Saturday, April 25, 2009

paintings and pathways


Hello Hello! It's pouring down rain in Welli today. But Justin & I have had a good weekend nonetheless. We did some babysitting on Friday and took 2 girls from our church for pizza. Saturday was most excellent as we had our whole flat to ourselves for 4 days!, so we took advantage of the time and had a lil date. We both think our place still feels a bit like a vacation home- and yesterday this was accentuated as we slept in, walked down to the waterfront where we went to another awesome cafe (I had the most amazing butterscotch and pear pancakes), came home to read some of my novel for book club, and Justin made us dinner at our place. We are feeling a bit spoiled and sometimes I worry about what life will be like when we don't have so much leisure time. But for now, we will enjoy it and be thankful for the opportunities! Today is Sunday and since the bad weather canceled Justin's golf match, he made some donuts, while I got to chat with my Dad. Loved catching up Dad, and thanks for the tire advice:) This afternoon we went with some friends to the Monet & the Impressionists exhibit at Te Papa (NZ's national museum). I feel very cultured and loved learning about Monet as we got the $5 audio guide. He did amazing work capturing the mood of a natural setting. He would set up his canvas in one place and camp out all day, painting sometimes 5 canvases of the same setting in different lighting. He saw colors that no one else saw. And his dedication was amazing. The lily pond paintings- they came from a garden he set up at his home and painted them for over 20 years! Who knew that 1 nature setting could be that captivating? I think his work points to something that I've been thinking about- giving yourself and your life to something or some cause.

I've always had a hard time choosing just one thing to invest all of myself. Making the choice to be about 1 thing, means you have to forsake all other things and this is painful to me. I have realized though that my desire to want to do, or be good at many things has actually disabled me to become great at anything. I don't see myself as a devoted person to any 1 subject, topic, or hobby and as I'm processing through this, I'm hitting that place in my life where I want to focus and become an expert at something. I want to retain my excitement about many things, but I also want to hone in on what makes me tick. My desire to go to grad school is also helping me process this- and currently I'm thinking that I want to make people my thing. Yes a very big and broad category I know. But I want to study people and what makes us do what we do. There is a program at the University of Victoria which I'm thinking about taking called the Masters in Management Studies. Most of the courses are dealing with topics such as leadership, motivation, strategy and organization. It focuses on the theory of business, not the numbers, and seeks to understand both the psychological aspects, as well as the leadership side of business.

So I'm wondering what the people who know me most think about this potential path? I can be a person of very rash decisions, and as I'm trying to grow out of this, I'm trying to deliberate this decision better. The degree isn't highly known or recognized, but I think I could still use the degree to teach at other business programs at the university level, and/or run seminars and advise businesses (thanks to Lib who has given me her feedback and suggestions). I think this plan fits me rather well and I'm excited to see where it could take me. But what are your thoughts or questions as I process this path?

I'll leave you with something much more intriguing than my writings... a Renior painting... 1 of my favorites from the exhibit!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Good ol pros and cons list:

Hello again! So this week was a bit off. We only had a 4-day week as Monday was a holiday for us, but then Justin and I both got a sinus infection- stink. We managed to not skip any work (it's funny that our kiwi friends think were kinda crazy for not staying home), but we have taken this weekend real easy and I'm starting to feel a little lazy. Yesterday (Saturday) was actually pretty awesome as we took a trip to the library to get a membership, ate at a new cafe which is now one of my favorites, sat by the waterfront to read our books, and then had a party at our place to watch rugby. (I did forget Jill's party in the afternoon- sorry Jill if you're reading!) This is an ideal Saturday for me- but there is something about being sick that takes away a bit of the enjoyment from everything. Friday and Saturday have given me a tinge of homesickness- who knows why it hits when it does- so I had the idea to blog some of the things I'll miss about NZ when we move home... and some of the things that I just don't think I'll reflect back fondly upon. Here goes:

NZ's amazingness:
-gooood coffee & amazing cafes!
-delicious wine had at any and every occasion
-Natural beauty right in front of me no matter where I look
-people from tons of different cultures who teach me lots about the world's happenings
-morning & afternoon tea breaks
-the old-fashion feel of hanging clothes on the line
-people who are excited about our American-ness
-taking life a bit slower
-rubgy
-an appreciation for quality and not quantity
-using English terms like reckon, piker, keen, & heaps
-food with less sugar & preservatives so we can live past 60! -including cheese!


NZ's pitfalls:
-it's stinkin far away from America
-Marmite
-houses without central heating or insulation
-the feeling that NZ is so small that it's inconsequential (it's not, but sometimes it feels that way)
-it's stinking far away from my friends and family
-texting rather than calling people
-dress up partys for adults- I'm just over it.
-no good donuts
-and... it's stinking far away from America.


I think I'll keep returning to this list to help myself process what I like about here, but what I also miss about good-ol-America! And there are many things to be missed! But hopefully this list helps you all understand life down-under a bit more.

K- back to teaching my flatmates how to play euchure and making buckeyes (our friends here love them!) I do love weekends. ~Lace

reading by the water

Sunday, April 12, 2009

New day.

Happy Easter everyone! It has been a good time here celebrating the hope that comes with Easter. We had a special dinner at our place for 35 people- complete with readings, candlelight, and after dinner entertainment of story telling & poetry- it was memorable! It's still throwing me for a loop though that Easter is leading us into Autumn and not Spring. My sense of the seasons and time passing by is blurred and I often find myself stopping to think- what month are we even in? Does this happen to anyone else?

I find myself relishing in the fact that the Easter story tells us that the way our story ends is with a new day, a new sunrise, a new hope. The darkness is not the end of the story. I know we say this at Easter- but do you think our culture really gets that? Do we believe that there is a new sunrise coming tomorrow? The words to one of my favorite songs says, "If you're like me you need hope, coffee, and melody." And we do. Our culture truly needs hope (not to mention coffee too).

In the last month, I have had 3 close encounters with young people who have attempted to run away or end their life. It's worrying me. A lot. Why are people my age not believing that the sun will rise tomorrow? Why don't they know that the story doesn't have to end in darkness? Why do they feel hopeless when most of life is ahead of them? Is our culture missing out on hope?

Sometimes I think we are such a selfish generation, that when we see darkness, we think that's all there is. Our reality is the entire reality. But this isn't true.

I want to be a person of hope. I want my life to show that things can change. And lately- I've been learning through marriage- that I can change. We can change. I am so thankful for Justin and his ability to show me that I can work through things. I don't have to stay in the state I am now- together we can work on the parts of ourselves that need improved, and with God's power- we come out the other side- more alive, more human, more Lacey & Justin than ever before. The process is not that fun or comfortable to go through. But there is hope.

And our culture needs hope. The next line to that song says, "Yesterday's gone and today's waiting on you to show your face. And it might not be the prettiest thing that you'll ever see, but baby it's a new day." When things seem bleak and done for, I remember these words. When I wake up and I'm disappointed in the day before, or the hour before- I tell myself- baby it's a new day. The story doesn't have to end in darkness.

So I'll keep working on the parts of myself that I don't like. And please know that Justin and I are loving and missing you all lots! Our hope means baby it's a new day.:)



Our attempt for dusk-time photos. & Our Passover dinner table- we had a special dinner Thursday, too to remember Passover. Gooooood times and laughs!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

trying to capture the night time view!!!!



Weekend Walks



This weekend Justin & I took a nice lil walk along Makara Beach. We saw sheep, World War 2 hideouts, windmills, and lots of picturesque scenes. Justin even tried to have me chase a sheep off the mountain. Ouch.

we think it would work for a calendar

such beauty!

peace...ful

Makes me want to jump in!

proud sheep and windfarms

Justin loved getting to see these wind farms! He is doing research about them right now.

on top of... who knows what?

Justin really does love to climb things.

A lil Windy

yeah it's really that windy.