I get a teeny bit intimidated....

....when I find I share not only a Google web page with a porn star but our names as well.

I have never really minded sharing the same page with her but the intimidation comes from the realization that she must get several more "hits" on her web site than I do....although it's hard to tell.

I guess it depends on your fancy.

Some like out doors nature....others prefer in-the-buff nature.

Now, I don't really want to promote this other site but I would find it interesting to actually meet this other woman of the same name.  She too, is a person living life, making a living, having relationships and just being a human being....like me.

May God watch over this "other" Sharon Kent.....and may she find truth and love and joy in abundance!

Sub-titled story of love....

I was alone in the house this evening, so in true after-work fashion, I put my feet up and watched a Japanese directed film by Akira Kurosawa, shot in Siberia, Russia and sub-titled from Russian into English.

I was enthralled.  It was called "Dersu Uzala"

A story of two men...one a Russian military captain and explorer of Siberia and a Nanai guide whose ancestors were from Manchuria, China.  It told a story of agape love.  Both learning to respect the other and finally willing to give up their lives for the other....which each did, more than once.

It rang true for me, this love story, (yes, even between two rugged outdoor men) especially this Holy Week as I attempt to grasp the meaning of "true love".  What kind of love is it that allows one to give up his very life for another?  I ask myself this question every year about this time.  It sounded like the death of the Christ, giving up not only for one person...you....but also for me and everyone else too.  A love like no other.

I am encouraged by this film, especially this week as I contemplate the meaning of real, selfless, ego-less love in its fulness.

I pray I would seek out and find true meaning to what real love is this Easter Season.

A fine line...

Where does one draw the line between letting someone get away with a blatant lawless act and standing your ground and letting them know you saw what they did and you aren't happy with it!!!!

Well, to the amazement and horror of my husband and several others, I took a stand!

A week or so ago, four young fellows drove up to a local fast food joint and proceeded to dump all the garbage from their car onto the driveway....when there was a garbage receptacle 10 feet away.

I saw them do it.  I sat there inside the place and watched them do it.

We were ready to leave and while they stood in line to get more food (so they could dump even more garbage on the ground!!) I tapped the one young man on the back (the culprit) and proceeded to let him know he was seen, that I didn't appreciate him performing such an act, that I didn't particularly like him dumping garbage in MY city and that he needs to think twice about doing such an indiscriminate act ever again....at least NOT in MY city!!!!!

The whole place stood behind me...especially the lady doing the table cleaning.  She was right there beside me standing there with her mouth open and watching me explain my disappointment to the young reprobate.

Are people not taught about littering laws???!!!  I don't care if they were under 18.   Things like this need to be acted upon....by SOMEONE!!  I really should have taken it a step further and called the police, just so they know it IS against the law in this city.    Next time!!  Had it been a cup or a bag or something, I probably wouldn't have made a big deal of it but this was serious garbage.

Does this just let me know I'm becoming a grouchy old lady or does it say I'm not afraid what people think anymore and I can take a stand on something I should have taken a stand on years ago?

Maybe both....

Drinking.....

Ya, I've been drinking up a storm today....and I'm still sober enough to type!!!

Not funny....

A kidney infection complete with sore back is making for some really fine cranberry juice drinking sessions.

Good thing I like the stuff.

Doctor prescribed some good old heavy-duty antibiotics to get things under control...so to speak.

I can see it all now....in goes the juice.....out goes the juice....in goes the water....out goes the water.  It should make for some interesting times tonight.

Hope YOU sleep well.....

March in action...

March was a busy month.

Birthdays were celebrated at work.  We hosted a Relay for Life pancake breakfast.  Monday we'll be having the big "Easter Basket Draw" also for Relay for Life....you can still get tickets $2. each or 3 for $5.  Call me. 

March also saw my supervisor resigning and moving to Saskatoon, not to mention other staff friends who have been asked to move to Regina as a result of organizational restructuring.  Difficult, messy stuff.

Perhaps April will see some better and more positive things happening like another root canal or a bout of gout.  We'll see.  Don't think I can take much more fun....

At the end of the day...

....what is most important?

I've had this discussion several times during the week with various folks.

My thoughts are that it's all about relationships. 

We can go through life, attempting to get higher on the corporate ladder, higher on the food chain, higher in people's eyes, higher even in our own eyes....but if we don't have respect and love for others, we have nothing.

Jesus said to put others before ourselves...their needs before our own, their happiness before our happiness.  He said to care for others first and love them unconditionally.

I really want to be like that.  Guess I'll continue trying.

Ya, kind of sounds like I Corinthians 13, doesn't it?

The Storyteller....

It was a totally fun afternoon telling "tree stories" to these little pre-schoolers.

Then "Disciduous Dora" came and told the children that they shouldn't be breaking her branches or hacking at her trunk as she didn't particularly enjoy that.

I then went back to stamping envelopes........I think I'll have to change my job description.

A busy day....

Well, that was some day. 

The Cancer Society daffodils came out in full bloom.

The Shamrock plant that I've been babying along all winter BLOOMED today.

For breakfast and onward we had a "Cookie Sale" for Relay for Life which included biscotti, scottish shortbread, rice crispie squares, brownies and chocolate chip skor cookies.

The afternoon afforded us the opportunity to celebrate the March birthdays with enormous pieces of cake (with thick icing).

It was a day when I was telling the devil to get behind me more than once!!!  He got away with a smaller chunk of cake and a biscotti and slapped it right on my rump.

Then of course we topped the day off with the budget shakedown......great way to end the day.:-(

Keeping with the theme....

Birds will be getting ready to mate soon.

If they haven't established their life mate, they'll be on the search.

A little bit like people, I'd say.

Did you enjoy the lovely snowy/sunny/snowy/sunny day today??

I did!!

Also, I went to get my eyes checked today.  Left eye is always

the one that's the "bad boy".  It always worstens a bit more than the

good-mannered right eye.  So, now it's picking out new frames.

Think I'll go a shade of burgundy/red.  And larger frames are

coming back into fashion...the European trend.  I'd say it's about time

for these poor enormously round eyes of mine...... for the past several

years they have struggled to even be in the scope of these little lenses.

So, I think I'll go larger, just so my eyes will fit into the glasses!!

Nite all....

They're ba-aaaaak.....

Well maybe they haven't quite reached P.A. yet, but I've heard of folks who have seen these lovely birds in Saskatchewan.  It seems somewhat early for them but this has been an unusual winter....but of course, as of Saturday, it is now officially spring.  I guess they have a right to be back.

The changing of the seasons...the patterns somehow ingrained into each living thing even as far as where they should spend each season.  To me it is an incredible mystery.

It's exciting to welcome last years young ones.  I wonder what exciting adventures they all have experienced since we last saw one another.  I'd love to be like Dr. Dolittle and speak directly with them.  "If we could talk with the animals, just imagine it, talking to a chimp in chimpanzee,......"

Like the flowers, I love to gaze at these marvelous creatures....especially in flight, well, when they're swimming too...or walking.....or watching over their young....ya....it's all good.

Have a grace-filled evening.....

Front and back....

No matter which way you look at a hibiscus, there's beauty on all sides.  This one is blooming in an office at work.

The delicateness.

The intricacies.

The shear beauty of it all.

I'd like to be a professional "flower-looker-ater".  If that's not a word, then I'd like to make it one.

There could be merit in that, I think...looking all day at various species of flowers.

How many times have I said, "God makes beautiful things....just for us"....quite a few times, I'm thinkin'...

a revelation of truth....

i know so very little......

A celebration is coming....

Easter is coming.  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead will be celebrated. 

I will celebrate a God who cares about his people and was willing to put it all on the line.

However it is that YOU look at God's love, my prayer is for us all to recognize that love and to begin to live like God's sacrifice was all worth it.

Perhaps there are things we need to learn this Easter season.  There were lessons Jesus was trying so hard to teach his disciples but they just didn't quite get it....not until much later.  There are things in my relationship with Christ that need rethinking and reevaluating.  I think it's all OK to re-evaluate relationships and to try and make them better.  I am such a long way from what Christ intended me to be but in my relationship with him, I can work at improving that.

May we all have eyes to see those things that we need to see...and to make better....or different..

It's my first survey....

Do you think this new and improved?????? blog page is too much "in your face"...or do you think it will be OK.  Perhaps all my millions of readers out there...**cough ***spit...don't give a rip what this page looks like because there aren't any people who read this dang thing anyway.  But the one or two of you that do read this, let's have a word from you...just to soothe my battered ego if nothing else.

I never seem to say anything of significance on this blog page.  I'll be the first one to say THAT!!!

As I've said before, I'm a simple person.  I don't get into long political tirades; or banter back and forth about the pros and cons of birth control or abortion; I don't have long theological discussions regarding  this http://www.phenomenologyonline.com/inquiry/5.html.  I hardly know what it means myself but it looked good....and interesting.  Perhaps we'll save it for a blog unto itself some day.

Then there are the discussions regarding long hair vs. short hair; viagra vs. cialis;  menopause and it's effects on the male psyche; liposuction vs. weight loss; breast feeding vs. bottle feeding; owning a home vs. renting; when to use an apostrophe and when not to; the best way to make a million without going to jail...you know, stuff like that.

I think when it comes to taking a stand on important issues, I can do that, but I hate having to research all those pros and cons ahead of time in order to make a non-half-witted opinion.

So, there you go.  Let me know what you think of this page's new look and I'll talk about anything you want....talk about a push over......

St. Patty's day tomorrow...

Yes, it's not only St. Patrick's Day and the wearin' o' the green tomorrow, it's also Relay for Life "Pie Day"!!

The Studs and Peelers of the Forest Service will be at it again serving up pies to tickle everyones taste buds.  And only $3.00 for a pretty hefty slice...in the Forest Centre building atrium at noon.

So, if you like apple, banana cream, lemon merangue, key lime, coconut cream, rum and butter, you'll want to stop by and eat.  What?????  You don't eat pie for lunch??? 

Come on and live a little.....it's for a great cause......the Canadian Cancer Society!

AND WEAR YOUR GREEN UNDERWEAR...or whatever green things you may own.

Happy Pi Day....

In honor of all you mathemeticians out there, of which I am not a part....."Happy Pi Day".  Here is a general definition of Pi...which we all learned in physics.  The symbol above indicates this mathmatical ratio.

"Mathematics enthusiasts will this weekend be celebrating Pi day, which falls on 14 March in honour of the famous ratio's first few digits, 3.14. You probably know that pi is the circumference of a circle divided by its diameter."  And in case you didn't, well, now you do.

It makes me happy to think that there are actually people who think in these complicated numerical spheres and that I don't have to be a member.  But, good on ya'...all you smart folks.  The only pi I can think about is lemon merangue.

Oh, and it's also my good friend, Linea's birthday today.:-)

Enjoying your weekend?

Me too. 

Worship tomorrow....and I'm in the nursery watching and caring for the wee ones.

It's great to be outside too, these days.  Funny isn't it, how I love so much to see the snow come.....and I love just as much to see it go.

I'm such a simple person....loving to watch the seasons in their progressions....

Sleep well.

'Tis March 'n all.......

'N me heart is turnin' ta' the green.....

shamrocks...fields.....leaves.....all pointn' ta th' Irish....with a shot o' whiskey 'n a few punches fer good luck!

'M IRISH.....'N PROUD OF IT!!!!!

For the beauty of the earth....

"For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,  This our hymn of grateful praise."

When son went to Nepal there were sights (above) which were a feast for the senses.

Each part of the world has its own special beauty, I think, and we also have our own beauty right here in Saskatchewan.

It is good to look upon the beauty God created....just for us.

Bread of Life...

Easter will be upon us in no time at all.

A friend of ours made this beautiful loaf for us last year and we consumed it at the Easter dinner table.

To me, this bread represents family, the way each section crosses over into the next  making one whole loaf.  And when we are interwoven, we hold one another together so that we can be useful and ready to be of service and are stronger.

Jesus was called the "Bread of Life".  This Easter we will again celebrate this fact.  He is the source of our nourishment.  He gives us the strength we need to meet each day head on....even in the midst of difficulties.

We will again be holding a sunrise service on the river bank on Easter morning.  This is what it looked like last year.  Chilly, but a marvelous way to greet the day of celebration...a day to commemorate the power of death being overcome by a risen Savior.

Slush....

Snow is turning to slush.

This picture is of Waskesiu on the May long weekend last year. The middle of the lake was slush and mush but the edges were open for several hundred yards out. The sun was terribly bright that day but the wind off the lake was beastly cold. So much takes place at a lake between mid-May and beginning of July!!!!

But here in the city, I love the sound of water running down the streets into gutters....of cars passing by splashing mounds of water up and over your own vehicle....of birds chirping just a bit differently....of ones pant legs dragging through the puddles....of water running off roofs and onto bare sidewalks.

All signs of the "changing of the seasons".

Don't ya' just love it!!!

**until the next snow fall...:-)

I'm making a trip....

......into the 21st century by "Storm".....

"We are at war. Or so we have been for a while. Some say it’s over, others say it hasn’t even begun yet. Was the BlackBerry Storm RIM’s entire response to the iPhone? Partially in my opinion, but there will be more unveiled as touch screen technology becomes familiar with BlackBerrys."

Good thing I have a daughter and granddaughter to get me through it, otherwise, I would be left to drown in the catastrophe.

And I thought learning about a digital camera would do me in....

Seasons make a difference....

Seeing one particular spot in summer and then capturing it in winter really gives it a different feel.

One makes you want to jump into the water while the other makes you want to jump back into your vehicle.

But there really is something beautiful about both....hot or cold.

Enjoy the plus temperatures out there.....they most likely won't last until "spring".....or will they????

Would you send your child to live in a hovel???

I wouldn't either.

But what do you do when they go voluntarily??!!!

Son shared this room with a few rats and mice while in India.

Glad I saw this picture only when he arrived safely back here....

Three days off....

I get back to work and there are 30-some emails waiting; have to get caught up on everyone's life since I saw them last week; letters to do; questions to answer; emails to send; coffee to drink; candies to put out for passers-by; BMO statements to check; co-workers baby to look at and appreciate; Relay for Life cookies to purchase; make order for Relay for Life daffodil sales; topped off with a good trip to the doctor who sends me for blood work and makes an appointment for me to get another cortisone shot...this time the right hip.....not to mention thinking about husband's angioplasty coming up some time soon....not to mention looking for another place to live....not to mention son leaving P.A. this morning for Winnipeg.

Life just couldn't get much more exciting than that, I'm thinkin'....

Life is good.

I otter' tell ya'......

Our kids aren't quite as climatized as the otters but we had a good time nonetheless.

Whilst husband and I wore gloves and hoodies/jackets, Matt and Kim donned their toques, mitts, winter coats and scarves...and hoods when applicable.

It felt like a balmy spring-like day to us but since they've only been back in Canada for 10 days or so, their body temps are still back in Nepal.

But we had a good lunch and drove to the Narrows, as planned.....thinking that by some small chance, the otters would be out and about.

THEY WERE!!!!

But the little beggars were about 100 yards away so I had to zoom them. Pictures aren't quite clear enough but at least you can tell (kind of) that they are otters. First time we've actually seen them, so I was very excited.

It was a very good day, indeed.

A little drive....

It won't look like this yet, but Matthew, Kim, husband and I are off on a little drive this morning up to Waskesiu, have lunch at the Hawood and have a look around.

It's supposed to be a melting kind of day so it should be good.

Then we'll try and get to the Narrows to see of the otters will be coming out to play. They wanted nothing to do with me the last time I stopped in. I think the kids had been bad because I could hear mother under the ice giving them a scolding. We'll see how well this year's batch listen to their parents.