young at heart

apparently i feel the need to continue posting on here all afternoon.
i found this post again on the 22 words blog, and i just think it's beautiful.

Photographer Tom Hussey created these images to promote the Exelon Patch, which is supposed to help patients maintain long-term memories during the early stages of Alzheimer’s… depicting seniors seeing their younger selves in the mirror:

i find these last 3 especially moving:

jobs & doorways

for whatever reason today, this picture that i found on google made me think about all the different jobs i have had in my 25 (almost 26) years. (maybe because a job is like choosing which door to go through? maybe. or maybe it was a cool picture & i was desperately trying to find a way to use it...!)
it is quite the list!

there really isn't any "point" in posting about this, other than the fact that i think it's interesting that i have already worn so many different hats in my life. some people find a job, and stick to it for majority of their adult life, and i think there is something wonderful about that. but i also love that i have had so much variety! that being said, i'm happy sticking to what i'm doing now, at least for a while!!

here is my list - i will try to go in chronological order

• assistant on field trips (with my mom's daycare - i would go to help out with kids that needed more one-on-one care)
• babysitting
• tele-researcher (the ones that do surveys, not the ones that try to sell you stuff)
• shampoo tester at a research facility
• waitress at a chinese food restaurant (where i memorized a large majority of the dishes, by their number - i still know that #1 is spring rolls, #29 is chopsuey, #39 is chicken balls & #46 is gingerbeef)
• cashier at Birds Hill Park east beach concession stand - which also included making icecream cones, and to this day I can still do a perfect soft serve cone
• nanny
• worked with my dad doing odd jobs & renovations. we re-shingled a house & also drywalled a cabin, amongst other things. my mouth was wired shut that summer due to my jaw surgery, so it was pretty hard to find another job!!
• sales associate at the Gap
• sales associate at Sugar Mountain - this was by far one of my favorite jobs. it was a fun environment, close to my house, a place where i could help decorate & make "crafts" .. it was terribly wonderful
• creator, fundraiser-extraordinaire & leader of a Junior High summer day camp for an entire summer
• window washer
• "lawn care technician" ha!  a fancy way to say, I mowed lawns. but i was VERY good, and consistent with my lines. on my last day, my boss even took a picture of one of my lawns because it was so good ;)
• library assistant at Booth College Library - also a very fun job
• Data Entry for a company changing their website
• Maid/house keeper with Molly Maid
• sales associate at Hallmark
• Personal house cleaner
• Photographer for pregnancy or kids pictures
• Customer Service Representative at Kindred Productions (a christian book publisher & retailer)
• Therapeutic Recreation Facilitator at Donwood Manor personal care home
• Secretary at a baptist church

I think that is it?? now if that isn't a diverse resume, then I don't know what is!!

Creme That Egg!

i saw this video on the blog 22 words and it was one of those ridiculous time wasting "trick" that makes you just smile & chuckle while you watch it.

also, i really appreciate the creme egg commercials "release the goo" and this was a very creative spin off of that.

three tuesday thoughts

i feel like writing on here today but i'm not sure exactly about what
i feel like i have a whole montage of thoughts going through my head
and none of them really flow into the other, so i'll just share it all

first of all -
on friday evening, the jury decided on a verdict in the candace derksen trial
they decided mark grant was guilty of 2nd degree-murder. relief.
i have been encouraged by this family and their decision to forgive.

second -
i spent the weekend at a mother-daughter camp with my mother-in-law & sister-in-law. i really enjoyed the speakers and all they had to say. they were talking about mary and martha. and the importance of just sitting at the feet of Jesus. we sang a song called "all is well" by robin mark. i had heard the song before & just really love it. it's been playing in my head for the last few days, and i love when that happens. here is a video of me singing it, if you care to take a listen.



and third -
i've started working on a new project. a "grandma afgan" - which means that i'm using every single color of yarn i find, and put it all together, wonderfully mismatched. it's something very fun to work on, and i love seeing it come together. here is a picture of a few of my granny squares so far:

progress so far

happy birthday ak! love ak jr

today is the birthday of one of my favorite guys around
my wonderful dad

the guy that always has the best stories
endless knowledge on any topic
the ability to harmonize and whistle to any song (even if he's never heard it before)
constant encouragement
wise advice
endless energy
patience
jokes
love!

my dad is simply the best.

i love you Dad, happy birthday!

love, ash aka: pook, pumpkin, pump, lump, lumpy, lumper, lumperstiltskin, etc

to be brave

i have a really heavy heart today
i've been thinking a lot about what it means to live in this world
and how broken our world is
sometimes when michael & i talk about when to start a family i start thinking about all the things that are wrong in this world. all the darkness and the evil.

at everett's birthday party josh & leah shared what the names of their boys, Jay & Everett meant. Ev's name means BRAVE. and they shared how their hope for Ev was that he would be able to stand up for others & do right, even when no one was watching. that he would be brave and courageous. i think we need to continue to bring light into this world. to raise up kids that support justice and compassion!

my heart has been so heavy because i've started reading the news on a regular basis.
i remember when my grandpa klassen was really sick, in the month before he finally went in to the hospital, and i had asked him if he wanted to watch the news. he told me that he already knew that it would be full of tragedy, hurt and pain, and didn't really want to spend time thinking about it that evening.
but since i'm not sick, and have to live in this world daily, i think it is good to remain informed so that i'm better equipped to live in this world, but not of it.

i have been following the candace derksen trial. there is a reporter on the winnipeg free press website that tweets the entire time he is in the court room. so essentially i've been reading everything he's hearing. yesterday the lawyers did closing arguments and now it's up to the jury. it's been so many years and justice is so close, but it lays in the hands of 13 people. on wilma's blog she writes that this feels like the 9th month of pregnancy. where they don't know what the gender of the baby is, and at this point, it doesn't even matter, they just want it to come out!

this morning i read an article about a man who goes on the internet to find people that are talking about committing suicide. then he poses as someone who is also struggling (normally poses as a woman) and gives them tips on how to finally commit suicide, and he enters into a "suicide pact" with them. 3 people have committed suicide because of this man, and he's pleading not guilty. saying that he has freedom of speech, and he's not a murderer, he just likes the chase.

this world.
when we think about the true brokeness it can be so much harder to be brave
to be different
to be strong
to be light in the darkness
to pray for the broken
the murders and those who's hearts are hard

to be brave.

no, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,

and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

micah 6:8

dreaming in pumps

laplumeethere

how badly do i need these?!

even though I know for a fact i wouldn't be able to walk in them

it wouldn't matter

i would just wear them around the house

probably while wearing sweatpants

and crocheting

these are the shoes i would own

if i was friends with sarah jessica parker

a girl can dream

frankie says relax

i really want this:

vintagefern

wouldn't that look so perfect in my brand new kitchen?

instead, i bought some reusable produce bags. being green is so much fun sometimes.

also, i'm writing from my wonderfully clean house. it may not be as clean as other people would want it. but it is so clean to me. i'm convinced that there is more of an echo in my hallway now. this cleaning was therapeutic for me, and symbolic of me becoming more of myself again. but now i am totally exhausted. 

tomorrow is MY monday.

reading. relaxing. gilmore girl watching. bible studying.

for now i will go back to relaxing. in my CLEAN house. ahhhh relax.

to shave or not to shave

this post today on 22 words made me laugh
check out his blog to read other great facts & stories

newer & tastier

i have a new blog
not to replace this one
but to go along side it

you can visit it and read my rather lengthy first post
but i'll give you the readers digest version to help you decide if you want to check it out

i love to experiment in the kitchen
i learned from the best (my mom & grandma)
my new blog will keep track of recipes
good and bad
hopefully with pictures & stories

to check it out go here: trying | tasting | experimenting & enjoying

the rest of my life will continue to be shared here

today i wish i knew how to make applesauce
that's how i would like to spend the afternoon
but alas i will work on printing hundreds of church annual reports instead :)

a refresher

i needed some refreshing
so i decided to refresh the room that i spend a lot of time in
the kitchen

i like to bake
and cook
and do dishes
organize cupboards
find new recipes
experiment

aka - i spend a lot of time in my kitchen
so, it got a much needed new look

on tuesday i decided to paint
on wednesday i drove to rona, chose 3 paint chips that i liked
the nice lady behind the counter showed me a can of paint that matched one of the paint chips that i had
it was a mistint, and therefore it was 50% off!

so, 15 dollars of paint, and two evenings and VOILA
new kitchen.
and i love it.

also, i decided to allow my inner 5 year old to play outside
and i made michael & i as snow people
and a snow cat to sit on my front step because i'm crazy like that

here are some pictures. enjoy.
i am off to spend the day at the spa with 2 of my favorite women in my life
mom & leah
can't wait!!

the before shot - a non exciting mossy green

the thiessen's - snowman style

i'm the one on the right with the blue bottlecap eyes :)

my snow cat

the after! a beautiful refreshing blue

my kitchen art that i love

your name

this song has been in my head non-stop since sunday morning
your name (by paul baloche)
i sing the words in my head while i'm falling asleep
while i'm making supper
while i'm typing at work
while i'm driving
etc

i have realized something new that i love about Jesus
he isn't safe. but being with him is safe.
that is what i have been realizing and dwelling in for the last few days

safety. perfect peace. consistent friendship. faithfulness. saving grace.

i haven't felt like myself for a long time. and that in and of itself can be terrifying.
sometimes i need strength just to make it through the day!

on sunday michael & i went with josh, leah & ev to Kilcona Alliance Church and we loved it. it felt like being among friends. community. genuine passion for Jesus.
we sang one song that has been very meaningful to me lately

our God:
our God is greater, our God is stronger
God you are higher than any other
our God is healer, awesome in power
our God, our God!

and then a song that I hadn't sang for awhile - your name - and now it has literally been on repeat in my head. especially the line:

your name is a strong & mighty tower
your name is a shelter like no other

i'm realizing anew how amazing it is to have this safety
now i need to allow it to penetrate my entire being, so that there is no room for doubt & fear.

psalm 62:8

 So trust him absolutely, people;

      lay your lives on the line for him.

      God is a safe place to be.

me singing Your Name

Your Name from Ashley Thiessen on Vimeo.

granite-strength and safe-harbor-God

last night was my weekly beth moore bible study night
it is held at mcivor church and this time around i'm going with my friend lisa
we have decided not to be part of a small group, but have done some discussing on our own
anyway, last night was the hour long DVD portion, and i always love sitting there listening to beth
listening to the things she has discovered. studied. challenged.
i find that she helps me discover things about scripture that i would never on my own. she challenges me. she inspires me. and i leave encouraged.
last night she spent most of the hour on psalm 62 - and she described this as a "psalm that is begging for memorization". i haven't memorized scripture in so long, but i think it is such a powerful thing to do. to fill your mind with scripture so that it comes to mind all throughout the day. i was reading this psalm in different translations this morning. i think i will try to memorize the new living translation, because that is what my bible is. but there are some portions that i love from the message.
it is a beautiful psalm - true words that i can cling to even in the hardest days.

psalm 62 (new living translation)

¹ I wait quietly before God,
      for my victory comes from him.
 ² He alone is my rock and my salvation,
      my fortress where I will never be shaken.

 ³ So many enemies against one man—
      all of them trying to kill me.
   To them I’m just a broken-down wall
      or a tottering fence.
 ⁴ They plan to topple me from my high position.
      They delight in telling lies about me.
   They praise me to my face
      but curse me in their hearts.
                         Interlude

 ⁵ Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
      for my hope is in him.
 ⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation,
      my fortress where I will not be shaken.
 ⁷ My victory and honor come from God alone.
      He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
 ⁸ O my people, trust in him at all times.
      Pour out your heart to him,
      for God is our refuge.
                         Interlude

 ⁹ Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
      and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
   If you weigh them on the scales,
      together they are lighter than a breath of air.

 ¹⁰ Don’t make your living by extortion
      or put your hope in stealing.
   And if your wealth increases,
      don’t make it the center of your life.

 ¹¹ God has spoken plainly,
      and I have heard it many times:
   Power, O God, belongs to you;
    ¹² unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
   Surely you repay all people
      according to what they have done.

and my favorite parts from the message:

^5-6 God, the one and only—
      I'll wait as long as he says.
   Everything I hope for comes from him,
      so why not?
   He's solid rock under my feet,
      breathing room for my soul,
   An impregnable castle:
      I'm set for life.

 ^7-8 My help and glory are in God
      —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
   So trust him absolutely, people;
      lay your lives on the line for him.
      God is a safe place to be.