If we hadn't bought buns...

Ya, if we hadn't decided to have left over pork on buns for supper and gone to the Co-op right after work, I never would have capatured the glow of a November sunset in Prince Albert.

We were headed home the usual way when the conversation began with:

"What should we have for supper?" asked husband.

"I don't know. I'm not very hungry since we had a big lunch at dinner time!", I responded.

"What about left-over pork on some buns?", he inquired.

"Sounds good to me.", says I.

"I'll just stop at Co-op first then and run in.", says the man.

"Well, we're on our way home. What about Safeway? It's close.", I mentioned.

"Co-op is just around the corner. It won't take long.", he says.

"Okay then.", I huffily reply.

Off we go to Co-op. In goes husband to get buns for supper. Out husband comes, buns in hand almost 15 minutes later.

"I would have been here sooner but I stopped to talk to Auntie Olga...and she likes to talk!", husband says.

"I wondered where you had gone! Thought perhaps you were looking for 'specific' buns!", I reproached with an ever-so-slight hint of humour.

Off we drive west towards River Street and home.

As we arrive on river street I yell...."STOP THE CAR!!!"

Husband pulls over and stops the car, as I fumble in my purse. (I think he's beginning to be somewhat prepared for these outbursts lately).

"Well, maybe we should go over the bridge!", I exclaim excitedly. (What I really meant was 'maybe we should go over to the other side of the bridge and you could stop there').

Husband thought I meant to go all the way around and drive over the bridge to the north side of it. He would have none of it. I must have been too excited to explain myself properly.

He pulls out from original spot and goes a bit further all the while exclaiming that he didn't really want to drive over the bridge.....while I was trying to explain that that isn't what I really meant and while explaining that, I yell once more, "STOP THE CAR!!!"

He pulls over and stops the car.

By now I have my camera out and at the ready. I'm jumping out of the car but I'm leaning on the open door and snapping. There in front of us was the most beautiful of sunsets which I attempted to capture above. Click. Click. Click.

And now I'm eating my bun with left-over pork and showing you the outcome of an unexpected trip to the Co-op.

God does stuff like that. He gives us detours sometimes. It's up to us to take adavntage of them.

Moonlight shadows....

as seen from our bathroom window at 2:30 a.m.

There is something beautiful about the full moon casting it's eery shadows across the serenity of freshly fallen snow. There really is nothing quite like it. It brings me a sense of peace like no other...........a calmness into my soul that soothes and quiets.

Don't get me wrong folks. I don't sleep with the camera in bed beside me. Nope. Not me.

It's in my purse. I just happen to pass it by on the way to my middle-of-the-night potty break.

When there are pictures to be taken, you just take advantage of each situation as it presents itself.

I do think God made moonlight just for weird people like me............and wolves, of course.

But wolves don't carry cameras..........

With the first snow...

a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of......................Santa???? Dress suits????? Looking dorky????????

By the looks of this picture, one would certainly think so.

The young men of the P.A. Raiders hockey team made for a very handsome and picturesque back drop of the fresh snow falling beyond the confines of the Forest Centre foyer.

Red hats???.......the things we do for love...........and the making of Christmas cards!!

I was tempted to throw down my "wish list" to whomever would be fortunate enough to catch it, but I thought better of it......;-)

I remember.....

This man, my dad, was willing to give his life when he voluntarily enlisted in the XII Manitoba Dragoons in 1941. He and hundreds of thousands like him, went off to some unknown land, rifle in hand, and fought against tyranny and injustice and evil. We'll just leave it at that.

He left his pregnant wife at home to wait for his return.

Many millions of others did the same.

So today I once again remember this particular sacrifice....the willingness of this one man to give everything up that he loved and cared for so that his children, granddchildren and great grand child could live freely....could go to the school of their choice, could involve themselves in whatever they wished, could read the books that interested them and have freedom to express themselves in any way they wanted.

Son, Matthew & friend, Greg - highschool grad 2001

Brittney and Shannon - both going to school - wherever and whenever they wished.

I thank God today for men and women in the world, who have and will continue to offer their lives for the good of the whole......and not necessarily the Armed Forces. There are people working with humanitarian aid groups, those giving selflessly to help in war-torn countries with food and medical services. I think of the missionaries and volunteers too, working in the Name of Christ, with the homeless, the poor and the marginalized.

So, tonight I shall stay awake for a moment or two and remember the sacrifices that have gone before and those that are happening today.

We are indeed a free people.

Higher Learning...

That was the movie daughter and I watched this evening. Husband was into football.

It was a good movie. It was pretty realistic, I think. The language was as foul and four-lettered as any college campus, I suppose.

It was about young people coming together from all walks of life to live on one campus and to learn as individuals the process of thinking for oneself. The movie emphasizes the difficulties they face as persons of varying races, backgrounds and socioeconomic biases.

It gives us a lot to think about.

Daughter will be making this movie the topic of her major Psychology term paper. She has an excellent grasp of the main issues and she chatted away about her thoughts following the movie. It's good to see her progressing in life into an individual that will one day be of great help to society. I can see it happening already.

It's really what Higher Learning is all about.

Busy homes....

Daughter's home is a busy one.

The night before finds her preparing for the day ahead....and up early checking with daughter about the plans for her day, before heading out for classes herself.

Tomorrow granddaughter is off to basketball camp for the day at U of R so her mom can just drop her off at the main gym and then she can go to class. A simple day, for once.

Husband and I will tour the City a bit. Perhaps get a few pictures and see what new projects are happening here. The building is continuous.

Daughter made her famous lasagna for supper complete with her Flapper Pie. Oh my......

And tonight was girls night out and guess where we went?????

You guessed it. We went to see Mamma Mia at the Rainbow Cinema for 4 bucks each.

I must say the audience here was not near so.....shall we say........lively......as it was in Prince Albert. I didn't hear anyone else singing along to all the ABBA songs with me.

Although there were a group of gals dancing up a storm in the back row. I guess that counts for something. I would have been dancing back there with them but I needed a place to stay tonight....I didn't want daughter disowning me.:-)

I need to rid myself of my inhibitions!

Good night from the Queen City......where the wind never ceases..........

A few more words....

this time from Galatians 6 - The Message.....

"Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your citical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived."


Sometimes people need a friend......not a judge.

They need forgiveness....not criticism.

They need to be loved.......not ignored.

May God give me those qualities that would enhance a God-given friendship and may I never reduce that friendship to less than it deserves with my own self-righteousness.