Wanderings

"Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what i mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can't be right. I need a change, or something."

LOTR Chapter 1

Bilbo seems to have hit the nail on the head with his little musing on his life. He has drawn a beautiful analogy to how we feel sometimes, inside, pulled in many directions but not really going anywhere. Spinning our metaphorical wheels in the mud and creating a lot of mess at times but not progressing, driving in any way. Not even sure of where to go and how best to proceed. I know that there is a plan and a path all marked out for us but somedays i feel like i don't even deserve to have that done for me. I ignore the author of the map and seek to find my own ways through the quagmires and tangles of life, often to no avail. And so, yes, here i lie, still in the same place after seven years, wondering what is to come and how to tackle things. I have desires to do so many things in life but don't seem to accomplish things. Yes, i know, i have travelled in a very real sense in many places and done interesting things, why can i not be content with that? Why must there always be something more? Something just beyond the grasp which entices and lures and even frustrates? There are so many things in this life which are wonderful, which God has created for us to enjoy which i wish to lap up, to soak in and to be a part of, yet the clock ticks ever onwards and i waste time doing silly things. Argh! I would like it to be said of my life that I served God and served Him faithfully. I suppose it doesn't matter how many classic books i've read or how many places in the world i've visited or how many friends i have, but if it can be said of me that i lived a life in step with my Lord, that is the ultimate accomplishment in life... and that not even of myself but only done through the Lord's having His almighty arm guiding me and leading where He would have me go. A bit like walking in the dark at times not sure where to put the next step but trusting your guide so implicitely that He would not lead you astray. Lead me Lord!

On the move again

Once again, the guidebooks are my daily bedtime reading, my dreams are filled with travel plans and my head is desparately attempting to organize some sort of schedule. Where in the world is the destination this time? The tentative plans for the moment are to head for the old world, for the head of the Dominion, to the fair isle of Engelande. My youngest sister Lauren and I are likely going to head over the pond to do some exploring and discovering and learning in May of this year. We are both quite excited about this prospect and can't wait to start making concrete plans. We have a few ideas about what to do and see but we hope to get together soon to make this all happen. So any good ideas y'all may have as to what to do and how to do it in the expensive land of England would be greatly appreciated.

Free Flying

Walking on a winter's morning

Quiet time

Footsteps muffled

Wind in the trees

Snow swirling lightly

Sun peering through the flakes.

The flock senses a change

A foreigner approaching

Interfering in the flow of the day

Take to the sky

Reel

Soar

Fly

Careen

And because one flies

All the others follow in a quivering group

A mass of black dots

Ebbing and flowing

Pulsing and undulating

Across a blue canvas

Following a random pattern

Landing here, then there

How do they know

Where their neighbour will turn?

A master is orchestrating this dance

In the sky on a snowy morning.

Surprise!!!

Once upon a time, there was a family. The family decided not to be at home, to ignore their oldest daughter when she came to grace them with her presence upon a lovely January morn. That family was rather silly to not be in attendance for this great event and so, thus, there were some dire consequences. The daughter, seeing that her arrival was not greeted with multiple hugs, kisses and other displays of affection, was put to thinking that perhaps she ought to ensure that in future there would be no such lapses in care for her. So she hatched a clever plan. Stealthily (i have no idea how to spell that word!!!) she gathered up the elements required for her little escapade. Dad's pants, a jean shirt, a winter cap, Lauren's pillow, a spare blanket, someone's winter boots and a little tuft of fake hair recovered from the play clothes trunk in the basement. All these items were cunningly fashioned into a replica man.
This man was then carefully positioned on the throne of the new bathroom (the adjective new being used loosely because it is now probably over 15 or 20 years old but that's the way it's always been referred to in this household). He held his own position remarkably well and decided since he would be there for quite some time, to start on the sudoku puzzle, joining the sudoku craze like half of the world! What a trendy fellow! And so he sat, and sat and sat (in the dark with the door slightly ajar to dismiss any suspicions which may initially have arisen). He was waiting for someone. And there came the first victim... Dad. He, alas, didn't scare too easily and he merely gave the daughter a phone call inquiring as to whether this was her handiwork or not. The daughter of course, firmly denied all involvement and was secretly glad inside that he knew it was her. For that meant that despite no one's being home, they truly did know and love her!
The second victim was not so fortunate or calm. The daughter had been on the phone conversing with her maternal figure and inviting her over for a cuppa tea. The mother assented and went to get ready to depart the homestead. Alas and alack, she opened the bathroom door and there was a mysterious presence in there with her! She screamed and proceeded to call the daughter back and create shrieks of terror and indignation on the phone. "You were lucky i didn't have to go to the bathroom any more than i did!!!" Hah, number two victim was a success. As was victim number three,the youngest sister. She likewise was alarmed and erupted with screams of fear as she discovered the man on the can. So the moral of the story is: Always make sure that you are home when the daughter visits to avoid any future surprises of a crazy nature.

Colorado Clips

Okay, so i've been home for over two weeks now and haven't posted anything. I know that's a bad thing... but what do you do when the poetic and bloggist muse has abandoned me in favour of warmer climates in the southern hemisphere of the world? I believe you might find her lounging on a beach chair with her mythical feet dangling in the azure blue waters of an obscure Caribbean island whilst the gentle zephyrs play with her golden locks and her treasonous eyes peruse the tranquil scene around her, the peace, the warmth, the knowledge that she doesn't have to work at all at the moment because those who normally would request her help are sadly unaware of her whereabouts.
Leaving our little muse in her beach chair, i shall proceed to speak of locales that have slightly different climates. Colorado, for instance. I made my sleepy way there on the 28th of December all by my lonesome. I managed somehow to remain awake enough to board the flight to Colorado and not to Barbados or other destinations (although it would have been significantly warmer, i just didn't pack for such an occasion!) I was met at the Denver Airport by Brenda and by Nancy's dad, Mr. Koning. They doggedly drove through weather that would give gray hairs even to a polar bear but finally managed to deposit us safely at Josh's Mom's doorstep. We were welcomed with open arms by the entire Koning clan and it was nice to see that they made it all in safely as well.

Friday morning saw a flurry of activity take place as we started working on the flowers and the dresses got last minute alterations and several other tasks were completed. Then we trooped off to the church to see what sort of decorating and food-serving opportunities there were. With lots of elbow grease, an occasional laugh and a large army of volunteers, the church was outfitted for the upcoming nuptuals. Then came the rehearsal during which we all practiced walking down the aisle to make sure we could do it without errors. We learn fast apparently cause then we were off to the dinner. Yummy shrimps made their last home in my stomach and then I was off on my own little adventure to pick my friend Joyce up at the Colorado Springs airport at 11 pm. Unfortunately due to the fact that Colorado Springs apparently has one of the worst snow removal crews, a normally 20 minute drive took me nearly an hour! Crazy even for a snow-hardy Canadian. But i found my aussie friend and was glad to see she arrived in one piece with her last minute plans. Friday night was spent at a hotel with Nancy, Brenda, Laurie, Joyce and myself all attempting to catch a few hours of shut-eye before the big day.

Getting ready for the big day!

Saturday morning - the big day was finally here! Nancy and her girls headed off to the hairdresser's to get fancied up and we sorta took over the place, snapping pictures and drinking tea and trying on the veil! Fun times! When we were all ready to go, the weather had finally cleared up enough for us to see some of those wonderful Colorado mountains (i'd post pics but apparently the computer's having indigestion at the moment and won't co-operate!). I kept teasing all the Coloradans that i didn't believe that they actually had mountains for the first day and a half that i was there since it was foggy/snowy and the peaks were hidden. But they emerged with all their proud towering majesty just in time! I love mountains. The last time i saw them was in the Alps in Switzerland and Austria. So awesome!!
Then we were off to the chapel to get married - or at least one of us was.... We got ourselves hoisted into our bridesmaids dresses and then a co-operative effort got Nancy all outfitted with wedding dress, running shoes and jewelry. She looked beautiful. Then pictures - smile, smile and smile some more! But it was all in good fun and we were happy to be a part of it all! The ceremony was at 2 pm and the bride wasn't late or early, just precisely on time! Nancy's nephews and nieces did a wonderful job as r0se-bearers and we didn't trip or fall or lose our bouquets or anything along the way. The ceremony seemed quick and then all of a sudden, Nancy was married!!! Oops, i should say Nance and Josh were married! Congratulations to you both!

Will it fit??Nancy looking radiant
The reception and dinner was lots of fun too... family provided a lot of special skits and entertainment and we were both amused by power-point presentations from both sides of the family. Extra entertainment was provided by the chocolate fountain!!! Fun times! Though i kept losing my bananas in the pool of brown delight! Oh well. By around 8 pm we had cleaned up and we were cleaned up. We were so ready to kick off our shoes and relax. We had a nice glass of champagne and lounged around at the hotel in a well-deserved break whilst Nancy and Josh headed off on their honeymoon to Hawaii!!

Sunday was church at 11:30 and then we did a little sight-seeing at the Garden of the Gods - a beautiful red rock formation. Made us feel like aspiring Ansel Adams' proteges! Lots of pics to be sure! And then New Year's Eve. We spent it at the hotel trying desparately to stay up to midnight but wondering outloud whether we shouldn't just celebrate Ontario's New Year so we could retire two hours earlier. Hmm.. we weren't too wise but stayed up to ring in the new year and then promptly went to bed only to get up around 3 am to head for the airport for our early morning flights. I said goodbye to the other girlies and climbed aboard a shuttle bus which drove me two hours north to Denver from where my flight was departing. And so ended another adventure - albeit a quick, whirlwind one, it was fun and made lots of memories. Hopefully i'll get the chance to come back and enjoy some skiing in good old Colorado.

Beautiful red rocks in the Garden of the Gods