My Uncle Mar(shall) had an 80th birthday recently.  The activities were recorded on a VCR tape.  The tape wound its way out to my father a week or so ago.  I was asked to make a copy.

I thought 45 minutes would be good.  Then I looked at the written program that accompanied the tape.  The program suggested exact times (I’ve worked with programs and theatre productions — seldom are the times exact although you try hard).  Total time:  3 hours. 

I continued my musings.  "3 hours is a long time to sit through a program."  I didn’t see any intermissions — that makes it even longer.

The recorder was turned on and the tape set to "super long play!"  After three hours I checked.  The program went a little longer than expected.

On to the next tape — a wedding anniversary that was to be copied.  In a small corner to the tape was transcribed — "5 hours, 50 minutes."  The tapes were set to record 6 hours.  This tape was actually to be two events recorded back to back.  If you had to sit through them, you would be wondering about your back!!  I began the tapes at 2:00 pm and they completed at 8:00 pm. 

Well, Dad and Mom should have some good watching!  Always good to hear tributes to old friends.  May this prove to be an encouraging stroll down memory lane!

Just as I’m about to blog! 

Now, I believe in being electrified.  I like to be around people who have an electric personality.  But, when electric storms look like they could electrify me?  I’m out of there!

Last night hailstones rained down.  Lightening thundered (or is that thunder lighteninged?).  And the sky let loose!

I was about to write about warm weather (scorching would be a better descriptor), a scattering of the ashes ceremony at Anglin lake, and sitting at Tim Horton’s in Prince Albert (where five people just showed up to say "Hi" without knowing I would be there).

Instead, I shut down the computer and went to bed!

A picture of the evening (with the light meter up high — this was actually taken when it was quite dark!).  We got about 8/10 of an inch of rain in 15 minutes or so!

Yesterday was mom’s 75th birthday.  We had brunch and supper with mom — sang happy birthday and opened presents. 

Happy birthday, mom!!

So, today was the first of four days of holidays.  We spent it at home.  Painted two rooms – now we just have to lay the laminate flooring.

I also got out the engineered wood flooring we bought two years ago.  The plan then had been to use the extra to cover the stairs. 

Two years later — perseverance pays off.

The steps look classy –  I even used some oak cove to provide the nose for the stairs (now there are vocation specific words – I wonder if Jesus knew these words as a carpenter’s son?).

Tomorrow is mom’s birthday – a party is in the offing.  Then off to Prince Albert overnight, a scattering of ashes on Sunday, supper with my daughter and family, evening at friends, Jill’s haricut on Monday and home in the evening.

Should be fun!