Word of the Day #38: propinquity

We haven't had one of these in a long time.

propinquity
[proh-ping-kwi-tee]

–noun 1. nearness in place; proximity.
2. nearness of relation; kinship.
3. affinity of nature; similarity.
4. nearness in time.

I got this in an email today.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#20 - Sunny Days

I love the rain. I live in BC for a reason. Rain is comforting and it really doesn't bug me. I have a lot of "inside" hobbies and rain allows me to do them without feeling guilty. That said, there's something to be said about sunny days. Today was one of those, after WEEKS of rain (or at least it felt like that). I took advantage of it and made a run down to the recylcing depot. It's like getting a get out of jail free card. I sit at my desk or I'm in meetings alllllll week long so when I can go out and do something physical, and mostly just get a chance of pace, I'm thankful for it. And if it takes a sunny day to do it? Then that's just a bonus.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#19 - Encouraging Words

I had a meeting with my old boss yesterday. He has always told us that he is available on a volunteer basis to provide consulting and today we took him up on that. At the end of the hour and a half meeting between myself, my old boss and my current boss, my old boss said "there are two things I accomplished right before I left that I am really proud of. One was securing the program and the other was hiring Heidi".

Gulp.

I mean I appreaciate the sentiment. He's always been really encouraging and I owe him a lot from a career point of view. He's given me a lot of opportunities that I may not have otherwise had.

That said, I am planning on leaving in nine months and comments like that make it much harder.

But I do appreciate the words. My primary "love language" is Quality Time and Encouraging Words. Especially professionally, encouraging words mean a lot to me and it was nice to hear it from him (and have it confirmed by my current boss).

Attitude of Gratitude V2#18 - High School

High School. It seems like every time I turn around I’m confronted with it.

* I’m re-reading Twilight which is teenage, high school angst at it’s finest.
* You can’t escape Taylor Swift and thankfully, I don’t want to because I like her music but she captures the gut wrenching indecision of high school and brings it all back to the surface.
* I actually had to GO to my highschool to pick up copies of my transcripts for my university application. It wasn't the first time I've been back since graduating but it was the first time in a long time. Not much has changed although the school has a new coat of paint so it looks fresh. And my english teacher is now principal and my math teacher is vice-principal. Crazy.
* I went for massage therapy and it turns out my massuse went to the same school I did, although she graduated 15 years before me. Still, we shared a few teachers and had fun reminiscing about them.

So yeah, high school. You can't avoid it but I am so glad that I'm NOT there anymore!!!

Attitude of Gratitude V2#17 - My Job

I don`t know how long it`s been since I`ve posted about work but I am happy to report that right now, I really do love my job. Granted I`d rather be independently wealthy and not have to work at all, and I won`t be there forever (9 months go to! give or take) but right now, I really do enjoy working at my job.

We hired a new GM last month and he`s working out swimmingly. After the last guy, anyone would be an improvement but this guy is stellar. I`ve already learned a lot from him and I know I`ll learn more. He`s competent and easy to work for. He`s big into delegation, but that`s okay because he inspires his staff to WANT to do the work.

It`s wondeful to work for someone like that and because of him, I can honestly say, I love my job, and am thankful for it.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#16 - Facebook

This week kind of got away from me so I'm scrambling to catch up on these posts. I had lots of topics in mind and I'm just trying to get them all down.

I am thankful for Facebook. I am. I know there`s been tons of articles written about it, regarding the good and the bad. Lots of people have their opinions about wether it`s the best invention ever or evil incarnate. Personally, I lean towards the latter. I like it because it allows me to keep connected, on some level, with people I would never nomally talk to, but whom I care for and about (in some cases), those who fascinate me (in others) and lots who I just like to keep tabs on because I`m nosey like that :D

Facebook enables all of that and for that, I am thankful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#15 - Polly

So, if you're paying close attention, you may have noticed my new little friend. She's purple and black and she moved in a few weeks ago. Remember my post about my new winter coat? Well the next thing on my list (and probably more important, but way harder to chose) was a laptop.

A few Sunday's ago I finally decided to stop debating and shopping and just buy. I was at my parents and Robert was in town. He brought his new girlfriend over to meet the family (more on that later) and after dinner I sat down at their computer and made them (Dad, Robert and his GF) help me chose the specs for a new laptop. I bought it from Dell Online and the only "non-essential" feature I got was a purple cover for it :D

It arrived on Wednesday, November 4th and it's perfect. Okay. I have a confession to make. I named it. Her. I called her Polly. I do call her Polly. I know it's probably lame and cheesy but I figure if people can name their cars (and guitars apparently) I can name my computer. Plus, it's way better to say "I'm at Starbucks with Polly" than "I'm at Starbucks with my computer". Lame maybe. Deal with it LOL

Anyways, that's another barrier to my move lifted. And it's fun to have a computer at home again! I don't have internet yet but I'm hoping to get it in the next month or so. For now, I just use live writer and then upload my blog posts. I've also downloaded some genealogy software so I'm filling that in.

Yep, I'm thankful for Polly :D

Attitude of Gratitude V2#14 - Kids

I have to admit, it's a bit odd going from a 19 and over concert setting full of alcohol and pot smoke, to a four year old's birthday party in less than 12 hours. It was fun though, and strangely, I do well in both settings (although I got more of a headache from the screaming kids than I did from the thumping bass at the concert.

The first Christmas album I pull out each year is Kenny Chesney's "All I Want for Christmas (is a real good tan)". On that album he covers the song "Thank God for Kids" and I love that song. It's so true. Kids are wonderful. I'd take kids over cats or dogs any day. Someday I'd love to have my own. For now, it's fun to just hang out with friends who do have kids, and enjoy theirs, without the responsibility.

I am thankful for kids.

No unluckiness for this losin’ lately gambler on Friday the thirteenth!

Corb Lund had a series of shows in Vancouver and in my hometown. Jenna got a four pack of tickets and the night of the concert it ended up being Jenna, her sister Katherine, their uncle Dave and myself going to the show. The tickets said that the show started at 7 but that was actually when the doors opened. We lined up at 6:30ish anyways and were first in line. That gave us the opportunity to get a table for those who wanted to sit and a place right by the stage for those (me and Jenna) who wanted to stand.

The opening act was a new comer named Ridley Bent. I've only heard his two singles “Buckles and Boots” (which he opened with) and “Heartland Heartbreak” (which he closed with). Both songs are kind of overplayed on the radio and I have to be in the mood to hear them but I actually stopped and listened to the lyrics a few weeks ago and realized, I really like this guy!
I was excited to see him live and I wasn’t disappointed. Well, I was a little, but it wasn’t his fault. The sound was really bad. I’m not sure if the base was too loud or what but even standing right there beside the stage (the picture above is taken with no zoom to show you how close I was) I still couldn’t understand all the lyrics. I suppose if I knew his music it wouldn’t have been too bad but even Corb was clearer.
Ridley had himself on acoustic guitar, a bass player, an electric guitar player, a fiddler, drummer and another guy who cycled between steel and other instruments.

There was quite a break between Ridley's set and when Corb took the stage. I waited for a bit and then went for a bathroom break. On the way back I noticed that there was only one person still in line to get Ridley's autograph (I wasn't going to bother until I saw that) so I slipped in. He signed a picture for me and then posed with me. He's very sweet and I wish him luck.

Once Corb Lund took the stage, the crowd was ready. Jenna and I saw him in February 2008 but we were quite a bit further back and I can honestly say I didn't realize how CUTE Corb is! :) Especially when he smile and the dimple comes out. And when he's playing his guitar with his tounge sticking out a little bit.

Anyways, aside from the fact that he was *very* nice to look at, I love his music and it was fantastic to hear him live. He played a LOT of songs. In no particular order, and not necessarily a complete or correct list, this is what I remembered when I wrote out a list after the concert:

Hair in my Eyes (like a highland steer)
Shine Up My Boots
Short Native Grasses (Prairies of Alberta)
No Roads Here
Buckin’ Horse Rider (dedicated to his uncle who’s in the hospital)
Truck Got Stuck (forgot the lyrics)
Hurtin’ Albertan
Big Butch Bass Bull Fiddle
All I Wanna Do is Play Cards
The Truth Comes Out
Good Copenhagen
Little Foothills Heaven
I Wanna Be in the Calvary
Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier
Lament for Lester Cousins
The Horse I Rode In On
Hard On Equipment (Tool for the job)
Family Reunion
Chinook Wind
This is My Prairie
Game in a Town Like This (Losin’ Lately Gambler)
Long Gone to Saskatchewan
End
Rye Whiskey
Time to Switch to Whiskey

Encore Alberta Says Hello
Counterfeit Blues


The picture of him with all the pink lights is just before he sang what he dubbed his "gunfighter ballad". His all time favourite cd is Marty Robbins' "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" so the pink lights were appropriate.

He's not a super active performer. Preferring to mostly just sing, play guitar and have a blast. He was fun to watch though.

I was skeptical about the venue when we first arrived. They call it the "Showbarn" and it really is just a barn. It's where the flea market happens on Sunday morning's and during Agrifair, that's where the 4H club sets up shop. This night, they had the stage on one end, a makeshift bar on the other, and that was it. It kind of reminded me of being back in Texas. Raw, live music, performed the way it should be.

Someone mentioned that Corb would be signing autographs so during the last song of the encore, I ducked out of the crowd and went and lined up. It worked out perfectly because it meant I was first in line. I got Jenna to take this picture of the two of us and on one hand he looks like he's kind of not ready for it but on the other, we captured that little, tounge half out thing that he does when he's playing so I thought it was cute :)

Bottom line, awesome concert. I highly recommend him if you're looking for true "country western" (a term I refuse to let my dad use, but applies here) or "roots" or "Americana" if you prefer.

Good music. A Great night. For that, I am thankful.

November 12 of 12

I got to work at 8:15. I took a picture of the clock because I wasn’t feeling well so I was expecting a “the time I arrived at work, the time I left work” series of shots but I surprised myself by working right till 4:30 and never got another shot of the clock. Of course this is probably why I stuck around. This is what I was supposed to be doing a work. (registering a Personal Property Security Assignment) Instead... This is what I was actually doing at work. Shhh don't tell! This was my lunch. A cheesy bun from Cobs and homemade "harvest vegetable gouda soup".


I stopped at the used bookstore on my way home and picked up a copy of "Twilight" for six bucks. I've read all four books already but I borrowed them from friends. The first time I read the first book I zipped through it in less than 48 hours...so you know I didn't absorb it. This time I switched back and forth between it and Midnight sun. And I was inspired to write a blog entry explaining my mixed feelings about this series.

This is what I was supposed to be working on that evening. I have pulled all my school stuff out of the storage room and I'm attempting to go through it an decide what to keep and what to toss (do I really need an excercise book of me learning my abc's?) It's *really* hard to decide though so it's been sitting out in mh living room for awhile. I need to finish up though becuase I'm getting tired of walking over boxes.

Oh, and a quick shot of my Christmas tree which I put up on November 11th for the third year in a row :D

My dinner. (Hey this is supposed to be "every day stuff" right?)


If you can't tell it's chicken pot pies (with a finger hole in the middle so I could tell if it was done. Totally uncivilized, I know.) Carrots and leftover acorn squash. So then I went to my favourite place in the world...the library :wub:
And read "Midnight Sun" online, blogged and caught up on Facebook.

(this is also the picture of me for anyone keeping track). And, lastly, more "every day stuff", my car, in it's spot in my apartment parkade. There. That's my 12 of 12. A few days late and not super exciting, but it was my day!

About three things I am absolutely positive

First, I don’t like vampires. I don’t like the idea of them, or reading about them or hearing about them at all (and it’s not because I’m “scared”. I just don’t like fantasy, The witches and warlocks in Harry Potter are bad enough.)

Second, Stephanie Meyer is an incredible author and I only wish I could turn my dreams into multi-million dollar franchises like she has done. (Cause I have to admit, I’ve had some pretty cool dreams).

And third, I, like half the female teenage population of the world (and a lot of the non-teenage population) am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Edward.

There. I’ve confessed it and it’s out in the open. Admitting you have a problem is the first step right? :)

But you know what? I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry that I’m a hypocritical Twilight fan because I simultaneously do not approve of vampires and fantasy yet I LOVE these books (and yes, to everyone who said “I told you so” you were right). I’m not sorry that I have a school girl crush on a character in a book and an actor.

In fact, on some level I am thankful for the Twilight Saga. It’s fun to be caught up in something and to have something in common with others. No, not everyone “gets it”, but there are enough that it’s fun to share. From my second cousin who’s younger than me and right in the Twilight target age group, to my bookkeeper who’s older than me and planning a Twilight birthday party for…herself. It’s fun to swoon with these people and share our mutual love for these characters. After all, that’s what good literature is all about. Vampires or not. And for that, I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#11 - Peace

I went to the cenotaph for the Remembrance Day ceremonies today. They moved the cenotaph in our town a few years back and I haven’t been since. It’s in the plaza between City Hall and the main library now and it’s a great place because it’s large and perfect for parades and marches by the groups that participate. Seeing the air cadets marching first brought back memories of when Aaron and Robert were in Cadets. It was always the first big event of the year for them.

The ceremony was pretty standard. O Canada, a moment of silence. A bugler playing “Taps”, the roll call of the dead and the chilling “They do not answer sir”, including one name from the Afghanistan conflict. One of the cadets recited “In Flanders Fields” and the chaplain read a poem called “The Man We Didn’t Know”.

It was a great day for the ceremony. Clear with just a hint of fall in the air, but hardly any breeze. At 11:11 a squadron of planes flew over. One had been circling so I was waiting when I heard it coming again so low, I wasn’t expecting the group of them though. Very cool.

As a result of the genealogy work I’ve been doing lately, I can’t help but think of my ancestors who paid the ultimate sacrifice. “Great Uncle” Melville, who was killed in action in Italy at the age of twenty four and Cecil and Harold who escaped with their lives but always carried the horrors of war with them.

When the rifle corps gave a three gun salute the sound reverberated through the plaza and it gave us just a tiny touch of what it must have been like for these brave souls.

The wreath laying portion of the ceremony took the longest but it’s neat to see so many groups and individuals honouring the dead.

So today, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, I am grateful for all those who fought for the freedom I enjoy each day and for the peace that,mostly, reigns, in our country.

I’m also reviewing some old school work right now and I cam across a poster I did as a project. It has peace symbols on two corners and an outline of a dove on the other two. Here are the words:

PEACE to me is…

Peace to me is no fighting with friends family or other countries,

Peace to me is sharing with good manners at all times,

Peace to me is quite dinners and a family reunion once in awhile,

Peace to me is getting along with friends and family,

Peace to me is a Dove with the twig in the mouth or the peace sign, Peace to me is a very good thing to have!

By Heidi, estimated age 8

Seth's in the Hospital

I’ve already reported how sick Mom and Aaron are. Well it turns out Seth’s got the same thing. He’s been off work for a week as well and tonight he had Brittany take him to the hospital. I’m not totally sure what caused him to go but I do know that he’s on two IV’s. One of saline and one of something else. They did a chest xray and he’s waiting to hear the results.

I took Aaron in for blood tests and an xray today during my lunch. We first went to the Imaging Clinic and BC BioMed but as soon as they realized we were there for H1N1 testing, they gave Aaron a face mask and sent us to the hospital. Stupid. Send us where more sick people are. Anyways, we did the xray first and I guess being tentatively diagnosed with the most feared bug out there is good because as far as I could tell, we skipped the queue.

Then the fun began. Mom, Dad and I have been donating blood since I was 17, and Aaron’s accompanied us to the clinics since then, so since he was seven. But, he still does NOT do needles. They managed to get half of what they needed today before he lost it. Well, lost it is strong. Basically he just got totally light headed and they had to scramble to get him into a wheel chair and over into a bed so he could relax. They did manage to get the second batch of blood but he wasn’t very happy. Of course it doesn’t help that he feels horrible and hasn’t been drinking or eating anything terribly substantial. He doesn’t have a big appetite to start with so this sickness has been horrible for him.

They got what they needed though. He has an appointment scheduled for Wednesday to see the doctor again to see how he’s doing. In the meantime, here’s a picture of him with the mask (he’s a good sport and the picture was his idea).

And, if you’re so inclined, prayers for Lorry, Aaron and, right now, Seth especially, would really be appreciated. Thanks.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#10 - Winter Coat

There is a list of things I need to get and events that need to happen before I move to Ontario. Things like paying off my car are done. Next up was a proper winter coat. I know it shouldn’t really be a big deal but I don’t like spending a lot of money on clothes so it was a big deal for me.

Knowing I am going to New York in a few months makes the importance of a proper winter coat even more important. I say “proper” because I have jackets that I wear. They’re warm enough but they’re not formal looking and they won’t do in cold weather. (It never really gets cold here, and if it does, I really don’t have to be out in it for any length of time)

When I went to Alberta at Thanksgiving I made a goal of buying a winter coat. My rationale was two fold. A. There are more coats available in Alberta because it gets colder (I had looked here and couldn’t find anything I was happy with) B. There’s no PST (provincial sales tax) in Alberta so I’d be saving 7%.

Luckily a new mall had just opened and everyone wanted to go check it out so on Sunday the whole family piled into vehicles and went to Crossing Mills in Balzac. We were a large group so we split up. Brittany, Candace and I took Joshua and hunted for my coat. Those girls were troopers. Went into practically every woman’s clothing store and I tried on anything that would fit. They gave me their opinions (positive and negative) and when we finally found a coat in Ricki’s (of all places) we knew it was the right one.

I haven’t posted this story until now because I wanted a picture of myself in the coat and with it getting dark so early now, it was hard to get one. This is a self portrait taken in the gardens behind the library.

Today I am thankful for my winter coat. I’ve needed it for years and I am grateful that I finally found just want I was looking for.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#9 – “No”

I’m skipping dance tonight. I’m just not in the mood. I probably should go because it would be good for me and I would have fun but I just don’t feel like it and you know what? That’s okay. And that’s what I am thankful for tonight. The power to say no. To chose if I go out or not. To have a quiet night at home and not feel guilty about it. For that, I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#8 – Seasons

It’s a horrible grey, well, almost black now that it’s dark out, rainy day today. It’s miserable and cold…and I love it :) Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy summer, I love spring, and I’ll complain once the snow starts but rain and it’s-cold-and-I-just-want-to-dress-in-warm-clothes-make-hot-chocolate-and-cuddle-up-weather is my favourite. I have a lot of “indoor” hobbies and I feel guilty when it’s nice out. Bad weather lets me do what I want to and I am thankful for that.

Not only that, I LOVE the change in seasons. The leaves right now are so beautiful (well, the ones on the trees anyways. The ones on the ground are kind of brown and squishy LOL) I have a hard time seeing myself in a place that is always warm or always nice. I like bundling up and feeling the chill in the air. And in the springtime I like that it warms up. So yes, I am thankful for seasons and that I get to experience them.

Marley & the Devil

I rarely pay attention to the people involved in making movies, aside from the actors, but get this. This weekend I watched “The Devil Wears Prada”, in preparation for my upcoming trip to New York and just because I love that movie. I also watched “Marley & Me” (and cried, hard, even though I am NOT a pet lover). Both movies I got from the library (which is where I get most of my movies) on different days. It turns out, that they have a LOT in common.

	Devil Wears Prada	Marley & Me
Directed by	David Frankel	David Frankel
Music Supervisor	Julia Michaels	Julia Michaels
Music by	Theodore Shapiro	Theodore Shapiro
Film Editor	Mark Livolsi	Mark Livolsi
Director of Photography	Florian Ballhaus	Florian Ballhaus
Executive Producers	Arnon Michan & Joe Caracciolo, Jr.	Karen Rosenfelt & Joe Caracciolo, Jr.

And that’s just off the back of the box. So aside from the authors of the books, the screenplay, the Production Designer and the Producers, it’s the same team.

 

I’m sure that’s more common than I realize but it just kind of struck me that I just happened to watch two films made a few years apart, that were made by the same people...and the good news? I’d highly recommend both movies :)

Attitude of Gratitude V2#7 – Sales

I am thankful for sales. I have had my eye on the Making Memories “Vintage Findings” collection at Michaels for months. I have a number of pieces of the matching paper that I have accumulated from various scrapbooking stores over the past year or so and the embellishments match it perfectly. I’ve looked at the collection each time I go into Michaels. Fondled it. Debated buying some of it with my 40% off coupons but I’ve always talked myself out of it. Saturday I stopped by for a new black pen and found the WHOLE Making Memories Vintage Findings collection for 70% off!!! I got the 12x12 paper pad for $4.49. That’s 12 cents a sheet!!! Now I have to admit I don’t love every sheet of paper in there but even if I only use a third of it, that’s still only 37 cents a sheet which is a steal. I also got every little bit that I wanted. If I had bought it at full price, or even 40% off, I would have had to pick and chose and this way I got everything.

 

So, waiting pays. Being patient pays. I am grateful for sales!

Attitude of Gratitude V2#6 - Good Health

I am thankful for good health.

There is so much sickness going around. It is flu season and now on top of it we have H1N1 going around. I don't know anyone who doesn't have it or doesn't at least know if someone who has it. I have thankfully escaped but I have a few coworkers who have succumbed and my mom and youngest brother Aaron are both flat out. Mom's been sick for two weeks now and Aaron's been out for almost that long as well.

I took Aaron to the doctors today and he gave him a note to excuse him from work listing his diagnosis as "H1N1 – probable" and "Pneumonia". He's requesting blood work and a chest x-ray. All this on TOP of the fact that, as of Sunday, Aaron hasn't had a cigarette. So not only is he horribly sick, but he's also detoxing from nicotine withdrawal. I'm proud of him though. He's been wanting to quit smoking and he's really looking at this as an opportunity to do it. He's already made it a week, now he just has to keep going.

All of this sickness has made me extremely thankful for my good health. Aside from some minor sniffles I (knock on wood) haven't come down with anything and for that I am grateful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#5 – Friends

Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver, the other gold.

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends, both old and new. Thursday night I went over to a new friend’s house and got started on my Christmas cards. Carla and I had a wonderful time “playing” and getting to know each other better. She, her husband Ben and their son Levi moved to town in September to be closer to Ben’s sister Naomi who moved here herself a few years back, with her husband Nick. All of these people are from Ontario so they think it’s kind of funny that I’m planning on moving that way when they just moved this way.

Friday night I had tickets to the “Rotary Christmas House Tour”. Our local Rotary club hosts a tour of local homes that have been decorated for the Christmas season (yes it’s early but it’s supposed to be before anyone else has really begun decorating so you can get ideas). I had planned to go with Meredith but she’s down with H1N1. Mom too. I called Kelly (my ex-coworker) but she already had plans to go shopping with her sister.

Suzanne not feeling well, needing a quiet night

Toni, working

Jennifer, home alone with two kids (including a brand new baby)

Katherine, writing a paper for school

Leah, it’s her son’s birthday, she won’t go out

Melissa, too far away

Rebecca! Available. Perfect!

I admit I had resorted to scrolling through the numbers in my phone to find someone who might be free. They’re alphabetical by first name and Rebecca was the first one I found. I’ve known Rebecca since, well, as long as I’ve known Mere, probably a bit longer (and I met Mere when I was four). Rebecca`s 17 months older than me which put us in different grades in school and she was married and had children quiet young so we`ve gone through seasons in our friendship. Lately we`ve been spending a bit more time together and this was a perfect example. We had a blast together. She really enjoys decorating (I just like looking at stuff) and we viewed all the homes at the same pace. Quick but not speedy fast. There were brand new homes on ``snob hill``, heritage homes, a gorgeous bed and breakfast (HUGE, huge, home) and even a townhouse. It was neat to see all the different decorating ideas and to see so many nice homes. I had to go through a lot of names to get to Rebecca but she ended up being the perfect choice. Proof that while new friends are wonderful, but old friends are great too.

I am thankful for all my friends, new and old, even if a bunch of them weren`t free at the last minute ;)

Attitude of Gratitude V2#4 – Starbucks

Shift Eight, Shift Four

Aka *$

Aka “star” “bucks”.

It’s a stretch. I know. But it’s more interesting than just titling this post “Starbucks” or “the Wednesday Night Coffee Crew” which is what really applies. Anyways, enough silliness. I do want to post about our Wednesday night group.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#4 – Starbucks

If you read my $7.13 a day blog you’ve probably noticed a pattern. Most Wednesday’s after church a group of us go out for coffee. 90% of the time it’s Starbucks (and you thought all Canadian’s drank Tim Hortons!) We do go to Timmy’s on occasion, usually when someone is starving and the pastries at Starbucks just aren’t going to cut. We find that we like the atmosphere of Starbucks over Timmy’s though. Plus, the staff there have come to expect us and they are really tolerant of us rearranging the tables and chairs when necessary in order to accommodate a larger group. Of course we always put everything back. A few weeks ago there was a train shuttling across our normal route between the church and Starbucks. Everyone else waited but I went the long way around. I went up to the counter to order and the barista asked “by yourself tonight?”. Everyone else ended up joining me, but my drink was half gone by the time the train passed!

The “group” fluctuates. There’s a basic core of us but not everyone comes every week. For the most part we are the “unmarried”, childless individuals of the church between the ages of 17 and 30, give or take. It’s kind of our unofficial “youth group” although there’s no leader and no set agenda. Often we’ll discuss what we heard in church but it’s not a structured debrief by any means. Lots of other topics come up as well, from school, to work (or the search for work), travel plans, etc. Mostly it’s just a time to get together and chat, with no expectations.

We usually arrive by 9:30 and Starbucks closes at 11 so we’re gone by then. In the summer we tended to stand around outside and chat longer but now that it’s cold and rainy we all scatter pretty quickly. Once in August we got our drinks and then went out to a school on a dark prairie road and watched the meteor shower.

I don’t always feel like going out but I try and join the group if they are going because I know I’m going to miss this casual connection when I move. This group has grown closer as a result of these dates and for that, I am thankful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#3 – Genealogy

(and it’s GeneAlogy, not GeneOlogy which is how I’ve been spelling it.)

Last night I attended a “Genealogy 101” or “Genealogy for Dummies” or “Where the Heck do I Start???” seminar at my local library. The session was taught by the president of our local genealogical society and it was EXACTLY what I needed. She started off by differentiating “Genealogy” from “Family History”. They are of course interconnected but Genealogy is records, dates and names (boring). Family history is “the narrative of the events in your ancestors’ lives, it denotes the telling of your family’s story. Family history is genealogy come alive.” I thought that was a really interesting point of view.

She covered all the steps of getting started, organizing, using pedigree charts and family group sheets and, my favourite part of the night, she reviewed a bunch of forms that are helpful to use such as timelines, research and correspondence logs. It was a wonderful session and I can’t wait to start doing my research in earnest.

I have decided that I will be using PAF (personal ancestral file) for software, at least to start and I’m excited to start tracking all of the information I have gathered to date.

So, back to the theme of this post. I am thankful for genealogy. Not just because I get to use charts and forms and organization (which I admit, has my geeky self really excited) but because I will (hopefully) get to know my ancestors and MY personal history. I know a little about each of the people on the charts but I’m looking forward to finding out more, to making history, come alive on a personal level, and to connecting with other family members and unrelated people who have the same interest. I’m hooked and I have hardly begun!

Attitude of Gratitude V2#2 - Square Dancing

Last year I posted that I was thankful for my Square Dance friends. This year I am thankful for the whole Square Dance community. Square dancing is healthy, it's fun, and it provides a great network. I am finishing my fourth year and even though I grumble and complain (mostly to myself) I really do enjoy the chance to dance (ha! that rhymes LOL)

With all the new beginners starting lately I'm reminded of my first few sessions. I thought I would NEVER catch on, but I did, and now I'm dancing (mostly) at a "Plus" level. There's still lots to learn but I love it and I love knowing that I can pretty much go anywhere in the world and find a square dance club. I don't know if I will dance in Ontario. I may just plain not have time, but I know that if I want to, I can. And for that I am thankful.

Attitude of Gratitude V2#1

Attitude of Gratitude Volume 2 Number 1

I am thankful for table top games. My regular readers know how much I love playing "Settlers of Catan". I'm a fan of pretty much any board or card game though. Recently I joined a meet up group hosted by a friend of mine and Sunday, November 1st I attended my first meeting. I also had my frist experience with Role Playing. It was fascinating. We played "Lady Blackbird" and I got to BE Lady Blackbird :)

We also played the board game "Pandemic" It seemed appropriate considering the H1N1 panic going around. It's HARD though! We were all wiped out :)

It was a fun way to spend the afternoon though. I love all board or "table top" games as this group refers to them. And I am thankful that I have friends who invite me to play with them.

Attitude of Gratitude TOC

Last year Sherry challenged us to do a "gratitude" post every day for the month of November (the "Table of Contents of last year's posts are below). November is typically the most dreary month around here and even though it's shaping up to be *really* busy, I still like this idea. I'm going to try and come up with different things to be thankful for this year but I'm already seeing that a lot of them could repeat.

1. My parents
2. Grandma B
3. Extended Family
4. Square Dance Friends
5. Memory Stick
6. Salvation
7. Expired Cold Medication
8. Countdown Shows
9. Gladware
10. Car Fixed for Free
11. Soldiers who fought for freedom
12. Fake Christmas Trees
13. A new bumper
14. My Job
15. Democracy
16. Starbucks
17. Solitude
18. Blessed
19. British Columbia
20. Dierks Bentley
21. Scrapbooking
22. My town
23. Library
24. Sunsets
25. Mail
26. My boss
27. The Internet
28. Games
29. Travel
30. Sherry