I'll bet this looks pretty simple to most of you. It is a sketch of this weekend's sewing project...my first-ever dress. Actually, it's for Amanda, and I'm so pleased with how it turned out! Amanda chose a Mary Engelbreit fabric with cherries all over it (and I should note that she chose Mary with no coaxing from me...) And now Amanda finally has an ankle length dress (as the stores don't make them that long for my tall-girl). She's in love with it, and that makes it so worth it! I actually enjoyed making it and have a sense of satisfaction that I actually figured out the lining and the ties in the back:)

The last couple of days have been filled with sewing (a dress plus hemming at least 5 pairs of pants for Amanda before she heads back to school), baking (scones, bread and cookies for back to school), cooking (homemade soup) and, of course, cleaning. The evenings have been filled with time with my beloved Les, church, and Amanda came back from the lake late yesterday afternoon. In the mornings I've been reading more in The Ragamuffin Gospel over a cup of tea. Life is good:)

Today, it's back to work for me...management meetings, sales meetings, budget worksheets, month-end.... and coffee breaks..speaking of which, this one is now over, so I better get back at it!

There's no such thing as a bad prayer...

In the Ragamuffin Gospel, Manning tells the story of a child of 3 or 4 who receives a colouring book and crayons for his birthday and who presents his mom with his first completed picture the next morning. He has colored the sun black, the grass purple...he has made squiggles and embellished where there was no picture. His mother, of course, thinks he must be a genius...echos of a young Van Gough....

"A little child cannot do a bad coloring; nor can a child of God do a bad prayer." Brennan Manning

"Can-A-dian Idol" Update

Well our Dolly went off to the lake for a few days with her bestest girlie-friend, Aurora, and Auntie-extraordinaire, Arilee...which means that she missed "Can-A-dian Idol" last night. (It's ok, we taped it for her). It's funny how hooked Les and I have become to this show through Amanda watching it, but honestly, I believe the talent pool this year is so much better than I've seen on any other idol show (including last season's American Idol).

We had a fun evening last night. First we met my 'longest living friend', Caroline (nicknamed that because we've been the closest of friends since way back in high school) at Earls for supper. What a treat?! (I hardly ever get out like this these days:) I had a Japanese Bento Box (sushi rolls, wananbe beans, peel & eat shrimp, and salmon....mmm). And we all shared dessert. We bumped into some other friends there which was nice. Good friends, good food, good conversation and then we headed home to catch 'Can-A-dian Idol'.

I felt like I had to make a post about Idol today because lately I've been getting alot of visits on this site from people doing searches for Theresa Sokyrka, Kalan Porter or Jacob Hoggart. I'm sorry folks, you are probably looking for a fansite, and the reason my site pops up is that a couple of weeks ago after one of their performances I posted about how talented I think these three are. I would be happy if any of them won it, and I think all of them have big futures in music....and last night's performance only confirmed that. Here is how I would rank each of the remaining five based on their performances last night:

1. Theresa Sokyrka...she sang 'Cruisin' so well...her voice is amazing!
2. Jacob Hoggart...he really shone last night...very distinctive vocal performance.
3. Kalan Porter...this wasn't one of my favorite performances of his, but he can sing anything...he may just be the best singer in the group; however, last night's song choice didn't showcase that.
4. Shane Wiebe...he sang well...I have to say I'm impressed by his range, but he did make a few flubs that make it hard for me to put him higher on the list.
5. Jasan Greeley...I know lots of the girlies like him, with those dimples and all, but he really isn't greatest singer of the bunch (or dancer for that matter...stamping your foot and snapping your fingers isn't dancing!) I think he certainly is an entertainer though.


Here's the chorus from Theresa's song last night...I just keep humming it this morning...

"You're gonna fly away
Glad you're going my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Music is played for love
Cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together"

I discovered a great new blog today... Christy is blogging about her life as a singer, runner, mother and wife! I love it when people tell their stories!! Christy has a wonderful way of describing things. I related so much to what she's written so far, and even caught myself giggling a couple of times:)

Inspired by Donna, here is a list of 10 things you may not know about me:

1. I cracked my right wrist in grade 8 throwing shotput.
2. I was a candy-striper at the hospital all through high school. I preferred to work on the geriatric ward, and didn't care to work on the broken bone ward (got too shy around all those high school jocks in traction).
3. I am actually a pretty shy person (until I know people).
4. I took organ lessons for years and years. I wanted piano lessons, but we had an organ.
5. I took voice lessons in Regina while I was articling for my CA and told nobody who could possibly come about my recitals.
6. When I was 11 I decided that I wanted to be a child psychologist when I grew up so 'no child would be as misunderstood as me.'
7. When I'm laughing really hard, you know, the kind where you can't stop and your breathe starts to get short, I involuntarily wave my right hand in front of my face to try and catch my breathe. (I don't think it works, but it does amuse my longest living friend, Caroline, who teases me mercilessly about it!)
8. I grew up performing concerts in my bedroom to imaginary audiences. I would sing into my hair brush...and later my highlighter pen. I still do this sometimes when I'm alone in the car (without the microphone prop, of course).
9. I enjoy watching weighlifting at the Olympics.
10. When I'm really hungry and don't have time to make something, I like to eat a spoonful of peanut butter straight from the jar.
    

Feeling like a princess...

Remember the story of The Princess and the Pea and how high the mattresses were stacked? Remember how in the movies about princesses, they always have these very high beds (or at least high to 5'2" little ol' me!) Well, I now need a step stool myself to get into our bed.

Les & I have been looking for a headboard and bedframe ever since we got married, but usually everything we liked was too much money, so we kept putting it off. Well, last week, we went looking again and Les bought me this beautiful medium oak bed frame with headboard and footboard. It is really lovely. He negotiated an awesome deal on it too, and we set it up on Friday night. You wouldn't believe how high the mattress is... I think it's at least as high as my waist?! (Of course, at 6'4", it isn't quite as high on Les). They never look that high in the pictures?! Les says I need one of those springboards that the gymnists use when mounting the balance beam just to get into bed! But I love it! It's so nice to finally have a frame as the mattress and boxspring no longer shift as much, and I just feel like a princess laying in our new bed! :)

(I couldn't find a picture to post...but it's something like this one, except a nice rich wood with slats and a thick frame.)

An Early Birthday Present for Les...

The other night, my darling hubby and I stopped in at one of his favourite stores, Long & McQuade, to replenish his stock of strings and picks as he's playing at Church this weekend, and we learned some wonderful news... Long & McQuade is moving to a new store in Saskatoon. It will be the huge building that used to be Crafts Canada (River City Centre). The guys at L&M say it will be nicest store in Canada, and it should be ready in late November/December....just in time for Les' birthday! Needless to say, we here at the Brophy house are thrilled!

It is interesting to me how many businesses have opened a location in Saskatoon or expanded in some way since Les moved here. When Les & I were first dating, I didn't know what a London Drugs was, yet it was a place he frequented back home. He moved here, we got married, and now we have two. When we were dating, Saskatoon didn't even have its own Starbucks....now we have several. This L&M news seems to be following that trend. Can an IKEA or White Spot (our favourite restaurant in B.C.) be far behind?!

It's not about US...

“It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will not make sense.”
— Rick Warren

Great news...

...well at least I think it is... A dear friend told me that the Church is going ahead with plans for a mid-week (Wednesday night) worship service starting in October, AND that the new children's ministry leader is planning an AWANA-type program for the children at the same time! I've been longing for more worship (and teaching), so this is indeed good news, AND even better, I've been looking for an AWANA-type program for Amanda ever since she finished VBS this summer because she loved it so much. It would be awesome if this all worked out because often there are activities I'd like to attend or volunteer with at the Church, but I can't do it because of childcare needs or because it gets too late for Amanda (school-days are back soon and that means 8:00 bedtimes). I'm going to wrap this one in my prayers...first with thanksgiving, of course!
http://www.awana.org

Another personality type test was pointed out to me this morning. I'm a sucker for these things. I think there's alot to some of them (like MBTI). I think the greatest value that these sort of things provide for me is in understanding other people. I don't know how accurate this one is, but here's what I came out as... (If you take the test, let me know your results too.)


free enneagram test

"Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Suprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of your universe. Delight me to see how your Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his, to the Father through the features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all."
Joshua Abraham Heschel

Les finally had a day off yesterday, and what did he do with his first day to himself in a long time(?)...he spent much of it being thoughtful and romantic toward me(!)... And when I got home from work, I was greeted with this amazing card ("sometimes I don't think you realize how deeply you are loved...") and a treasure box to open. Inside was a Debbie Mumm teacup (did you know she made teacups?!)...with a scripture on it (Ps 57:4 "May your glory be over all the earth." ...from the 'all things grow in love collection')!

This was definitely a jewel from God. You know, sometimes you wonder if you really are making as much of a difference as you want to. I love Les sooooo much, and I just want to be the best wife to him (and the best mom to Amanda)... The words in Les' card affirmed and encouraged me about the difference I make...and if I am the things he put in the card, then that is all because of The Father, so I lift that up to Him.

I'm so blessed to have Les in my life! I waited and looked for him for a long time (or so I thought), but he is ALL I waited for!
"I found THE ONE my heart loves!" (Song of Songs 3:4).

I love having people over....

Last night we had our dear friends Arilee and Aurora over for supper. I love having people over! We had supper, we visited, we had tea. I wished it didn't have to end, but girlies have bed-times... Arilee (auntie-extraordinaire!) is taking Aurora and Amanda to the parade today, so Amanda headed home with them for a sleepover last night so that they could get a good start on the morning.

Good morning! I'm just eating my breakfast (a mixed-berry scone) and scanning the news, then it's off to work for me. I just learned that there may be a new series starring Valerie Bertinelli this fall...I think it's called 'Sorry Charlie'. Last night as I was folding laundry, I caught the last five minutes of a program she was in, so I checked to see if that was perhaps the pilot for a new series...it wasn't...in fact, what I saw was the tail end of a movie she made in 2000. But in any case, it looks like she's set to star in a sitcom on FOX (a channel that I don't get) this fall...might be interesting. I grew up with shows like 'One Day at a Time', 'Sydney', and 'Cafe American', so I'm kind of interested in what the new series might be like.

I've been reading more of 'The Ragamuffin Gospel'...good stuff on grace. Last night I was struck by how much grace there is around us in the oridinary things of life:)

Yes, we've been watching Canadian Idol around our place. Our favourites are: Kalen Porter, Jacob Hoggart and of course, Saskatoon's own, Theresa Sokyrka...in no particular order. I am really impressed with the talent of these folks...although I can't help but be a bit biased for Theresa since we're both Saskatoon-girls. Last night might not have been her best performance (Joplin was a hard choice to sell), but she's got the pipes, and I just hope that no matter what happens that she will gain enough exposure from this experience to take her career to the next level. I pray this for each of these three...what phenomenal talents! ...makes me proud to be Canadian:)

http://mlb.csnnow.com/images/stararticle.JPG

Random thoughts and a Quote for the Day

For once the date and time stamp on this post is right...I made sure, which is something I barely ever do! I've been up since before 6 this morning, and since I am not a morning person, well I want it duly noted. I've already done my workout and had my shower. I'm just eating breakfast now and then will carry on getting ready for work.

In other news, my teapot has finally arrived! OK, I know it is 'just a teapot', but I can be a little thankful that it's finally here, don't you think.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this quote from Nicole Johnson that I stumbled upon. I think it makes some good points:

"Whenever I'm traveling by air I'm always amazed by the number of people who need to be the first ones to get on the plane. These are people who need to be first at everything. You run into them in the grocery store as they hurry to get into the express line ahead of you. You see them racing toward the elevator to beat other people on. It means so much to them, and I'm not exactly sure why. Like they think someone is going to hand out hundred dollar bills to the three people who get there first. There is, in fact, great freedom in not having to be first—not in being late or in being left, but in being free, in waiting, and trusting. There is freedom when you are not afraid to be wronged, not afraid to be misunderstood, not afraid to be forgotten for the moment. When you can trust that being last doesn't mean you are a bad person or unloved. That is true liberty and peace. Then you don't have to prove your point, be first on the plane, constantly defend your actions, or demand your rights. You are free to quietly trust, and that will change our hearts."

Princess-heart

Princess-heart is something that Les started calling me when we were first dating. He has several names for me that just make me melt:) As we were browsing through books at Blessings this weekend, one title really caught my eye..."Keeping a Princess Heart: In a Not so Fairy Tale World". Blessings had the companion guide to the book, but not the book, so I looked it up at www.christianbook.com today on my coffee break. Here is the description given:

"Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Every little girl grew up hearing the stories of "happily ever after" but is that the world in which she exists today? Keeping a Princess Heart is a deeply thoughtful exploration into the tension of the two worlds in which a woman lives - her dream world and the real one. Discover how to apply scriptural truths to help reconcile the ideal life with reality. You will be encouraged to laugh at yourself as you take a deep trusting dive into the wonderful world of fairy tale to find the hope to reclaim your hidden treasure: a princess heart."

That sounded interesting, so I went on to read the reviews. Here is an excerpt:

"Gifted author and actress Nicole Johnson explains that the secret to Keeping A Princess Heart is for women to put their faith in Christ, who knows and bestows the deepest desires of their heart:
(1) Recognition (the desire to be recognized)
(2) Adoration (the desire to be loved)
(3) Consolation (the desire to know that all will be well)

Understanding and addressing these wishes will help women discover their Princess Heart. Validating these desires will help the men in their lives help restore the girlish innocence needed to approach the throne of grace. When a woman puts her trust in Christ she will be able to transcend the world’s shallow aspirations of life and discover her untainted heart of wonder, joy, and love. Keeping A Princess Heart grants every woman her fairy tale ending by accepting the hand of her own Prince...of Peace."

I hope that doesn't sound too hoakey to you. It actually sounds a bit refreshing to me... with all the pressures in this world and (as I posted a few days ago) my heart really wanting to be at home... You see, my personality is somewhat of an idealist (enfj)...so I tend to see the world the way it should be rather than the way it is, and reconciling the two can be very discouraging to me. Thankfully, God's love is relentless and tender, and he has given me a husband who is the fulfillment of so many of my dreams. Still, life can sometimes be...well...not quite a 'fairy-tale'...some days the world's realities try to crush my heart, but they will not win. I don't know whether I will get this book or not, I want to finish reading my "Ragamuffin Gospel" first, but I felt encouraged today just reading the review.

What We Hope For
words and music by Carolyn Arends and Connie Harrington

I remember waiting up till it got dark
Searching till I found the brightest star
Making my wish with all my heart
But we grow up and so do all our dreams
Somehow without us even noticing
We set our sights on lesser things
Oh, to go back when we still believed

That what we hope for
Is not too much to ask for
And what we pray for
Isn’t nearly big enough
‘Cause what we dream of
Cannot compare to God’s love
And what He wants for us is so much more
More than what we hope for

We start out so innocent and wise
Before we cut the world down to our size
We still have that wonder in our eyes
So maybe that’s why Jesus said to come
With the faith we had when we were young
Trusting in a world beyond this one
Letting our imaginations run

‘Cause what we hope for
Is not too much to ask for
And what we pray for
Isn’t nearly big enough
What we dream of
Cannot compare to God’s love
And what He wants for us is so much more
More than what we hope for
More than what we hope for

Good news...Jackie is back to the world of blogging! ...and the first thing that I learned when she returned is that I've been spelling her last name wrong (should be Reimche)...sorry. Welcome back!

I have the best husband, have I mentioned that?! Last night he took me for a walk by the river. It was so beautiful! I love walking and holding his hand. We don't get down by the river as often as we did when we were dating, so this was a treat! I love it when we get to spend time together...just 'be'ing:) Every day I fall more and more in love with the man God gave me! I'm so thankful for his strength, his compassion, his character, his love:)

Well tomorrow is back to work for me. I've had the last week off. I haven't really 'done' anything...well I've done things, but normal, routine things...yard work, housework, groceries, cooking, baking...mostly spending time with/taking care of Amanda. Les worked evenings pretty much the whole week. That's actually why I picked this particular week to be off...because if I'm working days and he's working evenings all week, we don't see each other. At least this meant we got to see each other each day. I'm trying to enjoy my last day...not rush it. So far I've done my workout and a bunch of laundry...exciting, I know!

Yesterday, after picking up some groceries, we went for a drive and saw some new houses. All that did (and all that ever does, for me) is make me love our home more. They say that 'home is where the heart is'...my heart is so at home, it's hard to think about going back to work again. I know all will be well though, just am praying that I don't get swept away by pressures right away.

One sweet little jewel God gave me this week came on Saturday. I had asked Les if we could leave early for Church on Saturday and stop by Blessings. It had been so long since I'd had a chance to take a look there. I used to be in bookstores and buying books or music quite regularly...now, it's a very special treat to go and look, and God had an extra jewel for me there on Saturday. I've been wanting Brennan Manning's 'Ragamuffin Gospel' for quite some time, and I found it in the used books along with a daily devotional, also by Manning. The combined price of the two books was less than either one of them would have been new. I haven't had much time to read yet, but I have cracked the spines and am enjoying what I see. God is so good to us:)