It's Been a Great Week!.

This past week I was blessed with enough energy and motivation to do a lot of things.  So, it's been a great week and such a joy to be alive!

It started with a fun benefit concert in an intimate setting, for Kids Church. Our worship director and friend organized it and challenged herself to learn to play cello well enough in two months to be able to perform at the concert... and she did!  What a good sport!

Yay, Hye-Jin!  You did it!

I've already told you about the pennies that were collected, sorted, rolled, and delivered to the mission.  And then we babysat little Oscar one day - our first whole day like that with mommy and daddy out of town.  We took care of him at his house this time, but maybe next time he can come to our house because friends from church moved overseas and couldn't take their baby's crib along, so we got it for Oscar. 

Opa and Oscar

Because these friends were leaving, we had our last Bible reading group and then had a farewell lunch with them.  

I went lane swimming twice this week and have been out in the garden by 6:30 or 7:00 am on the rest of the days enjoying the cool early morning hours, gradually catching up on the gardening. 

my sunflower growing experiment is starting to look promising

hope that's the start of a flower in the centre there!

purple cone flower

I visited with one of our neighbours and she never lets me leave her place empty handed.  This time she gave me two purple cone flower plants from her garden! 

And this week we went to visit my dad for a day   I also got to meet with both of our youth workers for their annual reviews this week and on another day we helped our daughter move.

the greeen peppers are coming along.  I'm also growing red, yellow and orange ones

and the tomato flowers are a promise of tomatoes to come

As we were driving home from helping Alida move, and reflecting on the fact that we got my parents' house all cleared and cleaned out nicely in time for yesterday's closing date, we figured it's about time we paid some attention to our own place.  It's gotten quite cluttered and crowded with all the pennies, the new baby crib, things we inherited from my parents, and things left around and undone while we've been in and out a lot lately.  Hmmm...I think I feel some sorting and purging and cleaning coming on!

Still Collecting Pennies for the Mission

A few weeks ago I invited members of our church to bring in their pennies for Toronto City Mission, to help send kids to summer camp. We put out a large glass (green) jar and the pennies started coming in by the single penny, by handfuls, in rolls, in bags, boxes, yogurt containers and even decanters. 
 

On Sunday we took them home and were surprised at how heavy they were!  In addition to hundreds of pennies there was all kinds of other change; nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies, even some foreign coins and a button! 

We sorted and rolled them on our dining room table.  On Monday we went to babysit Oscar for seven hours, so lugged along some containers of pennies and rolled some there until we ran out of coin wrappers.

This morning we hauled the rolled and the remaining unrolled coins to the mission where volunteers will roll the rest of them.  Since pennies are still coming in, the deadline has been extended to the end of the summer.  So we'll bring the green jar back to church on Sunday and invite you all to keep bringing your pennies and to encourage others (friends, neighbours, colleagues at work) to donate their stashes of pennies as well.  Some city kids will have the chance to experience summer camp thanks to your pennies!  

Day by Day... Three Things I Pray

Today in church I was reminded of a song from the musical, Godspell, that was on my mind a lot at about this time last year...

Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day

we've been enjoying delicious fresh strawberries this week

Update From the Garden

I've been slowly catching up in the garden. Everything grew a lot in a few weeks! And the other day we had a good down pour, which really revived everything. I try to get outside early in the morning while it's still nice and cool and when everything is fresh. Here are pictures of two early morning harvests; just a little bit each day, and oh so rewarding to pick our own produce and to be able to say, "All the greens in this salad came from our own garden"!



lettuce and rhubarb

radishes, spinach and rhubarb

one of my gardening experiments this year is

this swiss chard, because I like the colourful stems

daisy-like plants that I dug out from the roadside one year

and they just keep re-appearing in our garden

these poppies just opened up this week

another plant that re-seeds itself from year to year

An "I Love You" from Above

Our filo cactus is in full bloom! I counted thirteen buds and flowers, the most we have ever had all at one time. I think our previous high was six flowers.

There's something special and mysterious about this plant. It's really a rather unattractive plant without flowers for most of the year, so it usually sits in one of our basement window sills. I bring it upstairs when it starts showing flower buds. Then we watch as the spectacular-looking flowers open up. They only last for one or two days and then wilt and are gone.

Once when I was really sad about something (can't remember what) the plant produced its very first showy flower. It was gorgeous and amazing! It felt like that flower was an 'I love you"  special gift from God to cheer me up and give me hope. Now during this week of my mother's death God has given me another very special gift through this plant - a shower of thirteen flowers and buds all at once! Amazing and mysterious and beautiful! Thank you, Lord!

From One Generation to the Next

I've been thinking about life as I moved from being with and loving my dying mother to being with and loving our little grandson.  My mother's journey on earth is over and L'il Oscar's is just starting.  He's exploring his world and learning new things.  He's one of the recipients of my mother's legacy.
  



It was wonderful to hear grandchildren reading Scripture at my mom's memorial service.  It was heartwarming to witness their interest in receiving some of my mom's embroideries and other belongings, and their eagerness to hear stories from the past from us kids and from my mom's sibblings who came from Holland; ways of connecting with previous generations; ways of passing on the legacy. It was also wonderful to find out that there is another great grandchild on the way. As one life ends, another life is starting and "His faithfulness continues through all generations".  Thank you, Lord!

banner hanging in the church at my mom's memorial service

Preparing for my Mom's Funeral

We had a wonderful time of family togetherness on the weekend of my mom's funeral.  Here are a few pictures of some of the behind-the-scenes preparations for the memorial service.

brother John with brother Jeff, 

 preparing a power point presentation of pictures of my mom

brother Bart, SIL Fanny, brother John, brother Nick

brainstorming ideas for a eulogy

my dad and brother Nick checking out some of the pictures

brother John taking a break

Gerard enjoying some time out from all the busyness

brother Nick and sister Anneke preparing eulogy

brothers John & Bart advertising for Mark's Work Wearhouse

brothers Carel and John helping Anneke with eulogy

SIL Irene presenting piles of pizzas to feed the crowd



Some Things about Small Towns are Very Nice!

We just got home from spending the day with my dad, who actually apologized for the fact that he is doing so well, while everyone seems to expect that he would not be doing well because my mom just passed away.  Not that he doesn't miss her or doesn't have teary moments from time to time, but he knows where she is.  He is thankful that she didn't have to suffer any more than she did and that she passed on peacefully, and that she is now in a better place with her Lord. 

And a lot of us share all of these feelings with him.  We are sorry that my mom is no longer with us, we will miss her, but we are not devastated by her death.  She had a long and rich life.  She did what she wanted to do and "so now I'm pretty well at the end of my trip and that's OK."  She has left us a wonderful legacy and lots of good memories. 

loved this centre piece at the funeral home

Today we went to the funeral home to tie up some administrative details like forms and death certificates that need to be sent to government offices regarding health insurance and pension plans.  We went to the Service Ontario office - lots of parking and it was free, no line-ups inside, friendly help.  And then on to the Service Canada office.  You can get across town in ten minutes!  And once again lots of free parking and no line-ups inside!  Friendly, personal help that went beyond the call of duty.  Even though I love the big city, my experience in a town of about 30,000 for the last six weeks or so has convinced me that some things about small towns are really very nice! 

Farewell Lunch at the Mission

Just hours before we headed to my parents' place because of my mom's declining health, I had one important commitment:  my farewell lunch from the mission.  We went out to a Chinese restaurant and got a large round table that could fit all thirteen of us.  There's been some changeover in staff since I stopped working there last January, so only those who I actually worked with came to this farewell. For most of the time since then I was on long-term disability and only officially retired from the mission at the end of March. 

 I've always said that the mission staff felt like a family, and sitting around this table together really confirmed that feeling once again.  We started sharing memories of our experiences at the mission during the last thirteen years that I've been in and out of there.  It was really fun!  I generally get pretty teary-eyed at farewells, but not this time.  It was just good quality family time. Thank you all for a great time at that lunch and at the mission over the years!

My Mom

My dear mother passed away peacefully last Wednesday with many of us around her bed.  

Alida Geleynse-Pouwels - July 22, 1922 - June 6, 2012

I'm now back home after five weeks of intense living, helping my parents move to their new assisted living unit, clearing out their former home, witnessing the sudden decline in my mom's health, being at her bedside as she passed on to glory, spending time with lots of family around the visitation, the memorial service and the burial. 

So many times as I walked back and forth between their old home and new home, I thought, "  I can't believe I'm here!  I can't believe I'm alive and have the energy to do all of this!"  These last five weeks have been such an incredible blessing!  However, now that I'm home I'm exhausted and emotional, but it was totally worth it! I can't find words to tell you about my mom  right now, so I'll quote my sister's and my niece's very fitting Facebook statuses:

She fought the good fight... She finished the race... She kept the faith....and all her children (and grandchildren) rise up and call her blessed....
My dear mother went home to her dear LORD tonight. Thank you Lord for her amazing legacy.

Oma has truly left a beautiful legacy.
I experienced it this weekend in the love, laughter, conversations, caring gestures, spontaneous singing, faith and hope of the Geleynse family as we celebrated her life and mourned her passing. Beautiful moments in a difficult time.

Love you, Mother!

It Might Have Been Otherwise

Here's a poem I heard yesterday... 

Otherwise by Jane Kenyon

I got out of bed on two strong legs.
It might have been otherwise.
I ate cereal, sweet milk, ripe, flawless peach.
It might have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill to the birch wood.
All morning I did the work I love.
At noon I lay down with my mate.
It might have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together at a table with silver candlesticks.
It might have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed in a room with paintings on the walls,
And planned another day just like this day.
But one day, I know, it will be otherwise.

It's so easy for me to take everyday blessings for granted.  Even though my illness last year made me more sensitive to the wonders of daily things, it's so easy to slip back into the old attitude.  Hearing this poem was a good reminder.

 ducks in the Avon River 

It's Raining, It's Pouring (and Blowing)!

After some weeks of very dry weather and seeing the rain clouds blow over repeatedly, it finally started raining!  When I looked out of the window on Friday morning to see whether we actually got the rain that had been forecast for overnight, here's what I saw...

A tree right across from my parents' former home was split right down the middle of the trunk and completely blocked the road.  As I was out taking this picture, a couple came by and told me of another large tree that had come down further over on the same property. It almost looks like a twister came through.

And back home in Toronto, this is what the garden centre looked like on Saturday morning!

When it finally rained, it poured! and blew hard!  Our garden took a bit of a beating with all the tall plants lying flat, but the small plants and the lawn look very much revived from the fresh rain.  I can almost hear a huge sigh of relief coming from all of the plants outside.

God's Care Over Us

An unexpected turn of events resulted in a wonderful week of experiencing God's care and provision in all things.  On Tuesday I received a call from the head nurse of the towers where my parents now live.  "Your father is experiencing acute upper abdominal pain that does not seem to be subsiding.  We are going to call the ambulance to take him to emergency.  Your mother will stay in the daycare program until someone can get here to be with her."

Karen and brother Jeff

After a flurry of phone calls around the family, we decided to pack our overnight bags and to head out to Stratford to assess the situation and find out how we could be of help.  Carel and Irene were at the hospital with my dad and Jeff was with my mother in the apartment.

  my dad resting in his easy chair after a busy day

My dad was kept at the hospital on a morphine drip for the day.  Final diagnosis:  gall bladder stones, which will have to be removed in the near future.  Amazingly he recovered very quickly and has not had any further pain so far.  In the meantime, my niece Karen and I decided to stay for a few days just in case my dad would have another attack. 

Karen helping her Oma with her nails

We had a great time together staying at "the old place" continuing with the sorting and clearing up items left behind there and we got a lot done!  We went back and forth between both homes, spending time with my parents and my brother Jeff.  It was a busy time.  Their place is like grand central station, with support staff and family members coming and going.   

Karen, my mom, and brother Nick

We kept saying how the timing of my parents' move was perfect!  They got to spend 17 whole years in their previous retirement home and as soon as they moved to the new assisted living unit they've been making full use of all the supportive services available there.  All my dad had to do was push the emergency alarm and the nurses came running and made arrangements for him to get to the hospital, they took care of my mom, and called for us to come. The staff there is amazing!  My dad feels very supported and happy to be there. 

helping my mom get around

My mom is becoming frailer by the week.  She hardly eats or drinks and she sleeps in her chair, on the couch, or in her bed for most of the day.  Her short-term memory is failing and her mind is confused most of the time.  She needs support with walking, dressing, and eating.  Every once in a while when she is clear we get a glimpse of  her sense of humour and she never complains.  We are so relieved that so far the extreme discomfort and pain that the doctor had forecast, has not materialized yet.  Her minimal pain is under control with a few extra strength Tylenol per day.  Mostly she is sleeping and comfortable.  We thank God for this huge blessing!

It was a wonderful week!  Not what I had planned to be doing, but through it all I had a very strong feeling that this is one of the reasons God spared my life - to be available to support my parents at this time.  It was soooooo good to be there!  Thank you, Lord!!!!!