Why Watson?

 Dear Watson,

You have been on my mind since December 26- 27, 2024, when I was welcomed into your home, in Meadows West, as if ten years hadn't passed since our 25 year relationship.

Although it was a very short visit and, as I had made clear to you, when I asked for a 'bed' for that night... that, I was trying to contact my sons Scott, Tyler, and Jordan. 

I am using your maiden name because I know how you value your privacy as I value mine greatly. I am just fine with people knowing that I wrote The Orchard Walk- El Dueck. After all, how would I sell any copies of my novel otherwise?

Wasn't your daughter 9 years old when we first connected and went to a Christian Women's Club evening in Kildonan Park? Is she 45 now? My, how time has passed.

I think I mentioned that I now live where you grew up. I haven't found anyone, from this town, who knew your family but, if I do, I will ask them to show me where you lived, on the farm, or was it just in the country? It is always interesting to see where people grow up, isn't it? If the people who pointed out a house of the old pastor at Maranatha are correct, that is a tiny little house that also produced a local politician. I also found out that those two brothers attended a church, here, where I attended for one year-ish.

I am reaching out, to you, to ask if you have visited my sons and checked on their well- being. I know as a friend of 25 years it is not your responsibility. It is my responsibility to do that and, I can assure you, I contact often to see if they are alright.

Did you ever contact my sister, Eva? Didn't I give you her email address 12 years ago? I wondered if you ever made a connection with her. Let me know if you did. 

Come visit me, in Dauphin, where you used to live. Almost nobody knows their way here. It is so far out of the city of Winnipeg. Truly, I hope to move back to Winnipeg with my husband but no opportunity has yet been provided for us. I do believe we would be so much more helpful to my children, in Winnipeg. Don't you think so as well?

                                                                                        Elfrieda 

Right Living

 I've been here four years and I have no income. 

Dauphin is not the place to be if you are looking for a living.

My sons are in need of phones. The only phone call that came through yesterday was from J. Cross... it used to be Dueck. The person was not able to speak. 

So, I am awaiting money from people who owe me. 3 Donegal Bay still owes me a lot.

I hear Scott was black and blue yesterday and Tobias, my grandson, had a big lump on his head. I will need confirmation of that. Heidi can call me and let me know if she can corroborate that. 

I hear one person went to prison for that. He'd better stay there. I heard there are two more, or three more, suspects. They will be called as witnesses or sentenced as the truth comes out.

Scott needs glasses. His old Tacoma is running rough. Alan said he'll help. That better be true. If Scott had been paid for volunteer hours, in churches, he'd have his house paid for, a new vehicle, a retirement fund and safety in his life. 

I heard Ray and Eva took Scott's computer. Why?

Food... they need food because people who don't have the ability to see, can't work.

I heard Tyler can't work. Why are my sons so broken?

That may be Jordan as well. Liam has been withheld a visit for so long... since November 9, 2024. That has really worried me.

The pastors, and churches, we have sat and listened to, in Winnipeg, for 40 years, better do more than 'say a prayer.' If that's all we had done, they certainly wouldn't have had events and fundraisers.

My current husband is almost never available to drive to Winnipeg, with me, so that is a huge danger, for me, each time I do it.

  Investigate...

Time to investigate what has happened in the last 12 years. I'm following the advice of someone who said I should do this. 

Wish me well! 

Update at 4:12

I was unsuccessful finding my sons and grandsons yesterday but I am, of course, fully planning to drive all the way back to Winnipeg to make sure my sons have refuge in a house where I live because that has always been the safest place for them. 

So, Ray G., this is Elfrieda G.D., can you call me if you are driving this way or if I have to pick up?

A- Z Investigate

 Investigate...

Time to investigate what has happened in the last 12 years. I'm following the advice of someone who said I should do this. 

Wish me well! 

Update at 4:12

I was unsuccessful finding my sons and grandsons yesterday but I am, of course, fully planning to drive all the way back to Winnipeg to make sure my sons have refuge in a house where I live because that has always been the safest place for them. 

So, Ray G., this is Elfrieda G.D., can you call me if you are driving this way or if I have to pick up?

Countdown

 I was telling my husband, just this morning...

"As soon as I get a call saying my house is ready, in Winnipeg, and the money that decent people donated, to myself, is secure for me to use and help those I really want to help,... we will move to Winnipeg."

I thought someone sent a photo of one of my quilts and a donation was made for that... in my name... confirm please.

Ray or Dave may have the information I need. 

Somebody said Sara is stealing me blind but, a sister wouldn't do that! Sometimes ex- church people are very bad gossips. 

We are Christians. That is probably just a rumour about Sara stealing. Wouldn't that be just as crazy as saying Eva is stealing... or Mary? And my brothers, which of them would steal from me? Come on!

I think we would be much more valuable in Winnipeg, my husband and I. Winnipeg is fairly small, really. I miss that city. 40 years I have lived there already; must be time to enter the promised land.  

Family Problems

 It has been rumoured that three sisters of Elfrieda have hosted events for over ten years that, somehow, were not events that they had a right to host.

It is being required of Mary, Sara, and Eva to give an account of their activities in the past 12 years if they had anything to do with relationships from the Meadows West women. 

It is possible that they were conned into doing illegal activities but I, as their youngest sister, Elfrieda, am willing for them to prove that they have meant me no harm and that my children have been treated with the utmost respect and protected against any outside forces of financial extortion or physical threat and harm.

I am very sure that all of my brothers and sisters would never allow my children to be harmed for the sake of money in their bank accounts. This would simply not be a Christian thing to do, ever. So, the rumours that have proliferated must be torn apart and investigated and put to rights.

I will not allow any 'bad press' about myself or my children or grandchildren and I am sure my Christian siblings would not create any bad press or allow others to physically attack my children in their homes or in any of the family homes.

My concern for the well- being of my sons and their children is the focus of my thoughts every day. 

I welcome all evidence that my children are healthy and well and that they are financially doing as well as they were when they lived at home, with me, and all had a vehicle and a down payment for a house within a year of getting married. The oldest son had his down payment before he left the family home.

I will not abide reputational slurs from anyone. Proof of financial gain or loss will need to come in the form of financial bank statements. 

My children and grandchildren are all welcome in my home, to stay safely, as we work out all these problems.

If Ray and Dave, Eva's and Sara's husbands, respectively, would like to drive my children to my house, in Dauphin, or if they have a house, for me, Elfrieda, in Winnipeg, I would like to be contacted today to know that my children are very safe and sound and absolutely protected.

I choose to count on my family to prove their verity in this situation with regards to qualifying their activities and the safety of my personal family, my sons and their children.

Family

 Who is your family?

I gave birth to three children, so they are my family. Those relationships don't ever change. I am their mother. They are my children.

It was my responsibility to take care of them and keep them safe into adulthood.

Like a bird that wants to leave the nest, some children leave too soon. Two years in a row, here, in the back yard, birds have either left the nest too soon or the mother pushed them too early. I actually can't tell you which way it went but each year, a young bird has died because our dogs attack it when it squawks and if it can't get back in the nest... it is no match for big dogs. 

Moral of that happening... birds have to be strong enough to fly when they leave the nest or they are in mortal danger. I was cycling, two weeks ago, and another flightless bird was hopping on the road, oblivious to the danger... I shooed the bird into a bush and just as I turned my back, a cat was stalking it.

So, parenting is hard work. I have seven brothers and sisters and, I can assure you, we all had slightly different, or maybe even, vastly different parenting styles.

I would never have treated my children in one way my folks thought was acceptable and that was... we were often required to play outside for most of the day so we wouldn't mess up the house. Let me just say that I really hated that! Who wants to be playing outside when it's deathly hot and we might get heat stroke? That is crazy! I think that old school iron rod parenting went out of style a long time ago. If anybody did that today, they would be charged with cruelty.

Then there was that... Saturday bath day thing... My prayer, every day was... can we have Saturday every day... as I used the sink to wash everything I could, my hair and body and feet. How many people can even get their feet into a sink? So, my childhood memories of bathing have transformed me into a 'cleanie' that takes one to three baths a day. It's a little like backlash against a bad system... I didn't like that so now I have all the baths I want... every day. I also made sure my sons had their own bathroom that was very swanky manly so I didn't have to share their space. No fighting or squabbling when you provide the right home living conditions.

I don't remember my sister Eva washing her hair every day. I'll have to ask her. We always had to catch the same bus so my hair was always wet.

My sister- in- law Anita complained that my brother Neil had to wash his hair every day and I looked at her silently and thought... yes, that's the way we should do things... that's hygienic. 

So, these were problems, in childhood, that we all worked out in adulthood when we were no longer under the old folks' old- timers' rules. 

My best advice is to always upgrade your living as you can afford and, because we are intelligent and have the capacity to see what is best, create the optimum environment for your family. That is what you, surely, want them to remember you by.