Category Archives: Family

Dressember 2017 update

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I am excited to update you about my Dressember 2017 campaign. I have been wearing dresses for ten days now and have already raised over $600! I am hoping to not only reach my goal but surpass it. Modern day slavery is a problem all over the world. Individuals and whole families have their freedom taken away and are forced to work for someone else’s gain.

Organizations like the International Justice Mission and A21 are working around the world to free victims, bring perpetrators to justice and restore survivors to new living situations with the liberty to work and thrive in safety.

I have been very encouraged by the support I have received from family, friends, anonymous donors, blog readers and fellow artists and crafters. I am approaching my fundraising goal of $1000 and hoping to exceed it before my donation page closes at the end of January. THANK YOU to those of you have donated. If you would like to donate to help end human trafficking please visit my page here

It is fun doing the challenge with my daughter Alexandra, I don’t need to take selfies, we raid each other’s wardrobes and we celebrate each other fundraising achievements. If you are wondering whether I have worn a dress each day on December, here are the first 10 day’s pics.

 

 

Dressember 2017

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Back in 2014 I participated in Dressember, a campaign to raise funds to end human trafficking. Once again I have committed to wear dresses every day of December for the same worthy cause. Wearing a dress every day can get a little chilly here in Canada and tends to look a little fancier than my usual jeans and sweaters so it does prompt some conversation. Wearing dresses all month is my kind of a challenge though; I like fashion, I make dresses, so combined with such an vital cause, it’s a good fit for me. This year my daughter, Alexandra and our friend, Nan have teamed up with me and our goal is to raise $2500

The challenge is certainly not to wear a different dress everyday, some participants wear the same dress all 31 days! The campaign is about freedom and justice.

Dressember equips a community of advocates to fight for the dignity of all people, leading to the protection and freedom of millions.

Check back here during the month to see how I am going with my fundraising or click over to my fundraising page to help me meet my goal. Right now our team has raised 13% of our $2500.

I am updating my instagram and pinterest accounts to show ‘proof of dress’ and will be back to post some photos here on the blog also.

 

Floriade

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Floriade is a festival of flowers in Canberra every spring. It features many tulips but includes a range of other flowers as well.

The last time I visited Floriade was probably at least twenty years ago. It was as impressive as I remember it.

My dad and I visited Canberra last weekend and stayed with my brother, sister-in-law and nephew.  We decided to go to Canberra so my dad could attend and present a short speech at the 90th anniversary of the church we attended when he was the minister from 1975 – 1980. It was also the church where Andrew and I were married in 1990. It was fun to be back there and catch up with a few people I hadn’t seen for many years.

 

We also enjoyed Saturday night Jazz on the lawn, hearing David preach on Sunday morning and the views from the National Arboretum.

My Mother

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My dear mother passed away earlier this week and I am now in Australia with my family. She died peacefully with my father and brother by her side. My mother was a faithful, loving, wonderful wife, mother, sister, nanna and friend. She is now in the presence of Jesus, her saviour whom she loved and trusted throughout her 82 years.  I am so blessed to have had such a loving, prayerful, unselfish role model and friend.

Canberra Zoo

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I visited the Canberra Zoo with some of my family to celebrate my great nephew’s 3rd birthday. It was a beautiful day and everyone had a great time, especially the three year old. I was able to see several familiar Australian animals but a good selection of foreigners as well! Above is a snow leopard and below are the lions we could hear roaring from all over the park.

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The wallabies and fairy penguins were cute as always.dsc_3367fairypenguinssc

The fur of the dingoes was surprisingly soft and a beautiful colour

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The giraffe was the favourite of the birthday boy and one of the animals we were able to see up really close.

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There is also a reptile area and aquarium.

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Soccer

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Between Andrew and B14 we have soccer games or practices seven times a week. We are also enjoying some Women’s World cup games in Ottawa. Last week A & A watched France beat Mexico then Korea win against Spain. The week before we joined B’s soccer team to watch Germany tie with Norway then Thailand beat Côte d’Ivoire.

B14’s team has played a couple of tournaments already this season including one this weekend.

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Lake Placid

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A month or so ago Andrew and I spent a weekend in Lake Placid. It is only three hours away from Ottawa and is a very pretty little town. We were there as the colours were changing  and saw some hills blanketed in autumn tones as we drove there and back home. Town of Lake Placid across Mirror Lake Heather Telford
The colours were not all golden as you can see in these photos of Mirror lake at dusk. The town of Lake Placid surrounds this little lake and many stunning homes and businesses such as the restaurant below have lake side views.

Mirror Lake Heather Telford
Lake Placid has hosted two winter olympics so there are sporting venues and historic sites everywhere you look. We were impressed by the front of Lake Placid Highschool (it looks a little fancier than our children’s highschool!) but we thought the concrete running track could use a little work. After walking a bit further we were able to read the sign explaining that it was the olympic speed skating track! Lake Placid High School Heather Telford
We spent several hours hiking up Round Mountain hoping that maybe the sun would break through by the time we reached the top. It did not.
View from Round Mountain NY Heather Telford
On the way back from our hike we stopped to stare at the Olympic Jumping Complex. Olympic Jumping Complex Heather Telford

 

Olympic Jumping complex Heather Telford
After we were back in Ottawa I was reading an article listing the most attractive towns in the US in autumn and not surprisingly Lake Placid was one of them. It would be fun to go back and see it in another season.
Chubb River Heather Telford

Oh Brother

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I am enjoying a couple of days in Canberra with my older brother David and his family. My younger brother Stephen and his wife are here too so it has been a real treat.

SHD

Of course meeting my brand new, week old great nephew has been quite the highlight too!

029LL

 

Blue Mountains bush fires

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I am staying with my parents in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney at present and the area is  in the midst of a bush fire emergency. When I returned to Australia last week I was looking forward to experiencing many of the Australian sights, sounds, tastes and smells I have missed over the thirteen years I have been in Canada. I had no idea I would encounter anything like the current bush fire crisis.

Driving home last Thursday, October 17th, I took the following photos:

004bushfire drive home 005fire rescue 012bushfire drive home 016bush fire driving homeWhen we arrived home we talked to my parent’s neighbour about the closest fire. He assured us that it was not travelling in our direction nor would it when the wind changed later that day. The damage caused by that fire and the many others still burning is extensive. Hundreds of homes have been lost. There is a constant smell of smoke in the air and the sound of sirens and helicopters close by. The view from my parents home on Thursday is below. When I looked out today it was no longer so dramatic but the threat is still serious as the temperatures and wind speeds forecast for the next few days are very high. We have spent time clearing the yard and roof of dry leaves and preparing for a possible evacuation.

There are still over 60 fires burning in New South Wales so please pray for an end to this crisis and for the safety of all those involved.

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