Toews on the Run

...From the Saddle of My Bike

Something of a different nature this time: the essence of a piece I contributed to The Pulse, our church newsletter. 

God gave me two hands – a blessing I rarely consider (to my shame) but utilize daily, all day long. His design was gracious, in that I would have at least one ‘worker’ should the other be out of commission. This reality I learned to appreciate several years ago while healing from a green stick fracture. One round of this experience should be enough.

 Apparently not. Last week, due to an accidental tumble off my bike, I injured my right hand/wrist (the dominant one, naturally), necessitating stabilization by a splint wrapped with a tension bandage. A forthcoming x-ray will reveal if there’s a fracture or not. God-willing: it’s not. The idea of sporting a cast at this time of year is a thought I’m deleting every time it pops up in my mind.

 So I’m gimpy, handicapped – albeit low-level pain and injury – and I swing from “this too shall pass”, to “why another physical issue that cramps my active lifestyle?”  Add to that, guilt, because I should not be angry about such a little thing, for years ago, I memorized “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28, NIV

 Frustrated or not, sunshine is a tonic, and after a day’s adjustment to the splint, I had to get outside. Propping the right handle of the wheelbarrow under my forearm I had two ‘extensions’ to transport leaves and compost. Using a light-weight tool with my left hand to dig and scrabble at the soil and weeds, the flower beds (after several hours) looked much better - contrary to my appearance, with black fly welts, dirt smudges and a frayed tension bandage that just couldn’t keep out of the way.

 Did I feel better? A bit. Still struggling with the ‘how come’ and wondering how much I should do, if I hadn’t already overdone it!

 My philosophy is if you’re well enough to work, you’re okay to play. My left knee still isn't too happy with running, so cycling has become my 'new' passion. Squeezing a brake and clicking gears on the road bike – that wasn't possible with that splint in the way. But I could operate my mountain bike, so I was game to give it a go. Derryl picked an easy route for us on the Rail Trail (trail built on an out rail track bed - great.)

It was a beautiful ride - I really was happier than I appear here!

Honestly, I was anxious about balancing and trusting my left hand to handle the lion’s share of the navigating. I  started to lose my nerve on the
sections with heavy gravel and chunky rocks; tensing up, focusing directly in front of my bike wheel, I breathed “God, please help me.” I needed to do something different or this was going to be a very long ride, or worse, I’d jack-knife and crash again! Then I remembered a conversation from the previous night, talking with friends about painting (something I am much less proficient at than cycling!), in reference to the technique of looking ahead to where you want your brush to go and your hand will take it there. The painters in the group - Derryl and our hostess, Heidi -  were so convincing I thought I'd try it for the bike too.

It did work. I needed to look in advance a few metres to where I was headed and I could steer without difficulty to get there. So -  the afternoon's jaunt wasn't just about cycling from Martins River to Chester.  God wants me to live this way, to look forward to His broader plan, rather than focusing only on the niggly, bothersome things right in front of me.

 May God forgive my self-pity, and help me to accept His path. Yes, a journey with challenges and setbacks, but also views of beauty, vistas of fulfillment and relationship with Him. “For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord’, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV                                            

Two weeks later, I'm back on the road bike. No fractures, just recovering from strained ligaments.  Trying to remember to look ahead down the road a little further instead of the pinpoint view in front of my tire.

(The) March is Over

My March blog deadline is here and in typical procrastinating fashion, I'm pounding the keys. I have plenty of fodder for ideas - a post-Valentine jaunt to Annapolis Royal with first-class accommodations at the historic Bailey House, a Thai dinner party at our house with like-minded foodies, a trip to another kitchen in Maine where Derryl wielded his trowel and paint brush for the Tougas family, a welcome to Brad and Co. to a new home in Halifax and helping them set up temporary living-arrangements-camping-style, a drive to  Fredericton (still hidden in heaps of snow) to attend a Passion Play

and rendezvous with friends, hosting our Nova Scotia family for Easter dinner, c/w our first-time ever Easter egg hunt for grandkids. BUT, today  I have grandkids in the house, a daughter-in-law to chat with, and a supper to prepare so the attached pictures will have to give you the thousand words missing in the above stories. Another post is standing at the ready - or is this just an early April Fool's ploy?!

This was March

Never Say Never

"I am not swimming. The chlorine pinches my skin and I just don't like it. You can go but I am not coming with you - I hate swimming."

Anyone who knows Derryl, my husband, has probably heard him declaring this to me and anyone else who's suggested/invited him to go swimming.

Miracles do happen, for tonight, Derryl is with some triathlon friends  participating in a swimming workshop at the emOcean Spa Aquatic Centre in Lunenburg. This is not his first night; the workshop started early in January and he's loving it.

There's several probable factors for this turn of the tide attitude. First off, there's about a dozen of us in the group, about half and half men and women. Some are terrific, some (like me) are slower than turtles; everyone is there to improve their skills and to have fun. We have an excellent instructor, Kevin, a former professional triathlete who's recently moved to Lunenburg. Secondly, it's a saltwater pool which really is very skin and sinus friendly. Then, there's the fact Derryl's still recovering from a top-of-the-foot injury that's plagued his running activity since last fall. He hung up his runners in January with the resolve to leave them there until his foot is healed up. Another thing, it helps that he's discovered that he has an aptitude for this sport (surprise, surprise!) and is enjoying the new challenge and the rewards for his efforts.

I signed up for the class first, hoping Derryl would come along just to meet the group. When he registered too I was so surprised but to see how keen he is has been a real shocker. Now I actually have considered recanting on my former declaration, "I'm never doing another triathlon," as we're now discussing shopping for wet suits for open water swimming!

Tonight I'm home recovering from my knee arthroscopy or else I'd be there doing drills and laps with him and the others. I expect he'll be home soon (going for coffee after with the group is part of the fun) with reports of "I had a great workout and you know, I can't believe it myself but I'm getting into this swimming thing, it's really starting to click. " As for me?  I'm grateful for miracles and another fitness activity Derryl and I can both appreciate and enjoy.

Move with a View

A new year - a new goal - at least one blog a month. Should be doable...

Nova Scotia has been home for a few months but it's almost a year since we flew from Alberta to look at and purchase the house that Derryl had discovered online. Because he can work wonders in turning a property into our dream home, we didn't have a long wish list for what we would buy. Neighbourhood and location had to be great, bones of the house had to be good, and a view overlooking a meadow, forest, river, lake or ocean would be really nice. The first two criteria were well covered (we still pinch ourselves to believe we've landed in such a wonderful little community ) so although we could only see bits and pieces of the frozen, snow-covered lake beyond the leafless trees on the neighbour's house across the road, we bought it. In reality the lake is a 20-second run from our house and the ocean a 20-minute drive, so it wasn't  really hard to settle for two out of three. However, I did settle in my mind, "the view would be of our grand-children playing in the backyard." Our new home would still be a day or two's drive from both of our kids but I just knew I'd be enjoying more frequent family scenes through my window compared to their very occasional visits to Alberta.

I've got what I wished for - the Tougas children ran and played in our yard on two visits this summer. At Christmas all six of our grandkids were here to romp together, bursting through the patio door just in time to make it to the bathroom, cooking s'mores out back in a wood-burning stove rejected from the basement. It was wonderful fun (a.k.a. work) too for Derryl to have his two big kids help him split and stack wood. We felt blessed with views we weren't sure we'd ever be privileged to have.

Soon - it's going to get even better. Sometime this spring Brad and his family are moving to Halifax/area, so grandkids and their parents too, will be scooting around here frequently. Derryl's dream to partner in work with his son combined with Brad's desire to be involved in his own construction/development business is going to become a reality for them. Plenty of changes and challenges - but all within view!

2007 Christmas through my view-finder

Touring on My Two-Wheeler

September weather has been as stunning as what the locals have been telling me - autumn here is beautiful. Maybe this year is nicer than normal but one sunny day has rolled into another, with the odd morning being overcast, yet warm. Lawns are still green, we haven't had a frost yet so the leaves are just starting to show their red tones with a few yellow ones here and there for contrast.Yesterday afternoon I was swimming in Fancy Lake (where we live) for forty minutes and wasn't as chilly afterwards as I was some summer days. Last week, on September 20, I walked Crescent Beach (5 km return by the Atlantic) in my bathing suit - people were swimming, just a gorgeous day. Love it.

Due to a niggling knee issue since last summer I haven't done a lot of running this year. However, my bike and I have become very close friends and touring Lunenburg county's scenic back roads has been a real fitness life saver and wonderful treat - just the 'two of us' or with new friends who share this same relationship. Unlike the parkland Alberta roads I've been riding up 'til now, routes here are going up or down, round and about - and cyclists have to be extra cautious about vehicle traffic because the roads have little or no shoulder. Fortunately, the speed limit on these roads is anywhere from 50 to 80 km/hour .

The pictures in the album are from one of my regular rides. The Petite Riviere runs out of Fancy Lake and eventually drains into the Atlantic - by road the ocean is about 17 kms from home. The winery is often my biking destination, for turning around, that is, not for stopping and tasting! The lake photos are of Fancy Lake; always enjoy coming up the last hill on my ride home to look down and see the lake.

fall cycling

Family Time with Brad and Co.

I don't think long weekends are meant to be spent alone, so I made plans to go visit Brad and company for the September long weekend. When I talked to Dawna about my intentions, she suggested we surprise Brad and not tell him I was coming. It worked. Dawna and the kids - and me - just showed up to see him in Guelph where he was finishing some recording with Trevor Dick. It's so cool to see your son's face light up when he sees you, even when he's almost 30!

I had so much fun with the kids - we visited as many parks as we could fit in and splash pad parks were the best to help us all keep our cool. What a great idea, to be in water but not immersed - no worries about drowning children!

We had perfect weather - Friday night we all walked along the Burlington waterfront and through the Ribfest event going on. Didn't have ribs but shared a bag of kettle popcorn and stopped at an ice cream shop on our way back to the car. Saturday was another beautiful day - taking the Go train to Union Station downtown Toronto made the day for Stosh and Joah. First stop once there was at our family's favorite Second Cup by the waterfront, then walked along the boardwalk with our heads turned to the sky watching planes from the air show going on a bit to the west of us. Did lots of walking - their chariot

stroller is a God-send for transporting all or some of the kids plus water bottles and other necessities for small children. Headed up towards Queen Street, then back down King for supper on a pub patio. On our way back to the station it was Brad's turn to plan the surprise - dessert at what used to be called Bon Marche restaurant. Crepes with chocolate sauce and mixed berries - mmmm.

We kept the momentum going - Sunday morning we were out of the house in time to make it to St. Catharines to attend the service at Central Gospel where Bill Markham is associate pastor. Went out for lunch with Bill and Karlene and the kids before going to see their new house and a taking a dip in the pool. Many thanks to them for always making time for a visit when we give them a call.

Monday was a holiday so we couldn't really just sit at home, right?? (It always amazes me how Brad and Dawna just pack up the three kids and off they go driving and exploring somewhere together. No trouble at all.) We got in the car and headed out to the 'country' - to Milton. Dawna had seen online something about a steam engine event there and after asking a couple people we got directions to the fairgrounds. It was truly a farm-style event, Grandpa Forsberg would have been in his glory with all the old farming equipment and demonstrations. The boys especially loved the choo-choo train ride and after, indulging in some pretty disgusting french fries. Watching a stooking and thrashing competition was kind of cool; we left during the final parade of the old steam engines puffing by the grandstand, pulling on their deafening whistles.

We had to fit in one more fun thing - Nevaeh's first birthday cake, three weeks early of the real date,  September 26th. It had been too hot to bake - plus we'd had no time with our daily jaunts - so Dairy Queen filled the gap with a frosty, deliciously messy treat. In one week, this was Nevaeh's second experience with the pleasure of the sweet stuff and now she's hooked like the rest of us.

That was it for this visit - Brad dropped me off at the airport before 7:00 the next morning for my flight home. A wonderful long weekend.

Sept visit to Brad and family

Time with My Sis

It's been great, I've had someone come to visit every month - and August's guest was my best girlfriend, my sister, Ruth. She flew in on a red eye flight, arriving on a Saturday morning. I showed no mercy and we hit the day full steam. First stop was the market where I got some fresh scallops and other makings for supper, then off to Pier 21 for an interesting and informative tour  -  saw the documents on site with Mom and Dad's family's names and statistics - on arrival Grandpa Forsberg had $175.00 and a wife and seven children - Grandpa MacKay had $75.00, a wife and two children - as well as pictures of the ships they came on, respectively, the Stockholm and The Athenia. So neat to see. On our way home we stopped at Peggy's Cove and the site of the Swiss Air Memorial. It was a stunning blue-sky day, perfect for pictures.

The following days included:  Lunenburg folk fest and  Rock Church on Sunday, a rainy Monday at Wolfville, Kentville, Halls Harbour - supper was fish and chips in a retro diner and my happiest find of the day was a huge bucket of sour cherries for my freezer. Two days we spent sight-seeing/driving/shopping in Mahone Bay, Chester, and testing the sand at five beaches - Crescent, Rissers, Green Bay, Broad Cove, Cherry Hill - before driving to the Quarterdeck Restaurant south of Liverpool for a maritime meal as delicious as the view overlooking yet another spectacular beach.

We went to Maine to see Renee and family - part of our journey there we enjoyed calm seas on the 3-hour ferry ride from Digby to St. John, New Brunswick. Driving through northern Maine, had good roads and little traffic - indulging in some wild blueberries from the many roadside stands selling such. The last hour and a half was in a deluge of rain and light show like I can't remember. Thank God for a safe trip.

Renee showed us a great time. Down to the Androscogan River early Friday morning for the  hot air balloon launch (an annual  event), blue berry picking, trip to Freeport for shopping and outdoor concert, hiking with the family.  Lots of fun playing with kids and a treat for them to have Auntie Ruth visit them at their house. And a treat for me to be able to drive to see them - looking forward to many repeats!

Trip back to Nova Scotia, a beautiful sunshiny day - we were so blessed with good weather. Stopped at St. Croix tourist site, toured around picturesque St. Andrews, and enjoyed overnight hospitality at a new friend's place on a cove of the Atlantic.

It was a wonderful together time for us two sisters. Next time we'll go to Prince Edward Island, etc. etc.

Sis and Me

Family Fun

Our decision to move east was made in part to put us closer to our children and grandchildren. Here's  a rundown of some of that blessing:

July 7-9, I drove to New Brunswick to meet up with Brad. He was playing in St. John and Fredericton with Trevor Dick who was on a  performance/Compassion Canada tour. I appreciated the chance to hear again their great music; even more so, it was wonderful to spend time with Brad, just the two of us talking about things close to our hearts, logging on the miles walking the St. John waterfront and checking out the nearby Reversing Falls, going to the market, enjoying lunch. Unfortunately, no camera, no pictures.

July 17-29, the house was full of family -  Derryl was home and Renee and family came for vacation. I doubt if we could have packed anything more into our days. Thanks to Renee for some of these pictures.

- working in the yard, bushwhacking to prepare for driveway/parking expansion, enjoying the yard

 

- hiking, canoeing, playing at the beach (here that means at the ocean), swimming at the lake

-whale-watching, going to Peggy's Cove, Derryl's birthday. tall ships in Lunenburg

Not Since Moses

Moses and his company of Israelites fled from the Egyptians on dry ground where hours earlier had flowed the waters of the Red Sea. Hearing this story since childhood, my mental image has been of walls of water on either side of the ocean floor cum freeway to freedom. A race I did this month used this miracle as a tongue-in-cheek reference point for an event that was like something I've never done before. Runners I met at the Cabot Trail Relay told me about this race to be held close to their place, I could stay with them...it sounded so unusual, I signed up. I was in for a 'treat'.

The race director, Dick Lemon, planned it as a fund raiser for the local fire department who catered a buffet supper for the night before the race. Eight dollars a person - buns, salads, cold cuts, raw veggies, baked beans, fish chowder, veggie chowder, ham, salmon, rice - and strawberry shortcake for dessert. (Every little community all over the province has volunteer fire departments who need to raise funds - ads are everywhere for Strawberry Suppers, Ham and Bean suppers, dances, musical gigs and jigs, etc.) Anyway, Dick owns an island in the Minas Basin off Five Islands along the Glooscap Trail. Why not boat runners from the mainland out to his island, where they can wait five to six hours for the tide to go out, and have them run the 10km back to shore before the tide came in? For those wanting less mileage and challenge, a 5 km distance would be from a closer Moose Island. A runner himself, he'd run from 'home'  and wanted to share the beauty and excitement - and an element of bizarre kind of running.

6:30 A.M. July 7 I was in one of the first boats flying across the ocean, pulling up to a wharf, and climbing a wooden staircase hugging the rocky face of the island; the boat leaving for shore to ferry more runners to the 'start' line. Not yet 7:00 A.M. and the race is scheduled to start at noon. Thinking we might have to be outside trying to keep warm and dry and occupied for all those hours, we were surprised and relieved that Dick had his main house (a.k.a. first class, solar/environmentally appointed, two-story, three-bedroom chalet) open and available for us to hang out, eat the munchies we'd brought, snooze, visit. Exploring around the island: a caretaker's cabin, a lighthouse with space for 2 guests, a 'cabin' in the shape of a fishing boat with another guest room, and a lover's lookout, a chalet perched a few feet back from a 200-foot drop to the ocean. You can rent the whole island for $2000/month - next year's rates will be higher so get your reservations made!

By race start time, 12:15, the tide had pulled the water off the beach (the depth of water pulled by the tide had been 30-40 feet deep!),someone placed a row of rocks for a start line, where Dick told us to have fun, step carefully, and go to only one island further out to sea before turning back towards land -- and we were off. I loved all 10km of it. Shlopping through water, red gooey sand/mud adding weight to my shoes, carefully picking my trail over rocks and shells and tidal pools - getting down and dirty with all the runners, everyone with ear-to-ear smiles and having the time of their life! The last couple kilometres were straight into the wind, and volunteers pointed us to the least mucky route to get to the solid shore.  There was live music and food at the finish - recognition given to the winners but no times were recorded or posted. A timing clock was there but the bottom tags torn off the race numbers were collected more to make sure everyone made it back to shore and, other than the first finishers, they weren't kept in any particular order. Next year some of those details might be figured out but for the first time running, especially considering the unusual logistics, the event went off very well, with lots of positive feedback: one runner's email said in his running life he'd done 10 Boston marathons, 200 other races, 2 World Police and Firefighter Competitions, yet this was his favorite event by far! Some of my pictures are from a disposable camera found in the depths of another runner's backpack and the others are courtesy of Paul Boudreau, Steve Dunn, and Anthony Cesnik (the winner, young fellow from Michigan) who posted them on the event's facebook.

Everyone made the crossing safely - knowing the Atlantic would be washing over our path in a few hours. Not quite the adrenaline rush that Moses and his company must have felt, but an experience I do want to replay again next year.

After we ran through the hole, out to another island, and back through the hole to where we started - we're headed towards Moose Island.

Where's the dry ground? Going through this channel the water was mid-thigh on me.

Some solid sand but mostly soft, goopy, rocky, wet conditions - and firm at the finish line back at Five Islands.

O Canada Day

July 1st. The robins and crows were oblivious that it was Sunday plus a holiday - their morning songs, along with the sunshine, made it impossible to stay in bed. By 7:00 I was on my bike for a morning ride; it was still cool in the shadows but the air had that warm, green smell of a summer day heating up. Most  back roads here are either going up or down - throw in a few longer grinds and every time out is a good workout.  I'd munched down half a banana before I left, but an hour later that was long gone. A local market/bakery had advertised a Canada Day pancake breakfast so rather than go home for my routine bowl of oatmeal I joined some other early birds for flapjacks, hot blueberry muffins and coffee. Eating and visiting, sitting in a gazebo surrounded by red and white geraniums and petunias was a comfortable way to get into the patriotic, secure feeling of belonging.

After my bike ride home and a shower, I enjoyed the pleasure of belonging family-wise: phone visits with Derryl and Brad. Regardless of how involved and busy I get, I miss the ones I love the most on the weekends - those days are just meant to be spent with those close to your heart! 

With all the Canada Day events happening it was hard to choose which to take in - except for the first one, a  joint church service in Shipyard Landing by the LaHave River. St. Paul's Lutheran was the sponsoring church and sitting out there with people I'd never met, I felt yet another sense of belonging - to a spiritual family that shares what stirs my heart and makes my life have purpose and fulfillment. Singing "Fill this land with the Father's glory." in Shine Jesus Shine, and "God keep our land," in our national anthem - my heart and eyes were full. How awesome - the vastness and reality of citizenship in this country of Canada, and beyond, the eternal heavenly kingdom. So cool.

Lunenburg had the first of their summer Sunday concerts so I drove there for the afternoon. Sitting on the hillside, listening to Jenn Grant's mellow music, taking in the view of historic buildings (this town boasts that they don't have a mall), seeing tall ship masts docked in the cove  - how can it get much better than this?! Well, it did get a little better. I couldn't resist a chocolate-peanut butter ice cream cone on my way out of town: my mistake was going in just to check out what varieties they had...

Took a new route home, the road hugging the coast, going past coves with fishing boats and small colorful houses, past worn, aging monuments sitting in small cemeteries - and past a wonderful nursery,

where my first discovery was the largest variety of heather plants I've seen here. Talking to another customer, I found out the owner, Mr. Steele, is actually a renowned rhododendrum hybridizer and much more. I need to do more planning in my gardens before planting another rhody but I did come home with another heather - after all, they are in my Scottish roots. Driving past Riverport, I came to the end of the road to a rocky beach where the LaHave River meets the Atlantic.

I had the beach to myself - a ring of rocks circling charred remnants of a bonfire indicated someone had enjoyed an oceanside picnic. Think we'll try that ourselves sometime.

Lupines grow wild everywhere along the South Shore - in the ditches, even here next to the ocean and its salty winds.

All I missed were the fireworks, and that was by choice. My Canada Day had been full and fun enough.