I have a question! Has Spring arrived at your location? OK, we live in different areas, some even in the southern hemisphere, so you can tell me what season you are enjoying. The one thing that we do have in common is the world-wide pandemic. Perhaps I should ask if the pandemic has arrived in your neighborhood. Do you have a family member, a neighbor, a co-worker who has been diagnosed with coronavirus? If you have been separated from your family or living alone, how are you spending your day? Are you content, thankful, bored, or lonesome? Has your home ever been as clean as it is this month?

As of this week, my husband has not left our property, has not been in a vehicle, and spends hours every day in his shop. I have dropped by several times, and he tells me that he is cleaning, repairing, building and organizing his ‘stuff’, and probably even having an occasional nap. There is music playing in the background, and he tells me that he is content. After his health challenges last summer, his heart and mind is filled with thankful thoughts.

As for me, I have made two trips to the mailbox (a 3-mile round trip), and one trip to our town to pick up my husband’s next month’s supply of prescription drugs. I experienced ‘curb-side’ service from the pharmacy, and I toured town to see what was happening. I didn’t need to buy gas for my vehicle, there was no point in getting a car wash because we were expecting more snow, and I didn’t need any toilet paper. I didn’t even stop to have a coffee at Tim Horton’s. Our deepfreeze and pantry are well stocked, thanks to our son’s bi-weekly shopping trips. It is probably the only time I have made a round-trip to town without getting out of my vehicle.

When I’m home I do a bit of cooking, a bit of cleaning, a bit of organizing and re-organizing cupboards and storage space… and I talk on the phone, write long emails, short text messages, and find any other excuse to stay on my computer. I have been a computer ‘nerd’ for many years… why change now??!!

I was reminded by another ‘blogger’ that words are powerful. It was a great reminder that if our physical condition prevents us from being an active volunteer, if our location in not main stream, and if our family is far away, we still can use words to encourage, to give comfort, to reconnect with friends and neighbors, and to worship with thankful hearts.

We are not alone!

Tags: Spring Health Words Activity

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I have been enjoying some quiet hours this last while, as we have are adjusting to our self-imposed “quarantine”. Hubby and I are finding our “quiet spots” in an effort to divert our attention from worrisome and sometimes depressing news that tries to invade all of our waking hours. It seems that the more we hear, the more questions we have. Which of the announcements and reported as facts do we believe? Where do we go to find a reliable source of information? Even for those of us who have a spiritual awareness are confronted with many questions within ourselves, and from those around us. What do we do now?

Last Sunday was the final day of Lent, and the places of worship where Palm Sunday would be celebrated were ordered to be closed. Were the services shown on TV, with the pastor, priest or other spiritual leader and the cameramen the only people present in a huge auditorium, authentic and meaningful or just a waste of time? For many, Easter has become more and more a celebration of chocolate bunnies, colored eggs, and family dinners.

Our TV has been one more hours than usual and there are lots of links exchanged between friends on social media, sharing personal stories, cartoons, and unusual photographs. There seemed to be a lack of interest in spiritual expression in recent years, but since our countries have been hit with the pandemic, there are more public statements from a wide variety of “recognizable” and public people, sharing their strong faith in the God of all Creation. They testify to the true meaning of Easter, the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, who became a moral man and gave His life for us, so that we can be forgiven of our sins, and know that we will have everlasting life. Some names are no surprise, like Franklin Graham, Ben Carson, and Mike Huckabee. Others that I’ve watched recently, on YouTube and Twitter, as well as TV, were Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Tim Tebow, Kathie Lee Gifford, Bono, Kirk Cameron, and Justin Bieber. It seems that many people are looking for something beyond themselves to give meaning in their life. The Holy Scriptures are so easily available in our countries, but how many actually read them now? The answers are there for all of us.

I’ll end with an excerpt from a letter that we received last week from a friend who works in China.

“A government official serving in Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus outbreak first struck, was attempted to find protective face masks for himself and his family, but with no success. One of the local house church pastors in Wuhan was walking the streets in his village, praying for opportunities to share the masks that an International Ministry had provided, as well as the Gospel. Every mask given to a pastor in China is another opportunity to share Christ.

The fearless pastor spotted a government official on the street and said, “Sir, I have something important to share with you, as well as this gift.” He handed him a new mask. “I see you don’t have one and walk the streets unprotected.”

The official was dumbfounded. “I tried buying some for my family but couldn’t. I know my boss has many, yet he didn’t give me one! I am at risk every day while I work. How much is this mask?”

“Free! Have you ever heard the Name of Jesus?” asked the pastor.

“No, but it doesn’t sound Chinese. This man Jesus, did he donate the mask?”

The pastor smiled warmly and said, “If you have ten minutes, I can tell you the story of Jesus.”

“No one has dared to come out of their homes except for you. It’s boring to stand on the streets alone, and you seem like a nice guy. Please tell me about Jesus.”

The pastor spent 30 minutes with the government official and brought him to Christ! He is a member of the Communist and cannot tell others he is a believer, but he has joined the Bible studies conducted over the WeChat app. He is listening to sermons whenever he can. The house church in his area continues to follow up with him and is excited to report he is becoming a firm believer and follower of Christ.”

We don’t often hear stories like this in our media.

Fear is a marvelous motivator to mature a person’s

thinking regarding the essentials of life.

Tags: Easter Pandemic Bibles Masks Courage Jesus

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Years ago, I met a lady in Scottsdale, Arizona who did seminars on how to be a good household organizer; organize your purse, organize your kitchen, organize your closets, organize your shop, etc. I still remember some of her ideas. To give an example… if sorting through a closet or a room, have three boxes/baskets that are labeled, 'Put Away', 'Give Away' and 'Throw Away'. It works well and if you haven't heard of it before, it could help pass the time these days while spending a lot more time at home.

My husband and I have changed the categories a bit, when trying to “down-size” in my storeroom and his shop. The categories are 'Useless' (Why have I kept this for so long? It’s broken and/or useless), 'Under-Used' (I can’t remember the last time I’ve used this!), and 'Useful' (I’ll keep this, or if I don’t need this anymore, someone else could make good use of it.) Some things we have sold, but most things are put in boxes, bags, or loaded in back of the van, to be donated to some charity like Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, or Value Village.

It is amazing how much stuff we have accumulated since the last time we moved. Added to that, we love to drop by garage sales, auction sales, or thrift shops when we have time, in case there is something that catches our attention.

It’s like going on a treasure hunt; we may find something that is so cheap that we can’t afford not to buy it!

(This is a 're-post' from my second "Blog Alphabet Challenge"... )

Tags: Declutter Down-size Ideas Hints

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My mother's family were of German decent, with several major moves in their history. There are few details of her grandparent's move from Germany to southern Russia, during the reign of Catherine The Great, but we were told of the importance of the toasted buns which were, and still are, a special treat. In preparation for their long journey, they believed that to stay healthy, it was importance to bring a supply of drinking water with them as well as an abundance of homemade buns, toasted so that they wouldn't spoil.

Mother frequently made toasted buns but I was never much for helping in the kitchen during my school years. All I had to say was that I needed to practice my piano lesson, and I would be excused from kitchen duty because Mother loved to hear me play the piano. My interest in cooking began to increase when I started my first job after graduating from nursing school. I rented a small basement suite and I had my own kitchen, and a recipe book from my mother.

Making toasted buns would be a two-day project, first to prepare the dough, roll the dough shaped like 'fingers', to rise in bread pans, and baked in the oven. I can still remember the aroma of fresh baked bread.

When the bread had cooled, or on the next day, the buns were carefully pulled apart and arranged on baking pans and dried in the oven, until they were a golden brown, at a temperature of no more than 150 degrees of heat. There was a disproportion of butter in the dough which contributed to the rich golden color of the buns, and they would never get moldy.

German cuisine was foreign to my husband and we developed our own mutually enjoyable menus. However, any opportunity to visit relatives on the farm, or when my favorite aunt came to visit, she was always more than happy to take over my kitchen to make a good supply of toasted buns or fruit kuchen for us to enjoy.

I took these photos on one of those visits.

Tags: Tradition Baking Memories Throwback

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This is going to be a short blog... (did I hear a couple of sighs of relief???)

A friend of mine sent the link to this video today, from Old School Music. Being that there have been several music blogs posted, and I had to admit that I never heard of them before, I thought I would pass this video on, and tell my dear friends here that I recognize most of the singers from my "younger" years... or perhaps the mid-life segment of my life. Allen may be surprised!

I also think that this particular song is still very appropriate for the time is was recorded and for our present time of so much tension, anger, fear, and resentment.

Tags: Music Singers Vintage

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This week has gone so fast for me… and I missed Thursday. I was ready to do a ‘Throwback Thursday’ Blog, but now it will look like a “throwback weekend”. 

My husband and I met in a small prairie town where we both worked. He was the telephone foreman in town, and I was a nurse in the 19-bed hospital. We loved the community but some of the “traditions” were new to us. We had a very personal introduction to a “chivaree” party, traditionally conducted for ‘newlyweds’.

 Google has this example posted online: A few days after the couple got settled, the community held a shivaree. The shivaree was a post-wedding noisy party for the community where the newlyweds were pressed into service as hosts. In short, the shivaree was a mock serenade and a roast of the newlyweds.

We had taken a road trip to the mountains for our honeymoon, and on our way back, we stopped to pick up our wedding gifts at my parents’ home in the city. It was a great evening of opening gifts in our new home, tossing wrapping paper and boxes down the back stairs, just to get it out of sight until we had the time to burn the trash in the backyard. 

We finally retired for the night, we made sure that the extension phone was working in our bedroom because we were both “on call” for our jobs. Minutes after our lights were out, our phone rang LOUDLY. I picked up the receiver and heard the dial tone… and the phone kept ringing. My telephone man thought it was the phone in the kitchen that was ringing, It was so dark in the house, and the power was out and the street light in front of our house was out too. There must be an emergency in town, we thought,… and the phone kept ringing! We didn’t have a flashlight, and we didn’t smoke, so we didn’t even have matches to help us find our way through the house. Hubby got the idea that the ‘ringing’ was coming from the basement, but we had to navigate the stairwell that was filled with wrapping paper and boxes. When we finally got down the stairs, we discovered electrical wires taped to the backside of a pole in the basement, and leading to the metal ductwork of the furnace. Somebody had been in our house while we were gone, and it didn’t look like work done by our building contractor. Hubby hoped that if he ripped the wiring, it would stop the incessant ringing telephone, and sure enough, the phone stopped ringing and the lights came back on. We suspected who was responsible for this event… his partner in the telephone company, and our neighbor who worked for the power company. We later learned that they had placed a bell system, normally used in grain elevators, in the metal furnace duct, and wired it to a telephone number at the neighbor’s house. No wonder it was so loud and so annoying!

Minutes after the lights came back on, there was a commotion at both the back and front doors, and about a dozen people were there for “breakfast”... even supplying the ingredients for me to make pancakes for all of them. This was our initiation and celebration from our community. As a matter of fact, most of the town knew that it was going to happen.

The town is much bigger now, and friends who live there haven’t heard of a chivaee in town in years. I guess it is now considered to be ‘old fashioned’. It sure was an event that we have never forgotten. We were the ‘newbies’ in town, but we were properly welcomed by the community.

Tags: Community Wedding Party Friends

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After some discussion in recent blogs about our use of the English language, it brought to mind one of the major projects that was presented to me some twenty years ago. My abilities on the computer were being honed with persistence, and my first two major contracts were to design and print “advertising cards” for companies who wished to advertise through Welcome Wagon, and announcement cards for Christian Women’s Club. Being a home-based business in a rural setting added a lot of road trips to my adventures.

On one occasion, I received a phone call from a gentleman who said that he had received my business card from the Welcome Wagon representative, and wondered if I did proof-reading and script preparation for publishing; did that fit into the job description of “Your Choice Designs”? He was looking for someone to review his autobiography and ready it for printing. No, I had never done anything like. I told him that I was a retired nurse, I loved to read, and that I was fairly proficient in ‘computer’ and ‘talking’. I passed English in High School, but that was the extent of my language skills. He suggested that if I would come to their home, his wife would be thrilled to serve some freshly baked cookies with coffee, while he told me about his project. I was persuaded (perhaps it was the cookies), and we agreed on the date and time for our first meeting.

In our conversation, I learned that he had previously contacted two editors who suggested that he needed to give more details in his stories before they would continue. He refused, saying that he had written what he could remember, and would not make up details as requested. His son had saved the text for him on floppy discs, and hoped that I would at least take a look at his work. He suggested that I select a random chapter in his files, review it and make any suggestions I might have. My computer accommodated floppy discs, so I decided to give it a try. I was pretty sure that he hadn’t written a book filled with risque stories and disgusting jokes.

To begin this project, I spent a number of days reading his files. It was an interesting read. He was the eldest son of a Seventh-Day Adventist travelling preacher, a conscious objector during WWII, an inventor, a world traveller long before guided tours, and a rancher, raising and marketing domestic buffalo. His formal education was minimal because of family circumstances, but his knowledge was massive in diversity. His loving wife supported him in all of his adventures, and was pleased to now call our town their home. 

I worked on his script for several months, arranging his short and long stories in suggested chapters, and he seemed to be pleased with the segments that I delivered to him for review. I found a local publisher who was very patient and helpful to me in every step of the project, until the book came off the press. The first printing was 1998, titled ‘Unprepared for the Adventures of Life on Planet Earth”. It is a 426-page book that included many vintage and current photographs, and an order form was on the back page, selling for $24.95 + g.s.t. My customer ordered 500 copies and was his own promoter and distributor. At age seventy-three, his life-long dream had become a reality. 

P.S. Not long after the book was finished, he decided that living in town was not for him. He purchased some rural land and a mobile home, and began again to raise domestic buffalo. We were able to visit them on the ranch, and even his wife seemed to be happy and content. However, two years later his wife passed, and he moved to the north country, near his son and family. 

I missed him… he was quite a character!

Tags: English Editing Book Printing

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For those of you who have dropped by my ‘spot on the hill’, you will have learned about my most recent hobbies. I would think that most people have developed a hobby over the years, and I’m wondering how they settled on a specific interest. Was the idea passed down from an older family member? Did it start with something you learned in school? Did it just happen?

I’ve had a wide variety of ‘hobbies’. I think my first real personal hobby was making scrapbooks… not the kind that had fancy kits with paper cutters, theme pages, stickers, and punches, but a book of plain paper pages that we could stick clippings from magazines and newspapers, save our birthday and Christmas cards, and write stories on lined paper and paste them in our scrapbook. We saved pictures of movie stars, heros from many different countries, and special events that caught our attention. I still have several that I put together… the coronation of King George VI, 1947 wedding of his daughter, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, then the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. These were special because we hadn’t heard of television at that time. And guess what... I'm still a royalist! 

Can crafts like knitting, crochet, quilting, and petit point be considered hobbies? My mother considered the first three to be necessary abilities, and I learned some of her crafts. But when I asked Google to define a hobby, the answer is “an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure”. The closest that I got to that definition was my collection of glass, particularly the telephone and telegraph insulators. I knew what they were used for when growing up on the farm, my husband was a repairman who would climb poles to replace the insulators that had been used in target practice by the ‘locals’, but why do people collect them? One would make a great ‘paper-weight’ but what does one do with several hundred insulators? I started by putting many on our retaining wall… it was the old glass sparkling in the sunshine. I then discovered a large club of insulator collectors, and learned there was value in some of these vintage ‘treasures’. Here is a picture of one of my ‘treasures’ that I bought at an auction sale. It was in a box of 10 insulators and my bid of $5.00 was the only one given. It was the color that caught my eye, and years later, it was the color that caught the eye of the person who bought it from me on Ebay. I was in shock when the Buyer thought that his bid of $95.00 was a real steal!

We often wondered what would happen to the collection that I had… they were pretty, some were sought after by collectors, and there wasn’t one person in our family who even understood my interest in ‘that stuff’. Then one day, I read an ad on our local Kijiji website, posted by someone in our area who was looking to purchase a medium to large collection of glass insulators. Following a phone conversation, he arrived with his truck, asked a lot of questions, and … SOLD! He was happy with his truckload of glass, and I was happy with the cash in my pocket. That was the end of that hobby! 

Now I just tell people that my hobbies are computers and photographs!

Tags: Scrapbooks Glass Insulators Crafts

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Have you heard about our garden shed? I did write a blog about it long ago, but because of recent conversations, I decided to post a “Throwback Thursday” edition of that blog, with an update.

To explain about my husband’s 2012 winter project, the idea came when we visited a farm antique center in northern California. They were selling garden tool sheds that were made of old barnwood and looked like outhouses. Cute! When we arrived home, our septic system was frozen and we were without facilities for three days. One morning, when the guys stopped for a coffee break, one worker wondered, “Where is the ‘outhouse’ when we need it?”.  The idea for a building project began to form for my newly retired husband’s mind. Call it a ‘make work’ project.

It became the center of attention in our yard, but there were no plans for it to be ‘functional’ unless absolutely necessary. We added some “decorating” items of “interest” … an owl decoy to discourage the crows in our area, a Sears catalogue, an enamel child’s potty, a lantern, and a bear trap. We even had an ‘occupant’, who was not one of our grandkids. They were too grown up to want to participate in this crazy idea. Oh … I almost forgot about the ‘fart machine’ … to add an element of surprise for those who dare to open the door to look inside. As you can tell, there are some people who never grow up!

It never became much of a Garden Shed… probably because the only gardening that we do is mow the grass with the tractor, and replace the silk flowers in our patio pots every other year. I refuse to purchase bedding plants, only to have the local deer drop by for a quick ‘gourmet’ lunch. 

This past summer, we were asked if we would be interested in selling our outhouse to a farming family in the northern part of our province. Why not, we’ve had lots of fun with it! Let them have some fun! 

It’s gone!

Tags: Gardening Building Fun Family

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