It's snowing sideways right now.

Know what I like?

Pretty wrapping paper. I realize that in less than a month it will just all be in the garbage, but I love pretty sparkly paper. We got this really nice stuff at Costco this year. It has sort of hologram-ish qualities to it. One roll has snow flakes, one snowmen and the other random Christmas items. So pretty :)

What an exciting episode of Prison Break last night. I was very pleased to see Bilek get what he deserved, and to see Michael and Lincoln get a break. Now we just have to wait until January 22nd for the next episode!

Our Tree

Almost ready for Christmas....

I know it's still a month away, but we set up our tree and other Christmas decorations today. We are just about done Christmas shopping, yesterday I spent a few hours writing out Christmas cards. I suppose the gifts just need to be wrapped, and we need to watch the movie Elf (and Jason likes to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to get in the spirit....) and listen to some Christmas music. Oh yeah, and I have a few things to bake :) Looking forward to the next month of Christmas festivities and preparations.

I am feeling much better today, still a little weak and achy, but the stomach seems to be holding food in.

I was listening to John Gormley this morning and they were saying that Corner Gas has been picked up by an American satellite station. I wonder if the Americans will find it as funny as we do. Obviously there are some things they won't understand (ie The Littlest Hobo episode for one), but I think overall it's a fairly funny show, even without the Canadian humour. They were also mentioning one of Weird Al's new songs called Canadian Idiot. Apparently some Canadians are pretty mad about it. I just don't get it, that guy makes fun of everyone. I consider it a complement to be insulted by Weird Al, haha. But really, it's kind of a funny song, I don't find it terribly offensive. And if these people who are so easily offended would keep listening to the Weird Al album, they would realize that most of his other songs make fun of people.

Here are the lyrics for Canadian Idiot:

Don't wanna be a Canadian Idiot
Don't wanna be some beer-swillin' hockey nut
And do I look like some frost-bitten hose head?
I never learned my alphabet from A to Zed

They all live on donuts and moose meat
And they all leave the house without packin' heat
Never even bring their guns to the mall
And you know what else is too funny?
Their stupid monopoly money
Can't take 'em seriously at all

Well, maple syrup and snow's what they export
They treat curling just like it's a real sport
They think their silly accent is so cute
Can't understand a thing they're talking a-boot

Sure, they got their national health care
Cheaper meds for prime rates and clean air
Then again, well they got Celine Dion
Eat their weight in Kraft macaroni
And dream of driving a Zamboni
All over Saskatchewan

Don't wanna be a Canadian idiot
Won't figure out the temperature in Celcius
See the map, they're hoverin' right over us
Tell you the truth, it makes me kinda nervous

Always hear the same kind of story
Break your nose and they'll just say "Sorry"
Tell me what kind of freaks are that polite
It's gotta be they're all up to something
So, quick, before they see it coming
Time for a preemptive strike

Soooo sick :( All I have eaten since last night is 2 pieces of dry toast and a small Christmas orange. Sigh, I should go lay down again....

I went to the dentist this morning and I was reminded again of how much I hate going. I think that it is a crazy form of torture that we place on ourselves. Just the smell of that place is enough to get my stomach churning. The sound of the drills in the other rooms, the taste of the latex gloves and the tooth polish that they use just about makes my skin crawl. I do realize that it is my choice to go, and I choose this torture. I would rather go once or twice a year and keep my teeth and gums in better condition, but what a horrible place to go. I think that they should pipe in some relaxing music, instead of the obnoxious radio personalities blabbing on and on. I honestly think I would rather go to the doctor for a physical then the dentist for a cleaning. Good thing, neither one comes too often!

Peppernuts

Here are all my many peppernuts! They are yummy!

Christmas is a comin' and the goose is getting fat...

I think I had a blog post called that last year....makes me think of Mr. Torgunrude from Fairhaven elementary school, hehe, crazy memories! Anyway...

I am usually very much one for traditional Christmas music. I love the traditional songs, as well as a more traditional sound. I like bells and piano and beautiful voices singing them. But this year I discovered a new Christmas album that I like (and bought it). It is mainly traditional songs, but done in a more upbeat way, with guitar, drums, etc. It is called Christmas Offerings by Third Day. I have liked Third Day for sometime. I have 4 of their albums (this one makes 5) and I really appreciate their style and Mac Powell (lead singer) has a very nice voice. Even the original songs they wrote are very nice! If you are looking for something different this year I would check out this album, it's even on sale at Parables right now! I think my favorite Christmas song is O Holy Night. I love listening to it sung by a man or woman who can really sing. That song is on this album, and because Mac doesn't sing so high, I can sing along with it. I appreciate that too, hehe.

What is your favorite Christmas song/album??

What a pleasant surprise to run into the Epp family at Chianti's when Jay and I went out for lunch after church. They even asked us to join them because they had 2 extra seats. Then when it came time to pay, they picked up our tab. What an incredibly generous family! I feel very blessed to know them :)

Pfeffernuesse

I have decided to make pfeffernuesse for Christmas this year. For those of you who don't speak German, that is peppernuts. They are bite sized spice cookies that are of Mennonite origin I think. I have never tackled this before and thought that it might be a fun thing to make. Earlier this week I ventured out to buy the ingredients, many of which were spices that I did not have. One of those spices was ground anise seed. Do you think I could find it? I went to 3 grocery stores (Extra Foods, Safeway and Sobeys) and 2 of them had whole anise seed, but not ground. Oh well. I figured that there were at least 6 other spices in there and I doubt that anyone will miss a teaspoon of this spice in a bucket full of cookies! A recipe makes a lot (1 1/2 ice cream pails full, I am told), but I plan to give some away to friends and family as gifts. I mixed up the dough this evening and now I am letting it chill. I will probably start baking them tomorrow, but I may just make a pan or two this evening yet. We'll see how I feel later.

Our house plan fits on the lot we like! Woohoo! Now begins the waiting game...

Frustrated but also encouraged

Today when I got to work, the parking lot that I park in STILL hadn't been plowed at all since it snowed last week! It was quite busy so I had to go park in a stall that hadn't been driven in yet. As I pulled into it I thought, I am totally going to get stuck, but I had an appointment, so I had to park and get to work. Well luckily when I left work my co-worker was done at the same time (she parks in the same lot as me) and I told her we could push eachother out if we got stuck. Well for some reason she managed to get her little car out, but I got stuck! So she came and started pushing me, and two other guys were coming to their cars at the same time and helped her push me out. I was glad to have the help available because I am not sure what I would have done without them. I didn't even have to ask them to come and help me, they just came over with big smiles on their faces and started pushing. I think that Saskatoon is a pretty great place to live. I don't like the snow very much, but I wonder if people are so friendly and helpful in other cities!?

Operation Christmas Child

Today Jason and I went shopping for some items to fill two shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. This is something that we have taken part in for the last couple of years and I sure enjoy it! We just loved going through the aisles at the dollar store picking out notebooks, pens, candy, toys and other goodies to give to some children who are less fortunate than us. I can't begin to imagine how much these children appreciate and enjoy these shoeboxes full of gifts.

I was telling Jason over lunch today that as a kid I always cherished my time spent with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Frank. I would say that growing up that they were like an extra set of grandparents to me. I had a lot of sleepovers there, and Aunt Betty would often take me to the mall and let me pick out a toy to buy, or take me out for lunch. These were luxuries that as a child I did not often receive. My parents provided for me in every way that was necessary, but I wouldn't say that I was spoiled. I hope that someday when/if I have children that they will appreciate the little things. I hope that hey will not have so many toys they won't know what to do with all of them. And I sincerely hope that they will not take what they do have for granted. I know it's hard for kids to understand that some people have less than them, but I would like to instill this in my children someday.

Creepy

Yesterday I was reading a book that I had taken out of the church library called Crystal Lies. At one part someone asks "What day is it today anyway?" And the main character replies "November 8th". Yesterday was November 8th....It totally creeped me out! Haha!

Waaaah!

Yesterday when I woke up in the morning and heard the weather report I just about cried. I totally did not expect that. I had listened to the weather forecasts the day before and didn't hear that there was supposed to be so much snow. I am thankful that I didn't have to be at work until 10:30am, so by then for the most part there were at least tracks made in the road to follow. Although at some places on the freeway it was pretty scary and I think I topped out at 60km/hr in a couple of places. I came very close to getting stuck coming out of our underground parking, but after a little manoevering I was free. We had quite a few cancellations at work yesterday, but luckily my 2 clients were kind enough to venture out to see me. Again, I just about cried when I woke up this morning and heard that it was -21C with a windchill of -32C. Luckily, I don't have to be at work until 1:30 this afternoon, but my car is going to be awfully stiff and cold after being parked outside for 5 and a half hours. Brrrr, I think I will wear my parka today!

I met someone this summer who is about 25 years old and suffers from kidney failure. Yesterday I asked her a bit about the process of haemodialysis, and how her kidneys failed. She said that she has dialysis 3 times a week in the evening and it takes 4 hours. She told me that she has lupus and when she was 16 it came out of remission and attacked her kidneys. She seems like such a trooper though. She also told me that her mom is in the process of being tested to see if she is compatible to donate a kidney to her daughter. Can you imagine after spending 3 evenings a week for the last 9 years hooked up to a machine, getting a new kidney and having all that free time! Wow what would you do with all that time!? It makes me very thankful for my health, and I never want to take it for granted!

Yesterday one of my coworkers clients showed up for his appointment with a shaved head. She asked him about it and he said his staff had raised money for breast cancer ($2500 I think), and in exchange for that he had to shave his head. Last year the building manager of our medical building did that, and it was a woman. Mieka figures that next year that our office should do that. It would go toward a good cause, and would probably add some great publicity to our clinic. Now I don't think I am a really prideful person, or a vain person, but the thought of that really scares me. I think I would look really funny bald, and I think my ears stick out too much. However as I think of how funny I would look, I think of all the chemotherapy patients out there who have no choice in the matter. They lose their hair without a choice, and not just their head hair but also their eyebrows, eyelashes, etc. It is definitely something to think about....as a woman it does kind of scare me, but maybe it would also be an enlightening experience. I could become a hat person, and I sure would save money on haircuts, shampoo and styling products....hmmmm....