Doing What I Can

“Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from what you can do.”

~ John Wooden

How are you my friends?

I'm doing okay. My left knee is still a bit sore and believe it or not my right knee started acting up too. But overall I am walking much better than a week ago. I've decided to use a cane now and then too just so I don't over stress my joints when I have to walk a bit further. I'm just so thankful that I can still move around and that there have been improvements. I guess I should have gone to the doctor but really what can they do for me besides give me painkillers? I will try to schedule an appointment for next week and get it looked at as well as deal with my blood sugar test results. I really did not have the energy this week to deal with the doctor, testing for sugars and leg and all of the things that come with it....so I wait awhile.

Around the house, I've been contemplating how to move things around. It seems a never ending job around here. I'm making room for mom's medical lift chair and walker (with a seat and basket) to be delivered by my brother. He has had to go out of town and get these items as they have no storage room where mom lives and she doesn't use these mobility aids anymore. In fact she hasn't for the last two years. It turns out I might need these items myself and if I had to purchase these items (again) it would cost me quite a pretty penny.  So I've decided to keep them here at  my home in case I do need them.  I'm also returning the stove I bought a few weeks ago and getting the exact same model as a replacement. There was a minor flaw on the stove top but it was in a very noticeable place so I'm getting a replacement which will be delivered Thursday.

My creative juices are flowing but I'm not entirely up to making anything.  Instead I've been admiring a lot of handcraft on line.  In particular, I've been admiring the Boutis work of the French.  Boutis is a Provençal word meaning 'stuffing', describing how two layers of fabric are quilted together with stuffing sandwiched between sections of the design, creating a raised effect.

I've long admired Boutis and once I even asked a long distant relation to pick one up for me. She did in fact search for a quilt for me when she went to Paris, France.  However I was quite disappointed when I got it and found it had a tag on it stating "Made in India"!   I could have purchased a similar quilt here in town and in a more appropriate size (French beds are a bit narrower). Nonetheless I did appreciate all the effort my relative went through to search for and find me a quilt.  She also had to get her Parisien friends to visit the vendor from time to time as the quilt had to be ordered.  Then her friends brought it in their carry on luggage when they paid a visit to Canada.  That quilt really made the rounds!!.  I enjoyed my quilt for about 10-12 years but I gave it to the goodwill last year.  I don't plan on buying another one soon  But I would like to make a Boutis for myself one day.

Boutis Quilt Ideas

Photo Credit:  Satin Moon

Photo credit: J. McEwan's  Etsy shop

Photo credit: Japan Lovely Etsy Shop

I've got so many lovely projects to work on right now so boutis making won't be happening anytime soon. But it is so nice to dream.

Pendleton Blankets 

I've also been dreaming about this cream, gray and light blue Pendleton blanket.  Some day I might have one for my bedroom.

Photo of the blanket alone.

Blanket dressing the bed.

A throw blanket like the one above, in shades of cream, khaki and black, might work for my front room. It gets very chilly here from about November to about February.  A throw blanket is a must.

I love Pendleton blankets and own two already. They are quite expensive but I've noticed the prices have remained almost the same since I bought myself  one some 20+ years ago. As far as blankets go the price is actually no more expensive than other quilts and comforters and what's more the Pendleton blankets are great heirloom pieces. I use my Pendleton blanket in the bedroom but I'd like another for those extra cold days. I inherited another one from my mother but use it for decor rather than as a cover because of it's lighter overall colour.  Some of my long time readers might remember the one I purchased for my nephew's baby.

This week I've also  been enjoying reading my two books (see my last post if interested in the books) but it seems like I haven't done anything. I have in fact been dealing with a lot of little things related to the university procedures, my medical appointments, various business related to my condo and follow up matters concerning my new appliances.  Also this week I need to get some grooming done.  Earlier this week, I put some henna in my hair and my nails are really overdue for a nail treatment so I have an appointment tomorrow. I'm so pleased I could get in as I only just called today. Usually the nail technician is so busy I can't get in when I want. God is with me on this.  You might be laughing about now.  But I really rely on my pedicures to treat an on-going ingrown nail problem.   I've noticed that after 10 months of going to this young woman and having her do my pedicures, my ingrown problem has improved a lot. This means I have far less pain than I used to have when she does my nails. Halleluia!!! You would not believe just how painful it has been every time I go and get my nails done. Most people equate getting nails done with a time of relaxing and pampering.  But trust me, it hurts a lot when the nails are embedded in your skin and the technician has to do minor surgery without anesthetic.  True, with the price of such things, it is a luxury though and I feel very blessed to be able to get this done on a regular basis as part of my health regime. Diabetics needs to look after their feet.

Well I've rambled long and I want to get the dinner made and more reading done. I hope you all have a lovely rest of your week. 

A Reading Week

It's been cold over here. Since Thursday until today, we've had mostly clear skies,sunshine and a decided chill in the air.  It is always colder here when it isn't raining. Last night I felt the deep chill despite having the central heating on. When I woke up this morning, there was a sprinkling of snow on the ground. Enough to cause a lot of havoc on our streets because at a certain dewpoint (in this case zero degrees) we get fog cover and icy streets. The city workers weren't ready for the snow fall this morning for some reason but they should be ready now.  The meteorologist says this weather is expected to continue for a few days.

In other news I've been slowly making my way through two books "Where White Mean Fear to Tread", the autobiography of Russell Means and "Appetite for Life", the biography of Julia Childs.

I have completed the chapters devoted to Russell Meanses' early life and work history and am now in the early days of his involvement with the American Indian Movement (AIM), the sacrifices made by his family and and some of the personal angst he suffered in his early days of involvement with AIM.

I have completed the chapters devoted to Julia's Child's early life, her early work history in India and China, and marriage to Paul Child. I am now at the part where Julia has finished her training at the Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris and is writing her book on French cooking.

These two books couldn't be more different but they are very fascinating since both of these individuals contributed to the contemporary history of the United States.Initially I didn't like the style of either of these books but I got into them as I delved deeper into the books.

Both of the accomplished individuals in these books are now deceased and I  wanted to learn more about them and their huge contributions to today's society. Mr. Means came from an impoverished background, of rough living, drugs and moving from job to job; whereas Julie McWilliams came from a very privileged background.

I didn't plan to read both of these large-ish books at the same time but I'm glad it turned out that way for it helps me to compare and contrast how each of these larger than life individuals developed and became what they became. I found it very striking what each had gone through in their early lives and how they both reached a pivotal turning point in the direction of their respective lives when they reached their early 30s.  For Mr. Means this meant becoming highly active in the AIM movement and for Mrs. Child, this meant, getting married and moving to France to begin her culinary training and career.

I still have a lot to read and am taking my time. If you get a chance I would highly recommend you pick up one or both of these books.

In other news I've been spending some time studying Cree, dealing with things around the house and for my mom. I also have a whole lot of errands and appointments this month; many of which I've had to cancel or postpone due to the leg problem. If the weather ever improves I should feel better all around but I'm glad to make even a little progress. At least the weather is a good excuse for staying indoors and reading a good book.

I hope all of you are enjoying your January.

Blessings.

Journey Home - Part 3

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. 

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

I returned home from my Christmas travels on December 27, 2012. Part 1 of my journey photos can be viewed here.  Part 2 can be viewed here. This is the last installment of this series.  I hope you enjoyed the peek into the scenery around these parts.

We are at Herrling Island just before you get to the City of Chilliwack.

 

I think I was just taking photo of the traffic sign and the red barn to the right of the photo.

Chilliwack is a farming community and in this photo you see row upon row of greenhouses.

A photo for my international readers so you can see what is on the side of the road. I think KFC is now in many countries including Kenya. It is a fried chicken fast food outlet.

 

A scene from the freeway toward one of the many suburbs outside Vancouver. I think this is part of Port Coquitlam.

We are fast approaching the new Port Mann Bridge. You can see it in the distance to the right of the photo.

We are on the new Port Mann Bridge which has only been open about a month and cost 3.4 Billion dollars or thereabouts. It has already been closed to traffic twice due to the bad weather we've been having. They need to find solutions to the problems that have arisen thus far. It's atrocious that the bridge cost that much and can't help move the traffic in bad weather, especially when drivers have to pay a toll fee on top of it all!

A close up view. You can see the posts are designed to join right above the cars below. This was problematic after a snow fall when icy snow bombed cars below causing numerous accidents and bridge closure just before Christmas.

After we crossed the 2nd Narrows Bridge to the north we travelled west on the Upper Levels Hwy. (Trans-Canada Hwy. to Taylor Way and then south to Future Shop at Park Royal Mall). You can take this highway to the Sea to Sky Highway which takes you to the beautiful ski town of Whistler where many locals and celebrities go skiing.

We ended our long journey with a several hour shopping expedition at the Future Shop looking for appliances. It was a busy store that day and my leg was very sore. I was not in the mood for shopping. Thank goodness my brother and nephew were there to do the "legwork".

I was glad to finally get home to Vancouver that day!

This is my submission to Skywatch Friday. You can see the sky was very gray in the last hours of our journey. If you look at Parts 1 and 2, you will see we had a variety of skies that day.

Happy Skywatch Friday! 

Kenyan Update

Hello friends,

From time to time I've blogged about Kipngeno  and his need for sponsorship to attend medical school. Kipngeno is a very bright high school graduate from the highlands of Kenya.  Though it was a huge struggle financially with not knowing where his funds were coming from, he managed to finish first year medical studies and sustain his desire to continue medical studies.

My efforts to find him a sponsor have gone in vain but I am thanking God because now Kipngeno has finally received a loan from his government to pay for his tuition.  Praise God!!

Kipngeno still needs some modest support to pay for transport from his home to his university each new term and to pay for his room and board.  The costs are a lot less than in America and if you are able to help at all it would be gratefully appreciated.

Kipngeno on the far right with his classmate in the middle and Jonah on the far left.

Please send any donations to me and I will send them on to him in Kenya. It costs about $300 total for Term 1 (room and board, travel).  I don't expect any one person will be able to cover the full amount but if you can help at all, any amount you can send would be a huge help. Somehow with God's help, and a little help from others here and there, Kipngeno will get through another year of medical studies. Kenya is in dire need of doctors and medical professionals. If you are new to this story and this need and you would like to help Kipngeno through the longer term I would love to hear from you!

In other matters, Jonah's mother is still in hospital in Eldoret. She was released and went home to the village but was readmitted to Moi University Hospital in Eldoret before Christmas. She is suffering from some kind of vascular,  blood and paralysis issues.  Doctors believe it is caused by decades of bending over to cook and do the work that village women do.  Doctors would like her to be transferred to hospital in Nairobi for further treatment and surgery.  Your prayers for her and all the associated needs would be most welcome.

Thank you.

Moving Forward

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.

2 Chronicles 15:7

This is an encouraging word from the Bible. It encourages me to be diligent in all things and to keep moving forward despite the challenges that come and go and some that drag on longer than I'd like.  The verse is a promise to me (and to all who believe) that eventually (perhaps sooner, perhaps later), my efforts will be rewarded.

The process of goal setting, which I started a few years ago, and the process of reflecting on progress at the end of each year, helps me to see what it is I am moving forward to each year, and whether my efforts are being rewarded with all my goals, not just the spiritual ones though those are very important too.

Of course other things may arise which impacts on what I am doing at any given time. New things may take priority, like the Swahili class I enrolled in in 2012.  I had not planned on taking the course in a formal way, and that is okay because I simply adjusted my priorities to fit in new ones. Anything I do not achieve in a given year can simply be carried forward to another year, and other things can be dropped if they no longer fit my needs. What is important to me is that I keep in mind the things I have been wanting to do for a long time and make space in my life now that I have the freedom of more time. When I was working I never had much time for doing anything that I really wanted to do. My hours of work were excruciating and demanding. Family needs took up the rest of my time. Now I am retired but I have health challenges that take up a lot of my time.  Even so I am blessed with more time for doing some of the things I want to do and I don't want to waste it.

Helping in the mission field is a huge part of my life. I was helping Jonah at Missions of Hope in Kenya but he is taking a break from his volunteer efforts at present and for the foreseeable future.  I will continue helping him and others whenever I can.   Jonah is not currently working on missions as a volunteer while he contemplates and acts on the next important phase of his life but we have not lost contact. Later, I hope to be able to undertake some projects of my own in Kenyan villages and I have done that several times before, often with Jonah's help. If you are new to my blog you can read about some of that work here. You can either read the posts backwards or scroll down and start from the beginning.

Image Credit: AANISCHAAUKAMIKW Cree Cultural Institute

Monday night I started my new language class. I think I will enjoy it a lot. I don't intend to say too much about it as I'm sure that will not be so interesting to most of you. I will simply say that I am studying the Cree language, and in particular, the Plains Cree dialect which is spoken in the western provinces and northern territory of Canada (which you can see in map above).  The map suggests that the Plains dialect ends at the BC/Alberta border (the two westernmost provinces) but there are actual Cree speaking communities in northwestern BC as well.  They have been established in that part of the province for a very long time.

This was the scene as I got off the bus at the university at 6:20 p.m. Jan7, 2013. It is very dark but at least it wasn't raining as was earlier in the day. This bus "loop" did not exist when I was a student many years ago but that tall building directly ahead in the photo is where I lived for a year in my 2nd year on campus. Oh the memories!

I actually spoke Cree as my first language but my parents started me speaking English when I was only about 3 years old so I didn't get much of a grounding in the language.  When I started university I tried very hard on my own to practice the language.  I had some success, however there weren't a lot of opportunities to practice. My mother did not remember to speak to me in the language even though I reminded her many times.  Speaking to her children in English was a habit hard to break.  Now I will be studying the language formally. My nephew and I will be enrolled in the same class and it will be fun to see how we both get on with the language. He was a huge help to me tonight finding the building and escorting me from and to the bus stop as well as carrying my bag and coffee.  We both plan on practicing what we learn with my mom over the phone. It will be special and nice.  In fact, right after class, my nephew called his grandma and said some words to her in Cree, including words that I don't even remember and which we did not learn in the class.  I was quite impressed. I do also intend to get back to studying Swahili as soon as I am able. 

What about you dear reader?  What are your special goals for 2013?

This is my submission for Our World Tuesday. Please join in if you can and read what others are up to.