News Update

Another week has passed, and we are on the move again. We cleaned up a few items on the to do list at home, and then headed south for the winter! I made some progress on cupboard development in the kitchen, and Wendy got back on the horse and did some painting. She experienced some discomfort and some trepidation getting back on the ladder after her fall last week. She's still experiencing a fair amount of paint from the fall, and is not getting around very easily.

Santa Wreck!

We got back our car on Wednesday evening, then, on Friday morning, we drove down to Minneapolis. It started snowing as soon as we decided to leave, and the roads were heavy by the time we reached the border, but the plows were soon out, and we had a good drive. We were startled by a deer that crossed in front of us in the first hour into Minnesota. I got the battery replaced in my iPhone at the Apple store in Minneapolis—it's good as new once again! Today, we drove down to Lawrence KS to visit our friends there for a couple of days. True to expectations the US voters came through for us and elected a Democratic congress, so investors took a bit of encouragement and began buying. However, the FED also started talking, and that took the wind out of our sails a little. Still, I did manage a green week, although not up to quota. If the Dems install Nancy Pelosi as Congressional leader again, I will not be holding much hope for the situation. To me, she's more about making side deals, and less about keeping the government accountable. They don't actually take office until January, so, we'll see how it goes. The Slam curling event this week is in Thunder Bay. Kevin Koe has again qualified for the medal round, and I have the PVR set to record the games so I can watch them later. Canucks continue to out-perform in hockey, while the Pens are not meeting expectations. Oilers and Leafs are also playing at mediocre levels as compared to my expectations. 

Erica has had another long week. Overall we're noting progress, but she had a particularly down day on Friday as another infection reared its ugly head. She seems a bit better today, and overall is gradually improving, and looking to assemble a series of next steps that will eventually lead to her being able to check out of hospital. 

Erin and Kristian are having a busy week. Kristian had to do his bowling early since he is off with the youth group from church to a retreat this weekend at Echo Lake Bible Camp. He gets back sometime tomorrow. Liam has come over from Moose Jaw to spend a quiet weekend at Aunt Erin's. 

On Thursday, we went out for a celebratory supper with Travis, Joanna and Gemma for Trav's birthday, since we wouldn't be back in time for the actual date. Now, they get to take care of the place, including the inevitable snow while we're away. I did get the snowblower tuned up, and the tires repaired, so we hope that proves a helpful assistant! Anyway, it's certainly helpful to have them regularly at the house. Last time we were away, they noted and intercepted a plumbing leak, so that saved us quite a mess! 

And that's about enough for this week.