News Update

Another week has passed here on the shore of Lake Superior. We've settled back down to home life these days, as I've been working a steady day job—no days off!

This week I've continued with the Territorial Student Program. The full-time counsellor has been travelling so I've been taking care of the students here in town. There are many phone calls as well as the regular follow-up on attendance problems and the family issues that crop up with a batch of teenagers. It's quite a nice change of pace, but there is the frustration of dependency that seems to have been cultivated in these students. I have five days of work with them this week, and another three next week, but I don't expect to change the world in that short of time!

I also spending extra time watching politics these days. We have our own election here—just a five-week campaign as we don't take the two years to make a decision like the Yanks do! I'm also following the American situation with a mixture of delight and horror! I find it hard to believe that Unstable & Unable are somehow seemingly close in the voting. I realize that the Shrub still has a 19% following, but other than those brain dead ones, how does any one else want to vote for the ticket of Unstable and Unable? Here at home the re-election of our government seems assured, but whether he will be given a majority remains up in the air. We have a debate later this week, and soon (October 14th) the vote will be held. At least we expect the manual count of paper ballots and announcement of a victor will take only hours! Let's hope the American's have a decisive election as well. Go Obama-08

Wendy has found a new strategy for the kitchen-dining room floor. The previous owner has placed individual gluedown tiles over the lino. These tiles are ghastly, but they also stick well and leave quite a mess when pulled up. Well, she found some advice on a website about ironing the tiles through foil to loosen the glue—and it's working very well! The lino being revealed looks fine; we don't understand why they covered it in the first place. We've found no damage so far.

Erin spent Monday and Tuesday working at her actual dealership in Winnipeg. That seemed to go fine. Now she's just waiting and hoping on her expected salary increase! Kristian is doing well at day care and keeps amusing us at home also.

Travis continues with work, school and hockey—all seem to be going well.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, not quite on the edge of the prairie. We got back to Thunder Bay on Sunday, and we've spent the rest of the week here.

The week began in Kenora at Eric/A's. We enjoyed the short time there, and then completed the trip home with the mandatory stop for pie in Upsala!

I worked all week at a new job of relief counselor for the Territorial Student Program. The TSP works to support students from the small communities who are taking their high school program in the big city. So, I travelled around to the six high schools and met with most of the students in the program. Cecile, the actual counselor, will be travelling out to the communities, so I'll be taking her place while she's gone on these trips. This will probably amount to about twenty days of work.

Wendy has continued her work around home, and also had an assessment testing for a federal government job. We don't know what the schedule is on that application. We've also been harvesting the garden as tomatoes ripen. The peas and beans seem to be about done. The chipmunks seem to be beating us to the strawberries as we sometimes find pieces of fruit left behind. Rhubarb has been harvested and some frozen for later enjoyment. We can't keep up with the cucumbers, and we continue to watch the pumpkins develop. Soon the leaves will be changing and we'll be into Fall.

We celebrated Kristian's birthday on Tuesday—three year's old! He continues to work with the speech & language pathologist at the day care and is saying more and more words. He's still got a lot of catching up to do.

Erin continues with her work. She plans to be at the franchise in Winnipeg for a couple of days next week. Travis continues with classes and work, so he's pretty busy.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

This week has been spent far from the shore of Lake Superior. We began the week in Dauphin, out on the edge of the prairie at the congregational retreat. That was a really good time! On Sunday afternoon, my friends took me golfing at Clear Lake. It's a beautiful course, but it's currently suffering from too much water. However, we played our sloppy way around and had a good time. Dick was on fire, and must have made about half a dozen birdies! I was playing better off the tee, but had a couple of disaster holes on the back nine. Anyway, it was fun.

On Monday morning we packed up (thanks Mal & Beth) and headed over to Regina where we've spent the rest of the week. I have been working as needs arise and enjoying helping Bern & Alicia with a few computer issues as they complete preparations to head to Mexico. They finally flew out Thursday evening. I'm looking forward to seeing how they manage on their new blog!

I managed to get over to a local golf course for a bit of practice, but didn't play any more games. Wendy has kept busy with house cleaning, car cleaning, shopping and cooking. She also pruned a tree in the yard.

Today we drove down to Kenora—most of the way home. We plan to complete the trip tomorrow.

We haven't heard too much from home. Erin reports that Kristian is talking more. Travis is back in classes for the final year of his undergraduate program.

So, that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed, and we have begun another trip away from the shore of Lake Superior. I managed to get a few things done as far as work is concerned before we left, and thanks to the internet and my cell phone, I am also able to work along the way.

The week started with a long weekend for Labour Day, so we enjoyed that. The Riders won again, and remain in first place, so that was good. Wendy and I took in the Hymer Fall Fair in the community of Hymer about half an hour from Thunder Bay. There were plenty of livestock, especially poultry and rabbits, but also horses, cattle and pigs. There were many other kinds of displays and promotions, so we had fun. The weather was very hot over the weekend, even up into the thirties, so it seemed a shame, but Wendy felt it was time to take down the pool for the season. We completed that and got it put away before heading west.

We packed up a truck load of stuff for Kenora, and on Wednesday, Travis and Wendy drove that up to Kenora. The trip was a bit of an adventure since a fuel tanker had rolled on the Trans-Canada and was on fire, so the road was closed. They had to detour around by Fort Francis and then back north. I was about an hour ahead of them, riding Erica's Gold Wing (taking it up to Kenora for her), and I was able to travel the highway, so the accident happened shortly after I passed by. I encountered the road blocks to eastbound traffic as I continued west.

Travis was taking his laptop to Kenora to get a replacement keyboard. He accomplished that on Thursday morning, and then took the bus home again. We continued west on Friday. A call of panic from a school required me to stop in Winnipeg and fine a hotspot so I could help with the problem. Then we carried on to Dauphin, arriving about supper time.

We are enjoying a reunion with the congregation in Dauphin where we spent over ten years. It is certainly a fulfilling experience coming home, and, through the adventures of our lives, we've been blessed to have many homes to come back to.

And that's the kind of week it's been.