Posted by: ucanshine on: December 17, 2009
I am embarrassed about my neglect of sending out a blog for such a long time. I have reasons, which many may call excuses, but all I can say is: over the past months I could write a book of experiences, if only I had the time to sit down and put them to paper.
But today became my “snow day” (you know those days, where even if you have plans you can’t do them because a snow storm has settled in). Yes, the sun is shining, and even the temperature is quite nice, but I am literally house bound.
Let me take you back to earlier this summer. We contracted someone to put interlock tile flooring throughout our main floor excluding the small living room that has a good quality carpet and since it is used very little it doesn’t need to be replaced. But the rest of the main floor was screaming, “I have outlived my warrantee by about 20 years, so do what you must do.” If you had seen the floor, you, too, would have agreed this is an act of mercy.
When we hired him, we said we were in no rush. He is very busy with many projects, and this being an inside job (excuse the pun, not only was it something that could be done when the weather is lousy, but he is a friend so it was an inside job on many levels!) we could wait until the colder weather of the fall, but asked to have it done by Christmas. Well, summer around here wasn’t great, but not bad enough to send him indoors. September – beautiful, October – yucky ( I was starting to dream about that all important call, “I’ll be there in the morning”) November – beautiful, so on December 6th he informed us he could start that week in order to be done by Christmas. Within a day and a half the entire main floor was stripped down and either piled in the living room, basement, or in my son’s vacant bedroom. I had hoped he wouldn’t come home until everything was done, but he assured me, “Mom, all I need is my bed.” “Oh, Dear, about your bed!”
I wanted to be on site for our Reno Friend, and so I had been only running out when my husband was available to be on location. But I thought that by today, he has been here almost a week, and that he would be near to finished, so we could afford to both be away. I really didn’t want to opt out of my Share’n’Care group’s Christmas luncheon and my husband didn’t think is was necessary to miss his curling game in the afternoon. This morning I planned to hit the gym before our Reno Friend arrived. I went out to the garage but I couldn’t get the garage door open. Long story short – The spring was broken so it couldn’t even be opened manually. I promptly phoned and Garage-door-opener Guy said he would come today, but couldn’t say when. “Will someone be home all day?” I wanted to say “No!” or “Yes, but you may have to work with our Reno Friend if you are only able to come in the afternoon.” But I reluctantly answered with only a “Yes” and knew that I would just make one call to tell my girlfriend that I couldn’t attend the luncheon knowing that it wasn’t fair to ask our Reno Friend to deal with Garage-door-opener Guy. But before he hung up Garage-door-opener Guy said he would call before he arrived. By the time I realized the conflict in that it was too late. Mid morning it became clear I couldn’t even step in the shower or I might miss the call.
And though there is no snow, as a matter of fact there is no wind, and the sun is shining in my face, but here I am taking a “snow day” and doing things that I have wanted to do but just haven’t has the time to sit down to do. And when I think about it, even though my house is a total disaster only a week before Christmas, I have no baking done, because, I still don’t have a functioning kitchen (thank you, Lord, for freezers and microwaves so I can still put reasonable meals before my family), I am literally unable to leave my house and attend a luncheon with my sisters-in-the-faith and I remain un-showered until the Garage-door-opener Guy arrives, I am enjoying my “snow day.”
P.K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: September 10, 2009
I am quite excited. I am going to learn to speak Chinese, Mandarin to be exact, over the next few months. I am not going the traditional route of taking endless lessons or listening to hours of tapes. My son is going to teach me. He started his Mandarin classes at university yesterday. So every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings he will call me and tell me my Mandarin “word of the day.” Yesterday’s word was ni (pronounced nee) meaning you.
This is the fifth time my husband and I have sent a child off to university for another year of post secondary education, so we know the drill and our responsibilities. Mine are to make sure the right size of twin bed sheets is clean and ready to go (they have an extra long twin at this university). I pull together three complete sets for a table setting (this is so two friends can be invited over for supper or dishes can sit in the sink for up to three days before it is necessary to wash). And I pack enough food to last until they come home for a visit and raid the fridge for a restock of supplies. I have learned that purchased food should have an expiry date of at least a few months in the future and that homemade provisions should be prepared with the realization that this labour of love may end up looking like a science experiment, even if the student-child is enrolled in a fine arts program where they don’t need to grow green stuff in order to obtain a passing grade.
My husband’s tasks are to help pack the car for the journey and make sure that the bank account has sufficient funds to cover expenses (note to Dad: the nagging about over-spending concerns doesn’t kick in until mid-October).
When it comes to what the children are responsible for, well this is where we see major differences. My son takes two computers, a desktop that he built himself and a laptop to take to class, and five changes of clothes in a laundry basket as this will get him through the week so he only has to do laundry on weekends. My daughter, on the other hand, takes a laptop computer (just because she wants something new and realizes that Dad will anti-up the cash as he, too, is somewhat of a techno geek), and seven suitcases of clothes as this will get her through the week so she only has to do laundry on weekends.
Before I go on, I have a couple of points to clear up. Point 1: I did have the opportunity to go to university when I graduated from high school, and was accepted into programs at two “halls of higher education” pending my high school manuscript, but I determined mid May of my graduating year that I was going to make a statement and not to go to university to spite my family (but that is a story for another day!). And point 2: I love having my children at home with me. But having stated that I also find great joy that my children go off to university. I am learning so much though them. I relish in the task of proof-reading my student-children’s papers and reports. I live to ask questions, sometimes to their disgust when they have to explain every detail. I do love to learn, I just want to find the easiest ways to obtain knowledge without cracking a book because I don’t like reading. So this Mandarin thing is right up my alley.
What will I do with my new found knowledge? My friend told me of a Chinese couple who own a little convenience store and I look forward to putting my first sentence together and amazing them with my knowledge of the language when I visit them at their little shop.
So may I close…
The Lord bless ni and keep ni; the Lord make His face shine upon ni and be gracious unto ni. The Lord lift up His countenance upon ni and give ni peace.
P.K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: August 29, 2009
We are getting ready to hop into the car and have a little holiday. Our summer has been quite interesting because plans have changed a number of times, but with only one day delay and coming home one day early, we are “blowing this popsicle stand.” (Don’t know where that saying comes from but I like saying it).
So there are things that need to be done; clean out the garbage cans, strip the beds, put food in the tank for George. This is a whole new aspect in our life – tending to the well being of a pet.
I grew up on a farm so there were animals; cows, often chickens and ducks, barn cats, and always a dog. Our dogs were our pets, but they were cattle dogs, so they were never allowed in the house, and though they were loveable and we mourned when they died, their care wasn’t necessarily a big issue. It was just part being on the farm.
When we established our household, I stood firm that I didn’t want the responsibility of a pet. Now a city dweller, my view of pets is that they are like children that never grow independent. And with allergies looming it’s ugly head in our household, I had a good foundation to form this stand (yes I know about non-allergic pets, but….). But this June the 10th a friend who didn’t know the rules of our house brought our daughter a gold fish for her birthday. Actually our daughter wasn’t even home at the time, so I was forced to graciously accept the gift, and help set up the little bowl with its fancy stones and plastic accessories and to retain the receipt should the fish die of natural causes within 30 days (we could then get the money back – probably only for the gold fish, not worth the trip to the pet store.) Later that night when our daughter and boyfriend came home, surprised to see the whole set up, she named him George (after the CBC personality George Stroumboulopoulos – I do see a resemblance in the eyes!) and that is where the care of George kind of took a halt on my daughter’s part. Yes, she might feed him in passing, or talk to him if she is eating breakfast at the counter, but the one time that she changed his water she just about freaked out. So I have taken up the task of tending to George, and now my mornings wouldn’t be the same without him meeting me with his gulpy little face pushed up to the side of the bowl mouthing “feed me, feed me!” So each morning I give him his ration. Off and on through the day I throw in an extra pellet and he seems to say, “You are the best” as he swims around the little plastic accessories that decorate his bowl.
As I think about the joy that George has brought into our kitchen, my question is “Am I a “George” in God’s eyes?” Do I bring joy to Him when I push my gulpy face towards Him and say “Feed me, feed me!” Is my prayer of thanksgiving to Him, “You are the best!” reflected in the rest of my day?
Don’t tell anyone, but I am glad that George is in our household. He isn’t super demanding, and 3 day fish food is the greatest invention, though I think I can almost admit that I will look forward to seeing him when we return. I secretly enjoy tending to him because I know he needs me, unlike the children who we have reared up to be reasonably independent. And now each time I do something for George, my silent prayer will be, “Dear Father, I want to be your George. Feed me and take care of me.” Oh, oh, I hear the luggage going out into the car, time to run.
P.K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: August 20, 2009
Walk away from “The Desk.” This is what my brain is shouting at me as I frantically shuffle papers looking for a music score that I need to prep for the youth church band. It has got to be here somewhere among all of the other “white” pieces of paper. I know it is ecologically proper to use white paper but it drives me nuts.
“The Desk” is totally dedicated to my stuff. All the groups, organizations and commitments that I share my time with are represented on “The Desk.”
When we first moved into our house, I had a whole little room affectionately labelled “my office.” When I was frustrated because I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I could walk away from it all and just close the door behind me. When I returned to tackle the issue I knew that what I was looking for must be in that 8 ft. x 10 ft. room somewhere. But, over the past year, our living arrangements have changed so I offered up that little private space. We stored away a lot of stuff in the basement and garage. I was driven to be selective and now I am limited to “The Desk” which is openly placed in the room off of our entry.
Sadly (or should I say stressfully)“The Desk” should appear respectably tidy, as it is the first thing meeting company when they enter our home (please note – it should appear but only does with warning of impending company). It is very sturdy, has some scratches on it (we bought it at a pawn shop over 20 years ago so they aren’t all from me), and it takes a number of people to move since it is very heavy and can’t be disassembled. But this desk is so well made that I don’t think anything could cause it to collapse. On a regular day, though, one would be hard pressed to see it for what it is, a strong well made piece of furniture.
I find that “The Desk” represents who I am, literally and spiritually. It has, somewhere on it’s face, all the stuff that I need to deal with at some point: music scores to be scripted, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League material to be reviewed and prepared, curling executive minutes to be organized, and a few pieces of paper (usually white pieces of paper) that have numbers (could be phone numbers or not) or notes of information on them that at some point were probably important but for the life of me I can’t understand what they mean anymore. Oye!!! But when I know that company is coming the first place I tidy is “The Desk” because it shouldn’t be an eye sore to guests entering our home.
Just like “The Desk,” my life is covered with so much that at times it is hard to see what makes me strong. Oh, sure I can appear to clean myself up, spiritually, for Sundays and the odd church event, but when people just pop into my life, do they see how the Holy Spirit gives me the support to carry the load of daily life? Like “The Desk,” if I take the time each day to clean off my desk, get things in a reasonable order, life is truly a joy. And with my devotional life, if I spend time in the Word, it reminds me where I receive strength from and then, life is a definitely a joy.
So with that thought I must return to “The Desk” and maybe take some time to organize…. Wait is that a music score I see on my piano? Oye!!
P. K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: August 10, 2009
I’m baaaack! It has been some time since I have done a blog entry, but I learned a valuable lesson over the past few weeks. Priorities are trumped by necessity. Over the past two weeks everything was either adjusted or cancelled due to an urgent concern. Even the most basic priorities like laundry and grocery shopping got side-lined because we had to deal with the situation. We had no choice but to change everything to deal with what needed our undivided attention.
My definitions: Priorities -things that one “chooses” to do or “sees as important” in one’s life. Necessities – well just that, demands immediate attention without question. These may not be Webster’s definitions, but that is how I see them. So even laundry – in my eyes not the most pleasant – is a priority in my life because I choose to do it. Yes, maybe I could defer this to other members of the family (we can’t quite afford to go and buy new when clothes get dirty – but that would be an interesting concept), but I choose to separate, pre-soak, and fold, knowing that I have done it to my specifications. Did I happen to mention I don’t like doing laundry? Still I put it high on the list of things that are important because I have decided to place it there. But during the past two weeks when the “priority list” had to be put aside, the lesson I learned is that necessity over-rides even clean shirts and pants (underwear falls under the category of necessity, though adjustments of time were made as they were done late at night with the alarm set to pop in the dryer so they were ready for the next day).
During this whole ordeal it made me think on how God views us. I might be going out on a limb here, but I wonder: Does our Lord see us as a priority or a necessity? Correct me if I am wrong, but in my eyes there is a difference. If we are a necessity that requires immediate attention, then our redemption through Christ was done simply because Our Father has no choice – He had to deal with the situation immediately. But my hope is that we are a priority in His eyes. Like my laundry – not a pleasant job – but I trust God chose to send Jesus to die on the cross in our stead. I pray we are on the “top of the priority list” and that He willingly picked this task to be done by His Son. It makes my heart go all aflutter to believe that we are on God’s priority list and not just a necessity that demands immediate attention.
In our family situation there was fancy footwork to adjust schedules and even disappointments as things were cancelled, but I am content to announce that we worked through them. But now I must close off this blog entry. The dryer had just stopped with a load of laundry ready to be folded and put away. Oh, and it is not underwear, but jeans and dark T-shirts – a priority.
P.K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: July 22, 2009
It was hard to find joy today. We received word that a young family member took his own life. In his early 20′s, he just couldn’t see hope in life. He had attempted this before, but through intervention was working on it. We don’t know many details. His body was just discovered earlier today, but even knowing every detail will never answer: “Why couldn’t he see any hope?”
After tears of the news, I knew the only thing that I could do was pray. I petitioned God to wrap His loving arms around us. I asked the Holy Spirit to give us strength to weather this storm. And I was thankful for Christ’s sacrifice, Our Hope, even in this world where no other hope can be found.
I did cry some more. Then I had one more request: “Please protect us all from hopelessness. You are the True Giver of hope.”
Then, the most amazing thing happened. A simple song based Romans 5:2 came into my head.
Rejoice! Rejoice in the hope, Rejoice! Rejoice in the hope,
Rejoice! Rejoice in the hope, For you have been redeemed.
God so loved the world He gave His only Son,
That all we need is to believe That we’re saved by the Holy One.
Yes, God has done it again! Yes, I have a heart that mourns for our loved one, but there is a joy, a little subdued then it was earlier today, but it is true joy because we’re saved by the Holy One. How profound is that!!??
P.K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: July 7, 2009
I like to cover all my bases. My family would probably say that is an grave understatement, as not only do I like to cover all my bases, but like to cover all the bases of almost anyone else that I feel the slightest responsibility to or for in my life. Some may think I go overboard, but I don’t see it. Take for example this weekend….
We were invited to a wedding. This was no ordinary wedding – not that any wedding is ordinary – but between family, friends, and congregational members, we go to our fair share of nuptials. But this was different, I was involved like I had never been before. I was the mother-of-the-best-man. This had almost excruciating responsibilities. My very unattached son (this is important as I couldn’t shrug the duties off to a girlfriend or wife) was going to be the nerve-settling, check-the-tie-and-boutonniere, get-me-to-the-church-on-time, keeper-of-the-rings, and slip-me-a-mint attendant for his friend. I was the pianist at the ceremony, so I perched myself at the instrument well before the wedding party arrived. I breathed a sigh when I noticed the fellows had arrived and I must attest, they looked pretty well put together. Then it happened! I panicked and I found myself sending a text message to my husband’s cell just before the groomsmen entered the sanctuary with the presiding pastor. Type, type, type, send. I looked up and it was too late, they were coming up the aisle. I moved on to plan “B.” I pulled candies out of my purse which earlier in the week I had unwrapped and placed in a tiny plastic bag. I placed them on the piano bench prepared if any wedding party dry-cough spasms occurred (actually I had prepared a duplicate for my best-man-son’s suit pocket but had he remembered to take them?). Next, I removed my wedding ring from my finger, and placed it strategically on the piano so it could be tactfully retrieved if necessary. Despite all my concerns of doom the ceremony went without a hitch. We still weren’t out of the water after the exchanging of the rings, though. There was still the signing of the documents and I was left myself helpless in this matter. At the rehearsal I should have suggested the pastor hover to confirm that the signatures were going in the correct places. What was he thinking when he moved back to give them room? This was serious and legal. But, again, all went well.
As my best-man-son took the arm of the beautiful maid-of-honour to escort her out of the sanctuary I started to cry (not unnatural for me so no one even mentioned it if they were witness to it). As a mother I have seen glimpses of the man I call my son, but that day as he stood and witnessed his friend’s wedding before God and man, I realized that God has moulded him into a responsible and honourable man. There are times when I am sure that I will want to cover the bases for him, but I pray that God will give me the wisdom to recognize when he has to be responsible for himself and with God’s guidance, my son will cover all the bases as He sees fit.
~P.K.
Posted by: ucanshine on: June 30, 2009
This is my first blog EVER. With that in mind, I was hoping to state something very deep and profound – an aspect that would create dialogue. But then anyone who knows me, knows I like to talk, but profound thought is far from one of my God-given talents. Sometimes I wonder why He decided, in His wisdom, that I should be in the category of a “lip flapper,” but may that is why my name came up for doing a blog. So, on that note…
Not only do I wish I was a profound thinker and could express my thoughts in a very expressive way, I wish I was tall and thin, had legs that never quit, and hair that never turned grey.
But what I do have I wouldn’t trade for any of those things. I have a husband who puts up with me even when I am suffering from PMS (that is a whole different discussion), children who still seek my advice (“Mom, if I throw this shirt down in the laundry will it be washed by tonight”?), and a God who loves me even when I don’t use my “lip flapper” for good. Isn’t that the way though? He grants us attributes, and we use them against His will. That is something I would like to have, too…the smarts to “cease and assist” rather than “tearing down.” But, Oih! (this is a favourite term of near disgust), I seem to lean towards the latter. Thankfully He forgives and gives another chance, again and again. How profound is that!!??
