What I have been reading....

Over the last few months I have been reading a number of books on success and achievement inspired by the Malcom Gladwell's The Outliers.  It has become a bit of an obsession with me as I find connections to my work as a teacher, my involvement with youth soccer as a coach and board member and as a father of two youth sport obsessed boys.



What has really struck me is how the research (admittedly all of these books reference each other and others of a similiar point of view)  all brings us back to an old school belief in the value and importance of good old fashioned hard work and dedication.  ...... I have written, edited, deleted and rewritten the following paragraphs and decided that I really have too much to say on this subject and at this point it all ends up as a rant so I'll leave it for you to read the books yourself and see where the ideas may apply to your own life.

On a lighter note if you liked the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo check out the following book.

Can't wait for summer

The calendar says July 31 but the weather says October 31.

What happened to Spring?

We are now a week into summer and after a Canada Day soccer tournament in St. Albert and several days of long neglected household chores it finally feels like we are getting a bit of a break.  This is our first Saturday without soccer since we were in Mexico and it feels nice to just look at each other and ask "what are we going to do this afternoon?" without an immediate answer.

Of course the break also means we have time to notice that it is supposed to be summer and we are stuck in what has been several months of cold and wet weather.  So much for our plans to head to the cabin and enjoy the lake.  I can't wait for soccer!

St. Patrick's Day Mexican Style

This year we are in Mexico during the week of St. Patrick's Day.  In Mexico St. Patrick's day is a big deal and consists of week long festival.  This goes all the way back to the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 and the  Batallón de San Patricio.  


A bit of Background:  The San Patricios were an army battalion in the Mexican Army made up largely of Irish immigrants (there were other nationalities as well, including Canadians) who came to the U.S to escape the Irish Potato Famine and joined the U.S. Army as a path to citizenship.  During the war many of the San Patricios would face their Mexican "enemies" all week long. On Sunday, however, they would put down their guns and cross the border into Mexico to go to church and play soccer with their fellow Catholics, the very same Mexicans with whom they were at war. 

Eventually, many of the Irish deserted and joined forces with Mexico. Those who did so before the war broke out were considered deserters. Those who fought for Mexico after the war broke out were defectors. When the war ended, each San Patricio was arrested and given a court martial trial. The deserters were branded on their faces with a "D." The defectors were hung in what some say is the largest mass execution in U.S. military history. To honor these brave men, whom Mexico calls heroes and the U.S. calls traitors, there are two celebrations held in parts of Mexico: Sept. 12, the anniversary of their execution, and March 17, St. Patrick's Day.   http://adage.com/article/the-big-tent/mexicans-celebrate-st-patrick-s-day/125694/


Barra de Navidad is about 5 minutes away from what is commonly knows as Melaque and is a populary snowbird destination for Canadians.  Melaque is actually three towns, Melaque, Villa Obregón, and San Patricio, seemlessly joined together.  With St. Patrick being the patron saint of San Patricio Melaque hosts one of the biggest St. Patrick's day celebrations with nightly fireworks in the town square.  


All week people we had met in Barra had asked us if we had been to the fireworks yet so we figured if we were ever to embrace Marla's Catholic roots what better time than on St. Patrick's Day in Mexico.  


We arrived about 8:30 pm and the town square was buzzing with midway that would do the PGX proud and random fireworks being shot into the crowd just to add some atmosphere.  I was disappointed that I had not done a little more research into the appropriate dress for the occasion as Marla obviously stood from the other women in their skinny jeans and 6 inch heels.  (As I said there were moments I thought I was 16 again at the PGX)   After waiting several hours which included a growing crowd staking their observation spots, Mexican dancers in costume opening the evening Mass, setting up of the fireworks tower and the St. Patrick's Day band warming up the crowd the 9:00 pm fireworks went off right on time at 11:15 pm.


The Fireworks were, as advertised, nuts!  The large tower burst into light with shapesof animals and saints spinning and whistling, showering the crowd with sparks.  Kids put pieces of cardboard over their heads and ran through the sparks under the structure.  Things got really interesting when the fireworks began shooting into the crowd. (I am assuming this is the part that was to pay homage to the soldiers in the war.)  Luckily we had taken a que from some French Canadians near us and used a Palm tree as a bit of protection as fireworks landed all around us.  Just when I didn't think it was going to get any crazier the top of the tower lite up and shot a huge structure into the air with the illuminated word FINI on it.  It quickly became apparent that this was not a structure meant to fizzle out in the air as it quickly descended to earth and crashed into a tree a few feet from us lighting it on fire.  Ya, Crazy but in Grame's words AWESOME!!

St. Patrick's Day Band

Tribute to San Patricio

Grande Finale

Difference a Day Makes....

March 12, 2011

March13, 2011

Steaming through February

Wow, where did January go and when the heck is February going to be over?  It seems like just last week we were taking down the Christmas tree (perhaps that is why the decorations are still piled up in the garage) and now we are starting to get organized for Mexico.  February must be the least appreciated month of the year, a month to just get over with and onto brighter and warmer days.  As we move through the middle of the month it is impossible to not look ahead to spring.  Mexico is just around the corner, soccer for the boys will crank up, the cabin will start to thaw out and hopefully we will see some grass by Easter.  At the same time we tend to ignore all that February has to offer.  Basketball is winding down and we can actually see the improvement another season has brought to the boys, skiing is in full swing, a new semester has brought a fresh outlook to work (even without a prep).  It is amazing when I look through our family pictures how few pictures I actually take in February.  It seems like every year we skip right from Christmas to Spring Break.  I would like to think that this year would be the year I slow down and enjoy every bit of time for what it is worth but in a February where we are playing soccer 6 days a week (between Marla, the boys and myself), I have just come off my prep and am in my 4 block semester, just found out I am teaching another TRU course this semester, 2 boys in basketball and Marla and Melanie trying to buy a condo in Phoenix all I can think about is that in 27 sleeps I will be on a beach in Mexico with a Margarita in my hand.  Maybe next year will be February's year.

 Great Day in February