My godson Leo tries his hand at a medical career.

Don’t you love it when a gift goes over well?!?

Aunite T and Roni at home

Auntie W and Cooper the goof

Last weekend (yes, I know! I am totally behind on the whole blogging thing ) I travelled to Calgary and Banff.  I was speaking at a conference in the mountains early last week, so I though I would proceed the engagement with a visit to my friends and relations.

Gramma and I

Grampa and I sharing a laugh

It was the first time I had visited my grandpa since he had moved to a care facility – I found it really hard… I can’t imagine how Gramma feels.  Anyway, we had a nice visit though… when I showed him the pictures of the girls he said “They’re cute!” and seemed quite enthused about the idea of me bringing them out to visit next summer. We sang a song together, and had a good visit.  Thanks to my auntie T for taking me and supporting me that day!

Leo shows Auntie Nica his Christmas tree

Later in the evening I went over to my great friends’ house.  L and K’s little son Leo is not so small anymore! (See pictures/vid of his visit in the summer.) Boy, he’s almost 3 and boy do they grow so much at that age!  It’s so wonderful that our kids will be around the same age – we get to bounce things off each other and enjoy each other’s company so much.

Colouring before supper

So we went out to supper.  The plan was to meet some of my on-line Ethiopian adoption buddies – Both Hazel and Sheri (with her whole family) we going to meet us there.  The crazy thing was – when we got there we drive around and around trying to find it… and only 15 minutes later at a gas station found out that the restaurant I had recommended had closed.  Permanently. Yikes!

Sheri and two of her girls. Yummy food!

Luckily, K had already met Sheri and co. and decided on a second location.  But my poor friend Hazel came and went, either before or after us – and we still didn’t get to meet!  Next time, Haze!

In the end, we had great food and company down in Kensington at another Ethiopia restaurant.  I was amazed by Sheri’s kids – 8,6,4,2 years old – we had to wait over an hour for the food – and there was only one minor meltdown.  I was about to pitch a fit by the time the food arrived – so really, I was impressed!  Also, it was great to chat with her and her husband about their transition with the two little ones from Ethiopia.  Thanks for meeting us!!!

I read Leo his bedtime stories. He has a big-boy bed now – room for two!

Then off home to L and K’s -

K and Leo, post-bath!

We hung out in the bathroom during Leo’s bath and then I got to do the stories before bed – a real treat.  In the morning, we went to the playground, and I got to give Leo his Christmas present.  We gave him a medical kit! and it was totally hilarious watching him play vet all morning. 

In the afternoon, I was off again to Banff.  My sister met me there and we did a bunch of window shopping and musing about the girls.  I think she is the third most excited person in our family about the girls – ! behind Jrock and I The she even spent the night with me while I prepared for my presentation the next morning. 

My sister and I cheat with some Rocky Mountain chocolate… in situ.

Aparently these Oscar the Grouch mitts are contagious.

I spent the morning at the conference, then drive back to Calgary, flew out to Kelowna, then presented again in the evening in Kelowna.  What a whirlwind it all was!

But it was wonderful to see all my important people – until next time! (January for my sis and summer for the rest!)

From my David Suzuki Foundation newsletter…

There’s no better time than this financially challenged, politically confusing shopping season to check your list twice and consider: do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? Think about it. One less gift can save about 200 kg of natural resources (the equivalent of two, queen-sized mattresses) and keep the same amount of material out of the waste stream.

Now is also a great time to pause and reflect, spend quality time with family and friends and, if you’re going to buy, buy less, buy used and buy local.

The Queen of Green, Lindsay Coulter, is here to help (as usual…) with these great green gifting ideas:

• Give paper new life. In this video, Lindsay and Katharine Byers, one of the Naturebag Moms, show you how to make seed paper. Recyclable papers (newspapers, magazines, envelopes, etc) can be made into cards, bookmarks, gift tags and small gift boxes and are embedded with seeds that grow herbs and flowers (indoors in pots or outdoors in the spring). A great family or kid activity! Here’s the recipe (PDF). 

• Donate to charity. Honour those on your gift list with a contribution in their names. (Try these lovely e-cards, for example. Watch the video). Choose a charity as a family gift to the world – it’s a great way to get kids out of ‘buy me’ mode and into a conversation about how we need to share the planet.

• Buy something used. Used (aka ‘recycled, vintage, pre-owned, antique’) stuff is already here – no new energy, materials, processes, packaging or transportation from far away needed. (The team at reyouzd.com have even started Canada’s first ever Buy Something Used Day (PDF) January 22 – but now is a good time to start.)

• Offer your skills. Whether it’s a year’s worth of once-a-week babysitting or a promise to rake leaves, we all have something we can do for someone on our gift list that’s worth more than just another inanimate object. And making homemade coupons is fun and crafty – make ‘em out of seed paper (PDF – see above)!

• Give experiences instead of stuff. Movie or theatre tickets, an art gallery membership, a sports event are great gifts, just remember to keep it local. Throw in bus tickets or passes for an extra shot of green.

• Consider a book. Whether new or used, there’s nothing like a good read. After you’ve finished sharing with family and friends, you can donate books libraries (the world’s oldest recycling centres!). Here are some of our favourite books.

• Beware of toxic toys. If they must have stuff, at least make sure it’s not going to hurt them (or the planet). Select locally-made goods from companies that consider the whole life of their products – what’s in it, how it’s made, and what happens to it when it doesn’t work any more.

• Make gifts yourself. Check out Lindsay’s lists of recipes for ideas. Whip up an assortment of green cleaners or non-toxic cosmetics, arrange them in a cute (reusable) container, and tie on a homemade seed card (see above). Or assemble a green travel kit in an attractive (reusable) cloth bag: stainless steel commuter mug and/or water bottle, reusable food container, cloth napkin, and ‘spork’ (a spoon and fork in one).

• Cut the wrap. If only two out of three households used one arm’s length less of ribbon, the amount saved could tie a bow around the earth. Great gift decorating alternatives: dried flowers, recyclable paper bows or a reusable scarf.

• Reap the rewards. Go outside (PDF). Breathe the air that you’re helping to clean up, look at the sky, and admire the natural abundance. Go for a walk in the woods, skate on a frozen pond. Think about how we are all connected to the planet that sustains us. It’s free and off-the-grid! And you deserve it. We all do. (Cue music…)

Peace on earth!

So what do we do? 

• I “wrap” our gifts in fabric bags - they are just pretty fabric sacks with a wide fabric ribbon tied around the top (and sewn to the side) so that people get the experience of “unwrapping”… I always ask for the bags back
• We also reuse paper gift bags we have recieved, for situations when I may not get the bags back.
• We DO recycle gifts!!! but we always tell people that we are doing it and usually they are appreciative, such as with books.  In fact, a friend who is getting married next week we bought used books and wrapped them in a tea towel! (With a pretty ribbon.)
• I have in the past also made quite a few gifts… herb teas from my garden, etc. 

Enjoy the season!

Where have you seen this before?

It must be a cairn terrier thing.

~We sure do miss our Hamish~