Friday, October 31, 2008

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

I love Halloween. I always have.

I thouroughly enjoy the "commercial" aspects of it. I love the traditions that bring me back to my childhood. I love the smell of wet pumpkin as I try to carve it into a masterpiece.

For a few years I felt completely jipped.

Adult Halloween didn't seem to have much to offer.

I'm not a club girl- never have been. I'll do it for a friend's b-day or a stagette, but that's it. I am not interested in dressing in lingerie, paying four times the regular cover charge and dancing with strangers who feel that it's their divine right to grab me... no thanks.

One year, however, I did go downtown with my bubbs and my oldest brother, Scott, to people watch. It was incredibly funny. I have never seen so many bare bums before- especially when it's so cold out.

I'm not much of a partier either. It seems that any Halloween parties that I have been to have fallen way below my expectations. Probably because my expectations are so high. I remember the days that I would rush home from school to touch-up my costume. I would wait anxiously for darkness to fall so that I could go out, running door to door collecting sweets.

Many of the costume parties I have been to just don't add up.

Some of the costumes are really impressive, but it's obvious that most of the people there are uncomfortable dressing up, and only do so out of obligation. So there sits, and stands, a bunch of adults in their costumes- feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

Not nearly as fun as my days of trick or treating.

Four years ago, my friend, Jac, and I went out on a dare. We swung it so last minute, and thought it'd be hilarious. We expected to hit up a couple houses, get nasty glares and rude comments... maybe even a couple doors slammed in our faces.

But by the fifth house, it seemed that it was more of an inside joke. Not one person seemed to notice or care. In fact, many gave us "big kids" an extra serving of candy, while our "older brothers" (husbands) waited at the end of the driveway for us.

Finally.

Us girls who always looked younger than we were found a bonus: we can STILL trick or treat on halloween!!!

I remember HATING it when people would assume I was years younger than I am. My mom and her friends always said I would like it when I got older, but I wasn't convinced. Especialy when I was 16, and one of my friends always got asked what college she went to... apparently it looked as if I was the kid sister, or she was my youth leader. Or when I worked at the pool, teaching aquafit, the ladies would ask if I was old enough to drive... I was 20 at the time. Or when I worked as a waitress, I often got sideways glances as I corked a bottle of wine. I could tell that people were wondering why the busser was serving the alcohol, and some people actually questioned me on it. I was 22 and married.

When Scotty was a youth pastor, I worried that rumours might start after someone saw him kissing a "16-year old girl" in the parking lot. Thankfully that never happened.

On wednesday I met up with one of my old youth girls. She's in grade 9, but she looks older than she is. We were standing beside the football field after practice. She was waiting for her boyfriend, and I was waiting for my husband. We got talking to one of the guys, and he kept trying to figure out who I was. I gave him my first name, and he
looked confused. He then asked my last name as if he was trying to place me as one of the students at his school. Even after I said Martens- it didn't click, so I told him I was the coach's wife.

The look on his face was priceless. I laughed and acknowledged that, yes, I look much younger than I am.

And that is why I still get to go trick-or-treating... this will be our 4th year in a row! I've got pumpkin-coconut soup with cheese dumplings ready to be heated when I get off work tonight. We'll be getting ready at my house, and then we'll leave the guys to hand out candy while we run around in the dark for a few hours, laughing until it hurts, collecting a big bag of sugary treats, and waiting for the day that we get doors slammed in our faces because we're "too old to trick or treat."

Until then, we'll keep doing it because adult Halloween ain't got nothin' on my trick-or-treating.



(devil-cat panda, and pumpkin-head hanzel... don't they look thrilled?)

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

J’taime le Vino

Okay, so my French is likely to be way off, but I don’t care. I hated my grade eleven French teacher, so mock him for being a lousy teacher if you’re gonna mock anyone.

It seems that every Saturday I find a section in my Globe and Mail on wine, and because of the current financial crisis- these articles are tailored to finding good, cheap wines.

I am so sick of writing down names of bottles I would like to try only to have them vanish- so I’m putting them up here whenever I come across them. You’re welcome to try them and report back to me, and perhaps, suggest some.



“Crowd Pleasing Reds at Reasonable Prices”… according to Beppi Crosariol.

Who wouldn’t want to listen to wine advise from a guy named Beppi?

*Red Knot Shiraz, 2006. Austrailia. $21.99

This one features a ZORK!!! I had no clue what that meant until I read the article. In Beppi’s words “it’s a bulbous [yum… words like ‘bulbous’ should be juxtaposed more to food and drink] turban-like top on the bottle that peels off in a circular manner.” Now you can impress your friends with that little piece of knowledge… if they’ll believe you and not just think you made up the word “zork.”

“Red knot is full-bodied and teeming with black fruits, enlivened by notes of black pepper, chili powder, cigar tobacco and herbs”

[sidenote: cigar tobacco??? I once saw a wine discription list pencil lead… hahaha. Just another reason to love it!]

*Lourens River Valley Morgenster [merlot], 2003. South Africa. $21.95

“Dominated by concentrated currant, spice and tobacco, and a bit of that smoky, love-it-or-leave-it quality of cap reds. Consider decanting it before serving. It should match nicely with roast lamb.”

*Beringer Founders’ Estate Merlot, 2005. California. $19.99

“You have to be impressed with the precision engineering in this wine, which is far better than many $20 competing big brands. The fruit is intense with almost-sweet cherry and plum, the texture is smooth as ready-to-drink merlot ought to be, with good acidity and just the right amount of vanilla and other oak-bourne influences.”

*Sumac Ridge Black Sage Vineyard Merlot, 2006. British Columbia. $20

“Decant the wine before serving if you can; it’s still youthful and tightly wound, exhibiting notes of black olive, new leather, plum, cherry and coffee.”

*Inniskillin Okanagan Merlot Reserve, 2005. $17.99

“There’s no mistaking the New World sunshine in this rich BC red, showing intense raspberry flavour and spicy oak”

*Quinta de Crasto Flor de Crasto, 2006. Portugal. $14.49

“One of the great things about portugese wines is that most people, including wine aficionados, know nothing about them. Portugal also delivers great value. These two considerations make it possible to skimp on price, deliver big flavour and nobody’s the wiser- the perfect wine equation… a medium full-bodied red… the texture is almost chewy, with delicious notes of cherry, plum, black pepper and wood.”

Monday, October 27, 2008

The Strategic Vote

I’m 25. I didn’t grow up in a home that spoke a lot about politics (although my mom and brother now go way over my head in their discussions). I don’t know a lot about each party’s platforms. I also don’t know a lot about their histories, and I can’t always imagine the benefits and consequences of what their platforms promise.

I do know that I lean left, more to the left than Liberal (as I recently found out
that the current Liberals actually see fairly eye-to-eye with the Conservatives on keeping our troops in Afghanistan until 2011). I know that my concerns about the environment rate at the top of my list, along with social issues and foreign policy.
I have to say that I was impressed with parts of every left-leaning platform and didn’t feel quite as partisan as I would have predicted (although Elizabeth May as PM would have been a sight to see, and likely would have garnered a lot more interest in politics among young voters and much higher sales in tricycles). All I knew is that I didn’t want Harper getting his majority and I wasn’t alone. There was quite an anti-Harper movement already in the works.


For those of you who don’t know much about politics, I beg you to at least review what Right wing vs Left wing means (knowing that not all right wing and left wing parties stick to their corresponding policy). Canada’s multi-party electoral system has only one right of center party, the Conservatives, but we have 3 Left wing parties (Bloc Quebecois is a whole ‘nother story). Liberals are left of center, NPD further left and Green very left. That means that the left vote is always split, while the right isn’t.

…Hence, the anti-Harper movement.

Tories benefit from having the left vote split into three, so websites such as www.voteforenvironment.com were designed according to the lastest polling information about each riding across Canada so that people could know which party to vote for to overcome the potential for the 3-way split to benefit the Tories.

I went to it on election day morning and typed in my postal code. One second later it came back with, “you live in a Conservative stronghold. Do what you can for the environment.”

Can’t say I didn’t feel defeated as I walked to the polls that afternoon. I wished that I lived in the Delta-Newton riding where the race was close, and my vote wouldn’t feel so voiceless.

Thanks to the Bloc Quebecois, Harper didn’t get his majority… phewf!


Point is, you don't have to spend tons of time researching each political party to make an educated vote (although knowledge IS power, and people know far too much about "Brangelina" and not enough about the stuff that is actually affecting our lives). Voting for the environment is admirable because where is is currently headed is truly terrifying, so if you don't have "time" to do the work prior to an election- websites such as this are an extremely useful tool.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Where Were We?

This election saw its lowest numbers of voter turnout ever… 59%.

Back in the 60’s voter turnout was somewhere close to 80%, and you know what? People who were around in the 60’s are still showing up to vote. The age cohort with the greatest voter turnout is the 50+ group. That translates to campaigns aimed at this age-group.

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Do we wait until we’re old enough to finally be interested in pension-plan politics, or do we get off our facebook and start using our voices?

Many young people don’t vote. Approximately only 38% of young people ages 18-24 actually showed up at the 2006 polls (and I’m sure that number is down in this most recent election). When polled for why they don’t vote, most said that they didn’t know enough, followed by those who said that they didn’t have time, and lastly, they simply didn’t care.

We make up the cohort with the WORST voter turnout, and that translates to not only having a nearly silent voice in the happenings of our country, but it also means that our needs and interests will never be catered to. Political platforms won’t speak to our interests, passions or concerns until we become a force to be reckoned with. Rick Mercer of the Mercer Report said that if most university students simply showed up on election day to vote, the entire political system would be changed because politicians would no longer be able to ignore our interests.

The Carbon Tax proposal of the Liberal platform was extremely unpopular, and many suggest that it (along with voter distaste for Dion) cost the Liberals big time. But the truth is that environmental advocacy groups support the carbon tax plan as one of the best ways to hit the issue of global warming head-on. Most environmental economists say that the only way to really address greenhouse gas is to put a price on carbon emissions. I believe that the coming generation actually cares about our environment more than previous generations. My mom says that our generation is paying for the “sins” of her generation (be it politically and environmentally). She feels that we’ll do things so differently than hers… I really hope so.

Both Green Peace and Sierra Club issued statements urging Canadians to “vote for any party but the conservatives” because the Tories were the only party who lacked any real environmental solution to greenhouse gas emissons (in fact, the Tory’s action plan is deemed by environmental experts as tepid, at very best, and the environment will only continue to get a lot worse under such regulation).

As I sat in a room election night, hugely outnumbered by Conservative supporters, I couldn’t help but wonder what the polls would reveal had we actually showed up. I dare to think that the outcome would be quite different, and perhaps I would’ve been spared listening to all the poorly constructed left-wing jokes while I sat blushing and biting my tongue.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Pumpkin Patch



Despite our best efforts, the bunnies destroyed most of our efforts at a vegetable garden this summer. They ate all the shoots before they ever had a chance, but they DID leave us the summer squash (which were delicious) and the sweet pumpkins.


This year yeilded 16 sweet pumpkins (they are small with thick, sweet flesh for cooking and baking).

Three of our neices spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa's last weekend, so we invited them over to pick pumpkins.



Apparently our back yard is a blast. Our little Himalayan lop, Pancake, was quite the hit. The girls picked apples from the apple tree to feed to her. Our Holland lop, Coconut, wasn't interested in the kids- he prefered to stay out of reach, but even he, seemed to enjoy the sunshiine as he bounced around the yard.

What’s wrong with this picture?



The Greens got 7% of the popular vote while the Bloc got 10%. The Greens got more votes this election than in the past, yet they lost their one seat (won in the 2006 election). The Greens have no seats, yet the Bloc, who got only 3% more votes, won 49 seats. They even beat out the NDP who won 37 seats and got 18% of the popular vote...

...what?

A long standing critism of Canada’s electoral system has been that its inner workings were designed for a time when only two parties were running.

An editorial written in Thursday, October 16th Globe and Mail by Ed Broadbent (President of Rights and Democracy) really gets at the issue of proportional representation.

Most European democracies have successful systems of proportional representation. He said that a system such as those in Gremany, New Zealnd and Wales would work well in Canada and would make our Parliaments both more representative and more stable.
Broadbent points out that if our seats represented the proportion of actual votes, the Liberals, New Democrats and the Greens would have a majority of seats (yay!), and if they followed the European pattern, these would combine to form a government with each party having seats in the cabinet and a program that actually reflects how a majority had voted.

“As Canadians know, the Liberals, New Democrats and Greens did agree on a number of economic measures, on social policy, the environment and protection for families in the current economic crisis. Since the majority of Candaians voted for these parties, they, not the Conservatives, should be determining our political agenda…In Canada as a whole, the NDP received a million more votes than the Bloc. Yet the Bloc recieved 50 seats and the NDP only 37… It’s time Canadians got the governments we vote for, not the ones our outmoded electoral system continues to regurgitate. It’s time our neanderthal journalists and politicians started telling the truth about our lack of democracy”- Ed Broadbent.

Amen.

So what’s a person to do? How can it be changed?

Here’s a start:

Sign this petition.

Go to the Fair Vote BC website and join the campaign. We have a provincial election coming up in May 2009. Add them on facebook, and empower yourself though knowledge.

Friday, October 17, 2008

In Response to Last Post

I lied.

And I'm sorry.

I had said I wouldn't steal pics from Google Images, and I did.

I take back my promise because there are some pictures that I simply will not take.

So I will steal those.

And just to be clear, Google-imaging THAT was my second week's scariest.

I couldn't look directly at it, and now I have to post a bunch so that it don't have to see that on my main page.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Week's Scariest

I've drafted a couple political posts in response to the recnt election, but they're on my laptop at home (I am at work for another 24 hour shift), so those will have to wait until the weekend.

I would tell you all about my fabulous life as of late, but I try not to do the brag thing (plus my life has involved a lot of school work mixed in with some house work).

Instead, I will tell you about the scariest moment of my week.

I have not adjusted well to the colder weather over these past few weeks, and as a result. I am always cold.

Well, that mixed with the fact that we only turned the heat on in our house last Wednesday... Our house had gotten to an incredibly uncomfortable temp of 12 degrees... yep, it was the same temp as outside.

I really tried to avoid turing the heat on until November. It seems rediculous for us to pay to heat such a huge house when there are only two people living there. But on days that I was home doing school, I had to bundle up in my down vest, uggs and wrap myself up in a blanket, and even then, I still got cold because I was hadley moving.

Made me think about the people who are living on our streets, who also have to endure the wet. Horrible.

I resort to hot baths to warm my blood during the winter months, so on Wednesday afternoon I headed upstairs with some school reading to go over while I soaked.

I pushed bak the shower cutain only to find a long-legged spider scrambling trying to get out.


My cats are my salvation when it comes to spiders. I guess it invokes the "mouser" in them. The challenge is for me to stay calm enough to call them to my aid in an appealing voice. I usually throw whiska's cat treats beside the spiders to bring them to my cats' attention. Hanzel (he's so hot right now) is my real hero. He has the love of food, and he sees spiders as treats with legs.

On Wednesday I caught my big 18 lb Hanzel in the living room and quickly carried him into my bathroom. As I started to lower him into the tub, he got a wild look in his eyes. I think he thought I was trying to drown him (even though there was no water in the tub... I didn't say Hanzel was smart). I swallowed my fear of the eight-legs below and sang a little lullaby to him as I lowered him down into the tub.

As soon as his feet hit the yellow ceramic (yep... we got sweet 70's tub/toilet/sink combos in 2 of our bathrooms) that nasty thing ran straight for him, trying to climb up his leg.

I had to move back against the sink to stop from screaming, but I couldn't leave the room because I had to make sure that Hanzel took care of it.

There was some shuffling for a few minutes, then Hanzel hopped up on the edge of the tub. I moved closer to make sure it was gone.

I let my guard down.

As I crouched over the tub, Hanzel inches from my face, I noticed some thing black and leggy squirming from his mouth.

The damn thing was still alive!

Hanzel was just carrying it out of the tub.

I shot back, using all my inner strength to stay calm because I knew that if I starled my cat, he'd drop the spider and run.

He hopped onto the floor and dropped the thing near my feet. It proceeded to narrow the gap between us.

I shot up on my counter as Hanzel played with it. I'm not ashamed to say that I quietly whimpered.

After what seemed like forever, he finally ate it and left.

I stayed couched in my bathroom sink for a few extra minutes- I had survived another terrifying moment...

...barely.


(and Ashley, the time was 2:41)

Friday, October 10, 2008

Twilight.

The books that have been eating up all my free time over the past month and a half are coming to the big screen later this fall, well, the first book at least.



I'm really hoping it's not cheesy because the books are SO good!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

What Are You Doing November 8th?

My life was changed a few years ago.

I dove head first into a job/world that I had little-to-no experience in and it intimidated the hell out of me.

My mom and others worried a little for my safety. I worried for my safety.

Just over one month into the job, I fell asleep in the livingroom watching a movie- I woke up at 3am to the TV glowing blue and a young man walking around the livingroom in his boxers.

I watched him walk down the hallway and into one of the girls' rooms.

The next morning I recieved notification from our resource worker that the guy I had seen was extremely dangerous- he had numerous sexual assult charges against him, he was homeless and drug addicted and had a history of being violent... before she hung up the phone with me, she said "so please be careful."

Great.

That afteroon, I left work and went straight to the church to drive a carful of yout leaders to Kelowna for a weekend retreat, the RUSH YOUTH CONFERENCE.

I was prettty shaken up, and was ready to wave the white flag. I wasn't cut out for this job. I couldn't put myself in that situation ever again. By the time we reached Kelowna, I had mentally checked out of my new job. After the weekend I would call my boss and tell him I couldn't do it.

Later that night, at the first session, a crazy looking white guy with thick-rimmed glasses, dreadlocks and potato sack clothes started to speak in his heavy southern accent.

He had worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, he had been arrested in peaceful protests against his city's efforts to outlaw being homeless, he travelled to Baghdad on a Christian peackeeping mission and his convoy was bombed, his friend nearly lost his life had it not been for the locals who had set up a makeshift hospital for them, he lived amongst lepers who taught him how to sew his own clothes so that he never had to wear clothing made by a child again, he "settled down" in the slums in Philidelphia and set up "The Simple Way" .

Did I menion he was only a handful of years older than me?

As he spoke, all my convienient barriers started to crumble. While I know so many lines to give as to why I am not doing more for the "least of these," I was finally confronted on them. While he spoke I could feel my loving Heavenly Father smacking me upside the head.

HE wanted me there. He wanted me to stop worrying and rely on Him.

On Monday I would go back to the job I felt so ill-equipped for. I would bathe my life in prayer rather than anxiety, and I would be obedient. I would stay as long as He wanted me to.

I'm coming up on 2 years, and I don't feel a release coming anytime soon.

This guy who's words changed my life wasn't Shane Claiborne- His name was Jesus.

Shane has simply submitted to Him- he has comitted to being His Hands and His feet in this pain-filled world.


I saw Jesus standing before me- I heard His words as Shane opened his mouth...

...and my life was changed.

On November 8th at 6pm Shane Claiborne will be in Abbotsford at Northview Community Church Worship Center. He'll also be giving the same message on the 9th at the 9am and 11am service. I'm gonna be there Saturday night...

Ready and waiting for the smack upside my head. You should be there too.

Beautiful Ordinary

Facebook and I have a love/hate relationship.

I love how I can keep in touch with people that I don’t see often, and I can stay in the loop even when my work and school schedule don’t allow for me to be as social as I might like.

I dislike the “brag-book” aspect of it. It never fails, every time I go on, it is inevitable, someone is always on or about to go on a great trip, buying a house or a car, getting a three day weekend, getting married etc. while I am just doing the regular grind.

Seeing all the excitement and action in everybody else’s lives can leave a bad taste in my own mouth. It can be hazardous to the health to compare my life to someone else’s when there is nothing new or exciting on the horizon.

It is amazing how one can be fine with their own life until they hear about the exciting stuff going on in other people’s lives.

Truth is, trips end, down-payments turn into mortgages and monthly car payments, three day weekends give way to a five day work/school week, weddings become memories captured on film. The real test is being happy in the daily grind, finding adventure, contentment and inspiration in the day-to-day. It doesn’t always take a change of scenery, extra days off, or big bucks to enjoy life, but rather it involves making the most of what you’ve got… and choosing to appreciate it.


With that in mind, I took a “me-day” recently. I didn’t do anything exciting, but I set out with the goal of enjoying simplicity. My day started with a cup of coffee and a newspaper, and then a run in the rain. It’s amazing how much better a run can be when you change up your playlist, take a different route or make an effort to enjoy the scenery. A simple shower can be a whole lot better when you sing. A commute can be more exciting if you treat that CD as a music soundtrack to your life, and stealing glances at your surroundings while you drive can reveal beauty that you may not have ever noticed in your rush to and from work. Errands can be made brighter by actually speaking with the cashier at the grocery store.

On my “me-day,” after my shower, I grabbed by favourite dress to do some errands (rather than the obligatory yoga pants and sweatshirt). Funny thing: a dress is just as easy, if not easier, to throw on as frump clothes, but it adds a little skip to your step even when doing the mundane. I hopped in my car, cranked “Sam’s Town” by The Killers and put a few drops of Pumpkin Nectarine oil in my car diffuser to give my car an autumnal scent. I made an effort to enjoy my surroundings on my drive into Richmond, and I smiled at the orange pumpkin fields as I waited at the lights. In Kerrisdale Cameras while picking up a case and some rechargeable batteries, I struck up a conversation with the salesman and he ended up teaching me a couple simple tricks to take better photos. I made a dash into the mall to pick up some gifts… buying for others really is so much more enjoyable than buying for myself. I didn’t feel like a martyr as I passed through clothing stores, knowing that I still have 4 more months left on my “No New Clothes For a Year” commitment, because I chose to be happy with what I have. While all the clothes in the mall may be off limits for me- I also reminded myself that save a lot of money by only going thrift or sewing it myself (let alone knowing that I am not supporting companies who capitalize on people in 3rd world countries by underpaying them and subjecting them to horrible working conditions), and the creative side of me likes that there isn’t a dozen identical dresses hanging on the rack in the stores I shop in. I left the mall with gifts for other people and a DVD for myself. When I got home I made myself popcorn and a strawberry margarita and snuggled into my big yellow couch (also purchased from a thrift store a few years ago) as I watched my newly purchased copy of “Sex and the City: The Movie.”

The evening that followed involved landry, making dinner, school work and cleaning the litter box, but those long weekends and exciting trips were the furthest thing from my mind.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Chubby Bunny

I put down a lot of money on a camera (for me at least... it's nothing in the camera big-leagues), and I am set on using it.

Today I photographed a squirmy 2 month old.

Now that I look back, the little doll took the 3+ hour photoshoot like a pro.

I tend to get a little carried away when I am in a creative state, luckily the bouncing baby girl is as easy-going as her mother (who remained a good sport even when her diaperless daughter peed all down mom's front- soaking both her sweater and her jeans).

I tell yah, I have new-found respect for baby photographers, as they wiggle just about every second, and, well, there's the risks one takes when doing nudie shots (which I didn't even THINK of).



Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Goal Achieved


Thanks to Stephenie Meyer, I made good on my “1 book a month” goal for 2008 about two books ago. I am now on my 14th book of the year. For a non-reader like me, that is incredible!

I am now part way into the 4th book of the “Twilight” series.

Technically they’re young adult/teen books, but Harry Potter may have been more widely read by adults than juvies.

If the idea of reading about Vampires and Werewolves has you feeling skiddish, don't worry, they lack the gore and spiritual stuff that usually makes me wary of such books.

It’s nice to know that once I finish the fourth book, I won’t be left hanging: Stephenie has written her first adult book called “The Host” which I was eyeing in Chapters the other day.