I just love digital cameras. Today I downloaded some new photos and also deleted some bad ones. Here are a few favourites.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without several rousing games of Monopoly.

Yvonne and I with our finest holiday accessories. The wine had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with it.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I'm looking forward to.

1. Christmas eve with my children.
2. Christmas day with the extended family.
3. The 2 days and nights we'll be spending at Pinewood Lodge.
4. Our open house on December 30.
5. Singing Christmas carols.
6. Learning to cross country ski. Wes and I start our lessons in January.
7. The birth of my niece and her husband's baby.
8. A huge dumping of snow. It's not in the forcast but I can hope, can't I?
9. Skating at the Forks. All I have to do is find my skates. Has anyone seen my skates?
10. A visit from John and Tena after the baby is born. I know they're not coming to see me but I'm hoping they'll be able to tear themselves away from their little grandson for a while.
11. Wes' week off, between Christmas and New Year's.
12. Playing my newly tuned piano.
13. The book "The Dissident Daughter" that I ordered 2 weeks ago and still hasn't come.

Better, Much Better, Thank you

Ahhh. Finally feeling like my old self again.

We (Prairie Bounty) and Eric catered a successful job yesterday for a local Mennonite NGO. My sisters had done quite a lot of catering in the last few weeks as I whiled away my days on the couch. It was good to be back in action.

It was a pretty peaceful job and we found ourselves standing around in the kitchen for much of the time, occasionally moving around in the room where the event was happening, replenishing trays. While we were standing around, we talked about how much fun it would be to have an open house. We do love to cook together, especially for friends and family. We decided it would be on December 30, sometime in the afternoon or evening.

So... anyone who reads this blog is invited to attend. We'll be sending out emails and invitations but some people will inevitably be missed. If you are reading this post, you are welcome to join us. Email me if you need the address.

There was someone yesterday from the Celiac society and she asked us if we might be interested in catering for them. They have trouble finding people who can cook for them with their diet restrictions. That's the kind of job we like so hopefully she'll follow up. We are pretty good cooks but we are not very good at the administrative part of the job and alas, we forgot our business cards. Again. Fortunately, Yvonne found some in the bag with the serviettes so we were able to hand out a few. Michele said we need one more sister who is good at administrative stuff. Maybe we'll have to adopt.

One of the good things about catering is that we always have too much food. Yesterday we all took home some cut up fruit and veggies. Supper tonight will be a stir fry with fruit salad for dessert. Thanks MCC!

Bored

I suppose that means I'm getting better.

It's hard to post anything new and exciting when you haven't been out and all your news of what's happening on the outside is coming from the people you live with or the CBC news which only seems to be reporting on Brian Mulroney and Karl Heinz Whateverhisnameis.

I got 2 new antibiotic perscriptions from the doctor yesterday. That's got to kill any kind of bacteria left in my body, don't you think?

I must be getting better. I'm complaining more.

On the bright side, my new favourite author is Sue Monk Kidd. I read "The Secret Life of Bees" for the third time this week. I also finished a book of short meditations of hers that I bought some time ago. Sue Monk Kidd has grappled with lots of spiritual issues in her life and currently I'm reading "When the Heart Waits" which is the story of her mid-life crisis journey. It is powerful stuff that I can really relate to although I would suggest to her to change the name of her book. It sound like one of those cheap romance novels.

Sue Monk Kidd's "When the Heart Waits" is to a romance novel what dinner at a five star restaurant is to no-name mac and cheese.

Really.

Still Sick

Half way through the antibiotics

T3s are gone

Brain turning to mush

Couch getting saggier by the day

Still glad the malfunctioning uterus (Michele's words) is gone

He usually sits in the red chair beside the fireplace.

I don’t sit too often when I’m home. Most of the time I’m in the kitchen, cooking for my family and sometimes Prairie Bounty, or on the computer writing and replying to emails, or on the phone. Lately Kristen’s been in the kitchen studying for exams. Tim might be there too, drinking a cup of coffee and talking about his day. Medardo and Mauricio will come through and tell me a story. Or a friend may be visiting and we’ll share a cup of tea.

Sometimes I’ll walk past the living room and see him, waiting. I’ll promise him that as soon as I take care of this load of laundry, I’ll come by to spend some time. It’s so easy for me to get distracted though and several hours later, I’ll walk past him again. I might throw a quick prayer his way-“please God, be with my friend who’s going through a hard time, help Kristen while she’s writing her exam, bless my family…”

He just sits there, waiting for me. Not like someone demanding my attention but more like someone who wants to get to know me. Someone who would like nothing better than for me to stop for a moment and rest at his feet.

Finally, I find some time. I lie on the couch as he sits in the chair, his full attention on me. I dare not look into his eyes for they are so full of love and compassion for me, I may lose myself in them. I tell him about all the things that are on my mind. My children, my spouse, my brothers and sisters, parents, my in-laws, nieces, nephews and friends. I pray for George Bush, Stephen Harper and all those other people who have great power. I ask him why he doesn’t do more about AIDS, poverty and injustice.

Finally, I am spent. I have no more words, no requests, no more demands. I know he has listened and has heard me but he says nothing in reply. No answers. All of my words lay in a jumbled heap at his feet.

We sit in silence for a while and the next time I look at him, the floor around him is clear. For the first time in what seems like forever, I look into his eyes, full of unconditional love, compassion and grace. And finally, when I’ve said all I can say, when I am finished, he speaks.

“I love you Linda. You are more precious to me than anything in this world, even more than you love your own children. There is nothing you can do to make me love you more or less. The only thing I want from you is for you to sit with me and allow me to show you how beloved you are. And even if you can’t find the time to do that, I will not love you less.”

And then I walk over to him and sit on his knee, allowing his love to completely wash over me. I lose myself in his eyes knowing I am completely safe with him and that there is nothing I need except to be in his presence.

Reformatting

Eric is my favourite son today. He must have spent 6 hours reformatting my computer and now it is so fast, I can hardly keep up with it.

Sick

Tylenol 3s are great little pills to have.

Sushi

It seems that the toughest thing so far for pregnant Nicole Richie, has been to give up sushi.

I have several friends and relatives who are also pregnant. I wonder how they are managing without their sushi?

Poor girls. I had no idea.

I will try my very best to be more considerate towards you all. I thought I had it tough when I was pregnant but at least, I never had to give up sushi.

I didn't even know it existed.

Working Hard

While I was basking in the sounds of my son's voice and guitar last night, my sisters and Chelsea were working their you-know-whats off serving at a banquet. They had been at my place all day where we prepared and cooked much of the meal. But I knew to go to the hall and serve would not be good in terms of my recovery.

I'm feeling a bit guilty because they have lunches to serve today and tomorrow for a conference and Michele has quite a lot of added responsibility for this event. I'll let her tell you about it if she wants. I won't be there today either.

It's happened a few times that only 2 of the 3 sisters have worked an event and it's always been fine. Often, Chelsea, my niece, fills in for the third sister. But when the 3 of us do something together we shine. It's like singing in harmony. Not only do we work well together, we have fun too.

So while I didn't miss lugging those blasted dishes up the stairs and loading them into the car last night, I did miss the cameraderie and feeling of a job well done with my sisters.

I think we'll have plan a little lunch date to debrief in the next week or two.

Thanks you two (and Chelsea).

I Should Have Taken A Picture

Last night we went to the Starbucks location where Tim has been working for about 6 months. He will never get rich, or be able to support himself and a family working at this place, but he is happy. He won't be a barista forever but, this place is good for his soul.

(I love the word barista. It is one of the few words in our language that is gender neutral but sounds feminine; unlike so many words that can refer to both men and women that have a decidedly masculine sound to them.)

The Christmas party was held last night at Tim's Starbuck's. The store is open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM 7 days a week so it is not possible for the staff to have a Christmas party unless they close the store which will never happen. Instead, they served samples of some of their drinks and foods to the customers while Tim and 2 other baristas he works with brought their guitars and sang carols.

I never tire of seeing and hearing my children play and sing so when Tim invited us, I knew we had to go. Because he still lives at home, I hear him playing alot. I love Christmas carols and not only were they performed well last night, there were a few people singing along, in harmony. It sounded beautiful.

This was one of those moments where I didn't expect much but ended up receiving lots. I thought we'd support Tim, buy a coffee, listen to him and leave. And I suppose that's what we did. But I didn't expect to be so blessed and touched by a bunch of amateur musicians, jamming with their instruments and voices, having fun. The sounds of harmony and guitar, of people in quiet conversation, interspersed with laughter-the pleasant peaceful sounds of Christmas.

A lovely moment in time.

Determination

That Kristen. She is one determined young woman.

She's been having some trouble with her car battery and was trying to find a way to take care of it. The car has been parked on the road beside our house for about a week and she's been using mine since I haven't been needing it. She was in no rush to deal with it and besides, it's been cold around here. Who wants to work on a car when it's -20 outside? It was easy to just leave it alone and hope (?) that somehow the problem would go away.

Yesterday, the winter parking ban was put into place. This means that there is to be no parking on the streets of Winnipeg between the hours of 2 and 6 AM. It makes snow clearing, much of which happens during the night, a lot easier. If your car is left out on the street, you can get either a parking ticket or your car can be towed, neither one a good option.

Suddenly the dead car on the street became a priority.

It was Saturday night and there were no men around to do it for her. And I wasn't going to do it! I'm still convalescing for pete's sake! Besides, I know that it's really important not to mix the red and blue cable up. You can do some serious damage to a car. I never remember which one is positive and which is negative. I usually have Wes, my KISA (Knight in Shining Armour) do it for me.

So Kristen, in her usual fashion found a way. CJ did a search on google (whatever did people do before the internet?), found the proper way to boost a car, and made notes. They went outside together, Kristen placed the booster cables in the proper spots on both cars and...it started! I think they were as surprised as I was, and very pleased with their achievement.

The car is now in Wes' spot in the garage, and a new battery is sitting on the kitchen counter. The guy at Canadian Tire said she could replace the battery herself, it's that easy and I think with her new found confidence in her mechanical abilities, she just may try. Or, Wes might really want to park his car in the garage before it snows again and end up replacing the battery.

We'll have to see who can hold out the longest.

Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody...

I'm feeling just a little lonely tonight.

Wes is away for the weekend and I didn't go along because I'm still recuperating from my surgery. Those of you who know him, know that he's not a very talkative or noisy sort of a person but I still notice that he's not here.

Kristen's been at work all day and is going out in a little while, Tim's been at work since 2:00 so it's just been Dixie and me. I did some baking this morning but that tired me out so much that I just hung around all afternoon. I'm feeling a little more energetic now but I've got nobody to hang with. Dixie would love a good romp in the snow but that's not going to happen.

I've always thought that I'd be okay if Wes were to die. I don't usually mind being on my own and I can find things to keep me busy. Now that the kids are adults and off doing their own things, the only people around this old house many evenings are Wes and I. And when he's gone, I miss him. I think that's how it goes. The longer you are together, the more dependent you are upon each other. I never thought that would happen to me.

He drives me nuts sometimes, and I drive him crazy too but somehow, we manage to live together and love each other through it all.

Usually it's me who's gone for a night or two. I wonder if he feels the same way when I'm gone?

Well, it's gone.

On Monday, November 26, my uterus was removed with surgical precision. It had successfully carried 4 babies to term and for that I'm grateful. Lately however, it had been giving me such grief that it was becoming increasingly hard for me to function normally. So when my doctor said, "Let's just take it out" I jumped at the chance.

I'm supposed to take it easy for a couple of weeks, which isn't much of a hardship. Who wouldn't love a few weeks on the couch, reading, writing, meditating and watching DVDs? Every now and then I get up to go to the washroom, check out blogs and emails or just walk around, trying to get my strength back. I've got Medardo and Mauricio vacuuming, Tim cooked supper last night and Kristen took the dog for a walk this morning. They're all pretty willing to take up the slack. Not a bad way to convalesce, I'd say.

I'm feeling uncreative and uninspired so there might not be anything too interesting on this blog for a while.

Just thought I'd let my faithful readers know what's going on.

It's a Dog's Life

Today's post is from Dixie.

Oh, what a busy, busy morning. Linda, is doing some housecleaning today and I need to follow her everywhere she goes.

I enjoy housecleaning days because if I'm lucky she'll leave a garbage bag lying around in the kitchen and I get to check out it's contents.

I love playing the broom game too. Linda gets the broom out, moves it across the floor and I chase it. I love this game but it seems to frustrate Linda. When she has her little pile of stuff that she has swept up, I always like to check it out because there might be something yummy in there, just like the garbage.

When she gets down on the floor to do something, I sniff at her hair and try to plant loving doggy kisses on her cheeks. She doesn't seem to enjoy this so much but I keep trying. One of these days she'll come around.

The vacuum is a little scary. It makes a really loud sound that I don't like but it's kind of like the broom. I like to chase it, although when it moves too fast, I need to get out of the way. Right now, Linda's cleaning it out and muttering something about dog hair. I don't know what she means by that. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to enjoy the vacuum so much either so it doesn't come out too often.

Well, she's on the computer now so I best be getting into my favourite place to sleep and relax. Good thing she doesn't clean house too often. I'd be exhausted all the time!

Comments

I have been a blogger for over 2 years now. I have met some great people on line and have also had the pleasure of getting to know some family members and friends in a different way. By and large it has been a fun thing to do.

One of the things I enjoyed especially at the beginning of my blogging experience was the comments. People actually wanted to say something about my posts. Sometimes, comments develop a life of their own and some great debate and dialogue occurs. Almost always, the comments have been positive and affirming.

I received one rather negative comment once and actually deleted the whole post because I didn't want to be reminded of that person's unkind words. More recently, some people who are near and dear to me have been on the receiving end of some very unkind and inconsiderate words. Sometimes, these commenters remain anonymous. Other times, they make their identity known.

I know that when we bloggers post, we open ourselves up to the scrutiny of others. We share our opinions, knowing that other people might not always agree. I suppose that is a risk we take. There are many things that I will not post about because I'm afraid that people may misunderstand where I'm coming from and will say something that can send me into a downward spiral of insecurity and self-doubt. Many posts are not written and real sharing of the heart does not occur.

I suppose the internet is not the best place for sharing the deepest secrets of one's heart. These words are out there for millions of people to see and we must expect that someone can take our words and misread them, flip them around and jumble them up so that their true meaning is lost.

Most of the bloggers I know have been hurt by comments at one time or another. But we still post. I am glad that you are willing to continue writing because I find great pleasure in hearing stories about your children, work, trips, ponderings of your hearts, things that frustrate you and everything else that finds its way onto your blog.

What I have appreciated so much is the way commenters will defend bloggers when an unkind and thoughtless comment has been made. I think that is something about this blogging community that I have really come to respect.

Comments are less important to me now than they were at the beginning. I guess I've evolved a bit that way. I just enjoy blogging as a way to remind myself of my day to day life. If people want to leave a comment or not is fine with me.

However, I really believe in the old saying, "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all."

Better yet, this verse from the bible (Ephesians 4:29) says it all:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,

but only what is helpful for building others up

according to their needs,

that it may benefit those who listen.

Grey Cup, Here We Come!

The Bombers won. Kicked the stuffing out of the Argos. I'm glad that our beloved Bombers won but I always feel sorry for the team who lost.

Next week, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg meet at the CFL final, the Grey Cup. You can be sure that we'll be glued to our TVs watching this match up.

Unfortunately, Winnipeg will be at a huge disadvantage because our amazing quarterback (Kevin Glenn) broke his arm in the last few minutes of the game and we just don't know if he'll be able to play next week. That means the 2nd string QB (Ryan Dinwiddie) will be leading the charge and he hasn't seen much action this season.

We'll just have to count on the rest of the team to work that much harder.

I can't believe I'm posting about this. I think that I have become a true blue Bomber fan.

I just had to get rid of that picture on my last post and my only option, besides deleting it, is to write another post.

My brain isn't working too well these days. Lack of sleep is the major culprit but when you live with 4 teenagers/young adults, there is often a fair bit of activity happening after one retires for the evening. I had the pleasure of a nap on the couch this afternoon. I love naps.

A friend came over earlier this week and we talked about my kitchen. I have a huge kitchen, with lots of cupboard space but it isn't set up in a very organized manner. When we first moved in (13 years ago) I didn't give much thought as to where things should go. Over the years I've made a few changes but things are still disorganized. It will be good to utilize my friend's suggestions. I just wonder why I waited all these years to do this, especially when we are planning to put the house up for sale in the spring?


It won't be easy to leave this place. It is a beautiful, old house with gorgeous woodwork, lots of windows and lots of space. It's in a great location and there are huge trees all around. We're trying to prepare ourselves for the reality that our next house will be very different. I'm not usually too attached to things but this old house has seen some of our best living. It will be strange driving by it one day and pointing it out to my grandkids as the house we used to live in.

The real estate market is sizzling in Manitoba. I used to be more worried about selling our house than about buying another one. Those worries have been turned around. I think we'll be able to sell more easily than it will be for us to find something that's right for us.

But now is a good time to move and while my heart is not ready, my head knows we need to do it. Besides, we got bitten by the travel bug when we were in Italy and we want to do more of that. A smaller house will make that easier.

There's a new coat of paint on most of the inside and outside, the carpets have been replaced and other repairs have been made. This house is the spiffiest it's ever been. In a few weeks, the kitchen will be organized, as it should have been years ago.

So, if you live in Winnipeg and are looking for a gorgeous house, with lots of room and a to-die-for-kitchen, give me a call and we'll talk.

I just may have to ask you for visitation rights.

November 10, 1983

A memorable day. I was pregnant "out to here" and anxious to have this baby who was already 5 days overdue. It was an uneventful day and at 11:00 PM I went to bed, hoping that perhaps, tonight would be the night.

It was.

Around midnight, my water broke and Wes and I headed for the hospital. We had a lovely young woman living with us at the time and I gently knocked on her door to tell her we'd be leaving. It was great not having to worry about Ben who was only 2 at the time.

I hadn't been at the hospital long when labour was becoming too much for me to handle. I asked for an epidural and was given one almost immediately. The pain and discomfort left and Wes and I both actually dozed off for a few hours. It was the most peaceful, pain free labour I could have had. After a while, I noticed that something was feeling different. The nurse checked my progress and told me that I was ready to deliver.

Eric was born, with the help of forceps at around 6:00 in the morning. I couldn't see much but I did hear my doctor say, "Wow! Look at the size of that shoulder!" And then someone else said that perhaps there was a future for Eric in football.

And then he cried. Anyone who has delivered a healthy baby knows that sound. It is the most unbelievable, amazing sound in the world. I will never forget the first cry of each of my children.

There was some concern for Eric's health because of his size so he was whisked to the intermediate care nursery along with all the other wee little babies. I was sent to a recovery room to wait for the numbness in my legs to subside, worrying about my baby, reminding myself that he was in the best place possible. Besides, Wes was with him.

A few hours later, he was brought to me. He wasn't the cutest newborn, especially with forcep bruising, but he was absolutely precious. He was almost 11 pounds and considering he had to move through a pretty small passage, he did quite well.

Today, Eric is 24 years old and still precious to me. When I look at him, I still see that helpless, beautiful baby. At the same time I see a talented, intelligent, compassionate man. It's been fun watching him grow and I'm looking forward to the next 24 years.

Happy birthday Eric!

What's a Guardian to Do?

We've had some problems with threats in local schools lately. I think it all started sometime in September (I was out of the country at the time) when someone wrote something nasty on a washroom mirror at one of the universities in town. The university took this threat very seriously

Since then, there have been at least 8 or more copycat threats made in similar ways. I think it's usually lipstick or something like that on the walls or mirrors of the washrooms. While the first one was at a university, I think the subsequent ones have all been in high schools. Schools remain open but if parents do not feel comfortable sending their kids to school, they may stay home.

Yesterday, a threat was found at the school M&M (our 2 international students) attend. Students were told of the threat and also of the fact that they could stay home if their parents or guardians were concerned for their safety. It is now 8:42 AM and there have been no sightings of M or M. Last night they expressed to me their fears about going to school and weren't sure if they felt comfortable attending (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, snicker, snicker). This is all just a big joke. I told Mauricio that he better not tell his parents because they are somewhat overprotective of him. If they heard about this, I think they'd tell him to get on to the next plane to Brazil. Medardo's family worries little about him and his safety and his father, who happens to be a police officer in Mexico, would probably make him go.

So, for now, they are both safe in their beds and will likely remain there until 2:00 PM or until their stomachs cannot handle another moment of emptiness.

I feel like going up to their rooms and kicking them out of their beds. They are not fearful for their safety. They see this as another excuse to miss a day of school. Mauricio could miss some school, his grades are amazing and he seldom stays home. Medardo is another story. We recently received a letter from the school concerning his frequent absences and the fact that he better not miss any more school because he is in jepardy of failing this term. He doesn't seem to be concerned.

I think that:

• the schools should not give students and parents the option of staying away from school.
• the media needs to stop reporting on these incidents
• the kids who are caught doing this need to be seriously disciplined.
• M & M will be doing some housework or something for me today. This is not going to be a fun day at home.

I'm getting too old for this.

Happy Birthday Kristen

My baby is 19 today. I've often said that the only good thing that ever happened on Halloween was that Kristen was born.

We will attempt to have dinner tonight before the little ghosts and goblins start arriving at our door and before Kristen, her friends and the other teenagers in this house leave for their various festivities

My parents are here too. Mom and I were reminiscing about this day, 19 years ago. She remembers it well because she was visiting us.

It was 5:00 PM, October 31, 1988 and Wes and I were at the hospital in the final stages of labour. My poor mother, who probably thought that she would never have to deal with Halloween again, was at my home, trying to get 3 little boys dressed and out the door while other little ghosts and goblins were already looking for treats.

An unforgettable night.

The Dentist

Yesterday, I rode my bike to the dentist. I had what I thought was a loose crown and hoped that Dr. J could glue it back on before it fell off. It wasn't that easy. I ended up with my first tooth extraction. I felt a little shaky after the ordeal and didn't feel that I could ride home so I called my knight in shining armour. He came, loaded my trusty steed into the trunk of his car and took me home. While I rested in the living room, he made supper: Lasagne and ceasar salad. To use Heather's words, I think I'll keep him.

When I and my siblings were young, my folks, even though they were poor immigrants made sure that we went to the dentist every 6 months. It probably had something to do with the fact that they both had dentures.

Dr. H was a nice enough man and believed in "no pain" dentistry. When he found a cavity, he'd start drilling until I jumped out of the chair, and then he'd stop, fill the hole and send me on my way. My friends would talk about needles their dentists would give them, including all the gory details as young people are wont to do, and I was pleased that Dr. H was kind enough not to use them.

I found a dentist near my home when I moved to Winnipeg. I forget his name but I'll call him, Dr. Drill'nfill. He informed me that I had 17 cavities and they all needed filling. He drilled four troughs in my teeth, filled them up and sent me on my way. He was the first dentist to tell me that I should floss although after his work, there were few spaces left between my teeth.

Not long after Dr. Drill'nfill, I started going to Dr. J. He is a good dentist and over the years has redone much of the work of Dr. Drill'nfill and Dr. H. Dr. J is not fast, but he is good. I often think that he would be a good sculptor, the way he works on my teeth to make them just right. He has never said anything to me about my previous dentists but he must wonder about them when he's doing work on my mouth.

So, I think I can thank my 2 previous dentists for my most recent problem. Dr. H for not fixing it well enough in the first place and Dr. Drill'nfill for being less than careful. Dr. Drill'nfill retired shortly after he finished working on my mouth and Dr. H went into real estate. Hmmm.

I have a lot of faith in Dr. J and am taking his advice on how to proceed. He recommended an implant, something he doesn't do himself but he has a brother-in-law in Beausejour who can do it cheap...

Are we getting dumber?

In yesterday's Winnipeg Free Press:

Child Seat Removal
Bumbo International, manufactureer of the popular Bumbo Baby Sitter, has announced it is temporarily removing the popular sitter from store shelves to update the instructions.

The company says it is not defective and does not need to be returned. Therefore, no refunds are being offered.

The company is strengthening the wording of the instructions to emphasise that the Bumbo Baby Seat should never be used on any elevated surface such as a table, countertop or chair because children can get out of the seat and fall.

Just thought I'd do my part to let parents know the dangers of Bumbo Baby Seats.

Thursday Thirteen

1. The rain has finally stopped and the sun is shining. Thank goodness for that.
2. Went to the funeral of a woman yesterday who should have had another 30 years to live if you believe the statistics. There were a lot of people there, including members of "The Gospel Choir," 2 of whom sang a solo. I would have loved to see the whole choir do a number.
3. CJ's grandpa's grave was near to his mom's. And there, on Grandpa's grave marker was the name of his wife, her date of birth and a space for her death. I wonder what she thinks about when she sees that.
4. Kristen tells me that the funeral home limo is pretty sweet.
5. When I die, I want live music at my funeral. And hymns. I want "Abide With Me" to be sung. No canned music for me.
6. There also has to be good food for afterwards, like wraps and fruit and hummus and black bean dip. Maybe Ira's Deli or some similar place could do the catering. Is it okay to have Jews cater a Christian wedding?
7. I have never stood at a graveside ceremony where I thought that the weather was great. It always seems to be raining, or freezing or like yesterday, windy.
8. Advice to those of you who never want your picture taken: Please, let people take your picture, even though you don't like it. That way, there'll be photos for them to look at when your time comes.
9. More advice: Take care of yourself. Exercise. Eat healthy. Enjoy life. Laugh.
10. I didn't know CJ's mom but several people commented on the fact that she would say "Mercy!" when the situation warranted it.
11. When people think they "have to be strong" when someone near to them has died, what exactly does that mean?
12. I hope CJ and his dad will continue to allow people to help them out and support them once everyone leaves.
13. For me, there is much comfort in the fact that I believe there is life after death. I don't really know what that will look like but it makes death seem less final.

Friday, October 19, 2007

I will never forget that night.

The phone rang three times at 3:08 AM and I realized that Kristen was not yet home. No message was left but I called her anyway.

"Mom, CJ's mom just died. I don't know what to do!"

Neither did I but I went to the hospital to see if there was anything I could do. It was pissing rain and CJ was outside because he couldn't stand to be in the emergency waiting room one more minute. All I could do was to put the umbrella over him even though he didn't seem to notice the pouring rain.

And then, "My mom just died. I can't believe it. My mom just died." And I glimpsed a little boy who didn't know what to do, didn't know if he could survive without his mom.

I made some cookies, sent over a lasagne and made a donation to the Canadian Diabetes Society.

It all seems so insignificant.

I just don't know what to do.

I have been home for 2 weeks and while I have felt a desire to post something, I hardly know where to start.

How do you write about something that was better than you expected, something that changed you in ways you can't even express? How do you describe the pain you felt, in your butt, in your heart, in your mind, biking up yet another hill, wondering if you could make it?

Or the moment of absolute panic when you see your husband just ahead of you, flying through the air like a (very large) bird, over his handlebars and landing smack on his chest? (There's no picture of that because it all happened so quickly. Fortunately, he was fine and got back on his bike after about 15 minutes.)

This was what he had to show for it a few days later.

Words cannot express the experience of sitting in the shade of a 12th century castle, looking over a gorgeous valley, eating a picnic lunch supplied by villagers all over the age of 70.

How can you describe the Colleseum, the Forum and the Pantheon?

What can you say when you walk on streets worn by the footsteps of millions of people and wonder if the apostles Peter and Paul walked on the same roads?

Or celebrating your 28th anniversary by enjoying an exquisite glass of Italian wine in a lovely courtyard? How do you talk about the 8 people, who you will likely never meet again, who were your constant companions, best friends and all around amazing people?

I find that words really cannot describe it all.

Buonjourno

We have found ourselves a little internet cafe and thought that this would be a good time to create a new post.

We're having a wonderful time. The weather has been great for the whole week and a half since we've been here. The food is amazing although I think I like the cappuccini in Winnipeg better than here. They're never hot enough.

We finished the biking part of our trip and now our butts (can I use that word on a family blog?) are getting a much deserved rest. We have seen the most amazing sights and when we get back, I'll post some pictures.

The biking was a huge challenge for me. It felt like I did a marathon every day but it was all worth it and I would do it again without a doubt.

I hear Dixie's doing well and the mice are beginning to party at our house so everything is normal. I think Dixie and I will be doing some mouse hunting when I get back.

Wes says (and I agree) that this trip has exceeded our expectations. The only thing missing is those people nearest and dearest to us. Boy would it be nice to have them all here!

Gotta go now.

Ciao

Arrivederci

The bags are being packed.
Last minute instructions have been given to those who will be left behind.
Some laundry and cleaning is being taken care of right now.
We're ready.
One more sleep.

I won't be posting for about 3 weeks, although if I get to an internet cafe and find that I have the time I just may post a thought or two...

Have a great September!

Ciao

Happpy Birthday Wes!

Another year older, another year wiser and better looking each day.

Happy birthday my love!

I wasn't going to post anything else because it would just repeat what I said last year but I had to say something once I saw the picture. Take a look at those sunglasses. Are they cool or what! That's one of the things I love about Wes. He does care about how he looks but is also willing to use what he's got, not really caring what people think. He was proud of the fact that these sunglasses were listed at $12.00 and were on sale for only $8.00!

Thankfully, I was able to convince him to get some new sunglasses.

What a Gift

They told me to be at Michele's at 7:30 and we'd head out from there for the birthday gift from my sisters. The appointment was for 8:00 PM.

They're not usually too secretive but they seemed to want to keep this a surprise for as long as possible. I can trust my sisters so I was pretty sure that they were not taking me for liposuction, or botox injections or an eyebrow lift. I didn't think it was a manicure or pedicure because although that would be lovely, I thought my sisters would want to give me something more permanent for my 50th birthday.

We went to an older area of the city. Not exactly dangerous but certainly a place where I'd probably not want to carry a purse while walking on the sidewalk at night. Some of the houses looked, um, unloved and uncared for but the one we approached actually looked cute, with lights on and lovely filmy curtains in the front window.

We knocked on the door and a pretty, funky young woman answered. She looked familiar to me but I couldn't remember where I'd seen her before. I thought that she had an artistic look about her so maybe that was what was familiar. Michele joked about a Thai massage and we (well, I) giggled nervously. Ha ha. Thai massage. That's a good one. You two aren't leaving me here are you? She seems nice and all but I sure don't want to get naked and be walked on while you guys are watching or leaving. There's a limit.

I still hadn't figured out why we were there so they spelled it out for me. "We are commissioning these people to create a unique piece of jewellry for you."

Wow! I have NEVER commissioned ANYTHING! I felt so...cultured. And honoured. And loved.

It was then that I remembered that I had seen her and admired her beautiful work at the Folk Festival this summer. She showed us what she had, we saw her little workshop and we talked about colours, metals, and the things that I liked. She seemed to understand me and her preliminary sketches affirmed that. We talked about swirls and colours, pinwheels, stars, flowers, glitter, shiny, gold, silver and all sorts of things. And she told us that she has an idea of what she can do. I could just tell that she could see the finished product in her mind although she warned us that these things will often look a little different than expected because of all the different colours, metals and finishes that are put together. I think that is one of the great things about this whole process. You put all the things you find beautiful into something and the artist creates a piece that has never been created before. The finished product is a surprise and more beautiful than what you first expected.

So, in a few weeks, I will be wearing a beautiful, unique necklace and earring set that was created by a gifted artist, commissioned by my sisters, just for me. It doesn't get much better than that.

Delighful.

First Day of School

Then:
Back pack containing pencil crayons, markers, erasers, inside shoes, pencils, box of Kleenex, lunch box (crackers & cheese, fruit roll up, apple, juice box)

Now:
Purse containing cell phone, lip gloss, driver's licence, body spray, make up. Does not contain food other than a pack of gum or a favourite type of candy

The blogging world has been quiet for the last few weeks. I have had such a delightful (I love that word. I'm going to use it more often) summer and haven't felt too inclined to write about it. I've just been enjoying it.

Life is getting back to normal these days. Mauricio, from Brazil came last Wednesday and Medardo, who was here last year, came on Saturday night. They have already been to Polo Park, The Forks and out for a movie. Last night they came home with 2 friends, who are also international students. I don't know where they meet these guys because school hasn't even started yet. There must be something, a smell or sound, that they all emit so that they can recognize each other.

Tim is enjoying his work at Starbucks. It's so good to see him enjoying what he's doing. He was having trouble motivating himself to get to work when he was with the construction company.

Kristen will be starting at U of Manitoba on Tuesday. She too is excited.

Of course, this week will be another full one for me as I am preparing for our trip to Italy. We leave in 6 days and are both really looking forward to it. We will be stopping for several days in the Netherlands and spending some time with our extended family. The opportunity to just "drop in" for a few days is a gift. It will be a great way to end our Italy trip.

Ciao!

Purging and Cleaning

It's strange but it seems like my sister and I end up doing the clean-up/purge/cleanse thing at the same time. She now has a large claw foot bathtub in her front yard. I have 3 garbage bags by the back.

Today, we moved Tim into another bedroom. I just love doing that because the bedroom that he just vacated is now spiffy clean and absolutely clutter free. His "new" bedroom is the same. He was quite willing to dispose of some of his collection stuff which made this clutter-hater happy. In the end, we had 3 garbage bags for the trash and 2 bags for the thrift store.

I just realized that more than half of the bedrooms in this house are dust free and clean.

Dixie had a very busy day too. Tim's old bedroom is on the 3rd floor of this old house and she had to follow me every time I went up or down the stairs, which was often. She also had to sniff everything. EVERYTHING. Now and then she'd sneak something and race down the stairs to get away from me. Most often it's underwear. She prefers Kristen's but is also happy to grab Wes's too. Yuck. And they say dog's mouths are cleaner than human's. Not my dog's.

I'd love it if every room in this house could be clutter free and spiffy clean at the same time. Maybe some day but for now, I've got to take a break.

I just downloaded a new program (Google Earth) on my computer. It may have not been such a good idea b e c a u s e e v e r y t h i n g i s soooooooooooooooooooooooo slooooooooooow n o w.

Sometimes, life gets in the way of our plans

I got a phone call today from my aunt in Holland. Her name is Mies and she and I share the same birthday, although she was born 24 years before I was. It was wonderful to hear her voice and to talk to her.

Mies has travelled a fair bit and lived overseas for a while and as a result, her command of the english language is very good. When she and her husband were here visiting us, I loved going out with them because they seemed quintessentially British, even though they are Dutch. They are delightful people.

Unfortunately, Mies was the bearer of bad news. It seems that her sister, the aunt we were planning to visit in Northern England in a few weeks is not well. Not well at all.

So, we're going to have to change our plans. I am disappointed. One of the things I was looking forward to was having a pint in a neighbourhood pub. To see the Scottish highlands and the moors is also on my list of things I'd like to do one day. I would have loved to spend time with my aunt and uncle but of course, we never plan on illnesses and I know that she would like nothing better than to be feeling well enough to have us visit.

My travel agent (Wes) is on line right now, looking at other options. Perhaps we'll spend a few more days in Italy. We'd love to go to Venice, or spend some more time in Florence. I'm sure there's lots we can do.

My aunt will recover from this illness. It is serious but not life threatening and perhaps, another time we'll find ourselves in Northern England with her and her husband.

In the meantime, we will pray for a speedy recovery.

Who'd a Thought it...

If you would have told me a short 2 years ago that I would be cleaning up my own dog's diarrhea 3 mornings in a row, I would have told you that you were crazy.

Aaaaaaaah

Happy birthday to me....

My dear sister-in-law suggested that I need to write a better post so that she wouldn't have to leave a Happy Birthday wish on my last post (the Funeral one).

Here it is.

It was a wonderful day, with lots of wonderful people, wonderful food prepared by 2 of the best chefs in this city (my dear sisters) and wonderful gifts.

I'll post a bit more later because right now, I'm tired.

Thanks to all who made this a great day!

Playing All Day

I am playing the piano at a funeral tonight. I do not know the man who died but I do know his brother. While this is a sad occasion for the man's family and friends, I am not emotionally involved.

So, today, for much of the day, I am practising. This man was an Elvis fan so I will be playing a lot of Elvis's "religious" stuff. I am having a blast, playing old hymns.

While I was playing today, a thought occurred to me. What if I practised several hours every day and then offered my services to funeral homes around the city to provide live music? That would be a sweet job, I think. Playing piano happens to be one thing that I love and never tire of doing. And I love funerals. They are terribly sad occasions, there's no doubt about that. I know that even tonight, I'll have to keep my emotions in check because I know that I will be moved. I always am.

At a funeral there is no denial. People for once in their lives are real. There's no denying death. There's no denying the sorrow, the pain, and the emptiness caused by someone dying. We cry together. At a funeral we acknowlege that death sucks and we can finally admit that there's nothing we can do about it anymore. We surrender. Finally.

A funeral is a time where we slow down for a moment and take stock of our own lives. We wonder what people will say about us, when our time comes. Will we have made an impact? Will people miss us? How many people will show up? Have we changed the world, or at least, our corner of the world? And what about life after death? What will that look like?

I have been to lots of funerals and at every single one, whether the person was "religious" or not there is a sense that the deceased is "in a better place." Those of us who are still living find comfort in that fact. I always feel bad for the friends and family of the people who have specified they don't want a funeral. There is no opportunity to get together, to laugh and cry and remember the person who died. I think we all need that kind of closure.

Today, I'm going to do my best to help Joe and his family remember the best things about his brother. And I hope in some small way, the music that I play will bring a measure of peace and even serenity during a hard time.

Procrastination

The in-laws are coming for a little visit in a couple of weeks. My house is in need of a good cleaning so why am I posting twice in one hour?

Brandon

As many of you faithful readers of this blog know, we are going on a European trip of a life time in a little more than one month. Part of that trip includes a 7 day biking excursion.

Every time I tell anyone about biking in Tuscany, they look at me and say, "Tuscany's pretty hilly." I've been doing a fair bit of biking here in Winnipeg but hills are virtually non existent in this city-although I can successfully bike up the Chief Peguis trail bridge now, without stopping.


So, knowing that we really needed some hill training, Wes and I put the bikes on the bike carrier and drove west.


Our first stop was Spruce Hills Provincial park. The map showed a biking/hiking trail which was 13 km long. It seemed like a great place to start. As we were getting ready to start, we saw a couple of young women who were just finishing up. I asked them how the trail was and they said it was pretty good, a little hilly and took them about 2 hours. I should have questioned the fact that it took 2 young, athletic looking women 2 hours to bike 13 kilometres but for some reason I didn't. That was my first mistake.


The next mistake was deciding that I could continue onto the third loop of the trail after doing the first and second. My third mistake was forgetting that I had to get back to the starting point. Getting there was tough enough. Going back was hell. I stopped counting my mistakes after the third one.


It was hot. It was bumpy. My butt started hurting. I ran out of water. We went up hill more than we went down hill. There was one spot where there was a sign stating that you had to walk your bike down into the gully. It was as steep as a flight of stairs only it was sandy. It took all of my might to keep from sliding all the way down on my already painful petunia. As I was slipping and sliding down, I tried to keep thoughts of the fact that somehow, I had to get back up, out of my head.


If I had been in a better frame of mind (or perhaps in better shape, like a 20 year old), I might have enjoyed the wild flowers, the babbling brook and the lovely prairie landscape. However, I was not in a good frame of mind and swore to myself that I would never, ever do such a crazy thing again. My legs were killing me, my heart was pounding out of my chest and I was thirsty. Wes, who was usually ahead of me could hear my grunting, groaning and cursing

But, finish it I did. Good thing I took these pictures because I was in no mood to appreciate the beauty of anything that day. It does look like a lovely trail, doesn't it?

Ha Ha Surprised you!

I haven't been posting much lately. It's not that I have been busy or anything. I just don't think I have all that much to say.

Kristen called from work on Saturday and told Tim to ask me to call her. She had a 24 hour flu thing last week so I thought that maybe she just wanted to tell me that she still wasn't feeling good. Her request actually was that I buy the new Harry Potter book so that she could read it.

Her loving father went out to buy it and she spent 2 days reading it. I could let Tim read it now-he'll have it done in a day or two as well. I haven't started reading it yet because I know that I will not be able to put it down and everything else that I am responsible for will slide. While the hype about this book is a little extreme, I'm glad to see that a book of all things is getting the kind of attention that it is.

We have a beautiful backyard pool. I am so grateful for it. It really helps to make this hot, humid weather not only bearable, but enjoyable. We see the pool as our alternative to owning a cottage; less upkeep and not nearly as expensive. I do love Winnipeg in the summer and I think I would miss all that happens here if we were "at the lake" all summer.

Last week I enjoyed an evening out with Frank, Alisha, George, Yvonne and Wes at the Fringe Festival. It was my first time and I really had a good time. I'd like to go to some more shows this week before it's all over. The Fringe is something that I love about living in the city. It's neat walking downtown at 10:00 PM with the streets full of people having a good time.

The 2 shows we watched were at the same venue. While we were watching the first show, tickets for the 2nd show were being sold. That left us with a bit of a dilema. So Frank, resourceful man that he is, gave someone $60.00 (cash) to buy tickets for us. I was so impressed! This person worked at the pub where the shows were being held but it was a little risky to hand over that cash. The guy came through for us and we ended up with great seats. Yay Frank!

This hot weather is making it tough for us to do a lot of training for our bike trip. Next weekend we'll head out to Brandon for a couple of days in search of hills. While I know that training will make our trip in the fall more fun, I definitely am a "fair weather biker."

I would now like to write a paragraph that will fit all these random thoughts together into a concise, cohesive little piece but I can't.

The end.

Folk Festival Highlights

There are so many memories floating around in my head. I'm just going to write some of them down.

Crooked Still

Cat Empire

Agnostic Mountain Gospel Choir
Chirgilchin

Randy Newman

Michael Franti and Spearhead

Ndidi Onukwulu

Ollabelle

That 1 Guy

There are a lot of unique clothes walking around at the Folk Festival. I noticed an amazing skirt, made out of ties and pointed it out to my sisters. As we were looking at the skirt, we realized that we knew the body, inside the skirt. It was non other than Joyce. She is a famous person and it seems that people recognize her wherever she goes.

The pasties. Ugh. I know someone who called them t** stickers. Crude yes. But they were ugly. I hope they don't come back next year.

Finding a great spot to watch a show.

The workshop with Crooked Still, Cat Empire, That 1 Guy and the Dhuks was the most incredible event ever. Words cannot describe what happened there. That alone was worth the price of admission. And seeing my daughter, son and nephews flushed with the pleasure of watching that show was unforgettable.

The food was great! No crappy fast food at this festival. I had a samosa, roti, roasted vegetable pannini, vegetarian wrap and a whale tale (not all at the same time).

Just laying around on a blanket, and when we got tired of that, moving onto a chair, and back to the blanket. You get the picture.

The music. Every band and individual had something interesting and unique to offer.

Every single one.

Tonight...

Tonight, I'm going to a concert at the West End Cultural Centre. The performer is Fred Eaglesmith, an old friend and classmate of mine.

Wes has a dinner engagement so he will be coming later and we were trying to decide how he could find me as it is rush seating.

I told him I'd be in the front, in the mosh pit. Wes found that comment to be uproariously funny.

One day I'll surprise him.

The Bike Trip

On Sunday, we biked for one and a half hours (25 km), up hills and down (Manitoba style hills).



Boy do I have a lot of training to do.

The two high school students who live here have finished their exams and are livin' the easy life. In just over a week they will be heading back home-Mexico for Medardo and Brazil for Leo.

They are doing what teens do, sleeping in till 12:00 PM and then staying up till about 2:00 or 3:00 AM. Last night, they kept me up. The floors in this old house squeak and the doors make noise when they open and close so even if someone's being quiet, it can sound really noisy at 2:00 in the morning.

I guess I better talk to them today. They'd be horrified to know that they kept me up last night but I need more than 4 hours of sleep a night. I really don't want to be a stick in the mud but I'm gonna be a little cranky if tonight's the same.

By my calculations, there were about 4 years in my life as a parent when the kids didn't get me up or keep me up at night. The two youngest kids didn't sleep through the night until they were 8 or so and then a few years later, the oldest started going out at night and I would lie away until he got home.

And now, Medardo and Leo, enjoying their last week in Canada before heading off to their homes are keeping me up. They won't have the freedom with their families that they have here. One night, just for fun they went to Tim Hortons for coffee at midnight. I would have loved to do that as a teen and I don't think they'll be able to do something like that when they get home. So I want them to have fun, enjoy this last week together. They have become good friends and except for a planned visit by Medardo to Brazil next January, they won't see each other for a long time. I think they are creating memories and I don't want to stand in the way of that.

But I need my sleep so I think the memories will have to be created before midnight. They'll be fine with that and I will get a few more hours of sleep.

Yawn. I'm going to try to have a nap this afternoon.

The Canoe

As mentioned in my last post, the canoe is one of the 7 wonders of Canada. That reminded me of a funny story.

We were camping one summer in Northern Ontario. We had a tent trailer, 4 children, enough bikes for all and on top of that, we also brought along a canoe. We are notorious for taking EVERYTHING along when we camp.

I'm not sure just where the canoe came from. I seem to remember that someone gave it to us. And no wonder. That thing weighed a ton! But it was a gift and we were camping in the great Canadian north so we had to take it along.


Tim and Kristen must have been 4 and 6 at the time and very excited about going in the canoe. In fact it was all they talked about as soon as they learned that they could "have a ride." They were none too patient as we set up camp and were disappointed that they would have to wait until the next day before their inaugural paddle.


There was no way all 6 of us could fit into the canoe so we asked some friends who were camping with us to watch our two older children while we prepared to take the 2 little ones out. First, we had to drag the thing (remember it weighed a ton) to the water's edge, all the while trying to keep Tim and Kristen in our sites at all times. If there were walls to bouce off of, they would have. They were beside themselves with anticipation. As a matter of fact, there were quite a few campers watching us; Wes and I grunting and groaning, Kristen running around us like the Tazmanian Devil and Tim bouncing along like Tigger. We made quite a spectacle.


We got to the water's edge, put the life jackets on and proceeded to enter the canoe. We had to remind the kids that they couldn't jump because if you've been in a canoe, you know they're pretty tippy. Wes held it steady while I helped Tim in and then Kristen. Then I hopped in.

That was when all hell broke lose. Kristen grabbed the sides of the canoe with a screech. When Wes let go of the canoe and hopped in, the screaming began in earnest. Both kids were terrified. "We're gonna tip! LET ME OUT OF THIS CANOE! I DON'T LIKE THIS DADDY. LET ME OUT! People left their campsites and rushed down to the riverbank to see what was going on, concerned that we were drowning our kids. We tried to shush them but there was no way they could stop. They were pretty hysterical and tried to climb over each other to get to me. Of course, that made the canoe even tippier and caused them to scream louder.

Wes managed to paddle about 4 metres or so before we headed back to shore, dragged the canoe onto the river bank and hiked back to the campsite. I seem to recall that the whole excursion lasted about 4 hours.

We left the canoe behind. Never even took it home.

Seven Wonders of Canada

If you are Canadian, you may have heard about the Seven Wonders of Canada contest that's been going on for several weeks here in our wonderful country. It has been a fascinating trip for me, through this great country of ours.

I think it all started as a fun little game, an opportunity for us to highlight some of the amazing sites and places in Canada. I'm sure the organizers never expected this little exercise would generate so much interest.

People, wrote, called and emailed with their own idea of what makes Canada wonderful. One million people sent in 25,000 submissions of what they thought should make the final list. I am glad that I was not a judge because every single suggestion is worthy to be a "Canadian Wonder." While I think the judges thought this would be a fun thing to be part of, it became clear that it was hard for them. How do you decide between The Cabot Trail, Bay of Fundy and Niagara Falls? How can you not include Drumheller or Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump? Or the Winnipeg Folk Fest, or Churchill or the Red River Floodway?

In the end, the Seven Wonders of Canada are:

1. The Canoe
2. Niagara Falls
3. Prairie Sky
4. Pier 21
5. The Rockies
6. The Igloo
7. Old Quebec City

I am so happy that the Priarie Sky was chosen. There is nothing like it and I am thrilled that I can experience it every day. Before I moved to the prairies, I had no idea the sky could be so big, so blue, so changing. It truly is a wonder of Canada.

I have had the honour to paddle a canoe, to visit Niagara Falls and ski the Rockies. I have not yet been to Quebec City but I expect that Wes and I will make it there before too long. And believe it or not, I have never seen a "real" igloo. Around here, people tend to build quinzhees, just for fun. The snow is a little more suited to building quinzhees.

This morning Shelagh Rogers was interviewing one of the people who nominated Pier 21 in Halifax and I thought of my dad who was one of the millions of immigrants who landed there. Pier 21 has been completely refurbished and now is a museum.

I decided that I must visit Pier 21 with my dad sometime soon. He hasn't talked too much about his trip across the ocean and the landing but I think that a visit to this historic place would give us a great opportunity to talk about his first impressions of Canada and his feelings when he first stepped on Canadian soil.

Dad's a rich man now and I'm sure he's looking for ways to spend his money. ;) I think he should buy a plane ticket to Halifax and I think his children (all of whom read this blog) need to buy tickets for themselves and accompany him.

This is our heritage, this is our history.

The Menu of our Authentic Mexican Dinner

We had 3 Mexicans, one Brazilian, one German and one Turkish teen here around the supper table today as well as us, the Canadians of Dutch descent. I don't think that happens very often. What is interesting is that they all said that the women do most of the cooking in their countries but most of the best chefs are men.

Mole: They didn't make it from scratch but brought some ready-made from Mexico. I often wonder about the first person who made something like mole. She probably had all kinds of stuff in her kitchen that she didn't know what to do with so she just mushed it all together and came up with mole, a classic Mexican food.

Refried Beans: I've never had such good refried beans. They said that all they did was add some onion and a little salt and pepper. Well, somehow, they taste different made by Mexican hands.

Guacamole Salsa: Here's a great hint all the way from Medardo's mother's kitchen for all you foodies out there. When you make guacamole, keep one of the avocado pits in the sauce. It keeps it from turning that yucky brownish colour. It's true. You've gotta try it.

Fajitas: I know. You think you've had fajitas. Not these. And you've gotta hear the Mexicans say "fajita." It tastes different when they say "fajita."

Ahhhh. Now I've got to walk off some of this delicious food.

Tonight's Dinner

Tonight, Medardo, Heida, and Rudy are cooking an authentic Mexican meal for us today. Medardo has been living with us since September and is attending high school here. His brother Rudy has been here all year too. Heida, their sister is visiting for a while. They asked if I would like it if they cooked a meal for us.

Of course!

It's neat listening to them. Heida is obviously in charge. She's the oldest after all and every now and then I hear some spirited discussion happening where the boys think they have a better idea than Heida. She usually wins.




They are a neat family and I think their mom would be so proud of them!

The Itinerary

Leave Winnipeg Sunday September 9

Arrival in Rome Monday September 10. Spend a few days in Rome

Saturday September 15-18 we'll spend a few days touring around Siena

Bike tour begins on Tuesday September 18 at 9:30

• DAYS 1+2: Castellina in Chianti. Meet in Siena and cycle north through fields and vineyards. After lunch in a tiny village, we’ll visit Radda on our way to Castellina. Exclusive wine tastings at a wine enoteca and dinner at a local trattoria. On our 2nd day enjoy a scenic ride with a visit to the Castle of Meleto, which has marked the history of one of the most important families of the Chianti area. For those who would like a more challenging ride, San Gimignano's medieval towers beckon from distant hills. The village, surrounded by stone walls boasts some of the best-preserved monuments in the region. Our hotel in Castellina is a charming 3-star hotel, close to cafes and restaurants.
  
• DAY 3: Sovicille Our route takes us to Monterrigioni; with its perfectly preserved walls and cobbled streets you will find the charm immediate. Our hotel is located in the country-side with a pool and surrounded by an extensive park. For those interested in cooking lessons prior to dinner, the chef here will gladly demonstrate.
  
• DAY 4: Asciano For some, this will be a favorite day of riding as we pedal through gently rolling countryside lined with cypress trees. Asciano is full of museums and monuments, and is also a perfect base to reach the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, where monks still produce wine, honey, olive oil and a cure-all herb liquor. Art lovers will not want to miss the frescoes painted by Sodoma and Signorelli that have been preserved here since the 15th century. Our 3-star hotel in Asciano is brand new with all amenities.
  
• DAYS 5+6: Pienza We save the most spectacular riding for last as we visit the tiny villages of Petroio and Castelmuzio on our way to Pienza, full of Renaissance monuments; our hotel here is quietly situated 150 meters from the central plaza and has large comfortable rooms and a casualness that you will enjoy. On our final day of riding, we’ll ride to Montepulciano and Monticchiello riding through a ‘photographers’s paradise’. We’ll complement our final evening meal with bottles of the local wines and toast our time together in Tuscany. Viva dolce!
  

Monday September 24 to Wednesday September 26-Firenze

Wednesday September 26-Milan (see if I can pick up a few designer fashions-cheap)

Milan to Edinburgh

September 27-October 1- Carlisle GB. We'll be spending a few days with my mom's youngest sister and her husband.

Leave Edinburgh to London Gatwick Monday October 1 at 11:35

Monday October 1 at 18:15-Home again

Thursday Thirteen

This is my first Thursday Thirteen. I've never been able to get all the way to 13 but today, I will.

1. I was at Costco today. And Superstore. And Sobeys. Yuck. I was looking for the best deal on bone-in chicken breasts for a catering job that we are doing on the weekend.


2. Prices on bone-in chicken breasts do not vary much between grocery stores here in Winnpeg.


3. I think I didn't save any money by driving to all three places and then ending up at the first place I went.


4. Reusable grocery bags are great. I use them all the time. But when "chicken juice" gets spilled in one and is not cleaned out, it can make your whole car smell like a dead mouse. Yuk.


5. Jed came over to play with Dixie today while Michele and I practised together.


6. Dogs are like toddlers. They always want to play right where you are. They knocked Michele's music down a few times.


7. Dixie finds my foot going up and down on the damper pedal on the piano fascinating. To her it is another thing to play with.


8. I will have to cover my plants tonight. I knew I was taking a chance when I planted in early May that there could be frost so I'm not surprised.


9. Our itinerary for our amazing trip to Tuscany in the fall is finished. I'll post that one of these days soon.


10. We haven't been biking as much as we'd like because it's been so wet and nasty. I'm expecting perfect weather in Tuscany so I think I should practise biking only in perfect weather.


11. We do need to find some hills in Manitoba to bike on before our trip. I understand that Tuscany is quite hilly and this prairie girl is only used to flat land.


12. CBC Radio 1 has moved over to the FM dial. I am so happy because now, the really bad songs they play sound just a little better.


13. I am posting this on Friday because I just finished it today. The story of my life. Start something one day and finish it just a little later than the deadline.

The Novice Gardener

I love the look of pretty flowers in containers but when I look at them at the nurseries, they seem a little too expensive for me.

I thought that I could create my own container gardens, seeing as I have been doing this gardening thing for a whole year and a half.

Here is one of my first creations:

If you think that the large plants look like romaine lettuce-you're right. I thought it was calendula when I planted it but now I'm pretty sure that it's lettuce.

Sigh.

I think I have a lot to learn.

Election 2007

Yesterday was election day in Manitoba. The incumbent in my area won, as was predicted even though I did my best to keep that from happening.

Kristen voted in her first provincial election. She didn't know who to vote for so I told her. Even with our 2 votes, our man did not win.

Sigh.

We live in a very strong NDP riding. Provincially and federally, the NDP always wins here. It's a little discouraging because, my vote really doesn't make much of a difference. But vote I do. It is the one time that true democracy reigns and I never want to take that for granted.

Besides, if my dad found out I didn't vote, he'd disown me.

creation calls

-brian doerksen

i have felt the wind blow
whispering your name
i have seen your tears fall
when I watch the rain

how could I say there is no god
when all around creation calls
a singing bird a mighty tree
the vast expanse of open sea

gazing at a bird in flight
soaring through the air
lying down beneath the stars
i feel your presence there

i love to stand at ocean's shore
and feel the thund'ring breakers roar
to walk through golden fields of grain
'neath endless blue horizon's frame

listening to a river run
watering the earth
the fragrance of a rose in bloom
a newborn's cry at birth

how could i say there is no god
when all around creation calls
a singing bird a mighty tree

the vast expanse of open sea

It is hard for me, after watching my beautiful perennial garden grow, to imagine that there is not some higher power at work in this world. I happen to call this higher power God and in the spring, I find that the creation and new life all around me is a witness to God's creative genius.

This blog's gone international.

I'd like to welcome the "Dutch" connection. My parents are on a 3 week trip to the Netherlands to visit their respective families and I just received an email telling me that they arrived safely, had a glass of wine and some herring and are raring to start their vacation.

I'm jealous. I've been there 3 times in total and I loved every minute. Our family in the Netherlands is fun, interesting and extremely hospitable. They know how to have a good time and to show someone a good time.

My mother is the second oldest of 8 children and for the first time in "forever" they will all be together for a siblings event. I'm looking forward to the pictures. For now, here's one from 2 years ago at mom and dad's 50th Anniversary celebration.

Happy Birthday Dad

My dad is 78 today. That sounds old but when you see him and talk to him, you realize that it isn't very old. His hearing might be going, just a wee bit (although he claims everyone mumbles) and his eyes are still pretty good. One of his hips has been replaced and is standing up to his active lifestyle just fine.

The brain is also as sharp as it was years ago as is his sense of humour.

Michele has written some great memories of dad already. I'd like to add a few more.

The renovations were such a blast for me. There were always people around helping dad and mom, Yvonne and I would make sure there was coffee made and fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies. Nobody could make them like we could. One of my most vivid remembrances is of dad, upstairs, feeding John, downstairs, some wire or something and the two of them hollering back and forth.

Dad: "DO YOU SEE IT?"
John: "NO. WAIT. I THINK I SEE IT!
Dad: "START PULLING!"
John: "I CAN'T REACH IT! OH. NOW I'VE GOT IT!"
Dad: STOOOOOP! YOU JUST PULLED IT OUT OF MY HANDS!"
John: "HEY DAD! IT'S REALLY EASY TO PULL NOW!

Or something like that anyway. Whenever Wes needs to do something like that with someone here, I am immediately brought back to Saturdays, when I was young.

As he renovated our home room by room, dad insulated everything he could, long before other people recognized the importance of a well insulated house. Usually it was pink fibreglass insulation but one day I remember him coming home with bags of something called vermiculite. Dad thought it would be a great way to insulate one of the outside walls that would have been hard to do with the batts. He poured bags of the stuff into an opening in the wall on the second floor and at one point commented that he was using more than he he had estimated. It wasn't much later that we discovered a huge pile of vermiculite on the basement floor. He had poured it right through the wall.

When I was in Grade 2, we had to tell our teacher what our dad did for a living. I didn't know so my teacher asked me what he could do. My response, "He fixes things."
The teacher asked me what kinds of things he fixed and I answered, as proud as a little girl could, "He fixes EVERYTHING!"

Dad could fix everything- from car engines, washers and dryers to slinky toys. He made us beds when we were small with a little half railing to keep us from falling out of bed in the night. I was so proud of those beds!

Dad never did a lot of cooking but on ocassion, maybe once a year, he would treat us to deep fried onion rings. We loved them! He has his specialties now-bean salad, succulent chicken on the spit and some other grilled foods. Had he been born in a different time, he would have spent alot more time in the kitchen. It is neat to see a man of his age experimenting with foods and cooking when most men his age are happy to remain out of the kitchen.

Dad owned his own business with a partner for many years. One day, he was talking about some guy who took 10% off the invoice that dad submitted. I was shocked that someone would do that and I asked dad what he was going to do about it. He simply said, "I'll just charge him 15% extra next time. I was impressed with the incredible wisdom of my dad.

He owned a business, worked very hard, but never got rich. One year he commented how one of his employees actually made more than he did that year. But I never sensed any bitterness from dad about that. When you spend 2 hours in an afternoon fixing an lonely old woman's toaster, you won't make much money. I think dad always recognized that there was more to life than money.

There's lots more I could say but for now, I'll leave you with a few "dadisms."

Ha Ha! It's the cat's meow!
I'm stiff as a doornail. (Actually, he only said this once but we have never let him forget it.)
It'll put hair on your chest.
Mama mia!
Well you're quite the Speedy Gonsales.

Finally, here is a picture of dad and Michele. Isn't it lovely?

Happy birthday dad!

Memories of a Weekend

Frequently I find myself on a Friday afternoon wondering about the upcoming weekend. This weekend, as happens often, we had little planned but by the time I crawled into bed yesterday, I was happy, tired and satisfied.

I should have known the weekend was off to a good start when Carolyn offered us free tickets to a wine tasting event at the Convention Centre. There were at least 120 booths there with no fewer than 4 different selections at each booth. There were spit buckets (there's probably a much more sophisticated word for those but I don't know what it is) for those tasters who preferred to spit. They did not fill up very fast. I find it a little hard to spit in a lady-like manner without dribbling so I tend to taste and swallow. Sometimes I wonder if I might lean towards a tendency to be an alcoholic but I was pleased to discover that after having what I estimated to be a half litre of wine (well, maybe three quarters of a litre), I was quite happy to quit. Everything started tasting the same to me anyway.


Saturday, Wes and I worked around the house and got the winter cover for the pool cleaned off. That's not one of our favourite jobs so it felt good to put it away. Then, after dinner, a lovely little walk to our favourite ice cream shop, Sub-Zero.


Sunday was great as usual. I never tire attending church. That's a good thing. This Sunday, I was the person in charge of music. That means I got to pick the songs and then lead the band in practise and on Sunday morning. This time around, I spent a lot of time choosing the songs and learning a few new ones and I must say, the band did a bang-up job. We had a blast.


Got a great watering can for mother's day from Wes and "the kids." It's a beauty. Do you see how nicely the water sprays out from from the end of the can?

Sunday night we went to one of Manitoba's most interesing places, the "Half Moon." It's a nifty 50's style restaurant in Lockport. We went with some of my favourite people for ice cream.

I must confess that I've lived in Winnipeg for almost 28 years and this is the first time I've been there. We'll be going again soon. The hard ice cream's delicious and the home cooked fries are the best. It's on the banks of the Red River and is a great place for both humans and dogs to hang out on a lovely evening.

And a final great shot (I think Joey took this one) of George and Chelsea.

Our Home

I live in one of the most beautiful houses in this city. It is about 100 years old and as solid as the day it was built. It withstood the flood of 1950, while nearly all of the city was under water. It has also withstood fire, renovations, and the comings and goings of numerous people and various pets including a rabbit, 2 cats, a few fish, and 2 dogs.

This old house has a turret, a 3rd floor with windows and dormers, 10 foot ceilings, hardwood floors, a front porch and a screened-in back porch. It has lots of good sized closets and a huge eat-in kitchen. It has a dining room and a big living room that houses a gorgeous piano.

Today, there are 7 people living here. Until last fall, we had a guest bedroom that was used exclusively for guests (and insomniacs). I love the fact that we've always had enough room for family and friends to stay with us.

Even though this is the best place to live, we know that our days in this home are numbered. Tim is hoping to move out before too long and while Kristen will be living here while she goes to university, it won't be long before we won't need the space we have. That time will be coming sooner rather than later and we are considering putting up the sign in the spring of 2008.

I will be sad to leave this home. It has been big enough to have lots of people here. We've had pool parties and other gatherings that many other people couldn't have because their houses aren't as big as ours.

The next house will be smaller and my common sense tells me that it will be easier for us to move now, or at least within the next few years, before Wes retires. It will require less time and effort to clean and maintain. We'd like to do some serious travelling and it will be easier to leave for a couple of months with a house that is smaller. It will be good to downsize. I know that.

But in my heart I know that it will be hard to leave this place. There are so many memories here and when I consider my list of things I want in a house, this one has almost all of them. My kids "grew up" in this house. This is our "family home." No home we buy or build will have the touches that make this house so beautiful and comfortable.

I didn't think that I would feel quite so attached to this place mostly because I have never held a great attachment to possessions. But I suppose there is something different about a house. I have never felt that I owned it; I have just had the luxury of living here, of making sure that it remains comfortable and ensuring that it remains solid and strong. I feel that we are preserving a part of history by using this place for the purpose it was built, as a family home.

So for now, I will continue to care for it until a new family comes here and calls it their own. And I will leave blessings for them and pray that they will enjoy life here as much as I did.

It's the right thing to do. I know it.

Yup.

Gotta do it sometime.