In the household on Glover, there lived two wise and wonderful maidens. Their names were Darina and Canielle. They over the years had been in many adventures and fun situations, as well as having shared laughs, tears and the occasional cup of hot chocolate and a stroopwafel. Yet, over the years, the cups of hot chocolate and other delectible goodies had taken their toll and both of the maidens were feeling very uncomfortable and frustrated with themselves. They reasoned together and decided it would be best for all concerned to embark on a journey of self-awareness with the mantra "low-cal is good" as opposed to "oooohhhmmmm" or other such nonsensical things chanted in the past. So out the door went the chips, cookies and icecream and in their place came marching in the healthy stuff. Brigadier General Broccoli led the way, accompanied by Corporal Carrot and Lieutenant Lettuce who kept the ranks nice and neat and wouldn't allow slip ups or insubordination. They initiated a rigorous training program for the two fair maidens who did their best to bear up under the strain. They were put to multi-tasking... a skill not so easily acquired but for patience and perseverance. Their muscles burned and their legs ached but still the training went on. Soon, after much sweat, blood and tears, they began to inch their way out of the dire situation into which they had placed themselves. The battle was over, but the war was just beginning!Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Battle of the Bulge
In the household on Glover, there lived two wise and wonderful maidens. Their names were Darina and Canielle. They over the years had been in many adventures and fun situations, as well as having shared laughs, tears and the occasional cup of hot chocolate and a stroopwafel. Yet, over the years, the cups of hot chocolate and other delectible goodies had taken their toll and both of the maidens were feeling very uncomfortable and frustrated with themselves. They reasoned together and decided it would be best for all concerned to embark on a journey of self-awareness with the mantra "low-cal is good" as opposed to "oooohhhmmmm" or other such nonsensical things chanted in the past. So out the door went the chips, cookies and icecream and in their place came marching in the healthy stuff. Brigadier General Broccoli led the way, accompanied by Corporal Carrot and Lieutenant Lettuce who kept the ranks nice and neat and wouldn't allow slip ups or insubordination. They initiated a rigorous training program for the two fair maidens who did their best to bear up under the strain. They were put to multi-tasking... a skill not so easily acquired but for patience and perseverance. Their muscles burned and their legs ached but still the training went on. Soon, after much sweat, blood and tears, they began to inch their way out of the dire situation into which they had placed themselves. The battle was over, but the war was just beginning!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Ever have one of those days?
No major events to discuss today, no life changing events, simply wanting to speak about my day yesterday... trying to understand why i felt the way i did. It baffled me to no end right up til the point when i fell asleep in my chair in front of the tv at 10:48 pm. Why was i feeling the way i did? The best words i can use to describe my feelings were these : fractious, antsy, and frankly pissy. I know that word sounds funny and maybe a little crude but that's the truth. I felt like i wanted to jump out of my skin and fly every direction at once and yet, just stay in one place and find peace. It was the weirdest thing ever. I have seldom felt like that. I talked to Lauren about it when we met for dinner at Rumak, a lovely little Polish restaurant on Upper Wellington, and we found that we had had similar experiences. It is actually a little nerve-wracking to feel so odd. Normally, especially in the last half year, i have felt rather dead, numb and asleep. Not really passionate about anything, just sorta coasting along. I felt like a sideline off the main railroad track, like an extra dead end tunnel off the main mine shaft, etc. Maybe it all just culminated in my day yesterday.
I talked with someone else about it and we discussed that it was maybe Post-Valentine's Day Traumatic Stress syndrome. I have no clue. I normally don't give a care about Valentine's Day since it doesn't mean anything for me, i usually just make light of it and get on with things, but maybe somehow some residual feelings kept their footing in the bottom of my consciousness and decided to raise their ugly heads yesterday. It's not like i sit and pine away, but maybe all the "couply" things just irked me a little. I shouldn't let it get to me and i didn't overtly.
I tried to visit my sister in St. Catherines on a whim, not calling or emailing first, and knowing full well that it might not work out at all and trying to reconcile that to myself internally, but when i actually pulled into their driveway and felt that sinking feeling that my thoughts were corroborated, it was disappointing. I left a little note on their door, paid $1.00 !!!!!! to make a stinking pay phone call and leave a message on their machine (maybe i should get a cell phone, but then again maybe not... don't even start that discussion with me!) So what is a body to do? I don't really know anyone else in that neck of the woods well enough to drop in on (people always say to drop in, for that matter, and i never dare, what if they're busy and they're just too polite to say "go away" or what if they think i'm strange or what if i just didn't think and they're picking up their kids from school in five minutes or they need a nap or the like. All these what ifs. Too much analysis - don't you think women do too much analysis? Sometimes i do. Sometimes i don't. It's good to think about things, but not so much that you become lost in intellectualism and reasoning. Somedays i go the whole day without a deep thought. Once i even went a whole week without a deep thought. Crazy. Certainly not a familial trait since my dearest mother thinks all day long and each day. I wish i had a little touch of her thought processes.) Wow, that was a long bracket.
Back on topic, it's outrageous that it costs 50 cents to make a phone call and if you don't happen to have quarters, that greedy machine takes loonies but doesn't give change. Not that 50 cents is a large amount but it's the principle of the thing. I'll bet that the cell phone people pressured Bell to increase their rates and decrease the amount of phone booths out there in order to ensure that their market is upheld and increased. A right old conspiracy, if you ask me.
Hmm... what else about my day? I drove all the way home - mind you, it was a nice drive, good and smooth and very little traffic to bother me. Sometimes traffic bothers me intensely. I just want the road all to myself. And yesterday was one of those days. I felt inside like i wasn't fit company for anyone. In order to disabuse myself of that thought, i went to visit the parents at home, who tried to convince me it would be good to come out for dinner with them to the young people's event... i just felt inside rebellious and still fractious. Mom tried to change my mind with persuasive hugs and pleadings, but alas, my mind was made up and there was no changing it.
Then i decided to go to a movie, maybe it would be easier to be in public but with no one i knew. But alas, again, they were not at times that i felt were good and there was nothing that peaked my interest playing. Strike two. Last ditch effort was Chapters. There i settled myself on a little stool in an obscure corner and preceded to read a book on 100 Peculiar Things in Ontario. It was quite interesting and i spent a fair amount of time reading it. I went in initially with all good intentions to find a chair and settle down with a book of deep poetry, but my mind would have nothing of it. So there sat i and my touristy book. It gave me some new ideas of fun outings though so it wasn't a loss. Plus i learned that the Holland Marsh wasn't named after the Hamiltonian Dutchies who went there to make it into Ontario's largest vegetable garden, but rather was named after some Colonel or Captain Holland who helped engineer things out there. All this time i thought our Dutch roots were prominently displayed there. Disappointment flooded my soul. Okay, not really, but it could have and that's enough.
Anyhow, i woke up this morning on a better side of the bed thankfully and my fractiousness had mysteriously flown the coop overnight. Better for everyone around me. Better for me. Onwards and upwards to better times and days.
I talked with someone else about it and we discussed that it was maybe Post-Valentine's Day Traumatic Stress syndrome. I have no clue. I normally don't give a care about Valentine's Day since it doesn't mean anything for me, i usually just make light of it and get on with things, but maybe somehow some residual feelings kept their footing in the bottom of my consciousness and decided to raise their ugly heads yesterday. It's not like i sit and pine away, but maybe all the "couply" things just irked me a little. I shouldn't let it get to me and i didn't overtly.
I tried to visit my sister in St. Catherines on a whim, not calling or emailing first, and knowing full well that it might not work out at all and trying to reconcile that to myself internally, but when i actually pulled into their driveway and felt that sinking feeling that my thoughts were corroborated, it was disappointing. I left a little note on their door, paid $1.00 !!!!!! to make a stinking pay phone call and leave a message on their machine (maybe i should get a cell phone, but then again maybe not... don't even start that discussion with me!) So what is a body to do? I don't really know anyone else in that neck of the woods well enough to drop in on (people always say to drop in, for that matter, and i never dare, what if they're busy and they're just too polite to say "go away" or what if they think i'm strange or what if i just didn't think and they're picking up their kids from school in five minutes or they need a nap or the like. All these what ifs. Too much analysis - don't you think women do too much analysis? Sometimes i do. Sometimes i don't. It's good to think about things, but not so much that you become lost in intellectualism and reasoning. Somedays i go the whole day without a deep thought. Once i even went a whole week without a deep thought. Crazy. Certainly not a familial trait since my dearest mother thinks all day long and each day. I wish i had a little touch of her thought processes.) Wow, that was a long bracket.
Back on topic, it's outrageous that it costs 50 cents to make a phone call and if you don't happen to have quarters, that greedy machine takes loonies but doesn't give change. Not that 50 cents is a large amount but it's the principle of the thing. I'll bet that the cell phone people pressured Bell to increase their rates and decrease the amount of phone booths out there in order to ensure that their market is upheld and increased. A right old conspiracy, if you ask me.
Hmm... what else about my day? I drove all the way home - mind you, it was a nice drive, good and smooth and very little traffic to bother me. Sometimes traffic bothers me intensely. I just want the road all to myself. And yesterday was one of those days. I felt inside like i wasn't fit company for anyone. In order to disabuse myself of that thought, i went to visit the parents at home, who tried to convince me it would be good to come out for dinner with them to the young people's event... i just felt inside rebellious and still fractious. Mom tried to change my mind with persuasive hugs and pleadings, but alas, my mind was made up and there was no changing it.
Then i decided to go to a movie, maybe it would be easier to be in public but with no one i knew. But alas, again, they were not at times that i felt were good and there was nothing that peaked my interest playing. Strike two. Last ditch effort was Chapters. There i settled myself on a little stool in an obscure corner and preceded to read a book on 100 Peculiar Things in Ontario. It was quite interesting and i spent a fair amount of time reading it. I went in initially with all good intentions to find a chair and settle down with a book of deep poetry, but my mind would have nothing of it. So there sat i and my touristy book. It gave me some new ideas of fun outings though so it wasn't a loss. Plus i learned that the Holland Marsh wasn't named after the Hamiltonian Dutchies who went there to make it into Ontario's largest vegetable garden, but rather was named after some Colonel or Captain Holland who helped engineer things out there. All this time i thought our Dutch roots were prominently displayed there. Disappointment flooded my soul. Okay, not really, but it could have and that's enough.
Anyhow, i woke up this morning on a better side of the bed thankfully and my fractiousness had mysteriously flown the coop overnight. Better for everyone around me. Better for me. Onwards and upwards to better times and days.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Een dagje uit!!
In order to fully appreciate the delights of today, i had to reread my post from last week Wednesday when i sat at my computer and was fair freezin' my little fingers off cause of the cold drafts wafting in through my window. Today the thermometer in my little Prunelope reached an amazing 9 degrees! How great is that! Although old man Winter is once again gesticulating and threatening to cover the land with ice and snow in the coming 24 hours, today was definitely a wonderful respite. My dear friend Helen and I met up for a much-delayed and welcome dagje uit to Oakville. We were delighted not to have to wear our heavy winter coats everywhere but instead could enjoy the warm weather with only vests to keep the mild chill away. I always find it a bit funny to think that in the fall, when we are anticipating the winter, 10 degrees seems so cold and chilly whilst in the late winter/early spring, 10 degrees seems like a wonderful balmy day! How relative all things are.
Enjoyable things for the day were:
- a delicious grilled veggie panini
- poking around little shops
- exploring all the great flower shops on the Oakville waterfront
- spending time together for a whole morning/arvo and just not having any firm deadlines to be anywhere.
- spying out all the cool furniture with which to furnish our dream houses, if and when they ever decide to materialize out of the blue; maybe that will happen about the same time that Helen and my's Prince Charmings find their way out of the Antarctic winds where they have been wandering aimlessly for the last how many years?- talking with an old and dear friend
- buying little trinkets here and there just because
- finding a cool, cool new plant in the "hoya?" family, also called Hindu Rope. It looks so fascinating. Come on over sometime and visit it. It likes visitors (as does its mistress)
- finding a new cd which is great to listen to - Pauline Scanlon - a cool Irish songstress - nice mellow sound
- Oakville/Lakeshore area - feels a little touch European, which makes me think of Holland and long to be there
- perusing all the cool kid's clothing in the high-end shops, where people would be willing to pay $80 for a sleeper and $145 for a diaper bag - how posh do diapers get in Oakville? Seems to me i could think of better things to spend that much money on!
I'm quite happy!!
Shrove Tuesday
It's Shrove Tuesday. Just in case you hadn't glimpsed that fact on your calender's special day section today. Also known as Pancake Tuesday, we celebrated by greasing up the griddle and flexing the flipper to whip up some yummy pancakes. Pancakes were definitely a very favorite childhood food for the Mussche girls; poor Mom had to slave away behind a hot stove each September for many a birthday to provide our guests with plate after plate full of yummy Dutch pancakes. Unlike the picture here displayed, our pancakes are the flat, large pancakes as opposed to Canadian flapjacks. Easily rollable and much handier to keep all the yummy toppings contained - brown sugar, peanut butter, fried egg and maple syrup. So if you haven't yet cleaned your cupboard out for Lent, get the frying pan out and get flipping busy!!
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