I Love The West

I Wanna Get Cultural, Cultural

Yesterday: The Taming of the Shrew at Stratford
Tonight: Choir rehearsal
Tuesday: cocktail reception for artists participating in London's "In Good Company" festival
Thursday: Jays vs Yankees
Friday: housewarming party for classy friends in London
Saturday: Fuente Ovejuna at Stratford
Middle of next week: The Pirates of Penzance at the Grand

Swine yes, uncultured, no.

So True

nataliedee.com

Settling In

I've spent consecutive nights in London now. With Thursday night's sleep it'll be 5! Crazy. I spent part of last week in Hamilton because of meetings, appointments and baseball, and during that little romp I realized that I hadn't slept on the same mattress for more than 2 nights in a row since the 29th of August. That little run got broke when I fell asleep on Tuesday night.

Things are settling in here in London town. I have about 80% of my stuff unpacked. The bedroom looks like I live there now. Its funny how I needed to have my books unpacked before I could really feel at home in the space. I think displaying books is to university grads as peeing on things is to male dogs. If that doesn't make sense to you, I think what I'm trying to say is that those books are a pride thing - a lot of them are great references, but I totally could do with less of them here. But it does hurt me that there is still a couple bookshelves of them lingering in Brighton until I stop moving around so much. Someday my little bookies, someday...

Right, the settling - my housemates are pretty busy people, but I still see everyone at least once a day, if not twice. I haven't had supper alone yet either. I can't tell you how nice that is. I spent the entire summer eating all of my meals alone. Its nice to have nice people around. Nice. Nice. It was also really swell to come back from a week of funeral stuff to a house that was already set up and not just an entire house of boxes.

I have been slowly learning where everything is - this is the first time I've really joined a house in progress. So everything was already going. I love having a dishwasher, like so much. Past roommates if you're reading this - having a dishwasher makes me a better person. There is a really nice patio, so I/we have eaten out there. Its been nice being around food - aka having it in the cupboards and the fridge.

Because I'm still working from home, I haven't been learning too much more of the city than what I already knew. Though that will change when I get another job at the end of my contract. And I think I have a decent lead on a job. But I'm not getting my hopes too up about that.

Just thought I'd let you know how things are going. I'm still pretty fricking sad about the loss of my Grandma and that is still hurting quite a bit. I'm slowly adjusting to life in a new city. Things are coming along.

I'm In Love

This past Christmas I got a brand new electric blanket. But I didn't end up needing it for the winter as the heating in my apartment didn't seem to require it. I believe the scheme for heating the building went something like this: no heat in the day. ALLOFTHEHEATINTHENIGHT!!!!

But fall nights are beginning to creep in one by one, and there isn't a need to start heating the house, but there is a need to start heating me. I get cold. Deep cold. Its a Stew thing.

I have sexy friend who before being married, referred to such blankets as "single girl blankets" because single girls (of the well behaved variety) have no one to keep them warm at night. I fall into that category. And friends can I tell you, that if it is possible to lust about a blanket, then I am lusting over this one.

My favourtite and most lust inducing feature - pre. heat. What? Yeah. Pre-heat. It says right in the manual - no more cold sheets. Wah. Mmm, digital control, colour blue, soft, fuzzy, mmm.

This might be the only good thing about winter.

We Are Related (Can You Tell?)

The oldest, middle and youngest granddaughters - Beth, Katherine and Laura

Trippy.

That One Time

There was this one time when I was famous.

Close

Today would have been Grandma and Grandpa's 69th wedding anniversary.

Good Grief!

It is little secret, that my Grandma Stewart, like many other women, liked to treat just about anything with food. So it is little wonder that I would seek some comfort as I grieve in an old standby - cupcakes.

I found myself in Hamilton last night, in the home of a group of friends and decided to share a new recipe with them - and thus I give you, Griefcakes:

Its pretty much all parts sugar as you can see in the pile of ingredients:



Then take one sad granddaughter to mix them up:



Bake:



Cool:



Add icing:



Decorate:



And eat:

Aging Well

Since I turned 27, I have been called babe, hun, honey, hunny, kid and kiddo more than ever before.

It must be the cheekbones.

A Moment From Yesterday

The funeral was yesterday and rather than 1 person delivering the eulogy we opted to have sort of an open mic of memories and stories. At one point my cousin Drew, who is a member of the band Jazzberry Ram came up to share a short story. He reminded us that the band played a lot of university and college gigs and the best time to get those gigs was in September and January. When they crossed the country they would always stop in Brighton and stay with Grandma and Grandpa on their way out east or back to the west.

One September, Drew was watching tv with Grandpa. Grandpa doesn't see all that well and sits very close to a large tv in order to get anything from it. They had the news on and a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. And then while they were watching, the other plane hit. Grandpa heard the noise but couldn't make out what had happened and asked "What was that?" Drew replied, "well Grandpa, another plane just flew into the building." The two men were sitting there trying to comprehend what had just happened when Grandma stepped up to them and said, "turn that off, its time for breakfast."

Drew said that Grandma's way of dealing with terrorism in a post 9/11 context was to have a big breakfast.

The Process

Hi.

This is the first big family death for me. I reached 27 years of age with 4 grandparents. That's pretty stellar. But of all the grandparents to go first, it just had to be Grandma Stewart? She was my second mother. This is hard.

Family have been trickling into town in the same manor that baked goods and casseroles have. (I should really chart that) I picked John up from the airport last night. It feels right that the 4 of us are here now. The rest of our family from British Colombia will be here by Friday night. We have found places for them all to stay.

I think my Dad is in shock - he told my Mom to buy new mattresses for the beds that John and I have here. If you've ever slept in the cocoon - it will be no more. My back and my neck are ecstatic about this.

Yesterday was the meeting to decide everything about the funeral. If you're interested in coming its this Saturday at 11am at Carman United Church, just north of Brighton. There is lunch after. (just leave me a message if you want directions) It took almost 3 hours to get things figured out. There are so many details and I don't even realize half of them, I'm just a grandkid. I can only imagine what is swirling around the heads of my Dad and his 4 siblings.

And my Grandpa. I ache for him. Grandma was his worldview. She was his lens. I don't know how he will see. At 94 can you do a paradigm shift?

I am thankful for the support I have been getting personally - the emails, the facebook messages, the text messages, etc. I am really thankful for the group that is coming up to sing at the service. That just reads love. I will also be glad to see some friends, some faces that know me. As glad as I am to be around extended family, these peeps from the Hamilton area have spent more time with me and know how I operate. They are a part of my extended family too and I am so grateful to have their support, and in such a beautiful way.

You'll probably get some more disjointed paragraphs as times moves on.

Thank you.

Edna Elizabeth Stewart, November 20, 1919 - August 31, 2008

My Grandma Stewart died on Sunday night.



I really, really miss her.

One Car, Car For Sale...

No, its not mine. But it is my lovely cousin's. She is having another baby and this car is a 2 door, which is not so conducive to being easy with kids. Its a great car, I've driven in it many times. Actually if you must know, its kind of a sleek, sexy car. And my cousin, being more anal retentive than I, takes very good care of her stuff. So the car has my endorsement. It's currently located in the Belleville area.

2000 Honda Civic SE, 2 doors, 5-speed, black, air conditioning, cruise, keyless entry, comes with 4 winter tires on rims, dealer maintained, no rust, one owner, $6800.00 613-477-2722

Oh Yeah

I'm moving to London, ON on the weekend. There is a great housing set up there. I'm living with 3 other people I know. Two of them are older than me. The younger one is finishing up school. The house is in a nice area, its not near the downtown at all, but the neighbourhood and the neighbours are really nice. We might get one more roommate for part of the year, a mutual friend of the 3 of ours. I'm getting a killer deal on rent for a house that is already furnished and landscaped and has some beautiful features.

I don't have a job there yet. Though the city is almost blanketed with my resume. Blessedly for me I am able to keep doing work for the labour group for at least a few weeks. So I have some income and some flexibility while I try and secure other work.

One of the other exciting things about this move is that I just made Gerald Fagan's Chorus London. Its a choir of just over 100 members, it has its own orchestra (and a uniform!). Some of the highlights of what I know we'll be performing this year are: Orff's Carmina Burana, Ruth Watson Henderson's Voices of the Earth, Handel's Messiah, and Britten's War Requiem. I'm pretty stoked. There are also plans for some recording too.

In the meantime, I'm stressed out of my tree to get packing done. Most of my belongings have to go to Brighton before the much smaller amount of them goes to London. So there is lots of sorting and chucking and looking longingly at children playing outside. Having this whole leg thing isn't helping too much. It still looks gross and swollen. It still hurts and I still have to ice it and keep it up. Keeping your leg up is easy when packing you know. Cough.

I just thought you'd want to know. And the more you know, the more you grow!

Dual CMO

There are 2 current musical obsessions.

1. The Decemberists - their entire catelogue
2. "Everything's Alright" - Andrew Lloyd Webber (from Jesus Christ Super Star)

I suspect that number two might have something to do with the catchy tune and the following lyrics:

Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to
Problems that upset you oh don't you know
Everything's alright yes everything's fine
And we want you to sleep well tonight
Let the world turn without you tonight

The Drama of Trauma

How To Be Sensitive

A quick update on the leg -





As you can see there is still lots of bruising, but slowly the swelling is coming back down. Unfortunately that seems to mean that the leg is becoming a lot more sensitive and hurting all of the time. I'm a little disappointed that its still so hurty and in some ways more painful. I knew I'd have a gross bruise but this lasting pain is getting a little much - to the point where its making me nauseous. You know its starting to get to me when I'm very seriously considering not playing in Thursday's game. I'm going to see Tony M on Thursday and see what he can do for pain relief and healing. I'm sure by Saturday's celebration of Kat & Joel's love it'll be fine and I'll be able to dance all night.

Realism is what I do best!

That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout!

nataliedee.com

Tissue! I Don't Even Know You!

A few loving people expressed some concern over the state of my leg. I can say that I did share much of their concern. There was some talk that I should consult a live medical practitioner. I already had a chiropractic appointment, so I figured I would consult Tony. He's a chiropractor, but his practice specializes in accident and injury management. Initially he figured I bruised the ever living snot out of it. But after some poking and prodding he noticed that one of the ridges down my shin was well, missing. It was hard to tell if that was just a LOT of fluid from the swelling or something worse. So he busted out the tuning fork and the vibrations of that made me hurt more. Therefore he suggested a trip to the ER.

It would be summer, and it wouldn't be August without a trip to the ER for me. So off I toddled and can I just say - I got in and out in 2 hours!! Because it was an ambulatory thing I got routed through there rather than the regular ER. So I saw a doctor after only hour in the hospital and then in the next hour I got x-rays done and heard the results! Whoot.

The results were that there was no breakage or chippage, just a LOT of soft tissue damage. I need to keep it elevated and iced. Its still pretty hurty. Today's prodding made things pretty tender. So I'll keep trying to make it get better and make it stop hurting so much.

Thanks for your concern.

That's Swell Of You

Last night


This morning (after having had it elevated all night)

Thankfully No Probing

If aliens landed today they would be able to tell that I was raised on a farm and that I am Canadian. This is because a) I have a magazine rack in my bathroom and b) in that rack are copies of Macleans magazine and a Margaret Atwood novel.

I Love This Game

We played 3 games this week. All of which we won. (yessss!) They were all good games, two of them close in score and with some almost epic battles.

Now, I don't know if its a family thing, or a country girl thing or a Canadian thing, but I really like a physical style of play. If I come home clean, with all my skin and no bruises I feel like I've failed.

As you will see from the following pictures. I did not fail this week.

These legs shots are of a footprint in my leg. There was a play between first and second, the runner was coming, the ball was coming. The runner began his slide and rather than the bag or the ground being the first thing his foot (with all the momentum of a grown man) hit, it was my leg. More specifically, my shin and calf. It was a little hurty.







Then in this morning's first game, I pitched for an inning. There was a rocket hit towards and middle and I caught it. The scorekeeper of the other team asked how I caught it. I told him I've just been playing for a long time. Someone else started calling me El Diablo - but personally I don't think that I am Satan or that he helped me catch it. I do know that my glove has a very little padding left.







I also know that I keep thinking the glasses I'm drinking out of have bumps in them. But it turns out that its my hand that has the bump in it. And I know that I every time I put my foot back on the ground (I've been trying to keep it up) it tingles and hurts like mad. The last thing I know is that it kind of hurts to type.

Good night.

Girls In the Infield

I've been playing some form of baseball for 16 or 17 years now. And like most people I started playing with other little girls and boys playing tee-ball. Things progressed and the other little girls slowly stopped coming until it was just me and my friend Lisa. I was on an OASA traveling team with a group of guys that I grew up with until I got scouted by a PWSA team from the closest city. At that point it was bye, bye boys and I started to play with only girls until I graduated from high school. Then I had a 5ish year break until I made my return to the diamond 3 summers ago in Reachforth Slo-Pitch.

Now that I'm playing again, I'm back in mixed company. I am a 2nd baseman. Or at least that is what my PWSA coach trained me to be. Its where I feel the most comfortable. But well, playing with guys again, I have to question if having me at 2nd base is the best thing for the team. Traditionally men are bigger, stronger, faster and in adult mixed leagues, they both make up most of the team and most of the key positions on the field.

In our league you have to have 2 women on the field at all times and usually there is one returning the lob ball pitches, right field is popular (as we play with 4 outfielders - using a 'rover') and sometimes 2nd base. So then I question, am I one of those chicks who has been placed at 2nd because I'm loud and said I could play there and there is a shortstop to back me up, or is it because I can play?

Because I question this, I tend to think that I have something to prove. That every time I walk on to the field and take my position that I have to show the guys that I can play that position. I think I do pretty well and although my stomach hurts with nerves as I get ready for every game, I have settled in.

Every once in a while another "baseball" girl plays with me, whether its for a tournament that I've been asked to play in or in league play when we've been short players and had to bring in friends of teammates. By baseball girl, I mean another female who says she can play. And, well, not to sound conceited, but often these other women come with a mouth larger than their skill set. They say they are infielders, but then fail to deliver the goods. This does two things - 1) makes boys question having girls in their infield 2) usually makes me look good if I play a solid game.

All of this to say that I recognize that I have a great opportunity to be playing in the infield with a great bunch of guys. Because of this I try to push myself to play at their level or better. And sometimes that makes my stomach hurt before games.

(We have two games this morning to make up rainouts)

FYI

Goodbyes blow chunks.