Not really inconvenienced...

I tweeted last month to ask if having the heated seats on in the car, in October, was a bad sign... 2011 has been a strange year for weather, hasn't it? 1,817 tornadoes, thus far, in the U.S. have caused 550 deaths. Compare that to the 564 people who died in tornadoes over the past 10 years combined. Hmmm... cold weather is a very minor inconvenience when I view it in that context.

I am so honored to know and love some military members. I can't fathom what they do but am humbled that they do it. My friend, Melissa, just welcomed her husband home from deployment. My husband getting home a little late from work is a minor inconvenience.

The chiropractor has been tweaking the pinched nerve in my shoulder that shoots pain through my bicep. It's "fixable" and is a minor inconvenience when viewed in the light of my friend Denyc's mom. Cheryl was diagnosed with stage 4 uterine cancer and was, as Denyc and I used to say, "the healthiest dying person we know".  Did you know there's no test for uterine cancer until it's already present. Perhaps we should move some of the pink ribbon money over to save women in another way.

I'm not melancholic; I'm just vehemently aware that I am only slightly inconvenienced by the daily adjustments I make. I'm thankful today to be able to make them.

Not yet...

The weather has turned cool, and I must admit I wasn't ready for that - just yet. I'm under no illusions about it being warm in Canada, but we skipped fall. The leaves have yet to change, and we moved directly to cold and windy. They're predicting a low in the 30s this weekend...

I've switched my wardrobe. Although I pulled out the boots and Cuddl-Duds (no 'e'), I can't seem to put my sandals away - just yet. The flannel sheets are on the bed. My lap blanket, lovingly and hand-made by sister, Ronna, is out and being used. Neighbors are leaving the island to head south for the winter. Yesterday, I made Harvest Muffins, with grated apples and carrots, for the ferry crew. Summer is gone.

What I love about fall is that it is the time that God designs for things to begin to rest. Those of us with Operation Christmas Child are geared up for Collection Week and have no intention of resting - just yet. This is what we work for all year. This is our harvest - His harvest - of shoebox gifts that will travel around the world so that children who have no hope know that someone, some stranger, somewhere, wants them to know they are loved. "The power of a simple gift" isn't just a saying to us; it's real. We feel the urgency to reach just one more child. We're not ready to be finished - just yet.

I'll leave you with 2 things -  a picture and Garth Brooks words...

One hand
Reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm

And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me 

Things I like about Canada so far

It's been almost 4 months since we moved to Canada. I thought it was about time to make a new list, so here are some of the things I really like about Canada.

1)  The people! Amazingly warm and friendly. Plus, if you're not talking about taxes, Canadians are really happy people. (C'mon, none of us is happy talking about taxes.)

2)  The calmness! Okay, using an exclamation point there is inappropriate. The pace, and the people, here are not easily excited (except about hockey) or agitated. It's so refreshing. Canadians take everything in stride, and I find myself enjoying the day - even the ones with lists - a lot more.

3) French! Thankfully, it's a lot like Spanish, so I'm not completely lost. I have, thus far, resisited taking French, because I still haven't mastered Spanish. First things first... Here's a good example:

In Spanish, chicken is pollo, and, well, we have to give them credit, because bouillon is a French word we already know. Some packages have English on one side and French on the other. I panicked before I realized that I simply needed to flip things over.

4) Packaging! Threw you on this one, didn't I? Stick with me... I was one of those homeschooling parents who loved "How Things Work", and these little differences are fun & challenging. Let's look back at the broth, from a different angle:

If you can get past my slightly blurry photo (still learning how to shoot macro), can you see the little tab inside the opening? No tiny foil tabs to shred! Just open, press, pour, seal. Yes, I said 'seal'... the top actually snaps closed, and I shook it to test it. (Snow waited patiently in hopes spillage would come her way, but, alas, the product closed tightly - as it should have.)

Now, on to the 'scrip I swore I wouldn't take. I gave in after looking at how horribly red the spot on my ear is... That saga will continue at Henry Ford Health this afternoon, but I digress. Segue (ooooh - another French word!) back to containers...

   Closed:

   Opened:

   Ingenious! The tab fits through the opening. Dare I say I laughed watching Michael trying to open it. His engineering mind was waaaaay over-thinking this! You press the tab with one hand, and lift the loop over it. Simple. Two-handed? I'm guessing that makes you concentrate on what you're doing and keeps you from spilling pills all over the floor. Not that any of us have ever done that, mind you...

5) Alter the name to make it Canadian! Why not, right? Visitors tend to notice what's not just like the U.S. version, but why should it be? I'm in Canada, the product is in Canada, shouldn't it show it's pride?  Check this one out:

Yes, Chipits! Hershey - yes, new name - yes! Same product - different name. C'mon... you have to love this one... They come in more flavors here, too!

And this one is a two-fer:

"Biscuits graham wafers"! You know the product... How many of you love that they show a S'more on the front? Admit it... Then you'd also love that the packaging (here's the two-fer part) has the wafers squared. Yep - cut & ready for chocolate and a marshmallow. No rectangles to challenge the Monk-like character in those of us who want everything straight. Open - eat. Ta-da!

You all asked me to blog about the Canadian experience, and this is all part of it!

(PS - Fine. I admit it. I shot all these pics on my ironing board. It's a constant in my life. I love to iron, as if you didn't know...)