May Day! M'aidez!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather is improving, and the snow is (finally) disappearing!

Two Months ago...

Now

I have serviced the snowblower, and put it away for the season. I've also pulled out the lawnmower, so I'm ready for summer! I've also found a guy to re-grip my golf clubs, so another summer prep is done! I'm still waiting on a guy who has been repairing my rototiller all winter long—it's not ready yet! Wendy has been putting in long hours getting our income tax documents ready for our Chartered Accountant—we got those submitted today! We had another physio session this week. I thought I was going to be done, but the therapist had other ideas! If they can figure out something that hurts you, they set up an exercise regime to tap into that pain! Anyway, we both have some additional exercises to do for the next two weeks. I did manage a 5km workout on Thursday, but I was a bit uncomfortable after that, but I'll keep at it. We got out cycling today—that was good, although pedalling really works the knees! The markets have continued to whipsaw with the variance in the news cycle each day. Overall, it was another red week to complete a red month. All the indices I follow are in the red so far this year, and so am I. The NHL season has come to an end, and my three teams advanced to the playoffs: Oilers vs Kings; Pens vs Rangers; Leafs vs Lightning. In World Curling—Mixed Doubles: Canada advanced to the playoff round, but lost out to Norway; Scotland won the gold medal there. Senior Men: Canada won over Czechia. Senior Women: Switzerland won over USA. 

Erica writes, "We started the week with a full house, but Greg and Kiersten left on Sunday and Liam left on Monday and we are back to an empty nest. Eric and I spent the rest of the week recovering from all the fun. We’ve both been dealing with spring mold and pollen—plus we are getting old! Speaking of which, Eric celebrated his 52nd birthday on Thursday. We had a low-key celebration with friends, Appies and an amazing chocolate peanut butter cake made by our friend Guido."

Erin was able to return to work this week. She is not 100%, feels pretty congested, but is getting better every day. Kristian babysat Shawn's cats this week; he learned that cats drink from toilets. He has also returned to his regular routines at school. Shawn, Astrid and Liam were in Winnipeg for Astrid's synchronized swimming event. 

Travis and Joanna spent the week in Florida, finally returning this evening. Gemma was also down there, and got home yesterday. So, the pets will soon be returning home. Minnie has been very easy to care for. Mozzie (the budgie) has terrorized me whenever Wendy lets her out of the cage. My head must look like a nest, or something! We spent some time at their house this week dealing with the flooding caused by the torrential rainfall last weekend. Some repair work remains to be done. Some other development needs to be installed to forestall any reoccurrence! 

And that's about it for this week.

Thunderstorm!

Another disappointing week, weather-wise, has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We have had some rain, and some fluffy rain as well! We've also had quite a bit of melting, and we're now seeing some of the grass on the front lawn, but it's nearing the end of April! We should be outside, cleaning up the yard and getting the garden ready. However, last night we had a thunderstorm—the first of the year for us, and that was nice to hear. It brought heavy rains (70mm), and that brought its own issues as you will read about below! They are forecasting more rain, along with a continued warming trend next week—I'll be holding them to that promise! Otherwise, we've had a quiet week. We enjoyed a visit with Dave & Heather early in the week as they stopped overnight on their way to Kingston. On Tuesday, we got our second booster shot of Moderna (fourth in total). We both experienced some pain at the injection site, but no other side effects. We have managed to get out for regular walks; I've increased my distance to 3.5km without any knee flareups, so I'm encouraged. I plan to push it to 5km next week. Wendy has been occupied all week with babysitting Minnie, Mozzie, and the pupsters! That has gone well, except for those occasions that she lets the budgie out to terrorize me! The markets started the week in positive mode, but then central bankers began musing about 0.5% or even 0.75% rate hikes, and investors turned to selling. This week's action has dropped all indices into the red for the year, and I have reduced my holdings to under 40% of my portfolio. It's hard to be patient, but it's necessary. On the Pandemic front, Ontario hospitals are filling, and elective surgeries are being cancelled. In the world of sports the NHL is closing out the regular season, and Oilers have joined Pens and Leafs in the playoffs. At the Players Championship last week, Mouat (Scotland) won the Men's side, while Hasselborg (Sweden) won the Women's. This weekend, the World Mixed Championship began in Geneva with Peterman/Gallant representing us. They won their first game over Germany. MLB season has begun, and my Blue Jays are playing well despite suffering a few injuries. 

Erica writes, "Eric, Liam and Erica returned from Victoria on Monday. It was a good weekend—sorry to say it's been over two years since we've seen the family in BC. We celebrated Easter with turkey and ham and all the fixings, including an apple crumble pie and cheddar cheese. No, it wasn't keto, but we enjoyed it anyway. The weather in PA keeps us on our toes. One day, we think spring might be arriving. And the next day, we find we are sorely mistaken. This up and down weather has been playing havoc with our allergies. I'm coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose and taking covid tests (all negative so far). Eric is scratching and taking his inhaler. Liam is here this weekend and has itchy eyes—fun for the whole family! Greg and his girlfriend Kiersten are here for a visit. She is also a Harry Potter fan so we took in the new Dumbledore movie. If Haaken could have made it out, we would have the whole family. It's been a fun time sharing old stories, and looking at old photos.  Liam and I, and maybe Eric will be on for worship leading this Sunday. This coming week, the Saskatchewan Lipedema Association will be meeting with government to share our ongoing health issues, and provide suggestions on how our health care could better address our needs. We will see if that has any effect."

Erin has remained sick all week with Covid; she still tested a light positive on Thursday, but tried to go to work on Friday. She got part way there, but turned around and went home. She probably should have gotten her booster shot! Kristian has remained covid-free even while he had his Easter break from school. That should make him the chief cook and bottle-washer! However, he seems to have avoided that as well! Skip the Dishes continues to operate! 

Travis and Joanna are in the other TBay—the one in Florida! Gemma has joined them this week. They are enjoying salubrious climes while we suffer and wait for Spring to fully arrive. The thunderstorm last night brought about some basement flooding at their place, so we were busy vacuuming that up this morning. It seems to be from all the rainwater coming down the downspouts and failing to evacuate from beside the house, so it's coming inside! Anyway, it's a bit of mess, but it's looking better tonight. 

And that's about enough for this week. 

...Can Spring be far Behind?!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. We are now halfway through April, and still Spring refuses to make its entrance—very disappointing! This week the prairies suffered under a Spring Blizzard, and the tail end of it hit here. The TransCanada was closed in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the course of several days, but they're gradually digging their way out, and normal activities are resuming. I have managed to collect a few more pallets as I prepare for some wood projects once it warms up. I've also been practicing golf, and arranging to get some clubs regripped, so I might be ready if ever we get summer! And, we've been going to physio, doing our exercises at home, and walking. I am hoping to get enough recovery in my right knee so I can walk the course this summer as usual. So far, I have managed 3 km; I expect I need to build that up to at least 5 km. Wendy feels improvement in her shoulders and is starting to talk about golfing again, however, the paint trays are not coming out, yet! The Russian war in Ukraine continues, and they seem even more desperate now that Ukraine has sunk their flagship. Atrocities against civilians abound—what a tragedy! The pandemic is surging—another tragedy! Here in Ontario, they assure us that although we are probably experiencing 100,000 new infections per day, and our hospitals are at capacity, there is no problem, and we don't need to take greater care! Could it be that we're in an election campaign?! Sigh! The Bank of Canada took the first move on rate hikes, jumping it by 0.5%; I'm hoping that will get the financial sector moving forward. Otherwise, we had two red and two green days on this shortened week, and that left us pretty much flat for the week. In the world of sport, we continue to bask in the glory of the Jayhawks win! NHL regular season is closing out, and the Pens clinched a playoff spot this week, so it's just my Oilers still unconfirmed, but they're in good position, and playing better lately as well. In curling, Brad Gushue was unable to match Edin from Sweden, so he had to be satisfied with the silver medal. This week, the Players Championship is on in Toronto. My guy, Koe, qualified for the playoffs, but has lost out now. Edin is continuing his winning ways, and will play a Scottish team, Mouat, in the final tomorrow. On the Women's side, it will be Einarson vs Hasselborg, of Sweden. 

Erica writes, "This weekend, Eric, Liam and I are enjoying spring in Victoria. Apparently, they got spring this year! While we got another sprinkling of snow and sub-zero temperatures. It was great to see Haaken. We haven’t seen him since before the pandemic. He is doing well. We also decided to plan a family fall trip to London with all the boys and Greg’s friend. So that will be fun! Eric took me for a walk yesterday. Our walking adventures haven’t been as regular this winter. It was good to get out for a good hike through the BC forest, but I’m a bit sore today. We’ve also been hunting down various Easter treats—with a gluten-person and a nut-free person, the Easter egg hunt is challenging. We are back in PA on Monday; Greg will arrive on Thursday night." 

Erin has fallen ill, and it has been confirmed as Covid-19. She is suffering some ill-effects, mainly in the form of sore throat and stuffed head. As a result she has been off work starting Wednesday, but she hopes to get back early next week.

Nice colour combos, also!

In the meantime, she's enjoying her bedroom-living room that she developed recently with the help of Liam and Kristian. Kristian has not reported any symptoms. 

Travis and Joanna have had a very busy week getting as much product out the door before their Spring Break in Tampa Bay. They flew down early this morning. I'm sure they'll enjoy the weather there! While they're gone, we are hosting Minnie, the budgie, and, on occasion, the new puppies. On Thursday evening, we had a birthday celebration for Gemma.

Yummy!

Wendy made a lovely chocolate orange chiffon cake for the occasion, and Travis brought Chinese food. It was a feast suitable to the occasion and the celebrant! Gemma has completed her honours degree with a double major in biology and chemistry. We are very proud of her. Andrew continues to work at Superstore—that's going well. 

And that's enough for this week! 

If Winter Comes...

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather has continued to disappoint, and we had several days of showers—Wendy called them flurries, but you can look it up: "April showers bring..." There is no companion saying about April flurries! I take it as a matter of principle that all precipitation in April through October is rain! The week has progressed normally with the addition of a medical appointment, and a physiotherapy appointment. Dr. Prowse assured me, once again, that, "It feels normal." ["It does not," I responded!] Wendy and I both had physio sessions. We were well impressed with the care and professionalism exhibited by our therapist, and encouraged by his prognosis for improved function in the next few months. Along with the prescribed exercise program, we are getting out for regular walks, and I'm starting to feel that I will be able to walk the golf course by summer. The world is not as troubled as it should be by the war in Ukraine, nor by the resurgent pandemic. Our infection rates and hospitalizations have returned to peak January levels, but our government is in a re-election campaign and cannot admit that anything is going wrong. The federal government released their latest budgetary plan this week, and the markets were surprised and impressed such that we got some green on the screen and in my portfolio.

Jayhawks are Champs!

It was a big week in the world of sports for me. First off, my Jayhawks completed a record-setting comeback from 16 points down to win the national championship in basketball. That was wonderful to watch! Brad Gushue and team have completed the round robin in first place and advanced to the semi-finals in the world curling championship in Las Vegas. They will play Sweden in the gold medal game tomorrow. Baseball season opened with my Blue Jays coming back from 7 runs down for a win—why did they get 7 runs behind? NHL regular season is down to single digit games remaining. My three teams (Oilers, Pens, Leafs) are looking good for a playoff run, but only the Leafs have clinched a spot so far. 

Erica writes, "There is still a fair bit of snow on the ground, but according to my eyes and sinuses, spring is here. It took me several negative COVID tests and a night of being completely stuffed up to realize what the problem was. Wrong diagnosis = wrong medication. We are well into busy season at the firm so I’ve had many long days and weekend work. But it’s going well. Eric has been busy with CMFT meetings and conferences. Work is good and he got to do some professional training on Friday. Liam is heading to Victoria on Monday to visit the BC Baileys and Haaken. Eric and I will follow for Easter weekend. Then, Greg is coming to PA for a visit at the end of the month. Other then that we are looking forward to getting the motorcycles out this month."

Erin and Kristian are eagerly awaiting the opening of the golf courses in Regina. Meanwhile, she writes, "Ball season has started! Opening night was fun to watch. Kristian is down to one phototherapy session a week starting next week. 😊 Liam is on his way to hang out with us for the weekend, and then, I’ll take him to the airport Monday for his flight to BC." Kristian writes, "I have been working on getting a job at Clearview Christian camp as a camp counsellor. I have an interview with Angela coming up."

Travis and Joanna welcomed the arrival of not one but two new puppies.

Welcome Darby & Moxley!

They are heading to Florida for a break next week, so we expect to enjoy some time with Minnie and the new pupsters. 

And that's about it for this week. 

April: Showers & Spring?

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Superior in my hometown. The weather is still sub-optimal and certainly sub-expectations! Official Spring has arrived, and the weatherman has completely ignored the date! However, the forecast predicts massive melting in the next week complete with the proverbial showers. We have some concern over flooding both here and in Manitoba. I even returned to the shop today and started ramping up my thinking toward some outdoor projects. Elsewhere the news is not encouraging. Putin continues to savage Ukraine while issuing contradictory press releases, and complaining about Ukraine hitting back! (You can't make this up!) Yet another covid variant is causing a new wave of infections in the few provinces still recording and reporting cases. Hospitals are filling up with the unvaccinated, once again. The markets remain volatile, and while I finally got a green month, I was red for the quarter, sigh! Wendy has kept busy with her Barbershop Choir group. There seems to be an inordinate amount of business issues to clean up, but arranging meetings to deal with them is problematic and time-consuming. She found a new recipe for Keto Brownies, and I've been enjoying too much of that! I made a batch of Keto Bread, and another of Keto Cornbread which supplement our breakfasts. In the world of sports, we were glad to see our Women win the Bronze Medal over Sweden. The Swiss won a third straight championship going unbeaten! The NHL is down to about a dozen games left in the regular season and my three teams are in playoff contention. Baseball is ending Spring Training; regular season begins next week. Let's go Blue Jays! March Madness has taken us to the Final Four, and my Jayhawks played solidly, sometimes spectacularly to qualify as the only #1 team left. They beat Villanova soundly in the semi-final tonight, and now only North Carolina stands in our way! Rock Chalk Jay Hawk! Today, the World Men's Curling championship began in Las Vegas. Brad Gushue is representing us, and opened with wins over Czechia and Norway. 

Erica writes, "The snow is still here. Usually, by now, we are pulled into a false spring, believing the snow is behind us before winter takes one last shot. This year we can’t even fool ourselves into thinking spring is coming. We had a few days of melting, but it turned to sub-zero temperatures again and all that was accomplished was to turn the snow to water then to ice. Eric is batching it this weekend as I join the ladies at the ladies retreat in Moose Jaw. I have the pleasure of leading the music, enjoying the speakers and the pool. Our group of ladies took the opportunity to enjoy the Little Chicago Connection themed escape room on Friday night and we are dressing up in 20’s themed dresses for the gala. (That is the 1920’s not the 2020’s)

Ladies from the Roarin' 20's!

I also had a chance to meet Liam for coffee, which was nice. He has found a summer job and hopes this will lead to more long term employment. Greg and Haaken are doing well and we have plans to see both of them this month."

Erin is trying to arrange another session of driver training for Kristian to prepare him and give him confidence for his driver's test. His curling is over for the season, but he's had a good introduction and is looking forward to curling again in the Fall. 

Travis and Joanna keep very busy, but the business is paying off, too. That's a good thing. The hockey season has turned out better than expected, and they have thrived on that. Gemma is continuing her search for her next educational opportunity. At this point, it appears University of Victoria is the most likely answer. If so, we'll certainly miss her here, but would consider moving to live with her there!! 

And that's enough for this week.