Tonight the foundations of this year's Lobe Snow Fort were laid, despite the snow's complete un-stickiness and our excessive hysteria over pouring water on our shoes and wearing silly clothes. Thus far, the major features of our lair include a table made out of a tree stump, short walls, an entrance, and a pretty radtacular floor. Previous forts have included windows, bench seats, and storage holes in the walls à la Fred Penner, so hopefully we'll get to incorporate some other architectural delights into the space as winter progresses. One of the very best things about having a fort in your lawn is that the floor makes a great spot to lie down on and observe the stars from, and it was fun to reminisce with Jess about star-gazing nights of the past. We've got our fingers crossed for more snow, since our main priority at this point in building is increasing the height and width of the walls. Snow adventures were followed by hot chocolate and a French movie with Mamushka and Diddy about a tax lawyer who poses as a psychiatrist (I napped through the latter moments of the film; building a fort is good hard work). That's really all I've got to say; I'm just excited by the prospect of improving our fort and spying on passersby.
P.S. Jess is seriously all I could ask for in a friend and sister. I love her oh-so very much.
P.P.S. I've found a new studying spot on campus, and it's superly duperly awesome. My dad used to take Jess and I there when we were really young, but I hadn't been there in ages, and I"m thrilled to have rediscovered it. It has all the essentials of a studying nook: a large window with a good view of campus, plenty of incoming sunlight, a comfortable seat, enough table space to study on, a healthy amount of peace and quiet, and enough room to bring friends along when desired.
I know for a fact that the people who check this blog once in a blue moon have awfully pretty faces, and I'm writing to offer you an opportunity to give that pretty face of yours some more exposure! I'm supposed to make a follow-up video to the awesome Mustard Seed event last weekend, and I'd love to interview you about your experience and what you got out of it. Optimistically, I'd like to get the footage mostly this weekend, so if there was a bit of time that you could set aside to give me a blurb about your time at the Mustard Seed, I'd appreciate it very much. I promise that appearing before Einstein the video camera will not take your soul away, and as the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity. Please give me a shout if you'd like to say a few words; otherwise I'll have to pester all you C&Cers into appearing on camera! In other church-related news, our Christmas choir is singing our first song this weekend in the first two services on Sunday. I'm immensely excited, especially because we're singing our favourite piece this Sunday, and my mom will be joining us on the piano with her accompanying "orchestra." Plus, I'm wearing a skirt to church to dress up for the occasion, and skirts are kind of fantastic. My final revelation to impart to you is that my feet are seemingly frostbitten after walking to ABC Head Start today. The kids still made the frostbite worth it, though. Children are the greatest.
I love this ad. It makes me want to be the person who speaks up when it's akward, or does something that seems a bit strange and against the norm, just because it's the right or important thing to do. Computers really are superficial things, and approaching computers in an unconventional way isn't super revolutionary, but my love of Apples is often frowned upon by PC users. Especially people from church seem to strongly dislike Macs, as was indicated on our C&C forum today. Here was my feeble defence of my favourite computers of all... Anyone who is anti-Apple deserves their prosaic PCs with their hideousness, tendency to crash, and useless software. I am blessed to have grown up in an Apple family with Frank the Mac, Gandalf the iMac, Gimli the iBook, Arwen the MacBook, and Gazelda the eMac. Because of my wonderful heritage with Mac computers, I have evaded struggles with technology througout my lifetime, and have an unbreakable bond with my computers; my very first computer could not be parted with, so he sits in my closet. Macs are so wonderful and animated that they become a friend in a certain sense, and most users have a strong love for their computer. I know dozens of PC users who long to get a Mac, and more than a dozen converts from the awful PCs. Conversely, I have never in my life met a Mac user who wanted a PC, and have never heard of an Apple user who switched over to the PC world. In fact, Microsoft's rebuttal to Apple's "Switch to Mac" ad campaign was to have actors pretend that they had converted to PCs using the names of dead people. This is no joke. Is it a coincidence that Macs are so loved, even by people who don't use them? I think not.
Although my dad is really the Apple expert in our household, I can try to impart to all you Apple-ignorant folk the wonders of using a Mac. First off, Macs are simply easier to use. Everything is laid out in a highly logical manner, and the graphics and software are not only beautiful, but exceptionally lifelike. Because Apples are so well-designed, they are incredibly user friendly. My grandma learned how to use a computer in a single day at the tender age of 75 using my grandpa's new iMac; hitherto she had been unable learn how to use a PC. My dad convinced his school to get all Apple computers a few years ago, and the kids love how fun and accessible they are. Additionally, Macs do not crash. They never get viruses. Once they're plugged into an outlet, they're ready to go. They are faster than PCs. How can you beat that? Quite simply, you can't beat that, and Apple fans suffer far much stress due to computer issues and annoyances. My family has converted more than 15 families to Apples since I was born, and these switchers invariably notice the absence of hassles and struggles on their new computers. No longer must ctr+alt+del be used, and gone are the days of hesitating to trust e-mails due to the fear of viruses. Once a Mac is taken out of the box, given a power source, and turned on, life is markedly improved.
It's undeniable that Macs are gorgeous. When Bono described iPods as the sexiest thing since the electric guitar, he meant it. Apple products are carefully designed with both form and function in mind, which explains why Microsoft reliably copies Mac ideas. Mircosoft just now joined the Aqua bandwagon, while Apple has already moved onto a more progressive aesthetic. Why do almost all professional artists, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, and creative people in general use Macs? Because they appreciate beauty and are looking for a creativity-friendly computer. Apple employs zillions of design-savvy people to ensure the sleekness and prettiness of its hardware, and its operating systems are equally lovely. Macs really are adorable, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, one of which would suit you, I'm certain. And if you really want a right-click mouse, you can totally buy them; Macs can easily be used with right-click mice, it's just that most Apple people don't like right-clicking, and prefer to use the "option" button when necessary. It's a matter of preference, but if for some reason you enjoy having another thing to click, you could have that. Yes it's true that Apple's PR team is awesome, but the attitude of wanting hiring creative and innovative people in PR is also applied to the engineers and designers who make the hardware.
I trust Steve Jobs far more than Bill Gates with my computer and various computer accessories. If any of my friends ever use a Mac as an anchor, I will cry. I really will. I must mention again that I'm unaware of a lot of computer things, and I know that Apples have several mother benefits that I have neglected to bring to your attention. If you still disagree with me, I would direct you to my dad, Apple indoctrinator extraordinaire. He has a much firmer grasp on alpha lock chips and RF modulators than I. (A friend responds with a reaction to my pro-Apple propoganda... Imagine arguments based on efficiency, children's opinions being insignificant, and a devaluation of objects' beauty. Typical PC.) I'm pretty sure that the naming of computers isn't unique to Mac users (a lot of people enjoy christening their PCs too), and I kind of enjoy naming things in general. It's rather fun! Apple users aren't quite members of a cult... A cult is defined by religious beliefs and a high degree of tension with the surrounding society combined with novel religious ideas. You could certainly say that Apple has a cult-like following, but many good things have so-called "cult-like followings," and Mac users are not pressured, manipulated with fear tactics, or brainwashed.
I know the comment about my grandma was a joke, and I suppose it is true that you could teach a chimp to use a computer, though it couldn't quite use spell-check or create computer programs. My grandma truly is exceptionally talented! She had the highest marks in the Faculty of Arts in university, and is a highly resourceful and intelligent person. She just doesn't find using a PC to be worthwhile because saving files into strange things called "My Computer" and having to avoid viruses is taxing at times. There really isn't anything infuriating about Macs! I'm not how using them would cause anger since they're much less counter-intuitive than PCs usually are. But maybe I'm so habituated to Apples that I just don't notice irritating things. Also, Macs really never crash; certain programs might freeze, but that program can be quit, and the computer doesn't have to be restarted. Maybe on extremely rare occasions the computer might fail somehow, but a computer honestly hasn't crashed in my house since Tiger came out. Not even once. My uncle got an iMac a year ago, and has completely avoided all crashes, viruses, and disappearing files since then. Prior to that, he got viruses on a regular basis, struggled with files being deleted, and was frequently aggravated by his computer crashing. I don't really think that these things were happening because he was too inept to use his computer.
As for viruses, it's true that part of the reason that Macs aren't targeted is because there are simply less Mac users to victimize. But another limiting factor is that Macs have a secure Unix base. This means that whenever the computer wants to do something suspicious, the user is warned in advance, and they can stop any damage from happening. So I suppose a virus could work if people agreed to let the virus do damage, but most would likely stop something strange happening to their Mac. My dad explains this much better. I really kind of like children, and tend to enjoy a great deal of the things that they like! Thus, I think it's neat that they too appreciate all that is fun, cool, and pretty in Macs, even though they might, like me, not quite understand everything about the computer that they're using. I think that they're opinion is pretty much as valid as anyone else's. although admittedly most Apple fans are adults. But we are all, I see, wayward children in error. As for this right-click business, as aforementioned, you can get a right-click mouse if you'd like! I find them to be a nuisance, but I know several Mac users who use them, and they work exactly as they do on a PC. So if you're aiming for efficiency, that can certainly be achieved with a Mac as well.
Just like children, Macs are really cute! They're rotund, shiny, and interesting. I don't want to say that someone's visual taste is superior to someone else's, because that would amount to complete snobbery. But it is true that people who make a living in the visual arts prefer Apple computers. I personally find Macs really beautiful, and I tend to appreciate a certain aesthetic a lot, and it's one reason why I enjoy these computers so much. I am kind of picky about things that furnish my bedroom, so I'll admit that whether my computer fits in with the rest of my furnishings or not is important to me. I've never in 20 years of life on this planet seen a PC that looked better than a Mac. Plus, Apple computers take up way less space than most PCs do. My dad truly isn't a cult enforcer! I was using hyperbole when characterizing him as an indoctrinator; he's only used violence and deceit a few times when discussing Apples with PC users (that too was sarcasm...). He's quite soft spoken and mild-mannered, but he enjoys using Macs for computer programming, video editing, word processing, and other day to day tasks involved in the to-do list of a computer teacher. Maybe it seems like Mac users are condescending when we defend our Apples so vehemently, but it's just that PC users really do miss out on a lot just because Macs aren't totally mainstream and widely accepted.
I also don't know of any non-game programs that can't be run on a Mac. Like, at all. Most everything comes in a Mac version! As for games, if you really enjoy them, it's extremely simple to partition the computer with a gross Windows side for games etcetera. My cousins have done this, and it works very well, and they've yet to run out of space on either of the partitioned sides. So to reduce stress levels and improve performance in brain surgery, a Mac could certainly be used for games. The only thing I will categorically, without a doubt, totally disagree with you on is the thought that PCs are better for home-editing of photos, videos, and music. This is so insanely untrue! My family has recorded entire songs using a simple program on Garage Band, which any amateur music editor will admit is far superior to any such software available for PCs as well. As well, iPhoto and other Apple home-editing programs are noted as much easier to use, and more useful, in photo editing, just as Final Cut Pro and iMovie are regarded as superior to any PC software for video editing. I believe a few members of the AV Club at church would argue this better than I.
It's really quite easy to communicate between Macs and PCs, though I'm probably not the best person to explain how to integrate the two breeds of computer. But many businesses do this quite seamlessly! As for fiddling around with the inside of the computer, I know that various family members have done this, it's just less people would want to modify their Macs. Not sure precisely how this is done, and I'm sure you know more about that Matt (that rhymed!). But you definitely could change your Mac, especially with the tower Apples where the computer's designed to be change-friendly. Finally, kids are so not stupid! Their propensity for creativity, inadvertent humour, and clever insight repeatedly amazes me. They might think differently from those more advanced in years, and may be at a different place cognitively, but they certainly have valuable and interesting thoughts. Children are some of my favourite people in the world, if not my very favourite. Any further qualms with my love of Apple and Steve Jobs can be directed towards my comments section. I'm rather passionate about computers, and will likely respond with some attempt at a reasonable response. After all, once an Apple user, always an Apple user! (In an un-cult-like way, of course.)
Apple's Reasons to Switch to a Mac
It just works. How much time have you spent troubleshooting your PC? Imagine a computer designed by people who hate to waste time as much as you do. Where all the hardware and software just works, and works well together. Get a Mac and get your life back.
You can make amazing stuff. Every Mac comes with iLife ’06, a suite of software that transforms your photos, music, and video into all kinds of projects. Make high-quality websites, photo books, DVDs, songs, slideshows, music CDs, calendars, cards, prints, podcasts, music videos, documentaries, and more.
Design that turns heads. You won’t want to hide your Mac in a corner of the den. You’ll want it front and center in your life. The Apple style shows in every detail, from its sculpted surfaces to its gorgeous Mac OS X graphics.
114,000 Viruses? Not on a Mac. Mac OS X was designed with security in mind. Windows just wasn’t built to bear the onslaught of attacks it suffers every day. A Mac offers a built-in firewall, doesn’t advertise its existence on the Net, and isn’t compromised within an hour of being turned on.
Next year’s OS today. Since Mac OS X engineers aren’t busy damming a flood of viruses, they have the time to think up amazing new technology. Like Dashboard widgets, mini-applications offering a world of capabilities just a keystroke away. Or a built-in RSS news reader.
The latest Intel chips. Intel Core Duo processors put you on the cutting edge. In fact, a Mac with an Intel chip is so fast it surprises even longtime Windows pundits, who keep running benchmarks again and again. Results? Fast. Fast. Yup, still fast.
Instant video chats. Setting up a video chat with the people next door — or across the globe — should be as simple as picking up the phone. On a Mac, you just click an icon to have a four-way video chat in a full-screen window with amazing clarity and special effects.
More fun with photos. On a Mac, you don’t need any extra software to make a photo book. You don’t have to leave your photo software to visit a separate website and wait for forms to load. All you need is a camera and a Mac.
One-click websites. How long does it take to post a photo or video to your blog on a PC? On a Mac, you can shoot a picture or a movie with the built-in camera, then post it on the web in a few clicks. Pontificate, preachify, and publish. The hardest part is coming up with something to say.
Amazing podcasts. Want to get your message out to the world? Podcast it. A Mac makes it simple to create professional podcasts, complete with artwork. Add sound effects and jingles, even use the built-in radio engineer to make it perfect. So you can be a talk star in seconds.
Rock star tunemaking. Musicians get all the girls (or guys). And a Mac has the software to turn you into the musician of your dreams. Choose from hundreds of cool riffs and instruments to create your own songs. Get good enough and you could be on iTunes.
Hollywood-style movies. Connect your DV camera and turn your movies into spectaculars. Add graphics, titles, and sound effects in minutes. Then use your Mac to burn a DVD or post to your website.
No hunting for drivers. Just plug in your stuff. A Mac includes USB drivers for mass storage, digital cameras, input devices, iPod, and more. It can see Bluetooth cell phones and headsets, as well as FireWire cameras. No rebooting.
Awesome out of the box. Other computers include software, it’s true. But once you start using that software, you find that you’re hobbled in some way or another. Software included with the Mac, on the other hand, is critically acclaimed as best in class.
This photo was taken in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, one of my very favourite places in the city. It is largely regarded by artists as the premiere display of modern art on the face of the planet, and features the greatest artists in the world. Here are three Apple products in a one-room exhibit on modern design. There were no PCs in the exhibit at all. I know this is art snobbery, but you can't deny that Macs are not just cute, they're gorgeous. They're art.
I fell prey to a mild bout of food poisoning tonight, and while Crystal is skeptical of my ailment, I really do feel slightly delirious at the moment. And yes, I've been sick tonight. Jess is now in bed, and I've read enough today, so I'm passing the time by typing. I was chatting with a customer recently who was formerly a court typer, and I discovered that she typed at a speed of 125 wpm, which strikes me as entirely insane. So I'll type my thoughts out as they come, provided that they don't come out at more than 70 wpm. Yesterday I made two very significant discoveries, both of which I shall relate here. First off, while ordering a soup combo from the lovely manager of my favourite Timmy Ho's, it came to my attention that instead of a single donut in a combo, one could receive two cookies instead. Two cookies! A soup, roll, non-Coke beverage, and two whole triple chocolate cookies make for a pretty great meal, all for the very low price of $4.48. While the lineups at Tim Horton's are at times laughably horrid, it's hard to beat such a steal of a deal (especially when there are macadamia nut and triple chocolate cookies to be consumed). I suspect that Crystal was really not a fan of me taking about 15 minutes to get my food yesterday, but it was almost worth her semi-masked grumpiness.
In addition to this marvelous food revelation yesterday, I was introduced to creamy dill ripple chips at my family's Grey Cup party last night. Dill chips are on my top five list of best chip flavours of all, but it would seem that creamy dill may have moved into first place. I took the leftovers home, and promptly finished them last night. I even found out via my super-fab uncle that there are Izzle Pops in this very city! Prior to last night, I believe that I had finished my very last Izzle Pop ever in NYC (you really must all try the many varieties of Izzle Pops). I am so thankful that God created our hundreds of taste buds, and that I am among the 600,000 super-tasters on this planet. Goodness I'm being self-indulgent tonight; I've drawn attention to the fact that I'm feeling under the weather, and have mentioned my superior tasting abilities. I am a pretty super taster though, it's undeniable. (Not a pretty super taster, a pretty-super taster.) I hope you all had a great deal of fun at your Grey Cup parties (I'm assuming you all watched the game, because otherwise it would be a tragedy of epic proportions). I missed the first half due to choir practice, and ended up cheering for the Als with my family in the second half because they were down by so much; our cheering almost allowed them to make a full comeback. It was, as one would predict, an awesome night of sports and giggling with family over a lovely meal. My only qualm is that Cahoon should have been outstanding Canadian player, since McCallum only really stood out because the B.C. offence was unable to finish a lot of their drives. Plus, Ben Cahoon has a pretty excellent smile. Perhaps this will make up for the manure incident in Saskatchewan, though.
Anyways, now that we have my rather meaningless thoughts out of the way, onto things of substance that have been circulating through my mind recently. I'm currently in the middle of deciding whether or not to head off to the Dominican Republic this spring with some fellow C&Cers over reading week for a missions trip. I am terribly conflicted over this decision, since my parents are wary of me spending a pretty large sum of money in the middle of a term where I'm working only twice a week. It is a sizable amount of cash, yes, but I know that it would be such a great experience, and that it would mean a deepening of my relationships with both God and the others in the group. The opportunity to lend a hand in a poverty-stricken country is hard to pass up, and it's likely one of the most convenient times in my life to do something like this. This term I've been toying with sponsoring my own Compassion child, since my family's really loved having our little Juan, but I don't know how feasible it would be for me to sponsor a child now if I need money go away. Not that I couldn't cut back on silly expenses and eating out, but I imagine it would be tricky. I've been back and forth for a week, and I'm still not sure what to do. I suppose that means more prayer then! Also on the topic of getting away from Edmonton is my family's annual Christmas skiing trip. We usually ski only one day downhill and one day cross-country, but it's nearly always one of the highlights of my year. I must inform you that I am one of the worst skiers in the world. I'm exceptionally afraid of crashing into another skier, and as a result, if I feel as though I might hit anyone, I stop and sit on the ground for a moment. Additionally, I dislike feeling out of control, and am usually the last one in the family lineup of skiers. There's something so peaceful and invigorating about the snowy mountains though, and I'm incredibly excited for the trip down to Banff in about a month. This will inevitably mean dinner at Coyote's, walks around town with Starbucks hot chocolates, and plenty of giddy fun. Yay for family skiing trips!
It's always so cool to find good where you didn't expect to find it. Pastor Lyle spoke about Paul yesterday, one of my top 10 Bible characters (it's kind of strange that we call them Bible characters; we don't call people in history books characters). Anyways, I digress; Paul's one of my favourite people in the Bible partly because his journey to Christ is the story of someone who was seemingly helpless to change made such a dramatic transformation. I find hope in the thought that anyone I know could experience this kind of change, no matter how far gone or out of reach they might seem. Paul was acting horrifically towards Christians prior to his conversion, and yet God used him for so many great things after he literally saw the light. Indeed, Lyle mentioned how Saul likely had experienced a feeling of "kicking at the goads," and there seemed to be something in him telling him that there was something more. Sometimes I find it difficult to imagine some people even considering God in their lives, but from Scripture like this I suspect that everyone does have moments where there's a sense that there is this God who they rely on. To some extent, this is why I think the death penalty isn't ours to enforce; who knows if Saddam Hussein could have changed his life around, or if he's contemplated whether Christians were onto something. If Paul made such a massive change, I believe that anyone can, and to basically condemn people when they commit heinous crimes strikes me as tragic.
My devotions led me to 1 Peter today, a letter written by someone who also was used by God despite some bumps along his journey. It would be no small thing to deny Christ three times, but Peter eventually matured into someone who led the church in its early years and was such an encouragement to downtrodden Christians. I find that so hopeful. I think I have to fight any cynicism developing in me as a get older, because there's no reason to be a cynic, and I want to always know the hope of Christ. I was reading through Song of Songs last week, and I was skeptical enough to believe that I wouldn't get as much out of that book as I do out of others. But reading what C.H. Spurgeon, William Reese, and T.S. Eliot wrote about the romance between Christ and the church really brought a new light to the text, and I got so much out of reading that sometimes-amusing love poetry. Yet again, my skepticism was nulled, and it became clearer than I ever that I need to steer clear of cynicism in my life. Yes, I believe that thinking critically is vital to a healthy faith, and that there's so much that I want to change in the world, but without hope I don't have much to strive for.
I’m surprisingly content at the moment. I’ve had a rather busy week, barely finished my poster project that was due today, and I’m exhausted after a long day. But God is good, and I feel blessed to know Him tonight. I tagged along with a group of C&Cers tonight as we served at the Mustard Seed, and while it was anything but an organized affair, it’s such a pleasure to sit down and talk with a group of people who come from such brutal situations, but are so thankful and honest. Some of my most treasured conversations in life have been with homeless people. I once talked with a man on the LRT the entire train line about his alcoholism and blindness, and was struck simultaneously by his heartbreaking life, and his strong sense of curiousity and awe at everything around him. My very favourite Our Voice vendor on Whyte Ave dressed up as Santa Claus one year and handed out Hershey’s kisses to the passersby who had so much more than he. It was such a beautiful image, one that echoed of Jesus’ selfless love; this man gave when it was us who should have been giving to him. One of my best customers at the café is Mike, a wonderful fellow without a home who barely scrapes by. Most days, Mike brings the change that he has begged for into the café and we happily exchange his coins for five-dollar bills. But instead of keeping the leftover change, Mike always contributes it to our tip jar. Here is a man who barely has enough to get a hot dog from 7-11 for lunch, and wears completely destroyed shoes, and yet he loves us girls and cares as much about us as we do for him. Mike has given me so much more than his extra change; he’s given me a picture of true selflessness and immaterialism.
There is so much to learn from the impoverished men and women in our city, and any opportunity to interact with this oft-misunderstood group of people should be cherished. Yes, a lot of people in poverty have issues with drugs. Yes, many homeless people rifle through garbage cans and pester people for money. Yes, many of the poor are in that position because they struggle to hold down jobs or find work. But God never asked us to love people who were drug-free, kept to themselves, and were motivated members of society, and Jesus didn’t qualify his instructions to the rich man to sell all he had and give it away. God just wants us to love, and Jesus just instructed the man to give his belongings away. In a certain way, that’s incredibly empowering. Not to say that giving the boisterous man on the corner of 109th is the solution to poverty, but listening to these people’s stories, sharing the cookie you just got at Subway, or offering some bit of encouragement goes a long way. It’s late, and Jess is away for the weekend, and I’m feeling delirious, but those are the thoughts I felt like getting out at 2:30 AM. On a completely unrelated tangent, I've burned the Christmas CDs and they're now free for the taking. If I've already given you yours, I hope it's getting you into a wintry mood! In conclusion, this makes me happy.
Music I'm Loving
Nouvelle Vague
Kings of Convenience
Mogwai
Ray LaMontagne
As Tall as Lions
Andrew Bird
Jon Brion
anything Christmas-y
Places I'm Loving
Steeps (preferably with friends)
the snow path in Corbett Field
my ABC Head Start classroom (the kids are sooo great)
Mustard Seed
my bed, under the covers
the Psychology entrance to Bio Sci
the rocking chair in the living room by the window
People I'm Missing this Weekend
Jess (having a blast at Camp Caroline)
C&Cers who I'll miss on Saturday
Colleen and Kristin from work
Bethany
P.S. You'd all better be watching the Grey Cup on Sunday. It's a wonderful excuse to eat loads of food, mock Don Matthews, scream loudly, and hang out with friends and family. I'd really wanted to have friends over for a party this year, but choir is practicing at 4:00 this Sunday due to the youth retreat, so the girls of the family will be catching the second half at my auntie and uncle's party. I'm super duper thrilled, especially because I know that the Als are going down. If you think that I scream loudly, you should hear my mom when the team we're cheering for scores a TD; her shrieking is renowned for both its amusing sound and remarkable loudness.
P.P.S. I nearly referred to Don Matthews as Dave Matthews. That's how out of it I am.
Today my parents put our white Christmas lights up on our ornamental crabapple tree. For those of you who live in Edmonton, the result of this decoration is a Whyte Ave tree wannabe; a wonderful, yet simple, ode to the prettiness of snowflakes and city lights. I love how we illuminate various plants at this time of year, whether to signify the Star of Bethlehem, or to liven up the bleak landscape of snowy white. November and December are two of my favourite months. I'm not anywhere near being weary of the cold until January, and the compulsory time spent indoors often results in compulsory time spent with loved ones. I am enamoured with Christmas music; songs that feature hand bells, pertain to Jesus’ birth, explore the hopeful side of humanity, and make pop stars sound actually pleasant make me want to dance and cry simultaneously. Whenever I am deeply saddened by something, I listen to Christmas music. Of course, this is in part because music from this season of our calendar year reminds me of such beautiful memories. Memories of silly presents bestowed upon me for my birthday, and Christmas a week later, images of family laughing heartily, and reminiscence of things God has taught me over the twenty Advent seasons I’ve lived through. I enjoy how our buzzing society slows down for a short while amidst the arctic conditions, allowing for recognition of a momentous occasion. I am encouraged by the fact that I have plentiful opportunities at this time of year to discuss my faith with friends who might not quite understand the magnitude of Jesus’ birth. Choir recitals, A Christmas Carol readings, baking Christmas cookies, Stuart McLean stories, putting radioactive raspberries in my uncle's trifle, listening to The Gift of the Magi at suppertime, drinking real apple cider, seeing rarely seen relatives, wearing layers of sweaters, watching old movies in the basement. These things make my heart brim with joy.
It's difficult to savour this season in the midst of midterms, assignments, and the plethora of other engagements we might find ourselves in. But it's so worth it to take some time out to enjoy the view from your window, or really listen to the sound of shoes crunching through the snow. Just as spring is a time of newness, so too is winter. All the ugliness of road grime and dying grass is submerged in a shroud of snow, and it always feels easier, to me at least, to renew myself in these months. I have complete anonymity when walking outside swathed in scarves and hats, and it feels easier to decide for myself who I want, and am going, to be. Winter months are sometimes months of isolation. Jaunting off to meet someone takes more planning and time, and walks outside are for more solitary. This is healthy, I think. In seclusion, truth is often more evident, or perhaps glaring.
I’m writing a paper right now for Poli Sci, which is incredibly exciting. I love papers beyond belief, but rarely have reason to write them. However, this semester, I actually have an assigned essay, and I’m currently researching it with great excitement. Canadian politics delight me a bit too much I suspect. Also, this past week my dad and my sister have been busy dreaming up ways to use our new robot Gollum which was given to my dad for his birthday. It’s basically a bunch of parts with several sensors (light sensor, colour sensor, ultrasonic sensor, sound sensor, etcetera) and motors that allow it to be a rather sophisticated robot, if you choose to put some time and energy into it. Christmas promises to be a time of much robot trial and error (their current project is teaching Gollum to get to the main floor bathroom from environmental cues). I’m additionally about to purchase some winter shoes, which I have not done in quite some time. Really, the fact that I have gone without the buying of shoes for such an extended period of time truly deserves recognition of some sort. I am only half the shoe-consumer I could be, which isn’t really saying much I suppose. But I am thinking of getting some Campers, especially after being so enchanted by the Camper store in SoHo. To conclude, dear readers, I will remind you that American midterm elections are coming up. And George Bush might have reason to blush come Wednesday morning. My sadistic pleasure in Republican struggles is quite reliable.
Noteworthy Quotes from The Little Prince
"Nothing's perfect," sighed the fox. "My life is monotonous. I hunt chickens; people hunt me. All chickens are just alike, and all men are just alike. So I'm rather bored. But if you tame me, my life will be filled with sunshine. I'll know the sound of footsteps that will be different from all the rest. Other footsteps send me back underground. Yours will call me out of my burrow like music. And then, look! You see the wheat fields over there? I don't eat bread. For me, wheat is no use whatever. Wheat fields say nothing to me. Which is sad. But you have hair the color of gold. So it will be wonderful, once you've tamed me! The wheat, which is golden, will remind me of you. And I'll love the sound of the wind in the wheat..."
"One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."
"For millions of years flowers have been producing thorns. For millions of years sheep have been eating them all the same. And it's not serious, trying to understand why flowers go to such trouble produce thorns that are good for nothing? It's not important, the war between the sheep and the flowers?... Suppose I happen to know a unique flower, one that exists nowhere in the world except on my planet, one that a little sheep can wipe out in a single bite one morning, just like that, even without realizing what he's doing - that isn't important? If someone loves a flower of which just one example exists among all the millions and millions of stars, that's enough to make him happy when he looks at the stars. He tells himself, 'My flower's up there somewhere...' But if the sheep eats the flower, then for him it's as if, suddenly, all the stars went out. And that isn't important?'"
"That is the hardest thing of all. It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself, it's because you're truly a wise man."
Cait's Daily Checklist
read
devos
dance
walk outside
pray to music
eat fruits and veggies
clean thoroughly
do e-mailing nonsense
brush teeth twice
shower
do something sweet for family and friends
drink water and milk
be kind to a stranger
write in notebook
talk to a non-Christian friend about God's goodness
The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms.
I'm a Christian who is rather fond of people. Love is my favourite thing of all, followed closely by sunshine, laughter, friends, and family. I like learning new things, and am continually humbled by how much I still have to learn about life and God and myself. I think that life is enriched by community and an awareness of the beauty in all the little details. While the world can be ugly and unjust and severe, I believe that there's always hope.
To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch... to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
