Forever Again

In honour of Gabe's frequent bouts of nostalgia, I was reading Exlaim! at lunch, and happened to come across the fact that Eric's Trip is getting back together for one show only, early this August, at the Sappy Records Festival in Moncton. Sweet. I'm only beginning to believe that it really was twelve years ago that us raggamuffins piled into Gabe's Honda-matic to see Eric's Trip headline that epic show at the ANZA Club! The one with Tristan Psionic and then-unknown Weezer opening. I sat cross-legged on the floor with Ryan Wugalter through Weezer's set, thinking, "these guys are really good!" And Matt Sharp offered to buy my blue jacket. Julie Doiron and Mark Gaudet were so nice, talking to us before the show as we stood around outside. I still have my ticket somewhere. Julie dots her the "i" in her name with a heart.

On other musical fronts, I think I might buy the new Calexico record.

A Prairie Road East...

Bright and early tommorrow morning, Krista and I are hitting the open road - the Yellowhead Highway east for Saskatoon. We're heading to the "City of Wonder," my sweet girl's hometown for the wedding of our friends Rachel and Micah. What a joy to see these two get married! As the Orthodox service says, may the Lord, "Crown them with glory and honour." And it also happens to be our first anniversary, so we'll do a little celebrating, too.

See you next week...

Parkallen Gothic

Last Saturday, Krista and I planted our first garden together, together with our friends Mike a.k.a. "T-Bone"
and amy. (Here's us pictured attempting to duplicate the famous Grant Wood picture of the farmer and his wife). After we got out the majority of the "quack-grass," (the bane of a gardener's existence), we put in corn, Kennebec and Russet potatos, butternut squash, onions, green beans, carrots, beets, herbs, garlic - and all sorts of other excellent comestibles. A nice addition to the raspberries already at the back. Oh yeah, we also planted a Saskatoon bush! (Probably won't get fruit this year) But the rest of the garden will be looking pretty good by July. All our friends are welcome to come on by sometime... and help us weed! Maybe we'll give you a beet or something.

Jaroslav Pelikan: Memory Eternal!

The great historian and theologian Jaroslav Pelikan fell asleep in the Lord this past Saturday. He was 82. Along with Dr. Arnold Airhart's passing earlier this month (a childhood theological hero of mine), this seems to mark the end of an era somehow... the loss of a certain generation of scholars. Somehow during my student years I had acquired the first two volumes of his five-volume opus The Christian Tradition. I remember being so moved by his subtlety and depth. The second volume, The Spirit of Eastern Christendom, was particularly meaningful to me. My friend David was a friend of Prof. Pelikan's, and invited him to be the honourary curator of his exhibition Anno Domini. David told me this story about Prof. Pelikan. Apparently in his early years teaching, he used to spend a lot of time with students, investing in them personally and caring about their ideas and academic musings. Most good professors if you came to them with a great idea would say, "you should read this book on that topic!" But Pelikan would take it a step further, often responding, "That's a brilliant idea, you should write a book about that!" And the student's heart would almost break with joy at having such an affirmation. Jaroslav Pelikan - a son of the Church, a servant of God. Memory Eternal!

"Shine, shine O new Jerusalem! The glory of the Lord has shone upon you!"

Mount Cheam

Last weekend when we were out in BC, we went with my mom and dad to this lady Bernice's house and saw a three-day old foal come outside for the first time. It was pretty great, as the frisky coal was led around the field by his mother.

But it was also just a great chance to get out into the country. Here's a picture of Krista and I at Bernice's place, on a lane with Mount Cheam in the background. Yep, this is the town where I grew up! Beautiful Chilliwack. Paradise...

Also, my parents celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary this Saturday!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

The dangers of honeydew melon...

Let this be a lesson to us all. (Courtesy of my pal Greg).

The Baptism of Owen Lanteigne

This past Sunday Krista and I became Godparents to Owen Pierre Edward Lanteigne. We flew on Thursday morning to Abbotsford, BC and soaked in the lush verdant green of the Fraser Valley as we landed. We stayed with Mom and Dad out in Chilliwack, who live just around the corner from Owen's parents - our awesome friends Gabe and Amy. It was a great honour when he and Amy asked us both to serve as Godparents to their first son.

The weekend turned out to be a great rest for us from our usual routines here in Edmonton. Krista has just finished her clinical placement, and I've recently started my new job, so it was nice to get a little break before the summer. Krista started her new summer job at the Royal Alex. Hospital yesterday! We spent some time with my brother Jeff and Catherine and the kids on Saturday morning after breakfast with our incredible friend Ryan Wugalter, and were able to attend Vespers on Saturday night at Saint Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church in Langley, where the next morning Owen was baptized and chrismated (anointed with holy chrism - a special holy oil made by the Bishops each year with fragrant spices). I held him during most of these prayers. After the actual baptism, Krista held Owen as we processed with Fr. Lawrence around the font three times.

After church, Kurt and Victoria hosted a BBQ at their place. I drove back to Chilliwack with Kim and Gabe Friesen (Krista went with Amy and Ryan's girlfriend Katie), and there we had a good ole' party, and then Krista and I headed off for our flight home. Soaring over the sea of jagged mountains, I watched Fox News Sunday and the latest whirl of news from Washington, DC swam by me.

This poem seems fitting. The beginning of a new life, an old poet reflecting on newness in ripe old age (Thanks Victoria for this).

Late Ripeness

Not soon, as late as the approach of my ninetieth year,
I felt a door opening in me and I entered
the clarity of early morning.

One after another my former lives were departing,
like ships, together with their sorrow.

And the countries, cities, gardens, the bays of seas
assigned to my brush came closer,
ready now to be described better than they were before.

I was not separated from people,
grief and pity joined us.
We forget - I kept saying - that we are all children of the King.

For where we come from there is no division
into Yes and No, into is, was, and will be.

We were miserable, we used no more than a hundredth part
of the gift we received for our long journey.

Moments from yesterday and from centuries ago -
a sword blow, the painting of eyelashes before a mirror
of polished metal, a lethal musket shot, a caravel
staving its hull against a reef - they dwell in us,
waiting for a fulfillment.

I knew, always, that I would be a worker in the vineyard,
as are all men and women living at the same time,
whether they are aware of it or not.

- Czeslaw Milosz