Change - One Step at a Time

I've done a bit of reading (on my Kobo) that's triggering a lot of thinking about ourselves and our environment and our way of life.
First up: "The Zero-Waste Lifestyle" by Amy Korst. Amy and her husband did an experiment one year in zero-waste living. The book tells the story as well as gives tips on how-to, from simple to radical. Is it possible? For many it is, but it involves a serious look at what we buy and how we get rid of the excess.  Did you know that your garbage will be mostly identifiable 50 years from now? Scary thought. Did you know that marine life is dying because of the ingestion of plastics which never ever biodegrades? Sobering. So what do YOU do with your garbage?
The second book I read is one by Gillian Deacon: "The Green Lifestyle". It's about what we're putting into our homes, chemically speaking, and goes well with a lifestyle of zero waste.
The third book I'm still getting through is: "There's Lead in Your Lipstick" by Gillian Deacon. I first became aware of this book when I was in the Rocky Mountain Soaps store in Banff, last summer. Great soaps by the way! I didn't buy it then because it was costlier than I wanted to pay for it. But after I read "The Green Lifestyle", and couldn't find this book in the library, I bit the bullet and bought it. Gillian has been doing a lot of ongoing research into what's in all those products that we (women AND men) put in our hair, on our faces and on our bodies. The skin is very absorbent - and it's absorbing thousands of hormone disrupters and cancer promoting chemicals - - daily.
So if you see repostings on FB from EWG thru me, that's where I'm coming from. The Environmental Working Group has also done tons and tons of research, and it's ongoing. They also have an online list of safety ratings of products. Go ahead, check them out!
As a result, and on top of last year's readings on living simply with less, I admit I'm in overload. That season of cancer has made me more aware of what has gone wrong with our natural world, and how it's affecting ME. Others may not care at all, others may say I'm going overboard, but illness and cancer is no fun. And some may say I'm too gullible - but hey! I have lived a long life of almost 62 years, and I've been reading good books and not-so-good books on healthy living and eating over those years. When one article confirms another, there's got to be some truth in it all.
The fourth book: "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. After seeing this name and his book referred to several times, I thought I should check this out. Michael is also into eating healthier foods, and with this book, he points out various ways that we are consuming 'non-foods'. Non-foods are those foods with ingredients that you can't pronounce, that you don't have in your pantry, and although they taste good, they have you go back for that unnecessary extra helping all the while helping you gain weight and disease. He also investigates how our meats get to our tables.
The last book I recently completed reading is: "Pocket Your Dollars" by Carrie Rocha. It is NOT a book about budgeting; it IS a book about what our five financial attitudes are and how they get us into the wrong places financially. Easy to read, it is basically the story of how Carrie and her husband climbed out of debt, with advice for others to follow. She also has a web-site, "pocketyourdollars.com", if you're interested.
These books were easy to get through - they have to be, for me! And because health and nutrition are so important, I encourage you to sample these readings as well. Ultimately, it's up to you, but given the sky-rocketing rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other health issues in the WESTERN world, it behooves us to pay attention to what these people have to say.
Problem is - we just don't want to accept the fact that we have a responsibility to take care of God's earth, and we're not doing it. We don't like listening to people naysaying our lifestyle. We would rather blame the military and the governments and the food and drug and chemical industries - and act helpless in the face of that.
We need to change - somehow - one step at a time. Eventually, the military and the government and the food and drug and chemical industries will listen. and if that's not good enough, take a look at the pictures Michael posted of the receding glacier. Listen to the stories of damaged wildlife. It's real, people.
Change, one step at a time!

Christmas Days, 2013

The Christmas season started early this year, when we took the four children to Delta to see the lights and to visit Santa. A snow-storm was in the fore-cast, but it was calm when we left the house. Not so when we arrived about 15 minutes later! It became quite blustery as we waited for the wagon rides to begin! The lights in the park were fun to look at, and the hot chocolate and doughnuts before the visit to Santa and Mrs.Claus were quite welcome. When the ride was over, we enjoyed the Festival of Carols in the church. It warmed my heart to hear all four sing along. 

Next day, Sunday, we were snowed in! Church at Dixon's was cancelled, so Naomi was off the hook to be there for her practice. So we played and coloured and did all kinds of stuff, and Elijah didn't miss the opportunity to help Opa towards the end of a session of snow-clearing!

The following days were filled with the usual December activities, but this year, we added choir practice - we sang a cantata on Christmas Eve!

Christmas Day was a quieter day than usual; I made fondue for the two of us (cheese, broth, and chocolate!) and we started working on a 1000-piece puzzle - which didn't get done until well after New Year's. It was a challenge! 

Boxing Day was spent in preparation for the arrival of our family. Cleaning and wrapping and baking and ...... while gazing out the kitchen window at one point, I saw this cardinal and snapped his picture. I did wish for a better zoom lens, but his spot of red is still a good shot.

 John decided that a skating rink would be a good idea, so he spent many hours preparing a surface, and even put up lights on a near-by tree!

Unfortunately, the weather was either too cold or too wet to do much skating. No fun.

Michael arrived on Friday, as well as David and Stephanie and their girls.

Saturday, we went to Chesterville for an afternoon with the Geertsema Family. This was the first time in many years that we were ALL there!

Stevin and Katrina and their kids came on Sunday afternoon, and we played games. Ticket to Ride has become a favourite.... 

In the next photos, Anneke and Kaelyn are showing off their new Sunday dresses. Pretty!

 

 Martin and Emily and their girls arrived on Monday afternoon just in time for tea and birthday #4 cake for Nicole, followed by our annual sjoelbak tournament, followed by our family dinner with gingerbread-boy biscuits made by Rachel!

Just a word about our sjoelbak tournament: we've been doing this every Christmas for the last few years, whether we're together or by Skype. David is our current champion.

Pandemonium followed dinner with gift sharing. I just love the photo of Moraine Lake from Michael! I had been planning to make an enlarged photo after my trip, but had not done it yet. Thank you - I am looking forward to next summer's trip!

Tuesday (New Year's Eve), was spent playing and making olieballen and playing some more.

Below is a photo of Nicole and her special vehicle - looks like a Dr. Zeus-mobile!

 Lauren and Oma ...

 Maria ...

That evening we had a really early supper so that we could attend a children's concert as part of the New Year's Gala Night in Brockville. The girls had so much fun!

And after a game of Ticket to Ride, we hugged in the new year - at midnight Nova Scotia time. ;)

Every day life calls towards the end of holidays, so David and Stephanie left Wednesday, Martin and Emily on Friday, and Michael on Saturday. The house became quiet gradually, but still felt empty without the extra people around.

In between departures, there was more time with games and play, but we had to do most inside as it became very cold! Wood did get cut, laundry done, and the guys attended a good Sens game while we girls, and one little boy, enjoyed pancakes with fruit and chocolate and bananas and syrup and whipping cream. :)

All in all, it was a good time - I feel blessed to have had everyone home this year. The family is growing - we're at 18 now! - and it's not easy to get everyone home at the same time.

We would like to wish each and all of you a very blessed new year. May God grace you with peace and contentment in all that you are and in all that you do.

birthday celebrations

As I began a new post for today, I realized I never posted anything about 2 very special birthdays!

Anneke turned 3 the week after our visit to the zoo. So we gave her part of her present before we left, as we wouldn't be making it to Barrie the next weekend. She loves to colour and she loves Dora, so she is now enjoying a BIG colouring book of Dora pictures. When we arrived a few weeks later, she received the next part of her present: a pair of pink and orange giraffe pajamas.

  We went to Barrie a few weeks later for Kaelyn's 1st birthday as well as for David's. We gave her a baby with her own stroller. What else does a little one learning to toddle need?

The facial expressions on these girls faces were priceless as they opened their gifts: their smiles of pleasure gave me pleasure! 

We hope and pray that each of them will be graced with God's blessings as they continue to grow!



Thankful

 It's finished! At last!
Last winter, when I asked about making quilts for the girls, Katrina suggested that I make one for Rachel first. OK! When I asked Rachel what her favourite colour was, she said orange. Oh dear. You see, orange isn't always an easy colour to work with. Well, I kept my eyes open (of course!) whenever in a quilt store, and one day I saw them. And bought them. When all was said and bought, there were several shades of soft orange prints, a solid yellow, a red print, and a blue print to pull it all together. Normally, one has a pattern in mind and then the fabric purchases follow. I did it the other way around, but I did know I wanted to do something with pinwheels.

And so it's done: Rachel's Happy Days (and Nights) Quilt, in the Dutchman's Puzzle pattern. I am so pleased with how it turned out, and greatly encouraged to keep up with this all-encompassing hobby.... and I think Rachel is rather pleased as well!

Thanksgiving weekend was spent doing various tasks around here, but on Sunday, Stevin and Katrina and the kids came over for the day. The leaves on the ground were plentiful, and dry, so raking was easy. Amazing what happens when someone throws the first handfuls....

 

I am very thankful for each one of my kids, and each one of my kidlets. My heart is so full with love and pride and appreciation. God has made each one so uniquely special.

I am thankful for my husband, who completes me - and lets me mess up the kitchen table with fabric, as long as there's room for his dinner plate! I love you, hon!

God is good - all the time.

Rainy Day at the Zoo

 We went to the Toronto Zoo with David, Stephanie, Anneke and Kaelyn this past weekend. We weren't sure about going in the rain - but we did it! We all had raincoats or waterproof coats and we purchased umbrellas 'just in case'. There was a downpour just as we entered the parking lot, but then it slowed to a light rain/drizzle. Anneke loved her Minnie Mouse "umbreya" while Kaelyn stayed dry and warm under the weather guard over her stroller.

The rain did keep the crowds to a minimum,
so we were able to enjoy the animals and buildings at a more leisurely pace.

Anneke certainly kept us moving along, though - here she is following Mama Peacock and her baby...

 I always enjoy the effect of the raindrops on berries and leaves and flowers:

 Here we are looking at the babboons. They are in an enclosed outdoor area, so they can't escape! That red bird is painted on the glass - a bird deterrent?

 The white lions were beautiful.

 We had to backtrack to see the elephants; they were practicing "crating" when we went by the first time. Apparently, they will be shipped to California soon.

 A little girl with her umbrella and some puddles - what else can I say?

 And the last animal we saw were the pandas.
First we read the displays giving information on the bears. They eat only bamboo, and that is why they are endangered. The bamboo forests are slowly being depleted due to encroaching civilization.
Anneke enjoyed playing with the computers....

 and Kaelyn LOVED the pandas!!

She started chattering and laughing at these big teddy bears.

So, naturally, her souvenir of the zoo is a panda bear stuffy,
while Anneke's is a giraffe stuffy.

Visiting the zoo helped me realize again how beautiful our world is. God must have had so much fun when He created! And what an awesome God we have, to have created with such diversity!
Fluttery butterflies. Multi-coloured birds. Zebra stripes. Lumbering elephants.
We enjoyed this day very much,
and I think the rain even helped us with that enjoyment!
Thank you, David and Stephanie!

A Week Out East

 I returned home from Banff on Tuesday night, and got right into planning dinner for 150 people: cyclists and support crew of the Sea to Sea Tour! On the Sunday before, Pastor Jack announced that the tour would be coming through Brockville on Thursday - would anyone like to plan a dinner for them? John volunteered us!! I'm thankful that Pastor Jack did a lot of footwork with the planning; several people were involved in making salad, a pasta dish, and lots of desserts. Main item on the menu: boerenkool met worst. John and I prepared it here at home, and had a kitchen up to its elbows in mashed potatoes and kale! It went over very well, and even got mentioned in the local EMC.

Friday was spent in getting ready for the next adventure: camping trip in PEI with Martin and Emily. We took the back seat out of our little Fiat, and then filled the back full with our gear.

We drove through Maine, but are not sure if we'll do that route again. It's pretty, but it seemed to take longer. We thought we'd stay a night around Bangor - but all the hotels and motels were full, so we ended up driving half the night until just before the border crossing, where we slept in the car in a rest area! The next morning around the next bend we finally found a couple of motels that had vacancies!

All Nation's CRC was having its annual campout, so we joined them on Sunday afternoon and night. Dollar Lake Provincial Park is a very nice park,
and I hope that someday we can camp there with all of our kids!

On Tuesday, Sheila, the two girls and I took the ferry across to Halifax,
 and then a bus ride to the Halifax Public Gardens.
Very nice gardens! And delicious ice-cream cones!

 

 On Wednesday, we went on another ferry ride - this one to PEI.
We had lunch on board, and then did some walking around to enjoy the sea air.

 

 We camped at Twin Shores Campground, just north of Summerside, on the ocean side of the island. We all enjoyed the water,except for Lauren. She was happiest playing in the sand.
Below, a ladybug had landed on her and she had fun trying to keep it on her arm.

 Maria and Nicole loved the water!
You can see the sandbar where they did a lot of swimming - putting their lessons to great practice.

 Toddlers love to slide zippers up and down, and Lauren is no exception. Here she's playing with the zipper on the tent ---

and going in ---

 and out of the tent.

 It was quite windy while we stayed there; turns out that the wind was unusual. The waves made such a noise! It was nice to hear the surf, but combined with the wind, gave a very restless feeling. But early one morning, before breakfast, we hurried out to have a look....

 And the reason for the trip was Brian and Stephanie's Geertsema's wedding.
They were married outdoors at Stanley Bridge Resort, and the dinner was in a tent at the same location - complete with bonfire and s'mores!

 We left the island via the bridge, which is cheaper than taking the ferry. Arriving on the island is 'free', one pays the toll when leaving. Encouragement to stay?

We returned home via the Trans-Canada, until we got to Quebec City. Then we drove the scenic highway along the south shore of the river.

Before arriving home, we stopped in at Stevin and Katrina's for supper and to celebrate Elijah's second birthday. He was fascinated by the sparkler #2 candle we found for him!

Well, summer 2013 simply flew by! I enjoyed all of my kids and kidlets, and enjoyed the beautiful sights and sounds of God's creation. Didn't get as many of my projects done as I had hoped to, in fact only one, but oh well, there's always tomorrow!

The summer ended with the opportunity to visit at the farm again - Tante Netty came for 2 weeks to visit with Tante Ans, who is now in a nursing home. It was her birthday on Sunday, the first of September - so she had a lovely celebration with her Canadian family before she flew home again!

 

And of course, when we get together it's always an occasion for another photograph - here I am with my cousins: from left to right - Mary Lynn, Christa, Jane and me. Wouldn't it be nice to have a photo with the two that are missing? Jessie, who is the eldest of these three, lives in France, and Marjan, Tante Netty's daughter, lives in Holland.

 Some day....? Something to hope for!







Falling in Love with Banff

Banff.

Calm and serene lakes.

Bubbling streams and roaring waterways.

Majestic and rugged mountains.

Beauty, awesome beauty, everywhere!

Our awesome God made an incredibly beautiful world for us to enjoy!

 

I flew out to Banff to visit Michael the first week of August

(and plan to go again for a week or so next summer again).

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay!

I walked a lot and biked a bit.

Tried to find that perfect landscape photo.

Browsed the farmer's market.

Awed by the power of water and its effects post-flood.

Stayed away from bear feeding grounds.

Stayed away from mosquitoes in the fenlands, too.

Watched a baseball game.

With a home-run or two.

Attended an opera.

Wandered through the Cascade Gardens.

Inspired by the floral displays.

 Followed the Bow River to its falls.

 Discovered the Banff Springs Cave and Basin
which started the whole Canada National Parks system.

Enjoyed sunny days interspersed with a just a few showers.

 Enjoyed picnic lunches and walking with my favourite youngest son.

 Climbed a mountain - not. This photo just looks like I did.

This is on top of the hill blocking Moraine Lake into place.

 And this is the view from where I was standing:

 And yes, the water really IS that deep turquoise colour!

Climbed through Johnston's Canyon.
(Along the boardwalk path.)

We did this hike during an extremely cold day one December a couple of years ago, and I really wanted to see it thawed out. We tried to do the hike on Saturday, but decided to go early Sunday morning instead, because it is a very popular tourist site. 

NEXT year, I hope to climb to the Inkpots at the top of the canyon, as well as climb a mountain - a small one maybe, but certainly an item on my bucket list!

Another item on my bucket list: a lap quilt or two. There was a local artist at the farmer's market whose renderings of the mountains make great applique patterns!

Oh, that reminds me: you know you're a quilter when --- flying over Manitoba all I could see out my window were quilt patterns in the fields below!

Thank you, Michael, for suggesting a summer visit.
I miss you lots, and so had great pleasure in being with you for a short while.
Being there helped me understand why you love living there. I took pleasure driving through the mountains when I drove truck, and missed them when I couldn't do so any more. But touching the ground with my feet was a totally different experience. The air felt clean, the scenery was breathtaking, and I loved the small-town-of-8000-yet-big-town-amenities feeling.
Banff is a great place to be in!