Have a beautiful Christmas

I am so tired out! My work schedule at the store isn't as jam-packed as some people's schedules (like Scott's...poor guy), but I'm pooped none-the-less. This week has been full of frantic shoppers hurrying to get that last special gift (or in some cases, the first) and they've been making me frantic. I'm looking forward to when things calm down again.

With this being the final week before Christmas I saw a special on the news the other night for men who don't know what to get the women in their lives. I think it's a nice idea, but I'm happy that Scott knows me well enough to not listen to what they're advising. They said the number one thing on women's wishlists are expensive jewellery. That's the last thing on mine...it doesn't even make my list, actually. While I can look at jewellery and appreciate it's beauty, I certainly don't want or need Scott to spend oodles of dough on something so impracticle. If I'm to get jewelery I'd rather get something one of a kind and hand-made from a street vendor.

In the end though I guess it all comes down to it being the thought that counts and if a woman really loves beautiful saphires and diamonds and the man can afford them than by all means he should get them if he wants. I think sparkling jewels are gorgeous, but I'm happy with the imitations. I don't need to hear "Merry Christmas, Sweetie. We're broke".

City of Blinding Lights

Don't you just love how music can evoke a feeling? I've been listening to the most recent U2 cd and I love how it makes me feel, particularly the song "City of Blinding Lights". They were filming parts of that video when I was at the concert so it brings back the memories of the night. They did they close-ups of the band when I was there. The night before they had people come in for the crowd shots. When you see that video and the close-ups, think of me. I'm there. It was awesome.

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Last night at about 9:30 I took off my jeans and did some jumping jacks. I did 20 and I was winded and needed to sit down...they're a lot harder to do then I remember them being. What prompted me to do this? Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. I have a healthy body image for the most part, but watching a show like that can make a person a little insecure (or walking down Robson Street here in Vancouver).
I always wonder about the way media makes us think we need to look. It's one of those "what came first, the chicken or the egg" questions. If women in the media were all size 16's instead of 0's and that was portrayed as the perfect size, would we want to look that way? Would little girls want to play with Barbie if she was proportional? I've heard and read that even as babies we're known to prefer to look at someone who is "attractive". All that makes attractiveness apparently, from a scientific point of view, is symmetry.
As much as I would love to wake up and have Hiedi Klum's body, I don't need to in order to be happy (and how is that women who have no body fat anywhere, have naturally large breasts?). I say that we ladies declare war on the fashion industry and be happy regardless of what they tell us should make us so. We all have beauty that no amount of touch-ups, dieting, or make-up could ever reproduce and we need to let it shine!

Christmas Ideas

I just wanted to put a few of my favourite charities up here ,here, and here , just in case anyone is looking for an alternative way to spend their money this Christmas.

'Tis the Season

I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I'm missing my family in Kingston, as well and my friends. I had intended to win the lottery so I could fly my family out here for Christmas in Whistler, but it didn't pan out. It would be nice to be with everyone since this is the first Christmas without my Dad and there are two new babies that I haven't met yet.

Aside from missing my family, working in retail becomes a little tiresome. I've never liked how busy stores get at this time of year and I'm right in the middle of it. I'm working at 6:45am on Christmas Eve and then the afternoon of Boxing Day. Our store has had Christmas decorations up since the beginning of October so it's hard for me not see it as an simply area of garish decoration and broken bulbs. Every once in a while a customer will point out how beautiful it looks and I am reminded that the team that worked so diligently on it did do an amazing job.

I am very much looking forward to Christmas day though. Scott and I are coming up with our own traditions and we'll pass them on to our children when they come along. We go to church on Christmas Eve (we've gone to the Catholic church that night for a few years because it reminds me of my childhood and I like that) and the next morning we call our family back home and open presents together. In the afternoon I prepare a turkey breast and some other holiday treats and we celebrate with a small feast.

The fuss and intensity of the weeks leading up to Christmas come and go each year and it's lost some of the pleasure that I used to know as a child. It won't be the weeks before the 25th that I remember though, it will be the time spent with my loved ones. I wouldn't trade that in for all the beautiful decorations or fancy gifts in the world. The times with Scott and my family out east are my gifts from God.

My New Favourite CD

I have to encourage everyone out there to check out Sarah Harmer's newest CD. It's a little more bluegrassy than her previous, but still honest and sweet. Her music has always made me feel specifically like I had a nice farm house in the country where I could walk barefoot through the garden and sit on my porch with a cup of tea in the mornings. That's the kind of sound she has.

Quality Programming

When I was little, Sunday mornings were a day that I could watch a classic movie on PBS. I grew up in a Catholic family so my weekends were somewhat predictable. Saturday nights we'd always go to mass and then Sundays were left free most of the time. I'd look forward to finding out what movies were playing. My favourites were Elvis films or anything else with singing in them. If there was a western on, partucularly if it had John Wayne in it, I'd call my Dad in from wherever he was and he'd hurry in to watch. The old movies were something I could always watch with my parents because there wa nothing bad in them. There was little to no sexual innuendos in them, the violence was not there for the sake of it, but to further the plot (and it was never graphic), and there was no swearing.

They've recently added a channel to my cable package called "Turner Classic Movies" and I love it. Sometimes they have theme days and they'll show mysteries, or something a specific actor. At night they usually show movies from the 70's and 80's...probably because they have a more mature content. Yesterday they had a Nancy Drew marathon and last night I watched a Woody Allen Mockumentary which was quite clever. I try not to watch too much TV, but when I watch classic movies I don't feel like I'm watching garbage. It's nice to have something to watch while I'm crocheting.

I am one of those people who latched onto "Desperate Housewives" and "The O.C.", but I think I've seen every episode of "7th Heaven". As cheesy as that show is, and as terrible as the acting is, it's refreshing to see a show that talks about real life stuff and deals with it in a moral and Christian way. I'll be sad to see that show go off the air. I'm sure I'll have my kids watching that one in syndication.

I thought I should include a really cool picture from our recent trip to Qualicum Beach on the eastern side of Vancouver Island. We stayed at this awesome little inn that I heard about on the show "Creepy Canada" (because it's haunted!). We didn't see anything to make us think it was haunted, but my mind was in over-drive and I barely slept because I was so scared. The next day we took a drive in the rain and admired the coastline.

Anger Management

Yesterday I was reading about how anger can be good when it's used in the right way and how it leads us to sin when it's directed at the wrong situation. It made me think a lot about how it affects me and I realized that I get angry really easily over things or people that inconvience me; I get frustrated when I feel like someone is being disrespectful to me. I don't think this is abnormal behaviour, in fact; it's all too common for most people.
It's sad how often I hear on the news a story about a teenager getting angry and stabbing someone. It's usually over something so insignificant as a dirty look. I, and so many other people, let negativity infiltrate us so much that it becomes part of what we give to the world. I don't want to add to the problem of impatient and disrespectful people, but I'm afraid I could be sometimes.
Since reading the article in my daily devotion book and really trying to be aware of my reactions I feel less irritable. I'm trying really hard to choose not to get angry. I was angry the other night about some teenagers on the bus who were spitting on the seats. I was also angry (and uncomfortable) when I saw a drug transaction at Burger King. These are things that Jesus would have been angry about. I also got really angry though when a customer was extremely rude and disrespectful towards me. He was the type of person I am supposed to love and pray for. It's easier said than done, but the more I thought about it later the more I tried to figure out why he may have acted that way. I came to the conclusion that he has let anger penetrate him and has held onto that. He most likely has not asked Jesus to help him love people. So what I need to do is pray that he can have peace in his heart.
I know this will continue to be a struggle for me. I know that the next difficult customer I have I will probably start thinking of 7 x 77 not-so-nice things I would like to say instead of forgiving him/her that many times, but I need to remember to take a deep breath, ask Jesus for guidance and to give the struggle to Him. I was told again today that I seem very calm; I'd like to feel more often what so many people see.

We just flew back to Vancouver last night from Edmonton and we had a great trip. It was full of watching hockey and football and playing pool, pinball and bowling. With a couple dinners out with friends it made for a perfect trip. The best time was had at the two hockey games. The first one was aired on Hockey Night in Canada, which was really exciting for me. I only become a real hockey/Edmonton Oilers fan 4 years ago and I never realized what I had been missing. I grew up with hockey since I had brothers who both watched and I also played with them and their friends, but never had an intense liking for it. To be in the city of my favourite team with thousands of fellow fans was incredible. Almost everyone in the building wanted the same thing and we were all suddenly friends. Even the few people who were there to cheer on the visiting teams were part of the family.
It's good to be back home, but we're really looking forward to our next hockey game. Edmonton will be in town in December and we'll be taking that game in as well.

I'm back

I've decided it's about time for me to get back into blogging. I gave it up almost a year ago when the blog I had started to go in a direction I wasn't happy with. So now I'm back with a new title and I think a new focus.

I got a message from my boss today saying that she had to cut my last two shifts of the week because the budget wasn't there from payroll. My initial reaction was relief because now I have more time to finish what I need to at the apartment before we go on our little holiday. Reality set in though and I hope that my hours aren't going to be cut too drastically when I return because I do need a paying job. I consider myself a housewife first and foremost, but between the work I do at home I go to a store and sell useless things to people so that I can afford a few more luxuries in life.

I feel like I would rant to politicians today about the importance of housewives and how important they are to society. I wish I could get paid for all the work I do here. Although I have no children, studies have shown that children who have the constant care and security of a parent with them are more autonomous and well-grounded. According to Erikson this is the first step to a happy life. But let's face it, it's just not financially feasible for all those parents out there who want to stay with their children. I'm not saying that kids who are in daycare are worse off. As someone who has spent time working at a daycare I know that kids there are well cared for and they get what they need. Also, the parents who wish to be with their kids all day are more likely to spend quality time with them in the evening which is so important to their self-image.

Statitistics have also shown that men who are happily married live longer. Why? I think it's because companionship is a stress relief. Men are also more likely to eat better when they are married which is a no-brainer for a longer life. If women were paid to stay home to take care of their children and their husbands they would be giving long term benefits to the world by raising happier children who are less likely to turn to bad habits and their husbands would be happier at work, therefore performing better and more efficiently. I absolutely do not want to sound like I want a patriarchal society. It's the last thing I want. What I want is a world that has more respect for women who choose to stay home, whether they have children or not. As someone who hasn't had any kids yet I get a lot of strange looks and questions as to why I want to stay home. Very few people understand. I think things would be more balanced this way. of course, there would be no reason why women couldn't go to work outside the home if they wanted to, but staying home would be a paying job. There would never be any lay-offs because a woman's work is never done. Which reminds me...I have to clean the fridge now.

(I'm speaking from my perspective, but obviously men could also stay home and do the same thing)