RICHARD TWISS

We still can't believe it.  Richard was so vibrant, so full of life and vision.  How does that just end-- in a moment?  Here, and then...not here.

We first met Richard and Katherine in South Dakota in 1998.  I remember it so clearly- seeing Richard in his regalia, with his wife by his side.  I instantly respected him.  He held his head high- not proudly but confidently.  He walked with honour.

The last time we saw him was in Oklahoma in 2010.  It was at the Sing To The Mountains Music Festival and Richard spoke.  I remember thoroughly enjoying his talk and telling him so afterward.  It had been a long time since I had heard him speak and it was so good to listen to his words of truth and clarity.  And his jokes too....there were ALWAYS jokes.

Kris and Richard and Katherine took great joy in teasing and pranking each other.  Many times Kris and I would giggle over the jabs back and forth between him and The Twisses, all in good fun and with a mutual love for each other.  Here is one of my favourites- Kris' 'enhanced' photo of Richard.

Whenever I saw Richard he was smiling.  I honestly do not remember him ever not smiling!  It was a sincere smile.  It said to me- "I am content.  I am thankful".

We are thankful to have known you Richard, and to have enjoyed the warmth of your smile and the wisdom of your words.

We miss you. 

Waking The Sound in Thunder Bay

Waking The Sound will finally be playing in Thunder Bay again!   Don't miss it!  January 11 at The Apollo with Jesse Clarke and Nathan Woods.

Click here for show details

Or click here to go to Facebook

Please Talk to Strangers--- They might be a friend of mine...

Last night I had to run into the Superstore to grab a few things. I noticed that a lady next to me in the aisle was speaking french to her husband, so of course, I asked her about tourtiere. We had a lovely discussion about how it should and should NOT be made (she uses regular ground beef and pork and would NEVER use veal). As we parted ways she said to me that she would think of me on Christmas when she ate her tourtiere with her family, and I promised that I would do the same. 
When I got home, I saw the obituary of someone I knew. 

She was a young mother that I got to know during her pregnancies. 

She was lovely. 

I have no idea how she died, but I do know that she left 2 small children. 

She lived in my neighbourhood. 

I would see her now and then and wave.

What a tragedy. 

To me, those moments of chatting with a stranger in the grocery store, or a new mom in the clinic are what make life beautiful. 
Life is precious and sometimes too short. 
Don't be that cranky shopper. 
Talk to strangers. 
You may make their day, and they may make yours. 
That stranger could be my sister, my friend, someone I love.
That stranger may need a kind word to keep them going...
 --Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.-- Plato

So, what's new?....

A whole year?  Crazy.  Let me sum things up...


Our family went away for Christmas and had the most magical time.  Here are a few photos...

 

My 15 year old niece was diagnosed with AML Leukemia in January.  This has consumed my life and the lives of the rest of my family since.  Bronwyn did chemo, beat cancer, and then almost died a few times- the chemo put her into heart failure.  Our lives stood still for weeks, make that months, it's all a blur now.  Long story short, she now has a VAD and is living in Toronto awaiting a heart transplant.  She learned how to walk again.  She is dancing.  She just started school.  She is thriving and inspiring all that know her.  Here is a link to the Facebook page that my sister and brother-in-law started when Bronwyn was diagnosed.  It's all there- their whole insane ride.


Bronwyn's Fight Against Leukemia

Bronwyn

We had a beautiful summer, went on a road trip to a huge music festival in South Dakota that Kris played at.  Enjoyed our family and our growing boys.


And then in September ALL of the boys in our house went to school.  Nathan to JK, Kaelan grade 7, Josiah grade 8 and Kris too!  Kris is currently taking the 1 year education program at LU (and kicking butt I might add).

This is sooooooo not what we thought the passed year was gonna look like!

And what's next?  Who knows!  I have thrown it all up in the air and wherever it lands, it lands.  It is out of my hands!

Ferris was right- "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

All I can say is- Please don't miss it!!!!  Don't get so stuck in the grind that you forget to lift your head and enjoy all that is around you!  And don't get so attached to a particular plan or dream that you can't be happy today!

This is it!  Now is all we have!

Hug your kids, say kind things, enjoy your friends, live life.  Things can change in a moment and sometimes you can never go back.

That's where I'm at after the year we have had.  Nothing is more valuable than family and nothing is more urgent than this moment.

Sleeping Giant

So take a moment to enjoy the view...

WAKING THE SOUND HAS A NEW SINGLE!!!

Kris' new single, "When The Colours Fade" is now available on itunes!
Click the link below to download ~ only .99¢!

"When The Colours Fade" by Waking The Sound on itunes

October 18th

Today is the day that my family and I were supposed to be arriving in Oxnard, California.  Right about now, we'd be eating supper and looking out over the ocean from our waterfront campsite, probably watching surfers and talking about all of our adventures-- seeing The Grand Canyon, meeting all kinds of wonderful people...  But alas, I write this from my home, in my hometown, while my children sleep in their cozy and familiar beds.


WHAT happened?  HOW did this happen?  And WHAT NEXT???

There are a lot of reasons why we are still here.  We did all of the work- we purged, cleaned, painted...worked.  We put the house up for sale...and sold it!  Or so we thought.  Days before closing the sale fell through.

I had already quit my job that I loved.  We had turned down other offers.  I had researched homeschooling and bought curriculum.   We had our RV picked out and ready to be picked up as soon as the sale was final.  We had already given away our snow shovel !! :)  We were confused!

But then I got a phone call offering me a GREAT job- I didn't even get a day off between jobs!  And other things happened---we started to accept that we needed to be here- we needed to stay home...for now at least.  It has been an odd transition, surreal.  But we are very happy and very thankful.  Kris will have time to work on his second CD, the boys are happy to be in school with their friends, and I am learning to 'go with the flow'...and Nathan- he just wants to party :)

A friend shared this blog with me right when we needed to hear it.  Needless to say, I can relate! 

What happens when your story changes?


So here we are in Thunder Bay for another winter.  We hope to make it warmer by sharing more time with friends :) ... now where's that bin with the snow pants....

I will now leave you with a random picture of my boys being silly...

...'cause that's what it's all about...

peace,
erinn

living differently

the other day my son decided that he doesn't want an ipod touch .

he's been saving up for one for some time .
we were having a conversation about needs vs. wants and he had a revelation .  he doesn't need an ipod, he wanted one but doesn't need it .  --there's nothing wrong with wanting and/or needing an ipod- it's just not for him .
then he said, "mom, i think that when i'm a man, i'm going to live differently ."  i asked him what he meant .  he explained that he doesn't want to want what everyone else has just because everyone else has it .  

he wants to live differently . 

smile

to hear my son say that felt so good!

we have always tried to live simply and tried to not become too attached to our 'things' .   it's a good thing too!  as we pack up our home i am amazed at how much stuff we have accumulated over the past 13 years in this house . 

this upcoming year we will focus on the simple pleasures- delicious food (of course), the beauty of nature, meeting new friends and being surrounded by our family . 

 
i want to live differently too . 



watch this video of one family living within their means- it's amazing!!!!

p.s.  we are actively looking for the right motorhome for our family .  please message me if you know of one for sale .  we will need lots of storage space and beds for everyone (that's 5) .

oh yes, and one more thing- kris will be playing at ruby moon july 30.  if you live in thunder bay it would be so nice to see you before we go