to awaken each morning.....

...with a smile brightening my face;
to greet the day with reverence for the opportunities it contains;
to approach my work with a clean mind; to hold ever before me, even in the doing of little things, the ultimate purpose toward which I am working;
to meet men and women with laughter on my lips and love in my heart;
to be gentle, kind, and courteous through all the hours;
to approach the night with weariness that ever woos sleep and the joy that comes from work well done - this is how I desire to waste wisely my days.

~Thomas Dekker

play.

We have accumulated quite alot of snow over the last 24 hours. The roads are quite messy with ice and snow. The fun in the yard this morning was great!

sing.

So, our main mission on Friday was to get down to city hall to hear cousin Stephenie sing with her girls chorale choir. She has been singing for a number of years, but since we lived on the other side of the country, this is the first real opportunity we have had to hear her sing. A beautiful choir. I felt like crawling under my seat because, still feeling tender about Brandy, I had tears streaming down my cheeks thru most of it. It was wonderful to see her in her element.

bye brandy.

I am not even sure why I took this picture right before Ron took Brandy to the vet. Maybe just to reassure myself that we were doing the right thing for this dog who was obviously struggling.
We will miss him.
Lots of howling happened here on Thursday night. A family cry you might say.
Tyler was sobbing that he didn't want Brandy to die and that Brandy wouldn't know anyone in doggy heaven. He demanded that we say a prayer for Brandy.
Hunter was sobbing that she didn't get to say goodbye.
Ron and I were sobbing for 12 years of furry fun.
He had a great 12 years.
I never had a dog that lasted 12 years.
Then when the tears subsided, we remembered.
Sofa cushions with big bites out of them. Torn wallpaper. Lots of socks and shoes eaten away.
So sad to look out in the yard and see the empty kennel with the door open and the dog dishes.
Ron will clean them up when he's ready. Maybe not til spring.
No dog looking in the window with his nose pressed up against the glass while we are eating supper.
What a dog.
Love you Brandy.

james blunt.

I am so excited. I am going to this concert with 4 "mom" friends from school. So cool! I am SUPER pumped.I really love his music and was hoping that he would come to this city at some point during his World Tour. I don't think I have gone to a concert since Ron and I went to see Blue Rodeo when Hunter was 2 or 3 .

It snowed here on Monday and Tyler was so excited to see the snow. He went outside and threw snowballs for an hour. Brandy followed him around the yard. When Hunter got home from school, the play continued for another hour. A small snowman appeared before they came in for supper. Love how fresh snow gets kids excited.

Terry Fox.

I remember the Fall that I started Grade 7 in 1980 was the summer that Terry Fox embarked on his run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research. His goal was simply to raise $1 for every person in Canada. I remember distinctly sitting in Mr. McKeil's Social Studies class talking about the Terry Fox Run. Terry's story did not have a happy ending, but his dream of raising money for cancer research has surpassed every expectation. His foundation has raised millions of dollars for cancer research. I love how every child in elementary school in Canada in 2006 knows who Terry Fox was. Many schools participate in a "Terry Fox" run or walk. Our school's run this year was on a rainy and cold day, but that did not dampen our enthusiasm. I helped marshal the run for the older elementary kids. Tyler and I were fully decked out in our rain gear. Here is Hunter running for Terry! Here is Hunter's teacher, Madame Juliette, who is back at school after a year of treatment for breast cancer. Great job Girls!