Open Caskets and Kids don't Mix

We had an open casket funeral for my grandmother. Before the funeral (and happily before many people were there) I was at the casket with Keona, my niece. She will be six next month. She had questions (as always).
The conversation went something like this:

Keona: Why are the flowers there? They're in the way and we can't see all of her.
Me: Well, you only need to see the top of her, like her face. That's the part that we look at and talk to, right?

She did not look convinced.

Keona: Why does she have a pillow?
Me: Um...it looks nicer.

She was okay with this.

Keona: Is she sleeping?
Me: No, she's dead.
Keona (looks confused although I know her dad explained this to her)
Me: You know, she's in heaven now.
Keona (looks around and then at me): This isn't heaven.
Me (trying not to laugh): Well, this is just her body. The part that makes her alive is in heaven.

She didn't look convinced.

Me: Let's go play in the nursery.

Well, what would you have done?

Notes from Thunder Bay

Here I am, in Thunder Bay again. It's a bit unexpected since, between school and the new apartment, I did not see myself having enough money to fly home until somewhere around 2013. But...my grandmother died a couple days ago and the funeral is tomorrow and my parents agreed to pay for the flight if I could get away so here I am.
I am not writing about any of that today. I'm not ready to write about it just yet. Today is for other stuff. Like the 3 flights it took to get here and the fact that to get back to Edmonton I need to fly through Toronto. Does that even make sense?

Yesterday on the flight from Calgary to Edmonton there was TV access. I haven't watched TV in over a month so I thought I'd check it out. I flew Air Canada (never my first choice but we were booking too late to fly WestJet) and Air Canada give you free-that-you-can-keep headphones and you can watch prerecorded shows or movies so there's no starting-half-way-through stuff to deal with. I checked out all the channels they had and ended up watching CSI New York. I don't think I've been missing much. I was going to watch Prince Caspian but by the time I found it I figured there wasn't enough time to watch the whole thing.

My sister's babies are all growing up. The baby is 2 now and he never stops moving. Never. Except when I wanted to hug him and he clung to mommy until I bribed him with candy. Now we're friends again. Because I have no shame when it comes to getting hugs from small nephews. The older three kids were quite willing to climb on me and give me hugs and cuddles and kisses. I'm very happy to be among them.

One last thing: I was sitting in the play room and I found a small book. It's called Mousie Takes a Bite and it's about Mousie trying different foods and how they taste (very deep stuff, I know). Anyway, on the last page it says "Uh-oh! The cat wants to taste something, too!" and there's a picture of the cat, mouth wide open, holding Mousie by the tail. What type of children's book is this?? I'm really surprised it hasn't been censored! (Actually it's sort of funny).

Music and the Radio

According to the weather network it is 14C outside. I'm happy with that. The high today seemed to be around 16 (but they may be a bit off). You know what Monday's high was? 35C. Now how it went down that much that quickly I don't know, but I'm glad it did.

Okay, so on to today's topic. I was just listening to the radio (waiting to hear the weather report) when another song came on that I don't like. It was about "that summer" with the girl and the sex and the smoking strange things. I turned the radio off (hence the weather network report) and I thought about how often I'm doing that lately. I like the country station because I like country music and they're usually okay but lately I've been more and more bothered by the contents of some of the songs. Not all of them, but there are things that I listened to a year ago that bother me now. I'm thinking more about the lyrics and not just listening to the music. I don't agree with sex (outside of marriage) or excessive drinking or a lot of other stuff they glorify so why am I filling my head with it?

It must be these prayers for discernment I've been praying. I was only thinking about the reading I've been doing and the stuff I encounter at work, but evidently it's overflowing into other parts of my life. I think I'll keep on praying. I want to hate the things He hates.

Looking Back

It's been a long year and there have been a lot of changes in my life. Mostly, though, I've changed a lot. I'm not the same "me" I was a year ago. I don't know how much anyone else would notice because most of the change is on the inside. I think more. I think differently. I'm less afraid and more willing to trust God.

Going forward is difficult and challenging. Sometimes I want to go back to where I was; at least it was comfortable and known. I can't do it though, and when I think about it, I really don't want to. The future is exciting and scary all at once.

Besides, I like what's happening. I'm going to school. I'm learning all the time. I have new thoughts to ponder. I'm stretching and knocking down walls that have tried to box me in.

In Which I Discover Wordle

Because it's still too hot to think, I present to you....


I don't know how to make it bigger in the blog, but just click on it to see it properly. It was fun to play with. I may have to wordle sights at random!

Heat

It's too hot to think. When it cools off again I'll try to think again.

2 weeks to the end of summer. 2 weeks until school goes back. 2 weeks of kids in the centre all day.

September will be better.

Things that Make Me Happy (part 2)

1. There's this little guy at work. When he first started he was close to impossible: he was rude and wouldn't work and thought he was stupid. I've been teaching him the most because I can deal with him and I don't mind dealing with him (his mom especially lets him get away with stuff and is easily manipulated so it was mostly a case of being firm and waiting him out). We've been working on words and on short vowel sounds and I've been watching him become less frustrated and more able and willing to decode (and we make sure all the words are easily decoded; for any others he comes upon we just give him the word). One day last week he picked up the book we'd been working on, pushed my hand aside, and read the story. All by himself. Sounding out all the words. Refusing all help. I don't know which of us was happier. My boy can read.
2. I have a little Children's Church class, a group of 3-6 year olds (although on Sunday it wasn't so little; there were 13 of them and where they all came from is anyone's guess). There are other teachers but since I run it I tend to be teaching more than the others and I love it. I love all the babies (I've laid claim to all the children at church of course!) and I love teaching so it works well. It is how I can serve. Sometimes, though, I wonder if they're listening and if I'm getting through and if there's any purpose to it all. These times are usually right after I've spent 45 minutes trying to get them to sit still and sit up and stop poking and knocking on the table and yelling out "who's there" and.....well, you understand. Anyway....a couple weeks ago we had a baptism service and some of my kids (who are older now and how did that happen by the way) were being baptized. The pastor asked one of them a question about her testimony and she started with, "Well, I was in Children's Church and Miss Dorothy said..." And suddenly it's all worthwhile. And I was happy (and I cried too of course).

Okay, there you go: things that really make me happy.

ps Patty? You make me happy too! And I'm so proud of you for dealing with all the stuff over the past few months. But remember: you're still my baby sister!

Happy, Happy, Happy

Yay, internet access!!!!! I am so happy!!

Okay, I have to go play now. I'll write properly another time

Things That Make Me Happy

1. Babies
2. Books
3. Libraries (and especially since they have internet access and interlibrary loans)
4. Bookstores
5. Goldfish crackers
6. Internet access (2 more days)
7. Happy students
8. Air conditioned buildings that don't have the air blasting
9. Letters (the type people write, not the type you need to make words, although I like those ones too)
10. Freshly mowed grass
11. My apartment
12. Apple juice
13. Really cold milk
14. Dark chocolate
15. Flowers
16. Being a student again
17. Teaching
18. Puzzles (and finishing them)
19. Sunshine
20. Thunderstorms that break the heatwave
21. Ice cream
22. My denim skirt

Okay, that's it for now. Nothing too deep, I know; stay tuned for part 2 whenever I get to it.