A Eulogy

It is always a difficult thing to write about those who are no longer with us, and this is no exception. Today, after months of nose-wrinkling from Rod, and with much sadness on my part, I threw away my Birkenstocks. It wasn’t an easy decision, especially considering our history together, but one that I knew I had to make. They were a gift from my parents, when I was a lass in high school; they have been with me to Ukraine, Bahamas, tree-planting in BC (perhaps that was a mistake) and Japan, as well as almost everyday between these trips. They have walked many miles with me, in good and bad weather, in castles and in mud. And, I have to admit, I was one of “those people” who wore socks with her sandals, for the sole purpose of being able to wear my Birks for as long as possible before the snow flew.
My Birks have always been a sore spot in Rod’s and my relationship: for the most part, Rod wrinkles his nose when they are mentioned and dislikes touching them or looking at them. For my part, they have been with me longer than Rod has, so I wasn’t about to give them up so quickly. It’s true, they aren’t the prettiest things anymore (and if I’m honest, they haven’t been for a little while now), but darn it! they’re comfortable, and they’ve been part of my life for a long time!
They’ve had a good and full life. May they rest in peace.

In case you forgot...

On our toilet seat:

I May Be Adjusting

I was a little bit hungry after I came home from work tonight. The first thing I grabbed wasn’t crackers or snacks, but rice. And not just any rice…It had such delectable snippets as tofu, eggplant, and bean sprouts. So, I sat in front of the computer, Tupperware© and chopsticks in hand, and ate my fill.

In Mourning

It was with some shock and sadness that Rebecca and I learned recently that the west-coast treeplanting behemoth that we worked for two summers ago is no longer in existence. SilvaRam Holdings, a company neither new nor small, has gone out of business this fall, citing financial reasons. Although I (Rodney) have few good things to say about my time in the depths of silvicultural hell, it did pay for the rock on Rebecca’s left hand, and I am left feeling a strange mixture of loss and regret. Like a veteran of war, or a survivor of some traumatic ordeal, there is a certain amount of bonding that takes place when you are stretched to your limits. Logic cannot completely explain why small armies of fresh young men and women make the yearly trek into the wilderness to expose themselves to that abusive lover that lurks deep in the deserted wasteland: the treeplanting trade. There is a curious mix of money, accomplishment, determination, competition, stubbornness and even growth (and I don’t mean the one on your foot) that drives the trade. It isn’t with surprise that I note that it has become more and more difficult for companies to recruit people to plant for them. I wonder if the planting business is slowly dying out? Well, one thing is for sure, Rebecca and mine surely did and I am not sure how to feel about it.

Out of Place….And Yet the Perfect Fit

Today we spent a beautiful day in Kyoto. The sun was shining, the air was brisk, the colours were starting to change, and the company was great! Among other things, one of the sites we saw was the Kinkakuji, one of Japan’s most famous temples. It was originally built in the 1220s (although it was burned down by a madman, so had to be rebuilt) and is plated in gold!

As we were leaving, we happened to pick up some strains of the Hallelujah Chorus! Rod and I just looked at each other and shook our heads…it was so typically Japanese. In the aspect of Christian influences on western culture, it seems as if Japan is a country that doesn’t quite know what to believe. It is not uncommon to hear Christian songs in the most unusual of places. I was walking down the main shopping stretch on my way to work one day, and heard the tune of “You are my Hiding Place.” A favourite tech store of Rod’s, Midori’s, plays “When the Saints Go Marching In” non-stop (literally), with variations in style anywhere from Japanese-Pop to orchestral. I was browsing in a shop yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to see a Christmas card with a picture of a beautiful church on the front…but, when I moved the box that was in front of it, there was a picture of Santa waving in the church doorway.
And so, while it seemed incongruous to hear Handel’s masterpiece on the grounds of a Zen temple, it was by no means startling. And then I thought about the words to the song… “For the Lord God, Omnipotent, reigneth! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
Yes Lord, even here!

A Medley

Let all that I am praise the Lord.
O Lord my God, how great You are!
You are robed with honour and majesty…
(Psalm 104:1)




I lift up my eyes to the hills –
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The Maker of Heaven and Earth.
(Psalm 121:1,2)










You placed the world on its foundation
So it would never be moved…
Mountains rose and valleys sank
To the levels you decreed.
(Psalm 104:5,8)





If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there Your hand will guide me
Your right hand will hold me fast!
(Psalm 139:9,10)



May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all He has made!
The earth trembles at His glance;
The mountains smoke at His touch.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live
I will praise my God to my last breath!
May all my thoughts be pleasing to Him,
For I rejoice in the Lord.

Let all that I am praise the Lord!
(Psalm 104:31-35)