Minimalism Quotes

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupe

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less." - Socrates

"Less is more." - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

"One can furnish a room very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting it in." - Francis Jourdain

"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." - William Morris

"We ascribe beauty to that which is simple; which has no superfluous parts; which exactly answers its end."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." - Hans Hofmann

"We don't need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it." - Donald Horban

Grown-up Stuff

I feel a lot like a kid playing grown-up lately: a degree, a salaried job, a baby, and now possibly a house. Matt and I put an offer in tomorrow morning. I have been rebelling against the idea of a cookie-cutter house with a small yard but the allure of a new home has been too compelling. If the offer goes through (I fully anticipate a counter offer first, so it is definitely a maybe) then Matt and I will still have enough time to choose the colors and materials. We're envisioning charcoal maple cabinetry, pale grey countertops, modern hardware, glossy black appliances, bright white walls and dark hardwood floors throughout (my mom's brows are furrowing with concern right now because she is not envisioning it) which are unconventional choices in Lloydminster so the home will at least be an unconventional cookie cutter.

The After

This is how the Harker boys celebrate a wedding- with moustaches.

Handsome Harker

Snowboarding Makes Me Laugh

When I am on the hill with my brothers and friends I just can't stop smiling and laughing. Click on the link to watch our latest adventure to Sunshine Village.

Sunshine

Another Hurdle

I've just jumped another hurdle in my teaching- the dreaded four part meeting/observation with the LPSD division Human Resources Personnel. I have been working like mad to beautify my unit plans, while trying to stay on top of my planning and get ready for the Christmas concert (seriously, why not just have kids dress up in their best Christmas outfit and sing carols, but no it has to be a production and my class being the oldest in the school have all the speaking parts, the complicated songs, and I have to track down or make 22 various animal costumes, BAH!)

Yesterday was the official observation and it went very well, in fact the man who hires teachers for our division said he would find me a place when I come back to teaching (he probably thinks I plan to come back to teaching in a year and he could easily be in a different position by the time I actually do come back but at least there is a killer review and two very beautiful unit plans that make it appear that I am a meticulous planner on file at division). So now only three weeks of teaching left! I feel ready to have a holiday but I also know I will feel ready to go back to teaching after it. So for now I'm just enjoying it while it lasts. Yesterday I did a science experiment (a lot of baking soda + a balloon + 2L pop bottle) that made my kids go wild and made even my hard to impress Mr. Moody exclaim "That was the best thing ever Mrs. Harker!" And there was a quiet peaceful moment in my busy classroom at the end of the day where we were all softly singing Christmas songs and coloring paper ornament when I looked up and surveyed all those funny and lovable little faces that almost made me tear up. I'm predicting that pregnancy hormones may contribute to a colossal cry session on my last day.