I will now attempt an update of my 'status':
David is - ticked off at having driven 45 minutes to play a soccer game in Newmarket only to find out (at 6:30) that as of 1:00 that afternoon the game had been cancelled due to an overly wet soccer pitch.
Thank-you.... thank-you....
Now wasn't that a great update?
The Geertsema Commonwealth
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Springtime
Well, it's finally springtime here in Barrie. It's taken a while and I think it's been below average in terms of temperature for the month of May, but there has been a few really nice days. I just thought I'd share a few pictures of spring at our place.
I thought these tulips were a beautiful colour!
We spent a good chunk of the day today working on our garden. I should have taken a before shot, but trust me when I say it was a total mess. I definitely took a few hours of weeding! My mom and I split some of her perrenials on Friday, so we put them in today too. So all in all a very productive day!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Raccoon
It was Friday Night. Late on Friday Night. Like 23:oo hours at night kinda late on a Friday Night.
I was lounging on the couch, enjoying the sensation of cushions all around me, as I watched "Bridezillas" (starring Annie H. and Katie H.), with my lovely wife lounging on another couch nearby.
When the doorbell rang.
"I'm not getting it," said I, "I'm not dressed to go to the door."
"It's 23oo hours at night!" said my wife, "Who goes door to door at this time of night?"
My wife went to answer the door.
I heard some whispering.
"You gotta get dressed, David." Said my wife, "There's a raccoon outside."
It was our neighbour. Out chasing raccoons. He'd heard about raccoons burrowing into his parents attic once, and he didn't want that happening here. We had to do something.
The raccoon had started off on his deck, and now it was beside our house.
I got dressed in appropriate attire for raccoon hunting. (A t-shirt, and sweat pants).
I went outside. My neighbour whispered "It's over there!" Pointing to a corner of our property.
It looked innocent.
My neighbour was holding a 5 foot long, pointy, gardening tool.
"I don't have a gun," I said (loudly), "And I'm not beating it over the head with a shovel. They're too stubborn to die that way."
"Well, we gotta do something," my neighbour whispered, and related to me the story of raccoons at his parents.
"Steph, can you call pest control?" I asked Steph.
"I'll try," she replied and went inside.
We stood and watched the raccoon innocently hopping around the yard trying to catch unseen insects of various kinds.
I related to my neighbour my story about my date to the prom. Who had rabies because she got between her dog and a rabid raccoon in grade 12. She had to take huge needles to avoid going nuts.
"No answer," Steph said after calling a number.
Another neighbour showed up. To get his mail. At 11 o'clock at night... ????
The other neighbour tried to take pictures of the raccoon, which was now up one of my trees (having finally noticed strange beings watching him with a long pointy stick), using his cell phone.
The other neighbour went back home after unsuccessfully using his cell phone.
I related to my neighbour the story of a particular skunk last summer.
"I'll try the hose," said I, in the hopes that annoying a raccoon with water would pursuade it to leave my property and thereby assuage my neighbour into going back home, so I could go in and watch the last 4 minutes of Bridezillas, and then go to bed.
We got the hose ready.
I tried various settings on my water sprayer... Nope, 'Mist' won't work... I thought.
I realized I was pointing the spray gun at my neighbour as I tried the different settings, and appologized.
Finally I had the right setting.
I pointed the water gun at the raccoon, up in the tree.
I sprayed. The raccoon jumped straight at me!
Okay, just kidding,...
The raccoon didn't jump. It just sat there after getting a facewash by my hose.
'Great, now how am I going to get to bed?' I thought.
We stood and contemplated a few minutes.
We should try it again, we concluded.
We tried it again.
It worked! The raccoon turned around and climbed down the tree. Clearly annoyed.
It ran along my fence, to another one of my trees and went up that one.
This tree was taller.
'Great, now how am I going to get to bed?' I thought.
I tried spraying the hose up the tree. I didn't have enough power behind my hose.
We sat and contemplated a few more minutes.
Alright. We'll try one more time.
I tried spraying from a different angle.
It sorta worked.
It sorta worked.
Finally! the raccoon turned down the tree!
It went back toward the original tree...
I followed, in hot pursuit, yelling "No you don't you little rat!"
It went past the original tree. Hopped up onto the taller portion of our fence that surrounds our back yard.
I had to open the gate in order to follow it. Visions of the raccoon jumping into our backyard while the gate delayed me passed through my mind. Then how would I be able to go to bed? I thought.
I opened the gate. Luckily the raccoon was still on the fence, running the perimeter of our back yard.
I pursued it with the water hose.
It was now going toward my neighbour's backyard again!
'If it goes into my neighbours backyard, how am I going to be able to go to bed?' I panicked.
We got a lucky break.
The raccoon jumped into the pine trees on the church side of my neighbours fence.
'Am I going to have to chase it all the way out of our neighbourhood?' I thought.
The three of us walked around to the church parking lot.
Steph suggested throwing rocks and pinecones at it.
My aim was a little off. But we were annoying it.
I figured I should probably stop before I throw one of these things through another neighbours window, OR, before the raccoon jumps back onto the fence and into my neighbours yard again.
Our neighbour agreed. At least the raccoon was off our property.
We all went home for the night.
Saturday we got a call from the city pest control.
"They don't come out to catch wild animals," Steph said, "We can get another company to come and get it, and the city will pay us back half the cost."
I was lounging on the couch, enjoying the sensation of cushions all around me, as I watched "Bridezillas" (starring Annie H. and Katie H.), with my lovely wife lounging on another couch nearby.
When the doorbell rang.
"I'm not getting it," said I, "I'm not dressed to go to the door."
"It's 23oo hours at night!" said my wife, "Who goes door to door at this time of night?"
My wife went to answer the door.
I heard some whispering.
"You gotta get dressed, David." Said my wife, "There's a raccoon outside."
It was our neighbour. Out chasing raccoons. He'd heard about raccoons burrowing into his parents attic once, and he didn't want that happening here. We had to do something.
The raccoon had started off on his deck, and now it was beside our house.
I got dressed in appropriate attire for raccoon hunting. (A t-shirt, and sweat pants).
I went outside. My neighbour whispered "It's over there!" Pointing to a corner of our property.
It looked innocent.
My neighbour was holding a 5 foot long, pointy, gardening tool.
"I don't have a gun," I said (loudly), "And I'm not beating it over the head with a shovel. They're too stubborn to die that way."
"Well, we gotta do something," my neighbour whispered, and related to me the story of raccoons at his parents.
"Steph, can you call pest control?" I asked Steph.
"I'll try," she replied and went inside.
We stood and watched the raccoon innocently hopping around the yard trying to catch unseen insects of various kinds.
I related to my neighbour my story about my date to the prom. Who had rabies because she got between her dog and a rabid raccoon in grade 12. She had to take huge needles to avoid going nuts.
"No answer," Steph said after calling a number.
Another neighbour showed up. To get his mail. At 11 o'clock at night... ????
The other neighbour tried to take pictures of the raccoon, which was now up one of my trees (having finally noticed strange beings watching him with a long pointy stick), using his cell phone.
The other neighbour went back home after unsuccessfully using his cell phone.
I related to my neighbour the story of a particular skunk last summer.
"I'll try the hose," said I, in the hopes that annoying a raccoon with water would pursuade it to leave my property and thereby assuage my neighbour into going back home, so I could go in and watch the last 4 minutes of Bridezillas, and then go to bed.
We got the hose ready.
I tried various settings on my water sprayer... Nope, 'Mist' won't work... I thought.
I realized I was pointing the spray gun at my neighbour as I tried the different settings, and appologized.
Finally I had the right setting.
I pointed the water gun at the raccoon, up in the tree.
I sprayed. The raccoon jumped straight at me!
Okay, just kidding,...
The raccoon didn't jump. It just sat there after getting a facewash by my hose.
'Great, now how am I going to get to bed?' I thought.
We stood and contemplated a few minutes.
We should try it again, we concluded.
We tried it again.
It worked! The raccoon turned around and climbed down the tree. Clearly annoyed.
It ran along my fence, to another one of my trees and went up that one.
This tree was taller.
'Great, now how am I going to get to bed?' I thought.
I tried spraying the hose up the tree. I didn't have enough power behind my hose.
We sat and contemplated a few more minutes.
Alright. We'll try one more time.
I tried spraying from a different angle.
It sorta worked.
It sorta worked.
Finally! the raccoon turned down the tree!
It went back toward the original tree...
I followed, in hot pursuit, yelling "No you don't you little rat!"
It went past the original tree. Hopped up onto the taller portion of our fence that surrounds our back yard.
I had to open the gate in order to follow it. Visions of the raccoon jumping into our backyard while the gate delayed me passed through my mind. Then how would I be able to go to bed? I thought.
I opened the gate. Luckily the raccoon was still on the fence, running the perimeter of our back yard.
I pursued it with the water hose.
It was now going toward my neighbour's backyard again!
'If it goes into my neighbours backyard, how am I going to be able to go to bed?' I panicked.
We got a lucky break.
The raccoon jumped into the pine trees on the church side of my neighbours fence.
'Am I going to have to chase it all the way out of our neighbourhood?' I thought.
The three of us walked around to the church parking lot.
Steph suggested throwing rocks and pinecones at it.
My aim was a little off. But we were annoying it.
I figured I should probably stop before I throw one of these things through another neighbours window, OR, before the raccoon jumps back onto the fence and into my neighbours yard again.
Our neighbour agreed. At least the raccoon was off our property.
We all went home for the night.
Saturday we got a call from the city pest control.
"They don't come out to catch wild animals," Steph said, "We can get another company to come and get it, and the city will pay us back half the cost."
Friday, May 8, 2009
Ahhhh...Personal Days!
Well the countdown is on (it has been for several weeks already, but oh well): 6 weeks. We're getting awfully close to the end and this year has really flown by. But even being so close, I was definitely feeling the need for an "anti-stress/catch-up day," so I called in a personal day! How nice to be a school where they don't question the use of the personal days our contract gives us (even when we get stuck in Calgary for an extra day!). And the interesting part of this personal day is that Dave went in as me today, so I think I'm still being represented! I'm sure my kids will love it, they've been in awe at all of his "artwork" around my classroom all year! I bet he'll be asked to draw more than a few things for them! But it's been really nice to be at home for the day! My house is clean, the summer clothes are out, groceries, and I'm just taking a short break from all my marking! I feel so productive! So I guess I should get back to my marking, because if I stop for too long when I'm on a roll; it doesn't get done! Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring weather!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Summer Evangelism in the CRC?
I think what is great about the Christian Reformed Church is the quite solid theology that it stands on. Unfortunately, I think the CRC has some learning to do when it comes to 'evangelism' - that is, sharing the gospel in a non-confrontational, and non-condemning manner.
I think anyone who knows the CRC and attends faithfully, can attest to the fact that not many new faces (from outside of the CRC) show up at our church services. Which is dissappointing for some, and doesn't concern others - after all - theres mission shares that our church gives money to, and they do a lot. (On the flip side of that thought - It's interesting that we send missionaries to other countries, to do things, that we don't do at home. Maybe we should designate a portion of our finances to a missionary for our own community... Or is that the pastor's duty?)
So, there's good things in our church, and there's things our churches could work on.
It's been on my mind lately that the church building itself, may be one of the expendable assets a church can have.
Certainly, there is a necessity to a church building - it provides shelter, and a place to congregate.
But it's also an intimidating place for the un-churched, or churched-and-left-the-church sort of folk. Inside the church is a routine that many un-churched people don't relate to, or don't identify with.
It's also a place where the 'faithful' can worship in a visible, yet very much hidden from view way. (The Church invisible).
So I've been wondering if there is a better place for the church to congregate.
I don't think I would be wrong in saying that at many CRC's the sunday-evening worship service, attendance has been declining, or abandoned.
My thought is that we should start making the church more visible. What we do, what we're about, who we support, what we donate our money to. Show the communities around us that we're not really a bunch of stuck up snobs, but humble-sinners trying to do good things the best we know how kinda-people.
I'm thinking we should light a fire.
Literally.
I think we should start a fire, every sunday evening, and bring our lawnchairs, and maybe some food. And invite people to sit around a campfire with us, and listen to the pastor's sermon, and then ask questions about the sermon, and maybe sing a folk song or to, or maybe don't.
In fact, we could have multiple fires, every sunday. Each of the Elders and Deacons in the church could host a campfire, and be the designated reader of the sermon, prepared by the pastor. And if people have big questions, they could be invited to the church to talk to the pastor directly.
If not a fire. Then why not a picnic, at the local park, every sunday afternoon - where everyone brings a lawnchair. We sit, have a little food. The pastor reads a sermon. Everyone applauds the sermon, and then enjoys a game of frisbee.
Think about it - People walking their dogs on a Sunday afternoon might ask questions.
There could even be a few signs to say - "We are First CRC, Barrie, come join us and ask questions!" or "We support the Pregnancy Crisis Centre downtown - have you been there? Do you have questions?"
and stuff like that.
I'm not saying that it needs to be a permanent set-up... But I would propose that it be consistent during good weather. Like 4 or 5 Sundays throughout the summer. So that people can start depending on the church being seen there.
Its an idea. Even if it reaches just one more person.
I think anyone who knows the CRC and attends faithfully, can attest to the fact that not many new faces (from outside of the CRC) show up at our church services. Which is dissappointing for some, and doesn't concern others - after all - theres mission shares that our church gives money to, and they do a lot. (On the flip side of that thought - It's interesting that we send missionaries to other countries, to do things, that we don't do at home. Maybe we should designate a portion of our finances to a missionary for our own community... Or is that the pastor's duty?)
So, there's good things in our church, and there's things our churches could work on.
It's been on my mind lately that the church building itself, may be one of the expendable assets a church can have.
Certainly, there is a necessity to a church building - it provides shelter, and a place to congregate.
But it's also an intimidating place for the un-churched, or churched-and-left-the-church sort of folk. Inside the church is a routine that many un-churched people don't relate to, or don't identify with.
It's also a place where the 'faithful' can worship in a visible, yet very much hidden from view way. (The Church invisible).
So I've been wondering if there is a better place for the church to congregate.
I don't think I would be wrong in saying that at many CRC's the sunday-evening worship service, attendance has been declining, or abandoned.
My thought is that we should start making the church more visible. What we do, what we're about, who we support, what we donate our money to. Show the communities around us that we're not really a bunch of stuck up snobs, but humble-sinners trying to do good things the best we know how kinda-people.
I'm thinking we should light a fire.
Literally.
I think we should start a fire, every sunday evening, and bring our lawnchairs, and maybe some food. And invite people to sit around a campfire with us, and listen to the pastor's sermon, and then ask questions about the sermon, and maybe sing a folk song or to, or maybe don't.
In fact, we could have multiple fires, every sunday. Each of the Elders and Deacons in the church could host a campfire, and be the designated reader of the sermon, prepared by the pastor. And if people have big questions, they could be invited to the church to talk to the pastor directly.
If not a fire. Then why not a picnic, at the local park, every sunday afternoon - where everyone brings a lawnchair. We sit, have a little food. The pastor reads a sermon. Everyone applauds the sermon, and then enjoys a game of frisbee.
Think about it - People walking their dogs on a Sunday afternoon might ask questions.
There could even be a few signs to say - "We are First CRC, Barrie, come join us and ask questions!" or "We support the Pregnancy Crisis Centre downtown - have you been there? Do you have questions?"
and stuff like that.
I'm not saying that it needs to be a permanent set-up... But I would propose that it be consistent during good weather. Like 4 or 5 Sundays throughout the summer. So that people can start depending on the church being seen there.
Its an idea. Even if it reaches just one more person.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Run Spot, Run! Or don't. Maybe just Walk. That'd be Okay, too.
Ever wanted to know just how far it actually is to get to the mailbox?
Or, to the end of the street?
Or, down to the lake and back?
Check out www.mapmyrun.com
and start mapping/planning your fitness routines!
Or, to the end of the street?
Or, down to the lake and back?
Check out www.mapmyrun.com
and start mapping/planning your fitness routines!
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