Category Archives: Dealing with stuff

January 2, 2010 · 7:58 am

Pushed to efficiency – but no rest in sight

It seems as if a strange phenomenon happens to me – when I get busier, I become more efficient.  Therefore, I suppose I should look on the unexpected events of this week so much as an inconvenient imposition on my time maybe but more as a helpful impetus to efficiency.

One week from today I should be on my way to Chicago to take a J-Term intensive class at my denominations seminary.  The class material looks good and the professor is an old colleague from the Congo. Well, actually, he is probably not “old” at least not exactly older than me but we have known each other for a considerable time.  The class is entitled Pastoring the Missional Church.  Even though I’m not likely to ever pastor a church in an institutional setting the material speaks of a subject that I feel a connection to – how to interact with the culture in which I find myself in ways that are consistent with the teachings of Christ; how to live out my faith in ways that demonstrate God’s love and care for the people I interact with.  This I know is something I am called to even if the setting for me is uncertain now.

So, anyway, I have a lot of reading to do to get ready for the class and a couple of short papers to write reviewing the books. 

On top of this, I have a Greek quiz to get done this weekend.  So, this evening or tomorrow afternoon that is one thing I will be doing.

And then circumstances threw another big change into my schedule. Got a call on Tuesday that a space had opened up in a very nice home for my aunt but that we should either move her there on Thursday (New Years Eve) or next week.  Since next week I have a full slate of patients and since this kind of a move involves a huge amount of time for paperwork and packing not available when I am working, I chose to get the move done this week.  So far, the past three afternoons have been entirely taken up with this move and I expect today will be no different.  But today should finish the move.  I hope.

I have found that in spite of the full schedule things are getting accomplished.  I don’t have a lot of time to just relax though and very little time to enjoy the outdoors like I was anticipating.  But –37 C is a little cold for outdoor activities anyway, eh?

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Filed under Day to Day, Dealing with stuff, Family, Studying

December 23, 2009 · 9:55 pm

The Night Before The Night Before

Last day of work today for a week and a bit.  We finished off the day with a couple of emergencies that walked in to the office at the very last moment.  One fellow I could not help.  My sore hand had been working hard on some fillings and I just did not think it was wise to start an extraction that I might not be able to finish.

So the end of the day was spent catching up on all the last minute shopping, some gifts, some groceries, filled the car with gas and printed off some pictures I need for gifts.  Then I realized that I no longer had my VISA card.  It was not in its customary slot in my wallet. 

I don’t think there is a feeling that is much worse.  I need that card when I travel in January.  There would barely be time to replace it and there are all those accounts set up that I would have to remember to change.  So, my mind began backtracking the events of my afternoon – when had I used it last, etc.  And I realized I had l left it in the chipreader following one of my purchases.  What were the chances of it still being there two hours later?  I almost gave up before returning to the store.  But, I thought I’d better at least give it a try. 

So glad I did!  The person minding the till was still on duty and there was my card.  Wonder of wonders!  Thank God it was safe.  Made my day! 

So, now there are just gifts to wrap, food to cook and a bit of relaxing to do. 

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Filed under Christmas, Dealing with stuff, Dental

December 4, 2009 · 6:51 am

So it ends

I made a decision last night to end my participation in the local orchestra.

“End my participation” sounds so much better than “drop out of”, eh?

We were playing last night at one of the care homes; what Dean calls an open rehearsal. I have been trying very hard to find some practicing time over the past two weeks and thought I was not doing too badly but last night it was just too obvious that if I can’t practice more, I can’t contribute much to the orchestra. I’m still an early stage learner not an accomplished bassist who can take the simple songs we have and play them well without a lot of practice. I came home very frustrated and disappointed with myself after our rehearsal since even for the songs I thought I had prepared fairly well, I played way too slow to keep up.

So, I guess that’s it for now. For this year. For the bass.

I now will use the practice and orchestra time to work a bit harder on my Greek and see if that extra time helps me out there. Christmas is always a busy time for family so the extra freedom to enjoy the kids and grandkids will be good too. And then in January I go to Chicago for another class and start an online class in February. So, I will not be bored with nothing to do.

I’m the kind of person who adds things to my schedule with enthusiasm but lets go of things with reluctance. But there comes a point when reason prevails.

I will miss playing my bass with the orchestra. Very much.

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Filed under Dealing with stuff, Music

October 23, 2009 · 3:22 pm

Life

Right after work tonight, I hit the road and head for Saskatoon to board a plane to Calgary then drive again to Canmore. I hope to make it to my hotel there by 10:30 or so. We’ll see. Last time I estimated the time it would take to get up to Kingsfold, I underestimated by a good hour. Of course I got lost and it was snowing and raining so hard it was easy to miss my turn off.

So, I guess we will see. I will get there when I get there.

I am attending Alive,an adult retreat (which usually means over 50, you young things that do not fit the description) Ruth Hill is speaking and since we did time together in the Congo, we always have lots to talk about.

And I am now waiting for the School Dental Program people to arrive so that I can finish a job that ended up being a bit too complicated for them. I do not want to have to speed too fast on the way to Saskatoon and my meeting scheduled for there at 6 before my plane leaves.

Such a hectic life I lead. Sometimes it seems as if the crazyiness comes totally unbidden and unplanned putting an end to all my nicely timed out schedule.

Life. Is Too Full Some Days.

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Filed under Day to Day, Dealing with stuff, Travels, Worship events

September 10, 2009 · 7:47 pm

A sad first

I had a first time experience yesterday.  I guess it was kind of first time for the whole office.  We called the police to come and remove a patient from the waiting room.

I also had my first one on one conversation, of sorts, with a patient so inebriated that she swung from being in tears to drooling to using descriptive phrases we don’t normally allow people to use in our office.  Finally sort of convinced her that we could NOT work on her and that she would have to go back out to the waiting room and call someone to come and pick her up.

It was rather pathetic.  She knew a number to call but the answer we got was that it wasn’t their business.  The next phone call got a promise to come that was never carried out.  Meanwhile she passed out in our waiting room only to wake up every now and then to tell everyone to shut up and stop making so much f…ing noise.  Sort of disruptive.  And very sad actually. 

Hated to call the police to take her away. 

Sad combination of fear, pain and long standing problems with alcohol.  And we could not help her.

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Filed under Dealing with stuff, Dental

July 7, 2009 · 9:50 pm

Computer ailing

Leo took my little laptop down to Saskatoon today to an authorized repair person so that \i could get it fixed on warranty.  There is a problem with the bearings in the fan so a part has to be ordered and all.  Just so happens there are none of the necessary parts in stock – all on back order. (To me that does not sound good – as if there has been such a high need that they ran out.  But maybe that is just my personal sense of loss interpreting this.)  I miss my little laptop already!

But Leo, my dear sweet husband has said that I should just go ahead and use his.  So I have been setting us a few extras on his and here I am.

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May 6, 2009 · 10:26 am

Dilemmas

I feel as unsettled as the weather today.  Big black clouds loomed on the eastern sky and now it is raining.

There is stuff I’m having to deal with right now that looks as dark and foreboding as those clouds.  Stuff that makes me wonder how to live out my life in a way pleasing to God, in line with my ethics.  It is hard to even know how to live out my ethical beliefs in the best way – no clear cut answers to some dilemmas.  It is a bit hard to be specific about what is going on. 

Some of this is related to my profession and  may become public soon enough.  Some is church related and will never be known by anyone but me and some very close friends.  In both cases, if you are praying people, I need some guidance from God and would appreciate your prayers.

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April 16, 2009 · 7:58 am

Memories

I decided to have Shredded Wheat this morning – not the preformed sort of sweetened little squares that are called Shreddies – but the bite sized shredded wheat.  As I poured boiling water over them and then drained the excess water away, the aroma reminded me so much of my dad.  He used to get the big bowl sized shredded wheat ready for us this way when we were kids.

A tinge of longing rose with the aroma.

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Filed under Dealing with stuff, Family

April 9, 2009 · 3:24 pm

The tension of living with longings

I have a deep longing that sends me searching for the presence of God and there are many days when I would love to be a hermit or something with nothing but time to seek God’s presence.  But, down deep I don’t think that is exactly what God wants most for me.  I know that God’s gift of life to me requires that I live daily in conformity with his principles, loving him with all my heart and loving others as Christ himself demonstrated, by being willing to give away everything I am to serve others. 

I struggle with the tension of longing to spend time in God’s house, in God’s presence, on one hand, and, on the other hand know that God is present in the lives I touch with my work, with my mothering and grandmothering and as a friend.  I will perhaps find evidence of God’s presence best in the people I am willing to be a servant to, even if they are family.  The latter is the hardest task somedays (and so “common” – no  glamour to be found) but likely the work that is most faithful to the way of Christ. 

So, tonight I’m babysitting.  Although he is hardly a baby any more.  And he is fun and calls out the child in me as we stomp in puddles on the path. And his mom will be out enjoying an evening on the town – because I love her and have to let her go and enjoy life.

Still …. becoming a hermitess has its appeal.

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Filed under Dealing with stuff, grandchildren

January 30, 2009 · 6:56 am

Things learned

Maybe the best thing about ranting on a blog is that, in the responses, one begins to see that the issue that caused the rant is one that raises the passions because it is one that we also struggle with.

If I rant about how others express love so imperfectly, it is because I also am imperfect and I fight against that.

A rant is a bit like shouting at God.  But when we are finished and we begin to listen again, we hear him in new ways, mostly showing us that the rant reflects our own need for his grace.

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