She's Got You

Seven Wonders of the World

Old Man Winter Hanging On

I believe yesterday, March 21st, was supposed to be the first day of spring.
You would not know it as a blizzard chugs its way across the province.
I had hoped to go to Regina yesterday so we could get our 72 page edition into the hands of advertisers and non advertisers alike but with weather conditions being what they were, I postponed my Regina trip to mid week. Instead I went down to
Swift Current and conditions down there were pretty bad. North of Swift Current two cars in front of me took the ditch and had to begin the long wait for a tow truck.
You wonder why people just don't slow down a bit in these kind of conditions.
Are they invinceable or what? My fear is that one of the never slow down 4 x 4 drivers will take me out with them.
The blizzard is worse today with bad driving conditions right across the South and numerous reports of cars and even semi's in the ditch. Like I said why don't they just slow down?

The Story Behind The Picture of The Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.

Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!

~Source Unknown~

God Is A Great Safety Net

This issue the publication I work with, and used to own tied an all time record for page count with 72 pages of sold advertising. What makes this even more satisfying is that the old 72 page paper that we produced years ago was done on a half price sale where this issue March 7, 2011 it is all paid for regular price advertising. Makes an enormous difference.
It is hard to believe that this May 2011 I will be starting my 31st year with Saskatchewan FarmLIFE. God has been so great over the years as working on straight commission, owning the business and not having the safety net of unemployment insurance or pension benefits we have been blessed.
Actually this has been kind of an amazing year although I guess we should never be amazed at what God can do. Tim got into employment with Corrections Canada which is what he had gone to school for, what seems like a long time ago in Lethbridge.
Jennifer will be graduating in April and returning home to Saskatoon to work for a law firm which really is an answer to prayer.
Ottawa was just so far away. It will be good to have her home and have family bar b ques with Louise, Tim & Karla and Jennifer.
Louise also has a great job with the Credit Union and has had an amazing year with sales. So we are thankful for God for all his blessings and what he has done for us. Something we never want to take for granted.

Time Flies

It is hard to believe that it is almost three years since we said goodbye to Jennifer and she began her three year course in the study of law at the University of Ottawa. Now she will graduate and begin work with a law firm in Saskatoon in the middle of May. Her official graduation is June 12th so we will in all liklihood be making a final trip to Ottawa for the graduation ceremonies. At the end of April, Louise and I will be flying to Ottawa and then beginning the long drive back to Saskatoon. Jennifer will fly back a couple of days later. One nice thing is that we have hired a professional moving company to move her things back to Saskatoon as I am still waiting for word on my kidney surgery and may not be able to do any heavy lifting for awhile. Surgery was supposed to be in February but that didn't happen and nobody seems to know when it will be. Kind of nerve wracking as you wait for it but thats the way it goes with our much in need of improvement health care.

Long Winter

It's been a long winter with too much snow. Even the deer are finding it tough
going.