Of Fall Beauty and Flooding

I was so happy to see I didn't totally miss out on the autumn beauty

and the chance to walk in crunchy leaves.

Natalie, Landon, Koen and Evy stayed over for a few days.

Between baking large cinnamon buns and playing board games,

 we managed to fit in a wiener roast

before the rains came again.

Tehya also came for dinner one night and 

immediately ran barefoot out on the street

when she saw the rainbow.

These past few days it's been raining so much -

this is the scene we woke up to this morning.

We are on a hill, overlooking the Sumas Prairie -

which looks like a lake right now.

It would be beautiful if it weren't so devastating.

Currently all four highways coming to Vancouver are closed -

cutting us off from the rest of our country.

Right at our doorstep, the highway and all side roads 

are closed to the next town.

Many farmers have to evacuate and

hope their livestock gets rescued.

Other farmers have no way of getting their milk shipped

and no way of getting feed for their animals.

As we listen to the sound of helicopters overhead,

we wait and watch 

as this once in a lifetime experience unfolds before our eyes.

And I've been thinking of that rainbow.

The promise. 

 

The Drive By Birthday Party

 It was possibly the shortest Birthday party ever,

but the laughter and tears this surprise drive by parade brought

will be remembered long after we all recuperate from our isolation.

 

 

When friends and family take a given moment

to celebrate a special day and a special girl,

it's the thought that we're all in this together that counts.

I have never seen a happier street full of people and cars! 

Love finds a way!

♥️♥️♥️

A time to Refrain from Embracing

I read the note Kristal left in the vehicle for our Indonesia family ...

it included instructions about what mandatory isolation would mean for them ...

and for all of us.

Her note ended with, "this is crazy I'm writing this. 

I would never have imagined we would be welcoming you home ...

to greet you with a letter and telling you to stay away from everyone!!"

 In the meantime, we have all lived isolated from each other and

last weekend, when I could not stand it any longer  (to not have everyone see each other)

our kids set us up for a zoom meeting.

 It was so good to see everyone on one page,

even if not in the same room.

 This family has been not only isolated,

but uprooted and surprised by how life has changed here. 

We live with so much unknown 

yet we can know that God has a reason for allowing this.

During this time to not embrace,

I find myself embracing with my eyes,

loving the smiles that mean more than ever.

It's a time to realize that nothing can 

stop us from showing love

and that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

I'll end with this winning smile ...

my mom, still finding a reason to do just so. 

In Times Like These

I am really not sure how this week flew by so quickly,

especially with so much that changed from day to day.

On Monday afternoon we got a message from our Indonesia family

that the Canadian Embassy was strongly encouraging Canadians to go home.

Within a matter of hours, tickets were booked for the next day.

Although I cannot imagine packing up in such a short time, 

I know that packing was not the hardest thing they faced.

Having to say goodbye to friends, neighbors and a place called home,

not knowing when they will see each other again,

was realistically harder. 

 Meanwhile, we followed them on flight apps ...

the first leg from Papua to Jakarta.

and then from Jakarta to Tokyo. 

When they booked, they did not know that they would be one of the last flights out of the country.

 From Tokyo to Seattle and then home to Vancouver today (Thursday). 

The hardest thing was that there was no point in all of us meeting them at the aiport.

Kristal and Shaun drove out with two vehicles, leaving one for them. 

They watched them being greeted by Global News, instead of family. 

Such are the times. 

A couple of hours later we met them on the lakehouse driveway,

welcoming them with a place prepared, to hide away. 

It was so good to see their smiling faces. 

Oh how we love them all and thank God for being their Keeper. 

 Among other changes this past week ...

it was a joy to see how our families did church.

One family going the whole route of playing greeters, 

having a coffee and coloring table,

and worship band. 

 The other family snuggled on their couch in their pjs. 

Even though we can't physically be together, 

there is a feeling of being united in spirit. 

Mom's care home is closed to visitors but we can set up an appointment via facetime.

The health care workers in this home and all over are going the extra mile

and we appreciate them very much. 

Praying for them.

As I do for you now, who visit here,

that you may have peace in the midst of uncertainties,

asking the Lord to help you and finding Him near. 

♡♡♡

COVID 19

We all watched the numbers of affected people rise,

never thinking it could eventually impact our perfect day to day life. 

Who could have imagined

family trips cancelled, for many just hours before leaving,

indefinite closures of schools, libraries and public spaces,

graduations and weddings on hold,

restaurants with chairs on tables,

churches going digital,

bare grocery shelves,

people working from home,

no more traffic on the streets.

And yet ...

not even a smidge of a taste of every day life for many.

Those who have no place to call home. 

those who could never even dream of a trip,

who have no access to schooling, let alone a library.

Those whose government regulates what kind of church can be had.

Those who do not know where their next meal will come from.

As it's easy to fear what the future holds,

imagining this virus spreading in secret places,

let us remember our many blessings

and how we can spread kindness ...

kindness in small actions that can grow into sheltering trees.

During this time of unknowns, I've been blessed by 

extra smiles and encouraging words,

kind fellow shoppers, 

thoughtful business owners,

an eagerness to make things work,

a church that reaches into our living rooms,

a feeling that we're all in this together ...

and mostly knowing that Jesus is too,

and when He speaks,

the winds and waves obey. 

There is no need to fear.

The Nitty Gritty of this Disease

So, one more ... just an honest update if you will ... and then I'll leave this be.

I was thinking about how she hardly ever calls any more ... and then she called three days in a row about the same thing. The third time she said, "I have a stupid question." I was ready ... as she proceeded with
     "We're having soup and Rollkuchen and Abe won't let me feed the kids."
     "Well, Mom, you can't. They are not there."
     "That's what Abe says and he's mad at me."
      "He's not mad. He just does not know what to say because it won't work. Have you tried?
      "I have, they won't take it."
      "Well, they can't because they are just pictures.
      "No one's ever told me this before!!"
      "Well, how can I explain it to you? They are not there in person, You can't tickle them or hug          them. Don't worry, they are eating at home.
      "How do they eat at home, then?"
      (getting exasperated) "They live at home and that's where they eat."
      " But they are here ... "

I was hoping this would stop when I removed the pictures, but soon after that she called and referred to Julene and her family being at her place. I realized there had been a picture on the counter that I did not put away, so I told her to turn the picture down. She could not grasp why. "Then you won't see them." I said. "But they are here!" she insisted. I reminded her that they are in Indonesia and that we have not seen them since last summer. She was incredulous. While I could not believe I was having this conversation, she could not imagine that I have not seen them for that long.  She finally just said, "Well, they have been here." I asked her where they are and if they were sitting on the ledge. She said, "They come in the door and sit down and smile at me." I asked her if Julene had given her a hug. "No ... she has not." "Well, if she were really there, Mom. That's what she would do. And she would talk to you. She would not just smile."

As it stands now, quite a number of photos are back on the fridge. I asked her who had put the pictures back. She said she did not know; with a quick assurance that it was not her. It turns out, no one has put them back. So we know she has. Just the same way she has put what we trash back in the fridge or returned the dirty towels to re-use after I've thrown them in the hamper. I don't want to make her look bad. It's not who she really is and why it baffles my mind.

We rarely part with her really accepting what I tell her. She only concedes that she has never heard of "such things". She putters around constantly and moves things and forgets to put them back. Moms of two-year olds would understand. But I'm not her mom. I've never seen her like this and it's hard to not get frustrated, especially when I see her being stubborn. She has never been stubborn. She has never insisted on her own way. How can I make her feel like I'm okay with it? Sometimes she might just think I'm mad at her too. I tell her I'm not. I'm just sad she has to go through this.

T is for Tease and Teddy

We have a laundry chute that goes from my bedroom closet to the cupboard over the washer below and all of the kids love it when there are towels and such that they can throw down. But, there is one in particular who likes to leave her own insignia at random times for me to find after she is gone. I don't  think she has even put together that the big stuffy she chooses to throw down in secret is already a dead give-away as to who did it. Although the cubpoard is empty here, usually the Teddy lands on a pile of laundry - ready to escape when I open the cupboard doors, long after the kids have gone.
I can just imagine that this will be something she will still do when she is 16 - just to remind me that she was here!

Snow Day

It began to snow on Friday, February 3rd

and kept coming down most of the weekend.

The last time I remember getting so much snow is in 2008, 

when I had just began to blog, and it was great to have a place to check back to!

By Sunday evening, I knew there were going to be school closures 

so I began to formulate a plan to make the most of the inevitable.

I invited just the school kids . . . a little tricky when there are two-year-olds 

who may get wind of what they are missing out on . . . but somehow it worked.

It did not take long to figure out that the piled up 

snow heaps from shoveling, were the best for making caves.

or tunnels.

While I flipped a tripple recipe of crepes, they laughed at Mr. Bean.

And after lunch, we headed out to the hill on the school playground.

Natalie and Lacey made one dash to the slope . . .

I heard them screaming all the way down.

Landon made the most of it as well

 while I was laughing at Teddy and Koen

trying to make their way to the teeter-totters

nearly burried in the snow.

It took some coaxing to get everyone marching back

when Kristal came by with the car, looking for her kids.

That is when she decided to take this photo.

I hope we were able to make it a day to remember!

Good Bye Downton Abbey

So what did you do last night? Maybe I'm not the only one going through some sort of withdrawal symptoms from Sunday nights' entertainment by the Crawley family and servants, so I thought I'd have a little farewell blog party right here. Reminiscing on what it may be that has ten million viewers fascinated with a show that takes us back one hundred years, I come up with several of my own reasons.

First of all, what intrigues me most is that, although life is very different for both aristocrats and servants from what any of us know today,  deep down they deal with the same relationship issues and feelings we do today. And I'm attracted to the way they deal with these and each other using manners and respect. It's Granny's poise and honest one liners that had me laughing in disbelief, and yet, you knew that when it came down to it, she just cared enough to speak the truth. I think back to the time when she found out about Edith's out-of-wedlock pregnancy and how she supported her with love and grace. I laughed when she said, "It's a grandmother's job to interfere." With so much of life behind her, she was wise and, in her estimation, never wrong. When accused of hating the feeling of being wrong, she simply stated, "I wouldn't know. I'm not familiar with the sensation." And spoken the way she said it, even that sounded almost friendly. I also loved Anna, the way she served lady Mary, but mostly for her undying love and support for her husband through much hardship. And then Lady Edith, who struggled through so much insecurity and yet came out shining as gold, choosing to be honest, rather than possibly claiming her position and happiness in a deceitful manner.

Another aspect that had me hooked was the aura of splendor in how they dressed and dined as a family. Coming from the era where seafarer jeans, mini skirts and hippie dresses were the style when I was a young lady, I have loved the array of beautiful dresses that I would wish to just try on and wear for an evening. There is a certain feminine aspect that has gone in other directions since that time, but whenever there was some lace to be had, I've been in. . . . even when dresses sported big shoulder pads.

And one more personal draw in watching this family live out life, quite comfortably without our modern day conveniences, made me think about my own grandmother who was born into a wealthy family in 1907. Her family operated a family business that invented and sold farm equipment. They owned several factories and employed hundreds of workers in Russia.  How often, as I watched, I wondered how this show would compare to what she experienced in her early childhood home with servants quarters, a shiny black mahogany piano to play and beautiful cars with leather seats, to say nothing of all that I never thought to ask her about.

Although Downton Abbey is a fictional story, the characters have come to take a place in our hearts as we saw them with all of their flaws and idiosyncrasies become transparent and help us understand and love them for who they are. Something we can apply to all whom we interact with in daily life.

Kitchen Hockey

It doesn't take too much for the imagination

for two boys to set up a hockey game

in the middle of the kitchen

while I'm cooking dinner.

The high chair quickly became the coveted net . . .

with the only problem being 

that my stove became the catch all,

and supper making got put on hold to find the right stick

to retrieve those doughnuts from the back of the stove.

Koen lay on his belly beside me as I poked underneath

and said, "It looks old under there."

To which I replied, "It's dirty."

And he said, "That's what I meant."