Seasons and Feelings

Seasons make us feel a certain way. We feel certain emotions and associate the seasons with certain things or experiences. We look forward to some things during certain seasons, and there are some things that we don't look forward to, but I want to talk about what I love about each season and what I associate with each one. First off, I think I should mention how I rate each season since this will give a better understanding of which seasons I like the best. Fall is my favourite season. Summer and Spring are almost tied but I'd say that Summer takes second place with Spring coming in third. Winter is in last place, although I do like the beginning of it. I'll explain more about the parts of Winter that I like in the rest of this post, along with what I like about the other seasons.

Spring

Spring is a new beginning. It is a time to wake up and enjoy the little things in life. The world starts to come alive again. The snow melts away and plants start to grow. It's fun to explore and see which plants are starting to poke up out of the ground. The sun starts shining way more and the cold starts to go away, allowing us to spend more time outside without freezing. To me, Spring is magical. We don't know what to expect when the snow melts and everything that disappeared during Fall and Winter comes back. Spring is full of surprises. When I think of Spring, I think of bunnies, flowers, rain, and innocence. The days should be filled with tea parties and prances through fields of wildflowers. Spring is a time of pretty things.

Summer

My birthday is in July, so naturally I love Summer, even though my favourite season actually comes after summer. Summer is a time for swimming and lounging by the pool. It is a time for gardening and eating fresh fruits and vegetables. Summer is very established. Sure, things continue to grow and there are still surprises, but it isn't as unpredictable as Spring. The right place to be during the Summer is outside. Meals should be eaten on a porch, or better yet, at a picnic. The days should be spent on road trips. The nights should be spent camping in a tent or stargazing under a magnificent starry sky. Summer is the time for adventures.

Fall

Fall is not too hot and not too cold. It is cool enough to get to wear sweaters but not too cold that you have to wear a whole lot of layers. The mosquitoes are dying away and it is the perfect season for spending time outdoors. You won't get too sweaty and the bush doesn't feel so crowded anymore since the plants are drying up and the leaves are falling off of the trees. It's especially nice if Summer decides to hang on for a little while longer while Fall slowly comes in, giving you that perfect combination weather. Fall is a very cozy season. I tend to think of it as dry and earthy. It's a spooky time of the year, but spooky in a good way. Fall and cemeteries just seem to go together, because Fall seems old too. I love thinking about my ancestors during this time. It's the perfect time to look at old photos and documents. Libraries beckon us inside and an evening in a cabin with a wood stove is a necessity. I love harvesting and seeing what we can still get out of our garden. Herbs, pumpkins, and squashes come to mind. Fall is the time for being thankful.

Winter

Oh, Winter. You're so crazy but you're wonderful in the beginning. I love Winter during the month of December (even though I realize that it doesn't officially start until less than a week before Christmas). The beginning of Winter is nice because the snow is just beginning to fall (hopefully it is or else you might end up with a green Christmas) and it's pretty. The first snowfall is magical, even it is light. When it comes to Winter past January 1st, I find that it's just too much. I tend to stay inside a lot during the Winter since I get cold more easily than other people and it becomes uncomfortable and even a bit painful, in a way. Winter is all about curling up with hot chocolate and a good book, with a fireplace video playing on a computer or laptop (or a real fireplace). The Christmas season brings warm, happy feelings, especially when it gently snows the first few times and the snow is just so pretty sitting on tree branches. Winter is a time of love and patience.


Sometimes, I feel like I just move through the seasons without fully celebrating and enjoying them. I am not Pagan but I do think that the Wheel of the Year that most Pagans follow to celebrate the seasons is very interesting. I think it would be great for paying more attention to each season, like people did in the past. Seasons were important in times when there wasn't as much as there is now. Farmers had to pay close attention to seasons and the seasons often determined whether or not something could be done. I want to enjoy seasons instead of always looking forward to the next one. I want to live in the present moment of each season and appreciate each one for what it offers.

Cheers,
Kaylie

Our Flowering Crabapple Tree

The property that my family and I live on, along with the house, pool, garden, and everything else on this land, belonged to my grandparents on my mother's side. When my grandparents were still alive, my grandma once received a flowering crabapple tree in the mail from Quebec. She hadn't ordered it. It was a bit of a mystery. She planted it in the yard and it ended up growing into this big beautiful tree that grows gorgeous blossoms every year.

It used to grow blossoms all over it when it was younger but now it only grows blossoms on one half of it. We had some family portraits taken beside it when I was younger, back in its days of looking like a big snowball. The tree has spread to grow another tree right beside it and that one leans and sort of acts like an umbrella. I'd like to put a small table and chairs underneath it someday.

When it blossoms in the Spring, the flowers first grow as little pink and magenta balls until they start to open and they turn white. It's a really beautiful sight and I love clipping some of the branches to put in vases inside the house, especially if some of the blossoms on the clippings haven't opened yet and can open in the house.

There's usually a lot of bees around the tree when it flowers so I get a bit scared when going near the tree since I have a severe phobia of bees, hornets, and wasps. I'm thankful for the bees though (I love honey!) and I'm glad that this tree provides for them.

This tree is so lovely and the mystery behind it only makes it lovelier. It only blossoms for a certain amount of time in the Spring though, so we have to enjoy it while it lasts.

This tree is really a very magical sight and I'm so glad that it's in our yard. I don't know if this tree being sent to my grandma was a mistake but I like to think that it was destiny. I like to believe that my grandma was meant to receive this dreamy tree and that it was meant to be here.

The garden decoration that I bought at the Sudbury Gardening Festival this year looked perfect in the crabapple tree while it was blooming!

We have a little garden area set up underneath the crabapple tree. We have a bench, a swing, a birdbath, various garden decorations on the ground and hanging in the surrounding trees, as well as a few plants that grow well in the shade. We call it our "zen garden" even though real zen gardens look completely different.

The area looks so pretty when the petals from the blossoms fall on the ground. It's like Springtime snow!

Thanks for letting me show you this magnificent tree!

Cheers,

Kay

Dreamy Summer 2016 Playlist

Summer solstice was on June 20th!! I am so happy that it is finally Summer! It seemed like it was never going to come but we are having beautiful weather at last! We were having a heatwave here in Sudbury last week but then it changed to stormy weather and now the weather is perfect! Not only does Summer bring nice weather here in the North, but it also brings feelings of possibility, opportunity, and pure bliss.

For my Summer playlist, I decided to make it extra special and double the number of songs. So, instead of the usual 15 songs that I add to my seasonal playlists, this one has 30 SONGS!! Woohoo! Lots of songs to enjoy all Summer long! You'll need them too... for listening to while you hang out by the pool... while you lie in the grass and watch the clouds... while you work on all of those Summer hobby projects that you plan to do... the possibilities are endless! All of these songs remind me of Summery things: beautiful weather, the great outdoors, lots of fun, and the feeling that anything can happen!

As always, I made this playlist using Spotify so make sure that you have a Spotify account! I hope you enjoy my Dreamy Summer 2016 Playlist!

Enjoy,
Kay

Awakening Spring 2016 Playlist

I'm so happy that the snow is melting here in Sudbury. Winter is always a difficult time for me because the lack of sunlight seems to affect my mood and motivation and I also have a circulation problem in my feet so staying out in the cold isn't very fun for me. I'm excited for all of the snow to melt and for the flowers to start growing and the leaves to start appearing on the trees again. I'm really really looking forward to spending time outside again; going for walks and sitting on our front porch and planting our garden. I am determined to spend more time outside this year during the spring, summer, and fall than any other year.

Since Spring Equinox was on Sunday, I decided to make a spring playlist for you guys using Spotify so I hope you enjoy my Awakening Spring 2016 Playlist.

I chose songs that I associate with spring. To me, the songs are fresh, pretty, relaxing, and lively. There's a whole mix of different songs so I hope you enjoy!

Cheers,
Kay

Fireplace Videos To Keep You Warm Until Spring

Woah. I didn't post anything yesterday. And it was a week day. And I usually post every week day. So weird. I have been noticing lately that winter is getting to me. This always happens every year. Living in Northern Ontario, I usually start feeling a bit down around the middle of winter. I have more trouble concentrating than usual and don't feel as motivated to do things. I start dreaming of Spring and Summer. I wish that it was still Fall so that I could go outside and do things in weather that isn't too hot or too cold. I have to force myself to push through and get things done. I look for inspiration. I look for things to help me like music and meditation. I find things that make me happy and make me feel good. One of these things is fireplace videos.

My dad loves fireplace videos, although he always prefers enjoying a real fire, like the one in our woodstove at our camp or the peat-fed fire in the lounge at the Killarney View House in Killarney, Ireland (pictured above). That being said, I have found some great fireplace videos for the times when we don't have a real fire to enjoy and I hope you enjoy them too! Fireplaces are so relaxing and fireplace videos are an easy way to bring that form of relaxation into your home. I chose fireplace videos that aren't Christmas-y so that you can enjoy them all year (that means no Christmas music and no Christmas decorations), although I even enjoy the Christmas fireplaces at other times during the year as long as they only have Christmas decorations and don't have any Christmas music. Without further ado, here's my list! I have included the links to my favourites!

• 3 Hour Fireplace Video by MoneySavingVideos: This is one of my dad's favourite fireplace videos. It has the sounds of the crackling fire and, at one point in the video, you can hear a train in the distance. It even has someone stoking the fire once in a while! This will definitely make you feel like you are really there!

• Campfire by the River by TheSilentWatcher: Many fireplace videos are basically the same so it's nice to find fireplace videos that are different like this one! This video has a campfire by a river with a tree overlooking the river. There are also bird sounds. Campfire + beautiful landscape + nature sounds = feels like you're camping.

• Fireplace Videos by SPACEStv: SPACEStv has various fireplace videos using different kinds of fireplaces! These have no music and simply have the relaxing crackling sound of the fire. They all say yule log but they aren't all Christmas-y. Check out this great list!

These are just a few fireplace videos out there but they're pretty great! Let them warm up your winter and help you push through until Spring arrives!

Cheers,

Kay

Frosty Winter 2016 Playlist

Here in Sudbury, we had a green Christmas. It had snowed prior to Christmas but it never stayed. It wasn't until after Christmas that we got enough snow. Now we have a beautiful sparkly blanket of snow covering everything and it actually feels like winter.

Since Sudbury is finally a winter wonderland, I decided to put together a little winter playlist for you guys using Spotify. It's my Frosty Winter 2016 playlist!

There are 15 songs in total and the playlist includes music from both Canadian and non-Canadian artists, newer and older artists, new songs and old songs, and various musical styles. Basically, it has a good mix, and all of the songs either have the word winter or a winter related word in the title.

Enjoy!

Kay

Finnlegh: Wake Me Up When Spring Is Here!

I usually don't like photos of Finnlegh yawning because I was really just trying to take a normal picture of him but I'm starting to like them! They're funny!

-Kaylie

Finnlegh: Toasty Warm

Finnlegh is toasty warm!

-Kaylie

Finnlegh: Fun in the Snow

Finnlegh has been having lots of fun playing in all of the snow that we've been getting!

-Kaylie

Finnlegh: Joe Pye

There are lots of different flowers, wildflowers, plants, and trees on our property where my family lives so I love taking photos of Finnlegh outside! He's beside some Joe Pye here. This picture was taken during the summer. We've been having snow and rain here lately and it's been cold. This photo makes me long for summer again but I remind myself that I must enjoy all of the seasons that we get here in Northern Ontario. Although, we've hardly had a spring, summer, or fall this year so I hope that Mother Nature gives a nice winter (not too cold, good weather for going outside to do winter activities).

-Kaylie

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Happy Halloween! What better way to celebrate Halloween than to read Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem, The Raven! The Raven is a very eerie and suspenseful poem that was published in 1845. The speaker in the poem is remembering his lost love, Lenore, and he hears tapping coming from outside. Once he opens the window, a raven flies in, constantly replying "Nevermore" whenever the speaker speaks to it. This drives the speaker crazy. I definitely recommend reading the poem or listening to a recitation of the poem (go to the end of this post for a video of Vincent Price reciting "The Raven"). If you read it, you should read it aloud and put a lot of expression in your voice. So much fun!

I really like "The Raven" because of how simple the story is! The only characters that are present in the story are the speaker and the raven and Lenore is mentioned. The whole story is about the speaker going crazy thinking about Lenore and hearing the raven saying only one word, "Nevermore." It isn't scary because of monsters but instead because of the descriptions. You don't know what is going to happen next and you can picture the whole story and the setting in your mind. The repetitions really add to the suspension! The poem also just has a general eeriness to it in the way that it is presented.

Want to hear a recitation of "The Raven"? The best person for the job is Vincent Price! Such an amazing performance! Watch it here:

I hope you all have a spooky Halloween!

-Kaylie

DIY: Personalized Stickers

I wanted Halloween stickers that had music notes or some kind of music theme to give to my piano students. I knew that it probably wouldn't be easy to find some plus I don't need a lot of them so I just decided to make my own. 

I took white sticker labels and divided them into rectangles with a pencil and ruler. I then wrote and drew on each of them with Sharpie markers. You can write and draw whatever you like! You can also use any writing tool (markers, pencil crayons, crayons, pens) although I like how Sharpie markers show up. I decided to write 'Happy Halloween!' and draw music notes and pumpkins. I then cut out each of the stickers. When I want to use the stickers, all I have to do is peel off the back!

This is a super easy way to make personalized stickers for any holiday, occasion, or theme so have fun with it!

-Kaylie

The Wandering Chickadee Fall Playlist 2014

Happy Fall everyone! Yesterday was the first official day of Autumn! To celebrate, I decided to make a fall playlist! It's called Fall Bliss. Click the link to check it out on 8tracks: Fall Bliss

Here's a list of the songs:
1) Harvest Moon - Neil Young
2) Outlander Theme - Bear McCreary
3) Country Roads - John Denver
4) Farmer's Song - Murray McLauchlan
5) Into The Open Air - Julie Fowlis
6) River Road - Crystal Gayle
7) Hurt - Johnny Cash
8) Private Universe - Crowded House
9) England - Great Big Sea
10) Working Man - Rita MacNeil
11) Streets of London - Ralph McTell
12) Viva La Vida - Coldplay
13) Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
14) I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - Elton John
15) Dust in the Wind - Kansas
16) Moonshadow - Cat Stevens
17) Rise Like A Pheonix - Conchita Wurst

Enjoy!
-Kaylie

Playlist: Summer 2013

Happy summer! I made a playlist for you to enjoy during your vacations, parties, picnics, and any other adventures that you may have during this beautiful summer!

This playlist is entirely made up of great Canadian artists! There's old songs and new songs, indie artists and artists known world-wide, sad songs and happy songs. Of course, I had to add a song by one of the greatest Canadian artists, Stompin' Tom Connors. He passed away on March 6th of this year. Rest in peace Stompin' Tom! You were one of the true Canadians!

Enjoy!
-Kaylie

1. Ava by Coeur de Pirate
2.Plans for the Future by Said the Whale
3. I Am The Wind by Stompin' Tom Connors
4. Sailing by Silverships by Jenn Grant
5. C'est Moi by Marie-Mai
6. Long May You Run by Neil Young
7. Ready to Start by Arcade Fire
8. Wavin' Flag by K'naan
9. I Feel It All by Feist
10. Breathing Underwater by Metric
11. Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks

Positive Life: Love Letter to Spring

Dearest Spring,

You are here, even if here in Northern Ontario you are still hiding under a blanket of snow. You are still here, this is your day to begin. I can feel you creeping into our lives again to shower us with some sunshine and some rain, to encourage the flowers to grow once again, and to push away that blanket of snow that seems to think we still want it. I feel the rays of sunlight starting to kiss my skin and the drip, drip, drip of the snow melting all around me as the birds start singing a tune, coming out to enjoy the sunlight for themselves. You do not know how long I have been waiting for you to come once again, my dear friend. Now you are here to take over the Earth for a few months before your sister, Summer, comes and greets us with a sunny smile. You are here to make a pathway for Summer to walk upon when she comes. You start the sunlight, wake up the animals, and give birth to the flowers. You are amazing, dearest Spring, and I am so grateful for you!

Lots of love,

Kaylie