Last but not least, 25 things part 5

Ha. I actually followed thru on something.


20. I inherited my mom's stinky feet. So gross.

21. I like the way my dog's feet smell....  they're sort of like Fritos.

22. My mom died 9 years ago, I miss her every day.

23. I've started to read James A. Michner's "The Source" 8 times. each time I start it, I get a little further into the book and like it a little more... but I've never finished it. I have this idea in my mind that it's a really long book- but I think it's just the first copy of it I owned was printed in a strange way as to make it seem like the longest book ever. I've read longer books.
23.b. I've started to read "The Lord of the Rings" 4 times and never gotten past chapter 2 of the first book. I think if the characters in the book were each named things like Mike, Ralph, or Fred... I'd be more likely to read it- there are too many names that my brain can't translate into distinguishable characters.

24. I like to grow my food, can and preserve, cook amazing meals.... but I also love processed foods.... so so much.

25. I have a number of friends who are strictly "online" friends- People I've never met in person but whom I've gotten to know over the years thru a variety of forums and blogs. I have a few friends in real life that I've met through the same means... The first "forum" (other than the chat rooms in the 90's.. I never stayed with one of those for long enough) I was a part of was created because of a portly cat named Buddy who liked to monorail pose on the back of a couch. Thank you Cute Overload. Maybe I'll tell the whole story some time. I have a number of crew members from my puzzle pirate days on facebook...

Hopefully I haven't scared off friends by posting these... if you're feeling up to the challenge, please let me know where I can find your list!

25 things part 2

6. I've "fake raptured" housemates as a prank.  - In university my housemates and I read the "Left Behind" series. One day I left random piles of clothing around the house for my roommates to find. These ladies put up with a lot of strange pranks (orajel on the toothbrushes!) and random quirks (the infamous "concentration whistle").

7. I trained myself to be a 7:15pm pooper while on the road with Watoto. Shows started at 6:30 or 7, so while everyone was busy watching the show/was in the show, I had a few minutes to myself for "the long call". I'm not a 7:15pm pooper any more.

8. I'd like to be a singer... For a career. Currently there's a little too much emphasis on people being "singer-songwriters". Maybe someday. Reading that thing J.Byrd posted, and some things said at last year's OCFF has pushed me think a little more about this.

9. The first time I saw the words "pubic hair" written, I totally read "public hair". Not only that, but I read it out loud to a huddled group of friends in grade 7 from a copy of "The Valley of Horses". I'd  borrowed the book from my Dad's collection, and spent the next 4 years hoping he wouldn't reread the series or remember how much sex was in it.

10. I'm really good at starting things.... not so good with follow thru.

just call on me

scene: Elbow is sitting in the dining room at work, singing loudly with an individual.

Jenny is working in the kitchen preparing dinner.

L:

if there's anything that you want, if there's anything I can do.... just call on me and I'll send it along with love, from me to you. I've got arms that long to hold you, and keep you by my side. I've got lips that long to kiss you and keep you satisfied.... woooooooo...

Sorry that's all I know.

J: that's impressive!

L: thank you mini pops!

J: that's slightly less impressive.

photo diary (or) how to end up with too many vegetables

Once upon a time there was a girl with a little too much time on her hands.... um. ok, that part is a lie.
Once upon a time there was a girl who was really really good at starting projects, not so good on the follow thru, and who was a little over-extended. She liked starting seeds.... so she did. Until eventually her sun porch was filled with seedlings (and with pieces of the kitchen that still needed to be installed)


One day, a kind neighbour made the mistake of letting her into his yard.

For some time, she planted and tended.... planted and tended...

... until things began to grow.... out of control. weeds, heat,rain.

... eventually, mother nature was kind to the poor wanna-be-urban-farmer, and the garden began to pay off.... in truckloads.

.... now her only problem is what the hell to do with all the fruit flies.

The end.

back in the day

I've just spent the past few days pouring over old emails and pictures from Togo.

I miss Africa.

walk a mile in those shoes.

work
walk
meeting
work.


I just took off my shoes... eeeewwwwwww.
Which made me think...

When I worked with Watoto, we had mornings that started around 6am, by the time we climbed into bed at night and took off our shoes 18 hours later... it was painfully stinky in our room (not just from me!) One of my girls took to calling me "stink wooman" (say it with a Ugandan child's accent)

I miss my kids too too much this week.

odd ear

so, My eyes are broken from the lights and the smoke... and if I go to bed right now, I'll be awake at 4am.

instead, I'm listening to "free to be you and me" on youtube. well, the video is playing, but my eyes can't take too much, I'm typing with my eyes closed too.

the video I've never seen before, so the parts I'm watching are pretty new to me..  I grew up with the record and didn't even know there was a film version of it till a few weeks ago.

Here's the crazy thing.

the music.

of course, I remember all the words to the stories and songs... but the entire album is a third lower than I remember.

I wonder why.

time....

Know when all you want is for time to hurry up.. and then the next moment you just need it to stop?

I'm having a weekend like that.

Thursday nearly killed me, it took THAT long for the day to pass. Then Thursday night? oh, took about 12 seconds. I had dinner with a group of some of the most lovely people I know, then we took in a concert of the ever dreamy Justin Rutledge. so good. But the night passed so quickly, even though we stretched it out till 2:30.  

AM

The rest of the weekend.. was... fantastic. 

and though I may never catch up on the sleep, it was time well spent.

(How's that for a cop-out on capturing a weekend in words?)

-Yule Sing (two shows- awesome)

-Living room song circles

-three days of soup and cheese

-parades

-elf man

-thrift shops

-felt

-flowers

-art

-smiles

-felted sweater heads

-photos

-rehearsal

-"you're a dick"

-boxing santas

-clementines

-le sigh (I'll never remember it all)

Bunday Monday

here's an oldy... I didn't get home till late- so digging in the archives is great fun

awww, I miss the old guy.
ps. the sweater doesn't even fit over 'Touf's head... how sad.

A drib

One set of photos....

and another...

sigh... I want to go back to the nation.... (SVFF Nation that is)

There was a conversation going on between several people on the weekend... that the festival isn't just about the music. It's a series of mini festivals- all with a common goal, inclusion, community, and enjoyment. This year I had quite a bit of free time to sit and watch the main event - the music festival and arts village... and I found that it wasn't what I was there for at all. I was there for the common goal. I was there for the hard work. I was there for connecting with old friends, building new relationships. I was there for the fresh air, the campfires, the cooking, the walking, the sweating, the tears, the laughter.... I could actually be there and not even need the bands playing.

(note:: there were several people/groups that I would not have missed... they were fantastic)

These "mini festivals" happen all around us, we don't set out to create them, they follow when people aren't looking for them. They are the real reason something like SVFF works- they keep the volunteers coming back, they keep people impassioned and fed. 

I need to be looking for those in my day to day life.

But I still miss the nation.

back

I sat in my car in the driveway crying tonight.

I made it through the whole week- weekend without getting to drain-out point. Without crying over ridiculous things like lost bandaids, or ugly fruit... but getting home was something different.

It was like- getting out of the car meant the whole experience was over for the year. 

It would mark the end.

And as excited as I am for future things, I would be quite happy living in those festival moments for a long while.

new-er er

here's where I spent most of my time. ok, ok... not really... see that square field in the bottom left? that was the main corral.... hours and hours of standing in the sun teaching lessons. That big arena and I never got to hang out all that much. I was more of a "old barn" girl.
meh... I liked it better that way.
Lots of best and worst memories there.... lots.



on an unrelated note, last night there was a reunion of sorts in celebration of Hoover and Mrs.Crilly's birthdays. We ate well. And I was more than happy to have friends again.

I'm in a funk ... I think it's due to being a working weekend. I'm glad it's over.

roofie-o (or) don't be an ass (or) turn back time some more

At 14.1 hands... Rufus was a lot of Donkey. Full Texas Mammoth Jack, with his sister Ruby, they kept us entertained ... and annoyed as anything. You know that expression "stubborn as a mule"? Rufus had it all figured out. He was probably twice as smart as any horse on the property, he drove me nuts.. .but I was totally in love with him!
I'd been asking if I could take one of the yearlings or two year olds to start them, and was turned down over and over... then PJ (my boss) offered me Rufus.
We were riding him in less than a week. I'd love to say that I was a professional horse whisperer... but really... he knew what I was going to do before I offered it to him.
One summer a friend and I spent time trying to get him ready to enter into a show jumping class... we thought it would be too funny to show up in the ring with this giant long ear... unfortunately, even with pacing poles layed out before a jump, he'd still spring straight up in the air to get over the jump... not fun to try to stay on him.. and not good enough to bring him in on the pretense of a "jumper".
le sigh

holy-holey-wholey- hoo lee.

(note:: I wrote this yesterday... but I'm posting it today...)

Hoo Lee, the first Chinese restaurant that I ever ate in… that WASN’T a buffet… is closing.
Or, at least, someone told me that the other day… I should probably read the note on the door when I walk past it tomorrow.
But that’s not today’s topic.
NO!

It’s Shrove Tuesday… the beginning of Lent.
Pancake day.
I forgot to eat pancakes.
I ate a bowl of taco casserole instead.

At the office today we were talking about pancake Tuesday… “Harvey” was with us, and was running his usual stream of thought… it was then I remembered that I’d just read an archived post last week (while looking for slothfest info) about the last Shrove Tuesday we spent together. So, of course, I shared the story with them...

Tonight for work I went to church to eat pancakes.... (remind me when you see me
that I've given up all potatoes and their products for lent) walking out of the
church, JB turns to me and says (as per usual) "that was a big big portion eh?"
I went into auto response
"yes yes, it was big big" (because apparently
I was Jacob Two Two in a previous life?)
Then in a change from what should
have been next (that being: "a big honkin' portion")

"those were
Anglican sized pancakes"

what? Anglican's have their own sized pancakes?

I finished my story... and they turned and looked at me. First laughing, then deadly silent.

"are you blogging about us?"

:( in a sad but happy sort of way.

A guy that I used to know, not someone I've been in touch with much over the past few years- but someone that I've found myself running into in all odd stages of my life for the past 17 years- passed away this morning.

How does someone young and previously healthy just die?

He went into the hospital a few days ago, it was looking really bad.. then there was an improvement, I opened an email this morning that was titled "exciting news for Kelly"... and thought he'd pulled out of it. It took me a moment or two to decipher the email... I couldn't wrap my mind around the statement "Kelly has gone home to his Father".

It was more of a stunned "I'm not really reading this" moment.

I'm glad he's not having to go thru anymore... but so incredibly sad for his family and close friends....

And dealing with my own issues of mortality... because this is my blog and I can be selfish here.

a regular bake off!

The other day I was out with a friend I hadn't seen in ... two years? (Maybe less... I catch him every time he comes to Ontario... I'll check the archives later...) Anyway, we were out for coffee catching up, then went to wander the mall in the Petes. This friend and I worked together in the drop in centre for a few years, worked most shifts together and often got called on to run an errand or two together... he's a great guy and I've missed him since he's moved out west. He has this.... endearing way of saying "aaaawwww, muffin!", that's kinda catchy, and over time, he became known (at least in my mind) as Muffin.
When I moved back to this area I met another guy by the same first name, and over time, I started calling him Muffin too... it seemed only natural.

Muffin the original and I are wandering the mall, chatting away, when we round a corner... and there... standing before us .... is Muffin number two.

Have you ever had your worlds collide? I'm talking about the left hand meeting the right hand... ok, maybe not so drastic... Friends from one part of your life meeting the friends from another part of your life...
Thankfully I'm pretty much the same person no matter where I am... True enough I'm a little more mature where work is concerned, but other than that, I'm me. When those worlds collide... sometimes you're just left.... stunned. And confused.

It was then that I had to break it to the Muffins that they weren't all that special after all... they shared a name with someone else...

I watched number two eye number one ... "you mean I'm not the original Muffin??!" (slightly shocked... slightly amused)

"it's like a regular bake shop out here today"

The young Priest (or) what to do on a Saturday night?

I visited the local Catholic Church this weekend. It was thru work, but I'd been contemplating going for a visit there for awhile, the timing just happened to be good.

Not much has changed there.
But a lot has changed too.

There's the physical changes, the building is older, the murals more faded, the faces I recognized have aged, as mine has too. There's scaffolding up, pews taken out, someone is trying to bring a newness to the old murals, holding the plaster back into place.
The same refrains are chorused, but the tune they are sung to has changed- I come from a straight spoken refrain background, but my last few years in the church the sing-song refrains had taken over... it seems the tunes they are a'changing (insert eye-roll here).

My visit brought up all sorts of strange memories, concerns, lifelong frustrations... and peace too. I love liturgy. So it was good to be back... BUT
here's the but::
There was one thing that occupied my mind the entire mass.

Part two will be added after work.....

back in the day

On a blog I frequent daily, two questions were posed to us earlier this week: why did you start blogging, and name another blog I should read.

I gave my answer, but then, going back to read other's answers I was reminded.....

Another part of the reason I started blogging was because of a personal web page back in 96 or 97...
we'd just gotten hooked up to the world wide web, and I was clogging our phone line reading ...
wait for it....
a man's JOURNAL!!!
I thought for sure he just didn't know how to use his computer and was accidentally writing for all the world to see... All I remember was that he was really into swing dancing... I read everything he wrote till we got a new computer... and in my laziness never remembered the address.
That was back when we "yahoo'd" things... because yahoo was cooler than Google. But yahoo let me down trying to find him again... I had a bit of a geeky girl crush on him.

memories

(written several days ago)

Today I was flooded with memories. And... today I realized the giant gaps with the things I've forgotten.

I parked in the parking lot of my primary school.... I was on my way to a funeral, and remembered vaguely in the corner of my mind that there was a back staircase from the school yard to the church.

I pulled into the yard and parked by an old cement retaining wall. The school is built on a hill, the yard at the bottom, one side of the yard is a steep embankment, tree roots the only thing keeping the neighbour's yards from tumbling down to the pavement below. In one or two places, at some point in time, someone decided to pour some cement to hold back the earth. When I was in grade three they were leaning... when I was there today they were leaning some more. The same foot path runs up beside them, up behind them and up to a big tree root, perfect for sitting on, and not too high that you might get in trouble for climbing the hill.
The school itself is built into the hill. To get to class, each grade had to line up, and class by class we were sent up the stairs. Of the two years I lined and waited at the bottom of the steps, then marched to the top... I can only remember one or two trips to the top... but running my hands along the railing, I could hear the conversations we'd had from countless others.
I looked back and pictured the bouncy balls and Frisbees that would collect on the roof, cleaned off for the summer.
I passed by the windows to one of my old class rooms... I can't remember what I learned there... but I remember the smell of the room, and the faded green feeling it had.
I climbed up past the school, and rounded my way to the church, I didn't remember the house being so close to the stairs, I couldn't remember a single instance of climbing the steps... but yet, I must have used it often, I instinctively lifted my foot a little higher on the last step, my mind remembering it's tendency to trip.
The church was smaller than I remembered, the paint new, the water damage gone, the frayed carpet replaced...
we sat, we stood, we sat, we stood, we kneeled, we stood, we sat. we sang songs tucked away in my memory, and the smell of incense filled the church. The service was beautiful.
Afterwards, I headed back down the stairs. More memories woke up, moments that had passed came back to life, games and gossip played out. Best friends were remembered and "life long" enemies were hated again... all in the few moments it took to get to my car.
I'm glad I parked in the school yard.

and more

in following with yesterday's post::

here's an excerpt from my favorite section of our local paper... It's the part I look forward to the most each day....

TODAY IN HISTORY (July 11th- I held on to this one...)

1919 - Six carloads of Gypsies showed up in Cobourg. Gypsy caravans had been a common sight, but now, automobiles had driven their wagons off the roads, so the Gypsies switched to cars too. They were still met with distrust. When one gypsy began to tell fortunes, Chief Ruse escorted the bunch out of town.

(lol, now they pay them to come to the waterfront festival?)

1935 - The Superior Store on Ontario Street in Port Hope had Aylmer peas on sale (who records this stuff?????) two tins for 21 cents. Sunkist oranges were 25 cents a dozen.



so, I'm thinking of heading down to the archive place to see what other gems I can dig up!!!