Sunshine in Unexpected Places

Yesterday I filed an online application for EI sick benefits. After one hour I had not completed the application but got bumped due to technical difficulties. Luckily one has a code number to get back into the application and a 24-hour period to complete it. By the end of the day I had completed my application. This morning, already, I had a call from Linda at Service Canada in B.C. She said that the B.C. offices were helping Alberta get up-to-date since AB was so far behind in processing applications. She had a few questions regarding my application. Apparently the birthdate on my application and the birthdate accompanying my original SIN application do not coincide. I have to be sure to correct that in person, with necessary ID (especially if I want to receive CPP and Old Age Security when I come of age!) I was delighted to get such an immediate response to my application and to be able to talk to a "real" person who did not let procedures and protocols interfere with "being human and showing compassion."

This n' That

Threatening, yet beautiful August sky

A familiar Caroline August view

AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS:

*Edmonton Folk Festival:
1. Memorable performers included C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, The Duhks, Yves Lambert et le Bebert Orchestra, Habib Koite and Bamada, Little Miss Higgins, Joan Osbourne (Of course there would be a longer list if one could only attend every session one wanted to!!)
2. Friday night pre-festival BBQ with friends of Sonja just a few doors away from main gates
3. Spending time with Sonja: tour of Riverside Golf Course where she worked for the summer, lunch at Chianti's on Whyte Ave., shopping in Army & Navy on Whyte Ave. (for old time's sake)

*Central Alberta Music Festival: Especially enjoyed Souljah Fyah (reggae) from Edmonton, Harrison "Sweet Taste" Kennedy (blues), and Ian Tyson (voice showing signs of wear but still a wonderful performer)


*60th Wedding Anniversay Celebration for Lloyd and Mildred Bjorgum in Camrose. Enjoyed visiting with them and their family as well as numerous other friends from Kingman and Camrose including Lloyd and Aurora, Sharon, Wildie, Ioan, Vernon, Mary and Ovel Jr., and Orville and Harold. Following the celebration, Helge and I visited Orville and Joy in their beautiful new home. We were given the grand tour and treated to wonderful refreshments including fresh fruit salad. We really enjoyed the day!!

August 15th Aina and Madison returned to Red Deer. Aina is articling as a C.A. for Meyers Norris Penney. Madison is attending Mattie McCullough School in SE Red Deer. Trevor joined them in September. He is working in a supervisory capacity for Spectre Energy at Content Bridge. Madison has spent a night or two here. In fact, she is here at the moment. She is a great helper in the garden. She takes the initiative to pick peas herself - no prompting from Grandma.


*Jarl spent a couple of nights here as he was working on a subdivision project in Caroline area. Spencer was at his other grandparents' home. He and Jarl had brunch with us on August 24th before returning to Peace River. Jarl started his own survey business in July - Geospark Surveys. "Spark" is named after his and Rebecca's two sons, Spencer and Parker.

*Routine Maintenance: diagnosed with breast cancer on August 22nd; teeth cleaned and checked and molar pulled on August 26th; eyes checked and new glasses ordered on August 26th; appointment with lawyer Kyla on August 26th working on our will

*Farewell Party for Fay at Barb's on August 26th: always a fun time with colleagues.



*Supper at Moxie's in Red Deer with Aunty Bea and Uncle Norm, Helge, Aina, Madison, and Sonja. Uncle Norm sold his truck to an Afghan family in Calgary. They were treated like royalty with fine food and overnight accommodation. They used their time in AB to visit family and friends. They said it is hard to make a living truckin' these days with increasing fuel and brokerage costs.

*Last Day of Work was September 5th: My employer has granted me 8 months' leave which can be extended to 1 year

*Caroline Centennial: 100 years since the first post office was opened by the Langley family whose daughter was named Caroline; enjoyed sitting outdoors on Sunday afternoon with the warm sun on my back, surrounded by gentle breezes, and watching the Native Drummers and Dancers


*September 17th: first day of chemo (see posting)

*Afternoon snacks with colleagues Evlyn, Pat, and Judy at Mountainview in Innisfail. Had an enjoyable time and hated to say goodbye. Will keep regular contact as long as I am able. Studies show that cancer patients with support groups have more success than those without.

*Latest Musical Inspiration: Watched the last few minutes of "The View" the other day and heard Dave Stewart and his Orchestra. Where have I been? I checked his website and was amazed by his bio. My wish list now includes The Dave Stewart Songbook, the Eurythmics, and a recent Annie Lennox.

* Puppies everywhere, 10 of them, cute little German Shepherds ready for sale

The Beginning of a New Challenge

I had my first chemo treatment today at the Cancer Center in Red Deer. Sitting next to me was a man probably about 80 years, Jack Rockwell from Olds. He is a true survivor and a real inspiration. He lost his wife a few years ago. He nearly died in a car accident in 1967. More recently he has had a hip replacement, a pacemaker, cataract surgery and fallen lens sewn into place by Dr. Gimble. He is a diabetic and is undergoing chemo every 2 weeks to try to shrink tumours on his liver before he has surgery. His attitude was basically "you gotta do what you gotta do." As for myself I felt caught between a rock and a hard place. My tumour appeared to be growing and getting harder. Although I have fears re chemo I was more afraid of the tumour spreading if I didn't take radical action. I will do my best to support the treatment with the three pillars: exercise, rest, and nutrition. Once a month "Look Good, Feel Good" comes to the Cancer Center with complementary make-up. They bring wigs for you to try on, as well as various hats. I look forward to learning how to tie on a turban. It is on tomorrow but I am lying low for a few days. Hope to go in October. There are also cancer support groups I can participate in. Yesterday I had a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) inserted just above my elbow. This is like a tap to my vein. This saves being poked frequently in hard-to-find veins. I have to keep this clean and go to Sundre once a week to have it flushed out and re-dressed. The day before my next chem I have blood work done. If my white blood cell count is too low they will postpone the next treatment. My next scheduled treatment is October 8th. If everything goes as planned my third treatment will be on my wedding anniversary, October 29th, and my final treatment on December 31st. I look forward to putting 2008 behind me!!

Day Tripping

Elaine enjoying vegetation (potentila, bluebells, groundcover) on Corkscrew Mountain
Helge posing for photo on Corkscrew Mountain
Ram Falls
Ram Falls - a closer view
Mountain sheep at Ram Falls

Butterfly at Ram Falls

Though this summer has been cool and wet, I have enjoyed having time at home. I finally have a vision for my ornamental garden so am excited by that. Helge and I have attended two birthday parties in Caroline in July: one for Ernestine Stang who turned 100 years, and one for Yvonne Evans, who turned 50 years. Ernestine is one of the early pioneers in this district, having immigrated from Germany. She has many descendants in this area. She looked great for her celebration, appeared to enjoy her day, and had a surprising amount of energy for all the activity. Helge used to work with Yvonne as a volunteer firefighter. She continues to volunteer for the fire department and the ambulance. She and her husband have several cleaning contracts in Caroline. She is one of the most fit 50-year olds I know!

I started swimming twice a week after work in July. I find the water so enjoyable and relaxing. I'm on holiday for the last week of July and the first week of August. Once I return to work, I plan to continue swimming.

Sonja has been home a couple of times in July so we have enjoyed her company. We saw Jarl, Rebecca, Spencer and Parker briefly at the beginning of the week. Jarl has started his own surveying company, Geospark. ("Spark" is named for Spencer and Parker.) Rebecca plans to look after the books for their company. Madison stayed with us last night. I took her back to her Mom in Drayton Valley today. Aina and Trevor's plans have changed since Trevor has been offered a major promotion in his job. He will continue to live in Drayton. Aina will be renting a condo in Red Deer and completing her articling with Meyers Norris Penny. It will be nice for Aina and Trevor not to be so far apart, and we are certainly looking forward to having her and Madison in Red Deer once again. They will be in Red Deer in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow I am on my way to spend some time in Edmonton with Sonja and Kai, and to attend the Edmonton Folk Festival. On Sunday Helge and I will both go to Camrose for Lloyd and Mildred's 60th Wedding Anniversary. I am looking forward to spending time with some of my Bjorgum relatives.

I have travel ambitions. Helge enjoys being at home. We have surprisingly come up with a compromise that pleases us both. We have decided to go on regular day trips. Last Thursday we took a trip that I had always wanted to take. We drove west of Caroline, stopped to have a peak at Phyliss Lake as I had never been there, continued up the Corkscrew Mountain, stopped at Ram Falls, and then continued to follow the Forestry Trunk Road to Nordegg. From Nordegg we drove to Rocky Mountain House where we had supper at the Tamarack Inn (one of my Dad's favorite stops), and then returned to Caroline. It was nice to have some quality time together. We both enjoyed our day!

Musical discovery: Vitamin String Quartet Tribute albums released by Vitamin Records. Chelsie and Twitch danced to Vitamin String Quartet cover of Janet Jackson's "Control" on "So You Think You Can Dance." They were both attired as conductors in black-and-white tuxedos fighting for control of the conductor's stick. It was a delightful routine.

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!