Tuesday News

Hi friends,

I hope you are all doing well. I've been a bit under the weather so I have slowed down since the weekend.

I managed to get together with a friend I seldom see. She invited me last minute for coffee and snacks and we were able to work it out. I always enjoy visiting with her. Other than that I've been catching up with various people in Kenya regarding matters that crop up during the missions outreach I do there. That always takes a fair bit of my time and is difficult because of the time and distance differences. I may have a more full some update later on the missions. I know some of you have been waiting.

Since I posted my lovely sunny photos last Friday, the weather has returned to rain. Not endless rain so it is okay but gloomy looking overhead. I am not complaining because my neighbours in the province of Alberta have had lots of snow. I prefer the rain to snow.

 No complaining when I see views like these.

 

Other than enjoying the beautiful scenes at the beach I've been on a personal mission to save a few pennies here and there.  My next post will be about saving money.

I send a lot of funds overseas to help people in desperate situations because I know we are blessed here in North America where even the poorest people have access to food banks, food kitchens, shelters and so on.  I send to people mostly in Kenya not through any organization but directly to people I've met along the way.  I also sponsor some children in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. I also like to try and send a bit extra at this time of year for the families of the sponsored boys so they can have something extra for Christmas.

In Kenya they like to have a meal of chicken (sometimes goat if the budget allows) and also a new change of clothing at Christmas.  This is in the villages where historically the people would not have so much access to new clothing due to the cost or to things we take for granted here at Christmas or any other time. There the focus is on eking out a day to day existence and trying to ensure the children get an education. Just these two things are beyond the ability of many families. If you are a subsistence farmer there is very little to meet all the needs and some are not so fortunate as to have a farm of their own.

If you would like to sponsor some very needy children I recommend signing up with Compassion International. I sponsor through the Canadian office and have found the staff to be excellent and responsive to all my questions including following up on an issue here and there about local conditions in Kenya.  I get letters from my sponsored children several times a year and I know they are all growing and developing well. Compassion tries to deal with the whole child and not just give them food or a bible. You can learn more about their approach here.

I also sponsor through a new to me  group called Food for the Hungry. I learned about them last year when the wonderful gospel singer, Don Moen was here and he encouraged his audience to sponsor a child that night. The response was very overwhelming and I know this organization also does great work. Both Compassion and Food for the Hungry take great care with the funds they receive and manage to keep the administration costs down to a very reasonable level. This means your donated dollars are actually getting to the child and to the communities.

This week and last week I took a bit of time to write my sponsored children some letters and also some cards for Christmas as well as figure out what to send to their families. In case you are interested, Food for the Hungry doesn't allow gifts to the children other than what you can send via the mail. Compassion allows a gift annually to the child for general needs and birthday and a gift annually to the family.The photos below show my boys from Kenya and Ethiopia. I don't have a digital photo of my boy in Uganda and my scanner doesn't seem to work anymore.

Ian

John

Wondimu

Thanks for stopping by!

Joining in with Our World Tuesday this week.

Another Friday has Arrived

Hi everyone,

After weeks of rain we've been having a few spectacular sunny days. I wanted to get down to my favourite beach to take some photos but I had a late start today.  I decided on the spur of the moment to go downtown and I'm glad I did.

There were a lot of people out today enjoying the warm fall day. In fact there were even a few people in their swimming trunks.

I wanted a photo of the dog and his master but the sun was shining directly in my path. I took a few photos anyway.  Here is the photo in black and white and colour. He was a lovely dog but he wasn't so thrilled about fetching the stick until his master threw it some distance into the water.

In the beautiful scene below I was competing with several other people for photos, lol. I decided to leave one in the photo for fun.

Here are several people testing the water.

We had summer weather temperatures today.

I always love the scene as I come upon the huge metal sculpture and the mountains in the distance.

These trees are not yet in full fall colour but I don't know if  will get back to the beach in time to catch the foliage as the leaves develop deeper golden and orange shades.

I hope you are enjoying the weather wherever you are.

I'm linking up with

Friday Foto Friends

Skywatch Friday

and

Saturday's Critters.

Thank you for stopping by!

It's Friday Today!

Hi friends,

I'm sharing sunflowers today. I took these photos last Saturday when I went grocery shopping. They caught my eye in the parking lot and you can see the beautiful blue sky in the background.

These patio photos were taken within a few days of the sunflower photos. It's been raining for the better part of two weeks and is a bit chilly too. I managed to snap these photos during some dry and clear periods.

This morning the rain started up again but I understand it is to be a short few days of rain and sunshine for several days after that. I cherish any bit of sunshine we can get before the winter rains.

I'm reading two Jane Goodall books, one book of letters by Laura Ingalls Wilder and this short book about Swedish Death Cleaning.  The concept of death cleaning is to make sure you declutter before you die and leave a bunch of goods, furniture, letters, jewellery and other possessions to your loved ones to clear out after you are gone. The book is short and humorous and gives a few ideas for how to go about the process. I like this concept of death cleaning and taking time to go through things yourself to decide what to do with them.

My sister tried to do this before she died and my mom cleared some of her personal papers. In both cases, there was still a lot to deal with after their last moves and demises. It brought home to me just how important it is not to allow the build up of extraneous things. I've been trying for years already to down size. I don't think I've made a whole lot of progress but I am learning things about myself in the process. I also think that next year will bring a lot of changes and progress. 

If you'd like to know more, have a listen to this short video where the author is talking about death cleaning.

Here at home I've been very busy doing a bit of decluttering and organizing little bit by little bit. I'm also reading of course, cooking, shopping and the usual household tasks.  I spent the day waiting for a delivery which never came despite my best efforts to call the UPS and get it done. I waited the entire day and half the night.  Now I have to stay home again Friday waiting for the delivery. They also have to pick up a returned item so I hope to get it all done at once.

I think I mentioned last time that I am taking a Creative Writing Class. In the class a few days ago we critiqued each other's short stories. My story was up  first and I was quite pleased with the feedback received. There were some really good, constructive comments that will help me undertake the revisions.

Overall people responded well to my story and very positively.  The instructor said she thought with a bit of work my story could be submitted.  There is a lot more work ahead for me writing, editing and so on but I was stunned, and pleased.

Have an awesome weekend everyone.

Joining in with

Friday Foto Friends

and

Skywatch Friday

A Variety of Critters

Cattle from small villages to the east of Marigat, Kenya

 Thomson gazelles in Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Nakuru, Kenya

Orphan elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust near Nairobi, Kenya

Ostrich along highway near Baringo, Kenya

Ostrich running around a small village near Marigat, Kenya

Linking up with Eileen

at 

Saturday's Critters

Just Popping In

Hi friends,

I'm just popping in to say 'hello' and 'how are you'?  It's been awhile since I posted here and today's post will be brief.

Since I wrote last we have been having quite a lot of inclement weather.  Very dark skies and lots of rain. I would say we also have cooler temperatures than usual. We sure could have used the rain during the summer when all the wild fires were raging. Some parts of western Canada (northern British Columbia and Alberta) have even had snow yesterday and today and quite cold temperatures. We expect less rain and snow and warmer temperatures again soon and normal autumn temperatures to follow.  The intense heat of the summer and sadly, my garden is pretty much done for the year. I plan to dig all the debris from the annuals up before the end of the month.

You can just make out the Light Rapid Transit in the middle right.

I'm reading.

I started a Creative Writing Class yesterday. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to the next  few weeks of classes. I'm just hoping I can keep up with my homework. The instructor says we really should be writing every day! For a procrastinator & non-writer like me it will be a challenge but one I hope to meet.  The course is actually free and I cannot believe the caliber of the instructor. She is a writer, editor, publicist and comedian.  Maybe this is her way of giving back or looking for new authors.

Farmer's Market

On my way back from class I managed to stop at a local Farmer's Market. Sad to say I've been wanting to stop at this market for a few years and just never seem to remember what day it happens.

I happened to be walking by and saw that the market was underway, albeit much smaller than during the fullness of summer. I decided to have a quick look. I was on the hunt for bread or baked goods and there were some nice baked goods but no bread. In the end I bought 2 small tubs of hummus (one with beans and one with red pepper). I also bought one round package of vegan cheese. It is all very tasty but the vegan cheese as you can imagine is very pricey.  By early October, the Farmer's Market will be finished for another year so I'm glad I made it to at least one market day.



The photo below is taken from a 7th floor window looking south. The high rise you see on the horizon is the one you sometimes see in photos from my balcony.  You can see how threatening the sky looks but amazingly the sun came out late in the afternoon and it only rained a bit in early evening.

Last, but not least, is my small patio garden.  My flowers are pretty much finished for the year what with all the rain we've had over the past week.  I'm trying to hang on to them a wee bit longer because the brightly coloured flowers give me so much enjoyment.  But I'm planning to try and clean all the garden of debris by the end of the month if all goes well.

That's it for now friends. I'm feeling like an apple cake due to the coolish weather.  I've made this cake a few times but the recipe is from a blog that is no longer public. I'll have to google a new recipe.

Joining with

Friday Foto Friends

and

Skywatch Friday

Finishing Some Preparations & a Day at the Fair

Preparations continue here for earthquake preparedness.

If you wish to read more to this story you can click here. 

I went to the Pacific National Exhibition today and was so pleased to find a booth there selling supplies for earthquake and emergency preparedness.

This is the first time I've ever seen this type of booth at the fair.

I was able to buy the food and the water I needed without ordering on line (and waiting for delivery) or without having to run around and check various far away stores. 

In addition to food and water supplies  I purchased a small multi-purpose tool (with knife and can opener and so on).  I also managed to purchase a small hand cranked radio and flashlight combo.

I already have a radio but prefer one that won't need batteries and this fit the bill.

On top of it all I got 20% off all the prices because it was the last day of the fair.

Food and water supplies will be good for 5 years then they will need to be replaced.

I haven't been to the fair in 3 years but yesterday I had this feeling I should attend and go once more to the Home Pavilion.  I was in need of a change of pace and a bit of relaxation and fun.

Wouldn't you know it that is where I found the supplies I need.

I think it was divine intervention because I had such a strong need and desire to finish my earthquake kit preparations.

~~~

Now here are some images of the fair.

There were so many people attending that it was a bit hard to find something to eat without standing in long line ups (which I always do my best to avoid) or to even use the ladies room.

After 3 hours I made my purchases and came home.

It was a good way to wind up the summer.

Here are some images for you.

I tried to get images of the various food booths and the large crowd.

This was one of several swans that graced a stretch of lawn near the outdoor concert venue.

Look closely & you can see a very long sea of people into the area where you see tents and rides (background).

Maybe this photo gives a better view.

I managed to take in a bee exhibit. I was fascinated to watch the bees enter the hive through a clear tube connecting the outdoors to the hive indoors.  Dead bees that were lying in the tube were eventually picked up and moved somewhere by undertaker bees. This was very fascinating to me.

I didn't capture an undertaker bee in action but I did watch one.

Honey was also for sale.

 I didn't spend a lot of time in the barns but I did check out a few cows, goats and gerbils.

 

Vietnamese Food

Besides food and animals there is entertainment at the fair. There is a playground with all kinds of rides. I didn't go there.  There are also various shows and concerts.

I managed to catch a show I've never seen before, jousting (a medieval sport where two opponents on horseback fight with lances). It was very interesting. I don't have a photo of the most dramatic part of the show where one of the jousters from the USA was knocked right off of his horse. The impact was very loud and terrifying and I believe the lances were shattered in pieces. Amazingly the young man, aged 22, who fell, rose off the ground and walked off the "stage" relatively unscathed.  I'm sure his body will be sore from the impact.

Narrator for the joust competition. He was very funny.

The jousters move so quickly.

 Last but not least are the beautiful Clydesdale horses that grace the PNE every year.

My photo of the horses isn't very clear. I was going to upload a video but it takes too long and I've had a stop and start and kind of week.

Thank you for stopping by!