change afoot

Normalcy is sometimes my biggest teacher. When things are exciting and new and unexpected it's easy to be distracted from myself and life around me. When things are normal...get up, go to work, come home, repeat...I cannot get away. A large voice inside of me screams "there is more, there is new, the time is now." Perhaps allowing normalcy to reign for a little while will be all I need to move, to change, to step. Wait for it. It will happen.

This is a picture of my hiking boots that were on my feet for the majority of last weekend. They are beautiful and dirty. My feet were kept pristine while inside them. There was a lot of rain and a few creeks that were stepped in but they did their job exceedingly well. I should go back to MEC and thank the sales person who sold them to me.

fabulous folk fest and friends

This is a picture of my folk festival booklet. I love this booklet because it helped me decide which music I would spend all day Saturday and Sunday listening to. And really, is there any better way to spend aaaaaaaaallllllllllll weekend than listening to and watching amazing musicians who love what they do and are really good at it?!! I think not!! My heart was honestly warmed through listening to these amazing people who have dedicated their lives to that which moves them. My heart was even more warmed when my friend Karla turned to me and said, "I am so glad you came this weekend."

I was challenged this weekend to the depths of my soul. I have flitted around the edges of writing music and prose but sometimes I am afraid of what jumping in will do to me. What will it do to my life if I actually give in to this? What will it do to my life if I don't? How do I go about finding out?

Right now, today, I know that parts of my life are not what I want them to be. Other parts are better than I imagined they could be. I've written before about how I am so blessed to have the friends I do. Here are Dave and Karla and I at the Folk Festival on Sunday evening waiting for The Be Good Tanya's to start. Aren't they lovely? I think so.

healing presence

Have you ever started the day knowing that there is no way you are going to make it through the worship and the sermon without crying a few tears, if not sobbing? Have you ever been surprised by the number of tears your tear ducts can release in one 24 hour period? Have you ever had your heart hurt from morning until evening?

Have you ever been surprised by how being in the healing presence of marvelous people can make those tears an almost distant memory even though they never really knew?

I have...today and tonight. They are Jesus to me.

glorious day

Canada Day could not have been better. It was actually glorious!!! My friend Bobbi and I greet you with the great Canadian tradition of great Canadian beer. Made on Granville Island, which is also where it was enjoyed, while listening to jazz played by Bob Murphy and his cronies, who hail from the beautiful city of Vancouver. I loved every second of this experience!

The day started out even better though...if that could be possible!! Bobbi, me and our friends Scott, Cathy and Bryan walked across the Cambie Street Bridge to the Round House to see The Flat Earth Society. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The Big Band in a new and modern way. It was a musical delight and free to boot! The piece de resistance however was this lovely couple. They sat right in front of us in matching Canada Day outfits. Hint: the hat with the flower belongs to the wife. This picture doesn't show the fabulous stadium seating chairs complete with pockets. I was incredibly tempted to help myself to the pop they had in the back pocket. I loved this so much because I was in Yaletown, one of the swankiest neighbourhoods in my beloved city, and here were these people who really didn't care that they looked silly. It was fabulous!!

When my eyes weren't fixated on the beautiful red t shirts worn by the lovely couple, I was looking over their shoulders to the stage to behold the sexiest saxophone player I have ever espied. Not only could he play the dang thing he looked amazing doing it!! He's the one in the purple shirt. The pic is a little fuzzy. It's hard to take a clear picture when you're so taken with the subject. Fortunately the music was loud enough to cover up the frequent sighing.....siiiiiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhh!

Other highlights include my first ever ride on the Aqua Bus, a delicious chocolate muffin with butter cream icing, JJ Bean americano and unbelievable Indian food. Could anyone ever tire of Butter Chicken? Walking home just before the sky becomes completely dark in the succulent coolness of the evening was the culmination.

thank you Lord for letting me live in this glorious world with glorious people at this glorious time. It is splendour!