My World Today

Another week is here.

Today was a provincial holiday called "Family Day". The day is intended to enable families to spend time together and bond. The holiday was first enacted in Alberta and slowly over time other provinces have followed suit. I think it is only a matter of time before the holiday becomes a national one. It has already grown from a provincial holiday for one province to a provincial holiday for 6 provinces.

It was a beautiful day today but I stayed in and made some nice soup and bannock bread. I didn't think to get photos but the food was good.

Today I did a bit of Spring cleaning though it isn't Spring yet. I've got so many small and large chores that need doing so am getting a bit of a head start. I washed one of the furniture covers for the outside patio and tidied a few things outside that were an eyesore for long. I also emptied and trashed a lot of dried goods that seem to have provided sustenance for bugs and washed out two of my (lower)  kitchen cabinets.

I've never, ever had bugs in my dried goods before.  Now that they have started it seems I can't get rid of them. There are two types.  The first are tiny little black bugs that seem to like red lentils best (and brown rice).  The second type lay a lot of eggs and once hatched they look like small moths.  I first noticed the problem in some gluten free flour I'd purchased and thrown out long ago but I guess the eggs had spread.  Whenever I think I've gotten rid of the bugs, I find more.

It has been a real nuisance and a waste of money. The little black critters even get into airtight containers. They are so tiny that they just crawl under the lids. I'm hopeful I got rid of them all now but somehow I think I might find a few more. Mostly everything they might be interested in has been trashed so I hope that  means I've gotten rid of everything they like to eat.

I've been reading a few good books.

I'm still working on Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This book by a Nigerian author now living in USA is about a young Nigerian woman who moves to the USA. It begins with the woman getting her hair braided in a salon and flashes back to her family life and love life in Nigeria to set the backdrop of how she get to America. I'm just at the part where she is about to return to Nigeria and reunite with her first love. I'm enjoying the book very much and is the second novel I've read by this author. The first one I read was, Half a Yellow Sun.

Snow in May is a delightful little book of short stories set in the bleak landscape of Siberia, Russia.  Personally, I don't really enjoy short stories. I prefer the fully developed story line that a longer book can provide. But the cover of this book appealed to me. It was only when I got it home that I discovered it wasn't a novel.

The setting for all the short stories is Magadan, an isolated fishing and mining town in northern Russia.  It once was a transit center for prisoners sent to Stalin's labor camps. The young author, Kseniya Melnik, is also from Magadan and immigrated to Alaska at age fifteen. She earned an MFA from New York University and now lives in Texas.

The third book I'm reading is Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee.  I'm still in early stages of the book.  The protagonist, Jean Louise Finch, "Scout" has returned to Maycomb, Alabama from New York City to visit her aging father Atticus.  Atticus is a long-time lawyer in Maycomb and some of you may remember him from the American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, also written by Harper Lee. This is only her second novel and it is rumoured that she actually wrote it first but it was never published until summer of 2015.  I am enjoying it so far despite some of the negative reviews it received. I was on the library's wait list for 7 months to get this book and I'll have to finish it and return it on time as there is still a significant waiting list of hopeful readers.

Tomorrow I'll be joining some elderly folks for a celebration of Chinese New Year.  There will be singing, dancing and some foods that are eaten especially at Chinese New Year. It should be interesting and I'm looking forward to it.

I leave you now with a few shots I took today. We were fortunate to have a wonderful, sunny day and I believe tomorrow will be much the same. After that we expect heavy rains for the rest of the week.

Much of the new snow that had fallen on the mountains last Friday has melted.

This is my world this Tuesday. 

I'm joining Lady Fi and others for Our World Tuesday.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Wildlife in the Rockies

These photos are taken from a trip through the Rocky Mountain range between the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta.

The purple line on the map below gives you some idea of the route taken.

I have been through the Rocky Mountains several times but this was the first time through the mountains using the town of Rocky Mountain House as the way to get there. (I usually go through Jasper and Banff).

If memory serves me correctly we were travelling in the month was May.  We ran into snow in a few parts of the mountains. We also saw a bit of wildlife. 

Joining in with Eileen at Saturday's Critters.

If you missed my Skywatch post you can see it by clicking here.

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely weekend. xx

Beauty in Twinkle at Twilight

I am blessed. 

 This week, I was admiring all the twinkling lights and freshly fallen snow on the mountains. 

So I stopped to take a few photos.   

As I did, many stopped to admire the beauty too and acknowledged me by smiling and saying some wonderful words about the beauty before us.  I was glad to pause and commune with others in gratitude for the beauty that is here.

For when we live in a place of such beauty we should never neglect to give gratitude. 

When we see moments of beauty we should always pause even ever so briefly and drink it in.

Today I say "Happy Birthday" to my beautiful (late) sister who was born on this day.

We miss her still and have the hope that one day we will reunite.

Today I also bid adieu to an auntie who I will not see again on this earth.

Rest well in God's arms until we meet again.

Today I give thanks that the Pokot man and my friend Jonah have both had surgery and come out of it.

Now I pray for their full recovery.

Time on earth is in God's hands alone. 

Let us give thanks for every breath we take.

~~~~~

In beauty I walk 

With beauty before me I walk 

With beauty behind me I walk 

With beauty above me I walk 

With beauty around me I walk 

It has become beauty again 

It has become beauty again 

It has become beauty again 

It has become beauty again 

(From the Navajo Way Prayer and Blessing)

 

Joining in with Skywatch Friday

Can you Help? & Update on Baby Fidelis

Hello friends,

The man in the photo is from Pokot country in Kenya and his name is John. He is the one that had 3 snake bites just before my friend Jonah got bit. Both of them are suffering from complications after initially healing well. I hesitated to put this man's photo up because this tribe of people doesn't like to have their photos taken. (I remember it wasn't so many decades ago when my people also did not want their images captured on film.  These days we take a lot of photos).  Anyway I know that it is difficult for people to feel connected to someone to help them if they don't know what they look like so I decided to post and hope for the best.

My friend Jonah has been on medication over the past week or so to try and reduce his lung size. He is likely going to have surgery on February 4th as the medication is not working to reduce his lungs. Doctors from Germany are at the Eldoret hospital.  There will be 4 doctors performing and assisting in the procedure on Jonah. His brother has ho travel from Kericho to Eldoret to sign the necessary release or waiver forms.  I'm still praying that this surgical procedure will not need to be done because it is very serious business.  But if it does go ahead, I pray for the very best result and a quick healing time.

The Pokot man above is also now suffering COPD as a consequence of the snake bites.  He needs more financial help to get the proper medical attention. It would be ideal if he can get help at the same time Jonah does so that they can both benefit from the assistance of the foreign doctors. I just wish I knew more about the surgery as what I've read isn't very encouraging. I am having to trust in God that ALL will go well and that these two men will be safe.

If you  can help the Pokot man, please contact me soonest.  You can either use the contact form to the top right of this blog or by send me email.  Click here.  Prayers are also much appreciated.  God bless.

 Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~~~

In a spirit of rejoicing, Baby Fidelis and her mother made it home safely to Kenya on February 2, 2016.

Here they are being greeted at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after the long journey home from Canada.

Thanks be to God and to all those who prayed for and helped this dear baby. 

She will need to undergo more surgeries in future but for now she is at home with family.

Finished Garments & Update on Snake Bite Victims

Happy Sunday friends,

I showed you the material I was working with last week for purposes of making dresses for my mom and two nightgowns (one for mom, one for me).  Now I'll show you the end products.

The first dress is a palm leaf print in shades of fuchsia and purple.  Originally I made it with a round neckline. But after trying it on I thought it would be uncomfortable for mom as I cut the dress a little too small. The width also seemed slightly too small.  So I ended up adding side inserts to make the dress fuller and decided to turn the neckline into a v-neck for greater comfort.  (I've mentioned before that I don't work with patterns. That always makes working on the necklines and sleeves a bit fiddly and I end up making a  lot of adjustments to make it all work.)

The second dress is a dark navy colour with slight striations of white or gray. The dress looks a bit "blah" but the material is very comfortable.  Mom doesn't like "blah" so I've decided to add a decorative design around the neckline in a coordinating shade of light blue for extra interest. The navy fabric had better stretch than the fuchsia and purple dress so I didn't need to add inserts.

The next two garments are nightgowns. The first one is a knit jersey in shades of "pinky" purple and gray.  I've never worked with it before and found it challenging to sew without everything puckering. It took some time to figure out what to do with the neckline. In the end I added a little bodice and neck backing (I copied one of my nightgowns). I don't have a serger so can't get that "neat and tidy" look. But none of my sewing is perfect anyway.  These days I'm okay with that.

When working with knits I've discovered one should sew with a stretch stitch or a small zig zag. I'm still learning my "newish" machine and it's functions.  I can never find my sewing machine manual so I used the small zig zag stitch because I knew how to set that one, lol.  After trying and failing to eliminate the puckering, I used my walking foot (which I purchased for quilting) to help feed the material (top and bottom) evening under the needle.  That helped a lot and I must try to remember this for next time.

 

The last night gown in shades of light gray and white, is for me. I'm  not sure what kind of fabric it is but it is very lightweight and perfect for hot, muggy summer days. I cut it a bit full but because the fabric doesn't stretch much.  It isn't baggy once on. 

I have enough fabric left to make a camisole and sleep shorts.

First I'll try using  the nightgown and see if it breaths before I make anything else out of the fabric.

 

I still have to modify the dress I showed in my last post (see photo below).

If I can find just the right fabric for a slip I might make one before I pay mom a visit. 

She is getting anxious for another visit soon.

To be modified.

Proverbs 31: 19-20

19  She layeth her hands to the spindle,

And her hands hold the distaff.

20  She stretcheth out her hand to the  poor;

Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mentioned in my last post that Jonah of Missions of Hope, Kenya and a man from Pokot country in Kenya were both doing well post-snake bite.

In fact Jonah was released to go home though he had to return to the hospital a week later for check up.

The Pokot man was doing well after the graft surgery on his leg and ready for release about the time Jonah returned for his check-up.

That was about a week ago.

Now both of them are in hospital. 

Jonah was examined very thoroughly and underwent extensive testings of blood, urine and x-rays to examine organs and bones.

He had been having problems breathing and the tests established that his lungs are enlarged.  He is also experiencing joint pain.  The heart and lung specialist is considering surgery.

In the meantime he is on medication.

The Pokot man has regressed and is doing poorly.

He didn't have funds so was unable to undergo extensive examination or testing.

As of Friday the man has been thoroughly assessed.  The Eldoret doctors are waiting results and consultation with  doctors in Nairobi.

I've read on line that snake bite treatment is one of the most expensive things to treat in the USA once you are bitten by a poisonous snake as these men were.

The treatment and recovery period can be anywhere from a week to many months.

The health care in Kenya is also expensive.

Please keep both of these men in prayer.

We are grateful their lives were spared but now we pray for a quick(er) recovery

so they can get back to normal and have the stress behind them.

God bless.