Friday, April 29, 2005
Mmmmm
Food and me go way back. I don't eat to live, I live to eat.
I have a fairly large repertoire of dishes that I cook now, with varying success. Some of my best involve eggs: Quiche is a weekly regular; vegetable pot pie is a recent favourite; pasta prima vera and infinite variations on the creamy sauce are last-minute friends that always get good reviews. Good old spaghetti with red sauce is my all-time favourite comfort food. I also do a few Mexican dishes that incorporate beans in satisfying ways.
Of course, as anyone who knows me already knows, I am a vegetarian. A real vegetarian who doesn't eat meat or chicken or fish or seafood or anything else that used to walk, fly or swim. I do eat eggs and dairy, however. I have found in recent years that vegetarianism isn't even an issue when I cook; I just automatically cook vegetarian, usually a recipe or variation of a recipe that comes out of a sunny culture, Greek, Moroccan, Spanish, Lebanese, Indian, Italian, etc... I hardly ever use tofu or any other kind of "meat replacement" because I just never saw the need to; I don't miss meat that much! I will, however use tofu in dishes that would normally call for it, Japanese and Chinese dishes mostly. But even then, I like a stir-fry with vegetables only, with a few cashews or almonds thrown in for protein, and just because they rock.
Tonight I'm going to try something new, a recipe I saw in the newspaper yesterday: Eggplant Pilaf. It sounds totally yum, but we'll see what happens when I get my hands on it. I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm getting better. And I enjoy food -- which bears repeating only because it is important to my happiness. Food, cooking, eating, feeding family and friends and sitting 'round the table talking. The stuff of life, and another reason to be thankful that I live in this time and place.
Food and me go way back. I don't eat to live, I live to eat.
I have a fairly large repertoire of dishes that I cook now, with varying success. Some of my best involve eggs: Quiche is a weekly regular; vegetable pot pie is a recent favourite; pasta prima vera and infinite variations on the creamy sauce are last-minute friends that always get good reviews. Good old spaghetti with red sauce is my all-time favourite comfort food. I also do a few Mexican dishes that incorporate beans in satisfying ways.
Of course, as anyone who knows me already knows, I am a vegetarian. A real vegetarian who doesn't eat meat or chicken or fish or seafood or anything else that used to walk, fly or swim. I do eat eggs and dairy, however. I have found in recent years that vegetarianism isn't even an issue when I cook; I just automatically cook vegetarian, usually a recipe or variation of a recipe that comes out of a sunny culture, Greek, Moroccan, Spanish, Lebanese, Indian, Italian, etc... I hardly ever use tofu or any other kind of "meat replacement" because I just never saw the need to; I don't miss meat that much! I will, however use tofu in dishes that would normally call for it, Japanese and Chinese dishes mostly. But even then, I like a stir-fry with vegetables only, with a few cashews or almonds thrown in for protein, and just because they rock.
Tonight I'm going to try something new, a recipe I saw in the newspaper yesterday: Eggplant Pilaf. It sounds totally yum, but we'll see what happens when I get my hands on it. I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm getting better. And I enjoy food -- which bears repeating only because it is important to my happiness. Food, cooking, eating, feeding family and friends and sitting 'round the table talking. The stuff of life, and another reason to be thankful that I live in this time and place.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Life and Real Estate
Talked with my neighbour yesterday. She's very emotional about her decision to sell her house, but I can see that she's excited too. It's such a huge move for a 90-year-old! It just goes to show that life never stops changing and asking you to grow and change with it.
At the other end of the life-scale, my beautiful baby is going to turn one year old in 10 days. I can scarcely believe it. She is big and healthy and happy, talking all the time, though only a tiny portion of her speech is intelligible to me. She's still bald, and her face hasn't changed much since she was about 5 months, so it's a little hard to believe she's already almost a 1-year-old. I hope we have some nice weather coming our way by the time her birthday is here; I want to have her party in the back yard, so she can crawl around and get real dirty.
Oh, and back to my neighbour: She told me what her asking price is going to be, and it's a very encouraging thing for us, as our house is almost exactly the same: It's a little less than 2 and a half times what we paid for ours 3 years ago. Not a bad little investment, eh? I believe house prices in this area are going to keep going up, barring any nasty surprises (like a referendum!). The English super-hospital is moving to NDG, and we're not close enough to be bothered by the traffic and negative sides of that, but we're only a 2-minute train ride from what I imagine will be its doors.
Talked with my neighbour yesterday. She's very emotional about her decision to sell her house, but I can see that she's excited too. It's such a huge move for a 90-year-old! It just goes to show that life never stops changing and asking you to grow and change with it.
At the other end of the life-scale, my beautiful baby is going to turn one year old in 10 days. I can scarcely believe it. She is big and healthy and happy, talking all the time, though only a tiny portion of her speech is intelligible to me. She's still bald, and her face hasn't changed much since she was about 5 months, so it's a little hard to believe she's already almost a 1-year-old. I hope we have some nice weather coming our way by the time her birthday is here; I want to have her party in the back yard, so she can crawl around and get real dirty.
Oh, and back to my neighbour: She told me what her asking price is going to be, and it's a very encouraging thing for us, as our house is almost exactly the same: It's a little less than 2 and a half times what we paid for ours 3 years ago. Not a bad little investment, eh? I believe house prices in this area are going to keep going up, barring any nasty surprises (like a referendum!). The English super-hospital is moving to NDG, and we're not close enough to be bothered by the traffic and negative sides of that, but we're only a 2-minute train ride from what I imagine will be its doors.
Monday, April 25, 2005
What I did on my weekend
We had an enforced weekend of rest and relaxation, and it was quite a lovely time.
Saturday was all wind and rain, so we stayed indoors most of the day and relaxed in an unfocused way. That kind of got on my nerves by the afternoon, so the kids and I spent an hour or so doing a really good clean-up of their bedroom. It looks great now, and I've bought a couple of new lampshades that seem to make everything around them look better. A good investment of 20 bucks!
Sunday wasn't so rainy -- just a little dreary for the early part of the day. The kids and I went to church in the morning and after lunch we relaxed indoors again. Then U. and I walked out to do a little shopping for a few necessaries. One of our purchases was a long skipping rope which we put to good use the rest of the afternoon. I turned that thing for about two straight hours while the girls from up and down the street came out to jump, or "danse", as the romantic translation would have it. The boys of the street went up and down the sidewalks on their scooters, swooshing through puddles and rescuing worms when they weren't inadvertently slicing them in half with their scooter wheels.
That was a great afternoon, very reminiscent of my own childhood afternoons, with the smells of suppers cooking in the various houses and parents coming out to call kids in to the evening meal (except for one parent, who was turning the skipping rope and learning songs about teddy bears and Cinderella). I do love this place.
We had an enforced weekend of rest and relaxation, and it was quite a lovely time.
Saturday was all wind and rain, so we stayed indoors most of the day and relaxed in an unfocused way. That kind of got on my nerves by the afternoon, so the kids and I spent an hour or so doing a really good clean-up of their bedroom. It looks great now, and I've bought a couple of new lampshades that seem to make everything around them look better. A good investment of 20 bucks!
Sunday wasn't so rainy -- just a little dreary for the early part of the day. The kids and I went to church in the morning and after lunch we relaxed indoors again. Then U. and I walked out to do a little shopping for a few necessaries. One of our purchases was a long skipping rope which we put to good use the rest of the afternoon. I turned that thing for about two straight hours while the girls from up and down the street came out to jump, or "danse", as the romantic translation would have it. The boys of the street went up and down the sidewalks on their scooters, swooshing through puddles and rescuing worms when they weren't inadvertently slicing them in half with their scooter wheels.
That was a great afternoon, very reminiscent of my own childhood afternoons, with the smells of suppers cooking in the various houses and parents coming out to call kids in to the evening meal (except for one parent, who was turning the skipping rope and learning songs about teddy bears and Cinderella). I do love this place.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Who wants to live next to us???
I have just had a phone call from my next-door neighbour, an amazing woman who will turn 90 this July. She has been having trouble lately getting around, and has had to get help keeping her house clean. She tells me that she has decided to sell the house and move to a condo.
I think it's the right decision, and I'm happy for her. But of course I'm apprehensive for us. We live in a semi-detached with this nice lady, and I really hope the next neighbours there are as friendly (and quiet? Probably impossible!) as she is. Perhaps the best thing about her as a neighbour is that she's almost totally deaf! She often says to us "You know, I never hear a thing from your place!" Aaaah, that's the perfect neighbour for a family with three kids.
So if anyone reading this is thinking of buying, or knows someone who is, come on down and have a look at her place. We're very happy with ours, and hers is the same, just a mirror-image of it.
I wish I could buy it. My daughter has always said that that's where she'll live when she moves out of our home. Wouldn't that be nice?
I have just had a phone call from my next-door neighbour, an amazing woman who will turn 90 this July. She has been having trouble lately getting around, and has had to get help keeping her house clean. She tells me that she has decided to sell the house and move to a condo.
I think it's the right decision, and I'm happy for her. But of course I'm apprehensive for us. We live in a semi-detached with this nice lady, and I really hope the next neighbours there are as friendly (and quiet? Probably impossible!) as she is. Perhaps the best thing about her as a neighbour is that she's almost totally deaf! She often says to us "You know, I never hear a thing from your place!" Aaaah, that's the perfect neighbour for a family with three kids.
So if anyone reading this is thinking of buying, or knows someone who is, come on down and have a look at her place. We're very happy with ours, and hers is the same, just a mirror-image of it.
I wish I could buy it. My daughter has always said that that's where she'll live when she moves out of our home. Wouldn't that be nice?
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Notes
I have just a few brief bits today:
UNO
Congratulations to Dina and Steve and Ben on their baby-in-waiting! Here's to a trouble-free pregnancy, an easier delivery and a healthy baby.
DOS
A good friend of mine has created a fun and interesting web site called Good News Hound that you should check out: I've lost my linking capability, but here is the URL: www.goodnewshound.com
TRES
Another good friend called last night to say this:
"I heard the new pope is a rap singer! I hope it's 50 Cent!"
I have just a few brief bits today:
UNO
Congratulations to Dina and Steve and Ben on their baby-in-waiting! Here's to a trouble-free pregnancy, an easier delivery and a healthy baby.
DOS
A good friend of mine has created a fun and interesting web site called Good News Hound that you should check out: I've lost my linking capability, but here is the URL: www.goodnewshound.com
TRES
Another good friend called last night to say this:
"I heard the new pope is a rap singer! I hope it's 50 Cent!"
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
My first reaction when I heard that the new pope was none other than Joseph Ratzinger was "Oh, no!...really?!"
Ratzinger, or Benedict XVI, is the arch-nemesis of progressive Catholics, who have known and disliked him and feared his influence for a long time. I honestly didn't think they'd be able to elect him, but since his election I've heard enough to temper my negative reaction and hope that he has the wisdom and intellect and holiness to lead the church. The question is: Are there any reins on him?
I called my mom right away, to get her reaction. As an activist in the church and a woman who works hard as a lay person to further the church's Christian message as well as its relevance in the world, I knew she would be disappointed. In fact she is angry. After an enlightening talk about his history and the history of the papacy and the prophecies of Malachi (that say this pope is the second-to-last pope), we had a little laugh about his name, which is straight out of an Indiana Jones movie where the Germans are all evil Nazis (talk about yer redundant adjectives) with sticks up their arses. My mom pointed out that another candidate for pope was named Tetrazini, which means, according to her, "bull's tits -- an unfortunate name, especially for a pope!" Which may be a joke that only Catholics would get.
I heard today that Quebec's Cardinal Ouellet may get Ratzinger's old job. That wouldn't surprise me, as he has been in the inner circle at the Vatican for a while now. I had the chance to interview Marc Ouellet when he was a Bishop, and we talked a lot about John Paul II and his mission and theology, as well as Ouellet's own personal and intellectual life, which is full and interesting. Ouellet made a great impression on me, as a holy man who is guided by prayer and a desire to see the Holy Spirit moving in the world. You never know -- he might be pope someday. I would not be sorry to see it.
Ratzinger, or Benedict XVI, is the arch-nemesis of progressive Catholics, who have known and disliked him and feared his influence for a long time. I honestly didn't think they'd be able to elect him, but since his election I've heard enough to temper my negative reaction and hope that he has the wisdom and intellect and holiness to lead the church. The question is: Are there any reins on him?
I called my mom right away, to get her reaction. As an activist in the church and a woman who works hard as a lay person to further the church's Christian message as well as its relevance in the world, I knew she would be disappointed. In fact she is angry. After an enlightening talk about his history and the history of the papacy and the prophecies of Malachi (that say this pope is the second-to-last pope), we had a little laugh about his name, which is straight out of an Indiana Jones movie where the Germans are all evil Nazis (talk about yer redundant adjectives) with sticks up their arses. My mom pointed out that another candidate for pope was named Tetrazini, which means, according to her, "bull's tits -- an unfortunate name, especially for a pope!" Which may be a joke that only Catholics would get.
I heard today that Quebec's Cardinal Ouellet may get Ratzinger's old job. That wouldn't surprise me, as he has been in the inner circle at the Vatican for a while now. I had the chance to interview Marc Ouellet when he was a Bishop, and we talked a lot about John Paul II and his mission and theology, as well as Ouellet's own personal and intellectual life, which is full and interesting. Ouellet made a great impression on me, as a holy man who is guided by prayer and a desire to see the Holy Spirit moving in the world. You never know -- he might be pope someday. I would not be sorry to see it.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Once Were Hunter-Gatherers
Walked home from our book club meeting last night, and the stars were sooo bright! It was one of those nights that makes you feel like you remember the days when we were nomads and slept under the stars, the warm wind playing over our bodies, nestled under skins with our loved ones.
I hated to come inside. That's the kind of night it was, and it's only mid-April. It's unbelievable!
Walked home from our book club meeting last night, and the stars were sooo bright! It was one of those nights that makes you feel like you remember the days when we were nomads and slept under the stars, the warm wind playing over our bodies, nestled under skins with our loved ones.
I hated to come inside. That's the kind of night it was, and it's only mid-April. It's unbelievable!
Sunday, April 17, 2005
The party went well, after I washed floors and cleaned bathrooms until 10:30 the night before. I must say that I enjoyed that, though. Cleaning without interruptions is quite meditative.
The weather was fine on the party day and everyone seemed to be in good spirits, and the food was very tasty and looked wonderful on the table.
My mom is looking very happy and hardly seems to have aged in the past couple of years. She is reasonably healthy after having a few years of pretty bad health problems.
Still in limbo re: work prospects, but I'm starting to sniff around a little, using some of my contacts... We'll see. My heart's not in it, though, not while I have a sweet little baby to play with.
The weather was fine on the party day and everyone seemed to be in good spirits, and the food was very tasty and looked wonderful on the table.
My mom is looking very happy and hardly seems to have aged in the past couple of years. She is reasonably healthy after having a few years of pretty bad health problems.
Still in limbo re: work prospects, but I'm starting to sniff around a little, using some of my contacts... We'll see. My heart's not in it, though, not while I have a sweet little baby to play with.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Regrets? I've had a few... but then again, too few to mention! ha ha ha!
Why did I leave all housework and cooking for the party to do the day before? Now it is the day before and the kids are home on YET ANOTHER ped day, and I am getting nothing done. Or rather whatever I get done gets undone almost immediately.
Oh well, I guess it'll be a messy-house-raw-food sort of party. I will bake the birthday cake though. Can't do without that, right? My mother is turning 68 tomorrow! (At least I think it's 68. I'm never quite sure.)
Why did I leave all housework and cooking for the party to do the day before? Now it is the day before and the kids are home on YET ANOTHER ped day, and I am getting nothing done. Or rather whatever I get done gets undone almost immediately.
Oh well, I guess it'll be a messy-house-raw-food sort of party. I will bake the birthday cake though. Can't do without that, right? My mother is turning 68 tomorrow! (At least I think it's 68. I'm never quite sure.)
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Come on, Springtime!
So far I have seen snowdrops, crocuses (or croci?), daffodils that made my heart sing, and the beginnings of tulips. I hadn't been allowing myself to believe it, but I do think that Spring may indeed be here.
I am in the ridiculous position of having set up all my arrangements (an after-school programme for the older kids 2 days a week, a babysitter for the baby) for a return to work, and no call to return to work! I think I may have to start looking at other venues... Anybody know about any part-time or freelance work for someone like li'l ol' me?
I still have the possibility of a business venture proposed by my sister in Boswana, but unfortunately I am a little hesitant, as it would involve an initial outlay of money with no guarantee of a return. That's the kind of risk one takes in business, I know, but I have so little (well, nothing, really) to invest!
So, what to do? I know -- I'll take the baby out for a long walk, swing her in the swings at the park, go to the children's library and get ready for a party I'm hosting Saturday.
I'll leave solutions for a rainy day.
So far I have seen snowdrops, crocuses (or croci?), daffodils that made my heart sing, and the beginnings of tulips. I hadn't been allowing myself to believe it, but I do think that Spring may indeed be here.
I am in the ridiculous position of having set up all my arrangements (an after-school programme for the older kids 2 days a week, a babysitter for the baby) for a return to work, and no call to return to work! I think I may have to start looking at other venues... Anybody know about any part-time or freelance work for someone like li'l ol' me?
I still have the possibility of a business venture proposed by my sister in Boswana, but unfortunately I am a little hesitant, as it would involve an initial outlay of money with no guarantee of a return. That's the kind of risk one takes in business, I know, but I have so little (well, nothing, really) to invest!
So, what to do? I know -- I'll take the baby out for a long walk, swing her in the swings at the park, go to the children's library and get ready for a party I'm hosting Saturday.
I'll leave solutions for a rainy day.
Monday, April 11, 2005
When does a person grow up?
At what point do we start thinking of ourselves as -- and more importantly -- acting like, adults? In older literature, there is a clear passage from innocence into experience, and rites of passage mark the entry into adulthood in most cultures. Do we have this in our culture, in our generation? I know one guy whose father took him to a prostitute when he "became a man", a white-trash version of a rite of manhood, and I suppose for most people the first sexual experience is a portal to adulthood. I dunno, it didn't feel that way to me, although my first orgasm (about 3 years after my first sexual experience) felt pretty important, like something had changed.
But in my own life, I can't really remember ever feeling "I'm not a kid anymore". There were some marked events that forced me to recognize my responsibility for myself: travelling with friends, moving out of my mom's home, hosting my own party. Oddly enough, serious things like getting thrown in the hoosegow and having to go to court, or being in hospital by myself, or some worse things, didn't really have the effect of making me feel like an adult; quite the opposite, in fact. Those experiences brought home to me my dependence on others for my safety and happiness, and my inability to do anything more than just survive bad things. I didn't feel as though I'd overcome anything bad, just survived.
Acting like an adult is a different thing from feeling like one, and acting like an adult is not something our culture or our generation values very much. The baby boomers have made a virtue out of eternal childhood, especially for men. It's good for the economy, right? If we never really grow up, we'll keep wanting more and more toys, and never have to recognize the fact that we can't really afford them and might be better off without them. Even having children is sold to us as just another excuse to act like a child yourself.
I think we act like adults when we: apologize; admit mistakes; laugh at ourselves; let our children be children and give them the security of knowing that we will do the worrying, the disciplining, the scheduling and all that non-fun stuff; stop blaming our parents for our shortcomings; recognize our parents were just flawed people, like us; realize that love is always changing its shape, and that love has infinite capacity for expansion.
At what point do we start thinking of ourselves as -- and more importantly -- acting like, adults? In older literature, there is a clear passage from innocence into experience, and rites of passage mark the entry into adulthood in most cultures. Do we have this in our culture, in our generation? I know one guy whose father took him to a prostitute when he "became a man", a white-trash version of a rite of manhood, and I suppose for most people the first sexual experience is a portal to adulthood. I dunno, it didn't feel that way to me, although my first orgasm (about 3 years after my first sexual experience) felt pretty important, like something had changed.
But in my own life, I can't really remember ever feeling "I'm not a kid anymore". There were some marked events that forced me to recognize my responsibility for myself: travelling with friends, moving out of my mom's home, hosting my own party. Oddly enough, serious things like getting thrown in the hoosegow and having to go to court, or being in hospital by myself, or some worse things, didn't really have the effect of making me feel like an adult; quite the opposite, in fact. Those experiences brought home to me my dependence on others for my safety and happiness, and my inability to do anything more than just survive bad things. I didn't feel as though I'd overcome anything bad, just survived.
Acting like an adult is a different thing from feeling like one, and acting like an adult is not something our culture or our generation values very much. The baby boomers have made a virtue out of eternal childhood, especially for men. It's good for the economy, right? If we never really grow up, we'll keep wanting more and more toys, and never have to recognize the fact that we can't really afford them and might be better off without them. Even having children is sold to us as just another excuse to act like a child yourself.
I think we act like adults when we: apologize; admit mistakes; laugh at ourselves; let our children be children and give them the security of knowing that we will do the worrying, the disciplining, the scheduling and all that non-fun stuff; stop blaming our parents for our shortcomings; recognize our parents were just flawed people, like us; realize that love is always changing its shape, and that love has infinite capacity for expansion.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Can I just say this? How could they cancel Washington Week (PBS Fridays at 8)?
Not only is it the most informative program about politics on TV, it has the wonderful intelligent, down-to-earth Gwen Ifill as moderator! I love this show!
May I respectfully suggest that the CBC (radio or TV) steal the idea of a reporters' round table and fill the gaping void that will be left in my world-view when Washington Week bites the dust?
Not only is it the most informative program about politics on TV, it has the wonderful intelligent, down-to-earth Gwen Ifill as moderator! I love this show!
May I respectfully suggest that the CBC (radio or TV) steal the idea of a reporters' round table and fill the gaping void that will be left in my world-view when Washington Week bites the dust?
Sun, sun, sun -- here it comes!
Today is a glorious day. All the neighbours are outside cleaning up their yards and chatting away, the children are riding bikes and skipping rope and just generally hangin' out. It's good to be alive and living in this place of peace and prosperity. We can talk about all the ills of the world some other time; today it's Spring.
Oh, and I got a good second-hand washing machine for a hundred bucks.
Yay!
Today is a glorious day. All the neighbours are outside cleaning up their yards and chatting away, the children are riding bikes and skipping rope and just generally hangin' out. It's good to be alive and living in this place of peace and prosperity. We can talk about all the ills of the world some other time; today it's Spring.
Oh, and I got a good second-hand washing machine for a hundred bucks.
Yay!
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Farewell to all of that (money)
Goodbye E.I.!
This is the last week of my eligibility for maternity payments. It's been quite wonderful receiving a paycheque while I stayed home to look after my baby and my other children. I had never had that luxury (of being paid for it) with my other babies, and I am so grateful to live in a country and a province where time with one's baby is valued so much. Now, if only we weren't expected to automatically ship them off to daycare centres the moment they turn one year old...
My baby is sitting beside me eating a piece of cardboard right now, as I type a blog post. That's the kind of good parenting they're paying me for, and I deserve every penny dammit!
Book clubbers, take note: There is an e-mail for you today, from moi. Please respond ASAP so we can get the next meeting organized. Taverymuch.
Goodbye E.I.!
This is the last week of my eligibility for maternity payments. It's been quite wonderful receiving a paycheque while I stayed home to look after my baby and my other children. I had never had that luxury (of being paid for it) with my other babies, and I am so grateful to live in a country and a province where time with one's baby is valued so much. Now, if only we weren't expected to automatically ship them off to daycare centres the moment they turn one year old...
My baby is sitting beside me eating a piece of cardboard right now, as I type a blog post. That's the kind of good parenting they're paying me for, and I deserve every penny dammit!
Book clubbers, take note: There is an e-mail for you today, from moi. Please respond ASAP so we can get the next meeting organized. Taverymuch.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
#$@^&*$ Farmers!
I hate daylight savings time. Before I had kids it was bad enough, but now I dread the "Spring forward". It is particularly galling this year, when we all need as much sleep as we can possibly get, what with sickness having moved in as our 6th family member. Anyway, I will not rant about it any more, but really, aren't we all groggy enough at this time of year?
Still no washing machine. I hate being poor sometimes. What I wouldn't do to just go out to the appliance store and buy a new washer. Sigh... On the bright side, my trips to the laundromat have been kind of fun and enlightening. I used to go to the laundromat all the time, right up to the year we had our second child. (Oh my god, my baby is crawling towards the green light on my hard drive!! All may soon be lost!) Where was I? Oh yeah, I like the laundromat and I always end up talking with someone interesting there. My kids, on the other hand, got bored after the first half hour and asked for food for the next two hours. Can't say that I blame them, since it was just about supper time when we finished. The time when I went without any children was much more relaxed, and I actually got to read my book in peace, which is a rare enough occurrence for me these days.
I saw my neighbour this morning, the man who lost his family in the Air India bombing. He looks about ten years older than he did before he went to Vancouver for the verdict. He's angry about it, and we talked a bit. When he first saw us, he said hello to my baby in the stroller and she gave him a sweet little smile. He said that a baby's smile makes you forget everything. Then he said "I miss my kids." It breaks my heart. His two girls would have been almost my age now, maybe with children of their own. He lost all of that -- the richer, deeper future that is given to us when we have children.
Maybe daylight savings time and a broken washing machine aren't such bad things -- just petty annoyances in the scheme of things.
I hate daylight savings time. Before I had kids it was bad enough, but now I dread the "Spring forward". It is particularly galling this year, when we all need as much sleep as we can possibly get, what with sickness having moved in as our 6th family member. Anyway, I will not rant about it any more, but really, aren't we all groggy enough at this time of year?
Still no washing machine. I hate being poor sometimes. What I wouldn't do to just go out to the appliance store and buy a new washer. Sigh... On the bright side, my trips to the laundromat have been kind of fun and enlightening. I used to go to the laundromat all the time, right up to the year we had our second child. (Oh my god, my baby is crawling towards the green light on my hard drive!! All may soon be lost!) Where was I? Oh yeah, I like the laundromat and I always end up talking with someone interesting there. My kids, on the other hand, got bored after the first half hour and asked for food for the next two hours. Can't say that I blame them, since it was just about supper time when we finished. The time when I went without any children was much more relaxed, and I actually got to read my book in peace, which is a rare enough occurrence for me these days.
I saw my neighbour this morning, the man who lost his family in the Air India bombing. He looks about ten years older than he did before he went to Vancouver for the verdict. He's angry about it, and we talked a bit. When he first saw us, he said hello to my baby in the stroller and she gave him a sweet little smile. He said that a baby's smile makes you forget everything. Then he said "I miss my kids." It breaks my heart. His two girls would have been almost my age now, maybe with children of their own. He lost all of that -- the richer, deeper future that is given to us when we have children.
Maybe daylight savings time and a broken washing machine aren't such bad things -- just petty annoyances in the scheme of things.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Help!
My washing machine has passed out of all knowing.
If you know where I can get another machine for free, cheap or at least not outrageously expensive, please let me know as quickly as possible.
I am going now to the laundromat with a sick baby and two very helpful but eventually (I'm sure) very bored children. We will be toting about 80 pounds of laundry with us, and I'm not at all enthused about the situation.
Sheesh.
My washing machine has passed out of all knowing.
If you know where I can get another machine for free, cheap or at least not outrageously expensive, please let me know as quickly as possible.
I am going now to the laundromat with a sick baby and two very helpful but eventually (I'm sure) very bored children. We will be toting about 80 pounds of laundry with us, and I'm not at all enthused about the situation.
Sheesh.
