Thursday Thirteen: 13 quotes I love ( from books I love!)

It is Thursday already again? HOW?!
Link to others participating HERE.

My topic for this week is....  Quotes that I love from books. Here we go:

1. From "The Song of Kahunsha" by Anosh Irani

"To him, real prayer means sending a bright thought, like Thank you or I love you , to heaven. That is prayer. The moment you ask for something, the prayer room becomes a marketplace." p.9

2. From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khalid Hosseini

" She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. "As a reminder of how women like us suffer," She'd said. "How quietly we endure all that falls upon us." p.82

3. From 'The Birth House" by Ami McKay

"It's a disgusting mess we come through to be born, the sticky wet of blood and afterborth, mother wailing, child crying....the helpless soft spot at the top of it's head pulsing, waiting to be kissed. Our parents and teachers say it's a miracle, but it's not. It's going to happen no matter what, there's no choice in the matter. To my mind, a miracle is something that could go one way or the other. The fact that something happens when by all rights it shouldn't is what makes us take notice, it's what saints are made of, it takes the breath away. How a mother comes to love her child, caring at all for this thing that has made her heavy, lopsided and slow, this thing that makes her wish she were dead...that's the miracle." p.20

4. From " The Heretics Daughter" by Kathleen Kent

"And what finally of the tortures of a guilty soul? What concoction is there that can be chewed and swallowed and downed into the belly to force the poison of self recrimination back through the pores of the skin? In what organ in the body does it reside? A seeping wound can be bound. Salve can be added to a burn or swelling bubo. Poison can be drawn into a leech or a lance. But guilt is a ghost that takes the shape of the body it inhabits and consumes all that is tender within it's shell: brain, bowels, and heart. I cannot pluck it out like a splinter of glass or treat it with herbal brews."

5. From "Factotum" by D.M. Cornish

" Look at these pullings of long faces! How does knowing who you are make you any different? You have been you all this time; you will remain you for the long stretch of your life regardless of the reckonings in your thinking soils. The only alteration you have undergone is to simply have information to remedy your self-doubtings. Cease these snivels!"


6. From "Bloodhound" by Tamora Pierce

"Keep Breathing, Keep Learning."

7. From "The Truth of All Things" by Kieran Shields

"I never read the newspapers. Nothing but canned bleating. People read the newspapers to learn what is happening in the world. Youcouldn't find a lazier and more misdirected guide if you tried. Even when there is no deliberate deception, tha accounts either wildly exaggerate or else completely underestimate the actual importance of the events described. No event can be accurately judged unless it is considered with adequate background and perspective, both of which newspapers ignore and the reading public distain." (p 205)

8. From "Revenge of the Vinyl Cafe" by Stuart McLean

"We do this thing. We open our hearts to the world around us. And the more we do that, the more we are bound to find ourselves one day standing in the kitchen of our life, surrounded by the ones we love, and feeling empty, and alone, and sad, and lost for words, because one of our loved ones, who should be there, is missing. Mother or father, brother or sister, wife or husband, or a dog or cat. It doesn't really matter. After a while each death feels like all the deaths, and you stand there like everyone else has stood there before you, while the big wind of sadness blows around and through you." (p. 239)

9. From "Alice In Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

"I could tell you my adventures — beginning from this morning," said Alice a little timidly: "but it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." ~ from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

10. From Alice In Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. "
11. From "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

“Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)... There are just some kind of men who - who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” 

12. From "The Little Prince" by  Antoine de Sait-Exupery.

“All men have stars, but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems... But all these stars are silent. You-You alone will have stars as no one else has them... In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars will be laughing when you look at the sky at night..You, only you, will have stars that can laugh! And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me... You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure... It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh” 

13. And my favorite scripture of all time from the Book of Mormon, Mosiah Chapter 2, Verse 19. (I have to give a disclaimer that I am not an active Mormon, nor active in any religion,  nor do I read the book of Mormon any longer - but I still like this verse)

"O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!"

Wordless Wednesday

The strangest ice formation

We have had melting and freezing weather the last few weeks where it is warm enough during the day (and the sun is out long enough FINALLY) to start some thawing. As I was loading kids into the vehicle I noticed the side of the van - which looked dirty from a distance - was actually covered in small ice particles. It was very cool to look at close up. Obviously the air is still cold enough to freeze the water as I am driving and it must be blowing as it dries. That's my very scientific opinion of course.

Better than a "good boy"

The boys used to tell Shel and I that we were "good boys" if we did anything that they particularly liked. It was a wonderful compliment and brought a smile to my face every time I was "good enough" to be a good boy.
Today I got a call from Shel while I was at work. The lady from early intervention had visited the house this morning and when she went to leave she got stuck in the melting snow in the driveway.
Of course there were no shovels to be found in our yard and being a work day there were not neighbours close enough still home to call for help.
I hurried home as fast as I could and used the shovel I keep in the van to dig out the wheel of her vehicle. I went in and told her I was there and ready to push her out. She, Max and I pushed while Shel drove and we were able to get her out easily. (It is amazing what one can do with a shovel!!)
When I got back to work I discovered that Max declared me a Higgledy Town Hero for my role in the removal of the vehicle.
If there's one thing better than being a good boy - it's being a Higgledy Town Hero.

Our boys would like a dad

One of the boys asked the other day if he could have a dad.

I have been waiting for this moment with fear and trepidation since bringing home baby number one six years ago. Being one of two moms I wonder if we are doing "right" by our kids. Don't get me wrong, I think we are great parents, but the reality is we still live in a homophobic world and I would hate for my boys to ever suffer because their moms were lesbian.

As soon as they question was out in the open I had a moment of panic where I imagined the worst. Shel of course handled the whole thing with aplomb, as only she can. "Why do you want a dad honey? she asked.

"Because dad's buy kids whatever they want." came the response.

Shoot. I want a dad also!!

Thursday 13 : Items the puppy has chewed

For this weeks 13 I am posting photos of things the puppy has chewed. She drives me INSANE but no matter what we do we can't seem to stop her from chewing. We have given her things to chew that are hers, she is crate trained. She gets decent exercise, but we have four kids who leave their things strewn all over kingdom come and so she chews them. It is frustrating to say the least, but the blame lies on us. She wouldn't chew them if they were put away, but its not like she is chewing them when they are left on the floor after everyone is in bed - no she chews toys the kids are PLAYING with! Just takes them right out of the kids hands and chews them.

Without further ado:

 

1. A fake poop the boys got for Christmas. Apparently she was not deterred by the look of it, she knew it wasn't real poo. The corner she chewed isn't wonderfully illustrated here.



 

 

2. A motorcycle that the boys LOVED.

 



 

3. The only thing she is actually SUPPOSED to chew  - one of her chew toys. We were supposed to put treats inside and she would have to work to get them. She decided she didn't like to work for them so she chewed the end off. 

 

 

4. Baby shoe 

 

5. Hairbrush.

 

 

6. Baby boot.

 

 

7. Mommy Shoe.

 

 

8. Toothbrush. 

 

9. Cookie Cutter.

 

10. Scissors.

 

11. Cookie Monster

 12. Boot Liner

 

13. And last but not least - here is the puppy herself resting with a Christmas tree ornament she ate (a snowman). She ate more than one BTW.

 



365/17 Aunty Brenda

Try this: make a list of 365 people whose names you remember and who were interesting to you. And then, if you can, write down a few words about each of them before they're gone from your memory. If you can't do this, it might be wise to spend the next 365 days meeting more people in person who are interesting to you. Learn their names.


My Aunt.

Here is the thing about Aunts that makes them extra special. They aren't mom's. Now don't take that the wrong way, but mom's have this role in life of you know, PARENTING you, so they have to do things as you grow up that you don't like. For your own benefit of course. Aunts don't have to. They stand apart in this other zone where they can love you but the love is special because they can always see the very best in you. They have a barrier to the negative and the conflicts that arise between kids and parents. They have a special place.

I was born and raised in Zimbabwe. When I was born the country was known as Rhodesia and there was a civil war going on. My dad was in the army, my parents were newlyweds, and my mom worked. What this translated to for me as a young child was spending a lot of time with my Aunt and my cousins.

My mom tells stories of how I was so attached to my aunt that on weekends when I was with my mom if we happened to run into my aunt in town at the grocery store I would scream and cry and want to go with her. As a result of my very poor behaviour (shame on me), my mom and aunt would make sure they scheduled visits to market to avoid one another and the scene I would inevitably cause.

I have a very close bond with my aunt. I love her deeply and she loves me. When we moved to Canada she wrote letters and on every birthday she would send a red ribbon with my age. I loved these ribbons. When she and her family moved to England we would stay with them in our cross-Atlantic trips. She made Christmas tree decorations with me. She taught me how to cross stitch.
When she moved to California and our family was finally settled in Canada I would spend summers with her in Azusa at the "Rainbow Angling Club" which she managed.

I was a bed wetter late into my teens and I remember one summer when I was staying with her that I had an "accident" one night and she had the mattress out on the deck drying and my clothing in the washing machine. A vendor that she worked with in the housing complex arrived to meet with her and do some work. Her office was in her unit and the vendor came inside. As he walked into the unit there must have been an overpowering smell of urine and he took it upon himself to draw her attention to the "HUMAN URINE" smell that was assailing his senses. She insisted it was not "HUMAN URINE" but cat urine and that she was taking care of it. He tried and tried to convince her it was not feline in nature and repeated the phrase "HUMAN URINE", loudly, over and over and over. I was in the house and could hear this conversation. I was absolutely mortified that this man was going to charge into the house and sniff out the smell of urine on me and reveal my deepest secret and worst nightmare. She was having no part of it. Once he left and it became obvious to her that I was upset by the interaction she turned the situation on it's head and made the vendor the brunt of a joke with his extra sensory perception for sniffing out human waste. From that day to this we have ever referred to him as "Human Urine." Her dedication to me and to my protection, both physical and mental was made evident.

When I went to university in Utah I would take every opportunity to travel to California that I could, often leaving with people late on a Friday and returning on a Sunday JUST to spend time with her.
She has a love of animals and people that knows no bounds. She is a tireless worker and CONSTANTLY thinking of others and how she can help them. She looked after my grandparents in their last years, moving in with my grandmother and selling her own house to do so in order to provide the kids of support my grandmother needed in her last years.

She has made blankets for my kids which to this day are Maxi's "special" blankets. She is a seamstress extraordinaire. She wanted to send me some mumu's (which I love to wear) but couldn't find any when she shopped for them and so she told me she was going to make me some after Christmas.

A few weeks ago I called to talk to her to ask her if she could help me with the 100 days project for Maxi's class. She went out the very next day and sent a HUGE amount of stamps for him to use. She said in that phone call she was feeling under the weather and hadn't had a chance to make my mumu's but was planning on getting to it as soon as she felt a bit better.

She has cancer. Aggressive Cancer. We only just found out about it - in fact only after she mailed the stamps to me did we realize how sick she was.  Maxi's project was due on February 11th or 12th and she mailed the stamps a few weeks before then, so it has barely been a month - if that.

She is so weak she cannot stand. She has needed huge amounts of blood and the doctors are having a devil of a time to get her blood regulated so that the chemo will work. The mess up with her blood is leaving her weak and disoriented and she can't really talk on the phone. The cancer is in her lungs, lymph nodes and lungs.

I feel selfish for thinking of myself right now and probably look selfish for saying so, but I am not prepared in any way to face the loss of someone I love so much. She may recover. She may beat this thing. I hope and I pray that she does. I'm writing about her as one of the people in my 365 project - to write about someone you find interesting before they fade from memory. I know this much - she is more than interesting she is amazing AND though her body is failing her right now, SHE will never fade.

I love you Aunty Bren.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

100 days project

Max has been in grade 1 for 100 days. This apparently is a big deal, which I was unaware of until this year. He has had a big project to work on for school today - he had to collect 100 items, display them, and take them to school to present to the class.
We came up with the idea to collect stamps from all over the world and put them on a poster. Thanks in HUGE part to my mom and my aunt, we were able to collect the stamps and put them on the poster. It is all done and delivered to school for him to present today.

 Following moms outline of the world - which leaves much to be desired!!!

 Getting started in South America.

 Drawing stamp books for everyone in the family - because it's related to the project how?????

 At one point last night he was just getting silly. Should I be shocked at all?

 The final poster all complete and ready for school.

 The presenting part is the tricky one for him. Here are the things he is going to present. He has a stamp that we bought yesterday that is "new". It is the Canada Stamp celebrating the year of the Snake.
He chose the stamps that are his favorite and they are from Libya. He likes them because they look "metal".
There is a stamp from Zimbabwe that cost $35 dollars that is the most expensive. It is actually not worth as much as some of the others because the Zimbabwe dollar is so terrible, but for presenting purposes it meets our needs!
Then there is the one stamp that is round. It is a South African stamp (and I think it may be my favorite of the bunch!)

 This stamp was the oldest. I actually think we have older stamps but I didn't take the time to look any further once we found this one.

 These are the stamps that cost the least amount of money.

 Here are his African and some of his European stamps  - we actually had more but I am happy with what we presented. Our outline of Africa is almost invisible! We had one from the Isle of Mann but it didn't make it to the poster.

 We put quite a few from Canada and the USA. Shel was quite disappointed with the ones we had from the USA. We will have to start paying attention and collecting more.

HUGE thanks to Aunty Bren and mom for helping on this project!

(Max has specified that he does not like "homework", he only likes "projects!"

friendship

When I was younger I remember being told that if I lived my life and had ONE true friend I would be blessed. As I was writing my post on gratitude a while ago I thought of the friends I have currently and the friends I have had and how my life has truly been blessed by these people.

A few times I have had my feelings hurt and have felt betrayed by people I considered to be friends. It has always been somewhat difficult for me to "let go" of people when I wanted them to remain friends or to stay in contact with me. I remember one time in particular - over ten years ago now -  when someone I loved basically walked away from me. It left me reeling and it took me YEARS to get over it. Looking back on it I understand WHY I held on, but I wish I had been mature enough to walk away and accept the choice THEY made to leave.

This topic has come to the forefront of my mind again this week through a series of unfortunate events and I have to say at the end of the day I am SO very lucky in my life. I have a spouse who loves me, I have kids who love me, I have brothers and sisters and in-laws who love me. I have a mother who is a solid rock of support. And would you know it I have friends, true friends, who stand by me and who love me.

I have an aunt, whom I love with all of my heart, who is going through a tough time right now with a pretty severe illness - who loves me.

I'd like to think I am a good friend. I hope I am. I try to be. At the end of the day I have much to be thankful for and I am happy to say that I may have reached a point in my life where I can actually say "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough... " Whoops, that was a quote from SNL and not what I meant to say... I am happy to say I am at a point in my life where I can say " You know I am sad this friendship can't be what I would like, but I'm ok with it." I can say that because of the love that still surrounds me. So to those friends of mine who are sticking with me through it all - thanks peeps.

starting a new blog for book reviews

I have to admit I am not what I would consider to be a good reviewer of books. I would like to be. I certainly read enough. I read book reviews and wish I could write the kinds of things about books that good reviewers write. Having said that - I was alerted to a cool website where publishers offer free previews of books to reviewers. There were some books there I was mightily interested in reading and so I signed up and requested some free books. I was absolutely SHOCKED when some of the books I had requested were DENIED to me!
A suggestion was offered that perhaps the books had been denied to me because I was not reviewing books frequently enough or posting those reviews. So I decided, with my spousal unit to start a new blog so I could get free books online!
Shel and I talked about it last night and we decided to go for it. We have started a new blog at http://twomomsread.wordpress.com and we are going to work on it together and review together some of the books we read. We often read the same books, and our opinions tend to differ greatly on what we got out of the book. I think it would be cool for us to each offer our opinion on the books we read. When we do happen to read books that one or the other is not interested in for whatever reason then one of us will do the review alone. HOPEFULLY people will find it interesting, and HOPEFULLY my reviews improve!
To get us started I have copied some reviews of books I have blogged about here. I hope that by posting these already I will be able to get us some free books from the site my blogging friend Teena referred me to. (she does great reviews by the way which can be found HERE).
If you get a chance stop by the new blog. Hopefully both Shel and I will get a chance to post something together soon and it will be updated from the re posts that are there currently.

Wordless Wednesday

100 question meme

1. Are you young at heart, or an old soul? I think I am young at heart.
2. What makes someone a best friend? Someone who sticks with you through thick and thin, no matter what. Someone you can laugh with.
3. What Christmas (or Hanukkah) present do you remember the most? I remember getting a bike from my grandparents when I was a kid because my uncle told me I was getting it before Christmas and I told my nana I knew what I was getting and my uncle got into trouble.
4. Tell me about a movie/song/TV show/play/book that has changed your life. I would have to say the song that I listened to a lot WHEN my life was changing was Ghost by the Indigo Girls. It didn't exactly change my life but it gave voice to the things I was feeling at the time.
5. Name one physical feature that you like about yourself, and one you dislike. I like my height. I hate my weight.
6. Would you like to reconnect with any friends you've lost contact with? I think there are three I would like to reconnect. Laurie-Beth, Linda J. and Homa.
7. What's more important in a relationship: physical attraction or emotional connection? Emotional connection.
8. Name a movie that you knew would be terrible just from reading the title. Snakes on a Plane. Never even watched it.
9. What holiday do you most look forward to? Easter. It means winter is over.
10. How is the relationship between you and your parents? I have an amazing relationship with my mother and a questionable one with my father  - his choice. 
11. You've got the TV on, but you're not really watching. What channel is the TV on? HGTV or Disney junior.
12. Name a song that never fails to make you happy. I LOVE music. There are a lot of songs that make me happy. I am struggling to come up with just one. Men and Work, Land Down Under - How could a song with vegemite sandwiches could NOT make me smile?
13. You know at least one person named Michael. Tell me about him.  The kids caseworker. We didn't really hit it off well at the very beginning, he wouldn't take his sunglasses off to talk to us. I know a lot of "douchy" Michael's.
14. Have you ever read the "Missed Connections" on Craigslist? Have you ever posted one, or wanted to? I don't think I I have ever been on Craigslist because it isn't that popular up here where we live, but I will obviously have to check it out now. 
15. If you could pick anywhere to live the rest of your life, where would it be? I am tired of the cold. I would have to go somewhere warm. I used to want to live in Seattle again, but even that isn't warm enough for me. 
16. Can money buy happiness? I'd like to have some to try it out. 
17. Do you drink? Smoke? Do drugs? Why, or why not? I don't drink, but have had a drink on RARE occasion (less than once a year). I smoke sometimes at work and I shouldn't. I have never done drugs. I was raised not doing any of them and some of my upbringing stuck with me.
18. Is there anyone close to you that you know you can't trust? You don't have to give names. Yes.
19. Where was your favorite place to go when you were a little kid? The library. The place was absolute magic to me. Or maybe my grandma and grandpa's house.
20. Have you ever spent a night in the hospital? Yes. I don't like staying in hospitals.
21. Do you enjoy being with only one or two friends, or with a large group of people? I prefer a small group of close friends. 
22. Do you like the type of music your parents listen to? Do your parents like the type of music you listen to? I think I like the music they listened to but I don't know if they even know the music I listen to. 
23. Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever bullied anyone else? I have both been bullied and bullied someone else.
24. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Pasta.
25. If your partner wanted to wait until marriage before having sex, would you stay in that relationship? Probably?
26. Do you believe in a god? I think in a very abstract way. I was raised extremely religious and I am just not certain what I think anymore. I am teaching my sons about Heaven though.
27. Of all the social networks in the world, why use Twitter? I don't really use it that much. just hasn't caught on with me.
28. What's your favorite hashtag to track? I don't track any.
29. Would you call yourself/your family "middle class?" Yes.
30. Name a TV series you didn't enjoy until after it ended. I didn't watch 24 until it was already a  few seasons in. Shel and I bought disk sets and we watched them back to back and really enjoyed what we saw. I've never watched Sex and the City but I think I would be interested to see it.
31. Have you ever bought a product from an infomercial? I think I have but I don't remember what it was.
32. If you could give up your car and never have to drive again, would you? This would not be possible living in Northern Canada. If it were possible I would consider it.
33. If you go back to one point in time to give advice to yourself, when would you go and what would you say? I would go back to myself when I was taking my master program and say "TAKE THE FINAL AND DO NOT WRITE A THESIS."
34. What's your "quirkiest" habit? I don't care if my socks match.
35. What is "normal?" Are you normal? Because I am a woman, only speak English and gay I would have to say I am in a minority of the population, so no.
36. Someone close to you is dying. You have the choice to let this person live for 10 more years, but if you do, you cause the death of 10 strangers. You don't have to see them die. Do you take the offer? No.
37. What is one thing you could never forgive? I think I may never forgive my dad for some of the choices he has made. I don't know.
38. Would you rather be in a relationship after the honeymoon period ends, or be single? In a relationship after the honeymoon period ends.
39. Is it possible for guys and girls to be just friends? Yes.
40. Where do you and your friends go to hang out? We don't. I live too far away from my friends.
41. Write the first sentence of your obituary. 
42. What is the best TV theme song ever? Wow. Maybe the Muppet show? Gilligans Island?
43. When you were young, what would you dream you would be when you grew up? I thought I would be a teacher or a librarian. When I was young I didn't think I would live to be the age I am now.
44. When you're alone in your own home, do you walk around naked? yup.
45. What gets you out of bed in the morning? my kids.
46. Do you want to have more friends than you have right now? I like the number of friends I have now. I just wish we lived closer together.
47. What part of the past year sticks out in your mind? Getting a tattoo. Seriously, I love it more than I ever thought possible, and can't wait to get another one.
48. You win a scratch-off lottery game that gives you $2000 a week (after taxes) for the rest of your life. Do you keep your job? For a while I would keep my job yeah.
49. Could you be in a long-distance relationship? If you're in one, what makes yours work? I would prefer not to be.
50. What's the best route to your heart? I will ask my spouse and tell you the answer to this question.
51. Have you ever met someone through the internet, then met them in real life? Absolutely. Several times. It's the best part of the internet.
52. What is your favorite sport? Soccer
53. What has been troubling you lately? Too many things to mention.
54. Did you enjoy your high school prom? If you haven't gotten there yet, do you look forward to it? If you didn't go, why not? I didn't really. I had no date so I took a friend from another town. We weren't close enough friends for me to enjoy the time we spent together. It was awkward. I did win a bike at the prom after party and that was a real highlight.
55. What do you use more often: your intuition or logical reasoning? Logical reasoning.
56. Do you know what makes you happy? I really don't. My friends and family, certainly... but I can't think of any overreaching "thing" that will ultimately make me happy.
57. Tell me about the last book you read. I just finished a book by Janet Evanovich that I read in one day. I like her books for the humour.
58. What is the nicest compliment you've ever been given? When my sons say "You are a good boy momma" that is the best thing in the world.
59. Who was your first crush? Simon Taylor.
60. Do you believe that there is life on other planets? Yes.
61. Predict what your life will look like a year from now. Probably much the same. That wouldn't be a terrible thing.
62. Often, people will ask how your last relationship ended. I want to know how it began. We were both serving missions for the Mormon church in the same Mission is how we met. How we began our relationship is murky and I wont share that here.
63. Where is your favorite place to go out and eat? There is NO place in my town where I like to go out and eat. NONE.
64. What is something you want to change about your current situation? Our house needs a new roof and we need a tractor.
65. Early bird or night owl? Night owl.
66. Are there any childhood possessions you still hold on to? Yeah. I'll have to go see what they are.
67. Give me an unpopular opinion you have. I believe in the death penalty but I also believe that guns should be registered. I think Fracking is destroying the environment. I think the Oil Sands are Evil. I have a number of unpopular opinions apparently!
68. What was the last song that was stuck in your head? P!nks "Just Give Me A Reason feat. Nate Ruess"
69. Where do you live? Be as general or specific as you want. I live in my home.
70. Do you believe in giving kids medals and trophies for participation? I think kids should get a certificate or something for participating, not a medal or a trophy.
71. What was the longest car ride you've ever taken? I have driven from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Washington DC. From Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, to Provo, Utah. From Odgen, Utah, to Fairview, Alberta. I think the last one might be the longest.
72. Have you ever taken part in a protest? No but I would like to.
73. Would you ever use an online dating service? I used an online dating service to find sperm donors. I wouldn't use one to find a date.
74. What is your ethnic heritage? Irish, English, Afrikaans.
75. Describe a person that inspires you. My mom is inspiring. She is a hard worker and extremely charitable.
76. If you earn minimum wage doing what you love, would you? I don't think there is anything I love enough to do it for minimum wage.
77. Do you believe in luck? Sometimes.
78. Describe the last time you were very angry at someone. I was angry this weekend, but what I REALLY was was overwhelmed at the situation and I acted in anger. This is less effective.
79. Do you want to live until you're 100? no
80. Do people change? If so, how do you keep a relationship together when both of you start to change? Yes I believe people change. I HOPE they change! Keep a relationship together by keeping similar goals.
81. Have you ever risked a friendship by telling someone you liked them? No, but I risked a friendship by asking my best friend for his sperm. He said no. I'm still sad about it, but the friendship didn't suffer for the question.
82. Would you rather be alone doing something you enjoy, or doing something you don't like with your best friends? I don't really get any alone time, but my friends live so far away if I could be doing something I don't like but be with them it would be cool.
83. Do you practice what you preach? Not always. But boy do I ever try.
84. If you take precautions to stay safe, do you ultimately act more recklessly? I don't know. Maybe?
85. What do you value more in a significant other: Attractiveness or intelligence? Intelligence.
86. Are you hard-headed? Some might say that I am, but I really try not to be.
87. Have you ever laughed uncontrollably when it was socially inappropriate? Yes.
88. When have you felt most alive? laughing with my kids.
89. Would you prefer to live? A city? The suburbs? The countryside? The mountains? The city... if it was the right city.
90. Do you often skip breakfast? daily. 
91. How do you know what true love is? You feel it.
92. Would you want to know the exact date and time you were going to die? No
93. Where is "home" for you? Zimbabwe.
94. What song best describes your life right now? The Puking song by the Dead Milkmen.
95. Do you want to be perfect? I would like to be closer to perfect than I am now. I would like to be a perfect partner and a perfect mother.
96. What have you never tried, but would really like to someday? What's holding you back? I cant think of anything off the top of my head. 
97. How do you express your creativity? Drawing, singing, playing with my kids.
98. Describe your neighbourhood. Rural. 
99. Name something you only liked because it was popular. Isn't that why we like everything we like? We are programmed to think things are great so we like them.
100. Give me the story of your life in six words. Listening. Learning. Trying. Traveling. Doing. Growing.

wordless wednesday

hotel room and city lights

 

A lady who was once our foster care support worker suggested that when we go to the city we stay at Coast Edmonton House. They have full kitchens completely stocked and with all of the eating quirks with our little ones it suite us to be able to cook if we need to.

 

Shel does not like to stay on any floor above the third but she was a trooper this time when they booked us onto the 31st floor. Up we went.

 

We LOVE staying here, but it is expensive. Here are the boys checking out the city lights at night. When they are on the balcony checking out the lights it is one thing, when they are throwing things over it is quite another. You'd think we were raising country bumpkins or something. 

 



 

Obviously the kids were super hungry. CJ and Jumping Bean had to use two spoons to eat their macaroni soon after we checked in.



 



 

Max and CJ SCORED with a king sized bed in a room of their own. They were super excited to get into bed but when I woke up both of them were in bed with me in the other room and the other king sized bed and Shel had this one to herself. They like the IDEA of things, but when it comes right down to it they want to be with us.



 

 

 

I never thought I would say this but having a television in every room is a dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Book Challenge: Lost in the Barrens

 

 

I just finished Book number 8 out of thirteen for the Canadian Book  Challenge, Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat.

 

I actually read this book in high school. The only thing I remember about the book from the last time I read it was that the two boys who were lost got snow blind in their travels and were in physical pain from the glare of the snow as they travelled unprotected in the winter. In my memory this event was a significant portion of the book, but as I re-read it I found this incident was not the most salient event at ALL in the story of Jamie and Awasin.

 

It was cool to go back and read something I have read such a long time ago. I enjoyed the story thoroughly, even though it was a very quick read and obviously designed for teen readers.

Here is the story synopsis:

  

Jamie's parents have died in a car crash leaving him in the care of his trapper uncle, Angus. Angus had supported Jamie's boarding-school fees for a long time, until the fur trade had declined. Angus could no longer support Jamie's school. Thus, Jamie left the boarding school to live with his uncle. Jamie made friends with the Cree Tribe's Chief's son, Awasin. Angus and the tribe chief load up their skins for trading and head south to a more reputable trader who will not cheat them.  Jamie  stayed with Awasin for Angus' canoe could not hold three people and other things. Shortly after the adults departure, some Chipeweyans come to the Crees for help. The Chipeweyans were starving because the deer did not come at its usual time in the year. Awasin's mother was suspicious that the Chipeweyans may just be looking for a free handout, and so the boys agreed to go with them back to the Chipeweyan's camp to prove they needed the supplies. Denikazi wants the boys to go with them on the hunt because they have bertter guns.  This is how Jamie and Awasin start their journey for the caribou hunt out in the barrens.
Travelling further and further north the men do not encounter any caribou. The group decided to split up and Jamie and Awasin stay with two men while the rest of the men travel further.
While staying with the two young Chipewyan hunters, Jamie decides he wants to take the chance and explore. He tricks Awasin into it and they travel to find the  'stone house' that one of the two Chipeweyans had told them about. On the way to the stone house they unexpectedly meet a whirlpool and barely survive, and Jamie is badly injured. Gathering what they can salvage from the water and their broken canoe, they have barely enough to survive. They cannot use the canoe anymore, they are stranded in the barrens.
When the two young Chipeweyans found out that Awasin and Jamie were gone they went on searching for them. Their search is abruptly stopped when they catch a glance of an Eskimo kayak. Fearing the Eskimo they turn back, abandoning their search.
Jamie and Awasin decide to cut across the land and hopefully intercept Denikazi up the other leg of the river. They arrive and set up camp but miss Denekazi and his men travelling through the night with their canoes loaded with Caribou.
Knowing they have no way to reconnect with the Chipeweyans, and no canoe to travel home in, Awasin and Jamie realize their best chance at survival is to set up camp and survive until winter when they can travel south over the frozen ground. The rest of the story is about their survival and their reunion with family when they finally succeed and make it home.



Day in the hospital

We have been waiting a LONG time to get these MRI's on the kids. It feels like forever.

I would normally not even consider travelling to the city in the winter but we were able to get all three appointments scheduled for the same day and changing the appointment would mean waiting another six months or more so we just needed to suck it up and go.

 

All of the appointments were scheduled for different times beginning at 7:45 so the kids were supposed to stop drinking fluids at different times starting at 5am. We decided it would be easier if no-one had anything to drink so we just packed up and went to the hospital first thing in the morning without food or drink for anyone.

 

The U of A hospital is something else to navigate. The parking levels are 1-5, the hospital levels start at zero. The pedestrian ramp from the parking lot into the hospital leaves the parking lot at level four but enters the hospital on level 2. There is an MR research center and an MRI center and the two are not the same thing and both are on different levels. I parked on level 2 in the parking lot and had to take an elevator to level four to walk across - note to myself for next time - park on level four!

 

I had dropped Shel and the two little kids at the door and had the two big boys with me. We got into the hospital and took the elevator to level 0. We walked around on level 0 for quite a while. We were in the DREGS of the hospital. We passed shipping and receiving with huge pallets, we were in VERY dim hallways with barely any light, we saw people prepping meals. The boys were interested in everything we passed so I pretended we were right where we were supposed to be! Eventually we found an elevator and went to a different level and came to the place we were supposed to be. The nurses were ready for us and started getting everything ready right away. They asked if I wanted to go into the MRI room with the kids and I said yes and had to fill out a form. Apparently because of my tattoos I am not permitted into the MRI room. Shel is not permitted because of her previous surgeries. This meant we could be with the kids in the recovery but not in the actual MRI.

The baby was given a mask for anesthesia, as was CJ. We told Max he would get a mask also but apparently because of his size they said he needed a needle. Poor kid was VERY distressed over this. I still don't quite understand because I could swear that as an adult I have had gas for anesthesia before so his size shouldn't matter?



 

 

There were no pajamas in Maxies size so he got to wear a gown. 

 



 

There were pajamas in CJ's size but he wanted absolutely NO part of them. He was upset from the minute the nurse put freezing gel on his hands and he did not want to be in the hospital at all. He has never read "The Boy in The Striped Pajamas", so I don't know why he didn't want them on!

 



 Once he was dressed he calmed down enough to make me a snow angel on the hospital floor.

 

The next part of the day was the most stressful. When they are stressed the boys want their moms. Which one they want depends on which on e they have - they usually want the other! We were trying to trade places to be with whomever wanted us at the moment but with three kids all getting anesthetized and then coming out of anesthesia it was quite difficult. Of course Max was upset at getting a needle and when he woke up he just cried and cried and cried. He also didn't feel well physically and was as white as a sheet the rest of the day. CJ woke up a lot easier than Max but he never did get over his frustration and was grumpy and stamping his feet. I don't know why but Shel deals better with the crying and I deal better with the foot stamping!

 

 Once all the kids were out and dressed we were able to leave. Even getting out of the hospital was a palava. CJ wanted to ride in the glass elevators and then play with the toys he could see through the windows. I was so hungry I could not take another step without getting something into me, we had not had anything to eat or drink all morning either. Jumping bean and baby didn't have boots on so they couldn't walk out into the parking lot to get the car. All in all it was a very stressful and emotional day that I am glad we will not be repeating :)

 

 

long car ride

WE MADE IT!

 

The roads were terrible and we drove slowly. We have boys that need to use the bathroom with regularity and they are NOT quick about it and so this adds time and stops to the journey.

On the way down we were so tired everything just started to be silly. Shel was trying to entertain the boys with everything she could think of and she asked them the color of the setting sun. CJ started to sing "pink and blue, pink and blue, pink and blue" which he sang for about 2 hours. I was trying to get him to sing different colours by introducung every song I knew with a color in it but he was determined to sing the sunset colours without distraction. Max at one point tried to join in but CJ told him in no uncertain terms that he was messing up the song which struck our funny bones. NOT the most complex words to get confused over, but he insisted he needed to sing alone. 

 

Of course they asked repeatedly " Are we there yet?" As we drove into Whitecourt, CJ asked where we were and I told him. Then he asked if we were in Edmonton yet and I said no, we were in Whitecourt. Then he asked where we were and I said "Whitecourt" (for the third time) and he said "STILL!!!!????" The entire interaction took place in the space of a minute and a half so I am not sure where he thought we SHOULD be, but he was not impressed we were still there.

 

Considering how many hours we were in the van they were all extremely well behaved, but I hope to never again travel such a distance in such terrible weather..

 

 

 

Winter travel oh how I loathe you

 



See that GIANT GLARING RED LINE in the top left hand corner of the map?
The red line that means roads are in poor condition? Yeah. Thats the one I'll be on with my WHOLE FAMILY tomorrow. Thank you mother nature. Thank you.