the gift of caring and friendship..

Tonight we are attending a Christmas banquet. It's at our church and we're quite excited about it. We've been commandeered to cook a turkey but other than that, and a short reading our daughter is doing about the carol Silent Night, we're just looking forward to attending. We have invited a few friends and after a busy week of errands, baking, and other preparations for the holiday, it will be a welcome opportunity to socialize.

There were some people we invited that were unable to make it due to other obligations and parties but that's ok. We'll connect another way at some point. There was one family that got taken down by the flu bug just a day or two ago. I sure hope they will be feeling better soon. The flu has been nasty this year.

It's funny how things have changed since I was a little girl. We used to go visiting quite regularly. Often it was with extended family but also the odd friend or neighbour. I've often wondered what happened that this has changed so much. Why do we think we need to be so busy? How did we get our priorities so messed up? I really believe that the world has become so self-focussed that we are losing our ability to communicate effectively with others.

Oh, sure. We can relay messages about business or appointments. We can even make small talk pretty effectively. But what about really connecting with our friends and neighbours. What about really KNOWING them? Do you know the people who live on either side of you? How well? Do you know what their favourite colour is? Do you know their favourite foods or what they care about? Our relationships these days have become so superficial that it is quite sad, really.

What can we do about it? Well, I'm hoping that our family has made a start. We've made a conscious effort to get involved in the lives of those around us. We've begun to talk about things that matter more often. Small talk has it's place, but it can't account for all our interactions. It doesn't take big things to make connections. It just takes showing some interest in someone else's life other than your own. Feel for them in their situations and express that caring.

I was talking with a neighbour a couple days ago whose husband works out of town for a month or so at a time. They have a toddler and she works outside the home so she's a busy lady. As we chatted, I found out that while she's very busy most days she's also been struggling with loneliness and perhaps a bit of weariness while not having her husband around in the evenings. She needed to know that someone cares.

I offered to have coffee with her now and again if we can both manage it. I am also busy most days but sometimes I need that outlet of having someone to talk with, too. And obviously, one person cannot be everything to everyone in their life. However, I CAN be something to someone. I can be a friend to break up the monotony of the days or maybe even to be available now and again if she needs a helping hand with something. After all, little children don't always allow us to get done what we need to when they are small. When you add that to the mix...

Another neighbour had the flu so we decided to make homemade chicken soup that evening for lunch the next day so we could take some over to her and her little family. It might sound like a lot of effort but it really isn't. We have to eat anyway and who doesn't enjoy a nice steaming bowl of chicken soup in the winter? It can be done while doing other things and it can provide for both families at once so really not a lot of extra effort. Those kinds of things say that you care and they warm the hearts of those around you.

Have you ever noticed how grouchy people can get? Even at a time like Christmas, things don't always go right and a simple thing like a smile can go a long way toward making someone's day just that little bit brighter. I would challenge you to begin to be a bright spot in your neighbourhood, your workplace, and even in your own home. Connect with people everyday in some little way and you will regain something important that is being lost these days. Give the gift of caring and friendship that is being seen less and less.

Dee..

Snow!

We got snow. I was really hoping it would hold off for about a week yet but I guess I can't really complain since some friends of mine have had snow for weeks already. I suppose that winter is arrived and we'll be dealing with several months of cold again. Winter in Saskatchewan... I have a love/hate relationship with it. It started when I was a little girl waiting in the cold for the school bus at the end of a half-mile lane. Ugh! These days it's the road conditions that get to me the most. Would I move to a warmer climate to get away from the cold and ice? No. Absolutely not. I love the beauty of winter. You may think I'm nuts because the trees are so bare but the sparkly snow and ice compensate for that. It's just a different beauty than that of summer. I don't even mind the work of shovelling snow now and again. I don't think I'd want to live somewhere that didn't have four distinct seasons. I'm one of those people that needs a certain amount of change in life... so that's one way that I avoid boredom, right? ;)

Dee..

Me..

Now you can see me. I added a photo to my profile. :)

Dee..

same-sex marriage legislation..

I haven't said anything about the whole same-sex issue at all on this blog but I can't really understand why there's controversy any longer on the part of the gay and lesbian community. The Conservative government is posed to put into law a bill to protect churches and halls that don't want to be part of gay or lesbian marriages.

The questions I have to those who don't want these protections put into place are these: Why do you oppose this protection when you have already been granted what you wanted? Why would you even want someone who doesn't agree with your "marriage" to be a part of your wedding? Wouldn't that have the potential to ruin your special day?

Aren't you just looking for a reason to cry discrimination? Isn't the real issue that you want everyone to agree with your chosen lifestyle and behaviour? Aren't you really seeking to enforce approval for yourselves? How is this called tolerance?

Dee..

Blue Skies? Where??

It's really been a dreary month here. We've had very few blue skies and that is sometimes very hard to handle when you are reported to live in the sunniest province in the country.

I feel for those with SAD... actually S.A.D... did you know it affects 2 to 3% of Canadians? That figure surprises me but I guess it has varying degrees. Another 15% of Canadians is said to cope with the "winter blahs" and I think I might actually fit that category. It's along the same lines as S.A.D. but not near as severe. I think I'm in that category because this feeling is not something that hangs on for days and days on end usually. It's often something that comes and goes when we've had dreary days. And knowing that Saskatchewan is the sunniest province in Canada, I'd hate to think what I'd feel if I lived in a province where it's typically cloudy.

On days like today, I can't imagine what it must be like for those who have full blown seasonal affective disorder.

Dee..

And it begins for the last time..

Tonight my last class started. It was a very interesting time talking about something that many people deal with in the course of their lifetimes... depression. We had a one hour lecture and a one hour documentary to watch. It was so informative! One of my friends seemed to be constantly on my mind tonight. She fit every single comment made in the class overview. Definitely a matter for prayer...

Today was a good day although it started very early and is ending too late for the early start it got. Tomorrow will be a big day though I'm not sure it will be a good schooling day because we're getting our new doors installed in the house. We're all pretty excited and I'll bet that we won't get a lot of schooling done, but we'll adjust. ;) I also finally got my new school supplies ordered today and yesterday. I'm looking forward to receiving them but it will likely be near the end of October before they will all arrive. Good thing I have some things that can keep us busy for a few weeks! I did get a call today though, that the school board has some supplies ready for us so I have to go pick them up one day soon. Perhaps tomorrow would be a good time.

My son cut his finger yesterday. It was quite the ordeal! Part of the fingernail and a chunk of skin from underneath are now missing. It took a long time to get it to stop bleeding but once it did, it wasn't hard to get bandaged up. It will take a bit to heal though. Perhaps I'll try to figure out how to post a photo on here and show the picture that was taken of it today, about 24 hours later. First, I need to find some time to figure it out and then to actually get it done. It might have to wait for the weekend...

And now I suppose I should get to bed so I can be up when the installers arrive in the morning.

Dee..

Zip, zip, zoom!

The week went so quickly! I can't believe it's over already. Does that mean we're supposed to be "in the groove"?? Well, if so, I'm here to inform you that I'm not yet. LOL The new school routine will take a little while to wear in, so to speak. We really had a decent week although we're starting earlier this year. The kids seem to like their classes which is good. My son is just fascinated with his science materials to the point that he posts to his blog about what he's learning. I'm still planning a few things for the year and need to order some books but thankfully I have had enough to get started and keep going for a couple weeks till the order arrives.

I worked on my own class work ahead of time through the summer in addition to the work we had done to the house and yard. I read three books and wrote papers on each. I'll do a final edit before I hand them in. I'm glad I got it done but I'm not sure I feel like I had much of a break through the summer. It will be worth it if the fall is more laid back and less rushed.

It's hard to believe the week has flown by like it has. I'm not sure I'm ready for this, but what choice do I have? Time passes... like it or not. ;)

Dee..

The Arrival of Autumn..

Yes, I know that some would say that it's still summer, but when you teach your children at home it's the time of year for planning and getting in gear for the new routines of the new school year. Of course, those with children in school have their own routines that change as well though it might mean a little less change than it does when you have to adjust to teaching new things each year. There's a certain excitement that goes along with that whole thing of new supplies and new routines and ideas. It's fun!

We had a good summer overall, I think. There was always something going on and we kept really busy with all the things mentioned in my last entry as well as a few others. We are now sporting a new fence though it still needs to be stained. We had to have installers come to put it up but we had the fun of tearing down the old one. It was the kind of job I enjoy because you can see visible progress as you go. It didn't take the kids and I long to knock the boards off because they were half rotted and falling apart. The kids had such fun swinging the hammer, too. The posts were a little more difficult to begin with. We dug down around them about a foot or two and then wiggled them till they became loose. It was a slow and tedious job. Our neighbour came by to lend a hand (we have a shared fence) and although he's a police officer, he couldn't get the post out. He must have loosened it though because our 16yo daughter came behind him, wiggled it a bit more and pulled it out! LOL We had a good laugh over that one. We were blessed with a little vision of God's providence when another neighbour came and offered his jackall for our use. We were done an hour or two later with not only our own yard, but our neighbour's as well.

We also had windows replaced and what a huge difference that has made already. I am sure that winter will see some differences in our heating bills. We also had the eaves troughs replaced and anytime now will have installers putting in new doors. We were going to paint but decided that it was more important to get the house to a state where cold air would be minimized in winter. So we wait some more for colour. ;) Today we stain the fence and by the time the doors are in our work will be done. Whoooo hoooo!!!!

The family party came and went. It was difficult to be there, in a way. We're just so different from them all. My mom and her (now) fiance and his family don't have the same lifestyle or ideas as we do and that makes good communication hard at times. The food was extremely good. We got to see an aunt and uncle of mine that we hadn't seen in a long while but there wasn't a lot of visiting. People who are drinking have the strangest sense of humour and don't seem to make a lot of sense to those who aren't. Anyway, we made an appearance but didn't stay till the end. I really wanted to be there when they announced their engagement even though we already knew for a few weeks. I'm happy that my mom has someone she cares about to spend the rest of her life with... not to mention someone who treats her well. David and Mom make a nice couple and they seem quite happy so that's what counts. And it's nice that she's been so accepted by his family when my brother and sister have more or less deserted her. Wow, that could be a long story so I'll just leave it here. LOL

The August wedding we went to was absolutely gorgeous. It was in a park and the bride and groom were obviously very much in love. Their wedding ceremony was absolutely beautiful and is one that will stand in my memory as the most beautiful for years to come, I'm sure. The weather was very nice though perhaps a little hot at 34C but the stiff breeze kept it from being unbearable. The day was enjoyable as it brought back a lot of memories of the newness of love before the cares of the world and life get into the mix. The happy couple now reside in Hamilton, ON.

With all this stuff going on, we didn't get to go camping as we were hoping for, but last week we were able to set up the tent in the back yard. There's a big difference between a 5ft rotten fence and a 6ft sturdy one with locking gates, I'll tell you! The kids and I slept well for a whole 4 days and were sad when the forecast forced us to take the tent down again. We're looking forward to setting it up once more before the year is out if possible. :)

I've been working on class readings and papers and while I'm looking forward to class again, I'm not looking forward to the whole idea of studying again. I'm glad this is my last class. There may be a practical experience but that hasn't been determined yet.

So, that's been our summer.

Dee..

priorities...

I guess I'm not a very good blogger. ;) The year 2006 will soon be half over and I haven't even posted once! Yikes. Maybe one day I'll actually get a hankering to say something really wild and introspective or something. Good thing I didn't send my link to anyone! What a disappointment I'd be! LOL

Our summer is going to be fun. School for the kids is nearly "done".. though we are never really DONE, done. We do a little maintenance through the summer. We will have a fence destruction party soon. In spite of what it sounds like, it's not really a party. Just the fun of ripping down a rotting fence. ;) And then a new one will be installed. I hope it will look as nice as I picture it in my mind's eye. It'll be 6' tall, lattice-topped cedar. Nice and private! I'll be making a lot of changes to the yard in the next year or two.. trying to make it seem BIGGER and nicer than it really is. LOL The other really exciting thing is that we're getting new windows in the 3 bedrooms, the kitchen and livingroom. I'm thrilled about this because they will actually OPEN in the front of the house! Right now there's no opening windows and in the prairie heat it can be most stifling.

There's a "family" celebration on July 8th that we're supposed to go to. It's actually for Mom's boyfriend, David. He turned 60 in April and because they have cows calving then they delayed the party till summer. It might be a little bit fun. They are roasting a whole pig for the evening meal. My sister and her family have already said they can't come and we haven't heard anything from my bother, I mean, BROTHER and his family. I doubt they will come either. Hopefully we can go as it would be a neat experience for the kids to enjoy, maybe. It will just be a day-trip though.. and those are hard for my poor sweetie.

A friend's son is getting married in August and although I don't think I'll be invited or anything, I might drive to Moose Jaw anyway. I don't know for sure though. I'm making a gift.. a couple crocheted doilies.. for them. It is small enough for them to pack when they head back down east afterward.

We're also hoping to do a little painting in fall. We'll see though. We might decide to replace the doors before winter instead. That way it will be nice and toasty warm in the house through the winter and we'll save a few bucks in heating costs. ;)

Anyway, those are the plans. We're not sure when some of these things are happening so it leaves everything up in the air but we're ok with that. We're hoping to just have an enjoyable summer at home anyway.

So, priorities... They change sometimes. They grab you as the mood strikes sometimes. They can be a lot of fun and even exciting even if they don't seem so to anyone else around you.

Dee..