Counting my blessings

I'm having a thankful day today. I'm thankful for the sunshine, and that it's getting warm. I'm thankful for my house, and that I had the time to clean it today. I'm thankful for the farmer's market, and that I am healthy and was able to walk there for my food today. I'm thankful for my job, and that I had money to buy food and flowers. God is so good to us.

also...I'm thankful that there are only 2 school days left and a few little things to wrap up. VERY thankful!

I am also really thankful this week for the Christian community that I am a part of. I have been really blessed this week by spending time talking and praying with people who really share God's heart for the poor and marginalized, and want to figure out what it looks like to respond to those issues. I am just so excited and encouraged after I have spent time with these people.

God is good.

One More Week...

The end is in sight! I just sat down with my April calendar and jotted in all my deadlines and exams. After Wednesday life is going to become a WHOLE lot more manageable! Hurray! One more big paper due Wednesday, then a couple little things, then exams. I actually usually really enjoy exam period - I don't mind writing exams, and the amount of unscheduled time I have is fantastic.

I'm supposed to be at school today. I got up early, got all ready, made a lunch, etc etc etc. We even took Charlie to James' parents because Monday's are long days and we have something at church tonight. I got James to work, then turned around and went home instead of going to school. I was just feeling really crappy - headache, stomach ache, tired. That plus the amount of work I have to get done in the next couple of days made going home a far more attractive option. So here I am...I think it was a good choice. It's weird not having Charlie here though! So quiet!

James is feeling better - thank God! He was on the couch for 4 days, in pretty rough shape. I don't remember him ever being sick for that long. Thankfully he's back at work today. We had a nice Sunday together yesterday, which is a rare thing. I didn't have to go to work, and I chose to leave schoolwork aside for the day. We had a good morning at church - Robin preached a really good sermon on the Parable of the Tenants in Mark 12. He taught on how the listener's at the time would have heard and interpreted Jesus' teaching according to their cultural context and knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures - it was interesting to hear it with that extra information - and realize that Jesus was making some pretty strong judgements against the Jewish teachers and leaders. Very good. You can listen to it at www.wentworthbaptist.ca
After church we had lunch together, then took Charlie down to the bayfront and walked for awhile. We met James' dad and his cousin Paul who is here visiting for the week. Then came home and had a nap :)
The evening was spent at church celebrating the ordination of Robin Ellis, our pastor. It was a good night of worship, teaching, and celebrating Robin's call.
We got home and just chatted and prayed for the coming week - I think we're going to try to make that a habit on Sunday evenings. It's a good way to connect with each other and a ground our week in prayer...speaking of prayer, I got a new Henri Nouwen book "The Only Necessary Thing" on the weekend. It's made up of excerpts on prayer taken from his many books over the years. I'm looking forward to it.

So, after our prayer time, at like, 11pm, I decided I wanted to change the furniture. As in, completely switch two rooms. So, our living room is now where our dining room was, and the dining table and hutch moved into the old living room. This all in anticipation of MY PIANO COMING ON WEDNESDAY! Yes indeed - after almost 10 months of not living with my piano, it's coming from my parents' house this week. I am very happy about that!

Okay. Time to stop writing so I can start writing....

Two more weeks....

I love how I created this blog for "big thinks" and it's really just become my ramblings on mundane everyday things. Oh well. School takes up all my big think energy lately. I don't really feel like processing more big thinks when I'm paper writing.

So. Two more weeks. One and a half more papers. One course in limbo because of a strike. Almost there.

I was all gung-ho to get down to work today. I went to bed SUPER early last night, slept in, had a nice breakfast and leisurely morning with James, and was gonna sit down and just charge through stuff. I sat down. I opened books. My gung-ho left. Now I'm struggling to focus. I'm trying to finish this little paper, and it shouldn't take long, but it's for the striking prof, and I don't even know if it's going to amount to anything, so I don't have much determination to finish it. Perhaps I should move on to other stuff for now.

I had a GREAT weekend! But it was so busy...it wasn't a work weekend, but I was just as tired at the end as I would've been if I had worked. Friday we did church in the morning, lunch with James' family, and then I had to work in the evening, 3-11. Saturday I went to the One of a Kind Show with Roz, Jen and Emily, which was fantastic. So many neat things! I bought a leather satchel/purse/bag thing - big enough to hold a lunch and some books for my travels, and goes across my body so no one can steal it. I like it.

Sunday, we were at church super early for worship team practice, then our service (which was fantastic!). Lunch with the Wallaces, then straight to dinner at Tracy and Danielle's, which was also really nice. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with everyone. But by the time I got home I was sooo tired. Not to mention I had to prepare for a presentation at school the next day. By the end of Monday I was zonked! Thus the early bed time.

Mmmm....yep. that's really all. I have to analyze a medieval manuscript and make an argument on how many scribes I think wrote it. Not really looking forward to that.

Here I gooooooo

for Dad, who doesn't have facebook...

...but likes to check out the occasional online picture.

I'll add some to this lovely, schoolwork avoidance post.

I'm kinda torn about the schoolwork, being as the professor is on strike (details at www.wlufa.ca )...what does that mean for my deadlines? Not exactly sure. Nevertheless, the paper was due yesterday, so I'm gonna get it in today, but I don't really know how that works. And only ONE MORE PAPER this term! WOOHOO!!! Excellent news.

So, I had a great day yesterday - I went "home" to see my fam, and my friend Tracy who is taking a mini-vacation at my parents' house. I successfully got my homework started...then was offered a pedicure at the spa with Tracy, then was offered a delightful roast beef dinner (which was definitely worth ending Lent early for), then, as I was about to finish my work/and or leave, Hilary asked if Tracy and I wanted to play Scrabble...which of course I did. She kicked our arses. I was supposed to leave in time to buy dog food...which of course I didn't, because I ended up talking with mom and Tracy for awhile after that...James called me when he got home at 10:45 and was like "Where ARE you? Where's the dog food? Has Charlie eaten?" I'm obviously a bad person for leaving him that long - but he did get fed. And I bought a honken (I feel like that adjective needs to come back into common lingo) huge bag today. As well as a new leash, so he won't kill my hands when I'm trying to correct him for not "walking nice".

So, today a co-worker and friend, Erine came over with her baby for a visit, which was nice. Also nice is the fact that it pushed me to clean, and now I am enjoying my delightful clean and tidy abode. I just need some fresh flowers to top it off (3 gerbers for the kitchen, and some tulips for the dining room...). I like flowers.

Speaking of flowers, I had an interview at a greenhouse today for a job for May-June. I think it went well, he seemed to like me, and he was thrilled that I'm leaving at the end of June, 'cause that's when their peak season ends and they need to start letting their seasonal people go anyway. Hopefully that works out - it sounds like it will fit well with with my weekend job at the group home, and the course I'm going to be taking. And I really like the idea of being around flowers all day - it's gorgeous in there!

So, then I went to buy dog food and leash, then stopped at Wendy's for a quick lunch, happened to see Steve Clark, a guy from Bible study there, which was kind of random. We chatted for a bit...then came home, and I have been successfully wasting mounds of time looking at websites trying to figure out if I have to do my schoolwork when the prof's on strike, and posting pictures on facebook, and blogging.

Mmmm....I think I should probably finish my paper now. Here's a few of the pics I posted today.

holy socks

So, lately, almost EVERY pair of socks I put on has a hole on the big toe of my right foot. It's kind of strange...even new ones! Perhaps I am some sort of anatomical anomaly. Whatever it is, it's annoying.

This week is MUCH better than last one. Last week was just nuts - I was a mess. But I am feeling normal again, and for that I am VERY grateful. Thanks to those who were praying - and to James who was ridiculously patient with me falling apart over...well, everything from French toast to medieval English presentations.

Today is a reading day, and tomorrow a writing day, since I have a response paper due on this book tomorrow. Provided our faculty don't strike, since their bargaining deadline is midnight tonight. In that case, I really have no idea what's happening - which is kind of frustrating. The faculty have not addressed the "what if?'s" at all...so I don't know what will happen to the semester. But we can just hope that they can resolve the issue in negotiations today.

It's raining :-D

not snowing!

This is very good. I am very happy about that. I have never been so anti-winter. But this winter has been nuts! I don't even remember what it's like to wear sandals. Or be hot. I vaguely remember reading on the porch, and am looking forward to putting my rocking chair back out there...come, spring!

And I hope our basement doesn't leak (so far so good - but this is our first real thaw, plus the rain...hopefully we don't discover we have a leaky basement).


Speaking of warm weather - what's Prague like in July? Anyone? I have no idea! But I'm REALLY excited about going! The website for the program I'm attending is www.lessinginstitute.com if you want to check out what I'll be doing.

Ok, so, off I go to read. Happy day!

ARGH...wimper

So, apparently I only blog when homework is sending me over the edge...which it is right now. I have now idea how to technologically complete this assignment, which I need to do for my presentation tomorrow, and I'm getting really frustrated. That combined with the fact that I am rather alone, which tends to make me kooky after awhile anyway, is not good right now. I have no idea how to get this done, and I have no one to talk to and I am just really sad and frustrated! Grr!

All of this seems to be happening on the backdrop of some sort of winter blahs or something. I am just generally angry/sad/teary/tired-feeling(despite getting lots of sleep) in the last couple of days. Just winter combined with school stress? Hopefully. Or, as my mother said, "Could it be some kind of mood disorder?" They tend to run in the family. I'm rather opposed to that option. Either way, it's getting in the way of me getting my work done. But I can't seem to get my work done because I just don't know how! ARG!

Um....yeah. That's all for now.

Help, please, smart people?

Ok, so, I'm writing this massive paper in 3 days which is really dumb but I can't change my previous time management decisions. I'm going to post my progresses on here in hopes that some of you fine, learned, thinking people will give me some constructive criticism as I go. My topic is a little abstract and I want to make sure that I am actually communicating effectively what I am trying to say.

so...PLEASE, gimme some feed back. Even if it's as simple as "Yes, that makes sense." if it does. If it doesn't, could you help me pinpoint the areas that could use some tweaking? THANK YOU!

Language is the primary tool for communication among members of the human race. The words available within a linguistic system that serve to represent thoughts and allow them to be transmitted can either limit or expand the ways one is able to conceive of and express ideas, which subsequently shapes the way one speaks, and ultimately how one acts. From that frame of reference, this paper will seek to analyze the linguistic discourse that provides a framework for the discussion and carrying-out of humanitarian activities. We will begin with a discussion of linguistic theory in an attempt to discover what type of relationship exists between words and ideas. Based on those conclusions, we will analyze a number of phrases and terms related to humanitarian activity, beginning with “humanitarian” itself, and then look at the historical conception of the “right to intervene” followed by the modern phrase of preference, the “responsibility to protect”. Close analysis of these phrases will seek to uncover the assumptions that they may carry, and to critique the potential limitations of such language. Finally, this paper will seek to look at the relationship between thought, word and action, by looking how at the current discourse around the responsibility to protect is helping or hindering the cause of humanitarianism in the modern world.