Christmas is over???!!!

I guess it's time.

I took down most of the indoor Christmas decorations this past week. Although those little mice and lights (above) are staying. I think lights on a mantle are nice and cozy year round....and well.... mice aren't seasonal. The outdoor lights and bows will have to wait until a thaw...and that doesn't look like any time soon.

Although.... I did take this fuzzy shot from a bedroom window today....pussywillows are in waiting.

Only 11 more months until Christmas Eve and 10 months before the decorations go up again.

If before then, you get lonely for Christmas and want to take a peek at pics of Christmas past, here's a Picasa album slideshow...

Gnashing of teeth

I am now the proud owner of a mouth guard. No, I haven't taken up hockey. And I'm not referring to those stinky $5.99 sports mouth guards from Wal-Mart. No, this one only cost $300.00 (Thank goodness for dental plans).

It all started when I switched pillows one night back in early December. I woke up with an incredible headache and neck pain, and then when I opened my mouth to eat breakfast my jaw hurt so bad I almost cried. I couldn't open my mouth very wide (my husband could interject with a few comments here) without excruciating pain. So I got right into the dentist who had no problem diagnosing that I have temporomandibular joint disorder - now isn't that a mouthful?

I've always been fortunate to have strong healthy teeth and gums - never had a cavity until I was in my forties. But we know from the condition of my molars that I grind my teeth when I sleep which places a strain on my jaws. I really don't think 'stress' is the cause of my teeth clenching. I read a few interesting things about the clenching and grinding of teeth at sleepdeprivation.com :

• "Believe it or not, we chew our food with the force of 175 pounds per square inch. When we grind our teeth without the food, the force can be doubled, which will result in serious damage." That's a hard fact to swallow.
• "It has also been discovered that avoiding caffeinated foods and drinks like colas, chocolates and coffee can increase teeth grinding." Better increase my intake of chocolate for sure.

• "Since teeth grinding takes place during sleep, it is nearly impossible to tell when you are suffering from it." Hope they didn't spend a lot of money for a study on that.

• "One way to treat teeth grinding is learning how to relax your jaw muscles at night. You can accomplish this by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek, right near your earlobe." And are you supposed to fall asleep with this wet cloth on your pillow?

• "Mouth guards or night guards....are designed to keep the teeth still in the mouth...." Good. I would hate for them to fall out of the mouth.

My young dentist is the most personable, laid back, friendly person on the planet and she told me she grinds her teeth as well and wears a mouth guard to bed; in fact, she hates it if she has a night without it. So that convinced me that I needed one myself to provide relief to my jaw and prevent the grinding. In the meantime, I bought an orthopedic pillow and that actually provided instant relief and I had no problems after that. But, I'd already booked an appointment to have the mouth guard made so I went ahead with the plan.

Try to imagine clamping first your top row of teeth and then the bottom row into a very thick cement-like substance that has the smell of Pepto Bismol, feeling like it's filling most of your mouth and then sensing it gradually harden while you of course, cannot swallow. When the dental assistant pulled (yanked?) the moulds off of my teeth, I could have sworn they were going to come out by the roots. Bleeck!

This week I received the finished product. A clear guard in the shape of my top teeth.

On the first night I ran hot water over the mould and then placed it on the top row of teeth. I smiled widely at my husband and told him I felt like a beaver. Bad case of buck teeth. I tossed and turned that night and went in and out of a fitful sleep. I dreamed that I was at a buffet table, dipping shrimp in the cocktail sauce, but when I went to eat it I couldn't bite down on it. In my dream I recognized that I was wearing a mouth guard to the event (how attractive is that?) so I took it out and tried again to eat the shrimp. Still couldn't do it. When I awoke and recalled the dream I laughed and now have come to the conclusion that I'm not stressed when I sleep. I just eat all night long, chomping away! That's okay. There's no calories in that. But perhaps I should switch it up and dine in my dreams at senior's homes with soup, mashed potatoes, and rice pudding.

Now if only I could accomplish what those dieting products promise.....'lose weight while you sleep!' Yah.....in my dreams.

Obamania...observations of a Canadian

I am excited for the USA as they celebrate up to Inauguration Day tomorrow. I have never witnessed this much excitement over a political figure in my lifetime. Obama, of course, represents much more than a political figure to so many. He represents change for the American people, and having emerged from an African/American background he is the epitome of hope for the black community. "Anything is possible in America", he said yesterday. He is an orator and his followers are euphoric. He appears bent on being inclusive of all viewpoints. He has invited Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration, and Dr. Joseph Lowry, whose views are deeply contrasting to Warren's, will give the benediction. He eats chili dogs at the local Washington eatery. Obama and his wife plan to be very involved with local people within the community in which they live. A man of the people (and the Blackberry), not someone isolated within the walls of the White House. Refreshing.

Americans know how to celebrate. So do Canadians, but we don't spend as much money at it. I have read that the inauguration will cost $100 million (don't know if that includes the pre-celebrations). I think I also read that there might be a recession going on - you know - people unable to pay their mortgages and such. $100 million would have gone a long way to alleviate some big problems. I know that I always have a problem watching the U.S. 4th of July celebrations on the TV as I watch the fireworks....and millions of dollars.....go up in smoke. Surely there are cheaper ways to celebrate - like cut the fireworks to 5-10 minutes and put the savings towards world hunger, or American poverty, or something worthwhile. Absolutely we should celebrate....but somehow the spending of money and celebrity star power always seems most important in the US of A. It's always a big show, Hollywood style and the recession doesn't seemed to have curbed that. But I don't begrudge this celebration - at this time in history it's an important one....and I will admit I don't know where the $100 million is coming from - so if it's all being donated by private individuals and not from government coffers - then all the better.

Ah well. That is my little peeve, but I still consider Americans our wonderful friends and neighbours and I celebrate their 44th President with them. Obama has a huge challenge ahead of him and he's planning to spend an astronomical amount of money. It will be interesting in four years to see how well he has done.

Last night's concert at the Lincoln Memorial began with a convocation by the Right Rev. Gene Robinson who asked the people to pray for "understanding that our president is a human being and not a messiah".

We would all do well to declare (in Canada), "God keep our land, glorious and free", and (in the USA), "In God we trust". If we dare leave it all up to a man, we will be deeply disappointed and with problems much bigger than we can fix without divine intervention.

Shiverrrrr!!!

It's been a full time job lately feeding the wildlife...they eat it as quickly as I put it out. Birds need to eat all day every day in this kind of bitter cold in order to have enough energy to stay warm. But they provide me great pleasure in return and keep me ever ready with camera in hand.... even if the shots are poor from the window of a warm house.

This would be why the neighbours have been heard to say, "I don't know where all the goldfinches have gone. We used to have so many around here!"

Um, sorry....they would all be at my house.

Goldfinches are olive in colour in the winter, but will begin to turn a bright lemony yellow in spring.

Red finches and house finches...

I continually try for that elusive perfect 'cardinal in snow' picture. At times we have many more than I can count, but they flit around so quickly and never stay still!

And then there are other wildlife who are undaunted by the snow and cold.....

Stools and other samples

I had my annual medical checkup today. All went well although I think they slipped up because I realized afterwards that I hadn't been asked to provide a warm liquid in a plastic container to them - you know - the one you provide after walking across the crowded waiting room to the facilities, when everyone watches to ensure you emerge successfully with bottle in hand to provide to the waiting nurse - lucky recipient.

However, the doctor did inform me that now that I am over 50, I need to provide stool samples (see illustration) as a precaution against colorectal cancer . I expressed my great anticipation to collect those for her, though I didn't mention that my previous doctor had started that process when I hit 40. I didn't bring it up again to the new doctor, after my other one left town. The prize for a positive sample is a free colonoscopy, so I'll be trying my best. (Those of you who are younger likely can't wait until your turn.) Of course, the hardest part is that you have to do this on three different days and take two samples from the same stool on each day. So what if you're not home when the ideal occasion arises for a sample??

I must admit I looked at my doctor in disbelief when she explained that I would need to send my stool samples by mail for examination. I had a brief (very brief) moment of sincere sympathy for postal workers. You'll recall those reply envelopes you've completed and verified that you've checked three things before sealing? Number one, in this case asks, "Did you apply stool to both areas, in all 3 test windows?" Fortunately, that envelope is to be enclosed in another before mailing. (I took special note that there is an adhesive liner for sealing, as opposed to requiring your tongue). Strangely, with all the other stupid warnings you see on things, the envelope instructions lack the statement NOT to return the wooden sticks used to collect the samples. Too much information? I'll spare you the suggestions they give on how to actually retrieve the stool. Let me just say that we gave up trying to give both urine and stool samples from the dog to the vet, and we pay extra for the vet workers to extract them.

So, if you are one of those unfortunates who tends to steal from Canada Post, let me advise you right now to just let the bulky envelopes that are addressed to CML Healthcare Inc in Mississauga pass you right by. Don't touch them. You won't be any wealthier by your discovery. Then again, if you have an illness that causes you to steal from the mail, opening one of those envelopes just might cure you forever.

I Resolve....to de-clutter

The following challenge hangs on my fridge to spur me on to greatness in my home.

"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful" - William Morris

And of course you know how things on your fridge begin to blend in with the scenery until you just don't notice them much. I would do better to have this stuck to my forehead as a constant reminder.

And so I resolve in 2009 to reduce clutter in the following areas:

1) Stuff Clutter

Unless we are obsessive compulsive, we all have it in our homes. Too much stuff. Stuff we think we might need, so we keep it. Junk mail that piles up by the door. Newspapers, magazines, bills, books, paper, paper..... paper. Things. Knick-knacks. Gifts we didn't like but guilt makes us keep them. Clothes. They might fit again some day. Shoes we haven't worn in a decade. Need some inspiration? Go to http://www.flylady.net/ and start flying. Even if you think flylady is a little extreme, she has some excellent suggestions and encouragement so you don't get down about being buried in clutter, or defeated by the demands of life. Step by step, 15 minutes a day, you can de-clutter your life.

2) Financial Clutter

With recession looming in our country and around the world, it is important to manage our finances and not feel out of control with our spending. Remember that annual shock when your last paystub of the year indicates your gross year-to-date earnings.....where the heck did that money go?? (Part of the answer of course is on that same paystub under 'income tax paid'....but let's not go there....). Knowing your income, your expenses, and what you've really been spending your money on, will give you a clear picture on where to go from here to earn more if necessary, pay down debt, and free you to plan for the future. To de-clutter financially is to de-stress.

3) Body Clutter

Flylady touches on this problem as well. We stuff our bodies with crap that really shouldn't cross our lips, but if we really examine why, often it is emotional eating or poor habits. She urges us to move our bodies - even if only 20-30 minutes a day. Food should be eaten to give our bodies what they require and keep them healthy, and exercise will help rid the body clutter that drags us down. This is a tough resolution for me because I desperately wanted to gain weight when I was young and never pictured weight gain ever happening - ageing seems to creep up and change one's metabolism!

4) Mind Clutter

There's lots of trash around to freely stuff in your mind - crappy attitudes, gossip, hatred, lies, porn. Junk. This is the clutter no one sees, so you can get away with it...for a time. Until it spills out in your speech and your actions. And it will at some point. 'Garbage in, garbage out'. You are what you 'eat'. I imagine our minds can hold a gazillion kilobytes of the stuff - but dragging to the recycle bin - not so easy. Still sits in the hard drive. Better not to devour it in the first place. De-clutter.... or you will end up dumping clutter on others.

5) Time Clutter

We all have 24 hours a day. Sometimes I hate that statement. Because others accomplish so much more than I do, but I have no excuse. I need to take stock of my moments. How many were totally wasted? Too much internet, TV, personal entertainment....more time spent on 'me' than on others? Perhaps if I take what I want to accomplish and break it down into short periods I can be successful, rather than feel overwhelmed by the task and thus do nothing at all. I want to make the moments count while I still have them.

6) Spiritual Clutter

Do you have a whole mix of spiritual thoughts and ideas in your head but don't take the time to sort them out? What specifically do you believe? What do you not believe? What do you base your conclusions on? What do you think your purpose is in life and why? Do you need a purpose? The answers to these questions and more determine how you shape your days, how you see your future, and prepare you for struggles and difficulties when they inevitably come your way. You'll never have all the answers to spiritual questions, but it's important to clear the clutter, know what you truly believe and why, and then begin to live it in those daily moments you want to count while you still have them.

I guess clearing clutter all comes down to one word....'SIMPLIFY'.

So how come it seems so complicated to get there??!!!

Happy New Year!