The promised picture

POST #100!!

Wow, I feel like I should be celebrating or something ... and for those of you who don't recognize sarcasm, that was it :)

Anyway, not quite a month since my last post is doing pretty good, I think. And happy birthday to my brother John (who likely doesn't read this, but whatever)! This is the last day of reading week here at the University of Victoria, which gave me a reason to take a few days off work and, after last weekend's ski trip (we spent Saturday at Manning Park - it was a gorgeous day and the conditions were perfect) I spent said time off visiting with Jim and Deb and Arlene up in Quesnel. I took the bus, and am glad I got to travel in the daytime because some of the scenery was fairly breathtaking. I wish I had had a camera (I didn't forget to take one; I actually don't have one) with me, but ah well, at least I can see what I'm talking about. So yeah, the visit was awesome and it was lovely to be taken in with such open arms - they were wonderful hosts! Oh, and I can't forget Toby Mac (of whom I'll get a picture up soon) and Molly, the coddled dog and long-suffering cat - it was great to spend some time with animals again.

So I spent the majority of my time in Quesnel helping out at the Salvation Army, doing some sorting and cleaning and such. It reminded me a lot of the way things tend to go in Wiarton, and it's obvious they've made a lot of progress and changes for the better in the time they've been there .. wow, all of a sudden this is feeling a lot like those 'local news' columns in the Wiarton Echo ... and that's not a good thing. I better stop.

There and back again

The day after coming back to Victoria I received a phone call informing me that my beloved Grandad (pictured, with me and Maya, in the previous post) has passed away. It wasn't really unexpected - he had been in the hospital for over a week - and there was definitely a few indications that it was his time ... but of course there was still some sadness in hearing the news. I stayed in Victoria until Wednesday morning, and then flew back to Ontario so that I could be with my family for the wake and the funeral. It was wonderful to get to spend some more time with them, as always, and the service in celebration of Grandad's life went very well and smoothly. I love that he can finally breathe with ease. Nanna is thankfully doing well, and is nicely settling into a retirement residence (as is Gruffy, her cat :)).
As a side note - there's nothing quite like a fire to put one into a musing mode. That and the hottub ... I won't lie: they are two of the reasons I enjoy being home :) I flew back to Victoria on the Friday evening (the 11th) ... and was a bit glad to think I wouldn't be on an airplane again for a while. Since I got back my days have been an interesting mix of church-related things, work, school, and hockey, with a bit of other sport mixed in. I've been busy, but am working on more properly scheduling my time, because I definitely waste a bit too much of it ... and yes, I've been convicted of it.

a new year

Wow, talk about lax. Anyway, I guess since the majority of people who ever read this blog are in Ontario, there wasn't much point in me writing while I was there. That's my excuse for not having posted in over a month. The last month of last year went by pretty quickly, me muchly enjoying being back home, getting to spend time with various family members (Sam included :)), and even getting some skiing in (thanks, Dad!), which is something I didn't get to do last year because of lack of snow. It was a relaxing time - after I got my paper done - and it was almost nice to have a break from playing so much hockey ;)
It was great to be able to participate in a couple of advent services, and I actually didn't find that I'd lost my lip too much when it came to playing baritone in the S.A. band. Christmas Eve was a special time, as usual, and Christmas morning it was nice to once again be able to head over to Parkview and play carols for the residents as they opened their gifts. Then Dad and I graced Luke, Anne, Maya, and Everest with our presence for a nice Christmas Day visit. In the week following Christmas there were some lovely get-togethers and dinners and the weather was never such that it made driving very dangerous.
So yeah, a lovely vacation, and I came back to Victoria on January 5th ...

ketchup

So, I guess this is installment two, though it's so late ... so, I left off after getting back from Denman ... and since then things have been pretty routine (in the best way), with school, work, and hockey, and then the various skating, and movie watching time thrown in. The last month has been fantastic, really, looking back on it; we're all so blessed here, and I definitely appreciate that.
Of note was the Brian Doerksen show I went to, with Jon and Tim Neufeld as special guests. That was a pretty good time; I had never seen him before. Also awesome was the 'burning things' party at Flora and Anica's! Mwahaha!! Not so impressive was me trying to skate in figure skates ... I wasn't terrible, but it just felt so wrong!

Oh, one other fantastic event was the breakfast Alison and I put on here; it was a veritable feast of fruit, cottage cheese, perogies, pancakes, sausage and bacon! Mmmm mmm, gotta love heartburn. Some of us walked down to the beach afterward, something I havent done often enough considering how close we are. The Vikes basketball game was great to, and actually was the first time I had ever been to a Varsity sports event(because the men's ice hockey club here isn't technically varsity, but they're amazing). Watching the little children dance was a great complement to the basketball, which the Vikes won.
The two most recent happenings were the IVCF Christmas Banquet last Friday (where the picture below is from), which was a nice dinner and some ranging-from-nice-to-psychotic dancing, and the Christmas/secret santa party, which was a great time with a lot of laughing and some good dessert.



Cutest thing I've seen lately (not including certain people ;)): either the really young baby at church, or the Welsh Corgi with the undocked tail.

How much sleep would Meghan need if Meghan could get sleep?

I figure since I have a bit to catch up on I'd make a couple posts, so this one relates to the rest of my visit with Mom and Dad, as well as the reading break the following weekend (which is the time the title pertains to ...).
The rest of the visit was lovely. I took a bus up to Parksville Friday morning, meeting Mom and Dad there as we planned to go visit the Horne Lake Caves ... that was pretty cool, even though we just took the self-guided route, and hopefully I'll get back there sometime to take one of the more hardcore tours that actually involve some kind of spelunking. We had a lovely picnic lunch, shared with a few cats, sitting in a part of Horne Lake Park, enjoying a vista of cliffs and water and trees. The dairy portion of the lunch was what Mom and Dad call pumpkin cheese. It's delicious!! We got home from the outing a bit later than planned but I still managed to make it to a friend's for dinner (a bunch of us were invited over), and then to IVCF. After IVCF was a bonfire down at Arbutus Cove, and the rain actually held off the whole time we were there, which was a blessing. It was a great time! Mom and Dad left early Saturday morning, and I got up to bid them farewell as the started their journey to Quesnel for a visit with other Ontario people ...
The weekend following that, more specificaly Friday afternoon (after watching the Bourne Ultimatum at Cinecenta) 10 of us headed up to Denman Island (my 3rd trip up) for a nice little getaway. I don't think I have ever gotten less sleep over the course of 4 nights (totalled about 18 hours sleep), and yet I managed to thoroughly enjoy the wonderful meals, playing Ultimate for the first time, playing some "gumboot soccer", taking in a Gryphon Trio concert, and watching a bunch of movies, even though the power was out for the last 36 hours we were there. Anyone who wants to see some pictures is able, thanks to my gracious and talented friend Flora. Here ends installement one of my catch up posts.

Penny for the Guy?

Here in B.C. it's some sort of tradition to set off firecrackers on Hallowe'en ... ? I guess in that way it takes something from Guy Fawkes day, which is in a few days ... And apparently a lot of B.C.ers don't know it's just a B.C. thing ... There's a bylaw this year requiring a permit to set off fireworks in the region, but unless that's wacky guns, there are a ton of fireworks going off outside as I type, and they've been erupting with some frequency all evening.

My parents are out visiting, and they both seem happy to be having a bit of a break. We spent most of Monday downtown Victoria, starting with a delicious breakfast, then heading to Craigdarroch Castle where we spent a couple hours admiring woodwork and architecture, and the ability of women to wear corsets and still participate n some semblance of a life ... They left yesterday morning for Tofino, a big surfing/tourist place over on the West Coast of the island. I wish I could've gone with them, but I'm sure I'll get out there eventually ... They get back to Victoria tomorrow night, so we'll get to spend a bit more time together before they head to the mainland on Saturday to visit some friends.

And in other news: I'm excited about seeing Transformers again on Saturday.

More other news: The Knights finally put together a bit of a wining streak, after getting Mason back. The Leafs have yet to accomplish such a feat.

gobbly gobble

Hope you all (all 2 of you who read this) had a great Thanksgiving! Sounds like the family had a good get-together, and some 'lovely' (because that's subjective) weather to go along with it.
I decided to stay in Victoria, thinking it would be a quiet, relaxing time, in which I could be thankful for peace. However, I actually ended up being pretty busy...
IVCF Friday night saw me being part of the worship team (there were two of us, both playing guitar), and then hanging around for a long time after, chatting and teaching people to play euchre (is anyone in Ontario aware that it's not well known out here on the West Coast?). I was up early Saturday morning to head to friends' for breakfast, which was very lovely and muchly appreciated! I hung around for a while after eating, playing XBox and going for a walk in the woods. I got home just in time to see the start of the Leafs game, and also watched the Canucks game following it, both of which were fantastic, and in both cases the right team won 4-3 in overtime!! I won't say anymore about that, although I could.
Sunday I went to Arbutus Christian Fellowship, as Alison and I are considering switching from Trinity to the aforementioned church. This Sunday's experience was definitely an indicator that this could be a good decision, but I'm still praying about it, and it's not definite yet ... Sunday evening I was invited over to a friends to watch 300 with a group of people, and invitation which I had to accept. I mean really, if someone invited me to a disgusting jail cell in the depths of an abandoned, rat-infested warehouse to watch 300 I'm not sure I could turn it down. That could actually potentially add something to the experience. :) So yeah, that was fun.
Yesterday I did attend a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner, with the requisite turkey and stuffing. Thanks to Brian (and yes, I told him, because it's not like he's ever going to read it here) for preparing that delicious stuffing, and for co-hosting. In other news ... well, there's not really any. Alison returned home safely after being in Vancouver all weekend. I'm at work today, and trying to think of creative ways to spend my time (what's left, after finishing this blog). Hazelnut coffee is good, but does hurt my stomach. My nephew has a name (Everest), and from all accounts is just darling.

This post has been brought to you by the characters '(', ')', and my dream where the brakes of the car I was driving didn't work.

there is a season ...

So we did finally get Internet at home, a couple weeks ago, but it’s been limited to Alison’s computer, so I guess if I need an excuse for not blogging lately, that could be it … or I could use the fact that I’ve been really busy …

Anyway, there’s actually news to share! As of last Friday I am now the aunt of two (outside the womb) children, rather than one. My nephew (as of yet, unnamed) was born on the 28^th at 4:44pm Eastern time; he’s just darling. This is one time I’m really glad for the technology of today, as otherwise I would feel much more disconnected from this event. Yet another thing to look forward to about going home in December.

This past weekend was really great, a nice way to spend the weekend that brought September to a close. A group of students from IVCF (Victoria div.), myself included, obviously, went up to Cowichan River Bible Camp for the weekend, heading out Friday afternoon, and getting back Sunday afternoon. It was a really nice time of fellowship, worship, and fun. I think highlights for me were spending time in prayer and conversation alone by the river, and playing 1 ½ hours of barefoot soccer in the rain. Oh, and I can’t leave out mention of the food, which was fantastic!! Thanks to Grace Fryer!! I also really enjoy that chapel; I would have no qualms about having church there every week. Something about small, rustic churches makes me feel at home.

The NHL regular season opens tonight!!! I’ve got a lot of teams I’m going to be pulling for this year: the Leafs and Canucks, as usual, top my list, but I also like the Penguins, and am hoping the Blackhawks can spend less time in the bottom of the league. I still can’t help liking Buffalo, and I think they’ll be okay, despite losing Drury and Briere – that means more ice time for Pominville , of whom I am a fan.

Autumn feels like it has set it here in Victoria, but the colours pale in comparison to Ontario. However, there is the crispness and the occasional wafting of the scent of woodsmoke through the air.

"Slow down, you're moving too fast

You've got to make the moment last" ... Actually, I don't feel like time is flying by, which is a nice change from July and August. I'm settling into the routine of work (both jobs) and hockey, and am now getting school (class and project) stuff into the mix. I'm still feeling a bit tired by the end of every day, but I think that'll change once I get a bit more used to the new pace of my life, such as it is. We still don't have Internet at our place, which is why I haven't posted lately (as usually I'm not in the mood to sit at the computers at school), but really it would seem I'm just doing it for my own benefit (is it actually beneficial for me?) so ... that doesn't matter.
Nothing too exciting to report ... I still have no nephew outside of a womb ...

like Saturday is gone

Well, last week was pretty good. I started training at Kumon, and am sure I'll enjoy working there, and I finished up my paper from the summer course I took. I had a bit of a cold through the week, which disrupted my sleeping and breathing (at least when exercising) but I'm finally pretty much over it. Umm ... yeah, this is all so exciting I can hardly bear to keep typing!
Anyway, I have a pretty open week ahead, with my only plans being for some hockey, soccer, working (painting and cleaning), and then packing and moving at the end of the week. Looks like we've got enough together to have an IVCF intramural outdoor team, so that's awesome! Oh, and I get to go out to Denman Island the second weekend in September, which will be wicked fun (well, not so much the getting there, as the being there, although I'm sure the going out there will have its moments)!!
In other news, the Sens jersey next year will be a lot uglier than in the past ... I never liked their black jerseys much, but I used to quite like their red ones ... I do prefer the new logo, however:

devastation and reform

Well, since I last blogged there's been a few developments:
- I have somewhere to live for the next school year (right by the water, with a lovely view, and blackberry bushes living the street)
- I have a part-time job with Kumon (look it up if you really want to know)
- I finished my summer course (well, pretty much, as tomorrow is a pot-luck, not class)
- So You Think You Can Dance (pretty much the only tv show I watch regularly) is over, with Sabra as the winner

Other than that, nothing much has been happening in my world; there's hasn't been time for much to happen, considering I had class every day! I've played a bunch more hockey (really enjoying the hockey camp I went to last weekend, especially being the only goalie, so getting one-on-one coaching!), some soccer, and spent a lot of the last couple weeks reading articles for class. I actually got some time to practice violin yesterday, and figured out the violin part for The Chairman's Waltz (a John William's piece, composed, I believe, for Memoirs of a Geisha). It's beautiful ... now I just have to get the piano part, and someone to play it. :)
Oh, and the Canucks camp is being held in Victoria this year (second week of September), so hopefully I'll be able to check some of that out!

Nostalgic for nostalgia

I was trying to think today what sort of overall impression I had from August, as for every other month of the year I have some sort of scents or activities or emotions that are immediately recalled when I think of that month. Not so for August. I like the name of the month, but other than that, and the revelation that when I was younger as soon as August rolled around I always realized the summer was half over, there's nothing. It's sort of strange. The only thing I could think of was either throwing wood in the basement, which usually happened in August, and going to Kingdom Bound, which is how I spent part of three August long weekends ('03-'05).
Anyway, memories of this August will seemingly be well infused with Leadership, Learning, and Social Justice, a summer class I'm enrolled in, that takes up at least 2 hours of each of my weekdays. It's pretty interesting, and we have some wonderful guest speakers with a wealth of experience, not to mention that of the classmates I have. A video we watched this week mentioned The Hunger Site, where you can click a button to feed a child for the day, and you can do it daily!! I guess they have a bunch of sponsors that agreed to donate for each person that clicks each day... There're also links to a few other causes that have the same situation (e.g. click to help child literacy). And at The Hunger Site they have a store where you can buy fair trade goods, anything ranging from jewellery to clothing to hammocks.

I'm not huge on jewellery (go figure), but I actually quite like some of their stuff ...

edible?

Living on my own has presented me with the opportunity to make food that will be just for me, meaning that while I am making my meals I don't need to worry about what anyone wants or doesn't want. Therefore, I have become somewhat creative. Dinner tonight: fried apple and cinnamon on whole wheat rotini pasta. (I also fried some carrot and zucchini, but they didn't really complement the rest of the meal, which was quite tasty.) The cinnamon smelled really nice while it was frying!

Boredom, bordeom, wherefore art thou not fun?

Well, I haven't been that bored, actually, as I've been spending much of my free time reading so good books, like The Golden Compass, and Blue Like Jazz. The annoying thing about the Golden Compass is that it's hard to find the second book in the series (used, at least), although I found the third. Exactly the same thing that's happened to me regarding the Obsidian Chronicles. Ah well, I'm sure eventually I'll come across them.
So, I've been here for almost two weeks. I've played some hockey (and soccer and volleyball, once each), and done quite a bit of biking, mostly along Lochside and the (Galloping) Goose. I have a job interview tomorrow, and start class on Friday, which I'm looking forward to. I'm also trying to develop some idea of what to do for my project (a component of my degree that I will be looking to complete by April). I'm thinking of doing something about education in Africa, but I'm planning on reading up on what current issues are before I try to formulate a plan ... because, that's generally better than coming up with something out of the blue ... generally, but not always. Maybe I'll try it both ways.
I miss thunderstorms.
Oh, and the new Harry Potter is now out, and to commemorate this auspicious occasion, I finally started re-reading the 5th one. I'm planning on borrowing the 7th from a girl upstairs after she's done with it. I'm in no hurry. This does not mean I'm like one of those kids that help phone people think are going to be calling in because their emotionally traumatized by the end of the series. I'm not. Not even close.

Happy to be here, sorry to be gone. It’s really too bad that to be somewhere else you have to leave the place you’re in, at least for me in this circumstance, that’s the case. I realize the universal application may be a bit lacking. At least, though I’m in the city, I’m in a basement, which has the benefit of being cool (though it does let a lot of light in). My first full day here, Tuesday, was spent finishing unpacking, getting some groceries, and wondering how it is that an ant infestation preceded my arrival (and the arrival of the aforementioned groceries).

It seems a lot of people (not just you, Anne), are rereading at least Harry Potter volumes 5 and 6 in preparation for the release of the Deathly Hallows. I haven’t reread the 5^th one, and don’t ever plan to. I just didn’t enjoy it that much, especially as the best part of the book (and the only part I would be tempted to reread) had the unforunate coincidence of containing the death of my favourite character. Bah! I liked the Transformers movie more than the 5^th book, and also quite likely more than the 5^th movie. Too bad my favourite character had to die in that one, as well.
So, plans for the near future include: trying to register for a summer course, looking for a job, getting a start on the project component of my program, and spending some time outside. Yeah, sounds good to me!!

Not sponge-minded

Open-minded:

- having or showing a mind receptive to new ideas or arguments

-receptive to new and different ideas or the opinions of others

-having or showing an inclination to respect views and beliefs that differ from one's own

Just thought I would clarify that, because when people say something about being open-minded when I don’t believe something, it’s as if they are insinuating that I’m close-minded. In fact I do take into consideration new ideas and opinions, and respect them for the most part; I just don’t accept and/or agree with everything. After deliberating over all I have heard, I have still chosen to believe in the God of the Bible, and in believing such (in God and His Word), I therefore believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Christianity is the only religion with a living Saviour. And wouldn’t it be narrow-minded to reject the possibility that there could be one right way to live? In today’s society we see people walking on eggshells to be politically correct, and tolerant of everyone, but does this mean that we cannot ever say there is a wrong and right? Is there then no one Truth? Well, we have laws, and I guess most people would say it is wrong to murder. So if someone believed in something that said that murder was okay, would we have to say they can believe that because otherwise we would risk infringing upon their rights. But I guess since all people would say you infringing upon others’ rights if you kill them this cannot be allowed. Well look at all of the things that general morality allows that less directly infringes upon others’ rights, such as smoking, and abortion. People sometimes laugh at Christianity’s “rules”, however, the only imperative in the New Testament when looking at the Greek translation is the order to “love”. All else falls under the category of something like request, things that should follow if we are loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and desire to follow His way for our lives, which also works out the best for us.

Sometimes I think people would take my faith more seriously and intellectually if I was not raised in going to church. However, being part of a Christian family has provided an inside view as to what God can do in the lives of people who are fully dedicated to living for Him, rather than partly or totally for themselves. I find it so frustrating, and so hard to understand that people would say they believe in that God, and leave it at that, and they don’t want to get to know Him, read His Word, talk to Him, and follow the path He has set for them. Because if the Bible is true then using Jesus as an example is the best possible life. Instead they live their own way, creating some personal conception of God, taking what they want from what little they know of Him and leaving the rest.

I guess mostly I just find it heart-breaking that people (especially those who would say they are Christian) go through life wasting so much effort, time, worry, into things that are pointless in the end. God says that if we seek first the kingdom of God, everything else will fall into place, which doesn’t mean you’ll have everything that this world would deem as good, material things that will make you ‘happy’, but that we will receive the blessings of God. People who are righteous, upright, and living for the glory of God are promised not an easy life, but a life filled with blessing, and from what I have seen God’s promises never fail. The world may not see this, and they may not understand, but the joy and peace I have are real, not fleeting as are the things of this world, and I look forward to what more there is to come in my life. When all is said and done, the best thing I can do is make sure my life is as good an example as possible ... Any questions?

Things have been going pretty well around here, and I'm still happy to be here, although my time is coming to an end... I've had a couple of visits with my best friend, both in Toronto, and here in Bruce County, and also went up to Manitoulin Island for a couple days to visit my cousin who teaches up there. It is such a beautiful place. Our soccer team is doing pretty well: We won our first two games (I missed the first one due to a very sore and swollen ankle), and tied the third. It's a lot of fun, for sure. Other than that there really isn't much news, and I should be getting to work on doing some painting (not pictures, but trim).

Pretty much the only thing that would've made me happy about Ottawa winning the cup is that it would've meant Fisher won it ... I called Ducks in 6; it was a pretty close prediction.

More

Well, I'm still enjoying my time here, moving quickly (subjectively ... I'm not implying any disruptions to the space-time continuum yet) though it has been. And I feel like I'm being somewhat productive, no matter what some people may deduce when they ask me what I've been up to.
I'm glad the Sens didn't sweep the Sabres, and I'll be even more glad if the Sabres can win the next three to take the series! :) I realize the stats of the past would indicate there's a slim chance, but it's not impossible, obviously.
Playing soccer this Sunday was tons of fun again, I didn't injure anything, and I realized that I cannot play striker on the right side. Nothing too exciting has happen over the past week and change, so my sole reason for making a newpost was really just to let anyone not in Ontario who reads this that I am still alive, do have access to the Internet, and am happy and well. I pray the same can be said for you. It definitely cannot be said for the now-deceased fowl of the Millar's.

feels like ...

summer. It's been so warm here the last few days. I'm enjoying it, and feel as settled as I'm going to feel. I've sort of fallen into a routine, but it's not boring. Outside of the everyday, I've been to Toronto twice, the first for a hockey tournament, the second for Fresh Festival, the second being decidedly more enjoyable, at least for me (yes, shocking, I'm sure). Props to Lesley for coming along even though she was under the weather. :)

I really don't feel like spending more time on the computer ... so I won't. Sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and all that great stuff are just waiting.


Happy birthday, Mom!! And happy anniversary to Aunt Mary and Uncle Dwight!

Home, home on the range

Well, that sort of used to apply. I guess it does when I go to the Millar's. Anyway, back home am I, and it's been nice and relaxing so far. Friday, my last day of HelpDesk work completed, Mom and I successfully made it across the country (will a little help from a plane) and arrived on time in Toronto, meaning I made it to band practice on time! The weekend was a nice welcome back for me, and included some horseback riding on some out of shape (but not for long) horses.
It is great to be home, but at the same time, I feel a bit out of place. Not all the time and not with everyone, and definitely not with the environment (ie. nature), but I guess it's the sort of thing that's to be expected when you've been gone for a while, and even when you come back you, and everyone else, know that you're going to be leaving again. It's an interesting perspective, and one I never had for all those years that I was so entrenched in this community and involved with my family. Well, not so much the community, because I've never really felt like a member there/here. And really the family situation is just continuing on from where it was even before I left, because almost everyone seemed to be moving on except me, and that's part of the reason I figured it would be a good idea to get away. It's definitely helped me sort out some things and gain the perspective I believe I should have ... That's all a little abstract, sorry. But I am in psychology, so would you expect any less?

This week's been great, spending time with both my families and the animals :) I'm still sort of getting settled in, but it won't take much longer. Anyway, time to run.