I Trust God to Give Us the Best!

June 6, 2013

Eric was home this week on Wednesday and would stay here until early Friday morning.
He sounded happy when I called him last week.

Eric was in Toronto for an interview with a law firm here. However, the job that he really wants is the one in San Fransisco as an in house lawyer with a game company. He told me that the company which interviewed him in S.F. followed up with a second interview by Skpe, has invited him back for a third interview!!!! Praise God!! Eric did not hear from that company after the Skpe interview for almost a month, He thought he didn't get the job and we thought the same thing.

However, I have been praying for him and crying out to God to give Eric a job that would allow him with a much more humane working hour so that he would have time for a social life and  time to reflect on life and think of spiritual things. In our cell group meeting last Saturday, I put this out as my prayer request and the ladies in our cell group all prayed for Eric.

God is great and He listens and answers our prayers!  Eric informed us he has been scheduled to have two interviews in S.F. next week and there could be another one with a third company, all with the companies which he likes to work for.

I pray that out of these 3-4 interviews, God will provide Eric the job that He thinks is the best for him. God loves us and He always gives us the best. I trust that He will do the same thing for Eric.
We need to be persistent and be patient with our prayers!

R.T.
Toronto

Why is Canada the best country to live on this planet?

An Egyptian Christian Church under Construction in nearby Markham 

Canada has been recognized consistently as one of the best countries to live in the world! Recently, it has been chosen as one of the top three countries - the best place to live on this planet!

I am thankful everyday that I am a Canadian and that  my family and I live in this great country.
While there are so many conflicts and warfare taking place all over the world and we witness tremendous made made human suffering,  Canadians live in a peaceful and harmonious country.

An Unique Mosque on Middlefield Rd, Scarborough

Why are Canadians so fortunate?

I often ponder  this question myself. I am no great philosopher nor am I a social scientist. I do not have a master degree in political science nor have I done much research on this question.

Last Sunday, I found the answer!

Not far from where I attend church on Sundays, there is a magnificent Egyptian Coptic Church currently under construction. It has been an ongoing  building project for the past two years. Many in the community could hardly wait when it is done! It will be a huge celebration among the Egyptian Christan community upon its completion, no doubt!

As I drove along on Middlefield Road close to Markham Road, a mosque with a unique architectural design caught my eyes. It was a  colourful building and I jumped out of my car to take a picture of it.

A Catholic Church right next to the mosque

However, what really caught my attention was a beautiful gigantic cross erected right next to the mosque. As I walked to take a closer look at the cross, I discovered another place of worship close by -  A Catholic church jut right beside the mosque.

The Few Trees in the Middle Separate the Catholic Church from the Mosque

I wish I had a better camera with a wider lens so that I could have captured this beautiful sight that represented the true belief and the Canadian values that are so dear to all of us.

 What a wonderful sight! There are two beautiful religious buildings standing side by side each other. Worshipers - Muslims and Christians were in and out freely, happily and peacefully into these buildings; people were free to choose and worship in whatever building they wanted.

There were no armed police officers, no check points nor were there any great stone walls separating these two religious buildings and the people in them for fear that there migt be any conflicts or ugly situations that could potentially turn violent.

Freedom to worship, respect for other people's religions and differences, a value on human lives and dignity, democracy, along with our universal health care/education , smart government policies and decisions, and according to our latest employment report, a mere 7.1% unemployment rate -  these are the reasons why all Canadians, thirty five millions in all,  can collectively live and lead such  peaceful, harmonious and prosperous lives year after year!

I thank God and praise Him everyday for being a Canadian!

I love Canada, our people and our government for the collective wisdom, love of peace and respect for all people and religions!

R.T.
Toronto  

Muskoka Scencery - Inspiring the Artwork of Group of Seven

Bracebridge, Muskoka

One advantage about being retired is that the pace of life is much slower for us. We can take our time, stop and talk to strangers and smell the roses.

Gravenhurst, Muskoka

We had driven past Gravenhurst and Huntsville numerous times but we seemed to have always been rushing. This time we took time to go into town and visit these popular summer destinations for many Ontarian.

A Wall Mural of the Group of Seven - Huntsville, Muskoka

The scenery of Muskoka is beautiful, magnificent and unique. Muskoka is known for its rugged and rocky shorelines. The Group of Seven - Canadian artists well known for their artwork portraying the scenery and capturing the spirit of Muskoka.









These artists were inspired by the

A Group of Seven Wall Mural - Huntsville, Muskoka

natural scenery  and beauty of this area.




As we took time to
 enjoy this beautiful area, we saw the Group of Seven wall murals on buildings reflecting their work.

Enjoy the artwork of our famous Canadian artisits!


R.T.
Muskoka

Catching the Muskoka Sunset

Being out in the country is great! The fresh air, the sound of water and the smell of fresh grass is just rejuvenating and good for our souls.

The Muskoka area boasts numerous gorgeous lakes and unrivaled natural scenery.

Sunset  in  Muskoka

I always love looking at pictures of sunset. There is something about the colour, the calm and the water that make me feel cosy and all warm inside. But whenever I see sunset pictures, there are inevitably palm trees involved in those gorgeous pictures.

 I was determined to capture beautiful sunset pictures right here close to home in Ontario without depending on a tropical sun.

Catching the Sunset - Gravenhurst , Ontario, Canada

I did just that during our long weekend trip back from Muskoka.!

 We stopped  in Huntsville, had a picnic by the lake and then headed to Gravenhurst. Though we drove by Gravenhurst numerous times, we rarely stopped by the lake to enjoy the waterfront view. This time because Kelly was with us and we wanted to show her around Muskoka

We got to Gravenhurst around dust and Don took us straight to the lake. We made good time and I was able to capture a number of sunset pictures. Each picture I took was different in colour reflecting the time when the sun was going down. I was very lucky to have been there just before the sunset.

I am very proud of these beautiful pictures!!!

R.T.
Victoria Day Weekend
Gravenhurst, Ontario

Leaving Town for the Long Weekend - A Canadian Tradition

May 18, 2013

Lakefront Property - Our Escape from the Big City

Escaping to the country side and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the big city is our favorite Canadian thing to do during our long weekend!

The Victoria Day long weekend is traditionally one of the busiest long weekend as people are rushing to their cottages and opening their country retreats for the summer.

We were of no exception. We did just that; with Kelly and Don as our guests for the weekend, we got up to our lake front cabin and spent the weekend there.

Love the Sight of Water and Birds all Weekend!

We always wonder what our little place by the lake looks like after a long winter. The Canadian winter can be brutally cold, with gusty winds whipping around causing trees to fall and heavy snow collapsing roofs and walls.

These natural elements  can cause a lot of damages to properties.

This 2 piece Dock Drifted to Our Property

This time, we had a pleasant surprise!

 Not only did everything looked good around our little cabin save for a few trees falling down on  our property, something appeared out of nowhere was perfectly placed and positioned by the lakeside - a beautiful two section dock with two Muskoka chairs and a flower pot perfectly placed on it were washed ashore to our lakefront property!

Two Muskoka Chairs were Washed Ashored with the Dock

What an unexpected  beautiful sight!

We learned from listening to the radio in Toronto that there was spring flooding in the countryside in the Muskoka region.

Enjoying our Cabin with Friends

 But I never thought that an entire dock could be washed ashore!  We were grateful that the weekend weather was perfect, a balmy 24 degree with blue sky, sunny weather.

We always have a great time with our friends who we invited to come to our cabin with us. We all sat in the comfortable chairs and enjoyed the warm sun on the dock which brought us out into the lake - an experience we never had before because we never had such a beautiful dock out there!

Deep down, I really wanted this beautiful dock by our lake front property so that we could enjoy the water.

 I was ashamed of myself because I was greedy; I wished that the rightful owner of this dock would never find and claim back his/ her property. But we knew that our happiness would be short lived as it didn`t belong to us.





Later on, our neighbor told us that the owner
would come and tow it back the following week.
 
For the weekend at least we have experienced what a dock or a deck would offer us by the water, we would plan to build something there ourselves this summer!

R.T.
Muskoka,Ontario

Food which People Had Died For in Canada

How willing are you to die for your food?

Have you ever had food so good that you would risk your life to buy some so that you can eat it?

Yes, people had died trying to buy their favorite food in Canada!

On our way to our little cabin up north during the long weekend, we always take Highway 400 and drive past Orillia.

Not long after  pasting the city of Orillia, we would see a steel overpass high above the highway allowing pedestrians who have parked their cars on either side of the parking lot to cross to the other side .

This overpass was built after nearly a dozen people had risked their lives crossing a four lane highway and trying to get
to the other side to buy food from the restaurant, Webers, where hamburgers, fries and ice creams were sold.

We stopped by and ordered the famous hamburgers plus some poutine from the restaurant. It has been in business for a long time. In fact,  Webers is celebrating its fifty years this year.

One of the neat things about the restaurant is its seating for customers. There are an abundance of seating available. Customers can choose to sit outside on its beautiful huge green property or dine in the refurbished dining railway cars. 

We chose to be close to nature and enjoyed our food outside on the well manicured park like lawn.  The hamburgers were fresh and tasty; we enjoyed the food and the beautiful setting.  But would I be willing to risk my life, cross the four lane highway in order to have this food?

 I don't think so!

R.T.
Webers near Orillia, Ontario

Finally, a Memorable Lunch with My Son

Friday, May 17, 2013

I was invited to Queen Alexandra School to speak to students in two assemblies in the morning.  It was uncharacteristic of me to feel a little nervous.  I have spoken to students and young people at assemblies for most of my professional life and I actually enjoy public speaking. However, I had not done a formal school wide presentation for a little wide since my retirement and I was not sure what to expect from a few hundred of teenagers who might or might not be interested in my topic.

 I did it and it went well!  My presentation on Asian History in Canada was well received and there were a lot of questions at the end which told me that students did pay attention and wanted to know more about it.

I asked my son, Jonathan, to come and video tape my presentation so that I could improve on it for future presentations. We went out for lunch on Danforth afterwards.

It was the best lunch I ever had with my son!!!  We tried Greek food, something different, and the dishes were delicious. But the best part of our lunch was our honest exchange in our conversation.

I must admit that my relationship with my younger son has not been ideal. As parents, we love our children and we always want the best for them. However, the way we express our love may have been misinterpreted as being intrusive at times.

As an educator, I have been able to reach many difficult students and parents when they come to me for help. I could always listen to them, keeping my head cool and helping them to diffuse their unpleasant situations.  But things changed when dealing with my own son. My husband, our son and I could be too emotional at times therefore unable to conduct meaningful and calm discussions in times of conflict.

 I remember vividly how many of our casual discussions had turned into heated  arguments with us saying hurtful things to each other. A few years back, we couldn't substain a conversation without ending up arguing with each other. As recently as last Christmas, a casual discussion in the car after the big annual family dinner  (at Susuan and Dave) turned ugly and Jonathan ended up feeling extremely upset with me because of a remark I made. Sometimes, our grown up children are so sensitive of some topics that I feel as I were walking on thin ice and have to tiptoe around
them.

This afternoon, our conversation was lovely, absolutely marvelous! It was an honest, polite exchange of information and opinions about what each of us has done recently. Jonathan, who quit his very secure and stable well paid teaching job to pursue his artistic interest,  shared with me about his success and failures in his new pursuits, hopes and dreams. I listened attentively without making any remarks nor did I offer any motherly advice ( which I used to do in the past and got him angry with me.)  He was in the mood to talk and I was glad that I was there to share his life experience with him. Our lunch hour flew by quickly without any awkward moment of dead silence.

I just realized that this was the first time I have had a real  pleasant  adult to adult conversation with my younger son. I am delighted to discover that my relationship with him has turned a new page and that our relationship has evolved from  a parent-child relationship to a best friend supporting,  respecting and loving each other relationship.  I thank God for this positive change and I look forward to many more pleasant lunch conversations with our sons in the future!

R.T.
At a Danforth Restaurant
Toronto