The Big Hunt is On!

With the beginning of November comes the full swing of hunting season, where most zones are now open for general season for deer and other large game, along with bird.  My guys have already had some success, because we go to the few zones that open earlier.  So far, after the butchering and finishing process we harvest 54 lbs. of meat for our family from a decent sized buck that Hubbs got last week.

We do all the work ourselves. Some hunters, after they tag out, take their game to a butcher for all the processing and packaging. We choose to do all that ourselves, at home.  Our first year we started out with a manual meat grinder and learned quickly how to appreciate the modern technology of the electric meat grinder the following year.  We package our finished cuts in butcher paper, not food savers.  We have a food saver that was gifted to us, but are mainly using it for jerky and pepperoni. The butcher paper keeps the meat well frozen, without freezer burn, for atleast a year. I have a couple pounds of ground and a roast from last years hunt that I just cooked up and it's still perfect!

Once the guys bring the deer back, it gets hung and the meat is harvested. Then they bring it all inside, I prep/clean the kitchen surfaces, and the two of them trim off all the shit not fit for consumption. Everything gets divided out into roasts, steaks, stew, and ground.  As they fill their trays they bring it all over to my "work station", the covered kitchen table.  I grind the ground and then package all the meat, regardless of cut.  The ground and steaks get package per pound and the roasts are packaged per decent sized roasts.  Then its freezer time! It's basically like a three person assembly line from start to finish.

I serve deer (I know lots of people call it venison, we just don't) three times a week for dinner and the we have leftovers for lunches and such. Last year, both Hubbs and KoasterRider brought home one each and the bulk of the meat lasted us for over 7 months.  I saved about 10 lbs to have a little here and there until this hunting season started.

Deer loin from last week's buck

~ Slathered with montreal steak spice rub, wrapped in bacon

~ baked at 350F for about 1 hour. 

served with mashed potatoes and veg on the side

Hunting has become part of who we are and brought us closer as a family unit, providing for one another.   It's a very authentic experience hunting and harvesting your own food. We pray for the life the animal gave and we thank God for the blessing of feeding ourselves from the land.  The meat we are able to harvest from legally and ethically hunting is 100% organic, wild, and pure.  The money we spend on hunting is also a few hundred dollars less than if we were to buy regular store bought beef, not even the organic stuff.  The quality time with each other and the bonding between my two guys and the friends we've made are priceless.  For all of these reason and many more, we are proud hunters.

If your curious about hunting and want to know more, I included links in a previous post...check it out:   We Interrupt This Marriage for Hunting Season!

Self-care, What's That All About?

Originally written September 25th, 2019

I've been in a tougher spot lately, eomtionally which trickles down to physically.  Our emotions, well atleast my emotions are directly linked to my physical well being. If my stress levels are off then everything is off, mainly because I'm probably not doing the things I'm supposed to be doing.

When my yoga takes a backseat then its a full on cascade of epic destruction. My yoga is my only tried and tested way to unwind. I don't smoke, drink, or eat lots of chocolate or other vices. My only way to destress is yoga. Well, for about a month yoga has been extremely challenging, because I badly sprained my wrist starting the lawn mower no less and couldn't do any proper poses.  The bulk of my yoga practice is downward positions and I'm not strong enough to do them one handed. So, here I am only a few days back in to being able to do yoga and having a stress/phsyical/emotional setback. I can and will get back on track, but my self-care took a back seat and now Im hanging out the metaphorical truck about to chuck. 

This is why people talk about self-care so so much. I've been a sounding board for all my friends this past month and they're all going through some seriously big shit. But, with no way for me to let all that go, I ended up taking on their problems and setting myself up for anxiety town.  Then, last week we added two shootings close to my house and recipe for disaster and anxiety ensues when we culminate all of this with PMS. And, another big part of all this stress and nonsense, I haven't been praying and leaving it all to my higher power. I've been trying to tackle it all on my own with no help, only my willpower. Big, silly, no! 

One of the first things I learned in sobriety was that I'm powerless when I use just my willpower alone, because relying on willpower is what keeps me sick and not living in love and light and truth. So, what else do I do for self-care? I stop relying on just me to do all the things. I pray and I leave it up to God to guide me and help me through it all. Just writing that reduced my stress and worries. Its true though. I can't actually control anything except my choices. My choices of no self-care these past few weeks have been shitty choices so....get yourself together lady!

I'm back in my yoga routine and I'm not allowing interruptions of that from my friends or family. I'm praying and leaving all the things I can't control up to God, my higher power. If my spiritual life is right then everything else is okay too. I'm allowing myself to rest when I'm tired and doing some crafts and creative work instead of things that increase my worries. I'm gearing up...

Continued writing November 3rd, 2019

It's been a solid month of getting back on track to the strong, stable, woman I am.  I had to redirect myself in supporting my friends and be honest with them about where I'm at.  I have a natural desire to help the people I love when they're gong through stuff, but I have to be in a place where I'm NOT taking it on and I just haven't been in that place.  I'm not a therapist, I'm mom, wife, daughter, friend, and badass goddess lady who sometimes needs a break! I focused on myself. I stopped writing for the month too, because that was amping me up instead of calming me down, overall.  My friends understood and I think they appreciated my honesty. There's only so much I can do, especially if I'm not doing right by myself.  It's a healthier balance putting me first and truthfully, after all these years, I deserve to be my priority.  It doesn't mean that I don't care about others, but their trauma is not my trauma and it can't become my trauma.  I hope and pray that healing will come to my friends, but no-one's healing can ever be at the expense of mine.

My Love for Books!!! Actual Paper Books!

I absolutely LOVE books, real books made from real paper! Physically holding them and turning the pages is wonderful and a must for the experience of reading.  Well, yesterday I was over the moon when I scored a very large box of books that a lady in town was giving away.  In that box of books was Chaucer, Homer, The Yale Shakespeare completer works - Annotated!   My old English degree heart skipped a beat to be able to have these treasures again. There were also Celestine Prophecy, Eat Pray Love, and some good, juicy crime novels.  I'm so, so excited to sink my teach in, because I think that finally, after all these years I might be able to get through a novel without falling asleep.

The last novel I could get through was truly, 14 years ago. Since my son was born I have fallen asleep through every single novel. I've been able to make it through some spiritual handbooks and self-help stuff, but anything else has eluded me and  I've missed it very very much. 

I've been reading Stargate S.G. 1 - the novel as my fun, guilty pleasure to get me back into the swing of things and its a super fun read.  It's so nice to get back into something I used to love so much.  Oh, I also have To Kill A Mockingbird waiting in the wings.

What are you reading?

We Interupt this Marriage for Hunting Season!

It's hunting season in Alberta!  Most areas are open for bow hunting and game bird season. So, what is my family doing? Hunting...almost all the time when not in school or at work, my guys will be out on the land getting some upland birds for our freezer.  Come November 1st then it shifts to actually taking time off school and work to go out for the deer and this year Hubbs scored a moose tag from the draw. Woohoo!!!

I've become extremely protective of my guys when it comes to hunting, because to my surprise I've actually gotten quit a bit of negative feedback from people I thought were friends. I'm so very proud of their hard work and thankful for the food they provide for us, that I get mama bear angry when people share their negative opinions on hunting. My stand is, unless you are a very strict vegan, shut your mouth and keep your opinions to yourself. I don't care! If you buy meat from a store and then condemn my family for harvesting our own, fuck off!  No, seriously...go away. We're busy enjoying our beautiful life with the gifts given to us from the land to have time for nonsense.

Hunting is a natural, instinctual way to provide for ones family. There is nothing more real than teaching our kids exactly where food comes from than by teaching them how to hunt for themselves. There is an amazing respect for animals and the land that is gained through hunting that just can't be bought or taught any other way. Hunters are part of responsible conservation and stewardship. Survival skills are so precious to have and surviving while hunting is a delicate dance that builds character and hardiness of spirit.  On opening day of bird season my guys invited me to walk with them while they went on their hunt and my Lord, was it beautiful!!! I see why they come home so recharged and calm after a hunt.

Our family does it all too, from the first moment of the hunt, with licence, tags, & all the legalities and ethics being followed, all the way to the harvesting, processing,  packaging and freezing of meat. We do it all ourselves and with the help of fellow hunters.

I've learned how to cook and season deer, duck, prairie chickens, & rabbit (so far, not a fan of rabbit yet). I've learned how to make deer jerky and even deer pepperonis (They still need practice though).  What KoasterRider and his Dad hunt and harvest is what feeds our family through the toughest parts of winter and if we're lucky until the following hunting season.  We're talking free-range, 100% organic, wild food for the mere price of time, tags/licences, and fuel.  It's become such a big deal for my journey into living more holistically and naturally. I love it!!!  I'm pretty sure they love it too.

If hunting is something that interests you, there's a few things to know before you just go out there and do it. All hunters in Alberta are required to take and pass the Hunter Education Course before they can purchase hunting licences and tags.  If you plan to hunt with firearms instead of bow, then you will also need to take and pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course then apply for your Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) through the RCMP.  There are hunting regulations and zones that must be followed and they can change, sometimes yearly, so you need to get your Hunting Regulations book each year to make sure you stay current.  There's lots of information online, but the best way to truly learn is through another hunter, so ask around. Hunting is full of a large community of people who are skilled and love what they do. Hunting is more than a hobby, its a way of life...a way of life that my family has taken to very well!

Here's some links for more information regarding hunting in Alberta:

Alberta Hunter Education Instruction Association
Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
Hunting In Alberta - Alberta Government website
My Wild Alberta
Report a Poacher
Alberta Conservation Association


Happy hunting and stay safe out there!

Why is Twitter so Vicious?!

I'm thinking I'm just going to delete my Twitter account again. It's such a vicious place filled with personal attacks and constant negative energy.y Facebook isn't like that and neither is my Instagram. On those 2 platforms I have more control of the content and complete control over who can resond to my shit.

Twitter? Nope, not like that at all. Twitter is like this vast abis of everyones opinions that are then left wide open like emotional fodder for anyone and everyone's massive ego trip. I tried to "engage in the conversation",  because now that I'm trying blogging again I thouht it might be fun to go back to Twitter too. Nope...not fun. I hate to constant jabbing and way people are treating each other. It's awful! Like, honestly what the actual fuck is the point of that? It seems like it's a breading ground for anxiety and online addiction. Not cool!

Through writing this, I've decided I'm deleting my Twitter and sticking with the platforms where I can control my content to Brooke Hampton and Brene Brown.

If any of my readers feel like following me you can find my blog page on Facebook. I share my posts there and sometimes share inspiring quotes that I find on other Facebook pages where proper credit to the author's given. I just want a happy life where I can share some of that happiness with others. I'm thankful that this writing process has shown me that Twitter doesn't cut the mustard.

Craving Fruits and Veggies

A few months ago I got a lot more serious about filling my body with real food and less processed stuff. It's always hard to make the switch at first, because it's like my body gets angry when I do nice things for it. My body rebels against me taking away apple turnovers and replacing them with fresh fruit, but that rebellion doesn't last long once the new, healthy habits take root.

Well, I'd say they're taking root, because last week, instead of craving carbs and sweets I began craving fruit and vegetables instead. I stuck with healthy choices and I beat out my body's natural rebellions! Yes! Now, all she wants and craves is healthy choices like my homemade salads with many leafy greens, veg, & meat and my homemade sugar free vinaigrette. All she craves for desserts is fruit and berries exactly as God made them with nothing added. Its wonderful!!!

Beef burgers made from scratch with homemade burger sauce, greens, homemade pickles and fresh summer fruit for dessert

A shit ton o'greens with shredded carrots, cucumbers, wild harvested venison w/Greek marinade and my homemade vinaigrette. I eat variations of this almost every single day and it's so so delicious and nutritious.

Change isn't easy, but sticking it out has been completely worth the mood swings and the feeling of being deprived. I'm not feeling deprived or anything negative anymore, in fact, quite the opposite.  I'm feeling stronger and fulfilled from fresh food.

I always thought healthier choices were important, I mean who doesn't, right?! But I never thought I'd actually be able to enjoy the choice of healthy eating. Does this mean that I'll never ever have a slice of cake...ummm...hells no! But it does mean that I'm making positive choices which is all part of my living wellness journey and there's nothing but good in that, even when there's cake mixed in.

More Comfortable in My Skin

The last year or so has been a supercharged journey of beginning to be me again. I'm approaching 40 and my body has started showing me that the very early stages of perimenopause are making their appearance. I decided to take it head on and get a shit ton more comfortable with me, because I've got a big journey of change ahead of me and I want to be as present and alive through it all as I possibly can.

When I was a teenager I remember that the women around me I most admired were 40+. All these women were exactly who they were and proud of it. They didn't take anyone's shit while being loving too. They were honest, authentic, and most of all fucking wild and ballsy as hell. I always wanted and hoped to have "it" whatever it was that they had. Now that I'm entering the stage of life that the women I most admired were in, I think I'm actually getting it. Its not about trying to be...its about just being exactly who the good Lord made me to be and no longer comparing myself to what I think others want of me. Its fucking comfortable and wild and crazy. Its speaking up for myself and walking away. It's a knowingness that I am perfectly beautiful and weird and not changing for anyone.

I'm really loving this time! I'm enjoying my confidence in parenting, although adjusting to being the mom of a teenager was a challenging shift, my intuition is strong and Im going with it. I'm really enjoying my marriage and how much more relaxed I am as a wife and lover. I'm more at peace with my health and wellness and its imperfections. I've really settled into my body and what she can do for me and is capable of. The last time I loved this body this much was when I was growing a human. Its remarkable, this life stuff. I'm feeling badass again and I'm actually celebrating that it doesn't matter if I'm a "good girl", it only matters that I'm all of me and that I like who she is. If others don't like me then they can fuck right off & the most amazing part is I actually mean that!

I basically feel like a later season Captain Janeway, strong, in charge of those under my care, loving, willing to do whatever it takes to be true to my principles, and the most awesome badass bitch in the galaxy. I can't wait to see what else this life is bringing me. The good, the bad, and even the mundane...come on over you crazy, beautiful life!

Exploring New Horizon Mall

After chatting with my son about me  blogging again and getting permission to include details of him when we do thing together, I shall now announce that Morgan aka KoasterRider joined me yesterday on our excursion to explore the New Horizon Mall in Balzac.  It opened last year and as a different format and style of mall has taken some time to get more vendors and stores.

At first, I truly had zero clue what to expect as I'd heard so many different opinions. KoasterRider and I pulled into the parking lot that was maybe 1/4 full, if that, but I thought hey, that's still an improvement from last year.

When we walked in the front doors we found many of the stores still empty.

And then...Then we were pulled in by the owner of Honey Vista! A fantastic store that sells many varieties of local raw honey along with skin care products made with honey or  bees wax. They also carry a line of herbal products and locally made essential oils. I was in sheer heaven with this place. The proprietor has a gorgeous and inviting set up, samples for everything,  and is very knowledgeable about all the products available. I'd say the prices are also reasonable to local products and raw honey. Definitely worth our drive and I'll for sure shop there again. My budget was a little limited this trip so I only picked up a smallish honey for $10, but I have a mental list of the few items I'm definitely going back to buy.

The rest of the mall had a handful of stores under construction and a few that looked ready to go, but weren't open yet. There was also a number of open clothing stores with absolutely gorgeous saris and some with Chinese dresses. I felt so at home there, as I grew up frequenting stores in Toronto's  Chinatown and Little India. It was so refreshing to be in a mall that had more options that the typical big chain stores!

I have high Hope's for New Horizon Mall! I can't hardly wait for it to get filled up with more shop owners and vendors who offer a wide range of products and items. I'm definitely going to be a regular shopper! I think the more of us who go there will show new shop owners that it's totally worth putting the time and effort in to make a go of this great mall!

My only disappointment, that truly sucked, was that the Prairie Horizon Fresh Market doesn't look even remotely close to opening yet and it was scheduled to open this summer to early fall. I'm waiting with anticipation for this....stay tuned

How I'm Falling In-Love With Essential Oils

I absolutely love have different scents in my home. The problem is that they don't always love me, because artificial scents  trigger my migraines fierce, man. So, I got to wondering if it would be different if the scents were natural and so the research and pursuit of finding something beautiful smelling began.

In my Googling I came across essential oils and how on top of them smelling pretty they also have therapeutic properties. I know, I know...how did I not already know this? I'm a skeptical individual who's also curious...that's how. Anyways, I decided to give it a go. Best case would be that I love it and I don't get a migraine. Worst case would be that its migraine city around here.

I found an essential oils box set with diffuser on Amazon and asked for it for my Birthday. When it showed up I was sooooo very excited. I tested it out with different smells and combination smells to much success and was so encouraged that I bought myself stand alone scents and an essential oils diffuser bracelet made out of lava beads (Its a thing).

Now, every morning I fill my diffuser with water and the essential oil I'm dreaming of that day and fill my house with beauty! Its wonderful and empowering to be able to do something I love without compromising on anything for migrainey-ness.

I'm not a sales rep with any company and, for now atleast, I don't plan to become one. All I want is therapeutic grade essential oils at a fair price. Some I've bought online and others I've bought from local shops that sell locally made organic oils. Its whatever feels and smells right in the moment and I just go with it.

I love putting my beautiful oils in the air and then doing my morning yoga. It's something almost majestic feeling. I feel fully in the moment of self-care when I combine the two. Its glorious! I've also started using lavender essential oils to help reduce the symptoms of migraine and it's been helping some, while getting me to relax through it.

I'm still extremely new to the wisdom of essential oils and I'm learning lots. If it's something you'd like to try by all means just go for it! Do some research, especially if you have pets. Some oils can be toxic to animals. Leap into it and figure out what works for you and your home and body. I'm not personally into consuming essential oils as I do not have the knowledge to do that safely and it makes me uncomfortable to even think about at this point. When it comes to putting oils on your skin, research again, as most oils must be mixed with a carrier oils before putting on your skin. Oils are highly concentrated and can cause damage if not diluted in a carrier oil. Some oils are also reactive to sunlight, so again, do your research, ask women who have the experience and the wisdom. That's what I'm doing and it's been a really holistic, old feeling, journey that I'm still in the midst of.

My next desire in essential oils is to get a diffuser for my truck to replace the artificial crap that I've been using. It'll be awesome!

A Very Long Time Ago....

....I used to have a blog on Blogger called Adventures of a Happy Life and I wrote about my then very young son and husband and our new life in Alberta, Canada. A long time ago, it feels like, I also closed that blog as I felt that chapter of my writing journey was closing for various reasons that are now long gone and thank God they are.

Well...It wasn't closed so I'm back! Beth Metcalf aka AlbertaMama is back to write, share, laugh, cry, & just be as authentically me as possible.

I'm a little greyer, a lot healthier in some ways and I think a smidge wiser than I once was.  There's also less bullshit and more confidence!

A little bit about me...I'm an almost 40 year old mom of an amazing teenage boy who is my life's best achievement and gift. I'm a committed wife, friend, & lover of a husband who's uncouth, funny, kind, & rough around all those wonderful edges. I'm a sister, daughter, an outside the mainstream box christian, yoga enthusiast, hiker, fisher, knitter, baker, hemiplegic migraine warrior, homemaker, prepper, animal whisperer, badass goddess lady, sort of gardener, essential oils novice, and so so much more that I'm still discovering.

In this blog you'll read swear words and words of faith, sometimes together and sometimes not. You'll read and see things about hunting, firearms, politics, religion, alternative medicine, and anything and everything possibly considered controversial. You'll be offended by my complexity or not offended at all. Basically, you are welcome to join me on my adventure of living this happy life I'm still creating, but if you are negative, toxic, or otherwise snowflakey then feel free to stop reading right now. I'm happy to answer questions and have discussions, but I'm also sporadically a touch perimenopausal so I won't hesitate to tell you to fuck off if you piss me off. I no longer waste my time on trying to be nice or prove myself to others... also won't hesitate to wish you God Bless too.  That's me...like me or leave me...no seriously...if you don't like it, leave. I'm too busy choosing happiness to coddle anyone's sensibilities.

So, with that...thanks for joining me as I re-begin chronicling my Adventures Of A Happy Life!