Quilting... in pieces

 So my friend Kathleen and I had this dream about sewing a quilt! Then, we talked to some ladies in our church and women at the local quilting store and realized how big and expensive of an undertaking that is! So, we came up with a compromise: placemats.
 We booked one night together just to head to the quilting store and pick out fabric and its a good thing we decided to make that an event in itself- because it was. There were so many choices of beautiful fabric to sort through! We each had to choose four different pieces of fabric for our placemat design. We were at the store far beyond closing, but the quilters running the shop were pretty patient with us and helped us coordinate some of our fabric choices too!
  Fortunately, we found an experienced quilter to kind of "grandmother us" and lead us in this new unknown world of sewing. Our first lesson was last Saturday and we spent our time cutting the fabric and then creating one placemat top. I didn't realize how important paying attention to details was in the world of quilting. We were taught how to measure and cut our pieces (after a brief ironing lesson of course- its always important to iron your fabric first!). To me, that alone was an accomplishment. But then, we went further and pieced together our first top- pinning our right sides together and then sewing them with a 1/4 inch seam. We were even taught some special tricks about getting our "corners" just right! I'm learning to appreciate how much work goes into creating even a simple square quilt.

 Here are some pictures from our morning together:

Joyce showing Kathleen how to "piece" it together

 All the pieces laying tg pre-sew.

My perfect corner! So proud! Thanks for the tips Joyce!

The Quilting Queen and I.

 

 

  Now Kathleen and I are hoping to get her uncle's sewing machine working so we can finish the other three placemat tops with the help of my mom when she visits! I'm happy to be learning so much and creating new friendships at the same time! 

Proud of my husband!

 This week Marcel received a letter at work that was later published in the "Opinion" section of the paper. It was about an article he wrote about the Pistenbully, a huge grooming machine that heads out early each morning to set the tracks for the hundreds of ski-enthusiasts of the North. He actually went out to the ski club one morning and experienced riding in the newly purchased machine to give himself a bit more background knowledge on the praised piece of equipment. It seemed to make a difference in his writing.

Below is a link to the article:

http://www.whitehorsestar.com/archive/story/the-pistenbully-seeking-the-perfect-trail

And what follows is one person's response to Marcel's way with words:

January 24, 2013

 Letter to the Editor of Whitehorse Star,

I wish to applaud your writer Marcel  Vanderwier for his dedication to true journalism that shines out in his story ‘PistenBully: seeking the perfect trail.  To call Vanderwier a sportswriter does not do justice to his skills. Rather than simply doing an interview Vanderwier went with his subject in the middle of the night to get the feel and to capture the magic of Jan Polivka’s job. He succeeded in spades!

Operating a PistenBully is an art. If there is just one zig or zag  you can guarantee that I, or dozens of others in the 1,300 member Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club will complain vehemently.

Decades ago, before we had a PistenBully to groom our trails I spent days skiing in the High Tatras, on the border between Slovakia and Poland. It was terrifyingly steep but I quickly learned that the trails were groomed by a skilled PB operator and if I just steeled my nerves I could stay in the track. It was exhilarating and explained why Olympic athletes from Europe trained there.

Since Whitehorse got a PB in the early 1990’s we too have world-class track setting that can be trusted at high speeds. I’ve taken novice skiers out who were stunned that with a few technique tips they could zoom down touring-trail hills.

Thank you Marcel Vanderwier for beautiful journalism! Your writing took me out amidst the boreal forest in the middle of the night and I felt the purr of the PB as Jan Polivka worked in solitude to create fantastic skiing for all.

 R. Livingstone

 

 I think R Livingstone has a pretty good way with words as well! It's nice to hear that the public recognizes Marcel's writing skills and for him to hear some positive feedback- what a great way to start the New Year! Way to go, Marcel!!

 

Back in the wild city of Whitehorse

   My first weekend back., Marcel and I went for a beautiful drive to take some pictures of a hockey team playing on a lake. We drove to Emerald Lake, which is near Carcross (orginally called Caribou Crossing for obvious reasons) west of Whitehorse. The mountains are more prominent there and the lake was surrounded by white-caps. It was a sunny day and we listened to Vinyl Cafe (stories of Dave and Morely- classic Canadian literature) on CBC during the drive. I tried out the moccassins I made in a university Outdoor Ed course that don't work so well in the slushy weather of the south. Here they are like a warm house for my feet without the weight of heavy snowboots. I'm going for more walks lately just to feel the snow under my toes. We have also been skiing many times since we've been back since the weather has been so mild (in the teens, rather than -20s or -30s.).

 

   Marcel has also been thrown into the world of The Quest since we've been back. He has to write up a 24 page supplement for it which is pretty much a whole newspaper on its own. So on top of his regular sports writing, he spends his nights reading old supplements of bygone Quests and coming up with story ideas (some of which he can hand out to his coworkers for help). It is only two weeks until he leaves and he has also received some great advice in an email from the past sports reporter... one thing mentioned is to buy "dozens of handwarmers- the ones that you crack and they heat up. Use them in your boots, in your mitts, in your jacket-- they are even great to put in your camera bag to prevent your battery from dying". We were also told to get him a warm sleeping bag. He has to book a hotel room for his stay in Dawson and in Fairbanks, but other than that I think he is supposed to get sleep whenever possible wherever possible.

My heart: Living in two places

 It has been a little more than two weeks since I've been back in Whitehorse from my Christmas Break in Ontario. It was incredible to be home with my family and friends. I made forts with my nephew, taught a niece to crochet, enjoyed many quality dinners, had a brunch of crepes with friends, sewed a shirt during craft time with my mom, celebrated with our church families the birth of JC and the hope of His coming again, and was just filled with love from my family. I came home exhausted but filled with great memories and happy feelings.
  Then the post-Christmas homesickness hit. It does every year. It is strange to be so close to everything familiar and then in a 9 hour flight be so far away from it all. I've learned to purposely kind of distance myself from my family and Ontario friends for at least a week after flying back. I force myself to immerse into all things Whitehorse in an effort to find the joy and blessing of being here and pull my attention away from the longing for home that clings to my heart.
  I miss holding little Evelyn and smelling the new baby scent of Emily Debra. I'm sad that I can't meet Ryker Kiers and the latest VW (Doug and Barb's) until he/she is grown out of his/her newborn onesies (still waiting for his/her arrival!). I'm glad I could teach almost 2-year old Paul to say "Oh Ya!" instead of always "Oh No!" but I wonder if it has stuck. Coffees with my Mom were cherished as was the time we could spend being creative together in her studio. All my nieces and nephews are growing up so fast on the VW side and every time we leave I wonder if the next time we come back they'll be too "cool" to chat with their aunt amy and uncle mar- or if the younger ones will remember us as we fly in and out of their lives. My brother is moving back to Toronto and I'd love to be able to help with the move and see how they make their new house a home. I'd love to be able to attend the canoe trip meetings my mom is intiating again for the second annual women's trip in Algonquin this summer. Dancing with my cousins at Amanda and Tim's wedding was a blast and I miss those relationships even though I know for those who are in Ontario- the occurrence of seeing each other has also become rare.
  Its hard to live in two places. My heart still longs for the people of southern Ontario, although less and less for the traffic, pace, and pressure of living in one of the most populated areas of the country. It has been good to be back in Whitehorse. Now that I've spent some time here again and have been able to teach, ski, affirm some new friendships, and be blown away by the beauty of this place my homesick heart has been calmed. And through prayer and Scripture I have found some peace that God is here, that He is watching over my coming and going, that He has plans to give us a hope and future, and I will grow closer to Him here.
  I'm praying that I can find my "place" here. Teaching has been good, but it isn't as fulfilling as having your own class, especially in a Christian setting where I was able to really speak the gospel into all areas of the curriculum. Teaching doesn't feel as much like a calling here as a day job. I can still teach with compassion and love for the students I interact with each day and I can affirm their worth as well as guide them in discernment and critical thinking skills, but I miss the relationships I was able to develop wtih my students in my own classroom. There are definitely advantages to the substitute life though and I am making the most of the free time I have. The temperatures have been mild and I've been skiing as much as possible and exploring other hobbies at the same time.
  However, recently I've become convicted by some vereses in Jeremiah 29 to live where I am and to invest in the city of Whitehorse. The verses  (4-7) are made up of a letter that Jeremiah gave to the people of Israel when they were in exile in Babylon. They say to "build houses and settle down: plant gardens and eat what they produce... seek the peace and prosperity of the city ... and pray to the Lord for it because if it prospers, you too will prosper". This doesn't mean we are going to be buying a house here any time soon, but I think it does mean a bit of a perspective-shift for me during our time here. I could easily spend my time here working and then during my off-time enjoying the many benefits of living in such a wild beautiful place. The truth is, I have an opportunity to pray for this city and to invest in it, not just for my own benefit, but for the benefit of others. I'm not sure what this exactly means for me, but it is something that is on my heart and that I believe I need to be open to as I search for my purpose here in Whitehorse.