APRIL 19

Three generations - Grandma Bertha, Elaine, Hulda
taken with polaroid camera in 1967

This date always makes me think of my Grandma Haaland who passed away on April 19, 1969.  Mom and Dad were busy planning their first and only trip to Norway.  Mom had so looked forward to sharing memories of this trip with her mother but that was not to be. 

 Grandma left her homeland in 1911 along with her three eldest children - Morris, John and Camilla.  They were accompanied by Grandma's sister, Inga Branden who was returning to America after a visit to family at Bømlo.  Grandpa had gone ahead and found work where his brother-in-law, Inga's husband, had settled in Fingal, ND.

Grandma and Grandpa got back to Norway just once, in the fifties. They took the train to New York and sailed from there. By then their parents and other family members were no longer living.  Quite a contrast with today when Todd, Kristy and now little Nora have made many flights across the ocean.  We can phone them for 3 cents a minute with Sask Tel's bundle or even better, see and talk to them live on Facetime with no extra expense.

Alan and I are planning a trip to Calgary this week-end to visit his family there.  We will stop in Gull Lake on the way out on Thursday and spend a night with his sister, Donna and Cam Lock.
We haven't seen Alan's son Derek and daughter Nancy since we were married so it's time for a visit with them and the four grandkids.  It will be good to get away for a few days before seeding,  gardening and yard work get underway.

On Saturday evening Trinity hosted a Music Night and steak supper with close to 200 people in attendance.  Music started at four with the Daae Family (even two year old Mychal joined in), the Hurren/Hansen Family with Paula and their five youngsters along with Paula's mom Lauretta, (All God's Creatures Have a Place in the Choir brought back fond memories of Sunday School days!) and the Praise Band from Faith Lutheran in Estevan.  The supper menu went over well - barbecued marinated steak from the Co-op (so tender you could cut it with a plastic knife!), baked potatoes, coleslaw, a bean hotdish, homemade buns and cake with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.  There were many donated items as doorprizes.  Alan was the lucky winner of a quilt of his choice from the ones made by our ladies and displayed on the church pews. 

 The rest of the quilts will be packed up this week and sent to LWR in Winnipeg or brought to the hospital and nursing homes in Estevan.  We always save some for emergencies or special gifts.  On Sunday Vi brought in over thirty tops from Betty in Estevan so we are all set for next year's quilting season!

The leaves are coming out on the trees, the grass is turning green and the dust is blowing!  Spring is here, although frost is forecast for the next few nights.  We've seen outfits in the field, some of them disking corn stubble but we've heard of some seeding being done too, mostly west of here.

On Thursday we took a load of "extras" to the garage sale that Faith Lutheran put on in Estevan.  I didn't dare do much buying as we are trying to downsize here, not add more "stuff".  The new rugs are being installed next week so we are looking forward to a new look in the living-room and office.

The next picture shows Shauna with Jamie and Abbey all ready for the Mad Hatter fundraiser at the Lampman Library.

Mad Hatter Day 

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Jodi sent an update on the Weyburn Volleyball Club team's results from Saskatoon this past week-end.  Here's a picture of the Tier 1 Bronze champs who placed 3rd out of 40 teams.  Congratulations to Abbey and your team!

Abbey is #4 in the back row.

Last week a parcel came from Briercrest Bible School for Todd.  When I called to tell him about it, he said it was an All Star bunny hug as he had been named to the team as a setter for a 20 year All Star team of former volleyball players at Briercrest.  He hasn't seen it yet so this will show him what it looks like, front and back.  Congratulations, Todd, for being named to this team.

Front

Back

Alan is busy rototilling the garden area so I better get off the computer and get to work too!  I do have clothes in the washer and dryer so have a good start for Monday. Have a good week.  My post will be late next week, likely Wed. when we are back from our trip to Calgary.