Monthly Archives: May 2013

This is the time of year that life arises from hibernation.

As I look out the window this morning I see the leaves of trees come to fullness. 

The front yard tree had withered leaves a few weeks ago.  You might even have thought this was fall and that the leaves were about to drop.  Instead, they have filled in and the tree is now shading the kitchen window.

In the back, the next door neighbour tree is leaning over the fence.  The leaves are exploding in a network pattern of green.  The willow tree continues to leaf out as though it were shading a meandering stream.

Of most interest to me is a shrub in the front yard.  These sprigs were transplanted in the fall.  They created reddish leaves, a favourite of my past wife, Jill.  Until yesterday I was wondering if anything would arise.  In fact I was ready to uproot the bush.

Then, I noticed a shoot or two pushing from branches.  The soil is watered, and the leaves are just beginning their journey.  I trust by the end of the summer there will be full foliage.

Such is the beauty of the spring!

“Well, I woke up this morning, you were on my mind.”

So goes a song from a few decades ago.   The “you” in this case was extra stuff around the house.  As I plan on the amalgamation of two houses, I’m amazed at how much stuff I have sitting here! 

And the town has said they will take it for free today! 

What a blessing, but also what a chore.  I have been gathering a few things the last few days.  And this morning I headed to the basement to find a few more. 

No shortage of a “few more”. 

As I write this, more items are twirling through my mind.

So, before I forget, off to the trenches – or is that nooks and crannies – or is that . . .

52 days to go.

My remarriage to Cynthia Bellamy will happen on July 13th at 2:00 in the afternoon at the Kindersley Alliance Church.

That is a factual statement that some days seems surreal.

And other days certain things pop up and you realize this will happen.  I sat with my church board last night and discussed the next few weeks.  I awoke this morning to a realization that 52 days are to come and then marriage. 

Yes, planning has been in the place!  A number of things are in place including amalgamating households, figuring out schooling, honeymoon plans and even minor things like scheduling daily phone calls.

But, as the old saying goes, “sometimes it takes time for the heart to catch up with the head.”

So, today, a year of days is in front of me.  I am excited – and a bit scared – and praying to God to continue to guide!

My freezer held blueberries, cranberries, and rhubarb.

I’m not sure there has been a recipe with all of these combined together in a sauce format.

Actually, I started making rhubarb sauce and cranberry sauce in separate pots.   The blueberries were an addition to the cranberries that I thought might look good, and hopefully taste good.

As I was preparing both, I looked at the basic ingredients.    Cranberry and Rhubarb are both mouth puckering.  The list looked much the same.

In my mind I formed a plan to combine the two.  That simply meant throwing them both together in a large pot.  Let them simmer and see how they work.

When the taste test took place, I was quite surprised.  The taste was very pleasing to my palate.  I’ll try it on a few others and see what they think.  Of course, there was the minor thing of the cranberry skin being a bit chewy, but otherwise not bad at all.

Will I try this again?  Perhaps.  I’ve frozen some of the sauce.  In a few weeks I’ll try the concoction again.  If I am as enthusiastic, I may turn this into a regular dish!