MOTHERS DAY 2020

Mothers Day will be celebrated differently in this COVID-19 situation.  We will not be getting together in person so I thought I could get our families together on my blog.  Alan's children and my children have never been together so we'll do it this way today.

1.  The oldest in our family is Alan's daughter Nancy Lutz, who lives in Calgary. She was born on March 7, 1968. Here we are three years ago on May 6 when we attended her wedding to Trevor Wyatt. 

Trevor, Nancy, Elaine, Alan

                                 Their blended family, his two on the left, hers on the right
                           Reid 22, Dylan 20, Bram 21, Alex(Holly)18, Kirstin26 (stepdaughter)

.      

Here's a cute up to date one of Nancy and Trevor that was taken for the fitness class they are currently working with.

                                      (Thanks to Facebook!)

2. Next is Laurel Sandra (Johnson) Diekrager, born on December 16, 1968, and married to Greg Diekrager.  Here's a family picture that was taken last year at Dawson's grad.  Their farm is north-east of Milestone, SK., less than two hours away from here.

Eric 17, Laurel, Dawson 19, Greg, Ashley 12

3.  Clare Howard Johnson, born September 22, 1970, and his wife, Jodi Kot Johnson (2 days younger), live in Weyburn, SK, about an hour's drive away.  Their family picture was taken in June 2019 for Abbey's grade 12 graduation.

Abbey18, Jodi and Clare

4. Next is Alan's son, Derek Ward Lutz, born April 11, 1971, and his wife Jackie (who is 5 days younger!)and sons JJ and Ben.  They live in Calgary.

Derek, JJ, Ben, Jackie

Ben 14, Jackie, JJ 15
a more recent picture

Kirk Leonard is the middle of the Johnson brothers and is married to Shauna (Fornwald).  They live in Lampman, SK which is about an hour's drive NE of the Johnson farm.  Here's their family picture from Carter's grad in May 2019.

Kirk, Shauna, Carter 18, Jamie 12 and Lindsay16

Our youngest, Todd Erick Johnson, is married to Kristy Ledene from Brooks, Alberta.  They live in Førde, Norway with their two daughters, Nora 7 and Elly Clara 3.

Todd, Kristy, Nora 7, and Elly Clara 3

So now you have met our combined family in the only way we can be together this Mother's Day and possibly Father's Day too!  The ages of the children are of today, not when the pictures were taken.

We are so thankful for each of our four sons and their spouses and our two daughters and their spouses.  The thirteen grandchildren whom they blessed us with, give us much joy!  We are so proud of each one.  They are growing up too quickly, but we look forward to watching them develop from youngsters into fine young adults.  Maybe they'll even make us great grandparents someday!

Here's the last picture that was taken of the nine Johnson grandchildren in December of 2018.  We don't have a current picture of all the Lutz grandkids.

Back row: Dawson Diekrager, Abbey J., Carter J, Eric D., Lindsay J, Nora  J.
Front row: Jamie J. Ashley D, Nora J.

On this Mother's Day weekend, we also think of our mothers who left us with so many precious memories - Lola Toombs Lutz and Hulda Haaland Erickson.  Little did they know when we gathered at the Lutz farm for our Confirmation Day supper in June of 1958 that Alan and Elaine would become husband and wife 57 years later!  God works in mysterious ways and we are so happy and thankful that He brought us back together when we were both alone and many years after being high school sweethearts. "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow."

IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY'S COMING!

 

Yes, today is April 10 and Good Friday in this year of 2020.  It is a time that all of us will remember when we spent numerous days SAFE AT HOME.  People all over the world will not be gathering for Good Friday services today or Easter Sunday services on April 12.  But that won't stop us from celebrating Easter.  We are thankful for empty churches that are spreading the Good News through the internet to scattered congregations. 

Alan and I are spending another quiet day at home.  We aren't minding it as most of our days are much like this.  We have gotten groceries twice in the last month, thanks to parking lot deliveries by Weyburn and Estevan Co-op stores.  Clare brought the first delivery out from Weyburn.  I phoned in the order and it was brought out to the parking lot and put right in Clare's pickup.  Last Monday morning I emailed a grocery order to the Estevan Co-op. We drove to the city in the afternoon and staff members brought our order right out to our pickup, such a great service for us seniors!  We were most excited to have grapefruit again, along with frozen fruit to put on our morning porridge. We are appreciating many things that we have taken for granted.

My cousin Arlene Erickson had her 82nd birthday on April 5.  On Tuesday I baked a batch of soft ginger cookies that she likes.  I packed a box for her and mailed them to her at a senior's home in Lethbridge, Alberta.  I was sorry that I hadn't gotten them in the mail earlier so she would have them for her birthday on Sunday.  But I was amazed when I talked to her on Thursday and the parcel had arrived in two days while the cookies were still fresh!!  Kudos to Canada Post!

I am so thankful that on February 26, we were able to celebrate Lindsay's 16th birthday with her, Shauna and Carter at Eddie Webster's in Estevan.  We met them for lunch at noon and also celebrated her passing her driver's test that morning with no points off!  Congratulations to the newest driver in our family!

On March 9 we drove to Milestone to celebrate two more birthdays.  Ashley was 12 on March 2 and Eric was 17 on March 8. We made it on an overnight visit and little did we know that it would be our last visit until this COVID disease is under control. 

Eric played hockey at home in Milestone this past winter.  Here are a hockey picture and a Norsk flag project from school shop work.

Our quilting group has met every Tuesday since the beginning of January and had plans to go until the end of March.  But that was changed so the quilts are still on the pews and our "workroom", Trinity Auditorium was left "as is" with our last workday on March 17.  Here's a picture of all the crocheted and knitted baby afghans that were donated to our group by Flora. She has given us over a hundred of these. Her daughter and granddaughter came with her to deliver them. Most of them will go to the Ronald MacDonald House in Saskatoon.

Kirk celebrated his 48th birthday on March 23.  He and Shauna had their 20th anniversary on April 8 with pictures of then and now!

Happy 48th Birthday, Kirk

 

I had a message from Shauna today with a picture of Jamie's latest project, a special Easter bunny cake, her first attempt at decorating.  Great job, Jamie! 

We had two visitors this afternoon who didn't know about the Stay at Home restrictions!  Here's a picture.  They have been around the yard several times so maybe they think this is home!

The boys who played hockey had their seasons shortened this year too.  Last week Dawson got an award from the team in Assiniboia that he played with.  Here's a picture of his team and awards.

Congratulations, Dawson - Rookie of the Year!  

In closing, I want to add some comments from a blogger in Norway, Daytona from "Outside Oslo".  She has written two cookbooks but today in this season of quarantine, she baked banana bread for her family "from a boxed mix". She says"I'm not holding myself to any standard of perfection, I'm simply trying to do my best and to try to make this season of quarantine full of warmth and of love."  Those are good goals for all of us.  Norwegians have a special word that doesn't really translate to English - hygge. Cozy is as close as we can get it in English but you can't buy hygge. It's a lifestyle, an approach to life.

 May your family be safe, healthy and know that they are loved in these trying times.  The author says "When they look back on this time in their lives, I want their memories to be laced with love."

I plan to do an Easter blog also and will update with family pictures.  Easter season begins on Sunday so then I can put up our Easter decorations.  I had removed all the pictures from the wall behind our kitchen table for Lent.  But then I decided to put up some inspirational plaques for these days of Lent.

I will update on the rest of our family on the next blog.

With love to all my readers,  Elaine and Alan

MARCH

Yes, it's March and already more than half over!  Time for an update.

 Alan and I enjoyed the birthday lunch with Lindsay at Eddie Webster's back on Feb. 26.  She turned 16, had her driver's test that morning and aced that with no points off!  Congratulations!

There were two birthdays in the Diekrager family the first week in March, Ashely turned twelve on March 2 and Eric was 17 on March 8.  Alan and I went up to Milestone on the 9th for a joint celebration and a sleepover.

 We stopped in Weyburn on the way home and bought groceries. We are thirty-five miles from Estevan so we shop whenever we are close to a grocery store, sometimes even in Crosby, ND.  We are used to "stocking up" so we are ready for the restrictions due to the coronavirus.  I always have powdered milk on hand, buy tomato and mushroom soup by the case (mostly to use in casserole dishes). We still have jars of Elberta peaches that I canned in August and potatoes and carrots from the garden.  We don't eat a lot of bread but I have yeast and wheat to grind when needed to bake a batch.  There's meat and frozen fruit and veggies in the freezer so we are in good shape with drinking water from the well.  The farm is a great place to be, especially when social distancing is in and people over 70 are considered more at risk for the virus.

Now it's March 21 and restrictions abound!  We haven't been shopping since March 10, but we are doing fine.  I baked four loaves of whole wheat bread yesterday and we have a big jar of peanut butter that hasn't been opened yet, also a container of honey.
I made a batch of Norwegian Fish Soup and we are enjoying that.  Next, I'll make Hamburger Soup in the Instant Pot and freeze some of it so we have a change of menu!  I also made Potato Cheese soup and put some in the freezer so we are eating well.  

I did make a list of basics that I will be short of soon.  Next week we hope to get a chance to shop.  Weyburn Co-op offers parking lot delivery for out of town customers so we might just do that.  Stores have empty shelves right now but that should improve when the panic subsides and hoarders have their stash!

Today is National Quilting Day.  I have a child's quilt top pinned so I better sew it together today.  Our quilting group has canceled our Tuesday workdays, just had two left as we usually quilt until the end of March.  Now we have something to do when we have to stay home!!  We have made over a hundred quilts this winter.

Life doesn't change so much for the two of us.  We both enjoy reading and even if libraries are closed we borrow ebooks on our iPads from Overdrive.  We enjoy playing games online.  I love Scrabble but don't like the new version they are switching to on Facebook that has too many "bells and whistles".  I just want to play the original game!!

Worship service is canceled on Sunday and we will miss that, and the fellowship that follows.  Pastor Nick will be doing a service online so we will be able to follow that from Faith Lutheran's website I believe.

Kirk will have a birthday on Monday so maybe we can join him on Facetime for a "party". We keep in touch with Todd's in Norway that way.  They are all at home too.  Kristy and the girls are busy baking and cooking so the girls have great Home Ec classes! Nora has online classes in grade two.  The other day they learned the "One potato, two potato" song in her English class.

Well, I am going to heat up some soup so I will publish this blog and might be writing more often during these "stay at home" days.  I have lots of unfinished projects to keep me busy so I won't mind the restrictions and trust that these efforts will keep us well.  God is still in control and "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to God's purpose."  Romans 8:28.  That's one of my favorite Bible verses.

Now we have had supper and then this blog post will be on its way.  I made three pizzas and tapioca pudding so we'll have extras to put in the freezer for another day.

Tomorrow is Sunday, but no service in Torquay so we'll listen on line to Pastor Nick from Estevan.  Then I suggested to Alan that we make it "Family Day" and get in touch with family via phone calls or Facetime.  Alan's sister Joyce called tonight so she got a head start on us!

Bye for now. Stay safe.

VALENTINES DAY 2020

I started this blog shortly after my 68th birthday, now ten years ago!  In 2010 I published 93 blog posts, last year just 13!!  That's been about one a month.  So far I'm a big ZERO for 2020 so it's time to remedy that and put out the first one for this year, albeit in February.  I'll start with a picture taken on my birthday this year. We save our Valentine and Anniversary cards in a special box that Marilyn and Ray gave us on our wedding day.  I decided to decorate the wall behind our kitchen table with those cards. The flowers came from Kirk's and the vase is a pink Royal Lace pitcher that was my Grandma Erickson's.  The Happy Birthday bag came from the Salvation Army when I bought some sheets to use for backing in our quilts at Trinity.

I have wanted to visit Watrous, SK where there is a spa with water that is advertised as "Canada's dead sea".  The mineral content of the water is such that it is easier to float on it than to walk in it. Alan was agreeable to go and booked a two-night stay, Feb.12-13, at Manitou Resort and Mineral Spa with 102 hotel rooms, dining room overlooking Little Manitou Lake, a poolside cafe and a gift shop that includes clothing (winter wear went on sale at 40%off on Feb. 14!)  It was an ideal place to go for a little winter break when the temperature was -24º C on our drive up. We do things differently - going north for a winter break, not south! On a positive note, the sun was shining and the roads were clear.

The spa area has three pools labeled hot, warm and cold.  We were advised to spend only ten minutes in the hot pool, then ten in a cooler one in order to avoid health problems. Seniors like us were in abundance and soaking was more common than swimming or even floating.

We left there on Friday afternoon and went to Regina for a "dinner date" at 7:00 pm with Marilyn and Ray Scheske, who were the attendants and hosts of our wedding five years ago.  We had an anniversary dinner at The Lakeshore where we also had our wedding dinner on February 14, 2015.  It was also a birthday celebration as I turned 78 on February 10, Marilyn on February 16, and Ray turned 80 on February 20.  (Alan has to wait until May 21 for his next birthday!) It was also Valentines Day, so a great day to get together.

Marilyn, Elaine, Alan and Ray on February 14, 2015

It was a great "getaway" but it's always great to be back home after having a relaxing few days away with safe travels.

Now I need to go back and update events since my last blog post!
The end of December saw us in Saskatoon where we attended the Junior Provincial Curling playdowns where granddaughter Abbey Johnson competed with Team Ackerman.  They made it to the final game which came down to a last rock decision as to which team won the right to represent SK at Nationals in Langley, BC. Team Ackerman lost out, but Abbey will have a second chance to represent SK, this time in the U18 provincial playoffs at the Granite Club in Saskatoon on March 25-29.  (We might be there too!)  She will also be in U18 Provincial Mixed Doubles at Humboldt on the Feb. 28th weekend.

Abbey is next to coach Kleiter

We also watched Jamie Johnson curl in Junior High and Lindsay in Senior High events in Estevan.  Jamie won two gold medals, one on a mixed team and one in mixed doubles.  Congratulations!

Jamie with proud Dad, Kirk

On Wednesday, February 26 we are meeting Lindsay and other family members for lunch in honor of her 16th birthday.  She goes for her driver's license road test at 10:30 that morning so we wish her well in that experience!  She has been doing lots of practice driving in cities so I think she'll do just fine.  (I'm just glad it isn't Grandma that's having to do the test!!  I took my test in Climax, SK back in 1958, no parallel parking back then.)  Carter will join us on his lunch break from work at Nelson Motors with John Deere.

Eric is involved in hockey playoffs and provincials.  He scored four goals in one game, even better than in the two games that we watched when he scored a hat trick in each! He'll be 17 on March 8.

Ashley is busy preparing for dance recitals in the spring.  We missed seeing her concerts last spring so we will be sure to make it to some of them this year.  She will be 12 on March 2.

Dawson had his 19th birthday on January 22.  He celebrated at his hockey game in Assiniboia where he wears #19!  Here are a couple pictures.  He has this week off from classes in carpentry at Moose Jaw Tech.

Well, I have caught up a bit on my blog and will leave the rest until next month.  Thanks for your patience!  If you haven't already done so, add your email address at the top of this page in the space provided.  That way you will get a notice when there's a new blog post and won't have to keep checking or give up!

Tuesday is quilting day at Trinity.  Tomorrow is also Shrove Tuesday so I'm making pancakes for lunch, Vickie is supplying whipped cream and berries and Rose has a yummy dessert lined up.  Don't you wish you could join us?

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2019

Dear Family and Friends,

As part of this Christmas season, we want to drop in for a visit via letter to keep in touch with family and friends. We appreciate each greeting from you - mail, email, text, phone call or a personal visit.

The Johnsons got together here at the farm on December 21 and 22. Todd's were missing this year but we look forward to seeing them at our Erickson Family Reunion at Cypress Park July 8-14. Stop by for a visit if you are in the area that week. Text or call 306 421 6490 for more information.

Alan and I have had a good year and have celebrated 58 months of happily married life. We did our annual bus trip to a Blue Jay game,

this time to Denver. We went to Frontier for the 40^th Anniversary of the Rec Centre in January, for the 17^th of May Norsk celebration and for visits in November on our way to Rosebud Dinner Theatre with Bergum cousins, then on to visit family in Calgary and Sparwood, BC.

In March we drove to Sherwood Park to watch Abbey's team represent SK in the U18 National Curling Championships. They made the playoffs so did well. We flew home and left the 2011 Ford Escape for Ardis. Alan sold his Dodge Dart and we now drive a 2017 F150 Midnight blue Ford Pickup.

Kristy, Nora and Elly Clara spent a few weeks in Alberta in July while Todd worked on classes towards a Masters Degree back in Norway. Laurel, Ashley and I visited them in Brooks while Alan visited his daughter Nancy, son Derek and families in Calgary.

We attended High School Grads for grandchildren – Carter Johnson on May 24 in Lampman, Dawson Diekrager on June 14 in Milestone and Abbey Johnson on June 29 in Weyburn. Time flies!

Sandra came and helped us commemorate Mom's 100^th birthday and Howard's 84th on August 11 with a Norsk lunch served after the annual service at Salem Lutheran Church, 2 miles north of here.

We enjoy taking in our grandchildren's events - hockey games, curling, volleyball, drama, dance, ball games, band concerts, birthday parties and now Christmas with 7 out of the 13 here.

This was quite a year for farming in SK. It was very dry during seeding time and then very wet at harvest time. Some crops are still in the fields. Clare got most of his off, but not top quality.

You may have heard about the DEEP project south-east of Torquay, the first geothermal project in Canada. It happens to be on land that Clare owns so it is exciting to follow the progress.

We are thankful for our church family at Trinity, Torquay with Pastors Danny Krauss and newly ordained Nick Laven. They also serve Faith Lutheran Brethern in Estevan. We appreciate the fellowship we have over coffee every Sunday following worship. It helps so much to bind us together.

This Advent season we pondered the miracle of Christ coming as a babe in a manger and also anticipate His second coming as Lord and King. “Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” We wish you and yours the Joy, Love, Peace and Hope that come to us as His gifts.

With love from Elaine and Alan

NOVEMBER DAYS

My last post was a Thanksgiving one and this one could be too as American Thanksgiving was November  28.  I leave my Thanksgiving decorations out until both are over.  Then it is time to start decorating for Christmas.

We enjoyed a road trip earlier this month.  We headed for Frontier on November 5th and enjoyed the senior dinner the next day at the Senior Centre.  Sandra could even join us as Merle turned 70 in July and spouses are eligible too. 

That afternoon we visited Joel and Liz Christensen in their lovely home on the west side of Frontier.  A few years ago, Liz's mother made a starting bid of $500 on this old house at an auction sale near Assiniboia.  When no one else bid, she was the owner of this hundred-year-old 2 1/2 storey house!  Liz and Joel lived on the farm but were ready to retire so she gave them the house and quite a project to work on. The result is a beautifully restored home with countless hours of stripping coats of painted oak woodwork, removing plaster and lath walls, rewiring, plumbing, and countless other tasks.  The fellow who moved the house to Frontier said it was the sturdiest house he had ever moved!

Judy's Corner has been sold and the new owners serve meals with a Chinese smorg on Sundays.  We enjoyed a Chinese meal with Alan and Judy on Thursday evening and I also got in a visit to a new store on Main Street - a coffee, fabric and gift shop.

That reminds me that a coffee shop is in the works for Torquay too in the former Village Pride building.  Crystal Daae is working on that project so I am excited to see that happen.

We drove to Drumheller on Friday and met with Bergum cousins before heading to Rosebud for the dinner theatre and drama production, A Christmas Story.  The drama was well done but we weren't impressed with the story itself, a take on a movie about a young boy set on getting a certain rifle for Christmas.  It was great to visit with Joyce and Adrian, Marlene and Lawrence, Carol and Larry over supper and at the BandB in Drumheller.  We missed you, Joel and Sheila.

The forecast was for freezing rain on Saturday so we were relieved that didn't happen and we just hit a bit of snow as we arrived in Calgary around noon. That evening we enjoyed a comedy show with host Rick Mercer, thanks to Nancy and Trevor.  We appreciated the underground parking at the Centre of the Arts. We could leave our coats in the car and walk to the show.  

On Sunday afternoon we met with Derek and family at JJ's hockey game.  It was a treat to see a non-contact Midget hockey game.  JJ's team won!  Then we visited over supper at A&W and took this picture.

We spent a relaxing Remembrance Day at Nancy and Trevor's and watched the services from Ottawa via TV.  Alan and I had gone with Sandra to the Remembrance Day service at Frontier School.  It was very well done and we especially appreciated the powerpoint presentation.  There were pictures of those who had served their country and were connected to students at the school.  Under each picture was the name of the individual and the name of a student who was a relative of that person.  It must have been so meaningful for the students to see so many people with connections to students at their school.

On November 12 we drove to Sparwood, BC to visit Alan's sister, Glenda and Garry Marcinowski.  We always end up playing games
there.  This time it was "Dirty Board" and a horse race game.  When I told Laurel about this last game she went and found the same game that Greg's parents had!   We'll have to play it over Christmas when the family gets together.  Our thoughts and prayers are with Garry as he battles prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. They are planning to sell their present home and move closer to Calgary where they have family.

We drove to Lethbridge on Thursday and had a visit with cousin Arlene Erickson. She had a hip replacement earlier this year and is doing well with her walker. She has a cosy suite - #613 785 Columbia House in west Lethbridge.

After lunch at Joey's, one of our favourite eating places, we were on the road again heading east.  We stopped for supper at TNT's in Swift Current and made our way to our newest BnB - Orland and Gail Korsberg's on the north end of the city.  Neither of us like to drive after dark now.

We had a good visit and a good night's sleep in a cozy bed with flannel sheets! After breakfast, we were on the home stretch with a lunch stop at Laurel and Greg's and a stop in Weyburn for groceries.  The mailbox in Torquay was full after we had been gone for ten days. Everything was fine at home.  Thanks to Clare for checking on the house when he was at the farm and for feeding Spot, the calico cat that we got from Ashley.

Now it is December so this post is overdue!  The next one will be a Christmas letter.  I have started baking - flatbread and lefse are first on the list!  So I must get this published and get at the batch of lefse that is cooling in the garage. 

THANKSGIVING DAY 2019

I have been away from my blog TOO long, missed September completely so how do I catch up?  I will start with today and work backward!  So here goes.

A friend on Facebook had listed four things for which she is thankful - Faith, Family, Friends, and Farm.  I thought those fit with me too so I will expand a bit on all four of those today.

FAITH 
I am so thankful that our parents saw the importance of raising us in the Christian faith.  Alan and I were both baptized by Pastor Storsteen, went to Sunday School at Bethel Lutheran Church in Frontier and took confirmation classes together under Pastor Pegelow.  We both took piano lessons from Kristine Gilbertson!

Now we are members of Trinity Lutheran Brethren Church in Torquay and so thankful to have this church family in our lives.  Following Sunday services at 9:00 am led by Pastor Danny Krauss or soon to be ordained, Nick Leven, we enjoy the fellowship that takes place around the tables in Trinity Auditorium.  Families take turns bringing goodies for lunch.  On the last Sunday of each month we have a potluck dinner.  We are blessed to be part of this faith family as we gather each Sunday to hear God's word.

FAMILY
After Howard passed away in May of 2012 I spent three years alone on the farm. I wasn't afraid to be here by myself as I knew that I really wasn't "alone" as I had God's promise that "I am with you always" and I felt His presence with me.  But there were lonesome times and I wondered if a second marriage was a possibility for me.  I even checked out "eHarmony.com" but how was I to know which fellow was right for me?  The next day's daily devotion had advice for me "Wait on the Lord". 

 In due time my first boyfriend from high school days, Alan James Lutz was back in touch!  We were both alone and hadn't seen each other for more than 50 years.  Thanks to computers and Facebook we were soon sending emails, then making daily phone calls and finally, he drove six hundred miles from his home at Bon Accord, east of Edmonton, so we could meet in person.  That happened on November 15, 2014, and, as they say, the rest is history.  We were married on February 14, 2015.  Now we celebrate our wedding anniversary on the 14th of each month.  That means that today is our 56th (month) anniversary and it's time to make a Flapper pie, his favorite.  We are both so thankful to be happily married to our first loves!

We are so thankful that our six children, their spouses, and our thirteen grandchildren as well as our sisters and brothers, have accepted the changes that our marriage has brought to their lives too.  It helps that Alan is a great sports fan like most of my kids and grandkids. He played, coached and umped ballgames in his younger years and enjoyed curling too.  (I tell people that our TV only has sports channels on it but I think the problem is really with the remote.  It stays pretty much next to Alan's recliner!)  We also help Clare with farming, mostly moving machinery and vehicles "down east" or "out west" and providing lunches or meals if needed.

 We both like to read and are enjoying the Overdrive app that allows us to borrow library books online on our iPads.  Yes, we each have an iPad as well as a computer and WiFi.  We are content to spend winters in SK and not head south.  We get lots of sunshine through our south-facing living-room windows and can turn the thermostat to whatever temperature feels comfortable.
We have learned to stock up on groceries and other supplies as it's 35 miles to a grocery store in Estevan, SK. 

We sometimes head to Crosby, ND which is just 18 miles from the farm.  I also have PO Box 72, Ambrose, ND 58833.  It works well for online shopping as we are just seven miles from Ambrose and just over four miles from Torquay Port of Entry.  We both grew up shopping "across the line" as Frontier was fourteen miles north of the US border and Havre, Montana was our closest shopping place.

FARM
Alan and I both grew up on farms. The Lutz farm was seven miles west of Frontier and the Erickson farm was five miles south-east of town.  So we are content with farm life and plan to stay here as long as our health allows and as long as one of us can drive! We are down to one vehicle now, a 2017 F150 pickup, as we sold the cars that we each owned.  Our Cedar Log home is so cozy and has room for visitors too, with three spare bedrooms.

We have our health problems - he with type 2 Diabetes and me with chronic kidney disease, but they are under control with doctor supervision, medication and a Weyburn kidney group that I meet with regularly.

We enjoy gardening and had a bountiful crop of carrots, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.  

  

Digging for veggies

 Most of the crops in the Johnson fields were not bountiful this year.  Too much moisture is usually not a problem in this area but this fall was an exception.  Some of the early harvest that was expected is still waiting in fields that are too wet for combines to venture into.  Chickpea crops are not worth threshing due to sprouting in the fields. The oat crop was good!  Swathed crops need drying weather and we've had few days of that, especially now with shorter days, below normal temps and above normal rain and even snow!  It is a trying time for farmers and we need to trust that God will provide for our needs.

There are now five oil wells on the home quarter so we are blessed with extra income from surface rights.

FRIENDS

Visiting with friends and neighbours doesn't happen like it did in days gone by.  Now we are too content to stay home in front of the TV with access to hundreds of channels plus additions such as Netflix.  We enjoy visiting friends and neighbours and want to do more of that - after the World Series is over!!

I enjoy taking part in a music group known as "Homespun Harmonies".  It consists of five accordion players, a banjo player, and a piano player.  We mostly play at Senior Homes in Estevan and area.  Now that winter is around the corner several members will be heading to Arizona so our playing days are limited.  Here we are playing at Creighton Lodge in Estevan.

We enjoy taking an annual bus trip to Blue Jay games.  This year we went to Denver, Colorado with Stagecoach Tours.

Part of a bachelor party on the bus!

At the game!

Alan and I both enjoy keeping in touch with friends and family via Facebook and phone.  You can reach us at our landline 306 923 4427 or on the cell phone at 306 421 6490.  We prefer to talk rather than text but are happy to receive texts too or you can email hejohnson@xplornet.ca  When I call Kirk's landline the kids say "It's either Grandma or a solicitor".  Everybody else calls or texts to their cell phones!  

In closing, the opening words of Psalm 23 come to mind.  "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."  or as a newer version puts it "I have everything I need".   On this Thanksgiving Day, how blessed we are to be able to say " I have everything I need". 

Thanksgiving bouquet from Ardis

SALEM SERVICE AUGUST 11, 2019

Clare Johnson rang the Grimsrud bell to open the morning service.

I wasn't going to do another blog post until the end of the month but that changed after this past weekend when we had the now annual worship service at Salem Lutheran Church just two miles north of our farm.  This little country church was closed in 1963 and members voted to join Trinity Lutheran in Torquay, just eight miles away.

In 1998 a decision was made to preserve this building that was deteriorating with a leaky roof and much damage to the inside. Letters were sent out to former members and friends of Salem asking for support if they were interested in saving this building.  The answer was Yes as people responded with monetary gifts that would cover the cost of necessary repairs.  

An Anniversary Celebration was held in 1999, seventy years after this church was built to replace the original Salem that had been struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1929.  That means that the church is now 90 years old.  I hope to be around to celebrate the 100th anniversary, or that the younger generation will keep the tradition going. Services have been held in some years but we want to get back to a yearly one.  The second Sunday in August seems a good time although in 2018 it happened to be the hottest day of the year!  Next year we'll plan for service on August 9.

Mice damaged the pump organ so now
my accordion accompanies the singing.

This year August 11 was the second Sunday so we planned a service for that day.  The eleventh was Howard Johnson's birthday as well as my mother's -  Hulda Haaland Erickson who was born in 1919, one hundred years ago.  I wanted to do something special in her memory and also Howard's.  When my sister Sandra at Frontier,SK learned that Salem service was on August 11 she said: "I'm coming". 

 We decided to serve lunch after the service in memory of Mom and Howard and the planning began. The lunch menu contained open face buns with egg salad, ham or Norwegian brown cheese (from Jason's Grocery in Crosby), flatbread, Hardanger lefse, krumkake, sandbakkels, a fruit tray, and rømmegrøt.  (Thanks to Vickie for making coffee at Trinity and sending it to Salem in carafes and to Sandra for making the lefse and rømmegrøt and to Sandra and Jodi for serving)

We had over an inch of rain on Saturday and the forecast didn't look like picnic weather so we served lunch indoors.  Thanks to Ron Fonstad and Alan for hauling out two tables from Trinity for serving. Special thanks to Keith Hanson who keeps the grass neatly trimmed and to his helpers last week, Jordan and Landon Marcotte. Also to Janice, Patti, and Gail for cleaning the interior, even vacuuming the rug!

Sandra wore her Norsk bunad, which was appropriate as both Mom and Howard were 100% Norwegian heritage.  (My siblings and I have "tainted blood" as our great-grandmother, Mathilda Munter Stenson, was Swedish! Actually, we are very proud of our Swedish background too.  My brother Alan has done a lot of reading and research about our great-grandfather, Johan Munter, a soldier in the US Civil War.)

When Sandra asked me what I was planning to wear, I told her "my Salem dress".  I had to explain that it was the dress I first wore to son Kirk's wedding to Shauna Fornwald that took place at Salem on April 8, 2000.  I still love that dress so can wear it at least once a year and I also wore it to grandson Carter Johnson's grad in May!

 

Thirty-nine people were at Salem on Sunday morning.  The pioneers who established this congregation would have been pleased to see members from these early families represented - Fonstads, Grimsruds, Johnsons, Tenolds, Vinges, and Ulledalens. 

Melvin Fonstad from Richmond BC came from farthest away. International guests were Kevin and Lorna (Enget) Carlson from Powers Lake, ND.  Other visitors came from Regina, Milestone, Weyburn, Estevan, and Torquay.

In the afternoon our family gathered at the farm for a time of visiting, golfing for the guys in Crosby, and of course eating again -beef on a bun, salads, corn on the cob, homemade ice cream, and Sandra's rhubarb cream pie.  (She has a table at Frontier Farmer's Market every Friday)

Greg is showing that he "won the heavy-weight belt" for
having the long drive on the last hole.

Little did we know that people would be gathering again at Salem on the following Friday, this time at the cemetery.  Jeff Marcotte, the 43-year-old son of Patti (Mossing) and Brian Marcotte had battled brain cancer for four and a half years.  On Tuesday, August 13 his battle was over and he died at their farm home near Outram, surrounded by his loving family -  his wife Stacy (nee Coughlan), fourteen-year-old twin sons Jordan and Landon, and eleven-year-old daughter Alyssa.

A time of memory sharing at the Hall Funeral Services Chapel took place on Thursday evening with an open mike for people to share memories of Jeff.  The celebration of life was held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan with a reception following in the social hall.  Jeff was laid to rest beside his maternal grandparents, Norman and Carol (Fonstad) Mossing.  

It is so sad to lose this young husband, father, and farmer, who was awarded Farm Family of the Year this past spring and had so much to live for. But the Bible verse from Psalm 23:6 on the bulletin cover reminds us that this was not the end of Jeff's life, but a new beginning.  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Blessed be the memories of dear Jeff.  He was just a year older than our Todd.

Pictures and more family information can be found at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan online https://www.hallfuneralservices.ca/memorials/jeffrey-marcotte/3947294/index.php

Click on the above address and a blue box will appear. Click on the blue box and it will take you to Hall Funeral Service

Below is a link to the Farm Family of the Year award for Jeff and Stacy and family.  Again, click below, then on the blue box.

https://www.estevanmercury.ca/news/business-energy/marcotte-family-recognized-for-love-of-farming-and-dedication-to-the-community-1.23771100

Thank you for following my blog.  Please remember the Marcotte,  Mossing and Coughlan families in your prayers as they mourn and adjust to life without their precious Jeff. 

Please let me know about any errors or omissions that I have made.