you've heard of hockey moms, well here we have ...

...baby chick moms.

true story. fighting, pushing, shoving, cussing, complaining to the manager. all in an effort to get their child another turn holding the baby chicks. it doesn't matter about rules apparently. only one turn per child is what the rule states. but these parents all think their child is a star and deserves a second turn, even though there is a mile- long -line- up out the door anxiously awaiting to see the baby chicks. this brings up another thought. have we been so affected by "urban sprawl" that we have to rely on a visit to a country store in order to see rural animals?

(sadly, the answer is yes. more and more farms are being sold to developers -or farmers are being forced off their land in order for more highways to be built- who in turn cut down the forests, bulldoze the farms and build big box stores and poorly made homes on prime farming land. we have confused wildlife and a confused eco-system here in southern ontario. but i digress as this was not the point of my blog!)

my friend's daughter, Halle, works at this country store and is one of the "chick" workers. unfortunately, she is also one of the recipients of some of the nasty behaviour of these "baby chick moms." she is a hard worker and is absolutely lovely. she is friendly and polite and is now going crazy because of these crazy moms. thankfully she continues to put into practice the number one rule of customer service, "the customer is always right!" She even continues to smile amidst the verbal abuse bestowed upon her each shift.

my mom and I decided to pay her a visit in order to offer our support. and I must confess, I wanted to see the baby chicks too. oh yes, and I was hoping to see one of those feisty "baby chick moms!"








no such luck. it turned out my mom and I were the only ones visiting the chicks at this time of day. good thing because I may have had a few choice words to say to them. I would have been polite! I have to defend my sweet Halle, who is like a daughter to me. we did enjoy holding the baby chicks ( actually isn't the term" baby chicks" an oxymoron? oh well, I am not going to go back and change a thing)!

lesson learned: beware of the crazy "baby chick moms" out there!

Canada in Crisis Part 2

Our Governor General met with our Prime Minister today and agreed to suspend Parliament until January. You can read the story here.

CANADA IN CRISIS

Our newly elected minority government is on the brink of being overturned. The opposition parties, including Bloc Quebecois ( the party that wants to SEPARATE from the rest of Canada), have formed a coalition and would run the country together should the Conservatives be overturned. The reason for this potential abolishment ( Is that a word..it is now!): the new Conservative budget wants to cut back on the federal funding given to the political parties. It makes sense to me during this time of recession. We all need to make some sacrifices.

So, our Prime Minister addressed the nation tonight. Here is what he said in his less-than- 5-minute speech. My bloggy friend over at Awareness has written some great posts about this whole situation.

I am sighing right now as I write this post. I don't normally swear ( well, I must confess, except in my car when I have road rage...but my road rage "potty mouth" has improved immensely since I switched from standard to automatic!!). However, it is fitting in light of what is about to take place here in Canada. For some of my friends that read this, please don't be offended or shocked by what I'm about to say, but I need to say it... We are fucked.

I have been praying ( ironic I know:) ) about the state of our country and those leading, but almost feel it is pointless. Yet deep down I know God hears our prayers and does care. He is sovereign and asks us to pray for our leaders in government. So may these men and women leading our great country make the right decision for the people not for their own agenda.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea...God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall...The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress....He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth...

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth...The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." ( Psalm 46)

Lord hear our prayer.

Balls, blurriness,the Prime Minister and poverty

Have you ever wondered how the mind of a person with autism works?


I do. As I daily interact with students who have autism, I am in awe and fascinated by their incredible minds. Sure, they may not respond in the way we want them to or expect them to. However, I am learning they have much to teach us. I think their brain may look like this blurred picture as they function day to day. ( By the way, that is my little plug for this week's Thematic Photographic over at Carmi's blog!) Yet, there is a clarity that makes sense to them. We just have to tap into their colourful ways and learn how to communicate with each other that may require us to "think outside the box."
And,

that may require us to have a great deal of patience and a broad sense of humour. Take for example yesterday... I was assigned to work in the special ed class for the afternoon as the regular EA was at the Track and Field competition. My assignment was "P", the boy that used to say the "F" word every few minutes and the one that used it creatively in unexpected places! (Here he is...the infamous "P", enjoying the Terry Fox Run in September at our school.)

The students were sitting quietly , believe it or not, in a circle listening to a story. My job was to keep an eye on "P." All of a sudden, "P" reached over to the boy beside him and looked as though he was about to grab this boy's private area. Immediately, I gave "P" the glare! In my mind I was thinking "surely he isn't about to do what I think he is going to do...surely this is all innocent...surely he has no idea ..."

Always trust your gut! "P" actually stopped what he was doing, looked me in the eye, gave me a coy smile and said, "No breaking balls."

Oh my goodness, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing and saying!! I was cracking up inside! He is hilarious but totally inappropriate! I do have to give him credit for correcting himself. This was "P"'s way of communicating to me that he knows he was inappropriate. He immediately turned around and continued to listen to the story!

His world isn't a blur is it?:) As you see, a sense of humour is a requirement in this job!

On Tuesday October 14, 2008, Stephen Harper was re-elected as our Prime Minister of Canada. I exercised my right to vote, however only 51% of Canadians turned out to vote. I hope our leaders on Parliament Hill will stand up and take notice as to why only 51% of our population voted - the lowest turnout in years. We still have a minority government. Harper's Conservatives were only 12 seats short of forming a majority government. What a waste of taxpayers money. This election was not necessary. ( For those of you not familiar with Canadian government...The Prime Minister can make the choice to call an election before his term is up...a political move to try to get a majority government so his government can pass more bills, etc. ) Well, we will see what will transpire in the next few years. Here's to hoping the Conservatives will make a difference.

Today many bloggers around the world are raising awareness for the issue of poverty that is affecting all our societies. It is time we took part in the solution, whatever that may be. My bloggy friend at Awareness has written a powerful piece about how poverty affects her world. Read her story here. Another good read is here.

I wrote about poverty affecting my hometown here.

I have so many thoughts about this issue. I feel as Christians we should be taking more of a stand. The church is not doing enough. Jesus strongly urges us to help the poor, orphans and widows. ( You can read the many passages in the Bible that address poverty, such as Luke 12:33, Luke 18:22, Luke 21, John 12:5, Acts 9:36, Acts 10:5, James 2:2, etc.)

I need to be doing my part as well. I will pray that God will show me how and I pray I will have the courage to get out of my comfort zone and make a difference. I am challenged by the verses that tell us to "sell our possessions and give to the poor." I wonder what would happen if we all lived by that philosophy.

My parents recently attended a "Newfie dinner" (corned beef, cabbage, dumplings, drawn butter, boiled potatoes, carrots and turnip) at the Salvation Army in Peterborough. What my parents didn't realize was it was a fundraiser for a family in this congregation who was in dire financial need due to terminal illness affecting the father. This small congregation raised over $6000 to help this family. They were deeply moved by the generosity of everyone. My parents and I were touched as well. This small act of self sacrifice is one way we can live out the message of Jesus. It is one way we can share Jesus to our world.

What can you do in your world to help the poor?

(Downtown Oshawa, Ontario, July 2008)


Together, armed with compassion, let us "make poverty history!"

"When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

Economic Uncertainity and God

UPDATED ...

Fear has gripped me tightly, trying to intertwine its way into the deep crevices of my being.

Economic uncertainty is the talk of the town as of late and is the culprit contributing to my fears. Never before have I been so worried about my future. Sadly, there is no sense of job security anymore in my generation. I realize I am now at an age where it would be difficult to find a job if I lose the one I have now. This scares me, especially as a single person. It would be nice to have a partner to share the financial burden with!

I haven't heard rumblings yet of layoffs in my place of employment but you just never know. Tonight at choir practice, a choir member shared how many of her co-workers at a prominent Canadian bank today were told, without warning, they were no longer needed as their jobs were being outsourced tomorrow. I don't think I'm as prepared as I should be if something like that should happen to me tomorrow.

I am not the best visionary. I am one that lives life to the fullest daily - well most days!! It's like I forget there is a tomorrow! I have made some good financial steps but is it enough? Could I lose it all? Should I have a plan B just in case I should lose my job? What would that plan B be? The economic situation in the US IS affecting us here in Canada. Our Prime Minister doesn't seem too worried and doesn't think we will hit a recession. Our Canadian economists disagree. These are uncertain times.

Not only am I NOT the best visionary, I don't seem to have the best memory lately. How could I forget that God is IN CONTROL. How could I forget that in these uncertain, constantly changing times, God NEVER CHANGES. How could I forget that God is OUR PROVIDER. How could I forget to trust Him.

I am a witness to His provision. I am a witness to His faithfulness.

How could I forget to allow Him to take care of this fear trying to suffocate me.

Tonight at choir, I was thankful for our Director's words of encouragement which reminded me once again to remember... GOD NEVER CHANGES. GOD IS OUR PROVIDER. TRUST HIM. REST IN HIM. STOP WORRYING.

When I came home, I pulled out my Bible and found comfort in the Psalms...

" Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall...I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed...I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me. God sends his love and his faithfulness...his faithfulness reaches to the skies...O my Strangth, you O God are my fortress, my loving God. God will go before me...God is our refuge and strength, our shield and protector...my refuge in times of trouble."

Then I was led to this passage in Matthew 6,

" Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? ...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...So, do no worry, saying, 'what shall we eat? or what shall we drink? or what shall we wear? ' People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about iself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ( both from the NIV, and The Message translations)

No need to fear! God is in control, even when life seems hopeless, uncertain, and doesn't seem to make sense. I will cling to these truths.

It's late and I need to get to bed. I feel I am not making any sense right now. (and no I have not been drinking!) Maybe I will edit this post tomorrow. I need my beauty rest as I have another opportunity to be spontaneous. My TIFF buddy San called me just now wondering if I want to go to the Alanis Morrisette concert tomorrow night at Massey Hall in Toronto. Her sis-in-law cancelled so she has an extra ticket. Ya'll know me by now that I'm always up for an adventure! So it will be another late night tomorrow but soooo worth it. It's our Thanksgiving long weekend coming up so I can catch up on my needed sleep then! I will try to take some pics at the concert and post them here soon! My internet has been going wanky too so haven't been able to blog as much as I want. Good night one and all!

Still...Who will be our next Prime Minister of Canada?

I am still undecided and frustrated. I have no idea who I will vote for on October 14. I am still not impressed by any of our four major political leaders and their platforms. I wish we could pick and choose. Our great(said with a touch of sarcasm) debate involving the four major political parties occured the same night as the US vice presidential debate. I was bored and was soooo tempted to flip channels to hear our US counterparts hash it out. But, I resisted the temptation as I wanted to support our candidates. Yesterday, the day after the debate, I was reading the news on the BBC (UK) and there was no mention of our Canadian debate, even though we are part of the Commonwealth. Of course the US debate was covered. I'm not sure if you remember a few weeks ago I mentioned on my blog our elections have to be one of the quietest campaigns around. Not even our leader in the Commonwealth deems it important to even mention on their news channels.

Our local paper has been interviewing our local candidates discussing the key issues during this campaign. This morning as I read their plan for the economy, I was mortified. Only the Conservative candidate shared his specific plan, which didn't sound great. The rest had nothing to say except criticism for the other party platforms. I am finding this to be a tough election. On Monday, our school is hosting the local Liberal candidate so we will see what he has to say.

Enough politics for today. I am off to shop in the great city of Toronto - a cure for my frustration:)

Who will be our next Prime Minister of Canada? (My first political rant on my blog)

Just like our friends to the south of us, (I tried to be creative using the red, white and blue of their flag, so the words you can't see say "to the"!!) we are having ourselves an election here in Canada. October 14, 2008 is our big day. I just received my election card in the mail today. I have no idea who I will vote for so I need to do some careful research-and do it quickly I might add. Our Prime Minister didn't give us much time unlike our US neighbours who have been campaigning for over a year! ( Our Prime Minister just called the election on my birthday!) I am disillusioned with all the party leaders yet do want to make an informed vote this Federal Election. Canadian elections have to be one of the quietest election campaigns in the entire world - really we are pretty apathetic as a whole nation.

Don't worry, I am pointing the finger at myself as well.

I heard this GREAT analogy today from the teacher in the grade 3 class where I work in the mornings. She wisely cautioned her students to stop "pointing their fingers" at fellow students for mistakes made before taking a good look at their own life. Using her pointed hand as a prop, she showed the students that for every pointed finger there are 3 others facing back towards YOU. A compelling visual reminder of how we should treat our fellow human beings. Thanks Dar!

Immediately, I thought about the story in the Bible of the adulterous woman who was brought before the temple courts where Jesus was teaching. The leaders ( teachers of the Law) wanted her stoned according to the Law and taunted Jesus to see his reaction. His response was this, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Low and behold, no one threw a stone at her! In fact, they retreated and left the temple. Jesus then spoke to the woman and asked, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She replied, "No one sir." He then declared, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."
(John 8)

Great wisdom admidst the political turmoil of His day.

Yet I digress. Back to the point of my post...

I have always seemed to take a "haphazzard" approach to politics. One of the many reasons being these questions that have plagued my mind:
Does my vote even matter- really matter? Is my voice even heard? Are any politicians making a difference in running our country? We never seem to be happy with any government in power? We always seem to find fault with every Prime Minister?

Other reasons for my apathy? Stripped bare...Fear. Fear of not clearly understanding the issues, fear that my decision could be wrong and alter the course of history, ( okay, so I'm a bit dramatic here!!) fear that our country will end up in a greater mess than when it all began on July 1, 1867. Fear that ends in surrender.

NOW, I am determined to turn my apathy into educated interest.

After all, my female Canadian forefathers sacrificed a great deal so I could have the right to vote TODAY. I can't give up. I can't let fear prevent me from taking a stand for what I believe in and ensuring the safety of these beliefs. My vote DOES matter and DOES make a difference. I just need to make certain I know what I believe and what each party/leader believes.

A friend of mine recently sent me an email full of great questions to ponder in helping me to assess these beliefs:

*Should corporations serve people or vice versa?
*Should Canadian politicians work to protect and strengthen the Canadian economy first or grow the global economy first?
*Do you agree with Trudeau's quote, "The government has no business in the bedrooms of the nation?"
*Should tackling environmental problems aggressively and intelligently be a big part of our politics?
*Are women, GLBT's and minorities deserving of equal rights and equal pay with everyone else?
*Would you agree that the best economic policies help protect the poor and grow and protect the middle class?

In addition, there are other issues close to my heart, such as the future of the education system and its affects on our children.

I have alot of homework to do so I better sign off and get busy!

On October 14, 2008, I will stand my ground and boldly make the best decision for the future welfare of our country.

It was no coincidence that I read the following article in The Toronto Star today after work - I know, I know, I am 2 days behind in my newspaper reading, but hey, at least I am reading!!!



Do you speak English? Prove it

Ottawa's 'embarrassing' language test angers immigration lawyers

by Nicholas Keung

Saturday May 2, 2008



All immigrants applying to come to Canada as skilled workers-even those who grew up speaking English or French-could soon be required to take a mandatory language test to prove proficiency in one of Canada's official languages, the Star has learned.



Until now, English-and French-speaking applicants-including immigrants from the U.S. and England- could bypass the test by submitting a letter testifying to their language skills............

( you can read the rest of the article at: thestar.com )



I am in support of ensuring new immigrants in our country are able to work in their qualified profession. After all, most Canadians are immigrants from other countries, including my ancestors who came from Northern Ireland. But I do agree with the implications Ottawa is making in this new mandatory language test. And really, how can a letter testify to their language skills? Doesn't it make sense to HEAR them speak? For certain professions, I feel new immigrants need to be able to speak English well. Which brings me to why I highlighted this article in the paper. For example, the teaching profession.....



Today in my grade 8 class, there was a substitute teacher. This teacher's first language was NOT English and he was barely understandable. You can just imagine how the behaviour of these grade 8 students played out. Yes, it was mayhem. No control. I tried to find my "quiet place" in the midst of the storm, as did "C", but soon opted for taking "C" and myself out of the class to find a quieter work environment! This substitute teacher is not the first we have had in our school whose proficiency in spoken English is not up to standard. It does make a huge difference in the classroom. I can attest to it first hand! I am not being racist here at all. I am being practical. I am in support of this new language test.

Disclaimer: This post is my opinion- and only part of my opinion on the subject- and not meant to offend anyone at all.