When You Eat Dessert First

When late afternoon cupcakes, still on the cooling rack, are enjoyed with hungry delight . . . 

there is no point in thinking about supper any time soon.

So, when Papa came home from work, we took off on a walk, while dinner was warming in the oven.

The slight sprinkling of rain and sunshine had the kids wondering if we'd see a rainbow . . .

and, sure enough, its beautiful arch had us all in awe.

 Tehya, who just started a blog was busy taking photos.

We smiled for the photographer.

I took my turns as well.

Makenna, was happy that we'd taken, not just our umbrellas, but also the umbrella stroller.

While Paeton flew back and forth on his own wheels. 

The sun was setting as we left the park and we continued the slow uphill, back home . . . 

but not without being challenged to a race and getting a snowball in my face. 

I think I'll have another cupcake now.

Snow Day

On Monday morning, while dawn was barely breaking, 

my H left for his usual morning run, but soon returned when he found out how icy it was. 

We live on a hill, where no matter which way you go, there will be a downhill and an uphill. 

I heard a slight something by his night table, but went back to sleep 

trying to get the extra winks before 7:30 rolled around.

Turned out, I never woke up to any alarm. 

He had turned it off, 

called my walking friend's home,

talked to her husband

who turned off her alarm . . . 

and we both slept through our walking time.

She called me later, laughing at how sweetly our hubbies take care of us.

I opened the door only to answer it . . . once to  a neighbor and once to Kristal.

Oh, and to take a photo of this tree in front of the door. . .

with fluffs strewn about like cotton.

On my kitchen table I have a new bouquet of flowers given 

to those of us who helped cook dinner for the pastors on Sunday.

White tulips and pussy willows against the snowy background

add a nice touch to a snow day.

With Glowing Hearts

Who of us did not grow up being told, in one way or another, that when we go out we are representing our family. How we behave outside of our home is a reflection of it and the values we have been taught. Some fathers have been known to say, "remember who you are" or" remember you are a (family name)" instilling the value of bringing honor to your family.
As we have observed our away from home teams, our Olympians, these past two weeks, we have felt that same kind of familiar tie as they represent us, our country! When others see a Canadian, they see us. Many times this goes beyond the performance of the athlete and translates to character.

We've seen glimpses and heard stories . . .

One interview that found a soft spot in me was when skier Alex Bilodeau won gold in moguls and recognized his brother Frederic as the one who had inspired him all along, noting  that if his brother had been physically able to ski, he would have outdone him.

Then there was the ski coach, Justin Wadsworth, who came to the assistance of Russian cross-country skier Anton Gafarov after he fell and broke his ski during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals, allowing him to finish the race with a new ski.

And what about the gift our speed skater Gilmore Junio gave to his teammate, Denny Morrison, when he gave him his spot in the race? An unselfish act of more than just kindness, when you consider how hard he himself worked to get where he was.

Our hard working athletes crossed the ocean to do their best as the world watched and they have done us proud . . . not just in medal count, but also in integrity and honor . . . giving their home a good name.

A good name is more desirable than great riches; 

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

 Proverbs 22:1

Winter Season of Life and Love in Palm Springs

This past week we had the pleasure of escorting my mom and step dad 

on a vacation to Palm Springs.

We landed around the time President Obama made his appearance at the same airport

 for President's Day and saw the procession of police cars whisking him away.

With mom nearing 80 and Abe a bit more, we had figured out that, 

as good as a vacation sounded, it was daunting, when thinking of air travel, 

renting a car, getting around a large city they have never visited etc.

So we flew down with them, showed them around,
got them settled into a routine and left.

The pool was a favorite place to visit and I had to laugh at how we were the young ones

when I know that next time we go with our kids we will be the old ones.

Mom takes swimming serious. 

She learned to swim close to the time she became a grandma and loves it.

It was cute to see how they take care of each other. 

I noted that the main reason they hold hands when they walk is for support. 

She has a tendency not to look where she is going and he has a bad knee. 

Maybe it is a good reason to keep holding hands.

My H enjoyed calling her Erika von Trapp. 

Even though I would not be caught dead in a swim cap and goggles, there is something I really like about this photo. My mom's beauty and no pretense kind of character cannot be hidden. Her innocent comments have inspired many a laugh within the family but, at the same time, I noticed on this trip that others are drawn to her as well. She hands out tracts. She talks to strangers and while I am already down to aisle or headed to the door, thinking we are done, she is still finding something to ask or something say to someone.  She has an interest, care and concern for others that is hard to resist.

Abe, whom my H fondly likes to call, father Abraham, is our in house celebrity that people smile at for other reasons. He and his beloved first wife were good friends of the family and shared the property with my parents on Hatzic Island. When Julene was still very little, she saw a magazine with Billy Graham pictured on the front cover and said, "That man lives at Hatzic."

We enjoyed listening to his stories which he is able to recite one after the other. I smile at his little laugh just before he is going to give us the punch line. One of my favorite stories one morning had to do with a Christmas tree. He told us of how they had just moved into a new house where they had planted a nice evergreen in the front yard when, one day just before Christmas, it was sawed off by an anonymous neighbor or passerby. All that was left was a stump which, in later years, grew them two trees.

We cooked breakfast and lunch together and enjoyed a few nice dinners out. 

It was not so bad having to wait outside at the Olive Garden on a warm evening. 

An interesting dimension came came into view

as we had time to take a drive or just sit and talk.

When we planned this trip, we thought that we were doing our parents a favor, 

but the truth that came clear to me was that the favor belonged to us.  

I'm thankful we did not wait for this kind of visit until it meant
sitting at a lonely hospital bedside.

This small get-a-away will for always be a precious memory.

Coffee Table Brightener

I found this beautiful cookbook on a reduced table and brought it home because I thought it may inspire some new recipes. It has remained on the coffee table and has, so far simply been a decorative item that blends nicely with the cushions on my couch - adding some brightness to a room with large sliding doors to the winter scene outside. One of these days I may even try some of those delicious looking desserts . . . but for now the cover photo alone makes me happy.

Easy Layering

 

Looking through Canadian Living I came upon this easy way to layer and thought it would be fun to do a copy cat version, using what I have . . . clothes you've seen . . . just a quick in and out of the cold. We had some good laughs between the two of us . . . it's harder to copy a model than you think. . . and sometimes I wished he'd tell me what I really looked like, but he just grinned and clicked. So go ahead . . . and do likewise . . .

 

 

Layering is a practical way to go.

The day after this hurried photo session he asked me if I wanted to go for a walk.
I was wearing a sweater dress and tights and didn't want to change
so I simply put a pair of skinny pants over my tights
and a down coat over my sweater and sweater dress.
He looked at me and said,
"That's what you call layering."
When the pond is frozen over you do what you have to do.
We did not meet too many others on the path
but we did see some sizeable rocks scattered on the ice,
settling the curiosity of some who had been there before us.