Life is Great. Stressful, but great.

Life the past few months has been crazy, but I wouldn't trade a single second of it for anything. Okay, I lie. Maybe the packing and moving parts. I could have done without those! Regardless, here we are. Halfway through August, almost. We have been in our new house for close to two months. Everything is unpacked and has a home. We are slowly adjusting to our new routines as home owners. It has been all the very best kind of stress. But, stress nonetheless.

Along with moving house came finishing my Philosophy course at Athabasca University. I can't think of a more apt time to apply the old adage, "if it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done". Two hours before the deadline, I submitted my last assignment. A week later I learned I aced the course. And, a week after THAT, received my acceptance to the University of Alberta for full-time studies. I am halfway through my BA in Ancient and Medieval History. With a lot of hard work, lattes, and support from friends and family, I hope to net the stellar marks needed to get a law school acceptance letter.

These things are all things I so badly wanted, coveted, for years. Finally they are all happening...boom, boom, boom...and in perhaps the worst possible economy. See? Good stress! We're not putting anything on hold. As a couple, Francois and I are simply going to work as hard as we can to make this work for both of us.

I realize more and more that we can make things happen for ourselves with enough hard work, but sometimes you can't always guarantee the time frame. All you can do is pick up the torch and run with it when it is handed to you.

In three very short weeks, I will do exactly that. Being a student while the economy is in a slump may not be the very best of scenarios, but on the scheme of things, it is far from the worst. U of A, here I come! (Even if my housework ends up rather neglected.)

E.

The Rabbit Will Cost us Our Damage Deposit

It is May 26. We have less than a month until we take possession and move into our new house. We have just over a month left on our lease. Jazz, oh sweet, adorable Jazz, has decided that his new purpose in life is to systematically pull out carpet fibres, one by one. There is no apparent reason for this. I assume, in his bunny logic, now is as good a time as any to take up a new hobby...right?

The carpet wasn't perfect when we moved in. There were mysterious neon spots on the floor - the kind that vaguely resemble dropped and melted Jell-o shots. A previous family with three kids didn't exactly leave the carpet in pristine condition, either, but it certainly wasn't horrible. We had the carpet cleaned when we moved in and have been ever so diligent about steam cleaning any spots as they appear. Unfortunately, there is just no way to steam new fibres into existence.

So, in my infinite wisdom, I now urge Francois to save every. last. strand. I have them collected in a Tupperware container with a pair of tweezers and a tube of super glue. You see where this is going, right? Right. I am so bound and determined not to lose our damage deposit due to the handiwork of a six pound bunny that I am willing to spend hours replacing each individual carpet fibre. Because life just isn't busy enough, you know?!

Revived Pursuits

It's Monday again, which means that Francois' week off is officially over and he's back to work for another two weeks. Regardless of how many years we have done this (and how many years we will continue to do this), his going back will always bitter-sweet - on the one hand, it's always sad to have our time together reach its end. On the other, I have carved out my own routine in his absence and it's an enjoyable one.

Our weeks together fly by and we try to fit as much together time into the week as possible. We go for dinner, spend lazy evenings at home, run errands, do those annoying household tasks that are much more bearable when completed together, and we discuss future plans.

This week our talk was focused a lot on our impending home purchase (when this economy resuscitates itself a bit), my return to school full-time in the fall, and plans for summer. We are both very keen on getting back to camping. Neither of us has gone in years and I find that as each year passes and as life gets busier and busier, I have more and more of a desire to get outside for long stretches at a time and breathe in the fresh clean air. I want to be free of technology and the busy-ness of the city for a while. We did some browsing for gear, compiling of lists, and discussions of places to visit. I am an organizational Freak (yes, with a capital F) and the planning has me so excited! I am excited to select all of our equipment and to plan in detail each trip. I am excited to spend days hiking and exploring. This beautiful province of ours offers so much in terms of the outdoors and it's time to take full advantage!

On another outdoor-related note, now that Francois is heading back to work, I have some time to myself to explore a long-lost hobby - cross-country skiing. Again, it has been many a year since I strapped skis to feet and it's time to get back into it. I have been thinking of it for a few years now. Francois absolutely detests the sport, but I am afraid it is firmly entrenched in my Nordic blood! I was reading a local magazine this weekend and came across an article about cross-country skiing, which I took as a sign. It has given me all the motivation I need to join the Edmonton Nordic Ski Club, take a refresher course or two, and, of course, have them size up my gear to determine whether or not it still fits me (wishful thinking, right?!). 

Edmonton is a gorgeous city that also happens to be frosted in snow for the better part of a year. Time to quit grumbling about this fact and do something about it! Exploring our river valley on skis sounds to be the perfect weekend afternoon.

It looks like 2015 just may be the year we finally break out of our decidedly indoor rut and reignite some old passions for the outdoors.

Have a fabulous week!

The Here and Now

I feel so absolutely in love with life right now.  It is so exciting and it has so much potential.  I so often let my dreams and plans for the future take over my mind.  While it’s great to have aspirations, goals, and a plan for moving forward, it’s also so important to take the time to live in the moment and to appreciate what I have right here, right now.

I feel as though I’m on an amazing journey, taking on new challenges and especially the huge challenge of living in the moment.  Our culture is so focused on moving forward.  We’re so focused on our five and ten year plans.  But what about our plan for now?  What about our plan to just be and to soak in everything going on around us at the moment?

This is difficult for me, I admit, but I’m getting there.  It’s about making slowing down a lifestyle choice.  It’s about pausing for a few minutes when you step outside for the first time in the morning to really breathe deeply and take in the fresh air.  It’s about taking the time to notice the feel of the air on your skin, the smells in the air, and the weather outside.  It’s not about judging or complaining.  It’s about simply noticing things just as they are.  And the wonderful thing is it can be applied no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Even on the craziest day at work, (you know the ones – the ones where the tasks pile up in the blink of an eye and you’re wolfing down lunch at your desk) you can still slow it down and appreciate the moment.  Close your eyes for thirty seconds just to recapture your breath.  Focus on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath and the nourishment you are providing your body.  Proper breathing is an amazing source of renewal.

It’s hard to do sometimes, but taking a few moments throughout the day to literally stop what you are doing, close your eyes, and just take in the sensory aspects around you can help renew you and reconnect you with your day.

Happy Wednesday!