Why I blog and my inspiration

What inspires me to write?  How did I start blogging?

Well it all started over four years ago.

I had a friend who was blogging already and I decided to try it out.   I was also starting to homeschool and wanted to connect with other homeschoolers.   My blog was on Homeschoolblogger back then.  I also found that blogging was a bit like journalling.

After a year, I transferred my blog to Blogger mainly because I wanted the flexibility of adapting and modifying my blog.

My friend was also working for The Old SchoolHouse Magazine and told me about a new marketing project that would be starting the following Fall.  She suggested that I try to apply on the TOS Homeschool crew to review homeschool products.   I applied and got accepted.   When the year was completed I decided to separate my reviews into a different blog and expand on it.    I was part of the TOS Homeschool Crew for three years.    And since then I have expanded my opportunities in various ways – books, food products, drink products, toys and so on.

So now I have two blogs – well make that three.

LIFE AT OAK GROVE – my personal and family blog where I write about our homeschool, participate to the Ultimate Blog Challenge, the 365 Project and share my thoughts about life.

CANADIANLADYBUG REVIEWS! – this is my review blog where I give my honest thoughts about books, products, food and so on.

MOUTHWORTHY – I started this in the Fall of 2009.   Here I try to present the restaurants we go to when the kids go to AWANA or on dates.    This is updated sporadically. 

This year, I was also approached by Woodall’s to become one of the bloggers.   This opportunity permits me to write about camping, discovering new areas with kids and so on.   LINK WOODALL’S

Now to be honest I don’t put anything and everything on my blog.  I like privacy and I am careful to respect the wishes of other people in the family (close and extended). 

My inspiration is mainly from our homeschool adventure, our travels, our camping experience, the Ultimate Blog Challenge suggestions, the 365 Project challenge – I am flexible.   

One thing I make sure I am careful with is how much time I spend to blog.   I don’t want to overdo it – so sometimes I am more quiet than other times.

Same goes with the reviews… I am very careful not to have to much of them to do.    I have reduced the quantities of reviews I do drastically since one year as I was not enjoying it as much because of the fact that it was demanding too much of my time.  Now I have strong relationships with various companies and publishers which I cherish.    More recently one publisher has changed their blogging program for international bloggers (I’m from Canada) and I won’t be able to receive real books anymore – to top it up if I take a ePub version (which is available for me to review) I will have 60 days to read it and review the book.  After that I won’t be able to access it anymore.   Such decision means that they will more than likely loose a blogger to review their books. 

I don’t know what opportunities lies ahead of me but I am keeping my eyes open and continue to seek out new products to review.

10 Cool places to visit

1) Canadian Rockies!

2) SandBanks Provincial Park and Prince Edward County in Ontario.

3) Prince Edward Island

4) Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, MA

5) Science North in Sudbury, ON.

6) Elliot Lake, ON – Visit at the dump… 

7) The Paramedic headquarters in Ottawa, ON (Open Doors happens in early June).

8) Disney Institute – 1998.   Back then individuals could take fun courses on cooking, videography and much more.   During our honeymoon, we experience the Disney Institute.   Unfortunately, this is not open to individuals anymore… 

9) Northern Ontario – My husband is from New Liskeard (Now Themiskaming Shores).  I always love going up there when his parents still lived there.  Now they are closer to their kids and it has been a long time since we went up there.   We hope to be able to do a fishing trip one of there days.  

10) Colorado Springs, CO.

Oh there’s more I could mentioned like Cuba, Dominican Republic and meeting our sponsored child from Compassion Canada, a few more Provincial Parks we have visited and enjoyed…

Anywhere I can go with my family is a special place.   We make wonderful memories by visiting the area and exploring together.  

Chillaxing

Today the challenge is to share what I do to relax and unwind.

I call that CHILLAXING.

When things are getting on my nerves – kids, house, reviewing, courses and so on, I find that the one thing that help me to renew my spirit is spending time to photograph God’s creation.  When I do so I find I get more in tune with my Savior and can marvel at how creative He was and still are.

When I see mushrooms growing on the path, frogs in the water,, lily pads in the lake, a bird dancing on the lily pads, marvelous flowers and a turtle sun bathing on a log, I wonder on how God created everything around us.

Seeing little chipmunks chasing each other while crossing a path – I see them praising God for making them so happy.

When I hear a woodpecker tapping at five in the morning I know that it is looking for breakfast.

When I get the opportunity to capture these little gems from my Father, I thank Him and enjoy them as much as I can.

Tomorrow is another day.   Who knows what it will bring?   I know that I have my camera and can capture God’s beauty for me.

Have you taken your camera while walking?   You might be missing some great opportunities.    Make sure you grab it next time and start expressing yourself with your pictures.

Note:  These pictures were taken while walking at our campground one beautiful day in June.    I indeed seen a red-winged bird dancing from lily pad to lily pad during this walk.  It was simply beautiful. 

Presenting…. my grand-mother

As a member of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, I receive daily e-mails containing ideas for blog posts. Today the suggestion is this one -“Who Do You Admire & Why? “

This is easy – ma maternal grand-mother, Irène Fontaine Boissé.   She was born May 1st, 1905 and died suddenly back on November 6, 1992.  

During the teenager years, I didn’t want to spend more time with her.   Now – at age 42 – I wish I had… to learn more about her past, the years during the war, the life before I met her.  87 years and 10 months of life full of events I am sure.  She grew up  witnessing so many things – television, snowmobile (she lived in the town where Bombardier created the snowmobile), cars, two world wars, industrialization, computerization and much more.

She was raised in a wealthy family  but got rejected for her choice of marriage by her own father.   And when my own grand-father was not so perfect, she stuck with him. 

She raised eight kids – one died at a very young age, another when he was a teenager.  Lived on a farm.  Took care of her husband’s father in his old age.

(in the family picture below, my mother is the young girl between her parents!)  The family house had a wrap-around porch like I would like to have!   She baked a lot, made ton of canning, sew, a fed numerous people at her table.

When I came to the world, the farm has been sold.   They have moved back to the village…   I found this photo of her and saw her beautiful smile and remember the chair she is sitting in.   When I was younger she also sacrificed so that I can pursue thing like learning to play guitar.  She would give money to my mom to help with it.   I never really see that, never realized what a jewel she was until she was gone… and some years later when I had my own kids.  

My grand-mother was a hard-working woman who didn’t have an easy life I think.  Still she persevered, prayed regularly for her family, went to church on a daily basis, was very pious and faithful.    She trusted God from what I remember.   She crocheted and knitted for everyone.  Her Christmas gifts were always products made from her own hands, woolen socks, crocheted things for your desks/tables at home.    She made a beautiful crocheted bedspread for me when I was younger (see picture on the left) – btw I still have it!.   She made quilts too!.    And I still have some of the quilts she made.  My kids have some on their beds as well.   I have old woolen bed covers she made in a patch works based on clothes she had worn or I had word.   She was gifted in many ways.  And wise as an owl! 

When she was younger (16) she painted these painting on roller blinds.  They are now on a wall in my dining room.

Today I almost wished that she could meet my family.  She would love my husband and my kids I think.     When I think about it, she is a perfect example of the Proverb 31 woman.   

On November 6th, 1992 – she was going to church for the first Friday of the month.   Not wanting to walk on her side of the street (which was the church side as well) just because she didn’t want to walk in from of the hotel (where people go to drink), she crossed the street.    Someone driving came out between two buildings and not looking much hit her… on her way to church.    She was killed instantaneously.  I was 23 years old.   Today,  I miss her dearly.   I admire who she was and hope to be able to be as patient, as pious and as a hard-worker as her.