ABC Wednesday: G is for...

G is for God. The amazing, sustaining, astonishing, uplifting, loving, sometimes maddening mystery that is God, whose Spirit flows in and around and through me.

 God of grace and light...

whose Spirit joins with my spirit...

infusing my life with joy and passion and awesome wonder...

beating in the rhythm of my heart...
beloved...beloved.

Holy Mystery...Wholly Love.

In whom all things are possible...

To you, O God, I sing Hallelujah!!

And because Wednesday this week falls on the rare(ish), once every four years, leap year special day Feb 29th...I'm doing a double post.

(Ok so the double post is really just because I'm indecisive when it comes to choosing themes...
but hey it's my blog so you can't stop me...muahahaha!!!!!!)

G is also for...Goofy!!!

Get yourself over to Mrs. Nesbitt's ABCW website and see what's
 Going on in everyone else's blog space this week!

Fun in the library...

Sign posted by the circulation desk in the AST library...

I love my school! Our librarians rock!

Also we have a hermetically sealed, temperature controlled room with awesome book treasures in it...like this original Geneva Bible from 1584 (ish). One day I was allowed in and got to peek through the pages (wearing white gloves, of course, lest the skin oils on my fingertips damage the aged pages.)

A little closer look at these pages...

Saturday Photohunt: LOUD!!!!

This week's Saturday Photohunt theme is LOUD. The first thing that came to my mind was thunder. While looking for storm photos, I came across something else - GARAGE BAND!!! Does it get any louder than all those amplified guitars jammed into such a tiny space? I think not...

Here is a local band playing in my friend's garage at a party she threw a few years ago.

My friend and I LOUDly and enthusiastically cheered on the band, and shared more than a few laughs!

The boys take a little refreshment break...check out all the instruments and equipment...kind of boggles the mind, doesn't it?!

During the break, a couple guys picked up guitars and jammed, while we sang LOUDly and no doubt off key a la karaoke night! So much fun...good times in the Maritimes!

Pop on over to the Saturday Photohunt page and see where others have gone with this week's theme!

ABC Wednesday: F is for...

Fire!!! More specifically...bonfire. It's hard to beat an evening at the camper...just sitting around the bonfire and talking...or not talking...whatever! We are not fair weather campers, we go spring, summer and fall. We don't get out much over the winter, but that has more to do with busy schedules than lack of desire. Gathering around the bonfire is a super fun way to celebrate festive occasions like New Year's Eve and Canada Day!

Click on over to ABC Wednesday and see what other bloggers are all fired up about this week!

Saturday Photohunt: Point

I suspect I am not very original with my photo for this week's Saturday Photohunt, but I cannot resist...

 

And now, let me POINT you toward Sandy's Saturday Photohunt page to see what others have come up with for this week's theme!

ABC Wednesday: E is for...

E is for the EGG...which is the nickname for our cute little Boler trailer.

E is for EASTER, which is when this photo was taken last year. The weather was unusually warm, we are not normally running around outdoors in short sleeves in early April in my neck of the woods! I took the photo while standing on top of our friends' camper (aka glamper)...which is ENORMOUS compared to ours.

E is for ENGAGEMENT!!! These photos were taken immediately our beautiful daughter and her boyfriend got engaged. So EXCITING!!!

E is for EXEGESIS...an activity which has taken over my life lately (which I suppose is to be expected in a Master of Divinity program!)

(From Wikipedia: "Exegesis (from the Greek ἐξήγησις from ἐξηγεῖσθαι 'to lead out') is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used for greater specificity. The goal of Biblical exegesis is to explore the meaning of the text which then leads to discovering its significance or relevance.")

ENCOUNTER more of the letter E over on the ABCWednesday website !!

Happy Val Day!!!

No, I don't mean Happy Valentine's day...

I mean Happy Birthday, Valerie!

 Dear Valerie,

Sister of my heart...
BFF of my inner child,

I pray love and light and laughter for you this day and every day. I hope your day is drenched in grace, and enlivened by the Spirit!!

We really should be sitting by the bonfire celebrating...we need a camper date soon! :)

Love & birthday hugs for you!

Saturday Photohunt: Heart

I didn't need to search very hard to find a suitable photo for this week's Saturday photohunt theme of HEART...

Today we celebrate the day upon which our younger daughter Moira entered our lives. I never knew my HEART could hold so much love until she and Sara filled it to overflowing! My HEART used to melt when rocking my cuddly baby bundle of joy...my HEART still melts every time I see her smile. 

Happy Birthday, beloved girl!!

<3 You make my HEART sing!! <3
xoxoxox

For more heart warming posts, click your way over to Sandi's Saturday Photohunt page!

ABC Wednesday: D is for...

Daughters! I myself have two darling daughters, both born in February...feel free to check out their individual birthday posts if you are curious about them. Sara's birthday was yesterday (entry already posted) and Moira's is coming up on Saturday (entry done and in the scheduled queue.)

D is also for Diamonds...so my ABCW post this week is about Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. (Diamanti is Italian for diamonds.) The outer wall of the palazzo is covered in large marble blocks cut to look like diamonds. It is a very unique looking structure! It was built around 1500 and is a striking example of European Renaissance architecture. I believe it was once home to the Este family (what wasn't in that part of the country?!)

My mother and I had hoped to tour the National Art Gallery now housed in this building, but alas it was closed the day we were wandering around this section of the city and we never did make it back during our time in Ferrara. But we got up close and personal with the exterior, and also were able to stroll around the inner courtyard. I would love to visit Ferrara again someday...it is a fascinating city. If (when) I return, I would love to rent a bicycle while there - cycling is "the" mode of transportation around this place.

Here are some photos of the Palazzo dei Diamanti taken last August...

Check out more D-lightful posts on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday website!

Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday to my daughter Sara!

When I was home on maternity leave, I used to carry my sweet baby girl around in my arms, singing Nothing Compares 2U and You are My Sunshine. She is now a beautiful young woman, living out on her own, soon to be married...and she is still my sunshine!

Saturday Photohunt: Flat

When I saw the theme for this week's Photohunt, my first thought was flat out...those crazy busy, full steam ahead kind of weeks that we all encounter from time to time.

But who wants to hear about that?! :) So instead I will celebrate the wonderful feeling of lying flat out on my back, soaking up the sun or resting in the shade...those marvellous moments of nowhere to go, no one to see, nothing to do but simply be.

On a hot summer day in Rome...it was sheer bliss to stretch out on a bench under a tree in the Pincio gardens...

Soaking up the rays on the shore of Lake Trasimeno, Umbria...after dipping my toes in the water, of course!

Relaxing in the shade in the very lovely back garden of La Palazzina di Marfisi d'Este museum in Ferrara.

I am outside the frame of this photo...lazing in my gravity chair at the camper, while Valerie drowses in the hammock.

Now that you are feeling mellow...why not surf on over to Sandi's Saturday Photohunt page and see what others have done with the theme of FLAT...