Golfing 201

I had plenty of time to think about my golf game while I drove back to Thunder Bay. A couple of comments that Tom had made continued to percolate from my subconscious. "On the shots that go astray, it looks like you're hitting at the ball, rather than making a swing. You have to swing; just let the ball get in the way." I recall telling lots of friends and family that same advice! Now why wasn't I heeding it myself?! Tom also noted that a weaker left hand might help to avoid the snap hooks. So, this afternoon, I was back at it. And it worked. And it works!

I determined to take a practise swing before every shot. I figured that this might help me keep my mind on the swing, rather than on the result. I took the precaution of giving my driver the day off, which may have contributed some benefit as well! I had a consistent draw with my three-wood, so if I started it out down the right side it usually ended up in the centre of the fairway. Wow! So this is how Wayne feels! I still pulled a few irons, including the tee shots on two par threes right into the water hazard! I only played fourteen holes before coming in for supper, but I was at six over! And four of those strokes were penalty strokes. I went back after supper to complete my round. It continued to go well, except for a visit to the sand trap on the 7th hole (I played the back nine first.). I had pars on the other three holes, although one took a putt from the fringe to make it! I scored a new low of 78! Now I need to see if I can figure out how to swing this well on a consistent basis. The 89 and 91 the past two weekends were frustrating, although Chapples is two strokes easier than White Bear, and one stroke easier than Quarry Oaks. I will also dig out my newer driver and try to learn to hit it, or replace it. I hope I have permanently retired ol' scatter-gun!

News Update

We have had a week—mostly in Saskatchewan!

We are staying at Wendy's dad's place in Regina for most of the week. The weather is grand, until the rains begin on Thursday. On Friday, we start our trip back by driving to Winnipeg. Here we are staying at Tom & Mariette's place.

I enjoy getting in some golf practice, doing some long-distance phone work back to Ontario, and getting a few odd jobs completed at my father-in-law's place. Wendy gets in some shopping (mostly unsuccessful), and a lot of puttering around at the house. She does gardening, cleaning and beautification projects. Now dad will get to try to keep up with watering flowers and vegies, and holding back the weeds! We hope this will provide decoration, and some tasty vegies as the summer progresses. Erin & Kristian continue to add to our enjoyment and entertainment as we watch the progress of Kristian's life. He is now crawling, although he is using only one leg for pushing!

On Friday we drive down to Winnipeg and settle into my brother's place for the weekend. We have a wedding scheduled here for Sunday afternoon, and then will head back to Thunder Bay on Monday. On Saturday, I manage another golf outing with Tom & Wayne—one of the Olson brothers. I manage to continue my inconsistent play. I make some good shots, but a lot of wasted ones before finally completing at 91. Not good! Wendy suggests I need more practice! What a woman!

On Saturday evening we enjoy a barbecue with our nieces from Winnipeg, Angie and Damaris, along with their children. It's wonderful to catch up with them.

And that's the kind of week it's been!

'67 Cougar

Our first car, purchased just days before our wedding back in 1970, was a 1967 Cougar. This was the first year of Cougar production, and it was acclaimed as 'car of the year'. I needed no such third party acknowledgement, as I thought it was a beautiful car anyway! We eventually had to sell that car, and always missed it. We began searching for a replacement about ten years ago, and my brother John found one in Kelowna about five years ago. It is green, not white as our original had been, but it is still a pleasure to drive and to use as a source of reminiscence.

As you can imagine after 35 years, a car is no longer in showroom condition, and even though this one has lived in the enjoyable climes of BC, it still suffers from rust. After four more years of waiting while we were in Zambia, we finally found a body shop willing to take on the task for a level of funding we felt we could manage. And just last week, the body work was completed. It sports new rear quarter panels, and many places on the remainder of the car where the rusted parts were cut out, and new steel was welded in. It looks great, as you can see in the photos.

Ontario has a program for Classic Cars that allows us to add it to our insurance policy for only $150 per annum. However, they require a safety inspection, and will not accept Manitoba or Saskatchewan's inspection. So, I had reluctantly decided to drive it all the way back to Thunder Bay to get it licensed. However, while we were in Regina, I checked out what Saskatchewan had to offer. And their deal is even better! They will license it as for only $120 per year, and do not even require a safety. This is obviously minimal insurance (as was also the case in Ontario), but they will allow me to insure it for whatever I wish up to the appraised value. So, we decide to get it licensed in Saskatchewan, and leave it here. And my father-in-law graciously agrees to store it at his place. So that is what we do, and I get to drive back with the rest of the crew.

Golf Saskatchewan

Back in Saskatchewan, I manage a golf game with the Olson brothers: Brent, Mark and Wayne. Wayne plays his usual steady game, with the usual collection of, "Oh Wayne... oh Wayne!", and the occasional, "Oh Wayne, you dummy!", but he still scores in the low 80's and blows the rest of us away. I do not play well, and eventually stagger in with 89. I am at a loss to understand my wayward shooting. I am hitting both to the left and right, and even occasionally down the centre just to confuse my corrections!

Today, I head out to the course to try to work out the kinks. Everything is working well during my short time before the rain moves in; now, I'm really confused. I shall try to get some more practice time this week, before an expected golf date next Saturday in Winnipeg. As always, hope springs eternal.

News Update

We have had another week, but it has not been all spent on the shore of Lake Superior.

Monday and Tuesday were very busy as we completed necessary tasks before setting out for the prairies. On Wednesday morning, we packed up the car and set off for Winnipeg. Erin and Kristian were travelling with us. We enjoyed dinner and the night at Tom & Mariette's. Then on Thursday we drove out to Dauphin. Sounds rather uneventful, doesn't it? However, somewhere west of Dryden I suffered from the problem of too much thinking time while driving along. And I casually mentioned to Wendy, "You know, I can't remember putting the computer into the trunk!" Sure enough, when we got to Winnipeg and we checked the trunk‹no computer. So, I phoned my helpful daughter in Thunder Bay, and it seemed like no time before she called back to say the computer was on the bus and would be in Winnipeg in the morning. And it was; it was a great relief to have it back in my possession. Thank you, Erica! You don't know what a special gift you have of getting things accomplished. I value and count on that a great deal.

Once we got to Dauphin, I went to check on the '67 Cougar. The body shop considered it complete, but I demurred. I pointed out some imperfections on the trunk lid, and they agreed to repaint it. I should be ready on Friday morning. Well one delay followed another and I finally got it about 2pm on Friday. In the meantime we enjoyed our time in Dauphin. Dick and Sue Kirkpatrick treated us to a fine meal, and we retired to Mabel Bailey's for the night. We enjoyed getting caught up with her on the subject of her
recent tour in Africa.

On Friday evening and Saturday I took part in a men's weekend at Kenosee Lake, while Wendy proceeded to Regina with Erin and Kristian. I plan to drive up to Regina on Sunday afternoon.

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

News Update

We have had another week here on the shore of Lake Superior.

It has been quite busy as we try to finish a few items on the 'to do' list before leaving for the prairies next week. My health has continued shaky as my coughing continues. I finally gave in and spent a day in bed, and I felt some better, but the last couple of nights have been noisy again—I don't know how Wendy gets any sleep either!

I finished up some items of work, but there are still a couple outstanding. I hope to get them done in the next couple of days... I managed to get out golfing a few times, and scored my first sub-eighty round on a regular course on Victoria Day. I've had two 82's since then; I start well, but fade badly on the back nine. I'm thinking that I either get mentally tired, or just lazy and lose my focus... then my shots become wayward! (Could be a sermon illustration there!) Wendy and I also managed a bit of work in the back yard. We finally repaired the fence (It was broken down when a large tree fell.), and also did some brush clearing and cleanup. I have assembled materials, but still haven't begun building the trellis/arbor/sunshade.

Erin has posted a number of new photos of Kristian. Check them out at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristianleif/

Erica and Liam enjoyed a fly-in trip to Collins. Liam caught a couple of trout, and brought one back to show us. Nice fishing!

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

Tommy

I've been reading my dad's journal from 1952 recently, and I read with interest his comment for April 20, 1952. At the end of his entry, he noted that they had gone to Gravelbourg "to hear T.D."

That would have been Tommy Douglas, then premier of Saskatchewan, and quite an amazing fellow. Tommy's political life was consumed by one central goal, to provide health care as a basic human right for all citizens. He became premier of Saskatchewan in 1944, and remained so until his retirement from provincial politics in 1961. He inherited administration of a province burdened with massive debt, and gradually repaid it and created a surplus. As the province's finances improved, his government introduced universal hospitalization and finally universal health care. (Med dee kal Care as he famously enunciated it!) Tommy went on to national politics as founding leader of the New Democratic Party, but never enjoyed any particular electoral success nationally. He was, however, instrumental in the establishment of our national medicare program through his work in parliament. He has been recognized recently as the Greatest Canadian in a national contest, and he has great significance in all our lives in line with one of his favourite quips, "Beware of the little fellow with an idea." My brief experience and limited study of history has given me to conclude that each major change in history can be traced to the activity of a single person. And the next great idea could come from you!

Seventy-nine!

Well, I finally did it. I almost blew it, but I hung on at the end. Actually, I was flailing away at the end! I had a very good front nine—one over par, but then I started the back nine with three bogies. The pressure was telling! However, I righted the ship with four pars, and when I came to seventeen, I knew it was within reach. So, I promptly double-bogied seventeen, for my first double of the day. And followed it up by doubling eighteen! I hadn't even dared to check the score card after seventeen, I was already feeling enough pressure. Fortunately, when I added it all up... ta da... seventy-nine! I have broken 80 before on short courses, but this is my first on a regular course. I have also reduced my handicap to 13.2, and I'm looking to improve that further. My goal is to get my handicap down to single digits. My golf coach is promising a seven-stroke improvement, and I was at 13.9, so we'll see if he's up to the challenge!

News Update

We have survived another week here on Lake Superior. It has been a hectic one, as we've been in preparations for the fortieth anniversary of our congregation here. Wendy has been particularly busy, as she enjoys painting, and is very particular about it. The church building has been reorganized, repainted and cleaned thoroughly in anticipation of our visitors this weekend.

The weather has been very pleasant; pollen is in the air; I am continuing to suffer from hayfever and the resulting coughing fits. I worked through ten days of Aerius, but it didn't prove to be particularly beneficial. I'm back on chlor-tripolon again. I hope the problem will ease soon. I was able to get out for two rounds of golf at the Municipal course. It's one of the courses on my golf membership, but it's on a very sandy base, so it dries out quickly after rains. It's also an easier course, with only one par three and one par five per nine holes. Anyway, I managed an 81 and a 78. Of course this should be cause for celebration, but I don't regard the Muni as a worthy test, so I don't accept breaking 80 there! We're hoping to try Chapelles on Monday; it should be dried out by now!

I was flew over to Sudbury on Monday for workshops with a Dr. Bernhardt on using data to understand how we're doing in schools. It was pretty good. I got back here late Tuesday night. Otherwise, I've been working on the few items left on my work plate. I've pretty well used up my days for the year, but I still have a few things to complete, so I'll continue working a few more days yet. Then I'm off until we get back from Zambia.

Everyone else is doing fine. The boys are experimenting regularly with their new golf sets, although Haaken has declared a declining interest. "I didn't know that golf was going to require so much focus," he complains! Liam is also playing soccer in the spring league. Eric coaches that team. Kristian continues to grow, develop and amuse us.

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

News Update

Safely through another week here on Lake Superior, where the women are strong, and you know the rest!

I am continuing to enjoy hay fever season in TBay, NOT! Once the breeze started up, I found Erica's industrial strength antihistamine didn't do the job either! Thankfully, the friendly neighbourhood pharmacist noted that a new metabolite of the same drug used in Claritin is now on the market, and I might wish to try it. Well, Claritin never had any effect on me, but this new one, Aerius, seems to be working so far. It's been rainy since I changed over, so it's still too soon to tell. Now the weather has dried off again, so we'll see what develops.

With rain most of the week, in combination with a conference on Thursday and Friday, I've been I've been only able to accommodate one round of golf. The front nine went very well—40, and it should have been 38 if I could have putted! However, I think I lost focus on the back nine, and returned to some bad, old habits. As a result, I scored 45—not so good!

Kristian continues to grow and progress well. We enjoy watching him develop. He is a delightful little fellow, and sure keeps Erin busy! Erin has also kept active with some babysitting.

Wendy continues to keep up with her gym schedule. She has also done more painting at the church, but sliced into her finger on Friday evening while trying to cut up potatoes, so that's hampering her busyness.

Haaken and Liam got new golf sets this week. So far they've got more play out of the boxes the clubs came in! It's been a busy week for Erica as she was in charge of the conference. Travis is busily engaged in looking for a summer job now that he's out of school until September.

Anyway, that's the kind of week it's been. Next week I'm off to Sudbury for Tuesday and Wednesday.

News Update

Another week has been completed here on Lake Superior. Of course, all of the residents here continue to be above average... well, maybe not.

I am having my first spring in Thunder Bay, and am finding out what environmental factors may disagree with me. As a result, I've been taking Reactine to prevent my reaction. Alas, it failed! So, I upgraded to double dosing the Reactine—still no luck! Then I changed over to chlor-tripolon. Rats! Another failure! Finally, Erica provided me some industrial strength antihistamine (available by prescription), and my eyes and sinuses are thanking her. In the meantime, a week of post-nasal drip has left me with a persistent cough, so I'm not enjoying above average health.

It's been rather rainy this week, so I've only managed one round of golf. I shall wish for better luck next week. I've been able to make good progress on a couple of work projects, so that's good anyway. I need to make a presentation next Thursday about the progress of the MISA project and that's beginning to take shape. Then the plan for years two and three is due on the fifteenth, and I have completed another draft of that.

Kristian continues to grow and progress well. He gets around by rolling, as he hasn't learned how to crawl yet. Erin keeps busy looking after him, and also has been doing some babysitting for two of the other families we know here. She continues to consider and plan some educational upgrading next year. She thinks she would like to take bookkeeping.

Wendy has been busy with going to the gym, and repainting over at the church building. She has also continued lobbying for a number of interior changes in the house, and wants to make some yard improvements as well. Sigh!

Eric, Erica and the boys continue with their work and school. Liam has started into spring soccer league—Eric coaches the team. Eric is trying to get his golf season underway as well.

Anyway, that's the kind of week it's been.

Round Two

Golf has started for another season. I managed 87 on my opening round, but I was quite disturbed about my driving. I know the fairways were soft and all, but I was only getting it 200 yards, and I was hitting my 3-iron 190! Over the weekend I did some more thinking about it, and remembered buying a new driver last year. It was a concern because it has a stiffer shaft than I'm used to. Well, I reasoned that my newly manufactured golf swing might not be letting me swing hard enough to make the shaft work. Apparently, with graphite shafts you have to be more careful to get a shaft that matches your swing speed. So, I had two options—swing harder, or change clubs! Swinging harder has always been one of my problems, so I decided not to try that. I got my old driver back from Travis and put it into play for my second round. It paid immediate dividends. I was hitting a little farther (it seems I'm only good for 240 yards now!), but a lot straighter. Next time I plan to try my three-wood. It may go just as far! I used to hit it 230 off the fairway before.

My short game still needs a lot of work before I have any consistency around the greens, but my scoring improved to 81, so that's very encouraging. Eric has picked up a new putter, so I'm sure he'll want to get out and try it soon. Anyway, so far so good!

News Update

It has been another busy week on the shore of Lake Superior, and only some of us are making it above average.

Of course, the big news of the week is the reopening of the golf courses. As you may remember, I was given a golf membership, by my family, for the three courses owned by the city. My courses opened on Friday, and I played my first round of the season.

It has been a busy week of work as the annual reporting on my program is due at monthend. I managed to finish those up and send them Friday morning, and, so far, they haven't fired any of them back at me! Now my attention turns to revamping the plans for the next two years of this three year project. The plans are due by May 15th. I also have a semi-annual report to the school administrators group due on the 12th, so I'll be preparing my presentation for that event as well.

The others here have regained a healthier behaviour although there's still plenty of coughing going on. Wendy is back on her regular gym schedule, and has also begun painting next door at the church building. Erica was off to Ottawa this week—I hope she got some input into the federal budget that we're expecting next week! I have continued to suffer to a greater degree from seasonal hayfever. I finally gave up on my Reactine and moved onto Chlor-Tripolon, so we'll see how that progresses. I have been doing better in recent years, but there must be some additional issues down here on the shores of Lake Superior.

As I mentioned, I had my first golf game of the season. It did not go nearly as well as I had been imagining, visually, and dreaming! My newly refined, developed and enhanced golf swing did not reduce my game by the promised seven strokes! I shot 87—more work is needed. I'm still living with my dream of breaking 80! And I shall keep trying. There were some bright spots—my iron play was good, my putting and chipping were good. My driving was very bad! Sigh!

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

Some Assembly Required!

The lovely spring weather has inevitably awakened thoughts of outdoor cooking, so we dug our venerable barbecue out of storage. Alas! It gave evidence that not all was as it used to be, or even should be. The venturi tube was laying on the ground, and Wendy was asking if we needed it! The handles came off in my hand—I guess that's where handles should be anyway—but, they failed to do their assigned task of lifting the lid! The wheels didn't. Perhaps sometimes we do need to reinvent the wheel! Reluctantly, I faced the fact that the old barbecue was (as they say in Zambia) finished! I loaded it into the back of the truck and Wendy hauled it out to the dump. Then we began the search for a new one! We shopped the flyers that conveniently had placed a number of barbecues on special this week. What do these suppliers know about the vagaries of storage?

I eventually settled on one from Canadian Tire. Wendy settled on a different one from Superstore. (Yes, mine was the cheapest available. Now get over it!!) We went to Canadian Tire, but they had none of my pick in stock, so we headed over to Superstore and picked up the nice one they had on display.

Once we got it home, I began to unpack it, and to consider their ominous notation, "Some Assembly Required." Indeed! I am happy to tell you that the assembly instructions had been translated from the original Korean by an Egyptian who was fluent in neither language. Thus we had items called, Left Foot, Right Foot and Whee Axle! I know where my feet are, and I'm sure I have a Whee Axle somewhere! It was surprising to find there was not only a Cup, but also a Cup Support—and nicely in time for Stanley Cup playoffs, no less. They also illustrated M6 Bolts, M6 Large Bolts, M6 Small Bolts, and M4 Bolts. Pictures of the two different types of M4 Bolts revealed that one had a round head and the other had a flat head. Instructions merely called for use of an M4 Bolt!! Nuts were also supplied—M6 Nuts and M4 Nuts and M10 Nuts!! They all looked the same in the illustration, no details were given as to their size, and we had no M10 Bolts, so... At least I was pleased with their comment that, "It will takes less than 40 minutes to assembly the grill." (It would 'takes' many hours to 'reassembly' their document into English!)

However, assemble I did; and after many renditions of "Align the holes in the top front panel(6) with the holes in one of the left side support(12), screwing a M6 Bolt(A) into each pre-drilled holes" and the like, and after much more than forty minutes, I had a new barbecue.

And, armed with a fresh bottle of propane, I even grilled some hamburgers on it!

News Update

Well, it's been a busy week here on Lake Superior, so busy in fact, that I did not even enter a single blog on this site! Yikes! And it's not like there's nothing going on in the world!

This week I completed my second round of school visits. I travelled up to Pickle Lake and also visited at Savant Lake. We have schools in each location. Things were going pretty much okay at the schools, but that's only one part of touring. The more hazardous areas are food and lodging. We had found a wonderful restaurant in Red Lake last week, but we were looking forward with some trepidation to what awaited us in Pickle Lake. We tried to put off the disaster by lunching at Ignace on the way up, and planning to lunch there again on the way back. Alas, the inevitable could only be avoided so long! There are no other options for meals in Pickle Lake, but we eventually did discover that there are two different cooks working shifts at the Winston. Thus, if we hurried back for lunch, we managed to get two decent meals before Chef Greasy Spoon took over. Suppers were an unmitigated disaster. We tried a variety of options, but finally considered that our best bet would be to have two pieces of pie and call it a night!

Wendy and I have been contemplating some improvements here at home. We're planning an arbor (aka trellis, pergola) for the deck attached to my office. We've even checked some books out of the library to assist. So, once I get my paperwork caught up, we hope to get it built.

Kristian and Wendy had doctor's appointments this week. The doctor was pleased about Kristian's weight gain, although he's still tall and slim, just like his grandparents! Wendy has continued her gym work with great determination. I've continued my golf lessons with equal determination. I even made it to the driving range today. Let's just say that more work remains to be done!

Eric and Erica have both suffered with illness, and both are on the mend, but not quite well. I have also been suffering some illness, but am feeling pretty well now, except for some coughing.

And that's the kind of week it's been here on Lake Superior...

News Update Happy Easter!

We've had another week here on the shore of Lake Superior. I've been travelling most of the week up to Red Lake to visit another of my schools. Red Lake is about six hundred clicks northwest of Thunder Bay. To get there we drove west past Dryden to Vermillion Bay, and then north two hundred clicks. It's a very pretty spot, and I'm looking forward to a return trip in June when I can try out their golf course! The work at the school went very well, but there remains a lot to do as we try to enhance their collection and use of student data.

I got back from Red Lake on Thursday afternoon, and promptly went to bed as I'm feeling the onset of a cold. Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays down here, so I'll have a chance to keep rested over the weekend, and hopefully stop my cold in its tracks (if you can visualize that!). On Saturday we had a lovely Easter weekend luncheon at Trav & Sylvia's new house. Trav is all moved in, but he has been experiencing some breathing difficulties due to an allergic reaction to the house. We suspect it's the cats that lived there before. At any rate, he is finding the need for some antihistamines at least until the place gets cleaned out. The place is looking pretty good so far.

Kristian has had another week of growing! He now has six teeth, and enjoys grinding them together to the chagrin of his mother. She's afraid his face will get stuck in a permanent grimace!
Erica has had a week of battling a cold, so she even had to cancel one of her school visits. Our group works with ten school boards here in northwestern Ontario. Erica provides overall management and accounting for the group. We also have a variety of project officers and consultants who provide educational leadership and support, which is where I come in.

Wendy has continued dedication to her exercise program at the gym. Some days she tries a different exercise or machine and comes home sore! I've pretty much diverted from gym work to outdoor work at the nearby golf course and recreation complex. Now that I've started hitting balls, my golf stroke is not nearly as good as I visualized it!!

Anyway, that's the kind of week it's been.

OLD AGE IS A GIFT!

Thank you, Laura.

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body... the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 A.M., and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten... and I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. I can say "no" and mean it. I can say "yes" and mean it.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day.

Author Unknown

News Update

We've continued to enjoy good weather here on Lake Superior. I made a trip up to Armstrong in the middle of the week to visit the school there. I was disappointed with what I found there as far as technological infrastructure is concerned. It will be necessary to install a school computer network in preparation for greater data storage and use. Then, too, they're looking at staff changes at the end of the year with a new principal and some new teachers expected, so that leads to other kinds of uncertainty.

Travis and Sylvia took possession of their house this week. We helped Travis move in on Saturday. Wendy, Rauni (Sylvia's mom) and Sylvia spent a lot of elbow grease and time getting things cleaned up. The house looks pretty good with mainly hardwood floors both upstairs and down. There is room for development and improvement over time. The back yard is nice and fully enclosed.

I managed to continue my preparation for the golf season with more dry swinging and walking. I also hit a few balls, so that was revealing. I found that when I was looking up to see how the ball was doing, it wasn't doing well! Someone should make a golf tip about that! Other than that, my imaginary play went very well, but with a ball in play—not so good. The courses are drying out well, so I hope they open soon.

Erica travelled out to Red Lake this week and came back with a cold. Erin has also been suffering with a cold, and has not been able to find any medication to take due to her nursing. Kristian is doing well, growing tall and slim. He now has two teeth on the bottom and it looks like four on the top. He likes to grind them together.

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

THIS IS GOOD!

The story is told of a king in Africa who had a close friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that ever occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good!"

One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the king. The friend had apparently done something wrong in preparing one of the guns, for after taking the gun from his friend, the king fired it and his thumb was blown off.
Examining the situation the friend remarked as usual, "This is good!"
To which the king replied, "No, this is NOT good!" and proceeded to send his friend to jail.

About a year later, the king was hunting in an area that he should have known to stay clear of. Cannibals captured him and took them to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to the stake. As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being superstitious, they never ate anyone that was less than whole. So untying the king, they sent him on his way.

As he returned home, he was reminded of the event that had taken his thumb and felt remorse for his treatment of his friend. He went immediately to the jail to speak with his friend. "You were right," he said, "it was good that my thumb was blown off. And he proceeded to tell the friend all that had just happened. "And so I am very sorry for sending you to jail for so long. It was bad of me to do this."
"No" his friend replied, "This is good!"
"What do you mean, "This is good?" How could it be good that I sent my friend to jail for a year?"
"If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you."

Situations may not always seem pleasant while we are in them, but the promise of God is clear. If we love Him and live our lives according to His precepts, even that which seems to be bleak and hopeless will be turned by God for His glory and our benefit.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

News Update

It has been a busy week here on Lake Superior. The end of the month marks government fiscal year end, so there was a lot of miscellany to cover. Thus there were meetings and considerations and configerations, followed by more of the same. However, it eventually came together fairly well. I also had a trip to Toronto to meet with the other MISA leaders for the province, and to get a dose of encouragement to get our financial affairs in order and prepare our annual reports. So that will occupy my time for the next couple of weeks. I also have some school trips each week to complete, so I shall easily be able to find a way to occupy myself.

The weather has been very nice. Spring is here, and we're enjoying seeing the greening grass. We even had three days of rain this week. The fairways are available, although sopping wet! I have received news from back in Dauphin that the Cougar is coming along nicely and nearly ready for painting. I shall look forward to seeing it with new rear quarter panels and all cleaned up and repainted.

Everyone here continues to do well. Kristian appears to have another tooth, this one on the top. So he's been fussing a bit as that develops. Wendy has continued with her work outs at the gym, while I have mostly transferred my exercise to walking and golfing outdoors. And my golf continues to improve, just as I predicted it would (until an actual golf ball appears). I am visualizing perfectly! Travis has finished his current job at the university, and is looking for something for over the summer. Some of that activity will be refurbishing the house he and Sylvia are buying.

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