A little iron ring

 


See the ring on my son's pinkie finger? It's an iron ring and it symbolizes an engineer's obligation to society. The ring is given as part of the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. The Obligation which is part of the ceremony is written by Rudyard Kipling in 1923 specifically for the Canadian Engineering profession and the language is beautiful.

Although the ceremony is attended only by engineers (count me out!) I read the obligation afterwards at the reception. This is a huge milestone for Travis - and we're so proud of him.

When he was 10 he was struck by a car and suffered a severe brain trauma. While he was in a coma, we asked the doctors what the prognosis might be. They weren't terribly encouraging, but also said that they just couldn't tell. "But we can tell you that he won't be doing calculus." Ha, we all laughed, not really caring about calculus at that point.

We trusted God to heal Travis and He did - far beyond what we could hope. Calculus is Travis' best subject - he gets straight A's. And now he's a computer engineer. We are so grateful!
Posted by Picasa

Comments

  1. Anonymous7:36 AM

    Lorrie--
    I remember Travis' accident. God has given your family a sacred experience of His power and mercy. I got that tearful tight throat feeling, reading your post. Isn't God amazing? Share this story with your writing to a larger audience.
    Karen

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for commenting. Each comment is a connection between us. I read each one and will usually visit your blog in return. If you are a no-reply blogger, then I will not be able to respond to you directly. If you have a Google+ blog, I am unable to comment there.

Popular posts from this blog

On a Quiet Evening

Image
My bag had to be at school this morning, along with my sleeping bag, so that the vans could be packed. We will be driving, in 4 vehicles - 3 large vans and a small bus - for three long days to Mexico. I have a little tote bag and my pillow to take tomorrow. 

As part of the team of chaperones and drivers for this trip, I had to get my commercial driving licence. That meant a computer knowledge test (which I failed the first time because I didn't study enough about engines and torque and shifting), plus a driving test that included a vehicle inspection. That I did pass. Then, I needed a medical sign-off from my doctor assuring the licensing office that I was of sound mind and body. Also passed.


In a recent conversation with a friend, (actually, with more than one friend), she expressed both admiration and not a little horror that I would do such this - both go to Mexico and get my licence. To summarize what my friends said: "I've decided I'm too old to do things that are …
Read more

Scrap Bag Doll Tutorial Part One

Image
Meet Chantal and Annette. They're made from all kinds of scraps that I just can't bear to discard.Some have been around for a long time. Although it might seem like there are many steps to making this doll, just take them one by one and you'll have your own Scrap Bag Doll in no time. She's 20 inches tall and would make a perfect companion for a little girl.

Here's what you need to get started:

Fabric - naturally! You can use any size or shape of scraps for this project. Piecing the fabric in squares or rectangles will result in a different, but charming look than using strips as I did. I used strips because that's what I had most of in my scrap bag, and I supplemented them with larger rectangles.

When choosing fabrics, go bright or subdued. I collected pieces that went together, but a truly scrap doll could be made by just pulling fabrics without thinking.

Sewing machine
thread
handsewing needle
pins
scissors
measuring tape
scotch tape
fibrefill stuffing
acry…
Read more

Excursion to a Small Island

Image
The waters between the west coast of Canada (the mainland) and our own Vancouver Island (comparable to Th Netherlands in size) are dotted with many islands of various sizes. Most of them have been, or are inhabited. This past weekend, Tim and I took a short boat excursion to Thetis Island. It's very rural, with no town to speak of, but it's only a short ferry ride to a village with most services. On Saturday mornings there are 2 farmer's markets on Thetis. We purchased a loaf of freshly made bread and a cinnamon bun for Tim. 

There's a small red schoolhouse with one room. The student population fluctuates from year to year - this year there are 12 students. We peeked in the windows and counted the desks. High school students take the ferry across to a larger school.


Roads wind along the shoreline and across the interior of the island. Walking trails lead to abandoned barns and rocky inlets. 


On Saturday we walked south to north, covering about half of the length of the is…
Read more