What I Learned Today

I was out the door by eight o'clock in order to be at the INS by eleven...Actually made really good time and was in and out again by eleven...Again, their service was great, but do hope the fingerprints "took" this time. The technician assured me they never call people back for a third session,so trust the biometrics are now finished.

On the way home I decided to listen to some elementary Spanish lessons I picked up at Costco some time ago, and have never used. I'm pleased to say I have moved beyond this level, but decided to use them mostly for the pronunciation.

Woman, with lovely accent in both Spanish and English takes the floor:

We are now going to learn about personal pronouns. In Spanish these are:
Yo Nosotros,as
Tu, Usted Vosotros,as Ustedes
El Ellos
Ella Ellas

The English translation for these is:
I We
You Y'all...What? Hit repeat...Y'all...Repeat...Y'all
He So it's not a mistake
She They really intended that
I can't believe it...
They (m)
They (f)

Now we will translate some simple sentences:
Soy estudiante...I am a student...Excellent...Muy bien!
Es rico....He is rich...Fantastico!
Todos ustedes son damas...You are all ladies....Wrong! No fantastico!...Y'ALL are all ladies...

Push the eject button...ENOUGH!!!

Night y'all....

A Little Fat Thing came for an overnight visit last weekend. Did she come alone? No, she didn't. Little Fat Things do not travel light. She came with:
1 car seat
1 vibrating chair
1 bassinet
1 diaper bag with
2 outfits
2 pairs of pyjamas
2 soothers
6 diapers
6 bottles of her favorite beverage
1 rattle
and she brought
1 father
and 1 mother.

Her father and mother did not stay long because they had business where Little Fat Things are not welcome.

Her grandma and grandpa gave Little Fat Thing:
many kisses
many cuddles
many silly faces
many smiles
many bottle of her favorite beverage
and many diaper changes.

Her mother made:
2 phone calls that night to check on Little Fat Thing
and 1 phone call the next morning.

Little Fat Thing had slept:
9 hours, so there was no need to worry.

Grandma had slept:
4 hours, because Little Fat Thing was snorting.

The next morning:
1 father arrived at church first. Where is Little Fat Thing?

A few minutes later:
1 mother arrived. Where is Little Fat Thing?

And then I saw:
1 father
1 mother
and 1 Little Fat Thing

Which equals:
1 Happy Family

Night comes early in northern Quebec. We have eaten our supper at five, as usual, and are now wondering how to spend the two hours until bedtime. It is too dark, too cold to even consider going outside, so we have to make our own fun indoors. TV has not yet reached our community, so that is not on our radar screen at all...Should we make some puzzles? I love that because of the borders - rows of toys all around the perimeter... Listen to records? Perhaps Alice in Wonderland? (Down, down, down she goes, bumpety bumpety bump...Landing on the bottom with a thumpety thumpety thump)... Play our paper-projectile game? Don't know. Nothing seems quite right. I am restless.

Then the doorbell rings. Laura and I rush into the kitchen, down the stairs and open the door...Oh, wonderful sight. Wonderful sound. A little boy around our age is standing there and in his arms is a pile of comic books about a foot high...Do you want to trade comics?...DO we? Yes!...And we rush to collect our own pile...Soon we are swapping Superman, Richie Rich, Archie and Veronica - even some of Little Archie, and - oh joy!- here are a few classic comics: Last of the Mohicans, Uncle Tom's Cabin...The night has been transformed. We now have several hours worth of reading...We gladly get into bed because - we have matching night lights over our matching single beds! And Mom is awfully reasonable about letting us read until we are tired. Delight. Sheer delight!

I was so impressed when I went to the INS a couple of weeks ago to have my fingerprints taken. The facility was clean, uncrowded, personnel so polite and, really, lovely...There was an older woman there from one of the French African countries. She would not cooperate with them in any way, perhaps didn't understand what was asked of her, but they were patient and humorous with her. All good. All systems go...But...The one other immigrant I spoke with - a Polish lady - said she was there to have her fingerprints re-taken. They hadn't done a satisfactory job the first time round....Well, yesterday there was another letter for me from Homeland Security...Guess what? My fingerprints were unacceptable...So I have to go one hundred miles to have them done again under penalty of having my case voided. Sigh! Yes, they were nice...But, why oh why can't they do their job right the first time round? I will say no more, except for one interesting little tidbit the technician I dealt with last time told me: Apparently many older people have virtually no fingerprints left - have been worn right down with the years...Who would a thunk it?

Last night I googled "Stephen Harper" and came upon a video of him playing piano, accompanied by Yo Yo Ma at the NAC - and singing "A Little Help From My Friends"! Then a clip of Rick Mercer having a "sleepover" with the Harpers at 24 Sussex...Hilarious! Now that we have been in the US ten years, I am very aware of differences between the two cultures...The presidency is so much more "imperial" than the prime ministership...Also, recently saw a clip of a journalist interviewing the leader of the opposition in Canada. She was so hard-hitting, I was frightened - wondering what the penalty would be....Dad had the same reaction. DIfferent country!

At the same time, there is much to be thankful for here. I went to an introductory meeting for the Real Woman conference that will be held in Chattanooga in March - full of godly women so concerned for God-glorifying lives. Nancy Leigh DeMoss was there - an impressive, vibrant woman...And the black ladies - a whole contingent that have promised to pray around the clock until the conference...Wow! Their leader was asked to pray during the meeting and gave us a taste of their intercession...Amazing...I think it was Moody who, when asked whether or not he had heard Spurgeon preach, said yes, but...to hear him pray...That was the life-changer....

Off to the trailer park this morning to collect some money and help Dad with a few things...Then off to Woodstock to babysit so Pat can take Maryanne on a mystery date...Home first thing in the morning as I have Sunday School to teach...

Happy weekend!

But God Does

I had a long, catch-up phone call with Sally the other day. She told me a sad tale of friends of theirs who recently lost a son to suicide. They felt they understood their son, knew him, but after his death - on looking through his Bible and seeing his highlightings, notes - felt there was a whole dimension to his life they were unaware of...It reminds me of a most interesting comment Louise made after Andy's death. So many people then came to her with their personal interactions with Andy, so many things he had said and done that she was completely unaware of. She said to me, "You know, Barb, you don't really know a person until he is dead."

Quick Post

I am still an itchy mama...The inflamed looking rash on my legs is fading, but hives still popping up every which way - Two matching rings on my behind! However, Dad got some benadryl last night and that seems to be helping. In retrospect, I am really not sure the problem was with the antifungal medication...May give it another try in a couple of weeks.

Ken and Jane Stewart are coming for dinner tonight so am sure we will have the usual lovely time with them. It is special to have old friends close at hand. He teaches NT at Covenant, but is actually trained in Church history, so has many interesting perspectives in many areas.

Finally, just a few quotes from the missions' conference that I collected and feel are worthy of being shared:
To be long-suffering, we must be long-bothered.

Mockery is what destroys missionary zeal.

By patient perseverance, the snail reached the ark. (Spurgeon)

80% of Bible college and seminary grads leave the ministry within the first five years.

The Canadian territory of Nunavit has....0 (evangelical?) churches.

The conflict principle is part of life this side of heaven.

In Somalia, the life expectancy of a new believer is 45 days.

One North African missionary reports the EVERY person who has come to faith through him has been martyred.

Missionary kids never really fit in anywhere.

It is excruciating for missionaries to watch their children suffering from tropical diseases - many very serious.

When Muslims take over churches, all crosses are removed. They say they can't worship in the presence of a cross.

And, of course, time is short and eternity is long!

Not Good

So today I wake up feeling miserable and tasting, spitting up blood - not good....And if I am not at my INS appointment at 1pm my "application will be considered abandoned and denied"...Pray for me!

Ugh

So everyone else in the family has been able to take the anti-fungal medication to get rid of our common affliction...Well...I noticed a couple of days ago I was feeling quite nauseated...Again today...Then, while speaking with Susanna on the phone, looked down at my itchy legs to see they are peppered with bright, red dots...So, guess what? No more medication for me...One of you guys will be cutting my half-inch thick, yellow toenails one day when I am too old to do it myself...Any takers? Who loves Mommy?