Andrew Haydon Park

The light snowfall that dusted the city a week ago melted after a few days - so last weekend people were out walking and cycling (in winter jackets and hats) - enjoying the last of our pre-snow weather.














I wandered around Andrew Haydon Park - located on the Ottawa River (which separates Ontario from Quebec). My mother lives near the park - one we used to visit often when our kids were small.














In summer the bandstand hosts dozens of free concerts














A few Canada geese were flying around - perhaps they are planning to spend the winter here rather than fly south... The sliver of water in the distance is the Ottawa River - the hills behind that are in the province of Quebec.














The seagulls (sitting or perhaps standing in the water) stay all winter. I'm not sure how they survive - but they do!














Next weekend this park may be covered in snow - if the weatherman is right... In fact, some parts of Canada are currently in the midst of snow storms - but here in south-eastern Ontario we are still enjoying the last breath of (cooler) fall weather!

I Am My Brother's Keeper...

Well, I finished reading it - Mitch Albom's book, Have a Little Faith...

(I'm great for starting books - but have a hard time finishing them... In fact, it's one of only two books I managed to start and actually finish reading in the past year... )














About halfway through the book, the story focuses more on a church and shelter called I Am My Brother's Keeper Ministries in Detroit, Michigan. Both the book and Mitch Albom's newspaper articles about homelessness have made many in the Detroit community - and far beyond - aware of this problem and helped this impoverished one-man ministry pay its bills and help the poor.

To me, this shows the power - and potential - of the gift of writing!

(In case you're wondering, the only other book I quickly finished reading was the novel, Water for Elephants - a fascinating tale of circus life in the 1920s. It opened up a whole new world to me! I loved it!)

He Sleeps in a Storm

A week or so ago, I mentioned that my latest bedtime reading was a book entitled Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom. In this account of the lives of two men of faith, a rabbi ("the Reb") and a reformed criminal, Albom includes this 1975 sermon by "the Reb."

There is a lot of wisdom in its words, so I include it here...

(Rather than retype the text, I have copied it from the blog - Blessing My Heart.)

Here it is, a Sermon by the Reb...

"A man seeks employment on a farm. He hands his letter of recommendation to his new employer. It reads simply, 'He sleeps in a storm.'

"The owner is desperate for help, so he hires the man.

"Several weeks pass, and suddenly, in the middle of the night, a powerful storm rips through the valley.

"Awakened by the swirling rain and howling wind, the owner leaps out of bed. He calls for his new hired hand, but the man is sleeping soundly.

"So he dashes off to the barn. He sees, to his amazement, that the animals are secure with plenty of feed.

"He runs out to the field. He sees the bales of wheat have been bound and are wrapped in tarpaulins.

"He races to the silo. The doors are latched, and the grain is dry.

"And then he understands. 'He sleeps in a storm."

"My friends, if we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. Our words will always be sincere, our embraces will be tight. We will never wallow in the agony of 'I could have, I should have.' We can sleep in a storm.

"And when it's time, our good-byes will be complete."

(Have a Little Faith, by Mitch Albom, Page 93)

Praying for Children

I have been praying for my children ever since I knew they were there... (i.e., long before they were born!) Perhaps because I began this parenting adventure later in life (in my mid-30's)... Perhaps because I have a natural tendency to worry!.. Whatever the reason, I would "touch base" with God daily, asking Him to watch over both the unborn child and me.

During my second pregnancy, as I prayed (somewhat anxiously) for the birth of this second child, a Bible verse jumped out at me:

The blessing of the LORD maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22 - King James Version)

It's hard to explain - but as I read these words, they felt like a promise straight from the heart of God. This child was a gift, a blessing from God. There would be no sorrow, so I needn't worry. I wrote the words down and repeated them often - whenever anxious thoughts raised their ugly heads.

So when my son was born - a quick, natural delivery - but a few minutes later stopped breathing - my husband turned pale. Tears filled his eyes as the doctor grabbed the baby, ran to a nearby door and called for help.... Inexplicably, I felt no anxiety. I knew that everything was going to be all right. After all, God had given me a promise.

A few minutes later, they brought us our newborn - who was breathing again!

It was one of those life moments I will never forget...














(Here he is a few weeks later, with his sister.)

I still pray for my children, as they grow in careers and relationships... And I still have anxious thoughts.

So recently - when something happened that may be God's answer to one of my prayers, instead of being thankful, I panicked ... (at the thought of change)!

And just as quickly, Jesus' words about God's love for us - His children - came to mind:

What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead ...? (Luke 11:11)

Let's do lunch!

My daughter and I live 250 miles - or 450 kilometers - apart, so we don't see each other all that often anymore.














But that doesn't stop us from "doing lunch" - using our gmail accounts to chat with each other while we eat!














And I've discovered that I can be just as annoying to her this way - offering unsolicited advice! It just takes me a little longer to do it ... as I key in my words ... wait ... and then read her response!

Serendipitous Soup

In my ongong attempt to simplify my life, I decided that I should - from time to time - buy a barbecued chicken at the grocery store - have it for a meal - and then boil what is left (bones and all) to make some homemade chicken soup.














The barbecued meat will have extra flavor - and if there isn't much meat on the bones, at least I'll have a tasty broth.














So that's what I did the other day, adding nothing but a bay leaf and a whole (peeled) onion to the chicken bones and water.

I let it simmer for a few hours - then cool for a few hours - before straining the broth and carefully deboning the chicken. I added the cooked onion to the soup broth, threw out the skin and bones, and added the meat to the broth, too.

I added a few tablespoons of brown rice to the broth - and wondered: what else to add ...

I then remembered a container for cooked, pureed carrots and squash (in a vegetable broth) I had frozen a few weeks ago - planning to turn that into carrot soup sometime this winter.














I pulled it out and added it all to the chicken soup.... and let it simmer for an hour or so... The result...?














Amazingly delicious! The carrot and squash added a delicate flavor to the chicken soup!

I'm not much for following recipes at the best of times! When I add a little of this and not so much of that, I'm not always so lucky... But this time I serendipitously lucked out!

First Snow!

Yesterday - November 30 - we awoke to discover... SNOW ON THE GROUND!














Christmas is less than a month away - so I shouldn't complain... It's just that everything takes a little bit more effort with the snow!