Letters of Introduction
Friday, October 26, 2012
Hot Time on the Old Town Tonight
It was a day spent on the road between visits. There was snow coming down as we rode down the highway to Wynyard and then over to Yorkton this morning. The teeth are crowbarred clean for the next six months, and the cattle are supplied with salt and minerals. And it's Friday night! And here we are, just excited and happy to be home again.
I have found another Saskatchewan blog you will want to visit (speaking of visiting):
g.a.s art
And now, movie time.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Back 50, Now, Forward 50
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| Grandma Johnson's china cabinet with "my" stuff inside. I say "my" because most of it is inherited and I feel belongs to everyone in the family. |
I wonder where this china cabinet will be in 50 years and what will be set atop it. Whose house will it be in? Will I have a granddaughter? Maybe one of my nieces will want this piece, or their daughters.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Virginia's Sister Vanessa
“I shall
be cheerful, but I shall never be happy again.”
- Vanessa Bell, after the death of
her son
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| Vanessa Bell, self portrait |
Drive My Blues Away
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| This CD has been the soundtrack of our lives for the past week. |
You can have a listen to it HERE and see if it's your cup of tea. If it isn't ... what's wrong with you?
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Star
Walk with Kate
Monday, October 22, 2012
Unforgettable Everett
Lately I've been missing my boy. We text and email a bit, and I phone occasionally, but it's not the same as having him here. I'm reduced to watching this old video I took through the living room window a couple winters ago, when he was out refilling the birdfeeders. And how nice to see old Casper again, too.
Enjoy the song. At least, till the camera operator starts warbling along.
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Wadena News: Fiddling Sensation Calvin Vollrath concert & dance Oct.26, 7pm, Tuffnell Community Hall
╰დ╮❤╭დ╯
Card for today:
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Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Hermit
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| Sunday morning, bedside table |
The gal in the pic (it's a business card I use as a bookmark) is Hilary Grist, who came out to Pilger and gave a house concert at Joanne's. Ah, here's the entry I made: go back in time to fall 2010.
Normally I drink my coffee black, but there was some whipping cream in the fridge I want to use up, so ... it's super tasty, but alas, the beverage goes down my throat like a raging river instead of appreciative sips. Too much caffeine too quickly.
I love mornings "off" to indulge in reading and writing. What am I saying? All my mornings are like this!
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| Sunday morning on the other side of me |
Even if I've told you already and am repeating myself, it's worth telling again:
Keeping a whole clove in your mouth in the general vicinity of aching gums or toothache works like magic.
Wadena is getting a dentist! It's about time.
According to the Wadena News:
"Dr. Dany Malaxos is opening a practice Tues, Oct.23. Hours of operation: Tues, Wed, Thurs. Call for appointments. 230 Main Street N."
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Barbershop Horses
Showed Emil the barbershop horses.
See them for yourself and be sure to click on each one:
Barbershop Horses.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Very Very Very Fine House
This dining room set is about 20 years old, a hand-me-down from Mom and Dad. I had it shipped out from Kelowna after Mom died, when Dad decided to replace much of their furniture. The upholstery is still as good as new, so it seems almost wasteful but ... I want to have them re-covered with a lighter, solid colour. They remain the best kitchen chairs ever; the rollers still work like the dickens. Like I said to Morgan yesterday morning when he sat down in one of them and exclaimed about it: when we get company and sit first at the kitchen table, we rarely make it beyond and into the living room. You can sit in these chairs for hours and be perfectly content.
Something I want to get rid of is the paper fruit! But I refuse to throw it out; it's too cute, with its stems and leaves and all. A bigger challenge is finding a place to store away the veggie-and-dip tray now holding some of the paper fruit (and real fruit). I bought it some years ago and have never used it for its intended purpose. It just takes up space we don't have right now, with the kitchen cupboards full and the basement torn apart. No closet can take it; we need every inch of counter space that we have; it's just in the way and serves no useful function.
We had a rainy day earlier this week and Scott was going to tackle the water pump and replace the toilet, then ended up not doing it, so it still takes half an hour to run enough water for a bath, and to flush the toilet you have to pour a gallon of water, collected from the bathtub spout, into it. We don't find this a hardship, really, as there's just the two of us during the week, but thought Doc and Morgan would be more comfortable in a hotel where they could at least have a shower and sleep on good-quality beds. It seemed to me these things would be important to anyone travelling as much as they are from place to place.
It turned out that the hotel where they ended up (because the better one —we have two in town — was full-up with hunters) was not very welcoming (beds not particularly good, owner making a loud ruckus in the hall because rooms had been rented to them when he had other plans, coffee pots in rooms in such bad shape they couldn't be used)(they weren't complaining, but gave an honest answer when I asked for a report)(have you seen enough brackets yet?) so they might have been better off out here anyway. Next time through, I told them, we will put them up here. Surely by then Scott will have the water problems sorted. Right? It is to dream.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Travelling Minstrels in the House
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| Morgan Davis with his cigar-box guitar |
Only three strings, but the sound he can get out of that thing!
It was an excellent show, as expected. Somewhat embarrassing for a town of 1500 to only manage to get about 11 bums into the the hard wooden pews on a cold rainy night, when the quality of entertainment is so high. Guess there aren't many blues lovers around here.
Or maybe it's less that, than the fact that there seemed to be other things going on in town last night. There's always something, actually; there's a lot of activity in this town.
Anyway, we've invited Doc and Morgan out for breakfast, so when they roll out of their hotel-beds at the late hour (musicians' hours, they tell me) of 9 or so, and find their city-boy way out here, we'll fill them up with coffee and toast, eggs and bacon, and send them on their merry way.
Time for me to get out of my pyjamas I guess.
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| Doc with one of his fans |
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Evening Out
| Carsten, Clover, and Cookie have lost their mittens? |
Just as I was reminding myself to pick a warmish day and get out there to water-in my perennials (which won't die; their foliage remains green as can be) for winter, the wee hours of the morning brought rain. And more rain. And rain rain rain. It's been raining all day. This is good. Not that I've been out in it. Spent the day at the computer instead, working.
But I do have to go in 15 minutes, as we're heading to town to pick Emil up and attend a house concert. Doc MacLean and Morgan Davis are on their "Blues Emergency Tour" (where does Doc come up with these handles? he is a natural promoter) and performing in the Anglican church at 7:30.
Scott is reminding me to get ready. Are you ready? Don't you have to do anything to get ready? He's just out of the tub and putting on clean clothes. Me, I was born ready. Heh. OK, I will brush my teeth and shove some cash into my pocket.
The three remaining kittens ventured all the way to the house yesterday, and the dogs didn't do their job and chase them off. Damn dogs. They'll chase when you don't want them to, though.
Best go make sure nothing green or fuzzy is hanging from my teef.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Oh I Am My Mother's Daughter All Right
Go to THIS LINK, click on "Listen," and you will hear Shirley Jones sing "Till There Was You."
How beautiful is her voice. How beautiful is it???
I'm not kidding when I say it brings tears to my eyes.
Wow.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Bedtime for All Dog's Creatures
I remember the first nights I stayed alone at this house, how the uncurtained windows let the night in and the yardlight illuminated the endless dark space outside. It was a bit unnerving; it spooked me.
Now the yard out there is familiar and I look out at it quite comfortably as I walk from one room to another with the house lights out.
Sometimes in the wee hours I lie on the couch in the living room and watch the shadows of the trees shimmy against the wall, thanks to the yardlight streaming through the picture window. It does have its benefits, although I still believe if we could shut it off we might see the northern lights more often from our living room.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Oh Deer Me
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Three Amigos
Only three left of all the kittens born here this spring. They're getting brave, making their way toward the house. Last night I stepped out after dark and found them galloping across the lawn.
I go to the tractor shed every morning, scoop out dry food for them, carry a gallon of water to the electric bowl (there was ice on the water not long ago, so...) and cuddle them all. Not just these three. There are also four adults that insist on their due.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Ducky, for Danielle
Ducky Doodle is shivering, but does he want to come in? Hell no. He insists on being outside where he can keep an eye on the yard and the other dog (one of his girlfriends).
He is attached to a cord so that he and the old dog won't gang up on a kitten, and so that the two of them don't go a-wanderin' down the road and get run over. They take turns being tied up when they're out there together and no one is around to keep them in line.
He is wearing his fall jacket.
Sometimes when we've no plan to clip his collar to the cord, he runs over there and sits as if waiting for us to do it. So it doesn't seem as if he minds.
*** This has been a family service announcement for my niece Danielle, who raised Ducky Doodle from a pup.
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