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Christmas has come and gone, and hopefully all of you have a fresh stash of pleasant memories. Hopefully, there will be more time for “computer fun” now. I am continuing on my personal A-Z Blog Challenge with this episode. We all have our particular traditions of celebration, and 2016 Christmas took on a new form for us. Our celebrations continued for more than two weeks, and we enjoyed every minute of it, starting with the arrival of two families, relatives of my husband, from northern England. All but two of them had been with us before, and their preference is to come to Canada in the winter, to experience the snow in the Rocky Mountains. Their accommodations were in Banff National Park, about 50 km from our home. Downhill skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating at Lake Louise, and ‘tubing’ near us, were on their agenda. This year they experienced some very cold days, and driving in the fog at night was a challenge, especially with the steering wheel being on the “wrong” side of the cab!!! Our two adult grandchildren, Emily attending U of Victoria, and her brother Zach, attending Caperwray Bible School were home for a great Christmas break. Visits with family, catching up with their friends, and joining in activities with the Brits filled their days. Christmas Day was at our home, and I was thankful for all the help. It was a Potluck Party because food was prepared in three different locations and served buffet-style. Sixteen people sat at two tables, enjoying roasted Alberta beef, as well as a traditional turkey with all the trimmings. For years, only the children in our family received Christmas gifts, and this was our first “all adult” Christmas. It was fun too, just having everyone at home. However, presents arrived from relatives back in England. Calendars from Yorkshire, lime marmalade and chocolates, Bassett Liquorice Allsorts and Liquorice Cakes from Pontefract, and greeting cards and letters, all reminders of our times with them. Visiting in Pontefract was the only experience we’ve ever had of smelling liquorice in the air.
With all the fun and laughter, our deep joy was in the celebration of the most precious gift of God’s Son, the Prince of Peace. For us, He is the real Reason for the Season!
Tags: Christmas Family Tradition Friends
It may sound like a silly topic, but I’ve had almost a lifetime association with oxfords, not always by choice. It all began when I was seven years old. Our family lived on a farm, in a beautiful valley near a flowing creek. Being an “only” child, my playmates were my dog, Spot, a coop full of chickens, and when he had time, my dad. He worked hard, maintaining a small herd of cows, and growing and harvesting grain crops. The winter of 1947 is well remembered for the record amount of snow that year. We were snowbound in our valley, unable to get to my school, pick up our mail, shop for groceries, or go to church. It was a real treat for me when my dad would take me with him on his horse, on his tractor, or to visit with the neighbors. One morning, he surprised me with the announcement that he and I were going to go tobogganing. There was a great slope behind the barn and chicken house, and Dad and I pulled the toboggan right to the top. He sat on the toboggan and I sat between his legs, and we whizzed down the hill together several times. He kept telling me that I needed to pull the rope to steer the toboggan, so that we could glide between the two buildings and into the yard. Finally, it was my turn to go on my own. The first trip was great, the second one, not so great. I tried with all my strength to steer properly, but I crashed into the back of the chicken coop. I don’t know how my dad got down the hill so fast, trying to catch up to me, but I sure was glad to see him when he picked me up from the snow. My feet and legs hurt so much, and Dad knew that he needed to take me back to the house, and get some help from my Mom. The only doctor that we knew was almost 20 miles from our farm, even if we could get out of the valley. Dad did the best he could, wrapping both feet with bandages made from a bed sheet, cut in strips. My parents didn’t allow me to walk for several weeks, and Mom got a pair of lace-up boots for me to wear when I went back to school. They were awful, and looked like boys boots, but I was given no choice. I don’t remember how long it took to get an order from the Sears catalogue, but when the parcel arrived, I was introduced to my first pair of Oxfords. We moved to the city the next year; my dad had his fill of farming and bad weather. Even though I tried very hard to persuade my Mom to let me wear some ‘city’ shoes, it wasn’t until my 12th birthday, that I received my first pair of saddle oxford shoes. White leather with navy inserts… they were beautiful! I don’t remember if I ever had a different style of shoe all through my school days, but I do remember looking forward to have my first job so that I could buy my own shoes. But… I was accepted into Nursing School, starting two months after my high school graduation, and nurses need to wear good shoes because of being on their feet for the whole shift. White oxfords, clean and polished, and inspected every day by our instructors or house mother.
I’m now a senior lady, and still walking without assistance. After surviving several fractures (ankles and legs), I am grateful for the one and only pair of shoes that I now own… OXFORDS! I am finally content … comfort over fashion has won my heart!
Tags: Shoes Farm Life Nursing
There is a saying that "one can't see the forest for the trees". In my case, searching all over the place for an idea for the letter 'N', my next A-Z challenge. then my brain finally clicked into gear, and the 'N' was right here. We all know that NOTH isn't found in the dictionary, but we have learned what the acronym stands for. Hopefully it brings fond memories to mind. For me, I have been a member from the beginning of this site. It has been a lot of fun meeting new friends from many parts of the world, learning what is important in their lives, discovering some of their favorite things, and even some of their passions... family, religion, politics, to name a few. There is also a lot of nonsense... stuff that makes us laugh and have fun, and stuff we've developed as a habit of nonsense. I love to laugh, and my favorite lady is 'Maxine'. She can be so full of nonsense that I can't imagine how the artist keeps going with his ideas. Often his new creations reflect current situations, which help us find a bright side to a mundane or serious occurance in life. I also like her humor, without vulgar inuendos and offensive language. The other kind of nonsense here on The Hill is the unrelenting 'nit picking' about a miriad of situations. There have been instances of members who have forgotten that they are a 'guest' of this social network, not the owner. Others seem to think that "my way or the highway" should work on The Hill too. That is such nonsense! We can learn from each other, show respect for another person's viewpoint, and be quick to apologize and to accept an apology for misunderstandings. And if you wish to meet new friends, don't block your page so that only those who are already your friends can see it. It's like inviting someone to come and meet you, and then keeping the door locked so they can't come in. This site is secure, and there are always staff who are watching for the occasional intruder, who are expelled without cerimony. If you have been in this cyber committee for a long time, or have just joined us... remember, there are NO dumb questions! If you enjoy your computer but do not understand how to do something that you have seen other people do, here on The Hill, ASK for help. There is a list of Staff Helpers who volunteer on The Hill (I'm one of them), to help others and answer questions. We don't have all answers, but will help you find someone who can. We learn from each other, and the learning never stops. Join a group to meet others with similar interests, or to learn about something you have never heard about before. Try writing a blog about something that you have experienced in life or on The Hill. NOTH is a great Social Network... sort of a modern version of finding 'pen pals', like we did when we were in school.
Tags: NOTH Friends Activities
I've never been very enthusiastic about Halloween. In my younger years, I did take part in some friendly “trick or treat” visits to the neighbors, and I remember that we were requested to sing a song or recite a poem before we were invited to open our ‘pillowcase’ sacks and accept their treat. Many of the treats were made in the neighbor’s kitchen, but there was no fear of razor blades or drugs hidden in the treat. By the time our children were old enough to dress up, they wore masks of their choosing, suitably coordinated with their selected character costume. About the scariest costume was being a ghost, but other ideas were to be a butterfly, a cowboy, a fireman, a princess, but no vampires! Our granddaughter, who is studying fine arts at university, has been learning make-up techniques, has been posting some of her projects, and that broke the “brain-cramp” that I’ve been experiencing in my A-Z Alphabet Challenge. We have been surprised that she has been doing so well, because make-up wasn’t a big issue with her during her high school years. Rather than write a lengthy wordy blog, I will let the pictures do the talking for me.
Tags: Halloween Photos
When was the last time that you had a real good, noisy “belly” laugh? For the ladies, that may be a bit of a stretch, so call it something else. Call it uncontrolled laughter, that keeps sneaking back to your head, and the it starts all over again. We had a bunch of those in May of this year, at the 55th Class Reunion of my nursing class. I love to have fun, help put a smile on someone’s face, and at times, just be silly! There are a few things on my page where my “personality” has leaked out. But I must ask, “Who thinks that the comics of today are better than “the good old days”? There were comics in our much younger days who didn’t have to say anything, and we would laugh. Their facial expressions were priceless. My list includes Tim Conway, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and Lily Tomlin. I remember standing with school friends at the window of the local lumber yard to watch Lucy on the TV set up in the window (we never had a TV in our home), and even without sound, we were often in hysterics. After I was married, there were programs that my husband and I rarely missed; Carol Burnett Show, Ed Sullivan Show, and the now “politically incorrect” All In The Family, were just a few. Now, it seems almost manditory to include ‘four-letter’ words (aka ‘bathroom words’) to be considered funny. Give me a break! I just celebrated my 76th year on this planet. To me, that doesn’t seem like such a long time; time goes so quickly. It’s our 53+ year old son and our granddaughter who is 22 that reminds me that I’m still “not over the Hill” but getting close to it. My dear mother passed away in her 65th year and I thought she was an old lady! Now, what does that make me? No need to send me your answer!!!! I recently read a couple of books by Phil Callaway, who grew up in the town where I had my first job as a registered nurse. I heard him speak at a special event at the church we attended, and I loved his sense of humour. Even though he did plant some wonderful thoughts in his presentation, he was able to do it in such a way, that made it easy to remember for a long time. The first book I read was, “Who Put The Skunk In The Trunk? Learning to Laugh When Life Stinks”. I also read the revised version, entitled “Who Put My Life on Fast-Forward?” How To Slow Down & Start Living Again. They are all available on Amazon, if you are interested. His books are filled with “Wrinkle Busters”, and if any of my readers have a few wrinkles, I close with several samples... Classified ad: “An unexpected vacancy for a knife-thrower’s assistant:
Rehersals start immediately.”
.......... Newspaper ad: “Extremely independent male, 17 years old,
Needs to rent room. Call his mother as ....”
.......... Advertisement: “Try our cough syrup,
You will never get any better.”
.......... Child to mother after school,
“Our new teacher taught us all about fossils.
Before she came to class, I didn’t know what a fossil looked like.”
..........
Tags: Humor Laughter Reading
I enjoyed writing blogs on NOTH some months ago, but circumstances this summer limited me to short visits on The Hill, and any other place on my computer. I guess I needed to be reminded that there are times when life circumstances, not involving computers, need to be moved to the top of our “priority” list. Members who have followed the A-Z Blog Challenge, may remember that I was working on the second round of the challenge. I must admit that the letter ‘K’ was a challenge the first time around, and the same letter became the same challenge in this round. Earlier this summer, while doing a bit of traveling, the idea for this blog just dropped in. My husband asked if I could figure out what kind of mileage we were getting on the trip. That’s not a simple exercise, particularly for our generation. Our education was based on the Imperial system of measurement, and to think in terms of “miles per gallon”, not “kilometers per liter”. We also have trouble picturing a trip of 73 kilometers. How long will it take to travel that distance? We travel at 70 miles per hour, so the trip will take us about an hour, but travelling 73 kilometers is a different story, because one kilometer is 0.621371 of a mile, or 1 mile is 1.609344 kilometers. I need a calculator to get an answer that both of us can understand. When we visit our daughter who lives in the U.S., and we ask how far it is to a certain destination, she tells us how long it will take to get there. What if we drive ‘under’ or ‘over’ the speed limit? What time will we arrive if we stop of an ice cream cone, or a ‘call of nature’? If the weatherman reports that an expected snow storm is coming our way, with winds up to 120 km per hour, the quickest way to picture what is coming is to stick my finger in the air and feel the wind! Go figure! About the only time I really like a metric answer is when I’m told that I weigh 73.9 kilograms instead of 163 pounds. It makes me feel much lighter!
Tags: Metric Conversion Imperial
It has been quite a summer for us. I won’t talk about the weather; we have no control of that, and complaining didn't help. We’ve had house guests, have travelled 800 miles one way to visit our daughter and family, experienced some family “drama”, and had a few sick days. To add to my frustration (my husband wishes it was never invented), I had limited Internet connection, brought to our attention every time we had a rain storm. Our provider refuses to upgrade equipment because its too expensive. We need at least 200 new homes in our valley before they will upgrade, and that will never happen. We have neighbors who make a fuss when a single house is added to our area. I guess this is the cost of living in a rural area. “Customer Service” from our telephone and Internet provider is not what it used to be. After dialing the posted telephone number for customer service and waiting on hold for twenty minutes, the first available person to take my call was located on the opposite side of the globe, English was not their first language and their responses to my question were listed on their prompt sheet. I think I have more grey hair after my experiences this summer. We are now on a trial period with a new company, and they are working hard to get us service that is at least reasonably efficient. In the meantime, my beloved husband of 53 years keeps asking, “How did we get along so well when there was no Internet, cell phones, or texting?” Apparently we did quite well!
Tags: Family Travel Guests Weather
You may have heard the name before, especially if you have visited my page, but I had a unique and wonderful opportunity to join a group of people last week, in a “Conversation Group” with one of my favorite authors. His name is Wayne Jacobsen, and his home is in California. Being that we live “up north”, in the land of “snow and oil”, as the media like to refer, I never considered it to be a possibility to meet him in person. Some years ago, Wayne was a pastor of a mega city church, but always questioned if all the work he was doing in the church, sometimes at the expense of his family, was really what was intended for his life. Many speak of God’s love, and all the things that are required to experience God’s love, but much of it didn’t make sense to him. Finally, after years of “unrest and discontentment”, he pulled away from the “corporation”, formerly called the church, to search for answers himself. How did I learn about him? It was an unexpected and timely experience, shortly after an unfortunate and painful experience we had within our own congregation. My daughter-in-law gave me a “just because” gift (no occasion, just because she thought I would enjoy the gift), a book titled ‘The Shack’. I had heard about it because the author came from a town in Alberta, where we used to live. He wrote it specifically for his children, with no intention of ever having it published, because he wanted them to know who God is, who Jesus is, and who is the Holy Spirit. He wrote it as an allegory, but sent the manuscript to two known authors, asking them to review and edit as they saw fit to keep it authentic and factual. One of the authors was Wayne Jacobsen. After getting over an early hurdle in my attitude, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was “different” from the usual books written in the categories of Religion or Spirituality or Christian, so I looked to see who was endorsing it on the back cover. A couple of names were familiar to me, but I had never heard of Wayne Jacobsen, so went to my computer to “google” him. He also wrote books, listed on his site, and the first title is was gave me a jolt. “So You Don’t To Go To Church Anymore” was the title, and because we had already decided that we were “done” with church, I had no desire to buy the book because I was just going to read how bad I was for leaving, and that God will likely “whack” me for my decision. Then I learned that if anyone would like to read the book, it could be downloaded at no charge. That’s more my style, so I did download it, AND READ IT. That was the beginning of my new spiritual journey, learning to live in the Father’s Love. I was reminded of the many times I had heard that God loves us, but didn’t understand that He IS Love. He cannot love me any more or any less than He does right now… no matter what I do or don’t do. There is no way for me to earn more of His love by trying to earn ‘gold stars' to earn His love. Last week, I met the author iin person and learned that he is a humble man who is not special, just another guy learning to live in the Father’s love. Any questions?
Tags: Books Author Spiritual Conversation
It’s about time that I get my act together and get back to my friends on The Hill. It has been a busy year for me, often events that didn’t include my fun times on here on with my friends, new ones and long-time friends. Some things were medical related, and I’m back to my normal, which I am thankful for. Other activities were much more fun. I was given the responsibility to organize activities for the Reunion of my nursing class. We would be celebrating the 55th Anniversary of our graduation as registered nurses. There were 91 in our class, 15 have passed away, and 49 came back for this Reunion. Not bad for a bunch of old ladies, all being 75 years or older. Most of my classmates were registered at the same hotel, and did a lot of visiting in the Hospitality Suite that we had booked. The things we all could do well was ‘talk and eat’. The weekend began with an Alumnae Banquet, attended by graduates of our nursing school. There were over 700 at that banquet, and the beginning of reconnecting with long-time friends. On Saturday, we arranged a bus tour of the city. Calgary had changed so much, especially the last ten years, and often, when classmates come here, they see their family and friends, and the airport. The tour company took us to see the newest hospital, the site where the hospital where we took are training, was imploded about ten years ago. It was so full of mold that it was not a healthy place to be. We enjoyed lunch at Heritage Park, filled with history of our region, and the downtown core, filled with many new high-rise building, and the new National Music Center that will officially open this summer. Part of it was used for this year’s Canadian Juno Awards last month, but not open to the public. On Saturday evening, we had a ‘Show and Tell’ of hobbies and activities that Classmates are involved in. We saw beautiful samples of quilted items, as well as knitting and crochet projects. Charity projects were diverse, and a number of classmates were collectors of ‘stuff’. That included me, trying to explain why I collect telephone and telegraph insulators. My statement was, “I’m happy to tell people that I collect insulators, but they are not allowed to ask me ‘Why?’ We now have the experience embedded in our memories, reminding ourselves that the ‘sisterhood’ that began in 1958, developed by living, working, and socializing together for three years, is still strong and to be treasured.
Tags: Memories Reunion Nurses
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