Things aren't always as they appear.

My dog, Paris and I walk every day in the off-leash park by my house. In the winter there is a business that must have some sort of Nativity scene they place in their office area annually because they always have bails of hay tossed into the back area of their warehouse. There is an older man who sits on them like a park bench with his little dog on the sunny winter white days. Now that it is summer, I noticed they are still there and it quite good form as compared to past years. Previously, I notice they become weathered and tattered with soggy and rotting hay but this year they look very different. They seemed to hold their form quite well for a square bail with sharp edges and a tight geometric shape.

Normally, I don't let my dog go over to that area behind the businesses because I am still trying to train her to "heel" as we walk but on this one occasion I allowed her to wander off to sniff in the tall grass. She stood beside the 4 well manicured hay bails and I started to walk over to where she was to get a closer look.

As I got closer I noticed one of them has some shadows on it that made me want to investigate what was in these bails. Was is metal wire instead of twine to keep them together? But then Paris went to the last bail in the row and I could hear her lapping up water. A puddle had formed in the centre of one of the bails. And upon closer inspection it wasn't a bail at all...
To my surprise it was 4 boxes that some crafty prop designer built to look like a bail of hay when really it was 4 boxes with hay pieces glued all over the sides to make it look like a real bail. Over the rainy spring conditions a few of the boxes had a concave top that allowed water to pool in it which worked as a little drink for my thirsty dog.

From a distance I couldn't tell but as I got closer I could see the shadows weren't wire it was printing on the boxes that was exposed for all to see. It all made sense now.

They covered only 4 of the 6 sides to make it look like a bail of hay - and they had me fooled for the past few months! I just assumed it was some co-worker's efforts to WOW their boss with an impressive Christmas backdrop for their shop and I was right but rather than driving out to see Uncle Randy on the farm for a few bails of hay they opted to make their own. Well done! I was impressed!Ha ha on me... So who is going to clean them up now... as they sit rotting in the park. Nasty.

HIV/AIDS ~ Where do I begin?

Last summer I went to hear an African Children's Choir on tour here in Edmonton sing at a local church. It was so heart warming to see their smiling faces and listen to them sing at the top of their lungs. They had more energy and enthusiasm than any choir or singing team that I have ever seen, as well as a heart to share love with the audience. Some of the kids told their stories, including a girl who shared how her mother was killed in an attack on her village and she was hiding under a matt. Another boy talked about both of his parents dying of HIV/AIDS and being orphaned by the rest of his family. . I was so moved by their stories I couldn't help but fall in love with their little faces! They sang with an inner joy and peace about the opportunity they were being given. Some of them talked about this being their second chance at life to make an impact. I was so impressed with the way they conducted themselves but I did notice there were a few of them wearing a medical bracelet. It got me thinking about the ones who talked about having parents who died of HIV/AIDS seemed to be the ones who were wearing the bracelets. I wondered if these sweet little kids also were infected. At the end of the evening they asked if there were people who might be interested in the future to join their team as teachers, leaders and other chaperons on future trips around the world. I took an application. Haven't done anything about it yet - but I am thinking about it. What an experience it could be.

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December 1st is World HIV/AIDS day and this past year I was able to be a part of an event that raised awareness of the disease. We hosted an evening at city hall with food and shared information about the seriousness of the spread of the disease in Africa. We briefly talked about how HIV/AIDS impacts us here in Canada but our focus was on developing nations. The money collected from this event went to support our team trip to Africa where we were able to experience a real hands on learning of how the HIV/AIDS education is getting into the lives of young people in these countries. I was so proud to be able to stand with my Canadian team and attempt to be proactive and educate the high school students we were talking with about the disease. I was encouraged to hear the amount of information they already knew about the spread of the disease and the importance of being safe.

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Just before winter I met a lady named Andrea. She lives in Edmonton and just by looking at her you can tell she has had a rough life. She is pretty happy-go-lucky but some days she looks like she is carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She shared with me privately this year that she has been living with HIV and is on a daily cocktail of multiple pills to keep her immune system functioning enough for today. She came up to me last week after not seeing me in over 2 months and gave me the biggest hug ever. I was so happy to see her because I don't know if I will see her again. I get so angry when I think of this disease and how it is completely preventable! I know a cure can happen but in the in-between time it breaks my heart to hear of how many people still become infected when there is so much education and information out there for them to protect themselves.

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So do I pat myself on the back and say I've done my part

or do I get louder and say what can you do about it?

No Opennings in June

June is always the busiest month for me. It feels like everything comes to head just before the start of summer and then things start to slow down. I know this isn't a new thing - most people feel this way but I am trying to figure out why it seems to happen to me. If I look at people who really feel this influx of scheduling and bookings they are usually people who have children or are students themselves. I also have some friends who are teachers and they have to get all their work done before summer as well. But I am none of the above! You would think I would be feeling great and enjoying the spring-like temperatures but instead I am on the go every night, all weekend long and there seems to be no end in sight. Perhaps it has to do with the weather as well, for the most part we are indoors for the winter and when the first sign of good weather comes everyone wants to get out and do stuff. I don't want to sound like I am complaining because I am not - in fact - I like being busy! However, when other things are left or dropped entirely that starts to irritate me. I have a long list of things that need doing but they might have to wait until July. I guess I get to spend the first part of July doing housework, laundry, landscaping, and the many other untouched concerns that are being back-burner-ed until a later time. Oh well - I guess that just means I get to enjoy this month as a social butterfly and next month I will be grounded as a home body... And maybe work on my tan!

A Life of Blessing

I had the honor of being invited to attend the Commencement and Graduation banquet of the Jasper Place High school class of 2007 this past week. On Tuesday evening I went to the Jubilee Auditorium to see many of the kids from the youth group walk across the stage and graduate proudly. I especially was beaming when I saw my Africa Travel Buddy get up and give the valedictorian speech to her peers, teachers and family. Watching her mature over the years made it an exciting experience for me to work with her in Africa. She was pushed outside her comfort zone and challenged but it grew her as well. She spent the whole day at the orphanage holding this very sick little baby who had a high temperature because of the malaria.

She was inspiring and eloquent in what she said and her challenge to her fellow graduates was practical and heartfelt. I looked around as she was speaking and everyone was focused on what she had to say - it was like you could hear a pin drop in the room - all the attention was on her! She did a great job!

Thursday came and it was a mad rush to get home from work and get ready to go to the graduation banquet. I had already decided on what I was going to wear so it was just a matter of putting it all together in 30 minutes! Voila - out the door without lip gloss - I thought I could finish in the car. When I arrived it was impressive to see the guys in their suits and the girls decked out in some of the most beautiful gowns I have ever seen! It looked like a red carpet celebrity gathering... so classy! Once inside we had a lovely meal and a very lengthy program. They had all the grads line up and do the grand march through the room to the dance floor where they started the dance. I stayed for short time but I had to get going home. Robbie J, another non-grad attendee, parked a few blocks away and offered to escort me through the sketchy downtown streets to my car which I greatly appreciated and I drove him and Chet to where Robbie had parked. On my way home I was remembering my grad and what a strange night it was for me. I wish I could go back and do it all over again with less drama!

As I looked around the empty streets I saw an orange glow low in the sky and it was the moon. It was full and bright - like a giant navel orange floating in the midst of a dark blue sky. I find there are few sights as engaging as the sky - throughout the year... always changing and always beautiful.

I guess it's moments like this when I am reminded that there is something bigger than myself working in the universe to show me that there is so much more available to me if I only can grab onto it. I have been so blessed in my life and I can only imagine what is to come in the future!