Ever since I was a child, "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett has been one of my favourite books. It's been a few years since I read it last so I decided to read it again. I never realized before how full of the freedom feeling it is. The whole story is actually about children growing up and becoming well again by chasing after the freedom feeling in their secret garden. I just read a bit and I can't resist copying a couple parts down here. It is so perfect. Burnett doesn't call it the "freedom feeling" like I do, but instead refers to it as "being quite sure that you are going to live forever and ever and ever" or "Magic."
"One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising sun -- which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in some one's eyes."
"'Sometimes since I've been in the garden I've looked up through the trees at the sky and I have had a strange feeling of being happy as if something were pushing and drawing in my chest and making me breathe fast. Magic is always pushing and drawing and making things out of nothing. Everything is made out of Magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden -- in all the places.'" - Colin Craven
-Frances Hodgson Burnett
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Five Years
Last week I had my graduation from university. I now I have two degrees and a diploma. How fancy. I don't feel any different besides the added stress of beginning my career.
Here are a couple pictures from the day. It was long and boring. We played "I Spy" via text message from our seats.
I was #658 in the procession. .... sooo many people were before me.
It's good to be done but I am definitely going to miss school and my friends..
I will not, however, miss paying for school. So that is a perk.
Here are a couple pictures from the day. It was long and boring. We played "I Spy" via text message from our seats.
I was #658 in the procession. .... sooo many people were before me.
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| My Sarah <3 |
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| with Masha and Fasha |
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| My lovely ladies. Trish, me, Kristen, and Sarah. |
It's good to be done but I am definitely going to miss school and my friends..
I will not, however, miss paying for school. So that is a perk.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Today
Today was my one and only day off of work that I have had no plans. I accomplished a lot.
I find that when I stop "doing", I think.. Thinking is something I need to try to not do this summer. I need to try really hard not to do it.
These days have been passing so slowly. They seem to all stretch into one. I kind of wish I had taken an online course this summer or something. I did SO many things today. I painted twice and I read my book outside in the yard. I longboarded in a sundress, barefoot in the rain by myself. I stood in the woods in the rain barefoot. I longboarded later on with Stu. I played volleyball with him and my brother. I slept, I did laundry, I cleaned my room. I took Polaroids. So many things. I enjoyed them. But I constantly had to come up with activity after activity to keep myself occupied. I can't stop.
Geordie requested an abandoned house. He now wants a more spooky abandoned house.. so that will be the next project.
Here are two Polaroids that I took today. I had one more over expose.. which means only 4 of the 8 worked from this pack. They all overexposed the same way so I don't know if that means it's the film or the camera. I put the empty battery pack in the camera Katie Best bought me and it works! I want to get film for it next. I wish that this wasn't such an expensive hobby.
I find that when I stop "doing", I think.. Thinking is something I need to try to not do this summer. I need to try really hard not to do it.
These days have been passing so slowly. They seem to all stretch into one. I kind of wish I had taken an online course this summer or something. I did SO many things today. I painted twice and I read my book outside in the yard. I longboarded in a sundress, barefoot in the rain by myself. I stood in the woods in the rain barefoot. I longboarded later on with Stu. I played volleyball with him and my brother. I slept, I did laundry, I cleaned my room. I took Polaroids. So many things. I enjoyed them. But I constantly had to come up with activity after activity to keep myself occupied. I can't stop.
Geordie requested an abandoned house. He now wants a more spooky abandoned house.. so that will be the next project.
Here are two Polaroids that I took today. I had one more over expose.. which means only 4 of the 8 worked from this pack. They all overexposed the same way so I don't know if that means it's the film or the camera. I put the empty battery pack in the camera Katie Best bought me and it works! I want to get film for it next. I wish that this wasn't such an expensive hobby.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
An Itch
"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." -- John 12:24
I have been indecisive for the past 6 days about whether or not to write this.. But.. I feel like this is usually where I put whatever it is that's going on. The things that are important to me in the moment that I'm posting. I think this is an itch that needs to be scratched. Some thoughts that need to be put somewhere. I'm sorry if I offend. .. Not that many people read this so I figured it was the safest spot. I want to commit this to memory as a reminder to live life to its fullest. To take the chances but at the same time to be careful because of how much our lives have an impact on others, whether we realize it or not. And I want to be one of the seeds.
.. You didn't look like yourself, you know. You almost had me fooled. I hated that I had to tell myself that it was you. That you were gone. That it was you we had come to say goodbye to.
I feel like you left at a bad time. At a time when a lot of us were just starting to get to know the real you. When you were just figuring out who the real you was. We all knew the surface you. The you that had always been there. The crazy, happy, goofy, reckless, fun-loving, sincere, honest, and always smiling you. Last year we got a glimpse of the deep and serious you. The you that was fearful of our God (even if that was the only thing you were afraid of). It was fascinating for me, as someone who had seen you only as the sixteen year old trouble maker in a canoe. I loved listening to you talk last summer while we were in our discussion group. I was so impressed. So impressed. I was really glad that we were put in the same group. Now, I consider that chance to be with you a gift. I'm so glad that I had that time with you. Those serious talks littered with with laughs, snake catching, and persistent sweating in the summer sun. I'm so happy that God laid it on my heart to write you the note I did at the end of that week. I would have felt awful if I had never said those words to you.
I really thought that this year was going to bring you back to camp again. I was looking forward to seeing you counsel. You would have made an absolutely fabulous Sr. Boys counselor, you know. We all thought you were going to be around more.
I really enjoyed being around you and I like to think that we had some good times together. Your sister says that you thought so. I was really comforted when she told me that. Torn apart at the same time though. With you lying just behind us.
Twenty years is too short. I'm glad you lived life to its fullest while you were here. I know you enjoyed your time with us and I'm positive that you're having an even better time up above.
It was a privilege to have known you. Save seats for us up in heaven, my friend. You will be dearly missed by so many people.
I have been indecisive for the past 6 days about whether or not to write this.. But.. I feel like this is usually where I put whatever it is that's going on. The things that are important to me in the moment that I'm posting. I think this is an itch that needs to be scratched. Some thoughts that need to be put somewhere. I'm sorry if I offend. .. Not that many people read this so I figured it was the safest spot. I want to commit this to memory as a reminder to live life to its fullest. To take the chances but at the same time to be careful because of how much our lives have an impact on others, whether we realize it or not. And I want to be one of the seeds.
.. You didn't look like yourself, you know. You almost had me fooled. I hated that I had to tell myself that it was you. That you were gone. That it was you we had come to say goodbye to.
I feel like you left at a bad time. At a time when a lot of us were just starting to get to know the real you. When you were just figuring out who the real you was. We all knew the surface you. The you that had always been there. The crazy, happy, goofy, reckless, fun-loving, sincere, honest, and always smiling you. Last year we got a glimpse of the deep and serious you. The you that was fearful of our God (even if that was the only thing you were afraid of). It was fascinating for me, as someone who had seen you only as the sixteen year old trouble maker in a canoe. I loved listening to you talk last summer while we were in our discussion group. I was so impressed. So impressed. I was really glad that we were put in the same group. Now, I consider that chance to be with you a gift. I'm so glad that I had that time with you. Those serious talks littered with with laughs, snake catching, and persistent sweating in the summer sun. I'm so happy that God laid it on my heart to write you the note I did at the end of that week. I would have felt awful if I had never said those words to you.
I really thought that this year was going to bring you back to camp again. I was looking forward to seeing you counsel. You would have made an absolutely fabulous Sr. Boys counselor, you know. We all thought you were going to be around more.
I really enjoyed being around you and I like to think that we had some good times together. Your sister says that you thought so. I was really comforted when she told me that. Torn apart at the same time though. With you lying just behind us.
Twenty years is too short. I'm glad you lived life to its fullest while you were here. I know you enjoyed your time with us and I'm positive that you're having an even better time up above.
It was a privilege to have known you. Save seats for us up in heaven, my friend. You will be dearly missed by so many people.
Mike DeVries
March 29, 1991- June 9, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Point 2
Some pictures from Point Pelee with Geordie on the 9th. It was supposed to thunderstorm but it didn't rain at all and ended up being a gorgeous day! Barely anyone else was at the park which was incredible.
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| The boardwalk through the marsh |
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| Lily pad roots! |
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| "Look! I'm walking the plank!" |
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| Tickling |
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| the Observation Tower |
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| The DeLaurier House |
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| an old plow |
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| The East Beach |
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| a rabbit! |
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| the "cactus garden" |
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| The West Beach - White Pine We had the whole thing to ourselves! |
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| The cemetery in the middle of the woods. |
:)
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Point 1
Geordie and I went to Cedar Point on the 8th with my sisters Cassia and Donika and our friend Karli. So many rides and so little waiting. It was fantastic :)
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| Taking a break. |
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| Blue slushies |
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| The remains of the water ride we went on to cool down made Geordie look like he had wet himself. Hilarious :) |
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| :) |
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| Power Tower |
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| I LOVE THIS BRIDGE and this picture which was a complete fluke Another perfect Geordie day. |
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