...across the room for some summer reading...

....ahhhh....those lazy days of summer beg to be spent with book in hand and so it was for me this summer again.  This is my collection of reading material these past two months.  I devoured "The Shack" by William P. Young in no time at all and loved it.  It's not that I agree with everything (do we ever, in any book?) but I did absolutely love his way of looking at the Trinity. Young wrote the book most of all to explain his long and painful journey of suffering and consequent healing to his six children.  I think he did it very well indeed.  The story is about a person who, like most of us at one time or another, asked the question "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?"  If you can keep yourself from getting hung up on some of the controversial theology you can't help but love this book.   Next book I breezed through was "An Irish Country Doctor" by Patrick Taylor.  A most enjoyable read of the life and times of a recent graduate in a small town in Ireland.  Love his writing style.  "The Memories We Keep" by Walter Zacharius is a page turner about a young woman in Poland struggling to survive World War II.  I surprised myself at my response to the ending of this book.  Mia, the main character, re-connects with the man she always loved and could not forget.  She never married but he did and he also had a child.  In the end they get together for a three day passion filled weekend (it's gets pretty graphic!) and you find yourself being happy for them.  Then you remember that this man has a wife! ... and a daughter! ... at home and what business does he have behaving like he does not?  And what about Mia?  How would she feel if the shoe was on the other foot?  Such a great book spoiled by the ending!  Sorry but I just like people to be strong and do the right thing!  Next I read "Walking With God" by John Eldridge.  Some of it was a little tiresome but a good read none the less.  My favourite quote from this book was:  "The only safe place for my heart is in God.  Understanding or not, that is where I have to land".   Learning to hear from God and learning to talk to Him is what he focuses on in this book.  It's a kind of  'year in the life of John Eldridge book'.  I really related to a section titled "Make It Happen" because that is who I am and I'm always needing to step back and see what it is God is really asking me to do and more importantly, in what kind of time frame!  Mostly He seems to direct moment by moment and not "this I want you to take care of next Wednesday at 2:15 PM!!)  I'm glad I read this book.  Then I made my way through a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan, subtitled "Overwhelmed by a relentless God".  There is no room for complacency in the life of a Christian.  He says that everything changes when you are wildly in love with someone and therefore if we love God "wildly" we will be living a very radical life with Him as our focus and final authority.  It's inspiring, thought provoking and yeah, even a little uncomfortable!!  Good timing for me to read this.  Finally, but not lastly, I read my Bible.  Not from cover to cover.  In fact, I concentrated on the Psalms.  Psalm 17 caught my attention this summer.  I noticed how confidently David prayed and why he could pray that way.  We often hear comments like "Yes, I prayed but..."  David says to God "I am praying to you because I KNOW you will answer, O God!"  How can he be so sure?  God has tested his thoughts and examined his heart in the night.  Wonder why he says 'in the night'?  Could it be because we think we can hide from God in the darkness?  That in the night He won't see those little secrets, those little sins we try to hide?  Things no one else could know about us?   David says that God has scrutinized him and found NOTHING wrong.  He knew that his relationship with God was clean.  He had kept his heart pure and he had not wavered from following God. His prayer came from HONEST lips.  This Psalm changed my praying this summer.  I enjoyed every book I read but none of them can hold a candle to God's Book, the Bible.  I LOVE to read it!

What did YOU read this summer?  

....across the room to re-connect again.....

I'M BACK!  I hardly know how to 're-enter' this blog after a five week hiatus.  So perhaps I should do a little mini series?

For today, just know my vacation has come to an end and I'm ready to connect with my friends and family.  I came home to a basil plant that looked like it had been feasting on a hormone diet and the ivy in the urn and surrounding foliage was unrecognizable as mine as well.  Our gardener once told friends of mine that not only did I not have a green thumb, mine are black!!  I'm so glad there are good people out there who can keep my plants alive while I tear around the country on my Harley without a care in the world!!

Next time I'll share with you my summer reading adventures so STAY TUNED!!

Summer doesn't last forever...

I've decided I'm going to take a break from blogging for the rest of the summer.  Time to do some reading, relaxing and riding; catch some rays and hopefully spend a little time in places like this!

Have a great summer and I'll talk to you in September.

...across the room for two year olds....

Grandparenting brings me back to my days of raising two bright energetic youngsters who drained me dry, ran me ragged, brought me to my knees, infused my very being with love and joy beyond measure, and taught me more about love than any book ever could.  

Going back there, I don't know that there were any years more frustrating than those terrible two's!  It's like having a multiple personality being in your home.  Sweet as sugar most of the time and completely and utterly unreasonable and unconsolable the rest of the time.  And why do they have no trouble understanding what no means when they use the word and yet seem to be mentally incapable of comprehending what it means from the next person!  This was the predicament at the dinner table last night.  We both knew she was hungry.  She begged for food while I was cooking.  I knew she liked what I made.  For some reason she got messed up in her head and had the idea that dessert ought to be the first course.  I won't divulge what transpired for the next 1 1/2 hours but will tell you that ninety minutes later I held her like a baby, with one arm behind me (her arm, that is) and fed her.  She ate most of what was on her plate.  

This child tried everything to get me to do what she wanted me to do.  Anger expressed in various ways, regret expressed through "I so sorry Nana" and reaching for me, mournful yet forceful sobbing into her hands with her elbows on the table (this was heart wrenching to watch!!... and almost did me in!) and a few other tricks that didn't work on me either.  It reminded me that a two year old is a control freak and MUST NOT win this battle.  She had no idea that I have many more years of stubbornness on her and recognize the games.  Hard to believe that a little person like this can even come up with all the tactics.  Food and bodily functions are the two control issues that I think most children will use against their parents for as long as possible.  No wonder the potty training and introducing all the food groups are so frustrating for most parents. 

Breakfast and lunch today were calm and serene.  She gobbled down her food and gladly went down for her nap.  She really is the sweetest little thing in the world and happens to find herself at that very tough age of life!  I am confident her parents are also well aware of the two year old tactics, have experienced many episodes and are in control of the situation.  I had forgotten just how intense things can get until she jarred my memory!!

The life of a seven year old is certainly more calm than a two year old.  He understands rules (we only had two....it was enough) and once he decides to comply life is pretty easy and enjoyable.  He did make a comment to me that brought back memories of his Mom who was much older than he is when she said the very same thing to me in almost the same words!!...."I want to make my own rules!"  (incidentally, Mommy, I suggested he speak to you in depth about that!!  Ha!)

We take them back home with mixed feelings but it is always good to know they are intensely loved, taken care of and blessed with their Mommy and Daddy who are anxiously waiting for them at home!!

...across the room to let you know "they're back"!!

....the grandbabies, that is!  The two hour ride seemed shorter than usual and definitely more entertaining than my CD's.  I love to look at my surroundings through the eyes of a two year old.  The conversation went something like this:

Rowan:  Oh look Nana.  It's a choo-choo!  

Nana:  Yes, Rowan I see the choo-choo.

Rowan:  Oh no Nana.  Where da choo-choo go?

Nana:  The choo-choo went away.

Rowan:  Oh look Nana.  It's a twee!

Nana:  Yes, Rowan, there's a tree.

Rowan:  Oh no Nana.  Where da twee go?

Nana:  The tree is behind us.

Rowan:  Oh look Nana.  It's a big twuck!

Nana:  Yes, Rowan, I see the big twuck, er, truck.

Rowan:  OH NO Nana, where da twuck go?

Nana:  The truck is going bye-bye.

Rowan looking out at a huge wheat field:  Oh look Nana.  Sticks!

....and on and on and on.....

She is at this moment safely tucked in bed while her "big" brother gets to stay up later and chat!

...across the room to speak up!

Sometimes I feel so strongly about something I just HAVE to do something about it.  I feel that if I'm quiet and don't say anything or do anything then I have failed in some way...either myself, a friend, a group,  and in this case, my country and future generations.

I did my part to send letters of concern to government officials regarding the Morgentaler appointment to the Order of Canada.  Today I received my second reply.  Today I CALLED Rideau Hall to speak to Right Honourable Michaelle Jean, Governor of Canada and got a recording so I left my message on her recorder!!  

I believe there are MANY men and women in our country who have done us ALL proud that deserve this medal and I asked her to choose someone we could ALL be proud of.  I think there is enough division in our country without doing something so inconsiderate of so many Canadians!

Besides, REAL doctors HEAL, they do not kill. 

...across the room to reveal myself.....

OK!  I've been tagged by Stacey to divulge six unimportant facts about myself so here goes.....

1.  I'm a bit of a "closet actress".  The last few years I've discovered I quite like an audience when I can 'hide behind a character'.  It is a refreshing change from the speaking that I've done for a number of years where I tend to feel like I'm forever baring my soul!

2.  One of my very favourite foods to eat is a bologna sandwich with French's mustard on that gooey soft sliced white bread that is supposedly so bad for us.  YUMMY!

3.  I could feel fully dressed as long as I'm wearing perfume!

4.  Memorization is the same as torture for me.

5.  I'm not really violent but when I was in grade six I beat up a girl.  It's the only time I've ever done something like that.  Can't remember ever telling her I was sorry.  We were friends after that though so I assume it's OK.

6.  My collection of salt and pepper shakers some of you contributed to is in boxes somewhere in our house.