The Power Of Nature

The summer sky, taken after the last storm

Don't get me wrong. I love a good storm. The lightning, big peals of thunder, the sense that there is something out there that's still bigger than we will ever be. However, sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.

I'm writing this because I've just returned in from outside, where the beautiful August afternoon is trying desperately to shine while purple storm clouds await on the horizon. The looming, glooming kind of purple storm clouds.

Afternoon storms have become an event around here. Several power outages at work have caused major problems. I sit here praying to mother nature to pleassseeee hold off just a few more hours so production can finish.

It's not going to storm, it's not going to storm, it's not going to storm. Come on, say it with me!

My chinese fortune cookie said that if I was nice to people, good things will happen to me. I'm going to go now and run around the office to tell everyone how fabulous they are. Do you think that's enough? How nice is nice? Maybe if I get everyone coffee the rain will hold off until I go home.

Proving once again, that coffee is the answer to everything.

Update: No Storm! Horray!

Vacation on a Budget

Like most of the rest of the world, we are a little short on cash at the moment. We are comfortable, but unfortunately the spend, spend, spend lifestyle we used to love is a thing of the past. Every year, I have the first 2 weeks of July off. Usually I would go up North to cottage-country and spend a blissful fortnight in the comforts of my childhood, but alas, this year we had to stay closer to home... very close to home... and while camping in the driveway was an option, I can't imagine sleeping on those little pointy stones. So instead, we came up with in-expensive day trips. I HAD SO MUCH FUN! We had Hubbys son for half of the time.

• Travel to a nearby beach on Lake Erie. Beautiful sand, freezing cold water, and lots of sunshine. Cost: 1 kite for $1.25, and $5 in gas. We had so much fun we went back for the next 2 days!
• Walked to a local festival. It was Ribfest, but due to the fact that we are watching what we eat, we opted to have dinner at home (plus it was within walking distance! Score!). Cost: $5 for an all day pass for the kids play zone - which consisted of giant inflatable bouncy attractions. The little munchkin could not get enough of these, and asked to go back after supper for some more fun! There was lots to see and local musical talent. Free admission.
• Went to the Wednesday market! I've never been able to go, as I'm always working or out of town, it was FANTASTIC. Basically like a giant flea market, with home baked goods, local artists, and crafts.
• Cleaned up the gardens and the front porch. Now I have a little paradise to relax in after work. It's beautiful. Hubby will make some new flower boxes for me next week. Cost: $20 in mulch (badly needed!)
• Read 2 complete novels on my newly cleaned front porch. I can't tell you what a luxury it was to have time to read. Cost: Free!
• Took the munchkin to see Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Cost: $30. It was a good movie, I'm a sucker for cartoons.
• Watched the entire first season of the show Dexter during the nights with hubby. If you haven't seen it, you should! Cost: Free.
• Visited the driving range (my god my golf swing is GONE). Had a lot of laughs, mostly at my expense. More fun in the sun. Cost: $9 for 2 large buckets of balls.

We did lots of crafts with the munchkin, and went to see him play baseball, (he was sooo cute) I'll try to post a pic later, but my camara is dead at the moment). I came back to work feeling relaxed and refreshed, without the stress that accompanies a long trip. It was wonderful. A vacation with all the comforts of home! Plus, I have a great tan.

Escape

I am feeling slightly overwhelmed today, and needed an escape. This is a view from the cottage we rented last summer on Crowe Lake in Marmora Ontario. Having grown up in cottage country, I miss it terribly. Especially with the coming of spring.

My mother lives just down the road from this cottage. My summers as a child were filled with days of swimming, rock-climbing, and jumping out of haylofts into piles of golden, yellow straw. Falling asleep to the sound of the crickets chirping, and the frogs singing. As children we would make up adventure stories about buried treasure at the bottom of the river and spend all day searching for it. The most I ever found was a nickel and an old shoe.

I don't know if we'll be able to get back up North this summer, but I shall certainly dream about it. Where there's a will there's a way.