Monday, January 30, 2006

Ahh, Real Entertainment


I have realized that children do not have an appreciation for the performing arts. Not with all the gadgets and technology we have anyway. Something has gotten lost along the way.

I was a drama student and was involved in 2 or three productions a year throughout high school, including one at our local theater. I was also in a Jazz Ensemble.

Children on the other hand...... well...... I decided to take mine to a performance called "The Missing Picture" my daughter, loved this idea, my son however, insisted that it was Boring. We had not even left the house yet. He said he liked going to the movies better.... even though he had not been to this kind of thing before. I told him it was like a movie, but Better ! There were real people ..... but... that is Boring..... urrgh.

I never thought that hearing a word repeated over and over could have that effect on me. I found myself reverting back to "the old school" parenting, and caught myself saying " If I hear you say boring one more time, so help me, I am going to take you to the truck." Followed with the winner of the day, " Don't make me make you cry in front of all these people, just be quiet and like it ! "

Yup - and the parenting of the year award goes to..........

This is all before the play even started. Oh yes, I forgot, that while we were leaving my children were devastated to find out that you don't eat treats at a theater like you would at the movies......what kind of deal is that !

Finally, the house lights are dimmed, the stage lights ready. I wait in anticipation for that first line. The curtain opens.... I look over and my children are riveted !!!!!

And to my extreme pleasure - the moral of the story is that your imagination and stories are much better than any TV !

.... even though Chase insisted after, that is WAS boring, this time he had a little smile on his face that said, I had a great time, I just don't like being proved wrong.

HA !
I WIN !

Friday, January 27, 2006

I Don't Understand


I am not politically savy, nor fully informed of all worldy things. However, reading election results today shocked me. The first Palestinian Parlimentary Election in over a decade was held, and to what end ?

After many peoples, countries, missionaries, volunteers etc. have spent their time and life devoted to encouraging democracy and a nation without violence, the Palestinians were given a voice.

Elected was Hamas, an Islamic Millitant Group. Hamas has long claimed that it's committed to the obliteration of the Jewish state and has long rejected the idea of negotiation.

Palestinian and Israeli children are the ones left to suffer and clean up after each generations mistakes. War and ethnic hate are all that these children have lived with. They know no other life. As I am sure the generation previous to them was raised in the same fashion. No doubt , this goes back far longer than anyone would care to think.

I just cannot imagine having a choice after so many years of oppression, and then opting for hate and violence.

Where does it end ?

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Ok, So I've Got A Track Record !


Ok, it is time for me to finally admit that I cannot bake !

Cooking is not such a problem - but baking, well that is another story. I am suprised that I have not made someone ill yet. Well, maybe I have and they just were nice enough not to blame it on my culinary prowess.

I will now confess all my sins......

Once I made these beautiful chocolate chip cookies. They looked like they should be in the window showcase of a bakery. I was sooo proud. That is until I found that you could chip your teeth on them. Or have a wonderful game of hockey. Not to be dismayed, I tried again. I should have just quit after the first batch - but oh no, I must prove myself. HA. Well... this time they did not look so good. They did not fare so well at all. After about 3 min. in the oven I could smell burning... Impossible ! I thought. Yeah Right. Upon looking in my oven window I was greeted with the sight of a cookie sheet puddled up with butter, and pretty little chocolate chips floating around in their buttery little pond. After pouting I gave up cookie baking.

Then there was the time that I made Cheesecake ! I was kind of scared after the whole cookie thing so I played it safe, and bought a box mix. No One can screw up a box mix right ? Well somehow I managed. After completed ( it was a bakinging one ) I presented it to my husband knowing it is his favourite indulgence. I was absolutely beaming with pride, it was beautiful, a masterpeice. Then the dreaded question came as I watched his face cringe and wrinkle up while still trying to smile kindly at me and resist spitting it out. "How much salt did it call for hon ?" he asked while lunging for a glass of water. " Well none sweety, there is no salt in it." It slowly started to register what I had done. Yeah. Well I kinda mixed up the sugar with the salt...... 1 cup and a half of it..... Need I say more ?

Co-workers always seem to think that this is friggin hilarious, and cannot wait to see what I will bring to a baking party or get-to-gether ! So I decided to proove them all wrong. Gawd, why do I do this to myself.

It was a co-workers birthday and I made this strawberry chocolatey cakey kind of thing that needed to be chilled after. Well, knowing my history, maybe it was not a good idea to be drinking and trying to get ready for the party as well as bake. Needless to say when I opened the freezer after said amount of time chilling, I had created the leaning tower of pisa, that when slightly shifted slid across my freezer........ $%#!@.

I stopped and 7-11 and bought chips and pretzles - and yes - everyone had a good laugh, because they knew what must have happened.

I have many many more stories like this but I am kind of depressing myself - ha ha ha.

However, I would like to know.... is there some godamned magic word to make a cake come out of the stupid pan once it has cooled ?

Or, is there a special school for decorating cakes, because the one time a cake turned out, AND I left it in the pan, rather than having to pass off my "chocolate chunk cake" that you ice individual chunks as you eat it. I GOT TO THE DECORATING PART - WHOO HOOO ! I presented my bakery success only to have them say. Awww how nice, you let the kids decorate it........ this is when they were 6 and 3 years old !!!!

For a baking exchange someone conviced me that Sugar Cookies are the simplest to make. I know they were trying to be helpful, knowing my condition and all, but GEEZE, were they trying to kill me ! Gawd - you have to separate eggs, whisk stuff, fold, roll out. Well at 10pm, after not even getting past the dough part and my kitchen looking like someone kicked the flour bag around, and globbed bits of dough on every surface. I ran to Save On Foods and bought 11 dozen sugar cookies. Yeah - that was an expensive cookie exchange, and I had to endure the friendly we are laughing WITH you not AT you. Yeah Whatever- I am not stupid. Now eat your friggin cookies !

Now that I have confessed my culinary sins, I guess I must go and say 500 Hail Martha's.



Saturday, January 07, 2006


She weeps like dew off a petal
Wails like wind in the trees.

She reflects like a moonlit pond
Dreams like cotton in the breeze.

She glows like the embers of a fire
Struggles like a ship in the seas.

She lives like angels in harmony
Living life only to please.



Drawing : Rachael "Lil Pixie" Evans

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Where Did It Go

Where did it go ?

Somehow I seem to have misplaced my inspiration... as eveidenced by my lessend blog enteries. I think I may have discovered the answer today though.

Somewhere between the dirty dishes and constant drying out of snowpants, coats, mittens, touques, scarves, and even socks and pants ( because somehow kids end up soaking wet from the waist down even though thoroughly waterproofed ) and kids going back to school, I realize that it is all over.

I am weakened and feeble, from the pine needles that refuse to be vacumed out of my carpet, to the last $%@# fat filled buttertart that innocently found its way into my mouth.

I seem to carry about me a smell that is a cross between a pine forest and vanilla dryer sheet mixed with slight perspiration ( oops I forgot, women to do perspire, we glisten. )

My house is too quiet, there are no kids battling with the new Light Sabers, there is no electric gadgets going off, I am not tripping over the new leggo and speed bead machine.

It is amiss.

For something that I look forward to from summer on, it seems to have come and gone in a blur.

But, I must continue on. Martha Stewart did not give up while she was in the slammer, so I too must fight the good fight. I must remain positive that shortly my house will return to normal, back to loud and crazy kids. Dog barking. Dirty clothes hidden behind their dressers. Playdough stuck to the ceiling.

I must remain positive, for the day will soon come.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Happy Times


I got to see my buddy over Christmas holidays !!! :)

I was so excited. I knew that for her to make time to come visit me was difficult, as making the rounds with family is lots of visiting in of itself.

Have you ever had one of "those" friends. T he only way I can describe it is as " friends at first sight". She came into my life when I needed a friend more than she will ever know. It felt like an instant connection that you knew was true friendship, and would not fade. When I found that she was moving ( a year ago now ) I was sad, yes, for me. We had only met shortly ago and had not hung out nearly enough yet. Selfish I know, but true. On the otherside, I could not be more happy for her, because I knew it was what she was waiting for. True love, and a nice city ! Not to mention getting out of our Hell Hole workplace, and landing what sounds like, the perfect job.

Since the big move, we have talked ( via email ) almost every day. Even though, what could we possibly have to talk to each other about every day that is new? That's just it, it does not have to be a landmark discussion, as with all true best friends, it can be about practically nothing, or the most important things of all.

I am so happy that I got to see her again in person, and wish her and her love all the best for the new year. Happiness, health, and continued love.

Next time - it is my turn !
Cya in the big city Sista :)
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