To Purple Girl, Dog Lover, Karaoke Queen, Tickler Extraordinaire, and The Little Curly Haired Girl;
I love you all, and will miss you!
You rock! woo WOO!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
And the Winner is.......
Twinky!
Voted Cutest Dog in the World (by me)
Twinky also earns an honourable mention for being extremely skittish and a gold medal for being flexible. (When she's afraid She can crawl along the ground like a commando.) What a cutie! We all love her!
Last night, hubs and I were over at a friend's house for supper (homemade pizza with homegrown basil on top.) It as a good time with good people. When we left around ten pm, I was unprepared for the nice surprise awaiting me when I stepped out the door of their apartment building. It was beautiful, it was light, it was oh so refreshing, ..........it was a wiff of nature. I could actually smell something that smelled natural. (natural from the environment, not referring to the natural smell some humans pump out- just to clarify) It smelled like trees or shrubs or some such greenery. And when we looked up the sky was clear, you could see the stars. It was good to be alive.
You might think, yeah, those things are nice, but what're you making the big to do over?
Well, here in this city, until recently there hasn't been a lot of "nature" around, just mostly concrete and pavement. Things are starting to shape up, they are planting lots of trees and bushes, and flowers. All very good ideas in my books, so that is starting to make a difference.
The other thing here that is a BIG problem, is that often when you walk outside, all you can smell is the smell of industry. Stinky industry. Pew. There are some big factories around here and they smell. Then beyond that there is always a plethora of other treats for the olfactory senses when you venture outside- stink from manholes, warm garbage, and assorted things that you can' t quite identify.
There is one whole street that always smells like a sewer mixed with a chemical factory.
So, nights like last night are pleasant, a breeze blowing carrying with it desirable smells, pure smells, things that don't make you want to rush inside. And it's a reminder of how things used to be.
You might think, yeah, those things are nice, but what're you making the big to do over?
Well, here in this city, until recently there hasn't been a lot of "nature" around, just mostly concrete and pavement. Things are starting to shape up, they are planting lots of trees and bushes, and flowers. All very good ideas in my books, so that is starting to make a difference.
The other thing here that is a BIG problem, is that often when you walk outside, all you can smell is the smell of industry. Stinky industry. Pew. There are some big factories around here and they smell. Then beyond that there is always a plethora of other treats for the olfactory senses when you venture outside- stink from manholes, warm garbage, and assorted things that you can' t quite identify.
There is one whole street that always smells like a sewer mixed with a chemical factory.
So, nights like last night are pleasant, a breeze blowing carrying with it desirable smells, pure smells, things that don't make you want to rush inside. And it's a reminder of how things used to be.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
sailing without wind doesn't get you very far
The school year is almost over and I've noticed that I am ready for it to be finished. I am doing pretty well, don't get me wrong- from day to day things are good. But, how can I tell that it's time for the school year to be finished? Well, I've noticed that right now I have very little patience for the small things. I guess you could say discouragement out of proportion to the circumstance. Now, I'm not walking around all discouraged, but just noticing that little things that normally would be easier to shrug off and keep going, just take the wind right out of my sails (for a little while, anyway.) A feeling of - "ok I give up." That is then followed by a momentary thought of "I would like to go home now."
I don't think it actually has anything to do with being here. It has more to do with me, being tired and ready for a rest. So, I need some perspective I guess.
Like this:(one of my favourite verses on rest)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Mt 11:28-30). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Here is the same passage from "The Message", (it is a paraphrase....)
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Peterson, E. H. (2003). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Mt 11:28-30). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress
I love that passage, it reminds me where to go when I'm weary, and even reminds me of why I sometimes am weary. At the times when the wind is taken out of my sails, well, maybe there wasn't that much wind in my sails to begin with.
There's only One who can give wind enough to keep me sailing along, and it ain't me.
And as an add on freebie, here's some more perspective that I need...some good old quotes from none other than Corrie ten Boom herself:
"The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy."
"Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear."
"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."
"Faith is like radar that sees through the fog -- the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see." Cornelia ten Boom (1892-1983)
Reading Corrie ten Boom is always encouraging too. ( And she looks just a little bit like my grandma. See?---that makes her extra cool)
I don't think it actually has anything to do with being here. It has more to do with me, being tired and ready for a rest. So, I need some perspective I guess.
Like this:(one of my favourite verses on rest)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Mt 11:28-30). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Here is the same passage from "The Message", (it is a paraphrase....)
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Peterson, E. H. (2003). The Message : The Bible in contemporary language (Mt 11:28-30). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress
I love that passage, it reminds me where to go when I'm weary, and even reminds me of why I sometimes am weary. At the times when the wind is taken out of my sails, well, maybe there wasn't that much wind in my sails to begin with.
There's only One who can give wind enough to keep me sailing along, and it ain't me.
And as an add on freebie, here's some more perspective that I need...some good old quotes from none other than Corrie ten Boom herself:
"The first step on the way to victory is to recognize the enemy."
"Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear."
"Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible."
"Faith is like radar that sees through the fog -- the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see." Cornelia ten Boom (1892-1983)
Reading Corrie ten Boom is always encouraging too. ( And she looks just a little bit like my grandma. See?---that makes her extra cool)
Ah, I feel better now.Saturday, June 17, 2006
I'm back
Sorry internet world. I have let you down. I have been AWOL from the blogging world.
Well hopefully posting this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4cQ3BoHFas will make up for it. Funny. Very very funny. So click on it.
Well hopefully posting this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4cQ3BoHFas will make up for it. Funny. Very very funny. So click on it.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Hamburger loving foreigners
It is so hot here.
Geographically you wouldn't think it. But we are in one of three of the hottest cities in this country.
(in the summer)
Yesterday we arrived back to our city after some travelling and just before getting off the train we were standing in what felt like air coming out of a hot air vent. I thought we must be standing by a machine or something generating heat, and I was anxious to get off the train into the cool air outside. So, it was rather surprising to get off the train and discover that there was no cool air, the stream of hot air was coming from outside. It was an unusual sensation.
Thankfully our apartment isn't too hot. It is pretty comfortable for the most part.
The train ride back was nice. Had a funny little thing happen. A lady came around selling ice cream and hamburgers. The guy next to us bought something from her, then she asked if he wanted a hamburger too. He replied that the foreigners could have the hamburger. My husband started to laugh. The guy didn't realize that we could understand him, till that point , and he was embarrassed and apologized.
THis is a good reminder for me to watch myself, as we say a lot of things that we assume no one around us understands because we are speaking in english. Yeeps. Caution necessary.
Geographically you wouldn't think it. But we are in one of three of the hottest cities in this country.
(in the summer)
Yesterday we arrived back to our city after some travelling and just before getting off the train we were standing in what felt like air coming out of a hot air vent. I thought we must be standing by a machine or something generating heat, and I was anxious to get off the train into the cool air outside. So, it was rather surprising to get off the train and discover that there was no cool air, the stream of hot air was coming from outside. It was an unusual sensation.
Thankfully our apartment isn't too hot. It is pretty comfortable for the most part.
The train ride back was nice. Had a funny little thing happen. A lady came around selling ice cream and hamburgers. The guy next to us bought something from her, then she asked if he wanted a hamburger too. He replied that the foreigners could have the hamburger. My husband started to laugh. The guy didn't realize that we could understand him, till that point , and he was embarrassed and apologized.
THis is a good reminder for me to watch myself, as we say a lot of things that we assume no one around us understands because we are speaking in english. Yeeps. Caution necessary.
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