Pumpkin Fest

We had so much fun with the little people and the pumpkins last night.  My back was in horrible spasm and all I wanted was to be crawling back into my bed but it was so worth getting up and getting the pumpkin fest HAPPENING!!  Yeah for fall fun and family gatherings.  

outrageous beauty

I have been smitten with the beauty surrounding me in this glorious season!
On my drive home from school I take my time crossing Mission Creek - even stopping on the bridge sometimes if there are no cars coming and drinking in the beauty of the huge yellow trees overshadowing the water and rocks that wind through the little valley.

I slowly make my way up the hill and through the orchards admiring the ever changing palette of stunning fall colours.  The grass is still green, there are golden, red and orange bursts of colour in between the orchards (most of which aren't terribly exciting in the fall, unfortunately).  The vineyards are yellowing and the long rows of vines, most stripped of their grapes, stretch off into the cool distance.

And now there is snow.
As I lift my eyes from the stunning colours around me I see the beautiful mountains topped in cool white.
Two seasons moving across the landscape, the one making room for the next.
Fall is giving it's grand finale, first kissing the trees with frost induced fiery colours and then stripping them slowly of their lovely leaves.
Winter is hovering over the valley giving a gentle warning of it's imminent arrival...

Days are shorter, the air crisp and fresh.
We are tucking in, happy to make tea to warm our hands after arriving home.
Adjusting to the long dark evenings and the early nights.

I"m so happy to have these three lovely young women sharing this cozy home with me for this season.  Such good company.
Sometimes I lay in my room listening to them laughing in the kitchen as they create scrumptious snacks and talk about their day.

I'm trying to find a balance between spending so much time laying down in my cozy nest and getting out to visit my mom and auntie.  It's far too easy just to stay home rather than to heave this body out to brave the cold and cheer their day.

And I LOVE MY JOB!  Working with the sweetest kids, teaching them to read with a schedule that fits me quite perfectly.

I can't say I'm looking forward to winter, but the trick is to live in this moment, in this day, enjoying all the beauty and goodness and not worrying about what is coming next.

There will be multitudes of beautiful moments full of so much goodness in the winter as well!

Inspired

I'm just feeling the delightful rustling of inspiration inside of me.
After reading someone's blog and investigating their list of "100 things" I realized that it's probably really healthy to have loads of goals.  Her list was more of that than things about her.
And that made me realize that I too, despite my physical limitations
(and what often feels like some real mental limitations as well) can dream big!
There are lots of things I love and would still like to do.

During my last bout of pain induced fear, when so many body parts were inflamed and causing me to shout out in pain while moving, I realized I was mentally shutting doors to dreams I've had.  I was feeling sad about the seeming impossibility of doing what I love most and losing hope

However, even though my limitations are fairly life altering, I live in a place where they are made far less than  if I lived almost anywhere else in the world.

So that's something pretty amazing and I know I'm incredibly well looked after and incredibly loved.
Which is also completely mind boggling and amazing.

So now that I have a group of professionals looking after my wheelchair concerns with me, hopefully I will be sitting a bit more comfortably and safely in the next season of life.
I just can hardly express how happy I felt when these professionals were discussing my needs and physically figuring out what my body was capable of and where its strengths and weaknesses were!

Finally I wasn't so very alone in trying to figure out this mess on my own.
And even though there are serious considerations to be taken into account, we're doing it together and I have fresh input and some new ideas are forming into new a new seating plan.  The gravity induced scoliosis is more or less corrected with a riser under my right hip and the backrest has little side flaps that hold me in place so I don't lose my blanace now that I am sitting up straighter and not sinking back into a soft backrest.

And there you have it.
I have been rescued and inspired.
The list will be forming.
I am eager to dream again,
To resurrect recently buried hopes.

Interestingly enough, at my every second Tuesday night ladies supper group, we are creating vision boards and I have been pasting pictures of all the things that I love and that are important to me on it.  I will try to add a picture of it here when I am done with it.

So basically I've already started my list...
More to come!

Thanking Through Tears

Oh wonderful Thanksgiving!!
It's a pretty sweet holiday and kind of funny too.
Gathering around a big turkey.
Which speaks of our plentiful bounty, I guess.
And I'm pretty stoked about turkey, potatoes, stuffing and gravy with all the extras.
I was able to enjoy THREE turkey dinners - all in fine company, all hugely delicious and I only had to roast one of them!!

It's been such an easy season to give thanks.
There is so very very much to be thankful for!
And the more thankful I am the more I see to give thanks for!
But then again, I live in Canada so it doesn't get much better in my humble opinion!  ha!

So once again we gathered around the enlarged dining room table that is as old as I am.
Fourteen of us.

Family.  Oh precious, precious, diverse and unique family.
With some wonderful extras thrown in.
Even a sweet gal from Japan called April enjoyed the turkey with us.
At least I think she enjoyed it as she cleaned her plate well.  I did have to take the time to explain the extreme importance of gravy in the equation and she let me administer the sauce to keep everything lubricated.
We also have a new "housemate" named Becca who is already proving to be a sweet addition to our little family.  She fits in beautifully and I feel like the Lord sent her here.

Hearing Tante HIlda's cheerful little laugh brought tears to my eyes.
She was brave enough to venture out despite loads of pain.
Both her and mom had taken their painkillers and were able to enjoy the gathering much to our very great delight.
So, with all my wonderful kitchen helpers, the turkey marathon was run once again and we enjoyed a true THANKSGIVING FEAST!

We also celebrated the two birthdays of the two lovebirds.  Now they're 26!

Reading the carefully chosen, meaningful cards aloud is very important to Tante HIlda and Oma so the tradition was carried forth.

Opa likes to retire to the living room when the noise gets too much for him and there he finds one on one visiting to be much more enjoyable.

We finished the evening with some hymns and a short piano recital by the youngest member of our gathering.

These KIDS!!!

I'm back at work!
Just so thrilled to be meeting with these fresh eager faces.
Helping these precious kids to figure out the wonderful world that opens to them when they can decipher sounds and letters and decode words and ultimately fluently read sentences and books!!
And I have a co-worker who is training under me.
It's just so great not to have to try to carry this whole load all by myself.
She is such a kindred spirit.
A lover of God.  Trustworthy, faithful and kind.
I am amazed at God's goodness and provision for me.

The kids are absolutely delightful.
Different nationalities and personalities and shapes and sizes.
Smiling eyes and wiggling feet...
They just love the little raindog that "poops" out jelly beans when they press his little tail.
I provide the sound effects which they find extremely amusing.

I have such a responsibility.
To encourage, to bless, to love and to teach.

I pray that I will be able to teach with excellence.
Here's to another wonderful year!