Not Perfect But Perfectly Amazing

A few months ago, I sent my daughter a link to The New Vintage Wardrobe thinking she might be encouraged and inspired by this blogger's fun with clothing and her zest for life. Just check out the flirty image on her About page. I think her name is Andrea.

In the time that I've been blogging, I've received some nasty comments that typically make assumptions and are judgemental. They are not signed. They are anonymous. If you've ever read the blurb in my comments box, you know I have little patience and no respect for comments of this kind. I delete them.

Nothing I've received has been as offensive as what Andrea received last week. You can read about it in her posting Really?!?! It made me angry. It made me want to cry. How can insulting someone on such an intensely personal level ever be considered acceptable or by any stretch of the imagination helpful? Yet once again, we're having a discussion about the nameless brutality of the Internet. I wanted to wrap Andrea up in a great big Mommy hug. I thought she responded with incredible grace.

If only the Golden Rule - love your neighbour as yourself - treat others as you would want to be treated - could be extended by all. How frustrating that something as connective as the Internet can also be so hurtful and divisive. I doubt that "I'm not a thin person myself..." would want to receive a comment of this nature. At times like this, I take comfort in the fact that what goes around comes around.

Our weekend was slow and lovely. Saturday morning was another Christmas breakfast with a friend. After that, I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce and used some to make a lasagna that went in the freezer for later. While things were cooking, I worked on my menu and grocery shopping list for next week. If only I could do that fifty-one more times a year, this cooking thing might work out - LOL. In the afternoon, I curled up on the couch and read a book.




The spaghetti sauce was for Sunday night. We have a tradition of decorating the tree followed by a candlelight dinner. The boys wanted spaghetti, garlic bread, and chicken wings which are traditional to us choices that mean something. There's comfort in tradition and - for me - a lot of frustration as I try to figure out what I'm going to eat. Most of our traditional food contains an ingredient I'm allergic to.




It was while decorating the tree in 2008 that I had to finally accept my gluten allergy. I'd been trying to rationalize it away until then but within minutes of beginning that meal, I had so obviously reacted that Howard and both boys all noticed and were quite concerned. It was a rough year. On top of the food, it was also the first time we decorated the tree without my daughter. I didn't cry when she went to kindergarten, I didn't cry when she moved out, I didn't cry when she got married but I bawled my eyes out when she wasn't here to decorate the tree that first time. (My daughter corrected me. Apparently 2007 was the first year without her and 2008 was the allergies. LOL - I'm old. I forget.)

This year decorating went incredibly smooth. Howard and I put on the lights and wrapped the garland and then called the boys to help with the ornaments. I panicked for a few minutes when I couldn't find the hooks and then my oldest son remembered that we'd packed them ON the ornaments last year. Why it took me thirty years to think of that I have no idea but it sure makes decorating easy. I unwrapped the ornaments, handed them to the guys, they hung them on the tree, and we were totally done in half an hour.




Each year, I buy a new ornament. For the first few years, I only bought them for the kids writing their name and the date on them. Then I realized that we'd have no decorations left on the tree when they all moved out so I started buying four, one for us as well. This year's decoration is a tin angel that I picked up at my favourite shop - A to Zebra - in Nanaimo earlier this year. It's not always easy to find an ornament you can write on.

My three favourite ornaments are the Baby's First Christmas ones bought for each of my children. Children are a huge responsibility and an incredible honor. I'm not what I consider a natural mother. I don't like playing games, baking cookies, or making crafts with glue and glitter. I hate glue and glitter. I hate mess. I love my children. They are the best gift ever.

Sometimes, I wish I'd been older and wiser before I had them. As I mature, I've become more realistic, more laid back, less of a control freak. Perhaps, I might have done a better job but then again, maybe not because it appears I did a good job. My children are all hard working, responsible, reliable, generous, and thoughtful people. Not perfect but perfectly amazing. I'm glad they're mine. They are some of my favourite people.

Today is the last big grocery shop before Christmas. I've made the lists. Howard's coming with me. We'll go to Save On first for the smaller things and then to Costco for the bigger ones. They open at 8:00 and 10:30 so that staggers nicely. This afternoon, I'm getting my hair cut. If I make it to the studio today, it'll be tonight.




I tried twice yesterday to get pictures of me in my new sweater. Both times, they came out too dark. You can see a blob but no details. I'll have to try again on a brighter day. That's also why the blog is later today. I was waiting for enough light to take pictures of the ornmanets on the tree. It's so incredibly grey that that's not going to happen today especially with the tree in front of the window. It's just after nine and I'm editing my earlier writing. We've already been to Save On and are getting ready for Costco. So far, so good. It wasn't too busy.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - my children