Happiness Is...

• a golden autumn day
• Friday afternoon of a long weekend
• knitting a gift for a friend
• weather warm enough for a tank top and shorts... in October
• finding out my small camera fits in the gel pocket of my bike shorts
• getting all of the ends sewn into my Fiddlehead Mittens
• finishing a good book
• browsing this year's 101 Christmas Cookies magazine
• getting a birthday surprise from a local store in the mail

In the Moment - May

Oops, I'm a little late on this one!  Anyways...

In the spring/summer I find it's not so hard to just "enjoy the moment" as it is in, say, November when I'm shivering and wondering when I'll get to see the sun again!  In May it's time to:

• Get outside!  Last frost date means gardening.  Also walking, running, biking, eating... swimming!  (Yikes!  Normally May is a little chilly for swimming in lakes but I've joined a triathlon group and our first lake swim is at the end of the month.)
• Celebrate mothers!  They are wonderful people.
• Enjoy local produce, the first crops start rolling in at the Farmer's Market and I'm noticing the rhubarb out back is about ready for picking.
• Birthday shopping!  My sister's birthday is this month and for the past 5 years we've celebrated by going shopping together, usually someplace a little far away (say an hour's drive or so) with a little spending money that must be used on that day (not usually a hard feat).  I really love this tradition - not only for the "I get to shop for hours and spend time with my sister" side but also for the "I don't have to figure out what to give her" side.  If that sounds selfish I guess it is a little, but she feels the same way when my birthday rolls around in the fall!

What are you going to enjoy this month?

In the Moment - April

Have you noticed how many of my monthly features have to do with daylight/weather?  I would not have guessed I was so focused on it, but apparantly I am!

In April I look forward to:

• Seeing the first flowers bloom!
• Easter long weekend - extra time with family.
• Lunch at the Boathouse (a local tea room open seasonally.  It's really spring when the Boathouse opens!)
• Being outside in non-freezing weather
• Hearing the birds sing (except maybe at 5 am when I am trying to sleep!).
• Getting my bike out and going for rides.

In the Moment - March

This month I am looking forward to:

• SPRING!!!
• Daylight in the evenings
• Getting outside a bit more (for walks and such)
• Thinking about gardening and maybe planting some seeds (inside)

In the Moment - February

My favourite February quote comes from one of my favourite authors, Miss Read.  One of her characters welcomes February "because you can have a walk in the light after tea."  (from A Peaceful Retirement)  So this month I am looking forward to:

• Being able to go for a walk in the light after tea (or roughly when I get home from work).

Also special to February this year:

• The Olympics!!  And I am going!  It's the first (and likely only) time I have gone/will go to the Olympics and although it will be busy, crowded and a little chaotic but I am so excited!

In the Moment - January

I have to say January is not one of my favourite months.  Definitely in the bottom three because we are in the beginning of winter (cold!) with spring still so far away.  However, there are things to enjoy like...

• Longer daylight hours!
• The end of the hustle and bustle that is December - now there's time to do something like watch a movie or roam around blogland.
• The beauty of snow (particularly if there is no shovelling that needs doing).

hmm... not a long list is it? 

In the Moment - December

It's over a week into the month and I am just now sitting down to write my post about December.  I didn't feel overly busy but maybe I was.  (And Giveaway Day didn't help, so many blogs to look at!)

On to December.  What I am mostly looking forward to this month is Christmas (in case you hadn't guessed already)!  Not just the 25th but also all the festivities before and after that as well as all the holiday things like baking and decorating trees.  Let's start the list with that:

• Baking.  Last year I made 15 kinds of cookies.  A little overboard I know.  This year I have 10 types of cookies on the list (and a few moved over to the "January" to do pile).


• Decorating trees.  Looking at all the ornaments collected over the years, watching the lights twinkle in the dark.


• Wrapping presents.  Challenging myself to be more eco-friendly this year.  Hopefully sew some gift bags, if not work on using up the used paper in my closet.


• Giving presents.  It makes me happy!


• Singing Christmas carols. 


• Remembering the time of Jesus' birth.  Those chapters in Luke seem more meaningful at this time of year.


• Making and sending Christmas cards.  Using those sparkily Christmas stamps too!


• Getting the mail.  I love mail and December has to be the best mail month of the year!


• Longer days.  Not yet, but soon the days will start getting longer.


• Relaxing.  Time off work, preparations complete, time to spend with family!

In the Moment – November

As an exercise in enjoying all times of the year (and not spend all winter wishing it was over) I’m going to start each month blogging about what I am looking forward to. 

Things to enjoy in November:

• The daylight when I leave for work (due to the switch back from Daylight Savings Time).  It won’t last long so I will enjoy it while I can.

• The last few fall leaves – what beautiful colours!

• A trip to the One of a Kind show.  So many lovely things, crafty things, tasty things.  Try not to buy too many “self gifts” this year!

• Digging out my much loved winter hat, thrummed mitts and enjoying the warmth a winter coat brings.

• The extra enjoyment and comfort the cold weather brings to hot drinks (tea, steamers, hot chocolate, London Fogs).

• Wearing a poppy in the days leading up to November 11th (Remembrance Day in Canada).  This year I was able to purchase mine from a cadet vs. a box on a counter somewhere.  I miss the days when the veterans were out selling them – it added extra meaning to the poppies I thought.

• Christmas preparations!  I’ve already started work (knitting, sewing) on some presents but in November I’ll start:
• Making lists (and checking them twice!)
• Christmas crafts (such a long list of things I want to try!)
• Card making
• Baking (maybe – for sure I’ll be deciding what to bake)
• Decorating (house lights, trees up!) Since we have artificial trees (I know, I know, but real trees wreak havoc with my sister’s sinuses) they can go up any time now.
• Playing Christmas carols on the piano and listening to them played by people who are much better then me.