Mayan Riviera Travel Blog--Day Eleven

We packed up, dropped off our luggage, and then went to sit by the pool until 2 p.m. They have complimentary showers in the reception building for those who have to check out earlier than they are leaving. We met a nice couple from Wisconsin who are dairy farmers.
Signature Vacations handled everything so well, we never felt unsure of where to go. I would use them again. Sky Service is a good airline. They don’t charge you for extras. They showed the movie, “The Secret Life of Bees” on the way home. I had read the book and it was pretty close to it. Speaking of books, I read The Salt Garden by Cindy Martinusen, Finding Marie, by Susan Page Davis, and started Inside Story by Susan Page Davis. I posted my reviews on chapters.ca
We arrived in Toronto at 1:30 a.m. and were home an hour later, courtesy of the oldest cabby in history, ever.
It’s nice to go away, but it’s nice to be home again, too

Writers Who Have Nothing to Say in Person

This quote is from a character in the book, The Salt Garden by Cindy Martinusen.

"I realize how the novelist, the wordsmith, has kept my words inside me. How easily they get tangled in the folds of stories and never make it to my own lips. Almost every story I've worked on in the last twenty years has in some way included Ben or my feelings for him. But in the realm of the real, I find these emotions impossible to express."

I find that's true of myself. Give me enough time to think, and I can say or write something witty or profound, but don't expect eloquence from me in person.

Dreams Come True

March 1, 2009

Outside my window...a cold, windy day, but no snow.
I am thinking...that I love it when things go smoothly. Our daughter's baptism was today. The dinner party for thirty people, afterwards, went perfectly. Enough food, good company, and a great reason to celebrate.
I am thankful...to have seen both our daughters saved and baptized. (Cross that off the bucket list). It is a blessing greater than anything in my life apart from my own salvation. My husband was baptized in our church as a teen, I was baptized there when I was twenty, and now both our daughters, too.
From the kitchen...veggie platters, crab dip and crackers, veggie spring rolls, roast chicken, stuffing, ham on the bone, honey-garlic meatballs, potato salad, Caesar salad, rolls, rice and beans, ice cream cake. We'll be eating leftovers for a while. (Not a bad thing).
I am wearing...a black leather skirt, a black top with a white camisole.
I am reading...Homicide at Blue Heron Lake, by Susan Page Davis. It's a good mystery with enough suspects so it's not too easy to guess at.
I am hoping...to deal with some issues at my Doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'm suspicious that my calcium is too low and I may have a thyroid problem. We'll see what's up.
I am hearing...a soccer game, of course.
Around the house...my daughter is safely back from Scotland. She had a wonderful experience and got a real taste for missions work. That makes me happy. I would love to see our daughters serving the Lord in whatever way He leads them. Our youngest daughter gave her testimony before her baptism, because of all her unsaved friends and relatives who were there. I'm proud of her. I know she was nervous, but she did a great job. Here is her testimony:
I was raised in a Christian home, so I had been exposed to the gospel from a very young age. My parents took me to church every week, and I went to a Christian school, so I was no stranger to the gospel. I knew I was a sinner, and that my parents’ faith couldn’t save me, and that I needed to get right with God, so when I was six, praying with my father, I asked Jesus into my heart. It may have not been a “dramatic” or “unique” conversion, but it was significant in my life, and it was significant in God’s eyes.
Going to a Christian school sometimes makes it easy to coast and not really step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself spiritually. I developed a very “ho, hum, I’m a Christian” mindset. Then, during Spiritual Emphasis Week at my school last year, I realized how far I had drifted from the Lord and that if I was going to call myself a Christian, I needed to act like one. Also, when the pastor began preaching about baptism on Sunday mornings and we began discussing the topic of obeying God at youth group, I realized that baptism is a command and that if I wanted to obey Christ I needed to be baptised.
I know baptism is the first step in my spiritual life, and I look forward to living a life for God and looking to Him as I make big decisions about my future. I look forward to finding ways to serve here at Faith, as well as out in the world for the glory of God.
One of my favourite things...seeing friends from out of town. Christians "weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice". Today, we were rejoicing.
A few plans for the week...Doctor's appointment, work my last shift before I'm off for FIFTEEN days, pack for our trip, and leave early Thursday morning for 10 days to the Mayan Riviera! I am SO excited! When we were first married, I would see Club Med commercials and wonder if there would ever come a day when we could go to such a place. This is a dream come true, and I am so thankful for it.
Here is a picture I am sharing with you...our youngest daughter (16) giving her testimony right before her baptism.

My Bucket List

This is a list of things I’d like to do before I kick the bucket. It assumes a regular life span, health and the grace of God. As you can see, I haven’t chosen anything too daring, and definitely nothing to do with heights. This is in no particular order.

( ) See Machu Piccu.
(X) Publish a novel.
( ) Go to Papua New Guinea.
( ) Do a short-term Missions trip.
( ) Go on a Mediterranean cruise.
(X) Travel thru Europe.
( ) See an English Premier League or Bundesliga soccer game live.
(X) Ride in a submarine.
( ) Visit Australia.
( ) Cruise the Nile/ see the pyramids.
( ) Learn to scuba dive.
( ) Go on an African Safari.
( ) Travel to Israel.
(X) Go on a Caribbean cruise.
(X) Live in a house with a sauna.
( ) See the Grand Canyon.
(X) Go to San Diego.
(X) See the Mayan ruins. (within the month!)
( ) Visit every province in Canada.
( ) Learn a third language (Spanish or German).
(X) Tour a warship.
( ) Dance at my grandchildrens’ weddings.
(X) Be able to write full-time.
( ) See Pearl Harbour in Hawaii.
(X) Go to Disneyworld.
( ) Climb Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica.
( ) Re-visit Finland.
( ) See Scandinavia.
(X) See our daughters saved and baptized.
( ) Learn sign language.

Oooh, Technology!

Feb. 22, 2009.

Outside my window…a light snowfall. Same old, same old.
I am thinking…that the challenge of making a Bucket List (things you want to do before you kick the bucket), wasn’t so hard. It only took me about ten minutes. I think I know what I want in life. Hopefully, it’s in line with what God wants. It also presupposes a regular life span. Two quotes come to mind: “We are immortal until our work is done,”
and “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
I am thankful…that the weekend has arrived. I had such a busy week at work, our dryer died and needed to be replaced (which my mom insisted on buying), and the bank messed us up on something. We had to go in and sign more papers before I went to work on Thursday, so we could fix it. I feel especially tired and even a little depressed, although I can’t put a finger on a reason for my blues. I know that in spite of those things, I should be thankful. To look at those things from another perspective: my work week ended, our dryer is being replaced at no cost to us, and we were able to fix the problem at the bank. Not only that, but we are going to Mexico in less than two weeks! Life is good, I just forget sometimes.
From the kitchen…ham, perogies, carrots, ice cream.
I am wearing…a navy skirt, a white blouse and a pink jacket.
I am reading…Remembered, by Tamera Alexander; the third in a historical romance series.
I am hoping…that we can figure out a way to convert the video we made into a usable format. We bought the conversion software, but it’s not working so far.
I am hearing…a soccer game. I love our PVR. I can record any game that’s on and watch it when it suits me. I used to spend Saturday mornings in front of the T.V., at the expense of my housework and errands, but now I can get things done and watch the games at a more convenient time. At this point, my kids would tease me, and say, “Oooh, technology!” Well, I am impressed by it!
Around the house…my eldest is back from her missions trip to Scotland, my youngest is doing her homework, my Mom is doing the laundry and hanging the clothes up around the house to dry the old fashioned way, and my husband and I are relaxing. If you’re wondering why my Mom’s doing our laundry, it’s because she insists. It gives her something to do, so she says. In fact, she doesn’t want us in there. It’s her turf. She’s set in her ways. We know better than to get in the way of a stubborn Finnish woman!
One of my favourite things…touring a warship. I’ve been on HMCS Fredericton and HMCS Halifax. On “Freddy”, I got to go below decks and see how the sailors really live. It was cool.
A few plans for the week…Purchase the things I need for the dinner after my daughter’s baptism next week. We’ll have about thirty guests. I also need to purchase last minute items for our trip. Only eleven more sleeps!

Days Off

Feb.16, 2009

Outside my window...a mild, sunny day. You could almost forget it was still winter.
I am thinking...I can't believe the boldness of some people. Two women and a man came into our church yesterday. They were pretty rough looking, but I didn't want to prejudge them. Our church is in inner city Scarborough and there are alot of people in the neighbourhood on social assistance. I was in the nursery, holding a baby near the half-door, when one of the women came downstairs. She went straight for the coats and started checking the pockets. Then she saw me watching her, and stepped into the bathroom. When everyone came downstairs for the church supper, a few minutes later, I told my husband. A few minutes after that, she and the man were gone, and someone's purse was missing. The other woman said she sort of knew them and gave the woman's address, but we're not sure if she had anything to do with it. The police were called, but more than likely the money was removed, and the purse was tossed. Fortunately, she had only $20 and no credit cards. She was upset, of course, and had to cancel and replace her debit and health cards and replace keys and locks. The church will reimburse her for this. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had been my purse, which has both sets of my reading glasses(why, I don't know), both memory cards that have my stories on them (why both, I don't know), credit cards, I.D. and about 20 rewards cards. This tells me I need to re-think the contents of my purse.
I am thankful for...having my mom in my life. She lives in our basement apartment and we get along well. Two women in one house, though, need two kitchens. We have privacy and see each other when we want to, but she's not a meddler, and we don't feel like we have to eat together every day, or invite her upstairs if we're having guests. My husband likes the situation, as well. Not every man can live with his mother-in-law, which shows how exceptional he is. It's been great to have her with us. Ten years ago, when my husband had cancer, she was living 8 hours away, and that's when she realized she wanted to be closer. Her grand-daughters were growing up and she was only seeing them once or twice a year. Now she has a great relationship with them, and there is obvious mutual affection.
I know one day we may be looking after her, if she is ill or frail, but for now, she looks after us in many ways; driving my daughter to school, cooking supper a few days a week, and doing our laundry. Did I mention before that I had a good life?
From the kitchen...baby back ribs (my favourite), hassleback potatoes, carrots and broccoli, and apple coffee cake. We're having a guest for dinner today; our late Pastor's widow. She has been a good friend to us, and to my mom since she moved to Toronto when she turned 60. When you move at that age, you tend to leave all your friends behind. This lady is still a member at our church, and has been witnessing to my mom.
I am wearing...jeans and a black "mom sweater".
I am reading...Revealed, by Tamera Alexander. It's a Christian historical romance.
I am hoping...we can figure out how to operate our new camcorder before we go to Mexico. If we do, I'll post the video of the tour of our library.
I am hearing...the soundtrack from Sense and Sensibility.
Around the house...My eldest is in Scotland, safe and sound. My youngest just started a blog this week. http://www.leahanneli.blogspot.com/ She's a chip off the old block.
Today would have been my father's seventieth birthday, if he hadn't died at age 28. It's a sad day for my mom. When my husband was talking with her the other day, she revealed that she was angry at God that her husband died young.
One of my favourite things...long weekends. Even though I work hard while I'm at work, it's the kind of work I can leave at work (unlike my husband, who is always on duty). On the weekend, my time is my own, and this is my fourth night off.
A few plans for the week...haircut, doctor's appointment, working three nights. I wanted to get things done today, but almost every place is closed because of the new Family Day holiday.

Adventures in Life

Feb.13, 2009

Outside my window…a cold, windy day, but at least half of the snow banks have melted this week.
I am thinking…that my youngest daughter will make a great lawyer. This week she received a bill for $31.00 from the public library for a book she returned months ago. She went there and explained the situation. They asked, “How do we know you returned it?” She said that if they checked the shelf, they’d find it there. She wasn’t entirely sure it hadn’t been signed out again, but she knew she had returned it. They checked and it was there. Then they said, “But there are still outstanding late fees.” She asked, “How can there be late fees when it’s been here all along?” They expunged her record. Go girl!
I am thankful for…my oldest daughter’s phone call this week, where she shared her joy over leading a person to Christ. These are the things that really matter in life. I’m glad these are the things that bring her joy.
From the kitchen…pasta, sauce, meatballs, and salad.
I am wearing…jeans and a grey NAVY t-shirt.
I am reading…Just Cause by Susan Page Davis. It’s a Christian suspense novel about a woman wrongly accused of her husband’s murder.
I am hoping…that since the federal budget passed, we’ll have some stability in the government for awhile. But I’m feeling 40 billion dollars poorer.
I am hearing…the evening news. Sad news about the horrific plane crash near Buffalo, New York last night. Being a nervous flyer, myself, I’m trying not to think about the fact that right now my daughter is on a plane to Scotland.
Around the house…my daughter’s missions trip to Scotland starts today. I’m proud of her and hope she has a great experience.
One of my favourite things…writing. I love creating a life for my characters. They become my friends and I tend to fall in love with my leading men, but then, I create them near perfect, so how can I not love them?
A few plans for the week…I’m beginning a four day weekend. I haven’t made any plans yet for “family day” on Monday. My husband has to work anyway. We’re not going out for Valentine’s Day since we ate out the last two Fridays, and we leave for Mexico in 20 more days. Besides, I feel love every day, not just on Valentine’s Day. I even told my husband not to buy my weekly roses this week, since they are overpriced for the holiday. It’s not such a hardship for me to do without. (Don’t I sound noble?)

50 Random Things About Me

1. I think submarines are the coolest things ever invented (the boats, not the sandwiches).
2. I hate flying.
3. I started a blog in July.
4. I love my job as an oncology nurse even though I work full time nights.
5. I eat an egg every day.
6. I met my husband in a hospital. (No, he wasn’t a patient. He was in housekeeping, and he swept me off my feet).
7. I once stowed away on a ferry between Finland and Sweden.
8. I would love to go to Papua New Guinea one day.
9. My first job was in a convenience store, making $2.15 per hour.
10. I would love to write for a living. I currently have seven stories in the works.
11. I was on the chess club in public school. I know, “Nerd Alert!” Now I hardly remember how to play.
12. I don’t like to play many sports. Like most girls, I only pretended to like sports, to meet guys.
13. I’m a bit of a princess, but my husband helps keep me that way by buying me roses every Friday. Okay, so I was one before I met him, but now I have no reason to change.
14. I could leave winter and never miss it.
15. I would love to learn Spanish, German, scuba diving, sign language, and archery.
16. I am a bookaholic.
17. I can be stubborn (that’s a Finnish trait).
18. I drank coffee every day since I was five (except when I was pregnant). It’s best not to talk to me until I’ve had two cups.
19. My favourite meal is steak and lobster, but my favourite comfort food is ribs and hassleback potatoes.
20. I love to watch soccer, especially English Premier League and German Bundesliga. (Aston Villa and Bayern Munich are my favourite teams).
21. I take a while to learn new things, especially technology.
22. I hate talking on the phone, and I never want to buy a cell phone, because of Number 17, 21 and 22.
23. The first impression people get of me is that I’m aloof or snobbish, but really, I’m just shy and not good with small talk.
24. I was born in Finland and am fluent in Finnish.
25. Growing up, I took lessons in rhythmic gymnastics, jazz dancing, square dancing (really), and badminton. I can't play any musical instruments, though.
26. I'm not a social hugger. Forced hugs make me uncomfortable.
27. I love Jane Austen books and movies, or movies in that time period.
28. I don't care for modern chick flicks.
29. I love war movies, especially submarine movies.
30. I like to read military history, biographies, missionary adventures, submarine technothrillers, systematic theology, inspirational romance and Christian thrillers. Pretty eclectic, eh?
31. When something interests me, I'll obsess about it for a few years, and then I'll move on to something else.
32. I have no tattoos or piercings.
33. I am a Top Reviewer on chapters.ca
34. I like camping, as long as I don't forget anything.
35. I respect the ocean. It both fascinates and scares me.
36. I can crochet, but I can't knit.
37. I've concluded from personal experience that pain from kidney stones is DEFINITELY worse than natural childbirth.
38. I love German Shepherds. I hope to have one again, someday.
39. I plan to semi-retire at age 55. Ten years to go!
40. I watch too much soccer. I know the names of the referees and can tell which players have had a recent haircut.
41. I haven't been back to Finland in 32 years.
42. I am not the least bit handy. I would be lost without my husband.
43. I am a list maker and I like to plan things.
44. I don't handle it well when things don't go according to plan.
45. I don't like to be tickled.
46. My stories are my babies. I love them each for different reasons.
47. I'm proud of my daughters.
48. I went to the same public school and highschool as Ken Danby (a famous Canadian artist who died recently). It didn't confer any artistic ability onto me.
49. I have the most romantic and caring husband. He's too good for the likes of me.
50. I am a born-again Christian (Baptist, Calvinist).

Remembering My Pregnancies

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yes.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Excited.

4. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26

5. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
A pregnancy test at the doctors. The home pregnancy tests were negative.

6. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
My husband, of course. He was at a sportsman's show and kept calling home to see if I'd heard yet. The guy he was with must have thought he was a wuss because he couldn't be away from his wife for a few hours without calling home four times.

7. DUE DATE?
November 21, 1990

8. ACTUAL DATE BABY WAS BORN?
November 26, 1990 after induction.

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Almost every day for nine months. I carried a plastic bag in my coat pocket so I'd be ready when I was on the subway. I would feel my palms sweat and mouth water, I'd think, "It's time." I'd get off the train, do it, and get on with my day. Only the first of many sacrifices for my kids.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Potatoes and bread. My husband would ask, "How are we having our potatoes, today?" One day I was in the mood for KFC and potato salad. My husband had made chicken and rice for dinner. The baby's wishes prevailed and he went out and bought me my heart's desire.

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
Varicose veins. Thanks for that, Hanna. No, really thanks. I used to have nice legs.

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Female

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
No, although I was expecting I'd have a boy because everyone who saw me was convinced that's what I was carrying.

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
22 pounds.

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes, I had 3.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew. I always guessed. But I pretended to be surprised.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
I developed a blood clot in my leg a week before delivery.

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
Nine hours. It was only bad near the end.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
My husband. We had a new car and it had cloth seats. He was so worried my water would break and I'd ruin the seat so he made me sit on a green garbage bag for the last month of my pregnancy. Imagine!

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
My husband. My obstetrician, who came in even though he wasn't on call, and a nurse. It was change of shift and I wish the nurse I laboured with would have been with me through to the birth, but hey, I know, nurses need to go home after a twelve hour shift. It's not all about me. :/

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
I had an epidural, no complications. It was wonderful, although I still felt the actual delivery.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
8 lb 3 oz.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
8:15 p.m. Monday, November 26, 1990

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Hanna Rebekka

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
18.

28. WAS YOUR SECOND PREGNANCY PLANNED?
No, but the timing was good.

29. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes.

30. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Thrilled.

31. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
28.

32. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
A pregnancy test at the doctors. I knew I was pregnant, even though two home pregnancy tests were negative.

33. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
My husband, of course.

34. DUE DATE?
August 24, 1992.

35. ACTUAL DATE BABY WAS BORN?
August 26, 1992 after induction.

36. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Minimal, maybe five times in the whole pregnancy, so I was sure I must be having a boy since this pregnancy was so different from my first.

37. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Chocolate.

38. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
Having to wear thick, support hose at all times (due to my previous blood clot in my leg) during an especially hot summer.

39. WHAT WAS YOUR SECOND CHILD'S SEX?
Female.

40. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
No, I was glad I had two girls because it saved on clothes since we were poor.

41. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
20 pounds.

42. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes, I had one after she was born.

43. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
This time I was totally surprised, and wish I wasn’t because I didn’t look my best.

44. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
I developed a blood clot in the same spot in the same leg at the same point in the pregnancy as last time.

45. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto.

46. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
Four and a half. Half of the time as my first, exactly.

47. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
No one. I was already there for my appointment with my obstetrician when we decided he’d induce me, so my husband and my mom met me there.

48. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
My husband, my mom, the same obstetrician who delivered Hanna, and two nurses.

49. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Au naturalle. They induced me, planning to give me my epidural once it was progressing, but then the anaesthetists got called away on emergencies, and they told me we had to “consider other options.” I was not impressed. “I want my epidural!” We gave laughing gas a try but it was just a distraction and did nothing for the pain. Anyway, compared to a delivery with an epidural, it was quite an experience. I can relate to millions of women who gave birth in the days before epidurals, but that’s where the nostalgia ends. Give me an epidural anytime.

50. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
No other medications.

51. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
7 lb 8 oz.

52. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
5:00 p.m. Monday,August 26, 1992

53. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Leah Anneli

54. HOW OLD IS YOUR SECOND BORN TODAY?
16.

Ambitions

Feb. 4, 2009

Outside my window...one of the coldest days of the winter. I've had about enough of it, although we'll probably have another six weeks of it. And I didn't need a groundhog to tell me that.
I am thinking...that it's interesting that both our daughters want careers where they help people. Our eldest wants to be a social worker, and our youngest wants to be a lawyer. She came home from school today, excited, because they had a guest speaker from the International Justice Mission. She said, "I think I've found what I want to do with my life." This organization uses legal avenues internationally to rescue people from slavery and the sex trade. She knows she won't make as much money as she would if she practiced law here, but she wants to make a difference in the world. She may take International Studies as her undergrad degree. (She may also change her mind many times as well). I'm very proud of both of them, for many reasons.
I am thankful...that all of the required financial support came in for my daughter's upcoming missions trip to Scotland. Praise God. His people were so generous.
From the kitchen...beef stew and freshly baked bread. Perfect on such a cold day.
I am wearing...jeans and a purple sweater.
I am reading...The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeannette Walls.
I am hoping...that we don't need to change the date of my youngest daughter's baptism, since I've already invited forty people.
I am hearing...the sounds of my nursing unit on night shift.
Around the house...my husband was home today for Doctor's appointment; long term effects from his chemo. My mom's doing well, no chest pain.
One of my favourite things...keeping in touch with friends on facebook.
A few plans for the week...work two more nights, go on a date with my husband, buy a video camera for our trip. Bring my oldest daughter to a church in Oakville Sunday night, where she will be singing. She's singing at three different worship events this weekend. She didn't inherit her singing voice from me, thankfully.

The Battle for Arctic Sovereignty

A recent documentary on CBC’s The Doc Zone, highlighted the issues Canada is facing. Many of these points are from the documentary, and some are my responses to it. My comments are in italics.
The Arctic is under siege. Issues of security, resources of oil and gas reserves, shipping lanes, and global warming are turning the far north into a regional hotspot. We don’t know what’s going on in the Arctic because we don’t have the resources to man it. We are an Arctic country; if we can’t stand up and defend it, what does sovereignty ultimately mean?
“Without national security, all other individual rights become theoretical.” J.L. Granatstein
Canada’s entire military is smaller than the police force of some American cities. Add to that the enormous size of the Arctic and the inhospitable nature of it, and you can see how difficult it is to defend. Sadly, a big factor in the defense of Canada’s north is the apathy or gullibility of the Canadian people. They don’t want to spend money to protect our borders, because they feel we are internationally loved and respected (not true) and that the U.S. would always step up to defend us. Why pay for our own protection when our big brother to the south will rush in to help? This is also a fallacy. Recent anti-American sentiment and protectionist policies may make our “friends” to the south less likely to rush to our aid, when they have their own concerns.
The North West Passage (NWP) is the route from Europe to Asia. Many explorers died searching for it so they wouldn’t have to go around Cape Horn. It was finally discovered by Norwegian, Amundsen in 1906. Imagine, if those early explorers only had access to satellite images, they could have taken a shot in the summer and another in the winter, and they’d see the best way to transit through it, and even that such a thing really did exist. But, technology hadn’t come that far yet.
The Arctic is warming two times faster than the rest of the planet. There have now been two consecutive summers, with ice free waters, due to melting polar ice caps. The NWP could become a new superhighway for cargo and cruise ships. The trip through the NWP is 7,000 km shorter than the current shipping route through the Panama Canal, thus saving two weeks of travel between the Atlantic and the Pacific. For decades, this dispute didn’t mean much as long as it was locked in ice. That has changed.
Canada claims them as internal waters, long inhabited by the Inuit. Americans and Europeans insist the NWP is an international strait because it joins two oceans. One wonders what tune the U.S. would sing if there was, theoretically, a waterway that started in the east near New York or Washington, which then meandered through the country, close to major cities, and exited to the Pacific near Los Angeles. Yeah, that’s what I thought. There’s no way they would allow anyone and their brother with a ship or submarine to transit through “their country” unannounced; probably, not even if they were announced. The security issues are immense. Missiles could be fired from there, troops can land, and environmental disasters could occur and impact their country. Aah, now they see our point. Not that a theoretical scenario will change things. They’re bigger than us, and they do what they want to do.
Canada realizes it can do little to enforce who comes and goes. Canada launched a satellite, but it won’t be fully integrated into our military until 2011. All the intelligence in space won’t matter if you don’t have enough people on the ground to act on it. If they deem a ship “suspicious”, there is limited capacity to do anything about it.
Right now, it’s not even compulsory for ships passing through the NWP to register with Canada. We rely on ships to voluntarily check in at one of our two manned tracking stations the coast guard has in the entire Arctic. We’ve had a few incidents. One was a German cruise ship that appeared out of the fog one morning. Innocent enough, sure, but what about foreign submarines spying, or cargo ships carrying dangerous cargo that could run aground? An environmental disaster in the North would be there for decades, if not centuries.
The melting Arctic ice also now makes it easier to get at the resources previously trapped under the ice. It is estimated that the Arctic has 30% of all undiscovered Natural Gas in the world, and approximately 15-30% of all undiscovered oil in the world. That intensifies the race to explore and map the Far North and stake out new claims in Arctic riches.
The Arctic Ocean is bordered by five countries: Canada, U.S., Russia, Denmark and Norway. Russia has been the most passionate about conquering the far north. They planted a flag on the ocean floor of the North Pole in 2007. Russia badly needs the resources in the North Pole for economic reasons. In the Western Arctic, Canada is up against the U.S. In the Beaufort Sea, between Yukon and Alaska, drawing boundaries can have huge consequences, because oil and gas companies are already eager to come in.
If you stake a claim, you also have to be able to protect that territory. After years of neglect, does Canada’s military have the clout to do that? Saying, “The North belongs to Canada”, is not the same as being able to protect it. If a patrol spotted something suspicious, like a foreign sub, they would call out an Aurora, but none of our eighteen Auroras is stationed in the North. They would take 8-12 hours to get there from B.C. or Nova Scotia, by which time the sub would be long gone. The Auroras are more than 30 years old; most of the fleet stranded for repairs.
The sovereignty control is even worse on the water. Not a single warship (yes, Canada has warships), in Canada’s Navy is equipped to withstand the Arctic ice in winter.
Prime Minister Harper had planned to make Arctic Sovereignty a priority, promising three new ice-worthy vessels. That promise was broken. I had hoped that this Prime Minister would have been able to do something to bolster our military, but his Minority Government status has tied his hands.
Our submarine situation is not much better. We have four, 15 year old diesel subs, purchased second-hand from Britain. Diesel subs do not go under ice, because they have to surface to recharge their batteries. In the 1980’s, it was proposed that Canada purchase nuclear submarines, but the outcry against it was too great. This is unbelievable. Typical Canadian philosophy to leave our military ill-equipped and then complain when we can’t defend ourselves. Three of our four subs were docked for extensive and expensive repairs in 2008. By contrast, the Russians have more than thirty nuclear subs capable of months’ long journeys under the polar ice. They vow to build more. They also have seven nuclear powered ice breakers. We’re the only navy that doesn’t have the capability to monitor its’ own oceans. Our ability to know what’s going on in our own backyard is essentially zero.
We know less about the Arctic than we do about the dark side of the moon.
So in whose hands does the monitoring and security of Canada’s north depend? With approximately 4,000 volunteer reservists, mostly Inuit, called Canadian Rangers. They are the eyes and ears of the North, devoted to protecting the land. There are fewer than 500 people, north of 60 to patrol an area the size of Europe.
If these facts don’t scare the average Canadian, one would hope that our politicians would be responsible and pro-active in protecting our land and resources from countries that are all too eager to exploit them while we look the other way. One hopes our enemies aren’t aware of these facts, but again, that’s just Canadian wishful thinking.

Stability

Jan. 29, 2009

Outside my window...a gentle snowfall. Apparently, Toronto has already exceeded last years' snowfall amount. We're on our way to getting the most snowfall in 70 years. I would be happy to stop talking about snow, already.
I am thinking...a relatively stable political climate is a good thing. I was afraid the Liberals would vote against the budget of our minority Conservative government and either force another expensive election soon after the last one, or worse, attempt another coup, excuse me, "coalition" like they tried before Christmas. That really made me mad. They weren't voted in, so they banded together; Liberals, Socialists, and even Separatists, to try to seize power. I signed all kinds of petitions (okay two) in my outrage. It takes a lot to get a typical Canadian fired up about politics, but the public outcry was actually a good sign. We're not as apathetic as we may seem. As it stands, they are forcing the Conservatives to table a budget with forty billion dollars on make-work projects. While some infrastructure is necessary to stimulate the economy, I think during a recession, you need to decrease spending. If the average householder lost his job, would it make sense to max out his credit cards? I don't think so. This is just typical Liberal tax-and-spend policies, and they are only getting away with it, because they don't want to force an election right now, or they would surely lose, again.
I am thankful for...my mom's recovery. She had an appointment with the Cardiologist today, and will have some follow-up tests in the near future. She plans to start her daily walks in the neighbourhood again. Hopefully she won't slip and fall and break her ribs like she did last March. :(
From the kitchen...veal stew, biscuits, and salad.
I am wearing...jeans, burgundy v-neck top.
I am reading...Just Jane, by Nancy Moser. It's a fictional look at the life of Jane Austen.
I am hoping...to have a better attitude about bowling with out church tomorrow night. I always grumble about going, but then I usually have a good time. It's just that I'm not a big fan of bowling anyway, and whenever they want to plan something to do as a group, it defaults back to bowling. Friday is usually our date night, and I feel resentful about it. See why I need a change of attitude? It sounds terrible selfish of me, doesn't it? It's not like I don't get any time with my husband...
I am hearing...a soccer game between two of my favourite teams, Aston Villa and Portsmouth. I'd be happy whoever wins, but I'm happier since A-V is leading 1-0.
Around the house...I am beginning a four-day weekend. I have some shopping and errands tomorrow. My youngest daughter is finished her grade 11 mid-term exams. Both of our girls learned much earlier than we did how to study. They'll do well.
One of my favourite things...having every weekend off. That's a rare thing in the nursing profession.
A few plans for the week...clean my house on Saturday. Begin planning the party for my youngest daughter's baptism in March. Hopefully find some time to write.

Still Beating

Jan. 26, 2009

Outside my window...a freezing cold day, -22C. I even had to scrape ice off the INSIDE of the windshield this morning! The only good thing is that it's too cold to snow.
I am thinking...that while it's significant that there is now a black man in the White House, I think his coronation, excuse me, inauguration was over the top. I also think the media is having a love fest for him, expecting him to solve the country's ills. I doubt he can live up to the extremely high expectations, although they'll criticize him less and let him get away with more, just because he's a democrat. Time will tell what kind of President he'll turn out to be. I also think it's sad that so many Christians voted for him, when he's already showing himself to be very liberal when it comes to moral-ethical issues like abortion and embryonic stem cell research. While I admire much about him, I would not have voted for him, were I an American, for the above reasons. I don't believe the world's problems, or even a country's problems will be solved through politics. Countries change when one person at a time surrenders to Christ and lives for Him.
I am thankful for...my mom's health. On Monday, she had the angiogram to investigate her chest pain. They found 85% blockage in one artery. They said they could fit her in that afternoon for an angioplasty, which is basically the insertion of a small straw-like tube into the artery to open it up and improve blood flow while pressing the plaques up against the sides of the artery. That night though, I got a call from the hospital at 11:30 saying she was having chest pain and ECG changes and they were sending her to CCU for observation. I was very concerned. The next morning they repeated the angiogram and found something they had missed the first time: another blockage of 70%. They opened it up with a wire and kept her in CCU for another night of observation. She came home on Wednesday, bruised but better. Both of her brothers had heart attacks at age 47, one had it with only 70% blockage. If they hadn't found these blockages, she may have had a heart attack. i was so relieved that she was in hospital when these complications occurred. Our Pastor visited her in CCU. My greatest concern is for her spiritual health. If not now, then some day. If not this way, another. We all have to die. She will be 69 in March. I would love to see her saved.
From the kitchen...chicken wings, perogies, salad.
I am wearing...blue track pants, a burgundy top.
I am reading...Searching for Spice by Megan DiMaria. It's Christian chick-lit about a woman who is looking to have a sizzling romance with her husband.
I am hoping...to get my budget for the year organized.
I am hearing...Hold On, by Santana. It brings back memories of my teen years and one day in particular.
Around the house...my youngest daughter is writing mid-term exams this week, Math and Marketing today. My oldest daughter has almost all the support she needs for her missions trip to Scotland.
One of my favourite things...a health care system that is free.
A few plans for the week...work three nights. Go bowling with the people from church on Friday night.

Worries

Jan. 18, 2009

Outside my window...a gentle snowfall. Still very cold, but we didn't lose power for 24 hours like thousands did in the west end this week.
I am thinking...that sometime it's not good to know too much. My mom is going for an angiogram tomorrow. When I used to work on General Medicine, we used to send people for this test. It's not without risk. It's an invasive test to determine if there is blockage in the coronary arteries, and how much of it there is. They insert a catheter into a vein in the groin and then thread it up to the heart, watching on a screen as they do it. I've known of patients who have had a cardiac arrest during or soon after the procedure because a small plaque breaks off and becomes an embolism that goes to the heart, brain or lungs. I wish I didn't know what to be worried about.
I am thankful for...such a good healthcare system. My mom just saw the cardiologist on Thursday, and the angiogram is on Monday. The fact that it is happening so fast makes me wonder if the cardiologist is as concerned about the frequency of my mom's chest pain as I am. She put her on a Nitro patch and it seems to be keeping the chest pain away for now.
From the kitchen...turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots, beans, and chocolate mousse pie. This was the extra turkey we got from our neighbours at Christmas.
I am wearing...a grey pantsuit and a black blouse.
I am reading...Betrayed, by J.M. Windle. It's a Christian thriller set in Guatemala.
I am hoping...my mom's angiogram goes without complications, we get some answers and treatment options.
I am hearing...silence.
Around the house...I switched a shift to be off for my mom's test. She specifically asked me to come with her, and she doesn't ask for much.
One of my favourite things...our new PVR. No more missed soccer games. This might be a problem.
A few plans for the week...Go to the hospital with my mom, work three nights, clean the church, go to a friends' place for dinner Saturday night.

Childhood Games

My Timeline--1971

In grade two, I had a half-Finnish teacher. She had long red hair and was very pretty. She was single and seemed to all of us students, to have a crush on the Principal, a handsome man named Mr. Wright, of all things. We all giggled and whispered whenever he’d come to the door to visit her. He was married, though, and left the school at the end of the year. My favourite subject was spelling, and I got nearly perfect in it. I still have trouble with the words that I got wrong that year, like rhthym, which makes no sense to me.
Our singing teacher, was the Grade Three teacher. She used to teach us Sunday School songs, back before such things would be forbidden. I learned a lot of Bible stories through those songs, because she would explain the story behind the song. In opening cermonies, we used to sing O Canada, God Save the Queen, and recite the Lord’s Prayer. How different now.
Our school also held a bi-annual fun night, which I attended in Kindergarten, grade 2,4,6, and 8. I could hardly stand the wait in the interval. It wasn’t a huge production: just carnival-type games after-hours at school. Even just going to school in the evening helped make it magical. The games cost 10 cents each, and you could get prizes from the fishing pond, which was just a barrier that you put a fishing rod over. I was given a few quarters to spend, but it never seemed like enough. I say this, because the fact that this was a highlight of my life, shows again how poor we were. There was never any hope of going to Disney World, and they didn’t have play places for kids like they do now. We had to make our own fun. We played games with the neighbourhood kids: hide and seek, tag, kick the can, Red Rover, Green Green Red, Simon Says, Mother May I? War, skipping, ball games and baseball. Some kids had marbles, but we couldn’t afford them.
In my class, there was a girl, who had a bird’s last name. She also, ironically had webbed feet. If I didn’t see it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. She had a thin layer of skin between her first and second toe, on both feet.
At that time, we had a Finnish family move into our neighbourhood. They built a large house halfway up the hill. To me, they were rich. They weren’t, of course, but compared to us, they had everything. He was a contractor, and she was a cleaning lady, or as the Finns say, a ‘leaning lady.’
My friend, their daughter, also had an unpronounceable Finnish name that started with P. They had a sauna in their house, so I was there often. I slept over a lot, even on school nights. She had a double bed with pink satin sheets. She also had a clock radio and an organ. She was very independent. From an early age, she would cook her own breakfast.
Also, most summers we would visit various cottages, or “camps” as they’re called up North. There was one Finnish family who owned a camp on the same lake as my cousin (See My Favourite Place, Vacations). This particular camp was built on a “kallio”, which is a hill made of Canadian Shield Rock. The camp was made level by being raised up on bricks at the front. It never seemed very secure to me, but then it never fell over either. The “kallio” would slope down and the mossy slimy covering allowed you to slide down into the water.
I never liked driving there as a kid. You had to park up on the “kallio” and from where I was sitting in the car, I could only see out onto the lake, and when my Mom was backing up, I thought we’d roll right off the “kallio” into the lake. It was then that I realized I didn’t care for edges. I was hysterical. My mom had to let me out of the car so she could park it in peace, while I watched from safety.
This family had two daughters. The older one was chubby and the mom always drew attention to it, by making “diet pizza” and “diet brownies” for Shirley.
The dad was very harsh with them. He kept a switch tucked into the door jamb and he would use it on his daughters for the smallest reason, and even if we were around. I was afraid of him, even though he wouldn’t have threatened us. He was so different from my father. This man never seemed happy, except when he was drunk. Then he was just plain obnoxious. Once, he tipped my teenaged cousin off the air mattress she was lying on, on the dock, making her land on sharp rocks. I think he did it because she had her bathing suit top undone, and it fell off when he tipped her over. He made me nervous that way. He wall-papered the outhouse of their camp with pornography. As a little girl, I found it quite disturbing. What kind of man, with two daughters of his own, does that sort of thing?

Paul's Pastoral Concern

Introduction to Philemon

According to the notes in my Geneva Study Bible, this is an epistle (letter) from the Apostle Paul to Philemon, a Christian brother and slaveholder in Colosse. We are basically reading someone’s personal mail. It gives us a glimpse into first century life and the Pastoral concern of Paul for individual believers and their relationships with each other.
The letter was written when Paul was in prison in Rome c.60 A.D. It may have been sent along with the letter to the Colossians.
Philemon’s slave, Onesimus had run away and had somehow met Paul in Rome. Through Paul’s teaching, Onesimus had become a Christian. Paul’s purpose in writing was to ask Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a Christian brother. In pursuit of this goal, Paul barely restrains himself from demanding the favour. He writes a powerful appeal to bring about a Christian answer to a very serious problem.
Paul’s judgment appears to be that Philemon should free the offending slave, for the sake of Christian love toward a fellow believer.
The letter was written in his own handwriting, and is much more than an example of rhetoric. We see Paul’s heart and his desire to make Christian love the first rule of human action.