Enjoying the fruits of our summer labour!

As summer nears end, the dawn of a new school year slowly rises awakening a new beginning in me! One of the benefits of my job is the opportunity to start fresh every September. By June we are weary and ready for the end. But after a refreshing summer break we are ready for what awaits. It is always different and is always an adventure, not without some heartache though to keep us on our toes! Each September I make the decision to not get caught up in the politics of the year but to enjoy each day as it comes and to remember it is about the students not us! I know I will have to go into "the larder" at some point during the school year in order to remind myself of the "bounty" of the "summer" in my life, nourish my weary soul, then emerge refreshed once again! No doubt I will have some interesting yarns to tell. I am looking forward to the fruits of my labour! Happy Labour Day weekend everyone! Cheers to a good year! (I know my dill pickles are a good year!)

At the farm, picking the cucumbers for our dill pickles!

The preserving jars sterilized and ready to begin!

The finished product! Can't wait to taste them! I LOVE dill pickles!

Reaquainting us with manners...

I recently read an article in The Toronto Star that caught my attention. On Saturday July 30, 2011 the headline stated, "They're actually just being nice. Seriously. New ad campaign encourages goodness everywhere." Then I saw their ads begin to appear on tv. Peopleforgood.ca is "an advertising campaign sweeping through Canada's largest cities, encouraging people to be good, do good and encourage goodness everywhere." It is a brilliant idea. Some of the print ads you will see around the cities on billboards are,

" Don't carry grudges. They weigh a ton."

"Give your fellow driver five fingers. Wave."

"Want to hear an uplifting story? A guy lets everyone get on the train before him. The end. The postscript: And then someone gives him a seat. And smiles."

The tv ads are even cooler! According to The Toronto Star and People For Good, there is no catch. They are "not out to sell you anything," its creators say. "The idea behind the 'social movement,' which lacks any recognizable branding, is to get people to donate a little generosity. What we're trying to do is encourage a change in behaviour, " says Mark Sherman and Zak Mroueh, the brains behind People For Good!

I love this ad campaign, yet got to thinking. Doesn't it tell us a great deal about the state of our society presently? How sad an ad campaign has to teach us about good old fashioned manners and how to treat people. Shouldn't that come from the home and from those of us who are Christians, living out the mandate Jesus set before us?

I encourage you to check out this website. It is pretty cool!

Keep reflecting God's love in this crazy world! In our society today love is conditional. It's a "what will you give me" attitude that has even crept into the church community. Do we really know what it means to love? Do I really know what it means to love? Am I extravagant in my love to my church community, to my family, to my friends, to my co-workers? I know I need to be more extravagant and unconditional in my love for others.

Ephesians 5:1ff says,

"Watch what God does and then you do it...Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that!" (The Message)

I want to be person for good.ca!

where will you be at the end of your life?

My last words to her were, "don't give up, you still have a lot of life left in you to live." Obviously, this feisty, 92-year old family friend did not agree with me because she died two days later! I haven't really had time to process her death yet. I am sad because, in my opinion, it was a broken heart that killed her not the heart attack she had two days earlier.

During my visit with her on that sunny Sunday afternoon we had a nice chat. She seemed upbeat and well on her way to recovery. She spoke of hoping to go home in a few days but also told me she didn't want any surgery to repair the damage. She was a stubborn woman who quietly said to me she was tired of living this life and was ready to go.

Her deep sadness and mental exhaustion over her only child's behaviour as an alcoholic was too much for her to bare anymore. Watching this strong, smart, Austrian woman who overcame tremendous odds in her lifetime, give up made my heart ache. My family has been involved in helping this woman try to help her daughter over the years but to no avail. The daughter is a disaster. I am not being disrespectful but realistic because this daughter does not want to get help for her alcoholism. And there is nothing we can do for this 50-year old daughter until SHE wants to get well. She has caused so much pain for our 92-year old friend, especially in the last month. Witnessing their toxic relationship confirmed to me that I must never allow bitterness towards my family members or friends to fester and take hold because it will destroy my soul. I don't want to be at the end of my life, like our friend, and feel such sadness and deep hurt because I never made amends with those I maybe needed to over the course of my life. At the end of my life when I take my final breath, I want to be surrounded by those I love in a peaceful, fun, loving atmosphere. Not alone and feeling desolate, like our friend.

As I left the hospital that afternoon, I thought I would see her again so we could finish the game of Scrabble I promised to play! Well, I technically did see her on the following Tuesday but I knew she was about to take her last breath. I stood at her bedside and called her name. She opened one eye slightly and looked over at me then turned away and fell back asleep. The nurse subtly encouraged me to leave and speak to the family. Her daughter wasn't even there. Apparently the daughter was at the funeral home finalizing the arrangements. But her mom wasn't dead yet. In fact, the daughter wasn't even there when her mom took her last breath 2 hours after my brief visit. Our friend was all alone. To my knowledge, I don't even think she had faith in God to cling to. (She was a stubborn but smart atheist)! That makes me sorrowful on many levels.

Goodbye my sweet Juliane. I can only hope you are in a better place where your mourning has turned to joy!

As I contemplate this unfortunate death, I pray I will continue to allow love and not hate, bitterness or unforgiveness, to ooze out of me for the duration of my life. I pray people will see the true love of Jesus reflected in me! Contentment Peace = A Healthy Heart!

How will you live out your life?

pictorial update of my last 3 months

My three month hiatus from blogging was not intential. I'm not sure why it happened but it did and I am finally back. I thought I would start out by giving a synopsis of my last three months in pictures! Without further adieu and in no particular order (because blogger messed up my order) here is my life...

Church Bridal Shower my friends and I hosted for the daughter of our mutual friend. The theme was a Parisian Fashion Show!



I enjoy walks along the Whitby Harbour in spring, summer and fall, which is on Lake Ontario. In the far distance you can sometimes glimpse New York State, USA on a clear day!

Morning sunrise just outside my apartment door taken with my mobile phone one morning on my way to work!

Explanation not needed!
Summertime BBQ, Beach Volleyball and Campfire with friends...
(Whitby Harbour again...misplace photo thanks to Blogger!)

Another misplaced photo...my campfire friends' son during his Cadet graduation!

Here I am at The Great Big Sea concert in Belleville...a fun outdoor summer concert! They are a fabulous Maritime (Newfie) Canadian Band. The lead singer, Alan Doyle starred with Russell Crowe in Robin Hood last year.
I volunteered, along with my choir buddies, for the Durham 1/4 Marathon which raises money for homeless youth and The Refuge.
I attended this cool coffeehouse in Toronto, where my voice teacher sang in one of the bands!
Back to the beach volleyball game! hehehe! Here I am with my good friend Lisa, the hostess of the evening!
Here I am at City TV's Viewer Appreciation Day with one of the hosts of Breakfast Television, Kevin Frankish at Yonge/Dundas Square, Toronto!
Here I am ready to play piano for my dad who was competing in "Senior Star", like American Idol for seniors! We were on tv that morning...Breakfast Television in fact!
Back to Viewer Appreciation Day...we toured the studio, so here I am pretending to be the weather girl!
On the Go Train home with my new sunglasses I won!
Here's my dad competing in "Senior Star!"
Old streetcar tracks in early morning Toronto...
Time to re-organize my accessory drawer- a summer project!
The cute notes my dad leaves by the coffee maker each morning!
We made it in the local paper too!

I love this reminder for one of our students with autism who pretends to pass gas all the time! Typical teenage boy! hehehe!
Springtime in Toronto...
My choir buddy and I with the same Converse shoes!
Springtime walks in the neighbourhood!
Springtime in Toronto again...reflection of buildings at Bay and Wellington, which is like the Canadian version of Wall Street! My grandparents first lived here when they immigrated from Northern Ireland in the early 30's. Obviously their house is no longer around!
In the washroom of Milestones Restaurant, Yonge Dundas Square!
In honour of the Royal Wedding, this china shop had a cool display!
Lobster dinner with my friend John at his church!

oops...The Old City Hall Gargoyles, Toronto

We received a thank you letter from Kate and Will's people ( Buckingham Palace) for the engagement card we sent them!
I dressed up at work in my fascinator for the Royal Wedding. We were up at 5am to see it!
My dinner in honour of the Royal Weddding Day!

More Lobster Dinner photos!

"It takes a village" lived out before my eyes...

The image will forever be etched in my memory. It was beautiful, truly beautiful. A grieving mother standing before her family and friends at the funeral of her 28-year-old son who tragically took his life. Grieving friends, her husband and her other children standing with her literally supporting her fragile frame. A grieving young son, who is one of our students, embracing his mother completely with his head nestled in her bosom. As she spoke, tears flowed freely and honestly down her face. What I saw next is the memory I will never forget.

Our student, who is very mischievous at school, took the kleenex he was holding in his hand and gently wiped away his mother's tears. Tears are flowing down my face as I write this! The bond of love between this son and mother was so powerful it filled the entire room permeating deep into our souls.

This funeral was the most honest funeral I have been to. It was beautiful! They freely shared their pain with us about their son and why he took his own life. The Pastor spoke beautiful words of hope and not condemnation.

It was my first Jamaican funeral. Let me tell you, I loved every minute of it, which I know sounds strange in light of this tragedy! I truly saw lived out before my eyes the old Nigerian proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." This funeral had a profound effect on me. I want to be part of this village. Actually, I AM part of this village! I loved the music! I loved how these people communicated between each other when they sang and loved how they communicated between each other when the pastor gave his message! There was no fear or inhibitions, yet they maintained a reverence that filled that room with peace. I LOVED how when they sang the final hymn, "Farther Along," they meant every word. It came from a deep place within them which stirred my heart to sing and stirred my body to move with the same gumption! I didn't care that tears were pouring down my face. I was part of this village now! I also knew without a doubt, our boy would be okay. His village would continue to take care of him.

I know when living in community, things are not always perfect, but this culture has something special my culture does not have. I think that is why I was profoundly affected by what I witnessed that day. Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful supportive family, supportive church and wonderful supportive friends. It is just different and that is okay. But I just love how this culture truly believes and lives out the Nigerian proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." I hope we can learn something from this wisdom! I feel honoured to have been privy to this beautiful funeral filled with hope and peace.

PS I tell my Caribbean students that I am part of their "village" now so they have to listen to me! They don't know I'm part black inside! Look out world!

PSS I was also excited to be privy to the Jamaican food after the funeral! Curried goat and jerk chicken were on the menu and I bravely ate every morsel!

I'm a sucker

**Update July 31, 2011**
I found a display of the old packaging at Walmart. Now you understand why I was attracted to the new advertising campaign!

Shopping for feminine products is not only about personal taste but about wisely picking your preference. A wide assortment awaits on the store shelf, each enticing you to choose their product...overnight, regular, long, heavy, light, super absorbent, medium absorbent, light, super thin, super thick, Kotex, Stayfree, Always, OB, Tampax. The list goes on! I'm not sure if men understand that picking out feminine products is like picking out a new car. Well maybe not quite the same!

I have used the same brand for YEARS but decided I need a change. While browsing the aisle at my local supermarket, I was immediately drawn to this Kotex box! Kotex has changed its marketing strategy I see. They used to be geared to "older" ladies! I LOVED the colour and creative design leaping out at me from this box!

I couldn't wait to get home and see what was inside. This is what I found...


Funky design! Now the true test is yet to come. Do they work as well as my handy dandy, tried and true favourite feminine product? I'll keep you posted! I am a sucker for creative, colourful design! Hey, if this marketing strategy works to help make our monthly cycle more bearable then bring it on!