skating with the chings

So, last night was a fun skate party with the Chings. Back to our house after for a rowdy round of our new game. Lots of hot chocolate, tea, chinese buns, and cake. Who could ask for more?

sunday school show

These wild boys make class interesting.

Me, with some of my sunday school class on the day we did a little Christmas presentation. Joseph (where's mary?? well, er... never mind)
We'll miss you when you move to Cameroon!

Ode to Kristin and Val

Thanks for 9 1/2 years of sandbox fun. (and for the great gifts.)

It's December, yet we've had more rain than snow. Feels like England. So here is a reminder of what it's like to have a white world once again.


The Snow

It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.

It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain,
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.

It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil

On stump and stack and stem,--
The summer's empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen,--
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.

Emily Dickinson

White Bison

The majestic white bison, lord of the plains.

my first american turkey

Heather, my dad and I drove to Minnesota for thanksgiving the other week. Here are some pics from the trip. (my only requirements were picking up hot chocolate from Target, and getting some delicious Wisconsin cheese).

walking off the pumpkin pie...

Janelle is the "trains" queen. She and Heather cleaned up during that game.

umm.. delicious Christmas cookies. we had fun decorating with the cousins.

All hail the cavity king. Mark and Janelle loved the sprinkles. Too much? Never!

In Minneapolis for the Holidazzle Christmas parade.

Black Friday... and heather and i were at the stores by 6 am to get all the great deals. It was all stuff we needed, really. (actually, i'm a little embarrassed by this picture)

moo

I was checking out the blog of an old camp friend, Mark, who is in Indonesia right now. I got so excited when I saw this pic, I just had to steal it. This is pretty much the best ice cream shop in Ontario. It has a huge cow on the roof. (Hey, CHiPs, remember stopping here on the way home from the canoe trips…good times) Mark, it looks like you're having an adventure and a half over there!

how to's of lolly-gagging

I’m up late tonight working on my teacher’s college applications. I have known about them for a looong time and I half hoped it would be different this time, but of course, I have left things to the very end. You think after all those sleepless nights I’d have learned to be all those scary words like diligent, proactive, organized, industrious… But no, instead I have perfected the art of procrastination. For those of you who have never felt the 4 am buzz from brain-overwork and sleepiness, here are my best tricks.


PROCRATINATION 101

During the month/week/day before the due date:
-Read books, lots of them. Preferably ones that don’t teach you anything. Or, if you’re not a book person, watch low-budget movies and full house reruns. It’s amazing how entertaining they are.

-Sleep, because you know you won’t get to sleep later.

To do once you’ve decided you Must start working:

-Clean your room, or do some other dull task that now holds untold appeal.

-Email that person you’ve been avoiding for the last 3 years.

-Creating a killer play list. After all, it’ll help you to study.

-Keep a glass of water handy. Whenever you struggle for words, or need a distraction take a sip. When the glass is empty you get to take a trip to the kitchen. Bonus breaks to use the washroom. It’s amazing how much water I drink when writing an essay.

-Eat sunflower seeds. They take so stinkin’ long to eat, plus it’ll make you thirsty (see last point).

-Complain to anyone still awake about how stupid you were for leaving everything to the last minute.

-www.popcap.com beat your high score.

-Keep a candle burning nearby. Candle wax is so entertaining. (And for those non-procrastinators, you may not realize how riveting it is to watch a candle burn).

-Bang your head against a wall. Or throw something. It helps the creative process.

-Post on your blog.


HAPPY DAWDLING!

Note: I am proud to say that this time i demonstrated restraint. I only thought about what I’d write in this post but didn’t post it till after I was finished my assignment. Amazing. And I’ll actually get sleep tonight. Wow.