Ron Baker

Well, after a funeral service for Cecil Ditson, I’m now in Rosetown.  The evening meal was with my mom and dad, and my wife Jill.  We’ve chatted and sent an email.  Now we are relaxing and I’ll head back soon.

As I was driving over, I crested a hill just past Netherhill and coming to Brock.  As I searched the horizon I was struck!  This is the usual place I turn to Jill and tell her how beautiful the prairies are.  I think it must just take that amount of driving before I unwind and can actually look at the horizon.  And it is beautiful!

Today the grain is turning.  The fields are turning white.  Another week or so and we’ll be watching combines swath and winnow (I think we still use that word) and clean the grain.  The straw and chaff will eject and the grain will find it’s way to a bin, awaiting shipping to world markets.  And that’s just one of the industries that maintain our patch of ground called Kindersley!

The weirdest thing happened last night.

My wife had gone to be with my parents in Rosetown.  My sister and her family, where my parents live, were headed on vacation to Waskesiu. 

While there, Jill had prepared meals.  As the day ended she went outdoors with my sister’s dog.  The dog did it’s business, Jill was about hers (two very different businesses!).  They returned to the house.

Trixie, the dog, began to eject things from both ends.  Vomit and poop.  And convulsing.  Jill called me and thought the dog was about to die.  She checked with others and tried to contact a vet.  They were all away for the weekend.  A vet clinic would phone back.  Others were called and some possible remedies suggested.

Trixie continued to convulse, then pant and finally became perfectly still.  In human parlance, she died.  I think it was in around two to three hours after initial signs of sickness appeared.

What do you do with a dead dog?  Especially when the family is away!  The decision was made to bag the dog up, put it in a friend’s freezer and let the family deal with the remains when they returned.

Not my idea of a great way to start five days away from home.  Jill is doing well — I wish I could say the same for Trixie!

At 92 years of age, Cecil Ditson passed away this morning, Thursday, August 14, 2008.   The funeral will be held Monday, August 18, at 1:00 pm at the Kindersley Alliance Church.

When I returned to Kindersley a few years ago, Cecil and Mary invited me to their house.  He took pride in his garden and I had a quick tour through the back yard.  I had to figure that anyone who still bows down to feel the soil and smell the life of living plants at the age of 89 still has a touch of life left in him!!

Now that life is with Jesus — I wonder if there is a garden Cecil is ready to tend there??

Funny thing to say — “I’m back in my seat!” 

For the last six days I’ve been involved in my father’s 90th celebration.  Getting ready, experiencing and winding down.

So today I was back to my office.  A few calls asked how I was, and I replied that I was back in my seat.  Each time the appropriateness was there — I talk sitting down!  And each time I was reminded that the seat holds certain responsibilities.

First was a call telling us that one of our seniors is dying.  I had visited him earlier last week and there were some indications of his weakness.  But he had been in and out of hospital on other occasions that were much the same.  This time he will not come out.  The reality of death and the need for someone to share it is welcomed by the family.  So my wife and I headed off to the hospital.

Another few calls were to check up on others whose health is not great.  They seem to be in good spirits although their bodies are withering away.

A call to Prince Albert to work on a possible work group.  A call to someone to play piano.  Other calls followed.  Each from my seat.

How does it feel?  Good to get things going again.  At the same time there is much to do. 

“All good!” as one of my friends would say. 

My brother, Murray, had once proclaimed that he would never use computers.  That was, until he required them for research, and email, and other miscellaneous things.  Once a Luddite, not always a Luddite!

Monday, Murray and I looked over a machine that Jill uses constantly.  Unfortunately usage was low, in fact non-existent.  We tried a new power unit.  The fans whirred, but the monitor did not light up.  We hooked another computer to the monitor.  That worked just fine.  We tried once more and nothing, not even the BIOS settings, appeared.

Conclusion — the motherboard was fried.  A quick talk with our local “Radio Shack” (now “The Source by Circuit City” – could you come up with more circuitous name) guy revealed what we had thought.  Buy a cheap new machine instead of trying to make a new motherboard work with an old machine.  Thankfully they had a cheap machine (actually, it was cheap and quite usable).

We transferred over the old hard drive (with all the data safely saved) and a DVD drive.  The rest of the evening was spent in setting up programs and getting things running so Jill could use the machine.  This is my first experience with Windows Vista, and so far the results are working in my favor!

Today’s task?  Finish off my last day of vacation (I took from last Thursday – this Tuesday for my Father’s 90th Birthday celebration).  I’m sure there will be some more quirks to the new computer, but other than that, a bit of relaxation will be in order.

Saturday, and Dad’s 90th birthday celebration excites the hall.  We had around 125 for a “come and go” tea.  Then a family and friends supper with around 65.  Roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, peas, salad, dessert.  All good!!

Here’s the immediate family in portrait.

So, what happens when your camera strap accidentally joins in with the picture you are taking?  Creativity happens.  Witness the picture of my neice, Elizabeth (Liz) Barton.

We were out the door at 8:00 this morning.   Rounded the corner and started weeding the garden.  The plan was to be done by 10:00 and then visit Peavy Mart to get a new sprinkler and hose.

Well, then we needed to dig up a bit of grass encroaching on our garden.  Then we needed to clean up some twigs under the trees.  Then we needed to put down a few cement blocks.  Finally, after some lunch and a few iced tea breaks, 3:00 showed up.  We declared the work done.  And Peavy Mart beckoning!

Of course, when we arrived at Peavey Mart the garden goods were not on sale.  We asked when the sale would happen.  Tomorrow at 8:00 in the morning.  So, we’ll be out the door at 8:00 tomorrow.  Hopefully we’ll be home shortly thereafter.

Oh, and the back yard patio area looks good!

The day has been busy.  First, our regular Sunday service and then a group who joined us for dinner.  I’ve hauled chairs and tables, run up and down stairs, and laughed lots.

Now, the late afternoon creeps forward as I sit and meditate.

“God is good.”  The usual response is “all the time”.  I know that in my head, and often in my heart. 

But some days you wonder how the pattern works.  There is a young lady who is sick today, as well as a young man.  Others have been not well this week.  My dad is recovering, with some success as well as some reluctance.  And that’s just the obvious.

That’s where age plays a role.  Faithfulness is seen over time, not just in words.  And I’ve watched God for years.  He’s been watching me for much longer!  And when it comes down to it, I’d have to say that He certainly has a better handle on this “life thing” than I do.

So, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

For the past year or so a friend of ours has been unable to do any real yard work.  The lady across the street would mow the front lawn.  Beyond that, there was a bit of jungle in the back yard.

Three of us ventured over today.  We weeded the driveway, edged the grass and mowed whatever was in front of us.  After four hours (three hours mowing the backyard alone) we declared work for the day done.  Actually things look pretty good.

Off to Tim Horton’s for a quick lunch and debriefing (who ever heard of debriefing lawn mowing!).

For me, the exercise was great.  My knees worked well and my back is not aching.  All good!!