Saturday Night Mysteries!

SATURDAY NIGHT MYSTERIES!

Over the summer I got into the habit of watching PBS on Saturday nights. And in a lot of ways I've rediscovered PBS. Anyway on Saturday nights my local PBS shows Sherlock Holmes, followed by Agatha Christie's Poirot, followed by a rerun of last week's Masterpiece Theatre Mystery! (Masterpiece Mystery! airs their "new" feature on Sunday nights).



Growing up I can remember my Dad watching these shows. I usually found them a little too slow moving and dry, or dare I say British. So I rarely watched them for very long. I remember my sister Karen eventually developed a taste for them. But none the less there is a nostalgia about them.



So this summer I was excited to see that PBS still aired the same old shows. I decided to watch them, and well I really enjoy them. Now I look forward to making a pot of tea and settling in on the couch to watch a succession of "who dunnits". I particularly like the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and some of the series on Mystery! have been excellent, such as Wallander and Inspector Lewis. I also enjoy Miss Marple, my sister Karen's favourite, but it's an old school one (like Poirot and Sherlock Holmes). I sometimes wonder if Miss Marple might have been the inspirations for the Jessica Fletcher character on "Murder She Wrote". Anyway it's about that time.

I wonder if this is a sign that I truly am reaching middle age?

Grown Under The Sun?

A couple of years ago I blogged about food, and where our food comes from. More specifically it was about Kenyan grown vegetables being sold in Europe and how the "buy local" because it's better for the environment idea could potentially harm an industry that is the lifeline for so many people in a developing country like Kenya. You can read that blog by clicking here.

Well today I discovered a website that really better explains the issue and made me aware of some things I didn't already know. It's called "Grown Under the Sun", check it out by clicking here. I found the video very informative.

The facts are that growing food and flowers out of season in a greenhouse requires a lot of water, electricity, and creates a heavy carbon footprint. Whereas importing produce from a warm climate where the growing of that produce requires much less of those resources, even when you factor in the transportation, often creates a much lighter environmental footprint. And in the case of Kenyan produce being sold in Europe, that seems to be the case.

Of course if we all could just stick to what's in season in our own local climates, well that has the least environmental impact. But that's more extreme than most people are willing to go.

Anyway, just some food for thought. Or some thoughts about food.

fishing and camping

It was almost a month ago that I caught this lovely fish. It was a Saturday morning at Anglin Lake. I was up there camping with Mom and her husband for the weekend. We fried this guy up over the fire later on that day and few things taste better than freshly caught fish cooked over an open fire. Incidentally I should also mention that few things taste better than breakfast cooked over and open fire (bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, you know good rustic breakfast food).

Anyway as I was up there I realized how much I miss that in my life. Camping, fishing, regularly spending time outside and in the forest. It really does renew my mind and allow me a sense of peace much more easily and holistically than most other forms of leisure that I have built into my life at the moment. And you know one of the wonderful things about Saskatoon is that you can easily escape to a place like Anglin Lake in a couple of hours. I sometimes miss the "easier" lifestyle of a place like Saskatoon. Sometimes.

the three nephews

the three nephews

Ok so this is a bit of an indulgence. But I thought I'd write about my three little nephews. My last two family visits have been quite different than previous family visits. We were just getting used to and very much enjoying one nephew, or for my parents one grand child. And at Christmas that was still the case. But now there's three and boy is that different!

I couldn't be a more proud uncle and I'm realizing that if all I do when I visit my family is spend time with my nephews, well that wouldn't be a wasted trip. And I've really missed these guys lately.

This is my newest nephew Malcolm. He's my sister Karen's baby boy and he was born in April. As you can see he's become quite expressive. He smiles and puts his hands in his mouth, like you see here. And he's got those bright little eyes. But he also furrows his brow too, which is very cute.
I really enjoyed hanging out with Malcolm during this last visit. He's a smaller baby than either of Gabrielle's babies were. I think he's actually normal size for a baby, but he seems so small and cute.
While I was visiting I saw how he's learned to turn on the little toy aquarium in his crib. It plays that Pachelbel song that you hear at weddings too often. Anyway he knows how to turn it on. And my sister tells me that that's how she knows Malcolm is awake in the morning. He wakes up, pushes the button, and just lies there looking at the aquarium. Of course that's on a good morning, and they're not always good mornings.




Now this is Aleksei and as you can see he's in the early stages of crawling. He'll spend a long time in positions like this trying to reach a ball or a toy and he stays pretty focused. It takes him a long time to get frustrated.
Aleksei is my sister Gabrielle's youngest son. He was born in January. He's a heavy baby and been growing fast, his older brother was that way too. It's a lot of fun watching him in this stage where he's just starting to play with toys, roll over, try to crawl. He's such busy little baby right now. And dare I say the cutest 6 month old baby I know.


He's also the smiliest baby I know or can even remember seeing. He seems to almost always have that big smile going and I really can't get enough of it.
It's a lot of fun when both Karen and Gab are in the same place, which means Malcolm and Aleksei are in the same place. They're cousins and only three months apart. Both adorable but very different. And the size difference is quite noticeable. I really enjoy seeing my sisters being moms and aunts at the same time, holding each other's babies, commenting how cute they are, it's enough to make me glad I had sisters. Of course I was happy to have sisters already.


This is Indiana. He'll be 3 soon. And if any of you have indulged me by listening to me talk about "my nephew", you've probably heard about him.
He's in this stage where he poses for pictures sometimes, and I find it very cute. He's standing in front of two puzzles that I've given him as presents when I've gone to visit. He really enjoys figuring out things like puzzles. It's a lot of fun to watch him play and my Mom says it's a lot like how I was at that age. But then moms say stuff like that.
I enjoy how excited Indiana gets when he sees me or my sister Karen. And how eagerly he talks to us on the phone. It feels pretty special, and I love making him happy. I'll probably turn into one of those uncles who spoils his siblings' kids rotten. Especially if I don't ever have kids of my own.

morning reading

I stumbled onto a wonderful piece in Kenya's Daily Nation this morning. It's the story of a bishop who sought to take on the ethnic clashes which shocked Kenya's Rift Valley in the 90's. It also serves as a good history lesson for those unfamiliar with Kenya's history of ethnic clashes. It is a relatively recent one, with more political motivation as opposed to deep seeded tribalism. When I lived in Kenya these sort of ethnic clashes had yet to happen and no one would have expected it possible that something like that would even happen. The Rift Valley seemed so peaceful and relatively prosperous, people from different tribal backgrounds coexisted peacefully and in fact intermarriage between people from different tribes was common. I followed the news with sadness as these clashes would erupt prior to every elction in the 90's. It was such a relief to know that there was an election and a referendum at the start of this decade where there were no ethnic clashes and I think many people optimistically hoped that it had become a thing of the past, gone with the Moi regime. And that led to an even heightened sense of horror when the post election violence of 2008 erupted.

Anyway this is actually an inspiring story, even if it is amidst the backdrop of something sad and horrible, it's worth a read. Click here.

Luke (19:40) “I tell you, if these keep silent the stones will cry out.”

HFY

Homemade Yogurt! That's right, I've recently learned how to make my own yogurt. Seeing as how yogurt is a very healthy way to incorporate dairy into one's diet, and I like yogurt, I've decided to be more intentional about making it a regular part of my diet. But yogurt is expensive, nearly the cost of ice cream. But if you make it yourself, well it's not really any more than the cost of milk.

When visiting my sister Gabrielle, I took notice that she makes her own yogurt for her family. So with a few tips from her and some reading in my recently purchased More With Less cookbook I set about making my own yogurt. And today I'm enjoying the rewards of my work. It feels like I have an unlimited supply of yogurt. And I can do so many things with it. Like this morning I flavoured my yogurt with fresh fruit, hence the F in HFY for those of you who were wondering. But I also discovered how to make drinking yogurt, which I guess we don't think of a lot here in North America. But back when I lived in Kenya that's how most yogurt came, and I really liked it. Drinking yogurt flavoured with honey is a great treat.

So anyway, all you have to do is heat some milk to 180F. Then you remove it from the heat and let it cool to between 110-120F. Now you add some yogurt to it, maybe a 1/3 of a cup for each quart. Although I've heard that you can get away with less. You stir it up so that the yogurt breaks down. Then put the whole mixture in a jar and loosesly seal it. You now need to keep your "yogurt" between 110-120F for 3-6 hours. I kept the jar in a big pot full of water that was 115F and sitting on my stove. I'd check the temperature of the water occasionally and turn the burner on low if the temperature was starting to drop. You don't want to disturb the yogurt during this time.

It sounds like more work than it is. It's easy.

Now I mentioned More With Less. It's a book that was written in 1976, under the umbrella of the Mennonite Central Committee (whose logo strangely looks like the state of Texas turned counter clockwise). It asks the questions "does what you eat affect who you are spiritually?" and "does your belief in God affect your way of living?" As the book proceeds to explore these questions and offer suggestion as to how we eat, what we eat, what food we purchase, and how we prepare it can have a more positive impact on the world around us I realize that this cookbook is actually a very important practical theology book in some ways. And of course there are the recipes, some of which I've already tried and enjoyed. And of course, being written by Mennonites, it suggests lots of ways to be frugal and minimize waste.

If I really go forward with the suggestions I'm reading about I suspect I'll save money, eat healthier, and in a small way go against the food production and agricultural practices that are not only inneficient and wasteful but wreaking havoc with our environment. It's kind of heavy when you think about it.

the new nephew

This is my sister Karen holding her baby boy Malcolm. I couldn't be more happy for her and Jeff! My sister loves babies and kids so much, always has, I used to comment about how in some ways she never let herself grow up (you know when she was in her 20's and I gave her a Lion King lamp for Christmas and she absolutely loved it). I know Karen will be so happy to be a mother. She's already a very enthusiastic auntie. And so that makes me happy. Happy for sisters.

reflection and realization

you can't rely on time

to change the way you feel

because time it often loses track

of who it's gotta heal

-jill barber, in perfect time





Those words have kind of haunted me for a little while. As some of you may know, the past year or so has included some of the most emotionally intense times that I've experienced in quite some time. Particularly at work.



And as things settle and change and that which was once difficult and tumultuous to navigate fades into the past I expected to feel better, relaxed, and at peace. Instead I've found myself still tired and feeling more anxious, on edge, and frustrated about people, circumstances, and events than I did when I was in the midst of them. I've been surprised by that.



It's as if there was some sort of coping mechanism that allowed me to adapt to and deal with so much that's now been shut off. And the result is a flood of intense realization and emotion about the recent past.



As I try ot unpack this and come to terms with it, the written words of Thomas Merton ring particularly true:



To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell. -No Man Is an Island, 24





As I no longer am in the midst of what at times felt like a sinking ship, as there are fewer difficult situations to help people through, as people no longer need the support they once did from me I find myself feeling and thinking about the effects of it all on my own self when I didn't before. Reflection and self awareness is important but there's the danger of crossing into what Merton describes. And without realizing it I think may have done so.



The "sinking ship" analogy also fits in that when you are a part of "righting the ship" you can't dwell on the fact that it is sinking or off course. You are aware of it, but you can't dwell on it, you almost block it out. You focus exclusively on what needs to be done to avert the worst of possibilities and ideally bring about a positive situation. But then when all is right one must come to terms with the fact that the ship is a float and back on course.

I suppose have to acknowledge that the worst is over and consequently let go, as opposed to reliving it over and over again in my head. And unfortunately for me it's not just happening on its own as time passes.

sheep and the fertility giant

I really had no idea.

"The Gospel is much bigger than the saving of personal souls. It’s the redemption of all things.”
-Cam Roxburgh from an interview in Faith Today

Such a refreshing truth. Read more here.

Tired of Life!?

That was the explanation if the man who did this. It's so hard to understand how desensitized people can become. How someone can do something like this in a premeditated way just because, just based on how they feel. What a condition this is. How fragile we really are.

It's hard to know what to think, how to feel.

Uplifting!

Today I came home from work. A tiring week of work with it's ups and downs. But at the end of it I felt more down than up. In fact some really heavy stuff went down this week, and I don't know that I can describe the bizarre range of emotions I'm feeling.

But I start listening to the Cubs game when I get home. Well the Cubs get down 6-0 and I doze off to sleep. I wake up a little later and they're down 8-0. It's just a bad game. Ted Lilly serving up beach balls.

However I'm glad I left it on. Because come the bottom of the 7th inning I was hanging on every word of broadcast as the Cubs stormed back to take the lead! And then they were able to close the game out for the W. It's the type of comeback that doesn't happen often,and the type of game that Cubs fans will talk about for years.

For me it was a reminder that sometimes when things go so wrong they can still turn out so right. It's just a baseball game, but sometimes the things we appreciate produce moments that are precious and meaningful to us.

I've had people tell me it's shallow to get so caught up in sports. But you know I'd ask those same people if they've ever had a precious moment that came from the appreciation of something. A few lines of good literature, or better yet good poetry that stirred powerful feelings in you. A few notes of music that were just so special. A beautiful view that produced a beautiful moment. The truth is that not all of the special moments in our lives come from friends and family. Sometimes special moments come from the things we appreciate. And I don't think that that's shallow or sad.

Today my love and appreciation of the Cubs and of baseball came together with an extraordinary game to produce and uplifting moment for me. Just what I needed to help me forget about the week that's past and enjoy the days ahead. And we all need those uplifting moments in our lives. Wherever they may come from.