THIS CAT HAS A PERSONAL SPACE ISSUE
My cat clearly has not been told about the issue of personal space. That is, she gets all up in mine. Normally I would not care, being that she is a cat and all - but there are just some times when she comes pouncing in, in all her let-me-stick-my-bum-in-your-face glory*. Like when I am sitting down to a crossword. Does she sit beside me, contentedly purring? OH NO! She must sit ON the paper. And when I go to the bathroom. If I don't make sure the door is latched, she does this head-butt door shove and prances in...only to walk out a second later and leave the door wide open...me still sitting there. And to add to all of that, my cat has really really bad breath. Maybe it's from all the random butt-licking. I bet that if we licked our butts half as much as a cat we would stink too. I wonder if there are such thing as cat-mints? Perhaps I have stumbled on a great opportunity here! I cannot be the only one suffering from cat-butt-breath stench....can I?

*while we are on the subject of cat bums, which I know we really weren't but this is where my train of thought has taken me, have you ever noticed how much a cat's butt looks like the end of a hot dog? Yeah, I bet you will never eat a hot dog again without thinking of that....

SAVE THE ANIMALS, FORGET THE CHILDREN
I am sure my views on this subject will not be entirely popular - and while not wanting to open up a whole can of worms, this is after all, my personal journal so I feel some license to say what I feel without being politically correct. With that it mind....I offer you this:
I received today an invite to join a Facebook group. While normally I just delete these requests, I read with interest the group in question. This group in particular was in protest to the recent torture of a neighbourhood cat. The members of this group (of which there were many, nearing the thousands) were urged to cry out for reform to the local laws regarding animal abuse.
I can fully appreciate the passion behind this call to action. I cannot imagine the heartache of discovering your cherished pet had been mangled at the hands of some warped individual.
My issue is this - we as a nation are so desperate to cling to a cause - save the animals, save the trees, save the whales, save the planet. But if you so much as mention saving the unborn, whoa, you have infringed! on! someones! rights!
How dare we even suggest saving a human life, when it may cause inconvenience to the mother...how dare we cry out against the horrors of partial-birth abortion when it means that a woman may actually have to give birth to a child. A CHILD - not a fetus, not an embryo, but a child. I bet that if we killed as many cats and dogs and trees and whales as we do children, people would be outraged. Why is it that we can look past this heinous act, even awarding the primary force behind Canada's abortion industry....and yet we scream in outrage at the mauling of a pet? That's like sobbing over a sliver when your head is on fire - there ARE more important issues. If only we were passionate about the issues that require our passion.

THE CHRISTMAS LETTER
Each year for the past 3 years I have included a Christmas letter with my cards. In it I would document our comings and goings of the past year, and wrap it up with a nice Merry Christmas To You. This year, however, I am finding it really difficult to compose such a letter. It is not that my family has not had another eventful year, because if our family is known for something, it is the drama that seems to surround us like a fog.
My problem is that whenever I begin to write something, I feel like there is very little value in sharing it. Our achievements seem so insignificant. So then what can I say that has significance? SO much greater than what we have done is what God has done for US. Yes, I completely believe that. I will give credit where credit is due and it is certainly due Him. So, then, it should be easy to write a letter, right? Right?
Well this is where my block sets in. I send this letter to friends, family, church members, etc....but not all of them believe in the Lord. The last thing I want is to come across all pious and preachy. And everything I say seems to suggest that I feel we are in a particularly blessed category of people, that it, more blessed that anyone else.....which is completely untrue.
We have seen great things this year, but I am certain that any child of God could find the same greatness in their life.
So how do I temper this annual report with humour and insight and not come across as a religious nut-job? I really don't know.....so here we are, mid December and the cards still sit in the box. I am pretty sure there will be no letter this year :(

THE MONTHLY DE-FUZZIFYING
Yes now that winter is finally upon us, I have taken up the disturbing habit of only shaving my legs once a month or so. There, I have admitted it. Underneath these fancy pants of mine lurks a dark and scary secret....I have hair that rivals a man's. But not for long.
Tomorrow being hubby's Christmas party, and the fact that I bought a new dress will necessitate a major defuzzifying. The silly thing is that once I have actually done it, I love the way my legs feel, all silky and smooth - and I vow to keep them that way. Its not until the next day when i realize I will again be wearing pants and wool socks that I ignore the razor.
You may be asking yourself if my husband minds - then again you may not care, but I am going to share anyways. He has never said anything, and I think that once people are married long enough that they have heard each other belch they get over the hair issue. And besides, he is the one who has decided to grow a 3 inch goatee this winter, so I figure its safe to call it even. Right? Right?

That's the rant for today...off to bed to rest up for tomorrows festivities, in all their freshly-shorn-bargain-dress-wearing glory.

I may be a mother but I am Not Your Average Mom.