I can see clearly now!

Things I've learned about LASIK:

1) Don't get me started... I've been reading about it daily for a year... but since you asked... You did ask, right?

2) We had SBK, which, simply put, is the latest version of Lasik. It's fast, it's permanent, and it was so much fun! I loved it. 3D - are you kidding me? Ms. Information Junkie drove everyone there crazy, I'm sure...

3) The surgery was a BREEZE at Hunter Vision in Orlando! Yes, Michael & I flew there to have ours done. Ask me why it's the only place you should have yours done. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Go there. Immediately.

4) Michael & I will be buying stock in Allergen, the maker of Refresh Plus eye drops. I'm addicted.

5) Vision, my long lost friend, is back with a vengeance! Near, far, it matters not to my eyes or brain. (I'll be stopping by the Lions Club to drop off my collection of reading glasses on Friday...)

6) All that "I don't want anyone sticking something in my eye" stuff is for the birds. The night before the procedure, it haunted me. The day of the procedure it was NOTHING. I didn't feel a thing. Honestly, folks, did you think they'd let you feel something like that? You can poke yourself in the eye without drugs if you'd like, but how many surgeons operate without them? (Don't get me started on childbirth. This is waaaaaaaay easier. And faster. And less embarrassing. You know what I mean.)

7) And last, but certainly not least, why didn't y'all tell me about all these wrinkles?! You know... the ones you could plainly see on my face but I could not (before Lasik). Ugh.

Go to the phone now. Do this. You won't regret it. I'll fly in and walk you through it. Really, I will. Because we're friends, and we all have wrinkles at this point.

Operator, uh, can you help me place this call?

So, we gave Rogers Communication the boot. Shocking, I know. When our 2nd bill from them was wrong (again), I reached my limit. Bell Canada is our new provider, but since the technician readily said, "Bell has its problems", I'm not jumping for joy just yet. The trade-off? No more Rogers headaches but no more 'high speed' internet. (Bell's speeds are 1/5 of Rogers - it's worth it to me.) How desperate am I?

As for the phone, we had to get a new number. That's okay, because no one calls here... it's a mixed blessing. Not being on the phone all the time has been peaceful and rewarding. I find myself on the computer less as well. Ask me again in the dead of winter, but for now I'm really enjoying it.

Life in Canada is different, yes. I think God "mixes it up" when we need it, though we rarely recognize that. He is not a God of "Comfortableness" lest we confuse that with 'comfort'. I (dare I say we) grow through the tough things not the easy ones. I used to say I get bored easily, yet now I know it's when I'm not moving & growing spiritually that life seems to be at a standstill. No manner of entertainment fills that gap satisfactorily.

We say "it's all about relationships" but the first, and most important one is deeply personal. If we cannot connect to God, we cannot connect to His world, His people. Go ahead - I dare you - spend some time with God today, and get off the computer. Now I must go do the same... (I love having his private number; it's the one He uses just for Him and me.)

Here and There

I've never been out of the U.S. on the 4th of July before. Normally, I line our driveway and the street line with little US flags, I decorate the house and the patio, and pull out all manner of red/white/and blue paraphernalia for the back yard. But not this year...

Canada Day was last Friday. I live in Canada now. Granted it was fun, and the fireworks were great (more on that in a minute), yet we were, interestingly, watchers rather than partakers. I wore red & white and put on a little dual-nation flag pin showing my allegiances to my own country and my adopted one. We walked into town, checked out the historic sites in Amherstburg, and took in all that is the same and different about our countries' Independence Days. Jared, Jordan, and Rhiannon were here, so the day was special in many ways. I made them gift bags with Canada things in an attempt to help us all fit in somehow.

Back on Boblo that evening, all the islanders went to a neighbor's house to "watch" the fireworks. And I do LOVE fireworks. This year, however, brought something totally unexpected. The Fire Dept. showed up, with the City's fireworks, AT THE HOUSE where we were. The owners have a little finger of land that faces town, so we were at 'ground zero' for launch. Our chairs were about 30 yards from the firing range. It was amazing, scary, perhaps a bit life-threatening, and fabulous, depending on the moment. Jordan kept saying, "we're all going to die" as the fireworks exploded literally right over our heads, and we burst our laughing every time he said it. We sat there, marveling at our luck or death wish, depending on your perspective. This would NEVER happen in the States, so I have Canada to thank for a fireworks experience I'll never have again.

Today is the 4th of July, and there are no decorations out. Friends say to go ahead, but, honestly, I want to honor those where I live. This is not their day, and I'm in their country. Lest you wonder, I am a die-hard American, and my heart is with you all today. You live in the greatest country on Earth, and don't let the media tell you otherwise. No other country affords the freedoms the U.S. does. 

I'm thankful today for the warmth and friendliness of Canadians, but I'm forever thankful to be an American.