March

Well, if anything, I guess March is going out like a lamb, but I don't think it came in like a lion.  Perhaps the thunder and lightening earlier this evening should count for something but all looks quiet on my street now.  It currently feels like 8 degrees Celsius but by school time tomorrow morning it will feel like -2 degrees.  I'm sure more lovely weather will arrive in April.  

March has been fun.  It was so lovely to have Graham's brother and two of his "kids" with us for March Break.  Our kids had fun with their cousins.  They enjoyed going to Activate and did some rock climbing.  We were also able to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday together.  The time always goes too quickly.

It was good to celebrate Kohen's birthday at the start of the month.  He enjoyed playing virtual reality games with a few friends after some pizza and cake.  

I mentioned last month that I would say more about the 12-week program I am doing to become healthier.  I have a weekly online group meeting led by a physician and a dietician and each week I have online modules to complete to learn about things such as fasting, nutritious eating, sleeping, exercise, etc.  Six mornings a week I am briskly walking on our walking pad for 30 minutes (while listening to praise and worship music) and I'm fasting at least 12 hours overnight and trying to eat the right amount of fibre and protein.  I'm giving myself at least a 7-hour sleep window each night.  I enjoy my oats mixed with all sort of healthy additions most mornings and new items have made their appearance in my fridge: cottage cheese, kefir, kimchi (I haven't been brave enough to try it yet) and sauerkraut.  I tried tempeh this week but I most certainly need to find a new recipe because it was less than satisfactory to say the least.  I'll report more next month.

My aunt told me that in England this week, one can buy very very cheap vegetables.  The same happens the week before Christmas so that everyone can afford to buy some good food for these holiday celebrations.  I think that's a lovely tradition.   

That's all for now as I need to get a good sleep.   I'm thankful for Holy Week.  It will be good to remember the original Good Friday and celebrate our Lord's resurrection on Easter Sunday.  How blessed we are - beyond measure!  

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Hebrews 10:19-24 

¹⁹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

 

P.S. This site is not allowing me to add photos tonight so that will need to wait unfortunately.

February

I just remembered about this so I don't have very long to write as I need to get a good sleep. This afternoon, Graham, Kohen, Lily-Anna, and I walked 5 kilometers with friends for The Coldest Night of the Year to raise money for Ray of Hope. This site raised the most money of all the sites in North America. The walk ended with a delicious bowl of soup at Ray of Hope.  It was still a chilly -10 degees or so, but I wasn't complaining that it was not technically the coldest night of the year as it was colder the last couple of years.  

I started a program to help me become healthier but I'll write about it next month as I am just finishing my first week so I'll know more in a month's time. I have made some positive changes including exercising and eating and sleeping well so I am both thankful and hopeful. 

Early Birthday Celebration with Family

For Lent, I am not going on FaceBook and that has been a real blessing too as I wasted too much time there before bed in the past.

Every February, I look forward to my Valentine's dates with my kids.  I still need to go out with Isaac but our schedules haven't allowed that yet.  He wasn't feeling the best this past week but is much better now.  

My dad is in a program at a gym so I take him there twice a week and help out.  He has also been going to physiotherapy so I help with his exercises at home.

Isaac took his First Aid and CPR training last weekend and also took his Food Safety training online.  He's working on trying to get a job.  We also celebrated his last visit to the orthodontist.  This weekend he played the keyboard in the youth band for the Junior High Youth Retreat.  I hope I get to see him do this one day.

I loved reading an Andrew Clements' book to the kids last week and happily listened to a Kate DiCamillo book while walking on the walking pad.  Junior fiction is great.  

Graham and I enjoyed attending a Marriage Summit at our church earlier this month.  

It's definitely time to get ready for bed so I'll say goodnight.  I'll briefly see if I can figure out photos.  

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Psalms 19:1-2

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

P.S. The spice racks have been WONDERFUL!

January

We started the year with ebelskivers filled with either Nutella or cheese and red pepper jelly.  Yum yum!!!  We use this pan once a year.

We have certainly had a cold and snowy start to 2026.  Thankfully we've had a break from snowfall these past few days but the snowbanks are high.  Four out of five Faulkners have been sick this past week.  I'm hoping it's going to skip me.  Lily-Anna missed most of her school week and Kohen missed Friday.  This was an exam week for Isaac so he was also home a lot.  

The four of us watched David at the theatre

My dad had his follow up X-ray on his collarbone this past week and the doctor said it is healing well and he is able to start physiotherapy.  Thankfully he never had much pain.  I take him to an exercise program twice a week and my brothers have been taking him to a walking track where he regularly increases his laps and time between rests.  

Dad loved having my brother Matthew staying with him for almost a week.  Matthew was able to work from Dad's home.  

We had new interior doors installed this month on our three bedrooms, washroom, and the door to the basement.  Our old doors were showing their age.  They came primed but we'll see how long it takes us to paint them.  

Isaac enjoyed playing his trumpet in the Ontario Band Association's Honour Band earlier this month.  Students met at Laurier University Friday night and Saturday and then presented a concert on Sunday afternoon.  It was a great concert and included one piece that had never been performed live before.  This is the third time he has taken part.

Before I added the 2nd set

My big excitement this month (no joke) was spice racks and spice jars.  I have stored my spice packages in the freezer for years.  They may stay better in the freezer but I have no regrets.  I am very happy to be able to open my cupboards and see all the beautiful spices in alphabetical order.  My biggest decision was were I wanted to store them.  Ideally I would have put them in a drawer but that is not an option in my kitchen.  I also love some magnetic boards on walls or the side of the fridge with all the beautiful, colourful spices showing ... but I am fully aware of the dust that would eventually attack them.  So, I went with the see-through acrylic racks and a kind man at Home Depot recommended screws to use.  Someone used to using a drill would have installed them in 5-10 minutes but I was quite happy to take my time when the kids were at school.  I saved some money by finding a second set of new spice jars on MarketPlace.  

I am very happy with how it turned out and forever grateful that a number of years ago my brother-in-law Craig taught me the wonderful saying, "Done is better than perfect!"  Amen to that!  A lovely bonus is the extra space I have in the freezer and unfortunately there was a sale on ice cream ....

I almost forgot - I installed a new toilet seat as well.  I was a little worried that I would need a hacksaw to get the bolts off (as a number of Youtube comments mentioned this), but I was able to get them off.  The old seat has discolouration from using potty seats on top years ago so I was very happy to say good riddance.

Lily-Anna and I had a little tea party this week while she was at home (she's rarely too sick for a tea party.)  She wanted to use her special set that Grandma Lucas gave her for her birthday last year.  It was my mom's Old Country Roses teapot, cream and sugar holders and cups and saucers.  It brought back memories of tea being served after meals with company or perhaps at Christmas.  I'm so thankful that my mom thought to do this just four months before she passed away.  Thank You Lord!  

Isaac received his results from his Level 8 Theory Exam for piano.  He received 99%.  Congratulations Isaac!  Isaac has started working on Level 9 pieces with his wonderful teacher.   

It's time to get ready for bed.  I've been enjoying the After Life sermon series at our church this past month but something new starts tomorrow.

(Sorry - we didn't take many photos this month.)

Blessings,

Elizabeth

1 Corinthians 15:19-20 

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.  But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.