Ice and snow...

What do you get when you give one block of snow to one person?

Icy fingers?  Perhaps.

You also get this...

and this...

WOW!!!  There are some gifted folks around these parts!

It's was Prince Albert's Winter Festival and some of the results of the snow sculpting contest are stunning!

Good times...

We entered into our retreat weekend, sixteen of us, and came away the better for it.

Long talks...some one-on-one.  Many "group" discussions....mostly impromptu.  Laughter with resulting tears!  Tears with resulting grace.  Music.  Late nights (for some:)  Kitchen duties.  Hot nights (literally...I woke up having a nightmare where I had been stuck in a sauna and someone was turning the steam up higher and higher and I screamed out for them to stop...woke myself up and I'm sure the rest of the lodge!!!)  Listening.  Taking some really fun photos.  AND......it snowed!  Beautiful.

I love these women.  Really.  They have been and continue to be an encouragement and source of spiritual strength for me...even when I am in the midst of doubts about my own faith.  I haven't heard judgement or negative comments or glib remarks or cliches....nothing.  They will walk with me through my "season of unbelief" to the other side...wherever the other side will be.  I don't know yet.  But they are there, caring and loving and challenging me.  I don't think many spiritual places will allow for this kind of questioning and doubting and turning away but I believe wherever I will go, these friends will walk with me...as far as they can.  Perhaps I will have to go the rest of the way alone...but I know I will be loved.

And another thing...I know God is so much bigger than pat answers, and knowing-all comments and judgements.  He is bigger than we can imagine him to be. Bigger than all the thoughts we have of him and so much more inclusive than we give him credit for.  He is bigger than our own finite thoughts and bigger than our limited reasonings.  Bigger than all the "Christian-eese" answers we rotely (is that a word??) throw out to anyone and everyone and bigger than my little pea brain:)

So ya, this weekend was one of being true to ourselves and one of allowing each other the freedom to be honest.  Some folks find honesty....well, just a bit too difficult to handle, but my friends allow my freedom into this realm and I have come away encouraged.  Perhaps others have doubts too but have difficulty expressing those doubts.  Maybe we are making for ourselves a safe haven, a place to finally be truthful about our questions...even that we have them.  Jesus understood that.  We want to be like him, therefore, we had better be understanding of others questions too.

But as the weekend drew to a close, I knew I had been cared for.

Here we are....

Ya, good times...

Patience....

How dost/doest I lack patience????  Let me count the ways.....

- waiting in a long lineup
- waiting in a short lineup when I'm in a rush
- waiting for someone to finish telling me about a movie they watched (I just told someone today about a movie I had watched last night....good grief!!!!)
- waiting for my stubby nails to grow
-waiting to hear how someone made out in surgery
- waiting to hear news from a doctor about tests that had been taken
- waiting for water to boil...again....and again.....and again....and again.....and again....and again.....ya......

I think I could go on about that but I can imagine you're running out of patience just letting me rant about how few patience I have...so I'll stop already....

I think too, I need to find more concrete ways to enjoy life while my patience is hither and yon getting lost on trivial things.

Perhaps I shall put a name tag on him so when he does get lost, someone can point him in my direction.......something like....

"HELLO....my name is Sharon('s) Patience and I'm lost. 
Please send me home to #6 - 510 River Street East, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. 
She'll be waiting....impatiently!"

As silly as this "BOIL WATER ORDER" is, not to mention necessary, I find myself just running a bit low on patience these days.  As I said, silly!

I'll be off to our Women's Annual Retreat this weekend so poor husband will have to fend for himself....heeheeheehee.  As if he has ever had any problem with making himself something to eat!

It should be a good weekend...hope yours is good also!  A good time for making like some of the famous Coureur-des-Bois like Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Medard des Groseilliers.  Remember your grade 5 Canadian history classes?!  Dog races, jigging contests, lumber cutting, etc. etc.

 

 

MUSH!!!!

A perfect day to celebrate...

When it's a Sunday for me to lead worship, I find myself totally at God's mercy.  I continue to feel so inadequate but I keep remembering that it is in my weaknesses that I am made strong.  Our last worship song was about that today..."What the Lord has Done in Me"....it goes like this: 
'Let the weak say I am strong,
let the poor say I am rich,
let the blind say I can see,
what the Lord has done in me'

.......good song.

Our daughter, Shannon, had a birthday today too.  I phoned her this morning to get her yearly Happy Birthday Song sung to her.  We celebrated by eating at "Soprano's Restaurant" at the Ramada Inn.  Excellent food and service!

I get so proud looking at her.  Even though at times, she has had difficulties in life, as most of us have, she perseveres through them and has enough wisdom at the other end to offer others.  She is an exceptional friend to have....loyal and true.  I really like her too;)

So, here's to Shannon...wishing her beautiful days and a life filled with every good thing.  She deserves it!

Happy Birthday to a lovely young woman!

I like frost...

Friday was more than perfect for frost picture taking.

I went frost picture taking today.

It was good but not perfect.

Today I did a few things to ready ourselves for daughter's birthday tomorrow.  When I look at her I am amazed at just how lovely a person she has become in every way.  Brains and beauty all in one package!  We will celebrate the occasion with her tomorrow.

While doing errands today I had my camera with me...and caught Jack Frost putting on his famous act:)

I captured the Shamrock plant the other day too....blooming away at work...

Creation is a beautiful gift...yes, indeedy.......

In conclusion...

I don't know much...



My computer has become a thing to make me bitter and twisted....



Book instructions I hate...give me a step by step lay-language sheet of paper...preferably in yellow (it's so cheery)...with detailed instructions...


It's all I ask.


I don't know what end gets plugged in to what port...can it go into any port???? or is it port specific???


If I unplug the flash drive that gives me WiFi....do I have to install the whole dang thing over again?????


Where or where does my webcam plug go.....oh where or where does it go?????? 
If I take something out...to plug this one in....oh I think I have done a bad thing?????


I now take leave to fight another day!!!@%$ )(&(*)*&T_)(5=-%($%+)*Q!

Love...

I came home after work to a beautifully set table for 4.  Shannon and Brittney were joining us and we would celebrate Valentine's Day.

Not only was the table set but three bouquets of red roses  sat beautifully next to each of our plates...plus a box of chocolates and a Valentine Card for each lady present......:)

Now I know my husband loves me and he never has to prove that he does but there are times like today that show me once again that our relationship is good and special..he took time and went out of his way to do this beautiful thing for me...and our girls!!!

And I also know that love can be shown in so many other ways...not only in buying gifts.

Many times, it is shown in little ways....always picking me up from work on time....preparing a scrumptious lunch each day....taking me out for coffee on a Saturday morning where we sit and chat together and read the morning paper, stopping now and then to comment about an article we are reading....helping me over an icy road....a hug and kiss each day before work begins.  Oh sure, we have squabbles and we get on each others nerves sometimes...sometimes we even raise our voices or communicate in various other immature ways;)  But when all is said and done, he's my man...and I'm his woman!  Yay!

Sure, we both have our own TV shows and things we like to watch in the evenings...which is good, I think....'cause I couldn't stand to watch what he watches most of the time but we also take time out to connect and say 'Hi' or 'whatcha' doin'?' or 'did you hear about....(this or that)'  And at the end of an evening we make our way to bed....usually together, to end our day the way it began....sleepily:)  What do you expect after almost 44 years of married bliss????

I think about others I know who are just beginning their relationships.  It certainly isn't always primarily about LOVE (and certainly not always about SEX...ask any girl!!!)  But it always involves love indirectly, one way or another.  It involves connecting, talking, making time for one another, sending little notes, giving surprises, having tons of patience as you go from one place in your relationship to the next, listening intently, being open enough to speak and hear truth....and getting away together from the routines of life....and so much more.

Tonight, I wish each of you love...love enough to share with others...and enough to offer yourself.

Whether you've experience love for only a week or for fifty years, whether you've lost love or never experienced it......Happy Valentine's Day....tomorrow.

Oh, and fellows....

Girls love roses.......just sayin'......

Success...

The wedding celebration yesterday was a huge success.  The bride is a co-worker and it was beautiful to share in the delicious supper and tributes that were later expressed to them.  Their actual wedding took place back on Thanksgiving Day, a surprise to their families as they came simply to join in a special meal which turned out to be a wedding feast as well.  I do trust their marriage will be successful and happy in every way.

 

It's funny how we even measure success.

Some say it is getting what you want most in life while others say it's achieving a great deal of education in order to become the very best you can in your profession. Many say it is when you have a certain social status complete with power over many people....plus the enormous amounts of money you need to allow you to remain in that position. Those are all signs of success....but....

I think success can be other things as well.....it's being faithful to something or someone.  It's being trusted and trustworthy.  I believe success can be measured by what is inside a person...not only the outward physical signs but those deep inner things that make up an individual...unmeasurable things.

One can be a successful garbage picker as well as a successful oil magnate.  One can become a politician and achieve great goals and one can also become a mother and raise her children well.  All can be thought of as truly successful.

I sometimes tend to look at how "the world" rates success...wealth, power, achievement.  But I know only too well how over-rated that view can be. I simply need to look at friends or family members and see their inner selves to recognize their true success in friendship and kindness and caring.  Those are the things I best relate to when I judge real success.  It's all quite subjective....

But ya, the wedding really was a success!!!!

Sleep well, my friends.....

Share the love...

Things are happening.  Things I don't quite understand.  Things unseen.  Spiritual things perhaps.

It's difficult defining matters of the spirit and matters of the heart.

Neither allow us to validate them with a definitive absolute because we cannot prove or see them.

We will attend a wedding celebration tomorrow.  Love will show up and be evident in the lives of two people because we see things in them that equal love.  Love, I've been told, is not selfish or proud, it looks out for the other, it puts the other first, it allows freedom to be and to become, it gives without wanting anything in return, it isn't proud or puffed up, it gets happy about truth, it's patient and kind and not easily angered, it doesn't keep a list of wrongs, it protects and trusts and hopes and perseveres.

That's quite a bit of stuff for love to be.  Wow, looks like I fail at loving for the most part. But there is always another day to work on love, to allow it in and take up space in my being instead of negative and unwholesome things.

And spiritual matters have also taken place in some form.  Son had some form of spiritual experience while driving back to Winnipeg, right there in his vehicle....just him and.....Spirit!?  Whatever it was, it seemed like something profound, something unseen...but had an effect on his life.  Strange.  Amazing.  Weird.  Unexplainable.

Events like that happen...and have happened throughout history.  The Bible talks about several of them and as I was preparing to think through the Worship Service for February 19, which I have the responsibility of leading, I found out it was going to be Transfiguration Sunday.  Now, I don't know much about Transfiguration Sunday, but I do recall that story of Jesus taking Peter, James and John high up onto the mountain.  While there, Jesus started glowing...brightly.  Not too sure what that was all about and in the middle of this phenomenon, Moses and Elijah showed up.  Those two had been dead for centuries.  And they had this conversation going on.  Peter, James and John freaked out.  They started talking crazy like...and in the midst of their feeling like they were going off the deep end, they asked Jesus if they could build some shelters for  Jesus and the two "old fellows".  Guess they figured they had to do something!  This story was recorded and told and retold and retold again.  I sometimes wonder about these amazingly weird stories that we hear about in the Bible....but really, are they any different from the ones some of us experience too?  Really odd.  Really weird.  Really amazing.  Really....???????  Matt talked about his weird experience.  I wasn't there, but he talked about it on his blog how this experience in the car really happened.  He became more alive, more joyful, more......well, just more.  No different than believing the story in the Bible that was recorded.  It was a reliable source as was Matt's story.

So, ya, love and spirit events.  One can certainly intertwine with the other and enhance the other in so many ways.  I think I could talk a lot about this topic but I'm tired after a busy work day.  Suffice it to say, I shall speak more on it as the days pass.

Valentine's Day is approaching, after all!

A morning....

It was one of those mornings, where you're driving down River Street, heading towards work and there in the western sky sits a huge round ball of light.

It was a full moon this morning and as I shouted to husband to "Stop The Car" and scrambling for my camera while opening the window for a better look, I gazed upon it's loveliness.  Not having my tripod, I knew there was no way I could hope for a perfect picture but I snapped anyway.  Couldn't help myself.

 

That's amore.......

Sleep well friends.

129 days....

What does one do with 129 days?

Eat.  Work.  Sleep.  Talk.  Listen.  Pray...  Think.  Dream.  Live life......

I like to believe I actually HAVE 129 days to do all the aforementioned.

What if I DID NOT have those 129 days to do all the aforementioned.

So, I'm taking the attitude that I WILL have at least 129 days left before I retire from my position with the Government of Saskatchewan....and many more days after that, I pray!

During my past several days off, I thought about making that decision but not fully coming to that end result.  I would think about it, and mention it to husband and ask what he thought and then think again.  I came to the conclusion that time WITH family is more important than attempting to grab a few extra bucks from my job.

Today, I handed in my letter of resignation.  Formal stuff.  Emotional stuff.  Giddy stuff.

I know I'll miss my work family a whole lot, but there are times when even family members move on to different places and responsibilities.  They simply move on....

That's what I shall do...move on.  June 15th will be my last working day and I say that with a bitter-sweet feeling of longing and fear.  Longing to experience the next phase of my life and fear of the unknown...health wise and financially...both can be quite scary variables. 

So, here's to my retirement!  Long may it reign!

I shall miss all the people that enter that door and those that stand by my desk and those who sit and have a chat.....because, when all is said and done, it's not the job....it's the people that make life worth living!

Elvis...oops...Matt, has left the building...

He's gone.

His presence will be missed.

It is now eerily quiet in the apartment....so we shall make some extra noise, like vacuuming and the like.

I really should be used to this by now...

Oh, and he revived my bread-making skills.

Birthday Bash...

The 18th birthday weekend I believe, was a huge success.  Brittney has many, many friends but her oldest and dearest friend, Jenn Loseth, planned a weekend for her to remember.  Scavenger hunt, supper out, late nights, sleep overs, a few "non-alcoholic" drinks...you know, the stuff being 18 is made of!!!

The pizza supper at our place was good too.  All five of us celebrated the occasion and ended in the usual rousing game of "Who can make the most outrageous face for an I-Phone pic???"  Talk about laughter and fun.  Ken and I sat back and watched...I think it must be what grandparents do...

Here's an example...

 

 

All in all, it was an evening we won't long forget.  Children and grand-children really are a blessing...

And tomorrow morning we say farewell to Matt who has been here with us for a good while.  We will miss him...his presence...but wish him well on the next phase of his life journey.  Perhaps he will return this summer...time will tell.

Enjoy your evening....it's like spring out there, eh?

I'm not dead....

Just taking a sabbatical....of sorts...and a few days off from the routine of life.

Talking and listening.  Having coffee.  Framing pictures.  Eating well.  Baking bread.

And trying not to use too much water since the city is in a bit of a mucky mess...water-wise.

And tomorrow is a big day.  Brittney turns 18!  She's on her way in life.  I trust it will not disappoint her too badly and that she will be happy and content and fulfilled. But in her disappointments I trust she will be courageous and battle through them making her a stronger individual...because we know there will be those times in life for her, like they are for everyone.

Shannon is busy baking her favorite cake, I just wrote out her birthday card, friends will be entertaining her all weekend doing this and that, going here and there and tomorrow we will have her favorite pizza here at our place.  I'm sure this will be one of the last opportunities to celebrate her birthday with her present so we shall savor it and enjoy our time together...and Matthew is here too, to celebrate with her.  That hasn't happened for a good many years either.

So, I figured I should let you know I haven't left blogdom, nor do I intend to for some time yet.  It's just too much fun being able to say exactly what you want....but no one listens much anyway...lol....

So, goodnight from the little apartment by the river....

Lovely....