Are you still there?

Wow – just about a month since my last post. Sorry about that! No excuse really, just haven’t had to procrastinate much, I guess. Not that I’m getting other things done, but I’m not much good without a deadline of some sort…

But I digress. What’s new? Well, it’s cold. But that would only be new if I had told you that it was really mild here for about a week. Balmy, in fact. Above freezing, even. It was a nice break. But we’re back in the deep-freeze again. It was -29 this morning with a stiff breeze. A bit nippy. But the sun is shining, and it feels great in the house.

Hockey is rolling right along. The Atoms are still beating everyone they meet. Derek got a goal and a couple of assists last weekend. The Midgets are in first place in their league, a comfortable six points ahead of the 2nd place team. They start provincial play-offs next weekend when they go to Maidstone. It will be interesting to meet up with a team from a different league.

Stephen bought a truck. Actually, Clem bought a truck that Stephen will attempt to work off before he gets his license in September. It’s a 2002 black Dodge crew cab, because he hauls a lot of stuff and can only have one passenger for about a year. It gets about 3 miles to the gallon or something crazy like that. And there are a few electrical problems (ie the lights go on when you turn the heater fan on).  But it looks really nice and has a command start, which are really the most important things to look for in a truck. Oh yeah, and he hasn’t quit grinning since his dad brought it home on Tuesday.  But maybe that’s because Adam is sucking up to him big time so he can drive it.   Or because Derek is doing all his chores just so he can have a ride to school in it.   Whatever, I have learned not to get involved in sibling deals.   It’s always a lose/lose kind of thing. 

Clem has been playing around with some new software for handling photos and videos.  Which means I’ve been a little weepy because he keeps using video clips of the kids when they were little, and I really miss those little guys sometimes.  What I wouldn’t give for one of Stephen’s hugs, where he just melted into you.  (I almost got one when he got his truck, but he caught himself just in the nick of time.)  Or to hear Adam read a story with his little speech impediment. (Dewek weally liked it when Adam wead to him, too.)  Or to watch the “wheel inspector”, Derek, lay on the floor and play with his trucks and tractors.  Oh, the good ole days.  

I’ve decided not to go to Argentina.  I have always wanted to go, since there are some Argentinian Huck’s there to look up for the family tree, and since my sister, Lisa, is in Chile, and we thought we would travel together.  However, another opportunity came up, and I am going to Tanzania, Africa!  It is a “mission encounter”, which is to say that there is a group of nine going from our diocese to a very small parish in Ussongo, Tanzania, which runs a boarding school and a health clinic, to meet the people and see how they live.  It sounds very interesting, and I am getting quite excited.  I think it will be quite the experience.  We leave in April and will be there for two weeks.  Anita Turnbull is coming, too.  I don’t think I will be able to blog from there, but who knows!  They do have electricity and running water – I checked!

Thanks for stopping by!

Chandra