Help!!

A void
So deep; so empty
It silently fills my heart so there's simply no room
No room for anything but bare emptiness
Not the emptiness that begs to be filled
But an emptiness that demands all
And gives nothing in return

A love
So deep; so full
It silently fills my heart 'til there's simply no room
No room for anything that is bare emptiness
It's a fullness that begs to be emptied
A fullness that demands nothing
But gives everything in return

When I see anything in verse form (like the above), I have to force myself to read it. For a gal who loves to read, why do I steer away from poetry so much? So this is my new ambition - to introduce myself to poetry and find out what I'm missing. Does anyone have a suggestion on where to start? I've noticed many bloggers love to post a bit of poetry now and then. I'd love to appreciate it instead of hurriedly skipping through it to get to the good stuff - LOL!

Like pulling teeth...

Last night I was to go out for a girls' evening out - our splurge club. But somehow my babysitter (dh) didn't arrive when he was supposed to. A trucker phoned about an hour before I was to leave and said he was coming to pick up some grain just at the time I was to be leaving. So I got myself ready and the boys and finally decided to drive the boys over in the half ton - leave them with Ladger and take the car to my friend's home. By the time I finally decided what to do and got everyone ready and actually got to leave - I was a good hour late. I wonder why it's like pulling teeth to go out once in awhile. This morning both boys were still in their clothes from the evening before...huh?!! Where were the pajamas I'd laid out for the boys? Well, apparently they both fell asleep sitting with Ladger and he didn't want to wake them. I guess they had a very quiet evening!!

The 'plains' are alive with the sound of ...traffic.

I live on a rural road that runs east and west. Usually there is very little traffic that goes by: a car...a grain truck .... a half ton.... But Wednesday evening is a different story. If you hit it just right, you will see the country come alive with vehicles coming in both directions - a line of lights that you can see for a long way. What can be happening? It's AWANA night in the village just a couple of miles west of us. That little country church is packed to the brim with eager young people every week. I love it when the country looks so alive!

Isn't that the best smile. He's laughing at Rory who is holding the other end of the vacuum hose. He is also wearing a touque (and both are as naked as jaybirds).

The Interview Game

I got to meet two new people through this game. Both of these are from Alberta (just a province away) Woohoo! Welcome Bekki! Thanks for joining the game. And here are your questions:

1) What is one of your most memorable moments ?
2) What is the household chore you enjoy the most (if there is one, that is LOL)?
3) What is one thing you would like to do in your lifetime that you haven't done yet?
4) If you could go anywhere on this earth for one day, where would it be?
5) What has been your greatest accomplishment?

Geannie from Geannie's Jumbles is one of my daily reads. My favorite part is that she always responds to each comment - loads of personality and lots of fun! Here are five questions for you, Geannie:

1) What was one reason you decided to start homeschooling in 1996?
2) What is one of the biggest advantages you have seen it bring to your family?
3) What is one movie you would love to have a part in?
4) What is your favorite place on earth and why?
5) What is your least favorite household chore?

Sheilah of Sheilah's World is one of the very first blogging friends I made when I started blogging. Her deep love for her two beautiful girls and husband is so evident in just about everything she writes. This interview shouldn't cause you too much stress - I promise LOL

1) What is your favorite part of being a Mom?
2) You mention that your husband is a great cook (how can we all find one like him? - no , that's not the real question). Is he great at cleaning up afterwards as well?
3) What's the worst part about this transition stage between jobs as a temporary sahm?
4) What is your greatest ambition?
5) If you could play a part in any movie, which movie would it be?


I just had the opportunity to check out a new blog and do lots of reading to come up with 5 interview questions - great fun! Welcome AnneMarie - I enjoyed getting to know you and look forward to hearing your answers to the following:

1) I noticed you went to Banff for a holiday (I used to live there and loved it!). Where is your favorite holiday spot?
2) What inspired you to get involved in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer (and prepare to walk 60 KM as well as shave your head)?
3) How many of your family members work in your family's business?
4) What household task do you dislike the most? Which is your favorite?
5) What's one thing you want to do at least once in your lifetime?

Online Interview

Kim at The Upward Call asked me these questions as an online interview. If you would like to participate, note the instructions below.

Have you always lived on a farm?

I grew up in New Brunswick in a logging community. Dad worked at a pulp and paper mill but he would have loved farming. I remember having some cows and some pigs and I remember Dad saying he'd love to drive through Canada and visit with farmers in the prairies. Little did I imagine I'd marry one.

What is the most challenging thing living on a farm here in Canada?

The weather - we have such a small window of opportunity to grow a crop with a high risk of early frosts in the fall which can severely affect the quality of our crop - let alone years that are too dry, too wet, too many grasshoppers, etc.

Would you ever run for public office?

I am passionate about politics and would love to be involved but that may be precisely why I wouldn't - I doubt I'd be cool and collected enough for that .

I know you play the piano; do you play other instruments ?

I love to play guitar as well - I haven't played too many years yet but I'll pick up the guitar to play when I have a free moment much sooner than the piano (mostly 'cause it's still so challenging for me)

What is one of your biggest pet peeves?

Toys on my kitchen floor. I'm certain I'm going to break my neck sometime when I'm in a rush to get dinner on the table with toys under my feet tripping me up.

Now here's yur chance:

Here are your instructions. The first five to comment asking will be participants:
1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some :o)

Which was the worst?

I had two dreams last night (very unusual for me). In the first, Ladger, I and the boys were still on vacation in the Maritimes and decided to go to PEI. We wanted to take the ferry and as we drove to the dock, Ladger wasn't paying attention and drove on to the ramp and as the ferry wasn't docked, right into the cold Atlantic with our rental car. I woke up feeling like my life was in slow motion and I was wondering how we were all going to survive.

I got up and moved to the couch as I couldn't get back to sleep easily after that. And then I dreamed that there was a vote in Parliament over the same-sex marriage bill. Only 5 MP's stood and voted for traditional marriage. I could see PM Paul Martin smiling and all the seats behind him exploding with cheering and applause. And all I could feel was a very sinking feeling.

Which dream was worse?

Sisters - do ya think we look alike?

Too much candy for supper!

I love farming.

We are slightly archaic compared to other businesses in some regards like:

I don't know of many companies that hand-deliver their payments for bills each month. Rory came along with me today and I let him go in and deliver the checks while I stood by the door. Businesses in a small town are great (almost everyone recognizes Rory and I as well as Ladger) and everywhere we went, Rory got some kind of treat. Today his haul included cinnamon candy hearts, lifesavers, mini Oh Henry chocolate bar and M&M's. He got out to the car after our last stop and said he had too much candy for supper!

Just one thought - maybe it's easy to see one little reason why I'm not too enthused about enrolling Rory in public school. How many trips to pay bills would he miss? How many times would he not get to be involved in farming in the way he can be now? Many kids wouldn't have the opportunity to work alongside Dad, Mom, Grandma and Grandpa but we have that opportunity and I wouldn't like for him to miss out. Homeschooling is sounding better all the time :-)

A parade and a serious mess in the kitchen

I've finished the books for the farm for the year 2004. It gives me such a sense of satisfaction to have it all done and everything all filed away and all my files cleaned out and ready for the new years' entries. I'm feeling so happy about it that I may run into town to deliver it to our accountant....just because. The price tag of having my books done is a kitchen that now needs serious attention.

Today is the day Ladger is going to pick up our new combine. He says it's the first time that this farm has ever bought a new combine so it's a big deal for us! He's driving our old one into town after lunch and will drive the new one back. It's almost like a parade with Ladger's dad preceding the way with the half ton with a warning light flashing. Maybe I shouldn't go into town - it would be just my luck to get stuck behind them and end up joining the procession :-)

Rembrandt?!!

Check it out to see my own doodling fun :-)

Here's Rory's rendition of our friends in Calgary. Notice he didn't have too much room for 'he' after he'd drawn 'she' :-) . We certainly enjoyed our visit with them although we were so tired when they picked us up from the airport that I'm afraid we weren't great company on part deux of our visit with them!!

A Ship in a Bottle

Elected representatives from across this nation (Canada) meet together in our Parliament to make decisions in varying degrees of importance to its citizens. But do they truly act on the behalf of those who vote for them? What accountability is there to ensure that they represent the views of their constituents?

Is there elitism in Ottawa? Can it be possible that a few elected persons, once elected, can push forward their own personal agenda with or without the support of the citizens of this nation? Who has given them this mandate?

Our democracy has become little more than a ship in a bottle. It appears to be an attractive sea-worthy vessel but it is actually out of touch with the reality of ocean waves and high winds; definitely not working as a ship ought to be working. Our democracy looks good but is it truly democratic? Does your MP really represent you?

Currently our Prime Minister has an agenda to rewrite the social structure of our nation by redefining marriage despite the outpouring of concern and opposition. Will he decide to listen to the request for a referendum on this issue? Or will he decide that he doesn't trust that the 'right' decision would be made by the people of this nation?

I fear that I live in a country that has an elected dictatorship; that elected officials can proceed to make a drastic change assuming they know what is best for our country even it means ignoring the people's wishes. The burden of proof for the need for such a change should lie with those who wish to change such a fundamental institution to our society as marriage. Those who want to see marriage include gay and lesbian relationships certainly haven't 'proven' that such action is necessary or beneficial to society as a whole. Ottawa, please break down the glass barrier and listen.........really listen!

Ready to boogie..

One thing I missed while being away was checking in with blogging friends and writing on an almost daily basis. Well I no sooner got back then I started mucking about with my computer and messed something up and couldn't get online for the longest time!!! But here I am and ready to boogie!

Well...not quite....it's time to cook dinner

We're back!

We had a really great time but as we were driving the few miles left to our home I thought I'd go crazy with anticipation of getting out of the car for the last time! We flew thousands of miles to get to Boston and then back to Saskatchewan. And we put 2000 miles on the car we rented as well. That's a lot of miles in two weeks!! I also put on a few pounds as everywhere we went we were fed delicious home cooked meals! In between all that flying and driving (and eating), we had a really great visit with family and friends. The only touristy thing we did was driving around downtown Boston (because we got a little lost around the Big Dig) and visiting the Museum of Science for most of one day. ( We didn't even do any shopping except in the airport on the way home). Anyway, I wish we had a facility like that closer to home - awesome place for a homeschooling family to spend time!! Ladger could have spent a long time in some sections - he found special interest in square (and other odd) shaped gears. He and the boys could watch those gears turning all day :-) So do any of you know why we don't see square gears in practical use?

We enjoyed meeting my adorable nephew who is the same age as our Paxton.
Carol has some highlights (and pictures) from our stay with her family. I couldn't believe how well six children could get along in one house - really specialy family. I got to meet Andrea whom I already felt I knew from her blog. It was so awesome to see Addison after I'd prayed for him when he had a serious accident awhile back. I reconnected with a friend whom I'd lost touch for years - how cool is that?!! We finally got to visit with my fairly newly married little brother and his awesome wife! We just about died laughing as we got to know the funny side of a certain brother-in-law. I got into a great discussion on worship teams with one sister and got to play piano and sing together with another sister. One brother set us up with some great computer stuff - and cooked us breakfast! The other brother impressed us with an amazing monopoly game. I got to play catch up with photo albums and tall tales and some great aunts and uncles (maybe we can see some others on our next trip that we missed seeing this time around).

The trip was a series of warm hellos and sad goodbyes. To each of you who showed us so much kindness and love on our trip from Calgary to Barre, to Saint John, to the South Esk, Strathadam, Sackville, Wayerton, Whitneyville and everywhere in between we thank you , love you and will look forward to seeing y'all the next time

Cousins holding hands!

The Trip

So here I am at my brother's place in Saint John, NB. We've had a busy few days of travelling and visiting and it's been really great. We drove to Calgary and stayed with friends there. We flew out the next day with no incidents. At the airport in Chicago, one guy, Darren, was sitting close by and Rory made a friend out of him. It turns out he was loading luggage onto our plane and directing the plane with his lights and he told Rory to watch him out the window and he'd wave. And he did! With his light wands. Big highlight for Rory. We spent the next day at the Museum of Science in Boston (after we finally found it :-) And then it was off to my Aunt and Uncle's place in Barre, MA. Yesterday we drove up to Saint John - long day. Most of the day was good driving but it started to get a little more difficult near the Canadian border - freezing rain. But we made it and have been having a great time. The boys are enjoying getting to know Nahum and Nahum's twin cousins. After lunch we'll head to the Miramichi to visit the rest of my family and friends! Catch ya later :-)