Life

The end of this school year marks the end of an era.  Both my girls have now graduated out of our sweet, local elementary school and I can’t pull myself together.  Those hallways have seen my itty bitty babies grow into young women.  And I couldn’t be more thankful for that safety net of a school to guide them.

The first day gitters Lena had, convincing her I couldn’t possibly keep her home another year, to Miss Hardie pulling out Hannah’s first wiggly tooth at the Christmas Concert to the friendships that have been forged over the course of the years, there are so many things I have to be thankful for.  To the teachers that took special care during the tough times, to the laughter and giggles, to allowing the kids to use them as a growth chart – my heart will forever be grateful.  To the teachers that packed up a herd of children and snowshoed and hiked the hills and trails in the backyard – you taught them a love for nature that no book could ever teach.  To the brave teachers who let their students bring their pets to school….whether it was lambs, horses or puppies – welcoming their world into your classroom meant so much to those kids.

To my fellow moms who held hands of frightened littles and shared in the joys and anxieties of having kids in school, I love you guys and I’m so thankful that our littles brought us together.  I have enjoyed doing life with you all these years.  Texting about the fights and getting the scoop on the latest disagreement, I’m so grateful for the open communication I was able to have with you as we navigated these ups and downs.  I feel like we grew and learned almost as much as they did.  And coffee, so thankful for countless cups of coffee together.

To the teachers who taught so much more than just the curriculum, it is those life lessons that will stick with them far longer than the math and English classes ever will.  It is those extra lessons that make this school so very special.  You guys make up a fierce team of passionate people who care more about the children themselves than the job and it shows.  It shows in everything you do…the way you show up for them in the midst of the struggles and fighting for your rights as a teacher.  It shows in the way that you show up for them outside of school hours and find yourself ring side watching them circle around on horseback.  It shows in the hugs, the classroom pets, the notes home and Facebook check-ins when life is rough.  You care. And we see it and we are thankful for it.

The other thing I have to say how much I appreciated was the easy peasy school supply list.  Can I please continue to hand over some money and you do the shopping???  Just until Grade 12 – we’ll handle the rest 😉  You have no idea how easy that made our lives and yes, we took it for granted and I’m sorry we did and I’m sorry for myself that this fall I need to do a proper shopping for 2 kids….

These hallways saw it all.  The wins in their lives, the losses in their life.  And through it all, this school was a consistent place where the girls knew what to expect and what was expected of them.  And it grounded them in ways they both needed.  As community school, we faced strikes, pandemics, and code blue drills and it was all handled with grace and as well as one could expect.  And that shows the kids life skills, too.  I am grateful for how you dealt with it all and kept the kids safe and at the forefront.

As the year wraps up and the school doors get closed and locked up for another summer, know just how grateful each and everyone of us parents are for what you offered to our children.  You will never be forgotten and you will always be treasured and thought of fondly for how you loved on our babies and taught them so much.  Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts – THANK YOU!!

Warmly,

Lori

I have spent many a summer on the beaches of Nova Scotia over my lifetime.  That’s just one of the amazing things about living here! Fabulous beaches abound!  However, I can not walk along a shoreline and not look for beach glass.  I just can’t.

There is just something about finding those tiny treasures that have been worn smooth by the rolling tides and sandy shores.  I have left the beach with sand between my toes, my pockets filled with fragmented bit of glass and a smile on my face.  There is something so healing and relaxing about wandering along the shore, keeping an eye out for the special simmer of glass.

I think I really got addicted to it when I lived not far from the water, not right on the water, but close enough to hear the waves and the fishing boats.  It took maybe 5 minutes to walk down the cottage lane across the road to the beach and most days, I had my faithful four-legged companion with me, Micky Finn, and we’d have the entire beach to ourselves.  That used to be my weekend treat, wake up early and head down before anyone else was up.  And look for glass.  Mick would run and explore, usually not going too far from me, while I’d stroll along with my head down, scouring the water’s edge for glass.

And then kids came along which meant my attention needed to be on them at all times if we were at the beach.  But as they grew up, I was able to leave them to play in the shallows or the sand while I’d wander a ways up and down the area, looking for glass.

And then this summer happened.  And I really spent so much time on the beach, looking for glass.  I’d specifically go to certain beaches because I knew they were good for glass.  Or I’d want to go to beaches we didn’t usually go to just to see if they had any glass.  The girls favourite beach wasn’t a good one for glass, but loads of fun, so we’d try to compromise and go there often, too. 😉

It’s fun seeing the different colours of glass out there.  I’ve found bottle necks, bottle bottoms, marbles, some black glass which we are certain is pirate’s glass!!  I’ve found a fair amount of blue, a few bits of red and even some yellow.  Of course, green, white and brown are the most common, which is fine by me, I’m happy to find anything!  Even the tiny little pieces that aren’t much bigger than a piece of sand, I’ve taken to calling those pieces ‘crumbs’.

Because I’ve been collecting for so long, I have so much beach glass.  I had little bits in this container, some in that bowl, some on my dresser, a little collection over there and more in jars there.  Everywhere basically.  So this summer I gathered up some of my antique jars and divided it up by colour.  My white jar filled right away, as did my green.  The brown jar is almost full and I have a smaller jar for blue and other special colours that is getting close to being full.  All my pottery and dishware pieces are in a blue glass bowl.  I love the glass, but I have to admit that my pottery pieces are my favourites.

There is something so special about the smoothness created by the force of water and the constant rubbing of the sand.  The ocean takes a jagged, sharp, dangerous piece of garbage and through time and patience turns it into a work of art.  I often think of myself as a piece of broken glass.  Life’s hard knocks taking the fragile glass, breaking it up into tinier pieces of the former whole and then the rhythmic consistency of the ocean smoothing off the hurtful edges and creating a softer, weathered version.  The ocean is healing.  I know I’m not the only who finds being on the shore therapeutic.  Janice and I have spoken frequently about wonderful it was to be able to hit the shoreline throughout 2020 and soak up the healing power of the ocean.  I can’t imagine being landlocked.  I realize how fortunate I am to live a very short drive from the ocean.

I will continue my search on gorgeous winter days, sunny summer nights, alone or with good friends.

Do you love beach glass?  Are you an avid collector?

Warmly,

Lori