Time for a Break

Did you know that I have been writing this blog since 2011? 

That's a long time—and for all of you who have stuck with me, I can't thank you enough. I was scrolling through some of my old posts, and wow, we've sure covered a lot. From book launches, to fun facts about canola and Canada, to tips on writing, and so much more. 

I've participated in seven Blogging from A to Z challenges, launched 16 books, and shared hundreds of pictures, recipes, and craft ideas. It's been a great run.

But, I've decided to take a break. It's not forever, I don't think, but I want to focus on my short stories, taking pictures, practicing for track and field—or maybe even trying something new. Don't worry, I'll still be writing—being an author is one of my BIG DREAMS. 

You should keep writing too. Or doing whatever it is you want to do. The first book in the Superman Duffy series of graphic novels, FIELDS OF HOME, is about canola, yes—but it's also about chasing your dreams. 

The world is a different place right now, and if the past few months has taught me anything, it's that anything can happen. There's no better time than the present to do what your heart tells you to do. For me, that means taking a bit of a break on blogging, and putting that creative energy into something else. I can't imagine all of the things I'll do!

Thank you so much for being part of my journey. May YOU always follow YOUR dreams. 

Gotta jet! 

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Reading: It's Good for Your Health

You probably think that headline is a joke—I mean, sure, reading is a great brain activity, and if you want to be a writer, it's vital. But I'm not kidding—research shows that reading is a more effective stress reliever than listening to music or going for a walk—even more effective than doing yoga. (That fact got me out of following one of Mom's online classes last week.)

It's not that I'm overly stressed—but I admit, this pandemic is weighing on me. I can see it weighing on my parents too. Mom isn't back at work fully, and she's worried about us going back to school in September. Not to mention the weather. Wow, have we had a wet summer!

The weather is also stressful for my grandparents, who could use a little—okay a lot—of sunshine right about now. Flooding could be an issue this year...every time we get a downpour, some of the streets by my house are like rivers.

Sometimes I love running in the rain, but not with these storms! So what better way to spend a rainy day than immersed in a good book? Not only is it good for my brain...but it's good for my overall health. Imagine that!

Gotta jet! Have a good weekend...regardless of how you spend it.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

A New Training Partner?

Yikes! The weather has not been the greatest the past couple of weeks. Between hail in the southern part of the province and heavy heavy rain in the North (did you hear that Rogers Place—the arena where the Edmonton Oilers usually play—flooded?), it's pretty wet outside.

Mom says her gardens are getting too much water, and Grandpa has some concerns about his canola. But the worst part of all is that all this "wet" means that when it stops raining, the mosquitoes come out to play.

And by play, I mean annoy.

Oh sure, I've sprayed myself with repellent. But it's not working—I'm still covered in bites. Grandpa says I need to use it to my "advantage." He thinks I should...

...outrun the mosquitoes.

Even though I don't know what school will look like in the fall, or if there will be a track season, I'm training as if there will be. That means trying to outrun my personal best...and if I'm lucky, being faster than those darn mosquitoes.

At the rate they're out, I should shatter my record. You know what they say—to win, it takes blood, sweat, and tears. I'm fine with that, but I'm going to make those pests work for my blood.

Gotta jet! Grandpa says the ground is dry around his field now—but who knows for how long Better start running!

Have a great weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

It's that time of the year again!

It's that time of year again! No, not Halloween or Christmas or back to school (who knows what that will look like in the fall?!), but CANOLA time. That's right, the fields across the province are starting to bloom with those beautiful yellow flowers.

Canola fields are the perfect backdrop for pictures. No seriously, Google Alberta canola fields and you'll see thousands of images. We have many pictures of canola fields in our house. Some with sunshine. One with a storm. A couple with interesting clouds or sunrises and sunsets. It's a picture we never grow tired of.

And sure, I'm lucky because I have access to a canola field any time I want—my grandparents are canola farmers.  But I realize not everyone has a canola farmer in the family, and so I thought this would be a great time to remind you that as amazing as those fields look...you can't just go IN them to take a picture. At least, not without permission.

Traipsing through those fields can ruin the crop, plus, it's trespassing. You wouldn't want someone rummaging through your bedroom just to take a picture of your prized Star Wars Lego, or something, right? (But if you have a prized Star Wars Lego you should send me a picture.)

Anyway, I can't wait to strap on my camera bag and head out with my dad to take some canola field pictures—we always give Grandpa one that he can frame for the house too. An entire wall in the living room is dedicated to pictures of the canola farm over the years. It's pretty cool to see how much the farm has grown.

Have you taken a good picture of a canola field? Put it on Instagram and tag @SupermanDuffy — or email it to me at chase.superman.duffy@gmail.com. Maybe I’ll publish it on my blog!

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend—and stay safe!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Help! I need more H2O!

I’ve been having trouble drinking my water, lately. It might be all the rain—who can think of drinking water when there's so much falling from the sky.

But I know it’s super important for everyone to drink water—especially athletes—and normally I don’t have any problem getting in my eight daily glasses over the summer. But the weather has been so strange this season that I’m not hot enough to crave it. Even when I run. (And I haven't been doing as much of that either, because running in the rain isn't my favourite.)

The thing is, I can see a difference in my performance—and not in a good way. I’m a bit sluggish, and I think I may have lost some muscle tone. I know, sounds strange, right? I thought so too, so I did some research—and I learned a LOT more about water than even Coach Taylor told me about.

Like, did you know that your brain is 75% water?

Water actually carries nutrients and oxygen to your brain and throughout your body—which of course, can help with a number of health concerns like making sure your kidneys are working properly, kick-starting your metabolism, and of course, curing dehydration.

Interesting, for sure, but I’m still concerned about how to do it. I mean, it’s summer, so I’m naturally drawn to juice, pop, lemonade and freezies. Mom says those are not good options for water intake (she keeps me on a strict freezie regiment)—not even watermelon counts, and it’s mostly water!

I’m just going to have to work harder at it.  So I've started adding flavour—cucumber slices, strawberry wedges, and lemon—to my cold water and that's a nice change.

Do YOU have any ideas on how to increase my water? How do you get in your eight glasses?
Gotta jet! Have a great weekend.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Have your read the Superman Duffy graphic novel TRANSPIRATION? That adventure definitely talks about the importance of water—and what can happen when you have too much, or even too little.

You can order it FREE from the Alberta Canola Producers' Commission.

School's Out! (For Summer)

I love school—honest I do—but the last three months have been rough. Learning online isn't quite the  same as being in the classroom with my teacher and friends. I'm pretty sure I passed everything (even Math), but homework sure took on new meaning. <heh>

So, for the next two months, I’m not even going to think about homework, or studying, or worrying about whether my internet will work during a lesson. It’s finally summer! Yay!

And boy, do I ever have a lot of great things planned.

Of course I’ll be training for track and field. This is my favourite time of year to start running around Grandpa’s canola field. By mid July, the bright yellow blooms will be out in full force, creating the perfect backdrop for my morning runs. As long as I can outrun some of the bees—but Grandpa says they won’t bother me since they’re busy pollinating his canola flowers.

I’m also go to catch up on my reading. I know, I say that every year and you'd think with the pandemic going on, I would be reading all the time. The truth is, I've been doing more binge watching than reading. Now that the libraries and bookstores are open again, I'm excited to start working my way through my TBR.

The campgrounds are also open, so Dad and I are planning a “guys only” trip to go fishing. Maybe Grandpa will come too! (I mean, if he's not too busy on the farm.)

The rest of the summer will probably be spent hanging out with my friends (from a distance) and family. And I probably have a list of chores Mom needs help with, like mowing the lawn and weeding the garden. I don’t mind, though—Mom lets me eat her peas.

Sounds like a busy summer, right? How about you? What are your summer plans? Whatever they are, make it one where a part of every day is doing something you enjoy—even 10 minutes of reading or writing or practicing hoops can create good feelings about summer. Even if it is a bit different than what you're used to.

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

A global celebration for Dad

Dad says he’s my biggest blog fan, which may be true since he always brings up the topics of my writing at the dinner table on Friday nights. Mom says she even shares my posts on her social meeting, which was a surprise to me.

Considering how much attention my parents pay to my blog, I won’t tell you how *I* am celebrating Father’s Day this year, because I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

So I thought instead, I would research how Father’s Day is celebrated around the world. And I learned that it isn’t the same across the globe—in some cases, it’s not even on the same day! In Australia, for instance, the day for honouring Dad occurs on the first Sunday in September. Same with New Zealand.

In Thailand, Father’s Day is celebrated on the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (that’s a mouthful) on Dec 5. The King gives a speech and many people in the country wear pink to honour him. Canna Lilies are a popular gift.

Men—not just fathers—are celebrated in Russia. The Feb. 23 holiday started as a military commemoration, and soldiers are still honoured in parades throughout the country.

Mexico honours Father’s day with a 21K Father’s Day race—thought maybe not this year given the coronavirus situation—and people in Brazil celebrate St. Joachim on Aug. 2. St. Joachim is the patron saint of fathers and grandfathers.

Interesting, right?

I’m always fascinated by how different cultures celebrate the various holidays, especially since Canada is such a culturally diverse country. What traditions do you have?

Gotta jet! Happy Father’s Day everyone—I hope it’s a special one!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Stopping to smell the...science?

My grandma has a garden full of roses (and I mean, full)—red, yellow, pink, even orange (actually, I think the technical term is apricot). Grandma could probably open her own flower business with the number of different coloured roses in her garden.

I'm teasing, but the truth is Grandma's rose garden is exceptionally pretty with all the different colours. Except...Grandma doesn't grow any of her favourite-coloured roses.

Grandma loves ROYAL BLUE ROSES. I concur—they are beautiful. But…you won’t see many of those growing in a typical garden.

That’s because blue roses are grown using biotechnology—which is a scientific process that’s pretty hard to explain but essentially means the plant’s DNA is naturally altered to create a specific trait—in this case, its royal blue colour. Sound complicated?

It is!

Which is why even though scientists have been growing royal blue roses for the last six years or so, my grandpa has to order them in for special occasions—like Grandma’s birthday, Mother’s Day, and June 12 (that's today!)—which is ironically, Red Rose Day. (Who makes these days up?!)

Biotechnology is pretty fascinating science, and of course like all science, it’s evolving all of the time.

We talk about biotechnology in the Superman Duffy educational graphic novel 5-7-5 ERRAND BOY. If you've read it, you know that biotechnology affects our daily lives more than we think. If you don't have a copy, you can get a free copy by visiting the Alberta Canola Producers Commission website.

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend—and don't forget to stop to smell the roses....

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Gone fishing!

I've been thinking a lot about all the things I haven't been able to do this spring because of the pandemic—like swimming, hanging out with friends, or spending a few hours at the library. But I realized something this morning—that's "stinking thinking."

It's true, this has been a strange year. A tough year. An emotional year.

But instead of focussing on all of that, I want to start turning my thinking around. Like remembering how much time I've been able to spend with my family. Or how Mom's yard is looking pretty awesome because she's had time to take care of it.

And instead of focussing on the things I can't do, I'm going to turn the spotlight on things I can—like fishing!

This afternoon, Mom is taking me and Amelia to get our fishing licenses. This afternoon, we're going to bike ride to a fishing hole I know about.

I’ve been digging through Mom’s garden soil for worms (you wouldn’t believe how many of those slimy things are in a shovel’s worth of good soil!) and I already have a big jar of them, perfect for trout fishing. Amelia is in charge of packing snacks.

It doesn't even matter if Amelia and I catch fish—Mom says we need to just enjoy the experience. I plan to! What experiences will you enjoy this weekend?

Gotta jet! See you next week.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

A Berry Delicious (and Nutritious) Reminder

A few years ago, I discovered the secret to Track and Field success! Well, to be more accurate, my grandma told me about it. I've talked about it before, but when Mom went to the grocery store this week, she brought back a ton of berries. And of course, that got me thinking about smoothies...

And that reminded me about my conversation with Grandma a few years back. 

We'd just finished a heart-to-heart, where I'd told her I was cutting out sweets, and all fats. She seemed okay with it, until I suggested (carefully) that she use less canola oil.

Whoops! My bad.

I know now that canola oil is one of the healthiest oils out there. It’s low in saturated fat and has NO trans fat or cholesterol. I know, I should have known this—my grandparents are canola farmers.

And then, Grandma told me that adding just two teaspoons of canola oil to something as simple as a breakfast smoothie can boost its vitamin E and omega-3 fat content—the stuff I need to run faster, like Superman. Grandma found a recipe from a former Olympic champion – Janet Evans – for a Berry Smoothie that is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I dug it out again, and starting today, it's back to smoothies for me. 

Grandmas are so smart, aren't they?

Gotta jet! I’m slamming my smoothie and then heading out for my morning run—even if the rain is trickling down. It's supposed to be a gorgeous weekend!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. I’ve included that recipe I was talking about below. If you’re Gordon “Lightening” Smith, or any of my other competitors, close your eyes!

BERRY DELICIOUS SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

1 medium banana

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup green tea, cooled

1/2 cup cranberry juice,

4 ice cubes

2 teaspoons canola oil

Blend it all until it's smooth.

Weathering the weather

I don't know about you, but when I woke up this morning and looked outside, I just about crawled back into bed. It's SNOWING.

Snowing. In May.

I know, I know—it's not the first time. And in fact, Mom reminded me that one year, it snowed at the end of June. It's just that, I really need some nice weather right now. I don't mind staying safe at home—I know it's the right thing to do during this pandemic—but being stuck in the house with my sister all the time is hard sometimes.

And it's not just me that's not happy about the weather, either. I overheard Mom talking to Grandma while I was having breakfast, and this "wet snow" isn't necessarily good for farmers still trying to get their crop in the ground.

To give you some perspective, farmers need 14 weeks to grow a crop. Seeding can’t begin until all of the snow melts (we had snow in some parts of the province a couple of weeks ago) and the moisture-saturated land dries—which, if it's raining or sleeting, like it is today, makes it even more challenging.

Grandpa always says he needs to take advantage of EVERY dry day if he’s going to get his crop in—and then, we all need to hope for great growing weather to ensure the seeds have enough time to grow. We live in Alberta though, so we probably shouldn't hold our breath. (Which seems like good advice, anyway!)

A quick look at my weather app tells me it's going to be a couple of wet days—which means I probably won't be outside much. So what am I going to do with my time? Well, I'll start by going through all of the fun learning activities I wrote about last month for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Maybe there's one I want to try again.

If that doesn't keep me busy, I might bake cookies. Or read a new book—the new Hunger Games story is out! There's a cartoon I wouldn't mind binge watching...and of course, it's family movie night, so I know there will be popcorn in my near future.

What are your ideas for a rainy day?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend, whatever the weather.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Obeying the new rules of the road

Even though the weather these past few days has felt more like fall than spring (brrr), it is bike season—and in these times of "staying safe at home" it's one of the activities you can do by yourself, or with your entire family. (As long as you already have bikes. Dad went to buy Mom a new one for Mother's Day and they're sold out everywhere.)

I'm well versed in bike safety—these six rules are pretty standard:

1. Before you head out, check your tire pressure, brakes, gears, lights, horns and reflective devices to make sure everything works—or ask an adult to help you with all those details.
2. Check your helmet to make sure it still fits. Wear a helmet—with the straps done up and everything. It could save your life!
3. Know your hand signals, and use them.
4. Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, not against it.
5. If you’re heading out in the early morning, or coming home at dusk, wear bright clothing.
6. Map out your route and look for side streets or designated bike paths where possible.

You probably know all of that stuff already, but this year, there are two additional rules to consider: 

1. Keep your distance. The six-foot / two meter rule still applies, so make sure you give others a wide birth. Avoid busy paths at busy times of the day, and use your bell to let people know you're coming so they can step out of the way to let you pass. 
2. Keep it in the family. Now is not the time to be out riding with your friends—we're not quite there yet. I know it's hard, but the safer we are now, the sooner we can back to normal, right?

Gotta jet! Happy riding—and have a great long weekend. The weather is supposed to be great.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

A Different Kind of Mother's Day

It’s Mother’s Day weekend and you know what that means? Great food!

Well, traditionally it does. But this year, things aren't going to be quite the same because we usually get together with my grandparents to celebrate the day—and that's not quite allowed yet with physical distancing measures still in place.

And usually Amelia and I make something for Mom in school, and Dad goes out and gets flowers for all of the "Moms" in his life. But yeah, not sure that's happening either, since Amelia and I aren't actually in school and a lot of stores are closed.

But there are some ways we can celebrate. Dad and I plan to tackle Grandma's infamous Mother's Day lunch crepes—wish us luck, they're not easy!—and tomorrow, Amelia and I are going to make hand-made Mother's Day cards and a "spa" product of some kind. In the past, we've made bath salts. Dad says this year we should try Foaming Vanilla Bath.

Pretty, right? Here's the recipe and instructions, so you can make it too:

FOAMING VANILLA BATH
(Remember to ask an adult for help!)

Stuff You Need

Blender—preferably one with a feeder tube in the top and a low-speed setting.

Measuring cups and measuring spoon.

Container(s)—these should be able to hold about 425 mL or 1 3/4 cup. You can either use one large container or several smaller ones.

Ingredients You Need

125 mL liquid hand soap 1/2 cup
15 mL  vanilla extract  1 Tbsp.
50 mL honey  1/4 cup
250 mL canola oil 1 cup

Make It!

1. Pour liquid hand soap, vanilla and honey into a blender.

2. With the lid on and the feeder tube open, turn on the blender at low speed.  Mix the first three ingredients.

3. Slowly drizzle the canola oil through the feeder tube as the blender is running. This will create a creamy blend.

4. Turn off the blender. Remove the lid and pour mixture into container(s).

Use it!

Add about 50mL (1/4 cup) to your bath. If the mixture separates, shake well before using.

Okay, time to get making! I plan to make an extra batch of Foaming Vanilla Bath and another card, so we can drop them off on Grandma's doorstep. I don't think Dad will be able to find blue roses this year (they're her favourite), but he'll find something to help make her day special.

Gotta jet!  I hope you have a great weekend celebrating with the special “moms” in your life.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

The Importance of Routine

Whew! That was a busy month of blogging, right?

Don't get me wrong, I love the Blogging From A to Z Challenge—and this year's theme was fun, even with all of the educational stuff. (It's okay to admit it—you miss school. Me too!) But I can also admit, I'm happy to not be thinking about a blog every day throughout May.

The thing is, doing the challenge forced me to create a routine. The blog posts were published by 9 a.m. MST on most days (I was late once or twice), and posted on social media at specific times. I had to schedule in time to plan, research, and write each post. It was a big job, but by the end, I had a system. A routine.

Things are less structured this month—and that might be a bit of a problem.

I woke up late, even though I know the sun is out. And I lounged around in my pyjamas for an hour while watering the plants my sister and I are growing in the living room. I read a comic. Ate some cereal....and then it hit me. Today is Friday and my blog post is due.

Mom's been up working since 7 am. Dad too. Even my sister had started on her school work. But I don't even have a calendar in my bedroom—I've completely lost track of the days, and it's only the first of the month.

That stops today. First things first, I'm going to hang a calendar in my room—and if I can't find one, then I'm going to make one, or print off a template. On that calendar, I'm going to schedule things—like homework, running, blogging, writing, reading... All of the things I need to make time for. It might feel like summer vacation, but it's not.

What does your routine look like?

On that note...gotta jet! I'm already late.

See you next Friday, bright and early, for a special Mother's Day post. Yup, that's right, Mother's Day is coming fast. What ideas do you have?

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Z is for Zoom

Well, we're here. It's the last day of April—and the final day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. It really "zoomed" by, right? <heh>

As you probably know, my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I conjured up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. So far, they've all been fun activities. Right? If you haven't been following along, check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up, B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

On the third Monday, I talked about knitting, learning a new language, and shared some fun math activities. For real! To showcase "N," I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. (I made a shark!) To cap off that week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it. Got any characters to share?

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. How is that going? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

Our final week of the challenge started Monday with—well, writing, of course! On Tuesday, we made music with xylophones and other instruments. And yesterday, I encouraged you to focus on YOU. How did you spend your day?

Ready for our final letter? Let's do this!

Z is for Zoom

Yesterday I shared that I'm missing a lot of people in my life these days—family, friends. Sure, I don't mind hanging out with my sister—she's actually a lot more fun than I thought—but there's nothing like skateboarding with Lightning, or going to the mall with Sophie.

And who knows how long it will be before we can do those things?

Mom says I need to stay strong—not just for Amelia, but for myself too. This isn't going to last forever, right?

But I do need some interaction, and so today, I'm going to talk about Zoom. Not as in car racing, though earlier this month, I shared some ideas on how to make soap box race cars. I mean the computer app that allows you to see your friends—even when you're apart.

I picked Zoom because it's a "Z" word, but you can use Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Gmail chat, and more. Just make sure that whatever app you choose, you have your parents check the security settings. You don't want random people showing up in your hangout with friends!

Tonight, I'm going to do a Zoom call with Lightning and Sophie. We're going to watch a movie at the same time—the new Disney movie, Onward!

Mom says we can use Zoom for all kinds of things. Like doing homework, taking part in an online class, playing a game, baking with Grandma, exercise, and much more. What will YOU Zoom about?

Well, this is it. The end of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. I hope you had fun following along with me this month. I'll be back Friday for my usual monthly posts, but until then...

Gotta jet!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Y is for You

I can't believe—tomorrow is the final day of this year's Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I can't believe how fast the month has zipped by!

As you probably know, my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I've conjured up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. So far, they've all been fun activities. Right? If you haven't been following along, check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

On the third Monday, I talked about knitting, learning a new language, and shared some fun math activities. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off that week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. Any progress this weekend? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

Our final week of the challenge started Monday with—well, writing, of course! And yesterday, we made music with xylophones and other instruments. How fun was that?

I'm switching things up today...

Y is for You

You? Yup...you.

Let's face it, even if you are healthy and your family is doing everything possible to make your time at home as positive as possible, these are stressful times. I'm not ashamed to admit that I miss my grandparents, I miss my friends, I miss school, and I miss being able to do all of the things I usually do in the summer—like go to festivals, hang out at the park, or even practice training for track by running around my grandparents' canola field.

So today, I've decided that for my "Y" activity, I'm going to practice self care—and so should you.

What does that mean? Well, for starters, I slept in a little. Then, I made pancakes for breakfast—which is not just my favourite, but my sister's, as well. Here's the recipe from the Canola Eat Well website that I used.

Next up, I plan to go for a run. It's not sunny where I am, but the sidewalks are ice and snow free, and since I can't run on my grandparents' farm, I need to plan out a new practice route. When I get back, I'm going to read a comic book, and work on my short story.

Then, I'm going to help my sister with some Mother's Day crafts. Usually, she does a project in school for Mom, but that's not happening this year, so I've already started Googling ideas. Here are some fun "spa" products you can make using canola oil. I've made them for Grandma before and she loves them...I bet Mom would too.

For dinner, I'm helping Dad barbecue some burgers (learning to use the barbecue is a big deal in this house), and then we're going to have a family puzzle night.

Maybe these aren't specific educational activities, but they all have benefits—especially on my mindset. It's been a long seven weeks of self isolation, and it doesn't look like things will be changing any time soon. I can handle it—we all can, especially when we know it's for the good of the whole country—but there's nothing wrong with spending a little time taking care of ourselves.

How will you spend your YOU day?

Gotta jet! I'll be back tomorrow for the final day of the Blogging From A to X Challenge—the letter "Z." I have a super fun activity to cap off the month.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: X is for Xylophone

Good morning! In case you're just visiting for the first time this month, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—again! My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Skeptical? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

On the third Monday, I talked about knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off that week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. Any progress this weekend? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

Our final week of the challenge started yesterday with—well, writing, of course! How did your character creation go? For today's "X' post, get ready to make some noise!

X is for Xylophone

I've been doing the Blogging From A to Z Challenge for about five years now, and the letter "X" has always been a struggle—there aren't many "X" words when you think about it. But the word Xylophone always comes to mind—and this year, I figured out a way to use it in the challenge!

Okay, so most of you won't have an actual xylophone (if you do, that's awesome!), but there's never been a better time to start learning how to play a new instrument.

Music, as it turns out, has many educational benefits. Reading music requires some basic math skills—yeah, I know, you really do use math in your everyday life. Half notes, quarter notes, etc, are essentially fractions. Music can also inspire your creativity, boost your self esteem, encourage your brain to work harder, and—my mom's favourite—it helps you become a better listener.

If you've got an old guitar lying around, why not give it a strum? Or maybe it's time to dig out that old Recorder?

Nothing on hand? Don't worry! If you're feeling crafty, here is a link to 52 instruments you can make, many that use common household items. I can already tell it's going to be a noisy day.

Gotta jet! Happy music making today—and I'll see you tomorrow for the second to last day of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. Can you believe the month is almost over? Me either!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: W is for Writing

Happy Monday! This is the final week—and the final letters—of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—I can't believe how quickly the month has flown by! In case you're just joining in, my theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. The week ended with juggling.

I followed that week up with knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off the Week 3, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

Of course, we didn't stop there! Last week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. Any progress this weekend? On Friday, I gave you another challenge—to build an umbrella! And we finished off the week with Virtual Field Trips.

And so...here we are. The last few days. I bet you can guess what today's post will be about...

W is for Writing

You probably know this by now, but I'm very interested in storytelling—writing, specifically, but I love all kinds of stories. Language Arts with Mrs. Kratky is my favourite subject, and not just because she thinks I'm a pretty good writer, either.

This month, many of the letters have focussed on writing, or at least included a writing component—such as penning haikus and essays—but today's post is all about writing.

If you've followed my blog for any amount of time, you'll know that every November—for National Novel Writing Month—I do a blog a day with writing tips that cover everything from generating story ideas, to character development, to even boosting your vocabulary. Scroll through my past posts for November, and you'll be surprised at how much you can learn.

A simple Google search will net you all kinds of writing prompts—and if you or anyone in your family is on Twitter, follow the hashtag #PromptMyStory. A whole bunch of Canadian writers are sharing ideas for where to begin your story—no matter what format you take.

Your challenge today? Start creating a character. You can use the play dough method I talked about in my "P" post, or try cutting out images from old magazines and newspapers to start getting an idea of what your character looks like. When you've got the perfect "hero" of your story...start plotting!

How much can you get written by the end of the day?

Don't stop there, though. Writing a story—even a short one—can take days, weeks, or even months. By the time we're back to school, you could have a polished piece of fiction. I know that's my goal. What's yours?

Gotta jet! Happy writing—and see you tomorrow for a tricky "X" activity.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

P.S. Another great writing activity if fiction isn't your thing? Write a letter to your grandparents, or other family members you haven't been able to see in a while.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: V is for Virtual Field Trips

As you must know by now, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. My theme this year is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling.

Next up was knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest—we used a deck of cards and everything! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. On Thursday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family, and yesterday we created umbrellas...for the rain that never came. At least not where I live.

We're capping the week off with "V." Scroll down!

V is for Virtual Field Trips

Oh the places you'll go...virtually, of course!

I know, no one wants to stay inside when the weather is so great (looks like another sunny day!), but you have plenty of time to explore cool (and educational!) "online" destinations.

It's hard not to pay attention to the news these days—Mom has it on even when she's on the elliptical! I don't watch it that closely, but I am a bit interested in politics and so this online tour of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa was kind of interesting. Some of those rooms might be a good place to set one of my stories...

If travel is more your thing, why not head to the Canadian Arctic? (Virtually! I'm happy to see the snow gone here.) Did you know that in Iqaluit, Canada, you can travel the snowy trails by dog sled? I'd love to do that. You can do that closer to home, of course, but check out the pictures of Iqaluit—it looks beautiful. And cold. Brrrr.

Looking for something a bit warmer? This link will take you to all kinds of farm tours. You can learn about dairy production, visit a sheep farm, "pick apples" from a virtual orchard, and so much more. I know a lot about canola because my grandparents own a canola farm, but I'm excited to learn more about where our food comes from!

That's probably enough to get you started, but try Googling some of your favourite places—like the Tyrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumhellar, AB. Most places are offering virtual tours...and many of them are free.

Gotta jet! My parents have a busy weekend planned—time to get the yard ready for planting. Dad says he's going to need extra time to tackle Mom's growing To Do list...

Have a great weekend. Don't forget, the Blogging From A to Z Challenge takes a break tomorrow, but the final few days kicks off Monday. See you then!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: U is for Umbrella STEM Challenge

It's Friday! (Not that time has much meaning these days...)

As you know, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—my sixth year in a row! My theme is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling.

Next up was knitting, learning a new language, and some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to a few nature activities and "O" was for Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, Tuesday we talked about reading, and Wednesday was all about science. Yesterday, I challenged you to make a COVID-19 Time Capsule with your family. How's that going?

This morning, I have another challenge for you—and it's kind of relevant because even though the sun is shining this morning, it's supposed to rain later tonight. Which means, if you're planning to go for a walk, you might need an umbrella....

U is for Umbrella STEM Challenge

The last few letters of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge are usually pretty difficult, so I was excited to find this Umbrella STEM activity.

What's STEM? That's science, technology, engineering and math...yeah, math. (I'm starting to like Math, if I'm being honest...)

The idea of this challenge is to try and design a better umbrella—and as you can see from the picture, you don't need a lot of supplies.

Here's what to gather before you start:

• Household materials (sponges, popsicle sticks, coffee filters, paper plates, etc.) 
• Small toys (such as dinosaur fiches, plastic bugs, etc.) 
• Play tray
• Glue, tape, string, etc. 
• Scissors 

The goal is to design a type of umbrella that will keep the small toys dry. Be sure to sketch out a blueprint first so you can identify any potential flaws in your plan.

When you've created your "umbrella," test your design by putting your toys under the umbrella and sprinkling water on it. Did the toys stay dry?

Who knows, maybe you'll design something we should all be using...

Gotta jet! I plan to enjoy the sunshine today, but I don't mind if it rains tonight—we're watching a family movie. Amelia suggested UP, which is kind of perfect since we're celebrating the letter "U" today!

See you tomorrow for another tough letter—"V."

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: T is for Time Capsule

Good sunny morning! As you know, I'm taking part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge—my sixth year in a row! My theme is 26 Super Fun Learning Activities You Can Do From Home. That's right, I'm conjuring up 26 "educational" ideas to keep you busy while you're safe at home. But don't get too hung up on the word "educational"—so far, they've all been fun activities. Don't believe me? Check out the links to my past posts below.

I kicked off the challenge with Art for the letter A. Next up was B was for Baking. My sister and I did some chemistry for the letter "C," and I rounded off the first week with a family dance off. "E" was for exercise (which was way more fun than you think) and "F" was all about family. We got our hands dirty with some gardening,  celebrated Poetry Month and the letter "H" by writing haikus, and of course, "I" was for Invention. Week two ended with juggling.

We started week two of the challenge with knitting. On Tuesday we talked about learning a new language, and on Wednesday we did some fun math. Honest! For "N" I linked to some nature activities and on Friday, we talked about Origami. To cap off the week, I shared my grandma's famous "play dough" recipe—and some ways you can create with it.

But wait, there's more! This week started with quicksand, and yesterday, on Tuesday we talked about reading, and yesterday was all about science. How many of the five experiments I shared did you try? I'd love to see pictures!

My "T" activity is something that will forever mark this very unusual year....

T is for Time Capsule

Yup, that's right, we're going to make a Time Capsule. I know for many people, 2020 is shaping up to be a year we'd all like to forget...but some day down the road, we're going to want to remember it.

I won't lie—this isn't a quick activity, and you're going to want to take a few days to fill in the worksheets as a family, but there are about a dozen activities that include everything from writing prompts, to mini art activities.

The activities were created by a Calgary woman, and you can download the PDF worksheets here for free. It's even available in different languages!

I won't take up too much of your time today...you probably want to get started while it's still a bit chilly outside. Mom says Amelia and I can ride our bikes today, and I am itching to hit the sidewalks for a social distance run. Feels good to lace up my kicks again.

Gotta jet! But I'll see "U" tomorrow, right? <heh>

~ Chase Superman Duffy