Monday, October 31, 2005
Weekend Bliss
This past weekend started off crazy but then turned into a peaceful experience. I ended up working late on Friday (kids were at their dads), then left for the youth group retreat on Saturday around noon. I drove two boys to the retreat that I knew from last years OWL course. We had a great drive through hills and forest for an hour with the radio blasting and we finally found our destination.
The retreat was held in a remote farmhouse in Quebec. Truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The house was gorgeous and comfortable. There was a back porch where you could sit and listen to the creek which was nearby. At night the stars were stunning - at dawn I saw the sun come up. (We didn't get much sleep) The forest was beatiful and so quiet you could hear the trees creaking in the wind. The sun was shining and it was quite warm - the first time in two weeks that it didn't rain. I can post pictures later.
I brought Suki with me to the farm and she had such a great time - she could run around the farm and had tons of young people to give her attention. She was very well behaved and really enjoyed herself. Everyone was impressed with her. You could tell that although she is a city dog she is a country girl at heart, being born on a farm and all.
One of the activities we did was to talk about the mission statement for the youth group - or what youth are getting out of the group. It was nice to hear how much these kids appreciate the group. They talked about having a safe place to go -where they aren't judged - where they are accepted - and they talked about the love - the unconditional love in the group.
They also started this interesting "art" project - where one girl drew a huge gorgeous tree on someone's back - and then everyone wanted one - so most of them ended up with a temporary tree tatoo on their back. We got a cool picture of it. It was also great to have a chance to get to know the other youth advisors -- we hardly ever see each other the way we are scheduled.
On Sunday we returned by 3 pm still enjoying wonderful weather.
The retreat was held in a remote farmhouse in Quebec. Truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The house was gorgeous and comfortable. There was a back porch where you could sit and listen to the creek which was nearby. At night the stars were stunning - at dawn I saw the sun come up. (We didn't get much sleep) The forest was beatiful and so quiet you could hear the trees creaking in the wind. The sun was shining and it was quite warm - the first time in two weeks that it didn't rain. I can post pictures later.
I brought Suki with me to the farm and she had such a great time - she could run around the farm and had tons of young people to give her attention. She was very well behaved and really enjoyed herself. Everyone was impressed with her. You could tell that although she is a city dog she is a country girl at heart, being born on a farm and all.
One of the activities we did was to talk about the mission statement for the youth group - or what youth are getting out of the group. It was nice to hear how much these kids appreciate the group. They talked about having a safe place to go -where they aren't judged - where they are accepted - and they talked about the love - the unconditional love in the group.
They also started this interesting "art" project - where one girl drew a huge gorgeous tree on someone's back - and then everyone wanted one - so most of them ended up with a temporary tree tatoo on their back. We got a cool picture of it. It was also great to have a chance to get to know the other youth advisors -- we hardly ever see each other the way we are scheduled.
On Sunday we returned by 3 pm still enjoying wonderful weather.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Muppets Teach Humanitarian Values
The Muppets are back! The newest incarnation of the Muppet Show is hitting North America, with an attempt at producing a reality TV show called "America's Next Muppet".
Based on the format of American Idol and America's Next Top Model, the judges will include famous muppets such as Fozzie, Animal and the Swedish Chef. It is assumed that Kermit will host the show and that there will be some way to evaluate the muppet contestants. Apparently there will be a way for viewers to vote online for their favorites and each week one hopeful muppet will be eliminated.
Although some critics think this idea really sucks, I love this idea and think it would be a great alternative to the "real" reality shows out there. Sesame Street did not exist when I was very young in the 60's. (at least not where I lived), but as an older young teen I fell in love with The Muppet Show and was a regular viewer. I also enjoyed all of the movies and specials that the Muppets produced.
Another favorite of mine was Fraggle Rock. Apparently when Jim Henson concieved Fraggle Rock, he wanted to create a show that could help bring peace to the world. To do this, the creatures of Fraggle Rock were all interconnected with nature and each other. If a piece of the chain was broken, the rest would fall apart. What a great show that was! (And apparently the first season is now out in DVD - guess where I am heading) I think Fraggle Rock actually taught me about some aspects of unitarianism... respecting other communities who are different from us, human rights, social justice, interconnectedness, environmentalism and humanitarianism.
Although Jim Henson passed away, and he was the so-called "creative force" of the Muppets, there were other creative forces involved, such as Frank Oz and Caroll Spinney. As well, a new generation of puppeteers has joined the muppet team and it has evolved. I believe that the Muppets have a role in our society today and in the future.
As a parent, I think the muppets have a lot to teach us about values in life and also not to take ourselves quite so seriously. I really hope that this new show will give my son Owen a chance to get to know the Muppets. Is it such a bad thing to have an alternative comedy show which introduces our kids to these types of ideas? Just because our generation has been "muppet saturated", doesn't mean that our kids or grand kids don't deserve a chance to make friends with the Muppets.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Arabic Simpsons Aired
We saw on the news the other night that an Arabic version of the Simpsons has been produced, taking the original animation from the first season of the Simpsons and dubbing Arabic voices. They have changed a lot of unacceptable content, such as the mention of alcohol and pork.
I am kind of wondering about this idea - why don't they just produce some Arabic comedies which show Arabic families struggling with life? It reminds me of the Muslim Barbie that came out recently. They are trying to produce a replica of a popular western fantasy item. Apparently most girls in Arabic countries would prefer the original blonde busty doll than the new toned down doll in a hijab.
I guess it's pretty hard to compete with western influence and competition.
I am kind of wondering about this idea - why don't they just produce some Arabic comedies which show Arabic families struggling with life? It reminds me of the Muslim Barbie that came out recently. They are trying to produce a replica of a popular western fantasy item. Apparently most girls in Arabic countries would prefer the original blonde busty doll than the new toned down doll in a hijab.
I guess it's pretty hard to compete with western influence and competition.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
A Day in My Life....
Curious about what I did today with my "day off"??
9:00 - left house with Eric
9:15 - stop at Tim Horton's
9:35 - dropped Eric off at the church for planning meeting
9:50 - went to Carlingwood Mall to get Phil a birthday gift and Zoe a printer
10:30 - went back home to drop off stuff and pick up Owen... found out Elizabeth needed a ride to the clinic
10:50 - picked up Elizabeth downtown, took her to Meadowlands clinic
11:15 - went to Shoppers Drug Mart - bought Zoe medicine, bday card for Phil and juice for Elizabeth
11:40 - went to Loblaws to get food for dinner (no ribs, pork tenderloins instead)
12:05 - went home to drop off groceries - got Dorothy, Zoe and Owen to start cleaning living room, kitchen and dining room for party tonight
12:35 - picked up friend and her two kids at St. Paul's -- drove them home -- brought Jack over to play with Owen
1:10 - picked up Dorothy - went back to clinic to get Elizabeth - took Dorothy to Value Village and Elizabeth to imaging clinic
1:35 - took Elizabeth back home -- washed floors for party tonight
2:15 - went to vaccuum store to buy new hose for mom
2:40 - picked up Eric from church
3:05 - picked up Oliver and other Eric from Eric's house
3:15 - got home - checked messages - cleaned off dining room table - brought up more chairs
3:20 - Eric went to buy ice cream, deliver same to mom with vac. hose
4:00 - Eric drops off ice cream at our house and goes to pick up Dad and Phil
This is the first time today I have sat down and taken a break. We are having a birthday party tonight for Phil and a surprise party tonight for Dorothy, who are both turning 22!! (Dorothy thinks its just for Phil). Dinner will be later, so I don't have to start cooking until about 6 pm.
Party People include: Lisa, Eric, Dorothy, Zoe, Owen, Oliver, Jack, other Eric, Elizabeth, Amelia, Dad, Phil, Dan and Jen. (Melanie couldn't come as she is out of town this weekend).
Darn, I didn't get my laundry done. Oh well... tomorrow is another day. Time for a beer.
9:00 - left house with Eric
9:15 - stop at Tim Horton's
9:35 - dropped Eric off at the church for planning meeting
9:50 - went to Carlingwood Mall to get Phil a birthday gift and Zoe a printer
10:30 - went back home to drop off stuff and pick up Owen... found out Elizabeth needed a ride to the clinic
10:50 - picked up Elizabeth downtown, took her to Meadowlands clinic
11:15 - went to Shoppers Drug Mart - bought Zoe medicine, bday card for Phil and juice for Elizabeth
11:40 - went to Loblaws to get food for dinner (no ribs, pork tenderloins instead)
12:05 - went home to drop off groceries - got Dorothy, Zoe and Owen to start cleaning living room, kitchen and dining room for party tonight
12:35 - picked up friend and her two kids at St. Paul's -- drove them home -- brought Jack over to play with Owen
1:10 - picked up Dorothy - went back to clinic to get Elizabeth - took Dorothy to Value Village and Elizabeth to imaging clinic
1:35 - took Elizabeth back home -- washed floors for party tonight
2:15 - went to vaccuum store to buy new hose for mom
2:40 - picked up Eric from church
3:05 - picked up Oliver and other Eric from Eric's house
3:15 - got home - checked messages - cleaned off dining room table - brought up more chairs
3:20 - Eric went to buy ice cream, deliver same to mom with vac. hose
4:00 - Eric drops off ice cream at our house and goes to pick up Dad and Phil
This is the first time today I have sat down and taken a break. We are having a birthday party tonight for Phil and a surprise party tonight for Dorothy, who are both turning 22!! (Dorothy thinks its just for Phil). Dinner will be later, so I don't have to start cooking until about 6 pm.
Party People include: Lisa, Eric, Dorothy, Zoe, Owen, Oliver, Jack, other Eric, Elizabeth, Amelia, Dad, Phil, Dan and Jen. (Melanie couldn't come as she is out of town this weekend).
Darn, I didn't get my laundry done. Oh well... tomorrow is another day. Time for a beer.
Friday, October 21, 2005
I may be wrong or I may be right...
So I met another lawyer yesterday - spent a few hours with him. I thought it went well and he was super nice and talked very cooperatively. We have two shared files and it seemed like on one of them we worked towards a common goal to solve the problems in the file. The second file was harder as neither of us know our clients well - and one of them (at least) must be lying. We just don't know which one. Both of these clients are making wild allegations about the other.
This morning I sent him some evidence that my client is telling the truth. This afternoon he did a huge 180 on me - and basically refused to let my client see his kids this weekend. I was pretty frustrated after what he had said to me yesterday- kind of leading me down a garden path so to speak. I feel very betrayed. Who knew that lawyers could be slime balls?
Silly me. I think I am very naive. I think I will call my good friend and talk to her about this guy because I have no idea if I can trust him now. I guess one of my problems is making sure I don't internalize this and take it personally. I may be wrong about my guy, but I may be right. Hey, isn't that a Billy Joel song?
This morning I sent him some evidence that my client is telling the truth. This afternoon he did a huge 180 on me - and basically refused to let my client see his kids this weekend. I was pretty frustrated after what he had said to me yesterday- kind of leading me down a garden path so to speak. I feel very betrayed. Who knew that lawyers could be slime balls?
Silly me. I think I am very naive. I think I will call my good friend and talk to her about this guy because I have no idea if I can trust him now. I guess one of my problems is making sure I don't internalize this and take it personally. I may be wrong about my guy, but I may be right. Hey, isn't that a Billy Joel song?
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Nasty People
Some people are so rude. This guy showed up at our office today and demanded we see him immediately. I thought he must have some emergency so I took a few minutes to speak to him. He was very aggressive and wanted some legal services to be provided on the spot while he waited. I told him to come back in a couple of hours but he insisted on waiting. So we rushed around so we could get him out of the office faster but he didn't even appreciate our efforts and complained constantly. Next time I will tell the person to go somewhere else.
And did I mention that last night I went chair shopping for an office chair. I went to a huge place that must have had about 50 chairs on display. I was going around, sitting in them one by one but neither of the two sales staff greeted me. They didn't have any other customers. But did I mention that I wasn't wearing my "work clothes" -- I had gone home to change into more casual dress. As far as I am concerned they lost my business - and I was thinking about buying one of the more expensive chairs.
Finally, the other day some woman started screaming at me from her car. Apparently she thought I was a jerk for not letting her into our lane -- even though I DIDN'T SEE HER trying to cram in from my blind spot. I had no idea who was honking at who.
I think some people need to get a life. Or have a beer. Or take a pill. Or something.
And did I mention that last night I went chair shopping for an office chair. I went to a huge place that must have had about 50 chairs on display. I was going around, sitting in them one by one but neither of the two sales staff greeted me. They didn't have any other customers. But did I mention that I wasn't wearing my "work clothes" -- I had gone home to change into more casual dress. As far as I am concerned they lost my business - and I was thinking about buying one of the more expensive chairs.
Finally, the other day some woman started screaming at me from her car. Apparently she thought I was a jerk for not letting her into our lane -- even though I DIDN'T SEE HER trying to cram in from my blind spot. I had no idea who was honking at who.
I think some people need to get a life. Or have a beer. Or take a pill. Or something.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
I am a Pony!
You Are A: Pony!
Who doesn't love a pony? You are one of these miniature horses, renown for your beauty and desired by many. Full of grace, you are a beautiful and very special animal, with a long, flowing mane that blows in the breeze.You were almost a: Lamb or a Puppy
You are least like a: Turtle or a GroundhogThe Cute Animals Quiz
Monday, October 17, 2005
Another Sunday
We had a great session yesterday in our OWL program. We asked the kids whether they knew male and female anatomy... of course they said yes. So then we taped various body parts on their backs (ie. fallopian tubes, urethra, epididymis, ovaries) and they had to guess what they were based on answers to questions they asked. We purposely put male parts on girls and female parts on boys, plus some parts that both genders have. It was a lot of fun and they had quite a hard time with some of them. One boy got "brain" and said "what does the brain have to do with sex?" This reminds me of last year when we studied communication and a girl said "what does communication have to do with sex?"
After the game, we watched anatomy slides and learned more. Then we asked the girls to create a model of the female reproductive system and the boys to create a male reproductive system. Now that was illuminating. The girls spent way too much time planning it and then didn't have enough time to make it. The boys focused on getting the penis just right. It turned out looking more like a rocket launcher than anything else, but they did manage to add some of the other bits by the deadline.
After church was over, there was an interesting event at our church. It was called the "Getting Connected" fair... where all the groups in our church set up a table so people could wander around and see what other people are up to. I signed up for information for two new groups, the Minorities Awareness Group, and the Refugees/United Nations Awareness group. They might be interesting to check out.
After the game, we watched anatomy slides and learned more. Then we asked the girls to create a model of the female reproductive system and the boys to create a male reproductive system. Now that was illuminating. The girls spent way too much time planning it and then didn't have enough time to make it. The boys focused on getting the penis just right. It turned out looking more like a rocket launcher than anything else, but they did manage to add some of the other bits by the deadline.
After church was over, there was an interesting event at our church. It was called the "Getting Connected" fair... where all the groups in our church set up a table so people could wander around and see what other people are up to. I signed up for information for two new groups, the Minorities Awareness Group, and the Refugees/United Nations Awareness group. They might be interesting to check out.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Grandparents Rights
Today a grandparent asked me if he had any rights to see his grandchildren. His son's ex-wife has been denying access to all of the father's family members. I explained that like all other custody and access issues, the Ontario courts frame the "rights" around the rights of the children, or the "best interests" of the children.
Thus, if a grandparent or other relative can show it is in the child's best interest to have a relationship with them, there is a chance that extended family members can gain access rights, let alone in some cases, custody rights. Custody rights would only become activated if the natural parents of the child in question was clearly unavailable or incompetent to care for the child.
So I got a new case today where I will be representing the extended family of two young children. It has the feel of a class action lawsuit -- they have a very large family who want to see these kids at family reunions!
Thus, if a grandparent or other relative can show it is in the child's best interest to have a relationship with them, there is a chance that extended family members can gain access rights, let alone in some cases, custody rights. Custody rights would only become activated if the natural parents of the child in question was clearly unavailable or incompetent to care for the child.
So I got a new case today where I will be representing the extended family of two young children. It has the feel of a class action lawsuit -- they have a very large family who want to see these kids at family reunions!
Monday, October 10, 2005
What did you say? (an Archive Meme)
Shauna has tagged me for an interesting archive meme. Here are the instructions:
Instructions:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same.
My archive post:
"They showed a clip of David Suzuki talking about the disaster in New Orleans."
(This is a post about what was on CTV news one night -- when David Suzuki made a pretty harsh joke about George Bush)
I will start by tagging : Todd, Holly, and will have to come back later... out of time.
Instructions:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same.
My archive post:
"They showed a clip of David Suzuki talking about the disaster in New Orleans."
(This is a post about what was on CTV news one night -- when David Suzuki made a pretty harsh joke about George Bush)
I will start by tagging : Todd, Holly, and will have to come back later... out of time.
Holiday Monday
We had a nice dinner yesterday and it was pretty relaxing. We played some games and I almost won both of them. Today we are all taking it easy although I am trying to get some paperwork done, which includes cleaning up my room some so I can find things I am looking for.
I got a call today from my old friend Kate, who I have known at least 17 years. Our daughters Dorothy and Molly went to kindergarten together and became lifelong friends. They both are heavily into Blythe now. Kate and I have birthdays one day apart and we used to always go horseback riding together every birthday weekend. We have grown apart over the years and usually just see each other once a year to catch up. I think we will go out this Friday night to catch a movie and dinner.
One of Eric's projects is to try to make our printer have a wireless connection to all the computers in our house. I hope he can figure it out. I guess its like "sharing" on computers. It would make things easier for everyone in printing their assignments.
At the youth group yesterday we talked about what we are thankful for in terms of music. I talked about Fleetwood Mac and the Rumours album. I discovered them when I was in grade 10 and have owned it in some form or another until now. It looks like I will be going on a retreat at the end of October with the youth group to a farm. I hope I can bring Suki, I think she would love it there. I will ask them if its ok.
I got a call today from my old friend Kate, who I have known at least 17 years. Our daughters Dorothy and Molly went to kindergarten together and became lifelong friends. They both are heavily into Blythe now. Kate and I have birthdays one day apart and we used to always go horseback riding together every birthday weekend. We have grown apart over the years and usually just see each other once a year to catch up. I think we will go out this Friday night to catch a movie and dinner.
One of Eric's projects is to try to make our printer have a wireless connection to all the computers in our house. I hope he can figure it out. I guess its like "sharing" on computers. It would make things easier for everyone in printing their assignments.
At the youth group yesterday we talked about what we are thankful for in terms of music. I talked about Fleetwood Mac and the Rumours album. I discovered them when I was in grade 10 and have owned it in some form or another until now. It looks like I will be going on a retreat at the end of October with the youth group to a farm. I hope I can bring Suki, I think she would love it there. I will ask them if its ok.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Canadian Thanksgiving!
Days have gone by and suddenly I noticed that I haven't blogged for quite a while. I am trying to remember hilights from this week -- it's pretty hard. How can you live your life and not really notice time going by?
What happened this week? I found out that Sarah quit her job and went to spend some time in Shanghai with friends. She may look for another job there, but has about 4 weeks left before her ticket to London on November 15th. It will be interesting to hear all about her adventure once she makes it back to Canada. When I told Dorothy and Zoe that Sarah may be back in November, Zoe said, "Well, it will be nice to see her, but it sure has been nice not having her using the bathroom". (Dorothy and I both nodded in agreement - Sarah is a pig).
Workwise, I have met some neat people and gotten to do some really interesting stuff. I met with a young woman and her ex and helped them to make a separation agreement that they were both happy with. I met a mom who is trying to get her daughter Canadian citizenship. Another day I met a man whose marriage of over 25 years ended and his ex wife got him to sign a very unfair separation agreement. And of course, more notary work which is always interesting. I also learned how to do a divorce, something which may come in handy at some point in more ways than one.
The sad thing is that most of the potential clients that I meet are going through something hard, something sad. They are often very upset or angry about the way their lives are turning out.
I feel very lucky that my life is going pretty well. Thankful I guess. Overall, our kids are reasonably healthy, doing ok in school and mostly not being too obnoxious. Eric and I get along pretty well most of the time. When we don't it's usually something very petty and the solution is that we need to spend more time together.
The man that I am working with has a son in his late twenties. His son has some type of cancer and the treatment is not working. He has been in the hospital for a few weeks and is getting weaker by the day. We are all so scared that he may not make it - - and his dad (and the family) are always saying positive things about how he will bounce back. I was wondering if I should talk to him at all about the possible death of his son and how he was handling it, so the other day I brought it up when we were alone. He said that his wife had talked to their son about it -- it was more her realm as she is a Minister with the Anglican church and does pastoral care visits all the time. I just can't imagine losing one of my children.
As time moves on, I try to focus some time each day on my various relationships, whether with immediate family members, close friends, etc. Owen and I have discovered a new online game that we both like (the legend of Zorro) and so he plays from the living room and I play from another computer in the house and we have fun pretending to be Zorro (or other characters in the game). Maybe it's a good thing to be able to relax and escape the worries of our daily lives.
Thanksgiving in Honour of Me
Tonight a few of us went out and met for a couple of beers -- theoretically to celebrate my birthday -- (it's actually tomorrow) but mostly just to get to know these people better. Actually the girl that I work with has a brother that we wanted to introduce to another woman that I know. He is shy and she is outgoing and I thought they might hit it off. I am not sure if they did, but I had a nice time.
Tomorrow I will be at church in the morning as I am on duty for the youth group. Then at lunchtime we are calling a meeting at my house of the "Thanksgiving Dinner Committee", composed of me, Eric, Dad, Dorothy and Zoe. We are going to prepare an 18 lb turkey, mashed potatoes, turnip, brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, buns. We bought some sauvignon blanc (my favorite wine) and have red if people prefer that. My friend Ruth and her dad will join us for dinner and she is bringing home made pumpkin pies. We also have a chocolate cheesecake which I chose as my favorite birthday dessert. It should be a nice relaxing get together with only about 8 people in attendance as Eric's kids are away, my mom is not available, my sister is out of town and my brother is elsewhere. We will probably play games and maybe go for a walk with the dogs if the weather is ok. It has been raining and cold quite a bit here this weekend after a whole week of hot sunny summer weather.
Happy Thanksgiving!
What happened this week? I found out that Sarah quit her job and went to spend some time in Shanghai with friends. She may look for another job there, but has about 4 weeks left before her ticket to London on November 15th. It will be interesting to hear all about her adventure once she makes it back to Canada. When I told Dorothy and Zoe that Sarah may be back in November, Zoe said, "Well, it will be nice to see her, but it sure has been nice not having her using the bathroom". (Dorothy and I both nodded in agreement - Sarah is a pig).
Workwise, I have met some neat people and gotten to do some really interesting stuff. I met with a young woman and her ex and helped them to make a separation agreement that they were both happy with. I met a mom who is trying to get her daughter Canadian citizenship. Another day I met a man whose marriage of over 25 years ended and his ex wife got him to sign a very unfair separation agreement. And of course, more notary work which is always interesting. I also learned how to do a divorce, something which may come in handy at some point in more ways than one.
The sad thing is that most of the potential clients that I meet are going through something hard, something sad. They are often very upset or angry about the way their lives are turning out.
I feel very lucky that my life is going pretty well. Thankful I guess. Overall, our kids are reasonably healthy, doing ok in school and mostly not being too obnoxious. Eric and I get along pretty well most of the time. When we don't it's usually something very petty and the solution is that we need to spend more time together.
The man that I am working with has a son in his late twenties. His son has some type of cancer and the treatment is not working. He has been in the hospital for a few weeks and is getting weaker by the day. We are all so scared that he may not make it - - and his dad (and the family) are always saying positive things about how he will bounce back. I was wondering if I should talk to him at all about the possible death of his son and how he was handling it, so the other day I brought it up when we were alone. He said that his wife had talked to their son about it -- it was more her realm as she is a Minister with the Anglican church and does pastoral care visits all the time. I just can't imagine losing one of my children.
As time moves on, I try to focus some time each day on my various relationships, whether with immediate family members, close friends, etc. Owen and I have discovered a new online game that we both like (the legend of Zorro) and so he plays from the living room and I play from another computer in the house and we have fun pretending to be Zorro (or other characters in the game). Maybe it's a good thing to be able to relax and escape the worries of our daily lives.
Thanksgiving in Honour of Me
Tonight a few of us went out and met for a couple of beers -- theoretically to celebrate my birthday -- (it's actually tomorrow) but mostly just to get to know these people better. Actually the girl that I work with has a brother that we wanted to introduce to another woman that I know. He is shy and she is outgoing and I thought they might hit it off. I am not sure if they did, but I had a nice time.
Tomorrow I will be at church in the morning as I am on duty for the youth group. Then at lunchtime we are calling a meeting at my house of the "Thanksgiving Dinner Committee", composed of me, Eric, Dad, Dorothy and Zoe. We are going to prepare an 18 lb turkey, mashed potatoes, turnip, brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, buns. We bought some sauvignon blanc (my favorite wine) and have red if people prefer that. My friend Ruth and her dad will join us for dinner and she is bringing home made pumpkin pies. We also have a chocolate cheesecake which I chose as my favorite birthday dessert. It should be a nice relaxing get together with only about 8 people in attendance as Eric's kids are away, my mom is not available, my sister is out of town and my brother is elsewhere. We will probably play games and maybe go for a walk with the dogs if the weather is ok. It has been raining and cold quite a bit here this weekend after a whole week of hot sunny summer weather.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, October 03, 2005
School Daze
So Oliver didn't go to school today and Eric was very upset about it. This is the third day that he has missed in 4 weeks. When asked why he didn't go, he said he felt that he needed a "me" day. It seemed like his weekend might have been too busy, so we decided that next weekend he can keep it a bit calmer with less socialization.
Oliver agreed that he would not miss any more school until we get his mid term report card in about 3 weeks. We explained that once he proves to us that we can trust him to make it through the school year, we will give him more leeway on the attendance issue.
The thing is, we went through this before with Amelia -- she had lousy attendance in grade 9 -- and barely got through the year. So I told Oliver that the reason his dad was so angry was that he is really scared that Oliver won't do well.
On another related note, I got a letter from the school today about Zoe. Apparently she is receiving some kind of Academic Award (her counselor had mentioned something about her being a silver medalist) next week for her marks last year. Woo hoo! All is not lost.
Oliver agreed that he would not miss any more school until we get his mid term report card in about 3 weeks. We explained that once he proves to us that we can trust him to make it through the school year, we will give him more leeway on the attendance issue.
The thing is, we went through this before with Amelia -- she had lousy attendance in grade 9 -- and barely got through the year. So I told Oliver that the reason his dad was so angry was that he is really scared that Oliver won't do well.
On another related note, I got a letter from the school today about Zoe. Apparently she is receiving some kind of Academic Award (her counselor had mentioned something about her being a silver medalist) next week for her marks last year. Woo hoo! All is not lost.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
I didn't clean the floor!
We did get a wonderful walk yesterday afternoon with the dogs. We went to Bruce Pit, a great place with lots of trails where you can let dogs run. They were holding "Bark in the Park" which is a fundraiser for a local dog rescue group. They are adopting 20 dogs from New Orleans who were abandoned. You could buy dog toys or get a picture of your dog taken. We decided our dogs wouldn't hold still for the picture so we bought them a couple of neat dog toys.
Then Dorothy and I went grocery shopping and got stuff to make salad and lamb chops for dinner. We had a nice time watching "Sense and Sensibilities" a movie that I have seen and enjoyed quite a while ago. (Eric had gone out with Dad and my brothers for dinner and pool after they finished moving them).
Today I got to go to church for the first time in a long time, as I am always teaching. It was neat to get to see the new team of ministers... there are 3 now... including the old timer, Brian, the new minister Lee, and another new one named Debra, who is an intern (a student for a year)... but actually she is middle aged and has tons of experience so I think we are pretty lucky to have her this year. They also had guest musicians who played piano and flute... very nice music. The gist of the sermon today seemed to be that it doesn't matter if you are really good at something if you ignore everything else in your life so much that it suffers. Balance is key. I would say that I agree with that.
This afternoon I got a few things done and finally mowed the lawn... my neighbours must hate us by now as we have mowed the lawn about 1 time for every 6 times that they do. Next year is a new beginning when it comes to the garden.
Tonight Dad stopped by to get the last of his stuff and he ended up having dinner with us and playing a game of Carcasonne with us. Just like "old times". (And he only moved out yesterday!) I guess he missed us.
Then Dorothy and I went grocery shopping and got stuff to make salad and lamb chops for dinner. We had a nice time watching "Sense and Sensibilities" a movie that I have seen and enjoyed quite a while ago. (Eric had gone out with Dad and my brothers for dinner and pool after they finished moving them).
Today I got to go to church for the first time in a long time, as I am always teaching. It was neat to get to see the new team of ministers... there are 3 now... including the old timer, Brian, the new minister Lee, and another new one named Debra, who is an intern (a student for a year)... but actually she is middle aged and has tons of experience so I think we are pretty lucky to have her this year. They also had guest musicians who played piano and flute... very nice music. The gist of the sermon today seemed to be that it doesn't matter if you are really good at something if you ignore everything else in your life so much that it suffers. Balance is key. I would say that I agree with that.
This afternoon I got a few things done and finally mowed the lawn... my neighbours must hate us by now as we have mowed the lawn about 1 time for every 6 times that they do. Next year is a new beginning when it comes to the garden.
Tonight Dad stopped by to get the last of his stuff and he ended up having dinner with us and playing a game of Carcasonne with us. Just like "old times". (And he only moved out yesterday!) I guess he missed us.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Dad Takes his Leave of Us...
Dad is moving in with Phil today. They found a nice apartment nearby, close to Tim Hortons and major bus connections so Phil can go to work and Dad can get to Billings Bridge, his favorite hot spot. Eric has been helping them with the move which is taking a long time because they are using a mini van - so about six trips so far. They are all going out for dinner later and to have a beer.
It feels weird having him move out, as he has been here almost a year. Originally it was supposed to be for a few months, but it turned out pretty well so we didn't mind him staying longer. Now by sharing a place with Phil they can both afford a decent apartment. We hope Dad will visit at least once a week to play games and make dinner for us!
This means we will actually have an "extra" bedroom. I suppose we should reserve it for Sarah in case she decides to return home at some point this year. Otherwise it may be set up with an extra bed for visitors or other strays. Or maybe it could be a "quiet room" for Eric to hide in.
Dorothy and I took Maebee to the vet this morning - she has a huge case of ticks. The other animals seem ok. But it appears she has found a nest of them somewhere outside. Dorothy pulled out almost 20 and the doctor found some more - then she gave us some medicine to try for the next few months.
It is a beautiful fall day here - windy but sunny. I hope to take the dogs for a long walk this afternoon.
It feels weird having him move out, as he has been here almost a year. Originally it was supposed to be for a few months, but it turned out pretty well so we didn't mind him staying longer. Now by sharing a place with Phil they can both afford a decent apartment. We hope Dad will visit at least once a week to play games and make dinner for us!
This means we will actually have an "extra" bedroom. I suppose we should reserve it for Sarah in case she decides to return home at some point this year. Otherwise it may be set up with an extra bed for visitors or other strays. Or maybe it could be a "quiet room" for Eric to hide in.
Dorothy and I took Maebee to the vet this morning - she has a huge case of ticks. The other animals seem ok. But it appears she has found a nest of them somewhere outside. Dorothy pulled out almost 20 and the doctor found some more - then she gave us some medicine to try for the next few months.
It is a beautiful fall day here - windy but sunny. I hope to take the dogs for a long walk this afternoon.
Serenity
Tonight we went to the late show and saw "Serenity", the new movie that is based on the 2002 tv show "Firefly". My friend Darby introduced me to the show and I ended up buying the series last year. Eric and I both enjoyed it so we had to see the movie. The movie was fantastic. Funny, sad, exciting, scary and sweet... all rolled into one.
If you like sci-fi, westerns, action, adventure and even a bit of comedy... check it out.
Earlier today we had swimming lessons and our usual Friday lunch with our friends. I also ran into work this morning for a while to help with the phones as two of our staff were away today. It was pretty quiet so I got some actual work done at the same time.
