Wednesday 30 November 2011

Get Involved Animated Video

My first attempt at an animated video. Go Animate is a cute little program that is very easy to use. They have a political section that I haven't tried yet but am looking forward to it. Have a look.

misskimmy

http://goanimate.com/movie/03rGfIOiD0SE?utm_source=linkshare&uid=0Rp4_0kmQTxo

Friday 18 November 2011

The favorite moment of my life...thus far

If someone had asked me this question 30 years ago I would have quickly responded, my wedding day of course. Two years later it would have been more difficult but the birth of my first daughter would have been the winner. As time went on and two more daughters were born, it would have been a three way tie for each of their births. Now I have to add the birth of our grandson to this mix. I guess the point I am making is that all of us have many favorite moments in our lives and to try to choose just one becomes almost impossible the older we get.

Some of my favorite moments and memories have nothing to do with life changing events. They are the simple memories of children decorating mittens at the kitchen table, the cake that turned out especially nice, or a walk along the river in the autumn as the leaves fall. We need to take time to "smell the roses" and appreciate the bounty of our lives.

misskimmy

Thursday 17 November 2011

Using the f-word on social media

I heard about it through twitter, the use of the f-word on his twitter account by a Member of Parliament from Manitoba. I have to say I find this to be very disturbing. To also hear that this MP feels he was right in doing so is even more incredible. Throughout the day as I have listened to the news, bits and pieces have come out about whether or not twitter is a private or a public conversation. I have also heard that this particular elected official has over 3500 followers. I don't know about you but I don't see that as a private conversation.

Don't get me wrong, I respect a person's right to be angry, frustrated and annoyed at things. I understand that people vent. What I have an issue with is that this public figure chose to use language that would not be appropriate were he speaking in person to his supporters and followers. We talk about trying to get young people involved in politics. I am not so blind as to think young people do not use this word but I do feel that it displays a disrespect that is too prevalent in this world. Maybe I am being thin skinned but I think there were other options he could have used to express his feelings.

There are guidelines for what can be posted on facebook and posts that are removed because they are unsuitable. This to me indicates that society is concerned with people's very public activities on social media. I don't know that setting strict rules is the answer. I would like to think that people who are in the public eye would appreciate the role they play as role models and conduct their actions accordingly. I hope others do as well.

misskimmy

Wednesday 16 November 2011

A little early for Christmas?

How many of you have noticed that Christmas merchandising begins before Halloween these days. Department stores seem unable to contain their excitement as their shelves are depleted of spooky costumes, scary decorations, and of course, miniature candy bars, providing them room to begin socking those sames shelves with gaudy red, green, silver, and gold decorations, LED lights and artificial Christmas trees. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas! I love the decorations, the scent of steaming chocolate and apple cider, and the music.
That said, I remember as a child anxiously awaiting the arrival of the animated windows at the downtown Eaton's store. This was a favorite excursion of my family where we would gather with our cousins to gaze at the festive displays. Our parents would buy each of us a hot chocolate and some hot roasted cashews from a street vendor, they never tasted better. I somehow cannot believe this would have been as magical if it had occurred before we'd had our evening of trick or treating.

It seems as though the events of life are all running into each other and our holidays are being dictated by the merchandising department of the local mall. Even if you prefer not to decorate prior to American Thanksgiving, my personal preference, or the first of December, you are almost forced into it by the retailers' calendar. If you wait to purchase new decorations, they very well may not be there, having been sold before you get there. This goes the same for the latest new toy. Every year, there is that one toy that every child wants. If you are the unfortunate parent that did not plan ahead and make your purchase in October, well you just might be out of luck.

Perhaps much of the problem boils down to the consumerism of Christmas. It might sound funny now but I remember when I looked forward to receiving a mandarin orange in the toe of my stocking. Today, these are available in September, if not all year round. Maybe we have allowed ourselves to fall into the trap of Christmas being a flurry of shopping and buying the biggest gift under the tree. Of having the best decorated tree. Of having the best outdoor light display.

I am getting off my main topic of Christmas now lasting for three months. It just seems to me that spreading it out over this amount of time does take some of the wonder and amazement out of this special time. Maybe I am just being nostalgic about Christmas' of my past. Maybe spreading Christmas over this amount of time allows for more joy. Oh well, not time to think about this now, must get my office tree decorated!

misskimmy

Tuesday 15 November 2011

On My Front Porch Looking In

I am a huge fan of country music, I think in part because it speaks to me. One of my favorite songs is, On My Front Porch Looking In, by Lonestar. It is a husband and father singing about his favorite view, that of his family through the front window of his home.

I can really relate to this message. When I think of my favorite places in the world, every one of them is better when shared with my family. To see Disneyland through the eyes of my grandson, is to see it with fresh eyes of my own. To have the opportunity to share special times with my husband, daughters and grandson is priceless.

I would have to say though that my favorite place in the world is our home. Yes, we may be in the midst of paint and dust at the moment, but there is nothing better than sitting out in the yard with no other houses in site and enjoying a glass of my favorite wine. The peacefulness is breathtaking. At certain times of the year you can see the Northern Lights from our yard and as our grandson says, "all the stars in the world!".

Monday 14 November 2011

Life Happens

Hi All,

As you can see I have been absent from my blog for the past for days. What can I say, life happens. This weekend our four year old grandson was visiting us and if this was not enough to take all of my time, we decided to paint our kitchen and laundry room as well! I can confirm for those who are wondering, yes it does take some skill to manage a four year old with a paint brush.

I am feeling somewhat guilty about missing four days of the November challenge but then again, I think I would feel much more guilty about not spending quality time with my family (ok so maybe considering painting the kitchen as quality time is a stretch) when they wanted me to. My husband is working hard to create the home we have always wanted and I feel it is important to support him in his work, besides this way I got to choose the color.

So now it is back to work and back to blogging for me. À bientôt!

misskimmy

Wednesday 9 November 2011

When was the first time that you realized that your home was not like other people's homes?

When I was a little girl I often wondered why it was that some people kept the wrapping on their livingroom furniture after it was delivered. It was always set up in the front of the house, seemingly ready to be lived in but there it was, that plastic wrap that hadn't been removed. When I got a little older I was invited to visit these plastic wrapped front rooms on special occasions, like Baptisms and First Communions, I came to realize that the plastic was meant to stay on the furniture!

In our home, the front room was the living room and we lived in it. This was where my brother and I would play after school and where my parents would sit to watch Carol Burnett on television. It was a warm and friendly room decorated with family photos and knick knacks collected during various vacations. When visitors would come over my mother would make sure it was neat and tidy and plump up the nice cushions on the sofa for our guests. No one seemed to mind that the edges of the arm chair were a little worm where my dad rested his coffee cup. They just relaxed and enjoyed themselves as my mom brought them a second helping of homemade apple pie.

Yes, our home was different than that of some other families, better I think.

misskimmy

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Congratulations to Premier Brad Wall and his team!

I will stray from the writing prompt today as I want to send my congratulations and best wishes to Premier Brad Wall and his team in Saskatchewan. What a fantastic win they had last night. A win that will benefit all of Saskatchewan. As Premier Wall has said, what a wonderful contribution of countless volunteer hours, not only during the 28 days of the campaign, but in the weeks and months leading up to Election Day.

It takes a lot of work to run a campaign and I salute the folks who gave freely of their time to knock on doors, make phone calls, stuff envelopes and all of the other activities that make a campaign run. They chose to volunteer because they believe in Premier Wall and what he is doing for the future of Saskatchewan.

So congratulations my friends, you did a great job!

misskimmy

Monday 7 November 2011

Balancing family and work life

How do you find the time to do all of that? This question often comes up during conversations with friends as we discuss my latest challenge. (Most recent of of which is enrolling in a university writing certificate program.) My answer; I am fortunate to have a very supportive family.

My husband has always been very supportive of my endeavors. When our girls were young, he rearranged his work so I could take on a project that was important to me. This way he could be home with our daughters in the early part of the day while I was at work. I must admit my day did begin at 6:00 am so I guess both of us made adjustments. Our daughters grew up knowing that it was important for families to stick together and support each other, even if it wasn't always easy.

I often hear complaints from friends that even though they are working full time, they are still the main caregiver in the home and have a hard time getting their husband to do housework or babysit the children. My response to this is that the children have two parents and we never considered that my husband was "babysitting". Although I dislike the term parenting, this is what he was doing. As far as housework goes, again I am lucky to have a husband who shares in it 50/50. (I must admit he gets the yucky 50%)

My recipe for balancing family and work life, to sit down and honestly discuss your family's needs and work out a plan together on how to make it work. Having the best husband in the world helps too!

misskimmy

Sunday 6 November 2011

Tim Horton's Capuccinos and Lattes?

Well they have done it. Tim Horton's has introduced specialty drinks in their Canadian stores. I'm not certain how I feel about this. Tim's for me is the place I stop into for a cup of coffee after a football or hockey game. When I think about enjoying a latte or cappuccino, I think of Starbuck's. Maybe this is an idea cultivated in me by a slick advertising firm but I can't imagine myself settling in at Tim's with my laptop or a good book for a relaxing afternoon. Somehow the lighting and lack of background music just doesn't create that ambiance I am looking for.

McDonald's has been renovating their restaurants to include McCafe's. Again, I'm not sure if this would be my choice location for an hour of study. Something about sitting in a plastic seat next to a family eating chicken nuggets doesn't set the mood for me. In fairness, I must admit that I have been to some very upscale McDonald's locations. The one in Asheville, NC, comes to mind. Ashville is the home of the Builtmore Estate and the MacDonald's restaurant there is equipped with a baby grand piano. (yes, I admit it, I did enjoy an iced latte at this location)

I guess the point I am trying to make is that sometimes businesses should stick to what they are good at and not try to be all to everyone. If Tim's changes too much, where will I stop after that football or hockey?

Saturday 5 November 2011

Nellie McClung Would be Ashamed!

Recently, a friend came to my home to help with some envelope stuffing for a political organization. As we worked, a news report came on about the "Occupy" protests, my friend expressed her concern that while this protest may indeed have begun with good reasons, it appeared that those reasons had been lost over the past weeks.
My friend has been involved with many volunteer organizations over the years. Some of these organizations have been political. She believes that the time she gives to a political organization provides her with the opportunity to be directly involved with the democratic process. She also believes that the most basic way to get involved is by exercising your right to vote. I think one of her greatest concerns with the "Occupy" protesters was when she heard some of them say they hadn't had the time to vote in the recent Ontario Election. Worse, this comment came from a young woman.
I can understand my friend's frustration with this comment and the attitude of many young women who do not take the time to exercise their right to vote. This right was long fought for and only granted to women in Canada in 1918, less than 100 years ago. The fight did not end there. The following year, 1919, women were granted the right to run for election to the House of Commons. Agnes MacPhail was elected as the first female Member of Parliament in 1921.
Although Miss MacPhail had been elected as a Member of Parliament, she, and all other Canadian women, were not eligible to be nominated to the Senate. This stemmed from the understanding that the word "person" in Section 24 of the British North America Act referred to men and not women. This was not acceptable to a group of five women from western Canada who took their fight to the  Supreme Court of Canada and losing there, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of Great Britain. Here, they achieved success and the previous Supreme Court decision was reversed.
I cannot imagine any of the women in this group, including our own Nellie McClung, saying they just hadn't had the time to vote. These women found the time not only to vote but also to fight for equality of women. This was not an easy road. I believe they would be saddened to hear women say they couldn't make time in their day to simply cast a ballot.
Back to my friend. She is a lot like those five strong women. She takes her civic duty seriously and would never dream of not voting in an election. She makes sure to take the time to understand the issues and get involved in the election process. She gives countless hours to support her chosen candidate and never sees a job as beneath her. She does this because she understands how fortunate she is to live in a country where she can participate in the democratic process.
misskimmy

Friday 4 November 2011

What is it about snow that turns people into terrible drivers?!

No matter how many years I commute into this city, I will never understand what happens to seemingly sane people at the first sign of the "white stuff". Although we know that this day will come each and every year, there are always a large number of folks who seemed surprised when it does. Put snow tires on your vehicle...bah why would you do that? You would rather slip and slide and blame someone else for not clearing the road quick enough. Then there are those who believe their snow tires and four wheel drive makes them super human. They laugh at the rest of us as they zoom by on the right shoulder...until they slide off the road that is. If we are lucky they will not take any of the rest of us with them as they lose control. Perhaps their winter tires have special suction cups that help them stick to the ice.

And no need to fear if you missed this morning's commute, it will be repeated throughout the winter after each break in the weather. Every Chinook could mean winter is over and then oops there comes that nasty snow again, sneaking up on us! And we thought spring was here...in January! Even Balzac Billy doesn't hope for that until February 2nd.

I'll close with a request to all of you who will be commuting home this evening...please, please, please just take it easy and have a safe drive.

misskimmy

Thursday 3 November 2011

Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?

So far, so good, third day of November and third blog post. Thank goodness I CAN write and listen to music! From the time I was a young child, even as an infant, music has been a huge part of my life. I grew up listening to my mother playing Elvis, Chubby Checkers and Tom Jones on the console stereo that was her prized possession. She would tell stories of me "twisting" in my diaper before I could walk. I'm not certain if I learned to talk or to sing first.  When I began school, the biggest excitement for me were choir try-outs. As you can see, music is very important to me. When I sit down to write, I enjoy listening to classical music. One of my favorites is Pachebel:Canon in D. In fact I am listening to it as I write this entry. It doesn't matter how many times I hear this, it must makes me feel creative! Can I listen to music and write...you betcha!

misskimmy

Wednesday 2 November 2011

If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?

Wow, what a difficult question! I know what my answer would be if the question was, "Who would you want to eat your last meal with?". That would be easy, I would want to share my final meal with my family and close friends. What would be in that meal? I think I would like to have my favorite things like a nice roast turkey, made just the way my maternal grandmother did it with fresh sage leaves tucked under the skin. I would make sure to have my husband's favorite pickled beats, the cranberry jelly that my daughters' prefer and some macaroni and cheese for my little grandson. I would add some brussel sprouts, cooked with lemon pepper (I am eternally grateful to the friend who suggested I add the lemon pepper so my children would eat them), mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potato pie with sweet whipped cream, and my favorite buttermik biscuits from my grama's recipe book. To end the meal there would be a big pot of piping hot tea, served with gingersnaps and fruited shortbread cookies. Hmmm...I'm getting hungry already :)

misskimmy

Challenging myself!



I've decided to challenge myself to writing a blog entry every day in November by registering for NaBloPoMo on BlogHer. There will be a blog prompt for each day so I don't yet know what I will be writing about...a little scary but I'm going to give it a try. You can find info on the challenge at http://www.blogher.com/blogher-topics/blogging-social-media/nablopomo

misskimmy

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Happy 40th Birthday to the Toronto Sun!

Why am I wishing a happy birthday to a newspaper from across the country? That little newspaper that grew changed the way that people read the news in this country. Before the Toronto Sun, newspapers were broadsheets, had many sections and were not easy to read on a bus or a train. The Sun came in with a tabloid format based on those in London England and voila, easy reading for commuters. Prior to this most of my friends parents read the paper in the evening when they got home from work. In fact, many of the papers were only delivered in the afternoon. How times have changed. It is hard to imagine waiting until the afternoon to get our daily dose of news. Today with twitter and google we are receiving news as it happens.

I also have a personal connection to the paper, I can remember my mother speaking with her cousin Floyd about the new newspaper he was going to work for. He had been with the Toronto Telegram and was very excited to have gotten work with the new paper to be launched in place of the failing Telegram. My Dad saved a copy of the final issue of the Telegram and one of the first issue of the Sun, papers long since lost in a move. This was big news. Many people thought this little paper would fail within the year but it not only survived, it thrived and helped to shape the way Canadians get their news in cities right across the country.

Monday 31 October 2011

Happy Halloween, if your school allows it!

Listening to the news on my car radio this morning I was very distressed to hear about yet another school banning Halloween. I find this very disturbing as Halloween is a part of our culture...yes I said it, Halloween is a part of our culture. I am sure that many of us remember trick or treating at our neighbours' homes on a snowy late October evening, making sure we only approached those who had a jack-o-lantern on their porch or the outside light on.

I also remember that many a year my mother would have me so bundled up that my costume was difficult to recognize. I was ok with this because earlier in the day I had been able to wear my costume in all its glory at my classroom Halloween party! We didn't wear our costumes all day, they were carefully put on during the lunch hour and then proudly worn as we shared cupcakes and goodies that our talented volunteer moms had provided. Even the adults seemed to have a good time.

I am happy that my little grandson's school is having a Halloween party this afternoon so he too will have memories of sharing this holiday with his friends.

misskimmy

Sunday 30 October 2011

Getting back into the groove

Although I have been studying french for the past 3 years, this is my first trip back into studying and working on a certificate. I was a bit hesitant at the beginning and by week 2 was feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of reading and writing I had taken on. This of course is on top of my regular work day and 2 nights a week at french class.

I began to feel as though I was getting on top of it all and then came twitter! I must admit I have been using twitter for a while now, mostly to follow my favorite sports team and political news. Having to "interact" on twitter is another thing altogether! Suddenly anyone following you can see what you are tweeting. I don't know about you but this does scare the heck out of me. I don't know why it should, I speak with people all of the time but those 140 characters just seem like the perfect opportunity for me to stick my foot in my mouth or to have someone think, "What a lame tweet, why would she post that."

I am hoping to get over my fear and just go for it over the next few weeks. After all I can always claim that I was having a grey moment:)

misskimmy

Monday 24 October 2011

My first venture into the blogosphere

Ok, here goes. Although I have played with blog programs a little in the past I have never seemed to find a reason to actually create one for myself. No, I have not come to some great realization that people will want to read what I have to say, this blog was begun as a requirement for my social media marketing class.

Over the next few weeks I will be attempting to broaden my skill set in the social media world, including this blog. There are already many blogs on politics and public policy but I suppose I will add one more. Perhaps my musings will connect with conservative middle aged grandmothers who have decided to upgrade their skills. I do think that we are often an underrepresented demographic in the public policy and political arenas so maybe there is a reason for me to do this after all.

I look forward to joining my classmates as we journey into the world of social media and hope some of what I say will strike a note with my readers.