Pieces of Life

It's always nice to wake up in the morning. It means that I am still alive: ready to wrestle and pin down those annoying trifles of life. Well, maybe not ready, per se. But ... able (?). At any rate, I woke up this morning. Enough said.

Saturday evening (around 5 pm), I suddenly felt like vomiting. I didn't vomit (thank goodness!) and the feeling stayed put until 8 pm or so. In the meantime, my head felt fuzzy and explode-ish. Jesse said I had a high fever. Fever make me crazy girl so we went to bed early on a Saturday night. After a restless sleep, I woke up Sunday morn and ta-da: fever was lessened. I'm still not sure what got me because I have no other symptoms. Thankfully, my body appears to be on the mend and I am doubly thankful that I did not give it to anyone else.

My next topic of discussion is all about weather. (Keep reading; weather in Saskatchewan is the most interesting on the planet. Ha!) We've lost friends and acquaintances this winter and several of those losses were a direct result of the weather. Day 1: -50* C. Day 2: -10* C. Day 3: 2*C. Day 4: 1*C. Day 5: -18* C. Freezing, thawing and freezing again leads to melting, storming and freezing roads. This leads to vehicle accidents; often, it seems, the crashes are big truck versus small(er) car. It wasn't the cold weather or the warm weather that bothered me or made road conditions so bad. It was the frequent changes of temperature. The past three days have been steady, however, and I cannot help but feel joyous about the sunshine. This morning at work, I kept mentioning the weather to the customers. The first five all made some remark in true Eeyore spirit: "Well, I just hope it stays this way..." Oh Saskatchewan peoples, you amuse me!

When we first moved into our house, we noticed the office had been leaking. Jesse was concerned about putting his computer into that space for this very reason. However, after covering the computer with plastic for months and never having it leak again, we slowly forgot about the danger and stopped being so cautious. One evening right after Valentine's Day, Jesse got home from work while I was still teaching music... and noticed, to his great dismay, that there was water leaking onto his computer. Upon further inspection, he discovered that his keyboard was directly dripped on and even after many ministrations of drying and putting a million screws back into it (who knew keyboards needed that many implements to hold themselves together!!), only half the keys worked. The circuit board was literally fried. :-P Thankfully, the computer itself was unharmed but it is now covered entirely by plastic bags when not in use.

This is horrible (and not funny at all) but I always giggle in spite of myself: he was putting together dvd of movie clips for the memorial service of a friend (he had to go borrow a keyboard from his parents so he could actually finish the project). By the time he was finished, there were no less than 6 drips dripping all around him. He would be busy working away when suddenly, "Ahhh!! ANOTHER ONE??!" He had bowls sitting everywhere. He would actually have to reach around a bowl to work on his computer. Yeah, imagine that one in your head. As I said: horrible, not funny at all. But such a sketch, eh? Btw, I do find his determination inspiring and my sympathies are with him. I think we need to (1: move the computer. (2: try to figure out where the leak is coming from and why it only leaks there every two years.

Minot was graced with our presence last Monday and Tuesday. We stayed at a hotel, shopped and, most importantly, got Lydia's passport on the roll. Actually, most importantly, we relaxed and had fun. :-) I was a bundle of nerves from living life and needed some down time. We had so much fun. Waterslides, shopping for gifts, buying underwear (that was annoying), eating (hot pretzel bites smothered in melted butter and dipped in sugar cinnamon...), watching a movie... AND I also had two cups of chai.

I love tea and I love chai the best. Add cream and a small dab of sugar to a thick brew of chai and you hold a little bit of heaven in a mug. The world is a better place with a cuppa chai. :-)

On the 16th, we held/attended a memorial service for a good friend of ours. He was part of our theatre group and well loved. We think his life ended much too soon. He did leave a legacy, however. He brought happiness to each life he touched. Because he was an American transplanted into Canada, I was asked to play the anthems for both countries at the service. It was an honor that I will not soon forget. If you think of his family (wife, mother, children, grandchildren...), a prayer for peace and joy to them would be most appreciated. We will never forget you, Dean.

So yeah. Life just keeps moving on. Rapidly. Always good but sometimes the good is really good. (It's been mostly really goods since I met Jesse. :-)) I kept waiting for a moment of inspiration to write but suddenly decided to today was the day I would make my inspiration. Thus, the jumbled thoughts of a certain person who wishes there were more hours in the day. Each moment is a precious gift. I am enjoying mine and I hope you're having great fun with yours!

Brief

I was up at 7:12 this morning, trying to get the house cleaned. Jesse and I are spending this evening and all of tomorrow tearing up the old deck at our new house so I won't be in Carlyle to do my weekly cleaning. :-) I really like being up and working in the morning. It makes my energy level come up and last all day.

Lately I've been pretty busy. As you may have been able to tell! After coming back from Endeavour, I've been working, teaching and doing a multitude of other things that need to be done. One that I am most excited about is that I sent the wedding invitation information off to the person who is designing them. I can't wait to see the finished product. She always amazes me.

Well, work is calling so I'm off! Have a good day, folks!  

I am Busy. I am Happy. Life is Insane.

Good morning from beautiful Saskatchewan! The sun is shining and the snow is almost all melted. I am really excited to be outdoors today. :-) For some reason this weather reminds me of the spring of 2009, when Sara was born. Spring, to me, is hope of beauty. It is ugly in itself but it helps us hang on through the last few days when winter is being banished to the North Pole for the summer. And summer is beautiful. Green. Bursting with life.

Yesterday, I woke up late and did very little all day. After having a crazy schedule for the past few weeks, I was glad for a day to relax. As you can see, I spent the time working on my blog, among other things. It was just so nice to be inactive for a day. ::sigh::

Then, at 7-ish, the Twietmeyers picked me up for theatre practice. That went really well... we ended at a quarter after 10. We are going to try to cut down the time even more but honestly, three hours is not bad considering how intense this play is. So much action and people *having* to be in their places. Wow.

One of the really wonderful things about this practice was that I really felt like I was Lillian. I slipped into my character like I was putting on a dress. I am Lillian. Fashion designer. Proud. Arrogant. Completely in love with my new hubby. ;-) And I do love the outfits I have to wear, btw. I love them so much in fact, that I want to have our engagement pictures taken with Jesse and me in costume.

Wedding plans... well, we got a bunch of stuff from a woman who is moving back to Spain, so I have been trying to decide what we want and what I should add to the wedding registry. Jesse and I have both added quite a few items lately. I am also going to try to register on Walmart and Sears. We shall see how that goes.

Have I mentioned how much I'm looking forward to Spring?!

I love Jesse.

Today: work; teaching; theatre; chocolate. ::innocent smile::

Various and Exciting Happenings In The Life Of Naomi

Just when life couldn't get any more exciting or better, it does and I'm having trouble sitting still. Lol! 

In order: my long companions The Top Braces came off on the 7th. My bottom jaw wasn't ready but my top jaw was. I just couldn't wait to get back to Twietmeyer's to brush and floss my teeth. Lol! It feels sooo good to be able to run my tongue over my teeth and not get it caught on a wire or two. :-) And while I'm still being careful, I have been eating some harder things without worrying about it wrecking anything. 

Yesterday, Jesse and I looked at another place for sale in White Bear and have been seriously discussing another. I am very curious to see what the final decision will be from us. We need to look at it again before we decide. I am praying that God will guide us and help us make a good choice. It's a little overwhelming sometimes! But, oh-so-exciting... let's go eat chocolate to celebrate growing up!! :-D Haha! ;-) (Ok. I'm hyper.) 

Another exciting thing? Michele brought back a purse/bag from NYC for me. I adore it. It's green, maroon and gold. Pretty! 

And... what else is there to say? Lindsey got the measurements from Mom and the girls for sewing skirts and dresses. I am really excited about that. :-) 

April 5th marked Jesse's and my 5th monthaversary together. I can't believe it's been that long but I also feel like it's been a lot longer. (I just love conflicting emotions!) So, on the 7th, we decided to have a date. :-) Going on dates with Jesse is just plain fun. ;-) It consisted with us eating ice-cream at DQ, buying movies we'd always wanted to buy (or see) at Walmart and going out to dinner at the Chalet in Yorkton. Good date. :-)

Anyways. I should go practice the piano. :-) Life is good and life is busy. I am so thankful. :-)

Another Short Update

This evening, my friend Lindsey arrived for a visit. I think she's here until Sunday. I am rather excited about that. :-) It seems like forever since we've gotten a good talk in ... and definitely going to enjoy our trip to the city tomorrow. Wedding shopping is going to be fun. I've never done it before but I just know how fun it's going to be. ;-) It's so good to be able to share ideas with people, get feedback and be able to keep or discard.

Jesse also came over for dinner and we watched "The Young Victoria", which I really enjoyed. It was very good... reminded me a lot of "Miss Potter". Anyways, you can probably guess how much fun the evening was. We made pasta for dinner and ate sherbet and frozen cheesecake cupcakes for dessert. The food was good. The company was better!

I've worked and taught this week and I have been fine! Each day feels like an amazing gift. The energy is unbelievable. I love being able accomplish so much.

Anyways, we're planning on leaving quite early in the morning for Regina so I should close this up and get in bed. :-) May your weekend be glorious and full of joy. 

Bits and Pieces

Today I had my first day at work since coming down with this virus or whatever I had. It felt really good and productive. :-) At lunch, I sat down and studied my lines for the theatre production... and I read a story one of my students wrote. I love seeing how creative children can be. And I am looking forward to reading more of her stories as she matures...

I am disbelieving how quickly time is passing. September 10th will be upon us before we know it! I am so looking forward to marrying Jesse. :-)

Goodnight!

Well, I haven't been bored! ;-)

It seems like I've been crazy busy for the past few weeks... Before Christmas, I worked for about two weeks on a Christmas present for Michele. It was a scrapbook about camp 2010; pictures, memories, quotes, etc. I spent about 8 hours a day on it and rarely left my room in that time. Lol. I really should start my projects a bit earlier in the season... I finished it last minute, as usual! But Michele liked the finished product so I'm not complaining. And, FYI, I do love scrapbooking. :-)

However, there were some very frustrating moments and I would complain bitterly to myself and my friend (fellow scrapbooker) Lindsey. Because it was a secret, I couldn't exactly write about it via my blog. So, you missed all of the really sarcastic remarks about how much I love the person who decided 12" x 12" scrapbook paper should not be exactly 12" x 12". So frustrating!!! Trying to get the paper on the page and having it go crooked, etc. Ahhhh!! Lol. Another one of my greatest moments of sarcasm was directed at the sticky things I'd bought instead of double sided tape. Mistake. Finally, I was smart and went into town and found some of said tape (somewhat of a miracle, according to the people I had asked!) which made my existence a whole lot easier. :-) 

Christmas for the first time in 15 years was lovely. I really enjoyed the dinners, the games, the conversations, the gifts, the decorations, the people... The best part of it was seeing Jesse again. He arrived safely in Saskatoon after spending his two weeks in Europe and oh, was I delighted to look into his face again... :-) :-) After Christmas, we went up to see my family in Endeavour. It went over quite well. The kids really liked him and Mom said they did, so I'm happy. :-)

Next day:
I meant to post this yesterday morning but I wasn't able to finish it in time. Jesse took me to Regina for what he termed our 'big date'. It was very fun and both of us were feeling quite well for only having just recovered from the flu. We enjoy our road trips because they give us time to talk and feel like we're accomplishing something at the same time. ;-) :-) We went shopping at comics/used books stores and ate a lunch with my dear friends Ray and Tahnis. We also saw The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3D which was amazing. I really enjoyed that movie. :-) For those of you who haven't seen it, I would recommend the experience.

Back to the flu topic, has anyone else gotten it? It seems like almost everyone here has... nasty bug. I didn't have it nearly as badly as some, however. For that I am grateful. I have been taking some preventatives and hoping that tides me over. I am so glad I only felt sick and didn't actually have too many symptoms. Vomiting automatically sends the flu to a completely different level. :-P

So, this is my brief update. I am sorry to let it go for so long. May your weekend be beautiful and full of joy. Hugs!

Life's Goodness

 "Razor-sharp, serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion, prefers ambush attack, and crushing its victims..."

This morning I watched "How To Train Your Dragon" at the Carlyle Theatre. It's an old story with a lot of new twists and some very entertaining dialog. Have any of you ever seen it? I really enjoyed myself. It's a clean story with action, sweetness, humor and phenomenal animation. :-) The reason the movie was shown today was because the elementary school brought all of their kids in for a free movie (right before the holidays). It was interesting to listen to all of the kids chattering before the movie began. Then, as they got into the story, silence pervaded the Hall. Well, mostly silence. :-) Occasionally, laughter and some whispering... but for the amount of children (well over a hundred, I believe), they did pretty well. 

Sidenote: Scottish Vikings in horned helmets (ahem!) make me giggle.

The good thing about the past two weeks is that I have been sick (therefore, able to spend time working on Christmas projects) and I've been keeping very busy.... thus keeping my mind busy. This is a good thing. :-) I got all of my gifts wrapped yesterday evening and have them packed in a box, ready to go. Going to enjoy celebrating Christmas in Saskatoon with friends and loved ones! Good food. Good company. Good conversations. 

Yesterday, I went to work. I had missed some days due to my thought processes of, "don't want to go work with a cold"... still learning stuff about commitments and what ways I can be the most helpful, etc. :-) Anyways, they had all the spaces for gel icing cakes filled up, so Donna put me to work making Blizzard Cakes. I think I made 14 or 16. I can't remember if I filled all the pans twice or not. I love working with the flavors. Somehow, when I am off sugar, my sweet tooth gets satisfied with simply smelling the ice-cream and chocolate and caramel... I made Strawberry CheeseQuake, Oreo, Reeses Pieces, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Cookie Dough and Pecan Cluster.... and let me see. :thinks: Maybe that's all. Hm. 2 each, excepting the Oreo and Pecan Cluster.. so that means I made 16. Most of them ended up in the back freezer, awaiting their turn in the display freezer. My favorite cake to make is the Pecan Cluster. I have absolutely no idea how it tastes but it looks so pretty when I'm finished making it. ;-) I make swirly cones of icing on the top, sprinkle pecans over, then drizzle caramel and chocolate. Lol... sometimes customers can say the funniest things. I was just getting ready to drizzle on the caramel and I heard a voice behind me: "You're gonna make a mistake." I looked up and this old man was grinning at me from over by the coffee machine. ;-) ????

A storm blew in yesterday afternoon... rather like a blizzard and really nasty for awhile there. I am glad I didn't have to walk in it. People are so kind. Donna picked me up and Dianne drove me home. Actually, three people offered me rides home! :-) I am so thankful for the love people bestow upon me. :-) :-) It makes my heart glow. 

This afternoon? What did I do this afternoon... oh yes. After I watched the movie in the morning with Dianne (Jesse's mom), she drove me home and we sat in Michele's kitchen with Michele and had a long conversation about all things. After Dianne left, I sent Michele a song (Silver Spear) so she could jam with Gillian when we're in Saskatoon. Then, I cleaned the bathroom, cleaned up/tidied the kitchen and vacuumed. It feels soo good to get caught up on the cleaning. :-) 

So, that's an update on my little, sweet-filled life. :-) This is a happy post. :-) I am feeling rather that way these days. ;-) God bless you all. 

Quotes

I was looking up quotes again this morning and found some that made me think. I love being made to think. :-) May these cause you to wonder this day.

Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known? -- William Shakespeare

The beginning of love is to let those who love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. -- Thomas Merton


All your western theologies, the whole mythology of them, are based on the concept of God being a senile delinquent. -- Tennessee Williams [I find misconceptions of God are horrible and inevitable. We simply cannot comprehend or completely understand God or even the concept of God, therefore we create our own ideas about Him. But, as prone to error we humans are, I believe that the Bible gave us some clues.... what is the greatest commandment and the second greatest commandment? Love... loving God; loving people.]

If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it? -- Steven Wright [I was thinking Ozzie might be brilliant in this experiment.]

Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is  people who have come alive. -- Howard Thurman 

True holiness consists in doing God's will with a smile. -- Mother Teresa

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. Is it our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make the manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. -- Marianne Williamson 

Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting for centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing. -- G. M. Trevelyan

I still have this cold. But I am coughing less this morning, which was a big blessing. I fell asleep quickly last night and woke up around 8:30, rarin' to go. :-) I will be so glad to finish up all my projects and get them packaged up. :-) I love projects and I love finishing them, too. Hehe. Cheers, my friends. May God show a little of Himself to you today and may you find great joy in Him.

Research the truly matters:
The following link made me chuckle... and as I am a great fan of cookie dough, it also made my day.
http://allrecipes.com/Cook/18712315/BlogEntry.aspx?postid=210678

Here's to Life!

According to blogger, this is Treasuries' 273rd post. It seems like forever ago that I created this blog and tentatively began writing about my life. There have been a few people who have been very faithful about commenting and participating throughout the months since then. Thank you. As someone wrote to me, comments are a blogger's dessert. :-)

Here is a brief synopsis of my life recently:
Friday: My friends Nathan and Jenn (along with their three children: Gideon, 5; Isaiah, 3; Emmé, 1) picked me up in the afternoon and took me to their home in Deloraine, MB. Once there, we warmed up our very cold fingers and toes with some hot tea and Kettle Chips (I've developed a new addiction/craving thanks to you guys!!) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. 


Saturday:  Lots of wonderful conversations, food (Jenn and Nathan are both excellent chefs as well as hosts) (we even made chocolate ice-cream which I'm still dreaming about....)


Sunday: ....and music (had a wonderful time "teaching" Jenn how to chord/accompany. She picked it up so quickly I don't think I can honestly term it teaching. Amazing. :-))


Being around their kids made me miss my siblings!! Children give such perspective to life. It's so interesting to hear their point of view and see their trust. I love watching them be creative and expanding their horizons. It can be art or even learning a new word... or their character develops suddenly as they realize something about life. 


All in all, it was a beautiful weekend and something I wouldn't mind repeating. :-) If you're reading this, thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality. I came away so blessed. :-)


Sunday evening, Nathan took me back to Carlyle because I needed to participate in the theatre practice. The time of the Christmas play is almost upon us and I have part. So, it's rather necessary to keep on top of matters. :-) The play is about a nasty old spinster named Esmeralda Scrooge who must learn about love. I am her niece. I have a solo and lines... and I also play a piece on the piano (which has me most worried...). It has been a very enjoyable and stretching experience being part of this. Just like "We'll Meet Again", except it's better this time since I kind of know the people I'm working with. :-) 


Monday: I worked at Dairy Queen and made... cakes. Surprise, surprise. ;-) :-P I made logs, Blizzards and designed gels. Plus, I washed all of my gel frosting bags and the container so they're all fresh and lovely for the next person who dares mess with them. ;-) One of the biggest benefits of working at DQ is that you get to make your own combinations of blizzards. They have a new size of Blizzard: mini. It's just right for me. I love Oreos, strawberries and cheesecake.. mixing them all together, then topping it off with strawberries. It's delightful. I kid you not. And yes, I have been eating a little more sugar lately. :-) 


For the record, I love Dairy Queen ice-cream. A lot. It's among the best. :-) :-) 


Tuesday: I got up early and went to write my test. Before I go on, I must say it: I am so glad to have that over with. How did I do? Well, I missed 2 on my signs test and 4 on the regular. Just passed. My errors were always on the side of caution. For instance, on an uncontrolled railroad, did you know that you are not required by law to stop before proceeding over the tracks? That is, you are not required to stop if there are no trains in sight... in the happenstance of a train, one might consider halting their progress in favor of life, law abiding citizen or no. :-P

The only other thing worth mentioning about yesterday was Michele almost scaring me to death in the evening. Will was asleep so it was all done very silently. :-P I was impressed with myself because usually I am very vocal about fear and being startled. I managed to scream without sound. Yep. ;-) I remember when my sister Ellie used to take great delight in leaping at me out of the dark like Michele did. (I foresee future episodes because she was so pleased with the reaction I gave. They just can't help themselves.)


Wednesday: Hasn't been lived yet. Or at least not much. :-) I woke up early even though I could have slept in. :sigh: Bad habits are hard to break. I made cheese bread yesterday evening along with a vegetable soup... it was lovely. Had a student arrive in the middle of the baking progress and had to have Will take over. He said it was stressful but he managed to survive. Thankfully the bread survived as well. :-) So I think I'll have cheese bread for my breakfast. 


Talked to my Mom, my sister Ellie and my sister Lydia yesterday. I might be going home around the end of the year. We shall see. 


Ok. I need to get off of my computer and prepare myself for life. Cleaning, teaching, music, theatre practice. Full day. I hope yours is lovely and joyous. I think mine will be. Cheers!!


Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate. -- J. R. R. Tolkien

Odds and Ends

The past few days have been so busy and full that I feel woefully inadequate to even begin telling you about them! :-) It's a good feeling when life takes on purpose and a reason to move on. The move here made me feel that way. Each new day has been an adventure full of people and new experiences. God has always shown himself to be  loving, gracious towards me. He is full of compassion in my most awkward moments... I never cease to feel amazed at His understanding. I love how He gives me far beyond anything I had ever dreamed of or hoped for. I love how He heals my heart and soul and makes me into something that is so much better than before I was broken. I love that He loves me.

Friday, I went to work at nine, as usual. Thirty-five minutes later, they had us evacuating the building due to a gas leak. It was an interesting experience to be hustled out of somewhere like that. The funniest thing was trying to get the old ladies to leave. They loved the scent (!!!) of danger and wanted to be in on all of the excitement. Lol. It was rather adorable and a little irritating. ;-) I guess they got the leak fixed because within an hour, we were back at work. Funny thing though.... I couldn't seem to get caught up all day. I had a list of cakes I needed to make and I know I got a fair portion done but it never seemed like it was enough. At any rate, I appreciate the work and experience as always. :-)

Friday night, I went to the theatre in Carlyle... they were showing Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole. I had never watched a movie in a theatre before and what an awesome film to begin with. I loved the story. I have always liked owls because of Owl in "Winnie The Pooh" but this was a completely different look at them. It was a sad story but a triumphant one. I also love how well done the animation is of this film. It's completely amazing to me. :-)

Well, it's getting later in the morning so I should close this up and skedaddle. I'll try to write more later. :-)

Right. Who am I again?

Just for the record, you're actually supposed to say the post title in Hugh Grant's voice.

 I sat down in my favorite spot (floor against my bed) to type this blog post and suddenly had two very affectionate cats purring in my ear and rubbing their heads against mine. Lol! There's nothing like having a cat in your life who adores you. Makes everything seem so much more bearable. ;-)

You would not believe how busy the past week has been. It was like everything decided to happen at once and life was just... wow. Over the past two months, I feel like I have become a different person. Some days, I'm not even sure of who I am anymore. But I am sure of one thing... in fact, more sure each day than the last: God's love. The more I learn of Him, the more I realize how very blessed I am. His attitude of how precious I am to Him enfolds me each moment and the fear leaves.

Then thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. (Isaiah 58:9)

 For the past few weeks, I've been studying to get my learner's permit and I think I'm ready to take it. I went into  Andrew's Agencies (SGI) and paid the fee to get into the system (which... I gathered... I already was to a certain extent) (don't ask. I'm as confused as you are.) But the more ridiculous thing has happened. I lost the paper which contained the information about getting my learners... phone #, website, etc. Very frustrating. Tell me why these things happen to me?? On second thought, don't. Hehe. But oh... will it ever be so nice to get this out of the way. I have been dreading it for so long that I'm ready to get it done and over with.

My friend Jesse took me to Swan River, MB for my orthodontist appointment on the 5th. They had told me the last visit that they thought my braces would be coming off around Christmas time, so I was hoping against hope that they were accurate. Ahem. :-P Sometimes I hope for the impossible. This visit, they informed me that it will be a few more visits... which means more than two. On one hand, I know it is unrealistic to think I could get my teeth in perfect order that quickly. On the other hand, wouldn't it have been nice?? Lol. Anyways, good company on the 8 hour road trip. For that I can be thankful for.

Food for thought: do you have to look like Randy Travis to sound like him?

So, that's what has been going on lately. I still need to go practice the piano and my songs for the upcoming play. It's actually coming up pretty quickly. I really need to put more effort into memorizing. :sigh: Did you know that I cannot sing like Randy Travis? Serious training needed there. Lol!

Oh yeah. Life is good. ;-)

Odds and Ends

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.

--John Burroughs

I was updating my quotes and found this treasure. I have had a good day. The last day of teaching for this week. I walked to town in the morning and taught in the afternoon. I love days that I sit back at the end of them and am up to the brim in happiness. 

Three students today. The first was my most advanced. That lesson always goes over the allotted half an hour.. simply because it can and it's so much fun. Lol. I find such joy in learning and teaching and learning. I am discovering so much about music and people... and myself. I am discovering how much fun life can be. :) 

My next two students are sisters. They're pretty awesome. The oldest is quiet and shy but her eyes light up when she's excited. She laughs like my sister Ellie... just a faint sound but the mirth dances through her entire body. Her sister is the exact opposite. She giggles and chatters and basically enjoys life. But they are the same in many ways... one of them is that they are both in love with music. Today, Rylan opened her book and showed me a song she and Rese had written and played together. I was so excited. I couldn't wait for Rese to arrive so they could play it for me. :) :) When Rese did come for her lesson, they played it and... it was wonderful. That's all I can say about it. I was so happy, I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. ;)

I am amazed at the amount of creativity that comes from people. I am also amazed at how much they begin to enjoy music when they realize they can create. I think it makes them feel that the music is their friend. A healthy friendship is something we must work at but it is also something brings us great freedom (to be ourselves) and joy. I think these things are beginning to shine through for these girls. It makes my heart so happy. 

So many things to remember... Names. Ages. Siblings. How many years playing piano. How fast the learning curve is. How they think about me. (Should I be more teacher than friend or more friend than teacher?) Where they are at in life. What will benefit them most.

Names are especially hard for me sometimes. Especially since I have so many girls around the same age and size. Had a funny experience yesterday... I asked one of my students if she knew Taris R. She gave me a funny look and I realized I was speaking to Taris R. Lol! :P 

Well, off to Swan River tomorrow for my orthodontist app. Have to get up early... so I should close this up and get it posted. Here's to a beautiful weekend! Gotta love this November weather. :) 

Something else that makes me happy: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return until the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:7 

God loves us. It's a fact of life... right up there with the birds and the bees. 

Just Some Observations From My Morning

1: Why is letting God have His way so hard? I know the peace and joy I find in trust. I know the rest and contentment I will have when I stop fighting for what I want. But it's so hard to let go. Why? 


2: I adore muddy cat prints on white linoleum. Remind me never to put white linoleum in a house. Especially the kitchen.

3: And I further adore sunny, beautiful weather in November. Hurrah!

4: I feel so good about myself after I've updated Ponderings. Lol! This morning I wrote a review on the new movie "Prince of Persia". That was fun. :-)

5: Yesterday, I decorated a cake with cartoon character Tasmanian Devil. Within an hour I was writing, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATHAN" around poor Tas' face and it was walking out the door under someone's arm. ;-)

6: This morning, I ignored practicality and did my hair just to look pretty. What is wrong with me?? ;-)

7: Looking forward to my first day of teaching of the week.

8: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. Peter 1: 15 & 16

Letter To My Companion of War and an Update

Dear Frosting Bag,

I admit to not understanding what goes on in those creamy depths of swirling audacity. Whatever goes on in there is far beyond my mental capacity. All I know are the moments of grief and horror and those of utter bliss. What I really don't understand is why you're so nice to me sometimes. Yes, there are moments when I actually adore you! You send smooth, perfect streams of whipped cream frosting through your tip... and because of the perfect, decadent shells, the cake takes an aura of splendidness.

Then there are those moments, when you hate me. Were we arch enemies in another life? I know with a certainty that I have never done anything to deserve such mistreatment. You spit at me. Literally spit in my face. I don't mind it so much on my arm. But my face?? Come on. And then there's the moments when you decide to explode and shoot whipped topping onto the cabinets. Do you think I really have time for that? Oh! And what about the time you decided stuttering was fun and all my shells turned into epileptic lizards? That was the time I looked up and saw a customer watching us with great interest.

I really would appreciate some more kindness from you. On the positive side, there have been some minutes that I thought we were getting over a mutual dislike for each other! So, there is hope. Just no more spitting, ok? No more rude noises. No more making me live up to Gillian's new name for me (Queen of Blushers). I need you, you need me. Just saying.

May you live a long and happy life.
Sincerely,
Naomi

So I went to sleep last night with the wind pounding against the house. The snow was just scouring the walls, windows and roof... more like sleet than snow, actually. And when I woke up this morning, the wind was still howling but no snow. :-) Because I have to go to Regina again on Friday, I can't work that day. So Donna asked me to come in today to finish up the Blizzard cakes.

I rushed through my morning preparations and donned my winter wear (scarves and coat and leggings and gloved and etc and etc) and rushed outside. About five steps later, I stopped rushing and stared at the ground. All ice. It wasn't terribly cold, which was nice in a way. But it was also very, very bad since it made the ice very, very slick. Picture this in your head: powerful, howling wind + slippery ice everywhere + me. Imagine the wind blowing in my face. Imagine me not being terribly coordinated. Imagine me being blown backwards across the street. Awesome picture, eh? That's what I thought. After I got back home.

But I made it there, all in one piece. Happy and proud of my accomplishment. Donna met me at the door with these words, "I called to let you know that you didn't need to brave the storm but you had already left." Lol!. ;-)

8 Blizzard Cakes; 4 flavors. Oreo - Smartie - Cookie Dough - Reese's Cup. Did you know that a drizzle of chocolate topping makes any cake look beautiful? I love the stuff. It's so much fun to watch it drip over the sides of the cake and splash onto the tray and roll down my arm... hey! it's chocolate. :-) I love the entire process of making Blizzard cakes. (Sorry, I'm not allowed to tell you.) I can't wait for the time when I actually get to eat one. ;-) :-) :-)

When I was finished (12:30 give or take) Donna drove me home in time for my dinner and lesson prep and a little house cleaning. My first student arrived at 3:30 as usual and the lessons commenced.

Had a bit of a disappointment the other day. One of my adult students decided she hadn't learned enough in four weeks to commit until May. I completely understand and I'm ok with it. But I can't help but feel that I could have done better some way. But Michele says she goes through the same feelings when someone doesn't want to take lessons from her. She says if I had video taped the lessons from the past four weeks, I probably wouldn't be able to pinpoint anything I should have done better. I can only do my best... and seriously, I wouldn't want this woman to feel obligated to continue taking lessons. Wasting time and money is not what I want my students to do. I want them to keep coming because they're learning and enjoying themselves. :-)

The good news is that nearly everyone else has committed until the end of May. So, you folks in Carlyle, you're stuck with me. ;-) At least until I'm 25. Lol.

I am so tired. :-) That wind certainly takes it out of a person. And we still have theater practice tonight. For once, I'm not looking forward to it. Well, I take that back. I am but I'm not. I hope I don't fall asleep during the middle of it...

Anyways. I should close this up. As my beloved brother Stirling says, "Bonjour"... wait a minute. That's not goodbye. Just a second. :googles:

Au revior. ;-)

Bounce in My Step

The past few years have been interesting... especially regarding my health. As most of you know, I've been doing so much better the past few months. This summer, I had to work, teach kids and be around amazingly energetic people 24/7. I kept up. It was wonderful. :-)

As most of you know, this fall I had a bout of bronchitis and I'm just getting over the tail end of it. I feel amazing again!! I have energy. I can teach kids all afternoon and still feel patient enough to smile at them when the lesson is finished. (Btw, YES patience and good health work hand in hand a lot of the time...) ;-) I can work at DQ for 7 hours and have a bounce in my step on my way home. I can go to theater practice for three hours and have fun chatting up a storm with Michele at midnight while we're eating our snack. (You get absolutely famished after theater. Believe me.)

So, I appreciate all of the prayers and I just wanted to write an update about how I was doing since I have posted requests of prayer in the past. :-)

Today, we're off to Regina to do some shopping and to see my sisters, Ellie and Lydia. We're also going to the symphony. ;-) I am so excited. :-D

Chattering Feet

Yesterday, we went through the play twice. This is the first time everyone was in uniform. Wow. It made such a difference for me. I really felt like a true 40's honey with sober realities. Actually, come to think of it, maybe that wasn't so much the uniform as the nylons! (I used to hate them... now they're semi-ok. ;-))

It was interesting to watch the other performers do their songs and lines. They were so changed. Being in costume made them slip into character so much more easily. I realized how much I am blessed to be working with and learning from these seasoned veterans of the stage... 

The really interesting part came right away when I sat down to sing my solo. 

Observation #1: I get nervous for no reason. 

Observation #2: I should practice my song more.

Observation #3: It's interesting how your entire body can tremble and it doesn't effect your voice box. (I was shaking so badly, my feet were chattering on the floor.)

Observation #4: People can be so kind. 

The pianist played the opening bars of the song, I opened my mouth to sing... and promptly forgot all the words. We started over and I got two measures into it and for the life of  me couldn't remember this one line... Ironically it was, "I remember well...." No kidding. Lol!

At first I was feeling quite dreadful about it, but not for long. Firstly, I wasn't the only one to forget my words. Secondly, I wasn't the only one who got lost on my solo. The pianist skipped a page and we had to start the chorus again. She apologized but I assured her that she just made me feel better. :-) 

The second practice went much better. I practiced in between the two and when the time came, remembered all the words. I noticed that everyone else remembered their lines well and things went so much more smoothly! Except for that one part, in which someone improvised and caught me off guard... ;-) It was quite amusing. I shall tell you about it later. After the show. ;-) 

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. --Vicki Baum

I found this quote and thought it interesting. Polka and I suddenly clicked yesterday and I finally realized how much fun it could be. ;-) When I am playing the piano, I feel such a joy... and that is what I suddenly felt. Like there were wings on my feet. :-) 

Teaching went well today! I was really happy with the progress of all of my students. One I was worried about because I didn't seem to be making any progress with her. Finally today I had a glimpse of her thought processes and I believe things will go on much better than they have been. :-)  

Anyway, I am really tired and tomorrow is going to be another big day so I will bid thee adieu and wish pleasant dreams to all.

June 24th

June 24^th, 2010

This morning I woke up to thunder. Then, it started pouring. I am beginning to think this wet will never stop! The other day, I was talking to a friend via phone and, in my innocence, said that I didn't think there were mosquitoes in this neck of the woods, because in all the time I had been here, I hadn't seen one. The next day was warm and... guess what? Lol. We're being eaten alive. Fr. Banga has some bug spray but I hesitate to use it as it's not supposed to be good to breathe. I'll live. :-P

And now the sun shines. I can't believe how quickly it goes from being sunny out to pouring buckets to being sunny again. Last night, it rained very hard... hailed a bit, too. It was a little interesting because, firstly, Fr. Banga had to go shut the van windows. When the rain let up just a bit, he held a board over his head and went out. But he abandoned the board on the way in and just as he did, it decided to rain sheets. I've never seen him move so fast. Lol! Then, the wind changed and water started coming in at the end of the hall. The doors was open because Hannah had painted the one corner again and we wanted it to dry. However, the water wasn't helping anything dry so Fr. Banga bade me shut them. The doors open out and they had been blocked open so the wind wouldn't close them. Imagine how wet I got. Soaked. To the skin. In 5 seconds. Lol!

Last Saturday, we got a phone call from Peter and Gabi. They're picking us up on Saturday morning to spend the weekend in Regina. I am happy. :-) :-) :-)

Sunday the 20^th: After church, we went to Michele's house. Talk about fun. :-) :-) We had a glorious jam with her and Emily Klatt. And while we were having fun, Will was doing a computer job for Fr. Banga that would have been a nightmare if it hadn't been for him. Thank God for computer people. :-) After the “party” at Michele's, we picked up Sister Lucille and went to supper at Al and Loretta's (remember the story of the bull and the “badge”). I think it was the humidity and the heat and the fact that we'd played so hard at Michele's... the jam with Al was the deadest jam I've ever played in my entire life. I couldn't keep my eyes open. Lol! :-P

Monday the 21^st: Painted Mess Hall floor (dark gray) in morning; ate quick lunch; went to Moosomin for our dentist/orthodontist appointment. Anyone seen Gettysburg? I picked it up for $5 at The Bargain Shop. Haven't watched it yet.

Fr. Banga put the heat pump for the pool out into the lake. I'm not positive how it works but using the concept of geo-thermal, they heat the pool with this pump. John came as well as another friend of Fr. Banga's... whose name also is David. Except this David got the string bean gene. ;-) They got in the boat together and it was hysterical watching them. We laughed so hard. But both Davids are clowns and they encouraged the fun.

Our teeth are moving. The first two days were spent on pain killer, as usual. We ate yogurt and Fettuccine with white sauce. Hehe. But they're doing better now. Last night, I actually didn't take painkiller and I slept like a log.

Sorry... the pictures are backwards! Here the pump is being dumped out of the boat. Fr. Banga...

Dear John! He doesn't wear his teeth unless he's eating because he claims he can't get enough oxygen while wearing them. Lol. I'm so glad to have all of my own teeth. I need all the oxygen I can get. :D

Lydia with the cable. Hannah and John with the pipe.

Tuesday the 22^nd : Gave the Mess Hall floor another coat of paint. Prayed that it sticks. We had tried to paint a corner of the floor a couple weeks ago and even walking on it, the paint would come off. I had visions of a gray floor with red peaking through at intervals... anyways, I prayed. Really hard. Lol. If there is anything I dislike, it's having to re-do a job.

After the painting was complete, we worked in Music Room #2 with the chesterfields. Fr. Banga and Hannah screwed the stands onto the bottoms of the chesterfields and I sorted screws. Lydia painted the green on the front of the stage and hauled garbage. After I finished with the sorting of the screws, I gave the front of the stage a second white coat of paint. We did about 10 other odd jobs that aren't horribly big but make such a difference when they're all done. :-)

Wednesday the 23^rd: I had been dreading painting the mural. Lydia and Hannah did all the “inside” colors but it needed a black outline to be completed. I am no artist. I wasn't sure if I could do it well enough because if the paintbrush slips just a little, well... anyways. But I began at it right away. My idea is to try to get the worst over with as soon as possible. :-P It went ok. I'll try to post some pictures with this blog entry so you can see what we did with it. I am not entirely pleased with the finished product... mainly because of Jesus' facial features. Blah. (again, I am so not an artist! :-P) Fr. Banga said that it looks like someone gave Jesus a black eye. ::snort:: But it's ok. I feel such a sense of relief to have that done. :-)

Lydia cut all of the grass. Hannah did a million and one odd jobs. Fr. Banga fixed stuff that only he could fix. Life is ok. :-)

Working on the mural...

The finished product.

June 26th: We're in Regina at Peter and Gabi's... having a wonderful time. :) The fellowship is so refreshing. I feel like I'm resting. :) Talk to ya'll later.

May 2010 Update

May 2010

Life has been so busy of late! We have made plans to leave on the 27th of this month... we'll be staying there until August 22nd. I have been starting to get my things sorted, ready for packing. I'm also finishing up last minute writing. And, I am trying to help out around the place as much as I can. Today I made mozzarella cheese for the pizzas we're having on Sunday (23rd). Thanks to the generosity of our neighbors, we had enough milk to make a four gallon batch. I think we'll need one more to cover the amount of cheese we'll need for (at least) 6 pizzas.

Lydia came up with a wonderful idea to have a small birthday celebration/going away party for Jesse (16 on the 26th), myself (24 on the 31st) and herself (18 on in July) since we're going to be gone for our birthdays. So, we're having pizza for the main meal with cheesecake, ice-cream and sherbet with all of the toppings. :-) I'm really looking forward to it!! :-)

I've never enjoyed growing older until last year. I'm not sure what changed, other than my outlook on life. :-P Growing older signifies change and I finally decided that it's not all bad. :-) But I have been thinking a lot about how I'm spending my time. I am trying to write about every book and movie I watch, not just for my memory but because it helps me think through why I liked or disliked certain aspects. It's good brain exercise and I think I am beginning to better form my thoughts into words.

Cilla: “Do you have muckers?”

Me: “No, I don't.”

Cilla: “You should. Most of the adventure is in muckers.”

The other day, I wanted to to the back of our property to check out the creeks and sloughs and woods. It's so lovely back there. Anyways, I came across Zeke, Cilla and Uriah playing in the water. They weren't supposed to be out that far by themselves but I figured since they were already out there and no longer alone (I was there, after all) we could do some exploration. The only problem occurred when we managed to find every bramble on our property in their bare feet! Yes, they had decided to be little pioneer children and not wear shoes. Lol. I ended up carrying Cilla and Uriah over the worst of it. Some of our property is very wet and since I was wearing hikers, I had to cut some of my excursions shorter than I would have liked. There is this one slough that had dry ground through the middle of it... so beautiful. One of these days, I'm going to have to go explore further.

I have been made very happy twice this year. Once was the realization that our fiddlehead ferns weren't dead as I feared and are growing beautifully in spite of much abuse and neglect. Lol. The other time was when I discovered that most of the strawberry plants that appeared to have been winter killed were not. I love strawberries. And better yet, I love strawberries dipped in chocolate. Or strawberries eaten with Toblerone... now that combination! The visions dancing through my head beats Ratatouille's Remy all hollow. Hehe. :-D (Btw, for you fine loving food folks, you might enjoy this film...) (and for animated fans, this movie is definitely for you!) (Does anyone else out there love Ratatouille?)

I have some posts scheduled to appear upon occasion... I hate to leave the blog un-updated :-P for long amounts of time so I am trying. :-) However, I'm still not sure how much I will have written or if I should just worry about other things. It's funny how quickly life gets so busy in so many different directions.

When you think of my sisters and me, please pray for us. Please pray that we will be a blessing to everyone we are in contact with. Please pray also that my health holds and I'm able to work hard. And if you think of it :-) pray that we'll have a fun summer that leaves us blessed.

Thank you for reading my blog so faithfully over the past months. You all have been a huge encouragement to me. ::hugs:: God bless!

April 27th Update with pictures

So the past few days have been very busy. I feel like I've been going non-stop since last Wednesday, when we went up to Swan River, MB for our braces appointment. I have this sneaking suspicion that it's not going to be slowing down anytime in the near future. :-)

I had a minor cardiac arrest on the 22nd. I had spent the entire morning, practicing, working on the program books, making sure all my notes were in place. I loaded things up going out the door and we were on our way. Just as we got to the long term care centre, I realized that the books were not beside me. A frantic search ensued which only showed us that the books were still at home... obediently sitting in their bag.

Of course, I then had to figure out what we could play without books. As it turns out, you can't think well when you're stressed out, so I had to get my heart working normal speed again. Lol! Between all of us that were playing, we managed to play enough songs from memory for 45 minutes worth of music. I was so happy. I didn't think we knew that much music. :-) :-)

So in spite of the panic, I am glad it happened. It means that we aren't stuck to our books and we can actually sound ok without them. Thank goodness though, it wasn't a real concert or show!

Yesterday morning, a woman called from the Mackenzie Training Centre in Preeceville to ask if we would play for the monthly b-day party they put on. We decided that we could, even though we hadn't practiced the past couple of days. Lydia and Zeke decided that they weren't going to come because it would wreck their day's activities. So we kind of survived without them and had a wonderful time. I love the spirit there.

It's a place for people who are mentally retarded. We've done one other show at a place similar to it but they were so dull. It was hard to be around them because everyone seemed so severe and sad. But this place was different. It was like a huge party. :-) They did the hand motions with the kids, danced on the fast tunes, sang and laughed with us. I made a blooper on one of the entros and had to replay it but the atmosphere was so easy that I didn't feel embarrassed at all. :-) They simply appreciated the music. It was so nice. :-)

Other than music, I've been writing a lot. Reviews of books, movies and music. So that's been keeping me very busy. Right now, I'm trying to read “the Forgotten Garden”. It's very nice so far. I love mysteries and I love Britain, so this fits the bill for me.

Does anyone like “The Princess Diaries”? They were pretty clean, I thought and I love Julie Andrews, period. :-) I love it when she sings.

We had another calf on Saturday. Lydia's Caresse had a huge heifer and they had to pull it. Thankfully, mama and baby seem fine. The heifer is named Lotte. Lydia's now milking in the mornings as well as Ellie and Martha. Peter and Gabi W. happened to be over at the time that Lotte was being born and Peter really wanted to get his hands dirty. :-) They had never seen a calf being born before... and it only takes having friends like the Holters to give you completely new (and perhaps a little bizarre) experiences. Hehe. ;-)

This morning, the director of the camp Hannah, Lydia and I are going to be teaching at called... he needs people to help him clean up the camp before it starts. Some kids he had set up for the job canceled. Anyways, it looks like we'll now be gone for the entire month of June as well as July and most of August. When he called, I told him that we would have to talk about it... kind of thinking that it wouldn't be something my sisters would want to do or my parents would want us to do (because that means we'll be gone for three months this year). But everyone was really gung-ho about it and I'm still catching my breath! Lol. It's going to be quite a summer!!

So if you think of us, please pray that we'll be a blessing to those we come in contact with. I sometimes feel very weak... not just physically. :-) But with God nothing is impossible.

Ladies Time Out is on the 30th and things are coming together. Please, please pray for that, too. I want it to be an evening that is so fun and full of goodness that everyone will come away with sweet memories.

My Grandparents should be arriving sometime this week, too. I am looking forward to seeing them so much! I just can't wait. :-) :-) :-)

Well, I'm going to be heading over to the neighbors after dinner so I should be posting this today. I hope you all have a wonderful week. God bless!