BLITHELY BABBLING

Ten days, twelve days, two weeks

2010-03-10T14:37:00.001-05:00

It is time for us to go. Breakfast took longer this Monday morning, sitting down for toast and jam and peanut butter with Nana and Papa, and now we are running late for school. There is madness as we all jostle at the back door, the dog underfoot, eager to be on our way.Finally, we are zipped, shod, mittened - buffered against the impending cold. We are heading out the door. Papa calls - what? No

Book review: The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor by Sally Armstrong

2009-10-01T15:07:00.004-04:00

I've recently realized that my perfectionist-like tendencies, combined with my natural bent towards turning a simple book review into a university-type piece of analysis, has grossly restricted me from reviewing anywhere near the number of books I'm interested in babbling about.To that end, this will be my first attempt at a simpler, more straightforward review.The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor

First day of school - a triptych

2009-09-09T16:20:00.004-04:00

Has it really been a year since this?

Fiction Friday - The to-do list

2009-09-03T15:27:00.005-04:00

Herewith, my stab at a piece of fiction. The story, so much as it exists in my head, occurs over a period of a single day. Please be gentle...* * *She awoke to the feeling of his leg lying heavy over hers, his arm a solid mass on her hip. The stale smell of sweat hung in the air. From the sounds of his breathing - deliberately deep and even - it was clear that he was ignoring the kids' raised

A love affair for all time: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

2009-08-18T23:57:00.000-04:00

Summer 1994. I was stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing to read.Okay, that isn't entirely true. I had plenty to read, but it was buried, for the time being, in our carefully packaged bundle of belongings strapped securely to the back of the motorcycle we were traveling on. Accessibility to those books being restricted for a least another three hours, and being entirely unwilling to face

Bent to its will

2009-08-05T13:59:00.004-04:00

Last nightI was readingDrums of Autumn(again)Thought I'd drag myself away from Jamie Fraser(sigh)Resurface into realityPicked up An Imperfect Offering(by James Orbinski)About his time with Médecins Sans Frontièresduring the ninetiesWithin ten pagesHe discusses his creation of a newhumanitarian agencyHis partner in the undertaking?James Fraser.I can take a hintBack to Drums of Autumn it is

A man, merely a man

2009-07-07T15:11:00.006-04:00

My husband is a CNN junkie and, for nearly the last two weeks, I've been inundated with the Michael Jackson coverage. I have seen the newspaper coverage, the blogging coverage, the tweets. Finally, a few moments ago, I finally turned on the TV to watch some of the spectacle that is the Michael Jackson memorial service.And I am bothered and disturbed.It speaks, I guess, to the need these days to

Book review: The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan

2009-06-23T15:35:00.000-04:00

The Toss of a Lemon by Padma VaswanathanI recently finished Padma Vaswanathan's terrific first novel The Toss of a Lemon, which I received some time ago from Random House. I would have to say that this has been one of the best books I've read recently.This is the story of Sivakami, a Brahmin woman who comes to her husband's house as a child bride in turn-of-the-century India. As foretold in their

2 1/2 years

2009-05-17T19:58:00.002-04:00

2 1/2 years... the amount of time it took this:Our patient, sweet, gentle yet enduringly dumb 10 year-old golden retriever to acknowledge Peanut (in the absence of peanut butter, or any other treat waved tantalizingly at nose level).It's a momentous day around here.

Intermission

2009-05-16T21:01:00.002-04:00

Sitting on a bench in the lobby of a fancy theatre during intermission of a play, calling husband to check in on baby. A woman sits next to me, opens her enormous purse and proceeds to withdraw an entire half a pizza wrapped in saran wrap, which she opens and begins eating.It's been a strange evening.

A test post

2009-05-02T15:09:00.001-04:00

Having just received a brand spanking new cell phone for my b-day, I thought I'd test out this mobile blogging thing.Moving right along...

In which I curse a great deal

2009-04-01T22:08:00.003-04:00

I have a post that is 3/4 finished. A well-written, thoughtful post (if I do say so myself). That was before...Before my goddamn, piece-o-shit computer blew it's FUCKING harddrive AGAIN!Seriously folks, I'm not that hard on my computer. It doesn't travel (often). I've never dropped it, or banged it around. I'm not one of those that smashes on the keyboard. So why-oh-why do they keep crapping out

Happiness is...

2009-03-23T22:41:00.003-04:00

A trip to the Capilano Bridge on a warm winter day.

Finishing the unfinished

2009-03-18T14:49:00.004-04:00

Recently we were hit by the plague again in the house. Not long ago I was pondering how fortunate I'd been that Peanut had only had "the flu" once, and at that it was one evening of throwing up. So the gods decided to give me the big smack down for my hubris and we were hit twice (TWICE!) in the period of one month. Seriously folks, its enough to make a girl go insane. And did I mention I had the

Taking back the night (one pony at a time)

2009-03-09T14:14:00.005-04:00

Peanut has always been a fantastic sleeper, something for which her father and I are tremendously grateful. If we were the type, we would get down on our knees every night and thank the dear lord that of all the early parenting experiences we could have had, bad sleep has typically not been one of them.However, we've started noticing a problem in the last little while. Particularly after an

A little like the phoenix...

2009-03-05T09:42:00.005-05:00

Ok, perhaps nothing so majestic as a phoenix. More like a, well, I don't know what its like. That's where the metaphor runs dry. However, it's been six months since Peanut started pre-school, and yet today is the first day I've found myself engaged in that most ubiquitous of blogger behaviour...Blogging in the local coffee shop.It's quite a nice feeling actually, sitting here with a piping hot

2008 reads

2008-12-31T09:56:00.000-05:00

47. Anybody Out There - Marian Keyes46. Not Guilty: My Guide To Working Hard, Raising Kids And Laughing Through The Chaos - Debbie Travis45. Away - Amy Bloom44. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates43. The Careful Use of Compliments - Alexander McCall Smith42. Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome - Steven Saylor41. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee - Rebecca Miller40. Bonjour Tristesse - Francoise Sagan39.

O(h)!

2008-11-05T00:10:00.001-05:00

Congratulations, neighbours. Well done!

A random question of semantics?

2008-10-04T00:41:00.005-04:00

Here's a question:How can you be proud that your child has made the decision to have their baby, when you believe, fundamentally, that that choice should not exist in the first place - not in the case of rape or incest, and certainly not in the case of 17-year-old girls who have been raised on a (failed) diet of abstinence-only education?This woman has said many things I find troubling, amusing

First day...

2008-09-04T13:24:00.006-04:00

Of pre-school.Precisely 24 hours later she began sneezing. I do believe that toddlers spend the majority of their time together licking one another's boogers. Let the fun begin!

One potato, two potato

2008-07-29T22:02:00.005-04:00

MISSING, 5 PM PLAYTIMEOne potato, separated from its plastic vegetable family. Authorities immediately initiated a full search and recovery mission, with the suspects questioned and all the usual stashes searched and hiding places explored. As of bedtime, the potato in question was still missing and authorities temporarily halted the search. FOUND, 9 PM CLEAN UPAuthorities stated that the search

The limits of graciousness

2008-07-10T13:05:00.006-04:00

Last night we had rather extended family come and stay the night with us. By extended family, we're talking the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of a step-grandparent. A family of four that we've seen twice before. They are back in Canada, visiting for the summer after two years of missionary work in the Philippines, where they "spread the word" and run an orphanage. They are strict

Obsession. Voraciousness. Gluttony. Part II

2008-07-05T16:40:00.001-04:00

Since you asked, here is what is on my bookshelf/side tables/bedside. I should preface this by saying that yes, I am a complete and utter trollop - a slut, really - when it comes to books. I have many books that I've started and I have absolutely no shame when it comes to cheating on a current book with any shiny new thing that comes along. That said, most of the time I do go back and finish the

Obsession. Voraciousness. Gluttony.

2008-07-04T09:29:00.007-04:00

It is an all-consuming obsession, and I am voracious. A veritable glutton. An addict.I am insatiable, unable to consume the words fast enough. My eyes race along the pages, eagerly devouring the story. If it were possible to become obese on literature, you would find me, confined to a bed, the weight of stories trapped in my head making it impossible to leave the room, able only to lift the book

Away...

2008-06-16T09:03:00.003-04:00

On vacation.With these fine folks:Explanation and photos when we return!

Babies

2008-06-13T15:19:00.006-04:00

Two teenage girls, perhaps 14 or 15 years old, sit together in the McDonalds in the local Wal-mart. One faces Peanut, and proceeds to coo and giggle over her. The other sits, silent.Later, high school girl voices carry over the aisles in the baby department, "oh, you have to find out if it's a boy or a girl, cause I, like, wanna know. I just have to know. If it's, like, a girl it'll be sooo cute

Gripes

2008-06-09T14:13:00.004-04:00

Two gripes, both from today (yes, it's been one of those Mondays). No, this is not the normal tone I take on this blog. Both will involve a substantial amount of cursing, for which I (sort of, kind of... ok, hardly at all) apologize. The bitch has come out to play today. Consider yourself warned.Gripe the first.To the asshole who has stolen and attempted to use my bank card number TWICE, would

Book reviews: The End of East and The Outcast

2008-06-05T22:17:00.000-04:00

(Not so) recently I had the opportunity to attend an author reception for Sadie Jones, a first time author, with a fellow blogger. While I was there, I mentioned to another attendee that I had planned on reviewing the guest of honour's book, The Outcast, together with the book The End of East, written by first-time novelist Jen Sookfong Lee, which I had also recently read. I commented that I

Sooo...

2008-05-19T20:33:00.008-04:00

Trying to find the words - the words that will bring me back here. I'm not sure why this silence has descended upon me, but I'm having a hard time finding the words that will bring me back here. I have countless unfinished posts, including several book reviews that I've committed to writing, and yet I can't seem to find the words to finish any of them. There is so much to tell - about the new

It's raining, it's pouring!

2008-05-04T21:45:00.003-04:00

Babies, that is. Yup, around this grand ol' blogosphere there's something in the water, and we're all celebrating. Some of the grand-dames of the blogging world, Her Bad Mother, Mrs. Chicky and Mrs. Chicken to be specific, are expanding their broods and looking for all the advice/assvice they can get.Some terrific ladies have arranged a shower - a virtual one, that is - with donations! And prizes

Best to avoid an invitation to Camp David...

2008-04-23T21:19:00.008-04:00

The scene: Watching American Idol. Dictator President Bush and the First Puppet Lady have just come on the screen.Mr Babbler: What is wrong with her makeup?Me: [mumble in agreement]Mr Babber: Seriously. She looks like a fucking Candarian demon! I'm thinking this explains a lot about the last 7 years!

Moments ago - an actual conversation

2008-04-20T20:56:00.002-04:00

Mr Babbler - This house has air conditioning, right?Me - I think so. I'm sure it does. Wait a minute. It does have air conditioning, right? It must. I'm sure it does. Mr Babbler - It must, but I haven't ever seen the unit. It would have to be down the other side of the house.*Me - Really, we couldn't have been that stupid, right? We didn't buy this house without checking to make sure that it had

Today's epiphany brought to you by Elmo

2008-04-17T22:18:00.003-04:00

Before I had Peanut, Mr Babbler and I swore our house would not be filled with all sorts of licensed plastic crap. That's ok, you go ahead. Laugh at my ignorance. I'll wait.Finished? Wiped the tears from your eyes?As I was saying, we had sworn our house would not be filled with all sorts of licensed crap. Our child would not be outfitted head-to-toe in Dora. We would not eat/sleep/breathe The

Little House in the Big City

2008-03-28T02:10:00.002-04:00

I can't sleep this evening. Tonight is my last night in our Little House in the Big City. The last few weeks have been a mad dash of preparation and packing and planning for our big move.Tomorrow, Peanut and I will spend our first night in our very own McMansion™ in the 'burbs, followed by Mr Babbler on Saturday.Four years ago we would never have imagined that we would be making this move. Like

Truth spoken here

2008-03-03T09:25:00.004-05:00

I've always been the person who tries to find the equilibrium in every situation.As a child, I tried to smooth over the rough patches amongst the angry members of my family. I soothed hurt feelings, tried to stop the yelling.As a teenager, I would often just opt out of groups or friendships that required the careful negotiation of catty comments, cutting remarks.And as an adult I still attempt to

A question of size

2008-02-26T20:40:00.005-05:00

Hypothetically, if you were to, say, make a large pan of Rice Krispie squares using the delicious new Vanilla Rice Krispiesis it more guilt inducing to eat one very exceedingly large piece, or several moderate pieces?Personally I think that there are less calories in one piece than in many pieces. On the other hand, there are the calories that get used in cutting the squares into smaller

I'm game

2008-02-25T22:16:00.003-05:00

I really don't have a whole lot to say today, as I am tired and cranky, a bit under the weather, and facing three days without Mr Babbler who is on a "business" trip to Las Vegas (why can't there be conferences for stay-at-home mothers? Imagine breakout groups on Crayola versus Laurentian pencil crayons and the relative the merits of Avent versus Playtex sippy cups. Potty "training" - fact or

Now! With social life! (And a shocking event!)

2008-02-24T19:43:00.003-05:00

Last night I had the fantastic opportunity to meet (or become reacquainted with) many of the bloggers who I've long since read and admired.* A Peanut-free night (the first in many, many months), the TTC was traveled (in fine company, I might add), alcohol was imbibed, there was terrific discussion, many laughs and some racy photos taken. The evening ended with a slightly inebriated cab ride

Vignettes

2008-02-21T21:44:00.006-05:00

Lately Peanut has been fascinated by my hair. She tugs at it, trying to pull it out of its ponytail, so I submit to her prodding and pull the elastic out. She stands beside me, with the gentlest of touches running her fingers through my hair, attempting in her own way to tuck strands behind my ear.* * *Peanut has learned how to climb on the sofa, a skill she proudly puts to use every few minutes.

Running out of words

2008-02-20T15:34:00.004-05:00

I feel like I'm running out of words. I sit at my computer and stare at the blank white screen, willing the thoughts to assemble themselves, the words to flow into prose, but it doesn't happen.Perhaps it is the weather, oppressive in its coldness, the steely sky, the blanket of snow, ice, rain. This endless winter.More likely, I find myself at a loss for words as I wait - patiently impatiently

Between ennui and exhaustion

2008-02-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Lies the state of this blog. It has not escaped my notice that the last time I posted was nearly three weeks ago. Forgive, please?This past week we put our house up on the market. In a stroke of genius timing, Mr Babbler arranged a nearly week-long business trip to start the day the house went on the market. Sometimes I get all the luck...I had spent the last several weeks preparing the house. Mr

Hello? Still out there?

2008-01-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

Hmm, are you still out there? I've been dreadfully remiss in my posting and visiting lately, I know. Apologies accepted? I am still here, though. A little battered, but still here. As my computer has been away, I've been making do with a computer that overheats after 10 minutes, and you must type one-handed to hold the wonky power adapter in place. Good times. But here I am, and I have so many

Recommendations anyone?

2008-01-03T20:52:00.001-05:00

So... can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced, data recovery company?Yup, the Macbook harddrive is dead. Apple will not do data recovery, so I must first pay to have data recovered (if I can afford it, I've heard quotes up to $3,500 at this point) and only then can I get the computer repaired.My last backup was in September. Peanut's birthday was in October. See where this is going?I feel

We interrupt this planned post...

2008-01-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

To announce that my beloved Macbook...My new Macbook...My three-month-old Macbook...Died today. The harddrive, spinning uselessly, went all retro on me, with the tap tap ba-bing! sound of a manual typewriter. There was fruitless re-booting, some prayers tossed to the saints of unbacked-up data, and some an abundance of cursing.Happy Fucking New Year.(as you were....)

2007 reads

2007-12-31T09:55:00.000-05:00

50. Digging to America - Anne Tyler49. Before I Wake - Robert J. Wiersema48. The Keep - Jennifer Egan47. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing - Melissa Bank46. The Septembers of Shiraz - Dalia Sofer45. Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli44. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle43. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen42. The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield41. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak40. Snow Flower

Happy whatever...

2007-12-24T20:55:00.000-05:00

I had many posts composed in my head about this, and other, holiday seasons.But then life intervened. There were parties! And visits! And driving across the province! And more parties! And more driving!...and then it was Christmas Eve. Tomorrow there will be much spoiling of the child, food food and more food and far too much chocolate.I'll be back after a few days with pictures and stories and

That love that shan't speak its name

2007-12-18T23:07:00.000-05:00

Fueled by kgirl's fetish admission in yesterday's comments, today I make an announcement.A confession, if you will.I loved, and still do love,Little House on the PrairieOkay, Little House on the Prairie. There, I've said it.I loved the books as a child, receiving the box set the summer between kindergarten and grade one. By September I had finished the series. I re-read it over and over again,

Winter time reading - and a challenge

2007-12-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a snow day here in Toronto. Is there anything better than snuggling in a nice warm blanket, watching some Sesame Street and reading books? Nope - I didn't think so!* * *I've decided to take part in a reading challenge for 2008. As I've mentioned before, I buy books. A lot of books. Although I may purchase these books, it doesn't necessarily mean I get around to reading every book on

This moment brought to you by Cookie Monster

2007-12-13T21:04:00.001-05:00

Dude, this has been in my head all day, causing me to have a snapping good time!

I'll think about it tomorrow (just not today)

2007-12-12T14:46:00.000-05:00

Today, Peanut paused in her play after lunch, abandoning her books and curled up on the floor with her lovey bunny. Seeing her lying there, I put aside the items I was tidying and got down on the floor with her, curling my body tightly around hers. Her head tucked up under my chin and body in a little ball in the curve of my hips and thighs, my arm rising and falling with her breath, the words of

Falling like dominoes

2007-12-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

Here I am - I've been away for the last week as we all fell like dominoes around these parts. The sickness came and it hit us hard. However, I did learn several valuable life lessons:Life Lesson #1If your daughter is going to have her first bout of projectile vomiting, it will occur on the evening when she has decided she is really hungry, and eats half a salmon fillet, a large quantity of

Sloooow as molasses in January...

2007-11-29T23:14:00.000-05:00

I think I'll just unload the dishwasher before bed. Put away three or four glasses.Well that's annoying. That glass isn't even close to clean.Set it aside for re-washing. Put a few plates in the cupboard.Ugh! That bowl is still dirty.Wait, so is this knife. And that spoon is filthy.. . . ? . . .Children are born. A Democratic president is elected. World hunger is solved. The ice caps re-form. . .

The doll

2007-11-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

Due to a fractured childhood that saw the disappearance of both of my parents by the age of 7, life with this Nana, and an eventual group home stint, I have very little of the memorabilia of childhood. One of the dolls I cherished as a child was my Cabbage Patch Kid, Cora Deanna. She was one of the early dolls, a pretty little thing with light brown yarn hair and a sweet-smelling face. Oh, how I

The Stolen Child

2007-11-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

Where dips the rocky highlandOf Sleuth Wood in the lake,There lies a leafy islandWhere flapping herons wakeThe drowsy water rats;There we've hid our faery vats,Full of berrysAnd of reddest stolen cherries.Come away, O human child!To the waters and the wildWith a faery, hand in hand,For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.Where the wave of moonlight glosses The dim gray sands

Introducing...

2007-11-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

So, this "introduction" has been sitting in my drafts folder for, oh, a month and a half. (Hey, it's still interesting now, right? Your readers are no longer inundated with introduction posts, right? It's an easy post to read during the crazy insane halcyon days of NaBloPoMo, right right right?) I thought I'd pull it out today, as I seem unable to pull together a coherent thought these days. Lots

A child is born

2007-11-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

Listen to the mustn'ts childListen to the don'tsListen to the shouldn'ts,the impossibles and the won'tsListen to the never havesThen listen close to meAnything can happen child Anything can be.-Shel SilversteinOne of my closest and dearest friends, Lady A and her husband R gave birth to their first child, a beautiful baby boy, late Wednesday evening.Is there anything better in the entire world

Sick Peanut

2007-11-14T23:02:00.000-05:00

Taking a brief moment while Peanut actually seems to be sleeping.Hysterical crying.Fever.Lethargy.This is how my day has gone today. Normally I'm not a worrier. We've had reflux. We've had teething. We've had colds. I'm pretty used to it, and not really an alarmist.However, today Peanut was completely lethargic and unhappy. All she wanted to do was lie in my arm, bunny clutched tight, as we

Me me, all about me(me)!

2007-11-13T22:57:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by the always interesting Megan over at Reflections in the Snow Covered Hills for the seven random facts about yourself meme.First, the rulesLink to your tagger and post the rules.Share seven facts about yourself, some random and some weird.Tag seven people at the end of the post and list their names.Let them know they were tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs. Alright. Seven

Tappin' toes, bouncin' along

2007-11-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

Tapping toes, wriggling in my seat, bouncing along.Good feelings on a cold and rainy Monday evening. Edited to add:This feel-good moment brought to you by Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way.

Overheard...

2007-11-11T21:10:00.001-05:00

Last night, on a rather full bus."I'm just going to cram my fat ol' ass right on in there, and I don't give a damn what anyone says...Because I'm from a small town where I was raised with manners!"

A year ago today (epilogue)

2007-11-10T21:50:00.000-05:00

A year ago today... Peanut and I saw the sunrise for the first time together.A year ago today...Peanut left the hospital.A year ago today...Peanut felt the sun and the wind on her face. A year ago today...We had our beginning.

Dear Wal-Mart mom

2007-11-09T21:47:00.001-05:00

Dear Wal-Mart Mom,At first I couldn't hear your children in the store. They seemed to be well-behaved kids.I could, however, hear you screeching and yelling at your kids from two aisles over.You swung into my aisle, barking at your son to do up his jacket. It was hot in the store, hot enough that I had taken Peanut's jacket off. You had your jacket wide open. Yet you yelled, repeatedly at your

Mouth already open - so simple, really, to insert foot

2007-11-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today I went to the dentist. Specifically I was visiting the hygienist for a scaling.Incidentally, is there any worse word in the English language than scaling? Couldn't they find a better, less fear inducing word than scaling? But I digress...I've recently begun visiting this dentist, and this was my first meeting with this particular hygienist. We traded the usual pleasantries, and she told me

Books books more books memes

2007-11-06T15:45:00.000-05:00

I borrowed stole this from doppelganger of 50 books (because really, with my weekend birthday party post, my crossroads redux post, my interview post from Aliki [haven't forgotten about it, really!] and my significant other meme post, why wouldn't I start another post instead of finishing those first?)1. Total number of books I own.I have to hang my head in shame, as I own over 2,000 books.

What the h*ll?

2007-11-02T22:44:00.000-04:00

Christmas music.Damn it, CHRISTMAS MUSIC.Everywhere.It is two months until Christmas, folks.Two. Damn. Months.Now please, take your Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and shove them up your...

Scenes from a Halloween evening

2007-10-31T22:15:00.000-04:00

* * *Thank you everyone for your kind words on my post the other day. I've had a chance to sift through my thoughts, and will likely post a follow-up explanation over the next few days. Rest assured, things are good here, and Mr Babbler, Peanut and I are doing great.I've been extremely delinquent in some of my housekeeping duties around here. In September the fine ladies Mad Hatter of Under the

Crossroads

2007-10-30T01:00:00.000-04:00

i stand at a crossroads* * *on my lefttaking the hurt, the rejection, the disappointmentand turning the other cheekself-deprecation as armortucking the words in a box and hiding it on a dusty shelf* * *on my rightmy beautiful, unspoilt daughterdeserving of so much more and none of thisand drawing a line in the sandthis ends now

Scenes from a birthday weekend

2007-10-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

A Peanut in a pumpkin patch. Family time at the zoo.Gifts!Birthday cake!For the Peanut's birthday we decided to spread out her birthday celebrations because A) we have a small house, B) we didn't want her to become overwhelmed and C) we really wanted to spend her actual birthday alone, just the three of us. Over the next two weekends we'll be having small parties, for family and friends, but

A year ago today (Part V)

2007-10-22T23:50:00.000-04:00

You can read Part I here.You can read Part II here.You can read Part III here.You can read Part IV here.A year ago today I gave birth to the Peanut. Such a simple sentence, but it encompasses so much more. I will apologize in advance for the perhaps scattered nature of this entry. Things happened so quickly that it feels that I have small vignettes of memory about the day.When I left the story

A year ago today (Part IV)

2007-10-21T22:40:00.000-04:00

You can read Part I here.You can read Part II here.You can read Part III here.A year ago today my day started with a whimper and ended with a bang. This day, it has so many details imprinted on my memory that I am unsure of how to proceed.I was still on bed rest in the hospital, but I had started to find a rhythm to my days. It was a Saturday, so I had many visitors who all came laden with gifts.

A year ago today (Part III)

2007-10-20T21:52:00.000-04:00

You can read Part I here.You can read Part II here.A year ago today I sat in a hospital bed all day, moving only to use the washroom. I had a battery of blood tests, was placed on a fetal monitor three times over the course of the day and ate some of the worst food ever (the vegetarian diet at the hospital? Beyond terrible. Seriously, it makes regular hospital food look like fine dining.) I read

In memoriam

2007-10-19T23:20:00.000-04:00

A year ago today, while I lay in the hospital, I missed the funeral for the father of one of my oldest friends. But this part of the story is not about me. It's about a man - a man we'll call A.I met A many years ago, as a teenager, brought home as a friend by his son. A was a good man, a kind man, a funny man, a true gentleman (oh, how he could charm the ladies. Old ladies, young ladies, women

A year ago today (Part II)

2007-10-18T13:00:00.001-04:00

You can read Part I here.What was I doing a year ago today? Ah, here the memory sharpens and becomes much clearer. The details pop, vividly, are crammed in my head as fresh as if the day happened merely yesterday, not a year ago. Will I always remember this much? This clearly?A year ago today I woke up and felt something that seemed a little off, nothing I could put my finger on definitively, but

A year ago today (Part I)

2007-10-17T22:05:00.001-04:00

What was I doing a year ago today? Can I remember?It was a day like any other, of that I'm sure, and yet from the vantage point of the future, it was a day entirely like any other. For it was to be the day that would mark the boundary between before and after. It was a day in which I unknowingly hung on the precipice.I was seven months pregnant, and of one thing I'm certain. It was a day in which

A thinly veiled request from a desperate book lover

2007-10-16T11:11:00.000-04:00

Edited 9:00 PMThis was a post about a certain event I was hoping to attend. I have since found the information I was looking for, so have edited this post to remove any potentially identifying details of my former life.Just in case they hunt me down, ya know?

Action and inadequacy - Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T22:11:00.000-04:00

I'm a little stunned today. There have been so many excellent posts today, and I am in awe.And I feel, well...Lazy.Shocked.Scared.Overwhelmed.Inadequate.I want, so desperately, to do more for the environment, but sometimes it's so difficult.We're trying. We're made the little changes.We've purchased the reusable bags - and I'm trying to remember to bring them with me when I shop.We own only

Losing the war, but winning the battles - Breast Fest 2007

2007-10-10T21:15:00.000-04:00

Today was the fabulous Breast Fest. There have been posts, there have been videos, there have been beautiful photos.I have no photos.I have no video.I do, though, have our story.When your baby is born early, you will realize, very rapidly, that your entire birth experience will slip through your fingers, handed over to the specialists who will be tasked with stabilizing your baby. Many hands (not

On the jagged edge of frustration (and guilt)

2007-10-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

The day started out beautifully enough. Some much longed for cooler weather. A reasonable wake up call. Play time together.Naptime. A decent length of an hour and half (not the Marathon Naps that some enjoy, but we sleep through the night, so I can't really complain). Then some shopping and lunch out. We had a wonderful time, smiles and giggles. New clothes purchased, a cozy knitted hat and

To pee or not to pee

2007-10-03T10:52:00.000-04:00

To pee or not to pee - that is the question.Witnessed today in the IKEA parking lot, early afternoon:A mother with her son, approximately three years of age, in front of one of the planters/lane dividers. The mother was helping him to aim his "peepee" at the concrete. There was no attempt at concealing the activity in question, as the son took obvious delight in the giant mark he was making on

Help a girl out (please?)

2007-10-02T21:40:00.000-04:00

Here I am, two days into the "post a day" challenge, and I've got nothing.Nothing.That would be due to the overwhelming sickness that overtook me in the middle of the night. No warning, just suddenly a bout of wicked flu-like symptoms. I'm going to blame it on the birthday party at the petri dish they call Gymboree, but at least it was me that got sick and not the Peanut. Mr Babbler ended up

Shiny! New! MacBook!

2007-10-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

Apparently I pissed off my crappy old Averatec PC by speaking poorly of it, because mere hours after I posted about the destruction of my trusty old Powerbook, the PC crapped out. The battery had already long since gone on it, so it was only useful with the power adapter. Unfortunately, the connector on the inside of the laptop started to fail, so that only by holding the cord at the right angle

Oh humble computer gods, why hast thou forsaken me?

2007-09-27T15:25:00.000-04:00

Did I not toss enough alms at your shiny white stores? Did I not show the proper gratitude to your humble servants geniuses? Did I not listen to, and accept, the word of Jobs? Did I not genuflect daily to the mighty Macbook, symbol of your infinite power and supreme rule?Why then? Why hast though forsaken me? Where was my guardian angel hero MacGuy when I needed him to step in and save my world

Using my muscles this weekend

2007-09-25T23:00:00.000-04:00

A little while ago Her Bad Mother put out the call. Many of you have read Tanner's story before, and there has been great generosity shown by the blogging community.This Sunday is the 5K Charity Challenge Walk as part of the Waterfront Marathon. I'll be lacing on my shiny white freshly broken in runners, tossing on some workout wear (do I have workout wear?) and getting up at a ridiculously

Telemarketer negotiations 101

2007-09-24T21:08:00.000-04:00

The phone rings. It is the subscription service (again) for a to-remain-nameless Toronto newspaper."Good afternoon ma'am. How are you today?" says the young man on the other end of the line."Fine thank you.""Great. For the last few weeks you've been enjoying our complimentary weekly service of our newspaper. However, our records show that on September 29 your free subscription will expire. I also

Value of the victim

2007-09-23T23:15:00.000-04:00

This past week in Toronto, a woman died after undergoing cosmetic surgery that was performed at a private clinic. This is certainly a tragic story, to be sure, and I in no way intend to minimize what her family is going through at this time.But I do have a problem with how heavily publicized this case is, and the reason, as I see it, for the intense media scrutiny and coverage. The story has been

Oh, the difference a week two weeks makes

2007-09-19T22:43:00.000-04:00

Because the days seem to have slipped by this week (but also because I've been stuck in a state of bloggy-inertia for the last week - too much to say, too little time, posts bouncing around in my head) this has been ready and sitting in my drafts folder for six days.The Peanut is nearly 11 months old (but only nine months adjusted). For us, that has meant waiting a bit longer than most for some

A life unknown

2007-09-12T21:55:00.000-04:00

Edited to correct spelling errors.From the time I was three years old until I was twelve years old I was raised by my maternal grandmother - my Nana. My Nana was a formidable, complicated woman. No, complicated is too simple a word, and doesn't come nearly close enough to describing the breadth of contradictions in her character.Dorothy, Dot to her friends, was a smart, intelligent, articulate

Tuesday tidbits

2007-09-11T21:26:00.000-04:00

In lieu of one cohesive post, I offer some tidbits, this Tuesday, September 11.* * *Yesterday in the Shoppers Drug Mart I saw perhaps the most awesome statement on aging. I was passing the "family planning" aisle when I stopped dead. There, in the condom section, perusing, deliberating and giving great consideration to the selection, comparing brands and features (ribbed versus bumped), was a

Again (always) yes

2007-09-07T14:39:00.000-04:00

A long (short) time ago Before careers, so stressful Before home ownership (endless renovations) Before the passing of loved ones Before Peanut (did we ever understand how deeply we can love?) There was a night Planned for weeks And a dinner Glasses of wine on the beach You so nervous (so very nervous)