Pilgrim's Progress

Never Mind, Let's Sit Down and Have a Nice Cup of Tea

Yes it's real. And yes it's staged. I'm having my first taste of real Canadian winter.

It's part of a year-long project called Hamilton365, which involved Larry Strung (my host) snapping a different Hamilton 365 resident every day for a year and posting it online. Check out the site here and dial back through the year and see what I mean. I love his gift for seeing under people's skin and thinking creatively about how to photograph them to draw it out.

And yes, my hands are cold and my butt is freezing off.

(P.S. If you are in the Hamilton area, and are looking for a photographer, check out his business website: www.strungfoto.com)

Sign of the Day

>> Canada Files: Day 167

TM'S Travels

Hi folks ... sorry it's taken us so long to update you on our travels, but we can't get on the computer. HE's always on it. Anyway, some snaps from our recent trip to Ottawa.

Here we are on board the VIA Rail train, on the 5 hour trip. Boy did the trail rock from side to side - uneven rails, someone said. I felt a bit sick by the end of it.

Here we are sitting by the side of the canal in Ottawa. We counted 8 locks! Then we went to the Canadian Museum of Civilisation and I think HE walked in without paying (by accident of course). Here we are on stage in the theatrical museum. Tickets pleeeeease!

And we slept in a jail for 3 nights too - kind of spooky but a lot of fun too. And finally, we went to see the Parliament buildings - it took us 10 minutes to go through security to go the toilet and I was BURSTING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the view from the top was really great! The next day we went to a big event to pray for Canada and petition the government to make better laws, for unborn children and other important issues.

And then we came back home. So it's bye from me and monkey - until next time!  

Sign of the Day #5: Now Hiring

I wondered if this was a subliminal recruitment ad. for the American  intelligence establishment? Hint: look at the larger letters in the first sentence ...

My Butcher is a Raving Pentecostal

>> Canada Files: Day 063

See for yourself! This is Sign of the Day #5.

(If that doesn't mean anything, the shop name sounds a bit like someone speaking in tongues!)

Happy Canada Day!

>> Canada Files: Day 036

Sign of the Day #1

I'd like to thank my producer ...

zsI've never won a holiday or a new car. I never came first in the sack race or got picked first for football. But now, I'm recompensed by receiving a "Thinking Blogger" award by Malcolm Chamberlain, who was dragged kicking and screaming into blogworld, but now wild horses couldn't tear him away.

It's always great to know my musings and arty offerings are making connections with people, esp when it makes connections with people's spiritual journey. So thanks Malcolm.

I'm not a great blog reader I must confess, but here are a few of the ones I read reasonably often.

1. Cartoon Church. I think it's the satire and the quirky humour I love as much as the cartoons.

2. Ben Hanbury. Digital art geezer who works for BBC. Shame he uses Apple Macs though as I can't try out the software.

3. Lone Ranger Personal Blog. It feels like another world politically and maybe spiritually, but the way he writes is just so FUNNY. And also good to read someone from a different cultural stance.

And at the risk of sounding like a complete creep

4. Malcolm Chamberlain - a great mixture of emerging church thinking, comment on topical issues, and a great place to find YouTube videos that are likely to offend "nice" Christians. It's been great to get to know and work with Malcolm through DREAM, and he's a good person to play "big idea football" with.

5. Logos Bible Software Blog - more aimed at users of Logos Bible Software but it's a great source of ideas and stimulation anyway if you're digging away in the depths of the good book.

P.S. I used to enjoy Mark Balfour's blog but it has gone to the great file cache in the sky now. I still think he's a blogger at heart.

Health Warning

This message popped up while I was using Napster music download software ... I didn't know that downloading music from the Internet could lead to spontaneous combustion :)

Light Relief

Before returning to weightier matters, a brief interlude ... this occurred to me while playing around with the anti-tamper seal from a carton of fruit juice. What an ideal way to teach our children about "Heroes of the Faith"! What other household objects could be used to stimulate these little minds to learn from these great men and women of God?

Answers on a postcard :)

Sorry I'll Read That Again

Had to read this sign twice ... (it's in Warwick Castle)

Extreme Ironing

I'm definitely in an "unplugged" mode today ...

Experience "the latest danger sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt". Click here if you dare ...