SISs BROs SILs BILs HUBs NIEs

You are...

...an amazing pianist.
...a talented photographer.
...a gifted athlete.
...a loving mother.
...a brilliant fixer.
...a caring friend.
...an intellectual debater.
...the cutest little girl ever.

You are...

...priceless.

Hockey

Seems like everyone is obsessed with NHL playoff hockey these days.  I have to admit that I like following it a bit too.  But let me tell you where the real hockey action is!

Yesterday I went to watch the husband play hockey in the NCHL (Non-Contact Hockey League) in Chestermere.  I sat in a nice room upstairs that was way warmer than in the rink.  The first couple periods were full of impressive wipe-outs.  But then in the third period, he scored a goal!  His first ever of organized hockey in only his second game!  He was parked in front of the net and the puck came out from the corner and he got and spun around and put it in past the surprised goalie!  The funniest part of this whole story is that just after, on the same shift, he got a high-sticking penalty!  Bad Leif.  Don't worry - he made sure his victim was alright.

Next time you should all join me in the cheering section!

Plugged In and Turned Up

Why do people need to have plugs in their ears all the time?  Well, I don't really mind that part - I just don't get it.  I tried wearing headphones on the bus to school when I first moved to Royal Oak once, but I felt completely disconnected from my surroundings.  I felt so claustrophobic and disoriented.  I felt like my other senses didn't work either - I couldn't see or walk properly.  Maybe that's why people like it.  I remember the first time I put earbuds in my ears instead of those silly headphones.  It was in grade 5 in the school field at lunch time and my friend let me use her walkman to listen to The Backstreet Boys maybe?  Or some other popular boy band.  It was so cool.  It was like the WHOLE world was singing to me.  It made me feel huge and small at the same time.  I remember wanting to stand up with my arms out and do a few circles.

But seriously people, I do NOT need to hear your music out of your earbuds from one end of the train car to the other.  That is NOT good for your ears.  And it's super annoying!!!  I can hear the boom-boom-boom of your song and a few screaming notes and that's it.  What's a tactful way to tell people to turn it down?

Finished Projects

I love making things.  I'm almost looking forward to the long commute to work this summer because I'll have lots of time to crochet on the train!  Finishing projects is so rewarding, even if hand-sewing is not my favourite thing to do. This is what I've finished recently.

Here's a purse that I crocheted a while ago, but recently lined.  It even has rivets!

This is a little, bright pink clutch complete with snaps inside!

This is the same pattern as the one above, but I made it bigger and it's my new bible bag!

I'm so happy with how this afghan turned out!  It was a big project, but worth it.

Maybe thinking about opening an Etsy shop?

Snow Day!

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

This is what Leif is singing in his heart because he is taking a snow day.

I, unfortunately, have to go to work soon because it is the second last day of tax season.  But seriously, who's going to come pick up their tax return in this weather?!

Ode To The Turtles

Oh turtle tank how I wish you would stay clean
So your waters would stay crisp, sparkle and gleen

Our turtles love to frolic and play
But we fear that they might be gay.

Edit?

Wow!  It's been over a month since anything was posted on here!  And here's a clue why.  I had to read a 400 page book called "Guns, Germs, and Steel" and then write an essay about it.  Brutal.  I think when I'm "working" on an essay, I waste more time than I'm actually productive for.  But it's finally done!!!

Now would anyone like to edit it for me pretty please??  I usually ask my mom to edit for me, but she's unfortunately in Florida at the moment and won't get back until after it's due.  It's 1327 words or almost three pages 1.5 spaced.  I just need someone (or someones) to read it for flow and see if it all makes sense.  You don't have to have read the book to understand the essay.

It's due on Monday so if you have time to read it by Friday sometime, I'd really appreciate it!  You can either use track changes in Microsoft Word, or print/scribble all over it/scan it back, or just tell me what you think.

Thanks in advance!!

Re-Covered

When we were young, my sister and I temporarily got into sewing.  My sister used her Ralph Bucks to buy a sewing machine and we got busy making pyjama pants.  Then mine turned into pyjama shorts.  And then they didn't turn out so well.  I also bought some pillow forms and sewed covers for them.  These pillows were in my mom's pile of stuff at their house that I needed to either take home or get rid of, so I took them.  Unfortunately, the fabric wasn't very grown up.  That meant I had to learn how to sew again!

So reading week finally came, and Molly agreed to go to Fabricland with me to pick out new fabric that would match our living room.  And Freya agreed to let me use her sewing machine and re-teach me how to sew!  Here's the final product.  One pillow will sit in each of our ikea chairs.

And here's a zoom in so you can see the cool fabric a bit better.

Slowly, but surely, starting to make a house a home...

Week that Deserves to Die

Sunday:  Playing piano for gospel meeting

Monday:  Assignment due and reffing four junoir high games

Tuesday:  Pilates date with mom and late seminar

Wednesday:  Group lab report due and 15 minute group presentation during the late seminar with powerpoint + poster submisson

Thursday:  Hardest midterm ever and late seminar and card making

Friday:  Assignment due and another assignment due and a lab due

Phewf.

Then weekend in Fernie and reading week!!!  Hello crafts and sleep!  I've missed you.

I'm feeling...

...stressed, extremely tired, overwhelmed with how much I have to do everyday, and like there's no one to help.  So I want to share a true story I read today.

It's about a lady who got polio at age 13.  She couldn't walk.  She struggled through high school with her friends carrying her books and going around on crutches.  When not at school, her dad had to carry her everywhere.

She eventually became a secretary but found the job unfulfulling, so she decided to go back to school.  She was a recently divorced, single mother of two young children.  She went to the University of Calgary for Early Childhood Education while working part-time as an aide at a nearby elementary school.  Remember, she has two young children to take care of.  She also finished her degree 70% blind because of cataracts in her eyes.

Now, she is a kindergarten teacher in a motorized wheelchair.  She was my kindergarten teacher.  Her name is Mrs. Scratch.  Even though it's been 16 years since I was in her class, I still remember her.  She is the nicest lady, who always has a smile on her face.

I never knew her story before.  She is truly an inspiration.  If she can do what she did so many years ago, surely I can handle what I have to do now.