My baby is 30!

 

August Journaling

1.    Fourteen guests from Tenerife for dinner: Apps of jalapeno poppers in Festival, stuffed mushroom caps, cucumber salmon and cream cheese bites, watermelon arugula and feta bites and potato and pea samosas. Main course of jerk chicken thighs, bbq chicken thighs, jerk king fish steaks, Mexican street corn, and Greek salad. Dessert of cupcakes. Lemonade, non-alcoholic sangria, pop, water, juice, bubbly, coffee, and tea.

2.    Going to find out more about a diet my doctor recommended. I’m so discouraged; I’ve tried so many for at least three months at a time and nnot a significant change at all. I’m tempted to give up, but my weight just climbs. I find the problem with so many of these is they assume you overeat and I barely manage three meals a day and a little snack with my bedtime pills. Then going to a bbq at the home of our guests from yesterday.

3.    Hamilton to see the grandkids. I taught them a lesson I wrote myself about how the Bible is like a lot of things; today it was an umbrella, which you have to open for it to protect you. I brought them new umbrellas.

4.    Catching up on writing.

5.    Ordering in, because it’s Friday.

6.    Church picnic. Lots of fun and sun and food.

7.    Church.

8.    Chiro and massage. First official interview for our new pastor.

9.    Downtown for our anniversary dinner, belated. Relaxing down by the water.

10. Dropped off my car to get certified, then my husband and I went to spend the day with the grandkids.

11. Dentist, then another pastoral interview tonight.

12. My husband is still on vacation.

13. This summer is going by too fast.

14. Church and then took the guest pastor and his wife out for dinner.

15. Getting more info about the diet, which will start next Monday. Then the other pastoral candidate preached a short sermon in the evening to the pulpit committee and their spouses.

16. Pain clinic, then a leadership meeting at church tonight.

17. My mom and I went to Hamilton to look after the kids. The baby started daycare this week, it’s in a home nearby.

18. Lunch with my sister-in-law downtown and saw her workspace where she teaches singing and public speaking.

19. Our only beach day all summer, but it was nice and relaxing.

20. Starting my six week diet. Let’s hope this one works, nothing else has. It starts, ironically with two days of ‘loading’ 5,000 calories a day. I can usually only eat 2,000 max so this will be a challenge. Also went out to babysit our grandkids since their babysitter is getting married.

21. Church. Still trying to overeat. You also take these sublingual sprays three times a day to increase your metabolism and keep your body from starvation mode since it’s a big drop in calories, and basically no carbs, dairy, or oils. These two days were hard to do because they expect you to try to eat 5,000 calories a day for two days, especially high fat foods. It’s called the loading phase. I usually eat about 1,500 to 2,000 max so I could only manage around 3,600 calories. I was stuffed. It must be psychological too because you’d want to eat sensibly afterwards.

22. First day. I set my goal for 25 pounds but ideally I’d like to lose 30 pounds. That’s how much I’ve put on in nine years of illness. Went to get the paperwork done and notarized for my sister’s car. Chiro appt. So far the diet is easy.

23. I’m down five pounds and a few inches. Encouraging.

24. Our daughter is arriving from Ottawa tonight.

25. A birthday celebration for our youngest who is 30 tomorrow! How did that happen? She is vegan now so our bbq was all vegan stuff. Also my car got picked up. I don’t get my sister’s until the 29^th.

26. My baby is 30 today!

27. Going up to Bracebridge for my brother-in-law’s birthday.

28. Church. My husband had to suddenly fill in for the song leader who was taken to hospital with heart issues.

29. Getting my new old car today. I miss mine, but this one is two years younger.

30. A delay on the car; the company promised but then gave half their employees the week off.

31. The car was delayed again till today, so I had a long day waiting to get it certified and then registered in my name.

The Ark Encounter and Creation Museum Trip

 June Journaling

To Hamilton to help with the grandkids. Rainy day.

2.    Bible study in Jonah chapter two. Voting day in the provincial election.

3.    Today is the 24^th anniversary of my husband’s cancer surgery. Never tire of celebrating that. It’s also Ribfest so that’s our dinner. Planted more vegetables and herbs. Prepped my pills for the next 18 days. I take 37 pills a day. Don’t feel bad for me. When I was first sick nine years ago I was taking 90 per day. Most are supplements. Hoping they’ll help with energy levels. I say I’m better than I was but still sicker than I look.

4.    Feeling nauseous from one of my five new pills, but because they all look alike and I’ve set them up for 18 days, I can’t remove any of them, so I just have to cope. Arrggh!

5.    Busy day at church with two services and two meetings; the Pulpit committee meeting and the DVBS meeting.

6.    Chiro and massage.

7.    Pain clinic for back injections.

8.    Hamilton to help with the grandkids.

9.    Bible study, then prepping for our short trip to the U.S.

10. Our daughter is home from Ottawa for the weekend for a concert.

11. Not feeling up to the gardening party at church this morning.

12. Church and pulpit committee meeting.

13. Writing, finishing up my lesson on Jonah.

14. Writing, errands and packing.

15. Hamilton to see the grand-blessings.

16. Bible study; finished Jonah. Heading out to Kentucky around noon. We have a 12 seater van for the seven of us. They got it so I could stretch out, which I appreciate.

17. It’s my husband’s 59^th birthday. How can that be? Went to an outlet mall. We are having a bbq at a friend’s place in Kentucky. The family we met were so nice, the woman, Mary is a kindred spirit. We have so much in common with being former nurses and having autoimmune illnesses, and being believers.

18. Going to the Ark Encounter today! It was AWESOME!

19. Going to the Creation Museum. I got so much writing research done in both places. It’s a business trip.

20. Driving home.

21. Finishing up the summaries of my Bible studies on four of the Minor Prophets for Thursday.

22. My final class was postponed till the 30^th because there is a funeral at church that morning.

23. Funeral this morning for an elderly man.

24. Doing some proofreading of seminary papers.

25. Watching sermons of some of the pastoral candidates.

26. Church. Our pastor was ill so we had two guest speakers; one was from Alabama. We took him and his wife out to eat afterwards, along with the people we traveled to Kentucky with and it was so nice to get to know them. Believers have an instant connection.

27. Writing, napping, doing laundry. I finished my summaries for four of the Minor Prophets so tomorrow I will get them printed.

28. Printing. My husband took the day off to take his uncle and his wife to Niagara Falls with my mother-in-law. Her brother lives in Florida and is a pastor.

29. Prayer meeting in person.

30. My final class of the year until the fall. Summaries of four of the Minor Prophets.

Cruise booked, then canceled

 

May Journaling

1.    Church, then bringing the kids back home.

2.    Meeting friends for dinner to make plans; they will be travelling with us to Kentucky in June, to the Ark Encounter. They’ve been before.

3.    Trying to catch up with writing since the weekend was full with the grandkids here.

4.    Prayer meeting; my husband was leading the devotion. A new woman was there. I invited her to our Bible study.

5.    Cinco de Mayo, but I made Finnish food instead of Mexican. Bible study this morning.

6.    Writing, cleaning. Going out to dinner with the friends we will be travelling to the Ark Encounter with, to flesh out the details.

7.    Heading to London for family time. So much food. The kids were in the pool all day even though the water was so cold. They also went in the hot tub and sauna, and had a camp fire. They’re living their best life.

8.    Returned home and sent off our daughter back to Ottawa. No church this weekend, which kind of throws me off.

9.    Writing and sending a parcel to Uganda.

10. Cleaning lady is here; we’ve decided to have her come once a month. So exciting. Very reasonable price for all she does.

11. Going to Hamilton to see the grandkids.

12. Bible study.

13. Our Pastor announced his upcoming retirement once a replacement is found. Sad.

14. My sister turned 60 and her birthday party is this evening at a tapas restaurant with a flamenco show.

15. We’ve book a Baltic cruise for this August; going to Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Estonia, and Finland. We will be in Helsinki two nights so we can see some relatives. I haven’t been back to the land of my birth for 45 years, when I was 13. Ironically, it’s Norwegian Cruise lines but it doesn’t go to Norway.

16. We booked the cruise before we looked at costs of flying and when I booked those, they cost more than the cruise, even with one of us free on points one way. We can’t justify it so we will postpone it till next summer. I’m very disappointed. We got our money back for everything except we took a hit on the cruise itself because it’s considered a cancellation so we only got back 75% because it was within 90 days of sailing. Expensive lesson to learn. I feel bad for our travel agent friend, whom we’ve inconvenienced.

17. So many mass shootings.

18. To Hamilton to help out. My newest granddaughter, who will turn two on Saturday, has incredible language skills. She understands ideas that go together: she’ll say, “I joking; funny, silly.” She speaks in seven word sentences: “I go upstairs to get it, lego.” She has two identical stuffies she sleeps with and told me they were twins. Her parents don’t know where she learned that.

19. Bible study, then highlights to cover the grey.

20. Bought a little purse and pjs for our granddaughter.

21. Grandbaby number three is two today. We bought her a little purse filled with kid’s sunglasses, lip balm, a comb and mirror.

22. Most of our cancelled trip has been reimbursed except part of the cruise.

23. I was dumb and cancelled our travel insurance instead of making a claim so I could get that money back. I am beyond dumb sometimes. What an expensive lesson.

24. Victoria Day weekend.

25. Writing.

26. Hamilton. Our two year old granddaughter can sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

27. Bible Study. Beginning the book of Jonah; one of my favourite books of the Bible.

28. A one-day women’s retreat at church. My mom came along.

29. Church.

30. Hormone doctor appointment.

Birthday!

 

April Journaling

1.    April Fool’s Day: the only holiday for atheists. “The fool has said in his heart: ‘There is no God.’” (Ps. 53:1)

2.    My aunt is coming from Finland tonight for six weeks.

3.    Church. I’ve stopped counting Covid weeks.

4.    We have a cleaning lady coming today, and to stay out of her way, we are going to the Tartan House Bed and Breakfast for breakfast. Then I’m having a haircut and my eyebrows done.

5.    Wow, so impressed with the cleaners, who cleaned the blinds, the light fixtures, the walls, the cupboard fronts, and everything else. I feel like I can breathe easier. My husband is so impressed he wants them to come once a month. A writing day, catching up on my podcasts.

6.    Going to Hamilton with my mom and aunt.

7.    Bible study. Amos chapter two. So exhausted, slept poorly yesterday.

8.    The second parcel arrived in Uganda, this time it took four weeks.

9.    The young man in Uganda had most of his belongings stolen out of his home, including his phone, so I bought him another one.

10. Church.

11. Getting my car winter tires off and maintenance and detailing done. My car is soooo filthy.

12. $1700 later, my car is road worthy. Had a flat and bad brakes, too. Yikes. And it’s a 12 year old car but I want to keep it on the road for at least half a year when we’ll get my mom’s somewhat newer car back from my sister when she moves out west.

13. Taking my mom for her fourth Covid shot.

14. Good Friday service with the Spanish and Mandarin congregations joining us. So nice to hear more voices singing. Pastor J.D. preached in Spanish and Francisco translated to English. Then someone from the Spanish church handed out packages of eight croissants for everyone.

15. We went to a Japanese tepanyaki (cooking table) restaurant with my mom and aunt. Delish.

16. Writing, catching up, trying to stay ahead.

17. Easter Sunday. Christ is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!

18. Made bread in the bread machine for the first time. I’m hooked. It was easy and delicious. Why did I wait this long to start?

19. Taking my mom for bloodwork and my aunt to Costco with me.

20. My daughter is returning to work after many years. The kids are seven, five, and two. She will have someone come to their home to look after them.

21. Bible study.

22. Healthy tax refund coming.

23. In-person women’s ministry meeting.

24. Church.

25. My husband had a five day weekend, and brought his car in for detailing and tire change.

26. I’ve signed up for my highschool reunion at Thanksgiving weekend up north. They weren’t my best years but I will be going more for my sister’s sake, since she will have already moved out west and this way I can see her.

27. To H-town to help with the kids.

28. Bible study.

29. Pain clinic and grocery shopping. The grandkids are coming for the weekend.

30. It’s my birthday, 58. I see the number but I don’t feel it. I got a strawberry shortcake. My husband had a picture printed and framed of my television interview on 700 Club Canada about my book. Shared my many blessings with the kids in Uganda.

 

Summoned Firefighters

 

March Journaling

1.    Family left this morning.

2.    Still sick. Cancelled my appointments for the week.

3.    No Bible study this week because the teacher (me) is sick.

4.    Sending off the second parcel to Uganda. I went with Canada Post again in spite of the corruption on the Ugandan postal service side, because it is only $300 whereas two couriers estimates would have charged $1900!

5.    Got to leave the house to buy a baby gift and some yarn and groceries. I’m a home body. My immersion blender died after 30 years, so I bought a new one in seafoam green.

6.    Covid week 102. I guess I’ll stop recording the weeks since the restrictions are soon to be lifted, including masks at the end of March, although Covid is still around.

7.    Chiropractor appointment. Smelts for dinner. Yum. A taste of my childhood, but they were free and it was like a Biblical catch of fish, you only had to lower a giant net down into the river and you’d scoop up buckets full.

8.    My daughter with three kids is thinking of going back to work.

9.    We’re not going to Hamilton this week because my daughter is going there on the weekend and gas and the 407 are expensive, plus they’ll be coming here next week on March break.

10. Bible study. Our course in the evening.

11. Our daughter is visiting from Ottawa for the weekend.

12. Our daughter has begun eating a vegan diet for the past few months; so she’s making us a cauliflower roast for dinner.

13. Church. Out for lunch with friends. Church again.

14. The grandkids are coming for an overnight. I summoned the fire trucks to our house at suppertime. I was cooking bacon and the house got smokey. The alarm went off and because I was alone at the time, I didn’t know how to turn it off right away, then I missed the call from the security company. Then I heard the sirens and thought, oh, no, I hope that’s not for me. But it was. Oopsie.

15. Doing crafts with the grandkids.

16. A telephone consult with a haematologist for my mom. They want her to have an iron infusion for her anemia.

17. My husband is working from home for two days to work on his paper for our course. No Bible class this week because of March break. But we have our online seminary course this evening on Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon.

18. We need to buy a new phone for my mom, she keeps getting duds. They ring or text when they feel like it.

19. Women’s meeting at church.

20. Last Sunday with Covid restrictions, God willing. Our daughter is coming from Ottawa for a concert that was rescheduled.

21. Trying to catch up with writing.

22. Errands and pain clinic. My mom got a new phone.

23. To Hamilton to see the grand-blessings.

24. Bible study, proofreading, then our course in the evening. So busy.

25. Helping set up my mom’s phone.

26. Proofreading another paper. The money covers the support of the orphans.

27. My mom is 82 today. We are going for lunch at my sister’s house.

28. Sent some money from my mom for Ukraine relief. Also gave a box of supplies like diapers to a Ukrainian church who is sending them over.

29. So busy with errands and fixing the glitches in my mom’s new phone, and getting our tax records ready for the accountant.

30. Taking my mom in to the hospital for an iron infusion for her anemia.

31. My mom’s sister is coming from Finland on Saturday for six weeks.

Ottawa Convoy and Russian Invasion of Ukraine

 

February Journaling

1.    My grandson is seven today. Such a big boy and so sweet. Dental appointment.

2.    More snow coming. Sigh.

3.    The so-called “freedom convoy” has besieged Ottawa and honks their horns non-stop all day. My daughter is afraid to go out because of the racists among them.

4.    We’re going to sponsor a boy in Uganda, and my mom, a girl. We’ve chosen the oldest kids, 15 and 14 because they need help with schooling. The schools there have been closed for two full years with no online options, obviously. They are not free either, but cost $35 per month.

5.    My sister and her grand-daughter came over to visit.

6.    Church Covid week 98. The women at church want to take part in the orphan ministry in Uganda so I brought a box for new items to send with a note on the monthly focus: for example Feb was underwear, March will be spoons and dresses.

7.    The winter Olympics in Beijing are on right now. Nice to see unique sports like Biathlon, which originated during the Winter War between Finland and Russia when the Finns skied and sniped, dressed in white.

8.    My eldest granddaughter is five today. She loves unicorns so she got many unicorn presents, balloons, and cake. We bought her a unicorn backpack and a unicorn dress.

9.    Writing up a summary of Obadiah for tomorrow.

10. Bible study, nap, dinner, and our online course in the evening. Our daughter in Ottawa went outside her apartment for the first time in fourteen days during the siege at Parliament.

11. Still trying to figure out the best way to send a parcel to Uganda that won’t have extra costs.

12. Russia is surrounding the Ukraine. They invaded eight years ago right after they finished hosting the Olympics so they’ll probably do that again after making up some pretext.

13. Church Covid week 99. Wow.

14. Valentine’s Day. Enjoyed some mussels.

15. My monthly trip to Costco, this time with my mom after our pain clinic appointment.

16. Today would have been my dad’s 83^rd birthday, but he was killed in a workplace accident at age 28.

17. Women’s Bible study; Joel chapter one. Interesting discussions about locusts and fasting.

18. We’ve decided to sponsor a child in Uganda, as has my mom.

19. The grandkids swung by on their way to a farm for Family Day weekend. The siege is finally cleared out of Ottawa and the border crossings. A sign seen in Ottawa by counter-protestors; Make Ottawa Boring Again.

20. Covid week 100; hard to believe. The Olympics are over. The Russians will attack now. They didn’t want to spoil the Olympics for their Chinese allies.

21. Family day, the grandkids were supposed to stop by on their way home but they got a flat.

22. There is a class-action suit by the citizens of downtown Ottawa, like my daughter who had to stay inside for three weeks and endure that noise non-stop. At least all that money they collected will be used for something useful.

23. My mom went to London to help out our daughter. My youngest granddaughter has a cold.

24. No Bible study this week because of Family Day. Called it: Russia invaded the Ukraine now that the Olympics ended. And made up a pretext. Mass exodus but you can’t empty out an entire country of that size.

25. Scary. Even while they are invading Ukraine, Putin took the time to warn Finland not to even think about joining NATO. You’d think he’d focus on the other former Soviet countries next, not a country that has been independent since 1917.

26. Went to our old church for the funeral of a man we’ve known for years. It was nice to see everyone, and the changes to the building. The service was very nice, and the gospel was preached.

27. Covid week 101, should I even keep track anymore. They’re starting to peel back the restrictions. Me and my mom got sick from my granddaughter. No covid, just a bad cold.

28. February over already. I feel bad that we’re so sick and weak. My aunt and cousins are coming for an overnight visit. It’s nice to host them for a change.

Parcel to Uganda

 

January Journaling

1.    Happy New Year! Let’s hope we can move past the pandemic this year.

2.    Covid week 93! And so it continues.

3.    My husband has one more day off. I got some very messy rooms tidied up.

4.    Taking my mom in for a doctor’s appointment. She got her Covid booster.

5.    Grandkids are coming for three nights so our daughter and her husband can get away for a delayed anniversary trip. Nine years already. My mom had an in-home assessment for home oxygen. She doesn’t need it anymore in my opinion; only when her hgb was so low. Now she’s better. My husband got his Covid booster.

6.    Lots of crafts, outside time, and a sauna. They’ll sleep well tonight.

7.    Back to a quiet house, but we miss them already.

8.    Men’s meeting. Writing. My mom bought a personal percussion massager. It’s like the thumper my chiropractor uses which I love. It is so amazing, I actually woke up the next morning without back pain. Our brand is called Rebel Pro.

9.    Covid week 94! Back to evening services.

10. Sent my first parcel to Uganda. I’m so excited for them to get it. I sent it by Canada Post. If it works well, then I’ll send more.

11. Shopping for the next parcel. I bought dozens of pairs of underwear of all sizes for my 60 ‘grandchildren’. Back to the pain clinic for back injections.

12. Getting my Covid booster today. That’s three then for all of us in the house. My mom and grandson had no reaction. My husband and daughters did.

13. Back to Women’s Bible studies. Doing it online for now. I’ve had such a busy two months with my mom’s health issues, so many appointments and tests, I’ve fallen behind in my writing. So I re-recorded the book of Job because Genesis and Job were originally recorded before I got my headset and microphone. So that has allowed me some breathing space. I may re-record Genesis as well, I only have to update them with Scarlet Threads, which is not as much work as re-writing everything. So far so good with my booster; no side effects.

14. My husband will take another course this winter for his Master’s program at Toronto Baptist Seminary. I will join in but will only audit again, since I don’t have time for writing papers.

15. Frustrated to be so far behind in writing.

16. Smart people are buying snow blowers to prepare for this big storm. I did not buy one. I am not smart. Church Covid week 95.

17. Snow storm so my mom’s CT scans need to be rescheduled. I shovelled half the driveway even though it’s still snowing, because then at least half of it will be a little lighter. Northern thinking. It was supposed to be the kids’ return to school after an extended Christmas break because of Covid and the first day is a snow day. My husband’s windshield cracked on his car as he drove in to work. It took hours for him to get home and since the streets aren’t plowed yet he parked at a nearby plaza and walked home.

18. So sore from shoveling yesterday.

19. Managed to get my mom’s CT scans rebooked for today, so the results will be in before her follow-up appointment with the ER doctor next week.

20. Women’s Bible study, on Mark 15. Amazed at the crucifixion account. Then the course started on Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon for me and my husband. More shoveling for my husband because the plow came back to get closer to the curb. Now it’s the heavy stuff.

21. Took my mom to get cortisone shots to her hips, and then for bloodwork.

22. Women’s ministry online. I shared about projects started during Covid; the orphans in Uganda and my podcast. Also a telephone appointment with my mom’s doctor.

23. Church Covid week 96.

24. Chiro and massage. I’m furious. The parcel I mailed to Uganda arrived, it took two weeks, which is reasonable. I paid no tax on it in Canada as it is a gift (for orphans). But when David went to pick it up he paid the $2.50 fee and they gave him a receipt. But then they sent him to another place to pay “tax” on it. They said he could only get it when he paid them the equivalent of $250 Canadian. Since when were taxes demanded in foreign currency? They wouldn’t invoice him or tell him how the taxes were calculated. !00% of the postal fee is how. Then he told them he didn’t have it. So he had to leave it with them. They had also opened it and rummaged through it. I hope everything is still there. This means the postal service of Uganda is complicit in the extortion and they are expecting a share of it too since they knowingly sent him to this other place. Such corruption. Such injustice. And no recourse. So I sent another $300 Canadian which is over $400 U.S. which I didn’t have. This is an expensive lesson to learn. I just want him to get it since it came that far. From now on we will use a courier that he knows doesn’t do this.

25. Dental appointment.

26. Another doctor’s appointment for my mom; but at least it’s only a phone call.

27. Women’s Bible study; last chapter of the gospel of Mark. Another doctor’s appointment for my mom.

28. Busy week; although I’d love to take this one day to catch up on my writing and podcast recording, I have a few errands to run.

29. The older grandkids’ birthdays are coming up and my daughter is hesitant to see us in person as she fears somehow passing Covid on to my elderly mom, even though we’ve seen each other all along for two years. Ben will be seven on the first and Robin five on the eighth. Then she can get her Covid vaccine which Ben already got.

30.Church Covid week 97. They got the parcel finally in Uganda. So great to see their smiling faces and David loved his study Bible. I also sent two copies of my book. We had so many just sitting on our shelves. It was brand new.

31. Got my Botox today but the temporary doctor just doesn’t give me as much as my regular doctor who has been suspended almost a year ago for failing to wear a mask and so it doesn’t control my TMJ pain as well. Sigh.