When a Wild Adventure Turns Safari

(this was written on the way home from my g'bb boyz.....hence some of the time reference)

As many of you know, I seem to have some magnetic quality connected to my being that draws wild adventure. My impression is that most of you actually would not be surprised to see some of these stories on a cable show.(this photo is the sight my bleary eyes beheld as we entered the hospital on Sunday...true love...)

Can I just start by saying that in the past 24 hours I have been the recipient of the "Nanny gets to snuggle" bb's prize, so all in all things are bloody brilliant.

Now,to give a little more detail and put the minds at ease that have been hanging by their fingertips on the rock face known as "Rebe's FB status teaser".... here is my story...are you wearing depends? You may need them, or at least take a little trip to the loo before you proceed with the reading....

So, Monday morning my mumma arrived at Julia's place bright and early, we snuggled the beautiful little samples of our DNA one last time and headed out to the Greater Vancouver Transit System.... are getting where this is going?

We chose to leave extra early because both of us would rather arrive early anywhere and wait as opposed to running in frantic and late. I needed to be on the 12:45 p.m. Twassen to Duke Point Ferry, in order to be home for 4:30 p.m. yeah so nice try on that! All was looking well until we had our FORTY minute layover in cold-nowhere-ville-transit-region. OH MY GOODNESS! we were so cold and there was not a shelter to be found...okay so there was one, but a particularly inconsiderate teenage male was smoking in it.... GROSS! ( this picture is sample of the miserable weather that day, brrrr!)

We chose the cold, we were laughing our little butt's off, since that is what our DNA line does in the face of adversity. Finally the bus showed up.

We got on and felt as though we had arrived in heaven. Aaaaaaaah, it was warm and the seats were very cushy. Nice!

It was a fairly long ride, when we finally arrived at the exchange area where we would catch the last bus that would take us out to the Tsawwassen Terminal, we were feeling pretty good. Much to my chagrin, mumma asked the bus driver one more time to confirm that this was the bus to Tsawwassen Ferry.... "uh, no actually, it isn't. You should have got on the bus with the same number with the same name going in the opposite direction. " WHAT!!!!! It is nearly 12 o'clock, I NEEEEEED to be on the 12:45 ferry!

We got off the bus, I not only was slightly stressed about the time, I had to use the LOO! Mumma called the transit or somebody while I went into the last leg station of skytrain to look for a biffy. Yeah, NOT! there wasn't one. Arrrrrg.

We decided a cab was our best option. We saw this really cute little bag-lady type person and asked her where we were. (are you scratching your head yet....was the description not enough to make you laugh?!) She starts telling some glorious tale about the war years and coal heat.... blah blah blah... I interrupt and ask her,"If we were going to call a cab, where would we tell them to pick us up?" Yes I did ask this to the same really cute little bag-lady type person....oy! Will we ever learn, oh Mumma, we are so hilarious! Sigh. So she told us where we were because it is where she has to get home from everyday....yah....great...still don't know where the heck we are!

Hey there is a nice "normal"looking guy... tongue in cheek....well....hahahahahahahahahahahahahah, we should not have been surprised to find out that we were actually in RICHMOND! Yes that is right, the same Richmond that is NOT on the way from Surrey to Tsawwassen! Yuppers, yip, Yessiree, that is right-a-mundao! Same Richmond! the one by the Freakin' Airport!

At least now we knew where to call a cab! LOL!

So, all the way to the ferry we are howling, the cabbie must have thought we were nuts! we could hardly breathe we were laughing so hard... hey! That is what we do! What do you want? Crying? Okay, we thought of that but we were way to cold and tired....oh my goodness!

I actually texted Wayne that the cabbie was texting him because my fingers were numb....I think it was almost the truth!

We arrived at the ferry with 40 minutes to spare, mumma told me it was my "baby gift" . Perfect! and it fit beautifully!

A few minutes later I was upstairs waiting in the temporary waiting area under construction. Do you realize what that means? Yes! It was FREEZING COLD! LIke the rest of my morning! Puhleeeeeeze, can I catch a little warmth? and there is a jubilant family that has obviously just come back from some amazing tropical hot sweating tanning vacation sitting across from me laughing and joking and telling really funny warm stories.... WHAT EVER PEOPLE! (kidding, it was a really nice distraction! tee hee)

The ferry arrives, mum texts me from downstairs in the ladies arrivals bathroom, she has discovered the amazing gift of a heat blowing hand dryer....NICE! As I read her text, you will not flippen' believe this.... ready? Guess who I see checking the change return in the payphone on the wall of the freezing cold waiting area under construction? YES!!!! It is the same really cute little bag-lady type person! You have to know she did NOT spend $60 on a cab! OMG! I am almost in convulsions trying to text mumma back. Quick, bring the "undergarments", my bladder is not going to hold up for this one!

Oh, oh , oh, oh.... breathe, breathe, breathe. Whew, heart rate is coming down , stars are gone from my line of vision....aaaaaaaaaaaaaah. Okay.

I board the ferry. Hallelujah Lord, thank you for your goodness and grace.

La dee da dee da , llaaaa lllaaalalallalalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I am feeling great! Have a little lunch, every hot beverage they serve, TUB sized, and decide to sit in a quiet area and look over my photos and video of my beautiful little grand baby boys. Oh I love them so much I cannot even begin to tell you. My eyes fill with tears just thinking about them. Oh Lord you are So Good!

As I was looking at the pictures I was feeling so great. I thought I would be really organized and get my car keys ready so that when we docked, I would make an uneventful exit.

OH Joy! Uneventful was not to be the word of my day. My car was at Duke Point in the long term parking since Saturday...heh heh.....My keys were at that very moment NOT in my possession. (this photo was taken while I was on the ferry, by a very well meaning person who then emailed it to me to show that my keys were not really lost at all, THEY WERE JUST VISITING THE USA!)

But that is a story for another day!

Glorious Day...even with sandy eyes!

Catchy title isn't it?

The summary is that I have been on high alert for 2 days waiting for the arrival of my 2 new grandbaby boys, as far as I know who will be named Anthony Roger and Micah Gabriel.

My sleep is not whelming over me as I would desire at a time such as this...this being the post arrival time.

The boys entered this wild and crazy world that we live in sometime after midnight. My poor gurlio Julia was so exhausted when I talked to her at 3 something dark a.m. that I only got the essential details. Imagine that! (smirking!)

My g'bb's both weigh 5 lbs 8 oz! How is that for fantastic? I am so excited, huh! Wonder if that is what is keeping my weary bleary sandy eyes from slumber?

At some point in the decent hours of the day Julia and Thomas will send me pictures of the newest in our DNA line. I look forward to that more than I can put into mere words. I have talked to 2 of my closest people, one of whom did not mind me waking him up and the other whom is across the globe and was sort of maybe thinking about preparing for a nights slumber herself.

Thank you Lord Jesus for the safe arrival of my g'bb's. Thank you also for being able to connect with someone at oh dark thirty . Thank you for sleep, and the speedy healing of my beautiful daughter's amazing body whom you enabled to nurture and deliver 2 beautiful little people. You are the most incredible phenomenon this world will ever know. Hallelujah.... Amen.

Okay Beloved, I will once more (3rd time!) try to encourage slumber before my trusty alarm goes off in less than 2 hrs. I will take all I can get!

Blessings and rest assured....there will be more... and photos :)

G'ma Rebes xo

Glory turns crazy and Hilarious!

Tuesday morning found me delighted to be outside in the glorious freshness of a new day. I had risen early, eaten a delicious breakfast and 2 cups of my exquisite organic fair trade dark roast French pressed coffee. It had poured rain overnight, thus the freshness of the day. Sunshine was peaking through between the left over clouds in the magnificent sky.

Hallelujah Lord, Thank you for your glory and beauty. Even as I deeply inhaled the air had a level of beauty all of it’s own.

Part of what I love about this time of year is that I get to wear my bright red goretex jacket. I love red. I love that jacket, it always makes me feel spry! ( wink, good word hey?! LOL!)

Usually I have my camera handy, there is a little word called ‘addiction’ that you could readily apply to my photo snapping, but I am okay with that. Snap, Snap, got a few great shots, now off to work.

Have you ever heard me mention how much I love to go to work? I LOVE to go to work! It doesn’t really feel like work (shhhhh, don’t tell anyone that I said that!) it feels more like, oh, social coordination, or visiting, or organizing ‘stuff’ – I love to organize ‘stuff’, or creating, there is a lot of creative stuff that happens at the L’Arche Outreach centre (which always needs volunteers by the way….250-334-8320…just sayin’!).

I arrived just in time to answer the phone, Christine called to ask me to turn on the heat in the boardroom. Sure, no problem , I can do that!

Upon arriving at the boardroom, I noticed that the lights would not go on, then as I turned the knob on the heaters there was no defining “click”. Hmmmm.

As I flicked the light switch inside my office upon arriving back inside the ORC, (outreach centre) there was NO light. All of a sudden I realized how flippen’ cold it was inside. Brrrrrrrrr! What is going on…..I always leave the heat on low?

Well, Christine got there and we started to investigate. For crying out loud, what is going on, no power in the L’Arche office or the ORC. Called Hydro, they have no clue why but will send someone over. The breakers are all fine and there is nothing obviously wrong.

Hydro arrived about an hour later, they sort of chuckled and said, “well, it’s no wonder you don’t have any power, someone stole your meter outside.” WHAT! We went out to look for ourselves. Can you believe it? Somebody snapped the little band that was securing the meter to the wall, and removed the meter! How mean! The Hydro fellows informed us that we were not the only ones who had our meters stolen that night. The Salvation Army and the Alano club also had the same thing happen. 3 non profit agencies that help people with needs. How disgusting. God please bless them because I am a little ticked right about now is what was going through my mind....actually I think my outside voice was activated at that point.

I had to cancel our afternoon painting class as it was SOOOOOOOO cold inside and it takes a very long time to heat up. I was not impressed, Christine had meetings scheduled all day and needed to print things off, I hadn’t been able to access the computer or use any of the phones as the power had been off for so long that the charge had died in the base. Oh so frustrating!

Fast forward 3 hours…. I still had no phone and no internet, there is some heat finally but I was hovering over the little oil core radiant heater that I have under my desk. Brrrr!

Christine said she had no heat and the lights weren’t working….someone else showed up and the two of them looked around the outside of the other office building. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? There is a separate meter on the her office building across the parking lot, they stole THAT one TOO!

Oh Come On!

The day was definitely disrupted, we were not thrilled, or very warm, so much to do this week to get ready for the Fiesta and we were still regrouping after our Big L’Arche Dinner Dance last Saturday.

Oh well, putting life in perspective, realizing that many things happen around the world every day that made our discomfort on Wednesday pale by comparison.

One little example…So, remember I started off by telling you how amazing the morning was and that I loved wearing my read jacket? Well! What I didn’t share earlier was that as I was walking briskly to my car from my front door, while very aware of the brilliant red colour of my jacket, I noticed a hint of purple out of the corner of my left eye. Preoccupied with the lovely day, I didn’t really give it much thought, until AFTER I snapped the photos and reached into my pocket for my keys. “What the heck is that? OH MY GOSH!!! Nooooooooooooooooooo! Please let it not be so….!” My jacket was hanging on my closet doorknob, right above my folded laundry in the basket….the Velcro on my jacket snagged the lovely delicate lace edge of my PURPLE UNDERWEAR!

Oh Man…. What a crazy day!

Thank you Lord for a terrific sense of humour! I am blessed richly! And now everyone else gets a great belly laugh! Happy reading Beloved!

Procrastination must DIE!

Okay, so that might sound a little dramatic... I was hoping to catch my own attention with that lead in!

Are you a procrastinator about anything? OR are you one of those people who just do each thing as it comes along and TA DAAA, it is all done and you never need to make a list?( this is a photo of me and my buddy Danny at the Faith and Sharing Retreat this summer, we did a spoof on AXE Body Spray!)

Pfffft! If you never need to make a list I need your cheat sheet! I find that sleeping comes easiest when I have a pen and paper near to my bed, so if I wake in the night with 'things' in my head, I can write them down, then I can sleep...for real.(this one is a photo of a small portion of the people who came to our housewarming a few weeks ago,we all wore crazy hats...I have a few! The party hosted about 70 ppl for which myself and Wayne did all of the food for, and I organized and we decorated, but Sue helped to decorate too!)

One of the things I have noticed in my post 30's portion of life, (yeah some of you can quit snickering now... you don't have a lot of room to snicker about!) that the only reason I ever feel BORED, is when I am procrastinating about doing something I don't really want to do.( Me and Manu getting some things organized for the party in the parking lot, many hands make light work, it is true...time for procrastination? NOT!)

Example #1:

There is a 5' x 5' storage unit up town that really needs my attention.... you will note that it is ONLY 5 little tiny feet by 5 more tiny little feet, sigh. May as well be 25 x 25 for the volume of brainspace it consumes. I have known more than one compulsive task master in my time ( you know who you are!) but as much as I wished for a tiny bit of it to rub off onto me...it never did. What the heck is that all about anyway?

Once those 'little' things are done that I don't really want to do, I am on easy street. Did I just say that? in my outside voice? Easy street?! Oy, where did that come from?

(this photo is of me making a MILLION tuxedo strawberries for a bbq in McLeary Washington last week... such a lazy bum!)

A few months ago, I was feeling a little ripped off by the circumstances in my life. I told a dear and wise friend about it, she chuckled and said, "Where in the world did you ever get the idea that your feet were supposed to land squarely on the ground and stay there for any amount of time!?" Okay, so she caused me to stop and think a little bit. It was good.

Another time I was asking God if I could just have a boring life for a day. Ya wanna guess what happened? Sheesh! Yup...it all cranked up... suppose the life I had been living up to that point HAD been the boring life... at least the one I was being allotted? Heaven forbid the people whose boring lives are more up in the air and wild than mine... who could stand it?(in this one I was at my dear, dear sistah-frenn's house and she had a hankering for cinnamon buns, so I whipped up a couple dozen...slackah!)

My thought life alone would do many people in! I have mentioned before that you do not even want to know how my mind twists and weaves and whirls and soars. NOT KIDDING!

It is all I know, so I am comfortable with it....

Interesting sidebar: Today, a friend/co-worker witnessed one of my very quick ( and funny I might add!) comebacks to a potentially less than wonderful moment in the office. She told me that she is always impressed with my speed of quick and usually quite uplifting remarks, she wishes she could be so quick thinking. My comment, and comfort, to her was, "But along with that 'gift' comes a whole pile of other things that you do NOT even want to know about! It is a package deal...sort of like when you get the family mansion but have to take the crazy old aunt and her 47 cats with it."

There is a reason why there is a saying something like, "Be careful what you wish for, you might actually get it."

On that note, I think I have successfully procrastinated my way to the "too late for tonight" portion of the list I am avoiding.

Whew, I was almost tempted to do something I don't want to in order to prevent another procrastination self-flagelation session. Got out of that just in time....think I will go watch a movie now.

NOTE: you must realize, if you have read any of my other stuff, that I can be a total hambone? I do struggle with procrastination in some areas, but I also have picked up a trick or two from the amazing "DOERS" in my life.

(Me finishing the decoration of the converted little boys room to HOCKEY ROOM>>>>just for love!)

Thanks friends, I am always able to learn valuable lessons from you and through you when I am willing. I love all of the opportunities I have to participate with you.... guess what... that storage unit? It doesn't have an expiry date! Whew!

Life as it happens, sometimes good, sometimes not so good.

Well, it has been quite a week.

I wasn't able to go to a old friends' brothers memorial this past Saturday as I already had an obligation out of town for the weekend. He was young, a father, a son, a brother, a friend, an uncle and a husband. Thursday evening I got a call that a lovely man, the father/father in law of very close friends had passed away unexpectedly. His memorial is this Saturday. Today I rec'd an email letting me know that a very dear lady who volunteers at my work has passed away and her memorial is on Thursday. Her passing is not completely unexpected, but sad for those left behind none the less.

What is it about getting a few years under our belts that seems to increase the ration of memorial invitations? Is it that we know so many more people or is it that time passes and it is just an inevitable part of life? I have pondered this for years.

Figuring it out isn't the goal, but understanding why has always been part of my thinking. DNA I suppose.
I have a strange affinity for death, dying, memorials, and funerals. There is no way to explain how this has come to be a part of my life. Even I do not understand it. My desire to support those in times of loss is huge. In 1986, when my aunt passed away in her 30's, I was 20 years old. It became apparent to me at that time that no matter how much people genuinely cared, there was nothing that they could say that was going to change the way I felt or bring a loved one back. It's true isn't it? Yet we strive, as humans (in general) to offer the very best of condolences, almost as if it will brighten someones day.
Hmmmmm, while I appreciate the gesture of compassion, it usually seems to fall a little flat of what the intention behind it was. While we are grieving, in the early stages, when it is still raw and ragged, really all most of us want to do is just hunker down and hide out, or snuggle under big duvets and sleep, or tune out via television or movies... or maybe sort through our loved ones personal effects, languishing in the memories and heart stirrings that are prompted by a smell or a photo, or the feel of something left behind.Not for a moment am I suggesting that we should not reach out, no matter how awkwardly, with a hand of compassion, a tender look, a loving word, or even food. I am merely trying to acknowledge the reality of what these situations create.
Stirrings of emotion, or even whelms of emotion, insane laughter sometimes, desperate tears and anguish other times. One may follow closely upon the heals of another with out warning. We may feel foolish, or angry, relieved or sad. Although we may laugh, I do not have a personal experience of being happy in these times. Deep seated joy may reside within us upon reflection of special times, when the one we loved was well and we shared something together that caused us to reflect upon that joy.
It is an exhausting week for many in our Valley, 3 families that I know of in particular are suffering the aftermath of loss even as I type this.

My heart goes out, sincerely, to the families of Chris, Bob, and Lorraine. May God cover them all with His peace that passes all understanding. Oh let them have moments of reflection of that deep seated joy I was referring to, enough to allow them to come through to the other side of the pain. In the mighty name of Jesus, I cry out for them. Beloved, let us love one another. We all have our gifts, let's use them to bless those that are hurting right now. Even if it feels unnatural....stretch out your hands. You may be surprised to realize a blessing of your own when you do.

Bless you my friends.

Love in a Bucket

Have I ever shared my Bucket Theory with you? some of you will have heard it for sure. I have about 5 mins before I need to carry on with the rest of my wildly crazy busy weekend.

So the Bucket Theory has been in my life for many years, at least ten I think. Oh wait, more, 13? Long enough for me to think of it familiarly...and fondly.



We have only one life on this earth. If you look at it like a Bucket, it is easy to see that only so much can fit into the Bucket. We choose what we put into it. We can fill it with all kinds of so-so stuff .....leaving no room for the incredible, amazing and awesome things that are just waiting to fill our Buckets... or we can leave room. Wait. Don't just fill.
Recently my Bucket tipped over, everything that was in there got sloshed around and some of it spilled out.

Guess what? God has put some pretty crazy fantastic breath taking stuff in there since then.
One of the things is my Beloved, all of you. I recognize that I, at 45 years of age, have been blessed with the priceless gift of LOVE. All of the people in my life who love me, show me love, speak love to me, write me love on my FB wall, in emails, via text, hug me, share with me, are real with me, you are all my priceless Gift.
Hallelujah for revelation of the priceless gifts available to me , I believe as a result of trusting and obeying the leading of my Great Big God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you Beloved for being in my Bucket, it is full and doth runneth over at times, wow.


P.S.
These exquisite roses were a love gift from my beautiful friend Claire in June.....tears well in my eyes at the beauty behind such gifts.

In Light of New Friends

Life has been happening steadily since my last post. There have been a few inquiries as to when I would resurface. Well... here I am! As far as new material goes, there has been no shortage. Many of your heads would spin just in the retelling of my daily adventures, let alone the living the really wild stuff. I am here to be your buffer. Oh don't I make the mundane of life sound wonderful? Ha ha ha!

I have made a new friend and that relationship is what prompted me to write a more current blog story. Fathers day was great and all but really- June? More than a few days ago for sure! (I Love you Dad!)

Since my last post many big things have happened in my daily life. The biggest and most exciting of which is my twin grand-boys! Seriously! Julia is having twins and we know they are boys. I am so excited. I was sharing with my friend today that as I watch her, and feel the babies move from inside of her beautiful burgeoning tummy, my heart wells up and comes right out of my eyes. True story!

My other children are all very excited. This is a big event for all of us. First grandbabies, first nephews, first Great grand babies. Wow. God is so good, we are blessed. Okay so maybe we are still reeling a little, but we know we are blessed none the less.

I have been spending quite a bit of time with friends lately who have 3 boys, all under the age of 10. They are beautiful, lively, and ALL boy. While I was over there this morning I mentioned to their mom that I could just see the time when the twins are about 5 yrs old and they are looking to her boys as the heroes and role models... how amazing that is going to be. As a parent, I have seen so many layers of this process. So now I am looking forward already to the next layer.

In my office I have 2 pairs of Crocs, size 6 months, they are hanging beside the art cards that we have for sale. Many a conversation has begun with , "whose are these?" Oh, let GiGi (double gramma) tell you about these cute little crocs! and on my desk are 2 pairs of the cutest little socks with little bear faces on them, they are formed with cardboard support shaped like little feet, on the top of each of them is a little tiny hat. Can you say CUTE!? I am hooked. Before they even arrive I am in love with them. Praise God for His perfect timing... I certainly hadn't entered this on my calendar yet! I actually blogged sometime ago that I might be ready in 10 years... okay, so I have adjusted my calendar! Bring 'em on.... I am ready.

The people who already know me are not surprised at my enthusiasm...but for those who don't know me, you may wonder how I can be so excited when not all of the details in this "fairy tale" are perfect.

Hmmmmm, could it be that I recognize that we are only in control of so much in our wordly lives? and the rest is given to us for us to choose how to embrace it or not? I choose embrace. I choose Love no matter what. I love these babies. Thank you Jesus! Oh I wish I could describe my emotions effectively in words. You would squirm!!

I have 4 children, and to be quite honest, having any children was not at the top of my "wanna do" list. Over the years I have commended God for saving my life by giving me these 4 incredible miracles. They have saved me time and time again. Just by being. Hallelujah! by Loving those little beings that came from within my broken and battered physical body, I have realized a capacity to love that I could never have known.

The end of my sharing today is followed with a photo of me and my "little" brother Kelly. The funny part is that Kelly is 2 yrs, 2 mos & 11 days younger than I am... but at this point he is about 10 inches taller! This photo was taken in about 1969, we lived in Victoria, B.C. My amazing and loving mumma woke us from a nap to shine for the photographer. This is the DNA line that precedes my grandboys. It makes me happy and it makes me smile as I recapture the memories. Family...isn't it just the most incredible gift? Not always what we think we want, not always easy or what we would choose....but oh, how unforgettable. I am thanking my Great Big God. A gift I may not have chosen. Priceless. Thank you Jesus. I love my family. Unconditionally. Forever.

Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Can you believe it is Fathers Day tomorrow? Blink....time just flies..is it my age? or is this phenomenon happening to every other person around the globe also?

I will dig back into my memory for my very favourite time with my dad.

The age I was during the time of this memory is very vague to me at the moment.... maybe 7 yrs old? We were camping in our truck and camper, with our good friends the McKinney's. Jim and Linda were really good friends of my mum and dad, hunting/fishing buddies actually. They had 2 boys, Grant and Paul. G was my age and P was my brother Kelly's age, or very close anyway. My geographical memory is void of any particular point on the map, but the event is VERY clear.

We were trout fishing at a lake somewhere on Vancouver Island. Trout fishing had already become one of my favourite pastimes by the age of 7. It remains so to this day...close to 38 years later...oops, telling on myself again!

For some reason my brother was not out in the boat with us, the only people I really remember out their were Jim, my dad, and me. This may not be accurate, bear with me...the cobwebs also serve as clear memory blockers!

We had been out in the boat for quite some time, I remember this as I had had utilize "the coffee can"...yeah, boat lingo for "biffy"! A distinct recollection is being aware of how unfair it was that the males in the boat could so easily express themselves (smirk) by just standing at the front of the boat and letting loose! Today there is a phrase that resembles "***** envy" ...LOL...I think you get the idea.

As far as my memory serves, and on this I am POSITIVE...I was the only one in the boat to catch any fish. Darkness was falling, rain was falling, and I was slaying trout! WOO HOO! Good times.

Eventually we found our way back to ground zero, I felt victorious. What a great experience. In that moment, a stone was laid solidly in the foundation of my life.

Through out the years we spent a lot of time out in the bush, or at black powder rendezvous, climbing down the side of many a dirt road or highway to get to a potential fishing spot.

Those are the memories I cherish. That is the gold I store up.

My daughter is expecting my first grandchildren, yes that was plural. Twins, we know that one is a boy for sure, the other one was a little more discreet... so for now...baby A and baby B. I look forward with great anticipation to sharing that story and others with them. It is part of the legacy I hope will carry on. There is a very good chance of that happening since their mum's dad is also a great outdoorsman.
(this photo is a couple of years old...my daughter Julia (mum to be), Me, my daughter Chelsea, and my dad)
Gratitude for those priceless moments, that have paved the way for other priceless moments to come~that is what I am thinking about today.

Thanks Dad, I love you.

Lenders and Borrowers Beware

LIviNg LiFe to the fullest often means getting down and dirty with your friends. There are many ways in which that could be construed although I have a particularly dirty piece in mind.

Lending & borrowing. Are you a lender? A borrower? Or both? I happen to be both. The way we were brought up in my house was that if you needed to borrow something, you were better to be prepared to replace it in case anything happened to. If we lent something out we needed to consider it given away, if it came back in good shape that was a bonus. If we weren't able to do either of those, then we would be better off to refrain from borrowing or lending altogether.

Well, now I am all grown up, at least that is what the birthdate on my drivers license suggests! One of my favourite bands is the Barra MacNeils, my favourite album of theirs is called " The Question". On that album is a song called "Goin' Back" one of the lines is "and now I think I've got a lot more than a skipping rope to lend." True story.

So, quite some time ago, I was with a mini-gaggle of women. Oh yeah, it was fantastic! We know how to rip it up on iced tea, let me tell ya. The topic of borrowing and lending came up. As you can imagine, we ALL had a story or two (or twelve!) to share.

One time, in another life and in another land far away, there was a family that liked to borrow rather than purchase. This is an accepted practice when it is occasional. But, if you are going to take up skiing as a family hobby, and you have purchased a family seasons pass for …..oh let’s say…. Mount Swish…..BUY YOUR OWN EQUIPTMENT! Oops, my outside voice came into the house again! One member of the gaggle who has asked to remain anonymous shared a story. I will call her Blossom.

Blossom Responsible and her hubby are very organized, and take very good care of their belongings. Their children are being raised to take care of their belongings as well. So much so in fact, that after attending the annual ski swap that is held in the area of Mt.Swish, and purchasing their own 2nd hand equipment, they resold it the next season for higher value. Tell you anything?

So, enter Biff and Sissy (maybe not their real names), they are good friends of Blossom and Fred. They had decided to try skiing. Excellent! They borrowed the Responsible families’ equipment and hit the slopes of Mt.Swish. It was awesome! They loved it! They decided it would be no biggie if they used the equipment again the next weekend. Their thoughts were that Blossom and Fred wouldn’t mind if they used it, with out checking, and so the pattern continued throughout the season. Okay…so that was last season. Blossom and Fred, along with their Responsible kids, didn’t ski last year. This season they were pulling the gear together, making sure everything was in order, as they were planning to ski every weekend for their family outings. A long overdue call to Biff and Sissy resulted in the return of the toothpick and metal recycling quality gear being returned.

Hmmmmmmmmm, that would not have passed muster in my family’s manner of borrowing. Unfortunately Biff and Sissy had NO clue. Blossom and Fred did not want to create an issue out this painful learning experience. Lesson learned I suppose, but…there was a funny moment that came out of it.

On the night of the mini-gaggle gathering, we were hashing over the what if’s and how to’s to deal with this type of situation….I came up with a great idea! Okay, more bizarre or ridiculous than great…2 sets of everything! Easy peasy! If I am gonna be a lender, I just buy 2 sets: one to use and one to lend! That way, I always have my gear in great shape and ready to use whenever I want, and my Biffy/Sissy friends are happy too.

Lots of people would be really happy with this! The realtors are gonna benefit because now I need a way bigger house! Vendors and manufacturers are happy because now I am spending double on things that an average family would only buy one of! Biff and Sissy are happy because they can buy more shoes and polo shirts since they don’t have to spend their money on the sporting equipment, camping gear, and lawn care essentials.

What do you think? Good idea? Or all to familiar and painful? Are you Biff or Sissy? Hmmmmm, can I borrow your new…..LOL! Kidding, I don’t wanna borrow anything. But I know someone who does!


Note:
It was written, in 1602From Shakespeare's Hamlet,:
Spoken by Lord Polonius to his son Laertes:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.*

Literally it would be written:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.
For a loan often loses both the loan and the friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of the economy.*

(*www.enotes.com/hamlet-text/act-i-scene-iii)

Life

Have you ever heard the phrase, "Man plans and God laughs."? It is not biblical if that is what you are thinking! I love it. There must be a strong GOD DNA line in my gene pool, I laugh at myself a lot!

When I was 5 years old, there was nothing beyond going over to Brenda's to play dolls on my mind. Certainly not what kind of job opportunities would I be looking at in my 40's. Yet, here I am, looking at job opportunities. And Life.

Reflection can be a very harsh thing, but it can allow grace as well. My life has been filled with both.

The saving grace (other than Jesus!) has been my sense of humour. Hallelujah for that!!

I have found pieces of the most incredible humour in the midst of crisis, the death of a family member, the crumbling of a marriage, the loss of a job, or even the end of my uterus!

Is it indeed DNA? Or is it a choice? A decision. In moments I may succumb to my circumstances, but for the most part, I choose life, humour and optimism. Why not!

On the evening of September 10th, 2001, I was blessed to be one of a few hundred people at a seminar in Vancouver. The speaker was Patch Adams. The title was "Laughter in Healing". It was actually being put on for the medical community. My girlfriend Kelly is a nurse and saw the advertisement on a bulletin board at work. I will be eternally grateful to her for inviting me.

Patch is one of the most humble, lovely, eloquent, heart driven people I have ever seen in my life. Did I mention his sense of humour? We laughed and we shed a few tears, we laughed some more, and yes, we shed a few more tears. He has worn clown clothes for about 30 years. His hair is long, 1/2 of it was blue, he has this terrific showpiece of a mustache. Family, as in the human race, is his passion. Loving them no matter what. Going into orphanages in Russia with a group of 20 or more other love filled passionate people with terrific senses of humour. They brought smiles, laughter and hope to children and adults who had none. They splashed colour onto a country that was broken, gray, in despair. Hopelessness fills the land. Bring in the clowns!

We ended the evening, so grateful to be able to take a bit of that with us. I had furiously written notes throughout the entire evening. I still have them.

My mum and I were staying with a friend that night. We had a wonderful time, regaling her with the stories from the evening, we had aching stomach muscles by the time we went to bed.

The next morning at 5 a.m., Merrilee woke us up as I had to get mumma to the airport by 7 a.m. The television was on, Merrilee looked haggard. None of us will ever forget what happened on September 11, 2001.

The funny part....yes there is one! Country Bumpkin #1-Rebecca & Country Bumpkin #2-Mumma never bothered to stop and process any of the information that was being broadcast continually on EVERY television station in the electronic world....even in Vancouver! Yeah..... so, Bumpkins #1 & #2 proceeded to shed a few tears with our host, and all the while in shock and awe about what was happening on the other side of the continent (so how on earth could it affect us?) travel as planned to Vancouver International Airport.

You are shaking your heads in amazement.... no kidding. Imagine what we were doing when we finally came to!

As we were driving up the long road that is part of the airport entry way, Country Bumpkin #1 & Country Bumpkin #2 were in an incredulous state at the number of RCMP vehicles and Local Police cars and Airport Authority vehicles everywhere. WOW! Wonder what is going on here? Huh? We were stymied! (this is so hilarious that I am not even slightly embarrassed!)

Mumma hopped out of my car, kiss kiss hug hug, "Call me when you get back to Kelowna!"

I proceeded to head to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. I have this visual that I like to share. As I was leaving the airport, in complete Bumpkin Oblivion, that horrific morning of 9/11, I can totally visualize the gates locking, the bridges being blocked, the Authorities setting up check points ....bang bang bang, right behind me all the way. Can't you just picture it??? Dum dee dum, dum dee dum.....la la la la dee da dee da dee da.

When I arrived at the ferry terminal, there was no sailing for about 2 hours, Imagine That! So I got out of my car and headed over to the stalls of lovely things tourists love to buy. I found a fantastic hat stall, bought the most incredible black hat, it is my 9/11 hat. You will find hanging in a state of prominence among my other 47 hats.

Conversations were filling every available space, people were clustered, speculating, often suggesting they knew exactly what happened that horrifying morning. I couldn't stand listening to it anymore. With hat in hand I went straight back to my car. The windows and doors were shut tight, I pulled out my notebook from the night before. There was hope on those pages. I managed a few smiles while remembering stories that had been drawn from the heart of a man who lives to bring joy. Joy in the ashes.

Even on that day, I was able to realize moments worth smiling about. As the day progressed and we learned more about what actually happened, I was so grateful to have been able to enter and walk through the day with a different perspective. There was nothing on earth I could do on that day to change what had already happened. So I chose to look up and ahead. I chose life.

The carefully planned and highly anticipated West Coast Birthday Weekend Adventure

Hallelujah! We we’re finally on our way to Tofino for Andrew's carefully planned and highly anticipated West Coast Birthday Weekend Adventure. As we turn off of the inland highway towards Pt. Alberni I ask him to head down to Coombs Old Country Market prior to the L-O-N-G portion of the journey ~ translation: not gonna be a lot of 'powder rooms ' from here on in!

So we hang a left onto the old road and all of a sudden the car has no power. Uh oh! What the heck is going on? Funny enough (haha yeah tongue in cheek funny ) when Judd and I were on our way home from Victoria last weekend, the same thing happened. Try Second gear, oops we are going a little too fast! Third gear, no power, Second gear... still too fast, Third gear still no power. Oh man! So we call Dan, our great friend at Canadian Tire…back in Courtenay. I mentioned we were in Coombs didn't I? That’s 45 mins from Courtenay for those of you unfamiliar with this area.

Drew tries to describe the cars “issue” to the best of his ability, neither of us are car experts, we hire people to do car stuff... Hello!

I, having a lucid moment, whip out the camera. We are going to need to document this adventure. It’s always what you make of it isn't it? So I’m snapping pics, Drew’s on the phone to C Tire, BCAA , National Rent a car, Budget rent a car, C Tire again. We are not going to cancel our carefully planned and highly anticipated West Coast Birthday Weekend Adventure because of a little car trouble!

By this point, I have taken myself into the hospital in the midst of this little sideline adventure...oh, I didn't mention that? Because the closest powder room to poor wee Durbs, aka: 'broke down 1992 Honda Accord with the personalized plates', was in the Coombs Veterinary Hospital!

So Drew decides he may as well powder his nose while we are waiting, we aren’t sure when Budget will arrive or when the only tow truck in town will get here. I decide to utilize my time most efficiently by starting the next installment of “THE” blog…oh scare the life out of me! Someone just rapped on my window !!!! Whew it is the Budget guy! We carefully deliberate, then decide that it is easier for Drew to go with Budget guy on his own to get the 2010 Golf that will take us the rest of the way on our carefully planned and highly anticipated West Coast Birthday Weekend Adventure.

Oh, hold on, here is a little segway into my story writing in current time; Tow truck Guy (not necessarily his real name) just called me on Drew’s cell, very apologetic, gonna be a little longer. He says, “Buddy flat tire guy can't seem to make up his mind what he wants to do here - change it, tow it, park it, move it, burn it, sell it- for crying out loud!” I was quite enjoying myself actually, so I say, “It’s really not a big deal, we are good, Drew is still with Budget guy getting the new car and quite frankly this is a great blog story so don't get yourself lathered up Tow Truck Guy.” He sounded like he was smiling at this point! J

I have Kari Jobe singing her heart out, I have a big bag of road trip food at my side, a cuppa Eastern Sunrise green tea in the cup holder, the rain is pelting the windscreen of poor wee Durbs, aka:'broke down 1992 Honda Accord with the personalized plates ', I am toasty and dry. The only challenge is that I hear the Powder room calling my name, if I can hold out ‘til Drew gets back with the new car, I will finally make it to Coombs Old Country Market. Every carefully planned and highly anticipated West Coast Birthday Weekend Adventure needs an extra unexpected powder room visit with a triple scoop ice cream chaser. It’s just to tide me over until we get to Tofino!

The adventure continues! Watch for the next installation!

NO Photos Please

Okay, not putting any photos here..... the topic is doggy-doo-bags.

What is it about a doggy-doo-bag that makes it so socially acceptable? I was driving down the road this morning when I saw my friend walking with her dog. As I rolled down my window to shout a greeting, I noticed movement near her right hand....the leash was in the left hand....you know what is coming right?

She gives me a big smile and a wave...with her RIGHT hand. The same hand that is holding the full doggy-doo-bag. I had to laugh, it is so wrong, but what else do you do in that situation? It happens all the time, I see it everywhere.

Poor dogs, not only do they have to do their business in front of the world, if they are on a leash or walking in a public area, but they get the added humiliation of having their "leavings" hung around their neck, or tied to their leash, I have seen a few carrying the bag in their teeth, the walkers often have the bag swinging freely in their hand as though it is a bag of fruit from the market. Oy!

While saying all this, I am very aware of the disastrous elements we would be dodging if nobody picked up after their dogs. I am most grateful for that. But seriously, can we come up with a better method of transport, display and disposal?

Maybe not..... Oh my goodness, what a thought swirl so early in the morning.

Did I mention that we only have fish for pets? There is a reason for that!

Happy Day!

Victory in Battle (with tongue in cheek!)

What a crumby day.

I have just come through one of the most heated battles of my existence. The enemy was easily recognized, the weapons were strewn on the field. Smoke has dissipated from the area where the attack took place. Evidence of an aggressive motion could be seen across the plain. Battle scars and debris were plentiful. You may recognize the war I am describing, it happens every day all across this country.

Though not often enough.

If we confronted this passive aggressor more frequently, the scars would be minimal. Although, the thrill of victory would be lessened. There is something about the adrenaline that courses through your veins, in knowing you have conquered one of the least noticed, yet most persistent enemies of our time. It is not known to me at this time how many support groups are active in regard to this scourge. I may start one myself after this last round of attacks. Not sure how many more times I will be able to withstand this alone. We all need to band together, rise up and face this evil villain. I say, "NO MORE"!

I have attached a few photos of the aftermath. If you are sensitive to this type of thing, you may want to cover your eyes. This needs to be addressed. Seriously! ;-)

Photos taken after clearing the field

note that the crumb catcher is free from debris!
Pre-battle weapon preparation display....
Please note: this machine was unplugged prior to the attack!

Cleaning the crumbs out of the toaster has to be one of the most brutal jobs I have ever undertaken!

Time to reflect

I have recently been reconnected with a very dear friend whom I have not seen nor spoke to in about 12 years. As we are in the process of catching up, it is obvious how much time has gone by as we look at photographs of each others children. Wow, there is no escaping time when it is documented by the development of children into young adults.



This first photograph is of my kids in October 1992...shortly after Chelsea arrived to even out the boy girl ratio in the house. Whew! I had no idea how much I wanted to have a sister arrive for Julia, until the sister actually arrived.

(from left to right are Chelsea, Julia, Kalvin & Judd)

The next photo is from Christmas day 2008...I had by then become and continue to be the shortest member of this family! sigh....it was bound to happen.

(from left to right , Judd, me, Kalvin, Julia and Chelsea)



It is incredible to take a moment and realize just how much has happened in the time between these two photos. The level of amazement is still very high for me, as I watch them even now, discover and test new things. Being a parent to these amazing individuals has been a privilege. There have uncountable blessings as well as innumerable challenges.

(If you have seen me lately, you might have thought the reason I have funky different coloured hair often is because it is fun and I am admittingly a little out there! Well yeah... and the funky different colours hide the different sections of my hair that are now naturally occurring in varying shades of gray to white! )

As my baby girl prepares to graduate high school in one more semester, my thoughts are continually revisiting the past 23 1/2 years of my life. That is when I first became a mom.

Of all the things that I have done, being a mom the way I have been a mom to them, is the one thing I am glad I was able to grow into. Looking back at the beginning, I can see so many mistakes. What did I know? Not much. A little bit about a little bit. Now? I know a little bit about a lot more, but not much all tolled.

I know that choosing the things to battle over with them is critical. Wish I could say I always got it right, but you know I would be fibbing!

Reflection can be a wonderful filtering tool, I don't have to closely examine all of the difficult, less than desirable parts of each of these relationships. Yet I can pull out the lovely, fun, warm and fuzzy bits, holding them close and looking forward to more of the same.

Selective? Yes!

Balanced? Who cares!

We have lived through a lot of reality, right now I just want to reflect on the yummy stuff.

(these are 2 of the more current photos of Julia and Chelsea)


(these are 2 of the more current photos of Kalvin and Judd)

After all of that....I think I am ready for gramma-hood! Uhhhh, not today! But before I celebrate the 29th anniversary of my 21st birthday. That would be just fine :)