The Royal Botanical Gardens: Rock Garden, Hamilton, Ontario

The Rock Garden is an amazing place.  It was an old quarry that has been repurposed as a garden.  There are rock steps and paths everywhere, up and down the old walls of the quarry, throughout garden beds filled with tulips and other flowers.  The paths wind around ponds and waterfalls.  There are benches and trees.  It's very beautiful and the kids love all the 'secret' walkways.  We had to all take turns following the leader or else everyone would have all run off in different directions.  Again: parenting!

The Beautiful Bruce Trail: Hamilton, Ontario

I took the kids on a part of the Bruce Trail that veers off from Beckett Drive (Queen Street Access).  I love this part of the trail because it winds right up to the Escarpment and around.  The kids loved it.  We saw five turkey vultures.  My one son said he wished he could speak 'Turkish' so that he could communicate with them.  He was being serious.  It was hard to explain on many different levels, but that's parenting for you!

There are Trilliums in my Woods Right Now!

 

 

I went for a run today.  The trilliums are out in the forest!  They are scattered all throughout the trees, sometimes singly, sometimes in a group.  They are mostly at the foot of trees.  I couldn't believe all the different colours I saw today.  This is why I love trail running.  It gives me the peace I need to be a more patient mom.  (I should probably run every day!)

Frank Turner's 'Recovery' - Great Song Lyric

You've got to love this lyric:

"...let's make a deal; if anyone ever asks how we met let's just say we met in jail..."

Oh, and I love the song, too...

This Is Motherhood

When I was running on the trails today, I saw this baby maple tree growing and being sheltered at the base of a very large, full-grown maple tree.  And I thought, 'that is motherhood'.

We protect our children.  We keep them close to us.  We let them use our nutrients.  (Stay with me.)We stay with them because we love them, even if we'd really like to get a sitter now and again but that's not always easy and we stay with them if we can't, because they matter more than a night out even if we really need a night out to preserve what little sanity we have left.  Oh, sorry, that's me - not the tree.  But you get my point, right?  Children are worth everything and moms, so are you - so take care of yourselves.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers!

Leonard Cohen Lyric

Excerpt from Anthem by Leonard Cohen

'Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in'


I was at a 'Mental Health Breakfast' in Hamilton, Ontario this morning to hear Valerie Pringle and her daughter Catherine Pringle speak about mental health.  It was a great event.  Valerie closed her talk with the above quote.

Anything that allows for and even encourages you to be imperfect...I am all over it.  We're all imperfect, but I think sometimes what causes so much stress is the constant attempt to be perfect.  It's useless, people!  (Thank goodness, because I couldn't accomplish it anyway.)

The Lumineers: Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, on April 30, 2013

I saw The Lumineers live in concert for the first time.  It was an amazing show!  You never know how a band will be live, and I am happy to report that they do an incredible live show.  Wesley's voice sounded even better than on my iPod.  He has a huge range. 

They were really engaging and interactive with the audience.  They even went into the audience during an encore song and played while standing on chairs.  I have never seen that before.  I loved it!  I was on the floor, so it made them be even closer to me.  If you go see them, you won't be disappointed.