There will be all sorts of new things this year as well. We finally took to staining some woodwork which was fun and new! I will post some pics later to show y'all!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Christmas is coming!!
Take a look here at some of the beautiful work that L is doing for the Craft Sale in Lacombe on November 28th next month!
There will be all sorts of new things this year as well. We finally took to staining some woodwork which was fun and new! I will post some pics later to show y'all!
There will be all sorts of new things this year as well. We finally took to staining some woodwork which was fun and new! I will post some pics later to show y'all!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I/we haven't blogged in a long long time it would seem. Or so I keep being reminded of by others and by the date I see when I open our site thinking maybe the other half of the "we" did an entry without mentioning it to me as a surprise. My cue for this entry is taken from our daughter-in-law's latest writings actually. Thanks for the inspiration K! Speaking of thanks - it's about Thanksgiving! What I am thankful for!
-I am thankful for our children who are honest about how they are doing and what they are thankful for. ( This sounds a lot like "thankful for thankfulness" doesn't it.)
-I am thankful for the opportunity for long conversations to stay in touch with our children. Sometimes these visits seem few and far between - but we fill in the gaps pretty quickly.
-I am thankful the Lord has brought daughters into our family. Women who understand life from the womanly vantage point.
-I am thankful for the life opportunities presented to our children to broaden their horizons, increase their abilities and bring them into a deeper relationship with God, even if sometimes they don't see this happening.
-I am thankful for the chance to fly away to somewhere warm. (Winter weather seems too early this year.) But more importantly, somewhere we can spend time with our own siblings, removed from daily routine and pressures to gain perspective and balance from one another through our visiting. Siblings are a God-gift!
-I am thankful we get to do just this again next year with more siblings. Thankful we are blessed with the resources to have these trips with loved ones who've been our family, some since the day we were born!
-I am thankful for God given abilities to have productive and fulfilling jobs that directly or indirectly touch the lives of people very personally. We desire houses to be homes!
-I am thankful for the thoughtfulness of my husband/boss in making sure I have time and a place to express my creativity and share the proceeds with children around the world.
-I am thankful God sees the bigger picture even though we don't. Thankful He is patient with us in our anxiety about the little we do see.
This is just my short list. The "thankful"s that come to mind quickly this morning! Even though the Thanksgiving weekend is over for us here in Canada, you can make your own thankful list and then let it grow all year long!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Light Out!
To you this may look like nothing more than a light burned out. Nice location you say, but what is the big deal anyway! The incredible thing to consider is how long it took to finally burn out. This light has burned STEADY for 2 years, 3 months, 4 days! This light fixture is our Security night light at the office. Only two of us (plus the electrician) know how/where to turn it off, so I can testify to how long it has given off light, since we haven't turned it out. Not bad for a florescent curly bulb. (Forget the technical term - it's a florescent, curly bulb!) Take it for what it's worth, to us it's purely amazing how long it has done it's job! Now it is layed to rest in the bulb recycle box and a new one has taken it's place. Incidently, the date is written on the new bulb so I don't have to scrounge around in old blogs to find exact time of "light life". Just an interesting tidbit to ponder!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Memories#2
It is my turn again for a post since it was hinted to on the last post eh?
This morning as it was raining and snowing west of town, our local radio station was playing a song with the words "California dreamin' on a cold winters day". They must have played it out of spite for our weather. We certainly do need the rain and the moisture.
California dreamin'! That got me thinking about our trip again and the fantastic weather we experienced while we were there. Sunny California makes lots of sense to me! I have many good memories of our time down south!
Memories like this photo of Lorraine and I by Thunder Mountain. She wanted to go on the ride again and again much to my surprise!
Then how about this one? This one is from Sea World in San Diego with Shamu showing off his abilities! The best part was he loved to make people wet!
I really enjoyed seeing the sunset as we enjoyed our "birthday supper" at Ruby's Diner on the end of the 2000' long pier in Oceanside. It seemed in no time flat the sun was gone "into the ocean". It went really fast!
As lame as it may sound and for those of you who know Disneyland, don't laugh when I say that my favorite ride is still "Small World" like it was before. They have updated it since we were there in 1997, but it still has the original "flavor" to it.
One other memory that stands out in my mind is the professionalism of Disneyland. The whole park "flows" so well. It all "fits". It is incredibly clean! As a kid of 50, I just loved it and very much look forward to going again. I don't think it will be a 12 year wait like last time.
This morning as it was raining and snowing west of town, our local radio station was playing a song with the words "California dreamin' on a cold winters day". They must have played it out of spite for our weather. We certainly do need the rain and the moisture.
California dreamin'! That got me thinking about our trip again and the fantastic weather we experienced while we were there. Sunny California makes lots of sense to me! I have many good memories of our time down south!
Memories like this photo of Lorraine and I by Thunder Mountain. She wanted to go on the ride again and again much to my surprise!
Then how about this one? This one is from Sea World in San Diego with Shamu showing off his abilities! The best part was he loved to make people wet!
I really enjoyed seeing the sunset as we enjoyed our "birthday supper" at Ruby's Diner on the end of the 2000' long pier in Oceanside. It seemed in no time flat the sun was gone "into the ocean". It went really fast!
As lame as it may sound and for those of you who know Disneyland, don't laugh when I say that my favorite ride is still "Small World" like it was before. They have updated it since we were there in 1997, but it still has the original "flavor" to it.
One other memory that stands out in my mind is the professionalism of Disneyland. The whole park "flows" so well. It all "fits". It is incredibly clean! As a kid of 50, I just loved it and very much look forward to going again. I don't think it will be a 12 year wait like last time.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Memories!
OUR VIEW!
THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK
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OUR MEETING PLACE.JPG)
AMAZING CREATURESI guess it is time for a new blog - for those of you who read our site. We are snowed under with work these days! And yes - snow is a bad word around these parts! A cool snowy day on the Monday of the long weekend was not funny at all. Made me ready to head south again until Alberta weather decided to smarten up.
Southern California seems like a blur now. And the busy-ness of our lives these days seems to push it further into those corners and recesses in our memories. But seeing a pic of our son on a white southern California beach building a sandcastle with the bosses' kids brings those memories up front once again!
The remainder of our trip south was more trips to Disneyland and California Adventure, San Diego SeaWorld, Crystal Cove State Park and Ruby's Diner in Oceanside.
Some of my random thoughts that jump to the forefront:
- Loving Thunder Mountain enough to WANT to do it again!
- Being brave enough to try California Screamin' and agreeing to try it again next trip south and, yes, you can hold me to that!
- Trying to find Hidden Mickey's on our last morning in Disneyland.
- Swinging bare feet in Soaring over California and being amazed at the incredible cinematography and sense of really flying!
- Breathing in the sweet scent of oranges (from Soaring) and closing my eyes and being there once again each time I light my Orange/Amber Candle!
- Disney Fireworks and Light show! There will never be a picture to do it justice! Ever! Just need to experience it again.
- Closing my eyes in the first "room" of the Haunted House first time there and not realizing what I had missed overhead!
- Taking a rest with Kev and Kels and getting in on a stage show without knowing it was coming!
- My first 3D movie and screaming like a little girl!
- Renewing a love of Muppets in the Muppet Movie Theatre.
- Watching the immense size of Shamu and friends and wondering how such creatures could be trained!
- Seeing a Beluga Whale for the first time!
- Not only picking up a starfish at Seaworld but being allowed to pick it up!
- Finding a little crab down at the beach and being startled to see it move inside the shell it called home!
- Watching a small group of Pelicans circling overhead in the State Park!
- Being amazed at how efficiently traffic moves in such a large city as Los Angeles!
There! The memories aren't quite so far away!
I told Peter not to read this so he can add his memories of the family trip south!
Southern California seems like a blur now. And the busy-ness of our lives these days seems to push it further into those corners and recesses in our memories. But seeing a pic of our son on a white southern California beach building a sandcastle with the bosses' kids brings those memories up front once again!
The remainder of our trip south was more trips to Disneyland and California Adventure, San Diego SeaWorld, Crystal Cove State Park and Ruby's Diner in Oceanside.
Some of my random thoughts that jump to the forefront:
- Loving Thunder Mountain enough to WANT to do it again!
- Being brave enough to try California Screamin' and agreeing to try it again next trip south and, yes, you can hold me to that!
- Trying to find Hidden Mickey's on our last morning in Disneyland.
- Swinging bare feet in Soaring over California and being amazed at the incredible cinematography and sense of really flying!
- Breathing in the sweet scent of oranges (from Soaring) and closing my eyes and being there once again each time I light my Orange/Amber Candle!
- Disney Fireworks and Light show! There will never be a picture to do it justice! Ever! Just need to experience it again.
- Closing my eyes in the first "room" of the Haunted House first time there and not realizing what I had missed overhead!
- Taking a rest with Kev and Kels and getting in on a stage show without knowing it was coming!
- My first 3D movie and screaming like a little girl!
- Renewing a love of Muppets in the Muppet Movie Theatre.
- Watching the immense size of Shamu and friends and wondering how such creatures could be trained!
- Seeing a Beluga Whale for the first time!
- Not only picking up a starfish at Seaworld but being allowed to pick it up!
- Finding a little crab down at the beach and being startled to see it move inside the shell it called home!
- Watching a small group of Pelicans circling overhead in the State Park!
- Being amazed at how efficiently traffic moves in such a large city as Los Angeles!
There! The memories aren't quite so far away!
I told Peter not to read this so he can add his memories of the family trip south!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
DISNEYLAND!!
Yesterday and today we went to Disneyland which is just twenty minutes north of where we are staying. Yesterday we went with Kev and Kels and today we all went. There is SO much to see and do, it is literally impossible to do it all in just one day, or even two for that matter. We went on a number of rides today that we even did twice since the line ups were quite short. The longest wait was about 10 minutes! There we literally lots of people in the park but obviously not in all the rides we experienced.
Just to try and name the, there was Indiana Jones, Thunder mountain railway, Pirates of the Caribbean, Matterhorn, Star Wars trek, Pooh's Adventure, It's a small world, Haunted House, Monorail, parkade escalators ;), etc (I cannot think of them all). We also were entertained in "Honey I Shrank the Audience", at the Golden Horseshoe with "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies", a number of street bands, and at the Tiki Tiki House. Everything is SO professionally done! It is truly a blessing to be here and to see it all. Here are are few pictures.
We are enjoying the condo at the Newport Cost Villas a lot. Here is a photo of the view of the Pacific Ocean from our villa balcony. We are being blessed with a peaceful and beautiful place to connect with family and to relax!
Just to try and name the, there was Indiana Jones, Thunder mountain railway, Pirates of the Caribbean, Matterhorn, Star Wars trek, Pooh's Adventure, It's a small world, Haunted House, Monorail, parkade escalators ;), etc (I cannot think of them all). We also were entertained in "Honey I Shrank the Audience", at the Golden Horseshoe with "Billy Hill and the Hillbillies", a number of street bands, and at the Tiki Tiki House. Everything is SO professionally done! It is truly a blessing to be here and to see it all. Here are are few pictures.
We are enjoying the condo at the Newport Cost Villas a lot. Here is a photo of the view of the Pacific Ocean from our villa balcony. We are being blessed with a peaceful and beautiful place to connect with family and to relax!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
We're finally here!
This has taken us more than a few years to finally get ourselves back to California and visiting the land of sun and sea and Mickey Mouse! Tonight while Kev, Kels and Brent are down at the pool of our luxurious condo complex and the rest of us are - well - resting - I will make the first installment of our Over the Fence and south of the border one week visit to Newport Beach, CA.
We left LA (Lacombe Alberta) bright and early this morning before 7:00 a.m. Negotiationing our way around the Calgary Airport wasn't too difficult at all. The best (worst?) was yet to come! LA (Los Angeles) and negotiating our way from LAX to Newport Beach was going to be what I would have considered the worst task of the day! BUT with the help of Kels' GPS we (Peter and Kev) got us here with no problems at all! "Keep Left- Keep Left - Keep Left" for almost 50 miles (no km in honor of our being south of the 49th). The toughest negotiation of the day was getting 5 pieces of luggage plus our "carry on" into the trunk and back seat of the rental car!
We were here early but our suite was one of the few ready occupation! A quick call to Eric and Becky and a short time later we were all together. Eric, Becky, Brent and Kirstin had already been driving around and had found some beach time already. Their faces already showed some evidence of finding warm sunshine! They all were sporting a healthy glow to their skin - while the rest of us were still pale and looking very much like Canadians from the far north!
The condo complex here is absolutely beautiful! Maybe we're tired of white ground and now brown ground and bare trees and are longing once again for the green of life! Either way it is lush and green and every manner of plant is growing on the grounds here somewhere! There are fountains and flowerbeds and foliage and fish. Not just ordinary goldfish mind you. Large goldfish! The bigger the pond the bigger the fish! Flowers everywhere you go! Wonderful smelling flowers! And Palm Trees, Flowering trees and trees like I have never seen before! I wonder if it would take more than a week to just soak in the wonder of seeing so many shades of green and such a bright kalidescope of floral colors!
After hauling in all our luggage we went off to find some food. A quick break first at Lagauna Beach with a Starbucks in hand made us feel even more pasty white from long hours with low sunlight and the many snowstorms this past winter. There are so many sundrenched people here. And what do all those "Hollywood Wannabes" drive? Every possible assortment of foreign high end high powered sports vehicle imagined! A visual feast for the men in our crowd!
A number of vistas of the ocean on our drive in quest of grocery stores only wet our appetites for a walk along the pounding surf. Sounds like Becky already is planning on collecting and bagging treasures washed up to the beaches. Sounds like there are Tidal Pools also to be visited in the Coral Beach State Park a short 15 minute walk from our condo!
Kev and Kels made us a wonderful Taco Salad Supper. We are in a Mexican Food Paradise so Taco Salad isn't jut Taco Salad! There are lots of goodies to be added that are readily available in the grocery stores here. After supper all had a dusky stroll on pathways circling the villas. Even though the sun was well on its way to resting til morning, the aromas coming from the communal bar-b-ques and evening perfume from the flowers made for a very pleasant and invigerating walk before heading back.
That brings me to this point - writing a quick blog and letting the other member of this Over the Fence Adventure Blog add in some photos. Sweet dreams tonight for all we are praying and we'll look forward to what tomorrow's adventure will bring.
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