Lately we've been working so much. Yes, much more than normal. Some friends on instagram were asking me for time management advice last night and the more I thought about it, the more I really felt like I can't take credit. Emma helps me a lot, more than most people realize. She balances me and gives me gentle (and not so gentle) reminders before deadlines. She helps me prioritize in ways I never knew possible. I often get overwhelmed with our lists, but together we stay focused each day and knock out as many items as possible. So maybe...
This past week I had the privilege of being part of The Rhythm of Learning in Nature, a Reggio-Inspired, Forest School-Influenced Professional Inquiry hosted by the York Region Nature Collaborative. Educators from across Canada, and a few from Michigan, came together to experience, interact, and embrace nature as the canvas for learning following an emergent curriculum framework. Our learning was very self directed, we had lots of choice, which enabled individuals to feel safe and comfortable to explore and investigate concepts at their own pace and of their interest. On the first day, like many of the days that...
In the context of this article, the term 'blog' bears the sense of 'personal news journalism'. Blogging has become global phenomenon and has exploded in popularity to the point where are now more than 20 million blogs being tracked around the world. They have risen in prominence as well as in numbers, with some leading blogs challenging the established order of the mainstream press. Indeed, at times the mainstream media has been put in the unusual position of reacting to news that bloggers generate. Blogs have become a communicative alternative for society. As blogs have become a fixture in...
Finally! The day has arrived for our family’s day at the beach. My parents have been planning our family excursion to the beach ever since the summer holidays had started. Of course, I’ve been very elated when my parents had made the announcement that we were going to the beach this Sunday coming. So last Friday evening, my dad took some time off early from work so that he, mom and I can go to the grocery store and purchase everything that we are going to need on our trip to the beach on Sunday. There were so many...
One of my favourite ways to get a fresh perspective on a familiar place is by looking at it through the lens. I used to pack my camera away as soon as I arrived home after a trip, thinking I’d seen it all and that my city was ‘boring’ in comparison. In reality, there are probably just as many photo opportunities close to home as abroad. Try using a macro lens to pick up the small details you’d otherwise miss. You don’t have to visit tourist spots necessarily – it can be just as rewarding to photograph architecture, nature...
Have you ever been strolling along beside a freshly mowed lawn, golf course or baseball field, soaking up that invigorating smell from the ground at your feet? The smell of freshly cut grass is one of life’s most unusual pleasures. In fact, it almost makes it worth mowing the grass every week… almost. But, it’s very rare to smell something when it’s cut; for example, we don’t smell anything when we cut our nails or when we trim the branches of a tree. However, mow the lawn in the morning and the air may smell of grass for hours....
If you don’t have a compass to direct your way, stay in one place where it will be much easier to search parties to find you. If you can easily retrace your steps back to the trail, do so and continue back up the trail. But if your path isn’t easy to follow, stay right where you are. Mark that original “I’m lost” spot with branches or rocks to make it very noticeable and use it as a jumping off point to explore your near surroundings, remembering to frequently return back to the original spot so that you never...
During the summer my wife and I got to go on an amazing road trip in Vancouver Mountain with our good friends Samuel and Hildegunn Taipale. Norway is just amazing landscapes after amazing landscapes. Definitely a place worth visiting if you ever get the chance! Thanks to Visit Norway for making our trip possible. Now that the weather is warming, we can’t think of nothing better than the two-hour ride up to Hudson for the weekend. For a truly special stay, Haviland House checks all the boxes for a trip upstate: a comfortable stay in an elegant home with...
Its a small orange garden along the Rimbi river. It is a must visit place if you want to see an orange garden especially during the orange season. We also get to buy some oranges and guavas there. It has an entry fee of 20 per head
Lately I've been giving some thought to extremes and how often we look at situations from extreme points of view. It's so easy to label something as "good" or "bad" so we do just that rather than really giving it thought and figuring out what it really is. I find myself guilty of this more often than I'd like to admit. When I see or experience something, I'm quick to label it, to try to fit it neatly into a box. But, as Van Morrison said, "There is no black and white situation. It's all part of life. Highs,...