Happy New Year 2012

This will be a quiet day getting organized for the coming year. Slowly, I am getting better at planning.
Our celebration this evening will be quiet as you can tell from my previous posting.
Have a wonderful evening.

New Years!

I have something in common with Michele Pheiffer and Hilary Swank. Just heard a radio interview with both and neither one of them is able to stay up until midnight even on New Year's Eve. Michael and I have only managed it once and that was the Millennium. Other than that we often head off to bed well before midnight. We are just such live wires.
Will have friends over on New Years Day which will be nice. Yesterday we had friends over and went to Allan Gardens. The green houses were lovely. What a treat to see the plants and flowers. A gem that we hope that the city is able to keep.
Happy New Year to all of you. A little early, I know but wanted to make sure that I got in since I seem to be missing posts every second day.

Girl with the Dragon Tatoo

This is the movie week. We do not often have time for two movies let alone three. We will be going to see a third movie on Saturday, early to avoid the New Year's crowd.
Yesterday, we went to see the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was an interesting movie with plot twists. However, it also had accent twists. The cast is supposed to be playing Swedish characters but must admit that some of the accents slipped from time to time. If you have not seen the original which a friend suggested is best then this is a good alternative. Better than the movies aimed at teenage boys and there are plenty of those.
Have to decide what movie to see on Saturday. Will keep you posted.

Moneyball, the movie

Today is our first relaxing day. We went to the movies and saw a movie that will soon be off the silver screen, Moneyball. It is a movie about the Oakland Athletics and their baseball season in 2002. The movie tells the story of the coach, Billy Beane who hires an economics major who is able to work with statistics and help make choices for baseball players. The team has a remarkable season and nearly wins the America league pennant. Well done. Beane stayed with team instead of heading off to Boston at the end of the season and is still trying to win. He had a wonderful season and also put family ahead of money and team by not moving to Boston.
Worth going to see if you can find it. I prefer the real silver screen but some of you will find other ways to watch the movie.

Get together!

Yesterday was a lovely day. I taught my regular bassoon lessons and then after visiting the high school where I supply I dropped off a gift at the senior's home where I visit. She was asleep and I did not have the heart to wake her up. Never know how long she has been asleep.
Then, I picked up a shirt for Michael. He wanted a new shirt for a lunch he is going to today. Work is taking his department out for lunch which should be nice.
What I enjoyed yesterday was meeting with a group of former students for dinner. They were all from the school that I retired from. It has been a number of years since we all saw each other. It was fascinating to hear what they are doing. All of them seem to be finding there way even if it is not a straight line which is not a bad thing at their age. We are now planning to meet up again next year. Hope that happens. Will be interesting to hear what they have all been doing.
That is what makes the holiday time special. Getting together with people.

Sliding on Sidewalk

I was just watching a jokeroo video. What have we come to? The videors were filming people falling on ice. They knew the ice was there and just had a jolly good time watching people slide and fall. It was obvious that some of the people were very shook up. At no time did the people filming stop to help people, put sand down or anything that would actually help the victims.
What have we become? (Sorry to repeat but I am overcome with concern as to what we are becoming in our rush to film and get things on-line.) Voyeurs who love to watch and film victims? How incredibly sad.

Shopping for Christmas

Yes, you read correctly. I am off to do some Christmas shopping today. This is the first time that I have a whole day to do it. I have done the cards and believe me, I did plenty. Lost count how many but it was not just one or two.
Michael and I discussed the possible gifts and gift certificates came up as one of the alternatives. I think that I will cave in and buy some. It is hard buying things for people our age.
Wish me luck.

MacMillan Reunion!

On Thursday, I will be having dinner with a group of 12 former students from my grade 7/8 school who have all graduated from high school at this point. Will be looking forward to seeing who comes. The student organizing the event, Mary has let me know who some of the attendees are. I am surprised that so many want to get together especially since it has been over 5 years since some have seen each other. Wonder if I will recognize some of them. They will have grown up. I should insist on name tags. They will all know me but the others I wonder.
This is exciting, a first. Will let you know how it goes.

Final push

This is it. The final push to Christmas. Will be delivering a number of cards and presents tomorrow to two schools I have been associated with then. In the evening, I have a present for the flute player who I will play with. I am not worried, he does not check this blog so he will know that I have a present for him. Have you seen Lucy from Peanuts playing the flute? Yes, that is the gift.
Tuesday, I am having lunch with a group that I worked with. There will be 6 of us. I have scarves for the group. Might do what I did yesterday. Had the scarves in bags and each person picked their own. Worked out yesterday.
Wednesday will be a quiet day. I will have time to do some more reading and organizing and also important practising.
Thursday, I am going to see Olive, my 92 year old friend. Will bring a Christmas gift and also a birthday card. Have to think what I should get.
In between all these activities, need to do some more shopping. What a challenge!

The Wednesday Letters

Looking for something to read? May I recommend the Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright. It is a wonderful quick read. I read it in a couple evenings. Inspiring, not War and Peace but definitely worth a read. I have just requested another of his books and will report on it once I have finished. Trying to find authors who I am not familiar with. Have read most of the Russian authors, Brontes and authors of that ilk.
Mysteries are fun but I am not sure that is all that I want.
Suggestions?

Getting there

Well, the table cloth did not get done today. That will be put off until Monday. In the meantime, I had a lovely lunch and dessert with a friend. We explored a new part of the city. We are planning to visit other parts in the future. Should be fun. When you get out and start exploring, you start to see what a fascinating city this is. So many groups have found a home here.
Cards are done and you know that already, getting decorations up and now the table cloth and cookies.
How is your planning coming?

Christmas decorations

It is now that time. Christmas decorations are being put up. Got the wreath on the door,it is very old- a teacher who I worked with at my first school gave it to me, ( I only worked at two, things changed around me instead of me changing schools). I also put up garlands, time to replace those. They are falling apart.
Next it will be time for the tree, I love seeing the ornaments. Have to start making more ornament next year. Also need to make a new table cloth. That is Friday's job. Plenty to keep me occupied.
Hope that you are doing well with your decorating.

Food for the holidays

Cards are except for the neighbours and people who I will see during the holidays are done. Now it is time to think about menus. Turkey has been ordered for Christmas Day. Will also get back bacon. It is a treat that we have only a couple times a year. We love cooking and eating the turkey, have to modify the menu a little so that we do not have the fridge crowded with left overs. However, love to have turkey sandwiches, it is one of my favourite. Thinking of them already.
Desserts are a question: found a recipe yesterday for Vanilla Pound Cake with Peppermint Sauce. Now that sounds good. Will have to try it. Will let you know how it works. That might be for New Years Day when we are having friends over.
Will put my thinking cap on and come up with recipes.
If you have a suggestion, I am open to ideas.

Christmas Cards

Judging from topics posted in the past, I get excited when I finish my Christmas cards. Well, I am excited again. Finished in one day, all my cards except those for people I will be seeing before Christmas. People like my tennis buddies, my old school associates and friends. I am so happy, it took most of the day but it feels like I accomplished something serious. I certainly wrote more than the 20 cards on average which Canadians send. This is one of the times of year that it is important to reach out to people. As one of the ads said, you can not put up e-mails.
I am now looking forward to receiving cards. Have received some already.

Saving high school music programs

While travelling, I read many newspapers and one of them had an article about high school music programs and how they are in danger: "How to enliven-and save-high school music programs". In the United States the number of children receiving any arts education decreased by 21% from 1992 to 2008. Part of this would be because of the change in focus based on testing because of the No Child Left Behind program which has increased focus on testing. Another important point is that instruments are expensive. Interestingly, one of the points that seems to connect with people is that music only reaches a small portion of the students. However, this ignores the fact that other subjects that are optional do not reach everyone for example: visual art, family studies, languages.
The main disconnect is the focus on training students to become professional musicians. Why is this a problem? No one suggests that the art teacher should not be training students to go on and study further? Their supplies are not cheap either. I have been to the visual arts department, it is pricey. Family studies has expensive equipment.
There must be other reasons. Will have to investigate further.

Tea for the Queen in Moose Jaw

Yes, I still have news about Moose Jaw. Finally, I am getting caught up on all my computing. It seems that playing tennis early in the day makes it a challenge to get things done. Today, I am not playing until noon. Good.
One of the pieces of news that I picked up in Moose Jaw was a visit by the Queen to a farm in Moose Jaw. Can you imagine having the Queen to tea. My goodness, the preparations would be endless. The family of the 320 acre farm started 4 months in advance and continued preparing until the last minute. The family was excited and insisted on feeding all including the many reporters that accompanied the royal visit. The Queen and Prince Philip were knowledgeable and polite guests. What a honour to serve the Queen and her party.
What a lovely memory for the family. Tea for the Queen in 1959.

Car Hit!

We went out for breakfast this morning and had a lovely breakfast. Our usuals, an omelette and French toast for me. Good start to the day. Then it happened, we were at an intersection heading straight and a car on the drivers side swiped us and hit our side view mirror. Thank goodness, the driver, a young girl did very little damage. Just a scrape. However, she just drove away without checking.
Always check and be careful when you drive. She could have done more damage.

Spammed!

I don't know if I should be flattered that someone thought that my account is important enough to spam or annoyed. It was interesting that one of the people who was spammed actually traced the spam account to Argentina. I suspect that the spam did not originate there but it was just a point that could be traced. Interesting that this spam did not do anything to any one's account. Could be a try to see what could be done. My server has already had me change some account information. I have a feeling that all the virus protection in the world will not help if someone really wants to access your account.
Hope that does not happen to any one else.