I have noticed that a few bloggers are talking about spring. Some places it's warming up and green grass is making an appearance. Others report moderating temperatures. And some bloggers are extremely tired of winter and just plain fed up. You can pick your category.
We have had a long and brutal winter. Our winter started in early November with heavy snow. (60 cm). December brought more snow 50 cm (36 in) and cold temperatures. We had a beak in January and had a thaw and long mild spell. February has just been one long cold spell with no break in sight. Yes sir, not even a hint of spring here.
Today we had a daytime temperature of minus 20 C (-7 F)with a northeast wind of 20 kmh. This evening it is minus 26 C ( -15 F) with a wind chill of minus 37C (-23 F) . Our low tonight will be minus 38 C (-24 F) with a windchill of minus 52 C (- 33 F). High tomorrow will be minus 25.
The record low for this date is minus 35 C (- 23 F) set in 1962 and the record high was plus 14 C (+9 F) set in 1986.
On the positive side the sun rises at 7:23 AM tomorrow and sets at 6:13 PM. We get 10 hours and 50 minutes of sun tomorrow.
So winter still has a strong icy grasp on us right now. The seven day forecast doesn't show much relief.
So we just have to sit tight knowing that spring will definitely come and be most welcome.
On the other hand there is something worse than the weather. I spent 6 hours in the mall shopping with my micro manager and that wasn't fun! Also one of my brothers is sitting in Phoenix and laughing his head off!!
So to the people getting spring enjoy it. I appreciate your photos as it keeps me hopeful about spring.
Does the weather bother you or do you roll with the punches?
Friday, February 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Tales From an Account Book
A few months ago I received a couple of simple account books that my parents used on their small farm. I've found some interesting things about their early life with a young family.
One of the items I found that gave me pause for thought, was an entry for a $100.00 war bond. They had actually bought a War Bond or a Victory Bond! I stopped to think about that for a few minutes. At that time they had very little money. They had to operate a small farm that didn't produce much. They had the responsibility of 4 young children. They had 160 acres of land and rented 160 acres. Not all of the land had been cleared. Where would they ever get a $100.00 to invest in a War Bond? There must have been some dedication and sacrifice to scrape up the money to invest in a bond. I began to see how patriotic they must have been to support the war effort with their small investment.
At the time they invested in the bond they would have had no savings. Little was produced on their farm and prices for their produce was low.
For the rest of their farming days they never had any savings. In fact, to run a farm they were in debt most of the time. Their retirement nest egg came from selling some of their farm. The astounding thing is that they gave most of their land to their sons!
For most of their life they had very little but they were happy with the life they lived. They worried some times and were stressed at other times , but overall they were happy.
So I guess the saying, "You can do a lot with a little" made sense in that case.
One of the items I found that gave me pause for thought, was an entry for a $100.00 war bond. They had actually bought a War Bond or a Victory Bond! I stopped to think about that for a few minutes. At that time they had very little money. They had to operate a small farm that didn't produce much. They had the responsibility of 4 young children. They had 160 acres of land and rented 160 acres. Not all of the land had been cleared. Where would they ever get a $100.00 to invest in a War Bond? There must have been some dedication and sacrifice to scrape up the money to invest in a bond. I began to see how patriotic they must have been to support the war effort with their small investment.
At the time they invested in the bond they would have had no savings. Little was produced on their farm and prices for their produce was low.
For the rest of their farming days they never had any savings. In fact, to run a farm they were in debt most of the time. Their retirement nest egg came from selling some of their farm. The astounding thing is that they gave most of their land to their sons!
For most of their life they had very little but they were happy with the life they lived. They worried some times and were stressed at other times , but overall they were happy.
So I guess the saying, "You can do a lot with a little" made sense in that case.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
A Major Omission in my Teaching Career
In my last post I asked a question about relations. Since I know the people who comment on my blog, I knew I would get all kinds of information and well thought out opinion. You didn't let me down.Thanks!
With all the great replies I got from answering one little question I began to reflect on my teaching career. I have three previous posts where I reflected on my career. In methods classes we were drilled on questioning technique. The answers I got from you made me think that if the students had asked questions it might have been more effective. Students did not ask many questions and they were not really encouraged to ask questions. As a result kids didn't think that much and just slavishly learned the material, got good marks and then promptly forgot everything.
Now students should have been encouraged to ask questions and then be guided to do research and find answers. Today teachers set up lessons that have kids do activities and the result of the activities would teach the student a concept. I admire how teachers teach today.
Now I did have a situation where kids were encouraged to ask questions. I taught health and in the human relationship sections there was the infamous question box where kids could ask an anonymous question. Of course, the question box was some what abused. You can imagine that with gr.8 and 9's they could think of all kinds of questions. They were all answered with a fairly straight face. I think some real learning took place. It made me work harder.
So the next thing I want to know, I will just ask a question at the end of the post. I've got lots of things I would like to know and find out. Are you ready?
With all the great replies I got from answering one little question I began to reflect on my teaching career. I have three previous posts where I reflected on my career. In methods classes we were drilled on questioning technique. The answers I got from you made me think that if the students had asked questions it might have been more effective. Students did not ask many questions and they were not really encouraged to ask questions. As a result kids didn't think that much and just slavishly learned the material, got good marks and then promptly forgot everything.
Now students should have been encouraged to ask questions and then be guided to do research and find answers. Today teachers set up lessons that have kids do activities and the result of the activities would teach the student a concept. I admire how teachers teach today.
Now I did have a situation where kids were encouraged to ask questions. I taught health and in the human relationship sections there was the infamous question box where kids could ask an anonymous question. Of course, the question box was some what abused. You can imagine that with gr.8 and 9's they could think of all kinds of questions. They were all answered with a fairly straight face. I think some real learning took place. It made me work harder.
So the next thing I want to know, I will just ask a question at the end of the post. I've got lots of things I would like to know and find out. Are you ready?
Friday, February 21, 2014
How Far Do We Go Before We're not Related Anymore?
A few days ago I sold a car. When Bill came to pick the car up he came in and we had tea. Bill had been looking at my car for four or five years. He would drop buy every few months and want to know if I was selling yet. I got to know him a bit. It happens that he came from a little village near my home village and that we knew many of the same people. Bill is a generation younger than I am so it was fun piecing together who we actually knew.
When he came in the other night I got out my local history book to check out a few things. Bill played hockey for my village so we found some hockey teams he had played on. I knew some of his neighbors on the farm. I told him that my Dad's cousin's daughter married Walt Ward. Bill said , "They lived right across from our farm." This really interested Bill. Then he told me that Walt's mother was his(Bill's) grandmother's sister! So Bill said., "That makes us relatives!" Have I lost you yet?
I thought the relative definition was quite a stretch , but it got me thinking about the definition of relatives. Do we go as far as DNA traces? DNA shows family traces accurately. Do we spend much time researching family history and make huge family trees? Our family tree was completed about 25 years ago by the same "cousin's daughter" the Walt married. 975 people were discovered. I was surprised to find out who I was related to. Are relatives only the people we know and people other family members know? Are relatives only the people our grandparents know and tell us about?
So I'm really wondering about the definition of relative and how far out in family does it go. I think Bill and I made a big stretch to come up with labeling ourselves relatives.
What do you think? I know some blogs I follow have an intense interest in family history. Is the sky the limit?
When he came in the other night I got out my local history book to check out a few things. Bill played hockey for my village so we found some hockey teams he had played on. I knew some of his neighbors on the farm. I told him that my Dad's cousin's daughter married Walt Ward. Bill said , "They lived right across from our farm." This really interested Bill. Then he told me that Walt's mother was his(Bill's) grandmother's sister! So Bill said., "That makes us relatives!" Have I lost you yet?
I thought the relative definition was quite a stretch , but it got me thinking about the definition of relatives. Do we go as far as DNA traces? DNA shows family traces accurately. Do we spend much time researching family history and make huge family trees? Our family tree was completed about 25 years ago by the same "cousin's daughter" the Walt married. 975 people were discovered. I was surprised to find out who I was related to. Are relatives only the people we know and people other family members know? Are relatives only the people our grandparents know and tell us about?
So I'm really wondering about the definition of relative and how far out in family does it go. I think Bill and I made a big stretch to come up with labeling ourselves relatives.
What do you think? I know some blogs I follow have an intense interest in family history. Is the sky the limit?
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Knitting Connections
I follow at least two blogs where they have discussed knitting. I have refrained from commenting and displaying some magnificent ignorance.
I was reminded of my Mom and the knitting she did. One of the few things I have from my Mom is a knitted sweater. In 1964 Mom gave me a sweater she knitted. For about ten years she always had a sweater she was knitting . Dad liked them and wore out one a year. Other relatives received some of these sweaters. Mom died in 1973 at age 59 so not much thought had been given to passing things on. So here's a sweater that has significance because it's one of the few things I have from Mom.
Mom was a prolific knitter. When we were little , many pairs of mittens were knitted. We had wool mittens under leather mittens and our hands were kept warm. Winter evenings would find Mom knitting. She wasn't a reader and there was no TV. Knitting seemed to be therapeutic. She could talk and knit.
One other thing that she knit for a while were afghans. She gave each of her grandchildren afghans. Two of them are still in this house.
I guess Mom gave me more than knitted things. Mom was a first class clutterer. I am a clutter bug. I have piles of stuff wherever I can put a pile. So there I have something else from Mom. Mom had four sons. There are four daughter-in-laws who to this day comment fondly on Mom's cluttered house .
So I have a network with knitting. Mom gave me things she knitted and also gave me at least one characteristic that I am well known for.
I was reminded of my Mom and the knitting she did. One of the few things I have from my Mom is a knitted sweater. In 1964 Mom gave me a sweater she knitted. For about ten years she always had a sweater she was knitting . Dad liked them and wore out one a year. Other relatives received some of these sweaters. Mom died in 1973 at age 59 so not much thought had been given to passing things on. So here's a sweater that has significance because it's one of the few things I have from Mom.
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| Mom knit the same snowflake pattern |
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| These sweaters were very comfortable |
Mom was a prolific knitter. When we were little , many pairs of mittens were knitted. We had wool mittens under leather mittens and our hands were kept warm. Winter evenings would find Mom knitting. She wasn't a reader and there was no TV. Knitting seemed to be therapeutic. She could talk and knit.
One other thing that she knit for a while were afghans. She gave each of her grandchildren afghans. Two of them are still in this house.
I guess Mom gave me more than knitted things. Mom was a first class clutterer. I am a clutter bug. I have piles of stuff wherever I can put a pile. So there I have something else from Mom. Mom had four sons. There are four daughter-in-laws who to this day comment fondly on Mom's cluttered house .
So I have a network with knitting. Mom gave me things she knitted and also gave me at least one characteristic that I am well known for.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
In the Land of Ice and Snow...
"the land of ice and snow" is courtesy of Led Zepelin, but it describes precisely the snow situation where I live.
In the land of the pale blue snow, where it's 99 below
And polar bears are roaming o'er the plain
In the shadow of the poles we wander to and fro
We'll be happy when the ice worms nest again
This may come from Wilf Carter but it's not clear as to where it comes from. It does make me think about the winter I've put I've experienced. Some bloggers are writing about a soon coming spring. For me I will have to wait a while longer for warm weather.
They have recently cleared some of our streets so we have some huge piles of snow. The kids are having fun jumping off these piles.
My ski trail is under these enormous snow piles. The picture at the end shows the ski trail in a normal winter snow of 2010.
In the land of the pale blue snow, where it's 99 below
And polar bears are roaming o'er the plain
In the shadow of the poles we wander to and fro
We'll be happy when the ice worms nest again
This may come from Wilf Carter but it's not clear as to where it comes from. It does make me think about the winter I've put I've experienced. Some bloggers are writing about a soon coming spring. For me I will have to wait a while longer for warm weather.
They have recently cleared some of our streets so we have some huge piles of snow. The kids are having fun jumping off these piles.
My ski trail is under these enormous snow piles. The picture at the end shows the ski trail in a normal winter snow of 2010.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Misty Past of Valentine's Day
Today is a fun day to celebrate and pass on our greetings to others. We celebrate with cards and lots of chocolate. In some areas gifts are exchanged.
So where does this tradition come from? It's been a long and winding trail. The original Saint Valentine comes from the third century and he died on Feb. 14. In the middle ages St. Valentine was associated with courtly love. Complicating things were other St. Valentines and similar names. Over the many years numerous stories emerged around Valentines.
Apparently the Catholic Church does not recognize St. Valentine and does not have any religious celebration related to St. Valentine. ( Now I found some material which would appear to contradict that there is no celebration in the Catholic Church.) Some other churches do have reference to St. Valentine and some observance in their routine.
Modern Valentine's traditions began in the 18 th century and have steadily changed. Today Valentine's Day has turned into a very large commercial venture. A fantastic amount of chocolate is sold as well as greeting cards.
So we've come to a place where the day is marked by fun, enjoyment and numerous wishes for a Happy Valentine's Day.
Since I have a brother who has a birthday today, I have a bigger stake in the day. My brother was born in a small country hospital. Very few babies were born there during a year. A baby born Feb. 14 was a big occasion. The nurses wanted my Mom to name my brother Valentino. Mom didn't follow their suggestion and I imagine my brother is quite happy that she didn't follow their advice.
So I wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!
So where does this tradition come from? It's been a long and winding trail. The original Saint Valentine comes from the third century and he died on Feb. 14. In the middle ages St. Valentine was associated with courtly love. Complicating things were other St. Valentines and similar names. Over the many years numerous stories emerged around Valentines.
Apparently the Catholic Church does not recognize St. Valentine and does not have any religious celebration related to St. Valentine. ( Now I found some material which would appear to contradict that there is no celebration in the Catholic Church.) Some other churches do have reference to St. Valentine and some observance in their routine.
Modern Valentine's traditions began in the 18 th century and have steadily changed. Today Valentine's Day has turned into a very large commercial venture. A fantastic amount of chocolate is sold as well as greeting cards.
So we've come to a place where the day is marked by fun, enjoyment and numerous wishes for a Happy Valentine's Day.
Since I have a brother who has a birthday today, I have a bigger stake in the day. My brother was born in a small country hospital. Very few babies were born there during a year. A baby born Feb. 14 was a big occasion. The nurses wanted my Mom to name my brother Valentino. Mom didn't follow their suggestion and I imagine my brother is quite happy that she didn't follow their advice.
So I wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day!
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