all posted out

I have done 5 posts in the last 2 weeks...that is more than sufficient for my commitment to blog once a week. I have over-delivered once again. But it does leave me in a strange place of having not much to blog about. Highlights from my week are:

1) Toured the Calgary Food Bank and realized all the good things they do to keep the working poor fed here in our city. Despite the prosperity of Alberta, the struggle becomes harder for those just eking out a living.

2) Splurged and took a cab home from work on Thursday night. I went for a run at 5 pm but then went back to work to finish up a few things. By the time I left the office at 7:30, I didn't have the heart to face waiting for the bus or C-Train. The luxury of the cab ride was lovely.

3) Met my dear friend Alicia for breakfast/brunch Saturday morning. It is always good to catch up with her. Her sweetness and joy of life is infectious.

My week was not a spectacular week...nor was it terrible. It just was a week in my life. Am going to an Oscar party tonight...have barely seen any of the films nominated but should be fun. I am also trying to figure out who to vote for in the provincial election next Monday. My options are rather pathetic and the campaigns lack imagination and good ideas. It looks like I will probably vote Liberal at this point but that decision is not set in stone yet. And I am trying to thwart off the winter blahs as I have v. low energy today. I should pop into work and catch up on the massive pile waiting for me on my desk ...we will see if that actually happens.

it isn't easy being green

As mentioned in my post yesterday, I painted my bedroom. And, I think I like the new color. I knew I had accepted it when I made art and pillows to go with the new look. I find the color changes with the light.

Here is the look:

Here is some of the art/pillows I made (Nicole, you may want to take note of the fabric used in the large canvas above the bed and the small pillows on the bed - thanks!). There are a few more art projects for the room stirring in my mind...will keep you posted.

And if you need a reminder that spring is on its way, I find there is no better way than a bouquet of tulips just for you. Safeway usually has bunches on for something like $4. Fabulous pick-me-up during the winter doldrums.

highlights of my week

I had some wonderful moments this week despite being under the weather with a vicious cold. Here are my top three moments:

1) The play "Enchanted April"...the story is of 4 English women in the 1920's who rent a villa in Italy for the month of May. I went with 3 of my friends for a girls night out. It was wonderful. I can't wait for my European adventure in just 2 1/2 months. The actress who played Mrs Graves (a older, stick-in-the mud character) was no other than the actress who played Mrs. Rachel Lynde. Anne and Italy all in one evening - what could be better. Also at the play, I ran into two people I hadn't seen in awhile...Candida, my old neighbour in Bridgeland and Kathy, a co-worker from my Safeway days. I love running into people when I am out and about...especially people I like.

2) I talked to my beloved friend Amy who lives in Turkey. There is something about a conversation with her that lifts the spirits. I do wish we lived closer than the 9300 km between us. Thank goodness for technology and good phone deals. We both can call with no long distance charges thanks to the digital age. This is Amy and I camping a couple years ago.

3) I re-painted my bedroom. The saga continues as I have been struggling with the right color for ages. This week , I settled on a Benjamin Moore green "Stem Green" which I saw on a wall at Pottery Barn but when I went to get the paint, I realized that color would be way too vibrant. I settled for a more subtle green "Potporri Green". I didn't like the name and was worried it may be too mint green but went for it anyhow. Now that the room is painted, I quite like it. I think it was the color I was seeking all along. I have my art to make & hang, I have pillows to make of the fabric Nicole gave me for Christmas, and I have a bit more organization to do before I will post pictures....but they will be posted. I promise!

Oh, in closing, I have a new addiction to share with you - a website called Apartment Therapy. Those of you with small spaces or those who like to DIY, this site is for you. Check out the tours, the links, the beautiful things.

there is nothing false about hope.

Ok, here is the one time I wish I was American. I would vote for this man. I am reading his book "The Audacity of Hope" and I listened to his speech. Just a few months ago, I was wondering on my blog if there were any leaders who could inspire hope and give a vision for a brighter future. With whispers of JFK and Bobby, Obama breathes new hope into the world with his spirit of co-operation and sound policies while seeking to unite Americans. Check out this video.

igoogle

I have a new favorite toy to play with - iGoogle. Google has always been my home page but I have discovered a whole new way to enjoy a search engine. Customization....all my messages in one place, blog feed, facebook updates, emails, news and weather. How did I ever live without my iGoogle?

life changing reads

Have you ever read a book and knew you have to share it with the world because it was that good? This past week, I read two books which fit that scenario.




The first book was recommended to me by a couple of friends who basically told me that if I read one book this year, it should be "Three Cups of Tea". Check out the website. It is the true story of one man who decided to build a school for a small Pakistani village as a thank you to their hospitality in his time of need. That one school began a journey of building schools in the remote northern regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He works with the villages and finds their needs for schools but also mandates that girls must be allowed to attend as educating women will create long term prosperity for the village. It is a must read. If you buy the book from the web site, funds go into building more schools. It is inspiring that one man can truly make change in our world...and it poses the question of "how can I as one person change my world?"



The second book came from a chance encounter between me and the book while I was at the library last weekend. As some of you know, I have been struggling for a while about the way church is done and have been wrestling with what it means to be a Christian in my world. The book I read is called "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian MacLaren. For the past few years, the term post-modern has been part of my vocabulary but I didn't realize that my struggle with how to live my faith came from a conflict between my post-modern thinking and the very modern way I had been taught Christianity. While reading this book, I felt like I found a voice which articulated my questions. Although some of it made me slightly uncomfortable and I didn't agree with everything, I realized that it is important to question the whys of how I live out my faith in Jesus. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to share Jesus in a very real way to those in their life. It is not about the 4 steps to salvation but about dialogue, respect and allowing truth to bubble up to the surface through all the crap we put in its way.



I do want to emphasize that the title of this book is not "A NEW KIND OF CHRISTIANITY". I work with a guy who attends a legalistic church (although he wouldn't describe it as that). I mentioned this book to him and suggested he read it. He replied that he doesn't want to read anything about altering Christianity. I called him on that...it is not a new faith but a new way to live out our faith as a follower of Jesus in the post-modern society we live in. Sometimes I think people are scared to look at new ideas about faith because the way they have done things for their whole life is safe, secure and not subject to questions without answers.

so much information

Does anyone else feel like there is way too much information coming at us? I heard a couple of weeks ago that the amount of information in the world that is actually written down (not in our heads) doubles every 11 hours. How is one supposed to keep on top of trends and information?
I love information and facts and a lot of the things I know are rather pointless such as you can only fold a piece of paper in half a maximum of 7 times no matter how large or thin the paper is.

I digress...

It is at work that I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information to read, process, store and also have the ability to recall on a moment's notice when your manager asks about it. There needs to be a retention/recall strategy for my brain. I recently discovered I read fairly fast - approx. 527 words a minute with comprehension. I get the big picture of what I read but if someone is to ask me about the details, that is where my mind fails me.

I also heard that your inbox is a manifestation of your mind. If you were to see my work email, I would probably be committed to an institution. Thank goodness for a search function. Perhaps that is what my brain needs - a search mechanism. The required information is somewhere deep inside the mind.

Ironically, I do Sudoku and Crossword puzzles which are supposed to keep your mind sharp and memory good.