Friday, August 27, 2010

Summer ending..........

Good Morning Company Girls!


My goodness...the end of summer is coming quickly! I know it really doesn't end until the latter half of September but I always count the first day of school, which around here is September 7th, as the start of fall.

In the last couple of weeks I've once again had to endure major problems with my computer...son-in-law finally had to put everything on an external hard drive and wipe my machine clean and reinstall everything back...well,...almost everything.....it was getting very late in the evening when this was happening and hubby said he would install the rest...including all my pics...but that hasn't happened yet...so, no pics with this post!

My beloved Montana van which has taken me through thick and thin for the last seven years has been dragging lately.....little indicators that a retirement home was calling it's name, I'm afraid! The transmission has been jerking...not a good thing and a very expensive fix....the exhaust system died...I fit in with the teenagers vehicles for a few days....it was also going to be over $800 to fix, then my brakes needed some work...another few hundred, then all my fluids were dirty and needed changing and flushing..or was it the other way around....another few hundred dollars....another thing filled with carbon needed cleaning....the long and the short of it all was that the total would be close to $2000 to get it ready for winter. Hubby declared...'I'm not putting that kind of money into a vehicle that old with that many klicks' (in Canadian that is short for kilometres which in American means miles....we used to have miles back when I was growing up but some government person declared we had to go metric....I've never really got the hang of it yet...but, I digress....)......he sent me a link to many vehicles and after much deliberation we decided to try out a used (we can't afford new) Kia Sedona! We liked it very much....so...now the bank and us are on first name basis...once again...for the next six years til it's paid off! The van is very nice...has all the bells and whistles and a bonus...a sun roof! I like it!!

I can't remember whether I mentioned this or not, but daughter number three, named Maya...that just graduated highschool this past June...was looking into applying for an internship position with the christian camp where we have our trailer . Well, she did and was accepted! So...that means that she will leave home on September 6th and, except for two weeks at Christmas...will be gone til April 29th! She's very excited..she'll be learning many new things and making new friends as she works actually between two camps up north and one camp in Costa Rica (for the month of January). I think we're going to miss her around here...for the most part she's a pleasant young lady....needs to do some maturing yet..which I'm sure this internship will help with...but for the most part she's a good kid, with a good heart! So we've been running around trying to get all the stuff she needs for the next year! Not easy!!

Today, I must take her to a hairdresser that specializes in minority hair....you see Maya's had her hair braided for her, by someone else...mostly eldest daughter..since she was 3 years old. She prefers it that way...in fact, once we did straighten it but it was only a few days past when she was asking for it to be braided....she just isn't into the habit of looking after it every, single day! She's not a real girly, girl so different hair styles, flat irons, curling irons and such really have little interest for her. So...off we go today to get some advice and hopefully a hair style that Maya can manage on her own since eldest daughter wont be close by to braid it every week! I'll try to take pics and show you next week!

So...things are hopping around here! Getting Maya ready....getting school stuff for the other three....Emma has declared that she isn't going to school if she can't get some certain clips to put her extensions in with....quite frankly..her behaviour hasn't been stellar and conducive to me doing anything for her but sometimes I give in just to 'get her off my back'....I know, I know....what can I tell you...I'm old and tired. In fact..everyday she stays in bed til at least noon..sometimes even two...and I let her just cause than it's less time I have to deal with her! Sounds horrible, I know...but I repeat....old and tired...

Next week, we'll have more school shopping...clothes and such....Megan's annual check up with the pediatrician...Emma and I have an appointment with the school about her classes because she did so poorly last semester, Emma and I also have a counselor appointment, babysitting grandbabies, hopefully a chiropractor and a massage appointment...I think the week will go quickly!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

The Sure Thing.....

The sure things in life...what are they?

As I sit in my bed this morning, my lap top on my lap (what a concept)....the house is quiet, hubby and son have left for work..teens are still sleeping, doggies are still dozing.....I think about this question.....

....in these days of so much unrest in the world, so many things that give you pause, that even give you angst......

...what am I sure of....I think I'm sure of some things......like the love of my husband, of my parents, of my children (except when they're teens!), of my grandchildren.....but when you think of it.....that all can change....after all, we are human...we make poor choices....we choose to fall in or out of love, children and grandchildren will disappoint, parents and grandchildren disappoint, people that we never really thought would leave us, do....the human frailties come glaring into our faces, into our lives.....

...we make plans for our lives, fumbling, fragile plans that we believe are strong and sure but are really as fragile as that white dandelion spent flower that we blow in the wind.....

...now, just in case you are wondering...no, some terrible thing has not befallen me...nothing more than usual......my kids are still hurting, are still struggling....that's what really brings a mom's heart down ,doesn't it...you want to fix everything...just as you did when they were little with a bandaid and a hug...a little push out the door with the words 'you'll be okay...just go and play'....

but...they're all grown up...have made their choices ...some good...some not so good......sometimes you say something...sometimes you don't.....sometimes you're there to pick up the pieces and sometimes ...well, sometimes it's just not enough....because, no matter how much you love them..each and every one of them.......it's still not a sure thing, is it? We'd like to think so but, really....it isn't. It's not enough.

I've been reminded of a song the last few days......it's really not even a song...it's just a few lines repeated, over and over and over again.....and this is what I am sure of.....without a doubt....no matter what I do or I don't do...whether I've done something bad in my life or good, whether I walk away or stay.......

Jesus' blood never fails me yet, never fails me yet, never fails me yet,
this one thing I know,
for he loves me so.......

it's the only sure thing...really, honestly, truly.....for it's the blood that gives us strength from day to day, ....it soothes my doubts and calms my fears....when all the humans in your life let you down, don't quite come through when you need them, when life is not going according to our timetable, the way we'd like it to.......this is the only sure thing....because He loves me so.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Holidays Done!!!

Good Morning Company Girls!

Well, we've come to the end of our holidays...we've been at our trailer for the last two weeks and tomorrow we plan on heading back home. It's been a good two weeks.....we've rested, except for one day that we had to go home for appointments. That's been good because we really needed it.....too much has been going on in the last four months.....I'm eager for the next month to go by and hopefully , as school starts on the 7th of September, things will get back to 'normal'...whatever that is!

Some of the grandkids were here last weekend which meant the trailer was hopping! They love coming to the trailer...sometimes, in a very crazy thot I think it would be great to bring, just one at a time though, (I'm not that crazy) to the trailer with us.....oh maybe when we don't have kids of our own here...believe me that's a handful and a half as it is! The contract that Emma and I signed at the counselors' office, before we came up here seems to have worked well.....whenever she started becoming 'unlivable' we reminded her of it and she seemed to smooth out. While we've been up here we heard about an 'intern' program, associated with this retreat centre and two others, for kids graduated from highschool...we encouraged Maya to apply and she decided to try it out...now we just have to see if she's accepted. If she is, she will be away from home for 8 months...just coming home at Christmas...something like going away to college but with a little more supervision..which will be good for Maya in her maturing process. We are and she is, hoping she gets accepted. This past week Maya went golfing and shot a 34....from the mens tees! That's pretty good! Unfortunately, yesterday while being the goalie in the staff vs campers soccer game, her hand stopped the ball and the ball won. So ...off we go to the nearest town and hospital where the doctor said she had torn some ligaments...not good but fortunately she had her arm brace from basketball, with her, and has been wearing that. She said today it just hurt a little and when her dad said it was a good golfing day (weather wise) and he might go out...well, she was all eager to join him!

This week it has been very interesting. The speaker/preacher that we have is from a big church in Ottawa. I've heard him before a couple of times and was looking forward to hearing him again. During one of his sermons, he talked about his dad......he said he was out on the golf course the day before and was reminded of the last time he had been out..about five years ago...his dad had been with him. At that time his dad confessed to him that he was having some problems with his memory....a couple of years later his dad was officially diagnosed with Altzheimers.....my grandma had that...it's a terrible disease......now, he says, his dad doesn't remember a lot...I know that after awhile these patients don't even recognize their own family.....I could see the emotion in the pastor's face as he spoke......at that moment I was filled with gratitude that even though my dad left us before I wanted him to, that right up until the end...he still knew me,...he could still tell me that he loved me....what a gift! Up here, at Fairhavens, I have a very good friend....her name is Anne.....Annes' elderly mother lives in a nursing home and for some reason in the last few weeks her mom has gone rapidly downhill...her mom, at the age of 87 still smokes...every day....now they've found spots on her lungs and just the other day, after she fell out of her bed...they did a cat scan and found spots on her brain.....this wee little scottish lady doesn't have very long...she also has dementia......Anne told me that the other day when her daughter was visiting the grandma that the grandma spent the whole time talking to her spoon......what the saddest thing about this whole thing is that Anne has been faithful in talking to her mom and dad about the Lord and before her dad died five years ago, he did accept Jesus into his heart....but her mom didn't and still hasn't. Anne is in despair at the thoughts of her mom dying without truly accepting the Lord....and now, how do you have conversations about it with someone who talks to a spoon. Anne wants to see her mom again, in heaven, with her dad.....We can only pray that the Lord will grant her mom some moments of clarity before she leaves for good. Once again, I thought of my dad.....I told my hubby that I'm so glad that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I will see my dad again...another gift, isn't it...a wonderful gift of assurance....I'm indeed a fortunate woman to have received two such wonderful gifts in one week. I am blessed.