dbrief2

a different kind of winter

2012-02-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

The snowmobiling boys have had to be a little bit creative this winter.

They've had to stick to their quads and leave the other machines in the garage.

We've come through another few days of real winter weather

but the wind is turning again and we'll be on the plus side of zero

by midweek.

And the sun will be glorious.

the greenhouse

2012-02-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

Sometime in November the greenhouse I posted about a few months back "came to life".

I was on my way home from the airport after visiting my mom

and I could see, from several miles off, a strange glow in the sky.

Remember - we live on the flatlands of Manitoba.

As I got closer I was sure it was a massive fire.

And even as I finally saw the source of the glow I was still sure it was a fire.

Then it suddenly occurred to me that it was the greenhouse.

Its "glow" each night has caused quite a stir in the community.

By now we're all quite used to it but it's still quite spectacular to see at night.

By now the cucumbers grown in the greenhouse are in our local grocery story.

It's so nice to buy produce grown in Canada - or in our own backyard in this case.

The greenhouse was featured in a local newspaper awhile back.
Here's the link - complete with a video.

Good stuff.

//www.steinbachonline.com/local-news/greenhouse-harvest-nears-dp2

another white day

2012-02-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

Today was yet another gloriously white day.

We have had a week of days like today with lots of fog mixed in

to make things just a little bit more interesting.

hoar frost

2012-02-03T08:06:00.000-08:00

We continue to have unseasonably warm winter temperatures.

The last few days the humidity has been high for this time of year and

as a result the hoar frost has been glorious.

raclette

2012-01-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night we finally had our first Raclette meal here in Canada.

We decided to celebrate the event by having Howard's brother and family over.

As you can see - it was finger lickin' good!

It was just as good here as it was in Germany,

even though it's a meal that originated in Switzerland.

And the after shocks from the variety of food flavours (and smells) that night

lingered for a few days.

It smelled like home.

promo video

2012-01-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Bethany was asked to write a song for the new Providence University College promotional video. Today Beth sent us the link and here it is - for your viewing and listening enjoyment! We are all quite proud!

http://www.providencecollege.ca/college/prospective_students/

he taught me well

2012-01-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

My dad could fix anything.

Even after his stroke when it took him longer to figure out the problem

and often frustrated him to no end

he still managed to get to the bottom of it and find out what was wrong.

Yesterday some of the training I got from my dad kicked in - again.

I was at school when I got a text from Katy saying that the car wouldn't start and that

a friend from school had come to boost it.

He got her going but once the car was turned off it wouldn't start again.

I told her I would go to Canadian tire after school and pick up one of those little

tools to clean the battery posts and also the connectors from the cables.

So I did just that.

I came home and got to work.

I rummaged around in Howard's tool box and came up with enough wrenches

and sockets to finally find something that worked.

I took off the cables, cleaned the posts and inside the connectors and put

everything back together.

I had the hood open when I started - or tried to start - the car so I could see that just as

I turned the key there was a spark on the left post and everything went dead.

I got out, wiggled that cable and tried to start the car.

Same thing.

Just like Katy had said, there was power - the lights came on, the bells were dinging but as soon as the key was turned, everything went dead.

Something wasn't right.

Obviously.

I got out again and took that cable off and straightened it out so that everything was

aligned in a straight line and that little metal piece on the cable

wasn't touching the post.

I put it back on the post, tightened it up, prayed.....

and went to start the car.

Voila!

It started.

Thank the Lord.

I tried it again awhile later.

No problem.

This morning before I went off to school I tried it again and it still started.

Katy took the car to the shop and yes, that was the problem.

They replaced that cable and now all is well - for now.

Before we were allowed to drive the car off the driveway for the first time -

my dad made sure we knew how to change a tire and change the oil.

Many lessons came after that for me like changing spark plugs,

cleaning condensation out of my distributor cap

and helping him to compress the valves on my car after I had managed to

warp the head.

He probably though my head was warped at that point!

Through all this instruction he was generally pretty patient.

Sometimes he gave me "the look" which told me that maybe I should have used my head

just a little more - or a little better.

But mostly he patiently instructed and fixed and listened for all the mystery sounds

that never seemed to be there when he would come for a ride.

He was a good teacher.

And a good dad.

the old guard

2012-01-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

It wasn't long after we finally got our German washer hooked up that it started to make some very peculiar sounds when the water was draining.

Think of nuts and bolts in a blender.

Yup.

Not very healthy.

It continued to wash and spin but it was disconcerting knowing that there was a definite

problem.

Howard phoned a repairman and he said that the cost to repair it would likely be prohibitive.
So, soon after that conversation just over a year ago, the matching washer for the dryer came on a terrific sale.

We bought it and stored it in the garage.

Many times we wondered if we should just put the new washer in its place and be done with

all the wondering.

The last straw was reached when a load of white rugs came out with some

serious black streaks.

With another trip of Howard's pending we felt that the time was nigh.

A friend of the girls', Ryan, was over practicing with Bethany

for an event for which their band had been asked to play.

We took advantage of additional manpower in the house

and soon the new washer was in its place.

It's a relief to have hooked up and it works well but I have to say it doesn't

spin out nearly as well as my German washer.

Just sayin'.......

it's cold

2012-01-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for awhile because I've been frozen.

The bottom dropped out of the thermometer a few days ago

and it hasn't been funny - not at all.

I took this picture a few days ago when the weather started to change.

This field is now white - completely white.

We were so spoiled and felt a little - braggy - with our amazing "winter" weather.

But we knew it wouldn't and couldn't last.

Today we had a high of -25 C with a windchill of -36 C.

Ouch.

Howard is away in a part of the world where the temperatures

do not plummet into the abyss

like they do here.

He took his umbrella.

I've been subbing the last three days and the wonderful thing about subbing

when it's so cold

is that you know when leave for school that you won't be doing any

outside supervision.

In Hanover School Division if the windchill is below -29 the kids stay inside for recess.

They get squirrelly and bonkers

but sit them down and read them a story and suddenly all is well.

Tomorrow I'm back in the classroom again.

And chances are pretty good that if I have supervision to do

it will be inside.

Stay warm!

being homeowners

2012-01-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago we had another brutal wind storm in the night.

It absolutely howled and at one point I heard something come

winging down off the roof and hit something on the ground.

In the morning we weren't surprised to see the ground littered with shingles

and I wasn't surprised to see the damage from what I had heard in the night.

A shingle had hit the railing leading down from the porch

and the blow had broken one of the posts.

Today, after many false attempts, the roofer arrived to patch up the patch.

He said that the companies making the shingles are using less tar

to prevent the shingles from sticking together in the bundles.

As a result, the shingles aren't bonding together as well once they are on the roof

and when the wind blows - so can the shingles!

It wasn't exactly the kind of thing we wanted to hear.....

At least for now the roof is back in one piece and

we're looking forward to calmer times ahead.

it's not for the birds

2012-01-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Dorm parenting can be a challenging task.

During our years at BFA we saw even the strongest dorm parents grow

weak and weary

beneath the weight of the responsibility and sheer

hard work

of keeping up to keeping legions of teenagers

happy.

Of course there are moments when dorm parents actually have

time off.

That's when they do something - anything -

to regroup, rest and relax.

One dorm dad that we had the privilege to get to know

took this time to let his creative juices

flow.

And flow they did.

He basically transformed his dorm called

"Storchenblik" - "View of the Storks"

into a work of art.
(The dorm is situated in a small village with a stork sanctuary
and there are storks and stork nests at almost every turn.)

He filled the dorm with pictures like these

and even refinished furniture and painted walls -

all in this funky, storky theme!

Last year when Howard visited BFA

dorm dad, Jim Paterson,

gave Howard some note cards of his prints.

When those came home I was quite sure that they

would never be given away!

I finally found a frame a few weeks back

(the Thrift Store comes through again)

so I could get some of those cards displayed properly.

What a gift to us

and yes, another wonderful memory.

If you want to see more of Jim's work - click here.

I highly recommend the Bible Picture book.
Your entire family will LOVE it!

cleaning with style

2012-01-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Don't you love receiving something as a gift that you would never buy for yourself?

A "new" friend here in our little French town

gave me these lovely rubber gloves for my 50th birthday.

I would never have looked twice at them in the store but

I love them.

I don't think I've ever used rubber gloves as much

as I have these.

I'm not sure why that is, but I do feel pretty stylin' when I wear them.

And this morning was no exception.

What a great gift

Thanks, Terry!

and so it goes

2012-01-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

The warm weather trend continues.
The skies have been glorious.

The weather amazing.

However.

We have become spoiled.

Dare I say - weak?

When we dip to -10 overnight we feel the chill.

We bask in the + side of 0 very often.

"Now this is winter" we say -

still wondering if "winter" will ever arrive.

And snow?

What's that?

I hope we're ready for what's sure to be ahead....

Enjoy today!

got it

2012-01-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

A few months back my bloggie friend, Lovella, had a lovely drying dish mat

featured on her blog.

I looked at that and thought - I want one just like that!

I wrote to her and she told me that she had bought it at

Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Well.

I knew for a fact that Winnipeg didn't have a BB&B.

I checked the internet.

They wanted $10 for shipping a $6.99 item.

Wasn't gonna happen.

Hmmm.

I guess I would wait until we went out to Edmonton in February.

Then.

We decided to do what most Canadians who live close to the US border like to do.

We took a day trip into North Dakota to the small city of Grand Forks

for some after Christmas bargain hunting.

We had a few things on our lists but not much - really.

This would be our first such trip and it was really just an exploratory one...

But then - I saw the store.

I zipped in and VOILA!

There were the drying mats - right at the door.

Amazing.

Price?

$4.99

With the exchange?

$5.10

Was it worth the trip!

You betcha!

the puzzle

2012-01-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

On a Thrift Store outing a few weeks ago

the girls happened upon a treasure.

They had gone there in search of a puzzle to work on

over the holiday and came home with a gem.

After Katy set out the border

Howard and Beth soon joined in and it started to take shape.

I resisted as long as I could

but the puzzler in me soon took over and I was hooked.

And the result?

Beautiful.

It brought back special memories of some

wonderful winter weeks we spent in a Swiss village very similar to this

during our years in Europe -

not to mention all the "together time" we had these days

as we pieced and puzzled.

Not bad for $1.

reality check?

2011-12-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

According to the long-range forecast in the fall

we were supposed to be in for a

brutally cold winter.

Summer had been so hot and dry and forecasters

were predicting the worst

for winter.

This morning we awoke to a dusting of snow

and wonderfully intricate patterns

of ice on our windows.

First it had rained - then cooled off enough to leave the snow behind.

It's December 31 and most lawns are still sporting their grass.

The next few days are supposed to be colder but then

milder temps are once again in the forecast.

Is this the extent of our "brutally cold winter"?

I rather doubt it!

lights with a meaning

2011-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

One thing we've noticed and appreciated so much

is the attention the French give

to nativity scenes as part of their

outdoor Christmas decorations.

Of course there are other things thrown into the mix as well

but the nativity scene is often

front and center.

christmas eve drive

2011-12-29T07:41:00.000-08:00

The weather was gorgeous and mild on Christmas Eve.

We drove a bit around town and in the country

to watch the sun go down.

We came upon the graveyard and were surprised to

see it full of candles.

At first we thought the candles were

in clear pails.

But looking closer we saw that the "pails"were

actually made of ice.

It was beautiful.

We learned that having candles lit in the graveyard on Christmas Eve

is a way for the living to celebrate this precious season

with their dear ones who have left this earth.

We went home and enjoyed our traditional cheese fondue

around the coffee table

with our precious loved ones who are still on this earth!

chillin' in the sun on boxing day

2011-12-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

There's nothing quite like sitting in the sun on a winter day.

Yesterday, at 12 degrees C on the back deck, was the

ultimate warm winter day.

I cleaned some windows and Howard and Beth

enjoyed just sitting and soaking up the warmth.

We did get a rather nasty taste of winter later on in the day

when the wind blew in a quite ferocious storm complete with rain

and snow.

My windows?

No comment.

The salmon that was put on the grill at the height of the blizzard?

Delicious!

christmas day

2011-12-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of international students at the college the girls attend

which makes our girls feel right at home!

We were blessed to be able to share our Christmas dinner with two of them.

They are two lovely young people.

Can you guess which Asian country they come from?

The "peace" sign always gives it away!

merry christmas from the kindly robin

2011-12-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

Another piece of Katy's artwork. Makes one smile.... :)

merry christmas from our home to yours

2011-12-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

good memories

2011-12-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

It's mostly at Christmas when we feel a bit nostalgic and our thoughts turn to Germany. We enjoyed 12 beautifully wonderful Advent and Christmas seasons there. What a blessing to have those memories. On our last Christmas we got a huge dump of snow right before Christmas. These pictures were taken on main street on December 21. The snow was all gone by Christmas Day so we never did have a white Christmas in Germany. But this particular night felt like Christmas Eve and magic was in the air. People were out walking in the snow enjoying this enchanted evening.

"Our" tree from our house was the Christmas tree of honour in the square that year so the town belonged to us that year! Here's the story of the tree we graciously donated: http://www.rubydueck.blogspot.com/2009/11/good-and-bad.html

christmas calamity

2011-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

‘Twas the night after decorating the Christmas tree so fair

Not a creature was stirring except for ladybugs here and there

New stockings were hung on the wardrobe with care

The old ones too small – it didn’t seem fair

The family upstairs getting ready for bed

Had visions of decorating still in their heads

The tree was so perfect – their ornaments so fine

They’d laughed and they’d chatted – they’d had a great time!

When suddenly downstairs there arose such a shatter

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter

Katy cried, “No – the tree!” I replied, “Can it be?”

And down the stairs we all dashed

Oh the tree – what was smashed?

Yes there on the floor in the living room door

Lay our beautiful tree – oh our joy was no more

With the stand still attached and the lights all intact

We were puzzled as to why

Our poor tree had been sacked!

So we picked up the tree – the stand came along

We cleaned up the water – no one had a song

And there on the floor we started to find

Small pieces of memories the tree left behind

A glass star and angel – a ceramic Christmas tree

But most of the damage did not affect me

Katy’s bird and an angel from places we’d been

Could there be more than that? We searched with chagrin.
Yes her favourite – most favourite small girl from Alsace

Had lost her poor head – oh what was the chance?

We looked and we hunted - we gathered the mess

But where was the head? – it was anyone’s guess

And suddenly Bethany cried with delight

“It’s here on the tree!” What a glorious sight.

It took quite awhile to anchor the tree

But why did it fall? What a mystery.

Howard got some good twine and secured it quite well

We were reminded of when our tree often fell

In Brazil it was tough to prop up a tree

It never seemed like the stand would agree

To hold up the tree for the whole Christmas season

But there it was obvious what was the reason

I thought and I thought when I went back to bed

I couldn’t quite get the idea from my head

That the tree is too heavy for our fine German stand

I think I’ll be filling some bags with some sand

Today we will pick up the fragments we know

And piece things together – to the store we will go

To buy some good glue to put them together

The snow will not stop us – whatever the weather

So this is the end of this story of woe

Although it be sad – with eyes still aglow

We think of how blessed we have been through the years

A few broken ornaments do not bring us tears

God’s walked in His kind gentle way all along

We have joy in our step – and yes – there’s a song.

nanaimo bars

2011-12-12T18:21:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas season I make at least two rounds of Nanaimo bars. The first usually leaves the house on a fancy plate but the second stays in the freezer for consuming at a slow pace - if at all possible...

I have perfected the Nanaimo Bar over the years and I have to say that mine are very, very good. I never put as many crumbs in the base as the recipe calls for otherwise the base is hard and crumbly. You know exactly what I mean. The base I make is soft and almost chewy.

The yellow creamy part has also been adjusted. I never make it as thick as suggested and I add about 2 tablespoons of vanilla pudding powder to the mixture. It gives it a special little kick that is just delicious.

The final layer has also been altered. I spread the chocolate as thinly as possible - like a wafer. There's no need for a 1/4" of chocolate on top. It makes the bar too hard to bite into thus squishing the yellow out the sides and making a potentially embarrassing mess.

Voila! Another perfect batch. This one provided Katy's final English class students with a real Canadian treat as well as delighting many at our church's Christmas banquet last night. There I was told that my Nanaimo bars looked like something from Costco, but sure didn't taste like it! I took that as a compliment!

the invasion continues

2011-12-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Every day we find at least 2 or 3 lady bugs in our house. The one pictured here is the second one I found yesterday. They seem to like hanging out in my pantry but we can't figure out where they're coming in or hiding out before they suddenly show up. Someone told us the other day that people actually "import" lady bugs into their homes for the winter to help control fruit flies. We don't seem to have a problem with fruit flies but I suppose if we did we'd certainly have enough lady bugs to keep them under control!

st. nicholas tag

2011-12-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

December 6 - St. Nicholas Day. It's a German tradition for children - no matter how old, I figure! This year I had the privilege of filling a "shoe" for the son of friends of ours. German goodies are very easy to find in this country so it was no problem being authentic in my choices. Of course there were a few extras included that one won't necessarily find in Deutschland.

At any rate the finished product was quite delightful and I hope the recipient of this package was just as thrilled as I was!

As for our household - one shoe of goodies was delivered last night and the other one waited outside a door until this morning. The days of wanting candy-filled shoes are gone so the treats have become more "mature". Works for me!

the snow family

2011-11-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

The neighbour girls and their friend were busy building snowmen on Saturday when the snow was new and the temperature was perfect for such a project. As usual when those three are together, there was much discussion about what they were doing and what the outcome was going to be. I offered them some carrots from my garden and they were quite pleased about that (even though they were quite shocked by the fact that I still had carrots in my garden!).

By Monday their snow family was reduced to this. How sad for them and for their family - their "snow family", this is!

advent begins

2011-11-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but the arrival of advent caught me more off guard this year than last. I was so frazzled last year at this time that I don't know how that could be possible, but it was only yesterday that I realized I needed to get my wreath ready for THIS Sunday. I was pleased, at least, that there was virtually no snow on the ground which meant that I wouldn't be plowing through it in my search for decorative items for my wreath.

Was I surprised when I woke up this morning and looked out the window. There was at least 2" of snow on the ground and more coming down. I was not daunted by this change of scenery. Not long after lunch Howard and I jumped in the van and off we drove.

I wish you could smell this lovely wreath. The aroma of spruce has filled our home and I am READY to get on with Christmas!

We found some great things along the roads and in the ditches and it didn't take long until the wreath was ready. The bonus: I even found candles I brought with me from Germany that will work just perfectly.

Now that my wreath is made, I can enter into the season of Advent - a time to expectantly wait and prepare for the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.

May your first Sunday of Advent be one of Hope.

asia bits part 1

2011-11-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

Howard was blessed to have our friend, Hans, travel with him on this Asia tour. Hans was actually born in Hong Kong but immigrated to Canada when he was 15. He still has family in HK so visits there often which makes him very familiar with the ropes in Asia!

Millions of scooters and mopeds like this fill the streets in China's cities. Somehow it came about that the guys were allowed to have a test drive on this little machine (the owner actually insisted) so off they went.

This store was at one of the universities they visited in China. For those of you who don't read German, the word "Krankenhaus" means "hospital". The guys agreed that you can either make use of a store like this - or just get a Mac!

home

2011-11-18T16:18:00.000-08:00

After 3 1/2 very long weeks, my husband is finally home. Fortunately, because of an amazing bit of technology called "skype", we were able to "see" each other several times while he was away.

The proverbial pile of post-travel laundry is not an unhappy sight for me. It means that the one I love has returned...

...and life will go on as if he was never away. And all is well.

the fest

2011-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

When you have a birthday party of course you need lots of treats. My sister baked all these little mini cupcakes and it was my job to decorate them. The first attempts looked rather weak but soon I got in the groove and away we went.

It's good to have imports into the family who like to bake! This is just one plate of the delicious goodies that my nephew's wife baked. She LOVES to bake and it's obvious in what she literally "brings to the table"!

Waiting for the festivities to begin...

Stephen Harper was invited to come to mom's birthday party, however, he just couldn't make it. Instead, he sent a lovely certificate which was the envy of all!

The siblings with my mom: me, Heather, David, & Jean.

With my nephew, Kenton and his wife, Jacalyn and my sister Jean's husband, Loren.

Going through the gifts and cards. There were about 50 people who came through the door to bring love and good wishes to mom. It was a lovely day and confirmed to us again that Peace River is still the best place for her. She is blessed - and so are we!

alberta bound

2011-11-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

Not sure what the fuss is about with regard to the polar bears. They seem to be almost everywhere - even in our town! Enjoy your long weekend! I'm off to Alberta. No polar bears there - I hope!

snow

2011-11-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

We made it past Halloween without snow. In fact, one little girl came to the door that evening wearing a costume with short sleeves. She was maybe a bit optimistic but it was a lovely evening. Anyway, last night the snow blew in - but I don't think it will stick around for long. The weather is still mild and by tomorrow I think the sun will have chased all the white stuff away. The snow here is a bit mundane. Katy said last night that she wished it would snow here like it did in Germany - massive, fluffy flakes that floated down ever so gently, creating a winter wonderland. Such good memories. Have a wonderful day!

acclimatization

2011-11-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Moving back to Canada meant putting screens on our windows. I think for me, this has been one of my hardest adjustments.

For 22 years we were blessed to have lived in rather "bugless" and temperate climates which meant no screens on the windows and having doors and windows wide open as soon as the weather allowed.

Yesterday I got busy and got all those screens off and cleaned a few months of grime off the windows.

The house seems somewhat brighter now, my spirit is lighter, and the whole neighbourhood looks cleaned up. Now I almost (almost!) feel ready for winter.

i can only imagine

2011-11-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have been subbing a lot the last few weeks and so I have been on the road many mornings lately. The sunrises have been spectacular and I have, sadly, been without my camera. Today the sky was clear and glorious yet again and today I had my camera. I was making good time so I stopped quickly to snap a few pictures. If the sky looks like this on an ordinary day, what will it look like, I wonder, when the Lord returns?

the rest of the story OR what i love about canada part 3

2011-11-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

I never did finish the story of the bbq cover that was rotted to bits by the sun and then torn to shreds by the wind. Anyway, I picked up what was left of that poor cover and stuffed it into a big plastic bag. I went to Canadian Tire, tossed the bag up on the counter and said to the lady there, "You're not going to believe this one." She looked in the bag, smiled, and said, "I refunded one just like this last week." Long story short, she refunded the full amount I had paid back in May, and I didn't even have my receipt. You've gotta love Canadian Tire - and Canada.

those niggling projects

2011-10-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

Monday was yet another beautiful fall day and I had a whole list of things I wanted to accomplish. About half way through the day I opened the door to the deck and suddenly realized that it would be the perfect day to finally get the inside door frames painted. That project had not been on my list - I had actually forgotten about it. It had been too hot during the summer to do that painting on the south side and the fly population earlier in the fall was at such an extreme high that there was no way I could paint with doors open. So on Monday the job was finally finished up - two door frames actually - and I could check that little project off my list...after I had added it first...

october sky

2011-10-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday evening we had a massive thunder and lightning storm. It was incredible. It didn't seem like the kind of storm we should be having at this time of the year so I suppose that's

what made it just a bit more impressive than usual.

The sky was gorgeous before the storm came in with force.
The lightning was pretty phenomenal too

but at that point I was happy to be indoors watching the show.

shoeboxes

2011-10-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much one can stuff into a shoebox.

But the best part is thinking about the child that will receive this shoebox

full of goodies

from a stranger across the world.

What a blessing to be able to touch a life in this small way.

my lovely young women

2011-10-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

A student at the college is putting together a

photography portfolio

and asked the girls to help him out.

I think he is an amazing photographer.

Of course the subject matter was a big help to him as well!

happy birthday to my mom

2011-10-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's 80th birthday.

She is remarkable.

She is still active in her church doing the weekly deposits, helping with Awana,

participating on the church council and hosting a bible study each week.

She mows her grass and plants her garden.

She visits her friends and they visit her.

She keeps track of her kids and grandkids and makes

sure birthday cards arrive on time.

She's too busy for her age but she's healthy and happy.

In November we four siblings will spend the weekend with her

and welcome the community to celebrate her milestone.

She's a wonderful mom and we are blessed.

I love you, Mom!

Have a wonderful day.

blissful bovine

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Howard and I went on a lovely drive last week.

The day was bright and the weather was perfect.

We came upon these cattle all lined up along the fence - watching the traffic.

Hmmm. What in the world?

It didn't take long for the farm girl in me to kick in and figure out that

they must be waiting for the farmer to bring lunch.

I was tipped off by the lip licking you can see in this photo!

They seemed to be a happy bunch as most beasts of this type are.

Of course they were enjoying the beautiful day just as much as we were.

And they were obviously not an unruly gathering either judging by the

"lock" on the gate.

the birds are on the fly - well, kind of...

2011-10-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Canada Geese are making their move. However, for some, they may not be moving fast enough. There are so many geese around these parts that the city of Winnipeg is starting to make plans to allow people to shoot geese outside of the city limits.

The biggest problem is that they have become very comfortable being in urban areas and they know that food will be readily available.

In the meantime they congregate and fly around and train and work on their maneuvers.

We still can't help being fascinated by them.

They can teach us a lot about leadership - knowing when to fall back and let others

take over the lead and still be a good follower.

And they all seem to get along pretty well too.

One of those "lessons from nature".

october 12

2011-10-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

The seeds I planted in May are still producing flowers.

The word from our weather forecasters is that we are in for the

coldest winter in 20 years.

Today, however, we don't think about that....

Enjoy the sun!

happy thanksgiving

2011-10-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that this is my field of pumpkins.

But I can't.

Maybe next year!

Hope you are having a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

reality check

2011-10-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Our golden days of October seem to be coming to an end.

Thanksgiving weekend will be chilly and wet

but we'll still have the memories of this amazing fall.

a little bit of italy

2011-10-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

The man who owns the small grocery store in town

has very big ideas.

Earlier in the year he started a condominium project

which is nearing completion.

And now he's opened a Gelato and Espresso bar

in his store.

Traffic has been brisk and Mark continues to make his "mark"

in St. Pierre.

And of course the weather couldn't have been more conducive

for the opening of an ice cream bar in

September!

This ice cream is really as good as it looks.

The presentation is beautiful and the taste

is out of this world - as good if not better than any Gelato
we've ever tasted!

To kick off his opening everyone in several towns

for miles around received, in their mailbox,

two coupons for free Gelato.

The coffee coupons soon followed.

If you come for a visit, we'll take you for a taste of Italy,

in our French town

with the German restaurant!

golden october

2011-10-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

We have been experiencing what the Germans call a

"Golden October".

Day after day it has felt more like summer than fall and

definitely not like October.

Today was no exception.

The wind blew hard and hot and

we even surpassed the predicated high.

What a blessing it has been to have had such

gloriously golden weather!

ladybugs

2011-10-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

We've been inundated with ladybugs.

It's the strangest thing.

Yesterday I was reading outside and swatting away -

ladybugs.

And what's really weird is that there's one type that actually

bites.

No mosquitoes this year but instead - ladybugs that

bite.

carey

2011-10-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

The elevators at Carey, Manitoba are straight west of us.

It's a lonely spot in the middle of the wide open prairie.

how the wind doth blow

2011-10-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

The cover we bought for our bbq in May

took a beating from the intense sun and heat this summer.

I came out this morning to find it like this

after the wind did its part!

Awhile later I looked out the pantry window and saw that one of the

velcro fasteners on the air conditioner cover had come loose.

I came out the back door and stopped dead in my tracks.

The wind had blown the bbq right off the deck and onto the lawn.

I feel a bit sick......

morning fog

2011-09-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

an artistic blessing

2011-09-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Katy painted this picture/card for her friend awhile back.

She is constantly using her gifts to bless her friends and family.

And we ARE blessed!

the view from here

2011-09-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

On our drive the other evening I caught the sun

shining through this greenhouse.

It was quite stunning.
PS
You will notice a rather radical format change.
I am deciding if I like it or not.
You yourself can actually pick the format
you prefer.
I will ponder this change a bit more before I make
a final decision.
Tell me what you think...
Click on the picture or the post title
to add your comment
or enlarge the picture.

the door

2011-09-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

A year ago our painter

skipped town
before he finished painting the front door -

with promises to return......

Reinforcements were brought in this week

(Howard's brother's sister-in-law)

and now the job is completed.

It's lovely and in the end

it was worth the wait.

It often is - isn't it?

at the golf course

2011-09-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous September day.

Frost overnight and then clear, sunny and calm

all day.

Perfect weather.

I will post more of what we saw on our drive tonight

another day -

or days.

mike's general store

2011-09-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Our internet has been down for several days

which has felt both inconvenient and

good!

We took advantage of some

extra time

and went into Winnipeg on the weekend

to do some shopping and

looking around.

This is one place we've been wanting to visit

for a long time.

This little store is FULL to the rafters

with great old stuff.

Maybe next time I'll be brave enough to snap some pics

inside.

a perfectly blustery day

2011-09-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon the wind shifted and it was obvious

that there was a change in the air.

This morning it was windy, cloudy and cool -

quite a change from the weather we've had

for weeks on end.

And it was the perfect kind of day to

bake

and clean.

Which is what I did -

all day.

Now I am weary but happy.

The rain, which was in the forecast but did not arrive,

would have made it an even more perfect day -

if that was possible!

ballet in the park

2011-09-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago we spent the evening at the

Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet was presenting an evening of

"Ballet in the Park"

and it was FREE!

What a great date.

Before the show

we wandered through the

Leo Mol sculpture garden.

It was lovely and serene.

On to the main event!

It was a full house.

The warm ups were interesting

and part of the program was actually a demonstration

of how a class is conducted.

It was extremely enlightening.

Then the "beautiful" dancers graced the stage.

It was a wonderful evening.

A touch of Europe in the park.

A pose with Ellie.

She was on our date with us!

summing up

2011-09-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Isn't she a sweetie?

She belongs to Byron and Kim who met at BFA a few years ago.
They now live near Calgary and do youth work in a church there.
It was great to see them again.

Rachel is another BFA friend.

We squeezed in a meal and a great visit with her

on our way to see...

...my dear university friend, Linda.

We've managed to keep in touch all these years.

It was so neat to see her again.

Our anniversary evening found us in Edmonton.

We enjoyed this view and many others as the restaurant

gently turned while we ate.

The bouquet of flowers were a special and beautiful touch.

We had many great visits in Alberta
including in my home town of Peace River.

The river valley was in fine form this summer
due to all the rain.
There's something about a river valley
that still runs deep within me.

My mom had been out visiting my sister, Heather, in BC and
we were all very surprised to see her with my mom
when we went to pick her up at the airport!
No one was more surprised than my sister, Jean, who walked right past Heather
when she went to say hello to my mom!
It made for some good laughs.

This little sweetheart is our great-niece.
She really is!
She belongs to Howard's nephew and his wife.

She flew with us
(and her mom and grandma and grandpa)
over the mountains
to the Okanagan...

...where we enjoyed the most relaxing weekend
we'd had in months.

The temps, in the low 30s, were perfect.

Our brother-in-law's garden and orchard were stunning.

As were the views.

Our brother-in-law took us out on the lake for an afternoon cruise.

His maneuvers to get me wet didn't really go
according to plan!

Of course the lake was gorgeous.

A bit of a reminder of Germany completed
an all-round perfect weekend.
Time to head for home.

catching up

2011-09-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

We're back home after a full but very good trip to Alberta.

We saw many interesting things in our travels including these lovely little

yellow flowers

which lined the highways in Saskatchewan and Alberta

for what seemed like hundreds of miles.

Our first stop in Alberta was for gas and we certainly didn't think

we would meet up with a biker from

Bern, Switzerland!

He said he had come to that particular town in Alberta
to help with the harvest for 10 consecutive years.

Pretty cool, we thought.
This year was just for biking, though.

He had started his journey in Texas and was going up to

Whitehorse.

He wasn't sure yet if he would be taking his bike back to
Switzerland - or not.

It was obviously going to be a very tough decision.

We had a lovely chat and enjoyed his lilting

English as it sounded very much like Swiss German -

in English.

It made us smile.

on the road

2011-08-21T22:14:00.000-07:00

We've been on the road now for

one week.

We've enjoyed the road trip and have covered

a few thousand kilometers.

We came through a severe storm

in Saskatchewan

but the skies it left behind

were amazing.

happy birthday to the man i love

2011-08-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Howard's 51st birthday.

On this day 26 years ago he graciously shared his birthday with me on our wedding day!

That's just the kind of guy he is!

He's been a gift to me all these years and I am so blessed that he chose

to spend his life with me.

Today will be a day to ourselves after spending the last few with many people.

We are in Alberta visiting supporters and friends but today is Howard's day

and our day and I am excited about it!

It was in Alberta at a camp not far from where I'm sitting right now that I all began -

27 years ago.

Those were electrically charged days and it was hard to hide what we were feeling! Unfortunately the campers were well aware of what was going on.

It was quite the moment!

So happy birthday and happy anniversary

my dear husband.

May God bless you on this special day

and may you allow His light and love to continue to shine

through your life and spread to

everyone around you!

I LOVE you!!

within the house

2011-08-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last year

on my 49th birthday

we were introduced to our new home.

We couldn't reach it from the front right away because of

street construction.

But after waiting (im)patiently

we were finally able to drive around

to the front of the house and get our first impresssion.

We were shocked, thrilled and excited.

Our home.

A year later this is what it looks like from the back.

A lot of progress has been made...

...the garden has been sown and is producing at its own rate.

Much discussion has gone into this garden and its apparent lack

of energy - soil energy, that is!

We will deal with that in the fall!

In the meantime, we check its progress daily...

...and continue to enjoy the randomly wild flower garden which is now attracting

humming birds

and other brightly coloured winged creatures.

The house has stood now for over a year

and how blessed we are.

This house would not be a home

without the dear ones who make it that for me.

What an amazing year it has been of growing, adjusting and

"transitioning" together;

enjoying our new home and our new life in Canada.

On this my 50th birthday I can't help but marvel

at the gift of these precious lives

that have been given to me to

cherish, serve and love.

I am blessed.

looking back

2011-08-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

A year ago today we were in Iceland on our way

back to Canada.

It was a quick chance to take a breath after leaving our home

in Germany

behind.

Great memories.

shoes for the d r

2011-08-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

Several years ago our brother-in-law started a massive project to build a

village in the Dominican Republic.
He has taken and sent many teams down over the years
to get the job completed.

In October our nephew is going down with a large group

to finish work on the village.

The final home (#200) will be completed as well as all the

landscaping and sidewalks for the other homes.

He is on a "shoe drive" now to take at least

400 pairs of shoes

with him when he goes in October.

That was my signal to visit the local thrift stores and see what little

goodies I could find.

I spent $22 and bought all but 3 pairs of these shoes (thank you, Terry!).

Crazy fun!

the deck

2011-08-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

So far so good.

I have to say that we are rather pleased with what

we've accomplished thus far.

It's a cooler and very smokey day today.

We think the smoke is blowing in from the fires in

northwestern Ontario

moody manitoba morning

2011-08-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

After weeks of hot and dry weather

the skies finally opened up this morning and made

a serious impact.

It certainly felt like a real "Moody Manitoba Morning"

and we all liked it that way!

before and after

2011-08-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled when Bethany arrived home from the

greenhouse with a trunk full of

bedding plants.

This is what it looks like a month later.

It's wild and the flower bed still needs work as we continue

to make decisions about our yard,

but I love the explosion of colour and the

general chaotic look of it all!

back at the village

2011-07-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

A few more pictures from our Sunday afternoon at the

Mennonite Heritage Museum.

These young men, Brendan, Stephen and Joel are all our nephews.
Brendan is holding our first great-niece, Dahlia.

She's a sweetie!
(The boys are pretty sweet too!)

This General store was the store where Howard's mom

regularly shopped when Howard was a boy.

special friends

2011-07-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

We've had a great week of visits from old friends.

Wayne and Bonnie stopped in for breakfast on

Wednesday morning.

We spent a few years with them in Brazil when their and our

kids were little.

Their daughter was "big Bethany" and ours was

"little Bethany".

Years later the two Bethanys met up at Providence College

and this week we finally met up again with Wayne and Bonnie.

They are on their way back to Malaysia next week

where they work in an International school.

Last night the Porter family stopped in on their way

back to Alberta from a trip out east.

We took them out for hotdogs at at local gas station

and then back here for a wonderful visit.

This morning we sent them off after Les had once again

carefully and skillfully packed up the car.

They will be off to Germany in a few weeks but will

leave their son behind in Canada.

Katy and Brandon graduated together from BFA

last year.

the end of an era

2011-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

The final load of laundry with my German laundry soap is in the washer.

It's a bit of a sad moment...

well, not really.

But I am wondering if I will find a good substitute.

I'm not being snobbish, I hope, but German soap works really well

and this brand has such a lovely fragrance.

We shall see...

west winds

2011-07-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Later this afternoon, after yet another beastly hot and humid day,

the wind started to blow.

It was a wind reminiscent of what blew the snow into drifts

during the winter.

Today we welcomed it.

And tonight everything looks relieved that at least

for now

the intense heat has abated.

The AC has been turned off and the windows are once again

open wide to let the cool breeze in.

Tonight we will sleep well.

at the village

2011-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Some of Howard's "Alberta family" members were out this weekend.

On Sunday we went to

Katy's restaurant at the museum for lunch.

Then we wandered the village and enjoyed the flowers and

the history.

The heat was intense but the shade helped.

A good time was had by all.

a work in progress

2011-07-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our progress on the deck has been slow but definitely steady.

Today it was really too hot to be working in the sun -

+37 C

with the humidity factored in.

We got the posts all in and then called it a day by 2:00.

The neighbours invited us over to enjoy their new tent

but we really needed to get out of the heat altogether.

So the deck will have to wait for yet another day.

the duster

2011-07-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Progress was a bit slow on the deck tonight.

But a crop duster was showing his stuff over the field beside us

and I appreciated the distraction!

I love the sound of a crop duster.

Our neighbour called out to me as I was taking pictures -

"I guess you haven't seen that for awhile, hey?"

I called back -

"It rates right up there with the Canada geese!"

He laughed.

the whiteshell

2011-07-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Remember my post about Katy's slow start at her job?

Well, just over 2 weeks ago she was told that she would be working 14 days straight

and then have 3 days off.

She really wanted to do something as a family during those days so

I got busy and found a cabin to rent in Manitoba's beautiful Whiteshell.

On Monday afternoon we loaded up the van, stopped in Steinbach to pick up Katy

and off we went.

In less than 2 hours we had reached our destination.
It was hard to believe we were in the same province and only a few hours

from home.

I think we all miss trees!

Of course mini golfing had to be on the agenda.

When Howard and I were first married we played a round on this course.

It was then that I realized that I had, years earlier, actually camped with my family

at this park!

We were on our way back to Alberta from PEI and had just crossed into Manitoba.

After a long day on the road and the trailer finally set up, my brother and sister and I had happened upon the golf course while chasing a skunk.

Fortunately the skunk evaded us but I remember standing at the

chain link fence, gazing longingly at the magic of it all.

The lights were on and the people playing looked like they were on a stage.

Even as I write this today that memory is still so vivid.

There was no time to golf the next day as the horse was definitely pointed toward home!

But who would have thought that one day - 39 years later - I would be golfing at that

magical course with my own family.

Of course the game had its challenging moments!

The weather was amazing and no mosquitoes were to be found -

just lots of pesky little biting black flies.

It almost felt like we were back in Europe - almost.

We just had to stop and pick some daisies.

Their happy little faces were everywhere.

We had to try our hand at lawn bowling as well.

And take a "chip break" halfway through the game.

We were good citizens and collected our own firewood.

Of course that meant we didn't have to pay for it!

And what's a campfire without a s'more?

We had such a wonderful time together.

a canada day project

2011-07-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

Every Canadian in Canada

knew that Canada Day this year would be an extra special one.

William and Kate

arrived on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

on Friday morning - Canada Day - to help

Canadians celebrate their national birthday.

144 years.

They looked great.

After a few hours of watching
Will and Kate

it was time to get serious about tackling the

deck project.

It was a long, long day of hard work in the rather

warm/hot sun.

Fortunately it wasn't nearly as hot as the day before when it was

+33 with almost 80% humidity.

That was warm.

This is what it looked like the next morning - Saturday.

Of course it looked like this the night before as well

but it was too dark to take pictures when we finally called it a day.

Fortunately we live in Canada so we didn't feel too badly about banging in nails

at 10:00 at night!
Of course it was Canada Day so I doubt that anyone could hear our hammering
above the sound of the firecrackers and other
noise makers.

Howard got me going on screwing down the floor.
It was another warm day.

After countless breaks for something to drink, a bit of food

and still more to drink...

Bethany helped me finish up the job.

By about 3:00 it looked like this.

We were bushed.

This morning I was stiff and sore

but the deck looks so nice.

I am so proud of my husband who is forging ahead

with this project.

It has been many years since he's done anything in the

construction line and his brothers have been

very gracious (even patient!) with him.

Thanks guys but we're not quite finished yet!

let the games begin

2011-06-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

The materials for our deck just arrived.

It appears that the joist plan was omitted from the order.

Gulp.

christie graduates

2011-06-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our niece, Christie, graduated from high school.

It was neat to be able to be at her grad.

Her brother, Jori, graduated from BFA so we were at his grad,

and her sister, Allison, graduated when we were back in

Canada for furlough 2 years ago.
So yesterday we rounded it out quite nicely!

A few of the Dueck "frousins" - friends/cousins.

Howard's brother, Steve, and his family.

They were with us in Germany for 3 years.

mr. mcgregor's garden

2011-06-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

The only thing that my garden has in common with the famous garden of

Mr. McGregor

is that it has a fence - and a rabbit - or two.

Several weeks ago after the garden had been planted and the lettuce

was beginning to burst forth

we were very unimpressed to see a rabbit couple hopping

merrily along behind our house.

"We need a fence" I said to Howard and he agreed.

So off we went to Canadian Tire and found what we needed.

I also bought marigolds and planted them in strategic

spots around the yard -
beside the recently planted evergreens in particular.

Since the raising of the fence and the planting of the marigolds

the rabbits have not been hopping quite so frequently

down the bunny trail.

My garden is growing but rather pathetically.
(Please note that this picture is several weeks old. If it looked like this
today I think I would plow it under!)

Mr. McGregor would not be impressed that I have "compared"

my garden to his in any way, shape or form.

And after yet another deluge of rain today which included a

"rain watch"

due to its intensity and length, I am beginning to lose

hope that we are going to reap any kind of a harvest

from our small garden patch -
rabbits or not.

they may be coming your way!

2011-06-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

If you recognize any of these young men in this picture

and you live between our house and

Alaska,

you may be receiving a visit from them!

They arrived at our house this morning at 6:50.

Fortunately we knew they were coming and breakfast

preparations were well underway.

They had left the Chicago area yesterday morning and after a long, long day
of driving and

being "detained" at the border for a rather

significant amount of time...

they managed to arrive in St. Pierre in time for

breakfast.

Three of these guys graduated with Katy

last year.

The one to the left of Katy was in
Bethany's class from the time that

she joined his class in grade 3

until they graduated together 3 years ago.

It was so great to see them again. They all seem to be doing well

and were in pretty good spirits

especially considering they had been driving all night.

I was called out to sub this morning and Katy was also

off to work so we left them alone to veg out a bit and

sleep some before they got back in the car.

I came home to an empty house and it seemed

like they had not even been here.

Fortunately, though, I had the picture!

plethora of plants

2011-06-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Bethany came home last weekend with hundreds of dollars worth

of bedding plants that were destined for the

compost bin at the greenhouse she's working at.

I was overwhelmed but also very excited!

This lovely lily was not one of the freebees. It was one that Bethany had picked

for me and we were both so thrilled that it bloomed

already on Sunday morning. It is so gorgeous!

My front flower bed.

A few of the many pots that were used to try to make use of all the plants.

The back flower bed. Once we get the stairs finished and all the

flowers are in bloom this will be a lovely spot!

I also lined the front edge of the garden with flowers and I still have

a few more begonias that are needing homes.

I never imagined I would have so many flowers

our first summer in our house.

THANK YOU Bethany for your rescue mission!

bfa in manitoba

2011-06-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a week for BFA reunions in Manitoba.

On Wednesday night my friend Gail, who I worked with in the library at BFA for 4 years and who is on furlough this year, was out from Alberta for a visit.

She came over with Grace, a former BFA staff member living back in Canada, who is now Howard's assistant.

Then last night Albert and Edna hosted a gathering for Mari Ellen who is on furlough
in the US from BFA this year.

She made the trek across the border to come

and see a bunch of us up in this part of the world.

Albert and Edna were in fine form and we had a great time with them and everyone else who came out. It was so neat to see so many former BFA staff

friends again and meet and make new ones.

Of course Albert had the best time of all as he kept the kids entertained with his "fine form".

getting it done

2011-06-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

So the shutters are on now, the grass is starting to turn green

(long story there)

and bit by bit we are getting some details finished up.

It feels good.

Today was a warmish and dry day so things are

starting to dry out a bit too.

Howard was actually able to mow the grass today for the first time this year

(back to the long story)

and it feels so good to be working on our own yard.

I like that - a lot.

life after drowning

2011-06-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Man has it been wet! It has been so wet that I was sure the seeds in my garden had all rotted in the soil. But after several days of urging life out of them, up they came. I know that some have been lost due to the extreme moisture (and cool days) but I am thankful for what has suddenly appeared. Now we need to get serious about fencing this little plot before the rabbits, which have suddenly appeared out of the blue, begin their feast!

the prairie

2011-06-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

The clouds on Saturday were beautiful. There's nothing quite like the wide open prairie with a sky like this. However, by the end of the day this sky had turned nasty and we even had a tornado touch down near a small town about 30 km from us.

the finished product

2011-05-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

I suddenly remembered that I had not posted the pictures of the completed baby quilt that I was working on back in April. I made it into a blanket instead of a quilt because I remember having a blanket like this that someone had made for Bethany when she was a baby. It was so practical and easy to take along. Anyway, this little blanket went to a precious little baby named Eileen. She wasn't named after me but rather after her paternal great grandmother, but I like to pretend that she's my namesake too. :)

the loot

2011-05-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Howard returned from Germany exactly 2 weeks ago with his rather smallish suitcase over half full of items from my "shopping list". Fortunately my dear friend, Erna, had done the bulk of the shopping by the time Howard got there so he got off pretty easy! (Thank you, Cathy, for the delicious chocolate bar - one of my favs!)

at the village

2011-05-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

I took a few pictures at the museum after we had lunch there with Katy last Saturday.

This is where Alfred sat...
Of course there's a quilt made by many skilled hands that is being raffled off at the museum.

the little mennonite

2011-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here is Katy at work, dressed in her "uniform". She wears a black skirt and an apron every day when she is serving in the restaurant at the Steinbach Heritage Museum. She is enjoying her job but would like to work more. It's a bit slow at the museum at this time of the year but things will definitely pick up as the weather gets warmer. So, bring on the heat!

how precious

2011-05-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

I found this at the thrift store today - you can still see the price on it if you look carefully. It caught my eye as I was leaving the store and I was instantly transported back to my childhood. It looks like something my grandma would have made which makes it absolutely perfect for me and for our house. It's old and that makes it perfect. Couldn't be better!

what i don't like about canada - part 1

2011-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Time for a reality check. There are actually things in Canada that I don't like. Sorry to say, it's true. Now that the weather is finally starting to shape up the grass is growing and of course needs mowing. Today was the first big mowing day in our neighbourhood and it just happened to be a Sunday. After living for 12 years in a country where grass cutting on Sunday is VERBOTEN! this lack of respect for the quiet and respite of a Sunday afternoon seems almost tragic to me. So there we sat in the warmth of the sun with the whirring of lawnmowers buzzing in our heads, trying not to moan but missing a quiet Sunday afternoon in our little town in Germany.

a good deal

2011-05-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Bethany had a bit of a fender bender way back in March which caused enough damage to have her car written off. She was given a very generous payout and the car shopping began in earnest. She said from the beginning that she wanted a Toyota Corolla but it seemed like a bit of a lofty notion. However, she kept at her search until she found the car that she wanted. And the price was exactly right.

happy mother's day

2011-05-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is what I found on the table in the kitchen when I came down this morning. Katy had orchestrated the whole event and I was completely surprised! Howard left me the Azalea

before he left for Germany so he gets a bit of credit too. :) Katy also took me out to a movie last night and that was a secret until the movie started! She is an amazing young woman! Beth is 4 hours away working in a greenhouse for the summer. She so wanted to send me something right from her work but couldn't. It pained her to see all the Mother's Day stuff crossing her counter and not being able to do anything about it. She's such a dear girl. I feel loved and blessed. And Happy Mother's Day to my own wonderful mom who has always loved and encouraged me in everything I've done. You are a blessing to me!

dealing with change

2011-05-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday I got my little pots planted.

By Monday they already looked like this.
And this morning like this. I am starting to panic! They are ready to go into the ground but it's still too cold out there - I think. Yikes!

what a difference a day makes

2011-05-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning.
Monday afternoon.

the great hallelujah!

2011-05-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was the big concert that we've been looking forward to for months. It was fantastic! The concert started at 7:30 but by 7:00 the church was already packed to the rafters. The atmosphere was electric! http://www.steinbachonline.com/local_news/great_hallelujah_packs_church/itemid_232

Danny's band came from Germany and they were amazing as always.
An old picture of Danny and his sister, Pauline. They sang together a lot as young people...
...and they did again last night, singing a beautiful song that Danny wrote when he was fifteen.
There were over 250 people in the choir!
Danny gave a tribute to his mom which was lovely and moving.
A lovely presentation and thank-you was given to Danny and Sherri at the end of the concert. And then afterwards we met up with lots of former BFA people that we haven't seen for ages! It was such a great evening and I know that everyone in the audience (and choir!) was blessed to bits!

it's time

2011-04-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

I took this picture a few weeks ago and now it's time to post it. Our great friend, Danny, has pulled out all the stops and this huge celebration is about to take place. His band has arrived from Germany and things seem to be humming along. We're all pretty excited!