Art...as in gallery...

A friend and I went to the Art Gallery this afternoon to enjoy the many talents of various artists, most of whom reside in Prince Albert.



I knew several of the folks who had artwork there. Perhaps I am in that "artsy-fartsy" crowd who enjoy galleries and ancient ruins and old churches and poetry. I'm okay with that.



So, to change the subject, my throat hurts like glass slivers are making their way from my sinuses to my little hanging thing down there (in my throat) and it's all swollen and sore. Doctor gave me some wretched stuff to gargle with and I should be right as rain very soon.



Tomorrow.....Waskesiu.....with camera!



In a little over four months it will be Waskesiu....with trailer!

Trying to get ready...

SPRING
SUMMER

FALL

WINTER

I've been asked to give a few thoughts after our breakfasts next weekend. The Women Ministries will be holding their annual retreat at The Quest on Christopher Lake and the theme will be "Seasons".

I don't have any great picture of "spring" but the old neighbor's crab tree in blossom will have to suffice. Photography is still very new to me and so I'm learning as I go.....by chance and by experiment. When I retire in 3 years, 9 months and 22 days, it should be a terrific hobby.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this retreat. It's a wonderful time to get to know others, to see various sides of those we don't see very often and for them to see us in a different setting too. It's good.

Using a visual identity for each season was a good idea that a friend had given me. Not sure how the words will come out but at least they'll have a couple of pictures to look at, if nothing else.

Time for bed.....yawwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnn...

On your mark...get set....bark!!!

(Click on pics)

Just like people. There are all kinds.

Subdued ones.

Anxious ones.

Yappy ones.

Quiet ones.

Those that like flying.:-)

Those that don't.

Today at noon on Central Avenue, all you could hear were the yowling, howling and barking of dogs, anxious to get in the race, anxious to get going and moving.

They were up for it. And a perfect -22C. No sweat.

Dogs are pretty intriguing creatures.

I remember our "Lady" German Shepherd, growing up.

Looked similar to some of those dogs. She was a beauty.

May God watch over these lovely animals as they race their hearts out to win the Canadian Challenge Cup for their owners. Oh, and you can watch over the mushers too, God.

Like the dogs, we all need someone to steer us in the right direction.

Thanks.

He turned his back on me...

I've been trying over the winter months to get a close-up of Mr. Raven...even Mrs. Raven but alas, I'm either too slow at getting my camera out or husband is too slow to stop the vehicle.

I probably should walk more.

Anyway, as I mentioned yesterday, we came upon three of them fighting over some edible (to their way of thinking) item and I figured it would be now or never.

Camera was already in hand. Down with the power windows. That kind of spooked them a bit and two flew off. This fellow stayed.

He was gazing at me with those lovely black eyes, and I was focusing my camera to catch his georgeous face when a car honked and up he jumped and gave a 180 when my camera snapped. Blast.

Oh well. It's better getting the hind end of a raven going north than no raven at all.

Just look at those feathers. They look warm enough to snuggle into...if you dodn't mind mites and lice.

I'll be watching for a face-on pose this coming weekend when we may venture up to Waskesiu, if it ever warms up.

Ta ta for now....

A rose...is a rose...is a rose.....

Yep, no matter how you look at it..........a rose still is a rose.

Hope your "Family Day" was grand.

We went picture taking in the great outdoors for a time.

Too cold to get out of the car for very long.

Too cold for fingers to be out of mitts.

When stopped to take pic of raven and hear his song,

People behind us honked to get us moving and had fits.

When I went to take a pic of waxwings, they flew the coop

and I couldn't stand directly under them for fear they'd poop.

I fled inside where I could take some pics of roses

And read an exciting chapter or two regarding Moses.

Enjoy your evening.....

Expressions....

As followers of Christ, we try to create structures that would express our particular thoughts on praising and worshipping God.

Some chuches have round roof lines, others tall spires and still others have no specific type of roof at all.

Some churches are in the shape of a regular building, others have grand entrances with pillars.

Some have colorful stained glass windows, others have plain panes to let the light shine inward.

Some sanctuaries have pews (some padded, some not). Others are outfitted with chairs.

Some have lower auditoriums while others are all on one floor.

Kind of like an ice cream shop. Which flavor of structure do we like?

But, like everythng else, these structures will one day disappear. They will be gone. People will still be around though, perhaps in new and differently shaped houses of worship.

I just must remember that:

"The church is NOT a building.

The church is not a steeple.

The church is not a resting place.

The church IS a people.

I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together.

All who follow Jesus, all around the world.

Yes, we're the church together."

I remember Dan and Dawn Fullerton teaching us that song in church many years ago. It stuck with me and the older I get, the more I realize those very facts continue to remain true.

Yes, we're the church, together.

May God annoint his people in the coming days and years as we move into a time of becoming more of a people who follow Christ, in thought, in Word and in deed!

La Grande Finaleeee....d'amour.....

And thus ends a week expressing words of love.....of what love is and is not.

Husband and I did many things together today. It began with a breakfast out, then a bit of shopping followed by tea at Shananigans Dessert and Coffee Shop, then washing clothes, a chicken sandwich supper and some TV watching. I call that a pretty decent day with the one I love.

Before I got up for the day, husband had already put my bouquet of roses on the kitchen table, complete with a love card (with a coupon attached enabling me to redeem various love-themed experiences!!) and a box of chocolates....all ready to greet me when I entered the room.

I, on the other hand, had made him a home-made Valentine. Sometimes my family "likes" my creativity??!!:-) I think he liked it.

He's saving our Love Supper for tomorrow - steak and lobster!!

This past week I've thought about and written about the verses from I Corinthians 13, the Love chapter (The Message). Here's how The New Living Translation talks about the same chapter (being Valentines Day, it may be worth a read through to the end):

"1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.
11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."

May the truth of the last sentence give you hope, hope to continue loving, hope to see love in others where it doesn't seem possible, hope to keep reaching out to a God who loves you....even when it doesn't seem he even exists.

Blessings on you this night.....