A rainy day hike in Whistler.

Rain Rain - Oh My Goodness

I wonder if I will ever get used to so much rain. Growing up in Minnesota really got me accustomed to four seasons. Here it's mostly the dry and the wet. I do like the sound of the rain though, my window open, reminds me of camping. I think it's the light that I miss the most. So, what I lack in sunlight I try to make up for in cozy environment - gas fireplace on and candles.

Tomorrow I am having a birthday party for my mom. I am going to try to cook. Cara has offered to set my table and maybe I can get Steve to cut up some squash. I'm planning on baking turkey breasts with onions, apples and prune plumbs on top, brown rice, squash, cranberries, coleslaw from a bag - something green yet - peas maybe. Aimee used to call peas "green boogers". Steve Schulz liked them and one night we were having peas with our dinner and Aimee quickly made a flag on a toothpick and poked in the peas - "green boogers". I don't know about desert - a banana walnut cake caught my eye - but maybe Super Store wants to do the cake :)

I read a pretty good book yesterday. Unlikely Angel by Ashley Smith. She was taken hostage in her apartment near Atlanta and was able to win her abductors trust. He let her go and turned himself in. It was interesting to me because she had traveled a rough road herself, being involved in drug trafficking, being an addict herself, a widow and a young mom. She had been reading The Purpose Driven Life and ended up reading some to her captor and discussing purpose. I think she did a great job with capturing her feelings, thoughts and dialog in the book. I hope she is doing well with her recovery. Saw her on Larry King one night with Rick Warren.

I missed Melanie's card making party. I just can't do much with my hands and driving very far is something I'm trying to avoid. I just dont' have much practice with my one slippery hard hand and the other sore one from the IV still.

Blessings on everyone's week.

Blogger Help

Hmmm. Does anyone know how to change my blogger bar back to a bar - or remove it all together. I don't like the rectangle it turned itself into. I notice the Abarbablog doesn't have a bar at all - fine with me. I never use it.

Thanks for any help.

Golden Day

Our whole yard is full of golden leaves and the sky is blue. Could someone with talent whip up a song about that??

I went to Open Door Fellowship this morning and heard two excellent speakers and sang I couple hymns I never heard in my life. I just loved being there. Open Door is the group of older ladies that I am helping to lead this year at church. Sometimes it seems like I have overcommited myself - but today I felt relaxed, awake, welcomed, loved, encouraged and useful while I was there. One young lady dropped in just for a few minutes because she knew, here, she could find people who would pray for her about a medical test she was facing. How cool - just drop by for a prayer like you would for a donut at Tims. So we prayed for her, she took a snack for the road and we sent her off.

Later in the day I got my very own key for the age 5 classroom where childcare happens on Wed. nites. Funny, something about wandering around my big empty church felt very homey to me - like it was my giant living room and I belonged. It was kind of pleasant.

Tonight LK and I went out for dinner with James and Carolann to Red Robin. They told us about their work with Campus Crusade for Christ. They have to raise all their support. This always seems very difficult to me because these people work all day and then have to work some more yet to raise their own salary. It seems especially difficult to raise a support base in the beginning.

Today Cara and Sarah surprised me at the front door with a present in a purple gift bag - a peach/orange cotton zippered hoodie with embroidery down the front (I love embroidery) and roomy cuffs - just the perfect thing. I think it's a hug I can wear. Thanks Cara.

Quote for today from Open Door. "Motherhood, for me, has been a wonderous, holy experiment in love." Joan Goddard,wife, mother of three, and a career missionary. She also said her children taught her what unconditional love was, because "they come to us loving like that". To be a good mother, she also said, you need to think of your children as your first disciples. AMEN to all that.

Half Way There - Frankenstein's Thumb

Well, I'm no longer in stitches - but I can still laugh ;o) LK and I went to Vancouver on Monday afternoon to do research on coffee shops, then stay overnight at the Ramada near VGH and head home the next am. It was so nice not to have to get up at 5:00 to get to Vancouver on time!
What I notice I like in coffee shops is in no particular order --
warm atmosphere, preferably yellow to gold in color, uniform art on the walls, rather than random bits and pieces, some design distinctives that carry through like the use of candles, lighting (I'm talking about a theme being carried through), comfortable seating (I like big soft chairs - but only if they are clean and in good repair), fireplaces, kind lighting bright enough to read but not glaring, home made food, good coffee, employees that look professional and act friendly, clean, clean clean, and bright lots of windows. I liked also the use of mirrors in a couple places (like behind the syrups - how easy is that to clean instead of a painted wall?! Tile would work too now I'm thinking), open wooden beams in the ceiling, music with personality playing to greet me not Muzak (blech), clean lines not cluttered (like my living room - ha ha). Some murals. Outdoor patios - with shelter and heat. A view is nice. I also didn't like bulletin boards and little paper signs stuck up willy nilly - clean lines no clutter again. We took special note of how some places merchandised attractively within their shop, and how reading material was stored. All this and a gellato, muffins, and fruit bar besides.

We had dinner at Earls. Always a favorite and Aimee Pool, (Curtis and Clayton's sister) was our server. We didn't recognize her - she recognized us. Our kids went to school with her or her siblings. It was fun to connect. Her good friend Dan Owehand lived with us for a summer. Now he is married, and she also is married and taking nursing.

If Frankenstein had a thumb, it would look like mine. Stitches out - no bandage - only the splint. Steve won't even look at it. I'm getting used to it. Actually, to me it's looking BETTER than it did. It's still very tender but I don't feel the need to hold it up as often. The splint was reworked so it is smaller and my thumb sticks out a little farther - but still fits through my new T-shirts. Half way to having the splint off. No exercises yet, I was wrong. Two more weeks. Last night I woke up tugging on the splint for all I was worth tying to take it off. I think I hurt my tender thumb which was good because I woke up before I could do some real damage.

LK's dad had a scare yesterday. He had an infection that was so severe he had stroke like symptoms for a bit with it and had to go to hospital via ambulance. Very scary. Greg called family up and we had prayers going out and in time found out what the problem was and that he would be receiving IV antibiotics a couple times a day for a bit. Breathing a sigh of relief today - but now praying about an accident someone had. Life is so precious and it can change so fast. It reminds me to be fully alive in the moment I have - now.

I have my notes for Single Mom's all typed and printed AND the snack in the house. No last minute stuff this time.

Uncle Steve and Niece Sarah. Living in community takes cooperation. Sometimes cooperation is not easy - like being quiet early at night when you are a natural night owl. For Steve, one of the up sides of community is to be able to randomly drop in on the Abraham house to see if Sarah is awake and have a little visit with her. This is one of those moments. "Is Sarah awake? Can I see her?" "Sure". Lots of love in Uncle Steve.
 
 

Sarah has shown such an enthusiasm for books lately it's been really fun. She can be quite passionate as she puts out her little hands together open palms up signing book. I love reading to her. Here is Grandpa having a turn - he loves it too.
 
 

This and That

My thumb hurts. I think it's the stitches pulling. Sometimes it doesn't hurt at all and then it will be super tender like much of today. Exercise is difficult because when the blood gets pumping it throbs. So mostly I read, wander around a little, sleep, read, try to get my thumb comfy and do it all again. Both incisions, mine and the surgeon's, look good (eight tidy stiches in blue nylon thread) and I can change the dressing without fainting - so that's good. My patience is wearing a little thin and there are still weeks to go. Sheesh - it's only a thumb – get some perspective.

Shopping. In light of my limited abilities I've gone shopping. At Superstore we stocked up on produce that is already washed and cut up - stir fry broccoli, carrots and snow peas, coleslaw, brocolli slaw, easy to wash and eat - grape tomatoes, grapes, and pears. We also hit the freezer department and bought many frozen entrées as healthy and delicious as we could find. This has really helped meals to go better. For a few days I was eating way too much peanut butter!

Clothes. At first I was OK with wearing LK's big sweaters but taking a close look at my winter tops, with their mostly small wrists, led me to a trip to Rietmans where I nabbed a couple long sleeve T-shirts with stretchy sleeves and a couple of blouses with cuffs that accommodate my splint. I came on a good day - most everything was on sale.

Single Moms. We had a fantastic meeting this week and I am so grateful. Still working through the Relationships book by Les and Leslie Parrott. I had really prayed for order - maybe that seems a funny request, but we had a recent influx of children and a new babysitter. The last week I had been there we had no babysitter, all us lively talkative women and then the kids running in and out. It was a zoo. I could hardly hear myself think and I know others could hardly stay on track either. Anyway, this week went almost perfect. We had a new lady join the group, and a couple women came back from last year. Everyone was interested in the topic and participated. We’re talking about our family of origin - and the imprint they make on us. The women are very keen to try to determine what healthy looks like. Hurray. I said THANKYOU to God more or less continuously all the way home. For next time, I will have a key to the childcare classroom - that was the only glitch this time - Rushia had to quickly bring a key - but once she came we had happy kids and a good focused meeting. Praise God.

Passion. The word seems to be everywhere these days and to me it seems everyone has some. I just can't seem to stir any up (OK so I had some after Single Moms Wednesday night - surprisingly). Others have passion - I have mild interests - or so it seems. Yup, it's me again still commenting on emotional flatness. I just don't get used to this place. I keep tying to think of it as a restful place and I do OK there until another wave of passion talk passes by and I realize I not riding its wave.

Empty nest. Sometimes I think it will be nice to have one - just for the order and freedom. But the other night Steve told me he may be moving out soon and I felt fear. He's hardly ever home anyway, it's not like I'd be missing out on great visits over relaxed dinners. I haven't identified what the fear is - the unknown?

Gross. I bought a big box of dates that I’ve been enjoying. Shared some with Cara and Andy. Today I picked up a date, bit off one end, spit the pit into a plastic container on the kitchen counter, and there was a PUFF OF BLACK SMOKE. Gross, gross, gross. The inside of the date was completely dried out and black with dusty, puff, puff mold. Half of that date was in my mouth. Spit. This cannot be healthy. I ran down the hall to my toothbrush. Brush, brush, brush, mouthwash, brush, brush, brush, more mouthwash. EWWWW. There are four more big beautiful dates left. I can’t bring myself to think of eating them yet.

Sorry to end on such a gross note – or maybe you will find it amusing.

Peace

The new splint - svelte isn't it! I'll be wearing this baby for four weeks all the time and after that when I am doing something strenuous with my hand. Next week I'll get exercizes to do in the splint to keep the tendons sliding freely through their sheath. Noctice my fingers are all free and my thumb out of the way for typing. Notice I can work my arm though a favorite sweater instead of wearing Lando's XL sweaters. And notice I can get earings on again. I know, such a small thing - but hey, it's hard to do one handed. Notice the leaves in the front yard that I will not be raking. LK says the timing of this accident is very suspicious! Ha Ha Ha. No cooking - no raking - no fall scrubbing of the deck. I could convince that man of anything. OK, I repent of that idea. Today I picked up the dust bunnies on our wooden floor by hand, put away some groceries, and am doing three loads of laundry. He'll like that. He also likes that I can wear my wedding band again - swelling down.

sunshine flowers

A Prayer For Today

Let the Peace of God Reign

Father of Life
Draw me closer
Lord, my heart is set on You
Let me run the race of time
With Your life enfolding mine
And let the peace of God
Let it reign

Oh Holy Spirit
Lord, my comfort
Strengthen me, hold my head up high
As I stand upon Your truth
Bringing glory unto You
And let the peace of God
Let it reign

Oh Lord I hunger
For more of You
Rise up within me
Let me know Your Truth
Oh Holy Spirit
Saturate my Soul
Fill me now
Let Your healing power
Breathe life and make me whole
And let the peace of God
Let it reign

Darlene Zschech

saturday lk and i went on a little road trip in our neighborhood. it was a spectacular day - sunny, warm enough for bare feet, colorful, with a skyful of drama as clouds rolled in.

blue, green and yellow.

blueberry fields in matsqui prairie.

the fraser river.

tracks and clouds.

there's a train coming.

looking across the river tward mission.

a fern growing tree down by the river - and this pic only shoes just a few of them.

we had lunch at clayburn village - which is a sweet spot for a little tea - or asparagas soup for that matter.

this pic is for dan - it's even bigger than the last one. it's a half slab, made of plaster vs. fiberglass,heavier, and it fits WAY better. I'm givin you the peace sign. peace out! kathy
oh one more thing. see the ink on my arm? the surgeon autographed me - all the docs do this at vgh, before i left for the opporating room - why? maybe so if i fell asleep they'd still know wnose poject i was
or - maybe they mark the spot they're working on???

it's done. surgery went well. i was given a beer block ha ha - just kidding - a "bier" block (frozen with tourniquet). i chose to be a bit sedated but awake. Recovery was fast and natural with no gen. anesthetic hangover - hurray! now i's sore and throbbing - but repaired, elevated and healing. i already see improved movement in my thumb. oh - it was two tendons cut. they improved the repair done in whistler and fixed the other that was barely connected. there were so many people in the operating room it was a party - friendly - two students were there. according to them, i can soon resume my career as a professional pumpkin carver ONLY LK won't even let me near a ladle!
last night cara and andy brougt up super yummy supper. today my folks brought flowers - yellow sunshine.
i baby sat sarah briefly - but no diaper changes - just play and stories :) that's what you get with a one armed grandma.

New discovery - I like playing piano.

Sarah's first time at the piano. Pretty gentle music and singing too.

OUCH.

Sarah happy in her new shirt.

Workin on shirts. KAOS - for our last names - and a play on words - Cara's idea.

Silk screening.

Our shirts - all different !

Carolyn's super amazing t-shirt quilt. All skipping event shirts. So fun and beautiful.

LK skips in hiker shoes

SKIPPING!! Yes we did! Carolyn coached us all.

Hikers.

A face in the forest!

So green. I could have stayed a long time soaking it up.

Sunday hike.

one handed

Had a great Whistler holiday with our kids, spouses, and granddaughter. BUT...Cut my thumb carving a pumpkin Mon. - No surgery today. Very confusing - I had different movement today when I saw the hand surgeon than I did at Whistler hosp. so hard to tell which of two tendons may need repair. Did the one repair hold? Is one still in tact? I will get a call one afternoon this week telling me to come in at 7 the next am. to VGH. The split is very painful and oddly positioned. Thanks for your prayers in advance.

Resting is Paying Off

After many days of being very quiet, not moving my head around much and faithful napping, the dizziness seems to be going away. Today I was able to run some errands with the car and do a bunch of computer work for one of the women's groups I work with. Tonight was single mom's and we had many new moms and kids. Now we will have to get a childcare person for sure. I have the name of a wonderful person who has offered to do this so I have emailed her. Tonight we had five kids. It got a little crazy with them running back and forth from the playroom to our "living room". It felt very disjointed teaching tonight - and yet I feel in spite of it all that I was more prepared and taught it in a more interesting fashion. Good participation from everyone. I hope the new ladies come again with the promise of something for their children to do.

Steve and his dad - the mysterious LK, hang out listening to a recent cd project that Steve's been working on. The boys are bushed. I was caughted exercizing in the laundry room at 10:00 and was conscripted to make a snack since I had so much energy. Well look at the dudes - do they look tired or what? So I says to the guys, I says, I'm not doing it alone. Come up to the kitchen. So they did.

Steve and his dad "pray".

In the kitchen things get giddy. So...Let's have a contest. If this were a movie - what would be the title? What is the movie about? Who are these characters? And - What is happening in this scene?

I am so delighted that my new oak tree has such red fall color. Some oak's leaves just turn brown - which I find a little dull. I'm loving the red.

Posing for pictures.

Reaching for the camera.

Here is Sarah happily climbing up the stairs to see "ranma". Playing with ALL the plastic ware and sometimes plates and even pinecone food. Looking at a book with babies making funny faces. Today Sarah learned to stick out her tongue like the babies in the pictues, like Grandma and like ELF (remember the show Elf. Well there is a big fuzzy one at Sarah's house - today he is wearing her clothes which she found kind of amuzing. Bottom left picture is Sarah driving a car magnet across the fridge and around the corner making a vroom vroom sound. Every day she is doing something new - lots of fun. She likes to look at the pictures right after we take them.

Simple Joys

I've been enjoying some of the simple joys of fall. Cool air, fireplace, candles burning in the early evening darkness, crunchy leaves, warm blankets, socks, long jeans, soft sweaters, less outdoor work, and reading books to name a few.

My candles on my coffee table, scented pear, make my living room seem a sacred place - so I added a little cross engraved with sunflowers, that Aimee gave me a year ago. I find what I surround myself with influences my state of mind - music does this too - but visually maybe even more so. I've been trying to do the things that contribute to a restful spirit - to slow down and recover a little - physically and emotionally. I had three meetings scheduled today but chose to go to only one - the one I enjoy the most.

I am reading two books, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, and a novel, Fair is the Rose by Liz Curtis Higgs. I'm enjoying them both for different reasons. I've been reading Romans and Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible. I have a new NLT Study Bible - Life Application - that I've been enjoying - although the type is probably smaller than I should have gotten :) - I still wanted to be able to carry the thing!

Cara turned me onto an Abby in Motion program where you agree to 30 min. of exercise for, I'll have to check this, 30 days. You keep a chart and there are prizes for those who hand their log in. It began today. I'm going to give it a good shot. It may be a bit tricky with my fritzy balance - but maybe that will improve soon.

Back to the novel. Peace and Joy all.

Poverty Sucks and Other More Pleasant Topics

I hate the word 'sucks' so it's fitting I use it in association with poverty. This week a friend who is a single mom came over and we brainstormed over her soon coming homelessness. While money is not the source of all happiness - it can sure buy you a little security here on earth. You know it's very hard to find a new place to rent when you have very little money, and yet have to come up with damage deposit in advance. And then the place has to be low rent spacious housing for a family. I hoped moral support and prayers, along with brainstorming would be of some help - but it didn't seem enough to me. Pray if you like. I know God is listening.

This week was my birthday. I turned 53 and was quietly pleased to celebrate it. We'd had the official party when Aimee and Lance were here, but on my birthday I went for a lovely walk with Cara and Sarah and then up to the store to have lunch with my folks - Cara and Sarah came too. LK could only join us for a few moments because there was a big sale at the HOJ and he was busy. In the evening LK and I went to see An Unfinished Life. We really enjoyed it - not light - but redemptive. That's my favorite kind - "gripping plausible dramas, preferably biographical with a redemptive theme". I welcome recommendations.

Steve K. is working 12 hour days this week. He is in a wedding party tomorrow but was unable to get to the stores during their open hours - so I've had the interesting experience of shopping for my giant son at the GAP - where the groom had made some suggestions for the guys. I was there three days in a row. I'd pick up a couple pants and shirts, Steve would try them on when he got home late and the next day I'd trade and try again. Finally I got a shirt one size too big for shoulder width and arm length - I took that in in the sides and made the bottom straight across with slits on the sides. I discovered the khakis with pleats had CUFFS - this was a fantastic discovery because I could take the cuffs out and re-hem them gaining 4 inches - HURRAY. So that's all done and the wedding is tomorrow. It was kind of fun to help him out when he was truly too busy. And I felt kind of talented to alter the clothes so skillfully. OH and the service I got from the GAP was fantastic. Every time I came in they were all about trying to help - honestly feeling badly they couldn't find the ideal - It was so good I told a manager about it and asked if they train their people to show care. They are trained to say YES we can help you - but this went beyond that. I collect shopping experiences - often not so good - so it was really a bright spot to have such a positive experience. My least favorite is when the staff seems bored of you and totally uncaring about your search.

I am still recovering from last week’s busyness. Still today I had a couple rounds (pun unintended!) of dizziness. My friend Ruth came over for a walk, but we ended up just visiting in the living room. I was too weavy to walk yet, but we did have a good talk.

I am planning a family vacation in Whistler. I found a house to rent for 10 of us and we are at the stage of planning activities. We went up last year about this time and had a blast - but Lance and Aimee could not come. This year we are flying them in. Maybe another year we can all go to Jasper. I would love that. I love that the family wants to get together. I love it.

Below are some pictures from a walk around the lake mid week.

The city has installed goose landing strips on the lake. I call this photo, "Geese on a Stick" - sounds like something you could eat. I think these logs help keep the geese off the shore.

Sarah and I were just leaving for a walk when it started raining. I had promised her we'd go to the playground. When are children too young that it doesn't matter if an adult keeps her word? I kept my word. I put the rain cover on the "charriot" til we got to the park and then we just got wet like the other kids.

I love this little expression. I think Sarah looks very smart or maybe grown up important. She is wearing the sweater that LK and I got for her at the Lyndon Fair. We bought it from a man from Ecuador. We were with Gary and Sherriene Cropley - Gary and the man had a conversation in Spanish. The sweaters and hats, the man told us, were made by his family. I hoped I was contributing to their well being in purchasing the beautifylly made sweater. We had a lovely time meeting the two (man and wife?) who were working in the booth.

Sarah meets a girl from the Yukon with a twin giggle as they swing on the swings. Her new friend's parents were down for a Fresh Wind conference. It turns out they have bought books from us on-line. That was a fun meeting.

Balance and working the core are strongly emphasized in fitness these days. Here a Canadian Goose practices balance at Mill Lake.

I see these cobwebs lining this whole row of shrubs. I always think of either vacuuming them off or putting Christmas lights tucked around them to create glowing angelic light orbs in the night - as if someone had spread angel hair on them.(anyone put that on their trees ever? Good night all.