Another year has come and gone

2010 is just a few hours away and I realise that I haven’t written anything for over a month, so it’s time to reflect.

December always tends to be a blur as there always just seems to be so much to do and often not enough time to get it all done. However, it didn’t seem to be so bad this year as it has been in previous years. Maybe we’re getting more immune to it, or perhaps we may be more organised or something!

The people I work for seem to have had a hard December, if you go by what has been said in the press. We seem to hear the same thing year in year out, so perhaps it is time to rethink the whole approach to how things are done in regards to the huge fund-raising and PR machine that rolls heavy at this time of year. People start to get cynical when they hear the same old sob stories each year, so it may be time to reflect on how things could be improved upon. Maybe instead of saying ‘we need more money to carry on helping in the way we do’, the approach just needs to be one of humility and gratitude, thanking everyone for their generosity in hard times, acknowledging that each quarter, loonie, toonie (or whatever donation given) is more than we started with. Any organisation that comes out with arrogant claims/slogans such as ‘Doing The Most Good’ or ‘We see things that most others don’t’ should ask themselves what those slogans say to the other groups and organisations who also tirelessly help those in need or in unfortunate situations. Those slogans and campaigns make me cringe and I refuse to be a part of them. If the money raised keeps going down then maybe it is time to ditch these campaigns and take a more humble approach with the public. I have had members of the public ask me why so much is being spent on some of the national advertising that has been undertaken and I have no answer to give other than sending their question ‘higher up’.

Locally, we did quite well. Our Moose FM Radiothon was down a bit on last year, but our kettles were up almost 40%. So, overall we are round about the same as last year, which is quite surprising given the economic climate of the past few months. I have no real explanation as to why this year was so successful, but we are thankful that it was. A lot of it is down to community spirit and the way in which many people from all walks of life get involved in helping us at this time of year.

After Christmas we took some holiday time and headed off to Sault Ste Marie, Michigan for a couple of nights. It was nice to get away to relax and have some family time together. Sometimes we feel that the kids get cheated a bit in the run up to Christmas.

2009 hasn’t been a bad year. There have been worse, there have been better.

Changes

There were some major changes that occurred in my life this year. First of all, in February, after much thought, I decided to become a vegetarian. This turned out to be a lot easier than I thought and I have felt healthier for it.

Secondly, we finally moved the group we gather with from the old location to a better location.  Overall the move has been a good one, although there is still much to be done. Everything takes time, but I believe we are headed in the right direction.

Family

It’s been a mixed year as far as family goes. Our kids continue to grow and flourish, and they keep us busy. It’s a joy to watch them grow up and develop their little pieces of independence, but it can be worrying sometimes as well.

We had quite a few family members come and visit this year and it was great being able to spend time with them. Being so far away makes those moments even more precious.

The one downer for our family this year was the passing of my granny, at 95 years old, in November. She led a full life and left quite a legacy of family behind. It gave me the opportunity to travel back ‘home’ to Orkney, which was nice, but it would’ve been better in other circumstances.

Highlights

There were some good highlights in 2009 as well. Those who know me well, know that one of the biggest was in September seeing U2 on their 360 tour at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. We have tickets to see them again in Toronto next July.

Another highlight was getting to meet Thomas Mathie, aka the Headphonaught. It was a hastily arranged get together for coffee and a yarn whilst I was over in Scotland for the funeral, but it was worth the effort. I’m really appreciative of the support I receive from my online community (many of whom I have never met face to face), one of whom is Thomas, and I look forward to meeting more of them in the future.

2009 Favourites

No old year reflection would be complete without some favourites lists, so here goes:

Top 5 Books read this year:

1. ‘Pagan Christianity’ – Frank Viola
2. ‘Irresistible Revolution’ – Shane Claiborne
3. ‘Enough’ – Will Samson
4. ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society’ – Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Borrows
5. ‘Mozart and the Whale’ – Jerry and Mary Newport

Top 5 Movies watched this year (for the first time):

1. ‘Star Trek’
2. ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
3. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
4. ‘Earth’
5. ‘Burn After Reading’

Top 5 Movies watched this year (seen previously):

1. ‘The Shawshank Redemption’
2. ‘Hoop Dreams’
3. ‘The Mission’
4. ‘On A Clear Day’
5. ‘Back to the Future (the trilogy)’

Top 5 albums purchased/downloaded:

1. ‘No Line On The Horizon’ -U2
2. ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ – Derek Webb
3. ‘The Knee Plays’ – David Byrne
4. ‘A Hundred Million Suns’ – Snow Patrol
5. ‘Flesh and Bones Electric Fun’ – Mutemath

Anyway, feel free to disagree with anything I’ve written here. That’s pretty much it for 2009. Looking forward to 2010. I’m not much of one for resolutions. There are some things I’d like to achieve. For one, I’d like to get my weight under 200lbs, which means I have about 25 to lose. The Wii fit board is helping me to achieve this. The other major thing I really need to do this year is to get my Canadian citizenship. I’ve only been eligible for 13 years! Getting this would save a lot of hassle any time I want to visit the USA. It would save some money as well in the long run. I like the idea of a 365 photoblog, but the last time I tried it I didn’t get beyond January. We’ll see how it goes this time! I’d also like to do more reading. This year I managed 25 books, but it would be great to get closer to 40 or more.

So, have a great New Year! Hopefully I’ll get beyond the one post a month here that seems to have been the recent output, but I’m not making any promises that I can’t keep!

An unexpected journey

It’s been a few weeks, but here’s a catch-up post.

My 95 year-old Granny died on November 11, after a few months of deteriorating health. She was a small, but strong woman, who had lived a full life. She had a quiet faith that was demonstrated in the way she lived her life. She left a huge legacy of family behind, which is a testimony in itself.

I found myself on Thursday 12 trying to work out flight times and connections which would enable me to get to Orkney in time for the funeral service. I managed a Thursday evening flight out of Sudbury which got me to Kirkwall airport on Friday evening via Toronto, Amsterdam and Edinburgh.

It was a worthwhile trip and I would’ve regretted not going. Granny was the last of that generation, so it’s probably the last family get-together of that magnitude. I met relatives I haven’t seen for a long time, relatives who were too young to remember me and others who have been born since I emigrated to Canada 15 years ago. Although it wasn’t under the best of circumstances, it was good to catch up with lots of family and friends.

I was also able to spend some time with my sister and her family in Airdrie, and my parents, too, before heading back to Elliot Lake. On the Thursday I was able to arrange to meet Thomas Mathie, aka the Headphonaught, for coffee. It was a pleasure to finally meet Thomas. I love reading his stuff as it’s always a challenge. He truly shows God’s love in action in the way he lives his life. Check out his blog and you’ll see what I mean. His photography is amazing as well. He is also one of the founders of the Something Beautiful podcast, which is always worth a listen. I came away feeling that I’ve known him forever and I look forward to connecting with him again in the future.

Unfortunately, since coming back I’ve been under the weather and am barely able to talk just now. I managed to get through Sunday alright. At our gathering we had a discussion around love and used this video. On Sunday night our Hope Band led worship at the local Anglican Church, which was quite enjoyable. Some pics here.

Cameron is sick  now as well and Pamela and Emily are away to North Bay for the weekend for a swimming meet. I don’t think I’ll make it to our gathering this Sunday, so I’ve arrange for our drummer, Jeff, to step in and lead. Our first kettle goes out today, so it seems that Christmas thing is just around the corner. I think that’s all for now.

The end of summer and other stuff

Summer is almost over and it seems that, weather-wise anyway, it has only just begun. The nights are getting longer and the kids go back to school in a week’s time, so I guess that fall is just around the corner.

I realise I haven’t blogged that much this past while, but there just doesn’t seem to be much that I’ve had to write about. I’ve got my passion for reading back again and that’s probably what I’ve done most of this past while. The new building, watching lots of movies, and holiday time have accounted for a lot of my other time.

The best movies (not all new ones) I’ve seen lately have included: ‘Inkheart’, ‘Stone of Destiny’, ‘The Mission’ (lost count of how many times I’ve seen this one), ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ and ‘Bottle Shock’.

Some of the books I’ve read recently, or am still reading, are: ‘Mudhouse Sabbath’ (Lauren Winner), ‘Pagan Christianity?’ and ‘Re-Imagining Church’ (both Frank Viola), ‘Five By Endo (short stories)’ (Shusaku Endo), ‘Bioethics – A Primer for Christians’ (Gilbert Meilaender), and ‘Wishful Thinking – a Seeker’s ABC’ (Frederick Buechner). I’m also hoping to re-read ‘The Hobbit’ (Tolkien) and ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ (Solzhenitsyn) before the year is out. If you are content with the way of the Christian Church in the west then don’t read the Viola books. If you yearn for something else or are upset with the status quo in the church then drop everything else and start reading them, but beware – they will mess with your mind and bring discomfort. I’m still working my way through what they have done to me as I have read them and they have really got me thinking about what the future holds as far as what I’m involved in presently in my day to day living and working.

I realised today that it is exactly 6 months since I ate meat of any kind. I can honestly say that I now have no yearning to return to eating meat. I am comfortable with the choice I made to become a vegetarian. Oh, and before anyone tries to convince me that I am dishonouring God, don’t bother – I’ve been through it with others on a number of occasions and it gets tedious.

Only three weeks on Wednesday and I’ll be making a pilgrimage to the Rogers Centre in Toronto for the U2 360 Tour. Counting the days!

Anyway, I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing that your summer is going well. If you’re on Twitter follow me and I’ll reciprocate. I’m wcs53. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I’ll try to update more often if I find anything worth sharing.

Growing older, growing wiser?

It’s hard to believe that our little girl, Emily, turned 10 yesterday! It hardly seems like yesterday that I was failing to keep up with an ambulance on the road from North Battleford to Saskatoon, where she was born all those years ago. I wasn’t able to keep up with it and I also found myself initially at the wrong hospital, but I did get there eventually with lots of time to spare, missing none of the excitement.

People always say that their kids grow up too fast, but you can’t keep them young and small forever. It seems already that she has a phone attached to her ear. In the morning before she goes to school we often feel that we are just her answering service! I just hope that as she continues to grow up that we will be there to help and support her as she makes the many decisions she will have to make, just as my parents were for me growing up.

She’s having an all-girl pyjama party tonight, so Cameron and I are heading for Sudbury for a guys night out. The last thing she wants is her little brother crashing her party, so we’ll make sure we’re gone for the evening. By the way, last week Cameron decided that he wanted his own blog, so he set up ‘may the force be with you’ which can be found on the links at the right or just click here. Check it out and give him some encouragement. He promises to update it this weekend.

Some random thoughts

The current economic situation should bring us freedom and simplicity, but for the people that I work for it seems to be bringing a barricading in mentality.

A cold shower first thing in the morning can be a good thing, but it’s not best if it is spraying out of the back of the toilet.

I dislike being told that I ‘have to participate’ in something that I believe is not good for me or for those around me.

The one good thing about the Leafs always missing the play-offs is that it frees up my evenings after the first week of April.

Reading books can seriously challenge one’s complacency and that’s what I like the most about it.

If I’d known what I know now, I may not have chosen the path that I did, but did I really have a choice at the time?

‘Unknown Caller’ is one of the best U2 songs ever.

It all boils down to ‘Love God and love your neighbour as yourself’. Without that nothing else really matters or makes a difference.

One week already

Butternut squash

It’s been over a week now since I stopped eating meat. So far so good. As I mentioned somewhere else, it started as something for Lent, but I am now resolved to it being permanent. I’ve lost a few pounds and I’m discovering food that I never knew I liked before. The above picture was tonight’s supper and, in spite of appearances, was quite delicious. It came straight from the pages of ‘Vegetarian Cooking for Dummies’.

Probably the only reason I didn’t do this sooner was procrastination or motivation. The reasons I am going down this particular path are mainly health and ethics. I feel healthier already and have been making sure that I’m not missing out on any nutrition or vitamins, and so on, that are necessary. I’ve researched the whole thing and come up with something that works for me. As for the ethics, I just don’t trust the whole food industry thing any more. This is something for everyone to come to their own conclusion on and I’m not going to get preachy about my ethical reasons for giving up meat, as well as cutting out as much processed food from my diet as I can. At this point I am still eating dairy products and eggs, but trying to make as much ethical choices as I can there.

I know it’s been only a week so far, but I don’t regret things as they have gone up to now. I don’t expect everyone to understand, but then I don’t understand everyone else, either. E-mail me if you are interested in any of my recipes, or send me some of yours if you have any good ones!

Some changes

These are the two books I am working through just now. Both are challenging in their own way and for reasons of change.

‘Vegetarian Cooking for Dummies’ is being read because on Wednesday I will be starting a meatless diet. For some people who know me that may be a hard one to swallow, but it is something I have been seriously considering for some time now. The main reasons are for health and well-being, but  there are also some ethical and environmental reasons for this choice. It was initially only going to be for the period of Lent, which commences on Wednesday, but I’m now moving towards the probability that it will be permanent. It’s a personal thing, so I’m not urging the rest of the family to join me on this particular journey. Also, if you do come and visit us in Elliot Lake, there will still be meat on the menu if you so choose.

‘Pagan Christianity?’ is challenging in the sense that it questions everything that the Christian church does and the origins of these practices. The present group of Christians that we lead/meet with only have five more Sundays in our present location – we close down the old on Sunday 29 March. We had hoped that the first Sunday in our new location would be 12 April (Easter), but that might not happen, due to some hold-ups with material/construction. Nevertheless we will still close down the old on 29 March. We are endeavouring to move towards a more Organic model of church and ‘Pagan Christianity?’ is helping to work out what some of that means.

It’s been a long journey so far, but exciting changes and challenges lie ahead. All prayers would be greatly appreciated!

Life isn’t like in the movies

I don’t watch much TV. Who can stomach another forensic detective show or unreal reality show? Pretty much all I watch is The Hour, Dragon’s Den, Dr. Who and Seinfeld reruns (although I have all the DVDs now anyway). Instead I watch lots of movies, perhaps at least 120 a year. I also try and read at least 2-3 books a month.

Last night, for the umpteenth time, I watched (here comes a confession) one of at least two movies that always make me cry – Giuseppe Tornatore’s classic Cinema Paradiso (the other is The Mission). If you haven’t seen this classic I won’t spoil it for you, but it is a hauntingly, beautiful story of life and growing up, with the backdrop of the local cinema in a backwater Sicilian village, accompanied by the music of movie composer maestro Ennio Morricone. If you do watch it, do yourself a favour – don’t watch the English dubbed version. Instead watch the original Italian soundtrack with English subtitles (if you don’t know Italian too well). Crank it up and enjoy the music as well.

One of my favourite moments is after Toto comes back from his military service and the following conversation takes place:

Alfredo: Living here day by day, you think it’s the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything’s changed. The thread’s broken. What you came to find isn’t there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time… many years… before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It’s not possible. Right now you’re blinder than I am.
Salvatore: Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda? Eh?
Alfredo: No, Toto. Nobody said it. This time it’s all me. Life isn’t like in the movies. Life… is much harder.

Many people who have moved away from home, myself included, have probably experienced what Alfredo talks about.  One of the few constants in life is that things change. Too many people try to live in the past or worry about the future, but spend very little time in the present. That’s sad, because they miss out on so much when they live like that.

I’m glad that life isn’t like the movies, some of them are just awful, but I do enjoy losing myself for a couple of hours or so in something with a good story that can challenge my thinking, make me laugh, make me cry and give me hope for the future. Not all movies can do that, but there are some real gems out there if you take the time to look for them.

Remember

The Shack

It seems like lots of people have been reading and writing about Wm. Paul Young’s bestseller, The Shack, so I thought it was about time I gave it a look. I’m about half way through and it’s been okay so far. I can understand why so many people are getting excited about it.

My favourite quote so far is where Mack is questioning the Trinity about their chain of command and Jesus replies with: “Once you have hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and enforcement of the rules, and you end up with some kind of chain of command or a system of order that destroys relationship rather than promotes it. You rarely see or experience relationship apart from power. Hierarchy imposes laws and rules and you end up missing the wonder of relationship that we intended for you.”

Unfortunately that sounds all too familiar. Anyway, I hope I enjoy the rest of the book.