Grateful Heart and Helping Hands

Dishonesty. Broken relationships. Not giving all of the information. Considering others less than yourself. Our home has been plagued with disturbing trends and I am at my wits end. We value relationships, value people, value honesty and value each others' property as their own. In fact, property has a sort of sanctity to it. What is valuable to another is not always valuable to us, but we consider the other person in it and give value and meaning to that property because of the relationship. In this home, we see people for their own intrinsic worth, trying to see them as Christ sees them. It is our mandate as Christians to give inherent value to one another. When someone in our home de-values another in word or deed, the whole family feels it. Racism, criticism, agism, any form of -ism is a way that we speak of differences. I want this home to be one where each is valued for who they are, not what they do. We all bleed red blood and it is in Christ alone that our value can be mea...

For the record, I don't really like TV. It is a time waster and I think I must have some Puritan roots--I have a hard time with things that waste time! I abhor sloth and laziness and embrace efficiency and hard work that shows. Saying that, I too enjoy a good movie, a good show or a good game. Tonight, we got to sit in front of the TV watching hockey and eating leftover turkey. We had a nice tray of salad fixings, lettuces and tomatoes and cucumbers along with wraps to hold them in--and of course, turkey leftovers! My dad declared that turkey is possibly even better cold than hot. Fine food, fine fellowship, fine sport! I wrote about the pies that were cooking the other day. I just finished a piece and once again, yumm!! A nice cold dinner followed by a fine fine piece of pie. I have cake from yesterday's birthday as well, with rhubarb sauce to be poured over ice cream. This is why I hate having desserts in the house! I hear it calling to me from the counter, seducing me with ...

This is my 102nd blog. I am surprised, was not at all sure if I would be able to find something to say as often as I have! But here I am! Apparently, I am also missed when I don't post! It has been a couple of very busy weeks, so this 102nd might have been last weekend if I wasn't away so much! My parents are due here any time now and in honour of that I have baked a couple of rhubarb pies. The recipe is my dad's baby sister's. The women in my dads family are very good cooks, so I know I can trust any recipe passed down. This recipe was given to me as thanks for helping in the kitchen on her wedding day about 15 years ago. I love that it is rhubarb custard AND that it has meringue--a winning combination! The added bonus is that the kitchen smells glorious! I have not made pie for a while, though I do quiche from time to time. But my dad loves pie, so I know we will all enjoy it together tonight. My baby-girl's birthday is tomorrow, so we will start the day off wit...

For those who follow me, you may have noticed this week was a bit dry. No new posts. Not so much because I was dry, but because I have been insanely busy! I did try to get on to post last week once, but the server was upgrading, so I would have had to check in later--and no 'later' happened for me! So, what a week!! I have a client due on May 24, so I am in the prepared time of waiting now, doula bag packed and prepped, fresh food in it, journal ready for words, thoughts in order to keep in mind for her preferences and passions. I am excited to work with this momma. She and I have known each other for nearly five years. She took doula training in the last session I organized, wanting herself to follow this. We had the amazing opportunity of working together in the birth of a mutual friend last year, a bit of a mentor/protege relationship. That birth was so wonderful, it moved me to write a poem about it and I am glad she was able to be part of such an amazing birth for her fir...

Birthing gently. Does that sound a bit like an oxymoron? Right up there with 'birthing from within'--which makes my husband ask, where else would someone birth from? But gentle birth. It makes me think of choices we make to love and protect our babies right from the very start. We choose to eat well, to rest enough, to exercise some and to prepare our hearts and minds for this new individual who is joining our family. We have some time to get used to the idea- usually about 7 1/2 months or so. Right now, I am reading a book called Gentle Birth, Gentle Mother  discussing the choices that take us to the place of being ready for our new baby. I just finished Birth Matters  by the amazing Ina May Gaskin. These are putting a renewed sense of purpose into my heart, giving me some direction and understanding into this mysterious birth world I find myself in. With the understanding I am finding, I am also wondering how I can change understanding into wisdom. Wisdom is, for me, that ve...

Drinking coffee out of a beautiful pottery mug with a dragonfly on the front of it, thinking of the beautiful momma-daughter who gave it to me. I enjoyed sharing Mother's Day with her! She is such a good mom, does an amazing job, thinking and planning decisions so that they make the most sense for the wonderful little boy she is raising. Intentional parenting is not easy, it takes work, takes wisdom! But it sure does make the journey worthwhile! As a mom who made intentional choices, I see how it has impacted my now adults and am able to see how it is impacting their own choices. Though I think I celebrated Mother's Day last weekend, I am also mindful of being spoiled yesterday. A thoughtful 12 year old made a killer omelette--morel mushrooms, cheese, scallions, organic eggs--pure delight! He rocks it! After church we went for a LOOOOONG drive. The oldest son had the truck out in Fraser Lake, where he has started tree-planting. He needed the truck to take the camper out for hi...

A flight across the Hecate Strait in a Beaver. If this sounds exciting, like it does to me, imagine it from harbour to harbour, looking down at boats out for some leisure time. Imagine sun sparkling off the waves. Imagine the birds lazily circling over herring schools, waiting for the opportune moment to dive in. Imagine LOTS of vibration---those planes are wicked that way! And noise!! But all in all, with sun poking out, waves lapping quietly several hundred feet below and you have a picture of how I would be happy to be spending this morning! I am not, but am just imagining, planning ahead to our summer of kayaking, of enjoying some lazy sunny days ahead. I am also thinking of the long drive to Prince Rupert, snaking along the Skeena River. Seeing gulls overhead, knowing that indicates fish below the surface. When we drive out that road, we think of the fishing villages that used to be on the Skeena in years gone by, Port Essington, places that boomed with industry. this industry is...

Having all the kids home, one of my favourite things! We are missing one, but this is pretty good! I promised that I would post pictures of our fantastic meal from Sunday. We made pasta and seafood sauce and served it with salad. This is my first time using spinach powder- and we think things turned out well! The eggs are organic, lovely eggs from a local grower here. First, we start with the flour. I used half semolina and half all purpose. Olive oil is added if there is a need for moisture. After the kneading, we wrap it in half pound amounts and let it sit, soaking up the flavour and distributing the oils. I am glad I had someone else to knead--it is hard work! When it is nicely moistened, we roll it and cut it!  The process is messy... After the cutting, rolling, we make the fantastic sauce... in this case, a delicious seafood sauce, made with scallops and shrimp in a garlic and cream base. We had a nice group of us eating. This is a simple but gourmet meal, enjoyed...

Just got home from a good--if slightly boring--day at work. It was good to have time to think, to absorb and to contemplate yesterday some. We had a bit of a disappointment yesterday, to state it mildly. I have trouble with people wasting government resources, people's time and simply not getting things done! But today is a new day and we have to live with decisions made for now. I am glad that God is a mighty God, that He does what He says! So, once again, I am posting my list of gratitude on a Tuesday. I am reminded that this is not the point--and to be honest, I probably could not have done any justice to this yesterday! So, from my heart comes this: ~  Family! Meals together, time together, talking, being. ~My son, my joy- I don't see him often enough but it is so good to have him here for a few days. ~my children's choices in friends, capable and caring, family front and centre. ~family friends from afar, joining us for a meal, for a visit ~the wisdom of medical ...

Family. Most of my kids are home, bringing with them various and sundry significant friends. I like my kids' choices! They know how to pick them! Brunch will happen soon--crepes and fruit, everyone's favourite, thanks to my lovely Heidi-friend's delish recipe. It's so yummy, it is on the menu for this week at work! But tonight, the piece- de- resistance. My chef-girl and her man are making pasta and seafood. Don't you wish you were here? I guess we are, in some way, celebrating Mothers' Day. For me, every day I can have family around is Mothers' Day! Last year, I was not sure I would see another Mothers' Day. I had just come home from a week in isolation in the hospital. My white blood cell count had gotten as close to zero as is possible without actually being dead. So, I am rejoicing in this year!! This morning, we sat around and drank coffee, talking about how women are being mislead by magazines and marketing. It got me thinking once again about th...