Back To School

Most educational facilities have been back into their true form for a few weeks now. The students have all returned, the new kids are finding their place, the teachers are giving out homework again, and the novelty of a new year is beginning to wear off, as the burden of assignments sets in.

This will be the first time that I have not returned to school in 15 years! It is quite exciting to be doing something different. To finally realize that the rest of the world is not controlled by the study program that consumes most of the year.

There is a kind of sadness that fills me however, when I see the children buying their new supplies for the upcoming year. I haven't gone through what binders I need to replace, if I need a new backpack, or what the cool pencils, or pens are this year. In fact I haven't even emptied out my binders and notebooks from last year! Maybe "sadness" isn't right... perhaps unsatisfied might be a better fit?

The business that emerges by going from blissful Summer evenings to the schedules of Autumn is a kind of comfort that says "Yes the world will continue to turn." I confess that it may take a few more years to get used to a different schedule. In all fairness though, I believe that this can be expected after 15 years of the same pattern!

In the meantime let us all try to cling to the memory of a wonderful summer. After all, we will be longing for it to return soon enough!

To all of you returning to school... have fun!!! ;)

Reviving Summer - Part 1

Today marks the start of the very last week of summer.
This seems highly unfair considering that "summer" never arrived in Alberta, and we had 4 months of Monsoon season instead.

Rather than crying and complaining about the lack of warm days, I've decided to take advantage of these chilly, September days and reminisce about the good parts of what should have been summer.

So reaching way back into July I realized that I forgot to tell you, dear sister and readers that I actually got a second memento.



This piece of art by Canadian designer Lisa McEachern makes me want to cry.

Call me dramatic, but what I love so much about art is that it's about the emotion it evokes in an individual.

Ironically, I picked up this peice at Lilith Fair and mere moments after, the lovely and talented Sarah McLachlan made reference to mended hearts.




When I think of Summer 2010 I'm reminded that
hearts break, hearts mend.

Landed & Jet-lagged

So I arrived in India at 1:50PM (Indian time) today. Canada is almost exactly 12 hours behind India. Therefore, I feel like it is the middle of the night. YAY JET-LAG!

I know that there have been some questions regarding whether I would continue to post while in India. Of course I will! Thankfully this website has a nifty function that allows the writer to schedule their blog post ahead of time. I have made a few in preparation (this being one of them) so that I can feel confident about my responsibilities on this website and in India as well.

The last time I was jet-lagged was when my sister & I went to Sweden.

When we would wake up in the middle of the night, there was only one issue: Do we sleep or eat? Both badly needed... both refusing the other.

I will let you know how my night time struggles go this time. :)

Don't Be a Saint

Welcome to September 8!
This is the day you leave!
For as long as I've known you, you've been talking about going to India, and now you are, Kelsey, sister!

This week I was reminded of another great humanitarian in India,
Mother Teresa
Sunday was the 13th anniversary of her death. You were 8.

Did you know she was the youngest in her family?
And she was born in the month of August?
Originally from the Ottoman Empire (now Macedonia), when she left for India at age 19, she never saw her sister again??

WHAT! Say, WHAT????

So, go to India, care for the poor and orphans and stuff, but
Don't be like Mother Teresa!

Crazy woman.

photo from here

Me & Your Cousins, & You & Your Cousins

...Is a phrase in the song entitled 'Cousins' by the band Vampire Weekend. This song has been in my head all day. The reason? Well, I got to spend time with some cousins this weekend :) I LOVE ALL OF YOU!

I spent this holiday Monday (morning) with this cousin...

I hope all of you had a wonderful long weekend! Sorry about the late post, but it is a holiday!!!!! I hope I am forgiven.

Just Like in College

I get a kick out of this picture.
I offer sincere apologies to my friends for posting it on the internet, but it makes me laugh :)



Please note the iron & the ironing board in the back ground
as well as the significant pile of discarded garments on the bed.

About 10 seconds before this photo was taken, someone made a comment about being back in college/college dorm rooms again (oh, goodness that was a long time ago).

While we might not be 18 anymore, one of us is starting back to school this fall.
So, in honour of the new school season starting, and not having to live off of Kraft Dinner....

Cheers, Ladies!

Saturday Night Kidnapping

All I knew heading into Red Deer last Saturday was that I was hoping to meet up with some good friends. Chapters at 4:00 p.m. was the designated meeting spot. I arrived on time, and waited until my friends came... I wasn't even sure who would be among them. As it turned out, all four of the friends who I was hoping to see were there.

After grabbing some coffee at the in-shop Starbucks, we had to go drop off one of our friends for her volunteer work that she was doing that evening. I had no idea what the plan was, and would occasionally ask something like "So what are we doing tonight anyways?" the reply was always mixed such as "Don't worry about it!" or "What do you want to do?". So the four of us that were left after we dropped off our one friend went and got food and drinks. We discovered a beautiful lounge downtown that I had no idea existed! If I had known before...



It was now time to go pick up our friend and get ready to go out dancing. We had to go to her house for a bit but once we got back into the car I was attacked! A blindfold was thrown around my eyes, and I was being told that we had a long drive ahead of us. I was too distracted with being blindfolded that I forgot to notice what directions we were turning. - Typically both my sister and I, and our brothers, are very good with directions, it was completely stressful to not even have a hint at what direction the car was headed! - I tried a few guesses, and then gave up. I desperately wanted to peek a few times, but I didn't. In the end we turned up the music, and I sat back to enjoy the ride as best I could. There would be no getting past these girls!

We arrived at our destination after 30 minutes of driving. My friends and kidnappers assisted me in getting into wherever it was that we were headed. After an extremely terrifying elevator ride and being told repeatedly "No, we aren't in a hotel Kelsey." the four culprits finally took off my blindfold to reveal a hotel room.

It took a awhile for me to adjust, I think that I had to lay down on the bed in the fetal position for a time... It turned out that we were still in Red Deer and the 30min. car ride was simply a tour around the city, giving my mind time imagine all the possibilities. We got ready for our night of dancing and headed out to another place I would've gone to more if I had known about it while living in Red Deer. The five of us danced our feet sore and our hearts high.

Before returning to the hotel room we stopped by Pizza 73. The best part about that? Free 9" cookie!

I love you girls so very much. Thanks for the wonderful last hurrah!