A tramp down to the beach

I like to 'bush-wack', so I take the path-less route down to the beach. Gives me the best of two worlds: the woods and the ocean. But I think I like the woods best.

My beach is rocky as far out as you care to walk. Funny, because my house is just across the hi-way and sits on a lot that is 40 feet deep of sand. Nice beach sand. Maybe it used to be the beach?

There aren't usually starfish on this beach, but every once in a while you'll find one. One time the beach was just covered in them. Mostly just purple and pink ones like the one in the picture.



If you walk along far enough you just might find a very small sandy patch like this one. I sat here thinking about everything and nothing, watching the pattern of sand flowing from my hand to my bare foot until rain began to fall. Fortunately some friends of my parents were staying in their RV at the campground that day, so I hung out with them until the rain stopped. They told me all about their recent trip to Israel, I told them a little about Morocco, and some how they ended up giving me all sorts of advice on dating and boys. *grin* One of their biggest complaints seemed to be that most of the guys who woo their future wives on the dance floor quit dancing once they get married. So guys? Go ahead and dance in the kitchen when she wasn't quite expecting it. I saw an older couple recently who were dancing on the beach.

If any of you tall people ever wondered what the view was like from down here, well, here it is. Dad used to laugh at me because I would insist on blowing out the candles mounted on the wall myself, but I had to climb into the window in order to do it. Stools wouldn't be quite high enough. *grin* Amazingly, though, my feet do reach all the way to the ground!

Four Dolls Held Hostage and Tortured. Police Suspect Foul Play

Jane Doe #1























Shelly






















Jane Doe #2























Sam

I'm from Kiwiland?

"Where's home for you?" the gentleman asked as he pulled a debit card from his wallet.

"North of here," I told him, wondering why he asked.

"And before that home was...?"

I looked at him quizically.

"Are you from Australia or New Zealand? You have an accent."

I grinned. "So I've heard. Most people guess it's a slight british accent. I was born and raised in BC, though, and my parents don't have accents like that."

It's out now. The other cachiers know about my never having been to school and having 7 siblings. Again I am the oddity. The evening they found out, I couldn't stop grinning at all their reactions. "There's EIGHT kids in your family? And you've NEVER been to public school?" You got that right. Never been to any kind of school. It's really not as uncommon as you think.

I'm reading The Oath by Frank Peretti...just about finished. It's the first of his books I've read and I've found it fascinating. A nice detour from my general genre of books. I don't usually read science fiction...watch it, but don't read it. I think I'll pay more attention to him from now on.

I was thinking about my Grandpa today. I heard something, don't remember what...something someone said, or a song or something...and that triggered it. I remember going down Island sometimes to visit on Father's day. I was looking at some pictures the other night too.

I'm not really sad...just...thoughtful? nostalgic? And quite disappointed that he never got to see Anders.

INTRODUCING...

The one and only Jen Miller!

This music (particularly the song "Hold On") never fails to make me think of Scotland. She's gonna be famous someday.

left to right: Saida, Jen and Amal in Essaouira.

Paper or plastic?

"Would you like paper or plastic bags today?" I ask ever so sweetly.

"I hope I have enough money!"

All day long I ask, and half the answers I get have nothing to do with the question. The next time I decide to be a cachier I'll do it where the general population doesn't wear hearing aids.

Start to a great day

Yesterday the first person to come through my till was a lady. I said my usual "Hello Ma'am, how are you today?" and she stopped, looked at me for a moment with her head slightly tilted, and asked, "Are you a singer?"

"No..." a little bemused. "Why?"

"Your voice just sounds like a singer's. An Irish or Scottish singer. You should give it a try sometime."

I'm in love!

There's a song whose chorus goes:

My heart is full, my heart is full/ Why could I want for more/ When my cup overflows?/ My heart is full, my heart is full/ This much I know.

I suppose that sums up how I've been feeling recently. There's Someone who keeps sending me roses. I think I'm in love. He knows just the kind I like. The simple wild roses with a delicate scent.

He's shown me the intricasies of the stones down at the beach. He even arranged to have a couple of seals show up and slap their tails around for my amusement tonight.

There's so much. So much to say, and no way to say it. How do I let out what's inside? But You know what's there. You can see it when I can't express it. Thank goodness for that, or You'd never know.

Absolute Truth

The danger of millions of years

CREATIONWISE Cartoon

“Christianity has fought, still fights, and will fight science to the desperate end over evolution, because evolution destroys utterly and finally the very reason Jesus’ earthly life was supposedly made necessary. Destroy Adam and Eve and the original sin, and in the rubble you will find the sorry remains of the son of god. Take away the meaning of his death. If Jesus was not the redeemer that died for our sins, and this is what evolution means, then Christianity is nothing.”

G. Richard Bozarth, “The Meaning of Evolution”, American Atheist, 20 Sept. 1979, p. 30

"Life is good...with or without Coca-Cola." --'Santos'

Lazy. Content. Serene. Today I wonder why I ever worry about things. God makes them all work out in the end if you trust Him, so why not enjoy each moment as it comes while you can?

I packed a few un-needed necessities in my Morocco bag and meandered down in the general direction of the beach. Didn't actually make it 'cause I made a detour to visit my substitute garden for a while. My property has a house, motor boat, 3 vehicles, lots of cement blocks for landscaping, and SAND. No garden. I suppose that's ok, cause if we had a garden it would probably die on us anyway. But my substitute garden is an almost marshy bit of grass surrounded by a few trees and lots of wild rose bushes. I perch myself on a stump (reminiscent of another stump I loved to sit on as a little girl) and admire the random beauty of the flowers, grass texture, and the birds' songs. A hummingbird came to keep me company for a little while. She hung about in a bush about 3 feet away from me, flying from branch to branch, sitting a while, and preening herself. I've never seen one so close, nor one that sat for so long on one branch, and I've never seen a hummingbird preen before.

The wind is blowing. Something about the force makes my mind go 'round and 'round, spinning with plans, stories, ideas, questions. I usually get into a writing mood when it blows. Maybe I should go work on my story...

Or not.

But whatever else I do, I shall go now. ¡Hasta luego, mis amigos!

Was you ever bit by a dead bee?

Quoted from what movie?

And yet another sunny day! A few weeks ago we had special garbage pickup (don't you think ALL garbage wants to be special?), but all them there garbage guys left stuff and never came back to get it. So today our poor unwanted, unloved, replaced fridge is getting picked up and taken to join his fellow unwanteds. I really should post a picture of my mother's beloved fridge that caused so much pain in the life of our old friend. He had to go though. Too small. And then I look at the Kotter's fridge in Welcome Back, Kotter and think, "How did they fit ANYTHING in there?" Mrs. Kotter must just shop everyday. Fortunately she didn't have 8 kids to feed or she'd be shopping 2 or 3 times!

I don't suppose I need to say anything else, right? You were DYING to hear about the fridge and now you have and are happy. Good. My job is completed. Have a nice day!

game of tag

I got tagged!
I AM: enjoying this grey day, msning friends, and adding this entry to my blog because I got tagged. Thanks Laura L.

I WANT: to write something someone might actually ENJOY reading, and that I can be proud of.

I WISH: I could play the violin like Vivaldi or with as much life as Chris Thile plays the mandolin

I HATE: long stretches of grey/wet days, raisins, and stories where everyone dies at the end.

I LOVE: a well written, intriguing story (or movie, especially if it stars Bogart in a non-mustached role), celtic and spanish and gypsy music, and turtle brownies

I MISS: my DTS friends, finding letters in the real mail box, and living 'out in the boonies' in a little log house with snakes, lizards, and no end of dead shrews to disect.

I FEAR: sorry, this is TOO personal. It's not like spiders, though I do own I'm scared of the big ones.

I HEAR: Danaka jumping in the kitchen, Mitchell crunching corn chips and rattling the bag, Grandma checking up on everyone, the dishwasher running, Rauchelle making sure everyone has put their stuff away and trying to find something to occupy her time until she has to leave for work, and the hum of our new and beautiful freezer that sits next to the fridge (or maybe it's the fridge I hear). And in my head I hear Mark saying "Hear it with your knuckles. SHOW me, don't tell me!"

I WONDER: what God has in store for me. Are my dreams part of His plan? And if they are, how and when and where will I get the ball rolling?

I REGRET: wasted time (much of my life), and not having gotten to know my grandpa better.

I AM NOT: a boy. Never have been, never will be, never want to be. Why won't they (younger siblings) get it and stop calling me "Laynie-boy"? I am not as stupid as I sometimes seem. I'm just slow.

I DANCE: ONLY with younger siblings at this point. Just wait though! I intend to learn how to ballroom dance one day. And dance at my wedding.

I SING: while I work (at home) if I'm in a good mood. Usually when I'm near a sink. I guess sinks make me sing.

I CRY: for various reasons at various times. Usually alone on my bed.

I AM NOT ALWAYS: quiet. Or loud and abnoxious. Or smart. Or idiotic. People just generally see me in one setting and so only see one side of me.

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: a mess.

I WRITE: to relieve my mind (but only really for the last 8 or so months), or keep in contact with friends. And I attempt to write stories, but so far it hasn't really worked.

I CONFUSE: most of the produce codes I'm trying to memorize, especially the code for avocado and romain lettuce. I sometimes have to think a moment about which is my right hand and which is my left. Thanks to tendonitis. :P

I NEED: a lot of patience, a new and faster brain, and my drivers license. Working on that.

I SHOULD: sweep the floor, but I don't want to.

I START: praying about various things and for various people during my breaks at work.

I FINISH: playing piano when I get frustrated with my inability to properly play "Jessica's Theme Song" from "The Man from Snowy River"

I TAG: YOU! I think Josh and Nancy are the only people I know who read my blog and were not tagged by Laura L and are not out of the country. Therefore I tag them specifically, and everyone else generally.

Dry Ice

Do you know how cool dry ice is? We got some in our box of delivered groceries today and tossed it in the sink. So much fun just running the water and watching the gas. Especially when the sink couldn't drain fast enough, so you get bubbles of gas popping out like the water was boiling or something.

Went to work today and memorized some more 4-digit produce numbers. I'm kinda nervous because Friday's my next day to work, and I start actually working the till. I know I'll get it, though. Everyone else does.

Today is one of those great days you wish you could have more of. The sun is shining, that energizing celtic music is playing jigs in my ears, head, and one of those innermost organs I have and can't remember the name of. One of my grandmas is here to stay with us while Mom and Dad (and Andy-boy and Toveli) drive a-way up north (in the courtesy car they got when the semi hit Dad's car) for a funeral and lots of reunions with old friends and acquaintances. Grandma's here to make sure the mice don't play, but that don't mean we don't have fun. Lots of games are anticipated in the coming days.

Side note: Celtic music isn't the only thing that makes a day good. Good Spanish guitar or Gypsy music can do it too. Or long letters from a friend you haven't heard from in a while. Or dark chocolate. Or the best book written since Les Miserables. Or an appropriatly used splash of red somewhere.

An article I hear was printed in the Toronto Star

Maybe this will hit home to the politicians who just made it okay for ceremonial swords to be worn to school and who years ago gave permission for turbans to be worn by certain RCMP officers instead of
the normal attire.

A little blunt and to the point but quite true!!!!!

Will we still be the "Country of Choice" and still be Canada if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries that came to live in Canada because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it!

All we have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?

I celebrate Christmas...........but because it isn't celebrated by everyone..............we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it has to be Season's Greetings.

It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday?

We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has a problem with that.

This says it all!

(This is an editorial written in a Toronto newspaper. He did quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!)

IMMIGRANTS, NOT Canadians MUST ADAPT.

I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Canadians. However...... the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Canada. Our population is almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants. However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand. This idea of Canada being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Canadians.......we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

We speak ENGLISH/FRENCH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!

"We Stand On Guard For Thee" is our national motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women.......on Christian principles.............founded this nation..... and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools.

If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home.........because God is part of our culture. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from.

This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. But once you are done complaining....... whining...... and griping....... about our flag.......our pledge...... our national motto........or our way of life....I highly encourage you to take advantage of one other Great Canadian Freedom.......

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

Scotland

Welcome to Scotland! On the right we have a picture of Edinburgh that DOESN'T feature the castle, though it can be seen in the background. I never got much closer to the castle than this. I came more to check out the art galleries.

Below we have Eileen Donan castle which unfortunatly was closed while we were in that part of the world. Still, we did get to walk around the outside. John McCrae was a Canadian, but I don't recall ever seeing

postcards here with his "In Flanders Field" poem. I found them in the gift shop for the castle. Apparently Eileen Donan is in McCrae clan territory and they appear to be proud of their poet. There's also a Clan McCrae memorial beside the castle.

"Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!"

"The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we are getting out--"

I love sunny days! Especially when they are mixed with a few dreary grey days and a little breeze...not a wind tunnel. The days are definately getting nicer. Danaka and Maret are now keeping the popsicle tray filled with lemonade so every day they are out on the porch sucking on them. Like now. Pancakes on in the making...with real maple syrup...I still think the YWAM Dundee people were AWESOME for adding that to our brunch in February.

My dad, Danaka, and Gaelyn went to visit the accountant in Nanoose yesterday. Big deal, right? But they got this awesome view of a semi driving over some dude's car in the parking lot...WAIT A MINUTE! That's DAD'S car! Byebye mercedes. "It's a hard knock life..." :)

I think I'll go read a book.

Happy Easter!

This is the best Easter of my ENTIRE LIFE! -haha

I am typing this morning with a bowl of last night's couscous that Hillary and I made. The little kids didn't like it, but Mom, Dad, and Rauchelle did and that's enough to make me happy.

Yesterday morning/afternoon my dad took Hillary, Danaka and I out 4x4ing in the jeep as far up the mountain as the snow would let us go. We made a few stops along the way to make a snow man, have a snowball fight or two (Hillary kept throwing snow down my shirt!), break off icicles from the rock face, eat gooey cinnamon rolls, and let Hillary make a snow angel and face print. We found a geocache, the rusted remains of an old car in a waterfall, and a man who told us about a dead body somebody found on the side of the road down by Horne Lake.

We got home a little before 2:00, admired my mother's new all-fridge and all-freezer (as she calls it) that arrived while we were out, ate lunch, and visited with two next door neighbours over apple pie and cookies and chai tea. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing Scum (personified by yours truely) and Canada Jingo (like bingo, but you have to answer questions about Canada. Hillary is VERY good) until it was time to make the couscous.

Last night Hillary taught Rauchelle and I how to play the cup game Susan taught her, and so this morning it was Danaka, Mitchell, Maret, and Toveli's turn to learn. Mitch is obsessed.

Hillary is here! Like a little girl I have been counting down the days...even the sleeps... We've talked and talked and laughed, looked at pictures, and we even played Straight Jacket 500 and Scum! Hooray for Easter Holidays and no work for my favorite Kiwi!

Various letters put in random orders to create some sort of sense

Don't you just love accidentally finding old friends? I do. Though, technically Laura and Jillian found me first. Oh, the fun of being found. Thanks, girls!

As usual, life has been busy in a slow sort of way. At times my brain feels overloaded with all this new information I recieve in the morning watching the stock market go up and down and reading about it and talking with my dad about different aspects of it.

Always new information. Right now Mom, Dad, and Rauchelle are talking about being acidic vs. alkaline, where the line is drawn on the pH strip, and why it's better to test your urine instead of your mouth. Chelle said she heard it changes fast in your mouth according to what you see and hear. If that's true, it's very interesting.

So, main topics of conversation in my family:
Stocks
Health and raw food
Target shooting
Horses (Danaka, Mitchell and Maret are all taking horse back riding lessons once a week)

I am currently reading 4 books:
Of Permanent Value (bio of Warren Buffet)
Swift Trader (day trading stocks in Canada)
Twenty Years After (the second of Alexandre Dumas' books about the Three Musketeers) For the Temple (a G.A. Henty book about the fall of Jerusalem that I am reading to Danaka)

I find reading just one book to be rather boring.

Mozart