Heroes

#1

Canadian football players were in a bus driving home from a game in Indiana when an SUV swerved into their lane and crashed into them and burst into flames. One of the players rushed to the SUV and managed to rescue a brother and sister from the vehicle although their mother could not be saved. The team may have lost their game 32-0 but in the "game of life" they are heroes.

#2

I don't know Jerry very well. He is an older gentleman who lives at the top of our street. He moved in a year or two ago. My husband and I see him out on his walk every few days. He usually has a cane but walks very briskly as if heading on a great adventure. He is very cheerful and upbeat when we chat.

Yesterday when I met him, he was using a walker but he was still walking quickly and was quite cheerful about our summer weather.

I don't know what physical challenges he is facing but our world would be a much better place if we all could face each day as if we were going on an exciting adventure that we were looking forward to!

Food for thought. . .

Even though I have only flown four times, I really love being up in an airplane. In this photo you can see the quadrants of Ontario properties.  We had a great flight both to and from Alberta and I would recommend WestJet to everyone. They make flying so easy for even novices like we are.

My sister went with us and it was a bit of a challenge traveling with her from time to time. She is ten years older than I am - coming up to her 75th birthday - and has lived on her own for about 50 years and is very used to doing things her own way. She complained about just about everything except our children and grandchildren! She wasn't horrible and I was glad we had been able to give her this trip of a life time but I don't think we'll be traveling together again any time soon. Jim was wonderful and I couldn't have managed without him. Doreen is having major problems walking. Something is definitely wrong with her legs and I am hoping that she is able to get an MRI in July as scheduled despite the isotope scarcity.

The weather really cooperated. We only had rain in the evenings and over night and we really didn't care about that. It wasn't too hot either which was a bonus for me.

The mountains are as lovely as ever and haven't moved! A week really wasn't long enough but since we weren't expecting to visit this year at all. I am grateful for the time we did have.

My grandchildren are wonderful. Of course, every grandparent says that but, in this case , it is true! ;-)  Aidan (5) is bright and very sharp which will probably get him into trouble in school but he'll learn. At his swimming lesson, he always wanted to be the first one to do what the instructor asked but he didn't make a fuss when she chose someone else to go first.

Emma (2) is at the "parrot stage" and one has to be careful what one says around her. She walked miles at Heritage Park and never complained or whined. It takes her a while to warm up to people but then she is quite comfortable.

I guess that's enough of a report for today.

Walking the walk

I walk every day, including Sundays and holidays :-). My 30 - 40 minute walk basically follows the same route every day. The only difference is when the kids are on their way to school. I try to change my route on these days so that I avoid being run over by bicycles, skateboards and scooters. Even this change is fairly minor and it might seem that this would be boring walking the same way every day.

I find my walks anything but boring. There is always something different going on even in a small town.  Each day I meet different people. I notice that there are a lot less people who walk in the winter. (And I thought Canadians were tough. Hah!) Most of the people I meet in the inclement weather have dogs. Obviously you have to walk the family pooch regardless of the weather. I have become very friendly with many dog owners and know their dogs' names even if I don't know the owner's name.

I also find it interesting noticing houses that go up for sale. In the past year, there have been several houses that have not been sold due to the poor economy. Still others have been for sale for many months. Only one or two have been sold although this is a good neighbourhood.

The other thing I enjoy on my walks is the landscaping of houses I pass. Aside from the mess that dandelions leave after their cheerful yellow flowers disappear, there are a lot of beautiful trees, plants and shrubs in town. The flowering trees - apple, crab and cherry - were particularly lovely. This spring has been cooler and wetter than many we have had lately and the colours of plants have been wonderful. We just finished with lilacs and now the bridal wreath shrubs are in full bloom. Some homes use these as hedges and the white blooms cascade all along the property line.

Many of my neighbours expect me to pass them on my walk and it's interesting when I miss a day or two to be asked if I was sick! Only in a small town would strangers care about your well-being.

I love living within walking distance of a grocery store, bank, garden centre and dollar store. I enjoy being able to make small purchases without getting in the car and using gas which is getting more and more expensive these days.

Walking is supposed to be good for your health. I sure hope so. I am at the very least getting some vitamin D!

This is a little flower called "Snow Cap". It seemed to appear for the first time last spring. I must have planted it the year before but couldn't remember and had no idea of its name. When it came up again this spring, I really wanted to get more but the plant selection down here is less than ideal and , of course, I still didn't know what it was called.

Low and behold, I walked into one of our garden centres last week and they had several containers with young plants there. I bought four to put in some small beds on the south side of the house. Now, if only they all survive the landscaping upheaval!

I haven't blogged here for a while mostly because I get so little feedback. I am ashamed to say that I need far more positive reinforcement than I should at my age. I do communicate with many of you on Face Book and really enjoy that site. If only they would stop making changes!

Mother's Day was very painful. I woke up on Sunday seething with resentment. Not only have I lost my mother and mother-in-law recently but I had no children or grandchildren within hugging distance. Church was difficult since the sermon was all about how wonderful mothers are. I certainly didn't feel wonderful in any sense and I just wished the minister would stop talking. Not the greatest attitude for the Sunday morning service. I called my sister and she was having a rough day as well. She couldn't make herself go to church because she knew the buzz would all be about the "day". She was perhaps wiser to stay home.

Yesterday and today have been much better. After all, I have 360 plus days before this comes around again. I have hated Mother's Day for years. I feel it is a phony celebration and full of hypocrisy  but have never been as down as this year. Perhaps next year will be better.

I have been asked to speak at our church's annual women's banquet in June. I am pretty excited about this. I love public speaking and haven't really done any since we've moved down here. I have named my talk "A Tale Worth Telling". I want to talk about the importance of leaving a written record or journal for our grandchildren and great grandchildren. I am reading a  book right now where the main character is reading a journal written by her great-great-great aunt and it is fascinating. I do wish some of my "greats" had left a written legacy. So many stories have been lost. I think this is especially important for Christians to do. We should be recording the evidences of God's grace and provision in our lives.

I guess that's enough for today. The fingers on my right hand are sore again. This condition - whatever it is - has been going on since December. I thought it was going to clear up when it wasn't as bad for a month or so but it seems just as bad right now as it ever was. It does make typing rather awkward.

Spring is my favourite time of the year - cool temperatures, sun, green lush foliage and not many bugs. Hope you are enjoying your spring whatever the weather!

Colds - Blah!

I was just telling Trish the other day that I hadn't had a cold for about 10 years and guess what? On Wednesday I came down with a nasty little one. It is not the worst cold I have ever had but it will do. I had totally forgotten how irritating a cold can be. Sore throat, raspy voice, runny nose, runny eyes, no energy.

Sniff, sniff, sniff. Blow, blow, blow. Hack, hack, hack. Cough, cough, cough. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

It has been so long since either Jim or I have had a cold that all of our cold pills were well past the "Best Before" date so on Thursday I hustled over to our neighbourhood pharmacy to get something to stop the flow. I had to ask for help from the Pharmacist's assistant because the first thing I chose were allergy pills. Well, they listed all my symptoms!

I finally decided on a box that included daytime pills - non-drowsy -  and nighttime pills that wouldn't keep me awake. I had to buy 40 pills! The reason is that 20 pills cost $8.99 and 40 pills cost $9.99. Figure that one out if you can!

When I got them home and took one of the daytime pills, I was very surprised to find that they were mint flavoured. Who had heard of such a thing? Why flavour a pill that is in your mouth for a total of one second at the most? AND I hate mint! Yuck! Some changes are not for the best, in my opinion.

Ah well, as long as I only get a cold once every ten years, I really mustn't complain. I do have more sympathy for those of you who have already had your cold this year. May we all be cold-free for the rest of 2009!

Favourite Things Beginning with "S"

My favourite things beginning with "S" - not necessarily in order of importance are:

1. Sovereign God: Although I view my heavenly Father with awe, worship, fear, mystery and simple faith, I am glad I believe in Him and He believes in me!

2. Scriptures: The older I get, the more precious the Bible has become. There are still many parts of it I don't understand and that make me uncomfortable but, at the same time, the verses challenge, comfort and convict me. I am even beginning to love the Old Testament prophets because amid the doom and gloom there is always a note of hope.

3. Seasons: There is something about each of the four seasons that I love. I love spring. That's when the promise we have held onto all winter comes to be with green leaves and daffodils. I love summer and the warm, although not the very hot, sunny days. I love fall and the wonderful harvest of vegetables and the vivid colours of the maple trees. And I even love winter. The pure, white snow covers up all the dirt and grime the world collects.

4. Spouse: I have the greatest husband in the world. The past few years have been incredibly difficult at times but Jim has been with me every step. He often doesn't understand me but he accepts me for who I am at any given moment.

5. Sandwiches: There is nothing like a sandwich made by someone else. The ladies in many churches that I have attended over the years make the BEST sandwiches I have ever eaten.

6. Silly songs and limericks: Only the clean, clever and creative ones make my list. Anyone can make an off-colour rhyme but a true genius can make us laugh in a way children can enjoy as well as adults.

7. Serendipity and surprises: Especially the pleasant, unexpected things that happen in our lives. But the unpleasant have their place, too. They make us appreciate the good times and keep us from getting too arrogant.

8. Sister: I am so fortunate to have a wonderful sister. I don't think I could make it through the visits to Mother without her. It is so difficult to see my dar mom so frail and feeble and know that she has no idea who I am. Without my sister there, I would have a complete meltdown, I'm sure. We have not always been close but sisters understand you like no-one else can.

9. Snail mail: I do love getting letters and cards in the mail. I am afraid that as a culture we are losing the ability to communicate by handwritten ( or even hand typed) correspondence. And, no, emails are not the same.

10. Sunsets: I used to have a sitting room that faced west and I so enjoyed the gorgeous sunsets we get every so often. I truly felt that God created them especially for me!

Today is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday - whatever you prefer. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday or the first day of Lent.

Many Christians choose to give up something for Lent, the forty days before Easter. I have chosen to give up chocolate or sugary treats some years. Another year I decided to write a card, note or letter to someone every day for 40 days. I managed to accomplish this too and rather enjoyed it.

This year there have been too many things going on around here and I completely forgot about Lent until Kathy mentioned it in her blog this morning.

There have been times this winter when I have considered just giving up PERIOD but that is not my style. The women in our family generally have not been quitters. My mother turns 96 tomorrow and although she hardly knows her own name these days, last week she told my sister the exact month and date of her birth.

If she's not ready to give up, I have no excuse!

I'll have to think about Lent. It is the most important period of the Christian calendar although Evangelical churches rarely mention it any more. Considering the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, 40 days meditating on His death and resurrection and commemorating it in some way, seems a small thing.