These pages include:

About Pen and Paper Mama: an introduction to me, norma j hill
Need help? Tutoring and Other Activities:  Do you live or operate your business in the Penticton area (or perhaps elsewhere)?  As an independent business person, I offer assistance in the following areas: Tutoring; Office/Business Assistant; Speaking Engagements, Classroom Presentations, and Workshops; and Child Care.  Check out the “Need Help?” page for details.
Introductions to my various websites and blogs.  Check out these introductory pages, then be sure to check out the sites that interest you, and of course sign up to follow them:
Conversations, Reflections, and Meditations (my original website, and accompanying blog)
My Church Journey blog
Penticton Pedestrian blog – photos and stories about beautiful Penticton BC
Another Chance Okanagan – website and blog about the Another Chance Street Ministry
The Hill Gang: website of stories and photos for family and close friends

Also at penandpapermama.com, you will find a blog about Pen and Paper Mama’s on-going activities and interests,  information About Pen And Paper Mama, and Comments and Disclosures policies for my sites.

Didn’t I just write about this a few days ago?  Oh right!  It was about something that makes me happy!  Sunshine!  And the song makes me happy too (yes, I mentioned that already, as well).

I love John Denver’s song, “Sunshine On My Shoulders.”  I have loved it since I was a teenager.  I guess I love it because sunshine really does make me happy (even more than chocolate, and that is really saying something!).

“Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.  Sunshine on the water looks so lovely, Sunshine almost always makes me high…. If I had a wish I could wish for you, I’d make a wish for sunshine all the while.”  Well, maybe not ALL the while, because clouds have their own kind of beauty, and what would we do without snow?  And even rain?  Know what I really love?  Summer sun-showers!  When the sun is shining brightly and it’s raining at the same time.  An Okanagan specialty

In case you think this is a “cheesy” choice for a favorite song, it says here that this song was recorded on 21 different albums.  So obviously, I’m not the only one who likes it.  And it says here that the song was the title track for a movie and the TV series that followed, was featured on a Simpsons episode, and an episode of CBS’ Cold Case.  So there!

Actually, in the past month, another song has come to mean a lot to me.  It was a song that we sang as children, but as I got older, I fancied myself “matured” and consequently decided I had outgrown it.  Still, I have sung it often to my children and grand-children, and even was asked, by a grieving mother, to share it her 18 year old daughter’s funeral.  That beautiful young woman, shortly before that terrible accident, had heard me singing it to my grandson.   She told me how it had meant so much to her as a child, and asked me to never stop singing it.  

Anyway, as I mentioned in my “day 29″ post, I have rediscovered real relationship with Jesus, and this song expresses it so well:  “Jesus loves me, this I know!”  Some things can not, MUST NOT, be outgrown – but rather grown into.  As the final pages of C.S. Lewis’ final Narnia novel, The Last Battle, expresses it: “Farther up and farther in!”

I am a life-long learner.  Learning, to me, is a great on-going adventure that involves all aspects of every day.  In that context, the past month has been a really amazing adventure.

In terms of this “30 days of me” challenge, which I suppose today’s topic specifically refers to, I have learned a lot about myself.  I thought this would be a simple exercise, like those “25 facts about me” or “fill-in-the-blanks-about-yourself” that get passed around on email and facebook.  Not so.  A lot of the topics required me to stop and think.  About myself.  Some topics made me really happy, like thinking about how grateful I am for my friends and family and for my wonderful husband.  Others made me look twice at myself, and see things about myself (like some “hurting” letters I used to write to people; and a habit I need to change – procrastination) that I really don’t like, and that I really want to change.  Some posts gave me opportunity to have fun – like the post about my favorite superhero, and songs I have listened to in the past.  In the past year I have gone through a bit of a “down” time in my life, and I was delighted to find myself having fun with simple things again.  Even being able to inject some humor into my writing!

Beyond the “30 days of me” challenge, I have also been learning a LOT!  I have been learning to take better photographs, and I just created and posted a new site, “Penticton Pedestrian” that features my favorite local pictures, and related writing.  (It’s still in an “under construction” state, but you are welcome to check out what I have been doing there). 

Actually the past month has been a steep learning curve in relation to website/blog design and development.  I gutted my “Pen And Paper Mama” site, removing almost 700 posts (some of which ended up on “Penticton Pedestrian”), and reworking the background of the site (the things you don’t see, but make the site function better).  I have done a few new posts there, all of which have to do with my plans, goals, dreams for 2011 – a huge learning curve and exercise in itself.  The “Pen and Paper Mama” site, which has MUCH still to do, will be the “hub” for all my other sites, and for the home-based business I am developing.

Of course, I have also added this very blog to my longtime website, Conversations, Meditations, and Reflections.  You might want to have a look there sometime, too!  And I have continued to work on the Another Chance Street Ministry site – learning how to upload videos, among other things.  Now that I “know how” I must, must, must get it done!  (Yep, I’m still working on that bad “procrastinating” habit).

Another amazing thing I have been learning in the past month is how much Jesus loves me, and how He is totally relevant to my life – in fact, He is the center of my life; He IS my life!  I have been helped a lot in this understanding by reading other folks’ blogs, writing about it on My Church Journey blog, and reading about it in an amazing book called “Jesus Manifesto.”  Most of all, I have been seeing His life in action in others around me – and in my own life –  in ways that continually surprise and delight me!  Wow!  Jesus reigns!

Oh. My. Goodness.  Why, oh why, oh why do they keep wanting pictures of me?  Good grief.  I don’t even have any really recent pictures of me; I’m always behind the camera, duh.

Maybe I also am having a bit of a hard time reconciling myself to the facts of life.  As time passes, especially at my age, gravity takes over.  Perky sags.  Smooth wrinkles.  Taut stretches.  Energy tires.  Height shortens.  Muscle tone flops. 

Ah well, at least I don’t have any gray hair yet   And my wrinkles are mostly smile wrinkles, which is a good thing, I think!  And becoming an elder is honorable, right?  Maybe even I’m becoming a little wiser.  A bit more patient.  Less anxious.  More tolerant.  Less worried about what others think; and able to relax and be the real me.  Maybe even become less judgmental, I hope.  And more concerned about things of true value.  So maybe physical attributes give way to virtues.  And I’m thinking that is really a good thing. 

And, oh yes, the longer I’m around, the more opportunity I have to really know Jesus.  That’s amazing   And I’m getting that much closer to knowing Him face-to-face.

Change is inevitable.  And maybe even wonderful.  You think?

Anyway, okay.  Most recent picture of me (November 17, 2010 – me in my jammies, with my grandson Logan) and a picture about a year earlier (October 28, 2009 – me with my grandson Apollo).  So… how have I changed?  (Besides being tired in the one and wide awake in the other).  You tell me!  (And be nice about it!)

Just because.  I find these kind of challenges to be fun.  And it kind of fits in with the “family” theme on Conversations, Reflections and Meditations.  Okay, and I admit it, its a useful way to procrastinate, put off doing things I really want to do but am afraid to get started on.  And I think people are interesting; I like reading other people’s stories; and I have fun writing mine.  That’s about it!

What kind of a topic is this?!?  They’re my FRIENDS.  That means I think they are awesome, excellent, special, wonderful people.  Duh!

(I think whoever made up this “30 days of me” list must have been running out of ideas…)

This is a wierd topic.  On the other hand, I suppose what is in one’s bag (or pocket, or backpack, or wallet, or whatever) says something about that person.  Anyway… here goes:  my bag (all 20 x 16 x 6 cm – that would be about 8 x 6 x 2 inches for you non-metric folks), which has 2 pockets, contains the following:

pocket #1:  sunglasses, pen, hand cream, planner, package of kleenex, fabric fold-up shopping bag, change purse (with one coin), chap stick, notebook

pocket #2: wallet which contains:  mending kit, breath mints, mini address book, glasses cleaning cloth, pen, 3 receipts, 16 plastic cards, 10 paper cards

Wow.  Well, this must definitely be one of those cases where the inside is larger than the outside

Hmmm… wonder what the contents of my bag say about me?

  Mom and Dad are joyfully together forever with Jesus.  Miss you, of course, but won’t be long till we’re together again

Aren’t my parents sweet in this photo?  Actually, they’re just sweet, period!  You can find out more about them other places in this website, for example:  their lives before me here, Ballad of Bill and Marj for their 50th anniversary here, humorous poem for their 45th anniversary here, Mom and the Angels here, my wonderful mom here, and memories of dad here.  If you check around the site, you will no doubt find more – stories and pictures, both.  Enjoy!

What can I say?  Food group #5!!!

Oh, by the way, just got an email from Starbucks … something new to add to my craving list:

I’ve always wanted to be unique.  One of a kind.  Have I been?  Or have I fallen into the trap of dull conformity?  Or worse?  And does it really matter in the long run?  Is it even possible to be wonderfully different?   Have you ever thought about this, even a little? 

More and more, I want to be the “me” that Jesus, my Creator, created me to be.  The “me” that is far, far beyond - far more wonderfully different – than I could imagine or try to be on my own.  The “me” that reflects, amazingly, incredibly (who could really imagine this?), in even some very small measure –reflects Him, He who is All, Everything, Source of Being.   Jesus.  God for us, with us, in us.  The Way back to God for broken, lost little creatures like me.  (And for you, too.  He’s waiting.  He loves you!  Run to Him! )

Will you become, with me, the different we’ve only barely dared to dream of?  He’s it.