Knitting is the new Nintendo

Today is my brother's birthday. His 34th, or what would have been.

Just 6 1/2 years ago we were forced to say goodby to my big brother when he passed away suddenly from cardiomyopothy. A son, a brother, a husband, and a friend to many, gone with no warning. At the time, first comes absolute numbness, then the motions of counting the days, weeks, months, and now years. Emotions fluctuate, but in the moment time stands still, with no end in sight because the hurt is too much, yet here I am 6 years later, stronger, closer to my family, and somehow happy.

Yes, time helps the sharpness of the pain fade, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is God who does the healing. He is my source of strength who walks with me each day. He is the one I trust to work all things out for good despite the pain it costs. He gives me hope that there will always be brighter days ahead. He is the reason I can have joy amidst sorrow because of my faith in Him. 

Today I celebrate my brother's birthday. But it is a different kind of happy birthday. This day I am grateful for the blessing and joy my brother was to all of us. I remember the good times and hold the memories of him close to my heart. And today I acknowledge that because of Jesus Christ's victory over death there is always reason to celebrate and this time it is because I know I will see my brother again in eternity.

Happy Birthday Big Brother!

Love,

My latest conclusion: 
If nothing else, waiting on the Lord while He is silent will drive you to complete dependence on Him, because to wait with your hands out and heart open with no plan of action, but to trust Him completely, is one of the most vulnerable places you can be in your relationship with Him.

My focus for 2015 has been 'surrender'. It's been a huge learning process, but a worthwhile journey. My relationship with Jesus has grown significantly in the last several months as I do my best to put all of my trust in Him. I may not always see where God is working or hear from Him when I want to, but He continues to provide me with encouragement to remind me that He is near. I believe He has a plan and though I do not understand what it is yet, it trust it will all work for good in the end. The Lord is my constant source of strength and the reason for my joy and I would not have it any other way.



"Be still, and know that I am God"
Psalm 46:10

Hiking two weekends in a row! Woot!

Rawson Lake at the base of Mt. Sarrail

This last weekend my mom and I hiked together in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The hike we did was to Rawson Lake. It's a trail through the woods with a steady incline and when it begins to level there are planks to keep you out of the water left from melted snow. You arrive at your destination and step through the trees to see the lake and the splendor of the mountains so near and it's stunning! I must emphasize that you don't have to summit a mountain in order to take in an amazing view!

Rawson Lake
Difficulty: moderate*
Round trip:  7.8 km
Hiking Time: 2-4 hrs
Elevation Gain: 300 m
FitBit: approx 13,100 steps and 120 floors

Upper Kananaskis Lake

The Rawson Lake trail actually starts out on the same path as the Upper Kananaskis Lakes trail but splits shortly after the waterfall. Before you get to the waterfall there are breaks in the trees and the views of Upper Kananaskis Lake are beautiful on a clear day! At the waterfall you will be reminded of the devastation of the flood of spring 2013. There used to be a bridge of which there is no sign of. Climb carefully down the rocks towards the river and you'll see where people have created a makeshift bridge out of two larger tree trunks. You will need to traverse these and step on a few rocks to make it to the other side. It may be nerve wracking, but it can be done! We saw numerous people of all ages go across. This included one feeble looking little senior lady who used a walking stick in each hand to keep her balance. I figure if she can, I sure can!

View looking down from the base of the waterfall, flood devastation apparent.

Upper Kananaskis Lake, river crossing on the right

A makeshift bridge, balance required, but doable!

Once across the river head back to the tree line and look for the opening in the trees for the new path created. Take a right, away from the falls, and continue on your way. Not too far after you'll come to a fork, but there is a sign to point the way! Take a left and start your ascent. It's a steady incline with a few switch backs, not much to see other than forest, but if you stop and listen you can hear some birds :)

Now this will depend on the time of year that you go, but for us in early June, nearing the top, we came across the snow which only becomes deeper as you continue. The middle of the path was a packed ice ridge so caution is necessary so as not to slip. To the sides of the ice the snow was melted because it hadn't been packed down, but it's also a mucky wet mess. So this is your fair warning to wear proper footwear! As we hiked we saw a girl coming down alone, she was in summer sandals and her feet were muddy and wet, not very fun for her I'm sure :(

As you continue there are wooden planks to keep you above the melted snow, but some at this time parts were still covered in ice. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean you shouldn't do this hike! But now knowing the conditions I'd recommend going in the late summer or early fall to make it a little easier and enjoyable.

A part of the plank walk, but note some is still covered in ice and snow and other parts are surrounded by water.

We were almost to our destination when were were passing a family and the man said, "We saw a bear!" ... brief pause, "on TV last night". He howled so loud and we could hear him laughing long after we passed them. Sure it gave us a little shock, but also a chuckle because he thought he was so funny. Thankfully this hike was full of other people, more than I could even guess a number to tell you. It's a popular one for sure so hopefully bears would be deterred from the area. However, we are in their territory so it never hurts to take precautions. Take bear spray. Always. Learn how to use it and take it. Just do it. 

Once you reach the lake the view is spectacular! Peek through the trees and snap some pictures and don't turn around yet because you can keep going around the lake (there's actually an outhouse if you so need) and get a nice open view of the lake and the base of the mountain. I think you can follow the tree line around, but because no one had trudged a path through the snow before us, we opted to scramble up the rocky/mossy hill. It looks more scary than it is so don't be deterred.

Rawson Lake in early June

We sat up on the hill for lunch and it was wonderful. I was amazed that I could be out in my shorts and tank top (the forecast had been +27) and even though there was snow I was not chilled at all! We enjoyed the sun, the warm wind, the company of some chipmunks and marmots, and most of all God's magnificent mountainous creation in front of us before we began our hike back.

The view away from Mt. Sarrail

Don't forget to enjoy what's underfoot too!

Happy Hiking!






*The book labeled this hike as easy, but that was before the flood where now there is no bridge to cross the river, plus I also think they hiked it in the summer when there was no snow and ice on the paths so I rank it as moderate. However, if you are a spry 20-30 something adult I'm sure you might rank it easy.

Summit view panorama

This last weekend a friend and I went on a hike in Kananaskis. It's called Prairie Mountain. She'd done it several years ago and when I looked it up online I wasn't so sure I could do it after reading how one reviewer ranked it in the 'difficult' category of hikes, but she was sure I could and so off we went! And we did complete the hike and it wasn't so bad. Not that it was easy by any means, but I am more capable than I thought :)

Prairie Mountain
Difficulty: moderate*
Round trip: 7.6 km
Hiking Time: 2.5-5 hrs
Elevation Gain: 726 m
FitBit: 13,000 steps and 230 floors

View from the summit of Prairie Mountain

The trail begins very close to the Elbow Falls Parking lot so it's a nice short drive from Calgary. The hike itself is not very long, only about 3.8km one way, but the majority is on an incline because in that distance we climbed about 726m (or according to Fitbit 230 flights of stairs). To say there are switchbacks would be deceiving, however do not be discouraged if you are thinking of trying it, because at a steady pace and with a few breaks we still made it up in 2 hours. The initial part of the ascent is in the trees, but there are a few places where the treeline opens up and the views are amazing!

Hiking straight up through the forest.

It was overcast, but the views part way up were worth it to continue.

We felt like it would be fitting to see sheep up here on the bare land.

Nearing the top and when the treeline breaks the grade is not as steep and the scenery makes for a good incentive! Unfortunately for us the sky to the east was completely whited out where otherwise we might have been able to see Calgary, but the west was mostly clear and it was magnificent!

The final ascent!

Above the trees and apparently the clouds too! Sadly not much view to that side.

Eerie and beautiful

You'll know you've reached the top when you are congratulated by our patriotic flag :)

After a short lunch break the rain clouds moved in on us and it began to sprinkle so we began our descent. The precipitation on the rocks made it slippery, however with due caution it still only took us 1 hour to make our climb down.

Would I do it again, yes! Do you think you can do it? If you are in reasonable health and have the determination to, I'm sure you could! I was pleasantly surprised at the different ages of hikers we saw out there. In particular there were two older ladies, perhaps in their 60s, and they were making a go of it so I knew if they could do it, I could do it! If you do not have the stamina of hikers who go out every weekend, it just means you take it a bit slower, like me. Do note that poles would be highly recommended for those with knee issues, or just for extra support if you feel you might need it. The day after I definitely felt that my calf muscles got a work out, but a good stretch before and after would help that.

Don't forget to stop and admire what's below your feet too!

Apparently this is a hike that's good to do all year round so perhaps next time I'll have to try it in the winter!

Finding the trailhead
I found our after we actually didn't hike from the official trailhead because we parked in the Elbow Falls lot, crossed the road and went straight up. There were about 3 forks and we just guessed them right! If I remember it was right, left right, but if you don't trust my memory you can follow the directions of this hiker:

"The trailhead is across the highway from Elbow Falls, just before the winter gates. There is a parking lot that holds about 15 cars on the south side of the highway, just past the entrance to the Elbow Falls parking lot. It’s free. To get on the trail, cross the highway, cross Prairie Creek and look for the trail going up – just up on the left in the bottom photo. The Prairie Mountain trail climbs immediately. There is another trail that follows the Elbow River Valley, paralleling Highway 66. You do not want that one. There are no trail signs once you’ve begun your climb." Click here for her site.

Happy hiking :)


*The difficulty is relative of course, but I'm comparing it to a similar hike I did last year and matched the ranking of it in the book I have (because it's not in the book).

Almost a month later I've completed the 2 week program to upgrade my wardrobe. (See my precursor to this post here if you missed it.) Haha, story of my life! I was so busy I couldn't even do the program meant for busy people in the allotted time frame. I suppose had I really committed to it every day I would have gotten it done in a reasonable time frame, but life happens as I'm sure you know!

Anyways, I've finally created for myself a capsule wardrobe! However, I'll be honest, it's not as minimal as I was hoping, yet still a significant improvement. I will not downplay the fact that it was really difficult. Something I've wanted to do for a while, so at least I was mentally prepared, but perhaps maybe I've thought about it too much so it was overwhelming. My dilemma first and foremost is that I have too much. Plain and simple, I had a closet full of clothes, yet nothing to wear. I am a sentimentalist and honestly love all of my clothes, but find it really hard to get rid of old pieces even if I only wear them once in a blue moon. Thus I gave myself some grace in creating my first ever capsule wardrobe. I know some people can go in one fell swoop and donate everything they remove from their closet in the first try, but that's not going to be doable for everyone, me included.

I'm just happy I was able to make some progress with this project, maybe I'm not quite where I want to be, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless. Just look at the amount of hangers I have left after!

Hopefully I won't need this many hangers ever again!

In the end I've paired down my capsule wardrobe to approximately 70 items. Some of you are probably thinking that's how much you have in your closet now! I know, I know, so that's why I needed to do something! But remember this number includes all bottoms, tops, outerwear, and footwear (for me that doesn't include workout or sleep wear, accessories, or dresses). I'll attempt to break down my full capsule in another post another day as I still have yet to tweak a few things.

This is basically my closet now :) so much better!

When upgrading my closet there were two things that contributed to it being more difficult than what the average blogger makes it out to be. Part 1 of my stress was considering the fact that I live in a city where the seasons are not distinct. Last fall we got a huge dump of snow in the first week of September, then we hit +22 degrees mid March. Temperamental weather is the main topic of conversation in this city and that will never change as will trying to keep a wardrobe accommodating to this type of climate change without taking up a whole closet! In addition to the seasons I also need to consider my work life. Unlike most of the bloggers who I've seen do capsule wardrobes, I have to dress business/smart casual for work which means I need to leave some room for extra pieces for that. Some of the blogging ladies recommend doing a completely separate capsule wardrobe for work then, but I've attempted to have pieces crossover to minimize numbers. Plus I'm trying to grow into a more smart casual style in everyday life anyways. Those two things in mind it made it tough for me to eliminate items. Hopefully if you are creating a capsule wardrobe you are able to navigate these challenges easier than I did!

Since I need to keep a seasonal wardrobe, instead of donating everything I simply packed what I am keeping away (the reason behind the name 'capsule') so that when fall arrives I can put away my summer pieces and pull out the cozier items. I plan to do this approximately every 3 months and my hope is that each time it will get easier to get rid of items that I haven't worn in a while, thus lowering my item count a little each time.

All in all, I'm loving my 'new and improved' wardrobe so far! It's a complete shift in thinking for me to have so much less to choose from. It's causing me to be more creative and more importantly to be content with less, ultimately it's the track I want to be on and am excited to see how this goes over the next few months.

Do you think you'd ever attempt a capsule wardrobe?

One of the latest knitting projects that I attempted was a simple seed stitch cowl. Perfect for a beginner knitter!

Supplies
Needles: 12 US
Yarn: Loops & Threads Cozy Wool (Bulky) in 2 colours
Tapestry needle
Final Size: variable

Abbreviations
CO: cast on
K: knit
P: purl

Pattern
-CO 25 stitches (you can make it as tall or short as you want but it needs to be an odd number)
-Row 1: K1, P1, repeat to end
-Repeat row 1 for 65 rows or cowl is desired length (essentially measure to fit around your neck comfortably without being to tight or too saggy)
-Bind off
-Use the tapestry needle to sew the ends together. (It does not have to be neat)
-Thread tapestry needle with two strands of the other colour yarn. Along the seam from top to bottom, make large Xs, (about 1x1 inches).  



Please note: This tutorial is for personal use only. I originally found a picture of this cowl online though no pattern was available so I created my own. For the original picture click here. Please do not reproduce this to sell or pretend that you made any of it, please give proper credit when featuring elsewhere. Thank you!

Confession: I'm hooked on podcasts... so it's nothing bad :) I have a fairly lengthy commute to and from work everyday and so it's nice to listen to something other than the same ol' same ol' radio all the time!

There's a few different podcasts that I listen to. A couple of years ago I started subscribing to Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast. They have new ones every day so it's hard to keep up, but then when I do listen I can pick the one I feel is most relevant or interesting sounding to me. FOTF covers all sorts of topics from light-hearted nutrition tips to tough conversations about human trafficking and more, all with the wisdom of the Bible and God at the forefront of it. They have different guests on the show each time that make it engaging and entertaining. Plus they share personal stories and lessons others have learned. I enjoy these quite a bit!


More recently I have gotten into a couple of podcasts I'd heard of through CBC radio. The first is called Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids. Let me tell  you, if you ever need a flashback to your childhood and/or need a good laugh this is 25 min well spent. It's created from a live open mic show that happens across Canada throughout the year. My friend and I went to the one when they were in Calgary and it was a hoot! Essentially it is what the title says. People read stuff they wrote in their childhood days, mostly journals, but some school work or letters, and creative writing too. Some of it can be serious or scandalous, but most is downright funny! I haven't dug up any of the things from my childhood writing yet, but I should, and maybe, just maybe next time they are in town for a show I'll sign up to read :)

The other CBC podcast I enjoy is called This is That. It is described in the info section of the podcast as "a current affairs program that doesn't just talk about the issues, it fabricates them". Someone flipping channels on the radio might tune in for a moment and wonder how this news could possible be true, and that's because it isn't! It is quite humorous and can be so far fetched it's absolutely ridiculous, yet very enjoyable. Each 30min podcast is made up of about 4 'interviews', everything from a woman who sells invisible art, to an Albertan town who is inventing their own accent, to a woman who is petitioning for new puppy maternity leave. The unfortunate part about this podcast is that they are not making new episodes in 2015 yet so what's available is only that from the fall of 2014. Regardless, it's still a great show and I highly recommend it!

What podcasts do you listen to? None? Well try one of these, in my opinion, you can't go wrong :)

Happy listening and safe driving!