Tempus Fugit

Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies

Category: Life

  • Tattoo Day

    Tattoo Day

    After several temporary tattoos and some procrastinating, today was the day for the real thing.

    After a brief recommendation and a quick look at his web site I book with Jay at Twenty Twenty Tattoo Studio in Niverville. Upon arrival the very easy going Jay welcomes me and I feel relaxed already. After all this is my first real tattoo and I’m a bit nervous but Jay and his studio vibe put me at ease, this is going to be OK. The studio is very clean and well decorated and there is some heavy metal music playing.

    I sign a big disclaimer statement which releases them from anything and everything that may or may not go wrong. While I’m doing this he’s prepping the gear, getting the ink and miscellaneous stuff ready for the process. We talk about my design and it’s placement for a few minutes. Then he inputs my design into his iPad and prints it off on some special transfer paper. This gets positioned on my arm and some fluid is applied that transfers the design to my skin.

    Last chance – this is the transferred design, real ink is next!

    We talk about all kinds of stuff, mainly tattoos of course, and he’s been at it since he was 18. Jay’s tattoos as you might imagine are very extensive and sophisticated. My simple line art is done in about 1/2 hour, and it barely hurt at all.

    Here I am with the finished product!

    The Anchor Holds

    Why a tattoo and why this tattoo? I’m blaming Instagram as the source of the tattoo idea in general. I started seeing ads for Inkbox, and I thought it would be fun to put a tattoo in a fairly visible spot to have some fun and possibly shock friends and family. So without any pre-announcement I showed up with this nautical rope work on the back of my hand.

    The Persian & my tattoo

    One thing lead to another and I tried out a few different possibilities.

    However, the winner was the one that was done today. I really relate strongly to the symbolism of the three components, the anchor, the heart and the cross.

    The Cross representing Jesus Christ and what he did for all mankind by dying on the cross, being buried and the resurrection on the third day. God’s salvation, the Living Word, Jesus.

    The Heart representing the love, mercy, hope and grace of Christ as well as my heart and my soul.

    The Anchor representing the notion that I’m anchored to His amazing love.

    Over the last few years there certainly have been some storms in our lives and when I put together these three symbols it reminds me that I’m firmly anchored to the love of God by Jesus Christ’s redeeming work on the cross in my life.

    He is the anchor for my soul

    The anchor holds in spite of the storm.

    “We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold”

    Hebrews 6:19 TPT

    On the way out the door Jay says to me “Welcome to the dark side” ?

  • Snake Bite

    Snake Bite

    A story from the Cottage Build.

    So, one day after my dad and I had finished working for the day we were relaxing in the RV and participating in what was commonly known in our family circles as “the cocktail hour”.

    Generally, the “hour” was quite loosely defined. All it really meant was pre-dinner drinking.

    I had brought some Yukon Jack which my dad had never had and there is this recipe on the back called a “Snake Bite”. It’s pretty simple, some ice, a squeeze of lime juice and of course some Yukon Jack.

    I find them pretty tasty and I think my dad did too as we imbibed quite liberally. I think dinner did get made but I’m not too sure and by the end of the evening “Jack” was no more.

    We had some interesting and wide ranging conversations about some quite deep and personal stuff. It was quite a special time for me, just the two of us, man to man. I don’t remember much about the conversation details but the one thing that sticks out was I told my dad I loved him. Might of been the first time I’d said it out loud, just the two of us. A good memory.

    The next morning was pretty rough but we didn’t talk about our hangovers we just had some breakfast, maybe just a coffee, and got to work.

  • Father’s Love

    Lifted from Daily Day, so true and encouraging.

    Today’s email could just be this wonderful little verse from the classic George Strait song. Because it captures perfectly what we need to be reminded of today and always, as we embark on this difficult but wonderful job. 

    Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love

    A secret that my daddy said was just between us

    He said daddies don’t just love their children every now and then

    It’s a love without end, amen

    It’s a love without end, amen

    Not just if you’re a father, of course, but mother, step father, adopted mother, godparent, aunt, uncle, whatever. Not just when things are easy. Not just when they listen. Not just when they conform to your expectations. Not just when they succeed. Not just when everything is going well in your life, or in your job. 

    Not every now and then. 

    But always. Without end.

    Unconditionally. Even when they hit their siblings, when they lied about a test, when they don’t want to eat their vegetables, when they want to quit something you paid a lot of money for, when they’ve acted in a way contrary to the values you’ve tried to instill in them. 

    Even if this isn’t what you got as a kid, especially if this isn’t what you got. Even when you’re struggling. Even when you’re pissed off. Even when they have made it so hard. Even when they take you for granted. You have to show them that you love them now and thenand every moment in between. 

    Love without end. 

    Amen. 

  • Tempus Fugit

    Tempus Fugit

    You may have noticed that Tempus Fugit, generally translated into English as “Time Flies” is the name I’ve given this blog. Wonder why?

    Tempus Fugit, time flies

    In the beginning… back in 2004/2005 when we were on a family camping trip I suddenly realized that the boys were growing up and it felt like they didn’t “need me” as much as they once did. This came as a bit of a rude shock as I realized how fast things were moving along in all our lives, hence Tempus Fugit.

    The blog started off as a fun tech project to experience what WordPress and blogging were all about. Over the years I’ve randomly posted about things that interest me or various life events. My audience is pretty limited. I think only my wife reads these posts. So, in the end it’s really for me to capture some thoughts and have fun with the tech. But, perhaps it’s a bit more that that.

    I know several people who have written memoirs about their life and I’ve never been to clear on why someone would do that. However, perhaps it is a form of leaving a legacy, something that might endure on this earth once we are gone. I think we all want to be able to tell our story, to be heard, to share what we are thinking about even if it’s not of an earth-shattering significance . I know I’ve often wondered how my parent handled certain situations or how they got through some of the rough spots in life and now they are not around to ask and there are very limited records. Some photographs, pieces of furniture, some hand written notes, bits and pieces from their lives and of course the cottage, all precious treasures at this stage in my life.

    I know for me it’s fun to look back on the old blog post to see what I was doing or thinking about back in the day. Perhaps in the future others will look back on these random thoughts with fondness too.

  • Social Distancing

    Social Distancing

    One of the few things I actually like that has come about because of Covide-19, social distancing.

    I’ve never been a fan of large crowds or being pressed together in a line to get into or out of some venue with a bunch of strangers. I need my space. So, being spaced out is quite nice IMHO.

    Now, being separated from friends, family, loved ones etc. that’s not good. 🙁 I’m sure as time goes on I’ll come to hate the phrase “social distancing”. Actually, I hate it now.

  • G & T

    G & T

    Gin and Tonic that is!

    This is a memory from my teenage years while at our cottage on Brereton Lake in the Whiteshell. It was the custom at the time when families got to gather for dinner that there would be a cocktail hour. I suspect that I was underage but my parents allowed it at the lake and this was where I was introduced to some more sophisticated drinks that expanded my limited experience. Things like Champagne, Irish coffee, Tom Collins, and yes the Gin & Tonic. It seemed like one of our good family friends was responsible for these fancier cocktails as a pre-dinner libation and I was always happy to get in on the action.

    The brand of choice

    The Gin and Tonic was only ever around in the summertime and at the lake. It seemed to be the special beverage to enjoy at the end of a hot summer day.

    Every once in a while I’ll break out a G&T at the lake and remember fondly those younger years with friends & family.

  • The Piano

    The Piano

    This is The Piano. It’s been in our home for over 20 years now and yesterday it gave me a very bitter sweet surprise.

    The Piano

    When I first met The Piano it was in the home of family friends, the McKenzies, who lived on Niakwa Road. Our families would visit back and forth over the years and my memories of The Piano was that it was used by many people who played it during parties. Usually, there were several people gathered round and singing various songs lead by the pianist.

    As time went on the McKenzies moved to Toronto and my parents bought their house on Niakwa Road and The Piano came with the house. My mom played and I tried to learn how off and on with very little commitment and a corresponding amount of success.

    More time passes and as my parents downsized out of their home, The Piano had to find a new home, and it came to stay with us. I’d always hoped to learn to play. At one point Shirley gave me in-home piano lessons and I made a bit of progress. However, I was a less than diligent student and my lack of commitment to practicing meant that I still can’t play the piano. But, I have very fond memories of all the times my mom played The Piano over the years.

    Yesterday, I’m laying on the floor near The Piano doing some stretching. I’ve been on the floor in this area many times but this time I see a yellow post-it note up under The Piano, something I’d never noticed before.

    The Note

    That’s my mom’s handwriting. She passed away over 22 years ago but in an instant it was like she was there with me. Seeing her handwriting confirming the generous gift of The Piano was very overwhelming and emotional. Thanks mom, I miss you.

  • The Wake

    The Wake

    It’s a calm clear morning. The lake is calm. It’s just as the sun is coming over the horizon. A boat goes by towards Smith Camps. The wake of the boat sends waves out in both directions.

    The wake

    Shortly, the boat is gone but the waves still travel outward. Because I’ve passed by this way my life, my presences has an impact. It sends out “waves” that have an impact long after I’m gone. Waves hit the shore and then reverberate back out again. Not as strong but still making “waves” like the impact on a second generation.

    I want my “waves” to have the best possible impact on those around me as I pass by. 2021/9/9

  • Historic

    Historic

    After the 2nd shot

    While the whole Covide-19 pandemic crisis is certainly historic I really got a better sense of this when I was getting vaccinated.

    Filing into the RBC convention centre with hundreds or perhaps even thousands of other people and watching the co-ordination and effort going into the vaccine process really drove home the magnitude of the global impact that Covide-19 is having. To think that this whole process is happening continuously around the world is quite amazing.

    As time goes on there is more and more controversy surrounding the vaccines and the associated mandates that are coming into place. I’m happy to get vaccinated and satisfied with the science behind it. Is it perfect? Probably not. Long term risks? Possibly. Life is full of imperfect choices that we make every day with whatever information we have. Life itself is not perfectly safe, there will be trouble. There are no guarantees beyond the present moment. Memento Mori

  • Steady Me

    www.bible.com/116/psa.40.2.nlt

    “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.”

    ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

    https://www.bible.com/116/psa.40.2.nlt