I woke up to snow this morning. I can't even remember the last time it snowed. It must have been in December. Here I was excited for spring!! Should have known. It's still trying to snow, but it is more of a slush coming down. I hope it stops soon and the sun starts shining again!
In other news. I still don't know about jury duty. I haven't sent my stuff in because the Nursing department head ladies are currently writing me up a letter or something to send in. I hope they finish it soon or else I will be in trouble. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know how they can penalize me?? There are threats on the papers they sent me. I don't really want to mess with the government.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Summoned
I have been summoned for jury duty. A first. As a full-time student I am supposed to be able to get out of it. Let's hope it works.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Guest Post: Another Perspective
The term “Olympics” is a very nebulous word. There are many things which the “Olympics” represent such as: athletics, competition, hope, freedom, global unity, medals, celebration, ceremony, and men and women who spend their lives dedicated to becoming better at their sport. All of these things can be very positive experiences; I know athletic competition has played a huge role in both Ashley’s and my own life. However there is another logistical category which the word “Olympics” encases such as: committees, economic growth, development, funding, selection, politics, policies, security, volunteers, employees, judges, athletes, coaches, trainers, amenities, and housing. All of these words represent things which need to be planned out for any events to happen or at least for any events to happen in a progressive manner. These are just some of the words which the “Olympics” can represent to different people.
The “Olympics” in its entirety (meaning these two categories together along with any other word one may be able to put with it) also has, like any cause, an effect. The effect of the “Olympics” are like the two previous categories. An effect the “Olympics” may have for example is the beautification and development of a city which plays as host. Another effect the “Olympics” may have is a form of economic development on account of jobs created, a high influx of people to a certain attraction, or even future attractions of the event center. All of these things are wonderful, a city should be beautified, create jobs for its citizens, and even should have different landmarks or attractions for the enjoyment of human kind.
There are also, however, certain negative effects which the “Olympics” bring about in a certain location. The negatives are things which may not be obvious or may not seem significant at all. They are something which we all have to make a decision about. A negative effect from the “Olympics” may be the amount of resources or funding it takes to put on a specific event, where that funding comes from, where it could have gone, the way in which the development of a city is handled, individuals who profit from the events, and individuals who may be marginalized or mistreated by the affect the event has on a city. All of these things can be called into question, some of these things have happened, some of these things may or may not happen. A question that I have is, if there is a negative effect from an action I take, even if it is an unintended action, should I have a part in correcting that effect?
I recently read a response from the Olympics committee to a letter written by a social justice group based in Vancouver called Streams of Justice in which the Olympics committee was asked to take part in ensuring that all persons are treated with respect equally by putting policies in place which make how well a city deals with its poor and homeless citizens a part of their considerations in judging where the coming Olympic events are to be held. The response which the group received was that the Olympics committee has nothing to do with how a city functions only if that city is a suitable place for the Olympics to be held. The committee politely refused, in keeping with its policy, to do anything about the affect which the “Olympics” has had on cities past and future.
I have always enjoyed the “Olympics” and I probably always will because it is a great idea. I cannot, however, agree with some of the consequences which come about due to this event. We have the freedom, ability, and power to ensure the safety and care of all people, lets use it for the good of humankind.
Here is a website of a group (Streams of Justice) which has deep roots in the downtown eastside ofVancouver
Thanks for listening.
E
There are also, however, certain negative effects which the “Olympics” bring about in a certain location. The negatives are things which may not be obvious or may not seem significant at all. They are something which we all have to make a decision about. A negative effect from the “Olympics” may be the amount of resources or funding it takes to put on a specific event, where that funding comes from, where it could have gone, the way in which the development of a city is handled, individuals who profit from the events, and individuals who may be marginalized or mistreated by the affect the event has on a city. All of these things can be called into question, some of these things have happened, some of these things may or may not happen. A question that I have is, if there is a negative effect from an action I take, even if it is an unintended action, should I have a part in correcting that effect?
I recently read a response from the Olympics committee to a letter written by a social justice group based in Vancouver called Streams of Justice in which the Olympics committee was asked to take part in ensuring that all persons are treated with respect equally by putting policies in place which make how well a city deals with its poor and homeless citizens a part of their considerations in judging where the coming Olympic events are to be held. The response which the group received was that the Olympics committee has nothing to do with how a city functions only if that city is a suitable place for the Olympics to be held. The committee politely refused, in keeping with its policy, to do anything about the affect which the “Olympics” has had on cities past and future.
I have always enjoyed the “Olympics” and I probably always will because it is a great idea. I cannot, however, agree with some of the consequences which come about due to this event. We have the freedom, ability, and power to ensure the safety and care of all people, lets use it for the good of humankind.
Here is a website of a group (Streams of Justice) which has deep roots in the downtown eastside of
E
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Transit
I really do. I have been using public transit for the past two years to go to and from school. Then, with our car breaking down, I began to rely on it for everything. I love it.
For starters, it is wonderful to sit and relax for 45 to both start and end my school day. Unlike most individuals, I cannot read on the bus so I am forced to just be still for that time. This is a time I treasure. It is blissful to just forget about any worries for those few minutes.
Having no car also forces you to think about what trips are really necessary. I mostly love this, but it does get frustrating when you really need to get somewhere and you are unable to. I have come to realize how unnecessary most of our outings are... and what a waste of money it is at times. I find that life has had to slow down without a car; trips need to be planned. A part of me misses the spontaneity of having a vehicle, but I have appreciated that it has forced me to stay home more.I like to think that I live life in a little less of a frenzy, but I doubt that Erik would agree.
Have any of you been on a bus lately? I would say that 95% of the individuals who take the bus are texting on their cellphones the entire trip. This includes the young kids riding the bus. How young are kids getting cellphones these days? I have been thinking about how much cellphones have changed our culture/way of life. It is truly remarkable, but a different post for a different day.
For starters, it is wonderful to sit and relax for 45 to both start and end my school day. Unlike most individuals, I cannot read on the bus so I am forced to just be still for that time. This is a time I treasure. It is blissful to just forget about any worries for those few minutes.
Having no car also forces you to think about what trips are really necessary. I mostly love this, but it does get frustrating when you really need to get somewhere and you are unable to. I have come to realize how unnecessary most of our outings are... and what a waste of money it is at times. I find that life has had to slow down without a car; trips need to be planned. A part of me misses the spontaneity of having a vehicle, but I have appreciated that it has forced me to stay home more.I like to think that I live life in a little less of a frenzy, but I doubt that Erik would agree.
Have any of you been on a bus lately? I would say that 95% of the individuals who take the bus are texting on their cellphones the entire trip. This includes the young kids riding the bus. How young are kids getting cellphones these days? I have been thinking about how much cellphones have changed our culture/way of life. It is truly remarkable, but a different post for a different day.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Complete!
I have finished one of my knitting projects - my scarf. It is absolutely lovely! I LOVE it. It is the first thing I have ever made for myself and I did not skimp out on the yarn. The yarn I used was hand spun and hand dyed and it is absolutely divine. I love everything about it. The texture is lovely. The colors are splendid. The weight of it is fabulous. and I think it is perfect. Just perfect. I will have to post pictures when I find my camera.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Allow Me to Explain
I know I'm a Debbie Downer. I was on the fence for a long time with regards to the Olympics, but decided a while ago that I needed to make a decision. I think the reason it took so long was because I wanted so badly to have no qualms about the Olympics. I want to be excited. I think it would be so much fun to be in Vancouver Vancouver
And I will. I will celebrate all those things.
There are many things, however, that I will not celebrate. As a friend so eloquently put it, there are three pillars of disaster: environmental, social, and economical.
Environmentally
Parts of the province (especially up near Whistler) have been destroyed as a result of Olympic venue construction. Hundreds of thousands of trees have been cut down. Also, this has been labeled the “greenest games ever”, meanwhile all the major corporate sponsors of the game have horrific environmental records. Coca Cola, for one, is well known for polluting and depleting water systems inIndia India Canada Northern Alberta . What they have done is basically level a bunch of forest in order to extract crude oil. Once extracted, it takes four barrels of water to refine one barrel of this crude oil into what can be used by cars and other stuff. The tar sands have polluted a major river in Northern Alberta that many First Nations communities depend on for their water and food source and as a result, people in these communities have seen a rising level of extremely rare cancers that are killing members of their communities at very young ages. Yes, this isn’t necessarily a direct effect of the Olympics, but these sponsors are walking home with their own pretty pennies to continue on their environmental destruction.
Socially
People living in the community of the downtown Eastside have faced rising repression and harassment from the police. They have dealt with the process known as gentrification (where the poor are forced out of their living spaces so that they can be upgraded into high end condos). This has been done to “clean up” the area. People were forced out of their homes and these buildings remained empty for months leading up to the Olympics – rendering all the tenants homeless. As a result of this gentrification there has been a 300% increase in homelessness in the last 5 years – something that has never been seen in this area before. There is no affordable or low income housing available, despite numerous promises to build them. The Olympic Village, for example, was supposed to become 20% affordable/low income housing, and now there will be none. There have been massive cuts to health and education programs, yet the provincial government can cough up billions of dollars for the Olympics – which the tax payers will end up paying off. There are some more disturbing facts about our provincial government that come into play here; BC has had the highest child poverty rate inCanada
Economically
The tax payers will be funding these games for years. Meanwhile, the IOC will make millions and millions of tax-free dollars because they’re not registered in any country. The games are only for the rich. It’s like a big party for all the CEO’s and government officials. The Liberal government, for example, spent almost a million dollars on buying tickets for government officials and representatives. Also, people think that having the games here will increase job opportunities and tourism but the reality is that this is only short-term. The Olympics bring no sustainability to the city, province, or country. And history has shown that tourism in host cities only increases at the time of the games. Many small businesses cannot sustain themselves because the people coming in for the games are high rollers and they go to the high rolling restaurants and hotels. Meanwhile, the small guys get trampled on because the people in their community that they would normally receive business from are leaving because the Olympics cause such disturbance in their every day life with road closures etc. You may think that two weeks shouldn’t impact them too much, but two weeks is huge when bills are due. Basically the only people who benefit economically are the IOC, corporate sponsors and real estate developers who get involved in building the venues and Olympic infrastructure such as highways and transit improvements.
I am taking a course about Community Development right now. In some of my readings the authors discussed how you need to weigh the risk to the community against the benefit to both the community and society. There are so many benefits to the Olympics. I have listed some of them, but there are obviously more, but are they really worth it? Is entertainment that valuable to us? The fact that Erik works at an emergency shelter has definitely opened my eyes and softened to my heart to the injustices toward low-income and impoverished people. But it goes beyond them. The Olympics impact us all in more ways than we realize.
I am by no means trying to convince anyone to boycott the Olympics. I just want to challenge you to think about the bigger issues. I want you to think about the lasting impact these games will have on our community and on the many communities it has and will affect in the years to come. I do not think we should do away with the Olympics, but I do think drastic changes need to be made to make them a time of celebration for all.
And I will. I will celebrate all those things.
There are many things, however, that I will not celebrate. As a friend so eloquently put it, there are three pillars of disaster: environmental, social, and economical.
Environmentally
Parts of the province (especially up near Whistler) have been destroyed as a result of Olympic venue construction. Hundreds of thousands of trees have been cut down. Also, this has been labeled the “greenest games ever”, meanwhile all the major corporate sponsors of the game have horrific environmental records. Coca Cola, for one, is well known for polluting and depleting water systems in
Socially
People living in the community of the downtown Eastside have faced rising repression and harassment from the police. They have dealt with the process known as gentrification (where the poor are forced out of their living spaces so that they can be upgraded into high end condos). This has been done to “clean up” the area. People were forced out of their homes and these buildings remained empty for months leading up to the Olympics – rendering all the tenants homeless. As a result of this gentrification there has been a 300% increase in homelessness in the last 5 years – something that has never been seen in this area before. There is no affordable or low income housing available, despite numerous promises to build them. The Olympic Village, for example, was supposed to become 20% affordable/low income housing, and now there will be none. There have been massive cuts to health and education programs, yet the provincial government can cough up billions of dollars for the Olympics – which the tax payers will end up paying off. There are some more disturbing facts about our provincial government that come into play here; BC has had the highest child poverty rate in
Economically
The tax payers will be funding these games for years. Meanwhile, the IOC will make millions and millions of tax-free dollars because they’re not registered in any country. The games are only for the rich. It’s like a big party for all the CEO’s and government officials. The Liberal government, for example, spent almost a million dollars on buying tickets for government officials and representatives. Also, people think that having the games here will increase job opportunities and tourism but the reality is that this is only short-term. The Olympics bring no sustainability to the city, province, or country. And history has shown that tourism in host cities only increases at the time of the games. Many small businesses cannot sustain themselves because the people coming in for the games are high rollers and they go to the high rolling restaurants and hotels. Meanwhile, the small guys get trampled on because the people in their community that they would normally receive business from are leaving because the Olympics cause such disturbance in their every day life with road closures etc. You may think that two weeks shouldn’t impact them too much, but two weeks is huge when bills are due. Basically the only people who benefit economically are the IOC, corporate sponsors and real estate developers who get involved in building the venues and Olympic infrastructure such as highways and transit improvements.
I am taking a course about Community Development right now. In some of my readings the authors discussed how you need to weigh the risk to the community against the benefit to both the community and society. There are so many benefits to the Olympics. I have listed some of them, but there are obviously more, but are they really worth it? Is entertainment that valuable to us? The fact that Erik works at an emergency shelter has definitely opened my eyes and softened to my heart to the injustices toward low-income and impoverished people. But it goes beyond them. The Olympics impact us all in more ways than we realize.
I am by no means trying to convince anyone to boycott the Olympics. I just want to challenge you to think about the bigger issues. I want you to think about the lasting impact these games will have on our community and on the many communities it has and will affect in the years to come. I do not think we should do away with the Olympics, but I do think drastic changes need to be made to make them a time of celebration for all.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Anti-Olympics
I'm just going to come right out and say it, I am anti-Olympics.
I think the idea of nations coming together is wonderful, but the way things are done is ridiculous! It's a waste of money and it doesn't benefit anybody. In fact, it hurts more people than it helps. It actually hurts my heart.
I think the idea of nations coming together is wonderful, but the way things are done is ridiculous! It's a waste of money and it doesn't benefit anybody. In fact, it hurts more people than it helps. It actually hurts my heart.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
After some thought
I don't know how many of you have experienced this, but pictures often grow on me.
For example, here are some pictures from my wedding. When I was perusing my pictures after getting them from the photographer I looked over all of these. None of them really stood out to me as favorites. In fact, I didn't even like some of them. I was looking through my wedding photos with my sister yesterday and discovered that I quite like each of these. It took a while, but after some thought, I have decided that they are quite pleasant.
I don't know why I didn't like this one at first. Maybe because it wasn't what I "envisioned". I think I was probably moping about the fact that it had rained and there was grey sky instead of brilliantly vibrant blue. It has grown on me though.
There's also this one. I thought it looked odd. I still kind of think it does, but I love the grass in the front. I love the color in it as well. I also like that Erik has the tiniest of smirks...
This one was not a favorite at the beginning because we are kissing in it. And my chin looks funny. I am not a big fan of kissing pictures. Seriously, how many of them do you need? This is one of the only pictures that actually shows some of the detailing on my dress. And I just think it's kind of cool. (Side note: a year ago I would have been mortified to post this as we are kissing in it. I am still a little embarrassed by it, but I'll deal)
Please note, we are not actually kissing in this photo. I wasn't a huge fan of this one at the beginning because we are so far away in it. Now I like it. That's really all I have to say.
And I have no idea why I like this one. Maybe it's because it is right before I stepped on a snake, but for some reason I think it's pleasant.
For example, here are some pictures from my wedding. When I was perusing my pictures after getting them from the photographer I looked over all of these. None of them really stood out to me as favorites. In fact, I didn't even like some of them. I was looking through my wedding photos with my sister yesterday and discovered that I quite like each of these. It took a while, but after some thought, I have decided that they are quite pleasant.
I don't know why I didn't like this one at first. Maybe because it wasn't what I "envisioned". I think I was probably moping about the fact that it had rained and there was grey sky instead of brilliantly vibrant blue. It has grown on me though.
There's also this one. I thought it looked odd. I still kind of think it does, but I love the grass in the front. I love the color in it as well. I also like that Erik has the tiniest of smirks...
This one was not a favorite at the beginning because we are kissing in it. And my chin looks funny. I am not a big fan of kissing pictures. Seriously, how many of them do you need? This is one of the only pictures that actually shows some of the detailing on my dress. And I just think it's kind of cool. (Side note: a year ago I would have been mortified to post this as we are kissing in it. I am still a little embarrassed by it, but I'll deal)
Please note, we are not actually kissing in this photo. I wasn't a huge fan of this one at the beginning because we are so far away in it. Now I like it. That's really all I have to say.
And I have no idea why I like this one. Maybe it's because it is right before I stepped on a snake, but for some reason I think it's pleasant.
Friday, January 29, 2010
What a Man
Remember that post I did about Family Hockey? I only bring it up again because my brother finally sent photos from the event. And I really only bring that up because this is a picture of all the boys in the fam who played... and in this picture, I think Erik actually looks like a bonafide hockey player. Notice him there on the right?? Between my brother Jonathan and my dad? I think it's because of his thick neck (thank you wrestling). What a man.
Obligation
I occasionally feel obligated to update this blog. I hate it when that happens. I have had this nagging feeling all week about needing to write something. There are times where I just have nothing to say so I have resisted the urge thus far. I still don't have much to say, but I thought I'd just let you know how things are going.
Actually, I have been thinking about hobbies lately. I have a love/hate relationship with my hobbies. The two at the top of my list at the moment are knitting and sending cards. They also happen to be my fake new year's resolutions. I say fake because I threw them out when a friend forced me to come up with something to strive for in the new year. I decided that they are things I would like to improve on in life in general so they were my cop out answers. Both are things I feel I can sustain for the rest of my life. I mean, who doesn't love handmade gifts and snail mail?
Back to my love/hate relationship.
Love.
I love knitting because it versatile. I mean, it can either be relaxing or entirely invigorating and challenging. I can choose to work on my baby blankets or I can learn a new stitch or (next on my list) create a baby garment. The options are endless! I love giving away hand-made gifts. I guess this knitting should include crochet as well. I have started doing that quite a bit now too.
Summary: Relaxing and/or challenging, gifts for others.
I love sending cards because I love buying them. I get them from thrift stores, normal stores, anywhere I can really. I love them. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me smile. I love them. I wish I could make them, but I a not that creative. Maybe one day. Not only do I love buying them, but I love sending them! I love writing a little note in them (even when I feel I have nothing to say). I love the anticipation of waiting for it to get through the system and arrive at my loved one's home. I love the idea of the card traveling. I love that it actually has to be physically taken from point a to point b. What a lovely idea! Especially when I was sending cards to France... or across Canada. Lovely.
Hate.
I hate knitting because I have turned into a bit of a yarn snob. I like the good stuff. The problem with this is good stuff = expensive. I was going to the store regularly to see what was on sale so I got deals, but frequent shopping = more frequent buying. Bad combination. Also, my attention span is not always the greatest... thus I currently have 9 projects on the go. The last four inches of whatever project are always the hardest to complete (that'll be great for my 8 inch baby sweater).
I hate sending cards because of my love of buying cards. Seriously! I love it. I am very good at restraining myself. In fact, I rarely buy cards. I bought them much more frequently when Erik and I were long-distance dating because I send him cards bi-weekly... and I had no car to go to thrift stores so I got them at the grocery store all the time. That got expensive. Yesterday I splurged on cards, however, because my favorite card store here in Kelowna was going out of business. Aka 50% off everything. I quickly scooped up cards I have been eyeing (sp?) for the past year and a half. I had an excuse to buy them now because they will never be as cheap as they were yesterday. Thus I spent far more than I would normally spend, but I came home beaming. Erik even picked out a couple that he enjoyed.
And that is as far as my thoughts have wandered from schoolwork over the past week. My group projects are consuming me.
Actually, I have been thinking about hobbies lately. I have a love/hate relationship with my hobbies. The two at the top of my list at the moment are knitting and sending cards. They also happen to be my fake new year's resolutions. I say fake because I threw them out when a friend forced me to come up with something to strive for in the new year. I decided that they are things I would like to improve on in life in general so they were my cop out answers. Both are things I feel I can sustain for the rest of my life. I mean, who doesn't love handmade gifts and snail mail?
Back to my love/hate relationship.
Love.
I love knitting because it versatile. I mean, it can either be relaxing or entirely invigorating and challenging. I can choose to work on my baby blankets or I can learn a new stitch or (next on my list) create a baby garment. The options are endless! I love giving away hand-made gifts. I guess this knitting should include crochet as well. I have started doing that quite a bit now too.
Summary: Relaxing and/or challenging, gifts for others.
I love sending cards because I love buying them. I get them from thrift stores, normal stores, anywhere I can really. I love them. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me smile. I love them. I wish I could make them, but I a not that creative. Maybe one day. Not only do I love buying them, but I love sending them! I love writing a little note in them (even when I feel I have nothing to say). I love the anticipation of waiting for it to get through the system and arrive at my loved one's home. I love the idea of the card traveling. I love that it actually has to be physically taken from point a to point b. What a lovely idea! Especially when I was sending cards to France... or across Canada. Lovely.
Hate.
I hate knitting because I have turned into a bit of a yarn snob. I like the good stuff. The problem with this is good stuff = expensive. I was going to the store regularly to see what was on sale so I got deals, but frequent shopping = more frequent buying. Bad combination. Also, my attention span is not always the greatest... thus I currently have 9 projects on the go. The last four inches of whatever project are always the hardest to complete (that'll be great for my 8 inch baby sweater).
I hate sending cards because of my love of buying cards. Seriously! I love it. I am very good at restraining myself. In fact, I rarely buy cards. I bought them much more frequently when Erik and I were long-distance dating because I send him cards bi-weekly... and I had no car to go to thrift stores so I got them at the grocery store all the time. That got expensive. Yesterday I splurged on cards, however, because my favorite card store here in Kelowna was going out of business. Aka 50% off everything. I quickly scooped up cards I have been eyeing (sp?) for the past year and a half. I had an excuse to buy them now because they will never be as cheap as they were yesterday. Thus I spent far more than I would normally spend, but I came home beaming. Erik even picked out a couple that he enjoyed.
And that is as far as my thoughts have wandered from schoolwork over the past week. My group projects are consuming me.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A Venti Vent
I would like to take a moment to vent about my program. It is frustratingly disorganized. Here we are... three weeks into school and we are still trying to figure out what is going on. I understand that (at least for me) there are always the beginning of semester jitters. There is always a period of time where you don't really know what's going one, but in most cases you can ask questions and get definite answers.
Definite is not in our faculty's vocabulary.
I know there is a certain degree of flexibility that needs to be maintained on the part of the student, aka me (and I consider myself a fairly flexible person), but seriously... when 60% of my grade is on the line I need a little direction. Especially when I am relying on three other people to work with me to produce whatever needs to be produced to make up the 60%. To make matters more irritating, three of my four classes require this collaboration.
I can usually tolerate the disorganization, but my severe disdain for group work has made it quite intolerable.
Definite is not in our faculty's vocabulary.
I know there is a certain degree of flexibility that needs to be maintained on the part of the student, aka me (and I consider myself a fairly flexible person), but seriously... when 60% of my grade is on the line I need a little direction. Especially when I am relying on three other people to work with me to produce whatever needs to be produced to make up the 60%. To make matters more irritating, three of my four classes require this collaboration.
I can usually tolerate the disorganization, but my severe disdain for group work has made it quite intolerable.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Proud of Himself
Erik and I went grocery shopping yesterday. He was casually talking to our favorite cashier when he suddenly exclaimed, "That is the best signature I have ever done in my life!"
And it was.
Almost legible.
And it was.
Almost legible.
Friday, January 15, 2010
On the Go...
I have been knitting as of late. I think it will come to a screeching halt, however, as school gets underway. I have many many group projects this semester so I am going to be spending much of my time in group meetings/group research/group writing/group prep work. I am not looking forward to the semester. I have group assignments worth at least half of my grade in three of my four courses. I think that is a bit ridiculous. Just saying.
Back to knitting.
I have a couple girlfriends who have recently picked it up as well so I have little knitting parties. We drink tea and sit on the floor knitting. It is splendid. I get bored of my projects when we are doing this so I am forever changing what I am doing. I currently have about 8 projects on the go. I like it this way. I find that I can knit for longer when I am alone because I just zone out and don't realize how much time has passed. When I am talking I ... well I don't zone out so I realize how slowly I am progressing and I get tired and switch to something else.
I have been trying to finish this one baby blanket I have been making since July! I tried a new stitch when I did it and it is the most tedious thing I have done. It is painful to even do a single row of the blanket so I am progressing quite slowly. I just want to finish the silly thing. I was making it for a friend and I decided that I'm going to keep it for myself because it is taking so long. At this rate it won't be done for years anyway. I force myself to do a row every once in a while just so I don't give up on the whole endeavor.
I need to finish at least two of my projects before I start another one. Next on my list is to make a baby sweater. I want to expand my talents and learn how to shape things. We'll see how that goes. I am thinking of taking classes at the local yarn store so I can learn a few tricks of the trade. We'll see if I ever have time. Maybe I'll have to go over my reading week this year.
Well, that's all for now. I know that was painfully boring. Sorry.
Back to knitting.
I have a couple girlfriends who have recently picked it up as well so I have little knitting parties. We drink tea and sit on the floor knitting. It is splendid. I get bored of my projects when we are doing this so I am forever changing what I am doing. I currently have about 8 projects on the go. I like it this way. I find that I can knit for longer when I am alone because I just zone out and don't realize how much time has passed. When I am talking I ... well I don't zone out so I realize how slowly I am progressing and I get tired and switch to something else.
I have been trying to finish this one baby blanket I have been making since July! I tried a new stitch when I did it and it is the most tedious thing I have done. It is painful to even do a single row of the blanket so I am progressing quite slowly. I just want to finish the silly thing. I was making it for a friend and I decided that I'm going to keep it for myself because it is taking so long. At this rate it won't be done for years anyway. I force myself to do a row every once in a while just so I don't give up on the whole endeavor.
I need to finish at least two of my projects before I start another one. Next on my list is to make a baby sweater. I want to expand my talents and learn how to shape things. We'll see how that goes. I am thinking of taking classes at the local yarn store so I can learn a few tricks of the trade. We'll see if I ever have time. Maybe I'll have to go over my reading week this year.
Well, that's all for now. I know that was painfully boring. Sorry.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Beeswax Obsession!
Erik and I are loving beeswax candles right now. Seriously loving them. Ours are from Stanwood's very own Quiet Light Candles. They were hand-made at the convent. They are positively delightful.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Opa's 90th Birthday Celebration
As I mentioned in my earlier post, my family came down to celebrate my Opa's 90th birthday. We started the day (Saturday) off with hockey, then had a little program at my grandparent's church in Abbotsford. That mainly consisted of sharing memories of Opa, singing, appetizers, and a slide show. My Opa kept on saying we were celebrating "family day" rather than his birthday (cute).
Following the formal celebrations we had a mini-reunion at my brother's church. That mainly consisted of watching the Canucks game, playing boardgames, playing pool and foosball, eating, writing poems about the family and reading them, doing an "older generation" vs "younger generation" trivia game, and other fun things.
Following the formal celebrations we had a mini-reunion at my brother's church. That mainly consisted of watching the Canucks game, playing boardgames, playing pool and foosball, eating, writing poems about the family and reading them, doing an "older generation" vs "younger generation" trivia game, and other fun things.
Here are my grandparents. Oma and Opa.
Here they are with most of their children. Two of my mom's sisters were missing.
Here they are with most of their grandchildren. 20 something are missing (if you include some great-grandchildren).
My family naturally took the opportunity to take a family photo. This is the first time we have all been together for an occasion other than a wedding since... my Oma's funeral in 2006. This was taken for Akiho, the Japanese student who has been living with my parents since August.
The Girls.
Add in two SIL's.
I mentioned the poems at the after party. The cousins were to write about the aunts and uncles and the aunts and uncles were supposed to write about their nieces and nephews (aka the cousins). My nephews and two cousins just heard they needed to write a poem and they ran out the door to write one. They followed a common Jansen layout - the alphabet poem. They went first and read their poem which went something like...
A is for axe.
B is for butt.
...
F is for fart.
...
X is for fox.
It was adorable. They were thrilled to have our undivided attention and we were happy to give it.
Here we are looking at some of my uncle's photos.
And here is Jenn with her little baby belly. Poor girl, I couldn't stop looking at it and smiling. And touching it occasionally. Next time I see her the baby will probably either be begging to come out or I will be able to actually hold it!
And a final one of my mom and some of her sisters.
It was definitely a fun weekend. Very busy and full of family, but so much fun! I miss family events like these. I find it interesting to come in as an adult. It is interesting to see how relationships change and to notice things about family dynamics that you didn't see before. I enjoy developing different relationships with my aunts. I enjoy talking to them about things that matter and having common interests. I hope we have many more of these family gatherings.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Family Hockey
I am not reason enough for my whole family to travel home... a belated Christmas celebration isn't really either... We were all in town to celebrate my Opa's 90th birthday. The Saturday celebrations began with a family ice hockey game. Many of my uncles and cousins joined my brothers and my dad on the ice to play a game of hockey. Erik played too.... for his second time ever. He made his hockey debut in December when there was another family game. He has already improved. I can't wait to see him next year. My parents gave him some of the old skates they had lying around the house so he can practice skating at least before the next big game. My brother Justin wasn't allowed to play because of his arm (see this post or this even earlier one) so Erik was able to use his equipment. In all, I think there were 24 guys playing.
Justin officiated as he couldn't play.
Dropping the puck.
Auntie Heidi in action.
Christopher wishing he was old enough to play.
Jeremy
Brian
Pops
Erik in action.
Somebody was distracting Jonathan.
Mom and Auntie Anita
Beautiful Sharlene
Zachary cheering on his daddy.
Me and Auntie Ange
The Jansen boys
"Christmas" in January - a pictoral update
We decided to take advantage of everyone being home and we postponed our Christmas celebration until January 8 (which also happened to be my birthday). I don't know what you all do about Christmas gifts, but we draw names and do a "secret santa" type deal. It works well when you have a large family.
I was able to give my mother her birthday presents as I was away for her birthday (for the first time ever!). Her birthday happens to be on December 25th. Poor girl.
This is what my brother-in-law did to his face that day. I laughed so hard, but seriously! He kept it all weekend.
We had a pleasant, low-key celebration. It was strange because we had one day to pound out all our Christmas celebrating rather than a "season" if you will. It was fun though, as always. This picture shows a little bit of what it's like to crowd into my parent's living room. It is nice and cozy. There are legs everywhere!
Christopher and Zachary are excited about their new lego set!
Akiho (my Japanese sister) opening her new pajamas and housecoat.
Justin showing Brian some love.
My niece Kaitlyn and my mother.
I was able to give my mother her birthday presents as I was away for her birthday (for the first time ever!). Her birthday happens to be on December 25th. Poor girl.
My 23rd Birthday
Does anyone else ever forget how old they are? I always do. I need to count from the year I was born to be certain. Birthdays aren't as exciting as they used to be. Getting older is not quite as fun. This year, I was at my parent's house for my birthday. I haven't been home for my birthday in years! In high school we were always gone for basketball on my birthday so it has been 7 years... Not only was I home, but my whole family was there with me. Seriously. All my siblings. That has never happened. Ever. Well, it did happen before Benjamin was born, but since he has been alive, my older siblings have been at college over my birthday. It was fabulous to be all together! Here are a couple pictures from my birthday.
Erik was not excited about being woken up in the morning, but I was.
Ice Cream Cake.
Tea from Mom.
Me and my niece Jessica.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sewing Machine Fundraiser
My friend Kim has been raising money to purchase sewing machines for Dalit women in India. She has a link on her blog that allows you to donate money to this great cause. I think this is a wonderful idea (especially as I have been dabbling in sewing lately). Check out Kim's blog for more information if you are interested in participating.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
I Stand Corrected
I thought I didn't like cabbage. I have never minded eating it in other dishes or in salads, but I have never thought of it as a vegetable serving of its own. My SIL claims cabbage as her favorite vegetable. Yech. She posted a recipe for cabbage on her blog and so I prepared it at my in-laws last night. Let me tell you, it was delectable!! I went back for more four times. I ate more cabbage than I did potatoes and pork chops combined! Cabbage has been redeemed.
GINGERED CABBAGE
2 Tbsp butter
1 head cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs) cored and chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lime (I just splashed it in from the bottle)
GINGERED CABBAGE
2 Tbsp butter
1 head cabbage (about 1 1/2 lbs) cored and chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lime (I just splashed it in from the bottle)
- Place the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat (a 12 inch cast-iron pan is perfect for this, but go w/ medium heat instead). When the butter melts, add the cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 to 10 minutes.
- When the cabbage is limp but not mushy, add the garlic, salt & pepper, and cook another 2 minutes, stirring.
- Add the ginger and cook another minute. Drizzle with the lime juice and serve.
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