POST NUMBER 500!

Abbey and five cousins enjoying her "birthday tea".

 When I started this post on Monday morning, I used the title, LABOR DAY.  But as I got working I realized that this post is my 500th!  So I changed the title to mark this milestone.  I know there are some of you who have read every one! I appreciate all my readers and like to hear from you.  I don't know who you readers are unless you comment, send an email (hejohnson@xplornet.ca), a text to 306 421 6490 or let me know in person.  My computer keeps track of some statistics so I will share a few from these 500 posts.

Total pageviews   79,982
Posts most viewed  1) April Fools Day, Apr.9, 2010    821  (?)
                                2) 4th of July, July 4, 2013            188                                                                                                                                 3)All About Nora  Apr. 9, 2013   101


Audience                Pageviews
Canada                   68,062
United States           6,937
Norway                    3,830
Others                        762 (Russia, Slovenia, Sweden,   China,France, Dominican Republic and Poland)

40% of viewers use a Macintosh
33% use Windows
17 % use an iPad and 10 % use others.

Well, I think that's enough stats so you won't see those again until post #600!

The long weekend was a busy one at the Johnson farm.  Harvest was in full swing on Friday with a crew of six in the field.  Jodi and I were on supper duty.  She brought out KFC from Weyburn and I made dessert, Shauna's recipe for Rhubarb Cake.

On Saturday we sent out lunches for the crew and were planning our supper of hamburgers, Shauna's bean dish, Caesar salad and apple pie for dessert (thanks to Jodi's friend Velma).  But an afternoon rain put an end to harvest and we all enjoyed an early birthday party for the new teenager in our family - Abbey.  We had  cake and ice cream in the afternoon followed by the hamburger supper later on. (We froze the pies to serve to the harvesters at a later date!) 

When the granddaughters visit, they like to have a tea party with my china cups.  Each cup has a story.  One belonged to my great aunt Inga who lived in Chula Vista, California.  The middle one was given to Mom on her 40th birthday from Bethel Ladies Aid.  Dad bought the third one at the local Co-op store for my 21st birthday.

Aunt Inga's, Mom's 40th, my 21st

I used to keep my collection of cups on the top shelf in my china cabinet.  But they get used so much, I am going to move them to the bottom shelf.  The cabinet needs a cleaning so I will do one shelf at a time and the cups will have a new place with no need to climb up on a chair to get at them.  None broken so far!

The oil well south of Salem has now been completed and the pump jack is busy pumping oil into these two large tanks. 

It is now Tuesday morning, back to school in SK.  Five Johnsons are heading back - Jodi is a grade nine teacher, Abbey is in grade 8, Carter in grade 8, Lindsay in grade 5 and Jamie in grade 2.  All three Diekragers are in school full time this year with Dawson in grade 8, Eric in grade 6 and Ashley in grade 1. I spent time with all these grandchildren this summer and we made many precious memories, especially at the Erickson reunion and then our trip to Drumheller with Todd, Kristy and Nora.  Six of the grandkids were here this past weekend.  I am blessed to have most of them close by.  I look forward to Facetime visits with Nora and another trip to Norway in the future.

Looking back over these past four and a half years of blogging, there have been many special events.  In April of 2010 Howard and I made our last trip to Norway and also enjoyed a cruise with Todd and Kristy on the Mediterranean.  In May of 2011, Howard moved to St. Joseph's Special Care Home in Estevan.  Our Erickson reunion was in July at Cypress Park.  On May 17, 2012 Howard left us for his heavenly home.  Less than four months later, Nora Josephine Johnson joined our family. In July of that year Sandra and I enjoyed a trip to Norway with visits to Todd and Kristy at Kristiansund as well as to Bømlo and Tysnes where our Haaland grandparents lived and where we have many second cousins. We also spent time in Oslo and Skien with members of the Eika family. Todd, Kristy and Nora spent Nora's first Christmas in Canada. Laurel and I enjoyed an Easter trip to Norway in 2013, spent at Kristiansund with Todd, Kristy and baby Nora.  Todd, Kristy  and Nora joined us for the 2014 Erickson Family reunion at Cypress.  The older grandkids and I spent three days at Drumheller with Todd's and took in the Passion Play, Dinosaur Museum and other attractions.  I had successful surgery in Regina and am now recovering at home.

I will close with a verse from yesterday's Our Daily Bread devotion, Psalm 13:6 "I will sing the Lord's praise, for He has been good to me".  I don't know what lies ahead for me, but I know who holds the future and I leave it in His hands.  I will keep on blogging and I hope you keep on reading!