Bronco

Here's Calgary's Mayor Dave Bronconnier and our Governor General at Calgary City Hall (pictured).

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, the Governor General of Canada

Our Governor General was a delight: smiling, vivacious, personable, and amazingly beautiful.

It was not known by the children from out of town competing at the Heritage Fair that Michaelle Jean would be making a visit to a pre-arranged and selected group of young adults at Calgary City Hall. As word of her arrival spread, the line-ups beside the red carpet laid out for her began.

I could not believe that most children did not have a clue who she was. They did not know anything about Canada's Governor General, her role, nor her name. They were more interested in seeing the Mayor of Calgary (Sigh ....) I'll post a picture of him later.

A Touch Of Royalty

Here is Caitlin waiting with her friends for a special guest, with whom she got to shake hands. Guess who?

Spirited

It was Spirit Week at Mitford Middle, dress from any era. Caitlin looked like a young "Jane" Lennon and Brett like the original Bono ... Sonny, that is.

Want A Hug?

Brett and Caitlin get a hug from Sophie

A Boa Necklace

We also visited the Reptile World Museum. It was amazing.
There were reptiles, amphibians, spiders from around the
world on display.

The kids had a chance to get up close and personal with the resident Boa, Sophie. I had never been so close
to such a large snake before, and it was cool to "pet" her.

Here's Caitlin checking her out.

Hoo Dat On the Hoodoo?

Caitlin and Brett check out a Hoodoo. This is the weekend Caitlin decided to grow out her hair, after hotel staff and restaurant staff referred to both she and Brett as "boys."

Hoodoos

During Spring Break we took the kids on an overnight trip to the Drumheller, Alberta, area. What an interesting place to visit! The kids had a blast exploring the Hoodoos.

Peace, Old Friend

I found out yesterday that an old friend of mine in Saskatoon has passed over from this life to the next ... Allene Becker.

I first met Allene when we were sitting in the same row at church at a Women's Retreat. You know how you get comfortable at these things and tend to go back and sit in your same row with the same people. We chatted a bit and I found her to be a very personable and fascinating person. As a result of the weekend, we met for coffee. At that time I was a single parent and Allene and I talked about how getting through Christmas was going to be both an emotional and financial struggle for our family that year.

A few weeks later, Allene came into my place of work and gave me an envelope. "God told me to give this to you," she said. I wasn't sure about her theology, but I was sure about her heart. When I opened it, there was $100 in cash.

That's the kind of person Allene was. I always called her "my angel." She had a very tough life with her health problems, but always kept her faith. She was an English teacher who spent time teaching in the Yukon, until health problems put an end to her teaching career. Although she had a couple of serious relationships, she never married nor had children. She considered her students to be her "kids."

Over the many years since I lived in Saskatoon, occasionally I would pick up the phone and there would be Allene on the other end. Recently, she moved into a care home in Saskatoon, and I am thankful I was able to write what I now know was the last letter she would receive from me.

I am thankful for this special lady being part of my life. I'll miss you, Allene. I imagine you laughing and dancing in Heaven, as only you can.

Explore Alberta

One of the many reasons I love living where I do ... just a short drive away from the beauty of Kananaskis Country.

Green Fingers

In recent years, when this nomad has come to rest for a spell, I have discovered I LOVE gardening. I think I must have come by this honestly from my grandmother, who always had a huge farm garden full of vegetables, flowers to cut, and lilac bushes. My mother was also a very good gardener.

Where we presently live, we have a small strip of raised garden across the back of yard. I have started a few perennials, a few of which have survived our winter. This year I am trying some wild flowers from seed ... I would love an English garden full of colours from flowers of all shapes and sizes.

I have discovered Alan Creech's wife, Liz, has started a gardening blog, doing things the organic way. Even though she is in Lexington, Kentucky, I have learnt a lot from her already.
See http://alancreech.com/lizard/gardenescapades

Some Day My Tattoo Will Come

I have always wanted a tattoo. I have in mind the Native American Kokopelli . Regardless of its meaning, I think it is very cute.

The mysterious Kokopelli character is found in a number of Native American cultures, being especially prominent in the Anazasi culture of the "Four Corners" area. The figure represents a mischievous trickster or the Minstrel, spirit of music. Kokopelli is distinguished by his dancing pose, a hunchback and flute. His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit give him a prominent position in Native American mysticism.

Kokopelli has been a sacred figure to Native Americans of the Southwestern United States for thousands of years. Found painted and carved on rock walls and boulders throughout this region, Kokopelli is one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology, and is a prominent figure in Hopi and Zuni legends. Kokopelli is also revered by current-day descendants including the Hopi, Taos and Acoma pueblo peoples.

Kokopelli is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, a sack carrying the seeds of plants and flowers he would scatter every spring. Warming the earth by playing his flute and singing songs, Kokopelli would melt the winter snow and create rain, ensuring a good harvest.

I like the above picture of a group of pastors who have supported each other with the same tattoo. I am guessing they are portraying what Scripture refers to as Jesus, the Vine and we, the Branches.

The words you can see on the wrists at the bottom of the picture mean "Hope" in Hebrew. Way cool.

Positive Reinforcement

Crafters Take Note

In spite of my best efforts, I have not been able to post Links. If anyone who blogs, ever reads mine, I would be eternally grateful if you would let me know how to do this!

In the interim, I have a special friend in Virginia, named Trish, who was born with an abundance of craft genes. These days she is creating and selling amazing jewellery. She shares her techniques and all kinds of tips via her newsletter.

Drop by here and then sign up for her tips: http://www.bentandstrung.com

Also, Trish now has a Blog at http://bentandstrung.dashdots.com/blog/

North Carolina Memories #3

Atlantic Beach on North Carolina's Coast

North Carolina Memories #2

Raleligh, NC State Fair -- I think these Giant Turkey Legs were actually Emu or Ostrich legs. Even a turkey on steroids couldn't have been THAT big!

North Carolina Memories #1

Before the Grand Old Opry, Nashville, there was the Grand Old Opry, North Carolina ... and CocaCola.

Congrats, Caitlin

Caitlin recently received the Mitford Award of Excellence for her presentation (oral and board) on Henry Hudson. She now goes on to compete in the Heritage Fair in Calgary in May.

Following up, Caitlin's self-confidence shone as she made a good presentation to the Judges. She won a ribbon and enjoyed this valuable experience.

Good-bye, Ralph

I was recalling all the large cities I have lived in across five provinces, where politics was always front page news. For the life of me, my Premiers, MLA's, and MP's, are faceless and nameless. That's why the retirement of our Alberta Premier, Ralph Klein, leaves me feeling quite sad and disappointed.

Comments from Rick Bell, Calgary Sun, April 3/06:

Ralph was Ralph, one of a handful of politicians almost always known by first name alone. Countless opposition types tried to get people to call him Premier Klein, to demystify the man. Never worked.

It was all so natural. Ralph's World. King Ralph. Balancing a budget by cuts alone? Ralphonomics. The four-year Tory campaign to fix the financial mess it caused? Ralpholution. What better name for the recent $400 cheques (to each man, woman and child in Alberta) than Ralphbucks.

When Ralph uttered a phrase, it immediately entered the political vocabulary. Everybody had heard a Ralph story, even if it was 12th hand. Some quip, some anecdote proving he had not lost the common touch, always circulated. Ralph's popularity always outstripped that of the party.

Ralph was the politician said to have learned his life lessons in Calgary's beer parlours. Ralph was the plain talker who knew what average Albertan Martha and Henry (as he called them) were thinking. Ralph was the rumpled rogue on the billboard. Ralph was the one Tories told us cared and Tories told us listened.

The Tories insisted Ralph always did what he said he'd do. Ralph would never blink. The party faithful even named a beer after him.

Reports say the party's shocking rebuke isn't about Ralph, but about the timing of his departure. So it comes as no surprise all the e-mails and calls to the office of the premier and the digs of cabinet ministers and Conservative backbenchers alike, ask one question. What did you do to Ralph and why did you do it? (Is it right to blame leadership candidates for Ralph's demise? Of course, and the truth is they did it effectively and well.) It seems the Tory caucus can offer sustained applause for their leader and at the same time carry a knife.

I'm glad that Ralph will head into history as a maverick straight-shooter who says what he thinks and does what he promises and doesn't give a dang about the consequences. I'll miss him.

Find Music You Love At Pandora

Have you discovered Pandora yet?

If you are on your computer any length of time, or just like to have background music in the area of your computer, make your own radio station at Pandora. Just supply the name of your favorite artist or song, Pandora will find the artist or song, and supply you with one hour of free uninterrupted music of your artist, plus other artists with a similar style. Make as many different radio stations as you wish. Lots of fun.

Oh, you have to provide a US zip code when you sign up. Remember Beverly Hills 90210? That's what I submitted and it worked.

www.pandora.com