Empty Nest
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Full in Slave Lake
My situation never seems quite right. When I’m in Slave Lake, I miss Buddy and Princess. When I’m in Calgary, I miss The Consultant. Whenever I start feeling the “empty” in empty nest, it usually takes a trip to Calgary to visit with my kids, family and friends in order to make it all better. I drive to the city, fill myself up then take all that fullness back to Slave Lake, where I dump myself out through my writing. Living this lifestyle is an adjustment, for sure. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own feelings that I forget it’s not all about me. The Consultant’s nest…
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Return to Dance
I’d just added finishing touches to the Chicken Cacciatore dish I was creating. There was a cross-breeze through the open kitchen / living area of the cabin, so the heady aroma of tomato and fresh basil filled the room and wafted out the windows. As the classic Bill Withers oldie Just the Two of Us came up on my playlist, the hungry and tired Consultant came through the door. “It smells great in here!” He grabbed my hand; we smiled directly into each other’s faces and started to dance. I took the lead and twirled him before he could twirl me. When we stopped before the music ended, we laughed. Nothing…
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What’s Your Struggle?
Right now, I am struggling to stay focused on my writing goals. It’s that time of year again, when I pack up a few of my favorite things in preparation to head north in support of The Consultant and his work. This is the fourth summer of our temporary lifestyle and, it is starting to feel like my new normal – at last. The transition to this new way of life has not been easy. When we started this path in 2011, it seemed everything was a struggle. Looking back now, I can see why. Virtually everything in my life changed within four months. I left my secure full-time job…
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Queen for a Day
This photo greeted me on Facebook this morning. My daughter, Princess, posted it. It’s not the best photo of the two of us but I like it. It’s an oldie that takes me back to fun summer days at the lake where we escaped technology and bonded as family. The message with the picture is “Happy Mother’s Day to all the hard working Moms out there. A special shout out to my amazing mother, Kathi. I love you!!!!!!” Yes, it’s Mother’s Day today. It still feels strange for me to walk right by the Mother’s Day section of the card store. I have no one to buy for. Even after…
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Lessons From the Chick That Flew Coop
I am thrilled to have my daughter, Princess, guest posting on my blog today. She has written from Koh Samui, Thailand. This letter is a keeper. Dear Mom, Dad (AKA The Consultant) and Buddy, Thank you. Without all of your travel stories, shared experiences and encouragement I would have never been inspired to take this journey. As of April 1, 2014 I have been gone for seven months and I’m terribly homesick – the homesickness kicked in on about month three – but that is beside the point. You convinced me at a young age, that traveling, in some capacity, should be on every young person’s priority list. Hearing…
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How Will You Find Your People?
Who are your people? They might be the family members you grew up with, they might be old school friends or you might find them walking amongst your coworkers. But often, you need to look beyond your obvious circle. With a little extra time and effort, you find them. When you do, you know it. When you are with your people the energy in the room buzzes and time takes on a natural flow. That’s what happens when I’m with my people and we get into our journaling and writing projects. I recently shared a post about My Heart Writer Sisters and the keen connection I feel with them. A fellow…
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Sisters by Choice
I belong to a special little group called The Heart Writers, my honorary sisters. We are connected through journal writing and the belief that writing has power – the transformative power of clarity, direction and connection to self. It’s that same power that brought us together in June of 2011. In our individual homes we are mothers, wives, partners, sisters and friends. In community, we are four very different women who write and share. We’ve created an environment where it is safe to be vulnerable, open and honest. Now we know each other like no other. Where one of us leaves off, another takes up. We all benefit. We met…
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A Thanksgiving Message to Buddy and Princess
It’s looking like our family won’t be together for Thanksgiving this year. Buddy is off to visit a friend in Montreal, Princess is starting her mini-life down under and The Consultant and I are taking advantage of the last fall weather to squeeze in a few more work hours here in Slave Lake. So, I thought it would be nice for us to convene on the pages of my blog in an attempt to “meet” somewhere. So, imagine us all sitting around the Thanksgiving table about to dig into turkey and all the fixings, when I say, “Life is all about gratitude, kids. I’d like to believe I gave you…
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Princess Takes Flight
“I am going to travel the world!” – Princess. In a few short weeks, Princess starts living her dream. She has been talking up this idea of world travel since before graduating high school. The only thing standing in her way, the last four years, has been her post- secondary education. I think she is doing it right. Earn the degree, and the world is her oyster. Throughout the last four years, she’s had another story running in the background. It is one of a competitive lifesaving swimmer. She has trained. Hard. Last June she achieved her goal and she was chosen for Canada’s Commonwealth Team. Uncertainties about travel plans…
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Sometimes It’s Comfortable To Be Uncomfortable
Life can change by stepping outside the door, at the flick of a light switch, with the buzz of a text message. In split seconds, uncomfortable presents its self, accompanied by unknown. Some of us recognize it as fear. But fear not. Discomfort can be one of your very best friends. It is unrealistic to believe that we can get through life feeling nothing but comfy and cozy. During those “life is good” times we hang on tight because we never know when circumstances will change. That’s life. In the empty nest stage, discomfort sneaks up on us. We can see it coming but we don’t know for sure when…
