I’m linking up with Friday’s Fave Five for the third week in a row/ Aren’t I good? I seem to have dropped my weekly update, though, but I guess this kind of counts. If you are feeling inclined to look back over your week and share some of your blessings please link up at Living to Tell the Story so that we can share in your happiness.

1. Someone sharing this recipe on pinterest today. I’ve been doing the gluten free thing and craving pizza for “Dadderday” tomorrow. This cauliflower crust looks so good that I am going to separate my frozen brocolli from my frozen cauliflower just so I can make it tomorrow. If it works our well, it just might be a Friday’s Fave Five for next week.

2. Feeling better. I don’t know if it is gluten free thing that is doing it (I tried that last summer too) or if there were toxins in the old house or if the stress from the neighbours was just too much but I feel much better. Am I 100%? Certainly not, but I am 100% functional and somewhat less swollen and sore (sort of). I think that with further dietary changes that I may be able to get to a place of full healing. It doesn’t look like a doctor will be at all easy to come by here so here’s to hoping.

3. Taking the time to paint yesterday morning. My daughter has been bugging me to use the craft supplies that I was given for my birthday (2 months ago), but I’ve been putting it off because I’m too much of a perfectionist for something as subjective as art (says the girl that took a year of fine arts because she wanted to be art therapist). It was just just to be able to paint for fun, though.

4. Finding out that a new member of the family would be joining us.…..No! Not that kind of family member, but a 10 month old boxer pup, named Penny. We’ve been contemplating a dog now that we have more space for one and I am looking forward to seeing how it goes. I’ve never had a dog that’s been mine before so there will probably be some learning, but we are looking forward to it. This sweet one is from a lovely home so I am sure that she’ll adjust well to us and will fit in with our family.

5. Children who are able to fend for themselves while I soak in the tub for about an hour every afternoon. Yeah, I’d love to sneak away for a nap – the toddler has decided that 5:30 is a fine time to get up- but that doesn’t work so well. The bath is a good compromise because I can still relax and and the littlest can come in a play in the water sometimes (or get all the way in if he is due for a bath). There’s something about a closed bedroom door that invites catastrophe after catastrophe and, knock on wood, I’ve avoided that with the bath….and oh, how I’ve missed my baths!

I haven’t been very good at keep up with my weekly memes lately. However, I figure it is time for a Friday Fave Five as it has been a while. I hope you will join me at Living to Tell the Story.

1. Joining other like minded men and women for an evening of learning. I don’t get out often and it was lovely to relax and learn some new techniques for healing. I look forward to the next class in this series.

2. My little one who is now walking and talking like crazy. He is really darling, most of the time, and I love him to bits.

3. The opportunity to visit with the Christian School in town. Liam will not be attending but we think that it would do him good to visit a real school as he has developed a bit of an attitude about homeschooling (well, school in general) and I want him to see that school itself isn’t a horrible thing (his come up with the idea that school is like jail and I want to nip that in the bud). I want him to homeschool because he is enjoying it and learning lots, not because he is afraid of the alternative (I personally loved school….at least the education part of school). He should be visiting in the next week or so and we’ll let you know how it goes.

4. Scouts. Liam loves it and it gets him out doing the things that he enjoys (I haven’t been doing a very good job on the whole exploring and hiking thing these days and he misses it).

5. Our kitty’s ability to heal herself. I was not looking forward to a veterinary bill. We did stop in to speak to the vet but she reassured us that if it was a cyst that was bugging our cat then it would likely heal on its own if it was draining. It looks MUCH better now so I’m very happy.

It’s time to count our blessings, joys and pleasures from the past week. It is good to look back on the week and give thanks for the moments of happiness that have touched us. Be sure to visit Living to Tell the Story to share your favorite moments from the week as well.

1. Strawberries from the garden. They were a long time coming but they are here now and we’ve been enjoying them in the early morning sunshine whenever we can.

Still enough left to be able to enjoy them next week as well.

2. A friend willing to visit the chaos that is my home right now. Maybe not a relaxing visit but it sure was nice to see another adult.

3. The fact that migraines last for 4 hours and not 4 days. I didn’t get this posted last night as a was suddenly hit with a terrible migraine but after 3 hours of misery I was able to semi fall into sleep and woke up feeling as good as new. I’m used to my neuralgia that will give me 3-4 days of severe pain so while I’m not a big fan of the other migraine symptoms I was relieved to only have a migraine and not a flair up.

4. Visiting Louisbourg. It’s always a nice time and the kids were a bit older and enjoyed it more this time. Liam had lots and lots of questions for the variously “characters”. It is easy to tell he is a homeschooled child!

Looking out to sea like soldiers nearly 300 years ago.

5. Free hotdogs, cake (lots of cake), and music at the Bartown Festival. I was happy not to cook, the cake was delicious, and the music was pretty good. It was nice and cool and all the kiddies enjoyed themselves. A good day all around.

It’s time to count our blessings, joys and pleasures from the past week. It is good to look back on the week and give thanks for the moments of happiness that have touched us. Be sure to visit Living to Tell the Story to share your favorite moments from the week as well.

1. Playing outside with the kids. We’ve been tossing frisbee, kicking a ball around and playing catch whenever we get the chance. Enjoying the better weather that has finally arrived.

2. Coffee at Wentworth Perk. Getting out always makes me feel a little more human (or rather, adult like). The kids and I enjoyed some live music at the perk on Monday and while we had been expecting Mike a little earlier and were getting a little worried, we still enjoyed it.

3. Fresh berries. Sure they aren’t local (we’ll have to wait until the end of July/beginning of August for those) but they are still good.

4. Good health. Mike and I were just talking about how healthier I’ve been since moving to Cape Breton. I lived in chronic pain in Montreal and it was really, really hard to get things done. I had to stop doing the doula work that I loved and spent many visits out and about hiding away from the crowd because the movement and noise around me would just hurt too much. Thankfully, while I still have pain days here, they are much farther apart and that is good. I can’t imagine going back to the way things were.

5. Blue skies. After weeks and weeks and weeks of rain it is sooooooo nice to see the sun!

It’s been a really wonderful week so I have to give thanks! If you have lovely moments this week to share I hope that you will join me at Living to Tell the Story to share.

1. Having my best friend and her family spend two full days and nights with us. I hadn’t seen her in nearly two and a half years and we had a lot of catching up to do. The time passed way too quickly and we needed at least another week but I still had a wonderful time in spite of the weather. I certainly hope that we won’t let another two years pass without a visit (and I cannot wait for the wedding in eighteen years or so, Shannon, they’ll make such a cute couple!)

2. Getting lost in Sydney and having the time of our lives (or something like that). It feels so good to laugh and giggle ’til I nearly pee (nearly, no worries). I had us driving around in circles but that was alright because my friend loves me and I did get us to our destination in the end (and it was all the men’s fault anyways for telling us to take the round about way when it is soooooooooooo easy to get to out destination via the main roads).

3. Customizing my blog (finally). While there is still work to do it is beginning to feel more like my own space and I cannot wait to continue working on it. I have a couple interesting ideas for this blog and I’m about to get the ball rolling on a couple projects and I cannot wait to see where it leads.

4. Finishing a square that I’m crocheting. I just received a book in the mail from my MIL and there was a perfect project in it that will help me use up all my ends of wool. I’m thankful that it is an easy project and that it should be quick enough to get at least a square done a day. This will be a lovely gift for the little girly in my life (as Liam got a crocheted blanket last year and we never did get around to making one for Morgaine).

5. Walks in the park. The season is beginning and we had the most lovely walk yesterday as a family at Petersfield Park. I look forward to going at least weekly to see the changes throughout the year. I absolutely love nature and these walks help keep me grounded. We live in such a beautiful area and are so blessed.

Wow, it’s Friday and I’m actually going to get my Fave Five posted on time! It’s been a while since I’ve manage to do that. I hope that you’ll visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story and share your 5 favorite moments from the week as well. Sharing mine is actually one of the highlights of my week!

1. Little projects that keep me busy. Sometimes they keep me away from some of my bigger projects but they are fun and can be finished quickly. Anything that I can get accomplished these days ranks high on my list of favorites as so much of the time I feel like I am running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off.

2. The first picnic of the year. Yes, we are brave folk here in Cape Breton and had our first picnic of the year yesterday. It started out nice but we ended up in jackets and huddled under blankets by the end of the meal!

~My three wild and wonderful children having a St. Patrick’s Day Picnic~

~Raudhán eating a tuna sandwich on his first “I can actually join the eating,” picnic.

3. Going against my gut instinct and writing Liam a list to keep him “on track” with school. I really believe in organic learning from life but my son really seems to like to have some idea of what’s going on so I’ve been writing him a daily list of 5 things I’d like him to do and he seems to like it. I sooooooo wish I didn’t have to but if it works for him then that is all that matters. My husband also really likes to see structure and stuff being accomplished and now that he is home more it helps to do things that make him happy and confident as well.

4. Lettuce. Yummy. Good for you. Lettuce.

5. That so far we are remaining healthy (though my tummy is grumbly tonight). There’s some really nasty tummy bugs going around and I am really, really terrified of tummy flus. I was SURE that I was going to catch something and make everyone sick after I spend Sunday of last week in emergency (especially after a poor fellow that was really nastily ill decided that I would be a lovely person to chat to between puking). Thankfully we seem to have pretty strong immune systems in this household and for that I am sooooooooo grateful (knock on wood!).