I'm a spring chickee!!

I know I complained a little when I turned f-f-f-fifty. It was a difficult time for me to step 'over the line', which apparently is on the 'other side of the hill'. Last week I filled out an on-line application and had to check the box '50-65'. You have no idea how much that hurt! I mean three months ago I was in the '35-49' group. That group I can tolerate. But to shift over to the 'senior' category is just unfair! They should just have groups up to 48, and then the last group should be '49+'. Think how gratifying that would be for those in their 80's! Perhaps I'm doing all this ranting because my body many days feels more like it's 80! I'm now exercising and drinking a Greens drink every day to build up my bones and get my menopausal joints feeling younger. If you don't shake the drink product good enough it's kinda like drinking green sludge, but hey, it's the antioxidant equivalent of 6 servings of organic salads, along with tons of other wonderful things!

Lately, I've been visiting with older neighbours across the street. They all raised their children on this street, and now their grown offspring visit with kids of their own. I remember when my children were young, watching these parents gather together on warm summer evenings on their lawns and chat...and thinking how 'old' they looked. I had a flashback to that image last week as I visited outside with the now widowed woman across the road and her elderly neighbour shuffled over and joined us. There we all sat - the old ladies.

Last week I made good on a promise to do some weeding for this widowed lady who has been having back problems and can hardly get around. She adores beautiful gardens and hates looking at the weeds she isn't able to pull. As I began labouring in her garden, she eventually came out of her house and was joined by the neighbour ladies from either side of her home. Two women would be in their early 80's, the other, late 70's. They watched me as I crouched over, crawled under bushes, pulling weeds and laying down mulch. My joints were aching. I could hear their conversation about how nice it was of me to be doing this. Then the oldest one in her shaky voice said, 'Wouldn't it be nice to be young like her and be able to do all that?!' I stifled a choke. I chuckled into the mulch. Young!! I am just a 'youngin'!! A spring chicken!!

I realized later that I had actually been put in my place for all my ranting. Age is a relative thing. To my kids, I'm old. To these ladies, I'm young. But we are all alive and breathing. The 20 year old is not guaranteed one more day to live than the 80 year old is. In this moment, we all have something we can do for someone, or something we can say to encourage another, even if all our body parts aren't functioning as we'd like! I can wish to be younger all I want, but it ain't happening. I must be thankful for who I am, where I'm at, and be content with what I have. And today, I can truly say that I am. (and I'm a youngin!!!)

P.S. I have no idea how to spell 'youngin'. It's an old word, and Spellcheck won't assist me. :-)

Good ol' summertime

There is nothing....and I mean nothing in the food category that I love more than freshly picked Ontario strawberries. Yesterday was the first day of summer and today I decided to celebrate the new season. I have a favorite farm I will drive a few miles to several times each summer just because I enjoy wandering around looking at their wares. They have two dollar perennials and three dollar lilies and beautiful hanging pots and garden stuff and bird things and water features and pies and eggs and STRAWBERRIES!!! I have not tasted better than at this farm...and they top up the flat for you with juicy, luscious, mouth watering, heavenly berries. (Not those crunchy, sour berries we put up with through the winter!) I purchase one flat initially for 'freezing'. Of course they never quite get to the freezer. I will admit my gluttonous tendencies....I eat as many of these berries as I possibly can while they are fresh. I mean the strawberry season is usually only about 3-4 weeks out of the whole year. And they're loaded with vitamin C...and fiber, so it's important to eat a lot, right? I will go back for another flat (or two) within the next week or so.


Having the day off work on this perfect summer afternoon, I popped my newly purchased bumbleberry pie in the oven, filled the bird feeders, then brought my tea, reading material, and camera, and plopped my tummy full of strawberries onto the porch swing cushions to sit by my garden and listen to the water splash into the pond. As I lounged, my eyes kept leaving the printed page to watch chipmunks darting behind my swing, birds bathing and eating, baby bunny munching, squirrels scampering, fish swimming, and toad basking.

Yes, this to me is summer. I have no yearning for a visit to a cottage or a vacation away from home. Give me a day off work with some shade on a warm sunny day, an iced tea, a good book (which might never get read for the distractions), my camera, my swing on the front porch, and a large bowl of STRAWBERRIES...and as far as I'm concerned....I'm on summer holidays!!
"All God's creatures got a place in the choir,
Some sing low, some sing higher;
Some sing loud on the telephone wire,
Some just clap their hands, their paws or anything they got now!"

A Place In The Choir, by Bill Staines

Top Ten Things I Love About My Daughter

In celebration of my daughter's 21st birthday, I list below the Top Ten Things I Love About My Daughter. What thrills me to no end is that I'm not just making this stuff up to say something nice about her. They rolled off my keyboard with little effort and every single one of them is absolutely true and visible in her life. I cannot believe how blessed we have been to watch these qualities maturing within her from a young age to the ripe old age of 21.

10. She laughs. She giggles. She smiles a lot. She's almost always cheerful. If there are moments of uncheerfulness, there is a reason and she will quickly determine not to let it get her down.... even if she hasn't had her morning coffee yet or is not feeling well.

9. She loves kids...especially ones who struggle with difficulties that are no fault of their own. She sees potential in them and is thrilled with any small breakthroughs in their lives and in her relationships with them.

8. She's a peacemaker. Her brother (unfortunately?) almost always got his way because she would rather have peace, than what they were fighting over.

7. She perseveres. She doesn't allow sickness, tiredness, or disappointment to keep her down for long. She'll have a good cry (like a good female should), then picks herself up with determination to carry on.

6. She uses her failures, disappointments, and heartaches as stepping stones leading her to a much better place, and considers them wisdom for the journey.

5. She does not envy others. She has come to dislike the masks people wear, but admits her own shortcomings. She wants to be 'real' and is becoming confident in who God made her to be. She has specific goals and she recognizes that dreams don't just drop into your lap. They require prayer, decision making, action, and discipline. She sees the bigger picture, beyond her own desires for the moment. She knows she needs to work hard to reach the goal...and if that means not being careless with money, and sometimes setting aside social times (gasp!)....so be it.

4. She is kind and has a heart of compassion. Her heart tugs at her when she sees the 'down and out' around the big city. She's been known to give away her last 5 dollar bill to the homeless, only to receive it back again the same day.

3. She is grateful. Even in the smallest things we have done for her or given her, she has always responded with sincere thanks. She doesn't take her blessings for granted.

2. She has a sensitive conscience. If she heads down a wrong path or makes a wrong decision, she knows it almost immediately and cannot be peaceful until she gets turned back in the direction she needs to go. There is a risk of being misunderstood by others, but she is determined to avoid that which drags her down or takes her focus away from the peace and contentment in her relationship with God.

1. She wants to grow and learn and thrive with excellence, and is not content with mediocre. It is her number one concern to love her God with all of her heart, all of her soul, all of her mind, and all of her strength. She knows when she focuses on that, there's no room left to be wrapped up in herself. When my daughter had to 'preach' in class, she chose the sermon title, "It's Not All About Me". I think she's on to something here.

Wish I'd penned these words, but Steven Curtis Chapman beat me to it for his daughter!:

Aren't you the little one That hid in my arms afraid of the thunder?

Are these the little hands That held so tight to mine

Didn't we both agree you'd never grow up

And now here we are And here you go

Of all the things I want to say The thing you really need to know is...

I believe in you Yeah, I believe in you

Everything you are Everything you are becoming

And I believe in youYeah, I believe in you

So spread your wings and fly On the winds of knowing

I Always believe in you

So many prayers we've prayed So many dreams to get to this moment

Now this is where we stay While you go change the world

But I'll be where I have always been

Up in the stands cheering you on and

Singing this song A song the very God who made you Has been singing all along

I believe in you Yeah, I believe in you

So spread your wings and fly On the winds of knowing

I Will always believe in you

And when you rise and when you fall I'll still believe in you

Just close your eyes and hear me calling

I believe in you Oh, I believe in you

(I Believe in You, written by Steven Curtis Chapman to his daughter)

Homeless??

What is it with these chipmunks? They live in everyone else's home but their own!! LOL!




This is Chip....not to be confused with Chips who lived in our house for a while. The two of them have chipmunk races outside because Chip does not like his territory invaded. That suits me just fine....one is quite enough! Wish I could harness their energy!

Subway Sandwiches

My daughter phoned me last night to relate her adventures that evening on the subway train. Living in a city of over 2 million...you meet a few 'interesting' people while taking public transit. Yes, she met a couple of 'choice' ones last night! Speaking of weird people who ride in public...

I remember when I first rode the subway train. We've grown up in a relatively small city. Before my (baby) daughter moved to the big city, I wanted to ensure she could find her way around and know what to expect on her first day of college (not to put my mind at ease or anything...). So we rode the subway together a week or so before college began (you know...so I could help her). She was quite confident in where she was going, and always had to redirect her mother who would automatically go west if she should be going east. After I flustered a subway cashier insisting I wanted a transfer even though we didn’t need it (but what IF we did???), we found our way to the boarding platform to wait for the next train. I observed how quickly you have to bound onto the train before the doors automatically shut, and of course there’s a rush of people coming out when you want to go in. It’s great fun. Especially when you’re trying not to lose someone you’re with. We boarded the train and I immediately learned that men no longer give up their seats for women. It was standing room only. So I stood hovering over a young ablebodied man as I dug in my feet and clung to a pole, acting as though I had a good sense of balance as the ‘red rocket’ shot down the tracks. I erased all thoughts of falling headfirst into his lap each time the train jolted. Another thing I observed is the silent rule--- you do not look into people’s faces or smile at anyone. That rule in itself could send me into fits of laughter - it doesn't take much. (My daughter now sometimes rides with a friend who breaks that rule - he takes snapshots with his camera phone of passengers in humorous positions who are falling asleep, while another friend makes interesting poses beside the unsuspecting dreamer. At least it gets a few laughs out of strangers!)

Anyways, on this day, my daughter (holding to another pole) and I chatted about the route map that was posted near the ceiling and took note of how many stops we had left before we would 'detrain'. I continued to attempt to not fall into the lap of the young man who was definitely ignoring me. I noticed again how quickly the doors opened and shut. I had a mental picture of myself being the one whose purse would get caught in the door, and I would be flattened against the train like ‘Coyote’ of Roadrunner fame.... and the train would speed away with my body plastered to the outside of it.

Finally, our stop was next. I turned away from the young man, who was still ignoring me, and I readied myself directly in front of the door which was beside him. With the ‘Coyote’ image seared in my brain, I determined to pounce off the train as quickly as possible. I suddenly had that feeling you get when someone is staring at you. I glanced at the young man and turned away quickly as he was staring intently up into my face. It was rather unnerving. Why now would he suddenly choose to stare? I began to get uncomfortable as he wasn’t turning away his glare. The train stopped, and there was a flood of passengers to the doors as they rushed off…..away from me in the opposite direction to what I was facing. The door before me remained tightly closed. I peered through the window of the door at a brick wall as the young man continued to look up into my face. Ohhhhhh. Another lesson learned. The side of the train you enter, may not always be the same side you disembark. I hugged my purse and turned with an ‘I MEANT to do that’ facade, and exited the train on the opposite side, hoping to never see that man again. The roar of the train speeding off drowned out our peals of laughter.

As we made our way to the college, I realized why the young man had been staring at my face. He had been peering at the word ‘Dork’ written on my forehead! It's why I faithfully wash my face everyday!

Over the (H)edge - Conquest of the Verminators

I've been apprehensive about being at home the last day or two....knowing a mouse was probably watching my moves from hidden vantage points. Last night I knew from my dog (who has been sincerely forgiven), exactly where this rodent was hiding. This time it was behind the stove - the dog whined and sniffed beneath the oven. As I did the dishes, I heard the odd little shuffle behind there. I figured he was now probably amongst my baking pans in the bottom drawer of the stove. Ewwww. I supposed it was better than not having a clue where he was hiding. My husband didn't seem to want to tackle getting him out, choosing to rely on the mousetraps.

My daughter called me after 11 pm and I sat in the living room and chatted with her. My son, as is his custom at this hour, began to make supper all over again. He preheated the oven as I continued to chat with my daughter. Then he asked me what pan he should use. I explained he'd have to get one from the drawer below the stove, but to watch out for the mouse who would probably be feeling a little baked by now. I heard him slide open the drawer, then heard him loudly proclaim, "ITS A CHIPMUNK!!". I jumped up and by the time I reached the kitchen, the little critter had run through the kitchen and scampered under the couch in the living room. My daughter was laughing hysterically on the other end of the phone. I put the dog outside, informed my husband we had a chipmunk on the loose, and the Terminators (Verminators?) sprang into action. Hubby got the broom, baseball gloves, and some boxes; son got batting glove and camera phone. I ran around like a chicken, squealing every time this very frightened creature ran by me. My daughter continued to laugh. The game plan was to guide Chips out the front door. By this time he'd run back under the door of the closet (his personal dining room I had discovered... by all the sunflower seed shells I had cleaned out earlier in the evening). We made a wall of shoes and backpacks to prevent him from moving anywhere else, then shooed him out of the closet. So much for the barrier! Chips scaled the wall of shoes in a milli-second, missing me by an inch, and tore down the stairs to the family room. It was a little disconcerting how well he seemed to know his way around the house. I wondered if he'd already checked out the bedrooms, and perhaps explored the kitchen counters. It did explain why my African Violet had been knocked off the plant stand earlier that day! Well, the next half hour was interesting. I provided play-by-play entertainment to my daughter, while the other two tried everything in the book to catch a critter who can move at the speed of light. I had grabbed my camera and stood on the second step to the family room. I couldn't capture a photo as Chips would run from place to place in split-second intervals. Every time he ran by me, he would jump up to the first step and I would involuntarily scream. He would back away and be off to the races again. At last we agreed that since Chips wanted to go upstairs, we'd let him, and block off the kitchen at the top of the stairs. I laid an empty garbage can and a large water bottle in the path. In no time flat, Chips was up the stairs, whisked through my barrier and was back under the stove (as my daughter laughed)! Before long he was once again back in that closet and it was now after midnight. This time, we made the barrier higher and impenetrable with two of us behind it, and my husband scared the critter out of the closet. Finding no escape through the barrier, Chips quickly shot out the front door and off to freedom! I went out to say goodbye to him but he was nowhere to be seen. We were VERY relieved and I was so glad that 'no animals were harmed in this exercise'. I thought of my cousin's story of their experience with a chipmunk in their bedroom and remembering the critter had ended up on her husband's head and he threw it out of a two-storey window...I thought we got off pretty easy! Now the trick will be to find out where Chips got in and make sure he doesn't come back. I mean, maybe he liked it here. Plenty of dog food, water, birdseed, etc. Perhaps he watched TV and ate 'chips' while we were out. He could be telling his family and friends how cool it was, (of course he'll play up the story that he was the hero...) and maybe they are planning a vacation....over the hedge. I had been contemplating taming the other chipmunk, Chip, who lives in my front garden. I had tamed his mother, Chipper, last year and she ended up meeting her fate in a mousetrap in our attic! Maybe it's not such a good idea to be best buddies with wildlife. They just might want to move in permanently....and in that case, there would be no living with our dog!

Our dog's not so stupid after all!

This morning I came downstairs to see my husband standing at the front hall closet with a perplexed look on his face. He had just put food in the dog's bowl - we store the dog food and birdseed in that closet. I asked him what was wrong. He didn't say anything for a bit...just kept looking around. Then he finally spoke. "I think something just ran out of the closet." SOMETHING???? My heart stopped for a minute. Then he assured me that it might have just been a tumbleweed of dog hair that flew across the floor. He might have convinced me...except he set a mousetrap in the closet....to catch dog hair with a piece of cheese I guess. I caught a glimpse of the chipmunk outside, so I knew it wasn't him in our house! When I got out of the shower, the dog was whimpering and busily rooting around trying to sniff behind the love seat in the living room. All of sudden it made sense...the ending to the perfect mother's day (see May 14 blog) when the dog drove us all crazy in the night...she was not just being stupid after all! (It wasn't the only night she did that either). My son says he saw 'a mouse or rat' come down the stairs to the family room this afternoon. Sooooo somewhere in this room where I type, there huddles a rodent...perhaps watching our feet walk by....perhaps eyeing the nearby trap. Shudder. This all freaks me. They climb stairs. They eat your food. They chew electrical wires. And if there's one.....are there more? Oh, and speaking of more......I sat outside this evening to watch the mother rabbit feeding her 5 youngsters again. When finished, mom hopped across the lawn and the babies all jumped out to scamper behind her. Yowie! There were 7 of them!! No wonder the dog's been so whiny and hyper - scampering little rodents inside and out!

I know that experts suggest you get rid of birdseed around your property to help curb the mice problem. But I need the birdseed to feed the rabbits and squirrels because they eat less of your plants that way. Make sense? I just hope my daughter doesn't stop coming to visit us. I mean, she's gotten accustomed to living with centipedes that used to freak her out....and mice have far fewer legs!

Silly Wabbit!

What possesses a mother rabbit to build her den in a city backyard where a golden retriever lives? Like...why not the front yard where the dog doesn't go? We had a lot of yard and garden work to do this long weekend, and ended up creeping around so as not to disturb a momma rabbit and babies in our backyard. We first noticed the rabbit didn't seem to run away from us, then my husband spotted two tiny bunnies. Unfortunately, the dog spotted one too, and went snakey chasing the poor thing through all the groundcover in the gardens, and almost caught it. So all weekend we had to check out the yard and make sure the bunnies were not moving about before letting the dog out. The 'den' is right beside our deck stairs, so my husband and I had the unique privilege of standing just over a yard away watching momma feed her babies which are only 6-7 inches long. After their milk, she would go and chew up some grass for them and bring it back for them (yum!). If we got in her way, she would stop and look at us, we'd move out of the way, and she'd hop by us without fear. Saturday we thought there were two babies. Today I grabbed my camera when I saw mommy gathering grass in her mouth.

I sat on the deck stairs and caught sight of the babies...I counted sets of ears...one, two, three........four...oh my gosh.....five! So tiny and adorable! But where are they all going to live?? And how are we going to keep our dog away from them all? The babies were a little uncomfortable with me so nearby, and although they were all cuddled together, they began to scatter in every direction into the gardens as momma watched. I don't know how she keeps track of them or how she communicates with them - they seemed to be doing their own thing! My neighbour with the vegetable garden next door is really excited about our news. I swear every lawn in the neighbourhood has a rabbit and at this rate of multiplication, there will be nothing left of our gardens. Don't even suggest rabbit stew to me. They're way too cute. For now I will feel privileged to get such a close look at these little critters in my own backyard!

My hero still amazes me....

The hero whom I've never met is still amazing me. I wrote about Heather in my post dated April 30th. At that time she was about to undergo brain surgery and didn't know whether she would live or die, be paralyzed, or ever be able to speak or reason again. Well, she's back...not just getting around, but able to blog again with the same wonderful spirit she had before the tumour was removed from her brain. She has a long road ahead of her....but I'm so glad she is the same person inside as she was before the surgery - and able to express it as beautifully. You can read about her progress here and pray for her and her family. I have other heroes in my life as well whom I personally know...people who persevere through hardship, without complaint, knowing where their strength comes from, and finding peace and even joy in the midst of suffering. They don't consider themselves heroes....but they are. And they have no idea how much strength and encouragement they provide just in the way they live their lives. Do you know any heroes? Consider yourself blessed if you do.

Recovering from Mother's Day

I must say Mother's Days are getting better now that I'm older! Oh, I miss all the little homemade crafts and cards that were always a part of this day, and I'd give anything to go back and enjoy an hour or two of cuddling my babies. (My 18 year old son doesn't like cuddling anymore - I don't understand it!) But let's face it....mothers still end up doing stuff for their kids on mother's day and don't truly get a break from all of their duties. No offense to those who are still in the diaper stages or running your kids all over the planet....but I'm enjoying my kids being adults now! I think it's just because my body is running out of steam. I can actually truly enjoy a relaxing day on 'my' day. And that's what I did. The restaurant dinner was enjoyed Saturday night, and Sunday BBQ was cooked by my husband. I enjoyed my easy chair, my tea, my birds and chipmunk, my magazine, the beautiful weather, my family, my kids' friends who dropped by, an NHL playoff game. Twas nice indeed. Until bedtime. The first mistake was staying up until almost 2 am talking with my daughter. (That's what you do with adult children.) I crawled into bed, trying not to wake my husband.

The dog, who always sleeps on the bed with us (we can't change this habit of hers.....we've tried!!), stayed downstairs and just when I was nodding off, she began to bark. (This is a dog who only barks at other animals - if there were a thief lurking outside she would not bark!). I went downstairs and settled her down...rationalizing with her that there was nothing out there. Of course when I went back to bed, she started up again. She would not relent. Finally my husband in frustration, picked up the dog (no easy feat), put her on our bed and shut the door. He went back to sleep. The dog settled for maybe 10 minutes, then started whining and crying, and wanting off the bed. I settled her down. She started again. This went on for the next half hour. I was so exhausted and angry at her because this is so unlike her. Finally I took her downstairs and closed the curtains on the window- they normally remain open. She was finally quiet since she couldn't see anything out the windows. So I ask you. Do I not still have a baby in the house? In fairness to the dog, my husband has recently spotted a visiting skunk near our pond....can't blame the dog for barking at such a strange kitty. Thankfully, Mondays are my day off so I could sleep in a little today. I threw in a load of laundry before driving my daughter back to her home and found something in my son's shirt pocket that reminded me of mothering when he was little. Here's a picture of what I found.

If you're not sure what it is....it's a clam. Yes. A clam. He works at a seafood restaurant and had a very interesting smelling clam in his pocket. I am so grateful I found it before throwing it in the washing machine. Not too long ago I washed my son's wallet and all of its contents survived... but I don't know what kind of mess would have ensued from a clam!

All stages of mothering have moments when memories are made. Enjoy every one of them Moms!

"Before becoming a mother I had a hundred theories on how to bring up children. Now I have seven children and only one theory: love them, especially when they least deserve to be loved."- Kate Samperi

"Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own."-Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons

Home Wrecker

We didn't mean to....but my husband and I kinda wrecked someone's home this evening. That someone is pictured here. Our little pond in the front garden had to be replaced, so my husband removed the waterfall and other rocks, piled them all around the perimeter of the garden, and discovered this little guy's home. His burrow entrance was directly beside the pond liner and beneath the rocks. Chip chirped angrily at hubby as he worked away, and then he disappeared. Chip is the offspring of Chipper, a chipmunk I tamed last summer to eat peanuts from my hand. More about her in a future blog.... Chip has it made in the shade in this garden. He has his own personal waterbowl, seen here.

He also cleans up the birdbath for me and guards the plants from invading rabbits.

We worked on getting the new pre-formed pond in place and some of the rocks moved, but we ran out of time, as nothing stops my husband from going to the gym every night. So there is still a mess of rocks and stuff everywhere that we hope to get back in place tomorrow. He left, and I moved the old pond liner around the corner to the end of the driveway. I suddenly jumped as a very loud 'chirp' rang out from behind the gas meter. Poor Chip! I had frightened him as he waited in there for us to vacate the garden. I can't believe such a loud noise is possible from such a tiny rodent!

I purposely went in the house to give Chip enough time to get back to the garden before dusk and get another entrance dug to his home. Alas, he did not return. Poor baby. Uprooted.... surrounded by the unfamiliar .... future unknown... deathly afraid....and alone.

Ever been there? Not behind the gas meter....but feeling frighteningly alone, even if there are others around? You've had the rug pulled out from under you. The comfortable and familiar have taken wings and flown, and you are left in a cold place you've not been before. You don't know where to go from here. You sit paralyzed...and you wait.

I wish I could make Chip understand that everything's okay. I have plans for that pond and garden that he can't see right now....but it will provide all that he needs and be even better than he's ever known. He can be brave, step around the obstacles that are there right now, and begin to build again. He can sleep in peace tonight because something better is just around the corner. I tell you....I learn more from chipmunks and my garden than you can imagine!

"In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." Psalm 4:8

(From the Bible - New Living Translation)

Superhero

I don't even know Heather...never met her....just read her blog a day or two ago....but she has moved me, and she is my hero. This Thursday, this beautiful young wife and mother will undergo surgery to remove a tumour from her brain. Read this courageous woman's words here. If you are a believer, crank up the YouTube video she shares (in her blog dated April 30th) and let your spirit soar for the One we trust in - regardless of our circumstances. And pray this week for Heather, her husband, and her children.

Church of the Future....

Hope you all enjoy a church service today and remember....the church of the future will be much different than it is today, as pictured below....

'Songs on the Internet' - Courtesy of Dave Walker

And if you would like to read a much more interesting blog than mine, click here . I could just read for hours! Even the comments to the posts are thought-provoking.

(Thank you to Underdog for drawing our attention to it.)

Would you like that in tens or twenties?

I was at a floral shop recently and decided it was time to cash in on a gift certificate I had won at least 3 years ago and which had lived in my purse most of that time. The sales woman graciously accepted the tattered paper with no expiry date, and I got myself a rather cool eclectic type plant for my living room (pictured here). It's just 3 stalks sticking out of stones and only requires water every 2 weeks, kinda like bamboo, but not. As she was wrapping it, I asked her what it was. My eyes lit up at her response. "A money plant." Well!! If there was anything we need right now it's money because we've purchased a car to replace our jalopy. I took the plant home with great excitement and have begun to watch it with interest (no pun intended). I have seen a silver dollar plant in outdoor gardens, but I am quite sure I can see new paper currency beginning to form on the stems of my plant! It's hard to tell whether the bills are going to be blue, purple, or brown.

Of course, if they are American bills they won't be so pretty, nor will I likely know their value until they're full grown, but they may be worth more in the long run. I am fertilizing the plant heavily and am hoping for a bountiful harvest. Don't bother asking me to 'loan' you the plant...although I'll give you 'credit' for asking. (Groan).

Here's a picture of our new used car.
We don't own a garage or carport. If you are observant, you will note that our driveway is directly beneath the birds' flight path to the birdfeeders and birdbath. That is why we chose a black car. We're looking forward to the quadrillion maple keys and accompanying sap in the next month or so. For those of you wondering about that Jaguar...at last word it has been sold and we will be letting it go in the next day or two. We already have 3 cars in the driveway, so it's okay. We'll deal with it.

All kidding aside, we are so grateful for this car now that our other one is not highway worthy. It is a wonderful car and we are not used to such luxury. It's funny but I always experience a feeling of guilt whenever I have anything nice. This feeling was more than punctuated after going on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. We walked through the filth of garbage and disease, and observed the desperate conditions of poverty in leaky tin shacks that made my ugly, rusty, outdoor tool shed seem like a large, wonderful dwelling place. When I arrived home and walked through the front door of my home, I was overcome and had to weep because I felt like I live in a mansion and don't even know it. I don't think there is a night I lay my head on my pillow that I don't think of the homeless and the poor and the desolate, and wonder how it is that I can have a roof, a pillow, a warm blanket, and a full stomach. Why me? Why not them? So I have tried to make it a habit that if I am spending money on something that is other than necessity, I must also give as generously as possible to a needy cause. We live in a culture that seems to spend every paycheque soon after receipt and often on selfish, needless stuff. But are we not blessed so that we can give it away...and as we do so....we receive more to give away again?! I remember when we paid off our first house. We had no kids and had made it our goal to get rid of the mortgage. We did it, and I wanted to celebrate the fact. But somehow, being debt free at that time was not the wonderful 'high' that I thought it would be. It was actually rather empty. I realized why people with everything are not happy. That's not where the joy is. But when we learned to give without thought of return or recognition, it was more wonderful than receiving! It's not about how much you have or the size of your gift, but the attitude of your heart as you give. Jesus noticed the little widow who gave only 2 pennies as compared with the rich people who gave much....he noticed because he knew it was all she had...given with a generous heart*.

And so as I watch my money plant slowly grow, I will dream of ways to give away its bounty, but in the meantime, I'll check out my other resources....like my husband's wallet.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35 (New International Version Bible)

*Mark 12:41-44

Happy Earthday To You

I thought it appropriate to 'resurrect' (a popular term in April) my post from a blog I did last year about our Earth Day adventures. The weather is definitely better this year! Here it is:

Today is Earth Day. We bought a tree today…not to celebrate…but to replace a dead-as-a-doornail umbrella tree. It had served the Christmas lights well, but we didn’t care to look at dead branches for another season. The rainy day was perfect as the soil was moist for tree removal, and a new one would be automatically well watered in. So, in the cold rain, my husband yanked at the tree and twisted it back and forth to loosen its roots. Chipper (the resident chipmunk in the garden) must have thought it was an earthquake of a magnitude 10 on the Richter scale, as it was very close to her home. Within seconds there were dozens of earthworms that suddenly emerged from the soil all over the place and scattered very quickly in every direction! We literally had to move out of the way or they would have swarmed our shoes. I’ve never seen anything like it! Speedy worms!! We continued to work and must have looked like drowned rats as we were getting more soaked and cold by the minute. I began to prune a nearby rosebush, as my husband yanked on some stubborn roots, when suddenly I heard a “WHOAAAA!!” I turned to see him lying awkwardly on his back on the (very hard) rocks surrounding the pond, his hand in the cold water. After ensuring everything but his pride was unhurt, I returned to the trimming to hide my face, thinking it best to contain the hysterical laughter that wanted to burst out of me. Later that day, when I was sweeping up, I accidently (honestly!) moved the broom towards my hubby’s feet just as he was stepping forward, and he again went flying over some brick and landed on his back on the hood of the car. Don’t they say most accidents happen close to home?

We found a lovely new tree on this cold, rainy Earth Day and after purchasing it, realized we needed to fit this six-foot tree into our car. My husband decided to place the base of the tree on the passenger seat side, with the rest of the tree between the front seats, filling the back of the car. I was humbly relegated to sit in the back of the car sheltered beneath the wet dripping leaves of the tree. Of course, no trip on a Saturday afternoon is complete without going through the Tim Horton’s drive-through. We approached the Horton’s drive-through window, though I couldn’t see it through the soggy leaves, nor the person serving us. The server of course could not see me. I heard him ask, “Is that a tree?” My husband responded, “Yes, I’m just taking my tree out for a drive....... It’s Earth Day.” The young man handed over one coffee for my husband, and one for….........the tree.

Mhmm. ‘Tree-huggers’! You meet all kinds when you serve the public!
**I wonder if they have a "Take Your Tree to Work Day" ?????**

Drivin' on empty

We went to a car dealership on the weekend to test-drive a car, and ended up trying out a small, good-lookin' SUV instead, just for fun. (And no, we didn't drive that Jaguar to the dealership - we would appear too 'rich'). We jumped onto the highway, pulled off on the first ramp, and the vehicle started to die when we slowed down. We sat by the side of the road trying to get the thing started. It would turn over, then sputter and die. The gas tank was on empty! Soooooo we called the dealership and they said they'd be right there with some gas. Well, we were able to inspect every single part of this vehicle...and read the entire manual too while we waited! Finally, the dealership called back and asked for our whereabouts again. The sales guy had gone off on every ramp but the ramp we were sitting on. When he finally came, he poured the gas into the tank....and all down the side of the vehicle and onto the road.... The tank now registered fine, but the SUV wouldn't keep running. We managed to crawl along and stall, crawl along and stall for about 20 minutes while the salesman followed behind. We pulled into a parking lot to give up. The man kept apologizing - he couldn't get it going either - and because we had an appointment to get to, he told us to take his car and he'd get the SUV back to the dealership. We felt bad abandoning him there, but he said he was fine. We got into his very nice vehicle and I said to my husband, "Okay, nice car...where do you want to go?" We were good and returned it. We got a good chuckle out of the whole incident. Don't think we'll be considering that SUV, particularly when my husband has a habit of filling the tank only when it's hovering on empty.

Oddly enough, at church the next day, the Pastor's sermon title was 'The Need to Refuel'. His opening was a video clip of a powerful, souped-up vehicle that could do nothing because it had run out of gas. He asked us if we had ever experienced a stalling, sputtering vehicle that needed to be refueled. Mmmmmhmmmm. We were reminded that we Christians often carry on stalling and sputtering, but we don't take the time to wait in God's presence and have His Spirit refill and refuel us. Oh...we say that we spend time with Him. Doesn't every good Christian say that? We'd like people to believe we are dynamic, powerful, souped-up Christ-followers. We say the right things - we even do stuff that looks really good. But if we don't keep returning to the 'fuel pump' of God's Spirit, we're really not getting anywhere. It's His fuel that has the power in it. Our own strength doesn't take us far. It takes regular time apart with God and waiting in His presence, with intent, and apart from distractions, to really live a turbo-charged life. I wonder if I am even able to hear Him in the culture in which I live my life. I might actually have to turn off my cellphone, computer, and TV for a while each day because of the rest of the voices that call out for my attention from them. Ouch.

"I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." Ephesians 3:16- 21 (The Message Bible)

Now I ask you, why wouldn't we want to spend time with Someone who loves us that much?

R-R-R-R-oll Up The Rim to Win eh?

In Canada, Tim Horton coffee shops are right up there with Starbucks in popularity. And they are never more popular than now, during their Rrrroll Up the Rim to Win contest. We've won a lot of free coffees, but no cash prizes, cars, TVs or ipods. I heard that someone invented a tool to enable seniors with arthritis to roll up their rims more easily.

Check out these pictures of someone in our family with arthritis who can roll up the rim just fine, thank you.

I believe she prefers large double-doubles.

No problem at all with the rim-rolling.

Not sure if she won anything....she ate the evidence.

With our luck though, she probably had the most popular win that's hardest to swallow....

"Please PAY again".

Oh the irony...

Our car died on Resurrection Sunday. We had already been warned not to drive it on the highway because the rusty, holey, rear suspension could pop through the trunk if we hit a really big bump. It's actually been a really nice car and does not look anywhere near death, but much lurks beneath the system that can't be seen. After church, our daughter was driving people home and it suddenly died. The speedometer dropped to zero. No electronics. Nothing. Dead. Oh, my husband would like to resurrect it...just enough to get by until we buy another car. I think it needs to stay in the graveyard at the mechanic's yard. Let sleeping cars lie.

So ya, we're still driving the Jaguar and it will thankfully get our daughter back to college tonight. Ironic that we now need to buy a car....and here in our driveway is this Jaguar for sale at a good price for a Jag....we could even pay it off gradually through my husband's employer......but we don't want it! However, if we could use it for a few more months that would be quite acceptable!

We still have another jalopy that our son drives. My parents bought it new....22 years ago. You can imagine what it looks and sounds like....but it runs! So I will likely be borrowing that quite a bit this week. Hopefully, the extra use doesn't send it over the edge too! It will take a while to clean it out - I don't think our son has thrown any garbage out of it for at least a year. God keeps us humble.

One other thing died on Sunday - NHL hockey.

Toronto Maple Leafs - may they rest in peace......until next season.
(I wish I had a dollar for every time I've said 'next season...!!') P.S. Any comments regarding the Sens will be quickly deleted!!

I wish I was Jewish

According to the calendar, Passover began this week. I wish I was Jewish, because then I would already be steeped in the culture and understand the traditions. One of my best friends in elementary school (back in the dark ages) was Jewish so as a child I asked her a lot of questions at Passover and Hanukkah times because they celebrated a lot of rituals and traditions with each Jewish holiday. But I was floored when I spoke with her parents and brought 'God' into the conversation. They immediately bristled and spoke with disdain and disgust towards a God who would put their people through all that they had endured. My young mind couldn't grasp how their 'religion' didn't seem to have anything to do with God. It was more about heritage. I am only guessing, but I presume the Holocaust had a profound, personal influence in their lives.

I am learning some stuff lately that fascinates me. I've always known there is a ton of symbolism in the Bible and Jewish customs, but if you really start to examine it, if you didn't believe in God at all, you would find it absolutely uncanny....almost creepy..... how every part of the Jewish customs, rituals, and feasts that the Jews were commanded to practice not only foreshadow Jesus Christ, but all the events in Jesus life were perfectly timed in relation to these feasts. Even if you cynically think Jesus was a misguided lunatic who orchestrated it all to 'look' like the Messiah, he couldn't have orchestrated the timing of events in his life to perfectly fulfill all of these pictures found in the feasts and the prophecies written hundreds of years before his birth. When priests chose perfect passover lambs, they went to Bethlehem to get them. The shofur would sound at 3 o'clock to signal the end of Passover - it is finished - no more blood needs to be shed. Curious that Jesus walked through the whole Passover meal, fulfilling the whole picture within that Festival of Freedom; fulfilled other ancient prophecies while being tried and tortured; and then he died at exactly 3 o'clock. It is finished. As we were recently reminded at our church, Jesus was not killed by anyone. He was born to die, and laid down his life at the appointed time.

So, this really has nothing to do with 'religion' - Jesus actually saw through the religious people in his day. Blindly following traditions and rituals is meaningless unless we can 'see' the purpose and meaning in them.

This morning I have lost my glasses - can't find them anywhere! I could only see 'dimly' this morning as I searched the whole house for them. I wish they had GPS like a cellphone so we could find each other! I'm still looking (thank goodness for my contact lenses!). It is important for me to continue searching diligently so that I can see. I wouldn't want to go through my whole life seeing only dimly and missing the clear picture! Religion is said to be man's search for God and that all ways point to him. Christianity is unique in its claim that God started the whole thing. While we've been ignoring Him....seeing only dimly....He's been orchestrating throughout history an amazing plan to get our attention. Jesus and the Bible are like the GPS to help us locate Him...to see more clearly. He laid down a cross over the chasm between us and Him so we can walk over and reach Him! Mindboggling! Humbling! He lovingly wants me??!! And I would deserve this why?

I'm thinking Christians need to celebrate Passover along with Good Friday. Pass the matzos.

"Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't,
wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when
we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And
even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his
love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were
of no use whatever to him." Romans 5:7-8 (The Message Bible)

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.