Life's Many Riches

The joy of summertime and flowers!

As much as I enjoy wearing my capris I had to give in to long pants today. One of my colleagues heard that this was the coldest July 10th in 100 years. Imagine that!

One of my summer fitness goals is to go to the Innisfail Pool after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays for adult lane swim. I kept my commitment to myself this week so I am pleased. I find the water so relaxing and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is not difficult getting exercise in this way. My colleague Cathy joined me today and plans to continue doing so.

Due to injury I had to put exercise on hold this spring. First in late February I cut my left leg in front of my shin bone. This required eight stitches. The doctor advised against any vigorous walking due to the location of the injury. At the end of May I tore intercostal muscle tissue at the Warden's Golf Tournament. This, I learned, is the muscle between the ribs. It expands when you inhale and contracts when you exhale. Rolling over in bed, rising from a sitting position, sneezing and coughing all caused discomfort. It has taken approximately five weeks to perform these everyday activities without hurting. What a treat it is to be able to exercise at last!

Since last posting we had a most enjoyable time with family and friends at the baby shower for Jaia, Rita and Glen's daughter. On that Sunday I took Auntie Janet and Uncle Art out for brunch. Then I took Uncle Art home and took Auntie to the baby shower. She really enjoyed herself. I asked if the noise bothered her. She said that it didn't because it was happy noise.

I began working full-time once again at Bowden on June 3rd. I have survived the first month, and am thankful to have a regular income once again and to see my friends (colleagues) on a regular basis. We sold our house in Grimshaw. That meant taking a small loss, a minor detail considering that we reduced out debt load in a major way by no longer having that mortgage to pay. After all the change I experienced in 2007, I am finally beginning to feel like myself once again. Spending time with Mom was a trip into the past, recalling shared memories and visiting with old friends. Staying with Aina and Madison was a trip into the future, especially since Helge and I have purchased land in the Peace River region and were thinking of moving there. It feels good to be back home in the now. We have decided we are not up to major change and would like to stay put on our little acreage in Caroline and gradually make improvements to our home.

On June 29th Helge went by ambulance to Sundre Hospital. His blood pressure was high and he had chest pains on the left side of his body. They kept him for four days and did many tests, all of which had positive results. He is having more testing later in the summer. He is feeling better, and has resolved to get more rest and not work so hard. Believe it not, I too am going to bed earlier as I have such an early start every day. While he was in hospital I looked after the animals and ran around with his camera on Canada Day taking pics for the paper.

Aina and Trevor have made an offer on a house in Red Deer which has been accepted. If all goes as anticipated they should be in South Red Deer by the end of August so I am very much looking forward to that.

July 28th I met Laurel in Red Deer and watched Tamara compete in Soccer Provincials. The next day Helge and I went to the 100th birthday of Ernestine Stang, a local pioneer.

At work I have been showing parts of the BBC Planet Earth to my students. What amazing photography. What a beautiful planet we live on!

Tonight's sunset is amazing! The aspen treetops literally look like gold!

The Final Stretch (of May, that is)

Cleo's pups, sold this week

This has been a fun and varied week! A week ago, after work, we went to my colleague Barb's home to bid farewell to another colleague, Conrad, who is retiring (today, in fact) after 15 years of teaching at Bowden. Barb is the perfect hostess, and we had a delightful time, as always. The creative Barb always writes a poem, play, or song for whoever is leaving. For Conrad it was a song sung to the tune of "Reuben, Reuben, I've Been Thinking..." We all wore ball caps decorated to demonstrate Conrad's many interests like fishing, gardening, travelling. The gift was a basket of garden goodies including ergonomic garden tools and a cap with "volunteer" logo.
Conrad never complained about our low salaries. He simply stated that he was a "volunteer." We are sure going to miss him! He was very laid-back with a subtle sense of humour. He was also my lunchtime walking companion.

I am on the board of the Alberta Correctional Education Association (ACEA.) On Monday, May 26th, we had a board meeting at the Calgary Young Offender Center. The meeting was very productive. We are well on our way to having our next conference planned.

Tuesday, May 27th: I subbed for the Science teacher, Mr. Murdoch, at West Central High in Rocky. This was my last day of subbing as I return to Bowden full time next week. After work I went to the Flower Shop where I had a $50 gift certificate. I bought a beautiful pale yellow hibiscus, a gardenia, a croton plant, and an African violet. Then I had a coffee at Novel Ideas. I ran into JJ and had a nice visit. On my way out of the shop I met Donna Reed and her daughter Amy. Donna is the Further Ed Co-ordinator for this area. We discussed running some one-day origami workshops. Then it was off to Extra Foods for a few groceries. I also bought a beautiful flowering alstromeria.

Wednesday, May 28th: Susan, our boss, brought pizza for a farewell lunch for Conrad. At 2 p.m. we put on an afternoon tea so that anyone in the institution could come and say goodbye to Conrad.

Thursday, May 29th: Warden's Golf Tournament at Spirit Creek. It was a fun day! Our staff wore red shirts, red bandanas, and temporary tattoos. The tournament was followed by a BBQ and door prizes. I won a $100.00 gift certificate for Petro Canada as well as a small water fountain. How lucky can I be?

Friday, May 3oth: On my way home from work I stopped at Forest Heights Golf Course which is close to home. I had never been there and wanted to check it out. I plan to start golfing there next week on Ladies' Night. Now I am listening to Friday Night Blues on CKUA, and working on the computer.

It will be a big adjustment working full-time next week with no parties!!

This week's musical discovery: Dan Kaplan, Vera Hall, solo blues harmonica
Sara Bareilles, pop piano/soul artist
http://www.cdbaby.com/ a website for purchasing CDs

Some of my favorite artists will be at the Edmonton Folk Festival in August so I plan to attend. With so much family in the Edmonton area I should be able to find a companion for each of the four days! I am especially looking forward to hearing Buckwheat Zydeco, Eliza Gilkyson, Serena Ryder, and Little Miss Higgins.

A Weekend to Remember

When I arrived home from work and shopping in Innisfail on Friday my granddaughter Madison was here. She had travelled from Peace River with Rebecca and grandsons Spencer and Parker. Aina arrived later with Jarl. ( They both worked on Friday so left at a later time. ) I enjoyed visiting Friday evening with Madison and Aina. They both stayed here overnight. Saturday morning we all went to the Caroline Rodeo Parade. We met Jarl, Rebecca, Rebecca's Dad Ron, and grandsons in town. It was an especially wonderful parade this year. The weather was perfect, warm and sunny. The parade was longer than usual. I visited with neighbour Carol, who tragically lost her husband to pancreatic cancer nearly two years ago. She is doing well and has a wonderfully positive attitude. I also enjoyed a visit with Sharon Hamilton, her daughter Mandy and Mandy's husband Morgan. Mandy was Jarl's first girlfriend. I had not seen her for a long time. She and her husband live in Coaldale. She does books for a company out of her home. Her husband is a geologist/grain farmer. We also caught up with Shane Nafziger (former classmate of Jarl) , his wife Lorissa Peterson and their two beautiful daughters, Jolie and Madelynne. The parade is a wonderful opportunity to visit with neighbours and former Caroline residents!

A proud Canadian

Scrambling for candy

A rare site in Caroline

A Marching Band - a Personal Favorite
The Old Firetruck

Ma and Pa and a bit o' Moonshine

Horses - common in the Caroline Parade and Area

Got everyone's attention; new restaurant Bucky's in background

The way it was

A proud horse and rider

Leonard Kanten, perfectly color coordinated

A bookworm from Caroline Library

After the parade, Helge, Madison, and I went home. We spent the remainder of the day cleaning the yard and flower pots in preparation for the party. We planted some flowers, and just sat the remainder in planters to provide some colorful decoration for the birthday celebration. Madison loves to help, and I surely appreciated her company and extra help. Aina met Trevor in Caroline. They camped at the Caroline RV Park and went to the rodeo cabaret on Saturday evening.

Sunday morning the place was a-buzz with continued party preparations and phone calls from family and friends confirming their attendance and checking directions. The surprise call was from Aunt Bea and Uncle Norm. They had delivered cars to Red Deer and Rocky Mtn House and would be attending the party!! Other guests included : Jarl, Rebecca, Spencer, Parker, Kai, Aina, Madison, Sonja, Ben, Alice, Laurel, Tamara, Kayli, Keith, Theresa, Nadine, Franco, Aolani, Rita, Glen, Jaia, Liana, Mike, Glenn, Michell, Tyler, Braden, and friends Judie and Darrel. We had a great time! The weather cooperated for the most part. The day was mostly sunny with only the odd, short-lived shower. Everyone contributed to the very tasty menu. I decided I would attempt to make a potato salad, and decided to try something different to see if I could approach anything as tasty as Rueben's potato salad. The attempt was very successful. We cut about 4 pounds of potatoes into bite-size cubes, brought to the boil over medium-high heat, reduced to simmer for about 10 minutes. We then drained the potatoes and poured about 1/2 cup of pickle juice over the warm potatoes. We let this sit for about 20 minutes. Then we added the chopped hard-boiled eggs, celery, green onion, and a dressing of Miracle Whip, sour cream, and mustard. The salad was garnished with eggs, parsley, and freshly-ground pepper. Aunt Bea assembled the salad for me so I was happy for her magic touch. I also enjoyed the marinade I purchased from Innisfail Meats - the Mad Butcher Hickory BBQ Sauce. I marinated some sirloin steak in this sauce which I found to be very tasty. Trevor did an excellent job of BBQing. It was a fun family get-together! Aunt Bea and Uncle Norm stayed overnight in their truck sleeper. Here are a couple of photos from the party. Unfortunately we did not think of the camera soon enough to get pics of all of our guests. Laurel clicked quite a few, though.

Can you spot our surprise guests?

Monday Morning we had coffee with Aunt Bea and Uncle Norm before they left. At 2 pm we attended the joint funeral of Peggy Oliver and her mother-in-law Audrey Oliver. (Audrey Oliver was married to Rebecca's Grandmother's brother Hugh.) The Caroline Complex was overflowing. The ceremony was heartfelt but long. In addition to an eulogy and slide show for each, there were several personal tributes. (Crystal Oliver (nee Anger) and MC (Marie-Claude, Peggy's daughter-in-law, prepared the slide show. They used software from www. muvee.com . I enjoyed the vintage album with page-turning transitions.) The complex was warm, and I was rather worried about the babies and elderly, in particular the diabetics. Parker coped really well but Rebecca said it took a while to settle him last night. Mary Hare, a diabetic in her 80s, sat in front of me and managed well. However, there was one person who fainted at the end of the service. Hopefully she is okay. I sat next to Norene and Urbam Fortin whom I had not seen since they left Caroline. Norene taught Aina in elementary school. Claire and Jarl were roommates in their first year of uni. I also enjoyed visiting with Denise Dean, her daughter Monique and granddaughter Sidney. And, of course, there were many others. Lunch was well-organized. The Church of the Nazarene, the Scouts, and the Royal Purple all contributed. The lunch and coffee were set up in all four corners of the complex which really assisted with managing the large crowd, making it easy for us to munch, mix, and mingle.

What a treat it was to have quality family time, and renew old friendships over the weekend!

HEAVY HEARTED

Innisfail Library sponsored the showing of their first independent film last night, "The Kite Runner." Helge and I attended. I found the experience very emotional. We had to take a detour to Innisfail as Hwy 54 was blocked off between the Stauffer Road and the Harriman Road. There had been an accident. Today I substitute taught at David Thompson High School. One of the teachers there who is from Caroline informed me who the accident victims were. Penny Oliver, a librarian at the Caroline School for 36 years, and her mother-in-law Alice Oliver were both killed. Dwight and Donna Oliver suffered extensive injury. The vehicle driven by Dwight and heading west on Hwy 54 was hit head on by a vehicle coming from the west at excessive speed and passing on a double solid line. Although there is a double solid line, the highway appeared clear for passing. The Oliver vehicle was hidden by a dip in the highway. Locals are concerned about this stretch of road and have spoken to Helge about creating some publicity in order to get some action to make that stretch of road safer.

It is a year ago on a Monday that we lost our dear Mother. By date it was May 13th which is tomorrow. I just had a phone call from my Aunt Janet remembering our loss. We had a lovely visit over the phone. (CORRECTION: Alice has reminded me that the date of Mom's passing was May 14th. Rueben passed away a year before Mom on May 28th.)

My Mother was my heroine. Especially in my early life, there was no one I wanted to be more like than my mother. She was beautiful. She had a lovely figure and was always dressed stylishly, often in dresses that she had expertly sewn. She was an excellent seamstress and sewed many favorite dresses for her daughters provided we helped with meal preparation, dishes, etc. Mom also excelled in knitting, crocheting, and quilting. She milked cows, shovelled grain, grew a beautiful garden, and was the best cook ever. I hardly remember her having an idle moment. Once I had left home Mom was a "best friend" whom I enjoyed many wonderful conversations with. She took pride in her family and frequently let us know how she felt about our accomplishments and our facing of challenges. This included her two beautiful daughters-in-law, Theresa and Michelle, whom she often raved about. I feel very blessed to have spent some quality time with Mom last year before her passing. We shared many memories, and I even heard some delightful stories that I had never heard before. Mom had a great love of learning and was proud of her collection of some 600 books. She stated that she had read everyone of them, some more than once. (This past week, unfortunately, one of Mom's favorite shops, "Poplar Books" in Camrose burned to the ground. )

Our family has suffered much loss this past two years: Brother-in-law Rueben, Aunt Martha, our Mother Irene, our cousin Iain, our Uncle Russ. Although the heart is heavy, it is warmed by a wealth of memories and uplifted by the arrival of six new babes: Zechariah, Aolani, Navaeh, Parker, Jonas, and Jaia. Such joy! How thankful I am for facebook and blogs which enable me to check out the latest pics and developments.

WHAT HAPPENED TO APRIL? TO SPRING?

After Easter in Peace River with Jarl and Aina and families, our granddaughter Madison came home with me to spend her Easter holiday. We enjoyed a few special days together. Madison enjoys spending time outdoors with her Granddad looking after the llama, goats, chickens, and dogs. She enjoys games, reading, and shopping with Grandma. On March 28th we took off for Laurel's place as Madison was going to spend time with her cousin Kayli while my sisters Alice and Laurel, and sister-in-law Michelle accompanied me to the Jubilee for the Los Lobos concert. On our way through Calmar I stated that I should stop at the bank for some cash in case I wanted to buy a CD at the concert. Madison replied, "Grandma, is that a want or a need? You don't really need a CD! What you need is to get to Laurel's place on time.....(not exact wording)" I asked her how she knew about wants and needs. She said that she often gets to go to the grade 3 classroom when she finishes her Grade 2 Math. (She is a top math student, and completes her math with ease.) She learned about wants and needs with the Grade 3 class in Social Studies.

On March 30th Alice and I headed for a week's holiday in Kelowna via the Yellowhead route. We had planned to stop at the family's favorite restaurant in Edson for breakfast but could not find it, so we motored on to Hinton. We fueled up at an Esso station there and enjoyed a tasty and economical breakfast at the adjoining restaurant. Our next stop was at Blue River in B.C. This community caters to the heli-skiing crowd. We found a great restaurant that is open to the public at mealtimes. We enjoyed an excellent smorg. Our drive was very picturesque, and we enjoyed the changing seasons along the way, and each others companionship. We stayed at the Lake Okanagan Resort which was available to Alice through her time share. We were in new accommodation along the lake, and especially enjoyed the beautiful, functional, and cozy decor. Our first day was really cool so we enjoyed staying inside lounging, and enjoying satellite TV especially the home decorating and real estate shows. Alice's daughter Vanessa and grandson Zechariah came to visit. We enjoyed spending time throughout the week with Vanessa, John, and Zechariah. Vanessa took us to a favorite family coffee shop right along the beach in Penticton, and took us to Summerland so we could see Mom and Dad's old place and look for the popular dollar store and convenience store that we all enjoyed. She also took us to the Mission Hill winery for a tasting tour. The facility and its location are impressive. I didn't enjoy any of the sample wines, and didn't buy any at $25.00/bottle! John took us on a tour of the Coral Beach area where he grew up, and also took us to the popular lookout from where we could get the birds eye view of Kelowna. As the Okanagan appears to be so urbanized it was hard to imagine any rural areas. Thus I very much enjoyed that country drive. Alice and I each received gift certificates from the resort when we attended an introductory/information session. I used mine towards a lovely mauve vest from the resort. Alice bought a beautiful locket at Posh on Pandosy St. Kelowna offered some wonderful shopping. I especially enjoyed Coco Boutique and the Marmalade Cat Cafe in the Mission area of Pandosy as well as the ?? Art Gallery. One evening of our holiday we enjoyed a lovely meal and visit with John's parents; another evening we drove to Vernon and enjoyed home cooking and visiting with Ken and Brenda. We returned to AB on April 6th via Roger's Pass. Vincen picked up Alice at my place which saved me 5 to 6 hours of driving. I was very thankful for this as I had to work the next day.

April 12th was a grand day. Sonja drove us to Willow Creek for Melanie's Baby Shower. ( My vehicle was parked waiting for the installment of a new alternator. My vehicle just stopped one day at Spruce View on my way home from work. Thankfully this did not happen on our BC trip!!) It is always fun to spend time with family, particularly in welcoming a brand new babe, in this case Jonas Quinn. We also enjoyed getting to see Vanessa and family again.

April 21st and 22nd(Earth Day) were the only two days in April that I was not booked for work. This was fortunate, as these were snow days with extremely cold temperatures for April. Helge and I both enjoyed staying inside with a warm, cosy fire. I am so thankful that Helge enjoys accumulating good firewood!

May 4th I enjoyed dinner with my siblings at Monte Carlo Restaurant in Camrose. This was one of my Mom's favorite restaurants. Sadly, we lost her a year ago already on May 13th. After dinner we all went with Glenn to Viking to Earl and Rose Mae Kjelland's to decide on a headstone for Mom. We want the same granite and font style and placement as on Dad's headstone. We have yet to make a decision on graphics and epitaph, and plan to do so when we get together for Helge's birthday. We also enjoyed coffee and a visit with Earl and Rose Mae. Over the years we had heard so much about them but had never met. (Rose Mae is Uncle Norm's younger sister.) We gals admired Rose Mae' beautiful petite point, and her painting and decorating of the garage for the red Corvette. The guys, of course, enjoyed the vintage cars!

May 8th we had a major dump of snow (8 -10 inches) Apparently there was nearly 2 feet west of Rocky Mountain House. I could not drive my car up the driveway Thursday evening. Helge shovelled just enough snow for me to park my car at the end of the driveway. I did not go to work on Friday until the afternoon when weather and driving conditions had improved. I could not believe how balmy and snow-free Innisfail was! I went to Extra Foods after work for a few groceries. I was excited to see major supplies of bedding plants, hanging baskets, and potted perennials coming in. I decided to purchase many of my faves. I usually miss out because I wait too long to do my shopping. I always wanted osteospermum(daisy-like) flower and now at last I have some in two beautiful colors. I also bought a flowering crab tree and a deep pink/red peony. Grandma Hanson always had peonies, and I believe Aunty Janet still has a piece of that so I must try to get a piece from her and perpetuate it. As I write this the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the temperature has reached 10 degrees C on the plus side. Hopefully it won't be long until my snow-covered yard is green. I am so anxious to beautify the place with herbs and flowers! Helge has prepared his garden for veges.

Two of my colleagues attended a Knowledge and Employability seminar last week. They shared their info and resources. I have enjoyed the website of curriculum developer, Roger Taylor (www. rogertaylor.com), finding support and motivation for my own ideas. And the good news is that I will be returning to full-time work at Bowden at the beginning of June so I am very much looking forward to that!

Here is a parting thought:

From the day your child is born you must teach him to do things. Children today love luxury too much. They have detestable manners, flout authority, have no respect for their elders. They no longer rise when their parents and teachers enter the room. What kind of awful creatures will they be when they grow up? -Socrates, 399 B.C.

Remembering my Dad

The photo shows German Shepherd pups born on January 13th, now ready for sale. Spring is a favorite time of year with all the signs of new life.

On this date in the year 1917, William Bjorgum was born. Some called him "Willie;" others called him "Bill." I called him Dad. He was an inspiration to me, and encouraged me in so many ways. He taught me how to play ball, and bought me my first ball glove, a Black Diamond, when I was in grade 3. He valued education and believed in the importance of further education not only for his sons but also for his daughters. He wanted his daughters to be self-sufficient. (What a modern idea for his generation!) Dad treated others, regardless of gender or race, with respect and compassion. Dad had a wonderful sense of humour, and an unbelievable memory for jokes. He mastered many games including checkers, chess, and cards. Few could match his game-playing skills. Dad enjoyed hunting and could give a good imitation of a goose honking. He also enjoyed carpentry, and constructed children's furniture for us as well as many rocking chairs for children in the neighbourhood. He had an aptitude for music. As a child, I was impressed by his harmonica-playing ability. In his later years he especially enjoyed the violin, particularly Alfie Myhre's rendition of "Danny Boy." Whenever I hear "Tennessee Waltz" or "Somewhere My Love,"I think of Dad. Dad adored my Mom, Irene, whom we sadly lost almost a year ago now. He used to frequently remark how lovely our Mom was and challenge us to find a partner as wonderful as she was. He enjoyed having her by his side. I can see him sitting in front of the TV in his Lazyboy chair, saying, "Irene, come and sit on my knee." It will be fifteen years in August since Dad passed on. I will hold him dear forever in my heart. I am so thankful for the happy childhood I was privileged to have, and for two parents who were wonderful role models.

Since the last posting:

1. Our internet connection was repaired. Our computer was overhauled.

2. We enjoyed an evening of dancing with Amber Williams and the Rocky Mountain Experience on February 15th in Caroline.

3. A week later, on February 22nd, we enjoyed dancing to the music of Dwain and Larry Sands at the Caroline Legion.

4. On February 27th, I was inspired by a home-improvement idea and climbed on to an unstable chair to check it out. Coming off the chair, I fell and hurt my right shoulder and gashed my right lower leg which required eight stitches. Lying in emergency at Sundre Hospital, I thought, "Oh no, I'm a Senior fall statistic!"

5. On February 28th, I got word that my Uncle Russ had passed away, and that his grandson Justin (Marlene's son) had left the day before for Afghanistan.

6. March 5th - 7th: I attended the Alberta Correctional Educators' Association Conference in Banff. We stayed at the Banff Park Lodge. As usual, the food was magnificent. We enjoyed the staff bonding time, time to renew old acquaintances, and some excellent speakers. The conference theme was "Stop the Violence!" My favorite session was "Vicarious Trauma" with Pat Koukoros.

7. March 8th: Uncle Russ' funeral. The day began at 10:30 at the Burgar Funeral Home in Camrose for the viewing and a Poppy Service with members of the Camrose Legion. We then proceeded to the Kingman Cemetery for the burial. The cemetery was covered with deep snow which glistened like diamonds as the warm sun shone on it. The funeral service was in Edmonton at 2:30 at the Laurier Heights Baptist Church. My Uncle Russ and Aunt Martha were founding members. Though the occasion was a sad one, we enjoyed the time with extended family. Some of us had supper at Aunty Janet's. The next day was a grand breakfast and time of visiting at Laurel's. Uncle Russ was buried on the same day as his own Dad(my Granddad, Gustav Anders Hanson) forty-three years later!

8. Easter Weekend at Grimshaw/Peace River: We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Jarl and Rebecca's on March 22nd, Rebecca's birthday. The appetizers themselves would have sufficed as a meal. However, we continued our feast with a beautifully roasted ham, the best scalloped potatoes I have ever tasted, and chocolate mousse for dessert. Like her Mom, Rebecca is a superb cook!! Rebecca's friend Luana was holding Parker when we arrived, and I didn't even recognize him!! It was good to have some quality time with my grandchildren.

9. March 24th: I returned to Caroline. Madison came with to spend her Easter holidays with me.

Tomorrow we are heading to Laurel's. Madison will spend the evening with Kayli. Laurel, Alice, Michelle and I are going to the Jubilee for a Los Lobos concert. Aina is picking up Madison on Saturday. Sunday, Alice and I are on our way for a week's holiday in Kelowna. We look forward to seeing familiar places (Mom and Dad lived in Summerland in the 80s) and faces (John, Vanessa, and Zechariah.) We look forward also to a head start on Spring!

The Countess Celebrates

In spite of the cold weather, my birthday and the week following has been splendid. On the day of my birthday (Groundhog Day) we stayed at home and enjoyed the warmth of wood fire in a small cabin. From Friday evening to Sunday evening I had phone calls from all my children, all my siblings, Aunty Bea and Aunty Janet. Kate emailed from Edinburgh, Scotland and Andy from Australia. Sunday midday we went for a swim at the Sundre Pool. We really enjoy this. The southern wall is mostly glass so we get the benefit of the midday sun on the water. One can almost imagine being in a tropical locale.

Monday evening we attended the AGM and supper for the Rocky Credit Union. This was both a personal and work-related outing. We are members of the Credit Union, but Helge also took photos of the new board for the paper. We enjoyed a lovely roast beef dinner with salads and desserts. I was fortunate to win a door prize which was a $25 gift certificate from http://www.giftcertificates.ca/. I have chosen to use it at Winners. Tuesday evening we were off to Red Deer to hear the blues musician Paul Oscher. Paul Oscher played harmonica for the Muddy Waters band in the late 60s. In fact, he shared the basement of Muddy Water's house with Otis Spann, whom he regards as the greatest ever blues pianist. Paul was a one-man show using harmonica, guitar, keyboard, and fancy footwork percussion. It was wonderful to be immersed in authentic blues with a performer who gives his all! Helge bought me Paul Oscher's CD "Down in the Delta," which Paul graciously autographed.

On Thursday after work I went to Red Deer for a haircut. My hairdresser Maria told me that my friend Marilyn had left just before I arrived. No sooner was my haircut finished than Marilyn was back at the salon inviting me to come home for supper with her. I had a wonderful evening with one of my favorite people! This coming week we are having a pot luck at work for all the February birthdays. In fact, there are five of us. That is quite a number considering the small size of our staff! Helge and I are planning to go to a Valentine's cabaret next Friday. It is a long while since we have been to a dance so we are looking forward to this. Rebecca and the boys (Spencer and Parker) are also coming home for a few days next weekend (Family Day Weekend) so I am also looking forward to that! At one of his Christmas parties Helge won a $50 gift certificate from Rocky Mountain Flowers. As soon as the weather improves I will be using this certificate to get some spring flowers for the cabin.

This week I learned that our employer has approved our staff going to the ACEA (Alberta Correctional Educators Association) Conference in Banff the first week in March. The theme this year is centered on violence and gangs. We haven't been to one of these conferences for three years so are looking forward to this. It is always a fun, team-building experience. We enjoy meeting with old friends and new, and expanding our awareness and understanding of societal issues. Hopefully we will have some spare time to enjoy our beautiful surroundings. We generally make it to Canada House, at least.

Newest musician to research: Little Miss Higgins

New Mantra: It Counts! My weight loss efforts are working. I'm adjusting my attitude from "who cares?" or "just one won't hurt" to "It Counts! Every little effort counts!" Imagine a heavy weight on one pan of a balance beam. Every positive choice is like a grain of sand on the other pan. The first few grains make little difference, but gradually the effects accumulate and the balance begins to shift. Latest inspiration: Waist-enhancing dresses and belts are in for 2008! I want to find my waist!

A few years ago my delightfully creative and humorous colleague Barbara created a modern-day version of Shakespeare's "King Richard" to say farewell to another colleague, Richard, who was retiring. My character in our little farewell play was "The Countess of Calculus." This reflects my love of mathematics and captures my fancy! This name seems to fit well with my affirmation "It Counts!"

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

-Albert Einstein