8 posts tagged “family”
I got this from LaidoutinLavender who got tagged by a new neighbour of hers.
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I had just finished my first year of marriage and a year where we were both unemployed. I was just starting my first job in a year. I was also mourning the passing of my paternal grandmother who raised me in the years before grade 1.
2. Five (non-work) things on my to-do list today?
(1) 9am-3pm Holy Spirit Day at the church
(2) 7pm church service
(3) call my dad
(4) do a load of laundry
(5) read a chapter in my book of study
3. snacks I enjoy
- dark, dark chocolate with crystalized ginger
- licorice allsorts
- hot buttered movie popcorn (at the theatre)
- hot, salted yam fries
4. Things I would do if I was an billionaire
The big question I have about this one is if I am a billionaire because of one large windfall or am I a billionaire that has an ongoing revenue stream? To cover my bases on this one, I am going to say that the first thing I am going to do is set some money up to create a revenue stream so I can keep being a billionaire.
After that, I would erase all my debt and the debt of those in my family.
I would buy a jet. Commercial air travel sucks. The jet would be at the disposal of me and my family.
I would buy several homes around the world for myself that my family and friends would be welcome to use if they travel to those locales. One of the properties would be acreage somewhere, on a body of water, that I would build a family "compound" where everyone in my family would have their own house that is not within sight of the other houses...so, in other words, we can all stay on the same property but not be in each other's hair!
I would make sure that each of my family owns their homes outright with no debt.
I would take care of dad...totally and completely.
I would set up education funds for all my nieces and nephews (and children, if I had any) so that whatever education they want, they can go do it without worrying about the costs.
I would fund programs and mission trips for my church.
I would set up and/or fund and/or help fund some of the dialysis programs in my city, most particularly at St. Pauls (downtown and where my mom was cared for and passed away in) and Lions Gate Hospital (the one I was born in and close to where my parents lived but didn't have a program at the time my mom needed it)
I would set up and/or fund urban programs for the homeless in my city.
I would set up and/or fund education programs and supplies for children (especially girls) in third world countries.
I would fund programs in third world countries where they provide them with seeds, bees, livestock, and other things that help them to become self sufficient.
I would set up an annual charity fund for each of my nieces and nephews (and children, if I had any)....that they would work with me each year to decide what to do with that money and who to give it to and/or fund with it.
....that's off the top of my head, to start. I am sure I would think of other things (mainly funding charities and giving back). To whom much is given, much is required.
5. Places I have lived
I have lived my whole in the Vancouver area. I was born in North Vancouver and lived there until I got married. When I first got married, we lived in Burnaby. After a few years, we moved to Surrey. After a few more years, we moved Coquitlam. And then a couple of years ago, we moved to downtown Vancouver.
6. Jobs I have had
My first job was a busser, then a hostess, and then a bartender...all at the same restaurant. Then I was a receptionist at a health club/lounge. Then I went to work for an insurance company as a file clerk and then moved into more of a data entry/assistant type role. Then I worked in reception/admin/sales for a high end hair care line. After that, I worked for an administrator of extended car warranties where I started out processing policies and then moved into accounts receivable and collections. And after that, I worked for an insurance advisory company on an government earthquake inspection project where I was processing earthquake inspections done on schools and health care facilites in our province. And then..after that I went to work for a third party administrator of employee benefits where I was an enrollment specialist. And then I got injured and haven't worked for the past 4 years.
7. Tag others
If you are bored, the feel free to tag yourself! :p
The last few days have been a blur with trying to catch up on all the things that didn't get done after being sick for over a week. I didn't get everything done but have caught up quite a bit. I did get some baking done but not all....and the house...is still not decorated for Christmas yet. I am hoping to get that done as we didn't decorate last year and I miss my stuff.
This afternoon we are off to my Dad's for my family's Christmas celebration and then tomorrow we are off to the in-laws for theirs.
Every year, we alternate who gets "dibs" on us for Christmas day and have it coordinated with my brothers and sisters so that the years that we are with my family on Christmas day, we are usually all together which is nice. Although now that my brother and his family are living back east, I think that the "all together" thing is going to be few and far between. My brother and his family are out here right now for Christmas but they are not entirely happy about it as my SIL's family is being difficult with them which makes me really mad because its making them crazy and as such, making the rest of us crazy. Why does family bring out the worst in some people? And why do they choose to do it on holidays and suck the joy out of everything?
Plus my brother and his wife are just not good at being "visitors. This is the first time anyone has not lived within driving distance....so all our lives and theirs, we are all used to all being local for holidays, etc. And when they lived here, they often hosted. They are feeling uncomfortable with not having their own home and having some "control" during the holiday. Its an adjustment.....which I guess is life. Nothing stays the same and for that, we must go with the flow and always keep in mind, what is important.
Anyhoo, I must stop digressing on a subject that I am trying not to obsess about......
As I said, I did manage to get a little bit of baking done and the last of it is being done after I get this posted! I will be making my usual flourless cookies which totally rock and are perfect for my celiac niece. I still have to figure out a quick dessert for tonight. I think I will make a lemon mousse pie with a corn flake crust.
I tried something new this year and made peppermint creams. Wow....these are soooooo simple and easy to make and are fabulous and something my celiac niece can have. Peppermint creams are like York patties without the chocolate.
Anyways, I should get going and get on with the baking and finish wrapping pressents.
Everyone, please have a wonderful holiday spent with loved ones and enjoy the precious time spent together. Regardless of how you celebrate the season, I wish you all the best for you and yours. And above all, I wish you PEACE. Merry Christmas!
And I leave you with the recipe for peppermint creams which is so easy, you could even whip it up right now and impress everyone tomorrow! :)
Peppermint Creams
3 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp water
1 large egg white, lightly whisked
1 tsp peppermint extract, or oil
Mix the sugar with the lemon juice, water, peppermint extract, and enough egg white to make a pliable mixture.
Knead on a clean surface dusted with icing sugar. Divide into 4 sections.
* note - If too wet, add more icing sugar as required. If too dry, add more egg white as required.
Roll out each section separately into a long sausage (size depends on how big you want the pieces to be).
Slice the dough into neat little rounds or form into balls and flatten slightly with the back of a fork.
Place all rounds or flattened balls onto a flat pan/tray covered in waxed paper.
Place tray somewhere safe and dry for 24 hours, until pieces are thoroughly dry.
Once dry, store in an airtight container.
I stole this from Jody ….
Welcome to the "Christmas Edition" of getting to know your friends.
Okay, here's what you're supposed to do and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!
Change all the answers so they apply to you. Then, send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you.
Remember…..It's the season to be cheerful!!!
Ok………..
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I alternate, depending on the gift….and what I have, since I try to always re-use wrap, bags, and ribbon. Some gifts are just too odd shaped to be able to wrap nicely so bags work nicely. Whichever way I choose, and if I have to buy anything, I usually choose pretty colours (plain, no design) with coordinating ribbons and tissue paper. (that means they can be used all year round) I really love ribbon!
2. Real tree or artificial? I would prefer a real tree…just for the smell…mmmmm…..but it just doesn’t feel right to cut down a tree to use for a month once a year. Growing up we had a live tree that my dad kept in our backyard all year in a big steel pot…but as an adult in an apartment, I have no room for such things. And I hate needles everywhere….just hate. So, its artificial for us….and no needles!
3. When do you put up the tree? Growing up, my dad wouldn’t let us put up the tree before Christmas Eve…no matter how much I begged. As adult, with her own domain, I have to admit that I often forget. I forget mostly because I am married to a man who has serious issues with Christmas as he worked as a retail manager for close to 10 years, which included a large chunk of our married life. Christmas was work to him so it lost all meaning and seeing Christmas stuff at home brought him no joy. And Christmas day was a quick break before Boxing Day and after Christmas sales. (he usually slept most of Christmas day) Now that he is out of retail (for the past 4 years), I have been slowly trying to help him find joy at Christmas-time again. It's hard when you are the only one excited.
4. When do you take the tree down? I tend to procrastinate….so its usually when I remember to. :)
5. Do you like eggnog? I like Noel Nog which is non-dairy and damn good….especially with some rum!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? First place winner would be my (real) bunny, Thumper, that I got from my 2 brothers when I was 8 years old. Thumper looked a lot like this. Second place winner would go to when my one of brothers gave me Corey Hart tickets when I was 14. He gave me 3 – for him, me, and my cousin (who was my BFF) to go….and it was my first concert and I was sooooooo into Corey Hart….haha!!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. I can’t find one that I like yet. Does anyone know if Willow Tree makes a nativity scene?
8. Hardest person to buy for? That is usually my dad. He is not a “stuff” guy and anything that makes any sense, he already has. And anything on the serious “want” list is WAY to expensive for my budget.
9. Easiest person to buy for? I have a lot of fun buying presents for all my nieces and nephews. I have fun coming up with creative gifts or gifts that encourage their creativity. For example, last year I gave one nephew an animation kit, one nephew a kit to make a comic book, and some others got storybook making kits. I have also been known to give “an afternoon with auntie” or “afternoon with auntie and uncle” where we go get pedicures together (for girls), or go make a jewellery together (for girls), or go to a hockey game together. And yes, I am known as the “cool” auntie! :p
10. Worst Christmas gift ever received? A long time ago at a work Secret Santa gift exchange, my Secret Santa gave me an X-rated Cabbage Patch doll. I think I ended up trading gifts with someone else to get rid of it.
11. Mail or email Christmas card? It would be a miracle if either got done :)
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Favourite movie about Christmas or favourite movie watched at Christmas? Growing up, we used to always go to Midnight Mass and have a little bit of celebrating at home afterwards since we were all awake. And for some reason, every year for many years, the movie Yours, Mine and Ours (the original with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda) was on at that time of the night/morning and so we always watched it and it became a tradition. We don’t do it anymore but I still love that movie and it always fondly reminds me of those times. And as far as movies about Christmas, there are so many great movies that I like and love that it's hard to name them all….but I will name one that has a soft spot in my heart…and it’s A Wish For Wings That Work. Its so sweet!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I usually keep my eyes open all year round for ideas but its around October and November that I get serious about narrowing it all down and obaining them. And as of a few years ago, I tend to purchase most gifts online. Although some years, I have been known to get all Martha Stewarty and make most of my gifts. ( I now take pills to curb that! :p )
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not really that I can remember. I often give away chocolates as we often receive too many….and the last thing I want is boxes of chocolate hanging around my house….cuz I might eat them!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? This is tough as I don’t get the same things each year, anymore! For sweets, its tough to beat my grandmother’s butter tarts….but I haven’t had them in years since she is too frail to bake :( For savoury, I would have to say that my MIL’s pork sausage stuffing, which you have to fight for your portion (!), along with some gravey is utterly decadent and delish. And if I might also add, that Christmas is when I most often get smoked salmon….for which I utterly love. (those who read my other latest meme already know I love salmon….haha...for which my hubby thinks I was Grizzly Bear in another life! )
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Depends on the decorations. My tree lights are clear as I decorate my tree with a silver theme. Colour lights look good on my dad’s tree as he has lots of my grandmother’s colourful handmade ornaments.
17. Favorite Christmas song? I already covered this here.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay at home….as in stay in the local area. We go to my dad’s or G’s parents for Christmas and both are local.
19. Can you name Santa's reindeer? yes
20. Do you have an angel on top or a star? An angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Growing up, we always did the one present on Christmas Eve thing, before or after Midnight Mass, and then the rest on Christmas Day. After we all moved out, that changed to Christmas morning. And now that I am married, my hubby and I don’t exchange gifts (long story…..and no, please do not feel sorry for me…I am definitely not neglected!) so we open gifts with whichever family we are with for Christmas Day….and that usually happens Christmas afternoon or in the evening after dinner.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Besides all the commercialism and crowds of people at the mall…….its people’s blunt negativity, grumpiness, and hateful attitudes that just put a big crimp in my festive mood. Isn’t this supposed to a FESTIVE time of year? If you don’t like commercialism…..then don’t give in to it. If you want to celebrate a different way….then go for it. Everyone seems to think there are all these “expectations” on for this time of year. (Yes, I admit, I expect people to be festive….well sue me.) What I really mean is that people think they have to spend a lot of money and subscribe to things they don’t believe in….and that makes them sour. If you have an issue then bring it up with whomever….and deal with it. Makes changes. In my family, a while back, we all decided to cut down on Christmas costs for the adults and get each other stocking stuffer type gifts. And with a good attitude about it, we all have fun with it. It can sometimes get silly to all heck….but the point is that we have FUN with it and with each other. …and isn’t that the main point in the first place?
Be a Queen.
Dare to be different.
Be the kind of woman who, in the face of adversity, will continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly toward the challenge.
Take it on!
Be a truth seeker and rule your domain, whatever it is - your home, your office, your family - with a loving heart.
Be a Queen.
Be tender.
Continue to give birth to new ideas and rejoice in your womanhood.
My prayer is that we will stop wasting time being mundane and mediocre.
We are daughters of God - here to teach the world how to love.
It doesn't matter what you've been through, where you come from, who your parents are - nor your social or economic status.
None of that matters.
What matters is how you choose to love, how you choose to express that love through your work, through your family, through what you have to give to the world....
Be a Queen.
Own your power and glory.
author unknown
There are some days that live in your mind clear as a bell. For a lot of people, in North America, that day is September 11, 2001. Almost all those people’s memories are about the terrorist attacks in America that fateful morning. My memory of that day wasn’t about planes or terrorism, at least not on the forefront. I remember that day, clear as a bell, because it’s the day my mom died.
I rode the train into work that morning, per usual. I was totally clueless as to what was just occurring in the US as I had my CD player on. I turned my player off just as the train was hitting the downtown tunnel and I heard the radio mention something about a plane running into the World Trade Centre just before the train entered the tunnel and the radio signal was lost. I quickly ran to my office to find out more about what I had just heard on the radio.
While we were trying to find out more info, my desk phone rang. It was my sister. Sometime was up with Mom, who was back in the hospital since the previous day. She told me that the hospital had called early and our Dad was at the hospital. My sister wanted me to find out what was going on since the hospital was near my work and she lived just over 1 hour away.
My Mom had recently been re-admitted, a few days previously, to the hospital due to another infection. She had spent the good part of that year in the hospital due to her deteriorating condition. Her kidney disease was wreaking havoc all over her body. And for most of that time, she wasn’t even aware of what was going on. We had been thinking she would never come home from the hospital. But she did recover, and had been home for a couple of months when infection hit again. This infection was not happy news as that meant she would be put on hemo-dialysis which to her was a death sentence. She was happy on peritoneal dialysis because that meant she wasn’t tied down and she could travel. Because of this fear of the hemo-dialysis, my dad practically had to force her back into the hospital even though she had an infection that needed treating.
I decided to call the hospital and see if I could find out what was going. I was able to get put through to my mother’s ward and was able to speak to the doctor on duty. I remember her telling me a bunch of doctor/medical speak. The only phrase that stood out, like it was a neon sign, was “loss of brain stem reflex”.
I remember hearing that and the whole world felt like it went silent.
Do you ever ask questions that you already know the answer to but you hope that you get a different answer?
In almost surreal fashion, even at the time it was happening, I remember myself asking the doctor, point blank, that doesn’t loss of brain stem reflex mean the same thing as brain dead. She hesitated but answered the question with a yes.
In a fog, I called my sister and told her to get her ass down to the hospital. I said “no brain stem reflex” and she said “I’m on my way”.
My hubby picked me up and we went to the hospital together. It was near my office, but I couldn’t go alone. I remember the hospital parking lot being full so we parked on the street. What we didn’t know or even pay attention to, when we parked on the street, is that we would be there all day and our car would end up getting towed because the street we parked on had no parking during rush hour. Who thinks about their car when they are in an emergency situation?
I remember being at the hospital before any of my siblings and being there with my father and our family priest (he married my parents and they were long time friends) as we stood around my Mom’s hospital bed in ICU. I remember our priest giving my mother the last rites (for the 3rd or 4th time that year…you can never be too careful) and his old,frail, arthritic hands shaking so much that I ended up holding his bible for him so he could read the passages and do the oil sacrament, without much trouble. This made me feel useful for a few minutes.
I remember when everyone finally arrived and we are all around the bed. I remember sitting there holding my Mom’s hand and not really noticing anyone else in the room. It was surreal. As I held her hand, I swear I could hear her laughing. Not a mocking laugh, but a laugh of joy. I heard her voice saying, “Don’t worry about me. I am fine. I am free now.” It was weird…but it was all I could do to not smile sitting there holding her hand. It was like she had the last laugh, which was so like her.
The doctors talked to us all together in a meeting room. They wanted to talk to us about our “options”. They had her on a ventilator and they could keep her there for as long as we wanted. There was very little chance of her reviving. Ha! I wanted to laugh. Brain dead is dead. Why couldn’t they just say that? But I could see that not all my siblings and my dad were quite ready for my simplistic view on things…so I stayed quiet. They were still trying to process that my mom was doing fine up to a few days ago when she got an infection and then today she just stopped breathing and had to be put on a ventilator.
A ventilator keeps the body functioning, even if the brain is not functioning. As long as oxygen is pumping through, the heart keeps going. And as long as your heart is beating, you are considering “alive”. Turn off the ventilator, on someone whose brain is not functioning, and the heart winds down like a watch….until it beats no more.
I remember we all hung out together all through the afternoon and put off the inevitable. We all knew and agreed that the ventilator needed to be shut off….but not yet.
That afternoon, we just hung out, got some food, rescued our car, sat in the hospital’s rooftop garden, watched my brother’s kids play in the garden pond, talked about other things, and sometimes just sat in silence.
My brother’s kids were my parents only grandkids at this time. They were 5 and 3 at this time, and they had spent almost everyday of their lives with their grandparents. My Mom was a very big part of their lives. They knew my Mom was sick and had watched her get sicker and they had handled it well.
My brother and SIL debated over whether to bring the kids in to say good-bye to their Grandma. They even talked to a hospital counselor that afternoon about it. And, at the end of it all, they decided to have the kids say good-bye. They were told that Grandma was going to heaven and she was going to be with Jesus. And the kids handled it well…..they said good-bye but it wasn’t a big deal to them as they were still a bit young to understand the finality of it. Afterall, Grandma just looked like she was sleeping.
At 7:00pm, we gathered in a private room at the very far end of ICU. We all held hands around my Mom’s bed as the priest said some last prayers and the most wonderful nurse, Patrick, turned off my Mom’s ventilator. We all said our final good-byes and kissed my mom one last time.
I remember my Dad holding my Mom’s hand until the very last heartbeat.
As we left the room, my brother’s 5 year old daughter asked if they could go visit Grandma in heaven. Very gently, my SIL explained that no, they were not going to be able to visit Grandma. It was then that my niece understood the finality of the situation and let out the most sorrowful moans of pain as she cried on my SIL’s shoulder as we walked the length of the corridor that led out of ICU.
All the doctors and nurses, in the ICU, stood up, came to the windows, and watched us leave the ward. They all had tears streaming down their faces as they watched the group of us leave. It’s an image that I doubt I will ever forget.
Its been six years, Mom, and I will always miss you!
I am betting that heaven has never been so organized and that you are on all the committees.
Is Jesus a good dancer? I know you would know! :)
September 12, 1934 ~ September 11, 2001
“ Some people move our souls to dance.
They stay in our lives for awhile;
Leave footprints on our hearts,
……...And we are never the same. “
Linda British literally gave herself away. Linda was an outstanding teacher who felt that if she had the time, she would like to create great art and poetry. When she was 28, however, she began to get severe headaches. Her doctors discovered that she had an enormous brain tumour. They told her that her chances of surviving an operation were about 2 percent. Therefore, rather than operate immediately, they chose to wait for six months.
She knew she had great artistry in her. So during those six months she wrote and drew feverishly. All of her poetry, except one piece, was published in magazines. All of her art, except one piece, was shown and sold at some of the leading galleries.
At the end of six months, she had the operation. The night before the operation, she decided to literally give herself away. In the case of her death, she wrote a "will" in which she donated all of her body parts to those who needed them more than she would.
Unfortunately, Linda's operation was fatal. Subsequently, her eyes went to an eye bank in Bethesda, Maryland, and from there to a recipient in North Carolina. A young man, age 28, went from darkness to sight. That young man was so profoundly grateful that he wrote to the eye bank thanking them for existing. It was only the second "thank you" that the eye bank had received after giving out in excess of 30,000 eyes!
Furthermore, he said he wanted to thank the parents of the donor. They must indeed be magnificent folks to have a child who would give away her eyes. He was given the name of the British family and he decided to fly in to see them on Staten Island. He arrived unannounced and rang the doorbell. After hearing his introduction, Mrs. British reached out and embraced him. She said, "Young man, if you've got nowhere to go, my husband and I would love for you to spend your weekend with us."
He stayed, and as he was looking around Linda's room, he saw that she's read Plato. He's read Plato in Braille. She'd read Hegel. He'd read Hegel in Braille.
The next morning, Mrs. British was looking at him and said, "You know, I'm sure I've seen you somewhere before, but I don't know where." All of a sudden she remembered. She ran upstairs and pulled out the last picture Linda had ever drawn. It was a portrait of her ideal man.
The picture was virtually identical to this young man who had received Linda's eyes.
Then her mother read the last poem Linda had written on her deathbed. It read:
Two hearts passing in the night
falling in love
never able to gain each other's sight
~ Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen - from A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul
(**Hopefully I haven't violated any copyright laws in reprinting this here. This story spoke to me today and I wanted to share it. I have many Chicken Soup for the Soul books and most of the stories make me bawl... and I love them for it! wierd...)
Did you know that a third of organs, that could be used for transplant, are lost because someone's loved ones did not know their wishes and the person had not filled out an organ donaton card.
Tomorrow is not scripted....you don't know what is around the corner for you or the people you care about.
I know for most people this is a morbid subject and is generally filed under "I will get it to another time". (except for those people in Holland)
Why wait?
Organ donation for me has been a reality my whole life because my mom had kidney disease. Organ donation has never been a morbid subject for me, although I can understand how, for many, it can be. And there has never been any question in my mind as to whether or not I would donate my organs should something happen to me. But its a personal decision for each person to make. And you should make it now while everything is great and you are great and your head is clear so you can make an informed and uncoloured decision.
Do you really want to wait until something affects your life, or a loved one, before you take action (like most people)?
Have you filled out an organ donation card? Have you spelled out your wishes if something should happen to you tomorrow? Do you loved ones know your wishes? Do you know the wishes of your loved ones?
For me, I absolutely and totally believe in organ donation. While some people find the thought morbid, I don't. I will be DEAD when it happens! My body is a shell and is not who I really am. My spirit is me. And I would feel so honoured and blessed that the tragedy of my death (if I didn't die naturally...which I plan on doing....when I am 105...I have strong genes and the women in my family live long...but you never know...) could make a positive difference in someone else's life or in multiple people's lives since there are so many things they can use from your body. To think that my major organs could save a life (watch the movie "Return to Me")......or that my lungs could help someone with cystic fibrosis....or that my corneas could help someone see again (read the ultimate sacrifice)......or that my skin could bring relief to a burn victim......wow! What a legacy to leave the world.....to really make a difference......in dying to give life back.
Most people don't get that. But really...if you don't get that then think of it from the opposite point of view....what if you or someone you loved was in need of heart or kidney....or had an accident where someone's corneas could save your sight......or worse a burn victim and in need of skin transplants.......wouldn't you frantically PRAY that someone filled out their organ donation card?
Well, there has never been a better time that now to start with getting yourself signed up as an organ donor. Demands for transplants are increasing while the list of potential donors remains static. And many of those awaiting the transplant of a solid organ die while on the waiting list. Sadly, that is what happened to my mom. She passed away in 2001 after contracting yet another infection due to dialysis. She had enough and gave up the fight.
I know that some people have religious beliefs that don't include such things as organ donations or transplants. I totally respect that, I really do. For example, I know that one of chinese medicine's foundations is Confucianism. And Confucianism's philosophy is that the body, as a whole, is sacred and should remain complete through life and death. Surgery or any invasive anatomical study of the body was considered taboo as it violated the body or corpse as a whole. That is why chinese doctors conduct their medicine through external means and observation rather than invasively like western doctors. (chinese medicine is really facinating)
BUT.....if you have not filled out a donor card or made living will because you are too lazy or a procrastinor or don't want to deal with it.......then get over it and get on with it.........just think worse case scenario for a moment.
And don't give the old and lame procrastinator's lament...well its a long shot that that you would ever find a match, outside your family.....blah blah blah.... For some organs this is true but a long shot is STILL a shot and when you or your lived ones are in need......you pray for any shot to work.
However.....whatever your feelings or beliefs on the subject, positive or negative, you don't have any excuses for not making them known and making sure, that in the event of your death, your wishes are carried out.
So.....Regardless of your decision to be a donor or not, please don't delay and fill out your donation card/living will OUT OF LOVE for your loved ones so they don't have to be faced with this decision if something happens to you.
*****************************************************************************************************************
Organ donation card, wishes, and living wills vary by the country/region you live in. Check with your regional health organization about what you need to do to make your wishes known.
If you live in British Columbia, you can fill out your card online here
(* please note that all these organizations allow you to change your mind at any time...so don't think your decision is a permanent commitment)
Hi, my name is Dee (hi Dee) and I am a cookbook junkie.
Truth be told, I came by this honestly. You are product of your environment and my mom was either a cookbook junkie herself or just an enabler. She had shelves full of cookbooks of all different kinds. You could find recipes for anything and everything. She collected recipes and recipe books like she was feathering a nest.
Some could say, that if she had so many cookbooks then she must have loved cooking. Ha! Not true. I think she liked eating more! My dad did most of the cooking in our house when I was growing up. And when we got old enough, the rest of us learned and pitched in, regardless of gender. (my brothers are both excellent in the kitchen as is my sister) My mom helped mainly with holiday cooking and that was mostly with the sweets and desserts. She was good with desserts. (note - mom could cook but she didn't really like doing it on a regularly basis)
When I think back to it, I think all those cookbooks were read mainly by me. Reading a cookbook for me was and is still like an inspiring, sensory, dramatic experience. You could just imagine the aroma, the textures, and the flavours. While nice, I have never needed many pictures in cookbooks as I had much experience in the kitchen coupled with a vivid imagination. (on the other hand, my husband needs to have pictures - like most men, he is mission oriented which means he needs to know what the "goal" looks like! lol!)
Cooking for me has been almost a lifelong journey. I have watched people cook since before I could walk. They did house renos when I was a baby - so for most of my first year, to keep me out of the dust, I was in a baby backpack and used to watch over the shoulder of my mom or dad as they cooked. When I could walk, I would stand on a stool or chair and watch. Eventually I was old enough to stir things and started being mentored on the art of cooking and baking which I learned at the elbows of my parents, my grandmother, and my older brothers and sisters. The rest I learned through experimentation.
Some things I learned well and some things I am not that great at. But that's ok. I think everyone has a specialty. For example, my dad made the most excellent pancakes with lots of different flours and interesting ingredients. My sister picked up this "pancake gene" (as we jokingly call it) but I didn't so I just go to my sister's place for pancakes! (lol!) She, like the rest of our clan, doesn't use a recipe very often, so the pancakes are different everytime, even if she uses the same fillings. Yum! Pass the almond butter and maple syrup!
Did you catch it? I just said that most of our clan doesn't use recipes. But all those cookbooks? And didn't you say you were a cookbook junkie? Recipes are like guidebooks or inspiration. Maybe thats why I love cookbooks so much. I love food and I love being inspired....and cookbooks provide both! The endless possibilities are so alluring! As well, when you have made a new recipe a few times, then you don't really need to open the cookbook each time you make it as its become a part of you. And when you have been cooking for a long time you get to a certain point where you get a "feel" for cooking rather than having OCD about exact measurements. You get to the point where you walk into the kitchen and you CREATE! (that was said with a dramatic hand flourish!)
These days my cookbook fixes are kept in close check. Good thing as we have a small apartment! lol! And my husband is my conscience when it comes to adding to my collection. Are you really going to use it? Do you really need a book about___? Is this really necessary? Don't we already one (or 2 or 3) like this one?
I do have a nice collection of cookbooks that are both pretty, inspiring, and actually useful! lol! But when I am in the bookstore sometime I have to close my eyes when walking by the cookbook section......the pull, the allure.....is like a fix waiting to happen......
So, anyways (lol!), here is my lastest cookbook find. The first cookbook bought in several years. It rocks! Jason Roberts "Elements" is both a cookbook and a philosophy. (www.manicj.com) I had to order it from Barnes and Noble in the US (its exclusive at Barnes and Noble) and it arrived yesterday. I sat down and read it from cover to cover. Zing! My spine tingles. I feel glorious! Alive! I am inspired!
