What is Blue Monday?

Good question! Apparently, it's the saddest day of the year—and it's coming up this Monday.

I guess when the typical "winter blues" (and that's even more so this week with our ridiculously freezing temperatures) combines with people—mostly adults—thinking about how much they spent at Christmas, it can cause a little bit of depression.

Sure, I’m not the most patient kid—I can hardly wait to get back to running outside. Spring is my favourite season. But I’m not going to let Monday get me down. No way! (Especially since this cold snap is supposed to...well, snap!)

And anyway, I've got way too much to be happy about.

Like trying out my new snowshoes. Outdoor activity is something that makes me happy—and even better I can literally do it in my own back yard. Well, my grandparents’ back yard. If Monday is as warm as they say it will be, that's exactly what I plan to do.

And there’s another thing that makes me happy. My family. So many of my friends don’t have their grandparents anymore. Not only do I have both sets, I have great relationships with them, especially Grandpa Duffy. My Mom and Dad are pretty awesome, too. And sure, I guess my sister’s okay.

I love reading and writing. Playing video games with my friends. Watching movies with Dad. I even like school, especially Language Arts. Mrs. Kratky is always complimenting me on my writing.

When it comes down to it, I’ve really got nothing to be sad about. Not today—and not Monday, either. So next week, I’m going to turn my frown upside down. What about you? What will you be HAPPY about on Monday?

Gotta jet! Have a great weekend and a VERY happy Monday.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Confront the Cold with Comfort Food

Compared to last month, Alberta has really been in a "deep freeze"—which means I'm not outside as much as I would like. Anything below 25 degrees Celsius is too cold for snowshoeing, running, and ice fishing—even if you have a heater and I tent.

Yep, it's cold.

And this is the perfect time to start thinking about (if you haven't already) some of those heartier meals that do more than fill your belly and provide comfort—they can can you warm. To keep my energy levels up when I’m running (or just playing outside), Grandma says it’s important to eat nutrient-dense, balanced meals of proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Like when I stay at Grandma’s this weekend, I know for breakfast she’ll make me a ham, spinach and a lower-fat cheese omelette, or delicious oatmeal sprinkled with raisins, pumpkin seeds, vanilla yogurt, and a little brown sugar. (My mouth is watering even as I type!)

I asked Grandma to teach me how to make some of my favourites this weekend—like stew, and potato soup, and her famous chicken pot pie. She has some great recipes, but if you're looking for some to try out yourself (or convince your family to make with you), check out the Superman Duffy graphic novel TASTING MY STORY (it's free on the Alberta Canola Producers Commission website) or go here for recipes created by Dr. Chris Mohr. Grandma says she has the site bookmarked.

Gotta jet! Stay warm this weekend—it's going to be chilly!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Still Chasing My Dreams - You Can Too!

If you’ve read any of the Superman Duffy graphic novels—and if you haven't, they're FREE from the Alberta Canola Producers Commission—you know that many of the stories focus on real people who have, and continue to “chase their dreams.”

In Fields of Home, for example, Polish farmer Mr. Slovonuk has chosen "a better life" in Canada and helps write our country's history by being the first farmer to grow rapeseed (now canola) on his small Saskatchewan farm.

Kevin Therres dreamt of building the world’s first Jet Engine Funny Car which runs on 100 percent canola biodiesel—and you can read about how he does it (for real) in Gotta Jet! 

Robert Thirsk always dreamed of going to space—now he’s one of the most famous astronauts in the world. And in It’s a Blast!, Robert helps Chase (aka: me) send canola seeds in a rocket ship, just like he did for real many years ago.

Inspiring, right?

January 13 is Make Your Dreams Come True Day, which got me really thinking about my dreams. If you follow my blog, you know I have a LOT of them.

My top two are:

• Become an Olympic track athlete
• Write a story that is good enough to be published

I know I’m just a kid, but one thing I’ve learned from inspiring people like Kevin Therres and Robert Thirsk is that it’s never too early to start chasing your dreams. How? Good question!

Here are three tips Mr. Therres shared with me many years ago:

• Give yourself permission to dream—if you can dream it, you can do it! (Yes, even your biggest dreams!)

• Visualize yourself accomplishing your dreams—this can spark your creativity and make you more motivated. (Sometimes, I picture myself winning a writing award or the gold medal. How cool would that be?!)

• Practice patience! Dreams don’t come true overnight while you’re sleeping. Reaching your goals takes time, effort, and patience—dream, practice, and repeat.

What are your dreams? This year, what steps will you take this year to achieve them?

Gotta jet!

— Chase Superman Duffy

Getting Ready to Kick Off a New Decade

Santa may have come and gone—and I hope you had a spectacular Christmas!—but that doesn't mean the "festive" season is over. At least not entirely. This weekend, my family is going to GLOW (and awesome lights festival), and we have tickets to the ice castles too, if it's cold enough to keep the ice warm.

Plus, Dad got snowshoes for Christmas, so it looks like we'll be spending some time outdoors—including ice fishing this Sunday afternoon. Dad has a pretty cool set up—a tent, a heater, etc—but there's a lot we need to cram in before the New Year, when things get busy.

Speaking of the New Year, I've made (short) list of resolutions. I don't get too hard on myself if I don't achieve all of them—and neither should you!—but it's fun thinking about personal development goals.

Here's what I have so far:

Write more letters. I have friends across the country (and even some from around the world) and instead of just emailing, I am going to try and write at least one letter a month. It’s the perfect way to start Letter Writing Week, which starts in mid January.

Write more in general. I had an amazing November—I completed my NaNoWriMo goal with a whopping 10,000 words. That's more than I wrote all year...but it was quite a bit crammed into one month. And to be honest, it burnt me out a little. So I plan to recharge in 2020, and get in some solid writing time...more regularly.

Read more books. I know, this is always on my list, but it's always one of my goals. This year, I pledge to read at least 25 books. A trip to the bookstore is one of the stops on Mom's "boxing week" shopping list. (So is getting a new blender, because apparently we're all going into the New Year with smoothies or something.)

Start a new hobby. My mom says hobbies are important for personal growth (or something like that). I've learned how to take pictures (and will keep practicing), and last year, I started snowshoeing. But I need something new, something "start of a new decade" worthy. Got any ideas? I'm going to give this more thought—and I'll share what I come up with next week on the blog. But....if you have some ideas, share them in the comments, please!

I have some other resolutions too—like helping mom around the house more, spending more time with my sister, beating my personal running best, and keeping my room...cleaner. But I guess I should be doing those things anyway.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions?

Gotta jet! Can't wait to hear all about how you are ushering in a NEW decade—may 2020 be your best year to date!

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Holiday traditions aplenty!

This is one of my favourite weeks of the year – the last few days leading up to Christmas.

We have a whole bunch of family traditions over the holidays, starting this weekend with the annual Gingerbread House extravaganza. Mom and I will cook up some delicious gingerbread, while Dad and my sister, Amelia, head to the candy store for the accessories. We’ll also use some of our left-over Halloween candy, like the suckers and lifesavers. One year, we built a castle. I wonder what Dad has in mind this time. (I'm hoping for a haunted house!)

On Sunday, Mom and Grandma will make Ginger Snaps (they’re called Bettys Gingersnaps on canolainfo.org) and Nanaimo Bars – two of my favourites. Plus, Mom does a cookie exchange with some of the ladies from her work. Baked goods aplenty! My tummy is already rumbling.

Monday night, we’ll all drive around the neighbourhood looking at Christmas lights. There’s one house around the corner that does such a great job they should be on the news. And we'll probably go to Candy Cane Lane.

Of course, we’ll be delivering Santa’s Anonymous gifts on Christmas Eve, and then watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Sometimes we play Whovilleopoly or some other board game. And before bed, we take turns reading from a book, usually a great Christmas story—in the new pyjamas Mom lets us open.

Then it’s Christmas morning! Dad makes a delicious pancake breakfast. Afterwards, we go skating (if it’s not too cold, or maybe snowshoeing this year if my Christmas wish comes true), and then head over to my grandparents house for turkey dinner. This year, I'm in charge of the mashed potatoes. I can hardly wait.

Yep. It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Gotta jet! I'll see you next Friday.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

DIY Christmas Cards, Anyone?

About four years ago, Mom started a new tradition of making Christmas cards for the entire family—even for the cousins—and second cousins!—we haven't seen in years.

It makes sense. The personal touch is so much better than sending an email—though we spend most of Christmas morning calling family too. And we're kind of a crafty family, as you know. But I still have some shopping to get done, so I was happy to see that this year's card doesn't seem as difficult as some of the others she's found on Pinterest.

One year, we made these Rudolph cards using our fingerprints.

They were fun—and easy!

Next up were these cards, which aren't quite as easy as you think. Mom dug out the ruler to make sure the ribbon was in THE EXACT MIDDLE of the card.

We got through it, and even Grandma said we made perfect little bows.  (She has to say that though—she's Grandma!)

The next year, I tried to convince my parents that we should just have our family photo taken—better yet, I would set up the camera and take the shot myself. But no...Mom wasn't having it. She has a "thing" for penguins so we made these.

Cute, right? And also very hard. Those pieces aren't the easiest to cut out. My sister loved gluing the googly eyes on.

No googly eyes this year, and not as much cutting, but I'm curious to see how we get the little bumps on the bottom of these adorable snowman cards.

Gotta jet! However you're spending your weekend, I hope it's merry and bright! See you next week.

~ Chase Superman Duffy

Kindness throughout the holidays

I don't know about you, but I haven't done much writing—or revising—since the end of NaNoWriMo. Oh, I'll get to it, but right now, there's a bit too much "holiday" excitement happening. Which makes it hard to focus on writing, or school, or...pretty much anything.

Take this weekend, for instance. Mom and I are going shopping for Christmas presents—with a quick stop to visit Santa. (Have to get my list in!) Shopping with Mom is fun, but it can also be stressful. It's crowded in the malls, and kind of loud.

Sometimes it's easy to forget "kindness" when you're jostling for position in a long line, trudging through snow or slipping across ice. Sure, Christmas has holiday lights, hot chocolate, and family gathered around the table—but it also comes with some stresses.

So this year—again—I'm making a list...of ways I can spread KINDNESS this season. Little things *I* can do to make it easier on someone else—my family, my friends, even strangers. The world needs kindness. And we can all do our part. Right?

Here are a few ideas I had:

• Bake cookies (with Grandma) and drop a batch off at the local senior's home—or maybe the police station, fire station, or hospital. Retailers aren't the only ones working extra hard over the holiday season. 
• Shovel the neighbour's walk—or for someone else on my street. 
• Buy hot chocolate for the person behind me in the coffee shop line. 
• Take my sister ice skating. (If you saw how she skates, you'd know how kind of me this is!)
• Help my neighbour put up his Christmas lights. Obviously I won't be climbing on the roof or any ladders, but I can arrange the light-up snowmen and deer on the lawn!
• Smile! It sounds simple, but you'd be surprised what a genuine smile can do during this stressful time of year. 
• Volunteer to wrap presents for local seniors or maybe the children's wing at the hospital. 
• Leave a Christmas card for the mailman in the mail box. 
• Pick up trash at a park and throw it in the garbage.
• Donate some of extra toys, books, or clothes. 

Good list, right? Have things to add? Great—we can all brainstorm together and come up with the BEST list. Share your Random Acts of Holiday Kindness in the comments so we can keep the ideas coming.

Gotta Jet! I’m going to start on this list this weekend. See you next Friday!

~ Chase Superman Duffy