Prairie Dog Blog

Did you know that Marie Curie was a Humanist? I did not know that. I spent all day Wednesday at the University of Manitoba at an information table for the Humanist Association of Manitoba. (What an acronym - our Jewish friends think we should change it)It was a fun day. I and some of my fellow Humanists spoke to about 45 people who stopped and looked at our display and some took pamphlets and some put their e-mail addresses on a list for inclusion in our newsletter mailing list. And, best of all- I took some pictures with my (Dennis') digital camera. I have successfully loaded the pictures onto my computer. Wow, so easy, you'd think it was magic. Ain't technology grand? That hollow sound you hear is me patting myself on the back. The first picture shows Stef taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. Har de har. And here is a picture of Stef eating his lunch while Jeff and LeeAnn work on the display.

Well, that's the good news of the week. The bad news is: my foundation is cracked and leaking! On Thursday I noticed some water on the floor in the basement under the stairs where I keep my freezer. I put down some towels and started to transfer frozen items up to the freezer on the top of my fridge. I thought my freezer was on the fritz! But, no, it was much worse. When I went back down to check on it later in the day, there was more water on the floor. It was not coming from my freezer. It was coming from a crack in the cement wall. Panic button time.

I called three companies that repair foundations and left voice mails. I fell asleep to the rhythm of rain falling and wondering if my house was going to float away overnight. By morning the rain had stopped and one estimator came out this morning to see it. The estimate is $4000.00. They will dig out the soil along the wall, repair and seal the crack, re-apply the weeping tiles and put down small rocks instead of that good old Manitoba gumbo that creates pressure and cracks basement walls. Then they will put a layer of topsoil so I can replant my flower bed. They will also apply braces on the inside of the wall to strengthen it. Abbra cadabra, just like magic, my wall will be repaired. All I have to do is call the services companies(gas, hydro, etc.) to mark where the conduits and wires are and I have to find someone who will take down the cedar wall in the den so they can apply braces on that wall. This is not really the kind of renovation I was planning, but it has to be done. It'll take four or five days and I am hoping they can get started as soon as the ground is all thawed out. In the meantime, if it rains again......more towels, please!

Well, it's good night from Suzie and it's good night from me.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
Arthur C. Clarke
HAM Tabling, Foundation Cracks, A Little Magic

Hello to all out there in blogland. Nice to see so many new posts. Lyn, thanks for the newsy one. Congrats on finishing that course. Good to hear about Adam's successes in Hockeyland. Congratulations to you, Adam. And Noni has a new beau. Way to go, girl.

Gary has also blogged. He feels in need of some time on a driving range. Get out there and hit that ball.

I took Suzie to the vet's this morning. She had a heartworm test and got her immunizations up to date. She gets stressed out any time we go to the vet, or even when she needs her claws clipped. She doesn't really bark, she howls. They muzzled her and she was calmer. She's sleeping on the couch once again. Too much stress for the poor little baby. She'll sleep for the rest of the day. Except when I get food out. She's always there for that. As soon as she hears plastic rustling she's at my heels, whining. You can tell by looking at her that I'm starving her. Sorry about the picture being sideways. That's how it was saved on my computer and I don't know how to turn it. Any suggestions, Gary? (It has been corrected - Gary)

I have made my travel plans for June. I fly to Vancouver on June 13 and fly back on June 20. I will be attending the Humanist Association of Canada conference and spend some time with Margot. I have a reservation at the Sylvia Hotel. I have been told it is just around the corner from Margot's place.

I went with my friend Jess to see a play at MTC, The Clean House. Well, we both found it pretty sad. One of the characters died of cancer. We both shed a few tears. She's the friend whose husband died the same day as Dennis. We went to Inferno's Bistro for dinner. It was good to talk to someone who is going through the same process. Her husband had a good sense of humor, too. They probably would have liked each other. She has two children and was off visiting her son in BC while I was in Oklahoma. Both of her children live in BC. Would it be funny if we both ended up there?

Only 50 more days till Margot arrives. Well, it's goodbye from me and it's goodbye from Suzie.

Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.
George Eliot
Suzie's Trip to the Vet, Vancouver in June

Well, talk about blogs! Gary, Jack and Chelsea have written new blogs. I guess Gary and Carolyn know what I mean when I say I'm glad to be back home. There really is no place like home. I think it's been said before. Some character with red shoes. It was great to read about G. and C. and their exploits in the south.

Jack, thanks for writing more blogs. It was great to spend time with Andrew and Jamie. More on that in July/August. I did not know that your heating bills were so high. Natural gas has gone up in price here in Manitoba, too. I have a budget plan - I pay the same amount every month. It works for me. Maybe you can get the same deal. It sure was fun playing all those games with the boys. Looking forward to the summer. Mother said recently that she thought you might drive to Victoria this summer! Any truth to that? It would cut down on the amount of time to spend with the family.

And Chelsea, I enjoy reading your blog so much. Sounds as if you have some really great friends and good times. Isn't it great that you and Rachel are such good friends? It's like having a sister rather than a cousin. I am looking forward to seeing all of you in the summer.

Tonight I am going over to Mother's for supper. I'll be picking up some soup and sandwiches from Tim Horton's. I heard that T. H. is trading on the stock market now. They should give me some shares for being such a good customer. After supper we'll be attending a performance of a local Metis duo, the Lavallee brothers. Dave Lavallee was a friend of Dennis'. His wife, Marge, worked with Dennis at Bristol Aerospace. They were at the Celebration of Dennis' Life.

I worked two days this week. It's enough. I'm glad to be able to do that - work two days, have five off. It's the opposite of how it went before I retired. My fabulous son-in-law, Joel, sent me this little gem which Dennis had sent him in the past. It really sounds like something Dennis believed in.

Subject: Where are you going in your life? A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them. "Not very long," answered the Mexican. "But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family. The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs . . .I have a full life." The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise." "How long would that take?" asked the Mexican. "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American. "And after that?" "Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends." ------------------

Know where you're going in life... you may already be there.

Only 55 days till Margot arrives! Bye for now.
A Plethora of Blogs, Are We There Yet?

We got back from Oklahoma late Sunday night. Don't ever go through OHare in Chicago if you can help it. It's huge, has five terminals. I am sure glad we got wheeled everywhere. Mother and I had to wait for a wheelchair to board the plane for Winnipeg and then when it did come, the wheelchair pusher (with attitude) wheeled her to the wrong plane. They held the plane for us, but it was somewhat stressful. Anyway, I'm back and feeling out of the loop. Gary hasn't blogged for a few days and I haven't blogged since March 8. And nobody is sending me any emails. I'm back!

It was good to see Jack and the boys, but I am glad to be home. Back in my own home with my memories. The weather was not as cold as Winnipeg, but not as good as I thought it would be. Most days the high temp was about 5 or 6 degrees. At night it got pretty cold and Jack had to have his arm twisted to turn on the furnace. I guess they are acclimatized and don't feel the cold.

Jamie and Andrew and Nana and I played a lot of cards and Yahtzee. We went out for dinner quite a few times and I lost count of how many times we went to Wal-mart. Nana got used to those motorized carts they have at Wal-mart and I think she wants to buy her own. We managed to have dinner one night with Catherine, Steven and Rebecca.

Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber) was on our flight from Chicago. He was dressed in scruffy clothes and his hair was long and unkempt-looking. Mother said, "Jeff Daniels, who's he? He looks like a homeless person." Maybe he was trying to be incognito. But she did recognize Mayor of Winnipeg Sam Katz on the same flight. We were in the same elevator.

Suzie was glad to see me and enjoyed our walks yesterday and today. She renewed her relationship by sniffing her way around the neighbourhood. Dennis used to say that she was just a nose on four legs. I subbed all day today and will be working all day tomorrow also. It was a grade 1-2 class. Cute kids.

That's it for now. COME ON PEOPLE, SOMEBODY ELSE BLOG! Or send me an email.

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.
George Moore
OHare, Motorized Carts, Jeff Daniels, Home Sweet Home

This may be my last blog for about 10 days or so. We leave for Oooooooklahoma on Saturday and I won't be blogging while I am gone. I have lots to do in the next two days.

I have been looking at old pictures and videos. The older ones are a comfort. There is less pain there than in more recent images, because I look at images from thirty or forty years ago. It is many years since I saw these photos and videos and I am grateful to be able to recapture images of us when we were young. I am struck by how many times Dennis and I were photographed kissing. He even took pictures of us sitting on the grass at Bird's Hill Park kissing, using a timer, of course. He was so good-looking. He had a killer smile. The videos are especially precious because they are animated and show expression. I remember how I felt and what was said when that video was taken in 1965. I was holding Noni as a child of about a year old and thinking: I hope we have a little girl like this some day. (Hey, we did!) Gary, the camera operator, says to Dennis: "Why don't you kiss her?" Dennis says, "Sure," and smiles. I hide my face in his shoulder. Then we are caught, kissing. I am lost in the mists of love and time.

I look at the pictures of our trip to Sweden with our daughter in 1990. There are plenty of pictures of the city, and quite a few of Margot and myself. I am sad to notice for the first time that there is not one picture of Dennis in Stockholm. He was always behind the camera. He often used to complain about the fact that there weren't as many pictures of him as of everyone else. Although there are more in recent times - pictures taken by Gary or our daughter.

Norman Cousins said, "A man comes to know himself through the pictures he takes." Dennis' pictures show him to be a man who loved beauty and nature, adventures in exotic places and family. There are thousands of images of family and friends. Most were taken at times of celebration or travel.

Tomorrow I go to sub at my old school, Island Lakes Community School. We just call it The Island. Grade 5 class, and I'm looking forward to it. Then got to get some $US and wash clothes and start packing.

So it's goodbye from me and it's goodbye from Suzie. Peace.

Remember: A man comes to know himself through the pictures he takes. - Norman Cousins
Old Images, Kissing, Missing in Stockholm

The weather here on the Prairies is cool and windy. We had +2 degrees today and it looks as if it will be about the same for the next few days. Dang it - the weather is just starting to turn nice and we are leaving for Oooooooklahoma.

I subbed at one of my favourite schools today. Grade 8 and 9 (called Senior 1 here) Mathematics. It was quite good. It would have been better had I not been so tired. I didn't get to sleep until after 3:00 am and then I was up with the chickens (!) at 6:30.

I hardly had my eyes open in the first class when one of the darling little thirteen-year-old girls desparately wanted to know about circumcision. What is it, how is it done, doesn't it hurt, why is it done? Well, being the expert I am (!) I explained it as well as I could without visual aids. One thing led to another, as it usually does, and before you know it we were talking about "female circumcision" and the clitoris. I believe in being honest about the anatomy and physiology of humans and if I am lucky the powers that be at the school board office will believe it, too. The only embarrassing part was when one of the girls asked one of the boys, "Are you circumcised?" I told them that is too personal and no one should have to answer that question, at least not in public. If I am called up on the carpet, my defence will be: they asked - I was only answering a question. But it may not save me. Nothing to do with Mathematics, but an important subject for them. I'd be willing to bet the students will remember that class more than the one about monomials and polynomials.

At lunch time I met up with another retired teacher, Jess, who is subbing. It turns out her husband died on the same day as my husband died. And from cancer, although a different type of cancer. Unbelieveable coincidence. We got to talking and as soon as we both get back from trips we're going to have coffee and talk more. I think it might be good for both of us. It helps to talk with others who are having similar experiences.

Well, got to go - the Amazing Race is on soon. Gotta find out who is eliminated next. Will it be the self-described nerd couple, the pink girls, the middle-aged couple or the I-want-a-million-dollars-but-I-don't-want-to-work young studs?

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. - Dorothy Parker
Circumcision, Polynomials, Unbelieveable Coincidence

It's been a long and rather sad three days. Hours long phone calls with my daughter, reflections and weeping.

We leave this Saturday for Ooooooklahoma. Looking forward to the trip, seeing Jack and kids. I just have to get some US dollars. I took Mother to her bank today to get some US money and also to tune them up. Once again, there seems to have been a mix-up. Well, we found out that it was probably not the fault of the bank. The slow-as-molasses-in-January federal government! Yes, they were still depositing Mother's pensions into the old account as of January and February. It sure was a good thing we didn't close the old account because if we had, those pensions would have been sent back and ooops, a black hole would have sucked them in. But I phoned CPP, OAS and superannuation, and I THINK it is all fixed up now. I have been assured they will go to the new account at the end of March.

Last night I had an Oscar party. Just me and Pat and Paul, Doug and Diana. It was fun trying to predict who would win. Paul, Doug and I tied with 10 right out of 25. They each got a "prize." A bottle of dessert wine. It was good to spend time with friends.

I am glad, too, that Auntie Pat and Uncle Paul demanded to be allowed to take Suzie for the 10 days I am in Oklahoma. I am grateful. I know Suzie will be much happier with them than in a kennel. I didn't want to impose on my friends, so I investigated a kennel close by here. I was not impressed. The "runs" were little cages about 5 by 5 with chain link on the front. One huge dog there was chewing at his cage and barking very aggressively as we went by. I won't be putting Suzie in there any time soon. No, she can go and be spoiled by Auntie Pat and Uncle Paul. It's great to have such caring friends.

And my favourite neighbourhood angel has been at it again. When I got back from taking Mother to the bank, my driveway was clear again. I'll have to think of a nice way to thank Gord.

Keep on blogging!

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown
Oklahoma, Dessert Wine and Kennels

I’ve noticed that lately sad songs are connecting with me. It makes me cry when I hear songs on the radio about loss of love. Songs like Bread’s “Everything I Own” or the Guess Who singing “These Eyes.” These songs are about wishing for the return of the loved one. About how hard it is to go through the day and the night when one is missing someone so much. And they feel like the voice of my heart singing to me.

So you’re thinking right now – so what. It’s no surprise that sad songs make a grieving person cry. But I realized all of these songs are not about losing a loved one through death. They are all about losing a love through separating, breaking up. That really got me thinking. If what I’m feeling now is so similar to the feelings one gets when one breaks up with a love, then people who are in separation must feel as I do. We sometimes call it, “love is dying” when a couple breaks up. And it must feel like something (or someone) is dying.

The difference is a widow like me has a status. People expect me to grieve. Friends comfort me. They give me space when I need it. I am babied to a certain extent at least in the short term. I am allowed to take time off work to help with the mourning. No one expects me to carry on as if nothing has happened. But when did you ever hear of anyone taking time off work to grieve a separation or divorce? When do people give a person going through a separation the comfort they need as much as a survivor? Almost never. I am changed. I am able to better understand the pain of others. Perhaps that is one thing I am learning through grieving.

One of the books I am reading is A Guide for the Bereaved Survivor. Getting back to the comment by Gail’s friend that she should be “over it by now” five years after her husband’s death, there is an interesting and appropriate sentence.

“Long-term bereaved people want you to know that you will never “get over” the death. You “get different.”

So I reflect on this: “different” from what? You could say different from how I was before he died. But I think it’s more than that. It’s also “different” from what I would have been had he lived. Now that’s something to think about.

Another important thing I have learned from this book is that other people often want the bereaved to stop grieving before they are ready. This book advises that every survivor has her/his own timetable and one should be easy on oneself and allow as much grieving as one needs. I must try to remember that. I hope others will, too.


Lyrics from “Everything I Own”
“…I would give anything I own, give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own just to have you back again
Just to touch you once again.”
David Gates and Bread

These days I’m finding a lot of “…words to call my own.”

Missing you, Dennis.
Sad Songs, Breaking Up, Bread, Getting Different

Hi everyone out there in blogland. I just got home from work and found my driveway and sidewalk all cleared of snow. This must be due to my across-the-street neighbourhood angel, Gordie. He's the only other one close by with a snowthrower. And I thought I would have to do that job when I got home from work. What a pleasant surprise. I take my hat off to random acts of kindness.

I was subbing in one school in the morning and went to another one in the afternoon. The morning school was two grade eight classrooms. This age group can be a handful, but they were working on Power Point presentations on Ancient Egypt and all were on task and working like little beavers in the computer lab. For the two prep periods, the teacher had me previewing a video on ancient cities and composing questions for the students to answer about the video. One of the ways I create good will for myself is by noticing little things about the individual students. For example, commenting on a nice piece of jewellry, or asking about the message on a T-shirt. Also I try to inject a little humour. I asked the 8C class what the "C" stood for. When they told me it was the initial of their home room teacher I said, "No, I think it stands for "cool", doesn't it?" Of course they agreed with me and for the rest of the morning I referred to them as "Grade 8 Cool." Thirteen-year-olds are pretty easily manipulated.

In the afternoon I subbed in a grade five at a French immersion school. They couldn't get a francophone sub, so they took me. I speak very little French, but with a few remembered phrases and a lot of English explanation, we managed. One of my tasks was to listen to small groups read aloud from a French novel. One of the boys thought he would have fun with the sub and began to pronounce the words very badly. Even I could tell. After a while he began to pronounce the words correctly and I said to him, "Your pronunciation has improved greatly since you started reading." Another boy said, "He did that on purpose." I said, "I know - I just wanted to be sure he knew that I knew." Well, that kid sure was smart. Word got around the class that they couldn't put much over on the sub. It made me chuckle inside. I made them all ask to get a drink and go to the bathroom en francais, though. "Est-ce que je peux aller a la toilette?" "Oui." See, I do remember some French. If I ever have to ask to go to the toilet in France, I'll be able to do it!

So, I had a good day at work today. It was fun. They pay me good money for this! Looking forward to watching Survivor on TV tonight.

Gotta go take Suzie for a walk before I lose the sunshine. Peek on globbing!

My heart is singing for joy this morning! A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil's mind, and behold, all things are changed! - Anne Sullivan
Angel, Working Like Beavers, Francais

March has certainly come in on the prairies like a lion. We are having a minor snowstorm right now. The prediction is that about 5-10 cm. will accumulate. Time to fire up the snowthrower again. I hope that means that March will go out like a lamb. By the time we get back from Ooooooooklahoma it might be spring! Well, we can always hope.

I went to the Grand Opening of the new, improved Reh-fit Centre last night. I enjoyed the wine and the little nibbly bits. But then I paid for it by having to listen to speeches by officials and politicians. I went for a tour of some of the recently finished rooms. There are rooms for yoga, aerobics, spinning and therapeutic massages, as well as the field house and wonderful new locker rooms. Afterwards I cornered the Premier of our fair province to thank him for the provincial government's contribution to the centre. He said, "It's your money. I just invested it in the future." Isn't that just like a politician. But at least he knows whose money he's spending.

A few days ago I got an email about a reunion at my old high school in Nova Scotia, West Kings High. It's going to be at the end of June, beginning of July. I think I just might be going. It's a good excuse to visit with my father as well. Yet another trip! They have a database on their website of email addresses of graduates, but there are only seven entries for 1965 graduates and I don't recognize any of the names. I've been communicating with one of the organizers and already I may have a connection to one of my old girlfriends.

The one I'd really like to get in touch with, though, is Sharon Hogue. She married and probably has a different surname now. I tried a search online and came up with a 2003 phorum connection with her name on it and it said something about Greenwood NS and 1965. That's gotta be her. When I tried the hyperlink, it was no more! So close and yet so far. Maybe she was looking for me! I missed it by about three years! Sharon, if you are out there looking for Catherine Comeau, here I am! If you find my blog, leave a comment on this blog with your email address and I'll get in touch with you.

My son-in-law is going to be interviewed by a magazine about his aquariums. Way to go, Joel! Great things are in store for you. His business, Creative Aquariums, designs, installs and maintains aquariums complete with fish and plants. You can see one of them on his blog. See the hyperlink to "Joel's blog" somewhere to the right of this entry.

Gotta go for now. Keeg on blokking!

Now that it's all over, what did you really do yesterday that's worth mentioning? ~Coleman Cox
Prairie Storm, West Kings, Old Friends, Aquariums