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| Miss Molly (April 13, 2001 - May 9, 2011) Molly's smiles |
Monday, May 9, 2011
When she plays, Molly smiles.
I met Molly the spring before I went to college, when I was 20. She joined my family while I lived in another town, and I only saw her for a few weekends before I moved to California for school. She
was a beautiful blonde, full of life and happiness, and completely
devoted to the people in her life. I didn't know her well, and didn't
take the time to get to know her better, but that didn't mean she wasn't
happy to see me when I'd come home. Molly's needs were simple - she
just wanted to love and be loved. She trusted unquestioningly and never held grudges. She always appreciated any time or attention given to her. Though maybe not the smartest, she did not have a malicious bone in her body. She was loyal, and fiercely protective of those she loved. There were certain activities she loved more than anything, and the mere mention of them would set her quivering in excitement. The last several months of her life, she was plagued with cancer. It weakened her body, but her spirit was always the same Molly we, her family, had known all her life. In spite of her cancer slowly taking away her strength, she never lost her joie de vivre. She enriched lives by being part of them, bad habits and all. By the time she was in her last days, she was so weak, so tired. I think she left us as happily as could be expected. She had lived fully, and loved completely, and knew she was loved in return. Miss Molly was a good and faithful friend, and will always be remembered as such. Run free, Molly, until we meet again!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Roots and Shoots: Lessons Learned in Life’s Garden
And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley~
Although staring out the window at the abundance of snow that hasn’t melted yet may make us think otherwise, the calendar tells us that spring has arrived. With the arrival of spring, many people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Personally, I have been itching to get back to the garden since leaving California in August, where I was spoiled with growing seasons that lasted more than nine months out of the year. My hunger for gardening certainly includes the flowers and produce it generates, but the fruits go beyond something that can be plucked from a vine to include something that is a sweet balm for the spirit. Whether in the care of the seeds, the nurturing of the plant, the pulling of the weeds or the harvest of the produce, gardening holds many parallels to our own lives. Both take work, require patience, go through the cycles of life and death, and produce a standard by which they are judged. These parallels give the gardener a glimpse into the creative and sustaining mind of the Lord, and offer a chance for growth if we but grasp it.
Tending a garden teaches us the necessity of letting go of the old and clearing away the undisciplined to make way for the new. If a plant gets too big, too wild, too unruly, it becomes unmanageable and can choke out other desirable life in the garden while making a habitat suitable for pests. In its proper place and appropriately maintained, however, that same plant can be beautiful, refreshing, and life-giving. In the same way, it is important to look at our lives to see whether there are things – habits, relationships, possessions – that are not unhealthy in themselves but that may have become overgrown and overwhelming. If they are not contained and managed, they can take over, and leave room for nothing else.
In both the gardens in our yards and the gardens of our lives, timing is important. A tender shoot can’t thrive if it is planted at the wrong time or under the wrong conditions. If the shoot receives proper nourishment, warmth, light, and is in a good location, it can mature into a strong and beautiful plant When those are present and balanced, the young plant can become established and is then better able to develop as it is meant to. A seed does not become a flower before it has been strengthened and has gone through the requisite stages of development. So it is in our lives and the lives of those for whom we are responsible. There are things we can do to reduce the time it takes for something to be done, but ultimately, it takes patience and work as we wait for the hard dry seed to produce a blossom and then a fruit.
A garden has a life cycle similar to our own, and goes through seasons of change and growth, renewal and death. Things may happen from day to day that are unpredictable and maybe even seem unmanageable in the short term, but they will subside. The summer storms will blow through and batter the plants, and the gentle rains will feed and cleanse them. Tomorrow will come, and with it, the fruits of a new day.
Harvesting the fruits of one’s labour is cause for celebration. The baskets of fresh produce or the marks of achievement of a goal are a source of pride. What you get out of something in life reflects what you have put into it. In the bleakness of trimmed back bushes and dead stalks, we are reminded that we may go through periods of dormancy in the winters of our lives, but when spring comes, signs of life will start to pop up.
The daughter of a building contractor, and an amateur gardener myself, I recognize that it takes a good foundation and a good root system for something to last. When raising vegetables, flowers, children, it takes deep roots that nourish them and make them grow. Without roots that reach deep to anchor and sustain a plant, it must fight to survive. Without a good grounding in morals, faith, and virtue, a person will struggle to accomplish their days with honour. I am reminded of the parable of the sower, and find hope in the knowledge that, though the heat of life sometimes seems too intense to bear, my roots are deep and my life will bear fruit. “The sower went out to sow. And whilst he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air came and ate it up. And some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth. And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And some fell upon good grounds; and brought forth fruit that grew up and increased.” (Mark 4:3-9)
Now go - put down roots, and grow where you are planted!
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley~
Although staring out the window at the abundance of snow that hasn’t melted yet may make us think otherwise, the calendar tells us that spring has arrived. With the arrival of spring, many people’s thoughts turn to gardening. Personally, I have been itching to get back to the garden since leaving California in August, where I was spoiled with growing seasons that lasted more than nine months out of the year. My hunger for gardening certainly includes the flowers and produce it generates, but the fruits go beyond something that can be plucked from a vine to include something that is a sweet balm for the spirit. Whether in the care of the seeds, the nurturing of the plant, the pulling of the weeds or the harvest of the produce, gardening holds many parallels to our own lives. Both take work, require patience, go through the cycles of life and death, and produce a standard by which they are judged. These parallels give the gardener a glimpse into the creative and sustaining mind of the Lord, and offer a chance for growth if we but grasp it.
Tending a garden teaches us the necessity of letting go of the old and clearing away the undisciplined to make way for the new. If a plant gets too big, too wild, too unruly, it becomes unmanageable and can choke out other desirable life in the garden while making a habitat suitable for pests. In its proper place and appropriately maintained, however, that same plant can be beautiful, refreshing, and life-giving. In the same way, it is important to look at our lives to see whether there are things – habits, relationships, possessions – that are not unhealthy in themselves but that may have become overgrown and overwhelming. If they are not contained and managed, they can take over, and leave room for nothing else.
In both the gardens in our yards and the gardens of our lives, timing is important. A tender shoot can’t thrive if it is planted at the wrong time or under the wrong conditions. If the shoot receives proper nourishment, warmth, light, and is in a good location, it can mature into a strong and beautiful plant When those are present and balanced, the young plant can become established and is then better able to develop as it is meant to. A seed does not become a flower before it has been strengthened and has gone through the requisite stages of development. So it is in our lives and the lives of those for whom we are responsible. There are things we can do to reduce the time it takes for something to be done, but ultimately, it takes patience and work as we wait for the hard dry seed to produce a blossom and then a fruit.
A garden has a life cycle similar to our own, and goes through seasons of change and growth, renewal and death. Things may happen from day to day that are unpredictable and maybe even seem unmanageable in the short term, but they will subside. The summer storms will blow through and batter the plants, and the gentle rains will feed and cleanse them. Tomorrow will come, and with it, the fruits of a new day.
Harvesting the fruits of one’s labour is cause for celebration. The baskets of fresh produce or the marks of achievement of a goal are a source of pride. What you get out of something in life reflects what you have put into it. In the bleakness of trimmed back bushes and dead stalks, we are reminded that we may go through periods of dormancy in the winters of our lives, but when spring comes, signs of life will start to pop up.
The daughter of a building contractor, and an amateur gardener myself, I recognize that it takes a good foundation and a good root system for something to last. When raising vegetables, flowers, children, it takes deep roots that nourish them and make them grow. Without roots that reach deep to anchor and sustain a plant, it must fight to survive. Without a good grounding in morals, faith, and virtue, a person will struggle to accomplish their days with honour. I am reminded of the parable of the sower, and find hope in the knowledge that, though the heat of life sometimes seems too intense to bear, my roots are deep and my life will bear fruit. “The sower went out to sow. And whilst he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air came and ate it up. And some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth. And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And some fell upon good grounds; and brought forth fruit that grew up and increased.” (Mark 4:3-9)
Now go - put down roots, and grow where you are planted!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The Legend of Sheila's Brush
According to popular
folklore, St. Patrick's housekeeper was named Sheila. If it snows on St.
Patrick's Day, as it usually does in Alberta, legend holds that it is
Sheila sweeping the last snow out of Heaven and formally ushering in the
Spring.
I hadn't heard this legend before, but was told it today while it was snowing. Perhaps Heaven is out of snow, and Spring is just around the corner!
I hadn't heard this legend before, but was told it today while it was snowing. Perhaps Heaven is out of snow, and Spring is just around the corner!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Free Will or Destiny? Choice or Chance?
As Christians, we believe things happen for a reason. But do we see
each of those things as something that happens to us, helpless pawns in a
cosmic game, or do see them as the choices we make and the consequences
of those choices? We are taught that God gives us free will, but we are
also taught that God, our Omniscient Father, knows every detail of our
lives, past, present, future. If God knows our actions before we commit
them, are we really free to choose? Are we making choices and decisions,
or are we forced into a course of action because things are “just meant
to be,” predetermined by God’s knowledge and foreknowledge of our
lives? How do we reconcile these notions?
God gives us free will, and though He wants us to choose the things that will bring us ultimate and eternal happiness, we aren’t forced into doing so. God, in His omnipotence, could keep us from making choices that are harmful to ourselves or those around us. Doing so, however, would make us slaves, and that is contrary to the teaching that Christ has come to set us free. Instead of forcing us into doing something, God gives us the resources we need to make good choices and to be set free.
Happiness, virtue, health, relationships, life: It seems to me that each is a choice, though some in ways less evident than others. It is fairly simple to see how one chooses to exercise virtue in his or her life, whether it is choosing not to have a second slice of cake out of self-control or choosing to do acts of service out of charity. Identifying things like health or happiness as choices, however, may not always be as obvious. Perhaps we are inclined to consider those as things dictated by our station in life, our responsibilities or job, our genetic makeup, or some other outside source. Even if we consider things beyond our control, we still have the ability to choose how we let them affect us.
There are countless manifestations of choice in our lives, whether they are those things for which we have directly and consciously opted or are the reflections of those choices. Over the course of a day, each of us makes numerous choices, and each of our choices shapes and defines us. Beginning with the alarm going off in the morning, we are faced with choices we must make. Some may be small choices – do I get out of bed and take on the new day, or do I hit snooze and sleep for seven more minutes? Other choices are more weighty – do I go to work and do my duty so that I may be paid and fulfill my financial responsibilities, or do I not show up and go golfing instead? A clear case of cause and effect, choices carry consequences with them. It is often these consequences which prevent us from seeing choices as something we are free to make. If we feel
forced to make a choice out of fear or coercion, how are we really choosing it?
While fear of one kind or another may influence our choices, the choices nonetheless remain ours to make. We are given both the freedom and the ability to consider an action and its related consequences. In doing so, we are exercising reason and free will. Even if our evaluations are only partial, our choices are directed by them. This exercise of both reason and free will should challenge us daily, as these are two of the qualities of man that set us apart as God’s highest creation.
If we never realize our potential, the choices we make will reflect that. We may more readily settle into the mold of what is familiar or what society expects of us, even if it is uncomfortable. On the other hand, if we choose to challenge ourselves and consider the results of our actions, we may find it more manageable to make choices in our lives which will help or allow us to live fully as God intends.
Right choices are not necessarily easy choices to make, but we can rest in the assurance that God’s help is available to us if we but ask Him. I challenge you to look at the choices in your life, celebrate them, and find happiness in them. “I have set before you life and death, blessings and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30.19)
God gives us free will, and though He wants us to choose the things that will bring us ultimate and eternal happiness, we aren’t forced into doing so. God, in His omnipotence, could keep us from making choices that are harmful to ourselves or those around us. Doing so, however, would make us slaves, and that is contrary to the teaching that Christ has come to set us free. Instead of forcing us into doing something, God gives us the resources we need to make good choices and to be set free.
Happiness, virtue, health, relationships, life: It seems to me that each is a choice, though some in ways less evident than others. It is fairly simple to see how one chooses to exercise virtue in his or her life, whether it is choosing not to have a second slice of cake out of self-control or choosing to do acts of service out of charity. Identifying things like health or happiness as choices, however, may not always be as obvious. Perhaps we are inclined to consider those as things dictated by our station in life, our responsibilities or job, our genetic makeup, or some other outside source. Even if we consider things beyond our control, we still have the ability to choose how we let them affect us.
There are countless manifestations of choice in our lives, whether they are those things for which we have directly and consciously opted or are the reflections of those choices. Over the course of a day, each of us makes numerous choices, and each of our choices shapes and defines us. Beginning with the alarm going off in the morning, we are faced with choices we must make. Some may be small choices – do I get out of bed and take on the new day, or do I hit snooze and sleep for seven more minutes? Other choices are more weighty – do I go to work and do my duty so that I may be paid and fulfill my financial responsibilities, or do I not show up and go golfing instead? A clear case of cause and effect, choices carry consequences with them. It is often these consequences which prevent us from seeing choices as something we are free to make. If we feel
forced to make a choice out of fear or coercion, how are we really choosing it?
While fear of one kind or another may influence our choices, the choices nonetheless remain ours to make. We are given both the freedom and the ability to consider an action and its related consequences. In doing so, we are exercising reason and free will. Even if our evaluations are only partial, our choices are directed by them. This exercise of both reason and free will should challenge us daily, as these are two of the qualities of man that set us apart as God’s highest creation.
If we never realize our potential, the choices we make will reflect that. We may more readily settle into the mold of what is familiar or what society expects of us, even if it is uncomfortable. On the other hand, if we choose to challenge ourselves and consider the results of our actions, we may find it more manageable to make choices in our lives which will help or allow us to live fully as God intends.
Right choices are not necessarily easy choices to make, but we can rest in the assurance that God’s help is available to us if we but ask Him. I challenge you to look at the choices in your life, celebrate them, and find happiness in them. “I have set before you life and death, blessings and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy 30.19)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Lemon Sugar Cookies
Yields: about 4 dozen cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest*
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp sugar, for rolling
Directions
Preheat oven to 375*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and lemon zest until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the flour at low speed, making sure to incorporate all of the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Place remaining 2-3 tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Shape 1-inch balls of dough, roll in the sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. Leave room for the cookies to spread while they bake; don't bother pressing them with a fork or cookie press. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until set but not browned (or only very lightly on the bottom). Edges should be slightly firm. Cool cookies on the pan for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
*Fresh lemon zest is the key to getting a good flavour in these cookies.
*Fresh lemon zest is the key to getting a good flavour in these cookies.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Cheater Chocolate Truffles
Yields: about 36 truffles
Ingredients
1 package oreo cookies (divided… use whole cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
white chocolate for melting
Directions
Finely crush 7 cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency. Reserve for later. Crush remaining cookies and stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together. Roll the mixture into 1″ balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry. You can sprinkle the tops with the 7 crushed cookies for decoration. (I usually eat mine before they make it to this stage.) Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy!
Notes: I used a small cookie cutter to push the mixture through for the heart shaped truffles. Also, it helps to freeze the uncoated balls for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart in the melted chocolate. If this becomes a problem, dip them in the chocolate, let dry and then dip again. They are also good dipped in regular milk chocolate. And for an extra twist, use mint oreos. I like them with a splash of raspberry extract mixed into the cookie and cream cheese mixture. If it tastes good with chocolate, try it in these truffles!
Notes: I used a small cookie cutter to push the mixture through for the heart shaped truffles. Also, it helps to freeze the uncoated balls for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart in the melted chocolate. If this becomes a problem, dip them in the chocolate, let dry and then dip again. They are also good dipped in regular milk chocolate. And for an extra twist, use mint oreos. I like them with a splash of raspberry extract mixed into the cookie and cream cheese mixture. If it tastes good with chocolate, try it in these truffles!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Sparkling Cranberries
Yields: 2 cups sparkling cranberries
Ingredients
2 cups cranberries, picked over
2 cups water2 cups sugar
More sugar for coating
Directions
Place the cranberries in a medium glass bowl and set aside.
Make a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let the syrup cool for a couple minutes and then pour it over the cranberries. If the syrup is too hot the cranberries will burst, so be careful. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain the cranberries and toss them with larger grained sugar until they are well coated. I only use a scoop of sugar at a time, and small batches of cranberries, so the sugar doesn't get too damp. Place the coated cranberries on a baking sheet to dry for a few hours.
Do a second toss with the regular granulated sugar, this typically takes care of any sticky spots on the cranberries. Let dry another hour.
Makes 2 cups of sparkling cranberries.
Prep time: 5 min (But plan ahead as they do need time to dry - Drying time: 3-4 hours)
Make a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let the syrup cool for a couple minutes and then pour it over the cranberries. If the syrup is too hot the cranberries will burst, so be careful. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain the cranberries and toss them with larger grained sugar until they are well coated. I only use a scoop of sugar at a time, and small batches of cranberries, so the sugar doesn't get too damp. Place the coated cranberries on a baking sheet to dry for a few hours.
Do a second toss with the regular granulated sugar, this typically takes care of any sticky spots on the cranberries. Let dry another hour.
Makes 2 cups of sparkling cranberries.
Prep time: 5 min (But plan ahead as they do need time to dry - Drying time: 3-4 hours)
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