Counting My Blessings - Don't Lick the Deck

Today I woke up, checked Twitter, and found out about the shootings in Colorado. There has been so much gun violence in Toronto this past month, with something every day lately. It’s so senseless and wrong. And scary that normal outings to places like shopping malls, BBQs, and movie theaters can result in a loss of life.

I have read maybe 3 articles about the shooting at the theater, and I just can’t bring myself to read any more. It’s too scary to think that life is so fragile. That you do everything in your power to protect your loved ones, and really in the end we are powerless against the senseless.

I’m so sad for the families of the victims. And for the survivors who will never be the same. I think of the emotional scars that are left from major events of violence, just for the people like me who have only read about it and watched it on the news. I can’t imagine the damage that is done to the sense of security of the people who have lived it.

Today I decided to embrace the good things in my life, and appreciate my many blessings. Cleaning can wait. Memories with my family cannot. Laughter with a friend of 22 years is more important than doing laundry.

So today I took Molly and Grace to Bronte Park to enjoy nature, visit with the animals, and go for a swim. We had a great time. It was chilly for swimming, but the girls really were itching to hit that pool. Here are some pictures from our day. I really need to figure out how to show them in groupings, but it’s late, so that’s not happening.

18 degrees in the water! I tried to talk them out of swimming, but they couldn’t be stopped. I also tried to tell them that the rest of the sign says that “All children must clean their rooms before swimming here,” but they weren’t buying it. Why did we teach them to read? Damn school system!

Freezing but happy girls after their swim! See how empty the pool is? The city must be full of more convincing mothers. Or the other children were all home cleaning their rooms.

Molly was showing me something that Flat Stanley does with his towel with the wind. Grace was being a ghost. Or crazy.

We came out of the pool and discovered someone doing a butterfly education program. Someone should have warned the poor girl that Molly had just been to the butterfly conservatory the day before with her grandma. Molly may be their newest staff member.

Butterfly dress-up

Checking out the honey bees in the nature centre. I was surprised that they were so excited to see the bees. I’m still traumatized from all the wasp stings on our trip. They clearly have stronger meds than I do.

This snapping turtle is 2 years older than I am. It’s hard to say which one of us is showing our age more. (I didn’t say that I don’t KNOW which of us looks older…it’s just hard to SAY.)

Molly brought carrots for the bunnies. She loves rabbits. We used to have 2 rabbits named Wilma and Betty. They nearly killed me. The longer we had them, the more allergic I became. Now just looking at this picture makes me wheeze. So sadly no bunnies for Molly.

This is how Grace gets herself up to the monkey bars. I’m equal parts in awe of her athletic abilities, and shaking with fear about her pole skills.

There goes my monkey!

Molly searches the stones for interesting ones. The playground does not interest her. She found one stone shaped like a shoe. My purse is full of rocks now.

She also chases butterflies and grasshoppers. I looked over and saw her doing her sneaking up “shhh” routine. “Be vewy vewy quiet!”

This chicken laid an egg while we were watching.

The rooster came over to yell at us for our lack of discretion. Gosh rooster, don’t be so sensitive…it’s not like we took pictures of the whole event or anything! Oh, wait…never mind. Sorry rooster. Here…have a cigar.

I was wishing that Maggie was along to enjoy the day with us, but she was at school. She enjoys the security and routine of school, so she was happy though. Outings stress her out, and I think she is still recovering from our trip. She even asks for school at bed time. After we picked her up, we all played at the playground at her school.

This is the only way that the twins are remotely the same height….Grace stands up a step. A BIG step. People always think that Molly and Maggie are the twins because they are closer in height.

I ended off my lovely day with dinner, shopping, and coffee (and perhaps some dessert but you can’t prove anything) with one of my closest friends that I have been friends with since we were 16. We live in the same town, but don’t get to see each other nearly often enough, so it was a real treat to get out together and share some laughs.

It’s now the next day because I take so darned long to put photos up. I think I’m doing something wrong. I need blog lessons. And cooking, sewing, and cleaning lessons, but let’s stick to the important skills for now!

Off to my mom’s house today for a swim and to help her friend with his computer. We won’t tell him that I was late because I couldn’t figure out how to work my own computer.

Have a beautiful day!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply