Category Archives: Day to Day

February 6, 2009 · 5:06 pm

Heading north

Well, in a few minutes I am heading upt o a cabin at Waskesiu for one of my solitude weekends.  Things will be quiet here since there is no internet out there.  But that will probably be good.  More space for God to speak into the quiet.  It’s funny maybe but going away for a weekend of quiet and prayer is so inviting to me – like going away to have an intimate visit with my best friend.  And I can hardly wait to be on the way.  Just a couple of errands to do on my way out of town.

I do regret that I chose this weekend to be away since it is communion Sunday and it has been too long.  but I need this weekend.

I will also be studying for my mid-term in Greek which happens next Saturday.  And reading some other good stuff that is packed away in my bag.  Snowshoes and camera are in there too.  The weather should be perfect temperature wise although it is very grey and overcast.  Maybe some snow in the forcast?  We’ll see, I guess.

Now I’m off.  Back Sunday night.  Have a good weekend all.

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February 3, 2009 · 10:03 am

Schmaps

A bit ago the people who make these interactive maps asked if I would consider allowing them to shortlist a phot I took last summer when Leo and visited The Field Museum in Chicago.

The museum is a fascinating place holding a collection of archeological finds to  insects and natural science displays.  It holds something that will entrance people of all and almost any interest.  My photo looks down into the open main floor and entrance hall. It really requires more than a day to explore.  Only problem is sensory overload – there is so much to see.

field-museum-edited

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February 2, 2009 · 10:00 am

Preserving the door.

This morning when I got to work, I was met with the fact that our outside door had come unhinged.

That’s right.  Had completely come off its hinges.

Its a big glass door and as the staff opened up this morning, it kind of came off in their hands.  And of course the frame of it is metal.  Metal that gets very very cold when it is -33 outside.  T and K grabbed it with bare hands.  Now they have little spots of frostbite where they had to hold on to it.

How does a boss thank those two for such dedication to door preservation?

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February 1, 2009 · 7:50 am

I can tick that one off my to do list.

Last night I was part of an orchestra.  It was so much fun playing and having drums and trumpets and a choir behind us. 

It covered up for all the parts I did not play well.  And, besides, I was not carrying the bass part all by myself.  There were 5 basses all together – four of them a whole lot better at it than I.

I struck up a conversation with the 11 year old young man standing beside me.  He said something to the effect of, “I like your bass style when we are playing the jazz parts.”  And I thought to myself, “Wow, I like your style when you are just playing anything.”  How wonderful to be 11 and already so good. 

I didn’t talk much to the other bass player.  They were teenagers and – well maybe that says it all.

I guess I have a long standing acquaintance with the conductor.  His wife and I sang together in our high school years.  He came over and talked to me during one of the practice breaks.  I had kind of lost track of Judy and so, although his name was so familiar and it triggered that feeling of “he knows me and I should be able to place him,”  I could not be sure.  Now I know and Judy and I will have to reconnect. 

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January 28, 2009 · 5:56 am

Simple pleasures

Taking someone you love a cup of tea and having them look up and thank you.

Temperatures that do not fall below -20C.

Making a grand daughter smile by playing peek-a-boo.

Coffee with God in the morning.

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January 26, 2009 · 8:37 am

Getting ready for the big concert

Yesterday it was mentioned at church that there is a big concert coming up this Saturday.  The Saskatoon Youth Orchestra along with a mass choir from this city and some other hanger on groups such as the PA Strings are getting geared up to take over the EA Rawlinson Centre on Saturday.

Three people from the congregation are involved – Fiona who is singing with her school choir, Joanne(violin) and myself(bass).

So, now that it has been announced in church, it will be hard not to show up – which I was strongly tempted to do.  There has been much practicing going on at my house.  I don’t want my fans to be utterly disgusted with me!

The evening should be excellent, aside from my ineptitude at some of the songs.  I’ll be quiet.

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January 24, 2009 · 11:34 am

-35

I just came in from errands.  It looks so nice out there but it is bone chilling cold.

-35 with the wind chill.

Hoping this is the last blast of winter cold.  Come on spring.

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January 23, 2009 · 10:22 pm

Now, if the weather had been warmer it would have been better, but …

This was one of the best days I have had for a long time.  I had a day off.  There was no school so my work at the School Dental Program  was on hold.

To start with, I slept in.  You may not consider 7:15 am as sleeping in but I do.  Its the best longest sleep in I’ve had in months.  Leo, who has been away a good part of the week woke me up by calling from Saskatoon.  Of course he thought for sure I’d be up.  But I’ll forgive him.  It is good to have him home.

Then, I spent a good part of the day talking with people.  One on one visiting has got to be one of my favorite things to do.  And one was my own spiritual direction appointment and it was so good to go and talk with someone today.  Needless to say, she commented on my obvious excitement as I told her I’d been accepted to seminary.

I came home to make a yummy supper.  Otherwise, I didn’t get as many errands accomplished as I had hoped.

But I did finish Grammer Quiz #4.  One to go before my midterm.  It feels good to have that done for the weekend.

Now, off to bed – with my hubby.  I do love that old guy!

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January 21, 2009 · 4:08 pm

I’m In!

I think most of you who are around me know that I have applied for the MDiv program at North Park Theological Seminary.

dscn1214

The application process is way more involved than just sending in transcripts and an application.  There are several references, a couple of essays to write and then telephone interviews.  I started the process back in late November so all those things have been happening over the past couple of months.

On Monday, I had a telephone interview.

When I checked my messages last night, I had a message to call them.

This morning, I called and was congratulated on being accepted to the MDiv program.

So now it starts.  I’m going to be busy but it will be good.  Well, it is underway with my Greek class already but this is sort of official and serious…..and a bit scarey.  It will mean some hard work study wise.  Hope my brain doesn’t turn to mush!

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January 18, 2009 · 2:39 pm

A Push From The Almighty

It was a beautiful morning as I left home just before sunrise this morning.  The sky was one of those amazing shades of pinky orange and I had a few extra minutes before I was due at the church for worship music practice.  I had my camera in my purse and on the spur of the moment decided to take a short detour in order to get a better picture of the sky.

You know what that means – short detours have a way of taking you  places you had NO intention of ending up. 

I thought that the road leading down to the sewage treatment plant, just on the edge of town, a few minutes from the street I take to get to church anyway, would give me the view I wanted – lots of sky and trees on one side, river on the other.

I didn’t think I was driving that close to the side of the road.  But it was way softer than I anticipated and my front right wheel got caught in the soft snow on the shoulder.  It was as if an irresistible force took hold of that wheel and pulled me right down there into the ditch. 

So, there I was.  At the bottom of a deep ditch in soft snow.  My spare minutes for photography were all of a sudden used up and I was not exactly at the church. 

I think I got a good dose of my father’s stubbornness.  I flashed back to one of those times when we, the whole family in the car, were hopelessly stuck in some mud hole on a dirt road that he had thought worthy of exploration.  We would all end up having to push or walk to the nearest farm to get help.  I swore I would never be like that! 

At least, I was alone.  Stupid maybe, but alone with my stupidity.  My stubbornness showed up about then and I decided that I would just drive out.  After all, I have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.  Well, maybe not meant for off-roading but 4 wheel drive should be good for something.  And, I was not stuck.  I mean the vehicle could move – parallel to the road in the ditch – quite freely. 

We did it, that CRV and me.  And maybe the Almighty gave me a small push between his guffaws of laughter at this silly woman who he loves too much to imagine, this daughter of another one of his beloved children.  Maybe they both had a good laugh.

I was only ten minutes late for practice.  It was a particularly good and joyful morning as I had a good laugh at myself too.

No pictures though.  The orange of the sky had disappeared.

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