Imogen and her grandpa

Imogen has a snowball in her upraised hand and she can throw too (but she didn't)! She also managed to fall partly down the outside staircase in pursuit of more snow but her grandpa caught her on the third stair tread. Is it safe to leave her for her grandpa to babysit?

Growing families

Imogen is becoming more delightful and more challenging every day. She can put the shapes in the ageless Tupperware toy (we had one for our kids to use and Jennifer found one at a sale somewhere).






The last picture is of all the babies that showed up at our worship service this morning. Five girls and one boy are in the group. Our church family is growing! We didn't even attempt to get all the toddlers into one picture.

Angela's gift to her mom at xmas

Note: The following poem describes not only the life cycle of this tree but is related to tragic events in life.

Blind Sleep of Death
Apparently dead
To the innocent ignorants
Desperate tears
Drench the earth
The greatest of hopes
Buried deep
Under ground

Falling
Like dry crumpled leaves
A thick fog
Envelops the mourners
Just like the heavy
Sadness that threatens
To suffocate them

"Don't give up," says the blind man,
"Wait."

Wild, uncultured
Reaching, fungal plants
Feast on the stagnant
Naked corps
A mockery to the greatness
Of an unquenchable life
Lying too still.

"Deceptively quiet," says the blind man.

A sweet melodic fragrance
Rises up
Out of the mire
Swaying in a gentle breeze
Trumpeting the first hints
Of victory
While the mighty King lays dead.

"The kingdom advances," says the blind man.

Blood and water
Poured out death
Drink deeply
Feast and live
Crimson red rivers
Streak the white burial shrouds
Delicate goblets of milk and wine.

"It is finished," says the blind man.
"Wipe your tears."

Pulsing, dripping, bursting
From the naked branches
Reaching high into the heavens
Big stretch, yawn
Ripe with life
Luscious fruit cascading through
The apparently dead laughing man

Hog plum
Hog plum
Mombin death
Wild pine
Milk and wine
Bougainvillea
BREATH! [Oct, 2008 A Baggett]

Weekend visitor

Feb. 6, 7 and 8 Varnetta was out for a visit and found a use for the atrium railings as you can see from the pictures. Ping-pong, doing word puzzles, playing the board game "Sorry," watching Part I and II of the Anne of Green Gables movie, and helping to build a quinsey in the snow kept her busy.






Ruth and I were given tickets to the Rankin Family concert. They have a haunting Celtic harmony to their songs which is best exemplified in their signature song, "We rise again"
which they sang, of course. The opening band was a group of three Canadian tenors plus a violin and keyboard player who weren't too bad except I wish I had brought ear protection. Why is it that almost all the concerts nowadays are too loud? Has everyone already been deafened so that they just automatically crank up the amps?

Saba finds Smacky to be tasty.

Have you ever seen a cat that would allow a dog to chew her? Smacky allows Saba to chew her, to lick her and to leave her sopping wet. (Just one of the entertaining sites that I saw while in Texas for Christmas.

Winter in Saskatoon

On Saturday afternoon on the 17th I went downhill sliding with Imogen (and some other people). It was warm out since it got to about 4 deg. C. This was quite a contrast to the -41 deg. C we had a couple of weeks earlier. Here you can see that Imogen enjoys getting out in the mosquito free environment. We don't have to worry about scorpions, snakes, or horseflies either!

Christmas at Brian and Angela Baggett's

It was great to be able to be with my Ivan and Dominique for Christmas and I was able to help Brian build a swing set/fort/climbing wall for them. Brian was able to pick up a plastic slide to add to it the day that I had to leave.

The first picture is Ivan and Dominiqe on top of the platform which probably has sides to it by now.


The second picture is the swing portion of course. They kept saying higher, faster when I would push them. The top is 8 feet and they would have me push them about 7 feet high so that the chains were almost parallel with the lawn. Their dog Saba is as active as ever. You can see Angela is almost ready to deliver her third child. Ruth will stay until Jan 20. Hopefully the cold weather that we have been having will be over by then.

Imogen's First Birthday Party -Dec. 15

Grandparents Sue and Rob,
Ruth and Ian attended as did Dallas and Andrew and of course Jennifer and John.



The special birthday cake for Imogen



Jessie's daughter Addyson and Imogen kissing.

Imogen Walking

This is Imogen walking on Saturday November 29, 2008 at our place.

An Honourable Calling

Imogen is a lively toddler now and although she only does two or three steps unaided, she does get around and can get into all sorts of things.



Tommy Douglas once said, "Politics is the honourablest of profession, the vilest of trade." I went to the book launch of Allan Blakeney's book of his political memoirs where former Premier Roy Romanow introduced the former Premier Allan Blakeney.