haunting the halls

A lengthy silence.

A filled summer.

A new school year.

A final year, begun with a vengance like the blaze of a summer sunset over the Atlantic ocean.

A year which promises long days and full evenings, but brightly coloured patches in all of the work which sometimes seems to overwhelm.

A year which will result in growth, carefully crafted, though it sometimes takes the evening light to appreciate the delicate lace of a weed.

a collection of images

Here is where I would like to share images and memories of the trips I have taken. Despite, or in addition to, being an English major, I share my mother's love of (though perhaps not passion for) photography, and try to capture the memories in order to share them through pictures.

England: January-April 2011
In 2011, I was given the opportunity to study in Oxford, England for a semester with a whirlwind visit to Scotland for six days. Below are links to various photo albums to commemorate the trip which range from Charlbury, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, London, and more. 
overseas and faraway [i]
a pair of fine eyes [ii]
topsy turvy tower of london [iii]
all the world's a stage [iv]
pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there? [v]
to be or not to be [vi]
bridging the gap [vii]
dancing with daffodils [viii]
food for a rambling fancy [ix]
not all who wander are lost [x]
you'll take the high road, and i'll take the low [xi]

Halifax, NS: August 2011
Options for ending a summer delightfully: a) end it in holidays, b) have the holidays on the east coast, or c) know that the year of a long-distance is over. My summer: d) all of the above.
on the bonny banks

the fruit of the field

Today, the kids and I met up with a friend at the local strawberry festival in Stouffville. The day started off grey and looked rather threatening, but the sun came out just as we were about to leave. For such an active and well-established festival, we had never heard of it before, and so we (well, for sure I was) were really excited to go see what it was all about. Imagine a small fair, all along one street, with various vendors selling their wares stationed along the sides, all calling and beckoning for your attention.

The boys weren't entirely convinced that this was a good place to go to until we came across a slide - the bouncy castle type of slide - where rides were unlimited. Yes, the free activities at this festival are definitely a perk: a slide, bouncy tree castle, wall-climbing, obstacle course, a cookie in the shape of a strawberry which you could slather with icing and sprinkle with red coloured sprinkles to satisfy the sweetest of sweet teeth, and, the pièce de résistance, a free pony ride. The only free item which I hesitate to be entirely enthusiastic about is the whistle, given by our neighbour across the street who was at one of the booths.

Of course, you can't leave a strawberry festival without having a bowl of ice cream with fresh, locally grown strawberries.

A quick stop on the way home at the local fresh produce stand brought home plenty of strawberries to feed an army of kids. 16 cups were made into pies, the remainder is sitting in a bowl (rapidly diminishing), and a quart is safely stashed away.

(we sort of, kind of, matched on purpose. i started the trend, though ... just for clarification)

Pie for dessert tonight. I think, after this weekend, I'll have satisfied my craving for strawberries. At least, for the time being.

to the third and fourth generations

newbie. probie. green. wet-behind-the-ears.

Yes, the training of the next generation of highly sophisticated and skilled weeders has begun as we make plans to finally remove once and for all those perma-dirt stains.

They will be us.

How easily we are replaced.

gettin' to the church on time

What a weekend, surrounded by family and friends. Sad tears, happy tears, laughing tears ... they were all there. My good friend Emily, the other half of the LLC (Lonely Ladies' Club), got married this weekend to the man who has been made for her. Both Joel and I were able to be a part of their special day as I was a bridesmaid and Joel played for the ceremony.

theme for the day

Nerves, calm, joy - they were all scheduled in after a frantic morning of the last minute flurries (ie, setting up the hall and teaching the groomsmen how to fold napkins) to create a beautiful day.

Music, laughter, dancing - all elements of a celebration. Congratulations to them!

Also: where has the summer gone? The end of June is speedily approaching, July will pass by quickly, and then August will fly by with the summer breeze. Yes, I am aware that there is still much time between now and the official beginning of school (which marks the end of summer), but the past month and a half have slipped by. What has happened to the time for those extensive book lists? for that anticipation for this wedding which seemed to be eons away? for wondering if the weather was ever going to warm up? for that last visit to Ontario before the final two months which will bring long distance to an end? We thought twelve months was absurdly long, and that any who told us differently was selling something. [Side note: it's time to watch the Princess Bride again.]

And yet here we all stand, on the brink of making large decisions we never thought we would have to make. We claim to be old, wondering what has happened to the carefree days of 'youth'? We are passing from adolescence into adulthood, some kicking and screaming along the way while others fall into it naturally and gracefully.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Psalm 34

one weed, two weed; green weed, brown weed

Life has slipped back into its natural rhythms of the summer; the cold mornings, the warm afternoons, fluctuating temperatures which can be frigid and damp one week while being scorchingly dry the next. People are coming and going, friends are moving on with their lives, graduating, marrying, working, traveling, writing a thesis . . . I see them for a time, and then they wisp away again.

This all sounds rather melancholic. I guess part of it is the constant farewells and the anticipation of saying goodbye.

However.

This coming weekend promises to one of epic proportions. Well, maybe not quite that drastic, but it does promise to be one of the highlights of this summer. A good friend from Redeemer is getting married this weekend and Joel is in Hamilton. What's not to look forward to?

and o! this small world

Home.

I have seen so much; each small pocket of the world seems connected only by a flight through the air above 35,000 feet. Each sphere is special with its wonderful people and fantastic landscape, unique in their own way.

It was hard to leave England, especially because the weather was so warm and lovely, when Scotland had been so spectacular. Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Edinburgh, and Glasgow -- it's definitely a place I would like to return to.

Glencoe, Scotland

When I arrived in Halifax, it was raining harder than it had been while I was in England. But Joel was waiting on that other side.

I had the opportunity of meeting many special people while in Nova Scotia; the people who Joel can call family. I was greeted in the congregation as someone who was already known and accepted. They are amazing people - they ought to be, as they managed to coerce me into playing ball hockey. (Ps, I scored.) After being apart for four months, to be together again, to have conversations without an ocean in between, was an incredible blessing. Our goodbye this morning was only for a week, as he's coming back to Ontario next weekend for a very brief visit.

at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

And now I'm home. Another pocket of family. Back to a semblance of what is considered to be 'normality'.

But life's always an adventure, no matter where you are.

at the end of the day

I dreamed a dream, and tonight it came true. The 25th anniversary of Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre in London, England.

Extremely contented sigh.

Now for less than four hours of sleep, and we're off again.

my bags are packed, but i'm not ready to go

This past week has been an absolute blur. Monday concluded our exams, and Tuesday marked our last day to wander through Oxford (doing the last minute touristy stuff like eating at the Eagle and Child and going to one more service at Christ Church).

We were introduced to Wednesday with extensive drama practice from about 9.30 in the morning to roughly 10.00 at night (with long breaks in between, don't worry). Thursday was a repeat. Friday showed us that we can actually put on a performance with amateurs and limited practice time. Looking back, it was a lot of fun and we did end up enjoying ourselves, the mistakes and the bloopers and the small things going on behind the scenes definitely made the evening memorable.

the cast plus Glena, our director

from left to right:

Wickham, Miss Bingley (also Lady Catherine),

Lydia, Mrs Bennet, Mr Bennet,

Elizabeth, Mary (also Charlotte),

Jane, Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley (also Mr Collins)

The goodbyes started on Saturday; we cleaned the church, dissembled the room which had been our little home at the Baptist Church, and then lay about soaking up the sunshine for the rest of the afternoon (yes, some of us actually have tans. Take that, Canada. It's 20 degrees here, and it's only April), wandering about the town and fawning over the lambs frolicking in the fields - although I still haven't seen one prancing about.

Marion and Andrew opened up their home to us again for the "last hurrah" - a traditional meal of fish and chips.

And now it's Sunday. We've said farewell to the Baptist congregation, our flights and hostels are booked for Scotland for the next week, I, at least, have my bags packed and weighed (and am still under the limit, which means I could have bought those books at Blackwell's), and all that is left is to put the finishing touches on my essay which is to be resubmitted. And tomorrow we leave. They say time flies when you're having fun and it really has. I can't believe that three months have slipped away so suddenly.

Our bus leaves at 7.30 tomorrow morning to London.

Until I arrive in Halifax, cheerio!