When Cousins Get Together

There's a whole lot of playing and good times happening!!  Yesterday we went to the arena with Meadow and then fooled around at their house after supper.  

Simple Daybook #35

For Today . . . March 23, 2009

Outside my window . . . more snow!  We got about 6" of the white stuff on Saturday night and Sunday and the roads are heavy with the wet, wet stuff.  It's -9 and windy - spring has NOT arrived here!

I am thinking . . .  very nostalgically about our son's marriage - what a wonderful celebration it was and how emotional I'm feeling.  

From the kitchen . . . Rice with Beans and Salsa, served in taco shells with all the fixings.

I am wearing . . . black jeans, black long sleeved shirt, pink/green/black scarf and green quilted jacket

I am reading . . . The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish.  "Eight women on a journey that will change their lives - a tale of friendship and love, loss and liberation." (from the jacket cover)

I am hoping . . . that the next time I meet Sue we will have hours and hours to visit - not just 15 minutes in an airport!  But that was better than nothing :))

I am hearing . . . the sweet sounds of Helayna and Silas who have come to visit for a few days

I am creating . . . memories this week!

Around the house . . . toys, baby clothes, dolls, cameras, and lots of busy-ness

One of my favourite things . . . dark chocolate covered cranberries

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . 2.5 days of subbing, skating with Meadow and Helayna, Bible study, lots of playtime and fun!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . . the tall flower arrangement that graced the front of the church and the front of the ballroom at the wedding.  Kelsey's aunts looked after it - and it was stunning!!

There are more daybooks over at The Simple Woman!

A Glimpse of Our Weekend

The wedding is over and it was a marvelous one!

The 2 little girls were so beautiful coming down the aisle - they did it just perfectly! Meadow ran out of flowers and went back to her Mom to get more which makes perfect sense, doesn't it?!! Helayna got to the front and made sure every petal was out of her pail before she went to the side.



And they danced the night away, along with many other people!!! Helayna and Meadow loved the music and had a blast.

Thanks to Jonathan for the pictures :))

Our weekend was wonderful - full of smiles and great joy! Kelsey and Darrin had planned everything so perfectly and they were full of smiles and fun. Now they are off in a warm, sunny place enjoying some alone time - away from the snow and cold, details and to-do lists!

It is a nostalgic time as you watch your tall and handsome son pledge to share his life with the woman he adores. My favourite memory of the whole day was watching Darrin as Kelsey came down the aisle. He wiped away some tears and smiled so broadly as she came to him on the arm of her dad. Kelsey just smiled and smiled and smiled!

We pray that God will watch over them as they navigate the twists and turns of life together and that peace, great joy and love will surround them always. We love you both so, so much.

And you were wondering about the shoes?! Twelve hours - yes, 12 hours in them! Let's just say that by 2:15 a.m. I was very glad to slip them off :))

Question of the Day

How many hours do you think I'll be able to wear these at the wedding before my feet start hurting??!!

I have worn them quite a bit around the house - I'm hoping it was enough!  The right shoe fits so I don't even know I have it on but the left one is not quite so comfortable.  Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

Creating

Remember this LO from Design Your Life, week #10?

I used the same idea but changed it up to this!

The red star buttons and the acrylic journalling spot (from Maya Road) work perfectly!!  And the picture of our 3 beautiful nieces at my Mom's birthday is showcased so nicely.  I love scrapbooking!!

One Year Ago Project

Our time in Luis Eduardo Meghalles ended and we made the 6 hour drive to Brasilia, passing back through the cerrado (an African like savanna).  This area of the planalto lies between the Amazon watershed to the north and the Parana watershed to the south.  

Going through some road construction, where they basically push the red topsoil off and lay down the pavement.  

And then we were back in Brasilia, the famous capital city, ready to take a city tour.  

Driving down the central avenue, you pass these government buildings, 14 on each side of the road.  Each one houses a different ministry such as education, healthcare and agriculture.  Before you get in to the government center, there are a few other interesting buildings to see. 

The National Library - which has never been opened to the public our tour guide said.  Apparently there aren't many books inside it either.

The interior of the National Gallery - a beautiful building that has just a few works of art.  Another example of much money spent on a building with little left to spend on the art itself.

There was this  modernistic soft sculpture of cotton "beans"

and one called the Black Madonna, done by a Brazilian artist.

The outside of the Metropolitan Cathdral where giant statues of some saints line the walkway.  You go downstairs to enter and the seating area is below ground level.

The inside ceiling is spectacular!

We continued up the central boulevard to the political center of the capital city.

The twin towers of the Congress Building where the national assembly meets.  The Senate chamber is on the left side and the House of Representatives is on the right. 

Many of the official buildings in this area have interesting exteriors, fountains or decorative lements.  

In the Square of Three Powers, you can find some interesting statues.

Two concrete birds

A giant clothespin, which has become a home for pigeons.

The Lady of Justice

The Warriors

We left the goverment center and crossed the JK (Juscelino Kubitschek) bridge over Lago Paranoa, a recreational lake.  The bridge was built to connect large green spaces with the urban spaces.

It led us to Palacio da Alvorada, the president's residence, where a special flag flies when the President is at home.  This is considered to be the most beautiful of Oscar Niemeyer's buildings.  He was the architect of much of Brasilia and his work is seen in many other Brazilian cities.    

Retiring the flag at 6:00 p.m. in front of the president's palace - and we timed it perfectly to watch the ceremony.  

We have a whole new appreciation for this amazing city that was built in just 5 years to fulfill Kubitschek's election promises but at a huge cost to the whole country.   After the city was built, this whole area of the planalto developed very quickly and it's now one of the most developed agricultural areas of the country.    Of course there were also environmental and indigenous peoples' costs.  

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  May the road rise up to meet you and the wind be ever at your back.  Old Irish Blessing

2.  Amazing all the green things you can find around you!  

3.  When all else fails, go with your pearls!  I've decided they are the necklace to go with my outfit.

4.  In just 3 days, Melinda and Tyler will be home from New York City again!!!  We are so thankful that they can come for the wedding.

5.  People, like Brin at My Messy, Thrilling Life, are planting gardens already!!  Mind you, it is in Texas but still!  We are about 2 months away from frost free nights although some things will go into the ground in late April/early May.  It's not unknown to have a snowstorm in these parts on the May long weekend.  

6.  It's Potato Soup for supper tonight, in honour of the Irish celebration.  The kids at the school I was subbing at today had green pancakes for lunch!  And the challenge of the day was to bring a "green" lunch - in colour and environmentally too.

7.  Ree from The Pioneer Woman won Best Weblog at this year's Bloggie awards in Austin, TX yesterday.  She really does deserve the honours and it's quite the accomplishment for a cooking/ranching/photography blog.  

8.  Guess who's coming to Edmonton at the end of April????  None other than the marvelous Heidi Swapp!!    I won't be there but I hope that some of my friends will be able to enjoy the day with her.  

9.  First day of spring is arriving this week!  We could do with some warm temperatures and melting snow around here.  The hours of daylight stretching up to 8 p.m. these days is much appreciated but we need more than that to feel springlike.

10.  The Sunday School lesson I taught on Sunday was about Jesus giving us living water (John 4:14)  and it got me thinking about how we use that water He gives us.  The kids and I each had a cupful of water and had to 'spend it' by pouring different amounts into jugs we'd labelled with the uses of water.   Where do I pour out the living water He gives me?  Do I use it to nourish myself and others or do I just pour it down the drain?     

Simple Daybook #33

For Today . . . March 16, 2009

Outside my window . . . hoarfrost falling off the trees that it covered all weekend, sun peeking  through the clouds but still -10 degrees C.

I am thinking . . . about the new if campaign that Samaritan's Purse has launched to help women around the world - I like it!

From the kitchen . . . leftover pasta, battered fish, lettuce with veggies salad and Tropicana fresh pressed apple juice (you must try it - it is so, so good!)

I am wearing . . . black dress pants, black and brown striped blouse, black loafers

I am reading . . . Whisper by Belva Plain (a story of American family life in the '90s and a woman's courage in speaking out about family violence)

I am hoping . . . that I can wear my new shoes for 10 hours straight on the weekend!

I am hearing . . . Shania Twain singing "Any Man of Mine"

I am creating . . . notecards for the wedding guests to sign that will go into the guest book with their pictures

Around the house . . . neat and tidy - amazing how things get picked up and cleaned when you have guests over!

One of my favourite things . . . empty baskets in the laundry room

A few plans for the rest of the week . . .two half days of subbing, a sleepover at Meadow's house so her dad can leave early (like 5 a.m.) in the morning to go skiing with his students, deciding what clothes we need to pack for the weekend, making a birthday card and our son's wedding on Saturday!!!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . . we had so much fun with the playdough!  I love those little fingers busy working, rolling and pushing the dough into turtles, butterflies and trees.

Be sure to visit The Simple Woman and read more daybooks!

One Year Ago Project

Our days in this part of Brazil usually included 2 tours so after the morning spent looking at at pineapple and sugarcane, we headed south of town to another farm.  Along the way, we passed over this escarpment, which is a defining geographical feature that influences the amount of rainfall the area receives.  The closer you are to the escarpment, the greater the likelihood that you will receive adequate rainfall during the growing season.  And that means that prime land is also the most expensive in the area.

This farm is located on  prime land - 30,000 hectares of land that is!  It was the biggest farm we visited and is owned by the Horito's, a Japanese family.  The gate sign was a long way from the actual yard!

In the boardroom, were a number of interesting pictures, including this one taken 10 years ago.  The farm has added and opened up lots of new land since this picture was taken.   This gives you a good idea of what center pivot irrigation looks like from the air.   You can see the farmyard in the center right, which is where our visit started.

Of course we started by seeing the workers accommodations including the laundry room -

and shoe room.  When they come in from the fields, all the outer wear is taken off in these areas so the dormitory rooms stay clean.

The bus is parked in front of the farm office where there is a scale for loaded trucks to go over as they depart.  Our tour guide's wife worked in the office and their little boy was sleeping in one of the offices - an informal on site daycare!

There was big equipment everywhere including this crop sprayer that was being washed off.

The men in the shop were busy with repairs and retrofits to the planters.  I love the natural, rustic feel of this picture.  

There were 20 cotton pickers in the yard!!  That's a lot of cotton when you think that each load/bale weighs between 10 and 12 thousand pounds!  You can see puddles left after the morning rain.

And there was more machinery - a mix of John Deere green and Case IH red this time!

What does every farmer do when he sees a new piece of equipment?  You're right!  He climbs up to check it out!!

Our next stop was a cotton field -

followed by the soybean fields where the 3 Ontario growers (Steve, Neil and Ed) had a portrait taken.

These soybean plants were seeded in November and were 3 months old.  They would be harvested in April, 5 - 6 weeks after our visit.

Corn was the third major crop grown here and Lou and Debbie from Washington State were very interested in it.  Our local tour guide, Brian, did an excellent job of answering umpteen questions from our curious group!

This farm employed 14 agronomists, who were responsible for decision making,  and 28 agriculture technicians who did most of the tractor driving and crop operations work.  I think there were specific teams of people responsible for each of the different crops.  It definitely was big business!!  But like all of our guides, these men were so friendly and delighted to share their experiences and knowledge with us.

This was a perfect spot for a group picture - out in the fields of Brazil!