Meadow Lake: Day 2

Another day...another hike.  This time not as long, and not as scenic, but still great.

I slept well, mostly.  The sleeping pad I bought (to put underneath my sleeping bag) last summer is an inch thicker, and it works - I slept much better than I usually do when I go camping.

Good morning picture:

Campsite:

Hiking pictures:

Marco and company headed up the food department.  Is there anything better than grilled food?

In the evening things got a bit heated.  We started taking about the 2 topics everybody says you shouldn't talk about - politics and religion.

Energy and the environment.

Capitalism.

Faith in the public square.

Such great topics, worthy of discernment and discussion indeed.  Add a glass or two of wine, and you have all the ingredients necessary for an ... argument.

But it's necessary to have these "arguments" every now and again - iron sharpens iron.

I get a little bit tired of the argument that Christians are "blind sheep".  That argument may have held in the past, but today, Christians are anything but blind sheep.  We actually get a fuller education than the secular world offers, because simply speaking, we are taught both, the sciences and religion.  Secularists are blind in only paying attention to the empirical world.  They believe a priori that there's no need in studying faith-related matters, and are therefore completely ignorant of them.  So who's really blind here?

Camping @ Meadow Lake

I'm camping in Meadow Lake with Eric, Marco, Dorotea, and John for the long weekend.

Today we went on a 17km hike - it was perfect weather: slightly overcast, warm, and a breeze to keep the bugs away.

Good company, mostly.  Sometimes I get annoyed by people, more than I should...

A Friend ... Sticks Closer Than A Brother

Friendship is a precious thing, a gift from God.  And James (among other people) is just that, a gift.

"He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty." - Job 6:14

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Proverbs 17:17

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." - John 15:15

"Peace be to you.  The friends greet you.  Greet the friends, each by name." - I John 1:15

He's been here for the past few days, attending a conference from his denomination.

While here, we've had some good conversations, mostly about theology.  Oh to have friends nearby with whom I could discuss these themes more regularly...

It's been interesting seeing him struggle with the issues of the days being discussed at the conference. He fears for the future of the church.

And yet, we need not fear, we need only to be faithful:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." - Matthew 16:18

Memories

Fond memories of a great weekend trip to the Okanagan...

The Land Of Milk And Honey

So here is our latest family portrait.

The guy at the front right is not part of our family, he's Derek's friend.  I know I'm supposed to be gracious towards others, but my gosh, some people's kids...

The family is changing.  Tanis is pregnant.  The kids are no longer kids - except for one, they're all teens now.  Mom and dad are aging, slowly, and extremely gracefully.

I need to make this trip part of my annual routine.  Family.  The Okanagan.  Smoothies.  Lakes.  Wine.  Sun and heat.  BBQ.  Pool.  Ice cream.  And after this year...tennis.

Ted and I played tennis again yesterday.  I feel like I'm rediscovering an old Love.

Ted and I also talked about buying a family property in Penticton.  It would serve as an annual vacation spot, and possibly, a future home for me!

Adrenaline

This afternoon Ted asked me if I wanted to play some tennis.  I said "No, I haven't played in years, I'm out of shape, plus I've got some lingering injuries."

Thirty minutes later we're out lakeside, on the court, hitting the ball going back and forth, and back and forth.

Hitting our hearts out.
Adrenaline.
The sweat.
Side-to-side shuffling.
That feeling, when you hit the ball right in the sweet spot.
The exhaustion afterwards.

It was almost a spiritual experience.

Penticton

At the Calgary Int'l Airport, on my way to Penticton.

I haven't gone on this trip the past 2 years so I'm really looking forward to reconnect with family.

Jesse Cook

Tonight Marco, Eric, Michelle and I went to see Jesse Cook at the Jazz Festival.  What a fantastic event.

We got to the Bess around 7, hung out and enjoying the scenery before taking in the concert at 9 and onwards.  Shortly after arriving, Marco, Eric and I were just kinda hanging out when low and behold, Jesse walked by.  I greeted him, and he didn't hesitate and stopped to talk to us.  I was so shocked I didn't know what to say.  The conversation didn't last long, but he did compliment me on my One World tour t-shirt before continuing on his way.

There were a number of things that I really liked about this concert.  One, it was outdoors - so pleasant to be out there, sitting in our lawn chairs; two, it didn't feel like I was just attending a concert, the whole place had a festival-like atmosphere; and three, there was dancing, lots of dancing - I spent most of the concert at the front, dancing my heart out.  It was great!

Niagara Falls

Today is our final day together.  It's been an adventure, to say the least - ups and downs.  I'm really not sure what to make of it all yet.

We got up reasonably early this morning and ate breakfast, together with our airbnb hosts.  By around 10am we were ready to get going on our planned day trip to Niagara.

What a gorgeous place.

The weather here the past few days has been hot and sunny - very nice.

We took the opportunity to take some pictures.  She's amazingly photogenic.

On our way back to London we stopped at a winery where I picked up a bottle of Riesling.  She's not really interested in wines, but she was a good sport nonetheless.  Upon our return to London early evening, we went to a Lebanese restaurant we'd been to a few nights ago, and had our fill of falafel.

We spent our last evening together in the indoor pool of our hosts.  Outside, a thunderstorm gathered, unleashing wind and rain simultaneously, and I couldn't help comparing it to the relational thunderstorm that I see on the horizon for us.

Tomorrow I get up pretty early and fly back to Saskatoon.  

A week from now Jesse Cook's in town, and a few days after that I'm flying to Penticton to be with family.  I'm looking forward to both.

Convocation Day

Here are two pictures of today's graduation.  It was a super hot day, and I was sort of a go-for, following her around campus, taking pictures of her at every turn.

The picture below is possibly the best picture I have of her.

I'm glad the day's done.

London

Today we spent much of the day preparing for tomorrow.  Graduating from UWO as a Dr is indeed an impressive accomplishment, and Daniela is revelling in it.  Sometimes I wonder if the reason I feel distanced from her is because I envy her intellect, academic accomplishments, and career dreams.  Am I the one distancing myself from her?

Below is a picture of her in front of one of the historical buildings on the UWO campus.  She's so proud and beautiful.

Below, the cathedral of London.

The weather here is hot, in the low 30s.  Hotter than the prairies.

Sunrise At YXE

Waiting for our flight to London this morning.  4:49am.

Walk By The River

Tonight Daniela and I went for a walk along the river in Saskatoon.  It was a lovely evening.  Warm.  Sunny.  And - no bugs!

The past 2+ weeks have been a mixed bag of wonderful and disappointing.

She's a dignified woman, but I don't honour her as such.  I take her for granted.

Tomorrow I fly to London with her, to accompany her on her convocation from UWO.

A Short Road Trip

I took Friday off work and went on a short road trip with Daniela.  We left Saskatoon mid-afternoon, arriving in Moose Jaw around dinner time.  We checked into the hotel, and went for a walk on Main Street, where we eventually landed at Brown's for dinner.

Afterwards we went for a short walk, before heading back to the hotel and to the hot springs pool.  It was very nice, actually.  Last time I was here it was in the dead of winter, when the temperature contrast between the hot water in the outdoor pool contrasted dramatically with the freezing temperatures outside.

Below, a pictures of us on the road to Moose Jaw.  I've been encouraging Daniela to take the plunge and get her driver's license.  Over the past month or so she took her driving theory test and took driving lessons, so when we set out on Friday, rather than taking my vehicle, we rented a car and got her right on the steering wheel.

On Saturday morning after breakfast, we went for a walk at one of my favourite places in MJ, Crescent Park.  It really was lovely.

In the afternoon we drove to Regina, and went straight to Wascana Lake, where we parked the car and walked around the lake.

We had dinner at La Bodega.  I've been there 3 times now, and it's been a disappointment every time. The food was bland, tasteless.  I don't think I'll go back there again.

While we enjoy each other's company, this weekend was not without stress though.  I don't treat her as well as I ought to.  In some ways, I act as though she's in the way, or as though she's stupid.  She even mentioned it once earlier this week.  Lord have mercy on me.

We arrived back in Saskatoon shortly after 11pm, tired.

This Time...Brazilian

Daniela's stay here continues, and tonight we went to the local Brazilian restaurant where we enjoyed a rodizio-style dinner.  As always, the food and atmosphere is great.  Check out the dessert Daniela had!

While we were getting to know each other a half a year ago Daniela at one point wondered whether or not I'd eventually get bored with her.  I was floored by her comments, and insisted that she's off, way off.

I still think she's wrong, but I must admit that there is a part of me that's deeply dissatisfied with where we're at relationally.  I can't make sense of it at all, since she's beautiful, smart, and has values that in many ways mirror my own.

Eating Greek

On June 1st Daniela arrived in Saskatoon.  It was good to see her.  When I first saw her - before she noticed me - she was walking towards the baggage claim belt.  Her posture was normal - timid and cute.

Today I took the day off work and spent it with her.  In the evening we went to a Greek restaurant outside of town - ironically, the only authentically Greek restaurant in town is...out of town.

Posture

Why do I dislike it so much when someone tries to "correct" me about something?

Today, while grocery shopping, she told that I should stand up straight(er), "lift your shoulders, straighten your back".

Even though she said it with a smile, I was infuriated.  My blood boiled in anger.

Embrace

There's no cure for the embrace of a lovely woman.

Confessions Of An Oblate

Last year October I made my initial vows to be a Benedictine Oblate, and one of the surprising discoveries I've made since planting this seed is the relational fruits it seems to be bearing.

Fr. Paul, a kind, gentle soul has offered warmth and friendship that I've found supremely refreshing.  Whenever I visit the monastery, he takes time out of his schedule to catch up and see how things are going.  And he seems open and genuine about what life as a monk is like - not just the good stuff, but the warts too.

But the point of today's entry is that I've also found a confessor, someone who hears my failings and offers reconciliation.  As a new Catholic the experience of confession is still unfamiliar and  uncomfortable for me, but it's a process and I imagine it will take a while to get used to it.  Or, on the other hand, confessing our sins may never become normalized, because it's always an affront to our independence...

I am struggling with my relationship with Daniela.  The peace that I had just a few months ago has disappeared into thin air, and I'm beginning to seriously question my motivations, my priorities, my commitments, my very heart.  Intimacy has departed, leaving a vacuum that Distance has filled.

The worst thing is that Daniela arrives in Saskatoon tomorrow.  I'll be spending the next 3 months with her.

Lord, give me wisdom.  Reveal to me my motivations, and purify them, I pray.  Amen.

BBQ Season Is On

I planted my garden seeds over a month ago, and while they remained indoors they did ok, but they've struggled outdoors, as the weather really hasn't been warm enough.

But this week it seems to have warmed up.  In fact, it warmed up enough to warrant a bbq - the first one of the year.

On the menu:

* grilled red peppers, zucchini, and onions

* mild Italian sausages

As usual, Marco will make one of his amazing salads to go along with the menu items.

And for drinks, well, let's just say that the Saskatoon Brewery makes a great IPA...