Thursday Smiles (No. 2)

I did it!!! Bet you all are so proud of me...and probably surprised...but yes, I managed to actually do this twice in a row. I'm proud of myself. :)

So. Today is Groundhog Day and that is reason enough to smile, dontcha think? I mean, it's a rather ridiculous little practice: to observe the groundhog and hope it doesn't see it's shadow so that we can all look forward to winter being over. I mean really?? Firstly, I have to say, it makes no sense. I think if it SEES its shadow, spring should be coming because that would mean it has to be SUNNY...but that's just me and ALSO what if the groundhog just doesn't look in the right direction? Or what if something else causes a shadow that it sees? Too many flaws. Yet people show up to the festivals, people listen for the announcement on the radio, for goodness sake there are several rather famous groundhogs around North America who even have statues built after them. Soooo ya. People's odd fancies strike me as amusing.

In any case, I decided to celebrate Groundhog Day in my own way! How? might you ask... well I conducted my own little search for spring around my yard. I believe I can say without a doubt...spring is coming. ...of course it must be coming because it can't be going anywhere...

So here are some of the images from my little scavenger hunt.


<><><>

And here's my adorable puppy who always makes me smile!


Other smiles from the week came in various forms. I saw this earlier this week, a little note on Instagram which read:

Roses are red

Violets are blue

When I think of you

My writing comes out corny

 Now THAT cracked me up. I'm easily amused apparently... So in honour of that holiday of love coming up soon, there is a little poem for you to share with those you care about :)

This little cooking adventure my mom and I had...pork chops and apples. It looked great going in but...we have to work on it a bit I think. The end result wasn't my favourite dish to consume.

And finally, going to the grocery store...in slippers!!! yes!!!! Nothing quite like it. I've decided I shall do it any other time I have need to whip over there for something quick. It's too great.

And this concludes my second "Thursday Smiles"!!

Sudden yet Sovereign

A melancholy heaviness has beset me. It's a sadness, not despairing, but troubled. It comes after the shocking news of Dr. Dave's sudden death. I mean, I didn't really know him well, and yet he had a deep impact on my life, helping to grow my faith in the short week that he taught at JHBC last year. I remember his characteristic laugh and his joy in the Lord, excited to share his knowledge and wisdom with students of all ages. It's just so weird to hear that he is gone, gone to be with our Saviour.

It just seems so random, so out of nowhere. It was just Monday I was hearing about his recent visit to the college to teach...and now he's gone. It's interesting that he taught about God's will and I know, obviously this is all in God's will and yet we, left behind here, just really can't understand it all. And so, I know God is in control and Dr. Dave is with Jesus, yet it's still confusing piecing together the grief of being left of behind, the moving on, the next step. I guess I could totally let it not effect me. I mean, it's likely I'd never see him again on this earth anyways and yet, we have a connection; we're family through Christ and so maybe that's why it affects me more than some newscast announcement. I think of his family and those close to him and I grieve for them and the changes they are facing. And yet I know that they have comfort in the knowledge of the truth, just as I do.

How blessed we are to leave the questions with God; to trust His sovereign control in all things.

Thursday Smiles

I've always felt that Thursday is a yucky day. I don't know why but it's always been distasteful in my head. Maybe it started back when I had a paper route and I really didn't look forward to the looming doom of walking the streets for 2 hours to make a penny every Thursday...or maybe because tests are usually Fridays so that means studying on Thursday nights...or maybe just because it's SO close to Friday yet...not Friday. or MAYBE it the name...it's just not pretty word: "Thursday"...whatever the case, I have decided to make Thursdays not so distasteful to me by starting this weekly post. Each Thursday, I shall post about the things that have made me smile that day...or I suppose that week if I am having a particularly lousy Thursday...We shall see if this will even go beyond this week as I have lately been rather pathetic at keeping up with this blog. Sooooo for my very first Thursday smiles...

1. teeny tiny molten pieces of metal exploding from the pipe my dad was slicing through...made me smile mostly because he asked if I wanted to do it and I screamed in surprise at the first spray of bright sparks. Also, because it looks like a shower of thousands of shooting stars.

2. the glow around street lamps at night, almost like the light that is escaping from the lamp is trying to stick to it, hesitant to leave

3. THIS necklace. It's old and broken but one of my very favourites. Each time I wear it, I'm reminded of our amazing trip to London and the little store in the train station that I almost didn't buy it from, but I'm so glad I did

4. this awesome ad for laundry soap that brightened my unwanted visit to the dentist

5. Gelato spoons in their happy rainbow of colours...nuff said :)

6. blasting music on the way home from work, singing in my own little world, wishing the drive were longer

Not pictured: the tiny sliver of moon that hung horizontally in the sky like a giant sleepy eye about to close, I like the moon, I like it a whole lot.

Maybe some of these items made you smile...maybe you've had different things today that brought a grin to your face but I hope you have enjoyed my attempt at brightening my Thursday. I think it worked :)

Snow Daze

So winter finally hit us up here in the North. That's right, us Southwest coast people finally got a taste of real Canadian winter for the first time this year and I have to say, I enjoyed every minute of it! Starting with a late night snow on Friday the 13 followed by a dump of snow on Sunday night all the way through to the freezing rain on Friday, it was definitely a cold, icy week for the Fraser Valley!

Snow days are a time for hot chocolate and tea, for snowball fights and sledding, for movies and wrapping up in a blanket reading. I love just walking in the snow, breathing the crisp air or sitting in the silence watching the flakes drift by or falling down into a big pile of snow and relaxing into it's cool embrace. Snow is special around here and I like it that way. Ya I complain when we NEVER get any snow and it's just wet rainy Christmases year after year but really, it just makes surprises like last week so much better! Our rare snow days are unique times of the year that bring out the kid in us all. And for all you out there who frown at the delays, who stress over the slick streets, who grouch about missing appointments and school and work, I'd just like to suggest that maybe you needed the break; that maybe a snow day is good for you because it forces you to realize that those things aren't as important as we think they are; that maybe we have placed too much emphasis on ordering our lives just perfectly and making sure everything is set out exactly how it has to be rather than realizing that NOTHING in life is sure except God and so we mightaswell stop trying to control it all!

I know this post comes a bit late as the snow week is over, the snow dripping away from the rooftops and running down the gutters into drains but the joy of it is still with me. I'll miss the happy week we just had but I never expected it to stay. I don't wish every day was a snow day but how I do love the days that are!

Life continues...

Feeling some epic blogger fail right now. It's been what? 3 weeks since my last post? unacceptable. Just completely and utterly sad. Pathetic really. But hey, that's how life goes sometimes. Business just catches up with you and writing my ramblings online for an audience that is for the most part non-existent just doesn't hit the top of my to-do list. But I miss it nonetheless and so as this new year begins I decided I better get on here and write a little. I think if I actually start up again, even if it's just small posts, it will inspire me to continue. It's not like I'm making a resolution here. I'm not sure I believe in new year's resolutions. They are far to easy to make and far to easy to ignore and fail. and SO I shall not resolve to make any specific changes for the year 2012...I shall instead try to wake up each morning and resolve every day to live for the glory of God and not myself. And if this blog of mine falls by the wayside well I shall not lose sleep over it.

I've decided to keep the name of my blog for now, even though I am no longer living in Jackson Hole. As I explained last year in November, a "hole" is an old western way of saying "valley" and SO since I am still in a valley...I can still keep yakkin' from the "hole". Anywho, now I am finished writing about nothing and shall move on to other things...