Blogging Isn't Dead. Neither Am I.

I have not forgotten about blogging.

Nor have I been on vacation.

I have not been exceptionally busy.

Nor have I had nothing to say.

The past couple of weeks have been strange, painful, gut-wrenching and oddly beautiful. So I’ve journaled, I’ve cried, I’ve prayed, and I’ve stayed away from my computer. As open-book as I usually am, some things are not meant for cyberspace. And spiritual growing pains and intimate times with God are two of those things. So I apologize for the lack of amusing thoughts and quirky stories, but I haven’t been much in the mood to discuss how desperately I want to see a live wombat in my lifetime, or how someone in college thought my voice was identical to Alyson Hannigan’s from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

There will be more updates. I promise.

This weekend.

My mom came to visit. It was one of those weekends where everything went so perfectly that God’s fingerprints were pretty identifiable throughout it. I was just so blessed to have her come and encourage me. And let me finally beat her at Scrabble (with 304 points. Same score two games in a row. Yeah, I should go pro).

We spent Saturday exploring the Distillery District. I’m a sucker for old buildings, specifically once-abandoned-but-now-restored buildings, so it was my kind of place. Plus, it’s where so many films are made (I could pretty much see Cinderella Man playing out before me), so I got a little sucked into the magic of the architecture. Vintage sports cars lined the cobblestone, I had the greatest crepes ever, and I started to get excited about being creative. While my job sounds fun for those who don’t do it, lately I’ve found myself dissatisfied with who I’ve become. I’ve stopped exploring creative outlets; I’ve stopped investing in relationships the way I once did. And I've stopped dreaming the way I did when I was a kid. But seeing handbags made out of book covers and photography of abandoned pay phones actually sparked something in me.

We also stumbled upon Douglas Coupland’s latest art exhibit!!!! You have no idea how thrilled I was. You all know that he’s my literary crush (Yes, I identify strongly with a middle-aged gay man from Vancouver who writes about girlfriends in comas and such), but he’s also a visual artist. His current exhibit is all about the written word, with mixed-media single-word messages pasted on Penguin book covers. And it was free. So I smiled.

We spent the evening at my place, making homemade mini pizzas, going for a walk around my neighbourhood (making plans to eat at the nearby Greek bakery the next time she’s in town), and then doing the Scrabble-and-ice-cream thing.

This morning, we headed to The Meeting House. The entire service was dedicated to the ministries, organizations and missionaries they partner with; I was challenged to start thinking about how I want to serve in my community. And I know that I need to get hooked up with a home church (small group). I’m completely over the idea of being Miss Independent in the city. I need fellowship.

We went to Montana for lunch. We thought it was a Montana’s, but that’s a very different restaurant. Montana’s is a country-themed restaurant with a moose head on the wall; Montana is an upscale downtown restaurant with glossy floors and chrome accents. But the food was good.

The rest of our time together was spent walking around the Eaton’s Centre, snacking at Mrs. Field’s (so fantastic), and heading to the bus station. It was a little weird seeing her off; I’m used to being the one leaving my parents’ place, not them leaving me. It’s a little lonely here now, but I’m also excited to starting diving into a new book and scribbling in my new journal. I don’t think I’ve ever been so aware of being inside of a time of growth and complete dependency on God; so often, hindsight is how I identify God working in me. Not this time.

So that’s a weekend update tacked onto a vague lack-of-blogging update. And now I shall go do the dishes and talk to Jesus (both in that order and at the same time).

Oh, and I have tickets for I’m Not There at the Toronto Film Festival this Friday. I believe someone pointed out at work that both my boyfriends are in the city this week (Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling). Knowing my luck, I’ll just run into Zack, the Canadian Idol judge. Again. He stalks me. I’ll give you my review next week.