My goal for this year is to read 25 books.  I've read 10 so far.

These are them so far:

1.  Mission Shaped Children by Margaret Withers
2.  Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling
3.  Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
4.  Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
5.  Reflecting With God by Abigail Johnson
6.  Little Bee by Chris Cleave (I'm almost done this one, I highly recommend everyone read it as it is a beautifully written book with a compelling story)
7.  Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
8.  Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
9.  Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
10.  Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 

I've got several books on the go right now...

Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Be The Pack Leader by Cesar Milan
Curly Girl:  It's More The Just Hair by Lorraine Massey
Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm

I also need to read Leadership Can Be Taught by Sharon Dolaz Parks by my meeting on August 24th.

So much to read in so little time...

I am certainly gearing up for Christmas early this year! :P

I worked up this dishcloth the other night. It's called the "Diamond Dishcloth" and works up crocheting in back loops only.  I'm not sure if it will become an all time favorite, but it was fun to try it out.

Hey if you're only ravelry and want to be my friend you can find me there as dinah.  I'd love to have more ravelry friends.  & if you're not on ravelry, NOW is the time to JOIN!  it is heaven, absolute heaven for crocheters and knitters.

 I made this crazy dishcloth the other day using this pattern.  It has a lovely step by step picture tutorial to follow, which is great cause otherwise I never would have figured it out.

It did get a little confusing the further along I got.  I kept getting turned around and lost.  I frogged this back to the basic form quite a few times over the night.

Overall, I enjoyed this pattern.  The craziness of the pattern didn't show up all that well with the variegated cotton.  I want to make another one using a solid colour so that the blocks definitely stand out.

I took some pictures of my 'stash' and I think it's clear I've developed a little bit of a problem.  The sad thing is this, that's not even all of my stash.  I have a whole other 3 drawer stand full of bits of yarn and a smaller container full of yo-yo's waiting to be joined into something,

You can see below that I've got a bunch of sweaters lined up to unravel.  I've had these sweaters for almost 2 years now.  I bought about 6 or 7 when I very first learned how to unravel...and for the most part they've just been sitting in the tub...waiting....

I've also got some projects that I've started and never finished.  See that blue and pink mess, that's a round ripple that I lost interest in rather quickly.

My new mission is to DE-STASH.  & I don't mean just not buy any new stuff, but to actively use up my thread!  I'm also thinking that I shouldn't accept any 'new' yarn donations from well meaning grandma's until I've got my stash undercontrol.

I'd like for it to only be 1 tub and the bag and maybe the 3 drawer stand.

I've recently discovered this whole world of 'curly girl'.  It's all about a new way to care for curly hair and let me tell you, I have a shit ton of curly hair.  I've just taken the book out of the library and I've quickly looked around the internet and I've decided to give the very basics a go.

The basics are:

1.  No Shampoo.  Shampoo has this stuff that doesn't react well with curly hair, I guess sort of stripping the curl out of it.  Instead of shampoo you do this crazy massage thing with conditioner to your hair.  You also condition twice.

2.  No brushing.  Ever.  Instead you can comb your hair with a wide tooth comb or simply do finger combing.

3.  No Terry Cloth.  Say goodbye to towels.  Instead you do this weird plop thing with a t-shirt before and after adding product.

So, today was Day 1 of being a curly girl.  Keep an eye out for progress pics!

We've been back for almost 1 week now and things have finally just started to get back to normal.  Andrew was not adjusting to the time change at all.  For the first few days he was waking up at 3:30, 4, 4:30 AM.  That's AM!  Husband and I are not morning people at all.  (***Please note it has taken me about 2 week to write this post...we've been back over 2 weeks now.  I"m a slow writer and photo uploader****)

I don't want to be one of those people that lingers on and on about their trip for 86 blog posts and shares every. single. picture they took, so I'm going to aim to have 1 post about the trip (maybe 2, we'll see how much my fingers fly during this post).

Day 1 - Sunday, June 13

Does this day even count?  I arrived at Manchester airport in the early afternoon.  I didn't have the greatest flights over.  There were many delays and unexpected twists.  But I made it over the pond safely and without missing any of my flights.

Husband picked me up from Manchester Airport and we drove to his parents house.  It's about an hours drive.  The thing I notice right away is that everything is so much more green and pretty then it was last time I had been to the UK.  5 years ago I visited Husband while he still lived there during the winter.  Everything had been drab and dreary and bleak and gray. 
I am so excited to see Andrew when we get to the IL's house.  Remember, I haven't seen him for 2 weeks.

We go for supper at the The Boar's Head Pub and I am so tired from my 2 day journey that I am falling asleep so we all return home and I promptly fall asleep at like 8 PM.

Day 2 - Monday, June 14
Today is Andrew's 5th birthday so I am roused from my jet lagged sleep to celebrate Andrew's birthday.  We decide to go to Martin Mere, which is a Wetland Centre close by to where Steve's parents live.

If you pay £1 you get a HUGE bag of birdseed and you can feed the birds as you walk.  The ducks follow you wherever you go, even if you're not feeding them.


Day 3 - Tuesday, June 15

Husband and I visit Preston as he needs a hair cut and I need to buy a pair of shoes.  I don't think we did much of anything else that day...it's hard to remember. :P



Day 4 - Wednesday, June 16

We decide to venture out on our own with Andrew to Chester for the day.  Our first stop was the Blue Planet Aquarium just outside of Chester.  It was a wonderful experience for all 3 of us.  We were there for about 2 hours and saw almost every kind of fish and lizard and bird and creepy crawly known to man.  Some of the highlights were the sharks (not miniature like the ones in Winnipeg!!), Jellyfish, and Manta Rays.  We actually got to touch a Ray--it was smooth and soft and rubbery all at the same time.



After we finished at the aquarium we headed into Chester's city centre and found a pub to have lunch at where our child promptly fell asleep.  Too many late nights and too much birthday for this little boy.  He slept for about 45 minutes before we convinced him that it was time to wake up!  There was no time for sleeping, too much to do and see!
One of the highlights of our trip was definitely visiting Chester Cathedral.  You can see the top of the Cathedral as walk along the wall in the picture below.  I was not expecting this Cathedral to be so moving and intense for me, but it was and I am so glad that we decided to visit it.



The Cathedral had a delightful courtyard and the 3 of us really enjoyed this in the middle of the courtyard.  We didn't know much about it or what it was about, so I googled once we got home to find out:

Water of Life

The sculpture depicts the life changing encounter between Jesus and the woman of Samaria, as told in John’s gospel, and explores the literal and spiritual life-giving properties of water.

This striking 3.3m bronze, sculptural water feature, was commissioned for Chester Cathedral and gifted to the cathedral by Capital Bank.

The circular shape brings the two figures face to face, lending intensity and tenderness to the encounter. Water flows continually from the shared cup, over the hands and into the pool in the dish below, from where the sculpture is lit at night, through the water.

Around this dish are the words ;

“ Jesus said, ‘ the water that I shall give will be an inner spring always welling up for eternal life.’ “ John 4:14

The sculpture was dedicated by the Dean of Chester Cathedral, Dr Stephen S. Smalley, on 8th May 1994.

Day 5 - Thursday, June 17 - York

We decided to visit York.  While there we visited the Jorvik Viking Centre (which we didn't get any pictures of), Yorkminster (which didn't allow pictures of the crypt/museum), and we did a York Boat Tour on the River Use. 
The Yorkminster, which is something like the largest Cathedral in the UK?  Maybe Europe?  I can't remember anymore.  The Minster dates back to Roman times and the basement has a remarkable "Undercroft, Treasury, and Crypt" in the basement.  It was unbelievable to see the parts where the Roman building stood and to see the building take shape over the thousands of years.  We weren't allowed to take picutres in the basement and upstairs a church service was going so we were unable to see much of the sanctuary and I was hesitant to take pictures of the inside because I didn't want to disturb anyone.
Andrew had behaved so well in the Cathedral that we promised him McDonalds.  Thank goodness that Husband had lived in York years ago because I don't think I would have been able to find the McDonald's on my own.  Note the Vivienne Westwood store in the foreground.









I'm going to stop here for now...even though I still have another week to blog about.  I'm just very excited to share my trip!

Before I post about our trip to the UK I wanted show off some crocheting that I did before I left on the trip.

This is Andrew's birthday blanket.  It's still not done.  I need to weave in all the ends and crochet a border.  I'm thinking 1 row of DC in blue, 1 row of SC in pink, 1 row of DC in blue.
Once this project is finished I will have used up most of the bad yarn that I blogged about here.   Thank goodness because I'm sick of it.

I started to make this hat for Andrew with the intention that he could take it to the UK.  Needless to say it turned out to not be a summer hat.  It's too small for me, too big for Andrew, and Husband won't even look at it.   I guess it will go in the Christmas Present Box..

Because the first hat didn't work out I made him this one instead.  It's like a beanie hat, I guess.  I don't like it much, but Andrew loves it.  He wouldn't stop moving, hence the blurry pictures.

We've just gotten back from our Trip to England!  I had a fabulous time over the pond and Husband and Andrew seemed to enjoy it too.

Here's a few sneak peaks at some pics I snapped.

The role and function of ministry personnel requires a great deal from a person.

Since I've begun this journey this is what I have indeed noticed!  It's hard enough working a regular job, I can only imagine the uncertainty and stress that would go along with being a Minister.  Being with people while they are sick, suffering, scared, at their worst would definitely tall a toll on someone.  I wonder if I would have the strength of character to fill such a position?  But, it's not all negative, right?  Week to week you are able to see individuals succeed, witness marriages, relationships, and happy times.  There is always so much to celebrate.  Are you born with strength of character?  Can you learn it?  Can it come slowly to you over the years?

As the church is discerning the outward call and the call of gifts, it might consider the evidence of or potential for the following gifts:

The question, as I see it, is how do I fit into these gifts...

• Deep spiritual life: Ministry requires a profound sense and experience of the Spirit of God within the individual, ongoing discernment of the Holy, and passion for being part of God’s mission in the world.

 This is a tall order!  Deep Spiritual Life?  How can one self-identify in this way?  Would it not simply be vanity or pride at that point?  It's hard to see things in yourself, that's for sure.  In fact, the more I reflect on this, in a way the less I feel connected to the Spirit and to my path.  Before, it felt like there was signs everywhere nudging me in this direction.  Pointing me towards Ministry, saying, "hey, come this way, this is where you are supposed to be."  Now, it feels like I am grasping at straws and not getting anywhere.  It's not so easy to just say:  Sense & Experience of the Spirit of God, Check!  Discernment of the Holy, Check!  Passion for being part of the mission, Check!


I am a part of God's mission in the world.  I am always taking part in attempting to discern what is Holy.  I am always looking to experience the Spirit.  But, am I able to put how I do this into words?  It's hard.

• Integrity of self: Authentic ministry is grounded in the integration of the emotional and spiritual self with acquired knowledge and abilities.

Do I have integrity?  Yes, I believe so.  I follow what I think is right.  I'm not afraid to speak my mind when appropriate.  I've read the statement about a dozen times already and to be honest, I don't know what they're getting at?  Are they getting at using everything you know in the right ways?  I'm having a hard time thinking this one through.

•  Understanding of human behaviour: Pastoral ministry requires a well-developed capacity for active listening. It also requires a psychological and sociological understanding of human dynamics in individuals and groups.

I'd like to think I'm good with people.  At work, people come to tell me their problems & I try to help them fix stuff.  I am a good, impartial listener.  At work I am viewed as being something like Switzerland, I always hear about both sides of scandal & controversy, but remain only a listener (but that is mostly because of where I work and the type of employee I am).  I would say that my understanding of people could definitely be improved with further study, but I think I've got the basics down (for the most part :P ).

• Scholarship: The ministry of leadership requires an ability to comprehend and teach theological concepts, the traditions of the church, and biblical scholarship, as well as to nurture the faith in others.

 Hands down, I like Academia.  I thoroughly enjoy learning about Religion & Theology.  Do I  have the capacity to teach these concepts and nurture Faith in others?  I think so.  At one time I did contemplate becoming a teacher and I was a Teacher's Assistant for a few years.  I taught special needs kids how to read.   But, sometimes I don't think well on my feet and I feel like I can't get out what I want to say.  I do worry about saying the right things at the right time.

• Commitment to and longing for justice: The commitment to work prophetically for all is the direct result of a robust faith.

 Definitely.

• Capacity for critical reflection: The ability to be self-critical, to assess situations appropriately, and to reflect on one’s actions and their effects on others is important. 

Well, I am self-critical to a fault.  I am insanely hard on myself, so this is probably not the best thing for me to get hung up on.

• Capacity to be a lifelong learner: The openness to admit there is much to be learned and a growing demonstration of the willingness to integrate new ideas, patterns of behaviours, and skills are essential for ministry.

Definitely.  I love learning.

• Appreciation of administration: Ministry requires respect for, and knowledge of, church polity and the ability to oversee the institutional health and well-being of a congregation or community ministry. Does the individual understand administration to be part of the call?

Now, when I hear the word administration I don't immediately think of what it says there.  I think of mad skillz and managing an office.  I think I could work up to being able to oversee the health and well-being of a congregation.  I would think that comes with experience, non?

In addition to the above gifts, the potential to develop certain skills is important. Leadership in ministry requires the ability to develop skills in preaching, counselling, outreach, education, leadership, administration, and group dynamics.

That's a big list-yet another big list! Didn't we cover those things just above?

This list is not meant to identify the “perfect” person or to provide a shopping list of qualities and skills. Clearly, no one person will ever embody all of these qualities perfectly. Nevertheless, it is a helpful guide in thinking about responding to a call to ministry.

It is helpful, but it sure is daunting.  After reading everything, I worry that it will be declared that I am not 'ideal' enough because I don't meet all the criteria.  But, then I think that is just me being hyper critical of myself again.

There is so much to think about.