Christmas Shopping Revelations

I am done my Christmas shopping! Have been for a few days now actually. I found Christmas shopping strangely relaxing this year even in December crowded malls with Christmas crazed shoppers. Maybe it was all the spare time I have had lately, or maybe it was because I bought most of my gifts at smaller local stores, or maybe it was because of a revelation I had the other day.

 I was standing in a crowded Canadian Tire store when I noticed something odd. There were guys standing in the kitchen supply aisle talking about spatulas and mixers and there were ladies in the tool aisle pondering over ratchet sets and cordless drills. Now I don't want to stereotype genders but I know this is not usual behaviour for the majority of Canadian Tire customers. These shoppers were clearly out of their element as they tried to understand and predict the interests and desires of their loved ones. Through their Christmas shopping and gift giving they were communicating a desire to know and be known which was unexpectedly beautiful.

A certain (ir?)rational part of my brain has always rebelled against the typical gift exchange. Why should I spend money buying a gift that you only sort of want/need only to have you spend money doing the same for me? Wouldn't it be easier/more efficient if I just bought something for myself and you did the same? And then there are the obvious objections to the over-commercialization and blatant greed that becomes so prevalent around Christmas time. Which is of course valid. As I was wandering the malls I also occasionally thought "can any of us really afford this?" and as I heard parents grumbling about the 2hr wait to get their child's photo taken with Santa I thought "don't we all take this a little too far?"

Certainly many of those shoppers in Canadian Tire will get their gift wrong. Come boxing day the stores will be packed with people who bought the wrong size, shape, colour or gift and are frantically trying to correct their mistake. Tempers will flare and frustrations will abound because after all we still live in a sinful world. But for one brilliant moment we tried to forget that and reached out in hope, seeking to love and be loved in our own imperfect way.

It's Snowing!

It's Snowing!

And that leaves me with an inexplicable desire to skip around the kitchen table singing jingle bells! (I used to do that!!) When I was a little kid I truly believed that singing Christmas songs/playing Christmas music would make it snow more. Since winter is my favourite season I can't wait for mountains of snow so I can take my snowshoes and x-country skis out of hibernation!

In the meantime enjoy these links to some Christmas music. The Youtube video is for the delightful pop song "Peppermint Winter" by Owl City. The second Youtube video is just for my older sister, one of her favourite Christmas songs.  For those who don't like pop music so much follow this link to a collection of Sufjan Steven's Christmas music. There you can find such delightful songs as "What Child is this Anyway" and "That was the worst Christmas Ever" alongside such Christmas classics as "O Come O Come Immanuel" and "Once in Royal David's City." His sound is unique so if you are unfamiliar with it just check it out!

Or send me a link to your favourite Christmas music so I can enjoy!

A Chemist's Candy Conundrum

Unsuspecting chemist attempting taffy making

Because of my background in chemistry I normally am not very intimidated by anything in the kitchen. I like to think that if I can synthesize complex organic molecules in the lab it shouldn't be too hard to do whatever is needed in the kitchen. And so when I decided to try making saltwater taffy in preparation for leading a group of seventh graders in doing the same I didn't think much of it. I watched an instructional video, read the recipe, gathered my ingredients and dove in.

 I soon found out that making taffy is tough and I know the old saying is that a poor work(wo)man blames her tools but honestly it would have helped if I had a candy thermometer that could read the temperature accurately. My first batch appeared to be going well until I had the candy out and started pulling it. With my first pull I knew something must be wrong. I know pulling taffy is tough but I only managed about 5 pulls before I was done.

The result was a rock hard candy that had to be cut with a chopping knife rather than a pair of scissors. The candies themselves do not taste bad, although they taste more like caramels then the orange flavour they are supposed to be. If I were to market these candies I would probably give them a "sermon-long" guarantee, they seriously last a looong time in your mouth. 

Disappointing rock hard results

 With a little bit of investigating I found that my candy thermometer was approx 8 C off in reading the temperature. Not good when an exact temperature was needed.

Warning: contents of pan are approx 8 C hotter than they appear

So like any good scientist I delved into some research and read a bunch of peer reviewed journals (aka candymaking and recipe blogs.) I soon determined that the faulty temperature was probably the main culprit for the too hard candy. Also if I needed to quadruple the amount of flavouring I used if I wanted to actually taste the flavouring.

It being only 9:30 pm I figured I had time for a second go. So I gathered my ingredients and set out armed with my improved knowledge. My mixture boiled.... and boiled... and all the sane members of my family went to bed (so sadly no more pictures.)  Finally I thought I had the correct temperature and took my concoction off the stove. I added food colouring and flavour and poured some out to test the consistency. I soon found out that this batch was too cool. So I put it back on the stove and reheated.... and repeated that process several times before I finally decided I might have it right. By now I had several burns on my hands from inadvertently grabbing the metal thermometer (ouch!) I poured the mixture out and waited hopefully. But alas the sugar molecules in the taffy were mocking my labcoat and as I greased up my hands to pull the taffy I soon found out I still had not heated the candy enough as the would be taffy dripped down my arm and turned into an oozy sticky (but delicious!) mess.

Figuring I couldn't make it any worse I plopped it in a container and stuck it in the microwave for 45seconds and poured out the result once again. After some cooling time I once again greased up my now burnt and blistered hands and made an attempt to pull the taffy. I still think the taffy is too soft but by now I was well into the next day and rather tired of this taffy so I stretched it out and cut it up. Not being a huge candylover I am not sure what the correct taste or texture of saltwater taffy is. I do know that with a little bit of refrigeration and a whole lot of icing sugar my taffy manages to maintain a shape. As for the taste it mostly tastes like butter, salt and icing sugar with a hint of orange flavour. For lack of a better example I am going to just go ahead and say that is how it's supposed to turn out until someone with more candy knowledge corrects me.

 (I figure I have a few hours to enjoy my success until they wake up.)

What have I been doing Lately??

Sometimes people who haven't seen me in awhile ask me what I have been up to. Often I can't really think of anything on the spot so I don't have much of an answer other than "being unemployed." This isn't all I do, I just frequently forget what all I have been busy with. So this blog post shall serve as evidence that I do in fact do things. 

Yesterday I had a blanket bee and ended up sewing a bunch of blankets.

Newly restrung violin!!

Today I bought strings for my violin to replace the ones that had broken. I learned how to restring a violin all by myself and managed to even tune it (somewhat) with the aid of an electronic tuner. Hurray for Youtube instructional videos! without which I would still be hopelessly lost and dealing with a broken violin. Now the air in our house is filled with the "sweet" sounds of a violinist who hasn't had any instruction, or practice since the age of 5 or 6. I sense alot of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in my future.

In other news I have been painting! I am working on a top secret painting commissioned by my younger sister and a few other paintings that have popped into my head. 

inspiration sketch for next painting

 The other day I went down to the beach. Fortunately I thought ahead and brought my raingear and warm clothes. The wind was howling and the waves were crashing. I walked out along the rocks and spent some time playing on the swings but soon was a little chilled and had to head for the warmth of my car. Summer clearly is gone and with it any chance of doing more kayaking this year. After experiencing a taste of winter in Calgary my snowshoes, skis, and me are anxiously anticipating that marvellous white stuff falling from the sky. (although it will probably be a few more months before any significant accumulation here.)

 So that is some of the things I have been up to lately. I'll leave you with some youtube videos of my favourite songs at the moment. The first one is by a band called Rend Collective Experiment. They are a worship band from Ireland and several of their songs currently top my favourites list.  The next song is by NeedtoBreathe. I just bought their CD and have been enjoying it immensely hope you do to!

I Guess I'm an Adult Now... (It feels weird)

I recently started volunteering with a Girls club in my church called GEMS. (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Saviour) I grew up attending GEMS, during highschool I volunteered with GEMS, and now as an unemployed boomerang I have been asked to serve as a GEMS counsellor. (Until I get a job that takes me somewhere else of course.)  When asked I was a little surprised, I didn't really consider myself grownup enough to be a counsellor. And though I have time right now, I can't commit to anything long term. But my church was in desperate need of new counsellors and for better or worse I was recruited.

So now I am a counsellor, along with several ladies who were GEMS counsellors when I was a Gem. And I have been having lots of "I'm an adult now" realizations. Like for instance last week- we were headed to Laser Quest with the cadets. I showed up at the church and was greeted by expectant faces looking for me to tell them what to do and where to go. AHH! On the bus I quickly realized I must be an adult when I found the noise level of 30+ kids aged 8-14 a little overwhelming. It took a moment for me to remember that I was the one responsible for reminding the kids to keep their heads and hands inside the bus, not yell, not fight, put their phones away, be nice, etc. Most of the other counsellors have real life experience as parents- Me, I still live with my parents.

Somehow we all survived. Surprisingly enough I think some of the kids like me even though I don't know half of their names. Some of them even think I am funny because I told them a story of that time I licked a slug.....  I still feel weird about calling adults by their first names instead of calling them Mrs. or Mr. So-and-So like I have been calling them all my life. And I have to remind myself that I need to remind the girls of the rules and even try to follow them myself. (What are the rules again??) But you have to start somewhere.

My denomination has been having discussions on how to engage young adults in the church. My denomination has a fairly "young" demographic compared to other churches in Canada. I grew up with a large number of children my age in my church (approx 15 born the same year as me alone.) And there were lots of programs to keep us involved in the church Sunday school, Vacation Bible school, Cadets, GEMS, Youthgroup, and Catechism to name a few. But all of these programs had one focus: to entertain and educate US in the faith. Others gave, We received.

For a church to survive and for these programs to continue something vital has to occur. Sometime after profession of faith and church membership we need to switch our focus. We can't expect to solely receive anymore, we need to focus on serving. It is a hard transition to make. We need to start acting like adults even though we might not actually feel grownup. (Because who really ever feels grownup anyway??)

Most young adults do profession of faith near the end of highschool just before they head off to university or college. Shortly after professing their faith and committing themselves to a community of faith they may find themselves ripped out and transplanted into another one. The following years are busy filled with much change and adjustment. Some young adults like myself may find themselves moving repeatedly for the next 5-10 years after their profession of faith.

That makes it hard to be involved in a church community! But it is NOT an excuse for inaction! Serving a church community draws you in and provides some stabilization amongst the riotous (and exciting!) surf of the young adult years. (YES I threw in a kayaking metaphor!) However it can help if churches are ready to encourage us with a variety of service opportunities that take into consideration our varying abilities to commit. (just like you may need different kayaks for different water conditions, river kayaks, sea kayaks .... okay I'll stop now.)

Anyhow in Summary:
Serving = Scary but awesome, I totally recommend it
Growing up = Weird, and I guess I am not quite there yet but possibly making more progress than I realized
Church community = necessary even/especially amidst chaos
Kayaking = wish it wasn't so cold and rainy, where did summer go?

My Favourite Sound

This week at church we celebrated communion. Which means I got to hear my favourite sound in the world- the sound of communion glasses as they are placed in the church pew. In my church the elders serve communion while everyone remains seated in their pews. After the glass communion cups have been passed out the pastor declares,

"Take, Drink, Remember and Believe that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sins."

we partake of the cup

and a smattering sound like raindrops occurs as the cups are placed in the pew.

I love that sound, every time we celebrate communion I wait for that sound. To me it is the sound of Grace, falling from heaven and washing away our sins- HALLELUJAH!! This song by Todd Agnew sums up my feelings quite well. 

I searched the internet wondering if I was the only one who loved this sound and came across this soundclip from NPR- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6119316 apparently someone else loves this sound too. To her the sound is that of Christian community and solidarity- which is very Biblical: Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:17.

Either way it is a comforting sound.

Peaches, Poetry and Paintings (repost)

Sometimes someone says something you have been thinking about so perfectly that you don't need to say it again yourself. So I will direct you to the article for you to enjoy.

http://www.cardus.ca/blog/2012/08/the-peach-is-charged-with-the-grandeur-of-god/

The Cardus Daily

The Peach is Charged with the Grandeur of God

Brian Dijkema  |  August 8, 2012  |  Pontificating

A Niagara peach in August is a glorious thing. It is the perfection of fruit and a sign of all that is good and holy in this world. In terms of pleasure, a Niagara peach in the height of its glory, with its perfect curves, its cool smooth skin, its flow of sweetness, its tender flesh, for me ranks just above reading, and just—just—below . . . well, let’s just say that there is a reason why the rouge on the shoulder of a peach is called “blush.” A Niagara peach, in other words, is sublime.
This shouldn’t surprise me. After all, Psalm 148 tells us that peach trees can praise the Lord with the same volume as “young men and women, old men and children.” But biting into one of those glorious peaches I am treated to an unexpected, gratuitous goodness. There are good evolutionary reasons for peaches to be sweet, but not that sweet. There are good evolutionary reasons for peaches to be beautiful, but not that beautiful. Or maybe there are; it really doesn’t matter. Their praise is extravagant, and it rings just as clear no matter how they came to my kitchen.
As you will note, I’ve been contemplating peaches for the last few days. And during this contemplation Hopkins’ great poem keeps coming to mind:

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Hands sticky with peach juice, I think this poem gets things partially right, and yet partially wrong.
My gushing about peaches attests to how much I agree with Hopkins that the world is charged with the grandeur of God. It is particularly charged in the Niagara region, I should add. Who knew such beauty and bounty could exist this side of Eden?
But he’s wrong to give trade and man’s smudge such a bad rap. Peaches, I learned, are oriental in origin. That is, they came to Canada by way of Europe, by way of Persia, by way of China. In other words, I can witness the divine because of the trade of many men and women through the ages. I can savour the sweetness of a peach because of farmers, scientists, Mexican labourers, and a friend from church worked to cultivate and deliver it. God’s grandeur is gathered together through the work of many. His “bright wings” lend his perfect beauty to our work, despite work’s bruises and rottenness. The result is a painting like a Renoir; imperfect, but no less beautiful for being smudged together.

How Soon Hath Time

It's been awhile since I last updated my blog. Even though I do have a list of topics I want to eventually blog about I don't particularly feel like delving into any of them at the moment. Instead I shall (once again) leave you with a sonnet by John Milton which suits my current frame of mind. Ponder this and perhaps you may arrive at my thoughts without me having to actually write them out. (I love poetry!) Enjoy!

Sonnet 7- John Milton

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,

Stol'n on his wing my three and twentieth year!

My hasting days fly on with full career,

But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.

Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,

That I to manhood am arrived so near,

And inward ripeness doth much less appear,

That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.

Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,

It shall be still in strictest measure even

To that same lot, however mean or high,

Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven;

All is, if I have grace to use it so,

As ever in my great Taskmaster's eye.

Political Ponderings

*As an aside, sorry it has been awhile since my last post. I had been fairly busy and had some internet access issues most of this month. I assure you all I am still alive and still interested in blogging.

Working for the government makes you political. In my case, as friends and family can attest, that probably isn’t necessary. I have had a more than average interest in politics from a young age. Personally I believe it stems from comics- I used to read the comics in the newspaper, but being a voracious reader they were soon done and I would start browsing the rest of the newspaper. I would often end up on the opinion page where I would find the political cartoon. Eventually my appetite for words and curiosity over what the political cartoon was talking about would cause me to read the other articles. Overtime I developed an interest in politics which was fed by my interest in Canadian history and current events. I briefly considered a career in politics, and though I haven't ruled it out entirely, I came to the decision that I don't have the necessary skills. That hasn't however dampened my interest in politics.

I must admit sometimes I find televised elections broadcasts more interesting to watch than sporting events; and have to confess that I have stayed up quietly listening to a radio broadcast on CBC to hear election results into the wee hours of the morning; not wanting to miss the acceptance and concession speeches from the party leaders or any of the commentary. Readers of my blog may remember that early on in this current federal government I closely followed the Canada Post filibustering debate, cheering on the NDP as I watched the live feed from the House of Commons. Many people who know me personally may have been privy to a political rant or discussion of mine. I frequently like to discuss or speculate about issues in politics and have no qualms about sharing my opinions, solicited or not.

My current interest in politics, particularly the provincial and federal budgets, has nothing to do with comics or election fever. It has a whole lot more to do with the fact that I am an occasional provincial government employee, a public servant with a temporary non-recurring contract. A contract which has just come to an end and likely won’t be renewed. Not because my job isn’t important or due to any lack of skill on my part, but simply because there is no money to pay me.

For those who aren’t aware, recently the Ontario provincial government and Canadian federal government revealed their budget plan for the following year. Both budgets seek to address deficits and reign in government spending. The Ontario budget particularly needs to address a large deficit while also fulfilling election promises not to increase taxes or cut spending in education and healthcare.  I am sure that in the coming days, weeks, and months there will be a lot of discussion on what the budget means, and what the implications are. In the case of the provincial budget there is even the worry of whether or not it will pass and if there will be another election. (Something even this political junkie doesn’t want.) There will be lots of opinions on all sides of the issues. I myself have a bunch and if you see me I will probably share them with you. I beg forgiveness from those who have no interest in politics and will have to endure my opinions. I also beg understanding. You may not have any interest in politics and may see the federal and provincial budgets as boring things that don’t relate to you. Please remember that for some people this has a direct impact on their lives and careers, and hopefully you can come to see that as a citizen of this province and country the decisions made by our government affect you too.

Beautiful

I rarely wear makeup. If I do it is for a special occasion and usually only a dab of mascara. Recently a friend challenged me and a group of other females to go make-up free for the month of March. I have it kind of easy since I already don't regularly wear makeup. But the challenge is interesting in another way. It has sparked numerous conversations in person and online about appearance and beauty.

I was surprised when most females adamantly said they would not participate. I mean come on it is only a month how hard can it be... and think of the extra time you will have in the morning which you can use for a much more valuable pastime: sleep. The girls who already wore little or no makeup were on board right away but there were only a few regular make-up wearers willing to take up the challenge. I find this interesting and a bit disappointing. I don't think there is anything wrong with wearing makeup, it is totally fine to play with, or accentuate your best features and it can be fun. But the girls who were refusing the challenge were saying things like:
"I can't live without my makeup"
"I need to look gorgeous for my husband/boyfriend"
"This would be extremely difficult"
"I don't think I could do this"
"Makeup is so necessary for me, if I didn't wear makeup I couldn't go outside."

What's the deal ladies?
Why do we feel so self-conscious about our faces?
Don't you know you are GORGEOUS each and every one of you!

I understand that some people use makeup to accentuate the features of their face they like the most but many women hide behind the makeup. You may say it's easy for me to not wear makeup cause I have great skin. I say you have great skin too you just have to embrace the skin you got and love it. I may not have a ton of acne, but I do get pimples on a regular basis. (Lately they have been turning into small raised moles as well which I find rather disturbing.) I too have large pores, an oily nose and blotchy skin. When I am tired, dehydrated, have exerted myself or been in the sun or just because; my skin goes red- cooked lobster red. I could choose to cover all this up with concealer, foundation, blush etc. but why? For one I value my sleep too much to bother in the morning, for two I don't think it is necessary because I know I am LOVELY!!

I haven't always felt this way. I struggled ALOT! with self-image for many years, and still have days where I feel plain and frumpy. I grew up surrounded by insanely gorgeous girls and always felt like the ugly duckling. I am also a little overweight and was the "fat girl" in my elementary school class. It was around grade 3 that I first started feeling self conscious about my appearance so when in grade 3 a girl told me I looked so fat I must be pregnant- it hurt. I have learned over the years that I can look in the mirror and focus on the things I don't like and wish I could change/ wish they would go away and feel horrible about myself. Or I can look in the mirror and choose to see the things I LIKE about myself FIRST! This takes years of practice (I am still learning.)

For me it started with my hair. I loved my hair, and thought it was gorgeous. I had long waist length hair from around grade 3 till the end of my first year of university. My mother used to have to force me to trim it twice a year  to get rid of the split ends and make it look presentable. I loved my long hair, it made me feel like a princess. People would often comment on the length of my hair or compliment me about it. I loved how my hair would hold the curl from my braids and loved (I still do actually) the way the sun hit my hair and my hair's colour. Sometime around grade 5 or 6 when my self esteem was particularly low I came to the realization that I really like the appearance of my hair. It was a revelation since I was so used to looking in the mirror and seeing an ugly chubby kid. Now I saw a chubby kid with gorgeous hair. The length of my hair really started to become part of my identity and a key part of my self esteem.

Once I had identified something I liked about myself it became easier to find other things I liked. I found that I liked the small raised mole in the corner of my left eye, and that I really liked the colour of my eyes. It was in a highschool art class learning to draw faces that I really studied my face I found angles of my face that I liked and showed off the good parts of my bone structure. Recently I have noticed that when I smile I have faint indentations in my cheeks that I think are kind of cute and am going to call my dimples. I have found that the more I concentrate on the things I like about myself, the more the things I don't like fade into the background. When I do find something that I don't like I have something that I do like to counter it with. I even finally got to the point where I was able to cut my hair and donate it. The first time I donated my hair it was quite a shock. I think I wore my hair in a bun for an entire month because I didn't want to believe I had actually cut my hair and just wanted my emotional security blanket to grow back- FAST! But since then I have begun to love my hair at shorter lengths too (see previous blog post ""Farewell Rapunzel"- June 2011) and have donated my hair every 1-2 years.

So to the girls who took the challenge and are feeling anxiety about their decision or are worried about it, and to the girls who just couldn't bring themselves to do it. I guess I understand. But I want to encourage you to try to take the next step on your self-esteem journey, cast aside your makeup security blanket and see what happens.

We have to retrain ourselves to seek out good things instead of bad, we have to ignore years of media bombardment telling us what we are "supposed" to look like. We have to ignore that inner voice in our head telling us we aren't good enough, pretty enough, talented enough, thin enough etc. We have to choose to acknowledge that we are FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE and God's works are wonderful- we are truly a MASTERPIECE.

Midwinter Musings

Winter is more than halfway over and so is my job, but as of today there is still snow and I am still employed so I will rejoice.

Winter was a long time coming and still isn’t sure if it wants to stay. Here in the Sault we have had a milder than normal winter, there have been frequent mild spells which often cause my much-loved snow to melt and disappear, or settle and become hard and crusty- so unlike its original fluffy white self. But even though winter has been milder than normal at least we have had winter unlike many other parts of the country. I have been able to do a bit of X-country skiing, skating, and some snowshoeing too. So I guess there really are no complaints. All that remains to be done is to go for a sleigh ride and to go tobogganing and my winter to-do list is nearly complete.

The view from here lately has been a lot of this.

I see a lot of other things while I am out skiing but I usually see the best things when I don’t have my camera nearby; like the time I came within a meter of a gorgeous downy wood-pecker drumming on a tree as fluffy flakes of snow gently fluttered to the ground. Unless my painting skills greatly improve some things will just have to remain memories.

As my job contract nears completion I am feeling the wander bug set in again. Sadly the motivation to refresh my resumé is greatly lacking. I feel I am ready for a new place and a new adventure. I just wish I could take all my dear friends from here and bring them with me.

The snow sparkles outside my window and soon I will go out and enjoy it. But for now I am cuddled up in a blanket and sipping a large cup of magic mango mate. (It was an excellent Christmas present from my darling little sister. I would love it if she would send me some more! Hint hint) I have been enjoying it a lot lately which isn’t a bad thing. Apparently yerba mate is also called the “liquid vegetable” since it contains a pile of vitamins, nutrients and anti-oxidants (more than green tea!)

So get out and enjoy the snow then brew yourself a pot of deliciousness and settle in to some great music. This month’s discovery was a sweet band from Calgary Alberta called Lauren Mann and the fairly odd folk. I greatly enjoyed their sounds at a recent concert in Sault Ste. Marie and have subsequently been enjoying their CD. They are currently on tour so look them up and see if they will be near you- you won’t regret it! Or check them out on noisetrade where you can download some of their newest songs for free (although I am sure tips are appreciated.)

Moonbow?- A Beautiful Sight

There was a beautiful rainbow coloured ring surrounding the moon tonight. I noticed it when I came home from skating. I tried to take some photos but alas my photography skills leave much to be desired. The lack of a camera that is good in low light conditions and lack of tripod may also have had something to do with it.

This pic I found on Google images best represents what I saw, Lovely!

My favourite photo of the night wasn't a total loss. It doesn't do my night sky justice but I kinda find it  reminiscent of an impressionist painting.

Upon further review I was surprised to find one of my pictures did at least hint of the rainbow colours that were visible in the night sky. Hah! who need a fancy camera or tripod now! A steady hand and a vehicle side mirror will do in a pinch.



I really shouldn't call it a moonbow. A quick wikipedia search told me the technical term is a 22° halo or moonring. Follow the links if you want more info but the accompanying articles are a little sparse.

Interestingly enough folklore says that it is a sign of a coming winter storm and that if I counted the stars within the ring that would be the number of days before the impending storm. With the kind of winter we have been having one can only wish. Whether or not that is true time will only tell but for some reason all this talk of moons has Cat Steven's "Moonshadow" stuck in my head. This song always reminds me of a funny university memory. I had a friend who wanted to start a band. She thought this would be an excellent song to add to our repertoire which also included Amazing Grace. She played the ukelele and had found a violinist, pianist and vocalist, she wanted me to be the star clarinetist and figured we should call ourselves Death Tongue. Clearly we were destined for greatness.

Hope you enjoy the following YouTube link and your own moongazing.

p.s. I looked at a bunch of youtube vids for this song and though the sound quality isn't as good as some of the other ones I loved this clip for the fantastic 70's attire!

Just a Trifle

My Dad makes a fantastic trifle that we have every year at Christmas. I have loved helping him make this trifle since I was a little girl- especially since he let me sample some of the layers. I save his trifle recipe for Christmas time but since I love trifle so much I have come up with my own Chocolate Raspberry trifle. I love making desserts but since I normally cook only for myself I don't normally indulge unless I have someone to share it with. I made this trifle for a Church potluck where it was enjoyed immensely.  The thing I love most about trifle is that you get an awesome looking dessert that tastes awesome too and is very easy to make. Wanna know just how easy? Here are my simple instructions for chocolate raspberry trifle:

Ingredients:
- 1 box chocolate pudding
- 1 box vanilla pudding
- 1 can raspberry pie filling
- 1 pan of brownies (9x13) Quaker Oats mix is my fave but any brownies will do
- 1 box chocolate mousse
- 1 carton (500mL) whipping cream or 1 tub cool whip
- you will need milk to make all the mixes

Optional but definitely makes the trifle extra delicious as well as gorgeous:
- fresh raspberries (1 or 2 cartons)

Instructions
1. Prepare all the prepackaged mixes according to package instructions, you will need to make some room in your refrigerator for all the bowls of pudding. I also suggest you start with the brownies since they need the most time to bake and cool.
2. Grab your trifle bowl and a couple of spoons and get ready to assemble
3. Trifles have layers (like cakes, parfaits and onions) The order of the layers isn't essential but here is the order I followed to make the trifle in my picture

- brownie

- chocolate mousse

- raspberry pie filling and fresh raspberries

- vanilla pudding

- whipcream

- more brownie

- entire chocolate pudding

- more pie filling and raspberries

- more whipcream

- last of the brownie

- last of the chocolate mousse

- last of the pie filling

- last of the vanilla pudding

- final layer of whip cream

Garnish with more fresh raspberries and some shaved chocolate
(Hershey's Skor Chipits also taste really good in this)
4. After you are done admiring your creation dig out the spoons and bowls and dig in!

Mudpies and other important things

It has been awhile since a work update. But I have been keeping busy in the new year. I am told we are done processing peat cores (although they have told me that before and still found peat for me to process.)

I have now moved on to processing samples from an outside client- the National Forest Inventory or NFI. This week it involved the very important process of making mudpies. Seriously, I took stored soil samples out of the freezer, placed them in pie pans, and will soon be putting them in the oven. Who would have known that my childhood propensity to play in the dirt would actually be a transferable job skill? 

Mud isn't the only thing we "bake" in our drying ovens. I also have been busy transferring numerous vegetation, woody debris, and moss samples into paper bags for drying. Fortunately we only deal with the Ontario samples in our lab, but there are sample sites from all over the country. The study provides researchers with a very detailed idea of the forest biomass across the country. Also once we have sent the required data to the NFI scientists and they are done with the samples, we take the samples and analyze them to get an understanding of the chemical composition of the samples as well.

The scope and breadth of the project is immense and I am lucky to be a part of it. (Or at least that is what I tell myself to get through the tedious sorting of samples and sample prep.)

Margins and Sonnet XIX

Sonnet XIX: When I Consider How My Light is Spent

John Milton

When I consider how my light is spent

Ere half my days in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide,

Lodg'd with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest He returning chide,

"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?" 

I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies: "God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts: who best

Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state 

Is kingly; thousands at his bidding speed

And post o'er land and ocean without rest: 

They also serve who only stand and wait."

I have always loved this poem by John Milton. Long considered a reflection on the author's own encroaching blindness, I like the poem for the way it reminds me of the proper scale in which to view the importance of my work. Particularly I have been reminded of it because of the current sermon series my pastor is on. (If you want to listen to the podcasts of the sermon you can find them  here when they get posted) My pastor has been talking about margins- basically encouraging us to make margins (extra space) in our life, whether it is in the area of time, finance, emotions etc. This week he was focusing on time. He mentioned how so often we brag about being busy. We fill our lives with so much stuff- be it work, chores, sports events or other commitments. We stress ourselves out, then we brag about it. When I was a student I did this alot. Casual conversations frequently seemed like we were competing for who could be the busiest person. 

         

"I am so tired! I only got two hours of sleep last night, I had to pull an all-nighter to finish my paper." 

"I know what you mean I have 2 assignments, 3 lab reports, one essay and 3 midterms all due this week!"

 "Yeah, I am swamped with homework too, I have to clean the kitchen and take out the garbage, plus I am taking a group of people downtown tonight to volunteer and need to find rides for all of us."

I think often we have an inflated sense of the value of our own work. As Christians we think the only way to please God is if we have a schedule so jam packed with things we barely have time to squeeze in eating and sleeping, much less spending time in prayer. Throughout my highschool and university life I often struggled with guilt thinking I wasn't balancing school, work, relationships and leisure properly. Often I would put the most emphasis on my homework because after all, that was why I was in school. 

This poem screams a reminder at all busy workaholics and students struggling under a load of worry, stress and guilt. "God does not need either man's work or his own gifts!!" God does not need our work, things will be fine if we need to set it down, or are unable to finish. Our very ability to work was given to us by God in the first place and He has many more able to step in if needed. This was a hard lesson for this over-achieving perfectionist to learn. My current job allows me to leave work at the office when I go home. At first this was such a foreign concept to me. I felt like I needed to have some homework of some kind- perhaps reading an article or doing a calculation. But soon I came to realize that showing up to work, and doing my best, was enough! I could then leave it all at work and go home and enjoy, I didn't have to beat myself up or stress myself out. Now I can joyfully tell friends I have time to hang-out, I can spend time on hobbies, and don't feel guilty when all I want to do is watch some tv. I have to admit, I don't always use my time the best, and still find myself occasionally wishing I had more time, or staying up too late; but I have margins and it is wonderful!

Simple Pleasures- Winter

Got the Winter Blues? Not me! But here is some tips for those that do.

A list of Simple Pleasures for the Winter:

- a warm cup of hot chocolate, tea, or a latte

- ginger snap cookies

- blankets!

- working internet

- skype call with a good friend

- mindless tv.

- an hour long cross country ski or snowshoe

- fluffy flaked snow

- snow angels, snow men, snowforts- you are never too old!

I have been enjoying the little bit of snow we have had here. All in all the winter weather has been rather wimpy this year so I have had to make the best of the little that does exist. Enjoyed a great ski this weekend. I haven't been X-country skiing for long. I did a little when I was a child, and I was able to do a bunch last year when I borrowed a pair of skis from a friend. This year I got a pair of my own and want to get good use out of them- if only the weather will continue to cooperate. 

For those of you who have more mild weather at the moment and don't have any snow replace the snowy weather items with one of these: 

- don a pair of rubber boots and a raincoat and go puddle jumping!

- grab a pair of binoculars and see what kind of birds are in your neighbourhood

- re-engineer the water pathways that cascade down your gravel driveway by digging trenches and building dams....

                          ......... oh wait! What's that Dad?...... I'm not supposed to do that last one?- OOPS!

If you have fun with any of the above options or have any to add, feel free to leave a comment and tell me.

O Tidings of Comfort and Joy!

So I know Christmas and New Years have come and gone but I was too busy enjoying them at the time to bother with a blog post. So now that I am back, settling into my routine, and seem to have some internet connectivity; here are my thoughts.

My title seems rather ironic to me. The news I received this Christmas season did not necessarily connote comfort and joy. My uncertain future, the poor health of an uncle, and the suicide of a young woman whom I had taught drama in highschool (and a sibling of one of my classmates) weighed heavy on my mind. On top of it all was global news: deaths of dictators, wars and rumours of wars, environmental destruction etc. These topics are not joyful. Yet in the midst of it all I was able to feel a comfort. For as we celebrated the first coming of Jesus- as a tiny baby in a manger, we look forward to His second coming as a strong and conquering king. We also eagerly anticipate the establishment of His kingdom- where mental illness, corruption, and violence have no power.

It is fitting that New Years falls so close to Christmas. After a reminder of Christ second coming we are given a fresh start: a New Year. New Years are full of hope and promise.We can set aside all the hurts, sorrows and pains of the past year and look forward to a new year of hope and promise.

I know we celebrate New Years at a different time of year than the Jewish people who’s New Year’s celebration is Rosh Hashanah (typically falling in September or October.) Yet their idea of New Year’s celebration is intriguing. I won't go into too much detail- you can look it up yourself and i strongly suggest you do. However their celebrations involve a period of self examination, sacrifices, and the symbolic casting off of sins. It actually last for several days and traditionally involves numerous ceremonial sacrifices (when I read the Old Testament accounts of how these holidays were to be celebrated to my housemates in university I remember we had several funny comments about all the animal sacrifices) culminating in Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement. This new years practice of self examination and purification is a good reminder for us as well. We don’t need to make animal sacrifices- Christ has come and made the sacrifice for us already. But we can examine ourselves and cast off our sin. We have been given a fresh start so let’s use it. Let’s work to build the promised kingdom that is here but not yet in completeness.