The Cribbage Game

My Dad taught me how to play cribbage when I was a little girl. I remember, watching in fascination as he and Mom, and then my brothers, would play. It seemed strange to me- the counting and the moving of the pegs around the board.  The counting was baffling - fifteen two, fifteen four, and 3 is 7, and so on and so forth.  It made no sense. And then, when I was around 9 or 10 years old, My Dad patiently began teaching me how to play. He made sense of the 'fifteens' and the 'thirty-one's and the skunks and the pegs. I quickly caught on and was hooked for life. Quite often the cribbage board would be brought out on to the kitchen table and Dad and one of us would begin to play.

Seventeen years ago today My Dad came over to the little house on 3rd Street- the house that My Sweetheart and I moved into when we were first married. My Dad and I sat at our old dining room table, in front of the big window that faced Mary Stuart's house. I got the cribbage board out and we proceeded to play. My Sweetheart was ushering at church that morning, by himself, because I just wasn't feeling right.  And so My Dad came over to be with me. And it made perfect sense to play cribbage. I remember his looks of concern when he saw me grimacing.  I saw the absolute love in his eyes when I wouldn't say much, just get all teary-eyed, and grab on to the table ledge until the pain would subside. My Dad didn't say much either, and that was fine with me because on that particular day I didn't feel like saying much either.  I relished that morning with just My Dad and I.  Now, looking back, I appreciate that My Dad was the one who was with me that morning playing cribbage.

We never finished the 3rd game though.  My pains were too severe and I had to crawl into bed. Dad left our little house on 3rd Street when My Sweetheart came home from church. Dad picked Mom up and they went to the Senior Centre to play bridge.  My Sweetheart helped me to the car a few hours later, after a quick call to the Senior Center to let Mom and My Dad know we were on our way to the hospital in the city.

It would be another 24 hours until I became a mother for the first time. 24 hours until I would know and experience the love of being a parent.

In the years since then, many more games of cribbage have been played.  Most of those games played have been with Mom.  The cribbage board has been brought out when my brothers have been here for a visit. And in the past few years the cribbage board has been brought out for a game between Dear Son and myself.  And someday in the future, who knows?  Maybe Dear Son will be playing cribbage with his daughter at her dining room table...



Getting Rid of the Junk

It's a vicious cycle actually - we start one project and that leads to another and another and another. I remember how it happened almost 10 years ago... our house was very cold- so cold in fact, that I remember opening up DD's dresser drawer and discovering ice inside the drawer. The windows were frosted up all the time in the winter, there was ice on the walls in the bedrooms, and now there was ice on the clothes in the dresser.  So, we decided we needed to re-side the house. Before the new siding went on, the house needed to be insulated and wrapped.  Oh, and while we're at it, we may as well put new windows everywhere. And since we're doing that, why not put smaller windows in the bedrooms, garden doors instead of a big picture window in the living room?... before we knew it we were knocking down walls to make a more 'open concept' living area. Then, of couse, the walls needed painting, crown moulding needed to be put up, baseboards added, carpet removed, new flooring installed. We moved out of our house into Mom's house that winter so we could renovate the entire house.  And it all started because we were going to put new siding on!

I seem to have a knack for finding projects for My Sweetheart to do. Those projects always seem to have a domino effect.This coming project is no exception. I have always had an aversion to the marble facade on our fireplace. I made that very clear to My Sweetheart when we moved out to the farm 16 years ago. And this is the winter that the marble facade is coming off. The pretty oak mantle is coming down too! So, we had to find another mantle.  Fortunately My Sweetheart and I both like the rustic look and were able to find a super guy to fashion exactly what we wanted out of a log. Our new mantle is in the sewing room waiting to be installed.  But before the fireplace can be re-done, I needed to get the storage room cleaned out in order to have a space to put everything that needs to be removed from the shelves and cabinets around the fireplace.

Last night, while DS and DD were at youth group, My Sweetheart and I tackled the storage room. I detest storage rooms.  Well, I detest our storage room anyway.  It's ugly and cold and messy and was full of junk. Why do we hold on to stuff that nobody wants anyway? Broken dishes, old toys, worn out winter coats, bags of old soccer shoes, old scrappy towels, boxes, empty storage containers, containers full of Christmas decorations, baby cards, broken luggage...all of it stacked and thrown helter skelter. We had a very narrow path from the doorway of the storage room to the cold room.  And for the past year or so I knew that we needed to clean and purge. Last night was, finally, the time to do it.

I don't know how many bags of garbage we lugged out. I can't tell you how many boxes of 'stuff' or 'junk' was hauled out. But we got it done. Most of the junk is gone. When we have more time we will go through it thorougly. Now, though, there is room to put more stuff in our storage room while we work on the fireplace.

It feels good to get rid of junk. It feels 'cleaner', even 'free-er' downstairs in the storage room. I'm reminded of Scripture that admonishes me, and other Christ-followers, to get rid of garbage. Although in Ephesians 4:31, the 'garbage' that needs to be gotten rid of is the junk that prevents us from being the kind of people that would draw others to Christ.  Garbage in our lives like bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. When that garbage in our lives is rooted out and disposed of and exchanged for kindness and compassion and forgiveness, can you imagine the freedom?  And peace? 

My Sweetheart helped me clean out the junk from our storage room; the Holy Spirit helps to clean out the garbage in my soul. It's good to get rid of junk!

It's a Good Day

"The highway was wet- it rained..." so said Mom when she phoned last night, after getting home, after being out to the farm for supper and a game of 99 with my cousin and us. That little phone call irked me.  Not the call itself, but the message it brought. Mild night temperatures, rain, wet highway, and freezing temperatures by bedtime.

I'm not a 'suck it up Buttercup' type of person, so when I woke up this morning and looked outside, and saw the ice on the deck, I bemoaned the fact that I had to be in the city by 10:00 for an echocardiogram. Two negatives right there.  Echocardiogram and icy highways. Rats and double rats!

I cannot convey with mere words the relief that flooded me when My Sweetheart said he'd drive me in! Joy and Bliss do not even come close. My Sweetheart and our neighbor who lives right across the road were planning on travelling together- the neighbor driving- to the city for an all day marketing meeting. Unbeknownst to me, the meeting was at the same time as my appointment at the hospital. So it all worked out!

I listened to my heart beat at my appointment.  It was really quite remarkable and awe-inspiring, laying there on the little narrow bed-if you can call it a bed- hooked up to a few gadgets and gizmoes, slathered down with warm goop, having the ultrasound probe pressing down, listening to the steady rhythm of my heart beating. I was convinced, while laying there listening, that the guy who wrote 'the lion sleeps tonight' must have heard a heart beating before writing it.  The 'wing a wet, wing a wet' part of the song sounded much like the percussive steady beat of my heart. Same rhythm. And then, when the probe was moved to a different part of my chest, I heard a similar steady percussive beat.  Not the same, but similar. I was amazed at how that little organ in my body worked and beat and pumped and kept me alive.

While in the city I stopped at a flower shop to pick up a small arrangement for one of my good friends- one of my 'praying moms' friends. She was involved in an accident on Sunday, had surgery on Monday, and was home by Tuesday. I love flowers.  I love the beauty of flowers and the joy their presence brings me - sunshine for my soul! And I was pretty sure that my friend would like them too! I had a few minutes before my appointment for my annual check up, so I popped by her place with the flowers!  I was so so so happy to see her!  So happy that her life was spared! So happy that I was able to take her flowers so she could enjoy their beauty!

And then it was off to see my doctor for my annual check up! My weight was down from last year!  My blood pressure was good!! I was given a 'healthy' status!

I stopped at the post office on my way home and was surprised, pleasantly, to receive a book in the mail - a gift! And when I arrived home, I stepped into the kitchen to see DD at the island, baking! A treat!

Ah, yes, today is a good day!!!

Cell Phones and Bitter Cold

When the phone rang at 7:15 this morning I was secretly hoping that it would be the principal of the school calling to say classes were cancelled. I knew when we went to bed last night that the potential was there for no classes- the forecast was for bitter cold; in the -40 range with wind chill. Sheila, on the radio, was telling her listeners  about how cold it was.  So, when the phone rang, I was excited- anticipating a day at home with DD and DS and imagining how we would spend the day.  Movies?  Games?  Baking? I was looking forward to a 'home day'.  But, a 'home day' was not to be. Alas.  The school bus driver phoned to say that her bus wasn't going to be running.  It was too cold. But, My Sweetheart cheerfully said that HE would take DD and DS into school.  Classes weren't cancelled after all.  And DD and DS are in high school and shouldn't be missing when exams are next week.... So, there went my hopes of a fun 'home day' with the kids down the drain. And about 45 minutes ago, there went My Sweetheart, in the truck that almost didn't want to start, with DD and DS -down the lane, across the road to pick up the neighbors who live right across from us, and in to town- off to school.

He, My Sweetheart that is, is making this trip out in the bitter cold count. He is killing 2 birds with 1 stone, so to speak... He has his OPI with him, and his cell phone, so after dropping off the high schoolers, he went off to the north farm and the south farm to check the temperature of the grain in the bins (that's what the OPI does). He called about 10 minutes ago to let me know when he would be at the north farm.  He called so I wouldn't worry about him being near, or on top of, the bins.  And then he called when he was finished at the north farm to let me know he was on his way to the south farm. And knowing that, I now don't have to worry.

Not that I should worry anyway. Jesus tells me, every time I look into His word at the book of Matthew, not to worry.  But sometimes it's hard not to. Times like today, when it's -37 WITHOUT the wind chill, knowing that My Sweetheart is out in the cold doing what he needs to do. Farming is,the last I heard, the most dangerous occupation. So, it is hard not to worry, even though I'm not supposed to.

So, today I am thankful for cell phones- among other things. I am also thankful for the warmth of my house.  I am thankful we didn't wake up to a power outage. That happened once when it was extremely cold.  7 years ago, the day we were leaving to go to Calgary to stay in a hotel the night before we flew to L.A. to go to Disneyland- that morning we woke up to a temperature of -50(with the wind chill) and no power. The house was freezing, the car had no electricity running to it, the landlines weren't working and it was cold!  Thankfully we had a cell phone and were able to phone the power company.  And thankfully we had, (and still have) a gas fireplace.  We took our blankets and huddled by the warmth of the fireplace while we waited for the power to be restored. Worrying, then, did absolutely nothing to help us. But trusting in the Lord brought a measure of peace and comfort.  And still does.

And knowing that My Sweetheart has his cell phone with him while he's out the in the bitter cold, brings a measure of comfort to this sometimes worried farmgirl.

the view from the porch at -37 this morning!

After being out for less than 2 minutes Lady is noticeably cold. She wouldn't even let me touch her paw.. poor thing! She is glad to be inside!





There's No Place Like Home

Darling Daughter was baking muffins when I finally emerged from the shower this afternoon. And while she baked she was watching 'the Wizard of Oz'.  Dear Son, My Sweetheart and I took advantage of the nasty, blustery, cold, snowy day outdoors to stay inside and have a game of dominoes while the baking was going on. We sat around the big kitchen table enjoying the aroma of fresh baked muffins as DD would take each pan out of the oven.

We had just taken a break from our game to make hot chocolate when  Dorothy said, 'there's no place like home...'  I had to agree with her as I was enjoying the warmth of my kitchen surrounded by people whom I love.  There really is no place like home.

The muffins are now cooling...

The dominoe game is over...

The snow has let up, for now, and the kitties' wintery coats have been cleared off...

Bentley is off the easy chair now...

And now, while the rest of the family is watching a movie, I'm thinking it will be a good time to find some stationery and write a letter...



Morning at Mickey-D's

So, this is something new. I'm writing this blog on my phone. And I will be posting it through my phone. While I'm doing that I am marvelling at technology. This wasn't my plan when I set out this morning.

I brought my car down to the city for an oil change, and apparently, because my car showed up the A123 code, it will also be getting a tire rotation as well as a variety of other needed tweakings. My plan was to borrow the complimentary service vehicle and zip around. Not that I had much zipping around to do. But, I did stick my new ereader in my purse with the intention of taking it to the library branch here in the city. I need to find out how to put the books that I've borrowed on to it before I lose them in the next few hours. Being an assistant librarian after all, I thought it might be a good idea to know how to do that! So now that will have to wait. The service vehicle was already spoken for, so I had to settle for being dropped off at Wally's World because nothing else was open at this time of morning. And there is a Mickey-D'sSo here so I can write my blog on my phone 1 finger at a time! I'm thinking that by the time my coffee is finished and my blog is finished I will be able to go next door to the mall and visit with a friend who owns a shop there!

I've never seen Wally's World so quiet. I suppose if I were more of a morning person this would be the ideal time to be in the city doing any shopping that needs to be done. I'll bet it's quiet at the library too!

Well, look at that! My coffee and my blog are finished and the mall is now open!

My Experiment

Science was not my favorite subject in elementary school.  It was down there with social studies and phys.ed. But, I had to take science, along with all the other subjects. And, once in a while, we had to do experiments. We wrote down our observations. Kept track of discoveries. That kind of thing.

I'm embarking on a different kind of experiment for the next month. And it has to do with social networking. I'm removing myself from facebook. I'll still be posting my blogs to facebook, so if you read them through that, you still will be able to do that. And if you want to leave a comment on what I've written, please reply to my blog comment page instead of my facebook page.

My experiment will be an experiment in being a 'true' friend, as opposed to a facebook friend.  On facebook it is really easy to leave comments here and there and let everyone know what I'm doing, or what I'm thinking; but I miss the genuine face to face friendships. And thus - my experiment.

I'm going to attempt to reach out more and visit with my friends- face to face, instead of facebook to facebook.Do you live nearby to me? Would you like a coffee date or lunch date? Let me know!  Or, if you are a friend that lives too far away for that, how about a phone call?  I have a North American all day plan, so if you want a phone call from me, and we're friends, true friends, drop me a message with your phone number! My email is found on the 'about me' part of my blog.  I'd love to hear from YOU and talk to YOU!!

Another facet of this experiment will be in letter writing. When I left home to go to boarding school for high school, before the era of internet and emails and instant communication, I kept in touch through letter writing. Pen pals were common for me. Letters received were treasured; in part because they let me know that I had been thought of.  I had been thought of enough for someone to take the time to write a letter to me. I have an aunt who is a letter writer extraordinaire.  I think it would be interesting to find out if there is anybody who has ever written more letters in their lifetime than my dear Auntie Jean. I have a cousin who is a letter writer too - he began a ministry called EPISTLE Sports Ministries - an anocronym for 'Encouraging professionals in sport through letters of encouragement. I'm pretty sure that many sports professionals were, and still are, encouraged through David's ministry. So, I am, for the next month, or maybe even longer, going to write at least 1 letter a week- at least- to someone I care for and about- to let that person know they are loved.

After a month I'll post my discoveries. I kind of have a good idea how this experiment will turn out though.  I'm pretty sure that in a month my life will be even more enriched than it is right now!

Ninety-Nine

We, and by we I'm thinking it was Mom & I, or maybe even Mom, my cousin & I, were talking the other night, about 99- a card game we used to play. I can't remember exactly who was talking about it, but I do remember playing it; although I didn't remember how we played it.  I remember that at Christmastimes past, a whole bunch of us would sit around either our kitchen table or 1 of my aunt's kitchen tables, hand out the coins, or chips, or whatever, and deal out 3 card each, and we'd start to play 99. I didn't remember any of the rules, or anything about the game, but what I do remember are the laughs, and the people playing.  I remembered that all of us, all ages, would be able to play.  I remember that, for the younger ones around the table, 99 was a game that helped in learning math. It was a great time for just being together, having fun, and enjoying each other's company.

Tonight the 4 of us were invited to our neighbor's who live right across the road. We hadn't been able to get together since before Christmas, so we were really looking forward to being with our good neighbors, who also happen to be good friends. I contributed a pumpkin pie to the meal- a pie that had been purchased at Costco before Christmas when I knew I was too busy to bake my own pies - and tonight it rounded out the delicious lasagne and fixings that had been prepared by our neighbor.

After the meal had been eaten, and the table cleared off, we got ready to play a game. It has become somewhat of a tradition for our 2 families to gather around a kitchen table after a shared meal and play a game. We've played board games and card games and charades. And we've always had fun. Tonight we played '99'. I almost couldn't believe it when 1 of our neighbors suggested we play '99'.

We started with a practice round. And then it slowly started coming back to me. 2 hands in and I remembered how to play. We must have played that 1 game for over an hour before I finally was the last 1 playing. So now I'm looking forward to the next time that a large group of us will be gathered around my kitchen table after having shared a meal together. I'm looking forward to the company and the laughs, and perhaps even a game of '99'!

The Birthday Bonfire

January 3, 2012 - Mom's 78th birthday! The day started out with a beautiful sunrise....

The sun continued to shine it's warmth. It was a gorgous warm day.  The cats basked in the sunshine...

I took Mom out for lunch that day. We met at the lovely little coffee shop in town. Two of Mom's friends were there, my cousin joined us, and DD and her friend from the city rounded out the entourage.

The sun continued to shine down unseasonably warm heat.  So warm in fact, that DS and My Sweetheart thought it would be a grand idea to have the birthday girl out for a birthday bonfire. I'm not sure what she initially thought of the plan, but after sweetening up the pot with a promise of baked beans to complete the bonfire feast - if one can call hot dogs a feast - she readily and willingly came out to the farm.

The 'deal maker' being dished up by the Bonfire Birthday Girl!

Mom LOVES baked beans!

My Sweetheart cooked my supper for me. I wouldn't appreciate hot dogs if it was MY  birthday. Lady enjoyed sharing my supper with me!

DS, DD and City Girl are enjoying the bonfire with Grandma!

City Girl and My Sweetheart's dad look like they're deep in conversation!

After the bonfire, we headed indoors for birthday cake. DD eventually got the candle on the cake, but not without a struggle.  For some reason those candles did not want to stick in the cake that I made. She had to pre-cut a spot for each candle. A mystery....

The cake LOOKED good. Here the Bonfire Birthday Girl is being serenaded. Cousins came out for a visit and cake too! I wonder, it looks to me like My Sweetheart is singing Happy Birthday to DS!

She blew out all the candles in 1 swoop!!

The candles spell out '78'.  The cake surface wasn't quite big enough for 78 candles!

So, after the candles were blown out, the cake was taken to the island to be dished up.  Something felt not quite right when I stuck the knife in. So, I had to take a peek inside. AAGHHH! Only the bottom half was baked.  The top half was gelatinous.  Gross for an angel food. Oh well! I scooped off the top half, and we each enjoyed a half piece of lemon layered angel food cake. Although, technically, I guess it wasn't a layered cake. We each enjoyed a piece of lemon bottom-layer angel food cake!

And there were 2 firsts that day!  Mom's first bonfire on her birthday, and my first cake flop!

It was  a great day!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Today is Mom's birthday. She is, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind me saying, 78 years young. Truly.  Young.  Mom is the most 'young at heart' person I know.

In the past week she has been out to the farm on Christmas Eve Eve, (no, that's not a mistake) Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and the day after New Year's. She jokingly said she should have a room out here. None of us would mind if she did.

Then DD would have someone to play Wii Dance with, DS would  have someone to joke with, My Sweetheart would have someone to make fun of all the time, and I would have someone to keep up with.

Mom is akin to the Energizer Bunny. We're not sure just who kept up with whom a few weeks ago when we took a Disney Family Vacation. Mom was one of the first ones up every morning while in Anaheim, the first down to breakfast, the first with her shoes and jacket on raring to get to the parks. She walked MILES every day and didn't hesitate to come along in the evenings if we were going back to the park to head to Downtown Disney for some shopping.

On New Year's Eve I'm sure she would have rung in the New Year with us if her ride wouldn't have whisked her off beforehand. In fact, a few years ago, well maybe 10 or more years ago, she stayed up until 2:00am on New Year's Day with Dear Son and my niece. She outlasted the other adults that year.

DD's friend was quite excited to come here New Year's Eve when she found out that "Grandma" was going to be here too. She thinks DD's Grandma is pretty cool. Well, she's not the only one.  "Grandma" kept us laughing while playing all the games we played around the kitchen table that night. Apples to Apples, Spoons, DONKEY, Chase the Ace.  "Grandma" was, to the delight of DD's friend and all of us, game to play everything.

And then, on New Year's Day, Mom and my cousin came out after supper for Rummoli. No hestitation. Yesterday, DS picked Grandma up and brought her out to the farm to watch a movie and have supper with us. But, she had to leave right after supper so she could get back in time for BINGO!

So today is her birthday.  Her special day.  I'll be taking her out to lunch and then, hopefully I'll be bringing her out to the farm for supper- unless she's made other plans. That's not out of the realm of possibilities or even probabilities being as  Mom has a more active social life than I do. But, if she has nothing on her plate this evening, I'm hoping she will come out to the farm.

We just might have to start on that extra room!

Rummoli

The one game that stands out in my memory, that game that has been played by my family growing up every New Years Eve, is Rummoli.

I remember getting out the poker chips and Rummoli board, setting it on the old kitchen table in the farmhouse where I grew up, counting out the chips - the whites were worth 1, blues-2 and reds -5. They'd be divvied up equally between the 3 of us - myself and my older brothers. We'd settle in for the night, with our glass bottle of Coca Cola that had been bought at Moffat's Store, and later Pederson's Grocery, along with the box of Old Dutch Ripple Potato Chips and Dill Pickle Dip. The radio would be set to 800 CHAB so we could listen to the top songs of whatever year we were bidding adieu to. Mom and Dad would have left for a night of dancing to ring in the New Year. And the 3 of us would start to play Rummoli.

We played Rummoli tonight- the first day of this New Year.  My brothers weren't here to play with me though.  Instead, the chairs around this kitchen table were taken up with Mom- who probably would have enjoyed being able to be out dancing with Dad if she could, my cousin- whose Dad owned the grocery store where our glass bottle of Coca Cola, along with the Old Dutch Ripple Potato Chips  and dill pickle dip would have been bought, My Sweetheart and Dear Son.  DD opted out.

There were no potato chips and dill pickle dip.  The glass bottle of Coca Cola has been replaced with pop that we made ourselves - thanks to My Sweetheart's new Christmas gift.

And then the fun of playing Rummoli began. Mom threw her cards down when she was unable to play her Ace and King of Diamonds.  And then we laughed. We laughed and laughed. And then, on the next round, I played the Ace and King of Diamonds and giggled as the pile of poker chips that should have been hers, came to my side of the table.

We used the same Rummoli game that we played on so many years while I grew up. DS joked that the box it is in isn't even a box anymore. It's just 2 pieces of cardboard. But I don't think I will ever throw it out. The box I mean. It's just a box, but it's the box that for years, brought our family, and still continues to bring our family together, for what might just be a tradition.

Next year I will make sure to have a box of Old Dutch Ripple Chips and dill pickle dip to go with the game that will bring our family around the table for another New Year.