Sad and Happy

Lily of the Valley

I love Lily of the Valley with it's bell-shaped fragrant flowers. Sometimes when walking through our neighbourhood on a mild spring evening, the sweet scent of this little flower comes out to greet me from a neighbour's yard. We've transplanted some plants into our yard. I'm looking forward to being able to place some flowers in a dainty bouquet in our house so we can enjoy their exquisite fragrance indoors as well as outside.

Over the past few years I have been giving Mom cologne, talcum powder and lotion with the Eveyln and Crabtree version of Lily of the Valley. It truly has the delicate scent of the flower for which it is named. I love nothing more than smelling that lovely aroma on my mother when she is dressed and ready for her day at the Long Term Care Facility in which she resides and where I work the night shift. As the disablitating disease known as PSP continues to cause her body to deteriorate, sadness overtakes me. But having her covered with the beautiful scent of spring makes me happy and reminds me of a day coming when she will be restored once again with a healthy, whole body in the Home where springtime will never end.

One of my favourite things

Something I have come to realize over the past while, is how much I love to write. Writing my thoughts onto a blog on the computer is something I enjoy. But what I really love to do, is to take a gel pen (I'm afraid I'm developing an addiction to gel pens, and now have quite a collection of different colours!) and my journal and write! I also enjoy writing letters. There is just something so personal about hand writing with a favourite pen.

I guess I'll admit to this as well. I like using stickers. May-be it's because when I was a child, we simply didn't have stickers. But now...I have a wonderful selection which I love to add to my journalling or to the letters I write. I especially like it when my 12 year old granddaughter, Alyssa comes to visit, and we write letters with our favourite gel pens and stickers!

So anxious for spring!

We've had yet another winter storm. This one consisted of freezing rain, snow, ice pellets. I think this was the worst one yet. I wondered if I was going to get home today. I almost gave up hope of getting out of the parking lot at work. I even considered the option of staying at work and sleeping in the spare room there, but I knew I really wanted to get home. So I started out.
Once on the roads I had to go slowly, but made it home without any misfortune. Now there is another similar storm forecast for the weekend, and I'll be working.

Almost everyone has one wish on their mind and that is for Spring! I think this year when the green grass, spring flowers and warm sunshine arrive, there will be a call for a party and some celebration.

Let's all take heart, spring really is coming...soon!

JOHN

It's hard to believe that John is no longer with us. We attended his memorial service in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on Feb 16 following his death on Feb 9. John and Linda had been living there over the past 4 years.
John had just turned 59 years old. He had fought a courageous battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease over the past 3 years. Walking close beside him was his equally courageous wife of 35 1/2 years, Linda.

I don't claim to know all the details of John's early life. He had been born in Newfoundland and lived some years in England as a child before coming with his parents to live in Hamilton.

His chosen profession was that of a Respiratory Technologist and he worked effeciently at that job for 27 years. After restructuring occurred at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton in 1994, he worked at several other jobs.

I remember back in about 1970 of Tom and I double dating with John and Linda. John had met Linda at a Coffee House event at St Joe's where he was working and where Linda was a student nurse. John took notice of the petite attractive Linda, singing and strumming her guitar, dressed in a lovely dress which definitely was becoming to her womanly features. She surely caught John's attention.

John's priority was taking care of his wife and the two children they were blessed with, Kelly and Matthew. When I say, "taking care of", I mean, he made sure they were each pampered and as happy as he could make them with whatever he could do. A very important way he could do this, was to be sure they were well-fed. Linda, was a great cook, but was often busy with her job, and moved over in the kitchen, so John could do the day to day cooking that needed to be done. John often used "Diana Sauce" when he was cooking chicken.


John used to enjoy challenging our little girls about cleaning their rooms. He'd tell them to grab a garbage bag and get to work. Yes, their rooms were indeed in need of a good going over and the garbage bags were put to great use.
We holidayed with John and Linda at Camp Kahquah for many years. In the evening our girls would be included in a procession including Kelly and Matthew, and march behind the Pied Piper, John, to the washrooms to brush their teeth as they sang along with him

"We're in the army now,
We're not behind the plough,
We'll never get rich, digging a ditch,
We're in the army now"

Oh yes, the memories are rich.
When Linda married John, he professed his religion to be Roman Catholic. After several years of Linda attending the Ridgemount Brethren in Christ Church, John began, ever so cautiously, to join her, at first infrequently and then on a regular basis. I still remember the joy of the day of his adult baptism. Indeed, that was a time of celebration.

But John is gone now. A wonderful friend is no longer with us. It feels good reminiscing and thinking about him. We look forward to the day when we will join with him in our heavenly home

What time is it?

It seems like I'm always racing against the clock. Whether it's going to bed, getting up, getting ready for work, going to church or an appointment, visiting my family or friends...the clock is dictating the rythmn of my life. And, to top it off, I'm always being challenged by the clock, running a little later than I ought, taking a chance, not sure I'll make it on time.
I sense that in the large scheme of things, the clock is ticking. News of earthquakes, strange weather patterns, storms, hurricanes, drought, flooding, famine, earthquakes, recession, wars....hmmm why does this theme ring a bell within me? Yes, the clock is ticking, ever closer to the deadline for which we must all be ready. Please join with me in being ready in time, not taking a chance of being late for the ultimate deadline.
Matt 25:13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return." - Jesus

After the storm

This past week has been a week of storms. I've driven through fog, lightening, snow, freezing rain, wind...you name it, we've had it this week. As I head out for my nightly drive through the country, I am sure to have my stash of emergency supplies with me. A shovel, boots, kitty litter, salt, blanket, candles, lighter....and one more very, very important item - my camera! Last night was no exception to the recent weather events. I drove through freezing rain and snow, thinking that just may-be on the drive home in the morning, I might be able to take a good picture. So this morning, after working 2 hours overtime until my colleague could get pulled out of the ditch and to work, I headed home. But I took a detour on Mt Olivet Road. There I came across this winter scene. There is always something beautiful after the storm.

Grandma Moved....again!

Jan 20 was Grandma's 100th birthday. Her health had been declining steadily and it was hard to know how to plan a birthday celebration. After much debate, it was decided that despite the fact that she might not be able to participate in the festivities, that we were going to acknowledge this very special milestone with a cake, some flowers, and candles, all featuring the colour pink, as that was her favourite colour.

However things took a decidedly different turn. As we arrived with cake and decorations in hand, we were greeted with the news, that after a few hours which decidedly proclaimed her a centenarian, she left us here, holding the cake so to speak, and went to her heavenly home where she could truly celebrate in vibrant health, with perfect eyesight and hearing, with Jesus, the angels, and her many friends and loved ones who are already enjoying life in the land where we'll never grow old.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!