lauralea.ca

Last week we were driving to town and we passed a field where cows were busy having a go at last year’s corn stalks.

All sort of together out in the field but one, who was by himself near the fence that separated the field from the highway.

“I wonder if he just hollered ‘Car!’”, I said.

And we laughed about how much life in the country really does resemble a Far Side cartoon.

Today He wrote up another cow encounter we had a few days later,  complete with the cartoon I’d been reminded of on our drive to town.

“Car!” ?

I would totally believe it.

Make a list.

I’m a list person.

When I’m planning to pack for a trip I make lists.

Going to town this week?

Make a list.

Company coming?

Make a list.

Thinking about cooking Christmas dinner?

Make a list.

Several appointments on the calendar?

Make a list of lists to make.

Then make a bunch of lists.

This week there are a few things going on, which means my brain is mulling over what I need to do to make it through to Sunday.

Which means lists.

My lists tend to be made on pieces of paper… foolscap, old envelopes, newspaper  margins, backs of grocery store receipts… if it was once part of a tree and it has a blank spot it’s fair game.

I’ve started using the Ipod for grocery lists, but for other list writing, I prefer paper.

Yup.

This is a big week.

The first scrap will list all my events, projects and commitments.

From that list will grow sub-lists which will include a detailed breakdown of each event, project and commitment so as to guarantee it’s successful completion.

If my head feels too full and I begin to doubt my ability for clear thinking, there will be a mini menu list floating around the kitchen and a little household chore list stuck to the front of the fridge.

So.

First thing tomorrow, after breakfast and getting Micah on the bus and having a shower and getting dressed and doing my hair,

I will make a list.

Or two.

Maybe more.

But for now

I think I’ll go build a Sims 2 house…

There is a “Site Meter” on my cooking blog.

It’s interesting to see who’s been coming and where they come from when they visit that site.

I’ve been nagging Randall about getting a similar thing on this site, and yesterday I was able to get a little glimpse of what kind of activity there’s been here.

It’s funny, (not in a “haha” sort of way) what knowing you have an audience can do for a person.

I was thinking about it as I walked home from Church this morning.

Yes, I know.

I didn’t have very long to think about it.

But I had enough time to wonder what I’m doing here.

Am I more  stand-up comedian or story teller? Is it reality-internet meets Ladies’ Home Journal?

People are reading this… but what are they reading and why are they reading and what is the point of it?

Curious.

I was a little pumped to see that there are numbers. Numbers that represent actual people sitting in front of actual computers actually reading what’s written here.

It occurs to me that stats can be illuminating, interesting, and encouraging, as well as motivating and energizing.

I should get back to writing more often…

This was the last week to make new projects at clay class.

Well, last week was supposed to have been the last week, but the teacher amended that and gave us this evening’s class to muck about if we wanted.

With the end in sight, I spent much of my free time this week in the garage making a set of triangular plates- one large and four small.

I thought they’d be a cute tea set and decorated them with carved lilies to match my butter dish. There’s a blue glaze that will match the pieces I made in Prince Albert well enough.

By Tuesday I was starting to think that a tea pot might be interesting… a triangular tea pot…

By this morning I had finished the plates and decided to give the tea pot a go.

Although it’s after 11:00 and I should be putting my weary bones to bed, I’m still a little too jazzed from class.

I got the tea pot together and nicely cleaned up tonight, finishing what I started at home. I’ve traced out and started carving the lilies to match the plates.

It looks pretty good.

It’s a little wonky, but it’s very cool. It’s imperfections give it character.

Fingers crossed it holds together and the handle doesn’t fall off!

I wonder how triangular tea cups would work…

I got a call from the hospital today.

I’ve been bumped from the 22 of March to the 31st.

Too close to being a Joke for my liking, but I don’t suppose there’s a lot one can do about it.

If there’s a cancellation I could be in sooner again, and to that end I’ve kept the pre-admission clinic booking on the 17th, but I’ll go in two days before the (now) surgery date for the final blood work and tagging. (When they do the last blood work, they strap the hospital bracelet on and it has to stay there until you’re home again.)

sigh

I’m hoping that if I’ve been to the pre-admission clinic that I’ll be valid for an earlier cancellation.

Otherwise, I hope this was a one off and they don’t start a bad bumping trend.

MOPS has been survived for another month!

It went well in spite of  having tea, (complete with tea pot, cream & sugar and china tea cups) on every table, and my grand idea for individual hot nachos with sour cream and salsa (one for each table).

It felt like a fairly relaxed time, as far as the program went, which is nice. And doubly nice that the Moms were getting into it and seemed to be enjoying themselves, even though we didn’t have all out decorations or crafts.

I think the best time was had doing the “speed friendship making” (inspired by “speed dating”). If the noise level from the back of the hall was any indication it was a smashing success.

When they were full on into the activity, I realized why a group of women gathering together is called a “hen party”… (if you’ve ever wondered!)

Honestly! With everyone talking it sounded just like an agitated hen house!

Very fun.

And that’s what it’s about, isn’t it? Taking time out once a month to relax from child rearing and life, and to make friends and connect with others who are dealing with the same things.

Support and encouragement.

And making new friends.

Take a nap, he always says. And gets annoyed at me for being tired when I don’t.

So, I’ve been giving his way a chance.

For a couple of days it went well; fuelled, no doubt, by a nagging fear that if I’m too wasted going into surgery I just might not wake up when they’re done.

But yesterday the whole napping thing started to fall apart.

I laid my body down, but I couldn’t turn my brain off, and got up having rested my eyes but not having slept.

Miserable.

This afternoon it was the garage phone continually ringing on the other side of bedroom wall. Randall has since said it was someone trying to send a fax… All I know is that it was frustrating and I got up after the third failed attempt at sleep.

Ah, well. That’s life.

What can you do?

Keep plugging away and try to not be too grumpy about it, I guess.

My “procedure” is booked for March 22.

(don’t you think “procedure” sounds much less stressful than “major abdominal surgery requiring you to refrain from doing anything for the following six weeks”?)

They’ll let me know the time when it gets closer to the day.

I should be good to go again in about 10 weeks.

I got the call yesterday, but having missed it, finally caught up with the O.R. booking agent today.

First pre-op blood work is done, I’ve an appointment with the Anaesthetist  next Tuesday, followed by the  pre-op clinic & second blood work  the week before the “procedure” in March.

And then

IT.

Still just over 4 weeks of anticipatory nerves, but I’m pretty sure they’ll go fast.

And I’ll be just finished the clay class, so surgery and recovery won’t mess with that, AND I should be ready to face the world again- well, drive and carry suitcases, by the end of April in time for the Annual Conference in Calgary. AND this won’t interfere with travel plans for my Nephew’s wedding in Victoria, so I can go ahead and look for a cheap flight for that.

It’s a relief to have a date.

Even if it involves intravenous tubing and sedation instead of dinner and a movie.

On, that is.

The sewer warning light, that is.

And Randall is conveniently in Calgary until tonight.

At least I saw it, in spite of the daylight.

At least I saw it after I’d finished the laundry.

(Someone’s coming to look at it… I keep telling him he has a crappy job…)

The Husband is away for the night, and I’m very nearly in bed… and it’s just past 10:30…

My more normal pattern is to be puttering around until well past midnight.

I think last night’s escapades has something to do with it.

Well, I couldn’t very well abandon them to the …shall we say “elements”?…

They unplugged the sewer hose, I cheered.

And made them hot chocolate to warm up.

And got their work wear washed & in the dryer for morning.

No excitement tonight.

Or… should I say “excrement”…?

Thank the Lord.