Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
O Christmas Tree
*sigh* I'm such a delinquent with this whole blogging thing. I can tell you it's not for lack of inspiration - it's just that I'm so BUSY being inspired all the time, I could spend half a day every day telling you what's inspired me today! Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but really life is pretty good right now.
Today, I'll tell you about my change of heart. When I moved into this house 2 and a half years ago and was looking forward to my first Christmas here, I was very excited to realize that I finally have room for my very own Christmas tree! (Those of you who know me well will recognize how excited my inner control-freak got about that idea!)
I chose a pre-lit one because everyone knows that stringing the lights on that puppy is the most gruelling part next to lugging it out of the basement. Then I went out and bought "matchy-matchy" decorations - all in burgundy and gold. So pretty. So perfect. So *not* the homemade (or school-made) decorations and mismatched lights we alwyas had on the tree at home. And I have thoroughly enjoyed my tree.
This year, for the second time, I had my Little Sister over to help me decorate it, and once again, I was surprised at how quickly we were done. That's kind of chapter one of this story - the realization that I really missed having someone to decorate with on that first Christmas here. I don't often feel lonely, but I was close that night. Anyway, once again, the tree is up and I've been enjoying its prettiness thoroughly.
Then today at work, our Christmas tree got pulled out of storage, already pre-decorated. It also has matchy-matchy decorations, but since it's been pulled in and out of storage several times with the decorations on, it's beginning to look a little sad. So the kids in the daycare started making simple decorations for it: photocopied Christmas images coloured, cut out and tied to a piece of ribbon. They were so excited about hanging their decorations that I asked a couple of the girls if they would like to make some for me too. They re-appeared about half an hour later with 3 decorations for my tree, and presented them to me (shyly beaming with pride), and showing me how their names were written on the back so I'd remember who made them.
And there they are, in all their glory, hanging from my matchy-matchy tree. Guess it's not so matchy-matchy any more. And you know what? I like it that way!
Today, I'll tell you about my change of heart. When I moved into this house 2 and a half years ago and was looking forward to my first Christmas here, I was very excited to realize that I finally have room for my very own Christmas tree! (Those of you who know me well will recognize how excited my inner control-freak got about that idea!)
I chose a pre-lit one because everyone knows that stringing the lights on that puppy is the most gruelling part next to lugging it out of the basement. Then I went out and bought "matchy-matchy" decorations - all in burgundy and gold. So pretty. So perfect. So *not* the homemade (or school-made) decorations and mismatched lights we alwyas had on the tree at home. And I have thoroughly enjoyed my tree.
This year, for the second time, I had my Little Sister over to help me decorate it, and once again, I was surprised at how quickly we were done. That's kind of chapter one of this story - the realization that I really missed having someone to decorate with on that first Christmas here. I don't often feel lonely, but I was close that night. Anyway, once again, the tree is up and I've been enjoying its prettiness thoroughly.
Then today at work, our Christmas tree got pulled out of storage, already pre-decorated. It also has matchy-matchy decorations, but since it's been pulled in and out of storage several times with the decorations on, it's beginning to look a little sad. So the kids in the daycare started making simple decorations for it: photocopied Christmas images coloured, cut out and tied to a piece of ribbon. They were so excited about hanging their decorations that I asked a couple of the girls if they would like to make some for me too. They re-appeared about half an hour later with 3 decorations for my tree, and presented them to me (shyly beaming with pride), and showing me how their names were written on the back so I'd remember who made them.
And there they are, in all their glory, hanging from my matchy-matchy tree. Guess it's not so matchy-matchy any more. And you know what? I like it that way!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Their little princess
Recently, my parents decided it was time to sell the bed and dresser that have been in my room for the last 20 or 25 years. I'm alright with the idea in my head, but a little sad in my heart. I'm much more okay now that it turns out I know and love the little girl that will get to use this furniture next. But it's got me reminiscing about how very excited I was to have that room all for myself.
Prior to being in that room, I had been sharing bunkbeds with one of my brothers (maybe each of them at different stages? It's early enough in my life that my memories are a bit foggy.) When it came time to get *my* room ready, my parents asked me what colour I wanted it to be. Purple was my favorite colour at the time, so clearly, the only logical response was PURPLE! My parents, in their wisdom, chose a cheery, lighter mauve colour, with accents of purple throughout the room.
They also did some pretty cool things with a *very* small space, including:
-a window seat/storage bench that was the envy of all my female friends and cousins
-a homework desk and shelves built into a tiny corner
-a closet that was built out over the stairs so as not to take up any more space IN the room for storage
-cork over the door to the crawlspace, so I had my own little bulletin board
-a dresser scarf, with tatted trim and embroidery,lovingly created by my mom
-a homemade bedspread to match the trim on the homemade curtains and the homemade curtains.
-re-used string art (from an old (4-H?) project of my mom's - we (my mom and I) recovered it with purple fabric, and used leftover yarn from the afghan my grandma made to match the room. That in itself was pretty cool - being invited to help create the space that was going to be mine.
In short, it was very "matchy-matchy!" :-) It was also a haven for me throughout my childhood and teenage years. It was rarely clean. In fact there was sometimes no floor space to walk on for all the clothes strewn about, and sometimes it was hard to tell what colour the walls were behind the posters (horses, Kirk Cameron, and the cast of 90210 come to mind ... LOL!) But it was all mine. And the thought and creativity that went in to making it "just for me" was just another example of how hard my parents worked to let me know that I was significant, that my opinions mattered, and that I deserved my own space.
Even now, after I've been living away from home for over 12 years, my mom checked with me to make sure I was okay with selling the furniture. It's clearly *their* house, but that will always be "Allison's room" ... and there's still a little ceramic nameplate on the door, with stickers all over it, to prove it. :-)
Thanks Mom and Dad, for the thought and hard work that went in to creating a space for your "little princess." I'm excited to see how M likes her new "big girl bed" and dresser! :-)
Prior to being in that room, I had been sharing bunkbeds with one of my brothers (maybe each of them at different stages? It's early enough in my life that my memories are a bit foggy.) When it came time to get *my* room ready, my parents asked me what colour I wanted it to be. Purple was my favorite colour at the time, so clearly, the only logical response was PURPLE! My parents, in their wisdom, chose a cheery, lighter mauve colour, with accents of purple throughout the room.
They also did some pretty cool things with a *very* small space, including:
-a window seat/storage bench that was the envy of all my female friends and cousins
-a homework desk and shelves built into a tiny corner
-a closet that was built out over the stairs so as not to take up any more space IN the room for storage
-cork over the door to the crawlspace, so I had my own little bulletin board
-a dresser scarf, with tatted trim and embroidery,lovingly created by my mom
-a homemade bedspread to match the trim on the homemade curtains and the homemade curtains.
-re-used string art (from an old (4-H?) project of my mom's - we (my mom and I) recovered it with purple fabric, and used leftover yarn from the afghan my grandma made to match the room. That in itself was pretty cool - being invited to help create the space that was going to be mine.
In short, it was very "matchy-matchy!" :-) It was also a haven for me throughout my childhood and teenage years. It was rarely clean. In fact there was sometimes no floor space to walk on for all the clothes strewn about, and sometimes it was hard to tell what colour the walls were behind the posters (horses, Kirk Cameron, and the cast of 90210 come to mind ... LOL!) But it was all mine. And the thought and creativity that went in to making it "just for me" was just another example of how hard my parents worked to let me know that I was significant, that my opinions mattered, and that I deserved my own space.
Even now, after I've been living away from home for over 12 years, my mom checked with me to make sure I was okay with selling the furniture. It's clearly *their* house, but that will always be "Allison's room" ... and there's still a little ceramic nameplate on the door, with stickers all over it, to prove it. :-)
Thanks Mom and Dad, for the thought and hard work that went in to creating a space for your "little princess." I'm excited to see how M likes her new "big girl bed" and dresser! :-)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
For this, I give thanks
In case you just tuned in to this blog, I have been VERY delinquent in posting regularly. Here's the thing: I started this blog to record things that amuse me or inspire me, to share them with others, and to refer to them later when I need a pick-me-up. Well. Good. Only problem is, I am easily amused, and often inspired. And there's no way I'd have time to blog about it all! So here (in no particular order)are some things that have amused and/or inspired me in the past weeks and months:
1) Relationship Matters - A two day lecture by Dr. Gordon Neufeld about developmental psychology, attachment theory, and how we can harness the power of relationships as educators, parents, spouses, etc. He inspired AND amused. After 2 days of sitting in church pews listening and taking notes, I was up for a couple more days of his food-for-my-soul.
2) Democracy in action. I went to a standing-room-only all-candidates forum today in preparation for the election. The inspiring bits were: the variety in our candidates (age, race, gender, etc), the number of people who got up to ask questions, and the fact that the turnout was so good.
3) Friends. Way back in August, I attended a friend's daughter's fourth birthday party, with grandparents and immediate family only. To be included in the family like that was a very precious thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am so, SO blessed to have the friends and the family that I have.
4) Thanksgiving. It may be my favorite holiday. I try to have a grateful attitude year round, but this time of year, with the beautiful fall colours around, and the brisk days requiring hot cups of tea/hot chocolate/coffee and cozy blankets, reminds me how lucky I am to have the luxury of spending time just being still. (On weekends, you understand; Work is way too crazy for that right now!) This year will be extra special because aside from going to Edmonton to visit the bf (having already celebrated thxgvg with my immediate family last weekend), my younger brother will be driving up to join us for part of the weekend. It will be the first time the three of us have spent quality time together just us, and I'll be cooking my first turkey!
5) Our students. Wow, this year has a unique feel to it at our learning centre. We are physically very nearly full every day, and yet the space is often nearly silent because everyone is so focused. I am so inspired by all these individuals that overcome a hundred barriers just to get there, and then still manage to focus on school work and hand lots of stuff in (a sure sign of progress!)
6) Facing my apprehensions (not fears exactly, but still requiring courage.) I am embarking on an adventure that will require every ounce of creativity I can muster. I am (thankfully) supported by a friend on this project, but I am nervous because it is something I have always wanted to do, and I really want it to turn out perfect, even though I know I'll never be 100% satisfied with it. Still, I was inspired by a student of mine, who, upon hearing that it was something I'd always dreamed of doing, challenged me with, "so what's stopping you?" Coming from someone who's had far more obstacles in her life, I had to take that to heart. And within a couple of days, the ball was rolling. What it came down to was realizing that I'd rather do it imperfectly than not do it at all ... (and I'll eventually reveal the project when I have a better idea what it's going to look like... still in preliminary planning stages!) :-) Carpe diem, right?
That's it for now. There's way more, but it's late, and I do Wednesdays much better on a good night's sleep! :-)
1) Relationship Matters - A two day lecture by Dr. Gordon Neufeld about developmental psychology, attachment theory, and how we can harness the power of relationships as educators, parents, spouses, etc. He inspired AND amused. After 2 days of sitting in church pews listening and taking notes, I was up for a couple more days of his food-for-my-soul.
2) Democracy in action. I went to a standing-room-only all-candidates forum today in preparation for the election. The inspiring bits were: the variety in our candidates (age, race, gender, etc), the number of people who got up to ask questions, and the fact that the turnout was so good.
3) Friends. Way back in August, I attended a friend's daughter's fourth birthday party, with grandparents and immediate family only. To be included in the family like that was a very precious thing. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am so, SO blessed to have the friends and the family that I have.
4) Thanksgiving. It may be my favorite holiday. I try to have a grateful attitude year round, but this time of year, with the beautiful fall colours around, and the brisk days requiring hot cups of tea/hot chocolate/coffee and cozy blankets, reminds me how lucky I am to have the luxury of spending time just being still. (On weekends, you understand; Work is way too crazy for that right now!) This year will be extra special because aside from going to Edmonton to visit the bf (having already celebrated thxgvg with my immediate family last weekend), my younger brother will be driving up to join us for part of the weekend. It will be the first time the three of us have spent quality time together just us, and I'll be cooking my first turkey!
5) Our students. Wow, this year has a unique feel to it at our learning centre. We are physically very nearly full every day, and yet the space is often nearly silent because everyone is so focused. I am so inspired by all these individuals that overcome a hundred barriers just to get there, and then still manage to focus on school work and hand lots of stuff in (a sure sign of progress!)
6) Facing my apprehensions (not fears exactly, but still requiring courage.) I am embarking on an adventure that will require every ounce of creativity I can muster. I am (thankfully) supported by a friend on this project, but I am nervous because it is something I have always wanted to do, and I really want it to turn out perfect, even though I know I'll never be 100% satisfied with it. Still, I was inspired by a student of mine, who, upon hearing that it was something I'd always dreamed of doing, challenged me with, "so what's stopping you?" Coming from someone who's had far more obstacles in her life, I had to take that to heart. And within a couple of days, the ball was rolling. What it came down to was realizing that I'd rather do it imperfectly than not do it at all ... (and I'll eventually reveal the project when I have a better idea what it's going to look like... still in preliminary planning stages!) :-) Carpe diem, right?
That's it for now. There's way more, but it's late, and I do Wednesdays much better on a good night's sleep! :-)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
fun distraction
So I'm not going to apologize for not having blogged in over a month, despite the fact that I've had plenty to blog about. I'm going to save all the inspiring stories about my work, and the people there for another time, because, frankly, it's been VERY busy, and I am exhausted tonight. I will, however, share the following video with you because tonight it made me giggle til there were tears squeezing out of my eyes. Perhaps the tearful giggling was more because of the long, busy day at work that I just came home from, but see what you think...
Friday, August 15, 2008
4 Real
I found myself frustrated by a cosmetics commercial the other day... even angered. I believe the woman in the commercial is Jessica Alba. She narrates, "Do you know what you want? I do... That's something you should know about me..... What I really want is for my foundation to match my skin tone." Excuse me? THAT's what you really want? Not world peace? inner serenity? an end to poverty? a cure to AIDS, to cancer, etc? Is there NOTHING you want more than makeup that matches your skin?! Let me stop with my rant right here. I said at the beginning that this blog is about things that inspire me or make me laugh. And it is. In contrast to that awful commercial, I present "4 Real."
It's a TV show I've been watching after lunch during my summer holidays. It's a show about several superstar celebrity types who are choosing to shine their spotlight on lesser known individuals who are making a real difference in their communities around the world. A couple of days ago, I watched as Joaquin Phoenix was immersed in the tribal life of a very remote community. He wore the traditional makeup, participated in the local rituals, and learned about how their very young chief has helped them improve their quality of life, and preserve their culture at the same time. Yesterday I watched hardcore rapper/hiphop types dissolve into tears at the testimony of a small child about the extreme difficulties in his life.
While I don't personally know much about rap or hiphop, and don't always recognize these particular celebrities (except for Joaquin), it is inspiring to watch them go into these communities as learners. They really just want to raise awareness in the hopes that others will help, or be inspired to make a difference in their own communities. They are using their fame to try to make the world a better place. And in many cases, their experiences are changing their art, helping them focus on the message they want to portray to people.
I think this show is part of a larger trend that we're seeing where almost every celebrity has a "pet project"... but the fact is that people listen. And I'd much rather learn what I can do to save the rainforest than how to get the perfect foundation colour... Check it out. You can watch episodes on the CTV website by following the link below.
http://www.4real.com/
It's a TV show I've been watching after lunch during my summer holidays. It's a show about several superstar celebrity types who are choosing to shine their spotlight on lesser known individuals who are making a real difference in their communities around the world. A couple of days ago, I watched as Joaquin Phoenix was immersed in the tribal life of a very remote community. He wore the traditional makeup, participated in the local rituals, and learned about how their very young chief has helped them improve their quality of life, and preserve their culture at the same time. Yesterday I watched hardcore rapper/hiphop types dissolve into tears at the testimony of a small child about the extreme difficulties in his life.
While I don't personally know much about rap or hiphop, and don't always recognize these particular celebrities (except for Joaquin), it is inspiring to watch them go into these communities as learners. They really just want to raise awareness in the hopes that others will help, or be inspired to make a difference in their own communities. They are using their fame to try to make the world a better place. And in many cases, their experiences are changing their art, helping them focus on the message they want to portray to people.
I think this show is part of a larger trend that we're seeing where almost every celebrity has a "pet project"... but the fact is that people listen. And I'd much rather learn what I can do to save the rainforest than how to get the perfect foundation colour... Check it out. You can watch episodes on the CTV website by following the link below.
http://www.4real.com/
Monday, July 28, 2008
laugh & learn
Watch the following short commercial from the UK, for an important message delivered with a giggle. :-)
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