Inside the Saskatchewan Legislative Building

 A bust of Tommy Douglas, revered by the people of Saskatchewan for fighting the fear and ignorance that opposed universal healthcare and bringing it, in spite of furious objection by fools, to the province. The federal government followed suit not long after, and the rest is history: medical care is now provided to every citizen of Canada, and not just to those who can afford it.

I had dropped my camera in the snow just minutes before; note the fuzzy blobs on some photos. They wouldn't have been great pics anyway, but let me tell you, that place is awe-inspiring, as I suppose it was meant to be.

The Feedjit gadget at the bottom of this page is kept because occasionally it brings a link to a wonderful new blog, and because you never know what kind of Google search will bring people to you. Here's one from the last 24 hours:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania arrived from google.com on "Back at Golden Grain Farm: July 2009" by searching for dads buttcrack always showing.

Queen City

Sundogs near Wadena

We were on the way to town on Sunday to take Emil back to Aylesbury House, and I had to stop at the highway and try to get a photo of these sundogs. I had never before seen them touching the ground, or so tall. This isn't a great pic, but ...

The next morning I hopped on a Saskatchewan Transportation Company bus and headed off to Regina.     Road reports in the winter often stress that highways around that city are in bad shape due to blowing snow and poor visibility and ice, and come with warnings not to drive there if you have a choice. The forecast was for quite a bit of snow and a dip in temperature, so I avoided the anxiety that comes with all that, plus city traffic that I'm no longer accustomed to driving in.

The three-and-a-half hour trip turned out to be quite pleasant. There were only a few of us on the bus, the landscape viewed through its large windows was lovely, and I had a book along. What's not to love? Except maybe the extremely out-of-shape gentleman a few rows behind me who sounded like he might cough up a lung or two at any moment, along with the garlic sausage he apparently ate for breakfast. I prayed I wouldn't be called upon to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

When we pulled into the bus depot  in Regina I decided to walk to the hotel where I was to meet my friend Cathy. It was only two or three miles, and since I'd be missing my exercise for several days this seemed like a perfect opportunity to fit it in. And it was — there were some lovely old buildings along the route, and it wasn't all that cold out — but as the traffic was heavy, the sidewalks were icy, and my backpack began to weigh a ton after the first mile, I was beat by the time I got there. Nevertheless it meant I'd spend the next couple days without feeling I "should" get out walking. I could just focus on spending time with Cathy, and that's exactly what I did.

We spent the first morning and half the afternoon just talking over a long, leisurely breakfast. Then we headed off in Cathy's car over the snowy roads of Regina, with two thoughts: visit the Natural History Museum, and follow our noses after that. The city was absolutely beautiful, with its many old buildings and variety of architectural features, all covered with a thick padding of fluffy white snow and hoarfrost. We missed the entryway to the museum, and turned into the legislature grounds to double back, but the impressive Legislature Building (the largest legislative building in the country, according to The Canadian Encyclopedia) drew us in.

A statue of Queen Elizabeth II and her horse is across from the entrance.

I hadn't been in the building since a school field trip. We couldn't resist.

But more later. It's time to get back to work here at my desk. I had a fine time, but it's good to be home, too.

Long Distance Log-In

Take a walk with Ralph.

So you thought you were rid of me for three days?
Bwa ha ha!
It occurred to me I could use the scheduling feature. Why not give it a try?
So here I am. Was. Whatever. I'm not really here. I'm prepping this Sunday night when I should be getting to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day.

The video above was taken by Ralph Goff at his farm somewhere in Saskatchewan. A link to his blog, Mindless Ramblings, is also in my blog list at the bottom of this page.

Sing Amongst Yourselves

Made me sing along – another of my criteria for inclusion, apparently.

 These are the ones I watched all the way through. Many I'm not putting here are perfectly fine as far as the music goes, but the quality of the video is horrid in one way or another. Others just don't hold my interest. While all of these ... have something ... that keeps me. Or several things.  

I like this one of somebody's Aunt Donna and Uncle Harold:

It pays to be persistent! I've now explored 18 YouTube pages and tomorrow I'm buggering off to Regina for three days, so I leave you with these. I am so kind. You don't know how fortunate you are. Imagine if the only Beautiful Star of Bethlehem you heard was the Judds' version. Lovely as it is, we need variety.

I shall be lounging about the city with some friends from high school days. You know -- the good old ones. The ones you couldn't pay me to do over unless I could know then what I know now. Without having to experience pregnancy or childbirth again. Thank god that's over. 

See you back here on Thursday. 

If Only Winter in Saskatchewan Were Always Like This

Bet you thought you were getting away without the Christmas song, didn't ya?

Ha!

This one I've kept for the bass run, which I might play on my bass guitar:

I guess it's obvious by now that I am partial to that old-time style. And the bluegrass. And the piano.
I did find three more Youtube videos for you too -- aren't you the luckiest, ever? But hold your horses, they'll follow in the days to come.

No Words Comfort

The radio wasn't on at my house today, but I heard the news when I drove to town to pick Emil up for the weekend.

It's been a fine day here ... the air's been soft, the snow sparkling, the chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatch all came to see me close-up when I refilled the feeders, and the cats have been stretching their legs out in the snow.

There is so much beauty in this world in spite of the unbearable ugliness we so often hear of. The news was a ghastly reminder that violent insanity exists and so goddamn often has its sickening way with the innocent.

We arrived home after the sun set but not before a slim curve of shining moon had been pinned to a pink and blue sky.

Little Sweetheart

On your behalf, I have been through another half-dozen YouTube pages of Beautiful Star of Bethlehem performances, and been unable to find one I wanted to listen to until the end. Sometimes it's just poor recording quality. Other times, it's ... well ... what are people thinking? What I mean is, why do they want it filmed? And why do they want to do it in front of others?

I've just slogged through 5 hours of toil in the workaday world and it's nearly 3:30, well past time a girl needs to get some fresh air and Vitamin D. So out I go.

Wadena Librarian

A lovely girl, but she wouldn't sing Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.

That Darn Star Again

For two voices ... Karen! Oh, Karen! Get over here!

You people are so darn lucky to have me picking and choosing all the best Beautiful Star performances for you. Sure, go ahead: thank me. Send flowers. Whatever. I've already slogged through 10 pages of YouTube and show no sign of slowing down. And no I'm not going to put The Judds up; theirs is the first video that comes up if you go looking, so you don't need to see it here.

Actually that sister of mine won't sing with me unless I'll do it on stage, and I won't, but I keep telling her that if we sang together in our living rooms long enough perhaps one day I'd get all diva-fied and be willing to get up there.

Ha!
Can't see it. There is no fun in that, and I'm all about the fun.
Now, in the living room is a different story.

Now Pretend You're in a Bar

While you're listening, if you haven't been here before, take a tour around the shack:

My favourite place on a sunny afternoon

You see we are "blanket rich," as Cathy said when she was here

The spare room, where Emil sleeps when he comes out, because ...

... he can't get onto the office bed; yes I have more putting-away to do, and still haven't set up the new printer.

To clear out a shelving cabinet for Scott's paperwork, I emptied it of all my journals. They start in 1975 and, where I've dipped in, contain teenage ranting, handwritten letters from Mom and others, thankyou notes, photos and more.

Pretend You're in Church

I like their simple CD cover.

Does this guy remind you of Mr Rogers?

I never watched Mr Rogers so maybe I'm imagining things.

SSSomebody SSStop Me

Not out of bed yet, but already reading

You deserve a break from well digging and that Christmas carol that has been in the air around me all week.
You may deserve it, but what else have I got for you?
Quite a lineup of Beautiful Star videos from YouTube. You're welcome.
And a whole roster of photos of trenching between the house and the new well. They've already bored me.
Hm.

Watching the birds at breakfast time

Well I just can't help myself. There's only so many days till Christmas, after all, if you're counting down:

Earworm

This girl's got voice.

Since my "Star of Bethlehem" rampage — which continues — you'll have to put up with it, that's all — I do, much as I begin to wish it would go away. Anyhoo, I'm online listening to all kinds of performances of this song on YouTube, and let's face it, there are quite a few I'm not listening to for long. 

What is it about a performance that catches your attention and holds it all the way through? 

There are many that just don't do it. They are earnest enough and people can carry a tune, but ... I can live without 'em. Then there are these others that I can't click away from.

Like this one. Here is Theda Shirley in Clinton, Mississippi; she rocks it old-time style:

I have listened to this song dozens of times now and still couldn’t sing all the words.

When Eli Barsi and her band played it on Sunday afternoon, I thought "Oh Christ with the Christmas carols. Already!"

And now I can't stop singing this one. Oh, not the whole thing! Pfft. Just bits and parts from here and there. 

O Beautiful Star

The melody of this song wouldn't get out of my head this morning, but I had to phone Karen and sing a bit of it to find out what it was. We heard it at the Eli Barsi concert on Sunday afternoon.

I went looking for it on Youtube to hear the bass line, and after listening to The Judds sing it, I carried on. And have been stuck here at the computer. I can't stop!

This guy reminds me so much of Uncle Bob, seen seated in the photo above. Minus the philosophizing, of course; it's the voice. (Click on the link, Reta!)

Uncle Bob usually played his guitar after our family meals, and Mom (in the red sweater there) always sang and taught songs to the kids. Here she seems to have my cousins Gerald and Karla dancing.

Of course, I couldn't stop there. I found some other pretty good stuff.

The Greenes did a beautiful job of it at the Christian Heritage Church in Graniteville, SC, back in 2008:

BustedBenz shares his piano version:

And now, I really have to get my ass out of this chair and get dressed. But it's hard to drag myself away!

Here's a sweet little girl singing it:

Julia at Bluegrass Jam

Here's What You Missed Yesterday, Dad

I would've liked your company at the beginning of my walk.

After listening to the well-drilling behind my office window for hours, I needed the break.

My walk is the best part of the day.

Even though I have to force myself out, sometimes.

The title:

Dad has driven from his home in Kelowna, BC, down to Phoenix, Ariz., where he has been basking in 80F weather and golfing every day. He doesn't like cold weather at all; I'm teasing him. He soldiered through enough Saskatchewan winters that you'd never convince him he's missing a thing.

Emil phones his grandpa fairly regularly and usually I hear him say "I wish you lived here so I could see you more often." Alas, he is bound to be disappointed.

So I tease Dad.
"When you are old and crotchety, you can come and live with me."

Dad:
"That'll be the god damn day!"

We laugh, but we're both serious.

Well Well Well

Coffee was set on my bedside table at 7 a.m. with an announcement: "They'll be here at 8 to drill the new well." There was time to lie there in the quiet dark for an hour, texting back and forth with Shelly, Miss Early Riser If Ever There Was One.

Sure enough, by 8 o'clock this thing was parked outside the bedroom window:

Where it sat, running, for at least an hour before a guy brought out a torch and started thawing a spot to drill:

After a while, a couple more guys appeared and suddenly the question of what to make for lunch became a bigger challenge:

I only had 1 package of ground beef thawed, and we have no microwave, so what was it going to be? I decided on Cabbage Roll Casserole. It's in the oven now and won't be ready till half-past 12, and this is where they are at:

Fortunately my nephew Marc's lovely new wife sent Emil and me home from her restaurant last night with a plate of home baking, so at least I don't have to worry about coming up with dessert:

Thanks Michelle!

Eli Barsi

Going with Karen to see this lady in concert tomorrow afternoon.
Yee ha! I love yodelling.

If Ever I Would Leave You, in Camelot

By cracky, I think I have to listen to this a third time.

Coffee and Croissant

Emil's ears still feel "plugged," though his actual hearing is unaffected.
They have felt this way since October 2011.
They have been cleaned by doctors. He has visited an ear/nose/throat specialist. He's seen a dentist. He's seen a medical intuitive. He's had therapeutic massage (not enough yet). And today we were going to head off to Yorkton to see an acupuncturist.
But I decided that first, he should visit a relatively new clinic in town that offers shiatsu. That's acupuncture without the needles, isn't it?
This morning I phoned to cancel today's appointment in Yorkton, and that was lucky because it was for tomorrow anyway. I believed neither Emil nor Scott completely, mind you, when they both insisted I'd told them the appointment was today instead of tomorrow. On the calendar, I had it written into the square for Wednesday the 21st— last week. Go figure.

Emil was looking forward to spending the day together so I picked him up after lunch, even though his appointment for shiatsu isn't till Thursday afternoon. We stopped in at the clinic to do a quick "reconnaissance" and then picked our way over the icy sidewalk to the bakery a couple doors down.

I was going to have some dainty little delicacy with my coffee, but when Emil chose the cream-filled croissant, I thought What the Hell.  You only live once that I'm sure of.

Mover and Shaker

Go, Pat!

It's good to see you receiving some recognition for your efforts.
Why, I bet if asked, you could pull out a long list of awards for past work as an organizer in a variety of areas. A mover and shaker; that's what you are.

Pete's Tipi

Pete's tipi near Whitehorse, Yukon — back in the day

Now I peruse Pete's tipi (among other collected papers) while brushing my teeth in the hallway outside the bathroom 

There is lots to look at.

Canadian Encyclopedia New Video

Busy working at my desk ... this is all you get from me for now.
Do you like it?

Use the encyclopedia. It's full of good things.
CLICK HERE.

Planet Hunters

Photo from the CBC website

There aren't many things on TV that make me sit up and go, in an awed voice, "Wow." 

Not anymore. 

But last week's show on the CBC series The Nature of Things did it.

It was called "Planet Hunters" and is about what scientists and astronomers are discovering in outer space with the Kepler telescope. 

It blew my frigging mind. 

There is water out there. There are probably planets like earth, capable of sustaining life. They think it's only a matter of months before they find them.

I've always thought it only made sense that there would be other life forms in a universe that is seemingly endless, and said that one thing I'd like to see before I die is that discovery.

It looks like my wish is coming true. 

Watch it online: CLICK HERE.

Wildlife Filmographer. Not.

This cow moose was waiting patiently north of the driveway for me to walk with her. (A girl can dream.)

Now I know: when the dog is barking, it's not at moose or deer. It's likely at coyotes.
Both dogs went running to see what this was, but neither of them made a sound. I guess they figured out it wasn't the livestock they're accustomed to.
You will hate me because the camera gets all shook up, but I walked forward to see if I could get a better video. I promise next time I'll stand still:



The two of them made a wide half-mile arc through the field to go around me, and I turned and walked south, my usual route this fall. Someone was in the field on a quad, taking up electric fence, so the moose turned back toward the road and crossed it ahead of me.



They're not as close as they look. I zoomed in with the camera.

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

Rick came over one evening and he and Scott polished off the homemade kahlua by using it in their paralyzers. Emil sat on the couch listening to them chat, but didn't want to miss anything and rubbernecked till he fell asleep. Me, I got ready for bed early and climbed under the covers in the dark, lulled into NeverNeverLand by the sound of men's voices in the other room.

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My niece Cara passed on a collection of recipes she found at Deliciously Organic for home-made coffee creamers, which I always call "plastic." Not the home-made ones, of course, but the commercial stuff, International Delight.

I made the following one, using whipping cream for the milk and cream called for, and vanilla extract instead of the bean. Fast, easy, and delicious; no need to strain when you use vanilla extract, unless you do what I did and forget to turn the stove off for the first five minutes of "steeping" :

French Vanilla

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 vanilla bean

Whisk together milk, cream and maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cut vanilla bean in half, and scrape out seeds. Add seeds and vanilla bean to milk mixture. Turn off heat, cover the pot and steep for 30 minutes. After mixture has steeped, strain through a fine mesh sieve, pour into a glass bottle and store in the refrigerator. (If you don’t have a vanilla bean on hand, simply replace it with 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.)

The Lengths to Which Catlovers Will Go

A sister-in-law of the former owners of Golden Grain Farm visits relatives around here several times a year. She always brings out food for our cats: several brands of dry kibble, tinned food, and plastic bags of frozen leftovers (labelled "For Dogs" or "For Cats") from her own kitchen table.

Thank you, Stella! All owners of barn-cat colonies should have a fairy godmother like you.

Win-Win-Winter

And you'll hear no complaints from me. I've grown to love winter along with every other season. As long as I know how to dress for warmth—and I do. Don't ask how I survived my teen years wearing bomber jackets, jeans, no tuque, no ski pants out in the frigid cold. D'uh. It's no wonder I hated winter back then. I was frozen.

Once again the day is flying by, and what have I done? Still have to get out for my walk.

Rundown: 
• read for an hour before getting out of bed; a fictional look at the life of an immigrant to Toronto when the city was being built, and a present-day Toronto family's bereavement and historical discovery.

"To belong to a place, one must hear the homecoming of birds: they suggest, in their innate wisdom, that wherever they alight is a place worth being in." -Consolation, by Michael Redhill

• wash the dishes, dry the dishes, put the dishes away
• make more dirty dishes: poach eggs for breakfast, toast up some buns, throw together a beef stew for supper; there was half a can of stale beer on Scott's dresser so I threw that in. Hope it's a stew-thing.
• talk to Shelly on the phone
• run my head under the sink in the bathroom because my hair's sticking up in every direction and a car's just driven into the yard
• run outside to accept delivery of pet food from a lady who loves cats, and share a quick howdy-do because she and her husband have no time to come in for coffee

Next:
• wash the blender I bought yesterday and make my fruit/veggie/buttermilk smoothie; after 6 months of virtually daily use, Mom's (Dad sent it home with me after she died; "What am I going to do with it?" he said. He also gave me her popcorn popper) had been leaking black sludge from the bottom of the blade carriage. Messy, and also, what the hell is that? My smoothies are the loveliest green.
• tackle the printer I bought yesterday. I don't have the patience for plugging in wires and have a tendency to put it off in hopes that Scott will do it, assuming he'll do it in half the time and with a quarter of the cursing. But of course I can do it, and so I shall, because it's good to be reminded.
• slip into the old ski pants and get outside. It's a gorgeous day! And even on the ugliest, coldest, windiest, meanest of days, when the most I can manage is a walk to the end of the driveway before the weather drives me back, the outdoors is a spirit filler. By the way, since incorporating frequent brisk walks as prescribed by a cardiologist for prevention of heart troubles—that was in June 2011— 12 lbs seems to have melted off me. You know that saying, "A year from now, you'll wish you had started today" – well, I can say I'm glad I started a year ago and kept it up. And if I can do it, anyone can.

Neil Young Concert Report: In Brief

Emil and I drove to Saskatoon on Tuesday to meet up with his dad so the two of them could attend the Neil Young concert that night. As soon as we arrived at the hotel we all walked over to the bar for a visit with Cynthia (who was Emil's special needs teacher while he attended high school) and her husband John.

John, it looks like Emil was trying to move in on your girl ....

Next day's report from Emil:

"The concert was good. Neil Young looks like a grandpa now."

Versailles

The Orangery at Versailles, from http://leonardfrank.com/

Marilyn at Nag on the Lake, that collection of wonderful stuff she finds on the internet, has posted a fascinating clip about the history of the construction of the French palace of Versailles.

While you're at Marilyn's webpage, make sure to check out the Satanic Toaster.

And there is much, oh so much more!

And I, my little dears, am taking some time off from computering. See you back here in a day or two.

Moose Country

From the kitchen window I saw two adult and two young moose trot single file past that opening in the buildings. Cathy could hear me squeal all the way to Saskatoon! Actually I think I gave Emil a bit of a scare till he realized I was freaking-out thrilled and not freaking-out freaked out.

My Favourite Book

Is not a cookbook. Though I like reading them.

Sharon Butala's The Perfection of the Morning is it.

Emil, Straightfaced as Ever

They taste way better than they look.

My uncle and aunt, Neil and Rose, drove into the snowy yard this afternoon and visited at the kitchen table for a couple hours. We drank coffee and nibbled on chocolate chip cookies.

Tonight Emil and I were at the table finishing up a supper of spaghetti, sauce and garlic toast (and fried liver for him and Scott; don’t look at me; I had nothing to do with it).


Emil: “Uncle Neil said ‘Guess I better have a banana.’ "

Me: “And so he had one.”

Emil: “Yeah. And did you know that monkeys like to eat bananas?”

Smalltown Café, Farming in the Forties, and Breast Cancer

Where we lunched on mainstreet Wadena

The new owners put on a noon smorg several times a week, and Scott filled his plate twice, then spooned up a bowl of butterscotch pudding before finishing off my toasted denver sandwich. The boy is an eating machine. I rarely go up for the smorg; I don't eat enough to make it worth my while. Besides, you can't go wrong with a denver sandwich. Can you?

Actually you can. I once ordered one in a restaurant while travelling, and there was so much short, coarse black hair in it that I sent it back and left the place with a turned stomach.

Perhaps it was the same place Doc and Morgan had such a horrid experience in.

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At the bottom of the page is a list of some of my favourite websites. Under each section, the most recently updated title usually rises to the top.

A couple examples:

You can read excerpts from Bill Nevard's 1940 journal, here • Nevard Blog.

Then there's my buddy Kathy down in the Minneapolis area, who has just gone nine rounds with breast cancer. She's recently home with perky new boobs, or "foobs," as she calls them. She's shared the whole shit show with her readers, laughing (and cringing) all the way, at • Kitchen Blogic.
If you know someone who's been diagnosed with breast cancer, Kathy offers some advice for helping your friend get through the experience. There are some things you shouldn't say or do, and some you should. Kathy tells you which is which.