Bits and Pieces

Thanks Robyn- Here's a little something about myself

I like walking in barefeet at 7:15 am after it rains and the fields are really muddy

I like singing Celine Dion at the top of my lungs in the shower

I have learned to love bugs, and I'm not sure why, but when they land on me I really like it. I saved a worm today, and I poked open a spider sac and about 100 baby spiders popped out. So cool.

I like singing songs in Spanish Church

I have a huge and sometimes overwhelming desire to cut loose and become a gypsy- but only for a month or something... because I like it here too.

When I was in grade one a boy smushed me into the gym wall and shattered my collar bone.

I spent almost every Monday night for the first two years of highschool in detention. You may think this reflects poorly on me, assuming I was some sort of bad ass. Not true. A shirt infraction, or misplaced pencil could wind you up in the office. Needless to say, highschool- with all the sports, drama, classes and detentions, was a pretty rocking good time.

That's seven.

Angry sky

My friend Tamara is crazy. Not literally, but she likes to do a lot of crazy things, which is why we really get along. Today Jocelyn and I went to visit her. You'd think a married woman would be a little more toned down, but this is where Tamara is strikingly different. After a boat ride with her parents on the Grand River, where we purposely rushed into a storm, and then fled with the birds at the first sight of lightning, Tamara took us to go pier jumping. Now, it was kindof cold, rainy, windy, and I hear lake Erie has some pretty bad under tow. I had no desire to jump off a 35 foot pier into crashing waves. Usually when I have no desire to do something, I don't, but for some reason Tamara can hype up anyone to do anything- and so when she went sprinting off the pier, I was only about 2 seconds behind her. Wow, what a rush. After a few jumps, we went to the top of the pier where you can't swim because of all the rocks. Unbelievable. Set against the dark sky, billowing clouds, streaks of rain, and peeping bits of sunlight, the sheer power of the waves crashing below us was really something to see.. up close. My friend wisely stayed up top, while Tamara and I scooted down to get some waves. We weren't being stupid, just a little daring. Bracing ourselves against the rocks, we let the waves crash over us, into us, around us... which was followed by a lot of laughing, and a bit of a rush. After a while, Joc called for us to come back up, so we said one more wave- and of course, it happens to be the biggest one we've seen yet. I brace myself and just get smacked in the face by a lot of water, but when I looked beside me, Tamara was gone. For a split second I was terrified. I know it would have been impossible for her to have gotten completely swept off the rocks, but for some reason I thought she was gone, and it scared me. The wave had knocked her off her feet, and she landed on her back a few feet away. Well, that was the end of that adventure. After seeing she was allright, we climbed back up and laughed our heads off. I'm glad we are still in one piece... maybe there is a reason why I only see her a few times in the summer :) Anyways, tonight was a good night. Tomorrow my friend Kerri is coming for the weekend, so I'm pretty pumped about that. It'll be good to see my travelling buddy again after so many months!

Finally

You'd think that a month between posts would give me plenty to write about. Well, it does. The problem is that with a dysfunctional computer at home, events and ideas that crossed my mind were forced to remain in storage until computer access became available. So for the past month I've been harboring refugee thoughts, and true to their status, now they just don't want to leave. Bear with me while I attempt to chip away at the 'layers' that have entered, ingrained and solidified in my mind.

Musings from Genesis.
I don't understand why God would wrestle with Jacob, why Jacob was blessed through his wicked scheming, or why God constantly uplifts the underdog to proceed with his Master plan. Was polygamy a sin? Why is it considered righteous of Tamar to sleep with her father in law? Is the murder of the entire male Shechemite tribe justified because one woman was raped? Was Joseph a pompous ass? Is favoritism looked on with favour by God? Genesis amazes me. Definitely worth a look.

Day to day life.
Work this summer has been both delightful and dreary. As much as I love the perennial market, and learning what I can about plants, business, and competitive strategies, I feel like I have cut myself short. Working for my dad is a safe bet. It pays well, it's simple, it's comfortable ( as long as it stays under 35 degrees). But why do I always choose what's comfortable? My brother got a job working with handicapped adults in Ottawa. He's being stretched in a lot of different ways, and I am a bit envious. The thought of working with people gets me excited. Kids, adolescents, adults, whatever- especially from different cultures. That would be a treat. Well, we'll see what pans out for me in the future. For now I'll try to master the art of patience, biding my time in the packing barn where the plants come and go as often as Bert and Sully, who by the way, have begun to construct their second nest while trying to teach their babies how to fly. Talk about your multi-tasking )


Perhaps I am feeling a little bit blah at work because I just got home from BC, and true to James' description, it certainly is the "glory land."
British Columbia is breathtaking. Mountains, ocean, rain forests, rivers, beaches- the scenery alone was worth the trip. But I think aside from all the aesthetic beauty, meeting the Harskamps was a highlight. A very warm, welcoming family, to say the least. They made sure I got a full BC experience, and everyday was packed with things to do and see. We went hiking, kayaking, swimming, explored Vancouver, caught crabs and starfish on the beach, drove up to Whistler, had a campfire with James friends, played 'disc', basketball, volleyball, walked the pier, went to some sweet lookouts, explored the aquarium, watched a dolphin and beluga whale show, and danced the lights out at his cousins wedding. It was a whirlwind of a week, and absolutely amazing. Seeing James for ten days straight wasn't bad either :) The weather was fantastic too, hot and sunny all week long. This is just a brief skeleton sketch of the past week, but I can really only flesh it out if I want to write a mini- novel, which I do, but not in blog form. I'll just say it was the highlight of my summer, quite possibly year, so far.

On that note, I hope everyone is well, and I apologize for my terrible effort to keep you updated. Cheers!

Turtle Blood

I know I havn't bloged for a while, but I've been busy and my internet has been down at my house. Such is life. Right now I'm in BC at James' place, so it gives me the ability to write a new blog.

Pretty much all I wanted to say is that I'm doing well, but that I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again come September and possibly in the next couple of weeks. That is all.