Wind & Rain & Wedding Bells

This past weekend my brother got married.

Words can barely express my delight at this most marvelous event.

Seriously - it was so much redemption all packed into one occasion that the wind and the rain and the cold that raged on that day could not dampen any of our spirits!

The exquisite joy and peace that radiated from both the bride and groom was, just...

Heavenly!!

My brother related to me how he had tried a few dates through the internet route after his heart had a few years to heal up, but it just didn't feel right so he told God to look after things.

And God sure did just that.

I am so happy to see what a lovely companion the Lord found for him and vice versa.

They are like two peas in a pod and thankfully we've all had a chance to get to know her over these past 10 months or so and to know her is to love her.

God does all things well.

The wedding was just lovely.

Two grandchildren as ringbearer and flower girl stood as still as soldiers throughout the entire ceremony. One smiled unceasingly and the other grimaced with great seriousness until we all pretended to pick our noses in the front row getting him to crack a smile.

The wedding went off without a hitch.

Sixteen and a half minutes long according to someone. Smile.

But the message in those sixteen minutes was powerful.

The gospel. In all it's beauty.

We must remain in Christ if we are to be the lovers, friends, spouses, people we want to become.

The small reception following was full of fun reunions, pictures, laughter, trying to recognize faces that have aged as much as mine has, and of course the requisite cake, punch and fruit.

An intimate reception for family members was later held at an Italian Restaurant and the fare was most scrumptious. Great fun was had by all as we held up our moustaches and eyeglasses for pictures.

I just love Jesus and the parties that flow from His workings in our little humble lives.

I am incredibly happy for my brother and for the whole family.

We have been gifted with a new member and for this we rejoice exceedingly!

Pictures to follow when I get them out of my dear daughter's camera as I managed to forget mine!

That is very unlike me, but I have grace for myself. (...got them!)

I love the Sunshine

I am so happy that the days have been warmer.

The sun is shining and is so much closer to our corner of the world.

It is bringing life to my flowers - bravely they are opening their little petals after being somewhat traumatized by the cold rainy windy spring.

And I'm terribly excited about my teensy weensy little sunflower sprouts.

They are my babies and I go from place to place checking on them.

I don't think even ten percent of them have come up but the ones that have are bringing me immense happiness. Little green arms growing wider and taller and reaching for the sun.

Such a nice name they have too, SUNFLOWERS... no wonder I am so fond of them.

Last summer I planted some and the word Mammoth was on the package.

And rightly so - they grew to gargantuan heights, their stalks as big as tree trunks!

Their heads were ginormous and then a big wind came and they toppled over.

Just like that - after all that furious growing, higher higher, past the edge of the roof

and BOOM, it was all over. They were laying on the cement like felled trees.

Anyways, this year I carefully read the packages and made sure to buy ones other than the mammoth variety.

My pansies have also been incredibly cheerful and sweet with their purple and yellow little faces smiling up at me and the sun.

Of course I have faithful, colorful steadfast geraniums to supply that burst of bright red and the most delightful hues of blue lobelia. Flowering baskets full of color and variety are warmed by the sun and are putting on a most delightful show.

Oh wonderful warm blessed sun. Even my normally red chapped wrinkly hands are looking so much happier now that they are warm and turning brown from my outdoor ventures.

And my face has lost that sickly winter whiteness and is happier with it's summer color.

Looking forward to the months ahead - kissed with summer sunshine.

Butterflies Regroup

Another sweet evening, this time with my butterfly friends! We were instructed at the last minute to come dressed in Indian attire with lots of color. Not everyone got the notice. Unfortunately I did which might explain the gold decoration on my forehead and the red dot on Lora's! But don't we just look so flippin happy?! What a delightful bunch of friends....

Color, flavor, voices, laughter, pictures, wine and reconnecting.

Cozy around an elaborately decorated table while the rain poured down on the green green hills outside the big windows.

So many stories were shared over a table set with gold rimmed plates and scrumptious Indian fare. Greek salad and chocolate fruit fondu with wine from Australia. We were all over the map in our culinary experience. Wonderful, extravagant, delicious goodness. MMMmmmm!

Dear Lora took the time to type out our names in an Indian style with meanings attached - and we were allowed to pick whichever one we pleased. I liked them all!

Taking turns relating the events of the past year as its just been soooo very long since we've all managed to come together at the same time.

It's so precious to see the faithfulness of God in our lives, even though the stories are hard and funny and sad and so very real.

So very real.

We get older together and now are in the phase where our parents are becoming the ones we must look after.

The phase none of us was looking forward to, yet life marches on and asks no questions.

One dear friend shared the details of losing her father just weeks ago.

Absent from the body yet present with the Lord.

And we march on towards that sweet hope. The coming reunion.

Tears mingled with hope. Sorrow and gladness.

I'm so grateful for these friends.

We have wings

We have color

We are beautiful reflections of the Creator who shines out of our eyes and inhabits our bodies that are not quite so energetic anymore, but still able to serve one another in love.

A Bridal Downpour

I spent much of yesterday and this morning preparing for a wedding shower which was to be held on my beautiful patio. Flowers were bought, planters were hung, extra chairs obtained and general tidying carried out.

The weather forecast didn't look so promising but it has been wrong before.

So I hoped and prayed for an opening of sunshine for the evening.

It was not to be.

Wind turned to showers which turned into more wind and finally a long hard downpour.

The ground is incredibly happy and wet.

My patio was very wet too...

We had quite a literal bridal shower.

So, blessed are the flexible for we will not be snapped in half!

We brought the outdoors indoors as well as we could, put out dozens of tea lights, set the table with lace and flowers and covered it with cakes, fruit, vegetable platters and other goodies fit for royalty

Beautiful friends arrived with gifts, laughter and happy hearts.

We just love a good reason to gather around food and with Jesus in our midst. Of course I made sure to invite Him to come because His presence is essential.

My dear future daughter shone with delight and treated the guests with such kindness, extending hugs after every gift opening. The theme was garden and kitchen and there was plenty of both - big pots of lavender, bleeding hearts, a golden tomato plant and thai basil.

Towels, mugs, baking ware and wooden trays.

A plethora of goodness was shared and received with joy.

My heart is full of relief and gratefulness.

Relief for a happy party that honored my girl to be.

Gratefulness for my own daughter and dear friends who made the evening what it was with their acts of service; baking, cleaning, decorating and preparing.

I am surrounded by love and goodness.

And there is more to come.

Where the enemy has sought in recent days to bring division and strife and fear and anxiety, the Lord has brought peace and the power to overcome.

The other day He gave me 2 Chronicles 20 and I am choosing to live it by faith.

english standard version
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6and said, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.

Thus says the LORD to you,'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."

He has been with me and will continue to be.

For now and forevermore.

Amen and Hallelujah.

Cosmopolitan

I'm feeling all cosmopolitan.

Sitting here in a coffee establishment on the corner of Bute and Robson with my dark chocolate mocha topped with whipped cream.

This venture into the metropolis of Vancouver came about rather suddenly, as is often God's way. I called about appointments for the dear daughter yesterday morning and by the afternoon we were zooming over the mountains, through intense clouds and rain and finally into the beautiful green green green fraser valley.

Our attempt to check into the hotel I had booked earlier proved to be rather arduous as their interpretation of "accessible" once again was unlike mine. No bars by the toilet and a squishy room. However, there was virtually NOTHING ELSE AVAILABLE due to the frenzy of the hockey playoffs here the following night. They said it was worse than the olympics. And we, who are so "not in touch" with the world of hockey obsession were completely oblivious that we were entering the city along with crowds of Canucks fans.

So, upon the dear daughter's recommendation we gave the room a try and lo and behold, I managed to make it work. She was completely exhausted and fed up with the whole "handicap" fiasco as she has put up with it for so many years already. I'm sure God will reward her for her patience with this extra trial placed upon her already burdened soul.

God in His great kindness gave us both a good night, amazingly enough, as my nights have been crazy due to increasing spasticity, day and night.

So, with that kind woman in our GPS directing us, we made it to the city center and have both been enjoying the benefits of biofeedback to balance our brains. We had a six hour break in between appointments which gave us a lovely opportunity to explore Stanley Park and to take in the magnificent baluga whales and other sea mammals. Oh my word - those balugas are just the loveliest soft slippery looking blubbery beauties! Seriously, I can sit there for so long watching them glide by with their gelatinous forms quivering.

There was rain forecast but we have even enjoyed bits of sunshine and the drive through Stanley Park was gloriously green and gorgeous. Huge trees, thick undergrowth, beaches, ocean, bikers, walkers, marinas and wildlife - a racoon! On and on the sights were simply soothing and sumptuous. Haha - I'm on a roll here. And now as I sit in this coffee shop sipping my chocolately drink I am watching a constant flow of beautiful people of all varieties, many of them with dogs on leashes pass by the large windows. The dogs are just delightful.

City dogs. Smile. I wonder how my country dogs are doing back home.

How nice that I have housemates looking after them.

Meanwhile trusting God to do what we are unable to do.

Great glorious God who cares about us.

Kind shepherd, leading us beside quiet waters.

Mighty warrior protecting us as we navigate the crazy streets in this metropolis!

Trusting. Trusting.

Looking forward.

Blustery Day

It's been a strange, cool, wet Spring and today has been climactic, somehow!

Downright blustery - pelting rain and wind with a grey mantle thrown over the valley.

The fresh smell of Spring wetness is blown in through my bedroom window, ahhhh

So wonderful.

So, at the end of May I am still enjoying hot cups of Chai with lots of honey and milk and I am snuggled in under my heat bags and blanket with Ladybug leaning in on me.

We have enjoyed a few teasingly warm, even hot days that fool us all into thinking the weather has caught up with the season. This long weekend we had one of those days and it was perfectly lovely because we were having a planting frenzy up here on the orchard.

Down in the garden patch that has been vigorously prepared by some friends with manure and compost and rototilling the seeds and little plants were laid in the earth with great care.

The young man who is putting in the largest area has been talking about this for months and he brought over many of his little seedlings that have been incubating in his sunroom. He is incredibly motivated and now that the sprinklers were repaired and set into motion we have greatest hopes for a wonderful harvest.

One of my housemates has also put in a little garden patch for our household and I am most excited about the peas.

Meanwhile I headed down the hill to the flower farm with a dear friend and after picking out some colorful flowers and spiky dracena for my planters we came home and my own slow motion planting event began. This year I just didn't feel too motivated but I knew that with the wedding coming up we'd need lots of color and prettiness. Once I got my hands in the dirt and started envisioning the final product my energy increased and with the help of another friend my flower garden finally came together.

We celebrated with a meal on the back deck - delighted with a hard days work and all the fun and deliciousness that will be sprouting and growing and feeding us in the days and weeks to come.

How incredibly fun that God gave us the privilege of enjoying the garden with Him.

Reunited

Yesterday morning I picked up my daughter's friend and together we ventured over the mountains, visiting, eating snacks and listening to music with great joy as we anticipated our reunion with the dear daughter and friend.

The day dawned bright and beautiful, making our drive through the mountains spectacular.

We crossed the border without issue and enjoyed the novelty of visiting the country just south of ours for a brief few hours.

Thankfully, despite delays, we arrived at the airport before the daughter and happily watched her plane come in, depositing her into our open arms.

Ahhh what sweet bliss to have this girl nearby again.

For as long as the Lord wills it. Another season of growing together and learning how this new dance of mother with adult daughter is done.

I managed to find a couple of quilt shops with the help of a confident, commanding voice emanating from our GPS. Overwhelmed by the quantity of colors and styles on the bolts of fabric I somehow managed to gather together a treasure bag full of enticing pieces that will hopefully rescue the quilt I am presently working on and supply enticement for future projects.

The drive back up into Canada was absolutely lovely. We were happy to be on home soil and were overwhelmed with the beauty of the city of Vancouver as we drove over a massive bridge. The fading day shining over the mountains around the city, with the ocean glistening on our left was exquisite.

Springtime on the West Coast is almost beautiful beyond words.

So lush and green with masses of blossoms and trees and bushes.

A relaxed evening and night in the hotel brought us into a new day where we hit downtown Vancouver for some appointments and sightseeing.

Hard to believe what two days can hold in terms of beauty and emotion and joy.

And now I once again lay tucked into my own bed with Ladybug alongside and the anticipation of a longweekend ahead.

With my daughter at home.

Thank you kind Jesus.