What I've Read in 2011 (in no particular order):

1.  How To Survive In Your Native Land by James Herndon
2.  Listen by Renee Gutteridge
3.  Shopaholic Ties The Knot by Sophie Kinsella
4.  Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg
5.  Unless by Carol Shields
6.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
8.  The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson
9.  Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
10.  One For The Money by Janet Evanovich
11.  Two For The Dough by Janet Evanovich
12.  Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
13.  Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella
14.  All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
15.  The Centurion's Wife by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn
16.  A Circle Of Prayer by Holly Bridges
17. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
18.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

January 17 - A bit from Andrew's Room and everywhere else

1 kids workbench
1 baby gate
1 box with about 10 things in it

January 21

1 box with 12 baby things in and 1 garbage bag with 10 baby things in to sent my friends house where it will get used!!!!

12 + 12 + 10 = 34
1777 - 34 = 1743 things left to fling!


We have flung 268 things!

January 22

1 kids easel sent to Value Village
1 box with old ski pants, toys, indoor grill, and stuff - counting as 10
1 big box with Halloween decorations, baby puzzles, toys, and stuff from Andrew's room - counting as 20
our old set of dishes - about 5 mugs, 5 big plates and 2 little plates ('where are the bowls?' you ask...well they all broke months ago.  it seems we're clumsy)

1 +10 + 20 + 12 = 43
1743 - 43 = 1700 things left to fling
We have flung 311 things!

January certainly has been busy for us!

• I received an invitation to attend then United Church Conference Interview Board to become an official candidate to the order of ministry.  The interview is February 9th.
• I wrote 11 pages in response to 15 questions for the United Church Conference Interview Board.  I handed it in on the 26th and have been taking a mental break since then!
• Andrew started Yoga Kids and KinderGym - He seems to really like both of these activities and the Husband reports that Andrew is quite coordinated (which is good because I am very clumsy).
• I trapped my finger in a bank drop deposit box on the 16th and needed a trip to the ER and 6 stitches.  That was a great way to spend a Sunday Afternoon.
• I went on a workshop on how to use MS Front Page (which apparently is obsolete) and have now learned a bit about code and I'm excited to try out my new found knowledge.
• It was like -40 here for a good part of the month.  Good times in Manitoba.  Good times.
• I've been Hive free since the first week of January.  That's exciting.
• We had a dinner party.  I think it went well and our house got a good cleaning!
• I've been steadily working on my yo-yo afghan and I made a pair of slippers!

I think that mostly sums up January.  It has passed quite quickly.  Now, on to the resolutions!


1.  Health And Wellness

Read 25 books in 2011 - I've read 3!
Fling 2011 Things in 2011 - We've flung a lot!

Eat better and Exercise more - I've been eating 2 oranges a day during the week and playing badminton twice a week!

Weekly Honey-Do Jar - Haven't started yet.


2.  Being Green And Activism

1 New Green Item/Activity a Month -Planning to purchase some 'green' dish soap next time we go grocery shopping.
1 New Fair Trade Product a Month - We bought Fair Trade Wine and it was good!


3.  Career And Crafts

Finish that damn cross stitch (maybe) - I took it out of the cupboard...does that count for anything?

Destash down to 1 Plastic Bin And Canvas Bag - I've been destashing.  I'm down to 2 plastic bins, half the canvas bag and 1 basket of little yarns.

Make a totally awesome bedspread for our bed - Still looking for the best pattern ever.


4.  God's Call

Read the New Testament in 2011 - I read 2 books (okay, they were dead short books - Galatians and Titus, but they're still books)
Complete The Leadership Development Module And take 2 MDIV Courses - Waiting to register until after my interview with Conference

5.  Money Matters

$500 in our EF by 2012 - well, we have like $11

Accrue No New Debt! - so far, so good

Build up our Holiday Savings - working on it

Use The Jars/Cash System - we did this for only 1 week this month.  It's hard to not spend willy nilly.

I like it when crafters post pictures of where they do their crafting.  Normally my spot is downstairs in the big comfy chair, but for the last month or so this has been my crafty spot.

My view from the crafty spot

Yep, I've been crocheting on my bed.

It's been pretty chilly outside and the upstairs is warmer then the main floor.  The Husband got a bunch of Xbox games at Christmas and has been playing them.  So while he's doing that I turn on the space heater, settle in with some TV (when I took that picture I was watching Ice Road Truckers, now I'm re-watching Supernatural), and get down to some serious yo-yoing.  Everything I've got fits in to that little basket.  It holds my yo-yo's (I store them in a Juice Carafe, it makes them look pretty), my little balls waiting to be made into yo-yo's, my nail clippers, my hook, and the joining yarn.  I've usually got a book on the bed too and take reading breaks here and there.  Since I've made so many squares, I have had to add another basket to hold all the completed squares.  It's nice being accomplished!


Sometimes, this little guy joins me and lays exactly where all my stuff is.  I don't mind though.  He's pretty adorable.

Bailey, The Dog

Just some snaps of stuff I've made but never blogged about.

2 Dishcloths made out of the Crazy Pattern!

Close Up of One of the Dishcloths

A Mini Bag -- Which was supposed to be a Market Bag -- Dunno what happened to it.

Fingerless Gloves & Scarf in the same style -- Made For Andrew's Teacher I guess his teacher wasn't entirely sure what the fingerless gloves were when she opened the gift.  One of the boys in the class exclaimed, "They're Leg Warmers!"  lol

Close Up of the Scarf details.

I can't remember the last time I posted a picture of my little guy.  It feels like years.  (Okay, I checked.  It was Halloween, so 3 months ago)  Here he is in his in his sweats with his too cool sweater over top his MarioTee.  That's the beanie hat I made for him in the Spring.

The 5's have definitely been my favourite age so far.  He has some interesting ideas about everything and there is so much he can do now!  We have started him in YogaKids and Gymnastics (well, Kindergymn anyways).  He is so so so so close to reading.  I cannot wait for the day when he reads a story to me!  He memorizes songs as well and is still singing Christmas Carols (much to our dismay).  There was a jolly bearded man and Santa was his name-o.  S - A - N - T - A.  S - A - N - T - A.  and Santa was his name-o (sung to the tune of Bingo).


His class is fund-raising and he told us, "kindergarten is raising money to send to poor kids in Minnesota."  We read the letter his teacher sent home about the project and explain that they are fund-raising for poor children in Lesotho, Africa...but he sure as heck doesn't believe us.  He's adamant that they care collecting coins for poor kids in minnesota.  He swears that's what his teacher said.  

I'm glad someone is looking out for the poor kids in Minnesota.  They are so often overlooked. :p

I know what y'all are thinking.  I really do.  I'd be thinking the same thing.

I know you're thinking, "How can this girl have any more scraps?  All she ever does is de-stash and make things from leftovers."  To be honest, I'm starting to wonder the same thing.  Where does it all come from?  I know a lot of it comes from other people.  My grandma, aunts, and all their little Senior Citizen friends have donated their leftover yarn to me over the years.  Some of it came from actual projects I have done.  Some of it mated with each other and made new yarn.  Honestly.  Girl Guides honour.

Years ago, I started to make Yo-Yo's with the purpose of making an afghan out of them.  I made hundreds of them and then lost interest in the project.  I seem to remember not wanting to join them up because I didn't like the joining stitch.  They sat there for years until just after Christmas when I found a new way of joining the yo-yo's on Ravelry (Oh Ravelry, how I love thee).  Basically, instead of joining all the yo-yo's together one after the other, you make them into 4 x 4 blocks.  Like this:


I love the idea of making the yo-yo's into 4 X 4 blocks with a nice border instead of just monotonously joining them together one after the other...

I had to edit the pattern quite a bit because it calls for yo-yo's with a 15 stitch circle...but mine only have 12.  The first couple of blocks I made are a little wonky...but I've got everything under control now.

I love watching the stack of my squares grow.  I pile them up and move them around and lay them out flat all in a row and then pile them back up again. They all look so lovely.  I've played with colour combinations (like all red yo-yo's), done them in colour rows, made patterns, and enjoyed the pure randomness of the yo-yo's as well.

The only downside to this project is all the ends that need weaving in.  There is a lot of stopping and starting in each square.  I am definitely not looking forward to that.  I wonder if Andrew is old enough to learn how to weave ends in?

Completed books thus far:

1.  How To Survive In Your Native Land by James Herndon
 This is definitely one of my favourite non-fiction books.  I have probably read this book a dozen times.  Every time I read it I am inspired.  One of the reviews on Amazon says everything very nicely:  "How to Survive presents him at his finest, discussing not how to teach (he almost never does this) but what teaching and learning are like. He does this with humor, honesty, and an edge. No teacher, reading this book, can come away without a more thoughtful consideration of his or her own teaching. It is stunning and does not deserve to have been forgotten in the way that it has."  Also, the book is full of awesome 1960's hippie slang.
2.  Listen by Renee Gutteridge
This was my first foray into Christian Literature.  I'm not sure how I feel about the genre yet.  The book itself was an easy read.  it also helped that the font was big and the margins were huge!  I'm also not entirely sure what makes this a "Christian" book other then the fact that the main characters went to church and talked occasionally about God and Prayer.
3.  Shopaholic Ties The Knot by Sophie Kinsella
I did not enjoy this book at all.  I really don't like Becky Bloomwood.  She is so spacey and scatterbrained and boring.  The books are so unrealistic and....and....all about consumerism.  I'm kind of embarrased that I've read three of these books now, but they are fast reads and I can just turn my brain off and read.


What I have on the Go:

1. Monk Habits for Everyday People by Dennis Okholm - I've pretty much lost interest in this book...but I still have it in case I decide I want to finish it.
2.  Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg -  I've actually been reading this book since before Christmas.  It's my Bathroom Reader and has nice little 1 pagers to read about writing and writers.
3.  Unless by Carol Shields - Just taken out of the library, in my purse ready to get started on.
4.  A book about Prayer...I can't remember what it's called.

This Christmas I made these little Mario/Nintendo figures for Andrew out of Perler Beads.  My kid loves all things Mario-related.  Luigi, Bowser, Mario, Yoshi.  Retro Nintendo and the New stuff.  He loves it all.  Surprisingly there is not very much licensed stuff for All Things Mario.  We found a DS case, some little plastic figurines, he got a T-Shirt with Mario on it.  That was about it.

Anyways, because I enjoy making gifts at Christmas time and because I know how much Andrew loves Mario and because of the scarcity of all things Mario I decided to purchase Pearler Beads and go to town making little Mario related figures.  I also decided at the last minute to use the Pearler Beads to make the letters of his name to hang in his room.  What was I thinking?  That was an exercise in wanting to pull my hair out.  (I do have big plans to take pictures of these little things because they are so beyond adorable...until then you'll just have to imagine them).

Now, I have about 15,000 (okay, maybe 10,000) of these beads left over.  All different colours.  Pink, Red, Maroon, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Light Green, Lighter Green, Clear, Sparkly ones, oranges, browns.  Of course it seems like there's not enough white or blacks one to make exactly what want or for outlining.  They are all sitting in a pot on my china cabinet right now.

I need to figure out what to do with all of them.  I do want to make a few more little figurines for Andrew.  I definitely want to make a Fire Flower, Yoshi, and some coins.  But that will only use about 100 beads.  I'll still have 9,900 to use up.  I could make key chain sprites out of them.  They would be good to make Christmas Tree Decorations with (but Christmas like 11 months away...it's hard to think of Christmas in January).  Maybe fridge magnets?  Maybe window hanging things (you know...those things you hang in windows so birds don't fly into them...what the heck are they called?)?  Maybe coasters?   Maybe something for the kids at church?  Maybe make something to sell at church to fundraise?

The hardest part is finding or making a pattern to follow.  The possibilities are definitely endless with these Pearler Beads.

When I was a child at church, I always pictured myself at the front leading worship.  Always.  Even when I was six years old and had no idea what was going on.  As I aged I tried to ignore this confusing fantasy more and more.  I thought, “what kind of a fantasy is this?”  I was convinced that while children were at church they were supposed to daydream about rocket ships or days at the beach; not picturing themselves leading prayer or wearing a stole.  It was even more confusing for me because I also spent a portion of my childhood time in pews trying to convince myself that God did not exist, that he could not exist.  It was a lot to think about as a youngster.

Looking back, it seems like a crazy internal dialogue to have had.  And it was.  I felt a Divine calling and yet the secular was pulling me in the opposite direction.  I played both sides of the field for quite a few years.  Reverently faith filled one week and unabashed non-believer the next.  By the time I arrived at adolescence I was firmly a Christian.  I loved church and being part of a larger community. While there were many questions and concerns about the Christian Faith I felt I had found the place where I belonged.  When I was 15 I had a self propelled urge to be Confirmed.  The public declaration of my beliefs through Confirmation was a wonderful experience for me.  I felt honoured to not only announce my belief in Jesus and my commitment to follow Him, but to also formally become a part of my faith community in an adult capacity.  I was excited to begin this journey of Faith that had begun with my baptism and the vows that my mother and father had made when I was a baby.

As I entered University I somehow ended up majoring in Religious Studies.  In my eyes this academic discipline served to poke holes in Scripture and to cause me doubt.  It took some time, but in the end I did not feel distanced from the texts.  Rather, I felt closer—more drawn to them.  I wanted to learn more and know more.  After graduation I registered in the MDiv program and completed one course.  In the middle of taking this course my life was upturned and I did not proceed with the program.  The next year was difficult for me.  I struggled with a variety of issues including a failed 10 year relationship.  These problems led to an internal spiritual struggle.  I think at this point in my life I felt the furthest away from the Love and Protection of the Divine.  It was a year of sadness, depression, and excesses for me.  Looking back, I think that at that time I was at my lowest and felt like God had turned his back on me.  However, instead of working on myself and looking inside to figure out why I was feeling this way I simply chose to ignore my problems.  I spent that year rebelling (although I did not know what I was rebelling from) in meaningless self-destruction.

Everything turned around when I met my husband.  It was a whirlwind exciting time in my life.  We were married 4 months after meeting in December and in June my son was born.  All the changes were difficult, but exhilarating at the same time.  I felt the love of another individual that I had so desperately sought and I was able to recognize that this was made possible by God.  I witnessed the miracle of a new life coming into the world and was astounded by seeing the Love of God in Action. 

Shortly after the birth of my son, my Mom woke up one morning and was paralyzed from the chest down.  She spent about 6 months in the hospital as she regained feeling and learned how to walk and function again with limited mobility.  My whole family experienced many issues during this time.  The issues ranged from poor communication from the medical community, lack of support from other friends and family members, feelings of fear and confusion, and a very imperfect medical system.  It was during this horrible time in the midst of all these problems that I began to feel like there was something I should be doing to help alleviate others from going through a similar situation.  I just wasn’t sure what that something was supposed to be.  The physicians were never able to fully diagnose my mother, but only would say that her recovery was miraculous.  Today my mother works part time, only walks with a cane, drives, and is able to live on her own.

Over the years I have come to find great peace and comfort in worship services.  I have enjoyed participating in the life and work of my congregation.  I definitely enjoy learning about the Bible and Christianity and spending time in personal reflection.  One year ago I accepted the position of  FSM Co-ordinator and have been working with families and children to learn about God and Jesus and to make connections with others in our congregation.  FSM has a monthly intergenerational worship service that I organize and preside over.  We also have monthly activities that I co-ordinate and facilitate.  FSM has been a wonderful experience for me.  I enjoy working with our minister and being with the children.

While my call to Ministry has not been dramatic, it has grown slowly over the years.  If I were to attempt to describe the feeling in words I would have said that the feeling had become “louder” and that it began to feel like an invisible but firm “push”.  The loudness and physicality had become difficult to ignore.  It seemed like there were messages or signs urging me to voice what I was feeling.  I remember attending one funeral and hearing the minister preach about how we are called by God to walk different paths.  He spoke at length about how the deceased had been called to carpentry and to make beautiful items out of wood.  He told us all that the deceased had even left a successful career in the financial field to pursue carpentry.  As he talked about this, all I could think of was that I felt that I should be following a different path.  I felt that I should be listening to what I had been feeling and ignoring all these years.  This realization felt impossible and yet possible.  It was that night that I confessed to my Minister that I had felt a call by God.

In terms of what Ministry and the different streams mean to me I like to keep the answer simple.  Simply put I believe that we are called to be Disciples of Christ and carry out his work by using the gifts and skills we have been given by God.  I believe that God calls some individuals to serve as leaders within the Faith Community.  Out of those called to leadership roles, some move forward into paid accountable ministry.  I also understand that paid accountable ministry can take a variety of forms including but not limited to working in the community, serving in hospitals, teaching the Gospel, giving pastoral care, and in leading worship.  I feel that the “Song of Faith” describes what Ministry is in simple, yet profound words in the following,

“We are each given particular gifts of the Spirit./For the sake of the world,/God calls all followers of Jesus to Christian ministry./In the church,/some are called to specific ministries of leadership,/both lay and ordered;/some witness to the good news;/some uphold the art of worship;/some comfort the grieving and guide the wandering;/some build up the community of wisdom;/some stand with the oppressed and work for justice./To embody God’s love in the world,/the work of the church requires the ministry and discipleship/of all believers.”

I believe that God is the creator of all.  All that is seen and all that we cannot see.  I believe that his son, Jesus Christ was born here on Earth and delivered his message of love and grace and eternal life to all people.  I believe Christ was put to death and on the third day he was resurrected.  I believe the Scriptures speak to the Word of the Lord.  I believe that God’s love shines upon us all.  He is our caregiver and I feel connected to this Holiness.  It’s harder to describe how I experience God.  I feel God is in everything.  I feel he is like a steady heartbeat that is inside everything, everyone, and envelopes us.  I see God in my son.  In all children.  I feel God in the quiet moments of prayer, in the joyous hymns of praise, in the shouts of children, in the recitation of Scripture, in the still of the night, in the rush of morning traffic.  When I close my eyes and open my heart I can almost feel the Divine presence inside of me, guiding me.

Over the last year I have learned that it is very difficult to talk about myself, my feelings, and my experiences with others.  While rewarding, it was hard to come prepared to each meeting knowing that I had to be ready to relate not only my reflections and thoughts concerning this process but also speak about events and behaviours from my past.  It was also difficult to have members of the committee change during the year, but it was also helpful to have a variety of perspectives and to hear so many life stories and different faith journeys.  The committee was very supportive and understanding as I dealt with my feelings and issues surrounding the death of my father.  I felt that as our meetings progressed we were able to achieve a conversational atmosphere rather then one of simply Question & Answer.  The conversational atmosphere helped us to speak about more personal issues and thoughts together as a group.  We talked about a variety of subjects including the cost of schooling, which I plan to fund in a variety of ways.  They include bursaries, scholarships, loans from a family member, and personal savings.  During this year as an Inquirer I spoke to my minister, quite often as I worked through each meetings topics/questions.  After completing the year long process I believe I have been blessed with the following gifts and skills:  compassion, love, patience, self-awareness, creativity, determination, maturity, and scholarship.

Peace in Christ,

~dinah