How was your Monday?

Yesterday happened to be "Blue Monday" which is reportedly the bluest of all Mondays. It falls on the Monday of the last full week in January, and is the bluest for a myriad of reasons: weather conditions, debt level, time since Christmas, and the often inevitability of failing one's new year’s resolutions. These are all factors into making this day the most melancholy of the year.

What did my monday look like?

Weather: -35 with wind chill of -45. Most likely the coldest week of the year for ol' Winnipeg.

Debt Level: Higher than I would like.
 
New Year's Resolutions: I resolved to make it to work on time. Result so far? Failure percent rate  85 %

Health: If the snotty kleenexes, Buckleys and woolen socks are any indication, less than sublime.

Holiday Time: Nonexistent for another 4 months.


The good news?

It is now Tuesday. And only -29.

Christmas in Pictures

For our families and friends who are far away, I present you:

A Winnipeg Christmas


                                              Chloe and I hanging out while
                                             mommy and daddy go shopping.

The leg o' lamb meets his match in Yuri's 

cooking vengeance.

                                       
                                             A lonely, yet beautiful Christmas Eve
                                                           with just each other.

                                                       
                                                      

                                                         Our tree of many blessings

     

 Christmas Morning!

Lindsay, Chuck, and Chloe arrive just in time for blini

Tatyana arrives with more food. 

Russians love food. 

Waiting for dinner to commence.

Reveling in the rare glory of doing...nothing. 

Chloe is ready to eat.

A few days later...

Celebrating 3 months of marriage. 

A trip to the forks. 

At Saucers Cafe.

Jennie's favourite Tea Bar. 

Revisitng the place we got married, 

Assiniboine Park.

On our way to Otterburne for a New Years

celebration. 

Uncle Yuri gets..."The Look"

Despite the lack of mistletoe, these two still snuck kisses.

Beautiful day in the country.

Chuck and Yuri relaxing.

Skyping with Nanny, Papa and Uncle Will in BC

Grandfather Frost

I have married a Russian boy, and thus the blending of different cultural traditions commences.

I have been introduced to Grandfather Frost in the past.

 A grand ol' fellow, with a stunning beard.

He has left me chocolates and cookies hidden in and around the Christmas tree. Today, however, I discovered a package with the next best thing.

 Jewelry!

What do I bring to this cultural smorgasbord that is our lives you may ask?

Yorkshire pudding and knowledge of Canadian folk music.

Bam.

A cheesy post. The last of it's kind, I swear.

So these two crazy people were united in marriage nearly 3 months ago. And life goes ever on.

Our honeymoon was spent exploring the streets of Montreal, and cruising the cobblestone alleyways of Old Quebec. We are tres cute, non?

After returning from our holidays in blissful rainy Quebec and recovering from our heinous colds, Yuri and I have settled into a semblance of normal life. Aka:Working and driving, and of course some whimsical madness when time and energy allow.

 

We are now preparing to spend our first Christmas together. Far away from our very missed families, but full of hope for a restful and joy filled time. A very Merry Christmas from us, to you.

Spring

Tis May, and the leaves doth unfurl amidst the fresh, spring rain.

 I'm quite partial to the Spring season, although as an Indie wannabe, I am also aware that that more obscure the season, the more I should like it. Spring usually fits into a more, shall we say, well-liked category. With the dismissal of Winter, Spring's sun drenched hand beckons the warmth as though it were a gentle embrace. Tender, hesitant, satisfying.

I like Spring.

Noteworthy Facts.
 .My tulips are beginning to bloom.
.I've been eating a lot of porridge lately.
.I like days off.
.There is such as thing as too much bingo.Yes, Mrs.Smith, it's true, I cannot call B-4 one more time without some sort of cataclysmic event occurring.
.I like Yuri. He brings me flowers "just because."
.I've purchased my first pair of high heels, brand new! Both exciting and painful, these shoes will accompany me to many upcoming posh events...such as the 5 weddings I am attending this summer. Seriously, there is way too much stinkin' love these days.

A Rainy Day Playlist (for those of you who enjoy music in an obscure, melancholy form with interludes of sunny tunes)
 The Barr Brothers - "Old Mythologies"
Agnes Obel - "Riverside"
Teen Daze - "Everywhere"
Matt Paxton - "Shore Pine Walk"
Apparat - "Sweet Unrest"
Kathleen Edwards - "Empty Threat"
Peter Bradley Adams - "Emily's Rain"
School of Seven Bells - "The Night"
Jon Bryant - "Think Back"
Matthew and the Atlas - "I Followed Fires"
Of Monsters and Men - "Yellow Light"

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky: and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

e. e. cummings

Fickle as the Wind

Old people are fickle. Last week I was swung at, yelled at, and sworn at. This week I have received so many compliments that my head has begun to swell to massive proportions.
"What a tight, young body you have." (That's right)
"My dear, you just keep getting better looking each time I see you" (I did shower this morning)
"What a lovely outfit you have on" (I was wearing scrubs, ugh)

My brain is also quite fickle.
"Holy moly I'm getting married!"
"Huh? I'm getting married? Noooo way"
"#!&$%".
"I love this fricken boy, I can't wait to build my life with him".
"Say what?" *blank stare*

Apparently this new stage of life is still settling in.

I've been reading this book called, "Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married". I'm trying to glean as much wisdom as I can from other people's experiences.

Lesson for today, "All of us are human and humans sometimes do and say things that are demeaning to other people." You're saying I can't be the perfect partner and say the right thing all the time? Oh poop.

Any wisdom to share for a scared, excited, happy girl who gets to marry a cute boy in seven and a half months?

A Cute Song of a Flirtatious Nature

January happenings:

1. Got rehired at the nursing home. I had a brief hiatus as my term position was ended, and I was able to apply for a different position.

2. Got a car. Well sort of. It resides in BC for now.

3. Got engaged to a wonderful, kind, clever boy, who fills my heart with joy.

This is the view we were privy to, whilst Yuri asked me to be his partner in crime.


This is us a short 24 hours after on New Years Eve.

FRICKING AWESOME!

Spots of Green

Does it ever feel as though your life moves in a cyclical process as opposed to a linear movement?

I have officially exceeded the amount of time between degrees...that sentence sounds unnecessarily complex. In other words, it's the longest amount of time I have spent not in school. Since I was 5 years old of course.

I thought I would never want to look at another syllabus again, and yet here I am dreaming of another field of study I might like to pursue:

Horticulture.

I want to grow plants.

Pretty ones.

Delicious ones.

Aromatic ones.

An irrational dream to have at December's doorstep. Or is it...

Here are some exciting ways that I've assembled to beat the winter blues and spread a little happy green.

1. The ever faithful, Houseplant. I currently have 8 plants that I am tendering, although they say you can never have too many.

2. Terrariums. My sister, mom and I have attempted these and failed. Although I believe there is hope for YOU. If you are uncertain what a terrarium, and would like to know, is click the link.

3. Forcing bulbs. I always like this idea, but have yet to bring it into being. I'm thinking of taking the easy way out and buying bulbs that don't need the chilling process, and can be planted immediately, such as the Amaryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus.

4. Planning your spring garden. This usually just increases my impatience, but it can provide sparks of creativity. My new house has a backyard that has 3 raised beds, in which I feel much good can be accomplished.

5. Lastly (but not really because I'm sure there are lots of other great ideas out there), I suggest buying cut flowers for your table. I know they die really fast, but during a particularly dark shade of blue they can provide a bright spot of warmth and inspiration.

Jennie Attempts to be Technological

After the sad realization that playlist.com had decided to cater only to American subscribers, I decided to search the web for alternative methods of forcing music down people's ears.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

I came up with Streampad...which is a decidedly frustrating device for a simple girl like myself, but it works...sort of. Please let me know if there is a far easier, less time consuming alternative out there in the vast world wide web.




Jordan Klassen (Go To Me)

Go On

Autumn is on its way. Despite the favourable temperatures this past week it is clear summer is coming to an end in the subtle changing of leaves and the crisp early mornings.

Ahh September. The month of new beginnings.

Some of Jennie's Autumn news:

1. Moved to a lovely little house with a spiral staircase and an attic nook where I can hide away from the world when need be.

2. Bought a coffee plant. I aspire for it to eventually grow beans.

3. Bought a dining room table which oddly felt like my biggest adult decision yet.

4. Turned 25 years of age. Ah, quarter of a century, you cause great reflection on the meaning of life.

5. Listened to some great bands.

I dedicate this lil' song to my friend Laura who has embarked on an exciting new journey.

I'm reminiscing my west coast holiday by listening to some Fleet Foxes.

Ahh, holidays..you were good to me.

A lil' Update

Alas, I have not been a consistent blogger as of late.

Some rather noteworthy events have occurred which I neglected to share, mainly:

1. My niece turned 5 months old.

2. My dating relationship turned 5 months old.

3. I went to Toronto and was in awe of Niagara Falls, strutted my stuff down Yonge Street, rode on the subway, braved the glass floor at the CN tower, peaked my head in the CBC broadcasting headquarters (I tried to get a glimpse of Jian Ghomeshi but to no avail), and yes dad, made a trip to the sky dome. I also attempted to speak Russian to Yuri's parents, and ended up calling them a "goat".

4. I celebrated the wedding of my dear friend Charis to her darling Rick.

5. I am attempting to grow my first eggplant.

6. I went kayaking for the first time and did not die or fall out.

This evening I was walking in downtown Winnipeg. In the midst of gentle rain, fresh green leaves, and the hurried pace of people on sidewalks this song began to play on my ipod. It was an illuminating moment. "The cup that was empty is slowly filling up."



"country it was taken, land dug up
families were broken, spirits were crushed
the language that was silenced, is now free to be passed
the cup that was empty, is slowly filling up"

"I believe art is utterly important. It is one of the things that could save us. We don't have to rely totally on experience if we can do things in our imagination. ... It's the only way in which you can live more lives than your own. You can escape your own time, your own sensibility, your own narrowness of vision."
-Excerpt of an interview with Mary Oliver

Went for a hike

"We need the tonic of wildness... We can never have enough of nature." -- Henry David Thoreau

It was an exciting day at the nursing home, as we had the West End Cloggers come and perform some special dance numbers.

In case you are not familiar with clogging, as I was not, I have included a you tube video. The majority of the residents who I invited to attend were not familiar with the clog dance. "Fogging? What's that?!" I resorted to explaining the event as "women dancers"...which incidently helped to increase the audience numbers.

NOTE: The West End Cloggers are not young, agile men, but rather women in their more formative years. I was personally quite impressed with their moves...

Don't Hesitate

“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.” ~Mary Oliver