Stitch markers…

Most Friday afternoons on his way home from school,

in that time before the weekend when lonely people realize just how lonely they are,

George visited the dog shelter…

And he always seemed to end up by the last cage in the last aisle…

Even the concrete had given up down there…

Hidden in the shade of a huge tree,

where the sun never bothered to go,

the concrete and the cages sat beneath a coat of verdigris…

The last cage was where the dogs no one wanted went for a final week before their journey to heaven…

George felt at home there…

In the dark gloom,

he found a place where everything seemed lonelier than he was…

— in The BiG LittLe BooK of HaPPy SaDNess by Colin Thompson

This morning,

just before I had to wake Little Gem to get up for school,

I had a dream that I was working in a shop,

wearing panties with the Canucks’ logo across the front…

And for some reason I took them off,

from under my skirt,

put them on the counter,

and then put them back on again…

Actually now that I’m re-picturing them,

they weren’t panties,

they were ruffled athletic boxers,

the exact kind sporty spice wear…

I have no idea what it means,

but I was giggling in the dream,

which tells me some good old fashioned fun,

and a full debrief is on its way…

Yesterday I canned thirty pounds of organic peaches,

from Heart Achers Orchard in Keremeos,

because Starshine looks forward to eating them for breakfast in the winter…

Watching me in the kitchen,

working through the process,

she saw the effort it took to get the job done…

Something she hadn’t really paid attention to before…

A week or so ago she babysat her two year old cousin at our house,

from 9 am until 1 o’clock…

Once her cousin had been picked up,

she went directly to the couch,

wrapped herself up in one of my story blankets,

and said,

Oh MY GOd!!!

I am so exhausted…

I can’t even move…

She lay there in her cocoon for a bit,

as I tried to motivate my crew into a swim at the river,

and to take the hike up a very steep hill,

that I needed,

to increase my heart rate…

I recently heard a man say to his buddy in the woods,

as they mountain biked past me,

talking about their Warrior weekends,

If you work up a sweat every day,

you’re well on your way to fitness…

Starshine put her foot down,

saying there was no way she was going anywhere except to bed for a nap,

and then she released some thoughts into the atmosphere,

Mama, now I have some idea of how hard you had to work to look after us,

on top of teaching little kids to read and write,

driving out to Richmond and back everyday,

and EVERYTHING else…

No wonder you had to sleep so much,

and couldn’t get out of bed,

once you wound’er all down…

Thank you for all that you do for us…

As much as my children can drive me crazy at times,

and make me scream,

one of the things I find astonishing about them,

is their level of awareness,

and appreciation for what they have…

As well as their ability to reflect upon,

and articulate,

what needs to be said…

When you know that your efforts for your family are noticed,

and appreciated,

without a doubt,

it just makes you want to hold all your horses,

even more…