Lists of 2013 - #20 - Green Things I Love

Listography 2013 - #20 - Green Things I Love

1.  Green leaves on trees, in all their shapes and sizes

2.  Freshly mown grass

3.  Alfalfa hayfields that are dry for hay baling

4.  Green shirts - I have a whole chunk of them in my closet

5.  The stripey green rinds on a box full of watermelons

6.  Fresh lettuce from the garden

7.  Really little cucumbers for making dill pickles

8.  Hosta plants with their variety of greens

9.  Little green apples growing on trees

10.  Ferny leaves of dill

11.  The bright green tips of growing evergreens in the spring

12.  Fields of green as different crops grow and wave in the wind

13.  Green mint leaves, waiting to be picked and dunked into jugs of lemon water

Lists of 2013 - #19 - Places I Have Gone This Week

Listography 2013 - #19 - Places I Have Gone This Week

1.  Airdrie to stay with our grandchildren while their Mama and Papa went off to the mountains for a day.

2.  Red Deer to fill the gas tank on the van with gas.

3.  Ponoka, on my way home from Airdrie, to pick up some flowers to give to our granddaughter at her piano recital (because I forgot to do it in Airdrie or Red Deer!).

4.  Calmar to the high school for 1.5 days of subbing.

5.  Leduc to No Frills to buy groceries.

6.  Leduc to Winners to browse and buy a gift or two.

7.  Calmar to the elementary school for 2 days of subbing.

8.  Thorsby the the library to pick up a book I had on hold.

9.  to the greenhouse - many times! - to water and transplant tomatoes.

10.  to the chicken coop to feed, bed, tuck in and otherwise enjoy the chickens.

11.  to the garden to hoe weeds, which are growing faster than any of the vegetables!

12.  to the kitchen to make meals and lunches - and then to quickly leave  for the next project, before doing all the dishes.

13.  back and forth to the field, ferrying Bob to move tractors and trucks while he tries to finish seeding, in between rain showers.

Lists of 2013 - #18 - Favourite Baby Names

Listography 2013 - #18 - Favourite Baby Names

If we had a baby this year I would have a very hard time deciding on a name!  Here is a random sampling of some names that strike my fancy - and I've left off the names of loved ones, just to make it doubly hard to decide :)

Girls:

Isabella
Sophia
Victoria
Savannah
Maya
Caroline

Boys:

Benjamin
Lucas
Carter
Andrew
Caleb
Jackson

Lists of 2013 - #17 - Ways I Am Like My Mother

Listography 2013 - #17 - Ways I Am Like My Mother

1.  My feet

2.  My face

3.  Our community involvement

4.  We like to sew and quilt

5.  We each married a dairy farmer

6.  We are both readers

7.  We give gifts of food and baking to family, friends and neighbours

8.  We have gardens and preserve food

9.  We both worked the last provincial election

10.  We judge at local fairs, sometimes even the same one :)

Lists of 2013 - #16 - Best Birthday Gifts

1.  Having everyone gather together

2.  All the handmade treats like notes and cards

3.  Photos and photo gifts like books, notecards, bookmarks, etc.

and then in no particular order -

4.  Books

5.  Jewellery - earrings, bracelets, necklaces - they're all good :)

6.  My red quad

7.  Flowers and growing things

8.   Stationary, notebooks, journals - paper stuff

9.  Vacations and nights away

10.  Adventures and activities to do together

11.  Dishes and serving pieces

12.  My barbecue

13.  Chocolate, tea, wine, food treats

14.  Pedicure, manicure, massage - spa services

Lists of 2013 - #14 - Things That Make Me Cry

Listography 2013 - #14 - Things That Make Me Cry

1.  Saying good-bye to our children and grandchildren, no matter how close or how far away they live

2.  Imagining loss, especially the loss of loved ones

3.  Friendships

4.  Family bonds

5.  Books and movies

6.  Commercials (I know - it's crazy!)

7.  Memories

8.  Great big hugs

9.  Receiving gifts

10.  Reading the stories I've recorded in scrapbooks

11.  Messages in cards from our children and their partners

12.  Visiting the gravesites of my grandparents

13.  Watching people fight illness and disease

Lists of 2013 - #13 - What I Love About Spring

Listography 2013 - #13 - What I Love About Spring

1.  Going outside without jackets, boots, mitts, hats - you know, without having to be totally covered because it's so cold out.

2.  Green buds and then leaves appearing on trees and bushes

3.  Flowers of all kinds from dandelions to mayday blossoms to apple buds and then bunches of lilacs.

4.  Long evenings of sunlight

5.  The fresh smell of the earth after rain

6.  Green growing tips on the evergreens

7.  The optimism that creeps into conversation and attitudes

8.  Pots of flowers on the patio

9.  Birds, flitting and flying and chirping

10.  New animal life - baby calves in fields, lambs in pens, chicks in brooders

11.  My birthday

12.  The first lawn mowing

13.  Revving up for farming

Lists of 2013 - #12 - Easter Memories

Listography 2013 - #12 - Easter Memories

1.  Sunrise service at church as the sun came over the horizon and the sky was painted in glorious colors most years

2.  Bob's Uncle Art playing the trumpet early in the morning so that the whole neighbourhood would be heralded with the new that He is Risen (he's too old to do it now and I miss it!)

3.  The songs and hymns with refrains of "Alleluia" and "He arose!"

4.  Easter lilies on the altar and on my Mom's table

5.  The somber mood of Good Friday services and how the sky was so often dark and gloomy

6.  Hot cross buns, always hot cross buns

7.  Family and company gathered around a meal and for the afternoon

8.  Oh Henry Easter eggs - my Dad's favourite - he used to buy them by the box - 24 at a time :)

9.  And now with our grandchildren - Easter egg hunts, sometimes outside while wearing rubber boots and sometimes indoors, with snowdrifts outside too deep for little ones

10.  The message revisited every year that He took this for me - and that He lives so I live too!

Lists of 2013 - #11 - Best Blog Posts I've Written

Listography 2013 - #11 - Best Blog Posts I've Written

Well according to the stats on my blog, this Simple Woman post from December, 2008 has received the most view.  I'm not quite sure why!

And the next most viewed one, is this year's Pay It Forward post.  Interesting things, those stats!

But here are some of my favourites:

- the ones announcing our grandchildren -
 
     Meadow

     Helayna

     Silas

     Samuel

     Blake

     Maëlle

     Peyton

     Malachi

- the ones about our travel adventures -

     China

     Europe

     South America

     Africa

     New York City

- the ones about quadding trips with family

- and don't forget the weddings of our children!

I could go on and on!  It's been fun to step back and wander through the archives for a bit.  I found so many good memories and special thoughts tucked away.  So many of them would be lost and forgotten if I hadn't recorded them here - which one of the very best parts of blogging for me.

25 Happy Things

Marta shared her special list recently and as soon as I read the title I knew I wanted to make my own list!

1.  It's spring break :))

2.  I finished 2 scrapbooking projects that have been on my table for a very long time.  One of them has been languishing for more than a year but I am thrilled with the finished album.  Peeks coming soon.

3.  It's getting close to time to use the greenhouse again.

4.  There are the most interesting icicles around these days as the sun begins melting the mountains of snow.

5.  In one month we'll have visitors here from New Brunswick.

6.  Malachi started crawling - he's not a baby anymore.

7.  When I talked to Kelsey last week I could little Miss Peyton chattering in the background.  I could have listened to her all day!

8.  There are fresh clean sheets on our bed tonight.  I love crawling in to clean sheets.

9.  I have two vases of pussy willows in the house and they are just perfect!

10.  I have 8 dozen eggs waiting to be coloured with the grandkids this weekend.  Do you think that's enough?!

11.  We have to be at church at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning for the Easter sunrise service.  That's really early!

12.  I loved the online card class, Pattern Play, that I took last week - and I made 10 cards in one week!

13.  My winter dishes and mugs have all been packed away and the spring and summer ones are back in the cupboards.  I know it took a long time but really it does not seem like spring in these parts.

14.  But with the change to daylight saving time, it's now nearly 8:30 p.m. when it finally gets dark.    That makes for a really lovely long day.

15.  We are playing Court Whist with 5 other couples again this week.  It's been such a fun winter to gather every second week and play cards together.  Naomi says we sound like retired people when we talk about all our fun times - and then she said, "Wait - you are kind of retired people!"  It was so cute!

16.  There are over 16,000 pictures in my iPhoto library which makes me happy - and yes, it is slowing my computer down a lot.  So I'm on a mission to transfer them to the hard drive, which is a time-consuming process indeed.

17.  I tried to ignore my kitchen today - and was pretty successful but it doesn't look so great now.  Nonetheless, I had a very good day doing fun things.

18.  The Easter egg hunts will have to be in the house this year, I think.  And there are ever so many nooks and crannies in which to hide little eggs - it's going to be fun!

19.  Morning smoothies are part of our routine these days.  Coconut water + banana, + spinach or kale, + yogurt + frozen berries +  an orange or apple + chia seeds + hemp seeds = a great beverage to start the day.

20.  Have you tried the game '4 Pics 1 Word' on your iPhone?  It's free and it's fun!  They show 4 photos, give you the blanks and some letter tiles and you have to guess the word that's represented.  Try it - you'll like it, I'm sure :)

21.  There are a lot of great ideas using rice krispies and egg shapes on Pinterest these days.  I just might have to try some.

22.  I love the flowers and of spring - tulips, daffodils, hyacinths - doesn't matter.  They are all beautiful and smell divine.

23.  I've washed a few windows inside this week.  I love looking through those sparkling panes.

24.  What's your favourite Easter treat? My Dad loved the O Henry Easter eggs that you can only get for a few weeks in the spring.  And as soon as I see them in the stores I want to buy them and share them with him.

25.  Wishing we were on a jet plane to Vancouver Island this week.  It's my favourite place to go in spring break!

So - what would you put on your happy list today??

Lists of 2013 - #10 - Things I've Given Up To God

Listography 2013 - #10 - Things I've Given Up To God

1.  My marriage

2.  My children and grandchildren

3.  Safety while driving, for all of us

4.  My health

5.  Our finances, always remembering that He asks us to tithe

6.  My job and when I will work, as well as each day that I work

7.  Trying to understand grief, loss and suffering

8.  Preparing roads to understanding and reconciliation in relationships

9.  Christmas and Easter (seeking to leave more and more of the commercialism behind)

10.  Growing crops and the weather

11.  Daily opportunities for service

12.  Trusting that He will provide all that I need for today and not worrying about tomorrow

13.  Daily prayer and Bible reading

Lists of 2013 - #9 - In My Dream Home

Listography 2013 - #9 - In My Dream Home

1.  The bathroom would be pristine!  Extra long tub, built-in shower, lovely window, heated floor, tile and lots of color!

2.  The whole place would be freshly painted regularly.  'Nuf said!

3.  The bedrooms would have new carpeting.

4.  The master bedroom would be spacious and have a built-in fireplace with a sitting area.

5.  The living room would have built-in lighting in many nooks and crannies.

6.  The entryway would be large with built-in shelves and boot racks.

7.  There would be a lovely big family room with lots of space for toys and activities for the grandchildren.

8.  The basement would be finished.

9.  I would never have to worry again about getting water in the basement.

10.  There would be a loft with extra bedrooms and lots of room for overnight guests.

11.  A gorgeous outdoor living space would include a fireplace, eating space, multi levels, and a fountain.

12.  The fireplace would be efficient and used all winter.

13.  There would be a lovely atrium with a hot tub, tall windows to let in the sunlight and many plants.

AND - - -

14.  Maid service would come by monthly to keep it all wonderfully clean and sparkling!

Ah, beautiful dreamer!!

Lists of 2013 - #8 - Animals I Love

Listography 2013 - #8 - Animals I Love

1.  Dogs, especially German Shepherds - we've had some of them over the years and they were wonderful companions.

2.  Elephants - their very social behaviour, curiosity and care for each other is amazing.  I am still in awe of the fact that we saw so many of them in Africa.

3.  Dolphins and whales - graceful and elusive, adding to their mystery.

4.  Birds, especially little ones like hummingbirds, colourful ones like bluejays and graceful ones like swans.

5.  Giraffes - so regal and unique in the animal kingdom.

6.  Porcupines - what was God thinking when he created these?!

7.  Mountain goats and their incredible climbing abilities.

8.  Polar bears in all their grandeur.

9.  Turtles - no one else quite like them with those shells.

10.  Pandas - another unique one.  I loved seeing them in China but in the wild would be truly amazing.

11.  Bees - fascinating workers who produce something so sweet.

12.  Penguins - how the fathers care for their babies impresses me!

13.  Big cats like cheetahs, tigers and leopards.

Lists of 2013 - #8 - Places I Have Lived

Listography 2013 - #8 - Places I Have Lived

My whole life has been spent in Alberta, never more than an hour from the farm where I grew up!  I love to travel but I just realized now that I've always lived close to the ones I love.

1.  My dad purchased a farm using money he had saved while working for Calgary Power, installing the power lines that were being strung through rural Alberta in the early 1950's.  The farm was just west of Millet and about 8 miles east of where he'd grown up.  The yard contained a big old two-story house and various out-buildings, including a barn and grain elevator.  When he and my mom married in 1954, they moved to this farm.  Last summer while on a garden tour, I had the opportunity to go back and see what's happened to the farm now.  The yard is so very beautiful with a waterfall and pond just off the deck of the house and a lovely garden area.  So many memories flooded through me that day!

2.  When I was 9, my parents purchased my grandparents farm, where my Dad had grown up, and we moved there in December.   This meant a change of schools for us but we knew many of the kids since we attended the same church.  Moving here meant that my Dad became a full-time farmer, leaving his stucco and plaster job that he'd juggled for 10 years.  My parents still live on this farm.

3.  My college year was spent at Camrose Lutheran College, now the Augustana campus of the University of Alberta.  It was a small liberal arts Christian college, less than an hour from home, with a student body of less than 500.  I lived in the student residence, worked in the kitchen for a few hours every week and took first year courses in home economics.

4.  The college did not grant degrees so after 1 year, I transferred to the University of Alberta and the faculty of education.  I lived with 3 friends in a two bedroom apartment just a few blocks from the campus.

5.  During the summer after my third year, we married and I moved to Bob's family farm.  We spent nearly 20 months in a tiny 2 room house that had been built for his grandfather.  It was cozy but had no laundry or shower facilities - thankfully Bob's parents lived just across the yard and shared their water with us.

6.   And that brings us to the home that we currently live in - the one that we moved into 36 years ago.  Bob and his brother logged the trees and sawed the lumber and then he built the house with his Dad.  It's served us so well and is the only home that our girls have known.   Really, Darrin too since we moved in on his first birthday.   So many memories made here!

Lists of 2013 - #7 - Red Things I Love

Listography 2013 - #7 - Red Things I Love

1.  Strawberries

source

2.  Raspberries

3.  Tomatoes (in all their forms)

4.  Red tulips

source

5.  Red leather gloves and shoes

6.  Red cheeks on little ones

7.  Red gingham tablecloths

8. Red poppies

source

9.  Red cardinals and red-winged blackbirds

10.  Cherries

11.  Red glass balls on the Christmas tree

12.  Red barns

source

13.  My red quad (Honda Fourtrax 350) 

Thanks to Pinterest for all images.

Lists of 2013 - #5 - Brave Things I've Done

Listography 2013 - #5 - Brave Things I've Done

1.  Retiring from my full-time teaching job

2.  Going back to university at age 38 to finish my education degree

3.  Sitting down in the tractor and learning to drive the forage cutter for grain silaging

4.  Quadding down the side of a mountain

5.  Settling into a kayak and paddling along the Nova Scotia coast

6.  Substitute teaching in junior high classrooms

7.  Driving the big tractor and feed mixer to feed beef cattle while Bob was away in Ottawa

8.  Quickly tagging baby calves while mama cows anxiously stood guard nearby

9.  Driving the big loader while towing the 2+2 tractor out of snowdrifts

10.  Gone down waterslides with our grandchildren

Lists of 2013 - #4 - Things I Would Like to Learn

Lists of 2013 - #4 - Things I Would Like to Learn

1.  To swim

2.  To play guitar

3.  To knit and crochet

4.  To make carrot pudding

5.  To long arm quilt

6.  To use an iPhone

7.  To master Photoshop Elements

8.  To easily digital scrapbook

9.  To play chess

10.  To catch a salmon

11.  To create and maintain a beautifully landscaped yard

12.  To care for bees and extract honey

13.  To downhill ski

A bucket list for sure!!

Lists of 2013 - #3 - Favourite Words

1.  I'm sorry

2.  I love you

3.  Please

4.  Thank you

5.  Would you like to come with us?

6.  I miss you!

7.  I'm looking for a sub

8.  HI, Gramma/Gram

9.  Can you stay for a sleepover?

10.  Let's go out for supper :)

11.  Come and play / Let's play a game

12.  Smile!

13.  Can you help me?

Lists of 2013 - #2 - Attitudes to Live By This Year

Listography 2013 - #2 - Attitudes to Live By This Year  (With God's Help)

1.  Hopeful - my One Little Word - my new mantra - working to have this attitude as my default for the year.

2.  Grateful - for every little grace given by God each moment.

3.  Happy - looking for moments that make me smile.

4.  Energetic - ready to be strong and eager to live.

5.  Committed - to making changes, to living big, to helping others.

6.  Adventurous - looking for new opportunities, places and people.

7.  Curious - asking why? and why not?  about many things as I learn more.

8.  Faithful - with my time, my talents, my possessions and all that I am given.

9.  Patient - thinking before responding with anger, frustration or worry.

10.  Creative - making, doing, being, and enjoying beauty, nature, handmade and original.  

I need to enlarge this, frame it and then hang it front and centre so I can see it all year long!

Lists of 2013 - #1 - Things to Look Forward to This Year

Listography 2013 - #1 - Things to Look Forward to This Year

1.  Birthdays of our grandchildren - always fun and two of them will turn 1 this year so that's even more special.

2.  My Mom's 80th birthday in August.

3.  My sister will mark a very important birthday in June.

4.  More chickens coming earlier.

5.  Time to actually sew a quilt or two.

6.  Learning how to use and enjoy my new food processor.

7.  Lots of good books to read for book club discussions.

8.  The wedding of a very special friend and his sweet fiancee in July.

9.  Grandchildren coming for sleepovers and play dates.

10.  Our son-in-law finishing his medical residency and writing his licensing exam.

11.  Watching our nieces and nephews begin new chapters in their lives.

12.  Snowshoeing this winter and biking this summer.

13.  New technology and classes for learning more new things.

I've put together a new list of prompts and I'm looking forward to continuing this weekly list project.  I'd love to have some friends join me - just ask and I'll be glad to send my ideas for weekly writing!