Warmth from the Hearth

Weekends Are For .....

2012-03-05T21:10:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was a combination of relaxation, competition, celebrating new life and exploring a part of Nova Scotia that I have never experienced before.

Looking towards the Cabot Trail on the way to Sydney.

Anna's high school basketball team proceeded to the provincial competition which was taking place in Sydney, Cape Breton. I had never been to Cape Breton in the 27 years we have lived in Nova Scotia, so Andrew and I decided to go and cheer on the team and enjoy a relaxing weekend at a B&B. We booked 2 nights stay at Colby House and were pampered with a delicious breakfast for 2 mornings in a row.

Colby House, Sydney, Cape Breton

It was the break I needed and the girls won their first game against the Cape Breton Bears which put them in position for a Bronze medal. The last game against Yarmouth was a hard battle, and they ended up in fourth place. They played extremely well and came home very tired. Very proud of the NKEC Titans!!

The Northeast Kings Education Centre senior girl's basketball team.

We also celebrated with Kathryn and Tim this weekend as they welcomed their second little girl into their family. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz. and they gave her the name Kathryn (Kate) Jane. We certainly take advantage of Skype and have been able to see Kate and talk to Kathryn. She is a very adorable, perfect little girl. We are so very blessed to have 4 beautiful granddaughters.

Beautiful Katie Jane born March 3, 2012.

All in all, a weekend to remember - thankful for my wonderful family.

Just north of Beijing

2012-02-26T21:19:00.001-05:00

(This is a guest post from the husband of the blogger.)

Last week I attended the 7th International Strawberry Symposium, held in Beijing. Of the seven, I have only missed one. This one was the largest (~1000 delegates) and probably the most interesting from a scientific as well as cultural standpoint.

The site of the conference was building #16 of a resort complex. It had over 1000 rooms and three very large halls. There were lots of security people (Beijing Police, military, etc.) around to keep us in line and to prevent us from photographing the hotel. This image was from the bus as we were leaving.

The hotel lobby from the third floor.

These gals escorted dignitaries and posed for ordinary folks just wanting pictures.

In advance of the conference, a strawberry-themed exhibition centre and "theme park" were constructed. Money seems to be no obstacle to showing who is #1 in world strawberry production.

Our tour guides awaiting us.

Production is mostly in these (passive) solar houses. There are thousands of them north of Beijing.

The north brick wall is about 70 cm thick. It absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night. Even though the outside temperature may be -10 C, the inside temperature doesn't drop below about +8 C. Would this work in Nova Scotia tucked into the North mountain?

This experimental vertical system would go well in my kitchen.

A street scape viewed on our trip to the Juyongguan pass of the great wall.

Sixteen tour buses parked behind this arch.

The wall at this pass was designed to keep out invaders from the north.

It was a smoggy, hazy day (very common in the vicinity of Beijing). The wall climbs the mountain with watch towers at the peaks.

I walked up to the first tower. The stairs were uneven in height and very steep. A good cardio workout!

Proof that I am not making it all up.

Very steep!

Normally, the wall wouldn't have this many people on it.

Detail on the eves of the Cloud Terrace.

The wall climbs the mountain on the opposite side of pass as well. The great wall is a sort of pilgrimage site for the Chinese. From rural villages around the country, people desire to visit the great wall once in their lifetime.

Some old-school weapons.

Looking from the wall into a village.

Ditto.

Tourist shops. Note the red banner which welcomes the Strawberry Symposium delegates.

Very ornate!

You have heard of a wall-flower, how about a wall-cat.
After leaving Juyongguan pass, we headed for the Ming tombs. Ming Dynasty emperors starting about 600 years ago built some fancy burial places for themselves and their favourite gals (who were interred at the same time as the emperor) along with some other possessions. There were 13 Ming tombs. We visited the Dingling tomb which has been excavated and restored. All of the tombs were located in an area chosen for its favourable feng shui.

Approaching the Dingling tomb, you can just see the soul tower which is just before it.

The tree of choice is the Imperial Cypress. A closer look at the leaning ones in the distance show...

... that the leaners are actually made of concrete. Many of these cypresses are well over 200 years old, ...

... and they even grow out of the walls.

The soul tower, contains a sculpted obelisk...

...which has a series of...

... dragons encircling it.

Descending 75 metres into the tomb...

... you pass through several arches which have doors of copper...

... then jade, each with 9 x 9 knobs which likely have some religious significance.

There were thrones, just in case his spirit needed a place to sit.

And finally, the final resting place. The emperor would be in the biggest one. Apparently the builders of this tomb would have been executed so they wouldn't tell others where it was located.

On a lighter note, a couple of humorous signs.

This was just below the shower head in my hotel room's bathroom.

Self explanatory in any language.

Thanks for sticking to the end. It translates "I Love Beijing".

Reading and Realism

2012-02-21T22:24:00.005-05:00

During these cold blustery winter months, my reading list gets shorter as I tend to do more reading this time of year. Before Christmas I really needed something a bit lighter than 'Radical' by David Platt, which I had just finished. So I read 2 books by Francine Rivers. I have always enjoyed her writing and her recent series of 'Her Mother's Hope' and 'Her Daughter's Dream' fit the bill nicely. These two books follow the dreams of a young Swiss woman determined to give her own family a better life. I would highly recommend these books to anyone raising daughters and knows the challenges and joys that can bring.

I have just finished reading 'Grace for the Good Girl' by Emily Freeman. This book was recommended on an excellent daily blog that I follow written by Ann Voskamp - author of 'One Thousand Gifts'. This is a book that I feel I could have written; it so accurately describes my disposition and personality. She writes about the masks we daily put in place to give the illusion that our lives are 'okay'. The book is very honest and revealing and was one of many affirmations that prompted me to resign from my part time position as ministry assistant at our church. This was not an easy decision, but I know that it is the right time.

One of many great quotes from this book ~

"You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head." (Psalm 139:5 NLT) Imagine a hero who not only leads the way but also brings up the rear and holds your hand all at the same time. I can't imagine a safer place than that.

Capturing Christmas

2012-01-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, so much for the Christmas update promised a few weeks ago. Resolutions are so easy to break.

Saying goodbye for a couple of years.

Christmas is over for 2011 and we are anticipating what 2012 will bring us. Christmas this year was really wonderful. Everyone came home to the Valley, including my Dad. I haven't spent Christmas with my Dad for many years, so it was a real treat to make meals for him and share our home and family. Kathryn, Tim and Eden were able to join us via Skype which was really special. They left in November to settle in Australia for a few years with Tim's work. It has been an adjustment for us and I'm sure for them, but with the current technology, we are able to see and talk with them almost daily. They also write a great blog which, in turn, encourages me to keep on blogging.

Great start to Christmas break - enjoying the snow and being creative!

Mama and sweet Lila - so beautiful.

Ryan, Heather and our other 'daughter', Anne.

The Naugler family all ready for church on Christmas Eve. Charlotte's excitement is building, but I think Lila is a bit tired!

Making beautiful music together in their matching Christmas jammies.

Charlotte and her new Christmas doll - so much love!

Grampie and his new walking sticks. He got quite a chuckle from this gift.

Looking at a beautiful photo book of our family reunion - many wonderful memories.

So much beauty - getting ready to Skype with Kathryn and Tim.

And here they are - all the way from Australia - what an amazing way to keep in touch with family that you miss and love so much.

A great tradition (one that we will always keep) - Papa makes Christmas brunch - so yummy!

Hope you enjoyed Christmas 2011 mostly through pictures.

Next blog will likely be a couple of book reviews.

Recap of 2011

2011-12-31T01:10:00.000-05:00

Last blog was in April - hmmm, new year's resolution - to become more consistent??

We made the decision to spend Easter weekend in Fredericton with our two eldest daughters who live there. It was a wonderful weekend and Heather came along with us - the only person missing was Ryan (Heather's husband). It was relaxing and so much fun spending time with the granddaughters. Thanks to Kathryn who organized the Easter egg hunt and treasure hunt.

Our beautiful daughter, Heather with Kathryn's little girl, Eden.

Charlotte collecting her eggs with help from Mama.

My sweet family - Easter 2011.

Our summer was fun, fast and full of great memories. It started with Sarah attending Camp Courage in Halifax. It was an incredible week of learning, 'hands on', the careers of policing, firefighting and paramedics. Sarah has a desire to one day be a police officer and this camp really made her aware that this is something she can do. It is a camp dedicated to encouraging young women to pursue these vocations which are still very much male dominated.

Sarah (far left) in her paramedic gear helping at a mock accident, the final day of Camp Courage.

Sarah with her graduating class from Camp Courage. The end of an exhausting but amazing week!

Anna started her summer with a Leadership in Training Camp at Malagash Bible Camp. This then developed into spending 3 awesome weeks as a volunteer at the camp. Malagash has been a significant part of Anna's summer experience and was able to give her time back to the camp volunteering in the kitchen as well as being a junior counsellor. She also had a week at the end of the summer as a camper which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Anna (third from right) and her 'buddies' at Malagash.

Anna and a very special camper.

Every three years the Nickerson clan has a family reunion. At the beginning of August we took over Upper Clements Park cottages and reconnected with each other. It was a fantastic weekend of playing in the park, eating together and relaxing in each other's company. The effort we make to do this every three years is well worth it and helps our children have an awareness of the extended family they are a part of.

Sarah, Anna, Tim C. and Tim N. on the flume - bonding with their 'big brothers'.

The Jamieson crew with 'Grampie' Nickerson.

We spent 2 weeks at our cottage on Harvey Lake in New Brunswick - the weather wasn't the greatest, but we sure enjoyed the time to relax and catch up on our reading lists.

September began full on, Sarah beginning her final year of high school and Anna starting grade 10. Sarah made the high school soccer team and after some cold, hard games they ended up with a bronze medal. Sarah is playing on the girl's hockey team and Anna plays basketball with the girl's senior team. Schedules are full and they keep us running, but it is so much fun to watch them play and cheer them on.

It has been a full year and I look forward to what 2012 holds for us.

Christmas 2011 update and pictures will be posted this weekend.

Spring, Friends & Day Trips

2011-04-15T10:37:00.000-04:00

Margaretsville 32 years later.

Last Sunday gave us a beautiful spring day and we decided to do an afternoon adventure after church. We contacted our friends, the Thomsons, who willingly came along for a great afternoon. I remembered when Andrew and I were dating that we had gone to a quaint little village called Margaretsville, and have been requesting a trip back, if only for nostalgia's sake. It's funny, but I recall it being much more romantic 30+ years ago!! We took a geo-cache along to do and it proved to be more difficult than the website said - Judy was the master and discovered it.

Discovering the geo-cache.

We then made our way down to the beach and a couple of waterfalls, breathing in the wonderful salt air. What a relaxing, enjoyable way to spend the afternoon with good friends. Time slipped away quickly, but we decided to take a little detour to Morden, another beautiful spot on the shore with a clear view of Isle of Haute out in the bay. This is also home to the French Cross and after a few photo ops, we headed back to the Valley. We are so very blessed to be within such a short distance to the tranquility and beauty of Nova Scotia's beaches.

A stunning waterfall right on the beach.

Interesting angle!

Margaretsville Beach, Nova Scotia (April 2011)

Looking forward to the next 30 years together!

Tampa Adventure

2011-02-10T08:09:00.000-05:00

After much thought and consideration, we decided as a family to join Andrew at a conference he was speaking at in Tampa, Florida. It didn't take a whole lot of convincing to leave our snowy and cold province and spend some time in a warm spot. As it turns out, it actually hasn't been all that sunny and certainly not tanning weather, but there are times when an escape from the sameness of our days, is necessary. My biggest concern was the girls missing 5 days of school at the beginning of their second semester. They have, however, brought their assignments for the week, and will be working on them today and tomorrow so they will not be too far behind on Monday. They are both excellent students and I have every confidence they will succeed in whatever they choose to do.

Lately, I've been thinking about my role as a wife, a mom, homemaker, ministry assistant, administration assistant and wondering what all this will look like in 5 years.

We are still in the process of raising 2 teenagers which can be exhausting and challenging, but we wouldn't change anything. They are beautiful and amazing girls and as their parents we hope we can fulfill our God-given responsibility to raise them with an eye for beauty, a desire for simplicity and vision to see beyond themselves. So this trip has provided an opportunity for me, as their Mom, to connect with them and to try to chip away at the masks that very often get in the way of seeing the reality of what is going on in their lives. The girls very much live their lives 'in the moment' and there is always the constant communication with friends that is an integral part of who they are. We have not had our cell phones with us and even though we did bring the laptop, there has been a somewhat limited connection with their 'budddies' at home.

Now to give you a glimpse of our trip thus far ~

Anna and her friend Leanne enroute to Tampa!!

Sarah and Anna in front of our hotel - lovin' the palm trees!!

Tuesday morning family trip to the aquarium - awesome!!

Purchased tickets to an NHL game - Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo - so much fun to see this live, cheered on the home team but they ended up losing 7-4 in the end, even experienced the fists flying a couple of times!! I would say highlight of the week.

This is downtown Tampa, at noon, on a weekday. Notice there is no one around - everyone here seems to drive a vehicle wherever they go. We really didn't see anyone walking anywhere - we were definitely the exception and felt rather out of place when we decided to walk.

Wednesday, the girls and I head off to Busch Gardens. Lots of wildlife and roller coasters. Anna, so happy to finally see an elephant for real.

Lots of roller coasters - can you spot the girls? Mama wasn't so brave!!

End of another fun day.

As we wrap up our week together here in Florida, I pause to think about the joy my children have given me over the years. The memories we have made together will always make me happy. Whether it was as simple as a picnic in the park, watching them try out different sports, cheering them on in their achievements in school, giving them the extras as we were able, but most of all loving them unconditionally. My musings go to the next generation that is coming along and hopefully I will be able to cheer them on as they experience the full and abundant life that God has intended for them.

December 31, 2010

2010-12-22T05:16:00.001-05:00

As we wrap up another Christmas season, with all the trappings and commercialization that seem to become more invasive every year, I ponder why we really do all of this. It would be so wonderful to simplify it all and get back to the real reason why we even celebrate this holiday. Even within the church, we seem to become so harried, getting ready for Christmas Eve services and focusing on how to best get the message of new life out to as many people as we can. It was a very low key Christmas for us, with only the two youngest home and it seemed rather quiet, but pleasant at the same time. Now that it is over and we have experienced yet again the wonder of Christmas and anticipate the challenges and blessings that 2011 will bring, I ponder what I will do differently.

I have just finished reading 'The Power of a Whisper' by Bill Hybels, which raised some questions about how I have lived my life in relation to the whispers that I have ignored, the ones I have chosen to listen to and why I don't respond more readily and eagerly to the ones I receive daily. It is thought provoking to realize that God continually nudges our hearts and yet I tend to push that aside and carry on with the way I want to live. I would like to think that I aim high in all my intentions and ambitions, but lately I think I have only scratched the surface of what God would have wanted for me. How many blessings has He arranged and I've missed?

The beautiful children of Kenya.

My thoughts wander back over the past 12 months and I realize how blessed I am. We welcomed two new beautiful granddaughters into our family this summer. We spent 2 weeks at our cottage in NB, learning how to 'operate' our two new kayaks. Andrew had a unique opportunity to spend 2 weeks in Africa, visiting rural Rwanda and Kenya.

Sarah (16) and Anna (15), Christmas Eve 2010

It has been a full year and we look forward to what 2011 will hold for us. We realize the two youngest are quickly becoming young ladies and before we know it they will be pursuing their own interests and making their way in this world. We are so very proud of them both and know they will excel in whatever they choose to do.

A new year is upon us - will I continue to do day to day, week to week, month to month as usual or will I dare to step beyond and ahead.

'And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.' Ezekiel 36:26

Kayaking 101

2010-10-01T20:55:00.000-04:00

October 1 ~ 28 degrees C ~ perfect day for an adventure.

Starting out ...

The kayaks are still being used and today was the first time I had really tried one out. Andrew and I decided to head to Nictaux Canal (actually Andrew decided, I was just along for the ride). Nictaux is a little place just south of Middleton. So, we both took the day off work, hoping the weatherman was correct in telling us that no rain was in the forecast. I must say that I was a little timid about this whole thing, but once we got in the kayaks and headed out, it was great.

Beautiful rural Nova Scotia in the fall.

Almost to our destination - the lake.

We had time to talk and enjoy the fall beauty of NS. It was fairly windy and the wind was against us as we headed out, our destination a small lake at the end of the canal. After about an hour and a half we made it to the lake, but there was a low bridge and the lake looked rather rough, so we decided to turn around and head back. Needless to say, my arms and shoulders are suffering a wee bit tonight. About halfway back, the sky opened up and it poured rain (thanking the weatherman for his accuracy in the forecast at this point).

The end of the journey - note the drowned rat look - not so attractive!!

Still crazy, after all these years ...

Life goes on. The teenagers are growing up and away, so time to develop some activities we can enjoy together. Looking forward to Thanksgiving, spending time with family and friends and always remembering that God is the giver of all good gifts.

Summer 2010

2010-08-29T05:48:00.000-04:00

What a busy summer. Each year as I finish up my work at the end of April, I have a list of the many things I will accomplish over the next 4 months, but the months have slipped by and my list still seems rather long. At the end of June, I began another part time position with a real estate office doing admin work, which I am really enjoying. Right now, it is working out to be about 4 hours a week and I will continue to work at the church for 15 hours per week. So, it may end up being a rather busy fall.

Miss Eden Jacquelyn Cross born on July 13, 2010. So beautiful.

On July 13, we welcomed a precious new granddaughter into our lives, Eden Jacquelyn Cross and we made a trip to NB to meet her. This summer we decided to purchase not one but two kayaks. Andrew has been wanting one for a couple of years, so we went to Pictou and purchased them from Freedom Canoe and Kayak. Needless to say, Andrew has been thoroughly enjoying the sport and the girls had fun with them while we were at the lake.

Sarah trying out one of the kayaks on a very calm day - Harvey Lake, NB.

Anna in the other one - they were both pros!!

Grampie enjoying some special time with a special little girl.

Early in August we made our annual pilgrimage to our cottage on Harvey Lake and enjoyed some quiet, relaxing time as well as some hard labour. Deciding that the camp needed some TLC, we spent the good part of a week, scraping, priming and painting. We finished 3 sides, so the remaining side and the shed will get their share next spring/summer. I also decided that we needed a change of color after 40 years of it being white with green shutters. This decision didn't sit too well with some of the fam, but I think they are starting to adapt. Hey, we could always change the color next year!!!

Oh, the joy of owning a cottage. It took a lot of time and hard work to scrape, prime and paint the camp.

But the end result was quite lovely. Colors are pewter with sun-dried tomato trim. The steps and screen doors are on the to-do list for next year!!

We were hoping that our 3rd granddaughter would arrive while we were on vacation, but nope, she decided to hold off. Lila Adelaide Naugler made her appearance on August 21 and I ended up going back to NB solo to help out where I could. We are so blessed to have these two beautiful new babies in our lives.

Miss Lila Adelaide Naugler born on August 21, 2010. So perfect!!

Grammie with her sweet granddaughters, Charlotte (2), Eden (6 weeks), and Lila (4 days).

Some of our summer was also spent at the pool and on the soccer field with our wonderful teenagers who are still under our wings.

Anna at the NS Provincial Swim Competition in Bedford, NS. She loves the water and here she is competing in one of her favorite strokes, the breaststroke. She achieved all personal best times except for her short free.

Sarah (back row, 3rd from left) with her summer soccer team. They were the gold medal winners in the New Minas Invitational Tournament. A great team and a well deserved win.

Now, we are back to the reality of fall activities and anticipating what God will do in each of our lives. Lou Fellingham is one of my favorite singers and I have been listening to some of her music. This song is a glimpse of how I desire to live.

New Life

2010-07-21T09:10:00.000-04:00

She is so very perfect!

We have just spent some time with our newest granddaughter, Eden Jacquelyn Cross. She is perfect and such a beautiful gift. I know that Kathryn and Tim will be great parents and cherish the moments that only a little girl can give them. We are so very blessed to be able to share in the joy that a new life brings.

Oh how I love those bare baby toes!!

And, this is my lot in life, right now!! They are so great!

Big Tancook Island

2010-06-16T06:41:00.001-04:00

Well, time for another post. Last weekend, we decided that a 'family' trip to Tancook Island was in order. We also invited our small group to come along and two dear friends from our group came with us. It was a day that started out with one of the girls dragging her heels, but as the day went on, she realized there was no way to get off the island, except to wait for the ferry to take us back to the mainland, so ended up enjoying herself, despite of her initial attitude. It is an interesting island with interesting residents and the girls saw a way of life that was rather foreign to them. We hiked about 6 km through woods, along the beach and back to the ferry via the dirt road. Pictures tend to tell it all, so I will insert some takes of our day away.

Who really wants to be on a ferry with her Dad and Mom??

This is an extreme example of the state of vehicles on Tancook. This car was on the wharf when we arrived. Was beginning to wonder what our day would hold!!

In complete contrast, some beauty of the island.

The beginning of our hike across a meadow towards the beach.

A pond held back by a high natural dyke of tumbled stones.

A little snack break on the beach.

Our dear friends, Kim and Judy, who joined us on our adventure.

Visit to the local graveyard. Some unique stones and quite a few 'Crosses' (our son-in-law's relations).

Buoys in tree.

I wonder how many pictures have been taken of this house - the most colorful one on the island.

All in all a very enjoyable day with outstanding weather. I am gearing up for our next adventure which will hopefully be whale watching off Briar Island before the end of June. Looking forward to the first soccer tournament of the season this weekend.

Becoming Me

2010-04-20T12:40:00.000-04:00

The Nickerson clan around 1970.

Maybe it's because I am very close to being another year older, or possibly the fact that I will be Grammie to 3 beautiful girls by the end of the summer, but whatever the cause, my thoughts drift to the past - where I've come from, the present - where I'm going and the future - what my legacy will be.

So I'll start with where I've come from and maybe by the end of this blog I will have saved some money on therapy. Being raised in a family with 9 children I felt that during my pre-teen, teen years my identity was babysitter/peacekeeper and generally avoiding the fray and challenges that my parents dealt with on a continual basis. To this day I will try to avoid conflict at all cost, which I believe is a direct result of my upbringing.

When Andrew came into my life, I completely fell in love, wanting and needing so much to be with him and to begin our life together. As I reflect on this time, I wonder if I was also looking for an out - to be someone special and unique in his eyes. So instead of GIVING - my time, my love, my care, I was running full speed into the role of TAKING and it was so, so good. Andrew was my healer and everything I had ever dreamed that a great husband would be. However, throughout our married life I realized that my identity was once again being tangled in with being a wife and eventually mom. There were times during these years that I felt completely lost and really did not understand who God wanted me to be. The busyness of raising 5 daughters and the reality of desiring to keep our marriage alive and vital was very draining and the years seem to have sped by so quickly.

Although I have gone to church since I was a wee child and considered it always to be important and relevant in my life, I ponder on "why?" and the answers are varied. Being a part of countless small groups, being involved in various ministries through the years, always striving to do the "right" things - investing my time in activity - is this why God created me? Or, as I am slowly beginning to understand, am I here to desire and hopefully achieve a loving, nurturing relationship with my Saviour? There are times I feel I have done everything so backwards. As I seek God and my heart aches for a new closeness with Him, I wonder if the "things" I try to accomplish now, will be for Him rather than me wanting the affirmation of 'a job well done'. Why has it taken so long to figure this out?

Which brings me to the present (or near present). Five years ago, on a whim, I decided I would apply for a part time job (after 23 years of "working" in the home). This was a challenge for me and after the interview (very nervous) and then getting the job, it seemed to fulfill this strange need of someone else appreciating the work I was doing (again looking for affirmation). During this time my baby sister became ill, was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma (bone cancer) and within 40 days left this earth. She was the gentlest, kindest, most loving person I knew. So, over the duration of her sickness and death every ounce of joy and sense of happiness was sucked from my being. And here we have it again, my sense of identity wrapped up in being the oldest sister, trying to protect and care for and 'save' someone who I loved so much. There was a period of time after Wendy died that I knew there was a battle being waged for my soul. It was so palpable and also very frightening. There had to be prayer warriors bringing me to the throne of grace or I would not be where I am today. God won that battle and He will always be victorious. He conquered the grave and death for me and I am so very thankful for that. All He wants from me is a relationship and yet I when I seem to get close, I veer away. Presently, I am working as a ministry assistant at our church and wondering if this is where I need/want to be. The job can be challenging and I do enjoy the work, but again trying to figure out if God's plan includes this.

On to the future - my legacy. As I think about our grandchildren and the world they will be a part of, I pray that they will learn about the amazing love of God. If I can contribute to that knowledge, I will consider myself blessed and complete.

I am on a journey, and yet I'm not alone. My family, my friends and my God travel with me. May I be identified as a Christ follower and be open to opportunity and growth - all for Him.

James 4:14 ~ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog - it's here a little while, then it's gone.

Rajaton, Risk and Restlessness

2010-03-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

Wow, March 10! Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future.

Anna had an opportunity this past weekend to participate in a weekend with Rajaton, a 6 member acapella singing group from Finland. It was part of an event that the Nova Scotia Choral Federation had organized and Anna is a member of the Annapolis Valley Honor Choir, so was able to go. She had an unforgettable experience and I'm sure the memories will be with her for a long time. Andrew and I purchased tickets for the final concert on Sunday afternoon. I wasn't sure what they would be singing as I had heard that they do a lot of ABBA songs, which Andrew really isn't a big fan of. We were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed 2 hours of wonderful singing, finishing the afternoon with their signature song "Butterfly" backed up with a 500+ voice choir at the Rebecca Cohn. It was beautiful and the sound was amazing. I think we need to embrace more cultural experiences, which will segue into my next thoughts.

I have been thinking a lot about short term missions or possibly spending an extended time in a third world country, maybe partnering with someone who is already established there. I'm not really sure where these thoughts will lead and not sure if this is just a stage of life phase, but I hope that if doors were to open in this direction I would be willing to step out and give what I am able. There are times that I feel that living in this North American culture, we tend to develop a sense of complacency and I wonder if this is what has created this feeling of restlessness.

Life continues on - loving my God and my family.

As We Weep - Do We Respond?

2010-01-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are at the end of January and has a month changed anything in my life? Not significantly. As we witness the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti via the immediacy of the media, my heart weeps for these precious people. Our youth pastor sent me a link to a message by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church - very moving, very real. I believe as Christians in North America we will have much to be accountable for. I am going to try and link this message. I think you will have to copy and paste the url (my computer skills need honing!).

http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/special/32-hours-the-church-in-haiti

If you have an hour and a half to spare, this is well worth taking the time to listen.

Carrying on, fiercely loving my family and knowing that when all is said and done, God will indeed win the battle.

Reflections

2010-01-02T08:13:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful time we had as a family over the holidays. It was a joy to spend so much time with our sweet granddaughter, Charlotte and it was the first time in awhile when we were all together under one roof. A good friend of Heather's (Laura MacDonald) and a very gifted photographer made time to come and shoot some family photos (not an easy task as our family gets larger!). Thank-you, Laura.

December 28, 2009

As we begin a new year, I am thinking about the areas in my life that need evaluation. Work, home, relationships, family .... As I consider the past year and think about the months, days, hours that have slipped by, I wonder if what I have filled those days with, coincides with what God had intended for me. Are my choices wise? Do I grab those opportunities that could affect others? Am I really living and offering my best to the ones I love the most? For a lot of the past year I would have to answer no to these questions and step back to consider how can I change that outlook for 2010.

Work, for me, is an extra curricular activity. It is something I enjoy and it allows me to spoil the girls a bit. However, stepping into a position that was new and really not established and to try and develop the responsibilities as ministry assistant has, at times, been a challenge. Have I accomplished this? Is it time to allow someone else to grow here? This has been something that has occupied a lot of my thoughts over the holidays.

I have always thought of our home as a safe haven, a place for family and friends to gather and have fun, have thought provoking discussions, have good meals. I hope that as the years have come and gone, that our children have felt comfortable bringing their friends here to hang out and just be themselves. Again, as the children leave the nest, am I using this home to it's full potential? Is there something I'm missing?

My relationship with God, with my family, with my friends are so very important to me. To establish solid, loving relationships needs so much evaluation. I know I need to prioritize the discipline of setting aside the time to read, study and spend good quality time in my relationships. To quote John Fisher ~ "I need to find out what is big enough to move me forward and overcome my own barriers to change. It may be my spiritual gift; it may be forgiveness; it may be my new identity in Christ, it may be a missionary call ... whatever it is, real transformation isn't going to happen until I am in its grip."

"What will it be for me that will transform me so much that it affects what I do and say?"

Testimony

2009-11-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

This blog is quite personal, but I am posting it for the benefit of my 3 older daughters, who were not able to be with us in church yesterday.

When Pastor Bob asked me to share my testimony with you this morning, I hesitated and almost said no, because I knew how far this is out of my comfort zone. I then recalled the many, many times I have encouraged our daughters to participate and to take advantage of opportunities.

I Peter 3:15 says - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you, to give the reason for the hope that you have.

I grew up in a large family, with Christian parents and attended church every Sunday. At a young age, I made a personal decision at a Christian camp to accept Jesus as my Saviour. The truth of what the Bible claimed became clear to me and I knew then that I wasn't just following and accepting what my parents believed but this decision was mine. The years have passed very quickly since I made that decision and I would like to stand here and tell you that my Christian walk since then has been exemplary, but I can't. So far, it has been a journey with a lot of highs and naturally some lows.

In 1980, I married Andrew, the best guy on the planet, and we began our life together. In that same year, Andrew's Dad lost his battle with cancer. Six years into our marriage, Andrew was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a potentially deadly skin cancer. Through this time my faith was challenged like it had never been before. I could not understand how a loving God would disrupt my life plans and have me face the possibility of losing my husband, leaving me with 2 small girls to raise. Where I couldn't see beyond each day, God was seeing the larger picture. With a very gifted doctor, the amazing support of this church and a small group that cared deeply about us, we stumbled through that valley. That was 23 years ago and as we have journeyed together, we realize that if we did not have God to bring us through the tough times and sustain us with the hope only He can provide, I would probably not be standing here today.

Andrew's Dad and Mom - summer of 1980, Toronto, Ontario

Twelve years ago my mom went ahead of us to meet her Saviour with a clear mind after her struggle with Alzheimers and seven years ago Andrew's mom greeted Jesus after her painful battle with bone cancer. I believe that somehow through all of this God was preparing me for what was yet to come and consistently revealing to me that His arms were always open for me to fall into.

My mom with baby Anna - she was a wonderful mom to 9 children and Grammie to 26.

Dad and Mom at Wendy's graduation from Acadia University.

Four years ago, my baby sister Wendy, was diagnosed with bone cancer. I am sure that many of you here this morning know the pain and distress of cancer - maybe not personally but certainly with loved ones. Wendy was a healthy 35 year old woman, she had a great career in teaching, she was newly married for 6 months and as a family we were shocked and completely unprepared for the heartache and pain that we experienced for her remaining 40 days on earth. It just seemed that at this time my life was good, my oldest daughter was married that same summer and everyone was happy and healthy. I certainly blamed God for this interruption and confusion in our lives and I was very angry. In fact, I came to a crossroads during that time where I was tempted to abandon everything I had been taught, everything I believed in, but God would not let me go. I really struggled to understand why Wendy, why now, why cancer? I still do not have all the answers to those questions, but what I do have is the confidence of knowing the One who does have the answers, and loves me and allows me to rest in Him and let Him carry the load when it is too much to carry on my own.

My beautiful sister, Wendy.

It was an extremely difficult time as I very inadequately tried to explain what was happening to each of our daughters. All I knew was that I had to trust that God was in control and that He would not leave us alone. On the day Wendy left us to be welcomed into her eternal home and her Saviour's presence, our pastors and small group gathered with us. We are very blessed to know the level of care and support we have here at this church and I realize how important it is to build and maintain our relationships.

So, thank you God for not letting me go, thank you church, thank you pastors and thank you to the many small groups that we have been a part of over the years. Your love continues to impress me and gives me the courage to carry on.

Romans 5:3-4

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

New Starts

2009-10-03T09:05:00.000-04:00

Sarah Jacquelyn ~ Grade 10

Anna Laurel ~ Grade 8

I have been meaning to get the first day of school shots up, but until now haven't really had time. It's back to work, managing children's schedules, sports games and life in general. Our two beautiful girls who are still home sure keep us on our toes (and possibly young??) are busy with all the things that a new school year brings.

Yesterday, I decided I would try my hand at apple jelly making again. Andrew's Gram tried to teach me the old fashioned way to make it many years ago and she always ended up with perfect jelly. Needless to say, I do not have Gram's technique and therefore cannot come up with the same end product. So, I decided to go to Scotian Gold and pick up some of their crabapples (prepackaged with just the right amount of apples with a recipe attached). The result was really good - not quite jelled as much as Gram's, but really good flavor and color.

This morning I wanted to get some more apple pies in the freezer for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so Andrew willingly cut the apples for me and they are at this moment in the oven filling the house with that wonderful aroma of apple pies - yum. Cleaning is next and then off to do a little shopping with the girls. Andrew is taking advantage of the beautiful weather today and has headed to Cape Split with a couple of guys, so we will have a 'girl' day and do some things we want to do.

For some reason, it's this time of year I miss family the most, those who have passed away. I'm not sure whether it's because of fond memories of activities that were part of my growing up years or just because I am more keenly aware of how quickly time goes by and how important it is to make the most of every day.

Well, off to my day and wondering what exciting things it will hold.

Labour Day Weekend Fun

2009-09-07T13:54:00.001-04:00

Well, here we are in September. Back to school and work. It was a busy weekend - on Saturday Andrew decided to refinish the top of our oak kitchen table. It turned out beautiful and hopefully we can keep it looking that way for awhile.

On Labour Day, Andrew and I set off for Amethyst Cove. The last time we were there was in our courting days back in the late 70's. We parked at the Cape Split trailhead and began the trail. The Amethyst Cove trail diverges from the Cape Split trail by taking a right turn and backtracking towards Blomidon a short distance, then turning 90 degrees left and climbing up to the spine of the mountain until a warning sign indicates the beginning of the descent.

No worries at this point.

A few worries now!

Perhaps a good time to turn around, but Andrew encourages me onward and downward. (He went first!)

Fortunately ropes are provided and we brought some gloves to improve our grip.

I had just completed the scariest section.

The beach was all ours!

After a rest (Andrew was apparently having difficulty standing straight) and an unsuccessful attempt to find a geocache, we started back up.

During the climb, we stopped several times to wait for our heartbeats to settle down.

Enjoy the video - this is coming back up - I was sweating and hurting at this point! Actually, it was less scary coming up than going down.

We celebrated the achievement with lunch at Rosie's then bought a bag of Gravensteins to make some delicious apple pies. All in all an excellent excursion and an enjoyable weekend, but will I be able to walk tomorrow?

Summer Vacation 2009

2009-08-18T07:29:00.000-04:00

We had a great vacation the first 2 weeks of August and the weather was perfect - warm, sunny days at the lake with beautiful sunsets in the evenings. It was a much needed break for Andrew after a busy berry season. But, we are now back, preparing mentally for the fall activities to begin. Sarah has started working part time at a local drugstore and will soon have the extra cash to spend. I am trying to get her to understand the importance of setting a percentage of her earnings aside, but I think money management skills are beyond a 15 year old brain. Anna is away at Malagash Bible Camp this week and we are missing her. She really loves this camp and would like to someday lifeguard here.

One of the many beautiful sunsets on Harvey Lake, NB.

... and another.

Two very special girls, sharing some quality time together at the lake. A prime opportunity to build and strengthen that sister bond.

New Brunswick Day fireworks in Fredericton. We enjoyed quite an impressive display.

Grammie and Charlotte looking intently at something!

This is our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte Wendy, taken at our cottage.

We have had some very hot weather here lately and it is making sleep very elusive. Therefore, I am blogging, of all things. I have just started reading a book by Dr. Paul Brand entitled "The Forever Feast" - Letting God Satisfy Your Deepest Hunger. I will post a bit more on this as I get further into the book.

Tidal Impact 2009

2009-07-20T20:32:00.000-04:00

This is our team with the Hillcrest team from Saint John with the food we collected on our food drive. There was a total of 25,000 lbs. of food gathered in Saint John and Moncton.

There is something empowering about being with youth for a week and running on their energy and enthusiasm. Being part of the Tidal Impact team that set off for a short term mission in Saint John, NB was not part of my plans for the summer. However, I believe God had other plans for me for this week and with much uncertainty I stepped into this unknown territory. The only experience I have ever had in working with youth was raising my own children and I knew this trip would be completely out of my comfort zone. There are some observations that I made during the week and I will share some of that here.

For our youth, I would encourage you in your journey - stay true to God and yourselves. You are an amazing group and God will use you in ways you never thought possible. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of seeing you in action- giving your time and abilities freely in the different outreaches that we were a part of.

For our youth leaders, what can I say, but I really admire your stamina to guide and build relationships with these kids week after week. What a reward it must be to watch these youth grow and mature into young adults serving God.

Last, but not least, to our NMBC congregation, thank-you for your prayers this past week. We were challenged and stretched. Continue to support and encourage our youth. You are the largest cheering squad they have. Also, if any of you are given the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and into 'new' ministry, try it, you may just enjoy yourself!

Youth 101

2009-07-06T08:38:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

I can't believe that it has been 2 weeks since I have blogged anything. We arrived in Saint John around 5 pm on Saturday and had pizza at the church and then an ice breaker with the Hillcrest youth. We actually had a fairly quiet van load of girls and Laura and I got to know one another a bit better. It has been interesting to say the least, so far. We ended up sleeping on the floor in the basement of the church on Saturday night and we transported van loads of kids to several homes nearby for their showers before church on Sunday - that was really interesting. We ended up having several discussions about billets on Sunday and found out from their youth pastor that there were some folks in church on Sunday that offered their homes up for billets. We had enough for the girls to go and have a bed for the remainder of the week and the guys were content to stay at the church. Initially Laura and I were hesitant to take this on, but after a long day, it was a go. Sunday was church in the am, delivering flyers to homes in the neighborhood informing them of the major food drive that we were doing. Last night was the kick-off rally for Tidal Impact which was held at the arena in Sussex. The worship band was very good and I can't remember the name. Rob Nylen spoke and was very clear in his message and using the gifts that we have been given. It was a great evening. We arrived back around 9:30 pm and proceeded to pack up the girls things for our unknown destination. I had Jessica and Caitlyn C., Anna and Sharayah with me and I think we were all pleasantly surprised. Our hosts were very welcoming and I got my OWN room (PTL)!!!

Monday (I can't believe it is only Monday!) we started our week of ministry with our host church - they have what they call Park Day every morning and our youth are helping out with that (games, crafts, etc. similar to VBC but held in the park). In the afternoon we went and collected the food from the homes that we were in contact with on Sunday. It was very successful and we then delivered it to the local food bank. We then had supper at the church and headed off for our first rally with all of the Saint John crew (about 400) to Quispamsis. The rally was at the Wesleyan church and the kids seemed to enjoy it all. I will try and post some pictures tomorrow.

Being stretched and losing sleep!!! Coveting your prayers.

Canada Day!

2009-07-01T06:49:00.000-04:00

Happy Canada Day!

Here we are at the beginning of July and hopefully 2 months (or more!) of sunshine. It

sure isn't starting out very well with the amount of rain that we've had. Strawberries are full on and I am about halfway through making our jam for the year.

I am venturing into unknown territory in about a week and a half. I will be transporting youth to Saint John for a short term mission adventure called 'Tidal Impact' which is run through our Atlantic Baptist Convention. I have very mixed feelings about this and I think mainly because it is something that I have never done before. So, not much new news on the home front. I will hopefully be able to do some blogging when I'm away. We are looking forward to a couple of weeks at our camp on Harvey Lake in NB in August and visiting with our oldest daughter and her family and some extended family.

And ... Back to Reality

2009-06-22T07:20:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that a week has gone by since we've been home. Back to reality (dishes, laundry, meals, etc.) and life again with 2 teenagers. Our trip away now seems like something we did in the distant past. We have wonderful memories of this excursion and I hope we have the opportunity to travel together again. Life has a way of rushing by and we tend to put those special moments to the side and leave them for a more convenient time. I believe we need to grab these moments as quickly as they show up and cherish the time we get to spend with the people we love the most. As life returns to "normal" I tend to reflect more on why God has so blessed me so much and what the next year will hold. Time is so precious and we cannot recapture what we waste. May I have the wisdom and courage to move forward and into what God has planned.

Revival in Belfast and C.S.Lewis and a Quick Look at Dublin

2009-06-15T03:28:00.000-04:00

We are going to try and pack the last two days of our UK trip into this blog, so this will be the last one you have to read. We travel home tomorrow and will be leaving here at 5 am (1 am Nova Scotia time). Yesterday, being Sunday we decided to attend the Christian Fellowship Church in the East side of the city. This is the home church of Robin Mark, the leader of the group which made the Revival in Belfast CDs. We hired a taxi to get us there as it looked like about a 5 mile walk and the potential for going astray could make it 10! Although Robin Mark only leads worship about 6 times per year, Pastor Paul Reid told us, he was there yesterday. The church was very much alive and the music was awesome; we especially appreciated the celtic flute, which lends the music a yearning quality. This service was in stark contrast to the high kirk we experienced last Sunday in Edinburgh, especially when you consider the flag waving.

The church is tucked behind the Ulster Unionist Association.

Christian Fellowship Church

In the afternoon we were booked on a tour entitled "In the Footsteps of C.S.Lewis". The tour was supposed to be 2 hours long but ended up being three, due to the fullness of the guide's knowledge and his unwillingness to let us go until he shared it all with us. Lewis was born and raised in Belfast and we saw the houses where his parents and grandparents lived and worked. It was very interesting to see the images that influenced Lewis as a child, that play a pivotal role in the Narnia series. We can now experience these books with fresh insights. A few images will illustrate this.

The rather posh house that C.S. Lewis moved to when he was about 4. Interestingly, a rather large wardrobe was delivered to the house and wouldn't fit in, so his grandfather had to take it apart. Lewis would have heard much discussion about this wardrobe.

As a boy, Lewis would walk to a nearby private school. As he walked up a curved, tree-lined driveway, he encountered this lamp-post, an image which signaled the dividing point between two worlds.

Lewis' mother was the daughter of the rector of St. Mark's Church and this is the door to the rectory. Lewis' parents and grandparents were members of this church and Lewis would have been brought to the rectory as a boy. At face level was a doorknob.

The doorknob.

This bronze statue "The Searcher", created by Irish sculptor Ross Wilson, stands outside a community library, showing Lewis' character Digory Kirke trying to decide whether to enter the wardrobe. On the back of the wardrobe is a copy of a letter from C.S. Lewis to a young girl explaining the overall meaning of each Narnia books.

We arrived at our Dublin hotel at 9:30 pm and then went out for pizza. On Monday, we caught a bus down to the city centre (we are in an airport hotel) and had a day of exploring this city of 2 million people, which was full of people and buses, somewhat like London. It being a Monday, most of the museums and galleries were closed, so we were spared the viewing of more ancient history!! (Sorry, Kim!). We did do a quick bus tour of the city and then we went on foot for a couple of hours and took photos.

There were some interesting stores in Dublin.

This bronze was of Molly Malone a.k.a. "the tart with the cart".

Which way to turn? Perhaps it's time to come home!

The ha'penny bridge across the River Liffey, a Dublin landmark. A century ago, the bridge toll was a ha'penny.

Some typical Dublin buildings; a close-up of the taller building follows.

The Clarence Hotel, owned by the band U2, is where Bono and the boys hang out when spending a weekend in Dublin. The locals call it Bono's B&B, a name he doesn't appreciate. It is a very expensive hotel.

We give no promotion of this product, but one of the main tourist stops (after Guinness) is the old Jameson Whisky Distillery. Note the spelling; no relation to us Jamiesons.

Each city seems to have constructed something to celebrate the millennium.

In Dublin it was this 390 foot tall Spire of Dublin, a.k.a. "The Rod to God". Makes a great lightning rod!

So, thank you to all who have faithfully followed us on our UK trip. It has been a blast and we will be happy to share more pictures (to those who have the patience), when we get home.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again and being back on Canadian soil where a cheeseburger happy meal doesn't cost $7.00!!

Excellent Tour

2009-06-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

Our day began with another full Irish breakfast, but I am getting rather tired of scrambled eggs. However, it does fill us up for the morning and we only need a light lunch. We had booked a coach tour to the Giant's Causeway, so I will let the photos tell you the story of our day. Hope you enjoy these (especially Barb)!

Carrickfergus Castle, our first stop. One of the finest examples of a Norman castle built in the 1100's.

William of Orange statue outside the Carrickfergus Castle.

Taken from the bus window - note the checkerboard farm land - lots of green.

Carnlough, Ireland, one of our pit stops right along the coast.

Another photo of Carnlough, a beautiful coastal village.

One of the many glens (Glen Dunn) we viewed as we traveled up the Antrim Coast. At several points from the coast, we could see the Mull of Kintyre (Scotland) to the northeast.

Loughareama (the vanishing lake). This lake fills up after heavy rain and then within an hour vanishes. There is an interesting legend that goes along with this picture. There was a man who lived in the area whose wife had passed away and he remarried her sister. Apparently the new wife disliked the children and placed a curse on them and they turned into swans. To this day on the 1st day of October there are hundreds of swans that return to this lake and then leave, almost as if they are paying their respects to these children. I don't tell this as well as the tour guide with the Irish lilt and the blarney.

Sheep Island where supposedly sheep are pastured in the summer, but we are skeptical about this - not too sure how they would get there!

Carrick-a-rede, which is a rope bridge about 100 ft. above the sea to get to an island. You can see it to the left of the photo if you use your imagination.

Carrick-a-rede again. You may be able to see the rope bridge a little better here. We actually didn't go down to the bridge - it cost 4 pounds and we were getting hungry, so we just stopped along the walk and had a snack.

This was a beautiful white sand beach along the way. There was thunder in the distance but it only started to rain as we were boarding the bus to return to Belfast.

Bushmills - home of an ancient distillery first licensed in 1608. A bottle could be had for a mere 70 pounds. We kept our money in our pockets.

Beside the distillery were some cattle which were black on each end and white around the middle. The are known as 'Guinness' cattle but I don't think that is the official breed name.

Dunluce Castle

An alpine plant (Sedum) growing on the cliffs.

Giant's Causeway from the top of the cliff.

Sitting on the Giant's Causeway.

The place was crawling with tourists, supposedly as many per year as Buckingham Palace. One source listed the top three natural attractions worldwide as Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, and Giant's Causeway. I am certain there should be many more places between two and three.

A top view of some stones.

We climbed up the hard but more scenic way...

... involving about 160 stairs.

The Giant's cow was spotted below (although it looked more like a dinosaur).

A final, pastoral image taken with our backs to the cliff.

We agreed that this was a fine tour experiencing some of Northern Irelands finest scenery.

We have a more literary tour booked for tomorrow. Details later. Goodnight.

Belfast - A City Divided

2009-06-12T14:25:00.000-04:00

Our day was like a sandwich with two beautiful gardens as bread and "The Troubles" as the filling. We had booked a Black Cab tour of the recent history of Belfast but before that we strolled through the botanical garden of Queens University which is only 5 minutes from our lodging.

The rose garden of the Queens U. gardens, not yet at its peak.

The Black Cab tour was of the Falls Road and Shankill Road districts, two parallel streets, two religions. This is where the fighting between the IRA and the Loyalists largely took place. There is a high wall built between the neighborhoods (the peace wall!) and the murals on the wall have become something of a tourist attraction.

The very high peace wall along Shankill Street.

On the Catholic side, Brendan Hughes who initiated the hunger strike.

The back of a house which abuts the wall with a cage (not a greenhouse) to protect it from petrol bombs which were thrown over.

This mural compares Israel and Palestine with Shankill and Falls.

Laurel adding our names to the peace wall.

We have many more mural pictures but will spare you. The tour was an eye-opener but could have been better if our driver/guide had a cab manufactured within the last 30 years. It was very noisy so at times it was hard to hear (and interpret the dialect) and everytime he went around a corner, his door would fly open so he would keep his window down and his arm hanging out trying to control it.

Andrew wanted to go to Mount Stewart which is a National Trust Property some distance away from the city. It is considered one of the finest gardens in the UK and the home of the 88 year old Marquess of Londonderry. How to get there? We walked to the tourist information centre who instructed us to go to a specific bus terminal from which a bus would leave at 12:20. We had little time and about 12.70 sterling in cash so wanted to stop at a cash machine along the way. Somehow, we managed to take a meandering route to the terminal and got there just as they were announcing the bus at about 12:17. We assumed (incorrectly) there would be a cash machine at the terminal. The ticket wicket was closed so bus tickets had to be purchased in cash from the driver. With faint hope, we asked the bus driver the fee for two return tickets to Mount Stewart, and he said 12.40, so we paid and hoped that the gardens would accept VISA!

They did, although it took several minutes to get the card to work.

The gardens and house tour were fabulous! The climate is very mild and they have many south american species of trees. The former owners were quite remarkable in their impact on British history, but I won't go into that. The property and house were built with money inherited from the Governor of Bombay who got rich through the East India Company back in the 1700s.

Laurel thinking of making an offer on the place.

Part of the formal garden. The garden has lots of statuary.

The lake with the family burial ground on the hill top behind. The burial ground, Tir N'an Og in gaelic, means "the land of the ever young".

A harp topiary.

The other side of the house. A nice flat lawn for a game of croquet and perhaps some cucumber sandwiches!

Now we had to catch a bus back to Belfast so we waited at the appointed spot our driver told us, along side the road across from the gate. We were led to believe that a bus (#10) would come along near the hour so we arrived at a couple of minutes to 4:00. At about 4:10 a #10 bus whizzed by as we were waving to get his attention. He didn't even slow down!. So we had visions of hitch-hiking back to Belfast. We crossed the street to confer with some locals who were watching the whole affair while waiting for a bus in the opposite direction. They showed us the proper way to flag down a bus and suggested that the one that just passed may have been out of service. So back across the road we went hoping that we wouldn't have to wait an hour for the next scheduled bus, which might not stop anyway. But after only another 10 or 15 minutes, another bus approached and we successfully got it to stop.

A really big fish by the Custom House along side of the River Lagan, in Belfast.

Looking down the Lagan toward the dockyards, near where the Titanic was built.

To celebrate the days adventures, Laurel ordered a Benedict Angus Burger for supper!

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling...

2009-06-11T16:07:00.000-04:00

The intrepid travelers on a walking bridge over the River Clyde.

The River Clyde.

Before we departed Glasgow, we had to see the River Clyde, as my dad lived on the Clyde River on the south shore of NS, so we wandered down and took a couple of pictures. Then we ventured back to Adelaides and packed our suitcases and headed off to Central Station to catch the train to Stranraer. From there we would catch the ferry over to Ireland. The trip southwest was beautiful through Scotland and our last glimpses were of those sweet black faced sheep, a golf course and just a lot of great pastoral scenery.

Near Prestwick, there were numerous golf courses strung out between the railway and the sea. The roughs really looked rough.

Near Ayr, Robbie Burns country, the rolling hills were replete with wee black-faced sheep.

We arrived in Stranraer and the ferry wasn't leaving for about a 1/2 hour. There was a sign posted saying the sea crossing was moderate and not sure what that really meant, I was wondering if I should have purchased some gravol. It was fine until we got out on the open water and they put the engines on full, but I found as long as I didn't look out at the water that was quite wavy I was okay. We landed about a 1/2 hour ahead of schedule and decided that a taxi would be the quickest, easiest (although not the cheapest) way to get to our lodging. We arrived at Tara Lodge which is about 5 minutes from Queen's University and the whole street has apartments to let. It seems to be a fairly quiet place and they have done a lot of renovations to upgrade it. We headed out on foot to find a place to eat and ended up at a place called Benedict's - they have a 'beat the clock' deal - between 5:30 and 7 pm the time you order is what you pay for your meal. From there we headed toward City Hall and the downtown shopping areas.

The wake of our ship with a glimpse of Northern Ireland to the left.

Belfast City Hall.

The Albert Memorial Clock, Belfast's leaning tower.

And finally, a street preacher in the shopping district explaining the faith (and he had an attentive audience).

Barb, I will hopefully have a lot more pictures over the next couple of days to post.

"Clean Knackered"

2009-06-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

[What happened in Nova Scotia??? The Jamieson's leave and the province gets taken by the socialists!]

Day Two in Glasgow ~

Another beautiful sunny day in Scotland and it seems to bring the street musicians out in full force. It was the first time we have seen a harpist. Today was mostly a shopping day - they really are telling the truth when they say the shopping here is superior to Edinburgh and comes a close second to London. There are many, many shops and the prices are certainly much better than the capital cities.

This harpist was a welcome change from all the bagpipers around.

After putting a couple of hours in meandering through the stores, we headed towards the Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis (city of the dead). This was the center of the city about 700 years ago and is located on a hill. The Cathedral was beautiful with a lot of stained glass and our tour guide explained much about the windows, but I was very tired and the brain wasn't absorbing. Behind the Cathedral is the Necropolis, set high on a hill, and I don't think I would want to be out and about at night near there. We were also taught about Saint Mungo and if your are interested in reading about him you can go here http://www.saintmungo.org/stmungo.html. You can tell I am tired and feeling lazy.

The symbols of the fish, ring, bird and square bell can be seen throughout Glasgow, derived from legends of Saint Mungo.

The Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis behind.

The tallest memorial is of John Knox.

The nave of the cathedral. The wooden ceiling is way up high.

The Cathedral has many beautiful windows. This is one of a series honouring the trades people of Glasgow. This one for gardeners.

We were going to take in a movie tonight, but after we finished supper, most of them had already started and the next show was too late to go to. Also, Ted the receptionist, said I look clean knackered (translation: very tired) Well, maybe we can find a show on the telly to watch, if we can figure out how to operate it!!

Adelaides, our Baptist Church Guest Home.

Glasgow

2009-06-09T14:48:00.000-04:00

Hello, once again.

We left Edinburgh this morning with a full Scottish breakfast under our belts and made our way to the train station to head for Glasgow. We also purchased our tickets for Belfast when we were there. On our way to the station, we had heard that there was a cafe that J.K. Rowling wrote some of her first Harry Potter book from, so we searched that out and took a picture. There is only a plaque there now and a Chinese restaurant has taken over the cafe.

The plaque on the corner of a building where J.K. Rowling used to write.

It was a fairly short trip to Glasgow with a few stops along the way and we arrived around noon. We hoofed it to our next resting place called Adelaides, about a 15 minute walk, uphill, with loaded suitcases (can you hear the groan?). It wasn't too bad though and our room was ready, but for some reason our rooms tend to be on the top floors of these places. I was very thankful that the fellow offered to lug my suitcase up for me (3 flights of stairs!). We were quite tired and decided, after a light lunch of a muffin and apple, to have a wee nap. Adelaides is a Baptist Church built back in 1877. In 1995 it was renovated to serve the city centre community and the complex consists of a Guest House, Breakfast Room, a Nursery/Preschool and an auditorium for services and for hosting meetings/conferences/concerts, etc. Very unique! Currently we are being serenaded by some opera singers giving a benefit concert in the sanctuary.

We then decided to explore the city a bit and took off on foot down a pedestrian walkway (Sauchiehall Street) where all the shops are located. We were leisurely walking along and all of a sudden someone cried "thief" and this guy raced by us, apparently the thief, with 2 other males in pursuit. I have no idea whether they caught him or not, but it was enough for us to be back at Adelaides well before dark.

Glasgow's version of Dollarama.

George Square, Glasgow. There are a few statues (one of Robert Burns and the tall one is Walter Scott) and they are all covered in pigeon poop - not really attractive. City Hall is in the background.

We ate supper at a place called the Bar Horse and Andrew (always the one willing to try new things!) decided on bangers and mash. See photo. He actually enjoyed it but didn't eat all the bangers (sausage) and I did try the mash and it was quite good.

Bangers and Mash (sausages and mashed potatoes in a pool of gravy).

Heart attack waiting to happen!

So, we are back here at Adelaides, Andrew sipping his evening tea and me, well blogging!

Extra Photos from our Bus Tour

2009-06-09T01:59:00.000-04:00

The tour took us to the west coast town of Oban which claims to be the seafood capital of Scotland. As we left the bus for lunch, the familiar aroma of the seacoast met our nostrils. It smelled just like a community along the south shore of "New Scotland".

We could have haddock, hake, plaice, or cod fish and chips. We opted for haddock and it was very tasty.

Oban is the gateway to the western islands. The distant mountains are the Isle of Mull. A small island beyond Mull, and not in this image, is Iona where St. Columba first brought Christianity to Scotland in 537 A.D. Andrew would like to visit there but time didn't permit.

The Columba Hotel in Oban.

The ruins of the Kilchurn castle situated on Lochawe. This was lived in until the 1700's when its tower was struck with lightening twice in one night, toppling the tower.

Inveraray Castle again.

A small town called Luss on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond. This is a community of seniors who live here and tend the gardens of these small townhouses. A very quaint place.

Beautiful! I wonder if they would let Canadians retire here!

Andrew dreaming of building a stone wall just like this. Loch Lomond in the background.

In Edinburgh, there are many of these long, narrow alleyways that connect an upper street to a lower street (or vice versa) called closes (see sign above doorway). They are usually very steep with a lot of stairs and many of them have apartments off of them.

Hope you enjoy these photos.

Castles, Bens, Lochs & Wild Rhododendrons - Can Life Get Any Better?

2009-06-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

Here we are at the end of another day, our last in Edinburgh. We spent most of the day sitting on a bus, touring the West Highlands of Scotland. We had a very engaging tour guide (Billy) who took every opportunity to point out the ways in which Glasgow and Glaswegians are superior to Edinburgh and Edinburghers. The tour was very worthwhile and the scenery "dramatic", one of Billy's favourite adjectives. It was awesome to experience some of the different landscape and to again learn some more history. History was not exactly my strongest subject in high school - if I recall correctly, I just got my credit!! We caught our bus at the entrance to Edinburgh Castle and then headed northwest to Stirling. We learned about the importance of William Wallace and the Stirling Castle as we drove past. We didn't stop here but got a picture through the window.

The imposing Stirling Castle perched high on the rock of an extinct volcano.

As we left Stirling, the hills rapidly grew larger. We saw glimpses of other castles along the way including the Doune Castle immortalized in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Eventually we reached the highlands and the road signs were then in Gallic and English. As we drove through the glens (valleys) the bens (mountains) seemed to be straight up on either side of the road. It was difficult to photograph to get the right perspective. Some pictures from today...

Look way up!

An old railway viaduct now a bicycle trail. The area is a wonderful place to hike and mountain bike. Next trip to Scotland!

A "hairy coooo" as they call it.

Inverary Castle, the "spiritual" centre of the Campbell clan, and the home of the Duke of Argyll.

Laurel, Loch Lomond, and Ben Lomond on the distance.

All in all it was a fantastic day and we ended up trying our first Thai food for supper. Now it is time for rest.

Holyrood Palace, St. Giles Cathedral & National Gallery

2009-06-07T15:46:00.000-04:00

This morning we woke up a little later than usual. I think the pace is starting to slow down a bit! We had our breakfast and Andrew was going to try 'Black Pudding', another traditional Scottish dish, but he had the good sense to ask the innkeeper what it actually was. He told us it was pig's insides boiled in blood - sounds yummy, huh? Needless to say he didn't try it although an elderly Scottish couple enjoyed theirs.

Holyrood Palace, about a 25 minute walk from our B&B.

After our breakfast we walked toward Holyrood Palace, the Queen's residence for a week before she goes on to Balmoral Castle (her summer home). It was a beautiful morning, but we were caught in the rain yesterday, so Andrew took his umbrella anyway. We stopped at Holyrood Palace, took a few outside photos, but didn't take the tour inside. Anything related to royalty over here costs money to see, so we decided to save our pennies. We then proceeded up the Royal Mile, the road from the Palace to the Edinburgh Castle.

St. Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland

The pipe organ in the cathedral. It really didn't hold a candle to the one at St. Paul's, but the organist sure could play it!

It was a lovely morning and we ended up at St. Giles Cathedral for their morning service at 11:30 am. We really wanted to hear a cathedral choir sing and decided to go to a service to do that. It was so incredible to hear the enormous pipe organ and the choir voices fill such a large cathedral. It was 'Trinity' Sunday and I think probably half of the congregation were tourists. It was a very formal service, much different than our usual Sunday worship.

A very well dressed young man trying to pick up some extra cash on a Sunday afternoon.

After that we stopped at Marks and Spencer and picked up some muffins and apples for lunch and ate outside on the steps of the National Gallery and were serenaded by a young male guitarist with a really good voice. It was a good day for the street performers because of the nice weather and there seemed to be a lot of people around on a Sunday.

A friendly game of cricket.

In the afternoon we took in the National Gallery of Scotland. Again, about a third of the size of London's National Gallery, but much more manageable to see a lot of the works. Here, we saw another self-portrait of Rembrandt, Gauguin's 'Three Tahitians', Ruben's 'The Feast of Herod'. Absolutely amazing! It has been an almost surreal experience to have been in the same room as these paintings. Sorry we couldn't take any photos Heather, but I hope that someday you will be able to see these for yourself.

Well, it has been a long day so I think we will retire early. Tomorrow we have booked tickets for a bus tour to Oban & West Highland Lochs and Castles. Will fill you in tomorrow evening but it will likely be mostly photos. We also purchased our train tickets to Glasgow for Tuesday.

Hope everything is running smoothly at home.

Edinburgh Day Two ~ First Rain

2009-06-06T14:23:00.000-04:00

Out before breakfast.

The sun rises very early here in Edinburgh (4:30 am) and Andrew wasn't too far behind! At 6:00 am, I heard "I am going for a walk up to Arthur's Seat - want to come?" After a groan, I wasn't going to be left behind, so we hauled on yesterday's clothes and set out. I think we chose a harder route up than was necessary, but we made it and what a great view of Edinburgh from the top. We then made our way down - we knew if we weren't back by 8:30 am, Margaret (the innkeeper) would be cleaning up the breakfast dishes. Andrew actually tried haggis for breakfast, but I wasn't so brave - he likened it to very spicy meatloaf - the description of what it contains just does not appeal to me!

The path was of stone steps zig-zaging up the hill. The stones were laid as a make-work project for unemployed textile workers many decades ago.

Laurel at the 251 metre summit.

A view of Holyrood palace and the Firth of Forth in the distance.

The weather started out sunny but cool and we ended up with showers later on. Next it was off to the Royal Botanical Gardens via the bus. It was our first experience where the bus driver stopped for a loo break, got back on the bus, bus wouldn't start, he went to the rear of the bus and managed to somehow start it from there! Well, we finally got to the gardens and Andrew was again in his element. They were very beautiful and well maintained and it was much easier to see it all in about 1 1/2 hours, unlike Kew which was about 3 times larger.

The RBG has a fine rock garden and world renown collection of Rhododendrons, most of which were post-bloom.

The RBG has an enormous clipped hedge apx. 30 ft. high - very impressive.

Palm trees in Scotland???

We had a quick lunch and then decided to take in Edinburgh Castle this afternoon. First of all it was recommended that we climb Scott Tower, which was over 250 steps on a very narrow spiral stairwell. The view from the top was pretty amazing, though.

These narrow spiral staircases made us dizzy.

View of Edinburgh from the top of Scott Tower. The spire is of St. Giles church.

Another angle of Edinburgh from Scott Tower.

Well, you would think that the Castle being set on a hill in the middle of the city, it wouldn't be too hard to get to. We thought if we got on a bus to take us there, it would save us some walking. Having not yet mastered the bus system, we managed to take the wrong bus and were actually heading away from the center of the city. So we quickly got off and hopped on one going the other way. To make a long story short, we ended up doing a fair bit of walking but made it to the Castle. It was well worth the effort and thoroughly enjoyed listening to Laura, the tour guide, enrich our knowledge of the history of Scotland with her wonderful Scottish brogue.

Edinburgh Castle with the National Gallery in the foreground.

At the top of Edinburgh Castle - a wee bit heavy.

The Great Hall @ Edinburgh Castle - note the ceiling which was designed and built by shipbuilders thus the look of a ship's hull.

After a quick supper at Quizno's, we hopped on the 'correct' bus and made it back to Gifford House for a relaxing evening, off our feet!!

Gifford House, Edinburgh

2009-06-05T16:00:00.000-04:00

Hello from Edinburgh!

View from the train window - Berwick upon Tweed.

After a long day of train travel from London, not realizing there was such a thing as a 'quiet' coach, we put up with about a dozen young adult males drinking and 'entertaining' the whole coach. It was fine for about the first hour and then it just got to be annoying. After 4 1/2 hours, I was so ready to get off. Anyway, the scenery was great and it was a quick way to get here. We saw many black faced sheep and lots of wheat fields.

The view from our bedroom window. The hill to the left is Arthur's Seat.

Near our Inn is this building which is a part of the University of Edinburgh.

I didn't realize that Edinburgh was so hilly until we decided to walk from the train station to our B&B. It's a good thing we did a lot of walking in London, it certainly paid off here. We arrived at Gifford House and we are a fair hike to many of the tourist things, but there seems to be a fairly decent bus system here. We found our second traditional pub to eat our supper (around 7:30 pm) and the food was really quite good - no more mushy peas though! Edinburgh is certainly a lot less hectic than London, which is a nice change. From the window of our B&B we see Arthur's Seat - very cool. Tomorrow we are hoping to climb to the top, have breakfast and then head off to Edinburgh Castle.

I will try and post tomorrow night too.

Random images of London

2009-06-05T02:45:00.000-04:00

Harrod's department store. We walked past just after closing and never did make it back.

This street entertainer proceeded to squeeze himself through a tennis racquet frame, extract himself from a strait-jacket, then ride a 9 foot high unicycle. He was very skilled at 'requesting' money.

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag". When Laurel was in Trafalgar square about 40 years ago, it was full of pigeons. Now, thankfully, there are few and perhaps they are thinner. One sign warned of a maximum 500 pound fine for feeding the birds.

The people who first brought Christianity to Britain were instructed to incorporate some of the pagan imagery into their religion to make the conversion more palatable. The face seen here is called a Green Man. It looks like a face in a tree trunk. The green man shows up 2 or 3 times in St. Paul's Cathedral, including here in this iron work.

McDonald's restaurants are commonplace but the golden arch symbol is always small and subtly displayed.

Byron's for a proper hamburger.

This is a small portion of the famous Rosetta stone, housed in the British Museum. The inscription is in three languages (two shown here) which facilitated the understanding of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Strawberries are sold here indicating the variety name and the name of the grower.

We have found some items to be a bit expensive here, like this small (but delicious) ice cream for 2 pounds sterling, about $3.75. On the other hand, we purchased an umbrella for 2 pounds 99 pence. Note the photographer was a little slow and caught me with my eyes shut.

Although it may seem like a simple thing to know where the traffic is coming from, it really isn't. Why? There are many complex intersections and one way streets. Furthermore, it is not just cars you are looking for but buses, motorcycles, and bicycles. The sightlines are often short and the traffic speed fast. Being a pedestrian in London is perhaps the most dangerous activity.

Last Full Day In London

2009-06-04T15:41:00.000-04:00

Hi all!

I'm not sure how the internet will work once we leave London tomorrow, so if you don't hear from me for a couple of days you will know that I have hit a snag. This was our last full day here, we head to Edinburgh early tomorrow afternoon on the train. The weather has been perfect in London we are expecting rain in the north. Andrew bought an umbrella yesterday in preparation.

Entering the museum, we were greeted by the skeleton of a 26 m long Diplodocus.

We started this morning by walking to the Natural History Museum. I am convinced that school age children in London do not attend school in June. There were hundreds of children at this museum as well as at The National Gallery. The Natural History Museum was well done and had a full scale Diplodocus assembled from the bones, greeting everyone as you entered. It was 26 m long which gives you some idea of the size of this place. One thing I've discovered is that the Brits construct their buildings very large, very solid and usually quite ornate.

The museum stonework included many carvings of plants and animals.

This cross-section of a Sequoia tree from California was a seedling in 557 AD.

Mankind has caused many extinctions including the Dodo bird. I hope this stuffed specimen wasn't the last!

From there we set off for Buckingham Palace (no I didn't get to see the Queen, but she was in residence). Another very impressive building. The bobbys did not want us to get too close to take photos, but we have quite a few.

The Mall, the street leading to Buckingham Palace.

The rather impressive Canada Gate.

Buckingham Palace behind the Queen Victoria monument.

We failed to secure an invitation to tea so we departed and walked up Whitehall towards Trafalgar Square, passing Downing Street and many statues that were placed in the middle of the street. Two mounted guards were on duty. The end of Downing street was heavily guarded so we couldn't bring Canadian greetings to the Prime Minister either.

The impressive Women of World War II Memorial.

We ended up at The National Gallery and for me this was the highlight of our day. To be able to view original paintings of Monet, Rembrandt, Leonardo de Vinci, Michelangelo, Picasso, Constable, Vermeer, van Gogh was something I really never thought I would ever do. My favorite of all these was Constable, very realistic and pleasant to look at. We also discovered we are not Picasso fans (sorry, Heather!).

Trafalgar Square from the front of the Gallery. Sorry, no pictures of great paintings.

After this we had an early supper at a traditional English pub - we felt we had to try the Brit's claim to fame of their 'famous fish 'n chips', which included 'mashed peas' (think baby food and pea soup combined). The fish was good but not as good as haddock prepared at Murphy's in Truro. The fish was hake.

Pub fare, fish 'n chips with mashed peas.

We then headed back to our hotel and are now trying to catch up on labeling photos.

Thanks to all of you who are taking the time read this blog. My final thoughts of London are ~ it is an amazing city to visit. I don't think I would ever choose to live here, although children would certainly benefit from the rich history that surrounds you. Everyone always seems to be in a hurry and in their own world with their i-pods, cell phones, blackberries, newspapers and nobody really looked that happy. The Tube and double-deckers are often standing room only. Well, I must sign off.

More Photos

2009-06-04T03:03:00.000-04:00

The British Museum: the number 1 tourist destination in London.

A portion of an Assyrian lion hunt relief from Ninevah ~640 BC. These carvings covered the four walls of a very large room.

A small portion of the Elgin Marbles, friezes from the Parthenon (that the Greeks want returned).

School children sketching before the Neired Monument (Greece, ~390 BC.)

A temple statue from the King's Mortuary Temple (Ramses II) ~1270 BC.

Charles Dickens moved into the house to the right of the tree in 1837 with his wife Catherine and their first child, a son. Two daughters were born here on Doughty Street, in the Bloomsbury section of London. It was here that Dickens continued with his Pickwick Papers and wrote Oliver Twist.

The front door to Dicken's house, with the knob in the middle.

Charles Dicken's back yard. Too small for a game of ring-toss.

From the Stone Gallery, just below the dome of St. Paul's, after climbing 375 steps of dizzying spiral staircase.

St. Paul's Cathedral towering over surrounding buildings, taken from the Millenium walking bridge over the Thames. This is Christopher Wren's finest achievement, reaching 365 feet in the air.

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (note the thatched roof).

Taken from underneath the 'Eye'.

London Eye, taken from Westminster Bridge.

A street-side hookah pipe place. I don't know what they were smoking but they looked very mellow.

At Kew, a walled garden featuring roses. Very English!

Kew Gardens is 250 years old as the girth of the oak attests.

Monster lily pads at Kew Gardens, about one meter in diameter.

Ornate gate to Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana lived.

Our first trip on the underground - note billboard - apparently "Evening Prayer" is the name of a sports paper.

People, People Everywhere

2009-06-03T16:17:00.000-04:00

Another full day in London! We started out early and ended up on a very, very crowded tube (you really couldn't move - it was packed to the doors, standing room only, my claustrophobic instinct had to be put on hold for about 10 minutes!).

Our first stop was the Charles Dickens' Museum which was actually the home he lived in with his family for 2 years. This photo is of a desk that he likely used from an accounting office that he worked in. I must admit I wasn't too excited about this stop, but came away with a new appreciation for his literary contribution to the world. I really need to read some more of his works. It was then on to the British Museum the oldest museum in the world with over 6 million items covering 1.8 million years of world civilization. Okay, we didn't get to view all the items, but the highlights were the Rosetta Stone and the Parthenon Sculptures. Kim, I'm sure you could have spent a month here. The neat thing here again was the school classes that were there, basically having their history lesson! These kids don't know how fortunate they are to have their June class trips in this setting. We then strolled on to Covent Garden, a large open market area where we snacked on our scones and apples. Then it was off to Queen's Theatre to rest and enjoy a live performance of "Les Miserables". It was amazing. I really can't describe it. The actors, the sets, the music were top notch. We then walked along the street with the thousands of other people in the shopping district - it is almost overwhelming, the number of stores and the size of them, many being at least 4-5 floors. We decided to walk back to our hotel through Hyde Park, as it was a nice evening and we knew we could get back before dark. So, I have just peeled off my footwear (can you hear the sigh?) and am going to try and fix up my first day's post (I need to get the photos back on!)

Hope all is well on the home front.

London - Day Two

2009-06-02T17:06:00.000-04:00

Hi again everyone!

Here we are at the end of our second beautiful sunny day in jolly old England. What an incredible city! I don't think I would want to live here though, hundreds of people, traffic, etc., but the history is amazing. Today we set out on the tube to Westminster and then went to visit the Abbey. This was quite interesting and we did the audio tour which gave us a tremendous amount of history. The

coronation chair was neat because we had recently seen the film "The Stone of Destiny" (if you haven't seen this one, it is worth renting) and underneath the chair was where this stone was kept, except that right now it is empty because the stone is in Scotland and it only returns to England when a new monarch is crowned. We finished at Westminster Abbey around noon in time to hear Big Ben chime 12 times. We then walked (for miles it seemed) along the South Bank, stopped for lunch at McDonald's for a Happy Meal (no kidding!!) and then

continued on our way. Andrew stopped at a book market, opened one, I repeat one book, long enough for a photo op and then we continued on our way. I think he realized that there was just too much to see to stop and look at books!

We then came across a graffiti skate park - I have pictures, Sarah - really cool. I will try and put one in here. Next we arrived at Tate Modern, a monster art gallery (Heather you would have probably spent hours here), but we really didn't want to spend a lot of time. We viewed a few Picasso's and Monet's Water-Lilies - very impressive. There were a few school classes there having their art lesson - talk about hands on! From there we continued on to the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - a thatched roof replica of the original, close to the site where Shakespeare himself put on his plays. We chose not to attend "As You Like It" as we were anxious to get to St. Paul's Cathedral and this was likely a good choice as St. Paul's tour took a wee bit longer than we expected.

We walked across the Millenium Bridge, over the Thames, and that put us directly in front of St. Paul's Cathedral. We ended up having a guided tour, which was well worth the 3 pounds. She took us down to the bottom of the Clock Tower and proceeded to give us a very interesting lesson on the history. Anna, this is where they filmed some of the Harry Potter films and yes, we have pictures. I am going to try and figure out how to get some folders of these pictures on facebook, but you know me and computers!!! Anyway, the tour of St. Paul's has been the highlight so far of our trip - we couldn't take photos inside, but we have some shots from the dome (which we climbed a gabillion stairs to get to!!). I think Andrew is trying to wear out my knees!!

From St. Paul's we continued on, by double decker bus, to Trafalgar Square, which was really neat but quite a bit slower than the underground. We then headed on foot to a ticket kiosk to see if we could get tickets to see the matinee of "Les Miserables" tomorrow and were able to get two very good seats at the Queen's Theatre, so that is very exciting and we are really looking forward to that experience. We then stumbled upon Chinatown (kinda sketchy!) and ate a buffet there - not bad, but I am used to Canadian Chinese food and this was really authentic, but it was a decent price, so we went for it. That was basically the end of our day, did a little shopping, saw Picadilly Circus and then descended into the bowels of the earth to get the tube back to our hotel. We will likely hit the sack fairly early - we did a ton of walking today and are rather tired. London is certainly a city steeped in rich history and somehow I feel connected to that, maybe because we are a part of the Commonwealth?

This is just an indication of the number of people that are present in this city on a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon!!

We're Here!!

2009-06-02T03:54:00.001-04:00

Here we are in London town! After a very long night of flying - the flight attendants seemed to think we needed a midnight snack and all I wanted to do was try and get some sleep! Anyway, we were awakened at 3:30 am to see if we would like pancakes or an omelet for breakfast! We very groggily ate our omelets and then we descended into Heathrow Airport. We got through customs without any problem and then made our way to the underground (tube), purchase

d our Oyster card and figured out which tube to take to get to our hotel - I am glad Andrew was with me - I think I have my mother’s sense of direction and seemed to get turned around constantly. It doesn’t help when all the traffic is going the ‘wrong’ way.

It was a very warm and sunny day in London, so we decided to take advantage of the weather and headed off to Kew Gardens. What a beautiful green space - 326 acres of well groomed gardens, glass houses, exotic plants, ancient trees - Andrew was getting a glimpse of his ‘heaven’! After 5 hours of walking the grounds, we dragged our weary bodies back to the hotel, very exhausted and just crashed for a couple of hours - we were so tired, after having not slept all night! We then decided to take another stroll up to Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace and have just finished eating (9 pm) and are ready to call it a day (a very long one!) This picture is of me in front of the Palm House in Kew Gardens. Here are some more shots from Kew.

The first picture is of us in front of one of those ancient trees (Quercus hispanicus). Anna, the middle picture is part of a wall. There was a statue of a unicorn on top of a door - thought your imagination could come up with a cool story about that! The last picture is me walking toward a pagoda - we were getting pretty tired at this point. I will post again tonight and update you on our adventures today.

Love you all!

Ready and Waiting

2009-05-31T20:49:00.001-04:00

Hello all interested bloggers!

We made it safely to the airport and are now awaiting our flight to London. Only another hour and a half to go and we should be taking off. The airport isn't really that interesting and I left Andrew guarding my passport while I headed off to the free WiFi site to post my first blog. Hopefully the pictures will get a little more exciting as we head off on this adventure!!

Our driver from the Park 'n Fly was very cheerful and kept telling us that we are "amazing people" and as we left the shuttle, he said "God bless you". What a delightful way to begin our trip.

Sleepless in Kentville

2009-05-30T05:07:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know I should be getting as much sleep as possible with our departure coming up tomorrow. Not sure whether I am just getting excited or thinking about all the things I need to do before we leave. It is apple blossom time in the Valley and this brings a great influx of people from various walks of life to our lovely town. In the twenty years that we have been living here, I find that the atmosphere of this festival has changed somewhat (but then again, so have I). When the girls were younger we always had extra families here for the day - we have the advantage of great parking and walking distance to the parade route. There was always a family friendly feel to the festivities but through the years it seems to have changed to more of a young adult party, with an excessive amount of alcohol and drugs. Sarah went to the fireworks with her friends last night and Anna also went to a friend's house to watch them, so Andrew and I ended up walking up (in the rain!) to see 8 minutes of a mediocre display. It's hard to believe we are beginning the stage in our lives where we will be doing things with each other more, rather than always having the girls around. Well, must get on with a cleaning day and organizing our lives for the next couple of weeks!

London Bound

2009-05-28T04:14:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update for all you followers of blogging. We found out the other day that the hotel we were booked in for London has been shut down due to fire regulations. Yikes!! They have booked us in another hotel, but I was reading some reviews on it last night and they are not good. So, I have been on the computer trying to find a place to lay our heads in London! Not an easy task. I may resort to priceline.com to see if I can book something that way. I have only done this once before for Halifax and it worked well. The only problem is you don't know where you are staying until after you book it, but there are certain criteria that you can input. Oh, the adventures of travel! The excitement is building and this is just one hiccup that we will likely encounter on our trip. Only 3 more sleeps!!

Well, after some searching we found a hotel right in the middle of London for $75 per night (about 50 GBP) which is really good. Here is a picture of it ~ The Park International Hotel.

Yeah!!!

Beautiful Weekend and High C's

2009-05-25T10:35:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful sunny weekend here in the valley and Andrew and I set out for a walk along the trail behind our house and then to the research station. There were patches of these forget-me-nots scattered just about everywhere and they reminded me of my mom, who passed away in June of 1997. She had Alzheimers disease and the forget-me-not is the Alzheimer Society's official flower. I really miss her gentle nature and calm advice that she was able to give me before she got sick. She had 9 children and always had a wise word for me, when I felt like I was losing control at the helm of motherhood. There seem to be more of those days lately and I so wish I could call her up and just be able to hear her voice and know that she had been through all of this before me. Life does pass by quickly and we really need to cherish those special times with our loved ones.

On a lighter 'note' - Anna spent the weekend in Digby at a music conference called High C's. She traveled with the Annapolis Valley Honor Choir and was part of a 151 voice choir for a closing concert on Sunday evening. Andrew and I drove up for it and we were not disappointed. It was held at St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in Church Point (a little past Digby), a large stone church made from granite, taking 32 years to build. It is quite impressive and if you go to google earth and type in St. Bernard Church, Digby, you will see that the top of the church is in the shape of a cross. The sound was amazing and Anna had a great weekend. She had quite the cultural experience in that she attended a Roman Catholic service on Sunday morning, which she said is "nothing like our church services and I don't want to be a Roman Catholic".

Well, in one week we will be roaming the streets of London, England and I can't wait, only 6 more sleeps!

"We're Off To See The Wizard"

2009-05-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

After a very busy weekend, we headed off to the Atlantic Theatre Festival in Wolfville to see "The Wizard of Oz". What an amazing production of this show. The Stage Prophets, based out of St. Joseph's Church, have been rehearsing this play for about 6 months and the final result was excellent. Anna was a manicurist for the lion in the Emerald City and did a wonderful job. She thoroughly enjoys being on the stage and is excited about what next year will bring. Mary Hanneman, the director for this group, brought together a very large cast with ages ranging from children as young as six to senior adults - throw a dog into the mix and you should have a recipe for disaster, but with much prayer and perseverence, the show did go on. They performed 5 shows over the weekend and I am sure there were many satisfied theatre goers (and many very tired children!).

This photo is of Anna and Julia (both manicurists) and both big fans of live theatre. I hope that they have many more performances in their futures. After all the hard work that the cast went through and even though they were all extremely tired, at the end of the last show, they all gathered together in a large circle on stage and everyone shared something they had learned through this whole experience. What a testimony for Mary to hear the positive and encouraging comments from both children and adults. We were there until 11 pm and I think we all left the building knowing that 'there's no place like home'.

Beautiful Bride

2009-05-18T08:08:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we witnessed the beautiful wedding of Laura (the daughter of dear friends of ours) and Josh MacDonald. The day was perfect, sunny and warm, and the ceremony was filled with joy. They seem truly suited for one another and we wish them a long and wonderful marriage.

Backyard Blooms

2009-05-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple of shots of some blooms that are beginning to show themselves in our backyard. It has been a busy day, Sarah deciding to go to school mid-morning to try and touch base with her teachers after being out of school this week (or maybe just wanting to see her boyfriend??). Anna had an orthodontist's appointment this afternoon and now we have youth group, Andrew has a leadership team meeting and Anna has a practice at the Atlantic Theatre Festival in Wolfville for the "Wizard of Oz". We should be home after 9 pm if things go well. It was a beautiful day here today and we finally got the winter tires off the car - yeah for summer!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T13:22:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of my beautiful family - I am so very proud of all of you and your accomplishments. Your lives speak much and your influence as lights shining in this world is so encouraging to me as a mom. Keep on leaning on the One who is in control of our lives. He will never let you down. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I am spending a relaxing Sunday listening to Lindsay's music from her blog and enjoying the song 'Fire on the Mountain' - thank-you for introducing me to Asa's music. Very thought provoking. The girls headed off to Moncton on Friday to Springforth (an annual youth conference). They were very excited about going and I was looking forward to some alone time with my husband. I had pre-purchased tickets to the new Star Trek movie and not being a trekkie fan, really didn't have any great expectations, but was pleasantly surprised (although I think Andrew enjoyed it more and got more of the jokes!). On Saturday we started out doing some work on our room, to try and get some more order around here, but then made a quick last minute decision to go to Halifax and pick up some more things for our much anticipated trip to the UK in June. We also took a little side trip out to Purcell's Cove Road where that devastating fire was last week. I had never been out that way and some of the homes in that area are very impressive. My prayers go out to those families who lost everything. The girls arrived home late last night and Sarah had spent most of the weekend sick, with some of the symptoms of swine flu, but not all, so am watching her carefully and thinking that she likely has just picked up a basic flu due to lack of sleep and close sleeping quarters at the conference. I will go and get her tested if things seem to be getting worse. She also managed to slice the end off of her baby toe (flip flops not a good choice of footwear!). All in all, it wasn't a very good weekend for her, although she did say the speaker was excellent. A busy week coming up, job review, lots of 'Wizard of Oz' practices, the Thomson/MacDonald wedding ....

Promise of Spring

2009-05-05T15:10:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of a branch of our magnolia tree that is just coming into bloom. It is such a beautiful tree and it usually has many admirers. Andrew ('my amazing man'), has been busy getting the gardens and yard work done which he finds quite therapeutic. I am thankful that he enjoys doing the outside esthetics and with his green thumb is able to turn our yard into a sanctuary.

This is my first week of unemployment and am feeling quite like a 'little girl lost'. I need to regain focus and put some of my time management skills to work. My challenge lately has been honing my parenting skills and dealing with the female teenage drama that seems to be taking over my mental space. It is such an encouragement to me to be able to chat with my adult daughters and gain a little perspective. Our pastor's sermon this past Sunday comes to mind and thinking about how our attitudes can determine our outlook and affect those around us.

Chuck Swindoll has written the following entitled “Attitude”: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, or say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.
The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”

Worship

2009-05-03T20:03:00.000-04:00

Check this out! Very honest and real worship.

http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/

Busy Saturday

2009-05-02T18:50:00.000-04:00

My Saturday began at 5:30 am. The Annapolis Valley Honor Choir was asked to sing at the Eastern Canadian Tumbling and Trampoline Championship at Acadia University. You can see the choir in the white t-shirts in the bleachers. I will try and get a better picture tomorrow when they sing for the 'Stars of the Festival' closing of the Annapolis Valley Music Festival. Anna is a part of this 60 member youth choir and they perform at different functions throughout the year. We didn't stay for any of the competition (which looked like it was going to be quite good). There were 107 athletes from Quebec, 88 from Ontario, 36 from Nova Scotia and 4 from New Brunswick. I imagine the bulk of the medals went to Upper Canada!! After the choir sang, we set off for Halifax. We met up with my 3 sisters and their families and my Dad for lunch at the Steak & Stein in Dartmouth. It was good to reconnect with them and catch up with my sister Sheila who moved back to beautiful NS last year. My Dad turns 83 this year and as I think back on my 'growing up' years, I am so thankful for his faithfulness to his family.

The Beginning

2009-04-30T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I have decided to join the blogosphere. It took me awhile, but hopefully I can keep my friends and family updated. Right now I am 'patiently' waiting for Anna to get home from a band trip to Halifax - she should be getting home by 11:30 pm (about 2 hours past my bedtime!). I am also (as of today) officially unemployed after 4 1/2 years of working part time. I am hoping to get many things done around the house (such as making curtains) which have been left unattended for far too long. Well, this is the beginning ...