FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2025 HIGHLIGHTS

A very special Happy Birthday celebration at Olympic Taverna in Kelowna

 to celebrate all the birthdays of our children and spouses in 2025 

 

Flowers bloomed in perfusion from our time in Vancouver in May, to our back yard where we spent much of our leisure hours. I received at least 5 "just because"bouquets  which gave me so much joy.

Single blooms from my garden

Summers in the Okanagan spell; 

  FRESH FRUIT and backyard el FRESCO DINING

and picnics at the lake

 A coffee date to celebrate the end of Terry's 30 radiation treatments.

Lunch on the patio with Ella and Lauren, our youngest grandchildren

                           When the sun was shining we had our breakfasts outdoors.

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A few days camping in the Okanagan and a big decision 

to sell our little house on wheels.

Time for a new chapter of vacationing which will be a different style of adventure.

                      Memories of Fintry Provincial Park

In Summerland we went for a walk across the Kettle Valley Railway 

with amazing views into a deep gorge and vinyards above on steep slopes

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We had a lovely vacation in September onVancouver Island.

A highlight was arriving in Black Creek on my sister Elvera's 87th birthday.

Also visited with BIL John,  nephews Ken and Violet, Rick and Judy,

 Barry and Sandy and cousin Henry and Katie 

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We had 4 wonderful days in Parksville

 staying at the Waterfront Beach beside the Salish Sea

We love walking at low tide on the sand flats and nearer to the shore collecting rocks for Wally to build a Inukshuk, and for me to balance a tiny heart rock in a trio of different shaped small rocks and colours to add to a driftwood collage.

Walking very carefully around tide pools in Nanoose Bay

We stayed in Chemainus for two nights to once again be entertained by live theater,

Sidney BC is a favourite destination on Vancouver Island with a special visit with Wally's sister Maggie.

 

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS

  Early this morning,

                        Wally looked to the East where the night sky

                                   had welcomed a curious blend of rich, dark, striated colour.

                                               What mix of weather was greeting the day ahead?

Unbelievably, two hours later the eastern sky was painted in a spectrum of muted grey, pink and the soft, yellow of the morning sunrise,

with a light duvet hovering over 'late risers'.

Throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons  I had a new appreciation and wonder about clouds.  Clouds come in four basic types: cirrus, cumulus, stratus and nimbus. They are also classified by their altitude which can give each cloud expanded, magnificent combinations which interestingly gives them new names.

As a child I would lie on my back in an orchard on coarse, green grass dotted with clover and dandelions. The object of all this was to gaze up into the heaven-lies to be enchanted by a panorama of every form of animal. vehicle. and so on which were on the move or hanging lazily in the sky.What fun it was to share this excitement with a sister, who may have interpreted this cloud phenomenon to fit her own narrative. 

Summer 2025 had dazzling evening cloud shows. We loved taking our suppers to the beach and stayed until the sun had set and darkness seeped in, scattering friends and families heading home. 

The next five frames could be best projected in slow motion as we witnessed this awesome display of Gods creative handiwork.

Spring and summer has taken an emotional tole on our family as we walked alongside our son Terry with his shocking diagnosis of brain cancer. This was followed with surgery in Vancouver then back to Kelowna for heavy duty laser and chemo treatments. Throughout these last eight months we have witnessed God's goodness and small miracles  which have bolstered our trust in our Heavenly Father. We are all praying for a complete healing within God's plan for Terry's journey.  Figuratively we have been covered with a cloud of God's protection. On some days the cloud has lifted a little giving us joy and renewed hope.  

Celebrating the end of 60 radiation treatments.

We are on this journey together with Terry, Karen, and their two sons. We are surrounded by a great host of friends and relatives who are praying and blessing  Terry's family.

It has been a joy and privilege to listen to Terry's stories of amazing opportunities where he has encouraged others in their hard journeys.  God is not finished with him yet.

 As I write this post we have received good news from an MRI that happened on Oct 25th. The report states that there has been a marginal decrease in the remaining 30% of the tumor which was not surgically removed. We celebrate this as a small miracle and hope and pray for more healing.

This photo reminds me of the word stability and presence

In the Bible, Mark 4; 39 -41  reminds me that God is present in our faith journey and that He has the power to control the threatening clouds and storm of life's hard situations, He will still the storm of anxiety and doubt and give us peace beyond our understanding

We will take blue sky and clear sailing and peace.  When encountering darkening clouds we can trust God, who is sovereign. We will experience rainbows of hope.

PEACE BE STILL

(Water colour painting by Trudy Peters)

 

SPRING FLING

Spring always arrives at the right time.

 It was my absence at this computer that this post arrived late.

"Of course everything is blooming most recklessly;

 if it were voices instead of colours there would be an 

unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night."

Rainer Maria Rilke