Friday, March 15, 2013

The other nine

Every month, a copy of Today is placed in my church mailbox. It usually gets recycled later that day.... It's not as though I don't think the content is valuable; I just usually have another devotional on the go at the time.

But this month, I've been reading Today. (And for those familiar with the publication, did you or your parents call it The Today? I totally thought that was its actual name.)

Yesterday, the scripture passage was Luke 17:11-19.
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.  
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

It's funny how you can read a passage many times, and yet new things will still stand out to you or will impact you in a different way.

This time, I was struck by how the group of lepers was likely comprised of both Jews and Samaritans, since they were living near the border. While Jews and Samaritans typically did not associate with one another, their common disease and subsequent expulsion from society must have brought them together. The barriers between them fell away when they had no other choice, nowhere else to go.

I question the barriers in my own life that keep me separated from other people. If my health or status in society was compromised, would it change how I view others? I wonder about the other nine lepers. Did they quickly rebuild those walls, forgetting about their shared experience? Would I?

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Tea rose, amazemint, coconut lime ... oh my!

A few weeks ago, while lamenting my lack of craftiness, I shared that I was awaiting a shipment of handmade soaps from this Etsy shop.

Well, the soaps arrived, and they smell and look fabulous.

I had half a bar of soap still on the go in my bathroom, and I really should have used it up before starting a new one ... but I said, "Forget it, half-used soap. You're not nearly as pretty and you don't smell as nice. You're going back in the cupboard."

Then I felt mean, as though I had hurt my old soap's feelings. But that wasn't enough to stop me from replacing it with Sweet Bee soap. Yum!

Anyways, perhaps I'm alone in my adoration for soap. And maybe in attributing emotions to soap, too. But if a fellow handmade-soap-lover stumbles upon this blog, try out these soaps. Seriously.





Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Two months nearly gone

Parents always say that kids grow up so fast.

These parents are correct.

Mr. D is just about three months old. In some ways, it feels like he's been with us for ages. In other ways, the past months have sped by in a blur.

Highlights: Smiles galore. The start of a laugh. Coos and other noises, including occasional painful, high-pitched shrieks. The cutest frowny-face before a cry. The discovery of his fists (yum!). Tracking and holding a gaze. The preference to be held and cuddled. Greater head control. Bearing weight with his little legs. Double chin. Arm rolls. Leg rolls. Wrist rolls. Cat naps during the day unless held. (Update: starting to take 1-2 hour naps! Yay!) Longer stretches of sleep at night. Outgrowing his 3-month clothing. Moving into his 6-month clothing. (Update: moving into some 6-9 month clothing!) Bumping up to medium gDiapers.

Challenges: The first cold brought a congested nose and a bit of a cough. We felt so cruel spraying his nose with saline and using the bulb aspirator -- Ben holding D's head as I tried to speedily manoeuvre and keep the torture brief. D's screams made me feel as though I was betraying his trust. But the next day, when he flashed me many gummy smiles, I suppose all was forgiven. Another challenge: this boy needs regular naps. Otherwise, cranky baby attacks.

What an awesome adventure it has been. I'm so excited to discover what month #3 has in store.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Our first date

On Friday evening, Ben and I enjoyed our first date since D was born.

Granted, our night out included my sisters and brother-in-law, along with a short appearance from my brother-in-law's father, but it still counts. :)

My Dad and Step-Mom watched D while we enjoyed dinner at Golden Fish & Chips, followed by drinks at the Shepherd's Crook.

D was always in the forefront of my thoughts, of course, but it was nice to have a few hours with Ben and my family to chat and laugh baby-free.

It was a lovely evening out. But what topped it off was coming home and snuggling with my favourite little boy.

Random Man, Ben, and Toni. (My apologies to
Random Man. I didn't mean to get you in the shot.)

Eileen and Chris.

Hot chocolate. Avec whip cream. Yum.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Book club: 'Away' by Jane Urquhart

Every month or so, a group of us get together for book club. In February, the book up for discussion was Jane Urquhart's Away, one of this year's Canada Reads nominations.

The back cover summarizes the book as follows:
A stunning, evocative novel set in Ireland and Canada, Away traces a family’s complex and layered past. The narrative unfolds with shimmering clarity, and takes us from the harsh northern Irish coast in the 1840s to the quarantine stations at Grosse Isle and the barely hospitable land of the Canadian Shield; from the flourishing town of Port Hope to the flooded streets of Montreal; from Ottawa at the time of Confederation to a large-windowed house at the edge of a Great Lake during the present day. Graceful and moving, Away unites the personal and the political as it explores the most private, often darkest corners of our emotions where the things that root us to ourselves endure. Powerful, intricate, lyrical, Away is an unforgettable novel.
The good:
  • Beautiful prose. The writing really is "powerful, intricate, lyrical." Every sentence is crafted with care, so much so that you could spend ages reading and re-reading each one.
  • Interesting historical elements, including famine in Ireland and daily life for early settlers to Canada.
The not-so-good:
  • Beautiful prose. Yes, this is also in the "good" category. Sometimes the pretty language was so pretty that it ended up getting the way, distracting from rather than complementing the narrative.
  • Unbelievable/unlikable characters. The characters who go "away" are difficult to identify with and, for me, were at times downright irritating.
Other observations: 
  • My MIL shared some Irish folklore she had heard growing up that shed much light on the concept of being "away," as well as the lure of the sea. Very helpful! In my opinion, the novel would have been more accessible for readers had a myth or two been included at the beginning of the book, setting the stage for Urquhart's retelling.
Final verdict: 
  • So-so. I certainly don't regret reading the book, but I wouldn't purchase a copy or necessarily recommend it to a friend. 
Next up: Left Neglected by Lisa Genova