Living in the now?

Quote o' the day: Never trade what you want the most for what you want at the moment.

Meaning... forget about a beachy winter vacation and focus on saving money for Europe 2011?

MY Remembrance Day

My family likes cemetaries. Or, perhaps, my family gets fewer creepy spine-chills from cemetaries than the average bear. We've had our share of loss, and consider ourselves to be more comfortable than most in speaking about death and memorials and cemetaries. Trips to visit relatives' gravesites are quite common, sometimes necessitate a BC roadtrip, can be done during turkey-based family gatherings, and typically include laughter (in addition to tears).

Every Remembrance Day for as long as I can remember, following the legion's service, we take a trip to the River View Cemetary and have a shot for those who are on the wrong side of the grass (as Uncle Roy always said). It used to be that we would take one sip of whiskey for an uncle who served in the war, but as the years have gone by, additional bottles have needed to be purchased. Vodka for grandma, a little rum for Grandpa, and even some Tang for cousin Jennifer.

In an awkward sort of family reunion, the old stories come out, and bits of family history are revealed. From Great Auntie Margie about her parents, and all the children they fit into the 3-bedroom house. From Mom about the importance of the 'gum drawer'. From Auntie Darlene about Grandpa gaining weight when he bought a small motorbike because he quit walking the fields for 2 hours every morning. From Sean about trying to learn to two-step to motown music with Jennifer.

As the yarns are spun and the the bottles get lighter, the family takes comfort in bringing the missing ones alive again for a few hours. And eventually fingers grow cold and the light begins to weaken, and the drivers deliver everyone safe to their doors.

In my family, every day is a day to remember, but on Remembrance Day we make a special effort to pay tribute and make new memories.


And for 2010, I will light a candle and think of my amazing cousin making things safer (and smilier) with the troops in Afghanistan.

Contract with myself

Currently, there are 2 things I want:
1: To lose weight
2: To take a winter vacation to somewhere beachy and warm
So.
Here's my plan.
Work deserves a reward.
And though this reward is $er than most, it's motivating. And I realize I will likely justify a trip somehow so I'd might as well make myself work for it. AND help myself feel better in my swimsuit.
Now to determine goals weights and measurements and, more importantly, the path to reach those goals.

EDIT: And, in a direct 'screw you' from the universe, there are nanaimo bars in the kitchen. But I only had 1/2 of 1?

Christmas Prep

Some days, I'm brilliant... (we won't discuss the 'other' days)

Ive made a decision on the girls' Christmas gifts - I'm going to make coffee cup cozies. Individualized patterns based on personality, and low low cost for me. They're all so crafty, and I see them so rarely, but they're always so giving at Christmas time. AND I'll get to use some of the buttons I've been saving in my lovely button box.

Now to get pattern-ing and sewing...!

Words to live by?

Quote o' the day: To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.

Whale or mermaid?

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said: "THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"
A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym:

To Whom It May Concern:
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins, stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Barren Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store? The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good gosh, look how smart I am!"

Farmer Dave

Does owning a farm automatically make you a farmer?

My family has always been the black sheep of the community: farmers who live in town. The townies think we're farmers, and the farmers think we're townies. At any rate, I've been raised to know the value of a little dirt under the fingernails, and the benefits of a paved road at the front door.

And after years of closely watching barley prices and staring at dark clouds in hopes of a rain storm, Dad has quit farming. Or quit typical grain farming - he's now the proud landlord of a tree farm.

Ultimate ultimate

For the first time in my athletic life, I've honestly been able to say I enjoy everyone on my team. I've never been the best player, or the fastest, or the trickiest. I have, however, consistently been the loudest. And team sports give me a place to use my lungs and my sportsmanship. And they're exercise wisely disguised as fun with the added distraction of sideline visits!

This year was my first go at the sport of ultimate frisbee. And though I recognize there are teams who play barefoot, or with herbal aid, it is also a sport of strategy, of speed, and of disc skill. As a team of mostly beginners and an eager coach, we took to Sunday practices, and short strategy meetings before each game. We steadily improved, with high-fives all around when we gained our first sideways shoe. We have yet to achieve our first victory on the field, but there is a sense of victory in understanding what 'chilly' means, positioning my body for home or away, and having a small bag of spirit games for the end of each competition.

It made my summer months into a summer, complete with passes for cheap beer and free wings.

Separation Anxiety

This weekend I’m picking up a new (to me) car. And though I’m excited for heated seats and power locks, I’m sad to be leaving my (somewhat) trusty/rusty sidekick. Stella and I have been together since Remembrance Day, 2000. My longest chosen relationship, really. I buy her oil and gas and brakes, and she safely takes me to Grande Prairie and back, and to Grande Prairie and back, and to Calgary and back, and to Grande Prairie and back. Yes, we know Highway 43 exceedingly well.

I know that her driver’s lock is broken from the robbery in the Zellers parking lot on my way to see Karissa’s new baby. I know the recline lever is missing from my seat because Dad wanted to ‘check out the new car’. I know the rough groove my thumb has left on the bottom of the steering wheel from 9 years of roadtrips.

Saturday will be the beginning of a new era – an as-of-yet nameless responsible 4-door collection of metal and grease. And goodbye to my spunky little red 2-door friend.