Hope Is A Warm Rain

by admin on June 3, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, My Year of Right Sacrifice-TIME, People In My Heart with 1 Comment


We have had what feels like WEEKS of rain… I love rain but it was getting pretty cold and we even had to put the heat on again, grrrr. Two days of warm sunshine and it is raining again… but… this rain is different, it is still pretty warm out so I have the windows open and I am listening to the rain drops and the happy birds. I don’t know why but a warm rain feels comforting to me. If I could find a way to wrap myself up in a warm rain I would.

Rain, two sleeping kids and a beautiful touching song on the radio left me sitting in my van long after I had arrived home. I let the song play out and listened to the rain on the van roof; the babies slept on for a while longer. I felt something break a bit… I felt a shield of anger crack and a bit of hope felt warm in my chest.

One thing I have learned about myself this year is that I use ANGER as my ultimate mask and shield when I am feeling things so strong I am afraid of them. I know better then to let that take over now that I see it for what it is but… well… cranky is a miniature version of the same thing I think…

I had been dealing with a worry of mine by getting cranky, looking for any excuse really, so I could ignore what I was actually feeling and I was good at it! So good that I just thought I was simply cranky. Yesterday I started praying for the crankiness to move along because I felt like I couldn’t budge it on my own. That brings me back to my pause in the van…

Hope, that I could stop being cranky and cynical about all that surrounds this worry, has started to emerge. Cranky, anger, call it what you will, is a new type of numbness for me… ( used to do the no emotions shield till I felt so dried up it hurt).

Hope felt good, it hurt because it came with truth but truth is a good hurt… a healing hurt… it felt like the warm rain and I want to just wrap myself up in hope…

Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
PSALMS 31,24

TTFN

When In Winnipeg

by admin on June 2, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, People In My Heart with 1 Comment
A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be.
~Douglas Pagels

My excuse to travel by train to Winnipeg was this beautiful woman in white! My long time friend, from college days, GOT MARRIED!

Oh such a classy wedding and perfectly her style. Lovely. Planned out but also fun and relaxing.

As I waited for her to be walked down the isle by her dad I wondered if I was going cry the whole way threw or burst with joy, I love weddings! Turned out to be a little of both wedding… I tried not to cry too much because everyone else seemed to be holding themselves together.

First year of college… after a few weeks in school I some how got up enough nerve to ask her, via email (I know, so lame) if she was a … Christian too. I can’t help but smile at how difficult the idea of making friends was for me back then. I must have come across as silly and was so worried about appearing so but she put up with me.

Second year of college… I was so desperate to find someone to stand up for me at my wedding that I asked her even though we certainly weren’t that close yet. Again she put up with me…

Years went by and I left that socially devastated person behind and determined to be available for my adventurous friend. I am SO thankful for how she keeps reappearing in my life. I know she is a blessing straight from God because often she has spoken into my life and been part of good changes in me threw her words.

A gem, someone who I know will not say good bye to me no matter how far away we physically are from one another.

No matter how much we both change we seem to just continue to gel and for this I am thankful!

Much love and CONGRATS to ‘the traveler and her man!
May you have many many years together, blessed with a deep content love!

TTFN

Winnipeg Adventure

by admin on June 1, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing with 1 Comment

I like Winnipeg!
Got a mini tour the night I arrived. A friend drove me to my girl friends apartment and on the way gave me a guided tour through many of the nice parts of the city. The forest in the middle of the city is so special! I was impressed! The Parliament buildings where beautiful and there where so many interesting neighborhoods to explore.

(It was very refreshing to walk everywhere.)

We mostly stayed in the down town area after that initial tour. That is where the train station was, the wedding and our hotel. All where near to the forks too so I got to explore them with my brothers family one of the mornings.

(Karla and I on the tower at the forks.)

So the tower was perhaps one of our adventures, although not a fav of mine. The tower was attached to a beautiful craft/ fresh goods kind of market. It was glass and that didn’t impress me. I didn’t need to see all the way down all the time. When we got to the top I was pretty sure smudgy pictures of the scenery, from the inside of the tower, where fine but my big brother managed to convince me to check out the ledge. He smirked and said ‘say fear of heights’ as he took this above picture of his wife and I.We walked to a mall, after the forks, and on the way it really started to rain. I had a blast running from over hang to over hang with my brother and his family. We would wait for the street light to change to walk and come bursting out again and run to beat the band across the street and straight to another over hang. Got totally wet anyhow:)

By the end of the trip I felt comfortable with the underground mall (the cities way of crossing many of the busy streets) and the sky ways, not really sure what they call them, that connect the buildings down town by going over streets. The last day there I even went and did a little shopping on my own, before the train departed. Found a few dresses and almost got carried away trying them on. Got two out of the bunch for a real good deal but almost missed the train in the process. I did not look cool running like a mad woman back to the hotel and then to the station. Sweaty and tired when I got there I was also thankful because I made it just in time. It was all good though, I knew I would have lots of down time on the train after all that.

(I was huffing and puffing when I took this picture of a government building on the way to the station.)

I would for sure enjoy going back!

TTFN

A Scottish Hymn

by admin on May 31, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing, People In My Heart with 1 Comment
“…your old men will dream dreams…”
~From the Book of Joel

My Dad was in the city for a few days, he had more appointments. Dad managed to stop in on me twice for tea. My kids and I where very thankful for that. The visits where short but packed full. We shared tea and conversation and, most importantly, we shared time.

On his last stop in, before he was to head home, he brought me in a CD of bagpipe music to listen to. I don’t always think of myself as a Scotswoman, but when I hear the mournful song of a good bagpipe player I am always moved more then just could be pure coincidental… I am reminded there is a reason this music strikes me to the core… I am Scottish.

Dad put on a favorite hymn and when the strings and piano joined in with the pipes he started to tear up… his face took on a very serious but soft look to it and I could tell he was drawn into his own mind and his own memories. He simply said “This reminds me of my Grandpa Munro.” His voice cracked as he said his grand-dad’s name and he switch to his Scottish accent to give the family name flare and, I imagine, respect as well.

The music had stirred a pressure up in my chest and the sight of my father fighting with emotion threw my heart up into my throat. I couldn’t respond. I simply nodded and stayed quiet.

The verse mentioned above crashed into my consciousness and I just about cried. I don’t know if I can explain the relation but I felt like I understood that verse so much more.

The verse is talking about when God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, is poured out on all flesh… the old men will dream dreams…perhaps it is talking about dreams beyond our world of selfish desires, our self centered world that is for the young and is YOUTH… Old men are gifted with the ability to look back and remember…then look forward and dream of the eternal… the Holy Ghost filled old man can see IT clearer, it is more natural for him to dream of eternity then for the youth. The young will prophesy, they are really meant to be of now, focused on the kingdom of God here and now.

I say with all love, let the old men dream.

The moment was just that, a moment, and then he had to fly. This is such a busy season for him and Mom.

P.s. Related LINK.

TTFN

Favorite Verse From May’s Hymn

by admin on May 31, 2010 in Life Keeps Changing, The Hymn Project with No comments
(Baby Boy loves getting out side now that it is spring, here he is waiting ‘not so patiently’ for Mommy to find time to take him out.)
“There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King;
And Jesus, listening, can hear
The song I cannot sing.”
~Lyrics By Eliza E. Hewitt

I felt like this hymn oozed spring and May has always been the most springy month in my mind. It is when I really start to believe the snow will not return. It is when I clean up my gardens and eagerly prepare to plant. This year we have had SO MUCH RAIN and it has been so refreshing to see everything out side so healthy.


TTFN

Crack Quotes

by admin on May 28, 2010 in Dem Kids Sayed WHAT?, Four Little Eggs In My Nest with No comments

Little Woman was telling my oldest niece (she is almost three) about Baby Boy’s neck owe-y today and she pointed at it and said ‘He just has a crack now. I don’t though.’

My niece then said ‘I has a cwack.’ and pulled up her pant leg, showing a scratch on her knee.

Little Woman showed her arm off and exclaimed ‘Me too! I have that same crack on my elbow!’

TTFN

A Scottish Hymn

by admin on May 26, 2010 in Life Keeps Changing, People In My Heart with No comments
“…your old men will dream dreams…”
~From the Book of Joel

My Dad was in the city for a few days, he had more appointments. Dad managed to stop in on me twice for tea. My kids and I where very thankful for that. The visits where short but packed full. We shared tea and conversation and, most importantly, we shared time.
On his last stop in, before he was to head home, he brought me in a CD of bagpipe music to listen to. I don’t always think of myself as a Scotswoman, but when I hear the mournful song of a good bagpipe player I am always moved more then just could be pure coincidental… I am reminded there is a reason this music sticks me to the core… I am Scottish.

Dad put on a favorite hymn and when the strings and piano joined in with the pipes he started to tear up… his face took on a very serious but soft look to it and I could tell he was drawn into his own mind and his own memories. He simply said “This reminds me of my Grandpa, Robert Munro.” His voice cracked as he said his grand-dad’s name and he switch to his Scottish accent to give the family name flare and, I imagine, respect as well.

The music had stirred a pressure up in my chest and the sight of my father fighting with emotion threw my heart up into my throat. I couldn’t respond. I simply nodded and stayed quiet.

The verse mentioned above crashed into my consciousness and I just about cried. I don’t know if I can explain the relation but I felt like I understood that verse so much more.

The moment was just that, a moment, and then he had to fly. This is such a busy season for him and Mom.

TTFN

MY FIRST TRAIN RIDE!

by admin on May 26, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing with 4 Comments

… will not be my last.How often is the actual traveling part of a trip so relaxing and nice that you can hardly wait to get back on the road again? Hasn’t really been that good for me before the train experience. With chairs that fold out so you can lay in them, pillow, blankets (provided by via) and that constant motion and mournful horn to rock you to sleep how can you go wrong? I love napping so it was right up my alley.

(My niece passed out, FINALLY napping on the train.)

I traveled down with my older brother and his family but home alone. Their little one kept them very very busy, she is so cute, so on the way home things where a lot quieter.

I managed to stay awake enough to watch a movie on the way out to Winnipeg and read ‘Mere Christianity’, for the first time, on the way back. Explored the skylight car and took in one gourmet meal in the dining car just for the experience (SO WORTH IT).

(A couple pictures from the dining car. I was so hungry I ate my dinner before I remembered to get a picture.)

Took in the dining on the way home and I was seated with a couple from the states and a woman my age from Manitoba. I had the duck and it came with garlic roasted potatoes, plenty of veggies, blue cheese and pear salad (MY FAV), onion soup, fresh bread and coffee and a BIG piece of cream cheese iced carrot cake, phew, it was FAB!

There are many reasons for me to sing the praises of the train and many reasons to be sad that it appears to be dying in this lovely country of ours. We have one of the most famous train routes in the world (cross Canada and through the mountains) and yet we are kissing it good bye:( Riding the train was a childhood dream of mine and now that I have done it I realise it is easily with in reach and will do it again!

(DID YOU KNOW, via will take air miles so our trip was all on my points (can’t beat free) and even at full price it was only 50 more then the bus. There are often seat sales too, just like the plane so it is a shop around kind of thing!)
(Winnipeg’s beautiful ‘Union Station’.)

P.S. More to come about my actual time in Winnipeg, it was really quick but lovely. Took in as much as I could with only a bit of time Friday morning and Saturday morning but enjoyed it all!

TTFN

My Train Trip

by admin on May 25, 2010 in Adventure and Me, Bits Of My Personality, Life Keeps Changing with No comments
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.

~Robert Louis Stevenson


Stay tuned for my Winnipeg story.

The above quote said it all for me, well, only in regards to train travel do I feel this way. Just being on the train makes me happy and relaxed, regardless of the destination.

TTFN

Family Around Me

by admin on May 19, 2010 in Bits Of My Personality, My Year of Right Sacrifice-TIME, People In My Heart with 4 Comments
(AND I’M FEELING GOOD!)

This stormy little soul is entitled to her bright days too, you know, one of those days where you just feel happy and it all bounces off of your genuinely happy self.

Got so much done today and had a few things hit that would usually make it all come crashing down for me…family came through and it all worked out and I didn’t get stressed to prove how much I care!

I am feeling so loved today! Big Boy got sick at school while I was across town and the kids Grams came to my rescue without a thought! Auntie Mirelle took Little Woman for the afternoon at the drop of a hat to help me out and I couldn’t help but drive home smiling! I am surrounded by people who REALLY DO care about little old me and I am so THANKFUL!

This is me taking note because most of my posts are about the struggles lately… this is me taking note of the love that family surrounds me with. Love is the reason you hang on to family, forgive family and even put up with and are put up with by family.

TTFN

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