Ambling Ramblings

Tea for Two

2012-01-27T14:14:00.001-07:00

Tea for the little girls; tea for the big girls. A happy way to spend the morning.

Orange

2012-01-25T20:59:00.001-07:00

We saw a squirrel, two chickadees and a surprise blizzard, and shared supper with a most beloved uncle.

Horizon

2012-01-23T20:56:00.001-07:00

A walk in the sunshine does my heart good.

Abacus Beads

2012-01-20T20:46:00.001-07:00

Broken glasses; frustrated toddler; extreme cold;

I wished for Friday on Tuesday.

Toddler hugs; conversations with friends; a generous husband; it's Friday night.

All is again right in my world.

The Little Shadows

2012-01-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well-developed characters including a whole mix of personalities: it is clear the author spent considerable time creating these people. I especially appreciated the nuances between the sisters--their deep bond but their clear individual spirits.

The book is good and thick with a long enough plot to really develop a story and capture my interest..

Finally, it was a really interesting setting (the Vaudeville theatre world) and time period (pre and during the First World War) about which to read.

A Canadian author and a story that takes place in my home province. A joy to read.

View all my reviews

Twenty-five Below

2012-01-16T16:48:00.001-07:00

Long blue shadows offset by golden sunlight that pierced the cold.
Frost on her eyelashes; she sang the entire time, bundled in blankets in her stroller.

Out My Window

2012-01-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

A busy sunny morning and an afternoon putting things in order;

counting the minutes til Daddy comes home.

Hands and Feet

2012-01-12T16:37:00.003-07:00

Dishes is a favourite chore for small hands these days,

and on short gloomy days, it is a fun thing we can do together.

December in Ten

2012-01-05T21:31:00.003-07:00

Advent and cookies and snow and coffee and knitting and Christmas.

Awake My Soul

2011-12-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

On this Winter Solstice day, a song for you:
"Where you invest your love, you invest your life."

November in Ten

2011-12-05T16:57:00.001-07:00

November was brought to us amidst knitting, first snow,

a terrific box house built by Daddy, a much-loved Halloween costume,

and many hours of play for two little girls.

It was a steadily rhythmic month,

in which we watched the light dwindle

and eagerly awaited the beginning of Advent.

Knitting Norwegians

2011-12-05T11:31:00.001-07:00

55 Christmas Balls to Knit: Colorful, Festive Decorations-Tree Ornaments, Centerpieces, Wreaths, Window Dressings by Arne Nerjordet
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book wins a prize for oddest cover and is also in the running for a prize for strangest subject matter. That said, the designs for said "Christmas balls" are quite beautiful.

View all my reviews

A refreshing [British] Christmas commercial

2011-11-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

2011-11-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the most brilliant books I've read lately. I loved the format (letters, rather that fluid story). I enjoyed the range of characters. I appreciated the characters' normal foibles and everyday problems. In combination with the format and the depth of characters, the setting of Guernsey during the war just completed the brilliancy. And now I have a new destination in my places-to-visit list.

View all my reviews

We've Made It

2011-11-09T16:50:00.003-07:00

After a year and a half of work we've finally gotten our final appraisal done on the house, in other words, today marks the end of the official renovation of our house. There are some small projects I'd like to tackle, but the majority of the work is all done. Here are some photos I took before we did any interior renovations, and some photos I took today. I'll take some exterior photos sometime soon and post them.

October in Ten Photos

2011-11-02T14:25:00.002-06:00

In which we travel, play with friends, garden, carve pumpkins and be rather bear-like.

September in Ten Photos

2011-10-24T11:23:00.000-06:00

What a busy month! We're still getting used to our new rhythm of work, household responsibilities and time as family. As a result of the changes that have occurred in the month, my photos have become somewhat less imaginative--but little E continues to grow and learn and provide me with lots of photographic opportunities, whether I take them or not!

Attached at the Heart

2011-09-08T13:03:00.002-06:00

Attached at the Heart: 8 Proven Parenting Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children by Barbara Nicholson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The best parenting advice book I've read to date. Spot on with what I've felt intuitively as a parent, and lots of clear usable strategies for those situations where I've felt ill-equipped and overwhelmed.

View all my reviews

August in Ten Photos

2011-09-07T11:01:00.001-06:00

Bachelor buttons under the Elm tree

Pool party at a friend's house

The Ellis Bird Farm in the evening

Two girlies playing

Nothing better than Taber corn (and eating outside)

Painting/gardening/laundry

Behold the red front door

More bounty for these farmers

Wednesday night = pizza

Wednesday night = pizza...and wine (our new favourite)

Farmer's Bounty

2011-08-29T13:51:00.000-06:00

July in ten photos

2011-08-16T11:15:00.000-06:00

Fifteen months

End of soccer season

Parade loot

Reading

Music

Rototilling

Ellis Bird Farm

Farmers' Market

Camping

Fort Edmonton

Raspberries

2011-08-07T12:12:00.000-06:00

A sun-warmed raspberry

purpley-ripe

retrieved from its hidden location tucked behind a leaf

eaten straight from the bush

staining the mouth

Now this is summer.

How our garden grows...

2011-08-05T17:09:00.000-06:00

How does our garden grow this year?

Rather slowly, what with all the rain. But we're busy growing a fine crop of grass.

And more interestingly, many other things.

The view from our back deck:

(can you see the green fuzz-that-will-be-lawn?)

We're growing almost a full gamut of vegetables, including potatoes, beets, carrots, two kinds of peas, three kinds of beans, dill, various annual flowers...

...and lettuce.

The front yard is more interesting.

We've planted all kinds of vegetables, perennials and annuals all mixed together

(along with the previously mentioned green-fuzz-that-will-be-grass)

The bachelor buttons have taken off marvelously. I've never seen so many shades of blue, mauve, pink, purple etc.

And lastly, E's birthday tree, though it is very young indeed, looks to bear fruit this year.

Blackbird Singing

2011-07-21T08:52:00.000-06:00

This was on the radio this morning and for some reason it made me quite emotional. Good song.

June in ten photos

2011-07-18T14:31:00.001-06:00

Life is busy these days and the poor blog has been neglected in the busyness.
So we had the idea of compiling some photos that best describe life in each month this summer.

Without further ado, I present to you June:

Fashionable People

2011-06-21T09:08:00.000-06:00

We wake up in the morning to music for our alarm, specifically CKUA radio. Sometimes we hear songs that we really like and tell ourselves (with a early morning groggy mind) that we're going to look up what we hear because we like it. Well, most of the time it doesn't happen, but this morning I heard something I really liked, so I did actually look it up, and I'm glad. On a side note, does anyone think the main singer looks and acts like Dusty?

Dads

2011-06-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

My daughter has a wonderful Daddy.

Pentecost and Beyond

2011-06-14T09:48:00.001-06:00

Sunday was Pentecost and thus begins six months of Ordinary Time in the church calendar.

But ordinary time began much earlier by my reckoning. Life has been very full, routine and rhythmic for the past month.

Babies;
Laundry and dishes and diapers and cleaning and cooking;
Pushing hard to complete the renovation project;
Soccer;
Building flowerbeds and garden space and watching seeds grow;
Various volunteer projects;
Mornings and evenings, weekdays and weekends, mealtimes and bedtimes.

My devotional talks about the importance of living in community during this long season of "ordinary time." However, we have yet to establish a clear community such as we had in our previous home.

Too, Luke talks (in quite a Socialist manner, I would argue) about the early believers living in community, selling their property and possessions and giving their money to those who needed it.

"They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity" (Luke 2:46).

We haven't found a tight and trusting community such as Luke describes....but then we haven't really searched for it. We've spent a lot of time lately evaluating our beliefs and have come to the conclusion that many churches overcomplicate Christ's command...and for that and various other reasons, we have been slow to become involved in a church again.

Love your God with all your heart, and love your neighbour as yourself.
That is what Jesus commanded, and that is what I hope for this six months.

Our summer offers so many opportunities
for connecting with individuals around us,
for enjoying God's creation,
for teaching little E about the beautiful world we live in.

I intend to bask in the beauty that is Ordinary Time peaceful routine...
to dwell in my community
and, as Luke recorded,
to share meals with great joy and generosity.

Play Work

2011-06-03T13:24:00.001-06:00

A sunny warm day

A front porch

A bucket of water (just like Mama's)

A washing rag (just like Mama's)

Something to wash ("dirty" clothespins)

Much soggy wet fun "work" for two little girls.

Sunshine on our shoulders...

2011-05-11T10:58:00.001-06:00

...makes us happy indeed.
Makes the plants grow,
Makes the diapers dry,
and makes for lovely outdoor playtime.

Delicious and...nutritious?

2011-05-09T16:23:00.001-06:00

Mama and E spent Saturday afternoon out weeding and digging flowerbeds,

during which E developed a taste for dirt.

Mudpies, mudsoup, mud fights all still to come.

Or do those only occur if you have three brothers?

Tactile Textiles

2011-04-28T10:24:00.001-06:00

After way too long, I finally collected my sewing machine last night and started a new project. I was also bestowed with a huge wonderful inheritance of fabric from a dear seamstress relative, which I've been going through and organizing. E decided this morning that she should contribute to the [dis]organization and examine the material for herself.

Struggling through Lent

2011-04-26T14:00:00.001-06:00

To be honest, Lent was a real challenge this year.

I struggled to care.
Struggled to remain awake.
Struggled to remain engaged with the world.

I realized that it's easier to give something up for Lent then to add something. To give something up doesn't require thought or imagination. You just give it up--eliminate it. To decide to add something takes far more energy. And I'm going to say my Lenten "addition" was a bit of a failure. I was relieved for Lent to come to an end.

If anything, Lent this year made me realize just how ugly, selfish and miserly I/mankind can be. This season of Lent felt dark and cruel. This feeling was echoed by my devotions. As I moved through the Gospel accounts, I was struck most of all by the sense of foreboding Christ must have experienced. He knew what was coming. He knew his friends would abandon him; that the crowds would turn against him. And he carried onward, traveled down that road of palm branches, towards that utter darkness and despair, because of that eternal light and joy on the other side.

And now, Easter has arrived. Christ has risen.

So, I continue to strive.
Strive to choose light.
To love actively.
Seek out and maintain friendships, rather than turtle myself inwards.
To seek God and faith and church.
To take a stand, put myself out there and not fear failure or judgement.

He is risen indeed.

Pascha

2011-04-25T09:25:00.001-06:00

The Easter weekend--the Triduum--Pascha--has come and gone in a flash, much like Christmas usually does. In some ways I feel like it went too fast; that I missed it.

But at the same time Christ's sacrifice became meaningful to me in a way I'd never felt before.
B and I also had some really good discussions on what kind of Easter traditions we want to establish for our family.
And, even though we didn't actually observe or celebrate exactly my ideal, we at least noticed the Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
Easter Sunday

Each of these days are significant and integral to the Paschal celebration. My devotional book talks about ways to observe each day, and in future years I hope to do more. We succeeded in going to a Good Friday service, spending some quiet time thinking and talking about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, dyeing eggs, eating Hot Cross buns, going to an Easter Sunday service, celebrating with family.

In the future, I'd like to do something for Maundy Thursday, to celebrate Passover like Christ did at the Last Supper and to note this final time Jesus had with his followers prior to his arrest. My sister-in-law's church did a Passover meal with specific liturgy and verses to explore this event. I'd like to participate in something like that.

I'd like to make hot cross buns on Holy Saturday.

I'd like to observe the sunrise on Easter morning...either at a church service or by myself. Last year we participated in a sunrise service on the top of Nose Hill. It was cold and beautiful and meaningful, especially listening to the voices and instruments of people throughout the hills, celebrating Christ's resurrection just as we were.

The biggest thing I took away from this Paschal season is the assurance that while there is much I don't understand about the Christian faith, I choose wholeheartedly to believe in the resurrection of Christ.

Alleluia! He is risen!
He is risen indeed.

I Inherited My Grandmother's Knitting Needles

2011-04-20T21:43:00.000-06:00

Palm Sunday

2011-04-18T09:13:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, marking the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. It is a day of celebration of God's power and glory. As one writer explains, it is a day on which we should "sing with exuberance and wince with foreboding." Interestingly, "Hosanna" the phrase used by the many people celebrating Christ's arrival in Jerusalem, means "Save, I pray."

We went to a Baptist church yesterday where the fact that it was Palm Sunday was mentioned only once--in passing during the beginning worship. No songs celebrating this; no sermon explaining it; no liturgy acknowledging it. This frustrates me. Even if secular society doesn't understand the importance of Easter, churches should. We build up Christmas to huge heights, anticipating it, building worship services around it weeks in advance. But the Sunday before THE most important event in Christian liturgy goes more or less unnoticed? This is the day on which Christ knowingly walked towards his death--for our sake.

May we acknowledge Christ's suffering and triumph in our hearts this week.

Hosanna, Christ Jesus our Savior.

To Vegreville and Back

2011-04-14T09:46:00.000-06:00

We love taking the back roads of Alberta, seeing sights and landscape and history that we wouldn't otherwise see. On Sunday we drove up to Vegreville (2.5 hours away) and back, taking slightly different routes for each direction.

We drove through

Ponoka

Hobbema

Wetaskawin

Gwynne

Camrose

Holden

Vegreville

Camrose (yes, a second time)

Ferintosh

Mirror

And these are just the towns we drove through, not by.

It was a lovely day, and we came home richer by photographs, memories and one second hand double stroller.

Rebuilding Vegreville Alliance Church

2011-04-11T13:44:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we went to the dedication service for a church design project B worked on. Very cool to see the finished building for a project B spent many hours on. Specifically, at 2:10 in the video you can see the 3D rendering B did. Cool, hey? I'm very proud of him.

As an aside, we "met" (well, saw up close) Ed Stelmach at the service.

Season for Sunshine and Seeding

2011-04-07T13:29:00.000-06:00

I would, in fact

2011-04-05T13:55:00.002-06:00

I would, in fact, like to be better about posting regularly.

I would, in fact, like to finish the pair of socks I'm knitting.

Just the tying off to go on sock #1.

I would, in fact, like my camera back.

Those silly Canon guys didn't fix it properly, and now I am DSLR-less again.

I would, in fact, like to start working on a tan on my pasty legs.

As soon as Elspeth wakes up, we're going OUTSIDE.

I would, in fact, like to get some seeds started.

I just need some more soil.

Why, you ask, has it been so long since I posted last? Part of the answer stems from the darkness/clouds/snow we had for a week and a half.
Too.
Long.
No.
Sunshine.
My brain shut down. Seasonal Affective Depression is no fun at all.

The lack of camera is a bit of a downer too.

But the sun is SHINING.
I have rubber boots for all my splashing needs.
E's room is done.
And I'm going to start planting seeds tomorrow.

OH: If you come to visit, bring your rubber boots.
You'll need them to get from the sidewalk to the front door.
And I'll knit you a pair of socks if you come wearing rubber boots with smiley faces on the bottom.

Knitting

2011-03-22T09:45:00.000-06:00

It's a bit of an ugly snowy day/week here and E and I are a bit cranky.

To keep herself busy, E decided that perhaps it was a good day to start a knitting project.

However, unfortunately, she discovered that she'd bitten off more than she could chew--happens to the best of us sometimes.

The project was a little too complicated and required more brainpower and energy than she had.

So she decided to take a nap instead.

Possession

2011-03-17T13:51:00.001-06:00

Possession by A.S. Byatt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't remember the last time I read a book that both challenged me intellectually AND was a page turner. It's fiction and yet it is not. It is a classic Victorian novel, and yet it is not. It is poetry and prose; detective fiction and romance and history.

Byatt is brilliant. As another reviewer commented, you immediately get a sense of just how smart she is (Cambridge educated). Her grasp and explanation of literary criticism is thorough...it really forced me to call to mind everything I learned way back during my English degree. But she does not shove the various theories (ie. those of Lacan, Derrida etc) down your throat, they simply flow out of the story.

And the characters. I love a story with well-developed characters, and this was no disappointment. While Byatt is good at describing them physically (fashion is sadly stuck in the 80s), she is even better at simply allowing the characters show who they are...their foibles and hang-ups and strengths.

I came across this book after discovering the movie. The movie did well in casting, but covers NONE of the depth of the story. This book should be made into a miniseries rather than attempting to cover it in two hours. And I would love to see that happen.

View all my reviews

Participation in Lent

2011-03-17T09:49:00.001-06:00

Traditionally, one gives something up for the forty days of Lent, to sacrifice or go without in recognition of Christ's ultimate sacrifice.
Historically this meant meat, dairy, sugar, or for some days, food altogether. (On a related note, a good movie about a modern practice of Lent is Chocolat).
In years past, I've given up dessert, Facebook and television.

This year, however, as I thought about what I was going to give up, I had a hard time thinking of anything that would be both significant and achievable. My life these days is pretty quiet and simple, with not a lot of extraneous activity.

So I decided that this year, instead of giving something up, I would add something. To pick a quality that Christ exemplified and try to model that better in my day to day life.

You may ask, and what is it that you're going to do? And I will respond that you're going to be disappointed with my answer.
I'm not going to say.
It may seem like that's the easy way out, not telling anyone, because then there is no one to hold me accountable. But I'm accountable only to God and my conscience anyway. And besides that, I'm abiding by Christ's command regarding prayer:
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

My Lenten offering is not something "to be seen by men" but meant rather to be a quiet offering to God. (Well, not so quiet, since I'm blathering on about it here...)

Words

2011-03-16T09:52:00.001-06:00

Sometimes songs say exactly what you are thinking, especially when you are not able to say it yourself.

When the rain is blowing in your face,

and the whole world is on your case,

I could offer you a warm embrace

to make you feel my love.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear,

and there is no one there to dry your tears,

I could hold you for a million years

to make you feel my love.

I know you haven't made your mind up yet,

but I would never do you wrong.

I've known it from the moment that we met,

no doubt in my mind where you belong.

I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue,

and I'd go crawling down the avenue.

No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do

to make you feel my love.

The storms are raging on the rolling sea

and on the highway of regret.

Though winds of change are throwing wild and free,

you ain't seen nothing like me yet.

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.

Nothing that I wouldn't do.

Go to the ends of the Earth for you,

to make you feel my love

Lengthen

2011-03-15T12:20:00.000-06:00

I have learned that the word Lent comes from the Saxon word for length,

which specifically denoted springtime.

So, once again, the church calendar is specifically connected to the seasons in the natural world.

This connection seems apropos considering the weather we have of late...

It's beginning to feel like--dare I say it--spring??

The snow is melting into giant puddles; the sun's strength means heavy winter coats and toques aren't necessary; little E took her afternoon nap outside.

Oatmeal

2011-03-11T09:15:00.001-07:00

We thought she didn't like oatmeal...turns out she just wanted to feed herself.

Fat Tuesday and Beyond...

2011-03-10T09:59:00.008-07:00

Our 'Fat Tuesday' [International Pancake Day] was a great success again.
The pancakes were delicious; the company was delightful.
We've been doing this tradition of celebrating Pancake Day for three or four years now. It's really rather silly and more of an excuse to eat a big delicious meal of pancakes than anything else. And we love it.

But it also gives me cause to stop and contemplate the day and season afterwards.

Lent. The forty or so days before Easter.

The Catholics count it from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday; excluding Sundays, which equals thirty-eight days.
Some Protestants count from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, equaling forty days.
The Orthodox Church counts from the Sunday seven weeks before Easter and go til Good Friday, also equaling forty days.
Regardless of the exact number of days, or of whether some days are excluded, or of when it starts or ends,
Lent is a time to stop
and quietly take stock of ourselves in relation to, and our response to, the sacrifice Jesus made.

As my devotional says,
"to embrace a spiritual gravity,
a downward movement of soul,
a turning from our self-sufficiency,
and sinfulness."

Much more on this to come.

Through Her Lens

2011-03-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday we picked up our long lost sad broken camera which is all fixed up like new! So now I have my own camera to use, which means I should be able to take many more pictures, and post many more pictures. This makes me very happy.

Many changes coming to our lives in the next month, with a little friend coming to play with E two days a week, and spring ever so slowly creeping up on us, meaning the coming of landscaping work and finishing the house exterior. There are always projects on the go around here.

And tomorrow is the last day before Lent. In other words, Mardi gras, Shrove Tuesday and International Pancake Day. Celebrations will be had. But I'm not sure what to do for Lent this year.

New Jeans

2011-02-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Highlight of last week: Mama and Baby both got new jeans.

Seasons

2011-02-25T10:41:00.005-07:00

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas bring clouds and rain,
Go winter, and come not again.

In as much as I am following the Church seasons (nearing the end of Epiphany, starting towards Lent), I am again finding it easier to simply pay attention to the seasons of Nature. Several weeks ago was Candlemas. Candlemas coincides with Groundhog Day in secular culture and the Feast of the Presentation, recognizing the presentation of the infant Christ at the temple.

Groundhog Day has never signified anything to me (that is, until I met my husband and was introduced to the movie Groundhog Day). Regardless of what said groundhog "predicts," around here we're going to have many months of winter yet.

I'm learning to appreciate the church calendar and the importance of the presentation of Christ. I heard a really interesting sermon on the topic recently, talking about the earth-shattering significance of Christ's presentation at the temple to two righteous souls, Simeon and Anna, who had been told that they would meet the Savior before their deaths. But more importantly, I'm ongoingly appreciating the character of Christ as it is presented throughout the Gospels. More on this to come.

But in these cold, cold, COLD days of February (-38 with the windchill this morning), the Candlemas occurence at roughly halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox represents a hopeful turning. The days are longer now. The sun shines more, regardless of the cold. And this, we feel..the sun's strength on our cheeks; my plants flourishing in a south-facing window; the hope and delight in planning our garden for spring.

So, just as at Christmas I celebrated both the coming of Christ and the shift of the earth back towards the sun, so also now I celebrate Christ's life and the clearly lengthening days. Thanks be to God.

The Light Grows

2011-02-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

I've discovered that it's hard to think critically, constructively, analytically when one is sleep deprived for consecutive nights for months on end. My quest for insight into the life of Christ and my larger project of being aware of the church year continues, but my soggy brain moves as slow as molasses in the weather we're having today (ie COLD, with a wind chill of REALLY COLD).

The Most Excellent news is that we're now officially living in our house. Stove, oven, kitchen sink, clean and dust-free floor space, we've got it all. And as of yesterday, we also have curtains on our front window (so we don't have to worry about walking around naked as all the neighbours drive by slowly to see how the renos progress) and a shower curtain (so baths can again be relegated to E's domain). Baths are great for relaxation, but they're time consuming and not efficient for washing long hair.

Consequently, we can finally develop some daily rhythm of functional living. We can very much feel the sun's earlier rising; it gets easier and easier to get up in the morning. It's a joy to make coffee in our kitchen, and to watch E play on the floor in the morning sunshine flooding into our living room. And now that we're done the biggest bulk of the reno project, and E has a quiet room in which to sleep, hopefully we can settle her into a more comfortable sleeping routine, leaving me more time and energy to study and think and blog.

Tulips in our Window

2011-02-14T10:45:00.002-07:00

This weekend past, we finally, finally moved in. We've been camping in the basement since October, sans bathroom, kitchen or, generally, functional space of any kind. But last week, with much hard work and two afternoons off work, our main floor living space reached the point where we could actually use it, and Friday night we slept in our bedroom for the first time.

I can't explain how much joy and relief and gratitude this event brings me. We can BAKE. Elspeth now has room to learn to crawl. We can enjoy the view from our front window and all the lovely sunshine. The drywall dust and sawdust will end. So much to be thankful for.

I also felt so blessed that our family and friends shared in our excitement. Bouquets of tulips were just the thing to adorn our window sill.

More Every Day

2011-02-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Painting...

Baths...

Baby milestones...

More reno projects...

Tears and smiles and everything in between.

February

2011-02-02T22:06:00.001-07:00

It is February all ready...seems like January really flew by. It was a busy month, full of painting and other house projects, weekly library baby times, yoga and walking, visits with friends and plans for summer, in amongst all the normal daily activity.

It's also the Fifth Week of Epiphany and I continue to study the life of Christ. In one devotional I'm working through, the commentator writes "Jesus reveals his glory--his authority and power and love--in the place of worship, yes, but also inside a home, out in a front yard, down by the riverside and in the midst of a wedding. It's in these everday contexts that he invites belief, at least enough to begin following him" (103).

Everyday contexts are mostly all I have these days...the daily rhythm of laundry and diapers and playing blocks and naps, and it's in this everdayness that I seek to discover Jesus and his place in my life. It's this deity that I need, one who dwells in and cares about the small moments and details of life.

The Strong-Willed Child

2011-01-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Strong-Willed Child: Birth Through Adolescence by James C. Dobson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

It's becoming clear that little E has a very independent spirit. Which is good, really, it'll make her a critical thinker and strong individual. We think already that her physical looks are from her Daddy, but her personality, for better or worse, is definitely more like her Mama's.

But, her strong spirit is going to take some serious molding to really make it shine. Mama and Daddy know best, regardless of what the little one thinks. So, I read this book in order to get a sense of Dr. Dobson's perspective on the matter. I have to say, I went in with a really bad attitude towards Dobson (the reasons for which is a long, long story worthy only of being told in person). In The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson has the same paternalistic, agenda-pushing tone that I remember from previous encounters.

BUT. I did get several good ideas out of the book, including the necessity for consistency, regardless of the kind of punishment, and the importance of avoiding empty threats. There were several chapters on later childhood which I may have to revisit at a later date, but for now, I think I have some solid concepts to work towards.

And, finally, one can't discuss The Strong-Willed Child without mentioning spanking, which Dr. Dobson wholeheartedly endorses (with certain limits). I'm very on the fence regarding the use of spanking (my fence-sitting is the subject for another in-person discussion), and Dobson's said endorsement changes none of my hesitance.

Tile and Grout

2011-01-28T13:38:00.001-07:00

I've not been very good about posting pictures of house renovation stuff. I think once it's all done and I can look back on the whole project, I will do a whole series.

But I got a couple pictures of B and his dad putting grout on the tub surround, so I thought I would post them. We've come a long, long way from the day B and my brother installed the tub:

Most of the house is painted yellow, including the bathroom, and the tile around the tub is white, with two blue mosaic-y strips around. The vanity is a black-ish stain.
So yellow and white, with blue accents and black furnishings. We'll see how it turns out.

Walking is Good for the Soul

2011-01-24T13:47:00.001-07:00

Life is ramping up with activity and thoughts of the coming events of summer.

Many seeds to plant and plants to grow;

new babies (not ours, before any rumours start!);

friends moving nearer.

Now is the time for planning and anticipating and preparing.

And enjoying the lengthening days and bright bright sunshine of late. Thank God for sunshine!

Folk Bloodbath

2011-01-18T19:43:00.002-07:00

Josh Ritter is definitely one of our top folk artists right now (Dan if you're reading this, you should really check him out...though he doesn't play the banjo).

We recently discovered that he has a degree in American folk music history. Of course he has a degree in American folk music history...it only makes sense.

And so, without further ado:

Folk Bloodbath:

The Sun Returns

2011-01-18T11:53:00.002-07:00

With many consecutive days of snow and cold and wind and cloud, my brain is foggy and it's hard to keep up the motivation to think and interact--either with people or with words. But I continue to have a responsibility to myself, to E, to the blog and to God to keep thinking, even when it's fuzzy thinking.

So, trying to get back on track with Epiphany. I've been listening to sermons online from our old church in the city and enjoying the insight received there. I'm having a very hard time being motivated to read my Bible...it just feels like "same old"...the same words I've read a hundred times. I'm a PRO at skim-reading (one has to be to survive grad school) and I feel like I'm just skimming. I need to shake things up. I've been meaning to get a different translation for a long time, like the New Living Translation...I really need to get on that. I did, however, order a meditation guide recommended by a friend and spiritual advisor, so hopefully that will help me find my epiphany.

Winter always makes me hermitatious--wanting to hole up--but it's a vicious cycle, because when I do that, I get depressed, which makes me want to be a hermit even more. What I really need is to stay active--physically, spiritually and relationally--even in these dark and cold winter days. I know many people suffer from this problem in the winter.

Consequently, this quiet exploring time in the church calendar, when we're to examine Christ's life, presents a bit of conundrum for me in conjunction with winter. It's a meditative time in the calendar, but it would be much easier for me if there were something I could do instead of just be thinking. But thinking is important too...it just takes more concentration and effort, and my fuzzy brain is lacking in concentration skills right now.

So, the plan is to fight the hermit temptation, and to look for ways to reach out and to motivate and stimulate my intellect and spiritual journey.

Who's with me?

Meanwhile, Indoors

2011-01-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's cold and very snowy outside, making outdoor time less than pleasant
(ask E about her faceplant in a snowdrift...)
so we're trying to stay occupied indoors
...but also quickly going stircrazy.

Things are coming together quickly on the house.
Linoleum went in Tuesday,
kitchen drawers and cupboards went in Wednesday,
the island went in Thursday.

Tonight is a night off working on the house and a date night instead,
to which we are all (especially yours truly) very much looking forward.

Epiphanic Thoughts

2011-01-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

"We who have seen the light of Christ are obliged,

by the greatness of the grace that has been given us,

to make known the presence of the Savior to the ends of the earth...

not only by preaching the glad tidings of His coming;

but above all by revealing Him in our lives...

Every day of our mortal lives must be His manifestation,

His divine Epiphany, in the world which He has created and redeemed."

--Thomas Merton

In my experience, preaching rarely works. Preach; preachy; preaching. No matter what the version of the word, it has negative connotations for me...ones of "holier than thou" attitudes, of hypocrisy, of empty words, of force. Now, not all preaching is like this--I appreciate a good meaty sermon very much--but I don't think it makes a very good life attitude.

Which is why I strive to reveal Christ, rather than preach Him. I learn best by watching the good example of others...and I'm sure others do too. And now, with a pair of small bright and aware blue eyes following me and taking in all my words and actions, I need to be even more aware of how I model Christ in my life.

Farewell and beyond

2011-01-06T14:07:00.003-07:00

Image borrowed with permission from B's photographic project.

Today is officially Epiphany: the sixth of January, the Twelfth Day of Christmas..
With it comes the end of the Christmas season in our books. We packed up our decorations and took the tree outside.

But, in my reading about Epiphany, I am discovering that it marks not the conclusion of Christmas so much as the beginning of a season of thinking about Christ's life. Churches begin a new season with Epiphany...decorating with white for the first week to recognize Christ's baptism by John, and then switching to green until Transfiguration.

So, from Advent to Christmas to Epiphany we travel. And in this time of Epiphany, I shall re-examine the life of Christ as presented through the gospels, and ask:

What kind of man was He, in whom we place our faith of salvation? And, what makes Him so worthy of this faith and trust?

Magic of a Morning

2011-01-05T10:36:00.001-07:00

It's a beautiful day.

After a chaotic and unusual day yesterday, I'm thankful for the gentle mystical beauty of this morning.

We got up and went outside first thing;

to shovel snow, to go for a short walk and stretch our muscles, and to enjoy the sunrise through the fog.

What a lovely start to the day.

Waiting for Epiphany

2011-01-03T17:40:00.003-07:00

A friend dropped by with a book.
A gift for Epiphany.
And a much needed reminder to return to my project of the church year, and a inspiration for said project.
(Thanks friend!)

What is Epiphany?
It is the day we celebrate the coming of the three kings to see the infant Jesus. Which represents the spreading of the Gospel to all nations. The multicultural threads of the story of Immanuel, God with Us.

Another question:
What is an epiphany?
According to the dictionary,
"a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience." (bolding for emphasis mine).

In the previous mentioned epiphanal gifted text (yes, I just made up the word epiphanal) the reading for January 5th is from John Donne, one of my favourite spiritual writers. In regards to Epiphany, he writes:

"...Every action that manifests Christ to us is his birth, for Epiphany is manifestation. Every manifestation of Christ to the world, to the Church, to a particular soul is an Epiphany, a Christmas Day."

I like this, this idea of a manifestation of Christ to an individual being an Epiphany. One example of this--the first example--was Simeon's experience when Jesus was first presented at the temple. Simeon literally and physically experienced The Epiphany...the presence of the Christ. Really, that's what The Shack is...a story of a man experiencing an Epiphany...God manifested in his life in an earth-shattering manner.

In this season of Epiphany that begins on the 6th and ends with the beginning of Lent, may we find said Epiphany...these "simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience[s]" that manifest Christ to us. And, greater yet, may we be a manifestation of Christ in the lives of others.

Mundanity

2010-12-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

I'm welcoming the return to normal around here.

Not entirely normal, though.
Our wall is covered in cheery Christmas cards and photographs.
The Christmas tree and decorations will remain until Epiphany.
We have two New Years' celebrations with friends coming up.
And as the house slowly is completed, every new step is a celebration.
(We ordered our flooring on Tuesday!)

But the laundry and dishes continue,
E takes her daily naps,
We go for daily walks.
And weekly trips to the library.
And all this is good. Routine and rhythm is a beautiful thing.

And as the Twelve Days of Christmas continue on (it's the Sixth Day today),
we consider further how our own personal beliefs and values (specifically those regarding Christmas)
will be exemplified and/or taught to our children.

[Don't] Eat Pray Love

2010-12-29T13:46:00.001-07:00

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was expecting way better. I will give Gilbert points for writing style. She's easily readable, and I thought the way the book was set up (with the number of chapters corresponding with some kind of rosary-esque number of beads...can't remember exactly) was neat. Some of the chapters were very short and others were longer, and they were often more of a non-fiction essay than a chapter in a novel. Which could have been really cool.

But. While I enjoyed the flavour of the Italy section, and especially her description of her sister, I did not enjoy the rest. I was especially disappointed by the "happily ever after" kind of ending. So predicable...why did she have to go there? This self-prescribed search for meaning in life ends with finding a man? No thanks.

View all my reviews

Quick like a Fox

2010-12-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

E is getting very dexterous. And very sneaky.

This morning she was sitting on the floor with some toys, close but out of reach (I thought) of the Christmas tree. But then I looked over and she had reached a paper bag (that had been under the tree) in her lap, dumped out, and the tinfoiled Christmas cake from inside it out on the floor, and she was calmly shredding the tinfoil.

Then, later, she'd pulled over an empty tea mug and was ripping the teabag apart, chewing the bits of chamomile that were in it.

A pictorial example:

"E snags Mom's cell phone."

If I just reach a bit further...

Aha, got it! And now, for the mandatory taste test...

It's here

2010-12-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

One way or another, Christmas is here.

It's a beautiful sunny morning and we're all together.

All is well.

Tilting toward God

2010-12-22T16:43:00.003-07:00

From a wise friend: "Today the earth begins its tilt toward inevitable spring & summer.
This season, we celebrate that history began its tilt toward inevitable perfection & joy.
Thanks, God. Nice job on both fronts."

I find it incredibly apt that these two events, Christmas and the Winter Solstice, virtually coincide. However, this year the solstice weighs much more heavily on my mind than does the birth of Christ. This year, more than ever before, I'm feeling the short days of early winter. Feeling them more than Advent or Christmas.

Some have argued that we celebrate Christmas when we do to coincide with and offer and alternative celebration to the winter solstice celebration of pagan religions of the past. I will not weigh in on this discussion with my uneducated opinion, but I will say that if that is in fact the case, then it was aptly done. We, or rather, I, NEED something to celebrate to combat the cold and dark. At this time of year, we light candles, sip hot drinks and get together with family and friends. All excellent remedies for long dark nights, and for that I am thankful.

With the passing of the solstice, we will slowly but inevitably and surely slip towards spring. This event I feel in my body. However, as the days slip closer to Christmas, I find my grumpy spirit wondering how it is any different than any other day. I NEED to feel this event in my soul as much as I feel the lengthening of days in my body.

Closer Again

2010-12-20T14:23:00.002-07:00

Another tumultuous week brings us closer to Christmas. B and E are sick with some yucky combination of a cold and flu, which I have as yet avoided (but not likely for long). We're all home for the day today, spending some quiet time trying to recuperate in time for Christmas.

What interesting Christmasy things have we done this week?

Gifting: Did a lovely afternoon of Christmas shopping, during which I remembered just how much fun it is to find cool things you just know the recipient will love. And also realized that Chapters sells a whole lot of very neat stuff. I could spend SO MUCH on books...kids' books, cookbooks, art coffee table books, biographies, travel guide books, and of course FICTION.

Celebrating: Had a wonderful quiet Christmas party with J&M during which food and wine were consumed, games were played, E experienced her first gift-opening, and we rediscovered what a talented artist my sister-in-law is.

Church: Attended an old-school Lutheran Church that follows the traditional Lutheran liturgy including the Apostle's Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. It felt so comfortable to fall back on that traditional order of service.

Thinking: Spent a long time contemplating faith and Christmas with some insightful discussions with friends...and have come a bit closer to understanding why we choose to believe what we do. Does that sound complicated? It IS complicated.

Family: Had several family gatherings, both planned and spontaneous, both working and lazing about, which made us once again appreciate our family. Christmas really is an important time to be around family.

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-14T11:00:00.004-07:00

We've spent quite a lot of time lately thinking about and discussing Christmas traditions over the past couple of days and I think it's been quite productive. We've been thinking very carefully about what it is we're trying to celebrate and hold important and how we want to build that into our family. It has all become much more imminent to discuss, now that we have a Little One for whom we want to create a family routine. So far, we've come up with a couple of traditions to set in place:

Tradition #1: head west to pick out and cut down our own Christmas tree.

We did this first last year in the -40 degree "crispness." This year was much, much warmer and equally as fun. I can't wait til next year when E can participate in the jollity to a greater extent.

Tradition #2: attend Christmas Eve service.

I often attended a candle light service growing up, where each person got their own candle to light and hold, and the flickering mix of darkness and light always filled me with awe. Last year we went to a Midnight service downtown Calgary and that was also very precious and meditative time, our last Christmas as "two."

Tradition #3 (not quite clearly thought out yet): extend the holiday.

Last year we considered drawing Christmas out to the "twelve days"--that is, the days between Christmas Eve and Epiphany in January. This year we're celebrating Advent, the four weeks prior to Christmas. We want to draw focus away from simply celebrating Christmas Eve/Day somehow.

And more: we're always interested in hearing about other people's traditions. What do you do as a family to celebrate St. Nicholas/Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/Epiphany/12 Days of Christmas or any combination of the above?

Third Week

2010-12-14T10:51:00.002-07:00

Borrowed from Cyberbrethren

For the Third Sunday in Advent, we traveled back to our home church in the city, to see old friends and revel in being a part of that community again. The sermon (though I missed part of it) was based on Luke's account of Zachariah and Elizabeth...it was about Christmas, which I was really blessed by. The story is pretty amazing, when you think about it--an angel appearing to a man in the temple, a baby born to parents too old to bear children, a baby who was prophesied to have a hugely important task in life preparing the way for Christ.

I think it might be important that we find a church that will acknowledge the events of the church calendar...or at least not be opposed to acknowledging them. It's not a matter of placing too much emphasis on tradition and not enough on relationship. It's a matter of appreciating the richness and depth of the history of the established church and the concern ancient Christian founders had for understanding the doctrines of Christianity. More on this to come.

Advent is relatively easy to celebrate. As our pastor friend explained it, it's a holiday where "the world celebrates with us." It's easy to prepare and anticipate and await because everyone is (though perhaps anticipating different things) whereas I think it's going to be more difficult with other things, like Pentecost. At any rate, right now I'm actually really glad that everyone is celebrating with us, because I don't have a lot of energy to be the carrying force for the celebration. So the fact that celebrating is built into these four weeks of December is a blessing. Eggnog, decorations, candles, the happy celebratory feeling...these are all readily available to us and we partake with glad hearts!

And, as a side note, how thankful we are for the people who have offered us their kitchens to bake cookies. We had an opportunity to do some baking Saturday night thanks to B's parents and these delicious recipe suggestions (note: sea salt is a tasty addition to chocolate cookies).

Nothing Profound

2010-12-10T16:54:00.002-07:00

Still searching for Advent answers, but mostly just living out the mundane of life.
Baby things like vaccinations and teething and washing diapers.
Winter things like finding lost mittens and remembering to wear thick enough socks.
Renovation things like re-tinting paint and making to-do lists.

But there are moments where we remember why we're here.
Purple candles on our Advent wreath signify the royalty of Jesus Christ, King of Kings.
The coming of the CPR Christmas train demonstrates that, overtly Christian or not, Christmas is a time when everyone remembers to give and share and be kind to one another.
And Bela Fleck playing Joni Mitchell's "River," while unusual, is still a contemplative beautiful piece of music to listen to while observing it all.

I forgot

2010-12-09T16:10:00.007-07:00

I forgot how beautiful snowflakes are.

But today, as I was out walking with E, I looked down to see this beautiful little white sparkle on my jacket.
My first instinctive thought was "What's that? How did that get there?" Because I'd forgotten that snowflakes aren't just white globs, they're delicate intricate little white...sparkles (for lack of better word).

When all other reminders of God seem far, far away,
When I question everything about my faith,
One thing remains ever present.
That the One who made this earth,
Who made water,
Which freezes in the air into snow,
Which falls not as ugly blobs,
But as one-of-a-kind beautiful flakes
This is a God who appreciates beauty.
One thing always remains certain:
Larger than everything in this world is a Creator
A One who is creative mastermind of the universe.
Amen.

Waiting for Advent/Searching For Joy

2010-12-07T09:41:00.001-07:00

Such an all-over-the-map week and it's only Tuesday.

The search for Advent continues.

The wait for normalcy also continues.

The mission to celebrate Advent has gotten a little lost in the exhaustion/weariness of daily life.

Dare I hope this is a low point amidst the four weeks of Advent?

Some thoughts:
I was heartily disappointed in the lack of acknowledgement of the Season at the church we attended on Sunday. There are many, many good things about the church, but if we're not going to acknowledge and learn about Christ's birth at Christmas, when else are we going to? The sermon preached was passionate and thought-provoking, but I'd rather learn about, for instance, why it is paramount that we believe that Jesus was born of a virgin. There is so much to learn about Christ's birth and why Christmas is distinct from the pagan practice of Saturnalia.

[Giant grumpy complaining alert]. Confession: I'm feeling sorry for myself. There's no way we're going to be living upstairs by Christmas. While this possibility is not that big a deal in the bigger picture, I kind of had my hopes up. There is so much to be happy about...so many reasons in our lives to be joyful. I'm just tired of feeling like we're not able to quite have a functioning normal family life. Feel free to give my head a shake and make me grateful for all we DO have. Which is lots.

And the rest of my grumpiness in one quick breath so I get it out my system: drywalldustbabydoesn'tliketosleepatnightimmunizationstomorrowschedulingChristmasnoovenforcookiebaking
cantdecideonpaintandtilecolourswishwehadahomechurchmissmyhusband

Ok I'll quit now. Praying for glimpses of God--"sparkles of joy" as one dear friend puts it and the energy to continue the conscious waiting (Adventing) for Christ.

In which...

2010-12-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

In which we went on a hunt for Christmas trees

...and met with success all around.

In which we planned on embarking for said hunt with eggnog lattes in hand

...but S'bucks was out of eggnog.

In which we intended on carrying E in her trusty Beco carrier

...but forgot the carrier and made do with a tie down strap.

In which we planned on borrowing M's dad's Chevy pickup

....and ended up driving a reindeer named Chevy (complete with nose and antlers) that looked oddly similar to a pickup truck.

Chocolate, of course!?

2010-12-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, to be entirely honest, Advent isn't all about spirituality around here. It's also tied up with the phenomenon of the Advent calendar. My mum has given each of us siblings a calendar almost every year since we were old enough to eat the waxy some-amount-of-chocolate concoctions.

A longtime friend from Switzerland dropped by last week and brought us a LINDT chocolate Advent calendar. No waxy there's-got-to-be-some-chocolate-in-there goodness for us, we get the GOOD stuff.

Er, I mean, E gets the good stuff. It's supposed to be hers, but she's only getting chocolate second hand these days.

But she did get to help open the first window last night. She just didn't know that it was a chocolate that came out, not the slice of orange that she got to munch on afterward.

In Advent

2010-12-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's the first of December. Days whirl by for us lately, what with our normal daily routine of work for Brent and chores and routine for E and I, and then packing as much work on the house as we can into our evenings. Our big wish (one might even say Christmas wish?) is to be living upstairs by Christmas...but I have great doubts this will actually happen.

Especially since, as we were furiously assembling kitchen cabinets last night, we ripped open a box to discover it was the WRONG product...that the IKEA kitchen lady had ordered us one cabinet in birch rather than white, necessitating a flustered trip to IKEA this morning for E&me. The good news? A spontaneous lunch visit with S&R is in the works, and we haven't seen them since...June, I think.

Anyway, the point is, Advent is supposed to be a quiet contemplative time to consider Christ's first coming and the promise of His second coming. I like the idea of Advent being countercultural. That amidst the materialism and busyness that our society counts as part of Christmas preparation, we are offered an opportunity to stop in our tracks and consider, for four weeks, the character of our Saviour and the sacrifice He made in coming to this earth.

Yet, though I say I value this chance to move in slow motion against the current, that's not what is actually happening in our lives. We're furiously trying to get done the house and so we organize our days around this, to the detriment of our relationships and possibly our sanity.

So one goal of mine for the next month is to carve out time each day to contemplate, to love and to pause. We'll see how that goes, since at the same time, I really, really want to actually move into our house...

Why

2010-11-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

Why follow the Church calendar for a year?

For two reasons.
1) As a learning project for my own spiritual journey. I grew up in the Lutheran Church, which is very calendar-oriented, but as I grew older and attended more modern evangelistic churches, the annual recognition of things such as Pentecost and Annunciation was not part of the weekly service. I want to go back and re-learn about these events that are so important to the Christian faith, meditate on them, and work them into my daily life. For a year. At which point I will re-evaluate and decide which traditions we want to continue, what things we'd like to add or do away with.

2) As a framework for orienting our family-of-three life towards God. We're newly parents, with a little girl, and a promise to God to raise her in the faith. We're also very, very slowly settling into our new home in a new town. So this combination of new family, new home and new location present a great opportunity to learn new to us but actually incredibly old Christian practices and think about implementing new traditions in our family.

On a related note, as a stay-at-home-mum/Type A overachiever, it's important to me to set goals and feel like I accomplish something every day (or I go crazy). So the idea of daily thinking about and putting into practice something that will (hopefully) teach me something, strengthen my faith, and shape our family for the better sounds good to me!

So, dear readers, you hold me accountable.
To a year, beginning this past Sunday with the commencement of Advent.
Of paying attention to the annual rhythm of the Church Calendar.
Of meditating on the role of God's promise and plan-carried-out in our daily yearly lives.
Of building family traditions.
Of exploring and learning, questioning and believing.
And most of all,
Of carving out time for God, not just on Sunday mornings or prayer-before-meals, but in the minutiae of daily life. To build our every activity upon the wonderful mystical story of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Let it begin.

Our Love is as Tall as the Calgary Tower

2010-11-29T11:02:00.002-07:00

Our Love is as Tall as the Calgary Tower from Boompa Records on Vimeo.

Here already?

2010-11-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's the first Sunday in Advent already.

I like Advent. I have, beginning in my early years in the Lutheran Church, when each Sunday meant lighting another candle in the wreath, a candle of a different colour, that symbolized another part of the Christmas story.
I love the anticipation of the coming of Christmas
I love the mystical quality of the story foretold long, long before Mary and Joseph were even born.
I love the quiet trust and courage of the young Mary.
I love the Holy magicalness of it all... the unborn John and Jesus meeting; the shepherds' star-gazing experience.

I love the many symbolic aspects of Advent. What each candle represents; what the colours represent; all aspects giving us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of Christmas--not just for one day but for a whole month. And longer, if you include Epiphany, which I do.

Thus begins my year of following the Church Calendar. I will be posting more of an explanation for the reasoning behind spending a year meditating on and abiding by the Church year soon.
But in the meantime, may this first Sunday in Advent find you anticipating the season ahead, and may you find time today to reflect anew on the birth of Christ.

We Like Baths

2010-11-26T10:37:00.001-07:00

More Cold

2010-11-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

Sunny and frosty Alberta winter

Self portrait amidst the fence posts.

Still cold out, but today was wonderfully sunny. E and I headed out this afternoon again for a brisk walk in the beautiful light. E enjoyed looking around at the crisp whiteness (that is, before she fell asleep) and she didn't protest the scarf as much as I expected. But we're definitely still in the market for a heavier (down-filled?) snowsuit for her.

Leaning Towards Advent

2010-11-22T16:19:00.001-07:00

Hello Winter!

It. Is. Cold. Which means E and I need to get very creative if we want to head out for our daily walk. For instance, by the time we had all our layers on today, we had (over top of our normal clothes) toquesmittsscarfsnowsuitextrasocksinsulatedcoverallsfleecejacketDaddy'shoody. And all in a unique combination that allows me to fit E in her front carrier under my overalls and a coat. The outcome was that we got outside for 3/4 of an hour in the -20 (-4 for my American readers) whiteness. It was beautiful. And I'm sure we looked hilarious in our get-up.

Less than a week away from the beginning of Advent.
And the beginning of my attempt to blog for a year straight through the Church Calendar year.
I'll have lots more thoughts on this in future posts.

But, my forty or so mostly silent readers, I will ask you this for now:
When I say "Church calendar year" what days come to mind for you?

Junior Asparagus

2010-11-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob

2010-11-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

Traveling with Baby

2010-11-16T09:44:00.001-07:00

Thought we'd post about our experience traveling by air with a 6 month old baby, for anyone looking for information on the topic. We asked for and received a lot of really helpful advice before we went.

For background: we had two flights each direction. The first was a four hour flight across the country, the second a shorter flight, but crossing the border into the States. Our holiday was ten days long and we explored beautiful Cape Cod and Boston both by car and on foot.

Booking the flight: B phoned to book our tickets because you can't book infant flights online. Even though it's technically "free" for babies under two, it costs twelve dollars so that they have a "ticket" of their own...apparently so Homeland Security can keep track of who is coming into the country. The Air Canada agent very kindly booked us seats so that if there was a possibility of having a section of three seats, we would have the two outside seats and potentially an empty one between us for her to lay and wiggle on while we were in the air. This ended up working only for our one flight across Canada, but let me tell you, it was so worth it to be able to lay E out. She could move around freely and play with her toys and it gave us a break from holding her as well.

Pedestrian-style: We have our own style of packing and moving when traveling--we don't like rolling luggage. Because we tend to do a lot of walking when we travel, we like to utilize our big big hiking backpacks instead, so that we're always able to get places on foot easily. Consequently, we decided that for our ten day trip, we'd pack one big backpack, one smaller one, and one diaper bag. Then, when we were all loaded up, I would carry E in a sling. So picture B with a big backpack on his back, a smaller one on his front, and me with the diaper bag on my back and a little girl on my front. This worked surprisingly well, though it was a lot of weight on our shoulders.

Security and customs: we were worried about how this would go since we'd have a potentially grumpy little person who might also be carrying scissors or fingernail clippers in her pockets that we'd have to answer for (you never know ;) ). But everyone was incredibly patient with us as we made our way through--including the security people and the customs and Homeland Security people as we crossed the border. It helped that E smiled at and made friends with everyone. :D

Airplane specifics: It was worth getting on the plane during the early boarding call. Because we had a baby and not an active toddler who might have benefited from getting on last, we took the opportunity to get on first. That allowed us to get on and find our seats, pull out toys/receiving blanket/changing paraphernalia and have it all organized and ready for quick access.
The attendants wanted me to hold E in an upright position as we took off and landed, but I found the best way to keep her calm and enable her to adjust to the air pressure changes was to breastfeed as much as possible. It ended up working really well--she'd settle down and feed and would fall asleep and not even notice that we'd left the ground. I'm pretty comfortable with nursing in public, and I think this helped E to be really comfortable and relaxed too.We also encouraged her to chew on her toys lots so that her jaw worked. We are non-soother non-bottle parents, which determined how we handled this situation.

Traveling Accessories: we chose not to bring a stroller or car seat, because they were added weight and we were trying to streamline. However, from watching others, I know that the airport staff are very accommodating for these. However, we chose instead to carry E everywhere in a sling or in our trusty Beco carrier instead, so that we weren't trying to maneuver a stroller. This flexibility came in especially handy for exploring old churches with narrow steep stairs and for keeping E dry when it was pouring rain (she could tuck away under our coats or umbrella and share our body heat).
We rented a car seat from the car rental place rather than bring our own, again so that we didn't have that extra item to haul around.
Further on the sling, our first flight was very early in the morning and our little girl likes to sleep in. So upon our arrival at the airport at four in the morning, I tucked E down hammock-style in the sling and she fell sound asleep, warm and secure against me. She could have been screaming mad to be up and surrounded by strangers, but she was not.

Extra items: a friend advised me to bring 1) a heavier blanket and 2) toys E had not seen before. These both turned out to be helpful things indeed. The blanket came in handy during the time after security and before we boarded, and during layovers, because we could lay E out on it and she could freely play and wiggle and we didn't worry about germs and dirt on the floor. The new (to E) toys were a great distraction for E when she was getting bored or tired, because she'd never seen them before.
Also, we dressed E in soft waistband-less clothing for the flight (ie a sleeper) so that there was nothing constricting and annoying her. This also made it easy to strip her down for diaper changes, and to delayer her when the plane suddenly got really warm.

I was pretty worried about how it was going to go, traveling internationally, over eight hours and two planes and surrounded by strangers and totally new circumstances, but E took it completely all in stride. She was a joy to travel with and we'd have it no other way. So, I hope this information can help someone else!

As Time Moves On

2010-11-16T08:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday B and I were musing about all that has transpired over the past year.
How a year ago I was graduating with a Master's Degree.
And just starting to tell people that I was pregnant.

I thought these photos gave a good comparison.
Granted, the first photo was taken closer to January, but nevertheless, my striped belly represents one of the major changes that have taken place in our lives over the past year.

Yoghurt is Good for the Complexion

2010-11-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm old,

I like to feed myself.

Just hand me a loaded spoon,

and I know what to do with it.

It's very important to season one's face

chair

and table

in addition to actually consuming said food.

Just so you know.

Moments of Beauty

2010-11-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

I try to get out for a walk every day,
to soak up the dwindling sunlight,
get some fresh air and exercise,
escape the dusty clutter of the basement,
and appreciate the beauty that is an Albertan fall.

Today there were hundreds of Canada geese on the lake...
Some of them swimming, others awkwardly walking atop the bits of ice sheet.
The cacaphony of geese chatter was friendly and comforting.

Last stop

2010-11-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

We couldn't come all this way and not go to Harvard. So the last place we visited before going home was Cambridge Massachusetts, home of Harvard University.

It's a beautiful campus, full of Roman columns, brick buildings and wrought-iron archways. We wish we'd had time to go on a guided tour to hear more, but we were there only long enough to wander around by ourselves and admire, before heading back to the hotel, who had graciously stored our luggage for a couple of hours, and then catch the train out to the airport to head home.

Life in the City

2010-11-05T21:17:00.000-06:00

Boston is a beautiful city.

The view out our hotel window

As country/small town hooligans
from a land where white people history goes back only two hundred years or so,
we absolutely enjoyed
the busy streets of brick and cobblestone
with buildings and graveyards from as many as three hundred years ago
and people with Bostonian accents who were so willing to admire our baby and give us advice and directions
("I have a cousin who used to live up in Toronto...")

Walking on cobblestone

Today we walked the majority of what is called Boston's Freedom Trail.
The walk took us past a number of Boston's most famous landmarks,
relating to the settlement of Massachusetts,
the Revolutionary War with Britain,
the American Civil War,
the Abolition movement,
the immigration of English, Irish, Italian, and other peoples to the city.

Statue of Paul Revere with the Old North Church in the background

The Paul Revere Mall

The crypt beneath the Old North Church

A anti-homophobia march

It was a wonderful day exploring.

Just Ducky: Boston in the Rain

2010-11-04T18:42:00.003-06:00

Today was a soggy day. A day for the ducks indeed.

There is a famous children's book set in the Boston Common called Make Way For Ducklings.
I've not read it, but we're going to buy it at some point, so I'll report back.

At any rate, we've driven back to Boston, dropped off the car, found our hotel and went for a very very soggy walk in the Boston Common. Upon which walk we came across several ducks, bronzed and real.

And then E and B had a chat about the pros and cons of flowered pyjamas.

Carrying on with the Wandering

2010-11-04T07:29:00.001-06:00

Onward we go, even without our beloved camera. It may sound petty, but you have to understand how much photography is a part of our daily lives.

A whirlwind explanation of our Martha's Vineyard day.

The Vineyard: where Harrison Ford tries to win over Sabrina; where whaling ship captains used to live; where rich people have second homes.

We spent the day on foot and on public transit. We took the ferry across; walked through Vineyard Haven; took a bus to Edgartown and wandered through town and across the beach; and then back again.

We shopped in two bookstores, ate clams, mussels and lobster, explained why we weren't voting, and, of course, broke our camera.

More cheerily, today was fun and slower-paced. After purchasing a small cheap[ish] camera,

we did a little shopping in Falmouth,

had a picnic lunch on a top-secret-locally-known-only[except us] harbour location

(how we found out about it is a wonderful story which I'll tell you all about, some other time)

and went for a long walk in the deep leaf-carpeted forest of Beebe Woods.

It was a day on foot outside and of hand-holding and baby-loving.

The best kind of day there is.

The No Good Awful Camera Day

2010-11-02T18:49:00.000-06:00

Sigh.
It started out with a left-open zipper, out of which fell two 8 gig SD cards.
But these we recovered, after tracing our steps backwards.

And then, while photographing a particularly beautiful lighthouse,
we discovered both batteries were dead.
But we walked to a public library and charged the battery for a few minutes while browsing through some books.

But then, while getting off the bus, we dropped the camera directly onto pavement, causing a huge dent in the body and a shutter problem that we think is not fixable.
In other words, we are now without our beautiful and steadfast Canon SLR, and if you know B, you know just how serious a loss this is.
And we're just not sure what the best course of action is, at this point.

Up the Cape

2010-11-01T20:37:00.004-06:00

Today we took a long drive up the long finger of the Cape Cod peninsula. It was a beautiful drive with lots to see but we all got very tired of driving (E especially) by the end.

View Larger Map

First we went here:

(the Hot Chocolate Sparrow, where the hot chocolate had the perfect sugar/cocoa/milk ratio)

And then we checked out a lighthouse but it was locked up for the winter.

Then we drove up and up the peninsula and went for a walk along the beach.

It was very chilly, so we moved on again.

(The Cape Cod National Seashore)

Then we found a tall, tall tower and climbed to the top.

(The Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown)

116 steps up.

At which point, it was definitely time for lunch, at least for little E!

And then all the way home.

On foot

2010-10-31T21:07:00.000-06:00

We walked, along the beach and in town.

And then we went for supper with some lovely friendly Cape Cod-ians we met in Starbucks.

We're wandering, not lost

2010-10-30T20:55:00.002-06:00

Today we took a drive...headed for Trader Joe's, my favourite grocery store, where we got some staples for the week ahead.

But more importantly, we went for a long drive exploring,

seeing cranberry fields,

houses big and small,

and lots of beach and ocean.

It was a little chilly today, so B did some photographing on the beach while E and I hung out in the car.

All Who Wander Are Not Lost

2010-10-30T09:33:00.001-06:00

The GPS:
Yesterday we picked up our car first thing and immediately hooked up the GPS (thanks E&B!) so we could figure out where we are going. B's more of an intuitive driver, so he had it all figured out in his head where we were going and the GPS more just confirmed what he already knew. However, we were really glad for the GPS because it told us what towns were coming up...giving us the flexibility to wander around the countryside rather than going to straight to where we originally were headed. And when we saw that we were nearing the town of Plymouth, we decided that to heck with our destination, we wanted to go there.

Wandering:
But wait, also on the map was something marked "Plymouth Lighthouse" so we decided to get there too. So we drove through Duxbury and ended up at a beautiful peninsular beach where we stopped for a nursing session and a long walk along the beach. The sand was wonderfully soft...I just had to do some barefoot wave chasing.

Plymouth:
Well, actually, Plimoth. We read in our guidebook to New England about a historical reconstructed Pilgrim village, so we punched it into the GPS and went there. The village is set in 1627 and the staff there wear clothing of the era, talk like they're from the 17th century and "work" around the village all day. They were re-building one of the houses while we were there, as you can see from the picture. We really enjoyed learning how the Pilgrims lived. Oh, and M, they had a 17th century kiln where they make all the dishes the "Pilgrims" eat out of. I almost bought some...

Lunch:
We punched in restaurants into the GPS and came up with a little place called Benchwarmers Sub Shop. It really seemed like a place where all the locals ate...we got some funny "stranger in town" looks when we walked in. But the food was delicious. E even got some steamed broccoli to munch on. B is going to join Yelp just so he can give this place a good review!

Arriving:
We got to our condo at five. It's located just off the ocean...we can see waves crashing from our balcony window. It was raining a little bit when we arrived and a beautiful big rainbow appeared over the north east. Lovely.

Supper:
We accidentally took E to a fancy Italian restaurant. The sign said "family cooking"...but when we went in and asked about high chairs we got a lot of funny looks. However, E was on her very best behaviour, and once again charmed the entire staff of the restaurant, all of whom stopped by to chat (with her, not us). The candles, cloth napkins, and pricey menu (why we didn't figure this out before went in, I don't know) were a lovely atmosphere, and E enjoyed herself greatly...until I tried to put her coat on to go. The other patrons in the restaurant also seemed to get a kick out of this tiny person peeking over the table, chewing on a napkin. Oh yes, and the food was good too. :D

Six Months

2010-10-30T07:56:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe we've been parents for six months.
That our little girl has been hanging out with us for half a year already.
But so it is!
Our world has been so incredibly changed...

and we wake up every morning excited to share the things of the day with her.