The Back 40

I really value getting out in to nature.  When your kids are young, and there are a few barriers to actually covering ground by foot, we haven't been out in the wild as much as I would like.  One unexpected bonus of our move, is that we are getting out in to nature more all the time.  Ultimately we are closer to the back 40 than we are to the city now.  Whether it is a walk out on the local dykes, or to the parks, our out further in to the woods, we are getting out more.

In the move I somehow lost our kiddie backpack, and although a lot of the trails we have been traveling are pretty smooth, we haven't been taking the wagon anymore for the Don.  We have been out to Golden Ears, and to Kanaka, and a few parts in between, and I must admit, I have wondered how the Don would do.  Well, he has blown away all of my expectations and he has been amazing.  Today in the woods, it wasn't him that fell, it was me.  It wasn't him that was whining about being tired, it was his brother (I must admit, I just about lost it laughing when C-man dropped to the ground and kicked his legs in the air and told me how tired he was). 

 I am so proud of them both.  I am also so happy to be outdoors more.  It feels like I have been waiting to get back out in the woods for a long time.  Next year, way more camping.  This year, more Sunday hikes, more outdoor adventures.  This is a great trend!

Alone, in a classroom

This is the second novel that I have read by Hay, and I have enjoyed both.  This isn't a quick read that sweeps you off of your feet until you turn the last page, rather it is a story that unfolds and pull you along by it's current.  There are poetic passages that are a joy to read - thoughts that I want to earmark in my library copy, or jot down as a future reference.  There are some truths that Hay quietly nails. 

The one criticism I have of this novel is that it can be really disjointed at times.  I had to wonder whom the story was about at certain points, and whether or not we were in Saskatchewan, and back in the Ottawa Valley.  Some parts of this novel I enjoyed more, and some parts I thought were a bit odd.  All in all, a very satisfying read that I suspect will stay with me.

I read a comment that likened Hay to Margaret Laurence or Alice Munro, in which their novels elevate ordinary lives in to extraordinary stories.  I would agree with this - this isn't a novel of sweeping events, this is a novel of interwoven lives and families.  Some details are sparse, and others are richly described. 

Aside from reading and trying to capture an opinion, I am finally on a bit of a break.  Holidays are somewhat disjointed this year, and this officially a "staycation".  I am thrilled about it - I am happy to explore our local parks and beaches, and see these things through my kids eyes.  It is strange moving back to a place you knew as a kid, sprouted wings from, flew away from, only to come back to roost.  I have grown, as has our new home town.  Today we are going to head out to a spray park out in the valley.  One close to a place I lived 25 years ago.  I hope that that mozzies are not too terrible, since I know it is near the river and in the woods.  I am enjoying the first moments of the day - the quiet before everyone is going and wants to move.  My coffee is warm, and the morning is perfectly cool.  I love the fleeting moments during the heat of summer when the weather is amazing, but the mornings start off with a bit of a chill and you know it is a matter of time before everything is almost oppressively hot.

My youngest has taken the concept of the "nature pee" (as we now call taking a whiz outdoors) to a new extreme.  The big guy has been pretty good about this.  At our old house, he favoured our apple tree, but since we have moved and have more than one bathroom the only nature pees he takes are when he forgets to go to the bathroom before leaving daycare (along the trail in the woods or in between two open car doors where I wave my finger and tell him not to hit the car).

Now, C-man dropped his drawers in downtown Barkerville.  He has tried to go in the garage.  He has gone on the patio.  He has streaked through the neighborhood on his jeep.. and yesterday, I really had to restrain myself.  We were at the spray park, and once I said we had to go, both boys went in different directions.  Ergo, I get one under control, and I look over to see this perfect arc of whiz, coming off of the playground.

I love you C-man.  At least most parents in close vicinity weren't too horrified, and since most people didn't hear my gasp of dismay, I think this incident went relatively unnoticed.  Lovely lecture on the way home about nature pees and when to do them.  This is the stuff your mom doesn't really give you advance warning about.  Then again, I suspect my kids are a wee bit different than we were (wink wink).

Aside from nature pees, I am taking a break from cleaning up the family room.  We are going to entertain family on Saturday so it was time (again) to attack our carpet with a rug doctor. We have the nicest looking horrible carpet out there.  You give our carpet a sideways glance and brush some dust off of your pants, and viola! Instant stain.  *SIGH*  I am taking this opportunity to move some furniture around.  I haven't done this for months and I forgot how gratifying it can be.  One of my dark secrets.  I like to move furniture around late at night.  I blame this weird urge on moving too many times when I was a kid.

A quick but satisfying read

Finally.  A book that was more thoughtful than how many of the last books that I have been reading?  This had an interesting premise.  This starts with the protagonist (Grace Winter) heading to court for the murder of a shipmate on a lifeboat that has been lost at sea.  The story takes place shortly after the sinking of the Titanic, just as World War I breaks out.  The first 2/3s of the novel deal with the first two weeks the survivors in the lifeboat are at sea, and the final third deals with Grace's trial and fills in bit and pieces of her life.

This is an intriguing novel, and I got more out of the first parts of the novel more so than the later parts.  Reading about the survivors and how they faced difficult choices was much like a literary version of the movie Open Water.  This story delves in to the question, what would you do if your lifeboat had too many passengers?  Some very thoughtful passages, and I think this is a book that will stick with me a bit.  As the main character, Grace is likeable - strong, and very much a survivor.  It is interesting how she relates to the other women, and to the fewer men in the boat.  Well worth a read.

I am slowly catching up with all the books I have been reading over the last few weeks.  Between the few that I jetissoned, and these more recent books.. I have been feeling like I have been going through a reading rut.  I got in to work on Monday and I started whinging about the books I have been reading lately... and I got a new one handed to me yesterday.  It will be another quick read, but I am already much happier with this new book than the last several I have been reading. 

This was a very idealist book about a young Iranian woman that is sent to America to find a husband so she doesn't have to return home. I would admit that some of my perceptions are coloured because of the many student stories I have heard over the years, so I found this book to be too superficial in many ways.  Things happened so quickly, and as I said, so idealistically... I found it wasn't that satisfying because it truly wasn't that deep of a novel.  Perhaps right now I am in need of some literary fibre.  Any suggestions? 

Overall this is a decent read, it is quick, and decently written... but for me, not that satisfying.  Compare this book to something like the Prisoner of Tehran and for me there is no comparison.  If you are looking for a quick, sweet story with a happy ending, this is a good choice.

Another book that I blitzed through that didn't leave much of an impression.  I guess I am glad that I bought it used? Books like this are good for yearly stats, and perhaps a bit of escapism and not much else.  I got to read it in a night - all my boys were asleep early and I had time on my hands so I decided to read... at least it wasn't a long book!  This one was average.  There were some well crafted scences, and decent writing.. the beginning took a while for me to warm up to, and the end almost wrapped up too quickly for my liking.  It was an almost good book for me.

A world of Pooh

 In a month full of books that have not been all that satisfying.. this was a great read.  It was really quick, and very profound all at the same time.  There are many simple,elegant truths in this book, and I think one day it is one I will reread and reflect upon.  I will also follow it up and read the Te of Piglet when I have a moment and am so inclined.  It has already been a few weeks since I read it, so I don't have a lot of profound statements to make, except that this was a satisfying read, and one that will stay with me.

There is truly something to be said about letting go of our constructs, and going with the flow, and not being so caught up in things.  Our relationships matter.  Clarity, clear speaking and thought are goals to work towards. 

Worth checking out the author's website, and their comments on how they have been treated by their publisher.  This is equally eye-opening when you realize just how popular this book has been in the last 30 years.

Wild Hair

C-Man and my hubby... making crazy hair faces

Before the big cut, July 2012

Did I mention I was also a hairdresser? I cannot say that I am the most skilled, but I do try.  When the boys hair gets to a certain length, it is time to open up shop.  Of course, it is a lot of fun to have some crazy hair first.  I must find a few shots of B when I did a similar series of him and Ken.

Jetsam and Flotsam

I hate mosquitoes.  They love me.  With all the high water around here this year, the mosquitoes have bred like crazy and they keep finding me.  I finally have a great backyard to kick back in, and before I go there, I have to layer on the bugspray.  I think I am getting a little better at not scratching all my bites until they bleed... but my legs aren't pretty.  I have many, many new scars already from this summer.

I have also chosen not to continue reading two books.  Rarely do I do this, rarely does it happen back to back. I tried to read the last book in the Fifty series (Freed).  I couldn't do it.  I skim read a few parts to get the gist of it, but I just could not do it.  Done with Fifty.

I also tried to read The Devil's Punch Bowl by Greg Iles.  Normally I really enjoy his writing.. got 200 pages in to this one, and just lost total interest.  I don't think it is a terrible book, again, just wasn't doing anything for me, and I have a whole pile of books on my side table that are screaming out to be ride. 

Again, this book has been jettisoned and is off to the side. 

Summer is here.  It is just so damn awesome to be warm.  To wake up to a cool morning with the sun shining.  To be able to get out and play on the weekends.  Sun makes such a difference after all the rain we have had.  It has been a few strange weeks at work - I have reached a saturation point about certain things, and I have been getting some pretty nice kudos from students and staff that I am doing a good job.  It feels like when you want to get a haircut and then everyone tells you how good your hair looks - it feels like a bit of a disconnect.  C is getting in to daycare for September, and B ended up getting his space after all.  It seems like things are slowly coming together.  Now if we could buy the winning lottery ticket, everything would get a lot easier! LOL

A month of the light and fluffy

Another series!  I guess if we all get hooked on our TV series, it is no wonder that book series can be equally popular.  After having read literally hundreds of Robert's books, to say I know what to expect is an understatement.  It seems that June is the month of books that are truly escapist in nature and don't tax many of my higher powers in my head.

It was a fast, easy read with easy to like characters in an idealized setting.

Darker

It is official.  I don't get the hype.  As erotic literature.. okay... but the popularity this series is getting blows my mind.  It was an alright read (nothing fancy, no really big words or theories, truly escapist read) but when I got to the final pages, I think I groaned out loud and rolled my eyes with how lame of a twist this trilogy is going to take.

After the first book, I was intrigued enough by the tale to keep moving on, with how this book ended, it was so brutally lame, I don't know if I want to read the last book.  I am glad they were borrowed books, and I am glad I have at least read the first two in the series because at least I have an informed opinion.. and to return to my initial statement, I don't get it.  I still believe the hype surrounds that people are talking about the books, they are somewhat erotic in nature, and the covers are innocuous enough that you could get away with reading them anywhere.  Other than that... I am looking forward to much a more satisfying read in my future.

Ended on a high note

This was a great book to read on vacation.  There were times it dragged for me, but it wrapped up in to a neat read.  I enjoyed the series, as well as some of the messages through this book.  Too bad the movie series never did truly take off, although I am not sure how well it would have translated to the big screen.

This last book wasn't nearly as dark as the first books, and it ends with hope.  I think this was my favourite book from the series.  It has been a few weeks since I read this, so I am searching a bit for a truly reflective comment and failing.

This isn't a kids series

I am not quite convinced this is a kid's series.  Like a few of the layers in the Simpsons, I am sure that quite a bit of this book would escape the average 12 year old reader (since this is billed as young adult fiction).  That being said, I am really enjoying this series and this book leaves on a cliffhanger that had me at the library on my break yesterday taking out the final book in the trilogy. 

This book delved further in to some character development, but also put Lyra's story on the backburner a bit.  I was a bit disappointed with her character development because she was a much more meek version of the girl that we saw in the Golden Compass.  I was surprised by how much she deferred to Will in parts of the book - withdrawing from the use of the alethiometer unless they were looking for answers together.  Taken together, the first book is more about Lyra, and this second book is more about Will.  I missed reading about Lee, the aeronat, and Iorek the amoured bear.  However, it was interesting learning about Will's past, and the coincidences that bring Will and Lyra together, and the different forces of light and dark that impact the telling of this story.

It will be interesting to see how the Amber Spyglass plays out.  Perhaps that focuses more on their story together, especially since Adam and Eve have been suggested in the upcoming battle between light and dark, and the obvious pairing would be Lyra and Will.  These are sophisticated novels, and they are entertaining, and they are quick reads.  It is a complex set of worlds and beliefs - this is why I have a hard time seeing this as young adult reading materials.  I think of CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia and I think of young adult, even if the themes are also complex and Jungian in nature.  In a way I see Lewis' novels somewhat like the Simpsons - you appreciate different layers and symbolism more as you gain more life experience.

Gas Apps

Now that I have my own smart phone, I have come to appreciate applications.  Like Gas Buddy.  I like being able to do a quick survey of how much gas is and where is the cheapest gas closest to me.

I no longer understand our gas prices.  I can't believe how much they can vary from morning to night, and then across community boundaries.  Growing up, I remember  my community being pretty cheap compared to others.  Now, as soon as I cross the last bridge heading home, gas jumps by 3 - 5 cents on average per litre.  Do they think we are stupid?  Hello, people won't use a wonderful bridge because it has a toll and you don't think people will drive 2km farther to save a few bucks?

Aside from all my other midlife changes I seem to be grappling with, I now think about how and when I buy my gas.  I have a plan.  We have a family strategy since we fill the van up in the states every Saturday.  I am tempted to do it before work on Tuesdays for my blazer.. but I just don't seem to be that motivated to leave that much earlier in the morning than I need to.

Working that mom hat

After an environmental scan, I have decided that I just have to break and completely embrace routines and making the most of  my mornings  before I leave for work.  I think internally I have been fighting this for a while, in a way, my own Peter Pan ambition to never grow old.

Well, I may never truly grow up (embrace that inner child I say) but there is something to be said about meal planning, and doing the dishes in the morning so you come home to a clean kitchen (rarely do they happen right after dinner in my house), and organizing the trash and recycling, and doing the laundry throughout the week, and trying to keep the house a little cleaner along the way.  Damn it all, I am trying to pick up after myself, and the kids, and put things away, and not let things get wildly out of control.  Spending your whole weekend cleaning house when the weather finally gets good sucks. 

It never ceases to amaze me that success is part luck, part hard work, and a lot of personal discipline and management.  My current goals are to continue reading good books, knit a few pairs of socks for loved ones, connect with my body again and start exercising so I can trim down a bit, some swimming lessons for the kids, a few dates with my hubby, and to have a great summer.  Some parts of this are easier to achieve than others.  Other goals include actually taking my breaks at work and using my time more effectively.  Days seem to slip into weeks, and then months.  Everything is speeding up and I am finding that the more structured I have things, the smoother everything runs.  At times I want to rebel against the structure and the routine... but it is starting to become more and more clear that is what vacations are for, and especially how important they are.

50 shades of something...

Word of mouth seems to be spreading the news about this book (and the trilogy it belongs too) like wildfire.

This article captures a few of the reasons why.

I will admit, I was curious to read the book.  It has a lot of the hype surrounding it like the Da Vinci Code did a few years ago.  People are actually talking about this book.  Even here at work, copies are being devoured in cubes all over the place.  I can't say that I had high expectations of the book... as I had heard terms like "mommy porn" being bandied about, as well as a few comments about the lead character's "inner goddess" that gets a fair bit of attention.

This is not stellar literature, but I think I can understand why it is so popular.  It is easy to read.  In many ways it is very idealistic.  In other ways, it is a fantasty book where you can see the glimmer of a happy ending at the end of the trilogy.  In a way it reminded me of reading the "second chance at love" books of the 80s that I would steal from my mom, or like a racier harlequin novel for pure escapist reasons.  It is easy to skim read through the novel, and some of the sentences make me roll my eyes.  It isn't a very deep novel, and I did snicker when I saw the display of the series at the local Coles store.  I had to laugh.  I think this novel's popularlity has something to do with it's cover.  It is innocuous.  It doesn't look like a racy book.  It looks acceptable.  Add to this that people are talking about it, therefore, people are reading it.  Hell, my neighbours were talking about it and one of their dad's has read the whole series.  It is all a bit odd IMHO.  Entertaining?  Fairly.  Pretty vanilla, and as I said, very idealistic.  It is at it's heart a boy meets girl story, with a bit of a twist, where the boy is broken and needs to be healed, but the girl also needs to have some life experience along the way.  Will it change your life, nope.  Was it a quick read, and somewhat entertaining? Yes.

You couldn't ask for a different kind of "fantasy" book considering the last book I read was The Golden Compass.    I believe we are going to read it for book club, and I am curious to see all of our reactions to it.  I think it is curious to read because of it's popularity and the attention it is getting and the fact that this is a book pretty much about two folks and their developing sexual relationship.  Outside of this, the plot is pretty thin, as is some of the character development.  I was chatting to a coworker about it, and frankly, neither one of us really get the popularity of this book.

Not sure if I am going to finish this one...

One thing I love about having a library at work is that I can take out books by authors I haven't read or know anything about, risk free.  I have only invested my time, and not some of my hard earned dollars for a book that I am not sure whether or not I am going to enjoy.  Hence, this book, for instance.

I am just not sure about this one.  I got about 100+ pages in to it... and well, a few other more interesting books have come along since I started reading this.  So, I put it aside a few weeks ago.  Then it fell behind my bed, and I rediscovered it this weekend (should be a hint).  Yes, it is interesting.. but it just isn't pulling me along. Rather, I feel like it is dragging me along.  I have checked out some reviews, and this is a well reviewed book... but I can't quite convince myself that I want to finish it.  As a so called intellectual mystery novel.. it is falling short for me and I am not that engaged with the characters.  In a way, it has a Dead Poet's Society feel to it.  It also feels like being back in university when I was reading Greek and Roman literature, and exploring the classics and thinking luxurious thoughts when I wasn't worried about feeding the kids and commuting to work.  Although this isn't really a great nostalgia, hence my struggle.  Other art forms bring me back to my youth in a much more effective and rewarding way (like listening to the album "Gordon" by the Barenaked Ladies or the Hip).

Especially when I know I can grab book 2 in the dark materials trilogy tomorrow.. and a friend is going to loan me 50 shades of gray.. which is supposed to be scorching up mom's bedrooms all over the place.  When I know I have at least 3 or 4 books that I could jump right in to... the appeal of this book just isn't there for me.  Hell, since I can return it to the library, if I am ever so moved, I can go and take it out again, and finish the damn thing.  I think this post has talked me in to taking the book back with the Golden Compass tomorrow.

Foray in to fantasy

It has been a while since I have read a fantasy novel... and I have been curious about Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy.

It took me a little bit to get in to the book because fantasy is just such a break from what I normally read, but once I was in to the book, I can't wait to head back to our library to take out the next book in the series.  It is truly darker than many of the fantasy novels that I have read, and it would be interesting to spend some time delving a little deeper in to some of the religious and symbolic meanings of the text.

I am not sure if I will watch the movie, but as for good reading, I will continue in the series.

Routines

It seems that it isn't only my kids that like a good routine.  It has only taken me 39 years to discover that I too, love my routines.  I like my PB&J sandwiches, and I lurve my coffee on the couch in the morning.  I love being able to read before bed... I think after each kid was born.. part of the issue going back to work is that there is many, many months of flux as the whole family develops new routines.  Which is chaos trying to get 4 different routines to figure each other out.

So, I am trying to figure out the addition of t-ball twice a week. Some days, success! Other days, total fail.  Like last night... forgot B's glove and jersey.  So, in to the truck they went when I got home.  I am learning that I have to get on it in the morning and use the time before I leave for work to clean up the kitchen, and get organized, and plan out my dinner meal, and prep the veggies.  It all very pedestrian this getting organized for the day.  The big pay off, it does help.  It does help for things to go along a lot smoother.  It just feel like I am kicking and screaming my way there.  I could say that I am a late bloomer, or late figuring it out... but I think it does take time, and you have to be enough beyond the transition and crisis (for that matter) to actually bring about change and effective routines.

Then you get nights like tonight... t-ball... if Tuesday I forgot some stuff but we still had a great time.. today B was brutal.  You would think he cotton in his ears and he just didn't care.  He didn't want to listen about anything.  I ended up being a mean parent and I took the kids home instead of playing.  Man, that was hard because I was organized... but I knew I couldn't give in.  They were little shits!  Nothing like trying to have a quick chat at daycare and find out how your kid is doing when your oldest unlatches and roams your vehicle.  Then after getting mad at your youngest for grabbing the sunscreen and trying to paint the window.. climbs out of the car so he could do it, and wastes a bunch on the window himself.  Oh the tears and the drama.  I get I need to not spend time chatting because the kids get restless and part of it is my fault... but it was like Spring Fever for B.. he didn't want to listen, he just wanted to goof off and do his own thing. 

Blargh.  Not one of our finest family moments.  I don't think anyone won... it was such a moment in the truck - I pulled over, had an honest talk with myself, and my DH.. and decided to turn the truck for home. It has been a shite week at work (really busy) and then to cat herd a kid that doesn't want to listen while chasing the other one down? Sorry, not happening today.

/rant over

An enjoyable sequel...

With great intentions, I had meant to post about this a few weeks ago when I actually finished this book.  Alas, life got in the way.  Life seems to keep getting busy on me, and I am left scrambling and trying to get a handle on the day to day.

This was a great follow-up to the Best Laid Plans.  This is very entertaining, and I love that it is Canadian.  Of course, now I impatiently wait for book 3.  Come on Terry, write faster.

A passage that captured my imagination (from page 183) was this:

"Aye, and there were many doubters who told us all it was never to be. The mountain, simply too high to scale. But a life without challenge, a life without hardship, a life without purpose, seems pale and pointless. With challenge come perseverence and gumption. With hardship come resilience and resolve. With purpose come strength and understanding. And tonight, with victory come elation, gratitude, expectations, and a wee spot of trepidation."

Well said.  Much of this could be borrowed to describe a few trials and tribulations and the reward of perseverence.

May 1st?

Already?  Time is really clicking along at a frenetic pace. 

Baseball season is underway, and I am proud, and pleasantly surprised with B's team this year.  A much better group overall.  Although, I had heard that the Tuesday/Thursday group didn't get rained out at all last year, so I figured I would pick these days instead of Monday/Wednesday... and so far, this decision isn't really panning out for us.  Spring showers has put it mildly.  I would say La Nina has been in full force over the last year and has delivered a fair share of rain to our fair, left coast.  I feel rejoice when we get a few hours of blue skies, because they have been pretty rare in the last six months.  I digress.  Back to baseball.  B's skills have come a long way - I remember how frustrating last year was between the short attention spans of the kids and just lack of coordination.  Things have come together so much better.

It is definitely tricky managing both boys at ball.  At this stage it is all about parent participation, and C's attention span is very, very small for this.  Luckily there are enough parents to go around, and a few younger sibs, that last week it worked out that one of the parents watched him at the playground, allowing me to focus on B and helping him get his skill set going.  You forget one day, you had to learn to throw and catch a ball, and how to swing a bat.  Up until last year, I thought that this was innate.  However, like learning how to ride a bike, somewhere in our distant past, someone took the time to teach us.

It does make it tricky trying to figure out meals on the go, and what to cook fast when we get home.  Having kids in activities and the work thing is all about personal management.  If you want to get things done and get more out of this crazy thing called life, you have to have a plan, and you have to manage it.  Damn lists are a life saver.  Who knew I would be spouting this off a decade ago?

A wonderful escape

I think I found the book that I will be telling people about for the next unknown period of time.  There weren't enough hours in the day to read this book, and there weren't enough pages to turn because this book is now done. placed carefully on the read shelf. 

I loved this book.  Easily this will be one of my favorite books from 2012, and will be a book that I tell other people about.  It was utterly enchanting.  This is what reading a book is all about - transporting the reader to a different time and place, with subtle nuances and characters that keep you wanting to read more even though that means getting closer to the final turn of the page.

Skimming through reviews, it seems that this is a polarizing book.  People either love or hate it, and I know what camp I fall in to!  I feel like I am fortunate that I am going through a phase where the books I am reading are really entertaining, peopled with characters that will stay with me.  I hope this cycle continues for a while before some doldrums hit (funny how reading can go in cycles, fantastic books, average books, books that you choose not to finish, and then press repeat).

This is a hard book to summarize, and I am struggling with whether or not I should try.  I think expressing an opinion is one thing, and at times, to pull together why a book like this works another thing altogether.  Underneath it all, this is a fantastical tale about a night circus.  A circus that embraces dreams and fantasy and blurs the lines of reality.  This is the story of two star crossed lovers that are bound together in a challenge that neither is fated to win, or ultimately lose.  This is the story of the people in the circus, and those that love the circus.  I loved the language, how the story unfolds, and the role of stories and storytelling within this story.

Achilles Heel Turn Hell

Mental note:  in future, when learning how to knit something new... stick to a size or pattern that you have an actual pattern for.  Don't start making stuff up as you go along, that isn't quite what learning a new skill is all about.

Currently I am working on my second pair of socks, for my youngest son.  The first was fast!  I finished the first one in a weekend, and then life got in the way the last few weeks.  Enough time passed, that I forgot how I changed the original pattern I was working from (scaling down the original pattern to fit a small child and removing some cables, etc).  Moving on to sock two, I hit a knitting wall.  I got to the point where I have to "turn the heel" and froze.  I completely turtled.  Legs kicking up in the air.  I kept looking at the pattern and it was like Greek to me.  Couldn't figure out what I had done with the first sock.  I kept going through YouTube, looking for the helpful videos I checked out the first time around.. nothing really looked all that familiar or helpful for that matter. 

Today, finally.. the clouds have parted and I am on my way again!  I can't tell you how many times I have knit parts of this sock, to take it out, and to go back again.  Repeat.  Endlessly. I am so thrilled to be moving on from this heel flap and feel extension.  I wish I knew where those thoughts disappeared to for the last few weeks... but I am glad that they are back!  Well, I guess I do know.  The last few weeks have been hellacious at work. Finally I have had a few moments to breath again and figure out what is next up.  Amazing how that can make such a difference!!

A funny book on Canadian politics?

This is the most fun I have had reading a book in a long, long time. 

Hands down, Aprils' reads have been a far cry better than the stumbling month of March.  I picked up this book on a whim.  I liked the cover, I liked that it was a Canada Reads books, and I liked that it won a humour award.  I didn`t bother reading the back.  Since I liked it`s look, I figured Why Not?  This is a bit of a new attitude for me with books.  I used to stress over my choices, and absorb the back cover summary.  Chances are good.  If a book is bad, pay it forward and start a new one.  Ultimately a pretty low risk venture in life.  Now that I have finished this book, reflecting upon some of the more depressing Canadian literary books I have fought my way through, why did I wait so long to turn to humour?

I am torn - do I quickly grab book two from the library, or do I wait until I have my own copy to read?  The Night Circus is up next (it does come highly recommended and is supposed to be an intriguing novel) so I will have to see where my head space is at in a week or two. 

This was a great read: funny, witty, articulate.  I found myself laughing out loud, I liked the characters, and I enjoyed how Canadian politics is framed.  I learned a bit about the shenanigans that go on in politics, and this was just such a fun book to read.  I found Fallis' style easy to read, and I liked that one of the main characters was an engineer that could pull together seemingly disparate topics and people together.  Well worth a read. This was a very, very likable novel and then pages turned way too fast for my liking.  My only regret is that I read this book now, and I did not get to see Fallis last year at the Sechelt Writer`s Conference.  Alas.  I shall go again this year and see other fine Canadian authors.

I think for future book club meetings, I will have two suggestions:

1)  Maybe we should check out some of the Canada Reads selections.  Dryden's book has been on my list for years.  Did I ever mention I took a distance education course back in the day called "Hockey in Canada".  The only book missing from that course was The Game.

2) After reading books like McDonald`s Fall on my Knees and McKay`s Birth House (both were good novels) and feeling totally depressed when I finished them, why not foray in to humourous Canadian novels - they do exist and this one is proof!  To the Leacock nominees I shall go!

Paradise, not what it is cracked up to be...

This is the other novel that dogged me through the month of March. I did finish it on Tuesday, however, it has taken me this long to commit something to blog. This month, my bookclub went out on a limb to try something completely different, and this non-fiction book is what we came up with. Great title, and a very interesting look at what life is like in the South Pacific (not what I imagined, fancy that). although the write up claimed that this book was "rip-roaringly funny" which I would argue with to that degree of hilarity, it was amusing, and I did laugh out loud at times, even while I cringed at some of Maarten and Sylvia's adventures.

While on the topic of the tropics, I have to give a big shout out to my friend Naomi and her partner John, traipsing through the South Pacific,cruising away through these tropical climes. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading their adventures, and this book was a good complement the pictures and stories as they have made their way along through this region. Knowing folks traveling through Tarawa and Kiribati, and seeing their pictures really brought this book to life for me.

Definitely insightful, and although the Macarena and Ice Ice Baby are not personal faves, I will look at songs like this differently out of sheer sympathy for the novelist being subjected to this kind of music, over and over again in paradise. It took me a while to really get in to this book, but by the end, I was thoroughly enjoying their adventures and will more than likely read his follow up novels. Life on an atoll is not what I expected, although truly, I am not sure what I expected. Perhaps not the quite subsistence existence of the people, and how they deal with day to day living. This novel makes you question how aid is provided, and how should funding be delivered to nations that need help - the true distance between bureaucrats and people on the ground, doing the grassroots assistance rather than writing and executing policies that won't work.

This novel makes me appreciate human ingenuity, and makes me think that many North Americans are losing this quality with their dependence on ready made goods and disposable technology. There are a few lessons to be learned (gently) though this book in between the laughs. It makes me grateful C is almost out of diapers, and why oh why would we send diapers to an atoll where they can't be disposed of? I look around a little more appreciatively of the comforts we have, my house with all of its things, and the richness of our land. I am also glad I am resourceful, and can make do, and make things... and I want to learn to stand up paddle board, and try surfing again, and go back to an island in the pacific with the sun in my face again. One day (and fingers crossed this time we all be in better health).

A well crafted novel

For a while there I was blitzing through novels, and then March hit. I got hung up on two novels, and although they both are good novels (fingers crossed I finish that second one today), they seemed to NEVER END.

After making it to the final 60 pages of this book in nearly a month of stop and start reading, I put on a movie for the kids Sunday morning and curled up on the couch to finish the book. I had reached that stage where all I really wanted to do was get through this book, find out how it ended, and frankly, start reading something else. Hell, even just get on with my day instead of wondering how the novel was going to wrap up... This does not mean that I didn't enjoy this book - I did, however, after over three weeks of reading this book, I am ready to read something else.

Morton is a good writer. She writes a well-crafted novel, and I have enjoyed both of her books so far. In some ways this novel reminded me of a Gabaldon book - dense, not a quick read, well researched, tightly plotted, and one you read when you are ready for this type of reading experience. I had actually picked it up and starting reading this twice before I was able to really get in to this novel. I found that I really struggled with the first 100 pages, but as the pages started to turn, I got more and more in to the story that was being revealed. In many ways this is a modern gothic novel, and again, a different take on both World War II, and modern day experiences.

I am glad March is over - looking back, it is funny it took me so long to get through this book - everything did seem to stall out in March. Some great experiences along the way, but a busy month, and one that was a battle at times, and yet, it seems like the storms are passing and hopefully the clouds will come out soon. We got out on a date this weekend! YAY! I really value having a chance to just be Karen, out with Ken, on a date, enjoying us. It was really nice. We stayed local - tried out a decent bistro, and caught a comedian at the local theatre. Something to be said about not traveling an hour each way to be entertained.

Advocating

I think I have some funny beliefs. In recent years, I have come to believe that even if things don't come completely full circle, it seems that some lessons and life experiences we have do happen for a reason.

I think back to when I was in my 20s and I used to volunteer with a friend and her horses. I didn't do it to ride, I just loved being around the horses. They were beautiful, and it was a truly grounding experience. Spin forward 15 years and that love of horses and relationship evolved in to knowing about therapeutic riding and getting B in to riding at a young age. Truly - where he can go with it is pretty endless depending on his love and his drive (and our access to money, ha ha).

Besides all those public speaking competitions in grade school, kissing the blarney stone, and being a generally outgoing person... the years I have spent working in my life of work (student finance to be vague enough) have also taught me how to advocate and put together appeals for people, and with B, how to be persistent, and put together arguments or to lobby on his behalf for services, or better quality care. Even to stand up for him, for us. Tonight was one of those nights. I attended a board meeting to advocate for changes not to their rules, but to their guiding principals. I had previously asked for an exception to be made for priority access to the next care level for B, since he will no longer have a space at the daycare centre he is for grade 1, which was denied last month because of said rules (movement between levels is based on date of entry in to childcare centre), and once I removed the personal element of the decision out of it, I spoke to the board tonight about what a parent like me goes through when decisions like that are made ... we don't have a problem with kids waiting to get in to a program, but to ask for a different kind of priority be given for kids that have community supports in place due to permanent disabilities to move between the levels instead of being kicked out in a school age program because there isn't enough space between the levels.

It is hard to say your child isn't like other kids. That your kid has barriers and challenges, that not every one does. Every one has a story, but ours is a little different. I do not see B as disabled - he is a kid that walks funny. However, at the end of the day, he is different, he gets tired, he falls, he has different challenges than most of us. After speaking tonight... I think the board was willing to make a different decision, even though I was asking about a greater policy change to take principals in to consideration and not just rules. That we weren't just trying to queue jump, and that we did take it seriously about wait lists and priority.

Well, after I spoke... there was some discussion and then the board immediately moved in camera. Which was because I think they were going to revisit this original decision because I think some people were moved by what I had to say, and how I structured my argument.

I am verklempt (one of those rare moments I can use this word in a sentence). This is a hard one to process. Telling our story to the board, persisting, my stomach all rolling about, feeling hyper and the adrenaline rush... and then back to hopeful. I am hopeful that perhaps B can be next on the list, rather than 10th. Hopeful that he can stay where he is, rather than wait for 6 months that hopefully enough spaces will open up that this has all been just an exercise in patience.

My fingers are crossed, I am hopeful... for B to be able to move on to the next level seamlessly and not have to worry about changing daycare and schools is a BIG DEAL. I can handle hopeful. To have advocated for future kids with special needs (I hate this term but it fits) to perhaps be given a different kind of consideration in future... is a big deal. To tie it all together.. all those years of public speaking, and doing my job, have all brought me full circle to be able to speak up, and be persistent, and fight these kind of battles.. when many people would have accepted the first no, and stopped the fight there. It certainly isn't easy.. but I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Just not at the same time....

Talking to other career moms, we are all tired. Time management of self and family, meal planning, not enough sleep, weekends passing too quickly, leftover laundry, and overwhelming lists is a pretty common theme. Talking to a fellow career mom, they cracked a joke about Shirley Maclaine saying in the 80s that women could have it all. The reality now in the 2010's... is that women can have it all... just not all at the same time.

Something has to give. After a full day of work, and picking up the kids, and then traffic, and then making dinner, and resting for a moment and trying to get caught up on everyone's day, and then avoiding dishes, and bath routines, and reading to the kids and hoping they fall asleep in a timely manner... there just isn't a lot left in the tank. For me, for my dear hubby, for the house... and we are back to time management, and making lists, and being organized. All the things I had no idea that I would become. Yet, by becoming those things, you can achieve so much more! It is an evil cycle. I am trying to fit in some physical exercise, and I am struggling to find the time (and the motivation). A few of my loved ones are making it happen, and I am just not sure where my time is going, because getting out for a jog is still an idea that hasn't become a reality. In a way, it is an excuse to say I am busy... but really, I am! This is the heart of this post - it isn't just about me whining (although you can definitely get a whiff of that in this post) it is more a reflection of how busy life is, and trying to fit in the things that matter.

I am grateful for my books, for being able to sit down and knit, for book club nights, and nights out with fellow moms... I am really grateful for date nights when they happen - when I can be away from my kids and with my husband at the same time! I am also really grateful for getaways, and for tax returns! For making things easier at this time of the year. HA HA.

Yes, this post is a bit of a whinge, but truly, mentally I have returnede to this thought a few times over the last few weeks "women can have it all, just not at the same time". It rings true. It is hard being a supermom, there are always frayed edges, no matter how hard you try. Some nights you crash out at 8pm and don't rise again until a new day. Some days you are a rock star, crossing off items like crazy off of your list and feeling like you can accomplish anything, and then there are the moments you come crashing back down. For me it has been all about adjustment. Realizing I don't have to do everything at once, about picking my battles, and not having a perfect house. Knowing that most jobs around the house can wait, and the biggest thing is that my loved ones know they are loved, even if I am not perfect all the time and don't always get a chance to reach out.

First pair of socks...

Well, they aren't perfect, but they were a learning experience. I learned about the magic loop method (very cool) and about turning a heel, and the parts of a sock. My second sock was somewhat smaller than the first as I started to get paranoid that the yarn was not going to make it through the to end. I was surprised at how LONG my son's feet are, and all in all, a satisfying project. Looking at this pair, they don't look like they would fit a 5 year old.

Next time I will use a different yarn blend, and I need to get my own sock needles. I get the feeling that there is this whole sock culture out there of folks knitting really intricate patterns. At this point, I am all about comfort and utility. I don't really need to incorporate cables and fancy patterns in to my socks... I want to master the art of the" lets figure out how to make some socks, fairly quickly that fit without big holes around the heel flap that scream out comfort". The kind of socks you would wear in front of the fireplace with a tea beside you, a good book in your lap, your kids happily doing their thing, and your hubby doing his thing...

Damn coffee maker, didn't even make a year.

It was a year ago I lamented the slow decline and then demise of my espresso maker. I knew at the time, the next one wasn't going to be nearly as good.

In a gnarly voice "they don't make'em like they used too".....

So, after a little research, and a damn good deal on one of those big giant websites, we got a new cuisinart espresso machine. I must admit, I didn't love it from the start. It wasn't a positive change from our old one, but one I tried to embrace. It took a few months to get the hang of the machine, and my DH never did try. I think my initial hesitation to embrace the machine from the beginning was a deterrent. It was a pain in the ass to make coffee with - in the morning it would take about 15 minutes from start to finish to make my latte, and my patience was wearing a bit thin.

Last week was one of those weeks that had it's moments, and first thing Monday morning, the wand broke off of the machine. So all the machine could do now is pull an espresso shot. Lovely. I was pissed. We paid good money for a machine that you figured you would get a few years use out of... after all, I got 11 years out of a used machine the last time around!!! Not even a year with this one... Of course, this got me thinking. Really, at this point do I need to spend 15 minutes every morning prepping my coffee? In the past, fiddling with the machine was fun and I never did treat myself to a coffee out. Now, between working full-time and the family... I justify having coffees in the afternoon way more than I did in the past... hence the need for a home-made latte has decreased drastically.

After some deliberation, I cracked. No more espresso machine, hello Keurig! Making my environmental self happy, I did get the filter pod that you can buy so I am not always using the convenient little pods in the morning and throwing them after one use.... it arrived from airmiles yesterday (another bonus)... and this morning, my coffee was ready in under a minute.

Ah. I will register the machine so I can take advantage of the warranty if I need to. I am glad to not have to go through the muss and the fuss of making a latte now. I need enough second cups throughout the day, that a latte isn't so much of a treat that it used to be. A good, easy cup of coffee with some half and half in it.. life is good.

It does piss me off I have to hold on to receipts, and then advocate when products break down prematurely. Frustrating as hell when you think you are buying it right the first time. I also have to follow up about the bed we bought for C-man. It is already having issues on one side and is collapsing. Bah - this bed isn't even 4 months old!!!!!! It is a 35 pound kid sleeping in a captain's bed! I will save the rent for the bed giant. I am glad they stand behind their product, but they can't be making much money if folks like us have bought two beds and both beds have been warranty claims!!!

Concept of the Wild

My dear hubby got me this book a few years ago after we watched the movie, and for some reason I put off reading it. I wasn't sure what to expect - if the novel would be a tear-jerker, or how it would pan out. I really wasn't quite sure how I would emotionally respond to this story. I recall the movie being pretty powerful at the time. All in all, a really good read. A blend of non-fiction, some storytelling elements as the life of Chris McCandless is exposed, and then part tale of an adventuring spirit lured by the idea of the wild, and the wilderness of Alaska. This is not a tear jerker, and in some ways, it is like a socratic argument in the sense that you return to the beginning again by the end of the story but with a slightly different sense of appreciation. Krakauer is a good writer, and he understands the lure of wild places. The idea of "wilderness" is one that has intrigued me over the years. The idea of "heading west" that would have lured our forefathers out to the west coast, getting away from it all, and of heading in to the bush. It is ironic to note how close Chris was to being able to save himself, and he took himself off of the grid by throwing away his map. I have been struck in the past of how our footprints are everywhere. If you seek out the wilderness, isolated places, it is truly hard to get away - planes fly overhead, you find litter, you come to a clearing in a bush and the half-buried tracks of an old logging road. It is hard to get away - I do believe we need wild places - places where everything is not paved over. We need wild places, our kids need to know and embrace nature. Our kids need to get dirty!Hence, it never surprises me when I take my kids for a walk and let them splash around in puddles, and the dog walkers are always thrilled I let my kids be kids. Hell - I can throw them in the shower and wash their clothes... there is nothing like jumping and splashing in puddles and coming home to warm up! Long live inner kids!!!

Light and Floofy

Yes, Floofy is a word. I have read so many of Roberts books over the years, that there is a certain level of comfort in picking one up. With few exceptions you know you will get a decent story, a little bit of the mistical, and a few twists. Robert's books are not bit L literature, and they are good at what they are - very much escapist novels that deliver a happy ending.

So, this was a quick, somewhat entertaining, and predictable read. Kind of what I think I needed at this point. I am definitely ready to move on to something with a little bit more meat in it. Our book club is reading a second book by the woman who wrote Sarah's Key... and I haven't found the motivation to pick it up. It may be that I admit in BC that it just wasn't happening for me and I got distracted by other stories.

A wee bit of a struggle

Truly.. even trying to stay up to date with the books that I am reading can be hard. Some days I feel like I am repeating myself in saying that time flies.

I struggled a bit with this book, even though I really like the author/series. This crime focused on hate/racial crimes and it just didn't pull me along like some of the other books did in this series. It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't one of the standouts for me either. More interesting learning just how early Banks split from his wife, and how all of that unfolded.

The quotable Twain

If you have some spare time, and need a chuckle.. spend some time here...

I spent a few moments scrolling through some of the pages of quotes and found myself chuckling a few times - this came out of a conversation with a friend about the classics, when I asked whether or not she had read any of Mark Twain.. she responded that since he had a very low opinion regarding Jane Austen, she had never bothered with his books (I couldn't help but laugh when she told me that Twain thought that Austen should have been beaten over the head with her own leg bone)... hearing this, I had to go to the website:

"I haven't any right to criticise books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticise Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Everytime I read 'Pride and Prejudice' I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone."- Letter to Joseph Twichell, 13 September 1898 (Mark Twain).

For the whole thread that illuminates Twain's position on Austen, visit here.

Sunday morning sleep ins

I miss sleeping in.

Over the last six years of kids, I have gotten used to waking up in the middle of the night a few times and crashing back to sleep, but it seems that waking up for work at 5:30am has now made it damn hard to sleep in on the weekends.

Remember when you were a teenager and getting up before noon was hard? Sleeping in past 6 am is now hard, regardless of whether or not I could use a few more hours of sleep! This morning is strange, only half the house is up!!!

It has been a somewhat productive weekend so far - I was definitely surprised by the news headlines all over the place last night about Houston. I can't say I was always a fan (different music tastes) but she did possess amazing pipes, RIP. On a total aside, is it terrible to admit I have been enjoying watching the Voice? It feels like a guilty pleasure!! HA HA. Even though I have felt a wee bit culturally disconnected over these last six years, you hear the covers of music enough and eventually you get to know the artists behind the voices.. and Adele definitely has an amazing voice. It seems I am stumbling in to a post about music - when I am trying to get C to sleep, I have had the radio on... to a soft rock station.. amazing how songs can bring you back to an age, with memories flooding back of your past self and different periods of your life. Last night the song that stuck out was "Never Surrender" by Corey Hart.. remember those years?? Remember those sunglasses? Ah, youthful angst.

Motivation, wherefore art thou?

Hump Day. Thank God.

I am done, and the day hasn't begun! I should be getting ready for work... and I am rebelling by sitting here and typing instead of pulling on some clothes and running a brush through my hair. I have had some lovely insomnia this week and lots of wake ups from the kids. My intellectual abilities seem to be sluggish today!!

This is an image from a kid's book that is pretty popular around our house (Scaredy Squirrel, at night by Melanie Watt) and it pretty much describes days like today. There is an equally wonderful page when the squirrel has a good night sleep and feels like a million bucks.. but that will be for another day. Okay motivation, where are you because it is time to get ready for work!

9 is the new midnight...

This is the second book I have read in this series, and it was a fast paced action/suspense novel. Since I am "new" to this series, the books I have read focus more on the Joe Pike character rather than Elvis Cole.. at times during this book, I couldn't help but think that here was a slightly different version of Jack Reacher (strong, tough, slightly alienated every man). Although I have enjoyed both Crais and Child's books, I think that Crais' novels are a little bit more believable, if you could stretch it that way. Although that isn't saying I haven't enjoyed each - I have and do.

This was not a deep novel, and didn't really drive character development that far forward. You learn a few more tidbits about Pike's character, a little more humanity, and I am intrigued enough to keep reading the Cole/Pike novels. This novel explored Serbian gangs in SO-CAL and the underworld around it. Definitely interesting, fast-paced, and a good distraction from the daily grind.

I am having a hard time settling on my next book - do I read the Robinson book that I have waiting for me, or a fluffy Roberts novel, or one of Kate Morton's books.. I have read a few pages of them all and I suspect I will break and go for the Robinson...

That was another weekend that blitzed by. We babysat my parent's dog today and that is definitely enough to convince me that a cat and fish house is good. Give it at least 3 years before contemplating the wisdom of a doggie. Visits are good. Overnights are okay. Permanent stays, not so good at this point, LOL. It is amazing how different life is when it doesn't rain. I puttered around my backyard a little, and we took the dog for a walk along the dyke. At least the days are getting longer... it is getting dark just as we are getting home... a few more weeks and we might have some daylight time left to play outside before dinner!! I seem to have adjusted to early mornings fairly easily... the downside is that my bedtime has moved up drastically! speaking of which....

Censorship and how the times change

Since I have been reading many suspense and thriller novels, I figured I should read one of the classics by the grand dame of them all - Agatha Christie.

I am not sure what is more interesting - this book, or the evolutions that this book has gone through in print. I didn't know it started out life as "Ten Little N-". Deemed politically incorrect, the title and associated poem turned in to "Ten Little Indians". Again, times changed, and the title turned in to "And then there were None" with the poem that novel is framed around changed to "Ten Little Soldiers" on Soldier Island to be even more inoffensive. This tells a tale of the times - how opinions have shifted, and how much more culturally sensitive we can be at this time.

The story itself is a fast-paced read in which ten strangers are brought to an island to face a form of justice for crimes that were beyond the law when committed, and each individual has a different feeling of guilt associated with the murder(s) they are attributed to. As a novel, it is quick and lively, and the the postscript from the killer is an interesting piece. I think it is folly many of us fall in to, thinking that we must be smarter than the people that came before us because we live in the present, and they lived in the past. This is a smart novel, that hits upon some behavioural and criminal psychology that is still being explored and investigated today. Was it the best written crime novel ever written? No, but it is important for it's historical notes, and it is a decent read. Did I also mention, FAST? I think I will read a few more Christie's along the way... they are a decent diversion.

Going back to the beginning of a series

This is a mystery/suspense/legal thriller series that I have truly enjoyed since I started reading him. One of things that I have enjoyed about the series is the character development as well as the author's ability to write. Unlike some authors that hit their stride early and start to decline, Lescroart's ability to tell a story well has progressed and I seem to enjoy book more than the last.

Last year I read his first book, and frankly, that was cruel and unusual punishment. Although this is one of his earlier novels, and the first Hardy/Glitsky novel, it was great. At times it felt like I had read this one before, and I checked to see if it has been published under a different title, but it seems that after you have read so many books in a particular genre there has got to be some overlap because parts of the book also felt entirely new. Who knows, maybe I read it shortly after the birth of one of my kids when I was getting a lot of sleep - but I doubt it. I think I would have remembered the title, and the character development. It is interesting when you start later on in a series to then return to pick it up from the beginning. Especially in series where life actually happens to characters and they age, and have life events happen to them. All in all, a good book. Not one of the best, but great in terms of early characterizations and events that colour later developments in the series. Now I want to pick up the rest of the earlier novels and fill in the rest of the gaps!

Lets talk about it

B and I were invited to tell a bit of his story last night, and I am thankful that I have done enough public speaking that I wasn't too nervous. It is a strange thing when you realize that other people might want to hear about your life experiences, and how things have developed and that it could have an impact on other folks lives that you never imagined.

Summarizing fives years of experiences as a parent with a child that has had challenges is a strange experience. The telling is okay, but trying to reach a balance where you say enough to let people understand a little of your journey versus protecting your own privacy and the integrity of your experiences is a bit tricky. This is our story after all. We were really well received, and this last year has been quite the growing experience.

The shift to the kindergarten before and after school program, and to kindergarten itself, and new support people, and teachers, and our own changes as well. It has been really something else, moving beyond just us, and what we do every day and moving it outwards. I am aware of how I have changed (or at least I know I am a little further along my own journey of enlightenment, ha ha), but I don't think B is aware of how much he changed and grown, and how his confidence has bloomed. All told, he is a really cool kid that has a good grip on reality. Something else that has been cool - we were asked to provide input how the school's playground would be further developed, and they took our feedback in to consideration and integrated some suggestions. That is pretty amazing from a parent's point of view.

I can't say enough how important it is to use your voice, to get out of your comfort zone, and push when you need to, or pull back as well. Even if it isn't always easy.

The Deep Freeze

It has been damn cold these last days. Watching the mercury dip close to -10 c brings back memories of other winter events. Although it has been a bit anticlimatic... truthfully, I was hoping for a snow day sometime this week, and although it could happen tomorrow, it hasn't happened yet.

Seattle got hit with the blizzard, the Island, and then the Valley. We have some snow on the ground, and it is a real novelty. Outside of the first snowfall, it hasn't been good snowball or snowman weather though. Yes, I am glad my man doesn't have to work in, and dig his truck out of it... but a day from work with pay that doesn't impact my vacation would have been a wonderful thing. ONLY IN SOUTHERN BC!

It is hard to believe that January is already marching by, and it is that time of the year again that I am worrying about childcare for the fall. BAH. I am bringing out the advokating hat again to keep my kid in our centre. I find it all a bit surreal.

A refreshing change

If I found the last novel anti-climatic, this book was a welcome change. This is one of those books I picked because I was intrigued by the cover. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and this was a really refreshing, lighthearted read.

In a snapshot, this novel is a departure from other traditional mystery/detective novels in that it takes place in Botswana, and the lead character, Mma Precious Ramotswe, is not your traditional detective with a police background/career. This novel follows some of her early history, and weaves different threads in to a pleasurable whole. A bit of African flavour is mixed in, and McCall Smith relays a sense of place quite successfully.

I found this book to be charming, and I will read more in the series if I can get them at a used book store. Even for me, I read this over the weekend and it made me smile - a gentle sense of humour, characters that were engaging, and some nice resolutions. Not earth shattering literature that is going to change your perception of life as we know it, but well worth a dive between the covers.

Push this one back down!!!

I used to love reading Tami Hoag... but I have found that the I was losing that loving feeling with some of more recent reads. I wonder if it is me that has changed, the writing style that has changed, or if the answer lies somewhere in the middle.

I sometimes wonder if how my literary tastes have evolved over time, has something to do with the length of time since I have been in university. I seemed to really love truly escapist literature there for a few years, and now, I am really craving a much more intellectual kind of satisfaction from the books that I read. At least, for my escapist novels, I just want something different than what I got out of this book.

The start was promising, interesting precept, but then this book just went off of the rails for me. There have been quite a few popular books that I have read in the last year that have tried to do too many things in the span of 350 some pages. This is where I can't help but think that I have done more of the changing over time, I want a good bang for my buck and a scattered story that tries to be a love story, and then more or less reveals a killer part-way through, but then adds another random body and potential murderer, and then other linked violent acts, and ends up like a Hollywood Summer Blockbuster movie where things explode and people are running around everywhere! Okay, that isn't really how this book unraveled, but this is how it felt. I finished this because it was an easy read, but I will happily sell it back to a used book store rather than pay if forward to someone else. Give me a character driven mystery any day. Maybe that is truly it - after so many good suspense novels that aren't all about unrealistic plotlines, where characters evolve, and stories take place over "months", this just didn't ring true or do it for me.

Next!

Socks

My first project of the year - I am going to learn how to make socks. I have done dishcloths, scarves, hats, and sweaters. Time to tackle the sock. Tuesday morning, first day back at work I landed in a conversation that found me a new friend that likes to knit whom is more than happy to show me the ropes on socks. I have started a pair for Brandon and have discovered that I am a "thrower" and there are people that do "picking" and others that use a "continental" stitch. Who knew! A few days in to the year and I am rookie again, reteaching my fingers some knitting skills.

All in all, not a terrible week. Some extremes from work, some incredibly endearing behaviour, and some incredibly alienating behaviours. Interesting is all I can say.

A few moments ago I had something profound to say, but it seems to have slipped away for the moment... Well maybe this isn't profound, or speaks to the life of a married working mom with two kids, but the best time to shop at Costco is on a Friday night on the way home from work. No line for gas, fairly well stocked, and no lines! S W E E T !!!!!

Cooking, cleaning, laundry, repeat.

I figured I would try to start the year off with good intentions with my blog since my posts started to peter out throughout the last months of last year. Blame it on the move, blame it on the rain, blame it on transition.

The Christmas break could not have come soon enough. When I walked out the door on the 23rd, I was so glad to get away from work, and from many of my coworkers as well. The last few days at work got weird, and I am glad that we all have had a break from each other. It was a sprint to Christmas between shopping, cleaning, cooking, wrapping, putting all the magic together. In our new house, it is just so much sweeter. I love our new place. The lights, our tree, having more space... We certainly don't have a lot of decorations beyond our tree, but what we do have is nice (read not over the top). I am still in love with having a "real" tree... I should have taken it down yesterday... but I just wasn't in to it. We bought a noble fir this year, and I can't see another douglas fir when nobles and frasers are cheaper and easy to find and look so much better!

The holidays were good, we hosted Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Years Eve and we have had positive reviews about our new place (good for the ego if nothing else) and for the meals we put on. Our ham on Boxing Day was bigger than our turkey! I successfully cooked for 28, and it didn't seem like the chaos got too out of control. The kids got spoiled, we ate lots of good food, and now I am glad to settle back down and ease in to the month of January.

I finally got to watch the last Harry Potter movie. It was awesome. I am sad to see the series end, but glad that I can watch them all again... at some point. I also watched the Dolphin's Tale.. that was a sweet movie... about what I had expected.... Hmmm... I also had some work that I did from home, and then lots of prep, baking, wrapping, recycling (thankfully they TOOK IT ALL, YAY!!!)... found a good park to take the kids to, and discovered that they have developed a stretch along the Fraser River that is just incredible to go walking down. To say I am thrilled is an understatement. I am starting to get the urge to start jogging again - it is time to try to get this body moving again now that life is settling down again.

New Years was good - louder neighourhood (more house parties), and I had every intention of doing the plunge again, but it seemed really selfish when I had all our family out from the island, they had a ferry to catch, and the timing was all wrong. Doesn't really make sense to drag 12 people to Port Moody to have them watch you... especially when one is nursing a wicked hangover (not us)... another year!

Today, by luck of a great conversation with a coworker, I discovered another knitting NUT! YAY! I am going to learn how to make socks. I am thrilled.

The beautiful song

I am waiting a shipment of Christmas books from a book giant, and they show delivered to my box, and yet somehow, there is no key to open that box and retrieve my books. My fingers are crossed that key appears before the end of the day as I have just finished my latest book.

This was a good book, one that I think my bookclub could sink their teeth in to! I enjoy Patchett's writing style, and yet as much as I enjoy the characterization of her books, it seems like they take a long time to read. There are moments where I think that she has really captured something, and then I reach the end, and it seems that the endings of her novels are a bit problematic. I am not sure if I would label them rushed, or tacked on, but in both Bel Canto and then in The Magician's Assistant, I can't say that I found either ending satisfying.

This was a totally different kind of read, apparently it was inspired by the Lima Crisis a few years back. It centres around a nameless southern country and a group of people that are held hostage to leverage the release of prisoners. The lines blur between the hostages and the captives as the event is drawn out over several months. It is an interesting book that delves in to love, and to rediscovering self-hood, elements of the Stockholm syndrome... a good read, and again, the epilogue wasn't all that satisfying - it felt rushed. This is very much a character novel, and worth some time between the covers.