Banff Mountain Book Festival

This past couple of days Brent and I have been away to beautiful snowy Banff. You may say awww, you poor guys "having" to be in the mountains BUT It WAS work (for me) and required lots of mental exertion for both of us. We went to seven seminar sessions wherein authors spoke about their books, two "literary lunches" where we were fed whilst listening to readings by two authors from their books, two evening programs where we heard from four adventurers about their travels, and went to a small session (just my mountain lit. class) to talk to Greg Mortenson, one of the authors and evening speakers. So...what did we learn from our experience. Well, rather than write it out here, I'm going to highly recommend that you all read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and an American journalist. I will give the disclaimer that the book itself I did not find particularly good but the ideas and Mortenson's work I find tremendously interesting. Please please read the book if you have time, and let me know what you think. The concept of girls' education is compelling in what it returns to the cultural and physical community. Some websites that might help: The book's website Mortenson's organization's website Also, I got to meet Sharon Wood, the first North American woman to ascend Everest (and come back alive). There's much, much more I could say about the week...if you're interested, you'll have to ask in person. :)

This just in...

Weather Report for Trevor and Rachel (because I love you). It's COLD and snowy hereabouts. I ran this morning in about minus ten or more and when I got home my legs were frost-bitten (that's what I get for just wearing thin running tights). Thought I would take some pictures so you could see what you're missing out on (and decide if you're glad to be elsewhere or not...)

Funnies

Last night's concert

Last night Brent and I went to the Jack Singer concert hall and heard Harry Manx and Michael Kaeshammer. For those of you who don't know, Harry Manx plays what he calls "mysticsippi" kind of a cross between Indian and blues. He has a hoarse but very lovely voice and also plays about four different styles of guitar, mostly with them face up on his lap while he picks and slides up and down the strings (hard to explain, you have to listen). I recommend particularly "Wise and Otherwise" although I hear good things about "Mantras for Madmen" too. His website, www.harrymanx.com has some examples of his music that you can listen to. Michael Kaeshammer is a piano player/singer about our age. He does a lot of boppy jazz and sings in a hoarse voice like a younger Harry Manx. At the same time as playing the piano, he also played a set of high hat cymbals or a bass drum or a second electronic piano or plucked the piano strings. Very talented individual. His website is www.kaeshammer.com The concert was awesome. In the first half, Harry and Michael each did a set of songs. Then in the second half, they pretty much just jammed. Played some Indian/blues, played some jazz. Someone in the audience yelled out "We love you Michael" and Michael said "that's my mom". The audience loved them both. They did not one but TWO encores. It was great. If you ever get a chance to see either of them in concert, I highly recommend it. I haven't heard Kaeshammer's albums but we're going to buy one sometime soon, so if you're interested in how he sounds, just ask!

The hazards of giving blood...

So Monday (snowy day!) I had an appointment to give blood at the university. Funny that the University has scheduled blood clinics...I would have thought that the crowd around there wouldn't be very conducive to getting good blood. Anyway, I went in, having drank a liter and a half of water, thinking I was good and full of excess blood. BUT, after going through all the steps for screening (regarding drugs and being Africa and...stuff) I finally got in a chair. I always ask for an experienced nurse because I have SMALL veins and have had bad experiences with nurses digging around in my arms trying to hit the vein. So this I did, but she STILL couldn't find the vein in my right arm, even the one closest to the inside of my arm. So...they bandaged my arm up with NEON PINK tape and put me in a chair for the opposite arm where they managed to find a vein with relatively little digging. For an idea of comparison, my brother takes about five minutes to donate a pint. I, on the other hand, took a whopping eighteen minutes...after which they bandaged my left arm up with NEON PINK tape. Good thing I had a long sleeved shirt to wear or I would have looked pretty humorous to my classmates... ah well, it was worth it. :) I got strawberry kiwi juice. :)

A Trip to Canmore

Last Friday we took a trip out to Canmore to go to a lecture put on by one of our favorite authors, Charlie Russell. Charlie has spent the last 45 years working with bears in Canada and has had a project in Russia trying to learn if humans and bears can co-exist in the same space and not come to harm each other. His website shows some of his work. His lecture was extremely interesting to me and Kirstin, as it falls in line with our own ecological mindset.

On the way out we were driving into the sunset, it was beautiful!

Male 1/2

Thanksgiving Weekend trip#2

So...after getting from our trip to Lethbridge (around two) we went to bed and got up in time to be out the door again at nine thirty Sunday morning.

Drove down to K's parents' for Thanksgiving dinner with family and long, long time family friends.

Sunday night celebrated B's grandmother's 85th birthday with almost the whole Nelson family (eleven grandkids between the ages of twelve and two weeks).

Monday we helped work on the train station--or B productively helped and K was a go-fer. Monday night was second Thanksgiving dinner with some new friends at Gull Lake. Then home again so K could study for midterm Tuesday morning.

Thanksgiving Weekend Trip #1

We had a well-traveled weekend over Thanksgiving. First, Saturday we drove down to Lethbridge for a wedding. This took two and a half hours on the way there....and because of an unplanned and most definitely accidental detour, it took over three hours on the way back. (Note to us: watch for turn-off onto Hwy 2 shortly after Fort McLeod, otherwise, turn onto Hwy 22 past Pincher Creek...). Even for over five hours of driving, it was worth going to the wedding. We were able to support a friend of Brent's and see and visit with some other good friends. Southern Alberta is majestic. The flat prairie is not my primal landscape--my home--but I am nevertheless awed by it. Prairie up until tall snow-covered mountains. Rolling hills and coulees and wind. And--important to me--so much visible Albertan history. RCMP barracks, old worn out homesteader houses, irrigation ditches. The striving of humans to overcome nature through the massive windmills, the train, again, the irrigation equipment. The desires of humans to recreate old world culture in a cultural vaccum through brick-clad churches and houses, hotels and a university. If anyone tries to say that Alberta has no history, come and talk to me and I will show you otherwise.

Portraiture of a leaf

Have I told you lately how much I like fall? Van Morrison, one of my FAVORITE musical artists, sings a song about fall: It's a marvelous night for a moondance with the stars up above in your eyes A fantabulous night to make romance 'Neath the cover of October skies All the leaves on the trees are falling To the sound of the breezes that blow And I'm trying to please to the calling Of your heart-strings that play soft and low And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush. Trust me, it's a great song. The people upstairs have never experienced fall before. Can you imagine not knowing fall? I can't. What do non-fall people do for crafts in elementary school in September and October? What about finding different leaves? What would happen to all the orange, red and brown construction paper?

Do you ever feel like this?

Long Time - No Blog

Its been far too long since I've posted on our blog. My other half is pretty good at keeping things up to date, but has been bugging me to contribute as well. So here is my first post in quite a few months. Not substantial either, but have been thinking about this a bit lately. I find it odd how within Calgary you can find two differant scenes; one man-made and one natural. Each one has its own beauty, in different ways.

Queen's Park Cemetery

Downtown Calgary from Nosehill Natural Park

The Long and Winding Road

Wow...it's Friday, the end of another hectic week for both Brent and I. Brent finally got his computer rebuilt by Wednesday. Danish lessons got difficult and we both have lots of review to do. I have my second paper proposal due Monday and a third to complete next week. Boring school junk aside, we went for a walk last night in the clear sunlit evening and took some pictures I thought I'd share. Especially for Trev and Rach's benefit. Here's some more autumn for you:

Fall

The past month or so I've been praying that I might really appreciate the beauty of the fall this year, rather than missing it being so caught up in school work. This morning Brent and I went for a run/bike in the crisp fall sunshine. It was truly lovely. Here are some fall pictures so far:

Finally a new post

Mmm good morning? I'm a sleepy individual this morning. I've got a few minutes to spare so here's a new blog (that's why we haven't blogged lately, things have been very busy). The end product of my sunflowers before the fall wind blew them over and the squirrels once again decimated them:

A crazy cool video that makes me laugh

Are you duly impressed?? Got this from this blog.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Yesterday Brent and I helped with worship at our church again. He played drums and I sang. One of the songs we sang is one I learned at camp the third year I was on staff there. We used to sing it as all the senior counsellors. Holding hands and worshipping and praising God and placing the spiritual welfare of the campers who'd just left in His hands. It's a beautiful song and I sang it to myself again as I was running this morning. So, I thought I would share it with you. It is my prayer as we enter a new school year, new opportunities to minister to those around us as we meet new people. May we (I) take courage in our opportunities to shine for Him for the battle belong to the Lord and He deserves all glory and honor. The Battle Belongs to the Lord Words and music by Jamie Owens-Collins In heavenly armour we'll enter the land The battle belongs to the Lord No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand The battle belongs to the Lord We sing glory and honor Power and strength to the Lord We sing glory and honor Power and strength to the Lord The power of darkness comes in like a flood The battle belongs to the Lord He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood The battle belongs to the Lord We sing glory and honor Power and strength to the Lord We sing glory and honor Power and strength to the Lord When your enemy presses in hard do not fear The battle belongs to the Lord Take courage my friend, your redemption is near The battle belongs to the Lord Love, Kirstin