Smoke....

Smoke again...cough, choke!!!  Can't imagine what it would be to live closer to the fires...pictures posted of day looking like a foggy night.
The leaves are beginning to turn colour.   How do they know that they are supposed to?  The days are still unusually hot and the nights are warm.   
Can't believe I won something again!  It may not be much, but at least it's something and something is more that I had.  Right?
Why would a person long for and stalk a man who has made it clear he just isn't interested?

Reciprocation...........

Do you ever feel like you are the only one?  The only one who ever texts, who phones, sends a gift or flowers?  Do you always initiate a conversation?   My question is:  Do these people really not like me?  Would they rather me not initiate a conversation?   Often it is just a quick text or message asking this person how they are or to wish them a nice day or offer a Birthday Greeting.   Should I be more aggressive and outright and ask if they would rather I didn't bother with these messages.   Maybe I am scared of the answer.   
A few people have been invited to our home to share a meal...........more than once.   They seemed to enjoy themselves, but we have never had a thank you or an invitation to their place.   We have taken them out for meals as well......same response or lack of.
Just comtemplating...................

All 'trumped' up!

Get over it and get on with life.   It is what it is and obviously, the American people voted for their new President.    

I do not imagine for one moment that it will be easy for the Donald in the White house.  He will be hated by many and criticized by the rest.   His flamboyant style and big mouth may not be conducive to White house and presidential life.   A president needs to be secretive, tactful and clever.   I am not sure this man is up to this.   It was suggested that the next step will be a reality show of the Trumps in the White house.   This may not be too far fetched...if the media has any say.   

As for Hillary, she is probably suffering from shock today.   She has no doubt given her all and has put aside her life to compete in this election.   She most likely feels very fragile today.   She will no doubt pull herself together and this is not the last we will hear from her.

I have this feeling that the US may never be the same...............

Old & New

It just hit me the other day........why some older people are 'in touch' and others are not.   Recently, I met a friend for lunch.   She is somewhat older than me and retired.   She reads a lot of novels, is pretty much up to date with politics, but other than the crafts and gardening she does, there is not much to talk about anymore.     Then there are those older people....some in their 80's or better who are totally 'with it'.    And guess what?   The first person I mentioned does not frequent her computer or FB.    Several other people I know are avid FB followers and they know what is going on with almost everything.    It most likely reflects what your FB likes are and the variety of ages on you FB site.    Interesting...right?

I was so grateful for the bountiful produce this summer.........Saskatoons like grapes, one potato is enough for a meal....... there is a drawback I am sure...... like the yellow leaves falling, the frost on car windows this morning.    And early nasty winter?  Ugh!   
At least the sun is shining.

mixed.........

Mixed feeling for sure.............anger or relief?     I so often feel taken advantage of.   The nicer and more accommodating you try to be........the more people take advantage.   I have saved a space......no actually three space for a family, who now are rethinking day home.  I could have most likely filled these spaces with 3 full time children.    This is not the first time this has occurred so one would think I might have learned my lesson.    In the future, I am going to have to be much more 'businesslike' and charge to hold a space.    I realize and know where the parents are coming from, but at the same time it is very annoying.   

Amazing grace

I am weary of the lesbian/gay issue.   I am weary of the Muslim issue.   I am weary of Donald Trump, I am tired of the Kardashians, I am tired of Bruce/Caitlin, and it is probably the media that I should be directing my feelings toward...

We are bullies at heart....we think we are kind...we think we portray love......
The fact is we are ignorant.   Do we know how a person who struggles with their sexual identity feels, do we know what it is like to be persecuted, or be facing prison or possible beheading for our faith?    That FB article about a child who could no longer face the world infuriates us...........a victim of viciousness..... 
.....I don't have to fight these battles...personally...............
Someone who is 'different' by societies perception shouldn't have to go out on the street and fight for their rights ............you should not have to pay for your countryman's sins because he took an evil path......

A ranting politician or preacher.......can't remember which.........stated that we (the US) is no longer a 'Christian' country........way back when witches were burned at the stake, we were?   As long a mankind has an evil heart we will not know peace and tranquility.

A minority should not have to fight tooth and nail for equal rights............women still are not treated as equals............  

We have every modern convenience possible and when you think what our iPhone is capable of......we are amazed.   We have come so far technically, but our hearts have not evolved......

Our potential is huge.......and if we gave in to God....the possibilities are infinite......there is a way to grace.............. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We are bombarded with commercialism............as soon as you walk through the doors of any store you are immediately hit with hearts, and candies and stuffies.........bearing 'love'...........  TV commercials make you feel like a terrible person if you don't take that significant other out to dinner, buy a few diamonds.....  
Has anyone ever thought that just maybe we should be showing love....God's love every day, not just one day.   How about an act of kindness shown every day? 
Stop feeling sorry for yourself because you might be alone....no one said that you couldn't do something kind for someone .... bake some heart shaped cookies and take them to a shut in, buy some chocolates and give them to a random person, buy coffee for the person behind you....put a note in a friend's mailbox...... just thinking about doing something for someone makes me feel happier.....

.....made it to Feb 1st

Made it through January!  Yeah!   Although it was unusually mild for an Alberta winter.....it was still winter...not sitting in the sun outdoor weather...so it doesn't count.....The furry little rodent did not see his shadow so hope the legend is true....

People don't wish to feel others are judging them, but take a look at your behavior.....look in the mirror...are you the type of person that you really want to be?   Are you making good decisions?  If your decisions affect the littles in your life then you really need to take a good look.......
We are responsible for our children....for bringing them up to be the kind of children God would wish them to be.   We take them when they are babies to church and have them baptized, sprinkled, blessed or whatever and in all these instances ask God to help us to raise them up right.   That is a sobering thought....... making a promise to God is not laughing matter.   Close family, sometimes church members, and God parents take a vow to help these little ones.........  Once a parent...always a parent no matter how old your child..........what you do now will reflect later.......

Let your burdens go!

Our God is an awesome God......................
Just reading about the boy diagnosed with type I diabetes.........his momma needs reassurance....
Was reading about how much a momma loves her kids ..............if she did really love them she wouldn't be exposing them to a drug house full of men..........
Thinking about the one with the job she dreads going to each day......
Thinking about the momma who lost her husband and baby daughter................
There is the husband who has been abandoned by his wife.......
Thinking about the child who desperately needs speech therapy ..... his parents are in total denial...........
Thinking about the papa who is leaning over the toilet.......sick from ear surgery.......
Thinking about the family trying to gain custody of children who are their ...kin....
Thinking about the husband whose shoulders droop and his step is slower .....going to a job where he not treated well.............

His word tells us not to worry............His word tells us he has a plan for us...even before we were born.............. Lay your burdens at the cross this morning............. take it all to Him.....you can have peace, understanding......healing....maybe even a tiny bit of joy....

Listen to the words of .... IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL.......written by a man who lost his 4 daughters in a shipwreck..........................how could he write these words???  God gave him peace.............

Cabin fever!

I think these kids have cabin fever today, too!!!  It is the end of January and +6! Treacherous icy sidewalks.....water covered....  Friday no school and two days next week! Help!  Not bored .... everyone is restless...so need green grass....and abundant sunshine....
Late day momma's pickup.........sigh....

....Sleepless in Canada...

Sleepless near the Arctic circle................well, no, not really, but feels like it could be......

Cough, cough, try to breathe...............two mommas up with little ones tonight...cough-cough, too.............the result of one momma who brought a sick child to day home......

The wheezing that the meds aren't helping.........the smell of eucalyptus.....

I need sleep....I need to breath...............

....a little light....

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I loathe winter and the cold and I don't hesitate to complain about it regularly.   When people say how pretty it is out......it would be much prettier on a card.....not in my world.

Yesterday I had my black wool coat on and big flakes were falling....the children noticed the snowflakes on my coat and thought they were so beautiful.  Most times we don't really see the intricate shape of the flakes, but against the stark black of my coat, even I had to admit they were pretty.........they only lasted a moment before dissolving into a tiny droplet.

Even in winter................if the fridge is full, the pantry stocked, the bottles on the wine shelf in a row, a messy pile of wood on the hearth.......I do feel a certain contentment.......a gratefulness if you will for what I have.   I have a very warm down coat, warm boots...actually a lot of warm boots...for every occasion and level of snow..........

Even in this icy land of long dark below zero, bone chilling weather we do have much to be grateful to God for.............and living in a land where we know in August what is to come we prepare and have the means to do so...........

I will still complain and dislike embarking out of my warm cocoon, but I also will take the time to thank...............

Countdown.....4 more to go...

Four more days to go!
I don't want to feel stressed or overwhelmed by the season...........seems like we prepare and plan for so long....contemplate gifts...lovingly and carefully wrap them...plan meals, bake...and poof!  It is over.....the living room is piled with wrapping paper...the kitchen is your worst nightmare and the dishwasher is on it's second round!    

I don't want the stress...I don't want the letdown feeling when it is over.....I want the season to last and savor the event....I don't want the gifts and hustle and bustle and messy aftermath to overshadow The Birth.   

I want peace in my home, peace within our family, peace on earth.....His perfect peace.
Looking forward to a candlelight Christmas Eve service.....our granddaughter is hoping for a plastic candle...she doesn't think she can handle a real one....

Think of that pregnant young girl....most likely in labor traveling by donkey...no hospital..no room even in the inn....how overwhelmed she must have been...so young...so innocent....no real idea of what the birth of her child would mean to us....centuries later...The stable most likely wasn't nice and clean like the one we see at a church nativity..it was probably stinky, dirty, straw is prickly....  The Shepherds who visited lived with sheep and goats on hillsides....they most likely smelled terrible, too.....

Take time to breathe....take time to read that wondrous story again....the story of
Hope, Promise, Joy and Love......

Bah humbug!

Just reading an article on the evil's of Elf on a Shelf.....come on people...it's just an Elf!
I suppose one could get carried away and put the fear of Santa into your children sending them quivering in fear to bed to have nightmares of evil tattling elves...... or you can just have a little fun.   We just hide our elf and the children have to find him each morning.  Sometimes he does get into a little mischief...........   One issue I do have however, the children are supposed to behave or Santa will hear about it, but the elf can make a terrible mess....how does that work?  Lighten up momma and have a little fun!

When we were growing up my mom was very big on tradition and beginning new ones.
We had a little angel that we would hide.   The person who found it got to be the next one to hide it.   Sadly, one year one of us hid it too well and we never found it again.   

The huge thing is to find a balance at Christmas.   Where do you put your emphasis?
The importance is not to let elves and santa over shadow the the real reason for the season.
Gaze in wonder at that beautiful manger scene...........savor the dazzling lights...contemplate the flames from the candles and the fire place...and remember our Saviour came to earth as a babe.... a true miracle!

Funny........

It's that Fall time again......the time before the s.......  At least it is still warm and pleasant, even tho' the trees are naked....
Funny.....as I read previous blogs that I wrote... I wonder where all those words came from....some even are quite profound...I amaze myself....
And this blog is an echo of the last one I wrote.........I feel so burdened and tired...so many people needing our help and prayer.....One is facing serious surgery....one has cancer....one is undergoing tests to find why they can't balance their electrolytes....a marriage is struggling....children are the victims of divorce.....a man is homeless and to proud to ask for help.....O, Lord, we just commit all this suffering unto You....You are the great Healer, You, the one who created us....You know our needs.............

So many tears...so much sadness and heartache...so much pain........... As many of us rejoice and celebrate the season and it's true meaning.....the other element is suffering.
A car accident and loss of a job....a dysfunctional person trying to get it together only to be evicted...a person who is in physical pain.............We are busy cooking, buying and wrapping gifts from the heart....helping the needy....giving to the food bank......
What should we be doing?  Are we doing it right?  Are we there for the suffering?  How are we helping them....a few wrapped gifts? ... a food hamper...sometimes that is enough...but not always....the child waiting for a heart.... the person with cancer......
......take time out to pray...to come before our Lord...to thank him...to lay our burdens down....ask Him to show us how to love, how to give...................revel in His wondrous love for us..............the biggest gift of all is love...............

Java....

No to mediocre beverages!  Research your coffee....consider free trade....and of course grind you own beans.   It takes time to prepare a great cup of coffee or latte' but worth it!   

Nothing like premeditated pee in a foam Elmo chair to start off the eve of the full moon!    I just have this feeling today will be one of those days...............that I need a double dose of grace..............

The cold wind blows..............

The wind is blowing from the north.....chilly....stripping the golden leaves....a reminder of what is to come......
I have this urge to bake, preserve, and shop for Christmas, but by mid-November I am sure the novelty will have worn off.   We used to have many traditions, but most have fallen by the wayside as the older generation fades...and the new becomes too busy.
I want to be motivated.  I want to create.  I want to read and learn.  I want to improve my ability to write.   

This little piggy went to market....or bring home the bacon....

'Bring home the bacon' or 'This little piggy...' took on new meaning today.............. not sure I want to see or smell bacon again for awhile............Caesar salad can do without!  Six pounds of bacon are resting comfortably in the freezer, all nicely cooked awaiting Sunday brunch....and four more to go!   Tomorrow on to sausage cooking.......8 dozen!   Insanity awaits!   Enough pork already!!!

In life so many things are futile....cleaning my windows and my deck...........

Often, I ponder how people can torture other human beings...or any living thing.  After today, I think we may be born programmed to torture.......have you ever watched tiny sibling children???  They definitely know how to torture...they do it every time Mama turns her back...... Have you not heard mother's in Walmart screeching at their child not to pinch their sister or pull her hair or spit on her?   I would call that mild torture, but when you are miniature, it is probably huge torture.  Bullying is torture.  Teasing can be torture.   We don't all tear the wings of insects and burn mice with lighters when we are kids, but do we go out of our way to make life more pleasant and easier for others???  We definitely need to grow in God's grace..........daily.....

Jinxed it!

Ok.....I might not have, but maybe???  Originally, it was supposed to be another hot one, but I may have jinxed it by buying a Slip n' slide last night...............darn!  Going to be difficult to have outdoor time when it rains every 15 minutes.
Life sure is a hiway for many with a lot of crashes.........daily, I have so much to be thankful for when I hear the drama of others.......some...granted is one's own doing and stupidity, but some just seem to have bad luck.....I don't personally believe in luck.........probably because I am not lucky....lol.
God has a plan.....how do we figure out his plan and follow his expectations.....we don't really take the time to listen for His voice in our busy world.   We expect fast answers just like fast food................not sure that God works with a 24 hour day and 60 seconds in a minute..........after all He understands eternity.............how often do we thank Him when all is flowing along...... do we only cry out when we are in turmoil?   I wonder some days if I really even notice what He has done for me during the day...............
Henry Ripplinger is finishing up his very long book signing tour.....and promoting his Angelic letters series............heartwarming to know so many are reading inspirational books.............I don't believe in praying to angels, but I do believe we have guardian angels and I believe we can pray to be protected by angels.......
This aside and genre aside (don't usually read Christian romances) there is much of value ....good scripture and quotes worthy of thought in these books.   I think Henry must have been divinely inspired to write this series and for a man to be so romantic.................good summer reads!   I got a signed copy!