Tuesday Twelve

What I like about teaching ESL.

1. Walking into the classroom to a chorus of "Hi Teacher! How are you today?" in various accents. They seem genuinely happy to be there and happy to see me.
2. Being the only caucasian in the classroom.
3. I love being stretched and challenged in a new way.
4. Not having to worry about class control.
5. Seeing the "aha!" moment, when something I'm trying to teach is understood.
6. We listened to "Let it Snow" today and one of the vocabulary words I presented was "kiss." One student, in very broken English described how his nephew would greet him with a big kiss and a hug when he would walk in the door. That just warmed my heart.
7. The unit I'm teaching now is about weather. It's so good to see people excited about the snow and cold.
8. I'm using a Smart Board. What a great invention!
9. My practicum teacher, Heather, who is full of encouragement and ideas.
10. I asked one student where she was from and she answered that she is originally from Somalia but lived in Yeoman for a while. She must have quite a story and I'm thrilled to be part of the group that will give her the English skills to share it one day.
11. It doesn't matter what your class is made up of, there is always one or two jokers (usually male). We have them too and they add some great humour to the class.
12. It's cool to see students from so many different countries work so hard to communicate even though their English is very basic. The need to communicate and relate is so very strong.

I am not making this up

I read a quote in a magazine at the salon today. I can't remember it exactly but it went something like this:

"Women are wearing bold, brightly coloured lipsticks as a response to the way men have messed up the economy so badly in the last few years."

Go girls. Let's all buy great lipsticks and show those men.

ESL

I never thought I'd say it but, I'm loving school! Going to university when I was younger was not fun. It was just something I started and felt I had to finish. Stepping onto a university campus for the first time in thirty years, as a student, was a thrill. As I walk around there, I feel like I'm 20 again. There's energy, hope and possibility reflected in the faces around me. What an inspiring place to be.

It's only an 8 week course and I'm just about finished. I'll miss my classmates, 80% of whom are interesting, intelligent and fun people. But I think that teaching English to immigrants and foreign students will be a great challenge and plenty of fun too.

One of my teachers is teaching a class of young mothers, many who are not literate in their first language. Imagine the challenge of teaching people like that! Not only are you teaching them a new language, they are also learning how to read and write for the first time!

In a couple of weeks I start a practicum and then who knows where I'll be after that. No doubt it will be quite an interesting journey for my students and me.

Vote for B*rad!

We just got a flyer in the mail today encouraging us to vote for a certain person who is one of 4 people running for Winnipeg's mayor. There is a list of 19 promises that he will follow through on, should he be elected. I found a few of his points to be particularly interesting:

4. Vacant schools will be used to room the homeless and have separate living accommodations built in them. (Uhhh, will he be building separate living accommodations inside the homeless people?)

12. The city will build low level housing and affordable housing and sell off as many as need be to pay off the debt of the building keeping the remaining ones to house the people and have equity in having hundreds of units built and clear title. (This I copied, word for word. If you can understand this statement, you are smarter than me.)

15. I will remove 20% of traffic lights and synchronize them to move traffic more efficiently.

(I'm not sure how synchronizing traffic lights that have been removed will make traffic more efficient, but then again, I'm no expert. Maybe B*rad knows more than me.)

Fortunately this particular mayor wannabe is not likely to win. I think he might do well to either take grammar lessons or ask someone to edit his material.

I was getting bored of my little blog here partly I think, because I was kind of bored with my life. Not much to talk or write about. You know, same old, same old. But today, as I was reading some of my old posts, I thought that it would be good to keep at it. So today's post will be a summary of what has happened here since the middle of August. If you are the kind of person who finds this extremely boring, just stop reading. It's not for you.

• At the end of August we took our bicycles to Minneapolis with Yvonne and George and spent about 5 days cycling around that great city. I think that if I ever moved to the US I could live in Minneapolis. What a lovely city!
• We also discovered sometime in August that we will be grandparents again. What fun to have another little one around!
• I am taking a course called Teaching English as an Additional Language at the University of Winnipeg. I am loving this course. I love the atmosphere at the U of W, and most of my fellow students are interesting and fun people. Except for ONE. She's crazy but deserves a post of her own. I don't know how someone who is 60 years old can still act as if she's in junior high.
• The family's great. Tim's loving CMU and so is Kristen. Eric is happy with his job and his life as are Ben and Carolyn. I am so proud of and thrilled with my kids. They are great people.
• And...in addition to the little baby who is expected, there will be another person who will be joining our family in an official way. Kristen and Andy are engaged! We're thrilled and so are they.
• Last weekend, we helped to move my folks from the home that they have lived in for 45 years, to a one bedroom apartment. While this is naturally a big adjustment for them, they're mostly very pleased.

The problem with writing a post such as this one is that it is hard to know just how to end it in an interesting and creative way. Hmm.

The end.

Got a date!

For Dad

The deck

I haven't been on the computer much these days and the dearth of posts on this blog can be directly attributed to the gorgeous weather we're having. Blogger isn't allowing me move my pictures around so you will see a few before and after pictures, not chronologically ordered. You'll have to figure out what was before and what was after.

We didn't take any pictures of the garden when it was terrible, a result of 2 years of neglect so our before pictures don't look as bad as they could. This lovely garden was brought to you by a number of people who live here, both young and older. I have taken it upon myself to be the groundskeeper-a simple and enjoyable job when the weather is nice, the weeds are small and the grass is green.

Hope you're enjoying your summer!

The Demise of the Ipod

I got my first ipod 2 years ago and quite enjoyed it-although it was not used nearly as much as the ipods of many younger people. But alas, last summer it got dunked (along with me) in a beautiful lake. Ipods do not like getting dunked.

I bought my second ipod 3 months ago but had to return it because the battery was defective.

The third ipod was purchased a mere 2 weeks ago. I set everything up on it (by myself, with no help from any tekkies) and began using it almost right away.

Three days ago I was informed that I had washed my ipod, with the laundry.

Sigh.

I am tempted to return it to the store and tell them that it is not working. That would not officially be a lie because it is definitely not working.

Sigh. Can't do that either.

I think I am destined to be ipodless for the rest of my life.

Some days, don't you feel like you're just going around in circles?

Chickens in Winnipeg?!

It may be happening in your own neighbourhood.

If the chicken lobby group is successful, we just may be enjoying our own fresh eggs before too long.

Here's keeping our fingers crossed!

Don't Be Calling Me

Several weeks ago there was a message on my voice mail from a local TV station asking for my opinion on something. It reminded me of another time when Ben and I were invited to come to a "town hall" meeting. The provincial government at that time held several meetings during the election to give voters a chance to voice their opinions and concerns about various issues that were important to them.

In the discussion that I had with the producer before the meeting, I was told that I could ask questions of the 4 politicians on stage but I was absolutely not allowed to give an opinion. Ben (who was 13 or 14 at the time) and I came up with several carefully worded questions. This particular town hall focussed on education and we were told that there would be an open discussion on private vs public education. My children attended an independent school and I knew the controversy that surrounded this debate so I was prepared for some lively debate.

Unfortunately, what happened there was not at all what I anticipated. Half way through the meeting I realized that the facilitator knew exactly what she wanted to happen and directed the questions and her comments in such a way that no matter what was said, she would get her point across. She was very good. I don't recall the question she asked Ben but it had something to do with how the 2 school systems were different.

In my mind, this was such an unfair question. I wanted to ask her how Ben could possibly respond because he had never attended a public school. Ben shared something about how great his school was and then I heard an audible groan coming from the audience. I learned later that the "average people" in the audience were almost all teachers in the public school system. This group has always been vocal in their criticism of the independent schools.

I was then given an opportunity to ask one question of the politicians. Three of the four politicians did not answer my question at all; they simply stated their party's official stand on the debate. Only one of the four answered my question honestly and even though we had differing opinions, I felt that we could have had an honest discussion. Other people in the audience did not follow the "only ask questions" rule and there were a number of comments made about independent schools that were just wrong. But I was not given an opportunity to respond.

There have been other occasions over the years where the same television station called me to ask if I would be part of some discussions pertaining to education. I have always declined.

I returned the phone call to the station of a few weeks ago but I suppose that they found someone else to speak with. I'm happy that I didn't find myself in the same situation of years ago but it also made me sad. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has had this experience. How many other sane, reasonable people decline to be interviewed, knowing that their words will be twisted and changed just to get the story that the journalist wants?

disclaimer: I didn't write this post to start a discussion about public and private education so if you want to comment on that, write your own post on your own blog!

My bike

I love my bicycle. Together, we are a fat burning, heart pumping, ecofriendly team.

Today, this fair-weather bicycle team was out for the first time in 2010.

"For as long as Earth lasts,
planting and harvest, cold and heat,
Summer and winter, day and night
will never stop."

Genesis 8:22

Spring is coming!

Twenty years ago that I swore I would never diet again. That was also the time that I gave away my weigh scale.

My first diet was "Counterweight," the Canadian version of Weight Watchers. I was 15 years old, 5' 7" and weighed about 140 pounds. I lost 10 pounds and then promptly gained it back plus a few more pounds.

So began my life as a yoyo dieter.

A few years later, Weight Watchers came to Canada and thanks to a Home Economics teacher, there was a WW class in high school for us fatties. I weighed about 150 then. Two weeks later, I quit and then gained about 15 pounds for a grand total of 165. I spent the next few years trying to lose weight and trying to prove to myself and everyone around me that I was NOT fat, ugly and stupid.

In my early 20s, I met and fell in love with Wes. I was lovesick and managed to lose 20 pounds which I successfully kept off for at least 5 years.

5' 7" and 145 pounds. And I still believed that I was fat, ugly and stupid.

I have spent at least half of my life controlled by the belief that I am fat, ugly and stupid. I can't tell you how many things I didn't do because I was so self-conscious of my weight. People talk about their bucket list. Well, I have a bucket list of all the things I didn't do because I was too fat. And folks, I'm not even that fat but when I look in the mirror, I see someone who is grotesque. I really only need to lose 30 pounds to be a healthy weight but you may as well say 100 pounds because that's how it feels to me.

Last year in January I discovered the "Harcombe Diet." It begins with a 5 day cleanse-only proteins (meat) and veggies. Its purpose is to help you get rid of the cravings that you have and help you jump start a new way of eating. Then there is a Phase II and III. This was my first diet in many years and once again, I successfully lost 25 pounds and thought my years of yoyo dieting were over. Sigh. They're not. The weight's been creeping up again.

Maybe this is my "thorn in the flesh." There an apostle in the bible, named Paul. He was a well known preacher and lover Jesus. He wrote several books of the bible and is known for his wisdom and passion. He is also known for something he called his "thorn in the flesh." Scholars don't know exactly what it was but it was enough of a challenge for Paul to pray fervently to have it removed. It could have been some kind of weakness that he felt kept him from being more effective. Maybe it was a sore foot or leg that made travelling painful. Maybe it was a lisp that kept him from being understood when he was preaching. No one really knows.

Maybe this food/eating thing is my "thorn in the flesh." I have prayed to God that he/she would remove the cravings, I've done the counselling thing, I've read all the books, I stopped dieting, I started again. I've done it all. There are those lists of the things you need to do about food and eating that help you and your children stay at a healthy weight. You know them:

• eat a healthy breakfast
• sit down for family meals
• cook from scratch
• don't eat fast food
• exercise
• etc.

I practise them all. Honestly, I do. But I just enjoy all kinds of food so much that it's hard to say no when there's more stuff I want to taste.

So now, maybe it's time to throw in the towel and accept the fact that this will always be part of my life. I'm not ready for that just yet but maybe this is the direction I need to go.

I'm always hesitant to talk about this much less to post about it. I get tired of people complaining about this sort of thing all the time. I get tired of myself! It takes up too much of the space in my brain and it doesn't seem that there's enough room left for more important stuff. It's also an extremely sensitive subject for me and I feel very vulnerable posting it. But somehow, I feel I must. And now that I don't really have any readers left, maybe it's a safe time for me to post it.

Oh God. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Note to self

When you put something into the freezer, remember to label it.

I took something that looked like pumpkin puree out of the freezer a few days ago and thought I'd make a pumpkin pie with it. As I mixed the ingredients together, I noticed some little red flecks but didn't think much of it. Kristen suggested that maybe it was a bit of pumpkin peel that got more red while in the freezer. It smelled good while it was baking although there was a definite curry smell to it. Someone suggested that it might taste good with a little mango chutney and sour cream.

Anyone want some pumpkin soup pie?

Bathing Suit

Wes and I were at Superstore today browsing the Joe clothing. At one point Wes drew my attention to a bathing suit and commented on how it was nice. A few seconds later, he showed me another one. I found this a little odd and asked him if he didn't like the bathing suit I have.

Ever see a man squirm? I could see all the synapses in his brain on high alert. (If I say no, I don't like her bathing suit, she'll be offended. If I say yes, I'd be lying. What am I to do?)

I let him squirm for just a little while.

He made some lame comment about my current suit being not very chic. He didn't actually use the word chic but if he had said old fashioned, he would have been in big trouble. Believe it or not, I actually like my current suit and have absolutely no desire to buy another one.

Wes was happy, I think, that I found the whole exchange funny. And I really don't care what he thinks about my swimming attire because I'd rather have a tooth filled than go bathing suit shopping.

Memories of the Renovations

Before Rob and Michele moved into the basement apartment this past fall, we had already removed a wall which opened the apartment up to the rest of the basement. Rob felt that it had to be re-erected so that his family could be a little separated from the construction. It also kept the dust down.

The wall was a very clever use of use found and scavenged material. The door was most unique. It used to be the door to the closet under the stairs, a little narrow and short. It is the most fun door I'd ever seen. Every morning, when I walk down the stairs, this is what I would see:

If you look very carefully, you will see Dixie just to the right of Jed. They never made it through the little opening but they really tried!

Peace in the middle of chaos

Every now and then a thought pops into my head that there is something I need to work on in my life.

When I was a teenager, I read a poem by Rudyard Kipling called "If." "If you can keep your head while all those around you are losing theirs..." was the phrase that caught my eye. This past year the phrase kept coming back to me and I felt that God, in the gentle way that God works, was telling me that this might be the year that I could focus on those words. And so I gave God permission to lead me along a path that would teach me about being a calm, peace loving influence in the middle of chaos.

The interesting thing is that if you ask for patience or the ability to remain calm and peaceful during chaos, God doesn't often just "give" you calm and peace, he tends to send chaos so that you can learn the things you ask for.

To say this has been a chaotic year would be a pretty good description of the last 8 months or so. The chaos that has been most prevalent has been the renovations of this old house. It is a much bigger project than any of us anticipated. We've lived with mud, plaster dust, drywall dust, tradespeople, hopes and expectations of a completion date, moving boxes, beds, appliances from one spot to another and then back to their original spot. I think that the biggest challenge for me has been the fact that home has not been the sanctuary that home usually is for me.

I was asking God one day how I could keep perspective and a peaceful spirit in all of this chaos. And then it hit me. I am getting exactly what I have been asking for. Have I handled it in the calm peaceful way I would have liked? Sometimes.

I'm glad that life is almost back to normal. I think that I have learned a thing or two about tolerating chaos. I think that I was able to "keep my head" most of the time. I appreciate more than ever the peace and security of a home, something that so many people in this world do not experience.

And to be honest, I'll miss having the workers around. A little bit of chaos keeps life interesting. But just a little bit. I'll enjoy the peace and quiet for now.

Some Christmas Surprises

Kristen spent a week in a small town near Knoxville, Tennessee with Andy's family. She came home with this beautiful, unique bowl, made from a beech tree. Carved into the bottom of the bowl. Thanks Kristen, Andy and Mark!

And, on Christmas morning, a surprise from Sinterklaas. He visits homes in the Netherlands on the 6th of December so it's no wonder it took him until the 25th to get to Canada. Sinterklaas knows what I like: Chocolate, red wine, an iTunes card and an orange. The Guinness is for Wes.

I think it was Eric who let him know our new address.

Grandma Linda Days

I must get back to posting a little more regularly but it seems that for the last 6 months, all I could think of was renovations. And that gets old, really fast. How many times can I complain about the dust and mud before I lose all of my faithful readers?

So...what to write about.

My adorable granddaughter will be hanging out with me one day a week starting in March. I am looking forward to spending time with her. Oh the things we will do!

Many years ago, I would hang out with my 2 nephews one day a week. The boys called these days "Auntie Linda days." Those were fun times. They'd watch a movie, play with different toys, read and create with glue, tape and markers. We usually managed to get out once a day, to visit the mall, go to a pet store, or, weather permitting, go to a park.

I am looking forward to creating memories with Aryana, to starting "Grandma Linda days."

I will post a picture of the lovely Aryana but I need some help from our resident tekkie first. For now, you will find a photo here.