HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

We feel very blessed with all the good gifts that
 God has poured into our lives.
This weekend has gone by so fast and we have
enjoyed every minute
Baby Simone is a delight and now her and her mom
Mary are leaving this morning to fly back to Edmonton. 

Wow four generation!

A busy time for Sandra.

Some of our happy couples.

Happy Anniversary to a special host and hostess.

RUSTLING

Rustling leaves blowing in the wind.  Moms and children raking and playing in the leaves together.
The sounds, the sights and the smells of fall in the air.  Had a short walk with Rick in the morning.
Dad had good hot bowls of porridge ready when we got home.  One of his specialties.

 My legs are not in good shape and I had such very shapely legs as a teenager!  Oh well.
Autumn is a good way to say good-bye to summer as every warm day a gift.



Fresh smell of just cut grass cut by a helpful son Rick, zipping by so fast I can't catch min on camera!
Good to have some help in the yard as everything has been neglected.  Dad did cut the little strip at the front of the yard.
Should be the last cutting of this year,


Ben explaining his sore finger that got hurt in practice before the game even started. He did an excellent job.as goalie and the score was 1 to 1 then in the last seconds of the game the ball went over his head.  Dad and I enjoyed watching the game with Carol in the  warm sunshine. Ben is an excellent goalie, very competitive and a good sport.

I had a short nap before we headed over to Sandra and Randy's.  Sandra had just finished bathing Simone and she looked and smelled so adorable.  Randy was in a lot of pain so that is a shame.  Good to have a visit and talk about old times with Mary, Cameron and Shandel; and hold Simone for the first time.  Bronchitis is not catchy the doctor said.

Good news Oliver is coming over on the ferry from Victoria so we will hear all about his adventures on his boat.

Dad and Rick are watching the hockey game while I go off to bed.  I will not be able to go out for church and for our big dinner too. 

THE UNEXPECTED

All the plans were made  and everything was falling into place when the night before the big arrival Randy back seized up with pain and he had to be taken to the emergency.
Sandra would have to drive over to the North Shore to pick him up.  Then early the next morning, Friday, he had to go to the clinic and see the doctor and get some medication
This was not what they had planned before picking the family up at the airport later in the day.

The  good news is that everyone has arrived safely and hopefully Simone is able to make the big adjustment,  Mary is very brave flying all that way with her little one. 

Rick's work trip to Kitamat  has  fit in very well with the plans for Thanksgiving and he arrived from the airport in his own car.  Kitamat is where dad was suppose to fly to when he had a short job experience with Skylink Airlines.  The plane he would have been flying crashed into the mountains and all were killed. 

We did not go over and visit  at Sandra and Randy's, although I am longing to see the baby but with all that has happened they needed time to catch their breath and relax.will be taking it a day at a time.

Bad news about Randy hurting his back and having to go to the emergency in North Van. Thurs. night.  Then Sandra had to drive way over there to pick him up and take him to the emergency in White Rock Friday morning.  Hopefully the pills will help right away.  It is always a happy time to be together.    It can be so frustrating to not be feeling well when you really want to.

It is not so easy to be thankful for the miserable things that can happen to anyone anytime.

I am feeling so much better it is amazing and I am truly thankful.

Words can be colorful and hopeful and powerful. 
Words are flying around us all day long and we all have our opinions about life. 
Words help us communicate our feelings and our hopes and dreams and our love for each other. 
Words live on after we are gone.  Jesus taught us that words can even bring life back to the dead.

Thanksgiving is a good time to express our love and our thankfulness to each other.

Walking in the forest of trees that rise so high above me often leave me wordless.


 Our grandson Oliver who works for the Coast Guard was involved in the rescue of three men diving.  Two of them went down too deep.  One got to the surface in a panic asking for help.  The fellow down below died and Oliver had to bring him up.  The other fellow also died.  Very tragic.

Dad and I are planning to drive to Richmond and join Carol at Ben's soccer game.  He has two games today and one on Sunday.  Morgan won tickets to the hockey game and took her mom and dad last night.

Morgan and Theresa will be making pie's today.  Sandra says everything is under control.  We will be jpoining them for supper to-night.

INSIDE OR OUT YES I KNOW IT IS FRIDAY!

 Inside we may feel crappy but outside we try to look our best.  Jesus came so that each one of us could live our life to the fullest,  The toughest part is to be thankful in all things

Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance
of whatever is given to us.

"Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes to His Grace." 

I  had gone to bed full of confidence and thankfulness that a new me would wake up in the morning.  I was even planning the route I would take and how wonderful it would be to be walking along, hearing the happy voices of the children off to school and meeting some of my walking buddies, most of which are dogs.

At three in the morning I felt helpless as I starting coughing.  Up out of bed so as to not wake dad I was still feeling hopeful that this was a good sign.  Wrote a little than tried going back to be but again I was compelled to get up.  So an in and out of bed night but I am hopeful it is a farewell performance.

Enjoyed a short walk in the forest with dad so that would do us both good.  Knew I would not be welcome at the Senior's Home while I am still coughing.  Yes I am doing my best and following instructions to a T.

A perfect day for a walk in the forest.  Not everyone is beautiful on the outside but inside we all can be.  Looking forward to a fantastic day on Friday.  Rick arrives after lunch.

WHOLENESS

                    Finding wholeness in a broken world is a challenge!  For me.


These are flowers from Sandra’s old garden that now have a home here and are doing well.  They really are more purple.  I m longing to be outside this morning.  I do love this fall weather and hope it continues when the family comes to visit.

From the tall trees so proudly display their glory to the tinest flower hidden in the grass it is all there for us to see and the deepest seeing is with the eyes of the soul.



Happy Little  ghosts are also appearing, people sure do a lot of decorating and I like the happy scenes. 

I have been good progress but need a stronger antibiotic to completely clear my chest.

I feel better when I know exactly what I am taking and why.  Maybe I am a little strange .  So I am following instructions and will so soon be better than. Except my sore wrist which I am not suppose to use and it will get better. 

So many exciting things to look forward to.  Especially some good sleeps and some early morning walks, not just to the corner and back.
Most exciting waiting to see Mary's new baby girl and also all the family,

Fully healthy and fully whole and very thankful! 

PRECONCEIVED

I took a short walk in the morning just to see this beautiful old tree with leaves bursting with color

 The weather has been mild a real Indian summer.  I think it is my favorite time of the year.  You notice even the small flowers still putting on a show.

Dad went for a walk in the forest and then we took a trip to the dollar store.  Found I was pretty tired by then.

Our Bible group at the church is reading Revelations and we are encouraged to put aside any preconceived ideas.  Bishop Spong is doing the same with his book on John which has been years in the making.  This is difficult to do but I will give it a try.

 

I was too tired to go out with Carol and Panteli, Sandra and dad which was too bad when it is his last night here.  The harder I try not to cough the more I do and it would spoil the meal for others.

 

Rick phones to tell of his arrival on Friday which we are looking forward to.  I may put him to work as I am getting better at that asking people to help.

 

To-morrow I will miss our study as I want to rest up and be well for Mary and Simone, Cameron and Shandel and Rick

 

The message I am hoping to discover is one of hope. 

 

Here I am burning the mid-night oil having a miserable time coughing

 Dad has been so good, so good getting up and putting the steamer on and warming up a heating bag.
Maybe this little bug just wants to leave with a big show of bravo!  But I will get the best of it.

 

Very exciting hockey game dad said.  Maybe see if there is a cancellation at Dr. Nolte.

DEEP APPRECIATION

I really appreciated the visits from Sandra, Carol and Panteli.
Dad was not home as he was on a walk to the Watershed Park.
I had been getting worried about dad as he had been gone a long time. 
Why have a cell phone if you do not use it?  Or even turn it on?


What a pleasant place to sit and wait for the dogs to come and visit.

This is also a good place for a picnic.  We will be fortunate if we get some more warm weather,





And here they come!

I am still having early morning coughing spell but it gets worse if I try to go back to bed.   Having a nap during the day is a wonderful treat.

I did take a quick trip to the store while Larry was on his bike ride.  I will not go out in the early rain although I so very much want to.  Going for an early walk gives me a sense of appreciation for the day.


I was thrilled with the basket that I won because Kim put my name in.  This is from the small church where Ben sang.  They were more than generous.  It all looks so beautiful I just want to feast my eyes on them.  On the lower shelf are our new Aussie mugs from Melbourne,

  Good news that Jane's eye surgery was successful.  I appreciate her visits and thankful she set me right on what day it was.  It was only Monday not Tues.
 
I really do appreciate all the help dad has been for me and really hope and pray his pain will lesson.

Hey Kenny looks like an new Armstrong appearing.  Good riding Matthew!
  Ken sent a vidio of his first ride on a two wheel bike and wow did he ever go fast!

I think I was so very fortunate to experience the presence of Jesus in my life  at very young age.  But now reading Bishop Spong so much in scripture is to be viewed as Mysticism;  meaning that words can be expanded beyond their normal limits.  In this book he concentrates on the gospel of John.

He believes we as believers must be freed from fundamentalism.  He explains that this gospel is not about sin and salvation, but about life, expanded life and expanded consciousness.  I believe that it has a powerful story to be told to bring hope into shattered lives.

"It is also a journey into the heart of life, a journey beyond the boundaries of life and ultimately a journey into both a new consciousness and a whole new understanding of what Christianity is."

So here we go starting with the facts which I am not sure I will be able to embrace.  I do appreciate the effort of years of study he has put into this.