Hunter, The Princess Bride & A Pit Of Love

This morning, I called Hunter over to the couch to tell him about the book I've been reading. It's not a book appropriate for preschoolers so I took the liberty of glossing over the numerous attempted murders and more mature details of the story. I simply told him that there was a girl named Buttercup and a boy named Westley who were friends when they were teenagers. One day Buttercup is captured and Westley chases after the men who took her. I told him about climbing the Cliffs of Insanity, the sword fight and when Buttercup falls into the snow sand. In my copy of the book, there is a map that depicts the Cliffs, the Fire Swamp, and other elements of the story I chose not to mention(Zoo of Death)! He was fascinated and we talked about that story and looked at the map together many times throughout the day. This new found interest lead to one of the best conversations I have had with my second born nephew.

Auntie Jenn: 'Westley and Buttercup fell in love! Do you know anyone who's in love?'

Hunter: 'No!'

AJ: 'You do! Mommy and Daddy are in love!'

H: 'Did they fall?'

AJ: 'Yup. They fell in love.'

H: 'Did they get out?'

AJ: 'Nope, they're still in love.'

H: 'Still?! How did they get to our house?!'

This is where I threw it over to Shannelle, who had overheard our conversation. I can only assume from his line of questioning that he believes you actually fall into a pit of love. And really, if you're stuck in a pit, how are you getting home? Completely reasonable question.

I love seeing his mind at work. I hope I can keep having these candid conversations about books and about life for years to come.

Tell Me A Story

The girls and I often tell stories at lunch time, and snack time, and really any time during the day. When I first starting telling them stories they all had the same format:

One day, (insert name of Friend #1) & (insert name of Friend #2) were walking through the (insert landscape) one day, when all of the sudden-they heard a noise! It sounded like this! (insert random noise). They didn't know what it was, so they kept walking. And then all of the sudden-they heard ANOTHER noise! It sounded like this! (insert different random noise). 

The friends heard a few noises and then found the source of the noise. It was usually a typically scary thing(bear, giant, monster) eating something that was gigantic and silly(bowl of ice cream, popsicle, corn on the cob), who turned out to be a nice guy. In the end, they all become friends and live happily ever after. The end. No matter how many different types of stories I tell, this is the format the girls request most often. They've even started telling stories themselves. It is brilliant. To listen to these girls tell stories from their imaginations, is, by far, one of my favorite things to do. They have such expression in their voices and faces, I could listen to them all day long.

Telling, reading and listening to stories is a definite highlight of my week. One of the primary places that takes place is at Monkeyshines Children's Books. Every Thursday they have story time, where the lovely Sue reads three kids books to a group of adoring children. There are days when I think, if the girls could, they would go home with Sue. She, and all the Monkeyshines staff, are wonderful.

Before we started going to Monkeyshines, I was a bit of a children's book addict, primarily picture books. Going for our weekly visit to the bookstore has sent my addiction into overdrive! I have shared in the past about books I would recommend for the preschool set, but I thought I should update the list, as Monkeyshines has exposed me to all sorts of fantastic books!

1. Otis and The Tornado(Loren Long)

This book is a daily read when we have it out from the library. The girls love it and have most of the words memorized. We've read it so many times that now, when they're playing, they don't get scared, they 'shake in fear!" I love the vocabulary the Otis books have! This book is a great book to spark conversations about friendship, kindness and first impressions.

2. Willoughby & The Moon(Greg Foley)

Willoughy & The Moon has marvelous illustrations. They're entirely black, white and shiny silver, which I love. Thankfully the story is equally fantastic. Willoughby is scared of the dark and one night ventures into his closet to find-the moon! There, Willoughby meets a giant snail and discovers that even when you're scared, you can still do something brave. This book can start conversations about being adventurous, trying things when you're unsure, and, of course, great imagination stories about the moon!

3. A Home For Bird(Philip C Stead)

Philip C Stead(author), and his wife Erin(illustrator), have a tendency to put out completely endearing children's books that I immediately fall in love with. A Sick Day For Amos McGee is incredibly sweet and won the 2011 Caldecott Medal. Bear Has A Story To Tell is just as charming! A Home For Bird, is, however, a solo effort by Philip and matches the loveliness of the collaborations he has had with his wife. A story of friendship that never gives up!

4. Grumpy Goat(Brett Helquist)
 Brett Helquist tells the story of a grumpy goat who's never had a friend. The other animals on the farm try to befriend the goat, only to be rebuffed at every turn. After the goat discovers a bright and beautiful flower, he begins to soften. In the end, another story of friendship and opening up your heart!

5. Little Cub(Olivier Dunrea)
Little Cub tells us of a little cub living alone near the forest and of an old bear living alone in the forest. Both lonely and wishing for something more. One day, they stumble across each other's path and find their missing piece. A beautiful story for parents and children, especially those who came together through adoption.

6. Quiet! There's a Canary in the Library!(Don Freeman)
Don Freeman is most famously known for Corduroy, a children's classic to be sure. I was delighted to find this book on the shelf at Monkeyshine, having never heard it of! A great book about a girl named Cary and what she would do if she were the librarian! Liberal doses of imagination and lots of animals make for a great story!

7. Penguin and Pinecone(Salina Yoon)
I see a pattern on my kids bookshelves at home. They're filled with sweet stories of friendship. Penguin and Pinecone is no different. Penguin and Pinecone's friendship spans the years and shows that, "When you give love, it grows." Simple illustrations, not too many words, a new favorite.

Noise

I hate clutter. It bothers me to the point of distraction. I call it visual noise. This is why I sleep so much better when my house is tidy. My sleep, after I do my dishes and clean my kitchen, the oft ignored room during my tidy regiment, is a beautiful thing. I know I'm not alone in this. However, my need for clutter free spaces generally applies only to spaces I can see. My counter may be clear, but please don't look in my cupboards. Sadly, one of the deterrents from cleaning out my cupboards to set them straight is that I'd have to make the spaces I can see a mess before the inside cupboards are orderly. I just don't want to endure the visual noise of it all.

Another place that my clutter rule does not apply is my mind.

My mind is always running. Often, it takes a detour into Crazytown(What was that noise? I think I'm about to robbed. And murdered. Ah man, my place is a mess-the CSI guys are going to think I'm a slob!), but mostly it's just running with white noise. Things I have to get done, major life decision, that boy I liked in Grade 3*, how much soup I still have in my freezer, that email I have to sent, the time I got a perm, that other email I have to send, the dishes that have been sitting in the sink for far too long, that fictional character I care too much about, that other major life decision. It's endless.

This fact has not helped my writing. It has not gone unnoticed by me that I haven't written a thing since October. That's a far cry from my 'every two weeks' goal from July. I have things I want to write about on a weekly basis. Some things often come back to me repeatedly. For example, I wrote the title of this post in November. I've been thinking about the nuthouse that is my mind, since November, if not before. However, the other clutter that occupies my mind gets in the way of writing the posts I want to.

I was talking with a friend a couple weeks ago about insomnia, something we both struggle with, and she commented that it sometimes stems from stressors in her life. Not big news, but it made me think about my life and the stressors that may be keeping me up. The clutter makes it difficult to identify the things that are really bothering me. On occasion, when I do identify a stressor, it's just simpler, but certainly not healthier, to leave it in among the clutter. Like my cupboards, I'm afraid of the mess I might make trying to put the inside in order.


*His name was Cole. He wore a florescent green shirt and his house key around his neck. He had brown hair and was the handsomest boy I had ever seen.

F-O-X.

In my pursuit of writing, I am often asked "What kind of writing do you want to do?" After much thought(maybe too much thought), I've landed on an answer. I'd like to write picture books. With that in mind, I took to the world wide web, to see if there were any classes being offered on penning the next great picture book. There is not. At least, not anywhere within 12 hours of my house. I did, however, come across Mem Fox's website. Fox is an award-winning, Australian picture-book author. Chances are, if you've been to a baby shower within the last decade, her book Time For Bed has come across your path.

She has a section on her website entitled "So you want to write a picture book..." Why yes Mem, yes I do! As I read through her thoughts, I was inspired and challenged and so grateful that someone has talented and experienced as Fox would have the compassion and thought to share her insights and experiences. It was most helpful and I'm sure I'll read it many times over as I travel further down this path.

The Marvelous McKeowns

Two years ago, I was in a holding pattern of sorts. I was working at the bookstore and I had just let my contract with the school board run out. I was adrift, wondering what was going to happen next, where I would go from there.

A few months later, a bittersweet job offer came my way. To work at a daycare isn't where a trained teacher dreams of ending up but I would be working with kids and it would be a full time gig-something my bank account was sorely in need of. My mom's words of encouragement were "Maybe this will lead to something else." A large part of me doubted her words, but I took the job, donned the uber-flattering daycare scrubs and hopped on the bus every morning to head to work.

A few weeks later, my supervisor informed me that our infant room would be receiving two new kids, twin girls. Not thinking much of it, I began to prepare the room, labeling cribs and baskets with the new addition's names-Emily and Clara.

I distinctly remember the first time these two peanuts came to visit our room. Light-as-a-feather Emily was plunked in my lap with Clara right beside on the floor. Clara slowly started to explore with Emily content to sit in my lap and have toys brought to her as her eyes scanned the new people and place that surrounded her.

Over the next months, I fell in love with these two precious, distinctly different girls. One cautious and observant, the other daring and wild. But both extremely clever and so loving. As the time for their graduation from our room approached, I cherished their smiles and cuddles all the more. On their last day in my room, the girl's mom asked me, "So, would you ever consider being our nanny?" I had considered it, many times actually, and although the job would be only be part time, there was another part time opportunity that had come my way, that seemed to fit perfectly. After a weekend of debate and much (positive)input from my family, I decided to accept their offer. Two months later, I left the daycare and began work as their nanny.

I've been with Emily and Clara for one year now. I love watching them grow into their personalities and discover new things.

Clara, the wild one. This little girl loves adventure. She loves to climb and jump and spin and do anything that is active. She plays hard and she also loves very, very deeply. She gives hugs to anyone who will accept them. This was true, even back in the daycare when she would tackle the other kids with hugs and kisses. When Clara loves you, you know it. :)


Emily, the contemplative one. This peanut is whip-smart. She likes to have things explained to her, to really understand why things work the way they do-which is one of the reasons we sometimes spend quite a bit of time at lunch talking about what different foods do for us. Although it might take a bit longer for her to warm up, Emily has such a loving heart and easy laugh. She loves to be tickled and to be "a team" with her sister.

Along with these two amazing girls, this family also comes with two fantastic parents. Mike and Peggy are among the most generous and kindhearted people I have ever known. In the early stages of our working relationship, I honestly thought they were too good to be true. However, over the past year, I have seen time and time again how loving and supportive these two really are. They have supported me, not just as the care-giver to their girls, but as a friend and I am forever thankful.

When my mom said that she thought the daycare job would lead 'somewhere', I don't think she thinking 'to a nannying job' but I do believe that job was used to lead me to this amazing family and, with their support, will lead me further.

  

So thankful for these monkeys.

MOH Anniversary Toast

I am a sucker for a good wedding and tears are a regular(and sometimes welcome) occurrence during the proceedings. I love being in a wedding party even more. I've been lucky enough to be in 3 wedding parties, each time as Maid of Honor. 8 years ago, I stood up with my sister, as her MOH, as she married Jeff. I was an emotional basket case for much for the day. Laughing one minute, crying the next, I rode that roller coaster all day. It was fantastic. However, I do have one regret from that day.
During the reception, the two bridesmaids and myself got up to give a toast to the bride/advice to the groom. Shockingly, I had nothing prepared ahead of time and in my mental haze of dizzying emotion, there were tears and some laughter but I've never been satisfied with what I shared. It was scattered and not up to snuff in my opinion. I've often thought of what I could have said about Shannelle and Jeff, or what I would say now, knowing them as a pair for 8 more years. So, for this, Shannelle and Jeff's 8th anniversary, I thought I would give it another shot. I give you the toast that should have been.


  Shannelle, there are few words that can describe all I'm feeling today. I've chosen a few and hope they will suffice.


Lucky- I'm lucky that you didn't kill me when, as kids, I tricked you into cleaning my room time and time again. For that matter, you're lucky I didn't kill you for repeatedly manipulating me into doing, pretty much whatever you wanted(Just go down the laundry shoot, Jenn! It's not that far!). I'm lucky that I've blocked out the summer road trips fights we must have had and mostly remember the ridiculous games we played(How much of your fist can you put in your mouth without it actually touching your mouth?).
Today, I'm lucky I have waterproof mascara on. I'm also lucky that you have brought Jeff into our family. He will make a fantastic, somewhat calmer addition to our loud family and maybe, one day, he'll get to a point that he'll join in on our antics, or at least doesn't internally(or externally) roll his eyes at our crazy Tattrie behavior. More than anything, I am lucky, and blessed beyond belief to have you as my sister. We over-share together(something I've learned it's best not to do with everyone), we talk about fictional characters as if they were real, and share some of the same perfectly logical neuroses. You encourage me, push me and I admire you more than you know.


Happy- When we weren't driving each other 'round the bend, we were a team, a pair, for all of my 21 years. There were secrets shared(or so we thought-Mom's really do know everything), clothes borrowed, Barbie's divvied up and much, much, laughter exchanged. I'm happy today to pass you off to a man I trust to share, hopefully not your clothes, or Barbies for that matter, but your secrets and much laughter. Today, I am truly and unabashedly happy for you. To see you start a new chapter of your life with this man who you love and who clearly loves you makes my heart smile. 

Excited- I'm excited to see where life will take the two of you. Maybe one day, if you so choose, I might have a couple nephews that are cuter than anything I've ever seen. Your call, of course. Perhaps, I'll start to follow golf and trade texts with Jeff during golf tournaments. Although, I really don't see that happening. Whatever happens, know that I'll be there cheering you on, praying for you and coming over to your house whenever possible.


Shannelle, I love you. Jeff, you're alright too.
Congratulations.


Cheers.

What 29 Looks Like

Before you read this post, you should probably read this one. I'm sorry but I'm not going to write that all out again. I'll wait.

You read it? Okay, then read on.

I'm looking to have a different sort of year. In order to do that, I'll be setting some goals for myself. I'll be adding to this list throughout the year. Some of the goals will be super small, possibly a bit silly(check out #3), some will be a bit more substantial. I'm the kind of person who takes a shower, then writes "Take a shower" on her To Do list just so I can cross it off. There may be a bit of that this year, but I'm okay with that.

1. Write a New Post Every Two Weeks
       Writing is something I love to do and I`d like to work my writing muscles a bit more than I have been. I`d like to get better. At first I thought I should write a post every week but seeing as how it`s taken more than two months to write my two most recent posts, I thought every two weeks was probably a bit more realistic.

2. Pursue Writing
   What this would look like, I'm not sure. It's been suggested to me that I pursue getting my work published. My first(and second and third) response was "What? No way! What if they say no!" Who is 'they' and what are they saying 'no' to? I'm not sure. I don't make sense a lot of the times. However! I`d like to see where it might take me. If you have any tips or advice, send them my way!

3. Watch Braveheart
  This is one of those silly goals, obviously. I’m fairly certain that pop culture has ruined the whole, “They’ll never take our freedom!” for me, but I’ll give it a shot regardless.

4. Create More Structure at Work 
  I am a nanny to amazing, two-year-old twin girls. They are hilarious and adorable(as many two-year-old`s are) and I love them so much! We go on a number of awesome outings(Calgary Zoo, Science Center, Monkeyshines) and have lots of fun at home, but I`d like to step up the educational component. They`re whip smart, so all I need to do to provide them with more opportunities to learn! It`ll also give me an opportunity to use that BEd I’ve got! :)

5. Plan For Something a Year in Advance
  Since I graduated from university, my ability to plan anything more than a couple weeks into the future has gone to seed. This is a skill, I feel, a functioning adult needs to have a better handle on. And so I plan. Well, I plan to plan. I`m thinking a 30th Birthday trip. We`ll see.

Stayed tuned for more! And hey, if you’ve got some goals ideas, let me hear ’em!

One More Year

15 years ago:

  I look at the party invite that my parents have received for Steve's 30th Birthday. One thought runs through my head- "30. Steve, I'm so sorry. Life is over for you now." As a very wise 14 year old, I could see that my life was full of possibility and clearly, at 30, Steve should just give up. What was there to live for after 30?

9 years ago:

  My twentieth birthday hits me like a ton of bricks. Living in the States with family, I have a near meltdown, sure that I'm light years away from where I should be in life. There are many tearful emails written to family and friends back home that all share a common theme- "I'm 20, shouldn't I have it figured out by now? I'm nowhere where I thought I'd be."

1 year ago:

  I turn 28. There's no denying it now. I'm in my late twenties. None of this forgiving "mid-twenties" stuff, I'm rolling to the finish line. I start to see 30 on the horizon, waiting to give me my Retirement From Life papers. A steady dread makes itself at home in my mind, occasionally singing "30's getting closer! 30's getting closer!", like a school yard bully.

Today:

  I turn 29. I have 365 days until I'm 30. You may think it's silly, hey, I think it's silly, but I'm kinda freakin' out. I have often said, "If my 20 year old self knew that I'd age almost a decade and still not really know what I'm doing, I would have really and truly lost my mind." I feel like I should know where I'm headed(or at least a general direction), that I should know what I'm about. I've got to be honest with you, most days, I don't. However, an experience last weekend had an unexpected influence on me. I went camping. You might say I had an epiphany. And by epiphany, I mean, I realized something that most people would find to be common sense. Let me explain.

  Camping has never been on my radar. I didn't hate it(although I did have a number of minor death-related fears about it), I didn't love it, I had no feelings towards it at all because I had never tried it. There are lots of things in life, trivial and otherwise, that I'm indifferent to, or more importantly set against, because of the unknown. I don't know what the outcome will be so I eliminate the possibility of the experience altogether. Here's the problem with that thinking-you miss out on so much! Well, I assume you do, I wouldn't know. :)

  One of the best ways to find some direction in life is to try different paths. "It doesn't hurt to knock on the door", as my mom would say. Try things you've never done or only considered. For the most part, you won't know if it's right or wrong by simply making a pro/con list. Listen, I'm not saying, "Hey! Try something new! Do something you know to be a colossal mistake! Stupid decision making leads to a great life!" I'm thinking more along the lines of, "You have a talent. Explore it. See where it might lead. Take it in a direction you didn't expect." Or something as simple as, "Hey! You've never gone camping-give it a shot! You might like it!" Turns out I did. So, as a brand new member of the 29 year old club, I'm making a decision to be a bit more intentional with my life. I'll do my best to accept the life that's brought me to this point and shake off the fear of my twenties. If I'm nowhere I thought I'd be(check!), I've decided that I'm going to use this year to get a bit closer. A year from now, I still may not know what my life will look like at 31, but I'm hoping that I'll have, at least, narrowed the path and maybe eliminated a few possibilities. Check out my post, What 29 Looks Like, to see what some of my goals are.

Let Me Preface This...

The other day I was in the cheese aisle at the grocery story. Okay wait, I should say, I'm beginning to notice a terrible personal habit. I'm an extreme prefacer. I think many things come into play here.

1. My dad is one of those people who ends up talking for ten minutes about something that could be explained to two sentences. He fills you in with a million details that really have no effect on the story. He tries his hardest to help you remember that, in fact, you actually do know the person he ran into at Costco, while he was buying some shaving cream that was a really good deal, after he sampled some great hot chocolate, but before he remembered he needed more pens. The excessive details bit is just one of the many things he has passed onto me. 

2. A favorite TV show of mine called Felicity. In the pilot episode, our heroine, Felicity, is about to tell her high school crush that she completely changed her university plans and traveled across the country, because of him. This is how she starts- "I just want to preface this by saying that I don't want you to feel weird about anything I'm about to say, at all." Which really, if you hear someone say that to you? You're almost guaranteed to feel weird about everything they're about to say. It's such a classic Felicity awkward moment, I really do love it.

3. My mind is, at times, a wild jungle full of scary gibberish. There are often times my mind ends up in places and I really have no memory of what train got me there. So, because I'm so random, I want to make sure that I'm not bringing my listener into the middle of some random scene in my life. I want to appropriately set the stage. Sometimes, I stop in the middle of telling a story, and add in a preface. "Oh! Before I go on-let me preface this by saying..."

4. Sometimes I just want to tell someone a random fact about my day. So rather than just say one random thing, I disguise it as a preface, even though it has nothing to do with what I'm about to say. "So, just to preface this-I saw a guy with a huge clown wig on today. Okay, so let me tell you about the book I'm reading." To be fair, there's never really a natural place in conversation to mention a clown wig sighting.

5. I often speak before I think. When I start talking, I really do think the preface is necessary. Honest, I do. But then, about 4 sentences in I realize, it's completely unnecessary. I'm working towards thinking before I let words come out of my mouth.

So, I want to apologize if it's ever taken me 5 minutes to simply tell you that the cheese was on sale. Well, I guess I just did.

The cheese was on sale.

There, I did it.
See? I get there eventually!

Loyalty

'I remember when you went to one gas station, your gas station, no matter what. Now, people just go wherever they have cheaper gas.'

I remember feeling nostalgic when my Dad said this a few years ago. Now, this may make my Dad sound like he's one of those 'back in my day’ kind of old men, and maybe he is. But I also think it shows his sense of loyalty. When I was growing up, we always went to the Esso station to fill up. Not Shell or Petro Canada, always Esso. I had the sense that this was our gas station. It was almost like they were the team I cheered for. I remember not understanding when friends would tell me that their parents got gas at the Husky station. 'Why would you go to the Husky station, when you could go to Esso?' This, somewhat ridiculous, sense of pride in a gas station(I get how crazy that sounds) still has a lingering hold on me. There’s an Esso station a couple blocks from my house and that’s my usual station. I feel slightly out of place when I’m filling up at a Shell station. All that yellow assaults my senses. 

Both of my parents are very loyal people. However, my Dad is loyal to things like gas stations. I think that loyalty also spills over to his possessions. He has a hard time throwing out anything that at one time or another was useful or meaningful in any way. Even if it was 25 years ago. I would guess that, if not for my mom, who gets a great deal of pleasure from purging dusty closets and rarely visited drawers, my Dad would end up on Hoarders. I would say, I’m somewhere in between, but sometimes I see my Dad’s slightly irrational loyalty come out.

For example, I have been known, on occasion, to leave the TV on to lend my ratings to a show, even though I don’t actually watch it. I want to support the actor, producer, or creator of a show. I want them to succeed and feel encouraged in their latest endeavor, so I put the show on, hit mute and go wash my dishes. I know that's insane, even as I write this, I'm shaking my head at myself. I'm bonkers. I get it. But there's a part of me that feels like turning my back on a celebrity that doesn't even know I exist, makes me disloyal. I'm loyal to famous strangers. That is nowhere in the arena of rational thought. But I’ve embraced that personal quirk. I do my best to think logically about things but sometimes I slip up. I can't help it. 

On an unrelated note, JJ Abrams, if you’re reading this, I'm a huge fan. I’m sorry I don't watch Person of Interest. Please don’t take it personally.

90's Kid

A friend recently asked me what decade I most identify with- "Are you an '80's kid or a '90's kid?"

Now, as much as I love the influence the '80s had on my childhood, after hearing rumors of an S Club 7 reunion, I have to firmly place my allegiance in the 90's Kid Camp. I don't think an '80's kid would have tried to simultaneously jump and make an 'S' in the air as many times as I did. 

 These rumors have ushered in a smile on my face and a healthy dose of nostalgia! Because of my age, I get the most nostalgic when I listen to mid-late '90's pop music. I'm the first to admit that this era is ripe with the cheesiest tunes around, but there's always a special place in your heart reserved for songs you know all the words to but haven't hear in over a decade. :) I've included some gems for your enjoyment.

Spice Girls-Stop(1997)

Not only do I know the words, I know the actions.

S Club 7-You're My Number One(2000*)

This was my favorite S Club video. They're just so much fun!

*I know, not an official '90's group, but because they're the reason for this post, I'm including them.

All Saints-Never Ever(1998)

I made one of the teens in my youth group listen to this song a couple days ago and his question was, "This song was a hit?" My answer? Yes, yes it was.

Five-Everybody Get Up(1998)

Me and my friends would blast Five driving home from school.

Take That-Sure(1995)

A couple of my friends and I LOVED Take That. We watched as many music videos as her VHS tapes could hold. :) You also have to love the net shirts.

Semisonic-Closing Time(1999)

Now matter how overplayed this song was(and it really, really was), you're probably a '90's kid if you've ever, after hearing someone say 'closing time', started singing "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. I know who I want to take me home!!"

The Cardigans-Lovefool(1996)

This is the classic drives-me-crazy-because-once-I-hear-it-once-I-know-it'll-be-in-my-head-all-day-but-I-still-can't-help-but-sing-along song. :)

I could sit here for hours adding songs and memories but I'll leave it at that.

As far as music goes, I'm a '90's kid. What about you?

Lyrics Say Wha?!

I am a strong believer in confidently singing along to songs, even if you're not completely sure of the lyrics. Sometimes, when I eventually find out the lyrics, I still sing it the old way. As ridiculous as it is, I feel a bit rebellious and silly when I intentionally sing the wrong lyrics. And, honestly, sometimes I just forget the real lyrics. :) Here are just a few songs I always mix up:

Bon Iver- Blood Bank

Real Lyric: I'm in love with your honor.

I'm in love with your cheeks.

Jenn Lyric: I'm in love with Your Honor(as in Judge)

I'm in love with your cheese.

Foster The People-Hustling (Life On The Nickel)

Real Lyric: Yet again I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Jenn Lyric:  Get my Ross on, Ross on, Ross on.

Angels and Airwaves- The Adventure

Real Lyric: I can't live, I can't breathe, unless you do this with me.

Jenn Lyric: I can't live, I can't breathe, unless Judy's with me.

If I'm being completely honest with you, the vast majority of the time, I'm not even singing words. I'm singing the sounds that I hear. Complete. Gibberish. But it's gibberish with gusto!

Stupid

I don`t like the word stupid. It seems so..harsh. And rude. There has to be a better word you can use to say whatever it is you`re trying to say. However...it`s the only word that comes to my mind when I see things like this:

I really don`t understand why people think things like this are funny. I`m even more dumbfounded when I see people claiming `that`s totally me!! hahahahahaha!`

Really, people? Really?

Table For One

  Being a "single" in a world largely filled with "pairs", once was, and still can be at times, daunting. Intimidating. Honestly, depressing. But I've learned to look for the perks and embrace my alone-ness. I used to envy the built-in adventure buddy that so many of my friends had. Another person to suggest awesome outings or memory making moments. I was left to my own devices and ideas.

  I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I slowly came to realize that my "pair" friends were having the same boring Saturday nights I was. If I wanted to go do something, I was going to do it. Was I seriously going to wait until someone came into my life and told me, "Hey! Know what would be fun? Frisbee!!" Heck no!*  So I decided to start doing things by myself-going to movies, out for dinner, exploring the city. It became a mini mission to start making adventures of my own. There have been some awkward moments of my solo journey's, but there have been some great moments too. For example, when I decided to go see my first movie alone. There was a very small voice in the very back of my mind saying, "You know what's going to happen? You're going to walk into that theater and it's going to be filled with couples and groups who are all going to be thinking-What the?! Who goes to a movie alone?? Loser!" It was just a small voice, but it was there just the same. So, it was with a bit of apprehension when I turned to corner to find my seat in the theater(the movie was just starting) only to find it completely empty, save one person. Another person having a solo movie night. Awesome. I told that very small voice to shut it, found the best seat in the house and enjoyed the movie.

  I've become comfortable with being alone. I am by no means turning in my people-person badge, but as an overall extrovert, it's allowed me to indulge my introvert tendencies. It's given me a bit of a more balanced life.

  Some people get uncomfortable when single people talk about being single. There's a pained look of sympathy that sometimes crosses there face as if they're saying, "I'm just so sorry you have to live through this. Singleness. That is the. worst. Chin up, you'll make it through." There may be some of you reading this who are super uncomfortable with the fact that I'm drawing attention to the fact that you're uncomfortable. To you I say-I'm not living with a terminal illness. I'm not crying myself to sleep every night. I'm not constantly drowning my sorrows in Ben and Jerry's. I'm happy and always looking for the next adventure. I'm sorry if you're sad for me, but chin up, you'll make it through.

*Please don't think I try to play frisbee by myself, because that would be depressing. It was just an example.

Wasted

I know I'm not old, objectively speaking. However, as I look back over my first decade of adulthood, I often think-where have the years gone? I'll be turning 30 in a year and a half and I'm already starting to panic. Crazy, I know. But when I think of all the things I still want to accomplish and experience, the expression, 'Youth is wasted on the young', begins to resonate with me.

But then I think-if youth is wasted on the young, what is being wasted on me?

What do I have that I don't appreciate? What gifts, resources, opportunities am I squandering? What blessings in my life am I blind to?

Higher Standard

I understand that we women come with our own unique style of communication. Reading between the lines is much more necessary with us than with our male counterparts. However, I don't believe that simply because we're women, that gives us free reign to intentionally trap people with our words. So, when I read things like this, it makes me ashamed to belong to a gender that would proudly claim this as their own. Are we not intelligent people? Can we not be respectful enough to the people around us to simply state what we're thinking?

Now, I have, on many occasions uttered an insincere 'fine', 'it's ok' and alike. However, and I sometimes need reminding of this, if that's what I'm saying, I need to be accountable for my words. If I say 'it's ok' and it's not, I take responsibility for whatever the outcome is. It's my choice to close up and not be honest. I need to deal with whatever it is, so that it is ok, or I need to go back and confess what I'm truly thinking.

To see women proudly boast about the mind games they play makes me shake my head. Truthfully, the above graphic needs to be appropriately relabeled as 5 Passive Aggressive Statements You Can Say To Make Women Appear Immature and Catty. Come on women-hold yourself to a higher standard!

Less Is Less and That's Okay

A number of weeks back, I saw a commercial for a computer program that backs up your information, your "stuff". Important personal information, music, documents, photos-protected. You know the drill. I wasn't that interested in the commercial(to me, computer talk = boring) but my attention was caught near the end when these two phrases were uttered "What are you without your stuff? Better yet, without your stuff, who are you?" Honestly, I sat there for a second wondering, "Did I just hear that? Is this what it's come to?" Now, you may tell me, identity theft is not a joke. I completely agree, it's not. You need to take the necessary steps to protect against identity theft(I hear Norton's good). However, since I saw that commercial, I've been seeing that message everywhere-without your stuff, who are you? Commercials, magazines, TV shows, radio ads, everywhere. I know it's been there for years, but I had never heard it so clearly put before and it's got me to thinking. More and more, I'm seeing products, whether that be technology, vehicles, music, whatever, being promoted as identity and it's frightening. Think about that for a second. I certainly hope that my identity is not resting on my dented, rusted, run down Sunfire, or I'm in trouble.

When did we start thinking that we are owed a comfortable life? Not even that, that we're owed a convenient life. The new feature on the newest iPhone4S, Siri, is almost obscene to me. According to the Apple website, 'It’s like you’re having a conversation with your iPhone'. And that doesn't scare anyone else? Can we not function on a basic human level without our technology?

We, first world-ers, are very quick to "blame" our excessive living conditions on circumstance. For example, "Can I help it if this is where I was born? It's not my fault! I'm just trying to keep up/stay current/be relevant in my society/culture!" Did you follow all that? :)

It's true, save extreme measures, we can't help where we live. But we can help how we consume and how much we consume. Sometimes, the better choice is just not to buy that new whozit or whatzit. Sometimes the upgrade isn't necessary. Sometimes you should go without because you don't have to live with more. Sometimes, less is less and that's okay.

Shannelle and Megan à la Dale from Ava

This will really only be funny if you watch 'Up All Night' and have recently received a lovely card from Shannelle and Megan. Enjoy.

Snippets of Friendship

There are some memories that, for some reason, stick out to me when I think of different friendships that I have. Some are big moments, some are small, but they all hold a special place in my heart. :)

Christi-We lived together for three school years. At the beginning of our second year, I was the first of the roommates to arrive in our apartment. I remember laying on the floor in the disastrous living room, looking through a book and the door flew open and it was Christi! We both screamed with delight, I jumped up and we threw our arms around each other. She said, "We're going to the Cannons game! Let's go!" It was one of the last Calgary Cannons games and it was the perfect way to start the school year.

Tammy-I hadn't really had a job where I had the potential to make friends before I started at Chapters. That makes me sound a little sad, don't worry I'm not. But I think Tammy is the first work friend I've ever had. Her persistence in trying to arrange a coffee date with me kind of threw me off at first because, well frankly, I wasn't used to going out with people from work. There wasn't a stand out moment when I realized this but I think I slowly realized, 'Oh. She wants to have coffee because......we're.....friends. Huh. I have a work friend. Did not see that coming.' I'm so glad she persisted because she's fantastic and I'm glad she's in my life(however infrequently). :)

Matt-When it comes to movies, Youtube clips, romantic stories, I'm a huge sap and have no problem crying in front of others. When it comes to personal issues, I'm quite private and generally keep my tough emotions to myself. After/during a particularly trying time in my life, I went to Matt(and Monica)'s house and basically blubbered like a fool. As I completely vented, Matt listened and offered encouraging, supportive words without being condescending or dismissing me. I've cried in front of him more times than I prefer to admit but I know he's person I can trust completely and that's invaluable.

Aurora-I worked with Aurora at Chapters and we didn't often work similar shifts. One day, after we hadn't seen each other in a really long time, I came into the back to start my shift and she was there looking for a book. As soon as she saw me, she gasped and ran over and gave me a huge hug-even though I was on the phone. I'm not really a huggy person but it was a really nice way to start the work day.

Stu-I met Stu when I was a teenager and he was MUCH older. After a rocky start(pranks and name calling were involved), we developed a mutual respect and enjoyment of teasing each other(pranks and name calling were still occasionally involved). Now, he's honestly one of my favorite people and I'm proud to call him my pastor. :)


Adriana-I lived with Adriana for one year and at some point during that year, we thought it'd be so great if we read bedtime stories to each other. For about a week, we would take turns reading 'The Magician's Nephew' to each other. I don't really know what brought that on but it was a great week and I'll never look at that book on my shelf the same way again.

Dan-The few times I went to Dan's place in university, I annoyed him by placing all of his, very disorganized CD's, in alphabetical order. I couldn't help it and eventually I think he came to expect it. Thanks for understanding Dan.

Leanne-Leanne and her, then boyfriend, now husband, Jonathan went on a trip to the UK to visit a couple of mutual friends and I met them at the airport upon their return. Previous to this trip, Leanne and I spoke every day, seeing each other quite frequently, and, as it turns out, the trip was a nice break. For both of us. :) We had both secretly not really missed the other and both secretly been a bit nervous that we wouldn't be that excited to be reunited. *Sidenote-it sounds like we hated each other. On the contrary, we loved each other immensely.* When they walked out of the gate, one of the first things Leanne said to me was "I'm so glad I'm happy to see you!", to which I replied, "Me too!" I'm glad I have a friend I can be that honest with.

Jennie-I have spent many of the last 7 New Year's Eve's with Jennie and I've learned one thing. If Jennie's there, it's gonna be a good time. You'll laugh-a lot. Like I did when she accidentally over shared a slightly inappropriate piece of information with a few of us a couple years back. I won't say what it was but her face went red and we all laughed.


Thanks to all my friends who provide me with an abundance of wonderful snippets. You make my life better.

2632

It's 1:30 a.m. and as I make my way home from a friend's house, I'm struck, as I always am when I travel at this hour, how peaceful and calm the city streets seem in the darkness. I pull up to a red light, beside another car presumably on it's way home as well. We sit at the light for approximately 45 seconds before a cop car pulls up directly in front of us, blocking either of us from proceeding. The officer parks the car and my heart starts to race. The peaceful, calm streets have turned suspicious and unpredictable in a manner of seconds. At the exact same time, myself and the passengers in the neighboring car look over at each other, as if to say, "What did you do?" We share a bewildered look and an assurance is passed between us that neither of us is a criminal. We're in the same clueless boat.

I begin to look around to find the reason we're being detained and I notice flashing orange lights coming towards the intersection from the left. Two or three trucks slowly pass in front of us, and then comes the main attraction. A house.

An entire house passes in front of us, slowly, as if being carried by a cloud. The house has a mailbox, a front door, even a house number. The moment is surreal and amazing. I feel like I'm in a strange house transporting dream. Peace is restored to the streets and to my heart as I take in this sight. It feels differently from when I have seen houses bring transported on the highway. Those houses lumbered down the road, inconveniencing or frightening those around them. This house is graceful somehow. The street lights gently cast a faint glow on what will be someone's home as it leisurely makes it's way through the intersection, continuing on it's way.

The police officer starts up his car and pulls away once the house is at a safe distance. The light turns green and I smile as I slowly pull away from such a strange late night experience.

Over the years, I have often thought of that house. It's house number is up on my wall. I'm not sure why that experience struck me or stuck with me like it has. However, I do know that whenever I look at those numbers and I recall that night, a sense of calm comes over me and my often scattered mind takes a deep breath. So, for that, 2632, I thank you.