In the Moment

It's 8 am on an early September day.  My husband and I exit our home, locking the door behind us, and load up our cooler and bags into the truck, on which is perched our trusty old canoe.  My forehead wrinkles as I scan the expanse above.  Unlike yesterday,  the skies are full of clouds, obscuring most of the blue sky I was hoping for. The tree branches, having been listless for several days under the hot late summer sun, are swaying in the morning breeze. I notice the river in front of our home is looking a little agitated. 

I wonder to myself whether it's a good idea to go canoeing on the river today. After all, today the weather app says thunderstorm warning for 2 pm. The little icon with the cloud, lightning rod, and rain drops disease my mind. Literally dis-ease! I analyze every hour listed on the weather network app. I'm almost feeling obsessive. My husband doesn't seem worried at all. "Promise me we can change our mind if we drive to our starting point and the conditions are too iffy for canoeing".  He nods, continuing to carry our cooler and bag out the door, but I know he's only thinking about leaving soon so our friends don't have to wait for us.

We arrive at our meeting point, and I greet my friend. "Weather's a lot different from yesterday", I say, as  I pull on my hoodie. We both scan the skies. "Yeah, she says, "I wasn't too sure about today. I don't mind a little rain, but I don't want lightning. But Barry says there's nothing to worry about" 

We both laugh. Of course he would say that. Nothing stops Barry!  He sees the fun, not the fear! 

 "And you won't believe what I read in the Psalms this morning", I say. "Psalm 124... the waves will not overwhelm me.. She throws her head back in laughter. "For real?" she asks. I nod several times. 

"See, there's nothing to worry about" says Barry, chuckling. "The Lord will protect us!"

"But I don't want to be caught in a storm!" I respond. 

Isn't that the story of my life! I see the possible dangers, the what-ifs, the problems. Instead, I could focus on  the possibilities and the adventure. 

"I don't want to be a Debbie Downer", says my friend, "but that's better than being a Debbie Down Under!" she adds. We both laugh. We are on the same page. 

The men unload the two kayaks and the canoe and place them on the shoreline. We load up our belongings, don our lifejackets and step carefully into our watercrafts. I settle myself at the front of the canoe and grab my paddle. The air is calm and the clouds that earlier seemed ominous, look quite benign, almost beautiful. We push off from shore and our canoe glides forward.  Reach, dip, pull. Reach, dip, pull. Our adventure begins. 

And what ensues is a day of perfect paddling weather - not too hot, not too cool. Very little wind. About four  drops of rain. Calm waters. Good company. Picturesque scenes.  Several people fishing from their boats. Birds - osprey, eagles, mergansers, geese, herons. And llamas on the river shore! A welcome mid-paddling lunch stop on an isolated sandy beach on the little river island. 

How could I have been that close to considering cancelling our river paddling day? 

I know that God speaks within the details of my everyday life. Today I think he was probably chuckling a little as I read Psalm 124, and also rooting for this woman who spends more time in the past and future than in the present moment. 

Oh, dear child, you are worried about so many things. But there is only one thing needed. 

good and beautiful things

 I have been keeping a daily gratitude list for several years now.  It tends to consist of simple things, usually nothing too spectacular. But aren't the simple things often spectacular as well? Perhaps it's how we choose to view them.  

>My girlfriend and I watched Unsung Hero in the movie theatres a few days ago. What a great movie! I do love films that tell a good story, based on actual facts, and this one was that. Hope you get to watch it! What did I love about it? It reminded me of the value and blessing of family and how bonds can be strengthened if we are willing to support each other and work through hard times together.  

>Spending time in the garden, planting seeds, with some 'help' from my spunky five year old granddaughter. Playing with dirt and water and dandelions while chattering away in her own little world, she was a joy to observe. I wish I had taken a photo of the dandelion crown she was wearing, until she decided it was time to discard it ;)  But, it's not like we can't make another one.... 

>Heading out tonight to enjoy our local (fantastic) symphony orchestra present Mozart's Requiem, "one of the most captivating and powerful works ever composed", which will include soloists and a chorus. Music to soothe the soul! 

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched-they must be felt with the heart.     

                                                                                             Helen Keller 

Happy Love Day

Valentine's Day is not my favorite day of the year. There's just too much pressure to be romantic, to purchase something, to do something to express appreciation for each other. I do believe it's important to express appreciation and love, but not to make such a big deal about it on this day. This year, my husband and I both agreed to each think of two or three things that we would like to do and we'd choose one or two of those. Ideally, he was supposed to offer ideas HE would enjoy, not what he thought I would enjoy.   And I was to do the same.  One of my suggestions was that I'd pull out my paper craft material and and we'd make cards for each other.  The response was.... well, um..... definitely not in favor! Was I surprised? No! It was a long shot, I admit! 

After all was said and done, we agreed on a drive out to the Shuswap, about an hour away, stopping at a little independent coffee shop in a small town along the way. That was my idea, but he was game.  It was lightly snowing when we headed out, but nothing to be concerned about (I don't enjoy driving in snowy weather!).

The cafe was housed in a very old building with lots of character, located on the main strip. The barista was so friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed a little chat with her after I ordered, and then Dave and I shared a date square and our specialty drinks.  We headed out to the Provincial Park, and enjoyed a quiet tromp through the campsite we have often enjoyed during the summer. We surprised a parcel of deer, which quickly but gracefully pronged through the woods to avoid us. At the lake, a pair of beautiful swans, as if in a synchronized  dance, were gracefully swimming, then alternately dipping their heads in water, with bottoms up. The surroundings were quiet and beautiful. 

 A little getaway, nothing fancy. Just time away together enjoying nature and some good conversation. We tried to keep it light, avoiding some topics. You know what I mean, if you know what's happening in Canada (God keep our land glorious and free!). A few times I veered off course and raised my voice a bit too much, but I reigned myself in quite well, I thought. I'm trying. 

Happy love day to all my readers! Hope you have someone in your life who you can squeeze today! 

~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. 

A Wake Up Call

 Each morning at about 4:30 a.m., just as the sun begins to rise, a little bird perched in a tree outside our bedroom window begins to sing three notes repeatedly, with little pauses in between. It really sounds like the song we used to sing as children... Three Blind Mice.

With a little research, I learned that it's the Golden Crowned Sparrow. This video gives you a pretty good idea, but in reality, the little guy outside my window sings it even more clearly.

This bird is usually found in the city edges in winter along the Pacific Coast, but in the summer it prefers the tundra and shrublands ranging from BC to Alaska.

"Gold miners took cold comfort from this bird's melancholy song, which seems to reflect the bleak beauty of its surroundings".

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Golden-crowned_Sparrow/id

Although 4:30 is a tad early to be awakened, a bird's song sounds beautiful at any time of 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.  

The Waiting

The Waiting

autumn

cool, crisp colors of crimson and gold

leaves, grasses, sky

change comes, leaves loose, trees bare all

flowers pale, shrivel,

limp against the cold wind

tall grasses shiver

fog, frost, freeze

hints of lost life, hope fades,breath expires

snow falls

winter

all hidden under cold blankets of white death

the mystery of harsh beauty

long silence, wait, suffer,

complain, watch, breathless

peaceful pain,

breathtaking, shiver

snow covers

perfect reminder, death prolongs

dare to dream

breeze touches the face

a warmer wind caresses

first revelation

change, hope renewed, eyes seek

newness, fresh anticipation

movement,uncover, pushing against death

power contained,potential unleashed

green growth, new life,

touch the sun

born again

spring

What happened?

Oh, I guess life got in the way of the daily bloggin' habit I was getting into.

My, how things can change quickly!

Two days ago...

 This morning! Yes, it really was that grey! These are not black & white photos.  

If you look closely at the photo below, you'll see a little mobile home across the street (our rental property). The power lines to the home came down this morning (see it?), due to heavy snow and probably the snow plow snagging it on its way up the road. Guess who foots the bill? Yep. Us. Thankfully, no one was hurt by the live wire AND the weather was somewhat mild today... and it was repaired by the end of the day--no small feat with all the road closures and crazy traffic.

But I gotta say... the first snow is always so beautiful..