When I first sat down to write this entry, I was going to write about how I didn’t make any resolutions for 2010. And then I remembered that I did set some goals over on my needlework blog, Reflections in the Pond. So, I went to take a look, and lo and behold, I did have a list of what could be considered resolutions. My clearly stated intent for 2010 was to simplify. Did that happen? Uh, nope. I did donate a lot of things to charity. Every time we emptied out a box of Baby Man’s diapers, I would…
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I love snow. Really, I do. And today, finally, Toronto is getting its first big taste of the white stuff. As much as I hate to spout clichés, I love how snow makes the world look pure and new. Everything is given a soft, padded look, and we can forget for a little while just how hard the world really is. My love of snow is probably influenced by the fact that I am a confirmed pedestrian, and that I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom. But, really, if you put aside the messy roads and the shoveling,…
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With less than three weeks left in 2010, I feel like looking back and what I’ve accomplished and thinking about what I’d still like to do. 2010 started out pretty poorly, really. Baby Man threw up all over himself and me on our way to a family get together. That kicked off a year of terrible car sickness. Baby Man will throw up after travelling less than three blocks. We’ve tried several things and have had a couple of successful (short) trips, but Baby Man is not happy in cars at all. Unfortunately, his car sickness also extends to the…
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Recently Ipsos Reid conducted a survey that asked people around the world if they thought religion is a force for good. Admittedly, it is a bit of vague question. My idea of good can be substantially different than your idea of good, just as my idea of what constitutes a religion can be different than your’s. Nonetheless, the results are very interesting. There are a lot of comments I could make about this data. However, I’ll limit my comments to the obvious difference between the opinions of Canadians and Americans. Truthfully, it is very gratifying to see that. We have…
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I have a sticky note attached to my calendar. It lists the three areas of my life that I think need the most focus. It has been on my calendar since March, and I move it to the next page every month. But, for some reason, I haven’t really done anything about any of those areas that supposedly need the most attention. It is my faith/spiritual path, meal planning and money management that I think need the most work. And why am I ignoring them? Maybe because they do need the most work, and that work is hard. For my…
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May your Samhain be full of family and friends, those here and those that have passed over. May you find solace in their presence, and may you find comfort in with the Lord and Lady. I also wish fun, tricks, and treats for you on this day of joy and sadness.
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I recently finished reading The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinow. In it, he shows how our lives are ruled by random chance, and talks about the statistics and theories that rule this randomness. I found this book very interesting. Mlodinow did a great job of providing examples of how we view randomness incorrectly in our lives everyday. One particular example, dealing with how statistics are manipulated and the Prosecutor’s fallacy, helped me to really understand that there are lots of ways to look at something beyond what is presented to us. In his example, Mlodinow…
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I’ve start to see all of my possessions in a new light lately. Not too long ago I saw all my cross stitch and knitting supplies (my giant stash) as representing potential. Now I see it all as demands, as things that I must do. And the amount of those things is just overwhelming. I was so happy to realize that my little guy couldn’t wear acrylic sweaters thanks to his eczema. That means I can return one sweater’s worth of yarn and give two other sweater’s worth of yarn to a friend who is a charity knitter. Something is…
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We have reached the end of August, and it very clear here that the seasons are getting ready to change. We may be having extremely hot and humid days, but the nights are cooler and there is a hint of fall in the wind. There are some early signs of fall to be seen on the trees and bushes. Berries have already started growing: The maple trees are full of keys: And there is even a hint of two of fall colours to be seen if you look hard enough: In a about a week the sumac will turn that…
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Life moves pretty fast, as Ferris Bueller says. We do need to stop and look around once in awhile or it will pass us by. Even though I am lucky enough to have a very flexible job that allows for me to work from home whenever I have time, and a husband that also works from home, I often find that there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish much of anything. Take my kitchen for example. We moved to our current home a little over three years ago, early in my pregnancy when I was still very ill.…