I'm Stuffed & Thankful

Hello friends,

It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. I am so thankful to God for so many things. Truly, I am thankful for even the simplest of things like the ability to walk, as an example. I don't take anything for granted.  So Thanksgiving weekend is always a special weekend for me.  It gives me a space in which I can focus on what God has done for me. I am thankful throughout the year but Thanksgiving is an extra special time of reflecting on things for which to be thankful.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

My brother, my nephew and his girlfriend were my guests for dinner.  Now my guests have gone home and I am relaxing and feeling tired and stuffed.  Though everyone ate and had seconds,  there are lot of left overs. I guess I over did it in the cooking.  Partly because at the last minute, I decided to invite two foreign students.  I met one of the students at the African Market I went to in August.  The other one is going to tutor me in Swahili.  Understandably neither of them could make it. One was already invited to dinner tonight and the other was at Whistler (out of town) on school assignment. I told them not to worry because my invitation was so late.  We all agreed to meet soon for another meal or over coffee.

Dinner was traditional:  antipasto plate (cold cuts, cheeses, pickles, grapes, stonewheat crackers), roast turkey with home made stuffing, smashed red potatoes with garlic, gravy,  a big salad with lots of colourful vegetables,brussels sprouts, buns, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, fresh fruit salad, and an assortment of beverages.  I made an extra pie for the guests who will take it to another dinner tomorrow night with other fellow students.

I don't have photos today as dinner preparations were all consuming and I was enjoying my guests when I wasn't busy making dinner.  Tomorrow I can relax instead of working in the kitchen.

Let me close by wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends and readers. I hope your holiday is a good one!

Crafting in Progress

Hi friends, I've been enjoying myself making some crafts this week.

This is a crochet scarf in shell pattern. It is made in beautiful Fall colours and has metallic thread running throughout which gives it a touch of elegance.

Click on this photo to enlarge and see the metallic thread as well as the true colour.

It isn't quite finished. I still have to weave in the end threads and then it will be done. When it is finished I will be making another scarf or a cowl/neck warmer, in shades of deep blue and green.

Two dishcloths in a traditional pattern. This is a small present for a young woman who just moved from a room, into a new apartment and is setting up house. 

My knitted square in a weave pattern. It has crocheted edges. You might remember this work from here. As you can see, I decided on a beige colour trim instead of the blue as I thought this could be used for a lap blanket  or a unisex baby blanket.

Once I finish these works and a few others, I will put them up for sale in my Etsy shop. Perhaps you would like a scarf or a hat for a Christmas gift or simply to wear for the Fall and Winter season.

All profits go to the Missions of Hope.  Potential buyer enquiries welcome.

Thursday Sky

I'm participating in Skywatch Friday this week. Please click here and you can see more beautiful skies from around the world.

Rumpus Room

A VIFF Sunday

Hi friends,

I hope you had a great weekend. I had a great weekend of catching up on little things around the home.

When you live in a big city there are always a lot of things going on in which you can participate.  Every year in September things start off with a bang and I find it hard to take in much of what is happening.  September is always a very busy month as I wind down the summer activities and transition to Fall.  This year I got sick early with a cold and that slowed me down a bit also.

There are a number of festivals going on in Vancouver recently.  Here is just a short list:

• Vancouver International Fringe Festival, a festival that creates live theatre opportunities  for emerging and established artists, September 6-16, 2012
• Vancouver International Film Festival, which shows films from around the world, September 27-October 12, 2012
• Modalus Festival, a music festival with a look into the post-classical music scene, September 27-30, 2012.
• The Word on the Street, featuring author readings, exhibits, performances, and all for free!,  September 28-30, 2012
• Vancouver Writer's Festival, connects readers to writers, October 16-21, 2012

I couldn't begin to take in most of these fantastic offerings. In fact, I can barely keep track of them. But this year I finally managed to make it to the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), an incredibly popular event with a loyal and dedicated group of followers.

Given my love of Africa I decided to see a film set in Africa.  I don't know which country, but I think that it was somewhere in West Africa.

 

The film is called "Rebelle" and is directed by Kim Nguyen.  The VIFF website provided this short synoposis of the film

Rachel Mwanza plays Komona, a young African girl forced to wage war as a child soldier. In the midst of inconceivable violence and hatred, Komona finds comfort in an albino boy she calls Magicien. Kim Nguyen directs this heartfelt and enthralling drama about the remarkable endurance of the human spirit. Winner, Best Narrative Feature, Best Actress, Tribeca 2012, Best Actress, Berlin 2012.

I invited 4 other women friends to join me.  The film was powerful and the introduction had me in tears with the horror of the situation.  My friends were also impacted by the film and I think we all  learned something about the issues affecting child soldiers in Africa.

I don't know if you will get a chance to see this film but I've heard that it will be a submission for an Academy Award. If it wins, perhaps there is a greater opportunity for you to catch it in a theatre near you.  In the meantime, you might want to watch the trailer here .