laura bachynski

1 Worried?

May 5, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

Trust

THERE IS SO MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT.

DO YOU FIND YOURSELF TEARY THESE DAYS? DO YOUR HOURS SEEM ENDLESS IN YOUR ISOLATED WORLD ? DO YOU WORRY ABOUT WORK? YOUR FAMILY?

HOW CAN WE NOT WORRY ABOUT COVID-19 WHEN EVERY SINGLE NEWSPAPER, RADIO STATION, TELEVISION, INTERNET STATION, ETC., CONSTANTLY BOMBARDS US WITH THE SCARY STATISTICS?

IT’S TIME FOR US TO BREATHE.

‘ELIZABETH ELLIOT’ SAID……

“Worry is the antithesis of trust. You simply cannot do both. They are mutually exclusive.”

Elisabeth Elliot

I LIKE TO GO FOR WALKS AND PRAY. THERE’S SOMETHING PEACEFUL ABOUT ‘LETTING GO AND LETTING GOD’ AND I OFTEN PRAY MY ROSARY AS I WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD .

TRUSTING THAT ‘GOD’S GOT THIS’ HELPS ME TO BREATHE. WHEN I STOP FOCUSING ON MYSELF I START TO SMILE AND THINK ABOUT ALL THE BLESSINGS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THIS INCREDIBLE SEASON THE WORLD IS EXPERIENCING…. MORE THAN CAN POSSIBLY BE NAMED.

YOU ARE PROBABLY HEARING ABOUT LESS AIR POLLUTION DUE TO PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO DRIVE TO WORK.

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT ‘DRIVE BY’ BIRTHDAY PARADES (I MYSELF JUST PARTICIPATED IN ONE OF THOSE FOR A FRIEND.)

FAMILIES ARE LEARNING TO BE FAMILIES AGAIN. FAMILIES APART ARE LEARNING JUST HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THOSE THEY ARE SEPARATED FROM…

PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO WALK. TO RUN. TO BIKE. AND CREATIVITY IS FLOURISHING. WHAT BLESSINGS ARE YOU EXPERIENCING?

WHEN WE TRUST WE DON’T HAVE TO CONTROL EVERY SITUATION. GOD CARES ABOUT US AND HE IS ANSWERING PRAYERS.

WHY NOT TRY WHISPERING A PRAYER TO THE ONE WHO LOVES US AND KNOWS OUR SITUATION?

BECAUSE… (AS VANCE HAVNER SAYS….)

“Worry, like a rocking chair, will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.”

Vance Havner

MAY YOUR DAY BE FILLED WITH PEACE AND TRUST.

0 “Memories Monday”

May 4, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

DURING THIS LOVELY, RAINY MONDAY MORNING I AM REMINDED OF A SONG I SANG CALLED, “RAINING IN MY HEART”. (THE PHOTO ..ME IN PINK SINGING WITH THE UMBRELLAS CHORUS ABOVE)

THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLAYS THAT TERRY AND I DID AFTER MOVING TO CALGARY FROM ONTARIO MANY YEARS AGO. IT WAS CALLED, ‘DAMES AT SEA’ AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

CRAZY TO THINK OF IT BUT WE ARE STILL FRIENDS TO THIS DAY WITH EVERYONE IN THAT CAST!

KATHY (WITH THE BALLOONS) TOLD ME THIS WAS HER FIRST PLAY EVER AND NOW SHE GRACES THE BOARDS AT THEATRE CALGARY! OUR DEAR FRIEND, CLAUDIA,(SOLOING WITH THE ‘HOOP SKIRT GIRLS’) TAUGHT THEATRE FOR MANY YEARS IN ENGLAND AND HAS ONLY RECENTLY RELOCATED TO CALGARY. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HER AGAIN!

BOTH THE FELLAS (BESIDE KATHY WITH THE BALLOONS) MURRAY AND STAN ARE STILL ACTORS TO THIS DAY IN CALGARY. WHILE ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CAST ,SUSAN FOREST, JUST PUBLISHED ANOTHER NOVEL CALLED ‘BURSTS OF FIRE’.

TERRY AND I HAD THE LEAD ROLLS IN THIS TAP DANCING HEAVY MUSICAL. I HAD SOME MINOR TAP EXPERIENCE ONLY SO I HAD TO PRACTICE WITH THE CAST FOR MANY HOURS. WE DIDN’T HAVE A PROPER FLOOR FOR THIS ACTIVITY AND I’LL NEVER FORGET DOING THE ‘ROLL OVER THE LOG’ MOVE ON THE SMOOTH, CONCRETE FLOOR WHEN MY TAP SLIPPED AND MY LEG WENT ONE WAY…AND MY KNEE WENT THE OTHER. I THINK TERRY SNAPPED MY JOINT BACK INTO PLACE BUT I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD KNEE ISSUES EVER SINCE THIS SHOW. SHEESH!

THAT SAID, IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST FUN SHOWS I HAVE EVER BEEN IN. HILARIOUSLY, I WAS IN A CAST (NOT JUST THE TROUPE!) FOR THE REST OF THE REHEARSALS AND IT WAS ON THE NIGHT OF THE PERFORMANCE THAT IT WAS REMOVED . THE AUDIENCE THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A FUNNY IDEA THAT MY CHARACTER’S BIG TAP DANCING BREAK WAS ACTUALLY JUST MARCHING AROUND CARRYING A GIANT FLAG. I GOT TO DO SOME LIGHT TAP WORK BUT NO MORE SHOW STOPPING STUFF IN THE DANCE DEPARTMENT. I DID GET TO ENJOY THE ACTING, THE SINGING, AND ESPECIALLY MEETING THESE FRIENDS …FOR LIFE!

0 Mountain Hike Painting

May 3, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

IT’S NICE TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE TIME TO PAINT! I CAN SAY THAT IS ONE GOOD THING ABOUT BEING FORCED TO STAY HOME… HA HA.

I GUESS I AM DREAMING OF THE MOUNTAINS AND IT LOOKS LIKE OUR PROVINCIAL PARKS WILL BE OPEN ONCE AGAIN . I GUESS PEOPLE ARE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF SOCIAL DISTANCING.

ON THIS BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY MORNING I WANT TO SEND MY LOVE FROM EDMONTON. LOOK ABOUT YOU . THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR!

I SAW MY FIRST DAFFODILS IN SOMEONE’S GARDEN YESTERDAY AND MY FIRST ROBIN OF THE SEASON. SIMPLE JOYS.

PEACE FRIENDS.

0 Live Stream Concert !

May 2, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

(PRESS ON THE ABOVE LINK TO HEAR “BEAUTIFUL CONTRAST” BY Laura Bachynski.)

SPIRITLINE HAS BEEN ASKED TO DO AN ONLINE CONCERT TO RAISE MONEY FOR ROSEBUD, ALBERTA, THEATRE COMMUNITY.

ROSEBUD IS A SMALL TOWN JUST NORTH OF CALGARY, ALBERTA, AND ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO VISIT. NESTLED IN THE ‘BADLANDS’ NEAR DRUMHELLER , THIS PICTURESQUE TOWN IS HOME TO A WORLD CLASS THEATRE SCHOOL AND EVERY YEAR THE THEATRES PUT ON SEVERAL PLAYS AND AT LEAST ONE MUSICAL ON ONE OF THEIR STAGES.

WE TRY AND VISIT EVERY YEAR NOT ONLY FOR THE PLAYS BUT TO VISIT WITH THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE THERE LIKE ‘B.J.’ WHO RUNS THE COUNTRY INN BED AND BREAKFAST OR MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN THE QUAINT SHOPS,ETC., WHO WE NOW CONSIDER FRIENDS.

WE DID THE VERY FIRST CONCERT AT THE START OF OUR CANADIAN TOUR IN ROSEBUD AND WE WERE SCHEDULED TO DO THE LAST CONCERT THERE TOO BEFORE COVID HAD OTHER PLANS FOR US AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.

BUT EDUCATION ( AND ACTING, DIRECTING) INSTRUCTOR, PAUL MUIR, CONTACTED US AND WONDERED IF WE WOULD CONSIDER DOING A FUNDRAISER FOR THE COMMUNITY WHOSE INCOMES LARGELY DEPEND ON TICKET SALES (AND GATHERINGS OF LARGE GROUPS!)

SO WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS! OF COURSE WE SAID, “YES”!

I’M GUESSING WE MAY DO A FACEBOOK LIVE STREAM OF OUR TOUR CONCERT AND ASK OUR FRIENDS TO DONATE TO THIS WORTHY CAUSE.

https://www.rosebudtheatre.com/support-us

LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING MORE DETAILS WITH YOU AS THE SHOW DETAILS BECOME AVAILABLE.

0 Patterns

May 1, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

THE PATTERNS OF OUR WORLD HAVE CHANGED.

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST? PERHAPS THE MOST OBVIOUS ANSWER IS YOUR JOB THAT PROVIDED FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

PERHAPS YOU MISS THE FREEDOM TO TAKE YOUR CLASSES BUT NOW YOUR CHILDREN ARE WITH YOU 24/7.

MAYBE YOU MISS YOUR WEEKLY PATTERNS OF GOING OUT TO BREAKFAST WITH YOUR PARTNER OR OUT TO A RESTAURANT /OR CHURCH SERVICE ON THE WEEKEND.

I AM MISSING MY YEARLY PATTERN . EVERY YEAR IN MAY FOR THE LAST 31 YEARS I HAVE FLOWN HOME TO BE NEAR MY PARENTS, MY DEAREST FIRST FRIENDS, AND MY WINDSOR, ONTARIO FAMILY. AT FIRST I ONLY STAYED FOR A LONG WEEKEND BECAUSE I MISSED THEM ALL SO MUCH WHEN I MOVED SEVERAL PROVINCES AWAY AS A NEWLYWED.

AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS IT BECAME ONE WHOLE WEEK AND AS MY FOUR CHILDREN GOT OLDER MY PATTERN BECAME TWO WEEKS.

FOR THE LAST MANY YEARS I HAVE RETURNED HOME FOR LONGER THAN A MONTH ! THIS IS PERFECT FOR ME BECAUSE I WANT TO BE NEAR MY AGING PARENTS ( WE ENJOY ANTIQUING, PAINTING, GOING FOR DRIVES…) AND THE WEATHER IS ALMOST TROPICAL IN OUR SOUTHERN MOST CITY OF CANADA.

THE “GIRLS’ WEEKEND AWAY” IS A HUGE DRAW FOR ME AS MY SISTERS AND I (AND EVEN OUR MUM FOR YEARS) GO FOR A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY AT A BED AND BREAKFAST WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE. WE LAUGH AND TALK INTO THE WEE HOURS FOR 3 1/2 DAYS AND WE TOO HAVE OUR PATTERNS OF WHAT OUR PLANS ARE EVERY YEAR. THERE IS ALWAYS TEA INVOLVED , USUALLY MUSIC, SOMETIMES ART, AND A MOVIE FOR SURE.

I HAVE THE INCREDIBLE GOOD BLESSING OF HAVING TWO OF THESE TYPE OF WEEKENDS AWAY WHILE I AM HOME. MY BEST FRIENDS AND I STARTED GOING AWAY TOGETHER TOO AND ALL FOUR OF US LIVE IN DIFFERENT CITIES! (EDMONTON,WATERLOO,TECUMSEH, AND CALGARY) .WE LIKE TO DO THE SAME THINGS AS MY SISTERS BUT WE ALSO PRAY TOGETHER AND USUALLY SEE A THEATRE PRODUCTION (OR TWO!) AS WELL.

EVEN MY BEST HIGH SCHOOL GIRLFRIENDS AND MYSELF GET TOGETHER WHEN I’M BACK IN ONTARIO.

AND AS MAY DRAWS CLOSER AND I SEE THAT THESE PATTERNS WILL NOT BE RETRACED I AM STARTING TO FEEL SAD. THEY ARE SUCH A DEEP , SATISFYING, AND UPLIFTING PART OF MY LIFE.

HOW AM I GOING TO STAY HERE AND HAPPY WHEN MY BODY IS SAYING, “TIME TO FLY BACK TO YOUR FIRST HOME” ? THIS IS WHAT I WILL MISS MOST THIS YEAR .

BUT I HOPE AND DREAM OF FLYING HOME NEXT MAY. RIGHT NOW I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE FEELING COMFORTABLE GETTING ON AN AIRPLANE!

PERHAPS I CAN ADOPT A NEW PATTERN WHERE I SEE HOPE CHANGING MY CRIES INTO TEARS OF JOY AND THE BEATING OF MY HEART INTO THE PATH FORWARD INTO OUR NEW WORLD.

2 The Old Museum

April 30, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

ONE THING I’VE DISCOVERED ON ALL OF MY WALKS IS THAT THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO SEE…AND RIGHT NEARBY!

WE HAVE A BRAND NEW MUSEUM IN EDMONTON (DOWNTOWN) BUT I WALKED TO THE SITE OF THE OLD MUSEUM NEAR MY HOME. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY WITH OUR TYPICAL BRIGHT BLUE SKIES WITH VOLUMINOUS PUFFY CLOUDS.

THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE IS BEHIND THE ‘GOVERNMENT HOUSE’ PHOTO . THERE WERE LOTS OF PEOPLE OUT ENJOYING THE DAY BUT ALL JUST KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE AS REQUIRED.

FOR ALL THE TOUGH THINGS WE ARE ALL GOING THROUGH AT THIS TIME I AM HAPPY FOR SIMPLE JOYS… LIKE GOING FOR WALKS!

4 Someday….

April 29, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

SOMEDAY. SOMEDAY WE WILL LOOK BACK ON THIS TIME AND REMEMBER.

SOMEDAY. OUR GRANDCHILDREN OR CHILDREN WILL BE TAUGHT ABOUT COVID-19 AND WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR ENTIRE WORLD.

OUR YOUTH WILL BE TAUGHT ABOUT THE TIME WHEN PEOPLE HAD TO STAY HOME AND SCHOOLS WERE CLOSED. YOU COULDN’T PLAY IN A PLAYGROUND OR GO TO A NATIONAL PARK. RESTAURANTS WERE CLOSED AND CHURCHES TOO.

PEOPLE HAD TO STAY 2 METERS APART . BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN AND PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT MONEY AND ABOUT LOSING THEIR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THEIR LOVED ONES.

PEOPLE HOARDED TOILET PAPER AND WORE MASKS AND GLOVES OUT IN PUBLIC.

SOMEDAY. SOMEDAY OUR CHILDREN WILL BE TAUGHT THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC PEOPLE LEARNED TO LOVE THEIR DAILY WALKS .

FOLKS WAVED AT THEIR NEIGHBOURS AND HELPED EACH OTHER BY CHEERING ON FRONT LINE WORKERS AND DELIVERING GROCERIES TO THOSE IN NEED.

PEOPLE BECAME VERY CREATIVE AND MANY NEW SONGS , BOOKS , AND PAINTINGS ARRIVED. PEOPLE INVENTED AMAZING THINGS.

FAMILIES AND FRIENDS MET EACH OTHER ON A COMPUTER SCREEN AND CHATTED AND PLAYED GAMES THAT WAY.

SOMEDAY. SOMEDAY OUR CHILDREN WILL LEARN ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE TURNED BACK TO GOD AND FOUND PEACE BECAUSE OF IT.

SOMEDAY. SOMEDAY OUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL BE TAUGHT ABOUT HOW MUCH WE VALUED HUGS. HOW A SIMPLE HUG BROUGHT US THE MOST JOY AND THE BIGGEST SMILE.

SOMEDAY.

0 Chalk Wisdom

April 28, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

AS I ATTEMPT TO GO ON ALMOST DAILY WALKS I AM STRUCK BY THE LARGE NUMBER OF CHALK DRAWINGS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

PARENTS ARE KEEPING THEIR CHILDREN ENTERTAINED BY TEACHING THEM TO DRAW OUTSIDE . THE CHILDREN ARE KEEPING ME ENTERTAINED BY THEIR SIMPLE WISDOM.

ALTHOUGH I LOVE TO LOOK UP AND AROUND ME AT THE BEAUTIFUL SKY, TREES , AND EVEN HOMES , THE CHALK DRAWINGS KEEP DRAWING MY EYES DOWN AND MY SMILE…UP!

THERE WAS ONE CREATION THAT CAUSED A TEAR TO DROP. IT WAS OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY CENTRE AND PLAYGROUND . IT SIMPLY SAID , “WE WILL PLAY AGAIN SOON”.

KEEP YOUR CHIN UP AND YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THESE FLEETING MOMENTS OF ‘CHALK WISDOM’ . ‘FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES’ …….AS THEY SAY.

0 Zoom !

April 27, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

PlayingCodenames2020Zoom IT’S AMAZING TO ME THAT ‘ZOOM’ SHOWED UP FOR THE WORLD JUST WHEN WE NEEDED IT.

WE HAD BEEN USING ‘SKYPE’ FOR YEARS WITH OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN SO FAR AWAY AND IT HAS BEEN A GREAT WAY TO STAY CONNECTED. BUT BEING ABLE TO SEE MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON THE SCREEN AT ONCE HAS BEEN A GODSEND IN THESE TIMES OF SEPARATION.

THE ATTACHED PHOTO IS OF US PLAYING ‘CODENAMES’ ON ZOOM. TERRY FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO IT AND WE HAVE SPENT ONE NIGHT A WEEK PLAYING IT WITH VARIOUS FAMILY MEMBERS . SO FUN !

THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH CHOIRS AND CAST MEMBERS SINGING ‘TOGETHER’ (YET IN THEIR OWN HOMES) AND I THINK I HEARD YOU CAN HAVE UP TO 100 PEOPLE ON IT AT ONCE. AMAZING!

YESTERDAY I HAD THE CHANCE ONCE AGAIN TO VISIT WITH THREE OF MY BEST FRIENDS ON ZOOM. ROSE IS FROM WATERLOO, ONTARIO, BARB IS FROM TECUMSEH, ONTARIO , AND MARY IS FROM CALGARY, ALBERTA. INCREDIBLE TO ME THAT ZOOM PUT US ALL TOGETHER SO THAT WE COULD CHAT AND LAUGH FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF. THIS MIGHT SEEM LIKE A COMMERCIAL FOR ZOOM …HA HA…BUT IF YOU HAVEN’T TRIED THIS IT REALLY IS A GREAT WAY TO BE ‘TOGETHER’ DURING THESE DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS…AND GOD FORBID ..YEARS AHEAD OF US.

0 Fort Saskatchewan

April 26, 2020
by Laura Bachynski
· Blog

EXPLORING. EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE WE JUST HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND GO ON A ROAD TRIP.

THE OTHER DAY WE DROVE TO THE NEARBY TOWN OF FORT SASKATCHEWAN . THE SNOW IS GONE NOW BUT THE WIND WAS QUITE COOL SO WE LOOKED FOR A PICNIC TABLE THAT WASN’T IN THE DIRECT FLOW.

LO AND BEHOLD , WE STUMBLED UPON THIS WEE HERITAGE AREA AND IT HAD A LOVELY TABLE QUITE PROTECTED FROM THE WIND BECAUSE OF ALL THE OLD BUILDINGS.

OF COURSE THE VARIOUS STRUCTURES WERE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC BUT YOU COULD WANDER AROUND AT YOUR LEISURE. I THOUGHT IS WAS FUNNY TO SEE A BRITISH TELEPHONE BOOTH IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE PIONEER BUILDINGS. WE ENJOYED OUR USUAL SIMPLE AFTERNOON OF A PICNIC LUNCH AND TILE RUMMY.

JUST AS WE PUT THE LAST OF OUR THINGS AWAY AND WERE HEADING TO THE CAR THE RAIN STARTED TO FALL. PHEW. GOOD TIMING.

AND AS WE DROVE OUT OF THE TOWN I NOTICED THE LARGE WATER TOWER WITH THE IMAGE OF CHILDREN HOLDING HANDS . THIS IS WHAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT :

The tower was painted in 1996. A contest was held and won by a young girl. The painting represents Fort Saskatchewan’s multicultural society.

The water tower was built: 1956

Height: 45.72 m.

AS WE LEFT, THE TOWER LEFT ME WITH A FEELING OF HOPE. A CHILD CAME UP WITH THE IMAGE AND CHILDREN , OUR FUTURE, ARE STANDING STRONG TOGETHER AS THEY TOWER OVER THE CITY. LET’S KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE .

(IT’S DISTURBING TO ME THAT SO MANY ARE CHOOSING THE ECONOMY OVER LIFE. I UNDERSTAND THE WORRY FOR ALL OF US. BUT HOW WILL THIS END IF WE KEEP PASSING ON THE VIRUS?)

IN HOPE AND FAITH THAT OUR BRIGHTEST WILL COME UP WITH A VACCINE SOON….

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