MID SEPTEMBER

A border marker beside a field "over east,"
looking into North Dakota

When I was looking up information about these border posts, I found out that Paris, France is just nine miles south of the 49th parallel.  Charles de Gaulle airport is right on the parallel!  That's your geography lesson for today!

Today marks the middle of the month - already!  I was trying to think of why September 15 sticks in my mind and I finally remembered.  Mom had her massive heart attack on this date in 1983.  She had been taking part in a Norwegian program at a care home in Saskatoon when she became ill.  Merv's wife Jan thought she should go right to the hospital but Mom just wanted to get home. Joan, her 13 year old granddaughter, insisted on going along and off they went.  They had stopped at a red light when Mom suddenly slumped over.  Joan quickly reached over from the back seat, took out Grandma's teeth and began giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation.

Meanwhile, driving plans had quickly changed for Jan - the trip to the hospital was no longer a choice, but which way to go.  As she was pondering this decision,  a fellow came to the window of the car and asked if she needed help.  He then told her to follow him, which she did right to the University Hospital.  At the emergency entrance, he offered to park the car while they got Mom admitted as soon as possible.  That was the last they saw of this most helpful stranger.  Was he an "angel unaware"?

Mom had to be revived with "paddles" and it seemed like a miracle that she lived through it all.  But the year that followed was very difficult for her.  She had very little appetite and literally wasted away.  She also suffered from gallstones but could not have surgery because of her damaged heart.  I remember her complaining that unsweetened grapefruit juice was too sweet!  Her taste buds were certainly altered, either as a result of the heart attack or the medications.  She and Dad moved to a nursing home in August of 1984 and she died less than three months later, not long after receiving her first old age pension cheque at the age of 65.  Now that I have lived over six years  longer than she did, I realize how young she was when she left us!  Sandra was just 32 at the time.  The twelve grandchildren ranged in age from 16 to 7 years.  I am thankful that they were all old enough to remember their grandma. I am amazed that each of them have many keepsakes that she managed to make for all twelve grandchildren, especially the twelve cross-stitched stockings that she completed for one Christmas!   She would have celebrated her 94th birthday last month and missed seeing any of her twenty-eight great grandchildren, fourteen boys and fourteen girls.

September 15 was also the birthday of Mom's brother, Uncle Herb Haaland.  He was born in 1916 and sadly died in a car accident near Invermere, BC on July 4, 1968 at the age of 51 years.  His two daughters, Cheryl and Diana, were just teenagers at the time.  Aunt Edith will celebrate her 90th birthday on October 25 in Fort Macleod, Alberta.  When Mom contracted polio in 1952, I spent the summer at their farm and enjoyed playing with one year old Cheryl.

It's now Monday morning, sorry I'm late Kristy!  I went to finish up my post last night but my mouse batteries were low and had to be charged overnight.  That's my excuse anyway!  Now I've made up a dozen ham and cheese buns for the harvesters, along with bags of chocolate chip cookies and bananas and apples.  That should do them until I bring out Swiss steak for supper, along with potatoes and carrots from the garden.

In the meantime, I'm off to Estevan this morning for a dental appointment at 11:30, just to get my teeth cleaned.  I'll also pick up some parts for the grain loader that Clare needs and a few groceries.  Supper will be slow cooking while I'm gone.  The harvest crew moved to the Johnson land "over east" yesterday afternoon.  Kirk was here running a combine, but didn't get to work on his quarter of durum that was running a good 60 bushels to the acre.  Bin space is at a premium this harvest, not a bad problem to have!

Clare has several harvest pictures on his iPhone so I'll add them when he has a chance to forward them to me.  Now I better get supper on the go before I head for Estevan.  Have a great week!