#LakeLife
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word
Most days now I wake up to the sound of a robin singing in the tree near our bedroom window. Sometimes, if I'm up either late or early enough, I'll hear all the birds in chorus. This is an actual recording of that sound.
Speaking of sound, I finally finished the stereo install in the car, and man is it nice to have great quality sound in there for all these long trips...
Yesterday I was planning camping trips for two different weekends, and recently I was planning for a third weekend, and I’m just thrilled to be going out to celebrate water and fire and food and family and friendships this summer. It feels like a return to my Emma Lake days. When I’m at the lake, I sleep better, my mood improves. Cities aren’t particularly good for humans. Perhaps there’s a genetic component to that as well, since I’m from agrarian stock mostly.
Saviour I come, quiet my soul, remember
Redemption's hill where your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss
The Family Life Conference we attended this weekend was a wonderful chance to enjoy campfire conversations, excellent speakers, and lake life at the same time. The weather was hit and miss, with a storm on Friday, Saturday during the day, then a beautiful evening - finally a lovely day on Sunday all day - then to end things off, high winds and pelting rain for the camping takedown. I was exhilerated and called it an adventure. Paul was cold and wet and miserable and grouchy and protested that it was not an adventure. I asked to go out to the lake shore because the waves from the whitecaps were as big as an ocean, and “We’re never going to hear the ocean in Alberta again!” He humoured me!
The biggest difference from the last few years, when Paul has gotten really seriously ill from allergic reactions to something, was that this year we stayed with Paul’s former co-worker Yvonne, who has now retired out to the lake with her husband Lance. They have a gorgeous lake house with an actual lake view (not just a view of another lake house across the street) and she has a very big streak of hospitality - so we stayed in a King-Size bed bedroom with ensuite washroom and a lake-view window and got fed crepes and fruit and fresh whipped cream every morning, and Yvonne and I traded stories about thrifting and fixing things. It was a joy to get to know her better and she reminds me of my Grandma (and you all know how much I love my Gran!)
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
Hmm, what else has been happening... I hosted a Plant Afternoon (as opposed to a Plant Night) at my house with several of my girlfriends attending. I now have a large selection of succulents and other desert plants that I need to find time to pot.
It has been raining quite a lot, and one day in the evening after a lot of rain I went outside and spent nearly two whole hours weeding. I paid for it in exhaustion, but honestly it was a great accomplishment! I’m not quite done (when is one EVER done weeding honestly) but I got a ton of work done to help my perrenials thrive. I found out recently that hollyhocks are biennials - they grow one year with a crappy little plant, and the next year they shoot up 5+ feet and bloom beautifully and seed. I’m glad to know that now, but I really set myself back a few years ago pulling the “crappy” ones out. You live and learn.
I went out to Red Deer on Monday to help a friend deal with some anxiety - and to review my own information about it. I got there too early so I ended up taking a long stroll through Costco to check out all their offerings. Also, their Costco is laid out exactly backwards and upside down in comparison to all the main ones I have used, so it felt sort of fresh in a weird way. I'm trying a new giant towel and bought us a couple more completely normal dishtowels (not microfiber or rags, just basic, the kind you can leave hanging around to dry your hands or dishes easily.)
Creepy Crawly alert: I spent some of last night and this morning dealing with an infestation of warehouse beetles in Murphy's stuff. Sadly it means I've had to say goodbye to a bunch of nostalgic toys (his blueberry, pizza monster, and Grumpy Cat toys to name a few.) Happily, we caught it before they infested our food! So yay to early interventions and I'm going to try my best not to feel like things are crawling on me for the next few weeks.
How beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her groom, with His light in her eyes
How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure lives so that others may live
I shot a last minute wedding on Friday night at the Muttart with a crowd of awesome nerdy people. I found out that the Muttart Conservatory is closing for several years for renovations - I fully intend on being high on the list if anyone Googles weddings at the Muttart, haha.
I've been getting a pretty steady stream of inquiries lately actually, which I greatly appreciate.
Here's a collection of things I've done recently:
I did my first oil change at home after having picked up a new but cheap oil pan and old and therefore cheap but indestructible ramps. It's going to save me a boatload of cash.
I met with some of the other Young Adult leaders for a casual chat about our community and how to continue to connect people. It was a great chat and we are planning to do it on a more regular basis. We've decided to open the invitaion to the community at large to come out camping later this month, and to start having brunches or potlucks on Feast Days!
We attended two lovely housewarming parties! We went to Saskatoon and got to see both of our baby nephews - and to finally play board games with Ricki and Philip at King Me, which we had been trying to do for over a year! We also had a giant anniversary dinner, and it was a great experience. The bad thing that happened in Saskatoon is that Murphy somehow got a paw-nail caught in his crate, and ripped it out (shiver) and we had to take him to the Small Animal Hospital in Saskatoon for care - a big orange bandage around his paw - and subsequently a few days later to the vet here to take that off and check him out. Thankfully he's back to himself and ready to go running these days. Actually he's been whining at me most of the afternoon, but I honestly have a fair bit of work to do so I might have to get someone to walk him... or bite the bullet myself anyway.
Early in June I had the opportunity to walk through Confirmation on the Feast of Pentecost with one of the young adults, and it was a great experience! I've also been steadily having coffee or meals individually and getting to know people, which is fantastic.
That actually brings me back to my last post! Hurray!
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word
Most days now I wake up to the sound of a robin singing in the tree near our bedroom window. Sometimes, if I'm up either late or early enough, I'll hear all the birds in chorus. This is an actual recording of that sound.
Speaking of sound, I finally finished the stereo install in the car, and man is it nice to have great quality sound in there for all these long trips...
Yesterday I was planning camping trips for two different weekends, and recently I was planning for a third weekend, and I’m just thrilled to be going out to celebrate water and fire and food and family and friendships this summer. It feels like a return to my Emma Lake days. When I’m at the lake, I sleep better, my mood improves. Cities aren’t particularly good for humans. Perhaps there’s a genetic component to that as well, since I’m from agrarian stock mostly.
Saviour I come, quiet my soul, remember
Redemption's hill where your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss
The Family Life Conference we attended this weekend was a wonderful chance to enjoy campfire conversations, excellent speakers, and lake life at the same time. The weather was hit and miss, with a storm on Friday, Saturday during the day, then a beautiful evening - finally a lovely day on Sunday all day - then to end things off, high winds and pelting rain for the camping takedown. I was exhilerated and called it an adventure. Paul was cold and wet and miserable and grouchy and protested that it was not an adventure. I asked to go out to the lake shore because the waves from the whitecaps were as big as an ocean, and “We’re never going to hear the ocean in Alberta again!” He humoured me!
The biggest difference from the last few years, when Paul has gotten really seriously ill from allergic reactions to something, was that this year we stayed with Paul’s former co-worker Yvonne, who has now retired out to the lake with her husband Lance. They have a gorgeous lake house with an actual lake view (not just a view of another lake house across the street) and she has a very big streak of hospitality - so we stayed in a King-Size bed bedroom with ensuite washroom and a lake-view window and got fed crepes and fruit and fresh whipped cream every morning, and Yvonne and I traded stories about thrifting and fixing things. It was a joy to get to know her better and she reminds me of my Grandma (and you all know how much I love my Gran!)
This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides
Hmm, what else has been happening... I hosted a Plant Afternoon (as opposed to a Plant Night) at my house with several of my girlfriends attending. I now have a large selection of succulents and other desert plants that I need to find time to pot.
It has been raining quite a lot, and one day in the evening after a lot of rain I went outside and spent nearly two whole hours weeding. I paid for it in exhaustion, but honestly it was a great accomplishment! I’m not quite done (when is one EVER done weeding honestly) but I got a ton of work done to help my perrenials thrive. I found out recently that hollyhocks are biennials - they grow one year with a crappy little plant, and the next year they shoot up 5+ feet and bloom beautifully and seed. I’m glad to know that now, but I really set myself back a few years ago pulling the “crappy” ones out. You live and learn.
I went out to Red Deer on Monday to help a friend deal with some anxiety - and to review my own information about it. I got there too early so I ended up taking a long stroll through Costco to check out all their offerings. Also, their Costco is laid out exactly backwards and upside down in comparison to all the main ones I have used, so it felt sort of fresh in a weird way. I'm trying a new giant towel and bought us a couple more completely normal dishtowels (not microfiber or rags, just basic, the kind you can leave hanging around to dry your hands or dishes easily.)
Creepy Crawly alert: I spent some of last night and this morning dealing with an infestation of warehouse beetles in Murphy's stuff. Sadly it means I've had to say goodbye to a bunch of nostalgic toys (his blueberry, pizza monster, and Grumpy Cat toys to name a few.) Happily, we caught it before they infested our food! So yay to early interventions and I'm going to try my best not to feel like things are crawling on me for the next few weeks.
How beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her groom, with His light in her eyes
How beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure lives so that others may live
I shot a last minute wedding on Friday night at the Muttart with a crowd of awesome nerdy people. I found out that the Muttart Conservatory is closing for several years for renovations - I fully intend on being high on the list if anyone Googles weddings at the Muttart, haha.
I've been getting a pretty steady stream of inquiries lately actually, which I greatly appreciate.
Here's a collection of things I've done recently:
I did my first oil change at home after having picked up a new but cheap oil pan and old and therefore cheap but indestructible ramps. It's going to save me a boatload of cash.
I met with some of the other Young Adult leaders for a casual chat about our community and how to continue to connect people. It was a great chat and we are planning to do it on a more regular basis. We've decided to open the invitaion to the community at large to come out camping later this month, and to start having brunches or potlucks on Feast Days!
We attended two lovely housewarming parties! We went to Saskatoon and got to see both of our baby nephews - and to finally play board games with Ricki and Philip at King Me, which we had been trying to do for over a year! We also had a giant anniversary dinner, and it was a great experience. The bad thing that happened in Saskatoon is that Murphy somehow got a paw-nail caught in his crate, and ripped it out (shiver) and we had to take him to the Small Animal Hospital in Saskatoon for care - a big orange bandage around his paw - and subsequently a few days later to the vet here to take that off and check him out. Thankfully he's back to himself and ready to go running these days. Actually he's been whining at me most of the afternoon, but I honestly have a fair bit of work to do so I might have to get someone to walk him... or bite the bullet myself anyway.
Early in June I had the opportunity to walk through Confirmation on the Feast of Pentecost with one of the young adults, and it was a great experience! I've also been steadily having coffee or meals individually and getting to know people, which is fantastic.
That actually brings me back to my last post! Hurray!