With open hands ...

If my hands are fully occupied

in holding on to something,

I can neither give nor receive.

- Dorothy Solle

Reflection on Remembrance Day

Today in communities across Canada formal Ceremonies were held to mark our National Day of Remembrance. In some places the services are a quaint happening that most people over look. In some places, life stops for the day in tribute to those who went to war.

In Minnedosa a formal Service of Remembrance was held in the Community Hall with a large number of people in attendance.

Even though I haven't been asked to participate in the main community commemeration of Remembrance Day since my time in Bella Coola BC, the act of Remembrance remains important to me.

Each year as part of our Congregational worship life, we pause on the Sunday nearest to Remembrance Day to pause and remember. Each fall we pause to remember fallen Police and Peace Officers on the last Sunday of September. And I have been honoured to be asked over the last five years to deliver a reflection at Services of Remembrance held at the High and Elementary Schools here in Minnedosa. This year I was invited to address the student body of MCI.

I've posted my reflection over at the blog for Minnedosa United Church: (http://minnedosaunited.blogspot.com)

I would invite you to bounce over there and read my musings if you would like ... but in the meantime, make sure you take a moment today to pause and remember those who have risked and sacrificed themselves in times of war ... This year in Minnedosa a young man wounded in Afghanistan laid a wreath in honour of his comrades in arms, and his comrades (44 of them) who have fallen in Afghanistan ... He reminded ALL of us that when our nation is at war, there is a real cost to be borne by real people ...

This year We Remember !
Lest We Forget.

The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month ...

Lest We Forget !!

Scenes from Stratford Ontario

and Minnedosa Manitoba,

across Canada

May we ALL take time to Remember,

Lest We Forget !

A Family Outing ...

Tonight we took advantage of some give away tickets form the Brandon Big Brothers Big Sisters organization - they were given to me because of my involvement with Minnedosa Satellite group ...

So, we had a family expedition to Brandon to take in a Wheat Kings game ... It was the first Hockey Game EVER for Mom (How is that possible for a Canadian ???) And a first for all of us as a family ... It really is something we should have done earlier - afterall, we DO live in Ron Chipperfield's childhood home ... and he is one of the best players in the Wheaties 40 yr history ... (check out www.wheatkings.com)

So, back to the game - I missed the first period - too many people I knew up in the concourse to talk to ... The second period was so so ... But the third period is when the Wheaties took control of the game and won 4-1 against Moose Jaw. We were there for the 2nd and 3rd goals, but missed the fourth ... c'est la vie !!??

A couple of learnings though for me along the way:
1) For the next hockey game only me and Ms H are going ... Beetle talked too much, Mommy wasn't into it, and Noahkila enjoyed it until he ran out of popcorn and money to buy more ... The next game Ms Ha and I are going to go and watch the game !!

2) We are absolute worst parents in the cosmos, because we don't give our three an unlimited supply of slurpies, pop corn, candy, pop, iced tea, ice cream, mini donuts and pizza while they run (unsupervised) around the arena and make everyone else's experience OH SO MUCH fun ... I guess we need to check into that, and do a better job trying to be "better parents". (For the record even Ms H was aghast at some of the kids near us ...)

3) AND last but certainly NOT least - I never realized that hockey games are no longer about the game itself ... it's about the entertainment and all the OTHER stuff that goes on - the give aways, the contests, the draws, the antics in the stands ... I kind of miss the good old days when you went to the arena to actually watch a hockey game ...

Oh well, we went ... we had fun ... and the Wheaties won ...

Can you take a Pittance of Time??

Today, watching the Service of Remembrance at the local elementary school, I began to wonder how much time I've spent in my 39 years of life remembering those who went to war ... Math has never been a strong subject in my life, so my math may be off - but - I think I have spent less than two hours in my life time standing in silence at remembering those who have fallen and those who came home deeply changed ...

When the song A Pittance of Time by Terry Kelly was played, I wondered how many people simply forget to take a minute or two to remember? I offer this as a reminder ... click on the title to find a link to the video and song ... and below are the lyrics of a powerful and poignant reminder of why one day a year we are asked to simply stop and in silence Remember ...

Lest We Forget !

A Pittance Of Time 4:43
Written by Terry Kelly © Jefter Publishing - SOCAN

They fought and some died for their homeland.
They fought and some died, now it's our land.
Look at his little child; there's no fear in her eyes.
Could he not show respect for other dads who have died?

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who went over.
In peace may they rest, may we never
forget why they died.
It's a pittance of time.

God forgive me for wanting to strike him.
Give me strength so as not to be like him.
My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips,
My throat wants to bawl out, my tongue barely resists.

But two minutes I will bide.
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who went over.
In peace may they rest.
May we never forget why they died.
It's a pittance of time.

Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home.
They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own.
There's a price to be paid if you go, if you stay.
Freedom's fought for and won in numerous ways.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls all over.
May we never forget, our young become vets.
At the end of the line,
It's a pittance of time.

It takes courage to fight in your own war.
It takes courage to fight someone else's war.
Our peacekeepers tell of their own living hell.
They bring hope to foreign lands that hate mongers can't kill.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who go over.
In peacetime our best still don battle dress
And lay their lives on the line.
It's a pittance of time

In peace may they rest,
Lest we forget why they died.
Take a pittance of time.

Warriors Old and Young ..

The picture to the left is a little blurry - okay, it's alot blurry, but I'm gonna post it anyway, because if we look at it as it is here - you can see three wonderful people ...

In the foreground in the dark jacket is Scott Collen, a member of the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry based at CFB Shilo just outside of Brandon. Scott is continuing his recovery from wounds he recieved while serving in Afghanistan. The bombing that injured him claimed the lives of four of his comrade at arms. This afternoon Scott came to watch the Remembrance Day Service at the local Elementary School. His son, dressed in his cadet uniform was one half of the honour guard standing at the side of the presentation area. It was good to see Scott out and about - he continues his recover amid the prayers and best wishes of his family and many friends here in Minnedosa.

Beside Scott are two very special people - Ernie and Ruth D. In January they will mark their 63rd Anniversary. They married after Ernie, serving in England as a soldier in the Canadian Military was run down by a young woman on a bicycle ... Ruth laughs every time she retells the story and Ernie just smiles ... Ruth spoke to the kids at the elementary school today about her journey as a War Bride, while Ernie once again recited the words of John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields, for the High School students.

Ruth and Ernie are a wonderful couple - they are friends, and I count myself as privileged to have spent time with hearing their stories and theirmemories ...

These three know the cost of war from personal experience ... These three have stories worth hearing ... These three are among the reason that we hold Remembrance Day services.

They have all worn a Uniform. They have all learned the risks and dangers of combat. They have all been part of the struggle to bring us peace and freedom ... Today it was a treat to take this picture (sorry it's blurry) and to honour them by saying - Thank you.

This Remembrance Day take time to pause and remember, not only the fallen, but those with names like Scott, Ernie, Ruth, Haywood, Jim, Frank ... ordinary men and women who have been willing to wear the uniforms of their nation and risk themselves for us ... The least we can do it spare a moment to remember ...

Lest We Forget !!

Seen around town ...

Ms. H. was obviously busy at school today - she came home with the above poster for posting ... if you can't read it I've provided a summary below:

Wanted
Name: Sam the Monkey Boy
For What: Being weird
You can take his stuff to.
Description: big ears, black hair, big nose
Do Not Return If found, and I'm seriece (serious)
Reward 1c

Picture: (tee shirt reads: I'm a Monkey Boy)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes sisters are sooo kind ...

Now for something completely different ...

My Goofy Girls - need I say more??

300th Post - Want to Help Change the World???

Today when it seems like we might be able to actually change the world - it's a good moment to make a REAL difference ...

Click on www.thehungersite.com and help feed the world's hunger ... God knows the decisions by people like George and Donald and Dick haven't helped them ... but you and I can help them - one click of a mouse at a time ... So, take a moment and click on The Hunger Site.

Faces in the Crowd ...

Just some of the folks hanging out at Chipperfields in

recent days ... some nights you've got to get there

early to get a seat ... Last night was one of them !!

Today's Weather ...

Can you tell what this is???

It's an ice covered spruce branch near Bethany Manitoba ...

... everything was covered with a thick coat of ice!!

It just a lovely Fall day in Manitoba.

The Latest Casualty of the Iraqi War ????

Bye Bye Donald !!

I wonder who will be next ???

Hmmm ... On this election day ...

This one is for my American Readers as they participate in today's electorial process:

REMEMBER !!!

It's only paranoia

if they're really NOT watching YOU !!

How I spend some evenings ...

All I need is the five C's ...

(in no particular order - though the coffee is important)

Coffee

Computer

Cell

Cookie

Chipperfields

It's a good way (and place) to spend some time in the evening ...

Chipperfield Coffee Company on Main St N in Minnedosa,

come in for the coffee, stay for the company!!
(don't forget to bounce over to The Chipperfield Chronicles)

The only thing missing is the Paramedic crew ...

And thanks to Ross for the photo - I guess it's only fair !!

Musings on Plastic JesusES I've known ...

In my previous posting, I mused about the plural for Jesus, when referring to Jesus figurines ... There have been some answers offered which all seem reasonable, but I got an email from a friend who consulted the Oxford English Dictionary and reports - "there is NO plural of Jesus ..." Thanks Heather, and like many times before - the argument is ended right there !!!

But now I feel compelled to share two stories about my plastic Jesus figurines I've encountered ... The first figure was a Jesus nightlight given to me by a friend ... In time Jesus migrated to our van and sat there for many months until one afternoon while I was coaching soccer, the boys on the team found him and adopted him as the team mascot. From that point on one of them had Jesus on the side lines during each game ... through a deft manipulation of their hands, he clapped for the good plays, and offered his prayers for the bad ones ... Comments like "Jesus says 'don't play angry ...'" were legion ... Members of opposing teams were shocked, offended, horrified and intrigued - sometimes simultaneously. It was all fun ...

The other Jesus figure was like the one pictured above - he has silent glide action wheels - posable arms and perpetual smile. Before the fire, he sat on my desk and since has been sitting on our dining room table where I do my computer work ... He is sooooo silly he makes me laugh.

And as Neibuhr said - "laughter IS the beginning of prayer ..."

Oh, and the Jesus bandages? I got an email about them from a heathen Anglican this morning, and I just had to post them ... I also need to get me some ... and I really wonder what the free toy inside would be ... Perhaps a mini-wipe to "wipe our sins away!"??

So class, say it with me - "there is no plural of Jesus" ... could it be because he is The One ???

Nah ...

Let us begin our prayers with laughter ... AMEN !!!

Me and My Plastic Jesus ...

Funny as Hell !!!

I have many stories about my plastic Jesus figures

(what is the plural of Jesus??)

that I will share here one day ...

For now, head over to www.wondercafe.ca and check out the

new initiative by folks down at 3250 Bloor to revitalize

interest in the Church by the 25-40 yr old set ...

... take some time to explore, reflect and have some fun.

And check out the personal BLOG of one of wondercafe's

creators at:http://almas-soulfood.blogspot.com/

Aaron has shared his journey to today's launch there,

and his reflections and musings are worth perusing ...

Good Job Aaron ... let's see where this will roll !!

Good way to spend a day ...

It was a lazy day ... it was to be my day off, and I gave it the royal try ...

The morning started with getting the kids off to school, then I came home and got an email from a long lost friend ...

The rest of the day was a delightful mix of conversations, coffee, reading and just hanging out at home ... I figured out how to send pictures from my cell phone to my computer, I played on the computer, and I just enjoyed the day.

The afternoon saw me pop in the first DVD of Season Three of Corner Gas ... and curl up on the couch to watch ...

... I managed to watch episodes 1 to 3 ... but slept through 4-6 ... and had to pick up kids from school before episode 7 ... oh well, I'll have another day off soon ... maybe I'll try again then ...

... today was a day well spent ... lazing, hanging and napping ... tomorrow is another day ...

Smile ... (the first cell pictures)

IT WORKED !!!!

I finally managed to get my cell phone camera to work

AND

transmit to the internet !!!

(It took a call to the techie support line - but it worked !!)

SO, behold the first picture I EVER took with a cell phone camera !!

Now I can add to the Blog in real time !!

Ain't Beetle cute ??

She was coming home from school on a Friday night - hence the BIG smile ...

Reading at the Moment:

I'm not very far into the book, but I am far enough to know that it is a book I will enjoy, and that I will find enlightening ... Zinn's account of the History of the United States reminds us that the historical account of happenings is seldom historical, seldom accurate and is ALWAY biased ...

One quotation stood out for me this morning:

For all the gold and silver stolen and shipped to Spain did not make the Spanish people richer. It gave their kings an edge in the balance of power for a time, a chance to hire more mercenary soldiers for their wars. They ended up losing those wars anyway, and all that was left was a deadly inflation, a starving population, the rich richer, the poor poorer, and a ruined peasant class ...

As I read this quotation it struck me that with a few editorial changes this quotation about the Spanish Empire from Hans Koning's bio of Chris Columbus could be true of a modern empire too:

For all the oil and resources stolen and shipped to The United States did not make the American people richer. It gave their Presidents an edge in the balance of power for a time, a chance to hire more mercenary soldiers for their war. They ended up losing those wars anyway, and all that was left was deadly inflation, a starving population, the rich richer, the poor poorer, and a ruined peasant class ...

It's good to remember the old adage: "Those who forget thier history are doomed to repeat it ..." Maybe that was Koning's and Zinn's point ... To see where we're heading today, perhaps all we need to do is look back in history ...

I wonder what future generations will say about current events ??

Driving to School Today ...

(Please bear in mind - this ALL happened before I had my morning coffee - thanx)

Dad: I wonder if we could drive to school this morning on two wheels?

Noahkila: You'd need alot of weight in the back to do that.

Dad: Not the back wheels. Two wheels on one side.

Noahkila: Oh ... (pause) ... cool ... (pause as he thought more about it) ... That would be three things: 1) stupid, 2) dangerous and ...

Dad and Noahkila (in unison): 3) incredibly fun ...

Noahkila: I say we do it!!

Ms H and Beetle (in unison from the back seat with Ms H's friend Ms. M): Just let us out first !!!!

We opted to wait for another day ...