Scribbles in the Sun

As some of my friends may or may not have heard, I'm going to Venezuela! I'll be leaving November 14 for 12 days, and I'm going with 2 other children's pastors from here in Alberta. It's a missions trip of sorts; visiting some of the Alliance churches in Venezuela, and meeting some of the people who give their time and heart to children's ministry. Now that my ticket is booked things are starting to feel real, and it's hard to believe I'm actually going in 3 weeks. I've never really travelled much internationally...well, not at all...so this is going to be such an interesting experience! Right now I'm trying to read up a bit on the country, and a friend has also lent me a "how to speak spanish book". If nothing else, it's amusing to hear myself trying to say the words in my most desperately futile accent. The next steps are getting my final immunization, collecting the gifts and craft supplies we are taking for the churches, ...

Today I spent an hour in the happiest place on earth. No, it wasn't Disneyland. It was the Sears Clearance Centre! When I lived in Regina, I spent many happy hours wandering the aisles of the Sears Clearance (in those days I also had an employee discount since I worked for Sears...double joy!). I knew there was a clearance centre in Calgary but I never took the time to stop by. Let me tell you, I will now make a point of stopping there more often. It doesn't have the "ancient crumbling warehouse" ambiance of the one in Regina, but it will do. As for deals, I bought a pair of hiking shoes for $8, and matching curtains, bedskirt and sham for my spare room. The combined retail price for the bedroom pieces comes to $169.97. And for those three pieces on clearance, I paid $2.64 before tax. That's right, $2.64. I'll say it again, $2.64. Eighty eight cents an item. Completely serious. That is precisely why Sears Clearance is my happy place.

Just when I think that I'll get back into blogging, I lose steam! However, I must stress that the lost steam was due to being sick for a few weeks. I ended up with shingles and so for the past 2 or 3 weeks, I've been in a bit of discomfort and lacking in energy. It started in my scalp, it was really itchy and I was starting to worry that I had lice...then when I got a rash on my face I thought maybe I was having an allergic reaction to something. But when my face started going numb and prickly I finally went to a doctor and got my diagnosis. Now a week later and pumped full of anti-viral drugs and eyedrops, I'm feeling much better. Still not good enough to wear makeup on my eyes since there is still some itchiness, but I'm almost back to 100%. I'm in agony without my mascara...and if my grandma was reading this she would probably be laughing. A few summers ago I went for a visit but I had forgotten to pack mascara so I had to make an emergency run to Walmart ...