December is upon us. All my Christmas shopping is done and the Christmas lights have now been up for a month. Christmas in November took place here for my ladies group as one of the women now lives out of town and came in for a few days to spend an early Christmas with her family. What better time to have our ladies event than when she was here. So, up went the lights and the tree and the decorations. We have been 'living' Christmas since Nov 11! What a fine group of ladies too!

Early Christmas in November with the Girls!

 It's different this year though as we are not going to be with our daughter and family. It is the 'in-law's" year to visit. Our son-in-law was here Nov 30th for his father's 80th birthday so I took the opportunity to get all their gifts purchased and we were able to get them packed into a suitcase so that he could take them back to the coast with him for Christmas. Also in that suitcase were packed the birthday gifts for two of the grandkids as well! Talk about the Christmas rush!! Thankfully, there were still some Thanksgiving sales happening so I lucked out in a few purchases. But I did not have a lot of feedback from everyone as to what their Christmas desires would be this year. Guess they will have to just like what Gramma bought for them!

We were at our daughter's place for Thanksgiving and to celebrate John's birthday but who had time to buy Christmas gifts then? I had to wait till I got back home before I event started thinking about Christmas!

Birthday celebration!

We've decided to go to our niece's place for Christmas this year as something totally different since we are free this time to do whatever we wish. John's sister and husband will also be there so it will still be a family deal! Looking forward to a little 'different' style of Christmas as no kids there - just adults! Hope we can still have fun!! Just kidding. They just moved to the Interior from the Island so it is a different view..but just as beautiful!

Beautiful front driveway but the backyard is the best!

Backyard view and fire pit!

And the sunsets are beautiful there as well!!

Beautiful Sunsets!

My younger, older brother was housesitting in Calgary for 6 weeks so we had opportunity for an 'early Christmas' with them as well since they head back to the USA on Dec 18. We had a bit of a gift exchange and had a great time together. My oldest brother is already in the USA enjoying warm weather in Texas for a few months. I guess it is just me that hangs out in snow during winter!!

Well, a quick update as this year draws to a close. I may just do one more post for a 'year at a glance' kind of thing but will have to figure out just what 12 pictures best represent each month. 

November

The first part of last week was cold. More like the west coast weather in the Fall - rainy, foggy, wet and dreary! Although when we have been in Vancouver, it has always been nice. But, that is the kind of weather we had here last week.

Yesterday, it rained. We were so hoping that it would be nice so that the farmers could get all their crops off the field. So many fields are yet to be cleared. It was nice on Friday and Saturday both, so we were hoping it would continue. It didn't. Lots of rain yesterday. And last night it went to 0 degrees so there was frost on the roof tops and grass this morning. Beautiful crystals on everything. One good thing - thankfully, on Sat. we put up our Christmas lights on the tree in our front yard. I hate tramping down all the snow (and freezing ) while putting up the lights in December. So, thought we would get a head start on it. They blend in nicely so we don't look like crazy people but still ... this morning with the frost, I was glad we did it!!

Nov 7 tree lights

And, what a beautiful morning. It was totally calm and clear. Definitely need to get outside as the weather is perfect for walking. Even though it says only 4 degrees, it is supposed to get to 18 or 20 today! Yikes. And me thinking of Christmas already!

On a sadder note... Heard of another case of cancer. A friend who was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Going in for surgery. Another friend has breast cancer and is undergoing chemo now. A third is on a special trial drug as it is too late now for surgery or chemo. A few weeks ago, a friend my age had a stroke. All the more reason to enjoy the day: TODAY and this great weather - for you just never know. Life is fragile. We are made to be eternal beings but not of this world. A person has to take each day and live it to the full. Make the most of your special day.

Isaiah 26:33 You will keep in perfect peace, those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you.

Fall - Already!

It is hard to believe that I left off in May and it is already October! I just finished doing a fancy 'harvest' look to my front yard bench. I am thinking it is cute. You need to see it closer though .... so... here it is. Can you see the little raccoon that is there as well? It is October 25 so I don't think it will be long before the white stuff will be there and I will need to change the decor!

We had a great summer. It went too fast but even so, it was great to be out in our trailer and enjoying the outdoors. Love the campfires and the smoke and the sitting around and just veggin! Oh we did lots of hiking or walking too. Not quite as strenuous as the old days but still a lot of walking. Have been trying to keep it up into the fall as well but as the weather turns cooler, I too cool off to the idea of walking outside!! Will be moving inside to the treadmill I think in the not too distant future!

Had a few hectic moments over the past few months with my hubby and a kidney stone. Strangely enough, he was to go in and have surgery for it as they said it was too large to pass. They put in a stent to help out his kidneys and then when they finally went in to do the operation, they could not find the stones. With no real explanation, they finally succumbed to the comment "you must have passed it" even though they said he couldn't. We like to think it was a miracle and God's hand was in it all. We certainly had enough people praying for it to be dissolved away! 

Had a quick trip out to Vancouver to see our daughter and family ~ Happy Thanksgiving and birthday celebrations. They have such beautiful colors there! I love this picture! Think I will blow it up as a wall mural. Wouldn't it be nice to stare at these pictures when the white stuff is falling!!

In November and December our grandson and then granddaughter have birthdays. We will miss them but will have to send off some special gifts. I always love to get things in the mail and I know they do too!

Had a ladies gab session this morning. Met a lot of new young moms and had a wonderful snack table as well. Some proficient lady made this cupcake bouquet. It was left to the very last as no one wanted to eat it!!!

Well, that's all for now. Nothing too sensational. Just real life stuff!

New Every Morning

It's been awhile since I have posted. I have been busy reading other people's posts and thinking ... or more appropriately ... comparing what I have to say versus theirs. I was not impressed. It has taken me a bit of time to realize that this is not a comparison game. I am writing my blog to simply get things off my mind and to move on. It is 'out there' in the web world and whomever wants to ... can. I do it for 'me'. Now I didn't have to write that out in black and white ... or did I? Maybe I did. Just so that I do not feel like I need to be 'as good as' or 'better than' someone else. I am just .. me.

I chose a word in January as prompted by our pastor at our church. A word to cling to..and to cherish. A word to give me strength and purpose. It took me awhile to decide. There are so many good words out there! I also wanted to make sure 'my word' was a good one! Not that I should be comparing. In the end, I had a good talk with myself. I think I was doing just that. Comparing my word to someone else's. The first word that came to mind was 'Faithful' and then I thought I needed something easier or more 'with it' or perhaps different letters. How silly is that! In the end, the word that I chose first became my word! F A I T H F U L.

HE is just that. Faithful. My scripture verse is Psalm 36:5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens; your faithfulness to the skies. For anyone who knows me...knows that I love the sky and the clouds in it. I have taken enough pictures of clouds and sunsets and sunrises and blue skies and clouds etc. The sky is enormous ... with emotion! I wish I could draw! I think that's why I take so many pictures...to store in my mind the images that I wish I could put to paper. Instead...they sit in my head! But, they are with me all the time...I remember them. And of course, they are 'new every morning' as the bible says! Lamentations 3:23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  This leads me to another verse which I claim also. Psalm 86:15 But you Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God; slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

I have taken to reading a blog by Susie Teramura who I think is unbelievably gifted in writing, painting, making things. She expresses herself so well and she also writes cool stuff! She seems to be saying what I am thinking but she puts it down on paper! I love it..you may too! check her out!
 https://susieteramura.wordpress.com/2016/05/03/new-every-morning/

But, back to why I mention Susie is the poem she wrote on May 3, about new every morning...she puts into her own words the scripture I also claim. She wrote  '"your faithfulness and constant affection towards me will never end". You have to read the whole blog for May 3rd but it is so worth it! I love the imagery of God's Word as part of our every day stuff. He wants to be with us,

I end on that note. God's faithfulness. Visions of endless blue sky and character clouds.

Easter 2016

It has been a wonderful Easter time this year. We participated in an amazing Easter Musical production called 'Can It Be?' Well, I was coordinating makeup for 150 cast members and John was coordinating and helping with ushering for the 6000+ people who came through the doors of our church to watch the 5 different performances. It was pretty amazing.

I was out visiting our daughter and family on the coast. It rained for most of the time I was there but I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 day visit. 

Blossoms

When I came home, I was immersed into the planning and prep for the Easter play so time has flown by.

Rehearsal night

We have been enjoying the nice spring weather and driving around the countryside. It is nice to just get out of the house and do something different. I know we likely will get more snow in the next month of two but it feels like spring is here now. We even had rain on the Easter weekend!

March 31st

Today is the last day of March, 2016. We will never see this day again. Oh, we will see the DATE but not the DAY. Hopefully I will remember it as being special. It is a sunny day and warming up so that is memorable. I have mailed a cheque out to my daughter to cover some costs for an accident I had with their vehicle. Even with the best of intentions, things go wrong! It definitely did for me that day! Rain played havoc with my new glasses and driving a new car! Needless to say, it did not end well.

Today, however, is a new day. I will remember writing the cheque and mailing it. And while doing so, I saw the most beautiful jet stream. It started in the north and made an arc to the far south. I was out in time to actually still see the jet itself and the beautiful stream it made!  Reminds me that we all leave an 'impression' or footprint in our life. What will it look like? I am hoping mine is as beautiful as the jetstream! It followed a path, remained constant, left a beautiful residue and blended into the atmosphere eventually. I don't want my trail to 'blend away' but I do want my life to be remembered as blending a combination of goodness, hopefulness, trustfulness and faithfulness (my word for 2016) mixture to people's lives!

Psalm 36:5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds!!

From Happy New Year to Happy Valentine's Day (belated) . The first two months of 2016 have flown by too quickly. What's next? oh, Easter, the Easter Musical production, our daughter's 20th wedding anniversary and another birthday for me! A few birthdays in March for people I know but then March is over and we begin April! As I said, these months are flying by!

Our nephew (in law) from down East, fell off a ladder while cleaning his gutters and ended up paralyzed from the shoulders down. Owing to a previous back condition, this fall which anyone else would have gotten up from with a few bruises, has caused him paralysis. The news is not good but he is hoping for a miracle. Another nephew (in law ) on the west coast had a minor stroke which has left him with some speech issues and right hand struggles. Otherwise, he is doing good and improving each day. A few months of regular physio and speech therapy should bring him back to 100%.

Our own household seems to be doing fine after suffering almost two months with a cold that accompanied the flu from December. Still have a bit of coughing 'out of the blue' but at least the flu is over with. They said this flu lasted about 6 weeks and they were right!!  Both of us are doing well now.

Looking forward to our camping days on the May long weekend but before that we are headed on a lovely European river cruise. Lots of tourist things to do and see. It will be a busy few days once we get back, getting our trailer into camp mode and all that goes into it, while also getting back to work at the same time. Busy lives!

This winter has been easy as far as snow goes and right now it seems like Spring is coming as it is melting and sunshine. I am bracing for March which will likely give us three months of snow in one good snowfall! Just like you don't say 'shut out' in a hockey game before it's finished...don't say we're into Spring when it is only February!! March is coming!

Glad to be back in the blogging mode.

Happy Valentines Day!