tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6372996781978967622024-03-12T21:22:23.352-07:00Finding What I Am Looking ForThe struggles, whims, passions and ramblings of a Christian,wife, mother, teacher, reader and slightly crunchy thirty-somethingpippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.comBlogger788125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-92229789803005508582018-04-04T19:10:00.001-07:002018-04-04T19:10:52.662-07:00Easter RandomnessAs I get older, I have become so much more attached to traditions and I grew up in a family for whom traditions are very important (as I have explained in other posts). I don't have lots to say about Easter this year other than that while it was reasonably simple, it all felt so meaningful this year. So often, it creeps up on me and we end up spending it in a frenzy and I feel like I have missed out. Not this year. I am not entirely sure why but I managed to slow down enough to truly enjoy.<br />
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I won't do a full summary but some highlights - Palm Sunday at the Wednesday night service I attend at the Anglican church - I hadn't gotten palm branches or the sing my favourite hymns on Sunday and not only did we sing some favourites on Wednesday, the priest knew that we weren't singing my favourite so she used it as the postlude. That meant a lot!<br />
Thursday night - the wonderful and meaningful service at the Methodist church and several friends were there who haven't joined us before. They held a "Last Supper" event for the kids downstairs and my children came home as impacted as I was.<br />
Good Friday - a service filled with worship songs that spoke to my heart and then, a fish dinner with very close former Catholic friends and Dh's parents. It's become a tradition for us and quite a nice one.<br />
Saturday - a Christian Seder with my parents-in-law who truly entered into the spirit. My kids LOVE doing this and having wine glasses is such an exciting thing for them. I made my own <a href="https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213682/matzah/">matzoh</a> and <a href="http://divascancook.com/passover-charoset-recipe-make/">charoset</a> (this year's was awesome!) Click on the links for recipes.<br />
Sunday - Easter service (I got to sing with the worship team) and then a wonderful traditional family dinner with my parents.<br />
Monday - the Easter Bunny arrived and we continued the tradition begun by my parents of giving a living gift to remind us of the new life through the resurrection. My kids LOVED getting a cactus as much as my brother and I did as kids.<br />
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Some random photos -<br />
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The kids and I made hot cross buns on Friday (and they were devoured so we made more on Monday to go to school in lunches and to teachers as a treat). I love <a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/food/baking-and-desserts/recipe/hot-cross-buns-7">this recipe.</a><br />
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Our Seder - I used Ann Voskamp's service and it was marvelous.<br />
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My grandmother was the jello queen and we enjoy jello treats more than the average family. My kids LOVE <a href="http://robbygurlscreations.blogspot.ca/2012/04/diy-easter-egg-jello-molds.html">these jello eggs</a> and to help syringe in the jello to the egg molds.<br />
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IJ loved playing chess with Uncle Josh and I was so grateful Josh would play - I hate chess and so does Dh.<br />
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Two of my favourite "old girls" - mom and our old dog, Lucie.<br />
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Easter baskets on Monday morning. Two very happy kidlets!<br />
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Christ is risen indeed!</div>
<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-3335223408617452962018-03-27T18:43:00.003-07:002018-03-27T18:43:45.930-07:00On Being a Christian NomadI am a big podcast listener. I walk a lot and to keep myself from getting bored, I listen to podcasts. My tastes are diverse and range from everything from parenting to faith to true crime, depending on where my ADHD brain is bouncing at any time. Lately, though, I have really been enjoying one by Pete Enns called <a href="https://thebiblefornormalpeople.podbean.com/">The Bible for Normal People</a>.<br />
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Recently, I listened to <a href="https://thebiblefornormalpeople.podbean.com/e/episode-40-richard-rohr-a-contemplative-look-at-the-bible/">an episode</a> that was a replay of an interview they had done with Richard Rohr, who is one of those names that just keep resurfacing in reading some of the people who speak most to my heart these days. I have several of his books, one of them I have read and a few others that are coming closer to the top of the to-be-read pile. He speaks on a diverse range of topics and one that has interested me is the issue of spiritual development. As a teacher with a background in child development, the idea of stages that we pass through really is a language that I speak and a reality that I see in action on a daily basis. What Rohr had to say during this podcast really interested me.<br />
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He said that faith development (and I am wildly paraphrasing here, so forgive any confusion) can be seen as being three boxes. The first box is "Order", the second is "Disorder" and the third is "Reorder." The first box is something like that childhood faith we have - issues of black and white, right and wrong, binary, dualistic thinking. To spend life in that box means having a faith that is fragile and can't stand up to the hardships life throws at you. That box involves all answers and no questions and is all about certainty. Unfortunately (or fortunately for our longer-term development), that kind of faith rarely sustains us in the long term. Box two, "Disorder", is the box that represents when those ideas that we held so tightly don't work anymore. For some people, that's where they deconstruct and then either abandon faith entirely and spend life in a chaos, or, if they are lucky, start asking the questions that they need to ask to move to the third box. The third box, "Reorder", is the box in which it is safe to live with doubt, in which we move to a more mature faith, a faith that does not rely on black and white and that can exist in the grey. It's a faith that is deeper and yet, allows much more room for questions and challenges. It is a faith that can see truth in stories (even when they are not 'fact'). It is a box in which we no longer have to fear the questions and can ask, knowing that, at least here on earth, we may not find the answers but that there is beauty in merely asking the questions. I feel like that is the place to which I have arrived in my faith and yet, I haven't found a church that is there.<br />
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Box one for me was the mainline church of my childhood. Contrary to the belief of many of the evangelicals around me these days, that faith was anything but dead. I come from four generations of ministers in the denomination and each and every generation had people who were passionate about God, who tried to serve him to the best of their ability and who felt called and challenged to follow Jesus. It wasn't the most exciting world, at times, but it had security and consistency and a kind of beauty that I had to reach box three to appreciate. Social justice and liturgy were very important in this system and we sang the hymns that my grandparents and great-grandparents had sung. We valued a very educated clergy and there was certainly never any unseemly emotion in a service. We lived in seasons and there was a quietness and thoughtfulness that might not be visible to the outsider but that was most certainly there. I grew up happy but with a strong sense that this was the only way and once I hit my teenage years, I began to drift. The church in which I grew up really didn't exist anymore, most of those attending either were over 70 or went because their parents told them that had to. They didn't have any knowledge of a greater Christian culture and other than Sunday morning, most of the people around me were not distinguishable as Christians when they weren't in a church.<br />
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That was when I arrived at box two. Having grown up only knowing one thing, I began to question what else was out there and whether these strict definitions (and prejudices against the "born agains" and the "holy rollers") were fair. I went away to university and, for the first time, met people who called themselves Christians whose beliefs weren't the same as mine. I attended a Lutheran weekly communion service, I had friends in class who came from every end of the spectrum and I met (and eventually married) a man who had been raised in the Salvation Army and whose family were about as evangelical as you could be. I started to question so much of what I thought I knew. I started hearing names and ideas I had never heard before (some of which interested me and some of which horrified me) and I encountered scary things like "the end times" and questions about whether I was saved and met people whose lives largely revolved about faith. Their friends were evangelicals and there was this entire culture and sense of belonging that kind of appealed to me on one hand and yet that I could not reconcile to the loving God and need to accept difference that was essential to the faith of my childhood. It was a confusing time because I was trying to find something that was true to my perceptions of who I was as a Christian while also fitting in with the "right" people and not being one of those mainline "dead" people. It was a world that was rife with judgment and left me with lots of answers but not a lot of comfort with the questions.<br />
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I would say that I have transitioned to box three over time probably during the last ten years after Pk and Ij were born. It has been a slow process. We moved from a more mainline (but poor fitting) church to the evangelical church in town, following their terrific children's programmes and some pretty good preaching. I began by just really viewing church as something for my kids and for community, with a sense that my faith needs would be largely unmet. I have come to LOVE a lot of music by Hillsong, for instance and to appreciate scripture that I had never really heard during the lectionary teachings of my childhood. I now have managed to find "my tribe" of progressive evangelicals online, meaning those people who do have a strong, orthodox faith on the one hand but also, a commitment to love and justice on the other. I love the fact that ours is a church at which we can do children's events because we have a large number of very committed families whose children come to programmes weekly. I have also discovered that while some hold some opinions with which I am VERY uncomfortable, generally people are kind, loving and willing to allow some space for difference. The biggest lesson for me, though, is that I belong to the family of God and not to one church or another. I used to feel that I had to be a member of one church or another and that membership made me ineligible anywhere else. These days, I go to our local evangelical church on Sunday, teach Sunday school and sing with the worship team. My kids go to a wonderful Lego programme and I do some women's things at the Free Methodist church and on Wednesday night, I go to a very traditional service at an Anglican church.<br />
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It's taken me 45 years but I have come to terms with the fact that there are ways that I feel closest to God and in which I want to worship and they don't have to be the same ways as people around me. I can totally get lost in Be Still My Soul (Finlandia) during one service and weep at an especially good Hillsong selection another. I can read through a liturgy that is entirely printed out and that I read at one service and raise my hands to praise at another service. I still love liturgy and I especially find that in the evangelical church, I miss the rhythms of the seasons (I'm really struggling with the "Good Friday shouldn't be sad because we know Easter is coming" of our Evangelical church, I want to sit in the sadness of Good Friday before I arrive at the joy of Easter). On the other hand, it bothers me that the order of service at the Anglican church actually says that communion is only open to baptised believers. My children are eligible because we did baptise them as young children but almost all of the other children at our evangelical church are not baptised and would not be welcomed to take the elements at the table. I have had to learn that there is something to be taken and savoured from each setting and that, unless a church is preaching hate or heresy (and short of questioning the divinity of Jesus or the existence of God, I'd be open to at least considering quite a lot), I need to go in with ears to listen to what God wants me to hear.<br />
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And anyway, there's always somewhere else to try if I need something else. It's a much more comfortable place to be when I don't question whether I might have to leave because I might just not belong because I can't check all of the boxes.pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-72025376353768481322018-03-20T18:48:00.000-07:002018-03-20T18:48:02.473-07:00Preparing for Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One thing that my mother did a terrific job of when we were little was in making special memories of the special moments. Memories and traditions are really important in our family (as in most) and Mom always understood the place that these traditions could have in shaping who are were and our lifetimes of faith. I will always be grateful to her for that. I think the fact that we are such a close family and that we we tend to continue these traditions even now, when we are in our forties, is that they connect us back to who we are.<br />
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When I was growing up, there were two traditions that we engaged in every year at Easter. The first was creating our own paper tomb scene. We coloured the figures and punched them out of the book and the model always lived on our mantel in the living room. I don't think you can buy the one that we always used anymore (it was 35 years ago!) but I did find <a href="http://www.mylittlehouse.org/bible-paper-toys.html">this one</a>, if you are interested in trying it at home. The other was that every year, the "Easter Bunny" always brought us something that was alive - a plant, a cactus or even, one year, a bowl with a goldfish. That might not sound very exciting but to us, it was amazing. We didn't have much money and gifts were never elaborate but they were always well thought out and we learned from them. I have been wanting to make those memories for my own kids, especially at Easter, which seems to me to often take a back seat to Christmas in the celebration department, even though it should be the highlight of the year.<br />
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We have embraced several Easter traditions in our family and now that Pk is 10 and Ij is 7, they are starting to ask each and every year, "When are we doing...?' I will share the Lent/Holy Week/Easter traditions as we engage in them this year. I have to say, it's been hard finding ones that fit with our lives and our beliefs - Catholic families seem to be much better at this than we Protestants. I am trying, though, and it's fun to see the results.<br />
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This year, so far, we went to an Ash Wednesday service (the first "Mainline" service Ij has attended since our local church in town is definitely more Evangelical in orientation) and they were both fascinated. They had never gone up to take communion directly from a priest (Anglican) or, to Ij's absolute fascination, been at a communion service with real wine!<br />
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This past weekend, we engaged in another Lent tradition (feel free to look up more info on it, I can't say that I know a ton, just that it IS a tradition), making pretzels. My kids never tire of baking bread and watching the impact of yeast always seems a bit magical. We tried <a href="http://www.fashionedible.com/2013/10/oktoberfest-homemade-pretzels.html">this recipe</a> and they were so good, I needed to make an extra batch because so many got eaten right out of the oven!<br />
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I found <a href="http://www.catholicicing.com/pretzels-for-lent/">these wonderful tag</a>s to print and they have taken pretzels each day this week, along with the tag. I feel as if our faith so often isn't talked about during the course of a busy day and this little lunch addition seems to help.<br />
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How are you preparing your children for Easter?pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-69022335581224272062018-03-17T04:53:00.005-07:002018-03-17T04:53:57.241-07:00Family "Dates"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the last 24 hours, I have heard about four impending divorces. None of the couples involves are in our closest circle and yet, it's shocking to me. I know that the stats say that something in the area of 50% of all marriages end in divorce but Dh and I have been very, very lucky in that we have only had one set of friends along the way who did opt to live life apart and so I am probably very naive. It's also been on my mind as, on the last day of school before the break, a confident, smart and outgoing 5 year old girl entered the classroom, sat disconsolately on the corner of the carpet and, when we asked what was wrong, she informed us that her parents had told her that her dad was moving out on April 1st. She was despairing.<br />
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I don't really know what leads to that point of needing to be apart from someone that you loved so much. I know, people change, wants change and circumstances can cause so much hurt. We have a situation in our extended family in which we discovered back last fall that a spouse had been cheating (and it was discovered in a most distasteful way!) and we have all been rocked by it. They are still together, though (although I suspect that may not be the final outcome). I am not judging, it's just that Dh and I grew up in homes where we watched people struggle through it and both sets of grandparents are now very good friends and have exemplary marriages. In our world, you just keep at it, you persevere and you hang in there. We've been lucky in that, I think, because of the God end of it, nobody ever viewed leaving as an option, so people just didn't give up. I think that has made a difference in that, when both spouses go into it with the understanding that it is forever and both are committed to making it work, it's easier. I've seen cases in which one spouse is doing all of the work of the marriage and the other is either emotionally absent or on the edge of leaving, and I can't imagine how heartbreaking that must be. It's just so sad to see all of that hope, all of those dreams and all of that love gone. It's also hard because, as a teacher, I have seen what it does to children and the kids I have taught whose parents have divorced, are so traumatized by it all. It's like a nuclear bomb has been dropped into their worlds and they spend a long, long, long time trying to pick up the pieces. <br />
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I'm just musing here and again, I hope that if anyone actually reads this, that I don't come across as being judging. If there is abuse, emotional, physical or sexual, if there is hatred and quite likely, in other cases that leaving is justified, of course, things need to end. I am coming at it more from a sense of sadness and bafflement rather than of judgement or superiority. It just makes me sad to see families disintegrating. <br />
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So, what does this mean for me? Well, it serves as a good reminder to me that I can't take my family or my relationships for granted. I do tend to get really wrapped up in my own head and my own day-to-day stresses and I don't prioritize time with those who are important to me. I've tried to remedy that this year by implementing a "date" monthly with each of my immediate family members - Pk, Ij and Dh. It's been fun and so far, we've had so much fun. Pk and I have gone to buy yarn and then to Starbucks to knit and drink tea and hot chocolate, to the mall for earrings and lunch and to Laura Secord to buy a Willow Tree ornament and for ice cream. Ij and I have gone to Tim Hortons and Mastermind to explore Lego and to see a big exhibit of Scouting badges from the past and to have Booster Juice (his favourite) and, best of all, Dh and I have started having a weekly t.v. date once a week after the kids go to bed and this week, since grandparents were here, we went out to our favourite Japanese restaurant and savoured a delicious lunch (and it's a restaurant we have enjoyed for about 12 years). It's critical that I make time and give them my attention and that is something from my January goals that I plan to keep as a regular thing as long as they are willing to enjoy it with me!<br />
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<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-73972251016239909542018-03-12T04:33:00.000-07:002018-03-12T04:33:36.259-07:00Enjoying BeautyAs you know, over the course of the year, I am working through the Sally Clarkson book The Life Giving Home workbook. It's amazing how it manages to be exactly what I need each and every month. Life has been rather stressful and I've been getting bogged down in my own head. I hate to sound trite but I am so lucky and it's so easy to forget that. This book from Sally Clarkson does so much to help me to avoid getting bogged down and to see how lucky I am.<br />
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For March, the idea is to focus on the beauty around us, to create beauty where we can and to restore our souls and those of those around us. It's so important but it can be so hard sometimes. My goal for the month is to slow down a bit, to live in the little moments and to keep my focus on how blessed I am.<br />
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We ended up being given that chance early in the month. We have wonderful neighbours across the street who have become very close with our children. They have three children and no family locally. They moved here from overseas (dad is originally from here but mom is Japanese and has no family in our country at all). At first, mom stayed home but she has fairly recently been able to find a job (which is so hard for newcomers here). They were leaving their kids home in the morning together before school (they had no other options) so we offered to take them in the morning before school. It makes our mornings a bit crazier and yet, it's totally worth it. My children love having them here and I know how expensive daycare can be. I'm fortunate in that my own children's schools are early start while Dh and I are at late start schools so I can put the kids on the bus and then make it to work myself. <br />
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Tuesday night, I got a rather frantic phone call from the dad to say that they both had to be out Wednesday night and had no childcare and were in a bind. Of course, we said we would take them. Dh was out at a union meeting and it was me with five kids but I couldn't say no.<br />
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It ended up being so much fun. We are discovering that the girls LOVE our family food, especially anything English that I learned from Dh's family and so I offered to make "English Pancakes." We very rarely have them here but when we do, the family adores them. They are very simple - yorkshire pudding batter cooked up similar to crepes and then dotted with sugar and drizzled with lemon or orange juice. I won't lie, I was exhausted and not really feeling it all but when they kids got to dig in and had SO much fun, it was all worth it!<br />
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I am not a food blogger or a food stylist and the pics are taken on my phone, which has been dropped in water a few times so the camera isn't great but still, I wanted to capture a joy.<br />
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"English Pancakes"<br />
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1 c all-purpose flour<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 c water<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
butter for frying<br />
sugar<br />
lemon juice<br />
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Combine the flour, milk, water, egg and salt and mix until no lumps remain.<br />
Heat a fry pan and melt some butter. Pour batter into a circle the size of a large pancake and then, swirl the pan to spread the batter out thinly, roughly the size of the pan. Carefully use a spatula to loosen the edges and when, the pancake will hold together, flip. Cook until golden but still soft on both sides.<br />
To serve, put on a plate and sprinkle with sugar (roughly a tsp). Drizzle with lemon juice or orange juice and roll up. My kids also love them with maple syrup.<br />
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I often get bogged down in life and forget that having guests can actually restore me, especially when they are children who really don't care how tidy the house is or how nice the meal is!pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-72177894917964954992018-03-06T08:59:00.001-08:002018-03-06T08:59:42.392-08:00Family Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been keeping a gratitude journal for the last several years off and on and in the last year or so, I have become really good at ensuring that I record something every day (actually, three somethings). I used to think that it was a bit of a "fluffy" idea, something with little substance that wouldn't really make a difference but I decided to try anyway. It's become a way of life for me and honestly, I have come to appreciate how much change it has actually made in the way that I view my life.<br />
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I am especially finding that it makes a difference in the hard times. In the greater scheme of things, my life is so good these days but I have had some real struggles this year with some very negative people at work. I am NOT good at conflict and it tends to eat away at me (while the people involved who are creating the conflict always seem to sleep so well at night!) I've been coming home feeling agitated by it all and having trouble sleeping and yet, the start to every prayer, and this is habit, not intention, is "Thank you for.." Life is so good this way!<br />
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I wanted to share a few of the things for which I am grateful at the moment because life IS good!<br />
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I feel like we are really in a sweet spot with our children right now. Pk is 10.5 and IJ is 7 and they are both so much fun and so connected to our family. We have so much fun reading together, having monthly parent-child dates, watching t.v. together (we have some shows we all love) and lately, hiking together. I walk the dogs almost every day after school and in the past, I went on my own. The kids didn't want to come and if they did, it was dragging them around, unhappy. Now, they LOVE that time and we are having such amazing adventures while making our dogs really happy and getting to enjoy the beauty of the area in which we live. We've enjoyed sunsets, climbs and rock collecting and, most of all, having really important conversations. I am so grateful that we aren't missing this time together!<br />
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I also feel very gifted because my kids are at a stage of life when they are exploring the world and discovering their passions and they are excited to have me be a part of that. Pk has always loved riding horses (and that continues) and she has also become a passionate figure skater. That was NOT something we saw coming as neither of us have done a great deal of skating (and dh, being English, did not grow up skating and has zero interest). Pk, surprisingly, seems to have quite an aptitude and loves it and we are at the arena Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and somehow, I have become the secretary of the skating club. I always vowed I wouldn't have my child overbooked but as I see her joy and the maturity that has come with her pursuing her passion, I cannot say no. We are also really lucky that she is in a really, really nice cohort of girls and families and her coaches are really unique in placing as much emphasis on character as on skating skill. I couldn't have asked for anything better and, as a bonus, I am getting so much knitting done at the rink!</div>
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This photo was taken at a competition and it meant so much to me and illustrates so well what they are learning. They were at a synchro competition (which meant that there was a team of 10 competing) and it happened that it collided with an individual performance for one of the girls on the team (who happens to be one of the youngest and least confident skaters). The girls all went to watch her and when she was finished skating, they exploded in cheers for her and seeing the smile of the skater's face made me truly appreciate the lessons that they are learning about friendship.</div>
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Little Man has also expanded my horizons as I am now "Red", the Scouter and the registrar for our town's Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers. I NEVER saw myself in that role but surprisingly, it's been really fun and it has allowed me to connect with some wonderful people that I would not otherwise have met. IJ and I have gone on several camping trips together and we have started collecting something from each trip to add to our collection of momentos of camping together and every time I look at the pile, I feel happy. One day, he won't want me there but at this point, he does, and it brings me more joy than I would have ever imagined!</div>
pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-73768476179412496482018-01-28T15:37:00.002-08:002018-01-28T15:37:46.821-08:00Knitting PleasuresIt's been a really difficult couple of weeks at work for me. There are some very toxic people and it's been a real challenge to try to stay above it all and to, as my husband always says, "make sure that my side of the street it clean." It's so hard to keep from being drawn into other people's drama but I have been really making the effort to be calm and compassionate (which has been difficult!) I've been looking for ways to find the little pleasures in each day and one of my pleasures is knitting.<br />
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The past year or so was the year of the hat for me. One of PK's skating coaches asked for a messy bun hat in "worksocks" colours which has become what the skaters refer to as the "Roots" hat. I ended up making an entire set for her synchro team and I then go requests from people who don't skate :-) Christmas was all about slippers (I'll do a post on that another time). I had a colleague ask for a bun hat but she didn't want the worksocks colours, she wanted black. The pattern that I had been using would just be too boring in black so, after some searching on Ravelry, I found a pattern that I really like.<br />
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Of course, I had to make one first to check tension and whether I actually like the finished product and yes, I LOVED it. It's the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yellowstone-skate-ski-hat">Yellowstone Skate Ski Hat by Selena Miskin</a> and available for purchase on Ravelry and I have been really happy with it. I find winter so bleak and I love lighter colours when possible so, of course, I made it in my favourite cream colour. Now, I have the black one is the works and I can't wait to finish it and pass it on to its recipient. My only sadness is that the black really doesn't show off the lovely cables the way I would like. At any rate, it's cabled enough to look very pretty (and impressive to those who don't know how easy cables are) and yet easy enough that there isn't so much counting that my eyes go crossed. It's such fun to pass on a little surprise like this to someone.<br />
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PK is my model so the adult size is a bit big on her but it's perfect for me!<br />
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<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-74947031218719672302018-01-21T19:15:00.001-08:002018-01-21T19:15:14.269-08:00My Life Giving Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Life has been rather grueling of late and I won't lie, my spirit hasn't been coping all that well. I always struggle at this time of year - my body desperately needs sunshine and this year, we seem to be in this endless darkness that does me in before I am out of bed in the morning. I'm trying to keep my head above water but I have to admit, when I am feeling this way, I am especially vulnerable to all of the little weaknesses, such as my chronic insecurity and anxiety. It's something I hate about myself and I wish I could stand up against it more firmly.<br />
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Because of all of that, a day like today is especially precious. I've been working through Sally Clarkson's The Life-Giving Home and the workbook and I am loving the fact that it forces me to sit down and be intentional, even when I only want to curl up and hide. For January, my goals are to create special times with my family throughout the week to make sure the know they are loved and accepted, to spend 10 or 15 minutes of quiet time in the morning before the house gets up and to spend some time in prayer over some worries that I haven't been coping well with. Sunday has become a wonderful time with my family and it changes everything.<br />
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Today, after church, the kids and I went for a hike in the forest with the dogs. We finally had a warmer day and the sun was shining in between the trees. Yesterday, PK and I saw three deer in a field as we were driving to skating and on our hike today, we saw a fox up ahead. Foxes are IJ's favourite animal in the world and it felt like magic to have sunshine and animals appear for us! Getting into the outdoors is a major help for me at this time of year and having the kids enjoying coming along (unlike when they were younger and complained the entire way) is such wonderful therapy for me. I feel so lucky that we live in an area that gives us so many options for outdoor exploring and especially since IJ has become such a happy member of Beavers, we seem to be spending a lot more time outside.<br />
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One of the things that seems to really speak to PK at the moment is that she is loving to cook and bake. I have always tried to avoid processed foods when I can for them (not because I look down on anyone else for using them, just because I enjoy cooking and for some reason, having my kids take food for lunch that is homemade makes me feel as if I have sent them a bit of a sign of my love). We do a homemade treat each week and since the cookie jar was empty (I know, I'm silly, but I love having some cookies we have made in the jar), we thought making gingerbread cookies together would be fun. I am learning (slowly) to leave my perfectionism behind and to give them a fair bit of freedom. PK picked some favourite music of us to share, I rolled out the dough and they had a great time choosing the shapes for their cookies. Years ago, I got a set of letter cookie cutters and they were so excited to make their names. Little do they know, they each get and 'I', a heart and a 'U' tomorrow in their lunches. I hope they actually notice.<br />
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One other pleasure that we have discovered together is listening to books. We buy them from Audible and then listen together while we do things we enjoy. Over the Christmas holidays, on a long drive, Audible suggested The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood and it turned out to be one that the kids loved (having a woods and animals integral to the story definitely helped). We had finished book 1 and so this evening, we started on book 2 while I coloured, PK knit and IJ worked on Lego. It was a wonderful way to finish the weekend and I hope it will give us all some treasured time together to help carry us through the challenges of the week.</div>
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pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-13960335226642794692018-01-05T06:11:00.001-08:002018-01-05T06:11:15.703-08:00Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In this cold weather, it is a great time for some "hygge" and I am a bit one for comfort at home, when I can find it! I have an addiction to foxes and my husband found me the most lovely fox mug for Christmas and we were gifted some Yorkshire Gold tea, which is exactly as I love a cup of tea - strong and full-bodied without being "stew-y". I got several gift cards for Chapters (a Canadian rival to Amazon) and ordered myself the <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/inspire-psalms-coloring-creative-journaling/9781496419873-item.html?ikwid=inspire+psalms&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0">Inspire: Psalms</a> colouring book that I have been wanting. I have to find balance with my colouring books because, while I love them, they can be a reminder, at times, that I don't have the time that I would like to quiet activities like this. I have a very bad habit of keeping lists for myself of things that I would like to do (and then, becoming frustrated and overwhelmed when my to-do's don't get checked off). Last year, I bought myself a Coloring Psalms agenda and it was nice to do small pages but when I didn't keep up, it really frustrated me. This way, I can work through the Psalms when I can and there is no timeline connected. </div>
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The book is lovely and I really enjoyed my time with it last night.</div>
<img src="webkit-fake-url://8c19333d-94f1-4cba-9f87-72096b59b208/imagejpeg" />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-73769951710474254952018-01-05T05:52:00.000-08:002018-01-05T05:52:42.386-08:00Our Family Reading CultureI haven't posted here in a long time and I suspect that I have lost any readers that I may have had but that's o.k. I like to use this space for me, anyway, and it's a fun way to create a kind of an online journal of the things that make me happy. It's been a very, very busy fall, given my inability to say 'no' which has led to new roles as the secretary of the skating club AND the registrar for Scouting in our town, along with all of my current involvement at church. I can't lie, while it is NUTS, it's also been so much fun, since all of these activities allow me to be involved with my kids and the things that they are passionate about!<br />
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One thing that has made me happy for years (and my cluttered beside table attests to) is reading. I love books, I love reading, I love getting books in the mail and from the library and, most of all, I love finding books that become part of our family. I grew up the daughter of an Anglophile and traditional English books were a huge part of my childhood. I have wanted to share that gift with my own children.<br />
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With a 7 year old boy and a 10 year old girl and time at a premium, it's challenging, sometimes, to ensure that we are reading as much as I would like. We have tried to find books that both kids enjoy and that has actually been easier than I thought. We went through a HUGE Dick King Smith phase (the Author of Babe: The Sheep Pig and the Sophie series as well as many other wonderful tales). We dabbled in Roald Dahl but honestly, that wasn't such a success. We have also spent a lot of time with the Famous Five by Enid Blyton (although there are a few that were just too scary for my son) and we have also been big fans of the Magic Faraway Tree series, also by Enid Blyton.<br />
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There was also the wonderful discovery of audiobooks as a family, after a particularly contentious drive up north when the bickering about DVDs in the car led to mom losing her cool and declaring that we would never watch a movie in the car again. That left me scrambling for a way to keep the peace and minimize the whining on the three hour drive up to visit grandparents that led us to discover the wonderful world of Harry Potter.<br />
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Recently, I discovered the podcast <a href="https://www.storyformed.com/podcast/">Storyformed</a> via Sally Clarkson (I will try to write a post about her book Different at another time, which was EXACTLY what I needed at a particularly challenging time). I don't want to describe the podcast too much and get the details incorrect but allow me to say that this is a wonderful podcast about the impact of wonderful children's books and books that are so worth reading with your children.<br />
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More importantly to me, the Christmas podcast, Episode 20, has been such a gift. We do the "Pinterest" Christmas idea that I discovered a few years ago in which we wrap 24 Christmas books and read one each night (these are all previously read books but the kids still adore finding favourites from years ago). I wanted to take the reading a bit deeper and a few of the suggestions from this episode have already become a part of our family Christmas culture and I am so grateful. I love the way that books can build connection between the members of our family.<br />
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The book we have enjoyed the most, and that is perfect for the age of my kids, is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. We bought it on Audible on sale, no less, and it was worth every minute that we have spent listening. My son, in particular, laughed and laughed and laughed and the kids kept begging me to listen to a bit more before turning it off. The Herdman family have become a joke in our family and my kids keep trying to come up with different scenarios that fit the idea of a Herdman adventure. There were also wonderful lessons to be learned in the true meaning of Christmas (which sounds like such a cliche and yet is so true). We have listened to the book three times through on drives this Christmas season and all four of us have enjoyed it. I think I am going to have to buy a paper copy, just to have a place of honour on the shelf with our other Christmas favorites.<br />
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We also discovered a wonderful book by J.R.R. Tolkien, Letters from Father Christmas. He wrote and mailed letters to his own children from Father Christmas over a 20 year period and this wonderful book is a compilation of his letters to his children outlining the adventures being had by Father Christmas. My children and I are loving this so far! The kids are enjoying the illustrations and accompany each letter. I was worried that they would find it too dated but, in fact, I think that the historical nature of the letters is actually making them more exciting for the kids.<br />
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I hope to post more regularly about what we are reading and how those books are impacting our families and I hope that, should I find any audience here, that you would be willing to share books that you are finding are enjoyable for your family.pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-70750945207865015242018-01-01T09:18:00.000-08:002018-01-01T09:18:06.847-08:00My Word<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I haven't made resolutions, I'm doing my "one word" again this year and this year's word is a bit different. My life verse is Micah 6:8 ("And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">). I've always viewed this as a command and earlier this fall, after an interesting discussion, I started to reflect on it more deeply. I realised that "walking humbly" could be both a command and a gift - walking "humbly" implies that I don't need to be trying to be great, I am allowed to be human and to make mistakes and to have failures and to not try so hard all of the time. My word, this year, is "humble" and I am going to work at being easier on myself and allowing myself some space to be weak and meek and to relieve myself of the weight of expectations of other people a bit. It won't always feel good but it's a lesson I need to learn if I am going to move forward. Does anyone else have a word?</span>pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-1208935161017023312017-12-31T18:26:00.001-08:002017-12-31T18:26:16.440-08:00Reading Challenge 2017One of my favourite book blogs is Anne Bogel's Modern Mrs. Darcy and last year, I excitedly printed off her reading challenges for 2017. I wasn't sure whether I was going to do the "Reading for Fun" list or the "Reading for Growth" list but quickly, I noticed that what I was reading fit much more snugly into the "Growth"<br />
Here we are, on December 29th, and I believe that I have only one more thing to finish and there is a very good chance that I am going to succeed. Here are the categories and what I have managed to read:<br />
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A Newberry Award winner or honor book-<b> A Wrinkle in Time</b> by Madeleine L'Engle (which I had been meaning to read for years, as she is one of my favourite authors of all time)<br />
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A book in translation -<b> No Knives in the Kitchens of This City</b> by Khalid Khalifa (which could have also fit in the category of a book addressing current events)<br />
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A book that is over 600 Pages - I'm not quite done yet but I plan to go to bed early tonight and cuddle up with <b>The Likeness</b> by Tana French, which is 680+ pages and I am 540 pages in so far.<br />
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A book of poetry, a play or an essay collection - <b>This is the Story of a Happy Marriage</b> by Ann Patchett.<br />
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A book of any genre that addresses current events - <b>Welcoming the Stranger; Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate</b> - Matthew Sorrens<br />
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An immigrant story - <b>An Unrestored Woman</b> by Shobha Rao<br />
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A book published before you were born - <b>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</b> by Betty Smith<br />
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Three books by the same author -<b> A Vicarage Family</b>, <b>Tea by the Nursery Fire</b> and<b> A House in Cornwall</b> by Noel Streatfeild<br />
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A book by an ownvoices or a diversebooks author -<b> The Hate u Give</b> by Angie Thomas<br />
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A book with an unreliable narrator or ambiguous ending - <b>The Girl on the Train</b> by Paula Hawkins<br />
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A book nominated for an award -<b> The Underground Railroad</b> by Colson Whitehead<br />
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A Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award winner - <b>The Pope and Mussolini - The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe</b> by David Kertzer<br />
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I also achieved my goal of 52 books for the year (I actually read more than that but I discovered that I was adding books to my Goodreads "read" list without adding the actual read date so it wasn't being added to my year total). <br />
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I am having a hard time identifying which books were my very favourites but I will say that The Hate U Give, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Historian and all of the Harry Potter books I read with the children were all very good. We also LOVED reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever several times and I hope that will now be an annual tradition.<br />
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I am being ambitious and setting my 2018 reading challenge for 60 books and I plan to do the Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge again this year. You can find the list <a href="http://modernmrsdarcy.com/reading-challenge-2018/">here</a>.pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-84183861259446421522017-12-29T17:06:00.000-08:002017-12-29T17:06:27.852-08:00Back again (finally!)I know, I almost never post and it is probably something that I should just abandon. I think it's the idea of posting that I can't release - at times, there are things that are so important to me, I want to take the time to reflect on them and/or to share (whether anyone is reading or not) but then, evening comes, I finally get the kids into bed and then, I haven't the energy to focus long enough to write. My evenings, of late, ha' dave been dedicated to either preparing for Christmas (I am utterly convinced that Christmas isn't meant to be so much work) or, on more relaxed evenings, listening to a book on Audible and knitting. I try to find 30 minutes or so for my knitting and instead of watching t.v., I try to listen and get some reading in at the same time. For the month of December, my book has been 11.22.63 by Stephen King, which is brilliant.<br />
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Every so often, I ponder what kind of purpose my blog should have. I'm not a food blogger - I like to cook but it tends to mostly be about fast and healthy around here and most recipes are not my own. My faith is very important to me but there are so many wise Christian women bloggers who are much more in touch with the interests of the world that there is nothing I could say that would be new or, frankly, all that interesting. I don't travel, I don't have any exciting hobbies or sports and really, my mom adventures aren't especially funny or insightful. <br />
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What I keep coming back to, and the thing that means the most to me, are my reading and my knitting. I know, not exactly the profile of an exciting person but truly, these are the things that give me the most pleasure. I love to read, I love finding books, I squeeze in as much reading as I can (my in-laws find it hilarious that I have found a way to use hair clips to keep my page open so I can read while I blow dry my hair in the morning) and my best times often involve either a bookstore, a package arriving through Abebooks or a book club meeting. My knitting is the way I take care of people, I think. My grandmother, who was probably my favourite person in the world and most definitely the person who gave me the strongest feeling of comfort in my life, was an avid and talented knitter and one of the ways she showed us that she loved us was through creating for us. I have such fond memories of hats, leg warmers and especially, her gorgeous socks and she always had needles in her hands. I think knitting has become so important to me precisely because it makes me feel connected to her. This year, for Christmas, many of my children's daycare teachers, skating coaches and babysitters received "dorm socks" (I'll do a post about that later) and I had so many compliments. <br />
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So, I think, for now, I am going to focus most of my writing on three things - my knitting projects, my reading and the books that I am enjoying with my children (which has become a huge part of our family life at this point in time). I hope that I will be able to find some time to write and to celebrate these special, small moments in my life and to create a place where I can remember things that bring me joy in the chaos of daily life.pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-73703763268875216312017-05-25T18:23:00.000-07:002017-05-25T18:23:13.959-07:00Off we go...I am so excited! Little Man suddenly developed this intense desire to join Beavers last winter and so we made it happen. There is something about having my kids involved in activities that they enjoy that makes me so happy. I am a joiner - I love being a part of anything and I think since I somehow grew up feeling as if I didn't belong anywhere. My kids getting to really belong to something makes me so happy! With Pk, it's been skating and horseback riding (and I am now the club secretary for the skating club and we have gone to competitions and even to watch a few high level competitions) and with Little Man, it's now Beavers and softball. I've helped to sell apples, I've planted trees, I spent a day at winter camp and he and I have worked together all year on projects for his "Personal Achievement badges". It's been so much fun. I know, it's not everyone's cup of tea but being involved in projects with my kids feels like building memories and connections that are more precious than I can say.<br />
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Tomorrow, we are off on a new adventure, even for me. We will be doing a weekend Beaver camp IN A TENT. I have not bee in in a tent for 25 years and then, it was only three or four times during one summer. That's it. Dh will NEVER EVER EVER EVER camp (the closest he would ever agree to come to camping would be to find a hotel room close to our site and arrive with tea and coffee each morning). I, the one who is technically useless, will be putting up a tent, dealing with the equipment and being an outdoors-woman for 48 hours. I am so excited and SO terrified! Wish me luck!pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-19591238277851284182017-05-09T08:16:00.002-07:002017-05-09T08:16:46.507-07:00The Misfit's Dilemma...I am assuming that if you hang around here at all, you know that I am not your traditional Christian and you are at least somewhat o.k. with that. Warning, though, this post might rattle some cages so feel free to stop reading now.<br />
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At a recent women's coffee evening at church, I was highly alarmed when I was told that they wanted us to watch a video on "post-abortive women." Abortion and gay marriage are two issues in church that make me want to run for the hills. Both are issues, to me, that cannot be reduced to black and white and to do so totally ignores the human beings involved and that, to me, immediately means that we are not taking a Jesus-following approach. I sat at my table with mostly "evangelical" Christian women, getting more and more alarmed at what was coming and how I was going to cope. My only possible compatriot in the squirming was a friend J. She, however, grew up Catholic and, not to offend anyone, I find that I have a number of Catholic friends who have this amazing skill at just not hearing offensive stuff said at church (which is totally perplexing to me, who grew up in a denomination who had a statue of Margaret, a dissenter, who is known, for among other things, hurling her stool at a minster who offended her at a church meeting, in their seminary lobby). But, back to the evening.<br />
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As the video rolled out, I stopped feeling quite as nervous. It was clear that the focus was going to be on supporting post abortive women in the church, not from a standpoint of condemning them but to share with them that they are welcome and that healing is available. After a diplomatic email conversation with our pastor, I can say that I now feel sufficiently comfortable that 1. they really do just want to support a group of women who most likely would be terrified to speak in church and 2. that the intention is to come alongside these women AS THEY WORK WITH TRAINED COUNSELLING PROFESSIONALS and not just to counsel ourselves. That's critical for me. My dad is a practicing pastoral psychotherapist which means that he is an ordained minister who also happens to be a fully trained member of the College of Psychotherapy for our province and not just someone with good intentions who hung out a sign. Much of his practice involves supporting people who have very legitimate challenges (either related to mental health issues or life trauma) who were further traumatized by church people (ministers, mostly) who felt empowered to offer counselling despite having no idea what they were doing.<br />
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It's all worked out well and thankfully, I am a member of a church that is directed by someone who is thoughtful, responsible and has an understanding of his own limitations. That isn't always the case.<br />
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I don't fit, I know that. I don't have a definite belief about abortion or homosexuality. I would say that I am definitely pro-life but what that means for me is most definitely not protesting with signs of dead fetal tissue that traumatizes people around me. My being pro-life is being pro-birth but also pro-enough self esteem to not be bullied into sex you don't want, pro-education for women so that they have choices, pro-understanding that rape victims face their own challenges, pro-adoption and a system that supports different ways of creating families, pro-making parenting affordable and possible, pro-supporting the elderly and pro-making life liveable for everyone in our society. Yes, there are questions and for me, they don't have easy answers. Most of all, though, Jesus told me to love and that's what I am going to do. Judgement is someone else's job and especially given the suicide rate among gay youth, do you really think that it's the Jesus response to tell them that they are broken and flawed when they are already struggling? I personally think that the church needs to shut up on the condemnation and to spew compassion whenever possible.<br />
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Then, comes the dilemma. When I get a message about an event to highlight this ministry, do I speak up and risk finding out that my church doesn't have room for me in my mis-fittedness or do I stay quiet and avoid trouble? When I write it down, it seems easy but it isn't always. The church is home and family to my kids and this is a small town. If we leave the church under a cloud, we are going to encounter these people daily and regardless of whether I have a deep understanding that I am doing the right thing, it has ramifications for me on a daily basis. I'm lucky, I have found a church whose sympathies are largely mine and whose leadership DOES have room for different beliefs but that isn't always the case. It's a hard place to be sometimes, especially when my INFJ-ness makes it really hard to compromise on the issues of compassion.pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-37289610224908268852017-05-07T18:21:00.002-07:002017-05-07T18:21:43.560-07:00O.k., So I'm Weird...Not like that is a surprise for anyone hanging around here. But I am learning to wear it proudly. Maybe someone else will share this eccentricity with me!<br />
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I love listening to podcasts and one of the ones I have been listening to lately is Sorta Awesome with Megan Tietz and guests. One of the episodes I listened to featured Becky Rapinchuk of the blog Clean Mama. I have to tell you here that I grew up in a home that was always in chaos. There was lots of love and affection but keeping things neat and tidy was NOT one of the strengths of my parents. I used to think it had to do with just not caring but since having Pk tested and realizing that she has a learning disability in executive function (organizing, managing day-to-day stuff), I have decided that my mom suffers from that, too. But I digress. I grew up a bit ashamed of having people over into the chaos and really not sure how to deal with that side of homemaking. It's become a bit of a passion of mine since it feels to me like an important part of making our home a place of welcome and comfort.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCBXZOY5FKHcbN9-6onW7LBGvJa2QzOrdveWAbOdqsI36bCgSCnHawLapcbWMJ8p6J5h-FtIdRTJUZPDMoMrBStiW3FyT7ObjJFXWPaoLSX9JqdZ6MzURffW9utrU3oYFrDBa22CrgGX1/s1600/9781440572517-us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><br />
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During the podcast, the subject of her book came up and, given my abebooks addiction (I LOVE ordering second hand books almost more than anything!), I had to buy it. I am not a fan of commercial cleaners and in earlier days, when I had only one child and not so many lessons and sports to run people to I was pretty crunchy about things. This seemed right up my alley.<br />
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People, I LOVE this book! My house smells so nice when I have cleaned using her recipes and there hasn't been anything especially hard to find - the most challenging so far was liquid castille soap but I found a lovely lavender one at my local grocery store in my small town, hooray! I have to wait until the kids are in bed and then, I do 30 - 45 minutes of cleaning while I listen to a podcast or a book and I go to sleep with the house tidy and potentially going to stay that way, at least for 8 hours or so until the kids get up again. It's silly how much pleasure I am getting from this but in my out-of-control life, having a little corner of my house that feels controlled is pretty awesome. <br />
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I'd love to hear about books that are making a difference for you, too!<br />
<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-65523868477041307832017-05-03T18:44:00.000-07:002017-05-03T18:44:02.457-07:00Yarn Along<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Ack! I just looked at Ginny's blog to link up and the Yarn Along is no more. I can completely understand why she has made that decision but it makes me sad, too. I'll have to find some other blogs to read and start trying to make some new connections around the blog-sphere!</i><br />
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I haven't been around much lately for the Yarn Along but I really wanted to get back in the habit. Life has been crazy and things like knitting and reading haven't been getting the priority they should in terms of finding a little bit of time for myself at the end of the day. Thank you to Ginny who hosts the Yarn Along over at her beautiful blog and thanks to everyone who shares. My to-read list gets longer and longer and I have so many patterns waiting to be made!<br />
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On my needles, I have made several more of the ponytail hats. If you don't already know, Pk's skating coach asked me back in March if I could make some kind of ponytail hat in a "worksock" pattern. I found <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/messy-bun-beanie-24">one on Ravelry</a> and after a few modifications (I don't know why, following the pattern the first one ended up being the right size for an infant), I came up with a hat that I love. I got a LOT of requests for them and when I worked on them at school (I am one of the leaders of our school knitting club and when our knitters don't need help, I do some of my own), the girls would rave about my "Roots Hats." We had talked about trying to get some gear for the synchro skating team Pk is on so I thought I would make a set of hats for them for next fall. I think there will be 12 skaters so I am aiming for 14 hats, just to be on the safe side. I've got five done so far.<br />
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I've been trying to do a fair bit of reading lately and as always, I have more than one on the go at the moment. As my non-fiction read, I am reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Lest-Innocent-Blood-Be-Shed/dp/0060925175/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493829241&sr=8-1&keywords=lest+innocent+blood+be+shed">Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed by Philip Hallie</a>. I read this book years ago and LOVED it. It is the true story of a small village in France of 3000 people that saved over 5000 Jews during WW2. They were French Hugenots and pacifists and they showed such incredible courage, all because they believed in the sanctity of human life. I had ordered this book a few months ago because I loved it so much the first time I read it. I had been holding off reading it again because I was a bit afraid that it wouldn't be as wonderful to me the second time round. The first evening, I read the introduction and the first two chapters and had several weepy moments in the best way. It gives me such faith in the power of goodness to win. The other book, <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Shadow-Wind-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/0143034901/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493829283&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shadow+of+the+wind+by+carlos+ruiz+zafon">The Shadow of the Wind</a>, on a very different note, is a book that I discovered from the Modern Mrs. Darcy booklist of books in translation that are worth reading. It's hard to do the book justice but, as a brief plot synopsis, it is the story of a teenage boy whose father takes him to this place that is a kind of a repository of lost books and allows him to choose one book. He does, loves it and develops a fascination with the author that leads to somewhat gothic adventures in Barcelona after the Spanish Civil War. It's good but honestly, I am finding it a bit too long. I'm also having a problem that I am listening to The Historian on Audible and there are enough similarities in type of book that I keep getting the two confused.<br />
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I can't wait to see what other people are reading and knitting these days!<br />
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<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-32805004481684459902017-04-27T18:47:00.000-07:002017-04-27T18:47:39.481-07:00StruggleI mentioned in my last post that we have had some challenges. Actually, in some ways, I think that it would be more accurate to say that we have had ongoing frustrations over the last several years. I know that some people are going to read this and immediately decide that I am a bad parent and that I need to just "get over it." For me, at least, this has been easier said than done.<br />
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I'm a teacher. I work for a school board with a fairly prestigious reputation that touts itself as being on the cutting edge and doing things right (in contract with several other local boards which are so inferior to us is the implied message). I'm an idealist and while I have times of feeling frustrated and overwhelmed, I've always listened to the workshop speakers or the staff meeting presenters and agreed (and, at times, felt a bit guilty that I wasn't doing everything perfectly). I've always put a high value on making parents happy, treating families with respect and not judging their parenting. I've always tried to do right by my students who weren't excelling and I've tried to stay current in terms of our understanding of how to support students with learning challenges.<br />
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I had been a teacher for 10 years when I had Pk, I assumed that school for her would be the same as school for me. I thought it would be easy, she would excel without a whole lot of effort and that she would be one of those bright, well-behaved and engaged girls who make life easier for teachers. Early on, though, I noticed some things that surprised me. Her vocabulary was incredible and at times, she showed real strengths but at other times, I was ready to lose my mind. She had so much trouble following how to play games and in her piano group classes, she never answered questions and never seemed to really know what was going on. The other kids seemed smarter than she was and I was worried but everyone (well, my mother and my husband) kept telling me that I was crazy and that I was pushing too hard. I didn't want to have the smartest kid but I was seeing some signs that concerned me and everyone was dismissing it as my being an ambitious mother.<br />
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Then, she started J.K. I have taught kindergarten, grade 1, 2 and 3 for years and years and I have seen lots of kids. Initially, her teacher told us how bright she was - she started J.K. (pre-K in the U.S.) knowing all of her letters and their sounds, some words, she wrote her name and she could count collections with ease. She learned to read lots of words but she just didn't seem to care about anything academic. She had a vivid imagination and told wonderful stories but at times, she could be really vague and we had a three year fight about not keeping her water bottle inside her backpack and soaking everything. I had this gut feeling that she wasn't who I had expected her to be and everyone around me kept telling me either that she was wonderful or that I just wasn't seeing how talented she was.<br />
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S.k. continued in the same vein and then, she began grade 1. She read really well but her writing left a LOT to be desired and for math, she seemed to be almost incapable of learning simple rote math facts. I still remember the time when she dragged me down the hall to see the self-portrait and personal description she had done. The art was good but the writing? I was shocked to see it on the wall next to the work of the other students. She had done so little I was a bit surprised that her teacher hadn't required more and I actually spoke to the teacher, asking whether I thought there were problems. No, she thought that Pk was bright but "social" and that all would be well.<br />
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Grade 2, things got much worse very quickly. It would take me days to tell you the ins and outs of it but let's say that it included marks plummeting, a teacher who didn't know the curriculum, Pk being tormented by two boys to the degree that she broke down crying at school one day at 11:30 a.m. and when I picked her up at daycare at 4, she was still crying and nobody had thought to call me, tremendous anxiety when a new boy moved in who was emotionally very unstable and was dragged daily from the class, screaming and attacking adults. It was a horrible, horrible, horrible year and with all of the anxiety that developed, we didn't have a clue what was academic and what was due to her high level of stress.<br />
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I would say that grade 3 was the absolute worst. It became clear from day 1 that her teacher didn't like her, viewed her as spoiled and indulged and really, just couldn't be bothered. We were told that the teacher "had bigger fish to fry", that our expectations were unreasonable and, after 10 weeks of not talking to the teacher, when we tried to contact her to check in on how things were going, that she was "too busy" to talk to us. I can't describe it. I'm a teacher myself and I've been at this for 20 years. Over and over and over again, the teacher was treating us like we were crazy for asking how to help our daughter and refusing to speak to us at all. In the meantime, the marks continued to fall and yet, the teacher kept telling the principal that there were "no academic concerns." It was like an alternate universe. <br />
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Finally, we gave up on the school system and went to our doctor. That was the first step in things getting better. She referred us to a top pediatrician who in turn sent us to a FANTASTIC psychometrist (an expert in educational assessments and the interpretation of results). Guess what? Pk is EXTREMELY bright but also has a learning disability (well, actually, three areas of very significant weakness). By this point, she had moved schools (that happens in grade 4 in our community) and the new school was as wonderful as the old school was frustrating. I have to be honest, hearing that your child has real deficits is a hard thing to face. I had a friend whose son was diagnosed with ADHD and learning disabilities and I remember her telling me about the grief. Having experienced it myself, I think that was a very good way to describe it. You still love your child, in fact, in some ways, it helps you to appreciate him or her even more. On the other hand, though, you begin to understand that life may not be easy for them. I have overheard one of Pk's friends talking about how Pk just "isn't good at writing and can't do that stuff" which is 1. untrue, she just needs more time and 2. really, really hurt her feelings. I know that we will be dealing with terrific teachers like the one this year, who loves her, admires her strengths like her sense of humour, her optimism and her kindness and yet is willing to work with her through the challenges but there will also be the teachers who either think Pk is stupid or lacks potential or who insist on viewing her executive function issues as being laziness. I know that the transition to high school may be challenging and that while according to the psychologist, Pk should be able to pursue any university studies she wishes based on her intelligence, she may well have to work a lot harder than other people. And, from a purely selfish standpoint, I have to learn to live with 1. that she will never measure up to the standard of the "perfect child" in the competitive world of "mommy-wars" (not that I buy into it but knowing that you will always be inferior in some people's eyes is still frustrating) and 2. that I will probably have to fight for her and that I will often face the dilemma of having to face the choice of being the nice, easy-to-deal with parent or being the mama bear who keeps the system honest for my kid but who knows that teachers are cringing when they see me coming.<br />
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So, that's been my tough battle this year. A friend with a son with a diagnosis told me last fall, when I was in the worst of feeling discouraged that we were almost at the top of the hill - that fighting the system initially and finally getting the diagnosis was the uphill part of the battle and that you spent a bit of time on the level at the top when things aren't so bad but you aren't seeing success yet and then, finally, you realize that the coast down to the easier part of the journey has arrived. I think that we have finally crested the hill and are starting the descent. I'm grateful because the trip has left me very tired.<br />
<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-30543294713610724592017-04-22T20:11:00.000-07:002017-04-22T20:11:02.487-07:00Happiness Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm sorry that I haven't been around (although I don't think many read here anyway but it's still fun). I always find winter tough and this year seemed to be especially so. My mom was diagnosed with Parkinsons, which threw all up of for a loop, my parents-in-law sold their house and are moving in with my sister-in-law, which feels like the end of an important era for us (we had quite an attachment to their town), Pk was diagnosed with a learning disability, which, while actually good news (it proved that she is VERY bright but also legitimately struggling with some things that aren't due to poor parenting, which was the message the school gave us), led to some really struggles and, as always, our schedule kept me drained and overwhelmed. I didn't use to like spring very much but, as the raising of my spirits can attest, I loathe winter and the longer daylight and warmer temperatures really do change my outlook on life. I'll probably write longer about some of our challenges in another post but this one is going to be happy. <br />
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I am finding myself brimming with contentment these days and it often leads to my walking around with a stupid smile on my face (when the world isn't driving me crazy). I thought I'd write a post about some of the things that are making me feel so happy these days.<br />
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1. Being outside. Having my dogs (more about that in a minute) means that I need to walk and most of the time, daily, more than once. I often don't feel like going but once I do, I get such a sense of well-being and clear-headedness from being outside. I walk at lunch at work, which is a lifesaver and I have taken to either listening to books on Audible or listening to some of my favourite podcasts. The kids are getting old enough that they now often like to walk with me (and don't whine about being exhausted the entire time). On Friday, we walked to a field literally five minutes from home and discovered a little waterfall in the creek in the forest. I had to drag the kids away. I know, we have started to overly idealize the "freedom childhood" but I really do think that being outside makes kids happier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AfCXLxzbd6aXoV3P-1zk7-euhT7Lm2SCwO18vgSqro0CQImGcfcehZQsLaA6OmbdF5ZVCZE9uqhEf60RFZ_MlsHpcoUbsIT6fMmqBLmtttbPVQtfdln6kxMoo5tGAx4-yyfFUPKeaaLj/s1600/Waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AfCXLxzbd6aXoV3P-1zk7-euhT7Lm2SCwO18vgSqro0CQImGcfcehZQsLaA6OmbdF5ZVCZE9uqhEf60RFZ_MlsHpcoUbsIT6fMmqBLmtttbPVQtfdln6kxMoo5tGAx4-yyfFUPKeaaLj/s320/Waterfall.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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2. Our pets. We have two dogs, both brittany spaniels, Lucie and Harris and a cat, Sadie. I can't tell you how much I love these guys. I know the world is divided into pet people and no pet people and I most definitely fall into the first category. They can be royal pains in the tush and cause all kinds of trouble and aren't especially well-mannered (having kids seems to have destroyed our ability to train a dog) but the joy they show when I come in the door, having a little body asleep on the floor beside me when I am working or having that presence in whichever room I am in changes my outlook on the day entirely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AFEW1DeR8co79enOSgjjH-RAchOmvXfeipZHFe6vXgMYuWkjNTZPuhxHYwdOj81Q8D5_iUHVivgJeY3KqbEmIIO_gsz-xkHVTR7nfVctIG0sjowjwWN8p8ttzybttAoGyQa-DSyEgVzq/s1600/Pippa+and+Harry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AFEW1DeR8co79enOSgjjH-RAchOmvXfeipZHFe6vXgMYuWkjNTZPuhxHYwdOj81Q8D5_iUHVivgJeY3KqbEmIIO_gsz-xkHVTR7nfVctIG0sjowjwWN8p8ttzybttAoGyQa-DSyEgVzq/s320/Pippa+and+Harry.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY2Rs7ea7RB_PeeA5M73imFCd4dOUMrLvdLx3LUne85C5M86-ZD4QXA3AyWPB9_H-sTjOmmNm_dJlknZ2zssBPaAyHbQDc6oDRlv9-fR_E-r8rqFaTppI7hwESCyfHM_-1JJIpjr5nFc2/s1600/sadie+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHY2Rs7ea7RB_PeeA5M73imFCd4dOUMrLvdLx3LUne85C5M86-ZD4QXA3AyWPB9_H-sTjOmmNm_dJlknZ2zssBPaAyHbQDc6oDRlv9-fR_E-r8rqFaTppI7hwESCyfHM_-1JJIpjr5nFc2/s320/sadie+fire.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghp0lUx-tck9yMRcm7NJQXRW5U1oAX3pSPeQzplr6YFCVFIbjg4Iv0Qx85IQo2UfJ7d6fWTCAb3OOwrPzg9MPticlQeF8FpWW_lv2s3dYyb8k0MQLiL2-3npxfQDQxi_7Rpz2NLf9aKusB/s1600/Muddy+Feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghp0lUx-tck9yMRcm7NJQXRW5U1oAX3pSPeQzplr6YFCVFIbjg4Iv0Qx85IQo2UfJ7d6fWTCAb3OOwrPzg9MPticlQeF8FpWW_lv2s3dYyb8k0MQLiL2-3npxfQDQxi_7Rpz2NLf9aKusB/s320/Muddy+Feet.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdSdpFrIV5ITwprSz3mCp3KmcVD7lyGcAM6hvORmyggxGR4aWafpyUff3VkhBytr3Xi4BKtI07gkFNveq0Z_3S4vQpVEC7AUYAZRx_MgpssJO1KoEowjtKlp2ond3pLeNo0X-Npn-3TG_/s1600/Forest+Walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGdSdpFrIV5ITwprSz3mCp3KmcVD7lyGcAM6hvORmyggxGR4aWafpyUff3VkhBytr3Xi4BKtI07gkFNveq0Z_3S4vQpVEC7AUYAZRx_MgpssJO1KoEowjtKlp2ond3pLeNo0X-Npn-3TG_/s320/Forest+Walk.jpg" width="275" /></a><br />
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3. Our small town. I know, small town life isn't for everyone and our proximity to the city means that we get to avoid some of the worst aspects of small down life but we love living here. I love that we run into people we know everywhere we go, that there isn't pressure to be out doing something all of the time and that there is quiet around us. I feel a sense of belonging here that I never felt growing up in a big city and I think my kids are really benefitting from that, at least at this stage. This was Little Man walking to school with a big friend who he worships who he has known since he was born. The kindness of the big and rough older boy to the little boy trying to keep up just about brought me to tears.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtLFZbaGZn5-c1IkZEpmtJBpfpygDGn31bPLwvQxGRmnwLchBwrwp2p3vhes9_wKoZMWkeUGia4xwxf_drkYG-6EeOTKbZ6H5Tul1giBb6Uus-qV1HdSOjNO6k3HPhHCd_BsfHBGcj1ST/s1600/Iain+and+Ronin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtLFZbaGZn5-c1IkZEpmtJBpfpygDGn31bPLwvQxGRmnwLchBwrwp2p3vhes9_wKoZMWkeUGia4xwxf_drkYG-6EeOTKbZ6H5Tul1giBb6Uus-qV1HdSOjNO6k3HPhHCd_BsfHBGcj1ST/s320/Iain+and+Ronin.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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4. My knitting. Just before March Break, one of Pk's skating coaches approached me to ask me if she could pay me to knit a ponytail hat in worksocks colours for her. I wasn't sure but after some research, I found a pattern and got to work. These are fun to knit and I have had so many requests for hats! At the moment, I am making a set of 12 for Pk's synchro skating team for the fall. They are easy, require little attention and look great. That makes me happy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVquhxdTKZrg8z3JpIXvl7tgTpNquZ5mjL_h6_WPjKkn1POLb_W2Oq24iWFRBcKAAc2XY4hErB256jBWaqNYJfeMmDkwSxfJXxVJXK8k-BlcDX9AW4eTqmCCrbuextqa6nz-Gg0zmZM8XS/s1600/Hats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVquhxdTKZrg8z3JpIXvl7tgTpNquZ5mjL_h6_WPjKkn1POLb_W2Oq24iWFRBcKAAc2XY4hErB256jBWaqNYJfeMmDkwSxfJXxVJXK8k-BlcDX9AW4eTqmCCrbuextqa6nz-Gg0zmZM8XS/s320/Hats.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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5. The thrift store. I love second hand shopping, especially in stores that are clean and well laid out. There is a wonderful thrift store in the town in which I work that is owned by a particular church group for whom I have tremendous respect and who do wonderful and responsible work globally. My favourite treat is to go and browse and to buy some fun treasures. Their books are especially cheap (3 for $5) and generally in wonderful condition. I love this little treat that involves so little guilt!<br />
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6. Getting out into my garden. I have these very big dreams of a gorgeous garden and while they are rarely realized, I think that I am slowly and surely having some decent results. I can't get over how an hour in the garden can change my entire outlook. I have peas planted in my veggie bed already, I have started chives and dill from dried seed heads I found when weeding and tidying, I have morning glories and sunflowers started inside and many of my perennials have come back. It's silly but it feels like a miracle to me each and every year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkyBRdVR03XxCFGDCLWVYT0P0QwDzAdD8kvg7aWdGOLDG3b1XMt0iQ-MWzn9TjztU_HDa8l2NiNnEUCCbyGHmLCcM0ozzI0MlHoFRBkGIVwko2DFk90ZTSR2QtCqgs8-QURFSDLooJHwd/s1600/spring+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkyBRdVR03XxCFGDCLWVYT0P0QwDzAdD8kvg7aWdGOLDG3b1XMt0iQ-MWzn9TjztU_HDa8l2NiNnEUCCbyGHmLCcM0ozzI0MlHoFRBkGIVwko2DFk90ZTSR2QtCqgs8-QURFSDLooJHwd/s320/spring+flowers.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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7. Podcasts. I love podcasts and I have found some terrific ones of late. I have always been a big fan of several shows from CBC (I especially like The Current) but I have stumbled across several that I really have begun to enjoy this year. I ADORE What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel (Tuesday is the day the new episode is released and it's silly how excited I become), I have really enjoyed some of the world on The Liturgists and Ask Science Mike, which Mike McHargue and Michael Gungor, Sorta Awesome with Megan Tietz and friends, Serial with Sarah Koenig and a few others that I can't remember at the moment. I almost never watch t.v. and listening to podcasts is entertaining to me but also lets me do the things I need to do like gardening, knitting and cleaning (which I seem to do so much of these days).<br />
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8. Reading. I have been on a huge book binge of late. Anne Bogel has made my life complicated by sharing so many wonderful books and since I discovered abebooks.com, I have become addicted to ordering used books online. It's so much fun to have books arrive and to find little treasures that someone else has left behind. I am bleary-eyed too much of the time these days because I can't go to bed without a good session of reading!<br />
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So, that's a few of the things making me happy right now. I hope that spring is infecting you with an appreciation of all that you have. I'd love to hear what is making you happy at the moment.<br />
<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-92128825862742332232017-03-01T09:52:00.000-08:002017-03-01T09:52:03.300-08:00Yarn Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ginny over at Small Things hosts a wonderful link up called the <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2017/03/yarn-along-321.html">Yarn Alon</a>g. Each week, we share a photo of what we are knitting and what we are reading. How can you ever go wrong with books and knitting? Thank you, Ginny, for hosting and for giving us the chance to see some great projects and books!<br />
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Life has been even busier than usual in the last week or so and sadly, I haven't had much time for either pastime. I can't entirely do without, though, so some things have gotten done. In terms of reading, I finished reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ragamuffin-Gospel-Bedraggled-Beat-Up-Burnt/dp/1590525027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488390332&sr=8-1&keywords=ragamuffin+gospel">The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning</a> and overall, I enjoyed it. It wasn't a "faith changing" book for me the way that other report that is has been but there were parts that really spoke to me. I'd like to go back and read it again in a few years since it is the kind of book that does seem to have something new to say with repeated readings. I have also been slowly moving through <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Secret-Keeper-Novel-Kate-Morton-ebook/dp/B007EECSFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488390376&sr=8-1&keywords=the+secret+keeper">The Secret Keeper</a> by Kate Morton. I like it but not love it. I really enjoyed The House at Riverden by Morton and this book made the list from Anne Bogel at Modern Mrs. Darcy so I intend to keep going - she has never steered me wrong yet! Finally, I'm reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Craving-Connection-Crystal-Stine/dp/143364567X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488390200&sr=8-1&keywords=craving+connection">Craving Connection: 30 Challenges for Real-Life Engagement</a> from the (in)courage community over at Dayspring. They have been posting a weekend challenge that links to the book on their blog and I liked what I had read enough that I decided to buy it. My plan is to read one challenge a week and see how that might work for me. <br />
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In terms of my knitting, that's been REALLY slow. Pk wanted a hat like her brother's and red is her favourite colour. They both have really liked the "<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pussyhat-project">Pink Pussy Hat</a>" pattern from Kat Coyle and it's SO easy, it works for me, too. I got a red one done and another pink one. I think I have four or five more pinks to do before I get one for each of the friends who have requested one. Finally, the "<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/able-cable-blanket">Able Cable</a>" blanket slowly proceeds. My friend's baby is due March 25, so it's time to get that off the needles!<br />
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I can't wait to see what everyone has been up to!pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-3805285123248579792017-03-01T07:16:00.001-08:002017-03-01T07:16:38.159-08:00Lent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Lent is something that I have struggled with for several years. I come from what I would call a "semi-liturgical" tradition - we talk about Advent and Lent but honestly, other than that the sanctuary was stark during Lent and people talked about giving something up (although it was never really clearly explained exactly why), there really wasn't much to it. It just felt like a waiting period before Holy Week. I didn't think about it a whole lot and other than a few years that I tried to give up chocolate (and I think more in the name of trying to lose weight than to draw closer to God), it really was a bit of a non-event for me. As I get older, I've been trying to find ways to make it a more important time but I haven't really found a way to do that.</div>
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Here we are, another year, and I'm trying, again, to find a way to make this a special time. The DECE I work with in my classroom is a Muslim and watching her fast during Ramadan and the significance of that time in her spiritual life has really inspired me to want to take things further and develop this as a time of faith. I've done some searching on Pinterest for ideas but again, there's not all that much there, especially as a non-Catholic. I'm going to have to make things up as we go along. Here is what I have decided to do so far.</div>
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1. Of course, we couldn't miss celebrating Shrove Tuesday. When I was growing up, we used to have pancakes at school and "pancake day" was lots of fun. As I got older and we stopped doing it at school, we'd go to church on Tuesday evening and have a pancake dinner. Now that we are at a much more Evangelical church, we don't even have that option. I wanted this to be a fun event for the kids. Dh is English and he has memories of eating "English Pancakes" on Sunday evening before going to church so those have become our "pancake day" pancakes. 1 c flour, 1 c milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 c water, fry like a crepe and top with sugar and lemon juice. Yum! </div>
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2. Reading - A friend posted the link to<a href="http://addiezierman.com/2017/02/27/9-books-read-lent/"> Addie Zierman's post about Lent</a> and in it, she recommends 9 books to try during Lent. I decided to buy several - <a href="http://amzn.to/2mBO2fL" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a96d17; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit, </em>Paula Huston</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px;">, </span></span><a href="http://amzn.to/2l0C82J" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a96d17; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">A Way Other Than Our Own, </em>Walter Brueggemann</a> and <em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2ldRcFo" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #a96d17; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lent and Easter Wisdom from Henri J. Nouwen</a>. </em>I won't have them to start Lent but at least I will have a few books to explore once they arrive and for next year, there will be some books to read.<br />
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3. <a href="http://snikrdoo.blogspot.ca/2013/02/lent-for-kids.html">A prayer chain</a> - last year, I did this with my kids and it was a great experience for all of us. We do pray with the kids but I have to be honest, it can be hit and miss. I love this idea of being very deliberate and purposeful and last year, it gave us some good opportunities to talk about caring for others and how we might make a difference in their lives. The kids liked it enough that they would ask to pray if I forgot. <br />
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4. A Gratitude Journal - I have been keeping a Gratitude Journal as part of my year of "Unashamed" and I liked the idea of <a href="http://www.orthodoxmom.com/2017/02/12/lenten-activity-40-days-of-gratitude-journaling/">these prompts</a> to take it beyond just a list. I have so much for which to be grateful and I have a bad habit of getting stuck in the negative. I want that to change and this practice may help.<br />
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5. Finally, my family has become very attached to the "Care and Share", a wonderful thrift store run by the Mennonite Central Committee. We like it more for making donations than for shopping (although I have been very bad about buying many too many books there!) I found this list of a <a href="http://www.organisemyhouse.com/40-items-declutter-life-lent/2/">40 day clean ou</a>t and I'd love to get my entire family involved in this - giving stuff away to create more room for the meaningful in our home and also helping those in need, both who need our stuff at a low price and the profits going to help all of the wonderful work done by the M.C.C. around the world.<br />
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How will you be marking Lent this year? Do you have any good suggestions? I'd love more ideas!<br />
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<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-58198421235846308282017-02-22T18:11:00.000-08:002017-02-22T18:11:23.226-08:00Yarn Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am so excited! I got a new laptop for work and this is the first post that I have tried on it. I am a hard core Mac person and I got a Dell and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to do anything with it. I am so thrilled that I have figured it out. There are still many glitches to work out but it's so exciting to think that this is do-able without my having to spend hours and hours trying to figure it out. Hooray!<br />
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I love the Yarn Along link-up hosted by <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2017/02/yarn-along-320.html">Ginny at Small Things</a>. Her blog is beautiful generally and when books and knitting are combined, how can you go wrong? I love seeing what everyone else is working on!<br />
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I've been busily knitting and reading but still, I feel like I have accomplished little. In terms of knitting, LB lost all of his hats and I tried to buy a few and couldn't find any. I love making them for him but I had such a long list of to-do projects that I was hoping to save the time. No such luck. I'd been working hard on the "Pink Pussy Hats" for friends and since it's such a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lizs-pussyhat">simple pattern</a> and requires so little finishing, I decided to just change the colour and follow a pattern that I had down pat. LB now has a rush coloured hat (yarn from my stash that thankfully, he decided was "fox" coloured) and a green one. That led to Pk wanting a red one (her current favourite colour) so I felt like I had to do that, too. I hope to get that one finished when I am done here this evening. I'm also still working on the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/able-cable-blanket">baby blanket</a> for our friends. I think three or four more repeats of the pattern and the final edge should finish it up for me. Thank goodness because this baby is due pretty soon!<br />
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In terms of reading, I've been all over the place of late. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the podcast What Should I Read Next? and I broke down and printed off the Modern Mrs. Darcy book journal. I couldn't resist looking at the book list and Kate Morton appears on the list. I read The House at Riverden and enjoyed it so I thought it would be worth reading another so I am reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Secret-Keeper-Novel-Kate-Morton-ebook/dp/B007EECSFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487730100&sr=8-1&keywords=the+secret+keeper">The Secret Keeper</a>. I haven't made it far into this one yet but it seems good. I think it was last week, the guest mentioned <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ragamuffin-Gospel-Bedraggled-Beat-Up-Burnt/dp/1590525027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487730176&sr=8-1&keywords=ragamuffin+gospel">The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning</a> as one of her top three. I have had this book waiting to be read for a while and that gave me the motivation to actually open it. So far, so good. I am about 6 chapters in and it's good. I think that because I grew up in a fairly progressive faith background, I don't find it as earth shattering as some (the message of God being loving and good and gifting grace regardless of our sin isn't a new message for me) but there are still some chapters that really speak to me. His chapter on the loss of wonder makes me want to look at my world again with new eyes. We are so lucky and there is so much beauty that gets missed each day. Finally, as part of the MMD reading challenge, I need to read a Pulitzer winning book. I browsed the list and this book seemed good, <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Pope-Mussolini-Secret-History-Fascism/dp/0812993462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487730039&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pope+and+mussolini">The Pope and Mussolini</a>. I am almost finished the Neopolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante which has me with Italy on the brain. This book seems like such a logical connection and it's been really fascinating so far!<br />
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I can't wait to see what everyone else has on the go!<br />
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<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-7714641283234187272017-02-08T15:09:00.000-08:002017-02-08T15:09:12.827-08:00Yarn Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't done a post for a while for the Yarn Along and I've really missed it. We just finished a marathon of report card writing and in our province, we have a new report card that took FOREVER to write for each child. My principal read them this week and they were approved so, I can now go back to my usual evening pursuits. I love the <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2017/02/yarn-along-318.html">Yarn Along</a> - seeing everyone's knitting and getting suggestions for books puts me in such a happy mood. Thank you, yet again, Ginny at Small Things, for hosting this wonderful link up!<br />
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I've got two projects on my needles at the moment. The first is a baby blanket. I found <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/able-cable-blanket">the pattern</a> on Ravelry (of course) and it is just what I wanted. I am using some old Bernat Baby that I had at home which is really super soft and it looks so pretty in these cables. This is the perfect pattern, in my mind - it looks lovely (my lack of skill as a photographer doesn't do it justice) and it's very easy, just a repeat of six rows with a cable on the 2nd row of every six. I don't have to pay too close attention to what I am doing and it's very easy to fix any mistakes if they happen. I am loving the pattern!<br />
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My other project on the needles is a bit of a silly one. I am assuming that since everyone here is a knitter, you are familiar with the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pussyhat-project">"pink pussy hat" project</a>. I had a request from a friend for one and, before I knew it, I had about ten requests for hats. I have finished five of them now. The blanket has to be top priority (the baby is due in eight weeks so it needs to get finished!) but the hats make a really easy travel project or when I am sitting around at the skating rink while P.K. skates. It makes a silly and fun gift and is uplifting to the spirits of some friends who are feeling pretty discouraged at the moment.<br />
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In terms of reading, I keep reading several books at once, as well. For the Red Couch book club over at SheLoves, the book for the month was <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Prophetic-Lament-Justice-Troubled-Times/dp/0830836942/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486595124&sr=8-1&keywords=prophetic+lament">Prophetic Lament by Soong-Chang Rah</a>. This book is AMAZING and especially timely given everything happening in the U.S. at the moment A friend recommended <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Streams-Living-Water-Essential-Traditions/dp/0060628227/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486595081&sr=8-1&keywords=streams+of+living+water">Streams of Living Water by Richard Foster</a> after I mentioned that I had loved his book on prayer. I'm not reading it quickly but I am really enjoying it. Finally, I have been reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Love-Letters-Madeleine-LEngle-2000-03-07/dp/B01K16PYOE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486595155&sr=8-1&keywords=the+love+letters+madeleine+l%27engle">The Love Letters by Madeleine L'Engle</a> for a while. She is one of my favourite authors in the entire world and I am gradually collecting all of her books (I love buying used books on abebooks.com and this was a fairly recent purchase). It's not horrible but I can't say that it's her best. <br />
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<br />pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-9123607293165183972017-02-07T15:47:00.000-08:002017-02-07T15:47:15.102-08:00Back AgainI haven't been around for a while. It's funny, I've had such an urge to write so many times but at the end, my feelings have been so overwhelming that I couldn't risk now having the words. I don't think I have ever felt so disillusioned.<br />
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I'm Canadian but unfortunately, we live in such close proximity to the U.S. that while we couldn't actually vote in the election (and many of us wish beyond anything that we could have had some influence on what happened), we were flooded with it and the negativity and the hostility and the anger have definitely overflowed into our world. Honestly, it has made me really struggle with quite a few things and really do some rethinking who I am and what matters.<br />
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I think the hardest thing for me is the fact that much of the American church could claim Trump as the "Christian candidate." It makes me so sad and confused and angry and feel so lost. How on earth could anyone read the words of Jesus and come away believing that a man who espouses racist, misogynist and hateful opinions pretty much every time he opens his mouth be the right choice? All I can think of are the mothers and children stuck in refugee camps, facing the dropping of barrel bombs or squeezing their children into filthy boats built for 150 with 1500 crammed on board. How can anyone see that as anything other that being in need? How can anyone who claims Jesus truly believe that their own worries (which statistically are completely misplaced) are more important than the safety of other people's children? I have been called a "snowflake" and a "liberal" (as if that is the worst thing one can be) and accused of being naive and stupid and pathetic because I have compassion and am trying to live with integrity. There are several people from church (people who I suspected I probably wouldn't agree with on everything but people I could certainly have a warm conversation with) posting hate speech, anti-immigrant rhetoric and, worse, anti LGBTQ material that is beyond hateful. I have always struggled with feeling like an outsider and now, knowing that at least some of the people around me actually hold these views, I find it hard to sit in church. I want church to be a place where I feel surrounded by people who are committed to following Jesus and yet, I'm afraid that my very attempt to follow Jesus will be what will get me excluded. I'm in that weird neverland - I believe in a fairly orthodox theology and yet, I also believe that love has to be given more weight than anything else and that fairness and justice must be our goal. I'm on the Mission committee at church and when the issue of our support for Samaritan's Purse came up, I really faced a dilemma - do I "out" myself as a "liberal" (I'm generally fairly quiet at church - sometimes I am pretty "out" on Facebook but I still hold back a fair bit) or do I go along with something that just feels so wrong? (In case you a wondering, I came up with a solution that worked for me - I emailed our pastor and asked not to participate in that vote, explaining my view but that I also understood that my feelings may not represent those of the majority of the congregation and he surprisingly told me that he suspected that there were probably many more that held my view than I realised and he worked things out so that we shifted our support to a less offensive organization).<br />
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It's really left me in a "Where do I go from here?" frame of mind. Do I shut up and listen to all of those on Facebook complaining of how sick they are of the "politics" (although when it comes to injustice, I think it goes far beyond politics and I'm sorry if justice and human rights are an inconvenience to you)? Do I speak up and call people on their hatred and know that I am going to face hostility and disdain all the time? Do I hide out with my peeps who don't challenge me at all and just stay out of it all? I've tried a bit of each and nothing feels quite right.<br />
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I think, at this point, all that I can do is try to live with integrity. I will be respectful of those who disagree and not call names, insult or deliberately antagonize. I won't post jokes or really nasty or derogatory comments. I will call racism and bias for what it is and, most of all, I will strive to stand beside those who are being hurt and/or excluded. I will speak truth and I will speak it with confidence but I will also realize that there are some issues that are about justice and others that are about opinion and I will try to maintain that perspective. I will also pray and pray and pray - pray that somehow, everyone regains the understanding that these "issues" that we are discussing are people's realities and regardless of our opinions, we need to keep the dignity, safety and human rights of all at the forefront of our discussions.<br />
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I really hope that these first few weeks are either an aberration and the result of inexperience and lack of judgement but that will change. I suspect, though, that the best that I can hope for is an awakening of the passion for justice, the craving for mercy and the humility that we are all called to.pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-637299678197896762.post-35829575296447433432017-01-04T13:50:00.000-08:002017-01-04T13:50:20.845-08:00Yarn Along<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks to Ginny at the beautiful blog <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2017/01/yarn-along-313.html">Small Things</a>, each week, we are able to enjoy the Yarn Along, a link up of books and knitting. How amazing is that? Two of the most wonderful things in the world and the most wonderful things to dream about! I'm not sure what I like more - finding new books and dreaming about reading or finding new knitting patterns and dreaming about choosing yarn.<br />
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This week was a good one for me. Since school finished really late this year, that means that we go back late, too. Hooray! I know, it makes the lead up to Christmas really busy but it means that we get a week after New Year before we go back. I LOVE that! Dh's family lives about 3 hours north of us and they live in an area that gets lots of snow. That can lead to problems during winter visits and we can't risk getting stuck up north. We very rarely get up north during the winter, especially now that the family is so busy on weekends with skating lessons and church activities. This week and this visit has been heavenly.<br />
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One great part of the trip is that I get to do some knitting in the car. I had started another pair of fingerless gloves but I have to be honest, working them on the 2.5 mm needles is not that much fun. I love the close stitches but I am so afraid of dropping them and it doesn't travel well. I did some reviewing of my "to-do" list and decided to break out an old pattern that I used a lot last year, the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gap-inspired-leg-warmers">Gap Inspired Leg Warmers</a>. I made Pk three pairs last winter and several of her skating friends had hinted at pairs, too. I had some nice yarn left from the wrap I made for Christmas so I decided that would be the colour of the first pair. I was also really excited because the town in which Dh's family lives has a really nice yarn store that is exactly what I look for - really nice yarns that aren't too frilly or fancy, just nice basic wool and other fibres in nice colours and while not cheap by any stretch, not insanely expensive, either. I love some of the fancy hand-dyed colourways in some exotic yarns but sadly, most are far out of my price range. At the visit to the yarn store, I got enough to make red leg warmers, black legwarmers (the colours that Pk wants to match her skating clothes) and a really nice green to make a green and black hat (as requested by my b.i.l.) I could have gone crazy (they had some Cascade Eco in some lovely colours and I really like using that) but I controlled myself. We should be coming back at March Break and between now and then, I am supposed to get a baby blanket finished so there's no point in going crazy.<br />
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Reading has also been refreshing as I finished several of the books that I have been dragging through and am now onto some fresh reading. A book that I loved years ago is one that I am rereading - Rumor Godden's <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/this-House-Brede-Virago-Classic/dp/1844088561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483501495&sr=8-1&keywords=In+this+house+of+brede">In This House of Brede.</a> It's hard to describe but it's about an order of nuns and the complex relationships in the community. It's a nice change. I am also reading <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Accidental-Saints-Finding-Wrong-People/dp/1601427557/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483501464&sr=8-1&keywords=accidental+saints">Accidental Saints</a> by Nadia Bolz-Weber, which I LOVE. She would not be to everyone's tastes - she's a Lutheran pastor who is covered with tattoos, has a foul mouth and a history of living life rough and she is an Enneagram 8. On the other hand, she is the perfect mix of sarcastic, funny and with rock-solid theology and a perspective that is often very fresh and VERY wise. She is so easy to read but I know that she wouldn't be for everyone. If you are easily shocked or you are uber-conservative, she isn't for you but I am really enjoying her. I liked her previous book, Pastrix, but I like this one better.<br />
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I can't wait to see what everyone else is reading and stitching!pippasmumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07386184818117314750noreply@blogger.com0