What a better topic to write about when you are right in the middle of it. I seriously sit down to write and nothing comes up and because nothing comes, I get discouraged and then just started ignoring the blog altogether and that is not something that I want to do.

I love blogging, I love putting my thoughts down and sharing them with people. I love being able to look back and see who I was just a few years ago and how things have changed. But in the last few weeks, each time I sit down to actually write, my mind just goes blank. I am seriously forcing myself to write this right now!

I think that a big part of it is that I feel like we are at such a stand-still with our plans and I had a few weeks that I was feeling very down and depressed. I was not wanting to do anything and when I look back everything feels like a blur. It is not the head space that I want to be in at any time.

think a part of it is that we are still waiting for the house to sell. We are selling “by owner” and at first I was quite aggressive at getting the word out and advertising, and we did have quite a few visits but as time went by the visits dwindled and instead of fighting back with more advertising, I got discouraged and started to hide under the figurative rock. I had not planned on still being here by summer, so when Summer arrived  it felt like we were failing at our plans. Though I knew that it could take time, I hadn’t thought that it would be taking this much time. So, we got the pool ready, started a small garden and the kids started summer camp and life went on and I just felt more and more down. So up to about 2 weeks ago, I felt I was in a daze.

Finally I snapped out of it and though I am not completely myself yet, I am feeling a lot better and more optimistic. I have started advertising the house again a bit more and we are thinking of perhaps finding a way we can get it listed on a larger site or with MLS but not exactly going with an agent. We really don’t have enough equity for that 6% commission and having a bit for ourselves and with Simon quitting his job when we move, we really need that money.

I have also started changing my diet a bit more and really want to start losing weight again and hopefully by doing so I will start regaining a bit of energy and feeling less sluggish.

One of the things that I have been taking pleasure in again is having a cup of tea.

Simon bought me a beautiful hand blown glass teapot for my birthday with 4 small double cups that keep the tea hot and your hands cool.

This flower tea was an amazing treat to the eye and the palette.

I am going to be making an effort to get back to blogging.. I truly have so much to write about…  we went to the cabin and say a few special creatures, I went to Quebec city all by myself! made a doll carrier, made new dehydrated treats and so much more…

We spent the day at the cabin on Thursday…

It was a gorgeous day spent with the kids and my mom and my grandmother…

This is the cabin, it belongs to my uncle but my mom stays in it each summer. It has no electricity and no water but it is very functional with a wood stove, a gas stove and a gas fridge…

My grandmother and my mom, fetching water for dishes

In front, there is a small lake, very small but full of life with resident frogs galore…

This guy is one of the bullfrogs that hangs out on the side of the lake near the cabin…

Colin went to pet him and he didn’t even flinch and Colin actually got bored before the frog did..

He lazily got off the rock and headed to a lily pad that he was much too heavy for…

Then swam away….

and then stopped and started floating instead….

near some tadpoles that seemed to be conversing…

I also got some captures of the hummingbirds that come feed in the three feeder that my mom has. They come all throughout the day, starting early in the morning and they will come even if you are standing right near the feeder, so I got my camera and just stood there and within a minute of two, I had a subject…

These are red-throated hummingbirds and the only hummingbird found on the east coast…

and a female…

We found butterflies, got bit by black flies, played darts, tended to the fire and just had a great day…

Saturday was the AQED (Quebec Homeschooling Association) Symposium.

When I saw that the Quebec author Leandre Bergeron was going to be speaking, I knew that I had to go!

Leandre Bergeron is an inspiration for me. Though I only read his book in the last few years, it was such validation to read someone living my ideal. He rarely speaks anymore as he lives quite far and is now 82 years old, so I looked forward to going to the conference and meeting him. About two weeks ago, I was asked to be an official photographer for the conference also, my only stipulation was that I would not be missing him talk, other than that, I was happy to do it.

I picked up my new camera on Friday evening… yes… I have a NEW camera… a Pentax K-5!!! and then went out for supper with a friend of mine and slept over at her house so that we could head out early in the morning.

The best way to learn a new camera is to dive into it and I could not have thought of a better venue to do so. My morning was spent taking pictures, talking to friends and even talking quite a few times to Jerry Mintz of AERO.

Jerry Mintz

Various pics taken during the day… To see larger just click on them…

In the afternoon I headed to Jerry Mintz’s workshop which was an hour and a half. Jerry Mintz is the director of AERO. Here is a great summary of AERO found on his site.

Let’s not reform education.
Let’s revolutionize education.

Let’s set aside the
decaying and decrepit schools
and education paradigms
of past eras and commit ourselves
to a new understanding of education
that recognizes humans as natural learners
and extends basic human rights to children
in their learning endeavors.

This magazine is committed to advancing the Education Revolution
by printing news and essays from around the world related to issues of alternative education
at the intersection of culture, power, and learning.

On Saturday it was my uncle’s burial. A few of us met at the cemetery where I went countless times when I was young.

My ancestors arrived in Canada in the 1600’s and settled around an area on the north shore of the St-Laurent river. (Emigrated in 1658 to be exact). Then, about 30 years later, one my ancestors choose to take on the name of “Bellemare” representing the geographical area, translating as “beautiful marsh” and until a few years ago when my great-uncle sold the family land, it was the land my family had occupied for nearly three centuries.

Quebec is a very Catholic province, and my family is no different. The town where my name comes from, where my family has its roots, is known for its worship of the patron saint, Anne, Jesus’ grandmother. The day that Sainte Anne is celebrated is July 26th, my great-grandmother’s birthday, my birthday. When I was young, we would head to Yamachiche on that day to celebrate the day with the whole family and in the evening, we would head to the festivities in the village, complete with a candlelight vigil and fireworks, all done around the church and graveyard. I would sit on my grandfathers grave and listen to stories about our family and those long gone and watch people enjoying the day into the night. It was a great way to spend my birthday each year.

When I go to the cemetery, it is not a sad place for me. It is a place full of great memories, it is a place of history and wonder. It feels comfortable and familiar and now my uncle, who spent years studying our family history is part of that. And though it is hard to think he is gone, it felt right to say goodbye to him there.

(Colin saying his final goodbye’s)

My four at the foot of the Statue of Sainte-Anne, steps away from the family grave

I love walking through the cemetery and trying to read the oldest tombstones. This one dates back to 1847.

We spent some time with family afterwards and then headed back towards home the long way and soaking up the scenery on the way… Though I long for the mountains of BC where I spent my childhood, Quebec is quite beautiful…

(St-Laurent river)

Geese

We had a quiet picnic supper and then in evening we headed out to the park to watch the Super Moon rise and I was able to take a pic pictures…

I love how it look entangled in the branches here…

I wish I had a telephoto lens, but I am really happy with the results I was able to get…

It was a full day… and I would even say it was a great day…