Meatless Mondays

Heard of it?! People all over the country are signing up!

The challenge: Every Monday eliminate meat and cheese from your diet.

Environmental Working Group (ewg.com) states that if everyone in the USA participated in Meatless Monday it would be the equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the street. PLUS we might all be a bit healthier seeing we overdose in the meat/dairy department!

Time Famine

Our mornings are our own. We'll see visitors 3-5 pm. Help us lead the good life.

This was a wooden sign seen on somebody's driveway. Someone who obviously values and guards time which is a rare commodity these days.

Time famine is a North American epidemic. I like the way Rebecca Kneale Gould summarizes it:

The most fatal aspect of our loss of time in North American culture is the extent to which this problem gets privatized. We think there is something wrong with us, we think we need to get better at time management or that there is something severely lacking in our psychological makeup if we often feel overwhelmed. The problem of time famine in our culture-- a phenomenon deeply intertwined with our patterns of consumption, unchecked individualism and ecological neglect -- is not simply a "personal problem," it is a social/cultural problem.

The most significant effects of this are: overconsumption, the unraveling of family life, environmental degradation, and a sharp decline in human health.

Time famine needs to be named and put on trial.

"There is a growth that comes from doing nothing." Growth in connecting with God, self, nature, and family. The busier I become the less I desire to do the work of cooking holistically, exercise, marriage, recylcing, reusing, and composting. For me, "doing nothing" cultivates inspiration, thankfulness, mindful-living, wholesome relationships, and creativity....not something I want to sacrifice!

2nd B-day

For Luke's 2nd birthday the grandparents, aunt & uncle got him an Ikea kitchen with all the fixings.
He loved it! He has been busy in the kitchen making "soupses."

Luke's diet is limited these days! His allergies: gluten, oats, wheat, spelt, citrus, beef, sugar cane, eggs, pecans, hazelnuts...needless to say we eat a lot of fruit, veggies, potatoes, quinoa and usually some sort of chewy biscuit or muffin. I have to participate in his dietary needs as I am still nursing. The plan is to go off these foods for 4 weeks and then reintroduce them, 1 every 3 days, and see if there is a change in his mood, sleeping habits, or bowel movements.

It was fruit salad and whip cream instead of cake! I'm glad he doesn't know the difference just yet.

A couple of Luke-isms:

"Hey Luke, do you want some grapes?"

"No! I want some grapes"

"Mommy's milk is yummy & squishy!"

"Thank-you for cleaning up mommy."

Observing my dad clean a fan, "He is a very busy man."

Flower Season!

And when you have dismissed the serpents of vanity and greed, conquered the lizards of self-importance and lulled the monkey mind to sleep, your steps will be lighter.

When you have given up everything to make a friend a cup of tea and tend her broken heart, stood up against the violation of innocent children and their fathers and mothers, made conscious choices to live simply and honour the earth, your steps will be lighter.

When you have grown still on purpose while everything around you is asking for your chaos, you will find the doors between every room of this interior castle [inner room, heart, or soul] thrown open, the path home to your true love unobstructed after all.

St. Teresa of Avila

Fort Meyers, Florida

Stingrays on shore laying eggs

Our peachy accomodations

Both these guys came to fish in front of us every morning.

Wherever there is freshwater you find these special friends awaiting your presence.

Bougainvilleas, my ultimate favourites. One day I will live somewhere where I can grow these.

Everywhere we go, Luke can't get enough of letter and numbers. We have many meltdowns over leaving these beautiful symbols.

It was extremely hot in Florida this time of year. Luke & I wilted very quickly.

Black tipped sharks. Fishermen would catch these from shore. Needless to say, I didn't allow Luke into the ocean.

And then God created seafood. And he called it good. We went a lil' overboard on the eats. Here Dono is sporting a King Crab for around $53.


Went to the zoo, the pool, hiked, ate ice cream, played in the sand...I love travelling with grandparents. Best deal when you have a little one.

Clean off those pesticides!

Bacteria & pesticide residue do not come off your fruit & veggies by rinsing them under water. Make your own in a spray bottle: 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 20 drops grapefruit seed extract (buy at health food stores) OR Agrumax (mixed citrus extract, you can buy it at the herbal shoppe in A-town) Spray fruit or vegetable thoroughly. Wait 15 minutes & rinse!

Reboot

11 days ago I started a 3-week detox ordered by my Naturopath. Carol Morley wrote the book pictured above. It comes complete with grocery lists, menu, and all the recipes. The meals are very tasty: jalapeno chicken, sweet potato fries, squash soup, blue pineapple smoothies... Eventhough the meals are delicious I have missed my breads, oats, and sweets.

Next it was off to Moose Lake with friend Darlene for a silent retreat. My first night away from the Lukester!! This sign says it all. My first morning sleeping in since Luke!!!

Our getaway.

The silence of being in nature was indisputably what spoke to me the most. I couldn't believe how this created space in my mind & spirit from all the jumbo of everyday life. Nature & Silence. Mmmmm...

And then there was the beautiful glow and rhythm of our fireplace. Since fall I have made a point of going away 1 day a month for a day of retreat and silence. I cannot emphasize how restoring this is. It grants me a perspective that I cannot seem to reach in my everyday surroundings.

When I came home, Luke's arm was in a little tensor bandage (should've taken a pic it was very cute), Dono had been swinging him around and his elbow was pulled out of the socket. The doc gave dad a nice lecture (as if he didn't feel bad enough!) how we are never to pull kids up by their arms. Ooops!

Dad's 60th - The Feast

Amy made linguini noodles from scratch & put together a lovely garlic-wine shrimp pasta dish

Herbed Sole with bacon, lemon & leeks

Mark struggling to crack open some mussels.


Dono making twice-baked potatoes & cheese biscuits

Lime fizzy drink with Ceaser salad.

Live lobster fresh from Superstore

"Scary" says Luke

Sweet juicy lobster. Mark's first attempt tasted superb!

Peanut butter cheescake

One thing most of us in the Loewen family share is a love of food. Dad remembers locations he has travelled to based on which food made an impact on him. We were supposed to fly to Florida on my dad's b-day, but Grandma had a heart-attack so we stayed home. We decided last minute to whip up a feast for our much derserving father.

If there is one word I would use to describe my dad it would be faithful. He is faithful in the ordinary-small things & faithful in the extraordinary-big things. I have been a very lucky daughter in having him attend every sports & music event along with daily play rituals of the after-supper-wrestling-match to the bedtime routines of playing "KGB" "Rodney & Wilma" (These were the names of tickling worms that visited us from Gretna) "The Hotdog" & many more. All of us kids live to witness my dad during a laugh-attack (namely during movies), nothing is sweeter than seeing tears roll down his face as he gasps for air. And on the flip side, he has such a sensitive heart, especially for kids...in his retirement he finds himself volunteering at Roseau school.

Ode to my father, I love you!

February

February, thou will not kill my summer-spirit! I don't know about you, but February seems to be the longest month for me. First day in seems to be ok & as I look ahead to Florida, it makes it even more survivable.

Mom's: any advice travelling with a little one?

Luke's New Year Stats:

Low German Vocab: Oba-leeed, Yoma Purple, & Opashee (slang for up?)
Most Used Sentence: "All done crying"
Favourite Things to Watch: Elmo and Baby Einstein
Favourite Books: Anything with flaps, different textures, or buttons
Learning: numbers and letters
Favourite Songs: "E-I-O-E-I-O" (Old McDonald had a farm) & Barbara-Anne by Beach Boys
Favourite Foods: Noodle soup, grapes, avocado, quinoa
Reoccuring Dreams: Swimming with Chloe (a little girl he met in a hotel swiming pool)
Latest Challenge: Night weaning

The Welcoming Prayer

Gently become aware of your body and your interior state

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

I welcome everything that comes to me in this moment because I know it is for my healing. I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons, situations and conditions.

I let go of my desire for security.

I let go of my desire for approval.

I let go fo my desire for control.

I let go of my desire to change any situation, condition, Person or myself.

I open to the love and presence of God and the healing action & grace within.

I took a little workshop on this prayer & I must say it has been one of the hardest & most radical prayers I have ever prayed. It's amazing how many times a day I choose or react to things out of my desire for security, approval, and control. Not always a bad thing, but not always as God would will it to be. It is a really neat lens to view that which comes up in our day as an opportunity for healing and growth.

Swimming & Movies

Movie day has been a tradition over the past 5ish years for the Loewen side over Christmas break. We go into the city for a couple of days and watch 3 to 4 movies in the theatre. I used to think it was frivilous spending. Now, I call it mommy-maintenance! It is probably the most relaxing days for me over the holidays as the grandparents look after Luke while the rest of us chill out.

Favourite movie pick: The King's speech. Other movies viewed: The Tourist & Narnia.

Luke loved being in the pool at our hotel (a first!). Uncle Mark said he walked back and forth down the hall saying, "swimming, swimming, swimming..."

A new thing Luke and I have started doing before bed is talking about our day as we cuddle & nurse. Our conversations are very short...such as, "Mark....grapes" Referring to when Uncle Mark tried to steal grapes from Luke during the day. But it is so interesting to me the things that stick out to him during the day and how he is able to recall these events. It is such a sweet, intimate time with him. These are moments I want to lock in a memory box somewhere...what a blessing these little ones are!