For lack of a better title - it's all mine....

gone for a while

2009-10-30T18:21:00.000-05:00

its been a year since the last post - a lot of stuff is now on Facebook, but only friends can see it.
if things come up that I don't mind the whole world seeing I will make another post.until later...

found video

2008-09-14T10:00:00.001-05:00

Was just searching for various stuff and found this video. Very challenging - optimism seen as action.

Cpl Seggie

2008-09-13T19:47:00.002-05:00

I didn't know you.
I never met you.
But I was at your memorial today.
Bye Mike.

And thanks.

I'm on ACID

2008-08-31T19:33:00.002-05:00

well, not the street kind, anyways...

I signed up for a university course called "The Music Teacher and Technology (K-12)" and one of the programs we are using is called ACID - it's a loop mixer. Our assignment is to make a 1 minute song using this program.

If I can find a way to post the results here, I will.

Previous home improvements, part II

2008-08-31T11:58:00.004-05:00

This Spring we had a surprise repair - The old window in the dining room had two panels, the upper one being 1/3 of the window, the bottom the rest. The upper panel was not movable, and the lower panel slid up. This was old wooden construction.
In mid-March, the upper panel gave way, and slid down about 2 inches. We now had a complete break in the seal to the outside. After covering it in plastic, we called the same company that did the upstairs windows. In April, we got the window replaced. This is one of two large windows we wanted to do, but not yet. We are thinking of doing the other one later on.
When the window company came to give us the quote, they took one look at the plastic covered old window, and said that it definitely needed to be replaced. Considering it was a custom job, it was done pretty fast.

Previous home improvements

2008-08-31T11:30:00.013-05:00

There are some home improvements that we have been doing that havn't made it onto this blog. This summer we tackled the front yard - it was a mess of weeds and spotty grass. In June, I borrowed a neighbour's electric tiller and dug up the front yard. We then put in a path and garden, covering the path with sand, and the garden with wood chips. The squirrels have decided that the wood chips are neat, and are digging in the garden, but otherwise the front yard is looking good. We have only lost one plant so far, a Chinese lantern plant that Suzanne is hoping will come back in the spring. We aren't sure what ate all it's leaves, but after a month, it had no leaves left at all, and the stems were being eaten.
Considering what a difference it makes in looks, this improvement wasn't that expensive. We want to put in a rock path where the sand is, but we need to find a truck to carry the stones in... delivery costs more than the stone itself!

Last summer (07) we applied for and received a grant for frontal improvements to the house. We used the money to help pay for two replacement windows in the second story. Windows that opened up in the summer, and didn't leak air like crazy in the winter. What a difference it made to the front two bedrooms!

Lower Fort Garry

2008-08-30T23:53:00.006-05:00

For the first time, I went to Lower Fort Garry. Suzanne and the boy went on Canada Day (for free!), but I was occupied with Orff Level II. Since it was the last weekend of the season, they had a few activities going, but they were also getting ready to shut down for the season. The pictures here are from the East Gate, facing the Red River.

The Warehouse (which later became Manitoba's first jail, first national jail, and first mental asylum).
the fur loft and trading building. The white one beside it was HBC's retail outlet until 1911.
the Big House (for the governor and his family/servants). After HBC left the Fort (except for the retail outlet), this became the officer's quarters for the RCMP.

The HBC's flag.

One of the interesting things was that from 1914 to 1964 (50 years, anyways), the fort was leased to the Manitoba Motor Club as a club house - and the buidings were altered quite a bit. When the Federal govm't got it from the club, they had to remove quite a few items and construction updates to bring it back to the period of 1851.

Mojo's operation....

2008-08-30T23:44:00.004-05:00

Mojo had an operation on Monday - she had this HUGE growth on her side that just wouldn't go away. Other growths have been appearing, none staying long or getting huge, but this one just kept getting bigger.

It took 2 days, but now she's normal - except that she has to wear the collar for 14 days. She's still on painkillers and antibiotics until Monday Sept 1 - the stiches come out the following week. She spent the first few days taking the stairs really slowly, and only coming down to eat and go to the bathroom. She prefers being upstairs, so that's where she wanted to be.

I was talking with a neighbour, and he commented that Mojo had pretty major surgery... imagine that kind of cut on your body! The shaving makes it look really bad, but the cut is pretty clean. With that collar on, she looks like a vacumn with legs when she eats!

Because of the stress of the whole thing, she's shedding like crazy now. Dog hair everywhere!

All we have to do is make sure Ezra doesn't help take the stiches out early...

Gate's in...

2008-08-12T16:35:00.004-05:00

Sunday Morning, Nathanael and I finished the gate and installed it into the fence. Put the caps on the posts later in the evening. All we need now is a latch to hold the gate closed - the yellow bungee is doing the job for now.

I caught myself thinking it would be nice to take the fence all the way to the back lane......

The Parent Application - Thanks, Dad.....

2008-08-10T23:57:00.002-05:00

My father sent me this.....

I'm not sure if he's trying to send me a message or not....

PARENT - Job Description

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION : Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing t o be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required (unfortunately)
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this!
You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses!
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do... or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.

** AND A FOOTNOTE 'THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!

fence done, gate next...

2008-08-08T20:02:00.003-05:00

Well, we (Szuanne and I) got the 2x4's cut this evening, and then we put on the fence boards. With the 2x4's on the stairs connected to the posts, the whole thing is pretty stable. All that is left now is the gate - Nathanael and I will work on that Sunday.

Next Step - String and 2x4 brackets.

2008-08-08T15:06:00.003-05:00

Took Nathanael to his dancing today, and then went to RONA (see previous post) and got a line level. They didn't have any when I started....

Next step was to put the string on the posts, and to nail the 2x4 brackets to the posts. If you look closely, you will notice that the corner is NOT 90 degrees.... I'm following the concrete already laid out, so the posts are not exactly where I would like to have them. I'm accomodating this a bit by putting the brackets on the posts in such a way so that the boards are a bit closer to 90 degrees than they would be otherwise. So... in the first photo, the brackets are off to the side of the post, closest to the concrete. In the second photo, the brackets are closer to the middle. The same thing will be happening with the other side.

Went to RONA....

2008-08-08T15:02:00.002-05:00

... and bought a toolbelt. Suzanne's reaction?

"I can't believe it... I never thought I'd see one of those in my house.... What is it doing here?"

I figured it was better than having nails and tools all over the place when I started working on the fence.

htc troubles....

2008-08-07T23:53:00.000-05:00

It happened this month - my touch started to reset itself.

Doing a quick internet search, I've discovered that this is not a unknown issue - but the only solution was to hard reset it.

Now I wait and see how well this solution takes....

UPDATE
Called Rogers today and they are replacing my touch with a refurbished phone. It's being sent out by courier, and will not cost me a penny.

Cutting posts....

2008-08-07T22:16:00.004-05:00

My neighbour, Cody, has lent me his powertool - a compound mitre saw. Today I used it to cut the posts into 5 foot lengths. That will make them the right height for the fence. He gave me a quick run-down of how to use it, and what to watch for. The goggles are his, he won't let me use it without them.

I also chopped a short length off an old post to use for banging the spikes in. The first spike hit a stone, which meant I had to dig it out a bit. It's in now, with a post in it. I'll get the other two in before I put another picture up.

Got the lumber and supplies...

2008-08-06T15:01:00.003-05:00

Today I went and got the lumber and supplies - lumber's in the yard, and the supplies in the house. Tonight, my neighbour is going to show me how to use a power tool (anyone remember Father's Day "THE BOX"?), so I can cut the wood to the needed sizes.....

The sledgehammer is for hammering the spikes that you see in the previous post.

Cousins meet for the first time....

2008-08-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

Nathanael and his cousin met for the first time this summer. Although we only had a week to visit, it only took one day for these two to get along. By the end of the visit, they were doing really well. We went for a family portrait, and the photographer mistook them for siblings!

I guess that's understandable, as they acted like it. They even smirked when the other was in trouble!

Orff Level Two

2008-08-05T23:57:00.002-05:00

Well, I took the plunge this year and did my Orff Level II Certification. It was a lot of work, and I didn't get a lot of sleep, but it was a lot of fun, and definitely worth it! The picture here is of our movement to a poem called "Thistles" - Albert and I are supposed to be "little devils".

Fence - first step

2008-08-04T14:56:00.000-05:00

First - I had to get rid of all the weeds and junk - as well as banging out the areas for the posts to go in. It's only about 10 feet of fence I'm doing - I'm adding it onto existing fence and deck. The bamboo sticks are where the posts are going to go. These pictures show where the fence is going - view is from the yard and from the path between the two houses. We share a common access with the neighbour - so the gate is going beside thier gate.

Rhubarb!

2008-06-21T21:01:00.003-05:00

I finally got a rhubarb plant!

A friend of ours who live a block away gave us part of her rhubarb root, and I have planted it in the backyard. I have been missing having rhubarb.... and the bonus was, that she also gave me a bag full of stalks.

I ahve since found a website devoted to all thing Rhubarb: The Rhubarb Compendium - You name it, it's there. Found some great recipies, and made jam tonight.

Oooooo can hardly wait!

cycling and gas

2008-06-17T07:06:00.002-05:00

Was purusing the net this morning and found this...

mirrors my sentiments exactly.

The Apology

2008-06-11T23:31:00.006-05:00

It's 11:30 at night, and I am watching a re-broadcast of today's apology for the residential school policy of the Canadian Government.

What has impressed me the most is the calls for reconciliation and moving forward together that has come out from every leader so far. If even a portion of all the words said so far are realized in action, we will be much better off as a country.

Ever since my aunt passed on information providing us with the heritage of my Grandfather (her dad), I have become more and more interested in reading about the Metis and the Cree of the Manitoba woodlands. Inside the package she gave us was a copy of a script signed by our Great-Great Grandmother in the Red River settlement. Grandpa was Metis.

I don't know if he ever went to residential school. He always told us that he was adopted, so I am not sure that he did attend such a school. I do know that he kept that part of his heritage private - he always told us to put down French in the census results.

Getting back to the apology - I'm glad that the First Nation, Metis and Inuit leaders were invited to be present on the floor, and that they were able to respond on the floor of the House of Commons. Having thier words to listen to, and to have them in the Hansard is important. All MP's needed to hear what they had to say.

Since I have begun working in the inner city of Winnipeg at an elementary school I have found this topic very compelling to me. Likely it is because of the Seven Teachings that the school division expects us to pass on to the students. I have found these to be profound, and to fit within my personal Christian beliefs without conflict.

So I watched today's ceremony with interest, and with pride and hope. I know that this is the beginning of a journey - not just for those who reside on reserves or who are considered First Nations, but also for all Canadians. We have to build a new relationship together.

I QUIT

2008-05-20T17:18:00.002-05:00

Oh yes...

After "toughing it out" for a couple of weeks, I gave my notice at my second job. The amount of time it would take for me to fulfill the job, and the amount of work it would take, wasn't worth the return. I'll look for something else, and Suz is doing the same. The loss of income will be missed, but not the hassle of getting out there.... I'm actually looking forward to having Saturdays at home....

WBC done, plans for next year.

2008-05-20T17:15:00.002-05:00

Well, the WBC had the year end concert at the end of April. Grandma and Grandpa B came out to watch, and I think they enjoyed the concert. Nathanael thought he sang well, and really liked having the extra family members present to listen. The whole choir did a great job, and we had guest artists from the U of M who did some wondering Jazz Music for us at the end.

Next year, there will be a lot of stuff for the boys to sing - plans are for concerts throughout the year, as well as the two the choir puts on themselves. Should be a fun season.

May News

2008-05-20T17:11:00.002-05:00

Wow.... been a while...

You would think that with the amount of time I spend on computers, I would have time to spend on writing something in here, but alas, that is not the case.

What it has come down to is that I am doing other things with this machine, and not spending time on the browser as much. Likely not a bad thing, but....

I've got 5 things in the head right now, so I'll enter them as separate posts....

HTC Update

2008-02-17T10:07:00.002-06:00

As of today, I have found a couple of neat programs for the Pocket PC platform:

Tuner

Metronome

Stopwatch

Still looking for a freeware chess program....

Job changes....

2008-02-17T10:00:00.002-06:00

Well... it was due to happen sometime.

Yesterday at my second job, I was told (with lots of others in the same situation) that my job description has changed. We are now to "promote" - ie sell - a product that we provide technical support for.

It's been two years since I did the training for this phone support job. At the time, we were told there was no sales involved. Since the new product came on line, there have been incentives to promote it to people calling in for assistance with other products, but the promotion part was on our own, at least that was what I inferred.

Yesterday's session was good in that the expetations were very clear - the job has changed. Start doing it.

A bunch of years ago, I did outbound sales for phone companies from the states. I lasted 4 months before I couldn't do it any more. I hope that this is different. At this point, the "Promotion" part is the only part I'm uncomfortable with.

Friday Thoughts

2008-01-25T22:21:00.000-06:00

Today is the first day that I have tried to do a post with the new phone. It is quite different trying to use the tiny keyboard or the writing area to make the words. So far I would say the easiest is the keyboard with the stylus and the word prediction turned on.
Just got the Bible installed as well - even got some surfing done.
Well, should go and do some other stuff for awhile.

New Toy.....

2008-01-22T22:30:00.000-06:00

The old Palm has finally bit the dust this past week. The right top corner has stopped working, and it is starting to drive me nuts, as what started as a small section gone has turned into a large 2cm by 3cm unusable corner.

So Friday I took the plunge into the market and am trying out a HTC Touch. It's on a Rogers $10 plan, and I still have a week to see if I like it. So far, I am liking most of what it can do - the calendars working OK, and I figured out the syncing part Sunday night. The only part I don't really like too much is that it uses Outlook to sync to. I've gotten so used to Palm's desktop and to Thunderbird that to use Outlook again seems weird.

I did briefly consider Blackberry as an option - except that the plans were not really good - most of the carriers out here wanted $30-45 a month for the data plans. The neat thing about the Touch is that it has Wi-Fi - I've already got it surfing at home and at the dance school Nathanael goes to, and today I got it linked to a Second Cup hot spot.

What gets me is that most of the software that I have on the Palm will not be usable on the Touch. oh well.....

New Year's Letter 2007

2007-12-30T16:53:00.001-06:00

Well...... I can't call it a Christmas letter, can I? That was Tuesday.

Feel free to read and reply to if you wish.

Chris, Suzanne and Nathanael

Greetings to Everyone!

As a family, we have tried (and failed) to write out Christmas cards for the many people we would love to communicate with yearly. So, we are going to do a New Year's Letter, and hopefully this will get to everyone in a timely fashion....

January saw us returning from Swan River after spending part of our holidays there, and beginning to really settle into the house we moved into at the end of October. By the end of March, we had pretty much moved in, and made a list of items to be taken care of around the house. A few home renovations; some expected, some not, have been tackled by the end of this year. The most interesting was the furnace, as it involved removing the old furnace and hot water tank. Over the summer we got to meet our neighbours, and have learned quite a bit about the neighbourhood and it's history. We're still meeting more people from the area – we think that we are still “the new family” on our street! This winter we have spent mainly at home, completing the house renovations we started, and planning new ones. We are working on windows at the moment, and hope to get started on the basement and insulation next.
In September we made a church switch. While we didn't leave Springs Church, we changed which service we attend regularly. Our move to Inner City has let us be closer to home for church, and to be involved with a smaller group. It also fit into our plans to take Spanish Dancing (for Chris and Suzanne) on Sunday mornings.

Nathanael moved from grade 2 into grade 3 over the summer. He's still in French immersion, and is doing well. His speaking in French is beginning to get better – he's gotten over the shyness, and is now carrying on short conversations. Chris is trying to talk to Nathanael in French too, but both Suzanne and Nathanael think his accent stinks. Nathanael did a summer course in dancing over the summer in Alberta, and did well. He continued his studies in dance this fall with two Ballet classes, one Jazz class, and a Musical Theatre class. He is also continuing to sing in the Winnipeg Boys Choir. This winter the WBC sang for the first 3 performances of the RWB's Nutcracker. He had auditioned to dance, and was on the waiting list (in case someone couldn't make it).

Chris is at the same school for a third (!) year. He was evaluated for tenure in May, and was offered a permanent 0.5 contract in September (for music). He is continuing with the Reading Recovery program for the other half of the teaching time in the school. Outside of school, Chris is working casually at Convergys (Internet Tech Support), and is playing in the Band of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles as a volunteer. The band did two trips outside of Winnipeg, one to Regina and one to Moose Jaw. The Regina trip stands out for Chris, as he met the honourary Colonel of the Regiment, The Princess Anne.

Suzanne continues to look after the boys, dogs and the house, and is studying for her certificate in Interior Design, which she will complete in 2008. She is hoping to start working with paying clients in the summer or spring. She is already doing some rooms for friends as extra projects.
Mojo and Ezra are still with us, each of them getting a bit slower. Mojo has reached 11 years now, and we have a noticed some days when she doesn't enjoy the stairs anymore. Ezra is still as spry as ever, but she does calm down faster. At 9, she still acts like she did when she was 3.

Well, there's the 2007 letter. We wish you all a great winter season, and God's blessings for everyone!

Chris
Suzanne
Nathanael
Mojo and Ezra

Happenings....

2007-11-30T22:02:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a while since I posted on here. Facebook has been the page of use lately, although it doesn't seem to allow for the unlimited ramblings that a blog allows.

It's almost December, and the concert season is upon us. Nathanael's choir is singing in five performances this month - December 9 with the Bison Men's chorus, December 16 in their own Christmas concert (parents sing too...), December 21, 22, and 23 with The Royal Winnipeg Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. Then there's the school concert - December 19 - as well as my Band concert (dec 8) and my school concert on December 13.

Needless to say, we are busy this month. After Christmas Day I plan to take some time and relax.

2007-11-11T23:58:00.000-06:00

Remembrance Day at Minto Armouries, Winnipeg MB

Old Photos..

2007-10-08T10:03:00.000-05:00

We (both of us) were going through some old albums looking for baby pictures of Nathanael... (it was his homework... but we liked doing that part!) and we came across this photo of Suz when we were dating.... Hard to believe that I was once that good at manual photography

First step done, many to go....

2007-09-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

I started ripping off the drywall today, after getting the first set of shelves taken apart. The Pink insulation was all damp, so it's been tossed out....
See the round darker spots on the wall? It's wet. here's a closeup.

So, I think I will have to open up the entire basement that has been insulated. Don't know when it was done, but it doesn't matter. It all comes down, or all the drywall will look like this....

I cut off the wet stuff.

Reno update....

2007-09-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

Well... Summer's over. and I did nothing in the area of renos.

Today I started though. I have a leak in the basement, so I have to take apart the shelving in the basement so that i can take the drywall off.

Then I can see if the leak is bad, or is just a patch job.

Fun fun fun.

Off Road Disciplines

2007-09-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

yes guys, I finally got to reading it.....

Although I hate to say it, but I'm not done yet. I really planned on reading more over the summer, but I didn't get as much read as I would like.

So far, I'm about 30% of the way through it, and I am enjoying the read.

The big thing that I am taking from this right now is the POV information. I agree that it really does matter where we are coming from when we start talking about Christianity (and anything else). Everyone does come with an agenda, don't they?

A more reflective review will be coming later. Just wanted to let you know I'm in it right now.

Back again

2007-08-29T00:09:00.000-05:00

well..
Just finished a 10 day road trip with another family (good friends of ours for over 10 years). We travelled out to Thunder Bay and back in one van - 4 adults, 3 kids. By the end of the trip, we were disciplining each other's kids... kind of wierd but it worked well.

Only got a week now to get ready for real life! School begins next week.

Where is this tree?

2007-08-14T17:29:00.000-05:00

Recognize this?

When I first moved to Manitoba 19 years ago (yikes, that makes me feel old), I was told about this tree halfway between Winnipeg and Brandon. Seriously, it is, for all purposes, halfway.

I considered everyone nuts until our first trip outside of Brandon for Band. There it was...

We stopped for a quick photo on our way back from our summer break. Pictures are on Flikr.

Summer....

2007-07-15T23:58:00.000-05:00

I'm enjoying the summer right now.... Good to be out and in the sunshine. Soon we'll be camping and travelling to visit family.

Nathanael and I tried out the tent last week. We slept for a night and it ws pretty relaxing. I was surprized at how quiet it was, even if we are in the middle of the city.

Ended up leaving the tent up for 3 days, as it rained for two days afterwards.

Well, gotta finish the packing for the trip!

Comic

2007-07-07T06:25:00.000-05:00

This is something close to my own experience, and to Suzanne's over the past few years...

Both of us have had the opportunity to meet people from a variety of backgrounds. Quite a few of the people we are meeting live in the area of the city where we are. The point is, we are all people underneath aren't we?

Splitting the Hairs.....

2007-06-24T22:18:00.000-05:00

The Anglicans did it.

They split theological hairs.

It's not too surprising to me. The limited amount of time I have spent in the Anglican churches and tradition I have seen deep thinking from most Anglicans who get invovled in Synod and in leadership. The scholarship is quite detailed, and they do know thier scripture and interpretations of the Bible very well.

Basically, they divided the issue into two motions:

1. Does the blessings of same-sex unions violate the CORE beliefs of the Anglican church?

and

2. Will we allow individual dioceses to bless same-sex unions?

They are NOT the same question to the Anglicans who were at the meeting. In thier minds, they are completely different.

The Anglican church is a rather unique denomination in that it doesn't have a central figure (like the pope) or a central document (like a creed or theological statement like Luther's) to point to as a reference for theological thinking. Instead, it points to the prayer book and other historical documents to guide the interpretation of scripture.

I won't try to explain the sources here - Wikipeadia's entry on the Anglican Doctrine does this in much more detail.

What does it boil down to? In the church's overall mandate to reach others for Christ - the blessings of the unions doesn't really matter......

BUT

The majority of the people at the Synod don't believe that the blessing of the unions should occur.

This is going to be called many things - it has already. Confusing (CBC) is one term we are going to hear a lot of. Bigotry is another we will hear as well.

Both stem from not seeing a difference between the two motions.

Like I said - splitting hairs.

ADDED JUNE 25

After reading Chester's comment, and checking out the Anglican Church's site, (Thanks, Chester), I found the results of the voting.

Tornadoes and mosquitoes

2007-06-22T23:53:00.000-05:00

We had a tornado warning today....

CBC and CTV both had stories on the evening news about the tornado that touched down outside of Winnipeg, near Elie, MB. There was also mention of one that touched down near Carman. Fortunately for us here in Winnipeg, the storm passed to the south, and went into the states near Sprague.

This and they are going to try to fog our area tomorrow night. I put in for the buffer zone this year at our new property - hopefully there's more than just me who doesn't want the spray happening.

Synod 2007 Winnipeg

2007-06-20T22:32:00.001-05:00

The Anglicans have arrived....

Seriously, we are hosting Linda (Suzanne's mom) as she attends Synod - from a distance. She's not a delegate, but here as a member of Essentials. She's working in the hospitality suite and in the prayer room.

It's nice to have her here. We're hearing a lot about how synod starts, and she came back this evening with a few encouraging stories to share.

I'm on Facebook...

2007-06-10T19:48:00.001-05:00

Ok I've given in to the pressure. I'd been asked a number of times to get onto Facebook, and I was trying to resist. But too many people have invited me.....

What's interesting is that there are quite a few people I know already on there. Some whom I have not seen in quite a while.

TTYL!

Our Street.. and backyard

2007-06-06T00:03:00.001-05:00

This is the next two photos I have taken with the panoramic setting on the new camera. Our street looking south (you can see our house in the distance on the right) and our backyard. Yes, we do have dogs, but not 4 - if you look closely, you will notice that they each got photographed twice.

Dancing is done....

2007-06-05T23:55:00.000-05:00

Out of all the costumes, I think they liked the orange ones best.....

former student....

2007-05-30T23:09:00.000-05:00

Was watching the Shaw channel after the hockey game (gave up control of the remote..) and noticed a piece about the new members of the University of Winnipeg WesMen basketball and Volleyball teams. I taught one of these young men 4 years ago. Good work, Emory! (he's wearing #5 in the front row, with the black hair.)

http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/Wesmen-allrecruits0708

ooopss real life happened...

2007-05-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

Just like the title says...

Been busy this week with completing "The Princess Royal's Canadian Regiments" for this weekend. Will write more about that after I get back from Regina.

Needless to say, anything that I have promised to do to this site is not going to happen until June - or maybe later. Too many other things to take care of. My "cyberlife" (what little there is) will have to wait.

TTFN.

New Eavestroughing

2007-05-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

Well, the next step in home reno is done - new eavestroughing. The work crew pulled out birds nests like crazy out of both eaves. now I have to go up there this summer and paint.

At least I can walk down the side of the house now without getting all wet.

testing....

2007-05-18T22:53:00.001-05:00

Got a new camera, and it does panoramic shots. Have experimented with it a couple of times now, and this the best result - it's the Red River Raceway south of Winnipeg.

I'm going to try one of the backyard later this week and post it.

I don't care - Dogs do talk!

2007-05-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting at my computer, catchin up on all the blogs others have read.... and then I hear....

*groan*

It's Mojo, my older dog. She comes into the room, sits down and lays down beside the chair.

I read some more.

She sits up, stratches her ears, then sits up straight, and *groan* .

I look at her.

She has the same look Suzanne gets when I'm supposed to do something.

I shift a bit in the chair.....

Mojo leaps up, runs to the back door, with the stupid doggie grin on her face.....

Time for pottie.

And Ezra comes once the door is open.

Action shot

2007-05-09T23:15:00.001-05:00

Soccer 4
Originally uploaded by csbudlong.

The best action shot so far....

Getting Ready

2007-05-09T23:14:00.001-05:00

soccer 3
Originally uploaded by csbudlong.

Nathanael's on a soccer team this year. This is after his first game last week - he was so excited that he wanted to practice in the backyard. He's actually got a pretty good clearing kick for goal - but still needs to learn to challenge for the ball.

They play every Monday and Wednesday for the next 6 weeks. Since I'm a coach, I'm busy with it too. It's lots of fun, though!

Reno Update.....

2007-05-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

The renos begin...

Last Thursday (April 26) the assessment on the house was done. We need to reinsulate the house, as we have sawdust for insulation. As well, we need a new furnace, but that's already been done - they came on Monday April 30 and completed the furnace replacement. They were here for most of the day.

Today I noticed the showerhead was spraying from the top - above the nozzles. Need a new one. Put that on this evening.... without any leaks!

Also had to fix the front porch door. As the porch settles into it's "summer" position, the latch moves further away from the door - we couldn't close it until I had added another 1/4 inch of wood under the catch. Now it closes. Very well.

Paws in Motion

2007-05-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

I did this last year. It's the Humane Society's fundraiser. This year they have gone online with thier donations. If you want a tax receipt, $20 is the minimum. We take the whole family on the walk - Ezra liked the pools last year, as you can see from this photo.

Click on this link to donate. Click on the donate now logo under the picture and follow the directions - you can use credit card or Debit! And thanks for helping us support the Humane Society.

Various clips

2007-04-28T23:23:00.000-05:00

found this site earlier this week - it's a collection of various video and cartoon clips. Some funny, some thought provoking.

a summary - maybe?

2007-04-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

I was thinking of tracking down the various posts on the discussion about "The People Formally Known AS....." and linking them all together.

Then I found this.

Thanks for doing this, Brother Maynard...

Emergent church?

2007-04-28T00:53:00.000-05:00

Been reading (and commenting) on some posts recently from the "emergent" church - from those who consider themselves a part of it, and from those who are watching it unfold. It reminds me of number of different movements within the church that I have read about, with the internet being the big medium for this movement.
There are a number of sites that I have been reading regularily - i will post them later -

The second overtime period of the Vancouver / Anaheim game just started.

You know..... Priorities..... :-)

UPDATE

Vancouver just scored! Go Canada!

mediation works.....

2007-04-25T10:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I've got the morning off, and just arrived back from Residential Tenancies Branch. We had a hearing today with our landlord about a dispute regarding the amount of money we should pay for the repairs to the house we used to rent. The Branch offered us mediation, we all agreed, and - Halleluiah! - we came to an agreement that makes more sense than the amount our landlord was originally asking for. It's an answer to prayer, but I kind of wish we had been able to do this before this spring. But at least it's done.

So I've got the rest of the morning off. (without pay). Think I'll work on some personal music stuff.

Everyone have a great day!

The rabbit and his wife....

2007-04-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

Gotta put this up. Here's me in costume and Suzanne in her dress. Fashion show went very well..... This year it was Alice in Wonderland.

Suzanne's table looked great. The material is sari dress material she found in a small shop near our new house.

What a day

2007-04-12T23:49:00.000-05:00

First....

Nathanael has a bad day at school. We got a note from the teacher.

Second....

Ezra got away from Suzanne at 12:30. She was spotted running in the Shopper's Drug Mart parking lot on Portage about 4:00. She also went into the store.

Someone cornered her in a small yard about 4:30. That's when she came home.

Just realized - some of you may not know... Ezra is a 9 year old greyhound.

Third.....

Chris had physio and practice today... so the wrists are quite sore.

Fourth....

Mojo got into the garbage yesterday... and got sick today. We don't know what she ate, but it emptied her on both ends...... multiple times. We think (= hope) that she is finished now.

Thank you, God - there is no Fifth.

Yael

2007-03-28T12:06:00.000-05:00

Went to a house concert on Sunday night, and have been listening to these two CD's all week. Really great music, and interesting lyric. Check out Yael's website here and listen to some tracks yourself.

Definition of Canada

2007-03-23T23:10:00.000-05:00

I heard a great description of Canada tonight on the Radio (CBC) program Ideas:

"Canada is the bumblebee of nations - it's a physical impossibility, but it flies"

It was said by this guy:

Roy MacGregor has spent thirty years travelling and writing about Canada. "You'd think I'd know something," he says. "I don't. I still don't understand how it works." In the 2006 Dalton Camp Lecture in Journalism, he describes some of his experiences and reflects on the "Journalism Personality"— something he says cannot be taught — and the privilege and practice of journalism.

Gotta have one?

2007-03-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

Can't remember how I found this link, but the accessories for cell phones that are available are astounding....

check this one out.

The funny thing is - I remember USING one of these big "Bricks"!!

Showing my age, I guess.

hehehe - check out the "Hands Free" model as well....

The Magic Flute

2007-03-13T23:28:00.000-05:00

Went to Preview Night tonight and saw the RWB's The Magic Flute, with orchestra and vocals. The concert was great. My two favourite songs - the Papageno/Papagena duet and the Queen's Aria - were sung wonderfully. Had a great surprise of seeing the name of someone from U of M in the program that I knew, and had taken courses with.

UPDATE

There's a review - somewhat subdued - from the Winnipeg Free Press. I agree with the reviewer about the plot being hard to understand.... that's why the opera is called a confusing one. I think she expected the plot to be simplified or something by the introduction of the dancing. I found the opposite.

I still enjoyed it, though.

Spanish dancing!

2007-03-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Dave for taking pictures of us as we danced our third (!) recital in 2 days. Here's the link to the pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/budlong/tags/spanish/

enjoy!

Remembrance Day 2006

2007-03-04T19:50:00.000-06:00

yes, I know it was months ago....

but I was directed to the following link and thought it was such a great online record of a rather unique ceremony we have here in Winnipeg. (TIP - view it as a slide show)

Hope you find it as thought provoking as I.

hollywood bashing

2007-03-04T00:52:00.000-06:00

Now for the great confession....

I watch CBC. I listen to CBC.

Those who know me, this is not new. Often I disagree with their viewpoints, but I like thier desire to have direct answers to their questions. Rex Murphy is a commentator I don't always agree with, but I enjoy hearing how he puts language to good use - without resorting to playground - or question period - language.

Here's his rant on Hollywood and the way it treats Christianity - and I must say......

Thank you, Rex.

Shrove Tuesday

2007-02-20T22:17:00.000-06:00

It's Shrove Tuesday - Pancake suppers for all....

At choir today, the directors decided to treat the boys to a pancake supper. During the break, they took the 15 members of the choir (small group) to the fellowship hall in the church they rehearse in and sat them down.

You would swear that none of the parents feed their sons - plates were piled high with pancakes, sausages, syrup and, of course, ice cream. The boys had to sing for their supper, though - they sang some of their repetoire for the people there.

Then they had the opportunity to hear the "Raging Grannies" sing. They kept the beat with thier feet, tried to sing (hard when you don't know the words to the songs that were written well before you were born), and had a great time!

Just a regular night at Boys Choir!

Dad missed it all - he had his own rehearsal..... :-(

STAR CHILD

2007-02-16T22:50:00.000-06:00

Just returned from the concert hall. The Winnipeg Boys Choir (Nathanael is a member) sang with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra tonight. They sang StarChild, a piece written in 1977 which involves a huge number of musicians, arranged in a very interesting way. The boys were joined in the vocal parts by Prairie Voices. The choirs did a great job, the orchestra sounded great.

This was one of the concerts connected to the New Music Festival here in Winnipeg. All the music is contemporary, sometimes they get the composers to come and introduce the work as well.

Incredible choir....

2007-02-07T21:35:00.000-06:00

Here's a choir from Winnipeg. It's our division's honour choir. They sound incredible!!

My Van is airbourne.....

2007-02-05T22:37:00.000-06:00

Got a call from our mechanic today....

First of all - the history. Our van has been leaking Transmission fluid - rather copiously. In our van, the transmission fluid also feeds the power steering, so the steering became an arm workout everytime you started to turn the wheel. Needless to say, backing out of our parking space in the new back yard was fun.
Called our mechanic, who told us to drive as little as possible, get rides and use transit. If we had to drive, we would need to top up the fluid before we left. This we did for a week, as we didn't have the cash to pay for the repair.
Payday came, so we can pay for the repair. The mechanic got the van on Friday (feb 2) and picked up the parts required. He put the van up on the vehicle lift (he runs a shop out of his backyard - the shop is his garage) and completed the repair. Then he tried to lower the van.....

The lift doesn't work.

So he called us. He needs a part for his lift - and he can't get it until Thursday.

So my van is fixed, he's paid, but.... I have no van.

And it's -35C outside.

Now - I'm not mad at this guy - he's just trying to make a living, and he always does his best by me. It's just too bad I'm the guy that has to wait an extra week. On the good side..... I'm not paying for gas!

Homosexuality

2007-01-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

I know that will get a lot of hits....

I'm setting up this entry to link to some other blogs that I have been reading. The topic has been homosexuality.

First, Jamie wrote this incredibly personal reflection on homosexuality and his own thoughts about it. He's hit 100 comments so far.

Second, there have been some responses. Antony, in particular wrote a great response in his blog on this. He recomends reading the comments by Mike Croghan in particular (Comments 45-47, I think).

There will likely be more on this, but we will add that later...

A Letter for what reason.....?

2007-01-28T00:49:00.000-06:00

This is a bit of a strange post....
First, some history.

Larry used to be a priest. He retired a few years ago, and was hoping to still be active in the Diocese of Brandon. The Bishop (Jim) chooose not to license him, but Larry continued to help out on a couple of committees - namely financial and business ones. Larry has over 25 years of experience in these fields prior to his priesthood.

Larry got a letter from the Bishop informing him that Larry's services would no longer be requried. As you will read, Larry takes this in a certain way.

For Larry, this is calm. Larry did our wedding ceremony and he can be very relaxed about most things. But when he gets upset.......

I know he waited a few days before he wrote this missive. This letter is an "open" letter and was sent to a variety of people and places, including a large number who are active in Anglican Essentials Manitoba and Canada.

Needless to say, I got a copy too.

And here it is.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RIGHT REVEREND JAMES NJEGOVAN BISHOP OF BRANDON

January 25, 2007

Response to: Your Letter of January 18, 2007

Dear Bishop Njegovan:

I must begin by stating that I was not in the least surprised by your subject letter removing me from the Diocesan Technology Committee (of which I have been Chair) and the Diocesan Investment Committee. Despite the superfluous material constituting its first paragraph and the first sentence of the second paragraph, we both know that the final two sentences, “Knowing of your mistrust and criticism of my leadership it does seem appropriate that this mark the end of your involvement on official diocesan committees. While I regret this it would seem somewhat hypocritical for you to continue.” constitute the driving force and primary criteria behind your unilateral “decision.” And, this process undertaken with no prior consultation or discussion with me, is entirely consistent with your actions of last spring in refusing to license me and in your attempting to discredit me with the ELCC Bishop via a clandestine and defamatory telephone call – in fact, I had predicted your actions, including this one, long before you undertook them. And so it saddens me that one to whom I should be able to look up to as “father in God” in his occupying such an exalted position is so motivated by personal insecurity and paranoia that he finds it necessary to participate in such covert acts of subterfuge.

Further, as usual, your statements are made without foundation or any form of evidence that would tend to support them. And, as far as hypocrisy is concerned, I do not find any such concern in my actions as I was working on these committees for the good of the people of God with no concern about you or your “theological” positions. However, I might have questions about my levels of hypocrisy if I had held revisionist/liberal theological positions and taken subversive actions in my Parish Church while continuing to work under the Godly Bishop Malcolm Harding for over eight years – let alone how I would be forced to act due to my ordination vows..

My giving my 7 years of formal post-secondary business education, 46 years of experience in the technology and business systems environment , my experience in dealing with the formation and operation of multi-million dollar budgets, and my acumen in investments and gift planning processes are totally donations of the skills God has given me, coupled with my 48 years of intentional and active ministry has been entirely to the Glory of God and the Church of my Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ (I know, that, to you, this probably sounds too much like I stand in the theology of Jesus Christ as portrayed by our former Godly Bishop) . I consistently donated these skills during my time as a pre-retirement Priest in the Anglican Church of Canada and have continued to do so in and for the people of the Diocese of Brandon and as a promised commitment to my friend Canon Michael Lowery until his own retirement. These latter time donations have had absolutely nothing to do with any disagreements between you and me. It is not in me to lower myself to allowing personal situations to affect my God-driven actions for the good of the Body of Christ.

It is your right, but a shame, that you have chosen to deprive the people of the Diocese of Brandon of the use of this God-given and God-driven skill set to satisfy the machinations of your own human paranoia. It is, also, from both orthodox/conservative and true revisionist/liberal viewpoints a travesty of the inclusive and tolerant stances that you would claim for yourself. It is a further demonstration of how you bend and/or make-up your rules and criteria as you go along in order to satisfy your whims and obsession of the moment. And this has been clearly noticed, marked, and identified by persons of both the orthodox and the liberal bents (clergy and lay) in the Diocese. It gives me much grief to witness the episcopate that I revere being so demeaned in the Diocese.

“Industry, economy, honesty, and kindness form a quartet of virtues that will never be improved upon.” This is the motto I chose for myself, In Christ, upon receiving my undergraduate degree at 20 years of age. As a 6-year Committed Christian at that point I was, as I remain today, extremely serious about the integrity of my person as a representative of Jesus Christ to the world around. And, despite my many failures and considerable personal sinfulness that has required much repentance and forgiveness throughout the years, and despite my own unwittingly falling into a heretical form of popular theology for a period of time while I was open to delusion during my 20’s, I have always striven to maintain the integrity of that motto – most especially the matters of honesty and kindness. It is in consideration of these that I have been totally open with you at all times and have refused to undertake any actions “under the table.” It is in the spirit of these that I have tried in every way possible to differ with you in theological direction and still call you “friend.”

I have always been above board in dealing with you – despite the fact that there has not always been reciprocation on your part. Of course, you may think that this is false witness due to the recent Sue Careless article in the Anglican Planet. I would not be surprised if you have thought that I was behind it. But, while I heard about it before publication, I didn’t know about it until the day you were called for comment by the Anglican Planet. Further, the truth is that none of the AEM Executive or Clergy Advisers knows how she obtained a copy of your All Souls Day ruse. It seems there is someone we do not know about who is feeling strongly about your actions – which is quite uncanny, although somewhat interesting, even from our point-of-view. In my own suspicious way of thinking, I even wondered if it was a ploy of your own in trying to accomplish further artificial discrediting of Essentials.

This commitment under Almighty God to the principles of my motto has also made me extremely rigorous and sincere in the undertaking of my ordination vows. When I promised and vowed “to take the Holy Bible as BEING the Word of God and containing all things necessary to Salvation and to accept the content of the traditional Creeds and the 39 Articles of Faith” I did so in all honesty and integrity. According to my Godly Bishop of the day – The Right Reverend Frank Nock – these were to be understood in accordance with the God-inspired intentions of their authors and in accordance with the understanding of those who first received them. These vows take precedence over all other seemingly moral and humanly legal responsibilities. There can be no violation of these vows no matter what so called human power, authority, academic “theological findings,” forces, or misuses of human contrived Canon Law are applied to attempt to compel such heretical actions. My vows must, as they always have in the past, take precedence over life itself let alone economic certainty. Further, if I personally should ever reach a point where I could no longer ascribe to these vows of faithfulness to Almighty God I would be required by my own integrity to renounce my Holy Orders. And I expect no less from anyone else that has made these vows and did not, or does not, hold them in all sincerity as they were envisioned in their production and inclusion in the ordination and consecration processes.

I want you to know that, despite all your unreasonable and irrational actions against me and against Anglican Essentials (both National and Manitoba) in general with which I stand, I and all the members of these organisations are continuing to pray for you. We are concerned for you as a child of God. We know that, in Christ, you could accomplish so much for the True Body of Christ. We pray for you to recognise that the Essentials movement stands first and foremost for the unity of the Church under the Headship of Jesus Christ as He reveals Himself in His Holy Word – albeit in the vein of Traditional Reformation Anglicanism based upon the Truth of the Holy Word of God, the Traditional Creeds, and the 39 Articles of Faith (the foundations of the English Reformation) as they were originally understood by their authors and the original recipients – not the revisited, revised, and reinterpreted manoeuvrings of the revisionist/liberals in the Church today. In this understanding of the Apostolic Tradition and Reason we stand in line with the beliefs and directions of the majority of the Worldwide Anglican Communion. We pray that you will recognise that the Church is being torn apart by the revisionist/liberal movement’s dedication to falsely relegating the Holy Word of God to reference status, the Traditional Creeds to ancient irrelevant statements of primitive faith, and the 39 Articles of Faith to being an irrelevant 16th century political document, in favour of accommodating the false gospel of experience and acquiescence to the machinations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

My friend, I do hope you will seriously consider the love and concern for you that is expressed in this letter. I do truly care for you as does Essentials as an organisation. We pray that sometime in the near, the very near future, it will once again be possible to say that we, in Brandon, have a God-fearing Bishop whom we can endow with the dignity and honour that should be earned by, and bestowed upon, the person in that position.

Your friend in Jesus Christ,

Father Larry Winslow
Priest (Retired)

two new sites - from different angles....

2007-01-23T22:56:00.000-06:00

I found two new sites today....

The first - a Catholic Nun. haven't read much of it, but the idea intregues me.

Second - someone in my own neighbourhood. I think our paths have crossed before here in Blog-Land, and it's good to see him again.

I've added both of these to the sidebar as well....

A Place in the Choir

2007-01-22T17:47:00.000-06:00

I bought this over the summer, but just started reading it recently. It's a collection of short "essays" (not sure what else to call it) about the power of music to influence and change people's lives. Lots of items to think about. Last night I read a great part that I would like to briefly quote:

".... In a world filled with consumerism in which all are bombarded with messages of 'every man for himself', 'he who dies with the most toys wins' and so on, how do we convince people that a worthy life is best made up of helping others as we help ourselves?

Well, as we all know, the most effective teaching is often accomplished through demonstration. Do as I do.

I witness one person making a difference every time I watch a dedicated teacher doing their job ... you nudge them (students) toward the recognition of their own worth as individuals who can change their world, you help them discover a life of genuine value in the same way that you found value in your chosen profession as a nudger, a pusher, a world changer, a teacher. Confucius said:

To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in
order, to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in
order, to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal
life, we must first set our hearts right.

He ends with:

Do not allow yourselves to be overwhelmed by the tasks that lie ahead. ... to make a difference we all just need to keep plugging away, not letting what we can't do interfere with what we most certainly can do.... We shall not be overwhelmed. We can make a difference every single day, What a grand lesson to teach our students in the classroom, on the playground, on the streets, or in the choir."

'Nuf Said.

Well, second time in two years....

2007-01-18T23:45:00.000-06:00

Last Year...

I took a group of students on a field trip.
One took a fall on the ice.
And went to the hospital upon our return.
Result? Broken arm.

This Year...

I took a group of students on a field trip.
One took a fall.
And went to the hospital upon our return.
Result?

I'm still waiting to hear. I hope nothing is broken.

UPDATE

One wrist broken.

*sigh*

How Rich Are You?

2007-01-15T21:42:00.000-06:00

Found this website on Nathan's blog - he has it set up as a link. Put your yearly income in and see where you rate in relation to the rest of the human race.

A little perspective, I think.

the webs we weave...

2007-01-06T22:50:00.000-06:00

I had to add this today.
It seems that the bishop of the Brandon Diocese wants to play politics with his priests - and make them conform to his view of things, and to not adhere to the synod's directives that he gave his consent to in public. Particularily when it comes to Essentials Manitoba.

I've been reading about leadership on Bill Kinnon's blog recently - this would be an example of someone who has a "king" attitude.

I'm wondering what some of the priests are going to do when publicly the bishop says one thing, and then privately he says another. For those who don't know - Essentials Manitoba is an evangelical movement within the Anglican church that is quite conservative in nature. The national group is Essentials Canada. The Bishop is not a member.

quote from the letter:

I hope that I do not need to remind you that in your ordination promises you state that you will respect and be guided by the pastoral direction and leadership of your bishop. As licensed clergy you also swear Oaths and Subscriptions, one of which states, ‘I will pay true and canonical obedience to the Bishop of Brandon in all things lawful and honest. So help me God.’ I also trust that you are all fully aware of my position and pastoral direction with regard to Essentials Manitoba; if you are not, please feel free to speak with me about it. To date no one has shown me any example of how Essentials Manitoba or Essentials Canada is building up the family of God within this Diocese of Brandon or within the National Church and I see it doing just the opposite. From my perspective, it operates from [a] secular political model, not a Church one, but enough said.”

I would keep watching this one.....

Now Reading...My Tribe the Crees

2007-01-03T00:14:00.000-06:00

Maus didn't take long to whip through - now I'm on my second time...

I've also been reading a book about the Cree people in Canada - actually a bunch of them. I got a few from one of the schools I taught in last year - the library was removing them from the stacks as they were written for high school instead of elementary. One of them is My Tribe the Crees by Joseph Francis Dion. It looks deceptively short, the copy I have. The typeset is so small and each page has piles of information on it.

I started reading up on Metis and "Indian" (first nation, native - which one do I use?) history after my aunt discovered a possible connection to the Cree Nation through my Grandfather. It's made me much more aware of the issues that are still to be dealt with.

Gotta go - it's late.

More later.

Maus

2006-12-31T01:40:00.000-06:00

I hope that Art Spiegelman doesn't get mad at me about putting the cover to his book MAUS on this blog. I first read this book in 1999 in a high school in London, England. Funny that I should find a book written in the US while in the UK, but....

I found it again Friday while walking around Chapters.... (never a good idea for me to be loose in a bookstore with money, but...) had to buy it. Read it in one day.

I highly recomend it to anyone.

Visiting Lizards....

2006-12-30T00:06:00.000-06:00

We have a visitor in the family this Christmas - It's Lizzie the Lizard from school.

During our visit at Grandma C's, she went skiing with us and seemed to enjoy it. For those who need a closeup, we took a photo of her in our son's pocket. Notice we wrapped her up well so that she wouldn't get too cold.

Musical Success?

2006-12-20T01:09:00.000-06:00

A question...

Is a teacher a success when s/he has students who practice and who are able to perform in front of an audience to a high standard, or are they a success when they deliver a program that covers the musical basics and teaches students to value music?

Or is it when they do both?

I ask this because our school's musical was tonight. I came home after and crashed, waking just to read email and eat a bit. I am proud of what the kids did, and I had a lot of parents come up with great smiles on thier faces, thanking me for the great job.

Did I do the work? Or did I just see the result in my mind and encourage the kids to reach for the "brass ring"?

Or course, it is 1am right now - likely I will not be so pensive during the day.

Comics Continuted

2006-12-18T22:40:00.000-06:00

Next comic I like - InkPen.

Imagine if comic characters lived as we do - their day job is their time in the comic book, and then they go to the employment agency to talk to their agent, have romances outside of the strip, change jobs....

It's wierd but fun!

I've been TAGGED!

2006-12-18T21:45:00.000-06:00

Nathan tagged me yesterday...

So - 5 things you may not know about me (Chris):

1. I met my wife (Suzanne) at an Anglican(!) Church Retreat called Cursillo.

2. I sang in the Edmonton boy's choir when I was in grade school.

3. My first choice of Band instrument was Flute - which turns out to be my worst wind instrument!

4. My camp name is ED.

5. I am taking Spanish Dancing lessons.

Who's next? Well, I don't know if I know 5 people who will do it - but Suzanne is my first choice! Second? Liam Kinnon. the rest - soon to follow.

Comics - which strip is your fav?

2006-12-14T00:06:00.000-06:00

I have a couple a favourite comic strips that I put into my palm every day. This one, 9 Chickweed Lane, is probably a very acquired taste. I really need to go and buy one of the books about this character who is a teacher - her opinions about teaching are quite similar to my own.

Also, the strips this guy does about cats are incredible. He has thier mannerisms down really well. I grew up with a cat, and I can see the tabby we had in the cats he puts in the strip.

Christian vs. Christ-Follower

2006-12-12T23:14:00.000-06:00

Want a good laugh?

Check this out - a series of ads based on the Mac/PC ads that Apple put out earlier this year. Keep your mind open when you watch!

There's some good thoughts on this in Bill Kinnon's site.

Thanks Bill!

7 Days and 8 days and 13 days to go!

2006-12-12T23:02:00.000-06:00

Seven days to the School Concert - and I am realizing how much work there is yet to do. Today I picked up chain (yes...) for Marley's Ghost. Can't wait to show the kids...

There are only 8 Teaching Days left until the break - and a couple of those days are taken up with special events in the school, so I really only have 6 days of planning to do.

And it's only 13 days left until Christmas.

Counting down is so much fun!

Concerts!

2006-12-10T09:36:00.000-06:00

Last night was the Royal Winnipeg Rifle's Band Visitation. We played R.V. William's Tuba Concerto (with a guest soloist) to dedicate 3(!) tubas that are new to the band. We also did Variations on a Korean Folk Song (Chance), Sleighride (Anderson), Midnight Sleighride (arr. Wallace), Orange Coloured Sky (Rugolo), along with 4 carols and the regimentals of the Rifles - Old Solomon Levi and Keel Row. I think I may have missed a few pieces, but I don't have the program here, so I'll update it later.
UPDATE
Pieces I missed were Eternal Father Strong to Save (Smith), Swing Away (Sharpe), T'was the night before Christmas - with altered lyrics. There was also 2 pieces by a Tuba Quartet, and 2 pieces by a Clarinet Trio.

I think the concert went fairly well. Nathanael enjoyed listening to the band, and he got to stay up late to boot, so he was happy.

His concert is this afternoon, so what has he been doing all morning? Singing. Singing. And more Singing.

I think he's nervous.

Scrooge as the best keeper of the Spirit of Christmas?

2006-12-02T00:44:00.000-06:00

I'm rediscovering an old Christmas Story.

Ebenezer Scrooge doesn't usually bring up visions of someone who knew how to keep Christmas well. We often think of him as being someone who hated Christmas so much that he woudl have packaged it up and mailed it to Mars if he could. Two things this year have gotten me thinking about the change that occurs in Scrooge.

First, the church I attend has cast me in a script (as Bob) where Bob tells about the transformation Scrooge undergoes - but from Bob's perspective. The last paragraph begins with "For years after his death, people still talked about how he exuded the spirit of Christmas". This line really caught my imagination.

Second, I have chosen this story as my Christmas Concert theme with my elementary students. I've been talking to them about the change that Scrooge undergoes - he wants to be a better person, and that means treating others better than he has. It's opened up some conversations with students and parents.

I took out a bunch of versions of the story for display in the school - I think I'm going to read one of them before the weekend is out. The final words about Scrooge keep ringing in my head - the ones about how well he kept Christmas.

Spam Spam Spam Spam

2006-11-26T23:56:00.000-06:00

I had to put this in...

Ever had problems finding that special gift for someone who just can't get enough of SPAM? Try this site out!

I found it on a link in the John Cleese site - it's legit! I love the "silly walk" section!

Enjoy!

new blogger - we'll see...

2006-11-15T00:16:00.000-06:00

I thought i'd try the new version of Blogger out - so I've migrated this blog to it. We'll see how it goes.

Remembrance Day

2006-11-12T22:48:00.000-06:00

Remembrance Day. Went to two services over the last two days. Saturday was at the armouries near our house. Only the band ipc turned out - I moved the camera too much again when I took a picture of the soldiers in thier ranks.

Sunday was the "Regimental Church Parade" for the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. I joined the band for the day and played my saxophone for the Anglican service (very long Cathedral service). Afterwards, they did a graveside service at a memorial for the soldiers who died in the Riel Rebellion of 1874 (is my year right?)

Reminded me too much of Grandpa Budlong's graveside funeral.

Of what measure is a man?

2006-11-11T14:25:00.000-06:00

Surfing the net today and found a former student's blog. Kind of neat to read his comments on life. Particularily this one.

Read the links that go to Bill (Dad) and others too!

It did get me thinking about how we define manhood and why. After going to today's Remembrance Day service, it really gets me thinking.

I'm still thinking, though. If you read this, I'd like to hear what your thoughts are too.

2006-11-02T22:54:00.000-06:00

I live in an awesome city. Realized that this past week when we were getting the keys to the new house. The lawyer's office was on the 24th floor of the Soctia Tower on the corner of Portage and Main. They had an amazing view of the south part of the city and the Forks - here's some shots of The Forks, the Provenchier Bridge, and one of the better hotels in the city. I also went to "Garbage hill" today. For those who don't know, it's an old dump that is covered over and has been turned into an off-leash area for dogs. I tried to take some pictures at dusk - but the photos turned out blurry. I guess next time I should take my tripod.

2006-11-01T23:07:00.000-06:00

oops - it's sideways....

Can put up with that - this is Nathanael's costume this year - a Court Jester.

Too much Danny Kaye, I think.

Moved in....

2006-10-29T21:23:00.000-06:00

Well, we're moved in.

It took 3 loads of the van, and 2 with the U-Haul (How did we get so much stuff? I have no idea..) and we are finally in the new place. Just in time, too. Guess what the forcast is for tomorrow?

SNOW!

Moving Soon!

2006-10-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

I've been counting down the days since last Saturday. Only 3 days to go until moving day! Today we got everything finalized and sent to the lawyer's office. Now we wait to get the keys, and Friday we can get the house organized.

This will probably be the last post until after the move - the computer will be taken apart, and we won't be back online until Sunday.

My Baby's Growing Up!!!!

2006-10-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

It's started to happen. Nathanael has had his first weekend away from us that wasn't at Grandma's. It was very strange having absolutely no contact at all.
As some of you know, Nathanael is a member of the Winnipeg Boys Choir this year. Every October the boys go away to camp for a weekend. They really get to know each other as a group. They know each others strengths and weaknesses both personally and vocally. They rehearsed every day for a couple of hours. Mostly Christmas music, including my favourite Chritmas Time is Here from Charlie Brown.They also had a scavenger hunt and a marshmallow roast on Saturday night. Nathanael was exhausted but very proud of himself for being big enough to go away.

It's Bronchitis

2006-10-22T23:43:00.000-05:00

Ah... Went to the doctor on Saturday. I thought the coughing might have developed further... and it has. Bronchitis. The first time I had it was in 2000, while I was teaching in rural Manitoba. This will be the fourth time.

The doctor told me that each time you get this, you become more succeptable. This one came on pretty quick, but I didn't act fast enough. I sound like a chronic smoker - funny thing is, I don't even smoke.