Halloween

I know a lot of people really enjoy Halloween.  Some people decorate their houses and get all dressed up to hand out candy to the many children that come to the door that night.  Cobwebs hang from the front door.  Ghosts flutter in the wind in the trees.  Witches answer the door with candy in hand.

I must admit that it is not my favourite time of the year.  As I sit here tonight thinking about tomorrow night I'm thinking my costume could be a Hermit because my plan is to shut the lights out and lock the doors as soon as Ron goes to work.

Yes, I know the kids are cute and it is an exciting evening for them.  I remember having a couple of kids in our house a long time ago that loved to dress up and go door to door to fill their bags up with candy.

I just have this weird feeling about people disguising themselves.  Normally we would call the police if a strange being came to our door but on this night we reward them with candy and hope that behind their mask they are just having fun.  It is often a night when eggs are tossed at passing cars or windows are soaped.  Innocent mischief can turn into trouble for others.

I wonder....am I the only person that feels like this?

I know a little trio that will be excited for the evening.

And why the house is dark I will be packing with a flashlight because I am headed to surprise these little goblins.  Yup, Ontario here I come!

Enjoy a safe Halloween and as for me, I will be glad when the evening is over.

Just An Old Sweater

There are many reasons that I love my husband but one of the biggest his is gentleness and compassion for those going through a hard time.  I think that is what made him such a great pastor and now, a good police officer.  Many times his "clients" will shake his hand after being released and thank him for treating them with respect.

Yesterday was one of those days that made me so proud of him all over again.  He called me and asked if I still has his blue sweater.  It was an old sweater that he has had a long time and refused to replace.  Recently the zipper was giving him trouble and so he had put it aside reluctantly.  Yes, I had the sweater and he came home to get it.  One of his clients had been to court and was told to leave the community.  Ron gave him a drive out of the village, gave him a sweater and bought him supper.  I don't know the details regarding this individual but I do know that Ron went the extra mile.  

And that is why I proudly wear this shirt.  He was my hero long before he was a police officer.

New Beginnings

I have always been excited about new things.  I once preached on this and gave the illustration of how I love getting a new calendar and looking at the monthly pictures and seeing all the pages so nice and clean.  When I was taking school courses it was exciting getting new books and getting ready to start learning. 

Then the calendar gets filled up and messed up.  Schedules are changed and scratched off.  The text books gets underlined (oh yes, Catherine I underline and highlight in my books...are you still my friend?)  Those new things brought work and sometimes frustration.  In the end, the courses were completed and it brought a lot of satisfaction.  The calendar included some great scheduled events...holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and just special times together.  The process seems to be:

• New things - excitement
• Process - frustration
• Completion - satisfaction

Well today my daughter has a new beginning....she is back to college! 

I am so excited for her.  I know that this morning she was excited and nervous but she was ready to go.  I know that it will not be easy because having a family of four young children take up a lot of time but I am happy that she has the determination and drive to work hard to succeed.  One day at a time will get her to the goal of completion. 

Way to go Jenn!

October

Well here we are in the middle of October already.  Time certainly is flying by.  The leaves are quickly falling.  The days are getting shorter and colder.  So what has been going on here?

Ron thankfully recovered from the pulled muscle in his back and is back to work.  It was very scary watching him in that much pain and it is good to see him back to normal (well, as normal as he ever gets.)

Last weekend I did the big Thanksgiving baking.  I started the pumpkin pie from scratch. 

It has been awhile since I have done it this way but the end result was well worth the extra time and effort. We had Thanksgiving dinner here with the boys and it was nice that a girlfriend and a wife came to visit so there were "girls" to chat with which meant more than cop talk all night.  And to make it more fun we hosted a dessert night one night and then the dinner the next night.

And my boys here once again made my day by bringing flowers.  

And that is why I keep feeding them!

There have been some great northern lights to enjoy for late night entertainment.

And I have been teaching a fair amount of time.  I even taught two periods of Cree...okay maybe I just wrote the words on the board and hoped that there weren't any questions.

It is interesting getting to know the kids and being out of the house a little more.  The other day Ron and I were walking and one of the little guys went by on his bike and said, "Hi, Mrs. Clark." which made both Ron and I laugh because they knew me and not him.

And I am not above bribing the kids to be good....cake, cookies....whatever it takes.

As for our posting for next year...no news.  It is still a waiting game.  Ron has added extra places on his "wish list."  We will keep you posted when we know.