Friday, June 24, 2011

Your Turn


Here are some questions I've been asking. I wonder what your answers are:

What would you do even if you didn't get paid for it?

What if God asks someone to do something too big for them to do?

What will the summer schedule look like?

What do you do to recover from a stressful time?

Why do weeds grow so quickly?

Where, other than the place you live, does your heart feel at home?

Cat person or dog person?

How do you get back on track in any relationship?

How do you not miss a single moment of this glorious life?

When will the mail strike be over?

What are your 'special needs'?

Blue or green? Which is your favourite?

What do you need?

7 comments:

  1. What would you do even if you didn't get paid for it? Live life.

    What if God asks someone to do something too big for them to do? God loves you so He wouldn't ask if you couldn't rise to the occasion

    What will the summer schedule look like? Leisurely.

    What do you do to recover from a stressful time? Meditate.

    Why do weeds grow so quickly? Their nature and need to survive.

    Where, other than the place you live, does your heart feel at home? Wherever my wife and family are.

    Cat person or dog person? Cat though I love dogs too.

    How do you get back on track in any relationship? Don't know haven't been derailed so far.

    How do you not miss a single moment of this glorious life? Just live it and thank the Lord.

    When will the mail strike be over? Next week; in the mean time been relying on e-mail and Perulator..

    What are your 'special needs'? Don't have any.

    Blue or green? Which is your favourite? actually a blue-green like my favourite childhood blankie.

    What do you need? The love of a good woman (my wife)

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  2. I just finished proofreading my book, so I've got some time. Hope you're really wondering what my answers might be ... :)

    What would you do even if you didn't get paid for it?
    write (and most of the other things I do, I already don't get paid for)

    What if God asks someone to do something too big for them to do?
    try anyway. there's a reason God asked you

    What will the summer schedule look like?
    messy, bored, too fast, too slow, ahhhhh

    What do you do to recover from a stressful time?
    talk to my husband, dance to live music, go out with friends, read to my kids, play the piano, swim, run, read something that makes me cry cathartically, write

    Why do weeds grow so quickly?
    reminds you to tend the garden; and maybe some weeds aren't really weeds

    Where, other than the place you live, does your heart feel at home?
    anywhere my husband and kids are

    Cat person or dog person?
    neither; or both

    How do you get back on track in any relationship?
    give it time, wait, be patient, stay open, think compassionately, be self-critical, talk if possible, choose your timing wisely, don't expect too much too quickly

    How do you not miss a single moment of this glorious life?
    you must, you could not hold it all, that makes it glorious

    When will the mail strike be over?
    wah! I want my magazines

    What are your 'special needs'?
    space, alone time; and conversely, the chaos and constant interest of a large family around me

    Blue or green? Which is your favourite?
    together, reminds me of the ocean

    What do you need?
    breath

    :::

    Great questions. Are you going to answer them, too?

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  3. It's only fair if I answer too, I guess. It's just that sometimes a blog becomes self-centred, and I thought it would be Susan-centred enough if I shared my questions. I didn't share the burning question: why does my puppy smell like wet dog? Because I know the answer to that one.

    Thanks, Eric and Carrie, for your answers. And everyone else (hint hint) in advance.

    Some of my answers are very long and might become blog posts of their own, but here are my short answers:

    1. I would read, write and connect people whether paid or not.
    2. This one is about someone in my life. My own experience is that I have always been enabled to meet every situation, but I am a bit afraid for the person in question.
    3. Summer schedule - I think each week will look a bit different until August and then I hope it gets good and lazy, and all the days will blend into each other, and that we will get to a beach, if not on holidays.
    4. Yeah, well, this one I'm looking for help with. I'm always the person you want to have around in a crisis: I keep my head and my wits about me. But afterwards, and increasingly as I get older, I'm really spent by it. What helps most for me, besides sleep and being a slug, is to have something really new and fresh happen. And to get immersed in a good story of any sort.
    5. Weeds. This existential question presented itself this morning as I grudgingly cleaned out my vegetable and flower beds. In this case, it has been too dry to weed until now. It helps so much to do a little at a time, but I've waited until the ground is softened by rain.
    6. My heart is a geographic one more than a relational one. Well, maybe not more, but place is really important to me. And the place I have in mind is the St. Lawrence river in Quebec where it is salt and wider than the eye can see.
    7. I'm a cat person who is falling in love with a particular puppy.
    8. I got upset with God earlier this year and we're still not back on track. I need to put some time into this because I've recognized that the problem was me.
    9. "Oh earth, you're too wonderful for anyone to appreciate you." - Emily, Our Town, Thornton Wilder.
    10. Not soon enough fo rme.
    11. This one relates to an important conversation earlier this week, about discomfort around disability. I noted that that could be our own 'special need.' It got me thinking about things I think are strengths that might actually be weaknesses or points of need.
    12. A friend once told me people either loved blue or green. As a young person, I loved blue and then I switched and went completely green. Many of the rooms in my house were and are painted in shades of green. Today I was wearing blue, happily, and it occurred to me that maybe another shift was happening.
    13. Rest

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  4. What would you do even if you didn't get paid for it?
    Care for unloved kids.

    What if God asks someone to do something too big for them to do?
    Try, try, try and maybe fail spetacularly.

    What will the summer schedule look like?
    July = renovating. August = canoeing.

    What do you do to recover from a stressful time?
    Spend time outdoors, x-country skiing, canoeing, etc.

    Why do weeds grow so quickly?
    What are weeds?

    Where, other than the place you live, does your heart feel at home?
    Outside near woods and water.

    Cat person or dog person?
    Dog.

    How do you get back on track in any relationship?
    Apologize. Spend time together. Make sure you're headed in the same direction.

    How do you not miss a single moment of this glorious life?
    Not sure, I'm trying to slow things down, though.

    When will the mail strike be over?
    Isn't it a lock-out, not a strike?

    What are your 'special needs'?
    Peace at home, time alone, the absence of anything sticky.

    Blue or green? Which is your favourite?
    I used to think blue, but Charlotte says green.

    What do you need?
    I need to learn how to sleep.

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  5. What would you do even if you didn't get paid for it?
    Write music and take photos.

    What if God asks someone to do something too big for them to do?
    I once heard someone say that God always asks us to do things that are too big for us so that we can’t do it on our own. ???

    What will the summer schedule look like?
    A few photo shoots with friends and family. Ummm...getting ready for recording an album. Growing a baby. Scrounging for musicians for Sunday mornings. Singing at a couple outdoor shows. A week away in August at the cottage.

    What do you do to recover from a stressful time?
    Lately I’ve been watching t.v., which is unusual for me. Often times I do things that preoccupy my mind but don’t refuel me. But I know the thing that brings me most rest involves listening to myself and God. Silence, a walk through the forest, or time at the piano.

    Why do weeds grow so quickly?
    To annoy us.

    Where, other than the place you live, does your heart feel at home?
    First, I question whether or not I actually feel at home in my own home. Secondly, I feel at home when I am alone in an old, empty church sanctuary. I also feel at home in other people’s home who feel at home in their home.

    Cat person or dog person?
    I only ever had cats growing up, but I’d like to think I’m a dog person.

    How do you get back on track in any relationship?
    Metaphorically wash their feet.

    How do you not miss a single moment of this glorious life?
    Sleep helps with not missing the waking hours. Meditation often helps me remember what’s important in life. Remembering our time on earth is short.

    When will the mail strike be over?
    There’s a mail strike?

    What are your 'special needs'?
    To learn to allow myself to be loved.


    Blue or green? Which is your favourite?
    I always said it was blue, but I know now that it’s green.

    What do you need?
    Morty’s wings.

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  6. Great list of questions... guess I'll get over my shyness and post back!

    What would you do even if you didn't get paid for it?
    Paint, garden, play with children

    What if God asks someone to do something too big for them to do?
    Maybe try to see the request from a different place? Look for a way to do the something in smaller pieces (mentally or physically)?

    What will the summer schedule look like?
    Our July is fairly unscheduled, August we visit family out east and then recover!

    What do you do to recover from a stressful time?
    Obsessively read until 3 am, spend time with nature, swim or x-country ski or bike, cook something creative, dance with my kids

    Why do weeds grow so quickly?
    Sorry to answer with a question but my question is why do the weeds grow so much faster then my vegetables? Are our vegetables really that weak?

    Where, other than the place you live, does your heart feel at home?
    With my family, both that I share a home with and the big sprawling family of sibling and cousins and aunts and uncles. Particularly in the east coast - a merge of favorite environment and people!

    Cat person or dog person?
    Both - but its really a matter of the personality of the animal. Good thing I have Francis to control my pet urges or I'd be a cat & dog &.... lady.

    How do you get back on track in any relationship?
    Give the other space and be patient to wait and look for the right moment to talk honestly. Take ownership over the bad parts of the relationship that I created. Once things are healing, take a tangent and experience something different and fun with them to forget the hurtful parts.

    How do you not miss a single moment of this glorious life?
    I think I need to teach myself to love the ones I have the space to enjoy and forgive myself for not being able to enjoy them all. Its the disappointment of missing those moments that keeps me from enjoying the ones I'm in!

    When will the mail strike be over?
    Not soon enough. I miss receiving the mail from the next cul-de-sac over!

    What are your 'special needs'?
    Cool perfect lakes to swim in at leisure (can you tell I'm yearning for my summer holidays?) Generally to be outside in the real world, not trapped in an office or building or vehicle.

    Blue or green? Which is your favourite?
    This is definately a back and forth thing, with a bright mix of both feeling perfect usually.

    What do you need?
    Water.

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  7. These are really wonderful answers. Thank you so much for being brave enough to reply. Maybe I'll ask questions every once in a while. But for now, thanks.

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