Strange situation

Okay now, before you start telling me all the steps I should take, rest assured that we are in process with our phone company to put an end to all this. Now I'll fill you in on what can only qualify as bizarre. My attempts at humor are a bit tongue-in-cheek as this whole deal has me a combination of frightened and spittin' angry.

It started some time ago but I'll be going back in time to tell this one correctly. Monday night: while we enjoyed supper with Gary's brother's family our phone rang. Olivia checked the call display, it was a long distance number, so I told her to leave it ring and I would check the messages. Phone rings again almost immediately, I answer. This woman asks me why my number keeps showing up on her husband's phone bill and that I'd better tell her what's going on. I have spoken to her before, tell her I don't know her husband, she should take it up with him or her phone company, ask her not to call again, hang up. Phone rings again and my husband answers. Tells her that she's been asked not to call here and repeats what I said about neither of us knowing her husband, etc. I had a similar call right before we left on vacation and perhaps two other calls in the last few months of the same nature. Prior to that I've had calls asking why my number showed up on the caller's call display and indicated that it must be some mistake as I don't know anyone at that number or in the town the caller claims to be calling from. It's a cell phone. Called the phone company on Tuesday morning to find out what the procedure should be from this point. Last night, 10:15, phone rings again. I'm sure it's my mother-in-law as she likes to phone either before 8 AM or after 10 PM. Don't know why, she just does. I usually guess it's her and I'm usually correct. Last night, however, it was our mysterious caller. This time she calls my husband by his name. He gets off the phone after a similar exchange except this time he warns her that, if she keeps calling, he'll have to involve the police. Assures her that I am most definitely not involved with her husband.

Which brings me to think that I must be something pretty special. Apparently she has records going back five years. Whaaaaaat??

Last night, as my beloved drifted into a less-than-elegant state of rest (poor man has a horrendous sore throat), I start to realize that this might have some connection to the dozens of hang-up calls we've had over the last several years. Is this guy the culprit? My voice ranges from sultry to shrill, I'm thinking in the past few years it's been more on the shrill side as I've tried to keep up with my four little going concerns. What's the deal? I know that a lot of hang-ups are just telemarketers with automatic dialing. Am I leaping here?

Rest assured, I don't feel that this is, at this point, any real threat. If you're so inclined, would you pray for this woman? She sounds intoxicated when she phones. It saddens me, quite frankly, that there would be this much distrust in a relationship that she does not feel the liberty to approach her husband regarding this. Seriously, ask the guy why my number shows up on his phone. I have a hard time not laughing at the idea of something illicit going on. Come on, I barely have time to mop the floor around here...

I'm off to check out a woodpecker in the tree out front. So thankful for moments of tranquility.

On the road again...

Can you believe that it is 4:30 AM and I am still up? It's very true and a bit disturbing. We leave in a few hours for our two-week stint away from home and I'm working hard to make sure everything is taken care of. We've offered our house to some friends for the time we're away as their daughter is getting married and their home is overflowing. I'm packing, working on some scrapbooking projects that I need to meet a deadline for, and tidying up the joint for our guests. This is a true glimpse into my tendency to procrastinate. Not so flattering, is it? However, it's pretty novel to see the sunrise...

Back soon! Happy Canada Day, 4th of July, etc. Oh, I am so glad I just wrote that! I need to pack Olivia's birthday gift...

Homebody

Leaving home again for another two-week stretch and, this time, I have very mixed feelings about being away so long. Somehow this next bit away really crept up on me and I'm feeling that there is so much to do here. My garden plots are filling out beautifully, the lilies are all opening up, work on our basement is chugging along, and my creative work is calling (or shouting) out to me. While our trip in May was a lot about rest and vacation and the six of us, this next stretch is pretty people-focused. We have wonderful friends and family that we'll be spending time with and I know it will be fabulous to reconnect with so many. I'm an introvert and really need that quiet and alone time to recharge and the reality of the next couple of weeks is that I won't get much of that. I tend to get a bit panicky and overwhelmed if I don't withdraw from time to time. I'm going to need to be cautious and realistic and I'm also going to have to remember that it's not all about me.

Why do I like being home so much? My beloved is a perfect match for me in that he is the only one that I feel I can really be quiet with. He totally gets that sometimes I need to just be still. I like my own imperfect space where there are chores to do and meals to cook and things to tidy and projects to work on. I feel like I get behind if I'm not at home most of the time. Get behind what? That's what I have to keep remembering. The work will be here when I get back. The projects will wait. Time with people is time well spent.

I am so thankful for the opportunities we have to travel and reunite with friends and family. We're off to our second year of family camp about 6.5 hours north of here. We'll spend a few days with Gary's sister and her family. We enjoy them very much and their home feels like the Hilton after camp with its warm showers and comfy beds. From there we will head to my parents' home where we'll spend a couple of days before Gary and I take off for a wedding on the west coast. Our children will enjoy an extended time at Grandma and Grandpa's, enjoying their company and playing with their wonderful neighbours next door. Good times are ahead.

All I have to do is breathe, right?

{in}consistency

Greetings from the infrequent and inconsistent blogger! I am well on track to getting one post per month which, actually, would be an improvement over last year. Those of you whom I've met IRL know that I'm never short on words. What is it that keeps me from writing here? I suppose it's the fact that this has not become habit. I'm hoping to change that as I so enjoy getting words to screen/paper and the exercise it affords my brain.

Habits. I'm realizing that the lack of overall routine in my life has prevented me from developing good habits in some areas and encouraged the growth of some less favourable ones. I love structure and routine but this year has derailed me and I'm feeling the weight of the absence of good habits. I recently completed our homeschooling annual reports and submitted them to the school board. While we definitely made progress over the academic year, there were definitely some circumstances and events that affected me/us profoundly. Broken bones, sugery, illnesses. Difficult family relationships, stresses of ministry, struggling with forgiveness, severed relationships. Depression, renovations and good ol' fashioned lack of gumption. None of these things could have been avoided but the overall affect on the tone of our home could have been minimized by clinging to routine and falling back on good habits.

So, what am I going to do about it? A good and honest confession to my Father is the first step. One habit that hasn't fallen by the wayside is being in Scripture and clinging to the promises of the Word of God. I feel a tremendous need for cleansing. Commitment to pray for God to order my days is in order. Second, I need to get rid of some of the physical clutter that contributes to that overall feeling of life being too full. Third, a season of rest and rejuvenation, which is possible during the summer months, will benefit all of us. For this to work we need to deliberately choose to say yes to those things which will promote healing and no to the things that pull us away from priority. Fourth, I truly need to extend grace to those around me and receive grace from my Father. Some good habits to work on, no?

I thoroughly enjoyed being away on vacation with my family. I treasure my husband and our four children and the time we spent together exploring Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. Our time in Chicago was exactly what we had hoped for. The five days we spent with my grandparents in small-town Illinois truly blessed us and, I trust, them as well. I don't have any scientific documentation to back this up, but my family truly rocks! I'll leave you with a pic from downtown Chicago, we felt like we lived there!

Library due dates are harsh and other organizational issues

Sometimes I lose track of all the things I'm supposed to keep track of. I was most recently reminded of this yesterday when I owned up to some library fines for overdue books. I thought I could take care of this and keep it a matter of conscience, lesson learned. Unfortunately, while I certainly wasn't trying to be secretive, I neglected to let my husband in on the little charge that showed up on our online banking info. He is now referring to me as a philanthropist and sent me this message via email this morning:

I noticed that you made a donation to the public library (I looked at our account). You are a generous person.

Busted?? Or maybe this is what it means to be accountable.

Most of the time I really thrive under pressure. As a university student I would often have several research papers going at once and then, days before (or maybe just the day before), I would pull them altogether into something worth handing in. All that time letting things whirl around my brain seemed an almost necessary part of the process. I realize that in many ways I am better at short-term commitments (not relationships, just tasks). Tell me you need a specific goal met for a certain project with a definite deadline and I am your girl.

Sadly, this doesn't always translate well into everyday life as a wife, mother, homemaker, and teacher. Housework is definitely not something that I should leave "'til the last minute." Child-rearing seems to take some ongoing commitment. You cannot leave all meals until the end of the day and then cram breakfast, lunch, and dinner into one meal and get away with serving "brunchner." Just doesn't work. I'm continually looking for better ways to "keep at it." One of my favourite Christian writers, Elisabeth Elliot, inspires me with her "do the next thing" philosophy. Elliot was inspired by this poem, author unknown, as am I:

From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “DO THE NEXT THING.”

Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, do the next thing

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
Leave all results, do the next thing

Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be thy demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, do the next thing.

I so need to remember this when I'm trying to get all the things in my head sorted out so that I'm not always working under pressure. Enjoy God's grace today as you "do the next thing."

New look, same great flavour...

Yes, I played around with Blogger a bit today and managed to get that beautiful cup of coffee on there for everyone to see. Yes, that's a real photo and that's a very real mocha that I enjoyed at a tiny little coffee shop and roastery on a recent trip to Edmonton. I was also playing with photo settings during that trip and was surprised by a few gems when I uploaded my photos to the computer. Good times. Good coffee.

Busy day spent prepping our home to host care group tonight. Gary leads a weekly small group Bible study, has for several years, and we've been hosting for the last few months. I'm making it sound like work, and it is, but it's good work. These people are our FAMILY. We delight in knowing them and sharing part of our week with them. While it sometimes, like today, means an abbreviated seat-work day for homeschooling, we all work together to get the house ready. Olivia folded laundry, Noah vacuumed the carpeted areas, I dusted and baked a cake. If you haven't yet been introduced to the pioneer woman, you have to check this gal out! Tonight I served her chocolate sheet cake and it was scrumptious. A great way to spend the afternoon.

It's the eve of Sophie's birthday and I always feel a bit melancholy before one of my children's birthdays. I am hoping that we can make tomorrow a special day for her. Friday mornings are our mornings out for music lessons at the conservatory, errand running, lunch out (it will be Sophie's choice this week), library pit stop, and a couple of homeschooling co-op classes in the afternoon. We're having some of Sophie's "adult friends" over for dessert: her music teacher, a lovely lady from our care group, and a young woman who sometimes babysits for us. I hope they feel special to be singled out in this way, each has an important role in this little life.

Off to bed...before midnight! Hope your Friday is a great one!

When Life Gets in the Way

I've found myself begrudging many of the tasks that have crowded my schedule, my desk, my mind over the last several months. True, it's been a season of increased activity for our home. You know what, though? Life has a way of, well, just getting in the way. I'm beginning to realize (yes, count me among the slow learner camp in this area) that no matter how refined my schedule, how organized my calendar, how "on top" of things I feel, I'm not the only factor in this equation. Years ago I shared part of my life story in a church service and started this way: "I would be the perfect wife and mother if it wasn't for my husband and children." Ain't that the truth?

There's more to it than that, though. In all of this falling short of my goals and ideals, and certainly falling short of the mark God has set for me, I'm learning some pretty valuable lessons. The biggest one, of course, is that God is using my insufficiencies to show He is beyond sufficient. I'm embracing the value of this calling called homemaking and chucking out some of the long-held but incorrect notions I have of what this all means. That motherhood, teaching, cooking, cleaning, and managing our home is one of the roles God values highly. That all these times of missing the mark can result in fertile teaching ground. And I do need to be taught. Desperately.

We started homeschooling our children 5 years ago. Starting out, I thought that we could really offer them a strong academic foundation in a time–efficient way. What I've grown to understand is that academics are such a small part of what we do in a day. All this character stuff is way more important. And I'm not talking about the children.

Since my recent track record on posting isn't exactly stellar and it's statistically improbable that I'll blog again before Friday, I'll leave you with a pic of my soon-to-be-7-year-old girl. I'd tell you how time flies and all that good stuff, but I suspect you're likely aware of that already.