I Concede: Fall is Here
The kids are in school and what’s that strange sensation? Oh… time to myself. Delicious.
Things Crossed Off the Summer Bucket List:
- Throw an over-the-top Amazing Race birthday party for 8-year old boy
- Repair broken hard drive containing decade of family photos
- Connect with family
- Connect with nature
- Connect with friends
- Paint Living Room & Ceiling
- Over-the-top camping trip to multiple National Parks with family of 5 in 15-foot trailer
- Still like each other after said camping trip
- Ride the Pipe Mountain Coaster
- Explore the East Kootenays
- Grow approx. 6 inches in height
- Swimming lessons
- Eye exams
- Train at 5K run
- Start a Novel
- Watch the kids’ sibling relationships grow and flourish when they have nobody to play with but each other
Things that Unexpectedly Arrived on the Summer ToDo List:
- Flood Remediation
- Funeral for a mouse
- Camp next to a badger
- Bottle feed a baby goat named Chocolate Fudge Brownie
Things Moved onto the Fall Bucket List:
- Replace 1950’s windows & front door
- Flood Remediation
- Annual haircut
- Declutter
- Either delete blog or post something there
Things Scribbled off from the Summer Bucket List because they are Unachievable:
- Date night
- Find the One Ring to rule them all
- Invent a word to describe the grief that accompanies a Northern Summer plunging into Fall before you’ve done all you want to do and seen everyone you want to see
365 Snaps: a digital story
A digital story combines images (moving or still), narration, music and text. Here’s one I crafted this summer at a digital storytelling workshop in Berkeley:
365 Snaps from Marlene Flurfel on Vimeo.
Natural DIY Deodorant Recipe
Dear Blog Reader:
Have you given up on trying to find a natural deodorant because in your experience they don’t do anything for you but cost money? I did so quite some time ago. I don’t like to block my sweat ducts with chemicals, because I figure they have a job to do and I should let them do it. But I don’t like to smell bad. So I’d shower more and only use pit stick when I needed to wear something formal and polyester. Which worked. But not as good as this recipe works. This simple, 3-ingredient recipe works batcrap cray cray good. There’s nothing harmful in it, it’s super-cheap, it takes about 5 minutes to make, and it works so much better than store-bought I’m just in shock. I might never recover from how good this recipe is. I must share:
6 TBLSP coconut oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
Seriously, that’s it. You just melt the coconut oil, stir the cornstarch and baking soda in, pour it into a little jar or Tupperware or what have you, and let it turn into a solid at room temperature, or stick it in the fridge to cool. Then you smear a little of the paste on wherever you get smelly. It’s amazing. I CANNOT STINK while wearing this stuff. I just cannot.
I know, you’re probably thinking: but Mama Flurfel, you must surely smell like a buttercup waving to a rainbow riding on a cloud. No, I do not. Not before now, anyway. And not during that last heat-wave. And neither does the husband and DEAR GOD IT WORKS ON HIM. He even threw away the Costco-pack of urinal-puck scented lymph-cloggers he invested in and replaced it with this 3-ingredient concoction. And he smells better than ever. Buttercups and rainbows, people.
But Mama Flurfel, where would I buy coconut oil? At the grocery store. I get it at Superstore. It’s cheaper in the Ethnic Foods aisle than in the Natural Foods aisle. Isn’t that the way? It’s also available in Costco size at, you know, Costco.
But Mama Flurfel, won’t it get my clothes greasy and stained? Not at all. Try it.
But Mama Flurfel, if I want to add my own patchouli or SAGE Goddess blend, can I? Of course. Bling it up with essential oils as you will.
But Mama Flurfel, won’t you make it for me? Darlink, I have seriously considered gifting this natural DIY deodorant to everyone I know and love, but gifting people with natural deodorant is a bit off. I mean… there’s so much room for misunderstanding there.
Baby Whitetail Jackrabbit
This photo was taken by our 9-year old daughter in our neighbourhood schoolyard. Edmonton is populated with Whitetail Jackrabbits which are snow-coloured when there is snow on the ground, and brown forest-floor coloured in the springtime when they are born. Can you spot it?
Camouflage is their game — Mother Jackrabbits leave their babies hidden in spots like these all day long so they don’t attract predators to them. In the city, people who find the babies worry they are abandoned and one of the big dangers is being “rescued.” The Edmonton Humane Society and Alberta Fish and Wildlife ask us to leave wild animals alone — the mothers know what they are doing.
Urban Wildlife: Great Horned Owl
I photographed this Great Horned Owl just across the street from us in Parkallen, Edmonton, Alberta. The crows on our block were upset about this visitor and screaming bloody murder, which drew our attention to this bark-coloured and silent raptor high in a mighty, old blue spruce.
Baby Moose
This photo was taken on a road trip to the Badlands, just outside of Drumheller, Alberta. I’m using a telephoto lens to take the picture from our van window. I’m saying, from far away, “Hi, Sweetheart,” to the baby moose and s/he is looking to see who said that.
Easter in Alberta
 
Happy Easter from the Flurfels
I Heart Podcasts
They’re like on-demand radio blogs. Like radio, they’re free listening. Like blogs, you can subscribe to them. And anyone with an internet connection can make or listen to them.
I listen to podcasts when I can’t sleep because I’m suffering from what I would call an over-active mind. Know what I mean? Sometimes I get so sick of hearing my own deep thoughts tumble around in my skull, and I’d just much rather hear someone else’s deep thoughts tumble around in there. That’s when a well-crafted lecture from the comfort of my own pillow is ideal. Jane Goodall doesn’t mind if I fall asleep while she’s talking about the lessons learned in a distinguished career.
Some people love music podcasts. Some love interviews with great people and some love conversational banter between great friends. Podcasts are good at that too.
If you’re not already too jaded by the 21st century to listen to TED talks, in fact if you’ve NEVER listened to a TED Talk, start there. I dare you to not find someone with something interesting to say. My favourite is Brene Brown on Vulnerability.
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If you have an iPhone or some other iThingie, look for or install this app. Poke it with your finger. Add some search words for things you like. Listen.
If you don’t have an iThingie, the easiest way to find podcasts is on iTunes.
Here are my favourites:
TVO did a Big Ideas podcast with lots of deep thinkers thinking lots of deep thoughts.
Grammar Girl is great for sleeplessness. I’ve seen it put a tense 9 year old to sleep in under 10. The bonus is, if you can’t sleep, you learn something about participials or some such.
I’m smitten with This American Life. (So is everyone else).
Stop Podcasting Yourself almost always makes me laugh though it’s not for everyone. This is That makes me laugh too, and I think it is for everyone. And by everyone I mean most Canadians, probably.
My favourite single podcast episode of all time is Mooallempalooza by 99 Percent Invisible. So good.
Do you listen to podcasts? What do you love?
Lunar New Year
I’ve been meaning to tell you, dear Reader, “Happy Lunar New Year.” Goodbye Year of the Horse, Hello, Year of the Sheep and / or Ram / and or Goat. That it’s unclear whether it is the year of the sheep or the year of the goat is very non-Western, isn’t it?
When I think of sheep I think docile, I think consumer-culture, and I think Jesus:
Baaaaah. When I think ram, I think Rocky Mountains, I think aggression, and I think trucks. Don’t you?
Throwing goats into the mix, oh man:
Goats have long been associated with demons in Western culture. As Cake succinctly put it,”Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell.” Goats have a really bad rap in the Bible.
But think of our mountain goats in Jasper National Park. I’m going to wish you that kind of a Happy Year of the Goat.
What I mean is this:
I wish you the courage to take a few great leaps this year.
I wish you grace and strength in the difficult spots we invariably find ourselves in.
I wish you wisdom in choosing your battles. (Not like goats.) And strength to fight the ones you do choose.
I hope you remember to be playful and kid around, at least some of the time.
I wish you the kind of pleasure that can only be got from doing something difficult and challenging.
And I hope you find yourself ascending to heights you hadn’t thought possible:
XOX
House of Flurfel
House of Flurfel 