Shout it Out!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...

2009-11-03T14:06:00.001-08:00

I just simply remember a few of my favourite things... (in no particular order)

-Reading
-Gilmore Girls
-Red
-Pink
-Mary Kay
-The Salvation Army
-Letters
-Scrapbooking/Card making
-Photocopying things
-Flowers
-Suns wearing sunglasses
-Board games
-Being Erica
-Rocky Mountain Soap Co.
-Grey's Anatomy
-Markers
-Stickers
-Getting my hair cut
-Fair Trade Coffee (especially from Beaners)
-Chocolate
-Teaching bible study
-Camp
-Bagolac Saigon
-Summer
-The smell of freshly cut grass
-Colourful throw pillows
-Travelling

By Golly, She's Got it!

2009-10-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I was out at a school doing a couple of presentations. The first one was for grade two students about spit tobacco. These kids know a lot about spit tobacco as many of them have been offered it in the past (can we say high risk?).
I was teaching them how to recognize what is bubble gum and what is chew, and what the difference is. As I was talking about the effects chew tobacco has, one little girl put up her hand and asked, "If people know it's bad for you, why do they keep making it"? Excellent question! I did my best to explain in seven year old language that companies make tobacco because they know it's addictive, and because of that they can make lots of money. One tobacco representative made the comment that "Nicotine is highly addictive. We are therefore in the business of selling nicotine".

Somewhere I have the link that shows you all of the internal documents from major tobacco companies that the US court made public. I'll find it eventually.

In the mean time, shout out to Beamer's Coffee Bar!

Philo

2009-10-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've heard from a few different people that it's not possible to leave comments on my blog. If you know how to fix this, let me know!

In other news, I'm going to try to slowly read my way through the list of 100 books everyone should read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - (I"ve read some!)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy.
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt.
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo -

To begin I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

This Thing Called...Chocolate

2009-10-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Calgary Traffic Report:

Glenmore Trail East bound is backed up all the way to Crowchild Trail because of an accident at Glenmore and Deer Foot. Consider an alternate root.
Deerfoot Trail on the Calf Robe Bridge is closed because of construction. Use an alternate route.
Macleod Trail both directions is a mess down by Sundance.
Douglasdale Blvd and Deer Foot is blocked because of an accident.
Blackfoot Trail and Manhattan Road is backed up all directions because the lights are flashing red.
Good luck.

Canmore Traffic Report:

Photo radar on 15th Street.
The end.

So have you guessed some of the perks of living in a small town instead of a large city? Every once in a while I miss having certain luxuries at my fingertips, but usually I am very content to stroll down Main Street and breathe in fresh air. Also, the recent snow gives the mountains a fresh glow which I find wonderful.

Faith is a Journey

2009-09-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Faith, like anything in life, is a journey. This can be especially difficult because we live in a society that thrives on instant solutions. This thought came to me this morning as I was reading The Shack.

When a person comes to our office for addictions counselling, they fall into one of five categories of change. If they have no desire to change, and don't think there is a problem, we say they are Precontemplative. If they are thinking perhaps they need to change, and are starting to see the effects of their addiction, they are Contemplative. If they are getting ready to change, and are making a commitment to stop using, they are in the Preparation Stage. When they are actually putting their plan in action and moving forward, they are in the Action Stage. Finally, once they have succeeded in quitting, but still need a check up once in a while, they are in the Maintenance Stage.

Faith is the same way.

A person in Precontemplation may not even be thinking about God. They don't believe, and see no reason why they should. God does not even cross into their mind even when they experience His presence through people and nature.

A person in Comtemplation thinks there is a possibility God exists, but there really is no way to know for sure. They continue on with their daily lives. sometimes thinking about the existence of God.

A person in the Preparation Stage thinks that God exists, but has not fully committed to trusting Him with everything. The thought of doing so scares this person, but they continue to seek answers. They may attend church or talk to people about their thoughts and opinions on God. They know they need fulfillment, but are not ready to take the plunge.

A person in the Action stage takes it to the next level and trusts everything to God. They believe in Him, trust that He knows what He's doing, and feel fulfilled. They are excited about this new found glory, and want to SHOUT IT OUT to everyone they know because they finally found what they've been searching for.

Finally, a person in the Maintenance Stage continues to live their life for God, but needs a check up once in a while. They pray everyday, do devotions, go to church, and seek to deepen their faith. Their passion for God has calmed down, and they no longer bombard their friends and family with long and excited prayers. God becomes a familiar part of their lives, like an old blanket or favorite pair of slippers. They may sometimes store this favorite item in the back of their closet, but not for long. They know the comfort is there, they just need to remember to actively SEEK IT OUT.

Just like with addictions, relapse is the rule, not the exception. It is easy to slip back down into old habits and actions. God, however, knows this, and just like with the Prodigal Son, will greet us again with open arms.

What do you think of this? Personally, I feel as though I've just had a "check up".

Because Everyone Loves Tag

2009-09-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

You've been tagged, so you are supposed to write a note with the 3's of YOU. At the end, choose 15 people (multiple of 3) to be tagged. You have to tag me, so you just need 14 more people. If I tagged you, it's because I am interested in learning more about YOU.

(To do this, copy this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, replace my answers with your 3's of Me, tag 15 people in the right hand corner of the app, then click publish.)

Those are the directions but once I got started I just kept taggin so I reached the limit so some ye may be cut off....my apologies....

Three names I go by:
1. Amanda
2. Navigator
3. Manda

Three jobs I have had in my life:
1. Addictions Counsellor
2. Specialized Services Aide
3. Camp Counsellor

Three places I have lived:

1. Canmore, AB
2. Calgary, AB
3. Edmonton, AB (I should get out of Alberta at some point)

Three Favorite Drinks
1. Dr. Pepper
2. Chocolate Milk
3. Sparkling Iced Tea with Raspberry

Three TV shows I watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Dragon's Den
3. Being Erica

Three places I have visited:
1. Halifax
2. PEI
3. British Columbia

People that text me regularly:
1. Laura
2. Erin
3. Other Erin

Three of my favorite foods:
1. Lobster
2. Crab
3. Candy/Chocolate :)

Three friends I think will respond:
1. Alcia
2. Erin
3. Sean

Three pets that I've had:
1. Sydnie
2. Pepsi
3. Pup

Three places I want to visit before I die:
1. Scotland
2. Australia
3. Greece

Hallliiiiffaaax

2009-08-28T10:25:00.001-07:00

Philip and I just returned from Halifax, where he won the National Skills Competition in carpentry. He built a playhouse in six hours, did a written theory exam, and a transit test. Pictures to come later.

Here is what I'm thinking: Most people are good. They won't steal your car, rob you blind, or steal your credit card. The people who do are the exception to the rule...and chances are they have a mental illness, have been abused, or have a lot going against them (poverty, crappy parents, etc...) Also, being able to trust others is important, just don't be stupid about it (i.e. Don't leave your keys in your car or your door unlocked).

Right now I'm missing school. I've been researching grad schools and getting excited about doing my masters.

Also, Fil is moving to Toronto this weekend, which means a lot of tears and chocolate.

I'm a Fan of Nice People

2009-08-07T09:52:00.001-07:00

This weekend I get to meet Bruce Bowie, and I'm very excited! To me he is an excellent example of a man who is a Christ Follower and in the public eye. He demonstrates he is a Christ Follower with his actions and compassion, but never shoves it down your throat or condemns those who aren't.

Go here to learn more about him. Hopefully that link actually works!

Pardon?

2009-08-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have an ear infection, which means I have a lot of pain and very little hearing. Philip finally convinced me to go to the doctor yesterday (which I hate), and he gave me two lovely prescriptions for anti-biotics.

Our friends are here this weekend with their cutie-petuti baby daughter. Thankfully she is not crawling yet, because our apartment is definitely not baby-proof.

Thought of the day: If you condemn homosexuality, how can you expect a person who is gay to come to your church?

Also, because of the folk festival, our town's population has doubled this weekend. I had to wait at a traffic light for more than one minute. Crazy.

Deadly Persuasion

2009-07-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am trying to change the background of my blog...but it is not going smoothly. '

I'm thinking you should check out what Jean Kilbourne has to say about advertising. She's hilarious and will get you thinking. I'm going to use her take on things when we run a Girl Power group in a few months. Go to www.jeankilbourne.com (I'm not fancy enough to be able to make that a link), and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qFENyemgk8

Hmmm...I wonder what this ad is for?

Stick it to the Man

2009-07-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

I came across a list of products that are owned by tobacco companies today. Holy cow! The list is from Georgina Lovell's book, You are the Target: Big Tobacco, Lies, Scams-Now the Truth.

Philip Morris’ Non-Tobacco Companies and Brands:

Miller Genuine Draft	Lowenbrau
Miller Lite	Red Dog
Miller High Life	Milwaukee’s Best

Kraft Food Brands (wholly owned by Philip Morris):

DAIRY:
Kraft Macaroni Cheese	Minute Tapioca
Velveeta cheese product	Athenos Cheese
Philadelphia Cream Cheese	Cheez Whiz
Knudsens	Cracker Barrel
Breyers	Sealtest
Kraft Parmesan	Breakstone’s
Kraft Singles	Light N Lively
Kraft Taste of Life

POST Cereals:
Alpha-Bits	Banana Nut Crunch
Grape Nuts	Pebbles
Raisin Bran	Toasties

RJR NABISCO (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco):

Oreo Cookies	Air Crisps
Chips Ahoy!	Wheat Thins
Snackwell’s	Nilla, Nutter Butter
Ritz Crackers	Stella D’Oro
Premium Saltines	Better Cheddars
Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams	Cheese Nips
Triscuit	Toastettes
Newtons	Barnum’s Animal Crackers

LIFESAVERS:
Life Savers	Bubble Yum
Breath Savers	Gummi Savers
Care*Free	Ice Breakers

MISCELLANEOUS:
Minute Rice	Cool Whip
Miracle Whip	Dream Whip
Jell-O	Claussen Pickles
Good Seasons	DiGiorno Italian Sauces
Sure Jell	Calumet Baking Powder
Certo	Shake ‘N Bake
Kool-Aid	Oven Fry
Seven Seas	Altoids
Country Time	Toblerone Chocolate
Taco Bell Home Originals	Stove Top Stuffing
Baker’s Chocolate and other Baking Products
Maxwell House Coffee	Capri Juice Drinks
Sanka	Crystal Light
Yuban Coffee	Bull’s Eye Barbecue Sauce
General Foods International Coffee
Tang

DELI:
Oscar Meyer Products
Louis Rich Products

PLANTERS NUTS etc.:

Roasted Peanuts, Cashews

The beer doesn't surprise me, but pretty much everything else does. Especially because I really like a lot of these things!

Being an ethical consumer is hard work. Everything adds up: Fair Trade food, clothing made ethically, and now companies that are owned by tobacco companies.

Worthy of a smile: Gap jeans are now made ethically in Canada...without a raise in price :)

Love Hurts, Baby

2009-07-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Thought of the day: You cannot have a genuine relationship without conflict.

People (including myself) often shy away from conflict. We see it as a horrible thing that should never happen. If you ask me, however, a healthy amount of conflict is a necessity to have a genuine and authentic relationship. As for the "healthy amount" part, that's up to you.

Even therapy needs to have conflict. A good therapist will establish rapport with the client, and then challenge the client to face uncomfortable and painful truths. Of course all of this is rounded off with followup and a lot of kleenex.

Second thought of the day (I don't have many, obviously): Unconditional love. The beauty of my job is that I get to meet people wherever they are in life. I get to work with people who don't give a rat's ass about changing, and figure out how to best be their counsellor.

It's a long way down

2009-07-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

I love birthdays :) I like picking out presents for people (and getting presents), and the way everyone seems to be just a bit (or a lot) immature and silly on their birthday. Suddenly people have an excuse to sing, eat cake, play games, wear funny hats, and act like a little kid again. Of course, in my mind nothing bad is allowed to happen on your birthday either. If it does, you deserve a redo.

I had the most boring day at work today. My boss asked me if I wanted to poke my eyes out with a pencil. I'm in withdrawal from working with crazy kids. Come September though I will have plenty of crazy children to hang out with.

That's all for now. Toodleloo!

From Every Rooftop

2009-07-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus, I am returning to the world of blogging. You're probably wondering why I didn't just return to my old blog...the answer is simple and yet complicated. I am different, still me, but different. Instead of returning to the past, I decided to move forward. I'm a fan of change. Sometimes.

Also, I have many musings I feel the need to share. Such as this one:

What does it mean to be a Christ follower? For me the answer is found in the first chapter of Isaiah.

Say no to wrong.

Learn to do good. Work for justice.

Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless.

Go to bat for the defenseless. Isaiah 1:17

This is what I strive for. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail miserably. Thankfully God is merciful and forgiving...otherwise I'd be royally screwed.