Month: March 2011

I’ve been given the cold shoulder

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Well, in actual fact, I’ve been diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis which is more commonly referred to as frozen shoulder. The symptoms are stiffness, pain and reduced range of motion in both shoulders making it difficult to do simple tasks like applying underarm deoderant and doing up a bra! Fortunately, in my case, it’s just developing and I’m hopeful that by taking action now, I can keep them from freezing up completely.

The cause is often unknown but in cases such as mine, it can start when the shoulder is not used normally for a period of time. Over time, the connective tissue tightens and restricts the joint’s movement. Apparently, the tendonitis that started in my left shoulder a year and a half ago, then in my right several months later, led to this. Gradually, especially over the past winter, I stopped doing things that caused discomfort. Richard took over the vacuuming and washing of floors and I adjusted my exercise program to eliminate those activities that put stress on my upper arms and shoulders. One of my biggest frustrations is the fact that I wasn’t able to lift weights all winter. My once muscular arms are skinny again and I really don’t like skinny!

The good news is that the condition usually resolves itself over time without surgery. The bad news is that that can take up to a couple of years to happen! Treatment usually begins with anti-inflammatory drugs but unfortunately, I can’t take those because they destroy my stomach. The doctor that I saw yesterday doesn’t feel that there’s enough evidence to show that either ultrasound or cortisone injections are very effective so for now, I’m on the waiting list for physiotherapy and I’m doing lots of gentle stretching. I also haven’t ruled out acupuncture.

I plan to follow the example of Bikini or Bust blogger, Donloree Hoffman, whose physical challenges are greater than mine. Rather than feeling sorry for myself, I’m determined to remain positive and work at overcoming this. I WILL have strong arms again! It’s just a matter of time.

And while I’m waiting for my shoulders to thaw, I’ll look for the silver lining. After all, this has turned my husband into quite the gentleman! Not only does he vacuum, wash floors and open the heavy garage door for me, he also holds my coat for me these days. Of course, he remembers the night when I cried because it hurt so much to take my t-shirt off. Fortunately, most days aren’t like that one and compared to the health issues that many people face, mine is really pretty trivial.

Always winter but never Christmas

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Like the children in C.S. Lewis’ children’s classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, we seem to be trapped in Narnia, the land where it’s always winter but never Christmas. Our snow is usually mostly gone by the end of March but this year the melting has barely begun and spring seems a long way off.  One really has to wonder if we’re entering another ice age!

We did have Christmas, of course, but it seems a long time ago now. We always have a real Christmas tree and when we take it down, we toss it into the firepit in the back yard. When spring comes, we cut it up and burn it in the first fire of the year. It looks like that’s a long way off though. There it is barely peeking out of the snow!

As far as I know, Aslan, the lion, hasn’t been seen in town but the sidewalk on our street is covered with deer droppings. Hunger has driven the poor creatures into town in search of food and many shrubs have been completely decimated.

I do hope the White Witch’s spell is broken soon and we finally emerge from this blanket of white. I know I’m not the only one who has had enough of winter!

the birdbath

and the front porch!

Walking around the world

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English countryside

I went for a walk in the English countryside this afternoon without ever leaving home! Yesterday, it was scenic Argyll in Scotland and perhaps tomorrow I’ll choose a segment of Italy’s Appian Way, the most historic road in the world.

Scotland

How is this possible? It’s easy with virtual walk DVDs from VITA Digital Productions! My sister got several of them for Christmas and after using them for the past three months, she loaned them to me. I rearranged the basement so that its tiny TV is right in front of the treadmill and off I went!

I’ve walked well over 200 miles since the beginning of September, many of them on the treadmill. That can get really boring but with these videos, time flies by and I hardly notice how far I’ve walked. Most of the videos are filmed at approximately 3 miles per hour, a little slower than I usually walk but that doesn’t seem to present a problem. It just gives me a little longer to notice details along the way. Argyll is actually one of VITA Digital’s Virtual Jog/Bike Ride videos so it was filmed at a much faster speed but even that seems to work. It’s a wee bit disorienting when the film speeds up on a downhill slope but so far, I’ve managed not to lose my balance!

All of the videos were recorded with natural sounds so as I walk, I can hear birds singing, water splashing or cars passing by. Some also have a music option so if I choose, I can put on my virtual earphones and listen to that instead.

I love visiting new and different places and have always considered walking the best way to see the sights but until we pack our suitcases again and head off to another foreign land, these DVDs will help satisfy my gypsy longings. In fact, I’ve already ordered four more of them. Soon I’ll be able to look down on the Mediterranean as I stroll the Isle of Capri or Italy’s famous Amalfi coast. I’ll also be able to go for a nature walk that will take me through all four seasons in 60 minutes but most of all, I’m looking forward to Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. I won’t be able to stop for tea at Ronnie and Myrna’s but maybe I’ll walk by their house and see Lindy’s boat anchored offshore!

Eventually spring has to come, the huge drifts of snow will melt away and I’ll be able to spend more time walking outdoors again but until that happens, I’m going to enjoy walking around the world in the comfort and safety of my basement!

Isle of Capri

 

Growing and changing

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One of the first things we wanted to do when we got back from our recent trip to Japan was to make another trip; this time to Calgary to see the grandchildren that we hadn’t seen since Christmas! After just 8 nights in our own bed, off we went and what fun we had.

It’s amazing how much young children change in such a short time. At just 10 1/2 months old, Jami-Lee is standing on her own and taking those first tentative steps!

Even more exciting is the change in Drew’s speech, however. Diagnosed with a severe phonological disorder in early January, he hasn’t started formal speech therapy yet but Melaina has been working with him every day and he’s making wonderful progress! He still has a long way to go but not only is he saying lots of words more clearly than before, he’s also started putting them together into 2 and 3 word phrases. It was such a delight to hear him shout out “Grandpa’s turn”, “Gram’s turn” and “Drew’s turn” as we slid down the slide at the playground. He still has trouble with the G sound at the beginning of our names, but it was quite clear what he was saying.

Now we’re back home again. We’ll be sleeping in our own bed tonight but only for three nights this time! We’re off to a church board retreat on Friday. As someone at my Sunday School board meeting said tonight, those DeBocks just never stay home!

Praying for Japan

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Japan is heavy on our hearts these days. The immediate need, of course, is for a safe resolution to the alarming situation at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The news media has a tendency to sensationalize this kind of thing so it’s very difficult to know exactly how serious the situation is and what it might mean to those living in close proximity but we have no doubt that there is potential for a complete meltdown and the release of extremely dangerous levels of radiation. According to John Beddington, chief spokesman for the British Embassy in Tokyo, experts have said that radiation levels would need to be hundreds of times higher than they are at present before the health of anyone outside a very small area would be endangered. In their opinion, that isn’t going to happen. Some found this reassuring while others are less confident. Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd has told his countrymen in Tokyo that they should leave and French expats have received similar advice. Apparently, an Indian company chartered a plane to evacuate its 185 employees and their families. Several of our friends have taken or sent their children to stay with relatives in Osaka and Kyoto, much further away from the Fukushima nuclear facility.

In addition to the crisis at the power plant, there are many other reasons to pray. The window of time for finding anyone still alive in the rubble of last Friday’s earthquake is rapidly closing. Thousands of people are still unaccounted for. Some of our friends have not yet been able to make contact with relatives living in the area and do not know if they are alive or dead.

People in Tokyo and the surrounding areas including Funabashi, where we lived, are experiencing rotating power blackouts, lack of food and gasoline shortages.

People across the country are living in fear. One expert explained that three of the tectonic plates that make up the earth’s surface meet under Japan. Two of them shifted causing last week’s massive earthquake and there is reason to believe that the third one could move causing further devastation. There have already been hundreds of aftershocks since Friday.

Clearly there are urgent needs that require immediate attention but I believe that Japan has a much greater need that long predates the recent earthquake. In Christian circles, Japan is known as one of the world’s largest unreached people groups. Less than 2% of the population place their hope in Jesus Christ. On our recent visit, God gave me a vision for Japan. Imagine the country covered by a thick black blanket; a blanket of spiritual darkness. There are tiny holes in places where the light of Christ shines through but under that blanket live over 130 million people who put their hope in cleaning their ancestors graves on the appropriate days of the year and leaving offerings there, on visiting temples on other designated days; bowing, clapping and dropping coins in the offering boxes. What is there in those rituals that will help them in a time like this? Is it any wonder that they are traumatized? In the Sendai area those temples and graves are washed away; gone forever! Could it be that God might use this triple tragedy (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis) to turn the hearts of the Japanese people to himself? We need to pray that this will be the moment in time when the spiritual blanket is torn apart and people find hope in a living God who loves each one of them and “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

Kabocha in my carry on

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On our recent visit to Japan, we enjoyed many fabulous foods but one of them kept showing up over and over again. The Japanese call it pumpkin but kabocha is actually a winter squash that is also known as the buttercup squash here in North America. Similar in both texture and flavour to pumpkin or sweet potato, it can be prepared in a wide variety of ways. It’s a common ingredient in tempura and we were also served it in soup, nabe (a one pot meal that’s something like stew) and even ground up in pancakes.

When we were in Vancouver, I mentioned kabocha to my daughter-in-law, Robin, and told her that I hoped I could find it in Alberta, perhaps in the Asian grocery store in Edmonton that I occasionally visit. Later, when she went grocery shopping, she brought one home for me! Apparently, it has become commonplace in Vancouver grocery stores.

The kabocha flew home in my carry on and we enjoyed part of it with dinner tonight.

It’s skin, a dull, dark green with whitish stripes, is extremely tough and very difficult to cut. Softening it slightly in the microwave helps a lot.

Simmered, mashed with it’s skin on and mixed with a little mayo, it makes a super simple and delicious side dish somewhat reminiscent of a flavourful potato salad.

Now, how should I prepare the rest of it?

Unbelievable

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I’m not sure I’m ever going to eat store bought bread again.

Until just over a year ago when my aunt gave me her bread machine, I’d never baked bread. I raised my family on store bought. Over the past year, however, I’ve enjoyed experimenting with all sorts of breads; raisin bread, cheese bread, whole wheat, cracked wheat, multigrain, and cornmeal bread and even honey wheat bran bread. Delicious! We seldom use store bought bread anymore but once in a while when life gets hectic, a loaf comes in handy.

The days just before we left for Japan were just such a time. I fully intended to put the half loaf of unused McGavin’s 100% whole wheat bread into the freezer before we left but I forgot to. Imagine that bread sitting in the cupboard for 44 days. Eww!

Not so! Believe it or not, when I opened the bag there was not one spot of mould nor does the bread even smell bad! Granted, we turned the heat in the house down while we were away so the cupboard was cooler than usual but still, what must they put in bread to preserve it for that long? Whatever it is, I doubt it’s good for us!

Obviously, in spite of the fact that the bread still looks and smells fine, we won’t be eating it. In fact, I’m not sure I ever want to eat store bought again! There’s a loaf of Country Harvest bread in the breadmaker right now and soon the aroma of freshly baked bread (without any preservatives) will fill the house.

8.9

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We were in the Vancouver Airport this morning about to embark on the final leg of our trip home when I overheard someone mention a devastating earthquake in Japan. I immediately went in search of a newspaper and the headline hit me like a ton of bricks!

MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE HITS JAPAN

B.C. on watch after magnitude 8.9 quake shakes Tokyo and launches a 10-metre tsunami

Within minutes images began to come up on TV screens around the airport. We could hardly take it in. We were there just 10 days ago!

Were we glad we left just in time? Yes and no. Obviously, we’re happy to be safe but our thoughts went immediately to those we’ve grown to love. Were they okay? If we were still there with them, we’d know. Instead, we had a plane to board and several hours to wait before we could get information about any of them. What a helpless feeling! Also, we knew that if we were still in Japan, there would likely be ways that we could volunteer to help in the aftermath of the disaster. Instead, we sit in the comfort of our livingroom watching the same horrifying footage over and over again and waiting for news of friends.

I’ve managed to chat with several on Facebook already and others have posted reassuring messages. Though the worst damage occurred at Sendai, about 300 km northeast of Tokyo, our area just east of the city shook violently and has been subject to numerous aftershocks. In one of the homes that we stayed in, the computer fell to the floor and was damaged. Another friend mentioned her TV and many other items falling. Thousands of commuters were stranded in downtown Tokyo because the transit system shut down. Apparently they’re on their way home now. Some people have mentioned being short of food. Many others are without power and  the possible leakage of radioactive material from a damaged nuclear power plant at Fukushima is, of course, of huge concern to everyone. Thus far, however, it seems that all our loved ones are probably safe and for that we are extremely grateful!

The earthquake didn’t come as a complete shock to us. When we lived in Japan, we were told that historically the Tokyo area is hit by a major quake about once every 100 years. The last one was the Great Kanto Earthquake of September, 1923 so people have been predicting that there would be another within the next decade or so. I don’t think anyone anticipated one of such magnitude, however, or the horrendous damage caused by the tsunami that it triggered. It will be some time until the extent of that damage and loss of life is fully known.

International Women’s Day

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I didn’t expect to be able to update the blog this week. We’re in Vancouver visiting my parents and I probably shouldn’t admit that I’m ‘borrowing’ internet from a neighbour! It’s a very weak connection so I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish and post this or not but I really do want to comment on the fact that today is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day.

What does that mean to those of us who had the good fortune to be born in a time and place where women’s lives are relatively easy? Hopefully, it’s a time to reflect on the progress that has been made over the past century that brought us to this point as well as a time to consider the plight of sisters worldwide whose lives are not as easy; women like those in Afghanistan. Though there have been many important improvements in that country in the last decade, Afghan girls and women continue to have vastly disproportionate access to education, justice and health services. They also have the worst maternal and newborn health outcomes in the world.

What can we do to help women in Afghanistan and other developing countries achieve a better life? According to CARE Canada, “women are the poorest and most vulnerable, yet greatest agents of change.” When women are empowered, conditions improve for their families and their communities. When mothers are given the resources to provide for their families, children go to school and when children go to school, great things happen.

This is why I’m a Kiva lender. I choose to contribute to loans that give women hope and enable them to climb out of abject poverty. For more information about how you can do the same, visit the Kiva website or click on the banner in the margin to the right. For other ideas, visit the Care Canada website. That’s what I’m going to do as soon as I have a better internet connection!

A favourite place

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moon jellyfish

We paid a visit to one of Sam’s favourite places this afternoon; the Vancouver Aquarium. Of course, at 17 months old he doesn’t have a very long attention span so Matt & Robin have a membership which allows them to make frequent short visits. It was fun watching Sam’s delight as he ran from one display to the next and we all enjoyed watching the sea otters frolic. It was the jellyfish that mesmerized me though. They looked like delicate moving flowers!

sea nettle jellyfish