The Bessborough Hotel at night.

Mittens Reunite

Canada now has a National Mitten Registry. Yes that's right. No more mittens going MIA. Check it out here and here.

Belonging

I attended a membership meeting tonight at my church. It was so great! I met some very friendly people and learned a few things about the Free Methodist denomination; but most importantly I found where I belong. With every passing minute I felt a growing desire to belong to this church, this particular group of people. They are people I can learn from; people I can grow alongside, and minister with. Their vision and mission inspire me. I haven't felt "at home" in a church since I moved to Saskatoon 6 years ago. You know, that comfortableness of knowing where things are, having people to sit with Sunday morning, being involved in the goings-on of the church, feeling like you are an integral part of the ministry.
I know all I've done so far is attended one meeting, but it feels like I'm on the edge of something great! Praise God! He is patient and wise, and leads us into good things.

Summer 2004. Tiger Lilies in Mom's garden.

Autumn Splendor

Autumn 2004. One day after work. At the park behind my condo.

Another New Blog

Check out my photo blog, over on the left called The Way I See It. Because I didn't have quite enough to keep me busy.

Christmas Review

This Christmas was, I think, one of the busiest on record. For me anyway. I seemed to have an event every weekend, and a "to do" list a mile long for every other day of the week. Not that I'm complaining. I enjoyed all of the Christmas festivities, culminating with our family gathering on the 25th, which is always the highlight for me. My nephew is 4 1/2 and has figured out this whole Christmas thing - as evidenced by his suggestion that we all form a line and pass the presents along, with him at the end!
Seriously, though, I do enjoy our gift opening time after the meal. I suppose if my family has one tradition, this would be it. The youngest child hands out the presents, (I remember oh so well when this was me, handing out presents at Grandma and Grandpa's house), and we open them one by one. This year I decided to do something different and treat my family to a night at the Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, instead of buying gifts. While the food was delicious, and the play was hilariously well done, I found that I missed buying gifts for my family. I realized that it's not about needing something, or thinking that I have to buy something, but wanting to buy gifts for the people I love. (So I did end up buying a couple of things.)

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This year I attended the big Christmas work party, for only the 2nd time in my almost 7 years at work. It was a lot of fun, shopping for a new outfit, and getting my hair done on the day of the party. In fact, I think the preparation and the "getting dressed up and going out" was almost more fun than the party itself. The food was fine, but not spectacular. (I think it's hard to do spectacular when you're feeding 325 people.) And because I'm not much of a drinker (in fact, water was my beverage of the night), or a dancer (although I do cut a rug pretty good in the comfort of my living room!) that pretty much just left small talk. Needless to say I was home by 10:30. But it was fun to get all dolled up for a night out.

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This year my roommate and I hosted our 4th annual Christmas party, which was a huge hit. (In my very unbiased opinion.) This year we had an hors d'oeuvre night. (In the past we've had a "sit down" meal and last year was fondue. Mmmmm...) So we're thinking "hors d'oeuvres...small food...kind of a late night snack idea." Wrong. Small food does not mean small quantities. We had SO MUCH food. Of course, that was probably due in part to my roommate making 4 items and me making 3. You think? So everybody was absolutely stuffed by the end of the night, which I consider a good indicator of how the party went. There was also that little deal about the prize for the best homemade hors d'oeuvre. The prize that my roommate won. Is it right to win the prize at your own party? I'm not sure. I think the vote was split on that one. Anyways, we also indulged in the $5.00 gift exchange (where everybody buys something that is most definitely more than $5.00). And we got to steal. So I stole. And I wound up with some real pearls from China, and a salad set. But mostly I was excited about the pearls. Yay for stealing!
To top off the night we played CatchPhrase, which is a great game. Highly recommended. To those of you not playing Cranium, which seems to be the game of the year.

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Well, those are my highlights of Christmas 2004. I am hoping to start my photoblog soon, where I will post pics of these and other events. For the last time this season, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This is Your Life

Thought-provoking lines from a novel I recently finished:

[This] is not something to be gotten through. It is not some
fleeting phase of life - it is your life..

The lines in the book are referring to motherhood, but I think it applies to all areas of life. Too often I find myself thinking, "I just want to get through this," without realizing that "this" is my life. That every part of every day makes up the whole of my life. That life will go by fast enough without me wishing it away.

This is your life...

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you've broken

Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes,
This is your life.
And today is all you've got now.
And today is all you'll ever have.
Don't close your eyes.

This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything that you dreamed
that it would be when the world was younger,
and you had everything to lose?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?

*book quote from "amanda bright @ home" by Danielle Crittenden

*lyrics by Switchfoot "This is Your Life"

Not Really So Bad

It's that time of the year again. Time to pull out the 10 year old winter boots and lament that I didn't buy new ones, again, this year. Time for multi-layers, and doing the shuffle so as not to freeze when filling up the car with gas. Time to get up earlier to allow for snow removal off the car, and the treacherously slow drive to work. Also time for a little tradition of mine. That is, I like to wait until it's at least -20 degrees C and dark out before I find the extension cord for my car. This was not so bad this year, so I thought I'd spice it up a little. Maybe stay out in the cold an extra 10 min or so. I thought I'd be nice and get my roommate's cord out of the shed and bring it down and set it up so that she just has to plug in when she gets home from work tonight. This would be the orange cord. The 30 foot orange cord. The tangled 30 foot orange cord, that I didn't decide to untangle until I was already outside. Thankfully I'd thought ahead and had on that 2nd winter layer of clothing, complete with hood and all. But I'm not really complaining, as I am now nice and warm inside my house, with the Christmas lights turned on, and feeling merry. And with that, Happy Holidays! May you stay safe and warm.

It's the Small Things

Sitting at my computer, writing a poem, listening to jazz music. I close my eyes and pretend to play the saxophone. Hearing footsteps in the hall, I turn and look over to see my roommate pretending to plays drums in the doorway. And that is why we are best friends.

It's the Most Wonderful Time

I would like to extend my first Merry Christmas, as tomorrow is December 1. Yay! Happy Holidays! The other day I put up my Christmas lights, and since then have been very much in the holiday spirit. This week the tree will go up, and presents will be wrapped, and isn't it just the most wonderful time of the year? It's nice to be in the mood so early, as it often takes me awhile to "catch" the Christmas spirit.

I've heard several Christmas songs on the radio already, which seems to be earlier than usual, but it may just be my imagination. Whatever the case, I had a "well that's interesting" moment the other day when I heard a carol on the radio. Have you ever noticed that Christmas is the only time of year when adults can legitimately sing children's songs? The song I heard was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer sung by Gene Autry. Adults can even make whole CDs of children's songs and not be thought strange. You can't do this any other time of the year. For instance, I don't think good ol' Gene would make a CD featuring Sesame Street songs. (You never know, but probably not...) And I think that is just wonderful. (Adults singing kids tunes, not Gene and Sesame Street).

Anyways, those are my Christmas ponderings for today. I'm sure there will be more to come as the month progresses. Once again, Merry Christmas all!

Adjectives

Amazing. Heart-rending. Hilarious. Spell-binding. Impressive. Desperate. Magnificent. Tragic. Eye-opening. Poignant. Light-hearted. Emotional. Inspiring. Intense.

This was Les Miserables. I saw the Broadway production last night, and it was all of this and so much more.

Mary and Joseph

Better late than never?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

...But sometimes you need the words to explain the picture.

Now what do you suppose is going on here?

It's Been Decided

She's keeping The Beautiful Purse. A replacement has been found to give away, and the necessary arguments made to justify keeping the original Beautiful Purse. This makes me happy, because now I can borrow it for my Christmas party that is coming up in a few weeks. Three cheers for The Beautiful Purse! (And for My Friend deciding to keep said purse!) (And also for My Friend letting me borrow The Purse for my Christmas party.) (And perhaps one more cheer for when she reads this and discovers that she's lending me The Beautiful Purse.)

Cheerio!

Cheerio!

So I'm sitting at my desk, daintily trying to eat my nuts and bolts and not make a mess, when it happens. I grab several cheerios at once, kind of pinching them together to get a grip, and I squeeze so hard they fly out all over the place. I remind myself that I am not 3 years old, and perhaps I could find a snack more appropriate for an adult workplace.

To Give or Not to Give

A friend of mine is in a bit of a quandary. She has in her possession a Beautiful Purse that was purchased with the intent of giving it as a gift to her friend. Alas, she has fallen in love with The Beautiful Purse. Oh how she longs to keep it! Unfortunately, her friend specifically pointed out The Beautiful Purse the other day when they were shopping. To keep The Beautiful Purse now would mean never using it when aforementioned friend is present; secreting it away to keep from causing a scene. What to do? What to do? *wringing hands*

Stay tuned to find out whether our heroine unselfishly gives up The Beautiful Purse or gives in to desire...

but can you do creme brule?

But Can You do Creme Brule?

It's coming. I can feel it. One of these days I will cross the threshold from "Well at Least it's Cheaper than Ordering in," to Chef Extraordinaire. That's right. I will make fancy dishes that require precise timing in order to turn out, and they will turn out. The chicken will be done the first time I check it. The pork chops will not be overdone. The sauce will thicken gosh darnit! The first mouthful will elicit ooh's and aah's, followed by rave reviews at the meal's end. My table will be graced by succulent, flavor-infused masterpieces! Watch out world, Canada, Saskatoon, Roommate, here comes Chef Carmen!

When Scissors Go AWOL

Why is it that scissors never seem to be in the right place? Not in the kitchen drawer, where they're supposed to be, but in the last place you left them. (Which is always the last place you look.) This is a phenomena that has been going on since I was little. Mom would go to use the scissors, and of course they would not be where they were supposed to be. Then I would hear, "Carmen, where are the scissors?!?" To which I would respond, without even thinking, "I don't know!!"
Mom: "Well where did you put them?"
Me: "I didn't have them!"
This would carry on for awhile, Mom sure that I had misplaced them, and me wondering why I always got blamed for the missing scissors, all the while scouring the house to find said scissors. They always got found, and without fail they were exactly where they had been left the last time they were used. (Not necessarily by me.)

Well I'm an adult now, and I have my own scissors to worry about. And they are consistently AWOL. And although I don't have children, I do have a roommate, and when the scissors go missing, the first thing out of my mouth is, "[Roommate] where are the scissors?!?"