Yesterday I held a rooster in my hands for the first time ever! This exact white rooster. His name is Sylvester, and he belongs to friends of ours, as does this picture.
I was a little freaked out at first because my history with flapping, fluttering things is not very good. But I highly recommend holding a calm rooster. It’s like holding a cat, except it’s far more exhilarating.
Trying new things is good. I should do it more often!
Hope you all had a lovely Christmas! We did!
I am pleased to announce the winner of our last regularly scheduled Saturday contest, Meg S.!
Meg won the lovely book shown above, Prince Edward Island Seen From Away. Congratulations!
Meg, please email me your mailing address and I’ll send the book to you. But I am sad to say that I will not be sending you the stocking labeled Hank (a second-hand store find, I have no idea who Hank is), nor will you be receiving the Christmas orange that’s peeking out of the top of the stocking.
Oh, Christmas oranges. Did you get one this year in your stocking? We usually got one in our stockings as we were growing up, if I remember correctly.
If you feel jilted about your Christmas goodies this year, please consider the Christmas orange!
For many Islanders, the most vivid, evocative memory of that blessed [Christmas] time is the memory of an orange in the toe of their stocking. One woman from a large family said that at her home you were fortunate if you received a whole orange for yourself. She recalled some lean years when she received half an orange, and was happy for it.
For children who ate oatmeal porridge for breakfast virtually every day of their lives, and had molasses on bread most days in their school lunch; for children who looked at fried potatoes almost every evening for supper and considered turnip scrapings a special evening snack; for these children an orange was a marvel, something almost too wonderful and prized to be eaten–an exotic, sensuous wonder.
One woman confessed that she kept her orange for a week after Christmas, kept it in a drawer. Several times a day she would go to her hiding place and take out the orange just to fondle it, and smell it, and to anticipate joyously the pleasure which was to come. Eventually, it had to be eaten: deliberately, unhurriedly, ceremoniously, and gratefully. Piece by piece, and finally the peeling–it was all eaten, and it was all good.
From Them Times
by David Weale.
Doesn’t that make you want to hug someone (or hug an orange)?
It’s Christmas! I just wanted to say all those good, happy greetings that should be said on a day like today!
Don’t you love these images? They were created by Whimfield friend and graphic designer, Michelle.
I think I was only supposed to share one, but I couldn’t choose just one!
We are laying low today. I’m missing my family back home in BC. I can’t believe this is our second Christmas on our own!
That being said, we’re very happy to be puttering around our house on Christmas today.
As vegetarians, we’ll be making a gourmet pasta dinner with garlic bread. And we’ll have pumpkin pie for dessert. If I have my way, Bing Crosby and other pleasant Christmas tunes will be playing all day.
Happy, merry, wonderful day to all!
Around this time last year, we were driving across the country with all our stuff in a trailer behind our car. We were driving to the maritimes, but beyond that we weren’t sure where we’d end up. As we traveled, we spent Christmas eve sleeping in our car, with our Christmas decorations packed away in a box at the back of the trailer.
Because we didn’t have a Christmas tree last year, it was crucial to me to get a tree up this year.
Yesterday, we trudged out to the back of our property and picked our tree.
Once we lugged the tree home, we got to work setting up the tree.
For some strange reason we’ve never had our own Christmas tree stand. So once again we were perplexed about how to get the thing to stand up. After much fussing about, the tree was standing on its own.
It was exciting to be able to crack open my box of Christmas decorations, which we hadn’t used in a long time.
The tree is humble and a little spindly. But that’s the way I like them.
It took us until a few days before Christmas to get into the Christmas spirit.
But the decorations are up now, and that’s what’s important. There’s nothing wrong with being a procrastinator if you get the thing done in the end, right? Right!
When are you supposed to put up your Christmas tree? Because it’s almost Christmas and we still haven’t put up a tree or any decorations yet.
I did send out about six Christmas cards, and I think we played Christmas music once, but that’s been the extent of our celebrating so far.
I have a vague recollection that I used to be involved in Christmas. I think there were Christmas trees and wreath-making and shopping and family dinners.
In fact, I even dug out a few pictures from Christmas pasts to prove it.
I was recently writing to a graphic designer friend about posting a Christmas-themed post here at Whimfield, and I said, “Maybe we should wait until a little closer to Christmas.” And she said, “Um, Laura-Jane, Christmas is almost here!” It seems that she was right.
But I think that soon…we’ll be doing something Christmassy…very soon. We have to!
Welcome to the final Saturday Whimfield contest!
My stash of prizes has grown low, so be sure to enter this contest as this might be your last chance to receive free stuff from our rickety little house in the middle of a snowy field!
(If you’re reading this and thinking, “Hey, I’ve got free stuff that Whimfield could give away,” then you should email laura-jane@whimfield.com. Because you could get good karma and some kind of public love and gratitude, and then I’d be able to give away more free stuff, which is, like, my favourite thing to do. I like it much better than washing dishes and clearing snow from long driveways. Prizes great and small are welcome! No requirements, really, whatever it is just needs to be…mailable. So no puppies. No giant pumpkins. Other than that, anything goes.)
I recently joined a writers’ group, and I’ve met some amazing people there…including my good friend Gary who was kind enough to drive me all over Eastern Kings recently. Thank you, Gary!
One of the members of the group wrote a book, Prince Edward Island Seen From Away, which is a great read about all things Prince Edward Islandian. This book would have been a great resource for us when we were planning to move to PEI, because it touches on a lot of the issues a newcomer would want to know about–especially this whole being “from away” business.
Being From Away
When we were planning to move to the maritimes, in our online research we kept coming across phrases like “Oh, she was from away,” and “Is he a CFA?”
Being west-coasters, we’d never heard of these expressions, and we learned what they meant along the way. Basically, being “from away” means that you weren’t originally from the area. In other words, you were born elsewhere. If you “came from away” (came from somewhere else), then you are a CFA.
Before we moved here, I was a little nervous about being an outsider–being “from away”. I worried that we’d stick out. I worried that we would be treated differently. But although we might stick out a little (especially at the beginning when we had BC license plates and needed directions to get anywhere) we’ve basically had nothing but good experiences as a result of our “from away-ness”.
Win the Book
Tom Schultz’s book, Prince Edward Island Seen From Away, does not focus exclusively on the topic of being “from away.” It gives a great overview of the island and what it’s like to live here today. From the book jacket:
This book describes the people, places, and practices of Prince Edward Island, Canada, as seen by a recent newcomer. “From away” is the local term for anyone not born on the island, no matter how long they have lived there. This book can be a useful visitor’s guide or a tool to help long-time Islanders recover an appreciation for the things they have stopped noticing because of long familiarity.
You can buy this book from Amazon
I’d love to mail a copy of the book to you. In order to be eligible to win the book, just leave a comment below somehow related to this post. Come back next Saturday to find out whether you’ve won.Feel free to enter this contest until the end of the day on Friday, December 26th. If the comments are still open below then the contest is still on.
Here I am, exiting stage left singing, “I’m from away and that’s okay!”
I’ve often toyed with the idea of getting a dog. They’re so cute and warm and cuddly. Don’t you just want one?
I mean, look at this one, our neighbour’s dog, Angel. She comes and visits us once in a blue moon. She looks menacing, but I’ve never trusted a dog more than I trust this one. Although she’s energetic, she’s the sweetest, gentlest dog I’ve ever experienced.
But seriously, do we really want a dog of our own? Should we get a dog?
Right now we have no dependent responsibilities: no children, no pets, not even any houseplants (except one tiny aloe vera plant that I never water). And I have to say, I kind of like it that way. For now anyway.
Of course, there are times when it would be wonderful to have a dog, like when you’re taking a walk in the woods or curled up near the fire. But there are many times when I think, “Pheeouph, thank goodness we don’t have…anything!”
For some, taking on responsibilities come easily. For me, it takes a lot of thought, and in the end I usually opt for supreme independence. I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s the way I am.
So for now, there’ll be no dog racing around our fields and following us around the house. But I’m okay with that. In fact, more often than not it makes me say, “Pheeouph!”
You know those people who work full-time, raise children, volunteer, keep house, paint, sing, garden, and do yoga six days a week? There seem to be a lot of these productive people around, but I’m saddened to report that I’m not one of them.
But although I’m no time management expert, I have spent a lot of time thinking about this topic and I do use some tactics that you might find useful in creating more free time in your own life. Or to put it in a different light, to accomplish more of the things you want to spend time on.
As I was growing up and becoming an adult, I struggled with the expectations that I put on myself. I wanted to be a top student (then later a valued employee), cellist, weekend curler, wonderful girlfriend, attentive granddaughter, supportive sister, good friend, healthy eater, active exerciser, and an avid blogger.
How to maximize your free time
After many stressful fits of crying and feeling overwhelmed with the stress that I put on myself, I came to some serious insights about time-management:
There’s something about putting your life down on paper–and realizing how much time you spend on each task–that’s really eye-opening and encourages you to make changes and see your schedule in a different light.
I made a list about two years ago and it changed my life.
For example, looking at my list, I realized that I spent a lot of time getting ready in the morning, most of which was spent doing my hair. (Don’t laugh! This is serious business!) Making my list eventually led to me cutting my long hair short.
My hair has since grown back, but cutting my hair was just the beginning for me.
After taking a look at my list, I realized that there was just no time for exercise, even though I wanted to bump it up higher on my life-list. “There are too many other tasks already taking up my day,” I thought, “especially that long drive to work! Nope, no time for exercise…”
“Hmm, wait a minute,” I thought, “that long drive to work that sucked up all my time… What if I just rode a bike to work instead?”
I made the decision to ride my bike to work on a daily basis (45-minute bike commute each way) as a direct result of making this list.
For a while I was happy with the changes that I made, and they definitely improved my work/life balance. But six months later we found ourselves making another list together, which ended up with us starting the whole journey that we’re on: moving across the country and all that jazz that we’re doing these days.
Now that our lives are totally different, I’ve revamped my list once again. Right now I have bumped “being creative” to the very top of my life-list, and I am happier than I’ve ever been.
But, like any list, when you bump something up to the top, something else gets bumped down. Right now, cleaning is (still) at the very bottom of my priority list. People often ask me how I find the time to keep this blog going, and I answer, “Have you seen my house? It’s a mess!”
Seriously, it’s true. I credit all of my achievements to overflowing laundry baskets and dusty knick-knacks.
Just wanted to congratulate Kim, who won a copy of the book “Roughing it in the Bush” by Susanna Moodie in last Saturday’s contest!
Kim’s favourite book:
City of Joy
by Dominique LaPierreThis novel tells the true life story of a priest who ministers to the inhabitants of a slum in India’s Kolkatta (now known as Calcutta.) An incredible read, and one that never fails to uplift my spirit and make me appreciate everything that I have in my life.
From Kim’s description, the book sounds good to me. I’ll be adding it to my list of books that I should read… Somehow my to-be-read list keeps growing and I never actually read anything… But I foresee some stage in the future where I’ll make more time for reading books.
There were many good books mentioned by all of you. A few that I had read (some of the Foxfire books, Dickens’ Great Expectations, Orwell’s 1984, lots of Agatha Christies, Anne of Green Gables books, Little House Books, some Plato, Kerouac’s On the Road, ) and many more that will be going on my list.
Thanks to Nic for mentioning Woodswoman: Living Alone in the Adirondack Wilderness
I also really liked what Phil wrote about his favourite book:
Hmm. Many great books on peoples’ lists here. As for myself, my favorite book I have is a little pocket atlas that my sister purchased for my from the J. Peterman catalog (which means, every time I look through it, I do the “Seinfeld†voice: “Elaine…â€).
I take this little book traveling with me, and use it as a communication-barrier breaker: I’ll turn to the Washington state picture and show my little town, then turn to the page of the country I’m visiting (say, the Philippines) and find their little town. Then, I might turn to some other maps of other countries I’ve visited, and share some stories. Great way to connect with people.
Other times, I’ll be traveling with a group for service trips, and we’ll often have lots of down-time (waiting for flights, rental vans, etc.). So, I’ll break out the Pocket Atlas, pass it around, and ask people to share stories of places they’ve visited. People really open up when they get to share stories about themselves, and I get to hear some great stories in the meantime.
A number of you mentioned the book Into the Wild
In book or movie form, Into the Wild
From the Wikipedia article (spoiler alert!):
Christopher McCandless was an American wanderer who hiked into the Alaskan wilderness with little food and equipment, hoping to live a period of solitude. Nearly four months later, he died of starvation near Denali National Park and Preserve. In 1996, Jon Krakauer wrote a book about his life, Into the Wild, which inspired a 2007 film of the same name.
I love reading. I really should read more! Thanks for all your creative recommendations.
I love snow.
I can’t help but love snow because it covers everything with such a perfect white blanket.
When covered in snow, our yard transforms from unkempt and overgrown to pristine and well-manicured.
When I look at our yard covered in snow, I see it at its best. All imperfections fade into the background and all I can see is the good.
This characteristic of snow reminds me of characteristics particular to good friends.
There are Those Who Bring You Down
We’ve all had friends, family members, co-workers, or people in our lives who end up making us feel insignificant, inferior, boring, unattractive, worthless, unimportant, unintelligent, and all those other feelings that feel negative. They look at us as though our imperfections are shining through and that’s all they can see.
There are Those Who Bring You Up
But hopefully you’ve also experienced what it’s like to have someone make you feel significant, interesting, likable, lovable, unique, special, smart, and all those other feelings that feel so good. They see us through a blanket of snow and focus on the wonderful, likable parts that are within us all.
Whoever it was, they looked at you and saw your potential. What you could be. What made you wonderful. They “got” you. They recognized your best qualities. They recognized what a jewel you are.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience this feeling from a few people in my life, and boy does it ever feel good.
Turning the Tables: Being One or the Other
In my own life, I strive to be someone who brings people up rather than be someone who brings people down. I strive to recognize the best qualities in others rather than focus on the negatives.
That being said, I am not perfect! I strive to do this; but I’m the first to admit that I don’t always succeed. But my intentions are good!
A couple of years ago I read Mitch Albom’s super-popular book Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lessons. Although the book didn’t particularly resonate with me as much as I thought it would, I do remember one passage that has stuck with me and probably will for years to come.
In the book, Morrie told a story about a man who gave everyone he spoke with his full, undivided attention. No matter who the man met, he would search for something to genuinely like, appreciate, or admire about the other person–no matter what the person’s background. The man believed that if you look hard enough, there’s common ground and something to like in every person who walks this planet. To me, this reminds me of looking at others through a blanket of snow.
Imperfections fade into the background and it’s easier to see the good.
So yes, I love snow. It makes me happy. (Except when it comes to our driveway, of course.)
