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DVD Review:
Night at the Museum




Ben and I rarely rent movies. We usually prefer to spend our evenings reading books or working on the computer. However, last night was rainy, cold and quiet --- the perfect type of night to snuggle up with a big bowl of popcorn and a good video. Ben popped out to the movie store and returned with Night at the Museum.

What a great show! Night at the Museum is clean, silly and entertaining. This movie is imaginative and downright fun. Ben Stiller's character, Larry, is hired as a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History. Larry quickly learns that he does not work at an ordinary museum. At night time the museum exhibits come to life! On his first night Larry is chased by a ferocious T-rex skeleton, tied to railroad tracks by tiny American settlers, and teased by a mischievous monkey, among other misadventures.

The plot of Night at the Museum is simple. The movie teaches several great lessons about perseverance, friendship, and the value of history. The show is squeaky clean and is suitable for older children to watch. (Some of the action scenes are too intense for young kids.) Larry's museum is fun and entertaining --- a great place to spend a lazy Saturday night.

Thoughts on Martha

A few weeks ago my friend bestowed several back issues of Martha Stewart Living upon me. The magazines followed us on our trip to Saskatchewan and I spent hours leisurely poring over the pages. To be honest, I had never paid much attention to Martha-mania up to that point (other than owning a set of cornflower blue "Martha Stewart Everyday" bath towels). I was a Martha newbie.

Six or seven magazines later, I've come to an epiphany. Martha is a machine. She's an empire. Martha, the person, I suspect is very different from Martha, the icon. Her magazines are polished and beautiful. Her products are practical and lovely. She's on TV, radio, the internet, in books, in stores. Her line of craft supplies are amazing. Her advice is wise and her clothes are perfect.

Martha is not real.

I think it's important for Martha devotees to remember that "Martha" is an image, an ideal. No one person can ever accomplish all that she appears to. No one person can possess such a broad knowledge base. Martha Stewart employs a vast staff to carry out her vision.

I believe Martha has struck an interesting and delicate balance. She presents her image as both everyday and unattainable. Her magazine includes tips for cleaning your bathroom alongside articles about collecting costly antiques. She markets herself to both the elite and the unwashed masses. And she does it with style.

The plain truth is this: the world of Martha Stewart must be navigated cautiously, but I believe it's worth the journey. Her products and publications are tasteful and well-designed. Her aesthetic is beautiful and appealing. Martha knows her market, and she tailors her image flawlessly.

However, I have resolved not to get sucked into a "Martha-esque" worldview. I will not allow my home to become my idol. I enjoy beauty and organization. I devote thought and time to home decorating and home management every single day. At the same time, God and the people He has placed in my life must take priority. My family is more important than any decorating scheme.

But I'll continue to happily accept any old Martha Stewart magazines that come my way :-).

Book Review:

Get Crafty: Hip Home Ec
by Jean Railla

Jean Railla's crafty philosophy can be summed up us as "making art out of everyday life". She believes crafty pursuits cannot be narrowly defined, and that anyone can embrace a lifestyle of craftiness. Embellishing a skirt. Baking banana bread. Arranging flowers. Constructing a collage. These activities foster creativity and encourage beauty.

Being crafty means living consciously and refusing to be defined by narrow labels and categories. It's about embracing life as complicated and contradictory ... It's painting racing stripes down muscle cars and driving them in homemade skirts and high heal shoes ... It's about making things with your hands. And, most important, it's about living life artistically, regardless of whether or not you are an Artist with a capital A. (p. 6)

Get Crafty embraces the radical, independent spirit infiltrating the traditional crafting community. Railla explores many faces of craft. Her book is seasoned with wit, insight, and a delightfully fresh perspective. This is not a musty, dated home ec manual.

Two aspects of this book especially captured my interest. Throughout Get Crafty, Railla places special emphasis on the importance of home. She encourages readers to create welcoming, beautiful, romantic and peaceful homes. She believes homes should be a sanctuaries, havens, and should reflect our personal tastes. Railla offers countless (frugal) suggestions for creating warm, inviting homes.

Secondly, Railla encourages her readers to practice thrift. An aspect of craftiness involves seeing potential in old things, breathing new life into discarded objects. Mass production and gross over-consumption often hurt people and the environment. Crafting, creating things by hand, repurposing or reusing objects and materials, allow us to bypass the economy of consumerism. Crafting can make a statement against sweat-shop labour. Crafting can encourage frugality. Crafting encourages imaginative problem-solving and creative self-expression.

I enjoyed reading Get Crafty, and recommend it with the following disclaimer: Jean Railla identifies herself as a feminist. She embraces the philosophy of "new domesticity" that proclaims women can "have it all". The final chapter of her book boldly proclaims "no woman is an island". I do agree with the chapter's assertion that we must connect with other people, that we should belong to a community. However, I feel Railla goes too far with statements such as this: "Once our society was organized around church and patriarchal family units. I don't know about you, but I don't want to go back to that world. I want to move forward with a ragtag army of nutty women (and men) who, even with their limitations, band together and dare to have more." (p. 120)

I believe craftiness and creativity are gifts given by God, the Ultimate Creator. If we fail to acknowledge His hand upon our creative work, we miss the point entirely. Get Crafty is an fun, engaging, inspirational book. It is jam-packed with interesting projects, recipes and ideas. Jean Railla presents her philosophy of craft in a new and dynamic way. I mostly agree with her ideas, especially regarding the importance of home and frugality. I only wish the charm of Get Crafty wasn't marred by feminist ideology.

A Slice of Canadiana:
Why a Timbit is a Dangerous Thing

What is Canada to me?

Canoes, beavers and the maple leaf
Polite, friendly neighbours
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Rocky Mountains in my backyard
Clean water, rich soil, an abundance of resources
Vast stretches of land
Snow and ice and skiing and skating
Youth, innovation
A patchwork quilt of cultural diversity
A heritage built on Christian values and beliefs
From sea to sea to sea

And nothing tastes more Canadian than a steaming double-double with a donut on the side.

Every so often, out running errands or on the way home from church, our family will drive thru Tim Hortons. If the kids have been good we'll pick up a box of timbits for a treat. The line up of cars is always long, but as we sit in our idling van, talking and listening to the radio, we share a sense of camaraderie with the other vehicles. For a few minutes we pause, and together engage in a truly Canadian experience.

This morning Ben pulled into that familiar parking lot. The line wound around the building, at least twenty cars long. I flipped the radio dial to CBC, for the sake of the moment. Ben pulled up to the window and ordered (glory be!) the 40-pack of timbits, an extra-large double-double, and a large decaf mocha.

I think there is now one timbit left in the box (maybe two). Timbits may be small, but they are dangerous things. Perhaps Ben and I need to re-think our dream to purchase a Tim Hortons franchise. I doubt my willpower (or waistline) could withstand such a venture.

Craft-y Musings

I finally received my first issue of Craft magazine this weekend. Ben gave me a subscription for Christmas. For the past five weeks I have been hovering over our mailbox, hoping, longing, for the magazine to arrive. (Who knew it would take five weeks? Calgary might as well be in the middle of the Great White North, as far the U.S. Postal Service is concerned.) I think the Hallelujah Chorus may have played when I opened the box on Friday and discovered my beautiful magazine nestled inside.

All I can say is this ... it was so worth the wait.

Craft is a quarterly publication. I will be waiting at least three more long months for my next issue to arrive. As such, I have decided to savour the magazine as I would a fine chocolate bar. A little taste here, a small nibble there. I've indulged in a handful of articles so far. I eventually intend to enjoy every word and image between the covers.

Carla Sinclair's opening editorial immediately struck a chord. (I may or may not have read it in our parked van, two minutes after I received the magazine...) The article is titled Copy This. Sinclair shares the premise that duplication and repetition are integral components of crafting. A knitter may repeat the same stitch thousands of times, a beadworker might produce a dozen copies of the same piece of jewellery, a seamstress may create a pattern for other crafters to replicate. Crafting is all about creating copies.

I am the type of person who enjoys mundane, repetitive tasks. When I read Sinclair's editorial, I finally found words to articulate one reason why I prefer crafts to (so-called) fine art. My studio major in art school was painting. I certainly enjoy the process of painting, but in school I didn't like the high brow pretentiousness associated with the painting studio. We were expected to create singular works of art. So much pressure! I can now see that my former obsession with painted grids was tied to my desire for repetition, and I sought security in grid-like lines and patterns.

I am also drawn to the practical nature of crafting. Crafts are meant to be used. They are intended to be handled, worn, manipulated. Fine art, so often, is inaccessible. We are separated from the art, either by a picture frame, a glass case, or by the artist's unfathomable conceptualism. Crafts are easy to understand; they are accessible, everyday art objects. A pair of woolly mittens warm my fingers, a ceramic pot holds my tea, I snuggle beneath a hand-stitched quilt. Crafts are a comforting part of our everyday lives.

The line between fine art and fine craft is blurring. The crafting revolutions speaks to the heart of our hectic, performance-driven, materialistic culture. Yes, I can buy a perfectly good blanket for my bed from Walmart. However, I might choose another alternative. Who cares if it takes me the next fourteen months to finish knitting an afghan? The process is just as important and the product --- the repetitive, meditative act of working with needles and yarn. I believe my afghan is a work of art, and I derive great pleasure from the simple act of knitting.

All this to say, Craft magazine resonates with my artistic sensibilities. I only wish it had existed a few years ago. Craft might have equipped me to better express myself. As an art student, I believe I would have enjoyed printmaking and photography. Both artistic mediums involve replication and the production of multiple copies. Craft has helped me find a new language of expression, and I now understand my artistic inclinations more clearly.

My magazine quietly sits on the arm of the couch beside me, patiently waiting. I think I'll now flip through a few more pages. Unfortunately, the danger is that I will be overly struck by inspiration. I might bite off more than I can chew. I already have several projects on the go, and many more bubbling through my imagination. When will I ever find time to finish everything? My life is full of baby steps ... baby steps.

Creativity

I found this picture on the Craftzine blog and thought it was amazing. The artist, Pete Goldlust, carved wax crayons to create these intricate sculptures. I enjoy art that transforms everyday objects into extra-ordinary works of imagination.

You can take a look at Pete Goldlust's web site here.

Men O' War

"Daddy, Daddy! Let's watch a movie on your computer!" exclaimed our excited preschooler.

"Sure, Buddy. What would you like to see?" asked Ben.

"Let's watch that Lego movie. You know --- the one with the pirates!" our giddy son suggested.

"You mean Men O' War?" Ben clarified.

"Oh yeah. It's sooo cool, Daddy! It has bad guys and good guys and a battle and that sea captain ... What's his name? Oh, I know. I think it's Log. You know, Captain Log?"

Ben stifled a laugh. "Captain Log? I think you mean 'captain's log'."

"That's what I said, Daddy. Captain Log." Our son gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.

"No, Buddy. His name isn't Log! Every captain keeps a log, like a journal, on a voyage. The log is a diary of everything that happens."

"Ooooooh," said our three-year-old, as understanding slowly dawned. "Well ... the captain is still a cool guy, you know."

"Yup, he sure is."

...........................

Men O' War is a very cool animated short. It was created by a Christian family from Australia. The quality of the CG modelling and animation is incredible. Check out their web page here.

Why We Don't Own a TV

I am glad our family doesn't have a TV. We have two computers and a WiFi network instead. Our kids watch their fair share of DVDs, but we have never owned a television.

Today I realized one big bonus of not owning a TV: Our kids do not watch commercials. We stay out of the malls at this time of year, and our children are quite sheltered from Christmas consumer panic. They don't have a clue about which toys are "cool". I don't think they realize that Christmas could involve getting lots of expensive presents.

My's son's innocence was reinforced today when someone asked what he would like to receive for Christmas.

"I'd like this game," he said, "You know what it is? It's called trekkers."

"Trekkers? I don't think I've heard of that game."

"Oh, " my three-year-old explained, "It's a game you play with black circles and red circles, and they jump over each other."

"You mean checkers?"

"Yeah! That's what I want for Christmas."

Ben and I had decided to start a tradition at Christmas this year. We want to buy one new board game as a group gift for our family each year. For this Christmas I bought a nice set of dominoes. I love classic games that have stood the test of time.

If my little boy would like a set of checkers too, I think I might have to make another trip to the store. :-)

DVD Review:

Over the Hedge

Looking for an entertaining, family-focused show? Need a good belly laugh? Into lovable, fuzzy, cute and cuddly critters? You might enjoy Over the Hedge as much as I did.

I'll admit, I've become a bit jaded towards Dreamworks' films. Shrek was hilarious, but the humour was too rude for my impressionable little guys. I thought Shark Tale was too adult, and some scenes in Madagascar were too intense.

I believe Over the Hedge strikes the perfect balance between kid-friendly fun and clever humour aimed at adults. The casting is terrific. I especially liked Vern the turtle and Hammy the manic squirrel.

Over the Hedge's story centres around the meaning of family. Courageous critters repeatedly put themselves in danger to rescue other family members. The movie also explores themes of forgiveness, teamwork, leadership and contentment.

I actually viewed this DVD twice in one day, I liked it so much. I watched the movie with my kids in the afternoon, and again in the evening with Ben. I love the way Over the Hedge lampoons our consumeristic suburban lifestyle. R.J. the Racoon's "food" sequence is particularly hilarious.

This film does earn its PG rating, with several scenes of intense (cartoonish) action and a few strong words such as "stupid". It is not suitable for very young children, but my three-year-old loved the show.

With so few good children's movies available, Over the Hedge is a DVD I may consider buying for our own home library.

Book Review:

Life of Pi
Yann Martel

I finished reading Life of Pi this weekend. For several days I have struggled with whether I should post a review on my blog. In good conscience, this is not a book I can freely recommend to Christian readers. At the same time, it is an absolutely brilliant work of fiction and fully deserving of the critical acclaim it has received.

Life of Pi chronicles the journey of a young castaway, Picine Molitor Patel. Pi is marooned in the middle of the Pacific --- stranded on a lifeboat in the company of a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and a Bengal tiger. Against all odds, Pi survives his ordeal. Though the premise of the book seems completely unbelievable, the story is amazing because of its plausibility. Through intelligent narrative and attentive description Yann Martel skillfully weaves the details of the plot (but not necessarily in sequence).

Life of Pi is constructed of many layers. It is a book that begs to be discussed. This novel is perfect fodder for a book club or university class. I was grateful that Ben finished reading Pi a few days before I did. The book provided fuel for several engaging conversations (and debates) this weekend.

Unfortunately, Yann Martel's masterful story is tainted by several truly gruesome scenes. The first of these disturbing sections occurs about a third of the way into the story, shortly after Pi becomes shipwrecked. I had greatly enjoyed the novel up to this point, but I very nearly put the book away unfinished. I am not accustomed to exposing myself to such terrible imagery and it was a shock to my system. The most horrific scene comes at the end of the novel.

Savagery is one of the central threads of Pi. Can Pi Patel survive and yet resist becoming a savage? Does Pi retain his humanity? Is he any less an animal than Richard Parker? As much a I hate to admit, Life of Pi would not be as believable without its accounts of extreme depravity. Pi must journey to the outer limits of savagery in order to test his own humanity.

Life of Pi also explores themes of religion and a belief in God. Pi Patel longs for relationship with God, so much so that he resorts to worshiping multiple gods. Christ, Allah, Vishnu ... all are worthy of respect and adoration according to Pi. He hungers for redemption and divine connection. Where my Christian beliefs cause me to fill my spiritual hunger with faith in Christ, Pi turns to multiple religions and expressions of faith. Because he survives his horrific ordeal, it appears that Pi had exceptional divine protection. He believed in many gods and therefore kept all his bases covered. I do not agree with this presumption.

I am glad I read Life of Pi. I do believe that, as a Christian, I should not be afraid to engage popular culture. Pi is a brilliant piece of Canadian fiction, without question. When I choose to read such a book, I pray for discernment and the mind of Christ, guarding my heart and emotions. Life of Pi is not what I would consider "entertainment reading". It is not the type of novel I feel safe escaping into. However, it is an engaging story and worthy of careful thought and discussion.

Movie Review:
Flushed Away

This evening my husband and I (attempted) to go out on a date. We made it about halfway through the movie before our babysitter called us home. To be honest, I wasn't terribly disappointed to leave the theatre. Flushed Away was not as good as I had expected. (The theatre manager was also kind enough to refund our tickets, so the night was not a total loss.)

I very much enjoy movies by Aardman Entertainment. I think Wallace and Gromit films are brilliant. The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit was a terrific movie. I enjoy British humour, and appreciate the artistic skill and dedication to detail displayed in Aardman's claymation pictures.

Flushed Away did not meet my expectations. Admittedly, I was not able to view the entire movie, and perhaps this fact coloured my perception of the film. At the same time, I believe Flushed Away had several factors working against it.

Flushed Away was jointly produced by Aardman Entertainment and Dreamworks Studios. I hate to say it, but I think the involvement of an American studio was not beneficial to the project. The humour of the movie held none of Aardman's characteristic British charm. The jokes were often crude and obvious. (Perhaps potty humour is unavoidable in a film titled Flushed Away?).

As well, Flushed Away is a CGI film. I believe Wallace and Gromit movies are appealing because of the human touch evident in claymation productions. The animation in Flushed Away is too polished, too American. Yes, the characters still possess round "Aardman eyes" and wide, expressive mouths. However, they lack the soft touchability of plasticine models. They are artificially generated, and therefore less believable.

All in all, Flushed Away was nothing special. It was not a movie I would like my children to see. I am glad the theatre refunded our money. At least we did not lose $20 in viewing a lack-lustre film.

TV Tune Out

Ben and I had a terrific time this weekend in Fernie. We stayed in a gorgeous condo right on the ski hill. Our suite was beautiful --- cozy and well-decorated. We came home feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Our condo had a comfy sitting area, complete with large, leather wing-back chairs. I spent most of the weekend curled up in one of the chairs, wrapped in a fleecy, brown blanket. The chairs were arranged in front of a fireplace and on the mantle sat a slick flat-screen TV.

Ben and I don't have a TV at home, by choice. We have several computers and a high-speed internet connection. We don't need a TV as well.

We also know our own weaknesses. If we did own a television we would waste far too much time sitting in front of the tube. This weekend alone I'm certain I watched more TV than I have for the past year. (I'd estimate we had the TV on for about six hours yesterday.)

We did watch some cool shows, though. Mostly things on the Discovery Channel --- How It's Made and Mythbusters. Ben also watched several episodes of Farscape on DVD.

However, I am very glad to come home to my quiet, TV-free house. Because I don't watch TV I have time to pursue other interests --- blogging and reading, music and exercising. If we had a TV, I'm sure I'd be sucked into watching for at least an hour every evening. I'm too weak. I wouldn't be able to stand up against the temptation.

But I have to admit, it was kind of nice to zone out in front of the tube for just one day.

May the Force Be With You ...

Playing Star Wars == BIG fun in our house. My boys dress up as Jedi and stage epic light sabre battles every day.

You must understand, I am not the parent who has encouraged this fascination with all things intergalactic. My dear husband is the guilty party. And now I have video evidence to back it up ...

Clouded Judgement (Part 2)

I prepared the popcorn. My husband popped our DVD into his computer. We watched the entire movie in Hindi (and I stayed awake through the whole thing). At least it had subtitles.

Our movie finished. I always enjoy watching the special features, so I looked inside the DVD case to see if it included a second disk. It did.

The disk was labelled "Special Edition - English Language Version".

Apparently, they filmed the movie twice, in Hindi and in English.

Lesson learned: I may have trouble choosing movies, but it seems my husband has trouble reading DVD labels.

Ben, in light of your error (and the teasing I endured for my choice of movie) I think you owe me at least one chick flick. Honey, you know, I've been dying to see the new version of Pride and Prejudice...

Clouded Judgement

This evening my husband and I realized that it has been months since we rented a movie. (I don't know, perhaps our new baby may have something to do with that.) Ben suggested that I go to Blockbuster and choose something.

As I browsed through the store I remembered why we don't watch many movies. It's pretty tough to find a film that doesn't contain gratuitous language or sex or violence. I finally settled on a movie from the "Film Festival" section and headed for home.

As I popped the popcorn, Ben read the back of our video. He paused and asked:

"Ummm, Lindsay, do you realize this movie is in Hindi?"

"Hindi?"

"Yeah, it's not in English."

"Oh."

I guess I forgot to check that.

Lesson learned: There's a reason why I rarely get to choose our movie. Never trust the judgement of an over-tired mommy.

DVD Review:
Voyage to the Planets and Beyond

Yes, I will admit it. It is inevitable. My husband and I are geeks at heart, and we can't help but raise geeky children.

Last week I took my kids to the library. As we browsed through the DVD section my preschooler found a video with an astronaut on the cover. He begged to take the DVD home. I quickly scanned the back of the video, saw that it was a BBC production for the Discovery Channel, and thought that it might be an interesting show. I gave my son permission to borrow the DVD with the stipulation that I had to watch it first (to see if it was appropriate).

A few nights later, Ben and I popped the DVD into our computer and settled in to our couch cushions. We were in for a pleasant surprise! Voyage to the Planets and Beyond is an excellent video.

The story is set in the near-future and the plot is believable and realistic. The characters come across as genuine. I thought the computer graphics were quite good. The show plays in two episodes and runs for approximately two hours in total.

The DVD jacket provides the follow description:

Five astronauts embark on an extraordinary and awe-inspiring journey. Their mission: to land on and explore the most extreme worlds that orbit the sun. As nerve-wracking drama gives way to incredible spectacle, they are taken to their physical and psychological limits in an astonishing voyage of discovery.

Voyage to the Planets will especially appeal to fans of Star Trek and other science fiction shows. It also reminded me of the movie Apollo 13. I found the voyage so enjoyable, I would like to watch the DVD again to catch the details I missed the first time through.

I am thankful that my space-loving son spotted this DVD at the library. However, some of the action depicted in Voyage to the Planets is not appropriate for small children.

Cars

Today I had the privilege of taking my three-year-old to his first movie at the theatre.

Nothing beats the excitement of a little boy going to see a movie about shiny, noisy, racing cars. My son spent the entire show perched on the edge of his seat with a huge bag of popcorn balanced on his lap. He was totally enthralled.

Because he had never been to a real movie before, my preschooler was not versed in "proper theatre etiquette". Some scenes left him so excited he couldn't help but burst out with adorable (and audible to the entire theatre) commentary ...

"Mommy, that car goes fast!!!"

"That car looks just like on Star Wars!"

And my favourite: "This popcorn is really salty!"

But the best part of our "movie date" was when my little man spontaneously cupped my face in both of his buttery hands and kissed me gently on the lips, right in the middle of the show.

I hope my son stays so sweet and innocent forever.

DVD Review:

That The World May Know:
Walk as Jesus Walked

Ray Vander Laan

On Thursday nights we host a small Bible study group in our home. For the past five weeks we have been viewing and discussing the Walk as Jesus Walked DVD. This video is the seventh volume in the That the World My Know series published by Zondervan and hosted by Ray Vander Laan.

Mr. Vander Laan is a gifted Biblical teacher and historian. Through his teaching, I gained unique insight into the world of the early Christians. In every video episode Mr. Vander Laan tours through ancient ruins and historical sites in Asia Minor. He literally follows the pathways that disciples such as Paul and Timothy traveled, and visits catacombs and cave churches. The locations are fascinating.

The back of the DVD reads, in part:

"A disciple is consumed with a passion to be like The Rabbi --- Jesus. Come and discover the passion of our early Christian brothers and sisters. Follow in their footprints as they loved the Messiah with all their heart, all their soul, and all their might --- every moment of every day."

Watching this DVD has whet my appetite to personally view the first six volumes in the series. However, I do not believe we would use these videos again for a group Bible study. Though the DVD itself is excellent, the accompanying study guide is weak and elementary. We were disappointed in the uninspired questions and topics for further discussion.

I believe Ray Vander Laan's That the World May Know series would be perfect for homeschooling or as material for family devotions with older children. The visuals are stunning, and Mr. Vander Laan's teaching makes the Bible come alive for his viewers.

A TV-Free Existence

As newlyweds, Ben and I decided that our first home together would be TV-free. Six years later we still have not succumbed to the temptation to purchase a television. You know, I would be surprised if we ever do.

We both feel that TVs are time-sucking black holes. They are noisy, distracting and interrupt valuable family time. Is there anything really worth watching these days, anyway? And I know my own weakness. When I am tired at the end of the day, and the kids are quiet in bed, it would be awfully easy to kick back in front of the TV for a couple of hours. Instead, I am motivated to read good books, go to the YMCA and work out, or spend time with my gorgeous husband.

However, before I come across as overly pious, you must know that Ben and I are completely addicted to our high-speed internet connection. I don't know how we ever survived without a wireless network in the house. (There is something utterly luxurious about sprawling on the couch with a notebook on my lap, checking my e-mail or catching up on CBC news).

We also watch DVDs on the laptop from time to time. We have all three seasons of Star Trek the original series. The boys are allowed to watch a half-hour video on the computer every day at lunchtime. (I find it keeps life sane for the hour leading up to nap time). We are not totally cut off from popular media by any stretch.

There was one period of time that I really missed TV, though --- during the 2004 hockey playoffs.

I am not exactly a hockey fanatic, but I will admit to being caught up in "Flames fever" during that time. We had the flags on our van and everything. On game nights Ben and I would argue over who's turn it was to go to the gym, and then watch the game while sweating on the elliptical trainer.

We finally resorted to listening to games on AM radio. Now you have to realize --- Ben and I are far from hockey experts. Listening to the motor-mouthed announcer was like trying to discpiher a foreign language at times. What's a power play? You mean Kipper is not simply an adorable orange spotted dog? And what in the world is icing?

But we persevered right through to the Stanley cup finals, and groaned with the rest of the city when Calgary lost in game seven.

And now playoff season is right around the corner again.

No, we won't be rushing out to buy a TV this time around. The good old-fashioned radio will have to suffice. And now I know who Kipper and Iggy are, what the penalty box is, and that the crease is not part of a nicely ironed uniform.

Go, Flames, Go!

"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word." Psalm 119:37