No Baby Yet!
When I was pregnant with Jill, I was one day shy of 3 weeks overdue. These were non ultrasound days. They let nature take its course! They watched your blood pressure and weight just to make sure that you did not have high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia as they called it then.
Every day after my due date seemed like an eternity. Brothers called all miffed thinking that I had forgot to let them in the "big news". Remember 30 years ago, we did not have answering machines or call screening on our phones. It rang you answered it.
My mother told me that she was 25 days overdue with me. I couldn't cry on her shoulder. It fell on deaf ears.
Now we all wait for Jill and Chris to have their baby. I find that I have to call Jill each day to make sure she is alright. The conversations have gone from cagey to straight forward, anything happening? I wonder if she will ever use her answering machine? I would have.
As each day passes, I anxiously await for mother nature to take it's course. I feel for Jill. I will be there to listen to her because I have been there and done that.
Waiting. Will let you know.
Wendykh
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
No Hybernation This Fall For Me
Summer, what summer?
I know that i am not alone in my feelings that summers are gone before they start and that winter drags on forever.
The leaves are in their deepest golden hues and are trying desperately to fall from their tree branches. In the meantime, i am trying to enjoy them for the beautiful piece of nature that they are. But somehow, I still see the bare branches as a come hither to the snow that is inevitable in this region.
I am not a fall / winter kind of gal. In fact, I quite dislike them. To me fall just means that a dark cold winter looms in the not too distant future. I should have been a bear. At least they are expected to fatten up in the fall before they lay down for a long winter nap.
I won't be napping this fall. In fact for once in my life, I am really looking forward to this fall. In a few weeks Jill and Chris are expecting their first child together. I am so excited that I will have another grandchild to spoil. I have done such a marvelous job of spoiling Alanna. They did not wish to know the gender of the baby so it will be a surprise for all of us whether they have a son or daughter. As I understand it they are in the minority of expecting parents who do not wish to know ahead of time. Good for them, as their really are too few real surprises in our lives.
They have just moved into their new home yesterday. I guess they thought their lives weren't full enough of adventure. As we watched an endless parade of boxes be moved out of their home to their brand new bigger home, it brought back the memories of all the moves, we have been through. I was never brave enough to do one 8 months pregnant! Their home is a beautiful spacious two storey home. It smells like a new home. Men love the new car smell, but I would have to guess that for women there is nothing like the smell of a brand new home. Its the smell of love, hope and memories yet to be made.
As these two events settle out, fall will give me one more event to look forward to. Jackie will be coming home (!) from Tokyo for two weeks. I don't think Calgary has ever been her home. She has been away from Canada for almost two years now. She arrives in early November and I am already counting the days. The last time I hugged Jackie was over a year ago as we hugged goodbye in the Osaka airport.
I know that there is email, skype and even the telephone to stay connected. But there is nothing that can ever fill in for that good old feeling of touch. It will be wonderful to have my children and grandchildren all in one place. I am sure that this will not happen all that often in the future. So for now, I look forward to this with great anticipation. It is better than the feeling of waiting for Christmas and its surprises.
Bill continues to work at retirement and enjoying it. I have been working casual two to three days each week as a clerk in a baby well clinic. All those newborn babes are just warming my cockles to having a brand new grandchild to hold and cuddle.
Its all good.
WendyKH
I know that i am not alone in my feelings that summers are gone before they start and that winter drags on forever.
The leaves are in their deepest golden hues and are trying desperately to fall from their tree branches. In the meantime, i am trying to enjoy them for the beautiful piece of nature that they are. But somehow, I still see the bare branches as a come hither to the snow that is inevitable in this region.
I am not a fall / winter kind of gal. In fact, I quite dislike them. To me fall just means that a dark cold winter looms in the not too distant future. I should have been a bear. At least they are expected to fatten up in the fall before they lay down for a long winter nap.
I won't be napping this fall. In fact for once in my life, I am really looking forward to this fall. In a few weeks Jill and Chris are expecting their first child together. I am so excited that I will have another grandchild to spoil. I have done such a marvelous job of spoiling Alanna. They did not wish to know the gender of the baby so it will be a surprise for all of us whether they have a son or daughter. As I understand it they are in the minority of expecting parents who do not wish to know ahead of time. Good for them, as their really are too few real surprises in our lives.
They have just moved into their new home yesterday. I guess they thought their lives weren't full enough of adventure. As we watched an endless parade of boxes be moved out of their home to their brand new bigger home, it brought back the memories of all the moves, we have been through. I was never brave enough to do one 8 months pregnant! Their home is a beautiful spacious two storey home. It smells like a new home. Men love the new car smell, but I would have to guess that for women there is nothing like the smell of a brand new home. Its the smell of love, hope and memories yet to be made.
As these two events settle out, fall will give me one more event to look forward to. Jackie will be coming home (!) from Tokyo for two weeks. I don't think Calgary has ever been her home. She has been away from Canada for almost two years now. She arrives in early November and I am already counting the days. The last time I hugged Jackie was over a year ago as we hugged goodbye in the Osaka airport.
I know that there is email, skype and even the telephone to stay connected. But there is nothing that can ever fill in for that good old feeling of touch. It will be wonderful to have my children and grandchildren all in one place. I am sure that this will not happen all that often in the future. So for now, I look forward to this with great anticipation. It is better than the feeling of waiting for Christmas and its surprises.
Bill continues to work at retirement and enjoying it. I have been working casual two to three days each week as a clerk in a baby well clinic. All those newborn babes are just warming my cockles to having a brand new grandchild to hold and cuddle.
Its all good.
WendyKH
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Story With A Tragic Ending
It was two weeks ago today. We were invited to an impromptu family gathering and potluck supper. It was a reunion of sorts. My cousin, Jake and his wife Cheryl, had invited us to his acreage outside of Calgary. I had not seen this cousin for several years and it was many many years before that. He had invited two of his siblings, Dave and Vivian. I had not seen these two cousins for more than 3o years.
My dad and their mother were brother and sister. My cousins and their family lived on a farm near Pierceland, Saskatchewan. We lived in Saskatoon. My aunt and uncle had 14 or more children. Our family numbered 9. One can see how coming together for a visit for any amount of time was quite an undertaking. Yet these were the only cousins on my dad's side that we ever visited.
I must admit that farm living was not my cup of tea. At the ages of 6 through 9 we visited the farm several times. It was a place of strange happenings. I saw chickens slaughtered. Chickens can run around without a head. Believe me I had nightmares about that for years to come. I was lifted onto a horse only to fall off of it. There is nothing scarier than lying at the feet of a horse the size of a monster. We had to eat moose meat and fresh milk from a cow. We had to watch out for the bear traps because they had a pesky time with the little beasties. My uncle loved to hunt and had indeed caught a bear or two. My older cousins took advantage of us gullible city mice. I believed everything they told us and usually the joke was on me.
It was these memories that I thought of when we went to see my cousins, their spouses, their children and grandchildren. I have come to the conclusion that big farm families have big families also. It was nice to see them and catch up on their lives, their children, and their grandchildren. We talked and talked. It felt natural to have conversations with them. We decided that we had to get together more often. Personally, I was excited about the genealogy prospects of talking to them.
When it was time for us to leave, I gave Jake, Cheryl and Dave all a huge hug and thanked them for inviting me to a “family get together”.
Little did I know that this would be the last time that I would see Dave. He was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident this past Tuesday.
Life has never felt so fragile. Give your family a hug today. We can not know what the future holds in store for us.
WendyKH
My dad and their mother were brother and sister. My cousins and their family lived on a farm near Pierceland, Saskatchewan. We lived in Saskatoon. My aunt and uncle had 14 or more children. Our family numbered 9. One can see how coming together for a visit for any amount of time was quite an undertaking. Yet these were the only cousins on my dad's side that we ever visited.
I must admit that farm living was not my cup of tea. At the ages of 6 through 9 we visited the farm several times. It was a place of strange happenings. I saw chickens slaughtered. Chickens can run around without a head. Believe me I had nightmares about that for years to come. I was lifted onto a horse only to fall off of it. There is nothing scarier than lying at the feet of a horse the size of a monster. We had to eat moose meat and fresh milk from a cow. We had to watch out for the bear traps because they had a pesky time with the little beasties. My uncle loved to hunt and had indeed caught a bear or two. My older cousins took advantage of us gullible city mice. I believed everything they told us and usually the joke was on me.
It was these memories that I thought of when we went to see my cousins, their spouses, their children and grandchildren. I have come to the conclusion that big farm families have big families also. It was nice to see them and catch up on their lives, their children, and their grandchildren. We talked and talked. It felt natural to have conversations with them. We decided that we had to get together more often. Personally, I was excited about the genealogy prospects of talking to them.
When it was time for us to leave, I gave Jake, Cheryl and Dave all a huge hug and thanked them for inviting me to a “family get together”.
Little did I know that this would be the last time that I would see Dave. He was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident this past Tuesday.
Life has never felt so fragile. Give your family a hug today. We can not know what the future holds in store for us.
WendyKH
Monday, June 30, 2008
Graph Paper to Wall Bed
It has been some time since I last blogged!
I have gone back to work casual at the community health center as a clerk. Of course I worked almost three quarters time for the month of June. I believe it will be much less for the next few weeks.
What a strange feeling I felt leaving for work and having Bill stay at home. Bill does have breakfast with me. I'm sure it is just to make sure that I get off to work. I still don't understand early mornings.
Bill has not been idle. He has spent the last month constructing a "wall bed" or as some know it, a Murphy bed. In our downsized condo we are always looking for more ways to economize on floor space and maximize storage space.
For those who know Bill, all projects start with his handy clipboard, graph paper, slide ruler and of course a tape measure. He leaves nothing to chance. He is at his happiest when he is inventing and planning. He loves the challenge of it can't be done( my thinking). There is no such thing in his thinking. And thus we have an almost completed wall bed unit in our second bedroom. The bed is definitely one of a kind complete with special ramps for the wheels of the bed and bungees to assist in its slow drop to the floor. This mechanism took many hours on the graph paper to think out. It's uniqueness is what makes the whole bed system so "Bill". The bed is enclosed neatly in Ikea cupboards. It is engineered so that all corners are flush with each other and it all comes together perfectly. Bill couldn't build any other way.
Each day as I went off to work, Bill had his projects planned out for the day. I felt pretty good about him being busy because believe me folks, leaving Bill home without plans or a project is dangerous. No good could come of it. Lord knows what I would find when I returned.
I am happy that he is happy doing what he does best. That is inventing, planning and doing.
I am not sure what the next project is , but I can bet that there is some idea rattling around in his head. There always is.
WendyKH
I have gone back to work casual at the community health center as a clerk. Of course I worked almost three quarters time for the month of June. I believe it will be much less for the next few weeks.
What a strange feeling I felt leaving for work and having Bill stay at home. Bill does have breakfast with me. I'm sure it is just to make sure that I get off to work. I still don't understand early mornings.
Bill has not been idle. He has spent the last month constructing a "wall bed" or as some know it, a Murphy bed. In our downsized condo we are always looking for more ways to economize on floor space and maximize storage space.
For those who know Bill, all projects start with his handy clipboard, graph paper, slide ruler and of course a tape measure. He leaves nothing to chance. He is at his happiest when he is inventing and planning. He loves the challenge of it can't be done( my thinking). There is no such thing in his thinking. And thus we have an almost completed wall bed unit in our second bedroom. The bed is definitely one of a kind complete with special ramps for the wheels of the bed and bungees to assist in its slow drop to the floor. This mechanism took many hours on the graph paper to think out. It's uniqueness is what makes the whole bed system so "Bill". The bed is enclosed neatly in Ikea cupboards. It is engineered so that all corners are flush with each other and it all comes together perfectly. Bill couldn't build any other way.
Each day as I went off to work, Bill had his projects planned out for the day. I felt pretty good about him being busy because believe me folks, leaving Bill home without plans or a project is dangerous. No good could come of it. Lord knows what I would find when I returned.
I am happy that he is happy doing what he does best. That is inventing, planning and doing.
I am not sure what the next project is , but I can bet that there is some idea rattling around in his head. There always is.
WendyKH
Sunday, May 25, 2008
No Thanks Folks, I Am From Saskatchewan and I Have A Hood
Umbrellas scare me. I just don't understand them.
First of all I grew up in Saskatchewan. That meant if it rained there was usually accompanying lightning and thunder. It meant you took cover lest you be the next standing target for a lightning strike. It seems to me that rain showers are fast and dirty in Saskatchewan. It goes something like this.
There is the hot sultry day. The white fluffy clouds build to raging black swirling masses of potential. The green wall of water would approach from the west. We would duck and cover. Within an hour it would roam past and we would be left with the most brilliant rainbow in the east sky and the bright sun in the west. Or at least that is how I remembered them when I was younger. Has global warming changed it?
This week, Calgary is experiencing the “Vancouver- type” rain. It is steady and wet and non relenting. It means that one will get wet if they go outside.
The umbrellas are popping up everywhere in our travels. The road race this morning even had bright yellow duckie ones. Cute, but definitely scary.
On our way out this afternoon,Bill grabs his umbrella and offers me one. No thanks I say, I have a hood.
Bill knows that I have a problem with these things. I am the only one that can carry an umbrella on a calm day and have it turn inside out. No wind needed. If not that, I manage to accost at least a dozen people along the way. I also get the one that never closes on command no matter how much I plead. And when I do close it, I have usually cleared a great wide swath around me. At least those English chappies will never get near another Canadian with an umbrella.
While in Japan, there was a whole new dimension to the umbrella saga. Umbrellas are a must in Japan. They are used just as much for sun protection as rain protection. On rainy days, the stores bring out of hiding these wonderful ergonomic plastic bag holders that are set at the entrance way of each building. The only way to explain them is like a condom for wet umbrellas.
The wonderfully talented Japanese folk in all of their efficiency are able to collapse their umbrella, insert them in the bag, and walk into the store without missing a step.
In walks Wendy. Hmm, I had them stacking up like cord wood behind me for one half of a block while I tried to collapse the umbrella. Shall I tell you that I had to take the plastic bag and find a quiet spot to finesse my wet umbrella into it. I guess that defeated the whole purpose of not getting the floor wet. Anyway by the third floor, I had it figured out.
The reverse was just as tricky, but you get the picture.
So umbrellas scare me. In my hands it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. Not just for those around me, but for myself as well.
Now when asked if I want the umbrella; I just say no thanks folks, I am from Saskatchewan and I have a hood.
WendyKH
First of all I grew up in Saskatchewan. That meant if it rained there was usually accompanying lightning and thunder. It meant you took cover lest you be the next standing target for a lightning strike. It seems to me that rain showers are fast and dirty in Saskatchewan. It goes something like this.
There is the hot sultry day. The white fluffy clouds build to raging black swirling masses of potential. The green wall of water would approach from the west. We would duck and cover. Within an hour it would roam past and we would be left with the most brilliant rainbow in the east sky and the bright sun in the west. Or at least that is how I remembered them when I was younger. Has global warming changed it?
This week, Calgary is experiencing the “Vancouver- type” rain. It is steady and wet and non relenting. It means that one will get wet if they go outside.
The umbrellas are popping up everywhere in our travels. The road race this morning even had bright yellow duckie ones. Cute, but definitely scary.
On our way out this afternoon,Bill grabs his umbrella and offers me one. No thanks I say, I have a hood.
Bill knows that I have a problem with these things. I am the only one that can carry an umbrella on a calm day and have it turn inside out. No wind needed. If not that, I manage to accost at least a dozen people along the way. I also get the one that never closes on command no matter how much I plead. And when I do close it, I have usually cleared a great wide swath around me. At least those English chappies will never get near another Canadian with an umbrella.
While in Japan, there was a whole new dimension to the umbrella saga. Umbrellas are a must in Japan. They are used just as much for sun protection as rain protection. On rainy days, the stores bring out of hiding these wonderful ergonomic plastic bag holders that are set at the entrance way of each building. The only way to explain them is like a condom for wet umbrellas.
The wonderfully talented Japanese folk in all of their efficiency are able to collapse their umbrella, insert them in the bag, and walk into the store without missing a step.
In walks Wendy. Hmm, I had them stacking up like cord wood behind me for one half of a block while I tried to collapse the umbrella. Shall I tell you that I had to take the plastic bag and find a quiet spot to finesse my wet umbrella into it. I guess that defeated the whole purpose of not getting the floor wet. Anyway by the third floor, I had it figured out.
The reverse was just as tricky, but you get the picture.
So umbrellas scare me. In my hands it becomes a weapon of mass destruction. Not just for those around me, but for myself as well.
Now when asked if I want the umbrella; I just say no thanks folks, I am from Saskatchewan and I have a hood.
WendyKH
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Happy Mother's Day
“Hey mom - just wanted to report in , in case u hear about a big quake in japan. (I'm fine, japan is fine).”
This is an attention getter. Well at least for me who had not heard about any earthquake in Japan. The 15 hour time difference between Japan and Calgary means that Jackie is awake when we are asleep and vise versa. This means when she woke up the morning after the middle of the night quake experience, I was already asleep. So when I read it this morning she was already back to bed.
I did what any computer person would do and Google Japan and earthquake to get the latest news. The report was as follows;
Strong earthquakes hit Japan
1 day ago
TOKYO (AFP) — "A series of strong earthquakes including one with a magnitude of 6.7 hit the Tokyo area early Thursday, briefly cutting off power to more than 4,000 homes and causing light injuries, officials said.
Japan's meteorological agency warned that more moderate aftershocks could strike, although there were no fears of a tsunami.
The strongest quake hit at 1:45 am (1645 GMT Wednesday) in the Pacific Ocean off Ibaraki prefecture, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Tokyo.
Six people were lightly injured, including an 18-year-old boy who was hit by his falling stereo speaker, according to the disaster management agency.
There were no reports of damage to houses, it said.
Power was cut off to some 4,500 households in Tsukuba City, northeast of Tokyo, but has since been restored, the industry ministry said.
The latest quakes have dealt no damage to nuclear power plants or nuclear processing facilities, it said.
But Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) was doing final checks on nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan, an atomic safety official at the ministry said.
"They are on tight patrol at nuclear power plants" although the plants are continuing operating, the official said, adding government inspectors would give a final confirmation of safety later Thursday.
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked central Japan in July last year, killing 11 people and shutting down the world's largest nuclear power plant owned by TEPCO.
The impact of the latest tremors was strongest in Ibaraki and adjacent Tochigi prefecture where it cracked holes in weak buildings.
"We felt a strong jolt, but there are no reports as of now of any major damage," an Ibaraki police spokesman said.
The strongest earthquake, which struck at a depth of 40 kilometres (25 miles), followed a series of tremors off the Pacific coast early Thursday, including one measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale.
The quakes rattled buildings in the heart of Tokyo, where Chinese President Hu Jintao was staying on a rare visit to Japan.
Japan experiences 20 percent of the world's major earthquakes and has developed an infrastructure meant to withstand violent tremors.
The nation lies at the crossing of four tectonic plates and is constantly bracing for the dreaded "Big One" feared to inflict major damage.
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Tokyo could kill 4,700 people, damage 440,000 buildings and leave thousands of others trapped in elevators, according to a study published by the government in 2006.
The last major tremor in Tokyo was the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 which left 142,807 people dead or unaccounted for. Japan marks the September 1 anniversary each year with nationwide disaster preparation drills."
Well there it is! She lives on not one, but four tectonic plates that are just waiting to deliver the next big one! I won't even get into the whole nuclear plant thing.
Mothers are fierce protectors of their babies. It is innate and there is not much we can do about that, but worry. I would be lying if I said that I did not worry about her living in Tokyo. I must admit that I worried more about big city living and not about Mother nature.
So as I read that Jackie was “freaked out” about this scary ****”, I want to run to her and hold her tight and protect her.
As Mother's Day approaches, I reflect on what it means to be a mother. It means loving and protecting those babies we had so long ago. It does not matter that they are twenty something or I am sure fifty something. It only matters that they are safe, healthy and happy.
I have never been good at confrontation let alone fighting. However if it was to protect my children, I would take on Mother Nature herself. I not sure I could win but I would surely give her one hell of a good fight before falling.
Happy Mother's Day is knowing that your children are safe.
WendyKH
This is an attention getter. Well at least for me who had not heard about any earthquake in Japan. The 15 hour time difference between Japan and Calgary means that Jackie is awake when we are asleep and vise versa. This means when she woke up the morning after the middle of the night quake experience, I was already asleep. So when I read it this morning she was already back to bed.
I did what any computer person would do and Google Japan and earthquake to get the latest news. The report was as follows;
Strong earthquakes hit Japan
1 day ago
TOKYO (AFP) — "A series of strong earthquakes including one with a magnitude of 6.7 hit the Tokyo area early Thursday, briefly cutting off power to more than 4,000 homes and causing light injuries, officials said.
Japan's meteorological agency warned that more moderate aftershocks could strike, although there were no fears of a tsunami.
The strongest quake hit at 1:45 am (1645 GMT Wednesday) in the Pacific Ocean off Ibaraki prefecture, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Tokyo.
Six people were lightly injured, including an 18-year-old boy who was hit by his falling stereo speaker, according to the disaster management agency.
There were no reports of damage to houses, it said.
Power was cut off to some 4,500 households in Tsukuba City, northeast of Tokyo, but has since been restored, the industry ministry said.
The latest quakes have dealt no damage to nuclear power plants or nuclear processing facilities, it said.
But Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) was doing final checks on nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan, an atomic safety official at the ministry said.
"They are on tight patrol at nuclear power plants" although the plants are continuing operating, the official said, adding government inspectors would give a final confirmation of safety later Thursday.
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake rocked central Japan in July last year, killing 11 people and shutting down the world's largest nuclear power plant owned by TEPCO.
The impact of the latest tremors was strongest in Ibaraki and adjacent Tochigi prefecture where it cracked holes in weak buildings.
"We felt a strong jolt, but there are no reports as of now of any major damage," an Ibaraki police spokesman said.
The strongest earthquake, which struck at a depth of 40 kilometres (25 miles), followed a series of tremors off the Pacific coast early Thursday, including one measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale.
The quakes rattled buildings in the heart of Tokyo, where Chinese President Hu Jintao was staying on a rare visit to Japan.
Japan experiences 20 percent of the world's major earthquakes and has developed an infrastructure meant to withstand violent tremors.
The nation lies at the crossing of four tectonic plates and is constantly bracing for the dreaded "Big One" feared to inflict major damage.
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake in Tokyo could kill 4,700 people, damage 440,000 buildings and leave thousands of others trapped in elevators, according to a study published by the government in 2006.
The last major tremor in Tokyo was the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 which left 142,807 people dead or unaccounted for. Japan marks the September 1 anniversary each year with nationwide disaster preparation drills."
Well there it is! She lives on not one, but four tectonic plates that are just waiting to deliver the next big one! I won't even get into the whole nuclear plant thing.
Mothers are fierce protectors of their babies. It is innate and there is not much we can do about that, but worry. I would be lying if I said that I did not worry about her living in Tokyo. I must admit that I worried more about big city living and not about Mother nature.
So as I read that Jackie was “freaked out” about this scary ****”, I want to run to her and hold her tight and protect her.
As Mother's Day approaches, I reflect on what it means to be a mother. It means loving and protecting those babies we had so long ago. It does not matter that they are twenty something or I am sure fifty something. It only matters that they are safe, healthy and happy.
I have never been good at confrontation let alone fighting. However if it was to protect my children, I would take on Mother Nature herself. I not sure I could win but I would surely give her one hell of a good fight before falling.
Happy Mother's Day is knowing that your children are safe.
WendyKH
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Regina, Memories and Geese
“Here we are in Regina.”
It was always the standard toast we made while we lived here. We lived in Regina for thirteen or so years. Bill and I were still almost honeymooners when we moved away from home in Saskatoon so he could take his first engineering job with Sask-Tel. Bill and I bought our first new car and home in this city. We had our daughters in this city. Our kids started school in this city. Memories flow through me like warm sun on a spring day.
Ahhh Regina!
We were touring around the legislature and the lake yesterday, when I was struck by the memory of the time I took the girls to Wascana park to feed the geese. I can visualize it so clearly as if it happened yesterday. The day was a typical windy hot spring time day. The girls had finished school for the afternoon and I thought that this would be the perfect outing for them. They were about 6 and 8. We had our bag of stale bread. We parked away from the water. The geese and their droppings were everywhere. The girls and I picked our way to the water front to feed the geese. It was one of those moments in life when a perceived good thing turns south so rapidly that there was no way to stop it.
The girls clamored to get their bread and break it up for the geese. They would lure them close and then drop it for them. One by one we fed the geese until the bread bag was empty. Who knew that geese are so greedy? The geese approached and the girls showed them the empty bag by dumping it upside down and pouring out the crumbs. The geese scrambled forward en mass to get the little bits. It was as if these geese knew this meant that there was no more. The girls moved backward and the geese moved in closer. Before we knew it, the girls and I were making a run for the car. Jackie would not let go of the bread bag. Running and honking and hissing behind us were the dozen or so geese that were sure we had more bread for them. Panic was everywhere. The girls screamed in terror as the geese seemed to gain on them. The harder we ran the faster they were. I have never unlocked car doors so fast. The girls jumped in and slammed their doors tight and locked them. The geese pecked at the door. The girls screams turned to tears. Who knew what capacity of vindictiveness these Regina geese had?
I can bet you that the girls still remember this.
As we continue to tour around Regina, the memories come at me with incredible clarity.
I love these memories. They are the wonderful “warm fuzzies” of a less frantic time. It is what I hope I remember when everything else is gone.
As Bill and I wait out the brewing perfect storm of a spring snowstorm in Saskatchewan, I have memories flying at me with love and laughter.
Life is good.
Wendy KH
It was always the standard toast we made while we lived here. We lived in Regina for thirteen or so years. Bill and I were still almost honeymooners when we moved away from home in Saskatoon so he could take his first engineering job with Sask-Tel. Bill and I bought our first new car and home in this city. We had our daughters in this city. Our kids started school in this city. Memories flow through me like warm sun on a spring day.
Ahhh Regina!
We were touring around the legislature and the lake yesterday, when I was struck by the memory of the time I took the girls to Wascana park to feed the geese. I can visualize it so clearly as if it happened yesterday. The day was a typical windy hot spring time day. The girls had finished school for the afternoon and I thought that this would be the perfect outing for them. They were about 6 and 8. We had our bag of stale bread. We parked away from the water. The geese and their droppings were everywhere. The girls and I picked our way to the water front to feed the geese. It was one of those moments in life when a perceived good thing turns south so rapidly that there was no way to stop it.
The girls clamored to get their bread and break it up for the geese. They would lure them close and then drop it for them. One by one we fed the geese until the bread bag was empty. Who knew that geese are so greedy? The geese approached and the girls showed them the empty bag by dumping it upside down and pouring out the crumbs. The geese scrambled forward en mass to get the little bits. It was as if these geese knew this meant that there was no more. The girls moved backward and the geese moved in closer. Before we knew it, the girls and I were making a run for the car. Jackie would not let go of the bread bag. Running and honking and hissing behind us were the dozen or so geese that were sure we had more bread for them. Panic was everywhere. The girls screamed in terror as the geese seemed to gain on them. The harder we ran the faster they were. I have never unlocked car doors so fast. The girls jumped in and slammed their doors tight and locked them. The geese pecked at the door. The girls screams turned to tears. Who knew what capacity of vindictiveness these Regina geese had?
I can bet you that the girls still remember this.
As we continue to tour around Regina, the memories come at me with incredible clarity.
I love these memories. They are the wonderful “warm fuzzies” of a less frantic time. It is what I hope I remember when everything else is gone.
As Bill and I wait out the brewing perfect storm of a spring snowstorm in Saskatchewan, I have memories flying at me with love and laughter.
Life is good.
Wendy KH
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