Responding to Circumstances

 I've been doing some further reflecting on what happened at our camping weekend.  The following words keep popping into my mind:  It's not your circumstances, it's how you respond to them. And I'm wondering about my response to what we experienced. I was disappointed by the circumstances, very disappointed, but I was also disappointed in the way I responded to them.  I mean, really, having a bunch of rowdy kids camping near you and having a campsite quite far from the rest of the group are not such big deals in the grand scheme of things.   

So, switching over to some of the wonderful things we did experience... safety, good health, good fellowship with friends,  good swimming, no mosquitoes, hiking all the trails, cozy campfires, communal meals, beautiful sun sets...

time together, checking out the neighbouring campground

 



we found this surprise on one of the empty campsites,

built with sticks and stones, grass, acorns and cones!

 

hiking through the forest on the boardwalk

I love the sunburst designs of the slats in the curves!

 

mushrooms and fungi are so intriguing

 

the moss is amazing too

 

and so are the undersides of the mushrooms



every evening we went to see the sunset

- just couldn't get enough pictures!

 

 

Looking back now, we really did have a good weekend.  And once again I was reminded that how I respond to circumstances can make a big difference!

Learning about Living in the Present

How was our church camp out last weekend?  Well, to be honest, I've been trying to figure out how or what to post about it because in some ways it was one of the worst camping experiences we've ever had.  At the same time, there were great times of fellowship and relaxation and lots of beauty all around.    

Going camping for a weekend with a group from our church has become an annual tradition and one of the highlights of our summers.  Despite the fact that, for various reasons, it was going to be a very small group this year and we were trying out a new campground, I was still really looking forward to it. 

if you look for it you can find some beauty in everything and everyone

 

However, for the first day and a half one disappointing thing after another happened, kind of taking the happy glow off the great time I had anticipated having.  Our reserved site had absolutely no shade and it was forecast to be a very hot sunny weekend.  So we ended up on a site a long ways away from the rest of our group.  O well, we figured we'd manage to still experience the community feeling of the group somehow.  Since we came a day early, we had a very peaceful first evening at our site. 

 



enjoying the shade and each other's company down at the beach

 

But... at 2 pm the next afternoon a group of 12 young adults moved in across the road from us.  Within 45 minutes they had set up their tents, designated a beer area and a "barf area" and the drinking games and noise and offensive language began. It continued until 2 am despite numerous visits and warnings from the camp wardens.  It was so disturbing and stressful and exhausting! 

 

Many very unkind and un-Christ-like thoughts went through my mind.  I struggled with my attitude. I argued with myself.  Why are we camping on a weekend anyway?  Why don't we leave?  Why don't the wardens evict them?  I was tempted to set off our car's alarm early in the morning when the rowdies were finally asleep.  But no, they were up bright and early, drinking and getting louder again. 

 

Grrrr!  I was totally stressed and exhausted. What a night!  How could those kids be so inconsiderate?!  What about this coming day?  And are they going to be up until all hours again tonight?   We paid to stay here to enjoy the weekend and now all we do is avoid our campsite as much as possible.  In frustration we headed down to the beach for some peace and quiet.  I took my air mattress and blanket to get some rest down there. 

 

relaxing at the beach

 

And as I was lying there I was thinking, "God, I can't deal with this anymore!  I'm so exhausted and frustrated!  What can we do? I hate the way I'm thinking about these people!  Where do these ugly thoughts come from?"

 

Lying there listening to the water lapping up on the shore, a feeling of peace came over me.  It was so beautiful and so quiet there!  Why was I spoiling and wasting this special moment by re-living the aggravations of the night before? And why was I worrying about the coming day and night? Why not enjoy the gift of this very moment?  And so I did.  It was very liberating and such a relief!  No use worrying about something that is already over or something that might not ever happen. 

 

a piece of the natural beauty we enjoyed

 

And you know what?  From that moment on the weekend took a turn for the better.  When we arrived back at our campsite two kids from the rowdy group came over to apologize for any disturbance they might have caused.  They promised to do better from there on in, and they did!  It was a peaceful evening of good fellowship around the campfire with our group and some visitors.  And the rest of the weekend turned out great. Another lesson in learning to let go of the past, to live in the present, and to not worry about the unknown future.  

Early Morning Walks at Camp

Here's a little taste of what we saw on our early morning walks along the trails at the campground last weekend.
 

Bull thistle

 



The board walk trail

I've never seen blue berries like these before.

Puff balls - can vary in size from a marble to a basket ball.

 



Found these balloons in the bushes along the trail.
The stick is to clear out the spider webs before they hit our faces.

Human Hair Saves Tomatoes from Squirrels

We're back from our last camping trip of the summer and are unpacking, drying, sorting and storing away the camping supplies (mostly Gerard) and also getting caught up on life here at home and with the family (mostly me). 

drying and airing out camping equipment in the back yard

 

We enjoyed beautiful weather for four whole days.  Then we woke up to drizzle and a forecast for thunder storms on the fifth and last day, so we packed up immediately, but our tents were damp. They need to be thoroughly dried before storing them away for the winter so that's what's happening today.

 

Our day started with a walk to the pool for early morning lane swimming.  On the way home we stopped by my hairdresser for a bag of hair - yes, human hair.  We've been having trouble with a red squirrel,from across the street, that takes bites out of our tomatoes and knocks them down just when they're a day short of being completely ripe and ready to be picked.  It was so frustrating!

 

I was expressing my frustration to a friend who responded, "Try spreading hair around the base of your plants to keep the squirrels away. It worked for us. Do you want some hair? My hairdresser gave me a whole bag." So we went home from dinner at their place with a bag of hair. I spread it at the base of our tomato plants the next day and ever since then we've had no more problems with the squirrels!

 

part of today's tomato harvest - no more problems with squirrels

 

When I asked my hairdresser for a bag of hair this morning she asked, "Is it for your lettuce, to keep the rabbits away?  That's what other customers have told me."  So I guess spreading the hair is like marking territory and it keeps both  rabbits and squirrels away.  A safe and inexpensive method of pest control!

 

It was very rewarding to find lots of beautiful ripe tomatoes, with no bites out of them,when we came back from our camping weekend. I'm surprised that in all my years of gardening I've never heard of this idea before. But then again, we've never had squirrels after our tomatoes before either. I'm now wondering whether this would keep them away from our tulip bulbs too (assuming they're the ones who ate 90% of our upwards of 200 bulbs last year)?  

Here I am, Alive!

O Lord my God, I pleaded with you,

and you gave me my health again. 

You brought me back from the brink of the grave,

from death itself,

and here I am alive!

Psalm 30: 2-3

 

 

I am alive!  Sometimes I can't believe it!  A year ago this week, we heard the good news that my malignant cancerous brain tumors were all gone!  This healing was miraculous and amazing! Life has gone on as usual in many ways, but I look at it quite differently now.  Each day I marvel at the fact that I'm alive and here to experience what I am experiencing.  I see each day more as a gift than a matter of course.

 

By now I have experienced a whole bonus year!  And in addition to a lot of wonderful family time with Gerard and our kids and with my sibblings, I have also already had the privilege of two additional very special gifts.

 

First of all the gift of our very first dear little grandchild, who was born five days after my last treatment.

 

 

 

And secondly, but definitely not lesser, the great privilege of being alive to support my parents in their old age.

 



 

 

O Lord, my God,

I will keep thanking you forever!

Psalm 30:12b

 

You have saved me from death

and my feet from slipping,

so that I can walk before the Lord

in the land of the living.

Psalm 57:13

Oscar's Growing Up Fast!

Today we visited with our little grandson again. What a treat!  I could watch him and cuddle with him forever!  It had been two weeks since my last visit and I could definitely see changes.  He's really growing up fast!  Sometimes he looks so small and cute and vulnerable and lovable, especially when he snuggles up with his favourite towel and sucks his thumb.  I just can't get enough of looking at him in all the pictures I took today. Here are a few...

For some reason his thumb and this towel always go together.

 

He looks so grown up when he sits up all by himself!

I love those cute little toes!

He has a new shaker toy - a coke bottle filled with rice.

 

 

Off to explore the world! 

pulling himself up to standing on his tippy-toes

 



he'll be up and over that gate before you know it!

 

looking up to Gerard for the next spoonful of snack

 

he's learned how to scrunch up his nose to make this silly face - it's hilarious!

he's such a good-natured little guy and has seven teeth now

 

 

Thank you, Lord for this amazing gift!

Mini Vacation at Harbourfront

Well, life has been exciting since I got home!  Our friends invited us over for Indonesian dinner, so an hour after we got home we headed out again. The next day we were invited for ice cream cake in honour of another friend's 40th birthday.  And today Alida invited me out for lunch at Harbourfront!

I don't know why we don't do this more often!  Including the bus and subway rides it takes about 50 minutes to get down to the lake (Ontario) from here and I just love it down there!  We enjoyed good food and time together on an outdoor patio.  And then strolled along the board walk taking pictures of ourselves, talking and taking in the sun, blue sky, water, people, canoes, sail boats, ferries, tour boats, and blue sky - a wonderful combination!

Before I met up with Alida I went to have a look at the Museum of Inuit Art at Queen's Quay.  A few weeks ago Justin Bieber, a young Canadian pop star, commented that because he is a tiny part aboriginal, he can fill up his tank with free gas.  That caused quite a stir in the aboriginal community.  However, the curators of the Museum of Inuit Art took this as a teachable moment. 

Do you know the difference between aboriginal, eskimo, first nations, metis, and inuit?  Well, you are all invited to come out and learn.  For the whole month of August they will let you into the museum free of charge, if at the entrance you say, "No free gas, but free admission." It worked for me today, and here is some of what I saw...

this was one of my favourite exhibits

While viewing the exhibits and reading the information posted everywhere I realized how very very little I know about the huge northern half (or more) of our country and the people who live there!  Today I felt motivated to go and learn more somehow.  Does anyone have suggestions for movies, books, or other resources about our north? 

And so even though it was only 50 minutes from home and only lasted about 3 hours, it felt like another mini vacation - down at the Toronto Harbourfront this time! 



Mini Vacation along the Avon

What a blessing this past week has been!  I had the privilege of spending six whole days at my dad's place and also of seeing a lot of my brother Jeff who lives in the same complex. Gerard came to pick me up yesterday.  But there was still one thing I wanted to do before leaving Stratford and that was to spend some time down along the river to get a little taste of their summer tourist season. 

my dad getting back into his daily routine after his surgery

The Avon River runs through Stratford and they've really turned this area into a huge asset for the city. The river has been dammed up to form a lake surrounded by parkland and a number of theatres. It's lined with beautiful mature trees, a walkway, and park benches. There are ducks, geese, swans, a fountain, paddle boats and people strolling around or having picnics.

The Avon River in Stratford 

On our way out of town we had a 90-minute mini vacation along the Avon. Our first stop was the music barge where The Culture Kids of Trinidad and Tobago, a choir and steelband, were performing music from their homeland.  A crowd was gathered on the grassy hillside enjoying the festive atmosphere, so we sat right down and enjoyed part of the performance. 

The Culture Kids from Trinidad and Tobago on the music barge

And then we strolled along the river to find some of the pianos from the "Play Me I'm Yours - Stratford" art installation.  I loved the whole idea when it was happening in Toronto a few weeks ago (see July 30 post), but found out about it so late that I only saw two pianos here.  When I heard that the show was moving to Stratford I was determined to catch it there. Unfortunately the show was scheduled to end before I was able to get there to see it, but it was so wildly popular that Stratford extended it by a week,  and so I got to see it after all!   

Here are the four pianos we found on our short walk...



everyone is allowed to play them

this one was close to the concert so no one was playing it

typical Stratford setting with the river, the bridge and a swan

my favourite paint job of the four pianos we saw

We also walked through the "Art in the Park" area where artists set up their work for sale under the tree canopy of the park.  What a wonderful mini vacation!  Really mini!  Only 90 minutes, but it was great!  I left feeling well satisfied and ready to go back home.



Still Enjoying Time at My Dad's

I've been staying with my dad for three days so far and am extending my visit because I'm really enjoying it here. My dad is doing well after his surgery, but can still use a bit of help these days while he rests and recovers.  And I'm also enjoying lots of time with my brother who lives in the same complex.

My dad enjoys relaxing on his balcony, doing sudokus and reading.  See the portable phone under his chair?  It comes with him most of the time,

I love this friendly-looking lady who smiles at me every time I come into the building.  The poster says, "We love healthy visitors.  If you're sick please come another time".  I love this community!  There are people and activities everywhere and everyone has the time to be friendly.  The other day I was looking for my brother and ended up walking through the activity room of the nursing home.  A retired music teacher comes in every Tuesday to play and sing for the residents.  He was amazing - playing lots of old familiar songs.  I sat and enjoyed that for a while.

This is how I'm very comfortably camped out in a corner of my dad's office.  See the lava lamp beside my pillow?  It was my mom's and I watch it before going to sleep, enjoying it just like she used to. 

I spent one whole evening reading through this basket of sympathy cards our family received when my mom died.  It's wonderful to hear from so many family connections I haven't seen for a long time and also amazing to realize what a large circle of love and support surrounds our family! And this morning I had a very special time visiting my mom's dear friend, Norma.  Lots of reminiscing.  

And my brother Jeff showed me where to find the puzzles down in the library so I chose this one and worked on it the last few evenings.  It's great to hang out here for a few days instead of just stopping by for a few hours. So thankful for this opportunity!

Sunday Evening - Visiting My Dad

Well, here I am at my dad's I-Mac computer and I've actually figured out how and where to plug in my USB key with my camera's memory card in it. All of my pictures are somewhere in this computer now and I accidentally found them and was able to insert a few into this post. If I had to do it all over again I have no idea how I would do it, but so far, so good!  I must say, I'm feeling more than a little proud of myself!

monarch butterfly on sunflower at our house this morning

This is the first time I'm staying over at my dad's new place and I think I have the honour of being his first overnight guest!  I'm camped out in his office with my air mattress and sleeping bag and his computer! and my mom's lava lamp bubbling away beside me.   Perfect place for me to do some late night reading and writing of this blog post. My dad's already gone to bed and now I feel like a little kid sneaking out of bed after my bed time!   

This past week I've been traveling along vicariously with our son and DIL who are vacationing in Italy for a few weeks.  I've already been to Venice, Florence, and Tuscany via some DVD's I borrowed from the library.  My next DVD-guided stop will be Rome. I've done this before when our kids travelled to interesting places.  In this way I've already visited  Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Thailand, Ireland, and Scotland!  A very convenient way to travel, although not quite as exciting as the real thing.

Well, I'd better sign off and get to bed.  It's going to be an early morning because my dad has to be at the hospital at 6:45 am for his surgery.  I will be staying here with him for a few days. And if I can figure out this process on my dad's computer again, you might be hearing more from me over the next few days.  Good night!