...across the room to make a list.....

It just seems to be the right time of year to make a list. Maybe it's because of Valentine's Day, or that February is Heart Month, or that I am so looking forward to spending a week away with my husband that my heart is filled with gratitude and thoughts of love, good times and good things, or it could be that the self centered, rude, annoying bride on TV that I can't imagine anyone wanting to marry makes me so grateful for my life. I felt like making a list of some of the stuff that I like, love, puts a smile on my face, brings me joy.... here it is....in no particular order..... and definitely a condensed version :)

my husband

babies

perfume

perogies

my life

duets

baths

Prada

coffee

good conversation

stars

Jesus

bread

spontaneity

pure soap

quiet

senior citizens

white sheets

Arbonne make-up primer

grandbabies

candles

laughs

cotton

rings

children

city lights

Jane Austin

Christmas

my home made laundry detergent

Bible

trees

Mom's notes to me

puppies

bra-less at home

ideas

lotion

mountains

laugh lines

daughter time

uninterrupted sleep

red

Doc Martin

architecture

Easter

friends

clean scents

good writing

French accent

my house

yoga pants

my bathroom chandelier

chocolate

jokes

learning

shoes that fit

spa days

My Harley

forgiveness

art

humor

walks

a finished project

red rock

God

...across the room into my office/laundry room....

I'm so glad this freezing cold hasn't affected my brain so much that I couldn't have thought of cleaning out my office/laundry room this week. Who knew it would take a week of picking away at it to get it to the place where I know that if I open a door or drawer it will be neat, tidy and clean.

I also had no idea what a treasure of memories would be unearthed in all those binders and file folders. Just call me PackRat from now on! I absolutely must share some of my treasures with you.

Like a list of similies and metaphors emailed to me by a friend which included:

*Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

*She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

*The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for awhile.

Then there are the emails my little grandson dictated for me to send to some family members, like:

*Dear Papa, I wish you would let me go home but I can't go home yet at dark. But why? Because I'm a boy that's all I am. No, because I'm a bigger boy. That's why.

*Dear Uncle "L", I hope I miss you. Uncle "L", guess what I did. I skated with my class and that is why I miss you all day long.

....and then the response from Uncle "L".... "WOW! You can skate! I like that! You have to come and visit me soon because pretty soon you will be a Gretzky and then you won't have time to visit an old old cowboy uncle!"

Next I found the cookbook I made for a skit I did with a friend..."Emergency 911 KOOKING BOOK....meatless cooking with toe fu by famous french chefs Shee-Shee and Fee-Fee LaFlour. Some of the chapters are: French massage while cooking; Something could be in the oven; Afrodezzeeak cooking with oysters, peanut butter, all natural, in ze raw, it could be sushi or it could be someting else...ve vill let you figure dat out on your own! Oh my! We did have fun with that! LOL! That was our second book. The first one was called ""Celebrity Kooks...baking for dummies by Shee-Shee and Fee-Fee LaFlour.

Of course I kept all the knock knock jokes I used to tell my grandbabies. They loved them. "Knock knock", "Who's there?" "Jewel", "Jewel who?" "Jewel know who when you open the door". They always begged for more and I made sure to memorize some for meal time laughs :)

I came across a heart wrenching letter from a young family member struggling with some very difficult issues and trying to find her way through, and the most lovely poems, songs and letters from my daughters, a letter from a special old auntie, and so much more. Imagine my surprise at finding four sets of markers of every colour under the sun and reams of paper for the grandkids to use when they visit when I thought all that I had was in my kitchen junk drawer!

Shredders are miraculous machines. I don't know what I would have done without ours. Three large garbage bags of shredded paper is already stuffed into the recycling container and I could probably fill another two or three. I'm still hoarding, I know that. Next time around I will do as my grandson does and I will perhaps work up the courage to "face my fears" of shredding something I think I may want to read ten years down the road. Oh well, I've made a start and my office has experienced a much needed purge!

Having said that, I don't think there is anything wrong with keeping those wonderful memories and allowing them space in our homes. All these precious pieces of paper warmed my heart and put a smile on my face as they reminded me of all the beautiful people God has placed in my life. I am SO BLESSED!

...across the room into the beauty of my back yard...

My house is quiet. The evergreens in my back yard stand still and the white blanket of snow covering the ground just lies there doing it's thing. A few dollops of snow cling to the colourful red, green and gold swag I hung on one of the patio bistro chairs. The porch swing is empty and still in the middle of the yard. This is the scene I get to see through my patio doors and windows. The view is so incredibly restful I can not even turn on the Christmas music. No camera could capture the peace this yard speaks to me today. I can identify with Fanny in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park when she said "Here's harmony! Here's repose! Here's what may tranquilize every care, and lift the heart to rapture!"

I have to admit my heart has been lifted to rapture this month as I have gazed in wonder at the beauty of the outdoors, especially the fresh blanket of snow as it glistens in the sunlight. It seems I'm being spoken to about peace, quiet and rest this Christmas season. Even the deer I meet as my friend and I go for our morning walks are quiet creatures. As I wrote the last sentence, Buzz, my neighbours very black cat quietly padded across my back yard, stopping long enough to glance at me through the patio doors. Buzz is a peaceful cat who tries his level best to keep out of trouble. See what I mean? Peace.

Sometimes it seems these peaceful moments are created for me and sometimes I get to order my days in a way that brings calm and rest to my very being. Sooner or later though something happens that disturbs that serenity. In the case of my back yard it could be a strong north wind catching that lovely blanket of snow, lifting it up and tossing it against the windows. The trees no longer would be standing still and the swing might begin to creek as it gets tossed back and forth in the wind. I have no control over a disturbance such as this. I can create my own calm space from time to time only to be disrupted for various reasons.

As much as I sometimes enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life I do enjoy the peace and quiet whenever I can get it. I always seem to be very aware though that those moments have time limits attached to them and I never know when the changes will take place.

This got me thinking some deeper thoughts today. Thoughts about the peace that I have deep inside me that has become stable, sure, and permanent. The peace I'm referring to can not be created by us. It has to come from God since He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5..."For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.") The reason I say this peace inside me HAS BECOME stable, sure and permanent is because as I have immersed myself in God's love letter (the Bible) to us and learned to know more about Him and His character...who He really is, my knowledge has increased and along with that my faith and trust in Him. I believe that what He says is true and with that comes that deep settled peace. As I'm learning to trust Him and apply what He teaches I realize that peace abides in my very being. Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the PEACE of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

That peace from the PRINCE OF PEACE far surpasses any temporary peaceful place we may find ourselves in and also takes us through all the ups and downs of our lives. It really is true that we don't have to worry or be anxious about anything and if we talk to God about our troubles He will give us a peace that humanly is unexplainable! It guards our hearts and protects our minds in a way that we cannot even understand! May you experience that sure, forever peace in your lives this Christmas Season and throughout the New Year!

...across the room to wrap up an amazing day....

Some days are just so amazing in every way. Yesterday I thought to myself I really needed to be more scheduled in order to get things done around here. It didn't happen. I find it difficult to schedule a hopelessly spontaneous soul (that would be me!). It is possible for a short time and then suddenly I feel like I'm suffocating and the schedule gets tossed out the window. Thankfully I forgot to get out my dusty schedule thingy yesterday making this day totally spontaneous!

I felt my energy the minute I woke up and knew immediately this day would be extraordinary. Starting the day off with two slices of yummy toast topped with some good cheese and a delicious strong cup of coffee got me started on the right foot. An encouraging inspirational reading about gratitude and a thankful heart in every situation prepared me further for my day. It was easy to thank God for a friend to walk with in the morning all the way to a downtown coffee shop where we shared a fresh cinnamon bun, YES, WITH butter, and freshly brewed cups of coffee. On our way downtown we walked past a neighbours house and noticed the front door was open and that one of their two dogs was outside, following us until we persuaded him to go back home. We were surprised to see nothing had changed when we walked past the house again an hour later. It disturbed me enough to call my next door neighbour to come with me to investigate further. We rang the door bell, called loudly to see if anyone was inside while the dog inside the house barked furiously and the other dog jumped on us barking and growling all the while. Finally I decided to call the police. While we waited for them to arrive we had to keep chasing the more adventurous of the two dogs back into the house! The police investigated the home and found no one there. It would seem the door was not properly latched allowing our gale force winds today to blow it open. Apparently it was their second call of the day where this had happened.

Had I made up a schedule yesterday it would have most likely had me out and about picking up a new tube of toothpaste so I wouldn't have to keep using my husband's toothpaste; a trip to the post office; doing some church duties I need to get done before the end of the month; catching up with some reading I need to get done for next week; and the list goes on! Instead I started cleaning my bathroom, decided to do a really thorough job this time including washing walls, bathing the tree that's been collecting dust in one corner, cleaning light fixtures, dusting shelves and putting up my nice red towels I use only during the Christmas season. Since I had my ladder out anyway I decided to move into our bedroom to dust everything I can't reach any other way; bathed the plant on top of my armoire since I was up there dusting anyway; vacuumed the baseboards, floors and anything else that was attached to something and unable to get sucked into a vacuum hose. Then I opened my closet doors and began purging, continuing in the armoire. Two full large garbage bags later it still looked like very little had been removed from my closet. My armoire now looks orderly enough not to be embarrassed should I need to open it with someone looking over my shoulder! My closets are another story.

By this time I was shakey and somewhat dizzy (after all, when is the last time I've been up and down a ladder 37 times or hanging upside down to get every speck of dust visible to the naked eye!) I grabbed a quick sandwich and finished the last of the coffee I made this morning. Of course it was cold. And VERY ......... not good! But it was wet and didn't steal precious minutes needed to continue whatever I decided I would like to do next. What I decided to do next was vacuum the rest of the baseboards in the house, the brick on the fireplace, venetians, and again, anything permanently attached that couldn't get sucked up by a vacuum. I continued my obsessiveness throughout the TV room, kitchen and eating area ending up in the laundry room. My obsessive compulsive kick got me sticking the hose between the washer and the wall and that is when I heard that sound that nobody wants to hear where the end of the hose suddenly goes deafeningly quiet and the pitch from the unit in the furnace room suddenly sounds like a screaming cat in heat. When my husband came home I met him at the door with "how do you know whether something is stuck in the hose or in the pipes of the vacuum system?" (well that was after he told me how nice I looked in the bright teal blue top I was wearing :)

There is not one article of clothing in the laundry baskets (although there are probably 13 shirts waiting to be ironed!); I had a home made pizza in the freezer for our movie night at home so neither of us had to go pick one up somewhere across the city; and I just simply feel like WONDER WOMAN with a permanent smile on her face today! All because I just followed my instincts and for a change did what I just simply felt like doing!

Some days are just simply more amazing than others!

...across the room to share another favourite....

OK I really think this would have to be one of Gloria Gaither's most fabulous songs ever written. I heard it sung today and just had to share it with you.

I Then Shall Live Lyrics
Words by Gloria Gaither
Music by Jean Sibelius
FINLANDIA

I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven;
I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am His child, and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned, I’ll forgive my brother,
The law of love I gladly will obey.

I then shall live as one who’s learned compassion;
I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I’ll dare to see another’s point of view.
And when relationships demand commitment,
Then I’ll be there to care and follow through.

Your kingdom come around and through and in me;
Your power and glory, let them shine through me;
Your Hallowed name, O may I bear with honor,
And may Your living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
Amen. Amen. Amen.

...across the room to share a Thanksgiving song....

Happy Thanksgiving.....

Just sharing an old hymn; one of my favourites for many years...and one that my Mom and I used to sing together in our living room accompanied by either Mom at the piano or accordian or me on the accordian.

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and dreary fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

...across the room, out of the mouths of babes.....

Some time ago when I was visiting at my daughter's home I asked my granddaughter to write and perform a song about prayer for me. To sweeten the request I told her I would pay to attend her 'concert' :)

The smile on her face stretched ear to ear, eyes wide with the wonder of her good fortune! She shot across the kitchen in record time, down the stairs and into the solace of her room. This Nana had almost forgotten the need to slot a very special concert into her afternoon when this spunky six year old bounded up the stairs and into the kitchen. She headed straight for my purse, found my wallet and brought it to me! After all, there was a price to be paid for this great pleasure! Downstairs she found the perfect stage, a large cedar chest, and front row seats for her Nana. Much fidgeting ensued when it dawned on her that my eyes would be on her alone with no distractions and that she was the star of the show with no help from anyone. When I finally convinced her that I would love her song simply because she, MY granddaughter wrote it she began to sing in a very soft, hesitant, very girly voice as I followed the words on the sheet she wrote on:

In mi bed

I pra to God

I tel him a bot mi dey

When I m don

He ses to me

I have lovd

you forevr!

or in my spelling:

In my bed

I pray to God

I tell him about my day

When I am done

He says to me

I have loved

you forever!

Out of the mouths of babes, hey? I may have to keep that piece of paper forEVR!! :)