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Friday, June 22, 2012

The Beauty of a Storm

Well, the weather forecast predicted heavy rain, and I suppose I can give them props for calling it right this time. As I was coming home from the Friday toddler group I attend, I couldn't help but notice how heavy the air was with humidity. It was raining, well, misting a little really, and I thought how it could potentially cause a thunderstorm.

I hated thunderstorms as a child. My most vivid memory is this one storm that really sounded like a train had collided with the house as it was passing along. Having grown up in a community smack dab in an agricultural region I was used to the heavy noise of a train.

This scared the hell out of me.

I vaguely remember crying and my mom coming in to comfort us (I shared a room with my younger brother then).

Now, thunderstorms don't exactly scare me, but they sure do get my heart racing. But this time, when that flash of lightning occurs, I wait with anticipation to see whereabouts it is, using the 1second= 1 kilometre rule. That moment when the horrifically loud clap sounds over your head and rattles your home immediately after the flash is thrilling at the same time as it's a little terrifying. I mean, you know what it is, so you can't really be scared, but I suppose it's the same adrenaline rush that causes people to want to watch horror films.

Inevitably though, there is a build up of pressure and the clouds just burst, pounding everything in rain. And even when you think it can't get any harder, it does, saturating everything and bouncing hard off of every surface. Sometimes it hails, sometimes it doesn't.

It passes and then the calm returns and the world seems that much more quiet, peaceful.


I should note that this was a particularly loud storm. K slept right through it.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

A Little Validation

I'm still here… really. Actually, last week was crazy busy as hubby was away, but more about that soon.

Been musing over things and making some decisions. I will be starting a new blog soon. Just working out all the details. For now, I'll keep writing here.

I had an amazing, if rather surreal, moment yesterday at the playground in the park near our flat. We had just gotten there and K beelined for the swings. I put her in and start pushing and chatting with her. In the next swing was a little boy (probably about 18 months) pushed by our dad. He made some comment about how his son constantly changed his mind (as the boy tried to climb out) and I laughed and agreed. Then he looked at me and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but where are you from?"

I get that a lot. There are quite a few North American ex-pats in our area and you can pick us out of a crowd quite easily. The accent helps with that.

I replied that I was from Canada. He smiled and said that he always wondered when he heard someone who wasn't from around here. I made my comment about the multitude of ex-pats and a woman chasing her own 2.5 year old boy near the larger swings smiled and nodded. She asked me where in Canada I was from in a very clearly North American accent. I said Vancouver. She got excited. Apparently, she was from the USA and had a friend living in Vancouver. Turns out the man was from Ireland and had moved to Glasgow a little while ago.

We got to talking and really quite seriously, she glommed onto us, peppering us with questions about settling here. She had been here a month and a half. Some of her questions/concerns included:

-needing adult conversation
-not knowing how to meet people in a new place
-dealing with the uncertainty of knowing you might only be there a little while (hard to commit to things)
-finding ways to get out of the house more
-dealing with the not so nice weather
-missing home

It occurred to me that I was her a year ago. And there was this empowering thing for both of us in my being able to reassure her that what she was going through was normal, and that I could help her feel that her thoughts and feelings were validated.

I gave her my mobile number and am hoping she texts and that I see her again. She was a lot of fun and our kids are the same age (well, she has a second who's 6 months). It would be great to help her settle and here's the kicker for me… have a social life.

Who'd have thought.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Ponderings…

So um, yeah, hi.

Been awhile.

The visit with my family was wonderful in ways I'm not sure I can even express. I still have photos to edit and convert and a to-do list that is crazy long, but I'm still here… sort of.

Debating on something and I think I need feedback.

I always said I would never move on from this blog name/theme etc. Now I'm starting to think maybe it's time. Or maybe I need a second space.

Except that I don't think I can stay on top of a full second blog. I can barely keep up with my photography blog at the moment.

So while I sort out my priorities and what will work best for me, I'm polling the people here:

Do I start over with a new blog for a clean start (I have some interesting ideas for it)?

Do I keep this one for the more in depth musings and keep another for photos/recipes/life stuff?

Hmm…

While we ponder over this together, here's a pic. :p

Attack of the 60-foot woman… and her camera. Run!