A Fun Time

There were presents for the Birthday Girl



There was drama! And Cake !




An evening by the toasty warm fire pit roasting marshmallows , a big hit with everyone.


Lots of smiles and love .


I am blessed !

Ottawa in the Morning


Zoe and I are heading to Ottawa in the morning to help Anneka celebrate Birthday # 9 on May 24th!

I can hardly believe it's been nine years since the moment I first held her in my arms and my heart actually leapt for joy . Yay God !! Where has the time flown to I wonder ?

Oh What a Savior !

Our Savior kneels down & gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoiling in horror, He reaches out in kindness & says, ''I can help with that, if you want''.

Read this at the uprising


I just love having such a Savior, is He not so very Wonderful ?

Oh Oh !

For anyone who was ever a fan of All Creatures Great and Small, either the book or the T.V. Series, you will remember fondly Tricky Woo, the little Pekingese,who occasionally suffered from the ailment called 'Flop Bot'.

"Oh Mr. Harriett , Tricky's gone 'Flop Bot' again."



Well , sad to say, it seems that Zoe may have the same ailment. Not a serious thing, and may mean a slightly unpleasant trip to the vet if it continues. She walks a few steps and sits her bottom down or very nearly walks sideways with her bottom seeming to sway dangerously toward her front all on its own. She sits there and looks up at me as if trying to understand what the heck is happening.

Ah! The life of a dog eh ?

Rainy Saturday Visit

Today Zoe and I decided to take a drive to visit an old friend who sadly now is in a nursing home about an hour and a half east and south of my city.

Zoe seems to love the car ride, no matter where we are going. I love her company.



The photo below I took to show what some of the ladies were doing and seem to do every day.



This little sweetheart was very happy to have her photo taken even though 'my hair isn't done'.



Others are not afraid to let their face tell the story .



There are jigsaw puzzles for those who feel up to the challenge.



Lillian and I did manage to have a lovely visit. The fact that this is her life now breaks my heart , but that's another story.



On the drive home I spotted fields of Trillium the official provincial flower of Ontario . It is actually illegal to pick them. So I settled for a picture. I haven't seen one of these flowers since I was a teenager.



Someone once said 'gettin' old ain't for sissies'. Did you ever wonder how you will find your life as you are 'waiting for God'?

Makes me wonder... Wheel chairs, diapers, lonliness , locked in , comfortless sometimes even mindless. Is it all really 'just like a minute' here on earth in the view of Eternity ? Makes me wonder , even if it is.

Sometimes a day really is as a thousand years. I am glad Jesus holds my days in His Hands....that helps in my wondering.

Happy 10th. Anniversary IHOP

The Prayer Room IHOP



The Fire On The Altar Shall Never Go Out






My second favorite seat



My very favorite seat ! I felt like I had finally come home.

'You won't relent until You have it all, My heart is Yours.'




My favorite worship leader.



My favorite teacher at FSM.

My time immersed in IHOP was most precious. I wonder if I will ever get to return.

Spring In The City

Around my little town there are many sources of water providing a rich environment for the needs of the local wildlife who choose to summer here.

The Trent Canal, Otonabee River, Little Lake , Lake Chemong just to name a few.

Recently while taking Zoe for her morning walks, we have noticed a solitary pair of ducks walking around the apartment property. The female dutifully following the male closely .

This morning, they slowly waddled across the busy street to a large dirty puddle recently formed from the rain.

They glided into the water, took a drink ,(I guess they don't mind the mud) and the male quickly and efficiently 'got busy' with the female, totally submerging her under the water.

I reminded myself ... Hey ! They're ducks, heads under water for extended periods...no problem .

It only took a moment and they were both shaking it off and enjoying a complete bath in the temporary pool. It will be fun to see the results of their encounter waddling around behind them.

Ah yes, spring is definitely in the air these days, and very welcome indeed.

Haliburton Weekend : The Wolves

According to the Haliburton Forest Howler there is a lot of excitement, aggression and flirtation amongst the wolves during late February and early March as breeding season is in full swing. Today the pack - Smudge and Citka, the Alpha pair, and their siblings and offspring, - roams freely in a 15 acre enclosure, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Below are the Alpha Female Citka (top) and the Alpha Male , Smudge. The story goes that Citka killed her own mother to take the position of the Alpha Female, as did her mother before her. (Killed her mother ,Citka's gramma).)
Smudge killed his brother to take the Alpah Male position. I am so naive about all this nature stuff, but it was so very interesting to learn some of the ways of the wild Grey Wolves.



Below is a fellow named Cedar, who used to hold the position of Beta Male, until February 2009 he decided to challenge Smudge for the position of Alpha Male. Cedar lost in a fight that lasted 40 minutes and resulted in many injuries and bloodshed. In loosing the fight Cedar was forced down to the lowest position , Omega, and now must endure being an 'outcast'.



He now is trying to make his move back into the pack , but when he tries to interact with his siblings, the Alpha pair come immediately and put him in his place. Eventually he will work his way back in. While we were observing these amazing creatures from inside a one way glass, Cedar came and approached another fellow, and preceded to try to make some waves, by eventually sitting right on top of this fellow named Haida.





Though we were watching the compound behind the one way glass we could hear the wolves growling and whining . We were told they could not see us, but they knew we were there and could hear and smell us. You can tell by the look on this chaps face he was not being fooled by the glass at all.





The Alpha Female spends a lot of her energy mentally and physically stressing the rest of the female wolves so that they are unable to conceive pups leaving the Alpha of the pack the only one to produce pups.
As well the other males are so preoccupied by the Alpha Male that they rarely get a chance alone with a female for an attempt at mating. If the Alpha Female has done her job properly breeding among the subordinates will not work.

All in all a very interesting and fascinating experience for me. Thanks so much Carol. It also makes me re-think the whole concept of 'a wolf in sheep's' clothing.'

Haliburton Weekend : Part One

What we did was something called 'Ear Candling', and this process is supposed to remove wax from ones ears. I have had a ringing in my ears for a few months now and am trying everything I know to make it stop. This did not cure me, but it was a fun adventure none the less.


Charlene in the roll of the Apothecary.

Ack !!! Feel the burn ! (not really)

Then Bud had his turn. He is hearing impaired and thought it might help.


Charlene our Apothecary again .


After all that nonsense we had a lovely bar-b-que ,once the big rain /thunder/lightning/wind storm finished and power was restored.

The sign below boast a bit of trivia that Haliburtion is exactly 5000 km. each way to the Equator and the North Pole . A very fun claim to fame.

Luke 24:45

Then He opened their understanding(minds), that they might understand (put together)the scriptures

Then He opened... a statement of unspeakable value; expressing, on the one hand, Christ’s immediate access to the human spirit and absolute power over it,
to the adjustment of its vision, and permanent rectification for spiritual discernment
( Matthew Henry Commentary)

Yes, I keep praying for this gift more and more.

Children Can You Hear Me ?

Your heart can see My Face.
What does it look like to you ?
What expression do you see ?

When you look at My Face you will see how much I love you.
You will see that I care about how you are doing.
You will see that I enjoy your company.

Sometimes I look happy . Ask me why .
One reason is because I think you're terrific,
and I'm glad to be your friend.

Sometimes I look sad. Ask me why .
Maybe I'm sad because I know you're sad.
But we can cheer each other up.
Show me your face; let me hear your voice.
Because your voice is sweet and your face is full of love. Song of Sol. 2/14

This is a little taste of a book written by Brad Jersak.

Gone

Though dawn is distant, I wake again
to sit in Your Presence, to wonder at You.

You've ruined me You know.
for anything else.

Longing for one vocation fills my soul:
To consider You, to feel You, to worship You.

To find words (o, vain and futile task!)
That capture what's in my heart.

Your gaze presses in upon me
Warm, yet weighty,
On the edge between tender and terrible;

And the oldest truth I know
comes back again in plain yet haunting tones:

You love me. I matter to You,
and You are never not there.

My heart swells with yearning,
Quickened to what the Shulamite knew so long ago.

Your image gazing through the lattice,
Your touch upon the door

Her pounding heart
sets the tempo for mine as desire mounts.

To be loved, purely and completely,
O wonder beyond wonder !

I will follow after You ,
lovesick for all my days.

You draw me upwards,
expanding my heart like a balloon over fire,

And I am carried on Spirit wings
to regions only dreams have known 'til now.


A small portion of a poem written by Gary Wiens 'Songs of a Burning Heart'

A Very Long Time Ago

My dad, mom, sister Darlene, daughter Julie, son Tim, and sister JoAnne.

Very Cool Story

In his heart a man plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps. Prov.16:9
Over the last few months I have been thinking about moving to another apartment.

While I sit here at work, I browse the classified ads and I have even checked out a few. I wanted something closer to my work since I have to drive home at noon to take my little dog out.

Anyway, there are these posters hanging in my building and I found it very compelling to do exactly what they suggested since I had already been looking.


Rents in this little town are pretty expensive and not many places allow pets . I am reasonably comfortable where I am now, except for the fact it will become an oven when the temperature and humidity rises, and there are these giant hornets and their nests and oh yes sometimes the bats find a way inside somehow . AND here is no A.C.

Anyway, I had been reading a book by Jill Austin who went to be with Jesus this past January.
She was a prophetically gifted lady and in her book 'Dancing With Destiny'


which was published back in 2007 she tells of her early days and relates some of the 'words' the Lord gave her for people.

" I see this fish. I see it in a fishbowl saying, 'Let me out of the bowl. Let me out of the bowl' After that I said that I saw the next part of the word, which was a shark coming to devour it. The Lord told me that if He let the fish out of the bowl too soon, the shark would eat it. I learned that this applied to a situation that someone had been praying about."(end quote)


Is that not sooooo cool? The Word that God speaks IS alive and so too an authentic prophetic word sat hidden in a book and brought life to me so recently. I love that He is into the smallest details.

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer:29/11

Meet the Mop Dog

Mop Dog
aka : Komondor is from Hungary. So unusual and kind of cute, though I would not want to be his groomer.

Thoughts on the Sock Drawer

Lately I have been thinking about purchasing life insurance. I am not a wealthy person, so to make a commitment to paying a monthly amount for the next five years at least, takes considerable pondering. At my age in life they will only start with five years....no long term....so funny !

On the other hand , if anything should happen and 'I get to go Home to Jesus' sooner than later, there would not be any burden on my children, whom I am sure will heave a collective sigh of relief and who can blame them.

Maybe that is what made me think on my sock drawer. What exactly is in 'your' sock drawer ?

When I was caring for my little Aunt T. a few years ago, the time ultimately came when it was time for me to 'clean out her sock drawer' now that she didn't need them any longer.

Last night while observing a pair of my old and worn socks, and having just purchased some new ones, I suddenly remembered Aunt T.'s sock drawer. They were living together among her undies, as are mine . The dresser was an old white one handed down from someone. Mine is an old brown one that I purchased last year at a thrift shop.

Anyway, my mind wandered to the time when my kids or perhaps my sisters will be the ones to come and 'clean out my sock drawer' and decide if any are worthy to be recycled or donated somewhere .Where do socks go to die ?

What's in your sock drawer ? Is it in suitable condition to be 'gone through' when you don't need them any longer ? And those undies ? (notice I didn't say 'dainties')
Hmmmmmmmm... I would like to think my sister may want my fluffy red ones , socks not undies ....ok, I'm getting carried away here.

Thinking of my little Aunt's sock drawer is a bitter sweet memory . I'm not ready to clean mine out yet though so don't worry. It would be interesting to know what other people keep in theirs .

So, living with my socks and undies is my ipod, semi important papers that I was too tired to put away, an expired Christmas card to one of my grandsons , a few pictures that also didn't get put away properly, and I honestly don't know what else since it's a deep drawer and I only live off the upper corner layer.

When you live alone who's to notice these little things, but when it's time for someone else to have to 'do the sock drawer and other personals' it's a different feeling. So I hope I remember to tidy it up before I leave the planet. Oh yeah and get rid of my journals ....gotta remember that one for sure.

Good Grief !

Zoe woke me up this morning at six a.m. with the sounds of her throwing up.

Upon investigation I was so surprised to see she had barfed up a button way too large for a small dog. What next I wonder ?

She can sniff out used chewing gum under the snow and even come up with things from the floor that amaze and astound me. Push pins from the bulletin board, paper clips from who knows where.... the list is growing.

This is actually very dangerous for her and when I talked to the vet today she told me she had just done surgery to remove an elastic from the intestine of a cat.

Responsibility for a pet is way more that we can imagine sometimes. My previous dog Sam never did any of this weird stuff, but Zoe has her own different personality and strange attraction for eating absolutely anything

.....except her dog food.