HARVEST DAYS

Portulaca beside the house

 Before harvest started Alan and I were invited to a birthday party for Cindy Daae, planned by her husband Darwin.  I have worked with Cindy at Torquay Playschool, which is held at the Torquay Community Centre each Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11:00 from October to the end of May.  We are both "retiring" this year.  I have read a story and checked out books for these two to four year olds for five years and she has been in charge of the program for eight years.  Now that her two boys are in school full time, she will be free to do substitute teaching.  I have enjoyed this volunteer time but felt it was time for a change.  In winter weather I don't always feel like heading for Torquay every Thursday morning so it was a good time to  quit when Cindy was making a change too.  I was glad that Connie Mason will keep checking out library books and reading to these little ones - so important to give them a love for books!

The party was a good chance to visit with people I hadn't seen for awhile.  We enjoyed the birthday cakes too - a choice of ice cream cakes or regular cake!  Here's a picture of the "birthday girl".  Darwin didn't tell us which birthday she was celebrating on Aug. 8 but this cake gave it away!

This next picture is of my brother Merv's son-in-law, Dr. Morris Markentin of Saskatoon.  He is one of five Sask. physicians who have been recognized in 2018 by the Sask. Medical Association with awards of excellence from the Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians.  Congratulations Morris! (and to Joan for bringing you into the family on July 29, 1995!)

Dr. Morris Markentin

Dr. Morris Markentin is a Family Physician from Saskatoon.  He is being recognized for his exceptional contribution to the lives and health of vulnerable, marginalized individuals in Saskatoon.

Dr. Markentin currently works a s a Family Physician with the Saskatoon Community Clinic at the Westside Clinic and at the Methadone Assisted Recovery Program for the Saskatchewan Health Authority.  His practice is mostly focused on addictions, HIV and Hepatitis C, in a primary care setting.  Dr. Markentin is also the co-founder of the Sanctum Care Group, a non-profit charity which opened an HIV Hospice and Transitional Care Home in Saskatoon in 2015.  This group will be opening Sanctum 1.5, Canada’s first prenatal home for high-risk women, in October 2018.

Dr. Markentin has participated in the Sanctum Survivor three times.  This is a 36-hour homeless challenge on the streets of Saskatoon which raises awareness for those who are homeless and living with chronic disease, as well as the current supports that are available to them.

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This fall marks a change in Todd and Kristy's household as Kristy goes to work full time, Todd will be at 30% at the folk school (no volleyball this year) as he takes time to work on two classes towards a masters degree in Ministry and Theology.  Nora also has a change as she is now a grade one student!  Elly Clara is the stable one as she continues with Barnehage. We wish you well with this adjustment and are glad that you have found some household help too.

Nora's 1st day in grade one
(Todd has the shoe bag I made for him!)

Harvest continues at the Johnson farm.  We are all glad when the land "out west" is done and that happened the first part of this week.  It's a move of 19 miles from here and in hilly country but such good land makes Clare keep on renting out there. He grew chickpeas this year so I am experimenting with making roasted ones for snacks.

  Now the combines are "over east" on Johnson land so that's a treat to have a much shorter drive. They are combining durum and the sample looks very good. I bring supper out about 5:30.  Tonight will be leftovers as we need to use those up while they are still good.  I just need to come up with dessert for supper tonight.

September 7 is a big day for birthdays in our family.  Nora turned six years and is now in grade one.  She's having her birthday party today at the school so she can invite all her classmates and a few other friends.  Their school encourages inviting either all the girls, all the boys or all the class to birthday parties so no one is left out. A good plan I think. 

 Abbey turned seventeen yesterday and is in grade 12!  She spent her birthday in North Battleford at the curling rink, the first competition of this new curling season. 

Ardis also had a birthday yesterday and spent it as she spends most days - busy tutoring students who need extra help. She lives in a seniors residence in Edmonton where most of the residents are retired.  She is an exception!  Today she was spending seven hours with students!

Dawson has a big change this year.  He has moved to Moose Jaw where he is playing AAA hockey with Moose Jaw Generals.  He lives with a billet family, along with another hockey player, and drives to Vanier Collegiate for school.  They won their first game on Thursday against Swift Current.  It is different for the Diekragers not to have Dawson at home.  Eric is in grade ten and Ashley in grade five.  Eric is happy to be playing football and Ashley is into dance classes.  Eric heads for the combine when he gets home from school.

 Here are pictures of Kirk and Shauna's three on back to school day.
Carter is in grade 12, Lindsay in 9 and Jamie in 6.  Carter runs a combine after school for a farmer just east of Lampman and also worked there in August.

Lindsay, Carter and Jamie back to school

Last week Alan and I attended the memorial service for a former resident of Torquay, Marvin Fonstad. The burial took place last Saturday at Salem Lutheran cemetery.http://leaderpost.remembering.ca/obituary/marvin-fonstad-1067823992
Click on the above link to read his obituary. I was glad that Alan and I had visited Marvin and Lyla last winter in Regina.  He has suffered from lung problems for many years and was on oxygen full time when we saw him.  We had such a good visit and he was reliving hockey days when the boys were young.  Church was cancelled because of bad roads and weather but hockey still went on!  Now one of his grandsons, Cole Fonstad, has been drafted by Montreal Canadians!  He is 18 so will still be playing for Prince Albert this season.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Lyla and family.

Alan's sister, Donna and Cam Lock, got moved to a condo in Saskatoon after living in Gull Lake, SK for over fifty years.  It will be a change for them but so good that they can now be near family as a daughter and husband plus grandchildren are in the city.  We will miss our BnB when we go to visit Alan's children and grandchildren in Calgary.  

It's time for me to get off the computer and do some Saturday chores. It's a nice warm day so I should do some work outside before it's time to get supper ready.  Kirk is helping with harvest today.  Clare was just home for repairs for a breakdown, hope it's up and running again soon.

Thanks for putting up with my irregular blogs!  If you want to get notified when there's a new post, just put your email in the form at the top of the blog post.  Then you won't have to keep checking for a new post.  Enjoy these last days of summer before fall hits in a couple weeks!