what i like about being on vancouver island is that i find people a wee bit more relaxed than in calgary. maybe its because over 50% of them are retired or because every time i'm here i'm on vacation therefor i feel relaxed, regardless, as i stood in line i could envision the same line in calgary...people "tsk"ing and looking dissapprovingly back and forth between their watches and the little paper number they were handed. "time is money and i'm wasting my time" would be the thought in most heads. most likely they would just hand a big wad of cash to someone at the front of the line in exchange for their spot. but not here. here in victoria people gathered from all over the island to have a good old time of fellowship and community as we slowly crept up the sidewalk for the next five hours. by 2:00pm i had heard tales of people's previous adventures and at least ten more of upcomming adventures...nigeria for vibrant colored cloth to be used in a designers spring clothing line, a couple vegas trips one by a 22 year old with her girlfriends, the other by a 42 year old with her girlfriends. a pleasant grandmotherly type visiting family in england, a father who drove his daughter down from nanaimo as she is going to mexico this summer to visit her sister. the list goes on. and between exchanging stories and attempting to study i was also able to leave for a little shopping, a few cups of coffee and a good visit in the book store across the street as others held my place in line.

it was a great time of fellowship and community and reminded me of waiting outside our broken down bus in indonesia or hanging out waiting for a train to arrive in india, always accompanied by locals interested in your being. interested in eachothers being. there's no "wasted time" when you travel. "wasted time" doesn't even exist in many other cultures and yet that seems to be what spurs us north americans on. "efficiency, multi-tasking and getting the most for our money". now i must admit that i am as guilty as any other when it comes to these things, but it was nice for a change to step out of that and just enjoy what life had handed me...a day in a line-up with a group of jovial strangers. so as we drove away after five hours of standing in that line i tried to think, "oh i should have come later as the line was shorter and i probably would've only had to wait three hours instead of five", but i couldn't. as much as i tried to force those "efficient" thoughts into my head, i had no regrets of my day in that line-up. i had shared many conversations, experienced many adventures through other's tales, and i had relaxed for a day with nothing else i could do but stand in line and enjoy the rare moment of true community that comes when a bunch of people are thrown together and can do nothing about it.

so thank you passport canada, because with out the new regulations my day would've been filled with research and studying and i may have learned a few extra facts about soil ecosystems or the genetic make-up of the cheetah, but ultimately i would not have learned as much as i did that tuesday.

Anyway, I miss our kids. Tamara seems so far away in Japan and with the phone calls and emails being few and far between, this is probably the first time I have really felt far, far, far, removed from her life. Maybe it is because she spent 4 months at home this past year, but I sure do miss talking with her and sharing life. Now we don't always agree and get along, and she keeps telling me that when I talk "I keep hurting her ears"...that's because she says I talk too loud...I tell her that I am just passionate about what I am talking about...but I do miss her and sometimes worry about her being alone in Japan. I think that is a mother's privilege to be concerned and worry just a little.

Matt is planning to come home for reading week in February. I am looking forward to that. Good conversations always happen when we are together...sometimes very animated and loud...but usually we learn from one another...if we listen to each other's perspective and not just speak our own perspective louder!!!! Niki and Griffin will be here too...our grandpuppies! Jesika will be in Victoria with her mom, which will be nice, but we will miss her.

 My muscles are very sore today from my gym workout yesterday.  Will have to take it a little easier tomorrow.  I guess I am to start slowly and work my way up gently.  I always think if you are going to get it done, do it quickly and with all of your might!  Not good when it comes to exercising your muscles!

I am still hard into getting my reading completed for my class starting March 4th. Lots of material to cover, but very interesting and I am really resonating with what I am learning. Now, the big thing is to put it all into practice. There doesn't seem enough hours in the day to get everything accomplished, especially when the desire is to make life simplier. Not sure how to make that all happen.

It is Ash Wednesday tomorrow, the beginning of the Lent Season. Am looking forward to it this year and hoping to add something significant to my life during this time. I am not sure I will be able to follow through all the time, but I believe the experience will be worth it.

I got up at 9:15 am and looking outside saw the beautiful mountains and clear blue sky with a temperature of -22. Jerry and I decided to head outside before breakfast, so we bundled up in our winter clothes and headed out. The mountains covered in snow were absolutely spectacular with the blue sky and bright sunshine...it was more beautiful than words can express. The new snow sparkled like thousands of diamonds and the snow crunched under each of our footsteps. the chickadees were singing in the trees and as we walked around the frozen lake with the panarama of mountains all around us, my heart was so full of gratefulness for the privilege of being alive and experiencing this kind of beauty. My sense of God is always so beyond comprehension when I breathe in the beauty of his creation...amazing.

In the afternoon Jerry and I drove to Lake Louise and the trip down continued to be breathtaking as we drove through the mountains. Lake Louise had received about 10 inches of new snow and as we got closer to Lake Louise, the trees were just hanging and covered with new snow, up to about 10 to 12 inches...it was absolutely beautiful. We drove up to the Lake Louise Hotel and words cannot express the beauty that was all around us. We just took picture after picture...but you just aren't able to capture the beauty and the vastness of nature all around you. I love winter like this...it is perfect!

The Chateau Lake Louise was all decorated for Christmas inside, so we toured the old hotel enjoying all the history pictures and reading about all the early people involved in the building of the railway across Canada and through the Rockies. No agenda...we could do it at our own speed and in no hurry.

My favorite bakery is in Lake Louise so Jerry and I stopped and puchased all our favorite things to eat together with a Chai Lattee...there we are the two of us eating scrumptious sausage rolls in the parking lot...we couldn't wait!! The Health Cookies, Cinnamon Buns and other goodies we bought were saved for later!!!

We then drove back to Banff and I spent a couple of hours in "The Spirit of Christmas" store...it has everything you can imagine for Christmas...it was fun just to look and not feel pressured by buying into the having the right "look" for Christmas. I am dealing with all the expectations that comes with Christmas...I don't need to buy into it.

We then went up to the Banff Springs Hotel to see the Christmas Decorations there...they were absolutely amazing with 6 huge Christmas Trees decorated and lights and decorations everywhere...we then headed back to Canmore.

We came back to our place in Canmore...ate some of our goodies...watched CSI New York and Criminal Minds...and in between read my good book Maya that I received from Matt and Jesika...and that was our day...no heavy intellectual thought or converations...just the enjoyment of being alive and enjoying the world around us.

As we were driving yesterday, I reminisced about all the places were had been to and how there is beauty everywhere...we just have to take the time to embrace it and enjoy it...

Those are my thoughts for today as I listen to the Messiah and look out the window at the blue sky with the majestic mountains all around us.