Category Archives: family

25 Things…

Posted on by
Reply

When the unexpected happens, so does a blog post. This is for @pinkgecco – “25 Things to Do With a Pot Lid Once You’ve Broken the Pot.”

  1. Kitchen sink rag/sponge/scrubber holder
  2. Doorstop
  3. Spoon rest
  4. Use it as a bookmark/bookholder so you can read the recipe book without holding it
  5. Hadrian’s Wall – the sequel
  6. Break it into pieces and make a mosaic on the coffee table
  7. Frisbee
  8. Macrame a planter around it
  9. Put legs on it and use it as an occasional table
  10. Let the kids use it in an art project (bonus points for fairies and/or princesses)
  11. Put it under the wobbly table leg so the table sits straight for once
  12. Paperweight
  13. Tray to keep your jewelry on at night
  14. iPhone charging station
  15. Postcard display tray
  16. Cake plate
  17. Suncatcher
  18. Curling rock
  19. Emergency bailing bucket (handy for those Sunken Canoe Trips)
  20. Fire starter (bonus points if it’s for science)
  21. Ping pong paddle
  22. Curling iron stand
  23. Cheese and cracker plate
  24. Ant farm lid
  25. Use it in place of the other lid that you broke last week

Or you can do what Steph suggested and carry it around to garage sales until you find a dish that matches. You’re welcome!

 

Happy Birthday!

Posted on by
Reply

Three Generations - Just a little surprised

It’s my Dad’s 70th Birthday today. Yesterday we surprised him with a birthday party of family and friends – he TOTALLY didn’t know it was happening until the elevator arrived at the “wrong floor” – and I made sure to grab a quick photo before everything got crazy.

Three Generations - Awesome tiara, Dad.

My Dad was the person to get me into computers – back when I was 8 years old. I remember him playing on a TRS-80 at Eaton’s (geez, this sounds so dated!). Not only did he purchase one for our house, and push for them in our school, but he then helped organize computer  classes for adults in the evening for our community. My sister and I also went to computer classes (Basic and Logo) during the summer at a local Radio Shack, and I was lucky enough to accompany him on a few meetings of the computer user group that he has joined. That wasn’t all he did, of course. Beyond the “usual” dad stuff like coaching teams and making sure I got my homework in (mostly) on time, he:

  • Made me practice (over and over and over) until I mastered parallel parking, a skill that’s come in handy more times than I can count.
  • Drove 14+ hours to take me on a campus tour of Augustana and then, when I decided that was where I wanted to be, drove back and forth several times over the next few years to bring me home on holidays.
  • Taught me that “measure twice, cut once” works for everyone else, but maybe I would be better off letting someone else measure instead. (Three times, three different numbers, a lot of laughter.)
  • Told me that I could do it, and then cheered when I did. (Well, except for that measuring thing, but I guess he also showed me that sometimes getting help is a good thing.)

Happy Birthday Dad! Thanks for being the most awesome you that you could be. (Oh, and I’m probably still using your computer to upload things to Dropbox, so thanks for that too.)

Ready for 2012?

Posted on by
Reply

While it’ll be an unusually uneventful annum for you, with your wacky ruler Uranus rollin’ into Aries in early March you can expect the first. The first what? Well, that would depend on you. Whatever untried desire you’ve so far been ignorin’, spring 2012 is the time for explorin’! FFWD

Photobombed, Xander-style.

My Twitter/Facebook feeds seem to have an overarching theme tonight: 2011 sucked, bring on 2012 already! I’ll admit that 2011 was an extremely challenging year for me, what with taking on a new position, struggling through a masters’ class on grounded theory, being elected to two new boards and still making time to parent/game/eat/sleep as needed (or not, as the case may be). But I don’t feel that 2011 was a particularly hard or terrible year in my corner of the world.

3 Things for Calgary

Now 2012 could be a stressful year – or it could be a year filled with opportunity My new position will continue to push people’s boundaries about collaboration, community building and leadership, but I anticipate continued support from current partners and the opportunity to develop new supports through an increased staff team. I have to complete two masters courses this year, with one focused on organizational development starting in a few days (I’m already behind on my pre-reading – only 1500 pages to go), but completing them will bring me two classes closer to attaining my degree. My life seems to be spent in meetings, but I’m excited about what the boards will be doing this year (including the upcoming Project Ploughshares Calgary workshop “Non-Violent Cultures – from Antiquity to Contemporary Times”  and a spring Federation of Canadian Carsharing Cooperatives conference in Winnipeg, which happily coincides with my father’s 70th birthday).

CSRS "Dream a Little Dream" Event

Meeting the new year with gratitude, acknowledging that nothing gets done without hard work, and setting clear personal goals so that I don’t lose sight of what matters – these are the strategies that will help me thrive, not just survive in 2012. I’m looking forward to visits with family and friends, listening to good music and having Xander make me a meal from what he learns in his food and fashion class. I have a lot of great books to read, movies to watch and music to enjoy.  And I can’t wait to see what “the first” is going to turn out to be. Any ideas?

It’s not a Holiday Unless Tech Support is Involved

Posted on by
Reply

I’m lucky enough to be home for the holidays, where I’m spending the week setting up my dad’s new webcam so he can Skype with his grandkids (and earning another Nerd Merit Badge in the process). For those of you who are fielding calls from parents dealing with tech issues, I recommend Teach Parents Tech, where you can send a video showing exactly what you mean:

31 Days to a Brand New Blog: Day 9

Posted on by
Reply

Yes, it’s not actually Day 9 (Write a “How To” Post) but I’m catching up on posts* I’ve missed. Going back to the post on my purpose statement, I wanted to post something that covered “the personal is political” aspect of my writing. And so:

How To Help Your Kids Change the World

Xander helping Alderman Ceci cut the ribbon on the Calgary Peace Pole, September 2009.


Little Changes Add Up

Out of all the changes that happened when I became a single mom in March 2008, I didn’t think “not buying a car” would have the most impact. Joining Calgary Carshare has led to all kinds of changes: less shopping (especially in big-box stores), more transit/walking/biking (especially because Xander’s school and out-of-school-care are so close) and more volunteering (first as a member and then as a board member). Xander is a big fan of carsharing and we have a great time discussing alternative transportation models (including my “retirement home”: a rainbow-coloured school-bus that runs on recycled french fry oil – his proposal, not mine).

Take Them With You
Xander comes to board meetings with me, he volunteers at tables/events with me, and he comes to protests with me. He’ll be attending the Nenshi for Mayor orientation later this week and he’s requested his own tshirt so he can participate in events. He’s a familiar face at Bow Cliff Seniors, where his Wii-skills and weeding-skills are in demand. Sometimes I don’t attend things because he’s with me, or I reschedule them for times when he’s in school, after-school care or with his father, but most of the time he’s there with me. And I know this works first hand: I have several memories of volunteering with both my parents!

Xander and I at the Calgary Anti-Prorogation Rally, January 2010.

Explain Things So They Understand Why
Kids have questions and we (sometimes) have answers. Tell the truth, but in a way that your kids understand. Talk about why you feel something is right/wrong and why others don’t. And be honest when you don’t have the answers; kids can sense when you’re putting them on. Encourage them to do their own research and form their own opinions.

Have Fun!
Changing the world is hard work, but every revolution needs a dance party or two. One of our “new favourite” events is the Bow River Flow – a street party celebrating human-powered transportation. Next Sunday we’ll be volunteering for Calgary Carshare at the Bike Check-In and also wandering the streets looking for a game of snakes and ladders. Hope to see you there!

Come join the parade!