colour your world

For two months this spring, I have the privilege of leading an "Artist's Circle" -- a small group of women who love to create -- as we talk about faith and art in a setting that I hope will be both nurturing and inspiring. We've met twice already. It's a great group of women, including a photographer, a jewellery maker, a painter and another songwriter. (I hesitate to use those labels because I don't want to pigeon-hole anyone -- these women are each capable of creating in any number of art forms!)

We're reading Madeleine L'Engle's book "Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art". I remember reading her book "A Wrinkle in Time" when I was in Grade 8. I didn't remember much about it (some might remember Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, IT...) so recently I went back and reread it in a day. A novel used to feel like such a big undertaking. That was back in the days when I read because I had to. Now I read because I want to. And now it's absolutely enjoyable and I think I get a lot more out of my reading.

Like all children, Maia's a little creator as well. She's big into colouring right now. This morning we drew a moon, since the moon seems to have captured her fancy this week. I can't quite put into words how excitedly she can exclaim the word: "MOON!"



I also can't quite explain why she loves to colour her face.

I have a hunch that as Tim and I are writing, she has seen us take our pens next to our faces as we think about what we'll write next.

OK. The dog just ate the cheese slices I cut for Maia off the coffee table. I scolded him with a firm "NO. That was not for you." As I walked away just now, Maia pointed to the dog and repeatedly said, "No."

Oh dear. I can no longer underestimate the power of modeling.

Speaking of modeling for your children, a friend forwarded an Australian commercial worth watching on email yesterday. I found it at this site so you could view it too.

And for those of you who would rather watch a Maia video, I've got a good one for you from last week. You'll see the modeling theme returns again! Enjoy. see video

attie landa

Auntie Yolanda came to visit this past weekend. We had her name ("Auntie Yo" and "Auntie Landa") all practised up days before but when she arrived, Maia decided she most preferred to call her simply "Attie". Very cute.

Each day they started their day together with Maia drinking her first bottle in the guest bed with "Attie" as Yolanda moaned and rubbed her eyes and got off to a classic Yolanda slow-start. (Wouldn't change that about you, Yo!) We went for a big shopping trip in London on Saturday. Our favourite purchase was a little pair of yellow rain boots that we found -- perfect for Maia to trudge around in this time of year.

Friday evening, Tim and I had so much fun playing Monopoly with Yolanda that we all decided to do it again on Saturday night. Very funny. Haven't played that in years.

On Sunday morning, Yolanda played violin with our worship team. What a treat! So lovely. It was a special moment watching Maia absorbed by the sound of the violin as we practiced at home. I also loved watching Yolanda show her niece how to pluck the strings of her violin. Thanks, "Attie", for spending the weekend with us. We loved having you here!

winter child ... spring mama

I think I get more excited about the arrival of spring with every passing year.

The dissipating snow... the sunshine... the singing birds... people coming out of hibernation (yes, people)... the warmer days... the new life.... I've been longing for it.

I just noticed the crocuses have bloomed. I couldn't be more childlike in my excitement. I tried to pass some of it on to Maia, but she seemed more excited about the big pile of melting snow the city has piled at the side of our house. Seems I'm a spring-loving mama with a winter-loving child.

Today on our way home from running errands we saw a 2 month old horse being walked along the highway. With a 19 month old who can't get enough of her animal books and sounds these days, I had to pull over. Wish I'd had my camera.

Maia seems to have a long memory so we hear about exciting things for days and days (ie. we randomly hear her exclaim "Jessie!", her little friend who came to visit a week ago, even though we haven't seen Jessie for days). So now I expect to hear her exclaim "Horsey!" for a while each time it comes to mind.

And it's all good with me.

petite piano player

This one's especially for Auntie Christine, who keeps leaving messages on our machine asking for more pictures. Here's to you, "Attie Kiki"!

Maia's been taking an extra interest in the piano lately. Sometimes she's more interested in the buttons on the digital keyboard than the piano keys themselves (so sad). But often she likes to play beside me. This is refreshing, because for a while I think she saw the piano as competition when it seemed to be getting my full attention instead of her.

We've worked out a new deal (which she is likely unaware of). She now gets the high end of the keys where things sound a little sweeter and she can't mess with the record buttons. I can't tell you how many times I've lost new material I'd recorded before I finally learned this lesson.

So for good measure, here are some shots of Maia enjoying the keys all to herself. Sometimes playing, sometimes singing, sometimes really belting it out. I'm looking forward to the words to the words to these songs one day.

first ride of the year

Tim went out for his long-awaited first bike ride of the season on Sunday afternoon.

[Fashion note: The balaclava and plastic bags around the feet for warmth make my hubby undoubtedly the most fashionable rider around.]

Maia was entirely curious about her daddy's bike. She hasn't stopped talking about it ever since.


The conversation usually goes something like this:

"Bike?"

"Yes, daddy went for a bike ride."

"Bike?"

"You want to go for a ride on daddy's bike."

"Yeah."

Time to go looking for a bike trailer, I think!


P.S. Tim just saw this picture and said, "Who is that poor innocent child. Save her from that man!"

a little moment with a little friend

Maia has had a few little friends over this week.

Maia's newest friend is a new neighbour who came over to play the other day. What a dear.

Mom, can I have pants like this?

STRoke

Since I posted a long email about how to identify a stroke last week, I found out a friend's dad just suffered a stroke. So here's the deal. If you think someone may have had a stroke (even if they just stumble and say they're fine), there's an easy way to know for sure.

Remember the first 3 letters of the word "stroke":

STR

Ask 3 simple questions:

S * Ask the person to SMILE
T * Ask the person to TALK -- to speak a simple sentence
(i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R * Ask the person to RAISE BOTH ARMS

*NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to stick out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately. The sooner the diagnosis, the better chance of a full reveral of symptoms.

Maybe this post will help someone you know (or don't know) some day. Thanks for reading it through!

hydro and hair

Last week a nasty storm snapped dozens of hydro poles in the area. 75 000 homes lost hydro. In Zurich, we were without power for about 52 hours, and we weren't even the last to have our hydro restored. It's lovely to have back what we consider a right, but is really a privilege.

By the second day without hot water, my hair knew it was a privilege it was really missing. Fortunately, I had a hair appointment booked with my friend Bri -- a most excellent hair stylist in Exeter, where their power had come back on. I was so thankful to have my hair washed... and then we took the plunge and Bri cut my hair short!

Here's a before and after for you curious out-of-towners who have been asking. (Okay, please be forgiving about the first photo... remember, no hair washing for two days!)

And one more view for those of you who are wanting to see more. Of course, it doesn't look quite the same when I style it. But you get the idea. Thanks for the change, Bri!

simple delights

Yesterday, we were looking for something fun and different (and free!) to do with Maia while we had a couple of free family hours together. We ended up at our friend Don's organic chicken farm where Maia could spend time seeing the chickens, pigs and cats she's been reading about in her books. (Not to mention the animal sounds she's been starting to imitate-- hilarious.)

It's such a delight to watch a little person take such delight in the simple pleasures of life... a cuddly "kitty", a curious chicken, a snorting swine. I guess just as vulnerability breeds vulnerability, delight breeds more of the same. I love that.

hamish carter: hero of the day

Every day, I like to have a hero.


Sometimes, my heroes are people who are fighting a great battle. Sometimes, they are people who simply do a small act of kindness that goes almost unnoticed.


Today, my hero is Hamish Carter.


The short version of the story is: My Canadian friend Tracy is now living in New Zealand and has become a step-mom to two lovely girls who participated in their first triathlon last week. One of the girls, Chantelle, had a nasty crash on her bike and ended up in an ambulance before she could finish the race.


Now Hamish Carter, a world-class triathlete from New Zealand, heard about Chantelle's accident and... get this... FLEW up to their town so he could make an appearance at their school. Not only did he bring himself, but then he lavished her with triathlon gear, including three pairs of running shoes and a new bike. Unbelievable!


For the long version from my dear Tracy herself (including the role that Tim played in the story), click here.


Hamish, you're the man.

living up to our names

Oma came to visit us last week. Maia could not have been more delighted. These two are like two peas in a pod. I think it's very special that she has such a close relationship with my mom, even though they sometimes go months without seeing each other. I love watching them find delight in each other. Giggling abounds when these two are together.


Maia's middle names are Audrey Anne, after my mom and Tim's mom. I've always believed there's much in a name and that we often live up to the meaning of our names.


So their special bond got me thinking more about about the meaning of names.


Maia's name has so many origins
(Spanish, Hindi, Russian) that every time I look it up I find new meanings. The ones I knew of before she was born were "wisdom", "affection", "a divine creative force", and "water". Since her birth, I've also heard Maia in other cultures means "star", "great", "mother" and "dream". That's a lot to
live up to! Poor child.


Audrey means "noble strength", which I see my mom gaining more of over time, especially through the trials she faces. And Anne means "favoured grace" or "gracious" -- a word that comes easily to describe my mom-in-law, who battles Parkinsons with much grace and whose words are so often 'seasoned with grace'.


So this got me thinking about my name again. Monica means "advisor" or "counsellor". Funny that the older I get, the less I try to give advice. I only learned today that it can also mean "solitary". I've always tended to be a bit of an island -- to do things on my own, or keep things to myself, or not ask for help when I could use some. As I've been becoming more aware of this, I've been trying to initiate more of a 'community life'. Just started into Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community". More on that later. The other meaning of my name is "woman of prayer" -- a name I'd like to live up to more and more.


Tim means "to honour God". I love that. And I've always seen that in the core of who he is and what he wants to do with his life.


So... what does your name mean? And you living up to it?

gratefulness

A friend passed on her recipe for the most delectable homemade chocolate cake I've ever had. (Thanks, Mel!) This morning, even before Maia was changed out of her pajamas, I began our day by showing her how to ice a cake. Of course, the most important part of icing the cake is cleaning out the icing bowl, a task which she was more than happy to help with. Chocolate cake as mid-morning snack -- a perfect pick-me-up for the kind of week we're having!

Today I have a profound sense of gratefulness. It's easy to find things to be thankful for -- a bright sunny end-of-
winter day... little birds that were chirping in a little tree just above eye level so Maia and I could both enjoy them on our stroll to pick up the mail... the promise of spring just around the corner... the incredible gift of a loving husband and a joyful and inquisitive daughter... feeling surrounded by friends and family who care for us
well... and a peace that passes all understanding... a Creator who cares and shows himself to us in small acts of kindness and sometimes even in the midst of grand mysteries.

And that is only the beginning.

Oh, and did I mention this reason?