May 30, 2013

• ramble

   

  I want to write a post about my brothers someday.  I wrote here about my sisters.  And you know I’ve written about my brother who passed away.  But I have three other big, strong brothers who are worth writing about.

  One of them is Glen, who with his sons just raised $1600 for cancer.  I love his caring heart.

  

  Yesterday my girls and I went to Grande Prairie for a few appointments and shopping fun.  Grande Prairie is 1 and 1/2 hours away.  It’s a town of about 50,000 and it’s got a few more options than the town where we normally shop.

  We visited Dr. Kevin Kim Ming Wong to find out the results of Natalia’s MRI concerning her hearing loss.  Everything is good there.  So happy and grateful-PTL.  We sat in Dr. Wong’s office waiting for him to come in and read all his certificates and memorized his name.  I was bored and sang a bit.  Natalia wrinkled up her face and said, “Oh Mom–that just makes me feel SO uncomfortable!”  She was afraid someone could hear me.

  While shopping Liesl spotted a girl with a shirt that dropped off of her shoulder.  She said twice very loudly, “Look, her shirt is falling down.  Her Shirt is Falling Down!!”  Victoria nearly died of embarrassment.

  I am sad that my 8-lesson watercolor class is over.  It was really so much fun.  I don’t know if I’ve found my niche yet with it–or if I ever will.  But I love how it’s opened my eyes to observing nature more closely and noticing art.  Sometimes it just feels like I’m making a mess.  I’m sure the seasoned artist would say it’s tacky work.  But right now I don’t really mind.  I like the way watercolor is more loose than oil painting.  In class we did saskatoon berries and landscapes.

  

  And last night I was just dabbling around, then wrote my name hugely.

  

  Here is our little painting class, with our teacher Angela in black.   

  

  Angela is such a good teacher.  I recommend her highly.  She blogs here and below are a couple of my favorites of her works, which are many.  What makes her incredible is that she plays soccer and runs and cycles and gardens on top of painting and crafting.

  

  This aspen painting wants to stay small.  whatever.

  

  My sister Linda and I were born on the same day of March three years apart.  We were inseparable growing up, but marriage took her away to Missouri.  Then she and her husband moved to Romania for 7 years.  We talked on the phone and wrote letters over the years and saw each other only occasionally.   I have to pinch myself to believe that I’m actually writing these words, but it’s shaping up for Steve & Linda and their three children to move to Alberta this fall!  Steve is planning to teach at our church school and they will rent a place just a few miles from our house, God willing.  His work permit is underway and things are looking very hopeful.  I haven’t had a sister close by for lots of years, so I’m really, really excited.

  

  Last week I wrote after singing at the nursing home:

   Tonight we sang at Rotary Manor.  Bud with the hemorrhoids was in fine form tonight and Mae picked Amazing Grace like always. The lady in the front row was fussing with her slippers and fiddling with her pant legs and the lady next to her was so sweet and tried to help her get everything adjusted but nothing worked.  Fiddle and fuss she would, her spindly little legs showing.  The lady in the back yelled at Tim to speak up in the devotional and everyone loved Abide With Me.  There was an overpowering smell of urine for a while that went away as quickly as it came.  The flowers at the nurses’ desk were fresh and pretty and When We All Get to Heaven was started too high and left us all breathless.

  For Liesl’s birthday she wanted dilly bars at DQ instead of a cake.  We all went in and Dan made the big order for 8 of us.  Liesl was the only one who actually ordered a dilly bar.  Then when the icecream came she wanted my dipped cone and I gave in.  Guess who got the dilly bar?  We had to wait a long time and I was sitting there discreetly studying people.  This cute and fashionable Filippino girl who looked kind of sad around the eyes was in line and after she got two icecreams, she took them back to this 70-ish looking man who was waiting at a table and sat with him.  They ate in silence and then left together.  I wondered what their relationship was and if he helped her get here for a better life when his wife got tired of him and left.  Or maybe his wife died and she’s his new companion.  The age difference was really obvious.  I don’t like to be nosy and I’m not racist or anything, but it seems like you see that kind of match a lot in our little town.

  Dan saw his friend Randy* (not his real name) with schizophrenia and stopped to chat on the street.  Randy needed a ride home.  When he got in the suburban, he said, “Smells like beer in here.”  Oh dear.  He needs a job.  Could Dan give him work?  He’ll pick rocks if he has to.

  People are so interesting.  When my children all leave home maybe I’ll study psychology.

  It’s almost June and everything is blooming.  Iris buds are quite wonderful.  So are crab apple blossoms.

  

  I don’t know what this tree is called, but it’s out by the clothesline and smells heavenly.

  

  And summer clouds are pretty amazing.

  

  It’s a rainy morning and soooo highly tempting to let everyone sleep till noon and mosey around in this quiet house in my housecoat.

  But then at bedtime they’re all flying high.  So I take my undisciplined self in hand….

  Happy Thursday, people. 

  Worship.  Laugh.  Be still.  Say thanks.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  • 10:41 am
  • 8 Comments