SORRY

My own little lady bug.
Sorry Ken we thought we were phoning you at home.  We thought it was to-morrow already.
Anyway Sandra dropped by to make sure dad was taking his meds and I am making sure he does.  He is doing so much better.
Sandra had a stressful day visiting the very grieving widow.
We are now watching hockey.  Going to be a good game!

DAY AND NIGHT

Yes dad seems a bit better and hopefully continues to improve.  He had a quiet day today while I went visiting at the nursing home.  Jim was so very grumpy and said he did not want a visit but then he comes down to the front door to say good-bye to me.

His daughter, with no license took him to the bank and the tire on the old car blew off and they had to drive on the rim.  It was stressful for him.  He still has a bad cold as a lot of them so right now so I do not want to get to close to catch anything.           This was our walk on Tuesday about 10 in the morning.  We are trailing behind these two ladies.  Yes it was raining lightly, and very dul



                                                 
  More rain as we go home.




Coming down with the sniffles I think I got at the hospital.  I was beside a lady coughing all over me when I was eating my salad. Yuk!  A good place to catch germs I think.  I did talk to some very kind and caring people patients as well as nurses.  Dad got excellent care.

I am amazed at all the many beautiful and talented souls there are in this world.  True friends believe in each other and lift us up.  Your comments really do help encourage me and we all need encouragement at times.

I cannot wait to go to Sandra's house and search for dirt but I am afraid it will be well hidden.

This last picture was from my early morning walk before dad was awake.  A sea of umbrellas.

When I go visiting I share what I am learning and what I have experienced and find that others had similar experiences. So many stories.

"Love yourself and treat others with the same love. 
We deserve the love we give to others."-unknown

There are many questions  cannot answer especially when it comes to good and evil.  I can only try to live my life by being loving and authentic and admitting I make mistakes but I will continue to look for beauty and good in others, Christian or not!

GROWING UP

Looking back I think one of the hardest things has been separation from my family.  We know they have to grow up and move away and I am happy they can do this and we can keep in touch.  But it is still painful emotionally.

It is good that they have a bigger pool now to help with the heat.

They grow up so quickly and we miss them all.  Keeping in touch is so important but hard to do when everyone is busy but Sandra is doing excellent keeping in touch with the grand babies

We  also  moved away from our parents and that is all apart of growing up.

One reason I make an effort with my blog is to keep in touch.  I believe that our feelings are good and that we are all vulnerable and at times need to share.  Part of being human!

The drive to the hospital was extremely stressful for me as I did everything wrong.  Dad was treated well at the hospital had was in an bed in about one hour and a half.  He was examined and had his blood taken and urine.  It was determine it was a inflamed bursa which had been getting more and more painful.  They also took an Ezra of his hop and figure there was a bit of arthritis which we can expect at our age.  Dad wanted a cortisone shot and was disappointed.  He has seven pills of Apo-Predawns 5 mg.

 I was tired just sitting around although at 2 I had a a small salad.

People were all very nice and a fellow came in with a beautiful dog to visit the patients.  What a wonderful thing to do.  So many good people in the world.  So thankful that I can walk.

Ken do hope you can find some help for your toe.  Try a gluten free diet!  \keep going back to the doctor and find the right one.  Two friends are having intravenous anti-bio tics in their toes/

I am trying to write less and less God stuff .  But I am a spiritual person and that is who I a

I cannot believe it is Thursday and I have to drive to the Home.

Dad just got up and still has some pain but hopefully the meds. will really kick in today!

WORRIED

Most of our problems are not being able to find things,  Like no book marks at least dad can never find any.
Always the glasses go missing then turn up in bunches.  The point I was thinking about when I took this picture was that we have so much more than we often realize!

These were dad's big problems before the pain in his upper back hit.  Seemed worse as he got ready for bed so I guess if it gets bad enough we will get some help.  It is morning now and he slept reasonably well as long as he did not move.

I think you worry when you do not know what it is and sitting around the doctor's or the hospital is certainly no fun.
It is difficult for me seeing him in pain. 

I was having strange dreams all night.  Thankful we made it through the night.

Last night I had this dream where friends and family kept arriving at our house late at night and I had no room for them to sleep.  They were both dead  (not ghosts but very real and alive ) but that did not surprise me as I was glad to see them but was frantically looking for a place where they could sleep, trying to find towels and blankets etc.
I wish I knew what dreams meant.
.
Anyway what ever is wrong I think recovery will take a while.  Recovery is a daily effort and may take hard work too.  We all deal with pain in different ways and a little prayer is a great help I believe.

I will update later in the day

Update dad seems to have more pain moving although when he is still it stops.  We are off to the Peace Arch Hospital.  Dad hates my driving.

A long day at the hospital but they were very good.  Dad has an inflamed bursa and some arthritis in his hip.  I will now go get his medicine,

 

WHICH ONE?

Which one?  The forest or the pond So I did not go to the little pond at Boundary park
but instesd
Dad and I choose to walk in the forest together.  It was raining lightly but the air is so fresh it is amazing.  Everything was fine until we were leaving and dad had a pain in his upper back, which he thought may be a pulled muscle.

Came home and took a pain pill and I tried hot and cold.  Eventually he went to bed and had a sleep.

I phoned Vera and told her we would not be coming over and of course she understood.

Now he thinks it may be kidney stones and it would be a relief if we had a medical opinion but he says no.  I am making him drink lots and he is not doing as much as I would like.

I guess it is just a matter of waiting for it to get better or worse,  I went to the Health food store and he suggested the doctor and I phoned the nurse hot line and was put on hold but they suggested a ambulance which I will do if it gets worse which it probably will at 2 in the morning.

Had a chat with Stephen for his birthday and it is pretty cold there,  Homeward bound to-morrow.

Who is happy her picture won a prize?  I hope this is the right picture.

I continue to try and make sense out of life and to live as well as possible but there always seems to be questions.

THE PAST TO THE FUTURE

The Past

The secret garden
                                               

The present


Driving Sunday night in the fog

                                                    
 
Yurri’’s birthday


A taste of sunshine in the future.

"The only satisfaction there is, is to be growing up inwardly as well as outwardly, becoming a more generous, kind. and loving,  And this is all we do, by doing each day the day's work as well as we can."    -James Clarke

Yesterday after my walk  had my hair cut and came home and cut it some more do not ask me why.
I also mailed your card Melina and I hope it arrives in time.  This day has gone by so fast and I am more than ever aware of the changing world we live in.  How soon the present becomes the past and a new generation is beginning,

Not foggy not sunny but raining!

Panteli stopped by with Morgan's prize for second best picture at the art show with a lot of very good art work!  Way to go Morgan!

Happy  Birthday Stephen!

AGE

Dad and  I love seeing the little ones at church.

There are even triplets!  Not so clear on the bigger lens.  This girl that plays the piano is awesome.  Twice during the service she just plays and no one sings.  She selects what she plays.  She has a PHD in music.  She is awesome!

""There is wisdom in youth and there ids wisdom in age,  One is loud and seeking and the other is silent and true,  -Chief Dan George
The main thing is to always keep the heart open and have the spirit of a child knowing there is much to learn;  We must not be afraid of different ways of seeing life.  We must not fear but always be willing to listen.  Our aim is to have clarity in our thinking and keep learning!
Enjoy our drive to Fort Langley on a beautiful sunny day


''''''fort Langley is a great place to walk around with all its quaint shops and even a good size book store,

"There is a longing among all people  of the earth and all the creatures to have a sense of purpose and worth.
To satisfy that common longing in all of us we must respect each other,"   -   chief  Dan George.

"May the mountain’s own great spirit make your life a singing stream. . . .
May the new moon bring a purpose to your dreams. . . .
May the rainbow touch your shoulder with a promise of its glow,
May the sunlight fall upon you as you walk in many snows.  (for Nancy)
-A native American blessing.

With the map in dad's brain and our goodies safe in the car we headed into Vancouver we drove through the erie  fog into town for Uri's 4th birthday party.  Four of the five girls where there as well as two babies, although I guess Uri is not a baby any more.  Elise is walking at 9 months and very cute.  Just like our natural grandchildren we are given big hugs and lots of love.

Coming home later in the fog we missed our turn off but thankfully where able to double back.  So hard to know where you are in an unfamiliar area in the fog.  Actually the fog gives me a headache as well.

I am reminded that old or young we are all called children of God

THE FUTURE

On Friday dad and I had a walk in the forest and it was so quiet and peaceful.  As we kept walking we were delighted to see these little stone figures along the path.  Yes, someone had been along this way before us.

Saturday was such a beautiful day dad and I decided to drive out to Fort Langley.  It has been ages since we have been there.  A quaint little town with lots of interesting stores of all varieties.  We had two problems one being dad could not walk very far (not doing so good actually) and there was no place to eat where I could eat or else they were all filled up.  We could have gone into two dark places, not only dark, but very noisy.  One was a pub and another was a old fashioned very cute place but the only room was in the very back again in a dark corner.  This town has sure grown and changed and it is hard to see it change.  There was no room for us at any of the outdoor spots which would have been fun.

It was such a beautiful day and we enjoyed the drive.

I came home and made some cookies but I was very disappointed with the taste and I even followed the recipe~

Silence helps us to really listen and be aware of the world around us and hopefully making us aware of how much we have to be thankful for.  There was even silence in heaven when all was still waiting for the divine to reveal to us what the future may hold for the wicked.   Rev. 8:1

I go for a quick walk in the fog as there will not be time for a stroll in the forest before church.

SILENCE

Dad and I went into the forest together to enjoy a walk in the quiet fresh air.  We got started on the wrong foot  and it was my fault.  I felt badly about it because I gone out the front door as he was getting his shoe on for our walk and I said I will meet you by the car thinking he would remember I had been talking about mailing my letters first.  I quickly ran over to the post office but not before he came out and found me missing. He looked in the house and all around but  I was no where around.  He panicked   not knowing where I had disappeared to.  The visit by the police woman the night  before did not help.   Sorry Dad. 

Sorry I did not mean to worry you.

We are both looking at people suspiciously.

Breathing the fresh air and walking through the winding paths  helped to calm us both,  I am always happy taking pictures.  It was good of Panteli to drop by and Skype Carol for us.  We plan to get ours working soon.  It seems like things are going well for her and she was looking forward to a visit with her dog Jem who now has a home with a loving owner.

I have found if I do not sleep well my brain just not work well  or if I  am in pain.  I had a very annoying time trying to find if Shirley was in hospital or a home.  All I wanted to do was send a card.  Her daughter has been most unhelpful and after trying different lines at the hospital I talked to a human who put me in touch with the kitchen.  Believe it or not they were not helpful but they could tell me what was for lunch!

I believe that God dwells in the silence which is why people have a hard time knowing He is with them.

There is a mystical line of thought which says: "If God is everything-infinite and all filling- how could there be any room for God's creations?  Thus, the first act of  this being e=was to withdraw in order to make space available."  This withdrawal-a kind of inner retreat of the Divine-has been described as a self-limiting and a self-silencing.

But the still small voice still speaks in creation.

WARNED

The police caught up with me knocking on our door last evening.
Dad and I where sitting in silence he was watching airplanes on his new do- dad and I was reading a new mystery.

Dad went to the dooeras I do not answer the door in the evening when it is late and dark. It was a lovely police lady who was warning people to be careful on their walks; everyone in our neighborhood.  She showed us a sketch of the person who had now molested three people in our are and one right by the bottom of our street.

They have unmarked cars now and will have police decoys walking around the area.  That is how they have caught others.  The good thing is that in the early morning I can hear any footsteps following me and of course I will be listening very carefully.  Dad and  will do more walking together


Lois and dad and  enjoy our lunch with lots of talking in fact I suggest we stop talking and be silent for a few moments to choose from the menu.  I was very hungry.

THE INVISIBLE BECOMES VISIBLE.

Looking back.  I feel that I have done the best I could with what I had and I put my heart into being a good mom. It was at that  time when I would begin to put my hopes and dreams and worries into words of prayer.
  Not knowing is very hard.  I realize that most of us have our limitations that we have to live with.  One day at a time.  It is harder when you are 25 and feel like 80 but now it is
 s much easier!

This would become my adventure into the possibilities of prayer and a life lived with faith in the invisible that could be felt.

In Chapter 8 of Revelation there is a vision of an angel with a golden censer who offers up the prayers of the saints that are floating up from earth.  These prayers are placed on a alter.  It says that fire is sent down to earth ands I like to think of fire as passion and this is God’s answer that he hears and answers prayers.

So I prayed, I pleaded, I surrendered and an empty heart became full with hope;  because one always has to have hope.  My eyes were no longer focused on the answers but I was learning both humility and trust.  Discovering faith could still grow among the weeds of doubt.

Prayer is waiting in silence.

An ebb an flow.  Thankful for the good moments and the good days when courage and love seemed to fill me.  Prayer is like sinking into a warm bubble bath and just relaxing and letting go.  Thankful to have lived to see my grandchildren and my great grandchildren and enjoying their laughter.

Even now helping me to be positive and love myself by just being me.  But I admit I have good and bad days.

Dad and I enjoyed our lunch out with Lois, she is so lovely and reminds me of her mom.

ORAL TRADITIONS

I catch a glimpse of the sunrise as I close our window.  The air is very cold here first think in the morning.  I know others would think it was a heat wave.  This is what greets me on my morning walk.  A misty fog that seems to dampen the spirit as well as the body.  The last few days the sun has managed to show the fog who is boss and shines down on us.

Oral traditions keeping stories alive!

Our study group got off to a good start with telling jokes and ended the same way.  So we study and we laugh and we love one another as well as learn.  We have gotten to know each other so very well over the years and it has been good to see people become more confident in leading as well as praying.

I was thinking about our visits with Vera and Howard.  For years we sat on the same pew together and would enjoy social gathers at the church but now with our visits in their home we have grown so much closer and learned a lot about their early years and find we have lots in common.

While I was at the study dad went shopping at Cost-Co and bought a cupboard full of food.  We are annoyed at the prices at our Safeway Store which seem to be going up each time we shop there.  He did well with a long walk from his parking place and all around the store.  It was a little less crowded inside so that helped and we are gradually finding where things are.

Today dad and I are having lunch with Lois Dunlop whose parents were good friends with dad's parents.  They also looked after Sandra when I had to go back in hospital when she was only several months old.

 Boy that was hard and I cried myself to sleep every night.  I was very sick, tired and confused and lonely.  What kind of mother was I going to be?  I knew that being a good parent needed a lot of energy and strength and courage,

That was the doctor who said I did not have celiac and that went on my record.  They did not have proper testing back then.

How did this picture get way down here it is suppose to be back up under the other one?

A NEW ROUTE

Actually my new route is an old route I use to walk with Gundy. 
In fact at one time I could do both walks in the morning. 
First down to Coyote Creek then back up the hill to Boundary Park.
I wish I could do that again but some days it is hard to even do half what I use to do.  Yes, I am thankful.  I am feeling safe again!
The amazing thing about the story of Alice Herz-Sommer is she is so thankful that both her and son survived although grieving deeply the death of her husband and mother.  She had made up stories constantly to tell him and she laughed and hid her fear and worry.  She had his imagine that a bad witch had forced them to take the wrong train and they were waiting for the good soldiers to come and rescue them.  They would pretend the watery soup was really potatoes and other good food.

I am not doing my Bible study on Rev. chapters 8 & 9.  I know that a lot of the way you read the Bible is through the lens of what other people have interrupted.  I try to think what these cruel words must have meant to those who read in terrible circumstances.  I know that it is directed at  the Romans but I cannot stomach reading it.  I know that others will feel the same and maybe by the grace of God we will find something relevant to our own lives.  I know that we always find some thing to laugh about; so it is fun just to get together.

Maybe some who have read this and they are frightened by the judgement day coming have changed their life and take a new path!   Maybe prayer becomes the powerful force to help us change ourselves and our world.

Christianity is now taking a new route on the Biblical stories.  I happen to find the Bible a most amazing book especially when I see human nature seems to common to us all.  Too bad there are a lot of churches holding on to the belief that every word in the Bible is true.  Love your neighbor as yourself seems like a good place to begin.  Is there a judgment day?  I would rather concentrate on finding the divine that shines light for us on our path here and now.  Light is good!

Even  as Jesus came not to abolish the Torah but to show the truth of a life lived out of compassion and forgiveness.

Yesterday we spent another afternoon with Vera and Howard.  I read one of dad's stories and Howard seem to really get a lot out of it.

Tomorrow after Bible study I may  drop by to see Jim who is extremely ill with a nasty cold.  I know he believes he is dying and he has even refused a milkshake so that is bad.  I will remind him that God loves him but I know that is hard for him to believe.  I will pray for him.

QUOTES

I love the little bit of color my garden is producing all on its own.  This little plant has survived all the changes I have made by moving it around.  I am making it a promise to take the best care of it now!

There is much work to be done right now cleaning up and catching those ugly weeds early.

So I did not do any gardening.  I will be doing a little bit each day hopefully.  The cold fog is negative influence but maybe just an excuse.

Yesterday  had an early dentist appointment which really seemed to tire me out.  I had not slept well thinking I would sleep in, which I know is crazy but I have been known to do crazy things the odd time or two.

The sun did peep out later in the day and dad went for a walk.  Very good.

These are some of the quotes from the book about Alice.

"Everyday is a miracle.  No matter how bad my circumstances I have the freedom to choose my attitude to life, even to find joy.  Evil is not new.  It is up to us how we deal with both good and bad.  No one can take this power from us."

"Understanding others can lead to peace."

"Be kind.  Kindness is free.  It costs you nothing and the rewards are great for everyone."

"Her ability to accept reality, not to allow anger or frustration to dominate even a few moments of her time, to garner the courage to trust her own instincts rather than depend on the approval of others, and to hold fast to hope that will be at work within."

I have lived in music!"  which is her mortal way of connecting to infinity.

"The deep connection to music is life sustaining."

"Solitude does not need to be lonely.  It is the quiet that is essential for listening.  In solitude we call up from the depths of our souls sights and memories that are beyond the visible or the verbal.  It is in the stillness when the artist can be the most creative."  For me it is the morning time of quiet meditation and  prayer.

The hardest time for Alice in the camp was to listen to her young son cry from hunger and have nothing to give him.  He was about five years old.
To listen to his questions what is war? and why are we Jews? and have no answers.

We need to treasure time.  Every moment that passes is gone forever.  There are lessons in very many of these moments for us to learn.

Optimism helps me through dark  days.  Yes there will always be good and bad days.

We do not need things we need friends and family!

I think from these quotes it seems we need to have things in life that we enjoy doing, that inspire us and that help others.  We need courage to accept the changes that come with age.  There will always be work that also needs to be done but it helps to try to be cheerful!

And there are times when you are just a little bit crazy and need a good laugh.

ENDLESS

This is a beautiful banner one of the ladies at church has created.  We have a beautiful church with different banners and art work.


We had a excellent sermon at church yesterday.  I had written in my journal in the morning that Jesus actually expected to be engaged in the endless process of deciding what the scriptures really mean and how we are meant to live out our faith.

In years gone by God has been portrayed as a angry God who allowed his son to die on the cross so that all us sinners would be forgiven.  The truth is more likely that the Romans and also the Jewish priest thought they were in danger of losing their authority and power because of all the people were listening to the teachings of Jesus.  They planned his death.

A loving God who is portrayed not as a lamb being slain but a playful creature finding life amazing and full of love.  We look at a lamb and we see tenderness and littleness and playfulness.

Jesus came to a depressed and conquered nation who had gotten weary waiting for their Messiah to come and rescue them from corrupt and unjust political and religious authority.  They were hungry for good news and an affirming spiritual presence in their lives.  Just imagine the rumblings that Jesus caused as he was presenting a new interruption of scripture.

I believe there are endless ways of discovering more about scripture and finding why it has been interpreted along certain paths.  We are called to live in the fullness of love and not be victims of fear.

Faith is kept alive if we keep asking questions and are open to new discoveries and many opinions.

After church dad cooked us bacon and eggs and did all the cleaning up too.  I did a lot of house work on Saturday so it is wonderful to be spoiled.

After dad and I drove to Burnaby to visit Shirley Fowler in hospital.  It was a little confusing for us as the first floor was the third floor and the elevator did not stop at the fourth floor, which was no problem as we were going to the fifth floor.  She will be 95 in Feb.  She has water on her lungs I think because the heart is failing.  She was thrilled to see us and very cheerful and wanting very much to return to her own apartment.  ...this is the hospital in the sunshine.

STRANGERS

Yesterday I met two strange men I have never seen on my walk before.  They made me feel nervous.  Silly eh!  So being a wise  cocky old bird I took a different route and went a different time the next day.  I am used to the people I meet regularly and especially their dogs.  I like the quiet of the early morning and seeing lights come on in the homes of people as they just wake up.

It is still cold and foggy.  I think I have read too many mystery stories about strange things happening in the fog.

"Monks live in the desert he explain.  We come for a radical confrontation with ourselves.
Silence is for bumping into yourself."  -a monk on a Trappist  path.

 As I go for my walk I quote;  "You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem,
and smarter than you think.".  -Christopher Robin   Then off to church!

FIRES

The traffic driving into Vancouver was very light when dad and I drove in to get his eye drops due probably to the fog,

Then when we got home watching the fires in Australia and realizing how close they are to Melina and Ken was shocking.  What with the heat wave they have been having and all the smoke  in the air a little bit of fog is nothing to complain about.  Thankfully it is cooler now.  The smell of smoke is awful.  Dad is putting our smoke alarms up today,

Dad got in trouble at the Safeway Store when he took his basket way over the count to a quickie till.  The check-out girl was annoyed at him and so was the big line up forming behind him.  He tried to be quick when he was paying and of course he was slower because they had changed their machines.

Sandra dropped by after being at the dentist for over an hour.  She made herself a sandwich  because I was too slow and she was too hungry.
We took a quick trip over to see the book cases at Jane’s house.  Sandra needs some book cases and she wants to get rid of some.

Then we tried to go on skype but could not find our account.  Really felt bad as it would have been great to see Simone in her little chair at the table.  I will nag dad to get this fixed so we can find it when we want it. 

Life can seem like a roller coaster as it has its ups and downs.  Did not sleep well thinking about fires and thinking I smell smoke! 

BEAUTIFUL

Life is beautiful!  Each moment holds the promise of happiness if we keep an optimistic attitude and greet each day hopefully.   Lincoln is so tiny!

My how they grow!  What we learn in the school of life is so important; that learning begins in the atmosphere of home.  Life is beautiful when talking to friends or being with family.  Everyday can be a miracle of love and laughter.  I know I have the freedom to choose my attitude and I must learn to laugh at my mistakes.  Just like Simone! and Lincoln.

 For me too the birth of each one of my children has been the
happiest  time of life for me.   Who can forget that first smile or the little eyes that gaze into yours or the first little sounds.

"School is important , but what children learn in the atmosphere of their homes lasts for life."

 

"We can learn all our lives."

"Children need unconditional love to grow and develop into full human beings.  Patience kindness and love - this is the food a child needs."  Words of Alice Herz-Sommer

ABSENT MINDED

Life is like a stream that flows along with some very happy moments but even then there can be dangerous unseen currents. -  Elizabeth Strout.  (pretend there is a picture of a stream flowing ovewr rocks)  Yes the picture disappeared! 

On Wed. dad and I arrived at Jane and Geof's thinking the other had brought the tray of goodies for tea.  I knew that when I left there had been nothing on the counter so imagined dad had picked it up and was in the car already.   It was still missing when we returned home and I looked everywhere.

 Going out the front door, in the dark to put the garbage out, there it was sitting on the little outdoor table.  I have no idea how it got there but I guess I must have taken it and  then went back into the house for some reason and forgotten it.  It really worries me when things like this happen.  I like to think I am just absent-minded.

We left their home saddened by the thought we would not be having many more visits there.

Dad had a very good day today as he was able to get his computer fixed and is enjoying his new Galaxy Tab 3.  The drive down to White Rock was a drive into the fog, which caused many accidents.  The fog returned again by evening.

I had my walk as usual and then did a bit in the garden.  Dad went for a bike ride while I visited at the Seniors home.  I came home to continue to read about the life of Alice Herz-Sommer.  I have some quotes I will take with me next week.

Dad talked to Ken as he was going to the doctor after work and he said he (you Ken) did not sound good.  I think you must take better care of yourself.  The pool is a great idea and we loved seeing the video! 

"Only when we are old do we realize the beauty of life."  (I am not quite there yet.)

"I am so old because I use my brain constantly."   -Alice Herz-Sommer.

FREEDOM

  The forest seems very empty yesterday.  Hopefully the next few days will be a little warmer and a lot dryer.

It was strange when I left the dentist office I met a lady all dressed in black who was begging.  She says she and a few others sleep in the park.  I had a McDonald's gift certificate in my purse so  gave her that.  She was thrilled.  She had a buggy filled with her worldly possessions.  She was ever so grateful.   One cannot help but wonder what had brought her to this sad state.  She appeared to be hopeful as well as grateful.

  As I walked home I am reminded to examine my own life and take time to appreciate what is truly important.  Having the freedom to make choices gives life purpose and meaning. 

 

The next day I would start reading :A Century Of Wisdom" the lessons learned from Alive Herz-Sommer the world's oldest  Holocaust Survivor.  She was able to earn a living by playing the piano at concerts and teaching music.  She had grown up in a peaceful environment in Prague, this would all change years later when Czech laws were abolished and the city was deluge with Nazi flags and Jews were being mistreated. She was taken with her husband and son to the concentration camp called Theresientadt.  This was no ordinary camp but a place where Jewish musicians writers, artists were protected from the war.

 

When she was freed from the camp she had no home, and had lost both her mother and husband brutally murdered by the Germans.  At first her husband was at the same camp but would be forced to travel to Auschwitz.  There he died of starvation and exposure.  In his last whispered words to her he advised her to never volunteer for anything , never believe anything the Germans say.  This would stop her from volunteering to go on the train where she could have joined him unaware of the place the train would take them.

 

She was a gifted pianist but it was her optimistic spirit that would keep her free in her mind and spirit.

 

She would return to her country  after surviving imprisonment. which now was under Communism .  Her sisters would eventually persuade her to flee to Israel but the small plane  authorized to take cargo would fly her there but the plane ran low on fuel and crashed in the water.  The crew survived uninjured but again her piano was lost.  She says she knew she had had to leave Czechoslovakia but her past experiences gave her the courage to take desperate means to do so.

 

Although there is a lot wrong in our government we are thankful for our freedoms.  Thankful to be alive!  Thankful for music and books and being able to keep in touch with family and friends on my blog!

 

Dad is going to the skin doctor today to get something cut out.  He has a very good doctor thankfully!

 





ROUTINE

This picture of the stone steps reminds me that change can come as we take one step at a time!

Dad and  are trying to get back into a healthy routine with a positive attitude.  Dad is reading "Drop Dead Healthy" by A. J. Jacobs, a book  I picked up at the library.

Four police cars cruising  around the streets as I walked early in the morning.  Should I feel safer or more worried wondering if  they think the creepy guy is still in the area.   I had my hood pulled up over my head and they made sure they made eye contact with me.  My mind was on my prayers so I was not worried.  Things like this do not happen in Delta as often as they do in Surrey.  But bad things can happen anywhere it seems.

Off to the dentist as soon as I caught my breath for a extra long appointment.  Have another one next Monday which is suppose to be just 30 minutes.

Dad went for a long bike ride so the better weather sure helps us too.

I had a bright idea of reading one of dad's stories to Howard, when we went visiting him,  but went looking for a white binder forgetting they were in a green printed one.  I looked in all the usual places but it does not help when you are looking for the wrong thing. Another lesson learned!   We had a good visit anyway  with both Vera and Howard, telling lots of funny stories about horses of all things and I found the book of stories when I got home. 

Finished reading  "The End Of Your Life Book Club."  A good book to read if you like a book about books and an amazing woman's life and battle with cancer.  Be prepared for a very sad ending.

Vera reminded us about how one word can affect the life of another.  Our lives are all unique but as we share our experiences we can be a blessing and hopefully motivate others.  Lots of stories to be told!

ENDEAVOR

Dad and I walked in the park.

 

“That which benefits us, embosomed beauty and wonder as we are, cheerfulness and courage,
and the endeavor  to realize our aspirations.
Shall not the heart which has received so much, trust the Power by which it lives?
May it, not quit other leadings, and listen to the Soul that has guided it so gently, and taught it so much, secure that the future will be worthy of the past?”
Ralph Waldo Emerson   


 Yes we went and had another walk in the forest but the water had already slowed so the picture was disappointing. down The walk did us good any way which was the important thing. The heavy rainfall has made some huge ponds surrounded by yucky mud.  We went down to the dog park as we call it but no one was there.  We are so fortunate to have such a quiet forest to walk in.

Afterwards I went and had a visit with Gundy.  It has been awhile so we had a good talk, well she does a lot of the talking but that is okay.

Dad endeavored to clean the oven which is not used that much but seems to get dirty anyway.  A job I have always hated.

After supper we watched the tennis and a bit of hockey.  It made me hot just watching it.  We did not see any sign of you Ken, but your match came on very late here for us oldies.

Off to the dentist on Tuesday.

IN TUNE

                                 Faith is to me like notes on a page waiting to be sung.

First you have to tune your instrument and learn how to read the notes so you can play them.  It helps if you have heard the song before.

The wise person is a listener.

"Jesus' intention was, and is, to call people to live in tune with reality"  in relationship with others.
It is about becoming real!  In life we start by being a learner, then a doer and then a teacher!  I have progressed through these stages by playing and singing many wrong notes!

As our minister expressed today every child that is born is blessed by God and is not saved by baptism.  John the Baptist saw that people needed to have their sins washed away so he had a ministry of baptism.  He recognized the presence of God in Jesus in  its most powerful form.  Jesus was able to see and recognize the presence of God in all of us, including women and children.  He walked among the ordinary people to let them hear this new song being sung all around them.  You are loved!

 

Music is powerful because it has spiritual energy.

 

Yes, dad and I went to church and came home right after.  Later in the afternoon we tried a short walk, dad calls it Melina's walk because that is where I lead the way.  It was very muddy and wet.  The little creek was full of rocks and tumbling water.  Forgot my camera.