Christmas in Song

Our thanks to the Comox Valley Interchurch Choir.

Our thanks to Al Wedel.

Our thanks for a treat and a wonderful Christmas concert.

It was a veritable feast

Your magnificent rendition of Christmas carols and readings helped prepare our hearts for Christmas.

It helped to rekindle that sense of Christmas joy and anticipation which in today's world can far too often get lost.

Thank you Interchurch Choir for bringing the miracle of Bethlehem ever so much closer; even to within reach of our fingertips.

This was a free concert and it epitomized the spirit of Christmas giving; giving freely and giving for the joy of it.

Your endless hours of hard work and practice bore fruit on Sunday evening and the packed church at St. John the Divine was witness to that.

But judging by your glowing countenances while you sang I am persuaded to say that you too enjoyed the experience as much as we did.

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all and I'm sure that I echo the sentiments of most of the audience when I ask: "When's the next concert?"

O little town of Bethlehem , Wales.

There is always much activity in the little town of Bethlehem , Wales in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Thousands of people visit so that they can send their Christmas cards with a special Christmas postmark .

This year the community is getting together to produce a nativity play called 'Seren Bethlehem' 'Star of Bethlehem'. And they have been rehearsing for several weeks. The play will be screened on the Welsh Language tv station S4C , and I hope to be able to watch it on the internet.

On a candlelit stage.

Last Wednesday , we went to see Winter Harp performing at the Sid Williams Theatre . The group played a variety of instruments , including one which I had never seen before ; a five foot tall bass psaltery. Psalteries date back 3000 years , and this one on the Sid's stage was unique , made by Edward Turner of Vancouver.

I was particularly interested to hear the harps. Two were played that night ; the classical pedal harp and the Celtic Harp. Both were beautifully played and created a magical sound to all present.

All in all, we experienced a lovely combination of colourful mediaeval constumes, candles , carols and winter themed narratives.

Good start to the week.

Yesterday began with the lighting of the second candle in the advent wreath, at the 8 o'clock Holy Eucharist. Another special service.

Then , later that morning I had arranged to have a chat by video link with one of my friends in Wales. I happened to notice that there were over 18 million people chatting on skype at the same time, and maybe this was the reason why the reception quality wasn't as good as usual . Anyhow , we talked and talked and the hour passed very quickly .

I went back to St John in the afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed a talk and slide show presented by Kay Semple , who talked about her life as a nurse in isolated aboriginal communities during the 1970's. She described her duties , and we also learned about the people she met and cared for during her time in Canada's Arctic.

Within the hour , I was once again back in Courtenay meeting our good friends at one of our favourite eating establishments in the Comox Valley . We had a hearty meal before braving the cold weather in Simms Park , where we saw 'The living nativity'. And despite the cold , it was lovely to see , as it brought to mind the childhood nativity plays of long ago.

Lighting up the week

Last week began with an early start on Sunday morning. We attended a special Holy Eucharist at 8 o'clock , when the first of the four advent candles was lit.



Since I was brought up a 'chapel girl' back home in Wales, I have a lot to learn about the Church and its symbolisms. But I am learning ! I decided to do a search on the history of the advent candle and this is a little of what I found on Wikipedia.

In some traditions the first candle is called the prophet's candle and is meant to signify the hope of Jesus' coming.
The second is called the Bethlehem candle in honor of the city of Christ's birth.
The third candle is the shepherds' candle.
The final candle is the angels' candle, symbolising the angelic proclamation of joy at Christ's birth.

We also have a fifth candle set in the middle of the advent wreath . It symbolizes Christmas , and is called the Christ Candle.

Fiat Lux .....Let There Be Light .

Thanks to a friend of a friend.....

Here's a picture of that beautiful sky above the Comox Glacier and Island mountains last week.

Thanks Michelle !

Fall. A time to Reflect.

With glum skies, persistent rains and cutting winds who can deny that the Fall season isn't upon us.

One cannot venture out of doors these days without noticing the abundance of fallen leaves beneath our feet.
Yesterday we spent the better part of the afternoon raking the front garden and wheelbarrowing away the vast multitude of leaves that had fallen on the lawn over the past few days.

Despite the extra work and the cooler temperatures I have to admit that I do like Autumn.

I also appreciate the fact that I'm living in a country where the Seasons are so clear and distinct. I like the variety and I like the challenge that each season has to offer.
Fall has its challenges too but for me more than anything else, Fall is a season of rest. It is a time to slow down, unwind and reflect.

And this I did.
I reflected upon one singular tenacious leaf on my Quansam tree which refused to fall to the ground despite the Autumn blasts.

I admired that leaf and it encouraged me to think about the spirit of tenacity that we as human beings are imbued with.

It is indeed commendable to be tenacious and to hold on to the worthwhile and enduring things of life and not to let go of them.

They are time proven, dependable and constant.

We ignore them at our peril and without them we run the risk of entering into a realm of darkness and uncertainty; a realm where there is much confusion and very little light.

For me then Fall is the season of reflection; it is a time to take stock and a time to look down the road ahead with new found hope and confidence.

Responding to beauty.

Had an e mail from a friend today , and she described her journey home from Comox along the Dyke Road yesterday afternoon. The time was around 4.45pm , and the sky above the Comox Glacier was ablaze with a beautiful red hue. She said it was quite breathtaking , and that a number of drivers had actually stopped to admire the view and to take photographs. My friend "also took a moment to be thankful for the beauty of the Comox Valley. "

Equally wonderful is our capacity to admire beauty and to take a break once in a while to respond to it and acknowledge it.

Helping Hands

We were very glad to see two new volunteers at Thursday's Sonshine Lunch Club. Margie Leighton and Duane Smith joined us on Thursday of last week. And on their first day , we served just over 200 clients , and yesterday's numbers were steady too.

Duane and Margie's ready smiles, kindness and willing service is appreciated by all.

Let it snow!

I checked out the Mt. Washington web cam the other day and to my delight I saw beautiful fresh white snow.
I could hardly restrain my excitement.
Time for me to retrieve my skiing tackle from the garage and get myself ready for the slopes.
We are so lucky living within spitting distance of a top notch ski facility like Mt. Washington.
Just think of it. It's right on our doorstep. We must be the envy of millions :)
So let's get with it. Swish! Swish!

Getting together to give thanks.

Last Friday night , the volunteers at the Thursday Sonshine Lunch Club met to show their appreciation to two valued workers at the soup kitchen, who are retiring this month. A lovely pot luck dinner was hosted at Gail and Bryce's home , followed by presentations to Brian and Shirley , who have given so many hours of their precious time at the Thursday Sonshine Club.

Volunteers contribute so much to the well being of any society , and yet .......

'Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless.' ~Sherry Anderson

'Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.' ~Elizabeth Andrew

'We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.' ~Winston Churchill

Tried and tested

Today is a typical November day on the west coast, and on such a day , there's nothing like home made soup.

Last week , I tried a new recipe from the Thrifty Foods flyer. It 's a slow cooker Mulligatawny Soup. There are eighteen ingredients in all, which is rather a lot , but we found that we already had most items in the house anyway. The soup turned out deliciously and we had lots left over for freezing.

Could I tempt you to try it with a slice or two of garlic bread?

Here's a link to the recipe : Slow Cooker Mulligatawny Soup.

Turkey dinner and thankful clients

Sonshine Lunch Club.

On October 29th , 20 volunteers and the Masons served turkey dinner to over 200 clients. We served hot turkey, mashed potatoes, corn and peas, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. The money for these items generously provided by the Masons. The parishioners of St. John the Divine provided, cookies, tarts, pies, squares, cake etc. for dessert. Many of the clients thanked us over and over again, saying their Thursday lunch was delicious..

Submitted by Joan Anslow

Welcome to our Blog !

It isn't always easy to decide what to write about in a first post such as this , but I think I'll start with things close to home.

I don't know whether you've noticed , but the Trumpeter Swans have arrived in the Valley from Alaska and the Yukon. We saw four of them cruising over the estuary on Wednesday , and later on in the day , we saw more, relaxing in the fields of Woodrow farms. And for me , perhaps more than the turning of the leaves and the coming of Autumn winds and rain , the return of the Trumpeter Swans is more indicative of the coming of Fall to the Comox Valley. As you know , they will now be with us until March.