Yellowknife Life

YK Living Details, Details... for my anonymous friend

2011-10-04T18:12:00.002-04:00

Yes, my husband is an RCAF pilot and he enjoys his job here, a lot depends on the people you end up working with. For your wife it will be a different story. She can get a job easily, no guarantee of what kind will be available, but any job or volunteer work would be recommended for the express and primary reason that it will be potentially diverting for her and provide the potential for making friends and keeping her in a routine. Without that she may spiral for all the reasons I've written about. If you come here with a plan and stick to it, be regimented about it - but allow yourselves grace if you need it to get by, then you may navigate this posting well, come out ahead and maybe even like it. If you are on a strict financial plan you may save 50% of what you were actually hoping for, but many people leave here in greater debt than they came, unfortunately. Buying a house is expensive and everyone underestimates the cost of heat. Everything here is expensive, costs more (than down south), if it's even available. Women's (or men's for that matter!) clothing is not really available here (Reitmans, Marks Work Wearhouse, Walmart, Bootlegger, and Jean Warehouse - yay!) so become experts in online shopping. Gap/Old Navy ship for free up here if you spend more than $50. There is also a Sears Catalogue outlet.

More info off the top of my head...

The winter is long, spring and fall are short and so is summer. The summers used to be hot and dry, not anymore. Now you get quite a bit of rain, so, the summer is not very rewarding after the long winter. There is an insect issue here, not extreme in the city, but anywhere else (vegetation = bugs) so bug spray or actual bug nets if you'll be in the back 40. If its hot in the summer you have to decide between lack of sleep due to heat or lack of sleep due to light (because you had to open your window and thus your black-out blinds). A fan in every room is essential, as the heat does come and now even with a touch of humidity (a new development). The vintage style, chrome fans by NOMA from Canadian Tire are good for bedrooms and look nice. Black-out blinds that overlap your window on all sides are recommended (mine overlap by 8 inches each side, even top), Ikea sells black or white that can be adjusted to size. Ikea does not ship here for a reasonable cost, do a big Ikea trip (everything you may need: rugs, window coverings, lamps, inexpensive decor, and furniture, 100% cotton bedding, down duvets etc.!) before they come to estimate your F&E weight for your move. I mentioned a car starter (essential to a more comfortable Northern experience) in one of the blogs. This is over and above your block and battery heater. If you have an oil pan heater too that is good. It is normal to start and run your vehicle for 20 minutes before you can scrape the ice off the windows (late Fall and early winter especially, the ice is impossible to scrape, due to moisture still in the air). Below -20C your vehicle should be plugged in or you are doing damage to it if you cold start. You will get frost bite if it's colder than -25 and you stay outside for any length of time with exposed skin. You will need quality high fill down parkas with fur (real or fake) around the hood to help keep your face warm. Canada Goose Parkas are available up here and are the standard, but North Face will do the job. I have an Eddie Bauer 600 fill euro goose down parka that does well too. In the depth of winter you still have to layer everything. That said, if you zip from house to pre-heated vehicle to office/shop you can get away with almost "normal clothing, but have emergency gear in your vehicle. Both of you will need local provider cell phones, the power, phones (that run on electricity) and cable go out fairly often. A totally preventable issue, but negligence due to power provider's GAF factor has caused this, there is a court case going on about it and hopefully things will get back on track. The city has generators in the event of a serious outage, so we shouldn't all freeze to death. You will need to take a vitamin D supplement so you don't turn into sleepwalkers, at least 1000 IU, also cod liver oil tablets are good and contain D, A and Omega 3s. It is hard to wake up in the dark and not see light until after 10am, if your bio clock's are getting really messed up or feel S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) coming on, invest in a S.A.D. Lamp and shine it on yourself for 10-15 minutes in the morning (no later than 9am). The dark gets long by November, longest in December and by mid January you are starting to see longer days again. You will rejoice at each 7 minutes of extra daylight you get day by day in mid Jan.

Housing: PMQs, no guarantee of availability, carpet may be old, but heat is a cheap fixed rate, which is worth a huge bag of $$$$$ and you won't have to tell your wife to wear 3 sweaters in the house to save money - you will be warm and snug. If you don't have kids I am not sure what kind of a unit you would qualify for.

Buying a house. A rip off that may save your sanity and thus be worth it, or if you buy a mobile home in the wrong park (Norseman Drive area has sewer issues BIG time), cause insanity. A small, but decent mobile runs $450,000 - $480,000. But keep in mind you may have all kinds of neighbours in any trailer park in town. Houses here are usually cold, because heating them adequately costs too much, unless the place is newer (still no guarantee), on a crawl or has a good wood or pellet stove. Some of the Modular houses near Niven Gate are built on an old dump or swamp and so there are settling issues. A modest house in the vicinity of 52nd Ave between 52nd St and 56th St (even in that general south end of town) could be a good deal. Range Lake area is a mix of high and low. Niven is where rich people live and you can actually pretend you don't live in Yellowknife, Old town is lovely, but $$$$$$. School Draw Ave is a high/low niche.

If you have anymore questions let me know.

Illusions

2011-09-20T15:52:00.002-04:00

illusion (i-loo'zhen) n. 1. A false, misleading, or overly optimistic idea. 2. An impression not consistent with fact.

It has been a long time since I last updated this blog. I thought about why I haven't been blogging about Yellowknife life as I had originally intended and I have come up with some unfortunate truths. Originally when I started this blog, I chose to have an optimistic view of this particular northern experience of living in Yellowknife. Even though my heart was ripped out in leaving our home in southeastern Ontario, I eventually got over it, with God's help. I expected, however, to have a growing love take place in my heart for Yellowknife at the same time as getting over the heartbreak of leaving our previous home. To my perplexity this has not happened (yet). Quite the opposite, actually. There are people here I have come to know, love, and like, don't get me wrong, they are like precious droplets of water in a desert. I have had to supplement with alternate water sources to stay “hydrated”. Thank God for the internet making communication easy (when it, and the power, are not out that is). In the early months of our arrival up here I had full radar up for kindred spirits, I found few. And people up here are busy. Busy trying to live, to stay afloat, to maintain denial, to drown pain. Busy maintaining their illusions or escaping when it gets too much.

A big illusion I have encountered up here is that you will sock away money like nobody's business. That only works if you can find cheap accommodations ($400,000 for a decrepit trailer anyone?), put up with a freezing home to curb heat costs, hardly go out, don't buy any toys or new clothes and forget vacations. I can tell you right now that if you don't spend money on toys, vacations, heat or decent accommodations – you will quickly forget about the money you were supposedly saving and run. It is way too hard in this environment. In order to survive up here you will make compromises and you'll cut your losses. If you believe in God's calling on your life to be here, that will certainly help, He supplies grace, but that doesn't mean you don't get to experience the full brunt of this physical, spiritual and emotional environment at one point or another.

I have met a few folks who have told me they came up for 2 -3 years, but stayed 20. I would like to know their full stories. Some folks seem to thrive on hardship, gives them something to do. Perhaps they “work hard and play hard”, however that is usually a symptom of running from the realities of life. A way of avoiding pain, it's unbalanced, which has a reckoning day. There's a local bumper sticker that some like to put on their impractical and overpriced toys (mammoth pick-up trucks), it says, “If you can't have fun up here then give up”. I find it sad that these stickers come from a popular bar in town. There is mass addiction of every type up here, spanning every demographic. Adultery is a huge problem. Some of the highest debt accumulation in the country occurs right here in Yellowknife. Yet they party on...

My prayer has been to bring healing to the broken up here and after 2 years I am wondering if the broken are just happy to get their next fix, because I have not seen any growth, until recently. I am hopeful, that a recent life adjusting event that has occurred, which touched many in this community, will bump at least some out of the deep ruts in this town's roads. The government can throw money at this place all it wants, but if the people don't want to change, they won't. The illusions of money and adventure are perpetuated by large paycheques that get consumed by the business of survival (choose your poison) until the trap is fully locked on a life. I wonder how many of those people who stay, do so because they are perpetually hoping to recover from the financial and emotional landslide they realized too late – and if they left now (if that is even possible at this point) – it would appear to all have been for naught. How many of us are truly that humble, to know when we're beat, that our plans didn't work, or when it becomes obvious we've been deceived by illusions, to cut our losses and make a break for a real chance of recovery, while still licking our wounds? Not many.

I count myself blessed, in that although I was optimistic, I fell for few illusions. I believe our family was called here by God, that is the only reason we came, my husband's job has been a vehicle for God's purposes in our lives. So I am thankful, that although it's often been hard and ugly, I have learned a lot – and am still learning, and hoping. I am hoping for some miracle of God to transpire in people's lives here, that they would experience the lovingkindness of God and I would see it before I leave, thus experiencing His lovingkindness to me in the fulfillment of a dream. He has taken care of me and my family in that we have been protected from many of the traps of this place. My prayer is this, that I will be given the gift of seeing God move in His amazing and awesome way upon Yellowknife lives, dismantling and destroying the traps that keep them from abundance, that keep this place from abundance. I pray for the strength and grace necessary to navigate what must come before that is possible; the dismantling of illusions.

Where I'm At Now

2010-06-26T19:41:00.006-04:00

Life has been good. I'll clarify; My heart has been good.

Yes, we are still in Yellowknife :o) ha-ha.

The poem in my last post describes what God did in response to the cries of my heart. He is a good, loving, merciful and gracious God. In the process of my heart transformation He gave me a clearer understanding of who He made me, what I am called to do, and affirmed me, ME... and once again proved His love.

Like a violin needing periodic tuning, He adjusts me... not so fun during the process, but oh so necessary for the instrument to emanate the beauty it was designed for. Then when the Maestro picks you up and begins to play the melody in His heart for you, you realize your purpose.

You feel fulfillment.

You remember joy.

You dream.

This is where I'm at, dreaming of impossibilities, fully confident of His plan to bless me, because He has proved His heart toward me.

The God of making the impossible, possible, is my friend.

A Poem

2010-03-23T16:24:00.009-04:00

The Peace Of God

I cried out to Him;

He found me.

He fed me,

Like a little bird

without a nest;

He collected me

and fed me

from His hand.

He covered me

with His feathers,

and made me a home

in His heart;

He increased mine

to fit more

of Him.

My heart was surrounded;

He sent warriors

on my behalf.

He fought my battle

for me;

He always wins.

I gave myself

to Him;

He gave me peace.

He gave Himself.

Written By Magdalena Leaker

March 23,2010

Of Ravens And Ptarmigans

2010-01-06T13:51:00.003-05:00

As I sat in my van, near my now frozen dock, I noticed a family of 10 Ptarmigan. I observed this adorable creature and made mental notes. It is pure white, except for a couple of black feathers on the tail and I think a red spot above the eye. It is very round (I wonder if it has a big heart in there), with a little head and short, fluffy-feather legs, about the shape of a Quail. I observed that they ignored me (wanted nothing from me) and harvested their food from nature. They sat together, peacefully, after eating. It seems they fly only if they must. They run as fast as their little legs can go, they seem to enjoy moving along the land in flocks.

There were also a couple of Ravens near the van. They are pure black, with a large head (intellectual bird) and a large, evenly proportioned body. They puff their feathers out to keep warm. The Ravens are always at this spot, as there is a garbage can, as well as some litter on the ground. Sometimes they freak me out as they land on the hood of my van in front of me, where the windshield meets it and stare at me. They wait for me to give them something. This time I had fig newtons, so I tossed one out. Immediately the Raven was upon it. It grabbed the fig newton and flew off, as another Raven tried to steal it, chasing and harassing in mid-air.

I pondered these two different birds and I felt the Spirit of God begin to speak to me about them. The Ptarmigan symbolizes God's provision. It is there for the taking, we just need to know how to appropriate it. The Ptarmigan rely on what God provides for them in nature and they themselves are a provision for others. They live in harmony with each other, it is interesting that this bird is white. Purity. The Raven is the complete opposite, and I believe symbolizes what happens to us when we look elsewhere for our provision. The things that anesthetize our hearts, junk food for the heart, causes us to forget and even lose taste for, that which is truly good. The Raven is an intelligent bird and I believe that is a clue. When knowledge of both good and evil and the temptation to "be like God" causes us to walk away from Him, we also walk away from Eden; God's provision.

Remote Car Starter

2010-01-06T13:39:00.005-05:00

Get it. Don't wait. Do it now. Ignore any horror stories you hear (one in a million). Get them professionally installed before you move up here, it'll be less expensive. We have a 2007 Pontiac Montana and it cost about $500 to get it done here through GM, which is cheaper (and better) than the Canadian Tire Special we almost went for.

Oh yeah, this is over and above your block heater, my husband also installed various fluid heaters to plug in as well, your engine will thank you for it.

Also, people put up wind screens in their front vehicle grills to help keep the engine warmer. Some are fancy, metal, after-market type, others are cardboard. Both seem to work, one looks better.

Place Of Extremes II

2010-01-06T12:36:00.006-05:00

During the first couple days back in Yellowknife (from our B.C. holiday) I felt under attack. I was feeling depressed about having to be here and things were not co-operating. I felt the gentle encouragements God brought my way, they were like little nuggets of food to a starver. I felt I was coming out of the depressed state, and I guess I really was, because I began to feel angry. We finally had a car-starter installed in our van. This, folks, is equivalent to something like winning the lottery. I relished the thought of not freezing my a-- off while trying to scrape ice from the windows, interior and exterior and then waiting for the windows to defrost and my nose to thaw. I pressed the button in the warmth of my living room, the van roared to life...ahhh... I let the van warm up for half an hour that morning, to let it get nice and luxuriously warm. I bundled up my daughter, myself, our stuff and my husband's flight jacket, which he forgot, and headed out. Quickie scrape to the windows and in I went, this morning we would be on time for school... but where was my key? I checked my keychain, checked the other, fumbled through my purse, called my husband (he didn't have it), ran to the house (van still running, but no key in ignition to drive it). No key. That was it. I had had it. I blew. The only reason that key was not on the keychain is because I had to separate it to start the vehicle before Christmas holidays, yet be able to still use the remote locking system to secure my vehicle while it warmed up because it's so ___-____ cold here! Because I had no auto-start system at that time, because we were naive southerners! Can you feel the rage? I couldn't believe that after all that, I had to go and warm up our completely frozen corolla. I felt like I was being beaten when I was down, like someone just took back the morsel of food from this starver. My daughter was half-hour late for school. To top it all off I woke that morning with lower right abdominal pain. I am still in possession of my vermiform appendix, so as I raced to school with a painful abdomen I envisioned unpleasantries, not to mention the pain just ____ me right off. I returned to our place and called my good and dear friend, ah, a ray of sunshine. Then I called 'Tele-health NWT'. "Go to emergency right away, do not drive yourself, get someone to drive you, if you can't, call an Ambulance." Apparently they thought this was serious, and I felt it probably was, since I am 9 weeks pregnant (that is a joy and a gift, as we have been trying for 3 years). Sharp perspective just came into focus. My husband and I saw the beating heart of our little "sea-horse" in my womb, not in my tube. Thank you God. And my appendix was fine. It turned out to be a harmless cyst rupture on my ovary where they sometimes form as the last egg exits.

I am starting to accept, again, that there is a purpose for me being here. It surely is a place where my emotions have run the full spectrum, and God still loves me through it all. He is not threatened by me. I tell Him things that a religious person would never dare. I told Him if He put me in another situation of angst I'd never trust Him again. He told me I was like David who wrote the Psalms, and God called Him, "a man after God's own heart." God does not want us to kill our hearts, or anesthetize them. He'll take the good with the bad and work on it. My heart needed to be rescued, I certainly was not going to rescue my own heart. I was testing Him with a test He wanted me to apply to Him. "Will you rescue this living heart of flesh God?" Because a living heart feels very deeply, it is capable of extreme pain... and extreme joy. "So here is my heart God, in all its pain. Do something about it, 'cause I ain't! Waaah!" And He is. That was what He was waiting for. He is the healer and He is faithful and now He has the opportunity to prove it. I wait in expectation.

A Place Of Extremes

2010-01-06T12:11:00.003-05:00

This entry has been on my mind for about a month and a half now, finally time (and mood) to get it down. I spent the last 3 weeks of December on the west coast with my husband and our daughter celebrating Christmas and New Years with family and friends. As soon as I left Yellowknife I knew I would not want to come back, this scared me. I really began to dread having to come back here. I was fine, then I was not. As the holiday drew to a close I became increasingly depressed, I even cried new years eve, after midnight, because I could not say, "Happy New Year". The thoughts that dominated were,"I hate the cold, I hate the dark, why would anyone want to live here?". I am a fish out of water here. I enjoy 39 C with humidex. I returned to Yellowknife feeling homeless, as 5 months and much nesting failed to create the feeling of home for me. I dreaded seeing our place, our parking lot, and I wanted to quit my job, because I didn't want to see anyone. I wanted to hide in our place and just write. The book I am writing, however, is one that must be written from a healthy spiritual and emotional perspective. I was not feeling healthy, but, I believe in authenticity. I believe in utmost honesty, anything less is a lie, a false relationship to people and God. Through it all I have felt God encouraging me to feel what I feel, because only then can it be addressed. Only then can you come through. To let your mind preach religion to your heart will kill it. The Bible says that the heart is, "the wellspring of life". So if we kill our heart, we kill life. Allowing your heart, with all its passion, to live, is indeed painful at times, but I believe it must be allowed, otherwise you are already dead before you ever reach the grave. Why did I title this entry, "A Place Of Extremes"? I am trying to remember. Oh well, it'll come to me again.

Dogsleds, Darkness and Fine Dining

2009-12-10T16:17:00.004-05:00

Once again a huge time lapse between blog posts, but hey, Christmas prep, a four year-old and stuff just keeps vying for my attention. Now I will make this short, but full (instead of writing Christmas cards, which are late if I don't get them out tomorrow).

Discoveries and realities:

The Explorer Hotel for a date out to eat; we went to Trader's Grill Steakhouse for our wedding anniversary and we were blown away by the fantastic food. Everything was fabulous and the restaurant itself is classy and warm with high ceilings and a huge picture window overlooking a forest lit with white lights. Lovely, we will be back.

S.A.D. lamps (or Happy lamps) really are helpful. I sit in front of mine with my morning coffee for 15 minutes every day. The sun rose at 9:50 am today and sets at 3:06 pm. That is 5 hours of sun, if it's a sunny day. It shines into my kitchen and I try to get a few rays when I can. Taking vitamin D for sure.

Went dogsledding with Beck's. Total blast, loved it. Discovered my 15 year old Sorel Snowlions (-40C rating) did not keep my toes warm. They got painfully cold and I got inside just in time after the sled run, it hurt as they thawed. Purchased a new pair of boots: Baffins ( -100C) rated. They'd better work. Oh yeah, goggles are essential and keep every inch of skin covered or it will freeze and fall off. Ha. FYI it was -32 windchill that day.

Decorating your igloo. INVEST IN GOOD, CREATIVE, BEAUTIFUL AND ABUNDANT LIGHT FIXTURES. Best planning I ever did, thanking my smarts on that one. Also, the warmth of some fuzzy lambskin or shaggy wool rugs on your floor really makes a difference both visually and to the touch of course. Whites, lights and brights. Stay away from dark or rich colors, they absorb too much precious light.

Buy a coolmist humidifier for respiratory illnesses, the dry air is a killer.

If you're blond (I'm not) get a chlorine filter for your shower head so your hair doesn't turn green. Green brand (at Extra Foods) cleaning paste will get the blue and green stains out of your tub, it is eco friendly to boot.

My dock:

Swung by the dock today (can hardly see it now) and saw a black/silver fox try to catch a raven, he chased it up to my van. The raven tried to sit on the hood to escape this fabulous fox (beautiful and cute). The fox had a look at us and then ran back onto the frozen lake to join another one, they chased each other around. Neat to see.

Gotta go write Christmas cards...

Holidays are almost here, west coast here I come...

White World

2009-11-02T12:27:00.003-05:00

This morning I woke up to a beautiful white landscape. Every tree, every little leaf and branch was covered in (what I believe is called) hoar frost. A thick and fluffy white coating on everything. Minus 18 degrees celsius with the windchill last night and I didn't plug the van in, oh well, the "locals" didn't either. I got Emma and I out in plenty of time to warm up the van and get her to school on time. I started it and then came back in for her. After 10 minutes I still couldn't get the ice off the windows with the scraper, even though the engine was already registering warm and the fans were on full blast. Don't know if that is normal, or just lousy GM heaters. Hmm. Both Emma and I have been house bound for a week due to some wicked cold virus. She couldn't wait for me to un-buckle her, she hit the ground running to the school. That was easy! :0)

After dropping her off I headed to my dock. It was breathtaking, all frozen solid, the lake covered in ice and snow. The silence there is awe-inspiring, as is the song of the Ravens in that setting, it was the only sound. The sound of their wings flapping as they flew overhead was also pretty impressive. They were checking me out for a hand-out. I had my little digital camera with me and clicked away. There was a little hole in the cloud for an orange sun. As I neared the dock I noticed upside down, triangle shaped rocks wedged in the ice where the water is normally 3 or 4 feet deep. Someone has been tossing them in to check out the strength of the ice. The local authorities say it's forming well, but not ready to walk on. There is a website to check out ice thickness measurements.

By now my gloveless hand that was holding the camera was too cold, I took a few more snaps and got back in the van. At home I parked the van and went for a quick walk to find some more hoar frost forest for my camera to capture. When the batteries died I headed back home to get a few things done before I pick up my husband from the airport. It will be so nice having him back, it was a rough couple weeks without him here. But, this morning refreshed me, I think God was giving me a hug.

October on "my" Dock.

2009-10-16T11:43:00.005-04:00

Whenever possible, I swing by "my" dock on Yellowknife Bay, usually in the morning, after I drop my daughter off at pre-school. From the first time I saw this spot, I knew it would be a place of refreshment. I love seeing it in different light and seasons. This morning was so beautiful, surprisingly "balmy" for a mid-October morning (2 degrees Celsius). I stood on the white, frosty boards, rocked gently by the waves that drummed a rhythmic melody under my feet. I was a bit surprised to already see shards of ice creating a small ridge along the shoreline. I arrived in time to see the sun begin it's morning drama of gold and fire. The sky was clear blue except for a bank of cloud at the horizon that was breaking apart along its edges from a breeze. These low, rolling clouds had beautiful, golden-light linings tinged with pink. Whenever the sun broke through, it reflected off the water as though from thousands of small mirrors. It reminded me of an impressionist painting. Nature is so close up here, on one's doorstep. With raw beauty so accessible, I wonder how people can remain untransformed. Beauty is a thing perceived. I wonder if many have been deceived into dulling their senses, or perhaps forced into doing so, because having senses means feeling pain. The Bible tells that we become blind and deaf when we pay homage (focus on, worship) to that which cannot see or hear. I have heard, from people who experienced restoration to God through belief in Jesus Christ, that it was like having their eyes opened; colors sang with new life, the world was brighter. I was 4 when I gave my life to Him; I have been seeing the world in living color for such a long time that I don't remember what it's like not to. I can't help but be an artist.

Time

2009-10-09T17:51:00.003-04:00

Ah, a month and a half has gone by since my last post. Since this is a public blog I have not been writing everything in it, my heart and experiences have filled other pages... but, I wonder, if some of those things should make it in here after all; perhaps others would find they see themselves.

The last two months have been intense. Apparently God has more faith in me than I do, ha. In the last two months I have learned that if I am not completely honest and transparent with God, facing any wounds He uncovers in me head on and bringing them to Him; I get pommelled by the local principalities of the other kingdom. Not a nice feeling, really messes with your head. However, since I belong to the King of Kings and He is about victory; I am victorious. I now know why there is so much hopelessness, depression and addiction up here. Not everyone may pick-up on it, perhaps they are protected by a grace that keeps them for another purpose. I, apparently, am meant to identify the local spirits for a reason. I have found that taking every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ is an essential part of daily living here, some days are worse than others. If I am feeling physically weak, or upset about something, the battle is more intense. When I identify the source, the spirit, it becomes easier. It is only before I realize that actually, no, I am not hopeless or depressed, that I feel like I'm going crazy. Mercifully, God does not tarry with granting truth and revelation that sets me free of the barrage of lies. I am only guessing at this, but I think there may be a lot of formerly healthy people now on meds (name your poison) since moving up here. After my experience of the last while I know that it is purely spiritual. Spiritual principalities that feed off of wounded hearts and lock them up. Well I've got news for you:

Isaiah 61

1. The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness the prisoners,

2. to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

3. to provide for those who grieve in Zion-

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the Lord

for the display of His splendor.

Revival is coming to Yellowknife and there is nothing you can do about it.

Finally Landed

2009-08-27T09:42:00.003-04:00

So, we've dug ourselves out of moving boxes sufficiently enough to allow for little luxuries like updating my blog. We've been here 2 and a half weeks now and my emotions are a bit more balanced. Leaving Belleville was hard for me and apparently for our daughter Emma too.

I'm realizing how important it is to live in the moment you're in, if you don't, you'll miss the beauty it has to offer. Not living in the present means you're living in an alternate reality (in the past or in the future), one that is a product of a mind colored by emotion. Memories and future planning are what makes life rich, but don't LIVE there.

Two "mantras" I like: "I don't want what I haven't got" (The Cranberries) and "for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am" (the apostle Paul). It is a battle oftentimes to achieve and maintain such a state, learning to surrender and trust God's guidance is a key to doing this successfully. So here I find myself with a new opportunity to discover of what substance I am made. Hm.

Preparations To Consider

2009-07-21T10:32:00.007-04:00

I've approached this move north of 60 knowing it won't be ordinary and that I need to prepare for more than the usual. It will be a bit more psychologically involved than a move near the 49th parallel.

One of the more obvious anomalies in moving to the sub-arctic is the daytime darkness in winter and midnight sun in summer. Light, or rather a lack of it, can have a potentially huge impact on your emotional and physical well-being, which in turn may affect your relationships and down you go (depression can sneak up on you)... have a chat with your Doctor before you go, taking vitamin D is essential; acquiring a S.A.D. lamp is recommended.

Another factor is the climate. Have a plan to get involved with the community, whether through work or volunteering. Enroll your kids in fun and active diversions. Take up a new hobby. The winter climate being as frigid as it is (-30 to -50 C), for as long as it is, means you'll likely spend a lot of time inside your igloo.

So, little winter light + cooped up = an interior decorating challenge. I am up to the task (interior decorating is a passion of mine). I researched what others who live in these climates have done and will share my findings in upcoming blog posts. If you never thought interior decorating was important, think again. It has the power to affect your emotions and thus your outlook on life. Beauty inspires and revives; ugliness is a usurper of life.

First Impressions

2009-06-16T09:42:00.003-04:00

It is Tuesday morning, we flew in on Sunday in the early afternoon. My first view of the North was from the plane, of Great Slave Lake. Covered in fragments of ice, the lake was deep blue and white, as far as I could see. There was a low cloud bank, but we popped through in time to see the rocky islands and Yellowknife itself. Pretty. I saw colorful houseboats, some pushed onto the rock, waiting for the ice to melt away. When we stepped off the plane the ground was wet from a recent rain shower, and the air clean and fresh, it reminded me of living on Vancouver Island.

YK is definitely a city, petite, but with its various sections defined nonetheless; old town, business section, the street you don't walk down at night by yourself. A city, just mini. Surrounded by lakes, rock formations and resilient little "pipe-cleaner" evergreens. The deciduous trees are still only half way leafed out, but the dandelions are blooming and people have filled there window boxes with flowering annuals. This place is built on rock, gravel and sand, bringing in topsoil is expensive and it would be invisible 8 months of the year anyway. It is Canada's rugged north. I like it. I think it will be very pretty in the winter.

We dropped in to visit 440 Squadron yesterday and someone asked me if I'm looking forward to moving up here. I paused and then said, "Yeah..., I am." The man seemed surprised, "Really?". To which I replied, "How many people can say they've lived north of 60?". That seemed to satisfy him and even appeared to give him some encouragement... a spouse with a positive attitude about her husbands posting location. I guess some spouses arrive in tears, or so I've heard.

Yesterday we viewed our assigned housing. It will be a change from .6 acre and house, but there is beauty to be enjoyed almost everywhere, even in what some affectionately call "the ghetto". I like the space, the wood laminate, the white walls, the kitchen and the decks, and the views from the back. It "felt" right. Good. Peace. IKEA here I come... cha-ching! :0)

Oh yeah, and I got offered a job...

Yellowknife Community Garden

2009-06-09T10:04:00.006-04:00

So I've been thinking about how cool (no pun intended) it would be to learn how to garden north of sixty and found this site for Yellowknife Community Garden. You apply for a plot of ground, attend workshops, learn about organic and sustainable gardening, donate some of what you grow to the community food banks, and make friends in the process. I noticed that there was a post on June 5th announcing that they now have the water turned on to the gardens... June 5th! Ah, but 23 hours of sunlight a day does wonders... :0) I applied for membership even though I will arrive too late for this year's growing season to have my own plot; I'm sure they won't turn down an extra pair of hands! I hope to get a plot assigned for the 2010 growing season.

Check out their site using the address below the YKCG logo.

groups.google.com/group/ykgarden

The Decision

2009-06-08T10:08:00.000-04:00

We are 2 months away from the big move. In a week I will go north with my husband and 4 year old daughter to view our apparent accommodations for the next 3 years. This will be my first time going up there, my husband has been there many times and loves it. Everyone who has spent time up there seems to love it. Our decision to accept a posting north was made based on a few things, which we interpreted as God's divine will for our lives. I am able to find comfort in that, knowing that where He has led us in the past, no matter how difficult it was, the result was always worth it.