Duck Soup for the Soul

I am currently reading a book that frankly I cannot remember buying entitled "Duck Soup for the Soul" by Swami Beyondananda.  It is full of different plays on words and the basic jest of the book is to find the lighter side of life and not take yourself too seriously.  As I wander through the pages I am wondering why I would have purchased this book in the first place and why am I feeling the need to read it now.  I am a happy person.  I am a person who looks for the brighter side of a dark situation....to dig out that gem that I am to learn from. Then it dawns on me....I need to rememeber that it is summer and I really do need to get back to FUNdamentals.  To erase the jestive blockages that keep one from fun, peace, and happiness. I may indeed be suffering from one or two of the common jestive disorders outlined in the book.
Read on and find out if you are in denial about your ability to find humour in everyday life.
"These are, from mildest to most serious:
1. Irregularhilarity - is the most common and - if caught early enough - the most treatable.  Irregularhilarity comes from forgetting to laugh, and consequently holding on to material which would be better released. Untreated, irregularhilarity can become chronic and lead to a full-blown case of hummorrhoids.  Irregularhilarity is most commonly triggered by overload of information and obilgation.  Fortunately, this disorder is easily treatable.  For one thing, laughsitives can be bought over-the-counter at most stores.
2. Irony Deficiency - What we call irony deficiency is not so much a deficiency in irony itself, but an inability to utilize the abundance of irony all around us.  The jestive system uses irony to help us ruminate on ideas and break them down before we swallow them.  When we have difficulty in our irony uptake, these ironies pass through us without being digested.  This can lead to clue-deficiency, assaholism and ultimately, truth decay.
3. Hummorrhoids - are a chronic condition, characterized by undue seriousness, and particularly the inability to laugh at oneself.  If untreated, this condition can lead to complete atrophy of the jocular vien.  Advanced-stage hummorrhoid suffers may be unable to pass anything except heavy judgements.
4. Truth Decay - When irony deficiency and hummoroids go untreated for any period of time and toxic ideas are allowed to worm their way in between the thoughts, the result is truth decay. After years of being unable to use irony to break down toxic beliefs, the skeptic system begins to overflow with B.S. and slowly chokes off the jocular, stopping the flow of joy to the heart.  The first symptom of truth decay might very well be smartyrdom-the willingness to sacrifice being happy for being right.  From smartyrdom, it is an all-to-easy step to full-blown assaholism.  As truth decay advances, the swelling of the onus may become so painful that the sufferer becomes addicted to complaining.  Without the nourishment that comes from laughter, joy, and play, truth decay victims are in danger of losing every truth in their head.  They commonly suffer from what is commonly called "malconclusion" - where each truth comes in malformed or crooked.  The tragic final stage of truth decay is kind of a "spiritual Alzheimer's" - where you forget there is any fun in life whatsoever. As bad as it is, truth decay is treatable at any stage."
Good thing I was only sufffering from Irregularhilarity.  Close call I would say. What about you?  Think about it....have you reached truth decay? 

Nuclear Effect

 Most parents that I've talked to say that I'm nuts for having a group of eleven year olds playing rock music every Sunday in my basement.  I say they are wrong.  I LOVE the fact that this group of young people are learning how to play music at my house.  My husband and I are so excited about this that we invested $1000 to get the basement half way decent  so they have a place to hone their musical skills.  Yup...you betcha'...we now have a drum set, amps for both the bass and guitar- wouldn't want them to have lung that heavy equipment around after all - a mike and mike stand and a 300 Watt PA system.  We made many trips to the local dump to get rid of all the boxes and stuff that you just couldn't get rid of before.  You know...clutter.  We now have an air hockey table set up and couches surrounding the camping TV - yes....we have a camping TV, but that is for another blog -  hooked up to a brand new digital box.  The abandoned basement  has transformed itself into a teen hang out of the most righteous kind.
Why would someone do all that?  Well...think about this for a moment.  I know who his friends are, where they are, and what they are doing.  To top it off there are many studies that draw the correlation between music and increase in academic success.  Then there is the added increase in social stature within the teen ranks when you are part of a honest to goodness ear splitting...heavy metal....Rock Band.  Add all of this together and you begin to see my point. 
Now here is the added  bonus.  They are playing good rock music...the kind that we lived on in our youth......AC/DC...Guns and Roses....Rush.....Ozzy Osbourne.....KISS....Led Zeppelin.  They are a dedicated group of kids.  I don't know of any other group of eleven year olds who would meet every Sunday for over three months.  I can't even remember what I was doing when I was eleven years old, but I am pretty much sure I didn't start a rock band in my parents basement. I am very proud of all of these kids.  They are AMAZING. So let the floor boards continue to rattle.
                 

My First Bottle Drive

Today was the very first bottle drive that I have EVER done.  I know...how can a 42 year old adult that has lived in Alberta all of her life never been involved in a bottle drive before?  This is something I cannot explain.  I am involved in sports, non-profit charities and education.  All of these things practically scream bottle drive.....but alas I was a bottle drive newbie today.
So I looked to a friend of mine for help.  She is the bottle drive queen.  She knew EVERYTHING.  That was good because I knew NOTHING.  Who knew that green plastic pop bottles could not hang out with the clear plastic pop bottles? That different beer bottles cannot be put into the same box because one was a screw off lid and one was not.  There are many rules surrounding sorting bottles I found out today.
There was a lot of volunteers helping out in their disposable gloves today...parents, students and teachers...even the principal came to lend a hand on her day off.  All of the proceeds go to the Saint Gabriel School Grade Six Field Trip to Edmonton. We need enough money to make sure that all of the kids go on the field trip regardless if they have enough money or not.  Cost needs to be taken from the equation to ensure that this opportunity is not lost.
The gym at the school was taken over by a dedicated group of individuals who worked diligently to sort all the bottles, count them into clear plastic bags and finally take them down to the local bottle depot.  Bottle after bottle....bag after bag....truck load after truck load...it all went away.  All that was left was the cleaning of the gym floor.  We worked through the "eeks" and "eeeww's"...through interesting smells....sticky floors....hands that were so covered in sticky goo that it required another change of the blue disposable gloves to continue....laughter.....jokes....and in the end a sense of accomplishment.
Does this mean that I am signing up for every bottle drive in the future?  Heck No.  But it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  Well, except for the overwhelming need to vomit when you first open the door to the bottle depot downtown, but even that does go away each time you make another delivery. It does mean, however, I am no longer a bottle drive newbie. Thanx for the experience.

Winter Baseball

Fort McMurray Minor Baseball Association has an amazing program to engage youth in this community.... Winter Baseball down at MacDonald Island.  From November until May of each year baseball is a huge part of our life.  Twice a week for an hour and a half a group of youth meet down at the field house to learn new skills, stay active and have fun.  The group's leader is Reggie Rivard and with help from volunteers the baseball drills and scrimmage runs like a well oiled machine.  With a price of only $125.00 for the entire winter ball season and a new baseball uniform which makes this an affordable for quite afew families.  It got me wondering....how much would this cost elsewhere and is it even offered throughout Alberta.  So off to the Internet for me.  I found two different winter camps- one for 26 weeks at a cost of $450.00 + GST and another that was 10 weeks in duration for $250.00 + GST.  Hmmm.... makes one wonder doesn't it?  We often hear how Fort McMurray doesn't have much to do and we always pay more for things.  Rumours and half-truths are like fog, once the light shines it disparates and disappears.  We have a wonderful program right here in Fort McMurray that has done much for my family.  My son is excelling in a sport he loves, he is getting fit, and learning the importance of teamwork.  My husband has decided to volunteer with the baseball program which has helped strengthen the bond between father and son.  Not only that but both of them are spending extra time helping out on Sundays mentoring the younger kids. It is things like this that make Fort McMurray one of the best places to live.

40 Something

Birthdays are a day to celebrate, eat cake and have red wine.  I was surprised early with my birthday presents because tomorrow is baseball night.  I usually spend both my birthday and Mother's Day beside a baseball diamond and it doesn't look like this is going to change any time soon.  This year I was pleasantly surprised as I gave no direction or hints as to what to buy.  So what did  learn? First,  I have to admit that gift certificates are not the end all be all when someone gets it right.  And second... the boys did good.
I received a 40 Something Wine Glass by Lolita that is beautiful with multicolored candles on it with 40 something written on the base.  Needless to say that the first thing that one must do when presented with such a gift is to get a bottle of good red wine - Shiraz to be exact - break out the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator and put the present to good use.  Anything else would be...well...rude.

To top off the birthday surprise I got a new Kodak Play - Sport Waterproof Video Camera.  I didn't think that I would be excited about something like that, but I was.  It is the same size as a Blackberry and can stand up to the punishment of my life.  I am not good with keeping electronics healthy.  I once had a laptop that lasted just alittle over a year - just past the warranty.  With a new blog and a new video camera that can also get still photos to use that also works under 10 feet of water?  Seeing definite potential here.  So stay tuned for some new videos of the places I have been once I figure out how to use this thing.  Manuals...one really should read manuals when dealing with new electronic toys.  Maybe that is something for tomorrow.  Tonight wine and card games.

Boxing Day

I did something that I have not done in years yesterday....I went to the mall on Boxing Day.  I received a couple of gift cards for Christmas from my family.  They have learnt that I am notoriously difficult to buy for, and I am grateful that they have decided to do the gift card.  I know some people may think that is cold or un-imaginative, but to me that is practical.  I never know what I want until I see it, plus I get to shop...which I have to admit I totally adore doing, and they don't have to spend hours wandering around looking for something I most likely will return.  It's a win-win situation as far as I can see.
But I digress.  I was standing outside the one and only store I planned on visiting on Boxing Day - People's Jewelry Store. I mean who doesn't want a gift card from there?  As I lean against the pillar outside watching the people line up at various stores...waiting in buyer's anticipation, I begin to wonder about the whole Boxing Day thought process.  I look around me and no one is lining up to get into the jewelry store.  Well, me and a couple of older people....that's it!  I look across the way and there is a line zig-zagging through the mall outside of La Senza.  This is where I begin to wonder.  I can get diamonds, gold and other gems at People's for up to 60% off today or I can line-up and get crappy underwear for the same price that I'm going to pay for a beautiful necklace made of tri-gold. In fact, you don't even have to line-up if you don't want anymore.  Most of what you can find in the stores you can order online, and during the season they mostly offer free shipping.

What did I learn out of little excursion to the mall on Boxing Day?

1. Shopping on-line rocks.
2. Gift cards can be fun to receive and use.
3. Reaffirmation that going to the mall on Boxing Day is not for me.

A beginning.

It seems so simple in theory.  To put one's thoughts down on paper, or in this case, to computer. The questions are never-ending. How does one begin to record one's life?  Does it start now?  What about the past that helped shape the person you are today?  Where does that fit? If left unchecked the questions can stop you from taking action. For me every new journey begins with a single shaking step into the unknown. This is mine.