Wow...over a month since writing. Lots is going on in my life and the most treasured aspect is my own slowing down. That might be hard to understand given my schedule with three jobs and such but I have been taking a serious look at my life and how it does need to slow down. I have had numerous indicators that pertain to various aspects of mind, body and spirit that suggest greatly that slowing down now is still a choice, but left unattended it will become something that will be exerted upon me. So as each indicator made its presence known and was taken into account I have done some rearranging of sorts and looked at what is important and what is not. Priorities become very clear when messages are received and looking back it is so interesting that this only becomes clear now. But better late than never as the saying goes. One of my priorities was to give myself more time. Time to 'be'....time to 'live'......this for me is now present in life with the gift of my garden. My garden though had become overgrown and had been neglected due to my busy life. As I looked out at it I would be even more stressed thinking about how I so wanted to enjoy it, but had no time to make it beautiful again. I then came across someone who would bring my garden back to its beauty. She has worked her gardening magic and created a sacred space again. I am now able to putter in the garden when I choose to or just sit and enjoy its beauty at my leisurel. I can truly say that I have spent more time out there this year than the last 5 years put together. So my gardener Sherri is my garden "angel" and she blesses not only my garden, but myself as well.

I also made a choice to open the book shop at 10am and give myself an extra hour each morning. It has also been a blessing. It was a great way to find an hour in the day that I could claim as my own. What I do in that hour still needs a bit of fine tuning, but I am working on it.

Graduation Day!

Last Wednesday we drove to Orillia for Brianne's graduation from Laurentian University! On the way up we drove through Stratford and saw the swans by the Avon River. Here they are on the banks. We then continued on and spent the day with Brianne and Kevin for the graduation. The ceremony was small and personal which I think made it all the better. I was very, very proud of Brianne and did of course have a tear in my eye. She's not done school though! Starts again in July at Lakehead and yet the campus is in Orillia so she and Kevin don't need to move. We enjoyed dinner at a local Italian restaurant and then headed home back to St.Thomas. A great day for sure!

Work to do now....

My 20 lbs of asparagus awaits me at home! Organic asparagus...the best ever! Some of it will head to the freezer whole and some will be pureed and ready for soup. I am going to be loving every minute of it this winter when I will be able to taste the freshness of each bite and each spoonful. The soup recipe is taken from the website of the farm that I bought it at and it is soooo....good! You should try it! here is the link : http://www.mazakfarms.ca/pb/wp_4c2d64ee/wp_4c2d64ee.html .......you will surely love it!

Just wanted to share that with all of you....cuz it just needs to be shared....

Bye for now!

A wonderul day for me...

Oh it was so nice to go the market this morning and find such wonderful goods! I came home with a basket of fresh organic foods and so much more! A great sense of belonging to a community of folks who respect and honor local foods and products. Everyone coming together and making it all work. I love it!

Home with all my goodies and then off to the book shop. Oracles is the setting for artist Robin Baratta this weekend as she exhibits her art and also shares her craft instore by working on her current piece. She is passionate not only about art, but the message it brings and the current message is "the environment" and the impact we are having on it. The St.Thomas & Elgin Artist's Tour is at various locations around town this weekend. I hope people check it out.

I called to set aside my asparagus order and tonight will put it down for winter. Oh, that is going to be SO awesome when the cold winds are blowing and the snow is flying! We will be having a lovely bowl of creamy asparagus soup to warm us up! I can't wait!

Today is good. A gift each day is....some just look different than others, but each one a gift. We don't always see it though. I will work on that ......

Hoping your day is a great one!

First Market Day of the Season...

Long anticipated over the long winter was the first day of the market on Horton St. I was pleased to see so many cars lining the streets and would have been OK with having to search long and hard for a parking spot. That would have been fine. It would have said that people were finding it important to head to the market on this even overcast spring morning. I was greeted by familiar faces and pleased to see them again after a long winter break. They have become my 'good friends' at the market. People that I can rely on to be there and help me to bring healthy choices into my life in more ways than just nutritionally. The sense of 'community' is so special. Our being connected to others and having common interests broadens our sense of family. I like it. Its that simple for me. I like what the market brings to me in many ways. I hope that other people feel the same. So every Saturday that I can, I will be at the market with my basket and my $20. I fill my basket with so many great things and take them home to prepare wonderful meals. But I also take home many other memories that are not set upon a table, but are kept lovingly in my 'being'...... of the community that we create when we share so much each Saturday morning. I hope to see you there.

It's Almost Market Time!!

With the springtime comes one of the best things ever for me! The local Horton St. Market will soon be up and running again with so many wonderful things. It is set to open on May 9th, which is Mother's Day weekend btw, and will run until Oct. 31st. But lets not even think about October! Let's think about all the great local product we will have available to us so very soon. The spring planting season will bring lots of different plants to market and be will be able to get our gardens started whether it be flowers or vegetables or both! And on and on it will go all summer with an array of fruits, vegetables and so much more.

Check out the Horton St. Market's own blog at http://www.hortonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

as written by Tricia Herbert, Market Manager. The blog will keep you updated on all the goings' on for the Market during the summer months.

As you may well can tell......I can't wait!! I love to go and take my basket and come home with it filled to the brim with wonderful produce!

See you there soon!

The Balance of It All.....

Oh goodness, I have not been keeping up with my blog! Things have been busy and time flies! But here I am again ready to tell you about all that is going on. I am excited that Oracles Book Shop is officially over the 6 month mark and it feels great! Not a huge milestone, but certainly a milestone. I am still learning so much and getting lots of things better organized. Some things I found worked better in different ways and so I made changes. And that's great! Change is good, right?

The stressors and changes in my life have also caused me to look at how I take care of myself. That is another learning curve. I thought I was doing a pretty good job and then things were starting to crumble. I listened more intimately to my body and soul and stopped trying to "do it all" at any cost. The 'cost' I came to understand would be too great. So now, a more concerted effort is in place. It's not perfect yet, but it's coming.

So as it stands, Oracles continues to grow.....and so do I! All good things!

We will talk again soon!

Mags