We're turning heads

Our friends are abuzz these days because we're driving a Jaguar.

We just chuckle because it's not ours. It was leased by my husband's boss and now it's time for a new Jag....so the boss told us to use it until it's sold. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. Perhaps the boss felt sorry for my husband who rides his bike to work in nice weather, and bums a ride from a co-worker the rest of the year.

Trouble is, we're not 'really nice car' people. Like...the seats and floors of our cars usually have the odd french fry, gum wrapper, kleenex, water bottle, food stains, dog hair...you get the picture. We had the Jag for a week, and the boss handed my husband a car wash coupon and told him to get it washed. Not sure if that was a hint...but apparently the boss used to wash this car every day.......every day!!! Oh my. Our car gets washed every season.

It's interesting having this very temporary feeling of people taking second glances at 'our' car as we drive along. Last time I felt eyes follow the vehicle I was in, I was travelling in a funeral limousine enroute to the cemetary. The other day, big spenders that we are, we went through a MacDonald's drive-through (do Jag people do that?) and bought vanilla cones. Some young teens oogled the car and drooled, "nice car you got there!" My husband almost said, 'Not bad for a weather beater', but he held his tongue.

We still only drive 10 km over the speed limit as usual, but we feel silly. Everyone's speeding past the cool Jag on the highway. We feel like we're crawling at 120 km. (that's 75 miles per hour for you Americans, or senior age Canadians :-) ), but so far we've restrained ourselves from letting 'er rip (although I have no way of knowing whether my husband has 'tested' it without me). My husband tried the old trick of turning on my seat warmer when I wasn't looking, but I learned that one real good on a hot July evening one year in Jasper, Alberta in a rented vehicle. I knew I was menopausal, but that hot flash was unbelievable! I was really worried something was terribly wrong with my body until he 'fessed up to turning it on.

I commented to my daughter that I was going to take the above pictures of the Jag and hoped the neighbours wouldn't see me. She thought it would be funny to set off the car's alarm to draw the neighbours to their windows. Problem was, there's a knack to turning off that very loud alarm. We couldn't shut it off! My husband had to be called and he tried several times to shut the thing off. So much for not attracting the neighbours.

Friends have asked us why we don't buy this Jaguar as it is a deal, but I just can't see it. It's not me. I don't want to worry about it when I'm parking in public lots. We drive all our cars into the ground. It costs $150 to replace a headlight on the thing. We have no garage. There is snow in winter. Have you ever seen a dirty, rusty Jag? Nope. Our own car goes in for repairs this week as it's making horrible noises. We'll enjoy the ride in the Jag until it is sold....then we'll get back to reality and open the envelope for the car repair bill.

Surprises and blessings!

My husband pulled off another fast one on me. I had chosen my favorite Thai restaurant for us to go to for my birthday, as it was on our way to pick up my daughter at her workplace. When we arrived and my husband told the hostess we had a reservation, she said, "Yes, that was for 12?" I shook my head to say, no it's for 2, when I spotted some of our friends sitting at a table with a view of the lake. 'Surprise!!', they shouted much too loudly. I was genuinely floored - I used to be good at detecting secrets. I had a wonderful meal full of many varieties of all my favorite Thai dishes, and wonderful company of family and friends. When I tried to order dessert I'm still not sure if the waitress lied about the menu. They have always had cheesecake on the menu, but she said they had mango rice or banana fritters for dessert. Not my choice after just eating rice for the meal! But she knew that my husband had arranged for family to bring a cake he had ordered (with strawberries and kiwi between the layers! Yum!!). The staff brought it out with candles and sang to me. I was given lovely gifts and flowers and felt very blessed indeed. I have found there was one advantage to turning a 'higher' number for my birthday. I was given gift certificates worth $1 for each year of my life, along with the remark, 'don't you wish you were older?' Now if I can get seniors' discounts when I go shopping I'll be all set!

F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-F-..............

"Let them eat cake."

Today I turn f-f-f-f-f-f-... Today I turn f-f-f-f-f-fi...fi.....fi. Today I turn fi...fif....fif...fif..........fif.......ty. There. It's out. I am now fif....ty. Ow. That hurts. Fifty is what was really old when I was in my teens and twenties. In my mind, I'm still sort of back there....so I'm not making this leap too well. My husband must sense my discomfort over all this. The card he gave me this morning made no reference to my age, no snide remarks (which he is very good at) - just an adorable kitten on the card and the words, 'Another year older...another year cuter.' He obviously knew he'd be in the doghouse for anything less than kind. My friends are telling me, 'It's just a day'....but yah, it's the 'day' I turn fi....you know. I have now lived half a century! I'm not making this any easier on myself am I? And I really do remember when a wagon was pulled by a horse on our street to deliver our milk bottles. I thought I'd imagined it until I read the history of our city and saw the pictures. I even had the name of the horse right.

I would say to every young person, as was told to me so many times and I didn't get it....enjoy every day, live every day to its fullest because time will fly by and you'll be old before you know it. When you are young, you think you have all the time in the world and 'old age' is so distant it's not even a thought. But I'm telling you, every 10 years you'll look back and go 'Whoa! Where did those years go?' And after 5 times of saying that, you'll be here! Although I guess you wouldn't say that at age 5....or even age 10.... I am rambling. Old people do that. None of us are guaranteed our next breath. I have friends who died before fif....ty. So I guess that puts us all in the same boat. We all have this moment....period.

To live.

To make good choices. To run from bad choices.

To set our priorities and not waver from them.

To spend as many moments as possible with the One who loves us.

To avoid what distracts us from Him.

I really don't want any regrets at the end of my life.

"Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old..." Ecclesiastes 12:1 (New Living Translation Bible)

Here's a song to live your life by:

Life Means So Much by Chris Rice

Everyday is a journal page

Every man holds a quill and ink

And there’s plenty of room for writing in

All we do and believe and think

So will you compose a curse

Or will today bring the blessings

Fill the page with rhyming verse

Or some random sketchings

Teach us to count the days

Teach us to make the days count

Lead us in better ways

Somehow our souls forgot

Life means so much

Life means so much

Life means so much

Everyday is a bank account

And time is our currency

So no one’s rich, nobody’s poor

We get twenty-four hours each

So how are you gonna spend

Will you invest or squander

Try to get ahead

Or help someone who’s under

Teach us to count the days

Teach us to make the days count

Lead us in better ways

Somehow our souls forgot

Life means so much

Life means so much

Life means so much

Has anybody lived who knew the value of a life?

And don’t you think giving his own

Would prove the worth of yours and mine?

Teach us to count the days

Teach us to make the days count

Lead us in better ways

Somehow our souls forgot

Life means so much

Life means so much

Life means so much

Copyright 2000 Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP)

Listen to a clip here.

No shortage of water bottles in heaven

Don't think there are water bottles in heaven? Read this:

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8 (New Living Translation Bible)
I've got gallons of tears stored there. Perhaps you do too.

In Victoria last week, I was reminiscing while watching my brother get remarried. There is quite an age span between the two of us, so I don't remember him as a boy...just as a teenager. He was miserable and never spoke to any family members unless he had to. I wanted to crack his mean exterior shell, but he was untouchable. One day, when I was still a preteen, he left our family on bad terms and we did not hear from him for an entire year. I was heart broken. I inherited his bedroom and cried an ocean of tears over that year, kneeling at my bedroom window, staring into the sky over the park across the street. I prayed for my brother, wherever he was....that God would watch over him and that one day my brother would know God's love for himself and get past the hurt that was inside him.
He surprised us all by showing up on Christmas Day with gifts for all....acting as though there had never been a rift. It was a joyful moment for us all to see him. Pain and heartache would soon follow him however. He married a girl who began almost immediately to abuse him and it was soon evident to him that she suffered with a mental illness. We siblings knew nothing of this until 12 years later when he was able to confide the horrors he and his children had been living with as they tried in vain to stabilize her.
I filled many more bottles in heaven for him over the next several years, as he lost money, friends, and jobs. Somehow, he managed to get by under the debt load. Peace came finally when the abuser walked out of the picture.
And now that is, for the most part, behind him. This past weekend I watched him marry a wonderful woman who is so suited to him, and he to her, that it is amazing. She has lived through a similar ordeal, so they have each found someone who truly understands. They have both secured employment doing what they love. My brother's friends at the wedding told me that he is a godly man, gentle, kind, and full of wisdom and integrity. My brother? That belligerent teenager? Where did all that come from? (Pain is never wasted!) The latter part of my brother's life is now, like Job, far more blessed than the beginning!
Don't ever believe that your tears are unseen or don't matter. At whatever age you shed them, they are seen by God and they matter to Him. You may not think He is answering your heart cry, but rest assured He is....in His own time....in His own way.

"Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath. " Psalm 34:17-18 (The Message Bible)

Ahhhhhh....that was nice!

If you ever need a wonderful place to stay - especially an anniversary or special occasion - you can't go wrong staying here at the Miraloma on the Cove in Sydney, B.C. (near Victoria).

We stayed here last week and wished it was for more than just one night. Very luxurious and reasonable - we spent less than for a chain hotel. The rooms were fully equipped with small kitchen facilities and they provide a lovely breakfast in the morning, and hot chocolate and cookies in the evening.

The first thing I enjoyed was this:

Softest water I've ever felt!

The king-sized bed with feather pillows (teddy bear) and the fireplace weren't too shabby either.

A balcony outside your room with cafe table and chairs allow you to enjoy the beautiful gardens and waterfall below (or the cove from the other side of the building). We spotted about 6 herons up in tall pine trees. Trees were all blossoming and daffodils, primroses, and creeping phlox are on full display. The rhododendrons are just about to burst into colour.

Miraloma on the Cove was everything it purported to be and more. We had to keep our jaws from dropping open when we walked into the building. Very classy place!

We learned my nephew is getting married in May 2008. Good news indeed. The rhododendrons should be at their prime right about then!

Spring's a comin'

I just saw my first robin of the season an hour ago! In this neck of the woods, robins are probably hiding all winter, but when you see them on the lawn, it's a sure sign of spring around the corner!

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

Henry Van Dyke
Fisherman's Luck (1899)

Off to the ocean!

Tomorrow my husband and I leave on a plane to Victoria, B.C. My brother is so fortunate to have an oceanfront property in the country and across the bay from Victoria harbour. This picture is one view from 'his' beach. From his dining room window you can see Mount Baker, whales, seals, eagles, other wildlife, ocean liners, and practice helicopter water rescue manoeuvers from the Canadian Forces Base in Esquimalt. Or you can sit outside on his deck (while hummingbirds flit around) for a view of the lagoon to the side of his house...home of ducks, swans, herons, and the occasional otter. I could so get used to living here! Our visit will be too short - we are going to witness his vows as he marries a wonderful woman we met on our visit last summer.

And so I share a fitting song...one that was my favourite a few years back. While transporting teenagers who couldn't yet drive, I would blare it in the car and we would loudly sing along. And now that Audio Adrenaline has said Adios, the song is even more of a classic! I just might be humming it beside the ocean in a few days!

The mistakes I've made, that caused pain

I could have done without, all my selfish thoughts

All my pride, the things I hide

You have forgot about

They're all behind you, they`ll never find you

They're on the ocean floor, your sins are forgotten

They're on the bottom, of the ocean floor

My misdeeds, all my greed

All the things that haunt me now

They're not a pretty sight to see

But they`re wiped away

By a mighty mighty wave

A mighty mighty wave

They're all behind you, they`ll never find you

They're on the ocean floor, your sins are forgotten

They're on the bottom, of the ocean floor

Your sins are erased

And they are no more

They're out on the ocean floor

Take them away, to return no more

Take them away, to the ocean floor

To the ocean floor, to the ocean floor

They're all behind you, they`ll never find you

They're on the ocean floor, your sins are forgotten

They're on the bottom, of the ocean floor

Your sins are erased

And they are no more

They're out on the ocean floor

Your sins are forgotten

They're on the bottom

Of the ocean floor

Your sins are erased

And they are no more

They're out on the ocean floor

Ocean Floor

by Audio Adrenaline

Album: Lift

"Where is the god who can compare with you—wiping the slate clean of guilt, Turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don't nurse your anger and don't stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That's what you love most. And compassion is on its way to us. You'll stamp out our wrongdoing. You'll sink our sins to the bottom of the ocean." Micah 7:18,19 (The Message Bible)

Extreme makeover

Recently my daughter put together a 'spa' night for a large gang of girls at her college as a 'girls night out'. I had helped her buy some of the products and I started to get the itch to give myself a bit of a spa treatment. She had lots of leftover stuff, so I took a couple of extra facial mask products and looked forward to using them to feel wonderful. I set aside an evening for myself and began with a manicure and pedicure. Then I ran the bathwater with 'muscle soak' bubblebath, added epsom salts for my aching joints, baby oil for my dry skin, and magazine at the ready for mindless relaxation. While the bath was filling, I washed my face to ready it for the mask. Then I applied the mask, as per the instructions, in a thin layer....or at least I tried. It's hard to describe just what this goop felt like...but I guess 'goop' is the only word that comes to mind. It didn't exactly apply thinly....it was more 'gummy and gob-like', and would not spread nicely. I had to let it dry for a few minutes and then it was to be peeled off. I pictured it coming off in one neat piece....sort of like removing a sticker or postage stamp from its backing. Well, when I began to peel, it felt just like peeling after a bad sunburn....you know.....flakey...in little pieces....and you're never quite done. Then, the parts that hadn't gone on too smoothly came off in small gobs.....many small gummy, gooey gobs, that unfortunately were green in colour and I will leave it to your imagination as to what the next person using the bathroom would think if I didn't clean it all up well. My bathwater started getting cold as I continued trying to get this gunk off of my face. Even washing my face wouldn't get it all off. It was stuck in the edges of my hair like glue. My face felt no better than before the treatment, and I was still trying to get the traces of goop off my face hours later. I was feeling glamorous indeed. Two tubes of face masks went into the garbage with the gentle reminder not to believe everything you read on a product label. I'll go back to my 'beauty is in the heart' theory.

Incidentally, there is a recipe here for a homemade face mask made from nothing but water, essential oil, and cat litter....yes, cat litter..... as long as it is 100% clay. If you own a cat, I don't recommend being anywhere near it while your face is 'steeping'.

Fill in the blanks.....

Oh, the dumb things I do!!

I was saying welcome back this week to a co-worker who had been on sick leave for 8 months. She said she wanted to thank me for the card I sent her back in the summer. She also said, 'Lyn, I have to tell you.....the card was completely blank. I only knew it was from you because of the return address on the envelope'. I looked at her in disbelief. She laughed and said she knew at that moment that I was under a lot of stress at the time (which we were at work). My co-workers got a good laugh over it, while I racked my brain trying to remember how that could have happened. I am quite sure I was doing 2 cards at once, so I told her that I likely put her message in someone else's card, and they are too polite to tell me.

Later though, I started wondering if the second card had been a sympathy card. Wouldn't that be great if it was a sympathy card I sent to the co-worker and a get-well card to someone who was grieving!

This week I am going to mail another card to that same co-worker - one that is blank inside - and I am going to write the following:

Dear ________, I know that you are _____ at filling in the _______s. I was sorry to hear that you are ____________. I hope you ____ ______ soon. We ______ you here at work. Sincerely, _________ ___________ . (This replaces the ______ card).

I may be partially losing it....but until I become 'Mr. Beanlike' and send cards to myself....I'm still okay.

Hicc----up!!!

I had another little chuckle today at a time in the morning when I'm usually the foggiest. It may not strike you as funny, but at the time I couldn't stop giggling. The radio came on at 6:30 am and I normally listen to about 7 seconds of the morning news before I'm snoozing again, only to realize I've heard nothing and I'm pushing the snooze button for a few more zzzzzz's. But this morning my ears perked up....the dear man reading the news began to hiccup while speaking. At first it was almost undetectable....just a second pause be(hic)tween syllables. Then it was quite a few words with a pause between syll(hic)ables. Then it was full-out, "And today in Iraq, there was more (HICCUP!), Excuse me...violence.........And the weather will be clear and (HICCUP!) Excuse me...cold." This continued every few sentences until the news was (mercifully for him) finished. He deserves a medal for just continuing and not pausing to apologize or break into peals of laughter. At least he got me awake. I purposely listened again in 30 minutes to see if the hiccups were gone...and they were. Now wouldn't the timing of that incident just have been perfect if he had been covering the news a few weeks back about the now infamous Jennifer Mee of St. Petersberg, whose hiccups lasted for 37 days.

Isn't the internet a wonderful place that you can actually listen to Jennifer's hiccups.... umm.....if you actually wanted to...... click here:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/webspecials07/special_reports/hiccups/index.shtml

Always

Morning by morning I wake up to find the power and comfort of God's hand in mine. Season by season I watch him amazed, in awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

All I have need of his hand will provide. He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain he did not recycle to bring me gain. I can't remember one single regret in serving God only and trusting his hand

All I have need of his hand will provide. He's always been faithful to me

This is my anthem, this is my song, the theme of the stories I've heard for so long. God has been faithful, he will be again. His loving compassion, it knows no end.

All I have need of his hand will provide. He's always been faithful to me

Sara Groves - 'He's Always Been Faithful'

Pad Thai

I eat at a Thai restaurant once a week with my co-workers. It's our treat on Fridays for making it through the week. I find myself craving the Thai food several times a week and now I much prefer the wonderful blend of flavours over Chinese food. It does wonderful things to my tongue! Mmmmmmmm. Oh dear....I'm drooling. If I lived alone, I'd probably eat Mango Chicken with jasmine rice and Thai spring rolls every night of the week!

I am not a cook - in fact I rather dislike cooking if it takes too long and creates a mess - but this weekend I made Pad Thai and it turned out quite nicely. For me it has to be easy to make or I won't take the time. With a meal like this, you can purchase cooked, peeled, frozen shrimp - ready in a flash; frozen stir-fry vegetables (I found a new blend with leaf spinach, asparagus, broccoli, peppers and garlic sprouts - 'Europe's Best' - yum!); and forget the chicken unless you already have some cooked on hand. I've become accustomed to tofu, but no-one in my household appreciates eating 'chunks of rubber'. I crush peanuts in my handy Magic Bullet - they add a wonderful texture and taste. There are many versions of Pad Thai recipes using fresh vegetables and making your own sauce, but here's a quick way...adapt anyway you like with what you have on hand, but don't skimp on the sauce - buy original Pad Thai sauce.

Stuff you need:

Pad Thai noodles (Presidents Choice has 'rice stick noodles')

Pad Thai sauce

Stir fry vegetables - whatever you like

An egg or two

Cooked shrimp and/or chicken and/or tofu

Optionals: bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, cilantro, chilies, lime wedges

(Check the directions on the noodles you have purchased - yours may require a different method.) Put the noodles in a pan or bowl, and pour boiling water over them to cover. Set your timer for 5 minutes only, drain and rinse promptly with cold water. You want them firm not mushy.

Meanwhile back at the stove, scramble fry an egg or two in a pan until cooked - a couple of minutes. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pan or wok and stirfry your chicken, shrimp and/or tofu, then throw in the vegetables. When cooked to tender crisp, add the noodles and 6-7 tbsp or more to taste of the Pad Thai sauce and cook for a minute or two. Then add the scrambled egg and bean sprouts. Combine well and place all in a large pasta serving bowl.

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, and garnish with lime wedges, chilies and cilantro.

Doesn't get any easier or tastier than this!!

It was a dark and stormy night.....

I had gone to bed last night and was approaching slumberland when the telephone rang. It was my dear daughter.She's a college student with her own place...and she was wide awake. We talked until after 1:30 am. When the goodnights were finally said, I snuggled under the covers and marvelled at the changes I've seen in that girl. She has grown from insecurity to a place of strength and determination. She's weathered the storms and battled the odds. I remember when she couldn't wait for highschool to be done and swore she wanted nothing more to do with school. But now she thrives on her studies, has goals for her life, and is consciously taking each of the steps necessary to reach her goals.

The ice storm was continuing and I lay and listened to the sleet and icy rain pelting against the window, and the groaning of the heavy spruce tree branches laden with ice as they banged the side of the house. I wondered how our new flowering crabapple umbrella tree was faring. We just planted it in the fall. We followed the recommendations to stake it with three sturdy stakes for the first 3 years to help it withstand wind and damaging weather.

Don't we all start like tender trees? The storm's no picnic - it's cold, dark, painful, and downright frightening at times. But with some careful staking to brace us, we weather storms and hardships, not to bend and break us, but to make us strong and beautiful.

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-4 (The Message)

Winterlude

We wanted snow at Christmas to make the lights sparkle. We hung up the outside lights in November wearing our T-shirts, but alas Christmas was green. I guess we knew we'd make up for it later.

I must admit I have rather enjoyed the last few very pretty snowfalls. I hadn't realized I missed it until it brightened up the landscape. Well, it's here.... but today we're 'enjoying' our second ice storm of the season. Sleet and rain on top of snow makes for interesting driving. Give me a few weeks and I'll be longing for the snow to melt and the spring flowers to emerge. But for now, I'll enjoy watching the family member who enjoys snow the most....

Dog of Destiny...

Hard to believe this beast doing 'snow angels' is arthritic.

Snow brings out the puppy in her.

"Ahhhh. I love this cold stuff!"

Dontcha just want to join her? Looks like fun..........word of warning before rolling ....make sure the snow is white, not yellow.