Monday's Random Thoughts

It has been a crazy couple of week of meetings, meals, events and work! 

- On Sunday I attended a charity tea at High Heeled Life's house...you can see the pictures here.

- On Monday I attended the annual Rural Urban dinner in our town.  The first surprise was when I found out we are the urban side.  Really?  Ok!  The rural side is verrry rural.  Farmers.  Like reallio trulio farmers.  The second surprise was when I realized that even tho we were sitting at the same table as 6 farmers, they weren't going to speak to us.  Hermes Scarf Friend and I tried forcing ourselves on them but they were having none of it!  The urbanites *ahem* are expected to mingle with the farmers and we will be called out if we don't.  It's all in fun and raises money for charity but I think I will raise some expectations of the farmers...like next year they should actually speak to us!

- On Tuesday morning I had a civic awards meeting.  I picked up the chair of the committee and we went to another member's house.  He must be retired as he is around all the time and...he baked us scones!  I want to know who the heck has time at 8am to bake and clean up before someone comes over at 9am!  I didn't know much about what this meeting was about - and I was told I was chairing it!  Ummmm.  Shoooot!  I made it up as I went along and we got through it!  The chair sent me the nicest email telling me how much she admires and respects me.  I get a bit misty just thinking about it!

- Tuesday evening I had another meeting - Rotary Christmas fundraising this time.  Last year we made it competitive and had teams assigned to each of us.  This year we are keeping the teams but not the competition...but if we sell 500 hams and 150 boxes of chocolates the chair of the fundraising committee will come to a meeting in drag...and makeup.  He is currently growing his mustache for Movember.  This will be fun.

- If you follow me on Twitter you might've been witness to my thoughts on a conversation about ribbon colours for the Christmas chocolate fundraiser.  The chair thought pink ribbon on lime green boxes would be weird (because agreeing to dress in drag and makeup isn't weird).  A lawyer on Twitter actually offered to call him and sort it all out!  Now preps, don't worry, I got my way and we will be offering the choice of pink or red ribbon on the chocolate boxes. Crisis averted.

- The basement renovation is coming along nicely.  The drywall is almost all up which means the power tools will get a break...as well as my headache.  The other day the guys were down there and a fight escalated until I thought it was going to come to blows.  The guy in charge knows one of the issues we have had is the noise level.  Not the work noise, but the stereo they play down there and the fighting that used to go on and rang through our entire house...one of them has the whiniest voice, it just makes people want to punch him in the face!  Anyhoo, the fight got louder and louder until I heard the guy in charge yelled at the top of his lungs 'We're not supposed to be yelling!!!!!!!!'.  And then silence.

- Hermes Scarf Friend and I worked for the hospital gala last week.  We set up the silent auction room and there were 85 items!  Some of them were big ticket like Pilot Friend donated a flight for 4 to Ottawa, a tour of the parliament buildings and lunch with our local MP, trips to Toronto with hockey tickets, $400 bottles of wine and so much more!  I have watched enough soaps to know getting on the hospital board will be the pinnacle of my career as a Suburban Princess...this is step one towards that goal!  It was so much fun seeing my custom ribbon on a few of the auction items!  To order your own personalized ribbon please visit Royal Ribbons!

- The other day the Little Prince was looking at photos on one of the laptops.  He came across one from the highland games in the summer and said 'Oh I do love a marching band!'.  He is definitely an old soul!

- I went to a 'shopping extravaganza' the other night.  I was invited to bring my ribbon samples, a dish for the food table and a prize for the gift basket.  I had never been to this sort of thing so I had no idea what to expect.  I'm all for being a team player but I would struggle with asking people to bring so much to my house.  Have you been to such a thing?  The hostess invited lots of vendors from different companies to set up their displays and invited lots of guests to come and get some Christmas shopping done while holding a glass of wine and eating something one of the vendors brought.  One of the shoppers won the gift basket all the vendors donated to.

- Remembrance day brought nice weather.  I am always happy to know the people at the memorials don't have to stand in the rain or snow.  I find these events so emotional and end up having to think of other things while I am there so I don't start sobbing.

-  Does no one ask 'How are you?' back anymore?  I always lead with 'Hi so-and-so, how are you?' and almost always get 'Good thanks' back but they never ask me how I am!  It's a bit of a conversation killer isn't it?  I'm always left wondering if I am supposed to walk away, carry on with what I was going to say, stand there staring at them....

- I have been talking to the Little Prince about Santa and asked if he is going to write a letter to Santa.  'Yes'...Ok...I asked what he will say in the letter.  He replied, 'Thank you'.  Four words:  Mom. Of. The. Year.


Have a fabulous day!

November 11

Canadian physician aand Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields in May 1915 after he witnessed the death of a friend.  

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

This took on a whole new meaning for me when earlier this year, while doing genealogical research, I discovered my great-grandfather (my father's father's father) was killed in action at Flanders in May, 1915.

Have a peaceful day.

Remembrance Day

In Flanders fields the poppies grow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

"In Flanders Fields" is one of the most notable poems written during World War I, created in the form of a French rondeau. It has been called "the most popular poem" produced during that period.  Canadian physician and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae is popularly believed to have written it on 3 May 1915, after he witnessed the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, 22 years old, the day before. The poem was first published on 8 December of that year in the London-based magazine Punch.

The poppies referred to in the poem grew in profusion in Flanders in the disturbed earth of the battlefields and cemeteries where war casualties were buried and thus became a symbol of Remembrance Day. The poem is often part of Remembrance Day solemnities in Allied countries which contributed troops to World War I, particularly in countries of the British Empire that did so.

The poem has achieved near-mythical status in contemporary Canada and is one of the nation's most prominent symbols. Most Remembrance Day ceremonies will feature a reading of the poem in some form (it is also sung in some places), and many Canadian school children memorize the verse. The poem is part of Remembrance Day ceremonies in the United Kingdom, where it holds as one of the nation's best-loved, and is occasionally featured in Memorial Day ceremonies in the United States.

Lest We Forget