Merry Christmas!

It’s been a quiet, and very quick, Advent season. It seemed to fly by! Sunday was the last Sunday of Advent and then poof! Monday was Christmas. We had a wonderful time with our family, with a good meal and lots of gifts to go around. We are truly blessed.

The big news for me is that the digital SLR finally got to come out of the box. We had it over a month ago, when we decided to buy it online. We checked it out when it arrived to make sure all the parts were there and that it worked as advertised. Then back in the box and into the closet until Christmas. Here’s a little montage of my new baby:

It was a joint gift for Curt and I, so I can see some fun outings in our future. And likely a few tussles over who gets the camera.

We surprised mom with a Kitchen Aid Artisan mixer, something she’s been wanting forever. I was able to save up a bunch of Save-On-More points from Save-On Foods to help offset the cost, plus I was able to get the gourmet attachment kit entirely on points. That was cool, and she had a blast opening it and is already scheming for things to bake and make. Pictures are up on my Flickr site for all to see.

The dogs were exhausted by the time Curt’s folks left yesterday, and the lethargy extended into today - for us too. It’s been a whirlwind of activity and late nights. We attended our first ever midnight mass on Sunday night, which was very beautiful. It was Father James’ first time as the main celebrant at a midnight mass, and he did an awesome job. We got there early enough to get our regular Sunday seats, front row and centre.

Everyone, I hope you had an amazing Christmas and will enjoy these next few days until early January remembering Christ’s birth, the miracle of incarnation, and the love God has for mankind. It’s truly awe-inspiring.

PS: If you haven’t seen The Nativity Story movie yet, please do! It’s lovely and moving.

Grey Cup for Christmas

I knew about this a few days ago, but didn’t write about it because I thought it would be more fun to write about it after the fact. Our annual Knights of Columbus-Catholic Women’s League dinner had a few special guests of honour tonight: the CFL Grey Cup, chaperoned by BC Lions players Jason Jimenez and Angus Reid, brought to us by our generous parishioner, Dan Dorazio, who is the offensive coach for the Lions and a really nice guy. Father James knows Angus Reid from high school, I believe, and everyone was super happy and had a great time. Even some of my CWL cohorts, some of them in their 60’s, hoisted the cup for picture taking. Great fun.

I took lots of pictures, a few of which I’ve posted on Flickr. Here are a few of my faves:

Advent Celebration

So here I am, dutifully attending the parish council meeting as a rep for the Catholic Women’s League, and what happens?

The priest surprises us with a very short meeting followed by an Advent Celebration. In other words, we got to hang out with Fr. James for about an hour eating some nice nibblies. It was a lot of fun, and I heard more than a few great stories. It was a nice treat, and I got to know some of the other parishioners a bit better.

I also saw my blog-friend from Letters from a Young Catholic at Mass - sorry I didn’t say hi, I was rushing off to this meeting and you were still praying - but we definitely need to get together very soon for coffee!

I’m gooder

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

 

 

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know “no” from “know.” Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

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Thanks to penni, who is gooder, too.

More snow

Well, the crazy winter weather just keeps coming here. More snow in the forecast, mixed with freezing rain - beautiful! Seriously though, I need some prayer support here because Curt commutes 40 km each way to work, and his drive home yesterday was one of the scariest he’s ever had. He is a careful, skilled driver but there is always the other guy. Not to mention that the roads are sheets of ice and the wind is still creating dangerous snow drifts that look innocent enough but are most definitely not. Our snow removal equipment in this part of the world is woefully inadequate for this type of weather. Salt doesn’t work on the ice, and I honestly have not seen enough sanding trucks out - haven’t heard or seen a thing in my part of town. I’m pretty ticked about that; the highway between here and Mission is just atrocious, and hasn’t been properly taken care of. Whether that is from the wind making it impossible to clear and/or keep sand on the road, I don’t know, but it’s not good out there. My commute is very short, but I have to go 25km/hr the whole way to avoid slipping. So, as I said, prayers needed for safe travel.

Also, a prayer request for my in-laws. Their sweet dog, Spike (Mikey) passed away in his sleep sometime between Monday and Tuesday. It is a difficult loss as they’ve had him for 14 years, and just lost his longtime companion, Rascal, last year. So they are now without a dog in the house at all, and it’s very tough. Mikey did have a fantastic year this past year, going hiking on Mount Baker several times. We’ll miss the little guy. Here he is with my father in law last year on Mount Baker when we all went up there. He just loved the mountains.

Salt & Light: Depression

Salt & Light TV recently completed a Focus episode featuring our Archbishop Raymond Roussin, discussing clinical depression. This is a must see for everyone, and thankfully Salt & Light has it available online (direct link to the video) for those of us who aren’t able to get the channel on cable. It is a powerful witness today, just as it was when we all heard about Archbishop Roussin’s illness. I have some experience with depression in my life, and I appreciate his boldness in sharing his experience.

Especially interesting in this episode is the middle section, where the priest from Ontario discusses how people mistakenly refer to depression and other hard life situations as their cross. Listen up, it’s good stuff.

Rain/Snow/Ice/Gratitude

I live in a beautiful part of the world, best known for its mild weather and most notably for its incessant rain during the winter months. We saw a fantastic example of this just a couple of weeks ago as the Lower Mainland had oodles of rain in a short timeframe, causing all sorts of problems, including a boil water advisory for all of Vancouver - the largest of its kind in all of Canadian history.

Yesterday, winter arrived. We had a wicked snowstorm that started late Saturday night and went all the way through to this morning. I managed to get to mass yesterday morning, early, and the snow picked up pretty good after that. We came in at 46 cm (just over 1 foot) of snow. And it’s cold. Really cold. This from a girl who braved -30C weather in northern BC for five years. Not only was it cold, it was freaking windy. I went from the house to the mailbox two houses up the street and thought my face was going to freeze from all the driving icy snow hitting it.

Getting to work was no picnic, and I have possibly one of the shortest commutes ever - five kilometers. However, all of the roads I have to travel are side roads in the country, and the snowplows don’t ever get to them. They were icy and covered in snowdrifts, and with the water filled irrigation ditches along the side - well, my active imagination and overly cautious nature went into overdrive. I left work early to make sure I would be driving home in the daylight so I could avoid any ditch-diving situations, and I’m happy to report that all is well. We have power, we have heat, and we have a roof over our heads. There are many, many people who cannot say the same, and I pray for them tonight. No matter how many shelters make room for extra people, there are still those who will not, for whatever reason, come in from the cold. And I pray that God protects them even in their refusal to get help and shelter. Sometimes their decisions are not made from a rational place, and I think that God has a special band of angels watching out for our brothers and sisters in these situations.

In other news, I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I’ve made a few changes to my “About Me” page. Most notable is that I have taken out the reference to us wanting to start a family through adoption. Our trip to California was in part a chance for Curt and I to work further through our family situation; it allowed me to get outside of my comfort zone and reflect on things differently. I had been coming to the conclusion for the past year, but the trip confirmed in me that as much as I love children, I do not think that we are called to have children of our own. Lots of different reasons, which I may or may not share on here in future posts, but for now know that I am at peace, and so is Curt. We are best friends and in love more than ever, and I am taking Catechism #2379 at face value:

2379 The Gospel shows that physical sterility is not an absolute evil. Spouses who still suffer from infertility after exhausting legitimate medical procedures should unite themselves with the Lord’s Cross, the source of all spiritual fecundity. They can give expression to their generosity by adopting abandoned children or performing demanding services for others.

My infertility is absolute and final, and was a reality before we were married. I feel a real spiritual tug towards service towards others, as much as my schedule outside of work allows. I also feel that my first priority is making sure my mom is well taken care of, which includes sharing our home and lives with her.  I hope to have the opportunity to get to know my nieces and 2 great-nieces better over the years, and am blessed to be surrounded by children from time to time at the family-run business where I work. And yes, I express my love and affection towards my sweet dogs, who love me unconditionally and bring me great joy. My life is full; whatever empty parts were there have been filled by Jesus, in his great fidelity and wholeness.

Just a few more days until Advent… !

Out from under

Almost, anyway.

I’ve had a rough couple of weeks! First, a very bad flare up of acne right after we got home from our trip; I’ve mentioned in the past that I have PCOS, which has adult cystic type acne as a symptom. I manage to keep it under control, for the most part, but the last two years I’ve had bad flares. This was one of them, enough that I went to the doctor looking for something stronger than the topical cream I use. He prescribed one thing, which had a long list of side effects. I woke up the next morning with a swollen bottom lip and a weird feeling in my mouth, and sure enough, I was having a reaction. So, off to the doctor again. Different antibiotic, fewer side effects. Just finished the course on that one but the flare up has not 100% subsided. Time will tell. Halfway through taking this new antibiotic, I got a nasty cold which has sidelined me for the last week, and is continuing to have its way with me - lots of coughing, sinus infection, not able to sleep or concentrate - all the fun stuff.

And then the storm of the century hit here on Wednesday, leaving us without power for most of the day. I was at work, where we managed to stay on the grid, but five minutes away at home, the lights went off. We were fortunate to have the power back that night, but many are still in the dark. Vancouver Island was hit hardest, and I’m hoping my niece in Port Alberni is doing okay. She is resourceful, so I am sure she’s fine.

More stormy weather is in the forecast for Sunday; it’s been a wet, dreary November. But, lest you think I’m depressed, I am not. I’ve had a productive week at work and my desk is cleaner than it’s been in a few months. I’m working through some projects and sizing up how the next few months are going to go before spring comes around and things ramp up again. Life, in other words, is pretty good. The body I run around in, however, is wrung out and tired. A temporary and very annoying situation.

My in-laws are going through a tough time too. Their dog, a 14 year old Silky Terrier, has been ill and things don’t look so good. Please pray for them, especially my mom-in-law, as she is very upset. I can relate - I would be a total basket case if anything happened to my pups.

How Bazaar

The annual Bazaar at our parish is about to kick off tomorrow, and mom is in full swing with her Avon table. This year, she’s added a new dimension to her Bazaar experience - she’s selling home-made doggie treats to raise money for the Domestic Abuse Society, a very worthy cause.

We put the finishing touches on the jars tonight:

We named them “Pooch Posse Biscuits” and I cobbled together a little collage of our three amigos. The ingredients are listed along the side, along with the disclaimer that “cats like them too.” Oh yes ,there is a little tagline too - “Hand over the cookies, and no one gets hurt!”

The weekend will be busy - mom at the bazaar, and I’m off to the Archdiocesan CWL meeting on Saturday. There will be a speaker there about Human Trafficking, a sober topic indeed.

Prayers are most welcome for a coworker who is overdue on her first baby; she is an older mom and this baby comes after much trying. Baby was due on the 23rd, I think, and doctor won’t let her go past the 30th. Pray for peace in her heart and that the baby comes soon!

Alive and kicking!

So, I’m here! We made it back from the trip in one piece - had a fabulous time, and will fondly remember it for years to come. Pictures and stories are still up at Take California and my Flickr site, so head on over if you haven’t been.

Since I’ve been back, it’s been busy! Work hasn’t slowed down much and church activities are back in the swing of things. A few nice things to report:

Since I’m writing this during breakfast, I should report that I’m enjoying the benefits of steel cut oats, in my bid to eat healthier. These are not Quaker Instant Oats, folks - they are the cadillac of oatmeal. I love them. I bought mine from Bob’s Red Mill (available in our supermarkets here) and while they take a little while to prepare, they keep wonderfully well in the fridge for reheating through the week.

Exercising is going well - I’m averaging 4 times a week, about 30-40 minutes a session. If I stick to it in the morning, all is good. It’s out of the way and I don’t have to think about it again all day!

We’ve been enjoying wine with dinner once or twice a week - last night we uncorked the bottle from St. Francis Winery, and man… was it good! Every time I drink wine I think of the beautiful moment during mass where the priest holds up the chalice and says “Fruit of the vine, work of human hands…” I’m fully aware that alcohol can be a stumbling block to many, so I am so happy that it is not for me and that I can enjoy the fruit of the vine one glass every once in awhile.

I’m completely wrapped up in my quest to know the ins and outs of Adobe CS2. I’m loving this program - I often wish I would have taken the “graphics professional” route back when I was 19 and working in a small but busy graphic design studio. I loved it then, I’m loving it now. Better 15 years late than never, right? The technology rocks, and my creative soul is waking up. Tools helping me along - video podcasts (Photoshop TV, CS2 with Terry White - search iTunes for “Adobe” and you’ll find them), and more than a few books. I’m currently working my way through the Adobe Illustrator Classroom in a Book, and have taken Photoshop CS2 Speed Clinic by Matt Kloskowski (”Rockin the Houseki”) out of the library.

I played around with Garage Band on my Macbook and recorded the Litany of the Counsel of the Saints from the October issue of Magnificat (Julie at Happy Catholic has been posting excerpts from it.) I was taken with the Litany as soon as I read it - and I am one who is prone to loving Litanies at any time - and thought, why don’t I record it? I did, and if I can figure out how to post it online, I’ll post a link here (I figured it out - click the link and take a listen!)

That’s about it for this morning - I’ll try to get back here a bit more regularly with thoughts, notions, and general miscellany as time allows. I’m still reading other blogs so hopefully you have me on Bloglines or similar and still catch my drift now and again.

Happy Monday, everyone!