tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350313112023-11-15T11:09:14.633-07:00A Label Resistant LifeCorrenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-10346247680037569142008-11-10T22:14:00.003-07:002008-11-10T22:25:38.677-07:00Why I'm Not An Unschooler<span style="font-family: times new roman;"></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">A lot of the people in my homeschool support group are unschoolers. In general, this means they don't buy much curriculum, they don't do assignments, write exams, or set goals for each "semester." They don't have school-time during the day.<br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Unschooling seems to be a philosophy of life, and not just an educational approach. It’s very holistic, child-centered, and respectful. It seems to involve simply living as rich and full and happy a life as possible, and allowing learning to take place naturally, in the context of whatever activities your family chooses to pursue. Things like reading, writing, and arithmetic are such an integral part of everyday life for most people that children could hardly avoid learning the basics. Because unschooled children have the free time to explore their interests, they can often experience them in great depth and breadth.<br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">I love knowing these unschoolers in my life. I love to see how totally free life can be, and how there is truly room in this world for all kinds of people. These are some of the most interesting people I have ever met. So, if unschooling is so great, how come I’m not doing it? Why do we have curriculum, “school time” and “free time” and why do I set the agenda most days? Good questions. I have talked about it at length with my husband, and I’ve come up with a handful of reasons why “pure” or “radical” unschooling just isn’t the right fit for our family.<br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">1. There are a whole bunch of tasks that I make my kids do regularly: dress themselves, tidy their rooms, feed the dog, brush their teeth, sort laundry, sweep the floor, put stuff away, etc. I didn’t wait until they showed an interest in doing them. These are essential life skills, and they have to do them. Period. There are even more skills that I consider essential, that they will HAVE to learn to do in at least a basic, survival sort of way, like cooking, balancing a budget, riding a bicycle, and learning how to swim.<br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">I see a lot of schooly stuff in the exact same category. Learning to read, write, and calculate are useful everyday tasks, and I don’t want to have to do it FOR them until they are 12 years old. Obviously, not all kids are ready to take on a new skill at the same time, but if my kids are capable of learning a new skill, then I’m going to do everything possible to help push them along.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">2. I truly believe that there is value in discipline, in doing some things because you have to, in practicing every day until you see improvement, in struggling to achieve. Obviously, it’s best if the drive comes from inside yourself, but a lot of us don’t even realize what we are capable of until someone pushes us a little. I’m not a drill sergeant, but I encourage my kids to work hard, to put in an honest effort, to try things with a good attitude, to give that little bit extra to finish the page or complete the project. I think about some of the people who I respect and admire, like my children’s pediatrician, or my friend who is an engineer, or another friend who flies helicopters. Every single one of them has had to push themselves to learn things or do things that were hard, or that they didn’t really want to do.<br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">3. My kids seem to do better with some structure. For example, sometimes I get busy and caught up in my own projects or problems, and I sort of ignore the kids for a while and let them do whatever they want. They always start out great, with all kinds of creative games, and lots of fun. At some point, after a week or two, or even three, they start to get whiney and irritable and lazy and totally get on my nerves. Maybe if I ignored them a little longer, it would pass, but what usually happens is that I SNAP and make them work their butts off for 2-3 days (a bit of yelling and a few tears often occur, unfortunately). It is like they are magically restored to their sweet, charming, happy selves.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">4. I have noticed that time and time again, whenever I introduce a new topic, my daughter ends up incorporating the information into her games. We read a book once on pioneer life that became a year-long passion for her. I find that if I take the time to introduce new ideas, it feeds their minds and takes them in new directions. </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Having said all that, I still love the idea of unschooling, and these are the ways that I temper my authoritarian tendencies:<br /></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">1. Sometimes, we take a break from schooly stuff. Last April, I planned to take a break for about two weeks so that I could put in my garden. The break lasted for four months. During that time, the kids played outside, worked in the garden, visited the farm, went on vacation, went swimming, and read about a million books. My daughter’s spelling and handwriting improved almost by magic, and they both seemed to grow and develop physically and emotionally. Even though we did almost no academic work, I felt like it was time well spent.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">2. I am not a slave to curriculum. I purchase materials that look interesting or useful for my kids, but I completely ignore the schedule that usually comes along with it. We just start reading or working through the material. If we really like a topic, I’ll get a bunch of extra materials out of the library to supplement it. If there is a really boring section, we just skip right over it and move on to something more engaging. After all, my kids are 6 and 8 years old. How much do you remember of the social studies topics you studied in grades 1, 2, and 3? Anything? In the case of math, I try to be slightly more methodical. However, if a concept is really too difficult for my child, or the book doesn’t explain it very well, I just don’t use that section of the book. We’ll learn the topic at the white board or on scraps of paper, or using manipulatives, or I’ll just wait a few months and them come back to it.</p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">3. I try to make sure the kids have enough free time in the week to just play, dream, think, or generally pursue their own interests. It’s one of the main reasons why I homeschool in the first place. When my daughter went to school, her day was so long and so full that there was hardly time for her to do the things that she wanted to do. If I tried to add in swimming lessons or piano lessons, she was overwhelmed. At least with homeschooling, the structured part of the day is over by about <st1:time hour="12" minute="0">noon</st1:time>, and they have the next 8-10 hours to take swimming or gymnastics, go to the library, play with friends, read books, go outside, or whatever. </p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-37517292169891575362008-05-13T21:36:00.003-06:002008-05-13T21:40:55.948-06:00Small Towns<p class="MsoNormal">I spent a few days in a small town in <st1:place>Southern Alberta</st1:place> last month. I was there for my uncle’s funeral, but it was the first time I’d ever visited his town. I have always lived in the city and imagined life in a small town to be so boring. No movie theatres, no big auditoriums, concerts, sports centres, no fancy restaurants, just less stuff going on altogether. I went for a few walks in this town, and I realized that I could walk from one end to the other in about half an hour. The population was about 1000 people. Even though it was small, it had everything you might need right there on main street: grocery store, hardware store, post office, second-hand store, department store, café, bookstore, library, funeral home, furniture store, accountants and lawyer’s office, and a senior’s centre. It was so nice, so quaint, so comfortable, so easy.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I suddenly realized that in many ways, it would be EASIER to live a low-impact lifestyle in a small farming community than it is in the city. I live in a really nice residential neighbourhood in the middle of the city, but there are practically NO services within walking distance. Obviously, we have all the services that you could possibly dream of, but I need a car to them. Sometimes, when I’m running errands, I try to imagine how I would go about doing it by bus. One or two hours of errands would be a full-day ordeal by bus or bicycle.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>On the weekend, I went for a walk around my neighbourhood, and I realized that there are probably about 1000 homes in my community. The size of my neighbourhood is almost exactly the same size as my uncle’s small town. I bet that there is at least one teacher, doctor, nurse, veterinarian, accountant, restaurant owner, physiotherapist, lawyer, carpenter, plumber, electrician, mechanic, and every other type of service I could ever need right here in my own community.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>My uncle knew hundreds of people in his town. I think he knew almost everyone. I hardly know anyone in my neighbourhood. I recognize about 2 dozen families from my children’s school or soccer or from the playground, but that is hardly the same as knowing them. My city is filled with these little neighbourhoods full of people who hardly know each other. Some areas are better than others, I suppose. Some places have very active community leagues while others are begging for volunteers.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I just wonder what it would be like if each neighbourhood was organized like a small town, and the people in it acted like we lived in a small town. What if we had a little “main street” with our own post office, drug store, grocery store, doctor’s office, etc. What if more of our friends lived within walking distance, instead of spread across the city?<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Maybe the first step to living more lightly is to get to know your neighbours.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-81610053927577892052008-04-27T00:22:00.002-06:002008-04-27T00:28:44.101-06:00Work and FamilyI'm quitting my job. I've been there for a whole year, and I decided last week that I am done. We don't desperately need the money, although it's hard to say no to a steady source of income, even if it's small. Our family is busy, as most families are, and my husband often has to work long hours. If I work at a part-time job on his days off, then it limits the time we have to spend all together.<br /><br />The clincher was when I did our taxes last week. It looks like we'll be getting a substantial tax return. I figured that I could split that money up over about 6-8 months, and it would be the same as what I bring home from my part-time job.<br /><br />When I pitched the idea to my husband, can you guess what he said? You'll be amazed. He said, "I've always been in favour of you quitting your job. You are far more valuable to our family than to someone else's business."<br /><br />Wow. How did I get so lucky?Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-21166930898589753572008-03-11T23:41:00.002-06:002008-03-11T23:48:34.266-06:00Happy and PositiveWe spent last week skiing at Panorama. It was AWESOME!!! It has been an annual event in my family for almost 20 years. We miss the odd year here and there, but my husband and I are committed to making it a tradition for our kids, too.<o:p><br /></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal">Both kids are now officially skiers. My daughter, 8 years old, can ski any green or blue runs, plus a few black diamond runs, too. Her favourite thing is to go as fast as possible, and to find every bump and jump along the way. Thank God for helmets!!! She is completely fearless and blasts like a rocket all over the mountain. My son, age 5, took about 4 days to figure out how to ski. By the end of the fifth day, he was done with the bunny hill and took to the chairlifts. On the sixth day, we got him onto the big quad chair, which he rode 4 times and skied all the way down. He is a much calmer skier than his sister, and doesn’t seem to be addicted to speed the way she is (at least not yet). Most of the time, he likes to grab handfuls of snow and much thoughtfully while skiing down the hill. So cute! I am so proud of both of them.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I wonder about the environmental impact of skiing. We have to drive there, the chairlifts, chalets, the grooming equipment and the hot tubs all operate on electricity. My ski equipment is almost 20 years old and I really need to invest in new stuff soon. I am concerned about what to do with my existing equipment. It is so old that it can’t be traded to someone else. I also doubt that there are environmentally-sensitive ski boots out there. As much as I am trying to stop buying and using plastic, I don’t think there is any other kind of ski boot.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Despite all that, I am absolutely NOT willing to give up skiing. I LOVE skiing. I grew up skiing. My husband grew up skiing. We met each other on a ski trip. We decided to start a family while on a ski trip. I put my daughter on skis at age 3, and my son at age 4. We are a skiing family. I can seriously see myself becoming a ski instructor in retirement. To me, skiing means mountains, trees, fresh air, exercise, peacefulness, hanging out with friends, and having fun. It’s what life is really all about. It makes life worth living.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Speaking of life worth living, I am feeling much, much better than I was a few weeks ago. I have found myself getting excited about planting my garden, trying new recipes, getting a puppy this spring, and spring cleaning in the house. These are all very good signs. It is such a puzzle, though, how I can feel so good now, and remember how dark everything looked just a short time ago. It’s a reminder that what is going on externally isn’t really the “truth,” it’s simply a reflection of what is going on internally. I mean, the world didn’t radically change in the last 3 weeks, but something inside of me did, so the world looks completely different now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I have a few more positive things to report in the sustainable-living department. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I am planning to get a dog this spring, but I have been worried about how best to handle his “droppings.” I don’t want to use plastic bags, and I don’t want to put them into the landfill. One website suggested using flushable plastic bags and flushing them, but I’m not crazy about fouling up our water system. (I’m still trying to talk my husband into trying a composting toilet for our own “droppings.” He’s not too keen.) Finally, I found some great information on how to compost your dog’s poop. The website is here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cityfarmer.org/petwaste.html">http://www.cityfarmer.org/petwaste.html</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>It looks extremely simple. Just dig a hole, put a bottomless garbage can in there, line it with rocks, and toss the poop in. Every once in a while, sprinkle in some septic starter stuff, and let it naturally decompose. The only issue I can see is that the compost pile would get buried in snow in the wintertime. I’ll have to choose a corner of my yard that is fairly sheltered, and just keep it clear of snow. Oh, and when we go for walks, I can use compostable plastic bags (made of corn) to hold the stuff, and toss it right into the pile.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have joined together with a local group of homeschoolers to purchase organic groceries in bulk. Most of the people in the group are looking for organic, local, and cheap. My personal emphasis is on local, but with all that I have learned about how the oceans are being altered by the use of fertilizers and other chemicals, the more I think that I need to focus on organic, even if it isn’t local. I am also trying to reduce packaging and avoid plastic, so it becomes incredibly difficult to buy ANYTHING. Since this is a case where I feel paralyzed with indecision, perhaps any improvement is a step in the right direction. If a product is local OR organic OR bulk OR plastic-free, it’s a good start. If I can get 2 or 3 of those criteria, then it's great.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I am very excited about starting my garden this year. My goal is to grow everything I need for making my own salsa: tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic. We purchase a large plastic container of salsa at the grocery store every month, so if I can make 24 large jars of salsa from my own garden this year, then that will be one major food item that is entirely, 100% local, with no plastic and no waste. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I will also plant some raspberry bushes, some sweet potatoes, carrots, and cucumbers. I’m not planting lettuce, because for some reason, I don’t like garden lettuce. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of lettuce at all. The only kind that I actually enjoy is iceberg lettuce, which isn’t really all that good for you anyway, and probably doesn't grow here. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:100%;">This will be our fourth summer in this house. I’ve planted a garden every year, and it never did well. I have finally figured out that the garden location set up by the previous owners doesn’t get enough sun. The sunniest spot is taken up with a large rose garden, so I don’t want to destroy that. I really didn’t know what to do until I started reading about container gardens and self-watering containers. There are several places on my deck and on the south side of my house that get VERY warm that would be great for those heat-loving tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers, so I’m just going to put some self-watering containers there. I am also cutting down a couple of shrubs and putting in a new garden plot for the potatoes, carrots, and onions.</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">I am so excited! I want the snow to melt NOW so that I can start digging!</span></span></p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-64071138052625631892008-02-27T23:23:00.001-07:002008-02-27T23:26:52.326-07:00Update on Living Green<p class="MsoNormal">I am still working hard to maintain my low-impact changes from last year. </p><p class="MsoNormal">This winter, we kept the thermostat set below 70 most of the time. The main thermostat is an old-fashioned dial kind, so it’s not very precise. It was set to about 68F, which meant it was probably several degrees colder in other parts of the house. We installed a programmable thermostat upstairs by the bedrooms, which controls the second furnace (yes, we have 2 furnaces!). It is set to go down to 16 degrees Celsius most of the time. It warms up to 19 degrees for 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours at bedtime. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>The only problem with having the upstairs so cold is that cold air sinks, and we were getting a terrible draft coming down the stairs. I was turning up the heat on the main floor all the time just to feel comfortable. Well, before Christmas, I went to IKEA and purchased a curtain and rod and got my hubby to install it across the stairway. It works GREAT! No more draft, no more turning up the heat, energy saved. I was so proud of myself. If I wanted to be really, really eco-conscious, I would have found fabric and curtain rods at a second-hand store or on freecycle, and made the curtains myself. If I held myself to that standard, however, I never would have gotten around to it, and I would have broken my resolve and turned the heat up. I don’t feel too badly about the curtains and rod because I will use them for a long, long time. Even when I’m done with them, they will still be useful somewhere else.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I got a book about composting out of the library a little while ago. I can’t remember the name of it, because it was one of about 20 books on gardening that I got all at once. I like to go on these reading binges. I learned that I can compost lots and lots of things I didn’t know about. For instance, you can put your dryer lint, your floor sweepings, your vacuum bag dust, bits of paper, cardboard (like egg cartons), used tissues, paper towels, coffee grounds, tea bags, and most of your supper leftovers. I went out and bought one of those stainless steel garbage cans with a bucket inside it, and I am composting like crazy. Between recycling and composting, there isn’t much left going into the garbage. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Again, if I really wanted to be super-environmentally-conscious, I probably didn’t need to buy a new garbage can. I could have waited until I found one second-hand. However, I was getting really tired of having a bucket of scraps on my kitchen counter, and now I am composting almost everything instead of just a few things.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I have also been trying to purchase gifts that aren’t made entirely of plastic, or don’t come encased in that horrible plastic bubble stuff. I would say my results are hit and miss. I wanted to get the kids a treat for Valentine’s Day. I managed to find a heart-shaped tin of chocolates for each of them. I didn’t realize until after they opened them that the chocolates were individually wrapped in that plastic-foil stuff. I bought my son a cardboard puzzle as a little surprise, and I was very disappointed that inside the cardboard box was a plastic bag holding all the cardboard puzzle pieces. What is the point of that? Totally unnecessary, not to mention frustrating. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>I went shopping with the kids for a gift for a 3-year-old girl. My daughter is starting to really understand about the plastic issue, so we found a very nice tea set with real porcelain dishes that came in a wicker picnic basket. We were thrilled! It did have a bit of plastic on the inside, in the shape of a frame to hold all the dishes in place, but we were pleased with what we found.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Again, though, I think of the truly environmental viewpoint, which is that I could simply skip Valentine’s Day, or bake cookies at home instead, and that I don’t need to buy all this stuff for my kids or other kids. Have I mentioned that I am a bit of a perfectionist? It doesn’t really matter how well I do, there is always that voice in my head reminding me of the higher standard. Mind you, with environmentalism, it can be hard to decide sometimes what the truly lowest-impact decision would be. If I think about it too hard, I figure that lowest-impact thing to do would be to just kill myself (see my previous post about death and crazy thoughts). Since I don’t really want to go there, I have to find some compromise.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Maybe someone will see that I’m far from perfect, so they might feel more comfortable trying to make a few changes themselves.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-22339476719281434762008-02-26T22:50:00.003-07:002008-02-26T22:53:18.506-07:00Sadness<p class="MsoNormal">My father-in-law passed away a month ago. This is my husband’s father, my children’s grandfather. It was totally unexpected, and very sudden. One minute he was alive, and then he wasn’t. No one even had a chance to say good-bye. I tried to write in my diary about it, but I couldn’t manage more than one sentence. I haven’t been able to post here, either.<o:p> </o:p><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In a way, I feel like it’s not really my loss to mourn. My sadness pales in comparison to my husband’s and his mother’s. I’m surprised, actually, by my response. I didn’t know how much I valued him. (Isn’t there a song about that, you don’t know what you had ‘til it’s gone? Joni Mitchell comes to mind.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">I have had a lot of crazy, strange thoughts lately. Seeing my mother-in-law suffering, it has occurred to me that it would probably be better not to get too attached to my husband, because he’ll probably die first. I feel like I don’t want to rely on him too much, because I’ll end up alone eventually, so why bother? </p> <p class="MsoNormal">My husband went away on a conference for a few days, and I found myself playing a little game in my head, pretending that he was actually gone forever, and what would I do now. I went grocery shopping and thought about whether I would prepare different meals if I wasn’t cooking for him. I bought a new garbage can, and I chose one that didn’t have to be assembled or installed, because I didn’t want to have to rely on him to help me with it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I have also spent some time wondering what is the point of living. What is the point of doing anything? I’m just going to die. What is the point of trying to live more sustainably and using fewer resources? Wouldn’t it be better for the environment if I just died now? What is the point of working on my marriage? We’re both just going to die. I have wondered at what point I am supposed to seek professional help. Is this type of thinking totally normal, or should I really talk to someone? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>My poor, long-suffering husband. Not only does he have to deal with the loss of his father and try to comfort his grieving mother, he has to try to understand his slightly psychotic wife.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>No matter how much I ask myself about the purpose of life and question what I am doing here, I wake up every morning and find that I am in fact still alive. It’s like a surprise every morning: “Oh look, I’m still here. Why am I still here?” It is a good thing I have children, because they have needs that must be met, so I get out of bed and feed them, and read to them, and play with them, and take them places. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Fortunately, the weather has warmed up considerably lately, and I am making an effort to get out into the sunshine and walk and feel alive instead of going through the motions. We are going skiing next week, and when I come back I will be starting all my seeds for my garden, which certainly represents spring, life, and renewal. Somehow, I suppose, life marches on, and after experiencing this death in my family, life is more of a mystery to me than it ever was before.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-53597136951472232322008-01-06T23:42:00.000-07:002008-01-06T23:43:20.181-07:00I'm back!It has been a long time since I have posted. I made a conscious <br>decision to stop because I was feeling overwhelmed. I was reading so <br>much about global warming, environmental destruction, and peak oil <br>that I became quite upset and depressed. I also found that I was <br>compulsively reading blogs and websites that upset me. I was getting <br>sucked into all the negativity.<p>I realized that it's important to be informed, to make conscious <br>choices, and to make changes in my life, but I won't be much help to <br>the world if I am paralyzed with depression or overwhelmed by the <br>enormity of it all. So, I took a break. I deleted all of my bookmarks <br>for anything related to the environment or to peak oil, and I stopped <br>posting on my blog.<p>After I got back to a more normal state of mind, I couldn't decide <br>what I want my blog to be FOR. Most people have some kind of a theme <br>that they post about, whether it's homeschooling, the environment, or <br>just a family diary of events. I'm still not sure, but I do feel like <br>writing again, so maybe this is going to be a blog of stuff I find <br>interesting. Talk about self-serving!Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-58048271268378729942007-07-08T00:43:00.000-06:002007-07-08T01:29:28.080-06:00Progress...I am feeling much better about things. I can't help it. I think I am simply a fundamentally optimistic person. I have a general faith that "things will always work themselves out." I have lots of good news to report.<br /><br />I have visited the farmer's market twice and I have already decided that I need to find ANOTHER farmer's market. The one I visited was so busy and crowded that it was impossible to walk, I had to shuffle along with the kids clinging to my legs. Too stressful. There are a couple of other choices, so I will check them out in the coming weeks.<br /><br />Last week, dh checked our power and water meters, and our usage is DEFINITELY down. I am sooooo pleased. I know that most of electricity use is down because it's the summer and it always go down in the summer, but I think it's down substantially. I won't know for sure until I get my utility bill. The reduction in water use is fantastic, however, because we have more people living with us than we used to. For the last month, I have had two adult roommates in the house, so I wouldn't have been surprised if the water use went UP, since they take showers and do laundry, too. Hooray for me!<br /><br />This past week, I also did a major cleaning with ONLY baking soda and vinegar. I have tried it before, but I was never satisfied with the results. I would use baking soda to scrub the tub and the sinks, and vinegar for the mirrors. It only sort of worked. This time, I used baking soda and a wet cloth to scrub, and then I sprinkled vinegar on top, which caused it to fizz and foam. I scrubbed more while it was foaming, and it turned out magnificently. The tub was GLEAMING. I was thrilled. Now I know that I can get by without cleaners. I will still keep some Comet and Windex around, but I will only need to use them occasionally. Another hooray!<br /><br />Have I mentioned that I stopped using shampoo awhile ago? I am trying to reduce our plastic consumption. Sometimes that means choosing a different product, or a different brand, and sometimes it means eliminating a product entirely. I decided that I could eliminate shampoo and conditioner. I read online that washing hair is actually optional, that your hair will be icky for awhile, but would balance itself out after a few weeks if you just stopped washing it. I'm not ready to face several weeks of icky hair yet, so I tried baking soda on my hair. Guess what? It WORKS! You just scrub it into your scalp, and it works. I have found it is much nicer if I mix the baking soda up with some honey to make a paste and scrub that in. I have heard that rinsing with apple cider vinegar is nice, too, but I haven't tried that yet. I'll let you know.<br /><br />If you're squeamish, skip this paragraph. I bought myself a "keeper" and got to try it out this month. If you don't already know, a "keeper" is a reusable rubber cup that you use to catch your menstrual flow in lieu of tampons, pads, etc. Putting it in the first time was EASY. Taking it OUT the first few times was kind of tricky. I ended up calling a girlfriend (who has had her keeper for years) at 8am the first day to have her talk me through it on the phone. Phew! I think I have the knack now, and I will no longer be purchasing mentrual products. YAY!!!<br /><br />Today, my dear, sweet husband brought me home a bicycle repair kit. I have a very old bicycle that I haven't ridden much since my kids were born, although I used to do a lot of bicycle commuting. The bike desperately needed a tune-up, but the repair shop quoted $100 to $150 to do it. I've spent the last two weeks dithering about whether to spend the money or not. Today, with the tiny little prodding that dh's gift offered me, I spent the whole afternoon cleaning my chain and my gears and generally tinkering, and my bike is good to go! Hallelujah! The whole family went for a bike ride together for the first time EVER. It was such a thrill.<br /><br />I work on Tuesday night, and I am planning to ride my bike. It is approximately 8km, which isn't too far. I used to commute 10-12km to work in my life before kids. However, I need to plan for a lot of extra time, because I am in nowhere near as good condition as I used to be.<br /><br />The more I think about it, it feels like a lot of the changes I am making are just going back to my "roots." I used to be a VERY environmentally-conscious student. I lived on-campus with some very green people, who deserve all the credit for teaching me everything I know. Eating less meat, creating less garbage, getting around on transit, bike, or foot, and not acquiring "stuff" were just part of the whole student lifestyle. Mind you, in some ways it's easier to be green when you have NO MONEY to buy anything, lol.<br /><br />Wow. I just re-read my post, and I have actually had a lot of successes in the past month: reduced electricty, reduced water, 2 visits to the farmer's market, eliminated shampoo & conditioner, switched to natural cleaning supplies, and repaired my bike.Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-40284173458188001762007-06-22T00:11:00.000-06:002007-07-08T00:38:40.204-06:00Growing PainsI am trying, and stumbling badly, to reduce my environmental impact. It involves changing the way I look at and do almost everything. It is only recently that I finally got "organized" and started feeling like I had my act together, and now I have to re-learn everything all over.<p>For example, to reduce water consumption, I am following the "if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down" philosophy. Yet, I screw up several times a day. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to remember NOT to flush? It is just automatic. Another example: I have sworn off plastic bags for groceries. I have two large cloth bags. Sometimes, I even put them in the car, but then, when I carry them back in the house, they never make it back to the car. Then, when I stop to pick up a few things on my way home from somewhere, I don't have them with me, and I resort to plastic. Then I get mad at myself.</p><p>I literally have to take on these habits one at a time. If it takes me several weeks to master a new habit, it is going to take 5 years to cut my emissions! I look around my home and I realize that there are lots of things I could do. I could make my own: bread, ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, salsa, crackers, cookies, granola bars, yogourt, and french fries. I could grow a lot of food in my back yard. I could become vegetarian. I could ride my bike to work. Each one of these<br />items requires learning a new skill or making some kind of re-organization in my life. Riding my bike would involve fixing it first. Do I spend money to have it fixed, or do I learn how to fix it<br />myself? Becoming vegetarian would involve learning at least 5-10 new recipes that the family enjoys, which means trying out at least 10-20 new recipes. Even at one per week, it would still be 6 months before we could be primarily vegetarian.</p><p>It is all so HARD.</p><p>I hear all the time how "homeschooling must be so hard." Homeschooling is NOT HARD. Homeschooling is easy. It is easier than childbirth, easier than nursing, easier than life with a toddler, easier than life with an infant and a preschooler, and it's easier than sending the kids to school. Learning how to do everything you have ever done before to make it more earth-friendly is HARD. It involves cultural and personal reconditioning, and consciously thinking about every action you take all day long. It is HARD.</p><p>If this is hard for ME, a person with an education, and some money, and some free time, and a somewhat supportive husband, and a passionate desire to do BETTER, then how hard is it going to be for the average family who is simply trying to figure out how to handle the latest rent increase?</p><p>Is there hope for our planet? Can we do this?</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-71349313686619938592007-06-06T23:05:00.001-06:002007-07-08T00:43:15.265-06:00Real WealthAll this reading about global warming, peak oil and the impending end of the world as we know it has me thinking about the meaning of wealth.<p>The way I was trained by my parents, by my favourite authors (Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Allen), and as a financial advisor, being wealthy involves having enough money invested so that you can live on the income it generates. It can be invested in the bank, in the stock market, in mutual funds, in real estate, or in business. It doesn't really matter, so long as the income it generates is enough for you to live on. If your investments generate 10% return per year, and your lifestyle costs $50,000 per year, then you need $500,000 invested. You can tinker with the formula by either reducing the cost of your lifestyle or improving your investment returns. You can fiddle with it endlessly by playing with tax rules and tax shelters and so on, but that is the essential formula for achieving financial independence.</p><p>Of course, there are other kinds of assets, and it helps a lot if you can keep those at the top of your mind. Examples include physical health, mental health, spiritual faith, family, and friendships. I also rely on my personal assets, like strength, creativity, resourcefulness, adaptability, and grace under pressure. I frequently remind myself that it wouldn't matter one tiny bit if I lost everything I own, as long as I still had my family, my health, and my<br />"inner resources." Everything else can be replaced, and probably isn't all that important anyway.<br /></p><p>I've been reading a blog about peak oil and reducing your dependence on oil, and becoming more self-sufficient in general. It's at: <a href="http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/index.html">http://casaubonsbook.blogspot.com/index.html</a></p><p>Those ideas really turn the whole idea of wealth on its head. If oil and gas become so expensive that ordinary people cannot afford to heat their homes, and the price of everything (like food) skyrockets as a result, and massive poverty and civil unrest follow, then it really won't matter how much money you have in the bank. If inflation is out of control, or currencies are crashing, money in the bank becomes irrelevant. The new measures of wealth will relate to how self-sufficient you are: having a yard that's big enough to grow your own food, having a house that is off-grid or able to generate some of its own power, old-fashioned skills in gardening, canning, making your own, and doing without, and most importantly, strong community<br />connections so that sharing and helping and supporting each other can take place.</p><p>This really has me thinking about wealth in general. If it is possible to live very simply, to grow most of your own food, to get by without much electricity, without a car, to make your own products (lotions, soaps, candles), and to make your own fun (card games, singing, walking, cycling), then you don't really need $500,000 in the bank. Theoretically, it should be possible for almost everyone to be self-sufficient. Mind you, in that situation, it would be important for families and communities to work together to meet everyone's needs. Oh my god, that could actually be an IMPROVEMENT!</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-59623719036125421532007-05-27T22:55:00.000-06:002007-07-08T01:37:17.339-06:00Positive Thinking for a Better WorldFirst of all, I want to mention how honoured I am to have people actually reading my blog. I usually feel like I'm talking to myself here, which is okay, but now that there might be visitors, maybe I should try to fix the place up a little!<p>As often as possible, I like to attend the Sunday morning celebration at my local Life Enrichment Centre. I enjoy being reminded about our connection with god and each other, about the power of prayer and positive thinking, and about the law of attraction. The music is very uplifting, too! A lot of the information about environmental problems, pollution, peak oil, water shortages, and what might happen if we don't change something quickly is very scary and overwhelming. It is easy to get sucked into a very dark view of the future, a future that includes poverty, hunger, illness, cold, and chaos.</p><p>Personally, I don't think the world is coming to an end. There certainly could be some suffering in the years to come, but there is already a lot of suffering. Even if oil and gas and electricity<br />become unaffordable for most people, and we all have to live like our grandparents did, or like 80% of the rest of humanity does right now, I don't think that would be a disaster. Maybe more people would start gardens. (I have been learning about intensive gardening, and how<br />much food you can get out of a very small space - it's INCREDIBLE!) Maybe people would share more, and go for walks more, and get together with their neighbours more, and cooperate in<br />child-care more, and maybe we wouldn't be so stressed out and busy, busy, busy all the time.</p><p>Maybe I have a utopian view of things. Maybe there will be chaos and crime and hunger and suffering.</p><p>No matter what the future might bring, it is essential to look at things from a positive point of view. Each time I plant a new raspberry bush or tomato plant in my yard, I feel grateful that I<br />have a yard, and I imagine enjoying the delicious fruit that will grow. Each time I visit the farmer's market, I think how wonderful it is to have such a resource available. Each time I go for a walk in the spring, I try to notice how life magically renews itself every year. On the flip side, every time I forget my own cloth bags, or buy a fast-food meal, or fill up with gas, it is useless to berate myself for screwing up. Instead, I try to just notice what happened, and<br />remind myself of my intention to do better, to use only what I need to use, and to be a good steward of what I have.</p><p>Looking at all the problems in the world with fear and panic will not help. Trying to make changes from a mental viewpoint of fear and panic only causes more suffering. Instead, I think about the type of world I would like to live in, one where we all have clean air, comfortable homes, plenty of nutritious food to eat, and supportive communities to share and celebrate with.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-19222949627005614012007-05-23T00:01:00.001-06:002007-07-08T01:39:20.198-06:00How to liveOne of the reasons that I chose homeschooling for my family was because I believe that I need to demonstrate to my children what is the right way to live. Going to an institution for 8 hours every day whether you like it there or not, whether it makes you happy or not, is not the right way to live. Many adults do go to jobs they hate, that make them stressed out and sick for 8 hours every day. That is not the life I chose, and it is not the life I wish for my children.<p>This principle applies to almost everything I do. I believe that being married and staying married is the best way to raise children. I am committed to that, and I am actively demonstrating it to my children. I try as much as I can to live according to my values, with<br />integrity, so that when I say something, I can say it with conviction, and not have a little voice inside reminding me that it's not 100% true.</p><p>Well, I spent tonight reading all about people who are "farming" on their city lots, producing a significant proportion of their own food, often with a surplus to sell or share with others. One of the solutions to dealing with "peak oil" and dwindling oil supplies and skyrocketing prices is to become self-sufficient. If you can grow most of your own food, and you have solar panels and solar ovens to provide your energy needs, and composting toilets instead of plumbing, then there isn't very much that you really need. You certainly don't need a job that pays $80,000 a year. You are self-sufficient.</p><p>One of the biggest problems for people living in poverty is food insecurity. They don't earn enough money to pay the rent and to buy groceries. If people were able to produce their own food, it wouldn't matter so much. I remember talking with a co-worker of mine, describing his life growing up on a farm. He said that they never had any money to buy things, but there was always food to eat. On an Alberta farm, there were always steak and potatoes and vegetables,<br />bread and jam and milk and eggs. They never went hungry.</p><p>Well, all the reading and thinking that I am doing leads me to believe that becoming more self-sufficient and less environmentally destructive IS the right way to live. What this means for me is that I need to figure out how to do it so that I can model it for my children. I want them to grow up experiencing a good way of life, a sustainable and healthy way of life, an abundant and rich way of life. Gardening is definitely going to play a part in that.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-66773235278467030792007-05-22T00:02:00.001-06:002007-05-22T00:02:51.019-06:00Environmental MeltdownThe more I read, the more frantic I get. Yesterday, Envirowoman posted an article on her blog (<a href="http://plasticfree.blogspot.com/" eudora="autourl"> http://plasticfree.blogspot.com/</a>) that had me feeling completely nauseated and overwhelmed. Please, take 20 minutes out of your life and read it! You will never look at plastic the same way again. It's here:<br><br> <a href="http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health-fitness/Our_oceans_are_turning_into_plastic_are_we_2.shtml" eudora="autourl"> http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health-fitness/Our_oceans_are_turning_into_plastic_are_we_2.shtml</a> <br><br> (One day soon, I am going to figure out how to put lists of my favourite blogs into a sidebar, and also how to make a word link to something, instead of my clunky method of pasting the whole url. One day. I swear.)<br><br> It is very easy to become completely and totally overwhelmed by the problems out there, and by trying to figure out what to do first. There are a few categories of issues, which I'm going to briefly outline here:<br><br> reduce the garbage<br> eliminate plastic<br> buy and accumulate less stuff (because everything you buy is going to end up in a landfill someday)<br> eat locally-grown food<br> become vegetarian<br> become more self-sufficient (grow your own food, getting "off the grid," learn some old-fashioned skills)<br> use less electricity<br> use less water<br> use less gasoline (walk, cycle, public transportation)<br><br> It really is a lot, considering that most people are totally occupied just figuring out how to pay the rent, buy the groceries, and get the kids to soccer on time. I am going to share with you some of the changes that we're making around here. This is still baby steps, because I am learning as I go. I have to thank my husband, because most of them involve his help. He isn't quite as freaked out about the environmental stuff as I am, but he is extremely understanding and cooperative.<br><br> <ul> <li>I have stopped using Q-tips. It's a small thing, but I had to start somewhere. <li>Derek fixed the toilet that was constantly running. Hopefully that will cut down on our water usage. <li>Derek replaced the showerhead to a low-flow style. I was already in the habit of turning off the shower while soaping up, but now it is ALSO a low-flow, so it should save even more. <li>We are installing a clothesline. First, I bought the clothespins. Then, I bought the clothesline kit. Now, I need to wait for Derek to install it. He knows I'm pretty fired up about this one, so I'm sure it will only be a week or two. <li>Derek replaced all the lightbulbs in the house with the curly CFL bulbs. <li>Derek shut off our furnace fan. For some reason, our furnace fan used to blow 24/7/365. It never, ever stopped, winter or summer. Now, the house is very silent. Now, I can hear the fridge running. <li>We replaced our windows a couple of months ago. Technically, this doesn't belong on this list, but it will definitely help with the heating bill in the winter. </ul>One of the most important things I did was to review my gas, electricity, and water bills for the last 18 months. It was VERY enlightening. For instance, I figured out that our family uses about 20 cubic metres of water each month. It varies from 17 to 24, but it's around 20 cubic metres. That number was completely meaningless to me. Thanks to the internet, I learned that 20 cubic metres is 5283 gallons, or 20,000 litres. That is 600 litres every single day. There are only 4 of us.<br><br> I also learned that our house uses about 1,300 kilowatt hours of electricity every month. I still don't really know what that means, because I can't compare it to anything, and I totally and completely do NOT understand electricity. My poor hubby has tried several times to explain it to me, to no avail. I need to find the children's book of electricity, with really good pictures, and maybe I will figure it out. Anyway, 1300kwh is a lot. Way more than average. We can definitely do better on this one.<br><br> We use about 150 GJ of natural gas in a year. That sounds like a nice, small number, but it's not. We installed new windows this year, so I am very curious to see how much that cuts down on our usage. I don't really know what else we can do to reduce this. Keeping the temperature kind of low, and washing our clothes in cold water are the only 2 things I can think of. <br><br> Here are some things that I want to do soon: <ul> <li>Switch from ob tampons to the DivaCup, or some other variety of non-disposable "unmentionable." <li>Start shopping at the farmer's market, at least once in a while. <li>Develop a habit of ALWAYS carrying canvas shopping bags with me so that I NEVER have to resort to plastic ones again. EVER. Plastic bags should be illegal. <li>Find an alternative to those thin, filmy vegetable bags that you use at the grocery store to wrap your veggies in. <li>Switch to vinegar, baking soda, and soap flakes and start making my own cleaners, shampoo, etc. <li>Talk to my neighbour, who is vegetarian, about what they eat for supper. I am a pretty good cook, and I can make at least 100 different meat-based recipes, but I only have a handful of really good vegetarian dishes in my repertoire. My husband won't eat most of them. <li>Find and join a Community-Shared-Agriculture farm, the kind where you buy a share, you go and help out a few times a year, and you get a portion of the produce. <li>Learn more about my options for locally-grown food, like what on earth to eat. I don't think that sugar, olive oil, coffee or chocolate are available locally. <li>Start making more things from scratch, like cookies, muffins, and granola bars. This way, they won't need to be individually wrapped. <li>Figure out how to go on a picnic without wrapping everything in plastic. I just don't know how to do it. <li>Get my bicycle tuned up so that I can ride it again. In another year or two, when the youngest is off his training wheels, we could actually run some errands by bicycle. </ul>That is enough to keep me busy for quite a while.<br> Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-61711474412730356482007-05-09T00:30:00.001-06:002007-05-09T00:30:53.621-06:00My Latest Craze!I haven't blogged in ages, but it's because I've been so busy <br>reading, reading, reading! My eyes are burning from all the hours <br>logged at the laptop. What is the cause of all this excitement?<p>No-Impact Man! I happened upon a New York Times article about someone <br>doing a year without toilet paper, and found the blog of a man who is <br>doing a one-year experiment to reduce his environmental impact for <br>the year to zero. He is a normal person, living in New York City, who <br>is learning as he goes and swearing off cars, taxis, buses, subways, <br>garbage of all kind, new purchases, electricity, running water, etc, etc.<p>Of course, he links to a whole bunch of related blogs, which I have <br>been devouring. One woman in Vancouver has made a commitment to <br>acquire no new plastic in 2007. Another woman in Ontario is adopting <br>one new "green" product or habit every day for a year. A couple in <br>Vancouver wrote a book called the 100-Mile Diet, describing their <br>one-year experiment with eating locally. Personally, I don't think <br>that would be all that difficult. I mean, in Vancouver, you're right <br>beside the ocean, and the Okanagan valley. How hard could it be? I <br>just finished doing a unit study on the Inuit with my daughter. Now <br>THAT was difficult. They ate a lot of meat, and they ate a lot of it <br>raw because they had no fuel to cook it with. Mind-boggling.<p>Actually, the unit study on native culture and the environmental <br>stuff I'm reading are firmly linked in my brain. Through most of <br>history, in most places, people had to use whatever was around them <br>to live. If you lived near water, you fished, and fishing and water <br>and boats were important to your culture. If you lived on the plains, <br>following the buffalo or the caribou was really central to your culture.<p>I am trying really hard to figure out what my culture is, and what my <br>values are, and to create a community of some kind, so that my kids <br>can have those things (community, values, and culture). Living as <br>part of nature and part of a community and in harmony with my values <br>are essential to raising my kids.<p>I used to live with a few really environmentally-minded roommates, <br>and I was fairly well-trained in low-impact living. I never did go <br>vegetarian, and I never did give up my car, but I am at least AWARE <br>of most of my transgressions. I have gotten lazy in recent years, and <br>I've decided it's time to clean up my act.<p>My first major change was to begin composting. It really isn't that <br>difficult at all. You just toss your kitchen scraps into a pile in <br>your backyard. Cover it with some dry grass or leaves. Ignore it for <br>a couple of months or years, as needed. Done. It can be way more <br>scientific if you want it to, but that seems to be the simple version.<p>My next goal is to get a clothesline. We run our dryer A LOT. My son <br>has been wetting the bed every night lately, and I have been washing <br>and drying his comforter every single day. I REALLY need a <br>clothesline. I am also going to get my husband to shut our furnace <br>fan off for the summer. The fan runs 24 hours a day, year-round, <br>circulating the air in the house. When it's cold out, it blows hot <br>air, of course, but the rest of the time, it just blows air. I wonder <br>how much money we will save if the fan only blows when the furnace is <br>actually on.<p> From what I hear, environmental living can be quite frugal. We spend <br>about $350 a month on water, electricity, and natural gas. How much <br>could we reduce that bill? If I cut back from 5 loads of laundry a <br>week down to 3, and use a clothesline, and shut off the furnace fan, <br>is that going to save us money? I will keep you posted!<p>What I am REALLY concerned about is how to reduce the amount of <br>garbage we create, especially plastic. Most of it has to do with the <br>kids. It is unbelievable how much crap comes into the house related <br>to them. Dollar store items, loot bags from birthday parties, happy <br>meal toys at the fast food restaurant. Every time I turn around, <br>someone is handing us a dooddad or a gizmo for the kids. Even the <br>groceries are bad: the yogourt comes in little tubes, the drinks come <br>in little boxes, the granola bars are individually wrapped.<p>I guess I can't change everything all at once, but now that I have <br>been reminded, it is time to do BETTER.Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-41035463240879052152007-04-11T00:18:00.001-06:002007-04-11T00:18:57.749-06:00I have The Secret!I bought myself "The Secret" on DVD this week. I am very excited. I <br>have heard so many fabulous things about it, I hope that I'm not <br>disappointed when I actually watch it.<p>I can't decide if I want to watch it alone or invite a bunch of <br>friends over to see it together.<p>I'll let you know how it goes.Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-2613580446544277362007-04-02T22:03:00.000-06:002007-04-02T22:04:44.949-06:00I got a job!I finally got a job! I have been thinking about doing this for a long <br>time now, and I had to work through a whole bunch of mental <br>roadblocks (who will watch the kids, what if I get tired, what hours <br>could I work, what kind of work would I be willing to do, and so on), <br>and I finally got a job!<p>I just want to put in a little plug for the Law of Attraction. It <br>really, really works. I had been spinning my wheels for several weeks <br>with my job search. I either couldn't find anything that I wanted to <br>apply for, or I wasn't getting any response to my applications. <br>Finally, I sat down and wrote a little list of what kind of job I was <br>looking for. This was my list:<p>south side<br>evenings and weekends only<br>prefer Wednesday, Thursday, Friday nights, occasional weekend<br>prefer to work 6-midnight<br>minimum $12 an hour, preferably $15, for about 15-20 hours/week<p>I had been thinking about delivering newspapers for a while, and I <br>decided to just go ahead and start. The hours weren't exactly what I <br>wanted, but the money was reasonable, and at least I could still homeschool.<p>Less than one hour after I booked my training session with the <br>newspaper circulation guy, I was called for an interview for a <br>dispatcher position at a towing company. I went to the interview the <br>very next morning, and accepted a position the morning after that. <br>Guess what? All of my criteria were met PRECISELY. The office is on <br>the south side. The hours are reasonably compatible with what I <br>wanted. The training rate is $12 per hour, and the regular rate she <br>pays the experienced dispatchers is $15.<p>This type of thing has happened to me before. It makes me think that <br>what I ought to do is ASK FOR MORE!!!! What if I had written down <br>$15-$20 per hour? Or $20-$25 per hour? What if I had written down <br>"can work from home"? What are the possibilities?<p>The key to this, however, is that you are only able to attract what <br>you believe you can. I don't really believe that I COULD get $25 per <br>hour for part-time work, so I know it wouldn't have worked. What I <br>would have to do is work on my beliefs, and increase my faith in what <br>is possible, and then attract something better.<p>In the meantime, I am completely thrilled that I attracted exactly <br>what I was looking for, and I am going to enjoy it to the maximum. I <br>intend to stay there for one year, and in about 10 months, I going to <br>take my family to Disneyland!!!Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-78069401533201158642007-03-08T22:47:00.000-07:002007-03-08T22:48:21.235-07:00Incredible Experiences While HomeschoolingWe had the most amazing experience yesterday. The weather was <br>gorgeous, so I took the kids (age 7 and 4) for a walk along a trail <br>that starts right beside the Snow Valley Ski area. It was warm and <br>sunny and we were looking for puddles.<p>There is a bridge over a creek close to the beginning of the trail. <br>The creek was still frozen, and the kids wanted to go down and walk <br>around on the ice. I do have a brain, this sounded kind of dangerous, <br>so I went first, and it seemed safe enough. The ice on top was <br>crunchy, and underneath it was just frozen mud and ice, so I decided <br>it was okay.<p>We played and explored there for a while, and then went back up to <br>the trail and walked some more. There was another spot where we <br>climbed down onto the creek and watched little rivulets of water <br>trickling around and crunched up all of the ice and poked at things <br>with sticks and generally had a wonderful time.<p>I decided it was time to head back, so we did. Well, when we got back <br>to the first bridge, THE CREEK WATER WAS RUSHING BY AT HIGH SPEED! I <br>was stunned. Only 45 minutes before, we were walking around on the <br>same spot that was now drowned by muddy, flowing water! Only 15 <br>minutes before, we were playing IN the creek bed just two curves downstream!<p>I had no idea that a creek could switch from ice to flowing water so <br>quickly. My kids are convinced that they are directly responsible for <br>the creek starting to move because "we broke up the ice"!Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-79534608995748995722007-03-07T22:54:00.000-07:002007-03-07T22:56:13.573-07:00Buddhism and Spiritual PrinciplesA couple of weeks ago, I spotted the book <u>Peace Is Every Step</u> by Thich Nhat Hanh at the library and grabbed it, plus about 6 more by the same author. It is such a beautiful, peaceful, encouraging, soothing, inspirational book. It is the kind of book that makes me want to pause every few paragraphs to savour the words, and re-read the pages over and over again until the wisdom of his words sinks right into my soul. It's like absorbing Truth with every turn of the page. The book is like a gift to the world, and I am so grateful that it leaped off the shelf and into my hands. I need to order it from Chapters so that I will have my own copy.<br><br> It reminds me a lot of the book <u>The Power of Now</u> by Eckhart Tolle. I read that last year and had the same experience of wanting to pause after every paragraph to savour the ideas. In fact, both books are about exactly the same idea: Nhat Hanh calls it "mindfulness" and Tolle calls it being in the present moment. It's an idea that I have been working with for quite a while, and I had no idea that it had anything to do with Buddhism. It happens to be a great way to alleviate stress, to calm a baby, to teach children, to talk to your husband, to go for a walk, or even to wash the dishes. Most of us are terrible at it. At least I'm aware that I'm terrible at it, and I am "practicing" in order to improve.<br><br> I have skimmed through a few of Nhat Hanh's other books, and they are all so practical, yet gentle and forgiving. Even though he is a Buddhist monk, he is very familiar with how challenging it is to find time to meditate, how easy it is to be distracted by TV, books, magazines, computers, games, and other amusements, and how important it is to continue "practicing" mindfulness. I love the word "practicing." It makes it sounds like we are all just learning, and we all still need more practice in order to improve. It's not like you're either succeeding or failing, you're just practicing all the time.<br><br> I am trying to figure out where some of the spiritual principles I am learning come from, and how they all fit together. Some of them sound very familiar, and other ideas sound like they are diametrically opposed. For example, one of the ideas I'm working with right now is the concept of "non-attachment." The idea is that you do not become attached to any particular outcome. Whatever happens is perfectly okay, going exactly according to God's plan, the universe is unfolding exactly as it should, etc. I think this is a somewhat Buddhist idea, but don't quote me on that. Maybe it's also a Christian idea - don't they talk about the concept of "submitting" to God's will? Anyway, it's a fairly low-stress approach to living, because you don't need to tie yourself into knots trying to make your life perfect or trying to fix everything. Everything is already just right. All you need to do is practice mindfulness, experiencing the world one moment at a time, one miracle at a time.<br><br> On the other hand, I am familiar with the concept of "Law of Attraction," manifesting what you desire, creating your own reality, and so on. In self-help type of books, it involves a lot of visualizations, affirmations, positive thinking, goal setting, and praying. My own interpretation of the idea is that every single thought you have is a prayer, and the universe is constantly adjusting to make all of your prayers come true. So, if you are constantly thinking about how broke and stressed and tired and sick you are, guess what??? You will create more broke, stressed, tired, and sick. If, despite your miserable conditions, you are able to put your thoughts on what you're grateful for (loving husband, cute kids, a decent meal, clothes on your back, a good friend), then not only will you feel better, but positive things will flow into your life. I earnestly believe that this is exactly how the world works, mainly because I have experienced it myself over and over and over again.<br><br> I just can't quite figure out how "non-attachment" and "law of attraction" fit together. They seem like polar opposites. I believe the real trick is that you're supposed to do them both simultaneously. I'll let you know when I figure that out.Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-63413993908399337952007-03-04T23:28:00.001-07:002007-03-04T23:41:29.423-07:00Ski Trip BlissWe got home last night from our family ski trip to Panorama (near Invermere, BC). It was fantastic.<p>Skiing holds a special place in my heart. I met my husband Derek on a ski trip way back in 1992 when we were both members of the U of A Ski Club. We did a lot of skiing together before we were married. We decided to start a family eight years ago on a ski trip to Panorama, and now we have both of our kids on skis.</p><p>The skiing life is just such a fantastic way to live. We get up every day and head outside for 4 or 5 hours of fresh air and exercise. There's time for the hot tub, swimming, or relaxing before a hearty supper, and then then you can read, watch a movie, do some school work, play a board game, and then sleep like a rock until you get up and do it all over again. We were gone for 6 full days of skiing, and I didn't have the slightest desire to come home.</p><p>My 7-year-old daughter is amazing on skis. She started as a beginner on Monday, and by Saturday, she was riding up the quad chair with her dad, skiing down the blue square runs (that's intermediate, in case you don't know). She can even ride the chair lift by herself. I just love seeing how happy and proud she is and how much fun she is having.</p><p>My 4-year-old son did pretty well this week, too. At first, he was very floppy and clingy and wouldn't stand up unless he held my hand or my ski poles. I wasn't sure if I should push him harder or put him into a lesson or what to do with him. I decided to just do things his<br />way (that's the attachment parent unschooler coming out in me) and by the end of the week he was standing up much better on his skis, and he even wanted to let go of my poles and glide down on his own sometimes. He has a really great attitude about skiing: he wanted to head out every day and he had great stamina. He was willing to stay out there for a couple of hours before heading back. He LOVED it when Derek or I would hold him and go really fast. He would laugh and screech and shout "Yee Haw Horsie" all the way down the hill.</p><p>After all that fresh air and exercise, I am starting to feel really good again. I was feeling like a big fat slug for a while, and not really sure what to do about it. I go for walks and I run on the<br />treadmill, but I am always, constantly battling with my weight and my food addictions. The situation improves on vacations. Our vacations usually involve a lot of skiing or hiking or some kind of physical, outdoorsy activities, and I always feel great by the end of it.</p><p>Maybe what I need to do is change my life around to make it more like vacations. It feels so good to get outside right away in the morning. I want to head out for a long hike or a long bike ride or something. I always thought that we have to get our school work done first, but<br />maybe we could do it in the late afternoon or after supper. All the regular school kids have homework to do at night, so maybe that's when we should do our work, too. Actually, I have a really great school schedule forming in my head already:</p><ul><li>get up with ds and do school work with him first</li><li>get dd out of bed</li><li>head outside with kids for some big outdoor activity: hiking, skiing, </li><li>toboganning, cycling, swimming....</li><li>come back home for relaxation & quiet reading time</li><li>do some serious school work for an hour before or after supper</li><li>play board games, do lego projects, etc until bed time</li></ul><p>I had this fantasy that we would do that today, but it totally didn't work out. It's still winter here, and Edmonton is pretty flat - no ski hill in my back yard. I did manage to drag the kids for a walk around the block, but that isn't going to do much for my fitness level. It will get a little easier in the spring and summer, but it's still hard to get a good workout with small kids in tow. Maybe if I just add a 15 minute treadmill session to the morning, it will be enough.</p><p>I have lots more to talk about, but so little time. It's already 11:30pm. Derek is away in San Francisco for the Game Developer's Conference, so I need to be on my toes this week in order to handle everything alone.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-1170561178827086292007-02-03T20:52:00.000-07:002007-02-03T20:52:58.990-07:00A Great WeekendWhat an awesome weekend so far. Last night, my mother and I took dd (age 7) to see the closing concert for International Week at the University of Alberta. I-Week, as it is now called, has been an annual event for the last 22 years, and it always culminates with a variety-show type of concert on Friday night. I LOVE IT. Last night's show featured a Japanese drum group called Kita No Taiko, aerial acrobats from Firefly Theatre, a Sufi music ensemble, some other stuff I can't remember right now, and a performance by Kinnie Starr, the most incredible poet/singer/performer that I have ever seen. <br><br> What I love the most is that almost all of the performers are local groups, based in Edmonton, and yet they either come from all over the world, or they are inspired by music or art from all over the world. It is such a wonderful opportunity to see a lot of local talent perform, and at an incredibly reasonable cost (only $12 a ticket!). From the home-schooling perspective, it is also an amazing opportunity to show my daughter all kinds of different performing arts, and possibly inspire her to try something new.<br><br> I think about all the crap we consume on television, on the internet, at the movie theatre, and on the radio, and I wonder why we are so addicted to it, when there is this incredible, vibrant, richly varied culture all around us, right here in Edmonton. I mean, these are LOCAL artists, living and working and performing HERE, and what do we spend most of our free time on? Movies, television, internet, radio. Oh, and video games. I suppose it's partly because I have to go to a bit of effort to find out about these great performances and events in the city and figure out how to get there and so on. It's not just streaming into my house.<br><br> I remember my sister-in-law making a joke about NEVER wanting to live in "dead-monton" and I was slightly hurt at the time. Now, years later, I just think that most people just don't know about the rich variety of cultural, spiritual, and artistic communities that exist here.<br><br> The International Week concert was only the beginning of my awesome weekend. This morning I slept in until almost 10 o'clock - a miracle. Okay, ds did wake me up at 8, and dd woke me up at 9, but I didn't actually get out of bed until 10am. I'll take what I can get. What is unusual about today was that I had no plans. I always have plans. Almost every day of the month is planned. Today, however, had absolutely nothing scheduled. <br><br> I sat around drinking coffee and reading the latest Maclean's magazine. There is an interview of David Walsh, author of <u>No: Why Kids-Of All Ages-Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It</u>. This is an absurdly long title for a book, but the author sounds like an absolute genius. He seems to really understand why parents cave to their kids all the time: guilt, pressure, being busy, being tired, trying to keep the peace. He acknowledges how much time and energy goes into effective parenting, but he also talks about how important self-discipline is. By saying no to our kids, and forcing them to deal with boredom, dissatisfaction, and even high expectations, we help them develop self-discipline. This is my kind of guy. I already tried to reserve the book at the library, but they don't seem to have it yet. <br><br> I ended up calling up a friend to go for a walk this afternoon. I drove to her house, then we walked to Starbucks, had a coffee, and walked back. It was a bit on the cold side (about -15), but at least we got some exercise. When I got home, my daughter was invited over to a friend's house to play, so I went with her and sat around chatting with the mom for an hour and a half. We finally got home at 6:30 and ordered pizza.<br><br> I couldn't have had a better day if I had planned it all out. Tomorrow doesn't have much on the schedule, but I am going to have to do some laundry and housework. Maybe I'll squeeze in a trip to the library. I am dying to get started on <u>Little House in the Big Woods</u> with dd right away. My weirdness post got me thinking about it.Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-1170399464318576112007-02-01T23:57:00.000-07:002007-02-01T23:57:44.480-07:00Weirdness<p class="mobile-post">I have been tagged by Daisy to post 6 weird things about me. The way <br />it works is that I am supposed to tag 6 other bloggers to post 6 <br />weird things about themselves. The trouble is, Daisy's blog is the <br />only one that I read regularly. I read a couple of others, but the <br />people don't know me.</p><p class="mobile-post">I asked my husband for his opinion. At first he said he couldn't <br />possibly narrow it down to only 6. I am just a vast, complex entity <br />composed entirely of weirdness, peculiarity, and idiosyncrasy. When <br />pressed for details, he waffled and said that he is just so used to <br />my strangeness that it doesn't even seem weird to him. So, I have to <br />figure this out myself.</p><p class="mobile-post">1. I meditate for an hour every morning. That is something that most <br />people don't know. I have been meditating on and off for years, but <br />lately I have been doing it very regularly. I'm not sure if it is <br />going to solve all of my problems, but I definitely feel like I'm on <br />top of my game, "with it", and generally have my act together a lot <br />more than I usually do.</p><p class="mobile-post">2. I have a very bizarre relationship to science. There is a tonne of <br />it that I just do not understand, and I am extremely skeptical about <br />almost all of it. Like gravity, chemistry, time travel, oh, and <br />physics. Especially physics. My husband gets great laughs almost <br />every day because I really don't get physics. I mean, you've got <br />laws, you've got theories, and who can keep them straight? Not me.</p><p class="mobile-post">3. I am a home-birthing, attachment-parenting, co-sleeping, <br />home-schooling, health-food eating, environmentally-aware <br />crunchy-granola type of person. Those are 6 things right there that <br />make me weird to most members of my family. However, I do not <br />compost. Several people I know are completely shocked that I do not <br />compost. So, now that my kitchen garburetor is broken, I guess I am <br />going to start composting.</p><p class="mobile-post">4. I actually like going on trips all by myself. I travelled around <br />Europe for 3 months all by myself when I was 22, and it was fabulous. <br />It is the only way to travel, the best way to travel. It's great. <br />Nobody to have to try to get along with, compromise with, or even <br />talk to if you don't feel like it. You can do exactly what you want <br />to do, whenever you want to do it.</p><p class="mobile-post">5. I have a long-standing fascination with Laura Ingalls Wilder from <br />Little House on the Prairie. It started when I read the novels around <br />age 8 or 9. I developed an extremely colourful internal relationship <br />with Laura. I had fantasies that involved travelling back in time and <br />living with her. I would know so much because I was from the future. <br />Then I would imagine that she travelled to the present, and I would <br />take her around and show her things and explain everything to her, <br />like cars, music, shopping centres, dishwashers, airplanes, <br />absolutely everything. This was DETAILED.</p><p class="mobile-post">As an example of how severe the Little House thing is: My husband has <br />always wanted to go to Disneyland or Disneyworld and a whole bunch of <br />other big attractions in the United States. I have always resisted <br />because I feel very weird about travelling in the US. I mean, people <br />there are allowed to carry guns! When I was in Las Vegas, I kept <br />looking at everybody and wondering, Does that person have a gun? How <br />about that one? That person could have a gun in her purse right this <br />second! One day last spring, I was perusing some home-school sites, <br />and I found some stuff you can do with the Little House series <br />(hooray!) and OH MY GOD you can actually VISIT Walnut Grove! There is <br />a museum and some other stuff there to see. I almost freaked out. I <br />called my hubby over to show him, and I was like, "Forget Disneyland, <br />honey, we're going to Minnesota!" I get excited just thinking about it.</p><p class="mobile-post">Okay, I admit it, THAT is weird. I kind of want to start reading the <br />Little House books to my daughter, but I notice that I'm holding <br />back. What if she doesn't like them as much as I do? It could cause <br />irreparable harm to our relationship.</p><p class="mobile-post">6. The vast majority of what I read for pleasure is non-fiction. I <br />almost never read fiction because I get completely absorbed in it, to <br />the exclusion of all else. Meals go unprepared, children are ignored, <br />the telephone goes unanswered, and I'll stay up until 5am just to <br />finish. Then I need 2-3 days just to recover. On top of that, I find <br />that I often take on the mood of a book for days afterwards. If it <br />was a very profound book, or very sad, or very dark and depressing, <br />well, that's how I'm going to be feeling for the next week. I won't <br />even permit myself to pick up a novel unless there is NOTHING going <br />on for the following week.</p><p class="mobile-post">Okay, that was long. I guess the 7th thing that's weird about me is <br />that I like to go on and on and on and on. I just can't shut up.</p><p class="mobile-post">I think this whole branch of the weirdness game is going to shrivel <br />up and die here, because I have no idea who I could tag. Maybe if I <br />sleep on it, I'll come up with something. Pam, Isla, Lisa, Nicole, <br />Alan, Mark, Andree, why don't you have blogs yet? Get started! Start <br />with the weirdness poll!</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-1169534676151037432007-01-22T23:44:00.000-07:002007-01-22T23:44:36.570-07:00ValuesOne of the thoughts I've had swirling around my head for the last few weeks has to do with values.<br><br> When you homeschool, you have to live in contact with your values. You have to know what they are, you have to live by them, and you have to be prepared to defend them to your children, and to practically anyone who decides to question your right or ability to homeschool.<br><br> I have to know, on a daily basis, what is more important: a clean house, or school work accomplished? Groceries done, or a play date with friends? Making my daughter finish something or letting her try something new? Achievement, or experimentation? Discipline or going with the flow? Winning an argument or keeping the peace? Obedience or communication? Science or history? Writing or logic? Math or reading? Harry Potter or learn-to-read books? English books or French books? <br><br> I didn't feel like I was constantly making decisions when my daughter was at school all day. Most of the decisions were made for me, including what time to get up, what time to go to bed, how much homework to do, and how much free time we had. <br><br> When I am responsible for what goes on around here 24 hours a day, I need to be crystal clear about what is important to me. I feel like every day is a living example of what is important: love, caring, patience, compassion, respect, healthy choices like nutrition and exercise, attitude, effort, work, and rest.<br><br> Someone mentioned to me that she wasn't feeling confident yet about her decision to homeschool. Someone else was worried about her child "keeping up" with children in school. I have a lot of empathy for these women. The way I see it, if you are comparing yourself to schools, it's because you basically agree with the goals and values of the schools, and you want to achieve a similar outcome. I have confidence in what I'm doing because I DO NOT share the goals and values of the schools, so I do not need to compare my results to theirs. I do things differently <u>because </u>I have different values and because I am looking for a different outcome.<br><br>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-1167958394093760942007-01-04T17:53:00.000-07:002007-01-04T17:53:14.100-07:00Thank goodness it's over.<p class="mobile-post">I have just got to get this off my chest: I am SO RELIEVED that the <br />"holidays" are over. The fact that they are called "holidays" in the <br />first place is absolutely laughable. Whoever came up with that is <br />clearly not the person who does the cleaning, the decorating, the <br />cooking, the shopping, or the wrapping. Christmas is like a huge <br />project that has to be done on an annual basis, with a hard-and-fast <br />deadline, whether you feel like accepting the contract or not.</p><p class="mobile-post">I know, I know, it's supposed to be a wonderful, magical time for <br />families to spend special time together and bond and so on. We happen <br />to be a homeschooling family, so we already spend LOTS of special <br />time together. Every day, in fact. All of my other important <br />relatives live really close by, so I see plenty of them, too. We have <br />dinner together all the time. The only thing different about <br />Christmas is that I have to do a lot of shopping, cleaning, wrapping, <br />and decorating beforehand, followed by some more cleaning afterwards.</p><p class="mobile-post">The other issue that I have is that Christmas really throws me off of <br />my routine. I never ever imagined that I would be so attached to my <br />routine that it would bother me to abandon it for a week, but <br />apparently I am way more anal than I ever thought possible. After a <br />week off the routine, the kids were bored and hyper and driving me <br />crazy, and I was bored of spending all my time cleaning, cooking, <br />shopping, wrapping, eating, and socializing. I really wanted to get <br />back to MY life, which is with my friends, my kids, and my projects, <br />whatever they happen to be at the moment.</p><p class="mobile-post">So, we took all the Christmas decorations down on December 30 because <br />I just couldn't handle having it hanging around anymore. We had a <br />fondue dinner with my brother and his wife on New Year's Eve, and by <br />January 2, I was BACK to regular life. The kids are back to normal, <br />and so am I. Dear hubby, bless him, goes back to work on Monday, and <br />things will REALLY get back to normal again. Thank God. I'm sure I <br />will come up with something new to complain about next week!</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-1166072795941708712006-12-13T22:06:00.000-07:002006-12-16T09:03:23.110-07:00I love my husband<p class="mobile-post">I have the sweetest, most supportive husband in the world.</p><p class="mobile-post">We have been reviewing our finances lately, and it is pretty much a <br />given that I need to generate some income. Hubby makes about 3/4 of <br />what we need to maintain our lifestyle. It's not that we couldn't cut <br />back, because we could, a bit. I have been cutting back for so many <br />years, though, that I find that eventually, stuff just needs to get <br />done. Our poor truck is 17 years old. It probably has a few years <br />left in it, but I don't want to gamble on exactly how many. Same with <br />our 40-year-old furnace. One day, that thing is just going to stop <br />working, and if that were this winter, we would have a real problem <br />on our hands.</p><p class="mobile-post">So, I need to make some money. It shouldn't be that hard. I am a <br />healthy, educated, intelligent, competent female living in a booming <br />economy in the wealthiest province in the best country in the world, <br />where the newspapers are literally overflowing with job postings, and <br />I can't seem to find anything that is just right.</p><p class="mobile-post">Hubby and I had a long heart-to-heart over it last night, and he <br />commented that whatever ideas we come up with, the sacrifice seems <br />too great. If I work at night or on the weekend, we would miss the <br />family time. If I do childcare or a home-based business, the toll on <br />me is quite severe. If I work during the day, the children would <br />suffer, or dd would have to go to school, and she is doing soooo <br />wonderful lately that he doesn't even want to think about that. I was <br />totally, completely, genuinely touched. I felt like all the work I do <br />here for our children and for our family was being recognized and <br />honoured. I have always believed that I'm doing something important, <br />but to have it acknowledged like that got me all choked up.</p><p class="mobile-post">So, I am still looking for income-generating options that don't <br />involve me actually becoming an employee. I intend to find a roommate <br />to rent out our spare room, and I'd like to teach ESL to tutor <br />English to International students. I might do some part-time child care.</p><p class="mobile-post">I'm open to ideas.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35031311.post-1163538380754836962006-11-14T14:06:00.000-07:002006-11-14T14:06:21.063-07:00Travelling Through Life<p class="mobile-post">I am on the plane back to Edmonton after a <br />weekend in Montreal. My sister and I went to see <br />my grandmother for her 85th birthday.</p><p class="mobile-post">Everyone on the plane is plugged into their <br />headphones, tv screens, MP3 players, or laptops. <br />(Im no exception, but the woman beside me is <br />sleeping at the moment.) It is difficult to be <br />friendly with someone who is plugged in, or otherwise occupied.</p><p class="mobile-post">On the other hand, some people just arent <br />friendly. The woman sitting beside me, for <br />example. She is approximately my age, possibly <br />younger. She is waaay more fashionable than I am, <br />which usually indicates to me that she has no <br />children. Once upon a time, I would have been <br />intimidated by her because she is slim and <br />fashionable. I might have thought that she wasnt <br />being friendly because I am not cool enough or <br />pretty enough or important enough to talk to. <br />Now, I see that there are many possible reasons <br />why she might not talk to me. She might be really <br />tired or hungover. She might work at a very busy, <br />noisy job where she has to be friendly all the <br />time and she really needs the peace and quiet on <br />the plane. She might be on her way to a funeral <br />and doesnt want to talk about it. She might be <br />really shy or insecure. The fashionable exterior <br />might be like her armour or a mask she wears to face the world.</p><p class="mobile-post">Personally, I think it is bizarre that you could <br />sit right beside someone for four hours and not <br />even say hello, how are you, or are you traveling <br />for business or on vacation? I consider it <br />practically rude. I have realized, however, that <br />my opinion about what is rude or normal says more <br />about ME than about her. I still dont know <br />anything about her, and neither do you, dear <br />reader, but now we all know that I think its <br />nicer to be friendly on a plane and try to <br />connect with people around you. We also know that <br />I dont feel particularly glamorous most of the <br />time and that I am okay with that.</p><p class="mobile-post">I realized again on this trip how much I like <br />traveling. I absolutely ADORE going to a new <br />place. I love almost everything about it. I like <br />hearing different languages spoken. I like <br />finding my way around. I like reading maps and <br />getting rental cars and realizing that I can find <br />my way around. I even like taking trains and <br />subways and busses and getting around that way. <br />In some places, that way is preferable. I like <br />reading the local newspaper and finding out how <br />much it costs to rent an apartment or buy a <br />house, what kind of jobs are available and how <br />much people get paid. I like to see whats in the <br />grocery stores and if its different from whats in my grocery stores.</p><p class="mobile-post">The only thing thats better than exploring a new <br />city on my own is to actually hang out with <br />people FROM that city and let them take me around <br />to their favourite places and show me what they <br />do for fun on a Friday night or for relaxation on a Sunday afternoon.</p><p class="mobile-post">I realize that this makes me different from some <br />other people, like my grandmother, for instance. <br />As far as I can tell, she has been quietly living <br />her life in exactly the same way for about the <br />last 50 years. She is 85 years old, she lives in <br />an apartment with no dishwasher, no microwave, no <br />VCR, no DVD player, no stereo, no computer, no <br />internet, not even a touch tone telephone. She <br />takes the bus to buy her groceries and has them <br />delivered to her apartment. She goes out for a <br />walk every day, thank goodness, but she doesnt <br />have much of anything on her schedule. She does <br />not belong to any church, social club, community <br />league, or seniors centre. She does not play any <br />games or sports or go swimming or use the <br />library. She does not travel. She lives directly <br />above her sister, and the two of them order in <br />Chinese food or pizza sometimes, and they watch <br />television together in the evenings. She goes to <br />bed at 11pm and gets up at 7:30 every day. She <br />has been following the same routine for years and years and years.</p><p class="mobile-post">Admittedly, she did move into this apartment just <br />last year. Before that, she lived in the same <br />house that she shared with my grandfather <br />forever. In her old neighbourhood, she knew more <br />people and she would say hello to them on her <br />daily walks and she would have visitors over for <br />coffee or for dinner a little more often.</p><p class="mobile-post">It is fascinating to compare her life to my <br />mother-in-laws life. They are only 15 years <br />apart in age. My mother-in-law is 70. She still <br />lives with my father-in-law in the same house <br />shes been in forever. She goes to work out at <br />Spa Lady every Tuesday and Thursday morning with <br />her friends. All winter long, she plays on a <br />curling team every Tuesday and Thursday <br />afternoon. She is a member of the church choir <br />and has choir practice every Thursday night, and <br />of course attends church on Sunday morning. I <br />think she is also on the womens committee or <br />something like that. She organizes a curling <br />bonspiel for the church every year in January. <br />She golfs with friends two or three times a week <br />all summer long. She goes on at least two <br />holidays a year, usually to BC in September, and <br />somewhere warm in January or February. If a good <br />deal comes up or if some of her friends are going <br />on a cruise, she doesnt hesitate to join them. <br />She also has dinner parties, breakfast dates, <br />lunch dates, and coffee dates almost every day of <br />the week. She gets together with her very large <br />family often. She still manages to make time to <br />visit and/or babysit her grandkids at least once <br />a week. Oh, and she also keeps a large vegetable <br />garden and a beautiful yard with flowers, <br />raspberry bushes, and an apple tree. She does a <br />lot of baking and has a freezer full of pies, jams, and squares.</p><p class="mobile-post">Obviously, money can account for part of the <br />difference. My mother-in-law has far more <br />resources available than my grandmother, but even <br />if my mother-in-law was completely broke, there <br />would still be the church activities, the family <br />get-togethers, the garden, the baking, the <br />sewing, the dinner parties and coffee dates and so on.</p><p class="mobile-post">It is difficult not to judge the two different <br />ways of life. It is easy to look at my <br />grandmother and say, she should really get out <br />more or get involved in something. On the other <br />hand, I have often felt critical of my <br />mother-in-law for spending almost all of her time <br />playing. Here is a woman who is strong, <br />intelligent, perfectly healthy, with loads of <br />energy and resources available to her. It seems <br />to me that she could USE her life to create <br />something or build something or contribute <br />something to society or help someone. Maybe she <br />does, in her own way. Maybe being the social <br />butterfly and keeping in touch with so many <br />people and throwing so many parties helps to <br />enrich the lives of those people whom she parties <br />with. Maybe I need to get out of my judgment throne.</p><p class="mobile-post">I still dont know what kind of life I will lead <br />in the future. Right now, Im still busy raising <br />my kids. In a few years time, I plan to do a lot <br />of traveling with them. After that, I might <br />indulge myself by going back to university and <br />studying all the stuff I didnt have time to <br />study before (like anthropology, sociology, <br />psychology, religion, philosophy, film studies, <br />womens studies, history .) Maybe Ill take up a <br />new career, like as a psychologist or family <br />therapist. Maybe Ill start a foundation to help <br />people further their spiritual development, or to <br />help at-risk families connect to community <br />services, or maybe I will serve in public office <br />for a while. Maybe Ill be a fundraiser for an <br />international agency. Maybe Ill work for an <br />international agency, like World Vision or Unicef.</p><p class="mobile-post">Half the time, I cannot believe that I am <br />actually an adult. I still feel like a kid who is <br />trying to decide what to do when I grow up. It <br />energizes me, though, to see my mother-in-law <br />leading such an active, busy life, and my <br />grandmother living such a long one, because it <br />means that I dont have to make up my mind once <br />and for all about what to do with my life. I <br />have enough time here on earth to try it all. I <br />can be a student, a business woman, a <br />stay-at-home-mom, a teacher, a traveler, a <br />volunteer, a grandmother, an investor, an author, <br />a student, and a whole bunch of things that I <br />havent even thought of yet. I can reasonably <br />expect to live for another 50 years. That is <br />astonishing. Im only 34 years old, and I spent <br />the first 18 years just growing up. Ive only had <br />16 years of experience as an adult, and I have <br />already been able to try so much. I get to have <br />about 50 MORE years. That is fantastic.</p><p class="mobile-post">In a couple of hours, I will be reunited with my <br />children, and I wont be able to make any long, <br />thoughtful blog entries for quite a while. It is <br />interesting that Renee missed me so much. She <br />seems to be quite dependent on me right now, <br />whereas when she was younger she was not. I <br />wonder if I have cultivated this somewhat by <br />taking her out of school and having her with me <br />all the time. I dont really think so. It seems <br />more like a stage of life that she is going through.</p><p class="mobile-post">When children are two or three years old, they <br />are more firmly planted in the moment, and as <br />long as everything is okay in the moment, like <br />Nana is with them, their favourite show is on TV, <br />and there is macaroni and cheese for lunch, then <br />they are fine. Renee is older and more likely to <br />notice if things are different from when Im <br />around. My niece, who is a few years older than <br />Renee, also seems to have been very clingy and <br />attached to her mother (my sister) for the last <br />few years, and still is even today. It should be <br />fairly amusing to see how that changes when shes a teenager.</p>Correnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02337679065167216222noreply@blogger.com0