Telephone curse

If you knew how many people have told me that my phones don't work... it is almost unbelievable. So, last month I paid $120.00 for six months of phone service for one of my phones. One month later, when I tried to make a phone call, the nonsense message said I didn't have enough minutes to make a call. 

The next day I trudged back to the store and the same man who had sold me the $120.00 cash- six- month- service insisted that I had used data. Well, I don't ever use data on this phone because my eyes are not good enough to see anything on such a small screen so... I also thought I clearly stated that I only wanted talk and text on this phone so how do I then have a bunch of data charges? He showed me the screen and I thought... no blooming way that is my phone account. 

So, then I said... I never 'google' anything on my phone so can data be accessed if you don't have data on your account? That's when he showed me the screen of 'multiple' expensive charges. 

I looked at him with quite a bit of suspicion. I wonder if my phone service is as bad as the kers (curse) lake service... you know when you go to the lake and you curse the terrible phone service!

So, then he said, 'Give me another $20 dollars and then you'll get another month of service. Well, if I give him another $20 every month it's like paying double. 

Is it just me or do other people think 'small town rip- offs' are commonplace petty theft? I really hope that guy knows what he's doing. I can't afford this feeling of someone 'double- dipping.'

One more thing... since the button was turned off for the 'accidental data usage,' I can't send a text... it just bounces back and says 'not sent.'

Family note- could everyone make sure Scott isn't getting beat up by crazy relatives or anyone else. You can't believe the rumours coming this way. Neil, or Dave, or Ray, if you can find out if there is someone in Scott's life that has put a restraining order out on him, and his wife and his son. Someone said that a person they are not in good relationship with did that so I wouldn't come check to see if he is safe. You are good at investigating these things. I believe the person who did this, is likely wanting to hurt him and keeping people away from his house would be the perfect way to really do bad things. Don't you agree? Wouldn't that be something we call premeditated?

My Home

 I think my sons may have been safe last night... possibly my grandchildren too. 

My 28 plus years home is still a very special memories place for me. I am waiting to hear if it is available for me. I would certainly love to be there before the cold winter winds set in. I would also like to spend time there with any of my sons who are ill so we can catch up on the lost years when others were controlling our lives and very bad things did, indeed, happen.

I have a new phone number that ends in 90. I just have to get a phone that can actually make a call and receive a call. 

My novel, that I wrote in that long time home, will always be my legacy. It has such a life to it. I always say, it was truly inspired by God... every day and year I worked on it and produced this finished written work and self- published it. And then... created blankets, some call them quilts, to really make it real.

I hear my son has something for me that I really need, really, really need. So, I will be  so happy to get that good news.

Define Danger

 Dear Elfrieda,

I have a friend who has come to my place for sleepovers since she was 3 years old. She is now over 40. I am concerned about the lives she has ruined because of her tantrums and out- of- control behaviour. She has a son and a husband but she thinks nothing of abandoning them to come and be taken care of, by me. Recently, she confessed that she took out a protection order to keep her sons' mother away from their home. The sons' mom would bring things to their home to try to keep in touch with him and his son. She has a strange because I married him, I own him mentality. She has controlled every aspect of his life except being a real wife... the kind that cooks, cleans, and protects the home front. She confessed that both her husband and son have been raped. I can't even sleep thinking about the danger they are in. Her husband was working for a very bad company and the men who are employed with that disaster have stolen from him and beaten him. I am not sure why she doesn't take out a protection order against these people. I am so worried about her son. He just isn't living a normal life. The husband gets pushed around every time he tries to make a sandwich. The situation is untenable. I am a very patient person but even I am becoming rather cross with the whole situation. How do I tell her to grow up? How can I help her get the abusive people out of their home and get her back on track with Christian values?

                                                                                                                        Cross Rhonda

Dear Cross Rhonda,

You sound like a very reliable and concerned person. Most people don't use the old- fashioned term being cross with someone. I like that. Most people say... I am so mad, I can't stand her... he pisses me off... very low- classed vernacular. 

You must encourage her to make sure the bedrooms are safe... no visitors are ever to be allowed, in the house, that would enter a bedroom. People like that are never safe. Have you a copy of the very helpful book 'Boundaries?' I read that book over 20 years ago and it is still so valid. This is probably where that household needs to be re- ordered to safety.

A home is where a family lives in peace and safety and the people in your home should be the ones you can count on no matter what. Even verbal fighters are a threat. Most verbal insulters are instigators. They say things like... you're so ugly, you're fat, they laugh with derision, they're usually lacking in IQ so their fighting style reminds you of a playground of bullies instead of intellectual grown- ups. 

You should tell your friend that taking out restraining or protection orders against people who are the safe ones and when these people are trying to help them, this is going to backfire on her when she really needs help. If she teaches her son to lie, like she is lying, her son is going to be in that terrible situation 'like the boy who cried wolf.' If she is trying to ruin the reputation of decent people she may be taken to court for her slanderous suggestive accusations.

Why doesn't she fight the people who are actually bad in her life? Ask her directly if she took out a restraining order or a protection order? Is it possible someone else did this? Is it possible there are people trying to lock them away and keep their abuse private? Is someone taking out restraining orders and protection orders and putting their names on them to make sure nobody goes to their homes to rescue them? Do ask these questions immediately so this can be resolved.

                                                            Think clearly, ask directly, and act wisely

Phone Problems

 Neil, (he's the oldest male in the Guenter family so he is most responsible for any and all injurious issues) is my son Scott's arm broken? Can you find out if anyone has been abusive in his life? You should be able to find out. You like being the oldest responsible person, don't you?

Thank you. 

Little sister Elfrieda

They say my phone just doesn't work way out here. 

Group?

 I volunteer to pick up my sons and their children anytime so they can have a safe place to live. I can't even count how many messages I have sent to each of them to say... 

"Come here and be safe." 

"You can have all and any food you want here."

"Our home is very humble but you would be safe here."

I haven't seen Ray (I think he may have put a block on his phone. I may have tried to contact his wife Eva after that but I don't think she had seen much of my children just as I never see hers either.) and Dave since October 2024 and I drove into Winnipeg for that little meeting. Their wives, my sisters, were having a bid of a snit. Well, only one was having a fit that day.

Family... you can never know precisely what their behaviour will be like... is it old age? 

Ray had a confession to make but we ran out of time so he could call so we can get that sorted out. If you knew how many confessions I have heard in life. 

Some confessions are good... like... Well, you, Elfrieda, had a lot of money and I put it away for you so the family you married into wouldn't steal it. Some confessions are bad... like... Well, Elfrieda, you could have a house and money but we steal it every day because we withhold information from you. Some confessions make me mad... like... your sons have had their phones taken from them so many times so us oldies can find out who sends them messages and what is being said.

Then there's all the outlaw behaviour of in- laws. Two of those families have found a way to steal so much money, I don't think I'm going to be in a group with those people.

T & C stole a house but nobody wants to talk about that... Pastors!

Somebody said Scott needs glasses and his hearing has become diminished due to trauma. I've heard of cutting someone out of a group but this physical cutting is never going to be hidden. We will uncover each cut and find the culprit.

Jordan is thinking of living with a very safe family and he is very welcome to live here... he has a Christian attitude toward humble surroundings. I've heard he's had a lot of cutting. That better be a rumour. If not, you know we have laws against cutting. My grandson can come here, too, if he has been cut. My grandson has been coached to lie by the group he was put in but I have encouraged him to always tell the truth. There is a rumour that 'Sara the mental institution cutter' has been put in a group with Liam. This is most perturbing but, let's not confuse that Sara with my sister Sara.

The only thing we've experienced, here, that was really confusing and very bad... were the police doing weird stuff with paperwork I have never seen in my whole life. I still haven't read it and I certainly don't  know who would have sent such b.s. 

So, I don't know what people are doing in 'groups' but I haven't been in a group for 30 or more years. Well, I was in a 'group' at Riverwood where we were to discuss 'things that drive you crazy.' I was a little astounded at one young woman who had so much parent hatred, I thought, I can't be in a group with someone like you. Her poor little kids were caught in her maelstrom of hatred and I thought... this mess belongs to t.

So, I'm still here, way too far away from Winnipeg to be of any help to my sons unless they call! 

God's blessings on our messes!

Protection

     Since February 5, 2025, I have had an uphill battle trying to protect my grandson and, if necessary, his father, my son. I put in a victim report for my sons' address so the Winnipeg police would go see if he was safe. 

If I suspected victimization in any of my sons' homes, I would not hesitate in doing this again.

I had never done that before, in life, but one never knows what kind of situation people get into after they get married.

There was a rumour circulating, a few years ago, in the family, that a grandma was taking a daughter- in- law to court for visiting rights of her grandchildren. At the time, I thought, that is so extreme. What kind of lunacy has created this situation? Well, the lunacy was what the mother had done to create the situation. Apparently, she had moved out of the house she and her husband were living in and, somehow, hidden her children from the grandmother. I hope I never have to resort to this type of legal action.

So, I'm still waiting for paperwork from an attack upon my personhood that caused me such a terrible life situation, I exercised my legal rights to 'disagree' with someone, after enduring a horrific assault on my legal rights in home invasion by local police and ensuing forced blood tests and then a string of people calling themselves professionals asking me personal questions. At the time, I thought, whatever you do, don't move to this small town. I don't think they know anything about human rights. 

My human rights, in the situation earlier this year, were so violated I am astounded that any person would advocate for this type of brutality. I was forced to stay in a rather uncomfortable place. I am a law abiding citizen so I complied to this violation of my human rights. 

The first thing I did was ask if there was a library. I was, almost immediately, granted my request. I took out one novel. I skimmed it, didn't like the brutal descriptions of crime, by the writer very famous writer and returned it to the library the next day. I then scanned the bookshelves and saw a title that seemed fitting for my situation... 'Unfit to Practice' and 'Revenge of a Middle- aged Woman.' I spent the next few days reading those books.

I spent three days, forcibly confined, without clean clothes, my own shampoo, my own toothpaste and toothbrush, all the normal life accoutrements, from my home, when I am undisturbed in my peaceable life. I showered with the horrible products they gave me and put my dirty clothes on each day until my husband took time off of work to bring me my clean underwear and clothing, etcetera. Then, I endured the most astounding threat I have ever received. After, once again, forcibly, taking my blood, it was suggested that I try some medication. Now, of course, these people did not know that I do not do well with almost any drug. (I received the wrong medication during surgery, one time, and I puked for five hours after. It was just a day surgery.) So, in order to satisfy the 'people in charge' I agreed to try two pills only of a different variety each. The next morning I could hardly get out of bed, I was so dizzy I almost fell on the way to the bathroom. After speaking with the man in charge I said I was not taking medication for a condition I don't have to experience a bad drug reaction. He, intelligently, gave me the right to say 'no' to drugs. Unfortunately, he didn't inform the other staff and, when I was alone in my room, with no witnesses to protect me, a very large Neanderthal- sized woman came to give me this bad medication. When I informed her that I wouldn't be taking it because it was terrible for me, she replied, 'We can inject you, you know.' I believe her name may have been Jen. I told her I would take legal action against her and the organization should that ever happen to me.

So, one thing I would like to inform people who lie and subvert the truth and try to set up a God- fearing, law abiding citizen, myself most certainly, is this; what you sow, you will reap.

Now, I know there are rash, out- of- control behaviour people who have used words like... she's emo, an overly sensitive emotional person. I really do not like that lingo. It suggests all kinds of subculture influences that I would not accept as a reasonable defense against staying in control of oneself. A number of weeks ago, my grandsons' mother had one of those 'emotional moments' when I dropped in to return a little bit of money my son had sent me the year before. I had just put it into a little gift box and was waiting for the right time to bring it to him. I had such a hard time trying to give them gifts last year. Each box was returned to me, to this post office, unopened, and I had to pay twice for each gift box I sent my sons. So I stopped sending my love expressions... sweat shirts, sheets, pillows, blankets, heated blankets, sweat pants. In one package, I sent a frozen package of hamburger and a frozen pound of bacon. I sent the package on a Monday and it was back here by Friday. The hamburger and bacon were still cool so that is what my husband and I ate for dinner that night. 

Now, I am so afraid that my sons and their families are safe. I have sent a lot of messages to them saying they can come here, to my house, anytime. They will be safe here. 

What I like to remind my daugthers- in- law is this. My sons were in perfect condition when they left 90 Forest Cove to marry you. I require them to be in the same, safe and perfect condition even if they live with you, as well as my grandchildren. You must also keep them safe. If you are incapable, we will step in and help you. Phone anytime and I will be there to help you with your situation. Just remember, I live 3 1/2 to 4 hours' drive away.

Revealing Estate Paperwork

Journals- What are journals for? On a personal level, a journal is like a diary. Every day you write what you have experienced so that you can 'see clearly' what is important to you and if you follow the dictum, 'Examine yourselves,' a diary is the very best way to do that.

A sister once said to me... I need to make changes in my life but I just don't know how to do that. 

I responded, well, I keep a day- to- day journal. Why don't you do that? 

I can't do that, replied my sister, I am way too negative and I wouldn't even want to read what I wrote with the negative attitude I have.

Once again, I responded with... that's how you change, though. Read your own journal and ask yourself; Do I want to keep being like that or would I rather make a change to help people and be the 'positive change I want to see in others?'

                                                                .    .    .

Have you ever been tasked with 'cleaning up an estate?'

After the death of a loved one, people often look for clues as to the meaning of that persons' life. If you are lucky, maybe the person kept journals. Journals are such great evidence of what a person has thought about, what a person thought was important, what a person put their hand to, in life.

Well, I know that I would want my journals to reflect my values. 

In the last six years I cleaned up paperwork from two (well, it was actually three 'sudden death' individuals) because there was a link between two individuals that had a business relationship. I will speak about them, separately, because the two situations had nothing to do with each other. It was just my bad luck that I was stuck with 'clean up' from families that should have done the work of this and took the money from the estate.

So, the business papers 'estate' was an eye- opener for me. The man who died had kept paperwork from his jobs and that proved he had been in a business relationship with a woman and, together, they were 'caught cheating.' They were caught cheating a business they worked for. The woman had died long before the man and I never met or knew her in any way but the paperwork detailed that she was, obviously, not an honest person. I met the man after he became reformed from his 'earlier- in- life' debacle. The man had been 'into' buying up cheap real estate. I found an email that transpired between him and the ethically confused partner he had cheated with. The email laid out such a convoluted diametrically opposed value system that I could hardly imagine that people could so lie to themselves as to imagine that they were providing 'good living housing' for the general public. The one statement I had a real problem with started with, "I believe... everyone should have decent housing..." I am grateful that I never met that woman because the 'rental' properties that they purchased were from people who had lost their houses to the bank. As I read the 'confused thinking' values of these people, I thought, you must be forgetting about the people who lost these houses you are buying. Your are worse than duplicitous. You think if you rob from Peter to pay Paul, you are a good person. That's ludicrous. So, fast forward, a few years to test their theory of helping others. The man was still alive, in this partnership, but the woman had died over ten years previously. What situation did the man find himself in? Well, he had a renter that had not paid her rent for a whole year. I kept reading the paperwork. Hmm, he was considering taking the renter to court and I thought, Well, that doesn't seem very much like he wants to help those people live in a decent house. Now the real estate buyer seems to be in the same situation as the 'first' family who lost their house and he certainly didn't think about or consider them when he made his buy and he and his partner pretended they were some kind of rescue heroes. So, that was all the 'unveiled' estate values corruption, or should I say corrupted values that I sorted through for one, reformed individual. 

Next situation

A woman with no estate had died years previously and left paperwork to test the values system of this individual. A total stranger, it was hard to tell if this person had any values system beyond a reactionary victim status that she seemed to be building a case for that she took to court in a newspaper reporting feature. From the paperwork, I surmised that the venom within this individual had ruined any chances for leading a productive life. All of her actions seemed to be focused on 'getting back at the man who had victimized her.' There were transcripts of doctors' appointments. I truly had never seen a transcript of any doctors' appointment in my entire life and I wondered why anyone would collect such personal information. I can't even venture a guess as to why a person would collect such information. If these transcripts had been from a victimization, it would have made some sense but they weren't. Then I wondered why she went to so many doctors. So, transcript after transcript were discarded as her husband had no desire to keep any of this paperwork. Finally, I got down to her journals and that is where her true personality problems became clear. She despised everyone, in her life, who challenged her. After skimming over some of these writings, I threw all but one journal in the garbage. I really didn't think her children would want to know how much she hated people.

                                                        .    .    .

So, what have I learned about 'what we all leave behind' when life is over? Well, my Dad left behind a suitcase of paperwork as well and the day he died is the first time the four Guenter daughters got to see any of it. Woah, were we surprised at some business information but you know what I was even more surprised at... the one daughter who said, 'We shouldn't even be looking at this." Then I thought, 

Well, if not us, then who?    

Coming tomorrow... 

Order Protection... It's scary in a small town when people walk through my gate, when they don't have permission to do so. Trespassing, I believe it's called.

Bad Company

 Bad company corrupts good character

    Safety advice... don't invite bad company if you want your home to be safe. This really is the most sane and responsible advice I can give all of you, to stay out of bad situations of manipulation. Many bad people will try to ask you for money when they have money. They may ask you for a place to stay when they have a place to stay.

    My favourite sayings are... prove to me that this is necessary. Prove to me that you are safe. Prove to me that you are responsible. Prove to me that you're making the right decisions with what you have and how you manage your resources.

    Best advice I can give you is to ask  the questions that will reveal what the situation is that needs to be resolved.

Attacked?

 Dear Elfrieda,

I know of a situation where a man was locked into his room, in his own house. 

He had made a big mistake allowing men, he worked with, (and many strange people visited whom he didn't know; some said relatives he had never met pushed their way into his house as well) to stay in his house because they wanted to take advantage of a young family. These men were very dangerous and there were also women who who took advantage of this situation and stole everything this young man had. For a year and a half, this man was not allowed to live a normal life. He has not been seen in public. I believe he has been raped (not romantic), and violently attacked. I have contacted his aunt and a pastor and brothers to check on him. 

He has been given very bad advice. His relatives told him he had to go live in his house so he wouldn't lose his house to these bandits. He has had his vehicle stolen. He has not had regular phone service. I believe his life is in peril. I don't know how to help him stay alive.

                                       Terrified a man will not survive because nobody did the right thing

Dear Terrified,

I hope this man knows he has the right to defend himself. He has the right to be safe in his own house. He has the right to ask violent offenders to leave his house. By law, they have to leave his house if he has asked them to,

Any person who is told to go to a place they have been assaulted should never listen to that bad advice. They are mentally insane and the person who has been harmed needs a reliable advocate.

If a child has been attacked in this house, as well as the adult man... a prison term is the only recourse for the offenders.

                                                                                     Better do the right thing

Insolvent?

 Dear Elfrieda,

I have a friend who is very mentally disturbed. She has been under a delusion that she is a writer and has published a novel and... this is going to sound unbelievable to you, but, she has been pretending to be someone she is not. I used to spend time with her and I listened to all her myriad family problems and I finally got sick and tired of her issues. 

Now, I know you are a real writer and a real novelist so what advice would you give me to break this crazy person out of her psychosis?

 Her neighbours try to avoid her. An old woman who lives in the same neighbourhood, Donna,  discourages her insanity... she often says... you can't hide your crazy crimes. We're not going to start calling you 87 J as a code name. Everyone knows your address. You could go to jail for what you published in the Winnipeg Free Press. Do you know how many people think you stole that Bronco? If you publish another article saying we stole a kitchen and Christmas ornaments from your event, we will go to court to witness against you.  

 Some people have said that this is the biggest pyramid scheme of strange $5,000.00 entry fee proportions they've ever encountered. 

                                                                                        Richer for getting away

                                                                                        Poorer for investing in the event

Dear Poorer,

I'm guessing you were sucked into a scheme that was misrepresented, for sure, but it may be much worse than that. 

Identity theft is a very serious crime.

If people asked for donations to a 'false charitable event,' it is likely that questions will soon be asked. Very famous people have gone to jail for pyramid schemes, betting on things nobody can prove creating a 'never win' situation but stringing people along, plagiarism, insider information. The list of modern day criminals in housewife disguise is becoming fodder for a gossip column. Now, if the husbands got in on the action when the engines started roaring, we have a very expensive problem to deal with. Did the delusional woman happen to involve all manner of businesses? There has been a rash of violent offenses within some companies who were vying for an unnamed prize of ______________ dollars. My greatest concern would be for the safety of people who have been exposed to these criminals. We used to talk about white collar crimes, then we talked about blue collar crimes but this... cookie collar crimes?

Good for you for breaking a bad relationship that is nothing but trouble. Try to find out where your money went... that little investment you made. Good luck solving this crime as you...

                                                                                                            Follow the Money

Dear Elfrieda

 Dear Elfrieda,

My Dad got involved with a very bad group of people. He used to preach at us and he went to church and so did my mom. They pretended to be such good Christians. Finally, I saw the truth. Well, whenever my mom wants to avoid talking about anything... that is what she says. Well. Now I know she's not well. Do you know that song 'It is well with my soul?' I wish that was the way my parents were but they're not. A confession of adultery (not very romantic), left me feeling sick to my stomach. This happened on the weekend. Most people would never believe that this couple was gathering a very bad group of people and asking for donations to build a church. Nobody should give to that group. Someone said they would have to call it the f...ing church because that is how much adultery was practised. Please put the word out that they do not practise THE WORD, as the Scriptures warn.

I am so embarrassed to have to call them my parents. My sister has also gone the way of the wayward and I feel so alone in this predicament.

Timothy was a good man, in the Bible, so I will borrow his name so that I might become good... 

like him.

                                                                                                Tim (of the Bible)

Dear Tim,

Many years ago, I made a baby quilt for a Timothy. Life seemed so promising for this lad who went to experience a little Bible in Texas. This Timothy was really having a hard time with all the 'very strict' rules. I wrote a poem for this Timothy and maybe it will help you now. 

You are very wise to tell people not to give money to this bad church start- up for upstarts.

This poem is my copyright.

                                                    I Stand Amazed

This morning God took time out of his busy schedule to listen to me                                                

I was so amazed that he listened so attentively

He tapped not a toe, he drummed not a finger

In fact, I believe he encouraged me to linger

Not once did he glance at the clock to see

If maybe we could wrap them up, neatly

He missed not a nuance, he knew every sign

Attentive to each little groan of mine

To 'be present' for people, is the answer you see

God teaches us how, as He listens with glee

He hears every problem, He hears each concern

He knows every child that wants to learn

As He takes note of every hair upon my bowed head

He invites me to 'listening prayer' instead

It's very hard to develop this art

But truly this is the center of God's heart.

Author: Elfrieda Written February 26, 2008.

Dear Elfrieda

 I am starting a 'Dear Elfrieda' column to give advice for very large problems. 

Dear Elfrieda,

I work for a very bad company that I am sure has locked one employee in a room in the empoyees' house that the company has been stealing for two to three years now. I really need my job and I don't want to go to the authorities but I now know that this employee has been beaten and had his vehicle stolen and, I think he may also have been mutilated.

Recently, two women were moved into this 'house' and they witnessed the employee give the 'boss' $500. The arrogant and very evil boss threw the money in the garbage and said... "I don't need money. I need workers." The the very evil boss told the employee to go back into his 'lock down room.'

The new women picked the money out of the garbage can and kept it. I really need my job but I know this is so wrong. There is another house close by the one where a lot of bad people have gone into and they put the beaten man into the other house to hide what they are doing. This has been going on for almost two years now. I will not use my real name because I am afraid.

                                                                                        Victoria who used to be bad like them

Dear Victoria,

Do you have any children? Do you recall the history of World War II? You are in a war. This war is just as bad as WWII was. The only difference is, the evil of this company is still hidden and the pervasiveness of the crimes is going to spread like ripples on the water in ever- widening circles of criminal behaviour. 

The first thing you must do is find another job with a company that does not engage in criminal acts of violence. You will be charged, along with the company, all the crimes you have witnessed or, possibly, inadvertently, been a part of.

Did you know that if you witness these crimes and do not report them, you are guilty of the evil in the area of ethics and morality that the country you live in adheres to. The judicial system that is responsible for prosecuting companies, such as these, or individuals, such as these, categorizes this as 

                                                        'Crime and Punishment.'                                                    Doesn't that make things simple? The messy part of all this crime and punishment problem is all the people who thought they could turn a blind eye and continue living their lives as if others weren't suffering. WWII was fought so we don't have to live under this kind of regime or evil ruling faction of any kind; including the company you work for.

So, as I said, stop working for this bad company because, if there is one thing you have now learned, it is that bad company corrupts good character.

Once you are settled in your new job, you will likely be called to be a witness for the crimes you have witnessed. Be sober. Be vigilant. You will be a good witness.

                                                                                                            

                                                                                   

Identify

Todays' story is about a new societal problem that has arisen in the last 20 years... the hatred of parents and family, in general.

There once was a marriage that took place between a man and a woman. Things seemed alright at the beginning except for one little problem the son had with his wife- to- be. The sons' father was a very abusive individual and the daughter- in- law to be liked the father- in- law to be. This was of great concern to the son. At that time, the son and the mother, both being strong Christians, were very close and attended church regularly.

The father became a raging alcoholic, was arrested for drinking under the influence of alcohol, and crashing a Ford Explorer while drunken. This was, of course, the end of a 33 year marriage.

The son got married and for a short time was still communicating. 

One day, the son's mother came home from a visit to a long distance friend and found a very disturbing card in the mailbox with some rather crazy writing in it from the sons' wife. Now, she was forgiven for this as the hormones were not behaving due to, she revealed, a pregnancy. Much leeway is given to pregnant women, yes?

Time went by and no birth announcement was forthcoming so, it was assumed, things had not gone well. 

Eight and a half years passed and the Christian mother received a restraining order for a person she couldn't identify from a son she definitely couldn't identify in his behaviour.

So, it was cited that the daughter- in- law was struggling with mental illness since her own father had passed away at a much too early age. This had a profound effect on the son. One can only surmise that the mix up will be resolved as they recall that... a person simply can't be on guard for someone being in the same city they may be in if the person they are against doesn't even know what the vulnerable people look like. 

In my family, I don't have any idea what all the grandchildren look like. If asked, I would never be able to tell you who they are... we just don't keep up with each other in that way.  

Perils of Poverty

 I am going to take a story from my novella and put it, here, on- line because I wrote it before I published The Orchard Walk El Dueck, but I would have, obviously, been detailing my childhood memories as Elfrieda Guenter. I wrote an entire novella, around 2010 at 90 Forest Cove Drive in Winnipeg. Please do not use this story for anything other than to relieve the poverty of my children and grandchild. This is my copyrighted intellectual property. I may be publishing in hardcopy.

The Red Dust Healers

Chapter 2 

Shared Plates and Forks

    "Simmy," shouted ____. "It's our turn to eat."

    Simmys' daydream fog cleared with the soon-to-be-realized (food) awaiting her palate at Grandma's table. There would be homemade white buns, white kringel, butter and jam, homemade pickles, and loads of delicious cakes and cookies.

    Simmy jolted upright, her small legs tripping on the tuft of grass growing in the middle of the driveway. With hare- like surefootedness she regained her center of gravity swiftly aiming for the splintered ramshackle porch that was attached to the clapboard house in butt- jointed afterthought. She squeezed into the gaggle... all trying to get through the door at the same time. Then came the bum- bumping shuffle as (everyone) raced to remove their shoes simultaneously. The first one to the table would get to choose whose plate to eat off of. Simmys' goal was Mama and Papa's chair. She'd memorized where her Papa had been sitting before she went out to play. One of the things Simmy had inherited from Mama, or was it Papa, was her weak stomach. Unwashed plates and forks to eat off of was a challenge for Simmy to work around and still feign hunger.

    "Move, Wilf," demanded Simmy. "That's my chair."

    "You came too late," yarped Wilf.

    Simmy turned to seek for her advocate to find her nose already squishing into Mama's belly. Anticipating the squatter- rights- chair- war, Mama had quietly and unobtrusively moved towards the table and was already placing an implacable hand on Wilf's collar. Live- in- the- moment Wilf twisted in instant fury ready to defend (in his mind what he believed to be) his first- come- first- served squatter rights. Grubby fists raised in challenge but to Wilf's horror those fists were met by the icy stare of his aunt.

    Once again, too late, he realized his impetuous behaviour was his undoing.

    "Well, Wilf, I do believe those hands have not been washed. There won't be any eating without that."

    Mama pulled out the chair and Wilf cannoned his twig-  like body into a forced salute for Mama's benefit. Simmy knew payback awaited her later when tea time would be over and the parents would not be around to settle battles.

    Wilf's horse- scented snort- of - war blasted Simmys' face as he trounced past her and marched outside. There was no use in washing up now. The table was already filled and he'd have to wait for the next round up call.

    "Thanks, Mama," whispered Simmy.

    Mama just blinked her eyes in wordless, 'I'm on your side merger,' 

    As the first words of the table grace were spoken, a holy hush fell upon the room, the kind that bewilders yet intrigues raw, uninitiated souls. The rote prayer pierced the air... of the ritualized prayer.

    ... "That darned red dust."

                                                        .    .    .

    This is just a small snippet of my novella 'The Red Dust Healers. I quoted a different section in my 428- page novel, 

    It is not healthy for people to share plates and forks so this story is meant to give people a chance to learn about the perils of poverty in my creative writing method.

The Orchard Walk El Dueck. 

This is

Flower Class

 My 'ever current' novel

My novel, The Orchard Walk- El Dueck, is all about the currency of history. The reason I chose the fictional property to be called... The Winery Inn is because of the Revelation- making water into wine- vineyards of time origins. I had been reading and studying the original story for about 40 years when I wrote a current story to keep history alive. The reason I preferred and chose the name The Orchard Walk is because an orchard has much more fruit in it than just grapes... blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, oranges, apples; the list is very long for tasty, edible fruits. 

Learn from the past is what wise people will often say when teaching someone how to live so they don't make too many mistakes that cause them suffering.

The original plan for my novel was a two volume project. The first volume, already published in hard cover, has 7 cabins in it. I changed the names of some in my second novel to include some characteristics.

My plan was, actually, very good and I'll tell you why. The real estate my sons' owned, simple houses I have mentioned on my blog, would be much more authentic to the story of history and the survival of a human rights race, such as the people who collectively won the second world war.

If I so chose, I could take a name from my novel and apply it to the little house I live in but, instead, what I chose to do was... 

Page 18... "It was a gazebo, completely screened in and looking really comfy,..."

This is a photo before it was... really comfy!

Structure comes before inside fittings and you don't need much in a 12 x 12 gazebo.

If I named all the flowers and plants I have planted here in four years' time, you'd be mighty impressed. 

I certainly spent more than $2,000 or maybe even three, of my inheritance money, on 'growing where I'm planted.'

Why, just yesterday, my husband asked where I was going to plant my double flowering plum bush... because... 'we're running out of room,' he said.

I really like calling my sons' property, The Winterton House. It sounds so dignified. For the novel, we might have to ask him if he prefers a different name... I did sketch out Willowherb as a possibility in novel II. His opinion is the important one for that property. If he ever moves, he can take the name with him. The power of class lies within a person and is then exemplified in behaviour of respect and the proper treatment of other human beings.

My little gazebo weathered the storm last night. 

This is a 'mood picture' with the skies looking dark and as night was approaching, in this early building of this gazebo, I was amazed that I held up one wall to put the bolts in to keep it together. Wow! Don't do this on a windy day. My husband was almost crazy expecting me to do this but... I did hold it up until it was fastened together.

My advice to you would be to follow the instructions in the pamphlet as to how many 'men' should be doing this kind of job. 

This gazebo was mostly built by a little woman and a little man, when he was available.

I planted a 'Dr. Alex Fleming' peony next to my rugosa rose, in the back yard, and the blooms are, finally, open after the storm.

It takes a while for peonies to establish. I planted this bush two years ago. 

Just as history should be remembered, the discovery of penicillin is still considered a curative for infectious diseases. One son had a mycoplasma pneumonia, as a child, and that was a 'mask- room' disease. He got it from swimming in a quarry. Grateful we are for curatives.

Planting is honourable.

All the creative writing, in my novel, is so easily lived wherever you go. Just be sure to make things better than they were when you got there!

In Line Five

 The Orchard Walk El Dueck

Chapter 1

"... slowed the Hummer down to a dusty road crawl... rugged vehicle."

When I was writing my novel, I purchased a year old Hummer, H3. At the time I thought, 'let's keep things current' in my writing. So, I just wrote in a lot of 'current events,' from my own life, right into my book. That's valid. 

Some people might think... owning a Hummer is going to get me some respect. I am here to tell you,... it might get you some bad attention from people who may not wish you well.

So, here are a few pictures of the vandalism I endured when I owned my Hummer. As you can see, from the first photo, I'm a 'safety person.' I had my 'theft club' on my steering wheel but, the vandals still broke my window. I think this happened twice so I was ever so happy to move from this location.

I was, actually, treated very well, both times, making out the police report and getting my vehicle fixed quickly.

I have spent way too much money buying expensive vehicles... even though I bought my 

1999 Avenger (top of the line), my Hummer H3, and my Ram 1500... all used. I only purchased one vehicle, new, my Chrysler Intrepid. Then, of course, I often forget about the Ford XLT that I bought when I had a good job and my credit rating was really good.

    I used to have good connections. It seems I don't anymore. Maybe because all those vehicles were in accidents and I no longer own any of them. They're in the scrap yard.

    So, if you want to know why I'm broke... vehicles. I paid for them. Autopac claimed them... safety issues after each accident.

Blooming Blessed

 Yesterday, I purchased some beautiful plants. 

The first blooming beauty I saw was a bush I planted on the right side of my little house, mmm, maybe in 1986-1990... it was a double mock orange with lovely white flowers. That took me right back to the work I did in my favourite house/ property.

I had to wait to buy my Kentucky bluegrass sod. The sod always has to wait until the house is back- filled. This little property is the only place I ever purchased top soil and sod. So, I went to pick out my sod... I had to have what I thought was lovely. So, I loved the Kentucky bluegrass even though the owner warned me... that is not the easiest grass to take care of. For a moment, I mulled over that fact. Then I said, that's the sod I'm buying.

You should have seen it when it arrived... it was this lovely blue- green lush colour and I thought my lawn would look so nice but,... it really only looked really nice for two weeks. For years, I babied that sod while people gave me advice. You should have put more top soil down. You need to water it. Oh, the advice was endless in its uselessness.

I did add top soil, over the years. After all, I did live there over 28 years. I had a few years to spruce things up. 

Back to the mock orange bush I planted on the west side, of the front, of that tiny house. 

  I always wanted the 'double' mock orange but, as you can see, I bought the wrong one. (photo below) The reason I purchased the 'wrong' one was because the double variety wasn't available where I purchased mine. Not everyone carries the same varieties.

Now, fast forward to when I was practicing decorating for my sons' wedding... the mock orange was in full bloom so I created a floral canopy inside my house. It was so lovely. It was only able to be a 'scene set' because you can only use 'in season' flowers for any decorating.

    For my sons... this is how I did things... I don't like wasting money on decorating so I purchased things they could use in their homes after the wedding. I hate 'buck store' decorating that all goes to the landfill after an event. 

    Therefore, I purchased quality items... a lamp... a mirror... a sheet... I made curtains/ drapes for one son... various things that you can use every day. I can't remember who I gave chandeliers to...

I know I donated the last of them to Value Village... still in the box. A few of them were exactly like this black one but the ones I used for the wedding were all white. I bought them at Home Depot. This photo was my living room, in 2014 ish.

I bought some real trees and rose bushes, for one wedding, and put them in pots. 

I gave the pear trees to a friend I went to school with. She had a huge yard. I need her to ask her ex- husband if he has my sons' brown truck.

                             I planted the showy mountain ash in my back yard.

I still have a cream pot from that extravaganza. My advice to anyone, regarding decorating, is to buy what can be used in the home after an event. Anything else is such a waste!

This was my shed, in the back yard... built by myself and my, then behaving other. I bought the harbour light at a garage sale. My son wired the shed, for me, as my birthday gift, one year. The design was mine and I purchased some of the product used, like the 'french windows.' The new cedar was purchased at a lumber store. Those are dutch doors. I love dutch doors. The top doors open independently of the bottom doors. 

                     I painted the floor black and  gold and used the shed for little sales.

Gee, where is that man who can help?

 Back in 2014, I always thought the man who came to my house, 90 Forest Cove Drive, was going to help me.

He was tall. He had big patches on the elbows of his blazer... not the kind of patches that a person puts on a blazer because they are poor... but the kind that a guy buys, on purpose, because then he is stylishly not advertising his wealth to a poor little person such as myself.

Then, the next day he gave me back my key, to my house, because something else went wrong. I had a grey spackled and mirrored front entrance table with a candle on it that had a silver lid. He reached into my house and put the key on that table... if people would just stop erasing my pictures, I could prove everything I write with photos as well.

See? I just looked for a photo in my 'photo file...,' which is in my file but when I click 'browse' a lot of photos don't show up.

If 90 Forest Cove is a house the original owner is entitled to... that is me.

And, just so everyone knows... 90 Forest Cove is where I wrote my novel... 

The Orchard Walk El Dueck

My printer (the printing company I hired), due to a printing error, had to print UPC labels for every novel and I still have 720 labels of the 1,000 books I self- published.

The $7,000 worth of books I recycled at the depot, when I moved from one terrible rental to another, and no one helped to move all my books... I still had not adhered correct labels to.

I also don't recall if I sent the correctly labeled books to the Library of Congress. The rules of self- publishing required me to send one book for every 500 self- published books to them so I had to send them 2 books because I self- published 1,000 of my novels.

I quoted from my novella, The Red Dust Healers, in my novel, just in case I decide to publish my novella. I wrote that little creative writing book before I wrote my 428 page novel, The Orchard Walk El Dueck.

Got to Give

 Calling, texting, calling, texting... I have been doing this for quite some time to see which of my family still has a phone and is using it. I bought a 'flip' phone just for phoning... the first five times I used it, the phone was able to connect to my Winnipeg sons and, last week that inadequate technology wouldn't let me give any TLC- tender loving care to sons because it wouldn't even connect..., so, flip, don't buy a TCL- they can't tenderly care for your loved ones. They can't even connect to your loved ones. Believe me.

So, I have never been given anything, really, by my family. So, either they're all broke or they lost their houses and businesses and everything they've ever had. They're not responding or calling or texting.

If you or someone you know have something to give... 

here is a verifiable truth... 

you or they got it from someone...

illegally or legally.

I have never found a money tree, contrary to folklore. I certainly haven't found a money tree where I have lived for four poverty years now. The years 2013- 2022 cleaned out all my 33 years of hard earned money.

Whenever I'm desperate to hear if my children are safe, I call an old pastor in Winnipeg. The only thing I can confirm is that his answering machine, with his voice message, is still operating. He, at least, knows who my children are.

Once again, I am putting forth the invitation, to my children, to drive here and tell me if they are having problems or doing just fine. 

This is the age of information. I need that information. You can't act on what you don't know. 

The distant family has so many people... Top down in my family...

Oldest- two children; Next- 5 children; Next- 3 children; Next- 4 children; Next- 4 children; Next- 5 children; Mine- 3 children; Next- 3 children. This is the group that is in their late 30's and 40's and many of them have children as well. 

For this group I say, "If you got, Give.

Place of suffering

 Going back to go forward... 

When I lived at 3 Donegal Bay, I went through some of the worst experiences a woman would ever want to go through.

The ice build- up that the garage, at the back, caused in the parking spot where I parked my blue Ram, was such a huge problem... a thick sheet of ice... when coming back from one of my Bison 'drive- alongs' caused me years of suffering. I stepped out of the truck and fell on the ice so badly that my elbow is permanently damaged.

When the water was shut off, for the house, after Bruce died, I was in shock. I know that is not legal. 

When a crew of un- named men came onto the property and dug down behind the house to attempt to fix the foundation... I was terrified. I didn't know these people. There was no legal paper from any of them.

The law firm, Restall & Restall has never phoned me back... for each time I called asking how to settle on this property and I really called quite a number of times. I would say their forestalling has caused me a lot of suffering.

I am, of course, entitled to my investment in that property. I haven't received it yet. 

The construction work I did in renovating a portion of the basement I, of course, have all the bills for. I was asked to send this information to Restall & Restall and I did that forthwith, at that time. Does anyone know if that law firm has gone out of business?

 

What? Locked up?

 

Years ago, I drove to Calgary, for a 'holiday of visits.' I didn't really know some of the people I dropped in on but... someone else's acquaintances are always a adventure of possibilities. 

So, we found our way to an address we'd never been to and the adventure began.

Now, we were all Christians and yet... we attended different, well, denominations? Yes, I think that is the right word... same faith but core values might have been interpreted a little bit differently.

Well, someone I knew, who knew one of these families, had warned me to keep my purse close to my side. I laughed, thinking she was being a bit dramatic. Did she really think a sofa sit down would lead to a purse snatching? Then I thought, I don't have enough in my purse to make it worth snatching. 

The conversations began and there was a healthy, rowdy interchange of what you do, how you earn a living, where you attend church... when a slight movement by my hip made me pause and I noticed my purse moving away from me. I looked over at the offender, smiled, pulled my purse onto my lap and the evening continued without harm. I had been duly warned and my reaction time was 'timely.'

I was thinking about what I serve when I have company... pie, pie, pie... when I noticed padlocks in strange places... I thought, well, that does not look like a pie safe to me! And, even if it was a pie safe, no rodent is going to need a padlock to keep those pests out. So, who are the padlocks supposed to keep out? 

I was feeling a bit uneasy about this so I used the bathroom... when I get a bit 'uncomfortable' in strange settings I just use the bathroom to resettle myself. As I walked past the kitchen, I saw padlocks on the cupboards and then I knew there was definitely something wrong here.

Now, I can understand if you've got a really bad 'renter type' of person living in your house who doesn't respect boundaries... Whew! I've heard more 'renter hell' stories than you can imagine! 

So, I thought about a tea towel I bought one time. "... and a good book...," well, I thought, these people need the good book. Then I thought, they have the good book. They should just read it.

So, the evening wore on and I thought about the saying... 'they're eating me out of house and home...,' and I know some people can eat a lot but I never had that problem, with any of my children. So, I thought, maybe there isn't enough. 

Now, not enough! That is always a problem. My Mom and Dad worked sun- up to sundown, in summer, to make sure we had enough in winter.

These days, when I think about how wonderful life was with my boys... they loved to eat, I loved it when they would eat... my Mom was like that, too. So was Dad. They prepared so much food each time we 'got together,' they assembled little packages and sent those home with us as well. 

Weren't we blessed to always have enough? 

I was a very sane and generous and healthy thinking person and, I assure you, I never locked up the food. 

What a privilege to live in a country where we have enough and we don't have to behave like people did during famine or times of conflict.

If you have enough, make sure your children have enough, too. That is a very Christian thing to do.

From my day, my beef

 

This is 3 Donegal Bay, in Winnipeg. I sold the armoire  to someone who hauled it out to the country, east of Winnipeg. (I think I bought it in 2008/ 2009 when I owned 90 Forest Cove Drive. I had it in my bedroom at that time.) When I moved to 3 Donegal Bay, I had a television in that armoire and, it was so clean when I closed the doors, you couldn't even tell it was an entertainment unit. 

My fondest memory of the series I watched was a family show called Blue Bloods. When I met a woman who asked me my name, she said, "You're Anglo Saxon. Elfrieda is a very Anglo Saxon name."   

When I lived at this address, with Bruce, I went on a few 'ride- alongs' with Bison Transport. That was in between 'finishing out the basement' renovation... I've kept all my receipts, of course.

Now, a Bison 'ride- along' was quite official because I had to sign a waiver for injury in case of any mishaps. I felt rather uncomfortable doing that but I really didn't have a choice. I also had to provide a 'next- of- kin' contact. It was a very organized company.

These 'on- the- road' pictures are always blurry.

On one of these 'ride- along' work runs, we went to a meat packing plant. It was located somewhere on the prairies between Winnipeg and Calgary. Now, if you've never been to meat packing plant, I have a mild caution for those sensitive to odours; myself. That is not an easy place to go to.

This place had security, security, security. You never leave the 'truck' other than to hook up. That is a good thing. 

For those of you who just go to a grocery store and buy your beef neatly shrink- wrapped and don't really think about how it got there... I would like to say, for the time I was in the load pick- up... you would be so impressed by the speed with which meat comes from packing plant to grocery store. These time sensitive loads go from hook- up to hook- up with 'driver waiting' efficiency.

One of my tasks, on these 'ride- alongs' was to either get the paperwork from the back of a trailer, or put paperwork into the slot at the back of a trailer. I always made 100% sure that the trailer was at a full stop before I completed that task. 

'Always be thinking' is my motto.

Once back at 3 Donegal Bay... it was rest time. My basement renovation has a most beautiful solid wood door at the bottom of the stairs... it looks quite like a 'library door.' I stained it myself and purchased the new, quite expensive doorknobs for the entire basement renovation. 

This door, the basement bathroom door, I also finished in the same cappuccino- coloured stain. This is also a solid wood door, matching the full- sized door leading into the rec room... as you can see in the background, my painted baseboards that I purchased at Home Depot were waiting for my construction guy to come install them. This door had to be cut down to the size of the door opening because, strange as it is with some houses that get tweaked over the years... each door in this basement was a different size. Basements are like that when working around furnace pipes. The flooring, in the background is vinyl plank... that was expensive! I painted the walls a lovely lilac blue... very soothing.

This is a photo of the front bedroom/ office when I lived at 3 Donegal Bay. I gave that desk away.

It was a talk- legged shiny black Baroque style desk.

                                                              

 This is my gardening with the shed in the background.

These are the large garden boxes that I wasn't able to remove when I was forced to leave this property, quite illegally. 

These were my flowers at the back door... the bricks must still be there, I'm sure.

This is the railing at the front door, my gardening by the shed shining in the sunlight.

In the background, you can still see my smaller garden boxes, one of which I have here, in Dauphin.

I needed a ladder to cut flowers when I lived here. I think it was all the fresh soil we hauled and put into my garden boxes.

Bruce used to call my 'Kitty.'

I bought this nice piece at Ikea when I lived there. I put it together when Bruce was away. I sold it for so much less than I paid for it. I had my wonderful 'sheaf- back chairs' there as well. They are here, obviously, as they 'go where I go.' I purchased those April 1, 1993.

You can't even imagine how many people have sat in my chairs and eaten food I cooked and baked.

This is the back door.

There's me, Elfrieda, at the back of the property with that old Imperial. My Ram truck parked on the right... when I still had it... before the accident.

Memories... keep good ones alive and I am here to make sure people know what I am owed.