This Moment

Country Life Down Shore

My country life happens to be in a little community that is connected to other little fishing communities along the Bay of Fundy.  I also happen to teach at the little school here.  A few of the staff have lived here their whole lives, so down shore living is the only way of life they know.  

The other day one of the teachers on staff mentioned needing to pick up some dulse to give to one of the ladies at district office in town because she had knit her boys sweaters last winter.  The principal (who doesn't live down shore) and myself (who has lived in many places) roared with laughter at the notion of that...paying someone in dulse for goods.  It just sounds like something you would hear in movies about hick living and not real life.  No wonder my family out west wonders where the heck did we move too!

Dulse (btw) is a form of dried seaweed that is harvested out here.  It is very salty and many people love to snack on it.  I am not fond of it myself but I know many who eat it like it is the greatest snack ever.

See: http://www.grandmanannb.com/dulse.htm

11 Years

3 kids

1 dog

5 moves

4 cities

2 coasts

3 miscarriages

3 family deaths

4 jobs

Infinite cups of tea

Infinite love

11 years

Saturday

Saturday should by all means be my sleeping in day, at least till 7.  Weekdays I am up at 5:30 for work, waking my kids up between 6:15 and 6:30 in progression.  There is always kid resistance to the weekday wake up, especially from my daughter.  She is not a morning person.  

So on my Saturdays I am not expecting her presence entering our room at 5:20, wide awake and wanting to watch Dora, but that is what I get.

How could you say no to that little face?

So this is my current viewpoint.  Mistakenly I thought I could have a little map on the couch.  I was wrong. 

Teaching out in the Country

I haven't blogged about my country life in a while, but two things happened the past couple of days that I just had to share.

First, I took my class on a field trip yesterday. On the way back to school, our school bus driver slowed down a little and called out to the kids, "Look, there are a few deer on the other side of the highway". As soon as the kids saw them, one piped up, "Cool, let's shoot them!" Only country kids.

Then today our principal came on the speaker system and announced that we would be staying in for the lunch recess. The reason? There was a bear spotted just down the road near the school. That would be my first indoor recess for bears.
 

I'm being crafty again

A few years ago when I first started to sew, my first projects were these softies for my 2 boys and my niece. They weren't pretty but they were cute in an ugly cute kind of way.  And I was proud of them, my first sewing project since grade 8 Lifeskills. 

My boys sofites

My niece's softie

 Well, who knew these things would catch on?  The softies are pretty simple really, just two pieces of fleece cut out, sewn together and stuffed.  Add a little face with a couple of buttons and embroidery thread and voila!  Both my boys still have theirs on their bed.  And my niece has dubbed hers "Ugly Teddy" and takes it with her everywhere she goes.

My Niece with "Ugly Teddy"

My daughter was not around in the fall of 2008 when I first made these.  She was not to come until early 2010.  Recently, the Blue Bear softie has been renamed "Tweebie" by my husband as part of a new bedtime ritual with all the stuffed animals that brings our youngest son and our daughter into hysterical laughing.  It has also raised the question in her mind - "where's her Tweebie?"  So using a couple of pieces of purple fleece I had stashed in my sewing box, Purple Tweebie is coming along slowly but surely.  I will post pictures when she is all finished.
*Thanks to my friend Jill for her original softie tutorial, reposted at her blog Jill is dreaming of...
You can also check out her current giveaway for a really cute tea cozy :)