Well loved.....

..... all week. Wow, how a girl gets loved on when she's about to go away for awhile! I have been sooo spoiled. I may have eaten enough in this week alone to compensate for the starving student lifestyle that I am about to embark on (African, Mexican, Japanese, Spanish, Nicaraguan, Indian, plus home-cooked deliciousness!!), but I have loved every moment of this week spent with so many dear friends. Thank you thank you, to each one of you who took the time to hang out, chat, watch a movie, share a meal, write a note, put a present together, share a laugh..... thank you for loving me so well.

I didn't take nearly enough photos, but here is a small taste of my last week:

Farewell.... just for awhile.

I'm on my last leg here in Ottawa. We've all known that I'd be leaving for a long while now, but as always, reality takes some time to set in. Even as I type this, I don't think that I am totally convinced myself that life will not continue tomorrow (and the day after that, and the weeks and months to follow) the way that it always has.

But I suppose that my impending move has crept into our consciousness in small ways..... in the way we speak what we feel about each other a little more, in the way we plan and purchase things, and in the way we hold onto each other a little longer and tighter. Small changes that mean so much.

Tomorrow at church I will say my good-byes to all my beloved friends, aunties, and uncles; and the morning after that I will get into my car with my family and drive south, south, and more south.... until I reach a new place. A new place to put down roots. A new town to get to know, new friends, a new school, a new church. A new place to learn and many new chances to grow. "New" is going to be an important word around here for the next while!

But before all that New, first there are lots of farewells. Not Farewell For Good, of course.... but Just For Awhile, until we meet again. As part of that process there has been lots of time spent the last couple of weeks with dear ones.... lots of conversation, laughter, and (of course!) lots of good food. Many precious moments and lots of love to bring with me as I leave.

One of the things I got to do as a Farewell Get-together was spend some time with Miss Karen.... she came over after work and we cooked together - a favorite past time! It was a hot day - not the type of day you would think to cook a stew! - but it still hit the spot. As Karen said with a grin, "I am soooo happy right now!" Ah yes. This stew makes me happy too! ^-^

African Nut Stew

3 Tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce
1 onion, sliced
2 cups (500 mL) yams, diced in 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock (we used chicken broth and that works great too!)
1 15-oz (465-g) can garbanzo beans
1 15-oz (465-g) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup (80 mL) natural peanut butter
2 tsp (10 mL) curry powder

--

Heat 1/2 cup (125 mL) of water and the soy sauce in a large pot. Add onion and yams. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Add carrot, celery, and pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (At this point, we forgot to watch the clock and the veggies started to scorch, which ended up imparting a pleasant smokiness to the finished stew! But if you're more time-conscious than we are.....) Add tomatoes, stock, garbanzo beans, and cilantro after 5 minutes.

Blend peanut butter with 1/3 cup (80 mL) of water, then add it to the soup along with the curry powder. Stir, then cover and simmer 10 minutes. (Add more if needed....)

This soup freezes well. Serve with cooked grains or whole grain toast and a green salad. (We had it with garlic naan bread and it was DELICIOUS!)

**We like our meat, so we added some chicken breast to this stew. We did it by throwing some spices into a pot of water, bringing it to a boil, then cooking the chicken until it was cooked but still juicy. Then we shredded it and added it to the stew. Yummy!

Serves 8-10....... or 2-4 because everyone will DEFINITELY want seconds!

Of dragons, hearts on clearance, and noble steeds......

Hello friends (ha.... is it time that favorite phrase made a come back, D-dear?)! It's been a little while since we last rendez-vous'd. While I've been idle here, I've been busy in the *real* world.... battling dragons, sizing up options for a noble steed, and packing. Yes, packing up again.... remember this? It's crazy that in another short week, what was a mere possibility will become reality!

Of the dragon (of the Drakos calculusius type), I'm pretty sure he won the battle as well as the war, and I'd be ever so grateful if he and I never had to cross paths again. But anyway. In the spirit of dwelling on good, I'd like to leave Mr. Nasty-Beastie behind and instead tell you a little more about our trip.... something that still makes me smile when I think on it.

--

When we're in a community on a drill, there are two main parts of our week - drilling the well, and conducting hygiene courses for anyone that's interested. We specifically try to invite the mothers since they are the ones with direct influence on the cleanliness of their homes and little ones.

Of course, us gringos can't speak a lick of Spanish and aren't of much use when you're trying to explain what germs are and why it is so important to wash your hands, so we keep the children occupied while Yami (LWI Nic's hygiene specialist) talks to the moms.


We bring along toys like balls, skipping ropes, stickers, balloons and have a great time playing with the littles. At the end of the week, these are given to the community so that all the littles can share them. Honestly, spending time with the children makes the week so much more than it would've been if we had just come in, put in the well, and left like a strike team. Running, tickling, screaming, laughing, hugging, and kissing energetic little kids with abandon..... it does something subtle yet profound to a person, don't you think? Worries and reservations slip away, and you realize that life in its essence is just all about loving and enjoying the community around you. It's refreshing! And so, so fun. :)

Karen & Rick teaching the kids a game (photo by Marie).


Adding some sparkle.... (photo by Rick).


Jean facing off with our little lion.... I mean Emily.

Long before we left for Nicaragua, Karen and Marie went shopping for things we could take down for the children. They picked up an assortment of plastic beads, frisbees, and stickers, as well as foam hearts that were on clearance from Valentine's day. They couldn't imagine what the kids would do with a pile of pink and red foam hearts, but who could resist 75% off? So one afternoon during Yami's hygiene lesson, we decided to get out the crafts for the littles to do. First came the beads....

All the kids really got into it... from preschoolers to teens, the boys as well as the girls! They loved all the different shapes and colours, and I found it so interesting to see the different combinations each child came up with. The sweetest thing was knowing how special this simple (to us) craft was for them.... for days afterward we saw little girls proudly wearing their creations.

It didn't take long for the supply of beads to be depleted, so we brought out the foam hearts and shapes next. We showed them that the small hearts had an adhesive on the back and could be used like stickers; it wasn't long before these clearance craft supplies were being turned into the sweetest cards/hangings. We soon found out who they were for.... Mother's Day was in a few days, and normally the littles would not have the materials to make anything for their mums.


We couldn't have imagined a better use for those foam stickies! I was floored by this incident (and others.... there were so many on this trip!) just how perfectly our Heavenly Father plans everything, down to the most seemingly insignificant detail. He always puts the right thing, in the right place, at the right time.... and our part is to be open to Him tugging at our hearts.


The sweeties were so very proud of their creations. :) As for me, I won't be taking construction paper and crayons for granted again any time soon.

--

To end, I wanted to introduce you to my very noble and trusty steed. My own black beauty! I hadn't planned on acquiring one for a long time yet.... but the move pretty much made it necessary! The process of getting him was pretty swift and fairly painless.... again: right thing, right place, right time. ;) There is still a minor thing that is taking awhile to get sorted out, but we're trying to take things in stride. He and I are still getting comfortable with each other, but I think that we will be very happy together. ^^

All up now

Save for a few more that will make their appearance along with stories here, photos from the drill trip to Nicaragua are all up! Go here to see the whole set.

Belize photos are coming soon. :) Hope everyone had a lovely Canada day!

27 years.

(One last intermission before getting back to Central America.)

Last week my parents celebrated their wedding anniversary, and since I wasn't working or in school during the day, I got to put together a simple brunch for them. I don't often put much effort into cooking breakfast/brunch (breakfast/brunch is Mum's specialty.... I am a leftovers-in-the-morning kinda girl! That, or a I'm-way-too-late-to-have-breakfast sorta girl), so this was really fun to plan and put together, and very simple to do too.

Growing up, I was taught that wedding anniversaries were days to celebrate. I thought of them like birthdays.... each year you remember the day that something special officially began. They are special enough days I guess. At any rate, I make sure to remember my parents' anniversary, if for nothing other than it was what I grew up always doing. In the past few years though, I find that this annual celebration has taken on new weight for me.

I am understanding a little more what being in this relationship actually means. What each person must pour into it to make it work. How it is more than rose-coloured glasses and happy endings. How ugly it can get when two imperfect people are to live as one unit. How the sole purpose of this relationship - as is everything else - is supposed to be a reflection of His glory (and not for my self-gratification or happiness). How it can be the greatest shaping tool that God will use to knock off the stubborn sin in our hearts, and how painful a process that is. How difficult it can be to stay together - to win together. But - oh - how sweet this hard-won victory is. Staying married is hard, but I am still convinced that there is nothing sweeter.

So yes - a wedding anniversary marks the passing of another year in a marriage. But it's so much more than that too...... it means a year of growth. It means that through the tears and the smiles, two people are still holding on to each other. It means that they have not given up - on each other, nor - more importantly - on a God that is faithful to complete the work that He starts. It is a testament to an entire year of His goodness.

27. That's alot of years. I can't wait for 50, Mum and Daddy!

Tuesday's finish.

Remember Monday's little project? Here they are today, all finished! I printed out some shots from our big trip and framed them up. I sure hope the recipients enjoy these little souvenirs from our travels. :) These are so simple and affordable to do..... and (to me) they mean alot more than cheap trinkets! I'll report back on whether the giftee's think so too.

ps: If you're wondering why all the frames are hidden behind each other and blurred out, that's completely my intent. The full shots will (eventually) make their way to flickr.... after these get gifted. ;)

Monday at home.....

Something different today - an intermission of sorts. :)

Today's project....

Today's colour....

Today's lunch.

It's nice to see and shoot something different, isn't it? I've been looking at trip photos non-stop lately, so today was definitely a good break for me! Hopefully you too. We'll get back to Nicaragua (and Belize! It's coming too!) shortly. ^^

More glimpses.

More like faces this time. ;) The most recent batch of uploads are portraits of some of the people we met in Telica (see the set in-progress here). More to come, naturally!

4 days of photos down.... 3 more to go........

Glimpses of Nicaragua.....

Trying my hardest these days to get through all the photos from our drill trip. I've been posting some here, and attempting to be less cryptic about what's going on in the photos too - compared to the first trip to Guatemala. Check back often! Sooner or later the whole set will make it up. And then hopefully, the stories will follow too. :)

aaaand we're back.

We made it home! After almost-three wonderful, adventure-filled weeks, Miss Jean and I are home again. We're getting re-situated into Ottawa-life, and I'm getting into the herculean task of processing a mountain load of photos. Fortunately (for Franki), there are some imposed-by-others deadlines for getting the photos done as soon as possible, so it won't be forever and a half before they see the light of day. ;) I'm hoping to post some photos along with little stories here too.... I have lots of half-formed ideas about that, but more to come.

For now, I'm wishing that a loud alarm would go off whenever your skin was in the process of getting sun-burned. Or that there would at least be a loud sizzling noise. It sure would help..... especially when the burning involves one's scalp.

Leaving on a jet plane.....

In a few hours, I'll be on my way. Heading south. First to Nicaragua: Unknown. Promising. Exciting. Then to Belize.... it almost feels like I'm going home; there are so many memories there.

I forfeited sleep tonight.... yes because there were many many last-minute things to do, but also.... I find it so hard to sleep before a big trip! The thought that WOW, this time tomorrow I will be in a completely other world! keeps my mind running around in endless circles. Also, plane travel thrills me... I don't know what it is. But to get on a plane, spend a few hours above the clouds, then descend to find yourself a thousand miles away from home..... wheee. I don't even really mind airports. :p

And even sweeter still? This time, Miss Jean will be with me! To share the next few weeks of experiences with her makes me so happy. There's nothing quite like shared nostalgia on those days a couple months down the road when you're missing it all.

So yep.... things'll be quiet around here for a few weeks. Until then, I leave you with this:Um. Don't ask. I don't think I would have an answer for you.

A month of sweet.

April's a pretty busy month around the Wong house. It's Easter and since we're a minister's family, that means my parents are usually up to their ears with ministry tasks. While we were still in university, April is exam month.... which just about puts everything else on a back-burner until they are all done! This year in particular, I was rushing around to finish up at Parks, while doing fundraising for our missions trip (Leaving next week! How did that creep up so fast?!), while getting things in order for school (school!!), etc. etc....... You know how life goes.

And then, there are birthdays. Two birthdays in April for us - mine and Dad's - and while sometimes there is more time to celebrate, and in other years the busyness catches us up in the current leaving no time to plan a fiesta; there are always some pretty sweet memories made.

Since we were anticipating a packed weekend of Easter activities, my sweet parents decided to treat me to a birthday dinner at Red Lobsters' a few days early. There we are.... can you tell who the birthday girl is? *lol* Excuse how odd my hair looks in the picture.... I had just gotten it trimmed and Maria decided to do something special and curl my hair. Not that I don't usually like curly hair, but it looked really weird and unflattering that day. :p We had lots of delicious seafood.... so much so that we were too full for dessert!! So the waitress got creative:

That's right! A pat of whipped cream, drizzled with raspberry and chocolate syrup..... bedecked with the all-important birthday candle. You'd THINK that it was unappealing, but it was the perfect amount of sweet. Unhealthy? Maybe. Sweet? Definitely!

On the day of my birthday, my sweet friends *surprised* Andrea and me with a delicious mango-raspberry mousse cake. Didn't get a photo of it though.......

After Easter, our family celebrated in earnest: we spent the afternoon and evening with some good friends, and shared a delicious dinner. Of course there was cake....

Not one, but TWO sweet ice cream cakes! Happy accidents! OR it's because I am soooo loved.....? Yes I'll go with the latter. ;)

And I got to run after these sweet boys, which is really all I wanted for my birthday.

About a week later, it was Dad's turn! Again there was a wonderful dinner shared with friends. Um.... ok they were my friends and not Dad's, but nonetheless! Shared joy is always so much greater, no matter whose friends it is.

(excuse the dumpy sweater I had on in the photo... and the bad photo quality..... and doesn't my sister look like an angst-y teenager in this photo? And NO I'M NOT REALLY THAT SHORT.)

And of course a sweet cake made an appearance too..... black forest this time. Dad's favorite!

I think there are still slices of this cake left in our fridge. Maybe I'll have some.... after I recover from the sugar coma that looking at all these photos gave me! Much more sweetness to come.... sweetness from Central America. I can hardly wait. :)

I'm trying to be better about posting.... in preparation for when I move away and have to try to keep in touch with as many of you sweet people as possible. How am I doing? Heehee....

ps: More photos on flickr.

I believe I can fly......

Ok, this time the video I'm sharing with you all is not just for the sake of sharing. Dear Anna, a super talented animator and artiste, has entered her animated short in a contest. To make it to the final round of judging, she needs lots of people giving her high ratings!! Watch and enjoy this whimsical delight, and if you want to vote, you need to sign in/register with SuperU. Once you've signed in, you should be able to click the stars beneath the video to rate it. Should being the operative word. I can't seem to do it, but we all know me and computers (code 20 code 20!!). So to make up for my lost vote, I'm asking all of you to!! :)

Moving.

This is so beautiful..... the creativity and honesty that it must have taken to do this just astounds and touches me. What a sweet picture of how amazing Jesus is. :)

It's spring.... not!

It snowed today. Big. Fluffy. White. SNOW. As if it were November, and not April. What is UP with that????? I was so sad.

But as a friend said so well the other night in a prayer, "Thank you God for the rain [or snow], because we know that it means that the grass will grow green soon [and the flowers will come!]"

Geesh. How easily I turn to complaining....... I have ALOT to learn about being grateful and seeing the good side in things (and people).


ps: Added Anna's blog over there on the right. She is one talented girl! Definitely go check out her animations and sketches.... and if you need something designed/animated, Anna's your girl! :)

And then.... a beginning.

Green. Gold.

An end.

For the past two years I've occupied office 359a at 25 Eddy St.... filled it with pictures, paper, mosses, music, the sounds of mad typing, and all manner of other things. I managed data, organized thoughts and functions, and made lots of really really great friends - all with cubicle 359a as home base.

Yesterday was my official last day.

I'm still here.... slowly tying up loose ends and getting ready to go. I just began the long process of cleaning up.... returning things to their proper homes (whether it be others' or mine), finding new homes for other things, and taking down markers of the last two years of my life. As I unpinned photos of cute kids and landscapes from my wall, stowing away the pins and magnets for another time, the fact that this signified an ending finally started to sink in. The thought of leaving, and the now-barren space, suddenly made me sad.

As someone said yesterday, "this is the end of an era."

Too good not to share..... part II.

Oh MAN........

Watch Cute Girl Flushes Fish on CollegeHumor

This reminds me of when I had to flush my last beta fish.... I was not nearly so willing to spend time looking at him. Him just lying there with his eyes open (like he's staring at me.... as if it's MY fault he died?!??) was just too creepy. There was no eulogy, no "Fishie was a good fish".... just.... FLUSH.

Thanks to Son-shine for sending that one over! :)

Morning distractions

I was so close to making the express bus this morning.... but then I saw this in the morning light:

It looked so perfectly delicate, hanging at the end of the stem just so. Utterly soft and beautiful in the morning light. I couldn't resist. Tell me, how was I supposed to walk out without trying to capture it?

So I stopped. One shot turned into 10. I missed the bus.

Sigh.

So I checked the bus schedule to see when the next bus was coming...... 10 minutes 'til go-time. BUT THEN I saw the tulips. I couldn't resist:

Good thing I still made my bus. ;)

Pretty flowers, perfect morning light, a relatively good commute, and still getting to work relatively early...... a good start to the day!


Mmmm.... Did I promise Valentine's Day pictures? Really.... I should know better than to make promises I can't keep..... Soonsoonsoon. I promise. Whoops there I go again.......

Another perspective

I really like this. It neatly (and witfully!) sums up why I love photography so much. :)

Valentine's Day photos coming soon!

Please knock before entering....


Chinese new years was celebrated a couple of weeks ago, and this year found our family on a weekend jaunt down to Toronto to help dd move house. There was lots of driving (for Dad), lots of moving, painting, and sharpie action...


The finished space looks fab! It was great fun to paint the walls grey and red... and draw all over them. d created the mural design on the computer, which he copied onto a transparency. Then, using an old overhead projector, we projected the design onto the wall, and got busy tracing it all out/filling it in with sharpies. It was fun, and a quick job too with 4 people working on it together! It looks great, don't you think? The finished mural has this neat coppery sheen to it when light reflects off it.... but it really is just black. I love that d is all creative like that. I do think that he has the coolest, most "put-together" room out of us all now! (more photos of the room in process on my flickr) Not that I would trade my room for his. :p


And of course, a trip to T-dot just wouldn't be complete without lots of delicious food!!!

We had two great reasons to celebrate (not that you need any sort of great reason to eat.... seriously.) - Chinese New Year and b's birthday, which fell on the Saturday. We were also blessed to have some friends join us for dinner on Saturday. I hadn't seen them in a long time and it just so happened that they were in Toronto that weekend too!

It was a whirl-wind trip, but a sweet time with friends and family nevertheless. Happy year of the ox!

ps: More photos here.

Finally!

After who-knows-how-long, my photos from Guatemala (a small selection of my "best" shots) are all posted! See the whole set here.

Also finally, I got around to making some changes around here. New banner (SO much better than the other one), and updated lists over to the right. Aaah.... it's nice to get stuff done!

Too good not to share.....

Well. More than a month later and we Ottawans are still without public transportation. Thankfully, I feel like I've fared pretty well despite the situation. There has been alot less jaunts downtown or to Chapters to unwind, but I think my piggybank thanks me for that. ;) Nevertheless, I really hope this gets sorted out soon!

But WAIT.... think we've had enough winter fun in the Great White North? Wait til you hear what fun is heading for us next! Snow squalls, extreme windchill (-35°C anyone?), 15 cm of snow... take your pick. Hey, why not take all three?

So be sure to bundle up warm tomorrow... stay inside if you can! And while you're snuggled up (ideally with a cozy sweater, thick blanket, and hot chocolate!), enjoy this great story by an immensely creative little girl:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Dear Ottawa,

You are a beautiful city. Since moving here 8 years ago, I have enjoyed living here and discovering all there is to find out about you. I love the mix of city and country, the history of downtown, and the treasure trove of local shops and restaurants to explore. Some things I'm loving about you right now:

1. How the bridge to get to work is closed, making an already long commute even longer.
2. How the public transit drivers are striking.
3. The wack-load of snow that got dropped on us.... such that we wouldn't be able to reach the bus stops, even if the busses were running.
4. How my arms are now super buff (ha!) after 3 hours of shovelling your snowy gift and pushing cars out of snow banks.


I really do love you, Ottawa. I love you all year-round. Now if you would graciously skip winter and fast-forward to spring and the tulip festival, I would be ever so appreciative. Thanks!

Yours,
Steph

Made my day

It all started when I put my hand in my pocket.

Uh-oh, I thought with a start, where's my bus pass??

It wasn't in my right hand jacket pocket like it usually was. I remember taking it out the night before. Apparently I hadn't put it back where it's supposed to go, which is silly because the only reason the buss pass had a designated pocket at all was to prevent situations exactly like this. After a few moments of frantic searching through my backpack, I sighed and got out some change to pay the bus fare. That'll teach me.

As I reached over to put the coins in the acceptor, the bus driver blocked it with his hand. "Wait a minute, don't you have a bus pass?" he inquired. I had gotten on the same bus the morning before, and apparently he remembered me! I smiled, impressed that he remembered. "Yeah, but I forgot it today."

He told me to wait and punched some keys on his keyboard. Then he grabbed the transfer that came out of the dispenser and handed it to me. "Here's a day pass. It'll get you home tonight. And I'll see you tomorrow with your pass!"

I couldn't have been more touched and thankful that Father had placed this man in my path today. What grace He gifts to us, every single day in big and small ways! In the end, I did end up finding my bus pass (it was in my backpack, hidden between some folders and books). I'll see who I can give my day pass to, so that this man's kindness can be paid forward. If any of you need to get home via OC Transpo tonight and don't have a pass, let me know. ;)

Thanks for making my day!

Arms high & heart abandoned.


Spent alot of the last 24hrs or so in this position at this event. To be in the midst of thousands who are of the same heart and abandon to worship.......... it's a rush of joy and community like nothing else; a sweet teeny taste of what is to come. What an absolutely beautiful time.

EDIT: My photos from the conference are now up! Go here to see them. :)

Mindless (Metadata) Entry & Persistence

I've been working on entering metadata (data ABOUT data.... now that's interesting - NOT) for ONE protocol file today. It takes so dreadfully long to do one..... (and how many more do I have to go?!). The afternoon was mainly spent defining all the columns on one data sheet. More yawning. More trying to keep myself on task and at my desk by listening to Mark Driscoll preach on prayer (definitely go listen! It's fantastic. That man definitely has a gift for getting basic concepts across in a fresh, cut-to-the-heart, I-never-thought-of-it-that-way-before way. And there's plenty new things to digest too). Constant self-reminders about being a diligent worker and how that flows into adorning the gospel running through my head. And then FINALLY (Thank the Lord.... really.) I finish.

Only to discover that there are 4 more data sheets, all with the same columns, BUT (the cherry on top of the sundae of metadata PAIN) there is no way to paste over what I've done - meaning I have to repeat and repeat and repeat...... O_o

Oh the despair. You know that expression they use in literature, "and his face fell at the bad news"? Yeah. That. Me.

It's 5pm. I think I will go home and try this again tomorrow. Maybe I will get faster. Or maybe I will discover some brilliant way to copy and paste everything. Or maybe not, and my task is to persist. *sigh*

Father, even in this may You be glorified.....

Back.

After a week of plunging into the chaos that is NYC, meeting people and seeing old friends, lots and LOTS of shopping, unwinding in Amish country, lots of driving, lots of food, and plenty of quality family time - we are fiiiiinally home. Pulled into the driveway at 8:30am this morning in fact. Oi. o_O Now comes unpacking, cleaning, and getting back into the rhythm of things.

I’m leery of promising timely post-vacation blog entries and lots of flickr updating…. It would be quite the ambitious commitment for me.. *laughs* But here’s to making an honest effort.

On a slightly different note, I was playing around with one of those quiz thingies earlier (Yes, at work. It was a quiet day! Read: booooooored.....), and apparently something that makes me abnormal is that I would prefer having more time to having more money. Huh. What does that say about our generation?

So here are two questions for you today, my dear reader:
1. What are you making an honest effort to do today?
2. Would you rather have more time or more money?

Dress-up madness....

1 saturday afternoon + 5 girls + more clothes/shoes/purses/accessories than you can count - dirty looks from the dressing room attendant = the makings of a rad time out with the girls!

More photos here.

Chatting.


Friends.
Food.
Sharing.
Sunset.
Waves.
Seagulls.
Breeze.
Sand between toes.
Wise words.
Conversation.
Laughter.
Feeling small under a big sky.

The makings of a beautiful evening.

Last minute-ness

I think I have this thing for pushing the limit. 2 hours before our guests were to arrive, and this was what I was starting. Me and my bright ideas......! Simple to do in theory, but let's not forget..... me? Not the most seasoned with the sewing machine. But the idea was planted. No turning back now! 2.5 hours later, with scraps and sewing things strewn all over my floor and running the risk of being labelled "anti-social", I ended up with this (don't laugh. I realize that someone with more experience could've whipped up something better and faster!):

It was worth it. I thought they turned out so well.... not exactly what I had first imagined, but perfect as they are nonetheless. And the best thing? The little guys these were gifted to knew exactly what they were supposed to be.

Oo la la!

Surprise! So here I am, nearly 3am, messing around with blogger (pulling the 5-minute-thing again!). I'm sooooo pleased with the layout tools (new to me), which are super simple to master. Shards is looking so spiffy now, with layout, menus, and esthetics much more like I wanted all along. ^^ I also took advantage of this renovation to do a little cleaning up of the menu.... many of your guys' blogs that haven't been updated in ages have been assumed dormant and links deleted.... but I'd looove to add people back on (hint hint).

Oooh.... so much bloggy love going on right now. It's like a new toy. Or an old favorite, re-discovered (which is better than a new one sometimes!). Perhaps this will inspire more *ahem* consistency around here?

What do you guys think?

One of those mornings

You know what I'm talking about. Those mornings when you crack open your eyes (groan!) - hopefully not late - and the sky is so so grey. And it's raining. You peel back the covers and haul yourself out of bed, while your eyeballs insist that just 5 more minutes of shut-eye wouldn't hurt one bit. Those mornings after those nights when you know FULL WELL what would happen if you stayed up to watch one more........ but you know. Just 5 more minutes. Let tomorrow worry about itself and all that. Those mornings when you genuinely thank the Lord for such things as caffeine and coffee beans, and the person who brews the morning regular, and the office coffee club. Small gratitudes, I tell ya.

Why, what a brilliant suggestion. Of course I'll have another!

A Different Way of Seeing.....

I read this today. I think for me, I need to replace "laundry" with "washing dishes". Those who know me well will know that this is THE chore that I dread..... the chore that I will "forget" to do some nights.... the chore I will purposely ignore other nights. If you live with me, you will know that I try to get out of doing this chore as much as I can, most nights. :p Why do I hate it so? Like Andrea, I feel like doing dishes is "a time-consuming job that never ends". You're stuck in the kitchen by yourself, cleaning up everyone else's mess, while they're off doing whatever they'd like. AND as soon as you finish, the late eater or the snacker will deposit another dirty dish in the sink. Arrrrrrrgh. >.<

BUT. This post gave me such perspective, letting me realize that even dirty dishes are something to be thankful for. They are evidence of God's blessings to us.... His gifts of abundant food to nourish our bodies with, a home to cook and eat and wash in, and loved ones to share it with. You can't really hold a grudge when you realize all that you've been given, can you? :)

Head on over to the FlourishingMother blog if you've got time. Andrea writes really thoughtfully, and it's refreshing to read about her life. Also, she's a voracious reader (yay!) and often cites the most interesting and insightful passages. I've been so inspired to pick up books I never would have considered before because of her!

May Showers....

...isn't it supposed to be "April showers, May flowers"??

It's a busy week.... full of individually good things that have added up and multiplied into one heck of a work/thought load. I'm glad to be doing all that I'm doing, but seriously, I can't wait for this to be aaaaaaall over.

Of course, the depressing rain doesn't help. When the weather turns like this, I either get nostalgic and a little melancholy (on a good day), or else I can easily get sulky and grumpy (on a bad/stressful day - like today). And then when it's beautiful out, my spirits are equally light. You know what I mean? I know I'm not the only one whose mood follows the weather! You know, I heard on the news that during the horribly cold and long winter we just had, people's tempers had become increasingly frayed. Even kids. Isn't it amazing how intricately entertwined everything is? But I digress. What I really wanted to do was remedy these rainy-day-blues by posting a reminder of sunnier times:


Taken back in April. The first day that was over 20-degrees this year found me at my favorite place, savouring the sun and just generally happy that spring is back, so that I can enjoy my sweet spot again. It was soooo relaxing to chill there for awhile and read the Word. Couldn't have asked for a better afternoon. Now isn't that so much better than cold and rain?

ps: more photos from the day will be posted here soon!

Don't Congratulate Me Yet......

Today, I picked up a pair of fabulous peep-toe sling-backs for $20 (awesome deal!), just in time for a wedding reception tomorrow. I picked them out and bought them in 10 minutes. Now, those of you who know me, know that this is reason to be proud (and proud we were)! BUT..... look at what happens when I try to be a super-shopper:


'Nuf said.

15 Minutes This Morning

9h42 - En route to the office. I arrive at the MacKenzie King Bridge bus stop for my transfer, get off the bus and am greeted with the sounds of someone bellowing in French. Huh? Turns out to be a woman, marching down the length of the bridge in heels, impassionately (and seemingly very angrily) shouting her cause, glaring at passersby, waving her arm for emphasis. And she wasn't wearing her pants. What?? That's right boys and girls, Ms. Protester's pants were unbuckled and held up with one hand, but otherwise very much swinging free around her knees. Granted she was wearing a black leotard and not some disturbing sous-vêtement, but seeing as she had alot of skin to cover, that really didn't mean much.

Compleeetely mortified and fighting the absolutely unappropriate urge to giggle, I rush into the mall. 11 minutes til my bus. Other commuters, quickly glancing at the kerfuffle, hurry to get out of her warpath. A mom tries to explain what is happening to her young daughter, "She's not happy is she? We don't want to be near unhappy people." Not the most satisfactory explanation, but goodness, how are you supposed to explain that to a 5-year-old??? Poor kid.

9h48 - Pants come off completely (?!??!??!!!) and are used as a flag to punctuate her raving. The shock has somewhat worn off and I'm wondering what has got her so riled up that she needs to make a statement like this? Someone else waiting for a bus (or deliverance?) mentioned that it was something about an election...... huh. Politics. Naturally.

9h51 - Police (municipal and OC Transpo security) arrive. Woman stops shouting and puts her pants on, as well as a bright blue jacket.

9h57 (because busses are almost NEVER on time....) - My bus arrives. As I am whisked away from the scene, I see the woman sitting down and smoking a cigarette. Officers surround her, some with amused looks on their faces. I wonder what they're talking about?

--

Thus marks the end of my *interesting* morning. In somewhat less exciting news (but it's exciting for me!!), I finished filing my tax return!! Yaaaaaaay! ^^ Now I can move on to other, more important things. Like editing and posting pictures, right??

Thinking........

I don't know how anyone could be expected to focus on work when there are far more exciting and important-in-the-long-run things to think about. For the 12365441434357th time..... how do people work in an office position for 20-odd years???

One of Those Days.....

Spring has FINALLY COME TO OTTAWA. Can't describe the feeling of walking out the door into blue skies and sunshine every day this week so far..... the birds singing for all they're worth, tempting me to forget work and grab my camera instead. *sigh* I love spring!

But.... *ugh*

With spring and beautiful days comes more creative ideas for personal/ministry projects, and yearning to be anywhere but in this cubicle. I've been getting more and more of those lately (ideas)..... was hit with a particularly potent idea this morning. Sitting here all day, not satisfying the urge to form ideas into something tangible, has been utter creative agony. And the guilt of not being very productive at work sure doesn't help, or lessen the distraction...... Heh.

Anyway. I really can't (and shouldn't) complain. I'm happy about spring, and thankful for the sun, birds, colours, songs, ideas and creativity -- and most of all for He who created all of it.

--

ps: I haven't made very much of a fuss over my new baby, but suffice it to say I am very very happy with her. I'm hoping she'll have some good friends to play with this summer (aHEM! Chung). I also intend to be more diligent about posting images, dusting off my corner of flickr, and all that other lovely fun stuff.............. as soon as I file my income tax return. :p

Mrs. X

Today at lunch, a bunch of us got to discussing how one properly addresses a woman these days. John - whom I also have the great privilege of calling brother in Jesus - once got in trouble for referring to his host as "madam" multiple times in a presentation where he was an international guest speaker. "Who told you I was married??" she demanded of him afterwards. Apparently you only use "madam" if one is married. We discussed lots of possibilities..... "Ma'am", "Madam", "Miss", "Mrs.", woman, lady..... what is appropriate and the implications of addressing a female a certain way is so complex and is constantly changing with the times.

Who knew?

We finally settled on "Ms." as a safe bet.

Later, I stopped by John's office to discuss work. At the end of the conversation, John put his new knowledge to good use, "Thank you MS. Wong."

I replied, "You're very welcome," and turned to go.

"I'm looking forward to the day when we can call you Mrs. X."

Laughing, I said, "There is no 'X'."

"Not yet, but that's alright. We just need to wait and be patient."

"Yeah."

It feels so good to know that there is someone else dreaming and hoping on my behalf.

Someday....

If it was up to me my life would be a blue print on the table
And every year would have a label
I would know precisely the day that you would come and find me
I'd see your face (the one that I dream of)
I just can't wait ('cause I know)

Someday, someone's gonna change my life
Somehow, someone's gonna make me smile like I never have before
Someday, someday
Somewhere, someone's gonna steal my heart
Somehow, we'll never ever be apart
And I can't wait for that someday
Someday isn't so far away

I've laid awake at night wondering if I had wasted chances
Giving up too soon on small romances
Then I look outside you're under the same midnight sky and
You're waiting too (am I the one that you dream of?)
These dreams come true (and I know)

I guess I'll never know if I passed you on the street the other day
Or maybe you are far across the ocean
Oh but every night I pray to God that somehow
He would send him my way

Someday, someday, someday......

Someday isn't so far away

~PureNRG (C) 2007

Not a good day.

I rarely have bad days.

Most people would say that I am generally a cheery person. Just yesterday a colleague teased me for smiling even as I rant about how much something sucks.

I rarely have bad days.

But somehow, this week is shaping up to be on the dreary side of not-so-great. What a nice way to come home.

Fluffy Scarves & Hot Chocolate......

.....along with music that brings back memories of warm summery days are perfect for chasing away the office chills. :) There's so much more of You that I want to know.

How Your love, it calls to me when I lose my way...
...Got to trust that I'm safe and sound,
Got to trust that it all comes down to You.....
... It's obvious no one could love me more
I'm Yours,
And I'm coming, coming back
(Britt Nicole, 2007)