Happy Canada Day!

here are some scenes of our Canada Day celebrations!!!! we had some awesome fireworks last night ... we watched it from our front deck ... and i took dozens of photo's ...

and we also had a parade march by our place!!!! with candy being thrown from the quaint little floats ...

it has certainly been a wonderful celebration of being Canadian! and all happening right outside our door in small town Manitoba!

Happy Canada Day, eh!

summer summer summer

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. ~Celia Thaxter

are you satisfied?

Reach out to Jesus

this old hymn came to mind this morning ... just sharing it ... i don't know who wrote it, but it sure is comforting ...

Reach out to Jesus

Is your burden heavy as you bear it all alone?
Does the road you travel harbour danger yet unknown?
Are you growing weary in the struggle of it all?
Jesus will help you when on His name you call.

Refrain

He is always there hearing every prayer, faithful and true.
Walking by our side in His love we hide all the day through.
When you get discouraged just remember what to do,
Reach out to Jesus He's reaching out to you.

Is the life you're living filled with sorrow and despair?
Does the future press you with it's worry and it's care?
Are you tired and friendless, have you almost lost your way?
Jesus will help you, just come to Him today.

yard sale

one of the things i couldn't do when i worked - was go to yard sales - since they are all on weekends ...

well last weekend i was able to indulge for the first time in years!!! but do you think i could find one??? well, after wandering around town, i stumbled on one right in front of my nose and right across the street!!!

this weekend, i thought i'd take my bike - just so i could expand my search further, and go faster!!!

when i left home, i did notice a yard sale that was only 5 houses from our place, but i didn't want to go to that one ... i "sort of" know these folks and i don't want to get too friendly because they like to "pop in" ... having a husband with chronic pain means that he doesn't do well with "pop in" visitors ... so i went for a lengthy bike ride, but alas couldn't find any other sales ... i mentally gave in and said, "ok Lord, i'll go see what they have ... " ...

of course that is where i found a plate for my eclectic dinnerware collection (the theme is english countrysides or other pastural pics) ... the lady of the house even went into her own cupboard to get this plate for me ... it cost a dollar ... and made me happy ...

i found the picture on it priceless ... a woman at rest, by the water - with an angel poised above ...

i guess i was meant to stop there ... and by doing that, it was me who ended up being blessed!

that was my saturday highlight ... *smile* ...

to do list

i have a to do list on my fridge ... but as you can see, i don't have a single thing ticked off of it yet!

oh dear ... i am falling behind! .... *grin* ....

a week in pics

my first week off went by so quickly that i barely had time to blog about it! so i thought i'd post a few visuals ... click on the pic to make them larger ...


i spent a lovely day in the city, visiting family ... on the way back the clouds were amazing! “Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:4-5)

my brother came for a weekend visit ... it was great to veg out and not worry about the time ... we even went for a walk in the evening ...

leo hasn't been well enough to go fishing in the past 2 years ... and i LOVE fish ... so one of our buddies came over with 5 walleye for me!!!!! YUM ... i'm glad leo hadn't forgotten how to fillet them ... boy was i ready for a good walleye feed!!!

the roses are blooming in my little flower garden ... they are delicate and lovely ... tho' quite short lived ... only 4-5 days ...

there was a double rainbow last night ... it was beautiful and i tried to capture it - but it was so magnificent and grand that only a portion fit in my little digi ... reminded me of how i sometimes try to put God in a box ... but He is so HUGE and fills every space ... i'm so GLAD He is MORE then i could ever imagine!

and this is how my little flower garden looks today ...

i have ridden my bike ... done some shopping ... gone to a garage sale and farmers' market ... just thoroughly enjoyed ... my one sadness is the way Leo feels ... but i keep praying about that and keep praying that his spirit remains upbeat ... God knows ... and God cares ...

the Strength of the Lord

my first week and weekend off ...

pic taken from the front deck, here at condo central ... thank you Lord for finding us this home! and the panorama that unfolds before us every morning ... views we didn't even realize we had until we moved in!

thank you Lord for the time i've been able to spend with family ... for the bike rides ... weeding of flower beds ... and being around for Leo ... thank you Lord!!!

and summer doesn't even officially start until the 21st!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

praise Him, all creatures here below;

praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.Amen.

Goodbye Ruth ... we shall meet over on the otherside

i'm thinking that there was rejoicing in heaven, as ruth went to be with her Lord ...

through the years, she was an example to me of what a Godly woman was ... how she lived ... treated her family ... and the grace she showed even in the spotlight of that media glare ...

i've read many of ruth's books ... even my little style of the "three dots" inbetween thoughts, i borrowed from her ...

she would have made an inspirational blogger ... and charmingly witty as well ... but MOST important, her love for Jesus shown through in all she penned and in the way she lived that "celebrity" life ... humbly, before the Lord, giving Him the glory ...

enjoy the moment

i'm babysitting my aunt's china rose (hibiscus) for the summer ... it loves the window area i've placed it in - in fact it has taken over a large portion of our dining room view! leo says i can't keep it ... *grin* ...


what i have found so interesting about the lovely flowers this plant produces - is how quickly they come - and go - ... i mean you could pretty well blink and the blooms have dropped off and died ... that's only a slight exaggeration!


when you capture the flower in full bloom - it is breathtakingly lovely ...


but you must pay attention ... otherwise, the blossom just withers and falls - it's loveliness never to be gazed on again ...


it seems the Lord has been bringing flowers and the brevity of their life - to my notice ... especially in the last 2 years ... i seem to notice their beauty more ... and also the lack of effort they require ... they would still blossom and sway smilingly in the wind, even if no one noticed but the birds of the air ...


take time .... take time ... to notice what is around you ... enjoy the moment ... and give all the praise and glory to God ...

good-bye salt mines ...

today was the last time i drove past this little creek to get to the office ... it was a happy/sad type feeling ... during the past few days at work, my buds have taken me out to lunch every day, hosted a lovely little party, given me gifts and complimented me to no end ... so why leave? because it is time ...

i took the following pics today ... which i wanted to share with you guys ...

i am thankful that the Lord showed His kindness towards me by making the salt mines i toiled in, such a pleasant place!

rain rain rain

it was a rainy day in the park ... these are scenes from the office, taken today ... i was wondering, do you think the salt mines were shedding a few tears 'cause i won't be working there anymore? a bit of whimsy on my part ...

we all know there is a time and a season for everything ...

monday musings ...

during our 3 weeks of almost constant rain, this poor hanging basket of mine was just drowning! its' flowers love sunshine and there was no sunshine to be had ... i wondered if the weather beaten blooms would ever pick up .. but as soon as the sun came out, the flowers perked up and started to reach for the warmth ...

isn't that kind of like us? ... we get beaten down by life's problems ... almost drown in the misery of a valley experience ... yet - everything has an end ... and a beginning too ... once we hike out of that valley and perch on the mountain top, we have a better vantage point of the journey we just completed ... then we can rest for abit and just bask in the SONshine of God's blessings ...

nature always has a way of making me "see" God ... and i think that's what He intended ...

today as my husband battled another bout with fever, as well as the usual yuckies of chronic pain - i wondered what good can ever come out of this situation? i don't have the answer to that ... yet ... but i do trust that one day our lives will blossom in ways i cannot see now ... i have faith the SON will not forget us ...

~~~~~~~~

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ~He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

my picture and verse for the day ...

soggy manitoba

driving to work this morning was wickedly slow ... the ridges in the highway collected with water and wanted to take my car in directions i didn't want to go! so i had to slow down, and just peer between the fast-moving wipers to make sure i stayed on the straight and narrow!

imagine my delight when the sun made it's appearance (for 5 minutes!) when i got home ... it looked so lovely that i had to take a quick walk to the beach and snap a pic or two ... here is one for you ... tho' the clouds were pulling in again ...

for my blog buds that are suffering through droughts ... i am so sorry and would happily share our liquid gold if i could ...

blessings on your weekend ...

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes. Psalm 119:135

transformation

Dr. Werner von Braun, well-known for his part in pioneering the U.S. space program, said that he had "essentially scientific" reasons for believing in life after death. He explained: "Science has found that nothing can disappear without a trace. Nature does not know extinction. All it knows is transformation. If God applies the fundamental principle to the most minute and insignificant parts of the universe, doesn't it make sense to assume that He applies it to the masterpiece of His creation -- the human soul? I think it does."

check out the rain!

you couldn't even see the lake today - the rain was that heavy ... it just poured buckets and filled the ditches up ... i'm glad i was snug inside our condo central ...

though the exuberance of youth was evident in the neighbours boys ... they had their swim trunks on and they were running up and down the street! just enjoying the soggy weather and obviously enjoying life! made me smile and think about the energy one has as a youngster ...

I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness. ~Adeline Knapp

Sunday greetings

just leaving a sweet little "Sunday type" image, before i dash off to the salt mines in the park ... blessings on this Lord's day to you!

the cross, where our faith became sight ...

photo by saija

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

i was coming out of the grocery store the other day when i happened to look across the street at the old anglican church ... i loved the image i saw ... i ran for my camera before the shadows and light changed ... cool, eh!

rain

it was a rainy day today ... and foggy ... and warm ... and restful! leo and i had a nice morning together, then watched a movie in the afternoon ... of course the evening was for hockey night in Canada (for leo anyway!) ...

i am starting to get excited about my summer off ... it is amazing how tiring work can be - i must admit to a bit of aging happening ... ? ... go figure eh!

each day seems to bring another confirmation of my decision to "retire" from the salt mines in the park ... i love it when God speaks to a listening heart ... and His peace settles any last doubts ...

the pics i've posted are just ones i snapped today ... flowers by our garage ... and the view from our front window ... serene, eh? i am counting my blessings - day by day and minute by minute! ...

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds." Matthew 6:25-26 (the message)

the blooms of spring

i snapped this pic today, as i came home from work ... i love being greeted by "smiling" flowers! today is my Friday ... i just wanted to say "hi" ... *smile* ...

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo

tv's, satellites and helpful neighbours

Cartoon by Dave Walker

i saw this cartoon a while back ... it made me smile ... especially since we have downsized ...

and speaking of tv's (oh? were we? *chuckle*) ... our satellite reception was giving leo major problems this afternoon ... in fact, he was talking to the tekkies at our provider for over an hour! all they could conclude was that something was unplugged ... but leo had tried all the connections ... poor guy was just sweating when i got home, that type of bending behind tv sets isn't the best of positions for a guy with back problems! ...

when i got home, i looked at the actual dish perched on our roof ... then, compared it to our neighbours dish ... and sure enough, something was unhooked ...

our condo central is a 50+ place ... we are the "kids" here ... but our neighbours (some of whom are older then our parents!) have been so helpful and sweet ... they knew something was up when they saw leo going to the garage for a ladder ... our 85 year old neighbour rushed over to help carry the ladder for leo!! then our 70 something, other neighbour, stopped what he was doing to go climb up the ladder and snap this part back into place! and we had clear reception again! not only that, once this little community project was all finished, the sky opened up and it poured rain - but the job was done! :o) ... doesn't that make you smile? the sweetness of folks we really don't know, and their willingness to jump in there and help! Praise the Lord for kind-hearted neighbours ...

a meme

i was tagged by osray from being there and Kathleen Marie from The open window ...

the rules: post 7 (or 8) random facts about yourself. here goes:

1. i hum all the time
2. i love to sit in a room full of books, i find them comforting ...
3. swimming is my very favourite activity
4. i love the desert
5. i still think of myself as a young person (with a 53 year old body!)
6. i take pictures of sunrises, wondering if Jesus will be returning soon...
7. i love church, tho' we don't have a church home ...

if you want to share some random facts, please let me know and i'll come over and have a read! *smile* ...

for now, it's off to bed and then another 5 days at the salt mines in the park ... tho' i am counting down! blessings sent your way ...

it's greening up!

(click on pic to enlarge)

i went for a bike ride today ... look at how my little town is starting to green up ... doesn't it just make a heart glad? *smile* ... at the town docks, i chatted up an old gentleman fishing ... he was enjoying the day ... and why not ... God's blessings are all around for us to see ... He gives us all good things to freely enjoy!

country music ...

do you listen to country music?

i haven't in a while ... however, the radio at work is tuned to the country station, so i quickly got reaquainted with the sweetness of that genre ... one song in particular seemed to be playing constantly - especially as i prayed about my work situation - "should i quit, shouldn't i quit?" ...

you can hear the song by doing a search on www.youtube.com ... the simple cowboy lyrics were relateable and comforting ... therefore, worthy of sharing with you, my blog buds!

"Me and God" by Josh Turner

There ain't nothing that can't be done
By me and God
Ain't nobody come in between me and God
One day we'll live together
Where the angels trod
Me and God

Early in the morning talking it over
Me and God
Late at night talking it over
Me and God
You could say we're like two peas in a pod
Me and God

He's my Father
He's my friend
The beginning
And the end
He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We're a team
Me and God

I am weak and he is strong
Me and God
He forgives me when I'm wrong
Me and God
He's the one I lean on When life gets hard
Me and God

He's my Father
He's my friend
The beginning
And the end
He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We're a team
Me and God

He rules the world
With a staff and rod
We're a team
Me and God
We're a team
Me and God

when is enough ... enough?

back in the 70's, as a newlywed, i started my first full-time job ... it was for a huge conglomerate, yet located within a small town ... i was a dewey eyed young thing, and my coffee time chatter involved our domestic plans and how after a few years in the work force i would "retire" ...

leo had set a budget for us, one that we stuck to religiously ... we wanted to always be able to live off of leo's salary and have mine go into savings or extras ...

i still remember the response from one of my colleagues ... i thought she was ancient at the time (maybe in her 50's ... *grin* ...) ... she sat at her desk, which was always piled high with paperwork ... a chain-smoker, her ashtray overflowed with butts ... her yellowed fingers held a cigarette, while the other hand stamped invoices and shuffled paper ... in between drags, she looked at me with world weary eyes and said "when is enough ... enough?" ... she said there will ALWAYS be something a person wants and will continue working for ..."just one more thing and it'll be enough"... apparently she'd had plans to quit for years, but she continued on for a boat - then a bigger boat - then a new car - then a fancy trip ...

the thirst for things was never quenched ...

i still think of her now and again ... and wonder if she ever retired or just died there in her little corner of the accounting department ... wanting one more thing ...

today - for me - my enough IS enough ... i handed in my notice at the salt mines in the park ... a new chapter begins ...

of course it is a bit scary ... but the Lord has always faithfully supplied our needs and blessed our lives with the desires of our hearts as well

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

where eagles soar

(click on picture to enlarge)

i was almost at the office ... in the salt mines of the park ... when an eagle flew across the road, some large (quite dead!) animal in it's mouth ...

i had time ... so i turned the car around and tried to snap some pics of this magnificent looking bird ... but ... he didn't cooperate, my zoom wasn't strong enough and i did have to get to work ...

however, this will give you an idea ...

cool, eh? ... *smile*

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

~George Washington Carver