Rainy Day

It's been a rainy day. It's been a good day. It's been a difficult day. It's been an emotional day. It's been a hopeful day. It's been a long day. And yet... it's been an incredibly short day.

It's been today.

And today is today.

And therefore, it is good that it's been today.

I've been reminded today that there are days that just continuously go from wonderful, hopeful, and full of smiles to sad, difficult, and full of tears. I'm okay with these days... but they are hard. And when days are hard I become tired.

But there is hope, even in the tears.

And tonight, when I got back to my room after my work finished at 9:30pm, I painted my toenails purple. And purple is good.

Ten on Tuesday

TRU Gym ready for Exams

1. I slept for over twelve hours on Sunday night... it was absolutely glorious.

2. I wish I could sleep for twelve hours tonight. That will not be happening.

3. I had a fabulous day today. Time spent with a friend/colleague, time outside, lots of walking, birds sang, bears played.

Bear Cubs at the Wildlife Park

4. My least favorite image of the day: TRU gymnasium ready for all us students to come and write exams... eek!! It looks even more unwelcoming from the top of the gymnasium. An interesting view.

5. The two bear cubs at the Wildlife Park were exactly what I needed to see today. They were play fighting just like siblings do! And they were joy... yeah, an image of joy.

6. I have a new book awaiting me "Harvesting the Heart" by Jodi Picoult. The sad news... I'm not allowed to pick it up and start reading until I've written my last exam, packed, moved, and sorted 100 things out. So... I can read it on Wednesday while flying across the country... maybe... hopefully.

Cathedral Tulips! 

7. The flowers at the Cathedral are particularly amazing right now - don't you agree?

8. I learned what is on my Milton Exam: 2 essays, 1 writing out of a memorized passage, 4 paragraph responses and 10 short answers. Now, tell me how this is happening in three hours...

9. I drop my phone at least once almost every single day.

10. Tomorrow is Wednesday, for which I am grateful!

Cornmeal Cranberry Cookies

Cornmeal Cranberry Cookies

The weekend's experimentation baking (where I bake with ingredients I have never before baked with...) was Gluten-Free Cornmeal Cranberry Cookies. 

The outcome: they were amazing!! Not too sweet, the cornmeal added a neat texture, super easy to make and they were not a dry/crumbly cookie.

And even better, some of the folks who tried them let me know that they enjoyed them!! Yeah!! Successful baking once again!

I really should just open an "experimental bakeshop". Agree?

Check out the recipe here. Tonight I made a batch of triple chocolate almond flour cookies... these are delicious too... looking forward to sharing them with friends tomorrow evening. I'm saddened by the fact that soon my "freedom to bake" days will be over. Oh well.

Ten on Thursday

1. Two hour meeting with my professor who I'm working on my Milton paper with was amazing on Tuesday morning - my favorite part is when I make a connection that he hasn't made yet... it's all about learning.

2. I'm at around 4300 words for this (what is becoming massive) paper. I'm taking a few days off from writing because I know that if I sit and start writing I won't be able to stop. Please someone help me to stop enjoying this subject so much!

3. My brother Wesley spent the night on Monday. When I made his lunch this morning I was reminded that I enjoy making school lunches for others and so now I miss it.

4. It rained on Monday. Like it really, really rained. And I got rained on when I was coming home from school. The result: a very cold Melissa for the rest of the day. It was sad.

Dinner!

5. I made an amazing burger a few days ago... it had feta and mushrooms in it. Wrapped in lettuce and surrounded by tomato and avocado I was happy.

6. I am continuously reminded of how grateful I am that birds exist. I love walking and hearing them sing, it reminds me to pay attention to the life that exists all around me. And their song refocuses me - which is always good.

7. I booked my flights for my May trip to Montreal. I think I prefer when others do my flight booking for me... but I made the decisions and booked. Which means now I can get excited about the trip, the conversations and the pieces of ministry that will take place!

8. I think I either slept wrong or pinched something in my shoulder/neck 'cause I've been sore with a headache on and off all week. I was hoping that it would fix itself but it's not looking that way. Oh well.

9. I had my first exam of the semester last night at 7pm in Women's Literature. 2.5 hours of intense writing... a trip to DQ followed!

10. Sleep is good... I think if I could I might just sleep for a week!

Writing Milton

Research materials for Milton Paper

The end of the semester is here and all I've been doing right now (between Easter, sleep, traveling and meetings) is reading and writing. It's research and finding connections. It's all about Milton, Paradise Lost and the theme of Paradise. The word limit for this "graduating" essay... it doesn't exist yet. So this means I just keep writing, at 4300 words I'm far from complete and the pile of books is large and the pieces of paper with thoughts, ideas, connections and quotes are everywhere.

Some days I wonder how I actually get anything that makes sense on paper. My messy and spread out style of writing eventually always works though. My only problem right now is keeping up my energy and balance.

The more I write the more connections I make. The more connections I make the more I need to write. And I know that the more I write the more I will end up needing to edit.

For now, I'm taking a break from this large stack of books!

Seventeen on Saturday

1. I stayed up for 37 hours from 9:30am on Holy Saturday to 10:30pm on Easter Sunday. Was this a good idea, I have no idea. Was it worth it? Totally!

2. I have never been awake for that many hours before. Ever. And I have no yearning to go beyond that many hours of “wakeness”.

3. I would never recommend someone with Easter Sunday morning liturgical commitments to have an Easter “wakover” with youth the night before. Not unless you’re superman/superwoman.

Peaceful water

4. It was wonderful to gather with family on Easter Sunday for dinner. First time I saw my grandparents since February. Even with the 12 grandchildren who were there we still felt the missing presence of the 3 who were unable to make it. And we really missed them. When the “kids” begin to grow up things seem a bit weird!

5. The conversations that my family has with me at these large family gatherings have not changed: marriage plans, boyfriend plans, school plans, career plans, and church. And no – I’m not the one initiating them and no, almost none of those topics have plans!

6. Traveling immediately after Easter when you’ve been awake for too many hours is very silly. That being said, missing the last week of classes is also silly – oops!

7. And yet I’d do it again, exhaustion and all. Being with the Vision 2019 Implementation Team and engaging with the work and the people made it all totally worth it.

8. Actually, I’ve just arrived home and I’m missing Toronto already – the work and especially the people and conversations that took place.

9. My classes are over, my first exam is on the 17^th and I have one more paper to write and handed in one yesterday afternoon. I picked up books that came in through the library this morning… that means that I now have four books to read– my life of reading and writing begins today!

10. I’m really missing Toronto… really missing it. I kinda sorta wish I wasn’t already at home.

11. I went to bed early last night, which I really needed… sleep was wonderful!

12. I’m trying to figure out how much I can get done today and how much will need to wait until tomorrow. I wish that papers would just write themselves.

Easter Gift

13. Anticipating making a cauliflower crust pizza tonight with my roommate and super, super excited!

14. After I tackle a huge chunk of work today I’m headed to see Titanic with some friends… excited!

15. I’ve realized that in just over two weeks I’ll be moving to Sorrento Centre and I’m mixed with excitement and the feeling of not being completely ready.

16. I received this lovely gift from a good friend in the midst of Holy Week… it made me smile and reminded me not to let the small things bring me down.

17. I’m going to go face Milton now… pray for me. :P  

Post Easter Reflections

I think my tiredness is setting in. I was unable to tell just a short bit ago but now I’m feeling tired and still sitting in the Vancouver airport awaiting my soon to depart flight. I feel better though seeing at least four small children around me also waiting for flights all of who are obviously exhausted. Last complaint then I’ll move onto more exciting things: I’ve been sitting way too much since Tuesday at 6am. And my beloved shoulder bags, well they will have limited airport travel time with me now… backpack all the way. I must be starting to get old or at least my bones have prematurely aged on me. And in an attempt to not spread out on the floor I have managed to sit “criss cross apple sauce“ on this chair that has become my temporary home!

Maundy Thursday @ Cathedral

Easter. Yay – Easter has come!!! Yahoo, the Lord is Risen!! Holy Week was amazing and very full as it can only be. And I made it to my first ever Maundy Thursday service, loved it of course! Now I have too many ideas for future Holy Weeks/services going through my mind (not uncommon at all!). We had a course over Monday – Wednesday of the week “The 3 Mary’s”, I enjoyed each session and learned lots. Things went well and somehow I managed to make it though alongside school and many other preparations.

Fifteen young people gathered together on Saturday night to attend the 9pm Easter Vigil service and then spent the night at the Cathedral. It was a night with no sleep, I didn’t even get my pillow out of the office! We had a massive Easter egg hunt around 1am with glow-in-the-dark eggs alongside all things chocolate themed. Folks played games and watched a movie. Around 3am I gave up on the topic of sleep, made tea and sat in the chapel for a bit. We left the Cathedral around 4:30am to attend the Sunrise service on the beach. It was freezing out but the moon was beautiful and full and the service lovely. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite services.

Glow-in-the-dark Easter Eggs!

By the time we got to Denny’s for breakfast the youth were close to collapsing into sleep in their breakfast! I attended the 10am Easter service at the Cathedral and then headed out to Savona. Joined the community there fore their 4pm service and then spent the evening with the family – it was so wonderful to be together.

All in all everything went well and we all eventually got home and to sleep. I heard the Easter Resurrection story four times in twelve hours and heard something different/new each time. One can’t get tired of the Resurrection story! Joy, joy, joy, joy!! And much, much celebration! I love Easter.

New Life

Signs and smells of New Life and the Resurrection are being experienced and beginning to surround us all.

Happy Easter!