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?