Okay, so this is the point at which I pretend I haven't already been on blog-holiday for a week and half to say that I'm going on a holiday--a real one, and will not be posting while I am away. We are going to the home stomping grounds for Easter week, and are looking forward to a time of relaxation (maybe!), and bonding with our family members. Yippee! So, there will be no postage of blogs until I return, as there is little-to-no internet access at our relates' houses. (And who wants to blog when you could be visiting? Or shopping?! Hello! We'll be right by a major shopping centre! Ha-HAH! When I lived there, I never thought of Red Deer as a "major shopping centre!" Perspectives have changed, I guess. Sorry for the bunny-trail.)

So, my class went great, for those of you who are wondering, and I had a good time scrapbooking on the Saturday, too, completing 11 pages and a card over the weekend. Sorry, I have not had time to scan and post any of them. I was supposedly going to be doing my taxes this week before we went on holidays but HAH! that's not going to happen.

PLUS! I just signed up to be a Young Living distributor, because I was totally frustrated by the inaccessibility of good-quality essential oils and other natural health care products in this little town. There is a small health store here, which I finally had a chance to take a good look in today, being pleasantly surprised at the amount of selection he crammed into the small square footage, but I am still glad that I now have "easy access" to such a reputable and high-quality line of natural products. (If only they had laundry soap. Sigh.) So! If anybody out there (well, maybe not anybody. I don't think YL is in India yet) would like to get some great essential oils, goji juice (otherwise known as Ningxia Red), personal care products, etc., just let me know and I'll hook you up!

Thanks to a day out in the wet and cold with only mud boots on Saturday, my older two boys caught a cold, which Jason also came down with a day later, so my kit arrived just in time on Monday! We've been using the peppermint oil to keep the sinuses clear for all parties, and I've been having a drop of it in my water to boost my immune system and banish the scratchy throat that has also been threatening me for the last few days. In addition, I've been putting three drops of Oil of Oregano under my tongue before bed every night for the same reasons. That stuff could have the same ad campaign as Buckleys: "It tastes awful, but it works!" So far, so good--no cold has taken hold here! So long as I get enough sleep, I should be okay. Jason actually took the day off work, because he really doesn't want to be sick on our holiday. Can't say as I blame him.

A realization hit me today as I was toodling around town doing my errands: I feel at home, here. There is a strange sort of figurative "double-vision" going on though, because I still think of the trip we are taking this weekend as "going home." I know when we get there it will feel awkwardly strange and strangely familiar all at the same time. But the roots we have here are more than just sprouts--we are in the early stages of what could be solid, life-long friendships; I know how to find everything I need in town, pretty much, and I have learned what needs to be purchased from on-line sources or saved for major trips to "The City"; this is the second time I have seen the seasons cycle into spring here, so there is a bit of familiarity in that; and we have lived in this house long enough to need a for-truly-and-really good "spring cleaning."

I guess the process of getting broken in is coming along nicely. My biggest concern is the number of spam e-mails I will accumulate while I'm gone! (Eep! My business account gets an average of ten+ per day. I really gotta get me some good spam filtering software for that one!)

Recommended reading while I'm gone:

Cold medicines harm children's health, charge pediatric doctors

The top five nutrients for healthy skin

Environmental Working Group - This is a great "watch-dog" type site with lists of hazardous chemicals found in the products you bring home from the store. I have been making particular use of the list of hazardous ingredients commonly found in personal care products and cosmetics.

Have a great holiday, everyone! Hugs! Blessings on you and yours!

Edit: I thought you may want to know that I called McCormick's Canada to see if they irradiate any of their spices, and they said "no." Yippee!