The Problem with Practical

In many respects, I'm a practical person. To be practical means "mindful of the results, usefulness, etc., of action or procedure; sensible." Yup. That sounds about right....I'll consider the actions to complete a task, ponder what is the most "sensible" or in the case of buying something, analyse it's "usefulness" and make my decision based upon the results. For example, why buy a mega bulk size bag of carrots, even though it is cheaper when there are only 3 people in the house and  we will never eat said mega size bag before they go rotten? The practical thing in my mind would be to buy the appropriate size bag of carrots that I know will be eaten and not thrown out. 

The problem is, practical people rarely do extravagant things....not very sensible you see. A waste of time, money and effort. And sometimes it's good to be extravagant.

We live in an amazing world full of both practical and not practical things and processes. The growth of a plant is very practical. It grows, produces, feeds other things around it, reseeds, dies and starts the cycle all over again. But sometimes I look at the incredibly beautiful flower produced, a God made miracle, that only lasts a short time and its gone. Snowflakes are individual works of art that disappear as fast as they float down. Now that is extravagant! And not practical! 

So I'm trying to simmer down my practical side and think extravagantly. It's not that I'm not generous; I am and I love giving as much as I can. It's just that where I PERSONALLY am concerned, I have a hard time thinking in extravagant terms. Maybe it is the 20 plus years of mothering in me....

Wish me luck, I will do my best to not shut down an idea, person or object that comes my way with a big extravagant red bow on it. 

A Morning Walk

I am participating in a Health and Wellness Program at work for the next month. We are recording different activities from physical fitness to giving out hugs and random acts of kindness. And we are supposed to prove it. They are very hard core about this program... So, for the sake of posterity, here is my morning walk at 5:30 am.

 All ready to go! Basically, Frodo does his own thing and Amelia is stuck with me.

My street is beautiful right now! 

This tree is stunning at this time of the year. I have a bit of tree envy over it.

I have yet to spot said "Wile E" Coyote or, for that matter, an accompanying Road Runner....



You will just have to trust this is me at the other end of the yellow leash. I can assure you, there will be no morning portrait at 5:30 in the morning, especially at my age....

May is one of my favourite months, a perfect month to get out and stretch, smell the flowers, fall in love, dust off your bike, barbecue and the list goes on and on. Not too hot, not too cold. Like Baby Bear's porridge, it is just right.

WHAT'S NEW!

Since I have been so delinquent, I thought I would provide a quick summary of what's new in my life. That way, we will be all caught up in one quick post!
So.....in the past couple years, here is the run down.
I have a new job at work in Palliative care.
We have a new car. At least, new for us.
This is also new:

Her name is Sasha and I picked her up at a Shelter in Hamilton, Ontario. She is beautiful Russian Blue. Sweet, a lap cat and curious. 

I was able to travel to Italy (check that one off my Bucket List!). We took the whole family and it was the trip of a lifetime

I have a new billet/ballerina. Her name is Nami and she is from Japan. 

I recently travelled out west to Kelowna, Banff and Calgary. This country is beyond description!

Also, this is Morrie, the Cello.

My family also helped me pick this one off the Bucket list, by picking Morrie up for Christmas. I'm learning to play.... working on it.....

I have a new book out, "Growing Up Quinte", which I co-wrote with my father. 

This is new - and old. My eyes are old and getting older, but a few years ago, I had laser eye surgery. So they see things differently. Better, but not perfect. 

My daughter spent a year in Japan and just recently returned home to Canada.

My son is starting his last year in University for Civil Engineering.

Both have a new boyfriend and girlfriend!

That about wraps it up. We can start fresh from here!

Best Watch Those Quiet Ones!

We have just returned from a week long trip. I have been trying to adjust to 3 different time zones in 7 days. It began with a flight out to Kelowna where we met up with friends and our daughter who was returning from Japan, from there we went to Banff and then to Calgary to visit family before we flew home. Just one week away from the commonality of daily life. The routine and sometimes drab things I do every day....cooking, cleaning, working, etc. 

But let me be honest here.
I get so terribly homesick.....this aching in my heart for my home and comforts therein. I've learned to push it back, ignore it, while I am away or I will hardly enjoy my adventure elsewhere. When I know the day has arrived for our return home it hits me like waves, flooding over me, this longing need to be home and I can not contain it. 

I asked my daughter on our return flight her perspective. Here is a girl who barely stays in one place long enough to root. She has lived all over and right now her residence is still only temporary with some time in Canada before she then flies off to work in England. "Don't you miss home?" I ask.
To her, home is not really a place. It is wherever she is and is feeling comfortable.

Soo....not me.

I'm one of those quiet ones, with deep emotions rumbling around underneath one would never know about. It is not only places I attach to, but people, animals, occasionally even things. 
I feel everything so deeply, passionately and I cry on hellos and goodbyes. You may think some balance is in order. Get a grip girl! I would have to agree. This is a very painful way to live. If you are gonna love big, you are gonna grieve big and believe me, I feel the intensity of emotion. Alas, "IyamwhatIyam" as Popeye would say. 

So when we finally drove into the driveway, there in front of my little house, I teared up as I opened the all familiar door. Hugged and petted my cats, touched the light switches fondly, nearly burst into tears at the sight of my dog Amelia. I went through every room, slowly, drinking in all the things I've missed. Tomorrow, I will go back to work. I can hardly wait. I will probably go in early. 

You would never know it because I'm one of those quiet ones, with still waters running deep and roots entangled into everything. 

All Things New

I am some place new today. I'm in Kelowna BC, the other side of Canada, looking over snow covered mountains.....snow that my good friend Cheryl insists NEVER happens this time of year. But the evidence is right I front of me....

I came out here for a holiday with friends and to meet my daughter Randi, who has spent the last year and 4 months living and working in Japan. Her work contract is over and finally I can smell, see and touch her instead of just Skype. That is something new too.

I also have a new book out, Growing Up Quinte, which I co-wrote with my Dad. We have been working on this book together for about 2 years, hence the sabbatical from this blog. The book is now  published and in its way!

Wait...there's more....I have a new job at work in the palliative care field. Interesting, busy and sometimes very sad. I have a better understanding of the final stages of ones life on this earth.

Finally, I have a new cat, Sasha, a Russian blue I discovered at a shelter in Hamilton, Ontario. She is lovely, beautiful, curious, and devoted. Right now, I'm kinda missing her...but that I'd because somethings don't change, I'm still a house cat at heart, a homebody who right now is quite far from her home in Ontario. So, I guess not all things are new....some things stay the same.

Desperate or Distracted

Usually I find these winter months, meaning January and February, a great time in the year to slow down, refocus and of course hibernate, particularly after the chaos of Christmas with all it's events and celebrations.
But when I returned to work after the Christmas holidays it was incredibly busy. I had a number of upcoming meetings to prepare for and training sessions. The result being my mind was reeling with "work thoughts" invading my home time. If you work in any type of administrative role, you are usually multi-tasking to the max, arranging, preparing and making sure the wheels are well greased ahead of time so everything runs smoothly. So with all these things going on, I was feeling pretty distracted. I would sit down to spend some one-on-one time in prayer and I was soon moving back to "did I email so and so?" or "I have to photocopy that" or "I had better book those rooms." I think God has been patiently waiting for me to look him in the eye and say "you have my full attention!"

On the other hand, there are the desperate times. Desperate people are very focused. On one thing. They are not distracted. They are desperately listening and waiting for that one answer. They also can be pretty needy.

I've been in both sets of shoes. The funny thing about the distracted is sometimes, if God can't get your attention for any length of time, He will move you into a desperate mode, just so He can talk to you! Sometimes, you will move yourself there. "Help! I have too much going on!! I need some answers!! I'm desperate!"

On the flip side, I'm happy to say, God is never desperate or distracted. He never stops giving you his full attention, He never says "just a minute, I've got a few things going on right now."
He never says "I'm desperate for some answers myself!"

If you are desperate or distracted, you are swinging to the far side of the pendulum. Neither are a good place to be. It's time to balance out - somewhere in the middle where life is full and fulfilling but you can still find your center and refocus without feeling distracted and without feeling needy. I'm working towards that myself right now. As I'm definitely swinging on the distracted side I will purposefully leave work at work and take time to quiet myself and listen in the stillness to the voice of my Lord and Saviour.

The Problem with Popcorn

Bet you thought I was gone for good didn't ya? Actually it was January in Canada and I was hibernating. Now that we are well into February, half way through, this little bear is starting to wake up and sniff the air.
And I'm hungry.
When it comes to food, I'm a nibbler. I perfected this technique whilst waitressing in my young and energetic days. Having no time to actually sit down and eat a meal, I would nibble. A french fry here, a scoop of rice pudding there.
But I started this nibblemania much before that. I nibble down the sides of chocolate bars. Makes them last longer I say. First the very tip, then down one side and then the other, then the bottom end. I nibble my way through cookies. Makes them last longer I say. Nibble, nibble nibble.
But here is the anomoly. I have a problem with popcorn.
For some reason I take huge mitt-fuls and try to stuff them all into my mouth at once. I don't know why....I certainly don't do this with anything else. Strictly stick to delicate little mouthfuls or nibbles. Why I don't pop one little kernal into my mouth at a time, like any well educated nibbler would do, is beyond me. In an effort to choke myself on popcorn, I drop it all over my lap, the counter and the floor, much to Amelia's delight who just snaps up all those falling gems.
So, if you find yourself getting frustrated with all my nibbling, hand me some popcorn and watch the transformation begin.