Greetings little One

Well Mary arrived in Kelowna Thursday afternoon. Cresta and Glen picked her up at the airport. Eventually she made her way to Aaron and Kartikka's.

Shortly after Mary arrivied Kartikka went into labour and nine hours later little Arya Tara Devi Dasi Culver arrived on the scene. Talk about divine timing.

Monday Zack and T are coming in from Victoria, Cresta and Glen from around the corner and the bunch of them are going to celibrate Christmas early with little Arya as the guset of honour no doubt.

Spoke to Aaron yesterday, he was on cloud nine. We chatted for quite some time. He told me even though she was just twenty four hours old, as he held her sleeping his his arms it felt as if Arya had always been there. I remembered having related thoughts holding him. "Aaron", i added "in no time you'll be talking to her on the phone and she'll be telling you somthing simlar". He responded with an understanding chukle.

Eventually Mary got on and after we caught up she asked if I wanted to talk to my new Grand daughter. Oh course! "Greetings little one this is your Grandpa Culver, Lord Bless you, you wee dear soul. "

Oblah-de-badah life goes on...

Contented Memories

We put our christmas tree up on the 16th or 17th of November every year. We've been doing this for as long as i can remember... ( that is since we've been putting up a tree, that's another story). We discovered 8 years ago that it coincides with the begining of the Celtic Advent which like Lent is 40 days long.

Each year on that day we have our grandchildren to help trim the tree. This year just about everyone came home (that is everyone in the vicinity). We had a house full. It was wonderful.

It took me back to a time over twenty years ago when we lived in Cottam. Far and away from family. A freind was visitng. It was snowing out side and toasty warm inside. We had just finished putting up our tree and a passel of my children were curled up on my lap. He commented that I looked exceptionally content.. I was... still am... I thank the Lord some things havn't changed.

In Rememberance

from the war diary of Harold Culver*

Nov. 9th 1916
Battalion came out of trenches. No casualties. letter to Sarah. weather fine.

Nov. 18th 1916
Boys went over and took objective. raining hard. 300 prisoners taken. few casualties. weather rotten.

photo Morris Culver, my grandfather (right) Harold Culver, his brother my uncle (c) and their friend Frank (l) taken April 20th 1916

* Harold was my Grand Fathers Brother. He would have been my Dad's Uncle. More on him  to come.

Went to a Nephew's wedding on Saturday. He married a lovely young lady from Trinadad. The Trinnies as they warmly refer to themselves know how to throw a party. Food, drink, dance and honest humanity.

I love parties. A dear friend's remark in passing when we operated the refugee cafe has stuck with me through the years " you folks know how to work hard and then you know how to play hard as well". Play, party interchagable in my mind.

Anyway while dancing, feasting and observing ( oh yeah and drinking as well) i was at once again struck by the thought that Jesus loved a party. He was either attending one, on his way to one, hosting one, or talking about them.

Tony Compollo wrote a wonderful little book many moons ago entitled " The Kingdom of God is a party". Caused quit a flap in some circles. He tells a very moving story of a party he threw one night at a greasy spoon in Hawai for a prostitue.

The need to celibrate is hot wired into our humanity. Most cultures have it down pretty good. Here in North America our ability to celibrate seems abit stunted at times.

We need to practice throwing bigger and better parties, and inviting the folks from the hiways and the biways to come and join us.

My wife often refers to God as "Last Minute Charlie".

No rental car and five hours till we were planning to leave for our trip to Illinois. I phoned some other places. Nothing. But what did i expect.

Mary packed our small vehicle. We had two other folks making the treak with us as well. That meant to make room we'd have to trim down our stuff by half.

While Mary was busying herself packing the car i had the inclination to call my elderly Aunt Wynne. She's a doll. We got talking and i happened to mention the car rental incident. After a wee chat we said our arivoirs and adious's, which in our family can often take as long as the visit.

A few minutes later she called back. "Hertz has one car available at the local office."

We had gone out of town for the original because the office in our city was closed on Sundays. I called Hertz and sure enough they had a single mid size left. We were informed if we wanted it we better get there immediatly. They closed in twenty minutes and they weren't going to stay open for anybody.

Mary and i quickly skooted our hiny's over to Hertz rent a car (mentioning Hertz always reminds me of an Abbot and Costello routine as well as a delightfull 60's comedy called "Good Nieghbour Sam". Details some other time.)

The long and short of it. We had a car. Lost a car. Packed our car. Found a car and repacked for the trip all in about five hours before we planned to leave.

Aunt wynne was thrilled beyond words to be part of "Last Minute Charlie's' miraculous provision. Often in life things go to the eleventh hour and beyond. And just when your ready to throw in the towel. God embarasses you with His kindness.

Each year now since 1992 we attend this wonderful Arts and Music festival called CORNERSTONE. It's hosted by the folk who comprise Jesus People USA. Over the years we have developed numerous rich friendships with individuals and families in the community. A number of our children have lived at "Freindly Towers" in the heart of the windy city of Chicago.

Anyway, we rent a car to go down to illinois. Save on our vehicles ware and tare. I called and booked a car five weeks before we had to leave. Four days before D day i call just to confirm. Everythings a go...

I normally book from one place this time out i don't know why but i rented from another agency.
The day comes.. actually about six hours before we plan to leave.

We go to pick up the car... everything is fine till he asks " Oh and where are you going to"
"Illinois" i reply.
'What kind of Kilometer package would you like" he counters

It turns out if you take the car out of Ontario it's 16 cents a K. Both times i called nobody mentioned a thing about that "rule". In the past when i had gone with the other Car Rental it was always unlimited Kilometers.

Well needless to say we reached an impasse... Mainly over the fact that it was going to cost me aprox. another three hundred dollars for the car. He felt it my responsabilty to maintain the up keep of his rental cars.

I left with no car and with my tail tucked firmly between my legs called the other folks whom i'd always rented from.... i prayed... God please we need a car...

They had no cars for rent...

I turn fifty three today... man where does the time go... feel like a 16 year old kid trapped in side a crumbling teniment building. The floors creek, the doors are coimg off their hinges and the plaster is cracking. But it still has that old world charm.

Any way at milestones (at this point each subsiquent birthday is a milestone) i guess it's appropriate to reflect...

I'm a blessed man and i really don't understand how it all works... all i can do is humbly bow my heart and thank the Creator of everything seen and unseen.

I've been married to my best friend going on 35 years now. Not along time by eternal standards, but Mary is still a waiting her medal of endurance. All in all the spark is still kindled, if ya know what i mean.

We have seven children we not only love but like. I'm deeply proud of each of them and the people they have become and consider it a privaledge to be a part of there lives. We are richly blessed with family that are friends and a bevy of friends who are family.

I have had the oppurtunity to be involved in stuff that i have enjoyed doing. We have always seemed to be carving out a path through the woods. We've had a blast and if the terrain is any indication of the road a head, we are preparing for more of the same.

Sooooooo "Thank you Lord for thinking about me i'm a live and doing fine..."