The End Is Near!

The End Is Near

It’s 2012, and I have heard that there are people predicting that this is when it would all end. 

Turns out that they were right, and the end is near. 

Our middle child writes his last high school final exam today, signifying the end of his tumultuous journey with the public school system. 

The signs are everywhere.  Broken binders lay all around his room, papers strewn about in the aftermath of what appears to have been either a very intense study session, or a pre exam freak out.  Text books have been found underneath the bed and behind the truck seat, and are ready to be returned.

Some things are still missing.  Yesterday morning as he was preparing to walk out the door, he asked me for a non-graphing scientific calculator.  Apparently this would be needed for his Physics final exam….which was in about 20 minutes. 

I tried making him a non-graphing scientific calculator out of a piece of toast and an elastic band, but it was not to be.  Off he went, with only a graphing scientific calculator, something he was not going to be allowed to use for his exam.  Other years, this would have been an opportunity for me to lecture and take the opportunity to teach responsibility and preparedness, but alas – the end is near. 

He reported back to me that his Physics 30 final exam was ‘Sensational’.  Given that his usual response to ‘how was your exam’ is a text that reads “Meh”… I’m guessing that no one noticed he was using a graphing scientific calculator.  Whatever, the end is near.

Last week, I made his school lunch for the last time.  I know there are some of you who are rolling your eyes at the fact that I am still making lunch for an 18 year old….Kelly.  However, the fact that this was his last school lunch went by without me noticing until later in the day.  His last school lunch was total crap.  The cupboards were somewhat bare that morning so it went something like crackers and cheese with a bruised apple, a bologna sandwich with no cheese or lettuce and no drink.

I couldn’t let it end that way, so I made him take a lunch to school the next day even though he was writing finals and would be done at 11 AM.  He was a good sport and took his lunch to school for the last time.  It was a good one too.

As we enjoy these ‘lasts’, we are very excited to look forward to and experience all of the ‘firsts’ that are coming his way.  It’s easy to get trapped in the ‘Wow, that went fast’ and miss the fact that there’s still a lot more in store for us as a family.

Even still, as the five of us sat down to eat last night with no one missing and no extra buddies or girlfriends to join us, I had to wonder how many more opportunities there will be for us to sit at the table at the end of the day all together with our little family. 

Good luck to the Grads of 2012!  The end is near!  Celebrate your lasts and enjoy your firsts. Go out and make the world a better place, and while you’re doing that, may all of your dreams come true. 

“This is not the end.  It is not even the beginning of the end.  But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”   – Winston Churchill

<Terra>

Come walk with me. . . . Again

In grade 4, I was lucky enough to meet a kindred spirit. . . another horse girl. The two of us have many great memories and I consider myself lucky to still be able to have her as a friend. Her and her husband have worked hard over the past years, they also have a successful farm supply business, to create a space that is welcoming and a true reflection of who they are. This is something I think we are all trying to do in one way or another. It is related to knowing what our passions are and pursuing or creating them. Perhaps it is part of our business or work. Perhaps it is part of our home. Perhaps it is something we pursue in our leisure time. In this case it is a really nice yard with many animals and a fabulous view. This is what it looks like:

Fishing Getaway

Wake up to this.

Getaways are a fantastic opportunity to rest, relax and recharge. They will be as different as those who go on them. Some can be lengthy and far away.  Others, simple and close by.  The key ingredient is being able to set aside the demands and concerns of every day life. A fabulous place to do this in northern Saskatchewan is the Twin Falls Lodge on the Churchill River.

Cozy cabins.

For the big guy, nothing beats fishing for the entire day, no matter what the weather. For me however, the top of my list is no cooking, no cleaning, no looking after anyone else. Truly taking it easy with very little on the agenda.

Big Fish!

The scenery is spectacular. The shore lunches are incredible. The people are excellent.

Shore lunch.

It is truly an opportunity to rest, relax and recharge. I hope everyone gets a chance soon to have a getaway.

The end of the day.

-Kelly

“A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in,” Robert Orben

The Birds and The Bees

 

An adult Cedar Waxwing.

 

There were some unusual birds in our yard yesterday.  They appeared to be Cedar Waxwings.

Wondering what had attracted them to the tree, I crept in closer and found that our bees were busy at work in the apple trees near our house.

Busy as a Bee!

Thought you might enjoy the photos!

You can tell that they are our bees because they look different from the bees that we normally see.  Ours are smaller, less fuzzy, and they make very little noise.

This is not my bee. This is an obnoxiously loud and scary bee.

Not like the loud buzzing of those big fuzzy bees that used to chase me around the yard when I was a kid.

Also not one of my bees. This one is too short and round, with creepy legs.

It was so great to see that the honey bees had found our yard.  Now we will be able to have apple blossom honey along with all of the honey from dandelion, canola, Saskatoon, clover, etc.

<Terra>