Feel Good Friday #6

Happy Friday!

Ok, so this is a bit of a brag post about my hometown, but after you watch the video, I hope you will see why I'm proud of where I live. Good job Freddy Beach!

For another Feel Good post, see last week's Feel Good Friday #5.

What made you smile this week?

Feel Good Friday #5

Happy Friday!

This is a poem that my Nan had in her home. I remember reading and trying to memorize it every time we went to visit. It is a wonderful reminder of how simple a smile is, but what a difference it can make in your outlook or on someone else's day.

A printable version can be found here.

For another Feel Good post, see last week's Feel Good Friday #4.

What made you smile this week?

Free (for us) Fire Pit

Last August, Ken and I bought a little cottage from friends of his parents. They are in their late 70s and were finding it difficult to keep up with.

To give you an idea, the water is pumped from the lake, so you only have cold water. We bring our own drinking and cooking water. We have to heat water on the stove and let it boil for a while before we use it for washing dishes or bathing. There is only a tub (it would be a VERY cold shower), so based on what I said previously, you have to fill the tub with buckets of hot water heated on the stove. It takes about an hour.

For us, we LOVE it! When we're there, we have to slow down. We can't rush anything. Plus, there is no internet or cable. There is a TV (that doesn't get any channels), so we brought a DVD player from the house and a few DVDs for rainy days. We have lots of books and board games, but mostly, it's a place to be outside. Kayaking, hiking, swimming, gardening (I'm going to try my hand at this for the first time - stay tuned as I find out what colour thumb I have)... and bonfires!

Two weeks ago, a neighbour cut down an old, unhealthy pine tree for us. It was leaning heavily over the cottage during the winter when we had the thick, heavy snow. Once it came down, we had a nice big open area, and wondered what to do with it.

Fire pit!

My mom had mentioned that she bought a little fire pit last year, but that she didn't have enough room to use it in her back yard. She kept it in case we wanted it for the cottage. Yes, please!

Ken dug a circle, bigger than the circumference of the fire pit. Another neighbour had some leftover sand from an outdoor project and asked if we wanted it. Ken covered the hole with sand and placed the fire pit on top. He then used a small level to make sure it sat level.

In the meantime, I took the dogs on a walk through the woods and gathered round rocks to go around the pit. I tried to pick rocks that were relatively the same size.

I think it turned out pretty well! And thanks to a generous mom and thoughtful neighbours, it didn't cost us a penny!

We're looking forward to having everyone over throughout the summer to enjoy a good bonfire, toasted marshmallows and lots of great company!

Feel Good Friday #4

Happy Friday!

This happened on one of the really warm days this past week. Ken and I were sitting on the front steps with the dogs when we saw the daughter of a neighbour, about 6 years old, walking down the street carrying two plastic cups. She turned up the driveway and asked if we wanted to buy some lemonade. She was selling it for 50 cents per cup and if you bought one cup, you got the second free. It was too cute. We gave her a toonie, took the cups and she skipped back down the street. The best part... it was grape Kool Aid. :)

For another Feel Good post, see last week's Feel Food Friday #3.

Feel free to share stories in the comments below!

Happy Nurses' Week!

I just wanted to wish all of my fellow nurses a very happy Nurses' Week!

You all make such a difference in the world, and I am very proud to be part of such an amazing group of men and women.

Nursing was a second career choice for me. I was in grad school, working towards becoming a professor when I felt a pull to nursing that I could not ignore. I quit my PhD (which was the only difficult part because I loved working with my advisor), applied to the nursing program, and haven't looked back since. It was the second best decision I have ever made (What is #1? He's in the picture on my About page).

I love being a nurse. I love working as part of a nursing team. I love seeing the difference a nurse makes in the lives of people every day. And I love seeing the difference someone makes in the life of a nurse every day.

Feel Good Friday #3

Do you recognize what is going on in this picture? I know... it's been a while, but dig deep.

The trees are about to burst!!!

I can't wait!

This is honestly one of my favourite times of the year. Our house backs onto a creek and trees, and although it is always pretty back there, it is absolutely beautiful once the trees are full of leaves. It seems like, out of nowhere, our backyard goes from brown to green/red/yellow/orange. We are just waiting for all of these tiny buds to burst.

So much beauty packed into such a tiny package.

For another Feel Good post, see last week's Feel Food Friday #2.

Feel free to share stories in the comments below!

Happy Friday!

Chewy and Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my all-time favourite chocolate chip cookies.

Crunchy on the outside.

Chewy on the inside.

Amazing.

And they just so happen to be the recipe my mom has used for as long as I can remember. I may be a little biased, but these are seriously delicious. Add a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of milk and it's perfection!

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening or butter (softened)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cups nuts (optional) - I didn't use any this time, but I have added pecan pieces in the past.

Directions:

1. Cream first five ingredients until light and fluffy.
2. Blend in remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips or nuts.
3. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if using them).
4. Teaspoon drop on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. If the edges are golden brown, but the middle still looks puffy and gooey, take them out anyway. The cookies will settle and be perfect. If you leave them until they look golden all over, they will likely be overdone (I like mine a little soft).
6. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

See how they are a golden around the edges, but still a little puffy?  That means they're done.

After about a minute, they settle and look like this. (Drool... )

Enjoy! Ken and I have to set a limit ahead of time, otherwise they would disappear in no time :)