Calgary Culture 101

So I have decided I am going to give Calgary the chance it deserves.

Like any awkward person you meet, you may have to give them time to bloom out of their closed bud. Perhaps though, in this situation, I am the closed bud.

I am going to experiment with what I call "Calgary Culture 101". This is an independent self study but friends are welcome to join. I am hoping that through this little debacle, new friends will be made.

While lazily thumbing through the Herald at work (you needn't worry, the kids were sleeping) I came across a little insert magazine. Swerve. Check it out: http://swervecalgary.com/

I found that there are indeed lots of things I'd like to do in Calgary and to explore it like I would if I went on a vacation to another city. There are people who come to Calgary (I know, it's hard to believe) to find and seek out it's culture so I should do the same.

So far I've found a really lovely cafe. http://www.tmdish.com/what.html They have really delicious food and you can either stay in or take it out. They have yummy veggie dishes, eclectic cold salads and a chai latte that I will frequent often.

Today I am going to go to a film festival viewing. The film is called "The Waiting City". So though it is scary to venture to the trendy part of town alone, I will go.

I am also going to give a large Church's young adults service a try. It's going to be touch and go but a I'm meeting a friend from work so that eases my pain.

Let me know what you would seek out in a new city

Cheese, Chicken, being a Christian, Suicide and Socks

Hey fellers!

So I have to tell you this no cheese thing is going great except that I keep forgetting pizza has cheese on it. Stupid staff meeting (best mistake ever).

I'm pressing on, however, towards the goal.

Today in the oven I slid a chicken with yams, onions, red peppers, carrots and whole peppercorns (see? no cheese)

I am house sitting for my aunt in her BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL home. I enjoy sliding around in my socks, red wine in the Jacuzzi tub, no one to tell me not to walk around/cook naked (the neighbours might but I can't hear you la la la la la) and most of all a big kitchen where I can cook my heart out.

I love living with my Dimas family but being alone gets me excited about being a home owner in the distant future when I grow up.

In other news, I did my grocery shopping at T n T (Asian) supermarket today. This gets me excited about saving money to travel.

I was taking a suicide prevention course for work today and the market was right next door. The course is very interesting and my mind is reeling a mile a minute about everything we discuss. Being a Christian adds so many dynamics to any topic of discussion.

Speaking of being a Christian... unrelated to my course, a man asked me if I was a Catholic today at the market. I said no, I am a Christian. His response: "just a Christian?"... It was delightful to hear. My reply with a grin on my face "yes, just a Christian". So nice to just be what I am and nothing else. No frills, no fancy, just a Christian. God and I will chat about it later and find ways for me to just be what he's always wanted me to be. "Just" a Christian. So lovely to think about.

Sad news for My NWT loves, I had to unexpectedly cancel my trip at the end of the month. I was looking forward to seeing you all. I'd like to reschedule for sunny summer. Is that okay my lovelies?

Anyways...

Love to you all.

Wish you could enjoy my chicken a la nude.

XOXO

cutting (out) the cheese

I know you came here for a good story. Perhaps a little laugh. Maybe even some inspiration.

You won't find it here today.

Today, I tell you about my cheese.

I love cheese. Cheese of all sorts, shapes and sizes. Little cheese and Big cheese alike. The only cheese I do not like is blue. Because it stinks (pu, in french (sounds like poo with a snobby accent).

I've been eating decently (well...) in general and strutting around the gym 8 days a week and feel like I just need some more results. Ergo I have decided to give up the love of my life for a month.

I'm on day three and have already forgotten pizza has cheese on it (twas a small small piece and one bite in my eyes widened and I thought to myself "whoops, how did this cheese get on here"). You'll be proud to know I picked the queso off and ate the disgruntled crust. fine. It was I who was disgruntled.

I don't take this decision lightly. I remember wedding dress shopping with my best friend listening intently to the dress fitter tell us of how she lost 50 pounds. I said "how did you do it so I can too". She politely asked me "what is your biggest food weakness?". The rest is history.

Anywhosen, there it is folks, the newest news I have to offer.

Oh, and I'm going up North for a visit in a week.

Love to you all.

Meaghan minus cheddar

Groundhog Day

So now that I work at the Cottage I don't have as much time to blog. Nor time to think about what to blog.

The one REALLY great thing about night shift is that I sleep all day, get up to go to the gym and then go to work. I hardly spend a dime on anything including gas.

Next week I'm back to days and coordinating going out in the day light is a little less exhausting both physically and mentally.

Nights are pretty quiet. Some kids get up to pee (others just do it in their beds) or cry for a bottle. It makes days at work seem like a breeze except that my body is confused whether it is day or night right now.

Other than that life is normal here in Calg. I'm just waiting for spring.

Happy Groundhog Day!

So now that I work at the Cottage I don't have as much time to blog. Nor time to think about what to blog.

The one REALLY great thing about night shift is that I sleep all day, get up to go to the gym and then go to work. I hardly spend a dime on anything including gas.

Next week I'm back to days and coordinating going out in the day light is a little less exhausting both physically and mentally.

Nights are pretty quiet. Some kids get up to pee (others just do it in their beds) or cry for a bottle. It makes days at work seem like a breeze except that my body is confused whether it is day or night right now.

Other than that life is normal here in Calg. I'm just waiting for spring.

Happy Groundhog Day!

...get it? Groundhog day ... the movie? ...bah, you're too young...

Being a key-per

Since I was young I have always loved keys. I loved that a key had to fit a lock and a lock had to fit a key. I have key ornaments, old little keys, new big keys, a key charm on my bracelet and a key notebook. The Indian in the cupboard was magic alive not because the toy comes to life but because the key fit the cupboard.

If you are a girl (or a very feminine boy), you may have had one of those diaries that had a lock and came with two keys. This was prize possession of mine.

My mother bought me one as a reward for studying hard for a really big spelling test. She had never persuaded me with gifts before (though my allowance came in the form of Dino sours instead of cash, which in my opinion explains a lot for me) when it came to studying. She was determined to get me to memorize the whole list and if I had learned them perfectly before the test, she would buy me the diary.

The diary came from Wilson's stationary, my favorite store as a kid. I loved looking at the fresh note pads, all the pens, labels and especially the stamps. I'm not sure what it is about office supplies but it seemed exhilarating to me. Don't get me started on till tape calculators with the big pushable buttons. Anyways, I got the diary for studying (though I still remember the grade two test didn't go perfectly as I had misspelled one of the words I had never got wrong studying) but was extremely disappointed the day I found out that...the keys, in their miniature glory, could in fact...open any of those diaries.

Why have a lock and key if the keys can fit any other similar diary out there? My secrets were not safe and I was also disappointed when I found out if you reefed hard enough on the lock it would just pop open...

My intent on posting about keys was never about the diary but I just remembered the pain so I thought I would share.

As I was locking the house behind me today, I felt something I had never felt before.

My key chain was light.

I counted the keys. One, two, three, four. Earlier that morning I gave back two of my keys as I am now done at my other job. four? that's it? I flipped through the ring. Car key, house key, gaggys key (my grandmother) and most pathetically a key to my steering wheel lock I never use.

In Bible College I remember a professor sharing that it is usually the case that if a person has a lot of keys, they also hold a lot of responsibility. I was quite proud then and my key ring was booming with more than a dozen little puzzle pieces looped securely onto solid coiled metal. Church keys, work keys, many peoples house keys, keys to mails boxes and gates. My starter on my car was not safe as I was once scolded.

People when they saw my stash of keys would comment "whoa! you have a lot of keys" or "what are all those for?" Me? I would say casually, "oh just some house keys and work keys. Some of these I don't even know what they are for anymore". Now? pff, measly. It's like my key chain has scurvy.

I wondered this morning if it were true. Do I have less responsibility? Is there a key to importance ratio? (assuming responsibility equals importance). No, I do not work at a Church anymore. I don't live in a city where I know as many people to just freely walk into their houses. I don't have a key for work (though I am working) and no gate is waiting for me to be it's opener.

Maybe in the eyes of fellow peers I don't have much status, especially in any Church community or organization anymore (though none have commented or am I insinuating I am looked down upon in any way). I'm not climbing any corporate ladder or gaining social status but responsibility I do have. I am responsible for myself. For the things I say and do and how I portray Christ. That, is a huge responsibility I have willingly taken on. So I have concluded that great responsibility starts with myself and that I want to be faithful with what I already have.

..and that makes me a keeper in at the least the eyes of Jesus and hopefully yours too.

Love,

Meaghan

xoxo

Great Big Outdoor Living Room

I've been itching to get outside (kind of). In the north ALL my friends wanted to do was be in the great outdoors to which I used to protest. I feel I've changed (for the better) and am wishing I had some friends in Calgary who would say "lets do something outside". I am going to be purchasing snow shoes and am going to get outside. I wrote a song recently with the lyrics "not a word in this great big outdoor living room". If you know me at all I am usually an indoor cat but I'm begginig to feel like real living happens outside of my man made cage I keep myself in. Join me?

In browsing the kayak section of the web, I found this picture (I discovered this summer that I like kayaking and being on the water (not in the water)):



YIKES! ..I'll stick to lakes.

Stuff is not enough!..to make us happy

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Blogging loves! Check out this website and the video 'the story of stuff'.

Me the whole vid: "WHAT! NO! YES! THIS GIRL'S MA HERO! WHAT!"

I believe in this so so much.

Let's all find our place in the linear to help. Seriously.