This and That, To and Fro!

Another week has passed on the shore of Lake Wascana in the centre of the prairies. The weather has moderated and we have enjoyed the comfortable temperatures. Kristian and I have been out driving regularly, including two runs in the Drivers' Test route. He did great! His test is scheduled for the coming week. Otherwise, Wendy has continued her paint preparations downstairs and in the stairwell. I have continued to work on the closets, and they are ready for paint now as well. I have cut the shelving, and have now begun ironing on the edge-banding. This morning, Erin, Kristian and I got out to the driving range as we prepare for a family round of golf next week for Erin's birthday.

Ray & Ellen Diamond Anniversary

Wendy and I were down to Kennedy on Sunday to celebrate the 60th Anniversary for Ray & Ellen—that was a fun time! Today, we drove to Caronport to see Liam's dance troupe presentation—I was exhausted just watching! The markets have been wild all week with large whipsaws representing the largest gains and drops of recent years. As mentioned, the latest conundrum is a common one—the FED. The markets hate the indecision and wavering messages. So, we've endured a week of back and forth with the most recent rumour being that the FED would do a large cut in September—sigh! For an organization that is supposed to be in charge of smooth economic sailing, they certainly are not. At least with the arrival of the Harris/Walz team, the Trump Slump has been, at least temporarily, forestalled, but we don't expect quiet waters until at least after the USA election. In the world of sports, the Riders played to an irritating tie against Ottawa. The Blue Jays are trying out their replacement players and achieving somewhat better results than before. 

Erica writes, "Monday was a holiday. I practised with my band in the morning and we went to another band Monday night: Billy Idol, with opening act of Platinum Blonde. Each played all of the songs we knew, and then some. I happened upon some last minute tickets and we landed ourselves in the 4th row, Centre. I am surprised to note that Billy can still rock. Wednesday, I took Eric to Saskatoon for eye surgery. He got all the prep work done, only to discover that they can’t do the surgery. So now he is referred back to his physician. Eric spent the rest of the week trying to get a new date for the basic procedure, but everyone is on holidays. We are feeling a bit frustrated, but hoping that the end result will be good. With a couple days off, Eric started rearranging the downstairs and figuring out how to have room for everyone at Christmas! I have a gig this Saturday with my band, out at Christopher Lake."

Erin has been making good progress on her first solo month end at VW, and I feeling much more secure in the process. Today, she went to the driving range with Kristian and me—everyone, except Grandpa, driving it over 200 yards. Kristian hosted a going-away party today for one of his friends who is moving to Calgary. As I mentioned, I laud generosity, and Kristian was certainly generous in the party preparations. Otherwise, he assisted my renovation work on the closets. That job is nearing completion. 

Travis continues with medication and remediation of his shoulder impingement issues. He reports progress. They received the final section of their living room furnishings this week. Rosie has established residence in Toronto and begun Massage Therapy classwork. 

And that's enough for this week.