I was going to skip this last week for a large number of reasons (and indeed may be already too late to link up) with the Sunday stills theme of the great outdoo
But…this week the theme was front and center at Nan’s house. I had enrolled my “littles” in at Timbernook for a session called “Little Wild Ones”. This international outdoor school has a location literally right across the road from me; 1.5 km down a big hill. Our outdoor adventure included getting there.
Instead of the theme “2 the moon” it felt like we might as well be on the moon. Another wee one’s birthday celebrated in the great outdoors. The public health orders not lifted as some of us had anticipated and so add one more thing to the Covid19 casualty list.
The best way to fight the dull winter blues is to embrace winter. Which is exactly what we did this afternoon. We made time to go “GTing” with the littles. Squeals of delight and falling off on purpose. “Faster Grampa faster” I heard as I tried to snap a picture of the three of them zipping down the driveway.
There has been a ton of mad chaos to 2020, one for the history books for sure. We are lucky in our household to have escaped most of that until today. Today chaos seemed to reign supreme.
We thought outside the box and came up with a family activity that kept our bubbles intact but allowed us to spend fun time together. Bonus points that it was rural and we had the place to ourselves.
The pandemic races onwards, picking up a head of steam like a hurricane. The numbers here in Canada are low compared to some worldwide but they are climbing here so quickly. This is an incredibly worrisome trend. Although the lockdown has been lifted worldwide we all need to limit our movements and keep our bubbles small. I can tell you that there is a lot of it I just don’t get it. Unfortunately I know that I’m blogging to those who feel the same so it’s not going to change anything but I still have to say it. Stay home.
Today is the start of summer which coincided, this year, with father’s day. It is also National Indigenous Day. It seems like an easy one to blog about, especially seems I have permission to share some super cute photos of our littles.
It started out as a cloudy cool day but the weather turned around. It ended as the perfect summer evening; no wind, no clouds and a sunset that shimmered into a radiant red band across the entire north horizon. The kind of evening that sucks one into staying up late because 10:30 looks like 8:45!
Garden produce was picked for part of our picnic lunch today so what a great start to summer that is. Growing your own food is so incredibly satisfying.
An impromptu picnic lunch was served on the beach blanket amidst smiles, giggles and snuggles. Again the kind of moment that just makes your heart swell with joy. The man of my dreams is a wonderful father and as a grampa – well it’s just the best to see and it’s hard to find the words to express how incredible it feels.
An outside supper topped off our day; cooked and served by our talented daughter; who incidentally thinks her dad is pretty darn terrific. Father’s Day is hard there though because our son in law lost his dad a few years ago and the whole he left remains evident. Grampa Gary is spoken of often and I feel he would be so proud of the type of dad his son has become.
The level of joy today in our personal lives was at the top of the charts. Which brings into focus how much we take our white privilege for granted.
There are so many indigenous children who didn’t know their dad’s growing up; sent off to residential schools so young. Far too many who had no idea of how to live off the land. How to grow your food and your soul by being centered within a family. These things were stripped from generations of those that lived on this land long before we settled it. It’s important that we listen and learn. That we recognize the pain and suffering that has been part of their daily lives now for more than a century.
It’s late and it’s an early alarm day. I feel like I could have done all the subjects more justice given more time but I also feel it’s important that I hit post today otherwise it’s too little too late.
