...with the most WONderful season of the year! The air is crisp and full of more smells than a high school, and the trees are as colourful as the well clad folk walking under them. I love the knit sweaters, the knee high boots, the scarves, the wool jackets, the hats.... Apples taste better than in any other season, wineries reveal their latest vintages, and a homemade stew warms the heart, soul, and body.
Fall prepares us for the cleansing of the winter in order to bring us the new birth of spring, an even though the leaves and the grass seem almost dead at my feet, I feel most alive knowing the fall marks change for me. Death brings new life, and grief should stir change and hope in us. The end of a year is approaching and I feel a confidence and motivation stirring in me to begin setting the table to voraciously take in the possibilities laid out for me. I shall raise a glass of a 2005 Sumac Ridge Cabernet/Merlot and with a tear toast the past with all of its memories of joys and sorrows, and drink to the year to come.
Now, if you will excuse me.... I am going to make myself a cup of tea, dust off my TV for the first of a few long anticipated season premieres.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Let it Ride....
Tonight, I hang up my paddle and PFD after a glorious season of dragon boating. We paddled up and down the river tonight, as normal, but it felt so final when we pulled the 6-16 (type of dragon boat we use) out of the water, portaged it up to the boathouse, and parallel parked it next to the other boats. I reminisced how we paddled through the then high and raging waters, then to the low and calm waters now. We paddled through clouds of mosquitoes and waves created by careless boaters. We paddled through rain, hail, and heat.
Memories of the teammates, beer, burgers, chants, belches, and so much more will stir me to smile. Not to forget the accomplishments of five regattas, three medals, and one ribbon! I am unsure whether I will be paddling with this team next year as I start to plan for the rest of my life, but there is no doubt that dragon boating will be part of those plans!
There IS one more practice on Thursday as there is one boat still in the river for winter training, but I will not be attending. I have other plans. Should I share? Or should I just leave you all hanging until Thursday night? I will give you a hint: It focuses on core strength which is a great cross training exercise for the off-season. Oh yes, and it requires some... rhythm.
I will miss my team, pub nights, and yes, I will continue to miss my cute hat. I still keep an eye out with the hopes that one day it will find its way back to me. Like a message in a bottle, it drifts with my heart to some far off land where it shall rest, and frolic with other cute hats. I digress...
FINISH! IT! NOW!......Let it ride.... Cheers!
Memories of the teammates, beer, burgers, chants, belches, and so much more will stir me to smile. Not to forget the accomplishments of five regattas, three medals, and one ribbon! I am unsure whether I will be paddling with this team next year as I start to plan for the rest of my life, but there is no doubt that dragon boating will be part of those plans!
There IS one more practice on Thursday as there is one boat still in the river for winter training, but I will not be attending. I have other plans. Should I share? Or should I just leave you all hanging until Thursday night? I will give you a hint: It focuses on core strength which is a great cross training exercise for the off-season. Oh yes, and it requires some... rhythm.
I will miss my team, pub nights, and yes, I will continue to miss my cute hat. I still keep an eye out with the hopes that one day it will find its way back to me. Like a message in a bottle, it drifts with my heart to some far off land where it shall rest, and frolic with other cute hats. I digress...
FINISH! IT! NOW!......Let it ride.... Cheers!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Huli Happens - A lesson in leaning
The Fraser River might have been a little chilly and icky, but some conditions just don't stop us paddlers! Take this weekend, for instance: we had our final regatta in Kelowna and while Saturday was gorgeous, Sunday was treacherous with 2 foot swells-- and we paddled anyways. We accept that dragon boating, canoeing, kayaking, and doing dishes are all water sports.
The Fort Langley Canoe Club just bought an OC6 (an Outrigger Canoe that seats 6 paddlers), and we have all been excited about paddling Hawaiian style in the Bedford Channel. An OC6 is a much skinnier canoe with a beam on one side and consequently has a propensity to flip, or "huli". So in order to have permission to take this new toy out, we must attend a huli clinic.
The anatomy of an Outrigger Canoe:
The Fort Langley Canoe Club just bought an OC6 (an Outrigger Canoe that seats 6 paddlers), and we have all been excited about paddling Hawaiian style in the Bedford Channel. An OC6 is a much skinnier canoe with a beam on one side and consequently has a propensity to flip, or "huli". So in order to have permission to take this new toy out, we must attend a huli clinic.
The anatomy of an Outrigger Canoe:
Yesterday, we portaged the OC6 down a few blocks and launched it into the river. We stood in the rain while we learned the what's-its and who's-thats of the vessel and then we piled into the canoe and paddled out to the middle of the river to huli and recover. Brrr! We leaned to the right, grabbed the left gunwal, and over we went! Seat 1 collects the paddles, seats 2 and 5 straddle the bottom of the boat, seats 3 and 4 hang onto the ama while 2 and 5 flip their legs around and stand on the mukus. They reach over the gunwal and grab the iakos and as 3 & 4 give the ama a push, the weight redistributes, the ama flips around and hits the water with a loud THWACK, and Bob's your uncle. We climbed in, we bailed, and paddled like hell. Just to make sure we had the technique down, we rinsed and repeated 4 times. OK, it was a shivering good time! Exhilarating! Some of us couldn't get enough of it! In fact, I hope to catch the next clinic just so that I can do it again! I plan on having my personal photographer, Krista, there to document it.
To learn more about Outrigger Canoes and hulis visit Pogue Sports Canoe Club. There are pictures of the huli, and the canoe in the pictures is identical to the one that we flipped.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
"Well, life on the farm is kinda laid back..."
I just returned from the land of "Simpsons" skies and Saskatoon berry pies. Oh, how I love going back to my genealogical roots! One would think that a girl who was raised amongst traffic jams would feel so out of place on a rural farm with home made jams, but home is where the food is.
I was visiting my old college buddy Bonnie, and stayed with her, her fiance, and his family on their farm. With nine mouths to feed, I was impressed by how effortlessly everyone was fed until we all rolled home on Monday vowing to return to our diets. Meals went like this: The men shovelled manure outside, and the women congregated in the kitchen picking up various tasks to efficiently assemble the consumable goods. I was pleased that I had the opportunity to contribute by making a gravy for the Sunday night turkey supper. I loved being a part of this "tradition", and my heart was at peace with the fellowship and camaraderie in that kitchen.
Saturday was a wedding planning day, so Bonnie, her mom, and I drove around to four dress shops to discover that they were all closed the WHOLE weekend because Monday was a holiday! Our last stop was the only bridal store in Saskatoon making money that weekend, and Bonnie fell in love-- again. I had to choke back and conceal a tear that formed at my eye when I saw her in her dress. After meeting Pat at their engagement party, I can honestly say that she has chosen well on both counts.
The mineral spa in Watrous has "golden" waters. At least that is what they call it so that we don't feel so bad for spending $12.75 to brine in a murky, salty pool for a few hours. The salt in the water gives a weightless buoyancy and it is a challenge to try to sink. Of course, that would mean risking putting one's head in the water, and I was getting enough of a taste as it was. The minerals in the water are said to benefit the skin, nervous system, and lymphatic system. Primarily the skin. Which means that it gently exfoliates the skin. While relaxing in the water. What happens to the skin? You betcha. Like a filmy layer on top of gravy. I was reminded of this as I was fixing the gravy for that night's supper. I may have lost a lot of dead skin, but I may have gained it back proportionately. Here is a link to the website, and there are some pictures that make the water appear less than "golden": http://www.manitousprings.ca/. It DOES look "golden"... like Grey Poupon. Pardon me....
We stopped at a few of the fields to inspect the canola crops for worms. I got to taste a ripe pod of canola (tastes oily) and a green pod (tastes like greasy peas). I asked about the "yield" and apparently I sounded more like a city girl. So I asked if Pat used "genetically modified canola seed, that was genetically modified for controlling the weeds and for big old yields and margarine oil".... He did. There were wheat fields, flax fields, and barley fields all around and it was so beautiful. I considered how I would re-invent Settlers of Cataan. It would include Alpacas (of course) with whom I made acquaintance at Bonnie's mom's, and cows (from Pat and Bonnie's pasture). Oh, the cows. Holy cow, they like to poop. They were making me giggle and blush and look away because when one stopped pooping, another started. I never said that I was a farm girl, but I like that the Alpacas poop in one spot and they seem to have better control of their bodily functions.
As my plane rose above the fluffy clouds (Okay, I will be honest, it was raining on Monday...) I dreamt of one day day getting my acreage-- not necessarily a farm. I would raise Alpacas (of course), have my own sustainable vegetable garden, grow a big 'punkin patch, and farm Christmas trees. Okay, well farming Christmas trees is not much like farming cows and canola.
Hopefully I can return again before the wedding next year but for now, I will miss the golden fields, "golden" waters, and golden friendships in Saskatchewan.
I was visiting my old college buddy Bonnie, and stayed with her, her fiance, and his family on their farm. With nine mouths to feed, I was impressed by how effortlessly everyone was fed until we all rolled home on Monday vowing to return to our diets. Meals went like this: The men shovelled manure outside, and the women congregated in the kitchen picking up various tasks to efficiently assemble the consumable goods. I was pleased that I had the opportunity to contribute by making a gravy for the Sunday night turkey supper. I loved being a part of this "tradition", and my heart was at peace with the fellowship and camaraderie in that kitchen.
Saturday was a wedding planning day, so Bonnie, her mom, and I drove around to four dress shops to discover that they were all closed the WHOLE weekend because Monday was a holiday! Our last stop was the only bridal store in Saskatoon making money that weekend, and Bonnie fell in love-- again. I had to choke back and conceal a tear that formed at my eye when I saw her in her dress. After meeting Pat at their engagement party, I can honestly say that she has chosen well on both counts.
The mineral spa in Watrous has "golden" waters. At least that is what they call it so that we don't feel so bad for spending $12.75 to brine in a murky, salty pool for a few hours. The salt in the water gives a weightless buoyancy and it is a challenge to try to sink. Of course, that would mean risking putting one's head in the water, and I was getting enough of a taste as it was. The minerals in the water are said to benefit the skin, nervous system, and lymphatic system. Primarily the skin. Which means that it gently exfoliates the skin. While relaxing in the water. What happens to the skin? You betcha. Like a filmy layer on top of gravy. I was reminded of this as I was fixing the gravy for that night's supper. I may have lost a lot of dead skin, but I may have gained it back proportionately. Here is a link to the website, and there are some pictures that make the water appear less than "golden": http://www.manitousprings.ca/. It DOES look "golden"... like Grey Poupon. Pardon me....
We stopped at a few of the fields to inspect the canola crops for worms. I got to taste a ripe pod of canola (tastes oily) and a green pod (tastes like greasy peas). I asked about the "yield" and apparently I sounded more like a city girl. So I asked if Pat used "genetically modified canola seed, that was genetically modified for controlling the weeds and for big old yields and margarine oil".... He did. There were wheat fields, flax fields, and barley fields all around and it was so beautiful. I considered how I would re-invent Settlers of Cataan. It would include Alpacas (of course) with whom I made acquaintance at Bonnie's mom's, and cows (from Pat and Bonnie's pasture). Oh, the cows. Holy cow, they like to poop. They were making me giggle and blush and look away because when one stopped pooping, another started. I never said that I was a farm girl, but I like that the Alpacas poop in one spot and they seem to have better control of their bodily functions.
As my plane rose above the fluffy clouds (Okay, I will be honest, it was raining on Monday...) I dreamt of one day day getting my acreage-- not necessarily a farm. I would raise Alpacas (of course), have my own sustainable vegetable garden, grow a big 'punkin patch, and farm Christmas trees. Okay, well farming Christmas trees is not much like farming cows and canola.
Hopefully I can return again before the wedding next year but for now, I will miss the golden fields, "golden" waters, and golden friendships in Saskatchewan.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Uh-Oh...
I just shattered a Corell plate at work. Aren't those supposed to be unbreakable?
It is an alarming trend.
I have put together a list of things that I need:
- A pocket-sized broom
- A plastic set of dishes
- Crazy glue (either for my hands as Hillary suggested, or to repair the less-shattered things)
- A lesson or two on (un)break dancing
- A Kit-Kat
- 15 mins
- A jar of vitamins
- A rubber room
- A sign from the back of a bus: "Thanks for the Brake"
- A roll of "Fragile" stickers
- A new jar of Chili sauce (actually, I think I am done with the chili sauce for a while)
- A "mocha swirl" martini glass from Pier 1 Imports
- A night light
- A puppy
It is an alarming trend.
I have put together a list of things that I need:
- A pocket-sized broom
- A plastic set of dishes
- Crazy glue (either for my hands as Hillary suggested, or to repair the less-shattered things)
- A lesson or two on (un)break dancing
- A Kit-Kat
- 15 mins
- A jar of vitamins
- A rubber room
- A sign from the back of a bus: "Thanks for the Brake"
- A roll of "Fragile" stickers
- A new jar of Chili sauce (actually, I think I am done with the chili sauce for a while)
- A "mocha swirl" martini glass from Pier 1 Imports
- A night light
- A puppy
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
To Be Adored
I lack nothing, but I miss much; when so much is lost, so much is given. I still marvel at how the tangible can be replaced with that which is impalpable: peace, joy, comfort, love, hope.
I had forgotten until this weekend who I was, who I am, and who I am created to be. I fell asleep last fall knowing where I was, who I was, and where I was going; I woke up and everything had changed. All that I had known and planned for was irrevocably altered. I think back to that moment, when a hand was on my forehead and my emptiness was filled with comfort.
I still grieve. I will continue to grieve as I go from strength to strength. I grieve the love we shared and the plans we had. Most recently, I grieve because I am not alone. The emotions flood back, but this time, I feel the sadness through the wisdom and joy that I have had added unto me over almost a year now. My sense of "normal" is fluid: it ebbs and flows, and I am faced with a "new normal" again.
As I have tried in my own strength to rebuild all that I had lost, I have (by the grace of God) come a long way. The lessons learned are invaluable and I cannot take credit for what God has done inspite of me. So far, I have made it through birthdays, holidays, an anniversary, travelling alone, living alone, legal battles (two more to go...), and more losses. The healing process is constant but not predictable. I have another anniversary coming up.... Please pray for myself and Dave's family especially this month and September.
Since Dave's death, I have known God as more than Friend, Father, and King; I have known Him to be a Husband. For where I was once so adored by Dave, I am now acutely aware of how He has moved in so softly and so completely to adore me in Dave's place for which only He could be worthy.
I had forgotten until this weekend who I was, who I am, and who I am created to be. I fell asleep last fall knowing where I was, who I was, and where I was going; I woke up and everything had changed. All that I had known and planned for was irrevocably altered. I think back to that moment, when a hand was on my forehead and my emptiness was filled with comfort.
I still grieve. I will continue to grieve as I go from strength to strength. I grieve the love we shared and the plans we had. Most recently, I grieve because I am not alone. The emotions flood back, but this time, I feel the sadness through the wisdom and joy that I have had added unto me over almost a year now. My sense of "normal" is fluid: it ebbs and flows, and I am faced with a "new normal" again.
As I have tried in my own strength to rebuild all that I had lost, I have (by the grace of God) come a long way. The lessons learned are invaluable and I cannot take credit for what God has done inspite of me. So far, I have made it through birthdays, holidays, an anniversary, travelling alone, living alone, legal battles (two more to go...), and more losses. The healing process is constant but not predictable. I have another anniversary coming up.... Please pray for myself and Dave's family especially this month and September.
Since Dave's death, I have known God as more than Friend, Father, and King; I have known Him to be a Husband. For where I was once so adored by Dave, I am now acutely aware of how He has moved in so softly and so completely to adore me in Dave's place for which only He could be worthy.
"I set my face as flint before you now,
My life I recommit here as I bow,
I love it when you gently kiss my brow,
And whisper, 'it's all right'."
Like You - Rita Springer
I remember now. I have stopped running. I am waiting. Listening. I am learning every day what it is like to be adored. May I prove myself to be worthy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)