The Bag has bags

Blogger has hated me with a vehement hatred. I have tried to publish this approximately 44 times, and hateful blogger consistently eats it. (without sending me reimbursement). I will try again, this time crossing my legs, my arms, my leg hair, my eyes...

Remember "bags for Darfur"? Well the smart people in my life are working on the website but just in case its not up and running before Christmas.... Here is a taste. These are all for sale, for $15.00, and all the money will be sent to Darfur. Let me know if you are interested.

~#1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sold! to Heather~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(the one above-- brown, orange, green...)

#2~~~~~above~~sold! to Brandy````

#3~~above~~~~~ sold! to Shelley~~~~

#4~~~~~~above~~~~~sold! to Shelley~~~
#5~~~~~above~~~sold to Shelley~~~~

#6~~~~above#7 SOLD!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~to Daphne~~~~~~~~~~~thank you~~~~~~
#8~~~~~~~pink flower
#9~~~~~~~~~~~~acorn strap~~~sold! to Brandy~~~

(The bag also has bags under her eyes, "baggage", and often behaves much like an old bag)
But that's for another post.

Why I Feel Very Old

Monday it was the kitty litter. Distributed ALL OVER THE BASEMENT by enthusiastic toddler hands while I was distracted doing a puzzle with some calm, quiet little girls.

Tuesday had the same basic theme, but this time with colour. Light bright pegs. All. Over. The. Basement. I had to simply take a deep breath, give the lecture, calmly, then walk away from the scene of the crime.

Today, while I was foolishly welcoming in a few more toddlers, my precious son got his hands on a coke bottle (I will have to torture and maim one of my older offspring for leaving it out, and within daycare reach....) and managed to smash it. ON THE BASEMENT FLOOR.

Does the basement hate me? As much as blogger does? (refuses to publish things I've spent way too much time on..... grrrrrr ) Have I been beaten by a few small humans? Do I need a vacation? Should I pour cement down the stairs, encasing all the toys, and never return there again?

The house may look pretty and serene in pictures. But that's not the way it feels in the RW today. MY BACK HURTS! I forgot my friends birthday is today. I always forget. Why do people not forget mine, then make me feel like I'm as big a bonehead as I suspected? I don't feel like sweeping up glass, or kitty litter, or brightly coloured pegs, or wet macaroni.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAh!!
(Aren't old people allowed to cry and whine without discretion?)

May the Bird of Paradise....

Some years ago we belonged to a different church community and took part in a small study group, taking turns meeting in one another's homes. We'd been part of other groups in the past, and would join more in the future, but this one stands out in my mind as dynamic and cohesive. Something happened when we came together, there was a meeting of the minds, and the old cliche; "You are in a safe place" actually rang true. Well, most of the time any way. There was one ugly clash, and some misunderstanding, but like I said, it was church. Whaddya expect?

We made friends in those meetings. The sorts of friends who are actually family, because years can go by with little contact and they never lose their spot in your heart. They are the sort of people who show up to your brother's funeral without being asked to. They are the sort of people who send utterly breathtaking floral arrangements out of the blue with a simple card that reads; "Thought you might need this today, thinking of you lots".

Me thinks I may have diciphered a closet blog reader or two. Either that, or they are mind readers. Which isn't entirely unlikely, because like I said, that was a group with an unusual sense of connectedness.

I dare you to leave a comment. I know who you are. I know where you live.

And I love you lots. Thank you, your thoughtfulness is ........ exemplary.

Don't miss this...

Check out these great posts through my links. I'm too lazy to do hyperlink for you, besides, do you have a piano tied to your ass, or what?

"colouring outside the lines" -- check out the u-tube about those annoying smiley faces people like to attach to their e-mails.

"abc from xyz" -- this kid is HOT. She has been posting more often than usual, and has a terrific photo of cousins in awesome dresses, and a great post to go with it. I'm the adorable piggy tailed little one in red velvet. (okay, so its really about me.......)

Well, go on then, go on, read it. What are you waiting for?

button, button, whose got the button?

Buttons have always been on my top three of favourite things. I keep collecting them, sometimes I get so excited about old buttons that I almost have to quickly shove them back into the jar because I can't stand it. (Yes, I have many, many conditions.) November is my favourite time to think about Christmas. Its early in the year, so I don't have to listen to people whine about all the stuff they still have to get done, and I can putter around the house at my leisure, putting out some of the treasures from my four large boxes of Christmassy stuff.
Last year I was mildly obsessed with sewing ecclectic table runners, so in '06, I've been allowing a few yummy buttons to escape their jars and become part of the Christmas spread.

My most current happy place has been stringing these button and bead concoctions. The Bee-u-tiful red star in the centre was a gift from a friend, and became the inspiration for this buttony craze.

Buttons, stars, and vintage ornaments. What's not to love?

Fifty-Six Years

November 5 marks 56 years that mom and dad have been married. When mom was asked for any reminiscence of her wedding day, her response was: "I like today much better than our wedding day. I'm much more relaxed, because now I know how it all turned out!"

Must Be Sunday

The day of the lump.
Somehow during the week, the lumps seem more contained, more apt. But on Sunday, my stomach hangs palpably over my waistband in bulges. My thighs spread lumpily, unwielding, partially contained in cotton and 10% lycra. I yearn for the anorexic restraint of my youth.

My pea-sized brain recognizes the symbolism. The real lump is in my throat. Its tempting to say that it must be dealt with, but really, the bottomlessness of it is that it must be simply felt, acknowledged, allowed, validated. A difficult, uncomfortable position. So the match begins. Brain, desiring control, shouts: "MUST join gym! MUST give up wine, halloween candy, endless slices of hearth bread with butter...."

Heart whispers; "Rest."

On Sundays, I think of family. I hurt for my eldest brother, so far away, so sad for his friend and brother, now on the other side. My heart lurches a little to think of my father. Suddenly old and frail, yet strong and wise, with still so many lessons to give before the final bell. I endure the agony of love for a brother whose life has been drowned in a bottle. A brother I can no longer care for in conventional ways.

So, I'll recognize the tension, and I'll return again to my spiritual hospice. The words will roll over me, cover me, lance the lumpy boils within. And the healing rain will fall , washing my cheeks, my heart, my pain.

Must be Sunday.

Dinner

When your tummy is still full at 9:30 the following morning, its a pretty clear sign that the food and the company of the night before were exemplary. Nobody seemed to have any trouble at all with making themselves at home.
Which is good, because I have my strengths, but serving hand and foot does not appear to be one of them.

Its mildly embarrassing though, when your company wanders off to the kitchen to "tidy up a thing or two" and I'm finding myself still quite at home on my "new" green couch.

A Day In the Life

Running a home daycare is fun, and busy, on good days. Here are
a few of the things we made time for today.
A good old-fashioned
plastic picnic.







The thrills and spills car crash-up video. (Free at the thrift shop- would have known it could be fodder for hours of boy pretend?)



A little time for oral refreshment, and some fresh air.
MOM!!! I gotta go PEEEE!!


Play Dough!! Everyone's favourite.






Must. Clean. Up. One. More. Time. (Until the next "one more time"......)


Dinner for Joyce: Cappucino ice-cream with skor bits topping.


Ahhhh, that makes it all worth while!




So, what do you like/dislike about the care YOUR children receive?

For the Love of Kids.

I love all four of my offspring to ridiculous proportions. I am equally blown away at the differences between them. Case in point: halloween 2006.

Daughter #1 gets dibs on the best dress-up dress just because she yells louder. She gets the chance to go trick-or-treating to the big city with her pal, who warns her to bring not one bag, but two. She leaves the house first and comes home last. She gets the most candy. Upon entering the house, she asks for a handful of our leftover candy from the big bowl. I say "No way". She is appalled. She asks me when will I get around to dividing it between the four of them. I say, "never".

Daughter #2 takes all my advice on how to look like Raggedy Anne. She is thrilled senseless with the raggedy anne hair that I made for her out of a hat and strips of red fabric. She is happy to walk around the neighborhood with her friend til she can fill the pockets of her apron with candy. She comes home and gives her baby brother candies. (she snarls at her other brother, and snaps at him for nearly sitting on her candy, and for even-thinking-about-touching it, but she is very generous with the little brother). She asks to be tucked into bed.

Son, child #3 dresses up in his costume to show his little brother what fun trick or treating will be so as to encourage him to eat the two regulation bites of spaghetti if he wants to join in the candy hunt. When it becomes increasingly clear that Sammy will not have any of his dinner, Micah tells him, "Don't worry Sammy. I will go trick or treating, then when I get home, I will give you some candy". He heads out into the snow, and after about ten houses, says he has enough candy and wants to go home now. Micah comes home, dumps his cache on the living room floor, and equally divides the loot between himself and his brother, taking care to tell Sammy about which ones are really good, and not dreaming of hoarding those for himself.

Son, child #4. Refuses to eat any of his dinner. Knows that it means he will not go out. Knows how insanely he is loved. Gets to stay indoors, watch some telly, play in peace with his brother's dollar store rifle, and wait for the candy to come to him. He has talked for two weeks now about being spider man. Its all talk. At the end of the day, he is well fed on ketchup chips and spider man candy sticks, and is thrilled senseless that I let him go to bed wearing his favourite sweatsuit.

I swear that Dr Suess, Dr Dobson, and all those other wanna be parenting gurus are all retarded. You get what you get, and its as simple as that.

Halloween 2006

Why it was the best day ever.

On this day, I cried on my keyboard and poured my heart out to the mercies of the world.
They were merciful. And more. Without a single cliche, I felt loved, validated, and understood.

On this day, my husband sent me a love letter. Who wouldn't love to get that in their inbox? What he said was true. It was sincere. And I am reminded again of why I believe in him, of why I love him, and of how unbelievably complex and wonderful love can be.

On this day, I had a meeting of the hearts and minds as a mom came to pick up her child. Maybe I sometimes feel like the worst childcare provider ever, but I have a feeling that she doesn't think so. I have a feeling that love and understanding, and helping one another out saves the day again.

On this day one of my favourite friends called me with some very good news. Some news that she and I have hoped and prayed for for a very long time. We cried again, but this time with joy.

On this day I had a moosehead, three tootsie rolls, and a biscuit and plum jam for supper.

On this day, my love letter writing husband cheerfully headed out into the snow with his son for some trick or treating and left me in the house, nearly completely alone. (Sammy had to stay home, since he refused to eat anything of remotely nutritional value. I have NO idea where he would get an idea like that from). I have not been able to stay at home on Halloween since I became a mommy. That's 12 years now. When I'm happy, I love going out and seeing all the kids. Today, I just wanted to stay at home. Warm. Dry. Alone.

On this day, as on so many others, I remain sure of one thing. Love.
The love of God. The love of people.

The darkness is inevitable, but the light will always win.

On Why I Hate Hard Times

It's one thing to deal with what life chucks at you, I think I can do that pretty okay.
What makes me REALLY MAD is that my mind has some well worn ruts that it automatically falls into. Its outside of the realm of consciousness. So, not only do I have to navigate through regular life stuff like death, kids learning about sexuality, dad getting old, my brother being an alcoholic, the van breaking down, and relationships of substance being a lot of hard work......

I have to deal with the sh*t that my brain serves up.
Lies.

Stuff about how stupid I must be.
Stuff about how cellulite is UNACCEPTABLE.
Lies about how horrible a parent I am.
Lies about how I am "not doing enough".
Thoughts about what a pathetic daycare provider I am.

Since I've already concluded that those are lies, it would be really helpful if my BRAIN would catch on and stop handing out cleverly packaged CRAP.

This makes me very angry. Then I start to think about how a nice daycare lady, a really stellar mom, and a loving wife does not behave in rage induced manners. Which is true. Its not a lie. So, I suck it up, but it always oozes out in a less planned way. Maybe I don't slug anyone, or tell them to stop asking me stupid questions, or how if one more person asks me for food I will force feed them raw seal. I don't do those things, I promise.

And I am really not going to say how this ugliness comes out because I'm not proud of it. Which leads my brain to cycle back to the stupid, fat, unlovely pattern of thought.

I am really sticking my neck out in cyberspace today. Really a lot. I DO NOT WANT ANY CLICHES, BECAUSE THEN I WILL HAVE TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND HURT YOU BADLY. But I'm not to proud to admit that I could use some help. I must saying that posting an extremely personal letter to my bro made me cry for going on three days now. And the comments. Oh MY. Such love.

Any shrinks in the house?

What Makes Sense

This life is a quest.
There are adequate supplies for the mission.
I believe in the competencies of my travel guide.

Lord I come to You
Let my heart be changed, renewed
Flowing from the grace
That I've found in You And Lord I've come to know
The weaknesses I see in me Will be stripped away
By the power of Your love
Hold me close Let Your love surround me
Bring me near Draw me to Your side
And as I wait I'll rise up like the eagle And I will soar with You
Your spirit leads me on
In the Power of Your love
Lord unveil my eyes Let me see You face to face
The knowledge of Your love As you live in me
And Lord renew my mind As Your will unfolds in my life In living every day
By the Power of Your love

Hold me close
Let Your love surround me
Bring me near Draw me to Your side And as I wait I'll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me onIn the power of Your love

This song always chokes me up.
The image of soaring, of trusting, of not being left to my own devices.

Just a Message

Hi Ken.

Been thinking about you today, wishing that you'd come around. I'm not thinking of myself really, but about your wife, and your parents, and about our other brother. You're probably wondering about your kids-- they seem to be acting their age, laughing and learning, and showing signs of being so much like you...

I'd like to send you a note on that blackberry- just something stupid like I'd do on days when you were still here, but we knew you were sliding away. We didn't want to monopolize your time, so I'd just write that you were on my mind, and that I love you. You don't have to write anything back, but it would be nice to know I'd told you that you're missed.

Dad is looking old. He never did, ever. Today at faspa we got caught up in a conversation about his recent physical and Carol and I started to pepper him with questions about this test, and that symptom.... things that we've never really gotten into before. After a few questions, dad got that exasperated father look on his face, and said-- "Can we change the subject?" We laughed and obliged, but his naps on the couch, and difficulty with walking, and these visits to the doctor have taken us all by surprise somehow. Dad has never acted his age before.

Mom said that she had called our brother this week and asked him what he was doing. "Sitting by the window and crying" is what he told her. He misses you.

We all do.

I feel like I lost more than a brother. I lost the number eight that was us- five girls, three boys. I lost my other brother years ago, but somehow between you and I we could piece things together and make sense of the goodness left in him. Now, I feel like dad is slipping away. Maybe not in weeks or months, but still his mortality is clear.

It sounds really irreverent, but the image of dominoes keeps revisiting me. Were you the first to set the inevitable in motion? I know we don't live down here forever, but couldn't we go for some sort of group plan? The whole idea of domino-roulette really unnerves me. We're all gonna fall, but there's just no way of knowing who's next in line? Who will have to watch the others go before? Who will be left here to pick up the pieces? order the cheese and platz?

Anyhow, Ken, I'm sure you're okay so I'm not sad about that. I just wanted to say how crazy and mixed up life is, but how I love it. I wanted to say how it cuts me up that its so unpredictable but I'm glad we had some time together. And I just wanted to say again, how you'll never, ever be forgotten.

You've been on my mind Ken, and I just wanted to say I love you.

no friggin' kiddin' Friday

Oh, the sun comes up looking promising and all, but we all know what's coming. That time of the year when we are shamelessly stripped of our parental masks, where our unpreparedness; indeed our total lack of attentiveness to the interests of our future generation are laid bare to the scrutiny of all.

Halloween. Don't get me wrong. I love candy, community, and walking around in the autumn with my loved ones. I'm even okay with the whole concept of begging. But the costume thing is a personal affront to me on more than one level. We have enough creative costuming in our tickle trunk downstairs to outfit most of our small town... BUT. Somehow at halloween the children have been brainwashed (I like to blame other school children) to believe that you MUST visit a retail facility of some sort and purchase things in order for halloween to have any meaning. This is fundamental for the proper collection of enamel erroding materials, and the impending sorting of the suckers, and the yucky blackish-brown orange-wrapped halloween candy (my favourite) from those itty bitty nummy mini chocolate bars.

To wear some OLD RAG from the basement?! Shocking indeed.

Every year is the same. I flip the calendar page, grateful to have navigated my way through the many starts and stops of September. October's page shows up in mocking orange. (why not just make a musical calendar while you're at it, and start yelling at me the moment I've licked Thanksgiving's sweet potatoe casserole off my lips?) Oh, I'm aware that its coming, and I know the children will have big ideas. But every year, I give denial another chance.

Well, 2006 appears to have the same basic pattern as all the halloweens preceding it. This morning over hurriedly prepared school lunches and unsigned homework, the kids reminded me of my obligations . To be a proper mother, I must prepare Jane's "Queen" banner- And Soon. Micah is still waiting for his "all black suit" (I don't think either he or I know what it's supposed to be, and I know I"M NOT ASKING). "Well", I say, stalling... "I guess we'll have to find something this weekend".

"FIND SOMETHING ?" he is genuinely shocked. "Don't you have some black fabric mom? You could JUST make me an all black suit, then we could JUST buy a mask!".

Brilliant, I think. I'm sure I'll make the time to design a black body suit, IN MY SPARE TIME. Maybe between snack and "gee-the-weather-is-nice-I-really-ought-to-take-down-the -trampoline-and-do-something-about-all-those-leaves" time. I'm sure the pre-schoolers would understand.

At least I'm sure of what I'm NOT going as this halloween: everyone's dream mother.

Extreme Make-over Home Edition

Somehow I've got to tap into the cash flow and applause of this reality show.


They put up a huge fuss whenever they transform a place.


What do I get for turning this:


to this:
About fifty thousand times per day?

And always,
just in time for
This?!

No beginning and no end

sucky vulnerability.
feeling raw.
so in love with people.
so needing to be alone.
thrilled with life's possibilities.
wanting to hide under the covers.
bored silly.
mind racing with ideas and directions.
content with who I am.
wishing I were so different.
passion for authenticity.
critical scrutiny of my own reflection.
wanting to feel better.
suspecting its not a feeling.
quite sure another human doesn't hold the answer.
tired of reading their books.
in love with diversity.
frightened of it all.

A Bit Random

Sunday afternoon was the 90th birthday party for my tante Leine. She is my mother's oldest sister, and like her mother before her, she is of sturdy stock. Grandma lived to be 94 and was sharp as a tack, right up to the last 9 months of her life.

I always enjoy these family times, especially now that I am older, and I attend them by choice. Its probably kind of stupid, but I'm always pleasantly surprised how we've all grown up to be real people, with opinions, experiences, and stories that we couldn't have anticipated when we first met as children in tante Leine's basement.

Last night, I got into it deep and dark with my cousin-in-law Wendy. Seems everywhere I go in recent years, people are hungering for more authenticity in their faith. We're weary of programs, image, and the perceived pressure to fit into preconceived, tidy boxes. I trust in the largeness of God whenever I encounter this. I remember how much energy Jesus spent trying to explain to the religious experts of the time that they were MISSING THE POINT of his message.

I don't want to miss the point.
Which brings me back to yesterday's conversation. It may be connected to the facts that I
(a) work at home, and (b) generally hang out with wanna-be hippies such as myself but......
I was more than a little shocked to hear her tell me about what SHE is sick of with church people. It seems that women are buying into some sort of church-lady image ideal and going so far as to pursue breast implants and liposuction.

Yeah. That'll feed the hungry.
Are we REALLY willing to spend our entire lives not admitting to one another that we're **GASP** not perfect? Are we going to minister more effectively if we're not "lacking confidence" due to our saggy breasts and doughy thighs? Maybe we should have 12 board meetings in order to launch a new church program: A beauty pagaent! Then women would have a platform from which to reach out to other women. We could all sign up for seminars to learn more about world peace. Maybe we could raise money to send some gals to Darfur to hand out some Mary Kay samples.

I'm penetent of any associations I have built between myself and this ridiculous beauty ideal that North America has paralyzed us with. Are we smart enough to know they can't take away our vote, but so stupid that we don't notice how ineffective we are when all we think about is what our bodies look like?

When you come to my 90th birthday party, may my breasts sag proudly beneath the hem of my dress. May grey haired wrinkled women surround me with their love and passion for living. May we lean into each other, lost in discussion of what a full, useful, purposeful life that God has directed us through.

Its time to get real.

Homo Escapeons Incarnate

It may not win any awards for photography, but this is a photo that simply must be posted here.

Last night, my blog-writing man and I drove down a familiar Winnipeg street straining our necks to discipher a house number in the early evening dusk. I could see the form of Homo Escapeon and his wife Alice through the glass darkly, but then: through the yellow door, and face to face! Feeling like we'd been family forever, the hugs we exchanged were big and genuine. I knew we were in for a memorable evening.

We'd been forbidden to monopolize conversation with blah-blah-blogging, so as not to alienate the 50% of the guests who were of a different persuasion. So, we did what any considerate guest would do. Sit back and watch our hostess wow us with apps and drinks.

Clearly in the presence of fine wine connoisseurs; I felt obligated to swish and sip graciously and repeatedly. I suspected the hostess would be displeased at the sight of empty glasses, so I selflessly did my part to keep her happy and appreciated.

The entertainment was top rate. We had joy, we had fun... singing along to Donn's favourite 1970's musical selections and cheering on a couple of uninhibited dining room dancers. I knew that a homo escapeon of Lutheran roots who learned his numbers from the holy sisters would probably be blessed with the ability to move to music. The Mennonite uptighted-ness in my genetic background robbed me of rhythm many years ago, but not so for Alice's cousin, who easily kept up with Donn's choreography. The rest of us cheered them on, singing at the top of our lungs and gratefully sipping our liquid campinos.

Seven hours. Here's what I can tell you for sure. Out of the four people who we had the privelege to meet last night, 100% of them were the real thing. Don is funny, sweet, kind, wears the best party shirt ever (cocktails and olives) and doesn't bother to pretend he's something that he is not. Alice is sweetness incarnate. She is a lovely, serene, genuine gal who has lived through some storms without allowing them to etch rivulets of bitterness or hardness in her face. The third couple were the sort that you felt you'd known all your life, and half expected to run into at a Christmas family reunion. I loved how the hours slipped away. I loved the belly laughs which wove in and out of it all. I loved the lack of pretense. I loved the fresh air of the back yard, sharp with the winds of impending winter. I loved the recognition of the pain in life, without the celebration of pessimism or hopelessness.

In life, lucky are we who love and are loved.
Lucky are we who can struggle together. Laugh together. Dance together. Eat together.
Be together.

I feel like my family has grown again, and perhaps this season, several more holiday reunions will be in order. Andrea, Cherry pie, Pamela..... your invitations are in the mail.

Bag Trims

Went hunting for "bag" trims, and came home with the mother load. Looks like someone's needling granny may have passed away, and her 7 sons threw all her bits and bobbins in a bag and hauled it off to the thrift shop. After sifting through a tonne of crap, I came away with some terrific vintage buttons, a bunch of trims and ribbons, and some belt buckles for Michelle, if they are anything she can use for her funky candy wrapper belts. There are also these packages of sewing needles that must have come as samples along with flour, and milk. How come we don't get treats with our flour and milk any more?

Dinner with Homo Escapeons

Its Saturday morning, but no time for diddle daddle and lazy coffee sipping in jammies and bathrobe. Nope, today is the long awaited day to have dinner with Homo Escapeons and his lovely counterpart, Alice.

I will be hunched behind my thesaurus most of the day, so as not to embarrass Brian with my apparent lack of wordiness, and to give Mr HE the impression that I understand every third or fourth word that he will no doubt awe me with.

And Alice? She already knows MY innermost thoughts and workings, so the burden of conversation will clearly fall on her shoulders. Does that mean that my role is to listen, and look pretty?

I learned last night on CNN that Canada has re-approved the use of silicone breast implants for use in breast reconstruction or augmentation. That got me thinking about this whole pressure I am under to impress Alice with my actual, physical presence instead of the phoney-pack-of-lies clap track that I peddle on-line. Its too late for liposuction, and my nose piercing refuses to heal because I continually, obsessively pick at it......but should I pursue this whole silicone option?

I think we have some leftover caulking in the garage from a home reno project. I think I can prop up my thesaurus on the bathroom counter, brighten up my hair with half a box of highlighting product, and simultaneously pump some caulking into my flacid appendages using one of my kids old medicine syringes.

I just hope that my preoccupation with sore-picking won't be an overwhelming obsession tonight.

Rupturing a hand made implant over a bottle of shiraz is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Funny Mama

Okay, so I messed up the hyperlink.
Please try it again!

You must read this post about my mom.
My sis wrote it, and the photos are just the best!
Enjoy.
http://www.from-a-to-b-via-xyz.blogspot.com/

spring 2006

I will always remember this day in spring as the last day that we were a whole family. We weren't preoccupied with our mortality; watching the kids play at the park, feeling the timid sun on our overly wintered skin.

We'd have many more days as the sun got hotter- days of being family to one another in increasingly intense ways. But, on this day, it seemed that life could go on forever.

The seasons have shifted again, and a thin layer of snow now coats the ground.
We have woken up now.
Our fragility is undeniable.

Identity Theft

Checking up on a few of my favourite invisible people this morning, I came across this set of words:

"So I will be kinda like Joyce, with the exception that she knows how to knit. OH! And she also looks great with short hair. But other then those 2 minor incidentals, we will be nearly the same. (Job wise, anyhow)

"Joyce! What do you do when - 2 kids want the same toy, one wants to go to the bathroom, and one kid is crying for his mama....at the same time?" "

Turns out that Ruth is trying to steal my identity. Oh, it started out innocently enough, with little things that one could easily overlook. But I really started to get frightened when she shaved her head, and she only pretended that she'd had head lice. (or have I paraphrased that a little, and she actually got lice while being a missionary to children, kept loving the chidren, and kept her hair long? Anyhow, those are just trivial details, really). Then she went ahead and had the bold-faced nerve to ask me to learn her how to knit. With sharp, impalable instruments. Shocking, but not at all made up.

NOW, she plans on running a little daycare operation on the side. (did I mention the sharp instruments?) Wow.

So, Ruth, I know what you did last summer. I'm on to you. I've got my eye on you. I've got your number. I've just now run out of cliches.

But I'll be the bigger man. (mostly since I've not been running for about a year now, and I REALLY like nacho chip layered dips.... but I digress). What you want to know is how to share toys, and how to otherwise split your body in 5 or 6 equally portioned pieces? The moment the children enter your home, you duct tape potties to their precious little behinds. They double nicely as booster seats for snack time and in no time, you'll find your toilet training woes behind you. (well, more like behind them, but I think you follow).

Toys: All you really need is a couple of cats, and an assortment of fly swatters, available at most dollar stores for an affordable price. I find this encourages exercise, cooperation, strategy, and teaches some of the necessary building blocks for early education. You can: Count the swatters. Discuss colours. (What colour is kitty with one of auntie Ruth's knitting needles imbedded in her furry little paw?)

If you follow the first two suggestions diligently, you will find no need to deal with homesick babes. They will be so busy running about and swatting, screaming with joy, that even if one of them is actually crying; "mama, mama!!", you're not likely to discipher it over the din.

Best of luck Ruth.
You can steal my identity, because, believe me-- there are days when I really wish someone would.

Blog, Blog, Blog

This is my response to Heather's questionairre:

1. Why did you start blogging?
My husband discovered it, I saw how much attention it generated,and I wanted to get me summa dat.

2. Do you feel that you've developed meaningful relationships on your blog? If so, tell a story or two of a relationship that made a difference to you. How are these relationships different and/or similar to your in-person relationships?

I've met a lot of lovely people through this venue. I would have to say that some of my best surprises are real life people who I'd already met in person, and so they'd have to be polite and listen to me rant in real life...... but some of these people voluntarily come around and anonymously read my thoughts. "They LIKE me! they really, REALLY like me!!" (Woops, did I write that out loud?) One of my favorite surprises has been my sis-in-law; we didn't know each other really well, yet she voluntarily has become a faithful reader. (really, I don't pay her, or anything!) It has given me such a sense of warmth, and my visits to the family gatherings there have become more precious as a result.

3. Have you used your blog as a place to work out tough situations in your life? If so, what was the situation/challenge, and how did the blog help?

I have made references to some of my personal struggles, without actually spelling out in blatant terms what the deal it. Its like therapy for me- write down the good that I believe, then re-read it. Somehow I believe myself better that way.

Of course when my brother became ill with terminal cancer, my blog was an invaluable tool. I was able to get in touch with my emotions by just letting the thoughts flow out.

4. Were there people you met through blogging who helped you through those tough situations? What did they do that helped?

Local people brought me flowers and meals and prayers. Far away people expressed their love and support, shared their prayers, identified with my pain.

5. Were there ever things that you felt you could talk about on your blog to "strangers" that you couldn't tell your flesh-and-blood friends and family?

Oh, sometimes I wish I were more private....
I kind of think of everyone as my friend and family until proven otherwise...

6. Do your family and "in-person" friends read your blog? Why or why not?

Many of them do, and I have no idea why. It must be some form of ministry.

7. Have you ever regretted admitting really personal things on your blog? Why or why not?

Yes, once. And the next day I deleted the post.

8. Have you come into conflict with anyone on your blog? Did it destroy a relationship that you valued, or was it someone you didn't care about?

I once overreacted to a question asked in my comments. I think if I had remained more calm, I could have kept his readership and been more useful and loving instead of just scaring him away.

9. Do you ever think about quitting blogging? Why or why not?

Never, ever. Not in a million years. When I was a little girl, I used to fall asleep making up sentences in my head. I used to dream of writing books. Eventually I concluded that it was about as likely as me becoming a marine biologist, or an aerobics instructer.
Now, I'm so grateful to be able to write.

10. Any other interesting stories that might be applicable.

I have met a psychologist who is writing a book called "Every Woman Has An Eating Disorder". Her work is fascinating, and relevant.

I have begun work on a fund-raising project for the women in Darfur, in partnership with one of my favourite bloggers, "Bobita". This work was inspired by one of her posts expressing her anguish and sense of helplessness for the horrible abuse that our African sisters endure there on a daily basis. Within the proximity of our own homes, we have "met", shared a passion, and are now embarking on a pro-active mission. That's empowering.

I'll end on a very personal note.
My brother Ken lost his ability to walk early this summer, the first of his many losses due to the cancer. One of his lifelines was his blackberry, which we affectionately referred to as his "crackberry", and my father tended to confuse as a "blueberry".

Ken spent hours communicating with his friends on that little gadget, and it enabled him to send love messages to his parents, which will be treasured eternally.

Ken is a very intelligent man. I have spent a lot of energy in my younger years looking for and craving his approval. He was always very popular, very front and center. He seemed to be good at anything he put his hand to. Last December, less than a short year ago, Ken won first prize in a local newspapers writing contest. I was proud of him, and remember thinking-- oh gee, that just figures! He just puts his hand to it, and Presto! he succeeds. Ken's first girlfriend love was Miriam Toews. I mean, this guy never did anything boring or by the regular passageways.

All this to say that one day when I visited Ken at the hospital, he told me that he had been reading Chronicles of Blunderview.

"It's good", he said, "If I were you, I'd keep writing."

Blogging for me, has been one of the most humbling, most therapeutic, most healing outlets in my life.

OH, YES!!

I got the bestest package in the mail and for ONCE it had my name on it, and not my e-bay-in' husband's. It was a care package from my fellow vintage loving, sweet friend. The brown paper package contained: a non-cheesey condolence card, an old fashioned wall plaque, and some useful pamphlets about puberty. I like the title "Growing up And Liking It". Sounds sort of threatening.- like "Just please, for your mothers sake and mine, SAY YOU LIKE IT! It'll take away so much of OUR discomfort and anxiety about you being a teenager with hair and body odour!

A few of my favourite tips on "What's OK on "those days":

Dance with moderation.
Avoid violent exercise.
Careful when it rains!
In consideration of others, stay out of pools.
Competitive sports involve an emotional strain. If you find the excitement gets you in a dither, better sit on the sidelines.

And finally, a tip on purchasing the necessary products:
"In case you have to ask a clerk, just say "Teen-Age by Modess, please". (pronounced MO-dess; rhymes with Oh, yes.)

(Thank you, Rosa. You have NO IDEA how timely this information was.
Then again, maybe you do, do you?!)

Prenatal Classes

Oh sure, they call themselves public health nurses and set up weeks and weeks of special exercises and educational lectures. No qualms speaking boldly, unabashedly about mucous plugs, afterbirth, placenta, and engorgement. No holding back on the full colour videos of splashy squalling purplish blobs that are taught to say; "mama, mama".

Aahh, it all appears so thorough in its education. But it is nefarious in its omissions.

Never once was I told that just as I was getting used to them wiping their own bums, it would be time to anticipate the rites of their pubscient development. No one bothered to tell me that although many, many days would feel monotonous to the extent where I actually felt my brain oozing from my ear canal, I would simultaneously feel completely intellectually ill equipped for the job of adequately teaching my offspring. I was not told that although the evening holds approximately four to five hours, you will need to homeschool (after a full day in school), feed, clean, medicate (oh, sorry that's for me), buff, polish, encourage, listen (With your whole self, not a yawning, moaning version thereof) for the equivalent of four to five hours.

For. Each. Child.
OH! And don't forget to do some tasks "ahead of time" to free up your schedule.
And if you don't make these suggestions work, you run the risk of being "Dr Phil"-able.

I'd like to stroll back into that stuffy prenatal class and stretch my big 'ol ass back out on those floor mats.

And then,I'd like to tell THEM a thing or two.

Baby Steps

Grief is a funny thing, because at the weirdest, and wildest times, you feel like you've just been severed at the knees and its time to dig your own grave, legless, and bleeding, and willingly surrender to the darkness.

On the weekends, I work at an assisted living home. Our lovely patron is fond of calling her staff f**king bitches whenever things aren't going EXACTLY the way she wants them to. Last night, I was the resident bitch. I'm familiar with how to deal with the situation: calm speech, redirection, etc. But at one point I was just BROKEN. It was challenging enough to be there, feeling quiet and sad as I was, when I knew that she would prefer more of a party atmosphere. I simply could not dredge up the necessary credentials. On some very base level, I felt that perhaps she was right about who I am.

Its the morning after the night before now. And I still don't feel like wonder woman. So, I'll have a few small goals for myself in order to survive my day with few regrets.

1) Not go with the "F--ing B" prophesy.
I just don't think people would feel good about leaving their precious children with me
if that were indeed who I made myself out to be.

2) Not pick my nose.
Not snack on it.
I think this is ONE area where I can most certainly feel successful in.

Some days, you just gotta start small, so that you can start at all.

Thoughts on Healing

I have vague childhood memories of my dad's sister hiding under her bed because she saw satan drive by her house in a black car. She spent years in and out of facilities, and in my opinion, never found real healing. It seemed to take over her, and actually become her identity. I don't think she would have known who to be if some part of her body or mind weren't hurting and needing to be attended to.

My more immediate family has also dealt with issues related to the area of mental health. Uncles, Cousins, and siblings and their children have dealt with diagnoses such as: bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and a few other garden variety challenges. Most received good medical care in timely fashion, cooperated with the advice of their physician, and have gone on to living full, productive, authentic lives. They recognized their struggles as illness. They treated the imbalances with the appropriate medication- much like a diabetic takes insulin, assuming that the research on the illness was correct, and that supplementing their bodies with chemicals that it was not producing on its own would help it run in its intended healthy way.

Not so for everyone. For reasons mysterious to me, some have refused medical treatment, and believed that God would heal their minds. I believe that this is possible. I believe that God heals in our day and age and that he is the Great Physician. But these are the same people who take tylenol when their head hurts, antibiotics for strep throat, and trust the anesthetist and surgeon to repair broken bones and ripped ligaments. Which begs the question-- Why is the issue one of faith if your mind is ill, and science when your physical body is ill? What would one do in response to cancer? Refuse treatment? Spend more time in prayer? I'm all for prayer. I just think that God is way less narrow minded than we are. Who made the scientists smart? The Great Physician. And I say, thank God for that.

When people see lithium, prozac, clonazapam, and anti-psychotic pharmaceuticals as "giving up on God" and instead pray for healing, and believe that God will change a persons blood chemistry, I can't help but think of a little story that my 12 year old daughter recently shared with me.

There was a man inside of his house who saw a huge flood approaching. He cried out to God to save him. A van pulled up alongside of his home and offered to take him to higher ground.
"No, thank you", the man responded, "I'm, believing in God to deliver me."
The flood waters continued to rise, so the man went up to the second story, and again, cried out to God to save him. A moterboat roared up to his second floor window and offered to take him to safety. Again, the man insisted that his God was faithful, and would deliver him from the flood waters.
As the waters drove him up to his roof, he refused to give up on his faith.
"Thank you Lord for your faithfulness! You, and You alone can deliver me from this trial!"
At this point, a helicopter flew above him and lowered a rope for the man to climb.

Needless to say, the man stood on his rooftop crying to God for deliverance, until the floodwaters washed him away.

We have the privelege of living in the wealthy west. We have medical care at our fingertips. We have pharmaceuticals. We have caring professionals.

We have vans, boats, and helicopters.

Thank God.

grief

I hate the question "why".
Mostly because it begs some sort of lame attempt to make sense of non-sensable events.

Many endure negative, unloving, ill-paired relationships.
Others live alone, or with Jack Daniels.
small.

But others live well, and love deeply, fiercely, sincerely.
And die.

injustice
unavoidable, poingnant pain.

does it feel like hunger?
or adrenaline overload?
nausea?
rebellion?

Nothing much can be done.
not much can be answered.

Getting Lucky

Spent some time mall-hounding and picked
up a few things.

I had enough savings to buy the couch without a
payment plan.

Also on special were vintage Christmas bulbs, a
little stool with a worn stencil of Little Bo Peep,

an April Cornell wool sweater in fall colours, some

sewing trims and vintage dress patterns. On the way

out, I picked up a zucchini and a butternut squash.

Total spent: $11.25

Am I Allowed to Say That?

Less notable daycare moments:

"I know for sure that you are NOT hungry. There isn't a single good reason for you to pick your nose, then eat it. Any more than you would want to lick your own bum. Dirty. Very dirty."

Manual, Anyone?

Being a self-professed scrounger/thrift shop goddess, I am accustomed to things coming my way sans manual or instruction sheet. Even when things come from a real retail store, and you don't actually get around to reading the enclosed booklet, its still reassuring to know that you have it.

Not so with offspring.

I was reading Heather's post this morning, and nodding my head vigorously. ("fumbling for words", friggin hyperlink won't cooperate) We make zillions of decisions daily affecting our childrens' present and future. Should we work more hours so they can have some half decent clothes and take a few lessons? or does that mean we've bought into a Western notion of child rearing, and we're totally missing the point? Should I insist that the children eat what I cook, or focus on making meal times pleasant and turn a blind eye about fifty five times a day? Will they grow up unhealthy? But if I turn it into a power struggle will they grow up to be neurotic, hating their bodies, obsessing about their sizes?

Children do not come with instructions. Complicate that with the fact that no matter how many times you procreate, every single child will break the previous mold. What "works" for one may be damaging to the other. Complicate it further with the fact that no matter how "grown up" we mommies and daddies appear, we are all still growing. We don't hold all the answers. We make mistakes. Every. day.

I started apologizing to my firstborn when she was a wee babe in the crib. I knew enough to recognize that humility would be a key ingredient. Still, I've been at it for over 12 years now, and I can't tell you how many times I've shouted out--

"Isn't it about time for a mid-term exam or an evaluation, or SOMETHING?!"
Its at this point that my brother-in-law calmly advises me to simply put an extra $100.00 in the kids therapy fund. This only exacerbates the angst. FUNDS? Holy macaroli! Another area of FAILURE!

If you are hoping I am going to wrap this up with some really touchy feely advice about living in the moment, just doing your best, or my favourite: "Just ENJOY them, they grow up so FAST"! I'm sorry that I will have to disappoint you. Sure they grow up fast. That's the point, isn't it? By the time I figure out a few things about parenting, they'll be horizontal on the proverbial couch of overpriced counsel.

Yup, I've had lots of experience with missing manuals. With the bread machine, I did my best guessing with flour and yeast,a bit of hydro and a splash of milk. Even the cats looked frightened. After dark I reluctantly slunk back to the charity shop (that's what they call it in the UK, and I just think its adorable, so humour me) and dumped the instruction-free thing back into the donation box.

I've tried it with the kids, but they keep following me home.

Who Wouldn't Be Thankful?!

A whole extra day without daycare, two out of four kids off at the lake with their aunties, and time enough to sew!

This time, I made the bag backpack size- good for school kids, or adults like me who like to have a whole closet full of bag choices.



I hadn't gotten around to buying a turkey in time for thanksgiving, but when a friend stopped by and smelled my borscht simmering on the stove, she agreed to a turkey for soup swap.
We pulled off this colourful, delicious dinner with minimal effort.

I'd like to do Thanksgiving weekend all over again, starting right now.
Siiiiigh......