by Heather Plett | Oct 28, 2005 | Uncategorized
Yes, I’ve been wiped out by some kind of virus this week – wickedly sore throat, congested head, drippy nose, all that fun stuff. I’ve missed 2 and a half days of work. I’m back at my desk this morning, but still feel like I should be in bed. I tried to blog at home, but our computer has decided it doesn’t like me lately – maybe it’s scared I’ll share my virus :-).
Here’s one of the things I meant to blog about… Nikki and Julie came home from school on Wednesday so excited they were practically jumping out of their skin. They’d won the grand prize for the chocolate-selling fundraising campaign. (No, they’re not marketing wizards – they didn’t have to sell the most, just sell more than 2 boxes to get entered into the draw.) And the grand prize? A portable DVD player! Not something we need or would necessarily choose to buy, but it sure was fun to see how excited they were. And next time we take a road trip… well, maybe there’ll be a little less fighting in the back seat.
And I just gotta ask – why is there so much CRAP on daytime TV? Are the scheduling wizards at all those TV stations assuming their entire daytime audience is brain-addled? I only flicked it on a couple of times while I was home, but MAN there was nothing there to even TEMPT me to leave it on.
Oh, and here’s another thing I would have blogged about, had our computer cooperated. It’s another “Bathtime with Maddie” story (that’s Maddie’s and my best bonding time – in the tub).
Maddie: (picking up a small bowl) Mom, you pretend you’re a doctor. (scoops water from between her legs) I’ll pee in the bowl and you pretend you’re checking my pee to see if I have an infection.
I think I prefer the stethescope version of “playing doctor”!
by Heather Plett | Oct 26, 2005 | Uncategorized
It’s 2:09 a.m. I should be curled up in bed sleeping my beauty sleep. But here I am at the computer trying to distract myself from the pain attacking my throat. Oy veh.
In the meantime, if you need something to distract YOU, do what I did – go visit www.catiecurtis.com and on the right side, scroll down to “Featured track – People look around” and click on “Listen”. There are worse ways to kill a few minutes in the middle of the night than to listen to a good protest song! (It’s a post-Katrina song, and Catie Curtis is a kick-ass folk singer who knows how to make a protest song sound enchanting.)
Oh – and on another topic, I’m pretty sure all of my siblings and some of my siblings-in-law read yesterday’s post, and yet NOT ONE COMMENT! What’s up with THAT? Are you HEARTLESS? Yes, even those of you who LURK could have come out of the closet for THIS ONE! Yeesh.
It’s 2:19, and the extra strength Tylenol is starting to kick in. I’m going back to bed. To sleep? Perchance to dream. (Though I certainly don’t want a repeat of yesterday’s dream! I’ll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say that it had something to do with soiled underwear and an embarrassing situation.)
by Heather Plett | Oct 25, 2005 | Uncategorized
(But you can read it too 🙂
I think I got only 2 letters from Dad in my lifetime. He was a rare and contemplative communicator – which means he was a man of a few words but he made most of those words count.
This week, while I was sorting through yet another box of clutter in my basement, I came across one of those two letters. The “backstory”, for those readers not related to me, is this… I was nineteen and living in Banff at the time. I was miserable in the worst job I’ve ever had – cleaning hotel rooms for the summer. My Dad was a farmer, and also had an off-farm job at the Auction Mart. At the time this was written, my brother Dwight was working with Dad on the farm. Dad had nicknames for all of his children and grandchildren – mine was “H”.
Here’s what he wrote:
June about 7, or so
A.M.
Dear Heather
I’m fine + you are probably better than when I last heard from you. – just came in from getting pump fixed – (want to get to Auction Mart again) – going to drink coffe just now – Jarvis’s here to put in last field of grain – (Sun is shining)
Read 2 letters by H, – don’t get to write letters to daughters and sons often – you might guess why this one is written – read letters with shiny eyes. One of best paragraphs, – you almost offered Dwight work, – sounded sensible by a sensible daughter. Feel close to you – you’re only one with work similar to mine – I have to clean out quarters with last night’s occupants still in them too – One of them kicked me – must have splintered my leg – said leg quite swollen – cheer up – g by
Dad
Thank you for material for Cindy’s dress – when I – we were in Banf I carried family up mountain – should try it again sometime. (I saw the Gondolas when I was there) – we rode on them.
Someday I think I’ll frame letter you sent me on my birthday – get lots of letters from people with completely different thoughts of me – some would prob-ly rather see me in jail? – Dwight wants me to come help him with pump.
P.M. Work waiting for you when you come home – approx 3 ft manure in 2 barns – you could maybe work with Dwight – pay 2 1/2 meals per day (above partly serious)
Love you
Unscramble above as best you can
And because no letter from Dad would be complete without his unmistakeable handwriting, here’s a scanned version.
As much as I’m happy to get rid of clutter in my house, this is one thing I WON’T be throwing away.
by Heather Plett | Oct 24, 2005 | Uncategorized
Our house guest from Kenya just left and before he left, HE GAVE ME TEA! Not just ANY tea, but the exact same kind of Kenyan tea I’d fallen in love with and was lamenting the fact that I’d almost run out of. Now I have a whole new box of it and I’m happy, happy, happy. He didn’t even know I’d developed a love affair with that exact kind of tea – just thought it would make a nice hostess gift.
Truth is, I enjoyed his visit for other reasons than just the tea. It was a treat having him here. He’s a like-minded soul, an easy house guest, and an all-around likeable guy. I spent about 3 hours with him and his wife and son over breakfast in Kenya last February and we made a connection fairly quickly. Sometimes friendships happen that way – almost serendipitously. When he asked about stopping in Winnipeg on a cross-Canada tour, it seemed only natural to have him over at our house.
And let me just say, it’s been so wonderful having a relatively clutter-free home lately. It makes it SO much easier to have weekend guests, when you don’t have to fly into a frenzy, hiding things in closets and back bedrooms to prepare for them. And on Sunday, we had seven extra people here for lunch, and the whole thing was pretty relaxed because I didn’t have to worry that they’d peek into the wrong door and expose all our hidden messes. This house is not perfect yet, but it’s a whole lot closer than it was a few months ago. Now let’s hope we can KEEP it that way. (I gotta say, coming home Friday night after a long week at work, it sure was a treat to see that Marcel had washed the floor, cleaned the entranceway, and scrubbed our rather disgusting ensuite bathroom. He rocks!)
by Heather Plett | Oct 21, 2005 | Uncategorized
The first impression was the polished reception room. Corporate. Christian. Corporate Christian. That’s what it screamed – from the pleasant receptionist behind the desk to the pictures of happy traditional families on the wall. To be honest, I half expected the receptionist to have big blonde hair and the slightest hint of a southern-Christian accent – something like Gwen Shamblin from Weigh Down. She was a little more “normal” than that, but still had the look of a white-bred/suburban Christian. I didn’t look too closely, but someone pointed out later that one of the posters, just under the “Christian Media” sign said “we support traditional family values”. Of course they do. That’s what corporate Christianity does.
The board room was comfortable. The seats were nice and squishy – a step up from most boardrooms. I hadn’t been in the room long when the three Bobs swooped in on me. I don’t think any of them was really named Bob, but that’s what they’ve become in my mind. Three thirty-something men cut from the same Corporate Christian cloth. Dressed in suits of various shades of grey-blue-green complimented with ties with just a hint of colour. Short gelled hair. Clean-shaven faces. Not a hint of dirt under their closely-cropped fingernails. Cell-phones and palm pilots hooked onto their belts. The perfect look for someone whose job it is to market Christianity. Approachable, professional, conservative but with a touch of fun.
In a room full of Christian communicators, set in a backdrop of the local Christian radio station/television/media conglomerate, I felt a little like the kid trying to pass herself off as one of the popular kids when she knows she belongs at the misfit table. Did it show on my face that I didn’t really fit in? Did the fact that I’m an “often-backslidden-always-questioning-nontraditional” follower of Christ shine from my face? If I opened my mouth, would I be noticed for not spewing forth the requisite “Christianese”? Or were there other people just like me in the room, searching for a genuine faith, hoping to build a world where the word “Christianity” doesn’t come with so much baggage?
Turns out there WERE people just like me in the room, and I sat next to one of them. I suspect others at our table were also cut from a similar cloth. The person next to me was Aiden Enns, publisher and managing editor of a new magazine called Geez. Read the first line of their mission statement, and you know he’s a like-minded soul. “Geez magazine has set up camp on the fringes of faith. It is a refuge and inspiration for people of restless faith and blessed instinct.” And their byline on their ad campaign – “Chicken poop for the soul”. We didn’t get to talk much, but it didn’t take long to find some common ground. He also used to be an editor for Adbusters, a fascinating anti-consumerism magazine that loves to poke fun at corporate culture.
After lunch, the three Bobs got up to speak. For the next 15 minutes, we were subjected to all the polished corporate Christian marketing lingo they could muster. “We’re here to build relationships.” “Our radio station is here to help you reach your goals and expand your ministry.” Blah, blah, blah, blah. It was painful. I suppose it’s necessary, some of this marketing stuff, and ironically, I have to do some of it in my own work. But it just smacks so much of artificiality. If nothing else, when I serve as “marketer” in my work, I want to be authentic. I want to be real, human, and honest. I don’t want to look like a “Bob” in corporate attire with corporate literature and a corporate powerpoint presentation. I want to be Heather the ordinary, flawed human with passion, ideas, and perhaps a bit of a message to share. If I start turning into a “Bob” someone please slap me.
During the presentation, I scribbled a note to my seatmate. “Pretty much goes against anything you represent, eh?” He nodded and smiled. “But,” he said, “I can’t alienate myself from this. I have to be open to the people within Corporate Christianity that want to hear a different message.” He’s right, I suppose. We can’t just paint them all with the same brush and dismiss them, even though it’s tempting.
It’s weird, this Christianity thing. I still cling to it, because it matters to me. I still feel the need to have God in my life. But when I see this version of Christianity that screams of exclusionism and little narrow boxes, a part of me wants to run screaming from the room.
by Heather Plett | Oct 18, 2005 | Uncategorized
I’m suffering from brain drain these days. My brain seems incapable of focusing on anything for longer than a few seconds. I’ve tried to write a few posts, but abandoned them when I couldn’t get anywhere. So here are a few random thoughts to fill up the spaces while I attempt to re-ignite my brain.
1. Finally, after all these years of having mis-matched dishes and cups, our cupboard is full of dishes that MATCH! All those mugs that say “Q-94 FM” or “Friends Forever” and all those odd glasses from sets we used to own have finally left the building! When I get paid for something I write, I usually consider it “development money” and buy myself something that helps my development as a writer/artist. This time, when the cheque came through from Winnipeg Free Press, I decided to use it to “develop” my kitchen, and instead of books, I bought dishes. It’s the first time we’ve EVER had a decent set of dishes.
2. Let me just say this – it really, really sucks when you have to fire someone. Really. Makes me wonder if I should re-consider my career choice of becoming a manager. Next job, I don’t want to be this accountable for people.
3. Seems I’m on a bit of a sewing kick. Last night, I sewed ponchos for the girls. Well, technically “sewing” is a bit of a stretch, since mostly what I did was cut them out of fleece and cut fringes around the edge.
4. Maddie, being the social butterfly that she is, seems to be attracting a lot of attention these days. Her “phone” never stops ringing, and most evenings, she can be found in the living room entertaining a long procession of guests. The other night, she welcomed Elmo, Big Bird, Mickey Mouse, The Grouch, someone named Gumpa, her friend/doll Misty, and several other celebrities and non-celebrities to our home, and all of them decided to stay for a sleepover. Apparently though, they ALL wanted to sleep in her bed, so at about 10:30, she was in our room complaining that all of her friends were crowding her and she’d have to sleep in OUR bed. It also appears that some of her houseguests have been less-than-gracious. She worked hard to make a tent for Elmo, and in the end he complained that he didn’t like it. Sheesh.
5. How can a three year old POSSIBLY take up more space in a bed than two adults? With those flailing arms and legs, it’s like sleeping with a restless OCTOPUS!
6. Why did I insist on buying that super-duper wind-em-up Pampered Chef cheese grater, only to abandon it when it got forever clogged and return to using my old-fashioned run-of-the-mill $5 version? Past experience should have proved that most of the time, “slice-em-dice-em” kitchen gadgets are a WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. Anyone want a high end cheese grater? Speak now, or it gets added to the goodwill bag.
7. It’s amazing what you can do in 5 minutes when the pressure’s on. I just wrote a press release in less time than it took me to write this random list. Not that I wish there were always pressure, but sometimes that’s just the impetus I need to re-ignite my brain.
