by Heather Plett | Apr 19, 2005 | Uncategorized
Sometimes uninvited memories sneak into your conscious mind, and you either chuckle or cry, depending on the impact the event had on your life. The one that snuck into mine the other day was of the chuckle variety. I have no idea why it showed up, but it is
a) one of my most embarrassing moments
b) one of my favourite stories
In my former role as a communications director in the federal government, I often had the (sometimes dubious) pleasure of escorting dignitaries around my corner of the world. On this particular Sunday afternoon, I was driving a former Member of Parliament back to the city after attending a veterans’ convention with him.
We were about to drive past my parents’ farm, and so I innocently said “Do you mind if we pop in at my Mom and Dad’s for a bit? I have to pee (yes, I’d already reached a reasonable comfort level with this particular MP and could talk about my bodily functions), and besides, my Dad would get a kick out of having an MP in his house.” He said “no problem”, and so I pulled into the driveway, delightedly oblivious to what I was about to witness.
Mom and Dad lived in a big old 2 storey farm house at the time. I knocked first (because I had a guest) but when no one answered, I stepped inside and yelled “Hello?” Still no answer. Assuming that no one was home, I suggested to the MP that he wait downstairs, while I ran upstairs to relieve myself.
Halfway up the stairs, I heard Mom’s voice from the bedroom “Is somebody there?” Still suspecting nothing, I bounded into her room to say hello. Nothing about this seemed out of the ordinary – Mom often had mid-afternoon naps on lazy Sunday afternoons. What I WASN’T prepared for was the fact that she wasn’t in there alone!
Peeking out from under the covers was my Dad, and frantically scrambling to dress herself in the closet was my Mom. This was no afternoon nap! By the twinkle in my Dad’s eyes, I could see that there was something else ENTIRELY going on in here, and my spontaneous visit had thrown a major kink into their SUNDAY AFTERNOON DELIGHT!
Just when you think all the kids have left home and it’s SAFE to sneak upstairs to “tear off a piece” on a Sunday afternoon, they start popping in unexpected! And not only do they show up, but they bring along a MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT to increase the embarrassment factor.
I laughed so hard all the way down the stairs, I thought I’d pee myself. And when I got to the front door, I found the MP doubled up on the front lawn, laughing as hard as I was. He’d quickly figured out what was going on and decided it was better for him to wait outside.
I saw that MP several times after that, and he always commented on that Sunday afternoon adventure. He said it had inspired him – that he wanted to have just as much fun as my Mom and Dad when he was in his 60s.
Needless to say, I rubbed it in a bit with my Mom and Dad. I told them to start watching TV when the House of Commons was in session to see if there were any MPs in the back giggling. ‘Cause if there were, I said, they were probably telling each other the story of the farm couple having a Sunday afternoon romp in the hay!
Note: for those of you who think the reappearance of this memory has ANYTHING to do with the fact that my Mom is getting re-married in a couple of weeks, you can check your psychoanalysis at the door!
by Heather Plett | Apr 17, 2005 | Uncategorized
Gina passed me the stick, and I’ve finally gotten around to doing it. Here it is…
You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
Hmmm… not sure how to answer this question, because I haven’t read Fahrenheit 451 (though I know a bit about the premise). Would it be better to be a “fluff” book, so that you were no threat to society and wouldn’t get burned as quickly, or a more “meaty” book that might help you change society so that books no longer get burned? If it’s the first, I might choose one of the disgustingly fluffy Hillary Duff books my daughters have on their shelves (thankfully, they’re finally growing tired of them!) If it’s the second, then I might choose the Bible, with the hopes that it might inspire someone to take a risk and stop the burning.
Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Yeah, but sadly, I have a fairly short memory for books, so I don’t remember the characters very long after I’ve read the book. I remember a bit of a crush after reading Little Women… one of the young men who stole the heart of one of the sisters (if only I could remember who). But, truthfully, one of my favourites would have to mirror Gina’s fave – Sir Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel. Ooohhh… he had that little bit of “danger” that’s just so sexy!
Longest lasting crush?
Like I said before, my memory’s pretty short, so the crushes lasted about as long as the period of time before I started my next book. But Sir Percy probably rates, ‘cause I still get a little tingly when I think of his daring spy missions 🙂
The last book you bought is:
If you saw my post from April 8, you’ll have your first clue. I bought Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. Her book Travelling Mercies is my favourite book of all time, so I couldn’t resist buying the follow-up. After a tough day, I treated myself to a new book. Hey – when it comes to indulging, it was better than turning to alcohol or food!
The last book you finished:
Same as above – Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith. It didn’t take me long to finish, ‘cause I devour Anne Lamott like expensive chocolate. I finished it on the plane on the way to Toronto earlier this week. It wasn’t quite as good as Travelling Mercies, but still DEFINITELY worth the read (with just a bit too much Bush-bashing). I have found no one who can write about her faith journey, her life as a mother, her relationship, etc., with such honesty, humour, and brilliant inspiration. I laughed, I cried…oh, you get the picture.
What are you currently reading?
The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace by Scott Peck. I started reading this book in Africa in February. It had been recommended by a couple of friends, because I was going to be travelling with a group of 12 people for 3 weeks, and they thought it would be interesting to read about community making in the context of a unique community experience (2 weeks in a bus with 12 people is certainly an interesting way to learn about community!) I’ve been enjoying the book quite a bit, but I took a break from it after Africa, because when I came home to my family, I didn’t really feel like focussing on community for awhile. I brought it along to Toronto this week because I was pretty sure I’d finish Plan B and needed something else to read. It’s a great book. Scott Peck is brilliant.
Five books you would take to a deserted island:
This is a tough one. I couldn’t decide whether to take “old faithfuls” because they were comfortable and familiar, or new ones that I hadn’t read yet because I wanted to be inspired. I chose a combination…
Travelling Mercies by Anne Lamott – As I said before, this is my favourite book and I wouldn’t want to be without it. It gives me hope when I’m feeling hopeless, and makes me feel human when I’m at risk of losing touch with my humanity.
The Bible – I often wish I were more faithful at reading the Bible. I get tired of it sometimes, and other times it frustrates me, so it gets ignored. But there are still so many things I love about it, and enough things that challenge me and keep me wanting to learn more, that I wouldn’t want to leave it behind. One of the things I admire most about Jesus is that he is a master communicator – he tells great stories and knows how to get people’s attention. I am a great lover of stories, and always interested in learning more about my chosen field – communication. So even when I don’t feel particularly connected to my faith, I can find something of interest and value in the Bible.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – I figure out there on that deserted island, I’d finally find enough time to do The Artist’s Way justice and work my way through the lessons. I’m not sure what my “Artist’s Dates” would be – perhaps picking seashells at the beach, or meandering through a wildflower meadow.
A blank book – yup, this one would have nothing on the pages, ‘cause if I DID bring The Artist’s Way along, I’d have to have a blank book for all my morning pages. And who knows, by the time I got rescued from that island, I might have written a whole new book to leave behind for the new inhabitants to enjoy!
The Last Word and the Word after That: A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and a New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren – this is in the category of new books that I’m looking forward to reading (on my wish list). I fell in love with McLaren when I read A Generous Orthodoxy, so now I want to read more of him. This one sounds intriguing.
There, that’s it for me. Now I’m happy to pass it on to whomever wants it… CCAP? h8s2clean (although you may have already done it)? thebloke? I’d LOVE to pass it to Michele or Linda, if only they’d ever get around to creating their own blogs (perhaps this is just the inspiration they need)!
by Heather Plett | Apr 15, 2005 | Uncategorized
Warning: political rant ahead
Yesterday, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights voted on a Right to Food Resolution. Basically, they were resolving that all human beings should have the right to food, and that those countries with excess should take some responsibility for making sure others have enough. Fifty-two countries voted in favour of the resolution. One voted against. Guess which one. The United States.
So… (here’s the political rant – don’t say I didn’t warn you) this from the same government whose President tried to step in and insist that Terry Shiavo should have the right to food. Huh? I don’t pretend to know what was the right thing in the Terry Shiavo fiasco, but you’ve gotta admit that something’s smellin’ a little rotten here. A brain dead, white, American woman, whose right-wing fundamentalist supporters happen to have alot of political clout has the right to be fed, but those 842 million people in Africa and all over the world trying to eek out a living on parched soil and in the context of unfair trade rules DON’T?
I guess it’s just too much for this mere mortal to understand.
(My sincere apology to any of our southern neighbours who might be reading this – I’m really NOT anti-American. Just sometimes your government confuses me. But you’re not alone – sometimes OUR government confuses me too.)
by Heather Plett | Apr 14, 2005 | Uncategorized
I know NOTHING about the whole nature/nurture debate. All I know is this… I have three daughters, and they are all so DIFFERENT! They’re being raised by the same Mommy and Daddy, and yeah, you can find the similarities, but mostly I see the differences.
Take this one example… I step off the bus after work, and it is always Julie who rushes down the street and throws her arms around me before I can make it halfway home – every day. She has always been the one to attach herself to me – she sits on my lap as much as she can, she wants me to sleep with her, etc., etc. Maddie, on the other hand, hardly notices whether or not I’m around. I come home from two days in Toronto, she briefly glances in my direction, and then carries on with what she was doing. I’m sure she’s happy to have me home, and she likes hanging out with me, but it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference to her either way. Nikki is somewhere in between. She needs me, but she’s quite happy to be apart from me too. She’s always been more of the “check in” type – she shows up now and then to get a little affection and Mommy time, and then disappears again.
Whatever the case, I’m crazy about all of them and lucky to be their Mommy.
