Miscellaneous

High adventure in the Sonoran

Desert. Flying out of Marana

airfield northwest of Tucson.

Before – in anticipation.

After – in gratitude.

Thanks to pilot, Bill, for a

delightful, memorable ride.

Standing at attention with twenty young Canadians on a French hillside one misty day in June, 1985.

It’s a moment I’ll never forget!

As one of two chaperones for an International Travel Award, I had been travelling for two weeks in the company of twenty of the brightest young Canadians you’d ever want to meet.

These 4-H members were the pick of the crop – two from each province in Canada.

En route from Paris to Calais to catch the ferry across the English Channel, the group persuaded the bus driver to detour past Vimy Ridge. Stepping from the bus, we were met by low clouds and drizzling skies. (more…)

Here’s the  Poci Volki. That’s a Pocatello Volkswagon, if you need translation.

This painting/sketch was inspired by a photo of new-to-her wheels on niece, Jill’s blog: http://thenoisyplume.blogspot.com/2009/10/morning-has-broken.html

If you’re generally in the mood for some very creative writing, you’ll find plenty on  Jill’s blog, The Noisy Plume.

She is, as she proudly notes, a young Canadian woman transplanted to America soil, where she lives and toils as a jeweler in Pocatello, Idaho.

(more…)

Looking for challenging ideas, thoughtful suggestions and practical solutions to help your people cope with the demands of the nonstop workplace?

These collections of articles may be just the ticket.

Check out the newly formatted WorkWise, PauseWise, and 2nd Thoughts Series as well as the Bonus 3+1 Collection at:
http://www.pauseworks.com/shop/article_series.php

Years ago, my eldest daughter tugged at my sleeve while I was speaking on the telephone and pleaded, “Mom, sorry to intersturb you, but…”  I don’t remember the nature of the emergency, but I do remember the word – a cross between interrupt and disturb. I don’t believe ‘intersturb’ has yet made its way into the dictionary (my spell-checker tells me it hasn’t); but, I’m sure it belongs there!

On the weekend, as I tried my best to force a reluctant (or should that be recalcitrant) water sprinkler spike to do its thing, I complained to my husband, “The dang thing is plogged.” Apparently, I couldn’t decide if it was clogged or plugged so I opted for the combo!

If you, like me, occasionally find yourself struggling to choose the right word, you’ll definitely be interested in the new e-book authored by my friend and world-class editor, Barbara McNichol.

Barbara specializes in helping people find the perfect words and avoid mistakes in everything they write. She has now made it easy to find the exact right word when it really matters through her ebook, WORD TRIPPERS.

This easy-to-search guide includes more than 300 everyday word pairings that cause confusion (e.g., further vs. farther or except vs. accept) with examples that make selecting the right word fast and easy.

To take a peek (not peak), follow this link to purchase Word Trippers (and receive bonuses that will improve your writing): http://4f1a7enss2yy7u3vtdjiya1p10.hop.clickbank.net/

No sooner had I posted today’s Pause message about indecision on the blog, than I opened the paper to the comics section where I discovered a great cartoon expression of the same conundrum.

Check out the ‘Cornered’ cartoon for September 16/09 at: http://www.gocomics.com/cornered/2009/09/16/

Enjoy!

There are at least a handful of Saskatonians who really know how to celebrate Canada Day in style.

This boatload spent the sunny afternoon cruisin’ the South Saskatchewan River. Traffic is much lighter on the river than the road!

This duo knows there’s nothing more Canadian for holding up your flag than a hockey stick!

Thanks to friend, Barbara McNichol, for the snaps. Barbara (a former Saskie herself) and hubby, Byron, from Tucson shared a beautiful Canada Day with us here in Saskatoon

REFLECTION: It was exactly one hundred years ago, in 1909, that my grandmother’s cousin, Sever Berg, staked a claim to a quarter of land here in Saskatchewan.  Sever later sold NW 17 33  26 W2 to my Norwegian born grandparents, Ole and Ambjorg. They, in turn, sold the home quarter to my parents, Norman and Ruth, who have continued to farm it for well over 50 years.

And so, that is how this very week, my parents have come to be among some 600 Saskatchewan farm families to be honored with the Century Farm designation for stewardship of the same piece of land by members of the same family for one hundred years.

During their time on the farm, Mom and Dad have seen their share of bumper crops and record prices. They’ve also survived blizzards, floods, droughts, grasshoppers, midge, and hail storms that destroy a season’s promise in five minutes flat. But, through it all, they have persevered and prospered. They’ve raised a family, contributed to their community, and helped to feed the world. And even now, they continue to care about the land and its future. (more…)

Same rose, 10 days later. See earlier posting, Sublime Distraction.

Not the fresh, dewy, picture of youth; but a beauty of another kind – aged and lined to perfection.

You gotta love the circle of life!