I was so flustered from not being able to flip my tassel I actually nearly forgot to get my diploma! This kind lady called after me "Heidi, did you want this?" I wonder how many times she had to say that! So here I am recieving my diploma.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
The recessional.I really liked our valedictorian's address. Honestly, I can't remember much of it, but she did quote from Emmerson on success, and although I'm sure I'd heard it before it really had me do some reflection on how I was measuring up (to this poem anyway) so far in life. I'd like to look back on it and reflect again so I thought I'd also post it here.
Success
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
I love this pic! This is my friend Kari, also graduation from Education, and her two beautiful and spunky (as you can see) daughters Erin & Emma. I have been able to get to know Erin & Emma these last two years, through stories their Mom is always telling me at school, and by teaching them piano. No attitude in this pic eh?
I am a lucky girl. Chad was so excited for me, taking pictures like a pro, making sure I would have pictures of the big day. I couldn't believe all the work he put into making sure I would be happy, having my family all get together to celebrate with me, bbqing like crazy... etc. He is a great man and husband, I am a lucky girl.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Huge Sat.!
As usual we packed 'er full Saturday. We had a slow start at the Fredericton Market (ahh I love the market! and it was such a beautiful day-the yummiest, greasiest frenchfries that you can gaurentee sat in the deepfrier way too long to be healthy-they should probably come with an heart artery warning, and yummy strawberry-bannana drink) for brunch and then headed up to Sears to buy some luggage for me at the luggage sale at Sears.
I found two cute little dresses for the neices which I couldn't pass up (one was pink with watermellons, the other blue with yellow melons), then we went to Growers Direct to pick up the Mothers Day roses (hilarious Chad & I and 6 buckets or roses stashed into the car-smelled pretty!) and drop them off at the church before going to Kents to check on stain for our deck. From there we headed to give Savanna her dress on the way home and I picked up more seeds from Gary for the garden (I'll never be able to plant them all!) We didn't stay long and headed off to Scotts Nursury where we picked up some more soil, a deck growing tomatoe plant for Chad and some clamatis for my archway. (Scott's is so much fun! and addictive-I wanna make pretty things grow, funny thing is Chad wants to make yummy things grow-I'm sure that suprises you!)
When we arrived home Chad began stripping the deck with some sort of deck cleaning agent and a hose but the nosel was broken (nothing is ever as easy as it is supposed to be) so he headed back off to Kents while I worked on the front garden. He arrived back home only to find that one can of the cleaning agent wasn't enough and he had to go back to Kent's to get another bottle & the stain while I cleaned through the house, made beds and did laundry. Thankfully he brought pizza home for 8pm supper and from there we went out in the dark, sat on the lawn and at serious risk of being eaten alive by the swarms of misquitos, put together my arhway, unfortunatly we didn't get the clamatis in the ground (really hard to do in pitch dark!) We came in satisfied, and booked trip info-which got me so excited I had to stay up until 1:00am putting together a chart of where we would be staying, what hotspots I'd like to hit etc.-I know I'm sick!) I'd say we know how to go all out! Go over the top or go home right!
I found two cute little dresses for the neices which I couldn't pass up (one was pink with watermellons, the other blue with yellow melons), then we went to Growers Direct to pick up the Mothers Day roses (hilarious Chad & I and 6 buckets or roses stashed into the car-smelled pretty!) and drop them off at the church before going to Kents to check on stain for our deck. From there we headed to give Savanna her dress on the way home and I picked up more seeds from Gary for the garden (I'll never be able to plant them all!) We didn't stay long and headed off to Scotts Nursury where we picked up some more soil, a deck growing tomatoe plant for Chad and some clamatis for my archway. (Scott's is so much fun! and addictive-I wanna make pretty things grow, funny thing is Chad wants to make yummy things grow-I'm sure that suprises you!)
When we arrived home Chad began stripping the deck with some sort of deck cleaning agent and a hose but the nosel was broken (nothing is ever as easy as it is supposed to be) so he headed back off to Kents while I worked on the front garden. He arrived back home only to find that one can of the cleaning agent wasn't enough and he had to go back to Kent's to get another bottle & the stain while I cleaned through the house, made beds and did laundry. Thankfully he brought pizza home for 8pm supper and from there we went out in the dark, sat on the lawn and at serious risk of being eaten alive by the swarms of misquitos, put together my arhway, unfortunatly we didn't get the clamatis in the ground (really hard to do in pitch dark!) We came in satisfied, and booked trip info-which got me so excited I had to stay up until 1:00am putting together a chart of where we would be staying, what hotspots I'd like to hit etc.-I know I'm sick!) I'd say we know how to go all out! Go over the top or go home right!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
The DaVinci Code
So I finished the highly publicized "The DaVinci Code" last night. Perhaps this shocks you, how could I, a pastor's wife and follower of Jesus, read "The DaVinci Code which claims Jesus as not divine, but a powerful human who married Mary Magdalene and has a bloodline alive to this day. First of all, I have an inquisitive mind, one that refuses to have someone else "tell me" what I can or cannot read or believe, I want to KNOW for myself, I want to SEE for myself, I want to DECIDE for myself. This was much the same in this case. I feel it a very unwise path to take to criticize something passionately without know what it is truly about. So I read it.
I must say I absolutely love it, as a piece of fiction. It is an excellent read, intellectually stimulating (makes you think), a great mystery novel, suprising you throughout, a page turner, keeping you on your toes, well told. I would highly recommend it if you enjoy a good mystery, I will probably read it again sometime.
Having said all of that, things start to get wonky for Brown in Chapter 55. Up to that point I was a very satisfied reader, kept on my toes, thrilled with the mystery and excellence with which Brown was telling his story. Then Chapter 55 happens, smack in the middle Brown gets an agenda, and it is so unfortunately obvious! The story telling stops and Brown starts (and I'd say carelessly) throwing his religious agenda at the reader. One of the main characters, Sophie, goes from smart and brainy cryptographyologist, cunning, cleaver and a leader intellectually, to Brown's stunned puppet, played and dancing about the issues Brown wishes to endoctrinate his reader. She begins to make quick, obvious, leading questions, simple, direct, nearly sounding brainwashed, and immediately accepting all that Brown wishes his audience will accept as well-it's just so obvious. From the perspective of someone who loves Fiction, I found this so disappointing and not true to the character of Sophie.
Perhaps, for someone who had absolutely no introduction in Early Church History, or someone who is already looking for a reason not to believe in Jesus Christ as Divine and to further defame the Christian Church (and lets face it, they've done enough injustice over the centuries without people trying to help them out) it would be easy to believe the statements Brown throws around so carelessly in the chapters surrounding 55. For myself, red flags began to go up in my mind, as the little I know of Early Church History resurfaced and it became obvious how careless Brown had been. For me, I had hoped for all the controversy he would have done a better job at presenting his "facts". I myself intend to do a little research and brush up on some of the inaccuracies he portrayed and the questions they raised for me. And this, is why I would recommend the book to Christians and non-Christians alike. Sit down to a good read (there are only a couple really dumb, agenda-laden chapters and then we're back to great storytelling), and then be challenged to rework your Faith, or lack there of. Dig around, get the facts, and make an informed decision on Jesus, the Early Church etc.
Chad has a leg up in this area having studied Early Church History at Fuller quite extensively. He begins a two part series next week, exposing some of the inaccuracies Brown puts out there in "The DaVinci Code", I will be sure to update what I take from him, here as well. But until then, (and yes we will be there at the movie premier on the 19th-and I will admit I am excited to see it) I plan to revisit some of the following in my own study:
The Holy Grail
DaVinici's paintings
The Gospels
The Gnostic Gospels
What does "Gospel" mean? What connotations are associated with it's meaning?
The "Gospel" of Thomas
Roman Emperor Constantine the Great
Council of Nicaea, Nicene Creed
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Mary Magdalene
The Sangreal Documents
The Opus Dei
The Priory of Sion
The Mirovingian Bloodline
The Knights Templar
that should keep me busy for a little while. Wanna join me on my quest? I'd suggest following your own, see where it takes you!
Do Nothing Day
I have completly enjoyed my "do nothing day". I wasnt' called into work today, I didn't have errands I HAD to run, I didn't have a house that was in absolute disaray...I had nothing I HAD to do. Do you know how long it has been since I had a day like this?EOns! So what have I done today? NOTHING. I slept until 10am, had a reheated hamburger for lunch, read, watched t.v., had an apple, played on my computer, had some veggies and baked potatoe for supper, had a BUBBLE BATH---ahhh. and now I'm back to playing on my computer and watching tv. Think I'll do some reading and call it a night. Ahhhhhhh......beautiful.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
STU Convocation 2006. 
May 8, 2006 @ 2pm: A beautiful HOT and SUNNY day to celebrate convocation, Chad, Amy, Meghan and myself got ourselves together to go sit under the rays and watch Jackie recieve her diploma. A little long, I must admit, it was such a thrill to see her graduate and close the door to this chapter in her life. Cudo's (however you spell that) for going back to school, beating the odds and chasing her dreams!
Farewell Krista
Unfortunalty for us, good friend Krista (White, he!he!) is moving to NFLD next week. Having just finished her law degree at UNB she is moving to St. John's to do her articling and marry her finance Jadon. She is such a riot! I will miss her greatly! It has been great getting to know her and I can't wait for she & Jadon to finish up school on the island and move back to town. Some of us got together Friday night at McGinnis Landing for desserts and a farewell.
Monday, May 01, 2006
gobble gobble
Well we did it! Chad & I pulled off our first turkey dinner! Chad had picked up a turkey for $.80 lb last time he was in the great USA, so we decided how better to cook it up than have a pile of our friends in to eat it up with us! There were a few debates "But my Mom does it this way..." kinda things as Chad and I prepared but generally I'd say it was a great mix. Chad cooked the turkey with bacon and spices, onions and things, yummy! I made Mom's dressing which everyone ranted and raved over, guess they don't have dressing with potatoes and apples very often in these parts. We cheated with the pies and picked up Pecan (one of my favorites) and Apple Crumble from the market, but I figured that was ok if we put all the effort into the meal! I'd say it was a raving success! We laughed so hard most of us had tears running down our cheeks and sore belly's at least at one point in the evening. It's so nice to have a bunch of friends get together and just laugh and have fun. Good friends are so great! Unfortunatly we were having such a great time we forgot to take any pictures :(
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