Category Archives: Country life

Caring community

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People often talk about community. How important it is. How it’s declining. How to build community.

As I look back over this month, I’m struck by how much “community” there was in October. I often feel that our world is small here at the farm. We have our family. Our close friends. Our routines. We don’t go too far beyond that. But this month showed that’s not exactly true.

From a school open house to a fall fair, our little farm community turned out. I am always so impressed how many people volunteer, attend and just simply support the events that happen around us. The school cross country meet was filled with waves, arm squeezes, dash-by hellos, text messages, voicemails and shared photos.

A neighbour and I have started hiking once a week. I love our conversations and how we push each other to pick up the pace. Sporadic text messages with our patio landscapers resulted in a fun morning shooting photos and videos at their current job site. A walk with Cigo before Thanksgiving dinner with Matt’s family led to a message from a blog reader who recognized us going past her house (hi Suzanne). A social media conversation turned into a guest speaker for my class and a really meaningful connection with a woman who has similar values to me.

All of these little moments of connection add up to feeling valued and cared for.

Today is election day. Elections are obviously a big example of community and the impact we have.

Throughout this campaign, I’ve tried to find candidates that show they care and value our community. In my opinion, government should be here to help. An election cannot be just about property taxes and city budgets. We need to think about who will best care for our rural, urban, suburban and natural spaces and all the people who live there.

Often I feel like I’m in the minority with my views and my candidates don’t stand a chance. It’s frustrating and discouraging and worrying.

“Many people are disillusioned with politics. Some people throw up their hands and say, “Forget it, I’m not even going to vote.” But this will actually make things worse. I’m guessing you want things in your community to be better. For this to happen we all need to get out and vote.”

Jill Wiwcharuk

I will be voting today for the people who share my vision for a better, kinder, more helpful community. I hope you will vote as well.

Beyond our wider communities, I encourage you to think of how you can make your own part of the community a little more caring and connected. Send a text, say hello, wave, pass along a photo. Reach out. It doesn’t have to be big or time consuming. It will make a difference in someone’s day.

Thankful

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I am thankful for…

The most amazing girl who is full of love and joy and who treasures life as much as me.

A family that believes in me and cheers me on now matter what.

When the words flow. And friends that help when they don’t.

Fabulous teachers who see my daughter for who she is and celebrate her.

New friends and 40-year life friends.

Our robot vacuum, dishwasher and washing machine. Heat, light and fresh water.

Work that challenges and energizes and is just one part of my life.

Hilarious animals who bring so much joy.

This beautiful farm that inspires and challenges and calms.

A full life.

Thank you for being here. Happy Thanksgiving.

Odds & sods

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September was a whirlwind. Back to school. Extra activities. Special projects. New schedule. I don’t feel adjusted yet.

At the same time, September sometimes feels like a fresh start. This might be the time to try something new. Or tackle that thing we’ve been putting off for a while (that’s what I’m focusing on).

My word of the year for 2026 is “try.” I chose this word in part to remind myself that it’s okay to not do everything completely or perfectly. Just try. Just start. Just one step can make a difference. When my days feel full and my to-do list is long, it’s helpful to remember that trying is sometimes good enough.

Here are some things I’ve tried this month.

This week is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I’ve been reading Who We Are: Four Questions For a Life and a Nation by Murray Sinclair, chair of the TRC. His questions, observations and lessons are a good education about the experience of Indigenous peoples and applicable for everyone.

“We encouraged young men and women to take up the fight for their own sense of identity, to focus on becoming strong themselves. And to think about how to put that identify into practice in their lives, to learn how to spread it, so that successive generations can pick it up. This is necessary for our survival… Your sense of self is made stronger when you realize that you are part of an overall plan.”

Who We Are by Murray Sinclair

Thanksgiving is coming up. A thankful turkey (or you could do a tree) is a good way to count down to the holiday and practice gratitude.

My sister went to the World Triathlon Championships in Spain–and placed sixth in her age group! Seeing my sister in her team Canada uniform, among all of these amazing athletes, and everyone’s incredible accomplishments was so special.

Vacuuming is one thing I haven’t had to work into my schedule this month. I’m loving our new robot vacuum.

Cinnamon swirl cookies. A giant peanut butter cup. This cookbook was a hit.

I’m heading into the end of September with another full to-do list. Client work, school work, farm work, I will be trying to find the balance that works for me. I hope you do as well.

How are you recognizing Truth and Reconciliation Day? How do you practice gratitude? Have you tried anything this month?

Robot vacuum 2.0

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Nine years ago we bought a robot vacuum, and I loved it. Neato did his thing bopping around the house, sucking up dog hair and saving me time. Until he didn’t. A few years ago, Neato gave up. Figuring out what was wrong and fixing him was beyond my capacity at the time. Plus, I hadn’t been using him a lot because our house was full of a small person’s toys, which were perfect prey for a robot vacuum.

Then I renovated the playroom. Throughout that project, one of the goals sitting silently deep in my brain was to restart the robot vacuum. All of the Lego and Barbies would be moving out of the living room. I could safely run a vacuum again.

I looked into fixing Neato, but it turned out the company had gone out of business and parts were no longer available. So I decided to buy a new vacuum. Influenced by Young House Love and the many positive reviews for their vacuum, I went with Eufy. Specifically the Eufy Clean 11S MAX.

She arrived a month ago, and she is wonderous.

Every day, she heads out on her journey around the house. She vacuums bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room. She handles tile, wood, rugs, carpet. She goes under beds, the coffee table and the couch (with a few adjustments, which I talk about below). My floors have never been so clean.

I went with a fairly simple model (no wifi, no special powers) and spent $203.39 Canadian. This price is way less than Neato or our canister vac and completely worth it for me.

While she may not be super flashy, the big upgrade with Eufy is she can tell time. Neato had to be manually activated whenever we wanted to clean. Eufy has a schedule. Automatically every morning she leaves her docking station and cleans the floors. When she’s done, she goes back and recharges for the next day.

Vacuuming every day might seem excessive, but the amount of dust and dirt she picks up each cleaning is surprising. It’s definitely worth running her daily.

So far, we’re mostly running Eufy upstairs. It’s where we spend most of our time, and where we generate the most dirt.

However, the basement also needs to be vacuumed. Yesterday, I carried Eufy downstairs and let her do her scheduled cleaning down there. She handled the carpet and laminate just as well as she’s handled the hardwood and tile.

Each night I empty her little dustbin, so she’s ready to go again. Once a week I clean her filters and her brush. She came with a little cleaning tool that is perfect for sweeping dust out of the filter and untangling hair from the brush. It’s very low effort compared to sweeping or dragging our vacuum around and cleaning myself.

As simple as it is now, we have had to make a few adjustments.

Eufy is very persistent and will squeeze herself into areas that turn out to be too tight for her. The first few vacuuming sessions, she got stuck under Ellie’s bed and under the couch.

For Ellie’s bed, I was able to adjust the headboard to give Eufy enough space to get under and back. You can also see from the top picture that Ellie tucks her fringed bedspread out of Eufy’s way.

For the couch, I took two steps. We have an outlet under the couch where a couple of lamps and a powerbar are plugged in. To keep the cords out of Eufy’s way, I screwed some small cup hooks into the underside of the couch and tucked the cords up into the hooks. To ensure the couch is high enough so that Eufy doesn’t wedge herself, I added some risers under each leg.

They were easy adjustments, and I’m happy to no longer have dust bunny farms under the furniture.

The other adjustment we’ve made is closing the playroom door. Lego, Barbies, crafts in progress and other bits and bobs frequently cover the floor. It’s not a good environment for Eufy, so she doesn’t clean in there. Yes, the playroom definitely needs to be cleaned. But we can turn Eufy loose in there after a careful tidy.

For the playroom (or my white tile bathroom after I washed a very muddy dog on Saturday), I use Eufy’s single room setting. The vacuum comes with a remote that allows you to choose different cleaning modes.

I have not used the modes or remote a lot. Once I set the clock and scheduled the daily cleanings, Eufy went into auto mode and my direction is not needed. But for spot cleaning (for example, I used to send Neato under Ellie’s high chair after meals), a single room or other situations, Eufy has them covered.

Dirt and dust are part of life. I have a pretty high tolerance for them, especially thanks to living on a farm and having animals. But Eufy has really increased my enjoyment of my home. Feeling and seeing my clean floors every day feels like a load off my mind. Vacuuming is one thing I don’t have to think about anymore.

If you want a full breakdown of Eufy, all her features, and more tips about using a robot vacuum, Young House Love wrote a very detailed, helpful post.

Odds & sods

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As August comes to an end, I’m looking back at our summer holiday with so much joy. We have had so, so much fun.

We had our annual cottage getaway with my family. Watching Ellie, my siblings and their children in the water, out behind the boat, playing with each other made me so proud. They value family as I do and are patient and kind. They work hard at learning new skills, like waterskiing. They goof off, make up games, have fun and are so joyful. It is such a special experience to share together.

The cottage was a big highlight, but we’ve had simpler fun as well. Weekly lunches with Matt’s Dad, swimming in his pool with Matt’s aunt, his brother and nephew. Harvesting the garden. A beach day with my friend and her kids. Hosting Ellie’s friends at the farm for a day.

We’ve tried new things like a visit to the African Lion Safari (amazing) and kept up with annual traditions, like our end of summer fancy waffles (so much ice cream). We repeated some favourites, like a week of art camp and a performance of Cirque du Soleil.

This summer has been a wonderful blend of big, small, new, old, away, home adventures and special moments.

I don’t have links to share this month. I have one quote from the book I read at the cottage.

“You are right about what you said–we are thirty in our hearts, before all the disappointment, all the ways it turned out to be so much more pitiful than we thought it would be, but then again, it has also been magic.”

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Life is so much more than we expect. It is magic.

Odds & sods

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Summer is my favourite time of year, and we’ve been having such a good summer so far. We’ve had lots of relaxing time at home with the animals, the garden, crafts, books, baking and projects. We went up north camping for a week. We’ve met up with friends and family. There’s been strawberry picking, haying, bonfires, kayaking and swimming.

As I wrote last month, my goal is to do summer. We’re filling it with as much fun, relaxing, play and memories as we can, and there’s more to come.

Here are some of the other things that have been part of our summer so far.

Source: John Cialone

This North Carolina mountain home feels rustic, traditional and comfortable. A lovely getaway.

Our camping week highlighted how little I need social media. I came home and purged my Instagram. I’m now following only family, close friends and a few organizations that are doing work that’s important to me.

This artist’s silhouette drawings say so much.

Source: Sergio Duce

Seeing all the wildfires happening (and experiencing the smoke ourselves) has given me new motivation to finish my death binder. If we ever have to evacuate, having copies of all of these important documents will be helpful.

On the topic of wildfires, The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells was a tough, but informative read. “We are still building… committing ourselves blindly to generations being punished by natural disasters… We tell ourselves we are “developing” the land… What we are really building are bridges to our own suffering.”

Other gentler summer reads so far have been The Music of Bees and Crow Talk by Eileen Garvin. The Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall was amazing for both Ellie and me.

“If we go through life assuming everything will be complicated, and then it is complicated, doesn’t that make us better prepared? … If we expect life to be complicated, and life is complicated, then life is simple, right?”

The Eyes & The Impossible by Dave Eggers
(Another good summer read. Though more life philosophy than a children’s book.)

How has your summer been so far?

Canada Day

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“From a historical point of view, “Canada” is a changing thing.”

A History of Canada In Ten Maps by Adam Shoalts

I recently read A History of Canada In Ten Maps by Adam Shoalts. It was one of the most engaging explanations of Canada’s history that I’ve experienced. The book reminded me that Canada–any country–is not fixed.

From the Indigenous nations to the Vikings to the French, English, Americans, fur companies, and explorers, territory was always shifting. Even in my life, borders were redrawn when Nunavut became a territory in 1999.

Beyond the physical environment and official boundaries, attitudes and opinions change.

Shoalts wrote, “If there’s been one constant throughout Canada’s history, it’s been our wilderness… Unspoiled wilderness… is the bedrock of our country–the harsh but beautiful reality that gives meaning to our national identity.”

While wilderness may be part of our national identity, I’m not sure many Canadians feel wilderness at the heart of their personal identities. Many exist so distant from nature, let alone wilderness.

While the farm is far from unspoiled wilderness, we live closer to nature here than most people do. We feel the rhythms of the seasons, pay closer attention to the changes in the weather, see what is happening in our environment more clearly. How low or high is the creek? How hard is the ground? How green are the fields? What colour are the trees?

With global warming, those observations are weighted with anxiety. But they are also lifted with possibility. This property has the potential to grow food, filter water, hold carbon, make oxygen, provide homes. I feel a responsibility to care for this small section of Canada. To do my best for the land and everything that lives here. To do my best for Ellie’s future.

Shoalts ends his book with a plea to preserve wilderness.

“The Haudenosaunee concept of “Turtle Island”–the idea that all North America is a fragile, interconnected ecosystem that humans share equally with plants and animals–offers one such possibility. Perhaps the revival of… Indigenous knowledge holds out the hope that we’ll recognize Canada’s remaining wild lands and wildlife for the irreplaceable gifts that they are.”

On Canada Day, this feels like a good wish for our country.

Odds & sods

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Summer holidays have officially begun for our family. I celebrated convocation with my students last week. Ellie finished school, and we headed north to Matt’s Aunt’s cottage. We made it back in time for the major summer festival in my hometown.

As always, our objective is to do summer. Fill it with as much fun, relaxing, play and memories as we can.

We’re already off to a good start.

Here are some of the things we’re looking forward to and some of the things I’ve enjoyed recently.

I live my day as if it was the last
Live my day as if there was no past…
Doin’ it all night, all summer
Gonna spend it like no other

Lush Life by Zara Larsson

Sometimes my phone starts playing music. Rather than explaining it as just a technical glitch, I like to believe it’s Matt, my Dad or his Mom with a message for me. The other day the above song came on, and no matter what buttons I pushed it wouldn’t stop playing. I had never heard it before, but it felt like a good description of how I’m thinking about this summer.

Finding creative places to read this summer has been a fun exercise. (Ellie is taking “exercise” literally. See photo above.)

This scavenger hunt from our local conservation authority has good ideas no matter where you live.

The ducklings have moved to the coop. I’m looking for a bathtub to add to their run and a chest freezer (doesn’t have to work) to store food. If you hear of someone getting rid of one, please let me know.

Do you know about the MAPL test for music?

Another Canada Day story, this year marks 35 years of the Heritage Minutes. “It’s amazing how a simple moment, a minute, can encourage you to learn more and to talk about more and to be involved with the discussion around our past, our present and our future.”

This quote has been on my mind since Father’s Day.

“We’re just here to be memories for our kids… Once you’re a parent, you’re the ghost of your children’s future.”

Interstellar

Matt and my Dad are now memories and ghosts for Ellie and me. Someday I’ll be the same for her. This summer will be part of how Ellie remembers me in her future.

Those memories don’t have to be big.

I hope they will be our tradition of camping out on the summer solstice, the day the turtle showed up in the chicken run, the playground I made her, hiking in the woods, and all the love and joy we share.

First hay

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We had our first hay harvest of the year last week. I think it was our fastest ever. The weather was hot, sunny and dry, and our farmers did all six fields in just a few days.

After so many years living at the farm, seeing the giant machines rolling into the fields is still a special moment. Even more special is Ellie’s enthusiasm to climb up on the bales every single time.

The day after they finished, the rain came to start growing the next cut.

Are you seeing any harvests around you? What summer traditions never get old for you?

Odds & sods

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April was a month of family.

The month began with Easter and an epic egg hunt and outdoor games with my whole family here at the farm. We all had so much fun. I spent an evening at a dinner theatre with my friends–a different activity for us and a nice night out together. Yesterday, we went to a community breakfast with Matt’s whole family. It is so special when everyone makes it to a gathering and we can all spend time with each other.

We also spent a day with my brother helping him prepare for a big renovation at his house. It’s been a while since my brother and I have worked together, but we fell into our old rhythm easily. It’s a family rhythm all my siblings share. It comes from years of working with my Dad and my Mom. From being one of six. From sharing what has to be done and balancing everyone’s needs.

I love feeling that rhythm. I enjoy construction and hard work. I love contributing. My brother’s renovation is a big and important thing for his family. It’s exciting and a bit nerve-wracking. Supporting him, his wife and their kids and doing a little bit to make things easier is meaningful.

Showing up, whether it’s for celebrations or for work, is important to me. Earlier this year, I came up with a “life razor” inspired by The 5 Types of Wealth. The idea is to develop a “single, identity-defining statement” that describes how you approach your life. Mine is “I am a person who takes care of the people, places and things that matter most to me.”

I use this statement to make decisions about what I’m going to do, whether it’s hosting a get-together, spending a Saturday swinging a sledgehammer, mowing the grass so the farm looks nice (soon), texting a friend or having a quiet “home day” with Ellie.

Here are some other things I am caring about this month

Cleaning up litter from the roadside is one of the ways I take care of the farm each spring. One of my favourite storytellers shared his unique perspective on littering.

April marked one year with the chickens.

We went to a fibre arts festival a few weeks ago, and it was so inspiring to see people’s creativity. Honourable mentions go to the Quilt of Belonging, Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity, Felted Art by Pat (her heron and hen were standouts) and the KW Garment Sewists Guild.

Source: House of Leaders via Sterling Hawkins

We’re ending April with some tree cutting with Matt’s Dad, a great example of us caring for each other and the farm. I’m going on a field trip with Ellie. And we’re preparing to host Matt’s aunts and other family this weekend. Lots of care.

Who did you spend time with in April? Any crafty inspiration to share? Does anyone else have a life razor or personal vision statement?