December 19, 2005 · 10:20 pm

A Man of Excellence

And to think I married him!

 

It is an honor to be married to a great man.  Well, at least he is great in a local sort of way – to the health region here in Prince Albert Parkland and of course to me and his kids.  Tonight, I and as many of the kids as could, got to attend the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region 2005 Health Excellence Awards.

 

It is possible they came for the food – it was an excellent banquet put on by the Travelodge.  But I suspect they really like the “Old Man”.

 

Leo was honored with the Excellence Award for Client Centered Care.  It was awarded for his work in Public Health (working towards the smoke free bylaws) and specifically for his work in the areas of Addictions and Hepatitis C.  One of his sayings that was quoted in his letters of nomination in reference to his treatment of patients with addictions was “We are commanded to love them, God is responsible for judging them.”  I am proud to be the wife of a man who is known for his attitude of non-judgmentalism, for the way he treats all people with dignity and respect and for the way he gets programs like the methadone/addictions and the Hep C treatment program up and running. 

 

And I guess I even like the way he tells jokes.  His respect for other people is heavily flavored with a good amount of humor.  If he really likes you he will probably tell a joke at your expense or his own.  I ought to know – he really likes me.

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Filed under In the News

December 18, 2005 · 7:21 am

I wish

I am sitting here listening to CBC2 as suggested by Randall.  I wish I could sit here in the light from the candles and tree lights and the quiet and just sit and read for hours.  I wish no one would bother me about anything today – no dinner to prepare, no demands on me to do anything.  And I wish I didn’t feel so tired.  There seems to be a bit of a flu bug going through our house and although I am thankful I am not feeling really sick, I do feel wiped out.

But there is tourtiere to make and since the meat is cooking now, I guess I can’t avoid that.  And we have our church Christmas party this afternoon.  I have to organize the ordering of pizzas for that so if I do not wish to be in everyone’s bad books, I’d better get that done!

Soooo… as they say “No rest for the wicked.”

My sister and her husband are here from Calgary so last night we all got together (those of us feeling well and at home) at Sharon’s and nibbled on munchies and visited.  It is always good to see my sister. 

We all went up to the graves of my parents and grandparents as well – put a couple of Christmas wreaths on them.  I guess Dad always did that at Christmas time with Sharon as they remembered my mom and grandparents.  The rabbits had been running across the cemetery grounds and had a path across his grave.  I think he would have liked that. He would always point out animal tracks to us when we went skiing or for winter walks at the farm.

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Filed under Christmas

December 14, 2005 · 9:55 pm

Meanwhile Christmas is coming

I have been very busy over the past week putting the finishing touches – actually rewriting at least 6 drafts – of an article on postmodernism for our denominations Canadian quarterly paper.  It has been hard work but is work I like and I even like the discipline it requires.  It makes me really sympathize with Becky writing her Master’s paper.  It helps to have a couple of helpful souls around who don’t mind editing.  Thanks Randall and Leo.  Without you two I would be way too verbose.  I wonder how much it will get edited before it is printed. 

 

I will maybe post the whole thing here even if it is a bit long.  But maybe I’d better wait till it is published in print first.

 

Meanwhile, Christmas is coming and I have a score of things that were not getting done while I was writing.  Pizza to organize for this Sunday’s church Christmas party, gifts to get for certain people, hampers to help with, and my least favorite – phone calls to make.  I also have to call and make a doctors appointment; another thing I have been putting off way too long.  And our outdoor lights have not even been hooked up yet this year.

 

This weekend is going to be a bit hectic I think.  Making lemon squares, tourtiere and shortbread.  Housecleaning and wrapping presents.  I need to do so many things.  And then Christmas arrives and I have a week off.  That will be the best – some time to sit and read in front of the fireplace.

 

 

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Filed under Day to Day

December 11, 2005 · 6:06 am

Les evenements du lendemain

Not sure how to get the accents into the title bar – but anyway – yesterdays events, in brief.

We have made it through the weekend of parties and my being on call.  On call for me just means carrying the cell phone and being available.  I am so glad that the hospital staff handle the non-emergency dentistry.  Since we make ourselves available for emergencies in our office throughout the week of call we have almost no evening calls.  Evening we get just the real emergencies – like broken teeth.

The parties were good.  It is good to get to know staff and their spouses in a different place than the office.

Last night we had two functions so went to the Cooperative Health Centre’s party and then to the Carrefour Fransaskois concert.  Had a fabulous meal at the health centre’s party and then went over to the Carrefour’s concert.  if for some strange reason you were listening to Radio Canada or French CBC TV that is the party we were at.  Joe Marchildon was recounting traditions from the old French Canadian communities, old songs were sung.  And we gave Yves a good sendoff as he leaves for Victoria. 

Then home- late enough for me- to babysit.  Kieran is spending the night with us since his mom and dad were having a big party at their house last night.  So we made his little bed on the floor in our room and read a story and called it a night.

You may wonder why I am up so early.  Force of habit I guess.  That and a loudly snoring husband.  After I lay there listening to the loud – very loud – snore for about an hour, I decided to actually get up and do something more fun.  So here I am writing.  And running the dishwasher which was totally forgotten last night.

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Filed under Day to Day

December 9, 2005 · 6:34 pm

Party Time

I think we will get all of our parties out of the way this weekend.  No.  I guess I should rephrase that.  We will get all of our staff parties out of the way.  Mine tonight and Leo’s tomorrow.

Tomorrow is also a farewell for Yves over at the Carrefour.  He has been there for a number of years and now he is moving west – Victoria.  He has had a big influence on the developement of music in the francophone school, encouraging the kids to stay and jam together using the schools instruments, etc.

And then I think time begins to accelerate till we hit Christmas Day.  After that – a week off and sleep.

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December 7, 2005 · 9:59 pm

Traditions

At our small group we were talking about some of the Christmas traditions that have changed for us over the years.  Oh, it is good to have seen so many changes and still love the Christmas season. 

We then watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas together.  I haven’t watched that one in a long time.  We do not watch this type of movie over and over as some people do for sentimental reasons.  That is maybe good.  I think I actually remember watching it the first year it was a movie – I was about 16.  It was a fairly radical little movie when it first came out. 

So here are some of my most vivid Christmas memories and traditions:
– hanging our stockings.  We used my grandad’s stump socks – he had an amputation after WWI and the socks were perfect for Santa – and big.
– The paper pop-up manger scene always under the tree at my grandparent’s house
– The year the root beer brewing under my parents bed blew up!
– The year the three of us older kids drove to Minneapolis where my dad was in school.  They have serious snowstorms and we drove through one.  That Christmas Mom and I bought my wedding dress.
– Our first year in the Congo – the year we were going to forgo a tree.  Someone gave us a really bad aluminum one.  It was one of the best we ever have had in terms of the helping set the scene for us.  That year Christmas was illegal in the Congo and we worked – sort of – that day.  Since there was no holiday, the church celebrated most of the night. 
– Homemade ham ( made by scratch – all the way from raising the pig to butchering to curing and smoking )  This is a tradition at our table now – the kids insist.  But I don’t make it myself anymore.
– Tourtiere – I learned how to make this as a treat for Leo
– reading the story from Luke on Christmas Eve before beginning our gift opening.
– lighting the Advent candles and taking time together to read and sing with the kids.

Being together is very important for all of my children at this time of year.  My house has become the gathering spot and I like that.  Christmas Eve is a big night for us.  Christmas Day is quieter since the kids go to their in-laws or to their friends homes.  Boxing day – that seems to be for visiting with friends.

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December 4, 2005 · 10:25 pm

I guess God loves little girls

This morning Randall spoke on the passage from Mark 5 – the story about the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus’ daughter.  He shared his own experience of having a daughter who was sick enough to die. 

 

Last week in the telling of stories as we sat and remembered my father, my brother brought back to my memory my own illnesses as a child, and how Dad worried about me.  I can remember the days of being ill; the nurses coming to our home to give me the dreaded penicillin shots – from which my fear of injections developed – to the nights spent under a makeshift tent in my parents’ bed being steamed for the croup.  I mostly remember my mother in those days – lying beside me as I was so terrified and making those horrible poultices that were applied to my chest.  I didn’t know that they were actually afraid that I was developing TB.  My father must have prayed for me then. 

 

Then a few years later there was another winter full of illness for me.  I succumbed to all the usual childhood illnesses that year and on top of them all, Rheumatic Fever.  Mostly I remember the hospital stay and the long absences from school.  I think my parents must have spent hours in prayer for me again. 

 

I wonder sometimes what God did.  Those years of illness passed.  I grew to be strong and independent, rarely ill, my heart not damaged by the Rheumatic Fever.  It is something I rarely think about, almost taking my good health for granted – almost but not quite.  Nowadays, I wonder what God did.  I think I know and I am awed both by the love of my parents, their persistence in prayer for me and above all by the love of a God who cares even for sick little girls.

 

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Filed under Dealing with stuff

December 3, 2005 · 4:33 pm

Tagging along

Charlie over at anotherthink tagged me for a meme.  Seven questions with seven answers:

Seven things to do before I die:

  1. See my children become self sufficient
  2. Go back to the Congo one more time
  3. Successfully retire from dentistry – practice sold, patients well cared for.
  4. Go on a snorkeling vacation
  5. See the east coast of Canada
  6. Accomplish something artistic – in poetry or painting
  7. Study one more time in a new field

Charlie over at anotherthink tagged me for a meme.  Seven questions with seven answers:

Seven things to do before I die:

  1. See my children become self sufficient
  2. Go back to the Congo one more time
  3. Successfully retire from dentistry – practice sold, patients well cared for.
  4. Go on a snorkeling vacation
  5. See the east coast of Canada
  6. Accomplish something artistic – in poetry or painting
  7. Study one more time in a new field

 Seven things I cannot do:

  1. Get over my fear of heights.
  2. Fly a plane
  3. Crochet
  4. Make pie crust
  5. Do French braids
  6. Take sulfonamides
  7. Ski downhill or on water

 Seven things that attract me to my spouse:

  1. His trustworthiness
  2. The way he treats people with respect
  3. He loves me and I know it
  4. His sense of humor
  5. His competence in his field
  6. His intelligence
  7. The way he supports me in all I do.

 Seven things I say most often:

  1. I don’t know.
  2. Just open up real big and wide.
  3. Hi!
  4. Drive carefully.
  5. And how are you doing?
  6. Open up just a little bit wider. (occupational risk)
  7. Well…

 Seven books I love:

  1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis
  2. The Hobbit by J S Tolkein  
  3. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
  4. Plan B by Anne Lamott
  5. The Bible – New Living Translation, especially the Psalms and the Gospels
  6. A New Kind Of Christian Trilogy by McLaren
  7. Toward Holy Ground by Margaret Guenther

 Seven movies I would watch over and over again:

  1. Love Actually
  2. About Schmidt
  3. Steel Magnolias
  4. A Beautiful Mind
  5. Rainman
  6. Lord of the Rings – all of them
  7. Wit

 Seven people I want to join in too:

  1. Lauralea
  2. Becky
  3. Dixie
  4. Toni
  5. Gavin
  6. Janine
  7. Peg

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Filed under Day to Day

November 30, 2005 · 6:28 am

Frustrating

Laptops are so nice – and frustrating.  Mine has gotten very slow and I am not knowledgeable enough to have the reason figured out.  So here I am posting from the desktop at home.  It is so nice and fast and free since Leo is away. 

But now I am off to Gatecrashers so my post that I have ready on my laptop will just have to wait.

You might want to check out Gavin’s new site.  Yeah, another blogger!

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November 27, 2005 · 7:24 am

We will return to "normal"

Not much blogging has been going on here.  I think things will get back to normal but I have been too exhausted to blog.  I’m usually a very early riser but have found myself sleeping in and still waking up tired.

 

This week has been full – from preparing for Dad’s funeral at the beginning of the week to attending the funeral of Rev. Cliff Campbell, my sister’s father-in-law in Saturday.  It hasn’t been so much the sadness, since both served God and now have gone to spend eternity with him, but it has been, just the same, a highly emotionally draining week. 

 

Then Friday was a long day in the operating room.  Our anesthetist, who is really a nice guy and who I hate to complain about since he is very careful and very kind, is sooooo… slow.  So a good part of the day was spent waiting for him to induce a patient or wake them up.  That took over an hour for each case.  We didn’t get out of there and back to the office till 2:30.  An hour late for seeing the afternoon patients.  No lunch hour.  My partner saw four of my patients for me – thank you Roger!  Everyone had ordered food from Boston Pizza for noon.  We came back to cold strombolis and still had a few patients to see.

 

Then home to get ready for the drive to Alberta for the funeral. 

 

The drive is pretty in the daylight.  Friday night was dark and moonless.  Fog hung heavily over the hills, coating everything with hoarfrost.  It also made seeing any deer on the roadside almost impossible.  It was good to get as far as Loydminster safely.

 

Meanwhile back at the church we had prayer week.  The preparation wasn’t too much work since we used resources from the past two years which Randall had saved but there were two extra take downs for the funerals at the church and two extra set ups.  Final take down will be on Sunday which is also the first Sunday in Advent and our family advent program in the afternoon.  Grey Cup parties in the evening.  Not sure we could have packed more things into this week.  I love the prayer week leading up to Advent, the freedom to just go and sit there in the presence of God and the way the stations direct my thoughts and prayers.  I only wish I could have had more time free from all the other stuff that I had to do.  That is life I guess.  And God is there in the midst of all this stuff, the unavoidable busyness of this week.

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