Oh by golly, have a holly jolly

Yay, Christmas is here! I love this time of year.

My Christmas actually started last week out in the country at my mom’s. We had a wonderful brunch and gave and received some sweet gifts. I got a lot of kitchen stuff this year! Pots, pans, knives, muffin tins, baking sheets and a spring-form pan (I had to ask what it was!).

Then it was off to my aunt’s for our family dinner. I’m certainly blessed to have such a great family; everyone is always happy and there is never an argument. And we’re Irish, French and German! (With some Nigerian mixed in.) Maybe it’s the booze. The one thing I missed this year was my Uncle Hans’ song “Strokin” playing through our formal dinner. Oh well, I guess you can’t get everything you want.

Today it’s Christmas Eve and I will be doing something I have never done before… I’m going to Midnight Mass. As most people know, I’m not a “churchy” person. Far from it. But I’m pretty excited to go since I will be celebrating the holdiay with Chuck. As hard as changing holiday traditions can sometimes be, this one seems like a piece of cake. If it’s anything like listening to monks chant in Florence, I might become a weeping basket case.

Another holiday change… we are attempting to make a turkey dinner tomorrow. And I’m not responsible for the turkey (Chuck is, ha). These next few days are going to be filled with new traditions, and I’m looking forward to it!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Update: Christmas mass was nice, but seriously... too much incense people! I couldn't breathe. Also, our turkey dinner was a hit. We used this glaze and it was delicious. The gravy turned out super yummy too.

I see my path, but I don't know where it leads

Okay, so I’ve done it now. Last week I told my sister and mom that I will not be joining them in Europe because I have decided to go on my own. I felt bad saying it. I know I would have a good time with them, but I think I have to do this by myself.

Here’s the thing, I have been planning this trip in my mind since I was 18 and now I can finally go (over 10 years later than expected – stupid responsibilities!). I kind of want this to be my own experience, as selfish as that seems.

I realized I wanted to go solo because of an old friend. Way, way back in university, my roommate Claire delighted me with tons of stories from her European adventure (she backpacked alone there for two months before heading to university). I particularly remember how much fun she said she had on her own, meeting people and going off the beaten path. That’s what I want. I want to just be there, do what I feel like on a daily basis, and just go with it. I think that suits my personality.

But now for the one crappy thing… I have to get organized! Got to figure out schedules, dates and hotels. If you know me, you know this is sometimes a struggle. I’ve become pretty good in my job organizing web content (you should see my mad bulleted-list skills) but outside of the job – ha ha – not so much. I cannot make a list to save my life! I never take one grocery shopping; I just wing it and end up walking the store four different ways, and forgetting something. When it comes to things and words, I love order; but as for life and living, it’s much more fun to wing it.

Europe. Boy I got to be on my toes, I just can’t wing it… well I can, but I have to plan it out first. Make sense? No? Ah, whatever.

No news is good news

Very little blogging going on lately. I guess that's what happens when you get back to work after an absence; no time for the fun stuff.

In the festive spirit of Friday, and to tease my coworkers (good times!), here is a classic shot of some webbies working hard(ly) on our news bulletins.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Enjoy the late-season warmth.

The smell of autumn is in the air

After all the bright and shiny colours of summer, it's time to wrap yourself up in the rich hues of fall.


This painting is titled Autumn Leaves and was painted for my friend Denise. It now hangs in her living room.

What a difference an hour makes

I just spent a wonderful evening with my mom’s friends.

I have to preface this by saying I was in a horrible mood before going to my aunt’s for dinner tonight. I just had a tonsillectomy and for the last couple of days I’ve had an extremely sore jaw that has made me grumpy.

My bad mood was completely erased once I got to my aunt's. You just cannot stay grumpy around these people! They are hilarious and crazy and make you laugh constantly. You will never see a group of people having more fun together. I ended up having an excellent time tonight. There was even some spontaneous polka dancing going on! (I ran from that)

I also had a great conversation with Cummy, a longtime family friend and distant relative. He’s 81 and you would be shocked by that number if you met him. He is a spry guy. I’ve been calling him an “old coot” for years and it totally fits. He’s set in his ways and usually starts a sentence with “Well, in my day…”

At one point in our conversation I ask him how he’s feeling. He turns to me and says “You know Kirsten, I’m doing really good. I have the greatest friends. Nothing is better than being with this bunch.” He then goes on to say he has no idea if he will be here for two months or twenty years and all he wants is to enjoy whatever time that is with his friends. Love him!

That’s my evening, ended up better than expected.

FAIL

I was a total failure in university and I don’t care.

When I was a child I wanted to be a marine biologist. No joke! This prairie girl wanted to swim in shark cages and help save the whales. I loved the sea, even though I had never been in it. So imagine my elation when UBC accepted me. I was going by myself and was extremely excited.

When I arrived the excitement quickly faded. I was scared. I had never been away from my friends or family. I felt alone. I spent my first week crying before I went to sleep. I missed my parents. I missed my friends. I started to wonder why I left them in the first place. Why would I leave the comfort of home to come to a place where I knew no one? I was homesick.

After that first week, I bucked it up and started to meet people. I just couldn’t keep wallowing in the self pity. Once I set my mind to it, I started meeting people easily. I met so many different types of people and began loving the experience. Everyone was so unique and it was thrilling to get to know them, where they came from, where they wanted to go.

My year there became a life learning experience. It enabled me to open up and see people differently. You could sit and laugh and joke all night or you could get into a rampant debate. Both were good. You found friends that you could rely on, who would help you study (or so I’ve heard) and would understand you when you were missing home.

After that first week, I loved every minute!

University is a blank slate. It’s not even similar to high school. Why is this? Is it because we are all in the same boat; just wanting to connect with others, think for ourselves, have a unique voice that will be heard? In university you are encouraged to have your own opinion, to not let anyone speak for you. It’s refreshing! The experience is like no other for that. It becomes so much more than studying.

Well, I digress, I should be telling you about my failure. I took first year science courses and here’s something not everyone knows… I got 10% in Calculus! Is that even possible you say? Yes. I did that. Not even remotely proud of that number.

I ended my first year of university with horrible grades (failed all but two classes) and a lifetime experience I will never forget. I think of those times often and I wonder what person would I be without that failure? I don’t want to know actually. I might have been a failure at studying for exams, but I found that I was a success at being an independent person who can do things for herself.

I also learned that I will never succeed at everything, but I tried, and sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. I’m not proud of the waste of my parents money, but if its any consolation, they did pay for a life experience and invested in the person that I would eventually become. I know my mom is proud of that and my dad would have been too.

Everything in life happens for a reason, so the fact that I didn’t continue with my childhood dream was a blessing. If I didn’t fail, I would have stayed at UBC and got a coastal job and probably wouldn’t have been with my dad for the last years of his life. Thinking about this makes me so glad I didn’t become a marine biologist. I wouldn’t give up that time with my dad for anything.

I had a friend tell me recently that he hates failure. But then he changed it to say, “maybe its not failure I hate, but the embarrassment of failure.” How true is that! I fail at something every day. I don’t care when no one sees it, but it is so hard to fail in front of others. Well, here you all go, here’s my failure… I got 10% in Calculus!!! You can’t fail much worse than that. (Oh and 45% my second time around.)

Ah, beach life!

From Saturday, August 22:
Its 6:30 a.m. and I find myself wondering what to do this beautiful morning. It’s sunny and breezy, a great combination.

A morning walk into Gimli is the decision. I put the iPod on, tie the laces tight, and away I go. I find myself enjoying every minute. I love to walk, it's a great way to reflect upon your day (or in this case, plan the day ahead). I walk through Loni Beach and into Gimli, walking as close to the water as I can. I walk to the very end of the Gimli pier.

On my journey back, I pass two teenage boys carrying fishing poles and a small tackle box. It’s nice to see. No electronic gadgets in sight. Just two buddies going to do a little fishing before continuing on their day. It struck me when I saw it. It’s funny, I think you get to an age that when you see kids doing things you did when you were that age, you have to stop, smile and appreciate it. With how quickly things change and evolve in this world it was nice to see that the basics – a good friend, a fishing pole and endless conversation – are still enjoyed.