Bittersweet Boots

Happy Friday!

With wet spring behind us, I began clearing out our shoe closet aiming to put away the winter boots and rubber boots until next winter and spring.  I came across two pairs of boots that all four of my girls had worn and that all four girls had outgrown.

Looking back at these little boots I was flooded with memories... Sammy in the ladybug boots with matching ladybug raincoat; Nicole in the orange boots and nothing else.  Seriously, our eldest loved being naked and spent so much time during the months 9-12 that I was seriously concerned what her profession later in life might be.  Thankfully at 13, nakedness nor boots are an issue.

These poor boots were not fit for donation and I just loved looking at these tiny pairs so this morning I turned them into planters for the front fence.

 This project really is a great mash up of crafting, gardening and power tools.

Love me some power tools!!

First thing was first... using the drill I made a few more holes to add to the worn out soles for drainage.  Just a few little ones.  I filled the bottom of each boot with a little bit of gravel from the driveway also to help with drainage.

Next, the boots were filled with a soil/manure mix and some little annuals that our local supermarket had marked down to $1.49 - SCORE!

Back at it with the drill, each boot was screwed through the back of the leg of the boot into the split rail fencing.

The nice thing about rubber boots is that they LAST... I am hoping to use these as planters for a few years to come.  Though the feet in the house have grown so much bigger, these little boots hold overflowing memories.  :)

Jeanette

Schnick Snow Days

Good morning!

I was reading through Twitter this morning and came across some heated 'back and forth' between parents and area school boards that have decided to cancel all school transportation but keep schools open.  Because I have been faced with the decision of whether or not to drive TWO Wednesdays in a row due to inclement weather, I wanted to share my position.

First, to all the wonderful teachers I am blessed to know who have most likely made that drive into school today... thank you.

I do worry about my girls getting behind or missing key lessons and my first instinct is to pile us in the van and drive the 9km on the side roads.  However, what stops me is my safety concerns.  Poor weather conditions do not need one more mom in a minivan.  (NO, I am NOT trying to say us moms cannot drive safely...)

My biggest pet peeve when living in the subdivision was the number of parent drivers!!  Our school boundary encompassed an area under 2km square, and yet even on the sunniest of mornings, there was the perpetual line up of vehicles waiting their turn to 'kiss and ride' at the school.  This in turn had vehicles stopped on sidewalk crossings and sometimes causing drivers to make poor decisions such as passing stopped school buses!  One of the biggest advantages to city living is the ability to walk to where you want to go!

There were some working parents, but there were a lot that would whip back home again for that quiet morning coffee - after 12 years of living there, I sadly realized this was the majority of the 'regular'  morning drivers.

Right now I am in a very blessed situation.  I do not work outside of the home; I can spend the day with my children and work on Girl Guide badges, play in the snow and yes Sammy - study for that upcoming fractions quiz!

And I know there will be times when the drive to school will be necessary - late arrivals, project transportation; but for today, if the school buses aren't driving, neither am I.

Enjoy your day - and to my friends on Twitter... be kind to one another.  xo
Jeanette