PS to Adventure on the Emerald Isle

I forgot to mention that I will be hopefully meeting up with a bloggy friend and his wife for coffee while in Northern Ireland. (my first bloggy meeting!) I actually think I first "met" Ally on the fake Chris Tomlin Facebook group. Anyways, I so enjoy reading his blog and his wife's blog. He is wanting some link love, so go check him out here and say hi! You can find his wife here.

Adventure on the Emerald Isle

Finally, the day has arrived! I am flying to Northern Ireland for three weeks vacation in a few short hours! I look forward to the many adventures I will experience and will hopefully be able to find a computer to pen my thoughts and post some pics!

I'd appreciate your prayers for a safe journey - I am not fond of flying. My last trip to Ireland was during the 9/11 tragedy. I flew back to Canada September 14th - the first day the airports were open. Needless to say, I was a tad bit nervous but God in His mercy provided some amazing seat companions for me to help calm my fears. I have flown since -to Paris last year- and was not as anxious! It was definitely a God thing! So, I am calling on all you people who pray and ask that you would remember me in your prayers. Thank you sooo much! (By the way, my flight leaves Toronto at 7:35pm on the 29th and arrives in Belfast at 6:55 am on the 30th. I fly back to Canada July 18th. )

Well I'm off my bloggy friends. I was hoping to be able to reply to all your comments but haven't had the chance to get to all of you before I left. But, I will, even if it is in 3 weeks time! Enjoy your summer! Celebrate each day! Stay cool and eat lots of ice cream!

Thematic Photographic - Wood

Carmi at Written Inc. is the host of Thematic Photographic. If you want to participate or see some amazing, creative pics, click here. This weeks theme is wood. I look forward to hunting for creative wood pictures this week while in Ireland. In the meantime, I dug deep in my archives to discover, I had taken a few pics involving wood already! Here they are:







The above photos were taken on the Tall Ship last summer while she was docked in the Whitby harbour on Lake Ontario.

I LOVE old doors and was fascinated with this one in the Place des Vosages, Paris. Built in 1605. It is the door that leads up to the apartment where Victor Hugo lived when he wrote "Les Miserables."
St. Sulpice Church, Paris...featured in the book & movie, "The Da Vinci Code." The Gothic architecture in this church gave it an eerie ambiance. So, when I walked over this wooden door in the floor, my imagination started churning! What lay beneath?

Another wooden door, surrounded by the famous Cape Cod shingles, I was drawn to in Wellfleet, Cape Cod.
The wooden outdoor shower at the Inn where I stayed in Wellfleet, Cape Cod. It was bizarre that there were no indoor showers at the Inn, but thankfully we had a flush toilet in our room!! I must admit, I enjoyed the outdoor shower experience! It was rejuvenating breathing in the fresh scent of the salt air in the early morning.

School's Out For Summer!

Today was bittersweet - saying goodbye to cherished students who will be moving on to high school while at the same time excited to be embarking on a two month holiday away from the present student population!

My summer adventure begins on Sunday. I am flying to Northern Ireland for 3 weeks to visit my relatives, friends and hopefully meet up with a bloggy friend and his wife!

Bittersweet memories.....

Grade 8 Graduation Ceremony

Last night I was privileged to witness "C" graduate! He did a great job... we were afraid he wouldn't cooperate! Here he is walking on stage with the help of two of his classmates. He hammed it up in front of the audience! Definitely a proud moment for his family!

My "whale" tattoo!
A couple of years ago, my best friend and I had a tattoo adventure together to celebrate our impending midlife crisis, which hasn't occurred yet, the midlife crisis that is! I LOVE this tattoo because it is my personal trademark. I have been drawing this whale next to my name since I was 12 years old. ( for those who don't know...my last name is "Whalen!") People would always ask me how to spell it and I would always say, " like a whale with an n at the end." The history of my whale will help you understand the next few pics!

A Thank You Card from the Grade 3 Class I Worked In all Year

Isn't that GREAT! I LOVE this card! They even made it a pop-up whale...sooooo creative! Future Hallmark employees??!! They were so excited to give it to me and now I understand why! It is my favourite card from students thus far! Their teacher, Mrs. "B", is my favourite teacher to work with at "The Farm." ( the nickname for our school, "ValleyFarm") AND I'm not just saying that because Mrs. "B" reads my blog!!:)

I can breathe a sigh of relief for another great year! Looking forward to the lazy, hazy days of summer!

ABC Wednesday - "W"

You know the drill by now...check out more "W" pics at the home of our hostess, Mrs. Nesbitt's Place!

W orking W ell W ater

W indow Box

I love window boxes and this one resides at the home of my friends where I house and cat sit when they go on holidays.

W asp Catcher
Apparently it doesn't work, but it looks lovely on the porch!

W eather Vane

W eird Hat

My mom created this "weird hat" for a contest, and won by the way, at a Seniors Camp in Pennsylvania last week!

More Thematic Photographic Glass

Great Aunt May's Glass Broach Rummaging through Great Aunt May's musty old jewel box after she died exposed this glass gem. It is my favourite broach because it reflects light in a myriad of ways that produces the most amazing colours!

Stained Glass at "The Farm"

In honour of our last two days of school before summer break, I thought I would try to capture some of the stained glass art our students created. These pieces hang in the windows of our front entrance! Happy Summer Holidays!

For more Thematic Photography, click here.

Generational Sin

His deep perplexed blue eyes looked sorrowfully at me while speaking these words,
“what did I do wrong?"
With the onset of dementia, I am surprised he remembered a family member of mine wasn’t talking to him for an incident that occurred long ago. A memory clearly not forgotten. Or rather, a realization that old friends had stopped spending time together and he didn’t know why. The time has come where he wants to set things right, except he doesn’t know what he did wrong. I don’t know what went wrong. It was so long ago. It made me cry. In a strange way it was a beautiful thing to see the innocence in his quest for truth. He just wants to hang out with these old friends again. Yet, my tears were tears of sadness. Heartrending tears which see his confused state in a body that used to be strong and alive. AND, distressing tears which loathe the generational sin that entangles this and future generation(s). I can't right the wrong, even though my nature is peacemaker, because it didn't involve me directly. Nonetheless, it still affects me. I can’t move stubbornness into grace. I can’t heal the pain. I want to. Only God can change hearts. But, here’s what I can do. Pray!

I also made a choice to stop the generational sin with me. No grudge holding, No bitterness. Just grace. I’m not perfect. Did I mention I pray! I pray HARD so it won't entangle my life. Life is too short and too precious to be wasting time on things that now seem so trivial. I hate that the sin of my forefathers influences my life today in unexpected ways where I sometimes only discover by “fluke.” Ways that catch me off guard. Then I am left dealing with the consequences when the people initially involved in the situation are dead and gone. Forgiveness is a necessity - the key to “letting go and letting God.” Yes, forgiveness can take time. And yes, it is normal to feel anger and bitterness. But to allow it to ruin friendships and relationships with family is poignant. Grace. I need to allow more grace to flow abundantly in my life with my family and with my friends.

“Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all my sin.”

(Excerpt from an old hymn, "Grace Greater Than Our Sin.")

Thematic Photographic - Glass

I'm not sure how, but I discovered another cool photography blog the other day and decided to try his thematic photography challenge. You can check out Carmi's blog here.

Here's how TP (Thematic Photographic) works:
1)Carmi posts a new entry every Wednesday evening.
2)Each entry has a unique theme.
3)You post a similarly themed image over on your blog. You paste a link to your entry in a comment on Carmi's blog. If you've already posted something that fits, simply post the link to the existing entry.
4)Delirious photo sharing and happiness ensues.

Without further adieu, here is my first entry ...

Saint Chapelle, Paris France
Stained Glass Windows
"Standing in the Light." This chapel is famous for its stained glass windows. It was incredible to witness. Each panel of glass lights up at different times of the day as the sun moves. You can see in this picture the sunlight starting to light up the glass to the right of the altar while it is still dark to the left of the altar. See how the light moves in the next pictures... It was a beautiful thing to witness. I stood in silence. Peaceful, in spite of the crowd of tourists around me. "Standing in the Light."

George Clooney ? Are you There? George?

To my readers out there in the blogosphere,

Did you know I have a HUGE crush on George Clooney?!!! You didn't?!!! Well, no worries!!! You can check here and here and HERE for a recap!

I am enlisting your help. If any of you know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone, who knows a cousin, who knows George, ***deep breath*** can you arrange a blind date for the two of us?

It never hurts to ask!

Thanking you profusely in advance,

Karyne

PS Can you tell I am home alone on a Friday night?!!:)

Vatican City Adventure Part 2

As we awaited our fate, four young English-speaking Italian men, hot Italian men I might add, came to our aid. In the meantime, the police officer was restraining our “old friend” from attacking me while at the same time trying to hear the translated story from our rescuers. To this day, we have no idea what our rescuers said to the police but immediately following their brief conversation, the police officer winked and smiled then motioned for us to leave. He began conversing with the old lady but she was clearly not going to give up without a fight!

Suddenly, I felt a shooting pain on my shin. That feisty “bag lady” kicked me. I couldn’t believe it. I was dressed up in my Christmas finest and all!! While trying to recover from the shock and pain in my leg, I heard a commotion over in the direction of our hot Italian saviours, who were chatting with some of my travelling companions. It was our pigeon- loving friend again.

Abruptly, standing with hands on her hips, she leaned back, then in a quick forward motion she SPIT in the face of one of our Italian champions. My face froze in a state- of –shock- expression yet again. It was a surreal moment. Did that really happen?

After thanking our hot Italian men and bidding them farewell, we FINALLY gathered ourselves together and left St. Peter’s Square. The crowd watching had dispersed except for a friendly Englishman who was in Rome on his honeymoon. He witnessed the entire scenario and couldn’t believe his eyes either.

I CLEARLY remember his "wise" words,

“what was THAT all about?!”

Exactly!

ABC Wednesday - "V"

ABC Wednesdays are hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt's Place. To take part or view the other participants, click here.

I dug into the archives of my scrapbook photo album, long before the digital camera era, to locate these pics of...

"The V atican City."

(Please excuse their poor quality. I used my digital camera to take the pics as they are glued into my "Creative Memories" acid free album, which does not fit in my scanner! And I couldn't figure out how to turn off my flash, so you see a bright light in all the pics...maybe that is a sign from God!!!:) Hehehe!)

On with the story and why I went to so much trouble to post them for V-Day!!

Christmas Eve Day, 1986, Rome, Italy. St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.

It was here surrounded by the colossal Roman columns that an attempted assault took place on my life. The perpetrator?

An old Italian "bag" lady closely resembling the Greek lady in the postcard below!
This is how the events of the day unfolded...

I was in Rome for Christmas Break from Torchbearer Bible School in Holsby, Sweden. Travelling with a group of my fellow students, we decided to tour St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel on Christmas Eve day. That evening, we were going to attend midnight mass with the Pope. We had somehow managed to get tickets and were thrilled with this once in a lifetime opportunity, even though none of us were catholic. So, in honour of this special Christmas event and because we were all away from our families on Christmas, we decided to get dressed up.

Walking through St. Peter's square, adorned in our finest traveller's attire, we encountered this interesting Italian "bag" lady. ( You'll have to excuse my un- politically correct term!) Peacefully sitting on the steps under the colonnade, this woman was feeding a flock of pigeons like they were her own children. She captured our attention immediately. An old wool cardigan, that had been gnawed away by moths, was fastened tightly over her plain black dress. Her well worn black shoes held her tired feet. A babushka protected her from the beating sun and light wind that blew on that crisp day. Yet, we could see her weathered, wrinkled olive skin. We could see behind those dark brown eyes. Sadness. Loneliness. Pain. A Hard Life. A yearning for Joy to flood her soul once again. We were unsuspecting travellers wanting to capture this moment on film. We paused in silence, watching her "children" gracefully accept her food offerings. A glimmer of joy filled her eyes. It was an intimate moment until....

my friend innocently took the camera from around her neck and put it up to her eye to frame the shot.

Suddenly, our toothless lady friend got up, grabbed hold of all her bags, and came running down the steps towards us SHOUTING something in Italian. The flock of pigeons dispersed frantically all around us. We had no idea why she was shouting and waving her hands nor had any idea WHAT she was shouting. Lost in translation! Although, through her body gestures we kind of figured she was angry we were wanting to take her picture! We didn't even think she saw us watching her. I guess we were wrong!

Another trait behind those dark brown eyes....feistiness!

Calmly, we turned around and began walking away from our new friend thinking she would leave us alone. WRONG.

We continued to hear her LOUD expletives in Italian as we continued to increase our pace across the square.

Unbeknownst to us, a small crowd developed and were watching this whole scene unfold.

We decided to stop and "face the music." When we turned around, we saw this "bag lady" talking to an Italian police officer. Now, we were being chased not only by this feisty woman, but by an officer of the law in a foreign country!

( I will continue this post tomorrow and leave you in suspense...my modem and router have been acting crazy tonight due to the weather so I am behind ...it is late and I need to get to bed in order to be alert tomorrow at work! )

The infamous St. Peter's Square. In the distance you can see the columns and steps where the "bag lady" sat feeding the pigeons......
My traveller's attire....
The Postcard....

ABC Wednesday...the forgotten "T's" before "V" week!

T ree house- I finally had the opportunity to take a pic of my friends' awesome tree house in their backyard last week...long after our "T" Wednesday.














Mr. Dressup's original T ickle Trunk. Mr. Dressup was a famous Canadian children's entertainer. I LOVED his Tickle Trunk. I excitedly waited to see what costume he would pull out next. To this day, I have my own Tickle Trunk for those special dress up occasions!

It must have been the garlic

Barbeque. Good conversation with friends. Children playing together in one accord. Sunlit Day. Campfire. Singing campfire songs. Roasting marshmallows. Smores. Starry Night. Big Dipper. Summertime upon us. Awww....Relishing the moment. Until....

my tummy started to grumble...nausea set in...up all night....still feeling the effects today...

the cause...

Darryl's ( Lisa's hubby) famous homemade marinade, made with tons of garlic!

ABC Wednesday...a little late!

I'm a little late with my U pictures this week as I spent some time with my dad in the ER. Prayers were answered and he is okay. Due to his health history, we thought he had a heart attack, but long story short after an x-ray and cat-scan, it turns out it was an issue with his bowels. He is home and resting. I thank all of you who were praying for my dad!

Without further adieu...here are my U pics. You can check out Mrs. Nesbitt's place for more creative photos....
U pside Down U mbrella...My "Ikea" golf umbrella I bought for $1! I LOVE "Ikea" and it reminds me of my wonderful year spent in Sweden. And they sell my FAVOURITE Marabou chocolate bars!!
U nderwear...sadly this is my underwear drawer!

a sad day for my hometown

GM Truck Plant will be closing in 2009. That means 2600 people will lose their jobs. Oshawa won't be the same. I hold a special place in my heart for GM for two reasons....one being my dad worked at GM in their computer division for over 30 years...the second reason being I worked in the Truck Plant for a summer during university. GM was good to me and I have many fond memories working the line as a 20 year old "naive" student worker!

Memories include...

• not understanding why all the men whistled at me as I ran up the stairs to the bathroom. I quickly learned my lesson when one of the full -time female workers pulled me aside to give me the heads up that my "girls" jiggled as I ran and warned me to walk the next time
• being privy to the best practical joke ever on my first day of work...PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED. SOME SCENES OF SEXUAL CONTENT... Here's how it went down: I was sitting on a stool, minding my own business in the "trim and hardware" division, waiting for the next truck to come into the bay for me to work my magic on it, when out of the corner of my eye I saw a commotion. I quickly recognized the men were looking at a dirty magazine laying on the desk nestled behind the line. Suddenly, I heard some screaming, laughter and some choice explisive words and then an employee emerged with a look of shock and embarrassment on his face. At that point I looked over pretending not to be fazed by the commotion - it was my first day after all- when I noticed this employee was wet in his private area. Immediately I was stunned. I could not believe this man could NOT control himself at work. GROSS! It was going to be a long summer! The stereotype of working on the line was coming true before my very eyes. Have no fear, I too soon joined in the laughter as I learned this horrifying scene was all part of a bigger plan - the best practical joke ever! I know I have a sick sense of humour! You see, some guys rigged a water gun under that desk. They would lure male employees over to the desk by telling them they had a dirty magazine for them to look at. This ploy worked well because things can get pretty boring on the line! AND men are men after all! When the men were looking at the magazine, another unsuspecting employee would start pumping the water gun and PRESTO! Their secret was safe with me that summer!
• I was able to read a couple of novels over the course of the summer. Now, in the car plant, you were able to read a book a week but on our line, we were too busy!
• I learned how they build trucks and I am proud to have my handiwork written all over the 1989/1990 GMC, Sierra and Chev models!
• I gained a new education in male bonding
• I learned some of my fashion tips by viewing the gallery of "Sunshine Girls" plastered all over the guys' lockers!!!!
• making great money, which paid for university!

THANK YOU General Motors Oshawa Truck Plant! Here's to you! I am still driving a GM vehicle!!

A "PJ Party" like no other...

" 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")



I participated FULLY in the moment last weekend with my "Komrades" - some old, some new, some acquaintances, some kindred spirits. But, it was a moment I recognized as a pure gift - a gift that left all of us changed in some way, a gift that allowed our friendship to unite and grow, a gift that is ready for the next adventure!


The journey began for most of us as a road trip to the beautiful city of Kingston. Here is a picture of my friend Sandra's candy apple red "stang" that transported us in under 2 hours to our destination! I know it is not the best picture, but out of respect for Sandra, and her dislike of pics taken of her, I opted to use this one instead. It was actually taken on a road trip her and I took to Cape Cod two summers ago! It's a GREAT "midlife crisis" vehicle perfect for any road trip! Here is our hot hostess, Priscilla, in her 'stang! So Hollywood! Priscilla and her husband Darren - also known as "our manservant" - were our hospitable hosts for the weekend!

hospitality n friendliness in welcoming strangers or guests; to love strangers; people with this gift provide an environment where people feel valued and cared for; people with this gift create a safe and comfortable setting where relationships can develop; they seek ways to connect people together into meaningful relationships and set people at ease in unfamiliar surroundings

Darren and Priscilla truly model this lifestyle. I feel privileged to have been welcomed into their home with open arms and no judgement. Safety. Love. A pure gift. Thank you.


Here is "our manservant" hard at work preparing the feast we enjoyed all evening...Here is Priscilla preparing our breakfast feast...One of "our manservant's" tasty, creative creations...Another "manservant" creation on the grill...C'est moi enjoying my drink in an orange glass that was calling my name in their cupboard...Let me introduce you to more of my "Komrades"...

Here's Shari -"a picture is worth a thousand words!!" A true kindred spirit. Shari and I have been friends for 27 years. We first met when our older siblings were dating each other and we somehow managed to be on one of their dates together! How did that happen!!!? It definitely was a God thing because our friendship blossomed from that moment in history. Kindred Spirits! This AMAZING woman LOVES Jesus with all of her being. She is an incredible prayer warrior, is artistic, creative in her personal style, gregarious, non-judgemental, loving, peaceful, an incredible active listener, compassionate, wise, loves to laugh, loves her family with passion, beautiful, accepting of everyone, making people feel at ease, medicine to my soul! Here's Pam - a strong, creative, fun, intelligent, loving wife, mother and friend, who is able to effectively "wear many hats" - chilling on the patio...
Tender Moments with Kath and Sandra...

A commercial break ....................................................

Kath is an extraordinary woman. One of her strengths is the spiritual wisdom she passionately uses to encourage others with God's truth. During my "couch time" conversation with her, she said these words to me,

"The strongest message that I feel for you is that you would know, truly know that you do not go unnoticed by Him [Jesus], that He has you so completely in His arms. One sentence that keeps going through my mind is that your sacrifices are not unnoticed and that He has a special relationship with you. The kind of love that others may never attain with Him, you have."

God knew that was EXACTLY what I needed to hear at that moment! I LOVE that about God!

................................................................................

San is another remarkable friend. Some words that describe her:

calm. compassionate. peace. relaxed. wise. fun. loving. love. accepting. incredible teacher. faith. depth. laughter. adventurous. Harley. Beautiful.

An enchanting evening ...

Caught in the act! Kath LOVES to take pics too! I LOVE this pic of Kelly...she looks so happy! Kelly is a new friend to us all and we welcomed her with open arms. Hopefully, she wasn't scared off!!!:)

Kelly n honest, loves to laugh, sweet, caring, strong, easy to be with, compassionate, fun, beautiful spirit.

Kath and Kelly. Encapsulates our PJ Party. Friendship. Precious. A pure gift. Cherished in our hearts forever.

An ode to my PJ Party Komrades. When is our next adventure? I am on the lookout!

Sweet Moment from Today...

Sitting on the swing in the park at recess with sweet "D" burrowed tightly on my lap, as we gently swayed back and forth while I softly sang Jesus Loves Me ( gospel version- well my definition of gospel!!!) in her ear. I thanked God for this moment. Just a brief moment where I was privileged to experience the bond a mother shares with her child. Just a brief moment that satisfied that deep longing of wanting a child of my own. Just a brief moment where I felt the love of a child towards me. Sweet it was.

PJ Party this Weekend!

Only one more sleep until this gang gets together again for a PJ Party like no other! We will be joining forces in Kingston with a few more Krazy Komrades of mine! One of which you can check out here. I love a good road trip in Sandra's candy apple red 'stang!

P - A - R- T- A- Y!!!!!!!!
Stay tuned....

ABC Wednesdays-"T"

I made a BIG oops...somehow my post for today got put in April/08...I was trying to pre-schedule it and now I have no idea how to move it to June 4.08! So go check it out here! Enjoy and have a GREAT Wednesday!!

The Secret is in the Sauce CONTEST!

You must check out this new blog co-created by one of my bloggy friends, Heather at Mindless Junque. ( Her blog is a MUST read! Sorry Tiffany at The Romero Diaries, somehow I have missed reading your blog, but will definitely check it out!) It's another way to connect with other writers out there in the blogosphere! Enjoy and don't forget to enter this great contest! It is "saucy!" Remember..."the recipe for success is support!"

Lessons from Sunday Church

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea...The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress...Be still, and know that I am God; ...The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (Psalm 46)

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. he will not let your foot slip-he who watches over you will not slumber...The Lord watches over you-the Lord is your shade at your right hand...the Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." (Psalm 121)