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Sunday 24 June 2007

Block Party

I have heard about them many times, but never had the opportunity to attend a block party......I guess that is one disadvantage to living in the country. Anyways yesterday my husband was golfing in a tournament for SK Dept of Highways, which his team ended up winning the tournament by 11 under....Way to go guys..... After golfing we gave Jimmy a ride home, he lives up in the new development behind Carnival Bingo and the block he lives on was having a block party. They invited us to come down and sit around the fire.....

It was an awesome time.....everyone on the block gathers at the end of the cul-de-sac. Earlier they had a potluck BBQ, the kids were all doing things together....it was very much like one big family getting together. It was a great time to meet new people and feel welcomed by everyone not just our friends.

A block party provides a great opportunity to meet new neighbors that have moved in or just to get better aquinted with your neighbors.

Saturday 23 June 2007

Tips for Writing your Memoirs


  • Memoirs are written specifically for others to read: Memoirs usually cover a certain period of the author’s life. Memoirs are way of passing family stories, secrets down through the generations to come. A way to keep these treasured memories alive for forever
  • Title: You can give your memoires a title at any time during the process from the start or after you have finished.
  • Outline: If your memoir will cover several years, simplify the planning by breaking it down into one year chunks. Set the scene by noting the challenges and successes, transitions, and important people in your life, as well as the significant world events, during each time period.
  • Envision each event: Before you start writing a scene or event, picture it in your mind. “Watch” it a few times, and feel it – include the emotional and sensory factors to make the scene come to life.
  • Background Information: Include brief mention of pertinent background information, i.e., early life family events and difficulties – economic, emotional and physical, jarring changes, births and deaths, and other life-shaping situations.
  • Dialogue: Include dialogue, being true to the special voice of each person. If a policeman, nursery school teacher, and account each experienced “a close one,” they would describe “it” very differently. Be true to the person about whom you are writing, but avoid using stereotypes. Maybe that accountant spends dozens of hours a month as a Big Sister or visiting the severely disabled.
  • Hook: Start each scene or chapter with a hook – a hint at the primary battle, challenge, or unexpected outcome. But don’t leave your reader hanging. Include the basic who, what, where, when, and possibly how at the chapter beginning, shortly after your hook.
  • Endings: Don’t let your scene dribble away. Provide your reader with a specific, satisfying conclusion, then stop! Your snappy conclusion looses all of its punch if you keep blathering on.
  • Conclusions and transitions: Some effective closings include a question, an “Aha!” sentence, a door finally closing or opening, or a specific lesson learned. For an highly effective ending, tie the conclusion in with the introductory sentence at the beginning of the chapter or scene.
  • Repeating: Be judicious in repeating a word or phrase over and over and over and over. That kind of writing makes for boring pages. If you’re writing about a car, don’t use that word in every paragraph. Search for effective substitutes, such as the Camry, the family wagon, your wheels, or Betsy! Look for alternatives.

    Repetition in dialogue also dilutes the richness of a passage. There’s a line between reinforcing a verbal mannerism of one of the characters and belaboring the point. Grandma may have said “y’all” a lot. But the reader doesn’t want to read it in every sentence. Chances are she said “you children” or “you men” sometimes, too.
  • Flashbacks: Scenes sometimes move along more effectively if you use a brief flashback, rather than including a long description that interrupts the pace of the story.
Your memoirs doesn't have to be a collection of just your favorite memories. Ask other family members to participate. How you preserve these stories is up to you......I am preserving my memoirs in the from of a Family history scrapbook including photos, certificates, recipes, cards & letters as well as many other things.

Ever since the story "Roots" and "Centennial" were on TV back in the 70's I have wanted to tell my families story. These two mini series inspired me to try and do just that tell my family's stories.

Friday 22 June 2007

Memoirs.........



I was sitting in the dentist's office with my daughter I picked up the latest copy of "Homemakers Magazine". As I scanned the pages for something of interest the story "Grandpa's Coat" grabbed my attention. It was a story about a women's memories of her grandfather and time spent on the farm with her grandparents the famous "barn coats" that hung from the hook behind the kitchen door. How these barn coats smelled like the cows, the hay and most of all like her grandpa.

Growing up on a farm with my grandparents this story sounded all to familiar of my childhood. We had barn coats that hung in the porch along with the rubber boots and the steel toed work boots. One thing is for certain, those coats were toasty warm and a cool day. I remember all to well my grandma's yard jacket as she called it. It was one of my grandpa's old denim jackets. I can remember being out in the yard with grandma when it started to rain....of course I didn't want to get all soaked so she gave me her old yard coat to wear....it hung on me down to the ground....but I didn't care as I was wearing my grandma's coat that was once my grandpa's coat....I felt so special!

I was reminded of many of my own childhood memories. I can remember my grandpa & grandma telling me stories of their childhood and I have told some of those same stories to my children and started to think maybe I should write these stories down in a journal, that way they will always be around for the future generations to read and learn about their family history.

Writing my own family story......what a wonderful idea.... The next article to follow in the magazine was all about how to write your own memoirs, gave some awesome tips. The best way to ensure that you treasured memories will live on is to write them down in a journal for future generations to enjoy. Include photos, recipes and be as descriptive as possible.

Why not start with entering the Homemakers Reader Memoir Contest, there is some awesome prizes including having your story published in the magazine.

Check the link below for more information for Contest Rules and how to enter.
http://www.homemakers.com/homemakers/client/en/Home/DetailNews.asp?idNews=238182


Wednesday 20 June 2007

Schools Out.......For the Summer!

The exams are finished....the notebooks are being burned in a campfire somewhere......SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER.........I remember those days.....it seems like it wasn't that long ago....but in all reality it was 23 years ago.

Allot of things have changed over the years.....but the one thing that remains the same is there is nothing like the last day of school when exams are finished and you walk out those doors and leave those hallowed halls behind till fall.....it is like a new found freedom. Being able to sleep in every morning if you want to....stay up as late as you want.....
For some this will be the end of one phase in their lives and the beginning of a new one.....Graduations are in the air....some are all over with and others are just beginning. To be young and carefree again...well carefree...I like to think that I am still young after it really hasn't been that long since I was a teenager venturing out into the world.

My girls walked out those doors and left the hallowed halls of school behind until September.......What a feeling, they are off with their friends.....celebrating the start of summer....making plans for who knows what at this time. I know they are safe and won't be doing anything foolish.....at least not tonight.

I wish both of my girls a very happy summer and hope they enjoy every minute of it.....because before they know it....they will be walking back in through those doors and down those hallowed halls on their way to class.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

NO MORE HOME WORK.....NO MORE TEACHERS......
NO MORE SCHOOL RULES

"IT'S TIME TO HIT THE BEACH"

Tuesday 19 June 2007

Rain Rain Go Away......

I can remember all too well the neat sayings my grandmother used to have......Like Rain Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day.

I can still her singing RAIN RAIN GO AWAY COME AGAIN ANOTHER DAY......as she washed the clothes while it rained as grandma liked to say"It's Raining Cats & Dogs out there". I would look for the "Cats & Dogs," but all I ever saw were rain drops, Big Wet Drops of Rain......On those days we couldn't hang the clothes on the line to dry. The clothes always smelled so fresh when you bring them in off the clothes line. When I would help grandma take in the clothes off the line I would wrap myself in the sheets and towels just to smell of the crisp freshness that could never be achieved in the dryer. My grandma would tell me......We're not out here to wrap ourselves in the clothes......We need to take them in and put them away.....Hurry Up Now.....

RAIN...RAIN....GO AWAY.......is exactly how I have felt about the last couple of days.....Rain oh my gosh has it ever rained. Over 2 inches nearly 3 inches of rain has fallen, it started on Father's Day around 11:00 am and continued through the entire day....into the night and the next day till sometime in the morning. The sun peaks out at us just to tease through the afternoon and evening only for more rain to come this morning. In the couple of days we have gotten more rain than what we usually get for the entire month of June.

The forecast for tomorrow is partly cloudy......I hope it doesn't rain ANYMORE!!!! At least not for a while.

With all this water lying around in the fields and ditches I was beginning to get scared to take off my shoes for fear I find the I would now have web feet.....just like that of a duck.

Memories......amazing that so much rain can bring back such a wonderful memory.

Sunday 17 June 2007

What do you want to be when you grow up......

A question so often asked of children from the time they are little until after they have graduated from high school. For some children the answer is always the same and for some they just don't know. Really how can someone make the choice when they enter high school what they are going to do with the rest of their lives, when their lives are just starting. I can remember for years I was going to be a Pharmacist, after a while I realized that I really didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up.

My kids don't know what they want to do with their lives. My son Michael knows he doesn't want to cook for a living, yet a couple of years ago that is what he was considering for a career goal. My daughter Brittany doesn't know what she wants to except to graduate from high school and try and figure out where to go from there. My youngest daughter Meagan, yes she wants to go to University but no idea what for. When you ask her what she wants do with her life, she responds with I just want to skate thats all.

I didn't go back to school until after my children were in school. Now I work in an office and I love my job. For the past 8 years I have been an Administrative Assistant and now until the end of September I working with Human Resources as an Employee Administrator. The past couple of years I have been tossing around the idea of returning to school via Satellite classes to take some course in Human Resources. Now working with HR, I hope to get a better understanding and help me decide if I want to venture back to school.

Ultimately what I would really like to do when I grow up is be a Photographer. Not a photographer that works in a studio all the time taking portraits, more of a Photo Journalist. I am 42 and still don't really know what I want to be. I do know that I like what I am doing. I am thinking that I will take up photography when I retire.

We are never to old to decide what we want to do in our lives....we have our entire life to make these choices. Sometimes we have to try things to know if that is what we want to do or not.

Saturday 16 June 2007

Lets Celebrate........

So many birthday celebrations this month. Some of us are born under the sign of the Gemini and others are born under the sign of Cancer.

First is my birthday, then my uncle's birthday and then my dads. Doesn't seem like that many does it but.....it is a time to remember those whose birthdays are in June that have gone home to be with the Lord.

I remember my great Aunt Gladys - her birthday was June 1, 1903. She was an amazing lady....she made the best shortbread cookies ever....even though I use the same recipe, they aren't the same as Aunt Gladys'. She even taught me piano for a few months, I enjoyed listening to her play she made those keys sing beautifully.

June 15th, my Grandma Sharpen's birthday 1898 - I didn't know my grandma that well as she passed away when I was just 6 years old. I do remember visiting her at her house. One memory that remains with me to this day as she was the only grandma that had orange coke.....yes she fooled all us grandchildren by putting Tang in coke bottles......I thought it was so special to have a bottle of coke every time we went to grandma's house and not just one bottle but we could two or three, yes she had us fooled! My grandma made the best Lefsa around...to this day I use her recipe and I think my lefsa tastes close to grandmas' but it's still not grandmas. What is even more special is that I have her recipe in her handwriting. Grandma's favorite flower was a rose........true to someone born in June.

June 17th, my mom's birthday, she would have been 81 this year. I never got to know my mom as she died before her 40th birthday when I was 6 months old. My memories are those of others.....but instead of feeling robbed I am blessed that my mother touched so many lives in her short time on earth. I am told I possess many of her qualities.

On June 13th I always remember a childhood friend of mine - Freddie Forest. Freddie and I were the same age except for one day of the year and that was my birthday June 12th, the one day that I was actually older than him. Freddie and I were born a day apart, our families had been friends for many years. I close my eyes and still see Freddie playing in the yard at either his place or ours. Freddie died in May of 1972 a month before his 7th birthday in a car accident. I carry the memories I have of my childhood friend with me always but I always stop for a moment and wish him "Happy Birthday" on June 13th.

So for everyone celebrating in June "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Thursday 14 June 2007

Volunteering

So many of us volunteer our spare time to our kids sports, school activities, church and non profit organizations to name a few and we wonder why our lives are so busy. For many volunteering is like a calling....they want to give something back to the community, the church or to the children.

Today for lunch the 4-H groups from Spruce Home, Wildrose, & Canwood held a BBQ as a way to raise funds for an exchange trip to Ontario. It was nice to see the youth that are going to benefit from the BBQ actually there working. They were cooking, preparing and selling to the public. There were a couple parents there to help out. For these 5 youth that were volunteering their time to help raise money you could see that they genuinely wanted to be there....they were not being forced to be there....they wanted to be there. These kids deserve allot of credit for being there and volunteering. What they probably don't realize is how good these kinds of things look good on a resume.

I volunteer my time for my daughters skating club, some people ask me why......Why? because I want to be there not just for my daughters benefit but for the benefit of the club....without volunteers there wouldn't be much of a club for these kids. I volunteer to help raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society each year by participating in the Relay for Life.

I feel so rewarded by volunteering, it is a self satisfaction that I am able to help others. I just have to remember that I have to say NO sometimes as burning the candle at both ends is not a good plan. We all need some time to ourselves as well.


"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3

Tuesday 12 June 2007

Unconditional Love.....

Unconditional Love.......Can we really love someone unconditionally?

One definition that I have found is "Unconditional love is a concept that means showing love towards someone regardless of his or her actions or beliefs."

Unconditional Love is a dynamic and powerful energy that lifts us through the most difficult times in our lives. It is available at any moment, at any place and any time by turning our attention to it and allowing it to free us from our limitations. It requires practice and the intent to allow this energy to fulfill our daily experiences.

Unconditional love starts with ourselves, for without self-love, we do not know what true love can really be. By loving ourselves first we allow the feeling to generate within us and then we are able to share it with everyone and everything around us! In doing so with what we send out, only returns to us in a much greater measure. If you haven't given thought to how you feel about yourself physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually, you to do so it can the start your journey that will change everything....the journey of Unconditional Love.....


A good example of unconditional love is the love one receives from their pets. Ask anyone who owns a dog, cat or any pet that has stolen their heart or not. Rocco and Timon (my two dogs) show unconditional love all the time. I can always count on Timon to hold hands...more so than my own husband (he's not into that)....I swear that dog thinks he is human. He has pushed my husband right out of his (Timon's) seat on the Settee so that he can sit next to me and we hold hand & paw. Timon is our protector and a valued member of our family and one of the loving animals I have ever seen. Rocco is there every morning waiting to give me kisses and to cuddle.....he is there every night with kisses good night, waiting for me to move his crate into my bedroom.....my husband calls him my little trailer as he follows me everywhere. Charlie, always met us at the door with his tail going 100 miles a hour....waiting for us to pick him and say hello. We lost Charlie last November, a day doesn't go by that we don't think of him and remember the love he showed our family.....unconditionally. I have learnt so much about Love and Unconditional Love from Timon, Charlie and Rocco....and even from our cats (I'm not particularly a cat lover) especially Fred, he greeted me every morning and every evening when I returned home from work. Fred always had a hug & kiss for you....that's right a cat that would hug and kiss you...

If our pets can show us unconditional love........then Why can't we? Do we let our emotions get too involved, is this what prevents us from loving unconditionally, maybe?



Monday 11 June 2007

Forgiveness

During our life time we ask our family and friends to forgive us our wrongs.....and we ask God to forgive us our sins....some do this formally in confession others do this in their own ways through prayer, meditation or what ever way they are comfortable.......but we all ask for "Forgiveness"

Forgiveness frees my soul and it feels wonderful. In forgiveness I am giving my burden to God for him to handle it....in doing so my stress levels are down and anger isn't building up inside of me......eating at my soul.

There are still some things that I am trying to forgive but have a hard time doing so....I am taking small steps with these ones.....I know that if I could just say to my self I forgive that person and pass that burden onto God, I would not feel that anger and hatred that I do. I guess it is because I have let this burn deep inside of me for over 35 years, never understood the power of forgiveness.....so I take this task in steps and work on one thing at a time. I remember when I tried to forgive as a child.....I was only hurt again and have since built a wall that I am taking down piece by piece. I know someday I will be able to say that I forgive but I need time.

Everyone needs forgiveness.........sometimes it is just hard to give.


"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned, forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."

~Luke 6:37~


Sunday 10 June 2007

This is God's Country

Our children think we are crazy for wanting to live in the country.....of course they would rather be in the city and I can understand why.....they would be closer to their friends, work and the activities of teenagers..........They tell us you wouldn't waste so much gas driving us in and out of town.....and yes they are right on that point, but we look at the amount of gas we burn as a small sacrifice to live amongst Nature's Beauty.

The peace and quiet of country living......I wouldn't trade it for anything. There is no hustle and bustle of the city noises to distract us. Everywhere we turn we see God's handiwork.

The morning sunrise coming through the trees....it is like the Lord is saying "Good Morning" and at night as the sun sets and as the moon & stars rise into the nigh sky in all their beauty it is so breath taking.....The Northern Lights as they dance across the night sky in robes of pinks & greens....a feast for one's eyes in the grandeur and beauty, beyond words....

"This is"God's Country"



Every morning I awake to the sounds of birds singing, the rustling of leaves on a gentle breeze, the honking of a gaggle of geese on their north bound journey. Yes I know city dwellers hear these as well but there is no distraction from traffic and such noises common to the city.

Some nights we get a visit from a coyote or two....you can hear the rest of the pack off in the distance.....their mission is to incise our dog - Timon out so they can attack.....only thing they don't realize is that he is smarter than thet are than to fall for the call of the lone coyote.

We get bears that wonder in sometimes during the day and other times at night......they seem to be moving farther and farther to the south.....a couple of weeks ago 15 adult bears were spotted in the area......Each year for the longest time a mother bear and her cubs come waltzing down the drive so much to say "Hi!....I'm back and these are my babies" and my uncle chases them back down the road so much to tell her, "Hi.....now go back to the forest where you came from and we'll all be happy, we don't want any trouble now!" As cute and cuddly as these creature look, they are dangerous and we don't need them hanging around.



The deer gather in the field in front of the house and graze on the hay crop as it grows in the spring & summer and again in the fall & winter they graze on what is left on the ground from the harvest. It is truly a beautiful site to drive home after a day at work and see 5 or more deer in the field enjoying the bounty of nature. Yes they are much safer in the field than on the road.....you don't see them out too often during Hunting Season......

I truly love living in the country.....I feel so close to God here and I get to see his creations as they change with the seasons....and enjoy the beauty and splendor that comes with living here.......

Yes.......... this truly is
"GOD's Country!"







Saturday 9 June 2007

Memories

Memories we gather them all our life.........In everything we say, everything we do, every where we go memories are created. Every turn we take creates a new memory.....it is up to us what we do with it....do you store it away to recall another time or do we simply let it go, never to be thought of again until somethings sparks you to recall that time in your life.

I live on the farm where I grew up.....I have so many memories of those days..... Like when I could ride my bike with out wearing a helmet or when we got to ride in the box of the truck on a warm summers day or we had a BB Gun and we didn't shoot out anyone's eye....although my cousin did shoot me in the neck with the BB gun and for over 30 years I had always thought it was a bee that stung me until he confessed to me about it last year.

Heck I can remember riding on the fender of the tractor with my uncle feeding the cattle, usually I had to open and close the gate.....but those are memories that I wouldn't trade for anything. Today you don't see many farmers that let their kids ride on the fenders of the tractors.....

I remember one hot summer in the mid 70's when my cousins from Vernon were visiting after a hot dry spell......the rain came and left a hug mud puddle in the middle of our yard.......What did my cousins and I do, we put on our bathing suits, grabbed our toy cars (yes I played with toy cars too) and greeted that puddle with a splash and commenced to playing. We played for hours in the huge mud puddle out in the yard. At the end of the day Grandma didn't allow us in the house to clean up...No Sirree.....we had to hose off with the garden hose; which just sparked some more fun for the Gruesome Foursome..... I can close my eyes today and not only do I see us out there playing out in the middle of that huge puddle, mud from head to toe......I can hear the 4 of us laughing and have a great time.

Memories, ours to cherish for a life time....

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,
the things you are,
the things you never want to lose.


Wednesday 6 June 2007

Change is Good!

Today I brought home two boxes of my stuff from work, I didn't think I had that many personal items at the office......alot has been accumulated over the 8 years that I have been with Forest Service. Things that my kids have given me for my desk, things that I have received from co-workers, and things that I have collected over the years......it is really hitting me that I am moving on to a new job, new adventure, new experiences and new challenges along with a few other things....it is Scaring Me something awefull. I guess it is true what they say.....familiar is comfortable and one of the biggest things we fear is the "unknown" and I am fearing it more anyone knows.

I am going to miss the girls at the office......my sidekick....Sharon, my friend and shoulder to cry on.....Carole.....not only my supervisor but a dear friend.....you've helped me through some hard times....I am going to miss you both very much......Val, Andrea, Deb, Carole, Kietha, Barb, Brenda & Twila.....you girls are wonderful friends and I will miss you all.

Then there is Carman.....not one of the girls.......you always have a way of making me feel better about things....your humor and witt helps make the days go by.....I am going to miss you too. If you ever want to know anything about birds in Saskatchewan....Carman is the man!

There are many others that I am going to miss.....I am entrusting these Candice to take good care of them for me....I know she will do well at the Forest Service and enjoy her time greatly.

HiHo HiHo its off to HR I go...HiHoHiHo Tomorrow is my last day with SE Forest Service until October 1st. And in the words of one my favorite carton characters.....
"CHANGE IS GOOD.........DONKEY"

Monday 4 June 2007

Lets Go Senators Lets Go!

The Ottawa Senators, champions of the Eastern Conference square off against the Anaheim Ducks, the Western Conference winners, for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup.

"Lets Go Senators, Lets Go!"

As Game 4 is being played in the battle for the "Stanley Cup", I listen to they guys in my house cheer and sneer....getting an idea of what is happening in the game and how well each team is playing. Secretly it entices me enough to bravely enter where only the brave with go.......to take a seat in the living room amongst the testosterone levels that are rising minute by minute....... just to see what is happening in this all important game.

With 8 minutes left in the 2nd Period the score is 2 to 1 Anaheim...needless to say the guys in my house are not happy....Not at all.

It is interesting to listen to these guys cheer and gear from the couch.....it almost seems that they think the more they yell at the t.v. the better the players will hear them

The cheers are rising now as Ottawa scores to tie the game with 9 seconds left in the period......from what I understand this is something that the Senators are well known to do.....at least in his opinion.

If the Senators pull off a win tonight they are going to have to work hard for but it will be well deserved.

Although I don't know a whole lot about hockey, I do that the Spirit of Hockey is alive and well in Canada. The fans pack the stadium's at each game and the cheering is amazing. The come wearing the jersey of their favorite player, some paint their faces, some even dye their hair in their teams colors and the less adventurous wear wigs. Our fans are known to drown out the person singing our National Anthem.....Oh Canada.......just another way to show our pride for our country and our athletes. No matter how you put it Canada has some of the best fans in the world.

The battle is all about this silver cup known as the "STANLEY CUP" and the right to hoist it in Victory. The winning team gains bragging rights as the best in the league until the battle begins all over again next year.

The Stanley Cup notably the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America, was donated in 1892 by Sir Fredrick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston and son of the Earl of Derby. He purchased the trophy for 10 Guineas ($50.00 at that time) to be presented to "the championship hockey club of the Dominion of Canada." The first team ever awarded the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893.

The Stanley Cup originated in Canada.......Lets keep it in Canada

"Lets Go Senators, Lets Go!"

Sunday 3 June 2007

Success.........


Behind Every Successful Woman......
Is Herself

Success can be reached by anyone that wants it.....Success comes in many forms....Success just doesn't mean succeeding in your career or having a lot of money or being first in a race. Success is measured in many ways.....

I have succeeded as a mother......when I look at my children and see them fall and make their own mistakes I worry for them but when they come to me for advice or tell me I should have listened to you or just share with me what is happening in their life.....I know then that I have succeeded as they see that I am not just "MOM" but I do know what I am talking about and there when they need me.

I have succeeded as wife.....My husband and I work together, we make decisions about our children, our home, vacations, pets and many others. I encourage my husband to be the best that he can be and I remind him that he is the best he can and he should always reach for the best. I see the success I have achieved as a wife every time my husband tells me he loves me and would be lost without me.

I have succeeded as a daughter.......I see that every time my dad tells me he loves me and how proud he is of me. My dad calls me every day just to say hi!

I have succeeded in my career.......For awhile there I thought I would never go any further than I had until the day came that I got an interview. I had applied for a few other jobs similar to what I was doing and never got an interview....well this time not only did I get the interview I was offered the job. It is a term position for 3.5 months but never the less I got the interview and ultimately I got the job.

I have succeeded at being a friend......this I know because I have friends...true friends that will be by my side no matter what....even if it to help me plot revenge on some deserving soul....they won't be able to bail me out of jail because they will be there beside me as we would have found trouble together......

Success can be measured in so many ways and yes we can say we succeeded because of this or that but most of all we can credit our success to ourselves.....because ultimately we are in control of our destiny.

Success it is yours to have.....you just have to want it!

Saturday 2 June 2007

Relay for Life 2007 Photos









































6:30 am members of the Studs & Peelers relaxing after an evening of walking and companionship. Thank you to all those that stopped by to visit, it was really nice to see.

The Prince Albert Pipe Band played for the lighting of the luminaries. After they walked from site to site playing a tune. Little did we know we had a Highland dancer amongst us......Deb entertained us with her dancing as the pipe band played on, she also scored us $1,000 in Relay Bucks....which we later used in the silent auction. Way to go Deb!

As we walked through the evening, into the night and into the morning luminaries lite up the track in Honour of loved ones fighting cancer & survivors or in Memory of those that now have gone home to be with our LORD.

Throughout the evening I took the time to remember my mom - Lillian Gardner, my Uncle Ralph Sharpen, my best friend Cheryl Thompson, cousin-in-law Darren Smith, friend & co-worker Sharon Clark and my mother & father-in-law Barbara & John Sheremata who have all gone home to be with the LORD. I also took the time to honor those that have won their battle with Cancer and those currently battling Cancer.

Relay for Life

Hope is what the "Relay for Life" is all about. Hope for a new cure......Hope for new treatments......Hope for new/improved medications.......Hope for many tomorrows......Hope for Cancer to be nothing more than a memory.
"Hope" for some it is all we have to hold on too!

The 12 hour relay raised more than $161, 000 in Prince Albert, with 12 of the 14 Relay's reporting in. Saskatchewan raised over 1.2 million dollars for Cancer Research.....Saskatchewan we have something to be really proud of! Our pride shone brightly last night, keep it up Saskatchewan. There are 8 more Relay events happening over the next 3 weeks.

With 81 teams registered, Carlton Comprehensive High School came out on top raising $16, 000 and Kids for A Cure....a team of 11 year olds took second, they raised $9,096......This is the 3rd relay for these kids......Way to go everyone......These youth of today are an inspiration to all, their drive and vision hasn't gone unnoticed. We are all proud of you kids!

"Studs & Peelers" raised $6,900......Yea Team.......We did it again.......our efforts have paid off once more. The Saskatchewan Environment Forest Service "STUDS & PEELERS" work hard the entire year fundraising for Cancer Research. We are a team with a big heart, a lot of imagination and a strong desire to give. We are already working on ideas for fundraising for 2008 Relay for Life....we are thinking......A CALENDER......yes that is correct a calender....ya

Our team is not only the 10 sleep deprived Studs & Peelers that stay awake for 12 hours to walk around and around the track. Our team is also our co-workers, with out them we wouldn't be able to have the pie sales, BBQ's, Pancake Breakfasts, Silent Auctions or the pop bottles to turn in. Thank you to all you and your generosity.

At 7 am after our final lap and awards we all went our separate ways to the comfort home and off to bed to get some much needed sleep. Red Bull does give you wings....with out one of them last night I am sure you could have caught sitting in my chair by our fire catching a few winks.

Good Night....or is it Good Morning........

Friday 1 June 2007

Studs & Peelers De-Barked

The Canadian Cancer Society 12 hour Relay for Life starts tonight at 7pm. The Studs & Peelers have been an active part of the relay since the beginning in 2001. In 2003 we set the total raised by a single team to a new height raising nearly $9000 and not to be out done we set the bar even higher in 2004 raising a little over $12,000. Each year we do really well in our efforts to raise money for such a worthy cause.

The Relay for Life is a celebration of survival and a tribute to the lives of loved ones who have been touched by cancer. Twelve hours of fun, friendship and fundraising to beat cancer. Communities from coast to coast, taking up the fight.

As you can see by the photo the Studs & Peelers de-barked for the occasion or did we......Only the river will know! The looks we received as mothers pushed their little ones in strollers passed, you could see one of the moms take a quick peek back.....I am certain she was checking out our 3 "Studs" probably wishing they were standing next to one of them. Cars drove by ever so slowly having to take a second look as they couldn't believe their eyes people posing naked on the river bank.........OH MY GOD! They're naked, naked I tell you.......The river bank will never be the same especially now that the Studs & Peelers de-barked for the cause.

I don't know anyone whose lives haven't been touched by cancer in some way or another. Each year our team dedicates our relay to someone. This year each of us are dedicating to someone close to us. I am dedicating my relay to my mom, she lost her battle to cancer in 1966. Each year I walk for my mom along with my best friend Cheryl who lost her battle at 16 years old to Spinal Cord Cancer, my Uncle Ralph, cousin in law Darren Smith and my mother and father in law John & Barbara Sheremata.

My mom, I never knew but my Angel she is, watching over me, I love you. Cheryl my best friend, I miss you more than some will ever know. I think of you often and remember how we used to sit and talk about boys...oh those were good days. It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since you left us to be with the LORD. Uncle Ralph, I love you, miss you and know that you are with us in spirit. Darren now you can soar with the eagles as you did once when you flew your plane. Barbara, I never had the pleasure to meet you, but through your son I feel I know you so well. John, I miss our tea time each evening when you told me stories of your life, growing up and being a husband and father, some good and some bad but never the less we shared some good times together over a pot of "Earl Grey Tea".

This year I also remember a dear friend & co-worker Sharon Clark, who lost her battle last year in the early hours of the Saturday morning of the relay (June 4, 2006). Sharon was an inspiration to me as well as to many others. I learned from Sharon to never give up no matter what you face. Sharon also taught me to live life now and not wait for something to happen. Sharon's motto was I have far to many people to love and even more to torment to give up living. I am going to do everything I can to beat this. Sharon I miss you and admire you greatly. You will be in my heart and in my thoughts tonight as I walk around and around and around the track each step closer to a cure.

Lets make Cancer History!