Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

50 And Counting

No that's not my age...its my 50th blog post anniversary!!! Wahoo! When I first started this whole thing I wondered if it would be something I did once in awhile and forgot about. But, I love it! So I'm in for another 50, I hope you'll come along.
The election went well, my guy won, but overall the Liberals won the Majority which means another 4 years of gobbley goop. But interesting turn of events, the Opposition Leader, lost his seat. If his caucus won't support him as leader, they will have to have a convention and guess who's name the pundits are throwing around? My guy...Tim Hudak! That would be so great. I think he was born to lead Ontario. And really, how cool would it be to live in the riding the Premier is from. So so cool. Anyway, the Referendum was good too...we keep our current system of governing instead of changing to the non-effective MMP system, which would allow ANY group with an agenda to hold seats in government, which effectively stops government from working. Italy uses this system and anyone who follows politics knows that they are forever held up in making decisions because some party is always in opposition. Its too hard to actually govern. So, the old fashioned, First Past the Post stays. I for one am quite pleased. So, its a good day all over my house. We're packing to go away for a few days and I'll have some great fall "away" shots to bring home and post. I still have the party shots too but my batteries died this week and it was a few days before I got more, so I have yet to download. Anyway, thanks for sharing in my 50th Blog. That's all I have for now. Ciao.

Name Game Fun

I've seen this floating around in blog land and it looks like fun...so here goes.

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet and current car): Bobby Aerostar
YOUR GANGSTA NAME (fave ice cream flavour + fave cookie/biscuit): Chocolate Chocolate Chip
YOUR FLY NAME (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name): S.Pel
YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (fave colour + fave animal): Blue Dog
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name + city where you were born): Lynn Hamilton
YOUR STAR WARS NAME (the first three letters of your last name + first two letters of your first): Pelsa
SUPERHERO NAME (The + second favourite colour + favourite drink): The Yellow Cosmo
NASCAR NAME (the first names of your grandfathers): Steve Aurther
WITNESS PROTECTION NAME (mum and dad's middle names): Anne Aurther
TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (your fifth grade teacher's name + a major city that starts with the same letter): Walsh Waterloo
SPY NAME/BOND GIRL (your fave holiday/season + flower): Summer Daisy
CARTOON NAME (fave fruit + item of clothing wearing at the moment + ie or y): Honey Dew Jeansie
HIPPY NAME (what you ate for breakfast + your fave tree): Oatmeal Sugar Maple
YOUR ROCK STAR TOUR NAME (The + your fave hobby/craft + fave weather + Tour): The Scrapbooking/Blogger Sunny Day Tour

What's your name?

Get Voting or not

Today we have Provincial elections and its a beautiful day to vote! I love politics. Crazy, I know, but I just love the process. I love the language and the organization and the ideas. I love the accountability and the idea that I myself am the government and I get a say in the ideas that happen. And, if I actually vote and don't like the results, I feel that I have the right to say something to my MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament for those not in Ontario). So for me, its a fun day. I actually get emotional when I vote because I think of how many before me fought for the right for me to freely do it. Its a huge honor. People lay down their lives for my rights. That continually blows my mind. I don't know how they do it. Do they really know what they're doing? Do they ever really know how blessed we are because of their sacrifice? And the families who sacrifice everything to let them go. Its really incredible. So, if for nothing else, I honor those people who fought for my right to vote. Its hard to think about, but they also fought for my right to choose not to vote. So for those exercising that right today, well, even though I disagree, just think of the soldiers and women who fought for that too. Freedom, its a huge responsibility.

Tag Your It

I have been blessed with a lovely award today. What a huge honor and I have my blogger buddy Aduladi to thank. So, publicly, thankyou. Its a huge honor to say the least and I'm really speechless about it. (those who know me know I'm never speechless, I probably most likely tend to ramble than be speechless...) ah ehm.....
anyway, I am honored and will dilegently set out to honor others as per the requirement. If I could, I'd award Aduladi, but she already has it. So...here goes.

Indescribable

I'm having a particularly great day...warm weather in October, a great weekend feast of friendship, family and food...and, it was a decent school day after a huge long weekend. What better than to stay in a thankful mood and offer this song to God and to bless my friends. I hope your day is great too, and if its a struggle, find one thing to cling to...a beautiful leaf, a baby's smile, or just a simple breath, I pray you are all well. He loves you that much.

Happy Turkey Day

For all you Canadians out there, Happy Thanksgiving! We've been giving thanks all weekend long. First with our Homeschool Group Enoch on Friday night...we had such great food and really lovely fellowship, complete with a rockin' Dutch Blitz Tourny. Saturday brought extreme rain while we enjoyed a day at Marineland with friends, talk about soggy. And Sunday was all about coming together as family. After church we enjoyed dinner with my in-love side of the family...my mother in love, sister and brother in loves and all my nieces and nephews. Festive food, fantastic family and phenomenal fellowship. And now, today, we're off for more Turkey and my side of the family. My brother is in town and my aunt (dad's sister)is joining us, and my mom is working away cooking for us! This is the first year in a long time that I haven't cooked on the long weekend and its been so great. I'm rested and full and content. Not just full on food, but on family. Its been such a great feast of fellowship this weekend.
Anyway, wherever you are in your turkey journey, I pray God's blessing on you and a peace that surpasses all understanding.
photo credit: gallery.spacebar.org/.../fall-leaves-1.jpg

My Talented Son Part 2

Here's part two for those of you hanging on my the edge of your seats....

Too funny

Okay, I promise I'll post pics from the big birthday party on Sunday, but you have to have a listen to this and then pop over to Aduladi's Blog to hear a hysterical dad version to Pachabels Canon in D...so funny. Man, these people are talented!
Anyway, enjoy, even if your kids are grown, or if you don't have any, its really funny to listen to.

Do you have an Ebeneezer Stone?

I've found this neat article and lately I've been looking at all the Ebeneezer's in my life and love the way God places each and every one in each and every situation. Most are joyful, some are mournful, but they are all filled with Gods love. So here's to all my Ebenezer's...thankyou each and everyone, for filling me with God's love and His Holy Presence through you!
“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV)

What is an Ebenezer Stone?

“It is usually transliterated as a proper name by dropping the definite
article (Ha) from the Hebrew word for “place” (Ezer) and putting it together with the Hebrew word for “stone” (Even) to create: “Ebenezer.” The etymological roots of the word, thus defined, should demonstrate that an “Ebenezer” is, literally, a “Stone of Help.”
Literally speaking, an Ebenezer is a “stone of help,” or a reminder of God’s Real, Holy Presence and Divine aid. Spiritually and theologically speaking, an Ebenezer can be nearly anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help: the Bible, the Sacramental Elements, a cross, a picture, a fellow believer, a hymn – those things which serve as reminders of God’s love, God’s Real Presence, and God’s assistance are “Ebenezers.”
Dr. Gregory S. Neal
I encourage you to find a stone, an ugly, bumpy, warts and all kind of stone, to place in your garden, or on a table, but somewhere you can see, to be reminded of all your Ebenezers.

My talented son

My oldest made this cool stop motion movie and I just had to brag on him a little!

Its just a great day

My Blogger Buddy Aduladi got me on a Newsboys kick...its such a great day! Have a wonderful sunny fall moment...
God is Good! He Reigns!

Away

Isn't away such a great place? But home is even better...I love going but I love coming back even better. So where was I you ask? I was at a women's retreat this weekend par excellance! So so spirit filling. I'll give you the details of it shortly because its alot to write and I'm in a hurry, but couldn't resist posting this picture my oldest son took while he was also 'away' this weekend. It was just the icing on the cake for me.

Sad days ahead

We've had some sad news...our cat is dying. He's a wonderful 13 year old tabby that we adopted from a barn. What a love our sweet Murmel has been in our lives...He has the cutest purr, sometimes its so loud you have to raise your voice if he's nearby your conversation. Not much of a cuddler, he loves his space, but when he plays hockey, well, he loves an audience. We'll miss him so much. We don't know how much time he has but he'll be loved into a coma if I say too much to the kids...so, they know what's going on but not too much. I just don't want them to find him dead one day and not even have a clue it could happen. So, we just wait, which I think is almost the hardest part. Oh sadness creeps in...

Week two completely through

Well, we've made a bit of a dent into our schedule and find out along the way what looks good on paper isn't always what works. And so we tweak and bend and squish and squash and it comes into place. Happy days coming too...we have some nice things planned. Friday is a Field Trip to the Locks at the Welland Canal Museum, then we have a Thanksgiving Party to plan for the 5Th, and a Public Speaking Festival to pull together. Lots of neat activities to get the year off to a good start. Things are good on the High school front, the oldest having a J.O.B. now after school a few days a week...its good. Things are really, really good. I do love my little family and covet the time we share together.
Today was tomato day at my mother-in-loves house. We boiled 5 bushels of tomatoes for canning and it smelled gorgeous out in the shed all day. I was freezing and my hands were cramping while cutting down the tomatoes. But it was just so lovely to be making sauce with my family. Then it was off to help my sister-in-loves house to help her with a little critter situation. God Bless. And finally off to my mummy's for dinner to celebrate my son and brothers birthdays with my Aunt. And so we rolled home with full belly's and happy memories. What a great day.

Week One

So week one is almost done! What a great way to start school. We have a tradition in our homeschool that we go out for breakfast on the first day of school to celebrate the time we have to spend with each other and not have to rush out the door. My oldest son went to high school last year, so sadly, he misses out on our traditional breaky! But, we let him by lunch at school on the first day so he still gets a treat...not that caff food is a treat, but he's happy. So this week we started a new math program with Saxon Math called DIVE CD's which are basically the whole lesson taught on video by a professional math dude. Talk about taking the pressure off me! I'm not a math girl and I don't have the language to explain it well, so this CD is already blessing my daughter. She does math twice a day right now because she wants to be done one book by Christmas and a second by June. This way she's in great shape if she goes to highschool and if she stays home, the pressure is off a little. My littlest man is having summer free time withdrawal. He is a stander at the school table and will not sit for very long. There is always something to discover. Its like if he presses his bum into a chair, his brain shuts off. Which is cool, because I know that boys learn differently than girls. My oldest son did the same thing. And now he sits through 70 min classes everyday just fine. I think boys bums have springs in them the propel them into movement if they rest too long. So all in all it's been a great week and now we look forward to a fun weekend of camping with our whole homeschool group. We'll be playing bocce and soccer baseball, fishing and hiking! So pray for good weather for us, so far its really hot and looking like rain, but really, there's nothing like sleeping in a tent with a gentle rain falling around it. So, I'll post some shots next week of the great event! Until then, happy weekend!

Woo Hoo Woo Hoo Hoo Woo Hoo Woo Hoo Hoo

Today was the big court day and may I have a resounding AMEN! It is finished. My brother won and its over. I'm telling you the poor guy was dressed just adorable in his WOOL jacket (you have to know we are in a heat wave, well not official but its really hot 37 degrees on my deck in the sun) his 1980's skinny leather tie that he's had since high school,nice pants and you got it...running shoes. Now, you have to know that my brother is Autistic and going to court was a huge challenge to begin with. But dressing for court is a challenge on its own. He's a very large man and nice looking clothes that he can afford are hard to come by. So the fact that he chose all by himself to wear a jacket and tie tells me that on some level, he gets it! The court support workers were amazing and so helpful. And of course storming the gates of heaven with my prayer warriors was a wonderful blessing. Knowing we were covered before we got started was fantastic. So, bottom line, the issue was dropped and he is free to roam his city in peace without worry that he could unknowingly break the peace bond and go to jail. That would be horrible. So all in all, a very good day! But man, its hot!

Sept 4, 2007

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

My Garden

I love my garden as it shapes and becomes what it will be one day. Its not there yet, but its coming. Here's some pictures to share.

I'm a survivor

I say that tongue in cheek...I did make it and it was a largely busy week but I was busy in a good way. Once I got over myself, I was able to tap into some really interesting qualities about myself that need further exploration. They are as follows...who is that man I married? Will I know him when my kids are grown and gone? Who is that woman in the mirror staring back at me? Will I know her ever again? Am I wrapping myself too deeply in my kids? Do I have the ability to let them go when the time comes? Can I actually put myself out of a job? And will I retire at the right time or drag it on way too long? I pray not. I learned that I have alot of letting go to do and this week was about me in a way I didn't expect. Because I really thought it was about Simon. Praise God that he can teach and show and grow us even when we aren't looking for it. As for Simon? Well, he was just fine and had the time of his life. Truly. For real. He loved it more than I can even imagine. God is so much more capable of showing me how to parent my kids than I let him be. So, this year, our school theme will be one of holiness. Growing in holiness, coming further in trusting God's plan for us and moving further into his will. And that involves trust. Hmmm, I feel a new talk coming on...