First day of Spring??

First day of spring at the Johnson farm
(The flagpole behind the '28 JD is not touching the power line!)

Officially, according to the calendar, it's spring!  But looking out the window, it still looks like winter.  In fact, the forecast for Ambrose, ND had a windchill advisory until 10:00 a.m. for temperatures minus 25 to 30 degrees C!  Does that sound like spring to you?

 Tuesday was my last day at quilting this year as I will miss the last session next week.  It's always a fun day of visiting as we stitch.  The potlucks at noon are great!  Yesterday we had ham, scalloped potatoes, fruit salad and a peach dessert.  At two we gathered in the kitchen again, not to eat, but to do our monthly Bible study, "Gathered by God". This time we were feeding our souls.

Our Education committee is busy with plans for our second "Ladies Luncheon" which will be on Saturday, April 13.  Last year we made a change from our traditional "Ladies Night Out" to a noon luncheon.  It seemed to work out well, especially for seniors who are more comfortable driving out to Torquay in the daylight rather than at night.  We kept the same menu - chicken wings, salads and dessert.  Our guest speaker this year is Chantal Kilback from Weyburn.  Her roots are in Torquay as her grandparents, Ray and Verna Daae, are longtime members of Trinity.  Her parents, Patricia and Jeff Kilback, were married at Trinity.  We look forward to hearing about Chantal's experiences in Africa where she did volunteer work at an orphanage.  Tickets are $15. Call Vickie at 923-2123 or Carolyn at 923-4531 to reserve yours.  We will have our quilts displayed on the pews and are willing to sell some of them.  That helps us provide funds for mission projects and to buy quilt batting and other supplies.  Each year we give $200 to the July 1 Jamboree at Oungre Regional Park, send $500 to a mission project, provide meals through Souls Harbour in Regina, pack layettes for Lutheran World Relief, provide quilts for LWR, St. Joesph's Hospital, and several care homes in Estevan.

It's now Thursday morning and I have a hair appointment this afternoon in Estevan.  After the stormy conditions in Regina area and west last night, I'm hoping that doesn't move this way today.  Laurel and Greg are now blocked in, not in their yard but the roads are impassable to Milestone!  The school bus brought the boys home yesterday afternoon, but the driver said he wouldn't be out this morning.  They are having a "snow day" to start off the spring season.  Hockey is winding down but it will be awhile before ball or soccer season can begin.

I baked flatbread yesterday and mixed a batch of ginger cookies to leave with Greg and the boys.  I'm taking a bag of flatbread mix along to Norway.  All I need to do is add two cups of buttermilk and we'll be set to bake flatbread on Kristy's grill.  We plan to make lefse too.  Kristy had eaten a new (or is it old?) kind of lefse recently so is going to get that recipe to try as well.

My suitcase is getting a little fuller every day!  The weather will be cool so pants and sweaters are mostly what I'm packing.  Kristy is planning to serve an Easter dinner following the Sunday service.  It will be in the church basement with several families invited to join us.  Then there will be an Easter egg hunt for the children.  Howard and I were in Norway for Easter three years ago.  We had just returned from our Mediterranean cruise and spent Easter in Lillehammer.  This will be my first Easter in Kristiansund.  It will be very special to be there for Nora's first Easter.  She is growing up so fast.  Here are two recent pictures.

"I'm a big girl with a sippy cup"!

"I wonder how long they'll leave me standing here."

Todd had to put a gate up at the stairway as Nora has figured out how to move backwards on her tummy.  There will be busy days ahead as she gets more mobile!

Kristy told me yesterday that they are assured of a spot for Nora this fall in the barnehage.  We would call it daycare but it is more of a preschool program in Norway.  Staff members take three years of teacher training.  Children spend a lot of time outdoors and often go on tours of interest in the city.  Best of all, Nora will learn Norwegian as everything will be in Norsk!  Kristy plans to return to her work in September after her year of maternity leave.  She is excited about taking driver training this summer!

I called Jeff at Torquay Port to get a road report as he drives out from Estevan. He said roads are icy past Outram but if I take it slowly I should be okay.  So I better get ready to head out.  Have a good rest of the week.  Spring weather should be on the way!