moon rise

This evening Norah and Marten and I

went to watch the moon come up.

"Like a big coin" said Norah.

"Like a shiny washed orange coin," said Marten.

Because the sky was already dark

the rural setting I chose didn't come out on

the photos.

minus 21 degrees

Jack called me in the early morning from the arena where he was watching Izak play hockey. The full moon was setting.

In 3 minutes I was fully awake, dressed and in the van heading for the open fields. Just in time, barely. Beautiful!

Beautiful, but oh so cold. I had left my tripod on the porch outside overnight which left it rather cold. Forgotten to put on mittens.

I didn't notice till I got back into the van how very very cold it was.

snowscape

Not unlike the sand, blown about by the wind,

with morning light slanting across it.

Not unlike the mountains, shaped by the Master's hand,

splashed with gold at daybreak.

back to the birds

It is cold, cold and blustery.

Inside it is cozy, cozy and comfortable.

I still read the blogs about Haiti,

I am still researching the challenges of African refugees.

Yet somehow, my focus is shifting-

the times I feel compelled to pack my bags and do something

tangibly fewer.

I think, "perhaps next time,

next time when the kids are a bit older...".

And so it is with the world,

Haiti is no longer the headlines,

and African refugees seldom are.

Not so for the broken,

pieced together with relief and despair, grief and hope.

We may not forget to care

even though we get back to

all things normal.

Neema's child

Young mother, burdened by sorrows,

running from a past of brutal armed men

destroyers of family, home and all that was.

Wee child, your only haven was your mother's arms,

your heavenward flight from constant hunger

adding another burden to your mama's heart.

Aah child, I cry for you, and your mother,

and feel that we have failed you.

That we could have done more,

anything to bring you sooner to this promised land.

Tiny girl you know no fear, you feel no hunger:

you are in the Promised Land.

Tiny Mukandekezi, a year and a half old

died from malnutrition in a refugee camp.

The paperwork to bring her and her mother and brother here

in a stack of applications at the immigration office.

Another sad story among the millions.

imperfect world

The blowing of the wind,

the heat of the sun,

the turning of the earth,

the sometimes warm

and the sometimes cold

leave their marks

and create something imperfect,

but worthy.

The winds blow

the sun warms

the earth shifts

days and nights that pass

shape and mark....

...and we pray for restoration.

blessed

The tragedy of Haiti weighs heavy on my mind.

We sleep peacefully, comfortably, soundly.

In the morning we rise, we dress, we eat.

Our days task are normal, we are easily capable of performing them.

We hug our family, phone our friends.

At the grocery store I am aware of endless bottles of water, aisles of food.

I purchase tulips to usher in the feeling of spring.

Our vehicles carry us to and fro, for work and pleasure.

Appliances clean for us, media entertains us.

We cook, plentiful, nourishing food, presented on a clean crisp table cloth, candles glowing.

I think about it all day long,

feeling almost guilty about being so blessed

living life unscathed

and wondering why not me?

Jack's cousin Karen works in Haiti, tirelessly, selflessly. Another cousin is on his way to help.

Check out her blog: haiticoramdeo.blogspot.com

Love turned into action!

The school that we support is flattened, but Randy stayed behind to help his teachers and students.

Check out their blog: randyandkarenlodder.blogspot.com

Committment!

"come Lord Jesus"

"Earthquakes, war and rumours of war"

Signs of the end of time, yet catastrophes that have befallen mankind since the beginning.

Unbelievable grief in Haiti, unbelievable pain in Africa. I've been researching the refugee camps in Kampala, Uganda and the unbearable situation that the refugees live in, for a presentation that our church refugee sponsorship committee is preparing. I've been trying to keep tabs on what is going on with a christian school in Haiti that our church supports.

What can we do as we are moved by compassion? What can we do but pray....

and my heart is warmed by the memory of my little girl who went up to her room to pray, for Neema and Liliane and for the people in Haiti.

Make us all an instrument oh Lord.

Give us love that shows compassion and becomes action.

perfect winter day

A perfect winter day

for tying on little skates,

and trying on big dreams

framed in red.

birds

so I just really, really get an urge

to quietly sneak out the front door

where my tripod stands ready,

shushing the kids,

having a child grab the dogs by the collar,

and trying to blend into the brick wall,

and sometimes, just sometimes

the subjects don't fly away....

aaahhh

Junko

I just can not resist grabbing my camera when I see these little fellows sitting in the dogwood outside our window.

mourning dove

"Whistling wings" sound like cards being shuffled when the mourning dove is flushed from its resting position.

These ground feeders eat fallen seeds from feeders as well as left overs from crops and seeds from weeds. When they are sitting up on the wires or other high perches they are digesting their crops full of seed and grit.

The mourning doves flock together except in mating season.

After their young are hatched both parents secrete a high fat milk from their crops, for the first 3 days, to feed these young.

pictures for oma

chickadees continue to be a favourite at the bird feeder, but..

we have also seen a purple finch...amazing

winter

Brrrrr.....brrrrr

Extra suet and extra birdseed

but only the junkos and a rare chickadee are braving this weather.....

(Having just made these comments

the dove, the cardinals, the american gold finches, and the woodpeckers arrived!

Splendid!)

New Year's Day

Best wishes are given over the phone

making for a quiet day.

The gentle snow keeps falling, wonderfully quiet.

Jack and I are feeling better,

Maria is tuckered out,

Izak is feeling better and getting fresh air, urging me to come outdoors.

Norah suggests that her fingers are taller, she is outside playing,

Marten's limbs feel small, he is sleeping again,

Tommy's ribs are showing, but he is outside shoveling snow.

More laundry waits,

but

We are on the mend.

happy new year

It is beautiful outside, a gentle snow cladding trees in a mantle of white.

We ushered in 2010 with the stomach flu, all 7 of us at various stages.

No parties, no cheers, just wiping the forehead of little boys,

and starting yet another load of laundry.

Outside peace reigns as another year slips into place.

Thank you Lord!