Halloween Humour!

Halloween is this Saturday, so here is a little Halloween humour to get you in the mood!


What do skeletons say before they begin dining?
Bone appetite!
When does a ghost have breakfast?
In the moaning.
What do goblins and ghosts drink when they're hot and thirsty on Halloween?
Ghoul-aid, Apple Spider and Bloody Marys.!!!
Where does Count Dracula usually eat his lunch?
At the casketeria.
What tops off a ghost's ice cream sundae?
Whipped scream.
What's a ghosts favorite desert?
BOO-berry pie with "I Scream!"
What is a vampires favorite holiday?
Fangsgiving
What do you call a witch who lives at the beach?
A sand-witch.
Where did the goblin throw the football?
Over the ghoul line.
Why was the monster athlete so happy?
He won a ghoul medal at the Olympics.
What is the favorite food of mathematicians?
Pumpkin Pi
What kind of makeup do ghosts wear?
Mas-scare-a.
Who was the most famous ghost detective?
Sherlock Moans.
Who was the most famous witch detective?
Warlock Holmes
Who was the most famous skeleton detective?
Sherlock Bones.
Who was the most famous French skeleton?
Napoleon bone-apart
What do you call a little monsters parents
Mummy and deady
What do you call two witches living together?
Broommates.
Why don't witches like to ride their brooms when they're angry?
They're afraid of flying off the handle!
Where do mummies go for a swim?
To the dead sea.
What is Transylvania?
Dracula's terror tory
Where does Dracula water ski?
On Lake Erie
Which building does Dracula visit in New York?
The Vampire State Building.
Where do most werewolves live?
In HOWLlywood, California.
Where do most goblins live?
in North and South Scarolina.
Where does a ghost refuel his porche?
At a ghastly station.
Why doesn't anybody like Dracula?
He has a bat temper.
Why did Dracula go to the dentist?
He had a fang-ache.
Why are vampires like false teeth?
They all come out at night.
Who does Dracula get letters from?
His fang club.
Where do ghosts mail their letters?
At the ghost office.
Why don't mummies take vacations?
They're afraid they'll relax and unwind.
How do you mend a broken Jack-o-lantern?
With a pumpkin patch.

Want to have a little Halloween game fun? Check out "Trick, Tac, Toe" or "Halloween Bowling Cats"!

dn

It'll Be Here Before You Know It!

Have you looked at the calendar lately? if you haven't take a look at the date at the top of this post.

Yup, It's October 25. So what you say? So that means that it is EXACTLY two months till Christmas!

Depending on the type of person you are, you could be doing one of several things:
- partially or completely finished your Christmas shopping.
Bravo!
- writing up your Christmas wish list.
nice start!
- trying to figure out how to get back on Santa's "nice" list after the last few months of "naughty"!
OH OH!! Good luck with that!!
- wondering where the time went and why you didn't realize it was that late already.
yes time does fly and so do Santa's reindeer!
- shaking your head wondering how I could bring up Christmas before Halloween.
I do it because I can!!
- in complete denial.
No, not the river in Egypt!

Come on people! Work with me here! I'm giving you lots of notice and most of you are just nodding your head and saying "I'll get to it soon....." Soon becomes later and the next thing you know, you are running around half crazed the week before Christmas saying "Why didn't I listen to dn when I had the chance?"

Okay, maybe not quite those words, but you aren't in the holiday mood yet, or there isn't snow on the ground yet, or whatever your excuse is. Well, you can spin it anyway you want it, but the clock is ticking and you have just under 9 weeks to get it all done.

My mom has always joked that if she'd known Christmas was coming, she'd have been ready sooner! Yeah, HELLO - it's the same day every year!

I know, with the way this last year has gone for many, the last thing they want to think about is preparing for the holidays. It can be overwhelming and a huge hit to the budget, but if you start doing a little bit now, it won't be so rushed or as expensive later.

Hate me if you must, but I started Christmas shopping in September. Not a lot, but a couple of things caught my attention and I knew that they would be perfect for certain people. As many of you know, I do a lot of baking to give for Christmas gifts. That takes a lot of time and planning. I keep a master list of supplies and watch for things going on sale as early as September. Every year, my sister takes me to Costco to do a major grocery shop and I pick up a few of my baking supplies while I'm at it. We usually go in late October or early November, but we went early this year - the end of September. We also stopped at Morden's Of Winnipeg so that I could get all my chocolate for the various goodies I make as gifts. With the exception of a few things, all the baking supplies are now in my pantry, fridge and freezer.

I actually started baking on Friday. Made the first two of four "Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake". They were later cut, packaged, labeled and frozen so that they are ready when I start assembling "Goody Bags" in mid to late November.

I'll start making the chocolates and the shortbread in the next week or so.

If things go well, I'm also hoping to make a few other Christmas presents this year, but will see how my schedule fills out. If that doesn't work, I do have a backup plan and ideas for gifts I can purchase at the Annual Christmas Craft Sale here November 19 - 22 or at some local stores.

Barring the unforeseen, I should have the all the non-edible gifts bought/made by November 30 and wrapped by the first weekend of December. The baking should be finished by no later than December 15. If I had more fridge and freezer space, I could have it done even sooner!

Yes, Christmas preparations can be a lot of work, but if you start early and get organized it can be a lot more enjoyable come the festive season. If you do as much as you can ahead of time, then you can avoid the crowds, the impulse buying, over spending and those last minute trips for more supplies and gifts. You can sit back and relax with friends and even family as you enjoy the holidays.

So, what are you waiting for? Start making that list! Start shopping! Do some holiday baking! Put the outdoor decorations up before it gets too cold! Come on - the clock is ticking and it'll be Christmas before you know it!

dn

The Mixing Fork

My maternal grandmother was a home economist. She had graduated in 1920 and worked with her agricultural rep husband to teach farm couples better ways of growing and preparing foods. My grandmother taught all four of her kids to cook and they all taught their children.

One of the essentials of my grandmother's kitchen was an oversized fork with tines that were slightly angled. It was a cross between a fork and a pastry cutter. It was the perfect tool for a wide variety of jobs in the kitchen.
It was ideal for blending dry ingredients or wet ingredients. It was perfect for mixing any batters, biscuits, breads, muffins, cakes, puddings, sauces, gravies - almost anything! You could also use it to mash potatoes or fresh fruit and also use it in place of a slotted spoon. It could take the lumps out of any dry mixtures and volumize any mixture with eggs or cream. It beat a wooden spoon or a pastry cutter by a country mile and then some!

When both my mom and my aunt were married, my grandfather bought them each one of these tools.

As far back as I can remember, there was always a mixing fork in our home. We never really knew what the real name of this handy tool was, but it was indispensable.

The fork itself was about 10" long and about 2" wide. The tines were about 1/8" wide, slightly curved and close to 2 1/2" long. The angle of the tines allowed for efficient blending by hand with minimal effort. Sure we also had electric mixers and even the old crank style hand mixer, but this was just a better fit for the hand and a lot easier to clean.

The first few years that I was living out on my own, I had to go without one of these mixing forks. Mom and I had looked for them and couldn't find them anywhere. We finally found them in an old style variety store and bought several for gifts. That was around 1980 or so. My sister eventually inherited my grandmother's mixing fork.

I never really looked for them again until around 1990. Several friends had coveted my "unique" tool and had even threatened to steal it! I searched high and low, but was unable to find anything even remotely similar. I took the fork with me to several stores that carried substantial kitchenware but no one had it. Pretty much all of them said if we ever find it - let them know as they thought it was a great idea! My sister and I even looked while on one of my medical trips to Toronto but no luck. She and my mom looked whenever they traveled.

I recently decided to see if I could find out anything on line, but trying to find something when you don't know what it is called isn't easy. After trying several names such as mixing fork and kitchen fork, I checked my fork more carefully and found the name "Foley" engraved on the back. I typed "Foley Fork" into a search engine and hit the jackpot!

Over the years, the Original Foley Fork has been known by several names including blender fork and granny fork. I wasn't able to find the history of the fork, but since my grandmother had one before her kids were married, I know it goes back at least 65 -70 years. The Original Foley Fork is no longer manufactured, but here are a couple of products that caught my attention.

The first one is a wanna be called "Norpro Grip-Ez Granny Fork". It looks somewhat similar but the tines are varied in length. This may be a good tool for some things but I doubt that it would be as versatile as the original design.

The second is called "RSVP Fantastic Food Fork" or "The Endurance Fantastic Food Fork by RSVP" and is manufactured by RSVP International which is a wholesale manufacturer.

I examined the product detail and description and this is the closest to what I have been using for over 40 years.

The fork is carried on several sites such as Creative Kitchen, Chef Tools or Amazon. You can also check with your local kitchenware store to see if they carry the RSVP line. Prices vary greatly so shop around. I found prices from $6-10US/fork on line plus shipping, handling and taxes. I contacted a local store to see if they could get it. They could only order it in lots of 6, but I was quoted $11.99 plus taxes for one. If I bought all 6 I could get 10% off ($10.79/fork X 6 = $64.74 plus taxes). That may be a lot more expensive, but by the time I add in exchange on the dollar, international shipping fees and any duty/border taxes there might not be a lot of difference in price.

Whether you are a novice in the kitchen, an experienced cook and baker or somewhere in the middle, the Foley Fork is a MUST for every kitchen.

If you don't cook but want to learn or just say thank you to your favourite cook - this would make a perfect stocking stuffer for Christmas or any other gift giving occasion!

This is one tool that is really worth the investment. I can't imagine how I would manage in the kitchen without it!

dn

Good Service Is Good Business

Love them or hate them, big box stores are a part of our urban landscape.

We love them cause the prices are lower and we can get almost anything all in one store.

We hate them because they are often on the edges of cities or not close to bus service. We hate them because you often get impersonal service - assuming that you can even find a clerk.
Let's face it, we have ALL had bad experiences in those places at some point.

But, not all big box stores are created equal.

I live on a tight budget, so have to shop around for good deals. I go through the grocery flyers every week and often hit two or three stores to get everything I need. More often than not, I end up at the Superstore at Kenaston Blvd. and Grant Ave. here in Winnipeg.

Over the years, I've gotten in the habit of shopping mid week - right when the store opens. It used to open at 9:00 then switched to 8:00 a couple of years ago. I adjusted my schedule accordingly. I found that shopping before 9 was a lot easier as the store wasn't crowded. The shelves were stocked and the produce was fresh. You could often meet the same customers who also shopped in the early hours. I found that the staff that worked that early shift were always friendly, polite and willing to assist whenever possible. It was a big box store with a neighbourhood corner store feel.

A year or so ago, they started opening at 7:00. I wasn't thrilled as that meant getting up by 6:00 and leaving by 6:40 for the 7-8 minute walk to the bus stop and 15-20 minute ride depending if I was lucky enough to catch an express bus. I usually made it by 7:10 - 7:20 AM. I'd do my shopping in under an hour and usually be home by about 8:30.

I am not a real morning person - at least not that early, but I had really gotten to like shopping in an uncrowded store where the staff knew me and offered help. I didn't know too many names but we always said good morning and a quick how are you.

For the last few months, my Superstore has been undergoing some much needed expansion and upgrades. It hadn't had any major work done since it was built almost 30 years ago. The renovations hadn't really been affecting the customers until the last few weeks. They are now starting to do the inside work of expanding and remodeling the various departments, so some things aren't where they should normally be or are unavailable for a few weeks. It will be great once the work is all done but, a nuisance for us regulars or early shoppers for a few more weeks.

This past Tuesday morning, I planed on going to Superstore, but awoke late - 6:20. I rushed my morning routine and managed to make it out the door by 6:45 and caught an express bus. I was at the store by 7:05.

I wasn't totally awake, but something seemed a bit off as I walked in. The display tables near the front seemed crowded together and out of place. The aisle I usually take was partially blocked.

I noticed a large sign a few feet away and was attempting to focus on it. It was an orange background with white letters. All I had made out so far was an 8 and a 10 - when a guy in a hard hat came up to me and said the store doesn't open till 8.

HUH? Since when?

Today.

Oh crap! Now what? I slipped off my backpack and slumped into a chair near the door while I sleepily debated my options. There was no point in going home, as I'd just be turning around to come back. There is a coffee shop not too far away, but I didn't have any extra money for that. It was -5C outside and I didn't relish the thought of standing outside for almost an hour. I could have slept another 45 minutes had I known! Argh!

A couple of minutes later the manager came up to me, said good morning and explained that the store would be opening from 8 AM to 10 PM now until the renovations were complete. As of December 5, the store would be opening at 6:00AM on weekdays. He apologized for the inconvenience and said the signs had only been posted late the previous week. (I'd been there the previous Tuesday - a few days before the signs went up.) I asked why the doors were open and was told that was to give the workers easy access. There had been security at the door until 7, but someone forgot to lock the door when they left. I explained that going home and coming back really wasn't worth it and asked if it would be alright if I waited here.

He could easily have said no and asked me to leave, but he didn't. He said I was welcome to wait and that he would let me know as soon as the aisles were clear and it would be safe for me to shop. If I needed it, he would also have a staff person accompany me to find things that had been moved.

I thanked him and said I'd probably be okay without assistance. There wasn't a lot on my list.

I really wasn't fully awake yet and wasn't thrilled with this unplanned delay but was grateful for the opportunity of sitting inside of a warm building as opposed to standing out in the cold.

It felt a little strange sitting there and watching the construction workers leave and the staff arrive. Several of the staff greeted me as they came in. The manager checked on me a couple of times as he went about his morning routine. About 7:45, he was talking to a couple of cashiers and then pointed at me and said; "This young lady has been sitting here since just after 7. She didn't know about the time changes." He laughed and said that I was the preferred customer that morning and that I could now start shopping!

I didn't find everything on my list that morning. One item was out of stock and a couple of things were temporarily unavailable.

What I did find, was a new respect for the big box store and the people who run them and work there. The manager didn't have to let me stay inside, but he did. The staff didn't have to greet me, but they did. Part of it may be that I have a white cane. Part of it may be that I am there almost every week. Overall, I think it is just a matter of common courtesy and good business.

So, for the next few weeks, I get to sleep in a bit more on the days that I go to Superstore. I'll be able to get up around my normal time. Once the store expands it's hours on December 5, I'll probably start shopping a bit earlier again. But not too early - I need my sleep and the bus only starts running at 6:00!

dn

My PC Is Out To Get Me!

I think my PC is out to get me.

Over the last while, I've been noticing little things. Like when I am trying to type and I know how to spell the word but it doesn't come out that way on the screen. There will be an extra letter or the letters will be reversed. Say I want to type the word "night". Well instead of it being "night", it will be something like "nighjt" or "nihgt".

Sometimes it will look like a foreign language. Say I am typing the word "year". It may come out as "ywse" or some other weird combo.

Other times it will insert a symbol just ;ike that. It may aLSO SET THE CAPS LOCK FOR ME without my permission. It has even been known to hit enter
rather than backspace. Occasionally it will use a ! rather than an @ or a period rather than a comma.

It is rather odd isn't it? But that is not the only thing.

The mouse is also in on the act and I swear it is out to embarrass and humiliate me. I play a number of games - mostly match 3 and puzzle games. Depending on the style, colours and layout of the game field, there are some games that I can do very well at, despite my low vision. One game that I have been able to best all of my online pals at, is called "Bricks Breaking" I play it on my social network site of choice, but you can find it on several sites including Mindjolt.

The concept is simple. There are three colours of bricks. You destroy all the bricks by clicking in groups of the same colour. You need to use a magic wand if you want to destroy a single brick. You get five wands. Once those are gone you keep playing until you have one or more bricks left that you can't destroy within a group. It is actually harder than it sounds and takes both luck and strategy to actually make it through rounds without using any of the wands. The highest that I have ever scored is 257,346. I've gone over 200,000 three or four times now but usually am somewhere in the 100,000 to 150,000 range. Unless, of course my mouse decides to take control. There have been several occasions where I've been about to hit a group, when the mouse has jumped in before I was ready and ended up hitting a single brick - thus causing me to loose one of the valuable free wands. This is very annoying, especially if I was having a particularly good round up to that point. It also does it to me in a game called "Linyca". My highest score in that one is 318,645, but I've never been able to beat it as the mouse will sometimes hit individual colours in a row rather than multiples so I end up loosing points.

Not all of the games that I play are being disrupted by the mouse, but it is rather annoying when you are on a roll.

I know computers are supposed to be intelligent, but this thing is making a mockery of me and it has to stop!

I may be legally blind, and have a bit of trouble remembering how to spell some words, but even spell check can't figure out some of the things that have shown up on my screen!

YOu think I;m nuts don't you? (See it is doing it again!) You probably think this is all my own fault don't you?

Stop laughing! This is serious!

WEll I'm not making it up! The fact that I can't see very much or that I can't type worth a damn and am a lousy speller is completely beside the point. Computers are supposed to be smarter than us and make us look even better than we are.

Excuse me, but did I just hear someone say "The outcome is only as good as the information entered"??? Well...!!

My computer has had almost a year to get to know me and my abilities. I've more or less adjusted to Vista - and that wasn't easy - so why hasn't my PC adjusted to my needs and abilities?

It should know by now what I want and expect. It isn't like I misuse or abuse it. I've done everything I could to take care of it. I do a disk cleanup at least once a week. I defrag every month. I back things up. Everything I download is scanned before opening. If I'm going to be away from it for more than a couple of hours, I turn it off.

I've done everything for this computer and it repays me how? By mistyping words and clicking the mouse before I'm ready?

Harrumph! The nerve!!

Yes, there are also a lot of things it does right. It does alert me when I get emails, when there are updates available for various programs on my PC and keeps me updated on what is going on on my favourite web sites. It keeps me company and lets me listen to music, watch videos, play games, read what is going on in the world outside of my apartment and city. It lets me stay in touch with my friends through emails and networks.

Okay, okay. So it does more right than it does wrong. Maybe it is partially my fault that my keyboard and mouse aren't always doing what I want.

But I still think it is out to get me!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

dn

dn's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

Here in Canada, the second Monday of every October is Thanksgiving. I decided that I wanted to make something a little different for a holiday dessert this year, so hit the web in search of a pumpkin dessert.

After browsing for a bit, I came across a recipe on Taste Of Home that looked promising. It was for a Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake. The recipe was simple, yet would yield a delicious cake that was fit to grace any dessert tray!

As with all of my recipes, I made a few adjustments. Rather than using all white flour as indicated, I used some whole wheat as well as the all purpose. The original recipe used only cinnamon for spice which I thought seemed a little boring and odd with pumpkin, so I added cloves and nutmeg as well. While I was measuring ingredients, I noticed that there wasn't any salt in the recipe, so I added 1/2 teaspoon.

The other major changes that I made was the pumpkin and the nuts.

I have always used cooked squash rather than buying canned pumpkin. I prefer butternut or hubbard squash as they have a nice rich colour and are not overly watery like some varieties. Once the spices are added, you really can't tell the difference between pumpkin and squash.

I used almonds rather than pecans. Either would be good in this recipe, so use your nut of choice. The recipe, said to divide the nuts and sprinkle 1/2 cup in the bottom of the greased bundt pan before adding batter then sprinkle the rest on top after all the batter is in. That may be a good idea in theory, but once the cake is baked and turned out on to cooling racks, most of the nuts tend to fall off. I would recommend adding the nuts directly to the batter with the chocolate chips.

dn's Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin OR 2 cups cooked pumpkin or squash
1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped almonds or pecans
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices; add to the creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion. In a well-greased 10-in. fluted tube pan, spoon chocolate batter evenly over the bottom; top with pumpkin batter and carefully spread evenly.

Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 16 servings.

Notes:
- I found the cake took about 75 minutes to bake to clean toothpick stage, but every oven is different so test the cake at 65 minutes.
- If you would like to garnish this cake, I would suggest melting 1 - 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate and drizzling it over the cake after it has cooled for an hour or so on a wire rack. You could also sprinkle more finely chopped nuts over the chocolate before it hardens. Less chance of the nuts falling off!!!

This is a moist, flavourful cake that is sure to be a crowd pleaser at any gathering!

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

dn

Ethics And Honesty

At some point, we have all been overcharged by a store or a business. I'm not talking about sky high prices on items we know are actually worth a portion of what we are being charged. I'm talking about those accidental overcharges where we are charged regular price over sale price or charged for two or more items when we only bought one or we are given the wrong change. It isn't that unusual. Stores and the people running them make mistakes all the time - even with UPC scanners and registers that calculate and dispense the change.

What do you do if you are overcharged? Do you let it slide if it is under - say a dollar? Do you try and get your money back even if it is only a few cents? I think it is fairly safe to say that most of us will try and get our money back. Some stores actually give you an additional discount if they overcharge you. I had one store manager give me a $2 item for free after I showed him that I had been charged $2.49. I said that wasn't necessary, I just wanted my $.49, but he insisted due to the inconvenience. I'm still a regular customer at that store!

Unfortunately we can't always prove we have been overcharged. Here are two examples:

A friend and her daughter spent a long, tiring day shopping at a mall on the other side of the city from their home. They were in a fashion boutique and had picked out several items and then spied a display of earrings on sale by the register. It was near closing, so they quickly picked two pair to go with the rest of the items they had picked out. After paying, they ran to catch their bus. On the way home, she was thinking about the purchases and adding the amounts in her head. She wasn't able to make the amount she thought it should be match with the amount charged. Sure enough, when she checked the bill, she found she had been charged for 3 pairs instead of two. It wasn't a huge amount - only $6 plus taxes, but it was maddening. This wasn't a mall she shopped at more than a couple of times a year. The store had other outlets, but she had no way to prove she HADN'T bought that third pair unless she talked to the same clerk and the clerk recalled the purchase. Unfortunately for my friend, she had to let this incident pass and absorb the overpayment.

Another friend was luckier. She had purchased a couple of cards while shopping for groceries. When she got to her car, she checked her bill and realized she had been charged for more cards than she had bought. She went back into the store and talked to customer service. The clerk who had bagged her groceries was nearby and was able to verify that she had only bought 2. She got her money back.

I've been overcharged several times over the years and luckily have almost always been able to prove it and get my money back.

A couple of weeks ago, I was shopping at one of my usual grocery stores. I picked several apples from a bin that listed the price at 78 cents/lb or $1.72/kg. I had a number of items that day that were weighed, so I wasn't completely sure what my total would be. When I got home, I checked the bill - as I always do - and realized that I had been charged $1.49/lb or $3.29/kg. I had been overcharged $1.57 by my calculations. I kept the receipt and the flyer with the advertised sale price and planned on taking it with me the next time I went to that store.

Before I got back to that store, I was at another grocery store and the other side of the overcharge fell into play. I purchased a few items and thought my bill would be about $20-22.00. My total was $19.41. Oh well, maybe I missed a sale tag or something was cheaper than I thought. I examined the bill when I got home. To my amazement, I had not been charged for my dozen large eggs - $2.05 even though I watched the clerk as she slid everything across the scanner.

This was an interesting dilemma. Overcharged by $1.57 at store A and undercharged by $2.05 at store B. So far I was ahead by 48 cents! Both were good sized stores that really wouldn't notice such small amounts over the long term. They probably wouldn't care. The question was could I let both slide with a clear conscience?

Several years ago, I was also undercharged at a small grocery chain. I bought a package of cheese for about $4 and wasn't charged. I took the unopened cheese and the receipt back a couple of days later. The clerk called the manager who was a bit dumbfounded that someone was actually admitting they hadn't been charged. He shook my hand and thanked me for my honesty.

I asked several friends what they would do if overcharged. All said, if they could prove it they would get their money back. Some said down to the penny and others said if it was only a bit of change they wouldn't bother.

Then I asked them the other question. You are undercharged at a store - do you go back and pay? Most said that had never happened to them, but admitted they would be tempted not to - especially if they had gotten poor service or if it wasn't a store they shopped at often. Only a couple of people I asked said they would go back for both overcharges and undercharges. For them it was more about honesty than anything else. It was just the right thing to do.

The amounts weren't very much in the grand scheme of things and I'll admit, I was tempted to let both incidents go. I even contemplated going to store A and if I didn't get my money back then I would forget about going to store B!

So what did I do? Well, I was at both stores this past week doing my usual grocery shopping.

I went to store A on Wednesday and went to customer service with my receipt and the flyer from two weeks earlier. The clerk checked the flyer, apologized for the error and gave me my $1.57.

On Thursday, I was at store B and asked to see the manager/supervisor on duty. I said "This may be a bit unusual, but..." I went on to explain what happened and that I wanted to pay for my eggs. She was a bit shocked and said, that I really didn't have to have to do this. I briefly explained my previous experiences and said that I still wanted to pay. She took my money, gave me a receipt and thanked me.

A lot of people will only go back if overcharged and see it as a windfall in their favour if undercharged. What they don't get or perhaps fail to acknowledge, is that in the long run, we all end up paying for those who are undercharged or due to shoplifters.

I know I didn't have to go back to either store, but it really is a question of personal ethics and honesty. It is the way I was raised and I can sleep with a clear conscience.

dn

25 Years And Counting!

25 years ago today I moved to Winnipeg. I'd been born and raised in the country and lived in a couple of small towns as a young adult, but the city was always where I thought I belonged.

This wasn't actually my first time living in Winnipeg. I had been here for about a year and a half in the early 1980's. Back then, my first Winnipeg home was sharing a duplex with two friends near Grant Park. It was a nice little place, but we were subletting from some other friends and there was no way we could afford the rent long term. After that, I moved into a fairly new building in West Broadway. Three girlfriends shared a 2 bedroom apartment in the same building and I was in a small bachelor apartment a couple of floors down. It was great to have my own space and yet be so close to friends. We spent a lot of time together. At that time, West Broadway was just starting to turn rough. By the time I moved out one year later, I was more than ready to leave, but saddened to see the neighbourhood change for the worse. I went by that building a few years later and was even more saddened to see how much it had deteriorated in such a short time.

I was out of work and no job prospects, so I moved back to the farm for a couple of years. I did a couple of odd jobs as well as writing the family histories with my mom. The farm was okay, but I longed for the independence that living in the city would give me.

During the summer of 1984, a friend and I were talking. She was seriously thinking about moving to the city. She had an opportunity to work in a place that was close to her heart spiritually and wanted to spread her wings a bit. We discussed sharing a place for a year or two just so we could both get started. We'd known each other for years and had even traveled a bit together. I'd also stayed with her in her apartment in a nearby town for a week or so. Given that we got along so well, we decided to try it and even set out our own roommate rules/expectations in advance. We set out our budgets and division of responsibilities ahead of time. We left room for changes but it actually worked quite well.

After a couple of days of searching in early September, we finally found a one bedroom apartment that we both liked on Pembina near the University. We moved in on October 1, 1984. We were able to move to a two bedroom on November 15, 1984. We stayed in that building till the end of 1985, then house sat for four months in the northern part of Fort Garry. We went our separate ways in the spring of 1986 but are still good friends.

I moved around the next few years. I spent a year in a cramped attic apartment in Wolseley. It was less than 200 square feet and had an old fridge that had to be defrosted every two weeks in warm weather or it quit working. The landlord also bought me a second hand air conditioner so I wouldn't suffocate, but I nearly froze as it only worked on the coldest setting!

I stayed in Wolseley for another couple of years but moved to a building that had been very beautiful in it's prime with hardwood floors and a big old pedestal bathtub. Sadly, it had been grossly neglected over the years and even the current owners didn't want to put money into repairs. We had to contact a Rentalsman (government housing regulations agency) to get court ordered repairs. I loved that neighbourhood and its peaceful ambiance, but dealing with the building management and lack of care was more than I wanted to deal with, so I chose to leave in March 1990. I moved out to Garden City - to a partially subsidized building with about 75 units - most of which were for people with disabilities. The building was clean, bright and well cared for. It was close to major shopping and buses. This turned out to be a good move, as 8 months later, I suffered my detached retina. Living in the building that I did, gave me access to services that I needed post surgery.

As it turned out there was another reason leaving was a very smart move. My friends who stayed, said things got even worse in that old building. There had been some issues with poor heating from an old boiler, lack of hot water and false fire alarms before I left but these got even worse over the next year or two.

One of the few things that I didn't like about living in Garden City, was how far I was from my doctors and some of my longtime friends. It was a 20 minute bus ride to downtown and took close to an hour to get to some of my friends by bus.

I spent several months looking for a more central, affordable and accessible building. It was a frustrating process, but persistence paid off and I finally found what I was looking for in Osborne Village. I moved here in August 1993.

The Village is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Canada. It is a melting pot for all generations, income levels and ethnic groups.

About the only thing I don't like about the area is the noise. It can get rather loud during street festivals or after bar hours on some nights, but given the proximity to services, stores, buses and friends, it is something that I have - for the most part - learned to ignore.

Sometimes I still miss the quiet and the peaceful solitude of the country.

Wolseley had that small town feeling of friendliness without nosiness. Garden City and Fort Garry were quiet but not close enough to services and had mediocre bus service - especially on weekends. Pembina wasn't bad, but the traffic was crazy at times. If I could drive, I'd probably think more about moving out of the city or at least to a quiet suburb.

Overall, I like where I am now. It feels like it is the right place for me to be. I have a nice apartment - small but comfortable at just under 500 sq. feet. I have a great view of the city. I can't see myself moving anytime soon, but have learned to never say never!

Sometimes I get the urge, to find a new place - mostly just for the sake of change - but it usually doesn't last. All I have to do is think about packing up 16 years of "stuff" and then unpacking it and learning my way around a new area. That is pretty much enough to squelch the moving bug!

It is hard to believe that I've been in the city half of my life. I've met a lot of interesting people. Some have become close friends. My life has changed a lot in 25 years. I redefined myself and reinvented myself. I've learned to adapt and to adjust in ways I never thought I would. I've grown up and hopefully matured - at least a little bit!

dn

Swine Flu Humour

H1N1 was formerly known as "Swine Flu". The new name was given since there is no real threat to humans who come in contact with pigs and/or eat pork products. However, the media and medical profession are still referring to it as "Swine Flu" so that the general population realizes that they are still talking about the same illness.

So are all the humourists, comedians and punsters out there. They are happier than a pig in mud to be hogging the hummour and having us poor humans squealing with laughter.

Here is just a sample of some of the humour that I've found in my emails and on line:

Question: What is the difference between Bird Flu and Swine Flu?

Answer: For bird flu you need tweetment, and for swine flu you need oinkment.

~*~*~

If you receive an email from the Department of Health telling you not to eat canned pork because of swine flu - ignore it.

It's just spam!!!

~*~*~

- Swine flu is spread by capitalist pigs.
- I had a bad day yesterday, I made a pig's ear of everything I tried.
- I think I have the swine flu. I have the sudden urge to eat bacon.
- I think I have swine flu: I've broken out in rashers.
- Will there be a mass outbreak of Human/Avian Swine flu? When pigs fly…
- Swine Fever is a song by Piggy Lee. (Peggy Lee had a hit with 'You give me fever')
- For a normal flu, we say "achoo", but for swine flu we say "achoink".

~*~*~

The Latest Pig Flu Movie Titles:

- Swinedler's List Pig Trouble In Little Mexico
- Silence of the Hogs
- In Ham's Way
- Babe: Death In The City
- Swiney Hog, Demon Butcher Of Fleet Street
- Memoirs Of A Butcher
- Snout Of Africa

- The Pig Sleep

- Swiney Todd

- Swine Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

- Days Of Swine And Roses

All will either star or be directed by Kevin Bacon

~*~*~

The turkeys have bird flu,
the cows have mad cow disease.
I am telling you boys...
unless you want to see more pork served on Thanksgiving,
we are going to have to get our own disease.

~*~*~
First celebrity casualty of swine flu now confirmed.

Direct contact with infected carrier suspected.

I knew that pig was nothing but trouble!!

~*~*~

If you wake up looking like this....

....don't go to work!

~*~*~

The evolution of man....

H1N1 is a serious illness and should be taken seriously with common sense precautions like frequent hand washing, coughing into your sleeve and staying home and away from people if you do feel sick or have a fever.

But at the same time, there is so much paranoia out there that it is hard to sort truth from fiction.

Am I worried about getting H1N1?

No - this guy has been flying around my apartment for almost 20 years and I'm fine!

dn

Autumn Is Here

For the last week or so, I have been hearing the Canada Geese honking as they begin their fall migration to the south. There is a hint of change in colour to the leaves and a feeling of change in the air. The crispness of fall is on the way.

Today, September 22, is the first day of fall. It officially begins at 4:18PM central.

I have always loved fall - it is my favourite season and I wish that the beauty of the season could last much longer than it does.

If you are lucky enough to live in a climate that has the spectacular colours of the fall foliage, please don't miss the opportunity to get out and enjoy Mother Nature's artistic paintbrush at work.

Even if you live in the city, there are lots of places to go and enjoy the array of colours. Take a walk down a tree lined street. Or a stroll through a nearby park. Get on a bus and go to a park if you can't walk there. If you drive, take a trip just outside the city and see the countryside in brilliant shades.

But whatever you do, don't miss the beauty while it is here....

dn

Fall TV

It's mid September and that means that it is time to start rolling out all the new series and the returning shows. When I was younger, this was always an exciting time of new beginnings. A time to see what kind of stories and plots had been created as well as seeing what changes were being made to returning shows and characters.

As I've grown older, I find that I am less and less enthused with each passing year. Am I getting jaded by countless rehashes of the same old concepts or just plain getting too old to care? Frankly. I think it is a bit of both. Advertisers are only interested in younger demographics so they really don't care what those of us over 50 think. That's a sad commentary on society and their values but I'm going to throw my two cents worth of opinions into the mix anyway!

I've taken a bit of a look at some of the new series that the networks are touting as the next big hit - and well for the most part, I'm glad I have a computer to occupy the time I used to spend watching TV. The networks aren't offering a lot of new series, but there are a handful that I think I'll check out.

Three Rivers is a medical drama that focuses on the surgeons and patients at a top transplant facility. The concept isn't completely new just narrowly focused. It may be interesting in a dramatic, touching, three hankie sort of way, but since it is scheduled against Desperate Housewives on ABC, it really doesn't have a long life span to look forward to unless it gets transplanted to a better time slot with less competition. Premiers October 4.

Community is a sitcom from NBC that features Chevy Chase and a few other known comedic actors. The premise: a group of misfit students form a study group at a small community college. Premiers September 17 on NBC and CityTV.

Hank stars Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) as a recently unemployed Wall Street CEO who relocates his family back to his small home town in Virginia while he plots his comeback. This fortune in reverse comedy has possibilities but it may be a little too close to home for a lot of viewers in this economy. Kelsey Grammer is a very talented actor, but he will always be best known as Frasier Crane and that could also be a problem. Hank premiers on September 30 on ABC.

ABC actually has a two hour block of comedies on Wednesday nights. The night kicks off with Hank, followed by The Middle (Patricia Heaton), Modern Family (Ed O'Neil, Julie Bowen) and Cougar Town (Courtney Cox Arquette, Christa Miller). None of them are really new concepts, but they all have big names in their casts and the lineup may prove to be interesting and good for a few laughs. These three premiere on September 23.

The network closes out the night with a one hour drama called Eastwick which is based on the successful book and 1987 movie The Witches Of Eastwick. Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Ray Newman; Lindsay Price and Paul Gross star, but even that combo may not be enough to cast a winning spell over audiences. Debuts Wednesday September 23.

Accidently on Purpose (CBS/CityTV) stars Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Gregg) as Billie, an older woman who has a one night stand with a boy toy (Jon Foster) and discovers she is pregnant. Zack, the boy toy, wants to be part of the babies life and they agree to move in together - platonically. Elfman, who is also pregnant in real life (Now that is timing!), is a talented actress and the show has a decent time slot between How I Met Your Mother and Two and a Half Men, but I'm not sure if I and the rest of the viewers can get past her as Dharma or the whole pregnancy and platonic relationship wrought with sexual tension plot. I'm willing to give it a shot though as I'll already have the TV on for How I Met Your Mother when they both debut on September 21.

The Good Wife is about the only show that is getting almost all positive buzz. It stars Julianna Margulies (ER) as the wife of a fallen political husband. His scandals land him in jail and she is forced to pick herself up from the embarrassment and return to her former career as a defense attorney. The cast also includes Christine Baranski (Cybil) as a senior member of the law firm. The Good Wife premiers Tuesday September 22 on CBS and GlobalTV.

So much for the new shows. My guess is that several of these and others will be gone by January - if not sooner.

There aren't a lot of returning shows that I'm still watching. One of my former favourites - Without A Trace - didn't get renewed by CBS, but here is a look at what I will still be tuning into this fall.

Criminal Minds left us with a cliffhanger that no one saw coming. The profilers had just returned from a grueling case. Hotch (Thomas Gibson) walked into his apartment and was greeted by a masked man shooting a gun at him. There have been no real signs that he is leaving the show and it is highly unlikely that a lead character would be killed off - although stranger things have happened - but my guess is that he will live to tell the tale. Criminal Minds returns on Wednesday, September 23 on CBS and CTV.

Desperate Housewives returns on ABC and CTV Sunday September 27. The final scene of last season was Mike and a veiled bride at the alter. Was it Susan or Katherine? Apparently a stand in was used for that scene and neither woman was present, but both have been spotted in wedding dresses on the set for the upcoming season so Mark Cherry is keeping us guessing. Personally, I hope it is Susan that gets Mike. We also learned that Lynette - who had just returned to work - found out she is pregnant AGAIN! Tom had been playing house husband and debating his future. Gabby, Carlos, Bree, Orson and the rest of Wisteria Lane residents will all be back and I'm looking forward to seeing what juicy plots Mark Cherry has cooked up for us this year!

Survivor, kicks off another season with 20 castaways on September 17. CBS and GlobalTV have been promoting the season like crazy with the promise of the biggest Villain in Survivor history. From what I've seen and read, the villain in question - Russell - makes Richard Hatch and Johnny Fair-Play look like amateurs! On his first night there, he tells his tribe that he was living in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The story is a total lie, but he plays it for all its worth to gain the sympathy and trust of the tribe.

I've watched Survivor from season 1. Some seasons, I've watched more closely than others. The network has tried to keep the series fresh by adding new twists and locations, but frankly the concept is getting tired. I'm just not sure I want to sit through another season of lying, cheating backstabbers all in the name of a million dollars and 15 minutes of fame.

Amazing Race on the other hand is still a guilty pleasure. Sure there have been teams I've hated and then cheered when they were eliminated, but there is always at least one team every season that I really want to win like Season 14's Margie and Luke (mother and deaf son) who finished in third. Season 15 kicks off on Sunday September 27 on CBS and CTV.

How I Met Your Mother, is going into season 5 on September 21 (CBS/CityTV). Ted takes on a teaching job in architecture and is yet to meet "The Mother". Marshall and Lily are contemplating starting a family. Barney and Robin have finally admitted their feelings for each other, but given how commitment phobic these two are don't expect a smooth ride.

Obviously, I have only listed the shows that I found interesting, but you can check out full reviews and schedules at TVGuide.ca or go to each of the networks to read the buzz on each show and view video clips for some shows.

ABC CBS NBC Fox CW CBC CityTV CTV Global

dn

dn's Oatmeal and Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one of my favourite cookie recipes! It is perfect for school/work lunches and it freezes well. Like most of my recipes, this delicious cookie recipe has been slightly modified from the original. You can find the original version on page 101 of "The Search For The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie" by Gwen Steege

dn's Oatmeal and Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup quick cooking, rolled oats
1 1/4 cups brown/golden sugar, firmly packed
1 cup block margarine, softened
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup FAT FREE sour cream
4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sultana raisins, washed, rinsed and dried (I wash them to remove any grit/sand from the commercial drying process then lay them on a paper towel to air dry for an hour or so)
1 cup chopped almonds

- Combine flours, soda and salt.
- Stir in oats and set aside.
- Cream sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Stir in dry ingredients just until blended.
- Stir in sour cream and mix just until blended.
- Mix in chips, raisins and nuts.
- Drop by heaping teaspoons onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
- Bake in 350F oven for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.
- Carefully slide the parchment paper and hot cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

Yields 9 to 10 dozen delicious cookies.

Freezes well.

Note; if you don't have a stand mixer this recipe is better cut in half to prevent overworking the moter of a hand mixer.

Enjoy!

dn

School And The Teachers Who Taught Me - Part 3

Continued from September 1, 2009 and September 5, 2009

Art, Music and French were optional after Grade 9. I dropped them all. Art wasn't really that much fun even though the teacher was a bit eccentric. Music was interesting, but it was focused on band music and learning an instrument. When we first started music in junior high, the teacher - a former symphony conductor - and supposed descendant of a renowned classical composer - had looked at all our hands, lips and body types to determine what instrument we should learn. He didn't care if that what wasn't what we were interested in - it was what he believed we would be suited for. I was given a clarinet. I didn't mind that too much, but I had wanted to learn the saxophone. He informed me that there was no room in a real orchestra for a lowly saxophone. Reading the music while attempting to coordinate my fingers on a clarinet wasn't working for me. The second music teacher was a lot more open minded and I probably would have kept going, but he only stayed a year. His replacement was somewhere between the two, but I had enough classes to keep me busy so I dropped it.

I do regret dropping French, but I was having enough trouble with History, Science, Phys. Ed and mastering the spelling and sentence structure of English - all of which were required subjects - let alone learning another language as an option!

Once we were in high school, all the students were required to take either home economics (cooking and sewing) or industrial arts (woodworking, electronics/mechanics and graphic arts). Of course being a country area school, this was almost strictly gender divided. By Grade 10, we were allowed to choose, but norms were rarely crossed.

As a female, I of course took Home Ec. The year was divided into two sections. Half the year would be spent in cooking and the other half in sewing. My grandmother had been a home economist, and she and my mom taught me many of the basics. I had also been in 4H for several years during elementary school. Home Ec. was a natural for me - at least part of it was! I enjoyed the cooking much more than the sewing, but I had a really great relationship with the sewing teacher. She didn't pressure me or push me beyond my abilities. She judged my work fairly and allowed others to help me with things like threading needles or seeing really small print for patterns. I made a pair of plaid pants in Grade 8. In Grade 9, I made a skirt and top. In Grade 10, we were allowed to create our own designs or make something completely different. I made a bean bag chair. That was harder than it sounds and I'll write about that someday.

Anyways, even though I didn't really like sewing - and haven't touched a needle and thread since - I really liked the teacher. She was easy to talk to, a good listener and a level sounding board for our teenage angst. I often went to talk to her after school and think of her as one of the best teachers I ever had. She met her husband while teaching there - he was also a teacher and together they spent their entire teaching careers at that school. They just retired a year or so ago.

I didn't ace all of my courses, but I did pass everything. I was exempt from writing final exams from Grade 8 through 12 and graduated with honours. It took a lot of hard work, but I couldn't have done it without some fantastic teachers who took that extra step to bring the subjects alive or to help a student better understand the subject.

Teachers are greatly under appreciated, overworked and underpaid. Sure they get the summers off, but many take upgrading courses over the summer or work on their curriculum for the coming year. During the year, they spend countless hours doing preparation and grading. Many volunteer their time for extra curricular activities in sports, arts, clubs and any other number of interests to the students.

They are there to shape our minds and prepare us for life beyond the classroom. Some are obviously gifted at what they do and make learning an enjoyable experience. Others, well, you can't help but wonder why they became teachers.

The trick is to be a sponge and absorb everything you can while you can and not to let the tough ones discouraging you from doing your best.

So to all my teachers - thanks! Ya done good!

dn

School And The Teachers Who Taught Me - Part 2

continued from September 1, 2009

My first elementary school science teacher was tough. He really didn't like explaining things twice. He had a short fuse and was known to yell or make you feel very stupid for being late for class, unprepared/late homework, or asking him to explain something again. Science was never one of my better subjects, so that made it a little bit rough to say the least. For the most part, I stayed off of his radar, but I also was not one of his favourites. He didn't waste much time with me and that was fine by me as long as I passed. Even in high school, science was a hard course for me. In fact, if I hadn't gone to the Grade 9 teacher for extra tutoring, I never would have passed! He actually used to tell me when he was planning a quiz so that I could do extra studying. His help really made a difference. I took a very simple science course in Grade 10 - Physical Science 101. It was an intro combo of all the sciences - Physics, Biology and Chemistry. The teacher was good, but also a bit of a slacker as there were only 5 of us in the class. It was the only time I actually enjoyed science - and the last time I took it as it wasn't compulsory after that unless you were in university courses. I passed that one with a C+!

History was another one of those subjects that I just didn't get. It takes a special kind of teacher to make it come alive and feel real or relevant. I passed, but it took a lot of extra work. Grade 10 History 101 was a bit better as the teacher made it more interesting by relating stories rather than straight facts. The problem for me was that he said we needed a B average to get out of writing the final exam. He had made that clear early in the year - keep your grades up to a "B" or you write the final exam in June. Near the end of the year, I was getting a little nervous as I was on the border line. I knew the teacher had a sense of humour, so I caught a "bee" in a jar and went to see him after classes one day. I said; "Sir, we need a 'B' to pass right?" He said yes. I pulled out the jar with the "bee" in it and said: "Here's my 'bee' - do I pass?" He doubled over laughing. He said that wasn't exactly what he meant, but assured me that I was close enough to the mark that he wasn't going to make me write the exam! Phew!

One of my best friends was also worried about her science mark, so I lent her my "bee". She took it to our science teacher. He laughed even harder and assured her that he wasn't writing an exam for only one or two out of the five of us, so she passed as well! Amazing what a little creative thinking can do!

English was okay I guess, but it wasn't a simple course for me either. I could write stories/poetry, do book reviews and contribute to class discussions of books/literature but my grasp of grammar rules was pathetic. I couldn't tell what a dangling participle was or identify some parts of the sentence. I was lousy at spelling and identifying misplaced punctuation. Then there was my penmanship which even I had trouble reading! My marks weren't great, but I always passed with at least a C.

I tried taking typing in Grade 10, but that was a disaster. My left eye is the good one and yet the tables were all set up with the typing books on the right side. I had to do a contortionist routine to even see the book. The teacher finally managed to set up a special desk for me, but the type was still pretty small. There were no large print editions available. At the end of the year, she let me take a typing test from near the beginning of the book so that I could get my minimum 25 words/minute to pass with a D+. That was the lowest final grade I ever got in all 12 years of school.

In Grade 11, I took a current history course that was actually interesting. It focused on the last 50 - 60 years. We started at WW1 and worked our way up to the Vietnam war and Watergate. In Grades 10 and 11, I took business principles and an economics course. The teachers made the courses interesting - even though I really don't remember anything I learned!

Math was always an easy subject for me - it was always my A subject - but a lot of other students really struggled to get the basics. The teachers really make a difference in how they approach it. One of my junior high teachers was a no nonsense, by the book, old school teacher who taught by methods and formulas. If you didn't grasp the concept you were really in trouble and she let you know it. Luckily most of the teachers were pretty good at finding unique ways to relate the concepts and most kids were able to pass with at least a C.

dn

September 9 - the conclusion of my tales from school

School And The Teachers Who Taught Me - Part 1

Forty five years ago this fall, I started school. I could have started the year before, as my birthday was right near the cutoff point for that year, but my parents decided to wait that extra year to give my eyes a little more time to develop. When I started in September 1964, there was no kindergarten offered in our school division, so I started in Grade 1.

Our elementary school was Grades 1 - 8. Each grade had two home rooms. Once we got to about Grade 3, we would switch rooms for some classes such as art and music. By Grade 5 we were switching three or four times/day depending on the subject. The classrooms were all either next door to each other or across the hall, so it wasn't a big deal - just a semi unruly bunch of kids passing in the hall while the teachers tried to keep our volume to a dull roar. The Grades 1 - 3 were in the oldest part of the school, while the Grades 4 - 8 were in a newer edition. The sections were divided by what used to be an old gymnasium that had been converted to the lunchroom and small assembly room for guest speakers and watching school films. The newest addition to the school was a gymnasium - quite modern for early 1960's. It was also used as an assembly hall and school dances for the upper grades. We never had a school library, rather each classroom had a few shelves of age appropriate books for us to read.

I don't remember a lot about those first few years. I can't quite recall all the teachers names, but I do remember that they were very kind, compassionate and understanding. One thing that did strike many of us kids as odd was that until about Grade five, all of our previous home room teachers retired or left the division after our class went through! I don't think we were that bad as kids, but then again some of the little darlings could be quite a handful. Not me of course! I was a perfect child. (Stop laughing!) Actually the grade 1 teacher was an older lady - a widow - who was close to retirement anyway. The next three were all young single women who left to get married. Most married women weren't working in those days.

By the time we hit Grade 5 we had specific teachers for art, music, French and physical education. In Grades 6 and 7 we had teachers for science, history, math and English as well. I don't recall if we still had art and music in those grades but I do recall that there was a choir we could join and of course I did!

In 1971, the same year I reached Grade 8, a very large edition had been built and was ready for use at the local high school. It was now a huge school with a large library/study hall, a full size gymnasium, science labs, business/office department, industrial arts and home economics. There were three large open air areas for English, Math and History. Each area was subdivided, by portable blackboards, into four classrooms. There was a band room and a full sized theater with graduated level seating for 350 people in plush chairs with pull up writing tables on the right arm. That area could be divided into three sections for additional classroom space or additional seating could be added for performances and assemblies. The theater boasted a raised stage, lighting panel and other necessities for putting on full theatrical performances.

So, in September 1971, the Grade 7 and 8 classes were moved to the new high school. It was a whole new universe with grades 7 - 12 and over 650 students from all over the division.

It is important how much effort you put into your studies, but some subjects just don't come easily for even the best of students. The teachers can make all the difference in how well you do and how much you actually learn in any given course or subject. Some teachers were great and some - well - left a lot to be desired. I had more good teachers than bad, but there were a few that I really could have done without. There were also a few that I couldn't have passed courses without their help and understanding

Physical Education was never a good class for me. I was very uncoordinated and couldn't do a lot of the sports that other kids could do. Until about Grade 3, our home room teachers would take us to the gym for exercises and games. The first full time phys. ed. teacher started working with the kids at about Grade 4. He was a real by the book drill sergeant type. If you couldn't meet the minimum standards you were on his hit list and he worked you harder. I tried to talk to him, but he didn't get it. I think it was the principal that finally intervened along with my mom over one parents day meeting, but he did let up on me a bit. I passed but hated phys. ed after that.

In high school we were only required to take Phys. Ed. through Grade 10. The teachers were actually pretty understanding of my abilities (and lack thereof). I was close to failing in Grade 10 - I had a D- by early May. The teacher had given several tests through the year which involved knowing rules for various sports and other basic physical education stuff she had taught. She told me that she would let me rewrite all of those tests. If I got and A in all of them she would pass me. If I didn't, I would have to repeat the whole Grade 10 class while I was in Grade 11. Talk about incentive! I passed them all and never took Physical Education again!

dn

September 5 and Septembr 9: More tales from my school years!