Not so Good Good-byes.

I said good bye to my Doctor today. There were tears. Definite tears. And begging. Not him begging me to stop crying – me begging him to relocate to Winnipeg. I even offered to drive the UHaul to Winnipeg for him. He didn’t jump at the chance (though he did say if he was ever to move to a bigger city, he would choose Winnipeg). He is the best Doctor I have ever had. And he has taken such good care of me for 5 years, and especially through this pregnancy.

Sigh

I love this man.

Do you think I should have sweetened the deal with a little chocolate?

Big Mama Comes to Help the Little Mama

Ahh ha ha. That title kills me. Considering the slight stature of my mama and the not so slight stature of…well, never mind… It just makes me laugh. Hahahaha. Sometimes I just crack myself up. Sigh

ANYWAYS…My mom came out to visit last week. It was so great to have her here, and I wish that we could have kept her longer. My head is spinning with all we got done. Well…all she got done. I'm all pregnant and tired y’know. I am not that productive these days. Thus the reason she came.

My mother, bless her heart, is like the energizer bunny. She came in a whirlwind and left me with a cleaned up yard - ready and prepared for winter, gleaming floors all washed and waxed, shining clean windows, inside and out, a spotless bathroom, dish free counters, and much less cat hair floating around than when she came. We also managed to make a large batch of salsa that almost borders on obsessive, but hey, you can never have too much salsa and it really makes me happy looking at all those pretty red jars. On top of everything, we boiled up a chicken and made 3 pails of chicken broth that are waiting in my freezer for any day I feel like mom’s chicken noodle soup! All that, and we even made time for naps.

I wish that she could just move in until the baby comes. Well, maybe until the baby is a year. I know Dad would miss her. But we could give him visitation rights. And if he really puts up a fight, I may even throw in a jar of salsa to sweeten the deal. Just think about it Mom...I know you want to.

Warm Hearts...Cold Heads?

I've been wanting to post these pictures for a long time, because every time I look at them they make me smile. Here's to Becky. Someone who makes me happy from the bottom of my feet, to the tip of my...toque.


Thanks for lunch today. It was just what I needed. Love you!

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moment #6

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland.

Moment #6: Lovin' my nieces to pieces

Aaaahhh my nieces. What beauties. Are you noticing a general theme from the high moments of my summer?

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moment #5

So...I am starting to loose my steam. Summer seems like a looonnng way back, but seeing as how my dad always taught me to finish what I started, I feel I must press on. Maybe just a couple more then...

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland.

Moment #5: Girl bonding in extreme levels

So I had a lot of girl bonding going on this summer. Not only did I get to see some friends that I had been missing, but it seemed like at every turn there was opportunity to hang out in some form or another with girlfriends. And let me tell you...there is just nothing like girlfriends. There is nothing more fun than girls getting together no matter what the reason. Laughter is louder, food tastes better, shopping is funner, secrets are more sacred, relaxation is more satisfying, and a good belly laugh is way more frequent.

I had it all. From walks and talks with one sister, to late night whispering and hidden chocolate hunts with my other sister. (We think mom hides all her chocolate in her room, because we KNOW she has it somewhere in that house! The apple doesn't fall that far from the tree!) I had an AWESOME lunch date with a dear old friend (I have always wanted to describe a friend like that, and I think that 19 years of friendship qualifies), and I loved how the good food didn't even hold a candle to the good conversation. I even got in a girls night to the Rainbow Stage for a performance of "The Sound of Music". The hills are still alive baby!!

Also noteworthy was muchos quality time with my friend Tia with whom I can think aloud, and laugh until it hurts, even when all I feel like doing is crying. Not that I felt like crying...but it's nice to know that you could if you wanted to!!

It was a good time, and I feel really blessed to know a lot of GREAT girls!!

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moment #4

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland.

Moment #4: Bonding with this little cutie patootie...

What more need I say about this?

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moment #3

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland.

Moment #3: Family Bonding at the Lake

A few days of our holiday was spent at the lake chillaxing and family bonding. Well, I should say chillaxing, family bonding, swatting black flies and cooking. It takes a lot of time cooking for such a big family! But a good time was had by all.

A lot of our time was spent in the water and on the boat. I think my ABSOLUTE favorite memory of the whole summer was watching my family in a brave attempt to climb on this beast of a contraption shown below. It is not as easy as it looks. If I close my eyes, I can still hear the sounds of my brother-in-law grunting and splashing and putting for a very concentrated effort to get on this thing. It makes me GIGGLE just thinking about it. Too bad for him he didn't have two sisters pushing and pulling like I did!

Even my Dad, the busy farmer took some time to relax...

That is, when he wasn't hanging on for dear life on the tube...

And not to be outdone by my father, even I took a turn! AWESOME!!

Good times.

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moment #2

Shirley's Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland.
Moment #2: Babes on the Beach

I took the train out early, so while Harv was still nose-to-the-grindstone in Yorkton, I had lots of "just girl time" with my sisters. And what more perfect way to spend girl time than hanging out at the beach? Incidentally, my two nephews were also there, but because they are so charming, we bent the "girls only" rule for the afternoon. Beach towels and sun screen in hand, we packed up the kids and headed to the glorious sands of...well, scratch that...we went to the not so glorious muck of Portage's Delta Beach. But it was a good time. Complete with a 911 emergency near drowning (not any of us...) and a "flashing" by a woman not brave enough to face the dirty change rooms, but brave enough to risk giving us a strip tease these eyes won't soon forget.

Aaaaaannnnnd I'm Back... I Think.

I'm trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon. I really am. I know I have been a little tardy in the posting department, but hey…it’s been summer and I’ve been gone and we've had DVBS and we've had a funeral, and I've had company and then more company and then…well you know how it goes.

I have been having a little bit of difficulty getting back into this part of my life. I have been feeling a little down, a little at a loss for words, a little out-of-sorts, a little restless…a wandering spirit if you will. So I thought I would post a small chronicle to boost my spirits, …a little memoir of happier moments I like to call:

Shirley’s Happiest Holiday Moments from Her Hiatus to the Homeland:

*By the way, I was discussing my blogging malaise with my friend Becky, and she suggested spreading out my happy holiday list over a number of days. We figured this would give me things to blog about, raise some excitement, and maybe win back my faithful readership. So here it goes...

Moment #1: Meeting the Babies!

First and foremost, the greatest moment of all was meeting my new niece and nephew, Tess and Teya. It was the moment I had been waiting for. They are a little shy, so I had to use all of my auntie wiles to woo and charm them. I think I definitely won them over in the end (though hard as I tried, I couldn't convince Teya to come home and live with Auntie instead of Mommy. It produced some giggles, but not the definite commitment I was looking for!). They are PRECIOUS, and a great delight to my heart.

So Close, and yet, Still Too Far Away...

They're getting closer! From Ethiopia, to Ontario, to Manitoba. The babies are getting closer. (And no, they were not shipped via Canada Post as the box may imply...) In less than a week I will get to meet my new niece and nephew. The waiting is driving me crazy!!! Auntie Laura is right now as I speak securing her position as favorite Auntie. Hmmmm. I'm going to have to work fast when I finally get out there! ha ha

For those of you who aren't "in the loop", head on over to my sister's blog for all the fun that Tess and Teya are bringing to our lives. Here's a shot of the new family of SIX!!!

Hold on little ones...Auntie's on the way!!!

The Sweet Taste of Friendship

Tonight we are going out for dessert with a couple that has just started coming to our church. And though I always really enjoy getting to know the new people that come (and lets face it, I love dessert) part of me wishes that I was able to fast forward this evening. I wish that I could fast forward friendship. I would like to skip ahead down the road a year or so from now to a place of comfortableness. To a place where you know all the answers to those first shy “getting to know you” questions. I wish that we could already be in a place where we are at ease, and where you can spend time just chatting, or even pruning trees together (thank you Becky) and all is good, and there is no nervousness. No hesitation. If I think about my close friends, I can hardly remember a time where we didn’t know each other, and where we muddled through the first moments of awkwardness and potential conversation gaps. With so many it just seems like it has always been - like we've known each other all our lives.

I guess all relationships have to start in this place, and even my dearest friend Tia and I laugh about the silly thing she said to me when we first met. Every friendship has to start at the beginning, but if I was honest, I wish they wouldn’t. I wish we could skip this part. I wish all friends were “old friends”. I know I am not the only one that feels this way. But I also know there are those that feel differently. My dad loves meeting new people, and making connections. There are those that enjoy the thrill of newness in a friendship. But it just makes me nervous. I am great with first impressions. I can be charming like the best of them when we first meet. It is the first coffee’s that I have trouble with. The first conversations that last more than 5 minutes where I wonder what to say, and wonder if they will like me, or think I am not as charming as my first impression hinted at.

There is something so great about knowing each other. There is such a feeling of peace that comes from being known, and being accepted. To be able to so freely be yourself and enjoy who you are being. I wish that I could be that way even with strangers.

But I will go tonight. And it will be great. And the dessert will be awesome. And I will try not to be nervous, or feel like I have to fill in every single conversation gap. Because if there is one thing I have learned from years of having friends, is that it is all worth it. Because so often, the first awkward coffee date can give way to closer friendship down the road. The beginnings of tentative conversation can lead to deeper talks that make all this effort worth the while. And so many of you who have blessed me with your friendship, have shown me that when we push through, it is SO worth it in the end.

That's a GREAT Idea!!

This little ditty has been circling the blogging kingdom, and I am jumping on board. Thanks Becky!

Leave one memory that you and I had together in the comments section. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Feel free to steal this idea for your blog and join in the fun!

Now I know I have a lot of lurkers out there, so this is an invitation to come out of hiding. C'mon people, don't let me down. You know who you are. :)

Something to Smile About...

As some of you know, my writing has taken somewhat of a depressive turn. And although that is fitting for my current mood, to avoid running the risk of completely depressing my readers I thought that today we would think about something on the lighter side. Here are a few things that have made me smile in the last few days…

…A phone call from my friend Amy. We have this amazing 18 year old friendship that makes my heart feel warm. I love how we can always pick up where we have left off. Our friendship is the epitome of this quote:

“Anyone who has ever attended a college reunion knows how easily two friends who haven’t seen each other for years can pick up the thread of conversation as if they had just flung it down, like a skirt they had been hemming to answer the doorbell.”

…I had this old song in my head yesterday – “My God is So Big”. It was reminding me of the old camp days. I can still hear the sound of my sandals scraping on the cement chapel floor…
…My lilies are blooming in the backyard.
…My friend Heather brought me a present the other day. “Just because she saw it and knew I would love it”. I can’t remember the last time someone other than Harv brought me a present for no occasion other than they really like me.
…I was near the baseball field the other day and the song they were playing over the loud speakers was “I love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett. I was immediately transported back in time. I will never forget…Tammy Wottons birthday party. Grade 5. A crazy rockin’ air band on the old brown couch. I played a mean electric guitar the likes no one had ever seen.
…I was crying on my husbands shoulder yesterday. It was a mixture of tears and mosquito spray. I am so glad that I have him. What a treasure. He makes me smile. And he makes me feel safe enough not to smile when I feel I can’t.
…We attended a grad BBQ tonight, and we have a grad banquet to attend tomorrow night. That means two nights of not cooking. That is enough to get anyone smiling.
…One of my youth girls is coming over to teach me how to play “The Sims 2”. This is a much needed lesson as on my own all my little Sims people have been dying of from boring parties, and oven fires.
…In 7 days I will be partaking in the “3rd annual-girls-only-card making-friendship-celebrating-extravaganza” event with my dearly loved friend Tia. I feel happy just thinking about it.
…My cat Abby…the fluffiest, furriest, cutest animal in the world who gives me ample opportunities to experience “motherhood” as I shower her with great care and affection.

You know…I feel a little better already.

Feeling the Fuzzy of a Warm Family Reunion...

Today was a good day. A very good day. Which incidentally fits in well with my plan to have a good 2006. So you could say, that so far everything in going according to plan (well, other than the whole flu thing, but I am feeling better now).

Harv and I spent the day at a post Christmas family gathering. It is actually more like a family reunion, because we really don’t get to see these people more than once a year. It was such a good day, and I was so happy that we went. It really confirmed in my mind that there really is nothing quite like family. It’s like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket of welcome and acceptance. There is just something about being with people who have known you and loved you since you were first born. People who grew up with you and walked with you through life’s journeys – from the adventures of childhood with hours of hide and go seek and “no bears out tonight”, to the mis-adventures of youth with our what-were-you-thinking-hairstyles to first boyfriends, to baseball games with the youth group and summers at camp. And since then there has been graduations and careers, and marriages and babies. We who were once kids now have kids of our own (well, some have cats…) We have all grown and changed. But it is a comfort to know that some things never change. I love that my Auntie Carol still has that great laugh that makes me smile every time. I love how Uncle Gord is just as quirky as ever. I love how our attempt to sing Christmas carols is always a faint and feeble effort, but that never seems to stop us. I love how some of my cousins are still great friends with each other after all these years. I love how the Aunties still congregate together overseeing everything, still bringing too much food, still laughing together, still enjoying each others company year after year. I love how Grandma always is there to bring our focus on the Lord with a word or prayer. And you always know that you can count on a few good “remember when” stories when we get together that will always bring a laugh.

I had a lot of time to reflect on the day as we travelled back home together. I felt very loved and supported. I felt nostalgic. I felt proud of how we had all grown, and the men and women that we were becoming. I felt proud of how successful one cousin, had become in his work. I felt so happy to see another being such a great dad, because we always knew that he was going to be a great dad. And as we drove I felt that I got a little glimpse of God’s feelings towards me. If this is how I feel watching my family grow and change over the years, how much more does God smile on me as He watches me over the years? How much more affection and joy do I bring to His heart? How much more interest does He have in my life’s ups and downs, and what has happened in my world in a year? Just as I want to sit down and catch up and talk with my family, how much more interest does He have in my thoughts and feelings and ideas? My highs and highlights as well as my lows? So I think that I am going to schedule in a family gathering of sorts with my Father. We need to do a little catching up. And I know that He is going to want to hear everything that I am going to say, and He is going to have all the right words and advice to give me in return. I am thankful for a God who not only sticks closer than a brother or family member, but also loves more deeply and with more affection that we can ever know. And that is like a warm fuzzy family reunion feeling that I can carry around with me on a daily basis, not just once a year.

I Have this Sudden Urge to Sing "Friends are Friends Forever"...

At the risk of being accused of mood swings, I have determined in my heart to change the mood of this posting after the dark and dismal entry of last week. But actually it is not a stretch, because I am feeing a little more positive about all things. So the song from little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks rings true…the sun will come out tomorrow.

My hubby took me away to the “Big City” as a late birthday celebration, and also I think he felt he needed an immediate call to action regarding my malaise. There we spent our day milling around in the malls and shops, drinking in all the sights and sounds and hustle and bustle of Christmas. I made it through the day with the purchase of only ONE snowman, so I am applauding myself at my great restraint.

Harv had planned a great surprise and had arranged to meet most-loved friends Doug and Carol for a supper extravaganza. I felt a little inkling in my heart that something was afoot. Most loved hubby was straying from his paths of predictability. I picked up on this and pounced like a jungle cat. I tortured him until he broke. He crumbled like a Breton cracker. To be fair to him, I gave him no choice but to sing like a canary or lie. And he’s a pastor people…there are rules about that sort of thing. Hubby was most miffed at me, but I was too busy happily looking forward to the joyous meeting with dear friends to concern myself with remorse and contrition.

We met at East Side Mario’s were bread was broken, soda pop flowed like fountains, and the Italian feast set before us did nothing in helping me achieve my goal of a narrower girth. It was excellent. But even more than the feast, the fellowship was what filled us up. It was the perfect and most wonderful combination of laughter, “catch up chatting” with far away friends, and the sharing of heart stuff…the stuff that digs a little deeper. We were definitely blessed, so thanks Doug and Carol. It was a pleasure as always.

What is it about good friends that can change a perspective from bummed-out to bliss? I have been blessed with friends that can immediately make me feel better and more able to face life simply by being in their presence. I am so thankful. Thankful for the times where I have been lifted up when I was feeling so down, thankful for the deep my-stomach-hurts sort of laughter, thankful for the good talks, and for comfortability in complete silence. I am thankful for a phone call when I wondered if anyone cared, a knowing look when we both just “get it”. I am thankful for memories to laugh at and movie lines to quote that seem just so fitting. I am thankful for my dutch-blitz-and-dixie-chicks-girls – I miss you!! I am thankful for traditions and things that we do with each other, just because we always do that with each other. I am thankful to know that there are those out there that love me, even though I am so pathetic at keeping in touch. I am thankful that even though this is a lonely job, we still have friends across the provinces who think about us from time to time. I am thankful that God give us friends. And I am thankful for Doug and Carol who reminded me last night off all these things that I am thankful for from all of you.



Do you feel this sudden urge to break into song? No? Well maybe it's just me...

Floaties of Goodness on the Journey of Life...

Yesterday we spent the day in the hospital. We were there to offer any love and support that we could to a dear friend who is literally hanging on for her life fighting off cancer. She has 2 tumours in her brain, and several on her spine. A week ago today she went to the Doctor's to investigate a painful back that had been bothering her for a couple of weeks. The next day she was having emergency surgery and staring eye ball to eye ball with her own immortality. Please pray for Shauntelle. She is going through some dark and unexpected waters. It really puts life into perspective when you realize just how quickly things can change, and just how little control that we actually have over things. I like to delude myself into thinking that I am totally in control. And I like to wish that life could be all roses and fluff. But that is not how life is, and sometimes when you are not looking, life can come around and karate chop you in the gut, knocking the wind out of your sails. And that can leave you spiralling. BUT we are not without hope...For "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so GREAT is His unfailing love." Lamentations 3:32

A funny thing about life is it's tendancy to intertwine sorrows with joys. For even though we spent the day in the hospital, we were able to see some great friends that we don't get to see very often. Friends that were also there to offer support. Let me tell you about Doug and Carol...

Doug and Carol can make my heart happy just by being in a room. They don't even have to say anything. I'm just glad that they are there. They were our very first "couple friends". You know, the friends that you make together as couples, as opposed to the ones that you inherit as part of the marriage contract when you and your spouse blend together your individual circles of friends. Doug and Carol were our first. And we just love them. There is always alot of talking and laughter when we see them, and just alot of good feelings floating around in general. Floaties of goodness. Seeing them was a blessing in what could have been an otherwise really difficult day.

So today I am feeling thankful...I am thankful that on this unpredictable, wild, out of control journey of life that we are on - God gives us friendships. Friendships that make the way a little smoother. That bring out joy in the midst of sorrow. That ease the heaviness of burdens. And that generate laughter in the midst of it all. Thank you Lord, for the gift of friends.