They tried not to look......

Yes, we went for our photo ops today. What a "hoot". Well, perhaps that isn't quite the word I should be using here...... but the river bank will never be the same again.

Passing cars were looking very intently.......slowing right down........they could have been watching the river, but I really don't think so.

Young mothers passed us by on the walkway pushing strollers. I'm sure I saw one of them hide their child's eyes. The moms tried not to look, but managed a quick sideways glance, picking up speed with the reality of what they had seen.

We were ten in all. Several poses were taken. The photographer tried to keep cool.....it was a hot...............H O T day after all............

The breeze picked up at several points. We attempted valiantly to keep our tiny little posters directly in front of us.............and, being plastic, well, let's just say they fluttered enough at particular times to keep our photographer keenly absorbed in his work!

A bevy of seven beauties and three gallant, macho, self-assured men, peeking here and there out from under a "Studs and Peelers" banner.....bared shoulders......bared legs.........well, the passersby didn't really know what was on the other side facing that river!


If you come to the Canadian Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" walk tomorrow night, you just may see what all the commotion was about on the river bank today. It will well worth your effort.............yes, it certainly...........will..................

Signed:
Your friendly neighborhood..................... Peeler.........ummmmm.....hmmmmmm

The "Studs and Peelers" will strut.

I've been involved with "Studs and Peelers" for......I think this will be my fifth year now. What a great bunch. Four guys and seven gals. We work very hard at our trade and I think we've become quite team oriented. It is of great satisfaction to each of us, to work very hard, really enjoy that work, and try to pass that enthusiasm on to the younger generation. Will they catch a vision of what they could be as a Stud or a Peeler? Not sure. The opportunity is there for them. Just not sure if they'll be able to live up to our name.

Tomorrow, we'll get to strut our stuff. It'll be out on the River Bank here in P.A. sometime in the afternoon. Our team Captain, Val, quilted an ever-so-lovely "Stud and Peeler" banner to hold strategically in front of us as one of our City Fathers, Mr. A., who is also a professional photographer, will be ready for some exquisite camera action. None of us are shy. We're all ready to do business. I won't tell you exactly where we will be for the photo ops though, as we don't want the national and local press, etc. taking over.

I'll try and post some pictures on here at some point. You won't be sorry!

I'll be in church on Sunday too, you can be sure of it. Tired! But I'll be there. The life of a Peeler can be pretty exhausting!


Remember too:
^{Luke 6:37} “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.



Oh, and if you want to pledge to the Canadian Cancer Society, any member of our "Studs and Peelers" team from Sask Environment Forest Service, will be most happy to receive your donation. The overnight walk at Harry Jerome Track will be happening all night this Friday, to raise money for cancer research. One year ago this weekend, our dear friend and co-worker, Sharon Clark, passed away with liver cancer......as we walked the track....so, we continue on.........to try our best to rid the world of this disease, by raising huge amounts of cash.

I've asked God to keep away the rain.

Formatting a letter.....with God in mind.

This is how a letter is formatted:

Name (of the person you have hurt)
Address (they should have one)
City Province Postal Code

Dear Wilf: (Name of person I hurt)

Re: A Formal Apology for Glaring at You and Raising My Voice - Somewhat

(Opening paragraph)
It was a crazy day at work today, don't you agree. I somehow managed to get your letter typed and formatted without too many problems. Thank you for allowing me to get right in there and do those mundane things for you, like letters.

(The body of the letter)
I was typing several other letters as well today for one of your co-workers, plus a very large and horrific Contract for Mr. T. This will now be known as "The Contract from Down Under" (and I do not mean the Continent of Australia!).

In it's former life, it was a popular little document and had it's lovely origins in "Word Perfect". Now, however, due to decisions which I am not privy to, we are encouraged by force to use "MSWord". These two programs are very different and each have their own little sweetnesses about them. I was attempting to line up all the "Whereas-es" and "Wherefore-s" and put in all of the bullets as in: I. A. 1. a) i) and so on. Did these little babies do as they were supposed to???? NO! NO! NO! They did not. This little item had me sending out very unsavory messages to those about me like: "Oh, pig face!!!" or "I hate Word!!" or "I'm quitting typing. I'm throwing this document away and no one will be the wiser!!" There were a few other little quotes but no one heard me....I could barely hear them myself!

Yes, it got to that point of frustration.

In you walk, dear Wilf, letter in hand, saying something like: "Aren't there supposed to be only 4 lines between the "Sincerely" and the "Signature"????? You were questioning me - the ever-so-proud "letter queen"! After having faced this ugly piece of %(*$)&(^%@%@$% contract for the past several hours, you figured you knew how many lines there should be for your signature in the letter I had typed for you.

(My confession)
I looked up at you and said ever-so-definitively "6 HARD RETURNS - THAT IS HOW MANY LINES YOU LEAVE - 5 LINES WITH YOUR SIGNATURE ON THE 6TH LINE!!!"

(My repentance)
I thought to myself, "Is the contract from down under causing you undue stress? Is it unnerving you? Should you take a break before you begin to spit fire and whack people over their heads?" Yes, to all of those thoughts. I apologized to you - and you certainly deserved one.

(Forgiveness)
You see, there is no excuse at all for how I spoke to you. Please forgive me. You deserve much better. I will try to speak to you and my co-workers with much more grace and humility, beginning tomorrow.

Thank you for the lesson you taught me today, Wilf. I must never get angered over something so simple as "2 extra lines for a signature". It just won't make much difference when all is said and done.

You may contact me at the above address, should you have further comments or questions regarding letters and the formatting of same.

Sincerely,





Sharon (please forgive me, Wilf) Kent
Project Administrator

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Just thought I'd throw that in there as a reminder to myself. I sorely needed it.

I think we're being held hostage!

By three C A T S!!!

Chiang, a very slim, sleek, sexy, sophisticated male Tabby who has garnered most, if not all, of my affection, has taught me to serve him well and I take pride in that fact. He is gallant in his efforts to bring home offerings of his male prowess.....mice, birds, and large bugs. Yes, he is generous and vain to a fault. One stretch of his lithe body against my leg, gets me yelping like a little pup, as his claws gently and precisely make their piercingly curved entrance into my flesh. "He just wants to be petted", I would say to the husband, who comes running at the sound of my high-pitched screeching. I opt for the "Shrek" band-aids.

Sukey, the self-assured, self-centered, chatty, wily matriarch of the home, is a sister to Chiang. She has become a capable, ordered ruler of the household. Nothing gets by her without her consent. Everything is inspected, sniffed at and given "the look" (including Chiang and Job). She has total control over her domain and exercises it with great precision and confidence. The "boys" do not look at her directly. The "boys" do not pass her by without first sitting and admiring her. The "boys" do not go to their food dishes without her escort and approval. No, they are nothing, until she says that they are! She chats away to her staff (that's my husband and I), letting us know of her wishes. We usually comply.

"Job" (pronounced jobe) has a story all his own. Our son, when on a church youth event at the Little Red River Park, a few years ago had this skinny, sickly orange feline following him around - meowing and meowing, begging actually, for Matt to pick him up and take him home. He was hungry, thirsty and tired after all. Matt got the message and that is exactly what he did. Packed him under his coat and drove him home - to our place. We didn't think he'd make it. I think he doubled in weight the first week! Eat. Sleep. Eat. Sleep....... and eat some more. After a time, he became big and round with a wonderfully thankful disposition. We learned quickly to meet his every need. He expected us to. He was a C A T, after all. He's lazy. He's lovely. He's lovable. He's spoiled. He's cuddly. He's everything a C A T should be. He has total control over us.

Should you notice us flying a white flag from the front door, you can call for backup.

Here kitty-kitty-kitty-kitty..........

Hit the deck!!

My handy-dandy carpenter husband built us a new, two-level deck. It's terrific. After digging up a fair sized flower bed this afternoon, I figured I'd put that deck to good use and besides I was now pooped!

So, I sat upon it and watched the various back-yard creatures do all the things back-yard creatures do. I sat and rested, looking up into the mountain ash as the wind shifted through the leaves against a blue Saskatchewan sky.

The humming bird flitted back and forth in the lilac bush, gathering nectar. In the midst of the gathering, she decided to sit a while. There she sat, close enough for me to enjoy her iridescent plumage......the greens and blues and pinks.

I figured she and I had been working pretty hard out in the yard, and like me, became weary and needed to sit a spell and rest. I think we shared glances and knew as we glanced, we were on the same wave length.......rest is good. Then, off she flew, back to her routine and I went back to mine.

A robin came for a drink at the bird bath. A sparrow chirped his discontent at seeing "Job the CAT" prowling beneath his tree. Job was watching him alright but the warmth of the sun kept him languishing on his back......certainly not in the pouncing position.

I enjoyed that deck today. Our family came over for son-in-law's birthday party which was on the deck too. I think it will be well used this summer. It's a place of tranquility, a place where I can enjoy creation and sit and think and watch and just be.

I'd like to hit the deck again tomorrow, but alas, a work day is upon me.

Ever get God-logged?

It's kind of like being waterlogged except better. When I get water-logged, well, I've been in that water for ever-so-long. I'm soaked. I'm drenched. I'm wet clear through.

I really don't think you CAN be God-logged but sometimes it feels like it. I think it's when there are so many things to talk to him about and you find yourself going to a place where you can sit and think and meditate and wait. He comes to us when we do that.

Lately, I've been returning again and again to the Scripture passage in Jeremiah 29. I think I am, because our adult children are in a time of change in their lives and I am seeking God out and discussing this all with Him. Daughter and family will be moving in a few weeks. She will be going to university in the fall. Major changes for them. Son has just been laid off from his job. (The night before this, he asked God to help him to not be so self-reliant!!!) Sometimes we're stunned when God answers so quickly!!!

I want the best for my children and so, I go to the One who knows best.

This is what Jeremiah prophesied in his letter to the Exiles in 29:19: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to proser you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity."

There's just something about that constant calling on the Lord and praying to him. It says he listens! So I continue on, seeking him with my whole heart. It says I will find him too, and he will restore me.

I guess that's when I get that God-logged feeling. Like he's permeating my heart, soul and mind. When I'm in the midst of seeking him, there is a constant heaviness, like I have to wade through this swamp until I get to the other side, where I can change clothes and feel a whole lot lighter!

I believe. I believe for my children and their needs. I believe for my friends and their needs........even for me.

I'm feelin' saturated, but I'll be puttin' on dry stuff, hopefully soon.

I'm tired.

Yes, I'm tired.

Not only tired, I feel out of sorts...kind of cranky. Like it's an effort to feel good and my lips won't turn up to smile. No energy.

Ho hum.

I think that's where cows have it over on us, don't you think?

Yep, I'd like to be a cow, I'm thinkin'. Just sittin' around on the grass chewing my cud, watching all the happenings in the barnyard and the meadow. Closing my eyes as the sun shifts around to my tired back and legs. Just sittin' and chewin'.

Some people I know, do that.

You can laugh all you want. It's true.

I don't think cows get very cranky though. Just people.

Enough cow talk. I'm headin' for bed.

Mo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ve over hubby.................