musings by sarah

new hair colour and cut

2012-01-07T07:50:00.003Z

Last night I went for a much needed hair cut. I changed to a much darker brownish red. It's a huge change for me but I'm really happy with the results.

Can I also say how wonderful it is to have someone else style my hair? It came out so nicely, and it's still looking good the next morning!

I sometimes wonder how it is that I am in my thirties and still find it basically impossible to effectively style my own hair. Well, the time has come to learn. I will buy a hair dryer. Can you believe I don't currently own one? Well, maybe you can if you have seen my "natural" style lately. By which I mean, my complete lack of effort and style. I will buy a hair dryer, a round brush, and a book of "hair styling for dummies" (if it exists).

Are you having a good hair day?

new year's resolutions

2012-01-03T11:03:00.004Z

I found it a bit harder to bring myself to make resolutions this year. It seems harder than usual to do something every day. Work has been busy since the school year started and I took on an extra responsibility. But I am aware that in the past my resolutions have been very motivating and have usually helped me accomplish a lot. So it's time to just go for it, and make some decision, darn it.

1. Run in a 10 km event - I have my heart set on the 10 km component of the Great Wall Marathon. It's in May, which gives me plenty of time to actually gain enough fitness to run 10 km. In the back of my mind there is a feeling that this may or may not happen since I have had a few injury problems since starting to run. As a result I have been reading about how to avoid injury. Cross training, for instance. Any other suggestions are gratefully received! At school there is a once-a-week zumba dance exercise class starting up, and I'm looking forward to that.

2. Read through the Bible. The two other times I have done this I have found it to be so heartening. The first time I read the whole Bible in a year was in 2000, and I was amazed by how God was working in history as a whole and that it all really did point to Jesus. This year I want to make it more fresh for me and so I've decided to read in The Message version. (Read it yourself for free on Bible Gateway.)

3. Reflect on what I read. I have a little diary that I use to pray in writing and note thoughts down. (I got it from Dad's church and it's published by The Bible League of Canada.)

4. Keep in touch with family and friends more regularly. This is a recurring theme for my resolutions. This year I plan to keep track my success (hopefully) in my diary. I will try to email, call, or write to someone each day. As a side note, I realise that keeping this blog more regularly updated will probably help, too. (Thanks to Sarah for her encouragement. I am glad someone still checks it!)

So, the floor is open to you. What are your resolutions? Do you find them encouraging?

more things that made me happy

2011-08-28T12:19:00.000+01:00

Things that go well need to be celebrated, since negative things take up so much of our mind-time. In contrast, I want to be a thankful person. One of the best habits I ever had was to write each night a prayer to God thanking him for (at least) six things that day. This made a great impact on me, and helped me see my blessings much more clearly.

Here are a few things, then, for which I'm thankful. Ant made me this delicious coffee the other day. It's tasty and beautiful, and it represents how grateful I am to have Ant in my life. He's a great support for me and always so encouraging.

I'm happy that I reconnected with all my amazing friends this summer. And I am blessed to be finding new friends in Hong Kong.

I'm grateful for the time I spent at the beach today with friends from church. It was relaxing and it was good to chat with them.

I have been taking my camera pretty much everywhere lately and this has led to some nice pictures. I am helped a lot by my new camera handbag, which I looooove. I am very grateful that Ant let me buy it!

I'm grateful for the authentic, informed, and open preaching at church. Our pastor talks a lot about how he has wrestled with the passages in the weeks leading up to each message. He often comes to tears or sniffles in the sermon as well. I am amazed by his openness and insights. He always has something to say that the Holy Spirit uses to impact me. For this I am very grateful.

I am thankful for the technology that helps me keep in touch with all of you. (Although I probably don't need all three of these laptops to do it!)

What are you grateful for today?

my summer holiday in numbers

2011-08-19T08:05:00.015+01:00

34: days away from home

5: cities and towns visited:
Kelowna (BC, Canada)
London (UK)
Halifax (NS, Canada)
Miramichi (NB. Canada)
Ann Arbor (MI, USA)
Shanghai (China)

14: take offs and landings

14 hours 52 minutes: longest flight, from Chicago to Hong Kong
1 hour 3 minutes: shortest flight, from Detroit to Ann Arbor

17: sleeping tablets used in the avoidance of jet lag
12: times I went out jogging in the avoidance of jet lag
6: jogging partners: Pari, Judith, Claude, Nyarku, Andrew, and Katie

4: farmers' markets visited

21 kg: luggage with which I left
37 kg: luggage with which I returned
900: the number of snack-sized zip lock bags I brought back to HK to use in my classroom
1.2 kg: mass of 900 snack-sized zip lock bags

1: wedding attended, for Sarah and Eric

1: bridal shower attended, for Dawn
2: baby showers attended, both for Helen

3: pregnant bumps I stroked, and 1 smaller one that I admired: Sonya, Helen, Sara (below), and Carolyn

1: happy-you-finished-your-PhD party attended, for Micah

1: baby baptism attended: Julia Iris

5: novels read: Room by Emma Donoghue, Who Do You Think You Are? by Alice Munro, Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, Still Alice by Lisa Genova, Little Bee by Chris Cleave
0: airline movies watched

1166: photographs taken

Abiding in Christ

2011-07-26T21:22:00.003+01:00

Pari lent me a Christian book by Andrew Murray called Abiding in Christ. He is a somewhat well-known writer who lived in the late 1800s. It is a 31-day devotional, with about five pages to read each day about Christ saying, "Abide in me," in John 15:4. I am finding it really interesting and useful. I think that it has been a year since I have really prayed or learned anything from God. (In retrospect, I am not too surprised since I have been very sporadic at talking to him or reading his word.) I am glad Pari lent me the book (it was very casually done), because I feel as though I really needed to reconnect with Jesus.

Murray says that a life of abiding in Christ can be for any Christian. Jesus said to us "Come to me," and we responded when we became Christians. But he also says, "Abide in me," and this is him calling me to have rest in him. Murray says that "entire surrender to Jesus is the secret of perfect rest." He also says that when Jesus said that his yoke was easy (in Matthew 11:28-29), he was telling the truth. I have often felt that following him is hard, but Murray says that actually the hard thing is resisting his yoke. Surrendering to Jesus is restful because we are trusting in him and agreeing to obey him, knowing that it will be best.

I have read before in a famous Christian's (published) diary that they spent hours with God in prayer and they describe it as sweet relief to their soul, or they say things such as feeling refreshed after talking to God. I realise that I felt refreshed after my time with Judith or Helen or Pari because of our friendship and fellowship, but tonight was the first time I felt refreshed after speaking to Jesus. I am really amazed by my feeling, and that's what made me want to write about it.

I think another time I learned about this idea is from the book The Shack, which is an incredible story. It's a novel that describes Jesus (and also the Father and the Sprit) in the most understandable and friendly way. I feel like rereading some parts of it, because it helped me see how Jesus can be more like a friend and less like a Bible character from history.

Thanks for reading all of this. I hope that I can read and learn more, and especially come to have my soul dwell with Jesus more, because I am finding it to be quite an appealing idea. :)

funerals

2011-07-17T22:20:00.003+01:00

At Kevin and Sonya's church today, the pastor was announcing about a church member who had died. "There seems to be a lot of funeral announcements lately," he explained, "and our brothers and sisters have gone to be with the Lord. If Jesus doesn't return first, the day will come when we will be announcing your funeral up here. It makes each of us think, doesn't it? Are we ready for what comes next?"

five ways to become a no-excuses runner

2011-04-19T01:54:00.009+01:00

A few months ago I wrote about how I am not a runner. But I decided to start jogging a little anyway since my bike was no longer a good option for exercise after we moved. I have discovered that being a runner is all about how you think of yourself. Here are the tips I've picked up so far about becoming a regular exerciser.

1. Keep a record. Get a small diary and keep an exercise journal. I just record how long I was out running, where I went, and how I felt. Today's run: "The usual 4.8 km loop, walking four times (1 min each), extra runs up the hill and walked down to recover (1 lamp post, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, and 1). Really tired afterwards but happy." You can do this online, too. Or I'm sure there's an app for that.

This is a photo of me, happy and sweaty, after my run this morning.

2. Get inspired online. One of the food blogs I read is also occasionally about running. I feel more motivated to run after I read it. This is the entry I read yesterday about marathon running. (I don't want to run a marathon, don't get excited!) And last week I found a blog called Healthy Motivation that posts a handful of pictures every day. The photos of fit women who are obviously very committed to training makes me want to shape up, too.

3. Talk about what you've been doing. I don't know if my friends find this annoying... if so, I hope they would say. But when I miss a phone call in the morning I am eager to say, "Sorry I missed you, I was out running." I think that the more I tell people the more they will ask me about it. And then if I stop mentioning it after a while, they will catch me out. It's like a mini version of accountability that I'm encouraging. Also, I want to change and develop the picture of myself in my own mind. I want exercising to be a part of who I am. So it's not really my friends I want to convince, but myself. Then if I feel tempted to stop exercising, I say to myself, "But I'm a runner--this is what I do." It's hard to argue with that kind of logic!

4. Trick yourself into going out to exercise. I often give myself a way out if I don't feel like exercising. "I'll just go out for 10 minutes. Then I can stop if I feel bad." Usually after 10 minutes of getting started I realise that I am fine to carry on. Or I say, "I'll run up the hill and then walk down. That will be enough." On some days I take the easy way out and end up with a very short workout. At least it was better than nothing and it keeps the habit going. But most of the time I actually end up enjoying my run.

5. Put out your workout clothes the night before. When I wake up and see them sitting there, it's like my shorts, shirt and trainers have been waiting for me. My gear wants to go out running! And as soon as the shorts are on, it seems like a shame not to go out for a run. So I try to go directly from my pyjamas to my running clothes, and as quickly as possible, while I am still bleary-eyed. It really reduces the excuses I can use. Another trick is to put my contact lenses ready by the sink. Then when I get up and go to the bathroom, after I wash my hands I put my contacts straight in. Then it seems inevitable that I will go out for a run.

Since I began running in October it seems that I have become a runner! What tips do you have to share?

sick day

2011-03-07T09:39:00.002Z

I can smell the remenants of cinnamon toast. The warm bread had melting butter glistening on it. I wanted to cut the rectangles into thin fingers, like my Dad used to. A sick day treat--toast fingers and a glass of juice. Instead of being looked after by Mum or Dad, I'm home alone on my sick day. The quiet afternoon sun, a little breeze from a cracked-open window. Drinking lots of fluids, yes, mother, and I've eaten two oranges. I hope the enlivening vitamin C starts working in me soon. Other people talk about eating chicken soup on their sick days, but I don't remember ever doing this. I did feed myself some lunch with the leftover fried rice that Ant made last night. My darling husband has carried the cooking AND cleaning load this weekend. I hope to be able to cook the steak that's thawing for dinner in his honour.

I have been sitting or lying on the couch, and I've fallen asleep there several times. During the real sleeping time, at night, I have been coughing instead of sleeping. Ant can't sleep because of it. "Cough syrup doesn't work," I read today. Well, I'm willing to try. And I keep a big glass of water at the foot of the bed to sip when the hacking begins. Trouble is, I have to sit up and slither down there to get it. (My side of the bed is against the wall--ah, the Hong Kong life.)

(I'm reading Creative Journal Writing by Stephanie Dowrick between naps. Hence the more freely associative style.)

recent discoveries

2011-03-07T03:32:00.005Z

I have recently discovered that:

"reader" is my favourite one-handed typing word.
sharing magazines with others is a clever type of recycling.
the laundry dries more quickly in the guest bedroom than in the living room (due to the morning sun)--and it's out of the way there, too.
pruning and washing the leaves on my indoor tree has revitalised it. (And I bet the same is true for people.)
falling asleep on the couch for a nap with a book in hand is one version of luxury.
persistence in rearranging my classroom furniture has finally led to a more open, spacious feeling. It's still the same number of desks and children, but they finally feel as though they fit.
lesson planning is sometimes just "activity sequencing".

What have you discovered recently? Please share your pithy wisdom in the comments.

chinese parenting

2011-02-14T05:44:00.002Z

A recent Wall Street Journal article titled Why Chinese Mothers are Superior has sparked an intense debate about parenting styles around the world. The article is written by Amy Chua, the author of the bestselling book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, and she argues that effective parenting does not allow children choices such as TV, sleepovers, or the school play. Today I read this insightful article in The Guardian; it's a reponse to Chua's article by parent and professor Peter Singer. In it, he argues that elephant mothers are more what we need. It's an intriguing read. Please let me know what you think in the comments!

the craft of writing

2011-01-31T14:15:00.003Z

Do you remember in high school when we filled in a multiple choice survey with tens, no hundreds, of questions, designed to help us choose our future career? The seemingly endless questions were about abilities, lifestyle, and "workplace values", whatever they were. After we nervously filled in the answer sheet bubbles with our sharpened pencils it was sent off to be analysed. Two weeks later we received a one page printed sheet with our best choice careers bluntly stated. Several of my friends and I were mystified by the names of jobs we had never heard of previously. My two optimal jobs? Metallurgist and technical writer.

I laughed off these two bizarre suggestions. I floundered through university, undecided, eventually ending up with a maths and history degree. And then I hit upon what I wanted to do: I became a teacher.

But recently I have started to wonder about writing again and I have begun practicing on my food blog. And I've been reading books about food writing, style, and vocabulary. It's exciting to learn a new thing.

I'm not saying that I've decided to change careers. But maybe those hundreds of questions had something to say, after all.

Chinese New Year is approaching

2011-01-20T11:54:00.002Z

I saw this as I walked up the driveway tonight. At work tomorrow I will ask for some help from my local colleagues and learn how to wish you a very lucky New Year in Cantonese. We have just over a week at work until we have the holiday and Ant and I are looking forward to enjoying all that happens in Hong Kong over the period. Our friend Laura will be visiting and we plan to see the dragon parade. And we are going with some of my colleagues on a junk boat on the harbour on the night of the fireworks. Stay tuned for pictures soon!

our new coffee mugs

2011-01-16T10:52:00.002Z

Don't you think that our new coffee thermos flasks are quite "his and hers"? They have been fantastic at work, even after an hour's teaching, my tea is still hot when I pick it up.

(I took this picture and typed this post on my new phone, the HTC Desire HD. I'm expecting some glitches.)

communicating--by email?

2011-01-12T09:08:00.005Z

Below is the abstract of a workshop at a school leaders' conference. (For non-Hong Kongers, Sir Donald Tsang is the chief executive of HK Government.)

Donald Tsang Does It.... Do You?

As educators, it appears we use email as our communications tool of choice whether we are communicating with colleagues, with students, or with parents. We still use letters for impact when it is something of real consequence but otherwise we send an ever increasing barrage of emails to our communities. Is this really the best we can do in reaching out to our target audience when we have an array of sophisticated alternatives at our disposal? We pride ourselves on being "good communicators" but when the average student views email as "something that old people do" then perhaps it is time to take a long hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves, "are we really doing everything we can to be good communicators and adapting our communication strategies to meet the needs of our target audience?"

And in case you were wondering what Donald Tsang does ... he blogs!

I wonder if my teenage students will turn to emails when they get jobs? Or will communication be different by then? What do you think communication will look like in our future?

This is on my mind because I got my first smartphone yesterday and now I can be in touch with the world all the time! It feels quite exciting. I checked some email on the bus. I did some Twitter at my desk. What will be next? Maps while I am out and about? How thrilling!

Now I can even blog from anywhere. Since that appears to be the communication of the future.

Christmas decorations

2010-12-17T10:55:00.004Z

This is the grotesque Christmas display in the roundabout at the entrance to our complex. It's so fake looking and I groan every time I pass it. In our flat, meanwhile, we have one decoration and one poinsettia. :) That's more than enough because we're at my Mum and Dad's for Christmas in Canada, and they always have a nice tree and Christmas tablecloths, napkins, and lights.

Japanese Muscat Gummy Candy

2010-11-30T06:31:00.000Z

"Its translucent color so alluring and taste and aroma so gentle and mellow offer admiring feelings of a graceful lady. Enjoy soft and juicy Kasugai Muscat Gummy."

jogging

2010-11-28T10:33:00.000Z

Years ago I tried jogging. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a whole school year I went to the university gym and ran around the indoor track, and found it to be quite strenuous. It's fair to say that I didn't enjoy it at all. My legs hurt, my lungs hurt, and worst of all, it didn't seem to improve as I continued to do it. I don't know why, but eight months later I wasn't any faster or better or more relaxed. Well, I hate this as much now as the day I began, I said to myself, so I'm quitting.

I haven't run since then. I have always been envious of those who see running as such an enjoyable hobby. They talk about letting their mind relax and the time slipping by. Sonya started to run and train for races, and everyone who jogs just seems so jolly about it. Meanwhile, I got into cycling instead, and loved it! I cycled to work every day for three and a half years and also did a cycling trip in France and Belgium.

We brought our bikes to Hong Kong but if I'm perfectly honest, I'm scared of riding here on the roads. I need to find some off-road trails instead. In the meantime, I haven't been doing much exercise. So, I decided it's time to learn to enjoy running.

I have been out for a half hour jog in the mornings about ten times now, spaced over two months. I enjoy it a lot more now than I did at university. The biggest difference is that running outdoors is so much better than that dark, dingy indoor track at university. When I'm running here I go along a road with a beautiful view out to the shipping lanes. Then I turn along a street with treed hills on each side. I also pass a lot of office buildings and residential blocks. (How can anyone enjoy a treadmill? It's so boring!) The scenery is also one thing I liked about cycling, and it makes jogging so much more bearable.

In addition, the fitness I built up from cycling has made jogging less of a chore. I'm actually not a great runner, but I remember how the more I cycled the easier it got, and I feel confident that my jogging will improve. I can already run for five to eight minutes at a time before I take a walking break, up from three minutes when I started. This gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

So, I wouldn't say that I am a committed runner just yet. But I am learning to like it and I can feel its benefits. We are very fortunate here that the weather will allow me to continue running outdoors until next summer (when it becomes much, much too hot again). By then maybe I'll like it enough that I will tolerate the treadmill.

camping "holiday"

2010-11-19T13:30:00.004Z

I just got back from a week's camping with 180 twelve year old students. We were there to expand our horizons, try some new things, and have active fun. Actually it was exhausting for the students, and not that exhausting for me. The camp was run by a group of youth leaders and they did all the work while I admired the view. :)

But then I got sick and ended up spending two days at home, lying on the couch and moaning a bit. Eventually I recovered, thankfully, and made it back to camp. Sadly I missed the best parts of the week--the hiking, kayaking, and gorging. Maybe next year?

October trip to the UK

2010-10-29T16:01:00.004+01:00

Ant's Nan, Etta, and Rachele's daughter, Kaitlin. She is our first niece!

Rachele helped Kaitin model her Hong Kong fashion.

Helen and I chatting--it was great to visit with her again, and Pari and Geary.

Pari and Geary both liked their new Hong Kong newspaper classified aprons. Early Christmas presents. :)

happy times

2010-10-01T10:53:00.004+01:00

A few good things that have happened lately:

Ant and I are both happy at work--though very busy. Every night this fortnight we fell into bed. But a public holiday today has helped us recharge a bit.

We had lunch with dear friends from church last week. It's great to feel as though we are making friends more and more. And we got to try these beetroot brownies while there--exciting times for me (not so much for Ant)!

We went on a sail boat trip with some friends from volleyball. The weather was perfect, the trip was very relaxing. We sailed out past the main harbour to a more remote area and went for a swim. We had a boat-picnic and chatted away with new people. Very enjoyable.

We have booked flights for October half term to the UK and for Christmas for Canada. So we are thrilled that we will get to see lots of family and friends soon!

What has made you happy recently?

yacht trip

2010-09-10T11:40:00.003+01:00

Since I last posted, I have gone back to work and it's going well so far. But instead of writing about work, I want to show you some pictures from the other weekend when Ant and I were invited with our care group from church on a yacht trip. We met up with the yacht and our friends--one of them is an employee for the company that owns the yacht. He had arranged to borrow it for the day and invited the group along. There was a crew provided, and our care group members provided lunch and snacks as well.

We sailed west from Causeway Bay, going around Hong Kong island to the south side. We dropped anchor in Repulse Bay and jumped in a for a swim.

The motor boat came along to pull the tubes behind it. Both Ant and I went out for a tube ride, which was really enjoyable. Just the right amount of thrill for me: not too scary but definitely exciting! We had some lunch and relaxed and chatted. After lunch the boat took us further round the island on a tour, and then back past Lamma Island. We saw this little row boat nearby.

Ant and I went up to the top deck and looked out on Stanley, while others were sitting on the front of the boat enjoying the ride.

Just before docking, we went by the floating restaurants in Aberdeen. I've been told that although they are all a bit cheesy, the Top Deck is worth visiting, so I hope we go there soon. You catch a little boat at Aberdeen that ferries you across to the restaurants.

After we went home, I was a bit "land sick". But that didn't detract from how great a day it was. We both had a fantastic time. It was really relaxing and enjoyable.

shopping areas

2010-08-06T09:51:00.004+01:00

A funny thing about shopping Hong Kong: the shops can be very focused on just one thing. Yes, there are some department stores, and "home goods" stores, but a lot of shops sell only one thing, like this scale shop I saw earlier this week. The entire shop just sells scales, analogue and digital. I was so surprised, I had to snap a photo; a whole shop of just scales!?

And another thing I find a bit odd, where you find one shop selling one thing, you inevitably see a whole row of them. For example, here's a street (below) in the area called the flower market. The whole street (and the one parallel to it and each side street) is lined with flower shops. There are probably a hundred small flower retailers here, all in the same area. I wish I could go there to buy flowers every week, but the flower market is in Mong Kok, across the harbour from us. In my Western thinking I wonder, wouldn't it be better to have one or two flower shops in each part of Hong Kong? But at least you know where to get your flowers, it's in Mong Kog, of course! (Small amusing anecdote: there are two shops on those streets which do not sell flowers. One is a bakery [num, num] for sustenance when browsing all these flower joints. The other sells motorcycle helmets. I do not joke.)

I visited the Western Market recently ("Western" because it is on the west side of central Hong Kong). The first floor is all fabric shops, row after row of fabrics. I really liked visiting there earlier in my holiday and I bought a few half yards of fabric to use in my food photos (you can see them in this post about nut butters if you're curious!). But I have heard that the Western Market with its ten fabric stalls is not the main place to go for fabric. I don't know where it is yet (maybe my mother remembers?) but I do know that when I find it, there will be dozens of fabric sellers there.

Anna Karenina read-along

2010-08-04T04:22:00.004+01:00

Here's today's plan:

I'm taking my guide book as I wander off to Lamma Island. My goal is to find a nice cafe and sit there, reading Anna Karenina and watching life go by. It's too hot for much walking about, but I'll have a ferry ride to enjoy and a modicum of sight-seeing on the island.

This idea has been prompted by my friend, Andrea from Inspired by Hope and Surprised by Joy. One of her 2010 goals is to read Anna Karenina, which is a rather large book, and so we have decided to do it together. And I'm here to invite you to read along, too! Neither of us has read any Tolstoy before, so we are excited to embark on this project. Two bloggers on opposite sides of the world, and YOU!

We are setting a modest pace. The book has eight parts, each of which are about a hundred pages. The plan is to read one part each month from August until next March. Even if it takes you a few days to get a copy (hello, local second hand bookstore!), you will still have plenty of time to read the first part during August.

What do you think? Who's up for joining us? In anticipation of your answer in the positive, I am posting a character list here! Unless you want the plot spoiled, don't go reading around on the web for help with Russian names. Just stick to this list!

Note: Every Russian has three names: first name, patronymic, last name. The root of the middle name is that of the father, plus a suffix meaning "son of" or "daughter of." Thus Anna's middle name is "Arkadyevna," while that of her brother is "Arkadyevitch." Russians call each other by the Christian name and patronymic, rarely by surname. For the sake of clarity, however, English translators use the characters' family names wherever possible.

Anna Arkadyevna Karenina: High society heroine

Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin: Anna's husband; he is a frigid, lonely man with an influential government position in St. Petersburg

Sergei Alexeyitch Karenin (Seriozha): Anna's son

Count Alexey Kirillovitch Vronsky: An honorable, rich, handsome aide-de-camp with a promising army career

Konstantin Dmitrich Levin (Kostya): Autobiographical hero of novel

Princess Katerina Alexandrovna Shtcherbatsky (Kitty): The eighteen year old debutante

Prince Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky (Stiva): Anna's brother who is a pleasure-loving socialite

Princess Darya Alexandrovna Oblonsky (Dolly): Stiva's long-suffering wife and Kitty's older sister

Nicolai Dmitrich Levin: Levin's profligate brother

Sergei Ivanitch Koznyshev: Levin's elder half-brother who is a famous writer and intellectual

sunset

2010-07-29T14:42:00.003+01:00

The view from our balcony is so beautiful sometimes. A few days during my holiday I have sat on the couch looking out there, reading a bit, drinking tea, and enjoying it. This was what Ant and I saw a few nights ago when we were eating our dinner.

I feel grateful to God for the peace that he gives us through his faithful upholding of the days; sun rising, and sun setting.

It was St. Thomas, I think, who pointed out long ago that if God wanted to get rid of the universe, He would not have to do anything; He would have to stop doing something.... Do you see what this means?... God made the world out of joy: He didn't need it; He just thought it was a good thing. But if you confine His activity in creation to the beginning only, you lost most of the joy in the subsequent shuffle of history. Sure, it was good back then, you say, but since then, we've been eating leftovers. How much better a world it becomes when you see Him creating at all times and at every time.... He has no use for [the world]; only delight.

--from The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon

our living and dining room

2010-07-28T04:32:00.006+01:00

Our living and dining area is one big room, divided by the couch. At one end is Ant's new TV (bought just in time for the World Cup) and our bookshelves. On the left you can see the doors to our balcony. (Our landlady left us those curtains; what do you think of them?)

On the other end of the room you can see our new painting, which we got as a gift from Jeff's Mum when we went to Shenzhen with Mum and Dad. It's amazing! At the back you can see our front door and the kitchen door, going off to the left.

And I've started a picture collage on the wall--some family photos and some postcards. I am now looking for new postcards, so why don't you send me one from your next outing? ;-)