Thursday, November 10, 2011

A snapshot of me right now

Given that I've pretty much abandoned this space of late, I think I'll just give you a quick snapshot of me right now... Actually, it's more for the me of a future since most of the time I figure that's who I'm writing for anyway.

I've made a small change in my daily eating habits that I feel could have some great long-term benefits and just plain makes me feel better about how I'm treating myself: I'm eating vegetarian lunches which must include a good amount of raw vegetables.  Fish is allowable (and encouraged).

I'm completely ADDICTED to Camelot on CBC.  Have you been watching it? If not, watch the first episode and then don't give up.  Watch the second episode and I guarantee you'll be completely hooked.

I'm getting excited about the plans that Isobel (dearest neighbour) and I have for Sugarplum Fairy Homebaking.  I love that I now have a partner in crime to share the burden and generate ideas with! Also, she rules at decorating cakes while I decidedly do not.

Why is it that it is always the same small group of people in any large group that are always the ones who volunteer?  Church, school, the community... always the same few people.  And we same few people are starting to get tired out!

Yesterday I decided that I'm tired of how our house looks inside.  I'm sick of our wood furniture.  I'm tired of looking at late early 2000s IKEA furniture.  I'm tired of our once-beloved earth tones.  I want some bold colours, some great art and a cool mix of eclectic furniture - American colonial, modern, even Victorian.  With some leather here and there.  I want a bunch of money so I can do all this redesign.

Have you seen this photo?  I'll link to it but I won't post it so that it doesn't show up on people's mobiles or iPads as the photo that introduces this post.  You all know that I'm new to Girl Guides of Canada but I love the organization and what they give girls around the world as though I've been a lifetime Guider.  When I saw this I was disgusted and angry.  Maybe you'll choose to make jokes and take it lightheartedly.  But not me.  I've reached my limit on the sexualization of girlhood in every sphere.  Nothing is left untouched.  This is an organization that goes against every message in this photo and to take it lightheartedly is to miss what this is really doing and to miss the messages that our girls and young women (and we old ones) are being sent by the world around us on a daily basis (just the tip of the iceberg is that we are valued mostly as sexual beings).  We in Girl Guiding (not to mention parents, teachers and many, many others who work with girls on a daily basis) work really hard to combat these messages each time we're with our units because a pillar of the Guiding movement is building strong, independent and confident women who are leaders and feel empowered to make great choices for themselves.  To use the very image of a Girl Guide to send the exact opposite message is disgusting at best and downright offensive at worst.  So laugh.  Make jokes.  Shrug it off.  Say you wouldn't say no to her cookies.  Just don't say it to me.


5 comments:

little b said...

I'm intrigued by your lunch plan. I always try to have lots of veggies at lunch, but I usually want them warm.

That costume is appalling. I can't really add anything to what you said.

Erika said...

I'm currently drooling over a sofa with the colour name
"lobster" (c; Go bright colours!

Anonymous said...

i get that feeling every once in a while, too, where i just want a gazillion dollars and a total redo of the condo! hope you can find some quick n easy (and inexpensive) pops of colour for your place!
glad you're excited about christmas baking season!! i hear you on cake decorating - i took a 4 week course last february at michaels...it confirmed that i am no natural, and that i lack patience!
thanks for sharing your thoughts on the girl guides. impressions start sooo young - i'm glad you're involved, karen - you're the type of positive role model needed.

Unknown said...

I enjoy your posts of random thoughts. I've never done that. It must be kind of fun. :) As for the baking. YAY! I'm decidedly not the baking expert so we'll make a great team. I need to improve my eating habits. I've gotten so bloody lazy...and these cake trials...killing my waistline MAN!! (but oh so fun!) And as for the photo, as a mother of a little girl I get so frustrated and infuriated, especially with other women. Sometimes we're our own worst enemies. Clearly the woman who posed for this shot was not a Guide. Otherwise she would have had the confidence and self-respect to tell the photographers to go...well, you know. Great post!

magnolia_2000 said...
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