Grateful Heart and Helping Hands

We get lulled into thinking it may be here, then another day of sub-zero weather. Well, perhaps not sub-zero, but single digits! Tonight I made turkey soup--this, following last night's dinner of ham plus salads, a seriously summertime meal! What is this? Is there an opposite to global warming perhaps? Each day we spend a little more time making plans for our big trip. We are definitely not the sort who want to go on factory tours. We can Google those if we want! We want to see the rugged coastline, experience the waves lapping at our feet and the wind blowing our hair around! Irish mists are legendary and we want some Aran knit sweaters to dispel them with. Our car will be small, standard and driven from the wrong side on the wrong side of the road. This will be, I am sure, a challenge! We hear the roads, too, are legendary. Perhaps infamous is a better word? But I am beginning to dream in green . Irish moss, irish wolf hounds, irish whiskey, irish cream. Should be fun. But I thi...

This terrific list came across my desk today. I figured it had enough good ideas in it to work on for some time. Some of these are already present, some I wish were and some are just plain smart, why wouldn't I?? 1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day, and while you walk, smile.   It is the ultimate anti-depressant.   2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.   3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement,   ' My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________ '   4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that   is manufactured in plants.   5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan   salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.   6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.   7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, ...

Party, party, party! Food, food, food! What a weekend! I have my girls all home, boys are both gone. The tree-planter dude wanted to be here, but that is how life works! It all started on Friday night, when we had my hunny's staff celebrate the end of the teaching year here. We laughed and visited and ate and visited some more. Sharing stories and events, thoughts and hopes and well-wishes with those who are moving on. My girls went to a birthday party with friends, seems there is a theme here! I know my first daughter had just celebrated her own birthday on Thursday, so the continuation was simply there. Our Friday evening party seemed more centred on relaxing than eating, visiting rather than celebrating any event in particular. But on Saturday, that all changed. Some time ago, we celebrated the end of a Master's degree with my hunny. He worked for four long years on that, detaching himself from family, from friends and often from life itself to get his work accomplished. H...

My posts are getting further apart, some of you may have noticed. I find, even when I try to plan differently, that my time seems to be eaten up with the frivolous and unremarkable. Before you know it, the day is over and I feel left in the dust. What a difficult week this has been! We have had some tough choices to make, some tough words to say and some decisions that make us profoundly sad. We know it is for the best, but the road on the way is so very hard to continue on! At the same time, the week has been full of joy! We have had some wonderful events. A grade seven graduation. A band concert. A day full of meetings that left me feeling glad and hopeful! Best of all, this week had a birthday in it. Twenty five years ago on this day, my world was transformed! I became mother to a daughter! A sister for our son, the oldest girl to 3, my daughter whose name means Pure and Peaceful. On a Wednesday evening, I made some spaghetti for dinner. As it was nearly ready to serve, I felt s...

Rough day. Rough weekend, tough stuff to manage. But we know that He Who began a good work in us will complete it too--and I know I must disappoint Him often enough. So, I will continue to bear up. I will find a place of quiet rest, a place of refuge in My God. And I will know peace. ~the scent of wild rose freshening in my window ~the colours of wild flowers, shades of red and pink, blue and purple and white, orange and yellow in luscious greenery ~reminders of honesty, to be honest and careful with my word, to stand behind it ~plans and places, dreams becoming reality as we plan for our trip of a lifetime (half a century at least!!) ~knowing that truth is stronger than fiction and that lies will not stand under careful scrutiny ~offers of friendship and care from without and within ~Easy Cheesy Chowder to warm the soul after a day that wrings me out ~celebrations big and small, the important things to us and those important to us ~life passages- graduations, completions, bir...

What a week! I think I have experienced every emotion under the sun--and maybe even made up some new ones! I haven't posted since last Monday in the midst of this week and it's busyness. Early in this week, I had some distress, wondering if there were a problem with my lungs. Since my surgery scars healed, I have had a wee bit of pain every time I exert my diaphragm. This pain radiates into my shoulder and scapula and has been a cause for concern . Knowing that lungs can be a problem after breast cancer along with bones, I have had some anxiety around this. But my lovely oncologist has put this to rest, nothing to worry about. Better than that, I will have some help for the discomfort from a physiotherapist who we hope will find the root cause. So, some rollercoaster emotions there. I know I can cast my cares on Jesus, Who cares and carries me through. We also had the chance to celebrate the up coming marriage of a lovely almost-niece. We shared with her in her shower of ble...

There is just so much to be thankful for! I am grateful for the home we have--my header shows a great picture of it, so welcome, so friendly, so homey! ~kayaks waiting for use ~warm sun and warm friendship, a long walk, solving the world's issues ~wild roses ~lilacs, blue, pink and white ~paintbrush, the landscape artist in tones of orange and red and cream, aflame all around ~vetch, wild sweetpea in its luscious green bed, shining in all my favourite colours of turquoise and purple, shades of cool ~horses, a sweet surprise, chatting at the side of the long country road ~bird song, a mixture of sweetness and arrogance, chattering and whistling ~a squirrel's scolding ~cloud cover still allowing us to see the mountain, it's caps of snow glistening ~plans to be made for a trip to be taken with expectations to greet that fair land with thoughts of homecoming ~weddings and plans and showers of blessing ~days off to do with what one wishes ~a year ago today, a CT sc...

Wind of the Spirit, set sail to my soul, lead me on Lord, let the wind blow--hmmm, today, the words, the message and the music leave me pondering. The day started out so beautifully, with good music, good fellowship, Scriptures to entice and bless and, perhaps, to make me ponder as well. Taking the kayaks out to the lake today, great idea! We had our church picnic and young and old enjoyed the sunshine, enjoyed the water, the fellowship, the boating and simply enjoying life. Others brought kayaks, a sailboat and there were canoes out on the lake as well. I was thinking today, as I paddled out on the lake, what a tremendously lovely setting the lake is in. It is like a fine jewel in perhaps a brooch, set about with rock, mountains and hills on every side. The lake is sometimes cerulean blue, other times a jade green, giving the brooch ever interesting value. Today, as those red wing blackbirds flitted across the water, black giving way to the red and cream, the lake was a myst...

Gardening. Gardens, raised beds, plants. Tomatoes, kale, onions, broccoli, lettuces and squash. Zucchini and herbs, basil, dill and parsley. Calendulas to make it interesting. Our families took to this new project with vigour! Watching 2 year olds dig beside dads, moms digging and planting, planning and hoping. The dad on our staff built a couple of awesome raised beds then dug several loads of loamy soil to fill them with. We planted today in hopes for food over the next few months to enrich our program and our families. I know it will be fun to watch the progress. I love how taking on a project together gives people an opportunity to build a commonality. Learning new skills, brushing up on skills gone rusty or simply sharing ones' passion. This day has me thinking again how gardening has so many common metaphors to life. Our children are started by seeds and nourished deep within, growing as if by magic in a secret place. They take what they need from the body they inhabit. We w...

Paddling. I love it so much, I have that tattooed onto my foot! Out we went today, a nice easy 24C after a salad dinner. Racked up the car, tied the boats on, then off to one of our local lakes. We left the car parked by the grass and gingerly embarked on our first voyage of the summer. After finding our pace, we began to relax, to listen to the myriad of bird calls. The redwinged blackbird's rich double whistle resonated across the still lake. We paddled silently as we could close to the shoreline to catch a glimpse of this pretty bird, wings flashing the combination of cream and scarlet in the blackness of its feathers. They seem to like the bull rushes that are standing and looking a bit lonely at the side of the lake, clothed in last years muslin remnants. Some of the lily pads had the beginnings of their yellow blooms, a reminder of time to come, when baby loons will secretly paddle out to test their abilities under the watchful eyes of their mother. A flash of silver from...

As I opened my email box this morning, I was reminded again that a weary heart is strengthened by praise for its Maker. Confidence grows in gratitude and I am humbled. The crest of last week's wave is receding quickly into the blue and I am left with a wet shoreline, a reminder of what was but only a hint. Sadness creeps in for the next wave coming, the one that brings sadness rather than gladness and I want to retreat, to run from the wave, scared to get wet. But I know that when I put on the cloak of righteousness, the oil of joy for mourning and a song of praise, my spirit will be lifted up and I will once again find the strength to face the day, the uncertainty before me. After reading today's blog from  A Holy Experience  I was reminded to count every good and perfect gift. In fact, I may count some gifts I find neither good nor perfect, but challenges that have been placed before me, to lay at the foot of the Cross. ~new life, in triplicate ~wildflowers in purple ...

A quiet household. Memories of two new daughters to grace two families. Pictures of my growing garden. Boys gone to the rodeo. Counting it all joy. Welcome, have a cup of coffee with me while I tell you tales of a wonderful week! Last Sunday I started the day in worship, playing the piano and enjoying the retreat pictures and message from friends who went to Israel. The contemplations, thoughts of Peter who I see so much of myself in, how he needed to get it right, even though his own heart was in the right place. Sunday was a glorious day, one of our first truly hot days this year. As I contemplated all I had been taught, I prepared myself for the miracles of the week. One of my mommas had told me her body was showing signs of preparation, to meet the baby she had been taking such good care of for the nine months of growing. I was able to relax for the afternoon, reminded of the fact that preparation sometimes means waiting, wondering, hoping and being expectantly busy. I packed my b...