In addition to Doctor Who, I am quite a fan of American Idol. I never vote, or anything, but I try to watch each week's performances and I always have my favourite. This year, my favourite is Casey James (not the porn star). Yes, he's a very handsome man, but he is also quite talented. In fact, he kind of reminds me of my all-time favourite musician ever: Mr. Johnny Lang.
Anyways, here are a couple of Casey's performances. What do you think?
4/7/10
My Turn to Time Travel
Today, after some more spring cleaning (I did the ovens today), I joined Youngest, Middle, Oldest and The Dad for a day-trip to Blists Hill Victorian Town in the World Heritage Site of Ironbridge Gorge. When they asked me if I wanted to join them, I said: "Yes, please!", but in my head, I was like: "Absolutely, I do!" I was pretty excited to go; Ironbridge was on my must-see list!
Blists Hill is kind of like 'Black Creek Pioneer Village'— it's a living museum. When you enter the museum, you can change your pounds into shillings, farthings, sixpences and other Victorian-era coinage at the bank. You can then purchase your various and sundries at the wide array of shops in town. First, we visited the grocer, followed by the sweet shop, the post office, the drapers, iron and leather works, the photographer, the bakery and more. My favourite shop was the print shop. The room was hung with freshly-printed posters and cards and there were drawers and drawers full of lead and wood type! It was awesome!
Once you get past the High St, the path takes you into the fairgrounds, where you can play old-fashioned games to win a coconut. You can also ride one of those 'swings of the century' rides, like at Wonderland. You can also visit a rich doctor's home, a common-man's 2-room cottage and a mid-size brick house. There is also a school, a church, a shipyard and even a mine!
I had a good time wandering around the town and seeing the girls get so excited to try things like home-baked bread (even though they can have much better home-baked bread at home) and candle dipping. It was nice to join in their fun! My only problem was that they were so excited that they would often run off and leave me to wander on my own. It's okay, though, it gave me more time to explore the stuff they thought was boring, haha.
We took a break from the museum to take a walk in the nearby woods. It was such a beautiful day! We came to some old railroad tracks and Youngest had fun trying to balance on the rails… and so did I.
I really enjoyed the whole 'living museum' thing and I'm excited to visit more museums like this one… like Eden camp! I think I'll stop by there when my friends and I are in Yorkshire this summer!
P.S. God totally provides. I have been super stressed about money lately— I even woke up on Monday morning in the middle of a nightmare that was about me not being able to pay off my credit card bill or afford any kind of activity beyond sitting at home watching TV. I have had so much anxiety about money and I've been praying so hard for God to just help me trust him! Jesus says: '…So don't worry about these things, saying 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.'
… and then today, I received my tax return from the government of Canada. I couldn't believe how much it was; I was able to pay a huge chunk of my credit card bill! Praise God!
Blists Hill is kind of like 'Black Creek Pioneer Village'— it's a living museum. When you enter the museum, you can change your pounds into shillings, farthings, sixpences and other Victorian-era coinage at the bank. You can then purchase your various and sundries at the wide array of shops in town. First, we visited the grocer, followed by the sweet shop, the post office, the drapers, iron and leather works, the photographer, the bakery and more. My favourite shop was the print shop. The room was hung with freshly-printed posters and cards and there were drawers and drawers full of lead and wood type! It was awesome!
Once you get past the High St, the path takes you into the fairgrounds, where you can play old-fashioned games to win a coconut. You can also ride one of those 'swings of the century' rides, like at Wonderland. You can also visit a rich doctor's home, a common-man's 2-room cottage and a mid-size brick house. There is also a school, a church, a shipyard and even a mine!
I had a good time wandering around the town and seeing the girls get so excited to try things like home-baked bread (even though they can have much better home-baked bread at home) and candle dipping. It was nice to join in their fun! My only problem was that they were so excited that they would often run off and leave me to wander on my own. It's okay, though, it gave me more time to explore the stuff they thought was boring, haha.
We took a break from the museum to take a walk in the nearby woods. It was such a beautiful day! We came to some old railroad tracks and Youngest had fun trying to balance on the rails… and so did I.
I really enjoyed the whole 'living museum' thing and I'm excited to visit more museums like this one… like Eden camp! I think I'll stop by there when my friends and I are in Yorkshire this summer!
P.S. God totally provides. I have been super stressed about money lately— I even woke up on Monday morning in the middle of a nightmare that was about me not being able to pay off my credit card bill or afford any kind of activity beyond sitting at home watching TV. I have had so much anxiety about money and I've been praying so hard for God to just help me trust him! Jesus says: '…So don't worry about these things, saying 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.'
… and then today, I received my tax return from the government of Canada. I couldn't believe how much it was; I was able to pay a huge chunk of my credit card bill! Praise God!
4/6/10
4/4/10
P.S. I am becoming a Sci-fi nerd
I watched the first episode of the new 'Dr. Who' series and I am hooked. Dr. Who is a national treasure, check it out.
The greatest day in history, Death is beaten You have rescued me Sing it out Jesus is alive— Steve Fee
Happy Easter! He is Risen! Today, we celebrate the day Jesus rose from the dead, overcoming sin and Satan! woot! How did you celebrate?
I started on Friday. Aussie and I enjoyed a lovely lunch at the local French café before heading down to the Good Friday service at Oasis. It was great. We did a bit of worship, which I really love at Oasis, because it's quite open. In between worshiping God through singing, the band plays background music and people can speak as they feel led. People often read a bit of Scripture that they feel is relevant, or pray out loud. Some people even describe a picture or a message they are given by God. I love to hear what God is saying through the different people in the congregation. After the worship, we had a bit of a picnic, sitting on the ground with our friends.
A lot of young families came, because after we ate, we watched a film called 'The Miracle Maker'. It's a claymation film that shows Jesus' life from the beginning of his to his death, resurrection and return to heaven. It was pretty good, actually. The animation changed to illustrate one of Jesus' parables or to show a flashback. The film is voiced by famous Brits like Ralph Feinnes, David Thewlis and Ian Holm and 'Satan' is voiced by an American (which is interesting, since in many Disney films, the 'baddie' is British… like Aladdin, The Lion King, Peter Pan…). But, the most important part of the film was that it was true to the Gospels. It explains clearly how Jesus is the Son of God and how he came to earth, fully man, fully God. It shows some of his perfect teaching about how God wants us to live and follows Jesus all the way to his death, where he dies for all mankind. Jesus dies bearing the weight of everything humanity has done that is against God's will — and everything humanity will do in the future. He forgives us of everything we've done and everything we'll ever do. We are okay with God because of Jesus' sacrifice. All we have to do is thank God and trust Him to take control of our lives.
Yesterday was lovely and sunny again, so I took a loooong walk. I went in to King's Heath to buy some nude tights, because it's getting too spring-y out to wear my black ones. Then, I took a stroll into Moseley to visit Oxfam and then, I headed down to Cannon Hill Park, where I enjoyed seeing all the Canada Geese swimming around the ponds. I got myself a cup of tea and sat in the Tea Room to read for a while. Now that I've finished 'Affluenza', I needed something new and exciting to read. I picked up 'Safely Home' and it has been pretty difficult to put down.
Last night, I stayed in to babysit, so I rented 'The Passion of the Christ', which I have never seen before. It is intense. I feel like because I often say or hear 'Jesus died for my sins', I become somewhat numbed to the idea, like how 'experts' say kids are numbed to violence because they watch so much of it on TV. I liked 'The Miracle Maker' because it was very true to Scripture and told a lot of Jesus' story. But I liked 'The Passion' because it just provided such a vividly gruesome account of Jesus' last hours. I had to look away at times, because I was completely disgusted by the bloody images on screen that were often worse than any horror movie I've seen (mind you, I am not one to watch many horror movies). It is incredible to try and understand that my God loves me and all of his children so much that he became human and went through beatings, whippings and crucifixion so that we can all be reconciled with Him. (Don't worry, the clip I've provided isn't anything gruesome. This scene is the final scene in the film; Jesus has been resurrected and is about to go out and show Mary Magdalen that he has conquered death).
This morning, I got all dressed up in my Easter dress (purchased from Oxfam) and went to church— it was a party! There was singing and clapping and lots of laughing, too. It was a celebration of the resurrection, Oasis style. I had another picnic meal at the church before returning to Moseley to have a lovely Easter lunch with The Englands and The Mum's parents, who are visiting. It's been nice (but I wish I had a few of those Snickers easter eggs, haha).
Peace out!
I started on Friday. Aussie and I enjoyed a lovely lunch at the local French café before heading down to the Good Friday service at Oasis. It was great. We did a bit of worship, which I really love at Oasis, because it's quite open. In between worshiping God through singing, the band plays background music and people can speak as they feel led. People often read a bit of Scripture that they feel is relevant, or pray out loud. Some people even describe a picture or a message they are given by God. I love to hear what God is saying through the different people in the congregation. After the worship, we had a bit of a picnic, sitting on the ground with our friends.
A lot of young families came, because after we ate, we watched a film called 'The Miracle Maker'. It's a claymation film that shows Jesus' life from the beginning of his to his death, resurrection and return to heaven. It was pretty good, actually. The animation changed to illustrate one of Jesus' parables or to show a flashback. The film is voiced by famous Brits like Ralph Feinnes, David Thewlis and Ian Holm and 'Satan' is voiced by an American (which is interesting, since in many Disney films, the 'baddie' is British… like Aladdin, The Lion King, Peter Pan…). But, the most important part of the film was that it was true to the Gospels. It explains clearly how Jesus is the Son of God and how he came to earth, fully man, fully God. It shows some of his perfect teaching about how God wants us to live and follows Jesus all the way to his death, where he dies for all mankind. Jesus dies bearing the weight of everything humanity has done that is against God's will — and everything humanity will do in the future. He forgives us of everything we've done and everything we'll ever do. We are okay with God because of Jesus' sacrifice. All we have to do is thank God and trust Him to take control of our lives.
Yesterday was lovely and sunny again, so I took a loooong walk. I went in to King's Heath to buy some nude tights, because it's getting too spring-y out to wear my black ones. Then, I took a stroll into Moseley to visit Oxfam and then, I headed down to Cannon Hill Park, where I enjoyed seeing all the Canada Geese swimming around the ponds. I got myself a cup of tea and sat in the Tea Room to read for a while. Now that I've finished 'Affluenza', I needed something new and exciting to read. I picked up 'Safely Home' and it has been pretty difficult to put down.
Last night, I stayed in to babysit, so I rented 'The Passion of the Christ', which I have never seen before. It is intense. I feel like because I often say or hear 'Jesus died for my sins', I become somewhat numbed to the idea, like how 'experts' say kids are numbed to violence because they watch so much of it on TV. I liked 'The Miracle Maker' because it was very true to Scripture and told a lot of Jesus' story. But I liked 'The Passion' because it just provided such a vividly gruesome account of Jesus' last hours. I had to look away at times, because I was completely disgusted by the bloody images on screen that were often worse than any horror movie I've seen (mind you, I am not one to watch many horror movies). It is incredible to try and understand that my God loves me and all of his children so much that he became human and went through beatings, whippings and crucifixion so that we can all be reconciled with Him. (Don't worry, the clip I've provided isn't anything gruesome. This scene is the final scene in the film; Jesus has been resurrected and is about to go out and show Mary Magdalen that he has conquered death).
This morning, I got all dressed up in my Easter dress (purchased from Oxfam) and went to church— it was a party! There was singing and clapping and lots of laughing, too. It was a celebration of the resurrection, Oasis style. I had another picnic meal at the church before returning to Moseley to have a lovely Easter lunch with The Englands and The Mum's parents, who are visiting. It's been nice (but I wish I had a few of those Snickers easter eggs, haha).
Peace out!
4/1/10
Easter Cakes
Today, we made cupcakes. They are actually so delicious. We followed the recipe exactly and they turned out to be among the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever had-- complete with buttercream icing!!!
Yum.
Yum.
Book Review: Affluenza, By Oliver James
WARNING: This post is very long. Like, reeeeally long.
(I really suggest reading at least this chapter… since my summary is lacking)
( James, Oliver. Affluenza. Vermilion, 2008. Print.)
In Affluenza, James argues that “just as Aids is stalking the globe, so is the Affluenza Virus”. The 'Affluenza Virus' is emotional distress caused by placing high value on money, fame, possessions, status and appearance. James calls these aspirations to money, fame, etc. 'virus goals'. James puts forth that anxiety, depression, and emotional distress in general, are on the rise because we aspire to 'virus goals' with 'virus motives'. 'Virus motives' include working for reward and praise and working for the approval of others. James attributes the 'Affluenza Virus' to the 'selfish capitalism' that is rampant in most English-speaking nations. 'Selfish Capitalism' is defined by James as four principles: success of business is measured by share price, businesses are driven to privatize public utilities, businesses believe that there should be little regulation for business and the rich should be able to get richer, and finally, the idea that you can meet all your human needs with the right purchases.
I particularly loved this book not only because James helped me to see where many of my own anxieties could be rooted, but also because he proposed a list of 'vaccines' for the virus. Although some of the vaccines don't apply to me at this time in my life ('Meet Your Children'd Needs, Not Those of Little Adults', 'Educate Your Children, Don't Brainwash Them', and 'Enjoy Motherhood, Not Desperate Housewifery/Househusbandry'— these will be helpful in the future!), much of the advice was very useful.
The first 'vaccine' is 'Have Postivie Volition (Not “Think Positive”)'. James outlines that the very 'American' idea of 'thinking positive' causes the subject to push negative thoughts away and pretend things are going well; creating a positive illusion about a not-so-positive situation. Instead, the author offers a list of advice. Here are some points I found most helpful:
- “Your best is good enough”: as long as you did your best, you're not to blame
- “It's not your fault that you are who you are”: have realistic expectations of yourself; you can't change many of your characteristics that are determined by your family and society. In my own mind, it helps me to remember that God loves me and He made me to be the way I am; God gave me different abilities and limitations and I will honour them.
- “At the same time, you must accept that the particular situation you are in is chosen by you and that you are a free agent, with volition”: (volition means using your own will) So, even though you are constrained by certain characteristics, you can still decide a great number of things about your life. In my mind, I remember that God gave me free will!
- “Form as truthful and accurate an assessment as possible of yourself and your society, rather than living in the rose-tinted bubble of positive illusions”: you can't improve your situation if you have an inaccurate view of your life.
- “Don't be scared about examining your failures as much as your successes when searching for clues about what to do”: pretty much, you can learn from your mistakes and your triumphs
- “Don't take responsibility for what is not your fault or for others' achievements”
- “Be as self-concordant as possible”: “align your values with the life you live”. So, for example, I want to follow Jesus, who calls us to love others and lay down our lives for our neighbors… so it would be self-contradictory for me to pursue a career that is all about money, fame and putting myself above the needs of others.
The second vaccine is 'Replace Virus Motives (with Intrinsic Ones)'. In this chapter, James advises his reader to stop working only for rewards, praise and the approval of others. Instead, he suggests that we become motivated by the pleasure we get from doing an activity. He also describes intrinsic motivation as “the getting there rather than the arriving, the process by which a result is achieved rather than it's completion.” Some examples of intrinsic motivation include supporting others, beauty, self-expression, having fun. James also says that in some cases, pursuing a virus goal such as money may not cause emotional distress if the motivation for the goal is intrinsic. Some of James' advice includes:
- “Audit your Motives and Goals”: are you doing things to please others, or yourself? James offers an example: “You may say 'I get dolled up to go on dates so that the other person will like me, to please them, but ultimately, it's so I can get close to them physically and mentally, so it's really to please myself.' In which case your motive is intrinsic. The problem is if your dolling up is in order to feel better than others, or to show off, or to manipulate and use.” This is one of the most helpful vaccines I found in this book. Now, I think more about my motives for my activities and I have realized how much of my stress is related to working hard in order to impress others or receive approval!
- “Identify Work Activities Which Have Intrinsic Motivations”: self explanatory. For me, for some reason, I really enjoy volunteering at the local Oxfam charity shop. Maybe it's because I am supporting an organization that does good things, or maybe it's because I love looking at awesome clothes and styling sweet outfits, or maybe it's organizing all the clothes that gives me a weird high, but I just really enjoy that work!
- “Identify Play Activities Which Have Intrinsic Motivations”: do hobbies that you find “absorbing, exciting and stimulating”— not activities that are people-pleasing or to be a part of a group. For me, this blog is definitely a hobby with intrinsic motivations. Although sometimes I do try and cater to my small, but loyal, readership, I write because I love to write and I want to share my life with my friends and family at home!
Next, James asks us to “Be Beautiful (Not Attractive)”. The opening statement of this chapter provides a very concise definition of this principle: “Valuing beauty is a defining feature of the intrinsically motivated; using physical attractiveness to gain praise or manipulate others is what the Virus-infected do.” The author says that it's okay to want to dress and look a certain way as long as that way is defined by our own perception of beauty and not the ideal impressed upon us by the media. I'll leave it to you to read the book yourself to look at the interesting case studies of Muscovite and Danish women and their motivations for their beauty regimes. James' vaccines on this subject include:
- “Rediscover the meaning of beauty by observing small (three-to-eight-year-old) children”: James suggests that children hold the key to being beautiful because instead of dressing to impress others, they carefully choose their outfits for their own indulgence. For example, one of the girls at church last week was wearing a Snow White costume with bright pink socks and silver shoes. She looked silly to me, but I bet she felt like a princess! Remember: businesses push their image of attractiveness in the media in order to sell their product!
- “When trying on clothing in a shop and looking in the mirror, forget altogether about what others might think”: (okay, yeah… easier said than done)
- “When considering cosmetic appearance-enhancing purchases, ask yourself 'Will this make me more beautiful?'”: For me, spending $ on skin-cleanser that actually works will definitely make me more beautiful… because to me, clear skin is beautiful.
- “If you are middle-aged, ruthlessly interrogate any desire you have to look younger”: If you are 30, look like a beautiful 30-year-old… If you are 40, look like a beautiful 40-year-old, etc…
- “Stop reading womens' magazines!”
- This one is directed towards men and is titled “Learn from Danish Men”, but it really just advises the reader to appreciate beauty in others, not sexual desirability or ability to keep up with trends. It also talks about looking beyond appearance to see your potential partners' (cheese alert) inner beauty.
- This point is also directed at men, but is relevant for anyone: “Be Emotionally Intelligent”: basically, James calls his readers to know how they are feeling and to be able to talk about it with someone.
“Consume What You Need (Not What Advertisers Want You to Want)” is the title of the next chapter. From my own education in graphic design I have learned a fair bit about branding. I've learned that advertising agencies no longer present only the attributes of a product or service to their consumer, appealing to our practical senses. Ad agencies use branding to appeal to the consumers' emotions, to the way the consumer could use the product or service to present their lifestyle or image. In other words, we are becoming increasingly concerned with what our possessions say about us, not how useful they are. In effect, we are spending beyond our means to possess the car, house, wardrobe, television, camera, mobile phone, computer, and more that will help us define who we are… much like chasing after 'The American Dream'. The desire to 'have' often comes from a desire for status; to 'keep up with the Joneses.' 2 Vaccines are offered here:
- “Keep it real when it comes to the size of your mortgage”: This also applies to credit-card spending. Really, just don't buy things that are outside of your means. Also, don't define yourself my what you have!
- “Back to Basics: be grateful for what you have got!”: Later on in this book, James describes a time when he and his wife were working out a budget to do some decorating and renovating on their home. After worrying about whether or not they could afford these changes and stressing about increasing their mortgage, they decided to leave the house as it was (apart from having a new boiler installed— a necessity for long UK winters). James realized that he and his wife should be “bloody glad to have a house at all”!
…to save myself some typing, I am going to skip the chapters on parenting— but I strongly suggest you read this book!
The final 'vaccine' chapter is “Be Authentic (Not Sincere), Vivacious (Not Hyperactive) and Playful (Not Game-Playing)”. So, this is a bit of a long chapter and it's not as straightforward as the rest of the book because these things are not to easy to define. I'll try to summarize:
being authentic= being real, being true in all times and places, being honest
being sincere= being open, being outwardly passionate or dramatic about one's feelings/beliefs
being vivacious= feeling alive, savouring the moment, having an active mind
being hyperactive= “compulsive Doing”, being an extrovert
being playful= having a sense of humour, a humourous way to deal with stresses and anxieties
being game-playing= using play to manipulate others, putting on a false persona (being a 'poser'), living in your fantasies/imagination
(I really suggest reading at least this chapter… since my summary is lacking)
… and the vaccines:
- “Don't wait for a disaster before getting real”: a couple of the subjects James interviewed in this section were authentic, vivacious and playful because they had decided to get the most out of life after experiencing tragedy. The author urges us to savour each day and to be real! He offers an exercise: “imagine you have a fatal illness and are reviewing your life from that standpoint.” What would you change about how you live? I think one thing we would all do would be engaging in relationships more fully.
- “Scale down your interest in people you have never met”: (I am thankful that James doesn't ask us to cut it out entirely, because I do enjoy my American Idol, haha.) Basically, read and watch less about people that don't matter to you and the people you love. Stop stressing about which celebrity is cheating on his wife, or how many kids Brangelina have! Limit your TV watching— especially reality shows and entertainment news.
- “Develop Habits that Prevent Hyperactivity”: RELAX and get a good night's sleep (at least 8 hrs).
- “Be honest with yourself about your dealings with others”: know who your friends are. Facebook friends are not necessarily actual friends. Make sure you have close friends; have a few people you can be honest with who will support you and who will be honest with you.
- “Play with small children”
After stating his vaccines, James' “gloves come off”. He gives blunt advice about what we need to do to avoid 'The Virus' on a personal level as well as his political ideas.
It took me almost 3 months to read this book, but I'm glad I took my time because it has helped me to understand some really important things about actually 'Being' instead of just going with the flow. There are many times when I feel like what I am doing is just waiting for the next thing, or biding my time until something better comes along. But James really outlines the importance or engaging in the real world. I loves this book and I hope you will too!
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