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.

Comments Off on Life

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

October 20, 2009 · 6:36 am

Happy Birthday First Born

Who would have thought 36 years ago?

Cut of Eric

That babies grow up to be so adult and balding?

Love you, Eric. 

6 Comments

Filed under Family

October 18, 2009 · 10:26 pm

Notice to Tooth Fairy

I got a call from my grandson tonight.  He has lost a second tooth.  And yes, he really lost it.  It will be found somewhere in the grass outside where he was playing when he banged his teeth on his dad’s head. 

So, dear tooth fairy, look really carefully out there and I am sure you will find it.  You can have it if you leave Kieran a nice little sum of money.

It was important for Kieran to tell me so that I could get a good word in for him with the tooth fairy I guess.  We do work closely together.

1 Comment

Filed under Family

October 15, 2009 · 9:35 pm

Memories

of a tiny life.

Logan Mathew-Alexander Lanoie-McEwen was born eight years ago today.

He lived a brief two days.  Still remembered.  His impact was bigger than he was.

2 Comments

Filed under Family

October 14, 2009 · 10:43 pm

O Mother,Where art Thou?

Today was quite the day. It was one of those morning when I sedate little kids so we can get some simple dental work done in a more pleasant way than the wrap and let scream method.  It is actually pretty hard to hold down a little kid that does not want a needle.  They become suddenly incredibly strong and make totally unpredictable movements.  Lovely when trying to do a mandibular block – and dangerous too.

I had just finished the first case and was measuring up the dose for the second child when I got a phone call.  Zaka’s day care was on the line.  He needed to be sent home since he had a “pink eye” and was not welcome to stay.  They could not reach his mom.

IMG_0215

Well, the other day, Zaka’s mom had her purse stolen and although she found it and all her ID and cards were left alone, her cell phone was smashed.  Today she was in class at SIAST and it is pretty near impossible to find someone there it seems.  The messages I left on the program head’s phone got no response. 

So, I sent a staff member over to the day care and Zaka spent the morning at my office.  At first he was having a great time but several hours later he was very bored and getting noisier and noisier as he played in the waiting room with our big blocks. I needed to get him out of there so that I and my staff would be able to work in the afternoon.

So, off we went to the golden arches for a drive through lunch.  Could not locate his mom but we did find Uncle Christian who was still at home and volunteered to watch him for the afternoon even though he would have to miss his own classes. 

Then it just so happened that Zaka also had a dental appointment with me in the afternoon. At 4.  Thought for sure that his mom would remember and in going to pick him up to bring him for the appointment would discover that he was now at my house with his uncle.  It got close to the time of his appointment but no mom. So, Uncle brought him over. 

It really is not so great to be left at Grandmas when Grandma is the dentist and a filling is needed.  Mom was really the one he wanted by that time.  The dental visit was a bit less than a success. We did get a temporary patch job done and then I packed Zaka up and took him back for more time with uncle so I wouldn’t miss a hair appointment.

Finally, just before 6, mom showed up. She called Christian to see if he could give her some help with her computer and when he said he was at home looking after Zaka, she was pretty surprised. Poor mom.  She was upset that she had caused such a lot of work for all of us because she had no phone and because she had forgotten an appointment. 

Life as a single mom trying to go to school gets very complicated when the boy gets sick. 

Comments Off on O Mother,Where art Thou?

Filed under Day to Day, Family

October 13, 2009 · 10:39 pm

Cold beauty

IMG_1445

Yesterday I walked in the snow along the river. Most of the trees still have green leaves. Frozen green leaves. It’s been a precipitous entry into winter. Across the river the leaves have begun their change to orange but in the midst of snow there is a lot of green that does not belong to the evergreens.

Last week when the temperatures plummeted, some of the still green trees dropped their leaves in piles around suddenly bared trunks and branches. Left naked like a child dropping his clothes in heaps on the floor. No wind came to disturb the piles and now all those leaves lie covered by snow, the still green leaves of neighbouring trees hanging on to their greenery for now.

I need to walk more. The exercise is good but mostly I need to be out in this place so filled with northern prairie beauty. There are no stunning mountain views that remind me of the vast grandeur of God’s creation. There is just the cold and the newly fallen snow, the dark green of the spruce and pine, the yellow of the changing leaves and the river running through it all.

I was thankful for this place of great beauty that I am so privileged to live in, this river path where I can walk and think and talk to God in this place where, in the midst of the city, I can find quiet and beauty.

Comments Off on Cold beauty

Filed under Reflections

October 9, 2009 · 8:33 pm

Thanksgiving

There are many things to be thankful for – a long week of work is done for one thing. 

Today I was working in the operating room – just regular dental work on sort of irregular people I guess.  From a tiny little girl of 17 months to a mentally challenged adult.  It is hard to really know how long I did today will last.  There are a lot of if’s that could make things go well – or not- such as, if brushing happens, if weaning is done from the bottle, if the FAS child gets care from a parent with enough energy to instil consistent habits.  So, time will tell.

And then, back at the office and a patient comes in with some pain that is hard to diagnose.  But she trusts me so she comes and we talk and hope that we can get it sorted out and treated.  Without it costing her more than she can afford.  I can’t do magic of course but I can take some time and talk and let the patient know that I will do the best I can to figure out what is causing their pain. 

Sometimes cost is such a limiting factor in treatment.  Not that all available treatments and marvellous technology inevitably leads to better health but not having the necessary money for simple treatments sure is a serious limitation.  And I have to discern my role in this; what is wise to carry myself and what I need allow the patient to take responsibility for.

So, that was mostly how my day went. Work plus an appointment later with my spiritual director.  Something between us seemed to connect well today.  It seemed as if God was there providing some wisdom that I needed to hear. 

All this caused me to get home rather late tonight.  I was wondering what on earth to fix for supper when Christian came in and said that Leo had called and was socializing with some of our friends down at one of the bars and to call him.  Went for wine and wings and nachos.  As good as supper for me.  Good times with good friends are something to be thankful for as well.

Comments Off on Thanksgiving

Filed under Day to Day, Dental

October 4, 2009 · 6:33 pm

It’s hard to describe

…what made this weekend so special.  Maybe I am simply different.

IMG_1426-2

Maybe it was the beauty and quiet and the presence of God’s Spirit with us as we met and talked and shared stories of our journey along the paths of faith we are walking.

I think I am a bit different from having been there. 

IMG_1427-1

1 Comment

Filed under church, Photos, Travels

October 2, 2009 · 4:14 pm

Up into the mountains again

In about an hour I leave for Calgary.  Then I will head up north west to a beautiful retreat centre – Kingsfold.

  Retreat 016

The Covenant is having a leadership retreat there and I have been invited along to do some spiritual direction. 

I have enjoyed doing this the last few years.  I’ve only been at Kingsfold once but it is beautiful and the sort of place where God can be sensed in both the beauty of the location and in the hospitality of those who run the centre.

It will be good.  I am not sure if I am attending out of a sense of fulfillment I get from sitting and talking about growing relationships with God or if I need this kind of quiet place for some healing of my own soul.

Comments Off on Up into the mountains again

Filed under church, Photos, Travels

September 30, 2009 · 10:33 pm

Whew!

I just caught myself napping. 

I said good bye to the departing children and grandkids and sat down and dozed off.  Maybe I’ll catch my second wind and get something done before bed – or maybe not.

It was a full day.  I got up early to get a lasagne put together and set the oven to go by 4:30 so things would be cooking when I got home, had a shower and left to do a bit of praying up  at the church before work, had an occupational health and safety meeting at lunch and worked most of the day.  A couple of patients failed to show up so I printed off some pictures and did some other paper work at the office before heading home at 5.  Had to swing by the store to get garlic bread and a couple other things and got caught in the slowest check out line up ever.  Didn’t get home till almost 6. Crazy!  At least the lasagne was ready.

And then the party began.  Grace is 22 today today was the big day we were officially introduced to the boyfriend.  So it was quite an evening.  He seems a nice guy and Zaka seems to like him too which is a good sign. And I think he survived the zoo that our house can be when it is full of brothers and sisters and children.

It was a good day even if it was a bit crazy. 

Now, I’d better run through my music for tomorrow’s practice and then get some sleep.

Comments Off on Whew!

Filed under Family