Today is a special day.  Today is the third anniversary of my husband receiving his Service Dog, Larry.

My husband has PTDS and a Dissociative Disorder.  

He's not blind.  You'd be surprised how many people are shocked when he makes eye contact.

In honour of this special occasion here are a list of General Rules when you meet someone with a Service Animal....




1. Don't touch.  You distract the animal from the job they're trying to do.  


2. Don't ask someone why they have a service animal.  They don't ask you personal questions about your life.... you probably shouldn't either.


3. Don't talk to the animal.  He's working... he doesn't have time to chat.  He's trying to listen and smell for changes in his human so he can alert to an oncoming problem.  


4. Finally, do not ask to see his license.  This is actually against the law.  Larry's jacket clearly marks him as a Service Dog, (not a therapy dog, or emotional support dog) and has the Training organization patch clearly shown.  


If you have an issue, please contact them.  Kingston 4 Paws Service Dogs is an amazing organization and are so helpful.

I recently viewed a video on Facebook of a supermarket that creates no waste.  All of the containers are reusable and you simply fill, use, wash, repeat!


I was recently in Bulk Barn near my home here in Ontario and noticed a sign I hadn't seen before.


You see the Bulk Barn is already doing this whole thing and I never clued in!!!  So in case you're interested they have a page devoted to how it works.
BULK BARN Reusable-Container-Program

Kudos to the Bulk Barn for stepping up the no-waste game.



Here's where you can find one near you:

FIND A BULK BARN

UPDATE:  We have settled into a comfortable clothing number for us.  It's definitely more than 33 pieces but we've eliminated all the seasonal Rubbermaids in storage which gives us more storage space for everything else we love to do!!



On February 1st my husband and I embarked on the 333 Clothing Challenge.  The premise is to condense your clothes to 33 items for 3 months.  It took some sorting and a lot of purging but we both managed to pare our clothes down to 33 items.

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure... my 33 items does not include my shoes.  I figure this is my first shot at this and I'm taking some leniency on this issue.

This is the after shot of my closet.  My husband and I actually share a closet that's only 3 feet wide so it's nice to have some spare room in my 1.5 feet section!  I should have taken a before pic but just picture it packed and overflowing and you pretty much get the idea.

Stuff can be a burden.  You have to find space for it, you have to clean it, you have to move it, you keep collecting it.  It's amazing how the amount of stuff you own seems to grow to fit the space you have, and even then it usually maxes out your real estate and you are either struggling to live around it or you're constantly moving it around.  I'm pretty sick of stuff.


2017 is my year to purge my crap.  The stuff that I have some odd sentimental attachment to and feel I can release to someone who would ACTUALLY enjoy/use it.  I still love the person who gave it to me.... I just don't have use for the gift anymore.  I don't feel like this is a statement on our friendship/relationship.  If someone was sick and tired of a gift I had given them I HOPE they would turf it out of their life and recycle it into someone else's who needs it.



To be clear... I'm NOT a hoarder.  I don't need an intervention or a team of helpers.  I just need to make it a priority.  I need to be more brutal in my evaluating process.  I know this because every year I attempt to purge and the following year the same crap is kicking around the house.... why did I let this item make the cut last year?  What value did I see in it?  Was I high?  What was I thinking?

This year I'm going to be more brutal with my process, less sentimental.  I'm no longer looking at it as losing things, I choose to look at it as liberating myself from things I don't need.

Item #1....
my waffle maker.

Do not let the title fool you.  I'm not having a good time.

We recently had a water holding tank installed here in the woods because of bad water in a well that was running dry.  For the first time in years I was going to be able to drink the water that comes out of my tap.  But with all things, few things go according to plan. The tank was finished mid December and I think we've had running water for approx. 8 days since.  I don't really want to talk about it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me.

If this ever happens to you you will need the following:
Your therapist on speed dial.
A decent sized bucket for putting water in the back of the toilet.
An outhouse if possible
A large pot for boiling water for dishes/ sponge baths. (The kettle doesn't cut it)
A crap ton of water jugs to fill at a good friends place or outdoor water tap. Preferably the type with a spigot. You can put them on counters for brushing teeth/cooking/etc.
A wagon for moving these half ton jugs once they are full.
Patience and a sense of humour.

Some other helpful items are:
A large bucket you can stand in while sponge bathing.  All that water that you used to clean yourself can now get scooped into the back of the toilet to flush it when it really needs it.

Small tub on your counter with water in it to soak dishes before you get around to doing them.  It makes the actual act of washing them easier and prevents the waste of people trying to rinse them off one at a time.

Small cups in the bathroom for brushing teeth.  You put a bit of water in the cup and keep dipping your toothbrush to get it wet/rinse it off.

A large bottle of merlot.  Just because.

This whole experience has me thinking about places that don't have clean water, places that are in drought and have to conserve every drop they have.  We really do waste a lot of water. It's also amazing how little water you need if you're disciplined about how you use it and re-use it.

Unless you live under a rock I'm sure you've heard of the fight at Standing Rock. The protest to stop an oil pipeline that would threaten the clean water source for a huge population including the
Standing Rock Sioux near Lake Oahe.  The pipeline is slated to run a mere 800m away from their Territory.
Now everyone knows how important water is, but I don't think people realize the logistics of not having clean drinking water. An experience like this reminds me how important it is to keep our water protected and safe.  We can't live without it.

Have you ever gotten yourself in a rut and had a hard time getting out?  Sometimes the catalyst for change comes in the most unexpected forms. 

I have been wanting to get back online, blogging about the things I love, the stuff I find inspiring, passing on any bits of creativity I can come up with.  But I haven't.  I will save that long and involved story for some other time when you're perhaps bored and I can keep your attention.  Tonight I just want to inspire you to make a change that's been sitting on the backburner... bugging the crap out of you.... niggling at you when you just want it to shut up.

My inspiration came from my nephew Luke who has been watching my blog.  On a recent visit he mentioned that he still visits my site even though there's nothing new.  So this is for you Luke... may we both continue to follow our dreams!

Merry Christmas to all my friends!  It's been a crazy year, a year you didn't see me much.  I'm not going to lie it was a rough go.  I started 2015 with a broken leg, and things just seemed to stay challenging.  I learned a lot. I worked on myself.  I know myself better, I love myself more.  I think we all need these cocoon years to really focus inward and inspect what's there, to purge the baggage to make room for new amazing growth.  

I look forward to sharing creativity, vulnerability, and random crazy in 2016.  

Wherever you are in your journey here on earth, know that every season is important, transformative, and necessary.  Blessings to you as you live out your own adventure, and remember.... we're in this together.
Love & Peace, Steph aka The Hippie Moose

Fall always seems like a time of change for me.  Time to put my summer clothes away, pull out my warm cozy clothes, can all my harvest.  Was looking at my Pinterest today and I think everyone else must be in the same Fall mindset because this seems to be my most popular pin so far this month (click the picture to go to the pin):

My nephew Luke drew me a Hippie Moose and I have to say... I'm SO impressed!!

by Artist Luke Peters

We have finally relocated, phew, done.  Now I have to admit there are a few boxes kicking around still, and my office looks a bit like a tornado, but things are shaping up nicely.

My husband and I took a trip to The Enchanted Forest Studio for the Westport Studio Tour.  Our friend David R. Maracle was playing and showing his sculptures.

The house, built by photographer Brian Mantrop, was simply amazing and I had to share some pictures.  He built it from the ground up using tons of recycled and repurposed materials.


Faithful dog guards the apple basket.


The house is 4 levels, the main floor living area, office area, and two bedrooms.

There are amazing outbuildings on the property that serve as studio's and sheds.


Kathy Cashman's studio, she makes amazing clothing!



The front porch of the main house, including a stone seating area for your morning coffee....



 The main living area, tons of windows let in natural light.


 The amazing woodwork comprising the ceiling on the main level.


If you ever get a chance to visit this amazing place I promise you won't be disappointed!