Every birth is a miracle, but this one is really special to Arlene Hilman who says:
“Having a grandson diagnosed with spina bifida, I began a search for answers that led to incredible stories that have captured my heart. Especially the story of an unborn child, 21 weeks gestation, whose tiny hand reached out of his mother’s uterus and grasped a surgeon’s finger in a delicate operation; of the photojournalist whose life was changed through witnessing this event; and the subsequent celebration of the photographer meeting little Michael seven years later – a story of triumph, and the goodness of God, that I will treasure forever.”
The Framing Nook has framed many copies of this story for Arlene to share with others. Now many are touched by this precious miracle!
Some days are better than others for various reasons to each person. Some days listed on the calendar have notations written on them indicating a special event or commemorating someone in particular. One calendar I refer to on a daily basis has, for the month of May, a few of the following notations.
May 1st in the USA is noted as “National Day of Prayer”, otherwise labelled “May Day”, but May 5 is when “May Day” is said to be “observed”.
May 11 this year is called “Mother’s Day” in CAN, USA, AUS & NZL., and the following day is titled “International Nurses Day”.
May 17 in the USA is titled “Armed Forces Day” and
May 19 is called “Victoria Day” in Canada.
May 26 has a notation for “Bank Holiday” in the UK & “Memorial Day” in the USA.
The “Feast of the Ascension” on May 29th, is the last noted day on this particular calendar.
Which of these specially marked days are important to you? Which marked day makes you sad? Which marked day makes you very happy? Which day do you have a special gathering or ceremony on? Do you “dress up” really nice for any of these days? Do you celebrate any of these by yourself or with others? Do you ignore any of these specially named days? Do you know the history origin of why each of these days came to be called what they are? Maybe there is a day not marked by the publisher, but it has significance to you, such as vacation time, graduation, passing of a loved one, birthday or some other milestone or memorable happening in your life. Days this month which I consider special are:\ 1. (Grand)Mother’s Day since I have 3 children, 2 Sons-in-law and 3 grandchildren
2. Victoria Day because winter around here is pretty much over & if it isn’t snowing, we hope to go camping that long weekend. It also marks the first Saturday of the summer months in which The Framing Nook is closed.
3. Ascention Day is special to me because that’s the Day my Saviour ascended into Heaven to sit down at God’s right hand until He returns to take me up to be with Him there! Oh, what a day that will be!
I don’t know why, but for some reason I have this fascination with clouds this summer. Maybe it’s due to the fact that this summer weather here in Central Alberta is ever-changing; seemingly on an hourly basis. Or maybe because I have chosen to slow down a bit from the rat race and take note of some of the things going on around me now and then….you know, “take time to stop and smell the roses” idea. Which, really, is a good idea because we are empty-nesters now and blessed with 3 Grandchildren!!! Oh where, oh where has the time gone? Or maybe because you really have to pay attention as to when is a good time to mow the lawn between all the storms this year as to avoid being blown away or pelted with huge raindrops or the desire to get a tan while working when the rays are shining down. Maybe it’s because I’m trying to discover a hidden talent of photography (cough cough) or maybe it’s because I no longer use 35mm film type cameras (yes, I did just get some of those developed a couple months ago), because as you know, with these digital cameras now-a-days, there isn’t quite as much skill required to shoot off 50 pictures as you quickly change light settings, action speed settings, night setting, beach setting, video setting, museum setting, etc, etc, all in a matter of a couple of minutes and it doesn’t cost a thing to get them printed because you can view them immediately and delete the not-so-good angled shots!! Good thing too, or I’d probably be broke by now!
One advantage about living in Alberta is that you can see approaching storm clouds far out in the distance so you actually have time to go find your camera and get ready to snap lots of pictures. Here’s just a few I took so far this summer. My favorite cloud picture so far is the one of 3 funnel clouds, taken recently on Sunday evening, Aug 4, 2013 around 6pm. My Husband and I got to watch these 3 funnels do their dancing in the space of about 15-20 minutes. We were thankful they were approximately 25 kms away at the time!
I hope you all enjoyed your summer. I stepped “over the counter”, so to speak, and traveled over the country to Nova Scotia, for a week of sightseeing and enjoying the food and the people I met. We were lucky enough to stay with friends who showed us their province. From Grande Pre’ where the Acadians were forced into exile in the 1700’s, to the memorial for Swissair Flight 111 which crashed in the Atlantic 8 kilometers from shore near Peggy’s Cove in 1998, to the spectacular military tattoo in Halifax, we had a wonderful taste of what Nova Scotia is all about. The landscape may look different than Alberta, but one thing is certain; the people are just as friendly. We celebrated Canada Day in New Germany and do they ever know how to do it right! An early breakfast was followed by a parade and then a “garden party” which included an oxen pull competition, a stage for local talent, and lots of food booths. Great summer holiday, now it’s time to get back to framing!
Miracle of Miracles
