I just returned from the hospital. Today, Nov. 27 at 5:20 p.m. my Grandma passed away.

Emma Sherman Castle Knight aka: Grandma, was 95 years old. She had a long and healthy life. She was born in Saskatchewan in 1911. She lived through the depression, a couple of wars, the death of 2 husbands and a daughter. She was extremely healthy through her 80's and only seriously declined in the last few years. She had a heart attack yesterday and with the help of morphine, was able to pass away quickly and quietly with relatively no pain. My mom was with her, reading to her from her "Book of Common Prayer" when she left us to be with Jesus.

My mom was really prepared for her death. I mean, Grandma was NINETY FIVE. She had congestive heart failure for years, and was generally not well. But when the moment comes - boy, it's a whole new ball game. Are your really ever ready to say goodbye to your mom? My sister & I went and joined my mom and we sat with her and with the body that housed my Grandma. We talked about what she might be up to, we laughed at some of our memories, we looked through pictures and cried. Then we said "goodbye". It's an odd feeling. I'll never see her again, here anyway, - she'll be cremated and this body will be gone.

So, good-bye Grandma-great (as our kids all call her) - and in the words of one her own infamous sayings.... we hope you are
"sufficiently saffunctified".

Let it snow...let it snow...let it snow...

Yup, piles of the whitestuff - we have to enjoy it while we can because living where we do - it'll be rain in no time! The girls are in the backyard making a snowman as we speak. They came in for a 'nose' for it. Sadly, tomorrow is grocery shopping day and they had to make do with the slightly soft end of a cucumber.

Needless to say, it's an extraordinary snowman.

Advent.

The beginning - the birth of a King. Time to remember - to prepare. Time to ready my heart. We sing a song every year during Advent. A song of preparation.

Ready My Heart

Ready my heart for the
birth of Immanuel
Ready my soul for the
Prince of Peace
Heap the straw of my life
For His body to lie on
Light the candle of hope
Let the child come in

Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, Christ the Savior is born

Mine is the home that is poor
and is barren
Mine is the stable of cold and stone
Break the light to each corner
Of doubt and of darkness
Now the Word is made flesh
For the birth of me

and since there is 34 days until Christmas - I think it is timely to remind everyone that Friday is adbusters "Buy Nothing Day".

I think it is important to pause in this season of frenzied spending and stop. THINK about what we're doing when we spend, spend, spend. Now, I must confess I am not a nutso Christmas shopper - I love Christmas, I love giving gifts, I even like receiving them - but I hate the waste. So we've always been wise givers - not cheap or even frugal - just thoughtful. Maybe we need a day to stop and think before we purchase. We need to learn to give responsibly - and still have a great time!

So, while you're not shopping on Friday - take the time to research some unique gift giving possibilities...you might be surprised what you find.

I've decided to let my hair go grey. I'm still not sure if it's a good idea. Some days - I think it looks interesting - and others, it's kinda scraggly and I just look like a hag.

Why am I L'Oreal free? Can't say for sure. I mean, I'm no miss 'au naturel' but I got tired of trying to pick a colour that was appropriate for a 41 year old woman. Not to young, not matronly. And since I'm to cheap to go to a salon, the grey never really got covered up properly anyway! So as long as my darling husband isn't appalled and I'm still musing in the mirror...the grey stays.

Sign of wisdom maybe??

Lest we forget.

Rememberance Day is once again upon us. Time to recall and reflect on the men and women who selflessly gave themselves up for the greater good of mankind. The people who left home and family to go and fight for their country. I think of Reid's dad. Knowing the type of person he was I bet he left home with only a slight bit of fear and trembling and tons of excitment and adventure on his mind. And knowing him I am also sure he came home a different man because of what he'd seen. I know that right up until he passed away at 84, he had never forgotten anything he saw or anyone he'd met during the war. The experience of war for a man in his 20's lasted a lifetime. And I'm sure it is the same for all who serve. When I watch our soldiers parade in to our cenotaph - when I see them walk with pride in their uniforms - I always am moved to tears. Always. I am proud of these men and women. I hope they know that the hopes and dreams that I've achieved and that my children will achieve are built on their pain and blood.

And yet. War is not the answer. I like to think of myself as a pacifist but I'm not sure that I am. Not 100%. World War 1 and WW 2 were, according to the history books, just wars. They were wars that occured because there simply were no other options - the world was at stake. So in all honesty, I don't know that I am opposed to those wars or the reasoning behind them. However, since then we have experienced war. True, none to the scale of the WW's, but wars all the same. Unjust wars. Wars that were not absolutely necessary. I'm thinking of course now of the war in Iraq. It disgusts me on every level. We have our own Canadian troops in Afghanistan. The loss of life has been huge. My heart aches utterly and completely every time I hear of another death.

So today, my children & I will remember. We will remember the character of the people who give everything up for what they believe. We will remember Grampie. We will pray that human kind will learn.

We will not forget.

It's been interesting watching the American response to the big upset on Tuesday. The Democrats have returned with a vengence!

It seems the American people have spoken out loudly against Mr. Bush and his agenda. I'm wondering if the vote is more a vote against the Republicans rather than a vote for the Democrats. Kind of like our Canadian election - I don't know that Cdns voted FOR the Conservatives, as much as they voted against the Liberals. Should be interesting to watch and see what happens anyway!

I heard a man on CBC's "The Current" this morning. He has written a book (I only heard a few minutes of the conversation & I don't remember the name of it) but his premise is that 'peace' or 'non-violence' is a viable alternative to war. Interesting idea. I wonder what would happen if conflicts arose and peace was on the table as a possible solution... naive maybe. One of the comments I did hear was how the 'state' ie: the Government, doesn't support peace as a possible solution. Peace is unpatriotic. I'm guessing that the government needs to know that it's people are willing to lay down their lives for their country - & if they are entertaining other ideas (like peace) then they don't love their country enough. It's the ultimate control. Pathetic really. The US is the only democracy left to practice capital punishment. What that says is that we as a country say it is wrong for any of YOU to commit murder(s) - only the 'state' is allowed to kill. Corporal punishment, like war, is nothing more than bully tactics. Don't push us - we'll beat you up.

So non-violence is a viable solution to solving conflicts - even on a global scale. It's taking the ideas that we teach in our homes and saying that they aren't just for children - grown-ups can play nice too. Yah, maybe it's pretty naive - and the odds are it'll never be given more consideration by any other than the radical few - but it's a comforting thought.

Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw when we were in Vancouver:

"Will work for peace"

Well, the flu managed to find me. I really thought I'd avoided the whole thing but alas, it was not to be. It was a violent one day flu that completely flattened me. Well, one day plus one more where I wanted to chew my head off the rest of my body it hurt so bad!

We hit the city yesterday. Reid flew out of Vancouver to California on Monday so we all went down for the ride. The girls and I had a blast on the way home - in spite of the unbelievable amount of rain. We hit the 'big' mall in Langley. I can't remember the last time we were at a mall. Maybe last Christmas..... not sure. It was a lot of fun to look around and see all the shops and people and well - all the stuff! We didn't buy - we were just on a look - around mission. But it was fun and the girls' Christmas list grew! I even bought one Christmas gift. Speaking of Christmas, I actually saw a tree up in a house on Sunday night! Unreal. After the mall we went to ValueVillage where we could actually afford things and then made it home. A great day had by all.

Reid has arrived safely in Cabazon. He'll be gone for 2 weeks doing training for Nestle Waters. It's always hard when he's away but it's a necessary evil and work wise it'll be a good long term investment. I'm already counting the days until he returns.

Today is my dad's birthday. He is 63. That sounds so young to me now and of course to my girls, he is old with a capital Ancient!

Over the years I've watched Dad in various forms.... He has gone from a young, smart mouth rebellious kid, to a fun guy who occasionally drank too much, to a very successful hockey and fastball coach, to a guy who wrestled the demons from his past and won, to a shrewd money manager, to a kind and gentle man who humbly tries to follow Jesus. I watched as he fought for his life after some major heart attacks. As he mourned the deaths of family and close friends. I saw him choose to surrender his life to Jesus after a lifetime of believing he could do all and do it on his own. Under and among all these layers of my dad, is a man who is wholly committed to his wife and children (and now, his grandchildren). We and anyone else who knows him, always have understood that family is very important to him. And although he made some pretty good screw-ups, he still has managed to raise 3 kids who turned out pretty well and he has passed on some wise words, some quirky sayings, some strong values and a great example.

Happy birthday Dad. I love you.