The Things We Do For Our Kids

Thursday night, I was at the bar. Again. I've been to more bars in the last year than I ever went to during my youth. And I'm going to the bar for my children.

Last spring, Kristen's volleyball team had a fund raiser at "The Bicycle Club." While the athletes themselves were all too young to go to a bar, the parents had the opportunity to sell tickets to a "Bud, Spud and Steak" dinner. So, I invited 10 or more friends (actually, they were almost all family and we forced the 18 year old nephew to come too). I was so unsure of how to act at the bar, I had to ask Frank how to order a glass of wine. I know, I'm a cheap date. One glass of wine. It was fun because I was with a group of people that I liked to be with and most of us hadn't been to the bar in years.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself at Coyotes, a bar in the south end of town. I, along with Wes and about 100 people who were young enough to be my children were there to cheer "our" band, Focus, in the "Battle of the Bands" competition. Did I feel out of place! If you ever want to experience feeling old, frumpy and totally out of your element, I suggest you go to a place like Coyotes. While I am not the kind of woman who has go to the washroom with someone else, I had to ask Jae to accompany me. I was afraid I would embarrass myself as I made my way to the washrooms. I needed someone young and hip to walk with me. She was happy to assist. Coyotes was loud and I had to endure 2 bands before Focus came on at 11:00, way past my bedtime. The good thing about that though, was that they were great and advanced to the next stage of the battle. They will play again on the 21st of December. Another good thing is that I actually like the Focus guys (especially my son, the cute drummer) and I enjoy their music.

So on Thursday, once again, I was at the bar. This time it was "Academy Bar and Grill." This was more my style. It is more like a funky restaurant than a bar and there weren't too many people there to make me feel old. The ocassion was "Academy Idol" and, you guessed it, Focus was playing. They had a great set. This was one show Kristen could attend so she was there along with CJ. Alvaro came along too so we had a bit of a family event.

So, 3 times at the bar in my 49th year. That's a record for me. I thought I left my bar hopping days behind me when I got married (although you could hardly describe my teenaged/young adult years as bar hopping years. I can remember 2 bar experiences from those days).

So, if you're looking for a place to go some evening, check out the Focus website. If they're playing somewhere, there's a good chance you'll see a 40 something couple looking like they just don't quite belong there. Come over and say hi. I just might buy you a drink.

Tree's Up!

I really love a beautifully decorated house for Christmas. And we have a huge, old house with 10 foot ceilings and I think that our house looks especially beautiful at Christmas time. So, while I love the house decorated, I do not enjoy doing the decorating. When the kids were young, everyone wanted to get in on the act and we would spend fun evenings together, each hanging our favourite ornaments. When they got a little older, they actually decorated on their own for a few years with just a little direction from me.

Fortunately for me I have a keener husband who, like me, enjoys a decorated house but unlike me, is willing to do the work. We are also back to a real tree. We had to get rid of our fake tree a couple of years ago and haven't got around to buying another one. I do love the real tree. As you can see, it's beautiful and the smell cannot be imitated by any spray, candle or potpourri.


You'll have to cock your head to the side to see this photo properly. I had to shoot it "corner to corner" so you could see the angel up top.

My Everyday Life

I think that I better post something before those of you who check this blog everyday give up on me. I'm around, I've enjoyed reading your posts and I've made a few comments here and there. I just haven't felt like there was much to write about. Life has been too busy lately (sorry for whining) and one of the first things to go when I get overwhelmed is my "fun time" on the computer. So, I'll write some random thoughts, just so you all know that I'm still alive and kicking.

-My sisters and I made lunch at Winnipeg Harvest a few days ago. We do this every Monday because we love cooking and we love the challenge of cooking at the food bank. The challenge is that we walk into the warehouse around 10:00 AM on Monday mornings and we decide the lunch menu based on what's available there. We never know! Yesterday, we cooked for about 75 people (including Tom Jackson) with only a microwave, 3 crockpots and a frying pan. The lunch menu consisted of cream of potato soup, pear salad with feta cheese and a meditteranean-style dressing, fresh fruit salad and BLTs.

Over the past 3 or so years, we have had grilled portobello mushrooms, cream of asparagus soup, and various curried dishes. We've made sandwiches with "egg salad" made out of tofu, Mexican style wraps and reuben sandwiches. We laugh at the irony that there are times we cook with foods in abundant supply at the food bank which we seldom purchase ourselves because of expense!

Many of the volunteers we cook for at Winnipeg Harvest are themselves clients of the food bank. They do not have a lot of opportunities to experience unique foods. So we try to highlight interesting flavours, spices and vegetables. We are proud of the fact that it was we who introduced sprouts to them. At first, people would remove the sprouts from their sandwiches or turn up their noses at them. Now, people just expect that they are part of the sandwiches we make and some have told us that they really enjoy them.

-Last week Thursday I went to Yvonne's to work on the sampler quilt that I am making. I was not very happy with the first block I made just over a month ago but I was very happy with the pinwheel blocks that I created this time around. It will probably take me a year to finish this quilt but that's okay. I'm enjoying this process. It is satisfying to spend an evening with a group of people, where nothing matters except for deciding what fabrics look best together and making straight 1/4 inch seams.

-Tonight I'm writing this post from the church. Very few people are coming out to participate on our "Wednesday Nights" and I don't have anything to do except lock up at the end of the evening. I'm glad I could take my computer along to catch up on my blogging. I am looking forward to my regular commitments coming to an end for the Christmas break.

-Last night Wes and I went to MTC (Manitoba Theatre Centre) to watch "A Christmas Carol." It was a great show with neat special effects (the ghost of Christmas Past actually flew with Scrooge). The costumes were excellent too.

-Tomorrow, I get to watch "Focus" (the band Tim is with) play at Academy Bar and Grill. It should be fun and because it is an all ages show, Kristen may be able to come by after her basketball game.

-Friday, it's off to Yvonne's to decorate cookies-women only. Yvonne excels at that kind of thing and at the end of the evening, we'll all be able to take home a dozen decorated cookies.

So, yeah, life is busy but life is good.

My problem

My problem is that I'm actually beginning to like CJ. He was here for supper one evening last week and we talked about world events and other important stuff. I was hoping that this would just be a summer "fling" for Kristen but it has now been going on for about 4 months.

What do I do now? What if they keep dating for months, or years? What if they break up in a couple of months. Do I stop liking him? Do I never see him again?

Do our children ever consider how their parents have to deal with a relationship?

Happy Birthday Eric #2

Here it is, a long overdue post about Eric, my second born, who turned 22 on November 10, 2005.

I think that being the second-born can be a bit of a challenge. The oldest child has already done a lot of the "firsts" and so the second child often feels like he/she needs to find a way to stand out. Eric stood out from the beginning. I like to brag about the fact that he was almost 11 pounds at birth. That's right. One ounce short of 11 pounds. They sent him to the intermediate care nursery at the hospital as soon as he was born because they wanted to keep an eye on him due to his size. When I went down to see him, it was no problem picking him out. He was the healthy looking, full term baby in a room with all of the other wee 5 pound or less babies.

Eric was the absolute cutest baby around. I know. You all think your kids are cute but Eric stood out. White blond hair, chubby pink cheeks and beautiful blue eyes. (I still think he's cute)

Eric, I have always appreciated your imagination and creativity. You would solicit the help of your younger siblings to create plays and dramas. We even have "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" on a VHS tape. It's such fun to watch. You produced, narrated, directed and acted and you got Tim and Kristen to join in the fun too.

You have always had a sensitive side. There is something within your spirit that draws children. I just loved it when little, 2 year old Micah would call you "Ericmyfriend." Even today, Micah's 9 and he and his little buddies consider you their friend. There is a gentleness and approachability that you have that allows children to feel comfortable and accepted in your presence. You will make a great dad one day.

One of the ways you've had to stand out in this family is your decision to follow the drama/music path in your life. You actually were a pretty good volleyball player and athlete in juniour high but you chose to pursue the artistic side of your personality. I am so proud of you for doing that and for investing your time and energy into your music. And look where it's gotten you! I can't wait to hear Aslan's Child. I'm glad that you are really enjoying your participation in that group.

I also appreciate your willingness to follow your own path. Ever since you were able to communicate, you could not be forced into anything you didn't want to do. Sometimes, that created some tension between you and I when you were little but it is a character trait that will continue to stand you in good stead. Did you know that Eric means "honourable ruler?" A leader with integrity and honour-that's you.

I am pleased that you are working so hard these days to get your communications degree. You are taking a full course load and you are working at Aqua-Tech. You're impacting the lives of children in the GNF Children's Community and you are part of Aslan's Child. You have filled your life with important, "eternal" things and I am so proud of you for making those choices and decisions.

I am excited about what God has in store for you, in your 23rd year. In the bible Jeremiah 29: 11-13 says: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart"

That is my hope and prayer for you Eric.

Love,
Mom

(P.S. Jeremiah 29: 6 says, "Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters." Eric, I know this really cute girl...)

Happy Birthday Eric!

It was Eric's birthday on Nov. 10 and as you can all see, I haven't posted in a while. This post will be short but I wanted you all to know that I haven't forgotten his birthday. How can a mother forget the birth of a child? Not me; but it was an icredibly busy week, culminating in a wonderful weekend retreat. I will post a blog about Eric around the end of this week I hope. There isn't enough time for me to write what I'd like about him and as I'm leaving tomorrow to go on a 5 day conference, I won't have time to write anything today.

So Eric, I haven't forgotten. See you next weekend!

At the risk of offending dog lovers everywhere...

Is this not the craziest thing you've heard of yet? I'm speechless. This time, I really don't know what to say.

It Worked For Michele...

Micah,
Please Post
I LOVED your eye test.

Can you tell me a joke?
Or a story about school?
I miss your blogs.
I wannna know about your life.

My Trip Downtown

We have been down to one car for about 4 weeks now. It’s a long story and I won’t bore you with the details but it all started when Wes rear-ended someone on his way home from work on October 3. Owning an older vehicle is like owning an older home. As soon as you start on one job, you discover many others that need doing.

As a result of this inconvenience, I’ve been taking the bus more often lately. It’s been good for me and I have felt quite smug and self-righteous about doing my part for the “One Tonne Challenge” by using public transit.

I have learned a thing or two about bus etiquette and I will post a list of things that I feel need to be addressed. Keep in mind that I do not use the bus during rush hour. I generally end up riding the bus between the hours of 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM along with old ladies, homeless people, some university students, and various people who do not look like they are gainfully employed.

Here’s my list. Unfortunately for me, the people who should be reading this list will not recognize themselves but it feels good for me to get it off my chest anyway. Maybe I should print it up and post it on the bus shelters…

1. Please make sure you are at the bus stop a good minute before the bus is scheduled to arrive. That way we won’t have to wait for you as you attempt to run to catch the bus.

2. Have your ticket/bus pass/money ready so that you can deposit it into the thingy as soon as you get on the bus.

3. If the bus is full and you are standing in the aisle, move aside for me when I’m trying to make my way to the door. And hold onto the pole please, not the handles that hang from the ceiling of the bus. I don’t want to stand under your armpit.

4. This leads me to the most important point of all, TAKE A BATH before you plan to ride the bus. Don’t you notice that I am gagging, holding my nose and trying to stay down-wind of you?

5. If you are not too steady on your feet, don’t stand up to leave until the bus stops. That would save you from falling onto my lap as you are struggling to walk while the bus is moving.

6. If you are chubby and are sharing a seat with me, it is important to clench your butt muscles and make yourself as small as possible to avoid touching my butt.

7. You might enjoy the music on your Discman but I’m not. Keep the volume down!

8. This one is serious folks. If a woman with a baby, an elderly person with a cane or anyone else who should be seated comes on the bus, GIVE THEM YOUR SEAT! Whatever happened to common courtesy? I am appalled at the young people especially, who will not give up their seats for some of these people.

Our van should be ready some time this week. It will be a little easier for me to get around once I have sole use of the car. It’s been good for me though, to have rubbed shoulders (or butts) with people using public transit. It struck me as ironic one day as I was taking the bus to meet with Wes and our financial planner to talk about RRSPs and investments that I was sharing my seat with a smelly, homeless man who was carrying his possessions in a back pack.

Life can seem mighty strange sometimes.
.

Happy Birthday Kristen!

My “baby” turns 17 today. Yup. Halloween day. She was born around 5:00 PM, right around the time that my poor, stressed out mom was dressing up 3 little boys in their respective costumes and attempting to respond to the calls of “Halloween apples!” by the front door. She managed, I managed and she was even able to come to the hospital and visit me after the evenings festivities were over.

This post is dedicated to Kristen Elise Postma, my one and only, my beloved daughter.

When I was pregnant with my fourth child people would often ask me if I was hoping for a girl. I always said no, that I would be happy with either sex. And that was true. But when you were born I realized that having a little girl was really a bonus for me. I truly would have been happy with a boy but it has been a real treat having another “girl” in the house.

Kristen, I have always admired your discipline and perseverance. You seldom procrastinate. You are one of the few people I know (your dad’s another one) who will start on a project when it is assigned and not wait until the day before it is due. I think that is one of the reasons that you have always been on the honour roll at school.

Perhaps because you were the youngest or perhaps because you were the only girl, you always felt that it was important for you to let your brothers know that you could not be “pushed around.” You expressed yourself clearly and strongly and they responded to that.

You have always had an independent nature. You could not be easily convinced to do something that you didn’t want to do. While that caused (and at times still causes) some difficulties between you and I, I know that this is a wonderful trait for you to have. You will decide to do something because you want to do it and not because someone else says you should. Do you remember the time when Tim cut his finger and needed stitches? One of the ways you asserted your independence was by not wanting to wear socks. Well, when you heard that you had to join your dad to take Tim to the hospital, I was shocked as to how quickly you could find a pair of socks and put them on. You were ready to go in record time.

You always loved to do crafts. The messier, the better. Finger paints, papier-mâché. Remember the time Tim had a project due on a Monday and (unlike you) didn’t start it until the day before? The project was a relief map including rivers, a mountain and various other geographical features. This is something that we knew he could never finish on his own so you got in there and with great enthusiasm, helped him with his project. He got an excellent grade on it too, thanks in a large part to you.

Another thing I admire about you is your determination. When you decide you want to do something, you will do it until you are satisfied with the outcome. Remember that you wanted to learn how to play the song from the Titanic, “My Heart Will Go On and On?” I tried to convince you that there was no way you could learn it but you kept asking me and asking me until I finally began to teach it to you. I was sure that you’d get bored before too long and give up. Well, I taught it to you one measure at a time and sure enough, you learned how to play the whole song. I was, and still am amazed that you learned it and that you played it so well!

It has been such a pleasure to watch you grow up. You have made many wise choices over the years and some not so wise choices. But you have learned from your mistakes and that takes real wisdom and maturity. You have taught me much about myself and while that has been hard for me, it has been good too. You have reminded me that I can trust you, that you can make good and wise decisions. You have graciously forgiven me when I have not treated you as I should have. You have been patient with me when I have had trouble letting go.

These 17 years have been quite a ride for us, wouldn’t you say? I’m looking forward to this year, your eighteenth. It will be a big year. You’ll probably get your licence, experience you first kiss (oh no, you’ve probably already had that) the grad retreat and then graduation-gown, hair, nails, makeup… You’ll need to decide what you’re going to do next year too. You’ll be experiencing lots of big changes.

Just remember, your dad and I will always be here for you. We might not always agree with what you do or the decisions you make, but we’ll always stand by you and stand up for you. We will have some hard times. But my love for you will stand the test of time-of that I’m certain. We’ve weathered storms in the past and we will survive whatever comes our way. You are my daughter and I love you.

Happy Birthday!

Sweetest Words

The sweetest, kindest words that can be spoken to me on a Saturday morning when I have once again, left the grocery shopping to the weekend.
"Would you like help out with your bags ma'am?"
Sigh.

Roto Rooter

We recently renovated a bathroom here at our house. Brand new bathtub & shower, sink and toilet. It looks great and most of it works well except for the bathtub drain. It would literally take hours for the water to drain and of course, the tub, in my brand new bathroom always looked dirty.

Jeff came and had a look at it but was unsuccessful in unplugging it so he suggested I call the office and get Tim to come as he has more experience. Tim came at 8:00 this morning so I was up, dressed and quite cheerful when I let him in.

Well, Jeff was right. Tim was able to clear the drain and now it's working like a charm (to borrow a phrase from my dad). I was thrilled.

The cost? A "mere" $161.25. Ouch.

A New Post

Finally, a new post. I love it when I click on someone's blog and they have a new post. If there has been nothing for a few days, I wonder what's wrong. Why aren't you blogging? Are you too busy? Stressed? Sick? Tired? Sick and tired? In the hospital having your baby?

In my very first post I promised that I would not try to be too profound, otherwise I might not write anything. So today, I don't really have anything to write about but I wanted keep all my blogger friends happy by posting something.

Wes and I spent a couple of peaceful, serene days in Whiteshell Provincial Park. We Manitobans share this park with our neighbours to the east, Ontario. It is located in the Canadian Sheild-a beautiful area of Canada with rocks, trees and plenty of water.

It is a gorgeous part of Canada. We hiked the "Pine Point Rapids Trail," coming upon the rapids and 2 waterfalls. At one point we stopped our walking and held our breath to listen. Not a sound. Even the birds and squirrels were quiet. It has been a long time since I have heard that kind of quiet.

I was disappointed that we forgot the camera although I don't think that photos could really do justice to the beauty, the silence and the smells. We came upon a porcupine, right in the middle of the trail who puffed himself up, trying to make himself look big and scary. He only moved as we approached him so we followed him along the trail for a couple of metres before he waddled into the bush, still trying to look tough.

I am an urban girl. I grew up "in town" and in my adult years have lived in the city. I love the city, the noise and the excitement. I love the symphony and ballet, movies, art galleries and restaurants. One of these days I will go to the opera if someone will join me.

But there is something about the peace and quiet of nature that speaks to me too. Something that grounds me. Something that slows me down and causes me to stop and listen. Or slow down so that a porcupine can move along at his own pace.

We plan to go back during the Christmas break this year with our children and extended family. Things might not be as quiet in the lodge but we'll have a great time. I know it.

Used Tupperware & Useless Kitchen Gadgets

I read on Heather’s blog something about a useless kitchen gadget that she had purchased which is now destined for the “giveaway” box. That reminded me of a party idea that Michele came up with which I helped her to organize. Those were the days when we had had enough of Tupperware and other kinds of home parties and wanted to do something unique and different. So we organized a Used Tupperware & Useless Kitchen Gadget party.

We made up invitations and requested everyone to go through their cupboards and take along their most useless kitchen gadgets. You know the miracle tools I mean. The ones that you can purchase for only 3 payments of $19.99 each or the one that you can only get at the Home Show or the one that is available for a limited time. And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. We’ve all been sucked in at one time or another.

We had an exchange (I confess, I took the Tupperware hamburger patty maker home. It was better than the guillotine-like blade that I contributed.),games and of course, great snacks. The person who brought a gadget that stymied all of us would win a prize-another UKG to take home. It was a fun evening and a great way to get rid of some of the stuff that seems to collect in our cupboards.

What was great about this party is that it was free and we were able to laugh at some of the silly purchases we had made as well as get rid of some of the unique gifts we had received over the years.

Alright now. Tell me what kind of UT&UKG you have in your kitchen.

Quilts

I have made 4 quilts in my life. The first one was in a high school Home Ec class. I don’t remember much about it except that it had about 6 huge strawberry appliqués. That’s probably why I’ve forgotten.

The second one was made for Eric in a “Quilt in a Day” class that I took with Yvonne. Thankfully, she finished hers before the day was over and helped me to complete mine. It is a log cabin design, with beautiful, warm autumn colours and it has been on his bed for about 10 years. I am very proud of this one and he likes it too.

About eight years ago I started my third quilt, for Kristen. I have not yet gotten around to finishing it yet. It is mostly pinks and greens in a nine-patch pattern, and would have really looked good in her room a few years ago. Today her room is orange and green. Sigh. I DO intend to finish it this winter.

The fourth quilt I made is not really a quilt but more like a wall-hanging. As far as quilts go, it will never win any contests. A couple of years ago Michele, Heather and I were part of a Service Planning team at our church. We were doing a series on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-11) and we wanted to find a visual way of reinforcing some of the truths of this passage. We came up with what I think was a great idea. We would give everyone at church a small square of fabric to decorate and then we would assemble all of these squares into a larger wall hanging.

This was one fun project! The children were thrilled and excited about drawing something on fabric and many of them created several squares. Some of the women required a bit of coaxing but eventually did at least one. And the men, well, we had to chase some of them down and insist that they create something. But create they did and we were left with dozens of interesting pictures and drawings.

The three of us spent a good day in Heather’s basement piecing and sewing. We went through Heather’s stash and found fabric that we could use to hold it all together. Heather’s mom was there and besides watching Maddie (who was not yet a year old) and Julie, made us a wonderful lunch of farmer sausages and perogies.

As far as wall hangings/quilts go, this one will never win an award. If I sold it at a garage sale, you’d likely pass it by. But, I am having trouble giving this one up. I have de-cluttered at home and a few weeks ago we did a very successful culling at the church. I knew this piece had to go but unlike most of the other stuff, I could not bring myself to throw it into the bin. I think I know why though. It’s the memories and what this piece represents that makes it so hard for me to part with it. I still see in my mind’s eye men, women, teens and children hunched over a tiny squares of fabric creating something unique. I remember when we first displayed it and seeing all of the “blessed” verses. I remember hanging out at Heathers and eating my first Mennonite lunch made by a real Mennonite mom. I remember talking about life, love and loss. Most of all, I remember the pride I felt being part of a team that had such a good idea.

It’s been in my car for the last 2 weeks. We took a picture of it yesterday and I hoped that I would be able to dispose of it after that but alas, it is now folded up on my dining room table and I think I’ll bring it upstairs and put it into my closet later. Maybe one day I’ll be able to give it up but not yet. Maybe we'll need to pass it around until we're all sick of it. I'll take it for the next few months, Michele can have it after me and then it'll be Heather's turn.

Thanks

Michele wrote a list of 100 things she's thankful for and I thought I'd try to do the same in honour of Thanksgiving2005.

1. Warm days
2. Blue prairie sky
3. A cozy blanket
4. Hot water
5. Digital camera
6. Friends
7. Kettle chips
8. My sister's home in the country
9. My sisters
10. A dependable car
11. Baskets for my stuff
12. The squeegie I use to wash the windows
13. My gas stove
14. The back porch
15. The screens on the back porch
16. My garden
17. My house
18. Hardwood floors
19. The turret room
20. Candles
21. My red shoes
22. Ann Lamott
23. Long johns (the moisture wicking kind)
24. Warm feet
25. A snowblower that is too heavy for me to handle ;)
26. Blogging
27. Praying
28. God
29. The Holy Spirit
30. Jesus
31. Church
32. Sunday mornings
33. Babies
34. Pregnant women
35. Good wine
36. Aged gouda
37. My extended family in Holland
38. Pumpkins
39. Classical Music
40. Doors that don't squeak
41. Men who don't mind emptying mouse traps
42. Children who do their own laundry
43. Winnipeg
44. Manitoba
45. Canada
46. Wes
47. Each of my children
48. My daughter-in-law
49. My Winnipeg family-sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews
50. Front loading washing machine
51. The colours of autumn
52. My husband's boss
53. A steady, solid income
54. Good health
55. Nice smelling hair products
56. Facial tissues with lotion
57. High index lenses
58. My laptop
59. For helping Kristen write an essay today
60. Good knives
61. Kitchen Aid mixer
62. Hand blender
63. Wooden spoons
64. Cast iron frying pan
65. Fresh clean water at the turn of a tap
66. For being able to sing harmony with Tim
67. Gala apples
68. My big, beautiful house
69. The basement apartment
70. Eric's mandolin and guitar playing
71. Winnipeg weather-no earthquakes, mud slides, hurrianes or tsunamis
72. That I have no problem running up and down the stairs
73. Ibuprophen
74. Gravol
75. The spare bedroom
76. Tablecloths
77. 220 count percale bedsheets
78. The newspaper
79. Remembrance Day
80. Most of my children's teachers
81. Christmas holidays
82. Dining chairs that make you want to sit and stay for a while
83. Chai
84. Slippers
85. That I am still learning new things
86. Clean bed sheets dried outside
87. Potlucks
88. Thanksgiving dinner
89. My piano
90. Laughter
91. Fresh bread
92. Aveno body lotion
93. Water bottles
94. My neighbours-the weird ones who don't mind if we use their driveway sometimes
95. Generous people
96. A husband who is learning Spanish
97. Children who get up in the morning on their own
98. People who take responsibility for their actions
99. Curry paste
100. Good hand lotion

There you have it folks. One hundred things I'm thankful for. Anyone else?

One of those Great Days

Wow. What a wonderful day.

1. Went to Stonewall with Yvonne and a friend of hers to pick out fabrics for the quilt that we are going to make. I can't wait to get started.

2. Went to Michele's for a great lunch. Interesting people, great food and wine. It doesn't get much better than that.

3. Had my own family over for supper tonight. Ben and Carolyn, Eric and Tim and Wes and I of course (Kristen's playing volleyball in Edmonton). Once again great food (if I might say so myself) great company and another glass of wine.

Ahhhhhh. I will have sweet dreams tonight.

Happy Birthday Ben!

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of having lunch with my oldest son. As you have probably already figured out from the title of this post, today is his birthday.

I'd like to take a page out of Heather's blog and dedicate this post to my oldest son.

It was 24 years ago today that Wes and I first became parents and while many of my memories have disappeared from my brain, I think the most precious one was of your first cry. I can still hear it. First, the sound of suction and then the unquestionable wail from a healthy 7 lb. 12 oz. baby.

You have always been someone of whom I could be proud. I have always admired your sense of responsibility and your drive. It's not a drivenness that motivates you, you just know how to get a job done. Even when you were very little, when it was time to clean up and put your toys away, you did it willingly and without complaining.

Remember that time when you single handedly stacked nearly a cord of wood? Or working for almost a whole summer when we were doing construction on our house. And then your summers working construction. Being the son of the boss, you had to prove yourself and prove yourself you did. Always willing to do the hard jobs without complaining. Every time I see Velmir your former supervisor, he asks me how you're doing and he always tells me, "You know, that Benny, he's a good worker."

You have always had a sense of right and wrong and have been always willing to say you're sorry when you did something wrong.

I have always admired your integrity and discipline and your willingness to stand up for your principles. I was so proud of you the time when you were in high school and someone called you to ask if you might be interested in her friend. You replied, "I decided that I'm not dating in high school." I think that there were plenty of girls who would have loved to date you but you decided that your high school experience would not include a girlfriend. (Carolyn tells me that you were pretty "hot" in high school.)

I loved watching you play volleyball. You were very good and it was fun to see you improve so much over the years to captain of your team in Grade 12 and then in college. (Mom's brag story: Ben was ranked the #4 volleyball player in the province in his final year of high school.)

I was also impressed with how you handle that awful sprained ankle in the last month of your high school volleyball career. It was terrible. It was so hard but you didn't let it ruin you.

I have also been amazed as to how much you could eat during your teen years. Remember that night, it must have been around 11:00 PM when you came home with 2 Super Sized McDonald's meals? I asked you who had come home with you and you gave me a quizzical look and said "No one." I wondered who the second meal was for and your reply was simple, "Two can dine for 6.99." You have always appreciated a good bargain.

And now, you're married. It has been a pleasure to see you as a husband. I see you treating Carolyn with love and respect and I am so glad to see you so happy. Remember that I used to tease you that I thought that we should allow for arranged marriages in Canada? I knew you better than most people and I thought I knew what kind of wife would be good for you. Well, I am so happy and proud that you chose Carolyn. I could not have chosen better for you. She is a wonderful woman and I am proud to call her my daughter-in-law.

It has been good for your dad and I to have you living in our basement. (Note to blogger friends who don't know: We have a completely self-contained apartment in our basement. Ben and Carolyn live there, on their own and they pay the same rent as previous tenants. This is NOT a weird situation where my son is so attached to his parents that he still needs to live "at home.")
It's good to see you and Carolyn and to wish you a good day. I will miss it when you move to your own place one day.

So in closing this post I just want to tell you that I love you and I am so proud of you. I am excited to see what God has in store for you and Carolyn. (no pressure but, you've been married over a year. Are you thinking of babies?)

I wish you a wonderful year, full of hope and joy. Blessings to you.

Love,
Mom

(I've got some great pictures I'd LIKE to post but it's not working. THIS DRIVES ME MAD!!! Anyone else have the same problem or is it just me? Aaaaugh!)

Introducing...Alvaro

We have an international student living with us this year. His name is Alvaro and he is from Mexico. Alvaro has trouble getting up in the mornings and I am finding this a little difficult. Although my own children don’t LIKE getting up in the morning, they still do because they realize that it is one of those non-negotiable things. When they were young, a single “Good morning, time to get up” was enough and they all made it to the school bus on time. Once they reached high school, they were able to get up on their own with an alarm clock. I’m very grateful for that because I’ve talked to parents who are tearing their hair out trying to find a way to make mornings easier.

As I get to know Alvaro, I realize that truancy and poor grades were part of his experience back home. He has two older brothers and he tells me that his family has a reputation at the school. He told me that none of his teachers like him because “he is always the one in the class to make jokes.” I used to teach junior high. I’ve had those kinds of students. And I have sympathy for his teachers.


Alvaro is not a typical international student. Most international students who come here are high achievers and hard workers. I think that Alvaro’s parents sent him here hoping that he would grow up, mature and develop his character.

Other than his difficulty with mornings, Alvaro has not given us a hard time yet. He is respectful and willing to help. He tells me where he is going and when he will be home. Tim told me that Alvaro has told him that in Mexico it was not uncommon for him to drink to excess on a regular basis (he just turned 15 in July) and he was a heavy smoker. He quit smoking when he came here and apparently his father told him that if he had as much as one drink, his father would kill him. That has been a very good incentive for Alvaro to stay away from the smokes and booze.

In the 6 weeks that he has been with us, he has missed 2 days (stomach ache), and as far as I am aware, has been late twice. I asked him how I could help him get up in the mornings and we agreed that I would knock on his door at 7:30. Yesterday, I did so and he still wasn’t downstairs by 8:15. I went up the stairs again (his room is on the 3rd story of this house) and he told me that he thought it was too cold so he would wait until his next class to get to school because he was late already.

WHAT? He thought he’d sleep in because it was TOO COLD? He thought he’d SLEEP IN because it was too cold? HE THOUGHT he’d sleep in because it was too cold? I was flabbergasted!

I calmly told him that he needed to get up and go directly to school, which he did willingly. I also calmly told him that those of us living in northern climates don’t let a bit of snow and wind stop us. We’d spend the entire winter at home if that were the case. And I just couldn’t resist telling him that walking to school in miserable weather could be seen as a character building experience and that it would contribute to his personal growth. I couldn’t help saying it. I just HAD to.

He walked out the door with Tim’s winter coat and gloves. I offered the umbrella but he politely refused it. It might be “cool” to sleep in because of the cold and rain but it is NOT “cool” to carry an umbrella.

When he came home last night, his attitude seemed pretty positive. He said that he went outside during his spare just to experience the rain, snow and wind. I think the little chat he had with the attendance counsellor at school helped him get up this morning and get to school on time.

We’ll have to see if this year will really change Alvaro. It may be a bit of a challenge for us but I’m confident that the threat of the school to “send him back” will be enough for him to follow the rules.

I wouldn’t want to be sent back home and deal with MY father if I were him.

Winter is Coming!

Today, I went out to buy myself a pair of gloves. Usually I wait too long and end up with very little selection. I finally decided that it might be a good idea to purchase my gloves early so that I'll be ready when I need them.

Today, I needed them.

Two days ago, it was 25 outside and gorgeous. The trees are changing colour and the gorgeous blue of the prairie sky always takes my breath away. I love the fall, and I appreciate every day that is still mild. I actually enjoy the winters too and my only complaint is that they last too long. By March, I'm ready to see grass and dirt and in early April I want to see the crocuses, tulips and daffodils.

We're supposed to get a blast of winter tonight-a Colorado low. This system usually brings lots of moisture and it was actually responsible for all the snow we got back in April '97. I really do like snow but I don't like it so early in the season.

We have an international student from Mexico living with us this year. His name is Alvaro and he is giddy with excitement about the forcasted snowfall. He is out now, buying his winter clothing-Columbia jacket, toque, gloves and a scarf. He'll pick up some long underwear on the weekend. And then he'll be set. He found today to be really cold and I tried to explain to him that a windy day like today can seem more uncomfortable than a sunny, windless day where the temperature hovers around the -15 mark. He'll find out soon enough I suppose.

When I asked Alvaro about the weather in Mexico, where he lives he says every day is the same. It gets quite cool at night and the daytime is pretty warm. Carolina, our Brazilian student from last year told me that every day in the winter (our summer) is about 35C-40C, there is a rain shower in the late afternoon and the nights cool off a little. Not much to talk about. I realize that is why we Canadians talk about the weather so much. One day can be immensely different from the next. Here in Winnipeg, we can have as much as a 30 degree difference in 24 hours. That's something to talk about! Nothing much to say when every day is the same as the last. Alvaro noted at dinner that "every day is different here."

Well, there's not much I can do about the forcasted 5 cm of snow with gusting winds for tomorrow. I'll pull out the winter jacket, shoes and scarf. And I've got my new gloves. I'm ready and I promise. Tomorrow, I will not complain. Not much anyway.

Groceries

Saturday afternoon *I* went to get groceries. Yes, me. And I swear that I will never do it again on a Saturday afternoon.

Wes has been the grocery shopper for quite a few years. I really don't like the grocery store. But I've decided that because I do most of the cooking and I have time during the week, I should start again. I've been holding off but I just had to go on Saturday of all days. It was overwhelming. It was busy. And I hate those places where you have to do all the work-choose the groceries, put them in the cart, on the belt, buy your bags, put the groceries back in the cart etc. etc. You know the deal. And because I don't often get into the bigger stores, I find that I easily get overwhelmed. I had a list and still I forgot all sorts of things. I was not going back to the beginning of the store though. We'll just have to do without toilet paper this week.

The store that I shopped at today is one of the newer stores in Winnipeg. And *somebody* gave the layout of this monstrosity a lot of thought. In order to do a week's worth of groceries, you need to go through the entire store. You can hardly skip an aisle. The meat counter goes north to south and the dry good aisles go east to west. And between the two is the junk food area. Every time you get to the end of the dry goods aisle, you meet up with the junk food. I can say no to junk food once, maybe twice but when I have to pass the cheezies 4 times, I give in! I HAVE to buy them! "They" know how to get you every time.

I know that I should be more appreciative of the incredible variety available to us here in North America. I can purchase just about any kind of food or spice that I would ever want right here in my own city. I do appreciate the fact that compared to most people in the world, a relatively small percentage of my income ends up going towards groceries. And I expect that as I do more of the grocery shopping and become more accustomed to this task, I'll be able to whip through the store in no time, just like Wes.

But for the next few weeks, stay outamyway. I can get very cranky when you're sitting in the middle of a too-narrow aisle talking to your friend and I need to get by. And my cart needs an alignment. And they're all out of my favourite jam. And the floor's too dirty. And the mushrooms look bad.....

I hope it gets better. Do ya think my attitude needs changing?

Meeting CJ

CJ was over tonight. He and Kristen have been "official" for about a month. He seems like a nice enough guy. He likes to cook and enjoys "The Food Channel." Lately, he's been cooking a lot of sea food. That's good.

He's 19, Kristen will be 17 in a few weeks. He's currently unemployed but hopes to attend college to learn a trade-electrical or plumbing or even both. That's good.

He's the youngest of 3 children, all male. His parents are still married-that's good.

He looks you in the eye when he speaks to you and was willing to answer all my questions. That's good.

If Kristen follows the normal pattern of her family (aunts, uncles, brother) she will marry CJ. We all married the first person we dated. But it's too early to tell with her, right? It's only been a month after all.

Once again, it is our youngest child who is causing us to move into uncharted territory. Ben was 21 when he met Carolyn and while we didn't know her, we knew some of her friends and neighbours. There were some connections. And they were both older and pretty mature.

With CJ, I don't think there is one person who knows both him (or his family and friends) and us and our family and friends. There are no connections. No one I can talk to and find out what kind of person he is or what kind of people his family are.

And actually my biggest worry is the fact that I don't know where he stands spiritually. God and the church are a huge part of the life of our family. It's hard for me to imagine someone who is part of our family who does not hold similar values to ours.

I suppose worrying about this won't help at all. Worry just disrupts my sleep. But I do pray that if this relationship continues, CJ will recognize that knowing, believing and trusting in God does bring joy, peace and contentment. And I pray that we will be witnesses of God's love to CJ and his family.

He just left now and said good bye and wished me a good night. He is respectful and has good manners. That's good eh?

So Much To Do, So Little Time

I have a lot to do. Work, laundry, housework, phone calls to make. So why am I making chocolate chip cookies now?

My Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Cream together:
1 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar

Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
a
Add to creamed mixture.

Add:
2 cups chocolate chips and 1 1/4 cups oatmeal. I like the large flake, old fashioned kind. It seems more wholesome to me.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary Wes!

It was a mere 26 years ago today that Wes and I "tied the knot" (to use an old cliche). I say "mere" because sometimes it seems like it's only been a few years that we've been together. But when I look at my adult sons and a daughter nearing adulthood, I am reminded again that it's been a long time.

I think that it seems like fewer than 26 years because daily, I'm still learning more about Wes and about living in a marriage relationship. We haven't got it all figured out yet. We're still working out the flaws of our relationship. In today's post, I'd like to honour my husband. We're not much into anniversary gifts and can't afford gold and diamond jewellry. I'm not too mushy either. So this post is my anniversary gift to my dear husband.

You were the one to put the kids to bed in the earlier years, before it was "trendy" for dads to do things like that. I knew that I could go to meetings in the evenings and be sure that our children had stories read to them and were lovingly tucked into bed.

You are a hard worker. I often brag about you and how you are so efficient and can get so much done. I must drive you crazy sometimes because I can be so inefficient and take ages to get a job done. I'm always very aware of how I'm feeling about a particular task. If I don't like what I'm doing, it's hard for me to continue. If you see that a job needs doing, you'll do it, without complaining, knowing that it has to be done. Remember putting pink insulation in that little crawl space attic in the kitchen at Hart Ave? It must have been 30 degrees outside and you just faithfully finished that awful job. I would have quit long before that. I can't name the number of times I've had a great idea (the garden) and you have gladly participated in it. These things would have never been done if it wasn't for your hard work and perseverance.

You have taught me more about the unconditional love and grace of God than anyone else on this earth. You have accepted me as I am for all the years of our marriage. You have loved me when I have acted unlovable. You have put up with my ranting and raving, with my moods and yet you still loved me.

When money was tight, you didn't insist I find a well-paying job. You knew that I needed to find something meaningful, even though the pay wasn't very good. You supported my voluteer efforts when they would take up much of my time and also, our income.

You are neat, I am messy. I must drive you crazy sometimes! But you have always continued to pick up after yourself.

You are organized, I am disorganized. But you have never held that against me or tried to “fix” me.

What makes our marriage work? I think that it is partly because of the promises we made to each other 26 years ago. When we are too tired, anxious and fearful to focus on each other, we remember the vows we made. “In sickness and health, for richer for poorer…”

We made these vows before God and family and friends who have supported us and encouraged us over the years. To be part of a strong community has enabled our marriage to thrive and flourish.

I don’t know what’s in store for us in the coming year. We have been spared so much of the pain and heartache that others have experienced but I know that there will be hard times ahead. I’m just grateful that you hold as a high priority a relationship with God. I know that whatever will happen as long as we lean on each other and on God, we will be able to withstand the storms that will inevitably come our way.

So, happy anniversary my love. May we have many more!

It's Time

I am writing this blog from a lovely retreat centre in Alexandria, Minnesota. The “Lake Geneva Retreat and Conference Centre is situated on the banks of Lake Geneva. From where I am sitting I can see the lake, surrounded by trees. It is very peaceful and quiet here. The accommodations are excellent and the food is pretty good too. Solid, comfortable, basic. Like the good people of Minnesota.

I’m here because my church is the “host” church of the fall “Classis” meeting and so I, along with two other people of our worship team have been given the opportunity to lead the pastors and delegates in worship. We’re finished now and this afternoon, the people here will be taking care of church business.

We are part of Classis Lake Superior-the only international Classis of the Christian Reformed Church. That’s something isn’t it? We can meet together and find many things that we can agree on. We don’t talk politics as I’m sure there might be some very differing views but as far as most of the business goes, we are usually able to come to some kind of consensus.

But I’m really having a problem today. You see, our Classis is one of the few in our denomination that has not yet agreed to allow woman elders to represent their churches. So at this meeting, there are about 60 men and 3 or 4 women, including me. For so many years, while I have felt that this was wrong, I was able to work within the rules and remain positive that this will change some day. They will see the light, won’t they? And while I believe that it is just a matter of time, I’m getting mighty impatient. It was about 10 years ago that I was at my last Classis meeting when I was part of the “Vision Implementation Team.” There were about 5 of us who spent hours talking about our vision, mission and values. And there were many positive changes that came out of that.

But today, it hit me again. My local church is a community where men and women are invited and encouraged to participate fully in the life of our body. But we are part of a very conservative Classis where there are many churches that will not allow women to hold any position of leadership unless it’s with the children. What’s with that anyway? Do they have different standards for adults than they do for children? Are women “good enough” to teach children but not adults? Many of these churches support female missionaries who preach and hold leadership positions in third world countries. Why is it okay there but not in North America?

If the church, which is the body of Christ, is to reflect the image of God to the world, this Classis is missing half of that image. By keeping the women out, they are not reflecting the true nature of Christ. Undoubtedly, there are many good, sincere, godly men in this Classis but they cannot reflect God’s female side. And women are for the most part invited to join the meetings but when an “in-camera” session is held, the women have to leave. What is this? Why do we put up with this?

After our early morning worship time, I went back to my room for a little nap and I daydreamed about something I’d like to do. When the women are asked to leave while the men discuss issues that we should not be privy to, I will refuse to leave. I will stand up and announce that I will not be treated second class in this place and they would have to drag me out. That’s what I daydreamed about. I don’t think I have the courage to do it though. Not today. But maybe next time.

There are people who are here today at this meeting who feel the same way I do but this issue has been so divisive that they hesitate to bring a motion to the Classis to change the church order unless they can be pretty sure that people will be receptive to it. I know that our own local church, Good News Fellowship, is talking about being the catalyst for bringing about the change but we have to be sure we have the energy and willingness to follow through.

I think it’s time. There are women who have left this denomination and some of the churches because they feel they have been treated as second class citizens. There was an excellent speaker here yesterday who spoke about leadership. He talked about Wayne Gretsky who, when asked how he learned to play hockey so well replied that most players move to where the puck is. He tries to move to where the puck is going. We were encouraged as church leaders, to see where society is going so that we will be there to support, encourage, and share the love of Jesus. The church has always been behind societal trends and it’s inability to allow women to be fully involved is absolutely contrary to what society looks like. Where else will you have a meeting where women are not represented?

There are some verses in the bible that seem to state pretty clearly that only men can be leaders in the church. My argument to that is we need to read the bible in the context in which it was written. We need to keep in mind the culture of the time when the bible was written. I would also argue that God created man and woman, in his image. We both bear the likeness of God and so we both have the responsibility to reflect God to the rest of the world. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul reminds us that in God, we are neither male nor female, slave nor free-all are equal in the eyes of God.

It’s time to move forward. It’s time that the catholic (universal) church, began to truly reflect God’s image-kind, loving, generous, patient, honest, just, and forgiving to a world that craves these attributes. It’s time for those of us who are Christians to be willing to stand up for what is right and just, even if it means that there may be disunity and schism. Jesus himself was not afraid of controversy and he stood up for the rights of the many people in his day that did not have the means to fight. People like women, children, the ill and vulnerable members of society.

One day, I hope that the church will recognize just how wrong it has been in this area. For true healing to take place, I believe that the leaders of the church must acknowledge that they wrongly interpreted scriptures and that they are sorry for how it negatively impacted society and the church. What a powerful message that would send! And who knows, maybe it’ll start a revival. Those people who find the church redundant will see that the message it brings truly is current, exciting and life-giving. They will see that the church is a place where they can grapple with the tough questions about God and spirituality and that all voices will be heard-young, old, rich, poor, male and female.

God help us.

My Garden

Check out these pictures! A couple of weeks ago I was wondering what I'd do with 30 yards of topsoil and today, I have a beautiful garden. I bought 8 perennials at a "2 for one sale" at a local garden centre but all of the rest come from the gardens of my sisters and from a friend. When I look at this garden, I am so grateful for the people in my life who are so willing to share and to work at helping me out. This garden is more beautiful to me because it represents the best in people. We've heard and read so much about the worst in people these last 10 days and it's good to be reminded of what is good about people.

Yvonne spent an entire day with me taking the plants out of Michele's garden and then replanting them in mine; Michele was willing to give me whatever I wanted from her garden.
When I visited Gwen, a friend whom I've only just known for a year or 2, I could see from her yard that she is a gardener. We talked about gardens and I told her about my (at that point) empty flower bed. A few days later she came to me with some of the beauty of her garden in a large garbage bag which I promptly plunked into the ground.

I feel so blessed.

I am not a gardener. For the life of me I can't remember the names of the flowers. My sisters on the other hand can recognize a flower just by its leaf. Not only can they recognize the flowers, they know where they'll do best (sun, shade, dry spot, wet spot). Sometimes they can even recognize a plant or flower they've never seen before. I love it when they find one like that and start talking about it. "I've never seen this before. It looks a little like a ________ but the leaf/flower/stem is different. Do you think it might be a __________?" And the conversation continues until they either figure it out or decide to go home and check their flower books.

But alas, I cannot join in those conversations. I hope that some of their knowledge will rub off on me but so far it hasn't. While I do not claim to be a gardener, I love and can appreciate beautiful gardens. I love stopping at gardens when I'm walking. Wes and I visit "The English Garden" at Assiniboine park several times most summers. And I can talk the talk with other gardeners if only to ask them the name of a particular plant and if it is a perennial or annual. I find that if I ask a question, a gardener can go on and on about his or her garden-a conversation that I love and have never found boring.

For my new garden I bought some stakes upon which I will write the names of all the perennials that I have planted. Hopefully, if I see the names every time I walk in the garden something will stick and just maybe, I'll learn them. I hope so. But for now, I'll be content to look at the beauty, and take care of them so that in the spring I will be able to give some of them back.
That's one of the wonderful things about gardens. We receive, and then we can give back. I can't wait to share the beauty of mine. And I can't wait till spring! (sigh)

Game's Over

It came! It came! I am using it RIGHT NOW!

The 2 Month Long Battle

The invasion has begun.

The army that would like to conquer, chew and destroy has already sent at least 2 sentinels. We know they are still in the area because we have seen some evidence of their presence. Early one morning, Tim actually saw them but as it was 6:00AM and he was moving a little slowly, he was unable to track them down.

You'd think they'd learn. You'd think their fathers and mothers, grandpas, grandmas, aunts, uncles and cousins would have let them know that although they might find food in certain locations, they would eventually meet their demise at this house.

And so we begin the battle yet again. I pull out my arsenol, all nicely packaged together in a plastic bag. Death Traps, check. Sticky traps, check. Poison, check (Yes Yvonne. Your dear doggy Buddy didn't eat it all last year.) Humane traps (I still can't understand why my own husband would buy a mouse trap that allows the rodent to live so that it can be released-back into my house!) A plug-in thingy that apparently makes noise that only a mouse can hear. I think this one particularly takes the cake as I'm convinced that the sound attracts rather than repels them. By the way. If I can hear the sound does that mean I'm a mouse?

I suppose that you can't really blame the poor critters. It's getting cold outside and like us humans, they like to live at ease, where the food is plentiful and the temperature is comfortable. They get all of this in my house. I have been told that I have a gift for hospitality and the mice seem to sense this. The food can easily be found in the bedrooms of certain residents of this abode, in the family room couch or under the fridge and stove in the kitchen. Mice really don't need much to keep them going-chocolate bar wrappers, cracker crumbs, even empty slurpee cups can seem like a feast to a cold and hungry mouse. We even leave nesting material around for them like clothes, blankets or paper on the floor. Last year, they spent some time in Carolina's boots but then decided to take up residence in her gym bag because the food and clothes, readily available, were preferable to the footwear. (She absolutely refused to wear those boots again.)

The first year we moved into this house we caught 17 mice in the fall. We had never had mice in any previous homes so we were unprepared for this onslaught and it was too late when we finally began fighting back. I think that was the year that word got around in the mouse community that our house was party central.

But I've learned. Joey, my nephew frequently tells the story when "auntie Linda killed 4 baby mice on the stairs with a toilet plunger." Actually it was a toilet brush and it was 5 mice (but who's keeping track anyway). As sickened as I was about this brutal murder, I just knew that if I didn't get them when I saw them, I'd be battling with their offspring in a few months. And boy do they know how to procreate.

Today, I can say with a measure of certainty that I am smarter than a mouse. I have discovered tricks that will get a mouse every time or at least most times. This year, I'm ready. I've got traps loaded with my prefered ammo-peanut butter. I've laid them out in strategic locations and eagerly look forward to asking Wes or Tim to check the traps every morning before they leave for work. (I am a fairly independent, liberated woman. But when it comes to emptying mouse traps, I believe that it is a man's job. Both Wes and Tim are willing to do this rather unpleasant job.)

So, the battle will continue until the snow falls or things freeze up around here. But I'm ready. Bring 'em on. I'll take care of 'em. Maybe they'll be smarter than their forefathers and foremothers and tell the younger generation that the neighbour's house is far more appealing.

The Waiting Game

Why do they call waiting a game? My idea of a game is something fun and often loud. Something that can make me laugh hysterically. Something that brings out my competitive nature.

Today I am playing the waiting game. And it's not fun. I ordered a computer on line last week and it was supposed to be delivered today. At the latest. It's 4:44 p.m. and it is not yet here so I'll have to do without it for a whole weekend and play this game next week until it comes.

I haven't let myself get too excited about the Dell Notebook Computer I ordered. It's not too fancy but it will be my own and I won't have to share it. Today, I did let myself get excited and now, I've resigned myself to the fact that it won't come before the weekend.

A few days ago there was a note left on my door from the courier company that will be delivering my computer. I was so excited. It came! Wes and I ate a quick supper and drove out to the depot near the airport to pick it up. When the box was brought out, I was surprised to see that it was so small. Wes asked if he was sure this was for us and the fellow behind the counter assured us that it was.

Upon closer scrutiny we discovered that it was a computer mouse. I was so disappointed! We had ordered a mouse for my laptop at the same time as we ordered the computer. Turns out that the "peripheral" items are shipped from Ottawa but my computer is supposed to be shipped from somewhere in the USA via Calgary. Go figure.

And they can still make money doing business this way? Sheesh.

Prairie Dog Central

Here are some pictures of the Prairie Dog Central. I don't know what the problem was. I must have tried 10 times to post these pictures! Well, today it worked. The group shot. Friends and family. I am so blessed! Do you see the porter sitting in the train?

A picture of Wes and I. One that I actually like!
Wes took this picture from inside the train. A classic prairie picture.

One Great Day

When Wes and I moved to Winnipeg way back in 1979, we left all of our family in Southern Ontario. I experienced a bit of homesickness back then especially on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas when families are often together.

Now, 26 years later, we have a rather large family in Winnipeg. Two of my sisters and their families, as well as a neice, now call Winnipeg home. When we all get together we often have a group of 18-20 people. Birthdays are becoming more frequent and we are finding ourselves combining birthday celebrations. In the month of August, there are 3 birthdays, one of which happens to be mine.

On August 14, we celebrated our birthdays by "riding on the rails." The Prairie Dog Central is run by the Vintage Locomotive Society a group of railway affictionados who have refurbished an old steam engine and about 4 cars. They ride up to Warren, Manitoba with a stop along the way in Grosse Isle. The round trip takes about 2 1/2 hours.

The train doesn't go much faster than 60 km per hour and because of all the rain we've had this year, there were spots where the rail bed was soft and we seemed to slow down to 10 or 15 km per hour. For most of our group, this was the first train ride of their lives. Most of us have been on touring busses, airplanes, cars, motorcycles etc. before and we began comparing the different modes of transportation.

There are some differences between riding this antique locomotive and the various forms of transportation that we are accustomed to today. We noticed that there were no TVs or video games on this train. No in-flight entertainment options. There was a washroom that we could only use while the train was moving. (We were curious about that rule until one of the children of our party checked out the toilets. He discovered that when the toilet was flushed, the tracks became visible for a few moments. This helped us understand the importance of the announcement not to use the washrooms while the train was stopped at the station.)

Sitting in car #106 and watching the prairie go by was a wonderful experience. We wondered about the immigrants who landed in Halifax and took the train west so many years ago. What must it have been like for them? 2 1/2 hours was quite enough for us but we were told by one of the porters that it took 3 days of travelling for these people to make it to Winnipeg.

I think that one of the things that made this trip so enjoyable was the crew of the train. There were probably 5-6 men who were porters, engineers and brakemen, all of whom were volunteers. They did this because they love the railway and they love the stories which they were very willing to share with us.

I was trying to understand just what it was that made this trip so much fun for me. Someone suggested to me that it was because "community" was so present and so easy to experience.

The volunteers were part of a community which is passionate about keeping the railway stories alive.
In each passenger car, a sort of community formed. It is easy to talk to the people around you and we were invited to walk down the aisles of the car in order to visit with other people in the car.
There wasn't much else to do. The swaying of the cars made it difficult to read, nobody had any kind of device that required headphones and as I mentioned earlier, there were no TVs. There wasn't much to do but look out the window or talk to the people around you.

There were 30 of us in the group. The extended family and some friends who joined us too. This trip was a reminder of simpler times, when it was expected that a trip would take a long time. I thought back to a short 10 days ago when we were flying down the QEW at 120 km per hour.

These days, we are able to get to our destinations much faster than our ancestors. I love and appreciate the fact that it only takes 2 1/2 hours to get to my folks (by air). But that Sunday, it was great to slow down, watch the prairie go by and just do nothing for an afternoon.



(This post was written almost a week ago. I was trying to add some pictures to it without any success! Otherwise you would have read this days ago. Anyone else having trouble downloading pictures?)

All In A Day's Work

This is what we (Wes, Tim and I) did on Saturday. Oooh, my achin' back. But I think it's gonna look good once we fill it in with plants, shrubs and flowers. This is the "before" picture. Note the pile of dirt (30 yards!) The night before it was delivered I had some unpleasant dreams about a huge pile of dirt and was wondering what we were getting ourselves into!Here's Tim, our bobcat operator. Thank goodness for connections. Wes's company owns the bobcat and lent it to us. Tim learned how to use one last year so he did the driving.


And the "finished" project. We have a very large flowerbed to plant. This only took the three of us about 4 hours

An Ordinary Life

Every year around this time I go on a cleaning and decluttering phase. I'm not sure why I feel this way as autumn approaches but it happens annually. And I must take advantage of this desire to take care of my home. It just doesn't get done unless "the spirit moves me." So, rather than blogging, I've been cleaning.

My dear sister Yvonne and her daughter Chelsea came over on Monday and within hours we cleaned out my bedroom closet, dresser and the linen closet. Four garbage bags later (3 to give away, one for garbage) we were finished. It always amazes me that I have been storing so much stuff that I don't need. And it always feels good to get rid of it. It's great to have someone (Yvonne and Chelsea) to help with something like this. It seemed like such a huge job that I needed someone to give me some inspiration. It's good to have someone hold up some special item that you have been unable to part with and ask, "Do you really want to keep this?" You begin to see those items in a new way and somehow, it's easier to part with them.

Of course, after I have done a good purge, I swear I will not start collecting more stuff but inevitably, it begins to pile up again. So, today, I am going to swear to all of you who read this that I will not let this happen again. When I get something new, I will get rid of an item I already have. I hope that my sisters will keep me honest in this regard. Another good incentive is that we would like to sell our house before 2010 and I want to be prepared and not have to go through a whole bunch of stuff before we can put it on the market. Finally, I want to redecorate my bedroom soon and I don't want to have to move and store a whole bunch of unnecessary stuff in the hallway while the painting takes place.

This past week I also cleaned the room that our international student Alvaro will be using while he lives with us for the school year.

I wouldn't call myself a packrat. I have very few "sentimental" items. While cleaning out my closet last week, I found some baby teeth from my kids and was happy to throw them away. But somehow, living in a house with 5 or more other people and with large closets and rooms, it is easy to collect stuff and not feel like it is taking over too much space.

However, it still feels so good to get rid of this stuff. There is such freedom in only having what you need. My brain feels less cluttered now and I feel that I have more creative energy.

I really am trying to live more simply and I think that a huge part of that is to reduce the stuff I own. I'm beginning with my house but I hope that as I make small steps towards freedom from having stuff around me I will rely less on what I have and what I can procure and be more satisfied with what is really important.

They Loved It!

Here is the picture of my sister's bedroom.

What I Learned on my Summer Vacation

My folks both come from rather large families-mom with 7 siblings, dad with 6. But my parents are the only ones who immigrated to Canada. That means of course that I grew up without aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. There were times when I missed that extended family connection but we managed and created our own network of friends that became our family.

When I was 16, my parents bought me a plane ticket to Holland and I spent 6 weeks there. (I have a suspicion that they didn't know what to do with a cranky, selfish, angst-ridden teen so they sent me away for the summer.) I had a great time, meeting all my cousins and enjoying the attention of aunts and uncles. It was then that I met Mies, my mom's younger sister by 18 months, for the first time. She spoke fondly of her sister (mom) and that helped me to see my mother in a whole new way.

Mies talked about mom again when she came to Beamsville for the anniversary this summer. I learned that my parents always had a long-distance relationship. Dad was in the marines for 3 years and they wrote to one another during that time. Mom used to spend summers in Aalten, dad's home town, with some of her relatives so the families were known to each other. By the time dad finished his stint with the marines, mom, for reasons I still don't quite understand, broke up for the last time with dad. Dad did not admit that he was heartbroken but I suspect that he was because it was shortly after their break-up that he immigrated to Canada.


One night, Mies heard my mother crying in her bed. When Mies asked what was wrong, mom responded with, "I miss him!" Dad's sister Lien (who was also in Beamsville for the anniversary) was working in Amsterdam at the time and had come on several occasions to mom's place to visit so she was able to give mom an address. It was about a year later that mom started writing to him, they became engaged and she followed him to Canada. Mom arrived on December 20, 1954 and they were married 10 days later.


It was neat to hear Mies and mom talk about some of my mother's other suitors during those days shortly after the war. These poor young men had no idea how entertaining their letters were for my mother and her sisters. Mies, mom and Bep had us in stitches while they reminisced about the letters they as a group wrote to the young men in reply.

My brother and his wife made a huge contribution to this summer's celebration by creating a PowerPoint presentation for the anniversary. After it was finished, Mies came to me in tears, hardly able to express her feelings. She told me that when mom left for Canada, she thought that she might never see her sister again. In the 50s travel was not nearly as easy as it is today. The family was also unsure about this marriage. They hardly knew my dad. Their beloved sister was flying across the ocean to marry a man with whom she had hardly spent any time. On the day of their wedding, Mies, Bep and the rest of the family could only think of their sister and daughter and the huge risk she was taking. That day, there were many tears flowing in Amsterdam.

Mom and Mies and their husbands have seen each other often since 1954. My parents have remained loyal to one another since then. Their marriage has stood the test of time but during all those years, Mies has wondered.

What is it that kept mom and dad together for so long? Their marriage lasted but having lived with them for 23 years I saw a less than perfect relationship. Did they stay together out of loyalty, because of the children, because they made a commitment and would not back down? Did mom move away because she was so unhappy in Amsterdam and felt that this was the only way she could escape?


What Mies saw in the wedding pictures on the PowerPoint was a woman, beaming with happiness and love for her new husband. This was the first time that Mies had seen these pictures. For 50 years, she had wondered if her sister was happy. For 50 years, Mies was unsure that my mom had made the right decision. It took the viewing of old black and white photographs to prove to Mies that her sister had made the right decision.


I think the pictures showed Mies that my parents stayed married because there truly was passion and love in their relationship. Their committment to each other went beyond loyalty and staying together for the children. I'm glad that Mies was able to see that, so many years later.

Here are a few of my favourite pictures:

This is a picture of my mom leaving Amsterdam. The plane trip took 12 hours!

Don't they look like a happy couple?

And one of my current favourites of them:

What I Did on my Summer Vacation

I've been home almost a week and I am pretty well recovered from my vacation. I'll need to blog about some of my feelings later as there is so much to process. For now, here is a bit of an itinerary.

We purchased our airline tickets with Aeroplan points way back in May and the only tickets we could get at that time included a 3 hour layover in Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay of all places! I don't want to offend those of you who love the city. It is situated in Northern Ontario, on the Canadian Shield and is located in some of the most beautiful country in Canada.

But the airport is not a place where I think anyone would intentionally spend 3 hours.

When we presented our tickets to the agent in Winnipeg, she asked us why we were planning to stop in Thunder Bay. Wes replied, "I don't know!" Well, she did what she could do and within an hour, we were on our way, direct, non-stop to Toronto. That was a good start to our vacation.

We stayed in Toronto for 2 nights and did the tourist thing-Kensington market, Chinatown, and then we went to the Beaches area of Toronto where we were thrilled to come upon the Jazz Festival. We spent the afternoon hanging out in a park, listening to some great music. Then we walked along the boardwalk that borders Lake Ontario. What a great day! The weather was warm but not too muggy, we ate in some nifty little places around there and just kicked back and relaxed. We must have walked 20 kilometres that day.

Monday morning it was off to Beamsville to see my folks and then, later in the day to Vergil where we spent a few quiet days with Wes's parents. That evening we sat outside, catching up with Wes's brother, 2 sisters and their spouses. We don't have a lot of contact with them when we're here in Winnipeg but when we get together, we have a good time. I like Wes's siblings and their families and if we lived nearer to them, I could see us being good friends.

Tuesday, we wandered around Niagara-on-the-Lake. Every time I go back to the Niagara Penninsula, the beauty of that area takes me by surprise. I love the maple trees, with leaves that are bigger than my hand. I love the houses, each of them different from the rest, with lots of brick, siding, porches and beautiful gardens.

Our brother-in-law works at the Shaw Festival Theatre and was able to get tickets to a show for us. We had the pleasure of watching "Gypsy" a great Broadway musical. Afterwards, we went across the street and sat outdoors, drinking wine and enjoying the afterglow of a wonderful show. Did I feel spoiled! That evening will be etched into my memory for the rest of my life.

The next day found us once again on the QEW, a highway I used to drive regularly without a thought. After so many years on the Prairies, I found myself nervous as we travelled the highways of Southern Ontario. The number of cars and people in that area of the country can be quite intimidating for a prairie girl.

We made it safely back to Beamsville where the next 5 days are a blur. The Open House, flowers, guest book, punch, coffee, cream, sugar, PowerPoint, new clothes for mom, the dinner, setting up, making coffee, the barbeque, meat...Details just floating around in my brain. We pulled it off though and both mom and dad handled the busyness of it very well.


Tuesday was spent with Ben and Carolyn at Niagara Falls. That was a good day. After the busyness of the last few days, I did not want to visit with anyone. It felt good just to walk around, not feeling the need to "catch up." Niagara Falls really brings back memories for me. When I was a kid, we'd always go to the falls with our guests and show them around when they came for a visit.

Wednesday, it was back home for us. Toronto's Pearson Airport was mostly back to normal (after the Air France jet overshot the runway the day before). We still ended up being delayed for almost 2 hours but made it home to Winnipeg by midnight.

So, that's what we did. I'll be blogging more about some of the other stuff like meeting people I hadn't seen in decades, the fact that a "quiet day" with Wes's parents is actually really boring :(, and some of the surprising and interesting things I learned about my parents and my extended family.

Check This Out!

My son Tim is part of a brand new Winnipeg band called "Focus." Check out their website here. Tim's the cute drummer.

In The Blink of an Eye

You must go over to see my son Eric's blog. Boy, am I ever glad he decided to go out for an icecream last night. Just another reminder that your life can change completely in the time it takes to blink your eyes.

Barbie

I read this interesting tidbit in the August 1 issue of the McLeans magazine:

Mattel fails to force name change of Barbie's Shop, a Calgry bondage and stripper-wear store owned by Barbie Anderson-Walley. Toy giant objects to association with business using stiletto heels and latex to mold anatomically unlikely human forms.

Hey guys, looked at your Barbie lately?

Extreme Makeover-Bedroom Edition

I am writing this blog on July 22 but will not post it until August 4 or 5. The reason is that what I am about to tell you is a surprise. If I post it today, it will not be a surprise for the intended person.

Yvonne and I have had a busy week. On Monday, we were going to come to my place and start cleaning and organizing my bedroom so that we could paint and freshen it up. Before we started though, we both had a thought (the same thought). Wouldn't it be fun if we did something like an extreme makeover for Michele and Rob? I don't thing that I'm exaggerating if I say that their bedroom needs it worse than most other bedrooms in Winnipeg. So, this week, we are spending a good bit of time demolishing, sanding, painting and decorating.

What fun! I think that it's more fun doing this than getting it. We found the perfect fabric for curtains. When we saw it we knew that it was for Michele-and it was cheap too! Yvonne works a sewing machine about as easily as I play the piano so in one day she had the curtains, duvet and pillow shams ready to go. We also painted the floor. Yvonne and George will be putting the furniture back in before they leave for Ontario as the floor is too wet today.

I can't wait until they come home! They'll be so pleased.

Stay tuned. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Tag, I'm It

I read a few of these in the last couple of days and thought it would be fun to tag myself.

What I was doing 10 years ago today: That was 1995, I was 37, almost 38 years old. I think we went to Ontario that year to celebrate the 40th wedding anniversary of my parents. My kids were young (ages 7-14) and we were enjoying our second summer at this house.

What I was doing 5 years ago: The year was 2000. Wes had just sold the construction company that he began about 10 years before, to his employees. Things didn't go as we had hoped and one of the results was that his paycheque was cut in half. That was a hard summer-adjusting to a huge salary cut, dealing with the unfairness of the final deal and not being sure if we would survive. By the way, we did!

What I was doing one year ago: Boy, it's harder to think of one year ago..Oh wait, we had just experienced our first wedding (Ben and Carolyn got married) and were probably looking forward to George and Yvonne's big move to Winnipeg. We were likely sitting on the back porch with George and Yvonne, drinking wine and enjoying each other's company.

What I was doing yesterday: Painting window trim, some gardening and just enjoying being at home with Wes.

What I will be doing tomorrow: Going to church-one of the highlights of my week. We'll probably go to the beach for the afternoon because the weather is just gorgeous.

5 Snacks I enjoy: Ice cream (but only the good kind), sour cream and onion chips, PMS bars (Michele makes them only at a certain time of the month when she is craving chocolate, butter and brown sugar. Yvonne makes an excellent batch as well), any kind of nuts, M&Ms Peanuts

5 Adult Beverages: I love red wine; white wine would be my second choice; coolers; water (I include this as an adult beverage because most of my children, before they became adults, didn't enjoy water); fruit and veggie juices.

5 Bands I know the lyrics to: The Irish Rovers, The Wailin' Jennys, The Carpenters, Great Big Sea, The Rankins.

5 Things I would do with $100,000.00: I'd take my extended family on a really neat vacation, then I would go on a 'round the world trip with Wes. If there would be any money left over, I'd pay off my mortgage.

5 locations I would run away to: Seeing as we had such a great time with the "Dutch relatives," I'd like to run away to Holland, some small village in the south of France, the eastern seaboard-Canada and/or USA, a great little bed and breakfast anywhere, Ireland.

5 Bad habits I have: Pick at my fingers, waste time, I can be very lazy, I procrastinate, leave the housework until the house is a pig sty.

5 Things I love doing: Hanging out with my sisters, going out for coffee, lunch, dinner-whatever, hanging out with friends and family, playing the piano, doing the Saturday crossword, leading praise and worship with a great band, taking pictures, reading. Okay, that's 7 but it's hard to stop.

5 Things I would never wear: adult diapers, a fur coat, a bikini, a "house dress," stilettos.

5 TV shows I like: I hardly watch TV but I have on occasion, enjoyed ER, the first season of "The Amazing Race" (I hate all of the relationship drama that they focus on these days), Seinfeld, MASH, I Love Lucy.

5 Movies I like: Chocolat, The Aviator, Grease ('cause that was the first movie Wes and I went to together), The Sound of Music (my first movie EVER), Whale Rider.

5 Famous people I would like to meet: Well, I already met Will Millar so...Queen Vashti (from the bible), Nellie McClung, Billy Graham, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks

5 Biggest joys at the moment: My family-my children and extended families, doing an "extreme makeover" for Michele, writing blogs, enjoying this absolutely gorgeous Winnipeg summer, looking forward to tomorrow.

5 favourite toys: my garlic press, my good knife, my piano, this computer.

Meeting Someone Famous

Well, I'm back and I've got a lot to write about. Only, I don't really have the time right now. We got home really late Wednesday night (our flight was delayed, I'm sure as a result of the incident on Tuesday at Pearson) and spent Thursday relaxing, doing laundry and cleaning up.

I've started painting the windows (more about that later) but I just had to blog about meeting one of my childhood heroes last night. Here in Winnipeg, Folklorama is in full swing. We wanted to got to the Irish pavillion and because it is one of the more popular ones, we went early and stood in line for about 45 minutes. We watch a wonderful show-bright costumes, energetic music and great dancing-all emceed by none other than Will Millar! Yeah, Will Millar!

For those of you who don't know Will, he was the lead singer/musician of the Irish Rovers. I knew all of the words to their album "Children of the Unicorn." I had the LP record AND the 8 track tape (anyone remember 8 tracks?). I still have the LP but our turntable is not working well and the record is quite scratched so sadly, we can't listen to it anymore. We also watched the show, faithfully, every week (sometime in the 70s) for as long as CBC aired it.

Anyway, there he was. Will Millar in the flesh. I bought his CD which has some of the wonderful songs that I remember (although "Purple People Eater" isn't on this one-sigh). I even met him and he autographed my CD-"Linda, love Will" and then he drew a shamrock. My heart's all aflutter. Maybe I should go back tonight and see if I can get a picture with him.

Isn't it funny. Here is an older man (he must be in his 60's), past his prime probably living in a 3 bedroom bungalow somewhere in Canada. He probably mows his own lawn, buys his own groceries and has to paint the trim around his windows-just an average guy who was invited to come to Winnipeg for Folklorama. For the children there and many of the audience, he was nobody special.

But for me, Will is a hero. He always will be. Unknown to him, he was a part of my childhood and he helped me during those angst ridden teen years to laugh at myself and the world. How can you be miserable when you're listening to "Purple People Eater?"

Well I saw the thing coming out of the sky
It had one long horn and one big eye
I commenced to shakin' and I said oo-wee
It looks like a purple people eater to me

It was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater
Sure looks good to me

Well, he came down to earth and he lit in a tree
I said Mr Purple People Eater don't eat me
I heard him say in a voice so gruff
I wouldn't eat you 'cos you're too tough

It was a one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater
It sure looks strange to me

I said Mr Purple People Eater what's your line
He said eating purple people and it sure is fine
But that's not the reason that I came to land
I wanna get a job in a rock 'n roll band

Well, bless my soul rock 'n roll flying' purple people eater
Pigeon-toed under-growed flyin' purple people eater
one-eyed one-horned it was a people eater
What a sight to see

Well, he swung from the tree and he lit on the ground
he started to rock really rockin' around
It was a crazy ditty with a swinging tune
Wop bop a lula wop bam boom

He was a one-eyed one-horned flying people eater
Ooh, it sure looks strange to me

Well he went on his way and then what do you know
I saw him last night on a TV show
He was a blowin' it out and really knockin' them dead
Playing rock 'n roll music through the horn in his head.