Thursday, November 27, 2014

And This is the Reason That I Write --- To Know That I Exist

Hi everyone! First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you, for filling out the surveys, signing up for the e-mails, and commenting. It is really nice to see some new faces here on the blog. I appreciate each and every one of you. I know that is Thanksgiving for our neighbours to the South, so Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends. 

Also, in case you missed it, we are in the midst of a giveaway right now. Check it out here, if you haven't done so yet! 

Today, I would like to talk about why I write. If you are a writer, this is for you. If you draw, craft, or sing, this is for you, too. Writing is about expression. We all express ourselves in different ways. 

This post is about why I write and I get pretty honest. Cause sometimes I gotta get real. So here goes! 


Photo from Ncgrahpics, via MorgueFile
My first writing was in a diary. I wrote in that diary because it was the only place where I had  privacy, from a home where a wrong move could mean a night of shouting, and incrimination. A home where a Mother I loved endured yelling and sometimes blows, and I cowered in fear, waiting for the time when I would be able to help her escape her abuser. She did escape for a while. But she always went back. 

I wrote because I was determined to have a voice, even though I felt that it was not allowed. I was determined that I would not be crushed. Writing was survival. It kept me from going crazy, allowed me a place where no one could make fun of me, and acted in the place of a therapist for this suicidal teenager. 

And why do I write now ... I am no longer suicidal. I no longer hear shouts coming from the bedroom down the hall. I have forgiven. Why do I write? I write because I must. I must have a place on the paper that is separate from the world around me. Writing is the only way I know to see reality, to touch reality. To connect me to the world. 

I write because I need to be real. 

I am not just a woman who lives in a house, who has a job, who drives a truck. I am still that little girl who wrote in that diary. I am still that young woman trying to find her way in the world. I am still a soul, not just a worker. I still need to write, to survive. To keep that part of me quiet that feels like it will die and become invisible. 

So, I continue to write. I have to. Even if no one else reads it. Even it is only in a journal. Because I have to keep that part of me alive. When I don't write, I feel like I don't really exist, not the real me. 

If you are a writer, I encourage you to write. . If you are an artist, paint. If you are a cowgirl, ride your horses. Do what you love, so you will know that you exist. Doing what we love, even when we feel old or washed up, or done, requires hope and faith. But do it anyways, so you will know that you exist. That you are alive. Not just a mother, or student, or a employee. 

I write because I need to have a voice. A way of expressing who I am. What is the thing in your life, that gives you your voice? Are you doing it?


Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page. or to receive posts by e-mail, join here

Monday, November 24, 2014

Enter the Blog Giveaway!

Our woodstove, nice and cozy! 
Hey everyone! I hope you are having a good week. It has been cold here in this corner of the world. Our ground is covered with about 2 inches of snow and we are settling into winter life. 

We are getting used to our woodstove, our very own version of the "Yule Log" here in our house! This year, we have decided to use wood heat exclusively, except if we need to be away for any extended period of time. The picture above is from our woodstove. I had to open the door to get a good shot, because the door really needs to be cleaned off. 


I am so excited about today's news. Welcome to the first ever Life in the Woods giveaway! This contest is open to any residents of the United States or Canada. 
This is me being excited about the giveaway! 

So, here is how the contest is going to work. For the next two weeks (until December 8th, 2014) you can earn entries to the contest by any of the following actions:

1. Commenting on any post on the blog. To prevent spamming, each comment must be a minimum of 10 words, and make sense. Each eligible comment will win you one entry to the contest. I look forward to reading your interesting. funny, insightful comments! 

2. Signing up for regular e-mail updates, for the blog. Every sign up will receive two entries to the contest. The sign-up link is here: Sign up to Life in the Woods

3. Completing a survey about this blog. The link is here, or you can simply complete the survey below. Every survey completed will receive two entries to the contest. 

Anyone who has already signed up for e-mail or FeedBurner updates, prior to the contest, will automatically receive two entries. All entries will be entered in a draw (in my husband's hat) and I will ask my gorgeous husband to choose two entries from all entries received. 

First prize is a package that contains: 
A 2015 calendar and a Red LuxeLeather journal:


The second prize is a Red LuxeLeather journal:

Giveaway items will be mailed to winners, within ten days of the end of the contest, as long as I have been able to get an address from the winner. If I am not able to contact a winner after one month, the prize will be withdrawn, and another name will be chosen. 



Okay, a little more about the giveaway items. 

First, the 2015 wall calendar. It features twelve different glorious photographs from the Wisconsin Northwoods area. If you are a nature lover, you will definitely love this calendar. It is nice and roomy, great for writing down all of your appointments. 


Secondly, the journal. This journal is so sweet. It looks like a leather journal, and is very soft and flexible. It features details like a ribbon marker to remember your page and an inspiring Scripture verse at the bottom of every page. On the cover is an excerpt of my favourite verses: Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you."
 If you haven't answered the survey yet, you can fill it out, right in the form below. And just for fun, how is the weather in your part of the world? Tell us your story! 

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page. or to receive posts by e-mail, join here

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The Journey to Simple

Everyone is just so busy these days!
Photo by Ryan Ritche, via Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0

Everyone is so Busy

We all know life in the 21st century is complicated, right? Everyone you talk to, is always busy, so busy ... There's so much to catch up on. We are all multi-tasking ... so many things to do ... no time to stop, to think, to reflect ... 

But does it have to be that way? Could we choose to make our lives more simple and less crazy? Could we just STOP? Yes, I believe we can. I believe we can choose to be less busy, and to have less crazy lives. The only problem is ... 

It's not easy to go simple. The journey to simple means making some hard choices. It is choosing to do with less, even when more feels safer. It means giving things up, when we are used to having what we want. It is not easy, but I believe it is worth it. 
Our back yard, surrounded by beauty. My own photo. 

Our Story

My husband and I are on a journey to simple.  Eleven months ago, we moved out of the city to a place located in an actual forest. We were in search of a quieter, less expensive lifestyle. The house we bought was smaller, with more land. We wanted to get away from the traffic, pollution and noise. We dreamt of a different kind of life.

However, like many dreams, the reality was pretty far from what we had envisioned.In fact, we hadn't seemed to simplify our life all that much. 

Besides working long hours, now we also had to stack wood. And just to get some decent groceries, you had to drive at least an half hour. And our lovely rural hide-away? Well, let's just say that the place, although beautiful, was undeniably flawed (as in needing  quite a few repairs!)
My wood pile. My own photo
We started to wonder about this "simple life" dream. Was it just a silly fantasy? Were we better off back in our inner city lot? 

But then, after wringing our hands for a while, we both saw something special. What we had.  Sure, it was difficult now. But we had made a good choice. We had space. Privacy. A wood stove. A lake nearby. Bracing fresh air. An affordable home.

Getting to a simple life would not happen just by moving to the country. No, this was a start. But we still needed to pare down. Our stuff. Our diet. Our money. Our life. 



Please Join Me in the Journey 

Please join us in our journey to simple.  We're not there yet. Like any journey, we can't expect it to always be smooth, or completely straightforward. 

But we know our destination, and that is a huge advantage. This blog is about getting closer to simple ... in the midst of a crazy world.  

I hope it encourages you, the reader, to get closer to simple in your own life.  And you don't have to live in a forest to do it ... just find the advantages to where you live. What do you have right now? Focus on those advantages, and then take steps towards whatever a simpler life means to you. 

Now, what about you? What does the "simple life" mean to you? What steps are you taking towards having a simpler life now? What advantages do you already have? Tell us your story! 



Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page. or to receive posts by e-mail, join here

Friday, November 7, 2014

The Night I Looked Into the Face of a Bear

Photo by Tambako the Jaguar, via Flickr, Used under CC-BY-ND 2.0
Have you ever come face to face with something that absolutely terrified you, but absolutely thrilled you at the same time? That was my experience, just two weeks ago, at our home in the woods

It was Monday, at approximately 1:30 at night.  My husband had gone to work,and I was up late, on Facebook, as usual, when I decided to get something left in the car. As, I was heading out, I quickly checked out the glass door window first. 

When I looked out, found myself looking straight in the eyes of long-haired, gray-coloured, massive looking bear. He was about two feet away from the door, and he was staring straight into the window. I don't know if he saw me or not. I moved away from the door too quickly to find out. I was terrified. 


This was similar to what the bear I saw looked like.
Photo by Tambako the Jaguar, via Flickr, Used under CC-BY-ND 2.0
Well,sort of. For just a couple seconds before I was terrified, I felt a completely different emotion. I wasn't scared at all. I was THRILLED. Excited. Euphoric.   What a beautiful, majestic creature. God's creation. 

He looked so calm and serene, sitting there looking into my door window. He looked loving. And curious. I really don't know if he saw me or not, but at that moment, he seemed to look up at me with great wisdom and caring. 

He had long grayish brown fur. His fur seemed to be sticking up quite a bit, like a tousled haircut. His body was very round and cuddly looking. His legs seemed short, giving him the appearance of a slow, relaxed creature.

 I saw him and my heart moved out to him. He looked a bit lonely, like he needed a friend. He looked like he knew me, and wanted to take care of me. He was cute. Like a teddy bear. This is what my heart saw. 


But this is what my mind saw ...

I was alone, with no way to escape and some glass panes were all that separated me from a 200 pound creature who could knock me down with one swipe of his paw, and finish me off in another five minutes. 

When the terror hit, I felt paralyzed. Everything was in slow motion. Our home has glass panes all around most of the living room and dining room. The door has a glass panel window. There is a balcony window on the other side. I was sure that the bear could easily break these windows and get inside if it really wanted to. 
Photo by gintheemt, via Flickr, used under CC BY-SA 2.0

There was no back door. Only a patio door whose deck wrapped  to lead to the door where said bear now sat. What to do? I slowly moved away from the living room and into the bathroom. But wait, I had no phone. I stealthily, cautiously made my way back to the living room and grabbed my cell. Back to the bathroom. 911. 
"911. What is your emergency? 
|"I have a bear on my deck." 
"What is your address, Ma'am?" 

"xoxoxoxoxoxo"

"Oh, it's not uncommon to see a bear in that area. You're right in the middle of the forest." 

(Really, I am? I didn't know!)

"I wouldn't patch you through to the police for that. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No"

Click. 

(This is approximately how the call went -- I can't say it's exact because I was too afraid to remember exactly.)

And that was it. My emergency phone call was done. And no one was coming. I was again alone with a bear on my deck. So I called again. This time I got someone different. I explained my situation again, this time with more of an urgency, and an explanation as to why I thought it was dangerous. 

She put me through to the police. She said they might make it out. I waited. I called my husband. He told me to get the bear spray in hand, in case the bear charged the house. I didn't know how bear spray would protect me against a bear being in the house, but I did as he said, terrified, and going upstairs to get the spray. 

No one came. I wasn't sure what to do. So, I called 911 again, and explained that I didn't know what to do. She said to check to see if the bear was still there. But what if it sees me, I asks. I don't want to startle him and provoke him to charge. Remember, he was only two feet away from a glass window door. 

But you have to know if he's there, in order to assess the situation. So, I did it. I looked out cautiously. He was gone. Relief. But not quite. Where was he now? Around the balcony door? I still did not feel safe. I told the operator I would still like someone to come out. She said she didn't think anyone could. 

But she did pass my name unto the Conservation Officer in town. And I waited. He called me back. And he assured me that the bear was probably just curious. They get lots of reportings in the area, especially in the fall. As long as he wasn't trying to break in, I should be fine. 

He also said we could have the bear trapped and sent away, if we wanted. I wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but said I would get back to him. He said it should be fine. 

I also called my husband. He said it should be fine. I messaged a friend that used to live in the Yukon. He said it should be fine. 

But that night, I did not go to sleep until I saw the light roll in over the trees at 5:30 a.m. Everyone said I should be fine, but my world was now different. My safe haven had been changed. A bear had come just three feet away from me. 

The bear was beautiful. Curious. Maybe even loving. But it could kill me. It was also possibly a threat. Dangerous. 

To some who have lived in the bush their whole lives, seeing a bear would be no big deal. But for me, it was. I had looked into the eyes of a bear, and I would never be the same. The greatest thrill. The greatest fright. 


Love Sharilee. If you like what you are reading, sign up for regular updates with Blogger or through my Facebook page. or to receive posts by e-mail, join here