Glædelig Jul!

It is Christmas time on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. We've enjoyed a week of pleasant weather with just enough fresh snow to confirm the Christmas card appearance of the landscape. That it would be a Merry Christmas was confirmed for me at 3:30 this morning as Eric/A and the boys arrived from Kenora. We were not expecting them, so it was a wonderful surprise, and thus we had the joy of having the whole family under our roof once again. Wendy pulled an all-nighter on Christmas Eve as she stayed up to bake, stuff stockings, stack presents under the tree and get ready for today. She climbed into bed at 6am, and was gone again by the time I rolled over at 7:15—crazy woman! I drove a charter this morning, then joined the family for cinnamon buns and opening of gifts. Then I drove the second half of the charter. This afternoon, we all gathered for turkey dinner with all the trimmings. As always, it was very good. It was a shortened week of very thin trading on the markets, but I was blessed with good earnings, picking up more than my target of 0.5%, once again.

Wendy has been working at Walmart all week, as well in Christmas preparations around home. Kristian has been enjoying all the decorations and helping his mom shop for presents. He has been insisting that Grandpa and Grandma want Lego for Christmas!

As I look over his collection of gifts, I realize I should have bought some Lego stock! Liam has scored a drum set as his major gift, and Haaken has added to his DVD collection. As a rookie, Wendy has lots of shifts at Walmart scheduled in the next week.

Erin has been fighting a cold this week, but seems much improved today. She has a pretty much regular schedule at work next week. Kristian has been flying pretty high all week, and now is busy with Lego construction and floor hockey—a gift from uncle Trav. Kristian is on holidays from school and day care for the next while.

Trav has the next week off. Joanna and her children, Gemma and Andrew, joined us in Christmas celebrations. It was great to have everyone together. Joanna only has a couple of shifts next week.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. The weather started off cold, but moderated as the week went on, and we're back into single digits of frost, and some fresh snow. It's beginning to look a lot like a Christmas card! I've been driving bus all week, but school closed on Friday, so I'm off now until January 3rd. I have picked up a charter for Christmas morning. I'll be touring around town to pick up parishioners for St. Dominic's Church, and delivering them home as well. The markets were a little shaky this week, but I managed to eke out a gain of almost my target 0.5%, so, I'm feeling blessed. My cold has finally been overcome, and that's a blessing as well.

Wendy has continued with shifts in the shoe department at Walmart. As a rookie, she also has many shifts during what the rest of us call, holidays! She supplied us with shortbread cookies this week. Trav noticed them as he was dishing up supper and exclaimed, "Oh, no. This is not good! This is going to hurt!" Christmas goodies are the universal diet killer!

Kristian has been more and more busy with Christmas parties and preparations. He's keeping up with his Lego Advent calendar, and is sometimes even ahead! He also finished school on Friday, but he's much too early in his school life to properly appreciate and enjoy holidays. Erin has been busy with work and special Christmas events for Kristian at school.

Trav has been busy with work, extra Hockey photo projects, and his hockey team. His Penguins took it on the chin a couple of times this week, so he needs to get them whipped back into shape as well. Joanna's car is being repaired and should be ready this week. She is completing her exams and practicums in the meantime.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been fairly comfortable, mostly clear, and a little colder. We also got a bit more snow, so I did some shovelling on Thursday night. I've been driving bus all week, a two-hour trip each morning and afternoon. On Wednesday, I had a Safety Meeting for the morning, and on Thursday, I had a Defensive Driving course all day between runs. As a result, I have now completed my licensing requirements. I have put my name on the list for driving charters during the holidays; we are off effective next Friday. The markets were not helpful to me this week; I wasn't around for three of the mornings so that hurt also. In total, I lost a bit of last week's gains. I have continued to fight my cold all week, and I'm still hacking some.

Wendy has kept fairly busy at Walmart; her shoe department won an award for total sales. She's been thinking about Christmas baking lately, so that's an encouraging sign for the rest of us!

Kristian has been working through some management issues at both school and day care. Apparently there's some confusion about who is in charge! He thinks he is! Otherwise, he's enjoying Christmas busyness, lots of treats, his daily Lego advent prize—it's a kid's life! Erin keeps busy at work, and has now taken a gym membership. She wants to improve her cardio-vascular and build some muscle without losing any of her precious fat—I have a surplus I'd be glad to share!

Trav has continued with work and hockey pretty much as usual. Work is going well, his hockey team is in second place in the league, and his Penguins have just won 12 straight games! Joanna had a crash on Friday morning when some one ran her car down. She's okay, but she missed the exam she was headed for; we hope that's not a major problem.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It started sadly with the Riders losing the Grey Cup 21-18. We certainly had chances to win, but have to give Montreal credit for playing a better game. So, we're back in next year country, once again! I have completed my training, taken my written and driving tests and am now a licensed school bus driver! I bid on a run, and at the end of the day on Friday, I was informed that I have been awarded that run. I have roughly four hours of work per day, delivering 104 students to one of five schools, and returning them home again at the end of the day. The morning run allows me to get back for the opening of the markets at 9:30 each day, so, I continue with that as well. The markets have been flat or slightly downward since November 5th, but I managed to have a good month in November, and have achieved more than my 0.5% again this week, so I'm pleased with that progress. The weather has dried out and turned sunny, so the streets and driveway have cleared off.

Wendy is busy with shifts at Walmart. Her work times vary a great deal, and she often works until midnight. With the turning of the calendar, she relented to Kristian's pleas and put up the Christmas tree and decorations. Kristian is a great help in this effort!

Kristian developed a cold early in the week, and has since recovered, but not before passing it along to the rest of us! Erin continues with her work, and has started a trial gym membership.

Trav continues with his work and hockey. This weekend he is with his team down in Wisconsin for a tournament.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It started with the glorious Rider victory over Calgary that has propelled them to the Grey Cup game tomorrow. Go Riders Go! I have been in Driver Training each morning this week; that is going well, and they project that I will be taking my driving test by the end of the coming week. They require twenty hours of class work, and twenty hours of successful driving before the test. It's a lot of preparation for part time work, but the safety of the children is important. It's been a difficult week for investments as troubles on the Korean peninsula, and economic troubles in Europe have occupied investors' minds and caused a decline in the markets. I made a good gain on an Oil buy, so I only ended with a small loss for the week. We've had a couple of wet snow storms, so it's a bit messy around town. They're predicting some warm weather in the coming week, so we hope that helps clean up the ice.

Wendy has been busy at Walmart all week. She is enjoying the work, and has decided to help the company by buying a new TV! We look forward to enjoying that for the big game tomorrow. As usual, she prepared the birthday cake for today's big event.

Erin and Kristian have continued with their usual activities. Erin is not enjoying the slushy, icy weather with her car rental business. Kristian enjoyed making a snowman last Sunday. Grandma helped him make it, but then the slushy weather was causing it to wilt, so grandpa tried to straighten the slumping man—alas, the base snowball collapsed and we were left with a short snowman on the lawn. Kristian was not impressed, "Grandpa broke the snowman!" When he got out of the taxi Monday afternoon, he commented on the poor snowman. So, I asked him if we should try to fix it. "No," he allowed, showing his disdain for my snowman building capabilities, "Grandma fix it."

Travis turned twenty-nine today. We enjoyed celebrating his birthday with him. His work is going well, and he has picked up some extra work making individual and team pictures for several hockey teams.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It started off with an exciting overtime victory by the Riders; now they're set to play tomorrow in the Western final. Go Riders, Go! The weather has turned wintry and we have our first snow. It melts a bit most days, but it's gradually building up on the lawns, so it appears that it may stay. The markets have remained troublesome, so I've been playing lightly and carefully. We had up days on Thursday and Friday, so I managed to make a small gain for the week. My training program for bus driving has continued all week, and promises to run all next week as well. I've also been busy preparing a lesson for Sunday, since I'm the assigned speaker this week.

Wendy has been donning her blue vest and working at Walmart this week. She's doing a good job (of course) and is even enjoying it. The Dollarama people still want her to work, so she may pick up some shifts there if she has any free time.

Erin and Kristian have had their usual schedules this week. Kristian has delighted to see the snow. On Friday, he wanted to play in the snow on the lawn instead of getting in the taxi, so grandma was chasing him around in the snow while still dressed in her slippers.

Travis has been away in Pittsburgh all week. The Pens won two of three games for him, and I expect he had a great time. We're expecting him back this weekend.

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

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been very nice, but we are promised a change, and not for the better! They are predicting snow for tomorrow—I hope the Riders and their Air Show will not be grounded! They play BC Lions in the semi-final Sunday afternoon. The branches and junk that got spread around in the hurricane are getting cleaned up. I cleaned out the eavestroughs and got the hot tub ready for the winter. I bought and installed a new battery in the car—man, that was a pain, you have to take off the passenger wheel and take out the battery from under the fender! I was trying to get an oil change in the truck today, but the weather man has mentioned snow, so Kal-Tire didn't even have any parking spaces left on their lot, so, I went to a quick lube.

It was a troubled week in the markets as investors worried about G20 decisions, European debt and Chinese interest rate hikes. I kept my investments light, and ended up with only a small loss. We'll see if this is the correction they keep promising us, or just a short blip. I am in the training phase for bus driving; that carries on all next week at least. I guess we will see how long it takes to learn all their protocols.

Wendy has been working all week at Dollarama; they've been setting up the store and finally opened on Friday. She found it very tiring, and hard on her feet to be walking on concrete all day long. Today, she went to her orientation for Walmart; she enjoyed that quite a bit. She starts there on a part time basis, so we'll see how that goes. She also intends to keep working at Dollarama for the next while at least.

Erin and Kristian continue with life as usual. Kristian had another birthday party this afternoon. He's progressing well at school; he is ready to read, and will read (or pretend-to-read) books and magazines.

Trav is off to Pittsburgh for the next week; he drives down to Minneapolis tomorrow and flies to Pittsburgh Monday morning. He has tickets for three Penguin games, so it'll be a special week for him. His team lost the final of their hockey tournament last weekend in a shoot out. It was a very good showing for them, but they were disappointed to fall short of the ultimate prize.

And that's about it for now.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been lovely, with one particularly summer-like day giving us a respite from the big storm. Economic news has been very helpful and the markets have reached levels not seen since before the Bush crash in the Fall of 2008. The central effect on our economy is the US economy and things have not been going well there for some years.

However, as the chart shows, the job losses in the US, that began back in 2007, have been arrested and jobs are being gained, thanks to the Bailout initiated by President Bush, and the Stimulus initiated by President Obama. Friday's announcement of 150,000 jobs added in October are the latest indicator that the US economy is starting to recover. The improving situation has allowed me recover as well, and I had another week of above-expectations gains with our investments.

Now that it's over, I do apologize to the Texas Ranger fans; my perfect record of picking all the losers was blemished only by the Phillies winning their first round playoff. The World Serious of Baseball was won by the San Francisco Giants. It was the first trip to the series for the Rangers franchise, and the first victory for the Giants since they moved from New York over fifty years ago. The CFL regular season is ending this weekend, and we looking forward to the playoffs there as well. The Riders ended the season on a winning note, and will host BC Lions in the divisional semi-final next weekend. Go Riders, Go!

I have completed all the prerequisites and have been accepted to begin training as a school bus driver. That may start next week. One highlight of my medical was the vision screening as my laser enhanced eyes graded out at 20/20 (20/15 actually) and I still only need to use reading glasses occasionally! I am very pleased with the continuing benefits provided by the PRK surgery six years ago. Wendy started work on the Dollarama job today, and she has continued interviews and the hiring process with Walmart as well. She begins a training phase there next week. It appears we may soon have more employment than we can stand!

Wendy and I have completed another round of teeth cleaning with the local dental hygienists' program. It takes longer, but it provides training opportunities for them, and an inexpensive dental checkup for us. I have finally learned a technique for flossing my teeth—old dogs indeed!

Erin and Kristian have had a good week. Kristian did have a bad time on Wednesday when he discovered he was not a participant in the Pizza Lunch at school! He would not accept that while many other students were getting pizza, he had to get by with the lunch his mom had packed for him! He ended up having a quiet lunch hour in the principal's office, where he finally decided to eat his own lunch.

Trav remains busy with work and preparations for his trip to Pittsburgh. This weekend, his hockey team is in a local tournament, so that is keeping him extra busy. But they're doing well, and have finished the round-robin portion undefeated so they're in the semi finals.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

We've had a spectacular week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. They called it a mid-latitude cyclone or a weather bomb, but by any description it was a hurricane. It set a record for the lowest pressure reading ever developed on mainland North America, and it produced a category three hurricane. The eye settled between here and Kenora for almost a day, and the winds tore in all directions around it. Northbound winds across the lake were more severe than the gales of November that took down the Edmund Fitzgerald thirty-five years ago. Trees and power lines were uprooted. Semis were blown off roads. West of the eye, the southbound winds brought down Arctic air and produced snow and ice storms across the prairies and down into the Dakotas. It hung on for a long time; friends of ours along the lake had no power for 45 hours out of two days, including 35 hours straight.

Otherwise, life was more like usual. Investments went well, and I completed a month that matched expectations for the first time in a long time—I feel blessed! The World Serious has begun, and I almost feel the need to apologize to Texas Ranger fans for choosing to cheer for them! The series has not been going well. Fortunately, they won their game tonight, so they're kind of back in the series. In the CFL, the teams are playing out the final games of the regular season as nearly all play off spots have been determined. I got my medical for driving school bus, so now I need to pass written and driving tests and take the training program. One special treat this week is that Wendy got me a compound sliding mitre saw. I have long wanted one, and this one is actually a level better than I was hoping for—I will try to use it well.

Wendy got a job this week. She starts next week at a new Dollarama store opening out the back gate and across the street. On the same day she got that job, she also got a call from Walmart for an interview, so she may have a better opportunity there. She interviews there next week as well.

Kristian has had an exciting week of Hallowe'en preparations. The Jack o'Lanterns are ready; the TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) costume is ready; the treats are ready—well, truth be told, the treats have been steadily diminishing all week long! He also had a birthday party today. Erin and the rest of us are also enjoying Kristian's excitement. But my big moment with him was yesterday. He read me his little book for the week! It was priceless.

Trav has continued his usual pursuits. His hockey team is progressing well, but his Penguins have had a tough week, although they won tonight. He's still looking forward to going to Pittsburgh for a three-game set in November.

And that's about enough for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been more Fall-like, with cool winds and a few showers. Wendy and I have still managed to get out for our hike most days. The week started on a discouraging note, as the Riders fell to Calgary. The loss to Edmonton tonight finishes our quest for first place, but we're assured of second place. As it stands, we need to concentrate on improving the team play, and getting some injured players back in anticipation of the playoffs. Baseball playoffs continue with the World Series (Serious, I like to call it, since it's the time when the world gets serious about baseball!) ready to begin next week. Texas Rangers have advanced to play against San Francisco Giants. We were cheering for the Phillies—next year country once again!

I have been enjoying good progress in my investing since we returned from our summer travels, and I'm up about 5% since then, but this week was not a good one! The markets were mixed, and I made some wrong choices, so I was down about 0.5% for the week. On the health front, I'm feeling recovered! The chiropractor still wants to see me every two weeks, but I'm able to sleep without pain. My arms and shoulders are probably as good as they're going to get in this life, and my ankle is ready for the challenge of trying to curl and skate this winter. I've heard nothing further on my school bus driver training, so, I'm just studying the manuals while waiting for the next phase.

Wendy was to the doctor this week. Her doctor wants more heart testing (echocardiogram, or ECHO) to assure herself (and us) of how the heart is functioning. She continues with her gym work, and walks with me most days. She's also applied on more jobs.

Erin & Kristian are carrying on pretty much as usual. Kristian is excited about Hallowe'en and Jack o'Lanterns and the prospect of candy! This evening we went pumpkin hunting, and picked up three to decorate and turn into pie! His school work is progressing, and he's beginning to read the small pattern booklets. His most recent Lego preoccupation is castles and knights. Somehow this ties in with Lego Star Wars!

Travis continues with Joanna, work and hockey. He has his Penguins playing good hockey even while they wait for injured players to return. The team he coaches is winning as well.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed and we have returned to the salubrious climes of Lake Superior and my hometown. The weather continues to be lovely, and we're enjoying it. We drove back from Kenora on Tuesday, so it's been a short week here. The Autumn colours are rapidly disappearing from the trees, but it was still a pretty drive. A fungus seems to have attacked my tomatoes, so, I shall stop worrying about frost! Some frost is predicted for this coming week, and I'll simply leave them to their fate. In the meantime, we have harvested a bunch of spaghetti squash, the last of the tomatoes, and we're still looking at another feed of Swiss Chard.

We got the desired result in football on Monday, as Montreal knocked off Calgary. Now the Riders have their fate in their own hands—win and they have first place. That game is Sunday evening, so we are hoping they will perform well. It's also the time of year for serious baseball fans, so Erin and I are busy cheering for our favourite teams—we both hope the Phillies win it all, but are otherwise cheering for or against the Yankees!

I had another good week on the markets, achieving my half percent for a change! I have been accepted for the school bus driving job, but now I have to complete several prerequisites: clean driving record, clean drug test, clean criminal record check, clean bill of health, successful written test on the regulations, successful driving test. Some of these are going to be easy; I'm busy tracking down the three manuals to study for the written test. I recall this used to be easy, also; you just picked up a manual from the government office and did a bit of studying. Now, you have to buy the manuals—total cost$56! When did that happen? Anyway, it looks like it would be a good thing to do for a couple of hours each day, and still leave me time for my investing work. We'll see how it goes.

Eric and Erica have both been to Thunder Bay this week as they had conferences in town, but that kept them quite occupied, so we didn't see much of them.

Wendy has returned to her heart issues. She had a stress test this week, and that seemed to go fine. She has been asked to try that again in six months. Then, she decided that if a stress test was good, she should try to stress her heart even more, and has been pushing it on the exercise machines at the gym! That was alarming! I tried to explain to her that the stress test was not to improve her heart, but to see if it would fail! It is not a therapy! We are hoping she will take it a bit easier from now on. She has also applied for another job.

Erin and Kristian continue as per usual. Kristian had a short week in school/day care as he drove back with us on Tuesday. He continues to make good progress. Erin got a nice surprise at work as they cancelled the charges on her weekend rental. She quite enjoyed the Mazda3 and still hopes she may get one someday; she had a headache on the way back here on Monday, so that was not helpful. Kristian's Lego collection continues to explode, so we have his various projects all over the living room.

Trav has been working hard and has managed to get the Penguins into the win column. The team he coaches has also begun the regular season, and are similarly searching for a win. Work continues to be busy.

And that's about it for this week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another week has passed; I have travelled from the shore of Lake Superior to the shore of Winnipeg River in Kenora. I drove up on Wednesday to help Eric/A with some electrical work. We replaced the sub-panel in the garage with a new one of 100 amps. This required the installation of a new line from the house, so that was quite a job. Then, we upgraded the electricity to the suite from the new panel. All lines were redone, and additional wiring was installed for a range and for baseboard heating. It was quite a job to find routing for the lines through a finished accommodation; most of my previous electrical work was done during the construction phase of our houses in YK. Thanks for the training there, Robbie!

The markets were quite cooperative this week. I sold out on Tuesday before the travel day, for more than a 1% gain, but picked up some gold after the downturn on Thursday, and that paid off as well. The weather has been beautiful with daily temperatures in the twenties. My tomatoes continue to thrive, and projections for the next week continuing to be for above average temperatures. The Riders played badly and lost to Toronto this afternoon, so, once again, we wait and fret about the outcome of the Calgary game on Monday. Next week, we're scheduled to play Calgary. I hope they weren't looking past Toronto to that game, but they certainly did not give a good effort. I got out to the driving range to give my back and my new golf clubs a workout; that went well, so I'm thinking of trying a round of gold next week. I finally got a call on one of the jobs I applied for back in August; I have an interview there next week.

Wendy has had a difficult week as she had a health scare on Thursday. Trav & Joanna took her up to the hospital where she spent most of the day hooked up to monitors and getting various tests. All seems to be well right now, but she'll have to go back next week for stress tests on her heart. She drove up to Kenora today with Erin & Kristian to spend Thanksgiving weekend here.

Erin and Kristian have carried on as per usual. Kristian is doing well at school. Erin is enjoying the transition and pay level of her promotion at work. This weekend, she's trying out a Mazda 3 car; she'd like to upgrade to that!

Trav is quite busy with work, and is just getting going on a new hockey season. It seems they have too much of some kinds of assignments at work, so that's causing a backlog there, and a bottleneck for the whole operation. And, to make matters worse, his Penguins have started the season with two losses, so, he needs to get them back on the right track as well!

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been cooperating with my newly seeded front lawn, as it gives a bit of rain nearly every other day. This grass likes cool, damp conditions for germination, so I'm hoping this completes the job. The garden continues to produce tomatoes, but we're predicted for a hard frost again tonight, and since we're now into October, I have to think it will soon be time for green tomatoes all over the kitchen! The markets started off poorly this week (Just when I thought I had things figured out!), but then the other four days were good. That worked out much better than the last two weeks! I didn't get out golfing, but my back has continued to improve, so I'm ready to give it a go. The Riders beat the Argos this afternoon, but since Calgary won last night, they remain one game out of first. However, they have clinched a spot in the playoffs.

Wendy is back into her routine with gym, home, shopping and visitation. She is becoming quite expert with Lego, and Kristian loves it when Grandma helps with the various projects. We had two young visitors, Bana & Steve, stop in on Thursday night, on their way east. It was nice to meet them. Both of us have start our dental cleaning with the dental hygienist students at Confederation College. They take quite a bit more time than the professionals at the dentist, but with a fee of only $20, we figure we can afford the time!

Erin and Kristian have had a busy week. Kristian had really good news as his hearing check-up revealed that he has maintained his hearing level. There is always a concern with Pendred's Syndrome that his hearing will decline even more. The technician noted Kristian's comprehension of what was going on and moved him on to "big boy" testing elements; Kristian managed that, also. He's a smart little boy! Erin completed her promotion at work. She's enjoying the accolades of her boss, not to mention the increased pay! Sunday afternoon they are off to another birthday party—such a whirl of activity!

Trav has begun the hockey season once again with exhibition games and practices. He also keeps busy with work and individual contracts for graphic design and web site development. One of his recent websites is for Jennifer's Bakery Shop. Check it out!

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my home town. The weather is definitely cooling as the season has changed and the trees are taking on Autumn colours. Wendy spent most of the week up in Kenora with the grandsons there. Eric/A enjoyed a trip down to TO as Erica had a conference in Guelph. Wendy had some interesting adventures there, and drove back home on Friday afternoon. I prepared the lawn for over-seeding, but with rainy weather late in the week, I didn't get the seeding done. Perhaps, I'll manage tomorrow. I had another roller-coaster week in the market as I was up 1% on Monday, but lost it later in the week, only to manage some recovery on Friday. Today, we had an all day meeting of the church leadership team, and that was quite productive in clarifying our situation. The week ended on a high note as the Riders came back from a 15 point deficit to defeat Hamilton; and, since Calgary lost this week, that pulls us to just one game back of first place. The weather cleared off today for a beautiful day, but now they're predicting frost tonight, so that may be the end of my garden. I've covered the tomatoes, so I hope they'll survive. My back has improved from very tender last weekend to pretty solid this weekend; I'm hoping to try golf next week.

Wendy enjoyed her week up in Kenora. She was glad to see the renovations proceeding on the house there, and enjoyed spending time with the boys.

Erin and Kristian had a few extra items on their schedule this week as one of Kristian's hearing aids broke so that needed replacement. He was also invited to another birthday party; he's very popular in his class. Then there was speech-therapy, and as things were so busy, they weren't even able to take in his IEP meeting, so they'll try to catch up next week!

Trav has his usual occupation with work, but the big stuff this week was his hockey team. He and his fellow coaches have been spending lots of time scouting the available players, and this week they drafted their team for this season. Trav was quite satisfied with the players they manage to get.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to be very comfortable with a few showers. I am thinking I should do the lawn over-seed in the coming week. The garden continues to produce for us. I've harvested lots of tomatoes, more spaghetti squash than we can begin to eat, and a few zucchini. The squash have almost been killed off by the leaf fungus now, and I see the pumpkin vines have caught it as well. I had a pretty good week with my back until this afternoon when I must have done something wrong as it's really hurting tonight and I'm back on the ibuprofen. I had a great investment day on Monday, gaining 1%, but the rest of the week was not good, and I lost over half of it! The Riders had an embarrassing blowout loss to Winnipeg on Sunday, but revived our hopes with an overtime victory last night over Calgary. Today, we celebrated the tenth anniversary for our friends, George & Karen; Eric led them in the confirmation of their vows, and we had a lovely supper with their family and friends.

The big event this week was Kristian's fifth birthday. He enjoyed an extended celebration that lasted all week long. First off, we sang Happy Birthday while he contributed his five dimes to the church Bible fund on Sunday. Then, he celebrated at his day care on Thursday, and with us on Thursday evening. On Friday they celebrated his birthday at school, and finally, today, Eric/A & Haaken; Travis, Joanna & Andrew; Erin; Tom, Charlene & Calvin; Shelly & Kaden; Grandma & Grandpa celebrated his birthday all over again. As I write, the living room is completely infested with Lego!

Wendy and I have heard nothing on our job applications. We're remaining patient. Wendy plans to spend the next week in Kenora, taking care of those grandsons, while I remain here to be available for Kristian when he gets off school.

Erin and Travis are continuing with their usual job commitments and both are doing fine. Travis has begun the hockey season and is scouting prospects for his team.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, in my home town. The weather has been very nice with some welcomed showers, and cooler temperatures that make it nice to think about packing up the air conditioner. Of course, there's also the concern that it's time to pack up the air conditioner! We started the week with a special celebration for our friends, John & Diane, as they celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary; it was a good time with much family and friends in attendance. We concluded that day watching the Riders win the traditional Labour Day game over Winnipeg. Calgary has continued to win, so at this point in the season, the Riders are just trying to keep within shouting distance. We had several shaky days on the market this week, but with good buys and a good day on Friday, I managed to eke out a gain. I've continued work with my chiropractor, but my back is still very tender and I've remained off the golf course for a seventh week. The garden is producing well; we're having trouble keeping up with the tomatoes and the spaghetti squash. We're getting down to single digits some nights, so it may not be long until we get a killing frost. We had some excitement with the car as the oil plug failed. Fortunately, the guys at Kal-Tire were able to re-tap the oil pan and install a new, larger plug.

Wendy and I are both waiting to hear on a couple of job applications. Wendy also keeps active at the gym and visiting with friends. While we have assumed ownership of the house, we have not established a plan or a schedule for renovations. Wendy continues to revise the plans! We'd certainly like to extend the gas line and install our gas range and a gas fireplace.

Erin is learning the aspects of her new job quickly. It is going well. She continues to follow the Jays as they play out the season, and try to interfere in the playoff race! Kristian is back to school; he is enjoying that a great deal as well. His communication and use of sentences grows each week. We are quite encouraged by how well this is developing.

Trav continues with the development of his career. He has applied for a business development grant to help the process along. He continues to grow his base of customers even outside of his job. He is nearing completion of another website; I will pass along the URL when it's ready for public consumption.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

We're into September here on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has changed this week, as we spent the first few days in 30+ degree heat and the comfort of air conditioning and ended the week in cool, rainy, blustery weather, thankful for the protection of a warm house. It's Labour Day weekend, traditionally the end of summer holidays, so back-to-school thoughts occupy many. Haaken and Liam are already back to school; Kristian is scheduled to begin on Wednesday. It's been a good week in the markets, and I've continued to catch up from my losses early in the summer. September is traditionally a bad month for investors, so I shall play it carefully. The Riders play tomorrow in their traditional Labour Day match against Winnipeg. We'll be cheering! My back continues to bother me, and I'm continuing with the therapy, but improvement is slow, so, it's another week without golf.

The garden is producing well. I have begun harvesting squash, and tearing up the fungus infected vines. The tomatoes are really producing now, but the beans and peas are pretty much done. We've had a lot of rain the last couple of days, so everything's looking pretty green. I am getting ready for the Fall over-seed on the front lawn; the eco-grass likes cool wet weather for germination.

Wendy and I have each applied on jobs recently, so we're hoping for something to develop there. I applied to drive school bus, and I've also applied on a data project–both hold the promise of lots of free time to continue my main work of investing.

Erin works some on her new assignment each day. The transition will be gradual over the next while. Her replacement has been hired, but is still receiving training.

Travis remains busy with work, but also managed a trip down to Duluth this week.

And that's about it for now.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my home town. The weather has continued to be beautiful and my garden is thriving. Unfortunately the fungus has returned to the vines, so I may just take what they've produced so far, and pull up the vines. I suspect there's a chem-lab solution to this as well, but I'm trying to avoid that. So far it has only affected the squash, so pulling them up may save the pumpkins and cucumbers. Wendy has me cutting the back lawn after two months of letting it grow freely. I'm trying to gradually get it down to ordinary lawn length, but it takes time. I've cut it six times in the last week, and there are still some adjustments to go!

It's been another violent ride on the markets, but Friday's big gain has the TSX back into positive territory for the year and allowed me to gain over 1.5% for the week, so I'm catching up a bit. I've continued to get help with my back, and even got out one evening to hit a few balls—a half dozen was enough to know that it was not ready yet. Calgary won their game last night, so with the Rider's loss tonight in Edmonton, first place is a distant memory.

Liam & Haaken have been here all week, so it's been a special whirlwind of activity around here. Kristian has been enjoying Lego and cartoons morning, noon and night! Grandma has also had the crew out for trips to the park, marina and pools. Eric/A arrived last night, so we're having a family reunion! It's nice to have the house full again.

Erin has been getting more details of her promotion and is looking forward to that. She'll be working at both locations at various times of her work week, and gradually moving into the main office.

Trav has continued development of his own business while also working full bore at his job, so he's pretty busy most days. It's going well.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has cooled off a bit, so that's been more comfortable, and we've had some rain—my lawn thanks you! The garden is flourishing; we're enjoying tomatoes, beans, and spinach. Once again, the markets started the week well, but bad news arrived from several sectors and the last three days were downward, so my gains in the early days disappeared in the last three as most markets ended the week in negative territory. Once again, I'm into "next week" country! The Riders' stay in first place was brief as Calgary won on Sunday, and since this is their bye week, we'll have to wait to see how they respond. Our church leadership team met this week; we enjoyed a fine meal, good meeting, and the chance to raid the garden of our friends Gord & Nora. Thanks!

I have continued working with the chiropractor on my back. This is clearly proving helpful, but there's more work to do. She has me in regular therapy sessions, and also doing a lot of exercises designed to stretch out and strengthen the affected areas. I'm noticing the improvement! I even thought about heading over to the golf course this afternoon, but second thoughts kept me home.

It's been a busy week. Liam arrived last Saturday, so we've been enjoying having him around. This has kept Kristian occupied, and Wendy has been busy arranging some extra events for the boys. Erin took them shopping one evening to help Liam get ready for another school year. And then last evening, we drove up to Ignace to meet Eric and collect Haaken. Now all our grandsons are here for the next week, the last week of summer vacation for Haaken & Liam. Then, they'll be back at school. We don't have Kristian's school schedule yet, but we think he starts after Labour Day.

The other big event this week was Erin's birthday. We enjoyed having a few friends over for the celebration. Erin chose a menu of Chinese food and Cheesecake! It was a good time. Erin has also received more promises of a promotion at work. She's expecting that to take place in the next month or so.

Travis continues with his usual schedule of work. He brought his friend, Joanna, to Erin's birthday party; it was nice to get to know her a bit. He has established his business as an official organization. Check out his website, not only is it his website, it's also his work.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. The weather has been hot and we've been doing a lot of yard work with garden, lawns and flower beds. We've had a couple of rains, and that has helped. The markets had a good Monday, and I made a good profit, but then it turned sour and the markets were down three to five percent for the week. I managed to get out on Tuesday after losing most of my Monday gains. After that, I just felt good for having skipped the loses the rest of the week! It was a good week for the Riders, as they won easily and moved back into a first place tie pending what Calgary does in their game tomorrow.

Our friends David & Marilyn arrived this evening to spend the weekend with us. It is good to spend some time with them and catch up on the goings-on in Dauphin, and in their lives. They've been travelling in the US and into eastern Canada and are now on their way home.

My back did not recover on its own, so I've been to the doctor. She's diagnosed and corrected the cause of the muscle spasms, and now we're working on stretching those out and letting them recover. It feels much better now, and I even slept through the night last night. She has also given me exercises to assist with my left shoulder and left ankle rehabilitation.

Wendy has been busy catching up on paperwork for both home and church. She has continued with her pruning mode and the various perennials have been trimmed to varying degrees, sometimes extending to the extreme! Weeds have not escaped her attention, and I'm finding them in piles all over the area! And, apparently, it was time for the furniture to move to new locations in the living room, so that has happened as well.

Erin has continued with work, and has been getting some catch up lab work done as well. We hope for favourable test results. Kristian has resumed his busy schedule of work with Grandma and two days of Day Care. Sadie has also expressed a love for Kristian's Lego toys, so we've had to help him manage to keep them locked away from her chewing.

Trav has continued with work and his other activities. We don't see too much of him during the week.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Home again, we're home again! On Sunday, we left the shore of Wascana, and headed east. Thank you, Dad and Dave for hosting us so generously and so warmly. We truly enjoyed our time in Regina, and the fulfillment of the work there. It was into Monday morning before we arrived on the shore of Lake of the Woods, on the Winnipeg River, in Kenora. Again, we enjoyed warm hospitality with Eric/A and the boys. We stayed an extra day to work on some projects there, and then completed the trip to Lake Superior and my hometown, on Wednesday. It is good to be home. Erin and Trav have been taking care of things. The garden is almost overwhelming the area; the rhubarb is even larger than when I took the big harvest in June for the family reunion. Only the potatoes have failed. I don't know what is wrong with my potato box plan, but I will need to reconsider it for next year. Again this week, the markets started off well, but we had a Civic Holiday, and, it seemed, by Tuesday the bloom was off. We never did seem to catch up to the promise of better things, and by the end of the week, bad economic news had turned things sour again. Still, I managed another 0.2% of recovery. Rider news was not good this week as they lost their game in Montreal by four points. That, coupled with Calgary's win in BC this evening has knocked them out of first place.

My back has not responded, and I'm still suffering a lot of discomfort, and unable to get a good night's sleep. It seems that when I'm laying down, I experience the greatest pain. I have been stressing my back with work, but if rest this weekend doesn't bring relief by Monday, I plan to get things checked out by a doctor. Anyway, no golf again this week.

Wendy enjoyed the house and yard work in Regina, in Kenora, and now at home. She's a regular Energizer Bunny! The flower beds, especially the hostas are looking great! They have grown far larger than our expectations, and some transplanting will be required. I have returned my attention to the front lawn where the grass is struggling to overcome the weeds in the replanted area.

Kristian seems to carry on with life without missing a beat. He rejoiced to see his mother and (Dare I say it?) the toys he had left behind six weeks ago. It seemed his dog was happy to see him, too.

Thank you, Erin & Trav for taking care of things.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed and we remain on the shore of Lake Wascana, far from my home town, but Dave rolled in this evening, so I may get the signal to pack up and drive, soon! This week marked my sixtieth birthday; I am thankful for the sixty years, and the many greetings from far and wide. We may have started a new birthday tradition, as I got both an ice cream cake and a lemon meringue pie for the occasion—thanks Wendy and Joan. I have been suffering all week from my indiscretions of last weekend when I played thirty-six holes of golf in one day. My back is hurting, and my left shoulder is in constant pain. I had hoped that ibuprofen and rest would have me recovered by now, but perhaps that is another "advantage" of being sixty years old! Anyway, no golf this week! The markets started off the week very well, but then ran sideways and down, so the gains I made on Monday were tempered by the tough days during the rest of the week. Still, I ended up with another 0.2% recovery against my June losses! July has been a good month on the markets. We ended the week watching our Riders destroy Hamilton (Although I would have liked it to be more impressive!) and solidify their hold on first place in the CFL West.

Wendy has continued her unrelenting attack on the yard here. The front landscape is rebuilt; the back yard has been renewed; the lawns have been mowed; the hedges are trimmed; the weeds (and her father) have been attacked with Roundup!

Kristian continues to thrive with a new Lego toy nearly every time Grandma goes shopping. This week he's been building various versions of the house package, and driving around it with his RV/Ambulance and the little army guys in the jeep! I think his speech has regressed a bit—perhaps we're getting too efficient at listening! He talks a lot, including covering both sides of the conversations in the little scenarios he puts on with his toys. He is constantly asking us, "What are you doing, ...?" And continually responding to whatever we tell him with, "What?" even though he knows what we've said.

Erin and Trav are running things back home. We've enjoyed video chats with them this week also. Erin reports that she's not only kept the garden growing, but has begun harvesting it. They've also been able to enjoy the World Junior Baseball Championships currently underway in Thunder Bay.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed. We remain lodged on the shore of Lake Wascana, far from my hometown. I have also taken a side trip down to Bismarck ND where we played the annual Pryder Cup competition between Canada and US representatives. This has been going on for eleven years now, and the Canadian team was successful in defending the cup again this year. I have written separate blogs on the event, and you are certainly invited to read them should you wish more detailed information on our exploits. Investing has gone better, and I've managed to post a profit of 0.2%, although I won't feel like they are profits until I make back the 5.1% I lost recently. The week closed with a sad note as we suffered through a loss by the Riders to Calgary. Riders are now 3-1 on the season, and in a tie for first place in their conference.

Otherwise our sojourn has continued in Regina. Wendy has been very busy with yard work, on the hedges and devising a new layout for plants in the front yard. It is all coming together now, and with some maturing, we think it will look just fine.

Kristian has continued to accumulate and build Lego vehicles of many kinds. This week's special addition was a Lego set that allows the construction of several fairly elaborate houses. Kristian seems to get right into these objects as he builds them, and talks through extensive events taking place in them. He also enjoys video chats with his mom back in Thunder Bay, although his first request is usually to get to see his dog!

Erin and Travis remain busy with work and household back in Thunder Bay. Erin has been doing a lot of work taking care of the yard while we've been away. Travis kicks in with lawn-mowing doing when that is required.

And that's about it for this week.

Golf 2010 Day 3

The final day of this year's event was bright, sunny and hot. I sweltered in the heat, and in the relentless 36 holes of golf. In the morning, I was matched with Mark in a better ball match. Mark started off with difficulties, but I was able to contribute, and when Mark got going, he outclassed our opponents and we won handily, four and three. We were playing Hawktree today, and it is a formidable challenge all by itself. I certainly found the conditions for scoring much tougher, and only managed an 86 in the morning round. Our team mates also achieved some success, so we extended our lead over the US side to 10.5 to 4.5.

The afternoon featured the singles matches. We each played two singles matches at one time in foursomes. I was getting quite tired, and was unable to control my driver as well, so it took a lot of scrambling to save my score. In the end, I had a score of 91, so you can see how I was faltering. However, I managed to win one of my matches easily—five and four, but I was also easily dispatched in the other one, falling four and three. My playing partner for the afternoon matches was Kris. He won one match and halved the other. Our teammates were achieving a lot of success in their own matches, so in the final summation we won easily 22.5 to 12.5.

All told it was a great golf adventure, and getting together with the friends we have developed over the years was a rich part of the event. This completes the eleventh year of the competition. Thanks to Wayne and Mike who do so much to put this together.

Golf 2010 Day 2

The weather did not fully cooperate today, for the first time in eleven years, and the afternoon round had to be suspended for a couple of hours to let the rain storm blow through. Eventually we got back on the course to complete that round in the evening. I played only in the morning round, as I find I get too crippled up by 36 holes in a day, and I wished to be still able to golf on Saturday! I played with Kent in the morning better ball format. We were matched up against an American team that featured the fellow who had posted the best score on Thursday, so we knew we had our work cut out for us. Kent played really well, scoring 76, and I also played really well, scoring 83. We took a one-up lead through nine holes, but frittered it away early in the back, and found ourselves two down after 13. However, I was able to win the next two holes and then Kent put us ahead to stay. We won 2 and 1 on the seventeenth hole. It was a very exciting match.

In sum, the Canadian teams swept the morning better ball matches and opened a 5-0 lead. The Americans came back a bit in the afternoon, so at the end of day 1, we led 7-3.

Despite the rain, it was a wonderful day. We enjoyed another group meal in the evening, and most of us hit the beds early.

Golf 2010 Day 1

Kerry and I drove down from Regina to Bismarck. We left at 5:30 in the morning, and arrived in Bismarck around noon. We drove through rain most of the way, but it started clearing up after we got to Minot. After a lunch at a neat diner called Krolls, we headed over to the course (Prairie West) for our first round. The weather continued to improve throughout the afternoon, so it was a very pleasant day for golf. It was a skins competition, and, as it turned out, Dick and I were partners and managed to collect two skins. I played quite well, scoring 86, and driving the ball pretty well (for me!).

After the golf, we drove over to our billets, Hank & Jane (thanks a lot guys!) for supper and the night. They have a beautiful home there in Bismarck, and the local golfers had prepared a sumptuous meal for us. After the meal, and a welcomed shower, we visited a bit before bed time. We have an early tee time in the morning, so after a long day, we crashed early.

News Update

This week has been spent in Regina, near the shore of Wascana, but far from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown. We've been enjoying good weather here with only a couple of days that got too hot for my comfort. Golf practice has gone well, but I didn't manage to work in a game this week. Investment work has continued to be challenging, as I finally got ready to buy by the end of Thursday only to have Friday be a down day, so I stayed out. I've returned to the discipline of technical investments, but it demands more patience than I usually have! We ended the week enjoying the Open golf championship and the Rider win over Edmonton to improve to 3-0 in the young season.

Wendy has me employed as landscape engineer while she is enjoying redoing her dad's front yard. We cut and removed much vegetation that was overgrowing the place, and are now replacing it with new plants. It's starting to take shape, and I've learned that landscape engineer means running the chain saw, pruning shears and shovel!

David left this week for a holiday in his newly acquired van. All is going well, and he's made it to the Island now, so he'll have to turn around soon!

We get regular video conferences with Erin via computer. Kristian is now able to carry on chats with her, so that's an encouraging development for him. We are quite pleased with his vocabulary development. He's doing well, and has also acquired several more Lego vehicles for his set—I don't know whether Kristian or his grandma enjoys the toys more!

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed and we have begun our journey from the shore of Lake Okanagan, back to Lake Superior and my hometown. We are currently in Regina, where we just enjoyed watching the Riders defeat the BC Lions 37 - 18. Today was also highlighted by a golf game with my friend Kerry out at Tor Hill. He even has some clubs I admire, and would wish to try out, but he stands on the other side of the ball... Anyway, I had a great front nine at one over, but couldn't hold on, and finished with an 81; still very good for me. We started the week at John & Marion's on Lake Okanagan at the Family Reunion. As that wrapped up, we put Travis & Erin on the plane on Monday, and set off ourselves in the afternoon for Airdrie where we enjoyed a stay with David & Shirley. They had invited some other YKers from the area over for a BBQ, so it was great to catch up with all of them: Quinn, Kathy, Trey; Barb & Garry; Kim & Denny; and Bill.

On Wednesday, we drove down to Regina, where we are currently ensconced at Ellis' house. The food is good, the bed is fine; we're enjoying our stay!

We keep in pretty regular contact with Erin via video chat. Kristian often asks to see Mommy on the computer, but usually asks to see Sadie (his dog) once we actually get on line! Erin and Trav are taking care of things back in Thunder Bay. The garden is flourishing, and the lawns are trying to grow in the heat down there.

The markets seem to have turned around a bit, and actually had some good days while we travelled. I have been studying the trends, and hope to get back in a bit next week if the earnings season is promising.

And that's about it for this week.

Ulrich 2010 Song

Ulrich 2010 Song by Erica & Travis

We laughed a lot, fought some, too.
What else would you expect?
A gathering of Ulrichs, Full of
Logic-filled respect.
We would never shed a tear,
No not this solemn crew,
For an Ulrich's never wrong,
Shows no emotions, too!

Chorus:
John, Verner, Uncle Tom,
Viggo, Bill and Jim,
Ida Marie or Aunty Cindy,
Where did that name begin?
Cousins, spouses, uncles, aunts,
Where else would we go?
To remember Mom and Dad,
And swim... with Ogopogo!

Not long ago, Sven and Elly came
From that "lovely land"
Flag of Danes traded in
For plough and piece of land.
Hardy folks, raised in love,
At times, not much more,
Faith in God, born to learn,
And stubborn to the core.

Bridge:
Ogopogo: We had a magical time.
Ogopogo: In your castle under the lake.
Ogopogo: Your bad William Shatner impressions.
Ogopogo: Your ugly homemade crafts.
Ogopogo: We went halfsies on a Shamwow.
Ogopogo: He only drinks Dos Equis.
Ogopogo: He forwards unfunny Youtube videos.
Ogopogo: You were a Winnipeg Jets fan.

Now you might think there's nothing special,
About this little gig.
A little fun, a little food,
Some wine and visiting...
But between the golf, the lake,
There's something else, you see,
Holding it all together is
The love of family.

News Update

The week began in Regina, but our travels have taken us westward, and the week completes on the shore of Lake Okanagan, far from my home town. On Monday, we travelled to Medicine Hat, enjoyed the evening, and spent the night with Jim & Carol—thank you very much! On Tuesday we continued to Lake Country, BC, where we established a temporary residence with John & Marion, and where we've enjoyed the remainder of the week! Thank you, John & Marion. Other family members gradually trickled in until all members of my generation were there, and all but a handful of the membership of subsequent generations.

Family assemblies bring a range of eating, singing, story-telling, lying, boating and golfing activities. I have enjoyed them all, and it will be impossible to assess which one I enjoyed the most. However, golf at Predator Ridge was a highlight. Seven of us enjoyed a wonderful experience on that beautiful course. I had some difficulties with driving, particularly in the middle of the round, but I still managed a 93, and was relieved with this measure of my game against a very challenging course. The main aspect was having the chance to play with family, and experiencing the joy provided by my children to play at Predator Ridge. Of course, there was plenty of good and nutritious food provided at regular intervals, and we all partook beyond both need and sane dietary restriction. Singing is definitely a family trait and tradition, so we enjoyed a lot of that. With age we are able to retell many jokes that some have forgotten, but most seem to enjoy; and one special feature this year was the attendance of "The Most Interesting Man in the World!" who provided much good humour. Poetry recitations were featured one evening; lying was not limited to golf, fishing, taxation or economics!

One part of the reunion was the acknowledgement of John's seventieth birthday, my sixtieth birthday, the twenty-seventh anniversary for John & Marion, and the fortieth anniversary for Wendy and me. I am thankful for all the good wishes!

On the stock investment front, it has been a very bad, no good week. When we started travelling, I made a lazy (or greedy) determination to buy and hold a diverse set of stocks. The markets did not accommodate, and I have been able to enjoy the hazards of buy 'n hold that I used to reserve for my professional advisers! As a result, by the time I got located here in the Okanagan and cut my losses, I had lost about 5.1% on my portfolio. That reduces my gain on the year to 0.8%, and my overall gain to 5.7%. So, that was a bad experience, however, if I learn from it, it won't be a total waste! At any rate, I have escaped to cash, and I will need to get studiously to work when the markets return to productive growth.

Erin and Travis worked part of the week before flying out here; they fly back on Monday morning. Kristian is travelling with us. They are all having a good time connecting with family here.

And that's about it for this week!

Family

Our family has roots in Denmark from where our mother and father migrated to Canada. They eventually met and married and established a home and family on a homestead near Fort St John, BC. Later they moved on to farm in Saskatchewan, and eventually departed to their permanent rest from there. The first generation of that family have scattered from the farm in Saskatchewan to establish residences in Medicine Hat, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Baltimore, Dallas and the Lake Country of BC. We have a big brother who has certainly fought for us, and continues to lead, guide, nourish and bless us. John & Marion have established a lovely home in the sunny Okanagan, and they invite us to share in its blessings. Thank you, John & Marion!

Despite the fact that I turn sixty this month, due to the accident of timing, I have both the role of little brother and big brother in my family. I must admit that I do not manage to meet the privileges of either role very well. As you may know, Danish is practically synonymous with the virtue of stubborn! But even within a Danish family, there seems to be a hierarchy of achievement in this amazing virtue, and I seem to achieved a very elevated level indeed! (That's my wife saying, "Amen!") It is also unfortunately true that this virtue sometimes leads to difficulties in relationships. (A virtual chorus of sisters-in-law and my single brother-in-law say, "Amen!") However, no matter how imperfectly I meet my privileged responsibility to honour, encourage and bless my family, I still remain in the family, and my big brother still invites me to share in the blessings of his home.

Let me direct your attention to a larger family in which all are invited to be members, who have the privilege to love, nourish and bless each other. We can fill the various roles of older or younger siblings, and we have a big brother who has fought, bled, died and lives for us—thank you, Jesus! He also has established a beautiful home, and regardless of the level of achievement in our performance, he invites us to join him there.

News Update

Another week has passed and we are far from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown. However, Saskatchewan seems determined to fill its own lake with all the rain we're getting here!

On Sunday, we drove down to Stoughton on the occasion of the interment of our sister-in-law, Diane. That is a tough event at any time, but we were determined to make it there in support of our niece, and family.

I have occupied myself with the task of picking rhubarb, cutting it and preparing it for the freezer. We managed to get four ice cream buckets into the freezer and still had enough left over for a pie! Wendy has been caring for Kristian, but has also completed the task of getting and installing bedding plants and flowers around her dad's yard. The garden is somewhat delayed due to the over-abundant moisture, but it is coming along fairly well anyway. I expect the rhubarb will be ready for another picking when we get back from BC.

I have only monitored the markets a little while travelling, but it has been another disappointing week anyway, as all markets lost value. So, I have again been unable to post a gain, and am certainly experiencing a discouraging month. However, I remain convinced that this will turn around, and I just hope it's soon! I have managed to get out for golf practice and even one rain-shortened game.

Kristian is travelling with us. He and Wendy have both been suffering with sore throats, so they went to see a doctor on Friday and are now on antibiotics for the next while. We expect they will be feeling better soon. Kristian has been a wonderful little companion and is getting on well with extended family here.

Wendy is off to Horse Creek this weekend to a ladies' retreat and trail ride. She intends to confront her fear of horses and actually go for a ride, but she is also walking on a sprained ankle, so that's complicating the issue.

Erin and Trav are back in Thunder Bay, taking care of their jobs as well as the lawns and gardens. We look forward to their arrivals in BC next week.

We plan to head west on Monday as we continue our trip. There are rumours that the TransCanada will reopen over this weekend through Maple Creek, so we are hopeful that we won't have to make a multi-hundred kilometre detour around the washed out area.

And that's about it for this week.

Golf 2010

The week started off with Fathers' Day; and a great start it was. My children provided a round of golf (to be played later) at Predator Ridge near Vernon, BC. That is now scheduled for this coming Friday. They also provided funding to upgrade my golf equipment! You can see how much they have learned about golf—elite courses must be played from time to time; some new piece of equipment will surely be the missing ingredient in my golf game!! Anyway, it is a wonderful set of gifts. Thank you, my dear children, for your thoughtfulness. I have been agonizing a bit over how to rationalize the exorbitant green fees that Predator Ridge commands, and now the issue is solved! And as for better clubs, well, that's another challenge. I have had some clubs targetted for several years, but I have been unable to get my brother, Tom, to pass them along! However, I shall wait until after the Family Reunion to actually make a purchase. I know my brothers and nephews will have clubs I can try out, and I wouldn't be able to make such a buy with out consulting my nephew, Jon, since he was my main source of support when I bought my current clubs twenty years ago!

I have been practicing between rain showers here in Regina. I even got out for a round on Thursday. I managed to complete fifteen holes dry, then it started raining a bit, and by the time I completed the sixteenth hole, they chased us off the course due to the lightning in the area. It was just as well; we had a deluge—twenty-seven millimetres of rain in half an hour. Yikes!

So, my golf game is not in prime shape, but my heart is full, and I am certain that the new equipment will lead to excellent golf very soon!

News Update

Our dear friend, Marti Elford, is just completing a tour to Zambia. Her excellent blog is recommended.

Another week has passed and we have wandered far from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown. On Wednesday we drove up to Kenora, and stopped overnight with Eric/A and the boys. Then, on Thursday, we continued the tour westward in pouring rain to Regina. We noticed a lot of surplus water in the ditches and fields throughout Manitoba and across eastern Saskatchewan. On the radio, we heard lots of lamentations about the rainfall and the difficulties with seeding and growing crops. After resting on Friday, we drove down to Gravelbourg on Saturday morning, to observe the interment of Auntie. We enjoyed time with family, and were grateful to have the chance to say good-bye. Kristian was delighted to play with a large variety of new cousins he'd never met before. It was a very good day.

The markets seem to be showing some resiliency lately, and as a result, I've been making some recovery as well. I am close to profit territory on several of my holdings now, so it's encouraging. Until then, I remain stuck at 10.8% gain, as I'm closing in on nine months of work.

The garden is flourishing, and Erin will care for it while we're away. Thanks, Erin! We have Kristian with us, so we'll take care of him in return!! The rainy weather has delayed the garden here in Regina, but there is a lot of rhubarb ready, so I'll get to work on picking and cutting that.

Erin and Travis remain busy at work, but will fly out for the family reunion later.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has cooperated nicely as we got some more rain, and enough sun to get out to the golf course a couple times. The markets were difficult, but there was some progress as the week went on, and I am encouraged. I didn't make any sales, but I now have some of my holdings into profit territory. I've been stuck at 10.8% long enough! The garden is progressing, and Erin will take care of it while we travel for the next few weeks. The back lawn is looking great, but the reseeded portion of the front is doing poorly—just didn't get good germination in the unusually warm weather this spring. I'll have to over-seed in the Fall when things have cooled down. The Chicago Black Hawks finished off Philadelphia to win the Stanley Cup, so I'm celebrating along with them. The Blue Jays and the Riders will dominate my sports' attention for the next while.

Wendy is continuing to recover from her damaged ankle and knee. She's getting around pretty well, but she is still experiencing an unfair amount of pain. I think she's got our travel arrangements in place; we plan to leave here next Wednesday. We're currently dealing on a Mac Mini computer for her. We were hoping to get it delivered today, but not so far!

Erin's work has been getting more and more busy as summer comes on. It's going well, and she still enjoys most of it! We're taking Kristian travelling with us next week, so she's fretting about how much she'll miss him.

Trav keeps busy with work. He got a lesson in website hosting this week, as one failed. He seems to have that on the road to recovery, as the files have been found, and the hosting arrangement re-established. He was instrumental in helping us get Wendy's new computer.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been beautiful, and we've even got some rain to help things out for my lawns and the forest lands of northwestern Ontario. It is very welcome. The rain barrel is full again! The bedding plants are in; Kristian enjoyed planting the tomatoes, and even helps me water them as long as he can still stand on the paving stones. He doesn't like to stand on the dirt! The markets have continued their troubled way, and even took a big turn downward at the end of the week. Another small country holding the markets hostage—this time Turkey. We hope people will get better thoughts into their heads over the weekend. I did not manage to make any money this week.

I had some surprising success with my whipper-snipper this week. We got a battery-powered one some years back, and last summer it failed. It seemed unable to recharge. I tried to figure out why and looked for a replacement battery. I eventually left it out on the deck over the winter. Well, this week, I turned my attention to it again, and it has decided to work! Maybe the tough love over the winter convinced it to behave!

Wendy has continued with her regularly scheduled events, and this week added a crash and burn to the menu! She seems to have misstepped, possibly on a rock, and fell to the pavement, twisting her ankle and getting road rash on her knee and hands. So, she's been hobbled, but is showing improvement by now. She got all the rhubarb crisp prepared and into the freezer, and the rhubarb patch is ready for picking again. She also has our schedule ready for the trip west.

Erin and Kristian continue with their usual events as well. Kristian is adding a few special year end school events as June progresses. He has a wonderful personality, and seems well-liked by teachers and classmates. He is communicating expressively and we can understand most of it. Some letters continue to give him great trouble, but he will persist cheerfully trying to hear and say them. Otherwise his speech is not unusual for a four-year old. It seems work is getting busier for Erin as summer comes on. She continues to sleep through Blue Jay games—enjoying their struggles and victories. This week she had a special treat as she became aware that her little brother from Medicine Hat was in the world championships for ball hockey being played in the Czech Republic. She even got up early this morning to watch the final game on-line. They won in over time! Congratulations, Eric!

Trav continues to do well at work, and has assisted us with a project this week as well. He has started to enjoy the Stanley Cup finals where Chicago and Philadelphia are currently tied 2-2 in games won.

And that's about it for this week.

News Update

Another week has passed on the sunny shores of Lake Superior in my hometown. The hot, sunny weather has even caused us to get the A/C going—not something we expect in May! We completed our tour around Lake Superior on Sunday and Monday, driving into Thunder Bay on Monday evening. The delay at the border was over an hour; I guess there's no reason to expect that a lot of folks will be returning on Victoria Day! Why would we open four lanes through customs when two should be enough for anyone! Anyway, it was another scenic drive along the south shore of Lake Superior—much different landscape than the north shore. There were mostly sandy formations with lots of trees and beautiful beaches.

We experienced another mixed week in the markets. One great day, and several poor days. In the end, I posted another 0.2% gain amid hopes (dreams?) of better times that we hope lie ahead. It has been frustrating to see how some obscure European countries seem to hold the whole world on tenterhooks.

I've got the garden going now, and we're ready for bedding plants to go in. Some continue to caution against a late frost, but we're going for it! The new lawn is struggling in the hot, dry conditions, and I'm struggling to keep it watered. Some grass is evident, but I'm afraid I may have waited too late to seed. This stuff likes to germinate slowly in cooler conditions, so I may have to overseed in the Fall to get a good growth.

Wendy has been busy making arrangements for the family reunion in early July. I think she has it all under control now. Kristian will be travelling with us in late June, while Erin and Trav will both be flying out to Kelowna later. Eric/A and the boys will be driving out as well, and continuing out to the Island afterward.

Kristian and I even got to a real golf course this week, but only to practice on the putting green. He also got his replacement hearing aid after Sadie ate one a while back. Erin continues to have busy times at work, but these mainly happen at the beginning and ending of the day, so it makes for a long day. She manages to sleep through the Blue Jay game most evenings!

Trav is only feigning an interest in the Stanley Cup playoffs now that his Penguins have been knocked out, but I'm cheering mightily for Chicago to win it all, and they started on the right foot with a win in game one tonight.

And that's about it for this week.

Congratulations Cindy!

Another week has passed and we have wandered from the shore of Lake Superior and my hometown, eastward along the lake, then south, past the shores of Lakes Huron and Michigan and down to Lansing MI. It is the occasion of my baby sister graduating from law school. And she is graduating Magna Cum Laude, instead of Lawdy How Come? I am very proud! Soon she will take up her assignment as Law Clerk for a federal judge in Baltimore; again, congratulations are in order! And, at some future point, she will even figure out how to complete her application for Obamacare! Even in these slightly more enlightened days, it is still an 18-page document to fill in (or out, seems to mean the same thing!). Of course, factual correctness requires me to note that few of the improvements of Obamacare have yet become active. Even when they do, very little is changing in the tragedy that is healthcare in the USofA... however, that's a rant I often contemplate, but have yet to write! At any rate, she will also deserve further congratulations if she ever completes that successfully; some people take a course on how to effectively complete health care forms!

We have enjoyed a beautiful trip down here. We drove along Superior for about 800 clicks the first day and, after negotiating the border crossing, stopped for the night in northern Michigan at a small place called St. Ignace. It is beautiful there. We were right on the shore of Lake Huron, and our room had only some 50 metres of lawn between us and the beach. Then, on Friday, we completed the trip down through Michigan to Auburn Hills (suburb of Detroit, at the end of Lake Erie). We're located about halfway between the Palace of Auburn Hills (Pistons) and the Silverdome (Lions, although someone tells me the Lions have moved to a new home now.) sports complexes. Tom & Mariette, Viggo & Nancy are also here, so it's good to spend time with them.

We enjoyed the open house at the Thomas M. Cooley law school, where Cindy took her training, and then enjoyed a family banquet at a local restaurant specializing in Indian food. BK would be impressed! Thank you, Daniel & Cindy. It was good to share in the joy of the occasion with you, and the families involved.

Today, we took a short drive west to Lansing, where the main campus of Michigan State University is, for the graduation ceremony. It was another great affair, and I honoured the event with the purchase of a new sports coat. I contend that it is a rather denigrating comment on society that I can become 'socially acceptable' through the purchase of a used jacket from Value Village! (Wendy insists that I not mention the price was $9.99)

Otherwise, it was another terrible week on the markets. There was a slight recovery on Friday just to keep the suckers biting, I suppose. I managed only one sale for the week, and thus have gained another 0.2% on the portfolio, but I also have some holdings that will need some substantial improvements before they can sell. So, it's tough going these days.

Wendy was quite busy with trip preparations, and organizing things at home before we left. Now, she's the full-time navigator, and despite a couple of mishaps with maps, has managed to get us here!

Erin and Kristian are holding down the home fort. Kristian had a small disaster this week, as Sadie (the dog) ate one of his hearing aids. That has now been replaced, but the earpiece is not fitting right, so he's in some discomfort. He is enjoying 'golfball', as he calls it. I take him out with his new clubs—he can barely carry them—across the street to the school yard and he hits my shag tube of balls (24). He's doing well, and it's a delight each time he comes to say, "Papa, golfball." Eric/A and the boys are down from Kenora for this long weekend, so there is plenty of company.

Trav continues as per usual with work, private contracting, and life. He has taken the better route, whether through wisdom or good luck, of avoiding investing in these troubled markets.

And that's about it for this week.

God bless you, Auntie!

It has been quite a week on the shore of Lake Superior, in my hometown. On both sides of our family we have lost loved ones. On the Krogsgaard side, Sue rushed home from Zambia on the occasion of her mother's passing out in BC. On the Ulrich side, we lost the last of my mother's generation as her sister, my beloved Auntie, passed on in her 97th year.

Aunt Mary has always just been Auntie to me. As a child, I guess I didn't realize there were other people who were aunts and uncles. She was always a special person in my youth (while we grew up just a few miles away), and I'll never forget how she could make frikadeller (meatballs) with new potatoes and parsley gravy!

After mom's passing, just over thirty-six years ago, Auntie kind of took her place. Not just the physical resemblance, but also the character traits allowed her to take that role for me. So, I doted on her a bit, and was able to give and receive the love that I was missing from my mother. We tried to take in a stop in Moose Jaw every time we were in Saskatchewan, and I shall miss our visits. We would always make her guess who we were, and she would complain about how she couldn't see, and we would drop hints. Finally she would figure it out, oh, the one from Thunder Bay (I should have written that with the h missing, as she said it!), and then she would greet us and tell us our birthdates and anniversary and the names and birthdates of all our children, and ask how they were.

She was spectacularly interested in other people, but for herself, she just wanted to go home. So, for her, this is a blessing. But for us, it is an inestimable loss.

Otherwise things have continued with pretty much the same routines. Investments have been scary as the stock market thinks it's a roller coaster! I made good money in the first three days, and lost most of it in the last two! In the end, I was up 0.1% to 10.4% total. I have continued work with lawn and garden. This week, I got my rain barrel installed with a diverter to collect water from the roof just in time for a shower on Thursday to fill it up! The seed is starting to germinate on the front lawn. The back lawn is lush and demanding regular cutting. On Friday evening, we had a special treat as Dave, Heather and Ariadne arrived from southern Ontario. Ariadne is a new friend from Mexico where she is an English prof at the University. Dave & Heather are old friends since our childhood. It was great to spend some time with them, and send them on their way on Saturday.

Wendy keeps busy. This week provided encouraging news as her hospitalized friend has rallied, and, it now appears, will be released from the hospital. We don't know whether she will return home, or to a care facility. She still must return to the hospital three times per week for dialysis and blood work. Today was very special for me, as Wendy came out and practiced golf along with me at a local course.

Erin and Kristian have continued with work and school, respectively. Both are doing well. Kristian enjoyed getting his first set of golf clubs this week. We enjoy his attempts to use them in the school yard across the street.

Trav continues as per usual with work, and is also concentrating a lot of time on a new friend.

News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. It's been a nice week, with a few showers to help me with the watering of the newly seeded lawn. I have also done a bit more work on the garden, including some seeding as the soil is warming up. I am hoping the strawberries come back, but see no evidence of that yet. The rhubarb is ready for a first picking, so we will be getting back into rhubarb crisp soon! I pulled out a couple of stumps in the back yard, but that's a lot like work! It was a terrible, no good, very bad week on the markets as fear of debt in Europe seem to panic the investors. As a result, I was only able to make one sale, and only posted a 0.2% gain. We hope for resolution in the UK election over the weekend, and a more settled feeling overall, so the buyers will return to the markets. Economic news in both Canada and the US support the view that the recovery from the recession is progressing. The oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico initially pushed oil prices higher, but now fear has panicked prices about $10 lower.

Wendy seems to keep busy with a variety of activities. She did up quite a bit of baking this week. We always need some for Thursday evenings when we host our small group. She was also able to supply some to our next door neighbours who lost husband/father/grandfather this week. She continues to provide taxi service and other care for Kristian.

Kristian is progressing well at school and day care. He continues to produce longer sentences, and is very talkative. We understand some of it! Erin is quite busy at work, and looks forward to a promotion there in the next few months.

Trav is quite occupied with the travails of his Penguins in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Their current series is not going easily, but they're in good shape. He is taking additional training at work, so he will be able to operate their new Swiss-embroidery machines.

And that's about it for this week.