Can't!

If my success as a mother was to be measured by Amanda's confidence in herself when doing math, I'm sure I wouldn't get a passing grade...and this, despite the number of times I've encouraged her, praised her and told her she could do it. I don't know when it happened, but my girlie has decided that she is not good at math, despite the fact that she is doing very well in it.

Of late, the battles have been over finishing memorizing her multiplication tables. I would have thought this would be the easy part for Amanda...she has an phenomenal memory, but she just has that word 'can't' in her head when it comes to math. (Did I mention that I long ago banned the word 'can't' from her vocabulary?!)

This past week, Amanda had to study for a math test on four digit times two digit multiplication. She was dreading it, and in frustration and tears the night before the test proclaimed that God just hadn't gifted her in math! Yeah, right...it's God's fault...
Amanda brought home the test this weekend. She had gotten an A! I guess God hasn't gifted her in math much at all...it's His fault!

The BIG 1-0!

Our dahl-ing diva-girl turns 10 today! At 10 she is only 4 inches shorter than me, her mom! I'm sure she will be towering over me in no time!! She's kind of in that in-between stage...not really a little girl anymore and not quite a teenager, yet...I guess that's why they call it the "tweens". Here are some of my favourite things about my living dolly, my precious daughter:

- her sensitivity
- her hugs
- her giggle
- her dramatic flair (you should hear her read a page!)
- her imagination
- her heart for Jesus
- she loves pink!
- her precious notes she leaves for me and her dad
- she likes tea (a girlie after my own heart:)
- singing together in the kitchen
- the private concerts she gives singing into her hairbrush in her bedroom
- her smile:)

Amanda is a very bright girl, full of hopes and dreams and oodles of potential! She can do anything that she sets her mind and heart to. Right now she thinks she'd like to be a teacher when she grows up. She'd be a great teacher! She'll be great at whatever she chooses to do! Today I thank God again for the priviledge of being Amanda's mom!

I love you, Amanda! Happy Birthday, Dolly!!

Everything about God Shines...especially His Grace!

There are so many things I wish I had time to blog about today...like what I'm learning at Encounter in the letters to the Churches in Revelation, like my thoughts about the Dream Giver message this weekend and the thought that maybe I'm (we're) lopsided on purpose?!...like how wonderful the man I'm married to is...like the special bday coming up for our living dolly this Thursday, but this week seems to be going by in a blur. I continue to covet any and all prayers sent my way. I'm realizing more and more these days how much trouble I have asking for help, and how difficult it is for me to receive grace sometimes. Today I can think of two especially gracious things that God brought my way, and now even as I sit here pondering them and attempting to give thanks to God for them, I'm afraid...afraid that they'll be taken away or reversed because I don't really deserve them...yet isn't that the very definition of grace...unearned favour...

The words in this song are my heart's words right now...

You Shine
By Brian Doerksen

Why should I fear man,
When You made the heavens?
Why should I be afraid,
When You put the stars in place?
Why should I lose heart,
When I know how great you are?
Why should I give up,
When Your plans are full of love?

In this world we will have trouble,
But You have overcome the world!
You Shine,
Brighter than the brightest star!
Your Love,
Purer than the purest heart!
You Shine,
Filling us with courage and strength
To follow You!

Why should I fear man,
When You made the heavens?
Why should I be afraid,
When You put the stars in place?
Why should I lose heart,
When I know how great You are?
Why should I give up,
When Your plans are full of love?

You Shine,
Brighter than the brightest star!
Your Love,
Purer than the purest heart!
You Shine,
Filling us with courage and strength
To follow You!

In this world we will have trouble,
But You have overcome the world!
You have overcome the world...!

You Shine,
Brighter than the brightest star!
Your Love,
Purer than the purest heart!
You Shine,
Filling us with courage and strength
To follow You!
You Shine,
Brighter than the brightest star!
Your Love,
Purer than the purest heart!
You Shine,
Filling us with courage and strength
To follow You!

You---- Shine----(oh Lord! oh Lord give us courage,
give us courage and strength, to follow you!)
You---- Shine----! (to the ends of the earth! oh Lord! oh Lord!
We're gonna follow, we're gonna follow You!)

The Past Week

I guess it's been over a week since I last posted. In that time, we've celebrated Valentine's, had a busy work-week, one of Amanda's friends has had surgery, and Les has been practicing to play at the weekend services at Church.

Our Valentine's was really nice this year. It seems that every other year something has come up to get in the way of our plans, but not this year. Amanda was off on a sleepover with Aurora on Sunday the 13th, so that is when Les took me out. We went for supper at The Granary. I had the special...champagne lobster fettucini...and, yes, it was as good as it sounds. Then we went to the movie Hitch which was funny and romantic all in one. Les and I both had Monday off together, so we did some shopping together downtown that day. We never seem to get downtown these days, so that was nice...and we got to eat out again?! (Elephant and Castle for lunch). For supper that night, we had Arilee and Aurora stay when they brought Amanda home. We had lasagna and giggles, and the girlies even brought some heart cookies they'd baked for us for dessert! It was a good Valentine's, topped off with a beautiful card that is still sitting on my bedside table from my dreamy husband:)

The rest of the week went by very quickly, especially workwise, and I have another really hectic one coming up this week. Any and all prayers are appreciated!

Yesterday, we went to visit Miss Aurora, Amanda's bestest bud who had her adenoids and tonsils removed on Wednesday. We're pleased to report that she is doing very well and was very brave through the whole ordeal. I think Arilee is still working through the emotion of having her baby go through such a thing. She's a wonderful mom, you know!

Sweetone


This (http://www.clarke-tin-whistle.com/sweetone.html) is what I'm learning to play (and the model I'm using is called a 'sweetone'...how sweet is that:) On our trip to Edmonton, Les and I spent a day going to the music stores and Old Strathcona. We usually look at the guitars and amps (and accessories) for him, and the keyboards...particularly the full-size weighted ones for me (dreaming of the day when I can trade my Yamaha up). Well this time we spent some time in the wind instrument section. We enjoy Celtic music and worship and are both fond of the tin whistle. On a whim, I decided that I would like to learn to play one. I'm in the very early stages, but am through most of the D scale. I can play Twinkle, Twinkle and the introduction to Revival (Robin Mark)...although not with the emotion and feel I hope to play once I learn more about breathing. It's fun to learn something new though!

Here are a list of tin whistle (penny whistle) resources that I'm putting together so I can refer back to them:

Clarke Tin Whiste (http://www.clarketinwhistle.com/)
Chiff and Fipple (http://www.chiffandfipple.com/table2.html )
Brother Steve's Tin Whistle Page (http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/)
Tin Whistle Fingering (http://www.fullbodyburn.com/html/flutes/whistle_main.html)
The Irish Tin Whistle (http://www.princeton.edu/~egott/)

'Ta-Da!'

While we were in Edmonton last week, we heard Joyce Meyer speak. I had never heard her speak before, and I must admit I wasn't all that excited about the prospect. Yet her message was very good; her subject was 'going deeper' and some of the things she said struck a chord with me. She's quite a lively presenter and in good ways reminded me of Gloria Reimer in her delivery...to the point, spirited, seeds of wisdom and at least one 'suck it up' comment in her presentation.

The thing that has stuck with me from Joyce is her comment about our thoughts about ourselves. She said we need to replace our own critical thoughts with God's thoughts about us. When we look in the mirror, we need to see what God sees. I suppose that this isn't really a new thought for me, I know to do that, but sometimes God has to re-teach me things I've already (thought I) learned?!

I don't think that I have a critical spirit (at least most of the time), particularly not toward other people. But toward myself, especially in stressful times, well I can be pretty hard on me...and in the mirror (both literally and metaphorically) I can be especially hard even though I know better, even though my husband tells me differently, even though friends tell me differently and even though I know that God doesn't share my opinion.

Hard?...now that's not a word I would generally use to describe myself. Generally, I'm a soft-y, a soft touch, soft-hearted, soft-figured, so why am I so hard on myself?! I can dig up all kinds of history, but that doesn't totally help me to try and make sense of it, and it especially doesn't help me to turn my thoughts over when I need to.

I remember a year ago, while at the WJOF conference, the speaker, Liz Curtis Higgs, struck a chord with me on the same issue. She started out by teaching me the real meaning of the expression, 'ta-da'... It's child's talk for 'thank you daddy'...and 'daddy'/'abba' is, of course, the affectionate term Jesus taught us to use with the Father. Liz advised us to spread out our arms and proclaim 'ta-da' to God every morning as we look in the mirror to show our thanks to God because when He made us, He saw that it was 'very good'.

You know, I've thought about saying 'ta-da' occasionally since Liz mentioned it, but I've never actually done it. I don't always see that what God made (in me) is 'very good' and I need His forgiveness for that.

Here are a few quotes from one of Liz's 'ta-da' talks:

"Does it not thrill you that we (as women) are God’s crown of creation?" Higgs asked... "We are the last thing He made, and He said we are very good."

She told every woman to jump in front of a mirror after she’s ready for the day and say, "ta-da!"

Saying "tada" will change the way you think, she said. "You can’t say it grumpy. It takes 5 pounds and five years off your face right off the bat. It will change
how you think about you and how you think about God and trust that He knows what He was doing when He made you. I want you to see yourself as God sees you, and you are gorgeous."

Love Expressions
Love is all there is, and love is enough:
Justice is love holding the balance
Mercy is love being gracious
Faith is love believing
Charity is love giving
Patience is love waiting
Endurance is love abiding
Hope is love expecting
Prayer is love communing
Sympathy is love tenderly touching
Comfort is love soothing
Enthusiasm is love burning
Work is love laboring
Peace is love resting
Understanding is love accepting
Listening is love receiving
Forgiving is love cleansing
Teaching is love reaching
Giving is love circulating
Receiving is love blessing
Love is enough because
Love cannot fail.

McDougal Church

Last week, Les and I attended Breakforth 2005. It was something we had wanted to do for a couple of years. We spent the Saturday afternoon of the conference in McDougal Church. It is a beautiful old church in downtown Edmonton, near the river....wood pews, a balcony, stain glass windows... We were part of two worship cafe's (back to back). The accoustics in there were amazing! The sun was streaming through the stainglass. Songs and hearts were joined together. Old and young worshipped together. It was absolutely beautiful! ...an experience I don't ever want to forget:)

During a break, Les commented to me about why they don't make churches like that anymore. I thought that perhaps that that style didn't lend itself to all the offices and gyms most churches need these days, but later found that this church had all of that in the basement. I don't know why they don't make churches like that anymore, but I wish they did!

Love is:
(from a child's perspective)

1. "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
- Rebecca - age 8

2. "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."
- Billy - age 4

3. "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
- Karl - age 5

4. "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
- Chrissy - age 6

5. "Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you try not to hurt their feelings."
- Samantha - age 6

6. "Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
- Terri - age 4

7. "Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
- Danny - age 7

8. "Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss."
- Emily - age 8

9. "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop
opening presents and listen."
- Bobby - age 5

10. "If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a
friend who you hate."
- Nikka - age 6

11. "Love is hugging, Love is kissing, Love is saying no"
- Patty - age 8

12. "When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."
- Matthew - age 7

13. "There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them."
- Jenny - age 4

14. "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
- Noelle - age 7

15. "Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are
still friends even after they know each other so well."
- Tommy - age 6

16. "During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
- Cindy - age 8

17. "My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
- Clare - Age 5

18. "Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken." - Elaine - age 5

19. "Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."
- Chris - age 8

20. "Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
- Mary Ann - age 4

21. "I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
- Lauren

22. "I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."
- Bethany - age 4

23. "Love cards like Valentine's cards say stuff on them that we'd
like to say ourselves, but we wouldn't be caught dead saying."
- Mike - age 8

24. "When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."
- Karen - age 7

25. "Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
- Mark - age 6

26. "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
- Jessica - age 8

27. "Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way."
- Charlie - age 5

Creation Calls

There was the most beautiful sunrise as I drove to work this morning with colours of pink fading to purple and blue all along the horizon. I woke up this morning singing this song, and the sky gave me one more reason to keep singing it...

Creation Calls
Brian Doerksen

I have felt the wind blow
whispering Your name
I have seen Your tears fall
when I watch the rain

How could I say there is no God
When all around creation calls
A singing bird, a mighty tree
The vast expanse of open sea

Gazing at a bird in flight
soaring through the air
Lying down beneath the stars
I feel Your presence there

I love to stand at ocean’s shore
And feel the thundering breakers roar
To walk through golden fields of grain
‘Neath endless blue, horizon’s frame

Listening to a river run
watering the earth
Fragrance of a rose in bloom
a new-born’s cry at birth

I believe . . . I believe . . . . I believe . . .

1994 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing
CCLI Song No. 1346834

Brian Doerksen(http://www.briandoerksen.com)
began writing this song a few years ago while visiting relatives in Saskatchewan (you'll recognize the lines about the fields and sky). As Les and I were driving back from Edmonton last week, we were awed again by Saskatchewan's sky, and the majestic sunset that brought us home. Sometimes I feel like God paints the sky just for us:)

Worship

A week ago today, Robin Mark taught me alot about worship as we explored an important act of worship in Revelation 5. This chapter confirmed to me that singing (while not our only act of worship) is a big deal. What's sticking in my heart today though are some verses in Genesis 49:9-10 and the thought that every occasion of worship may be preordained...that God is waiting for our worship...that He has ordained it! Oh the thought of the God of the universe actually waiting our worship:)

Worship is our response to God's actions. You do it because He is worthy, not for Him to do something for you. You don't do it to please Him because He's already pleased with you anyway! Worship is more than just praise to God for what He has done though, it's a time of sitting at the table with him and enjoying that intimacy.

In Revelation there is evidence that when we worship the angels join us in our song, and not only them, all of creation worships with us...(imagine the spiders in the baseboards of the walls joining in:)

I was blessed with many opportunities to worship this past week, in a conference, in a church, in a car. In it I was revived and renewed and I learned so much:) I'm looking forward to tonight's occasion of worship, and I feel embraced by the thought that God is actually waiting for it too!

Undeniably pointing to God

Did you know that in the days before Phillip Yancy returned to the Church, when he was questioning whether there even was a God, three things convinced him there was:

- creation (nature, the things that God made),
- music (classical music), and
- romantic love

All I can say is, amen! ...these very same things woo me to Him as well:) I believe it was Chesterton who said one of the sad things about being an atheist is feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude without having anyone to thank.

When your world becomes discouraging, go be around the things that God made (not the things man has made) and it will make all the difference in your heart...Brian Doerksen and I both agree:)

Revival

I've learned and experienced so many things this past week... I will share more when there is more time, but the words to this song really sum up the way I'm feeling right now....

Revival

I hear the voice of one calling, prepare ye the way of the Lord.
And make His paths straight in the wilderness
And let your light shine in the darkness
And let your rain fall in the desert.

As sure as gold is precious and the honey sweet,
So you love this city and you love these streets.
Every child out playing by their own front door
Every baby laying on the bedroom floor.

Every dreamer dreaming in her dead-end job
Every driver driving through the rush hour mob
I feel it in my spirit, feel it in my bones
You're going to send revival, bring them all back home

I can hear that thunder in the distance
Like a train on the edge of town
I can feel the brooding of Your Spirit
"Lay your burdens down, Lay your burdens down".

From the Preacher preaching when the well is dry
To the lost soul reaching for a higher high
From the young man working through his hopes and fears
To the widow walking through the veil of tears

Every man and woman, every old and young
Every fathers daughter, every mothers son.
I feel it in my spirit, feel it in my bones
You're going to send revival, bring them all back home

I can hear that thunder in the distance
Like a train on the edge of town
I can feel the brooding of Your Spirit
"Lay your burdens down, Lay your burdens down".

Revive us, Revive us,
Revive us with your fire!

Copyright © 1998 Daybreak Music Ltd.

100 Years of HEART!

2005 is Saskatchewan's centennial year (http://www.saskatchewancentennial.com/index.asp), and last night I saw an advertisement about it. I knew it was the centennial but must have been under a rock someplace because I didn't know the theme they had picked was....heart?! I've always told Les that we were a 'heart-y' people:)

I Love Figure Skating...

...well, watching it anyway...I'm still working on learning how to actually skate, with last winter being my first real foray into learning. My patient husband says I'm doing well...I'm less convinced. We haven't headed out to try again yet this year. Les says we need to get me some new skates with ankle support. I say, anything to help my ankles feel better when I'm on the ice can't be bad...but I digress...

I have always loved watching figure skating and have taken much teasing from my brother and other 'guys' in my life for years because of it. My husband, however, does not share their opinion, and spent some time watching the 2005 Canadian Championships with me this weekend. Canadian skating is looking very promising this year! My favourite moments of this year's competition include:
- Joanne Rochette skating as in a dream...she could not put a blade wrong
- Jeff Buttle building on Joanne's momentum
- Cynthia Phaneuf's grace as she learned about fear
- Marcoux and Buntin's humility in repeating as pairs champions; they skated well but not as well as they wanted to
- Mira Leung...15 years old with huge jumps and a smile even bigger...she may have a ways to go in presentation, but look out!

As I reviewed the sporting news after the event to get other people's take on what happened, I came across this article... http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/FigureSkating/2005/01/25/909543.html Finally a guy who is not afraid to admit he likes skating (other than my husband, that is:)! Here are some excerpts from the article:

He likes it ... go figure
By MIKE ULMER -- Toronto Sun

I've decided to come out: I love figure skating. I know, the headshot infers a two-fisted, hard-drinking John Wayne type, not some sequin-loving, teddy-bear lutching sissy-boy. I know what you're thinking. "Come on, man. They'll settle this lockout thing and everything will be fine. Don't say something you can't take back."

It's too late. I can't take the lying anymore.
Figure skating isn't stupid. NASCAR is stupid. You can't see the drivers, you can't hear yourself think and they just go around in circles.
The NFL? Stupid.
The NHL? I don't know, I forget.
Baseball. Stuuuuuupid.
Call me unmanly, but I like sports with women, and figure skating has women.......

....Apparently, some figure skaters are gay. Whoa.
Better stay away from that.
While I'm at it, I won't watch a movie, take in a play, and, just to be on the safe side, read a book. Why is it okay to dismiss figure skating because you're comfortable with the sexual preferences of one group of athletes but not condemn the sometimes serial sexual practices of another?

Is skating a sport?
Well, can you do it?

Why is facing a
100 m.p.h. fastball courageous, but having your unprotected head whirled an inch above the ice just a trick?

Why is golf, in which a player has to navigate
his own psyche as much as the course, laudable, but the crucible that is the long program somehow less so?

Why is it that 400-pound guys pulling off
their shirts in sub-zero cold is kind of fun, but grandmothers knitting in the stands between skaters is a sure sign of the sport's illegitimacy?

Sure, no other sport has a kiss-and-cry zone, but is crying so bad? Maurice Richard cried when they closed the Montreal Forum. Lou Gehrig cried when he told the world he was the luckiest man on earth. Wendel Clark cried when he retired. Did that make them any less compelling and human?

Sports is sports.
There are no good or bad ones, no right ones or wrong ones, no legitimate ones and bona fide ones (aside from the Original Stars Hockey League, of course.)
And so I say to you, my name is Mike Ulmer and I love figure skating.
At least until hockey comes back.

Oh how this chorus speaks my heart...

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

This is a red porsche boxster. It is my husband's favourite car, and since this post was inspired by him, I thought I'd put it up there. My husband is an excellent driver, and coming from B.C. has driven in alot busier and congested situations than I probably have. And while winters are milder in B.C., there tend to be very slick road conditions when tempertures drop in the rain. Me, I'm a Saskatchewan girl, I drive in the snow most of the year, have since I was 16. I remember the first winter we were married, the amount of snow we got was alarming to Les' parents (who now live here) on their visit, yet I drove them around to all the places they wanted to go, safely. They dubbed my car (a silver cavalier) 'a little tank' as they were surprised at how well we got around.

Before I got married, I never really thought about getting around in the snow. In fact, when I lived in Regina for a few years after finishing University, I would drive to Saskatoon each weekend to see family and friends, and the snow never deterred me. It bothered my father though. He would pace from the moment I left the house until the moment I called him from Regina to say I had made it safely. I always thought that he was overly concerned about this, that he was just a nervous sort...

I have never considered myself to be a nervous sort, nor a backseat driver, but since getting married, I have found myself giving advice to Les when he is driving. I don't mean to. He is an excellent driver. I justify my comments in my mind with the fact that he hasn't driven in the snow all his life, but then we'll be coming up to an icy area, a little faster than I'd like, and I'll say something. I know this bothers him, so I try not to say anything, but he says he still knows...apparently, I squeeze his hand tighter if I want him to slow down, and if I want him to be braking I really squeeze it. And apparently, this doesn't help?! I'm sorry, I don't mean to do it. And as much as I respect his driving and try not to do anything that will bother him, there are still moments when I do them.

I have a far greater concern for safety these days, you see, people I love deeply are in the car... It's not just me any more.

The other day as I drove alone to work I was thinking about this. We had freezing rain the previous day and a big snowfall that morning. The roads were caked with snow ontop of ice, and as I carefully made my way around, I thought to myself, "I remember driving on highways that looked like this sometimes when I lived in Regina..." "What was I, crazy?!", I thought, and then I suddenly understood why my father would pace until he heard that I'd made it home. It was a sign of how much he loved me. He never liked me being on the highway alone even in good winter driving conditions. And this got me to thinking about Amanda. In a little over 6 years she'll be able to drive, and it freaks me out to think of her driving in what I was driving in that morning. No way, she can't have the car on those days!

Every day when I kiss Les good-bye before he heads off to work, I tell him to drive safely...and when I pray for him, I pray for his day and ask God to bring him home safely to me, and if I'm at home before him, I anticipate his arrival time and pray and watch for him. My heart flutters when I see him pull up into the drive-way and I race down the stairs to kiss him hello. I love him so deeply that I just can't help it:)

So drive safely folks, there are people who feel the same way about you!

Dear Lord, please keep us safe in our travels. Help us to never be in such a hurry that we take chances on the road that we don't need to take. Protect us as we drive. Protect those we love. Help the other drivers on the road to be safe too. Thank You for Your love, Your protection and Your grace. Thank You for our loved ones and our lives. We love You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Amanda's 10th birthday is coming up next month, so we have started planning. Amanda has decided that this year will be a DIVA party, and tonight she and I came up with our definition of what a DIVA is for the invitations...

What is a DIVA?
She's a girl with light in her eyes, love in her heart and a positive outlook on life. She is comfortable being herself. She is genuine. She believes in herself and is loyal to her friends. She is kind. She can be a girly-girl or a tomboy.

She is D-elightful I-ndividual V-ibrant and A-uthentic!
She's YOU!!

Muffins

I don't make muffins as often as I'd like. It seems I seldom have enough time. Sometimes I pick up some at IGA when I haven't baked them in a long while. They have a couple of really good low fat varieties, an apple cinnamon and a bran blueberry. When I make muffins, they generally aren't low fat (well, except for my raisin bran ones which are low fat and tastey). I make a really good blueberry muffin complete with sugar crusting on top that I don't even want to know the nutritional information on...or I might not be able to eat one again. But this gotten me to thinking... Why is it that something that sounds like it is so good for you, a muffin, often really not? Once in a while, Les and I have gotten fruit explosion muffins from Tim Horton's with our coffee for a treat, but I read the other day that there are actually more calories in one of those muffins than in a donut! You mean I've been skipping the double chocolate in favour of a fruit muffin all this time for not?!

If any of you out there have any good low fat muffin recipes, leave me a note in the comments...

Such a Thoughtful Gift!

Alana is a very creative and caring woman. As I've said before she is more than a friend to me, she's my big sister (in my heart anyways:) Every year we exchange presents at Christmas. She's given me some of the most creative and thoughtful gifts I've received over the years. Every year there is an ornament. Usually there is something she's made, if time permits, and sometimes there's a parcel shaped or wrapped in such a way that I can't even begin to guess what's inside. This year, what was inside was a basket tray with a hot shot water heater/dispenser, tea and the fixings (including Simple Pleasures Almond cookies, my favourite:) Attached to the hot shot was a note explaining that she wasn't sure this was the answer, but she wanted me to be able to have a decent cup of tea at work... So, I've been trying it out this week at work, and it works great (minus the problem I'm having with the outlet in my office and the longgggg extension chord I'm running from across the room, minor gliche)! But more than a decent cup of tea at work, Alana gave me something more precious... You see work has not been my happy place lately, and she was trying to make that better (...tears...)! Such a thoughtful gift:) ...such a precious friend!!