December 5th

Happy Birthday, Gram.

I miss you.

Leave of Absence

How long has it been since I've updated my blog? ...well, long enough for me to forget my password to log in! Oooops!!!

This summer and fall have zipped past so quickly, and I feel like I actually dropped off the planet for a few months. I missed birthdays, events, tea/coffee get-togethers, parties and sleep ....and really just lost sense of what was going on in the world around me.

The process of emptying, sorting, and cleaning Gram's house took so much of my time, and most of my energy. The house sale closed on October 15th, and since then I've been concentrating on my own house (and mess!).

....but now it is time to re-connect: To just sit and have coffee with a friend. To take a day trip somewhere just for the adventure. To spend a day baking cookies or making gingerbread. To lose myself in a good book. To 'live' again.

So, consider this fair warning...... I'm baa-a-a-a-ack!

Quill & Ink

I was out on the weekend touring some antique shops, second-hand stores and bookstores. We discovered many interesting things...from the most elegant silver and crystal, to funny "tools" with an unknown purpose, to just plain junk.

During my adventure, however, I discovered the most amazing old desk. It has a flip down front, that serves as a writing surface. Inside there are little square and rectangle "cubbies" for all those writing necessities -- papers, stamps, etc.

I could imagine sitting in the parlour of an evening, with a coal-oil lamp perched atop this desk. A tea-coloured, tatted doily protects the desk, and adds a touch of elegance to this piece of furniture. I have a couple of pieces of parchment placed in front of me, quill pen in hand, and an ink pot within easy reach. Tucked in the back of the desk are all the tools necessary to complete my letter writing task -- extra paper, wax candle, a stamp seal, a pen knife -- all ready to serve their purpose. As I proceed to write, I think of the person who will be receiving this letter. It will be delivered to their door, and will be read leisurely, perhaps with a cup of tea. They will read my stories and smile, laugh, cry and feel like we've had a visit.

Hmmmm.... Back to 2010. Not only have we done away with the quill and ink, but we have all but eliminated the "letter". Don't get me wrong, I love e-mail. It's amazing how quickly and easily we can keep in touch with friends and family and communicate with each other on a regular basis. However, I do think we are missing an old pleasure of communicating via good old-fashioned letters. Perhaps, I will try to take the time to sit down with pen and paper to write a real letter once in a while....

Bird Song

"purdy, purdy, purdy...whoit, whoit, whoit, whoit, what-cheer, what-cheer... wheet, wheet, wheet, wheet..." I know that sound! That's the call of a cardinal. I look up into the trees, which are budding (but with limbs still visible), in search of the flash of bright red. I know the bird is around because I hear its continuing call, but I cannot see it. This shouldn't be difficult (not like Where's Waldo!) -- It's just brown tree, green buds, and a bright red bird. But alas, I cannot spot him.

Over the past while, I've been learning to recognize some bird calls. Where I previously just heard "birds", I can now identify some of the songs. It's funny how the 'elevator music' of the outdoors has now morphed into specific songs associated with particular birds, just because I have spent some time learning to listen.

As I was reflecting on this, I thought: this is so much like our relationship with God. We walk through life so unaware of all the things God is doing around us. We don't hear the words He whispers to us -- gently guiding, encouraging, teaching. We might hear "birds", but we can't pick out His voice. We have not learned to listen.

However, as we learn to recognize His voice [through reading the Bible (His written word), and talking & listening to Him (through prayer)], we can then sometimes distinguish what He is saying to us. We recognize His voice. We can hear His words admidst the cacophony of noise that surrounds our daily lives. We can choose to listen for Him. And, sometimes, God's voice will seem so obvious to us, that we will be shocked that the whole world doesn't hear Him.

Sometimes, even when we hear His voice, we might not be able to see Him.....but that doesn't mean God isn't there. Often we can't see what He is doing and how He is working in circumstances and people. Just like the cardinal that I could hear but not see, God is there, whether or not I can see Him or what He is doing.

So, when I listen for the songs of the birds that I now can recognize, I will also remember to listen for the voice of my Lord speaking into my life, and to look around to see the things He is doing around me.

Coffee With Gram

Well, it's morning....and quite often after Bethany leaves for school, I make myself a cup of coffee. Some mornings, when I didn't have to rush off somewhere, I would call Gram and tell her that I was making coffee and ask if she'd like me to make some for her too. She would always say yes (Gram really enjoyed her coffee -- with lots of REAL cream and sugar!), and we would chat and catch up while we were "having coffee" together. It was a little ritual that was silly, but treasured.

I miss moments like these. Gram isn't just a phone call away, and now I drink my coffee alone. ....But this morning, Gram, I'm making extra for you and wishing you were here.

Embossing Experience

I enjoy stamps. No, not the kind that you put on envelopes to mail letters, but those little pieces of art carved in rubber. Over the last little while, I have been experimenting with embossing stamp images. For those who aren't familiar with this process: I use a rubber stamp (usually hand-carved) and ink pad to stamp an image on a piece of paper. Then I sprinkle special embossing powder over the image (which will adhere to the wet ink on the image), and then heat the powder, causing it to melt. After it cools, the image is embossed --raised and usually in bright, glossy colours. It can create a beautiful effect.

There is a special heat tool (that looks a little like a hair dryer) that can be used to heat the image to the required "melting" temperature. However, I don't have one. So instead, I use an old frying pan set over a burner on the stove on low heat. This method seems to work well for me.

Well.......the other night, Bethany (age 9) wanted to make some cards, using a rubber stamp. We were talking about ideas, and I asked her what colour of paper she'd like to use and what ink colour. After making those choices, she excitedly asked, "Can we fry them, Mom?"

So, after we stopped laughing, I told her that, yes, we could "fry" her cards too! :)

Thank You

How does one say "thank you"? I have a stack of cards sitting on my dining room table...waiting for me to write words of gratitude. I am grateful to so many people who have helped our family through this time of loss....and yet I am at a loss for words.

How does one put down on paper how much an act of kindness means? To you, it may 'just be a meal' that you dropped off, whereas to me, it meant that our family would actually be able to sit down to dinner that night. To you, it was 'just a donation'...to us, it is a gift that was made in Gram's name that will allow her legacy to live on and to help others. To you, it was 'just flowers', and yet to us, they are a beautiful symbol of remembrance and love. To you, it was a 'small part' in the funeral service, and yet to us, it was someone coming along-side us in our loss and need. To you, it was 'just a prayer, a card, or a hug', but to us, it meant the world. It gave us the strength that we needed to take that next step through this process of saying good-bye. Without all of these things, we would be hurting alone. Instead, we know that we are loved, and surrounded by friends and family who care. By each one of you giving of yourselves, we have been supported and carried.....and most of all, loved. You have been the hands and feet of Jesus, ministering to us.

So, thank you to each and every one of you, my friends, from the bottom of my heart.