by Heather Plett | Jun 24, 2005 | Uncategorized
Was I just in Ottawa? I hardly noticed. It was less than 24 hours (about 21, to be exact), with 8 hours spent in a workshop, 8 hours spent sleeping, and an hour or two for traveling back and forth to the airport. That didn’t leave much room for being a tourist. Other than a quick glimpse of the war memorial and parliament, you could have convinced me I was in almost any city.
Luckily, I’ve been to Ottawa quite a few times or I would have been rather bummed not to be able to wander. We did go for a walk down Sparks street and ate a late supper at an outdoor Lebanese restaurant (yummy falafels), so it wasn’t all business.
I was at a workshop about Food Aid. Some of the world’s greatest thinkers on Food Aid converged on Ottawa for the day. I was moderator for one of the panel discussions, which was kinda fun. I thought I’d be in way over my head, because I’ve only worked in this field for a year and didn’t think I had a very solid grasp on the issues compared to those people who’ve been immersed in it for most of their adult lives. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that I knew more than I thought I knew, and there wasn’t a lot there that I didn’t understand or hadn’t heard before. Either these brilliant minds were dumbing it down for us lesser beings, or I’m smarter than I think I am. 🙂 I’m hoping the latter is the case (please don’t burst my bubble if you know otherwise).
This was one of those trips where I realize how many people I know. There were 2 people on the flight on the way there who I used to work with, and then there were 4 people in the Ottawa airport who(m?) I knew. None of these people were connected to each other – I know them all from different places. Bizarre. Most of them work for the federal government, and because I spent so many years in the government in several different departments, I know a lot of people by now.
What’s bugging me though, was the person I ran into whom I just can’t place. I didn’t have much time to chat with her (I was running to catch my connecting flight), but as I ran past, we both said something like “don’t I know you from somewhere”? We’d been on the same flight and clearly she’d been trying to figure out who I was too. She said she knew my name was Heather, but she really couldn’t figure out how she knew me. I’m still puzzled. Who is she? I hope that one of these nights when I’m lying awake trying to figure out who she is, I’ll have an “a-ha” moment and remember. It’s REALLY bugging me!
Okay, here’s another thing that’s bugging me… I have no idea if I used “who” and “whom” correctly in the above 2 paragraphs. That’s one of those grammatical things that stumps me. But I guess I don’t care enough to grab my grammar book and check, so if I got it wrong, I’m sure one of my grammar-obsessed family members or friends (yes, there are several of them) will point it out.
by Heather Plett | Jun 22, 2005 | Uncategorized
The view from the front seat
by Heather Plett | Jun 22, 2005 | Uncategorized
I leave for Ottawa this afternoon. It’s a short trip this time – less than 24 hours. Tomorrow night, I sleep in my own bed again. It’s a bit of a shame I can’t stay longer – it would be a lovely time of year to enjoy that beautiful city – but I’m sure my family will be happy to have me back so quickly.
I feel so very lucky that, for the past 8 years, I’ve been in jobs that allow me to indulge my passion for travel now and then. Most of them are fairly short (except for the biggie to Africa in February) which is better for the sake of family unity. I wouldn’t want them to get TOO used to not having me around – I still want them to need me at least a LITTLE.
Marcel does an awesome job of keeping things going while I’m gone. Sometimes I think he does better WITHOUT me. In the mornings, for example, when I happen to be there when the kids get ready for school, I get in the way and the process ends up taking longer.
I love going to the airport. I love walking down the bridge and stepping onto the airplane. I love paging through the in-flight magazine. I love the view of the cottony clouds beneath me. I love watching the landscape change as you fly over it. I love stepping off the plane, picking up my luggage, and stepping onto foreign soil. I love the mix of excitement and apprehension when you’ve left the airport and you’re not quite sure where you’re going or how to get there.
About the only time I DIDN’T like being on a plane was the last of 5 flights on the way home from Africa when I’d already been delayed for more than 24 hours, lost my luggage in Rome, had to spend a night in Amsterdam, got re-routed through Vancouver instead of Toronto, and ended up stuck in the window seat in the very back row of the plane. Talk about a claustrophic place to sit! Especially at the end of a VERY long trip!
by Heather Plett | Jun 22, 2005 | Uncategorized
My mom’s new husband dropped in tonight. Mom was away with her sisters, so he’d gone for a bike ride and ended up at our house. It surprised me. He just dropped in and hung out with Maddie and me in the back yard for awhile.
It was easy. It was comfortable. There was no pickin’ fights about Biblical interpretation. He gave Maddie a mint, teased her a little, and talked about Mom. It was nice to see him smile when he said her name. It was nice to know he likes us enough to show up even when it’s not Mom’s idea.
I have to let these little moments matter just as much as the other ones.
by Heather Plett | Jun 22, 2005 | Uncategorized
Julie: (reaching for my hand) Some kids don’t LIKE hangin’ out with their Moms. But WE do.
Nicole: (reaching for my other hand) Yeah, WE like our Mom!
*Grin* Kinda wish I’d had a tape recorder. I might want to play that back to them in a few years when the hand-holding is over.
by Heather Plett | Jun 20, 2005 | Uncategorized
Painting can be good therapy. At least when you don’t have a child at the bottom of the ladder saying “I want to help you paint. I want to help you paint. I NEED to help you PAINT!”
N&J&M are gone to school, my painting helper is gone to the sitter, and I am alone with my thoughts and a paintbrush. It’s getting a little hot out there, so I’m escaping to my basement for some coolin’ time.
Here are some of the thoughts my mind wandered to while I painted and gazed out over the rooftops of my neighbours…
1. In this world of changing fashions, why hasn’t tiny white paint specks on the face become a trend in cosmetic design?
2. Is the backyard neighbour leading as sad and pathetic a life as I THINK he is? From my vantage point on the ladder, I had a great view of his well-manicured yard that only HE enjoys. He’s got a nice deck with 4 chairs around the table, but in the 6 years we’ve lived here, I’ve only ever seen HIM sit at that table – enjoying his barbecued steak alone. It looks hopeful – that yard of his – like it was meant to be shared. But the only eyes that gaze upon those flowerbeds and ornamental trees are his. And occasionally mine. I suspect he looks at our messy yard with some loathing and I KNOW he’d like us to trim our overgrown trees so that they shed less leaves on his yard. Perhaps, though, he looks at the swing set with some mixture of jealousy. And perhaps, when he throws the stray balls and Frisbees back into our yard, he wishes he had a reason to keep them.
3. One other question about the backyard neighbour – did he have a family tragedy this past weekend? He left the garden hose strewn across his yard. Yikes! I’m afraid that only a tragedy could cause him to be so careless and MESSY!
4. Is it a sign of the onset of insanity if I talk to little green worms? I was concerned that it might be Maddie’s friend BooBoo and I didn’t want to be the cause of his untimely death, so I urged him to get out of the way of the killer paintbrush.
5. In what universe is it considered good family relations to pick a fight with the daughter of your new wife about the lack of Biblical basis for her new role as elder?
6. If a ladder falls in the backyard, and the only person there to witness it is lying unconscious on the ground, does it make a sound? (Don’t worry, it’s just a hypothetical. No ladders fell.)
7. Will the new neighbour next door leave the back yard as overgrown and unkempt as the last one? If not, I’ll miss it. Partly since I’m rather fond of the wild look and partly because it makes OUR yard look almost manicured. But I’m sure the other neighbours won’t miss it – especially the one who was complaining about the hornets’ nest forming under the unruly pile of compost in the corner.
8. Is unkempt a word? Is kempt?
9. Am I ANY closer to building some semblance of a team out of the ragtag group of people I’m supposed to be leading? Did ANY of them get any value out of our recent team retreat? Is it worth the bother? Do leopards change their spots?
10. Why is it that every time I climb the ladder I forget one of the things I was supposed to bring up with me?
11. If I paint the trim of the house dark green, does it mean I’ll have to paint the fence and the deck the same colour? If so, perhaps I should have thought of that BEFORE I went to all this trouble.
