house full

Yesterday there were about 40- 50 people in Mel and Sarah's house--left over relatives here for the wedding (like me). Today there are 6 of us, the rest have gone home. Mel has hidden himself away as he is "peopled out". Laena and I drove Lois to the airport this morning --heading back to Hong Kong. THE WEDDING was lovely but what a lot of work for two-four hours of celebration. PLEASE TELL ME IT WAS WORTH IT ALL --traditions kept, memories made, pictures for future reference, -- I'm not sure today. I watched Sarah store away all the decorations, and left over food. I've heard a few nieces say "I'm flying to an island--come if you want". I Think I recall that one from my own family too!!

BC is lush and beautiful. There are berries hanging from every bush and fruit trees dropping fruit. I keep saying to the relatives "If Art were here he'd be in his glory berry picking"

Gail is blogging!! YEAH GAIL

Lonely

I'm lonely today. I'm surrounded by extended family and we've had a good time, lots of fun, (Nancy I "DO" fun), a beautiful wedding and great food--lots of it--But I feel lonely. I miss the strong presence of God so near and dear. I borrowed my nieces CD player to play my music and listen to my Cds. Just now I'm reading your bloggs and then I want to go back to my alone time with God.

(Erica we taught Auntie Lois to say "blogger" when she's upset. She caught on fast to the "bloggin ideas" I fly out to Los Angeles Tuesday morning. NO earth quakes allowed!!

Pssst....

*eyes darting side to side*

Hey everyone, it's Yvonne! I snuck into Bev's blog! Muh-ha-haa! I thought I'd change her template as a surprise for her when she gets home!!
I hope she likes it.....!!

Bye!

Yvonne

God is Good

I'm going to Vancouver to a wedding tomorrow (Tuesday) and then I'm going to SanDiego to another Wedding. I woke up this morning worried about not having a Cd walkman to take my music and tapes that have sustained me the last two years. Then before I was even fully awake I could "hear" the most important ideas that I've been learning, running through my mind and heart. Wow these things are in my "SPIRIT" or in HIS SPIRIT which is in my spirit. Now I've been a Christian since I was three and have memorized tons of scripture, read the Bible through a bunch of times, gone through Sunday school programs, worked in all kinds of church and camping programs all my life ---BUT GOD IS TEACHING ME SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW---again. So I've got to let go of the" old" to learn the new--be teachable. This doesn't scare me as much now as it did the first time I felt stripped of " old stuff" Foundations are firm and clean and clear but Gods' winds keep changing and moving. I don't CARE how OLD I am I refuse to miss out on what HE IS DOING!! There is always a cost in moving forward but I'm willing to pay it as I MUST BE where HE is--anything less is just form or religion. There is a lot of talk about God moving on the Youth and maybe in this earthly realm, I'm old but in heaven's time I'm just a babe---I REFUSE to let anyone tell me that I can't walk in ALL THE NEW THINGS THAT GOD WILL BRING---TILL I LEAVE THIS EARTH.!!! God is a Good God

reading content or exacting detail

My mother went to school in a different country and then learned English as a sixteen year old when she immigrated to Canada. I learned as a child to read for content and intent and ignore what was actually written on the page. My husband reads every comma, period, written word, spelling mistake, and grammatical error!! This drives me nuts!! To me he totally misses the POINT of the writer with his critical eye on the errors. (He could not read Mom's letters AT ALL) . I know it is good that we all see life with a different lens so that many different skills for many different jobs are covered. Last week I was reading a copy of one of the books in the Narnia series and ran across three spelling mistakes. I was amazed that I caught them as usually I wouldn't notice, in enjoying the story, something as trivial as a spelling mistake!! Maybe Arts' ways are rubbing off on me after all these years. I hope my ways are rubbing off on him too!

Intolerance

I am a reflector not an actor (personality wise) so I have to think and feel for a while before I respond but now I am on to "tolerance". I won't repeat the good stuff that has already been said (see Cindy and Judi blogs) but intolerance isn't good either (remember that I was alive in Pleasantville times). Intolerance says everyone must fit into the community standard or else they will be marginalized (is that a word--anyway it describes what I want to say). The robotic beginning to Pleasantville was a kind of reality. People that "put on a good face" and pretended to do all the "right stuff" were acceptable. It wasn't until the Sixties that people started to ask "Who decides what IS the "right stuff" ?"--and further-- "What IS the right stuff?" Now I realize that we have gone so far from this that now there are FEW (if any) absolutes in society, but between then and now, I'd still choose NOW. There's room for individuals to think their own thought and be different without a whole room full of people falling off their chairs. Tolerance says "You don't have to accept my way of thinking but you DO have to listen to me". (Love says listen with your heart not just your mind). I DO NOT WANT TO BE TOLERATED EITHER but intolerance is a worse senario for me. I don't want to go back there.

old times

I just wrote a whole bunch of stuff and then it vanished *&^%&*#@. I wish I understood what I was doing. I'll try again.

Last night I met with a girl friend from grade one. (Think Pleasant Ville) We were discussing the fact that our realities were what our mothers' told us. Her mother told her that the neighbors who travelled their back road on Friday nights were alcoholics. My mother told me those same neighbors were communists-- so we were afraid of our alcoholic, communist neighbors!! It is funny now but then our perceptions were our reality.
We lived on farms.
We went to church on Sundays,
We had no tv.
We listened to radios sometimes
Got the Winnipeg Free Press once a week for farm news (in Alberta)
Times said "children should be seen and not heard"
Books in our house were a Bible story book, Bibles, encyclopedias (no kids books)

What our Mothers' told us was our "truth" Is the same true today or do kids have more input into their lives with tvs, play dates, earlier school, computers, libraries, etc. Are their realities broader than ours were?? I guess they still need their reality interpreted for them. Times have changed SOO much. Speaking of that -- I hope this doesn't disappear when I go to post it!!

unease

This last week I have felt very unsure of myself. I have been second guessing decisions, wondering about choices, checking out things that I'm usually confident about. I'm not sure what has shaken confidence. (I'm a last born so confidence has never been a strong point but this is much more than that). I feel unease about EVERYTHING!! I think I'm driving my friends crazy --needing to be nudged to pray or say my piece of something--I love being a part of community but right now (without confidence) I'd just like to hide away and be alone. I'm never sure if this is just "me" or if this is a bigger picture of something else so I'll just throw it out there into the mix and see if anyone has anything to say.

my first blog!

I've had a very unusual summer. I had taken the month of June off from my job and then decided half way through the month, that I needed to give a two week notice as I was not ready to go back to work. A whole summer off!! I've not had that since I was 13 before I could work off the farm. But of course the farm had more work than a "job"has, so maybe this is my first summer off since I was an infant. Of course, when I was parenting, I technically had time off but as much as I loved parenting-- this is NOT time off.
What did I do??
I taught child care in two communities
I spent time reading and nurishing my soul and spirit
I read blogs and commented on them
I listened to many many CD's, teaching and music (supplied by a dear friend)
I travelled to different places
I cooked for Art so he didn't starve to death while I was gone
I entertained some great friends (some came in the form of relatives)
I started walking a few times a week
I played with grandkids more

I've decided my life was off balance so I am trying to restore some kinds of balance that I can live with. Less tv, more reading, less sitting, more movement, a mixture of serious listening to others, time for myself with no GUILT attached. The telephone WILL NOT rule my life. It's been great. Our bills are paid. (Visa is higher than I'd like) but it's been a great summer and it isn't over!!!