News Update

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has been comfortable, but with too many showers! I managed to get the front lawn cut, and it seems to be drying this weekend, so I'll try to get the back lawn done. I finally managed to play some golf today, and that went better than expected. It sometimes seems that I play my best in the early going before I start swinging too hard! Renovations are proceeding well. The drywall is finally done, and Wendy is increasing the pace on painting. This week she got a final coat on the family room and priming of the castle room. Everything is looking good. Markets went badly this week, so while I started the week with quota for the month, I will now need a good day on Monday to close at that level. School ended this week, so I'm off bus driving for the summer. We'll see how things set up in the Fall. The Jays continue to flounder, although they did take a series from the Yankees and remain in first place. Football season has begun this weekend, but the Riders don't play until tomorrow. Go Riders, Go!

Liam celebrated the end of grade 8, and moving on to the big time, high school.

For the occasion he wore a suit and looked quite striking! They had a dinner and dance. On Wednesday he joined Eric on a trip to Saskatchewan to checkout a job offer out in PA as well as tour Briercrest. They both return this evening. Haaken worked on movie stuff on his computer and went for a lot of walks around town. He also enjoyed his mother's lack of desire to cook at the end of each busy day, so they ate out a lot this week. Erica ended the week batching and entering invoices. With the teachers' strike still on, support staff have also been absent, but the bills have to be paid. The whole group is heading to Victoria this weekend to celebrate Sheena Bailey's 80th Birthday.

Erin provides an update on her week in Regina: It rained. Again. Every day! Kristian graduated grade 3. He's staying in the 3/4 split classroom for grade 4. His best friend, Owen, will be in grade 3 in the same classroom so they're both pretty excited. Erin went out for lunch to an outdoor cafe and ended up being stuck there for an extra half hour as the film crew for the Corner Gas movie needed "continuity" for the scene they were shooting right across the street! So that was a neat surprise. She won't be in the movie though. They pulled up a vehicle to hide the patio. They spent today with Liam and Eric at Grandpa's, the Rider store, Burger Baron, Transformers movie, and Walmart. Kristian picked out a special gift for finishing grade 3. They're closing the week at home putting together their new fan and Kristian's kree-o transformers set. It was a good week.

Trav, Joanna and crew had a busy week with school closing and Gemma's grade 8 grad. She won several awards and was also Valedictorian. She plans to enter the International Baccalaureate program at Churchill High School in the Fall. For some reason, I'm very short of grand-daughters, but I'm proud to be connected with this one!

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 nice all week, but it has turned showery this weekend. I've managed to get out to practice golf a couple of times and was planning to use some of my Father's Day money to actually play a round this weekend, but, maybe later! The school year is winding down, and the students are into special class outings in the elementary schools and exams in the high schools. The markets ran nicely all week, and TSX hit a new record high. Wendy has the family room primed, and it is looking really good. Now she's painting the ceiling in an upstairs bedroom. Drywall work continues for me, but that aspect is getting close to being finished. The Jays are struggling; they were swept by the Yankees this week, but remain in first place. Preseason is over in football, and I'm looking forward to the regular season.

Erica has had a long week. With the strike it has been a strange combination of busy and quiet. She even took a turn at covering the front desk with all the union staff gone. Eric has heard back from some of the jobs he has been applying on and now they have some deciding to do. Liam and Haaken have enjoyed their early summer. Liam has been visiting back and forth with friends—fun times! Haaken worked on some animation drawings, hand drawing body parts on separate cells in order to animate them. The Mazda 626 has been donated to Teen Challenge, at least that will save on insurance! They have begun work on the septic field at the house in Kenora along with paperwork related to ensuring the apartment is legal. We pray that both will progress well. They have had enough bumps this year and are looking forward to some smoother waters! The icing on the cake would be a buyer for that house.

The school year is also winding down for Kristian. Otherwise, he and Erin continue with their normal activities. Tonight they had a date for a meal out, and to see How to Train Your Dragon II. We are looking forward to spending some time with them during the summer break. 

It was Joanna's birthday this week, so we celebrated with them on Wednesday evening. They are preparing to move into our suite as soon as we can get it ready. We are looking forward to that. 

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 is nice, so I'm enjoying golf practice and yard work. One of the curses/blessings of Canadian golf is we have an off season. This gives us the opportunity to watch Golf Channel, read golf magazines in the doctor's office, and come up with the final solution which will put our game in good order when Spring comes! So, this time of year, I am once again trying to install my new golf swing! Yikes! However, renovations continue to call my name, and we're making some progress there. Wendy has begun painting in the new area. The bedroom and the upstairs still require some more work before they're ready for paint. It was another good week for me in the markets, and I made quota again. There have not been enough weeks of that lately! The hockey season has ended. As I predicted the LA Kings won it in five, so I take some consolation in the accurate prediction even though I was cheering for the Rangers. All games but one were decided by a single goal, and three of the games went to overtime, so it was very entertaining hockey. The Blue Jays continue in first place, but they've been having a tougher time of it lately, so it's getting tight! Wendy is keeping very busy with the renos, and with other clean-up work around the house and yard. The Riders opened their football preseason this evening with a win over Ottawa—lots of new faces! Go Riders! 

Eric had some promising responses on job applications this week. He had some interviews and pre-interview questionnaires. Hopefully he will begin to receive offers, even just one good offer! Haaken and Liam had what is probably their last day of school on Friday. The teachers are on "rotating strike" on Monday with a more permanent strike starting Tuesday. 

Tin Grin

Liam had exams this week so he is pretty much done. Haaken only has one class this semester with an exam so we wait to hear if or when he will write it. Liam got braces this week; he's absolutely delighted with the new look! 

Life continues to move forward for Erin and Kristian. Kristian wrote me a delightful Grandpa's Day card using his new favourite cursive writing. Erin says he has really taken to it and insists on using it all the time. I don't recall it being such a hit with the grade three kids who were introduced to it in years gone by! 

Trav, Joanna and crew continue to be busy. Joanna and Gemma have taken on a few extra weddings which keeps them very busy on weekends. Puckshots had a recent photo shoot where every player ordered a package—nice! Gemma and Andrew are feeling the pressure of year end, and the move to a new school in the fall. They are looking forward to their new rooms and have been engaged in planning the decor. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

News Update

We've experienced another beautiful week on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. Reactine is keeping my hay fever at bay, so I'm doing pretty well. I've been able to get out to the golf course a few times, and I feel like my swing is showing signs getting back into the groove. Unfortunately, even at its best, my game is not so great, but I enjoy it all the same. Wendy has been away all week in Parksville, and I've been trying to get some upstairs renovations moving forward while she's away. I have it rewired, drywalled and everything has at least the first coat of mud, so I'm satisfied. Wendy is expected back just after midnight, then we'll see whether she is satisfied with it! The markets have turned positive this week and I managed more than quota, so I feel well blessed there. The final series has begun in hockey. The Blackhawks failed to advance so I'm cheering for the Rangers in the final, all the while predicting the Kings to win! Sigh! Blue Jays continue to play well, holding first place at this point in the season. 

Eric/A took a bike trip down the west coast to California to see the mighty redwoods! They had a great time by all accounts with favourable weather and beautiful scenery. Liam spent most of the week on a school camping trip. Haaken and Grandma were charged with taking care of things at home, and that seemed to work out very well. 

Kristian was able to get a different anti-histamine which relieves his hay fever while still allowing him to remain awake! That is helpful for his school work! Otherwise things seem to be about the same for Erin & Kristian in Regina. 

Trav & Joanna continue to have photo shoots with hockey teams in the summer leagues, and have also had a call from a lacrosse team. Puckshots has turned into a lucrative business for them. We've managed to share several suppers this week, which is a bonus for me. Thanks guys! Gemma and Andrew are into their last month of school. 

And that's about it for this week.