In Case Anyone is Interested:

I FINALLY got caught up on posting my sermons

over at the Minnedosa United Church Blog.

Sorry - no bulletins, just my sermons ...

But if you want to check them out and get caught up

Click HERE.

OHMYGAWD !!!

Some people never learn ...

last night Beetle had her 8th Birthday Party

and Sleep over ...

What possessed us to say - "yes"??

10 girls 9 and under!!!!

Need I say more??

We survived ...

the frog pinata, was not so lucky ...

NICE ... really, really nice ...

Yesterday I drove to Neepawa to pick up the ice cream cake for Beetle's Birthday party and sleep over ... NOW, at the best of times, I hate driving on long weekends ... but yesterday underscored the 'WHY?' of that sentiment ...

I was on a long straight, and very flat stretch of highway. Approaching me was a pick up truck pulling an oversized RV Trailer ... suddenly, the car behind the truck camper combo pulled out to pass. The driver didn't look for oncoming traffic ... She simply pulled out to pass.

One could assume she thought that because it was a dotted line down the middle of the road it was safe to proceed ... Unfortunately my van happened to be in the same space, headed in an opposite trajectory as her's ...

HOWEVER, she didn't notice any of this. The driver of the oncoming car was too busy talking on her cell phone and bending down to adjust her CD player to have take any notice of me passing her car on HER left. My transit through the gravel and grass bordering the highway was a little more harrowing that I had planned for the day ... I DO think she finally noticed me as I blurred by her driver's window, but I can't be sure, I was too busy trying to stay on four wheels and out of the ditch to watch her ... The brake lights of the camper combo told me the driver of THAT rig saw me ...

All I can say though, is - "Thanks" to that brain dead twit, who was too busy planning out her long weekend over the phone, and making sure the right Brittany Spears tune is playing on her CD Player to watch where she was driving !!! In moments like this I become a stronger believer in Darwinian theory ... Unfortunately though, too often idiots like tend to take out others and walk away unscathed ... Fortunately, my many years of driving and my foundational Driver's Training all surged to the fore in an instant, and I avoided a disasterous start to MY Long Weekend ...

In the mean time I WILL be more vigilant on the roads this weekend ... and I hope YOU will too ... stay safe!!! And watch out for the idiots - they're out there !!!

Thirty Nine Years Ago Today ...

Constable Samuel E. Ankenmann

Provincial Constable Badge #3000

September 16th 1928

to

June 29th 1968

-----------------------------

A Hero in Life,

Not in Death

(click above to visit the OPPA Honour Roll Entry)
-----------------------------------

There are 730 names on the

Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial

in Ottawa.

Everyone of them left someone behind ...

--------------------------------

They ARE OUR Heroes,

We MUST not forget them.

Drat ... I got scooped!!!

Earlier today, as I wrote the tribute to William Hutt, the Stratford actor and veritable institution, the image I wanted was of him as Lady Bracknell in the Production of The Importance of Being Earnest, from back in the mid 70's.

I looked and looked and looked ... to no avail ... Then tonight I signed on to I Can Fly, Just Not Up, and was aghast to find it there ...

Part of me is disappointed to be scooped. But then when I read candygirlflies's words I couldn't help but feel that the picture was posted in the right place ... SO, instead of saying any more about the venerable Mr. Hutt, I would instead invite you to head over to I Can Fly, Just Not Up, and check out the latest entry offered in honour and in tribute to a great stage actor who left and indelible impression on his audience ...

And the final curtain fall ...

He was extra-ordinary,

he was eccentric,

he was simply incredible.

How do you summarize 87 years of life,

close to 40 of them on the boards

of the Stratford Festival???

So many roles ... from cross dressing in Wilde,

to being Prime Minister MacDonald on television,

to playing Shakespeare's Prospero,

William Hutt had quite a career.

But today the final curtain has fallen ...

I can only echo Candygirlflies'

words on her blog

Rest Well Mr Hutt, you've earned your reward.

Tonight I can only think of Hutt's Fool

to Peter Ustinov's Lear ...

could there have been a better protrayal of The Bard??

William Hutt

1920 - 2007

One of the Great Ones !

Tonight, I am PROUD to be United !!!

I don't want this to sound like a condemnation of either our Lutheran or Anglican sisters and brothers ... but tonight I am very, very proud to be a member of the United Church of Canada. I am proud that we have wrestled with the issue of the place of Gays and Lesbians in the WHOLE people of God. I'm proud to be in a church where Gays and Lesbians are welcomed into all aspects of life within the Church. I'm proud that we were amongst the first to champion and preside at Same Sex Marriages.

I'm just proud of the United Church and the courageous stands we've taken over the last twenty years ...

We still have much work to do ... and thankfully that work is being done. But reading online about the Lutheran and Anglican meetings held in Winnipeg this weekend, and the rejection of Same Sex Blessings by both denominations just causes me to say a soft - "Thank you God for the courage and boldness and faithfulness of the United Church." It's too bad when we base our faith in fear, and reject those who are different ...

Ours has not been an easy journey, and in some corners the wounds and hurts are still fresh ... but thankfully, we've stayed the course and have been faithful to our vision of the Kingdom of God alive and present in our world. A Kingdom where ALL people are welcomed unconditionally. There is still work to do - but we trust in the Spirit to see it happen ...

Tonight I'm proud to be United ... and I'm prouder still to say it !!!

I Highly Recommend ...

I just came in (ahead of the latest deluge) from

a midnight walk about ...

To the west the sky was flashing with lightning,

the rumble of thunder echoed in the distance,

and as I came in the front door the rain began ...

... I highly recommend an evening walk

just before a prairie thunderstorm begins ...

... it is calming, inspiring, and beautiful

all at once !!

Funky Cloud Formations ...

Tonight, after the latest thunderstorm rolled through ... after the downpours, the lightning, the thunder, the hail and the torrential water flows down the street, it got very calm and the sun even came out for awhile. I went out into the backyard and noticed the bizarre and stunning cloud formations that were coming in from the west ...



Some times Mother Nature out does her self ... tonight was one of those nights !!

Can This Be Any Clearer????

First came the news that a wheat gluten used in cat and dog food was contaminated with a toxin that was killing cats and dogs throughout North America ... then came the news that Thomas the Tank Engine Toys were painted with a hazardous lead based paint ... and finally comes the news that a toothpaste purportedly made in South Africa originated in China and was found to contain a toxin used in such consumable products like anti-freeze and brake fluid ...

It all begs the question: "What the HELL is wrong with us??? That we keep accepting and buying AND USING products from China ????"

Is our lust for the almighty bargain that pathetic that we will put the health and well being of our pets, our children and even ourselves at risk to save a few pennies ????

MY GOD, we are the wealthiest society in the history of this planet, and we are still miserable and discontented with the over abundance of stuff that we fill our lives with ???

What is wrong with us???
Obesity is running (okay walking with a wheeze) rampant ... debt loads from over spending are simply abhorrent ... we lust for the biggest and the best and the newest and the most modern of everything ... our values are skewed ... and our society is miserably unhappy ... and yet we continue to buy, buy, buy ... even George W. Bush in the wake of 9/11, encouraged his citizens not to worry, but to return to their shopping !!!!!!!!!!!!

Have we NOT learned that spending more and more and more will NOT bring us happiness???

If recent product warnings from China are any indication, spending more and more and more will only serve to bring us more misery in the form of ill health ... when we finally realize that what ails us will not be cured nor treated by our repeated visits to the local mall, or big block retailers, but by focusing on what's really important ... the stuff you can't buy or sell???

I hope we can learn before it's too late ... in the meantime, perhaps a boycott of ALL products produced and/or sourced in China, as well as a boycott of retailers who carry them, might be in order ...

I guess I won't be hitting the big BLUE and WHITE store anytime soon ...

Anyone else with me ???

Your health may well depend on it ... for now, remember three simple words:

people before profits !!!!!

Best Comment I've Heard in a While ...

I was having a conversation today on the soccer field with a fellow UCC'er about the state of the United Church in Western Manitoba. We lamented the shortage of ministry personnell we are experiencing, the growing challenges we are facing, the increasing numbers of vacancies, and the condition of the facilities we call home throughout our Presbytery ...

She commented on the condition of the little rural country church she attends, and noted that it isn't the prettiest building around, it isn't the fanciest, nor is it the most modern, but the people who called it home more than made up for the shortcomings of the physical space they occupied for worship and fellowship.

She then went on to note that a Catholic friend of her's once came to church with her and observed that the building didn't give you a sense of the sacred when you worshipped in it. It just seemed too mundane and plain.

The woman I spoke with said, "I rolled my eyes and said 'oh please, if you're worshipping properly, your eyes are closed half the time in prayer, and the other half of the time you shouldn't even be thinking about the building ...' "

I could add only a hearty - "AMEN to that !!"

FIELD TRIP !!!!

Today Ms. H's class took their year end field trip to

Riding Mountain National Park, north of Minnedosa ...

In the morning our group explored a Boreal Forest,

a transition meadow, the lake side forests and beaches,

and then walked through a zone filled with

an invasive, introduced, and out of control species ...

Then after lunch, a wander around the town site,

a peek in an old bear's den, and ice cream,

we headed home on the bus ...

... it was a BEAUTIFUL sunny day

but it was HOT, HOT, HOT ...

-----------------------------------------------

Watch below your feet ...

Just some of the wild flowers we found under our feet

as we hiked around Riding Mountain National Park today

on Ms H's Class Field trip ...

... it's a good reminder to pay attention under your feet,

or you may miss a glimpse of beauty where you least expect it.

---------------------------------------------------

After the Rain ... (AGAIN!!!)

For the second night in a row, we got hit with a wicked thunderstorm,

I missed the beautiful FULL rainbow that filled the sky when the rain stopped,

but after the rain came a glorious blue sky

as the thunderstorm rolled off to the east ...

------------------------------------------

Yes, those white specks in the picture are drops of water !!

Looking down Main St at the torrent of water flowing down the hill.

Ms. H's garden looking very wet.

Beetle's garden looking even MORE sodden !!

58 ... 59 ... 60 ...

Lest We Forget ...

... three more lives end in a distant war ...

... three more families hear the news they've dreaded ...

... three more soldiers have fallen ...

Today may we pause to remember the fallen ...

... three more Canadian soldiers ...

and as we remember them, may we also remember:

... nine fire fighters ...

--------------------------------------------

They shall not grow old

as who remain grow old.

As the going down of the sun,

and in the morning.

We will remember them.

We will remember them.

Lest We Forget

20 Books I've enjoyed over the last year ...

I try to read a minimum of a book a week, though in truth, I usually set the goal at 2 books a week, and yearn for enough time in my life to read 3 books a week ... BUT ... with a young family, a job that requires more than 40 hours a week, and innumerable other demands ... a book a week is at times a pretty good average ...

So last night I looked over the 100 plus books I've read in the last year, and realized there were some gems in that list ... So, here is a list of the twenty favourite books that I've read in the last year. They range from fiction to theology ... and many of them are available from, and indeed were borrowed from a Public Library ...

It's a diverse list ... but it was fun to make my way through it ... both reading and reviewing:

Cockeyed: A Memoir by Ryan Knighton
The History of Love by Nicole Kauss
Don't Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock
The Man in my Basement by Walter Mosley
Chanda's Secret by Allan Stratton
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
Kissing in Manhattan by David Schickler
Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope by Joan Chittister
Talk to the Hand by Lynn Truss
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy
New Rules by Bill Maher
Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy
Divine Justice, Divine Judgement by Dan O. Vio
Where Have All the Prophets Gone? Marvin A. McMickle

They are in no particular order ... just as I've offered them.
Happy Reading this summer !!

After the Storm ...

Can You Find The Butterfly????

Something THUNDEROUS This Way Comes ...

Clouds over Minnedosa tonight ...

an enormous thunderstorm rolled in from the north:

Long time no see ...

It's been awhile since the kitties who share our home have made an appearance around here ...
They've been terribly busy, as witnessed by the pictures below:
Their typical daily agenda involves getting up, eating, visiting the litter box, checking out the various sunny spots in the house, chasing a few bugs, napping, eating some more, going outside for a few minutes, more eating, lounging in the sun, napping, then back to bed for a solid 12 hour sleep each night ...
Oh, to have the life of a cat ... it is SO tough !!!!

Saturday night walk in 'Dosa !!

What Fathers Day means to me ...

I have less than a half a dozen pictures of my dad ... I'm sure there are more somewhere, but in my possession I have a handful ... and half of them are of him with myself and my brother ...

I have no memories of him ... he died when I was too young to remember him ...

What I do remember is his absence ...

I remember a Father's Day at school where I was forced to make a card for "My Father" ... the supply teacher wouldn't let me address it to my Grandpa, or to my mom ... it had to be made to "My Father," ... I remember crumpling it up and throwing it away before I got on the bus to go home ... the sting of tears in my eyes ... it was something I've never forgotten ...

I don't remember him ... but thanks to the pictures I know what he looked like ...

He died when he was forty ... This year I turn forty ...

He would be turning 80 this year ... I wonder what kind of an 80 year man he would be ...

There hasn't been a day go by that I don't think of him ...

There hasn't been a day go by that I don't wonder what he would be like ...

I never knew him ... he died when I was a babe ... so I don't really know what I've missed ...

but I know too well, what I wish I had had ...

I was told once that the night he died, a neighbour peeked in the living room window and saw him asleep in the chair with me perched on his chest ... the next morning he was gone ... When I held Noahkila on my chest as a child I often thought of that memory ... and how good it feels to hold a child - your child - on your chest ...

I thought of that image when I held each of my children on my chest ...

I think of a this picture often on Father's Day ...

... the pictures reminds me of what I never had ...

and it reminds me of what I have been able to give my children ...

I wish they could have known their Grandpa Sam ...

I think they would have adored each other.

No ... I can say with certainty that I know they would have ...

A Fork in the Road ...

To state the blindingly obvious: I live in a fish bowl ...

Everything I do,

everything I say,

everything I feel,

everything about my life

is open to the scrutiny of others.

I've come to realize that nothing I do,

or say, or feel, will be pleasing to everyone.

I've come to realize that there will

ALWAYS be critics.

I've come to realize that I really shouldn't let

what they say, or think, or do, bother me.

I will listen to the fair and justice comments,

but the petty and ridiculous I will learn to let go ...

HOWEVER,

I know that such sentiments are easier to say than to do.

But tonight I made a decision:

I will not let the words of another wound me.

I will not be a door mat for anyone.

I will not be used by anyone.

I will not let people run rough-shod over my feelings.

I will not quietly accept what is offered.

I will not passively let anyone hurt me.

I WILL STAND UP FOR MYSELF

&

I WILL BELIEVE IN MYSELF ENOUGH

THAT OTHERS WILL NO LONGER PUSH ME DOWN!!

Tonight in front of me are two paths ...

I'm chosing a NEW one!!
Tonight I'm hanging blinds in this fish bowl!!!

In Honour of the Day ...

There is an irony in the simple fact that the Frisbee

turns 50 on Father's Day !!

Perhaps to honour both the toy and the day,

we all should spend sometime tossing the Frisbee around.

Can there be a better way to celebrate Fathers and families??

Today ...

Today, I miss him ...

I wonder what kind of dad he would have been,

I wonder what kind of grandfather he would have been,

I wonder what he would be like as an old man ...

I wonder what he would have been like as

a young man with two growing sons ...

I wonder a lot about him ... and what he could have been ...

I miss him a lot today ...

I wish he could have been here - even for a little longer ...

Father's Day has never been easy for me ...

Today is not really any different ...

I'm proud to be a father,

But, I wish I had had one to learn from ...

Great Way to Spend an Evening ...

I noticed the ad in the newspaper the other day ... it was for a special night of golfing for adults and juniors together ... I called and signed Noahkila and I up ...

Tonight we hit the links in an alternating shot format for nine holes ... our golf cart kind of hit three other golf carts before we made it away from the club house - but that's a story for another blog entry !!??

Needless to say, it wasn't championship calibre golf, but it was alot of fun ...

The up side is - we broke 100 for the nine ... not by much - but we did it !!!

We had a lot of laughs, we had a lot of fun, and we just enjoyed the evening puttering around on the golf course chasing the little white ball ... and by the end of it, with some coaching from one of the other men in our group, Noahkila was hitting a pretty mean shot off the tee !!!

I also learned that Monty really, really, really doesn't like golf !!!

See ya ...

I've know this day has been coming for well over a year ... he began looking for another Call many, many months ago ...

I've known he was heading off to a Congregation out west for several weeks ...

But it still hurt to go and to say good bye ...

Today I took an hour and zipped over to say my final farewells to a colleague and a brother in faith who for the last seven years has been so much more than just a friend ... There have been moments when I wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and choke the life out of him ... there have been moments when we've wept with laughter ... moments when we've wept at the unfairness of life ... he's made me laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time) ... he's made me mad and has offered me comfort and a listening ear ... he's inspired me and ticked me off ... his words have made me think and brought me comfort ... he has been like a brother to me ... and over the last seven years he and I have journeyed through many diverse and interesting places ...

I could go on and on and on ... but tonight I can only look back with appreciation at how much his friendship has meant to me over the last seven years since I arrived in Minnedosa and we met the day we strolled into the office and introduced himself ... We've worked together ... we've had coffee and beer together ... we've spent endless hours talking about life, everything and even nothing at all ... and I will miss it all ...

And today as I backed out of his drive way, he stood and as I drove away he waved and I wept on the drive home ... I said good bye to a friend ... our paths are heading in different directions, and today I realized how much I'm going to miss him ...

God Speed to you Reverend Boyd, as you embark on new adventures, and may the Spirit continue to bless you in all her richness as you journey on ...

Keep in touch ... and who knows, maybe one day our paths will cross again ...

I hope so ... I truly hope so ...

The CORNY island of Dr Moreau ...

It never made the claim of being "great" theatre ...

... but it was fun ...

... it was entertaining ...

and it was put on by the kids of our local elementary school,

and it was utterly wonderful.

The Coney Island of Dr Moreau

is not high brow theatre,

it doesn't even border on the silly,

it camps out there ...

but tonight the production put on by the kids of

our local elementary school was just plain delightful.

The kids ALL did a good job,

even Noahkila as Montgomery was smashing.

The boy made his dad proud and left

me utterly speechless.

I wish I had half the confidence he showed,

and I wish I could sing

and even do some dancing like he did ...

For once, the old man was in awe.

I am very proud of my boy tonight !!!

(and of Ms H in the chorus/choir too)

---------------------------------------------

So, to the kids of TCS: GOOD JOB !!!

And to the staff and volunteers who helped make it happen:

Thanks !!!

It was great !!

Tossing a Bone ...

All I want right now is a big Milk Bone dog biscuit ...

Not for me - for Monty.

If I could find one - I would take the biscuit

and wave it in front of his nose,

then toss it as far as I could ...

... and maybe, just maybe,

he would chase after it

and for a couple of minutes

he would leave me in peace ...

... even if only for the few seconds he took to scarf it down!!

It's been a tough few days,

and I'm wishing Monty would go and play

somewhere else for awhile.

-------------------------------------

... Tomorrow is a new day ...

... I'll wait and see what it brings ...

Tonight ...

I know whose fault this weather is ...

Last night he stopped by and said with a smile:

"We've only had 2/10's of rain,

the farmers want more ..."

WELL, today he's gotten his wish.

Manitoba is being criss-crossed with SEVERE thunderstorms,

the threat of funnel clouds become tornadoes is real,

and the rain is POUNDING down ...

To the clown responsible for ALL of this:

NEXT TIME !!!

KEEP YOUR OPINIONS TO YOURSELF!!!

57

The day began with the news

that another Canadian Soldier has fallen

in Afghanistan ...

Lest We Forget.

-----------------------------

The prayer strengthens:

Bring our soldiers home safely ...

Monty Strikes back ...

After the last couple of days of feeling pretty good,

and in the wake of the Grade Five Field trip to Winnipeg,

I had the feeling that Monty was off playing somewhere else:

somewhere close by, but far enough away ...

TONIGHT, as I was walking past the vacant lot

where the Church once stood he pounced on me ...

I'm not sure why,

I'm not sure if there was even a trigger,

I just know that in the twinkling of an eye,

I went from feeling good

to feeling like crap ...

Damned Black Dog!!!

I guess, I'll go to bed and see what tomorrow bring ...

(maybe he'll wander off for awhile again)

Prairie Preacher Takes A Field Trip ...

A three hour bus trip into Winnipeg with 22 Grade Fivers,

an hour at the Touch the Universe science exhibit at the Manitoba Museum,

an IMAX film on African Wildlife,

and a three hour bus trip home to Minnedosa ...

At least they weren't holding up signs saying:

HELP US !!!

Then they discovered the joy of long hair "wafting" in the breeze ...

All in all, it was a pretty good day ...

alot of fun, alot of laughs, not too many hassles,

a few too many pee breaks though ...

BUT, I would, and may, do it again.

There are worse ways to spend a day

than hanging with Ms. H's class!!