LineaLanoie's Weblog

Here I sit in a quiet house.  Bliss.

Of course the reasons for the quiet are all good so that lends a good sort of shade to this season of quiet.  The kids are out doing their things – dance, soccer, Massa is on the bus to Saskatoon for the afternoon and Leo is out doing some golfing on this rather cold afternoon.  I am going to curl up on the couch with a good book in a few minutes.

We came home from church today to have Massa cook spinach for us, à la congolaise.   This is not your ordinary spinach with cheese sauce or whatever.  We made some special purchases in order to do it right. First of all you shred the spinach leaves into very small pieces by hand.  We used a large package of the prewashed baby spinach.  Then melt some coconut oil in a Dutch oven or other large pot.  We chose coconut oil since it was the closest we could get to unrefined palm oil.  This we bought at a specialty store in the section where you can buy corn popping oils.  The spinach was placed into the hot oil and cooked over low heat till it was cooked but not overdone.  While this was cooking, we chopped about 11/2 cups of roasted, unsalted peanuts very finely.  The peanuts were added to the spinach as well as salt.  We forgot to add some finely chopped onion when we added the spinach to the oil but I guess we could have done that.  Then all that needs to cook slowly until the peanuts are softened.  That can take a while – about 20 minutes. 

While Massa was cooking the spinach, I was getting the rest of the dinner ready.  We were in a bit of a rush since he had to catch the bus.  It struck me that this kind of food preparation should not be rushed.  I liked working alongside Massa.  It was almost as if my soul was slowing down.  I was participating in a work of creation that could not be rushed without diminishing the results.  So the peanuts in our spinach were a bit on the crunchy side even though it was very good.  Perfection in our meals is not often a requirement in our fast food society.  Nor is sitting down and eating the meal in a leisurely fashion.  We miss out on so much with our rushing about.

I am reminded from time to time that I need to make time for solitude in my busy days.  Yet some days, circumstances just seem to work against finding this time. 

This morning, I was heading out to Gatecrashers – our 6:30 am prayer time at church.  I was even running on time.  Then I did something stupid.  I decided to let the dog out for a few minutes so she could do her business outside rather than in her kennel.  I had not forgotten that yesterday our fence was taken down so it could be rebuilt but I thought that a few minutes would be enough and then I would call her and she would come.  I am sure she was out only 5 minutes.  I called her but she did not come.  I went to the front door and called there, but no dog.  Then I hopped in the car and began to drive around the neighbourhood.  Driving around calling for a runaway dog is not conducive to either talking to God or listening to him.  Finally, I decided that I might as well go home and give up on both the dog and on making it to Gatecrashers.  I drove up the driveway and there she was – safely in the back yard as if she had never left. 

I did make it to the church.  God was present in our midst in spite of my crazy morning. 

This is cool. 

Massa wants to learn how to do all the little things that he will need to know, like washing dishes and other stuff that people learn and don’t think about teaching a new immigrant. 

Today he had a lesson in barbecuing.  We did buffalo steaks for dinner and he had to do some well done and some medium rare.  They were good!

Now since my dishwasher is broken, he is having a lesson in how to wash dishes.  The lesson will be given by my daughter-in-law so I do not even have to get my hands wet.  I showed him how we put away leftovers – in plastic containers with lids so the food doesn’t dry out. 

It is a bit like having an extra son in the house but this one wants to learn all these things that most parents have to fight with their kids to do.

This is really cool.

Finally my house is quiet and I have a bit of space to myself in this busy weekend.  Today, Leo’s brother is up for a visit and seems to be sick.  That is not so good but Leo has gotten him some meds and hopefully all will be well. As well, a cousin of Leo’s was over for the afternoon.  And Massa and Eric and Michelle.  The house gets full and I get uncomfortable.  I get to feeling like I can’t move.  And of course I still can and I hate being like that cause I get very grouchy. 

My feelings make me think of the “I do what I do not want to do” passage in the Bible.  I wish I could just relax and enjoy having people around.  I mostly do when I plan it but when people interfere with my plans and are just sort of there and I need to do other stuff then I am – well, I don’t like myself.

Anyway, the busyness seems to have died down and Massa and Patrick are sitting and playing a few tunes on the guitar.  Music calms me and it was good to hear them.  Amazingly, for a while the TV was off and it was quiet – just the music , all sort of peaceful. 

I am waiting for Zakariya to wake up so he can take a bath, eat and go to bed for the night.  Last night he slept pretty well, from about 10:30 till 4:30, drank a bottle and slept again till 8:30.  I wonder what tonight will bring.

In this very busy week hope has changed to actuality for all of us.  Masa has arrived from Africa; from the Congo via Cameroon where he and his friend have been waiting as refugees for 7 ½ years.  Hope is hard to maintain when nothing seems to be moving towards the hoped for goal.  Then bang, boom, things moved and he was here within months.  Strange timeframes as we look at things.  God works in ways and on a schedule we seem to have no clue about.  But his ways and his timing is always good – as we are bound to see somewhere down the road. 

And his friend, Yaounde, still waits in Yaoundé.

So this week has been full of preparations.  Emptying out a room packed full of craft supplies and stuff (I won’t call my own strange collection of stuff junk).  Preparing to paint the room (thanks to Eric And Michelle), painting (thanks to Tom and Mary Jane), carpet cleaning (Oh my back hurts).

At the same time as all these preparations are going on, Grace had two major projects due at school.  I was needed to help with Zakariya; a job I like but have to admit is non-stop while he is awake.  He is a pretty good baby and of course I love him.  Now Grace is off to dance in Calgary again this weekend so I will be looking after him again.  As well as being on call.  DO NOT BREAK A TOOTH THIS WEEKEND, PLEASE!

In spite of all the cleaning we have done in the past week, the house seems as messy as ever.  The dishwasher is still broken down.  There are baby toys everywhere.  Masa moves in tonight, so supper may be a large group – who knows – I’ll just cook lots and see who shows up.

Tomorrow we have many people over for a get-to-know Masa evening.  Burgers and smokies on the barbeque.  It is supposed to be a nice day.  We will have the firepit going too for the ones who get chilly and maybe for the kids who want to roast hot dogs. 

Next week will be quieter??

I guess, to how much one person can handle.  These days I am feeling like I am pretty much there.  On top of my usual stuff – work, home and church – I have a cold that is making me lose most of my energy.  The dishwasher is on the fritz.  And I have my craft and general junk holding room to clean out this weekend.  Some Mother’s Day!

Maybe I will give blogging a little break

Sometimes it feels as if the head will explode.  That would not be pretty – especially with a head full of mucous and such right now.

I just got home from Saskatoon.  The day started really early, the sun rising as we got to Saskatoon.  I dropped Grace at the airport, watched her pass through security, and then went over to Dave and Annette’s so I could sleep on their sofa till Kieran woke up to play with his Grandma.  Went out for a late breakfast at Jerry’s Food Emporium – I’d never been there before.  They have a good play area.  Kieran ate a bit and played a lot.  Then we took in some garage sales.  Kieran knows what that is all about.  We found some good stuff for him and managed to get away without buying all the toys. 

Then over to a great little bike shop – City Park Cycle where Eric met me.  He knows the guys who  run the shop.  I came away with a beautiful new bike – a Jamis Commuter.  I am not about to risk my life and limbs mountain biking for real.  This will do me just fine.  A nice cushy bigger seat for the sensitive areas and more upright handle bars.  Had fenders and a kickstand put on.  Picked up a helmet to protect these amazing brains of mine.  Now I will try to ride to work daily to get in a bit better shape.

While waiting for the bike to get the finishing touches, I went to Eric’s and spent most of the afternoon sitting in his back yard trying to read.  But honestly, he talks way too much for that, so we actually visited and talked and I relaxed.

Picked up my bike then went to visit Rachelle.  She was enjoying her backyard too after working all day while her boyfriend, Asen, made supper. 

It was a fun day.  It has been long but good.  A breather in the midst of my busyness.  I thought it would just be a tiring day but it turned out to be soooo good.