It's October 31st and no snow! Hallelujah! I feel like I have had a real autumn. The leaves are past their crunchy golden prime and are rather soggy. The last of the flowers are gone and the lawns are beginning to turn brown. My pumpkin on the porch escaped major freezing so I can cook him and that will be the end of my lovely fall season.
November 1st will bring the winter season, I hope. I am now ready for snow! Big honkin' flakes that sit on fence posts and have to be shoveled, not swept off sidewalks and driveways will be a welcome sight. A snow day from school and work sounds delicious and I wouldn't complain about two. I am ready for the light the snow brings on my morning walks, the contrast of white snow and dark moose is a winter blessing!
I am thankful for the extra fall days, but am looking forward to that "winter wonder land" Alaska becomes! Yipee! LET IT SNOW!!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Swans On The Lake
Remember that piano piece Swans on the Lake in the Thompson piano course series? I remember as a child thinking I could actually play the piano when I got to that piece. It sounds like swans gliding gently between the water lilies. Not too long ago one of my own students glided through the old favorite, leaving me with the calm relaxed feeling of having earned a relaxing “swan” moment after long lessons of counting, fingering and dynamics.
While at women’s retreat I heard that there were two swans that lived on the lake at Little Beaver Camp. I longed to take a few minutes to run down the hill to catch a glimpse of them as they serenely floated over the still waters, until someone said, “Swans are so MEAN!” She proceeded to speak of pecking, chasing and violence that would cause the heartiest CSI fan to cringe. What?! No way! Not MY swans! I never did catch a glimpse of them serene or mean, but my image of “swans on the lake” has been permanently altered.
Upon arriving home from Girlfriend’s Get Away, I entered my house feeling calm and serene, but in less than an hour I had, like the swans, had turned “mean”. The waves and undercurrents of family life met me full force and I went from floating on that spiritual high to trying to walk on water unexpectedly. Like Peter, I almost sang my swan song!
Thankfully Paul tells us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7)
Hopefully (with God’s lavish grace) I will not have the same reputation of the mean swan. I want people to think of me as that graceful “swan on the lake”, serene and peaceful.
While at women’s retreat I heard that there were two swans that lived on the lake at Little Beaver Camp. I longed to take a few minutes to run down the hill to catch a glimpse of them as they serenely floated over the still waters, until someone said, “Swans are so MEAN!” She proceeded to speak of pecking, chasing and violence that would cause the heartiest CSI fan to cringe. What?! No way! Not MY swans! I never did catch a glimpse of them serene or mean, but my image of “swans on the lake” has been permanently altered.
Upon arriving home from Girlfriend’s Get Away, I entered my house feeling calm and serene, but in less than an hour I had, like the swans, had turned “mean”. The waves and undercurrents of family life met me full force and I went from floating on that spiritual high to trying to walk on water unexpectedly. Like Peter, I almost sang my swan song!
Thankfully Paul tells us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us.” (Ephesians 1:7)
Hopefully (with God’s lavish grace) I will not have the same reputation of the mean swan. I want people to think of me as that graceful “swan on the lake”, serene and peaceful.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Lights of Home
The days are shorter now here in Alaska, that means I walk in the dark at 6:00 in the morning. The months of September and October are particularly dark as there is no snow to reflect streetlight, starlight, or moonlight. I’m not afraid to walk in the dark. By that time of the morning, the late night street haunters are usually asleep where ever it is they sleep, traffic is minimal, and the only other scary things that might be out there are moose. I have learned if I don’t panic and keep walking, they usually take a look at me and my doggy companion and keep eating. It’s when I sneak up on them because I don’t see them as they blend into the darkness of trees and houses that we both get a fright!
The other day as I turned the last corner of my walk, a little chilled, a little tired and very hungry, I saw the welcome sight of home. The tall windows across the front of my house were lit by my reading light in my favorite corner, the glowing chandler in the dining room formed the familiar silhouette of my husband as he stood, cereal bowl in hand, eating his trusty Cheerios. As there was no other movement, I anticipated the usual wake-up call for my teenagers and the irritation that comes with oversleeping. Nevertheless, I knew from experience of many mornings that the coffee would be hot, the welcome warm, and all things familiar and loved were right there on the other side of those lighted windows. I paused to savor the moment, even though the morning would be rushed, said a grateful prayer of thanksgiving, and thought, “Who am I to deserve such riches?”
“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His people… For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100 (NLT)
The other day as I turned the last corner of my walk, a little chilled, a little tired and very hungry, I saw the welcome sight of home. The tall windows across the front of my house were lit by my reading light in my favorite corner, the glowing chandler in the dining room formed the familiar silhouette of my husband as he stood, cereal bowl in hand, eating his trusty Cheerios. As there was no other movement, I anticipated the usual wake-up call for my teenagers and the irritation that comes with oversleeping. Nevertheless, I knew from experience of many mornings that the coffee would be hot, the welcome warm, and all things familiar and loved were right there on the other side of those lighted windows. I paused to savor the moment, even though the morning would be rushed, said a grateful prayer of thanksgiving, and thought, “Who am I to deserve such riches?”
“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His people… For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.” Psalm 100 (NLT)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Eye, Tooth, Arm and Leg
I'm thinking "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" was misquoted. I believe it should be, "An eye for an eye and an arm and a leg for a tooth!"
I had my teeth cleaned and the dentist told me I had a little cavity that needed filling. "Great," I say, "It doesn't hurt at all! Let's do it!" So the day before my appointment to have it filled, I'm eating a nice soft piece of bread and you guessed it, the back half of my tooth drops off! I go in and the dental assistant assures me it's not so bad. We can still fill it. Then comes "Dr. X" with his handy dandy tooth drill! Yikes!!!, "Yes, of course that hurts! You're drilling my tooth!" I yell. He proceeds to tell me he's given me enough Novocaine to drop a horse (not his exact words, but close). Well, to make a long procedure short, he tells me I have two choices: 1. pull the stinkin' tooth, or 2. get a root canal and crown. Of course I'm remembering all the pain and suffering I went through with braces and I dread having that lovely evenness in my mouth disturbed, so I say root canal without hesitation. I go to the front desk, they make me an appointment, tell me it will be $950.00 for the root canal and then we'll talk about the crown (I've heard vicious rumors that it could be as much as $1200.00)! When I have sufficiently recovered I point at my tooth and say, "I don't need a crown crown, just a little one for my little tooth..." The receptionist did not think that was one bite, ummm, bit funny! ARGH!!!! I should have said "pull the sucker!"
Okay, maybe I took the quote out of context, but the truth remains, it is an arm and a leg for a tooth.
I had my teeth cleaned and the dentist told me I had a little cavity that needed filling. "Great," I say, "It doesn't hurt at all! Let's do it!" So the day before my appointment to have it filled, I'm eating a nice soft piece of bread and you guessed it, the back half of my tooth drops off! I go in and the dental assistant assures me it's not so bad. We can still fill it. Then comes "Dr. X" with his handy dandy tooth drill! Yikes!!!, "Yes, of course that hurts! You're drilling my tooth!" I yell. He proceeds to tell me he's given me enough Novocaine to drop a horse (not his exact words, but close). Well, to make a long procedure short, he tells me I have two choices: 1. pull the stinkin' tooth, or 2. get a root canal and crown. Of course I'm remembering all the pain and suffering I went through with braces and I dread having that lovely evenness in my mouth disturbed, so I say root canal without hesitation. I go to the front desk, they make me an appointment, tell me it will be $950.00 for the root canal and then we'll talk about the crown (I've heard vicious rumors that it could be as much as $1200.00)! When I have sufficiently recovered I point at my tooth and say, "I don't need a crown crown, just a little one for my little tooth..." The receptionist did not think that was one bite, ummm, bit funny! ARGH!!!! I should have said "pull the sucker!"
Okay, maybe I took the quote out of context, but the truth remains, it is an arm and a leg for a tooth.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
"Me! Me! Me!"
Myself along with a couple of friends are planning a Girlfriend Getaway for about 30 ladies this fall. How did we come up with the title? I tend to call the ladies in my life "girlfriend" as a term of endearment so I suppose that's where it came from. The task is fun, we laugh as much as we plan and I'm so looking forward to the moment we all sequester ourselves away at a campground with food, fun and fellowship.
I have just finished reading Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables". One of my favorite parts was when Jean Valjean discovered Collette and Marius had fallen in love. This man who had done nothing but care for, and love this child now realized he was no longer the most important person in her life. The book says, roughly, that his soul howled, "Me! Me! Me!" and suddenly selfishness was born where only selflessness had been. I tell you this because I had the same experience as Jean Valjean.
Upon arriving at church a couple of Sundays ago, I was told my friend, Carol, was at the hospital with what was apparently a stroke. As soon as this shock sunk in, my soul, as did Jean Valjean's, howled, "Me! Me! Me!" How could my friend possibly be in danger of leaving me! I need her! As it turned out, my friend had a mild TIA due to out of control blood pressure and is now on the mend, thank God! (Take your meds, Carol!)
Anyway, girlfriends (very few men read my blog), I do need you, and I hope you need me also. Yes, I am selfish about my friends, I want you around FOREVER!
I have just finished reading Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables". One of my favorite parts was when Jean Valjean discovered Collette and Marius had fallen in love. This man who had done nothing but care for, and love this child now realized he was no longer the most important person in her life. The book says, roughly, that his soul howled, "Me! Me! Me!" and suddenly selfishness was born where only selflessness had been. I tell you this because I had the same experience as Jean Valjean.
Upon arriving at church a couple of Sundays ago, I was told my friend, Carol, was at the hospital with what was apparently a stroke. As soon as this shock sunk in, my soul, as did Jean Valjean's, howled, "Me! Me! Me!" How could my friend possibly be in danger of leaving me! I need her! As it turned out, my friend had a mild TIA due to out of control blood pressure and is now on the mend, thank God! (Take your meds, Carol!)
Anyway, girlfriends (very few men read my blog), I do need you, and I hope you need me also. Yes, I am selfish about my friends, I want you around FOREVER!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Ouch!
I have been reading Lisa See's book, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I found myself intrigued with the Chinese custom of foot binding. How odd that women would go through so much for what they considered to be beautiful and what I would consider to be grotesque (I Googled food binding and saw the pictures...UGH!). What is it that makes people see beauty so differently? Some cultures see chubby women as beautiful (I was born in the wrong culture) while another thinks bone thin is the most attractive. And what about piercings? Tongue, lip, eye, belly buttons and other places I hesitate to mention are not exempt from torture. I even have six extra holes in my head, three in each ear! Why wasn't one or even two enough?
I don't know about you, but I'm thankful that I get to make the decision of when and how to change the looks of my physical appearance, whether it be changing my hair color, adding another earring or just buying a new shade of lipstick. All these things make us interesting people, don't you think?
PS It's weird, but my feet are suddenly killing me!!!
I don't know about you, but I'm thankful that I get to make the decision of when and how to change the looks of my physical appearance, whether it be changing my hair color, adding another earring or just buying a new shade of lipstick. All these things make us interesting people, don't you think?
PS It's weird, but my feet are suddenly killing me!!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Back On Track
After skipping my weight loss classes for two months this summer, I discovered upon return that I had gain five pounds! So, back to measuring, counting points, planning ahead, and all those good for me habits that I let lapse while "vacationing". Last night I brought home pizza for dinner. I just had a good weight loss, I was feeling confident, I knew I could eat one piece, a few veggies and a diet drink and stay within my daily allotted points.... WRONG! One bite of that deliciously greasy, cheesy, crusty delicacy sent me down the road of points overload!
Last Saturday at my weight loss class one of the "big losers", who was now skinny and svelte, asked the director, "Now that I am at my goal weight, how do I get rid of the desire to binge eat?" The director ask the class if anyone had a comment for her and 25 women (and one man) ducked behind the person ahead of them. Even the director had no advice for this woman. I immediately thought of the Apostle Paul who wrote: I have discovered this principle of life--that when I want to do what is right (eat veggies), I inevitably do what is wrong (eat half a pizza)... Oh what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin (overeating) and death (fat)?" Paul basically asked the same question as the woman at my weight loss class...Paul must have struggled with pizza too! But the difference is, Paul realized the desire will always be there. The trick is finding a way to overcome the desire, and he did find the answer: Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
If we take the time to read chapters seven and eight of Romans, we find the Solution for more than just our desire to overeat. This principle that Paul teaches us (and first had to learn himself!) will make a difference in how we overcome what we don't want to be and to become what we do want to be.
Well, I'm back on track today. I know I am because I'm starving! I will joyfully eat my five point microwave lunch and be thankful that I didn't even touch the doughnuts sitting by the coffee pot! Thanks be to God...and fellow "over eater", the Apostle Paul.
Last Saturday at my weight loss class one of the "big losers", who was now skinny and svelte, asked the director, "Now that I am at my goal weight, how do I get rid of the desire to binge eat?" The director ask the class if anyone had a comment for her and 25 women (and one man) ducked behind the person ahead of them. Even the director had no advice for this woman. I immediately thought of the Apostle Paul who wrote: I have discovered this principle of life--that when I want to do what is right (eat veggies), I inevitably do what is wrong (eat half a pizza)... Oh what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin (overeating) and death (fat)?" Paul basically asked the same question as the woman at my weight loss class...Paul must have struggled with pizza too! But the difference is, Paul realized the desire will always be there. The trick is finding a way to overcome the desire, and he did find the answer: Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
If we take the time to read chapters seven and eight of Romans, we find the Solution for more than just our desire to overeat. This principle that Paul teaches us (and first had to learn himself!) will make a difference in how we overcome what we don't want to be and to become what we do want to be.
Well, I'm back on track today. I know I am because I'm starving! I will joyfully eat my five point microwave lunch and be thankful that I didn't even touch the doughnuts sitting by the coffee pot! Thanks be to God...and fellow "over eater", the Apostle Paul.
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