Christmas and the End of Year

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope this post finds you well and in good health and that you didn't suffer at all or too much during the wind, snow storms and flooding that I've heard about on the news over the past week or so. Mother Nature really packed a punch!

Thankfully my household escaped relatively unscathed. We did get several snowstorms within a few days just before Christmas, and again just after Christmas.  The heating system was not able to keep the house warm for a few days so it was very cold but we survived.

The lead up to Christmas was nice. This year I was prepared early and had the tree and decorations up at the end of November. Christmas cards were mailed and gifts wrapped in early December. These days I don't have quite so many gifts to wrap because we lost a few loved ones over the years and have fewer small children to consider.  However not all my time was spent on preparations. I was able to get together with several friends and one family member to visit, catch up and make sure that Christmas did not rush past us without sharing our Christmas wishes.  I also went to the annual Van Dusen Festival of Lights for the first time ever.  It was simply spectacular. If you missed my blog post about it, you can find it here. 

Not all was sparkly and well.  DH and I had some very sad news a couple days before Christmas. Japheth, one of our dear pastor friends, died unexpectedly and suddenly in a motor vehicle accident. He was a very dear friend to my husband in particular.  Pastor Japheth had written such a lovely letter of reference for us as Jonah prepared to immigrate to Canada. Jonah said that Japheth was a very rare man with a pure heart, a wonderfully magnanimous nature and exemplary faith.  We are deeply saddened that we will not have a chance to visit him next time we visit Kenya but we are thankful we have the hope of reuniting with him again one day.  Japheth and his congregants had just completed a new church building and Japheth was working on constructing a family house before he passed.  The people of his church decided to complete building the family home in Japheth's honour and so that his grieving widow and children have a home to live in.  The congregants were honouring Japether because of the leadership, vision, selfless love and caring demonstrated so often over the years. They loved him a lot.

Although it's always a busy time of year we did not forget about the Kenyan missions.  We're grateful to have temporarily lightened the load of a few dear people:

Loice and 3 children, widow and wife of the late Pastor Japheth. They live in a suburb of Nakuru City.

Sarah, a young married woman with 3 school aged children. Sarah lives with her family in one of Nairobi's slums.

Emily, a young unmarried mother with a very smart little 3 year old girl. They live in one of Nairobi's suburbs.

Alvin, a young seminarian in his first year of religious studies in Nairobi. He visited his family in one of Nairobi's suburbs over the holiday.

Jane, a mature single woman who has been battling cancer and is in India receiving treatment. Jane lives in one of the suburbs called Westlands in Nairobi.

Eunice, Ernest, Livingston - Eunice is a mature Kenyan woman who has been in hospital for long and is currently in rehabilitation. She is slowly improving. Ernest and Livingston are two single men who both suffered broken legs in the last few years. These 3 individuals all live in villages near Kericho Town.

Jecinter a young, single woman I met in Nairobi while on my last visit to Kenya.  On Christmas Day she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and they now live in a village near Kisumu Town. I am hoping to send a small monetary gift to mark the occasion of the baby's birth.

As always we pray for and are grateful for any donors to these grassroots missions. We know it is very difficult these days for many people so as always, let the Lord lead and guide your decisions.  Donate buttons are found to the left of the blog. You can find them by clicking the 3 lines (bars) in the top left of the header photo.

~~~~~

Christmas Day was a quiet affair which was spent with loved ones (DH and DB). We had nice and unexpected phone calls from a few loved ones.  Once again I prepared a Christmas dinner of turkey, stuffing and gravy, potato casserole, broccoli slaw and all the trimmings for Christmas Dinner. It was tasty and there were a lot of leftovers even though I bought the smallest turkey I could find. Since Christmas we've been having warmed up turkey dinner, turkey sandwiches, flaked turkey sandwiches and turkey-corn chowder.  The remaining leftovers will be frozen because there is only so much turkey one can eat in any given week. 

Now that Christmas is over I've been catching up to washing dishes one uses in preparing a large meal. It also seems like there's more laundry to wash, dry and fold than usual though I don't know why. I indulged in watching a lot of television series and Christmas movies watching.  I also slept more than usual. I wasn't completely lazy though.  I knitted about 7 dishcloths with little scraps of cotton yarn that I wanted to use up.  I don't really care what they look like since they are only being used to wash my dishes, not to give as gifts.  I also touched bases with a few Kenyan friends by phone and last but not least, I've been doing a few small repair jobs here and there.

The year will soon be over and I'm trying to wrap up a few things here at home. I went into high gear today after having a few quiet days. Lab work was completed, appointments were made with the hair dresser and dentist and I had a manicure.  All of these things take considerable time and it will be nice to get these tasks out of the way before the month is over. 

Soon the New Year will be upon us. Dinner plans for New Year's Day include a ham roast, mashed potatoes, salad and all the trimmings. We usually ring in the New Year with a toast at midnight.

I thank God for helping my loved ones and I through 2022. It doesn't seem like I accomplished that much in 2022 but what I did do has lightened my mental and emotional load. 

I hope you are enjoying your holiday and are looking forward to the New Year 2023.

I want to thank each of you for following my blog and leaving me comments.

It means more than you know.  

God bless.

💗💗💗

Tuesday 4 ~ Bug Out!

 

Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

Welcome to October and welcome once again to Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo, hosted by her good friend Annie of Cottage by the Sea.

Where I live we are still in summer mode and the autumn hasn't really arrived yet. Perhaps in another week or so. In the eastern part of Canada and USA there have been high winds, tree splitting winds and buckets of rain and several hurricanes. Since the east coast is experiencing hurricanes and tropical storms let us explore the topic.

 1. Expert survivalists and weather experts say it is wise to have a bug out bag handy in case of evacuation, hurricane, earthquake or any emergency. You can see online how to create one. Do you have an emergency kit or bug out bag?

Yes, I have an emergency kit consisting of a small suitcase and a backpack. The backpack has the barest essentials if there is no time to grab both bags.  Where I live we are likely to experience emergencies relating to wild fires, flooding or earthquakes. Hopefully we will never have to deal with any of it but being a bit prepared takes some of the edge off the possibility (just a little anyway).

 2. Do you have plans with your family on where to meet and what to do in case of emergency? 

 

Whatever plans we had need to be revisited and updated because family composition has changed since I last updated the kit.

 3. Do you keep your phone well charged and your gas tank topped off ? Is your flashlight kept fresh with batteries? Do you have a list of what to go where to go? 

 

Yes and I try to keep the power bank charged up. I have so many flashlights and battery operated lamps. I need to invest in more batteries as I seem to be low on what I need.

 4. How about a little stash of emergency goods and foods to last a week or two? They say it pays to do this.. do you?

I have meal bars and water from the emergency packs you buy at the store and I added a bit more. These need to be changed out from time to time as they get old but I don't change them as often as recommended.  I figure that they will still be "good enough" in a pinch even if the taste is not quite as good. I'd like to buy some dried foods but whenever I've looked into it it seems like they only come in very large quantities. It's probably time to look on line again to see what is available. Update:  I found a Canadian company called Good2GoCo that has a wonderful selection of foods and other items in small and large quantities. The foods and water have a very long shelf life so I think this is where I will be purchasing from soon. The food is sourced from Augason Farms which is based in Utah and so you can purchase from a number of retailers (Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, Winco or from Augason directly).

 

In other news, I haven't blogged about the Kenyan missions.  While Jonah and I have been busy getting organized we have also tried to continue with some missions efforts from afar. I hope to provide a short update in the not too distant future.  If anyone would like to contribute to the work the donate button on the right hand side of this blog is always open. If you should experience any problems/issues with it, please let me know and I can try to resolve it. Thank you and God bless!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

Mid-January Update

Happy Tuesday everyone. I hope your week is going well.

I'm still taking things a bit slowly, doing my household routines and enjoying a bit of television and reading. The quiet suits me. 

I've also been a bit busy with the Kenyan missions following up on a few women we've been helping including Rose who had a baby not quite 2 weeks ago and Janet who opened her small hair shop.

I also have friends in Kenya who've lost loved ones due to Covid recently. I'm praying for them during these difficult times. Pastor Jonah will be heading to Kericho from Nakuru today (Wednesday Kenyan time) to deal with land business. Long ago I posted about the widow we were helping obtain Letters of Administration from the Kenyan courts so that she could administer the estate of her late husband who died intestate (without a will). I think it was early December when the court granted the order and since then we've been undergoing the legal process to register land titles for the land (the primary asset in the estate) and that process is nearing completion. Land title deeds will provide some safety and security for the beneficiaries. Jonah will also be attending the funerals of the fathers of two men he graduated with from Bible College. Sadly, they have died of Covid and one of the sons has had to fly in from the USA to lay his father to rest. Please pray for everyone to keep safe during their travels and funeral attendance. 

My reading has slowed from last year. This is a conscious decision so that I can focus on other things, spend more time reading the scriptures and rest more.  Of course I'll always have a book handy because reading g books just comes so naturally 

The collage shows the books I'm currently reading. I also have an ebook I forgot to include in the photo. 

Dinner tonight is something I usually make during cold winter months: roasted potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage and beef sausages. Coleslaw was served along with it and it hit the spot. Last night we had chicken and rice soup. The chicken was leftover from the roasted chicken and greens we had on Sunday. Wednesday I have to go out so we'll have chicken cordon blue from the frozen food section and I'll make a nice green salad to go with it.  It feels nice to have the dinner menu sorted ahead of time and to make a plan to use leftovers to avoid food waste as much as possible.

My play plans tonight include making good progress on finishing Portrait of a Scotsman. Enjoy your day or evening wherever you are in the world. 

Gratitude December - Days 25 - 31

Hello everyone!

I trust you all had a very Merry Christmas. I was well organized ahead of schedule for Christmas this year. Christmas Day was nice and easy and I was able to make Christmas dinner at a leisurely pace and enjoy the quiet. Since Christmas I have been struggling with a bad cold and am just trying to keep warm. I have my heat on full blast but it is still quite draughty/drafty. I'll be glad when the new week begins as by then we are forecasted to return to normal seasonal temperatures.

December 24th was my last post for Gratitude December. Today I will include my gratitude items for the rest of this month.

December 25 - I'm grateful for the annual celebration of the birth of Christ. Though we all have different traditions it is so nice that there is a special day set aside to honour this historic event even if the actual day of Jesus' birth is not precisely on December 25th.  Some people celebrate Christmas up until January 6th or the Feast of Epiphany.

 

December 26 - I'm grateful for the turkey we had for Christmas dinner because it is a traditional meal and there is always someone in the family who needs to keep up traditions for the other family members to enjoy. Sometimes I don't feel like making these big meals but I know how disappointing it would be to my late mom and sister to know that and how disappointing for my family members to see and experience a holiday without the traditional holiday feast.  I also feel good when I'm able to prepare the meal for loved ones. Added advantages are leftovers to eat and that  means less cooking for a few days. So many things for which to be thankful for from a simple roasted turkey.

December 27 - Winter storms have been harsh across the entire province during this Christmas season. I'm grateful I have shelter because it started snowing on December 24th and has been very cold since then.  Earlier in the month I said I was grateful for shelter but I'm even more grateful during very cold (and very hot) days. There are many who are on the streets or in Single Occupancy Rooms (SROs) that don't have any heating despite the fact that the city has a by-law requiring that rented SRO properties be heated to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

December 28 - I'm grateful I have a good yarn stash. When the mood strikes I can start a project without running to the store.  In this case I've started making a  'happy' (yellow and white) coloured dishcloth.

 

December 29 - I'm grateful for my extra long, faux fur coat, hat and heavy duty winter boots on a very chilly day.  A snowstorm was expected today but I decided to go for a walk to the library and felt able to do so because I have the right clothing and foot wear.  Along the way I received 3 compliments on my coat.  I seldom get a chance to wear such a warm coat in Vancouver.  It requires a cold, snowy day not a rainy day otherwise the 'fur' would get matted.  I always get several compliments when I do wear it because people in my city don't wear such coats. You will be more likely to find a long faux fur coat or a real one, on the streets of Ottawa, Canada or someplace like Moscow, Russia. Men especially seem to like the long coat.  When I left the library to run one last errand before making my way home again, the snow had started to fall and there weren't that many people out for a walk or for errands due to the cold.

 

December 30 - I'm grateful I spent some time over the holiday to sort through and get rid of some old papers. I've still got a long way to go but most of the small boxes and tubs of papers are sorted.  Once I get through sorting the next piles I'll begin shredding.  It will be a happy day.

 

December 31 - I already know how I want to end the month of gratitude. I'm so very grateful I've made it through 2021 and that my loved ones did as well.  

Personally, I've made great strides in getting through a lot of  'old business' in 2021.  I've also done other things like work on crafts, read a lot of books, attended to health issues (some of which were unexpected), kept up the family connections and forged ahead with the missions in Kenya. 

I will begin the new year feeling good about the state of things at home and I'm cautiously optimistic about everything else in the world.  

I am grateful that I was able to send everyone on my Kenyan list a small gift to make their Christmas Day special. I was able to send to everyone on the for sure list and on the maybe list and also to one who was not on the list. In addition,  I added some other unexpected things that came up:  eye examination for one person and a contribution toward eye glasses (more funds required before glasses can be ordered). There was also an urgent need for funds to begin a legal process of getting land titles registered (half the funds required have been sent). Since January is planting season, funds were also sent for one farm/shamba which provides maize (corn), variety of vegetables and tea for 4 households for the coming year. 

 

I've linked to the needs as mentioned in previous posts. As always, if you are able to assist the grassroots people in Kenya we would love to hear from you. You can find a Pay Pal button to the right of this blog (click the red flower).  Alternatively, you can send me an email (at the address on my Blogger profile page) if you need more information. I'd dearly love to find monthly sponsors for Janet and her daughters in the photo above. Someone who could help while Janet establishes her business and someone who could help the girls with school fees.

Last, but not least, let me end by thanking each and every one of you who visit this blog and take the time to read my posts. A special thank you to those that also take time to comment. If not for you, I would have already closed this blog.  But faithful readers and commenters give motivation to continue. You are appreciated.

I also want to wish each of you and your families and loved ones a very Happy New Year. My hope is that 2022 will be a better year where we can get back to meeting and spending time with friends and loved ones near and far.

Gratitude December - Day 18

Hello everyone,

Saturday is Day 18 of Gratitude December and I'm posting a few hours early.  If you landed here from Skywatch Friday you can click here to find my entry. You can also click on photos if you wish to enlarge them for viewing.

I'm grateful that I finally made it to the annual Christmas Market. It's been going on for several years now but this was my first trip. I purchased a season's pass several weeks ago and planned to go several times. 

My plan didn't quite work out for various reasons but I was happy to finally get there. I'm hoping to go again but on Friday new Covid restrictions were brought in and that will put a damper on all large gatherings. All the more reason I'm grateful I made it to the market when I did.

These are just a few photos of the experience. I hope you enjoyed!

In the last several posts, I've mentioned an opportunity to bless villagers in Kenya with a Christmas meal. If you would like to participate and help feed a village family please click the red flower to the right of blog to be connected to Pay Pal.  If you wish to read more about the initiative please click here and scroll to the bottom of the post.  We appreciate your kindness at this challenging time of year.

Gratitude December - Day 17

Today is Day 17 of Gratitude December  (I've increased my blog font at the request of a reader).

I'm grateful for a day in which the gray skies broke to show some blue and the sun even came out for awhile. If you live where you get a lot of snow, you probably also get a lot of sunshine even during the shorter daylight hours. Sunshine and blue sky would not generally be scarce but when you live in the rain forest, the dry days and the clear sky days are few and far between during rainy season.

I took advantage of the beautiful day and went to the Christmas Market. I'll feature the visit in another post on another day.  Today I'm featuring the beautiful sky we had both in day and in the night.  It was also relatively warm and it was so lovely to get out and about.

 

On the way to the Christmas Market

Fresh snow has fallen on the mountains.

Lighted sails at the Vancouver Convention Center.

Giant tree in the plaza of the Art Gallery.

Moonlight through the branches.

Back in front of the old Vancouver Convention Center.

In the last several posts, I've mentioned an opportunity to bless villagers in Kenya with a Christmas meal. If you would like to participate and help feed a village family please click the red flower to the right of blog to be connected to Pay Pal.  If you wish to read more about the initiative please click here and scroll to the bottom of the post.  We appreciate your kindness at this challenging time of year.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday this week.

Gratitude December - Day 15

 Hello friends and fellow bloggers.

Today is Day 15 of December and also Day 15 of my December Gratitude List.

This year I was able to get my Christmas preparations done much earlier than usual without feeling rushed. I put up the tree and decorations near the end of November so I could enjoy the cosy lights all month long. I also got my Christmas cards prepared and sent in early December. The gift selection and wrapping took a bit longer but it is all done.

I've even baked a few mince tarts this year. I don't do much Christmas baking because my tendency is to eat far too much of it and I need to watch my sugar intake. I could bake and give to others but truthfully during these Covid times most people do not want such gifts, at least where I live. 

 

 

Next week I'll decide on whether we are having salmon, turkey or ham for Christmas dinner. I've already purchased a ham and if I don't bake it for Christmas Day it will appear on New Year's Day.  Of course any leftovers are saved to make ham and pea soup.

I'm grateful for all that I've been enabled to do this year and this month in particular. It gives me a preview of what I hope I can achieve in coming years as I get better organized. At one time I was super organized and efficient in everything.  Years of care giving and also personal health challenges put me in survival mode which I'm now trying to move past. 

What about you dear reader? Have your energies and abilities changed with the advancing years?

In the last several posts, I've mentioned an opportunity to bless many villagers in Kenya with a Christmas meal. If you would like to participate please click the red flower to the right of blog to be connected to Pay Pal.  We appreciate your kindness at this challenging time of year.

Last, but not least, I want to wish you and your household a very Merry Christmas. I've noticed that many bloggers are busy preparing for Christmas so not as many people are on line but I hope to post an item of gratitude for every day this month.  I may not post every day.  In those instances, I will make a note every day and post several days all at once.

Thank you for stopping by!

Gratitude December - Days 12, 13, 14, 2021

Hello everyone,

I hope your December is going well. I caught a bit of a chill on Friday when I was out in the pouring rain so I'm trying to take things easy as we head into Christmas.

I'm popping in today to post 3 days of Gratitude December.

For Day 12,  I'm grateful for finishing the afghan throw which I will gift to a friend. I added 3 rounds of darker (berry colour) yarn to finish it off. Tying loose ends at the back is the job I don't enjoy.  There are a lot of  them when you use different colours or change colours often for different rounds. I'm happy with how it turned out.  The throw was a made up pattern made mostly with yarn ends from various projects. The berry colour was not leftover yarn, but yarn for which I didn't have a specific project in mind.

For Day 13, I'm grateful for this rooibos  tea from South Africa.  I drink two or three cups every night during our dark and cold nights.  It was a bit difficult to find until a few years ago when they started selling a box of Tetley Rooibos tea bags at one local grocery store. Recently I've wanted to try the loose tea again and was happy to find it in bulk at another local shop.

For Day 14, I'm grateful that I've cleared out another 8 containers from my bathroom. I have an abundance of facial products and it takes me forever to go through one container. I've been working diligently not to buy anything that I don't really need and use up what I already have. I am decluttering and the bathroom is one area that is a trouble spot hence my resolve not to buy more.

This Christmas I'm hoping to help some villagers in Kenya enjoy a Christmas meal. If you'd like to help there is a Pay Pal button on the right of this blog. Simply click the red flower to be taken to Pay Pal. If you'd like more details on the needs you may click here. Scroll to the bottom. Thank you.

Gratitude December - Day 11

Today is Day 11 of Gratitude December.

I'm grateful for finding a new planner to help plan my days and months in 2022.

I'm the type that likes to write things down but I like to have most things in one place not in 10 different places. At the same time I don't want an overly demanding planner, one that is overly simplistic, too big or too small. 

The last few years I've wasted money on planners that I abandon after a short few weeks. They don't quite work for a variety of reasons.

I think I may have finally found one that I will actually like and use so I ordered one. I won't be able to tell how I like it until well into January but it looks awesome. Here are what the different elements of the planner look like.

I like that it comes with multiple ribbon bookmarks instead of just one.

I like that each day you can write the priorities at the top of the page and there is space for side notes

It's important to me to see the month at a glance and to have room to write in the daily boxes.

There is even space for setting out your goals for the years and longer term dreams

Extra space is included for reviewing your months, habits and daily practice as well as quarterly goals.

What about your dear reader? Do you use a written planner, an electronic one, a combination or none at all?

Does your system work well for you?

Kenya

Let me take a moment here to post again about the Kenyan missions for those that missed it yesterday and because it is Christmas, the season for giving.  I would like to help the people mentioned below to enjoy a Christmas meal on Christmas Day. If you would like to help them enjoy one day this month kindly hit the Pay Pal button to the right of the screen. You can reach the direct link by hitting the red flower. Thanks so much for considering the need. If you can't give please remember them in prayer.

Rose is the mature, pregnant woman.  She is married and has several school age children.  She has had numerous challenges during this pregnancy which has required her to be hospitalized on several occasions.  She's getting close to delivery and is currently at home until labour begins.  Rose will get vaccinated after delivering her child.

Charles - He is married and has several  children. I don't assist him much except at Christmas though I'd like to do more for his family. Charles has had his vaccinations.

Ernest - He has no children.  He has diabetes and suffered several health challenges namely breaking the same leg twice and having been hospitalized due to Covid 19.  Kenya has been slow to roll out vaccinations but he has now had two vaccinations.

Livingstone - He has no children. Recently he too recovered from a broken leg and Covid 19. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation of his leg through physiotherapy and has had two vaccinations.

Elijah - He is married with 5 children and a dependent MIL.  He is the man whose coffee plantation was flooded out a few months ago when major floods forced many Kenyans from their homes.

Janet - She is married but separated and has four daughters. Her brother chased her away from her ancestral home and we've set her up in a humble store with attached living quarters. 

Pastor Jonah - He has no children. Jonah is primarily the one I work with to undertake all the responsibilities of the grassroots missions. We often work with other leaders in his church including the Lead Pastor, especially when I am in Kenya. He has had his vaccinations.

If I am able I would also like to send to the following people:

David - He is married with 2 children. I've known David for long and usually send him something at Christmas. This year I've tried to send him something as often as I can because his small tourist business was badly affected due to Covid.

Pastor Parteleu - He pastors a remote, rural village church and has had recent health challenges including undiagnosed stomach issues. He has very little financial support and has a wife and 2 children.

Sarah - She is single with 2 children. Sarah lives in Kibera slums and lost her catering job prior to Covid when her boss/employer was defrauded out of his valuable property and restaurant by high powered people.  Sara is a talented cook and caterer and has been looking for a job in that field for long. In the past I've provided her with blankets for the chilly Kenyan nights.

Amy - She is a single mom with a 2 year old toddler.  I send something for her child as often as I can. Amy has tried her hand at many different casual jobs but it has been difficult having a baby with her at all times.

Altogether there are about 40 people, men, women and children represented on this list.  It breaks my heart that the mothers and fathers cannot provide even daily food and other needs for their children and that the men cannot find employment even though they want to work.So many people live without hope and without opportunity. Doing a little for them can really help boost their spirits and give them hope that there really is a God above who loves and cares for them.  Thank you for reading.

Update:  I got wet and a bit chilled on my library run on Friday night and have developed a sneeze. I'll be taking a few days rest and resume the gratitude list when I return to blogging. My next post will contain several days of gratitude items instead of one item. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves.