siglinde99

This just went by my house. I think the gourmet shop at the end of the street has arranged it for the day.

Hopefully this link will do the trick: https://youtu.be/ZughLxTC3t0

I have been trying to stick with the contemplation and not complaining objectives, but I find myself wondering about what counts as a complaint. Is acknowledging a fact a complaint? For example, if I notice that it is cold, and think "wow, it's cold", is it complaining if I'm not horribly unhappy (though maybe a little suprised)? Is it complaining to run through scenarios in my head (those "I wish I had said" or "maybe I should say..." conversations)? How about the ones where I repeat in my head those conversations that actually happened (the ones where someone states a hard truth that I happen to agree with)?

At heart, I'm an analyst and analysts are regularly accused of being pessimistic when really we are just trying to see all the angles (and that can be bad). The whole exercise of questioning myself is interesting, though. As I notice things, I am trying really hard not to let it be anything more than just "noticing". When those endless loops of conversation start up in my head, I work really hard to make them stop. In some ways, this may be helping me to achieve the mindfulness that my leadership coach keeps trying to convince me is a good thing; usually, it just strikes me as flaky, which is why this article made me smile: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/26/opinion/sunday/actually-lets-not-be-in-the-moment.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0. After re-reading it several times, I'm starting to think that maybe being mindful is a good thing. It doesn't mean I have to like washing dishes, or even dealing with Scary Mary from work. But maybe I can get better at acknowledging my feelings and move on to something more productive.

Enough deep thoughts for tonight. It's time for rum, hot chocolate and some quality time with my pillow (and hopefully a cat).

Tomorrow my big project will be discussed by Cabinet, so today I had to go to Parliament Hill to do a run-through as I'll be flipping the slides for the Minister's presentation. I haven't been there in ages and much has changed. After the shooting a couple of years ago security was tightened considerably. Instead of walking in through the front door, I had to go to a basement entrance and go through screening. Then I was given free access to go to the Cabinet room, which is weird. I expected I would be escorted. Mind you, there were many security guards everywhere.

The run-through itself was fine and I took the time on the way out to appreciate the architecture. It's a beautiful Victorian building with heraldic carvings and gargoyles everywhere. Even walking back down the hill and across the lawn to find a taxi was nice. In the good old days, you could call a cab right to the front door, but now they aren't allowed on the premises.

When I first started working for the House of Commons as a secretary (back in 1989) things were even more relaxed. My very first day of work someone hijacked a Greyhound bus and drove it onto the lawn. http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/another-incident-involving-a-gunman-on-parliament-hill. Before that, you have to go back to 1966, when a man accidentally blew himself up in a public toilet in the Centre Block instead of "exterminating as many Members [of the House of Commons] as possible" according to a note found after the incident.

My view today was a bit snowier:


This is the main entrance area. It leads to the absolutely gorgeous round library overlooking the Ottawa River from atop a cliff (the only part that survived a huge fire in 1917). It's what I took a few minutes to admire today:



And although security is much tighter than it was a few years ago, it's still a very popular place. Yoga on the lawn every Wednesday at noon is de riguer for trendy fitness folks: . Of course it is THE place to be on Canada Day (I avoid it after about 11 am because the entire downtown is crammed with tens of thousands of visitors, even though there are amazing live performances during the day and evening, and fireworks I can see from my house at night). When I worked downtown, I always tried to be outside at noon so I could hear the daily mini-concert by the Dominion Carilloner, playing the bells in the Peace Tower.

Some days, I have a pretty cool job.

I'm trying to keep my US election thoughts to myself (not my circus, not my monkeys) but I am concerned for my friends south of the border. This article seemed particularly relevant.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/opinion/im-a-coastal-elite-from-the-midwest-the-real-bubble-is-rural-america

Every year, I remember friends who died trying to make the world a better place. I lost a friend in Afghanistan, a colleague in Kosovo, and and one of each in Haiti. I also remember someone who I didn't know personally, but who I admire (the first Canadian woman killed in combat; I happened to be working on the Afghanistan file when she was killed, and her death touched me deeply). They represent the full range of service: a diplomat, a corrections official (because peace without justice and respect for human rights won't last); a police officer and an international development worker, as well as an infantry officer.

My own dad served in the military for 33 years and worked as a civilian for another 15 years. My mom was also in the military, as a nurse. In their hearts though, they were both hippies.

Today I am remembering a new group - my own extended family. I knew that my great-grandfather had served in WWI. More recently, I learned that he also served in WWII and continued in various roles (some of the honorary) long past normal retirement. In fact, he was the longest-serving member of the Canadian forces. I didn't know that my great-uncles also served. All four were in WWII. A cousin told me last week that there was a newspaper article at the time celebrating their service and noting that theirs was one of the few families with soldiers that didn't lose someone.



My great-uncles Leslie, Fred and Arnold are in the back row. Great-uncle Len was already serving overseas. My great-grandma and great-grandfather are in the front row. My grandmother (Dad's mom) would have already married and been raising her own family by the time this was taken.

On the other side of my extended family, I remember my cousin Ken, who I first met while he was on leave from serving in the Golan Heights, and his son Kyle, who is now on posting in Poland.

Today's five questions are brought to us by livejournal user amguynes, the letter F, and the number 5.

1. Your favorite book?
2. Your favorite movie?
3. Your least favorite adaptation of a book to a movie?
4. Your least favorite adaptation ever of anything to a movie?
5. Your first ever novel/comic book/movie character crush?

1. The Grapes of Wrath.

2. Henry V (the Kenneth Branagh version)

3. No idea. I don't watch enough movies to pay attention

4. It was a children's book - The Jim Carey version of The Grinch that Stole Christmas

5. David Partridge of The Partridge Family

Once again, she is an instigator. A week or two ago she posted Bologna cake and I had to make my own. I ended up using a different recipe, but it was very similar.




I thought it would be truly horrible, but once it had chilled for a bit it was actually decent. That may be even more disturbing than Bologna cake.

I got up too early, went for a swim and then made five kinds of sausage today. Technically it's only 4 1/2 as the last one needs to refrigerate overnight and then get smoked tomorrow. All are Belgian/German/northern French recipes to be used for a party next weekend in honour of my friend mythmaker999. She loves all things Flenish, and this was the best I could do.

I'm going to go fall asleep now. I should be watching the final Tragically Hip concert with the rest of Canada, but I'm too pooped.

1. Do you like ketchup or tomatoes or both?
2. Do you like grape jelly/jam or purple grapes or both?
3. Do you like cider or apples or both?
4. Do you like cream or milk or both?
5. Do you like zucchini bread or zucchini or both?

Easy questions:

1. Tomatoes.
2. Purple grapes (especially the kind people use for making grape jelly - I will eat them until my lips get tingly).
3. Depends - is the cider alcoholic? Are the apples some interesting heritage breed or at least super tasty? If the answer is yes to both, then my answer is both. Because so many commercial apples are bred for longevity and easy transport, I am not a big fan of apples.
4. Both. I drink quite a bit of milk, but rather like recipes that call for cream.
5. Zucchini, though I won't turn my nose up at a nice piece of zucchini bread.

Do you find that what you like has changed over time? I know there are a few things I like better than I did as a kid, but mostly I have remained a fairly adventurous eater. There have been a few changes, though, and I wonder whether it is the food itself or how it was prepared. Today's example is okra.

When I lived in Brazil, I tried the traditional Minas Gerais dish of chicken and okra stew. I thought it was pretty loathsome because of the gluey texture. I haven't had it for years. However, a few years ago I made a spicy andouille sausage and needed something to use it in; the solution was a chicken and smoked andouille sausage dish that also had okra. This week, okra was on clearance sale so I bought 2 pounds of it. I didn't have any andouille, though, and didn't feel like making any, so I found a recipe for that Brazilian chicken and okra stew. I just tasted it and mm.mmmm..mmmm.... The okra had quite a lovely texture. Maybe I didn't cook it as long as it was cooked in restaurants in Brazil?