~the best part~

It may not be the BEST part, but definitely one of the best parts about being a mom is (hopefully) you get to become a grandmom, too! I know there are no guarantees. Especially in this day and age, it's not something one can count on, anymore. But... in my case, I have been blessed with five  grandchildren (one will be born in June!). I do not take that for granted! I am thankful almost daily for these special little humans! 

Today, I took my little three year old granddaughter Audrey out to the garden centre and then to Wendy's for lunch. She was thrilled. I was thrilled. It was our first ever grandmother/granddaughter date, and I'm hoping for many more. I can't imagine her as a teenager and still wanting to hang out with Oma, but it might happen! I've seen it happen! 

My 20 year old nephew took my 85 year old mother (his grandmother) shopping the other day for shoes! She told me he had her sit down while he unboxed the various shoes and put them on her feet. He was patient and caring. I think that's pretty amazing! I sent him a text to thank him for taking the time to care for my mom.. it means a lot, especially since all of her daughters do not live near her.  His reply was "I've told Oma that if she needs anything to just let me know." Wow.  If I have anything to do with it, those are goals I have for myself. To have such a good relationship with my grandchildren that they would want to help me out when I'm old, weak, and slow. And kudos to his parents for raising such a stellar young man. 

Grateful me. 

A New View

It's been a busy couple of months... and now here I sit in my new study/guest room which still has some moving boxes staring at me and a closet that needs organizing. But, here I sit... 

So much has changed in such a short time. 

We have walked our old property for the last time, gazed out of the backyard window for the last time, and locked the front door, for the very last time. Our dear house is no longer ours. A new family has purchased it and yesterday was their possession date. 

And we have moved. A new chapter in our lives has begun.

A couple of months ago, our eldest son and his wife decided to purchase a beautiful riverfront acreage home in a rural part of our fair city, about 15 minutes east of where we lived.  So, really not that far. 

They asked us if we'd consider moving into the daylight basement. It didn't take us too long, after we had viewed the property and suite, to accept the invitation. Riverfront property, walkout suite, being near our grandkids, and some perks for my husband, like a huge shop. How could we say no? 

So, we've been very busy preparing our home to sell, downsizing, and then packing up, unpacking, and setting up. We are TIRED! But we are both feeling very happy with the move. 

We have talked about moving for about five years now, but there was nothing that we had seen that excited us. So we stayed put. Until now. 

Some may say we're too young to make this type of change, but I remember reading in an excellent book on strategies for healthy living into our senior years, that it is wise to downsize before you are forced to. 

We have gone through all of our belongings and sold, given to family or friends, and donated to charity what we didn't want or couldn't keep.  Mind you, we do have room in this home to store a good number of bins, which had made this change possible. 

Each morning I look out of the kitchen window above the sink. It's a new view from the one I've had for 28 years, but I'm liking it. So far, so good. 

~Savour~

 Another Five Minute Friday entry. Set the timer for  minutes and freewrite from a single word prompt. You are welcome to join in :) 

My definition of savour: To enjoy in a calm, non pressured environment. 

 Savoring the experience, living in the moment, is what I've been practicing a lot lately. Because.... we are moving! 

We've lived in this house for almost 30 years. In that time, I've had toddlers, preschoolers, young children, tweens, teens, and young adults living in this house! Our family has pretty well grown up here. And that's a lot of memories! And I have a lot of emotions to go along with all those memories.  

How am I savoring this time as I go through all of our belongings, deciding  which to keep, which to give away, and which to sell? 

I am pondering these two questions: 

1. What am I going to miss when we move away from this house? 

2. What am I NOT going to miss when we move away from this house? 

Hopefully within 3 months, we will have listed and sold this house and moved into our new abode. Still in the same city, for those of you wondering! 

One of the special moments I'm savoring these days is the view from our dining table. It sits in the corner of our kitchen with big windows on two sides,  meeting at the corner.  While sitting there, I can enjoy the bird feeder, only feet away,  hanging off the edge of our deck roof. Watching and identifying the birds with my grandson has been such a special activity lately (He's almost 4!).  He loves birds and is soaking up the names and characteristics of them.  Pine siskins, yellow finches, and chickadees have all enjoyed our hulled sunflower seeds at the feeder.  Just beyond the feeder is a huge pine tree that towers over our house. It's close enough so that we can see the birds jumping from branch to branch, flying in, and zipping out, seemingly playing hide and go seek with each other. That tree was about 7 feet tall when we moved here! Beyond the backyard are meadows, hills (some are hills of sand where trees have been removed over the years), and mountains. So many people have mentioned what a beautiful view we have from our deck. It does have its own beauty, for sure, especially in midsummer and midwinter. I have never tired of that view, and will miss it. Good thing I've taken about 1000 photos of it ;) 

You know the saying "You don't know what you've got till it's gone?" In this case, I know what I've got. 

~gone but not forgotten~

Imagine you're driving down the highway midday, in your own city. You look in your rear view mirror and notice 3 black cars approaching you from behind. All have tinted windows. One passes you, then pulls in ahead of you. The second car pulls up besides you and keeps pace with you. The last is on your bumper.  Suddenly they all slow down, the car beside you forcing you to pull to the side of the road. You stop. At least 6 men in black clothes jump out of the cars and approach you, signalling you to exit your vehicle. You're aggressively pulled out of your vehicle and are pushed into another one. Someone yanks the license plate off of your car and throws it to the side of the road. He gets into your car. All four cars pull away from the curb and take off. 

This was three years ago and you've never been heard from again. Your car has never been found. Your wife and children wonder if they will ever find out what happened to you and if you're still alive.

Imagine you're a pastor in Indonesia. This could be your story.

This is a true story. This pastor is still missing and no one in authority cares to investigate.

Millions of people around the world who have stories similar or worse than this. Their "crime" is that they love God and share His love with others, meeting together to encourage each other. They are kidnapped, accused of crimes they didn't commit, are imprisoned unlawfully, and often starved, beaten, and even killed.

Today is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. I'm thankful our pastor takes time each year for our church to pray for those who are persecuted around the world.  We are all ONE BODY and when one part hurts, we all hurt.

Want to know more? Voice of the Martyrs will inform you of what's going on and how you can help.

"Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:3

Putting It in Writing

I was twelve years old when my youngest sibling was born. I was third oldest, in a family of seven children. My mom was very busy with running a household. I was so thrilled to have another little brother so I basically "adopted" him as my own. I loved that little guy and spent hours and hours carrying him around and  feeding him his bottles. As he grew, I played games with him, taught him  him and my second youngest brother songs while I played guitar, spent time with him outdoors, and even taught him dance steps to Abba songs (our favorite memory)! This created a special bond which we still have to this day.

When he was about eight years old, I moved out of our family home for good. When he was ten, I moved a good day and some's travel away from home to take on my very first teaching position as a Grade 3 teacher in a small remote village on Vancouver Island. It seemed like a million miles away.

Recently I came across a letter I received during that time.  On one side was my dad's handwriting, a  letter telling me how proud he was of me. He had suggested my little brother write me on the back of the page. What a memory! I valued those letters so much.  I have stored this wrinkled, repeatedly folded and unfolded page in its original envelope in  my bedside table drawer for many years--I don't want to risk misplacing it. It is a connection to that special time in my life when I was beginning to venture out into the world as a young adult.

For my brother's birthday this year, I sent him a card with a copy of his letter included in it. We had a great time reminiscing about it.

The art of handwritten communication is worth reviving. Somehow an email doesn't bring the same sense of joy and appreciation as a handwritten card or letter, does it? I hope to do better and send more personal notes and less emails to thank or celebrate those I appreciate.

Do you value handwritten cards and letters?

~Belong~

Day 6 Belong

Everyone wants to belong somewhere and to someone.

 I have a little 9 year old Chihuahua who’s been mine for three years. Everyone knows that he belongs to me. Even my husband. If I’m away for a few days and my husband comes home at the end of the day to let Prince Enzo out of his crate, the first thing the little critter does is rush right past my husband, and out the front door to see if I’m home, too. 

“Don’t I matter at all?” my husband asks him, his words falling on deaf ears of course. Enzo just wants ME.  He knows he belongs to ME. I am the one who feeds him, the one who gives him treats, takes him on walks, and takes him to the vet.

 It’s not that he doesn’t like my husband. He’s happy when he sees my husband and enjoys relaxing with him.  But we all know who he really belongs to. We all want to know that we belong, don’t we?

 I’m so glad that I belong to God and am loved by Him unconditionally.

Footnote: For all of you celebrating a Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend (I'm one!), remember to   look around your dinner table and give thanks for all those wonderful people you belong to in some way! Happy Thanksgiving! 

I’ve  joined the 31 Days of Five Minute Freewrites. Read more about it here.

~Share~ (Five Minute Friday Freewrite)

I’ve  joined the 31 Days of Five Minute Freewrites. Read more about it here.

Today's prompt was a bit of a challenge. It's been a busy day and I haven't had time to sit down for too long! Hopefully it makes sense! ;)

Day 5 Share 

Learning to share is one of the first lessons we want to teach our children. We want them to be socialized and that means they must learn how to let others use or borrow what belongs to them. Recently I overheard a conversation on a podcast regarding sharing. One mom would always ask her young child whether there was one special toy that she didn’t feel comfortable sharing that day and put it out of sight before her friend arrived, so that her visiting playmate wouldn’t be tempted to play with it. As I pondered this, I thought that it was a wise move and respectful of the child. 

 How many of us want to share EVERYTHNG we own with others all the time? How many of us have ever purchased a dark chocolate bar and hidden it behind the pickle jar in the fridge, so that we could enjoy it on our own, because we really didn’t want to share it with anyone? I have! Of course, if this becomes a pattern, there may be other issues at play (chocaholic!)

Seriously, as a rule, the key is to live a lifestyle of generosity. These could be with things, time, money, and even ourselves and our thoughts.  But sometimes our belongings are too special to share with others. We have to respect how we feel. 

Sitting in a circle with others, being asked to go around clockwise and share one after the other, is an example of forced sharing. That really doesn’t work for me, with my personality. Sharing, to come from the heart, must be volunteered, not forced. Give me freedom to respect and be myself and I’ll be happy to share.

What do you think?

Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

Good for the Soul

What better way to spend an hour or two on a beautiful Sunday afternoon than out in nature? 

To leave the city, even if it's only for an hour or two. 

To feel the crunch of the leaves and twigs as I hike up the winding path up to the top. 

To reach the top of Gibraltar Rock, getting a bird's eye view of this beautiful lake and surrounding hills.

To be reminded of the gift of life -- to feel my heart pumping and hear my heavy breathing. 

 To stop and watch for signs of life. 

To be alone -- no other humans around except for me and the one I love.  

To watch my little dog romp about and be such a trooper, even though his little legs have to work double time to climb this winding path. 

To say thanks, God, for the beauty you have created for us to enjoy and for the healing touch of your creation. 

Listen

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
Simone Weil

I've been part of a study group for several weeks now where we are sharing our stories with each other. The rules are to sit, listen, and let each other share what we want to or need to. No judgments, no fixing, no advice, no interrupting. Then we thank each other for sharing the hard parts of our lives.

I wish I could transfer the way I pay attention in this group, to how I listen to my own family and other friends. It seems hard to simply listen. More often than not, I'm partly listening (it might LOOK like I am fully listening) and partly formulating my response to what I'm hearing. But what would it be like to really listen and then pause before I replied?  What would it be like to make it my goal to value the other's words and need to be heard more than valuing my need to be heard, to have my opinions validated, advice accepted, and my needs met?

I messed up again today. I caught myself and did my best to listen and validate.
 "It must be really hard", I said.
"Yes", she replied, "very hard".
I may not have agreed with how she was handling this difficult situation, but if she wasn't asking for advice, it was better for me to simply listen. To be generous by saying nothing.

Not so simple. But so important.

Yes and No

Looking back at the past year has caused me to ponder what I'd like 2017 to look like -- at least the parts that I can control. I know that accountability factors high in successful goals, so maybe I'm setting myself up for failure with some of these! But then I remember my mantra for the year...

I'm saying yes more often to :

• journaling- quotes, devotional/prayer, morning pages, gratitude journal, memoir (however sporadic!)
• reading hard copy books borrowed from the library
• using Overdrive to listen to audio books (free!). I've not been a huge fan of audio books, but I'm giving it another go.
• time for creativity- knitting, watercolor, cardmaking - have enjoyed them all this past year. 
• watching a few good shows on my Ipad -- my little 'zone out' pleasures -  favorites: The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, This is Us, and Nashville (if/when it appears on Netflix). 
• using my YouVersion Bible app.  I tried to get back to using my hard copy Bible, but I always seem to gravitate back to the app more often than not. 
• the Abide prayer app
• GoodReads - a great place to keep track of what I've read and to see what others are recommending. I've set a goal of 25 books this year. Life isn't all about quantity, right?
• personal growth - spiritual - through Freedom Session this year. 
• regular fitness activities, which includes intentional walking and spending time outdoors 
• continuing to go gray... I might add a few highlights to help my hair through the transition, though! This might include another purple, green, or blue streak.. you never know. 
• listening to Spotify playlists. Best $10 a month I've ever spent. 
• listening to podcasts -- all those thought provoking conversations! 
• family time - fun, dinners, and just being there to help out 
• nurturing friendships, practicing hospitality,  and being of service to others 
• eating healthy - more paleo for me and my man
• Instagramming - just because I like it. 

I'm saying no more often to:

• reading too many books at once. This is tough because every time I get a new book, I add it to my already impossibly tall pile of readings-in-progress. I think I'm a bit of a book hoarder - not so much on the shelves, but on my side table! Which leads to...
•  borrowing too many books from the library; must.set.a.limit
• reading books for review. I've realized that it just stressed me out to have to read books on a schedule, especially when I realized I wasn't enjoying them that much. I'm going to pick and choose very few this year. I still LOVE to get books in the mail! 
• doing things out of guilt 
• procrastination. This is going to be very difficult because it's my default! 
• starting too many 'free' online courses.  It just clutters up my brain. Ugh. 
• signing up for too many free online newsletters. 
• subscribing to too many podcasts. 

I see a theme running through my list.. the words 'too many' show up too many times! ;)  Balance. Simplicity. Moderation.
 Keeping my mantra for 2017 in mind, "Always, we begin again", I just may experience some success in sticking to my yes's and no's.

What are you saying yes or no to this year?

THAT Kind of Dad

Growing up in our family, 'Because I said so' was a phrase I don't think I ever heard coming from my dad.

 Because he was THAT kind of dad. 

He was not a dad to fear, although I had a healthy respect for him. And he demonstrated respect for his seven children, too. I think that's what made him such a wonderful dad.  He was a man of few words, but his actions spoke volumes.

Most of my teen years were spent on our small family- owned mushroom farm in the Fraser Valley. Dad wanted our input on what to call this new venture (we chose Meadowview Mushroom Farms) and while my dad and oldest brother ran the farm, all the other older children and my mom helped to make it work, too.

When Dad first bought the farm, he couldn't afford to hire too many people, so we worked A LOT! After school, weekends, and sometimes even during school. Sometimes we worked well into the wee hours of the morning, picking mushrooms at their prime. If not, they would 'open' and be relegated to 'second grade' and we wouldn't be getting top dollar for them. My dad couldn't afford to pay us for our work that first year, but when that second year rolled around, he asked each of us what we would like to have as a thank you for all the help we had given him. I asked for a horse. And I got one.

He was THAT kind of dad. 

When I graduated high school, I decided to work full time for Dad for one year before going on to university. Why wouldn't I want to work for my dad? He was the BEST BOSS EVER. And my mom made our coffee breaks the best, too! (coffee, cookies, and conversation in the kitchen twice a day! )

By that time I had been working part time for several years, and making decent money, too.

He was THAT kind of dad. 

He had hired a crew by then, including a couple of my girlfriends. One day Dad told me he had decided that paying us by the pound, rather than an hourly wage, might be a better way to go and would perhaps increase productivity. My girlfriends and I didn't like that idea one bit, for several reasons. It would increase competition between us (fighting for the most loaded mushroom beds, for one) and take away from the joy of working together. So, we promptly formed a 'union' (in jest), ordered matching bright yellow T shirts with a huge mushroom decal on the front and the words:  I must be a mushroom...everyone keeps me in the dark and feeds me B.S.  It's true! We really did this and my dad got a good laugh out of it. We presented my dad with reasons why getting paid by the lb. wasn't really a good idea at all. And Dad changed his mind. He respected us enough to rescind his decision, even if it might have not been the best financial decision for him. My respect for him just kept growing.

He was THAT kind of dad. 

I have lots of other reasons why my dad is still in the GREATEST DAD EVER league, but this is what came to me as I was thinking about my dad yesterday.

Last week we took a quick trip over to Alberta to see my parents and I got a huge hug from my dear Pops. The drive was worth it :)

What a gift to have THAT kind of dad! 

Book Review: Running on Red Dog Road

Looks like all I do is review books on here lately. Waiting to be inspired to blog again.. but it's coming up pretty empty these days.

But, wait! I do want to tell you about my latest book I read for review.

Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer was such a great memoir! If I ever decide to write mine, I would like it to be as entertaining and inspiring as this one. Simple stories, yet written so well and so authentically, with humour, from the point of view of a child.

Drema was born in a coal camp in Appalachia, the child of a West Virginia coal miner who died when Drema was just a child. Drema's mother worked in another city during WW2, working in a factory like many women in those days, to help the cause. So, Drema and her siblings were loved and cared for by their devout Pentecostal grandparents. These coming of age stories include gypsies, carnivals, faith healers, revivals, hardships, family drama, adventures, and more.

I loved watching The Waltons when I was a teenager, and this story reminds me a bit of that style of family life and community. You never know who you might meet living in the hills or down the road. And life lessons are everywhere.

Running on Red Dog Road was an easy, light read, but yet full of meaning... perfect for a weekend away. I heartily recommend you read it!

Thanks to BookLookBloggers for this free book given to me in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Married and Still Loving It

"A good marriage is a gift. It is grace: undeserved, unmerited favour. It should humble us every day." 

Married and Still Loving It by Gary Chapman and Harold Myra is a book written to encourage those in the second half of life, married for a good number of years, to navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of being together for so many years. With the realities of aging: health limitations (for our parents, ourselves, and even possibly our children), money worries, the future for our children, and more--there will be challenges.  In a time where being married for a lifetime is becoming an oddity, it's great to read a book that is both honest and hopeful--yes, a lifelong happy marriage is attainable.

Actually, I think this book would be a great gift to those who have only been married a few years. Once the 'honeymoon' phase is over, can a couple stay happily married through the good, the bad, and the ugly? The real life examples in this book show couples at any stage of marriage how to accomplish this. 

If I was going to put the advice in a nutshell, it would be along the lines of being a servant to your spouse (not a doormat, but a servant). For details on what this looks like practically, read the book. This book is full of excellent examples of navigating very difficult circumstances. 

I heartily recommend this book, especially if both spouses read it discuss it, and work together to make the necessary changes. Otherwise, it might just become another good read. 

A good marriage is a gift, but it does take work to make it that way.

I received this book free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Moody!

When Two Conversations Collide

It's all about the timing when it comes to text messaging!

Since son was coming to this side of town to play ball hockey last night, I had invited him and his wife for sup, so I sent a message to let hubby know. Here's the conversation thread, and what was going through my head:

me:  P&N are coming for sup

(I also remembered another request I had for him-- he works at a radio station, so often can score some free tickets for concerts)

me:  any chance of getting some Johnny Reid tickets? 

him: probably not unless there is a late draw

him: guess you don't want to invite another guest (I'm assuming he means a guest for the concert, since he isn't interested in going)

me: yes, I could (I'm already thinking of girlfriends who may possibly want to attend with me)

him: what time would you need us home (Wha..???? WHO is 'us'???!)

him: Scott accepted our offer (oh no! Scott is an out of town businessman who Dave was working with this week)

me: I thought you were talking about tickets!!!!! (he wasn't. He was talking about a dinner guest!)

(at this point I called him on the phone and we both nervously laughed about what had just happened)

him: I'll try to get home by 6

me:  ..... (silence)

So, as you can see, a simple text message can have unexpected outcomes if one isn't careful!

Why this could have gone very badly: 

I was trying out a NEW recipe.

I wasn't 'prepared mentally' for company I had never met.

Having unexpected company is not in my 'comfort zone'.

Why this went well:

I had just finished cleaning my house (!)

With more people at the dinner table, the conversation went well. My daughter in law is a great conversationalist! :)

The maple chicken dish turned out better than I anticipated. It's definitely not going to be a favorite of mine, though. My fear was that it was bland and overcooked.(Overcooked chicken = yuk)

We had some meaningful, honest, unanticipated conversation over coffee.

Scott was a gracious guest and kept thanking us for the invitation, the dinner, and the conversation.

I just felt this whole evening was a 'God thing'. And I felt encouraged that God works in small ways, and it's exciting and faith building!

 “We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”

St. Therese of Lisieux

The Gift I See in You

The gift I see in you is....

your vulnerability, your 'this is who I am' honesty

your faith and positive outlook

your courage and tenacity

your gentle spirit

your infectious smile

your devotion to your faith, no matter what

your sense of humor

your individuality

your deep thoughts

your sensitivity

your care for others who are needy

the way you grab onto life and experience it

your calm and gentle voice

your willingness to try new things

your encouragement, continually

your amazing energy

your quiet disposition which has such a calming effect

the way you give of your time to others

your words of encouragement and honesty

your gentleness and care towards others

your hugs that say "I am so glad to see you"

your wacky sense of humour

your ability to make me laugh

your willingness to engage in difficult conversations

your unconditional acceptance of others

your simple, sweet hospitality

your wisdom and the way you share it in your writing

your friendship and care towards others

your willingness to forgive and continue on

your amazing artistry and your humility combined

your commitment to what's important

your courage to keep going when life is hard and scary

your celebration of the gift of life

how you share what you have with others

your attitude towards learning and growing

your attitude of gratitude

your tender, compassionate heart

your honest words, unfiltered

your tears

your imagination

your willingness to share the gift of who you are


I am thankful for my friends and family! Because of who you are, I have learned more about myself and I am inspired to continue becoming more fully who I was created to be.

For we are God's masterpiece (work of art). He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

Do you see yourself as a gift?

It's Thursday

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. 
Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said." 

A.A. Milne

Yes, sometimes the most exciting thing about the week is the food! It's been one of those quiet, nose-to-the-grindstone weeks. Sometimes the days are predictable and  blur into each other, and sometimes there are little surprises along the way. I have seen more deer in our neighbourhood than ever before. They are not intimidated by people at all.

Out the back window. Helping itself to leaves and green tomatoes in my garden.

 The reason it's been so quiet is this:

and this:

going...

...going...

Gone!

Two of my young adult children have made big moves this month. One has left to explore the far reaches of the earth (that's the way I see it, anyway) in S.E. Asia and the other has packed up and moved to another province - new adventures for both! (all good things). 

But, yes, the house has been quite quiet lately. 

Good thing I have my little companion Enzo to keep me company throughout the day!

Target Practice

Yesterday my husband and I played disc golf for the first time. I'm not sure why we haven't tried out that sport sooner, because it sure was a lot of fun!

Enzo guarding the discs. Note how obscured the targets are..they are in there somewhere!

Preparing to throw. Note the heavenly rays of blessing streaming down ;)  

Enjoying the surprises along the way -
a carving of a bear, a beehive, and an eagle, from a tree stump

The big picture

Stopping to enjoy the view

 At first it took us some time to determine where each target was located. A lot of trees and brush obscured our vision at times. If we didn't keep a good eye on where our discs landed, we could have easily lost them. It took us a lot more throws than the 'par' suggested. And it probably took us more time than we figured it would.  But, ultimately, we did find each disc and we hit every one of our targets, with persistence, dialogue, and the help of  a few friendly young disc golfers who were happy to share technique and point us in the right direction.  

Our adventures in life are a little like disc golfing, don't you think? It's not a solo adventure and sometimes it seems we might be way off course. But with our goals on the prize, and with a healthy community around us who can walk with us and point us in the right direction, we are able to succeed. It just might sometimes take longer than we had initially anticipated! And it can be frustrating, especially when we compare ourselves to others or we only see the mistakes we seem to be making. 

Let us trust the One who has set the course and walks with us each step of the way. He is faithful to finish the work He has begun in us. 

God is with us all the way, and cheering us on.  

Hearts at Home

No matter how far away I am, a good part of my heart is at home with my parents. Some days I reminisce and remember those days of childhood and teenage hood (and all the angst that went with that era!). And then the struggle of becoming a young adult -- all the foibles and successes, strong emotions, wondering how in the world I'll ever make it to adulthood in tact. And the string of commonality woven throughout these stages of life was my family. My parents and my six siblings. Yes, we grew up in a family that prayed and stayed and played and worked together.  And no, we were not The Waltons, that wonderful, close, perfect-in-so-many-ways family. Nope, not us, but looking back, I have to say, my parents did a lot of things right :) I am so thankful for parents who loved us the best they knew how and they dedicated their lives to that.

I never remember a time when my dad wasn't working hard. He did whatever he had to do to provide for his family and that meant a lot of different jobs in his younger years, until he settled into the love of his career life - mushroom farming. He was a hands-in-the-dirt farmer at heart. He loved to get things just right so that we would have a bountiful crop of mushrooms to sell. Yes, my first  job was mushroom picking - at age 13 - at the farm my dad was running.  And when my dad bought his own small farm when I turned 15, I continued almost every day after school and weekends. Mushrooms don't wait, so we older siblings worked hard and sometimes long into the night. Back then I wasn't too impressed with having to work so much.  But looking back, those were some of the best family memories ever.

My dad is tired now. He's 83, and has been fighting prostate cancer for 4 years. The prognosis was 3-5 good years. Besides the cancer, my dad is in amazing shape. He looks much younger than his years (he was always a handsome  man!) and he has kept up his daily brisk walks. But things aren't looking too good right now. He's in more pain and walking is becoming more difficult. He's pale and he's tired. Very tired.

It's that time of life, when things can change pretty quickly.

In late August my daughter and I decided to take a quick road trip to visit my parents and other family. I'm glad we made that decision. It was the right one. And it was so worth it. We made sure we joined Mom and Dad/ Opa and Oma for their daily McDonald's 'coffee and a muffin in the morning' routine. And we had some good laughs, which we always do when we visit with them. They are hilarious sometimes (even  especially when they don't mean to be!).

3 Generations

Dad is heading to the cancer clinic next week to get the low down on his MRI and doctors' recommendations. More chemo possibly or simply pain management.

 My parents will be married 60 years next August. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all could get together and celebrate that?!

Going Away

When I go away for a few days or a week or two, it's usually to a place not that far from home. I have not travelled far in my fifty plus years. The furthest I've ever gone is to Hawaii.

My out of country experiences are limited to Mexico and the USA (Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, and Arizona). That's it.

In my dreams, I would love to travel more, but I am not what you would call an adventurous person. I would need to feel secure or at least travel with confident (and patient) persons. I am not a 'WANDER WOMAN' by any stretch. I do love to see new sights, though, so in the right scenario, world travelling would be a blast.

I do love road trips. You never know what you might see or discover!

My latest excursion lasted 4 days and it was BLISS. A long weekend away to a remote, rustic cabin with three other women, two of them my dear sisters and one 'sister at heart'.  There is something about leaving home and doing something completely different. In this case, it was somewhere I had never been before, about 5 hours away. It was relaxing, scenic, quiet, and satisfying in so many ways. The biggest challenge was driving along a rutted, puddled, remote dirt road to our destination. I wasn't looking for more adventure than that!

Contrast that with my twenty-something daughter's preferred adventures and you might wonder if she and I are truly related?

Last Spring (for four months), she solo travelled S. America. Yeah. I am in awe of her determination to do what it takes to have her adventures. Yikes. In a few weeks, she leaves for SE Asia. In the planning stages now, but her ticket to fly out has been purchased! Oh the places she goes! Follow her travels here. 

Do you go away from home regularly? Would you rather travel the world or stay close to home, if you had the option? Would you prefer to solo travel, travel with a friend,  or join a tourist group? What destination is on your bucket list?

The Easy and Comfortable Life

It's at this time of the year that I can feel my stress levels start to inch up just a little, in anticipation of all the commitments coming up in the next few months. The sweet slower paced summer days will soon be over, monthly meetings reconvene, work gets into full gear again, church activities increase, ministry commitments begin, decisions on community classes of interest need to be made.. well, I'm sure you can add to this list.

It feels like the easy, comfortable life is over and REAL life begins again. And I'm not anticipating it, but rather dreading it just a little, to be honest.

This short video reminded me that the 'easy, comfortable' life is really not the goal and if I make it that, I will always be striving towards it and become dissatisfied with the everyday challenges and commitments that make up my one, precious, unique life. Do I really want everyday to be a day without something to stretch and grow me? Do I want to live in my own little selfish bubble where comfort and ease is king?

I was reminded that these challenges and commitments ahead of me, if I keep my attitude in check, are what can make for a fulfilling, passionate life.

It's in the giving that we receive.

My prayer is that I will remember this as I begin to plan and implement my goals and schedule this next season.

What did you think of this little video?