I had such a nice dream this morning; I was lying in bed in the partially awake state and I had such a vivid dream. I was at home (the home I grew up in, in Saskatoon) and I was packing my lunch to go to work at school. Also there was my sister Ruth and Jean Borsheim and her son Mark. I got my lunch together and explained what I had packed to Mark, had a short visit with him but I wanted to pack cookies in my lunch and we didn't have any. So I thought that Grandma would have cookies next door, so I went next door to where my grandparents lived. My grandfather walked down the short flight of steps at the back entry to let me in, and when I had come up to the kitchen, there was my grandmother, sitting around the table with my cousin Janelle and her boys. Janelle was just pulling a baked ham (baked with pineapple) out of the oven and they were obviously getting ready to eat lunch. I was thinking that Janelle was also going to be late for work - then I realized that Janelle didn't work at the school I worked at, then I realized that I didn't teach at the school I had attended when I was growing up, so I woke up.
However it was such a great dream. I'm sure I haven't seen Jean Borsheim in over 20 years, although I'm her friend on facebook. I know I haven't seen her son Mark in at least as long, if not longer. We were friends when we were in university together but after we graduated we left for opposite ends of the continent and I know I haven't seen him since. It was so nice to have a short visit with both of them, even if it was just in a dream.
Then, to get to see my grandparents again! They've been dead for a long time; my grandmother for over 30 years now, my grandfather for over 20. To see them, and to share a moment of time with them was wonderful! It was also great to see that Janelle was visiting them, and that she got to introduce her boys to them, seeing as they were born after our grandparents had died.
Even if it was only a dream, it was a great way to start my day.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Some Days are Harder than Others
I was excited this morning; I had a job interview - my fourth or fifth, and I was sure I'd get this one. I had a good interview, I think I answered the questions fully. I think I had good answers. I drove home feeling good about the whole thing. But I got a phone call saying that I didn't get the job.
I'm disappointed. I want to be working. I want to be bringing in a income. I want to feel in control. However, the truth is, even with a job - I'm never truly in control. Things can change in an instant. God's always in control and I need to remember that. He wants the best for me, and that will come in his time. I have to trust in him.
Still, it is hard. Back to prayer one again.
I'm disappointed. I want to be working. I want to be bringing in a income. I want to feel in control. However, the truth is, even with a job - I'm never truly in control. Things can change in an instant. God's always in control and I need to remember that. He wants the best for me, and that will come in his time. I have to trust in him.
Still, it is hard. Back to prayer one again.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Thankfulness
There are so many little things in my life that I can be thankful for. From when I get up in the morning to when I go to bed at night, there are a lot of small things that make me smile and be thankful.
When I first get up in the morning, I get a bowl out of the cupboard, put a small plate under it, and put a quarter cup Red River cereal in it. I add a cup of water, put it in the microwave (4 minutes at 70%; 9 minutes at 40%), and wait for it to be ready. Sometimes I go back to bed to wait. However, every morning when I open my cupboard and pull out a bowl and plate, I'm thankful for my dishes.
When I first moved to Regina, shell-shocked after having my marriage fall apart so abruptly, I moved down with my clothing and personal possessions and nothing else. The church here gave me a shower and provided me with the things I needed to make a home. The Hinnergardts gave me the dishes. I use them every day and am thankful for them, and thankful for friends who knew what I needed.
Now I have to mention that I'm also thankful for the cupboard the dishes are in. I have a fairly large kitchen with lots of cupboards (not that you can ever have too many), but the wall where my dishes are stored didn't have cupboards on it before this fall. That's when I splurged and purchased some and my brother-in-law put them up for me. Now I have my dishes stored between the dishwasher and the dining room - which is the ideal location. It's so much more convenient than it was before. I'm thankful for the many storage spaces I have throughout my house - and I'm thankful for my cupboards.
After I eat breakfast (or sometimes while I'm waiting for my porridge to be ready), I unload my dishwasher. Sometimes I do up the dishes in the sink as well - sometimes I figure they'll wait for a bit. However I taught myself years ago to be thankful while I was doing dishes. It's something that has to be done pretty much every day, and it's a bit of a pain and a nuisance, however I have the choice to either complain about it or be thankful for it. I've chosen to be thankful that I have food to eat and dishes to wash. My dishwasher is very old (the serial number starts 67 - which is the year it was manufactured I think), but it still works, and I'm very thankful for that. I'm thankful I have a dishwasher so that there's not that much I have to wash in the sink.
I usually have my sister and her husband eat supper with us, and once a week (tonight in fact) I have the rest of the family over for supper. I have a dining room with a large table, and lots of chairs. I can seat 12 around the table; any more than that and we have to expand to other rooms. I bought the table, chairs and buffet off kijiji - for a really good price. Right now my table is covered with "stuff"; I'm working on recovering the chairs and have fabric and sewing implements all over it. It'll get cleared off before supper. I have a skylight in my dining room. It means that during the day it's nice and bright in here (it's where I'm typing this up right now). It's so nice to have the natural light in here - I'd love to have another skylight in my kitchen. Last week my brother-in-law ripped the carpet out of the dining room. Right now we have the original tile showing. It's a very pretty brown, but some of the tiles have lifted out of place, and some of them have nails all over them (I'm sure that they were just nailed down firmly before they lay the carpet.) But it's much easier to sweep a floor than vacuum it; especially when we regularly have small children and toddlers eat with us. When I get a job, I'll celebrate by laying a new floor. I'm so thankful that I have the space to have family and friends over; that we can share a meal and our lives together.
After supper everyone usually moves to the living room. I have a really large living room; I've had over 40 people in it at one time; I have three couches in it, a piano, two cedar chests, three arm chairs, and lots of floor space. My couches are all second-hand, and two of them have holes where the fabric's worn through. However, they are comfortable, and until I can afford something else, they work just fine. When I first moved here, my Dad made me a front hall closet, borrowing a bit of space from the living room for it; it has a book case on the back side. The living room is large enough that I don't think anyone would notice that the closet isn't original to the house. I'm thankful that I am able to have a crowd over with lots of room for everyone. I'm so thankful for my front hall closet. I'm thankful that I have such generous parents who would build me a closet. I'm thankful that I have friends that visit regularly. (I'm really a home body and would rather have people visit than go out to visit.)
When I go to bed in the evening, I'm so thankful for my bed. I just bought myself a new bed this fall. For Christmas I bought myself new sheets (300 count, really nice.) It's an added bonus that my sheets exactly match the quilts on my bed. It's such a wonderful thing to be able to snuggle into bed, with such soft, soft sheets.
Right now my house is terribly messy, from one end of it to another. My kitchen sink is filled with dirty dishes; my living room looks like it's conquered with clutter; I have trouble walking through my bedroom because of sewing machines, sergers, sewing projects, etc. piled up in it; my dining room table is covered with clutter, and the floors all need washing, sweeping, or vacuuming. Some of it will get cleaned up before people come over this evening. Some of it won't. Oh well. I'm thankful that I know how to do the cleaning (even if I don't always have the inclination). Life is good.
When I first get up in the morning, I get a bowl out of the cupboard, put a small plate under it, and put a quarter cup Red River cereal in it. I add a cup of water, put it in the microwave (4 minutes at 70%; 9 minutes at 40%), and wait for it to be ready. Sometimes I go back to bed to wait. However, every morning when I open my cupboard and pull out a bowl and plate, I'm thankful for my dishes.
When I first moved to Regina, shell-shocked after having my marriage fall apart so abruptly, I moved down with my clothing and personal possessions and nothing else. The church here gave me a shower and provided me with the things I needed to make a home. The Hinnergardts gave me the dishes. I use them every day and am thankful for them, and thankful for friends who knew what I needed.
Now I have to mention that I'm also thankful for the cupboard the dishes are in. I have a fairly large kitchen with lots of cupboards (not that you can ever have too many), but the wall where my dishes are stored didn't have cupboards on it before this fall. That's when I splurged and purchased some and my brother-in-law put them up for me. Now I have my dishes stored between the dishwasher and the dining room - which is the ideal location. It's so much more convenient than it was before. I'm thankful for the many storage spaces I have throughout my house - and I'm thankful for my cupboards.
After I eat breakfast (or sometimes while I'm waiting for my porridge to be ready), I unload my dishwasher. Sometimes I do up the dishes in the sink as well - sometimes I figure they'll wait for a bit. However I taught myself years ago to be thankful while I was doing dishes. It's something that has to be done pretty much every day, and it's a bit of a pain and a nuisance, however I have the choice to either complain about it or be thankful for it. I've chosen to be thankful that I have food to eat and dishes to wash. My dishwasher is very old (the serial number starts 67 - which is the year it was manufactured I think), but it still works, and I'm very thankful for that. I'm thankful I have a dishwasher so that there's not that much I have to wash in the sink.
I usually have my sister and her husband eat supper with us, and once a week (tonight in fact) I have the rest of the family over for supper. I have a dining room with a large table, and lots of chairs. I can seat 12 around the table; any more than that and we have to expand to other rooms. I bought the table, chairs and buffet off kijiji - for a really good price. Right now my table is covered with "stuff"; I'm working on recovering the chairs and have fabric and sewing implements all over it. It'll get cleared off before supper. I have a skylight in my dining room. It means that during the day it's nice and bright in here (it's where I'm typing this up right now). It's so nice to have the natural light in here - I'd love to have another skylight in my kitchen. Last week my brother-in-law ripped the carpet out of the dining room. Right now we have the original tile showing. It's a very pretty brown, but some of the tiles have lifted out of place, and some of them have nails all over them (I'm sure that they were just nailed down firmly before they lay the carpet.) But it's much easier to sweep a floor than vacuum it; especially when we regularly have small children and toddlers eat with us. When I get a job, I'll celebrate by laying a new floor. I'm so thankful that I have the space to have family and friends over; that we can share a meal and our lives together.
After supper everyone usually moves to the living room. I have a really large living room; I've had over 40 people in it at one time; I have three couches in it, a piano, two cedar chests, three arm chairs, and lots of floor space. My couches are all second-hand, and two of them have holes where the fabric's worn through. However, they are comfortable, and until I can afford something else, they work just fine. When I first moved here, my Dad made me a front hall closet, borrowing a bit of space from the living room for it; it has a book case on the back side. The living room is large enough that I don't think anyone would notice that the closet isn't original to the house. I'm thankful that I am able to have a crowd over with lots of room for everyone. I'm so thankful for my front hall closet. I'm thankful that I have such generous parents who would build me a closet. I'm thankful that I have friends that visit regularly. (I'm really a home body and would rather have people visit than go out to visit.)
When I go to bed in the evening, I'm so thankful for my bed. I just bought myself a new bed this fall. For Christmas I bought myself new sheets (300 count, really nice.) It's an added bonus that my sheets exactly match the quilts on my bed. It's such a wonderful thing to be able to snuggle into bed, with such soft, soft sheets.
Right now my house is terribly messy, from one end of it to another. My kitchen sink is filled with dirty dishes; my living room looks like it's conquered with clutter; I have trouble walking through my bedroom because of sewing machines, sergers, sewing projects, etc. piled up in it; my dining room table is covered with clutter, and the floors all need washing, sweeping, or vacuuming. Some of it will get cleaned up before people come over this evening. Some of it won't. Oh well. I'm thankful that I know how to do the cleaning (even if I don't always have the inclination). Life is good.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Answered Prayer
I have written previously about the challenges I faced daily, dropping Bram off to meet his car pool. Every day was scary - not the actual waiting, but getting back to Regina; having to cross the divided highway with all of the early morning traffic in the dark to head back the other way. It didn't help that I missed the meridian access twice in the dark and had to be towed out both times.
Here's where we used to go:
Well, I prayed about it. And my prayers have been answered. They are busy building the new overpass at Pinkie Road, just before the layby where I used to drop Bram off. I'm assuming it's because of the work there, but they have barricaded off the layby - it is no longer accessible. So, we can't use that as a meeting place for the car pool, and the one group that usually leaves a vehicle there until they come back from Moose Jaw, can't anymore.
So the car pool has found a new meeting place, by a "Welcome to Regina" sign. It's less than half a kilometre closer to Regina - but that 4000 m or so makes a big difference because it's off the service road, on the south side of the highway. This means that I can just take the Lewvan overpass directly to the service road, and then take the little side road to where the parking is by the sign. I can also take the service road back to the Lewvan overpass. No more crossing the TransCanada highway during rush hour in the dark. It has made such a difference to my peace of mind.
Here's where we go now:
Thank you, Lord.
Here's where we used to go:
Well, I prayed about it. And my prayers have been answered. They are busy building the new overpass at Pinkie Road, just before the layby where I used to drop Bram off. I'm assuming it's because of the work there, but they have barricaded off the layby - it is no longer accessible. So, we can't use that as a meeting place for the car pool, and the one group that usually leaves a vehicle there until they come back from Moose Jaw, can't anymore.
So the car pool has found a new meeting place, by a "Welcome to Regina" sign. It's less than half a kilometre closer to Regina - but that 4000 m or so makes a big difference because it's off the service road, on the south side of the highway. This means that I can just take the Lewvan overpass directly to the service road, and then take the little side road to where the parking is by the sign. I can also take the service road back to the Lewvan overpass. No more crossing the TransCanada highway during rush hour in the dark. It has made such a difference to my peace of mind.
Here's where we go now:
Thank you, Lord.
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