Two storm days back-to-back, courtesy of the Nor'easter that hit the Maritimes this past weekend, and I am more exhausted and wrung out than I was Friday afternoon. I now know why some animals eat their offspring. It would at the very least be one way to keep things quiet around the den.

Michael Smith told me he has built a career out of reminding Canadians that cooking is about the people you share the meal with rather than the perfection of the recipe. He then went about showing what he meant. In a wildly entertaining weekend at Deerhurst Resort, Smith held court and kitchen in the Muskoka property most famous for hosting Barack Obama.

Chef Domenic Serio's love and passion for food began at a very young age, largely attributed to his grandmother who showed him how to cook simple food from her region in Italy. The Executive Chef at the Inn at Bay Fortune on PEI, talks to us about his passions and his perfect food day on PEI.

Taking a deep breath, I make the necessary calls to cancel evening plans. After doing so, the sense of peace that washes over me, I might have never known. Because now, and all because of botched plans, I have this whole three-quarters of an hour to myself.

I am learning, slowly, but surely, that life is not about taking the perfect picture. It is about the big picture. And the smaller ones that define and describe who and what we are. Husband turned and said to me, after the snowman fell and we were rebuilding a second, "He's just like all of us. Falling apart and getting re-built bigger and better again."

In wake of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, there have been waves of anger and sorrow washing over us all. Young and old. Rich and poor. Believer and non-believer. Recently, I came across the 26 Moments That Restored Our Faith in Humanity This Year article that has been floating around the Internet. When the world over finds itself in bleak mid-winter, the sun comes out and shines across the shadows.

Who would have ever thought that our own precious baby boy would stoop to stereotyping his doting parents, pigeon-holing us into the category of 'duds'? And so soon, at the ripe old age of 11. He now has added another label to our name. Hill-billy.

Teaching is a demanding profession. But I wouldn't trade teaching for another career. Educating children and motivating them to learn and discover the world around them is a true joy. And I am privileged to be one of the lucky ones.

Halloween may well be a time of ghost, goblins, witches and spirits. But when I celebrate Halloween, my focus is on loftier ideals. That is, on the drawing together of neighborhoods and communities in a unified desire to slow down and re-focus on all things fun and pleasurable.

With the kids, my husband is the sensitive one. While I am the screamer, he is the voice of reason. I almost felt inadequate when he told me his approach. But then I remembered: who I am is enough too. I don't have to change who I am, I just have to channel the qualities that make me who I am in the right direction.

A new study out of the University of Texas has found that mild and moderate asthma sufferers may not need daily puffs from their inhalers any more. And I for one am breathing easier after confirmation that I was on the right track with this one all along. Maybe a mother's instincts are a credible decision-making force after all. From the start, I followed my gut and said no to year-round puffer usage and yes to steroids only when asthma flares up. I guess that puts our son six years ahead of the study.

If anyone had told me three years ago I would be teaching kindergarten, I would have politely laughed at them. If anyone had told me one of my students would be my charming daughter, I would have (politely) laughed at them and then high-tailed it for the next bus out of town. The truth is, I love it.

It;s nice to view this transition from summer to fall as a new beginning. By increasing the positive interactions in our usual network within which we naturally socialize, and extending that kindness to those outside this circle of connections, we gain something by way of old-fashioned good manners and brotherly love, in return.

I am up at 5:00 a.m. Then 6:00 a.m. And then 6:07 a.m. And then I finally pull my lazy bones out of bed at 6:08 a.m. I can hardly contain the excitement. It is root canal day. Yes, my sorry mouth is yet again on its way in to the dentist.

I confess: I have been wrapped up in a bit of a love affair. I have always enjoyed potatoes, but after my recent experience with our local potato festival, my love for that starchy tuber has been renewed. I don't know if it was the taste-testing on opening night or the experiences surrounding the festivities that further sparked my fever. All I know is this: from blossom to table, potatoes on P.E.I. rule the roost.

If you google "P.E.I. weddings," it should not come as a surprise that the Island has carved out a market for even the most discriminating of brides. Although a wedding can be preformed just about anywhere, it is magical on the Island. It is a wonderful way to start life together as a married couple with a few days in paradise before settling in to the regular rhythm and flow of everyday life.

A dear stay-at-home mama friend of mine recently reflected on the idea of being "present," which got me thinking: am I present and in the moment with our children? And if so, is that really necessary? To be present in every moment? In order to find out, I challenged myself to be present all day, as a sort of experiment. I was present when I ruined my favourite shirt, when the kids were crying, when water spilled all over the kitchen. P.R.E.S.E.N.T.

Today, I follow my heart. I let things 'hang out' today. I never put a stitch of make-up on to cover up my imperfections. I spent the entire day in my two-piece bathing suit. I talked to strangers at the dog park. I wanted to leave and carry on with my plans for the afternoon, we did have company coming for supper, but instead, I allowed myself the moments necessary to meet someone new. To let go of my plans, and embrace the freedom to be 'in the moment'. These for me are moments of freedom.