It's Been A Bad Week....

You know... After weeks like this, you sure find out who has your back.

As I said, it's been one of the hardest, worst weeks of my life... Lots of emotional upheaval, and confusion, and uncertainty and anxiety.

Now, I am not going to say what my Bad Week was all about, and as the writer of this, that is my perogative, and you just have to accept that.
But I can see changes in myself already.
I am putting up with way less crap than I normally do from people around me. I chewed out a telemarketer on the phone the other day, for heaven's sake. (Note to the Shaw people who employ telemarketers from Toronto - make sure you hire a firm that ACTUALLY has English speaking employees... The guy was reading off his script, but he had no freaking clue what he was saying!!)
I think the next telemarketer I get, I'll just tell them that I'm allergic to whatever they are selling.
"Hi, ma'am? I'm calling from the Globe And Mail newspaper... Maybe you've heard of us?"
Me: "I'M ALLERGIC!!"
Wonder if it would work....

Anyways, I digress....
Yes. Much less crap from people. As in, I am screening my calls from 2 people for sure. Maybe more. Depends on the level of insensitivity that happens. I ain't putting up with no shit, no more!!

So.... I have had a Bad Week. Right? Right. So all week, I've been looking forward to Friday... The end of my work week, and I could justify having a Grey Goose vodka. Mmmm. Grey Goose. It's all Grey... and Goosey. :) Well, I mixed the GG with some ginger ale (mmmm) and I threw in some Minute Maid Orange Guava and Passion Fruit juice (the kind you get in a little frozen can and you mix it with water?). Surprisingly tasty. Very delectable. Surprisingly potent!! Woo!!!
You know how they say "Merlot And Email Don't Mix" - well, neither does a GG Fruity Cocktail and fun email surveys! I sent off a Girlfriends Survey half done because I was a little too happy!!
Down side of my GG Fruity Cocktail - it made my rosacea flare up. (Way to make me feel completely unattractive!) So here I sit, letting my Metrogel soak into my face and do it's thang...
Bummer. I can't even get my drink on!

So here I sit... On a Saturday night all alone in my house (except for 4 sleeping kids, a snoring and farting dog and 2 cats). I think I'll go pop some popcorn and read a book. Hopefully next week is better, but I'm don't think it will be. I don't know when it will get better... I have a feeling that it will get worse before it gets better.
If you, dear reader, feel compelled to do something, I would love it if you could be praying for wisdom and direction and guidance for us as a couple and us as a family.
Thanks.

Holy Memory Loss, Batman!!

Wow. That was actually... painful for me to remember my password in order to blog. (Wow. That sounds really brainless of me, doesn't it?)

Well. It's been ages since I last blogged. Let's see...
Since July, when I last blogged, let's list the things that have happened... Shall we? It'll be like a macabre game of "Look at all this cool stuff I didn't let you in on". :)
Okay. Focus. Since July, we have
- gotten kitties (Bella! Toffee!), they've gotten VERY hairy, and they are big girls now who barely ever fall into the toilet or walk into walls anymore.
- said kitties have gone to the vet a few times (vaccinations! Spaying! Credit card now loves me and said vet!). All is well now.

- my kids have started back at school, then had Christmas off, and are now back IN school again.

- I started up my dayhome again. What a growing experience THAT'S been! :P

- Hubby got a tattoo. It's so hot! I can't believe how teenage-girlish I feel around him now! He's a geek and a nerd - but he's a BAD boy too!!! EEeeeeee!!!!!

- I've had a ...... not-so-good experience with a bunch of women that I do a study with. Let's just say it put a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to females. :(

- I think I know what I want to do when I'm grown-up. I think that I want to work in a library. Think of it - surrounded by books, finding information, and encouraging literacy - my main loves!! So, in order to do that, I need to go back to skool. The program I'm eyeing is a 2 year diploma, and I can do the majority of it from the comfort of my own home. (yay!) So yeah. Lots of decisions I need to make in the next bit (like timing of courses, and figuring out grants/bursaries/loans and how to pay for the courses). Secretly I'd LOVE to get my Master's in Library and Information Science, but one step at a time. First a LIT diploma, then we'll look into more schooling. (Because a Master's is 6 years! And the cost! Oy vey!) But it would be awesomely cool to be the first person in my family with a Master's.

- And I've made this stupid New Year's resolution to knit my very first cardigan. I'm chickening out already. I will be knitting it FOREVER!!! Do you know how long it takes to knit something??? Like, eleventy thousand years!! (And I'm having a really hard time finding a pattern I just adore.) (And I shudder to think of how much I'm going to spend in yarn)

So that's me! That's what I've not blogged about in the last *counting silently in head* 6 months.
I'll try not to leave it so long next time!

Testing, Testing.... 1, 2, 3...

Hello??? *taps microphone*

Sorry I've been so MIA lately.... There's been much of Life that's been happening as of late (like everyone else, I guess).

Here's a brief overview to "bring you up to speed" on what's been going down...
- the kids finished school. All went well..... M is going into grade 5, B into grade 3, N into grade 1.
- I sorta got a job.... Tee hee.... :D
I am opening up my dayhome again, and I'll have 3 part time boys (with the possibility of another on days off school). The cash will be nice.
- I was looking into the possibility of going back to school. To become a library technician (kinda like a junior librarian). Those of you who know me, know my love of anything printed on paper that is readable. Annnnnnnd, that leads me into the next item....
- I heard about an opening at my local library for a possible part-time staff member. I wouldn't need a diploma or anything yet (which means I could study and take my courses at my leisure). Which means I have to create a resume. Something I haven't done in over 11 years! Eeeps! *bites nails in anxiety!* I'll have to pursue that and see where that leads.
- We got kittens!!! (and not in the "My mother's going to have kittens!" sort of way.... actual real kittens....)
The one with the white face sitting oh-so-prettily is Bella.... Who has decided that Hubby is her person. My kitty's name is Toffee, and she's a little lighter in color, and she's decided that I am her person. *grin* It's so nice to be chosen! Which takes me to my NEXT point.....

- I was days away from a blood infection. I got a bite from our kitties mom (completely my fault - I got between her and our dog Katy, and the cat was TERRIFIED!!!), and my whole hand swelled up, and it was sooooooo sore. So, off to the Emergency Walk-In I went.
I ended up having to fill out PAPERWORK to the Public Health Officer (apparently, you have to report all animal bites... who'da thunk?). They wanted me to "narc out" the mom cat (even though it was my fault) so they could put her in isolation for 14 days and look for signs of rabies.
Now.... those of you in warmer climates may be all "Well, yeah!! Give up the cat! Absolutely!"
This is Alberta, people. We have had 1 case of human rabies in the last 30 years. And it was transmitted by a bat. Honestly. Our risk of rabies is SUPER low....
I did not narc out the cat.
The Public Health officer tried to "scare me" into doing that.
When he couldn't succeed - he basically said "Well, good luck then!".
I'm pretty confident that I'm A-okay. If I start frothing at the mouth, Hubby will take the appropriate steps. (And no.... He won't shoot me in the head like something out of "Old Yeller"!)
I ended up on the strongest antibiotics I've ever been on (and that's saying something!). My tummy is sooooooooo upset pretty much 24/7 since I've had to take 1 pill every 8 hours. Ooohhhhh.... my tummy!
- I'm so sick of yogurt. See 2nd last sentence for further clarification.
- The kittens are doing great. We brought them home last night, and they are litter trained, and on kitty kibble, and slept from 10:30 - 5 last night without crying or meowing. (they are actually scampering across my floor, chasing each other as I type) (they almost sound like mini horses.... Aaaaaah!! Bella's trying to climb up my leg!!! SHARP nails!! aaaahhhh!)

SO yeah. That's my life right now. Loads of kitty fun!
Thanks for reading!
C.

Obituary....

Le MAY, Richard (Dick) George

April 18, 2009

Le MAY - Richard (Dick) George
March 29, 1948 - April 18, 2009
Richard (Dick) George Le May passed away peacefully after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Dick was born in Calgary and remained here except for the years he spent in BC apprenticing as a machinist, a trade that he excelled at. Dick was motivated by anything mechanical, he built and restored classic cars, sprint cars, dabbled in boats, airplanes, and raced motorcycles. Dick designed and built the 'LEMAY' car literally from the ground up. The 'LEMAY' is an original work of art, and like Dick there will never be another. Dick also enjoyed sharing the distinction of being one of the craftsmen having a part in the manufacturing one of the prototypes of the Olympic Torch for the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics.
Dick is survived by his sisters, Barb (Gord) Morris, Deb (Sonny) Hauser, Jean Le May, and Kelly Jackson; brother Les Le May and sister-in-law Rose Le May. He also leaves extended family, Ken Jackson, Bonnie Le May, Stephanie Butterwick, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his mother Kay Jackson, father George Le May and brother Norm Le May.

At Dick's request there will be no funeral service. Relatives and friends are invited to an open house Saturday, May 2, 2009 to celebrate his extraordinary life. Please call 403-###-#### for details.
Forward condolences through
www.mcinnisandholloway.com.
In living memory of Richard Le May, a tree will be planted at Fletcher Park, Airdrie by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH Telephone: (403) 276-2296.

Rest in Peace, Le May. You were a good guy, and were loved by many.

C.

There's been some sad stuff going on in my life lately. 10 days ago, I received a phone call that an old friend (who was actually my mother's boyfriend after she & my dad divorced) was dying in a hospice of colon cancer that had metasized to his liver.
I went to see him the next night, and he knew me. He was lucid, and talked intelligently for 75% of the visit (which is a gift from God, I'm sure).... Towards the end, when his meds kicked in, he started rambling, and muttering....
I won't lie to you - I was completely dumbfounded when I saw him. I had no idea that a man could get THAT thin and still be alive. (He was about 100 lbs and 5'11")

I was supposed to go see him today, and I got another call last night saying that he is not eating or drinking at all (and he has specific orders for no IV and no feeding tube) - he is just getting meds to keep the pain manageable. My mom sounded really shook - they've loved each other for 40 years, and he didn't know her. She advised me to think about not going...
So of course, I started praying and thinking about her advice.

I ended up not going today.... I felt like if I was to go, it would not be to encourage him, or uplift him.

And another weird thing..... Since I found out about him, and his cancer, I've been seriously interceding at every opportunity... For God to soften my friend's heart towards His love, and for God to open the eyes and ears of his heart so that he can see God in all His Fullness... On Saturday, I was praying for him, and since then? God has taken away all of the burden to pray for my friend (which is weird)... I've been praying that the Lord would be merciful to him, and that He wouldn't allow the suffering to continue. And I've been praying a blessing on the family. That's all I really feel the freedom to pray! So odd!

So that's it. I'll write more later....

Happy Easter

I sit here, with a cuppa tea in hand, contemplating the reason for Good Friday. They call it "Good".... but my Saviour was betrayed, flogged, whipped, mistreated, and nailed to a cross.

For my sins.

For your sins.

So that we could be reconciled to God.

He didn't have to. "Father, if it be Your Will, take this cup from Me! But not My will, but Yours be done."
His submission was what led Him to be the Cup of Redemption for us.

Thank you Jesus for being the Lamb of God. Who died so that I may live in Christ.
Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!!!

Happy April....

Well. Another month! Wow! 2009 is starting to accelerate quickly! (Or maybe I'm just becoming old.... The jury is still out on that last point....)

Easter is fast approaching... Did I tell y'all about the challenge that God sorta dumped in my lap? Well, I was listening to Shine FM (our local Christian radio station), and I swear I heard a challenge from a congregation in the States to read thru either the entire Bible in 90 days, or the Hew Testament in 21. I was a little intimidated by the whole Bible in 90, and I thought the New Testament in 21 was a more "realistic" goal, so I decided to do that one. (Apparently, I was the only one I know that heard that challenge) Well, I DID it!!!! *insert cheering*

I did have to take 2 days off - I was so sick that I actually couldn't read because if I read, then I couldn't breathe because of all the congestion in my nose. I was so drugged! LOL But I did it....

This was my reading schedule:

March 8: Matthew 1-10, Revelation 1.

     9: Matt 11-20, Rev 2

     10: Matt 21-28, Mark 1 & 2, Rev 3.

     11:Mark 3-12, Rev 4

     12: Mark 13-16, Luke 1-6, Rev 5

     13: Luke 7-16, Rev 6

     14: Luke 17-24, John 1 & 2, Rev 7.

     15: John 3-12, Rev 8

     16: John 13-21, Rev 9

     17: Acts 1-10, Rev 10

     18: Acts 11-20, Rev 11

     19:Acts 21-28, Romans 1-5, Rev 12, Philemon

     20: Romans 6-16, Titus, Rev 13

     21: I Corinthians 1-10, 1 Peter, Rev 14

     22: 1 Corinthians 11-16, 2 Corinthians 1-13, Rev 15

     ********** sick & couldn't breathe*************

     25: Galatians (all), Ephesians (all), Phillipians (all), Rev 16

     26: Colossians (all), 1 & 2 Thessalonians (all), 1 Timothy (all), Rev 17

     27: 2 Timothy (all), Hebrews 1-5, Rev 18

     28: Hebrews 6-13, Rev 19

             29: James (all) 1 Peter (again, apparently! :D), 2 Peter (all), Rev 20

             30: 1, 2 & 3 John (all), Jude, Revelations 21-22.

Out of all that I read, I think reading the 4 Gospels were amazing, but I also loved Corinthians, and Romans, and Hebrews (but it was tough slugging there for a bit.... Lots of stuff I just didn't completely grasp). And Revelations??? Wow. I don't get that book at all. It's so full of imagery and symbolism that I find it hard to understand (what is the symbolism, and what is actually going to happen??? HAS it happened already? Why has God tarried for so long?). And the whole "whore of Babylon" thing - woo! Makes my head hurt. ;)

But, I was SO PROUD of myself for doing that.... I think I am going to commit to reading thru the Bible in a year. It's been a long time since I last did that... And reading every night was oddly right-feeling to me. (I did it as a teen every night, so maybe I feel that I'm getting back to myself... Who knows.) Often I'd be reading and I'd start being all excited and start talking to Hubby, "Honey! Wow! Listen to this...." and I'd look over, and he'd be hunched over his iPod, completely asleep. So I'd just underline it instead.  (Why does it always seem that you get the best stuff late at night???)

But loads of amazing things have happened in conjunction to this spurt of Bible reading... I felt the utter breath of God one day, when I was praying where He busted my chops over my attitude of "God is my buddy, but not the King Of All" - I was only trusting Him to be the Lord over the "little things" in my life (like kitchen utensils, and where I'd park, and traffic, and finding me new plates). He busted me big time.... I didn't realize that I was putting God into a box! He wants to DAILY be transfigured in my life! He DAILY wants to show me that HE is Lord over ALL!!! That He is not some small thing to be taken out of a box, or to be given token prayers, but that HE is YHWH!!! He is the Alpha and Omega! He cares for me - absolutely. But He wants to be the God over ALL my life, not just where I park when I'm at Physio! And He wants me to believe Him and in His Might for more than just Corelle plates at an amazing deal.... He wants me to entrust Him with all my hopes, dreams, fears, and my everything. He is big enough to handle everything.

Too long I've been treating Him like He is this fragile being who is susceptible to "cracking under the strain" of my neuroses/neediness/fickleness/lack of commitment/lack of character (fill in the blank)..... If God can handle all my raw emotions, why can't He handle me in all my humanness???? As my Hubby is fond of saying, "Why are we surprised when we fall down? God isn't!"

God knows what we are. We are frail, we are prone to mistakes. We are bull-headed, stubborn, and oftentimes stupid as sheep. (Which is pretty stupid, from what I've been told.) But God doesn't let that color His perception of us. 

Over all our faults.... God sees us as HIS. 

If God had a fridge and a wallet, we would be displayed with the utmost of pride. 

I don't know why that blows my mind like it does (for the love of Pete... How many seminars and conferences have I sat in? How much inner healing have I had? And I am still floored by the BASICS of the Father Heart of God towards me????). I'm not even sure that others are as impacted by this truth as I am.....

But if I am to live as a follower of Jesus, who is God's Only Begotten Son, who was crucified for my sins (even though He didn't have to - He was spotless! I was far from spotless....) then it looks like I have some life adjustments to be making. It looks like I have some appointments up on top of the Altar of the Lord, allowing Him to prune me (awwww, shit....), refine me, and teach me to be like Jesus.

What a way to start the Spring! And what a wonderful entrance to Easter!