Not that people spend a lot of time thinking about us (well, other than you mom!) but I wonder sometimes if people wonder if Tim and I are change junkies.
If you take the time to ask us for the WHOLE big story you will have to admit that it ISN'T us who chooses the change. Change FINDS us.
We are in the second week of school and Tim just found out yesterday that he has lost his job in our school. He is being transferred (fortunately) to another school in the division. I'll still be working there, but he'll be elsewhere. Crazy hey?
I feel like I've lost track of what lesson God is trying to teach us. I typically and usually try to equate life lessons to something in nature. Drawing a parallel between something natural and the 'unnatural' feeling situation I am in seems to give me comfort. It makes it seem more possible that God meant it that way and that it is not just a random 'happening'.
Lately, I've been drawn to a possible parallel of our lives to the mysterious moving rocks that baffle observers in Death Valley, Arizona (in the Racetrack Playa). (You'll have to google pictures yourself, I am too scared to breach blogger rules by posting a picture...I don't want to possibly have this blog sent to oblivion like my last one!)
I've been enjoying the comedy and complexity of this phenomenon.
I could list all the amusing parallels I've found but you go ahead and have fun with that yourself. They are pretty self explanatory, and besides it will give you something to do right now. Have fun!
I am NOT one to get attached to animals. Really. I never have been. My mom will tell you I was a doll playing, friend loving regular little girl when I was young and yet I never developed a love for animals like some of my other friends. I was always allergic to cats and my sister made me fear dogs (she may not even know this story and will be surprised by the comment).
So...it came to surprise me how much I have grown attached to our little dog Benny.
Benny was 9 when he came to live with us. He had not been around people much because his life started out in a whirlwind of celebrity. He was born as a registered Miniature Pinscher (his little tattoo proved it) and right away, we understand, he was groomed for doing shows. He then moved on to breeding and was in demand for much of his life.
He came to us shortly after his 'magic' wore off. In fact, they were going to put him down because he was not of 'use' anymore. A friend of ours ran a rescue operation for dogs such as this and we decided to babysit him one weekend to see if he was friendly with children.
He never left.
Until yesterday.
Benny developed a terribly aggressive cyst on his head that ruptured within a week. He was in a little bit of pain. His heart rate was erratic and so was his breathing a bit. We knew we wouldn't be able to financially do what it took to bring him back to health in his already 11th year of life.
I was surprised that I cried, yet glad that I did. Glad to know that he left his little paw print of love on our hearts so much. Glad that he won't be easily forgotten.
Bye Bye Benny.
you can't go back
Have you ever heard the expression 'you can't go back' in regards to moving back to a place you've lived before. I am starting to understand the truth in this. I don't know if it is because people assume you are picking up where you left off the last time and too much has changed or what...but it is very difficult. A lot HAS changed and we weren't here for the change, we were busy trying to settle in somewhere else.
No one's fault. It is what it is.
I am so thankful that the place where I feel most 'at home' is just right beside my man. No matter where we are.
I don't think we will ever be done moving. Maybe we are moving junkies. Gypsies of a certain kind. OH...don't worry, we are staying put right now, mostly for our kids. We have noticed though, that we always WANT to move.
We already have plans to hit the open road with a nice hybrid camper as soon as the kids are out of school. Sell all our earthly belonging...(in other words donate all our stuff to the sally-ann) and just see the sights and visit old friends we've left in our wake.
I used to think this was a selfish endeavor without any higher purpose or calling.
I am now convinced that your higher calling comes no matter where you are and where you choose to go and be. I think that is the lesson I've learned from all our moves. It shouldn't surprise me that since we asked God to take our lives and use us as He sees fit that He actually would do it, no matter where we are.
Some decisions He leaves up to us and we just need to make them, instead of wondering around looking for an arrow in the sky. Enjoy life. Be where you want to be, do what you want to do. Oh, I can hear my ancestors rolling over in their graves with that last sentence. We would choose to go to Sodom and Gomorrah if we weren't careful, they would say.
Well...I am sure...that....
'Those of us who are mature, should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.' Philippians 3:15
He will guide you, through your choices, through your desires. He will use you. You will know.
I trust this. It's not a super spiritual revelation. It a surrendering. A listening. A knowing. A confidence. A faith.
It is true.
It has been just like I said. Easy going. I am actually getting a tad bored already and it has only been a week.
This weekend was very nice though. Mom came for a visit. We went to see the fireworks on Canada Day. I got a new camera! Old friends from Manitoba popped by for supper on their way through to BC. We also went out to Olferts for a nice evening visit. All in all it was a really nice weekend.
Off to bake banana bread.
WHOOO HOOO!
I've done a pretty good job of assuring our new neighbors that we are a normal family that they can be happy to call their neighbor...until Friday. We came home from work on Friday and George and Dot were outside putzing in their yard and when we parked I got out and gave out a huge WHOO HOO to the sky.
Hubster and I both work at a school and Friday was our last day. We get the WHOLE summer off together. It is SUCH a treasure. Two months of bliss. No more commuting forty minutes there every morning at 7 am and arriving home around 5 pm. No more fighting with the kids every morning just to get them up before we leave.
I am sure it will only take a day or two before reality crashes down and the kids get bored and the mess of having us all home at the same time will get tedious. I am okay with that.
We have gone for a walk every morning so far. Bike rides after supper. Took my camera out after that to just take photos of grass. Swimming at the little outside town pool. Swatting mosquitos. It is Monday and I think we will drive to the big city to go grocery shopping and get out of the heat. Tomorrow maybe we will drive to the little lake/swamp beach in the neighboring town, again, to stay cool. We'll take wieners and wood and call it a day.
Then we have our trip (see three posts down).
Lazy days.
Won't last long.
In the spirit of my father I must mention that the days just started getting shorter again the other day, June 21.
Cherish them, even if the kids do drive me nuts.
Dreadful heat.
Why must I always be such a contrarian? Even my body doesn't like what everyone else seems to long for.
After weeks of GLORIOUS rain and overcast weather (okay the rains fell at tad in excess, even for me) with beautiful temperatures hovering right around the 20 mark...the weather turns HOT.
I am happy the farmers are getting sun on their crops and that things are drying up. I really am. I just need some clouds for my eyes and a reprieve from the sweat extracting qualities of the sun.
I am glad for you all who love this. Love your day. I will try to love mine with my feet in a bowl of ice water, sitting right in front of the air conditioner. ahhh.
You know what I find fascinating? Children, boys in particular, who have the ability to listen incredibly well even when their body looks like it is not. I wish they were created with little bulbs on their ears/brains to help us know when they are actually registering information.
You know what I else I find amazing (and a little frustrating)? Many teachers don't recognize the pearl they have in this ability. There are times when I wonder if we have gone back in time to the days of 'finishing school' where we insist that kids maintain 'appropriate' (what is that anyways?) postures. I have actually watched a young boy sit and hold on to his chair tightly with his hands and STARE intently at his legs because he was trying SOOOO hard to maintain the desired posture. I tried to engage with him mentally to see if he was attending to the teacher and he was totally lost (a few moments earlier I had asked him a question, while he was sprawled all over the floor and he was TOTALLY on the mark...because he is one of the ones with that amazing super power!)
Consider this; the Minister of Education here in Alberta is trying to implement some changes in the area of student needs:
I personally wish that we could just start with just a 'small shift' by considering our ability to tolerate and respect the needs like this boy has. Is it hurting the other students or the teacher(and I am not just referring to wounding their traditional ego)? May we respect the other students and ask them if it is impeding their learning to let their classmate have a little 'wiggle' room? You may be surprised at their tolerant nature, they certainly didn't learn that from us now, did they?
