Giving thanks

This is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. Allthough I am thankful every single day of my life, today I take the time to write about it.

I am so thankful for all that life has given me. Thankful for my family. Thankful for the wonderful weather we have been having! Thankful for all the simple little pleasures my daily life has been offering me.

Twenty years ago, this fall, I had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The year that followed was just awful. The chemo was shear hell! Even though it has saved my life and I would do it all over again, I still wonder how they can get away with treating humans with those drugs. The radiation followed the chemo and made me that much sicker and weaker. Thanks to the two little sweethearts I had at home, I kept getting up every morning and hoping I was still making their life as normal as possible. My daughter was 7 years old and my son was only 4. Hubby was and still is my rock, my light and soul mate.
Anyone that has gone through severe accident, or trauma, death of someone close or illness will tell you that it changes you completely, it's like hitting a brick wall and making a sharp 90 degree turn. Nothing is the same after. I must say, life is better than it has ever been. I don't think that it's luck, I beleve that life is good if you wish it to be so, if you make it so.

My father is fighting his own cancer battle now. He is strong and brave and has a wonderful attitude. I am thankful for having him as my father.

I leave you with this wonderful fun video taken in the Toronto Eaton center.

Happy Thanksgiving. Be sure to bring light to those that you hold dear. And enjoy the simple pleasures of life every single day.

Twist cable hat

I have not taken the time yet to show you my purchases from the yarn shopping I did at the Knitter's Fair in Kitchener-Waterloo on the weekend of September 12th.

As soon as I got home, I casted on a hat for bébé O with the hemp cashmere cotton yarn I purchased from

Lonely Oak

At the entrance of our driveway, there is a huge rock. There can't be much soil on top of that rock but this beautiful oak tree has decided it would be it's home. Every year, we clean the shrubs and weeds growing around the tree but we don't want to disturbe the roots of the oak too much. This is the only tree growing on top of this rock. A majestic lonely oak tree.

So in it's honour we have chosen to call our future adventure Lonely Oak Alpaca Farm.
We have been dreaming for more than 5 years of being alpaca owners. We have visited a few alpaca farms over the years and each time we come home more eager to get our own. When we bought this property it had no fencing and no barn either. The land is full of rocks and boulders. Holes everywhere makes it very difficult to walk around without fearing breaking a leg or spraining an ankle.

Hubby has worked many many hours to remove as many boulders as possible (he buries them !) to kinda level off the land a bit.

As for a barn, we have decided to convert this big shed behind the house into a shelter for the alpacas that will one day live on our land.


The fencing was to be done this fall, but we are still waiting for the delivery of our posts. If the weather stays beautiful till late fall, hubby might still have time to start digging holes for the posts and at least get that part done before the winter.
I was really hoping to have a few alpacas before next spring but we might have to wait until next summer now.

With my retirement being a few weeks away (16 weeks!), I am really looking forward to this new beginning. It will be a adventure for sure with a huge learning curve.