4 Years Already?

Happy Anniversary my love!!!

We actually chse to celebrate last night (scheduling issues). Left the kids and the dog with grandma and papa and went to see Butch, Sundance and the Gang. We decided since we were in a place with greater entertainment options we would make use of those options -- not much dinner theatre in a town of 3500.

A Recommendation

Read this book!

Well, if you are firmly against imaginative reconstructions of the GOspel story and characters then maybe not. THis book is a firmly tongue-in-cheek, feminist portrayal of the JEsus story -- told from his mother's perspective.

I laughed, repeatedly. I was pushed to think about things in a different way.

The so-called "Religious Right" would not like it, Biblical literalists would not like it, people who need Jesus' mother to be "gentle MAry, meek and mild" would be disturbed. BUt if you are ready for a "what if" look at the story give it a try.

I plan to recommend it to the local library book club.

Holiday Reading

I brought lots of reading material with me. BUt I have been told that the next book I should read is The Book of Mary. THe author taught me English in Grade 9 (and gave me the gift of an F on the second trimester report card -- truly it was a gift in many ways). It is apparently a rather non-traditional look at MAry's story (blasphemous at times was my father's description -- mind you the acknowledgments name one of our former moderators and his partner). More details and impressions after I have read it.

Back to School Friday 5

Songbird writes:
My late mother-in-law thought of September as the “real” New Year because of the number of programs and classes starting. By Labor Day, school is back in session for most of us in the U.S., although there is great variation by region (my children don't return until Sept. 7th!). To mark this, we bring you the Back to School Friday Five.

1. What is your earliest memory of school? I think that would be taking the bus across town for the first few months of Grade 1 (the school I was meant to attend was not yet completed--we started there in January)
2. Who was a favorite teacher in your early education? What does early mean? I am thinking of my Grade 4 teacher. He read a chapter of a book to us each Friday after lunch. ANd he played guitar so we had singing sessions on a regular basis. THose Friday readings are where I was first introduced to Middle-Earth and to Narnia.
3. What do you remember about school “back then” that is different from what you know about schools now? Hmmm, knowing what is done in Junior and Senior Kindergarten in Ontario, and reflecting on what we did in Kindergarten/Grade 1 I think that we may start pushing kids to do too much too soon nowadays. And I don't remember this focus on "teach them what they need to get a job" when I was in high school. But that may be related to the way I paid attention, and that I was on track for post-secondary education. All in all I tnink school is more stressful now, or stressful in different ways.
4. Did you have to memorize in school? If so, share a poem or song you learned. Not that I can recall. At least not as a regular thing. (Either that or I can't remember any of it).
5. Did you ever get in trouble at school? Were there any embarrassing moments you can share? In a word--yes. And oh so many embarassing moments, many of which involved my ridiculous attempts to hide the fact that the homework was, once again, not complete.

Care for the Marginalized

We are vacationing in the richest province in the country. ANd yet, on the front page of today's paper I read:

OTTAWA - Oil-rich Alberta may be rolling in dough, but the cash is not finding its way into the pockets of welfare recipients whose meagre incomes come nowhere near the poverty line, says a major national report on welfare incomes being released today.

This is on the heels of other stories earlier this week talking about the increasing problems around affordable housing in the province. Stories that show how homelessness is becoming more than a lowest income problem :

EDMONTON - Dressed in a white linen suit jacket, blue tie and black dress pants, Pastor Doug Atha began explaining why he was among Grande Prairie's many
homeless this summer.
In June, his landlord decided to raise his monthly rent from $1,000 to $1,500. Unable to afford the increase, Atha and his wife bounced from his daughter's home to a borrowed trailer to a house-sitting gig, before finally finding a temporary rental unit this month, he told Conservative MLAs Monday.

THis is the shadow side of an economic boom. This is when we see that good times put a higher level of onus on all of us to ensure that everyone is cared for appropriately. Why, in a province that has more money that they know what to do with --so much that they issued rebate cheques to all its citizens last year-- is it considered appropriate to provide an income less than half of the poverty line to people who, for whatever reason, have found themselves on teh lower end of society? WHy is it considered alright to allow housing costs to soar uncontrolled while incomes don't grow as fast simply because supply outstrips demand?

Economic times are good here -- for some. It stands as a test and as a marker what happens to those who aren't counted among the "winners".

AH, Sweet Relaxation

Well my body has realized that it is on vacation. THe last 2 nights I have fallen asleep between 8:30 and 9:00. Yes, it is wind-down time.

GIrls loved the zoo -- especially the ""elaphan" and the pony ride. Oh and seeing a "Zooboomafoo" (a lemur for those unfamiliar with the show).

Build aa Bear

THis afternoon we went to the mecca of all canadian shopping malls -- West Edmonton Mall.

One of the reasons we went was to visit the Build-a-Bear workshop so the girls could make their own bears. WE went basic, chose a bear for each and had it stuffed. No fancy sound devicesor clothing for these ones.

THe girls really enjoyed it, once they understood what was happening. Unfortunately it was quite busy and hectic so we couldn''t get a picture of them holding the bears for stuffing.

Tomorrow the girls go to a zoo for the first time!

Neew Map

Ok, so I am wondering who all actually reads these random musings and other drivel. Take a moment and put yourself on my Frappr map (See link in sidebar or go here)

Thanks

And We''re Here

Well we have made it through phase 1.

Arrived at my parents this afternoon after a fairly good trip. DOg and kids travelled fine. A couple of nights were slightly chilly for tenting with a baby (10C). THen there was the night when our air matress had a valve pop open. It was less than comfortable spending most of the night with a bit of rubber between uss and the ground.

Check, Check, Is this thing on?

Sometimes you wonder why we make announcements.

Multiple times over the last 3 months I have talked about the fact that General Council was meeting in Thunder Bay this summer. 2 days ago I talked about the fact that it was starting, named some of the issues that were being discussed, and shared this prayer.

Today I get asked by a regular attender (who was there on Sunday) "I heard on the news something about a bunch of United Church people meeting in Thunder Bay this week. What is that about?"

HEy Hey, anybody listening? Hey hey anybody there?