It's In My Calendar

I'm a pretty boring person.  The Mr. is, too, for that matter.

We like routine and order, and we're pretty good at it.  Every Monday night we get out our calendars and make plans for the coming week.  Everything we will be doing is written into the schedule -- in ink.  

It works for us, but I realize that would drive some people crazy.  In fact I believe it drove our two oldest daughters crazy when they were teenagers.  A common conversation on Monday nights back then went something like this:

Daughter #1:  "Oh, come on Mom.  I don't know what I'm going to be doing on the weekend.  Can't we just be like normal teenagers and wait and see when Friday night rolls around?"

Although I can appreciate this line of reasoning, it can sometimes drive me crazy!  For example:

* When I try to schedule an appointment to go visiting teaching, and the woman says, "I don't know if I'm going to be home that day or not.  Call me that morning and I'll let you know."

* When it has been decided within a group of people that we will always get together the 2nd Tuesday of every month, and the day before one person says, "Oh sorry, I didn't know we were having it that day.  Can we change it to another day instead?"

* When I'm in charge of something that involves the co-operation of a lot of people, and I painstakingly make sure that everyone knows all the details and what is expected of them, and near the crunch day someone says, "I didn't bother to write it down so I didn't know."

Ugh!!

Daughter #2 recently described me as "mentally committed".  I realize that almost sounds like I should be living in an insane asylum, but what she meant is that once I've committed to something, I will always remember it, and base my other plans around it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Except when it comes to spontaneity.

Recently we took a trip to attend our niece's wedding festivities (which we, of course, had listed on our calendar months in advance.)  We were given last-minute instructions for a change to our arrival time, which left us with a few hours to kill.  After a short discussion we decided to go to the mall and begin our Christmas shopping.

When we arrived at the mall, however, the parking lot was full, so we ended up parking near an entryway at the back that we didn't even know about.  When we walked in the door, we were surprised to discover that there was a movie theatre there.  But what was even more surprising was that we decided -- on a whim -- to take in a matinee.

We have never done that before!!  It was exhilarating!!

I could hardly stop thinking about the fact that we had done something spontaneous.  It was great!  I decided that I need to do that more often.

It's now on my calendar to be spontaneous.

Every 1st and 3rd Thursday.

Between 1 and 3 pm.

Dixie

Gone But Not Forgotten

It all started with Cuban Lunch chocolate bars.

  

When I was a little girl I had a weekly tradition:  After receiving my allowance, I would head for Ken's Confectionary -- the local convenience store -- and make my usual purchases.  

                    - The latest Archie comic book   (25 cents)

                    - A bottle of Grape Crush soda.   (15 cents)

                    - A Cuban Lunch chocolate bar.  (10 cents)

And although my allowance increased as I got older, I'm pretty sure I kept up this weekly ritual for many years.  Probably until I graduated from high school.  Then I moved away to college in the states and forgot about my love of Cuban Lunches.

It wasn't until I was married with children of my own, that I decided to purchase a Cuban Lunch so I could introduce its crunchy goodness to my young daughters.  Alas it was not to be found!  No matter where I looked, no store seemed to sell it.  

Was life still worth living?

Then came Cinnamon Dentyne gum.

For years it was my favourite gum -- I chewed it almost every day for as long as I can remember.  I could chew it for hours on end, and it still kept it's cinnamony flavour.  

And then one traumatic day back in the 1980's (or was it the 90's?) it was no longer being sold. Anywhere!  It was as if one of the best parts of my life just up and disappeared.  Rude!

Oh, I tried the other kinds.  "Big Red", "Trident", "Fire".

But they just weren't the same.  It was a sad day for sure.

Over the course of the next several years, I became an experimental chewer.  Never being completely satisfied with one particular brand of gum, I kept trying new flavours.  One day The Mr. brought home a package of "Stride Sweet Peppermint".     

It was pretty good!  It became our new favourite for a few months until -- you guessed it -- they quit selling that too!

And then I started noticing it happening with a few more of my favourite things:  

                              - Perfume

                              - Hairspray

                              - Lotion

                              - Tuna

                              - Canned Tomato Sauce

                              - Pasta

                              - Refried Black Beans

And the list goes on.

So, on a recent trip to Utah, I was on a mission.  Normally while I'm there, I enjoy doing a little shopping -- usually for dresses -- but this time I didn't do any of that.  Instead, I spent my time and money on things I can no longer get in Canada.

Now, if I could just get my hands on a Cuban Lunch and a case of refried black beans, my life would be complete!

Dixie

Searching Kijiji for a Rocking Chair

The theme for this past week can be summed up in one little word:

OLD

On Friday, The Mr. and I drove 5 and a 1/2 hours south to attend his 40th high school reunion.  Just the mere mention of the word "40th" sounds old.  But the mention of it was nothing compared to the reality of it.  When I saw what everyone else looked like, I realized how we look to people -- OLD!

Sunday found us attending church with the congregation that The Mr. attended as a youth.  He was interested in seeing some familiar faces.  It turns out the only faces he recognized were the octogenarians.  All the middle-aged people in attendance probably weren't even born yet by the time he moved away.  FEELING OLD!

On Wednesday we attended The Mr.'s family reunion.  His parents -- in their mid-eighties -- now have a posterity of 97 people.  This was the first year that I noticed not only how old The Mr. and his brothers and sisters are getting, but even some of the next generation -- our children -- are starting to get grey hair.  OLD!

The final clincher was remembering that The Mr. is often mistaken for being the older of the two between him and his older brother.  (Not just wondering if he is or not, but outright assumption that he is!). When I mentioned this to my children at the reunion, they unanimously agreed that their father looked older than their uncle.  Ouch -- OLD!

I feel like I've aged about 20 years this past week.  I'm feeling like I better learn how to crochet.

Oh, and before I forget, here are a few pics from the reunions we attended:

The Mr. and I couldn't possibly have had more fun!

Dixie

Here's to a Fresh Start

This morning, as The Mr. and I were leaving the gym, we noticed a familiar face coming toward us down the sidewalk.

A familiar face who was walking with a pair of crutches.

A familiar face who -- much to my peace of mind -- we haven't seen at the gym for a couple of months.

As we got closer to him, my mind went into overdrive:

                        "Oh no!  It's "Nigel".  What should I do?" 

                        "Should I act like I didn't see him?"  

                        "Too late -- we've already made eye contact." 

                        "Should I keep talking to The Mr. and walk
                        right past without a word?"

                        "Should I mention anything about his crutches?"

                        "He's getting closer -- is he going to be mean?"

                        "He just raised his head to look me in the eyes."

And that's when I heard myself say "Hello!" in a cheerful, sing-songy voice!  And with a very surprised look on his face he said "Hello" back to me!

I was both pleased and surprised with my new-found benevolent attitude.  My kindness was short-lived, however, when I thought about "Nigel" in a cast and walking with crutches.  It was really hard to keep a couple of less-charitable thoughts out of my mind:

                        "Serves you right!"

                        "Did you get that injury from one of your 'gyms
                        around the world'?"

And then The Mr. -- who had been quiet up until this point, and having not heard any of the thoughts running through my mind -- made my day when he said,  

                        "He probably kicked a woman off an exercise
                        machine, and she kicked him back."

Okay, so I've got a long way to go before I can claim any moral high ground.  But in the meantime, maybe saying "Hi" to Nigel was a way to make a fresh start.

Although I doubt he'll be requesting me as a Facebook friend any time soon.

Dixie

36

The number of inches in a yard.

The age of my mom when I was born.

The current age of Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton.

The number of months of gestation for a salamander.

The number of years The Mr. and I have been married.

Happy Anniversary, honey.  It's been a fun ride!

Dixie

Hey Canada, Happy Birthday!

The Mr. and I recently vacationed in Nova Scotia, where there are more trees than I have ever seen in my life!  It was a beautiful province to visit, and made me realize how lucky I am to live in this awesome country of Canada.

Yes, we're the second largest country in the world.  Yes, we're polite.  And, yes, we have poutine.  But in honour of Canada's 150th birthday, I now share a few more reasons why I think Canada is cool!  In no particular order I present the following (drum roll please):



 1)  Hawaiin Pizza -- my favourite -- was created in Canada.  (Ontario to be specific.)

 2)  This year the Canadian government has waived the entrance fees to every National Park and Historic Site in the country!  This Discovery Pass came in so handy while vacationing in Nova Scotia.

 3)  Canada has the highest percentage of college graduates -- 51%.  (Does it matter that I got my degree in the states?)

4)  We have a $1,000,000 gold coin.  (I know!  That was news to me, too.)

 5)  If you write a letter to Santa Claus -- North Pole, H0H 0H0, Canada -- he'll write back.

 6)  We're a hearty bunch.  Most of us have worn shorts outside during the winter.

 7)  Canada has more lakes than all of the rest of the world's lakes combined!

8)  Canadians can order a portrait of Queen Elizabeth and have it shipped to them for free.  I'm not sure I'll be ordering one any time soon, but it's nice to know that option is available to me if I so desire.

 9)  We take off our shoes when we enter a house.  I love that!

10)  We have free health care.  Huge!!

11)  "Heartland" -- my current favourite show is filmed here!   Not only in Canada, but in my home province of Alberta.

Well, it's officially past midnight, and it is no longer Canada Day.  The Mr. and I, along with Son 1A, had fun celebrating.

Happy Birthday Canada.  I hope I look that good when I'm 150!!

Dixie

Happy Easter!

It's a good thing my children are already grown, because apparently the government could've taken them away from me.

The reason?  Not telling them that the Easter Bunny was real.

I recently read an article in the newspaper stating that an Ontario couple had their foster daughters taken away, and lost their right to be foster parents for that very reason!!

According to this couple, they were happy to take part in the usual Easter traditions such as "hiding chocolate eggs, playing games and purchasing new Easter dresses".  They simply didn't want to lie to their children.

But the social worker insisted that they must tell these girls that not only was the Easter Bunny real, but that he had magical powers.  According to the social worker, it is "an essential part of every Canadian child's experience".

And the same goes for Christmas.  It's not enough to simply exchange presents, and get together with extended family.  They were told they had to lie about Santa, too.

This is so ridiculous!!

I happen to agree with these foster parents.  I've never felt comfortable with telling my children that the Easter Bunny and Santa are real.  I realize that by North American standards, I'm most likely in the minority, and many wouldn't agree with me.

But take my children away for it??  That's just crazy!

Dixie

Wimps and Bullies

Today I walked past a jogger.

In case you didn't quite catch that, I'll repeat it:  Today I walked past a jogger.

At the indoor track.

We were both going the same direction: he was jogging, I was walking.

And I passed him!!

I knew I was walking briskly, but I guess I didn't realize how fast I was going.  And I'm guessing the jogger didn't realize how slow he was going, because as soon as I passed him, he picked up his speed and got in front of me again.  It was only another minute or two and I had caught up to him again, to which he responded with another burst of speed to get ahead of me.  We kept that up for a few laps, and it was getting a little awkward, so I was glad when it was time for me to leave.

And speaking of weird things happening at the gym, here's another one:

A couple of weeks ago as The Mr. and I were using side-by-side weight machines, a man approached me and asked me if I could get off for a few seconds.  Thinking it was someone who worked there, needing to check the equipment, I got off for him.  He then plunked himself down and proceeded to use the equipment for himself.  What?!!

The Mr. and I looked at each other wondering what just happened.  When The Mr. informed him that I was still using the machine, the man replied, "Oh it's okay, I'll just be using it for a few minutes."  The Mr. told him again that I was still using it and the guy said, "Look, I've been going to gyms all over the world, and this is what we do."  He then turned and walked away.  I suggested to him that he should at least be using the disinfectant wipes when he's finished, but he obviously didn't care.

A few minutes later the man returned to tell us again that he knew what he was doing because "that's how they do it in gyms all around the world."  The Mr. responded by saying, "Well, that's not how we do it here."  And the guy said, "Watch your mouth!"  ?????

The Mr. later asked me if I thought that the guy had treated me like that because I was a woman.   My response was "Absolutely!  A woman who is also older and chubbier."  I'm sure he wouldn't have asked another "buff" man to get off the machine.  It was very belittling.  Keeping with past traditions, I've assigned him a name.   I will now think of him as "Nigel" -- short for "Nasty Nigel".

About a week later The Mr. and I approached the same two machines.  I was only two steps away, when "Nigel" zipped in front of me, cutting me off, and sat down at the machine.    It was as if he was watching for me to arrive so he could hurry and beat me to it.  This time I didn't say anything but just moved to another machine.

Which brings me back to my first story.  As I was walking around the track this morning, I saw Nigel seated on a stationary bike in front of the window overlooking the track.  I knew he was watching me, and it brought me great pleasure to be able to pass that jogger right in front of him.

Take that Nigel!!  I'm not such a wimp after all.

Dixie

 

Water

I can't quit thinking about water.

1)  I'm not sure why, but a few weeks ago while turning on the kitchen faucet to get a drink, I had a random thought:  "What if this water came out all brown?"  It creeped me out!  And now -- every time I get a drink of water -- I can't get that thought out of my head.  Ugh!

2)  A friend's recent blog post mentioned that her friend's water had been shut off for a couple of days.  I cannot even begin to imagine how awful that would be!  No doing laundry, no taking showers, no flushing the toilet, no washing your hands......  You get the picture.

3)  A few days ago, Daughter #2, who lives on an acreage, called to tell me that their well has run dry.  Crazy!!  There is no instant fix for that.  Do you spend $30,000 to get a new well dug?  Or do you spend $10,000 to get hooked up to the town water, even though it means waiting for a few months?  Meanwhile she sends her kids to school with extra water bottles to fill up at the water fountains.  Showering and doing laundry is being done at friends' homes.  And they are hauling ice cream pails full of water from the outdoor hot tub just to flush the toilet.

4)  On Wednesday, while running my Showbiz Kids class, one of the girls called out, "Miss Dixie, something is wrong with your carpet -- my socks are all wet!"  Oh great!  Our basement has flooded!!!  So, for the past five days I've been adjusting layers of carpet and underlay, wielding the wet-vac, and re-positioning fans in an effort to dry up all the water.  Our house is now sporting a stinky, musty smell.  YUCK!!  I just hope I can get it all dried up before the Showbiz Kids come again.

5)  On Saturday I attended a symposium that The Mr. was running.  In an effort to help him out, I volunteered to supply a bit of food and drink for the afternoon break.  We had no idea of how many people would be attending.  I purchased 10 cases of bottled water -- 400 bottles all together just to be safe.  At the end of the day, I came home with roughly half that.  My original plan was to return the leftovers to Costco.  After giving this idea a little more thought, I decided to purchase those cases of water myself.  It seems like #1, 2 and 3 on my list are a good reason to do that.  

Drink up!
Dixie

International Women's Day Part 2

A few days ago, when I posted about my favourite women, I ran out of time, but I still had more to say.   Because guess what?  I have three daughters who have grown up, and turned into women.

So here goes.........


DAUGHTER #1

Right from the start this girl was a determined little thing.  If she set her mind to do something, she would find a way to accomplish it, no matter how difficult.  I remember at the age of 18 months, she learned to pick up kitchen chairs and carry them to another location so she could get what she wanted.  She didn't just push them like most children, she lifted them and walked with them.

 To this day, she still is a hard worker, determined to accomplish the task at hand.  Whether it's family responsibilities, financial decisions, career choices, education, church assignments, or civic responsibilities, she gives it her all, and always does a great job.

But she also has a soft side.  And a humorous side.  And a logical side.  And a vulnerable side.  And an intelligent side.  And I admire her for all of them!

She commented on my last blog post that she takes after my mom in being willing to be the butt of the joke for the sake of entertainment.  I definitely agree with that.  Her many humorous Facebook  posts attest to that.  So fun!

DAUGHTER #2

The first quality that comes to mind when I think of her is "Sociality".  From a very young age, she always had a lot of friends, and I enjoyed listening to her tell me about each of them when she came home from school.

Not much has changed -- she still has a lot of friends, and I still enjoy her telling me about them.  I know that the reason she has so many friends is that she puts a lot of effort into developing and maintaining relationships.

Whether it's family, friends, or co-workers, she schedules time to be with them, remembers special occasions with cards and gifts, is a wonderful hostess to many guests, and is willing to help them out however she can.   I need to follow her good example!

She's also a "do-er".  When she gets an idea to do something, she just does it.  It doesn't matter what it is: painting a room, building a chicken coop, re-tiling a floor, entering a race, or going on a vacation.  She doesn't wait long enough to talk herself out of it -- she just starts right in.  As a result, she's accomplished much, and had a lot of fun experiences along the way.

DAUGHER #3

Before she was even born, I prayed that she would bring a spirit of peace into our family.  And I feel that she has done that throughout her life.  Her character has been one of calm and steady conviction.

Even as a teenager, when many girls are a mess of emotions and at odds with their parents, she was thoughtful, respectful and obedient to The Mr. and me.  I often found myself wishing I could be more like her.  And still do.

 Even with her two young children, born only a year apart, she's calm and peaceful -- despite her lack of sleep the past two years!   She treats her husband with kindness and respect and puts his needs and feelings first.  She's musical, creative, athletic and intelligent, and has used those qualities to bless her own life, as well as the lives of others.

I'm sure that when her children are a little more grown up, and she has a little more free time, she will be able to more fully resume those talents again.  But in the meantime, she continues to bring that same spirit of peace into her young family's life by her steady devotion to them.  Definitely an inspiration to me!

Wow!  What an incredible blessing to have these three amazing girls women in my life.  At times I really miss the way things used to be -- all of them here at home, with me being involved in their everyday lives -- but I'm also pleased to see them grown up.  They've turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself!

And now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to get a kleenex for these tears running down my cheeks.

Dixie