life as i know it...: November 2008

Deadly shopping crowds

This is just sick.

Surging Shoppers kill New York Wal-Mart Employee

I've never experienced any shopping trips so horrible and sad, thank goodness, but I do remember the crazy Boxing Day shoppers in Canada. It wasn't too bad at Sam the Record Man, but when I worked at Future Shop in BC, people camped outside the store all night on December 25th and raced into the store in the morning of the 26th. I remember kneeling on the floor getting something from a cupboard, and a guy actually jumped over me in his rush to get to a different department.

Sheesh.

Posted in: on November 28, 2008 0 comments

Winter is here!

We've had snow, slippery roads, and both Brad & I have been sick this past week. Claire's okay so far, thank goodness, but we're going for flu shots today anyways!

Enjoy this cute little video for all of the sickies out there!

Posted in: on November 24, 2008 0 comments

Quote of the day - open mouth, insert foot...

Heard on As It Happens on CBC Radio last night. A clip of George Bush talking about the economic crisis:

"We don't need bigger government, we just need smarter government."

I laughed so hard I cried.

Posted in: on November 14, 2008 0 comments

Remembrance Day

In Flanders Fields
by Dr. John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

A Soldier - His Prayer

As the story goes, this anonymous poem was blown into a slit trench in Tunisia during a heavy bombardment in the early days of World War II. Who its author is, or was, cannot be determined, but it is certain that he had a gift for poetry which he used to express his great faith and sense of hope.

Stay with me God. The night is dark
The night is cold: My little spark
Of courage dies. The night is long;
Be with me God, and make me strong

I love the game; I love a fight.
I hate the dark; I love the light.
I love my child; I love my wife.
I am no coward. I love life.

Life with its change of mood and shade.
I want to live. I'm not afraid,
But me and mine are hard to part;
Oh unknown God, lift up my heart.

You stilled the water at Dunkirk
And saved your servants.
All your work is wonderful, dear God. You strode
Before us down that dreadful road.

We were alone, and hope had fled;
We loved our country, and our dead.
And could not shame them; so we stayed
The course, and were not much afraid.

Dear God, that nightmare road! And then
That sea! We got there - we were men.
My eyes were blind, my feet were torn,
My soul sang like a bird at dawn!

I knew that death is just a door.
I knew what we were fighting for:
Peace for the kids, our brothers freed,
A kinder world, a cleaner breed.

I'm but the son my mother bore,
A simple man and nothing more.
But - God of strength and gentleness,
Be pleased to make me nothing less.

Help me, O God, when death is near
To mock the haggard face of fear,
That when I fall-If fall I must-
My soul may triumph in the dust.

In Memoriam:

Posted in: on November 11, 2008 0 comments

Mmmmm...

Christmas baking season is almost upon us, and it's time to stock the freezer again, both with sweets and with healthy meals that can be heated up quickly!

So far this week we've made marinara sauce and chicken chili (thanks Gillian!), and as soon as I get some more eggs I'll make cornbread muffins. Last week I made a very tasty (and easy) apple crisp. The cookies will come soon!!

I also stumbled across the Whole Foods recipe index, which has some really yummy looking recipes that I'd like to try.

For a not-too-sweet apple crisp, try the recipe below. It's a combination of recipes and comments from allrecipes.com, and it turned out really well, if I do say so myself!:

Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS

Base
* 10 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping
* 1 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).

2. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together. Stir into bowl of sliced apples. Place the apples in a 9x13 inch pan.

3. Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Posted in: recipes on November 09, 2008 0 comments

Shopping for little ones?

Check out the Cool Mom Picks safer toy guide for 2008. I love that the guide has so many toys that are wooden, handcrafted or BPA free. And nothing requires batteries!! I'm having major toy envy - I wonder how many of these are available in Canada?

I love the Green Toys sets (available at Chapters!), the Villac animal stacking tower, and I'm thinking of making a superhero cape for Claire's birthday.