there is talk of snow

I have heard the word mentioned twice on the radio.
Snow on the mountains.
Wintertime is approaching.
Where are the mitts and toques?
Warm jackets?
Hot chocolate.

good news

After a very long time with having no designated GP of Family Medicine - we have been accepted as patients. The entire lot of us.
This makes me very happy to know that there will be a consistency of care.

I am settling into my new position.

Life is good.

I have gone to bed early the last two nights and it has helped.

I have had this crazy craving for Diet Pepsi and finally bought myself a case of 24. I NEVER buy soda pop. My husband thought I was crazy.

pasta and quiet

Last night at this time I was in bed. I went to work Tuesday and felt like I was coming down with something - by the end of the day it was like someone turned on a faucet and my nose would not stop running. I drove the daughter to dance class - hit the cold remedy isle and then waited in the car with the engine running and the heat blowing until she was done. I came home - kissed everyone and said I loved them and I was going to bed. I had a good sleep but, indeed I have a cold. It is the first one in a very long time. Transitions? New germ environment? Who knows?

Tonight I will step up a wee bit later. H and L have gone to the Comedy Festival at their school. Mr. W and I ate dinner alone. We had tomato, basil, olive pasta with penne. Some good bread. Quiet.

I will probably go to sleep soon. I have some planning to do. I must get going on the gingerbread. I need to buy some flannel to make the PJ's. I found a lovely ornament for my daughter. I just need to find one for my son. Each Christmas eve they open a gift of homemade pj's (flannel pants) as they provide their own shirts and one ornament. They will eventually take some of the ornaments with them when they leave our house... I try and find something that relates to the year just lived.

what happened to tuesday

apres ballet

it's the end of the world as I know it...

The laptop is not well. There seems to be a problem with the power cord. I am going to try duck tape tomorrow.


There shall be no peace in the valley whilst I am still breathing.
I have been a faith filled person for some time. I am not of the warm fuzzy ilk. I know life is hard. I know that life is filled with challenges and it is our response to the challenge that is important. I know that I am in exile here on earth. I know that there shall be no real rest until the end of days. I know that I fall down and I get back up again. I get THAT. So why then do I think that obtaining a position close to home which will allow me to work and and allow me the opportunity to be close to my teenage children will make my life easier. Life is one big TRADE OFF. I have been taught this lesson over and over again and YET I am still surprised when it happens. Do you think the LORD is laughing at me. Surely, it must be funny.

I am thankful for my friends. Truly I am. I had the chance to avoid cleaning my house of all the teeny tiny bits of artificial turf and have coffee and sweets and visit with my family. It has been a very long time. I have missed them.

say a little prayer for me

I am having serious computer woes. First, the monitor went. I shut it off and gave it a rest. The monitor came back. That is the good news. I am working on preparing budget for next year. It won't print. Shut the printer off, reset the router, nothing happens. Shut down my computer, restart. Now it wants me to register the new accounting software but it can't access the internet... so I reboot. I am taking a break to post this.

Say a little prayer for me.
this lap top must last until spring 09.

proud mum

as voted on by his coaches
my son is most improved junior bantam player.
he was grinning ear to ear.
what impresses me about the league is the focus on character building

clear skies

I will walk to work today. It is NOT raining. How pleased am I?
There is talk that it will be raining this evening. I can handle that.
My mind is awash with numbers. I received 6 new passwords/ number combinations yesterday. I can barely keep them straight.
Einstein said we spend too much mental energy remembering random numbers.

Already the lenten food battles have begun. What shall we eat for dinner? I am good with toast and peanut butter. Unfortunately my 13 year old son and my husband do not agree.

Stupidity. These are such stupid disagreements when you think that the majority of the world's population would be grateful for any nourishment.

Same old thing over and over again. Apparently I need to keep learning.

first frost

I woke up and immediately noticed the temperature was considerably cooler than it has been.
I looked out and sure enough the car is covered with a heavy frost. I will have to scrape it this morning. If I were not going to this meeting, I could merrily ignore the frost and walk to work. Tomorrow. I will walk tomorrow.

Yesterday was BUSY - much busier than I had been expecting. My co-workers tell me that this was an exception. I had several clients. I had phone calls. It will take some time to settle in.

I mastered switching my printer. I changed my voicemail.

Housekeeping duties today. Passwords etc.

first day

• new desk
• set up new phone with voice mail etc
• review existing files
• file my stuff
  
• keys, passwords and debrief
• see a couple of clients

It should be a good first day. I am close enough to the post office I can check our mail at noon. Did I mention that the library is across the street? How sweet is that?

It is foggy and grey. Pretty darn typical of November. We have not had any major storms yet, for which I am very glad.

The roof appears to be repaired. No thanks to my insurance company. That whole experience left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I picked up a wreath for our front door.

We had our photo shoot for our Christmas project last night; and Mr. W ended up using the 5ml instead of 10ml of developer... and the negatives are thin, so we will repeat it all tonight. The young folk are thrilled.

living on the edge

I bought some new laundry detergent. It is 2x UltraTide Liquid - for Front Loading Washing Machines. I do NOT own a front loader. It did pass the smell test.

5 EXTRA HOURS

I start my new position on Tuesday. The goal is I will walk to work. But, I can't walk Tuesday as I have a box of "stuff" and a lovely gifted plant for my new office. I can't walk Wednesday because I am attending a morning meeting in another part of town before work and then I go to my office. Thursday I will walk and you just watch it will be a torrential downpour to test me. But, I will walk on Thursday.

Walking to work will save me 5 hours a week. That means I have an extra 5 hours to do something else. In the past week I have referred to these 5 hours in various ways. I have said I will use them to

1. write more
2. exercise more
3. laundry
4. overall organizing of household
5. meal prep
6. read

I think I need to revamp the list. I think I have a false expectation of how much extra time I will really have. I will prioritize this list and see how it goes.

I have been encouraged and inspired by Eurolush and EleanorfromtheCommentBox
to get off my butt and move.

I don't think that my extra 5 hours will actually put a dent in the NEVERENDING LAUNDRY PILE.

Meal prep - I think I can reasonably do this. We are now fully into the Nativity Fast so meals are to be simpler, more basic affairs - soup and bread - I can make the soup early in the morn and throw it in the crockpot. Right?

Read more. I just received the Chapters "catalogue" of gift ideas and low, Behold there are three new books by three of my favourite mystery writers

1. P.D. James - The Private Patient
2. Ian Rankin- Doors Open
3. Peter Robinson - All the Colours of Darkness

I have ordered these books from the Public Library and I wait.

I am confident that I will be able to organize my time a bit better. The other thing that is happening is that we have no more football practices. No more driving to the field 3x week. No more football gear lying here, there and everywhere. No more little round bits of artificial turf tracked through the house.

My son has decided he will replace football with his own fitness routine. He will start running and strength training. Maybe I could participate along with?

His team windup event is today. They will be playing paintball. He is less bothered by their loss yesterday than the fact that the season is over and he will not be hanging out 3x week with the guys. Next year, a small group of them will move up to Bantam. The coach of the Bantam team was at the playoffs and came over to the boys and introduced himself and said he was looking forward to being their coach. I thought that was rather cool.

done

The season is OVAH
We were not the victors of the game but our boys had a great season, finishing 2nd place overall.
They are off to play paintball - the coaches treat for a fantastic season.

Go BEARS !

borrowed meme

Just like blackbird I tagged myself.

1. Political Show - Cutting Edge of the Ledge / Bill Good Show
   
2. Picnic Food - Cheese and crackers
   
3. Mixed Drink - not for me
   
4. US President - I am pretty sure you picked Obama
   
5. Kind of Student to Teach - keener
   
6. Hobby you do or wish you still did - photography - my SLR is broken and it is not on the list of things to repair or replace any time soon
   
7. Sports Commentator- Dan Russell
   
8. Sports to watch on TV- I am a fairweather Canucks (hockey) fan and I am starting to appreciate football
   
9. Animal to Have as a Pet - really, I would prefer to be pet free
   
10. Halloween Costume you have worn - Edith Prickly from SCTV
    
11. Kind of Dessert - cheesecake made by the Q-ness
    
12. Comic Strip - I like the comics in the New Yorker
    
13. Style or make of Footwear - flats
    
14. Icecream Flavour - no fruit flavours please
    
15. College or University President - Howard Petch ( googled)
    
16. Internet News Source - BBC, and GetReligion
    
17. Vacation Spot- Chaunigan Lake (local) and I want to get to Hawaii sometime
    
18. Wine - I try and support our local wine industry - reds - syrah
    
19. Way to waste time instead of working - I never waste time, it is against policy
    
20. Student excuse for late work - printer wasn't working
    
21. Reality show - So,you think you can dance?
    
22. Jewelry on a man - wedding rings
    
23. Pizza topping - veggies with feta
    
24. Children's movie - Bednobs and Broomsticks
    
25. Celebrity you wish would retire - that would have to Britney Spears

Not sure what was happening with the bold font....

1. 
   

just one more election

One more election. Civic elections are being held on Saturday. Citizens have the option to vote for their choice of Mayor, Councillors, and School Trustees. This is local government. These are people who decide where your property taxes are spent. These are people who receive millions of dollars of funding from the provincial government and run your local schools. We need to vote. Read about your local candidates and make your choices.

my own three things

Others have noted this blog Three Beautiful Things and I highly recommend it too.

My three things are:

1. The incredible clear blue sky this morning. The grey has gone away temporarily.
2. 2 more days of commuting by vehicle to work.
3. A most, excellent 4 shot american this morning if I don't say so myself.
   

a few things

• I am going to forgo my lieu day today and switch it with Saturday so I can see my son's play off game.
• I made my first batch of gingerbread yesterday.
  
• I am in want of a good scallop chowder recipe.
• We have installed our Christmas lights - the Nativity Fast starts on the 15th and we are ready.
  
• We are turning our fireplaces on in the morning.
• I am inspired by posts elsewhere on the internet and we are attempting to eat what we have in our freezer/ pantry - although I am supplementing the veggies/ fruit/ milk.
• My folks are going to make the drive down to see my son's playoff game. Weather permitting.
  
• My children are home this week - the school district is saving $. Unfortunately, my husband's school district takes a different week of to save $, thus eliminating any possibility that we can take a holiday together. GRHHH. Not that we would have gone anywhere this year but it is the principle of the thing.
• My son is using his time to build the blocks for his Bridge Project. He needs 700. Each block is made up of 7 toothpicks wrapped together and glued. He has 200 done.
  

Remembrance Day - Lest We Forget

Today my family and I will venture forth in the rain and attend the local Remembrance Day ceremony.
We need to be there.
We need to remember.

my grampa

We drove by a sawmill on the way to my son's football game and the scent reminded me of my grandfather. He worked in a mill and he always smelled like one. My grampa was bald and wore a wool fedora. He drove the palest yellow, monster of a vehicle. The front seat was all one piece and stretched forever. We lived with my grandparents for a while and I remember being driven to school - there were no car seats then. I was allowed to stand in the front seat and I remember his arm reaching out to protect me. I remember sitting on the front porch eating fresh tomatoes from the garden. We would share the salt shaker. I remember he used to chop the best kindling for the wood stove. He loved his tea and toast in the mornings. I still dunk my toast. He loved my grandmother's mashed potatoes and he would make a well in his potatoes and pore the gravy inside. When I was older he would bring us bubble gum. He played the fiddle. And he had the bluest eyes. He has been gone a very long time.

synchronicity

Do you ever have the experience where you become aware of a certain book, song, idea, image and then in a very short time it keeps appearing before you. This just happened to me. It is sort of like synchronicity...

A fellow blogger mentioned Kathleen Norris' book "Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks and a Writer's Life". I thought that might be kind of interesting so I ordered it from our library. Then in the days that followed two other people mentioned the book, a magazine that I was reading featured the book and I received an email that the book had arrived. I get the sense that I am really supposed to read this book.

Sunday

We won!
It was a most exciting game. A little too exciting for this mum. We were losing at the half 18-0. It was not looking good. They had to make changes. They took my son off the offensive line and moved him to defense. They needed help preventing the other team from scoring any more touchdowns. They switched up the players and used the element of surprise. We held them at 18 and we scored our own touchdowns and eventually won 26-18. My son did his job, and he was ecstatic the team won but he was a little disappointed he didn't participate in any of the offensive runs during the 2nd half. I get that. The championships are next Saturday.

Go Bears Go!

The rain stopped briefly yesterday but it is back again. Really that is no surprise. That is what it generally does here on the Wet Coast. But, it is so grey and dull.

Soon, we will begin the Nativity Fast and we generally hang our Christmas lights that same week. It is all about the anticipation of Christmas. There will be no treats until Christmas making the Feast all that more incredible. The Nativity Fast is a wonderful counter-cultural force against the whole consumer Christmas. We allow ourselves to listen to the Christmas music - the carols - the music from the Nutcracker - Handel's Messiah... and we hold back on the goodies.

The Christmas lights offset the greyness.

I think this is our year to switch to the new LED ones.

We also start baking gingerbread to give away on St. Nicholas Day. Previously my children have taken gingerbread for their teachers and all their entire class. Now that they are in highschool - that will not be happening... I think I will work very hard to convince them that they can still give the gingerbread to their teachers, but we will forgo the students.

We also have a small collection of neighbours that we secretly gift on Dec 6th. It is great fun to rise early in the darkness and drop off the gingerbread on their doorsteps. It is one of my most favourite activities during Advent.

GAME DAY

It is game day!
I just figured out everyone posts their writing centred.
I am a SLOW learner.
The game is at 4.30 pm and the projection is for more rain.
It is my 2nd last Saturday off.
They need to win to keep playing.
I am off for a haircut and to take care of the grey.
I will drop by my new office and meet my new team.
Did I tell you that soon I will be walking to work?
My daughter has dance all day.
It is not raining now and the light is quite splendid.
The library has informed me that my book has arrived.
What shall we have for dinner?
I think that I need to do something to make my blog more visually interesting.

one word

This meme is from posie gets cozy

Where is your mobile phone? charging
Where is your significant other? beside me
Your hair colour? greying
Your mother? busy
Your father? european
Your favourite thing? reading
Your dream last night? nothing
Your dream goal? peace
The room you're in? bedroom
Your hobby? writing
Your fear? randomness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? bookjacket
Where were you last night? driving
What you're not? skinny
One of your wish-list items? apronsink
Where you grew up? small town
The last thing you did? dishes
What are you wearing? pj's
Your TV? off
Your pets? dumb
Your mood? anxious
Missing someone? nope
Your car? ancient
Something you're not wearing? contacts
Favourite shop? chapters
Your summer? uneventful
Love someone? yep
Your favourite colour? orange
When is the last time you laughed? work
When is the last time you cried? today

sr. bernadette

Her habit was bright blue. There was nothing muted about the colour. She belonged to the community "Mariadotrarna" - the daughters of Mary. She had large, dark, plastic rimmed glasses. Typical men's glasses. She did not speak very much English. My Swedish was minimal. She was tall and angular. One of her responsibilities was to ring the bells to announce evening prayer. I always envisioned her racing up to the bell tower to ring the bells. I could see her habit flowing behind her. And she was so quick! One minute she was with us walking to church and the next the bells were ringing. At the end of my 6 months I figured out the bells were electronic. She did not run up stairs to the bell tower. She disappeared behind the entrance doors to the church and hit a button.

no breakfast ; no lunch

Yesterday I worked late. I came home and turned on the TV. The fam-damily was still out. I crashed in front of CNN and watched. The family returns and I do leave the couch and greet them. We talk of the day and the practises and then they settle into homework. I return to the TV. My husband disappears upstairs.

I listened to the speeches. I was inspired by President Elect Obama's words. I wish him well. I wonder how it will transpire? Eventually I go to bed.

This morning I wake up and a new day begins. We have no eggs. Right. I used the last ones on Monday. We have no bread. No toast for you! Which also means no sandwiches for lunch.

I guess I should have bought some groceries yesterday. I guess I was a little distracted.

Mr. W has parent teacher interviews today - he was not impressed. Sure, he could make his own lunch/breakfast but I have been doing it for 15 years and for the most part I don't mind so, it was harsh news that he was leaving empty handed.

Tonight I am going to the local school district all candidates meeting.

a roommate

I can't remember his name and that bothers me. We shared a room on the 9th floor - the Spinal Ward. I was recovering from back surgery. He was very young. And very newly married. His story haunts me. He and his wife were driving home from their honeymoon. She was driving and he was the passenger. He was sitting too low in the vehicle, slouched and his seatbelt was not sitting over the hips but across his belly. I never found out how the accident happened but the result was horrific. The impact was so severe that the seatbelt sliced through all his internal organs and severed his spinal cord. Not only was he paralyzed from the waist down but he had massive internal damage that needed to be repaired.

Our beds were separated by a yellow curtain. Everyday, 3x a day, he would swing over holding a large stainless steal bowl and vomit out the contents of his stomach because it could not be digested. The stainless steal bowl would push the curtain over my bed and I would turn my head. He was nourished through a tube inserted in his foot.

His wife came every day, but as I remember them I realize that there were no parental figures. They were on their own with the hospital staff. Where was their community?

He left while I was still recovering. He was moved to a Rehabilitiation Hospital where they work with people with spinal injuries. I have been there too; visiting my sister after her stroke. It is a good place. He had a long difficult future ahead of him. I wonder if they are still married. I wonder if he survived all the other surgeries.

Ever since then I am HYPER CONSCIOUS of where the seatbelt sits. Over the hips. And no slouching. Not in my car. Not ever.

mr. apple dumplin' man

He was a short man. Maybe 5 feet. And he was round. He was at his widest around the midsection. His hair was black and thick and he was bearded. He consistently wore plaid, flannel buttondown shirts and denim overalls. He topped off his look with garden variety gumboots. Black ones. He was an eager participant in our catechuman classes. He had a unique, high pitched voice and used the phrase "it seems to me" in almost every sentence. He wasn't exactly living on the street but he lived on the edge of the downtown eastside community. He was present at our wedding, but I don't actually remember seeing him there. We found a photo that recorded his presence and I remember how thrilled I was to see him. I wonder what has happened to him.

no. 2

I have been considering my decision to participate in NaBloPoMo and wondering if maybe I should attempt a theme.

Eurolush has a theme.

Mrs G at Derfwad Manor also has a few themes going on.

If I did attempt a theme - I am thinking of chronicling the odd characters that have passed through my life. So, I don't forget them. I have met some fascinating people in my life.

There is Mr. Apple Dumplin man, the Woman who thought she was the Queen, an odd collection of pastoral figures, the nuns in Switzerland, my roomate in Victoria, my philosophy of logic professor - actually quite a few of my professors would make good character studies - a cousin in Hungary. This might just shake up the old brain cells which are deteriorating everyday.

Might I find that too restrictive?

I guess I won' know until I try.

GAME DAY UPDATE - for those following along

We lost. 22 to 12. The boys were disappointed. But, they play the same team next week. They finished the season 8 wins 2 losses. Which is still fantastic!

participation

GAME DAY

It is the last game of the regular season today.
My son's football team is sitting at 8 wins and 1 loss.
The one loss was the very first game of the season. They were severely beaten. It was brutal. But, my son's team rallied and practised and grew together and they are a team in every sense. All of the boys have become better football players. It has been quite delightful to see them achieve success. I also admire my son for stepping out of his comfort zone - in the summer he had been invited to try out for the team and he only knew one other player. He has made new friends. This is the first team sport he has played and the experience has been very good. Next year he along with a few other of the boys move up to a new age group where they will be the younger players. That will be a good experience too.

Last year this team never won one game. To see the boys work together and to celebrate each other's successes is the best part of watching them play. When one of the younger players gets the ball, the older players block and let them run. They honour each other.

It has been amazing to watch my son grow into his body. He was always my bird like child - light as a feather and so skinny. He has changed so much this past year. He is no longer awkward and gawky but confident and strong. His sister has always been the more athletic one - now they share a common interest.

I will not be at the game today - but have negotiated the next few Saturdays off, so I will see the playoff games.