Daybook from Canada

Outside my window... it is bright and sunny. And -20 degrees. But since I'm in Canada, those are Celsius degrees, so it's "only" negative 4 Fahrenheit. Brrrrr......

I am thinking... that I am almost rested, thanks to this wonderful vacation. Even on vacation the hot flashes still wake me up sometimes. But I haven't had to get up until I was ready since we got here. Awesome!

I am thankful for... God's provision of this time in Stratford. It's quality time with my husband, and relaxation, and an opportunity to realize again that heaven is going to be even more wonderful than I can imagine, since all the good things about this time are mere dim reflections of the greater good awaiting me.

From the kitchen... Well, I haven't been in one since last Thursday! And even on Wednesday night we had leftovers. Our room here at Bentley's * has a kitchenette, but cutting a hunk of cheese and peeling an apple aren't exactly cooking.

I am wearing... grey pants, a cream turtleneck, navy v-neck sweater and over-the-knee socks, and my new fuzzy slippers. When we went out for coffee earlier I had on my much-loved knee-high riding boots. Roger paid what seemed like a ridiculous amount of money for them one Christmas, but since that was in ( I believe) 1994, I'd say he got his money's worth!

I am creating...nothing right this minute. But I have been pondering what changes I want/need to make over my next decade (I turn 60 next month :-o) and more creative endeavors are on my list. More crocheting, relearning to knit, dusting off the guitar and the flute.... It may be an interesting 10 years.

I am going... to one of our favorite Italian places for dinner before very long. Bonus: It's literally just a few steps from the hotel door to the restaurant. A nice perk in this weather.

I am reading... A lot of random fiction, which is one of the pleasures of Stratford -- I average a book a day. But I am about to start unPlanned, by Abby Johnson. Arwen reviewed it here, and she and Bryan bought me a copy. Stay tuned.

I am hoping... that I can manage to keep my mind off the fact that in order to go home I must pack until it's actually time to pack. I have a bad habit of living in the past or the future and therefore not fully experiencing the present. I'm working on it...

I am hearing... Roger putting ice cubes into a glass. An interesting aspect of Stratford for me is that I consume a much greater proportion of each day's calories in liquid form -- decaf mochas at Balzac's, Oranginas, ginger beer, wine with dinner. At home it's tea, water, a glass of milk with dinner, and maybe orange juice if I don't have clementines or grapefruit on hand. But here there are so many good things to drink...

Around the house... we are extremely grateful that our friend Tom is house-sitting. Joe-dog and Lucas-kitty are even more grateful, since as far as I can tell he plays with them more than we ever do!

A few plans for the rest of the week: home tomorrow morning, blizzard predicted for Tuesday into Wednesday, and on Thursday -- if they can make it -- Branwen and the kiddos will be arriving to spend some time with us while Larry travels on business.

Words I'm pondering : "If I hear anymore Michigan residents crying about possible snow I will lose my mind. It's Michigan!" This on Twitter from a friend this morning. And my sympathy goes out to Brandon who is stuck in Alaska, where the forecast is rain. His current hometown has higher average winter temperatures than ours does!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...
These are "mint smoothies" from Rheo Thompson, and one of the delights of Stratford. And these I get to take home!










*Most of the pictures in the link are actually of this room, except the ones that show the two queen beds. This one has a king; we've gotten spoiled at home and now sort of "need" a bigger bed. And the room rates have actually come down as the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger, so this trip didn't cost as much as you'd think.

Word and Question 7/8

A month late and a rhyme scheme short... but here we go.

Word: capo

Question: How much is too much?

I need a new guitar.
That's what folks say, anyway.
My old one has pieces missing
And it won't stay in tune.

But then I don't play that much
Anymore. My finger calluses are gone.
The kids disassembled my capo,
Which is OK, because I never use it.

When you can transpose everything
Into D or G, mostly you do,
Even when it makes it harder to sing,
And my voice is half-shot anyway.

Still, I'd like a new guitar.
I've been looking at prices.
The old one was $100 -- a fortune back then --
But worth it, when I played a lot.

But now? What can I afford?
I could come up with the money, I guess....
But I'd "need" to put in more time...
Would the investment be worth it?

She's Baaaack -- with a Daybook

Outside my window... it is dark. Earlier it was light, but all of today was in shades of gray. Even the snow looked grayish, and not because it was dirty. We've been getting fresh snow every night.

I am thinking... that while Christmas with the family was WONDERFUL, it is nice to have "normal" days again.

I am thankful for... Roger's determination that we can afford to go to Stratford again later this month! He is always a little more skittish about affording it than I am, but this year even I wasn't sure. But we can. Thank You, God! I'm relaxing a little just thinking about it.

From the kitchen...Lentil Sausage Soup leftovers. It's a struggle for me to go from cooking for the whole family back to cooking for just the two of us. This is the third night in a row we've had leftover something.

I am wearing... brown and white and greenish-gray houndstooth slacks and a brown turtleneck. And my OLD fuzzy slippers. I got new ones for Christmas, but the stitching started to rip on only the fifth day. So back to LLBean they went. I'm awaiting the replacements!

I am creating...a US Postal Service online identity so that I can print the postage to mail a package to Brandon. He needed some new uniform parts, and I volunteered to sew the name tapes on. But he had to leave before they arrived here. So there will be a package waiting for him when he arrives at his new duty station.

I am going...as few places as possible for the rest of the week. But one of those places will be the Barnes and Noble Cafe.

I am reading... In the Company of Others by Jan Karon. It's the latest Father Tim book, set in Ireland not Mitford, and although I've barely started I'm sure it will be a delight.

I am hoping... that I finish this blog post before Roger finishes the letter he is writing. Then we can go to bed at the same time.

I am hearing... the furnace blower. In this weather, I hear it a lot! Also the clicking of my keys, which I don't usually notice... Does this mean something???

Around the house... the outdoor decorations are still up, but almost everything is back to normal after a great Christmas. Today I changed 7 beds (we had 16 people here sleeping on the fullest night) and the only thing left is to tidy the basement kids' play area/ teen hangout. The indoor decorations came down on (traditional) Epiphany and the day after.

A few plans for the rest of the week: grocery shopping and laundry. And then we will have Camilla and Blaise for a couple of nights while Arwen and Bryan go to Stratford. We set a good example for our kids! ;-D

Words I'm pondering :

¹ My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:1-5 (NIV)
This came up in my women's Bible study group this morning AND in my (unrelated) daily readings, so I figure that means I should probably pay attention!


Here is a picture thought I am sharing.... This is the town in Alaska where Brandon will be living as of next Monday. I already am thinking about saving for a couple of tickets so that Roger and I can visit!