walks to school. Instead of walking the long, somewhat boring snowy path to school, we are now stopping along the way to find interesting plants, buds and yes, more heart shaped rocks.

Just this week, as we walked to and from school and the park (many many times), the kids and I were thrilled to find tons of these little treasures, so we decided to call the path, the path of heart shaped rocks. Noah and Katia have even stopped me as I walk ahead, saying, "mom, stop, wait! I found one!" I'm not too sure how else to explain this phenomenon, but it is magical to us. And when I am having a difficult day, worrying or something, I try to remind myself that there is love all around, and to try and show myself a little love too.

xox

a few from my collection 

little bits lately

Yesterday I set out in the chilly (-20) afternoon for a snowshoe. Although it was cold outside, the fresh air and newly fallen snow called my name, and I needed a little escape. I pulled Noah along in the sled, and boy, what a work out it was. Along the way we stopped to slide down a mini hill, and we looked at animal tracks ( could these be elves' footprints we wondered?) There was so much beauty to take in. The colours were so subtle, with cool whites, pale pinks, blues and mauve. It felt so refreshing to be outside in the cool crisp environment. 

There is much excitement in the community this week as we host open houses (the RCMP detachment held one this morning and the health center will have one on Wednesday. Tomorrow is the Christmas feast and children's Christmas concert, we will indulge in a big turkey dinner (everyone in the community is welcome) and Santa will pay us a visit, and hand out a gift to each child. We've had neighbours drop off all kinds of yummy baking, while our string of Christmas cards continues to grow each day.
In other totally unrelated news, lately I have been doing a little bit of soul searching when it comes to my parenting style/discipline style. I'm not a big fan of the word discipline, but I am also not a big fan of having no discipline. I really believe that it is a parent's duty to teach their children what is right and wrong in the world, and I am always trying to find new strategies to use with my little ones.
Lately it feels as though the dynamics in our household have been a little bit crazy. There is so much young energy from my littles, and I am learning that while I want to embrace and encourage them to learn, play, explore, that I also have to set limits for them, or else I get overwhelmed and lose my own self control. Noah and Katia have such different personalities. What worked with Noah at the age of 2, definitely does not work with Katia and everyday I am learning to navigate Katia's needs for understanding her world.
There has been much discussion in my parenting circle of friends about discipline lately. So many people have such different ways of parenting and disciplining. At the end of the day, what I am trying my very best to do is to discipline in a positive, encouraging, proactive way, that will strengthen our relationship and build up my kids. Sometimes we simply remove ourselves (the kids and myself) from the situation and talk about it. This works very well for Noah, who can really understand right from wrong and can identify his feelings and those of others. Katia is still at a very young age, where she can really get upset and throw tantrums when she doesn't get her way, or is tired. What works best for her is a timeout (even though I am not a big fan of the idea, it works for Katia). I am doing my very best these days to try and understand their point of views and to react calmly to them. I know that my actions are teaching them how to react to the world. If I lose my cool and yell, they will see this and think that this is how to deal with a frustrating situation. Yes, we all yell and lose our cool now and then, but it can't be the way that we deal with things all the time. So I am doing my best because I know that my little ones are watching and learning.
While it is hard to step back and admit that I am not always doing the right thing when it comes to parenting (losing my cool, raising my voice), it feels even better to look for help and seek out ideas and strategies to help me. For those ever looking for a great quick and easy parenting resource, I highly recommend Dr. Sears and his section on discipline. 

a winter walk

 A mid afternoon winter walk today, helped me to clear out the clutter in my mind and for me to see things more clearly. I am a firm believer that we have the ability to control whether or not we let things get to us, it takes work to come to that realization and I don't always have the self confidence within to stand up for myself, but I am working on it and it feels good to give certain situations the perspective that they need.
Today the world was crystalized, everything shimmered and glistened in the late afternoon light. Winter is here now, and I am finally accepting it, and  more importantly, embracing it. This time of year is beautiful here. It is such a cold and dry place that the everything just appears to be frozen. The only sign of life (other than my own foot prints in the snow) are moose tracks or rabbit tracks in the snow. The colours are so subdued compared to a month ago. The only colours to be found now, are the small scattering of dried up rose hips and the bright blue of the sky. It is so refreshing and invigorating.
My good friend Sarah taught me about the healing powers of walking in the woods. When surrounded by nothing but nature and quiet, the little things that might be eating away at me seem to disappear, and I come home feeling renewed. While it is lovely to walk in the woods, it can also be a bit lonely- but in a good way. The kind of way, where I'm are forced to confront the real feelings I have, no distractions.
While the temperatures continue to drop here in the Yukon (we had -20 yesterday morning), I will do my best to bundle up and get out for walks when the light is at it's highest. Because it really does help me, in so many ways.
xox

candles every night now, until the return of Spring