June 17, 2012

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and dad figures out there. Just as someone can have a mother's heart without having children, so you can have a father heart without children.

It's a rainy afternoon here in the Three Hills/Linden/Swalwell area. How totally blessed we were though that the rain stayed away and the sun shone warmly this morning, and through the graveside service for Aunt Anna Baerg. It was only after while we sat downstairs at the church having lunch with the family that the skies opened up and it rained.

i didn't post last weekend, but i had brought Mom down then, too and we visited family and loved ones in this area, including Aunt Anna, who knew us, but did not respond well. Actually Mom and i came down Thursday, bringing Karen along to see her family as well. We stopped at Barrhead to drop her off at her sister Kim's and then carried on, stopping at Innisfail to see Mom's aunt Helen who turned 100 years young in February before going to Three Hills for the night. Friday we went to Red Deer to see her cousin Luise who lost her husband in May, stopped in Innisfail to see Aunt Helen again, then to Linden to see Aunt Anna. That was a rough day for Mom, seeing those three in the same day. Saturday we saw friends and family in the Linden area, Sunday we took Helen Rose to see her mom in Innisfail, than came back to Linden to visit more. Monday morning we met Karen, her mom and sister and niece for breakfast in Linden and left for home. We met Peter in Fahler, had supper in Eaglesham and were very happy to get home that night.  Either that night or Tuesday we were told Aunt Anna had been moved to palliative care, and she passed away Wednesday.
Friday afternoon Mom and i were on the road to Linden again. It is so great to have a place like the Diamond Inn - Best Western to stay in at Three Hills when we com to the area. Today has been tiring, although Aunt Anna was 95 years old (or young?) and was more than ready to go home. It is really a day of reunion...meeting cousins and friends we hadn't seen, since perhaps 8 years ago when Uncle Peter Baerg passed away.
Now we're taking a break from family. Peter and Karen arrived last night, but left for home just a bit ago. i brought Mom and Aunt Doris (Uncle Abe's widow from Abbotsford, B.C.) to the motel for naps. We plan on going to the Swalwell Hall for 6:00 for supper and memories with the family.

As for life on the Barkman Farms? We have all but 200 acres seeded into either canola, wheat or barley. The 200 acres is hopefully drying this weekend, so we can put canola in there yet. The 200 acres of fescue we had last year will be sprayed out and we plan on seeding that to winter wheat.
Our canola from last year has all be hauled to the elevator, and this last week and next we have wheat to haul to the elevator, and spraying for weeds to do. We don't have a garden, not this year nor last year, and perhaps we will put our garden spot into something else. We do have our flower gardens for when we need garden therapy, and i have strawberry plants. As for fresh produce? we have market gardens and farmer's markets to keep us supplied. And we don't need make work projects.
Now that i've talked your ears off, i will close. Have a great week.

April 24, 2012 diary

Well, we've set a date for leaving sunny, warm Arizona. We fly to Edmonton from Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday. Peters will be at the airport in Edmonton to pick us up. Of course, since we fly in at midnight, we'll stay night at Nisku. The weather here in El Mirage has been very favorable - the hottest we have seen it has been 107 F. But they say it will cool of this week. Actually, it only got to 97 today. i have started to get ready...the shed is ready for the golf cart, the patio table and bikes are stored. My craft items have been stored for the season. The resort has certainly emptied out this last week. There are three mobile homes occupied right in our vicinity, (one across the street from us and the one just south of us. Very quiet. We expected our painter to show up yesterday or today, but no show. Moms Aunt Helen, who turned 100 years old in February has been moved out of palliative care into a private room at the hospital. it seems she has no recollection of the 3 days she was so sick she didn't eat, though she appears to know that she didn't eat, and that it was because the nurses snitched the things they thought she liked. Her sense of humor is still intact. Peter says it's cold at home...not sure if he is thinking that we'll think it, or if he really feels it's still cold. Thanks for listening again. Have a good night.

April 19, 2012

Good morning on this lovely sunshiney morning. i haven't heard any complaints about the lovely morning (but then, i haven't talked to anyone other than Mom this morning, either!) It is 72 F. at 8:11 a.m. Forecast says it will reach 91 today, but that guestimation has consistently been on the low side this spring. Mom and i went to Home Depot yesterday and checked out the door - and yes it is in. Told Bert (our contractor) and he said he'd be here this morning. Hopefully it will be in by tonight, and we'll sit back and enjoy it.

The resort is emptying out...it is very quiet here. we took back the streets! Shuffle board starts early because of the warm weather - 8:30 instead of 10.
i did some bowling this week. Maybe i am getting better, or not Thanks for checking in. Love you guys.

April 16

oh my Word (inside joke, the girls mom taught knitting to used this expression alot)! It's been awhile since i updated my diary! Well, today was wash day. Just because i needed to this week, and i might as well do it today rather than waiting for something to come up. i took the laundry to the laundromat here in the resort, and started it going, then went home to have breakfast. When i got back about 20 minutes later, my one rubbermaid tub was missing. Put the sheets, towels, dresses and etc. on the line then went hunting for the missing tub. Asked about everyone i met about it, no one knew anything. Went off to play shuffleboard, then finished the laundry - dried, folded and put away. When i went back to the laundromat a few hours later and asked again, an elderly gent said not only had he seen it, it was now in his shed. Okay...i was baffled why he would have helped himself to something that obviously wasn't his, but found out later he has dementia and likely just didn't know any better. Sad, though, both he and his wife have it but they are still living on their own here at the resort. Guess i'll just have to keep better watch on my things, and hope he doesn't anger someone by helping himself.
The little girls are busy knitting, and need more yarn, so mom and i went to JoAnn's looking for some, but the store we checked at didn't have any left. Guess we'll try another one tomorrow. Most of the snowbirds are gone or leaving this week, so no coffee at Paradise Bakery tomorrow. i forgot to pick up milk today, so we'll go to IHOP for breakfast, then search for yarn. Have a good night, and we'll talk soon.

Thursday, April 12

Today was a quiet day...too windy for shuffleboarding, or even to be outside much, though in temperatures it was not too bad. It was actually nice to have a quiet day for a change. i should have worked with my cricut making cards, but instead i read, read, read! Oh, and i went to Walmart a bit and did some looking around and buying a bit. Then Mom and i went to IHOP. i love their Cinnastack French Toast. Have you tried that?
Not sure what tomorrow will hold - do we ever? Kimberly Ensz get to know the Hanley triplets the year they were about 2 and wants to hear what i know about them...What will i tell her? She talked about getting together for lunch tomorrow so will have to see.
Sorry i haven't blogged this week. Guess that is what happens when there is not much going on. Have a great night