Scratchings in the Dirt

Lesson (re)learned

2012-02-16T10:22:00.001-07:00

So after a few, let's say, "interesting" days, our parenting crisis, though unresolved, is pretty much over. And, on the bonus side, I learned yet again that you cannot change how other people act, only how you react. Folks, I am here to report that I reacted in a calm and logical manner (thanks to lessons learned in the aforementioned incident - plus a few other ones caused by having children). Nothing has really changed, but I am satisfied that we did all we could do to ensure the safety and well-being of our child. The other child, well, that's up to his parents. We methodically informed any and all authorities that needed to know of the situation, starting with the parents, and left it to them to do their thing. I'm not overly impressed with some of the responses, or lack thereof, but hey - that's life. Besides, I have hockey games to attend!!

Derek's team met their third loss of the season on Tuesday night in Spiritwood. The Timberwolves are a big, fast team with a whole lot of heart. There was some very good hockey played. The score would have been more in our favour if our team could magically gain about thirty years' experience and learn that important lesson - that you can only control how you act in a situation (see above!). They have only lost a total of about ten games since they began hockey, and adversity is not their strong suit. It seems as though whenever our opponents get a goal or two ahead, our players start getting down on themselves and then blaming each other. Doesn't make for great team cohesion - while we're busy nitpicking on each other, the other team keeps scoring! So we're down three goals when Spiritwood comes back on the 26th for the second game of this third provincial round - stay tuned!

Meanwhile, the Tigers remain unbeaten in league play and take on the Eston-Eatonia-Leader team in the first round of playoffs. That starts tonight, but I'll have to miss due to a prior commitment.

We are currently showing our former houseguest, the stomach flu, to the door. It's been a rough few days for Derek and me. Clem is on the phone buying stocks in Purel - he has used so much hand sanitizer that he's driven up the share price.

One of our billets flew the coop last week. I think he was homesick, and the timing was good for him to catch a ride back to Hay River. We will miss him. Clem even had a few tears when he put him on the bus to Edmonton. Our Minnesota billet is sticking out the rest of the gloomy season (13 to 1 loss last night - ouch.) before heading back to Minnesota this weekend. He is much more outgoing than our NWT friend, so I'm thinking the house will be mighty quiet next week. Oh, wait - I forgot. There's no school next week - some kind of break. Not sure which, I can't seem to keep track! But Derek will be home, keeping things hopping.

I'll be home, as well, since I finished my job at the library. Now I can try to catch up on all of the approximately 1400 projects we've started around here. Clem is trying to get me downstairs to ~~clean~~ ~~organize~~ throw out things so he can continue with the reno he's doing down there. Slowly, slowly.

We've both started walking on his new treadmill. (That's why we need to fix up the basement - for the big screen TV needed for walking!) It's out in the studio right now, and we load up a netflix movie and walk and watch. Works pretty good (except for the tiny screen), and there's no ice. And btw, he still can't catch me.

Received some photos of Brendan's little guy. They are beautiful, as is Sawyer!, but they just make me want to go there even more. Maybe, when those 1400 projects are done. But by then he'll be in college and won't want some doddering old aunt hanging around.

And that's about it for news around here. Clem is waiting around for my new washer and dryer to be delivered. Apparently we wash a lot of clothes....

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Parenting - twenty years in

2012-02-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've been a parent for nearly twenty years (ouch - it physically hurts to say that!) and I think I've learned a few things. I think. One thing I have learned is that we very often have to learn things by making mistakes. As children and as parents. My kids and I, especially, seem to possess this trait. Sometimes no amount of instruction, lecturing, or explaining will work. You just have to figure it out for yourself.

Derek has been having a personality conflict with a "friend" and teammate. They just seem to clash. We've explained over and over to him that if he would just ignore his friend's behaviour, it would stop and/or change. But Derek has a hard time letting things go. He needs to see fairness and justice in all situations. So he reacts. Usually in a negative manner. And then he gets in trouble. What's a parent to do?

Six years ago, I thought I knew what to do. Adam was in a similar situation, with a similar personality, and with the same reactions. So I called the other parents. And I was honest when the mother wanted to know why the other kids didn't like hers. Big mistake. BIG mistake. Plus, I learned that not only was her precious child an idiot*, so was mine. (As you probably already know, there are always three sides to every story - yours, theirs, and the truth. If you didn't know that, please keep it in mind if you are a parent with a precious little child.) After a few years of politely tolerating each other (Adam and his friend, and me and the mother) things have cooled down and all is well again. (It helps that we normally travel in different circles now.) And I learned to get all the facts before accusing anyone of anything. Usually. Still working on that one. Mother bear and all that, you know.

So here we sit, waiting for a call back from Derek's friend's dad. Clem, to whom I sometimes refer as "Mr. Diplomat", is going to answer the phone. Just sayin'.

And the moral of this rambling monologue? All I really know is that I don't know much. That, and it really sucks that our children have to be guinea pigs as we experiment with this parenting thing.

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

*All children become idiots when they turn 13. I'm not singling anyone out. I can't tell you how long it lasts, as I'm still waiting for it to end. There are small signs of intelligence again at 19, though. I'll keep you posted.

PS: Any comments from that "Anonymous" person who knows everything about parenting will be deleted. Sign your name or ~~zip your lip~~ quit typing!

Quick Takes - January edition

2012-01-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

1. It's foggy today. It rained yesterday. Last week it was -40. Gotta love winter in Saskatchewan.

2. Derek's team had a great hockey weekend, going three for three. We went to Lashburn to meet Maidstone for the first round of Provincial B hockey playoffs. Only saw about 10 minutes of the game, though, as Derek's buddy took a hit into the boards and broke his collarbone. Since his mom had traveled up with me, I became the ambulance driver. We (carefully) raced back to Unity (I love my Honda!), where they have a great doctor who got him fixed up in no time. I had to wait an hour in town for Derek to get back with the team - that's how quick they were at the hospital. Oh, and the team won 7 to 1. The next night it was off to Outlook to play Conquest in a league game. It was a bit of a sleeper (we won 8 to 1), but the booth offered up some good eatin's and we got to see my dear Uncle Tony. Sunday was a trip to Unity for another game. Although the Kerrobert-native coach would have loved to beat us, it was not to be. Derek started off the scoring with a nice low slap from the blue line for a 4 to 1 win.

3. Adam is alive and kicking. I haven't actually seen him since Christmas, but I get these great one-word texts ("ya", "K") when he replies, 24 hours later, to my queries, so I know all is well.

4. Stephen has returned to the great white north, but not before getting into a little trouble at the local arena. It seems discipline/justice is fairly discretionary in our little town, and "incidents" are dealt with according to who sees what and who you happen to be. Not that my little boy is innocent - oh no, he can mix it up with the best (worst?) of them - but it would be nice to experience just a little fairness once in a while. That's all I'm asking. Why, oh why, do I continue to hope for that? You'd think I'd learn. After all, you can see the bruise on my forehead from banging my head against the wall...

5. The Rage is continuing to suck slough water, poor guys. They lost three for three on a big road trip last weekend. It can't be the fault of our billets, though. They are very dedicated to the game. They went to the gym last night, and they still aren't home. They will be in extremely good shape! Not sure why they needed the poker chips, though....

6. I am awaiting what I'm sure will be amazing photos of little Sawyer. Brendan promised.

7. Clem is off to the dentist today for four crowns, and not the kind you wear on your head. Sucks to be him.

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Welcome, Sawyer!

2012-01-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Clem's nephew, Brendan, and his partner, Kristy, have made him a great-uncle. Brendan - actor, writer, all-around-nice-guy) has done some pretty amazing things in his short life, but this is probably his best accomplishment! Little Sawyer arrived on January 13, a few days late but we certainly forgive him. He's just too cute! I'm thinking it may be time for a return trip to Toronto!!

Bye for now!
Chandra

Welcome back!

2012-01-09T12:08:00.003-07:00

Back to hockey talk, that is. We are back in the full swing of all things rink-related. Derek had a tournament in North Battleford on the weekend, and it was a really good time. The boys won their first three games to take first in their pool, but then lost the semi-final game Sunday morning to a really strong team from Kinistino/Birch Hills. We saw some good hockey. And we had a lot of fun. This is hard for me to believe, but it was the first time Clem and I were ever at one of the boys' tournaments together! I guess one of us always had to stay home for another son's games. We made the most of it, and enjoyed lots of time with some other hockey parents while the kids hung out together, swimming or eating or whatever they do when their parents are all in a hotel room having "refreshments" and laughing a lot. Derek's playing has improved a lot this year. He is doing some nice hitting and passing, and has a lot more confidence out there. And his recaps of the games are hilarious! He talked all the way home yesterday.

It was nice to come back to a house in the same condition as we left it. That didn't always happen when our boys were all living here!! Ben is back from his Christmas break at home in the NWT, and we have another billet again, Dustin from Minnesota. They seem to be getting along well, and I can find no evidence of a party in our absence, so all is good. The Rage won their game last night, which was nice to see, as it was only their fifth win this season, and the first time they've ever won two games in a row! Maybe things are looking up!

So that's about it around here. Thanks for stopping in!
Chandra

Blame it on Facebook.

2012-01-02T21:00:00.002-07:00

Or Pinterest. Or even perhaps my new ereader. I've been busy with a little me-time, and it's been good. For me, that is, but then I guess that's the point! But today I got the Christmas out of the house (for that fabulous once-a-year spacious feeling) and started getting myself organized for 2012. It absolutely amazes me that it is now the year 2012. That means that I will turn 47 this year (which, when my mother was that age, was ancient), our oldest child will be 20, and we will be married for 23 years. How in the world does that happen? I guess I blinked. Actually, on second thought, this progression of time is good; it is how it should be, and perhaps realizing how fast it happens will cause me to live more in the moment and to savour those moments.

I did get to do a little of that this Christmas. I was actually ready for Christmas this year (as long as no one went looking in any drawers or cupboards), and was able to enjoy a few extra things, like a cookie-decorating party for my niece and a couple of good-looking little cousins. What fun! The weather has been unseasonably warm this winter, and Derek has the dugout in prime skating condition. We took advantage of that a few times. And when I say we, I mean people who can skate. Definitely not me.

I spent the week before Christmas finishing up some last-minute stuff, having some friends over for supper, and attending a the funeral of a wonderful lady, Madge Knorr, where I saw people I haven't seen for years. Many, many years. And although it was a terribly sad occasion, it was good to catch up with old friends. Savour those moments, people!

Then for Christmas, my whole family, minus our Santiago-dwelling sister Lisa, was here. We spent Christmas Eve at Mom and Dad's farm, visiting and eating and playing cards. Christmas Day found them all at our farm for more visiting, eating, and a bit of skating. Derek also shared some of his newly-acquired guitar playing skills and wowed the crowd. Dylan joined the Huck crew, too, as his mom is at their Mexican casa and his dad was heading back to Fort Mac to work. Copper is at the perfect age for Christmas, and delighted us all with her excitement and wonder. And little Rogan really seemed to enjoy his first Christmas. It is definitely a more magical time when there are children around!

Jason outdid himself once again with the turducken. It was scrumptious, although there may or may not have been a bit too much bacon involved. And since I'm all about savouring the moment now, Clem hid behind the camera and took some great shots.

Boxing Day was back out at Mom and Dad's, and my Uncle Tony and cousin Tim joined us for the day. There was more visiting and eating (you may be noticing a pattern developing) and watching a couple of hockey games. Oh, and playing with cute little kids.

The rest of the week was all about visiting and eating leftovers and reading and napping and drinking wine and watching hockey on TV. It was terrific! It is my favourite time of the year. I am renewed and ready again to take on whatever life has to throw at me. If you had a crystal ball, you would be seeing hockey rinks and farm receipts right now. It probably won't throw much more than that!

So thanks for checking in - you are such a patient group! - and may 2012 bring you health and happiness!
Chandra

Quick Takes

2011-11-28T10:54:00.001-07:00

1. It feels like spring here. The temperatures have been above freezing for nearly a week, which is rather a rarity in these parts in late November.

2. A shout out to two of my favourite aunts (aren't they all?), who are celebrating their birthdays today. They are fabulous ladies, and I am blessed to be part of such a wonderful family.

3. It is also my parents' anniversary today, so "Happy Anniversary", you two! Thanks for getting hitched and staying that way!

4. Adam came to visit yesterday. He was hungry. His new room-mate doesn't like to pay rent or buy groceries, but he really likes eating. Makes for not so nice living arrangements and an empty fridge. On the upside, Adam drove himself here! Yessirree, he has his license back. And his brother's car. That may be another reason he can't afford groceries...

5. Stephen came to visit yesterday, too. Well, not so much visit as take things. He needed some warm duds for work, where he goes tomorrow. He didn't eat, though, as he apparently had a really good time the night before and was feeling a little under the weather. He got in a few hockey games while he was on days off, but his presence didn't seem to help, and the Rage remains in bottom place in the league with very few marks in the win column. We've got heart, though!

6. We now have only one billet, a very nice young man from Hay River, NWT. He has a part-time job in town. It's supposed to be full-time, but he has a getting-up problem. I'm thinking he will shortly have a no-time job.

7. Derek continues to amuse us with his teen-age antics. (Excuse me while I remove my tongue from my cheek.) He's having another great hockey year, and his team remains undefeated at 6 and 0. His report card wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be - he will live another day.

8. Clem's friend is building us new doors for the kitchen cupboards. I am excited. And sick about the work that entails - cleaning, rearranging, painting. Oh well, I will add it to the list!

9. I got to see my nephew the other day for a wee visit. He really is adorable, and so bright. And he has the most gorgeous big brown eyes. Almost perfect, really, especially if you ask his dad. And we will all get to enjoy him and my cute-patootie niece for Christmas this year, when my whole family will join us Christmas Day. Well, except Lisa, unless she surprises us from Chile. But we will have the Skype ready.

10. I've been busy with the Junior hockey team, three choirs, and my work at the library. Clem is, as he likes to say, on days off. Although he is getting a few little jobs done around here. He hurt his wrist at harvest, though, and it has been giving him a lot of grief. He's been doctoring, and hopefully they can soon diagnose and treat it!

So that's about it from the Schaefel ranch. Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

Fall

2011-10-17T10:15:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling a little 'unanchored' these days. Fall has always been my favourite season (although I have been known to waffle a bit with spring), but this year I am resenting it for some reason. Maybe I am resisting change in all forms, or perhaps the idea of fall is just hitting too close to home in the age department. Whatever. But I started taking early morning walks with a friend again, and I'm coming around to the beauty of the season. So I got my camera out - and realized I've been missing being behind the lens. Here is a bit of what I've seen from there!

I love the skies!

Finally took some time to get some shots of this old bin that has been calling me for a while now!

And here are some photos from Derek's football, which, as you can tell by the smile on his face, he loves!!!

He's a little bigger than the rest!

Best buds.

When I went to download the pictures from the camera, I found that Derek had been using it, and captured some great shots!!

Thanks for checking in! Please sign your name if you leave a comment - I'm sure you aren't all named "anonymous"!!

Chandra

Anniversary day

2011-10-07T10:27:00.000-06:00

Twenty-two years ago, I married my best friend. It was a gorgeous fall day - unlike today - and we were surrounded by friends and family. Literally. Do you have any idea how big my family is? When we watch the video of the wedding, it always appears as though the church is leaning to one side - the bride's side! Luckily, many friends came from Calgary and other parts to even things out. I recall suggesting we just put a general invite in the local paper, as it would have saved a lot of time and postage!! But seriously, it was incredible to have all those people come to help us celebrate. And we did celebrate. The evening was full of humour and song, and my mom always says it was one of the nicest weddings she had ever attended.

And speaking of my mom, it's her birthday today, and it's a big one. Let's just say she's eyeing up a spot at the public trough. Two of my brothers are enroute to help her celebrate the big day, although it is my belief they are just going for the turkey supper.

It was Clem's birthday yesterday. When we were picking a wedding date, I thought having his birthday the day before our anniversary would help him to remember. I was wrong. But that's OK. He's perfect in (almost) every other way. I really lucked out. I couldn't have found a kinder, more thoughtful and loving life partner. I often hear women complaining about their husbands, and I am always so grateful that I really don't have anything to complain about!

Adam is getting his license back! Originally they said he would have to wait another six months and take more counselling, but he went through an appeal process and prevailed! Apparently the system is somewhat skewed against teen drivers, but the lady he worked with found him very honest and sincere, and went to bat for him. She rocks! He is now working at a local oilfield service business which pays quite well while he decides what he really wants to do with his life. It is so good to see him smiling and laughing again!

Stephen is on his second shift up north. He seems to like the job, and is catching on to how things work. He and his room-mate were busy setting up house while he was home, and I giggled to myself as I watched yet another of my sons discover the high cost of living on one's own! Stephen is playing with the local junior hockey team when he is home. Two of the other players are billeting here. They are from Kelowna, and we are kept amused (?) as the all-knowing teen-age city slickers learn about farm life and small-town Saskatchewan.

Derek enjoys having other kids around, although the feeling may not always be mutual. He is back in the thick of things with school, football, and hockey. He is also looking for ways to make money, so if you need a big strong boy with the gift of the gab for any small job, he's your man!

I went looking for a picture from our wedding to put on here, but I'm too old and tired to dig through the boxes piled up in the still-to-be-refinished basement. So here's a more recent one. Just think younger and thinner. And I was wearing white.

Thanks for stopping by, and we wish you many Thanksgiving blessings!

Chandra

Quick takes

2011-09-20T10:06:00.000-06:00

1. Stephen is arriving home today from his two-week stint up north. He's an operator in an oilfield near Fort Nelson, but that is absolutely all I know about his work. That, and his quad doesn't have power steering. Perhaps he'll be more forthcoming in person than he was while texting. I will ply him with food - we are planning a belated birthday supper for him this week. He celebrated his 18th birthday in a dry camp. Oh, the irony.

2. We are getting two Jr. B hockey billets. I've been cleaning.

3. Clem and I attended my aunt's funeral last week. It was a beautiful service. Clem sang a very moving hymn, and later had little old ladies coming up to book him for their funerals. He could be a busy guy! It was so good to reconnect with most of my paternal relatives, even if it was such a sad occasion. More good memories were created.

4. I traveled with a friend to the big lights of Saskatoon to meet some of the others with whom we traveled to Africa. Norm was bringing back the boy he had been sponsoring at Ussongo for a few years. Kisamo, 18, has a two-year visa, and will go to school in Humboldt and possibly university if he can qualify. It was great to see some of the 'gang', and Norm was touched that we would drive in to meet them.

5. Harvest has been interrupted for a couple of days due to the weather. The machinery has been holding up, thank goodness, and the flax is almost all swathed. I finally got out to take a few photos; unfortunately, it was when I was supposed to be at choir practice. Oops.

Here's Derek picking up some lentil swaths.

And posing for the camera. Mr Hollywood with his fancy Oakleys!

And here's Adam straight-cutting wheat (which this year is hard to find in the wild oats!!)

Such a pretty sky - even a few geese in the distance!

6. My cana lily bloomed before it froze this year, something of a rarity here. Such a beautiful flower.

7. Derek had to get new skates - again. His shoe size is the same as his age - 13 - and I see no light at the end of the tunnel. I have heard horror stories from other parents about special-ordering skates. I don't even want to think about it.

And that's about it. Thanks for checking in!

Chandra

Yucky

2011-09-07T10:29:00.000-06:00

That's how I feel right now. We just learned that Brad McCrimmon died in a plane crash in Russia, along with most of the hockey team he was coaching there. Brad is from Plenty, and although I only met him once, was by all accounts a great guy. He will be sorely missed. My brothers met him, and had their picture taken with him, when he brought the Stanley Cup to Plenty one year. Good memories. RIP Brad.

Add to that the fact that my aunt is very ill, and the yucky feeling grows. I made a quick trip to visit her the other day, and although it was hard to see her like that, I'm glad I went. She has had a tough life, and fought many health issues over the years. My favorite memory of her is helping her wash vegetables one summer day when we stopped at their farm. She told me many stories about her mom, the grandma I never knew. It was such a special time. So we are praying hard for her and for her family. You can, too, if you like!

Poor Clem is still fighting with the combine. It's too early to tell who will win, but I hope it's Clem, because with this hot weather, the crops will be ready in no time!

Thanks for stopping by.
Chandra

My glamorous life.

2011-08-31T11:34:00.000-06:00

I feel so privileged to not have a real job. Instead, I get to stay home and do fun things like scrub the garbage cans (because my guys have as good an aim there are they do in the bathroom!) But I also get to be home when my baby leaves for his first day of Grade 8. I was informed last night that there would be NO pictures taken of his first day of school this year. None. Nada. End of discussion. So you will just have to imagine the idyllic scene - 6 foot, husky 'boy' running out the door, almost forgetting his lunch and book bag, to get on the bus that was waiting in the yard (yep, the one he had heard drive down the road and then remarked "bus is here"). I had to 'lovingly' rouse him from his bed an hour earlier, and then 'lovingly' remind him to not take too long in the shower as the house was filling with steam, and then 'lovingly' ask him to feed his dog (the one that has taken to sleeping in the front flower bed again). Oh, what glamour. My spidey sense is telling me that this is going to be another looooong school year. That, and the talk mail informing us that there will be early dismissal the first Thursday of each month. You know what tomorrow is? The second day of school, and THE FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH. Seriously. Early dismissal on the second day of school. I think I will start a pool to see who can guess how soon I will receive the first "Mrs. Schraefel" phone call from the school. Got to keep this glamorous lifestyle going!

Well, Stephen made it home from Australia - eventually. My favourite national airline got him from Calgary to Sydney and back to Vancouver before deciding to make my life hell again. We had gone to Calgary the night before he was to arrive, and knew he had landed in Vancouver at 9 in the morning. The next text said he missed his connection, that he was on stand-by, and it would probably be 8:30 that night before he could get on a flight. So, after spending $3000, we spent another $200 and got another, much easier-to-deal-with airline to fly him home. I think I will start a Westjet fan club. Just after he got home, he started looking for another place to call his own. He and a buddy are renting a house in K-town, and he starts his sort-of-new job on Tuesday. He is going back to work at Fort Nelson, where he had a summer job last year. He works two weeks in and then has two weeks off, and they now have a charter flight out of Kindersley. The only thing I'm too worried about is what he'll do with two weeks off!

I've been spending some time at the lake. Clem graciously got me a laptop (there's that glamorous life again!) so that I could do the farm books while holidaying in the camper! Actually, I've quite enjoyed it - lots of me time, in the fresh air, no mosquitoes, and hardly any other campers. And I got the books caught up!

While I was lazing at the lake, Clem and the boys have been attempting to harvest. It's been swather tag around here - as Clem gets one swather going, the other one breaks down. He said if we had any money he'd have bought a new one by now. He probably could have with what he's spent on parts! The upside is that to keep the operators busy, the summerfallowing is also getting done. Thanks, Adam! The peas have been combined and are in the bin awaiting purchase by some lucky buyer. They are really nice this year. Derek is the newest combine operator on the Schraefel ranch, and is loving it. He was just pumped when he got the call from dad to fill his water jug and head out! Hope that excitement for the job lasts for a few years.

We have been enjoying the bounty from the garden again this year - corn, cucumbers, and tomatoes right now. The freezer is full of beans, and the cold room will be stuffed with potatoes and carrots. I grew kohlrabi this year for the first time - it will get planted again next year! There is absolutely nothing like fresh garden produce!!

That's about all the glamour for now. Stay tuned for harvest pictures!
Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Stephen is American???

2011-08-07T08:45:00.000-06:00

I just saw on Facebook - herald of all that is true and occurring - that the USA Eagles beat the Central Coast Rhinos in the final game of the Australian International Ice Hockey Cup. And, lo and behold, there was my son, wearing an American jersey, in the team's victory picture. Will wonders never cease? Actually, I need one more wonder, at least. I need Stephen to be on the plane that lands in Calgary tomorrow morning. We haven't heard anything at all from him since before the final game, so I really hope he makes his flight!

Hmmm....what's on my camera?

2011-08-06T09:03:00.001-06:00

My goodness, what a busy month. It felt busy, and then when I looked to see what pictures were on the camera, it was confirmed!

Stephen has been having a blast 'down under'. They played their last game last night, and I imagine they are 'celebrating", to put it mildly. There are some photos and videos on the website (click here) if you are interested. Stephen is #15, and you'll see him banging his stick on the ice after allowing the other team to score! He flies into Calgary Monday morning, so Clem and I will go tomorrow and do a little visiting before we pick him up at the airport.

Derek has been having a wonderful summer. His good friend's family has invited him twice to go to the lake with them. He is there now. He also got to go with Lisa to visit Rob and family at Amber's family cabin for a few days. It was good for him to get some one-on-one time with his aunts and uncle, and they didn't seem to mind too much!

Lisa was here from Chile for a couple of weeks. It is 'winter' there, so to speak, so she was happy to enjoy some Saskatchewan/Alberta sunshine. It was great to see her again, too!

Kerrobert celebrated its Centennial in July. Clem and I were rather involved with many of the events, so it was somewhat exhausting. But it was great to see so many people here, especially some of the Schraefel clan. All of Clem's siblings were home, even Carl! We had a wonderful visit here at the farm the night before the festivities began.

Chris' son, Brendan, and his partner, Kristy, were here from Toronto. Some of you will recognize him from "Men With Brooms" or the Trident Splash commercials. He is just starting his new role as a daddy - yahoo!

Mark's family visited a couple of weeks prior to the Centennial, although not all at once. They arrived in shifts, so to speak. It was so good to see them all again, especially little Sara, Nick's daughter. I love being an auntie!

I always like to get a shot of these birthday 'twins'. They are never quite as thrilled!

Clem was very busy designing and building a portable stage, with the help of many others. It belongs to our Jr. B hockey team, and was to be used for the Centennial street dance that got rained out. Like, really rained out - two inches in a very short time. But we managed to keep the party going in the rink, and the stage worked well the next day for the sod-turning for our new hospital.

We had fun getting it into town!

I have been keeping busy in the garden, although this year has been extra fun because a good friend is joining me in the work in exchange for some of the harvest. There is always more than we can use anyway, so it is a very advantageous arrangement for me!

Here is what the garden looked like on July 7:

And here it is at the end of July:

It's amazing what some heat and rain will do! We are so enjoying all the fresh goodies. Clem always says he feels so good at this time of the year.

I also spend a big of time in the flower gardens. They are looking quite fine this year, as well!

Found this lupine growing in the back of the garden - not sure how it got there, but it is a welcome addition!

The last photo found on the camera is of the infamous Grad barn outside of town. You can see Stephen's name on the very top left side. (He calls himself Steve.) I'm glad I wasn't there to see him do the painting! Yikes!

And that's it - you're all caught up! Feels good, doesn't it? ;)

Thanks for stopping in!

Chandra

A little more elbow room in the nest!

2011-07-02T08:19:00.000-06:00

Well, Stevie Wonder left the nest this morning. He did pretty well with his plan to not sleep until he left (I inadvertently omitted his ~~determination~~ ~~stubbornness~~ pig-headedness when listing his traits in the last post), but I sure wouldn't want to be in his company for the next little while. Or maybe he was just being so miserable to us so that we wouldn't miss him while he's gone. Ya. That's probably it. We'll go with it, anyway.

The graduation ceremonies and celebrations went quite well. Suffice it to say that I am happy to wait five years for the next one. All the grads looked stunning in their finery, and totally enjoyed their day. I'll let the pictures tell the story!

Only one picture of little Rogie Perogie - bad auntie!

These two have always been good friends. Their great-great-grandparents were friends, and the families have stayed close. Love it!

This was, quite obviously, towards the end of the night. He was fading fast!

Good bartending, though!

So that's it for now! I may just go have a nap - this old body can't keep teenager hours and get away with it for very long. And hopefully there will be a call from Australia letting us know our little boy is OK!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

My baby is graduating

2011-06-30T08:48:00.001-06:00

My middle baby, that is. I'm not sure why these things always blind-side me the morning of the big day. I mean, it's not like I haven't known it was coming up. For heaven's sake, there have been countless meetings (seriously, countless), clothes ordered and prepared, housecleaning, invitations sent, hall decorating, portapotties delivered - you name it, I've done it. And then this morning I get all weepy because my little boy is going to graduate from high school and move away. Well, duh.

Stephen is pretty excited to be done school. Academics is not really his strong suit. But I think he is way more excited about his trip to Australia. He leaves on Saturday. His plan is to stay awake from now until the plane leaves on Saturday night so that he can sleep the entire 16-hour flight. I'll let you know how that goes.

It's weird, but I'm not worried about Stephen heading off to another country on his own. He has always been able to handle himself well, and isn't scared to try new things. He is a problem solver. I think he is energized by new and different situations, but gets bored easily and needs to move on to the next thing. I can't imagine where he gets that from (she says with her tongue in her cheek). He doesn't always make the smartest choices, but then I guess that's how one learns. At least that's how I did it! And there's not a whole lot more I can do for him, anyway. We did what we could with what we knew at the time, and I do see glimpses of some of that instruction at times, when he thinks I'm not watching. He's still not too willing to admit that we might know something. I'm told that comes a little later. I am worried that he will never be able to get up in the morning without me yelling at him, though. I guess we'll see how that goes, too!

So that's all the introspection for now, folks. Stay tuned for a post on the big day, complete with photos. Until then, you can take a walk down memory lane with me if you like, right here.

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Happy Birthday, Adam!

2011-06-17T11:26:00.000-06:00

My baby is nineteen today. My first baby, that is. As the book reads, "as long as you're living, my baby you'll be." So very true.

I remember so well the day he was born. It was a gorgeous summer - hot days and rain nearly every night. Everything was so lush and green. Except for the big blue tent - that was I. I really thought I might melt. I don't do the heat well at the best of times, so being nearly a week over my due date and hoping for a forty-pound baby just added another level or three of discomfort. But the big day finally arrived. I will spare you the details because I still wince a bit just thinking about it. After a very long day in a very small room, nine-pound 8-ounce Adam arrived at about 7 pm, after a little help from a couple of different doctors. We were over the moon, and in no fear of having some hospital mix-up with our child. Our big red-haired bundle was quite distinguishable amongst all the tiny, dark little Asian babies. I think the hospital staff were cooking him steak by the second day.

We weren't the only excited ones. First-time Grandma Betty fairly flew in from Saskatchewan, accompanied by first-time Uncle Rob. Great-great-aunt Esther had great-great-uncle Alex drive her over immediately upon hearing the news so that she could be the third person to ever hold Adam. Then my lying family surprised me by all being at the house when Clem brought Adam and me home. It was an idyllic time - I can almost hear heavenly music when I recall it. Almost. There were stitches involved, people.

Anyway, I think Adam has turned out to be a pretty great guy. As Grandma Marj always said, kids will turn out OK despite what their parents do. He's friendly, hard working, generous, and has a great sense of humour. I just about added responsible, but we'll wait a year on that. At Grad last year, more than one person used the word "kind" when describing Adam. As Grandma Betty says, there isn't much of which to be more proud.

Happy Birthday, Adam. We love you! And please be careful tonight as you drink for the first time! (And you wondered where the sense of humour originated?)

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

We're getting a new bus driver.

2011-06-15T16:43:00.000-06:00

Not because we need one. Or even because we want one. We're getting a new bus driver because it's a union, folks. We have had at least one child riding this school bus since 1997, and there have been a lot of different drivers. Last year, a woman who lives in our area got the route, and we finally have an efficient, dependable, punctual driver who knows and likes the kids on the bus, and, as a bonus, can keep them all under control. But do we get to keep her on this route? No way. She is being "bumped" by someone with seniority. He's not a better driver, he's just driven longer for this school division. Makes perfect sense, right? Ya. Right.

Normally this wouldn't bother me all that much, but I've had it up to my eyeballs with unions lately. The teachers, postal workers, Air Canada (with whom Stephen is booked to fly to Australia in a couple of weeks!) and now bus drivers. Don't get me wrong - I believe that at one time unions were necessary and protected the rights of workers. But it's gone way beyond that. There are labour laws in place, probably due to the efforts of unions, that now give workers all the rights and protection they need. If it's a matter of compensation - which it usually is! - then, sure, if you prove that you're worth it, you get a raise. But I don't think you should get a raise just because you're a teacher, or a postal worker, or a bus driver. And I don't think you should get to move someone else out of his/her position just because you've been with the company longer, particularly if said person is doing a great job!

There. I'm getting off my soapbox now and going to make supper. I wish someone would bump me out of that job!

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Quick Takes - again!

2011-06-12T13:42:00.000-06:00

1. We think Derek has some strange, rare disease. He just went out and started cutting grass ON HIS OWN, WITHOUT BEING ASKED! I don't believe the symptoms are full-blown yet, though, because he hasn't done the other jobs that are waiting to be done.

2. Stephen went to a friend's on a Saturday night to study for biology. Ya. Right.

3. We had a great celebration party for the Midget hockey team. Clem put together a slide show, made a great speech (well, he actually did a little roast of the coach!), and showed a couple of the last games on a large screen. Everyone had a good time, especially the players, and they were properly honoured for their inspiring achievement of winning a Provincial title this year.

4. Grad preparations are well underway and I am mighty tired of meetings. Nineteen days and it will all be over!

5. Stephen's ticket to Australia is all booked and ~~paid for~~ on our VISA. Now Air Canada, my very favourite airline (insert heavy sarcasm here) is being threatened with strike action and the ash cloud from the Chilean volcano is disrupting air travel to New Zealand and Australia. Opting for that cancellation insurance may finally turn out to be a smart choice!

6. Dad dropped in for a visit yesterday. Coincidentally, it was right at supper time. Funny how that happens! In his defense, he had called and told Derek to tell me he was coming. Which Derek did about half an hour before he arrived. Let's just say Dad got to see how we really live!

7. I was feted in fine form for the 25th anniversary of my 21st birthday. I woke up to find a cute card and a bowl of M&M's from Derek, our wonderful neighbour took me out for lunch, and then a great group of gals took me out for supper! The best present, though, was when my three-year-old niece sang "Happy Birthday" to me over the phone. What a sweetheart. I suppose I should give her parents a bit of credit there, too, as I don't think she knew before they told her that it was my birthday. Nor can she dial my phone number. But hey, it was my birthday and I can spin it as I like!

That's it for now, folks! Thanks for stopping by!

Common sense is not that common!

2011-05-27T09:16:00.000-06:00

We woke at 6 am to the ringing of the phone. First off, I want to say that no one should ever phone the parents of teen-aged children at that hour. Actually, any time from 1 am to 6 am. It's just too hard on the heart, and the head, as you quickly do a roll call in your sleep-addled mind, trying to account for each darling child. Anyway, it had nothing to do with any of the kids. It was Statistics Canada - AGAIN! They have been hounding poor Clem, "the person responsible for making the farming decisions", for weeks. At least, I'm pretty sure it was their 1-800 numbers we tried to ignore. When we did answer, they would ask for a convenient time to talk to "uh..Clement..uh..Skrafell...uh..mumble,mumble". Ha! He's seeding. He doesn't even know when he'll be in the house, let alone the rest of us. Why do these government people insist on bothering farmers at seeding and harvest? Don't they get it? I'm sure one or two farmers may have, possibly, politely, mentioned something to them about the inconvenience of calling at those times of year. And why can't they call a cell phone? That's why I leave his cell number on the voicemail message. Sheesh.

And while I'm on this rant, why do farmers have to complete, in addition to the regular census, a sixteen-page census form, including income and expenses (which, by the way, we have already given to the Canadian Revenue Agency and AgriStability and AgriInvest), again at one of the busiest times of year? Anyone else have to give Statistics Canada their financial information? Anyone? Buehler?

There. That feels better. Now I'm going to go make more coffee, because Clem took it all in his go cup this morning. Say, that may account for my "good" mood today!

Thanks for checking in! Twice in one week - wow!
Chandra

The Wind is Howling

2011-05-26T11:40:00.000-06:00

When I first decided this morning that I should do another post, I was going to name it "Spring is Springing", since the crabapple tree is just busting open with blossoms and everything is turning green (or yellow, here where we don't spray for dandelions!), and my deck is loaded with bedding plants waiting to be planted. However, now the land has started to blow, and it doesn't feel so "springish"!

The guys are close to being done seeding. They should finish the wheat up today or tomorrow, and then just the flax is left to do. It sure has been nice to have both Adam and Stephen around, although Stephen was rather pre-occupied with the Toronto exchange for a week. We loved having Edward stay with us, and he seemed to enjoy his stay, as well. Those city kids got a good dose of country living - a bonfire, cattle branding, zip-lining, and a tour of a Hutterite colony. Clem gave Edward a short lesson on grain farming, as well, complete with a ride in the tractor pulling an air seeder. I'm thinking Edward's favorite part, though, was the ride in Stephen's Caddy!

All the Toronto kids loved the horses and the wagon ride when they first arrived in town!

We had a BBQ in the park for them, and the Mayor spoke and gave out Kerrobert and Saskatchewan pins.

While looking for these pictures, I realized that I hadn't shared the photos from sweet baby Rogan's baby shower! I was remiss! Here you go!

The happy couple - Rob with his plate!

Auntie Terri holding the newest addition.

Uncle Jason - not sure we should let him hold babies, though!

Even Copper got a turn!

After the exchange bonfire at our place, Derek decided he should have his friends out. So we did. What a crew!

And that's about it! I had the doctor freeze some plantar's warts off my feet, so I am hobbling around these days. But I'm chomping at the bit to get outside and dig in the dirt. The garden is almost all in, and we've put in an order for rain as soon as the seeding is done. I'll let you know how that goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chandra

Throw away the pens!

2011-05-11T09:22:00.000-06:00

Note to self: do NOT use ink on the calendar - it is PENCIL only! I would note the family on that, too, but no one else ever writes anything on the calendar. I am the Keeper of the Schedule, and I have created a group of humans who struggle to know where they should be at any given time of the day or week. (Of course, they also struggle to locate the ketchup in the fridge, so perhaps I am assuming too much responsibility in this.) It is a heavy burden, but since it is self-imposed, I try to bear it with dignity. Ya. Right.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that things can and do change around here in the blink of an eye. Stephen and I made a nervous trip to K-town yesterday for his surgery. After a longish wait, the surgeon came to speak with us. He said that the hernia isn't too bad, and that, in his opinion, Stephen should go to Australia and have fun, and get the hernia fixed when he gets back. OK then. After a quick lunch (my boy hadn't had anything to eat or drink since midnight, a first in his life, I believe) and a whirlwind shopping spree (groceries, people, groceries. Oh, and tractor engine oil - can't forget that!), we resumed our usual programming. For the time being. The Toronto students participating in the exchange program arrive on Friday. That schedule has changed about three times since yesterday afternoon, so again, no pens. Hopefully they will still be coming out here Saturday night for a bonfire (and to eat the copious amounts of marshmallows I purchased yesterday). I also hope I manage to get the muffins and potato salad I pledged to make to the correct locations on the correct days at the correct times. Those chicken scratchings in pencil can be hard to read sometimes!

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping in!
Chandra

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T23:17:00.000-06:00

I've just had the best Mother's Day yet. I think I may say that every year, but whatever. I am not showered with gifts, or flowers, or cards, and sometimes they even forget what day it is. But I know that deep down those strong, tall, silent-type boys really do like me and appreciate what I do. They just have a little trouble communicating it, that's all. And if I have learned anything after 21 years in a house full of testosterone, it's that guys don't talk about their feelings. After that truth knocks you upside the head, it's more than satisfying to receive the odd hug or back-handed compliment.

Yesterday, Derek had me watch a tear-jerker youtube video (on his new phone, don't you know) of people's opinions on what life would be like without mothers (although that premise is obviously flawed). About halfway through, he asked, "When Mother's Day, anyway?" I told him. "Crap", he said, "I was just going to give you a hug. That sort of blows my plans for Mother's Day." Life with boys!

After that touching moment, Clem and I left for the big city to take advantage of the Riverdance tickets with which we were gifted. Wow. It was absolutely amazing. I had always thought that I would like to go, but the urge had never been strong enough to make me actually, like, buy tickets. But it was incredible - the music, the lights, the dancing, everything. I highly recommend it. Clem even gave them a couple of his loud 'hockey game' whistles - high praise, though not entirely appreciated by the people in front of us, I'm sure. There were what appeared to be many farmers (you know, hat hair and the start of the farmer tan) in the crowd, appeasing their wives for Mother's Day. Too cute.

Afterwards, when it appeared that the gridlock in the parking lot was going to last for quite a while, we walked over to a very nice little restaurant for a late, and scrumptious, supper. Then these two old fogeys managed to stay awake for the drive home. Well, the not-so-smooth condition of the highway helped again, as well.

Today, after a nice phone visit with the greatest mother in the world (that's mine, in case you're wondering), I was treated to a lovely supper at The Grill, the newest restaurant in town, run by the lovely Lori. The meal was fantastic, and the service impeccable. But what made it so great was sitting around with my guys, talking and laughing. A lot of laughing. Those boys have incredible senses of humor. They seldom fail to make me laugh, and that fact has saved their hides on numerous occasions. It has also quite often made me choke when taking a drink of water, but what the hay. All in good fun. If you can't laugh at life, well, then, I guess you'd cry. (Cut me a little slack here - it's late and this old brain is really struggling.)

So Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there, and I hope the rest of you made sure it was! Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

Quick Take Friday - on Saturday

2011-05-07T11:14:00.000-06:00

Subtitle: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

1. I took the morning off at the library to bake bread for the local annual Mother's Day Tea and Bake Sale. Then I slept in. I will go to the tea and buy another's baking. Next year I will bake again. As I've said so many times in the past, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I am going to have one smooth ride, my friends.

2. My lovely (and now favorite) aunt brought back two bottles of wine for me from their BC wine tour. Apparently my secret addiction is not so secret...

3. Stephen's formerly non-urgent hernia repair will take place on Tuesday next. After a whirlwind of phone calls and appointments, he's decided to get it done sooner rather than later. He's hoping to be well enough to proceed with his plans to participate in a five-week hockey tournament in Australia beginning in early July. Oh, to be young and naive, as opposed to old and envious (like his mother.) He'll probably go.

4. The men have started seeding, although the air drill is currently sitting in the yard for what appears to be minor repairs. Our new hired man (Adam) hasn't arrived yet, so he is either not needed or had a really good time last night. I speculate on these matters because, as an experienced farm wife, I know it is wiser to wait until I am told things rather than to ask questions. Especially when you expect the one who knows the answers to take you to "Riverdance" tonight to take advantage of the wonderful gift bestowed on us by the Midget hockey team.

5. I had a lovely visit with my brother and sister-in-law and their new addition yesterday. The little perogie let me inspect and snuggle him to my heart's content (the baby, not my brother). I love being an auntie! When he began to protest my attentions, I was able to pass him over to his mother and hastily retreat to my two-hour solo sojourn. I sometimes really love that drive - listening to music that I like, not having to share the snacks, and no phone (unless I need to check my messages, that is!) Only a chauffeur would make it better! But the rough narrow road and gi-normous potholes keep me awake. Thanks, SK Highways!

6. Derek has joined the ranks of RIM's BB addicts. If someone had told me a couple of years ago that my preteen son would possess a smartphone, I would have laughed. Although that would have been rather stupid since I know his father, who just the other day went out to purchase printer ink and came home with a BB Playbook. Yes, he remembered the cartridges. My children have inherited some wonderful traits from their father, along with that tendency to easy distraction and an addiction to gadgets. Unfortunately their inheritance doesn't include independent personal wealth, so I do foresee some struggles in their lives!

7. My Calgary brother and his family are enroute to the southern Alberta desert country to spend the Mother's Day weekend with our mom and dad. I anticipate that he will now be in possession of the coveted "Favorite Child" pedestal, as I, at least, neglected to even send my mother a card. Drat him and his proximity! I will have to commence planning for her "special" birthday...

That's it - all blogged out for now. I sincerely hope that none of you out there await my up-coming posts with bated breath, as I would hate to be responsible for all the fainting. But thanks for checking in!
Chandra

I guess there IS life after hockey!

2011-04-10T20:58:00.001-06:00

We travelled to the capital of Western Canada a few days ago to help my mom celebrate an incredible honour. She won an Alberta Child Care Professional Award of Excellence - one of 12 winners from the over 800 nominated! We are so proud! It was a gala evening at the ol' Westin Hotel. My niece, age 3,

referred to it as a ball, and wore her butterfly dress. Too cute!

The woman of the hour!

A great time was had by all, to be sure!

Last night we drove over to Dodge to partake of their Spring Fling, which consisted of good eats, good drinks, good company, and great entertainment in the form of two comedians with connections to the town. The first was Donovan Deschner, who is Brendan Gall's (of Men with Brooms fame and Schraefel blood) honest-to-goodness twin, and the second was Cory Mack, (she's on youtube, too - check it out!) who made me laugh until I cried. I had met her before, but hadn't seen her act, which is hilarious! Thanks for the laughs, you two!

Clem and the boys spent this gorgeous spring day cleaning up the yard and shop, getting ready to work on some machinery - if we can ever get it out of the snow banks still in the muddy field. I rewarded them with home-made burgers and onion rings, for which I received a compliment from Stephen. After I picked myself up off the floor, Clem and I took a nice evening stroll down the road. We saw and heard lots of geese, but the only other wildlife evident were the mice that Roxy was digging out of the snow in the ditches. Ahh, life on the farm.

That's about all the excitement for now. Thanks for checking in!

Chandra

My life in pictures.

2011-03-31T00:32:00.000-06:00

Just got home tonight from the big city where I got to meet my nephew, sweet little Rogan. It's hard to believe my baby brother is now a dad! But he and his lovely wife did a fine job. As Grandpa says, he's a keeper, and we'll put in an order for another!

Three generations!

It is Rob's birthday tomorrow, so we had a little celebration for him, too!

The Midgets are the 2011 SHA Provincial 'A' champions! This was Stephen's third kick at the cat, so to speak, so he is pretty pumped. The boys played hard - you could tell they wanted it! They beat Estevan 6 - 2 in the two-game series. The long, long, long bus ride was worth every mile!

I will miss seeing #15 on the ice!

These are the photos from the trip to La Ronge.

It was all our harried flight attendant, wearing a Tiger jersey!, could do to get everyone served in the short one-hour flight!

A view of Lac la Ronge, complete with ice road.

We threw a surprise party for Mom's brother, Mark, at the end of February. He was surprised, to say the least. A good time was had by all!

Carla did most of the organizing, and did such a nice write-up on Uncle Mark. Derek was there for moral support in case she was overcome with emotion!

Four of Mom's eight siblings!

Uncle Mark with some of his favorite nieces!

A cutie holding a cutie!

We haven't seen the moose around here for some time. Perhaps our vicious attack dog scared it off!

Stephen has one more hockey game left in his minor hockey career. The Midgets surprised everyone, themselves included, by taking the league's best-of-three final to the third game, so it's off to Dodge for a barn-burner on Friday. After that, he can get his very long black and orange hair cut off!

Derek's team lost the Provincial semi-final against Kamsack, but went on to win the league final against the "lands" team from down the road(s). He is now big into badminton, playing on the junior doubles team. We splurged and got him a new racket with the rationalization that it is way less expensive than hockey equipment!

So that's the news from the ranch. Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

Quick Takes (because that's all we seem to have time for!)

2011-03-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

1. I seem to be living life in the fast lane. I didn't realize that was possible while living in small-town SK and not having a full-time job, but apparently it can be done! My mom dropped a 'subtle' hint last night on the phone ("I checked the blog last night and there's nothing new on there." See? Subtle.) so I thought I should scratch out a few lines, anyway!

2. I have lost (read: ~~Derek~~ someone "borrowed" and misplaced) the cable I need to download the pictures from my camera to the computer. I have been waiting to blog until that shows up, but I'm starting to think that will be never, and then how will you know the hockey scores? I'm sure that cable is in the house somewhere. Or, it could have gone in the garbage like my favorite kitchen shears did when I was in Chile. Or, someone could have broken in an taken only that cable. You just never know.

3. Flying is my new preferred method of travel to hockey games. The Midgets flew from Saskatoon to La Ronge for Game 2 of the Provincial A Northern Finals. What a blast! I had fun just watching the kids enjoy it. Oh, and we won the game 7 - 2, which was an added bonus. The final round is with Estevan (yep, we could fly there, too - I checked!), who will be here on Sunday. We go back there next Sunday. The Midgets are also in league playoffs, and should get by the semi-finals this week to meet the "lands" team from down the road(s). Should be an exciting final!

4. The Pee Wees are continuing their drive for Provincial "C" champs banner, and part of that drive is to Kamsack on Saturday. For the record, everyone should know that Clem is actually going on the bus to the game. First time EVER! I've never been to Kamsack, but I think I will continue to live a full life without doing so. It should be a good game, as we are only up two goals.

5. It is COLD. Cold, cold, cold. And we have SNOW. Lots of snow. It's been an old-fashioned winter here this year. But I must say it looks gorgeous this morning - fresh white snow, hoarfrost on the trees, and bright blue sky. This is where one of those pictures would really come in handy. Someone sent us this picture, and it pretty much sums up the weather thing.

6. And, speaking of pictures, I have a few of the moose that has moved into our yard. Of course, they are on the camera, so I can't show them to you. Apparently the menu here is to his liking - willows, poplars, Colorado pine, chokecherry. Who needs a windbreak around the farm, anyway?

7. I am reading the best book. It is called "Left Neglected", by Lisa Genova, the author of "Still Alice". Both books have made me realize how lucky we are, even with the cold, the bus trips, and the moose!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

I'm leavin' on a prop plane...

2011-02-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Saskatchewan is in a deep freeze again, and most folks are taking off for sunny warm locales at this time of year. But not me. No way, Jose. (Those of you in the sunny locales may have met Jose.) Nope, we're off to frigid La Ronge. But we're traveling in style - West Wind Aviation's finest 44 passenger ATR-42 prop plane! Turns out that, for not too much more moolah, you can convert a 6.5 hour bus ride and overnight stay in PA into a two hour van ride to catch a 53 minute flight and be home in your own bed before midnight. And I'm likin' it. The players are pretty darned excited, too. What the heck - it could be their last hoorah. But if they do get by La Ronge, we go to either Estevan or Midale for the final. I've driven that drive - I am keeping West Wind on speed dial. The Midgets trounced Wilkie in the first round of league play-offs. It seems they've pulled their heads out of their you-know-whats and are playing some decent hockey again.

The Pee Wees are still walking over everyone. Last night they beat Maidstone 13 to 5 or some silly score like that. There were a couple of tense moments when Maidstone came within two goals, but we shortened the bench and pulled through. Oh - wait. We shortened the bench and THEN Maidstone came within two goals. Excuse me. Derek took a ten-minute penalty for hitting to the head after the head of one of their shorter players came into contact with Derek's elbow. Other than that, it was pretty calm. Well, except for some of our rather intense parents. But that's a whole other blog post, and one which would probably get me into trouble, so you won't read it here. You don't have to kick me in the head twice! I really need my own little sound-insulated booth at the rink so I could watch the games in solitary, and quiet, comfort. So we're off to Maidstone tomorrow for a nice Sunday drive. Then the Pee Wees have a break while their one and only goalie is off in one of those sunny locales for a week or so. Then it will be on to Clavet or Kamsack for the northern final in that draw. Go, Clavet, Go!

We were shocked and saddened to hear that 59-year-old David Neufeld died suddenly the other day. I guess you just never know. Live each day to the fullest, people. David was an avid reader, and I will miss his regular visits to the library. We always had such interesting chats!

Clem has become a working man again. He is helping out a friend who clears snow around oil leases. And this winter, there's been a lot of snow to push. It's not a hard job, the hours are pretty good (few and far between!), and he gets to ride around in one of those fancy tractors that he can't afford!

And that's about it for the updates. Tonight is the Rage wind-up (get your tickets if you're in the area - supper will be good!). Then the kids are off school for the week, so stay tuned for the next happy dance!

Thanks for stopping in!
Chandra

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's Valentine's Day, but we don't really celebrate that much around here. It's a bit of a "girly" holiday, so you can probably understand why that just doesn't go over too well in this macho household, what with all the pink cupcakes and such. Besides, there's not much time for hearts when we're always at the rink! The Midgets and Pee Wees both advanced to the third round of Provincials. The Pee Wees decimated their second-round opponents 25 to 1, and they decided, mercifully, not to come back to Kerrobert for another trouncing. The Midgets beat Swift Current 14 to 2 in their series. It was a great game in town this afternoon, and we had an amazing crowd. It was good old small town hockey fun. I think we showed those city-slickers how to put on a hockey game! Although Speedy Creek might not be a city - I'll have to Google that one.

It was good to see the Midgets play so well after losing their last two league games, mostly because they just didn't try. Hopefully they have got that out of their system, as we are heading into league playoffs (starting with Wilkie) and have to go to La Ronge for the next Provincial run. Nothing like a drive to northern Saskatchewan in the middle of winter!

We had a sad week here. We lost a very dear, long-time family friend. Mary grew up with Clem's mom, and their mothers and grandmothers were friends. Clem grew up with Mary's kids - he is even in a picture from one of their family reunions! So although it was nice to see everyone when they were home, it was awfully hard to say good-bye to such a wonderful lady. We sent her off in style, though! I'm still recovering.

The weather has been so mild here, which is very enjoyable if you don't have to drive anywhere. We're never sure what the roads are going to be like at any given time of any given day. Makes it rather hard to plan anything. Not a good thing for the manager of a hockey team!

So I am off to bed for a long beauty sleep - heaven knows I need it (and you are welcome to take that however you like!)

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Point form.

2011-01-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

1. It was -32 C when I got up this morning. 'Nuff said.

2. The Pee Wees won the first Provincial series 22 - 3. Does anyone else think they should have gone in a higher draw???? We went to The-Town-With-Three-Last-Names-in-the-Phonebook last night for game one of the second round. We won 6 - 1. Derek had two goals and three assists. His comment: "Good thing I went, or we would have tied them." It was actually a pretty good game, and their goalie had the boys stymied well into the second period. But I think he just got tired - the poor thing faced 60 shots in the game! - and it was all downhill from there. I don't envy them having to come back here next weekend!

3. The Midgets squeaked through their first Provincial round. Rosthern beat us 3 to 1 in the second game, but we won the series 6 to 5. Clem is setting up the second round with Swift Current at this very minute. Stephen was very sick for a few days and was unable to write his departmental Chemistry exam, but managed to drag himself (literally) to the rink for the game! The coach said the dressing room seemed like a hospital ward, but they played hard and had a couple of days to recuperate afterward.

4. I have so far escaped the wrath of the flu bugs which have taken up residence in our town and school. Stephen, Derek, and Clem succumbed to various symptoms but have rallied and will likely prevail. Stephen said he has never felt so sick, ever. It must have been bad, as I noticed that the car didn't move for almost two days.

5. I spent the whole day Saturday, save for two hours at the library and one hour at church, at our local rink watching hockey. Five games, folks! The best game by far was the Initiation team, age 5 and under. It was the best entertainment I've had in a long time! (The fact that I stayed in town all day may or may not be related to the fact that Clem was sick in bed. Just sayin'.)

6. A local lady and her granddaughter traveled to Bangladesh in November to meet her foster child, whom she sponsors through Chalice. (We have a Chalice foster child in Paraguay, and it's an amazing organization.) They gave a presentation about their trip yesterday afternoon, and it was so good. It was also so similar to my trip to Tanzania. It was a good reminder to count my blessings.

7. We learned last night of the death of Donna Purvis, whose mother, a McGinnis, grew up near my family farm and later worked for Clem's mom when the kids were small. Another reminder to count my blessings and live every day to the fullest!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

You may not believe this, but we've been busy with hockey!

2011-01-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hockey is at full throttle, folks. If you blink, you will miss a schedule change! Games added, moved, delayed, pushed up, and canceled. Makes it all that much more exciting!! Really!

Derek and I were in the border city for a tournament on the weekend. The Pee Wees held their own in the A level games, but didn't shine like they usually do. Camrose came out hitting hard in the first game, and threw the boys (and girl) back on their heels. The seriously poor officiating didn't help, either. (And no, I'm not one to blame the ref, but this was BAD! I was really scared someone was going to get hurt.) Derek got the only goal - a scorcher from the blue line - just before he got thrown out of the game for hitting from behind (which he didn't really do, but that was neither here nor there for the refs!) The three kids who were punching him in the head after the hit were allowed to remain in the game. But enough about that. Our team went on to win against Clavet, lose to Meadow Lake (a AA team, we were told, and we only lost by two!) and then win the C final against a Strathmore team. I should mention that the officiating did improve over the weekend, and the 7 am Saturday game (yes, you read that right) was done by one guy (you read that right, too) who was amazing! All in all, a good tournament, and lots of good visiting with the other parents. The kids only got kicked out of the hotel pool once and got to pig out on junk food. What more can we ask?

Well, I would have asked to be able to go to the Midget provincial game in Rosthern, but no one outside of Star Trek has come up with instantaneously transporting/beaming people around and I am very obviously not Lt. Uhura, so that wasn't going to happen. The other two Midget moms and myself had to be content with periodic (get it, periodic?) text updates from the Rosthern arena, which cannot boast of good cell coverage. The upside of that was that Clem got to visit outside the rink with the nervous dad of the Rosthern goalie. The Tigers were down 2 - 0 at the end of the first, then kicked the defense into high gear on their hitting game, and ended up winning the game 5 - 2. Clem said by the third period (aha - now the pun light has come on!) the Rosthern forwards were scared to come into our end. It was a fast, clean, hard-hitting game, and Clem expects the same when Rosthern returns this Thursday. I plan to be at that one. The three goal lead is nice in this two-game total-point series, but no one knows better than these boys how easy it is to give that up! (If your memory is even foggier than mine, you can check out that story here. ) The Pee Wees are in Delisle that same night for the second game of their first round of Provincials, but they are going with a ten point lead (yep, you read that right, too! Three for three!) so I'm thinking it's pretty safe to miss that one. Kudos to my cousin for offering to take Derek along with them.

And speaking of cousins, Stephen had his own little cheering section in Rosthern when Clem's sister, Cathy, and her boy, Daniel, along with Clem's cousin, Joanne, showed up to watch the game and have a visit. And of course Chris was there, too, as Dylan plays on the Midget team this year as well. A little Schraefel family reunion!

The only other thing besides hockey going on around here is the weather. We have oodles of snow, and have had a few storms and lots of poor driving. Just like "back in the day", as the boys would put it. I'm thrilled with all the moisture, as I am anticipating a full dugout in the spring!

So thanks for checking in!
Chandra

It's Happy Dance time again!

2011-01-05T10:56:00.001-07:00

Yessiree, the boys are heading out the door as ~~we speak~~ I type. This time of late nights and sleeping in and absolutely no schedule whatsoever has ended for the time being. It's back to boot camp, boys. They are just pumped (insert sarcastic tone here).

We had a great Christmas. Lots of family and food and fun. Not as much family as usual, mind you, but just enough! The food, well, let's just say I can almost see the back of the fridge again now. I am really starting to like Skype - got to talk to and see my sister in Chile and my niece in Prince George and my brother and his wife who were holidaying in Victoria. And with Facebook and texting, we keep up with the Schraefel side, as well. The wonder of technology!

We also used technology to bore our guests into leaving. Clem has some do-hickey hooked up whereby we can see the photos from the computer on the TV. So we just show slideshows until our company starts yawning and looking for their car keys to command-start their vehicles. This Christmas it was the pictures from Chile. And now it's your turn! Warning - you may want to keep your finger on the "back" button.

Mom and I left on November 16, just as it was starting to snow and blow. Lovely. We had a long layover in Toronto, so we took the opportunity to visit Clem's nephew, Brendan, of "Men of Brooms" and Splash speedo fame. He and Kristy have just moved into their own home, and Brendan cooked us supper with the fresh organic produce they have delivered to their house once a week. Almost makes me want to move to a big city. Almost.

We arrived in Santiago about 1 pm their time, after a long, exhausting 11 hour overnight flight on an airline that couldn't manage to seat us together. And then it took an hour to get through customs and immigration. The Chilean people are wonderful and kind, but the ones working that day were not overly ambitious! Poor Lisa had been waiting with her friendly cab driver, Juan, in the hot, stuffy airport, and was quite relieved to see us. I'm sure she thought we had missed out flight!

The first thing we did when we arrived at Lisa's lovely apartment was dump our stuff and get our shoes and socks off! It was hot, hot, hot. Not bad for november!

Then I started taking pictures! This is Lisa's tiny little apartment. Compact!

And this is Lisa making us supper, which we ate out on the terraza with the incredible view!

The next day we started exploring. Mom and I loved all the different plants, trees, and flowers. Mom especially liked the palm trees.

This tree was just starting to bloom - see the pretty little purple flowers? By the time we left, some of them were in full bloom and looked totally purple - you couldn't see the green leaves at all. Gorgeous.

A little shopping!

Such an incredible wine store. Yes, we went back!

The side of this building was being covered with panels growing grass!

On the first weekend, we drove about 3 hours south of Santiago to the Colquagua wine valley, and stayed at this gorgeous posada, or B&B.

Our wonderful hostess, Leonore, brought us a bottle of wine to enjoy by the pool.

We toured around Santa Cruz and saw some of the damage from the earthquake last February. This was a bank that collapsed on the car of one of Lisa's friends! Santa Cruz was quite near the epicenter, and 36 people died here.

The church lost its steeple and they cannot use it now. Many of these places have huge tents erected in which to hold Mass.

We drove around a bit more, and discovered this lookout, which was quite near the restaurant Leonore recommended. Many of the restaurants don't open until 8 pm, but El Candil was well worth the wait!

Our waiter, Ismany, was from Cuba, and took this picture. He wants to come to Canada and learn English. He hit the jackpot at our table, as Lisa teaches English and Mom has boarded English students in Lethbridge. We are expecting him to show up soon!

This is the Montgras winery we toured. They grow Carmenere grapes, among others. The Carmenere grape was imported from France and then wiped out there by disease. Now Chile is the only country growing the Carmenere. The owner of the winery spent twenty years working in Canadian wineries. Still not sure where, as the guide wasn't really up on his Canadian geography! Very interesting, very beautiful, very tasty!

We took a back road returning to the posada, and saw the less beautiful properties, probably belonging to the employees of the winery!

The old church at Lolol, near our posada. They too are using a tent now. Note the pampas grass - amazing!

A pretty wall in Santa Cruz.

The scenery on the way back to Santiago, which is nestled between two mountain ranges: the Andes to the east and the other one!

Lisa drove us up the winding road to San Cristobal, a large hill in Santiago, where there is a huge statue of the Virgin Mary and an incredible view of the huge city.

One day we did a walking tour of the old part of the city. This is the entrance to a wonderful art gallery near the government buildings. Impressive waterfall!

There was a gold and silver display at the gallery when we were there, and this piece was hanging in the grand entrance.

Another purple tree outside some typical colonial-style architecture.

This is the nave of the cathedral. Very beautiful. There were many side altars, as well, one of which was all silver.

This is the BACK of the main altar. Such vision and dedication from the craftsmen who built it!

These carbeneros were kind enough to have their picture taken with the "gringa"!

The night view from Lisa's balcony.

Andres and Francisca are two of Lisa's students. They joined us for supper one night as part of their lessons. They speak English very well, and they both have an amazing sense of humour. We really enjoyed their company. They invited us to Francisca's place for a traditional Chilean barbeque, with lots of meat done over charcoal. Fantastico!

This is called "choripan", a chorizo sausage in a little bun (pan).

This is the outside of Pablo Neruda's Santiago house. He was a very famous Chilean poet. Our guide was Israeli, spoke about five languages, and was extremely interesting.

An unusual sculpture. Santiago has lots of large pieces of art throughout the city.

The orange Christmas trees at this Juan Valdez coffee franchise.

I didn't get a good overall shot of this park in Santiago called Santa Lucia. This is the main fountain.

I found a cousin to the carrigana!

The Museum of Fine Art is a gorgeous old building, but sustained quite a bit of damage in the earthquake.

During our second weekend we traveled the hour and a half to the coast, and stayed in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. This is the view from our B&B.

An avocado, or palta, growing in the garden behind the B&B.

Pablo Neruda's Valparaiso home, which was almost next door to where we stayed!

This old guy came to life when he saw Lisa!

Our B&B, the Puerto Natura, in a somewhat dodgy part of town! Mom was a bit nervous, but we were fine, and we found an amazing restaurant, which, again, didn't open until 8 pm.

We tried ceviche, a raw fish appetizer marinated in citrus juices. Yummy!

Our waiter, Orlando, recommended it!

Two views from our window, night and day!

The streets of Valparaiso were a bit much for these prairie girls! They were so steep, I thought it looked like these cars were going to start toppling over! The city is literally hanging on the cliffs and divided by hills. Lisa did very well navigating and driving!

Then it was on to Vina del Mar, where many city people own or rent summer homes or condos. This is the Sheraton hotel, perched over the Pacific ocean, where another prairie girl, Denise (Rob's school friend) was staying while speaking at a conference.

This was more our ~~wallet's~~ style, a good old Best Western on the main drag of Vina del Mar.

This is where we DIDN'T stay!

I enjoyed our walk around the old city, until we came across the sign.

There was a tremor that night, and I laid awake for quite a while trying to remember where the heck we saw that sign!! I was rather glad we were leaving for home, and terra firma, shortly!

Denise joined us for the afternoon, driving up the coast and seeing the sights. We took a walk on the boardwalk and dipped our toes in the ocean. It was a great day, if you don't count the ordering/translation error that had us all eating huge bowls of some sort of fish soup. Again, a bit much for these prairie gals!

On our way back to Santiago, we stopped at another winery, the Casas del Bosque. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Those are white rose bushes lining the drive.

Yep - it was Grey Cup day, and Mom was all decked out!

Lisa's friend, Ginny, and her Chilean boyfriend, Fransisco, joined us for lunch on the patio. Then we drove up to the lookout point on the vineyard.

This is the outdoor, three-storey courtyard at a huge mall in Santiago.

Our Grey Cup party! We paid to get the game online, but couldn't get it to go full screen, so it was about a four-inch square screen! Oh well, didn't miss much! And we had fun!

The morning of our departure we finally got to spend a little time at the pool at Lisa's apartment. It really is a nice building, and very secure. There is a concierge on duty all the time, and it has survived a couple of earthquakes, so all is good!

We also had to do a little more souvenir shopping, and this is an example of what we found!

As beautiful and warm as Chile is, it was really good to get home where the earth stays still, and everything was brilliantly white and sparkling. Besides, we had missed all the cold and snow! And what a sight the first night home - sundogs!

And now it's back to life as usual. I don't know that I will take another trip at that time of year again - wasn't exactly sure we'd actually have Christmas this year! But we did, and now we're going to hockey games and meetings and work and all of that. No more snowboarding and sledding for the boys, especially right before a hockey game, because we might, you know, LOSE or something terrible like that! And now I'd better wrap this up and try to figure out how I'm going to be a three different hockey games in three different places on Sunday. Oh, and an ordination, too. Never a dull moment, folks!

Thanks for stopping by! Let's do it again!

Chandra

Yes, I'm still here!

2010-12-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

I've been busy doing all the usual Christmas preparations, and I think I just might be ready in time. Christmas is in January this year, right?

Just kidding. There's no way on earth I will be ready this year. But, I figure whatever doesn't get done isn't really needed. I learned a long time ago that the key to reducing stress is to lower one's standards. It has worked wonders here. We will have a smallish gathering here Christmas day, and I have the turkey and the wine and some baking done, so really, what else do we need?

I have big plans to blog again in the near future to report on our trip to Chile, but you know me and my low standards - don't hold your breath! After all, I have hockey games to attend!

If I don't see you during the holidays, Merry Christmas! If you're in the area, we would love to have you drop in for a visit!

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Quick update before I fly!

2010-11-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

This time tomorrow my mom and I will be on our way to Santiago, Chile, to visit my dear sister. Hopefully I will have everything ready - you know I have lots to do when I start blogging again!

We're deep into hockey season. Derek's team is tearing it up again this year. They lost the A final to an Edmonton team in a Saskatoon tourney this weekend, but they've been playing very well. Derek gave us a scare last weekend when he tripped over another player and fell backwards on the ice and slid head-first into the boards. He was treated to a spinal board and the best EMT attention one could imagine, a trip to Saskatoon in an ambulance, a CT scan, an overnight stay in RUH emergency, and then an MRI. And now we know that he doesn't have any damage to his spinal cord or backbone, and he may have had a concussion. So he's taking a little break. His back is pretty sore, but he's eager to get back at it. He went with his team to Saskatoon, and will try skating this week and see how that goes. I know some people think we're nuts letting him play again, but this is a kid who could sustain the same injury walking down the street and tripping on something. I just know he's not going to sit and do nothing for the rest of his life (which really isn't very good for you, either, is it???) so we'll protect him as best we can and pray. I think that's all you really can do!

The Midgets are back on the ice, and sitting at 2 and 0. They don't have as strong a team as last year, but they're still coming out on top.

Football is over, but one of the other football moms has been taking pictures at all the games, and even took some individual and team photos. And she got Stephen to smile!!! They sure are nice keepsakes for Stephen and his buddies who are done this year! Most of them make me cry, though.

I got to have a nice visit with my cousin and his wife the other day when I went to pick up Adam's grad pictures. I don't get to see them very often, because they live, like, three miles away. Anyway, Tracy is an awesome photographer, and I'm so happy with how the pictures turned out! Finally, a family photo I can send out!

This one might be my favorite!

These two trouble-makers have been buddies since day one! Another tear-jerker photo!

Adam is still living in town and working for a guy who does drywalling and painting and that sort of thing. He's struggling to keep all his bills paid and such, and I am stuggling to button my lip, because "I told you so" is such an appropriate phrase right now!

So that's about it. I am packing and tying up loose ends and cooking and washing clothes and paying bills and all that kind of thing. Two weeks is a long time for poor Clem to pinch hit, but I'm sure he'll manage! I will try to blog from Chile, as I believe they have internet there!! I sure hope so, because I will need to get the hockey scores! Oh, and Go, Riders, Go!

Thanks for continuing to check in! Adios!
Chandra

2010-10-31T09:36:00.000-06:00

Well, Central Butte remains undefeated. The Rebels fell 70 - 64. Not a great way to end one's high school football, but that's the way it is, I suppose. (I am showing considerable restraint here, people - I'll leave it to the other parents to tell the details of the game!) Apparently the loss wasn't enough to dampen Stephen's Halloween spirits, as he was out late last night and I heard tales of certain shenanigans. I truly hope that's all it was!

Derek's team handily won their two games at the tournament yesterday. They should have a good team again this year. They are off to Kindersley this morning for their first league game.

I misspoke about the Midget team in my last post. Politics and parents ARE getting in the way of kids having fun. From what I can tell, it's a case of the squeaky wheel getting the grease. After getting permission from SHA, having a vote by the team and a vote by the minor hockey board, SHA ruled against our plan on how to manage 38 kids with no real explanation except that they received some phone calls. Funny how that happens sometimes. Oh well, there is still a team for Stephen here, and he could also go play Junior B if he wants. Stay tuned for more details!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

2010-10-29T10:55:00.000-06:00

I've got the giggles. I just watched my favorite middle child leave for school. He walked out the door, across the yard, and got into his '75 Cadillac Coupe de Ville. I mean, really, how many mothers can say that? He didn't leave right away, though. The car door opened again, and pretty soon I saw a big red hockey bag land with a thump on the ground. I'm guessing the smell in that car was NOT nice. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't have to guess at all, having had said bag in my van overnight too often at tournaments and such. Too funny.

He's off to Central Butte tomorrow for the football Provincial quarter-finals. In a small twist, the coach of Central Butte's undefeated team is a native of God's Country (lucky man!) Should be an interesting afternoon, and I hope someone sends me up-date texts, as I have to work in the morning and go to Derek's hockey tournament here in town. Derek's pretty pumped about being chosen assistant captain for the team. I'm not sure why, since it seems every second-year player is an assistant. But whatever. He's happy, and that's all that matters to me!

The Midgets are up and running after a somewhat shaky start. Suffice it to say politics and parents almost got in the way of kids having fun again. Not sure why this has to happen every year. I guess it's like Clem says - there's always politics when more than one person is involved!

We had exceptional potato and carrot crops this year, and they are finally safely in from the garden. The carrots are sweet, sweet, sweet. And huge! I'm sure I left half of them out there because they split with all the moisture or were cut off by Clem's magic digging "claw. It works way better for potatoes. And we are still eating tomatoes from the garden. I canned and froze lots of them, but we sure do enjoy the fresh ones. I am dreading the day I have to buy those cardboard ones from the store again!

I stopped to see my aunt yesterday, the one who had the MS "liberation therapy" in Bulgaria. They surprised everyone and came home early. She is doing great - walking without a cane, getting up out of her chair way better, and she just looks like she has more energy, even with the jet lag. I'm so happy for her - what a wonderful outcome! I tried my best to steal some of the video of her walking that was on Facebook and put it here, but I couldn't figure out how to do that! In fact, I can't seem to put any video on this blog. Velvis, I may need a tutorial!

So no video, but here are some pictures (I know, you're shocked!) The first is Derek (big guy in black in middle of photo) picking on one of the little guys!

The rest are the last pictures I will probably take of Stephen playing football. Rather sad, as he really loves the game. Here he literally launched big #3. I wish I had the shot of the poor guy on his butt about a second later!

Not quite fast enough here, although they didn't score, if I remember correctly.

Love this shot - Stephen and Mike with their fancy moves, blocking a kick.

This poor little receiver (quarterback?) must have flown about six feet in the air. Stephen grabbed him and swung him out of bounds. Then I think he landed right on him. Nice guy!

My boy!

So that's about it for now. I'm frantically trying to get everything caught up and delegated before heading south in three weeks. Clem is cleaning up machinery and putting it away for the winter. We've had a couple of trucks come already for grain, which is nice as we need the CASH! These once-a-year paycheques are for the birds!

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

PS to Anonymous: I don't think I said anything negative about anyone here, so you won't have to anonymously text anyone to have a look!

We're DONE!!!!

2010-10-17T09:24:00.001-06:00

Harvest is over for another year. And what a long, long, drawn-out affair it was. What with rain, frost, break-downs, and cool weather, I wasn't sure we'd ever finish. But we did. Yesterday afternoon, with my wonderful sister-in-law and super-sweet niece here as witnesses. And it was a gorgeous fall day. Close to perfect, in fact. After we returned from the rummage sale, where Copper found a beautiful dancing dress (it's really a flouncy slip kind of thing, but we didn't let on) and a snowball (styrofoam craft ball) and impressed the ladies there with her math skills, Stephen gave our visitors a ride on the combine.

Copper didn't look too thrilled to start with (apparently she's seen the evil combine chase in the movie "Cars"!) but she came around after cousin Stephen gave them a midway-worthy ride around the field.

Here's Clem with his slightly over-loaded truck (she said with her tongue in her cheek):

and a very non-chalant Derek who got to follow in the Ford.

My brother, Mark, joined us for a celebration supper. It was a great evening of visiting and enjoying having a little one around again. Good times.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from harvest 2010...

I really must commend Clem for his excellent attitude again this fall. He never really gets too excited or worked-up, no matter what happens (well, there was that one day when I phoned him at a not-very-good time, but we'll let that one go), and I love him for it. As he says, we can't do anything about the weather, so why get angry. What a guy!

Football is winding up. Derek plays his last two games this afternoon. I think he will miss it, as he had so much fun. But hockey officially starts on Tuesday, so he won't have much time to mourn.

The Rebels lost to Plenty again. They stayed neck-in-neck for the first part, but, I'm told by at least five dads, they were out-coached in the fourth quarter. I didn't go, so no pictures. Oh well, it's just a game. Maybe I should tell that to Stephen's knee, which is twice as big as it should be. May be going back for physio!

The Midgets are going through some organizational issues right now, but I'm sure everything will get worked out, as it does every year. It's Stephen's last Midget year, and I hope they do well and have as much fun as the last two years!

My aunt leaves today for Sophia, Bulgaria, to hopefully have the "liberation treatment" for MS. We're praying for you, Auntie! What an adventure!

Now that harvest is over, I am starting to mentally pack my suitcase for our trip to Chile. One month!!

Better run. My chauffeur hat is calling...

Thanks for stopping by!

Chandra

Oh ya, it's Thanksgiving weekend!

2010-10-11T23:25:00.000-06:00

Our weekend went something like this: hockey, drive to Unity for new phone, learn that the Rebels beat Eatonia, learn that the Flames lost to the Oilers (ughh) and miss Eberle's goal, send Derek to hockey, work at library, go to Kindersley to watch Derek's hockey, Junior hockey game in town, church, more hockey, watch the Riders lose to Toronto IN REGINA (double ughh), drive to Kindersley to watch Derek's hockey, get Derek a ride to Unity for football, then drive to Kindersley to watch Derek's hockey. Whew! Derek's team won the 3-on-3 tournament again, which, again, means nothing except that they got to skate lots and have some fun. And burgers. Don't forget the burgers!

We had leftover turkey from the fall supper all week, so I finished it off in a casserole for our Thanksgiving supper last night. It doesn't seem to matter what else we have for a meal when we have all these garden-fresh veggies around, especially the tomatoes. We eat four or five good-size tomatoes each night at supper, and Clem often has tomato sandwiches for breakfast or lunch. So I don't have many left to can! And my wonderful aunt made us some salsa from some of the bounty, and it is very, very good. Stephen ate a whole jar by himself in less than an hour after we got it home. Oh well, I guess it's a nutritious snack.
We are still waiting to combine the wheat. We have 400 acres left (not 200, as I have mistakenly been telling everyone for the last week!!), which should take two good days when they can get going. It's still testing tough, and these short days are not great for drying it down. But the forecast looks good, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

There have been lots of hunters around, since there are loads of ducks and geese around. The other day some Montana hunters stopped in, and today a couple of guys from Virginia asked to hunt on our land. I am continually amazed that men will travel such a distance to shoot a gun. It is definitely a guy thing.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend, wherever you are. And I hope that you all gave thanks for the wonderful family and friends you have in your life. I know I did!

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

The milestone week

2010-10-07T08:55:00.000-06:00

Today is our anniversary. Twenty-one years ago, on a day very much like today - sunny and warm (but the harvest was finished!) - we were married in God's country. An evening candlelight ceremony, with many, many friends and family in attendance. Then a little drive to K-town for the big reception. It was a great, long, exhausting day, and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. We were young and foolish! And slim, I might add.

(But we were dressed better than those two young ushers! Cute suspenders!)

And now we're old and foolish. And not slim.

It's also my mom's birthday. Wasn't it so nice of us to make her host a wedding on her birthday? What was I thinking???? But she handled it very well, I must say.

Wasn't she a cutie? (They're all cute, but she's the one in the middle.)

These are my favorite pictures of Mom. She's still a cutie! Happy Birthday, Mom!

It was my dear husband's birthday yesterday. I sneakily planned the wedding date so that he would never forget our anniversary, since it is the day after his birthday. Apparently the hint was too subtle, and it's taken about twenty years for the lightbulb to go on!! Either that or I should highly recommend all husbands have a Blackberry. Now I'm the one forgetting (remember the slowcooker?) and feeling like an idiot when he presents me with a gift! (I'm getting my own Blackberry.) He's such a sweetheart!

Clem shares a birthday with my mom's oldest sister, who is twenty years and a day older. Isn't that amazing? And she's one amazing gal, too. We had such a nice visit on the phone last night - I love her to pieces.

So that's our busy week in a nutshell. Throw in a bit of football, hockey, harvesting, grad meetings, and optometrist appointments, and there you have it - - - life! Isn't it grand?

Thanks for stopping in!

Chandra

I've been naughty

2010-10-05T20:48:00.000-06:00

Yes, folks, I know it's hard to believe, but I have not been the good girl that you all know and love. "Anonymous" left me a couple of comments on one of my previous posts (don't go looking - I've deleted them!), and I...well, I...um....you know....sort of....replied. There. I admit it. I replied. I let some un-named person get under my skin and I retorted. I had some really good rebuttals - kind of wish I would have left them for a while - but in the end they sounded a bit childish. And as I grow older, I have realized, usually through experience, that kind of thing will come back and bite you on the butt. Hard. And so, while I stooped low for a bit and wrote a few snarky comments (I'm telling you, they were go-oo-ood!), I caught myself and took the higher ground.

It's not that I don't enjoy a spirited discussion of the issues at hand. I can certainly hold my own. And I'm sure you have all realized by now that I don't really pull any punches. But this certain someone refused to sign his/her comments, and I've decided that "anonymous" comments will forevermore go unacknowledged on this blog.

So there you go. Fair warning!

Thanks for stopping by, though!
Chandra

PS: Barley is done, wheat and flax are still tough. A few more days left!

PPS: I had a great debate coach, Anonymous!

A star is born

2010-10-04T23:25:00.002-06:00

Clem's grown-up nephew is an actor living in Toronto. (I might have mentioned on here before that he is the Trident Splash speedo guy.) We just finished watching the premiere of his brand-new CBC sitcom, Men With Brooms, and we are impressed. We thought he was great (obviously), and the show is good, too. But mostly what I kept thinking as I sat watching this handsome, funny young man who is related to my husband, is how amazingly humble and unassuming he is. All we knew about this show, until a couple of weeks ago, was that he was in Winnipeg this summer shooting a series. I mean, if that was me (fat chance), I would have been shouting it from the rooftops! Which could probably be the premise for another CBC sitcom, come to think of it. I did shout about Brendan's show, on Facebook, anyway. I even went back into the optometrist's office today to tell the workers there to watch the show tonight. And not only is he in a new sitcom, he's the main character. But one would never know it to talk to Brendan. Check out this interview in the Toronto Star (yes, the Star) and you'll see what I mean. And check out Men With Brooms, Monday nights on CBC!

Way to go, Brendan! We're very proud! And so are Bud and Marj - I just know it!

Thanks for checking in!

Chandra

Fall colours

2010-09-29T09:31:00.001-06:00

Champs

2010-09-29T09:10:00.000-06:00

This crew won the Kerrobert 2010 Pee Wee 3-on-3 tournament last week. Which means... well, nothing. Zip. Nada. But they had lots of fun, and got to skate lots, which is a great way to get back in the swing of hockey things. Can you tell which one is Derek? (Hint - look up. Look waaay up.) One of the dads said we were a shoe-in, since we had a Bantam goalie and a Midget defenceman. Clem took the annual height measurement of the boys yesterday, and Derek is now 5'9". He's 12. As he put it, he's a year taller than his brothers. I'm pretty sure he's at least a year heavier, too, but he doesn't want to go there.

Thanks for the photo, Tracey! And thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Another family gathering

2010-09-25T23:16:00.000-06:00

We had another excuse to get together and eat visit the other day when Mom's cousin came to town. Debbie lives in Ontario, and Mom and I and Derek stayed with her when we went to visit Mom's Uncle Joe, who is Debbie's dad.

Here are the cousins, with a couple of outlaws thrown in:

Debbie is a good story-teller!

My aunts enjoyed the stories!

Andrew wasn't having quite as much fun as the rest of us!

We took a drive out to Broadacres to see their Grandma and Grandpa's graves.

Then we stopped at Jim's to see the old grave marker, which is the traditional iron cross that the Germans from Russia always used.

It was a very enjoyable day, with lots of laughter and sharing and hugs. Afterwards, Derek and I headed to the rink for the continuation of the 3-on-3 tournament. He played very well, as did his teammates, and they ended up winning the whole thing. It sure is a good way to get back into skating, and the kids had a ball.

Just when I drove into town, I saw the following sight - a bunch of Grade 12 kids in the back of a half-ton with the Grade 10 students pushing them down the street. You guessed it - Initiation day!

And, so as not to leave you with that disturbing image, I'll show you a sample of all the geese we have around again this year. The whole field was white when I stopped, but they started flying off before I could get my camera. But you get the idea.

So that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

The big question

2010-09-24T08:59:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine died yesterday. We had sort of gone our separate ways the last couple of years, but certainly remained friends. We were the same age. We both married older guys. We had music in common - we were both involved with the music festival and the local annual Christmas concert, and were both accompanists at our respective places of worship. Her middle child is the same age as Derek. She taught both Derek and Stephen playschool, and also taught Adam and Stephen highschool English. Just a whole lot of connections.

She was diagnosed with MS a few years ago, and cancer about two years ago. She has bravely struggled through pain and illness and treatments and uncertainty. They were very private about the details, mostly to protect their children from worry and small-town speculation, I think. That was hard for many of us to accept, as we wanted to help and support them and be involved. But that was the path they chose, and we respected that. So although we knew the prognosis was not good, the news of her death still came as somewhat of a shock. I felt like a zombie yesterday, going through the motions but not really "there". Helpless and empty are two words that come to mind. Even Derek was quieter than usual, saying only that he can't imagine what they are going through. Then Stephen said that his class was re-thinking the Grade 10 initiation planned for Saturday so that they could attend the funeral. That's when the tears started. Mine, I mean. I've always had a fairly strong faith, but it's hard to see a "grand design" when three children are going to grow up without their mother's physical presence. When a husband will grieve the relationship he had and now face a lonely future. When a father, who lost his wife at a young age, will now bury his only daughter. When a community will suffer a permanent void. One really just wonders why.

Oh, I know she is in a better place. I truly believe that. But I'm sad. Rest in peace, my friend. I will miss you.

2010-09-21T16:58:00.002-06:00

I turned on the slowcooker today. And I plugged it in, too. There will be supper at the Schraefel farm tonight.

Just sayin'.

Oh great, we have another football player in the family!

2010-09-18T21:44:00.000-06:00

Derek joined a junior football program in a town north of here. It's only twice a week for six weeks, and he is having a ball. He LOVES it. "I love it more than hockey" were his exact words, cutting me to the heart. Football over hockey?? Must be a guy thing.
Today they played their first games. It's a non-competitive program, but that doesn't seem to matter much to him. He's just happy trying to make the other team cry. Seriously. That's one of his goals. Again, a guy thing.

Clem says he looked pretty good out there. He played center on the offensive line, snapping the ball, and was the kicker. He also played on the defensive line. He was a tired boy by the end of game two!

The tackler!

The kicker!

Mowing over his cousin! (This is his favorite picture!)

Stepping over his cousin.

Moving them out of the way.

A little attitude.

Elbows.

He's a little bigger than some of his teammates!

And he looks mean!

He says he caught this guy. Actually, Clem said he would kick the ball and then run and take out the punt-return guy. He is really into it!

My favorite picture!

No pictures from the Rebel game against arch-rival Plenty yesterday. The Rebels lost 30 - 17 or something like that. The coach couldn't seem to figure out how to stop the two guys who always had the ball. Stephen got some good tackles, though. One of the only guys who could catch their quarterback, who Stephen knows from hockey. Poor kid - Stephen hit him so hard he was puking on the field!

It would have been nice for the Rebels to win on Stephen's birthday, but it wasn't meant to be. Didn't seem to put much of a damper on his celebrating though, as he only arrived home late this afternoon to get in an hour or so of bin-cleaning!

And cleaning bins is about all we're doing, since it froze HARD two nights in a row. We are so lucky to have the peas safe and sound in bins, but the lentils, wheat, barley, and flax have likely dropped a grade or two! And more rain is forecast, starting tomorrow. Here's hoping October will be a warm, dry month!

Thanks for checking in!

Chandra

Book me a room.

2010-09-14T23:03:00.000-06:00

Hopefully I can remember to call the nursing home tomorrow and reserve a room for the not-to-distant future. I know I am going to need it. This is why. I spent all morning gathering garden goodies and preparing them for a wonderful slowcooker spaghetti sauce. I got everything ready, turned the slowcooker on, and rushed to my monthly Avoca lunch. (We live in the Avoca district, and the women of the area formed a Red Cross group in 1941, which later became the Avoca Community Group. It has lived on, and although we don't really do any community service or fundraising anymore, we meet once a month for lunch and good visiting. One of the gals found some old meeting minutes and brought them along today. Hence the little history lesson!)

After lunch, I ran around town doing numerous errands, and then went to work at the library. The whole time I was thinking about what a tasty supper we would have. My mouth even watered at times. At about 3:30, Clem called and asked me if he should plug in the slowcooker. (You just laughed out loud, didn't you? I know you did. My own mother laughed out loud when I told her, so I'm sure you did, too.)

And that, my friends, is a just a small example of how my mind has been working these days. It's scary, I'm telling you. My mom's aunts all ended up sitting in nursing homes trying to remember their own names and hiding their own Easter eggs. A couple of Mom's sisters have been repeating themselves quite a bit and asking questions I've just answered. It's coming. Like a dark storm cloud moving in. There are little rays of sunshine sometimes, but I'm bracing for the impending disaster, folks.

So I'd just like to ask you to please be patient and kind when you're visiting me in the home. You will visit, won't you? And try not to look too alarmed when I want to know who keeps putting their clothes in my closet!

Thanks for ....what did you do, again?

Family

2010-09-11T09:23:00.001-06:00

My dear, dear aunt and uncle are visiting again. They live on Vancouver Island, are both over 80, and they "drive East" each and every year. Sometimes twice. How great is that??? Plus, they are two of the most interesting people I know. So I really like it when they visit!

And in my mom's family, when someone visits, we "gather". And there are many to gather. It was just a small crew last night, but we had fun. And we ate. We always eat. Lots.

And we talked. And laughed. And watched kids run and play. A really nice evening!

Aren't they beautiful people!

Thanks for stopping in!

Chandra

For everything, there is a season.

2010-09-05T00:18:00.000-06:00

And the season I speak of is, of course, BACK TO SCHOOL!!! Well, and harvest. But first they went BACK TO SCHOOL! I have been practicing my happy dance for a couple of weeks now, and I must say I really busted a few moves this year.

It's strange, but the boys never seem quite as happy as I am about BACK TO SCHOOL. Derek was not too happy about the obligatory first-day-of-school photo shoot, either. I'll show you what I mean.

Coming around a bit...

Ah, there's my boy!

And he is absolutely loving Grade 7. He was literally bursting with stories from the first day - he could not stop telling me about how great it is to be in high school. (He is actually just across the hall from the Grade 6 room, but somehow it's a whole lot different.) He loves his teachers, he loves the breaks, he loves being able to leave the school at noon, and he can not believe how fast the day goes by. Oh, I hope this lasts!!!

Stephen is in his final year at KCS. I'm pretty sure he's actually going to school each day, but I can't say that for sure because he hasn't really said anything about school yet. Except football. He does talk about football. They had their first game on Thursday, won 50 - 20 and he got 15 tackles. About Math he says nothing. I do know that he gets on the bus in the morning, because he's taking a month-long break from driving (it must be contagious in this house!!). That's the only picture I could get of him on the first day BACK TO SCHOOL.

Clem did a little happy dance himself when his new bin arrived. It is quite a sight to see something that big drive in the yard...

and through the yard...

and around the old bins...

and onto the pad Clem built...

and up...

up some more...

There!

(I thought it might "lift off" here!)

Then Clem used his little bobcat to turn it around and level it. I was pretty sure the thing was going to topple over on him and his bobcat, so I quit taking pictures and went back to the house so I didn't have to watch that tragedy.

But happily he got it settled, and it is now full of very nice-looking peas. The guys finished the 500 acres peas tonight just before supper. Clem's brother and his four beautiful daughters were visiting from Alberta, and they joined us for supper and a little celebration.

Finally, a good picture of Stephen. And with his godfather, too!

We still have quite a lot of harvesting to do, but they are calling for rain again. When it dries up, the lentils will have to be swathed. Then hopefully the wheat and barley will be ready - both are so far looking like very nice crops. And lastly, there will be some flax to do. One of our buyers stopped in last week and told Clem it was the nicest flax crop he's seen this year! We're keeping our fingers and toes crossed that the frost stays away

I just can't seem to finish a post without adding some shots of our living skies. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping in!
Chandra

Connections

2010-09-04T23:31:00.000-06:00

I attended a funeral in God's country last week. The gathering was in honour of a former neighbor. He and his wife raised nine children on a small farm just north of ours. Our lives were intertwined on many levels. His older daughters babysat me. I think his sons may have helped my dad on the farm. I went to school with one of his younger daughters, and we still keep in touch. Mom made the best macaroni salad she ever made for one daughter's wedding. We rode the bus together, played together, fought the odd time. We drove by their farm every time we went to town. For seventeen years they were part of my life. Then I moved away. But still, we were connected. Mom always let me know if something happened in the family - an birth, an anniversary, a wedding - and they would ask about us. And then I moved back. Special occasions in God's country meant I might run into one family member or another. The son of one of the granddaughters plays hockey with Derek. I found a couple of them on Facebook. I reconnected with my schoolmate when she moved back home. They didn't seem too strong, but the connections were still there.

Then I went to the funeral. And I saw every family from our district represented there. I rode the bus with most of them. It was community in its strongest sense. And I visited with the family, and it was so very good to see them all again. And it was like stepping into the past in a way, because everyone knew who I was, and I knew them. We just had to catch up a bit with each other's lives, that was all. We really could have been sitting on the bus again (and veering into the ditch because the driver had been on a bender the night before. But that's another story. And I don't think that family was on yet that morning. But I digress.)

And this connection played in my mind for days. How can I sit down and talk so naturally and easily to someone for so long when I haven't seen them in 30 years? I guess the relationships you form in your youth are always there, waiting to be picked up again like dropped threads. And I find that very comforting. I think that is why I so enjoy going back to the land of my birth. They know me there. They know my story. And they care, because there is a connection, and because they know I care. It really doesn't get much better than that!

Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

My baby is 12!!!

2010-08-15T23:28:00.000-06:00

My baby turned twelve today. I find it very hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday he barged his way into our lives three weeks early. But it also seems like so very long ago that I snuggled him late at night when everyone else was in bed (because he had his days and nights mixed up - don't you remember??? I should have had a blog then!)

He's quite the kid. He and I just returned from his hockey camp at Weyburn. I think I can safely say that he talked pretty much non-stop for seven whole days, particularly on the long drive to and from Weyburn. He even talks in his sleep. He was even talking when we thought he might have a concussion. I'm pretty sure they got him out of emergency so fast so that they didn't have to answer any more of his questions, or, arguably worse, listen to his answers to theirs. (Long story short - he had a lot of pain from an ankle injury caused by ill-fitting and, I might mention, extremely expensive skates, coupled with fatigue and dehydration, that caused some dizziness and confusion, but he is fine. In fact, he was fine about 20 minutes before we left the emergency room.) But he still gives me hugs, and I love it!

I enjoy my time in Weyburn. This is the third year I've gone, once with Stephen and twice with Derek, and I find it quite relaxing. I do a lot of reading, take along some projects that I seldom do, visit relatives, and sit in a cold rink when it's 33 degrees outside. And I never have to cook or do dishes. All in all, a good holiday. The highlight of this year's trip was when my newly found cousin, Susan, drove about an hour to meet me for supper. We visited steadily for two whole hours before she had to head home. I keep thinking of the line "blood is thicker than water"... there is a definite connection between relatives, no matter how far apart you live or how often you see each other. Sometimes that's not so great, but in this instance, it's wonderful. I predict more visits in our future. Then again, perhaps it's just our mutual love of white wine...

Which brings me back to Derek's birthday, because I enjoyed a glass of white wine with the supper he ordered - BBQ steak, no potatoes, garden veggies, salad, and garlic bread. Oh, and ice cream cake. It was a great supper, but it was rather strange to have only three of us seated at the table! I couldn't reach Adam to invite him (his phone has been acting up, so we'll chalk it up to that!) and Stephen is on his second, and last, shift up north. He arrives home on Wednesday. Derek will be busy cleaning Stephen's room, which he sneakily inhabits, on Tuesday. Derek didn't even have any presents to open (refer to previous mention of extremely expensive skates), but we celebrated all the same.

It can get very hot in Weyburn, and they have some wicked thunderstorms. It was 33 degrees on Monday and on Tuesday, but it cooled down to about 28 on Wednesday. There was a thunderstorm every night, with heavy rain. The clouds looked absolutely amazing.

Actually, there have been some pretty impressive clouds around here, too, and lots more rain. Normally that would be a good thing, but the peas and lentils are ready to be swathed, and are starting to get some mold. Many of the crops are lodging and will be hard to pick up. I predict a long and gruesome harvest. Oh goodie!

Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

Mmmm-mmm-mm! Pink soup!

2010-08-02T19:32:00.000-06:00

Actually, it's borscht, but the boys always called it pink soup. I was ever amazed that they even ate it - I mean, it's just vegetables. But man, is it good. I've been told that I make good borscht. One of Derek's friends will only eat mine - he told his mom hers tasted "like crap"! I think it's just the fresh veggies. Today I went from this:

to this:

...in about two hours. Wanna see how?

First you gather all the veggies and clean them up.

Then you melt some butter (yes, butter. Margarine will NOT suffice here!) in a large soup pot and saute the chopped onions. Lots of onions.

Then you chop the beets and cook them for a few more minutes.

It's so pretty! And pink!

Chop the potatoes and carrots and stir them in, too. Cook for about five minutes.

Then fill the pot with water and bring to a boil. In the meantime, cut the beans, and chop the beet tops

and dill.

Lots of dill!

Stir it all up. I put in a bit of chicken soup base and some pepper. Bring it to a boil and simmer until the veggies are tender. Did I mention how pretty and pink it is?

Oops! I forgot to mention that I also chopped up a bit of cabbage and threw that in, too. While it is simmering, I add some vinegar, to taste. We like lots.

When everything is cooked, turn off the heat. Stir in some cream - you will notice that I used the deluxe 36% stuff today!

Don't let it boil. Stir well. Aaahhh, perfection!

Derek came home while the soup was simmering and said, "Oooh, what smells so good?" And that was before I even added the vinegar! He and his dad were eager to try the season's first pot of borscht.

And now we all feel extra healthy and well!

I took a walk today to see the beautiful blue flax blooms. I just love it when Clem plants flax around the yard!

Roxy was sure we were going for a walk!

The macro setting on the new camera seems to work quite well.

Here's the view from up by the quonset, looking northwest.

An ocean of flax!

Couldn't resist a couple of artsy-fartsy shots.

Who knew thistle and clover could look so good??

Potatoes, anyone? Dill, perhaps??

Well, I'm off to pick peas and beans. I feel a bit like Henny Penny!

Thanks for checking in!

Chandra

Weather update, part 2 (and a bit more)

2010-07-29T22:24:00.001-06:00

OK, my last post was May 29. Really. Where, oh, where does the time go? And why can't I get some sort of regular posting going? Oh well. They say it's the thought that counts, and I sure think a lot about posting!! Today I thought that perhaps I could post in point form, to make it a bit easier. We'll see how it works!

1. It's still raining. Well, we haven't had any rain today (yet - knock on wood!), and it was hot, hot, hot. Just what we need. The crops are growing like crazy. The peas have been blooming forever, so there should be lots of pods on. The flax has just started blooming - such a pretty wave of blue in the mornings. If someone - ahem - could get her butt out of bed early enough, there could be pictures! Everything is about two weeks behind, but if we can get a long, frost-free fall, we're good to go!

2. We bought a camper, and we are now "lake people". Why oh why did we wait so long to do this?? It is just so relaxing to have nothing to do, nowhere to go, and NO PHONE! Well, Clem has his Blackberry, and even got a cell phone booster to try, but he has always been just a little different. To each his own. As he says, I read books, he reads his phone. Point taken. Derek LOVES being at the lake. We spent a few days at Meota campground on Jackfish Lake, where he did a little fishing off the pier. He caught a couple, too, but he doesn't like to touch them, so he goes through quite a bit of tackle! Then we moved the camper over to Atton's Lake, which is smaller and quieter, but quite lovely. The Prescotts have a cabin there, so we got to visit Mildred, who lives there year-round, and is doing very well in her 88th year. (She mentioned that quite a few times, so I thought I would throw it in here.) Her grandson is just older than Derek, and they renewed their friendship. Derek even spent a couple of nights at the cabin. Rus took them tubing, the highlight of Derek's holiday, I think. Well, that and Toby's 14-year-old female friend in the bikini.

Did I mention that Clem does a lot of cooking when we camp? Love it!

The water was a little cold, I think....

...but he went in anyway!

3. Adam ran into a little bad luck just before he graduated (yes, I know it's hard to believe, but I have a son old enough to graduate!!), and is now walking for a year rather than driving. He has moved into a house in town with a buddy of his, and comes out to help with the farming. He's put quite a few hours on the tractor trying to keep the weeds down on the summerfallow, which isn't easy, having to work between rains. He is still trying to decide what he'll do in the fall. I have quit asking, since I just get dizzy trying to keep up with all the ideas. I figure I'll find out when he asks for the money he'll inevitably need.

Cousin Tracy took some casual grad photos at the farm - I love them.

Bobbi had a little family gathering for Adam and Jaycee the night before grad.

Candids:

4. Stephen has a summer job at a camp three hours out of Fort Nelson, BC. He works two weeks straight, and then is home for two weeks. He just got back from the first shift. I'll let you know how it went as soon as he decides to talk to us again (that's what happens when you tick off a 16-year-old) or when he is actually home long enough to say anything.

5. We helped celebrate Luseland's 100th birthday on the July long weekend. It was a great time. I saw so many people I hadn't seen in so long, and it was fun to catch up. My brothers were home for that and Adam's graduation, and it was good to see everyone again. Dad's cousin, Roy, came from Victoria, and we reconnected with a long-lost Veness cousin, Michelle. Copper just keeps getting cuter, and I think she knows it!

The Rider float in the wonderful parade. That's good ol' Doug Walz with the watermelon on his head!

Dad's cousin Jerry and friend Norm Behm (who is also my godfather!) were also in the parade.

Mark rode in the fire truck.

Some of the Class of '83!

Hometown boy Jared Fischer did a mural on the side of the rink - amazing!

6. We got another new camera because "nobody" dropped the "old" one and the lense cover doesn't work anymore. So I've been trying it out, and snapped a few photos tonight because the sky was just amazing - huge clouds and great light. Enjoy!

My flower bed - no watering necessary this year!

So that's it for now, I think. I'm sure there was more, but that should keep you going for a bit!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chandra

Weather update

2010-05-29T08:56:00.000-06:00

For those of you who live a little farther away, I will let you in on a little secret. IT'S SNOWING!! On May 29!! And it's snowing after about 4 inches of rain! Now, usually moisture is a good thing around here, so I hate to complain or anything (well, hate is a strong word, since I do complain quite regularly), but enough is enough. We have seeding to do! The peas and lentils are in the ground, and will be loving the moisture, but the flax, wheat and barley have yet to be planted. I guess all we can do is hope for another long fall. In the meantime, I'm very glad I haven't gotten around to storing my winter clothes yet!

So stay tuned - I still plan to report on the trip to Europe. Really. Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Hockey is over! (Sniff, sniff..)

2010-04-15T09:13:00.000-06:00

The end of the hockey season here has been hectic, to say the least, but I am a little sad that it's over. Not sure what to do with my time now....ahem.

Anyway, it was a successful year for both teams. Derek's team swept the Provincial D draw, winning the final game against Conquest 13 - 0. Still a little disappointed that they didn't go in a bigger draw, but maybe next year!

We had good fan support, too! Lots of familiar faces in the crowd.

And to top it off, Dad won the 50/50, the lucky son of a gun!

The Midgets year-end was bittersweet. They lost the first game of the Provincial C final round in Redvers by two goals, but were sure they could take them at home. They almost did, but nerves or over-confidence threw a three-goal lead with three minutes left in the game. I had already headed over to the penalty box to take the celebratory pictures! They won the game 5 - 4, but lost the series by one goal. Heartbreaking, but Redvers was a terrifically strong and well-coached team, so there is no shame in losing to them.

The Thunder sloughed off that loss, and went full throttle two days later to beat Wilkie in the league final. The boys played a great game, keeping a strong Wilkie team at bay. It was a good way to end the year!

Lots of celebrating went on, as this was the last minor hockey game for Adam and a few of his friends.

I will miss seeing my two boys playing together!

The day we went to Redvers, some of the football players stopped in early to drop off the new jackets. It was a rather intimidating sight to see all these big brutes in my house! Nice jackets, though!

The morning after the big league win, we left for Saskatoon at 5:30 in the morning with some hurtin' boys to begin our trip to Italy and Greece. Stay tuned for more on that!!

Thanks for checking in!

Chandra

Is there anything BUT hockey?

2010-03-24T10:47:00.001-06:00

There's an old country song that twangs, "Well, life on the farm is kinda laid back..." Ha! He ain't been on this farm!

Went to three hockey games in the last four days, one of which was nearly in Manitoba, and I swear my butt, while never terribly attractive anyway, is now permanently conformed to the shape of a bleacher. I guess I'm just lucky I take my own padding wherever I go, since we have four more games to watch before Adam, Stephen and I get on a plane to Rome.

The Pee Wees easily handled Conquest (7 - 2) last night in Elrose in game one of the Provincial finals. I heard one of our cheering grandmas comment that this series isn't going to be a cakewalk like the others have been. I want some of what she is on. I am predicting a bit of a massacre on Friday when Conquest returns.

The Midgets finally lost a game this year. Unfortunately it was game one of their Provincial finals! That was in Redvers - an 8 hour one-way trip, folks. And that's only if your bus doesn't break down in Regina on the way. Long, expensive story, but we did get to Redvers and back. Redvers is here on Saturday, and the boys are certain they can overcome the 2 goal deficit and become Provincial champs. Should be a good game if you're in the area! Or you could take in one of the league final games, in Wilkie tonight and back in Kerrobert on Monday! Hockey, hockey, hockey!

For a bit of a diversion, we had Music Festival in Luseland in the middle of all the hockey. I have been playing piano for the Community Choir there (my flat butt fits so well on the piano bench!) and was hurrying to my beloved hometown for their performance in the festival, when I decided to slow down and pull over. Actually, that decision was quite easy to make when I saw the red and blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror. At any rate, I met the Luseland police officer, who was very polite and who asked me if I was in a hurry. I replied that yes, indeed, I was, for there was a group of old people waiting for me to accompany them. After inspecting my license, he asked if I was Adam Schraefel's mother. I got a sinking feeling in my gut, and figured I was pretty much hooped at that point. But no, he just said he hadn't seen Adam around much lately (good thing), and that he would let me go with a warning (really good thing!) After a little chitchat about the moose in and around Luseland (didn't he hear me when I said I was late???), I continued on my way. And the choir performed wonderfully at the festival.

So that's about it for now. I likely won't be back here until after we return home for Europe, so take care and thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Sunshine! We have sunshine!

2010-03-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

We have been enveloped in fog so often lately, everyone is just a little grumpy. It's amazing how moods change for the better when the sun peeks out! Just makes you feel good, and that perhaps the snow will be gone soon.

But not too soon, for we have hockey to finish! The Midgets won round three of Provincials with a really good game against Wilkie on Friday night. We are still waiting to hear where they go next. It's either Drake or Arborfield, where we went last year in the same round. Those two games will take place next weekend.
The Pee Wees are off to Lake Lenore on Friday, and will play host on Sunday here in Kerrobert. Here's hoping for a little competition this round. It is also round three for the Pee Wees, and they will be off to the finals if they win.

We had a bit of excitement, so to speak, last Saturday, beginning with an early morning phone call from my cousin in New Brunswick who had heard about the earthquake in Chile, and who was wondering if we had heard from my sister, Lisa, who lives in Santiago. Well, we hadn't, and when my heart started beating again, we turned on the TV to follow the devastating news and pictures, until I thought I was going to be sick. Then I got on the internet to see if there was any way to contact her and get news about her. Most of my calls to her cell phone didn't get through, and the one that did went unanswered. She is a free spirit, and had just moved to a new apartment, address unknown to us, and as far as we knew hadn't yet registered with the Canadian consulate there. After a few stressful hours, Mom received a phone call from a friend of Lisa's saying she was fine. It turns out Lisa had been away for the weekend, at a beach town farther away from the earthquake's epicentre, and wasn't in any danger. They made it safely back to Santiago Saturday night, and had power and water again already on Sunday. I think the aftershocks are still giving them some grief, but for the most part, all is well. Thank goodness!

The Kerrobert Senior Tigers hosted a Deon Volk Memorial game and event yesterday. The Montreal Canadiens Fan Club came from Saskatoon to take on the Tigers in a very entertaining game. The Initiation team joined them on the ice, as well, making for lots of laughs. The game was followed by a banquet, program and silent auction, with all the proceeds of the day going to a trust fund for Deon's son, Avery. Clem and I played for the cocktails before the banquet, and were there ever a lot of people there! We were pleasantly surprised to see Tim and Jan Helle here. Tim used to play bass in our old band, Stillwater. Any of you readers remember that? Do you realize how long ago that was? My goodness! Anyway, Tim and Jan still look exactly the same (how do people do that? maybe it's because they didn't have any boys, just girls!), and it was great to see them and catch up for a bit. Clem and I didn't stay for the evening's entertainment, since Derek was at his first babysitting job ever, and his mom was just a little nervous. The other mom was just relieved to actually have a babysitter. I think you have to be just a little desperate to agree to an eleven-year-old boy who has never babysat before and has never even met you or your kids, but that's just me! Turns out he did fine - the first time I called, he was making the kids grilled cheese sandwiches, which of course conjured up all sorts of disastrous scenarios in my mind, none of which occurred. He arrived home about one o'clock in the morning, just pumped, and with a pocket full of cash that he will spend at his earliest convenience, I'm sure. In fact, I'm guessing it will probably be gone just before he needs spending money next weekend for his big hockey trip! Ah, life with kids...

Well, I'm going to quit now and settle in for a relaxing, non-hockey day at home.
Thanks for stopping by!
Chandra

Winter wonderland

2010-02-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Saskatchewan is a wonderful place to live. The weather and scenery change frequently, even minute to minute. If you don't like one or the other, you can be sure it will change soon. If you do like it, take a picture!

Lately, we have had a lot of fog. I mean, a LOT of fog. It makes driving a bit tricky, but it also makes for some spectacular views. I went out one morning after a foggy, foggy night, and here is what I found:

Thanks for stopping in, and have a great day!

Chandra

Still at the rink!

2010-02-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Such a busy life we lead! However, after my near-death experience yesterday (I fell down the stairs, but doesn't "near-death experience" sound so much more dramatic??!) I have been taking it easy today, and find I have some time to catch you all up on the exciting life and times of the Schraefel family!

The Midgets have finished their league play, undefeated. They are also in the middle of the 2nd round of Provincial play. They won the first game against Paradise Hill 5 to 0, and will go there for the second game next Sunday. It won't be a cakewalk, but I'm pretty sure they can beat them, as it is a two-game, total-point series. Adam and Stephen are both playing some good hockey. And I finally saw the Schraefel/Schraefel goal for which I have been waiting years! Adam got a pretty goal off a pass from Stephen - so sweet! I remember the first time they played together, thinking how nice it would be to see such a goal. Alas, they got the first two penalties of the game, one after the other, and sat in the penalty box together. I have since learned not to wish for such things, at least not out loud!

Clem decided to try his new camera on some sport shots. Turns out he, or the camera, is very good! Here are some photos from a Midget home game. The first is Stephen carrying the puck up the ice, followed by Adam. I'm thinking that would be a fairly intimidating sight for the defender, as they are two of the biggest guys on the team!

Stephen

Adam:

Adam #3 celebrating a goal with his linemates:

A shot of both of them on the bench with the coach, right after my special goal!

Derek's team is still going strong, as well. They just beat Edam in the first round of their provincial playoffs, and will head to Paradise Hill for Round 2. (I will know that road well!) Clem took some pictures at the Lloydminster Tier I tournament that they won in January. Derek is the tall one (ha, ha!)

Hoisting the trophy!

The Rage, the new Junior B team in town, is wrapping up their season on Monday. It has been a long, hard haul, and hopefully next year will be better. Why do I take on these tasks???

All the boys have survived the first term of the school year, although I marvel at how it happened. Our next focus will be preparing for our trip to Europe at the end of March. I sure hope the hockey playoffs are done by then! We leave on March 30 - last year the final game was on April 4!!!

Take care, and thanks for still checking in!
Chandra

Spring? Winter? Someone tell me which coat to wear!

2010-01-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, has it been beautiful these last couple of days. Our first spring of the year - be a couple more months before the real one, I suppose.

We are back into the thick of things around here, mostly at the rink! I know - you are probably shocked to hear that (insert sarcasm). The Midgets are still undefeated, playing some very good hockey. I'm still waiting for that elusive Schraefel/Schraefel goal, and there isn't much time left! Adam made it onto the first line this week, and does some amazing passing. Stephen has decided to become more offensive-minded, and is spending a lot of time around the other team's net, very out of character for him but nice to watch. And it's paying off, as he is racking up some points. He played with the Junior team again on the weekend, and assisted their first goal of the game. He and I are off to Kyle this weekend (woo-hoo!) for the Midget Zone camp. Adam is staying behind to go with the Midget team to Macklin for an exhibition game, which was scheduled before we knew that we will play them in the first round of Provincials. Could be an interesting match-up!

Derek's team went to North Battleford last weekend and quite easily beat a tournament team there. Derek got a goal, too, but unfortunately it was for the other team. It bounced off his leg and past our unsuspecting goalie! He didn't seem too upset about it, and luckily his teammates didn't give him the gears over it. He and Clem are going to Lloyd on the weekend for a tournament there.

Adam's and Stephen's passports are currently on their way here so that they and I can partake of the school's biannual Europe trip. This year it will be to Italy and Greece, and includes a four-day cruise of the Greek islands. Sounds heavenly, if you don't think too much about the fact that it is mostly teenagers in the group! Actually, I am really looking forward to it, and to spending some time with the boys on a holiday, something we really haven't done much over the years. I think it will be a valuable experience for them, as well.

And that's about it for things going on around here. Thanks for checking in!
Chandra

Scratchings in the Dirt

Lesson (re)learned

Parenting - twenty years in

Quick Takes - January edition

Welcome, Sawyer!

Welcome back!

Blame it on Facebook.

Quick Takes

Fall

Anniversary day

Quick takes

Yucky

My glamorous life.

Stephen is American???

Hmmm....what's on my camera?

A little more elbow room in the nest!

My baby is graduating

Happy Birthday, Adam!

We're getting a new bus driver.

Quick Takes - again!

Common sense is not that common!

The Wind is Howling

Throw away the pens!

Mother's Day

Quick Take Friday - on Saturday

I guess there IS life after hockey!

My life in pictures.

Quick Takes (because that's all we seem to have time for!)

I'm leavin' on a *prop* plane...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Point form.

You may not believe this, but we've been busy with hockey!

It's Happy Dance time again!

Yes, I'm still here!

Quick update before I fly!

We're DONE!!!!

Oh ya, it's Thanksgiving weekend!

The milestone week

I've been naughty

A star is born

Fall colours

Champs

Another family gathering

The big question

Oh great, we have another football player in the family!

Book me a room.

Family

For everything, there is a season.

Connections

My baby is 12!!!

Mmmm-mmm-mm! Pink soup!

Weather update, part 2 (and a bit more)

Weather update

Hockey is over! (Sniff, sniff..)

Is there anything BUT hockey?

Sunshine! We have sunshine!

Winter wonderland

Still at the rink!

Spring? Winter? Someone tell me which coat to wear!

I'm leavin' on a prop plane...