Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for...

... 27 eager little faces eagerly waiting to see what this school year has in store for them. I have such a wonderful group - all wanting to please. I have one special needs student, but I also have a part-time educational assistant to help him with his challenges (Incidentally, I am very thankful for her, as well).

... a husband who understands how much I hate shopping and, therefore, encourages - nay, sometimes even forces - me to get out there and buy myself something. (see previous post)

... hilarious movies that provide therapy for an occupied mind. (see previous post)

... patient blog friends who still read and comment when I don't get around to their blogs nearly as often as I would like. Long weekend coming up, folks - I promise to see you all then.

... community classes that provide creative stimulation for children. This week, we enrolled #2 in a group guitar class at the music conservatory, and #3 in a boys' creative dance class at a dance studio.

... the safe arrival of my blogfriend Karen's new baby boy, which coincidentally occurred last Thankful Thursday. If you want to see some adorable pics of a beautiful new baby, visit Mommy's Time Out.

... a good night's sleep. Boy - have I been sleeping well since I've been back at school! It's amazing what exhaustion'll do for you!

Life is good!

Have a great week, everybody.

Shopping and Sunshine

I'm not much of a shopper.

I think I've written about it before. I don't have the patience to try a bunch of things on, and, since I don't shop very often, I've almost come to the point where I don't even know what looks good anymore, if that makes sense.

Sunday, though, I was desperate to have something new to wear for the first day of school, so Main Man pushed me out the door and I proceeded to a catalogue outlet store in our city.

I lucked out!

I came home with a skirt, a blouse, a pair of pyjamas, a nightgown, 2 bras, and 5 (count 'em - five!) pairs of shoes (including a pair of Brooks sneakers) - all for less than $123! I was very proud of myself.

On another note - run, don't walk, to see the movie Little Miss Sunshine!

I went to see it last night with two girlfriends from work, and we had tears streaming down our faces we laughed so hard. My stomach muscles were still sore when I went to bed.

Trust me - don't miss it.

Spiritual Musings from a Five-Year-Old

The boys and I were getting ready for church on Sunday.

They weren't the happiest of campers. They don't really like going to church when there is no Sunday School. We Sunday School teachers are still on our summer holiday.

Perhaps because he was a little grumbly, #1 chose this time to inform me that his best friend at camp was an atheist. I would have liked to have sat down and discussed things a little more thoroughly, but at the time this information was revealed, I was applying my mascara and could almost hear the church bell ringing.

#3 wandered in just as #1 was telling me, and he asked, "What does atheist mean?"

#1 proceeded to explain that it meant someone who didn't believe in God or any religion.

My wonderful littlest one looked at me, screwed up his nose like he does when he finds something hard to believe, and simply said, "That's so sad!"

I hugged him hard and long.

Who would care if we were a little late for church?

Model Values

Last night, I became inexplicably caught up in an episode of America's Next Top Model. I began to better understand the rumours I had heard about many successful models being self-centred and void of a benevolent value system.

I used to think that, because people were so constantly praising them for their looks, their vanity slowly got the best of them. That makes sense to me.

In this particular episode, though, I found that, on top of all that, they are deliberately groomed to be self-centred and egotistical.

One girl in this episode was experiencing great difficulty with acrophobia during a photo-shoot. The "coach" fellow was giving her a pep-talk as the previous girl's photo-shoot was happening.

At judging time at the end of show, the previous girl complained that her photos were poor because she hadn't received the advice she should have, because the fearful girl was monopolizing the coach.

Tyra Banks reply?

"How could you possibly allow another girl's welfare to come between you and your future?"

Huh?

Hi-ho, hi-ho.....

Well, I've had my first two days of work - both teacher days - and I spent a lot of today out there as well, preparing for Monday, my first day with students.

I have to admit that this time of year thrills me. Do you remember the feeling you used to get at the beginning of the school year when you opened an empty notebook and wrote your first word on the snowy white page? Imagine that, only a hundred times bigger. That's how I feel after I prepare my classroom and it's waiting to be filled with excited little bodies. Because no matter how cool they try to look, that is exactly what they are on the first day - excited!

This year, in addition to my library responsibilities, I will be Mother Hen to 27 fifth graders. Right now, their desks await them, each topped with a personalized bookmark, a happy face pencil, and a school agenda book. The bulletin boards are bright, happy, and inviting - at least I hope they find them inviting. The room seems to sigh with impatience.

You know, as excited as I am this time of year ( and I know I'm not the only teacher who is), I can't for the life of me figure out why we so often spend our first teacher gathering of the year discussing the challenges we face in our job. This year an edict from "above" ordered our administrators that a substantial portion of our first staff meeting should be devoted to identifying the top ten issues we face as educators. No solutions - just problems.

What a way to stifle motivation!

Too bad those in the higher echelons can't remember that "first day of school" excitement. Or maybe they do remember. Maybe they're jealous they no longer experience it and therefore feel compelled to quash it in others.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, S'pose I shall never know....

Book Review: Peyton Place

Grace Metalious's Peyton Place, published in 1956, was not only the inspiration for both a film and a television series; it was also such a blockbuster hit that the only book that sold more copies in the 1950s was The Bible.

It was also one of the most controversial novels of its era, dealing with such issues as alcoholism, mental illness, extramarital affairs, teen pregnancy, abortion, rape, incest, suicide, and murder. Although I wouldn't call the way Metalious deals with such volatile issues shocking by today's standards, I can certainly see why the book was a hot potato in its time. Evidently, the book was banned in the entire Dominion of Canada when it was published.

I found the book fascinating, especially considering its context. Set during the Second World War, around the time of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the novel follows the seemingly sleepy small New England town of Peyton Place through the eyes of main character Alison MacKenzie. It begins when Alison is 13 years old and continues until she is away at college.

Now, I was in my teens thirty years after this book is set, and my experience was not nearly as steamy as that of the young people of Peyton Place, so I'm not sure this book reveals what lurked in the shadows of small town society of the day, as Metalious contended. I have a feeling it would be more accurate to say that it reveals what lurked in the shadows of Metalious's imagination. Still, it does make for a page-turner.

Some of the emotional explosions depicted in the book seemed a little over the top, and I didn't find Alison a truly likable character. I pictured her with a pout on her face through much of the book. However, I did enjoy many of the other characters, and, as we had seen the movie on television shortly before I read the book, it was interesting to see the changes the producers decided to make.

I wouldn't call Peyton Place fine literature, but it is well worth the read, especially given the history behind it.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for...

... the tooth fairy. #3 lost his first tooth last week - on our anniversary. It was a bittersweet event; he was very excited about his important milestone, but he accidentally swallowed the tooth, so felt he had nothing to show for it. He felt differently the next morning, though, after the tooth fairy visited.

... seventeen years of wedded bliss. Well, maybe not all of it has been bliss, but you can't beat the swoosh of the wind in your hair on this roller-coaster we call marriage. I say marriage is a long-term investment; don't sell just because you may be on a downslide. Your investment is bound to pick up if you wait a while.

... safe driving. We've spent an awful lot of time in the van over the last few weeks. Our only casualties have been a flat tire and a wounded bumper. Thank goodness for careful, safe driving. We're carrying precious cargo, you know.

... the excitement of back to school, not only for the kids, but for me. I start back today. I was out to the school on Tuesday, and felt that old familiar stir of adventure that only happens in late August.

Speaking of which, I must end this now, or I will be late for work on my first day back. That would not do!

Have a great week everybody!

Book Review: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

I'm sure many of you have already read Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I finally got around to it while on our vacation.

I found myself smiling at the quaintness of the stories and the intelligence and grace of the main character, Mma (Precious) Ramotswe. She takes the inheritance left her by her beloved father and uses it to set up a small detective agency - just herself and a secretary.

Turns out, she is a born detective. She has the power to outwit even the most evil of wrongdoers without using complicated, convoluted thinking. Her cases range from the sublime to the ridiculous, and each and every one is intriguing to read about.

My only complaint about the book is that the writing seemed choppy to me. When I give writing lessons to my students, we discuss the importance of sentence fluency. Upon reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, I can't help but thinking that Smith must have been absent from school during those lessons. Still, he may have been doing it purposely, depicting the way Mma Ramotswe would speak English, as it would not be her native tongue. If you've read it, let me know what you think.

As promised, a few anecdotes from #1's band camp.....

I think he was a little apprehensive at first that lots of kids would know each other and he would be the odd man out. By the end of the first day's family barbecue, though, he already seemed more comfortable, as he saw that everyone was in the same boat.

Upon returning to our cabin after dropping #1 off, we found his toothbrush, so Main Man dropped it off the day after. Main Man missed him so much, he wanted to drop by a couple of days later to "make sure the camp hadn't burned down". I wouldn't let him.

His closest friend from camp was a real "womanizer" (well, the closest one can come to being a womanizer at the age of 11!). I think #1 felt he was in a good place because, being a good friend of this boy, he got the attention of the girls without even trying too hard.

There was one boy in his cabin who was (according to #1) not very kind to the others. On the last day of camp, some of the boys from the cabin snuck the offending boy's camera and snapped pictures of their butts!

On the last night, there was a wild party (#1's expression). There was dancing until 1:00 in the morning, a bonfire, and all the rootbeer floats they could drink. #1 had four of them, I'm told.

Since camp, #1 has been emailing and MSNing a girl. The notable thing is that it's Main Man's boss's niece. Hmmmmmm ....... could be interesting.

Cabin Fever (the good kind)

What a great holiday we had!

Well, except for my backing the van into the cabin steps. Main Man yelled at me so loudly, I'm sure everyone in the resort knew that I had done it.

Still, what's a week at the lake without a "mishap" story? I just wish mine could have been about the fish that got away.

The weather was great. The only down day was Wednesday, but even that worked well because we were ready for a day of reading, playing cards and watching a little tv in the middle of our week.

Our cabin was just a short walk from both the beach and the playground, and it had all the amenities a cabin should have, even a little more. The deck looked directly out over the beach, with a few trees in between - just enough to keep the beach noise from drifting up too noisily. Also, looking out through the sunlight-dappled leaves to the azure sky and the matching lake water, you would think you were in heaven.

We were fortunate to know the people who own the cabin next door to ours (Main Man's boss, actually), and they were able to introduce us to cabin-ers up and down the street, so we quickly became entrenched in the culture of the community - especially the evening campfires. What fun!

Busy day today with unpacking, cleaning out the van, laundry, and straightening up a house that was sorely neglected as we prepared for our trip. Also, I really must get my head around the fact that school starts for me later this week. Aaaaach!

Anyway, I have to make this entry short, but I hope to write again soon about #1's adventures at band camp and reviews of the six or seven books I've read in the last ten days or so.

Hello Dear Friends,

And thank you for your patience.

I'm sorry I have not been a very faithful blogger this past week. I am well, as I hope you are all, too.

Main Man is on holidays now, so we are "on the run" so to speak. He is a restless holidayer, probably because he gets two weeks instead of my two months. He can't stay at home for very long, so this has been our calendar of events:

1. We attended the wedding of very good friends - the groom is #3's Godfather. These two have been together for as long as I've known them, and they are a match made in Heaven. However, due to academic commitments halfway across the country, they've not been able to physically be together much of that time. Even Main Man had a bit of a tear in his eye as we witnessed vows we've been looking forward to for years.

2. We spent three days at a theatre festival in Saskatoon (two and a half hours away). Lots of little plays, street performers, and interesting food from street vendors. The son of our very good friends is in a teen improv group, and their play was a HUGE hit! (MJ and T must be very proud!) Our older boys even attended it a second time. Remember - it's improv - never the same performance twice!

3. These last three days, we have been enjoying what Main Man has dubbed a "stay-cation" (taken from the tv show Corner Gas). Although we sleep in our own beds at night, we spend the day exploring beaches and resorts in our own backyard (so to speak). We drive somewhere after lunch, spend the afternoon on the beach, have a barbecue on the beach for supper, then drive home. The first couple of days were pretty good - we went to resorts an hour or so away and had a nice relaxing time. Yesterday, not so much. Main Man chose a resort two and a half hours away, much of which was on gravel road. Although the beach was wonderful, the long time in the van was a little too much. On the up side, I got a lot of reading done. On the down side, all the driving on terrible roads finally gave us a flat tire, and Main Man ended up changing it in the dark. We were all very happy to arrive home safe and sound at the end of the day.

4. Today, Main Man is popping into the office to do a little work. I get to do laundry, buy groceries, and pack for tomorrow, when we leave for a week at the lake. #1 is attending his first band camp (I can't wait for the first time I hear him say, "One time, at band camp....."), and we've rented a cabin at a resort just down the road from his camp. #1 said to me, "You're not going to visit me at camp, are you?" I said that I wouldn't come right into the camp, because I didn't want to embarrass him. I would just stand at the gate and wave and shout, "Hi, Honey! Are you having fun with your little friends? Did you remember to put clean underwear on today?" ;-)

So, yes, not only have I not been a very faithful blogger this week, but I won't be around next week either. Please don't give up on me. As Ah-nold says in his inimitable manner, "I'll be ba-ah-ck!"

A"Ruff" Time

We've been away for a few days. No time right now to post in detail about our adventures. Suffice it to say that it was great to go, but equally great to return home.

Last night before we began the drive home, we had a picnic in the park. We think that Ruffy, our dog, was bitten by a wasp. At the time, we didn't even know about it. He didn't whimper or yelp. The only evidence appeared to be a freshly dead wasp on the ground near the place Ruffy was tied up.

After the two and a half hour ride home, though, it was obvious something was wrong. Poor Ruffy was really favouring one of his back legs. He managed to hop out of the van, but required help climbing the steps to our front door.

Further investigation showed swelling and redness on the outside of his thigh. We're pretty sure it was a wasp bite.

He seemed to sleep quite well, and was a little less uncomfortable in the morning, but his still limps slightly.

I had never thought about wasps stinging dogs. We never had that trouble with our last dog.

And what a coincidence that it should happen just weeks after Main Man had his wasp encounter!P.S. Although I got this photo off the internet, it is an exact depiction of our Ruffy. Isn't that just the sweetest face?!

He Ain't Sniffly - He's My Brother

#2 has been learning to cook this summer.

He has thrown himself into it with utter abandon. Whenever I'm cooking, his first inquiry is always, "Can I make it?"

Often, the answer has to be, "No," because he's not quite ready to prepare that particular dish.

The response is almost always, "Well, can I help?"

He's built up quite a repertoire of dishes he can prepare by himself: fried and scrambled eggs, soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese.

His interest in cooking has warmed my heart, but a couple of evenings ago, I thought my heart would boil over.

#1 was in the throes of a summer cold: coughs, sniffles, aches, pains. He asked #2 to make him some chicken noodle soup.

Away they went to the kitchen, and #1 waited at the table, chatting with #2 while he puttered away at the stove. Before I knew it, they were both seated at the table, enjoying a steamy bowl of chicken noodle soup with soda crackers.

It was a Campbell's moment.

A Book Meme

This is a meme I picked up from Booklogged. Thanks, friend. It was fun to go through all the titles. I have to admit, though, I'm embarassed how many of these I haven't heard of.

Also, some of the books indicated to be "on my shelf" are actually on my son's or my husband's shelf. I'm actually not much of a book owner. (I know - shameful!) I'm more of a library gal.

Look at the list of books below. Highlight in red the ones you’ve read, highlight in green the ones you might read, leave the ones you won’t read in black, italicize the ones on your book shelf, and place parentheses around the ones you’ve never even heard of.

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger
(His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman) I've heard of Pullman, just not this particular book.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
(Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland)
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
1984 by George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
(One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
(The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold)
Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
(Crytonomicon by Neal Stephenson)
(The Secret History by Donna Tartt)
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
(Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides)
(Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell)
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
(Good Omens by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman)
Atonement by Ian McEwan
(The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zago)
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Dune by Frank Herbert
(The History of Love by Nichole Krauss)

Thankful Thursday

This week, I am thankful for...

... the fabulous grooming job our groomer did on Ruffy, our schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle cross). He was in really rough shape. His fur is so fine, and we are so poor at brushing him. He was a matted up mess. He is now a sleek, stunning specimen of canine comeliness. (He also received a free frisbee, so even he was happy with the results.)

... the excitement I am experiencing right now, because later this morning, I (like Ruffie) have a salon appointment. I desperately need something new. I've let my hair grow out, and I've been very lazy with it; it's been a pony-tail kinda summer. I even made an appointment for a colour. I haven't coloured my hair since college!

... our wonderful neighbours - the same ones with the raspberries from a couple of weeks ago - who have supplied us with fresh garden carrots and cucumbers this week. They are brilliant gardeners.

... our city fair, in town this week. The boys and I spent the afternoon there yesterday. Then Main Man met us there for supper and we spent the evening there together. Main Man doesn't usually like the fair very much, but the boys are at such a great age now, it's impossible not to get excited when you see their faces. All of the boys (Main Man included) got those wristbands giving them unlimited rides, and - believe me - we got our money's worth!

... our boys' respect for money. I'm not sure how we've instilled it; I guess it's just a result of never having enough money (do any of us have enough money?) - but I can't remember the last time they whined or tantrumed for us to buy them something. Yesterday at the fair, we were there three hours before we spent any money - except for parking. Oh - we had pre-purchased the wristbands the day before.

... Main Man's friends. On Saturday, Main Man went to a "stag" party for a friend who is getting married this weekend. The group of them went to a football game and drank way too much, but they didn't do anything too silly. I'm thankful I don't have to worry when he's out with his friends.

... new and long-time blog friends. You just can't beat the rush of checking in and finding a comment or two waiting to be read. Thanks for being there, everybody!

Priorities

#2 left his bike at the park across the street last night. He had ridden over to the park after supper, joined up with some neighbourhood friends, then walked home, forgetting that he had even taken his bike.

When he went back across the street to retrieve it, it was not there.

Normally, a situation like this would elicit a tirade about responsibility and the value of property from me. Last night was slightly different, though.

#2 was very sorry and very worried, and, as the two of us walked across the street to double-check together, I think he expected to be yelled at. He wasn't.

I think my reaction was a result of this story.

Over the past three or four days, our supposedly safe little province has been holding its collective breath, hoping, praying, and waiting for good news about ten-year-old Zachary Miller, believed to be abducted by convicted pedophile Peter Whitmore.

Yesterday, we were able to exhale.

Zachary - and Jordan Bruyere, a fourteen-year-old boy also caught in Whitmore's web - are now safe and sound, and Whitmore is now in police custody.

Somehow, a missing bicycle doesn't seem like a big deal.

Awful August

I've always had a place in my heart that hates the month of August.

August has never been anything but kind to me - far kinder than most other months. Main Man and I were married in August. Still, once August 1 presents itself, I get this gulp in my throat, this slouch to my shoulders, this leadenness of my spirit. It's the same aura I experience when a person I don't particularly care for or feel comfortable with walks into a room.

When August 1 presents itself on my calendar, it shouts at the top of its lungs, "Your holiday is now half over. What have you done with it?"

I would love to put duct tape over the mouth of August.

I should really love August. Main Man will be taking his holidays soon, and we will be able to do lots of enjoyable family things together. Instead of throwing myself with abandon into these activities, in the back of my mind I will be planning lessons for the fall, or, worse still, feeling guilty because I am not planning lessons.

I will also be brooding over the things I didn't do in July that I had intended to do. Closets will remain cluttered. Boxes of odds and sods will remain in the basement unexplored. Books I had hoped to read will remain closed and lonely.

Well, having now articulated all that bothers me about August, I am making a resolution not to fall into the same old trap.

You are my witnesses: I vow to enjoy August. I will not guilt. I will not brood. I will not mope.

I will revel in my family and in the sunshine. I will walk barefoot on the lawn. I will lie on a blanket on the beach and read. I will buy junk at the street fair. I will let ice cream drip on my chin. I will savour a delicious dinner out on our anniversary - with no guilt-induced thoughts of expense or calories.

There - I always feel better when I have a plan.

Welcome, August.