Double Time

What's the right term? I "twitted" the elected debate last night gives off a casualness that is unfair. To Twitter. But that's what I did. Instead of tuning in to the radio which aired live coverage, I turned to Twitter and followed the action there.

But the debate is not what I want to write about. Though I will say that though the leaders themseves did not inspire - same old arguments, same old tirade, same old mud-slinging - Twitter, more specifically, the reactions of people on Twitter, did and for the first time in years I found myself feeling hopeful about the state of Canadian politics.

One of the funny things about Twitter is that although I was focused on the debate, other things kept popping up. Like the friend looking for a highland dance outfit for her daughter. Or like the discussion around Jamie Oliver's TV show. And just like at a cocktail party, I found myself participating in one conversation but being aware of numerous others happening around me.

That's not what I want to write about either.

What interested me this morning was another Tweet giving a link to the Jamie Oliver show for all those who had missed it because of the debate.

It made me think. So many of us are busy. We know it, we feel it, we say it. Yes, we sometimes complain about it. And I wonder if we aren't all part of the problem. If our technology, rather than saving us time, actually enables us to get busier.

Last night for example, people had the choice between watching the election debate and watching Jamie Oliver. You make a decision, and maybe you make the wrong one. The point is that during that hour long slot of time you pick one thing. But with the internet and innovative TV scheduling, we no longer have to pick one. And so we can watch Jamie Oliver this morning. On our own schedule. Good news, right?

Hang on, but that means another choice that has to be made (and hopefully it's not nutritious breakfast or Jamie Oliver because that would be deliciously ironic) .

I'm not being particularly articulate, but I am in a rush to get off to class. What I think I am trying to say that if we see events as things we can manipulate, push around, watch, do, or participate in at our own convenience,we are at risk of trying to fit too many things into our lives. If we didn't have the option to watch Jamie Oliver another time, we would have a whole extra hour today. Instead, we are trying to borrow time from the future to get everything done.

It's like a line of credit that you just can't ever pay back.

Montreal

I'm a country girl, no getting away from it. Boots by the backdoor, morning tramps through the misty fields with the dog bounding at my heels, gravel lanes and overgrown hedgerows where the last of the fading summer wildflowers nod their heads: these are the things which fill my world and offer me sustenance.

But occasionally, even a country girl craves something different. And with Montreal being just a short drive from my back door, it's not difficult to achieve.

The kids were at a birthday party in the West Island on Saturday. So I traded in my usual weekend wardrobe of jeans, wool sweater and corduroy jacket for my version of chic: black pants, crisp shirt, polished black boots, and-gasp-jewellry, dropped the children off at the party, and went shopping.

Shopping. There's an experience. Normally I hate shopping. We don't live near malls so I don't have to worry about it much. Which sometimes means we do without because it seems too much trouble to head into town. (Erik, for example, has worn pj's that were too small for the past two years, because I just never hit the right stores.)

The downside to never shopping - or the upside if you prefer - is that on those rare occasions when I do go and am in the mood for it, I tend to spend a lot of money. And Saturday was no exception. I finished the back to school clothes shopping that I never quite managed to do in August (including two sets of pyjamas for Erik), picked up the stuff we'll need to hit the slopes come Winter (feeling smug and organized as I did so), and browsed through Brault & Martineau's lovely furniture showroom, drooling. Patisseries, boutiques, specialty stores, crowds and crowds of people - it was a full day, a busy day, an exhausting day. By the time we had hit Toys R Us for a couple of gifts and had our  mandatory wander through Chapters, I was done. So we had dinner out and drove home.

Yep. Once in a while, shopping in Montreal is just what the doctor ordered.

But boy, was I glad to get back to the slower pace of the Glen. Where, if you stand still for a moment, you can hear the earth breathe.

Vacation

What is summer without a relaxing week at the cottage? I blogged about it last year, about the cottage itself, the boating and the campfires, and really, nothing has changed much since then, so I won't repeat what I already wrote - though I could wax poetic about that kind of week forever.

This year, we did all the same things. The kids can leap off the rock into the deep water without life jackets now so that was new. Eagle Island was still there with pools of cray fish, and the two loons that give the cottage lane its name still call mournfully across the still lake.

Morning and evening canoe rides, three-times-a-day swims, constant food, campfires (and marshmallows), and exploring the forest and rocks (and finding a wasp nest that stung Erik 15 times and he was so brave).

On the weekend Andrew came down, and the whole family came Saturday for a surprise birthday party for Anna (which she said was the best part of the week).

My favourite part: that moment you get standing on a warm rock in the sun, gazing into the cool sunlit lake, right before you dive. Knowing that it will feel so cold when you hit the water, and so exhilarating once it is done.

Knights

Another fabulous year at the Upper Canada Village Medieval Festival.

Run

I heard from a friend I haven't seen for years over the weekend. It was great to hear from her, to hear about her life over the past 12 years or so, to reconnect, and I look forward to finding out more about what she has been up to.

We were in the navy together. The last time we spent together was the summer of 1995 in Quebec City where we worked together at the Fleet School. I haven't thought much about that summer - the last summer I spent in the navy as it turned out - for some years, but hearing from her over the weekend unleashed memories that showed up unexpectedly this morning on my morning run.

Quebec City was where I finally gave in to the coaxings of friends and took up running with them, going (over the course of six weeks), from a out-of-breath in five minutes runner to a 10-12 K every other day runner. That has stayed with me, though I am more a slow 3K in 20 minutes three times a week runner now. And as I ran with the dog this morning along the wet pavements of Glengarry, past the sheep grazing in the pasture, past the growing wheat, and around the puddles into the pink sunrise, I recalled vividly the morning runs of 15 years ago.

We lived in the Old Quarter of Old Quebec City, a fabulous place for a bunch of mid-20's naval officers. We would get up early, and run west along the road through the lower town. Up, up, up all 398 rock cliff steps of the Cap Blanc stairs we'd go until we reached the plateau where we could ease into a long run across the still dewy Plains of Abraham and back to the old city. The last leg was a pleasant downhill finish through the steep cobbled streets of vieux Quebec, the city glowing beneath us, and the St. Lawrence sparkling in the distance.

That's what I was thinking about on my run this morning.

Grocery Shock

Okay, what's with the price of groceries these days? How is it possible that I am always surprised by how much I spend on Monday evenings?

Now I'm not a bargain hunter. I go to the Independent because it's on my way home from work. Neither do I stint - Andrew and the kids (not to mention myself) all have healthy appetites. But I do meal plan two weeks ahead, and I make a grocery list so I always know what I need to buy. I might stray from it - if, for example, coffee is on sale, but I'm pretty good at sticking to it for the most part.

I don't buy beef or lamb because we grow our own. I don't buy sausages, bacon, pork or chicken because I get them fresh from a local farmer. Sometimes I buy chicken if it's on sale. To the kids' regret I don't buy pop or chips or junk food either. And hardly anything pre-packaged.

So it's veggies, dairy, staples. Mostly dairy - we do go through 16 litres of milk a week, and more cheese and yogurt than I care to admit. But lots of fairly inexpensive fruit and vegetables too - whatever is in season.

I'm aware that when it comes to food, Canadians are fortunate. I realise that groceries take a lot less of our disposable income here than in many places around the globe. So I'm not really complaining. We eat well., and I'm thankful for that.
I know the price of groceries has increased in the past few years. I factor that it. And yet, when I get to the cash, it's still more than I expect.

I spend (on average) $150 a week for two adults, 3 children aged 7- 10. This doesn't count the freezer full of meat we have at home, or the roughly $30 a week I spend at the local butcher. Is this normal, or do I need to completely rethink my grocery habits..

I'm starting to think I'm just a bad shopper, so I'm interested in your thoughts.

Fisherman's Wharf

A friend sent me this link to a web cam overlooking the Halifax boardwalk, and I can't help glancing at it every now and then (when I should be editing).

It's the schooner, moored at the wharf; the white caps in the harbour; the grey skies reflected in the grey sea; the red brick buildings in the foreground and the "upper canadian concrete and glass" behind (thanks, Stan).

It's a million and one little things that make me homesick for Halifax.

I heard an old song down on Fisherman's Wharf,

will you sing it just one time?

~ Stan Rogers, Fisherman's Wharf

Snow Day

We make good use of snow days. 

Excellent, I said when I heard buses were cancelled. I have some long division worksheets for you to do today while I'm at work.

What really happened is this:

Sledding.

Playing Outside

I came home at lunch and we made cookies.

And they watched a movie while I worked at my computer (yep, this is me, hard at work).

Nothing whatsoever to do with division.

Unless you count having to divide 52 cookies by 5 to see how many we get each.

Soundless Golden Bells Alone In The Storm

Detail

by Al Purdy

The ruined stone house

has an elderly apple tree

left there by the farmer

whatever else he took with him

It bears fruit every year

gone wild and wormy

with small bitter apples

nobody eats

even children know better

I passed that way on the road

to Trenton twice a month

all winter long

noticing how the apples clung

in spite of hurricane winds

sometimes with caps of snow

little golden bells

And perhaps none of the other

travelers looked that way

but I make no parable of them

they were there and that’s all

for some reason I must remember

and think of the leafless tree

and its fermented fruit

one week in late January

when wind blew down the sun

and earth shook like a cold room

no one could live in

with zero weather

soundless golden bells

alone in the storm

The Homework Debate

Lots of people arguing right now over whether homework is good or bad for kids, whether it’s useful or just a waste of time that gets in the way of other fun activities.


Here’s what I think:

1. Homework can be tough on families, especially these days when both parents work and the kids go to after-school programs. When the family gets home at 6pm and has to fit in homework between supper and running out to Cubs, the kitchen can quickly become a battlefield where nobody wins.

2. Some of the homework kids get is, let’s face it, silly. I completely identify with the lawyer parents who started this debate when, after questioning the value of the crossword puzzle homework and being told it was for fun, they sent in a note to the teacher that said, thanks, but we’ll make our own fun.

3. Days are short for much of the school year, and kids aren’t getting outside enough. Having hours of homework doesn’t help that.

Having said all that, I agree with homework. I believe it is valuable and an important part of school life, and here’s why:

1. Homework is the bridge between school and home. It allows me (as a parent) to get involved in what my kids are learning, to reinforce lessons learned in class, to see how they are handling new material, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. (Without homework, for example, I would never have known that my 9 year old, in a composition, described the older cat as being pissed off, and would not have had the opportunity to brainstorm more suitable descriptors and remind him that not everything Daddy says should be repeated.)

2. Teachers do a great job, but sometimes kids who are having difficulty in a specific subject benefit from a little one-on-one time with Mom where we can go over trouble areas and figure out how to solve problems in a way that makes sense for that child. And when Grade 4 Math seems just a little elusive, we can send them to Dad. (And what’s with Grade 4 Math anyway – the answers are easy, but the way they want to solve them are so convoluted and unclearly worded that it drives me crazy).

3. Doing homework regularly at a younger age makes the transition into high school much easier, and establishes solid study/work habits that will help them later in life.

Homework should never be about new work. It should not take up too much of a child’s time (I think the 10 minute per grade rule is good). I like the younger grade (K-3) approach our school uses where they send homework for the week, and allow parents to figure out when and where it gets done, allowing us to schedule around Cubs, Karate, and days when we just want to go outside and play.

For the most part though, at least at our house, homework is a priority. I know it, the kids know it, and their teachers know it. Sure, we’ve had days when I’ve written a note to my son’s teacher saying I told him to leave his homework, and I don’t apologize if I decide to bury the kids in fallen leaves one glorious afternoon instead of making them sit at a table practicing spelling. And some nights there just isn’t time for one reason or another.

But I get tired of the debate that it has to be all or nothing. Like so much in life, it’s all about finding a balance that works so that work and fun happen side by side.

Wind Broken Stones

Where the earth shows its bones of wind broken stones

and the sea and the sky are one

I'm caught out of time, my blood sings with wine
and I'm running naked in the sun


There's God in the trees and I'm weak in the knees

and the sky is a painful blue...

Stan Rogers, 45 Years

Why even try to describe how the ocean makes me feel when Stan's already captured it perfectly...?

Hurray for Queen Victoria

Let's face it, winter is long in this northern part of the world, and by the time the sun is starting to really warm up the earth in May we're ready for the long Victoria Day (aka the May 2-4) weekend of sunshine and relaxation.

At least I am.

Easter is usually still cold. April can be chilly. May's not perfect all the time, but it's a vast improvement on the previous four months.

And so I look forward to the May long weekend - visions of a shady hammock, a good book, a relaxed three days with the kids and the dog, a family lunch, and a picnic or two..

We'll make a pitcher of lemonade and serve it over frozen raspberries and mint leaves, toss some kabobs on the barbecue, and gather around a campfire in the late afternoon.

And enjoy the official unofficial start to a Canadian Summer.

March Break in Quebec City

We had a terrific time in Quebec City over March Break. We drove into Levi and crossed on the ferry giving the kids a first hand look at the ice floes drifting down the St. Lawrence and getting the best view of the Chateau Fronenac going.

I love old Quebec - it's where Andrew and I met for one thing; I also have a good many memories of my time living in this 400 year old city. I could have wandered the old streets for hours.

The kids thought that was great - for about five minutes.

Still, they liked the battlefields and we took the dog for a long windy walk over the Plains of Abraham, after watching a great multi-media show about how the city was settled. Kids like bloody history, so they were enthralled by the knowledge that both General Wolfe and the Marquis de Montcalm died after the battle.

They also liked the caleche ride through the city gates, although it almost ended prematurely when Anna lost her hat in a gust of wind. Good old Dad ran after it all the way down a cobbled hill and then back up again. Whew!

But the real hit was the aquarium where polar bears caught fish, a playful walrus played tag with us, and a multitude of sealife could be observed.

And that was it really. Fun filled days in Quebec.Yup! That's pretty much how we all felt at the end of it all.

Of politics and barnyards

Woo-hoo - a double header today!

Of Politics
Barack Obama won the US Presidential election last night in an election that was both more tedious (so long) and yet way more exciting and relevant than the recent Canadian fiasco. Although I’m not American, it’s hard not to follow what’s going on in what is arguably the most powerful country in the world, so I wasn’t too surprised to hear the results this morning.

Good for Obama. (As an aside - I was also very impressed with the gracious and forward-looking speech McCain made in the wake of his defeat.)

Obviously I can’t speak for most Canadians, but as a Canadian, I feel the democrats in general, and Obama in particular, are a lot closer to our ideal of a politician. In fact, at this point, I think he’s probably closer to the Canadian ideal than is our current Canadian Prime Minister – and that’s saying something. For the first time ever, I’m more excited about US politics than the plodding politics of our own country, which seem sad and weary at both ends of the political spectrum.

Haiku for Canadian Politics 2008
No vision, no spark
To fire up our people’s hearts
And move us forward

Of Barnyards
Anyhow, that’s all the time I have for politics today – much more pressing things to think about…like how the sheep escaped this morning, which meant I had to chase them across the fields (wearing rather unsuitable shoes, I might add) and back into our meadow. More to the point, why would they escape?

I know it’s a classic case of the grass always being greener, but all the green grass, not to mention their hay and water, was on this side of the fence, and all that was on that side of the fence were old combined stalks of nothing. What were you thinking? I shouted at them, as I stumbled after them wishing (not for the first time) that we had a sheepdog and not a lazy Labrador who I knew had seen us leave and was most likely curled up on the sofa or one of the kids beds.

But the sheep just gazed back unblinking at me.

Adios and not goodbye?

The CBC is taking away my favourite morning show, Music and Company. It’s in reruns for the summer, and come fall, will be replaced.

I’ll miss it, dreadfully.

Music & Company plays a range of classical music, but the real treat is that the music is punctuated by the witticisms and commentary of the show’s host, Tom Allen who offers up anecdotes and turns of phrase both droll and informative.

The good news is that Tom will be back in September in the same time slot. But the music will change and that is not necessarily good. I’m withholding judgement for now, but I fear CBC is on the same path as some mainstream churches – and in trying to appeal to all, will end up appealing to none. For the most part I like my music –– like my religion - straight up. Evolving with the times is one thing – but changing mid stream is just plain annoying. And so while I like a wide range of music, when I want classical I want classical, when I want country I want country, when I want Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, I want Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. And in the mornings, I want classical, not a diluted version of what the CBC thinks will appeal to the masses.

For the summer, I’ll enjoy the reruns. And in September…I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Oh Canada

I took the children to the RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa on Friday night to see the mounties in their famous musical ride. We had a fabulous time. In addition to the Mounted Police, the Canadian Armed Forces were there, represented by the Sky Hawks, and that impressed my 8 year old son so much he has decided to join the Sky Hawks when he gets older. My daughter, who is 6, was swayed by the red uniforms and the horses, and decided the RCMP was for her. And my other daughter, aged 4, still really, really, really, wants to be a bagpiper.

There were hundreds of people there crammed into the hillside to see the show, from all walks of life: a true multi-cultural cross section of the Canadian population. Mine weren't the only children excited by what they were seeing - almost all the children visited the kiosks and had posters, tattoos, and stickers galore. And when the sunset ceremony began and we rose to sing Oh Canada, nobody sang more loudly or enthusiastically than the school-aged kids present.

Sometimes, it is easy to get cynical about our country. Sometimes it is easy to focus on the negative side of human nature, or fall into the trap of taking sides - one group of Canadians against another. The sunset ceremony reminded me of all that is good about Canada. People laughing together, sharing together, enjoying a very Canadian moment together without judgement and without agenda. It was a great way to kick off the July 1st long weekend. And if the children of our country are any indication, Canada will be just fine.