Monday, March 12, 2012

Women....

     Monday, again, already? Where did last week disappear to? I'm a little scattered today so I apologize if this is a little all over the place. It's been a busy weekend.

     Friday was the memorial mass, so time with my not quite in laws. Even though a sad occasion, I did get to meet more of them and had a good time. Too bad they are all an hours drive north of me, almost two by transit.

     Saturday was running errands in the morning, a quick trip through Peterborough following up on something I promised a relative in Australia. Then three and a half more hours in the car driving back to the farm.

     Sunday was a small gathering of the clan, only about a hundred of us, getting together to celebrate my grandmother's 85th birthday. Lots of fun, not anywhere near enough time, epic camera fails on both cameras, then back in the car for the four and a half hour drive back to the city.

My grandmother with her children
Sorry for the over all crappiness of the picture,
hopefully I can wrangle a better copy some where.

    An entire weekend spent in the car. Not a single speeding ticket. I'm tired. Driving even remotely close to the speed limit is very taxing, just sayin'.

     Small announcement, maybe question, maybe explanation. I'm not really sure what is going on but a number of my comments on other blogs are not publishing. Now, at first I thought maybe they had been removed, not a big deal. Not everyone shares my high opinion of myself. But I've been getting these weird cross scripting errors and a comment on my cousin's blog disappeared. She would flat out tell me I was a tool or if the comment had been deleted by accident. She's good like that. Just letting you know I haven't reverted to my lurker ways.

     So back to Monday, Listicles, Stasha and women. That's our topic this week, in honour of International Woman's Day last Thursday. Back tracking just a little, here is part B of last week's topic, explaining the contortionist thing, and here is my Women's Day rant.

     Moving forward, women, ten things I know about women. Do I know ten things? Let's see.

10 A woman's place is in the kitchen. Unless of course you need them in the hay field, the barn, cutting wood, the garden, baling hay, ploughing ...

9 Diamonds are a girl's best friend. Unless of course you're my Mom, then those pretty, sparkly, colourless stones better be surrounding emeralds, sapphires, opals or rubies. BTW you should see the rock my aunt Marilyn got for her wedding this past Valentine's Day. Some serious bling. Well done Terry, now you've raised the bar for all the rest of us.

8 Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. Nick names, all bets are off there. Calling my aunt Deborah, Deb Bra Less will indeed end up causing you a world of hurt so yes, you can start crying right now.

7 Women are waiting for their knight in shining armour to ride up on their white horse... Unless it's my Mom, aunt Deb, cousin Mindy, aunt Susan, cousin Sherry cuz it's a beautiful day, the trail is calling and you just better be able to keep your seat, I'm not wasting all day waiting for you.

6 A woman should always greet her husband with her hair and makeup done. Unless of course you're going to the hay field, the barn, cutting wood, the garden, baling hay, ploughing ...

5 Women have no head for business. News to my aunts Marlyn and Marilyn and my cousin Sherry who all are/were successful business owners or my aunt Barb who is the resident financial wizard we all lean on.

4 Women are the weaker sex. Make sure you eat your Wheaties before you say that around my female relatives. Be prepared to be dusting yourself off and picking up your teeth and battered pride. They don't stand for that kind of nonsense, you won't either.

3 Women aren't technically minded. Thanks aunt Karen for explaining I needed to push the button on my camera all the way down so it actually took a picture and not just  auto focused. My camera wasn't in fact broken or defective.

2 Women lie around all day watching soap operas and eating bon bons. Unless they're in the hay field, the barn, cutting wood, the garden, baling hay, ploughing ...

1 Women endure. That is really the only thing I do know.

     Both my grandmothers raised eleven kids on working farms. Their twelve daughters have shaped my life from the time I was born. I have been surrounded by strong, capable women my entire life. They have survived everything life threw at them and prospered. 

     From my grandmothers unending patience, my aunt Jean's quiet grace, my aunts Marlyn, Rita, Janice and Jean's (other Jean) infectious laughter,  to my aunt Barb's ever welcoming hospitality, all of these women have contributed in ways small and large to the person I am today. Ladies, I salute you. I don't say it often enough, I'd be lost with out you.

     I have two requests today, to send along good thoughts. The first to my cousin Mindy. She's having a baby tomorrow, her first, on my grandmother's actual birthday. How cool is that. Let's see that makes 34, 35, 37 great grand children? And 8 grandchildren who haven't even started yet. Told you I came from a big family.

Mindy and Doug
One more sleep, then never again LOL

     The second is to Jennifer. She could use all the support, prayers and positive thoughts we can muster right now. Her courage and strength amaze me.

     Swing by Stasha's and see what everyone else has to say about women.






36 comments:

  1. This is such a thoughtful and sweet post. YOU really know women - and obviously respect them. Sorry you had such a taxing weekend ... hope you get some rest (and less driving) this week!

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  2. Thanks Sharon, I'd never presume to know them but respect them always. Here is to NO driving this week, but it was worth it.

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  3. I love this! Very thoughtful and so true - it's not just black and white.... It is a certain way, unless it isn't :)
    And No.1 is great - you got it figured out (unlike your camera :)))

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    1. Thanks Kerstin. The camera, can I tell you how mad I was then how stupid I felt.

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  4. You are a lovely man Paul. For writing this list, for sharing your life and family stories and for thinking of Jen. Cannot wait to hear the happy news from Mindy!!

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    1. Thanks Stasha. I've been keeping up with Jenn so I can only wish the best for her and Mark.
      I can't wait to see my newest cousin. You think by the hundredth time it would get old but....

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  5. Sounds like you have some strong and wonderful women in your family!

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  6. Women endure....that TRULY encompasses it all!!

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    1. Men fight and struggle, women endure. Strangely enough my Mom and I were talking about this on the weekend.

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  7. Great to read a man's take on this topic. Loved it! You were clearly brought up right! :)

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    1. Brought up right truly, lots of people to step in if I strayed LOL

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  8. Is Doug keeping Mindy barefoot and pregnant? Poor girl!
    m.

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    1. Please make sure I'm around if ever you get the chance to tell her that. I'll be the one taking bets on how long you'll last.LOL

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  9. Congratulations to cousin Mindy and Happy Birthday to your grandmother!

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    1. Thanks Jacqui. Tomorrow we'll be celbrating a new born and 85 years with my grandmother. Awesome.

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  10. What a great way to address this prompt! I LOVE it!!

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    1. Thanks Jackie. It's easy when you have the family I do.

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  11. Hahaha!! Thanks for the laugh! Good luck to Mindy and Doug, and Happy Birthday Grandma!! You packed a lot in this post :)

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    1. It was a busy weekend, and I have a lot of incredible women in my life.

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  12. What a great post! And you have definitly been shaped by some amazing women! Blogger comments aren't working on my blog either, They won't let me reply individually.

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    1. Thanks Audrey. There are so many incredible women in my life I really couldn't do justice to them in one post.
      I'm glad I'm not the only one having problems with the comments, well sorry you're having trouble too but you know what I mean. I thought it was just me.

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  13. First off, I'm so very envious of your "there were just 100 of us" from the family comment. You are luckier than you know, to have so much family around you.
    Also - love that you are surrounded and influenced by strong women. (-:

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    1. There is no such thing as a "small" family gathering for us. It's always been that way, hopefully always will. (and we all get along for the most part)

      The idea women couldn't do things is completely foreign to me, other than on television. Must be the farm thing everybody worked at everything.

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  14. hey tool....bwaahh! just kidding.
    awesome post..thanks for making me cry, eh! If I wasn't at my moms right now - I'd be so homesick!! geez, how did we get so lucky to be born into such a family?

    as for comments - some of mine, and by that I mean 25, were bumped back into my Moderation/Spam filter with the commenting system. working on getting them all approved and back on the blog - hopefully - where they belong.
    So no worries...I am not sending Deb after you or anything. we're not finished our wine ;)

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    1. ROFL, you aren't the first nor probably the last to call me that. LOL

      So I ended up as Spam, your blog sets a high standard LOL

      As for Deb, that was Wayne, Sherry and I would never... okay maybe once or twice, when she couldn't hear us LOL

      I have no idea why we're so lucky, just glad we are

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  15. Wow! What a great post, Paul. I love that you honor and respect the women in your family. They sound like an awesome group. And your mentioning Jennifer is also very thoughtful. Very nice job!

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    1. Thanks Supermom, I'd like to think all the men in my family respect women. It's just how we were raised.
      What Jenn is dealing with right now is heart wrenching. How could I not mention her and wish her well?

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  16. Great portrait of strong women. Love them. Would love to read a great story featuring them. Hope you are writing one.

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    1. Thank you. it's funny because if you asked them I'm not sure that any of them would describe themselves as strong or capable, just doing what they do or what needs to be done. I'm not sure I could write something that does them justice, but now you've put a bug in my ear....

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  17. You're a lucky man to have all of these amazing women in your life.

    #1 made me cry a little. Weird.

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    1. Thanks Bridget, I am a lucky man.

      When I was thinking of #1, I was thinking of the women I know IRL and IVL and you were one of the people I was thinking about. You at home when your husband deploys, keeping things going. Much like my cousin Rory who has to have faith Left Brain will come home after every shift. That's a whole different kind of strong.

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  18. You are all shades of cool Paul! :) Thank you for number 1! Happy birthday Grams and congratulations to Mindy!

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Thanks for your comment, I hope you enjoyed your time in the "Kitchen".