Gaspereau and Winter Wonderland

Wanting a little adventure today we travelled from our house where there was no snow to Wolfville--about 75 minutes from our house to the pretty Annapolis Valley.  I bought some wool to knit socks at this unique wool shop.  This shop in the Gaspereau Valley (a few miles from Wolfville)  sells wool that is locally produced on the farm--they raise sheep.  They also market wool produced by the "Fleece Artist" from Mineville, Nova Scotia and other very exotic yarns--bamboos, merino wool, etc.  Being a rather "newbie" onto the knitting scene, all of this is exciting.  It is fun to experience new textures, new ideas to me about knitting. 

Christmas 2009

  Christmas celebrations began the first Sunday of Advent.  During that time we have celebrated St. Nick's Day (Dec.6) with our children and grandchild.  :)  The usual baking and decorating happened.  On December 16th we had Christmas Dinner with Lisa, Mike and Annika before they left two days later for Vancouver and Australia.

December 25th we had the privilege of having Glenda and Bill join us for our morning brunch.  We had a yummy feast and celebrative times.

Because we had no set family plans during the usual Christmas celebration time, i worked a few shifts at "The Birches"  long term care home located in Musquodoboit Harbour just twenty minutes from our home.

We have had the privilege of attending Handel's Messiah by the Nova Scotia Symphony, reading some books like The Story of the other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke., still reading Best Christmas Pageant Ever again, attending our church Christmas Eve service, volunteering with Feed Nova Scotia,  going for many walks with Stella, talking by phone to our children in Cebu and in Vancouver, reading many thought provoking readings by Henri Nouwen and from the Upper

Room devotional.

Conrad Beach.

Lawrencetown Beach.

Our hearts are full!

Be Still and Know that I am God...

Today as I was walking I could hear the roar of the ocean which is about five kilometres from our house--all was so still. 

The picture of Annika was taken five days ago.  She also knows how to be still.

A Prayer for Christmas

Yesterday we received a Christmas letter from our pastors.  It concluded with A Prayer for Christmas by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Here it is:

Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.  Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.  Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.  Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.  May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.  Amen.

New Little Precious Grandaughter!

Isn't she gorgeous?  Annika is adjusting so well to her life within her loving family.   It seems that she is taking in all the sights and sounds in her environment.  Loves to eat!And good at sleeping!

Advent 2009

Yesterday, the first Sunday of Advent, we lit the first candle on our advent wreath.  This is a special tradition in our home.  The wreath was made about twenty five years ago together with our children.  Each year we have used it  together with readings and meditations for encouragement towards paying attention to God's presence in our lives.  Happy Advent Season to all!

"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back--whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'.  Mark 13:35-37

Happy Thanksgiving!

Because we lived in the United States for four years and because our children were born in the U.S. we have permanent fond recollections of previous Thanksgiving celebrations.  We gained a real appreciation for friends who showed us how to celebrate this "holiday" in grand style.  Even after we moved back to Canada in 1978 we have always celebrated two Thanksgivings every year.  The Canadian celebration in October and then again now in November.  Our standard reason for two Thanksgivings has always been that we have so much for which to be thankful we can't fit it all into one celebration.

Tomorrow the turkey is going into the oven in the late morning--and together with Lisa we are putting on a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. 

Maybe it will be a morning like this!!

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.  Psalm 34:8

Discovering Joys of Grandparenthood

My mom and sister, Brenda, and niece, Katya, visited this past weekend. The introductions to Annika were so much fun and pure joy! What great moments! A four generational photo--My mom, Mary, Lisa, Marilyn and little Annika.

Happiness is...

Proverbs 17:6: Children's children are a crown to the aged...

On Being Grandparents

The blog post on October 19th had a picture of a car seat, still vacant, but waiting.

Monday, November 9th our first grandchild, Annika, was born. She is the one who will be seen in that car seat. She is Lisa and Mike's first child. She is beautiful. And yes, i am the grandparent, who is quickly slipping into total love and adoration of this little one--but see for yourself.

Being a grandparent as i see it is an honour and a privilege. I am watching and listening for tips and insights into this new stage in life. It would be instructive to receive advice from you my readers.

Canoe Ride

As we were looking out our living room window this morning we noted that the lake looked like this--perfect for a canoe ride. So within minutes we were out the door.

These photos are what we saw.

Here's a cute boat house...looks inviting, doesn't it?

The fallen leaves in the water and rocks is a sometimes forgotten art display.

We thank God for the privilege of today's rich experience!

Books

I love to read. Over the past few years I have started to keep track of the books that I have read by writing a little about each one, how they have made a difference or not in my life and/or a distinguishing feature of the book. A few minutes ago I finished reading La Prisonniere by Malika Oufkir. It is a story of her ordeal at the hands of the regime in Morocco. It is a true story almost beyond belief..."Powerfully conveys the amazing, almost miraculous resilience of the human spirit when faced with extreme adversity...teaches us that courage, strength, determination, human dignity, hope and a sense of humour, most particularly a sense of humour-can survive even the most extreme and brutal conditions." a quote from Daily Mail.
It is truly a moving story. I recommend it. Thank you, Alice, for this book (one of many good reads that you gave me).

Rest for the Weary?

Today as I was on a bike ride at Lawrencetown Beach I decided to take a picture of something that we have noted before at this site but have never stopped to take a photo. Our guess about why these chairs are chained to the tree is possibly because some senior citizen has found the spacing between benches to be too far and has rigged something so that they can walk and have a rest when needed. Who really knows?

What Do People Do All Day?

This fall with the encouragement of a book that I read by Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and from the excitement about canning that my daughter and daughter-in-law have evidenced, I took up the challenge to "put away" for the winter. The reward is seeing all those yummy items on the shelf, sharing with others and eating good things. These are the items in our cold room: peaches, peach salsa, pepper relish, salsa, beet pickles and dill pickles.

A few times in the past few weeks, Lisa, Stella (Lisa and Mike's dog), and I have walked up the headlands. It is a beautiful view in all directions from there. And we also get a bit of a cardio workout.

Something wrong with this picture?

The other day when I took a tour of our back yard I found this Easter lily blooming! I would say that is out of season. You can see the beautiful "burning bush" in the background with its glorious red leaves. This spring after the lily had bloomed for us inside, I transplanted it to the garden. And now it is blooming again. Fun!

Just a Couple of Things

Here is a new baby car seat. The significance of this picture is that it means there is an imminent change happening. In this seat our new grandbaby will be. Yes, we are really looking forward to this new stage in our lives and in the lives of all of our family.

Ah yes...Porter's Lake at its best. What a beautiful morning this was a few days ago. This land is our land. :) It was here that I picked wild cranberries this afternoon--about two litres of them. They are frozen now and ready for some addition to delectable feasts to come.

Fall

Fall is one of my favourite times of year. This photo was taken at the Porters Lake Provincial Park which is about two kilometers from our house. It is the same lake that is in front of our house. We walk here often. My soul is stirred by the beauty!

A photo taken along a "farm road" in Prince Edward Island. When i walk along roads like this i always wonder where it is leading me... an invitation to discovery.

Can it be Thanksgiving Time already?

An image from a perspective of a restaurant in New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island--taken last weekend when we travelled together with Lou's sister and her husband (Margie and Lloyd). Dinner by the way was spectacular. I loved the clouds. This picture was taken from the Halifax harbour.

This is the most recent book that i have read. What can i say about this book? Definitely gave me a new window of understanding in regards to slavery, the deplorable way in which people treated others, the outright exploitation that occurred in the mid 1700s, how Nova Scotia's history was affected by the black slaves, the strength, grace, beauty that emerged from a life of one young girl slave who suffered immeasurably, but gave so much to the world.

Art produced by the ocean along Lawrencetown Beach! God's presence is everywhere. It is intriguing and wonderful at the same time to watch for signs of his presence in our world.

And so, it is Thanksgiving Season. Yesterday when we were in the Halifax Market, we were reminded by all the beautiful fresh vegetables, the free range turkeys, fresh cranberries (which i have also picked on the lake front part of our yard). Thankfulness opens our hearts and minds to recognize and to receive the gifts that God brings into our lives. Sometimes the gifts are surprise packages.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Seasons

This past week I have had opportunity to ride my bike, often along the Trans Canada trail close to our home. Salt Marsh Trail, as seen below, is a section of the path that leads into the Cole Harbour area. Salt Marsh connects to the Atlantic Trail which is at Lawrencetown Beach. Bike riding is so very much fun for me...I love the freedom, kind of abandonment from daily anxieties when I am biking. It is a time when I pray for my friends and family, experience God's presence in the breezes, new sights, forestry smells.

These are rose hips connected to this bush, not tomatoes. Rosehips are one of the signs of fall that we are noticing these days. Other signs that the next season is upon us is that our warm, summery days become cooler at 5:30 or 6 p.m. The temperature dipped down to 6 degrees Celsius last night, some of the leaves on the trees are just starting to change colours, days are shorter. Of course, school has begun anew. I am learning anew to embrace all of these gifts that God gives. As a friend reminded me--

"Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him." Romans 12 TLB

Anniversary Celebration Tour 2009

Andrey walking with a young child in a Calgary stream.

Walking over the railroad bridge in Saskatoon.

Same bridge, different vantage point.

On the Rotary trail by the Vedder River in Chilliwack, B.C.

Earlier this year our children asked us to set aside August 16th as a day that they would like to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. (From an earlier post you know that our anniversary was on June 7/09) Being the obedient parents that we are, we complied with our childrens' request. We also decided to extend the celebration by visiting some friends on the West Coast, and in Calgary after the celebration of August 16 in Saskatoon

It was an awesome time of visiting with family and friends and at the end of the time it really feels like we have decidedly marked 40 years of marriage.

Some of the highlights for us were the one on one visits, walks, coffee times, dinner, karaoke production in Saskatoon. We saw some talent that had been rather hidden until now. Movie footage has been widely viewed in private homes and on facebook accounts. There was a re-enacted wedding processional with those who were in the bridal party some forty years ago. Some of the props were original wedding gear from that day of June 7/69. All of our siblings were present helping us to celebrate in some way. We are so thankful for that.

Home Again

A beautiful sunrise scene (taken just outside our front door).

Some produce from our little garden.

Evening at our lake--Lou and I were sitting out here a few nights ago, enjoying a campfire.

Since coming home from our "Celebration Tour" of our 40th wedding anniversary, we have been enjoying many moments of reflection and being so very thankful for all the gifts God has given us--including our beautiful children and their spouses, our extended families, fresh air to breathe, protection in storms, quiet moments by the fire, enjoying God's handiwork in the form of the heavens and stars, work, energy to take care of a yard, health, freedom to make choices about what we do from day to day, eyes to see...

Happy 40th Anniversary Week!

Henri Nouwen said that "Celebration is not just a way to make people feel good for a while; it is the way in which faith in the God of life is lived out; through both laughter and tears. Thus celebration goes beyond ritual, custom and tradition. it is the unceasing affirmation that underneath all the ups and downs of life there flows a solid current of joy."

This past week we have had a meal in our motorhome, Sylvia, to remember some past happy times camping. Sunday we had a fun canoe ride on Porter's Lake After a breakfast at Lisa and Mike's we were directed to a new-to-us hiking zone. They also sent us a wonderful picnic lunch. Taylor Head Provincial Park--all in one afternoon we experienced brilliant sunshine, fog, rugged coast line, forest, beach. It was exhilarating. So many breathtaking scenes. Also you will note a picture of Lou doing what is common for him every time we are out and about--cleaning up the world, one beach at a time!

To end the day after we arrived home, and a mystery anniversary chocolate cake was sitting on our counter. Delicious!!

We are so thankful for our family and the goodness of God!