the weekend

Happy Friday!
Oh. Wait. I work tomorrow.
We have a BIG weekend. Lots of driving. The youth are going to a climbing gym tonight after the guitar lesson. Then we shall drive and pick them up. Saturday, long dress rehearsal for the dance recital. Youth Group at the Church... only one of my youth can go due to the rehearsal.

Fancy Schmancy party Saturday night.

I hit send on an internal job application. I feel good about it.

Sunday we will decorate our tree.

Apparently another storm is on its way.

Thursday - mid week

Three more days of work.
A position to apply for.
Quite excited about new possibilities.
Worried about the lack of sleep in the future. I almost start to panic when I think that I will not get enough sleep. How ridiculous is that?

cover letter and spanokopita

The fireplaces are on.
The snow never did show up.
I am working the late shift.
Ma soeur is reviewing my resume. I need to put together a cover letter.
It is Greek food day at work. I will bring some mini spanokopitas.

snow update: NONE

No snow.
Just wet rain.
Slush really.

The only thing that did not happen was the headlamp replacement as the wait would have been 3 hours... and I could not give up that much of my day.

So, we will carry that task forward.

I officially started my Christmas shopping.

Tomorrow, I will cut out the pyjamas.

forecast : SNOW

The first snow forecast is being predicted.

The ground is covered with frost. I am making good progress on the scarves for Nan and Opa.

Today:

I need a headlight replaced.

I have located a gift at Chapters, so the plan is to drop the car off and while they are replacing the headlight I will walk and pick up the gifts.

Then, I am off to have my photo taken for my drivers license.

Apres that - I am stopping off at the fabric store to pick out flannel my children's christmas eve pjs.

I made some gingerbread cookie dough yesterday and I will begin the gingerbread men production for St. Nicholas day.

catch up

I've been away...

I am back now. More scarfs to make. Share my little knitting knowledge with good friend who is now super excited and keen to start her own projects... She will run with the knowledge and I am certain far exceed my simple scarves.

I found a couple of new blogs that are inspiring to me.

Check out Keri Smith

bjork and modern dance

This is what Hannah is dancing to in modern class.

go canucks go!

Finally a good game.

remembering Thursdays of old

Remember last year that Thursday was my favourite evening.

Low Key.

Fairly relaxed.

No rushing here and there - everywhere.

Not this year.

This year Thursdays are busy.

An absolute gong show at work. A reminder to keep searching.

Then a quick trip home and honk the horn and bring the knitting and drive to ballet.

Wait for an hour.

Make a trip to the local doctor clinic as this is the only time we can get in.

Have a discussion about acne medication. More about that later.

Then home - organize what needs to be done for school tomorrow.

Survivor.

Finish homework.

Church accounting.

Bedtime.

craving

Whilst shopping I saw precut sweet potato "fries".

Then I read that the sweet potato is one of power foods that should be consumed.

I think I might need to get me some.

back at it

Tuesday brings a new work week.
I work Tuesday to Saturday - off Sunday and then I work Monday to Friday. Just thinking about that is very depressing.

But, I am thankful I have a job. Really I am! The sun is shining so that is a gift too.

We had a good weekend with friends. We ate lasagne and caesar salad. We laughed and danced.

Laundry is under control.

I read.

too funny

lest we forget

Today, I am a little bit sad.
It is Remembrance Day - and we remember our Canadian soldiers who have fought in previous wars/conflicts. But today we also remember those we have just lost. I have linked to a map of canadians lost in afghanistan

I don't really know quite what I feel about our involvement in the Afghan conflict but I do know that the loss of human life is tragic and leaves behind many loved ones who reel in disbelief that their children are gone.

tad bit under the weather

Well, I missed one day - the 9th - no matter I will keep blogging along.

Immediately after the work day ended we headed out to have dinner with friends. Curve ball was thrown and we were still talking at 3am. We crashed at their house. We had a lot of ground to cover.

I woke up very ill indeed. I did not drink too much. It is something else. I hope I didn't leave any germs behind. So, far it has been sips of water and finally some ginger ale. Harsh.

it is a KD kind of night

I rushed home from work to pick up my daughter to take her to ballet. Then we rushed home made some Presidents Choice White Macaroni and Cheese. Then we shall drive all the way back to pick her up. Mr. W is at school doing parent/ teacher interviews. I agreed to meet a good friend for coffee at 10.30 at night. She must be a good friend you say. Yes. Indeed. Normally I am in bed. But, one more day until the long weekend so, I am living on the EDGE.

passing

How is it I did not know that Madeleine L'engle has left this earth?

How did I miss this?

hello?

I feel like a have spend the last week talking into a vacuum.

My children had a large Humanities test on the radar. I say almost every day - you should study for the test. "It is not until next week, Mum". I don't check their agenda as I have mixed feelings about the whole agenda checking thing. Nobody checked my agenda growing up.

So. Anyway. The test was TODAY. Neither of them were prepared. Obviously I need to check the Agenda.

Bother.

options

Things are happening.
Thanks for your prayers.

I crashed into bed early last night. I even skipped the Robert Redford interview on TV. I made a huge mug of chai and crawled in between the covers, checked my email and called it quits on the day.

The weekend is shaping up nicely. I am off Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We will drive up to the mountain and pick up H and L's snowboard season passes on Saturday. Hopefully it will not be pouring rain. We have dinner plans with good friends on Friday and then a lovely afternoon and evening planned for Sunday.

One of the good things about my job is the flexible hours.
This quarter most of my night shifts are Tuesdays. So, I have Monday off and Tuesday morning as well. This allows me to indulge in listening to a local News Talk Radio station. I have been tipped onto some good reading lately. Yesterday I heard that my all time favourite news columnist Christie Blatchford has published a new book. Her writing is poignant and illuminating.

I have ordered it from my local library.

I started and finished a scarf.

I did not open the silkscreening kit. I did spot a good Holly tree down the road. Maybe I will send Mr. W to take some shots of the berries. Maybe we will use that image for our cards.

I baked some peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I have been thinking about some Christmas baking ideas.

I felt very domesticated yesterday. It was a good feeling. Everyone has clean flannel sheets on their bed.

I FINALLY put away the stuff in the attic. As I was doing it I was thinking (see how much thinking I've been doing) that I should really just get rid of it permanently. Do we actually need two extra spare keyboards? What about the Game Cube? It is relegated to the attic for how long?

connecting and discernment

Yesterday, I had the blessing of meeting with with three individuals from my not so distant past. Two ex-coworkers (in person) and a lovely long distance phone call from a good friend across the water. All three of these women have graced me with friendship. I am humbled. I am thankful for all of them.

All three of these people listened to me wonder aloud "what the heck am I doing?".

It has become abundantly clear that I have to make some decisions about work. Now, I thought I had made the decision but I continue to keep talking about how frustrated I am. I need to either settle into my job and realize that this is the job I have - sure it is not quite the job I thought I was getting - but there are some very good things. Or I must actively look to make a change.

I cannot keep complaining.

So, I have requested all three pray for discernment. My friend across the water said focus specifically on the question for 3 days and then be prepared to hear the answer.

Also, do I really want the answer?

Because, part of my indecision is that I may have to make a change - stretch - grow - be challenged in new ways - and I am quite reluctant. I really would prefer to stay and have them change the position. That is NEVER going to happen.

To be perfectly frank - I fear the change. I feel stretched already... surely I cannot be stretched any more.... and yet my faith teaches me and I know from experience that it is not the challenge but how we respond to the challenge. We are never given more than we can carry. We need to ask for help. But, that is part of the experience - recognizing that when we are incapable of doing it by ourselves. God is there to pick us up and carry us when we are too tired/ frustrated/ paralyzed by fear to move forward.

weekend

Waking up at 6am and turning back the clock to 5am was lovely.

I have tomorrow off to do errands - laundry and groceries.

I may break out the silkscreen kit and read the directions. We bought the kit in the summer. L was going to design some T-shirts with his Opa but it turned out to be too complicated of a project for such a short time. I was think about silk screening my Christmas cards... I had better get a move on it if indeed that is what we are going to do. The other option is to have one of my husbands photo images printed as a postcard.

I burned my left hand and I am only using my right to type. I am holding ice cubes and have taken some pain meds. Lame.

parenting

I had an interesting discussion with my daughter yesterday.
She is going through a rough patch as adolescent girls do.

In my family it is understood that we can just hang with each other and words need not be spoken. We can just rest in each other's presence and it is good. In fact, these are some of my most favourite moments. Similar to gazing upon an icon and being still.

Anyhoo, this friend of my daughter is saying things like "there is nothing more to say, we know everything about each other...." and my daughter is worried she is pulling away.

And she may be but we talk about not worrying about what may or may not happen.

She struggles with math and being confident in her abilities.

She has a ton of memorization in preparation for her ballet exam.

She struggles with staying organized.

We gathered her in our arms and loved her.

frost, watches and micromanagement

The first frost arrived.
We turned on the gas fireplaces.
You can feel the difference in the air temperature when you force yourself out of your bed.

We finally had the batteries replaced in our Swiss Army Watches.
It is the most frustrating enterprise. They must be sent to the city and installed in a particular fashion - they are considered waterproof so they have to undergo some type of pressure test. We also need new watchbands. The vendor doesn't sell the bands any more so while the watches keep time... we still cannot wear them on our wrists. So, now we must search out new watch bands. By the time we spend the funds to replace the bands; we could have bought new watches. This drives me crazy.

We also have a rather comfy couch and chair and we would like to recover them. I do not have the skills and time to do it myself, so I called around to find out how much it might cost to recover them with new fabric. It is prohibitively expensive. So, instead we throw blankets over them and pretend that is the way we like it.

I am struggling with work. I am micromanaged to the second. Some days are worse than others. Yesterday was a BAD day. I was mostly frustrated with my self. I struggle with the desire to find a place where there is more freedom with my work day and yet I know that moving to new position will bring its own trials and challenges. Changing companies brings its own stress. I am not looking to climb any more corporate ladders - I just would like to do my job. I like my job - when I get the time to do it. There are many good things about my current posistion. Sigh.

the beginning

Today, I woke up early. 5.30 am.
I am trying to create more free time. I struggled and ended up staying in bed until 6am. It is darker than black outside. But, I was up with the eggs boiling and lunch assembled by 6.20.

Mr. W descended and we had our coffee and a chat about what happens apres school. Who takes H. to dance etc. Mr. W leaves for work. I wash my hair. Wake the meister and direct him to the shower. Check email. Nothing.

Phone rings. I hate when the phone rings so early in the morning. It is rarely good.
Bad news. Somebody slid into Mr. W and bent/ crushed the bike rack... they don't care about their car.... will our insurance cover the bike rack.... bother.

Glad it wasn't any worse.

The battle continues.