One Part Inspiration...

After a summer of trying out their wings, all the chicks are in the nest again. And much as I have tried to apply the mental brakes to bidding summer farewell, the approach of fall is winning. What a summer it has been! We have run the gamut of weddings and funerals, visits and vacations, celebrations of milestones and taking care of the routine. As I look back over the past several weeks, I am amazed at the variegated fabric of the summer of 2008. Our kids have had their own summer adventures. In some ways, it feels as if we've been standing on the ground, letting out the kite string while they fly. One went cross-country, two went cross-province, while their parents stayed by the phone in case of an emergency. Family trips to the beach were few and far between not because there wasn't time, but because there wasn't the family! This is just a little strange for a mom who looks forward to these getaways. It just not as much fun to be the only one around to ask if I want to ...

I am so pleased! I finally figured out how to strike through. What is strike through you may ask? Well, it's the ability to make a comment on your blog and then cross it out as if that's not what you had meant to say. The problem was that I had figured out half of it and this is what it would do. So instead of just one word being crossed out, the whole blog was. And that's very hard on the reader to be able to decipher what you are talking about. (I recognize it may be hard on the reader anyway, and they may need all the help they can get). O.k. So I am going to go through it step by step, so just in case you feel you want to be able to strike through, you can, just by following my program for 30 days...oh wait, that's for a different program. Say you wanted to make the point that you are surprised that winter is just around the corner. But you don't really want to use winter in your sentence because that's like admitting that the whole year is soon coming to a...

Every once in a while, I try something new in the techno world. I like to think of myself as not being afraid of technology. I like think that I embrace the new. Mostly, I am brave because my husband is techo-guy and he can rescue me from danger at the click of the mouse. Never- the- less, I have convinced myself that I do like to press buttons to find out what they do- and then challenge myself to remember what I did the last time that saved me nano -seconds on the projects. For instance, did you know that if you press the # button on the phone when you hear an answering machine come on, that it will bypass the message and you can leave yours without listening to them say 'Hi, you've reached Linda...and Jim, and Snickers the cat and her twelve kittens...say hello Snickers....'meow'...anyhooo, we're not hom ....." Bah humbug I say~ I know I've reached Linda and Jim's so I'll just press the # button and leave my message. [This only works, by the way...

The phone rang a couple of weeks ago. It was my sister. After we had chatted a few minutes, she said "So I was wondering what you have up next week?" That question could only mean one thing. She was coming to see me!!! YIPPPEEE! Even though it was a shotgun trip - she was only here two full days, - we had " FUN FUN FUN 'till the husband takes the Sienna away . " She and I grew up together. We know each other pretty well. She knows I can be pretty bossy. She knew better than to argue with me that we should make an appointment for a pedicure. So we did. Neither did she make a fuss when I took her to a video store to rent a chick flick movie. And when I suggested we go shopping, she didn't say one thing to the contrary. Actually, the above statements are just for effect. In truth, there aren't many people in the world with whom I share such symmetry. My sister is one of them. We drift in and out of conversation; silence and chatting both treasured equally. ...

I'm reading a book called " Women Who Think Too Much ". I am finding it very interesting and helpful. I thought about blogging a book review, but am just a little hesitant. How long should a book review be, with a title such as this? Should I talk about the details of the book? Or should I just give a quick overview and let the cyber reader decide for themselves if they want to read it? Should I mention where I got it? How long I've had it? Why the title appealed to me??? What I'm learning through reading it? I just don't know! Well actually yes I do know, but how much detail should I go into? What would be the advantage of re-telling the book's premise to the cyber world? Then they wouldn't go out and read it for themselves. That wouldn't be productive at all! I can see I'm going to have to think about this one before I write any more.

I LOVE "Method" cleaning products. I have been adding them to my collection for a little while now. What attracts me to them is that they are biodegradable. They are easy on my own skin. Their products are put into recycled plastic. They make cleaning a snap. And they smell good! There are so many savours to try. Like the Lavender all purpose cleaner. Or the Eucalyptus bathtub scrub. Another thing I like about their products is that their labels have directions with a sense of humor. Their motto is " People against dirty ". I read all the directions for the mop they sell - it started out by saying "who needs the five second rule?" Then, later, it made a disclaimer "Our lawyers tell us we should clarify the five second statement. " These little examples are another reason why I enjoy using the products. I don't know if they'd be available in your corner of the world, but I just had to let someone know what I think of this ...

O.k. So I walk into work yesterday and who should come along but the gal who is leaving for further education. "Marni," she said, "I made one of these for everyone as a farewell gift, and I'd like you to have one too". Then she handed me the gift. It was a recipe book that she'd compiled! "Wow!" I said "What a wonderful idea! That's so cool! Thank you so much!" Heh , heh , heh ! Her farewell party is on Monday. I wonder if she will like her gift?!

I've been working on a project. Since it was my idea to create a going-away gift for a gal at work who is leaving for further education, I took on the responsibility to create a cookbook for her, with personalized recipes from her co-workers. Those of you who like to do this sort of thing, might want to check out H P's web site's "Activity Center". (Although I hate to give my secret away, that's it) . It is a great site. You can muck around with your project for endless minutes, hours, days, ....until your husband wanders downstairs at 2 a.m. to see if you have been abducted by aliens. This website, as I said, has lots of fun projects to upload. You then make your own little marks on it (add your own photos and copy) and presto-bingo, you have a professional looking product that you "made" yourself. I use the word presto-bingo in a very casual way. The project looked like a presto-bingo job when it was all done. But it didn't give a clue about ...

I am reading a book at the moment called "The Right Words at the Right Time" by Marlo Thomas. It is a compilation of essays of famous people who share about their lives, and people who encouraged and inspired them with a passing phrase or an insight. I imagine most of us have a story or two of the right words given to us at crucial moments of our lives. I went to sleep the other night thinking about different people who have said things to me that helped me get through to the other side of what I was facing, or gave me the courage to go beyond what I thought were my limits. I thought of my dad who said "Dream big Marn" when I told him I was thinking of going to Australia for Bible School. I thought of a mentor who suggested that I pray that God would help me "loosen my grip" on a situation I didn't want to let go of. I thought of the principal at the Bible School who said "Then this will be a momentary Painful Interlude " when I expressed dee...

O.k. I admit it. I'm stumped. Don't know what to write and don't know how to start it. Why? I am talking about the fact that we have just celebrated our 20th anniversary - Just in case you think you didn't hear me right, I said, my husband and I have been married for twenty years . We have made it to the platinum anniversary! (or china if you are more traditional) I just find it unbelievable to look back twenty years, and find him at the beginning of that number. This means that I have known my husband longer than the time that I lived at home with my parents. This means that I am middle aged. This means that our children are no longer little. This means a new season of life is beginning. I don't know if I can take that! What have I learned in twenty years? Well probably nothing earth shattering that I could go on the speaking circuit and talk about, but I will share a few things that I have thought of: It is possible to be married to the same person this long, and ...

Recently, I listened to a call in program. They were asking an uncomfortable question. "If you are not wearing a helmet and you are riding a bike and you get into an accident, should you be covered by Medical Insurance for the cost of repairing your injuries?" I listened to the responses. Most people agreed that accidents happen. But they disagreed on who should pay for the consequences. I thought about what I would say if I'd called in. It would be along these lines: "What the world needs today is more mothers. Mothers who hold their kids accountable. Mothers who pay attention to what their kids are doing every day. We need mothers who pay attention to what their kids' friends are doing as well. We need mothers who will hold their kids accountable. Sometimes this means that when kids are doing something stupid, the mothers will be heard yelling " Whatsa mada witchew ?" If we had that kind of accountability, many bad decisions and actions w...