Blogging day 2

This day included......

- Going to church in Estevan this morning. Not so strange except for the fact that I was in the "crowd" and not "up front".  I think this is only the 2nd time in 22 years that we have been here on a Sunday morning when I was not preaching.  Normally we try to be away on Sundays I am off.  It was sort of a weird experience.... like coming home and finding out that a whole different family has moved into your house while you were gone. Someone else is sitting in your chair... watching your TV.... eating your chips (well... we don't have "chips" at church.... but you get the point).  It was strange.... a nice break.... but strange none-the-less.

- Going on a sleigh ride in the valley thanks to Richard and Isabel.  They invited us down - hitched up the horses - provided supper..... very nice!

- Going to the Bruins/Red Wings game.... unfortunately the Bruins forgot to show up.  Fun seeing people at the rink.

- Coming home to company.  Melanie was over visiting with Sari.

-  The continuation of our winter Scrabble tournament.  I will fill you in on the details of this event some other day (and - believe it or not - it is quite eventful).

And, lastly, your music selection of the day...... for no reason at all, I started singing this song today (What can I tell you?  I was raised listening to country music).  I think I last heard it about 30 years ago and I am not too sure that it stood the test of time. 

If this is a new song to you, hang on until the end (it gets somewhat better).  And please leave a comment to let me know whether you have ever heard this song before or not..... I am just curious to see who else has had the "pleasure" of hearing this song.  If it has never been stuck in your head before.... it will be soon.   :)

Ok - that is it for tonight.  More details tomorrow - too late right now.  G'night.

A Bonus Post

This song came out several years ago, but I heard it again today and was reminded how much I really like it.

I am not sure I have words to describe Allison Krauss' voice.  Even live she makes this stuff look so easy.  Amazing!  Enjoy!  :)

Thirty Blogs in about thirty days (Again)

In an effort to make me blog (and thereby single-handedly save blogs from extinction... since so many are abandoning theirs) I am attempting to post something on here on a consistent basis for the next month or so (give or take.... it is the holidays after all). 

So get us started - a recap of a few of the events of the past few days......

- Christmas:  We had a lovely time in Dauphin.  Lots of food.... lots of relaxing.... lots of good traditions (sleigh rides).... a little too cold to go sledding but it was nice all the same.  Maybe about a day or two too short, but very nice.

- Since coming home we have done..... nothing.  Well, that is not totally true.  I did fix my snowblower (for $5 in parts) and I bought a new block heater for my truck (Not installed yet).  Katie's boyfriend is in town for the week, so we are sort of just hanging out and it has been fun.  Usually I hate being at home over holidays (I only have 6 weeks a year to be away from Estevan, right, so why would I want to be here?) but it has been good.  We have stayed up too late... slept in a lot.... we have been reading.... and we went sledding today (I will post pics of that sometime in the next few days.... lets just say though that I don't remember sledding hurting this much when I was just a little younger).

- Sari and I have been playing Scrabble the last couple of nights..... our annual winter tournament.  I would post the score to date but I have the sneaking suspicion that Sari threw a game in there.... I was getting mad (or "pouting" as some would call it) at some of the bogus words she was playing.... and suddenly she went in the tank and I was leading.  So either she stopped cheating and then could not keep up.... or she tossed the game so that I would be happy.  Either way.... I won so...... :)

- Here are a couple of pics just for fun. 

- Definitely not one of the "Wise Men".... (In fact, I think he misses on both counts... neither a "man" nor....) :)

-  Not sure who took this.... but I like it

- Sari with some of her Christmas stuff

 - The girls demonstrating what we have done most of the week (More accurately if they had about 12 pounds of food stuffed into their faces)  

- Evidence of a chilly winter's walk in the outback

- Snowshoeing is always popular

 - And, finally, as always, we live with blessings and .......

And I "hope" that someone still reads this thing and will come back for the next 30 days or so.  :)

Sleigh Bells Ring

We just returned from a sleigh ride near Riding Mountain National Park.... two huge Belgium horses.... - 25 Celsius..... sunny, beautiful, cold day.... coffee place afterwards...... very fun!  Will post pictures later. 

Christmas Vacation movie soon.... "Twinkle tour" (looking at Christmas lights).... black and white "A Christmas Carol" after that (the last two are Pippus family traditions).

Merry Christmas everyone!

Yikers! Holidays are coming right??????

I need a quick brain break, so I decided that I would update you on our week so far......

- Saturday night Megan was babysitting so she missed out, but Katie and Sari and I went to an "Estevan Acappella Singers" concert.  It was held at the Catholic church building and it was really nice.  Christmas music, candlelight.... very nice evening.

- Sunday we had church and then our farewell to Paul and Crystal Quilliams.  That was hard on me b/c I do a lot with Paul (Motorcycles, squash, Grey Cup parties, etc, etc) so that was an afternoon of laughter and tears.

- After that  was over, we went to a friend's house for his "39th Birthday party".   Very fun!  Saw some people that we know from town.... met some new people.... ate snacks.... what could be better?  :)

- From there we went to the "Rotary Carol Festival" to watch the girls sing with their group from the Comp.  Again a very nice night.... followed by a visit with some other friends at "Cold Stone".   (So essentially - except for a few minutes in between things - we left home at 9:30 am and did not return until 10:30 pm)

-  On Friday I also got a call to say that one of our church members, Ray Smith, had passed away.  His  funeral is on Thursday and so my week of nothing (I had planned a free week before Christmas holidays to read and plan for the new year) has gone up in smoke.  One very nice thing:  their son John (Scrawney to most of you) preaches in Red Deer and so he has been through the funeral thing many times.  Meaning.....  by the time I showed up to meet with the family Monday morning, he had everything organized (Pallbearers in place.... songs chosen.... readings selected.... called those he wanted to have help.  It was great!)  So I am in the middle of organizing the last details and writing the funeral lesson (hence the need for a break).   It will be a "good funeral" (if there is such a thing).  Ray was a God honouring person about whom there is much good to say..... so it will be a matter of trying to cut down the material not add to it. I am honoured to be part of the process of saying goodbye to him.... it is just that we have a lot going on.    (Side note:  Please, please, please.... live a good life.... if for no other reason than it makes your funeral way easier for you preacher!   I have done some where we were scraping the bottom of the barrel to get something good to say..."Well - he never wore stripes and polka dots at the same time"..... that sort of thing).

-  Then my truck died.  Every time a funeral comes along, my truck dies.   Once I was supposed to be at the funeral home for a viewing and to meet the family and I laying under the back of the truck re-wiring the brake lights b/c they had quit working.   This time it would not start.   What I thought was going to be a 5 minute fix turned into a three hour fight last night and another few minutes today..... but all is well (other than my scraped knuckles.... and my attitude).   Maybe people need to quit having funerals..... or maybe I need a better truck!  

- On top of all this, we are trying to get presents wrapped for our early family Christmas on Friday and then get packed up to go away for a few days.  Again our relaxing week sort of blew up.   Sari had an event at school dropped in her lap when the lady planning it got sick..... it has been quite a week.

So - needless to say - if we survive until the holidays, we may just curl up in a ball and sleep the whole thing away.

It can't come too soon!!!!

A song for you

A song from one of the "Huron Carol" performers.  Her name is Sarah Slean.  I like the sound and the message of this song.... give it a listen.

The Huron Carole

 

For more than 20 years, Tom Jackson has been gathering up Canadian talent and crossing the country in the month of December to raise money for local food banks.  The project is called "The Huron Carole".

A few years ago, the "Carole" hit Dauphin and Sari's parents went to see it.  They liked it so much that tehy bought us a CD which we have played so much that we have about worn it out (if that were possible with a CD).

Last night, the "Carole" came to Estevan.... and it was great!  What a nice night! 

The concert was supposed to be held at the rink but they did not sell enough tickets so they moved it to a smaller venue (the Church of God).  To compensate those who paid the higher ticket price for the arena concert, the organizers set up a "meet and greet" prior to the concert,   We were going to skip it, but am I ever glad that we didn't as that was one of the most interesting parts of the evening.  Some observations.......

1.  Tom Jackson is huge!!!   Like tall..... like super tall!!!   I would give money to the food bank just because he told me to .... "Ummm - sure I want to donate Mr. Jackson!  Will all my life savings be enough?????  Want me to go beat someone up and steal their money and donate it too???  Whatever you want....."  :)

2.  I need to learn to shake hands like Tom..... it was really weird!  He is one of those guys who doesn't just say "hey" and go on..... he takes your hand in both of his and looks you in the eye.... in other contexts or from other people that may seem really creepy..... but not in this case.  He treated everyone as if they were the most important person on earth.  As I said, I need to make a note of that (not the two handed shake part necessarily - but the "most important person" part).  It was cool!

3.  Susan Aglukark is very classy.  I really liked her.  She seems like someone I would like to have coffee with.... it bet she has some interesting stories to tell. I think she liked me too because after she sang she came and sat right beside me (or right beside the sound board to hear how things were sounding.... one or the other.... either way - she came and sat right beside me) 

 4.  Matt Dusk (a Michael Buble-ish sort of singer) had great hair.... as you can see here......


When he came in, the girls commented on it and one of the ladies at our table (the wife of one of the teachers at the comp) thought they really liked him - so she made them get a picture with him.  I was too funny!  The girls were so embarrassed - which does not happen that often.  I will post the pictures when we get them.

5.  I was super impressed with a singer named Sarah Slean.  She came and sat with us and she was funny and engaging... really nice.  I had never heard of her before but she was nominated for a Juno in 2003 as "New artist of the Year" .  I really liked her voice too.... you should check her out (You can find her web site here).

Anyway, it was just a fun and fulfilling night.  The tour is still on... they are in S'toon tonight (Dec 7th), Regina tomorrow Dec 9th) and heading west (Check tour dates here).  Tom Jackson has raised millions for food banks over the years and it was nice just to be part of his night and supporting his good idea.

A night out with family and friends.... good music.... and a good cause.  What could be better than that?  :)

I May be a Hero!!!

As part of our recent family trip to Minot, we took the kids to the movie "Lincoln".  I really liked it.  It was no "James Bond" (not many car chases in Lincoln's day I guess), but if you like good dialogue (the script must have been 2 1/2 miles long there was so much talking) and a movie that will teach you something (which I do) it was great!

In fact, it inspired me to do something.  Lots of times I see a show like that and think, "Wow!  He really made a difference in his world" but then I do nothing about my own life.  This time it was going to be different.

Late that night, after the girls were asleep, I got up and snuck over to their various coat pockets and purses.... and I found all the American money that was being held hostage by them and I announced, "I am here to set you free!"  It was my own little "Monetary Emancipation Act".

Actually, come to think of it, it was more of a "Schindler's List" sort of thing because I not only proclaimed freedom for the money.... I actually hid some of it way in my own wallet!! 

Now, I knew that was a huge risk, because if the girls (Sari in particular) realized all the money was all gone, there would be big trouble!!!   They have credit cards, ya know???!!!!

Nevertheless, I proceeded.  Each night I would sneak out and free some more money and in the morning when they would ask if I knew where it had gone I would say "NO!  MONEY???  WHAT MONEY???  I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MONEY IS!!!!"  I was scared because I knew that they knew the truth, but I did not buckle!!!  Even when Sari stared me straight in the eye and said, "Where is the cash?" I did not flinch! 

Sadly, I will acknowledge the deception in the denial, but sometimes a moral cause requires a bending of the truth for the greater good.

Anyway, unlike Lincoln.....  Spoiler warning:  He ends up getting shot! (I thought I could tell you that since it happened like 150 years ago and you have probably heard)... my story has a happy ending.  Not only was I able to avoid getting shot, but I was able to sneak several ten and twenty dollar bills (along with the odd fifty) back across the border and to safety! 

Now they will be free to return to their rightful homeland..... a web site specializing in Motorcycle parts and gear where they (and I) will live happily ever after.  :)

I wonder if they will mail my "Congressional metal of Honor" across the border to me or if I will have to go and pick it up.  :)
_________
Ok - the real story.... we had a nice two and a half day get away in Minot.  Mostly Christmas shopping where I shopped for Sari and she shopped for the rest of the entire world (We believe in sharing household duties like this).  I tease the girls and Sari about money but they are somehow both frugal and generous at the same time.... picking nice things for friends and family without totally bankrupting us...  Which is always nice!   :)  

We did go to Lincoln.... if you like history you should go see it.  We ate out and swam and relaxed and just had a really nice time.  Oddly enough, I was ready to go back to the mall one more time, but the others were all shopped out (Katie later explained that if she had been shopping for herself she could have kept going, but since it was for others..... meh!  I knew what she meant but it still sounded funny!)  :)

Anyway, one more day would have been perfect, but it was a nice "pre-holiday push" get-away.  Fun to hang out and visit and laugh and do funny accents and people watch and look at books in Barnes and Noble and stay up too late and sleep in too long.  All in all - perfect!  :)