"Chasing Cars"

Rustle Street Church worhip team singing "Chasing Cars", by Snow Patrol...the first time I heard this song!

" ...If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and

Just forget the world

Forget what you're told

Before we get too old

Show me a garden

That's bursting into life..."

("Chasing Cars", by Snow Patrol)

Oh how I long to be lying aloft in this field of "life bursting" sunflowers on a sweltering, sun-kissed summer day, leaving all my cares behind me! The first time I heard this song, I was moved to tears...for two reasons...one idealistic and the other spiritual!! In that field of sunflowers, I long to have my "husband "( I do hope to be married one day!!) lying beside me as we just soak in God's incredible creation, forgetting the worries of this world and playing that silly "name the creature in the cloud" game!

In that field of sunflowers, God is saying to me, "Karyne, lie here beside me...be still...be silent...breathe...I need you...I need you to spend more time with me...you need me...you need my grace...it is sufficient...forget your worries... let me take care of them...let me be God...let my love flow through you to the deepest core of your being and burst forth... I am the way, I am the truth...I am the LIFE...if I lay here, if I just lay here...would you lie with me and just forget the world."

A new addition to our family!

Here is my new 4-legged nephew! His name is Koko Rolly Whalen!!

Adventure In Toronto with Marcia , Karyne and Sara!

Our first stop on our adventure was the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario....amazing, powerful, incredible talent with the lens...the photograph that spoke to me the most was his self portait taken in the Sierra Mountains, 1930's.
Next stop...walking through Kensington Market visiting my favourite second hand store, "Courage My Love"... stopping for coffee at an outdoor coffee shop where we met two homeless persons - Luna and her friend...they enjoyed hot chocolate and a subway token on us, ( a fight almost broke between the two of them for the lone subway token though!!:))...finding vests at a bargain price for Marcia's marathon fundraiser...eating lunch at this amazing Mexican restaurant ( I forget the name:( )...Sara ordered for us and we were delighted by her choice of fine Mexican fare...gratis (excuse the spelling!).
Finally, we strolled through Chinatown, fascinated by the meat markets, fruit markets and other various interesting ethnic shops....spotting pidgeons, finding their home in an empty synagogue...drinking Bubble Tea before we headed back to Union Station to catch the train home.
A wonderful winter adventure in Toronto!

Another Adventure with Salty Mary, her daughter and our favourite employee at Tim Hortons!

Flashback to High School!

The year was 1986. Graduation year. The school - R.S. McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute, but we called it MCVI. (The school was named after Robert Samuel McLaughlin who brought General Motors to Canada!) I LOVED high school! The 80's were the best years for everything except fashion:) Here is a sampling of the "year in review" taken from the pages of my yearbook:

CANADA

• Expo '86 held in Vancouver, B.C.
• Titanic was found beneath the ocean
• Air India jet blows up in midair killing over 300
• Bomb threat alert in Canadian airports causes tighter security
• Two cruise missles crashed in Canada
• National budget increased taxes on middle classes
• Dollar fell to a new low below $.70 American

WORLD

• Halley's comet passed earth on its annual 76 year journey
• Rioting and killings in South Africa over its policy of apartheid
• Space Shuttle "Challenger" blew up after lift off, killing 5 men , 2 women, including first private citizen in space
• US President Ronald Reagan met USSR General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva and talked over arms controls

MUSIC

AH-HA. Bruce Springsteen. Bryan Adams. Whitney Houston. Dead or ALive. Depeche Mode. Eurhythmics. Mr. Mister. Phil Collins. Tears for Fears. Tina Turner. ZZ Top. Corey Hart. Kool and the Gang. Billy Ocean. Lionel Ritchie. Miami Sound Machine.

FADS

Swatch watches. printed denims. paisley anything. satin. lace. pearls. stirrup pants. oversized shirts. flat pointed shoes. cowboy shirts. bolo ties. floral prints. leather everything. gloves. Roots and Beaver Canoe sweats.

SPORTS

• Boris Becker and Martina Navratalova won at Wimbledon
• Blue Jays won American League East but failed to reach the World Series
• Canada's national soccer team qualifies for the World Cup, which was held in Mexico
• B.C. Lions won Grey Cup
• Ben Johnson set world indoor sprint record in 60m event

ENTERTAINMENT

CATS. The Colour Purple. Jewel of the Nile. Rocky IV. Youngblood. Out of Africa. Pretty in Pink.

T.V. SHOWS

Miami Vice. The A-Team. The Golden Girls. Remington Steele. Cheers. Simon and Simon. Family Ties. Magnum PI. Dallas. Moonlighting. Hill Street Blues. Cagney and Lacey.

I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!

The year 2007. Retirement year - I wish. The school - Valley Farm Public School, but we call it the Farm. I LOVED high school! The 2000's have amazing fashion!

Why the trip down memory lane? Memories of high school came flooding back to me as I walked into my grade 7 class yesterday. I knew the health nurse was coming to give the "sex talk", but I did not anticipate the surprise I encountered as I walked into the class that was already underway!

With a puzzled yet "I think I may know you look", the conversation sounded like this:

K: "Diane?"
D: "Karyne?"
D: "Wow...this is an awkward conversation to walk in on."
K: "Yes, but it is great to see you!"
K to the class: " Diane and I went to high school together and we haven't seen each other in 20 years."
K: "We will have to catch up when you are finished your talk."

Diane and I did catch up on the latest happenings in our lives. It has been fun for me since I moved back "home" 5 years ago to have these encounters with former high school classmates . Did I already say I LOVED high school!! :) I am so grateful for the friends I made during these formative years and I still keep in close touch with my core group. ( we were the ones who sat at the same table in the cafeteria every day and played euchre until it was time for our musical rehearsals:)) I have lived in many parts of this great country and have met some wonderful life long friends , but there is something to be said for the friends who journeyed with you through childhood and adolescence!! I find comfort knowing these friends know my family and I don't have to explain my history to them...they lived through the history!! A song we used to sing at Pioneer Girls Clubs many years ago, rings true, "make new friends but keep the old, some are silver and the others gold." I treasure my "old friends!"(this includes my church friends) I am grateful to God that we are still sharing our lives with each other...marriages, divorces, children, death of parents, career changes, lost loves, singleness journey, travel....To all of my "old friends" out there, thank you for the role you played in shaping me into who I am today! Thank you for your friendship. I am blessed. I will always treasure the memories and cannot believe it has been 20 years since high school graduation! Wow! Don't we look great! We have aged well!!:) To my other "new friends"... I haven't forgotten you...you have played an important role in the latter part of my journey...thank you! You have blessed my life too!! I dedicate this blog entry to my friends, "old" and "new"...cherish the memories...keep living the adventure!!

"Deal or No Deal" in Canada? You bet!!

Calvary's version of "Deal or No Deal!!" January 20, 2007

SISTERS

I received the following story about "sisters" in an e-mail today. Be encouraged as you read it! I dedicate this blog to ALL the "sisters" in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

"A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.
‘Don't forget your sisters,’ she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, or your partner, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all of your other women relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do,’ said her mother.
‘What a funny piece of advice!’ the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'
But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the main stays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:
1. Time passes.
2. Life happens.
3. Distance separates.
4. Children grow up.
5. Jobs come and go.
6. Love waxes and wanes.
7. Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
8. Hearts break.
9. Parents die.
10. Colleagues forget favors.
11. Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other...Still."

Like Aunt, Like Neice

Do you see a family resemblence? I was looking at my digital pictures tonight and noticed my neice and I had posed in a similar way!

Grenville Christian College Alumni Musings

I have joined the world of "my space" and "facebook" and must say an interesting world it is!:) One benefit for me is to be able to stay connected with my former students at the university preparatory boarding school I worked at for two years in Brockville, Ontario. Here is the website for Grenville Christian College: www.grenvillecc.ca. ( the pics on the home page are actually of my former students!) I feel like a proud parent as I hear all about what these students are now doing. The majority have graduated from university and have joined the working force. Some are married, some engaged and some are in process, some are living overseas and some are back in their hometowns. I am reminded that my time at GCC was not wasted ( even with the many mistakes I made as a "don"!!) as I played a small role in helping them become who they are today. I loved those students. I hold many wonderful memories of my time at GCC, for that I am grateful!

Some Quotes I Love!

"Your voice is you. It reflects who you are inside - your joys, sorrows, gains, losses, fullness, emptiness. Your voice is the vehicle that people know as you. Use it wisely." (Luci Swindoll, 'I Married Adventure.')

" The spirit of adventure is all about staying on the lookout - keeping our eyes and our hearts open and participating fully in the moment we've been given as a pure gift." (Luci Swindoll, 'I Married Adventure.')

HAIR!!

Thought for the Day!

As I was reading to one of my students today from this popular Dr. Suess book, (which happened to be one of my favourites from childhood) I was inspired by the last two sentences. I never realized how profound and uplifting they were! I leave you Dr. Suess ' words here for you to ponder and to be encouraged to keep living life as an adventure waiting to be explored!

"Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. Everyday, from here to there, funny things are everywhere."

Live through the Questions!

Look closely at instruction #5 on the door to my room of the Cape Cod inn I stayed in last summer. There was no phone in the room nor would my cell phone work. So, I found it quite amusing that I had to go in search of the phone booth to make a call. Many questions filled my mind as I began the search for the phone booth. It may seem obvious to most of you, but if you were in this seaside town with me, you would have had the same questions!! To make a long story short, I decided to walk to the pier as I guessed it was a little closer than town. So, after a 10 minute walk, I found the pier...it was BREATHTAKING! I stopped to take in the view for a few moments, then FINALLY spotted the phone booth, tucked behind the harbour master's office and beside the woman's bathroom! Clearly visible to all ( said with a touch of sarcasm)!! New questions arose, one of which was...why this location...but I "lived through the questions" to reach my destination and accomplish what I set out to do.

I tell you this story as a sequay for the quote I want to leave with you.

I have been reading this book called, " Spiritual Direction", by one of my favourite authors, Henri Nouwen. Henri spent his final years as priest/pastor of L'Arche Daybreak in Toronto, a community where men and women with mental disabitlites and their assistants create a home for one another. In the first chapter, Henri says, "Seeking spiritual direction, for me, means to ask the big questions, the fundamental questions, the universal ones in the context of a supportive community..." He goes on to ask us to " live the questions until God, sometimes like lightning, reveals enough guidance to enable you to live confidently in the present moment...to receive spiritual direction is to recognize that God does not solve our problems or answer all our questions, but leads us closer to the mystery of our existence where all questions cease." (p. 11/13) We have to live through the questions, as difficult as it can be at times, in order to grow closer to Jesus and know Him more. This journey with Jesus can lead to more questions, but that is all part of the process of our faith. Don't be afraid of them - live through them- you will get to the other side ! ( even if you don't get the answers) Embrace, accept, move forward in celebration!

Another Holiday Adventure -- this time with Salty Mary!!

Yesterday I took a road trip up to Peterborough to visit my friend Mary! It is always a delight to spend time with my "krazy" friend and her family!!:) Laughter, laughter, more laughter, word play ( salt and carrots come to mind!!) , grammatical corrections, make-believe play, laughter, flavoured coffee, road trips through town, intellectual conversation, laughter, thrift store shopping, playin' the blues, laughter, friends, laughter, set-up's, concerts in the park, single - only events, laughter , adventures at Chapters are all special memories of my time with Maryne!! I cherish those moments and invite you to come with us on a shopping trip to the Value Village Thrift Store.......

Adventure with the Irvine sisters!!!

You will always have an adventure of some sort when you are with my friends, the Irvine sisters!!! Wednesday evening was no exception!! It all began with Sandra at the Go Station in Oshawa!! She was the first to get her train ticket. Shari and I couldn't hear the entire exchange between Sandra and the ticket agent, but between our "skill" at reading lips and reading body language, here is the jist of the conversation:

S: "I'd like a return ticket to Union"

T.A.: In a sarcastic tone, "The next train doesn't leave until 41 minutes past the hour" ( it was approx. 6:01pm!)

S: "I know."

T.A.: " I hope you are not going to an event," again in a sarcastic tone!

S: "No, we are going out for dinner."

T.A.: again in a sarcastic tone, "You will have to pay cash because your card is all mangled up."

S: " Not a problem"

Now it is time for Shari and I to purchase our tickets:)

I pipe in to try to "calm" this man down,

" We are sisters, well I am an honourary sister, and we are having a night out together in Toronto!" Why I had the urge to tell this guy my life story I do not know, but being a gregarious person, I can't help it!! I forget the rest of our conversation as we just wanted to get our tickets and escape this banter!!! Sensing our need for a pick me up, Sandra bought the three of us a Diet Coke!! Whew!!!

The adventure contined as we ate our dinner at Richtree Restaurant in the BCE Place. The three of us LOVE to people watch and this restaurant exudes "people - watchers" :) One of my favourite person to watch is the man that works at the Coffee Bar. His story and pics follow in the next blog entry!!! After an delectable dinner ,which we devoured, and a scrumptious dessert and coffee, we meandered through the streets of downtown Toronto to this quaint Jazz Club. ( I think it is called the Reservoir?) What a cool place, with fabulous ambience and a talented jazz band! Once again, we enjoyed people watching , listening to the incredible music, and being with each other. Before the clock struck midnight, we raced over to the train station ,with little time to spare , to catch the last train back home!!! I hold special memories of this adventurous night with the Irvine sisters!

Coffee Adventure at Richtree Restaurant, Toronto

If you look carefully at the blurred, top left photo, you will see the most interesting, most eccentric maker of coffee and specialty drinks I have ever encountered! Every time and I mean every time, I go to the Richtree Market Restaurant I see this man AND every time and I mean every time, ( I have been to this restaurant over 10 times and all at different times and days of the week) I ALWAYS have an adventure! Wednesday night was no exception and Shari helped me sneek a picture of him!!! Thus, the reason for the blurred photo...Shari and I had an adventure trying to take the photo!!! I must admit, this man ALWAYS makes amazing coffee for which I am grateful. Posted here are a few samples of his creations...Shari enjoying her " Large, Hazelnut Chai Latte" ..... and Sandra and my large and small ( and he made of point of telling us he did not have medium:)) freshly ground coffee!!! Mmmm....delicious!!:)

Happy New Year.....Five Days Late!!!

I trust you all enjoyed your New Year’s Celebrations!! I rang in 2007 at two different locations! (Yes, it is possibleJ) Memories of that night include….visiting with friends, new and old….laughing…sharing stories…eating….drinking (ginger ale and coffee :)) …playing party games…dancing in the dining room…driving in the pouring rain, not snow…singing “Auld Lang Syne” off key and with the wrong words ( does anyone know the correct words!!!)…enjoying the moment!!!
Typically the new year is a time for reflection and setting resolutions. I must admit, I am not one for setting “New Year’s Resolutions” although I do think about what I want to accomplish for the year. I got to thinking about goal setting as of late, reflecting on why many of my goals do not become reality!! (I should clarify here that I am referring to my personal life and not my professional life.) I have great intentions like many people, but I am the type of person who thinks in the present. Sure, I have some visionary talents, but tend to live life in the present. I do know this can be a problem :) Over the years, I have learned to be a future thinker and have learned to set measurable goals. Yet, some of these goals still never became reality. Why? I used to think it was because I set too many complicated goals. So, last year, I decided to simplify… “Live each day as a new adventure waiting to be explored… I will ask myself each morning, what adventure am I going to encounter today.” An honourable goal it is, but evaluating how I did in 2006 can be a tricky task!!
I read somewhere it is important to write down your goals and post them in a place where you see them everyday. Apparently, people who do this accomplish their goals.
In addition, I found some helpful tips on “making resolutions a reality” on Dr. Phil’s website: www.drphil.com/articles.
Subsequently, I decided to combine all of the lessons I learned about turning goals into action! Simplify…Measurable…Timeline…Accountability. For me, the important step is to post my goals in a place I see them everyday. I anticipate 2007 to be a brilliant year! I look forward to this adventure of living out my resolutions, even though I am five days late in making them!!!