A.A. ALCOHOLICS

A cold wet drive into Burnaby Saturday to visit a car lot.

Lots of umbrellas out on the sidewalks.

Read this report in the Vancouver Sun:
Came home to read about Atheist who are making God anonymous in their A.A. meetings They admit their lives are failures and they are turning to a program to help them.  Coming together as a community seeking the same answers is good.  Confession, repentance and forgiveness and  honest and a conversion to spiritual awareness are the foundation of their program. 
 
Sounds a little like religion to me.

I believe we are all incomplete and insufficient, and in spite of those who claim independence  but often seek approval and success to build their lives upon.  Sharing needs and beliefs and learning compassion for others and being there for them when they feel alone is a good lesson to remember

We where reminded that the Breathe of God that can bring new life where there has been suffering and death.  We will always struggle to understand why there is injustice but we are to fight with compassion for justice in whatever way we can.

Thank you Shandel for the book.  From the title I am looking forward to reading it and I appreciate your  thoughtfulness.  I really enjoy reading as you know.  

After church dad and I went for a long walk in the forest as I had not gone far at all in the morning.

I think we may become chocolate alcoholics with our
wonderful chocolate from  Charlie's Chocolate Factory.
It was fun to be shown all about the making of chocolate and see all the huge eggs and bunnies.

Jane and Geof had driven in for church and it was good to see them.  There were about 10 children from about 14 months to about 12 years.  Wonderful to see the little ones as they love to dance to the music.  I believe if we have a happy experience at church when we are young it will have a lasting effect on us as we get older maybe.

LETTING GO

Letting go of fear and worry and hanging on to the vine that is like the words of Jesus that say I am the vine.  Live in me and bear fruit.  The fruit for most of us is to be joyful and peaceful with the energy to enjoy life and to survive.

Fortunately we no longer lack for food and shelter, water and clothes to wear.  We like to be able to make decisions about what to do each day.


Hanging on to what is stronger than me and able to pour new strength and life into me and also letting go of the past mistakes. 

Saturday we drove in the rain to a car lot in Burnaby  Our newest car has been a little harder for us to drive and seems to have several blind spots.  A new mirror helps but dad is still not satisfied.  It is also a little hard to get in and out of especially for me.  But I do not think we need another car.

Besides Charlie's Chocolate Factory across the street look more interesting

Where we were shown around by Charlie himself.  He says all chocolate is GF except when there is filling or added ingredients.  I was disappointed he did not give us a taste because it smell so good and looked good.  We bought some that had ginger in it, a dark chocolate that should be good for you.

I had had my early morning walk and sent a little further but came home breathless but regained energy to do a  bit of more weeding in the garden but it is harder when you cannot balance.  It is really inch by inch gardening.  This too will be taken care of soon.  We came home and after having a bite to eat both had naps.

“I believe in the miracle of prayer” –Betty Rainy a dear old friend who has moved east but keeps in touch.  She has wit and willingness to live facing all that has to be faced which is now cancer.

Surrounded by the goodness of our family and lots of prayer has been a great blessing.  I like to think that we are all more connected than we realize.  The good thing about getting older is you do not need to worry about blemishes on your face, or laughing too loud or saying something stupid!  Letting go of perfection.

I love the words of Leonard Cohen's song "Anthem" that serves as a reminder to me when I try to be perfect.  The line is: "There is a crack in everything.  That's how the light gets in".

WIT WISDOM AND WILLINGNESS

Yes our wiling helper came again and cleaned up for us with cheerfulness and great ability.  It is so good to have her cheerful voice and presence with us.  It means so very much to dad and myself.

Good news my blood tests came back normal.  I am normal!  I think there is no reason to think I have cancer. 
Dad is doing much better and is a great help and also full of wit and wisdom.

I have three books to choose from;

The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken by Tarwuin Hall . A witty tale about Vira Puri, India's most private detective.  The case he is on leads deep into Pakistan and should be informative as well as witty.

Unsaid is by Neil Abramson about a workaholic husband whose wife dies of cancer and becomes a ghost and leaves him with Cats and dogs and horses and a pig to look after.  It is about morality and the power of love.

The Power of the Brian is wisdom I hope will help me to improve my brain and that seems like it could be helpful.  I am trying to find out what time of day I have the most energy and brain skills.

A good day!

MUSIC ’S SAVING GRACE

I would like to believe that God sang creation into being with great joy!  Even the angels joined in for the chorus.  I believe that  music has the power to embrace our grief , releave our troubles and renew our joy.  It is our saving  grace.


All nature sings and around me rings the music of my past and my dreams for the future.

Let the heart speak and the soul receive and the voice sing.
Live by what you believe and always, always remember the good times and forget the times of trials and sadness.

We changed our plans yesterday first with a phone call from Vera that Howard was being moved.  Vera wanted a quiet time just to not talk to anyone.  This is a big adjustment and she will be forced to make some changes too.  Fortunately her one son who lives here is back from a little holiday.

 

Both dad and I went on long walks and his hip was hurting him when he got home.  I had two trips to the blood clinic (why is it at home I have trouble getting to the bathroom on time to pee  and when I have to pee in a bottle I cannot).

A little bit of color comes into our garden. 

When dad suggested we stay home and look after ourselves

 I realized the wisdom  in  that for each one of us and also to spend time together. 

 

 Even when at times we good-naturedly disagree.  

 

This is the stream my cane fell into.

 

 One of my favorite songs is: It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attended my way
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul.

They will know that we are Christians by our love, especially for the street people and those on the poverty line.  We donate food, clothes especially underwear and big socks and toiletries and  even baby diapers,  now umbrellas so I think we may have things well covered.

But we may disagree on when to serve coffee at our meetings like first thing or in the middle. We may disagree with what money to give where and when but over all we laugh and support each other.  I was glad someone else gave me a flower arrangement to take to Jane and Geof because mine was laughable!

 

                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Learning to arrange flowers at the church.
Our teacher who knows so much and creates such beauty even with
 those of us like me who are very inept at this

"Your failures may ultimately be as important as your success,
Take pride in both - because failing means you had the courage to try,

Someone else takes pictures.

Dad and I drove out to visit Jane and Geof in Langley.  They were extremely delighted to see us.  Se try to go from the bottom suite up to theirs by the stairway but got locked in at both ends.  We finally found an emergency door in the basement area where the workman were walking in and out from outside. I was able to take her a small container of flowers.

They are well settled in but so small compared to their old spacious family home.  Jane is exhausted but as she gets more energy maybe she will be able get out and that will help.  Geof puts on a good front but is not happy either.  They both miss their friends.

I pray that one day she will be able to greet each new day with renewed hope and courage so that at the end of the day she will have found more things to be thankful for than what she has lost and in her thankfulness find peace and new direction.

Today dad and I will take milkshakes to Jim and Howard!

I am so thankful that we can still bring joy into the lives of others and thankful we made it out to see Jane and Geof.  Mission accomplished!

RESILIENT

Mountains taken as we drive to White Rock on a beautiful day and yes from the car again.

 

I have my good days and my bad days.

I have beliefs that contribute to the way I live my life and the way I make judgments about others.

Yes  I get totally frustrated with my computer.  Dad says where is your calm and happy spirit now.

It has disappeared but I am well aware that I am not perfect and never will be.

But I am resilient!

I wish I lived in a holy bubble of goodness and patience and sweetness but life gets in the way poor health  stress and annoying situations.

 

Seeing the junk they have picked up in the ocean and a preventable mud slide and the loss of diversity in the Australian coral reefs.  A new book by Elizabeth Kolbert called "The Sixth Great Extinction" we are warned again about global warming but also the damage we as human beings are doing to our earth.  She estimates a third  of the coral reefs, a third of fresh-water mollusks, a quarter of all mammals and a sixth of all birds are headed for extinction."

 

We are cutting down the rain forests, acidifying the oceans and pumping out more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere can handle. 

 

What can one do?  Vote for the Green Party, write letters and join groups that are willing to protest?





We have been given a beautiful world to live in but we are destroying it.

 

Now for my appointment with Dr. Nolte.  He was very relaxed and is busy setting up new appointments.  It seems we can stroke the stroke off our list and still concern for the brain and the lungs and the colon.  I had written a complete report of my symptoms and what I was taking and what would we follow up with.

 

I agreed more blood tests would be in order and he wants me to see the neurologist earlier than scheduled by phoning to see if there has been a cancellation. 

 

He is concerned about the nodules in the lungs increasing and the cat scan for that will be on April 16.  I am a little confused by it all but I am confident Dr. Nolte cares and is concerned. 

 

Another beautiful day to drive to White Rock where  we had fish and chips at the beach., yes fish salad for me. Home again dad then went for a walk and then wanted to go to Home Depot and I went  go to chapters.  He is trimming the edge of the grass.  Both tired after our day.

 

 I bought a book about the brain

 

Today at church we are learning how to make flower arrangements.  I have some new clippers to take.

 

 

FAITH

Faith is trusting and discovering goodness in myself and in others and in unconditional love.  Faith does not mean that we will live  a life of no regrets because that never will be.

Without faith I would be like those people in the airplane with no pilots.

Faith is a way of beholding, a way of regarding reality-an attitude of open-mindedness.  It is a refusal to admit that the world and everything in  is finally chaotic and meaningless; but does faith is not without doubts.

"Faith is, like a lens through which I gaze out at reality and inward at the life of God quietly breathing within me and making my own

 breath possible."  Donald Spoto

 

Is faith a matter of intellectually understanding and subsequent assent to unfathomable mysteries?

Is it a sheer effort of will?   A matter of intense emotion?  Christian faith is none of these.

 

"We are, after all, incomplete and insufficient unto ourselves.

Faith is not primarily a matter of understanding, or dogmas or doctrines or even "truths"

but admitting I have been understood and accepted by the other."   - Donald Spoto

 

I am off to the doctors today with my notes in hand.  I hope dad has as much fun in the waiting room as I did yesterday.  There was one chair that when you sat on it sounded just like a whoopee cushion and everyone who sat there had a startled look on their faces,  Meanwhile dad and the technician were solving the mystery of the airplane.  It was hijacked  by terrorists and then shot down by the C.I.A.

Dad had his walk in the forest and then came home and cut the lawn.  I hope he continues to feel this good. I dug out weeds then had a nap.  Also had a headache so I think there must be pollen in the air.