In My Life

Today we’re travelling from Montreal to New York on the Adirondack. It was this same train that took us to Montreal 9 days ago. We have passed through some spectacular scenery – especially Lake Champlain. The trees are beginning to change colour but nothing yet matches the spectacle of Tremblant’s fluorescent autumn leaves. Right now the sun is setting and we can see it flashing through the forests that border the train tracks.
When we left this morning it was raining again in Montreal so it was a good time to leave. You miss the awnings we have over our footpaths in Australia. They don’t have them in Canada or America. While we waited with our suitcases for Hannah we must have looked as though we’d been evicted once again.
One thing I didn’t mention earlier is a picture of a 4-armed goddess that was hanging above our bed at the Airbnb. I’m not superstitious but I had trouble sleeping the first two nights, but it all came good after I took it down and faced it to the wall. Obviously the owner has an eclectic religious view of things because in the bathroom there was a picture of Jesus and Mary. When I mentioned it to him in an email, he wrote back saying God was too big for one religion. This then gave me an opportunity to challenge that opinion. I hope we can continue the dialogue.
The sunset is becoming ever more brilliant as it is now reflected in the river on our right hand side.
It was good to Skype last night with Lisa, Mungo, and Matilda, and to receive return emails from Bronwyn Jackson who lives in NYC and from Dylan and Gillian with some more NY recommendations. Then, today, Cathy Byrne reminded us to go paddling or cycling in Central Park. News from home is always welcome. Good to hear you’ve had some rain. I’m a bit surprised to read the latest Newspoll results with the ALP and the coalition almost level. What brought about that sudden change?

Because it was raining we decided not to go out to church, but to watch the live streaming final sermon at the Desiring God conference on the iPad. John Piper’s message about holiness was perhaps one of the best I’ve ever heard – riveting for the whole 79 minutes. Basically he was saying that we are to live out the miracle of having had our sins cancelled, resisting temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we trust in the promises of the Word. Go online and download it if you can from his website.

Yes, it’s raining again, not heavily, only intermittently – but that makes it a day as cold as some of our coldest winter days in Australia. We are almost packed for the next leg of the journey to New York with Hannah. We have been investigating things to see and do while we’re there, and hoping Max, our grandson, will remind us of things he wants us to experience that he loved while he was there two years ago.

Saturday Night

What a day!  We did go to the apple picking farm and each picked one or two, but the rain forced us inside to eats pizzas first, then the best apple pie a little further away.  We lingered long over that pie and coffee as we talked with Rueben and Louise, Justin’s parents.  They are both teachers – he with pre-uni, she at a special school for pregnant girls and single mothers.  It was 5 o’clock when we left but I imagined it was three.

The drive was about an hour and a half out of Montreal, close to the border of Vermont in N.E. USA.  There the trees are losing their leaves.  Today was the last day for city people to go and pick apples at orchards.  It’s an annual event for some families.  On sale, as well, was hot corn on the cob.  Justin’s family makes this pilgrimage each year on this day.

When we got back, Robby, Justin’s third brother, was home to do his washing.  They live in a spacious house with four levels and a garden.

Tonight we ate at a crowded corner cafe called Patata Patita – their specialty is little burgers made while you watch in a shop no wider than three metres and twice as long.  Glenys had one, I had two; both very scrumptious.  Later I will tune into the Desiring God conference – streaming live from Minneapolis.  I missed John Piper’s talk last night, but watched the concluding bracket of songs.

This is a view from inside the academy we visited on Thursday evening. There was no exhibition to see but the building was special.

Saturday morning

Just had breakfast with Hannah and Shayl. It’s an overcast very cool morning. We’re supposed to go apple picking with Justin’s parents today; but not if it’s raining. I think it won’t happen and that we will just eat apple pie somewhere, which is option #2.
Last night we had dinner with Ariane (Hannah’s best friend), Daniel (one of her housemates), and Justin. Hannah cooked a chicken dish and vegetables.
We walked so much yesterday that my legs and my body were telling me, Enough! We started out at Mont Royale the mountain which towers over the city – and has a huge plateau on top. Walked downtown, bought Hannah the new CD from Mumford & Son, got my sunglasses repaired, and took a look inside the biggest cathedral. I now know where to find things and how to get there. It is a beautiful city full of very fashionable people who speak in French with great gusto. Every conversation sounds like high drama. I am recovering some of the French I learned over four years in high school.
Quebec has a new separatist premier who wants her province to be exclusively French. In the national newspaper they are calling that ludicrous. (While the rest of the world has accepted English as the international language, many people in Quebec have no English at all. The editorial was suggesting that that would make Quebec a backwater and set it apart from the rest of the world.) She narrowly escaped an assassination attempt at her victory rally a few weeks ago. Before that, the uni students were on strike against an increase in their fees – which are by far the lowest in North America. The new premier has scrapped those increases, leaving everyone wondering how Quebec can make ends meet.
The other big story of the week has been a controversy in the American NFL. Referees had been sidelined in a pay dispute and substitutes were being lampooned for making wrong decisions. One disputed goal in particular, in a Seattle game, was the tipping point. The refs will back from now on. That story prompted reactions from everyone up to Barack Obama. He, by the way, is streaking ahead in the polls in the key swing states.