Scenic Sunday ~ November 14, 2010

I love this photo. I took it from my hotel balcony in downtown Vancouver. I think it almost looks like a painting.

For more Scenic Sundays, click here.

Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day.  It's easy to remember the time we are to take time to remember; that is, the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour, or November 11th at 11:00 a.m.

I am so grateful to the veterans that fought and died and those who fought and lived to tell the tale. They will forever have a place of gratitude and remembrance in my heart. Let us never forget their sacrifices.

When I was in grade school, our school used to broadcast a program over the public address system every Remembrance Day.  Our teacher would place a cross at the front of the classroom. On top of the cross she would place a soldier's helmet and some poppies.  She would read from soldier's war journals to give us a sense of what the soldiers were dealing with on the battlefield.  The principal would play a narration of the famous poem by John McCrae for the entire school and we would all stand in our respective classrooms for a minute of silence and the playing of the bugle call.  I believe the bugle call played was  "Taps" though am not 100% certain.

The poem "In Flanders Fields" has always touched me. I am sharing it with you now in the hopes it touches you too. Right now there are many on the battlefields. Let us remember them and those that have gone before so that we can live in a free land.

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Photo info: Poppies on the Downs at Winton, near Alfriston by Rosie Hibbs, from http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/leisureandtourism/pictures/poppies.htm

A Baking & Cooking Frenzy

When I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen tables, and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food. It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we have been, and who we want to be.

Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, 2009

Today (Tuesday), I had a lot of pelvic pain. It wouldn't go away no matter what I did so I could not concentrate on reading in my cosy nook like I planned. Instead I cooked up some comfort food.

First up was some hot homemade soup. There is no recipe really. You just put whatever you want into boiling water. Whatever will satisfy your soul. Today I boiled up some pot barley along with white onions, celery bits, carrot bits, chopped potatoes, a can of stewed tomatoes and cooked hamburger. For flavouring I added Dr. Bragg's liquid soy seasoning, some splashes of hot sauce and salt to taste.

Then I baked some bread. You can see the recipe here. Today I mixed half and half white flour and whole wheat flour.

I also made up some pizza dough. Again I mixed white flour with whole wheat flour. These ones are oiled and wrapped in saran so they will go into the freezer for later use.

Last,  but not least, I baked up some chocolate chip cookies. These ones did not turn out as nicely as the ones I made here. Even though it is the same recipe.  Perhaps it is because I used an egg substitute as I had run out of eggs.

My egg substitute is as follows: 1 tsp. baking powder mixed with 1 tsp. oil to which is added 1/4 of water and mix it altogether. You can also use milk in place of water. This is a substitute for one egg. Although the cookies looked and tasted different, they were fine and I've now learned how to make cookies without eggs! I hope you will try it too.

My World Tuesday ~ November 9, 2010

My thank you to those of you who are praying for Kipngeno's school needs. He really needs your prayerful support.

Hi friends,

Here in Vancouver it is very windy and wet. I am reminiscing about warmer times and nice flowers in my garden.

Like these red roses.

And these Zinnias.

It is the kind of day where I feel I should curl up on a nice chair and read or study. The rain can get to be too much here in late Fall/Autumn and Winter.  At those times, it is important to be grateful and remember that it is the rain that keeps our city green and full of grass throughout the winter, as well as bringing early flowers in Spring.

My study corner for quiet study. There is a comfy armchair close by and natural light from the window.

That is my world for this Tuesday. You can join others around the world here and see what they are up to.

Kipnegeno Goes to School

Hello prayer partners,

Kipngeno will be going to school in January, 2011 and we are so happy for him.

I wrote about Kipnegeno in an earlier post and you can read about him here if you like. 

He will be studying pharmacy, instead of nursing. Medical professionals are very much needed in Kenya.

He needs a lot of funding and prayer support to start school in two months time and we are trying to gather what is needed. Please continue to pray for him and if you can help, please let my friend, Pastor Jonah know here.

Otherwise have a great day.