I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead. - Mark Twain
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Wow it has been a busy couple of weeks here. We just get back from camping, which means several days of airing out and laundry for me, and DS starts his first job. Yes, DS1 is working at a fast food/greasy spoon as a cook on the dinner and cleanup shift. He was so tired starting his Bronze Medallion swim lessons in the morning and then working until late. DS1 received his Bronze Medallion yesterday and now wants to go for the Bronze Cross this fall. I guess with Standard First Aid it would help him become a lifeguard. He has been busy working, swimming and starting to pack for camp so these last to weeks have just flown by.
DS2 went on a 4H tour of the Winnipeg Mint and had a great time. It was a long day for him. We met Grandmom W in Winnipeg so DS2 could go to the grandparents for the long weekend. DS1 took the bus last month and had a good time and now DS2 wants to go. I think it is more for the Icelandic Festival but he always has a great time at the grandparents. He loves golfing with Grandpa and checking out garage sales with Grandmom not the mention all the pancake breakfasts and being spoiled. They were coming into town to visit GreatGrandmother W and Great Aunts Kay and Sue so they dropped off DS2. It was nice to see them and have a quick visit.
DS2 celebrated his 12th birthday with a hotdog roast and his favourite DQ cake. There was no breakfast in bed but he didn’t really seem to want it. I did make my version of Eggs Benedict for breakfast which he liked. He loved all his gifts and was surprised with the generosity of the Grandparents. The best was going to the bank and depositing all his birthday money all by himself. The teller thought he was so grown up and the other just thought he was cute. I just sat and watched. He was so proud to do it himself. I’m not sure what he is saving for.
We picked up last minute items getting ready for Camp Stephens next week. DS1 will be on the Advanced Canoe this year. He will be bussed into the bush and then spend the next 10 days canoeing back to camp. DS2 is so excited to be going for 2 weeks and can’t wait to kayak, canoe, and camp overnight. Between his birthday and getting ready for camp he has been on cloud 9 all week. It’s wonderful to see them so happy and excited. Take Care.
August 1, 2007
The summer is just zipping by so fast! Everyone is doing great and enjoying the hot summer and wonderful sunshine. DH is busy watering the gardens and we’ve picked the beans at least once. So what has happened to July? Well…let’s see. On the way to taking DS2 to swimming lessons the boys and I rescued a young pelican. It was on the bridge over the diversion and scared, tired and kept sticking its head between the railings. DS1 tried shooing and walking it towards the end of the bridge. That worked until the almost the end when it turned around and waddled to the midway point. I got behind the bird, once its head was struck between the rails and hugged it while holding its beak. DS1 held the other wing and we walked to the end and released the pelican. It snapped at us several times before waddling towards the drop off and gliding away. A very tired young pelican soon joined the others in the water. What the boys remember most is the fish in its bill. They could see the tail and where it would go down the throat. I remember smelling like fish/stale water/pelican.
The next day a migraine began for me and DH took the boys to town after supper when it began to hail!! Yes, I’m dark room, the guys have just left and a freight train roars through the bedroom. The guys had moved the vehicle to a sheltered area because of the golf ball sized hail. Our veggie garden and plants were damaged but they will recover. The trees lost leaves and a few branches. No major damage, except to my headache.
DS1 travelled to the grandparents alone on the bus for a weekend stay. He was happy and confident while I worried. DH would not let me call him until the arrival time at the grandparents. He was fine.
This year we camped at Steep Rock. After several hour of driving we arrived Friday afternoon. It has a good beach, rocky and sandy with clear water. We explored the limestone cliffs near the town. It was a cool, overcast day with a hint of breeze that was perfect for exploring the shoreline. We spent most of the morning just climbing and exploring the rock outcroppings. DH was taking pictures all the time and the boys were busy exploring and having so much fun. The boys were upset and I was glad, they did not bring their swim trunks. The next day we returned so they could swim. The only problem was an idiot powerboat driver. He decided to come close to were the boys were swimming. After dropping off a kid at the boat launch he proceeded to leave. I was wrong he roared out, did a couple of doughnuts and roaring towards the boys before racing into the launch area. Several children were playing at the end of the dock. Our boys were far away, near a rocky outcropping that protected him from this idiot. I can’t believe stupid, careless, idiot people are allowed to drive! I was so angry but the guys convinced me not to go over and yell at him. The boys stayed in the water for awhile longer. DH was busy snapping pictures. When we were getting ready to leave DS1 said he had a funny story to tell us. He thought he felt a fish and kicked at it. Actually he kicked off his swimming trunks. Yes, he lost his bathing suit! It is so hard to type while laughing. We threw him a towel and he came out of the water. We did look for the trucks but figure a fish is wearing them. A two headed fish, one for each leg hole. We never did find them. It was, and still is, hard not to laugh. It was a great camping trip and a great way to end the month. Take Care.
July 14, 2007
It has been awhile since I last blogged. Both boys graduated into their next grade and are enjoying summer. DS1 is trying to get a job but has been unsuccessful so far. He will be working one evening a week at the local library starting in September. DS2 finished his two week swimming lessons on Friday and will be starting day camp for a week. DS1 starts his swim lessons on Monday. I’ve not been working as much and chauffeuring the kids too much. DS1 has been riding into or from town lately and seems to enjoy the freedom. The weather has been really hot or cold and drizzly, sometimes in the same day. The hail we experienced two weeks ago damaged the garden and left ice everywhere.
June 2, 2007
Everyone knows school is wrapping up for the year because of all the field trips. DS1 went to the Imax and Manitoba Museum. He seemed to have a good time and seemed to enjoy himself. DS2 went to a Goldeye baseball game and had a great time. Of course he brought home the usual souvenirs including the big blue #1 foam finger. Happy tired child. DS2 is gearing up for the Scout Weekend at Island Park. The Troop was going to go to Jambouree in Quebec but the Leader was unable to go. Every four years Scouts from all over Canada get together in a difference province. Many troops got together for the weekend at Island Park instead. An exhausted DS2 smelled like wood smoke but was so happy.
Looking back on the last few weeks I remember rain and a bit of sunshine. DH received 3 plum trees for Father’s Day and we planted them in the front. Unfortunately the pincherry trees did not recover from the flood and saturated soil. I trimmed them last year and now I have had to remove them. I left a couple of thick stumps that Doug removed. The boys are finishing up school and as I blog DS1 is exempt and DS2 would be if he wasn’t in grade 6. Spring is wrapping up and summer will soon be here – if it stops raining. Equinox is in a few days and then summer officially starts.
Sunday May 27, 2007
It is so good to be able to sit down and relax. It has been so long since I have blogged or been on the computer for pleasure. I finished my job as Assistant Returning Officer for Elections Manitoba on Friday. Of course I was there Saturday to finish payroll and make sure my files were in order to be shipped to Winnipeg. It is still hard to believe I am done and tomorrow I start work for Statistics Canada. The last couple of months have whizzed by in a blur. I remember the hailstorm on Wednesday only because it happened after DS2’s music lesson. I remember the rain, a lot of rain this past while and I received my first paycheque from Elections Manitoba. We are buying a John Deer riding lawn mower for our lawn that is now tall grass prairie. I am waiting for the buffalo to wander by, no luck just wild turkeys. DS1 still has not returned the lawnmower he took to 4H Small Engine classes. I am hoping it will be fixed, cleaned and as good as or better than when we bought it. If the mower is not returned soon I am buying a rotary push mower for DS1. He’s beginning to get nervous. Anyway school is wrapping up and of course DS1 is exempt from finals again. DS2 does not have finals at his grade level but will probably be on the Honour Roll as well. DH is working hard at work and getting ready for summer. That’s it for now. Take Care.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
This one is going to be a long one because I can’t remember the last time I blogged. These past three or four weeks are hard for me to remember. It is not because of a “brain glitch” or a “senior’s moment” but the days are all blended together. The Manitoba Election was called Friday April 22nd at 6:30pm. Since that moment life became a blur. I am the Assistant Returning Officer for the Portage la Prairie Electoral District. Yes, it’s another job. Yes, it’s a huge job. Yes, I must be crazy to do this. No, I did not think it would be 14 hour days, only 12 hour days. No, I did not think it would be three weeks straight without a break. Would do this again? As crazy as it seems, I probably would.
Other stuff I remember from the past few weeks are Mother’s Day, Amber’s 16th birthday and Richard’s death. He is my estranged biological father. He eventually married the woman he was running around with behind my mom’s back. The last time I saw him was at JoAnn’s funeral many years ago. After a month or so in hospital he died with Michael, my brother, at his side. Everything fell apart due to the paranoia and greediness of his wife. I did not attend the funeral. The family, my mom and brothers, are planning a memorial service for him on his birthday so anyone who wants to attend is welcome. The best memories are from Mother’s Day. The boys made me breakfast. DS2 made an omelette and DS1 made tea and toast. I was so stuffed from all that food I did not have lunch. Unfortunately I had to work that day as it was the first day of Advance Voting in the Election. Supper was unbelievable. DH picked up dinner for 6 from a Chinese restaurant. There was so much food! There was deluxe wonton soup, shrimp and veggies, egg rolls, and so much more. It was great sitting around the table munching on wonderful food eating and enjoying each other’s company. Green tea, bowls and chopsticks helped set the mood. Nice day out, sun shinning, relaxing at home with my favourite food and family, is anything better? Amber turned 16 on Sunday. What a milestone. She is a great kid, actually young woman. Of course her card and gift will arrive late. I would help if I mailed them off before rather than on her birthday. Oh well, why break tradition?
April 7, 2007
Happy Easter everyone! Yes it is Easter and winter. The past week has been sunny but that windchill was, and still is, wicked! The temperature has been -20C or lower. Not much snow and it looks so nice from inside but once you step outside you are blasted by the wind. Anyway, it is cold.
Everyone is getting better. DH and DS2 are both the healthiest. DS1 still has a bit of stuffed nose. My lungs still hurt but the amoxicillin is helping. I have been taking it really easy and not doing as much as I should. Everyone is looking forward to warmer weather and being healthy. Until next time, Take Care.
March 24, 2007
The driveway is so wet, rutted and gross! The only good is the snow is melting. The snow is melting and the sun is shinning.
I’m so happy it is finally spring, at least it feels like spring. The first day of spring was rather cold and it snowed, ok so it was only a short lived storm. Nonetheless it snowed the first day of spring. Since then it has been cold in the morning and usually by late afternoon it is above zero. Enough about weather and onto bigger and better things like the family. The guys all started holidays Friday, not me. I still have work to do. DH has taken the week off. It was use up the time or lose it. He decided to use it. We are glad he did. Anyway the boys are off school next week for Spring Break. Now if only I can get them to “spring clean” their rooms. I have started putting away the heavy winter stuff, not all of it but most. You never know when it will be needed. DS1 wants a larger garden this year. He enjoys gardening, not weeding, and did a great job last year.
I received a wonderful surprise this week. I picked up a rather large flat package and a shoebox size parcel this week. Mary mailed my birthday gift. Ok so the smaller one was for DS1. Opening it I found a large, wonderful silver moon mirror, a garden stake “It was prettier in the catalogue” and “Mothers of Invention” book. Everyone laughed at the garden stake. She finds the most interesting and unique gifts. DS1 was happy about the solar motor and wondered why he got shower gel.
DS2 has been trying to ride his bike to limited success. He is attempting to get ready to ride all the way into town. That’s about 11km or more depending on the route. Soaked in muddy water up to his thighs and covered in mud splats he triumphantly arrived home. The second attempt was not as successful. Soaked, muddied and walking his bike he was still smiling. He walked the bike through the snow “to clean the mud off the wheels”. It is hard to ride in mud but he tries.
It is spring, the sun is shinning and the snow is melting. Everyone is happy and mostly healthy so life is good. Take Care.
March 10, 2007
Today is actually the 11t h of March and I have been catching up on my blogging. I haven’t written any entries since January. Work has continued to be busy with the Household Spending wrapping up at the end of the month. We are using a computer this year and it is taking longer than when we did booklets. The computers have been temperamental at times and the battery power is poor. I want to use other words here but I am trying to be diplomatic. For part time work it has been full time, or more, since January.
I love my laptop. I’m sitting at the kitchen table, DS2 is practicing piano, DS1 is supposed to be cleaning his room and DH is cooking supper. The past few days have been warmer and it’s melting outside. The sun is shinning, the birds are singing, the snow is melting, it is not -40, it is +6 outside and the cats want table scraps. Life is great.
We celebrated Grandmom W’s birthday yesterday, March 10th. DH baked a vanilla and chocolate cake, roasted veggies, cooked brown and white rice and made ribs in sauce. It was a fabulous meal followed by a fantastic cake. DS2 took pictures with his phone and DH used his camera. It was a “finger licking” meal. Ok, bad joke but we all were licking sauce off our fingers. Misty, the dog, was so hoping for someone to drop something. No luck. The candles spelled out “Happy Birthday” and they were rather melted by the time Grandmom blew them out. It was another great visit with good food and company. We haven’t seen them in several weeks as the roads last week were treacherous! The TransCanada Hwy was closed several times last week. I had a follow up appointment, the boys had the day off and DH took a day off so we all spent Friday March 2nd, in Winnipeg. In the morning the highway was closed from Saskatchewan border to Portage and in the afternoon they closed the road from Portage to Winnipeg. There were many vehicles in the ditch but the most surprising were the number of semi-trailers. On the way to Winnipeg there must have been 6 to 8 in the ditch but on the way home it seemed like over a dozen were in the ditch. At one point we passed a semi that has just slid into the ditch. The driver was fine but the semi had jack knifed on the way into the ditch. Good thing DH drove slow and on the gravel shoulder or I’m not sure we would have made it home. I’ve talked about skating rink roads before but they have never been this bad this often and for this long. It was so bad we cancelled our planned trip to the Grandparents the next day.
DH and I are busy with work and the boys are busy with school. It is Spring Break the last week of March and the schools are getting the report cards ready. Spring officially arrives March 20, the Equinox. These past few warm days of +2 to +6C everyone acts as if it is Spring already. Spring is coming. Take Care.
February 2007
The month has flown by so fast. I have been very busy not only with work (Statistics Canada) but training for Elections Manitoba. I spent 3 days in Winnipeg training as the Assistant Returning Officer for whenever the Manitoba Government calls an election. One survey finished in February and two major continue along with the monthy scramble for Labour Force stats. It was busy but I do remember how COLD it was. The month started off with extreme cold and the deep freeze lasted several weeks with temperatures of -36 to -48 with windchill. Notice I did not say F or C because at that temperature it really doesn’t matter. It was COLD. It finally began to thaw near the end of the month. There were fewer school day for the boys this month. One day off was parent/teacher conference day and the other was “teachers need a day off” called Professional Development Day.
Happy Chinese Year of the Pig to everyone. It is supposed to be a lucky year to be born. Both DH and DS2 were born in the Year of the Pig. DS2 enjoyed the Festival du Voyageur with his French class. They spent the day exploring, eating, playing and having a great time. The day wasn’t too cold with the sun warming up the day. DS2 remembers the snow sculptures and giant snow slide and having fun on a school day. Both boys participated in the local 4H Communications. It was DS1’s first time competing and he came in second. He’s a natural. He did a great job and everyone loved his talk on Neanderthals. DS1’s talk was on geckos and how he wants one but his mom won’t let him have one. He did great as well but looked at his notes too often.
DS1 received an early birthday present at the end of the month. He now has a cell phone, yes a cell phone. It is buddy plan attached to my cell. I have a simple plan and he has the extras including text messaging. There is so much his phone can do. Not only is it a phone but it is a camera, alarm, calculator, web browser plus he can download stuff onto it. He loves it. I’m not sure what it can’t do. The phone was only with him for an hour before he was frantically searching for it. A new record only had something for an hour before he lost it! It was in one of his many coat pockets. We still tease him about it. DS1 was he forgot to take a picture with his new phone when the school bus got stuck. Apparently one back wheel was in deep snow, the other three were in the air. He was too busy lending his phone so kids could phone home. Since then nothing as exciting has happened.
DH was busy with work. It may be winter but he is still busy. Many in his office have been off sick. There are a couple of nasty colds going around. We have been coughing and sneezing most of the month.
For me personally February was an interesting month. The Valentine flowers DH bought me lasted until the end of the month. They were beautiful. The fantastic chocolate cake he baked was mouth watering and oh so rich. It was the perfect birthday cake homemade with love. We celebrated my birthday early I had a biopsy scheduled for the day before. I was so bruised and sore for days afterwards. I am fine and the results were negative so nothing to worry about and I am still very sore and bruised. My knee is still sore from the fall onto ice last month and I still cannot do deep knee bends or knee on it. I am slowly healing. The itchy stitches from the biopsy are driving me crazy and I can’t scratch them! February may be a short month but it certainly was not boring. Take Care.
January 31, 2007
I haven’t blogged for a while. Life has been busy and we have had two major freezes. The first happened the second week and lasted the week. We are in the second freeze and it is not quite as bad. The temperature was -40’ or colder with the windchill and this time it is in the mid 20’s. Weird how it “feels” warmer even when it is brutally cold. Guess we’ve adapted.
What a month! First I get stuck last week at the end of a long driveway. Nice soft snow no one had driven on so I sunk. Several days later I slipped on ice and scraped my left knee. Just as it was healing I slipped on black ice and went down onto my right knee. It hurt!! I was supposed to stay off it and take anti-inflammatory medicine, aka Tylenol or Advil. Boy did my knee swell up. I used a cane for several days and did not leave the house. It’s a week later and my knee is still swollen and I have a hard time walking up and down stairs. I can’t do a deep knee bend without screaming in pain. Anyway, I am slowly healing.
On to other news, DS1 started second term/semester at school. He was exempt from exams so he stayed home. I think he is glad to be back at school with his friends. DS2 seems to be having a hard time with his winter jacket zipper. We replaced the zipper at the end of November and then again before Christmas Break. I bought a new zipper and will be replacing it tomorrow. Zipper number three! I do hope this one will last a little longer because I got a heavy duty zipper. Boy is it cold outside! The cold decided to return and now it seems to be staying. Oh well it is January. Now if only the groundhog sees his shadow and predicts an early spring. Take Care.
January 13, 2007
Deep freeze!!!! Yes, it is a tad cold outside. The deep freeze started Wednesday and has not let up. Portage school buses did not run on Thursday but they were running on Friday. Blowing snow caused reduced visibility and created quite the windchill. Temperatures have been -40 and it doesn’t matter if it is Celsius or Fahrenheit it is still darn cold!!! The cats refuse to budge and will only move off the cushions in the back porch when I bribe them with soft cat food. It is so cold outside! Two unhappy boys bundled up and ran for the school bus on Friday. It was a balmy -38 with the windchill. Time to plug in the vehicles, bundle up and stay warm. Saturday was was a balmy -20C with the sunshine.
Stewart is starting to get back into his routine of Scouts on Monday, music on Tuesday and this week it was also 4H meeting time. Patrick is finishing up some of his courses at school and will be exempt from final exams. He has two midterms for the courses he is taking over the whole school year. We are all slowly getting back into the school and work routines and slowly adjusting to the deep freeze. Keep warm and take care.
January 6, 2007
It is hard to believe it is already 2007!! This past year has just flown by so fast. Not much to talk about this week. Everyone is relaxing and enjoying life. I am still working on my “2006 A Year in Review”. I was in Winnipeg for training for the upcoming Household Spending Study. Doug took last week and this one off work and the boys are still on holidays from school. We are enjoying hanging around and playing with our new toys. My new toy is a laptop Doug gave me for Christmas. I have been moving files onto it and adding programs. It's wonderful, powerful and fast. Sitting on my bed and blogging is such delicious freedom. I love playing with my new toy. Take Care.
2006 Year in Review
The end of 2006 and the beginning of a new year! This past year has been a busy one with everyone travelling. It began in January when I traveled to Nunavut and NWT for work, next DH went to Quebec City for his work and it continued with the boys going to Camp Stephens in Kenora. DS2 went to camp for a week and DS1 was there for his second year on the two week canoe trip. In the spring DS1 went on a 2 day band trip in Winnipeg. Before school we went camping in Riding Mountain National Park. Our poor vehicle has so many kilometres on it from all our travelling.
This year both boys have grown in so many ways. They planted their own gardens this year. DS2 planted corn and his brother planted both gardens by the front door. They are learning to cook and often Sunday brunch has been prepared by one of them. This summer DS1 and DS2 stayed at the Grandparents, not together. DS1 took the Grey Hound bus to Gimli all by himself. Both attended Camp Stephens in Lake of the Woods. Stopping for ice cream at the BDI (Bridge Drive Inn) after Camp is now a tradition both love.
The major change in the fall was the amalgamation of the two high schools into one “mega” High School along with the creation of “middle schools”. DS2’s old elementary school will now be Kto5 and it is the only French immersion school in town. High school will be grades 9to12. All these changes were done and then the parents were told what was happening. Needless to say this has created many problems and difficulties.
This past year brought many changes for DS1. The first significant event was his shaving for the first time on his birthday! It was far more traumatic for me than for him. The best part of summer was the two weeks of canoeing, camping and being in the woods with just guys. Children always come home different than when they left. He was taller, tanned, sore, tired, hungry and very, very happy. The front gardens looked beautiful this year. DS1 picked out the flowers and cared for the beds all summer long. He even helped clean up in the fall. It has been quite a challenge for DS1 this fall adjusting to new school buildings, teachers, timetable, and no “recess” just a 5 minute break between classes. The hardest part was, and still is, getting up, functioning and onto the school bus by 7:40 am! The more things change, the more they stay the same. DS2 also experienced many changes this past year. He went to Camp Stephens for the first time and wants to go back for 2 weeks not just one. Going to camp for a week all by himself was harder on me than him. Staying with the grandparents was great fun this summer. His “Whale Car” won the local Cub Scout Kub Kar Rally. He passed level 6 swimming, finished his second year of piano lessons, passed grade 5 and graduated from Cub Scouts. This was the year DS2 lost many of his baby teeth. There were many changes for DS2 this past fall. Not only did he start grade 6 but he also started at a “new” school. DS2 started piano lessons at the Portage Conservatory of music, graduated from Cubs to Scouts and joined the local 4H.
Onto the weather, you cannot live in Canada and not talk about the weather. January 2006 started the “year of wacky weather” with all the thawing and freezing. This created warm weather and treacherous roads. Driving on skating rink roads was very interesting and adventurous. February was nice both in Manitoba and Yellowknife, full of beautiful sunny days with just a few -40C days. March began with a snowstorm and a “snow day” but soon turned to thawing temperatures and blooming flowers. April the animals appeared. We were serenaded by frogs, saw wild turkeys in trees, ducks waddling across the lawn, and best of all dragonflies everywhere!! A true Eastern Bluebird stayed for several days at the end of May. Manitoba’s “Believe It Or Not” was the two snowfalls in May, yes two snowfalls. We woke up May 5th to snow with the second snowfall that began just after planting during the May long weekend. Told you it was a wacky year.
June was sunny and warm. July was sunny, hot and dry. August was hot and dry. Ok so it was a little warm in Manitoba this past year. Hummingbirds zoom and race around us so much we only hear a hum as they whiz by. Dragonflies abounded keeping the mosquito population in check. After we removed the old air conditioner the first week of September we experienced several +30C days. Sadly the humming birds left while the geese gathered at the end of September. The first snowfall arrived October 10 th, melting by late afternoon but the Thanksgiving snowfall stayed. It was amazing to look out the window and see deer enjoying the last of the green grass. The bird feeder was a favourite for them as well. November brought rain and snow creating the infamous skating rink roads we learned to endure at the beginning of the year. December was milder and sunnier. Manitoba weather is always changing and exciting. Until next year, Take Care.
December 30, 2006
Wow what a week! There was so much turkey, travelling and so very little snow. We spent Christmas Eve with the Grandparents in Gimli. Unfortunately Brian, Lisa and family always spend Christmas Eve with her family so they were not there but maybe next year when we spend Boxing Day with the Grandparents. We are going back to alternating years with families like it was before my sister was diagnosed with cancer. This should make it easier and fairer for everyone to plan for Christmas. Boxing Day was with my family. Dinner at the Grandparents was fabulous, as usual. It was a quieter buffet style at my brother’s place and our dinner at home was “special and fancy like Grandmom’s” according to the boys. It was Great Aunt Edna’s china and silverware that made it extra special. Great food helped especially since Doug once again created another fantastic dinner. The rest of the holidays are somewhat of a blur. I do remember a day or two after Christmas it snowed. The place was so beautiful covered in a layer of white fluffy snow. Doug dug us out of the driveway and Patrick helped with some of the shovelling. All in all it was a wonderful Christmas.
December 23, 2006
The weather remains above normal. I’m enjoying the continuing warm weather. It freaks me out a bit because December is supposed to be cold, very cold. No complaints just observation about the warm winter weather. Surprisingly I’m not worried about Christmas. We are almost done and just need a few last minute things. Most of the presents are wrapped and the tree looks so beautiful. This is the first Christmas in a very long time there will be no jams. That’s right I did not make any jams or relishes this year. It was impossible to find time together to make jams.
This week I have been busy with wrapping up work (no pun intended) and training for upcoming surveys. Unfortunately I had to leave Doug on his birthday for a training session in Winnipeg. Stats Can has the absolute worst timing so we celebrated the day before. It seems to be a tradition for me to miss his birthday. The poor guy, over the many years we have been married we haven’t always celebrated his birthday on time. It started when I volunteered to drive the Salvation Army Santa Van in Winnipeg and I would get home very late on his birthday. Now it is my work that takes me away from him but I always make it up to him. The boys are finishing up at school and winding down for the end of the term. They are getting so excited about Christmas. We all are looking forward to Christmas and seeing friends and family.
Take Care.
December 16, 2006
Wow where has the time gone? It doesn’t feel like December at all. The weather has been weirdly warm often hovering around the melting point. I’m rather enjoying this freaky warm weather. Doug and I are both really busy with work. I’m a little overwhelmed trying to finish up a major survey while doing the monthly survey. The boys are busy with school and getting work done before the end of the year.
We went shopping for the last few gifts this week. It was rather crowded but everyone knew what they wanted to get which made things so much easier. Last minute groceries and gifts are now done, I hope. Now off to decorate the tree.
Take Care.
Saturday December 9, 2006
Wow what a weird week!! It started out so very cold and ended warm and wonderful! It was +2C outside today so Doug and Patrick put up the lights on the birch tree in the front yard. I have pictures to prove it. Poor Patrick has not been feeling well lately but was able to climb the tree. He started coughing a couple of days ago and has had a runny nose for almost a week. Everyone else seems to be ok, so far.
The Scouts sang Christmas carols at the Douglas Campbell Lodge this year. Stewart had a good time singing. The Beavers, the youngest kids, were cute but soon became restless. They stayed up past their bedtime that night and were rather tired. The folks at the home enjoyed the Christmas carols.
Not much is happening, just slowly getting ready for Christmas. I have done some baking this past week but still am not ready for the holidays yet. The boys are getting excited about Christmas and the upcoming holidays. The lights just went on outside and they look beautiful. Supper’s ready so until next week,
Take Care.
Saturday December 2, 2006
I can’t believe it is December already!! It’s so cold outside so it must be winter! This year has just flown by so fast. The boys are growing like weeds. Maybe if I stop feeding them so much? It seems I am no longer working to pay for daycare but to keep the fridge and freezer full. I am on first name basis with the all the cashiers. This week I picked up baking supplies along with the usual groceries. Yes, I will be doing Christmas baking this coming week and the boys will be helping.
The best part of this week was our anniversary on the 29th. We spent the weekend in Winnipeg and it was fantastic. The sun was shinning the whole weekend. The gorgeous roses Doug gave me are still blooming. They are so beautiful. It seems like yesterday we were married, it certainly was cold enough.
Patrick and I went into Winnipeg today for a Tai Chi Workshop for Beginners. I wasn’t sure because of the blizzard warning. Blowing snow was the problem driving into the city. The wind was really strong and cold. The windchill was -26’C or colder. Icy intersections were bad and created driving problems of their own. We had a great workshop where we learned what we were doing right. Patrick was the youngest participate but not the tallest. He was only the second tallest, a university student was taller. All in all it was a great workshop.
The repair person came on Friday so our dryer is now working. He replaced the element. Surprising how happy I got over a dryer. It was not hauling baskets of wet clothes to the laundromat. I prefer to hang them out on the line but I can’t bring myself to do it in winter. Everyone is happy and healthy. Well bye for now.
Take Care.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Wow is it COLD outside. We woke up to -12’C Thursday and it will warm up to -2’C. It was +12 Wednesday. I knew the wonderful warm weather would end but I was hoping for another good week, or two or three. Oh well. The boys are off school Friday and Doug took it off as well. The worst part of this week happened when the dryer gave out. I didn’t think I had been using it that much. Anyway it may be the heating element that is gone. The only time the service person can get out here is the end of next week. Patrick was not impressed when I enlisted his help in hauling the wet laundry to the laundromat. Then he had to help fold! Poor Patrick had to fold clothes. He’s pretty good at it. Doug was home teaching the 4H photography course. Stewart is taking the course in 4H this year. They had lots of fun.
The four of us went into Winnipeg for the weekend and stayed at the Holiday Inn. I was not too impressed with the hotel but that is ok because we were only there at night. Everyone enjoyed the movie “Flushed Away”. I really had a great day Saturday visiting the Dalvenant Museum. I loved the house and unfortunately Doug’s camera batteries died so we did not get any pictures. We had a late lunch at the Red Lobster then checked out the “Trees of Lights” at the Conservatory. All in all it was a great day. The boys loved vegging on TV especially channels we don’t get. Pizza helped. We are going home on Sunday.Take Care.
Saturday November 18, 2006
The most I remember about this past week is icy roads and deer. The sun finally came out and melted most of the snow and then the sun went down and the wet snow became ice. It was rather difficult to travel and walk. Our yard looks nice and green especially when the sun is shinning. The deer have been hanging around our place lately. The green lawn is tempting for them plus the area under the bird feeders are covered in seeds. They have more snow in Gimli than we do in Portage. We had a great visit today with the Grandparents. It’s so nice to see them and the visit was too short as usual. Christmas lists were exchanged and we will at the Grandparents for Christmas Eve and at my family for Boxing Day this year. Christmas Day is home day. Next year we will have Boxing Day with the Grandparents and my brother-in-law and his family will be able to make it. Unfortunately they will not be there for Christmas Eve because they always go to her parents on that day. Patrick and I are enjoying Tai Chi Saturday mornings while Doug runs errands and Stewart is on the library computer. He prefers the library computer because it is faster than the sloooowww dial up we have. Lately Patrick has been cooking Sunday breakfast. Actually it’s usually closer to lunchtime by the time we sit down. We might have brunch but that requires Patrick to wake up early enough to get going. He prefers cooking poached eggs and hash browns. I broke down and bought hash browns. We are trying various brands but I still hope Patrick will make them from scratch. The best part is he can be left alone in the kitchen to cook. Doug and I are close by and it is hard not to jump in and “help”. Pancakes are on the menu for next week, the good kind from scratch.
The boys were busy getting ready for report cards. We knew there was nothing to worry about with either boy. Unfortunately we, Doug and I, were only able to get to Stewart’s school and meet his teachers. Doug only had the lunch hour and we ran out of time. Patrick was a little disappointed. We will make sure to meet his teachers at the next report card or parent/teacher conferences. Both boys were almost 90% grade average. Yes I am bragging a bit here as would any proud parent. Anyway the weather has been wonderful. Woohoo!!! It is so warm and nice outside. Until next time, Take Care.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
It has been very windy here this past week and the sun has been hiding. I really miss the sunshine. The weather is colder but still only single digits and hovering around 0’C and often above during the day. All the snow melted and turned to ice so driving has been a bit hazardous lately. Other than that it has been rather nice here. The cats are driving me crazy, ok crazier, lately. They, Sylvia actually, wants to be let out of the porch around 5:30 AM!! We have been locking them into the back porch ever since we found the huge grey stray in the porch. Now we know why their food dish needs to be filled everyday, it was the stray eating their food. Anyway Sylvia scratches at the base of the door until one of use gets up, awake or not, and opens the outside door for her. I usually lock it behind her because Patches just looks up and then curls back up to sleep. Today I locked her out about 4:30 am or something like that. She ended up in the oak tree with the grey stray below. Stewart, the early bird, heard her and woke us up. It was 7:00 or something close, too early in the morning for me especially on a weekend. Still not awake I go outside into the cold morning and now I am wide awake. Of course, the stray is gone and Sylvia won’t come down. I was tempted to just leave her. I knew I should have grabbed my jacket. She was finally coaxed down with cheese. Food bribes always work with her and Patches. Needless to say I was now wide awake and no chance of going back to sleep. Cold predawn air does that.
The kids are fine. Patrick is doing great at school and Stewart is busy with school projects. Stewart really enjoys big a Scout and attending the weekly meetings. The Portage 5th Scouts attended the Remembrance Day service at the Portage Alliance Church today. Stewart was really impressed by how solemn the ceremony was. There were very few dry eyes at the service. I was glad it was inside because it was a cold, windy and sunless day.
We are all suffering a bit from the sniffles. No colds or coughs, just stuffed noses and sore throats. Grumpier. Everyone seems grumpier lately. I’m not sure if it is the weather, hormones or a cold. Whatever it is I hope it passes real soon. I also hope the sun comes back real soon. Until next time. Take Care.
Saturday, November 4, 2006
SNOW! It started snowing on Sunday and stopped in time for Halloween. Monday the roads were really bad especially the back roads. Guess who was driving on back roads during the first real storm of the fall? Yes it was me. I was attempting to find a couple of Hutterite colonies somewhere East of Oakville. I’m glad I found them and was able to get back home. Stewart was a Medieval Knight for Halloween. He had a great time and wanted to stay out longer. He really loves trick or treating. Patrick stayed home only to discover no one came by this year. We usually have 2-6 sets stop by but I think the snow stopped many parents from going into the country. The only thing travelling the country roads, beside weird people like me, are hunters. You can tell because they have the bright orange clothing and it is not Halloween.
Patrick is not as thrilled about the snow as Stewart is. Both boys were hoping school would be closed on Tuesday but not such luck. There wasn’t enough snow to close the roads so they had to go to school. They knew I would have driven them in anyway but they still hope for snow and weather too bad to drive in. Stewart enjoys jumping into the snow and had to run to catch the bus several times this week. The trails from the front door to the road were created by Stewart on the way to the bus. Not surprising, not one is straight from the door to road like Patrick’s.
The library is looking for “stackers” and Patrick is applying for the job. It might be a volunteer position but it could lead to one of two jobs for kids there. He has to be 15 to work at the library but everyone there knows him and Stewart. It would be perfect for Patrick because he could walk there after school. He is trying to get a resume together and is finding it a bit more difficult than he anticipated. Anyway, he really would like a job like Doug’s. He went to Doug’s workplace on Wednesday. “He has a good work ethic” was quoted to me by Doug. Patrick wanted to make sure I knew because I am always bugging him about stuff he needs to do at home.
Take Care.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
I don’t remember much about this week because I was really busy with work. The weather was cold and rainy but alright. The boys are doing well in school and after school activities. Everyone has a bit of the sniffs or cough. Something is going around, again. We are going through the winter stuff and finding out just how much the boys have grown. I still can’t believe how much they have grown. Daylight savings was on Sunday and we gained an hour. It was nice to sleep an extra hour. Patrick has started cooking Sunday breakfast, ok it ends up as brunch. He loves poached eggs and wants to have hash browns and bacon every time. I’m glad he is cooking but Doug will have to teach him there are other foods for breakfast. I’m looking forward to not cooking once Stewart starts cooking. Oh the life, 3 guys cooking for me. Ok so it is a dream. Take Care.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The cold weather is here to stay! I was so hoping it would stay away until the end of November and arrive just in time for Christmas. No luck. I would have gladly accepted Halloween but no such luck. Snow arrived Thanksgiving evening. The wooded areas and many ditches are covered in snow. The white stuff is here to stay it seems. No more snow talk, at least for now.
Stewart lost a tooth this week and the poor tooth fairy did not have a book for him because she was caught off guard. The tooth fairy owes him a book and he can’t wait for the next Scholastic book order from school. Patrick is busy with school and was elected Room Rep but its “no big deal”. Both boys did not have school on Friday! It was a PD day – “professional development” day for teachers. So they have had two 4day weeks in a row this month. This week my BIL Brian turned 40 and two days later his son Jack had his first birthday.
Work is really busy for me this week, as is every third week of the month. Doug is also busy at work. The snow melted, at least in the sunny parts. The boys are busy with school and activities and the cats want to come inside the house. Poor cats have been bothered by a stray in the area. They are “spoiled barn cats who sleep in the back porch”. Sylvia and Patches are good mousers but prefer the scraps we, ok I, feed them. It has gotten colder outside and the mice are not as plentiful as the summertime. We have a front door that closes very slowly and if we are not careful Sylvia will waltz in. She loves to hide under the kitchen table. Patches will come in, look around and go back outside. She is rather timid. They both love cheese.
Mount Laundry has been conquered! Woohoo!!! Take Care.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
What a week! So much turkey! Monday was Thanksgiving so it was a home day. We had been to the grandparents on Saturday for a wonderful meal. Grandmom always serves great meals and the delicious ham was no exception. Sunday two of my brothers, Michael and David, helped Doug put up metal roofing. The north side of the barn roof was in rough shape. My mom and I did the south side years ago and I never bothered with the north side because it was in pretty good shape then. Wow that was several years ago. Anyway, the “boys” aka my brothers, Doug, Patrick and Stewart, managed to get the roof done by suppertime. They started after lunch when Michael arrived. Patrick seemed to take on the supervisory role. Stewart was busy snapping pictures, Doug and David were on the roof and Michael was ground crew. This left me to make supper. Doug had stuffed the turkey and started cooking it. It was crowded but fun at dinner. It was a cold and windy day even for early October. So by the end of the day everyone was happy, stuffed and tired. Michael and David left for home before it got too cold and dark. Good thing too because it snowed two days later! I knew the snow was coming but I was hoping it would be around Halloween. It snowed the day after Thanksgiving! The snow eventually melted in the sunny spots but stayed in the ditches and forested areas.
Saturday we went into Winnipeg to shop and go to my BIL Brian’s 40th surprise birthday party. It was at a local coffee place he frequents. There were lots of friends and family there. He was very surprised when he walked into the shop. I think we got pictures of his priceless expression. Doug mad a CD of the pictures we took and sent them off to the grandparents and Brian. It was nice to see everyone there. It was a long day and a long drive home.
The boys are doing great in school. Doug and I are busy with work. Patrick and I are taking Tai Chi Saturday mornings. Yes, it is at 10:00 am and Patrick has to be awake and alert by then. He really enjoys it even though he is the only male and the only one under 20 in class. I love it and am so glad they don’t have it Monday nights. Everything seems to happen on Monday nights. Meetings, lessons, after school activities, even work. Everything seems to happen Monday nights. I don’t know why but everyone wants their meeting to be on Monday night. Now the boys are in different schools guess when they want Parent Council meetings? The third Monday of every month! What is it with Monday nights? It doesn’t help that Doctor Who is also on Monday nights, at least for now. Anyway, the week was busy even with the MONDAY holiday. As usual, the mountain of laundry calls so I am off to tackle “Mount Laundry”.
Take Care.
Saturday, October 7, 2006
It’s getting colder but still it is nice and warm outside. The boys had the sniffles last month, Patrick actually had a cold, and they are feeling much better now. School routines are coming together as well. I was away in Winnipeg for a couple of days for training for an upcoming job with Elections Manitoba. We stayed at the Holiday Inn on the corner of Portage Avenue and Colony which is kitty corner to the old Bay Downtown. I had forgotten how the noise level just decreases a little at night. Noisy! My suite faced Portage and it was only the fourth floor. I did really love going for a walk in the late evenings and checking out the construction of the new building – Hydro I think. The morning walks to the Convention Centre were rather refreshing to say the least. Rather nippy and windy walking. I miss the city, even with all the noise. I guess I’m still a city woman even after living “on the edge of the middle of nowhere” for a very, very long time. Hard to believe we moved to here almost 15 years ago. The more life changes the more it stays the same.
So guess what? We got to see Jack! Yes, at long last we as in Doug, the boys and myself actually were able to connect with Jack - for the second time in almost a year! Isn’t that amazing! It is hard to get together. The other amazing news is that it will be twice in a week. Yes, twice in a week and three times in a year! Brian, my BIL, will be celebrating his 40th birthday on Saturday and Lisa invited us. It will be a surprise party for Brian and a first birthday for Jack. Their birthdays are not until next week so it will be a surprise party. It will be in Winnipeg this coming Saturday. We also got an updated picture of his family. It was taken early summer and it is a family picture of the four of them. It was nice to replace the old one where Daphne was 3yrs old. Hard to believe she is now in grade 1 and 7 years old. She is learning ASL, American Sign Language, because she doesn't speak. Jack is healthy and smiles a lot. The boys were happy to meet and hold their cousin and we got several great shots of the four cousins.
On to bigger and better things like the laundry. I don’t know why but the laundry has overtaken the baskets and seems to be growing. I haven’t been able to hang out clothes this weekend and that could be why the mountain has grown once again. The garden is almost done with a few pumpkins, leeks, onions and carrots left. Doug picked the very last of the tomatoes this week. Now it will be tilling, after digging up the last few veggies. The lawn could be mowed one more time but Patrick will debate that. It is hard to wind down from the carefree summer and get out winter paraphernalia. On that note I should go. Take Care.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
It’s the last day of September. Where did the month go?? I know it is fall, the geese are gathering and birds are flying south. It is getting colder and the leaves are changing colour so the seasons are once again changing. The household is settling into the fall routine. Patrick and I are taking Tai Chi every Saturday morning. We had our first session and I really enjoyed it. Patrick likes and wants to continue attending lessons. Doug spotted a partridge, or what we think is a partridge, in the mock orange this week. There it was as bold as could be just sitting in the middle of our yard. The cats were not around so it was safe in the yard. All this before the school bus arrived. I’m still hanging clothes out but they take all day to dry. It’s just that time of year. Take Care.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
It has been a busy week for me with work. Stewart started piano lessons on Tuesday evenings and Scouts started Monday nights. I’ve been trying to get all the “appointments” done, you know the annual doctor, dentist and eye ones. Weather hasn’t been that great lately but it has been an excellent fall. The Equinox was Friday. Autumn is officially here. I really can’t remember much about this week, it has been rather a blur. Oh, well the laundry is still consistently there waiting to be done. Take Care.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
What a week! The weather has been absolutely fantastic! While waiting for the school bus a distant rustling sound suddenly exploded into a massive cloud of birds! Twice now the birds have flown low overhead and there was hundreds of them. I think they were Redwing Blackbirds. It’s an amazing sight especially so early in the morning. The boys are settling into their schools and we are all settling into our routines. Doug is still riding his bike to work while this wonderful weather holds. I don’t think he will be riding once the snow falls. It rained Friday night and off and today. We need the rain and it will cut down on the dust. The rain also keeps me inside so I can make salsa with the last of the tomatoes. The garden is almost completely finished. The pumpkins are still really green and there are leeks and carrots still to be dug up.
The school shooting at the Junior College (High School?) in Montreal really shook everyone. As a parent I cannot imagine the terror and panic of that nightmare. My heart and thoughts go out to everyone especially the parents of the young woman, Anastasia, who died. She was only 18 years old. The only way to prevent something like this from happening is to stop it before it starts. Stop the bullying, clichés, and isolation children live with everyday. Many dismiss it as “simply part of life” but it shouldn’t be. School, and home, should be a place where children can grow, are nurtured, loved for who they are no matter what. It should not be a place to fear. On that sad note, Take Care.
September 9, 2006
The hummingbirds are gone! This means summer is almost done. It doesn’t help that we’ve had a couple of rather frosty mornings lately. Yes, a very thin layer of frost was on the windshield Friday. Oh well summer has to end sometime, I was hoping later than sooner.
I spent 2 days in Brandon training for a new survey this week. Guess when? First day of school was the first day of my training. It seems I have not been able to see the boys off to school since I started working for Stats Can. Training always seems to start the same day the boys start school. Stewart started Middle School and Patrick had orientation at the High School. They were so excited and talked my ear off. Patrick had orientation, a day off and only then did he actually go to class on Friday. Everyone is slowly settling into the fall/school routine. Stewart started piano lessons at the Conservatory. He really likes his teacher and loves music. I did take care of some of the peppers and tomatoes this week. I froze so many the poor freezer is filled to capacity. There is still more in the garden and I am hoping to make salsa with the rest. Laundry Mountain is no more! I managed to conquer, at long last, the mountain of laundry. The sun has been shining everyday so I have been hanging out laundry. Warm summer weather is still here even if the trees have changed colour. I’m off to enjoy the great weather. Take Care.
Saturday, September 2
Wasps! The wasps and bees are chasing away the hummingbirds. We got ready for fall by harvesting the garden, going through the clothes and taking out the air conditioner. Guess what happens? We had two days, in row, of 30C temperatures! Oh well it always happens. Doug saw a few hummingbirds in the morning. This means it is still summer. Wohoo!! The past week went rather fast. I managed to tame the laundry mountain, check their school supply lists and even clean and sort out their wardrobes. It was time to put away shorts and get out socks and pants. I gave them a choice of sorting and checking their clothes or I would do it. They decided to do it themselves. It took almost the whole day but they did it! A mountain of clothes was donated because they grew over the summer. Luckily the list of clothes they needed was short. Patrick discovered several t-shirts and shorts he had “forgotten” in his room. He also found the very late library book he had been looking for. What else can he find in his room? I’m not sure if I really want to know. After a late start in the morning the boys and I spent Friday in Winnipeg for our annual “school shopping” trip for clothes and last minute school supplies. The boys spent more time going through the books than checking out the clothes. Patrick loved Value Village because he picked up almost a dozen t-shirts! Stewart found a couple of t-shirts but no luck on jeans or sweats but had much better luck with the books. The Salvation Army was better book wise, cheaper and better books. Did I mention books are cheaper there? I really like that part. Zellers was the “running shoe stop” for both gym and regular runners. Stewart found a fantastic backpack from Swissgear with great straps, iPod pocket and even a place at the top to store earplugs. The best part - it was on sale for half price. We could not resist. Patrick found a t-shirt and begged me to get it for him with “I will try to be nicer if you try to be smarter” saying. He wants to wear it to school on the first day. All in all it was another successful trip.
Mean mom that I am I forced the boys to help with yard work. Patrick was given the choice of garden or mowing. He chose mowing, much to his dismay. Assuming it was just the back area he figured he had an easy job. No such luck. He mowed everywhere except around the garden and in the front where I had mowed. He was one tired kid after all that. Stewart was busy in the garden pulling up plants and whacking down corn stalks. Doug was picking tomatoes, leeks, peppers, more tomatoes, more peppers, zucchini, and carrots. I was the lucky one who cleaned out the raspberry patch. Yes, I have a few thorns in me. Don’t sit on the canes it is rather painful. The garden looks bare without the corn stalks and the raspberry patch looks exceptional. Stewart picked any of the remaining cobs and Doug cooked them for lunch. Unfortunately most were too old but we did find a few gems. Sad that summer is ending. Still hanging out the laundry and there is more to do. It seems like the only thing I am doing is laundry, laundry and more laundry. All the clothes from the shopping expedition need to be washed, folded and put away. I wash and dry, Doug sorts and folds and the boys are supposed to put them away into their drawers. I just finish the mountain of laundry and another appears! Oh well, I better tackle it before it falls over. Take Care.
Saturday, August 26 th
This was “birthday week” when GreatGrandmom Wilcox, Grandmom Bosek and my friend Mary all celebrate their birthdays. We, Stewart and I, met up with Aunt Raylene and Uncle Ron and Aunt Barbara to see Great Grandmom and Great Aunt Kay. Patrick and the Grandparents arrived shortly after we did. Doug wanted to but was unable to be there. We had a nice birthday celebration outside on a beautiful day. The really large Black Forest Cake was shared with family and staff. Unfortunately Raylene and Ron had to leave to get back to Winnipeg. Barbara and the rest of us went to Bill’s Sticky Fingers for supper. My cell phone was dead but I managed to catch Doug before he rode home. He has been riding his bike to work as often as possible. We had a great dinner, great conversation and the food was good too. It was so nice to see everyone.
This week Stewart attended a free day camp put on by the city. He saw several friends there and enjoyed himself. He went swimming one day and played sports everyday. It was great but he liked Camp Stephens more. Both boys were excited we would be camping this weekend. Doug was able to get Monday off so we had a long weekend. They couldn’t wait and were packed and ready to go Thursday evening. We left early Saturday morning.
I spent a nice day with my mom on her birthday. She is doing so much better but she is still not stable on her feet. She has been using her cane rather than the walker. We had lunch at the Olive Garden and managed to miss the lunch rush. She loved the garden produce I brought in. I was glad to share the bountiful harvest of tomatoes with her. Fresh garden produce is the best and it seemed to perk her up a bit. She loves the smell of fresh tomatoes.
We watched Skylab track across the sky from our Wasagaming campsite. It rapidly moved across the sky and was gone within minutes. The stars were as beautiful there as they are here. We camped at Riding Mountain National Park near Clear Lake. The boys and I booked the campsite online and it was a great site. On the way we drove by Rivers, Manitoba. Doug grew up there when he was in elementary school. It was very different from what he remembers. The base is no longer there but you can still tell where it used to be.
At Wasagaming we checked out a “Yurt” or round tent. The park is thinking of having them to rent out. Doug was able to easily stand up in it. It would have a bunk bed, futon and table and chairs, all made out of logs, as well as electricity. Small but it is excellent for sleeping and star gazing out the middle dome. The boys want to rent one for next year. We explored Clear Lake and the boys loved the beach. A baby muskrat swam into the beach area but before it left it swam directly towards Stewart. We guess it thought he was its mother. It was within 6 inches of him before it veered off towards deeper and more unpopulated waters.
The boys did not want to leave but it was time to find the bison. We tried, unsuccessfully, to find the bison in the preserve but we did find a small picnic area and beach. Monday we packed up and explored Whirlpool Lake and campground before going back to the small beach. It was colder than the boys thought and their screams as they splashed each other reinforced how cold it was. This was our last stop before heading home. Actually stopping in Neepawa at the Drive Inn for great ice cream was the final stop. All good things must come to an end. Why does the laundry seem to grow and multiply so fast?? I thought I had conquered it last week! Guess what I’m doing for the next many, many days. Yes, laundry! I will have to pass this along to Patrick soon, maybe today? Ah well I’m off to see the laundry, the wonderful laundry of ours. Anyway take care.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Stewart left for Camp Stephens early, really, really early Monday morning. Yes, I drove him into Winnipeg and we left about 5:30 am, he was alert and I was my usual wonderful morning self. It took a shower and several cups of tea just to get me functioning. He was so excited and nervous and so happy. Once the buses left about 8:00 I went in search of breakfast before checking out the thrift stores. Patrick stayed home and slept until just before lunch! He was quite happy to be home alone and to sleep in. The week went by fast and suddenly it was Friday. Patrick took the Greyhound from Portage to Gimli by himself, yes he went alone! Scary but he had my cell and I had to make sure it was working, several times. He was fine and enjoyed the adventure, a little boring but he had a good book with him. He is staying with the Grandparents for the weekend. They will be driving into Portage on Monday to see Great Grandmom Wilcox and Great Aunt Kay so they’ll drop him off then. Great Grandmom Wilcox will be 91 years old on Tuesday, August 22 nd. Stewart at camp and Patrick at the Grandparents meant that Doug and I did not have any kids around for almost 24 hours. We had a wonderful dinner and a movie. It was nice not to worry, too much, about the kids. Saturday was spent in Winnipeg shopping before picking up Stewart from camp. We did not recognize him. He was blonder, tanned and taller. I don’t know about sending the kids to camp because they seem to grow taller. We stopped at BDI (Bridge Drive Inn) for ice cream on the way home. Stewart loved Camp Stephens and stated it was “AWESOME”!! The ride home was filled with stories of all his adventures. A tired, tanned and very happy Stewart fell asleep shortly after a late supper. I was left with a mountain of laundry. It does not seem fair they get a tan and I get laundry. Oh well I am off to attack the laundry mountain.
Take Care.
Saturday August 12
Stewart had great time at the grandparents. He went garage “saleing” with Grandmom. They had a wonderful looking for and finding treasures. Grandpa and Stewart went miniature golfing and they were evenly matched. They all went to pancake breakfast every morning before starting the day’s adventure. They went to the Gimli Fair and played a bunch of games and then went on the Zipper. He had an awesome time. Aunt Lisa, Uncle Brian, Daphne and Jack stopped by late Sunday. They all had a nice visit. Stewart was so surprised when he got his cake a day early. We went to pick him up on Monday and check out the Fair. Supper was great, as usual. Stewart was all hot dogged out so we had burgers. Grandmom bought an Oreo ice cream cake for Stewart’s birthday. Boy was he surprised when we began to sing Happy Birthday to him! It was great to see the Grandparents and sad we missed Lisa, Brian and family.
Patrick was a little upset because his goldfish outgrew his tank. He finally decided to give them to the Grandparents. They have a large pond where he caught the pike a few years ago. He’s hoping there are no pike this year. There are small fish, about tadpole size, in the pond now. The worst part was seeing the large cormorant in the pond when we drove in. What a surprise that was! Patrick chased it away. Grandpa said it was the first time he’s seen any bird in the pond. Patrick decided to wait until after he checked out the fair before releasing the fish into the pond, just in case the cormorant came back. He was upset when he discovered the pail upside down in the pond after supper and the two goldfish nowhere around. Grandmom saw them the next day and Patrick was so relieved. The fish were hiding in the reeds and checking out their new digs. So ends, happily, the saga of the goldfish.
Saturday, August 5
Patrick is still trying to get back into the “home” routine while his sunburn and blisters heal. It’s been a lazy week, for the boys. I’ve been attacking the sudden laundry mountain that made its appearance this weekend. The weather has been hot and dry so I’ve been hanging out laundry. What a weird sight it must be all the clothes, sleeping bag and camp gear. Doug and Stewart set up a tent in the backyard and the cats loved it. Stewart spent a night in there but the cats somehow managed to get in so he didn’t sleep that well. The racoons have not been around quite as much this past week. I wonder what they are up to. Doug says the groundhog is back in the garden. It loves to nibble on the watermelon, just enough to spoil it for us. Oh well the joys of living in the country.
Stewart left with the Grandparents on Friday for the long weekend. They were nice enough to come and pick him up but unfortunately they could not stay. It’s hard to believe Stewart will be 11 years old!! I can't believe how much he has grown in the last year. He’s a fun loving kid and will always be a child at heart. Stewart laughs lots and tells silly jokes and loves being outside. He is so excited about going to the Grandparents because it will be the Gimli Festival. What it really means is he will be going to the Vikings Village. He loved staying with them last year. The best parts were miniature golf, garage sale-ing and learning to swordfight.
July 2006
Patrick had to babysit his brother the first week of July but he was happy with the Yellowknife Phoenix t-shirt I got him. He loves the flames and colours on the black shirt. He was so happy I was home so he didn’t have to babysit another week. Stewart received his level 6 in swimming. He loved the time in the pool but the best part was the waterslides on the last day.
The last weeks of July flew by so fast with all the hot weather and little or no rain. Time crawled for Patrick who was waiting for camp to start. I was trying to get him organized and make sure he had everything he needed. Before anyone knew it was time for camp. We, Patrick and I, did not enjoy the very early morning ride into Winnipeg. The camp bus began loading at 7:00 am, yes 7 in the morning! We left home about 5:30 am; I had to be awake because I was driving. Patrick couldn’t sleep he was so anxious. I was not allowed to hug or kiss him goodbye. I did anyway - in the parking lot! I received more work, actually a larger area, and consequently had lots more to do. I got it done, barely, on time. What a week! The car’s air conditioning wasn’t working and it was 30C or more outside! We did get the radiator fixed which in turn fixed the air conditioning but that was after I had finished working! Oh, well that’s life.
Doug took the last week of July off and so we got stuff done around the yard and house. The garden looks fantastic and so do the flower and herb beds. Watering helps. It has been so hot and dry that we’ve had to water almost every day. The plants, and birds, and dragonflies all love it when we water. There are so many dragonflies this year that it looks like a cloud sometimes. We love to sit and watch them swoop and do aerial acrobats right in front of our faces. They are fascinating to watch. It helps that there are so few, if any, mosquitoes around this year. The hummingbirds are zooming around everywhere! We have 2 or 3 families this year. One hummingbird has claimed the feeder as his and chases everyone else away. They are so much fun to watch.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Things are finishing up; my training, Doug’s vacation and Patrick’s camp. I just finished 2½ days of “continual training” in Winnipeg. It was nice to get together with other interviewers and catch up. Doug’s week of vacation is wrapping up and he goes back on Monday. Patrick’s canoe trip ended yesterday morning. Doug and Stewart came into Winnipeg to pick up Patrick, oh yeah me too.
We, Doug Stewart and I, went for a walk along the River Walkway after supper at the Forks. It was hard to get to the Forks because Stewart “discovered” the skateboard park. He was enthralled with all the skateboarders and stunts. Several beginners with parents were learning how to stand on a skateboard and not fall off. The skate area is huge with areas for all levels. Off to one side was a “bowl” where a biker, bicyclist, was practicing tricks. A few skateboarders were also there. It’s for the more experienced kids. Stewart wants to go back and try out the “awesome” park. After supper we went for a walk along the River Walk. It was peaceful and I loved the sound of the water lapping against the bank. The huge deposit of dried and cracked river mud way up on the bank was a sight to see. Huge grey thick clay was up past my head along the bank. It shows where the water level was this year. It was really high up the bank. Spectacular sight! The walk ended up at the Legislative Building and our old apartment building, the Chelsea Courts. Many memories are there. We “discovered” a new park and where some of the Bears on Broadway ended up - behind the Legislative. I really like the newer Riel statue, it’s so much better than the old one. Beautiful fountain, smaller road, more green space and a wonderful garden and stairs open onto the water. Breathtakingly beautiful! Places to sit, meditate, read and enjoy the scenery. What a wonderful evening.
Doug and Stewart spent Friday morning at the Children’s Museum. Stewart had a great time but everything “seemed smaller” somehow. We picked up Patrick from his 2 week canoe trip at Camp Stephens. Sunburnt, blistered, tired and very, very sore but oh so happy. No major burns this year, just the usual blisters and touch of sunburn. He is so tall now – as tall as me! The other thing I noticed was he did not smell like wood smoke. Fire restrictions only allowed them to have a few “open” campfires this year. He had a fantastic time with and can't wait to tell his friends about his great summer. The only downside was losing his glasses somewhere at the bottom of Lake of the Woods half way into the trip. After a frantic phone call we were able to pick up his new glasses before they closed for a long weekend. Lucky his glasses had been on order before he left. Patrick was so happy to see properly and within a day his headaches were gone. It is hard to adjust back to life especially once you’ve been away in the middle of the woods with a bunch of guys.
June/July 2006
Wow! I can’t believe I haven’t blogged for two months! Well let’s see what happened. First I ended up going to Yellowknife from the end of June to the mid July to help clean up Census. It was totally unexpected. We worked 12 hour, or more, days because the sun never really set for more than a couple of hours. It was twilight not dark at night. Now I know why they have special curtains to keep out the light so you can sleep. I did manage to take pictures and sightsee a bit. My favourite memory was when a dragonfly landed on my cheek and stayed long enough for me to get a picture. Yes, I have a picture to prove a dragonfly was on my cheek! The worst part was Doug and the kids were in Portage and not here with me. They survived without me, I knew they would. As much as I enjoyed Yellowknife it was wonderful to be home.
June 2006
The end of June just flew by. Both boys graduated with high marks. Patrick was on the Honour Roll again this year. The Honour Roll starts in Grade 7 but that may change. Stewart will be in grade 6 and going to the “new” Arthur Meighen Middle School next year. Patrick will be going to the High School, yes high school, in the fall.
There was a great deal of shuffling going on because the city and school councils decided to amalgamate the two high schools and then tell the parents. Along with amalgamation is the creation of one Middle School, grades 5 to 8, and moving grade 9 into the High School. The old French school, across the street, will become part of the High School. There are plans for a 15 bay automotive section but yet there is no plan for a covered shelter between the buildings. It does not make any sense to me. Nothing to protect the students from winter winds and snow yet they have money for less than 15% of the students – (99%) male students – for automotive bays. Not fair. Nothing for any other specialty group. Enough of my ranting, onto better things like Life, the Universe and Dragonfly Meadow.
May 31, 2006
Yes I haven’t blogged for a month. This month has not been the best. Work slowed down but not enough for me to get unemployment benefits! Can you believe it? Anyway, we’ve had snow – twice! The first was on May 5th when we woke up to white! The second was frost – missed the early morning snow – just after planting on the May long weekend. That just about describes life me lately.
This morning Doug saw an Eastern Bluebird on the bird feeder. It is a first. It was a real Bluebird not a Blue Jay. We’ve had a pair of ducks waddle across the front lawn several mornings this month. The wild turkeys love the bird feeder because of all the seeds on the ground. The other morning the male was displaying its colours trying to impress the two females. They weren’t impressed.
School is winding up for the boys with last minute tests and reports due. All the field trips and outings are happening now. Band and other activities are winding down for another year. Stewart was at his last Cub Camp this past weekend. He will be in Scouts in the fall. Patrick and Doug were at the 4H highway cleanup on Saturday. So I had the house to myself – just me and a mountain of laundry. I couldn’t hang it outside because of the drizzly weather. Yes, it rained on the weekend. Stewart’s clothes were not only smoky but damp.
Patrick planted both front gardens by the house. He picked out the flowers and they look good. He even watered them – we only had to remind him twice. Stewart planted corn in the large back garden. Everything is turning green except for the trees that “drowned” last year because of the high water table. I’ve been busy weeding, weeding and weeding. The perennial beds are overrun with grass, mullen and violets. They are starting to look a little better. Guess that’s about it for now. Take Care.
Sunday April 30, 2006
Yes, I haven’t blogged for a month. I just haven’t felt like it and the migraines don’t help. It has been a busy month that has gone by way too fast. Can you believe school ends in less than 2 months! This month the boys were out of school for 3 days, Easter Monday, Good Friday and another Friday. They were only in school for 3 days one week last month. It is hard enough getting them back into the school routine with one day off but it is even harder when it is a 4 day week and then a 3 day week! Anyway, they are back at school now.
There has been lots of wildlife this past month here. We’ve been serenaded but frogs every night this month. They seem to be back in the bush area where it is wetter. The hawks are back and I think we may have 2 pair this year. The best part is dragonflies have been spotted. The wild turkeys love to wander in our front yard and eat the fallen birdseed. It’s better than being way up in the trees near the barn – imitation roosters. Yes, there were 2 turkeys high up in the tree early one morning, not sure what they were doing there. No hummingbirds, yet, just a pair of ducks waddling across the lawn most mornings. Doug’s still not sure what is living under our barn but it’s not a skunk at least. The first mosquitoes are out along with wood ticks. Spring is here.
Stewart has been busy with Cubs and music. His music recital Sunday was short and sweet, just two pieces. He’s much better and all the practicing paid off. Stewart was excited his grandparents were able to come and hear him play. It was wonderful they were able to come to his recital and have a visit. Swimming is almost done for Stewart and Cubs is ending soon too. Most activities are wrapping up and new ones are starting. Kub Kar Races this year were great, even if he didn’t win. His Whale Car almost took first place. School projects and studying for tests are keeping him rather busy lately.
Patrick had a cold for his band trip last week. They were supposed to go to Brandon for a competition but the music teacher’s wife is expecting. Not only is it her first pregnancy but it twins!! So the music teach really did not want to go too far from home. The band ended up with a two day trip into Winnipeg and a small town somewhere. He left 6:30 am, half awake, last week and arrived home tired, happy and hungry a couple of days later. Everyone had a great time and even performed. He is still in 4H and currently taking Woodworking. Patrick attempted to make cheese bagels but they turned out to be cheesy-garlic buns, a little chewy, but a great first attempt. I wonder what’s next? Other than that life is Ok for Patrick.
On the gardening front we’ve bought a few seed tapes but are weeding lots. The crocuses came again this year but didn’t seem to do as well as past years. The daffodils, pansies and violets are popping up making it more cheerful. The garden has been tilled, now that it has dried out enough. Not sure what will be planted, still planning. Patrick wants both garden plots in front of the house. He’s busy planning and discovering bulbs are planted in the fall. The tulips will have to wait until then.
We’ve had a couple of barbeques and hotdog roasts. The boys discovered tofu dogs are not the same as “regular” hotdogs when you attempt to roast them and the cats are not fond of them. I like them. Both boys want to start the fire. Patrick has had more practice than Stewart and wants to “show him how to do it properly”. The worst part is when they’ve started the fire, the wind blows towards the house and the clothes are still on the line. Hanging out clothes to dry is great, as long as they don’t smell like wood smoke.
Take care until next time.
Saturday April 1, 2006
April Fool’s Day so watch out for the pranksters. This past week everyone has been home on holidays. Weird, this hasn’t happened for quite awhile. This year we stayed at the Clarion in Winnipeg for a couple of days. We started with lunch at the Salisbury House on the Riel Bridge. It was misty out, not quite raining a nice way to start our holiday – no snow! We stopped in at the Forks before heading to the hotel. There were Magicians and Entertainers performing in Center Court. I found a pair of “Crocs” which are sandals with holes in them. They are so comfortable I wore them all weekend. They are plastic-type foam with bumps on the inside that massage the foot. Guess I like them. Next stop the hotel for a rest before catching a transit bus to the Imax Theatre. Stewart wasn’t too tired to try out the two story waterslide. He loved it. The next day we checked out the thrift stores. Good thing the boys like going to thrift shops, the problem is they often get more books than clothes! It was another busy day and productive day. The last stop was supper with Mary, Gregg and Amber. I mustn’t forget Buddy, the dog. It was great to see them and catch up. They are doing well and Amber is growing up so fast. Anyway, the holiday ended on April Fool’s day. Wonder what that means? Until next time, Take Care.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Happy Spring!!! Spring is here!! The weather is warming up and it feels like springtime. I’ve been really busy with work because there have been layoffs and so now I have a larger area for the Labour Force Survey. I had to travel to the outskirts of Winnipeg and local respondents there but first I had to stop and pick up maps first so it was a really long day on Sunday. What a week! Trying to contact my ongoing respondents, a new area and trying to finish up the other survey made it an interesting week. Patrick has been getting sick, just in time for Spring Break. He’s stuffed up, coughing and feeling miserable. Stewart is really healthy and doing great. Spring Break is next week and Doug started his holidays this past week and will be off all next week. The boys got their report cards this week and were over 80% again. Spring Break started a day early for Patrick because he slept the day away. I think the medicine (Buckley’s) worked because he’s not sniffling as much. He’s still sick but getting better. He’s upset because he’s sick just in time for Spring Break. Oh well, that’s life.
March 18, 2006
Patrick turned 14 this week!! I can’t believe he’s 14 years old! The worse part is he shaved, yes shaved, his moustache on his birthday!! He’s growing up so fast. I’m still in shock. Other that Patrick growing up and shaving, life is busy. We had an ice cream cake for his birthday. He really liked Grandmom Wilcox’s birthday cake last week and wanted one. He could not make up his mind about what he wanted for a party so we ended up with a family party. He assumed he was getting the blue jeans we had shopped for and almost missed his iPod. Yes, we bought him an iPod for his birthday. He was so excited. One happy teenager! Stewart is doing great and counting the days until Spring Break. Both boys are busy with school and looking forward to Spring Break. The weather is hovering around zero degrees. I’ve been busy with work and trying to get everything done before month end. Doug is busy with work and is taking holidays this month because he’ll lose them if he doesn’t use them by the end of the month. March certainly is a month of change.
March 11, 2006
It’s been another busy week. Stewart had homework every night, not usually a bad thing but lately it has taken way to long to finish. Part of the problem may be he is not getting enough sleep. Bedtime has been after 9pm most nights. Since he gets up at 6:30 or 7:00 every morning he has been rather tired, and grumpy, this past week. Patrick has been pushing his bedtime, not because of homework but because he wants to stay up later. He crawls out of bed after 7am and wants to nap after school. His attempt to convince us he should be allowed to stay up later didn’t work especially when he fell asleep before dinner. Teenagers! Can you believe he will be 14 years old next week?? I can’t. Take Care.
March 4, 2006
Snow storm started Wednesday morning and continued into Thursday. The kids were so happy I said they could stay home on Thursday because the buses were not running. I usually drive them into town on “snow days”. I was just too tired and busy to take them into school. They happily played in the snow until I made them finish their homework. John, our neighbour, came and blew out the snow. Stewart has fun watching the snow fly into the air and then he went back out to play. I managed to get some paperwork done and keep the laundry mountain manageable. Doug is busy with work, the boys are getting back into routine, Patrick is starting 4H woodworking, Stewart is taking level 5 swimming and I’m busy with work. Life continues. Take care.
February 24 to 29, 2006
The laundry mountain is now a small mole hill. Notice it is not completely finished, it never is. Anyway, the boys had Friday off from school, yet another day off in the shortest month. I haven’t been able to figure that out. Stewart and I drove into Winnipeg to get his eyes checked. Dr. Drew is checking his eyes every 6 months. They did not change too much since the last time. Stewart will probably need new lenses in the fall when he goes back to see her. Cub camping starts this evening and goes for the whole weekend. Stewart getting old enough to want to do more but at the same time he likes to play and socialize with his friends. At Scouts next year he will be camping outdoors in the winter. Patrick went on the school ski trip again this year. He had a wonderful time until he bent his knee backwards. Yes, he hurt himself, again, while skiing. He was happy to go and just as happy, as well as tired, when he got back. Patrick simply overextended his leg muscles so they will be sore for awhile. The doctor said to take it easy for a few days and to put an ice pack, frozen peas, on the knee at night and pain relievers when his knee gets really sore. Doug went back to work on Monday, he took the past week off. He has to use up his holiday time before the end of March or he’ll lose them. I’ve been busy with work trying to get organized and contact respondents. The paperwork piles are now confined to my desk. The house looks neater. Let’s not talk about my desk. Well I should get back to work. Take Care.
February 23, 2006
A beautiful bouquet of roses and carnations greeted me when I walked into the house. Doug and the boys are so thoughtful. It was wonderful to be home. I was so tired after the flight and drive home I simply brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. It’s so nice to be home and able to sleep in my own bed. Having Doug next to me is so comforting, that’s why I slept like a baby. Ok, so I’m home now. The boys are up and off to school. They have ready to catch the school bus at 7:40 am and no second chances. Terry, their driver, passed away last week. They have a new driver that comes from town so there is no more “bus goes by, turns around, then pick up the boys". They have to be out there ready to go. The boys are adjusting to the new driver. Doug is off to a MIA conference and will be gone all day. The house is empty, just me and a HUGE pile of laundry some of it is even mine. I’ll have a chance to unpack, do laundry, and figure out what needs to be done for both work and home. I’m not sure which is larger my laundry pile or work pile. I’d better start the attack on the mountains of laundry and paperwork. I left in such a rush I simply gathered up all the small piles of sorted booklets and stacked them. Now the stack needs attention and re-sorting so I can send a bunch to the office and finish the ones I started. Not only do I have three supervisors now, one for Portage, another for Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay (Northern) and the third for Yellowknife, but each area has various stages of complete booklets and paperwork. Needless to say the kitchen table, coffee table, couch, my desk, any flat surface, have stacks. Now if only I could find the phone! I know it’s here somewhere I can hear it! Off to find the phone. Take Care.
February 22, 2006
I am so happy to be going home. I cannot wait to hug Doug; I miss his hugs and encouragement. The boys are fine without me, missed me but survived. I miss them, not the squabbling. I’m attacking the mountain of paperwork in a vain attempt to make it smaller. It doesn’t seem to be any smaller. Oh well I knew I would be taking “a few” booklets home with me. Anyway, I’m going home!! Can't believe I have been gone for 2 weeks. The time has just flown by so fast. I had wonderful co-workers and met a lot of great people on my travels. Northern communities are different than their southern neighbours. They seemed happier and not so busy. Maybe it was just my smiling face that made the difference, yeah it was my smile. Just kidding, the people were very nice at least the ones I met. I will miss all the northern communities I worked in. Each had their own flavour and feeling. It’s weird but I’ll miss them. I’ll miss working with the fantastic co-workers. It was wonderful to be able to bounce ideas and problems off them and get a different perspective. Dorothy was a colleague more than a boss and it was great working with her. She trusted us to do our work and simply guided us along. That is what made her such a good supervisor. Diane and Jay were so happy to be going home after being in Yellowknife for almost 3 weeks. Wahoo! I'm leaving on a jet plane! I’m going home. I arrive in Winnipeg just before midnight, about 11:30pm and won’t get home until after 1:00 in the morning. I am so looking forward to hugging Doug and of course the kids. Take care.
February 15 to 21, 2006
I’ve decided to lump the last week all together, partly because I don’t remember exactly when things happened and I forgot to write things down. Ok, here goes. The weather was very much like Manitoba’s and the few -40C days were the same as Winnipeg’s. I remember the sun shining, snow glistening, steep hills and the roads. There were not many cloudy days, and the few only lasted part of the day. The roads are unforgettable. They never plough them! Can you believe that? The ruts were really bad. Climbing up and over to cross the street can be a challenge not only to people but to cars. My small car almost bottomed out, twice! I am now much more appreciative of Manitoba's roads, even with the potholes. Though I’m not sure which is worse, ruts or potholes.
Some of the hills were almost 90 degrees, not really but it sure felt like it. On the second day I tried to get up this hill, a little steep, hit ice and rolled backwards until I could convince the car to start going back up in the direction I was supposed to be going. The next time I got a good running start and made it up no problem. A few days later, after a thaw and freeze type of day, I tried another hill. This was a lot steeper and longer than the last one I had tried to get up. The problem was the thawing and freezing made the roads just a wee bit slippery. Going up, and down, hill roads are an adventure in itself. Ever gone head first down a hill on a sleigh? Try it in a car. I’m speaking from personal experience it’s quite the ride. One really scary time occurred when I attempted to drive up one of the many steep hills. Houses are built on top of hills and this road was almost straight up. It was a warm day and I had thought it would be alright because the sun was shining and it seemed like a really nice day. Wrong. The sun melted the snow. Only the top layer actually. It looked fine to me, a Manitoba driver. I drove up the hill thinking this isn't so bad. The car slowed. I accelerated. The car began to spin its tires. It began to slide backwards. Sliding down the road backwards I attempt to steer and not hit anything. The car finally stopped at the bottom. Luckily no one was behind me during my slide. After taking a deep breath, or two, I wonder why there is no gravel or anything on the road. Ok, I need to get up that hill and there is only one road. So I take another deep breath, back up and get a really good running start. The car slowed part way up but I managed to make it to the top. I was so happy no one else was using the road. What an adventure just getting up a hill. Later I attempted to go down that same hill. The road had become slick and the sprinkling of gravel melted into the road making it much more interesting to drive. I took a deep breath, checked for anyone coming up the hill, and started down. Geronimo!!! Actually it felt like that. Whatever gravel had long ago disappeared. I prayed the rental had good tires. Bald tires would have been really, really bad. I slid down hill, nose first, ok hood first, riding the brakes so I could stop at the bottom. Stopping at a slightly level part just before the street entrance I finally exhaled. I made it. The hill road was about two city blocks long. It seemed longer. Manitoba roads were never like this. What a morning!
The week in Yellowknife zoomed by. My co-workers were wonderful, the weather was great, it was sunny, the people were nice, and the Vietnamese Noodle House became my favourite lunch stop. The so called continental breakfast was pitiful. White bread, white bagels, tap water for tea, 3 dry cereals, decaf and regular coffee of course, and if lucky a yogurt. Twice I went down to get a yogurt and was told they were out and yet when my co-worker went down later there were 4 yogurts there! I guess they had limits for the number of yogurts per hour. I just wish they had properly boiled water for tea, it would have been nice. I made tea in my suite after receiving the gross tap water they called “boiled water”. Oh yeah, they had blood oranges, 3 or 4 a day, or green bananas. Needless to say I went out to the Gold Nugget Bistro for breakfast. Great scrambled eggs and real boiled water for tea. Yes, I could have made my own breakfast in my suite but I don’t normally eat first thing in the morning. I often had breakfast just before lunch and lunch was often late in the afternoon.
I did take time out for myself to get a few pictures and a few things for the boys. They enjoy getting postcards from up North. I try to send one from wherever I stay. I got home before the last ones I sent from Yellowknife. I picked up a t-shirt for Stewart and a hoodie for Patrick as well as a few other odds and ends. I brought another carving for Doug but I really wanted the polar bear statue. The bear was walking, knee high, white, beautiful and a thousand dollars without tax. It also weighed a ton! It was beautiful. I would have bought it if I could but the shipping was more than the bear! Oh well, maybe next time. I also spent some of my lunchtime checking out a church garage sale. No surprise I bought books but surprisingly I found a couple of turtlenecks for myself. Yes, I bought something for myself. I almost picked up a bunch of needlework magazines but decided against it because I would have to haul them back home. I knew I would be hauling paperwork back and I didn’t really want to haul anymore paper, other than the few SF books. Besides, none of the magazines were really that interesting. I did get lost in the books for about half an hour. So it wasn’t all work there was a wee bit of “playtime” as well.
Dorothy and I spent an hour checking out souvenirs. I blame her for the Noodle House, she introduced me to it. I probably would have found it myself but she dragged me there. Ok, so I willingly walked there with her. I love the place. Giant bowls of vermicelli noodles with all kinds of toppings. There are over 100 items on their menu and I only tried a few. They also have it as soup which is fantastic on a chilly day. That day the restaurant was crowded, as usual, at lunch so we ended up sitting with a couple from Fort somewhere, I forget where. Anyway, he was a principal and she was a teacher. It was a great lunch and I learned so much that day. They had taken their graduating students on trips “down south” and had raised all the money. They had been living up North for quite some time and really enjoyed it. I am beginning to like the North more and more. Don’t tell Doug or the kids. I’m still not that fond of winter and I don’t want to give them the wrong impression that I actually like the cold and snow.
Let me tell you about the “saga of the rooms”. It all started with us having to move part way through our stay. We were not sure if any of us could stay at the Frasier Suites the whole time because the office wasn't able to confirm rooms for all the days we were in Yellowknife. Dorothy, Diane and Jay arrived first and shared a suite. Their suite was rather crowded with paperwork, three people, paperwork and more paperwork. Upon my arrival I handed over the Northern booklets to Dorothy. This added to the many paperwork mountains. In return she gave me my assignment and fresh new booklets, ok so she handed me a mountain. By the time I arrived in Yellowknife Jay was staying at a bed and breakfast place. He had been sharing the suite with paperwork, Diane and Dorothy and more paperwork. I had a smaller suite to myself only because Debra had gone back to Manitoba. Dorothy is from Lac Du Bonnet in northern Manitoba and Diane is from Edmonton, so is Jay. Anyway, I got to keep my suite for a couple of days at least. I was supposed to move to another hotel across town for a couple of days and then move back once there was room. The "no room at the inn” and yes/no information from the front desk drama continued until the day of the move. Finally Dorothy managed to stay in their suite. Luckily they did not have to pack up all that paperwork and move. Rather than pack up my paperwork, move across town, unpack my work, pack up and move back, I simply moved into the suite with Diane and Dorothy. Since Dorothy had two beds in her room I was able to stay with them. I was glad Jay was not there or I may have ended up sleeping on the couch. It was wonderful not to have to move all the way across town but at the same time it was crowded with three, sometimes four people, one phone and all the paperwork. It was really difficult to make calls with everyone there and only one phone line. Plus it was the start of LFS (Labour Force Survey) which is a really busy time. A few days later my room was available. I could now call and not have to worry about what was happening in the room. It was very disruptive to have to move all the time. It was so nice not to have to worry about packing and unpacking. On the last day before I left two co-workers arrived. Guess where they stayed while waiting for their room? Yes, they stayed in "the suite" and gave Dorothy their paperwork. Amelia was going to stay for a few days and Marilyn was leaving the next day. There was a problem with the rooms on the day I left but I'm not sure what it was. Moving is such a pain but you got to do what you have to. At least I did not have to move across town or sleep on the couch.
The last several days were really hectic. Marilyn and Amelia arrived from Hay River. While waiting for their room they figured out where to go in the city to contact respondents. They didn’t even unpack before heading out to work, must be a Stats Canada thing. It seems I ended up in the area with all the roommates. I didn’t mind, it was rather interesting and just meant I have to contact ALL the people who lived there in the past year. Housing and real estate prices are going up all the time. Higher housing costs are why roommates are so common in Yellowknife. That is the reason more booklets than I wanted went home with me. As well I have to contact everyone who was away in all three communities. The best part was meeting really interesting people up North and in Yellowknife. Kids are the same everywhere. They went around with open jackets, running shoes, no toques or scarves and only a few wearing gloves. It really is a small world. Take care.
February 14, 2006
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!! This is the first time in twenty years I will not be celebrating the day with the man I love. I managed to call home but it’s not the same. I really miss him and the boys. I miss their hugs. I miss Doug. I’ve thrown myself into work to try not to feel so sad. I just want a hug from Doug. Anyway, enough feeling sad and sorry for myself. The weather has been rather crisp and takes your breath away as you walk out into the sunshine. I’m happy the sun shines so much here, reminds me of home. I’m keeping busy with work. Have a great day. Take Care.
February 13, 2006
It’s another beautiful, clear winter day, bright and sunny. The snow is glistening and everything looked clean and fresh. It might have been that we are going to Yellowknife this afternoon that makes everything sparkle. I must confess I am looking forward to doing laundry; yes I’m looking forward to laundry. Ok, so I ran out of clean clothes. Anyway, Debra and I contacted the last few people, finished paperwork, packed and got ready to go. I was able to take a few pictures before we caught the plane. Debra’s truck didn’t want to start, so we left it at the hotel. This time we are taking a cargo plane not a turboprop. There were more passengers going to Yellowknife so they used a bigger plane. The flight was uneventful which is good. We landed in Yellowknife and Debra went on to Winnipeg. It seemed colder in Yellowknife, maybe it was the past week catching up with me. I picked up my slightly frozen rental car and attempted to follow Dorothy, my supervisor, to the Frasier Suites. It was another adventure. The poor little car was frozen. I scraped the windows, inside and out several times. I got lost only once trying to find the hotel. Lucky for me there was still light out and I had a map. Upon arriving I dumped my bags in my room and off to work I went. By the time I sorted out my assignment it was dark outside. I followed Dorothy to the North West area of Yellowknife. I didn’t get lost. She left me there with a map and my still frozen rental car. Much later that night I returned, triumphant! I had contacted a respondent and made it back to the hotel. I made it back, in the dark, in a strange city, in the winter with a frozen car. I was so happy to collapse in bed that night. I did call home to let everyone know I was now in the Northwest Territories and I was safe. I miss Doug and the boys. Take care.
February 11 and 12, 2006
Don’t remember much about the weekend except getting stuck. Yes, I got stuck in another ditch. It was outside someone’s house, again. This is getting ridiculous! I was only at the back of the hotel this time. Less than a city block away. I thought the ditch looked like part of the intersection. I was wrong! I walked over to the RCMP station hoping to find a tow truck. No such thing in “Kug”. Lucky for me the officer on duty was from Manitoba and he was willing to pull me out. Reg, the officer, was very friendly and helpful. Manitobans everywhere are so nice; I should know I’m one of them. Anyway, no major storms or anything other than a bitterly cold wind, weather wise. Many people were recovering from the wedding on Saturday so we started after brunch at the hotel. Pancakes, bacon, toast and eggs all for the low, low price of $22.00. Yes, meals and food are really expensive up North. We had brunch both days as a treat and just to have something warm and home cooked. Too busy working to do much else. I did drop off a big bundle of pencils and stickers at the elementary school and take a quick tour. They have an open concept library – two walls are half walls/bookcases that are open to the hallway. The older kids are like kids everywhere – running shoes, open jackets and not mitts or toques. The younger ones have adults making sure coats are done up. The elementary school is three stories high, built on a bit of a hill. The High school is just two stories by the looks of it. I didn’t get a chance to look inside. I did however get pictures of the outside. There is a huge fish, two actually, one story high wrapped around a corner of the school. Sweet, as the kids would say. Kug has more snowmobiles and ATVs than trucks. At a couple of homes I visited there was caribou on the kitchen table, one even had a leg on the steps outside the mudroom. The dogs are all on leashes so they won’t go after the frozen meat. Life is different in the North. Take care.
February 10, 2005
It’s a beautiful sunny day in Cambridge Bay. I’m busy running last minute errands, gassing up the vehicles, packing, packing all the paperwork Debra was so kind to give me, packing more paperwork, and getting ready to leave. I can’t believe how heavy my suitcase is from all the paperwork! I think I’m going to break it, it’s so heavy! Oh well, I can send it all to the office from Yellowknife. It was colder because it was such a clear, sunny day. The turboprop didn’t have any problems taking off or landing. We landed in Kugluktuk late afternoon. The weirdest part was waiting for our luggage outside. Luggage is off loaded onto a cargo type truck which drives to the luggage area, just beside the terminal, where it is off loaded onto a small, short platform. It was hard pulling the suitcase in the snow packed parking lot. Luckily the rental trucks were within a few yards of the luggage. They were the same trucks we had last time, the only difference was they were running to keep them warm. The trucks are never plugged in at night and somehow they managed to start every morning. The long, winding drive to town took us within feet of the water’s edge many times. Fishing shacks, small boats and even an extra large barbeque, turns out it is used to smoke fish, were all along the white, frozen “beach”. The road was well used, not too slippery but we still drove slower than the “locals”. They drove at breakneck speeds of over 60 km/hr along that road. Signs posted 40km and I drove at 35km/hr that day; my later driving speed is another story. Anyway, we stayed at the Coppermine Inn, a really nice, clean, homey hotel. It is owned by a Manitoban couple who live there. Beautiful hardwood floors, a fireplace complete with fire, and seating area comprise the front foyer area. We were on the second floor and they carried our luggage up the stairs while we removed our footwear and signed in. Apparently there was a big wedding on Saturday and most of the town were going. We thought about crashing the wedding but decided against it. The view from our window was breathtaking and we are right across the road from the RCMP station. We’re on the “bottom” of the hills, or at least on a fairly flat part not too far from the water’s edge. Debra and I drove around getting our bearings before attempting to go it alone. I pointed out a few landmarks, the government offices, the Northern Store, the Co-op, the schools and the main road to the top of the hill. Kugluktuk, or Coppermine, is built on hills and there are no trees around, anywhere. That is what I miss the most, the trees. Anyway, lots of work to do and little time. Take care.
February 9, 2006
It's 8:00 in the morning and I finally have time to write. I’ve been really busy since I heard on Monday at 2:30 pm I am booked on the Tuesday 7:00am flight to Yellowknife!! Yes, a 7:00 in the morning flight!!! Still can't believe it - but I made it. What a whirlwind of an afternoon. Packed, re-packed, tried to put away work in some sort of order, tried to organize the family and tried not to panic. I ended up staying at my Mom’s overnight so I would not have to be on the road at 5:00 in the morning. I am not a morning person and I really could not picture myself even semi-awake at that time of morning. I managed to catch the cab at 6am to the airport. Not much sleep these past few nights. I caught the Jazz flight, more room on a Greyhound bus, to Edmonton. The connecting flight to Yellowknife was delayed for more than 4 hours. Sleeping on the benches is not that bad, especially at First Air area of the terminal. Their benches were rather comfy and I was able to grab a quick nap. The guy a few benches over was softly snoring so I know I wasn’t the only one catching a nap. The winds were really bad, that’s the reason for all the delays. I wasn’t sure we'd get into Yellowknife. The cross winds made for difficult flying but we made it with only a few bumps. Great flying and landing by the pilot. The crew and the airline are the best. As you can tell I really like First Air. I spent the night at the Frasier Towers in Yellowknife. Too tired to do anything but grab a bite, call home and grab some sleep. Off to Cambridge Bay, after a dismal “continental breakfast”. What a joke!! Choice of three cold cereals, “juice” that was more like “Tang”, no hot water for tea, a green banana, white bagels or white bread. Nothing hot!! In such a cold place one would assume there would be something hot to get the day started. The staff said that this was it. Pathetic! Luckily I had tea in my luggage and a few other goodies.
So the adventure continues.... the winds picked up overnight and delayed the flight. I meet my co-worker, Debra, at the airport, just before the flight. The turboprop made it up and through the clouds. It was weird looking down onto a sea of white, fluffy clouds. I sat next to a nice soldier on the flight. He was travelling up north to talk to the officers of the local cadet corp. Once we levelled off the flight was uneventful. The snack was great, as always. The worst part of the flight, besides the turbulence, was someone passed gas, twice! Not normally so bad but in confined spaces it was rather overpowering. We survived. The winds were bad in Cambridge Bay as well. Upon landing I discovered there were no vehicles at the airport for us. I got the shuttle to the Arctic Islands Lodge. Our adventure continues with "no room at the Inn" and space in the “old hotel” nicknamed the dungeon. The old hotel is down by the waterfront, with a bed and dresser in each room. There is a shared washroom on the main and second floors, and one payphone for the entire building. Not the safest place for a couple of women when there is a Trade Show in town. I later found out the mud room door had been kicked in. Not the best place. After much discussion, the manager was found and he was able to help. Several guests decided to stay until their charter left later in the afternoon. Checkout time is noon. We finally got a room just before suppertime. It was hard waiting in the foyer while the rooms were being cleaned. The worst was the guests who had to pack and leave and they were not happy with us. The only good thing was getting vehicles. That mess was sorted out, finally, and we were able to get a Jeep and a huge truck. Debra got the truck; it had better shocks than the Jeep. I remembered the Jeep from my last trip, kind of like an old friend. Anyway, once we got our room, we dropped out bags, grabbed maps and off to work we went. The daylight was fading fast and it was getting harder to see street signs and the road. The winds had not diminished at all later that night when I was trying to locate addresses. My old friend, the Jeep Cherokee, and I ended up in the ditch the first night. Yes, our first night there and I drove into a ditch. I thought it was part of the road. It wasn’t. So of course I tried to drive out but only sank deeper the more I tried. I hiked back to the Inn, called the only towing company in town, hike back to wait. It was really windy out and it was a cold, biting wind. The best part was I wasn’t too far from the Inn so the walk wasn’t too bad. I had dressed for the weather but the wind was bitterly cold. The huge tow truck pulls the little car our and off we go to the office. It was $75.00 for him to wrap a chain around the hitch, drive 10 feet on the icy road, and pull me out. Yes, $75 for all that!! I paid them and he was nice enough not to laugh at me. I still can’t believe I drove into the ditch, I honestly thought it was the road. Anyway the truck driver was from Newfoundland and said it happens to everyone. It would have been more if it was a “tow” but because it was only a “service call” it was only $75. I get back to the Inn, it’s late, it’s cold, the restaurant is closed, the TV is fuzzy and all I want to do is collapse into bed. No luck, I still have a bit of work to do first. I pulled out my kettle and made a wonderful cup of herbal tea, pure heaven, the best part of the day. Debra and I ended up sharing a room. She snores worst than Doug so I wasn't homesick at all. The day ended with a blizzard being forecast for Cambridge Bay area. It will be interesting to see if everyone stays home. What a start to this Northern adventure. Guess this is all for now. Take Care.
February 4, 2006
Happy Year of the Dog! Chinese New Year was January 29th. I forgot to blog on Sunday. I don’t remember much, just the wonderful mild weather. Boys in school, Doug at work and I’m busy working. Stewart likes Cubs but seems to be outgrowing them and is looking forward to going to Scouts in the Fall. Patrick is still curling after school. He seems to be enjoying it, even if his team doesn’t always win every game. I was asked if I wanted to go up North - of course I said yes! When I talked with Nicole (from the office) on Friday I discovered I was leaving on Wednesday to work up North. It’s perfect timing because Doug will be away on Tuesday and I have time to finish work and then pack. I’m going up North again! I am beginning to really enjoy working in the North. Well I had better go and organize life, as much as I can. Take Care.
Saturday January 28, 2006
I knew it was too good to be true! Warm winter weather turned COLD! The coldest it has been all winter at -25C on Sunday. Luckily it did not last more than 24 hours. Still a little chilly out there at -8C and this is turning into the warmest January. Anyway, enough about weather, as great as it is.
The boys are doing well. Patrick wrote his last midterm on Friday. He suddenly realized it was January, not only that but almost the end of January! Somehow he lost track of time, it must of been all that studying. Can you believe that Patrick is as tall as or taller than Grandmom Wilcox? Yes it's true. We were in Gimli on Saturday celebrating Grandpa Wilcox's birthday when Patrick stood up straight and was actually taller than Grandmom! What happened to the little baby I used to carry around everywhere? Hard to believe how fast he is growing. Grandmom noticed his moustache, the shadow is getting darker. He is growing up so fast! Stewart is not far behind, no mustache for awhile. His pants are getting shorter, again, and his clothes are "shrinking". He's getting taller and soon will be like his brother and dad. What is with this? It must be all the love they receive. That and all the food they've been eating! Both of them are learning to cook and are pretty good cooks, just like their dad.
My cough is back. It was gone for about a week but decided to return with a vengeance! The worst part is the reflex coughing that I can't stop. My ribs hurt!! I just want this darn cough to go away and stay away. It sounds and feels like I am going to cough my lungs out. It's horrible and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Well, almost anyone. Speaking of which we now have a minority conservative government. One that was elected with about 35% of the popular vote and without a representative from the major urban centers!!! No surprise Pallister won here, I think they could have a monkey on the ballet and still win. Yes, I do not like not having my voice heard and my vote not count. I had better change the subject before I really start ranting and raving!
Life has been busy but good. Everyone is basically healthy, including me, and doing well in school or work. The weather outside is wonderful, February is just around the corner, seed catalogues are arriving, and Valentine's Day is almost here. Wohoo!! Life is good.
Take Care, until next time.
January 21, 2006
Another week has passed and it's time to blog again. Sunday was a quiet day at home with freezing rain. Waiting for their school bus at 7:40 am on Monday we heard the buses were not running. The boys were happy to have the day off, even if they had to get up early according to Patrick. After a great deal of ice scrapping Doug left for work. I was buried in paperwork that never seemed to end. The boys enjoyed their impromptu holiday. Stewart and I spent a good half hour scrapping the car's windows before I could even drive. We finally managed to create a small ice free window. That ice was thick! After several days of driving, and heating the vehicle, the last of the ice finally melted Thursday. A few of the roads are still covered in ice and ice patches. Skating rink roads are oh so much fun to drive on. I just wish there were fewer, not that I am complaining about this wonderful weather. This has been a really great winter, so mild and sunny. Yes, I'm happy with the winter we've had. Seed catalogues are arriving so winter is on the way out. Beautiful, colourful, fantastic gardens, only in my dreams. The boys each have their own gardens and will be buying flowers as soon as they decide what they want. Both have been busy with school. Patrick had a Language Arts midterm on Friday and next week is Math and Science. Stewart is busy with homework and a book report. We are all basically healthy, just a bit of coughing and sneezing, and happy. Take Care until next time.
Saturday January 14, 2006
Another week has flown by in a blur. I'm still having coughing fits and I can't seem to shake this darn cough. At least I am not sneezing or have a runny nose. Yes, I am sick but I still managed to work. The weather has been absolutely wonderful. I'm Happy Dancing because of the fantastic winter weather - can't seem to stop. Anyway, I should talk about something else besides the great weather. The boys are slowly getting back into their school routine. Patrick should be studying for exams next week but he really only needs to review. Stewart forgot he has music lesson after school. No big deal. It is hard to get back into routine after three weeks of Christmas holidays. One interesting incident sticks out in my mind is the conversation I had with Stewart on the way home from Cubs. He wants to sponsor a child through World Vision and has thought about it for a couple of years. His allowance would cover the monthly payment but he has a hard time keeping his room clean so Doug won(t pay him. I always knew he was a compassionate child but not to this extent. He reminds me so much of Doug. Patrick is almost 14 and continues to grow! He's taller, has a deeper voice and the shadow over his lip is darker. He's even talked about shaving!! My baby can't be ready to shave, not yet! As much as I want him to be a child I know he is turning into a young man. Well I'm off for a walk in this unbelievably beautiful winter day. Until next time, take care and have fun.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Happy Ukrainian Christmas Eve!! I can’t believe it is January already. I missed most of it because Doug was so kind and gave me his cold! January started out with the boys joining us in welcoming in 2006. We played Scrabble and cards. They loved the sparkling cider almost as much as staying up late. The next few days were, and still are, a blur. Thursday and Friday I was in Winnipeg for training which meant I left really, really early – 6:30 AM! It was a bit scary driving in the dark on icy roads in the early morning and then later coming home. I am so happy we are getting more daylight each day. The boys stayed home alone Thursday morning until Doug dropped them off at the library during his lunch. It was hard to let them stay alone and be alone – but I did that and more as a child. Life is so different now with less freedom for the kids, at least my kids. I can remember leaving the house in the morning and not coming back until supper, or the street lights came on, and no one knew where I was. Anyway, like I said it was pretty much a blur with lots of cough, hacking and being sick. I still am coughing but not as often or as bad so I figure I am on the slow road to recovery. The weather has been absolutely fantastic! Single digit weather is great but the thawing and freezing however I could live without. I am waiting for the deep freeze to arrive. I don’t want it but I know its coming. I am so enjoying this warm winter weather. The boys were cross country skiing with Doug Friday afternoon enjoying the beautiful weather. I am going to enjoy it as well so until next time, Take Care.
December 31, 2005
I can't believe it is the last day of the year! This past week has been busy starting with Christmas Eve and ending with New Year’s Eve. Travelling seems to be the theme for December. We popped in to see Brian (bil), Lisa (sil), Daphne (niece) and Jack (nephew). Staying only for a few minutes as they always have Christmas with her family we did not get to see their faces when they opened their gifts. Asking again, we were at least able to see Daphne's expression as she discovered the much wanted Tinkerbell book. At least the boys got a little bit of the joy of Christmas giving. All the other gifts will be opened at her sister’s place on Christmas. Anyway, off to see my Mom and brother for brunch. Mom is doing better than this past summer but she will never be her old self. David was able to join us. Raymond was working and so was Michael. Brunch at Alto's was great. Doug took Grandmom home and the boys and I went to Chapters - surprise it's a bookstore. So began another busy week. It was rather nice to spend Monday at home. What a wonderful day, warm and sunny with happy kids. It was a very nice Christmas. Boxing Day we drove to Gimli for another Christmas. An unusually quiet drive because the boys were busy with their new games and never noticed the long drive. It was really nice to see the Grandparents again; it has been too long since we last visited them. Christmas dinner was as always wonderful. Stewart gets so excited and just loves being Santa handing out gifts. They didn’t want to leave but it was late and time to go. Happy tired kids. The roads were still slippery and treacherous but more so now it was dark and colder out. Wednesday was library and errand running day here. Friday we went in for Dim Sum with Raymond and David. I miss Dim Sum. Stewart had his Spring rolls and Patrick tried a couple of new dumplings. All in all it was a great time. Raymond showed Stewart how to hold chopsticks. For some reason the boys listened to him but not me about how to hold them. Mind you Raymond brought his own Japanese set. They are pointed not blunt so the boys want a set now. After stuffing ourselves and a quick stop at Polo Park it was off home. Doug has had a cold for the past week or so and now it is my turn. I started to feel sick on Wednesday and by Friday I was coughing and sneezing. Not nice of him to pass along his cold. It is hard to concentrate with a runny nose, coughing and generally not feeling good. Tonight is New Year's Eve. Our plans are to stay home with sparkling apple juice and sparklers.
I suppose I should reflect on the past year but I honestly don't feel the need. The boys are healthy, happy and enjoy school and life. Doug is healthy - now his cold is almost gone. Have prosperous New Year. Take Care.
Friday December 23, 2005
Almost Christmas! Busy with last minutes stuff. Patrick made strawberry jam by himself this year as I simply sterilized the jars. It was hard not to jump in and help. He did a wonderful job! Stewart measured, stirred and filled the jars with his Seedless Raspberry Jam. He will soon be making it all by himself. Stewart had to give a short talk about Christmas which included his traditions. I don’t think the teacher believed him about making jam for Christmas but she did once she received her gift. He is so proud of his jams. Patrick is simply happy about them. The boys were finishing up school, getting ready for Christmas, and looking forward to Christmas. Doug is really busy with work trying to get everything done before he goes on holidays. I have been in Winnipeg almost every day this week. Monday was an interview, Tuesday I spent the day with my mom, Wednesday – Winter Solstice - was part 2 of Monday’s interview, Thursday I was home and Friday the boys and I went in. Yes, a busy week. The driving was just a little scary! Fog and ice do not make for the best driving conditions. Weird weather hovering around zero is great to be out in but not on the roads. Driving icy/slushy roads where trucks appear and disappear in the fog slows down everyone, but truckers. Once it Winnipeg we spent a wonderful Friday lunch with Mary, Gregg and Amber and Buddy the dog. It was wonderful. We were laughing so hard I thought Patrick would fall of his chair and Stewart would choke! It was so relaxing during these hectic holidays. We were supposed to go to McNally’s but headed to Future Shop for a “quick peek” instead. I was actually on a mission to find the last gift for each of the boys. What a zoo! Luckily we got in and out without too much fuss. The temperature fell as the day turned to night and slush became ice. I felt so much better once Doug hugged me after the white knuckle driving day. I should go, so take care until next time.
December 2, 2005
Happy Anniversary! Yes, Doug and I celebrated our 20th anniversary this past week. Hard to believe it has been 20 years, it often feels like we were married only yesterday. Reality hits when I drop off Stewart at Cubs and meet Doug and Patrick at school for a meeting. Patrick will be going to the new amalgamated high school in the fall. No comments here about the stupid idea of amalgamating the high school, everyone knows where I stand on that. Anyway, we had a meeting at the school about what might be happening and what courses are required. There are not many options in the first year for Patrick. I’ve been rather busy making last minute jams and starting to get ready for Christmas. Stewart has been counting down the days for a week now. I can’t believe how fast the days have gone by. Stewart has been practicing his carols with the rest of the Cubs and will be performing at the Lion’s Manor next week. He had his last piano lesson for the year and can’t wait to start in the New Year. There has been a lot of homework every night this past week. Did I mention his report card was 83% overall. Yes, I’m proud of him. He worked hard and deserves to be proud. Patrick spent Friday morning at Prince Charles School as part of a French thing. All the grade 8 students were there to get a taste of French and try to get them to continue taking French in high school. According to Patrick it was fun. They, Patrick and friends, had an escargot eating contest. They wanted to see who would eat a snail and then how many in 10 seconds. Patrick had 8, I think. We had lunch before I dropped him off at school. Patrick received 83.5% on his report card. He knew where he was and calculates how much he needs to get the average he wants and then studies just that much. Different people have different styles. I’m proud of him. I’ve bragged enough about the boys. It has been cold here, and I know it will get colder, it always does.
Until next time, take care and stay warm.
November 26, 2005
Don't remember much because I had a really bad headache. Migraines are rather painful. I managed, just barely, to function through most of the week. Beautiful weather - that much I remember. The cross stitch group got together on Monday. It was great to see everyone and what they had stitched. I got to show off a couple of pieces. Stewart loves Cub Scouts and got his homework done in record time. He did not want to miss another meeting. He missed last week's because of the storm. Stewart had quite a bit of homework every night. He had several tests on Friday. Patrick is curling on Tuesdays after school. He really enjoys it. His homework has been heavy several nights, good thing he's not into hockey like some of his classmates. Patrick and Stewart are both doing great in school. Looking forward to the weekend. Stewart starts Level 4 swiming on Saturday. Weather is still great - for November. These single digits are wonderful.
November 16, 2005
Snowed in! Snow storm started Monday and did not stop until Tuesday. Blowing snow made it hard to keep the driveway clear. There was more than 30cm of snow by the end of the storm. Welcome to winter!! The boys had a day off from school but I drove them in on Wednesday. They have Friday off because it is parent/teacher conference day. They haven't been in school much this month.
November 12, 2005
It's blog time again. I don't remember much about this past week other than it was a rather rough time. Sunday started with a bad headache. Monday it was a really bad headache that became a migraine. I still had to try and function, lucky for me I have Doug to help when this happens. The weather has been fantastic! Cold, but still above zero! The boys don't have school on Fridays this month. Last week was a PD Aprofessional development@ day for teachers, this Friday was Rememberance Day and next week is parent/teacher conferences. After 4 day school week it will be a shock to go for 5 days. The Sears Wish Book arrived this week and the boys have started their Wish Lists. I can't believe Christmas is fast approaching. Well that's all for now.
November 4, 2005
This past week has been busy with Daylight Savings, Halloween and Stewart’s tests at school. I’ve been busy with work, no more days off for me, at least for now. Doug has also been busy at work. Stewart loves his music lessons on Thursday after school. He is taking piano but this week he practiced his recorder for another school test. He has always danced to music, even as a baby. Patrick is still playing the trombone at school and enjoys it, but not the practicing in the garage part. He is a teenager, need I say more? Both boys are growing fast. Stewart loves his swimming lessons on Saturday mornings. He’s almost done this set and will be advancing to the next soon.
Halloween was Monday night and Patrick, the tree, gave out candy to the 2, yes two, cars that came. We had about 8 kids this year. Doug took Stewart, the mad scientist, into town trick or treating. He wore a lab coat and had really, really purple hair. He had a great time at school and with his dad. Patrick’s hair was green and he wore green for leaves, and brown pants for the trunk. He was a tree this year. He decided not to trick or treat this year. He enjoyed running around outside in his costume. No homework on Monday but Tuesday was a different story. Stewart missed Cub because he had to study. He is so proud of all the badges he’s earned and is trying to get more. This is his last year in Cubs and he’ll be a Scout next year. The weekend was rather cool but still nice.
October 29, 2005
It is working out that I blog a couple of times a month which is better than monthly. I’m trying to get into the habit of blogging on Fridays. This past week has been busy with wrapping up work and helping the kids with their school work and getting ready for Halloween. It has been rather wet and cold but happily no “s” word, yet! Snow – the “s” word is coming I hope in late November. The boys have school pictures on Wednesday so I guess I will have to change their pictures on the wall. Oh yeah, my BIL Brian and his wife Lisa had a baby boy last week. Jack Justus Wilcox is about 7 weeks early. He weighed about 5lbs. Daphne has a baby brother and the boys have a new cousin.
October 2005 blog.
Well I was supposed to blog weekly, but that hasn’t really worked out too well. I don’t remember much of the first week of October except the SNOW! Yes, snow. We woke up to snow on Wednesday. It started out as just a windy, wet day turned into tiny hail and ended in snow. Reminded me of Halloween past weather. Starting late morning the white stuff started innocently drifting down. When the boys got off the school bus they started a snowball fight to the house. They loved it, laughing and playing together. It did not completely melt until late Friday afternoon. Surprisingly it did not kill the flowers or swiss chard. I remember what I was doing – slicing, dicing, shredding, and drying veggies. We dried swiss chard and finely diced peppers to save room in the freezer for carrots! Actually there is very little room left. It seems the carrots have taken over the freezer.
Thanksgiving weekend and the Grandparents are coming for supper on Sunday. We looked forward to seeing them because we haven’t gotten together for awhile. It was a great fall day. The sun was shinning, Doug was cooking dinner, the house smelled like turkey and the kids were excited. I love when he cooks. He’s a great cook who doesn’t need to follow a recipe, he creates his own. We sent turkey home with the Grandparents when we usually take leftovers home.
Worse part of the weekend was the homework battle with Patrick and the cage battle with Stewart. Patrick put off doing his homework until Sunday afternoon. In the past he would quickly do his homework, now it involves more work. Grade 8 means projects, reports and planning ahead. He, actually WE, are learning how much more time it takes. The other battle was over cleaning the hamster cages. Stewart has 2 cages for Mr. Squigglesworth, his hamster, and it takes a long time to clean. After taking with the “pet guy” who owns the local pet store, he now has only one cage to clean. This is faster and easier to do.
This was the week of doctor and lab appointments for me. I’m fine, just regular check-up stuff. I was in Winnipeg for an appointment and was able to visit with my mom and take her to get new glasses. They should be ready before the end of the month. She is doing better and the medication seems to be stabilized. Her colour is much better and her voice is stronger and not so shaky. It was a short visit because I had to get back in time to take Stewart to his music lesson.
October 20, 2005
What a week and it’s not done! My first Saturday off without any work to do, I mean Stats work to do. The calm before “the busy”. I start work Sunday. Doug leaves Monday morning for a four day conference in Vancouver. Patrick missed school because he went to the bathroom, got medicine and went back to sleep. He snored, I mean slept, Monday away. Tuesday he ate, slept, got medicine, slept, ate, ate some more and slept. I drove him to school Wednesday afternoon, just in time to collect homework. The cold is in his throat and nose now and not in his chest. I was worried it would go into his chest. Luckily Stewart and I are still symptom free, for now.
Brian, my BIL, just celebrated his 39th birthday on Monday. Grandmom Wilcox called Wednesday evening about my SIL, Lisa. Her water broke and she is not due until the beginning of December. She had to stay in the hospital – bed rest. Daphne, their daughter, is in Kindergarten in the mornings and has all Lisa’s family to help take care of her. They live in Winnipeg, we live in Portage and the Grandparents live in Gimli. We are all hoping she and the baby will be ok.
September 2005 Blog
Well it’s that time of month again - time to blog. It has not worked out, I guess I talk too much and it becomes really, really long. I have decided to try a weekly blog on Fridays or Saturdays. So here goes for September 2005.
The first week of September was just a little hectic. An opportunity for me to go up north came up and I took it. Originally I was to leave on Wednesday, the first day of school for the boys, but a last minute change meant I was leaving on Labour Day. It was a little frantic getting everyone ready with last minute shopping, school supplies and packing. Not to mention the garden was ready to be harvested. I was hoping it would be all done by the time I got back - no luck.
I met two wonderful co-workers at the airport. Ellen is from Winnipeg and Sheri is from Oakbank, outside of Winnipeg. This Jazz flight was better than my last one and did not shake, rattle and feel like it was falling apart. We arrived in Edmonton about 11:00pm, Manitoba time. We caught the 7am flight to Yellowknife, which is 6am Manitoba time. Yes, 6 o’clock in the morning flight. Yes, I made it. Yes, I didn’t forget anything and no, I did not get enough tea. I'm not a morning person to begin with so these early mornings are not my favourite. We met our other co-worker Maureen, from Vancouver, on that really early morning flight. We all like First Air Airlines; they are roomier, friendlier and serve much better meals then any other airline I know. Anyway, we landed just around lunchtime to beautiful, sunny day in Kugluktuk. After a quick tour of town to get our bearings we set off to work. “Kug” was known as Coppermine and is built on a hill. I soon found out its harder walking up hill than down.
One amazing thing was all the 4-wheelers (ATVs) in town, and everyone drove them, even grandmothers. People walk everywhere and even up the hill. One sunny day all the kids, so it seemed, were playing on the hills. Just running up and down and scrambling over the bare rocks. It was so amazing to watch. It looked effortless and it was for them. Smiles, everyone smiles and is so friendly. Streets have Inuit names like Tuktu, which means caribou I think. All the dogs stay outside all year round and are tied up. There were no loose dogs anywhere. Food is REALLY expensive. An apple is dollar. Yes a dollar for an apple that fits in the palm of your hand! The only “fast food” outlet was inside the Co-op. A small place where you can get fries, chicken or shrimp - all deep fried. The weather was a little chilly and fogged over on the last few days. We were worried we might no be able to leave on Friday for Cambridge Bay. It did clear enough for us to leave so off we flew to Cambridge Bay via Yellowknife.
We arrived in Cambridge Bay to a beautiful sunny, crisp afternoon. We noticed giant golf balls from the airport. As we drove into town the huge white domes in the distance turned out to be the DEW Line domes. Cambridge Bay is a larger community than "Kug" and more spread out. Again we dropped our bags, took a quick tour of town to get our bearings. It was too late to start work but we co-coordinated who got the vehicle and when. All the buildings are on stilts because of the permafrost. Everyone has a “mudroom” where you take off your shoes before you go into the house. Good thing my socks did not have any holes in them. Trucks and cars are more prevalent in Cambridge Bay. Just like Kugluktuk, everyone walks everywhere and the high school is next to the elementary, sharing the same schoolyard. This makes it easier for the older siblings to drop off the younger ones on the way to school. A major difference was Cambridge Bay's old air raid type siren. It goes off at "high noon" and 10:00 pm for "curfew" and takes getting used to. All communities have a Northern Store similar to the old fashioned General Store and often the only place to shop. Selling everything from apples, to clothes to housewares to fishing/hunting equipment to tools it’s a fascinating place to explore. There was a small Pizza Hut/KFC and video outlet next to the local Northern Store and even a restaurant in the hotel. We stayed at the Green Row Suites which are like a two bedroom apartments. On Sunday Ellen and Sheri cooked a fantastic pasta supper. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal, especially since I didn’t cook it. Maureen and I returned the favour a few nights later with a stir fry. The best part is getting together with co-workers, ok so the food comes in a very close second. It was sunny the first few days there but it snowed the second or third day and never really left. Not nice to wake up to the white stuff, in September! The weirdest thing was - no trees, no bushes, no scrub, nothing but beautiful Tundra. Actually the weirdest thing was the time we lost each day. We “lost” daylight, I think about 7 minutes, every day. We finished up in time to catch an earlier flight home that left Thursday after lunch. It was a direct flight to Edmonton where we stayed overnight. I was so happy not to have to scramble to catch a 6AM flight. We left Edmonton about 9:30am arriving in Winnipeg about lunchtime on Friday. I surprised the boys when they got off the school bus to find me home waiting for them. It was wonderful to hug them and listen to them, both at the same time, telling me about their day. I missed them.
Jumped into work the next day, getting organized and making sure all the paperwork was completed for the trip. Not transmitting caused problems but once the northern data was removed by the wonderful techs in Edmonton it was off to work for me. Any “spare time” was garden time with carrots, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, swiss chard and more carrots and more peppers calling me. I vaguely remember the mountain of carrots and peppers, I do remember cleaning, slicing, dicing and shredding carrots, more carrots and yet more carrots. Open the freezer and you see orange! Yes, we had a bumper crop of carrots. The peppers, red and yellow, also did very well. We dried down the swiss chard - it was just easier that way. So ends September, the boys started school, leaves started turning colour and the hummingbirds left while I was up north.
Some photos from my trip are at Wanda's Northern Trip .
August 2005 Blog
I have decided to try to summarize what happens each month rather than weekly or daily entries. So here goes.
I cannot believe how fast the summer has just flown by. It seems like yesterday I was wondering if we would ever get summer because of all the rain.
Stewart finished his last week of Kinetics Summer Science camp with an ice cream birthday cake. He did not know I was going to bring it for lunch and I was able to surprise him. The instructors knew but he didn't. It was great, everyone sang Happy Birthday to him as he tried to hide his face. Doug, Stewart and I left after camp to meet Grandmom Wilcox in Winnipeg. He was going to stay with them for a few days. There were no kids at all in the house for the weekend - how bizarre! It was very strange not having at least one child home. Anyway, it was great "us" time. We picked up Stewart on Monday (his actual birthday) in Winnipeg. We met the Grandparents and Uncle Brian, Aunt Lisa and Cousin Daphne at Boston Pizza (his favourite) for supper. The waiters and waitresses helped sign "happy Birthday" to him. He was so happy. It had been a great weekend and birthday. Garage sale-ing with Grandmom and finding an original "Furby" was equally as great as golfing with Grandpa. The Boston Pizza birthday get together came in second. Very excited and happy kid who could not wait to get home so he could open more presents!
Patrick left for Camp Stephens on Monday at 7:00 am from the South YMCA. The two of us had stayed overnight at Grandmom Bosek's. She is doing better but is still very ill. It is hard to see her so sick and not be able to do anything for her. Anyway, Patrick had a rough night because he was so excited about camp. I was able to hug him goodbye but no kisses. I was going to make a scene but he asked me not to. I was tired, anxious and scared when I said goodbye and drove home. I knew he was going to be OK but still as a mother I worried. Upon his return on the 12th I discovered he had been on the 10 day canoe trip! I thought he was safely frolicking on dry land at the camp but OH NO he was out in the bush camping and paddling a canoe! He had never paddled a canoe before in his life and here he is paddling "from sun up to sundown". No wonder I did not recognize him when he got back! He was tanned (front side only) burnt, happy, blistered, really, really stinky and grinning from ear to ear. His first words were "it was AWESOME!!!!" and "I want to go next year". So I guess he had a good time. He talked non-stop about "quad pod", portaging, almost getting lost, eating nothing but oatmeal, the great guys he was with, the friendships, the fun, using moss for toilet paper and much much more. He managed to tell some stories between inhaling "real food" on the drive home. He was so ecstatic and beaming with happiness that my initial shock evaporated. My baby had grown up in Lake-of-the-Woods wilderness. We heard many more stories about his adventure in the weeks that followed. There was the time the skunk wandered into camp and started to eat their sausages. The time they didn't really “get lost" because the trail had changed - someone built a cottage on their route. Once they “only went 5 kilometres battling 5 foot high waves in a 2 foot high canoe” and the next day they did 20 kilometres. Oh yeah, then there was the time the guys (Patrick, 2 counsellors and 6 other guys) met up with the girls and they all went to one of the girl's parents place and had hotdogs and pop! That was during the last few days. Oh the stories! He had an unbelievable and unforgettable time at Camp Stephen. Looking back it is hard not to laugh at the sorry looking, reeking 13 yr old inhaling food while trying to tell us how "AWESOME" camp was between mouthfuls of "real food".
The family went camping at Spruce Woods Provincial Park for several days. The first night there we had a raccoon visit our campsite. It was looking for food but we had locked it in the vehicle. The second day there we went on a guided hike of the Spirit Sands. The hike was about an hour and half. Hiking the Spirit Sands, Manitoba's desert, was unexpectedly fun. It was a warm and slightly windy day, just perfect for the hike. The view from the top was breathtaking. Stewart loved running up and down the sand dune at the rest stop. He enjoyed rolling down the side of a rather large dune and never seemed to get tired. The happy hikers checked out the "fort" near the beach area at the campsite. The boys paddled around in a two-seater paddle boat. Miniature golf was next. My score wasn't that good. Stewart had more practice playing with Grandpa so he did better. Ice cream then back to the campsite. Long day but Stewart still had enough energy to help some kids did a giant hole in a mountain of sand. He really loved digging in the sand and the hole was as tall as he is. The boys and Doug tried to check out the stars but the clouds moved in so they packed up the telescope. Unfortunately, our camping experience was cut short by the rain. It started in the early morning with a slight drizzle and continued to get worse closer to 6:30 am. We packed up during a lull in the storm. It was an adventure trying to stay somewhat dry while taking down a very wet tent. As we left the Spruce Woods it started to pour. Good thing we were on our way home. It rained for another day.
We had planned on going down to the States to Minot for a couple of days via the "Wind Farm" at St. Leon and the Peace Gardens. Upon arriving at the border the Canadian Customs informed us that we may not get back because we did not have photo id or birth certificates for the boys. We could not prove that they were ours. Rather than attempt it we checked out the Peace Gardens. The afternoon was spent walking around in the States and Canada. Stewart hopped back and forth between Canada and the States, laughing all the time. What a warm, wonderful afternoon. Driving back we stopped at the "Reptile Gardens" near Brandon. It was late evening but it was still open. There were snakes, turtles, crocodiles, alligators, spiders and lizards. What a fascinating place! The boys wanted to stay longer.
August is major birthday milestone month, particularly this year. Stewart turned 10, Great-Grandmother Mary Wilcox turned 90, Grandmom Bosek turned 65 and my friend, who shall remain nameless (for now) turned 45. It was nice to see Aunt Rayleen and Uncle Ron, Great-Aunt Kay and Aunt Barbara, Uncle Don who is visiting from Edmonton and the Grandparents. It was a nice visit sitting outside in the warm sunshine. My brothers, well 2 of them, met us at Perkins in Winnipeg for lunch to celebrate my mom's 65th birthday. It was a quite celebration with family, just what she wanted. She was feeling better that day.
Since it is the end of August it was time to pick up a few school supplies. The hardest thing is trying to get Stewart out of shorts and sandals. No, the hardest thing will be to get Patrick up in time for the school bus - no more sleeping in for him. A new year begins - the school year.
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