Earth's Children

Ayla, the main character

You may (or may not) consider me a geek, or a dork or even a nerd...but I can't help but LOVE the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel. I have read and re-read and re-read again the first 5 books in the series, patiently waiting for the sixth one to be written. I was beginning to give up hope, thinking that perhaps Mrs. Auel was just too tired to complete the finalé to her epic saga. The research involved in her books is extensive to say the least, as she strives to offer the most accurate information about the time in history which her books are set, somewhere between 28,000 and 25,000 ago.

Then one day, whilst strolling down the aisles at Cooper's, I saw it. I nearly fell over right there. I'm sure the whole scene must have been pretty funny to any on-lookers. It was one of those Walk, stop, look, shake head, keep walking, stop, back-up, stare, break into uncontrollable smiling and nearly jumping up and down kind of moments. It literally made my day. I couldn't help but gush to the cashier about my good fortune! I considered phoning friends and family when I returned home to let them know about my find! It was all a little much for simply stumbling across a book, but hey, I really like them!

Needless to say, some of the reason I haven't been writing my blog is because of this book. My free time in the evenings has been spent trying to get at least a chapter in before bed. I admit I felt pretty sad realising this would be the last book, the final hurrah, but I also felt a little relieved that I wouldn't have to wait another 10 years for the next. I don't wait well for things, It's hard enough having to wait from summer to summer for True Blood. Then I discovered this little tid-bit of information...THERE MIGHT BE A SEVENTH BOOK!

I Quote:

"To be honest, I don't feel like I'm through," the author, 74, said during a recent interview. "I still have some material and I'm going to keep on writing. It's what I do." At this very moment I feel both happy and sad, both anticipation and dread...Mrs. Auel, you have hooked me, please don't take so long to reel me in this time!

On a side, I strongly urge you to read this series if you enjoy reading at all. Also, don't think you can skip the first book, Clan of the Cave Bear, by watching the movie...this is not one of those cases where the movie is better...at all. It was terrible! Besides, then I will have someone else to wait with ;)

Sweet Dreams

There are dreams I have never realised.

Put on hold for a more convenient time,

Only to be forgotten in the face of a new adventure.

I was young and in a hurry. 

I am bigger now.

Those dreams were babies, from a juvenile imagination.

Not without merit, just fantastical.

My new dreams are alive, with colour and substance.

They are here and real and satisfying.

Once aspirations, now achieved.

I do not regret those I have lost,

they were left behind so I could find my way here.

Blah to winter blues

Ever feel lost and scattered? Of course you have. Ever feel as if there really isn't a good reason for it? Probably. Are you feeling this way right now? If so, I'm right there with you.

I spend most of my days alternating between entertaining my little people and taking care of the house. Day in day out. Wash, rinse, repeat. I have full intentions of doing something more spectacular with my time, something above and beyond the every day chores, something that will break the monotony, wake me from my funk. Every morning I wake up thinking "maybe today" Unfortunately, as the days of my maternity leave tick away, I find I am disappointed with how I have spent them and their lack of fantastic.

I will stop you right there. I am not disappointed with the time I have spent nurturing my little ones. That time is valued and valuable. I am referring to the rest of the time and what could have been achieved had it been spent to it's full potential.

I look back on my blog and I wonder where all of the frenzy has gone from my life. I had so much get up and go in the beginning. November's fervour has been replaced by January's apathy. It all baffles me a little, though I really only have myself to blame. And Facebook! And the snow..I'll blame some of this on that horrible white stuff outside.

Enough whining though. I need to pick myself back up and find that fever pace. I also need to start getting out of the house again!

Today I did just that and spent a wonderful afternoon with my friend, The Worthy Cook. It was so nice and refreshing to just sit and BS with someone with much the same outlook as me. I did feel a little guilty watching her slave away making her cupcakes, but I had my own little cupcake to keep my eye on...she has started crawling, so it's not quite as layed back as it used to be!

From here on out, I refuse to give in to the laziness that took over most of my January. I will stand up and give it a good swift kick in it's lazy ass along with one for myself and I welcome a good one from anyone willing.

Here's to motivation!

On a side note...this my 25th post! Yay! That is all.

Really....REALLY?!???!

That is precisely what I would have been thinking had I tuned into my last blog, only to discover that it wasn't really a full posting...apologies. I know it was cheap, but I really did need some time to just vegetate with the fam!

I am dreaming of Spring. Green grass, the little purple crocuses pushing there way out of the ground and the gravel built up on the side of the road after the snow melts. You may think this is a strange memory to have about Spring, but I can honestly say, it's one of my oldest. I can still picture walking to school, the new seasons earliest sunshine warming me as I kicked the gravel into big dusty clouds. I would drag my shoes through it and make designs all the way along Nichol Road. (in hind-sight, I'm sure my Mom loved me for this!) The gravel always triggered a feeling nothing else could. To this day, I still feel like a little girl when I see it.

The gravel was also a precursor to our annual trips to Parksville on Vancouver Island. I still long for those days of complete carelessness. I would spend countless hours on the beach by myself, wandering back and forth, discovering, uncovering, recovering. It is so pure at the oceans side. I miss it more than I could ever begin to explain.

I was a lucky child, I had things that I still hold very dear to me, but I think my most valuable remainders from youth are my memories. I have my wonderful parents to thank for this. My hard working Father, who spent 30 year slaving away to make sure we had everything he could possibly give us. 30 years in which he never took a sick day...seriously, never. My beautiful, amazing Mother, who spent her days taking care of us and her nights readying herself for doing it all again the next day. Who, every Thursday, without fail, morphed from Mom to Girl Guide leader, to help other young girls find the same confidence in themselves that she had helped me find within. May she rest peacefully.

How I hope I can supply my children with the same secure, happy existence my parents did for me. I dream that I am able to let them stay children as long as possible, to allow them to build memories to carry with them all their lives. And when times get rough, may they have there own "gravel" to reminisce about.

Quality time

Just a quick note to my readers. I will be back, I promise. I am currently focusing on the finer things in life. Until then.