Well, here's the first post from me, Country Smile:
After I came back from being in Yellowknife for the month of July I was pretty much in damage-control mode. Then I also had to get ready for Tanya and Grandson Matteo (2 1/2 years) and David & Jenn, and their 7-month old Tristen on August 19th for about a week.
The weeds had grown profusely when I got back. The 6 acres of pastureland in the back here were overrun with weeds too, and it cost me entirely too much to “mow” it. I have a really bad problem with wormwood here (a terrible weed), since I didn’t deal with it last year and couldn’t get anybody to spray it this spring.
Mice had somehow managed to get inside the house, and I had to set up a “trap-line” to deal with them. Got at least two in there daily for about a week, until I got them under control.
I had left the grass behind the house grow tall this year – I wanted a meadow land. Little did I realize that is a haven for mice, so I’ve had to mow and rake, mow and rake.
David helped immensely once he arrived; he worked hard for 3 days straight trimming the weeds all around the 10-acre fence line with my new Stihl 80R brush-cutter (no ordinary weed trimmer would handle it). There were other things he did but I don’t recall them off-hand. He also designed a brand-new “McNeice” signpost for the top of our lane; and then the three (David, Jenn and Tanya) made coloured fingerprints of the little ones on the front, along with the “McNeice” wording, and grownup fingerprints on the back. There are numerous reflectors on the post as well; you can’t miss us now! David even got an absolute stranger to lend him a hand auger to drill the hole (and made the hole 3-ft deep).
Matteo obviously enjoyed the new experiences he had; picking apples to eat whenever, meeting frogs and cows for the first time; and especially time with Uncle Dave – he absolutely loved his uncle Dave.
Tristen was a little young to know what was happening around him, but he did absolutely learn to stand against the furniture, and I’m convinced he knows “Nana’s voice” – as he smiles when he hears it on the phone now!
The house grew very quiet once they left, but I had much to do so time goes quickly.
I’ve picked wild plums this year and am experiencing what late summer and fall is like in these parts. Grapes grow very well here, my neighbour Roy Friesen (he's 93 and still farming!) had a bumper crop of green grapes, and my Aunt Alfrieda has purple grapes. Wild turkey hunting season is open now, too – but I’m waiting for Lorne to get here before I try it. He’s coming October 5 to 21st.
We had a Kroeker family lunch a couple sundays ago. Some of the family have been doing it for years. It was great to see so many distant family members of Klaas Kroeker; merchant, postmaster, and Great Grandfather on our maternal side. There has been a lot of genealogy work already completed by Lynne Ward and Conrad Stoesz on the Kroeker family. I'm looking forward to more connections.
The weeds had grown profusely when I got back. The 6 acres of pastureland in the back here were overrun with weeds too, and it cost me entirely too much to “mow” it. I have a really bad problem with wormwood here (a terrible weed), since I didn’t deal with it last year and couldn’t get anybody to spray it this spring.
Mice had somehow managed to get inside the house, and I had to set up a “trap-line” to deal with them. Got at least two in there daily for about a week, until I got them under control.
I had left the grass behind the house grow tall this year – I wanted a meadow land. Little did I realize that is a haven for mice, so I’ve had to mow and rake, mow and rake.
David helped immensely once he arrived; he worked hard for 3 days straight trimming the weeds all around the 10-acre fence line with my new Stihl 80R brush-cutter (no ordinary weed trimmer would handle it). There were other things he did but I don’t recall them off-hand. He also designed a brand-new “McNeice” signpost for the top of our lane; and then the three (David, Jenn and Tanya) made coloured fingerprints of the little ones on the front, along with the “McNeice” wording, and grownup fingerprints on the back. There are numerous reflectors on the post as well; you can’t miss us now! David even got an absolute stranger to lend him a hand auger to drill the hole (and made the hole 3-ft deep).
Matteo obviously enjoyed the new experiences he had; picking apples to eat whenever, meeting frogs and cows for the first time; and especially time with Uncle Dave – he absolutely loved his uncle Dave.
Tristen was a little young to know what was happening around him, but he did absolutely learn to stand against the furniture, and I’m convinced he knows “Nana’s voice” – as he smiles when he hears it on the phone now!
The house grew very quiet once they left, but I had much to do so time goes quickly.
I’ve picked wild plums this year and am experiencing what late summer and fall is like in these parts. Grapes grow very well here, my neighbour Roy Friesen (he's 93 and still farming!) had a bumper crop of green grapes, and my Aunt Alfrieda has purple grapes. Wild turkey hunting season is open now, too – but I’m waiting for Lorne to get here before I try it. He’s coming October 5 to 21st.
We had a Kroeker family lunch a couple sundays ago. Some of the family have been doing it for years. It was great to see so many distant family members of Klaas Kroeker; merchant, postmaster, and Great Grandfather on our maternal side. There has been a lot of genealogy work already completed by Lynne Ward and Conrad Stoesz on the Kroeker family. I'm looking forward to more connections.
I’ve been updating my website, preparing to bid online with a company called Elance, applying for jobs, I'm on the Executive of the Morden & District Chamber of Commerce. I'm hoping to be very active with Small Business Week, and writing articles. I am doing my absolute best to gain meaningful employment before Lorne comes and leaves. There is too much to write about that to include it here.
Thank-you for your continued prayers for career success for me; I have grown a lot in the last year, and feel the prayers for God-inspired career development in my growth path (writing is my heart’s desire). Those prayers fill me with hope and I'm feeling are on the brink of being answered. How or when I don’t know; I spend so much time looking for work I barely have time to write! Anyway, I am becoming more focused, and much less anxious, so thank-you.
That's probably enough for this blog; here's a pic for you from this summer.
