This weekend I'm headed on a field trip to Calgary with one of my classes. We're taking two dozen artistic kids, putting them on a bus, and then forcing them to spend 13 hours together. Fun right? Updates to follow.

I've been finding myself listening to quite a lot of soundtracks lately. I think it's partially because of the cool weather. Or maybe it's my new de-stress thing. Okay, okay. You got me. I just really love soundtracks...

Opening (from Far From the Madding Crowd) - Craig Armstrong

Arrival of the Birds (from The Crimson Wing, also used in The Theory of Everything) - Claseria and The Cinematic Orchestra

A Dark Cloud is Forever Lifted (from The New World) - James Horner

Dawn (from Pride and Prejudice)- Dario Marianelli

Three days ago, my best friend and I returned from a roadtrip to Portland. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to share pictures with all of you! With 26+ hours of driving in five days (!!!), we listened to a LOT of music in the car. Somehow, we managed to never listen to the same CD twice! As per tradition, I created a new mix CD for the trip, which we played as we drove through BC.

Listen to the whole mix after the jump!

So my Dad calls me up and asks,

"Hey I need to put some padding around this walker. Is there anything you need from home?"

"Well, I'm coming home in two weeks... Mom just brought me a bunch of stuff, and you can't really pad a walker with a sewing machine so..."

"Okay. I'll figure something out."

Figure something out did he EVER. Last week I got the call from the Greyhound telling me the package was ready for pick up. I drove downtown, loaded the massive box into my car, and drove back home. I was too lazy to take it out, so I just left it in the trunk. 

Later that evening, I hopped back in the car to head to work when my nostrils were assaulted by a strange smell. The entire car smelled like cheese. And not even a good kind, like herbed havarti. BAD cheese. I thought maybe I'd left a snack behind, but then remembered that I had just emptied the car garbage. Then I saw the box in my rearview mirror. 

I quickly pulled the box out onto the lawn and sliced it open.

My dear ingenuitive father had filled it to the brim with old milk jugs. See, in Saskatchewan, you don't get any money for recycling them, but in Alberta you do. He thought he'd do me a solid and send them to me so I could have some extra cash.

Bless his heart. 

96 milk jugs later I made a solid $24. 

I bought air fresheners for the car.

Verge- Owl City ft. Aloe Blacc

High- Young Rising Sons

Retro Romance- Blake Lewis

Be Okay- Oh Honey

Home- Johnnyswim

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard- Paul Simon

Have a great weekend!

ARTSY

-Famous paintings improved by emojis

-The Gluten Free Museum (art with the gluten removed)

-An impressive Van Gogh-inspired prom dress

-This art museum is selfie-friendly!

WHOA.

-How many solar panels would it take to power the earth? Crazy!

-What would your name be if you were born in a different time? (I would be Chloe in the 1920s!)

FUN THINGS

-A surprisingly addicting game. (Thanks a lot, Google...)

-I need this for pranking!!!!

-BABY CHAMELEONS. I am dead.

-What's wrong with the bedroom in Goodnight Moon?

HELPFUL SHIZ

-Oh man. This would be a godsend for all of my cords and chargers.

-Type something that is stressing you out, and you can watch it fade away into nothing. *sighs*

-How to immediately sound smarter

-Distracted? Here's how to fix that. (It's brilliant and hilarious.)




(image via Unsplash)

During the first few minutes when we were trying to figure everything out, I actually got to see my little brother! (He tried skyping me first.)

(Mom's favourite Mother's Day present)

We loved chatting with our Bubby. He's doing so well, and just loves the people and the work he's doing! Just from talking to him you can tell how much he's grown already. 

We miss you Loags! Can't wait to talk to you at Christmas!

Are you ready for this guys?

Okay.

Sit down.

Crazy right?!
What do you think?

Rolling River God

Little stones are smooth

Only once the water passes through

So I am a stone

Rough and grainy still

Trying to reconcile this river's chill

But when I close my eyes

and feel You rushing by

I know that time brings change

and change takes time

And when the sunset comes

My prayer would be this one:

That you might pick me up

And notice that I am

Just a little smoother in Your hand

 At that moment, I looked down and saw it.

A heart-shaped rock. Right in front of my feet. 

I pocketed it and went home feeling loved.

Life is Getting Better- Javier Colon

Celeste- Ezra Vine

Never Wanna Grow Up- Katrina Stone

Go Outside- The Cults

J'ai Confiance en Moi- Isabelle Carré

Where the West Wind Blows- Green River Ordinance

TAKE THAT, CANADIAN WINTER!

-homemade cheese

-homesteading skills 

-cliff jumping accidents (What?!)

-ghost towns

-the Zombies, Run! app

-how to make harem pants

(photo via)

I don't really follow much in the fashion world, but this story caught my eye. 

It's New York Fashion Week, and one of the models is catching the attention of people everywhere, not because of her outfit, but because she is the first woman with Down Syndrome to model on the NYFW catwalk. 

(Photo: Brian Ach, Getty Images)

I was so stoked for my doctor's appointment this morning. 

It was nothing major- just a general checkup. I sat in the examination room. I answered all the questions. I told her my concerns. The doctor listened to my heart and poked my body and checked my limbs. She looked over the results of my blood test from the previous week. 

Then came my report card.

Blood pressure: excellent

Heartbeat: strong

Lungs: strong

Iron: normal

Thyroid: great

Sugar levels: normal

Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.

My heart sank lower and lower with each positive review. 

I had been hoping, praying that there would be something, ANYTHING, that they would find abnormal. I know that sounds ungrateful, maybe even selfish. But I wanted something I could blame my weight on. I wanted to be able to take some pills and magically look like all my friends. I wanted answers. 

Despite passing my physical with flying colours, despite eating healthier than most people I know, and despite exercising, I still look exactly the same. And I'm tired. A lifetime of struggles with weight has trained me to look down when I walk into a store or the gym, because I know people are staring. I wish they knew the whole story. I wish they knew the abuse I endured during my early school years. I wish they knew that I had an eating disorder at one point, and still struggle sometimes. I wish they knew that I'm actually pretty flexible, that my body is strong, and I have the immune system of a champ. I wish they knew that I might not have a beautiful face or a thigh gap, but I'm healthy. 

I recently went with some friends to look at bridesmaid dresses. The other two girls tried on dress after beautiful dress. Every time one of them came out of the dressing room to model the dresses, the room filled with congratulations on how skinny they looked. None of the dresses came in my size, so I literally did not move from my seat the entire appointment. I just sat there, quiet and ashamed, wondering why I was even there. I bolted to my car when we finished and cried the whole way home. I felt bad that my friend was going to have a fat bridesmaid. I felt like I was going to ruin her wedding.

I know that I shouldn't complain, because so many people I know are sick or struggle with much worse things. Physical health is a blessing I've been given; it's just not always the blessing I want. It helps to remind myself that bodies are really just homes for our spirits. I know that it might not be perfect now, but in the next life, my size won't matter. I will be perfect and perfected.  

The challenge is just remembering that.