GO Sadie GO!

Rules of courtship are quite different these days, but long ago women who were hoping to marry had to wait for their beau to propose. They were not "allowed" to pop the question themselves, except on one day: on a leap year (February 29th) -- also known as Sadie Hawkins Day -- which occurs every four years.

The tradition dates back hundreds of years, to when the leap year was not recognized by English law; the day was simply "leapt over" and ignored. Since it had no legal status, formal traditions did not apply on this day. Consequently, women who were not content to wait for a proposal took advantage of this anomaly and popped the question themselves. It was also thought that since leap year corrected the discrepancy between the calendar year (365 days) and the time it takes for the earth to complete one orbit of the sun (365 days and 6 hours), it was an opportunity for women to correct a tradition that was one-sided and unfair.

Thankfully time has marched on. Rightly or wrongly, romantic traditions still live on. A woman wants to be desired and sought after and she never wants to be referred to as 'Diana Goddess of the Hunt'.

I have a friend who should seize the day today. The only time she is wasting and heart she is breaking is her own. The worst scenario is, that she has to face the reality that Olva Ovum has now turned into a lizard and it’s time to plan ahead for her future retirement.

Go for it Sadie, you have nothing to lose but the lout!

Supercalifragilous Expialidocious

The one and only “bowl” fell on the floor and broke today. This bowl was not just any bowl; it was the “bowl”. The “bowl” that my dad brought back for me during his first visit to Canada in preparation for our emigration to a new land.

My dad went to Canada to prepare the way. I did not cope with his absence well. My mother was fraught with anxiety, as I would not eat. She kept taking me to our family physician who finally concluded that I was displaying 'feelings of loss' because my dad was away. My mouth was inflicted with cankers as I pined for his return.

Alas, my dad came home to Belfast with the “bowl”. The “Mary Poppins bowl”. You see, Mary Poppins was my hero. She made sense of chaos. I used to dream of flying down on an umbrella. I so wanted to have her bottomless carpet bag to make my toys come to life and then tidy themselves. In my childhood's mind, Mary Poppins always had her priorities right.

I almost threw the “fractured bowl” out today. I could not. I have eaten my cereal from that “bowl” everyday for over 35 years. Therefore, tomorrow I will just use less milk. Mary Poppins has not taken to the air yet. I still long for her bottomless carpet bag to help keep me in order.

Zeyda, the “fractured bowl” and Mary Poppins still live on... well at least until I sort out my priorities of course. I miss you. You can send me an umbrella anytime, I have places to go and people to see ;)

Fruitloops anyone? “Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down.”