Spring must be a woman...

At least, that's often how I've felt.  I mean, seriously, could there be a moodier season??!  This year, other than fluctuating temperatures (can anyone say "hot flashes"?), there's been a relatively uncommon, steady progression towards snowlessness.

Until today...

This is taken from the same window, looking at the same spot at the end of our driveway as in the previous photo. Only in the previous shot, the dogs are sunning themselves on a 20C/68F evening...

In the above shot, taken just moments ago, they're nowhere to be seen ~ probably huddling up together with a couple of cats in the doghouse. It's a chilly -3C/27F and fiercely windy. Which is why I'm inside and not taking a picture looking down my mile road to complete the series of earlier photos!

What you also can't see is the nice layer of ice underneath the snow ~ it rained pretty heavily last night before the temps dropped and the precipitation turned to snow.

And just wait, it gets better!

They're forecasting another 4 to 6 INCHES of snow today!!!

Well, I guess if it will be hot and sunny starting tomorrow and lasting a full four months, till the end of August, I'll allow it.

That should be enough time to get rid of this PAST winter's snow and excess precipitation before next winter's starts...

RIGHT??

 

Practicing Gratitude

I can't believe I missed last week!! I thought about it last Wednesday morning, which is often when I compose my TT posts, but completely forgot about it until late Thursday, and by then I had a scheduled post up. Ah well, at least I didn't actually forget to be thankful, even though I forgot to post about it!!

You know what else I can't believe?  It's almost MAY!!!  I have a hard time fathoming how a third of this year is almost over!!  Geez, I'm still trying to get used to writing "2011!"

I'm thankful our snow is ALMOST gone ~ just a few patches left in amongst the trees, along the north faces of buildings, and in places where there were huge drifts. Yesterday it got up to +21/70F here on our yard and today is supposed to be more of the same, with even a possibility of our first thundershower! (hard to believe they're forecasting +1/34F and SNOW for Saturday!! I'm hoping they'll be wrong like they so often are!)

I'm thankful for the over-sized pussywillow arrangement I have sitting on top of my TV in the living room.  It dominates the room and loudly proclaims "IT'S SPRINGTIME!"  I wish I had a bigger vase for them ~ the one they're in looks decidedly puny and I needed to use Peanut's rock collection to weigh it down because the willow branches are too long and heavy for it.  (Hubby's hoping a little that it'll tip over and the water will wreck the TV so we finally have an excuse to replace our 18-yr old relic, but I'm thankful I paid good money for good quality when I bought it and that we haven't needed to!)

I'm thankful for a great evening with Fidget on Tuesday night while Peanut was out at a birthday party and The 'Man was at work.  At first, my littlest whined and complained about having no one to play with and nothing to do, but she loved playing "cooking show" while she helped me make supper, she loved being able to eat at the table ~ just me and her ~ and she LOVED being able to hold my camera and fill it when we went for a walk afterwards.  It was, I think, the first really beautiful evening of the year and we had a wonderful time listening to the water running in the ditches, the frogs croaking, and all the springtime birds singin' their little hearts out.

I'm so thankful for the Easter season and the hope that we have as a result of the incredible events it commemorates.  I cannot imagine living without the assurance that no matter what happens in this life, my soul is safe with my resurrected Savior and will live with Him in eternity once my body's time here is done.  I have prayed over and over in these last weeks that Christ's death and resurrection will never cease to move me, no matter how many times I hear the story, read the passages, and listen to the yearly sermons.  Every time, I want to experience that profound sense of gratitude for His willingness to make it possible for me ~ a disgusting, depraved sinner ~ to spend eternity in the presence of a Holy God.

Every day, I want to live my life with thanksgiving for such an undeserved treasure.  I can never pay Him back for His mercy, but I can live like the knowlege that I don't have to overwhelms me on a daily basis.

Because it really does.

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I wonder, do you know Him?

Happy Resurrection Day!

The Barabbas Effect

I posted this last Easter and because I think it's so powerful, I'm posting it again.  It was originally posted here by David Mathis and appears here on the ol' blawg with express permission from the author.

Who do you identify with in the Passion narratives?

Of course, as good Christians, we say Jesus. He’s the good guy, our protagonist. As we relive the story, we pull for him, and against his enemies. And a long list of enemies it is: Judas who betrays him, Peter who denies him, the chief priests who hate him, Herod who mocks him, the crowd that calls for his crucifixion, Pilate who washes his hands and condemns him, and Barrabas who is guilty but gets to go free.

Wait a minute.

Barrabas—the guilty one who gets to go free?

In his 23rd chapter, Luke leads us sinners, in his careful wording of the narrative, to identify in this significant way with Barrabas. As Jesus’ condemnation leads to the release of a multitude of spiritual captives from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation, so also his death sentence leads to the release of the physical captive Barrabas.

In verse 15, Luke quotes Pilate to establish Jesus’ manifest innocence: “Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him.” Then he confirms Barrabas’ guilt in verse 19, as “a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.”

In verse 22, after the mob has called for Jesus’ crucifixion for a third time, Luke emphasizes Jesus’ innocence again in the words of Pilate: “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death.” But unconvinced, the crowd continues to demand the death of Jesus and, wonder of all wonders, the release in his place of the manifestly guilty Barrabas.

So Pilate “released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will” (verse 25). Here’s the first substitution of the cross. The innocent Jesus is condemned as a criminal, while the criminal Barrabas is released as if innocent.

And still today, because of the willing substitution of the innocent Jesus, Barrabases like us go free.

Like one of the commenters pointed out (also quoted here with permission): "We must enter the Story, and to do so we identify with a character. But it is too easy to say we would be Mary or John (at the foot of the cross, faithful to the end). Or Peter, since we recognize our fickle, selfish nature. Some of us realize we would be "among the scoffers," but they are a nameless mass and do not directly receive the grace of Jesus at that moment...

...I am Barabbas."

And when we begin to identify with the loathesome criminal Barabbas ~ so fully guilty and completely deserving of punishment, even crucifixion ~ we perceive with slightly greater depth how incredible is the gift of Christ's redeeming, atoning sacrifice. When we perceive our human condition as being infinitely desperate and depraved and justly deserving of eternal damnation, we begin to realize exactly how little of the magnitude of God's love, mercy and grace we actually comprehend.

The realization that we deserve to go to hell, and the blossoming understanding of what it means to be redeemed from hell, will necessarily change our priorities, give us passion, and give us clarity. Doing things for the sake of doing things will seem disgustingly meaningless, and effectively reaching people with the redemptive gospel message will become our greatest priority.

Oh God, may it be so with me!

Finally.

I know what's been plaguing my left eye for the last nine weeks.

According to the specialist's report at my family doctor's office, I have actually known for some time what the condition is called and how to manage it.  My doctor couldn't figure out why I had gone to the specialist a second time and why I was back in his office, still trying to self-diagnose.  I waved a sheaf of papers my mom's ophthalmologist had given her a year ago in treating something similar and asked if it was possible that's what I had, too, since my symptoms matched quite neatly.

He looked confused.  "Yes, but you're still applying the warm compresses and there's been no change?" he asked.

Uhhhh, the what and the what-what's?

He then proceeded to read to me from the letter he'd received from the specialist, whom I saw on March 1st and again on the 25th.  "Patient has blepharitis.  Informed her to treat with warm compresses four times a day."

Well, this was news.  It would have been nice to actually GET it!!

But I have it now, albeit a MINIMUM of 2-1/2 weeks later than I should have gotten it.  Whatever.  I have a new prescription for some antibiotic eye ointment and some "pretentative maintenance strategies," including the aforementioned warm compresses four times a day, so I'm good to go.

Posterior Blepharitis, from what I can tell, is a relatively common thing, apparently, but is generally considered a chronic problem.  I knew already from the last time at the specialist's office that whatever it was wasn't life-or-death, so my mental health about the whole thing has much improved, but it was nice to finally have this figured out.

Thank you for those of you who've offered up prayers on my behalf, both for the healing of my eye and for my mental and spiritual well-being while I wait.  Those of you who know me well personally, know that waiting on answers is NOT my strong suit!  I so appreciate your kind words and encouragement.

So today in your prayers, please remember to offer thanks for the answers and especially for the peace I've enjoyed over the last few weeks while I waited.  What a blessing it's been!

Practicing Gratitude

I am so thankful for spring! And MELTING SNOW!!!

I'm thankful that though there is water, water EVERYWHERE (even a little seeping in through one basement wall), we are not flooded out. Not yet, anyway! So many are not so fortunate. Here's the field right next to our house:

(Fortunately, there's a mile road in between us!!)

I'm thankful for the wind. Wind's got a bad rap up here on the Canadian Prairies ~ and it can be quite annoying and even destructive at times ~ but given how soggy our ground is due to the high water table from last fall and now our unusally excessive winter snowfall melting away, I'm happy for the wind! Blow ye mighty winds, blow!

I'm thankful for rubber boots and splash pants, the reasons for which I'm sure are obvious!

(ie. the driveway in front of our garage...!)

I'm thankful I don't need to wear ski pants and a parka for walking anymore. I still often wear a touque and mitts since the mornings are usually still a bit below zero, but I feel so much freer!

(The 'lake' across the road again, this time frozen in this morning's colder temps.)

I'm thankful for sunshine and warmth, and working with the windows open! I love the outdoor sounds filtering in.

I'm so thankful God is in control of the seasons, and that He brings us spring every year!

And that He promised to never again flood the whole earth...



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Pachelbel's Canon in D the Forest

Saw this over the weekend on Challies.com and it blew me away:



Can you even IMAGINE the logistics involved in setting something like this up??! Like Challies says, "I don't much care what they're selling; I want one just to reward their hard work"!

Have a happy Monday!

Spring has SPRUNG! started to arrive...

It was incredible to see HALF our snow gone when we arrived home after our week in The Big City and those rays of sunshine have continued to make serious headway ever since.  We've got a long way to go and the ground water, she's a-risin', but we are DEFINITELY experiencing spring up here on the wide Canadian prairies!

Yay!!

Have a happy weekend, y'all!!

Practicing Gratitude

Ah, time once again to give thanks! What a privilege to be reminded each week that we really have so much more to be thankful for than we could ever actually deserve! We are richly blessed indeed.

This past week we spent in The Big City, refreshing our ties with family and old friends.  What a great little holiday!

Wednesday night, when we first got to the city, we took the girls out for supper (just to McDonald's, which didn't really thrill us a whole lot, but it was one with a PlayPlace, so the girls had a riot ~ and it was for them anyway, so I think we did the right thing!) and then to see Tangled... in 3D!  What a cute little movie!  I SO want to own it.  I thought I'd hate the 3D aspect (I get dizzy VERY easily), but it was awesome.  I loved watching Fidget constantly reaching out to try and touch things floating in front of us!  I'm thankful for sweet moments and extra-special family fun nights.

Also during our stay, we went to the museum, which is something neither The 'Man or I could remember doing in the last 20 or so years.  It was tough to keep up with Fidget, who would have gladly toured the entire building in about half an hour and as annoying as that sometimes was, we still had a great time there with one of the girls' aunties and their grandma and grandpa.  They loved the full-size replica sailing ship that the museum was literally built around and the little early 1900's replica town where we could see everything from an early drugstore to a dentist's office (SCARY!) to the train station and movie theatre, where we sat and watched a Charlie Chaplin movie.  I'm thankful for some of the advances we've made over the last hundred years, but at the same time, I find myself wistfully wishing for a time when we weren't ruled by schedules. And social visits, church services, and the odd trip into a faraway town were really the only form of "entertainment" there was.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to get together with old friends and have a great evening.  I'm thankful our girls and their three kids ~ who are approaching and already in their early teens ~ hit it off so well again and hung out together till 11 pm!  We'd visited this same family pretty much exactly two years ago and it was awesome how easily they relaxed together despite the time gone by.  It was also awesome to receive FIVE huge garbage bags of hand-me-down shoes, clothing and outerwear for the girls from their two long-legged daughters!!  Not sure where we'll put it all, but they won't be running out anytime soon!

I'm thankful for time my girls got to spend playing with their cousins for two of those days, and the time they enjoyed with both sets of grandparents.  An afternoon at the local school playground where I went to school as a child is always a treat.  (and they have a WAY better playground now than when I attended there!!)

I'm thankful my girls still love visiting their grandparents.  I'm guessing it won't always be that way, but for now, it makes my heart glad.  And I'm thankful they love coming home, too, as bittersweet a feeling as it is to leave.  I love that the first thing they did after hugging and kissing all their pets (despite how muddy the dogs and cats were!), was to race into the house, up the stairs, and hug their beds!  They love home.

And I'm thankful half our snow is gone!  Of course, it's not REALLY gone.... it's hiding in huge puddles underneath the still-existing snow, but it still looks a lot more like spring than it did a week ago!

But today.... today I'm thankful I could actually clean my house with the WINDOWS OPEN!  Nothing feels and smells better than fresh, spring air after MONTHS of stuffiness.  Ahhhh, and it's SO much more fun to clean in the sunshine and crisp, cool air, too!

 

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Ode to an Ontario a Manitoba Spring

The time has come now Spring is here
I hear its voice in my frostbitten ear
Through the trees its breezes blow
Through lifeless twigs where icicles grow

Thoughts of love are in the air
There goes a mating polar bear
And lovers snowshoe two by two
Their rosy cheeks a healthy blue

It's time to don a wardrobe new
A parka, toque and mitts should do
A walk along the river is nice
To watch the floating chunks of ice

And now I've got the lawn to mow
But it takes so long in three feet of snow
The freezing rain, the ice monsoon
I hate to think it'll be winter soon

When I got out my bike they called me a fool
But I'm tired of driving a zamboni to school
I hope the thaw will get here soon
'Cuz long johns sure itch in the middle of June

My thermometer must have some leaks
For I've seen no mercury in at least three weeks
Those fabled flowers are surely missed
The colour green does not exist

If I could land one Springtime wish;
May I need no jackhammer with which to fish
I would like to view the lawn once more
Or see the knob of my front door

But this is wrong I should not whine
For all too soon it's summertime
The blistering sun, the endless heat
The pain of skeeter-bitten feet

Yet through bugs, through bees, I'll not complain
'Cuz in six short weeks.... It's cold again!!

~ Brett Statham

 

Sadly, this is no April Fools' joke...

Yep, the Great White North is still, well... white. Very, VERY white.

Here's some of the local scenery as of last Thursday. This is the grader shed kitty-corner to our house; you'll notice how the grader driver's half-ton is dwarfed by the snowbank in front of the shop...



Here we are at the parting of the White Sea, looking down our freshly cleared mile road (those snowbanks on either side are about shoulder-height):



Shadow and TUCKER frolicking together ~ they seem to be getting along quite well:



CUTEST. DOG. EVER!



Back on the yard, struggling to get a picture of the sheet of snow that's
s-l-o-w-l-y been sliding off the barn roof for over a month, but the snow on the ground is just too deep!



Here's a bit more of a close-up, but I simply can't get around to the other side to photograph it from the opposite angle:



And here's the tire swing; the same one from this post back at the end of November (you know, back when you could still see the WHOLE tire!!):



Yup, you'd really never know it was springtime around these parts. There's been some melting progress over the last week since these shots were taken, but certainly nothing significant! But the sun is getting nice and toasty again, the air is warming, and someday...

...it will actually LOOK like spring!

(at least, that's what we keep telling ourselves!)