26 Years

It's my anniversary today. Twenty-six years ago I was a new bride. Sometimes it feels like we've been transported in time, like in a Star Trek episode. Beam me to 2007 Scotty.

Tony and I celebrate our anniversary the same way every year. We go away to explore some remote place in British Columbia (that's me, hiking in the rain, up Stoyoma Mountain this past weekend). I have many friends (OK most of my friends) who don't quite understand the whole "sleep-in-tent-4x4ing-hiking-fishing" thing, but for us it's the perfect way to celebrate who we are and who we've become. Twenty-six years ago I was a very fresh faced teenager whose most rugged camping experience was staying at Manning Park with her family. He was 22 and grew up in a family where words like venison, thirty-odd-six and ford fender were used in every day dinner conversation.

How we ever got together still remains a mystery.

Looking back at these past years, I realize that we both were willing to embrace each others' passions in life, we were both willing to learn new things and we were both willing to give the other the space to grow . We are so not the people we were that day 26 years ago.

So today I thank God for that man he brought into my life in 1977. I thank Him for the strength and courage he gave us when we needed it.

Because August 30th was when the true adventure began.

Do you Facebook?

OK, I admit it. Yesterday I signed up for Facebook. I really tried hard to stay away... really, I did. I valiantly resisted the urge to go into that cyber world of Super Walls, Photo Albums and Friend Poking. I am weak.

A few minutes after I joined up. I received three postings on my "wall."

• my daughter, Eleah, said..."You know Dad will find out eventually."
• my daughter, Jenna said... "Mom, you are going to get addicted to Facebook...and when do you have time for this?
• my computer-whiz cousin, Kevin said... "Welcome to the Dark Side."

Very funny.

And then the most wonderful thing happened. Through Facebook I reconnected with another cousin. I haven't spoken to her in over a year and I missed our weekly email chats. I didn't know what had happened to her, her emails just stopped and I was getting a little worried. We had a wonderful little "talk" yesterday and now I know where she's at. Big relief.

So today I am thanking God for the internet. Yes, there is all that stuff that can clutter our lives... chat rooms, forums, pop-ups and spam. I know I have to be so careful not to let it take over. But if used right it can be a powerful instrument to explore the world. Yesterday it helped me find my friend.

LYLAS

If you're an emailer or a blogger or you love "talking" in your favourite forum, then you're probably familiar with all those acronyms that people use. You know...like LOL or SYL. I use LOL a lot, way too much probably but I joke when I write and so I want to make sure that you (the reader) laughs at the appropriate moment. OK, now... LOL.

But this was a new one for me. LYLAS...


I belong to a group of seven. No, not the Group of Seven (I'm not nearly talented enough for that). This is a group of seven women. We've dubbed ourselves the Seven Sisters. Sometimes, when we feel it's necessary, we add an adjective in between the seven and the sisters... like silly or sleepy or senile. LOL.

Back in October some of our group went to the Ladies Retreat at Stillwood. The speaker was Moira Brown (fantastic, btw) and she told us how she learned about LYLAS. The moment was very poignant for me, since I don't have a sister. I have one brother and he's an amazing man, but he's also a man of few words. I am sure that when we were growing up, he decided he didn't need to talk because I did it for him (and then some). I am sorry to say but I grew up feeling quite jealous of any friend who had a sister.

So God, in His wonderful, mysterious wisdom decided to bless me instead with an amazing group of friends.

Wendy, Laurie-Anne, Pat, Rita and Dorothy

and the six of the Group of Seven - Joan, Carol,

Yvonne, Cindy, Rachelle & Lorraine.

To you I say LYLAS.
And to the rest of you - have you figured it out yet? LOL!