Receive the Blessing at Church

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in My name, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:19-20 NIV).

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The Lone Shieling

A shieling

Cape Breton Island is filled with little surprises. Ever wonder what the sheep herders used for shelter? Here is the picture of a traditional Scottish sheep herder’s shelter. Inside you can see the stone bunks that look very uncomfortable. Fragrant pallets of heather or bracken covered the bunks when in use.

Stone bunks inside

The opened end of the shelter would be closed up and the shepherds could build a fire on the dirt floor. Peat was burned to provide heat and light.

This open end would be would be closed in with peat sods during storms

A nearby stream provided water.

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Keltic Lodge in Nova Scotia

This lodge is exquisite, with a lovely dinning room and all the amenities. My pictures don’t do it justice, so I invite you to click on the link below to get a tour. The closest thing we have to it in Colorado is the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. That’s where they filmed “The Shining.”

I’m not sure if any films have been made there, but it would be a wonderful place for a mystery!

This is view from the outside of the Keltic Lodge in Nova Scotia.

Click here to see great views of the Keltic Lodge in Nova Scotia.

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Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Nova Scotia

Get ready for unbelievable scenery as we drive though forests, mountains and valleys in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. The breathtaking sights will draw you in as we follow the trail.

Alexander Graham Bell once said, “I have traveled around the globe…and for simple beauty, Cape Breton Island outrivals them all.”

Forests in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Lush mountain views like this beg for someone to take pictures. Sadly, those pictures will never capture the true magnificence of these mountains and valleys. You have to be there to appreciate these views.

If you would like to know more about Cape Breton Highlands National Park, click here.

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The Miracle Of You

The Miracle of You available on Amazon.som

This forty day devotional is designed to make you aware of how valuable you are, and what a miracle you are, in Jesus Christ. Each devotion examines some miraculous aspect of His creation in you and how He has gifted you.

This would be a wonderful gift to let someone know just how special they are. Click here for more information about The Miracle Of You.

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Rug Hooking in Cheticamp

Watching rug hooking at Flora’s

Cheticamp is a small community in Nova Scotia. Winters can make one ‘stir crazy’ with nothing to do. However, the women of Cheticamp found the tradition of rug hooking a way to keep productive in the face of a long winter. At Flora’s Gift Shop I got a lesson on how to rug hook. This is quite different from the latch-hook rug I did as a project with my son many years ago. This activity is considered a symbol of French Acadian culture in Nova Scotia. For information about Flora’s and rug hooking, click here.

Beautiful wild flowers dot the coastal landscape

I couldn’t resist this picture of the gorgeous flowers just across the street from Flora’s Gift Shop. You can see the ocean in the background. I found a great video about what it’s like to watch the seasons change, if you have time for a relaxing twenty minute look at nature, click here.

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St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Cheticamp

St. Peter’s

Father Pierre Fiset, parish priest in Cheticamp from 1875 to his death in 1909 had the vision to build a church near the harbor. He began his project by establishing an annual levy in the 1880’s to raise money for the construction of the new church. It became a community effort. Sandstone building materials donated by the Robin Company were quarried at the north end of Cheticamp Island, then ferried across the ice to the building site. Winters are very cold in Cheticamp. The salt water harbor freezes five feet thick.

The rose window, the stone medallion engraved with St. Peter’s keys, some of the stone steps, the altar, and the bell from the old outside belfry, were used in the new church. Parishioners donated wood, mortar and their labor, and after the levy ended, even their fishing catches, towards the construction. Father Fiset donated his considerable energy and some of his own funds to the project. He succeeded in building an imposing and beautiful church which has become a landmark in northern Cape Breton. It is a monument to his efforts, he was buried in a crypt beneath the church.

Inside St. Peter’s Church

For a better look at the exquisite handiwork throughout St. Peter’s Church, click here.

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Operation Christmas Child

Vicki and David with shoebox packed with gifts

Giving…it’s the best way to celebrate the season! I know it’s a little early for Christmas. But if you want to get involved in Operation Christmas Child, the time is now. Pack a shoebox to be sent to a child far away. Shoeboxes are needed for boys and girls from ten to fourteen. Younger children usually are favored, so consider sending to the older child. You can pack school supplies, tools, shirts, dresses, socks, underwear, toothbrushes, toys, and anything you think that child would like.

David packed our shoeboxes and I was impressed at how much he could get into them. I know that whoever gets the ones he packed will be happily surprised!

Click here on what to send and how to get involved in Operation Christmas Child.

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Cheticamp

Cheticamp is a French speaking Acadian fishing village. We spent an evening listening to Sylvia play the guitar and sing. This Acadian woman inspired us with Acadian and French songs. We learned a little bit about the history of the Acadians and some of the customs. She blessed us.

Behind her you can see the Acadian flag. The flag looks a lot like France because Acadians wanted to proclaim that they are French and that France is their motherland. However, the Acadians wanted their children to remember their heritage by adding the yellow star to the blue section. The star represents the star of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Click here for information about the history of the Acadian flag.

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Acadian Tradition Cheats Lent

The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia. The colony was located in Eastern Canada’s Maritime provinces. Somewhere along the way, the Acadians developed a way to contend with the restrictions of the Lenten season. Instead of doing any penance for the full forty days, they interrupted the season with a week’s celebration involving costumes to hide the identity of the offender! They spent a full week indulging and celebrating. It looks a lot like Mardi Gras to me. And if you click on the link below, you will understand why.

Some Acadians migrated to present day Louisiana, where they developed what became known as Cajun culture. Most Acadians who returned to Canada ended up in New Brunswick because they were barred by the British from resettling their lands and villages in the land that became Nova Scotia. Click here for an interesting article about the history of the Acadians.

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