Auntie Peggy

Fifteen years ago today, my world was rocked. Fifteen years ago today, the only grandmother figure I ever really knew passed away. I called her "Auntie" Peggy. Her parents were neighbours of my (maternal) grandparents in my ancestral home town in Scotland.

When my parents immigrated to Canada, it was Auntie Peggy and Uncle Ben they stayed with until they found a place of their own. We lived only a five minute walk from them and we were constantly in each other's homes. They were at our house for Christmas dinner every year and they seemed to see it as their duty to spoil me - as they didn't grandchildren yet and their kids were grown. In 1977, I was flowergirl in their son's wedding. When my Mom took sick in 1978 and was in hospital for weeks, it was Uncle Ben who was always there to pick me up from school every day and take me back to their place where they would have dinner for Dad and me. Uncle Ben lost his battle with cancer in 1989.

Everyone needs an Auntie Peggy in their lives. I remember once going to visit her one evening after a breakup with a beau and she said, "What's wrong wi' ya, lass? I dinna lak to see ya lak that." Sometimes I wonder what I would give to hear her say those words again. She had a great sense of humour. It was priceless to watch hockey with her. She literally nagged the Canucks on. She would say things like, "Ach, you're useless. Get off the ice." and wave her hand dismissively at the t.v. Just a few months before she died, some pianists came to visit our church. She leaned over to me and whispered, "What's wrong wi' us? Why can't we play lak that? We have ten fingers, don't we?" I had to stifle the giggles.

She went quickly and unexpectedly. She had a heart attack on April 1st and was gone by the next morning. She didn't even give us a chance to say good-bye. Perhaps that's best, as I will always remember her the way she would have wanted: vibrant, warm, funny and full of life.

The next night, a Saturday, I was at a Michael W. Smith concert with a friend. If you know him, his signature song is "Friends" a song that became an anthem to a generation of Christian young people. As he sang it, tears streamed down my face. To this day, I always associate the song with her - even though she probably never, ever heard it.

I've got it softly playing in the background as I type this post, and I can feel tears trickle down. I give you "Friends" words and music by Michael W. Smith and Deborah D. Smith.

Packing up the dreams God planted in the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hopes He's granted

means a chapter in your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always;

it won't even seem you've gone
'cause our hearts in big and small ways

will keep the love that keeps us strong.

Chorus:
And friends are friends forever

if the Lord's the lord of them
And a friend will not say never

'cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go,

in the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given

springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you live in is the strength that now you show
But we'll keep you close as always;

it won't even seem you've gone
'cause our hearts in big and small ways will keep the love that keeps us strong

Chorus:
(twice)
And friends are friends forever

if the Lord's the lord of them
And a friend will not say never

'cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go

in the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends

And friends are friends forever

if the Lord's the lord of them
And a friend will not say never

'cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go

in the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends
No, a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.

Rest in peace, Auntie Peggy. I still miss you

41

Today is my birthday. I'm 41 today. Somehow, it doesn't seem possible. That seems like a fair amount of time to have been alive on this planet. Sadly, the older one gets, the faster time seems to fly. Can it really be 20 years since I turned 21?! Can it really be 11 years since I turned 30? No. It can't be. Yet the calendar doesn't lie.

I don't mind birthdays, but I don't like getting older. True, people are living longer, but at 41, I am forced to admit that I've left my youth behind me forever and have to accept the fact that I'm middle-aged. Ick. I don't like that idea.

It's weird knowing that the "kids" in their 20's weren't even born when Star Wars came out in 1977 - almost 31 years ago. It's funny knowing that there's a generation that never didn't know that Darth Vader was Luke's father until the sequel, "The Empire Strikes Back" came out in 1980. It's weird knowing there's a generation that doesn't know a life before MTV and how big Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was in 1983.

It's weird looking back at tv footage of the 70's and 80's and saying, "Hey! I remember that!" I guess our parents felt the same when we were growing up. For example, they remember the Kennedy assasination in 1963; they remember the Queen's coronation in 1953. Those were events that happened before I was born. They must have shaken their heads and smile the same way I do today. I think that's why I like watching "That 70's Show" a retro look back at life in the '70's. Though, I would be younger than the teenage characters in that show (it would be perfect if one of them had a younger sibling) I do remember the fashions and the attitudes and the gadgets around the house of that time.

So, there you have it. The musings of a middle-aged (ouch, that hurts) woman on her birthday. I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day.

It's Oscar Night in Hollywood

I'll admit it: I love movies. DH and I watch at least one movie a week. We routinely watch the Oscars every year. We don't make a big deal of it, but we do watch. (I can only think of one year where we missed them).

Why do we watch? Because we love film. It's nice to see the gowns that ladies wear. It also can be hilarious to hear the acceptance speeches. It's also a good way to find out what Hollywood considers to be "the best" and to add it to the list for movies to see. We've seen a few of the nominated movies. That being said, we haven't seen any of the best picture nominees yet. They're on the list for when they are released on dvd.

Here are my predictions for the major categories:

Best Picture: - "No Country for Old Men";
Best Actress: Julie Christie -"Away from Her";
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis- "There will be Blood";
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There";
Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck - "The Assassination of Jesse James";
Best Director: The Coen brothers - "No Country for Old Men".

I'll check in later with a report on the ceremony and to see how close I was in my predictions.

Edited later to add:

Well, if you watched the Oscars, you will see that I went 3/6 in my predictions. Overall, I was 10/24. I *should* have gone with Javier Bardem for Best Supporting Actor, as that's what those in the know in Hollywood were saying. Mind you, those same people were saying that Julie Christie was a sure thing for best actress. That, to me, was the biggest surprise of the evening. I was also suprised at Tilda Swinton's win in the Best Supporting Actress category. I'm not a fan of hers. She was miscast as the White Witch in "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe." Swinton has my vote for the worst dressed at the ceremony.

As for best dressed, the ones that stood out to me were: Katherine Heigl, Helen Mirren, Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, and Julie Christie (who would have been absolutely perfect if she had accessorized with different gloves and shoes).

Overall, I enjoyed the show. I liked Jon Stewart. He was obviously more comfortable hosting this time around than he was two years ago.

Heath Ledger 1979 - 2008

I came back to the office after lunch the other day and was shocked when my co-worker showed me headlines showing that actor Heath Ledger was dead at 28. It appears that it may have been an accidental overdose of prescription sleeping pills.

Let me start off by saying that I wouldn't consider myself a fan of his. I know some of his movies. I liked "The Brothers Grimm" and "A Knight's Tale." I have yet to see "Brokeback Mountain", for which he received his only Oscar nomination. (I'll get around to it one of these days). My immediate thoughts were for his little daughter, Matilda, who will grow up without her father, (and probably will never remember him) and her mom, Michelle Williams, who is apparently "devasted". (The couple split up a few months ago).

I was disgusted to read the following article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22813570/. Some Church plans to protest his funeral, due to his involvement in "Brokeback Mountain". (If you don't know the premise it's about two cowboys who have a long lasting relationship. In other words, it's a gay love story).

To the people who would do such things, I say, "Shame on you!" Are you so blind to see that this young man who died far too young left behind parents, a (former) fiancée and a little girl? Why are you adding to their grief and stress? Leave them alone. If you consider yourself Christians, ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" Would he be protesting a funeral, or would he be reaching out to heal this grieving family's wounds? I seriously do not understand how anyone could be that uncaring and unfeeling, especially people who claim to be following Jesus's example of healing and compassion. I really dislike people who kick other people when they are already hurting and I don't think Jesus would approve, either.

Would these same people have protested Marlon Brando's funeral? After all, Marlon Brando played Don Corleone, the Godfather, a man who was a career murderer. Will they protest at Ang Lee's funeral, the director? He also made "Sense and Sensibility" with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet (two of Britain's finest actresses). Will they be tainted by association, two ladies that are destined for Damehood? Will they protest Philip Seymour Hoffman's funeral who won an Oscar for his portayal of Truman Capote, who was gay? (Ironically, he won the year Heath was nominated). Where does it end? It's just ridiculous. Such publicity-seeking self-aggrandizement at a funeral is disgusting and reprehensible, according to ANY moral code.

Wake up, people. It was a role, a job. Nothing more, nothing less. That's what art is supposed to do. Make people think, and challenge them. Perhaps, in protest, I'm going to watch this movie this weekend and I'm looking forward to it.

Rest in Peace, Heath.

Happy New Year

Okay, okay. We're almost two weeks into 2008, but since it's my first blog post of the year, I thought I would start off by saying "Happy New Year". I generally don't make New Year's Resolutions. I find they get broken all too quickly. One thing I did tell myself was that I would try to take more time to post in my blog.

Here's wishing everyone a good 2008.

It's Christmas

Every year I ask myself, "So what does Christmas mean? What exactly am I celebrating?" I was raised a mainstream Christian was was raised to believe it was Jesus's birthday and that God sent his son, Jesus, into the world to save us from sin; that his mother, Mary, was a virgin and that he was born in a stable in Bethlehim, since there was "no room at the inn".

Almost seven years ago, my faith in literalistic Christianity was destroyed. Poof. Vanished overnight. Ever since then, I've struggled to find the answer to what Christmas means to me. I've done a fair amount of reading on the subject, and I am open to the idea that Jesus was actually the heir to King David's throne; that he was a member of the Royal Family and that he was an earthly king. Apparently it's the Christians that screwed up the translation of the word "Messiah". The Jews knew very well that the word meant earthly king and not heavenly. They were right in expecting someone to come and save them from Roman oppression. I'm cool with celebrating the birthday of a Jewish king. Apparently the word "virgin" can also be translated as "maiden". It certainly makes one wonder, doesn't it?

The evidence suggests that there were several myths about ancient gods born in or around December 25th to human mothers and divine fathers. Here's a partial list: Dionysus, Attis, Adonis, Mithra. When I first read that, my world collapsed. After all, if these are myths, why did I believe that the Jesus story was literally and historically true. It begs the question that his story may be just another one of those myths. I mentioned to DH recently, "Why is it that we are eventually told that Santa Claus isn't real, but we are raised to belive that the literal Christmas story is? Does anyone else see this as ironic?"

DH has said that as time goes on, he foresees the day that we may no longer celebrate Christmas. I suspect he may be right, but I'd be sorry to see that happen. After all, it is fun to get presents and celebrate with family and friends with parites and a good meal. I asked a Moslem friend a couple of years ago if he celebrated Christmas and he said, "yes" since he celebrated anything that tried to make the world a nicer place. After all, isnt' that what the message is all about?

Merry Christmas

Just Wild About Harry

I guess I'm a little behind the times posting about Pottermania almost two weeks after the release of the final book in the Harry Potter series, but I'm going to do it anyways. Please be warned: there will be some spoilers - but not in regards to the seventh book - only the first six.

I fell in love with the Harry Potter series seven years ago, when the fourth book came out. I bought the first book "to see what all the fuss was about." I read it was hooked. I immediately bought books two, three and four and polished them off quickly. Then began the agonizing three year wait until book five came out.

DH and I went to see the first movie on opening night. While watching it, I had the vague feeling that Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) looked very familiar. With a gasp, I whispered to DH, "That's me! She looks like me!" He agreed. She looked very much like I looked like when I was her age. When my Mom saw the movie, even she had to agree. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), I was amazed to see, was the spitting image of my cousin. It was a reallly weird experience.

I still think that Book three is my favourite (Prisoner of Azkaban) just because of the red herrings she threw at us. I still get a tingle up my spine when I read the paragraph where Sirius and Lupin embrace in the Shrieking Shack. I still shake my head that I didn't figure out Lupin's identity; my (limited) knowledge of the French language should have told me what he was. (Lupin = wolf)

I was in shock at the ending of book six. I expected Dumbledore to die, but not until the seventh book. I was also in shock at how he died. I never expected it to be Severus Snape that did it. I sobbed and sobbed. I so wanted to believe that Snape was good. It was agonizing to wait for another two more years to find out which side his loyalties lay: Voldemort's or Dumbledore's.

A friend once tried to pawn a book off on me called "Harry Potter and the Bible" which I declined to read. A cursory glance at the book told me enough. One of the issues was that the kids lie. Newsflash: kids do tell lies. I pointed out to her that if you were going to throw out Harry simply because the kids tell the occasional lie, then you're going to have to throw out Les Miserables because it was the Bishop of Digne's lie to the authorities that saved Jean Valjean from returning to prison. There was also another character, a nun known for her honesty, whose lie to Javert spared Valjean. She responded with, "Yeah, it's hard." I said, "No it's not. Be consistent."

Since then, she has seen the light. Most people (Christians included) consider Les Miserables a wonderful story of grace and redemption. In fact, I've seen the book for sale in Christian bookstores. If you want the "Readers Digest" version of the story, watch the 10th anniversary concert of the wonderful Boubil and Shonberg musical set in London's Royal Albert Hall. It's available on dvd.

I know that some people consider the Harry Potter series an introduction to the occult for kids. They claim that J.K. Rowling can't possibly be a Christian (as she's claimed) and write this stuff. Yet, these same people are quite happy to claim J.R.R. Tolkien (author of Lord of the Rings) as a christian. Ha. I've yet to hear of anyone becoming involved in the occult because of Harry. Yet, I have heard of people getting involved in Dungeons and Dragons (which, of course, is based on Tolkien's creations) and doing some odd and bizarre things while under its "influence."

Tolkien's work has far more depth. His stories are based on ancient nordic myths and legends. For example, "Saga of the Volsungs - the Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer." There is also mention of a special ring that made the wearer invisible in Plato's "The Republic" which would date back to the Golden Age of Greece - 5th Century B.C. Yes, it's true. Bet you didn't know that, did you? I admit that my mouth fell open when I read that part. Tolkien *must* have known about that. There was no way it could be coincidence.

I've often wondered if there isn't something in the British education system that understands fantasy far better than we in North America. Think about it. Some of the best fantasty writers are from Britain: J.R.R.Tolkien (the father of the genre) C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling. I can't say I've heard any controversary about Harry coming from that side of the Atlantic. My parents, who are Scottish, have no issues. My Mom read the first book and liked it. My Dad has seen (at least) two of the movies. I once attended a Harvest Party at my parents' church as Professor McGonagall. At the party, I met a friend of my parents who was visiting from England. When I told him who I was dressed up as and he had no issues. He agreed that it was "just fantasy."

I admire any person, male or female, who struggles and fights and tries to make something of their life. If you don't know, J.K. Rowling was a struggling single mom. She couldn't afford to heat her flat (apartment) and wrote most of the first Harry Potter book in an Edinburgh coffee shop while her baby slept by her side. It would have been so easy for her to sit back and feel sorry for herself. I think she's an excellent role model for women and mothers everywhere. Look at her now: she's richer than the Queen of England.

One of the qualities I admire in Harry and his friends is their loyalty to each other. Sure, they get angry and go without speaking to each other occasionally, but there is the underlying bond of friendship, and they stick up for each other. They know if they don't stick together there is no way they'll accomplish the tasks that are set before them. There is one character in particular (Neville Longbottom) that goes from being a bit of a spineless jellyfish to a very strong and independent young man. He becomes quite the leader. I just had to cheer him on as his character developed over the last three books. Aren't loyalty, independance, trust and friendship good lessons to be passing on to children? I think so.