Grandpa turns 75

The Sikkema clan is now pushing a 80 + people, which doesn't work so well if you want to get together to discuss politics, but it happens to be the perfect amount for birthday parties. My grandpa turned 75, and the party was epic. You might not think so, this being a birthday party for an "old guy", but my grandpa is the man, and I'm telling you, it was a good party.

First there were potato sack races. We ran several different heats, and I have to say, I dominated among the female cousins/aunts. However, due to a mistep due to exhaustion (the distance was WAY too far!) I, and my lung, collapsed right before the finish line.

Next we had three legged races. Again, I must say, Alaina and I were destroying when my Aunt Fran and Aunt Renee decide to cheat on the distance. They had this brilliant idea that they wouldn't go around Jim-- they would just sort of turn around midway. Of course we just smoke them, head on, and my hip nicely pile drives Aunt Fran's skull into the grass. And there we lay in a crumpled heap.. a cool runnings moment. I blame Fran.

The next game was a bit more tame. 25 plastic bowls were laid in a line across the grass, and the kids were told to lie down, hands behind their backs, in front of a bowl. Of course, it didn't end up just being the kids, but my uncles, brothers, dad, and of course, myself. Anyways, the bowls have 8 jelly beans at the bottom, which are covered with a pile of whip cream. First one done eating the beans wins.. simple as that. Of course it just ended up being everyone throwing bowls of whipcream in ppl's faces.... which was also very hilarious.

Anywhoo, just a shout out to the Sikkema family that I love them all and their intellectual craziness. Such a great combo. And of course, a happy birthday to my dear grandpa.

I am realizing a lot about myself in this whole marriage business. . I can't escape typical wife stereotypes. I am that person who nags about beard stubble in the sink, smelly garbage in the kitchen, and heaps of dirty clothes (mine included) lying on the floor.

Love continues to play its part however, and we are only getting better at it. A year is coming up fast, and I can say it has been absolutely fabulous.

Example: I come home from work to a meal of stuffed zucchini, freshly made guacamole dip, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers of my favorite colours. What a guy.

A word on our apartment. It changes weekly, if not daily, due to my recently discovered OCD (self diagnosed) and a love for thrift stores and garage sales. Cut outs from Mexican coffee table books are framed with love and hang happily in our bathroom, recovered bricks proudly hold a slab of barnboard and our slick Samsung tele, a world map souvi from Montreal educates our living room wall, and plants that refuse to flower but maintain a waxy green shine give our house that special feeling of HOME. Having James in the house to laugh, fight, cuddle and cry with also has that pleasant effect.

It has been a great year so far.

In the school department, I can say with calm uncertain happiness that I am no longer a student, and job searching has been easy. The OACS website/ google have made it so, and I thank them for that. Finding a job has proven difficult, and I'm not yet sure who to thank for that.

Maple Leaf has had my spot reserved for it's 12th consecutive summer, and I'm not ashamed of that, though it does answer some questions about my ability to find another job. A concept as foreign as our migrant workers, who by the way, have in their own special way helped employ me through their keen desire to learn a second language with me as their instructor. Class update: "TH" is proving difficult, and we need to review the definition of "punctual".

Marineland is a blast. The whales get you wet and the sky screamer does funny things to your stomach. Everyone loves that place. You feed bears corn pops and experience death camps at the animal level in the form of "deer petting zoos". Some questions I brought away from my marineland experience.

1) How can a sea lion balance a ball on its nose while riding down a slide?

2) Why does Levi insist on riding every ride when he cries on every ride?

3) How can a complete summer pass cost only an extra $5.00?

4) How did my 2 year old nephew get lost?

Our vegetable garden is on steroids. We have cranked out an astronomical amount of f zucchini dishes, with no end in sight. I enjoy that zucchini gets my creative juices flowing, when the thought of an art class didn't, but our fridge space is limited, and so we are becoming a charity couple. If we like you, you may find a zucchini on your pillow.

A lot of our friends our now in the hood. Trine, Ryan, Tim, Brad, Jordan, Danielle, Brian, Alli, Steve, Jen, Rob... to name a few. It's like we never left Redeemer campus, and at times it gets me excited, and at others --reclusive. Weird combo. I'm just learning this about myself now, interstingly enough. And I've decided I'm OK with it. I think it comes with having our own place. In dorms you can't get territorial, because they are built for everyone's communal use. It's just different now.

Community is pretty huge for us, and we are loving the doses of it that we are getting here. There is always something on the go.. church, bible study, disco dingoes, bbq's, hikes, fam, etc. However, we may have OD'd a bit on the C word this summer, which is why B.C was so refreshing.

The trip out west put the wind back in our sails, so to speak, giving us the time James' and I needed to spend time together and reconnect with the Harskamp clan. Alberta was just plain fun.

After my brother's (very amazing ) wedding, we packed our bags and headed West, stopping in Alberta for a few days to go to another wedding, dance the lights out, climb the hoodoos, explore the coolies, and say my goodbyes to my pal Robbo. Mom and Dad Harskamp scooped us up out of the prairies and took us through the Rockies to Mermaid Motel and hot springs, then to the ferry, then to Shuswap cabin, then "home". A true treat.

I don't think it's a stretch to say we were treated like prodigal children that had returned to feed off the fat of the land. Three bbq's, a gift to the condo, and multiple hangouts, and James and I were feeling truly inspired to flee from Paradise lost and reclaim Eden. That's to say James could see us moving to Vancouver and saying goodbye to Stelco. I am still holding out for a better Eden--N.Z-- which cannot, unfortunately be attainable this January.

Wow, this is dragging on.

This is the newest post of old posts.. just saying it how it is, and letting you into a sliver of myself that only comes out in letters.

I am realizing a lot about myself in this whole marriage business. . I can't escape typical wife stereotypes. I am that person who nags about beard stubble in the sink, smelly garbage in the kitchen, and heaps of dirty clothes (mine included) lying on the floor.

Love continues to play its part however, and we are only getting better at it. A year is coming up fast, and I can say it has been absolutely fabulous.

Example: I come home from work to a meal of stuffed zucchini, freshly made guacamole dip, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers of my favorite colours. What a guy.

A word on our apartment. It changes weekly, if not daily, due to my recently discovered OCD (self diagnosed) and a love for thrift stores and garage sales. Cut outs from Mexican coffee table books are framed with love and hang happily in our bathroom, recovered bricks proudly hold a slab of barnboard and our slick Samsung tele, a world map souvi from Montreal educates our living room wall, and plants that refuse to flower but maintain a waxy green shine give our house that special feeling of HOME. Having James in the house to laugh, fight, cuddle and cry with also has that pleasant effect.

It has been a great year so far.

In the school department, I can say with calm uncertain happiness that I am no longer a student, and job searching has been easy. The OACS website/ google have made it so, and I thank them for that. Finding a job has proven difficult, and I'm not yet sure who to thank for that.

Maple Leaf has had my spot reserved for it's 12th consecutive summer, and I'm not ashamed of that, though it does answer some questions about my ability to find another job. A concept as foreign as our migrant workers, who by the way, have in their own special way helped employ me through their keen desire to learn a second language with me as their instructor. Class update: "TH" is proving difficult, and we need to review the definition of "punctual".

Marineland is a blast. The whales get you wet and the sky screamer does funny things to your stomach. Everyone loves that place. You feed bears corn pops and experience death camps at the animal level in the form of "deer petting zoos". Some questions I brought away from my marineland experience.

1) How can a sea lion balance a ball on its nose while riding down a slide?

2) Why does Levi insist on riding every ride when he cries on every ride?

3) How can a complete summer pass cost only an extra $5.00?

4) How did my 2 year old nephew get lost?

Our vegetable garden is on steroids. We have cranked out an astronomical amount of f zucchini dishes, with no end in sight. I enjoy that zucchini gets my creative juices flowing, when the thought of an art class didn't, but our fridge space is limited, and so we are becoming a charity couple. If we like you, you may find a zucchini on your pillow.

A lot of our friends our now in the hood. Trine, Ryan, Tim, Brad, Jordan, Danielle, Brian, Alli, Steve, Jen, Rob... to name a few. It's like we never left Redeemer campus, and at times it gets me excited, and at others --reclusive. Weird combo. I'm just learning this about myself now, interstingly enough. And I've decided I'm OK with it. I think it comes with having our own place. In dorms you can't get territorial, because they are built for everyone's communal use. It's just different now.

Community is pretty huge for us, and we are loving the doses of it that we are getting here. There is always something on the go.. church, bible study, disco dingoes, bbq's, hikes, fam, etc. However, we may have OD'd a bit on the C word this summer, which is why B.C was so refreshing.

The trip out west put the wind back in our sails, so to speak, giving us the time James' and I needed to spend time together and reconnect with the Harskamp clan. Alberta was just plain fun.

After my brother's (very amazing ) wedding, we packed our bags and headed West, stopping in Alberta for a few days to go to another wedding, dance the lights out, climb the hoodoos, explore the coolies, and say my goodbyes to my pal Robbo. Mom and Dad Harskamp scooped us up out of the prairies and took us through the Rockies to Mermaid Motel and hot springs, then to the ferry, then to Shuswap cabin, then "home". A true treat.

I don't think it's a stretch to say we were treated like prodigal children that had returned to feed off the fat of the land. Three bbq's, a gift to the condo, and multiple hangouts, and James and I were feeling truly inspired to flee from Paradise lost and reclaim Eden. That's to say James could see us moving to Vancouver and saying goodbye to Stelco. I am still holding out for a better Eden--N.Z-- which cannot, unfortunately be attainable this January.

Wow, this is dragging on.

It's a wrap.

This is the newest post of old posts.. just saying it how it is, and letting you into a sliver of myself that only comes out in letters.

Who is hording all of Hamilton's snow?

Last night we actually pulled crazy carpet's behind Ally's car down a path of snow and gravel...mostly gravel. Robyn's knees were not impressed, but I commend her for her spirit.

James is gone in Peterborough until Sunday, so last night we had a girl's night and tore up our knees then went to Danielle's for hot chocolate. Then I slept in my old room in 333. My first slumber party since before my wedding!

Fun- but I miss my husband.

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. T.S Eliot

I appreciate this.
I have been stabbed by a very sharp assortment of "swords" and am feeling a tad drained.
Kuyper's Cafe, Bible study, Stephen Lewis, pancake breakfast debrief, Church, Church in the box, personal devo's, blogs, and a lot of riveting conversations ALL of which have criss crossed eachother on the issue of social justice.

And the issue is not new, but horribly real. And when the veil of affluence and comfort is lifted and you catch a glimpse of our world as it is: murder, rape, child soldiers, sweatshops, poverty, earthquakes, death tolls exceeding 200,000--bad things happening somewhere out there---- it kind of gets you thinking.

What is the problem? Why can't we get it together? I feel drained because I KNOW there is a problem, and I am told I AM IT.
OK. That may be. Maybe my purchasing of mangoes is impoverishing someone, somewhere. Maybe drinking coffee is enslaving someone, somewhere.
Maybe I need to seriously examine where my clothes come from.
And if I discover that my living standards/habits are contributing to the greater problem, then by all means, I must adjust them.
In good conscious I will say this, knowing it will be next to impossible to thrive here as a monk, but willing to do whatever it takes to set things right.
But I need to know that that really is the problem. THEN I can start to get thinking on a good solution.

However, the problem, more accurately can't be just me. The problem has to do with the state of our world. Sin-filled. And, until Christ comes again, it is an impossible problem to eradicate. And with sin comes corruption-- a complete disregard for God, God's law, and a proper understanding of justice. So the world really is a miserable place and yet the entire world is rallying to "save" it.
So.. solutions?
The Green way? Compost, recycle, reduce electricity use, bike.. etc. etc.
Or what- give money to a hobo on the street? Send money to Haiti? Sign up for a mission trip?
Or boycott superstores, protest migrant workers? Stop global trade?
Move? Remove yourself from the structre/system you are living/dying in?

For a non-christian, (and a christian) this may sound feasible, possibly attractive.
But I think Christians need to offer more. I don't think we can blame the "toxins of north american consumerism" for all the world's evils. ( And I would like to argue this rampant idea of "toxic" consumerism further..but later.)

I also don't think we can't act in isolation. The emphasis on individualism in this culture is debilitating and counter intuitive to how we are meant to exist.
We need to live in community.
We need to work together to honour God first, then our neighbour. Our community.
Out of the Christian communities we have got to start seeing/making a bloody difference. So, perhaps we should start getting along so that we can start to shine as a light, and remember who we are giving glory to, and who we will have to give an answer to when we are asked just how we took care of our God's world.

I think recovering a firm foundation to stand on will get rid of the "rubric" of "some" "considerable" and "high degree of" care that we want to enforce or encourage others to follow and allow people to exceed the mandated expectations to REALLY make some change in this God-forsaken country.