Go to the Water

As June was coming to an end, I heard the radio announcer say, "the first half of 2023 was over and may the second half be the best half". I have always looked forward to the summer months and I knew that the second half would be the best half for me. July looked like a nice month to do spontaneous things. I have always tried to do a simple activity every day during the summer months, like going to the pool or coffee in the park. Now, as I write this at the end of August, it is clear to me that it has been a summer that was so different than I had planned. Not just because of Mom being sick and hospitalized, but there were many factors that changed the direction of my summer.   July may not have unfolded like I thought it would, but August was a new month full of fun things. There was a magical thing that happened this summer when I got to be bridesmaid again at my sister and her husband's 50th Anniversary. They never asked Janice and I to be bridesmaids again, we may hav

Some time ago now, Jeffery called. I had ordered parts by email, from the company that Jeffery works as a sales rep. I don't recall putting my phone number down, but I must have. We talked for 15 minutes, mainly about his travel memories and life in general.  When Jeffery was a boy, he lived in Shilo, Manitoba. He laughed about getting his first frostbite in Manitoba. He had a strong memory of how cold the winters are in the prairies. He was calling me from Montreal, and I told him I had been there twice and how surprised I was at how much I loved that city. I explained that there was some language barrier but not as bad as when I was in Quebec City. Jeffery prefers Quebec City over Montreal. It was comforting to know that someone that lives in Quebec has no ability to speak French just like myself.   When Jeffery was a child, he and his brother rode all across Canada with their dad.  I told him I was jealous of him traveling across Canada because it had always been a dream of mine

  It happened in just 6 short weeks; it was time to get the oil changed in my vehicle again. I had driven 8,000 kms and I figured it out that would average about 80 driving hours in just 6 short weeks. I did have a long road trip in June but most of the kms were travel within Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  I have a rule about my vehicle, it is meant to be driven. I am very attentive to getting maintenance done. I was told when I bought my vehicle I am required to have the oil changed every 8,000 kms to stay on some sort of warranty plan. Clearly, all I remember about that conversation was, "have your oil changed every 8,000 kms" and the rest was "blah, blah, blah". When it comes to my vehicle I am a check list person. Regular oil change and the other maintenance my service department suggests are usually made to keep it in the best working order. Regular tire changes in the spring and fall. Pretty basic stuff.  I just recently had my vehicle estimated for hail damage.