"Who, who, who Gets?" Contest Winnings

         Food- First order of each day is... deliver food to Jordan, Scott, and Tyler. Thank you.

    So, somebody said there was a contest. Nobody knows what to do with a huge Dodge Ram that Dodge donated because Elfrieda had an accident with her Dodge Ram and then 'they' didn't know who to give it to because there were so many men who wanted it so I came up with a solution... 'Whoever' gets anything... just paint a 'slogan' on every vehicle... each make and model.

                     "Somebody said I won this in a contest nobody can prove ever existed so,                                                                       therefore, it could ever be won."

                       What do you think? Is this a good solution to the problem of 'who gets.'     

    When I was at Riverwood, somebody said there was a 'house' that was in the contest that doesn't exist. I haven't seen it but I heard someone built one an hour outside of Winnipeg. I say, 

                                                                "Prove it."

    Now, Riverwood just said, "Prove it" so I would have to call my 'witnesses' Bruce and Betsy Hiebert to see if they know anything about the 'workings' of Riverwood. I don't think Bruce is an elder there anymore... he may have been for a short time. Possibly, Betsy still does her 'small batch' cake mixes for 'gluten free' baking. 

    My son, Scott, bought a huge amount of cupcakes from Betsy, when she still had her cafe on Tache... (no longer there), Scott bought these cupcakes and had the cafe put... 'Will you marry me?' letter by letter on the cupcakes to propose to Tammy. What's really amazing, to me, about that, is... Scott was buying from a woman, Betsy, whom I attended Sanford Collegiate with and he had no idea that I knew Betsy and I had no idea that she had set up a bakery/ cafe. Sometimes, a coincidence might be a God designed appointment, as Todd, from Riverwood used to say.

Sons, My sons are the three sons of Elfrieda Guenter (maiden name) The Orchard Walk El Dueck

 Food- First order of each day is... deliver food to Jordan, Scott, and Tyler. Thank you.

My sons

 My sons have been employed in electrical jobs and glasswork.

My journal says that I called 'Border Glass' on February 5, 2025 to see if my son was working. I was told he wasn't on the 'list.' Now, I don't know what list 'said person' was talking about. I mean, my son has or, for sure, did, work for that company for 17 years.

I know of another 'family' marriage connection that another son connected into... that man also worked for that company for a lot of years. I was in a Riverwood Bible Study when he was leading it quite a few years ago.

Now, I'm certainly not putting in a plug for the company unless my son reaches out to me and I start hearing some really good things about the company. Feel free to contact them and ask about my sons to see if they are very well looked after. Has anyone checked the BBB- Better Business Bureau to see what their rating is?

I am just a bit worried that he doesn't have the phone I am used to contacting him with.

I think they were in business last year because I did see a vehicle, here in Dauphin, on Main Street but, alas, I'm sure it couldn't have been my wonderful son. He would have stopped in.

I know... Hmm, a few months ago, there was a white Ford, same as his brown Ford, but, maybe newer, in his back yard... but, I knew the company paid for that because it had a logo on it.

So, just a little check up to see if things are going smoothly at my sons' house.

Wide Open Spaces

There is one good thing about 'going back to school' at 39-43... a lot of what you have to prove, you've already learned. So, I used my personal life and home, 90 Forest Cove, to prove interior design skills. 2005

Essay from FF1 Q.2

    I really like the open plan interiors and chose such a plan both times we had a home built for us. It's possible for plans to be even more open than our present home but I need a balance of open spaces and privacy quarters.

    My personality needs wide open spaces as I can easily become claustrophobic. The first home we had built for us was 750 square feet. We sold it after 3 years and didn't experiment with many changes. The home we currently live in is 956 square feet of perfectly utilized, well planned out space. The home is a basic rectangle with half the home being semi- open space and the other half enclosed, private rooms. My brother was the builder of the home and I was allowed free reign in the designing process. 

    The wall behind the rocker and the Louis XIV chair is nearly a complete wall visually closing off the kitchen area from the living room. (See Q.1 Illustration). I need this bit of enclosure for my peace of mind. The original plan, for this home, called for a U- shaped kitchen. I spend two to four hours a day cooking or baking and I felt there wasn't a counter space large enough to accommodate tasks such as "rolling out dough" in this type of plan. I changed the kitchen to a peninsular design. I also love to entertain but prefer keeping well meaning helpers out of the kitchen work triangle. This design allows me to assign small tasks to someone standing on the opposite side of the counter. I also prefer to clean up immediately after cooking. When I entertain, I need to hide away the unwashed dishes and untidy work area so I can relax with my guests. For me, that requires things to be "out of sight" so they can be "out of mind." The dining area behind the stub wall (See Q.1 Illustration) is completely visible to anyone sitting on the sofa so I ensure that the table is cleaned off leaving only the ambient elements such as candlelight, table cloth and centerpiece. The empty wine bottle and wine glasses also remain on the table to imprint the memory of a good meal shared with good friends.

    One drawback to open plan interiors is the noise factor. When we first moved into this home I insisted on removing the door at the bottom of the lower level stairs. "Open things up!" That was my motto!

    The basement was unfinished and I thought it would be a great play space for my 3 year old and his baby brother. We didn't have a landscaped yard yet so playing outside was out of the question. I purchased a toy riding tractor, with trailer attached and lovingly presented it to my 3 year old boy. He adored it! After the first hour of listening to the plastic wheels tearing around on the concrete floor at Mario Andretti 'racing car' (real name withheld) speeds I thought I would lose my mind or my hearing. It wasn't long before the play are received an area carpet. This diminished the noise considerably. As we put up walls and sound absorbing ceiling tiles, the noise became "livable."

    Ten years later we removed the carpet and linoleum in the living/ dining/ kitchen "great room" upstairs. We laid hardwood flooring throughout the upper floor excluding the three enclosed rooms. Once again, we had to make a noise factor adjustment. The opening between the stub wall and the wicker rocker (See Q.1 Illustration) leads to a space that separates the kitchen counter and dining table and also serves as the pseudo hallway. The enclosed part of the hallway begins where the kitchen counter ends. This five and a half foot enclosed section leads straight to the master bedroom doorway.

    My (then) husband is a night shift worker- ergo- he sleeps during the daytime. When I have afternoon guest over for tea, he awakens because the noise travels from the living room sofa directly to the bedroom door. I now try seating everyone behind the wall, if possible. This seems easier to control than the raucous laughter.

    Even after encountering and managing these different problems I would still choose an open plan concept.

    One idea I would consider incorporating has been developed by a builder in our city. _______ Homes has enclosed the media room enabling sound proofing to be maximized. I really like the idea of a quiet setting coexisting with a loud, boisterous one because this meets the needs of 'husband, wife, children,' especially my teenaged boys, at this time.

    During the Christmas season, we entertained a family of five. They had three teenaged daughters and they added another friend to the mix. After dinner, the parents retired to the living room to enjoy the fireplace and conversation. The teenagers (seven of them), played games in our lower level media room. As the evening progressed some of the teens came upstairs to sit in front of the fire for a break from the activity downstairs. I suppose we were too noisy!

    In conclusion, I would choose the foibles that come with open plan living over a strictly enclosed- room plan any day. As a family of five living in a (partially) open concept home, we have learned much about respecting one another in this environment.

       I have included two newspaper articles showing different ways to divide a room without permanent walls. Note, in particular, the doors in the "Graced with space" article. I think this is a great solution to dividing space.

    "From prayer to Luxurious Lair" shows some preliminary drawings that are very nice indeed. The freestanding arches on the main floor are very commanding for all their openness. They definitely create a 'wall' bringing definition to each different space.

    Also note the denim blue armoire 'pop over' that I designed for my living room. Although, for demonstration sake, I didn't paint both sides in the illustration, the armoire is meant to have both sides identical. If I didn't have a stub wall there I would incorporate this armoire to hold a plasma television that could be pulled out on a swivel so it could be viewed in the living room or the dining room/ kitchen.

__________________________________________________

Balanced Scale

 Balanced Scale- The date on my test is 2/21/05 (This essay is not to be used without the permission of the writer- Elfrieda Dueck) Student number DHE/61.526D

Oh, way back when I was a student in Rhodec International, I wrote a essay called... 

                                                         'Balanced Scale'

    "There was some degree of wonderment at the ample size of the Barcelona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe. Anyone who had met Mies, though, knew that the scale of the chair was simply a reflection of the designer- ample width, dressed up in a slim fitted, refined silhouette disguising the actual size.

    It is preposterous to think that each chair, that is designed, will be ergonomically pleasing to one and all. In my household alone, the height of the occupants ranges from 5'3" to 6'3". (I think my two sons were only six feet.) It is simply not possible for one piece of furniture to be equally comfortable for everyone.

    The best example of an "ideally" fitted seat can be found in the design of automobiles. I would call this type of design "ergonomics in motion." The average car seat (driver and passenger) has the ability to move frontward and backward within an approximate ten inch span. Most seats also have multiple settings to adjust the seat angle to attain the best possible position for each individual driver.

    For the last ten years I drove a car (Intrepid) that was not a good overall fit for me. I purchased it to accommodate the size of my family, (three growing boys). The seat was deep with a slight bump on the front which caused pressure on the back of my knee when I reached for the gas pedal. It was not possible to adjust the height of the seat. Recently, I attained a car that fits me perfectly (Avenger ES 1999). The height of the seat from the floor up is streamlined to the gas pedal, the back is a perfect scale and contour for my body proportions making the headrest useable for the first time in my life. The size of the car on the outside is in perfect balance with the inside- small, low and streamlined.

    Now, let's bring all this information into the home...                                                                       An office chair is the best parallel to the car seat. Both are designed for the high- concentration- related tasks. The office chair has multiple settings, again, to accommodate a wide range of body types. Even an office chair, though, must be chosen for the amount of space it will be used in to comfortably accommodate maneuvering.

    I have found the best solution for the living room is to offer a variety of seating that will accommodate both the petite person and the "Goliath" figure. My home is a small, open plan concept. The living room is 15' x 13'. In front of my window is a 7' Chippendale style sofa with gently sculpted rolled arms. The 3 inch cushions balance the graceful scale of the arms giving the visual impression of diminished size. Don't be fooled though. This sofa has comfortable accommodated a six foot, six inch, 380 lb. guest. On the opposite side of the room are two much smaller chairs with an occasional table between them. The height of the top of the chairs is the same as the sofa bringing balance to the overall look.

    The book shelves behind one of these chairs soar to the ceiling adding bulk to the smaller chair grouping, again, balancing the larger presence of the sofa. The drapery behind the sofa is a bold black and white stripe adding verticality to this wall balancing the tall, narrow, book cases. I added some cardboard binder sleeves to my bookshelf recently to bring orderliness to the overall look of the bookcases. I chose to buy them in the white colour so they would blend in to the bookcase and become, basically, invisible.

    The seats of both the Louis XIV chair and the wicker rocker are ample in width but the cushions have been kept to 3 inch foam mimicking the ones on the sofa.

    It is my goal to eventually purchase new chairs and relocate the wicker rocker and Louis XIV chair. My home is a work in process as most of life is. I have needed to work certain furniture pieces into my scheme as finances dictated. I believe this slight stricture will help me to aid (paying) clients to reach for their renovating dreams in a "one step at a time" fashion.

    I feel I have successfully created a room with good asymmetrical balance through careful arrangement of the furniture. The eclectic furnishings share a visually refined scale well suited to the diminished size of the room they occupy.

    My personal style has changed over the years and I had my furniture slip covered to reflect my more relaxed approach to life. Both the colour and the type of fabric have become more casual. My love of formal furniture has become a silhouette draped in more economical cotton and sturdier plaid.

    I believe Vitruvius' definition of architecture as consisting of order, arrangement, proportion, (a)symmetry, propriety and economy has been accomplished in this living space through the medium of furniture. In keeping the walls white I have created a clean palate for the furnishings to rest against. Each piece of furniture becomes a piece of sculpture representing a historical time. Through the choice of fabrics I have revealed my personal tastes and draped them over the existing silhouettes reinterpreting them to better reflect and accommodate my current lifestyle needs.

    The goal is not to eradicate history but rather to bring fusion to the old, the new, and the "you." 

_________________________________________________________________

I don't believe my children have food or safety living in Winnipeg and I have reached out to pastors and the families they have married into. My writing will continue as I await answers that my sons Scott, Tyler, and Jordan and their children are well taken care of. Mom Elfrieda

Administer Justice

 What does it mean to administer justice? I would think it is the act of 'doing justice,' as in 

Micah 6:8 "He has shown thee, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord requires of thee but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."

This is actually the mandate for any believer trying to be part of the solutions of peace and morality in a world of problems.

I found a great definition of the administration of justice; this refers to the systems and processes through which laws are enforced and disputes are resolved. The goal or aim is to maintain order, protect rights and ensure fairness within society. 

If a dispute is between two people, it can be a very easy fix. One person goes to the other, confesses what they believe to be their sin or the others' sin... it can go like this... "I sinned against you" or "You sinned against me."

For instance, if somebody said they wrote my novel, it would be so ludicrous, because I actually went through all the systems and processes in publishing my novel in order to ensure my rights were protected. To 'get' a ISBN- International Standard Book Number, you must go through quite a process for that. The reason for this is, of course, to protect real writers from people who try to plagiarize my work. 

So, do you know what the process involves? 

Well, one of the first steps I had to do was submit the title of my novel to the correct authoritative office in the jurisdiction that the writings were to be released into. If those hired officials weren't 'in the know' about these rules, nothing would go forward. It is such a long process that most people never publish because of the processes and the cost.

The collection of information is important to governments because, ultimately, there is always a governing body that must answer to the maintaining of order in society.

To protect rights is paramount to ensure that a free society of opportunities is available to all who want to work and produce.

The tenacity that it takes to slog through the process is for the right to have my work available to be purchased... a way to try to earn a living.

I am not punning on the word 'Justice.' That is actually the surname of the man I am married to but, I assure you, all the work I did fifteen years before I ever met this man is definitely my personal work and I do not share my work with him. We work very independently. 

Learning

 Did anyone hate school?

I loved learning but I hated most of school.

I liked elementary school before the middle years. In grade 8, when I did my holocaust project, I felt 'way ahead' of that teenage year. Older, older than what thirteen or fourteen should feel like. 

So, I found one thread throughout the school years where I could find my interest- History.

History is a teacher in itself. Reading history, you can learn so much. 

Mistakes... that is what you can really learn, from history... where people made their mistakes; what reason mistakes were made; but the one thing that is always hard to truth out is... 

                                                                     Motive.

What is the motive for doing what you do?

-Is it safety for your loved ones?

-Is it to earn a decent living?

-Is it to find happiness? That is very elusive if not impossible to find.

So, as you travel along lifes' difficult highways, I suppose we all must learn ways to communicate in a way we all respect.

Only one son from 775 Fleming reached out via email but I am not even sure if he was the one who sent the email so I await further information. Liam wanted the photo back on.

Proof of Life

 

Proof of life...

So, I have still not heard from my sons and grandchildren so I am asking for proof of life. I believe they are in danger and do not have telephones to call. I have sent out more messages than I can count. If you know me and my children and I know the city of Winnipeg has a few churches I attended for a total of 40 years so please find a way to provide me with proof of life of Scott, Tyler, and Jordan, my sons. My grandchildren Liam and Tobias are also suffering in this situation.

Bank on it, bank on it

 It's been a while since I banked at the RBC Royal bank. Does anyone know if they keep a bank account open with $.89 cents in it? I still have my client card and my last statement. 

                                                                  ?

Just as an aside... Did you know that people have tried to say that I, Elfrieda, didn't write my novel... The Orchard Walk El Dueck.

What utter nonsense! I still have copies for sale. You can only buy them through me, personally. And... I ask you... who doesn't know that the only person who gets a 'working copy' stapled together for editing is the person who publishes the book. Of course, I still have mine.

Boundaries and Interviews and Boundaries

 So, here I am, in Dauphin, thankful that I will never again have to endure the countless interviews that I had in Winnipeg from 2014- 2022. Wow! That was a challenge.

Information about my one son is being removed at his request.

The construction sites are becoming a very dangerous place for a man whose eyesight is failing so the interview to see how things will be changed to give him his life back is a report I am really looking forward to receiving.

My oldest son, Scott, has a wonderful job in the field of 'electricians' and the glasses he is always needing are constantly changing. I've been waiting to see his son Tobias. 

Now, I don't know if my middle son, Tyler, is still doing electrical work or if his back has been injured beyond repair. I am very sure that a new career objective is going to be talked, and talked and talked about until solutions are forthcoming.

I think he may have had a few difficulties with 'boundaries.' I used to have terrible problems with boundaries until I got a few solid people in my life who told me I should be much more careful in whom I gave rides in my vehicle to and whom I invited for dinner and whom I invited to Bible study. 

'Boundaries' is one of my favourite books. I read it years before Riverwood Church brought it into the Bible study curriculum available for leaders... such a great learning tool. I think they brought in some of those books right after one of those leadership conferences I went to there.

Where, oh where are you?

 Well, it's Monday. I've been waiting to get visits from my sons and my grandchildren. Now, I  would, of course, be willing to drive all the way to Winnipeg in any emergency my sons might have. I have been waiting to hear from any of the four thousand church people I have attended with over the fourty years of living in Winnipeg, before I made this insane move to Dauphin... where it seems cell phone service is about as good as the early 1900's. Alas, nobody has called or contacted. Funny how people just don't miss you much when you aren't attending their church anymore.

Now, the last time I was required to buy anything... it was because of my terrible September 7, 2024 accident at the construction intersection in Winnipeg... that traffic light malfunction caused a huge incident and my beautiful blue Ram truck was 'written off' by Autopac because it was deemed irreparable. So, I can still drive into Winnipeg because I did purchase a 2014, old van and it is drivable. This is the worst vehicle I have owned for quite some time but... it drives, with me as the driver, of course. I made that sound like it was a self- driving vehicle. Thank the Lord I haven't fallen for that nonsense.

Is that the Alphabet Game

 Has anyone heard of the 'alphabet game?' I have not been involved with the game where the host says, "Pick!"

The reason I haven't been invited... not even once... is because I have so many questions about this 'game' and nobody wants to answer them.

So, I have questions like...

When people are invited to a 'pick-a-thing' event, who brings the 'things?' 

For instance, if I were ever invited to a event like this... would I be asked to bring a 'thing' for the game?

Would the 'thing' have a price limit? Like... at Christmas get- togethers people always decide, in advance, what the price limit will be for a 'gift exchange,' right? Almost everybody I know has been pressed upon to join in on these 'gift exchanges' at one time or another.

One time, at a 'family get- together' the price limit was $5. So, I am such a incorrigibly practical person, I don't like giving anybody junk and I have to admit, most of the time a $5 item can be kind of junky... unless, you make the item something practical... like a toothbrush. The one time that I recall, very specifically, I found a $5 soccer ball in a discount bin and I was so excited to 'give' my $5 item because I thought... mine will be the best!

So, what happened when my soccer ball was 'picked?' 

Nobody believed me that I really did find that bargain for $5. I didn't think I would have to bring the receipt but I certainly could have.

What I have found from these types of 'games' is that there are only two ways to play...                                                              'eyes wide open' or 'blind.' 

The $5 gift exchange was a 'blind' game so everyone had to bring their item wrapped so you didn't know what you were picking. I can't even remember what I ended up with.

Now, let's say somebody has a bit of a diabolical personality, man or woman, and that person decides to bring everything themselves for one of these 'entertainments.' That person would be the only one who could know what is in each 'envelope.' Hmm, like that popular game on television years ago... the price is right. For the family that I was in, $5 was the price that was right.

Let's pretend for a minute that the items were 'revealed' and everyone could choose but a fair way of choosing had to be determined. Well, here, the youngest put numbers into a hat and we all had to choose a number. So, myself and the old guy I'm with were offered the number basket first and old guy got 1 and I got 2. So, youngest looked at me and said forcefully... 'You're number 2.' Now, I had to play along but you can't imagine what I was thinking! At the time, I was thinking... 'Your name has some bad historical connotations so don't sass me, young man!' So, I behaved perfectly and no war broke out at this 'family' event of old guy... not my family, old guy's family.

There was another event that I only heard about and I would certainly like to have the facts verified as to the outcome of this and other events that I was not, fortunately, invited to.

I heard... that, you know how news mags always try to get you hooked with 'gossipy' language... well, I heard that a young man reached for an item that an old guy thought he was more entitled to and just as young guy put his hand on the item, old guy jumped up and belted young guy in the jaw... I heard young guy needed surgery but no one wants to talk about it.

Then, I heard, company man beat the hell out of fellow employee every time he thought they might not get the 'bonus.' If this is true, I would arrest the violent offenders and they would be going to 'how to behave' school because we're tired of their 'school of hard knocks.'

What I am trying to, elegantly, say... is this... when 'playing' these kinds of 'games,' people should not be getting hurt, they should have a reasonable limit, people should be allowed to 'opt in' or 'opt out' and the alphabet is a fine literacy example of what can be accomplished with twenty six letters. If a learning curve is necessary for forms of punishment... try writing an essay... I know these letters, below, look like I'm swearing but I'm not, it's just Edwardian script in capitals.

                      ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

P.S. Please be kind and safe.

Lifestyle Ensurance

 Today I'd like to talk about something I have termed 'lifestyle ensurance.' I don't think you're going to be able to phone any insurance company and get something called 'lifestyle ensurance' with the definition I have come up with. 

Ensurance- make safe.

Lifestyle- day to day living.

Why would anyone want to have something called lifestyle ensurance?

I will answer for myself here. 

                                             I highly value a safe day to day living.

I am going to list a few ways that I maintained a safe lifestyle for myself and my family.

When I first moved to the city, at age 17, having grown up in a hamlet that was approximately twenty minutes outside of Winnipeg city limits... I lived in a townhouse-style rental on a street called Keenleyside. I lived on the second floor which had only a stair walk up. You can live in places like this when you're young enough to climb stairs. Now, what do you think is the first item that was stolen from my balcony on Keenleyside? If you guessed 'bicycle,' you are right. I was very naive in those days and I was very shocked that someone would trespass on the balcony that I was renting and steal my bicycle. I decided to make an insurance claim because, in 1982, my deductible for a stolen bicycle was $50. Because this was my first 'home living' insurance claim, I was not aware that my insurance the next year would have a 'we remove the reward of a claim- free year' so your insurance will be more than the previous year. So, you must ensure that your claim is actually worth it because the next year will be calculated according to the previous year. It's so exhausting to learn all this. If I had never been stolen from or had my vehicles vandalized, I would not even know any of these rules.

Now, the reason my bicycle was important to me, in those days, was because I would work for home care directly downstairs for about 5- 5 1/2 hours and then I would cycle to Greene Avenue to work another 2 1/2 hours for a different client. I was 18 years old when I got that job. In winter I drove a gas guzzler because it only takes about ten minutes to drive that distance but it takes way longer to cycle and it wasn't always possible to take the time to cycle if I needed to be at another client at a certain time. I think I was also paid 'traveling time' for that government job. In winter, I had a client on Kildonan Drive.

So, in the first year of living in Winnipeg, in that rental, there was a humongous rent increase that so shocked me I started saving and saving and saving my wage for a down payment on a house. I attended a meeting to 'fight the rent increase.' That was downtown Winnipeg. I genuinely believed that the 'renters' (myself at that time) would win this travesty of a rent increase. We did not win... a corporation won. So, I decided to move out of that rental.

Now, when I think of shelter... I think of a safe place. I think of a warm house, safe from thieves, safe from inclement weather, safe from harm. So, to ensure all these lifestyle safety comforts, the first home I purchased was on Culross Bay.

It was a Greentree Homes purchase and my father worked for that company, at that time, so I was able to get a little help from my Dad in the 'finishing' department. I also was able to choose all the colours of the products that were available for that tiny home.

So, now life was going a bit better than in a high- priced rental townhouse. Now my vehicle could be parked right beside my house where I could keep an eye on it. These very significant changes made my lifestyle much better.

So, this was the beginning of what I term, my lifestyle ensurance. In order to ensure a safe place to live, it was of paramount importance that I didn't spend beyond my means. So, I purchased a new washer but I didn't have enough money for a dryer. So, I line- dryed all my laundry in the basement of my tiny new home.

My sister was throwing out an old stove that was in her 1930's house and she asked if I wanted it even though the oven didn't  work and only three of the four elements worked and the amount of greasy soil on the back of the stove was a shock to both of us. I accepted that dilapidated stove and it was cleaned and wired and the good Lord only knows how I cooked on that old Westinghouse for over 20 years. I didn't spring for a thermometer to test the temperature of the oven compartment until I was living at 90 Forest Cove Drive. I was so shocked to find that the old Westinghouse was baking at 100 degrees hotter than the dial indicated. This oven was manufactured long before the digital era.

I almost feel like I'm writing my biography.

So, before this story gets too long... I believe that to ensure something is vastly more crucial to my lifestyle than to insure something. Why? Because I have to decide how much insurance is necessary if I ensure that my safety follows some intelligent basics... 

Like...

Don't let dangerous people into my house. That kept my family safe from theft as well as attack.

If you have a dog, let your dog patrol the yard around the house while you get a little sleep.

Insure what you can't replace outright... with your financial means.

Fences are a great investment.

Be kind to neighbours.

I always tell people that I lived in Winnipeg for over 40 years, uninterrupted.

Now, I could tell about all the vehicles I have owned, all the accidents that ruined my finances, but, yet, how some vehicles probably saved my life and all the license plates that I had to find a way to remember... with something I call acronym memory... create an acronym that you can remember. 

But, that story is for another day. 

 

Some of my Family

 My son and grandson were able to come visit me in 2024. I go by every time I drive to Winnipeg. I am really concerned about that. The brown Ford truck, just a six litre, I think, was the vehicle these fine folks owned and it made the long trip here. I didn't see it last time I drove by so maybe it is getting old... over nine years old I think that Ford is. Maybe it isn't in perfect condition. When you stop by, be a gentleman or a lady and ask, kindly, if the Ford is still working alright. That's such a caring thing to do.

I make my rounds to my three sons' homes every time I go to Winnipeg. There was a time when we all attended Cross Church... quite some time ago. So, whoever still remembers all three of my sons... feel free to go by 350 Winterton, where my oldest lives... with an old t-shirt...

as well as my middle son's home... the middle son married the youth pastors' child. Did you know one of my middle sons' names means 'gift from God' or 'God is gracious.' This son is always needing food that is 'easy to eat,' soft foods... soups...

Might be hard to know which one of those cute kids he is but I assure you... he's in those pictures. Whatever you do, don't imagine I'll ever get on a horse again. So, don't get any bright ideas.

Please contact me when you visit them. I'm very lonely so far away. I really appreciate this.

Any pictures will be temporary if my sons wish to be more anonymous.

The Orchard Walk versus The Orchard

 

Well, I am going to talk about this novel of mine, again. 

When I first published my novel, in 2012... I had 2013 printed on the inside because the company couldn't guarantee that they would have it ready for Christmas 2012. I self- published so I made that decision because I didn't have the 'coming out' debut at McNally Robinson until May, 2013.

Now, I had a rather long- time friend who lived quite close by in those days. She was actually from Dauphin, where I currently live. I can't believe I live here some days, really. 

So, shortly after I had my novels in hand... I wasn't having much success selling them. So, my long- time friend said maybe she could help. It has been a long time since that conversation but I do remember writing a note, in her basement, saying... well, if you can help, I would like to keep any monies from what comes in separately from the actual selling of my novels so... if you do anything via email, could you please just call this part of the 'fundraising' The Orchard so as to differentiate it from the name of my novel. So, I wrote that on a note and signed it... I am almost sure. 

Time went by and I didn't hear from my friend so I thought, well, that 'fundraising' effort is obviously not working. I had also given her an email of my sisters' who had moved into the city after years of living in Cartwright. This sister and I had been very close for many years. I recall how she was always concerned about our financial well- being. She encouraged me in my 'possible ventures' and one card she gave me years ago has a tea room table and two tea room chairs on it with blue shutters and a blue door with a wreath on it. On the inside of the card it says, "With appreciation for the warmth of your home, the conversation, and the good time... 

and then, on the inside of the card, 

... but most of all, with appreciation for you! Thank you for your hospitality. May God's Blessing Continue Upon Your Home!"

The Scripture on the third page says, "The house of the righteous contains great treasure...." Proverbs 15:6

Then she wrote, in her own handwriting, "Thank you for all your hospitality towards us all in the past few weeks. It is always a pleasure to spend time with you. I really treasure our friendship and the way that God has allowed it to bloom and grow. Then she wrote out Isaiah 58:11 Love, Eva.

So, I think I told my sister to watch for an email from my long- time friend, originally from Dauphin, in case any monies came in for my novel.

Well, I suppose they haven't been successful in helping me because I haven't seen even one penny.

I have sold a few novels. I recycled $7,000 dollars worth of my novels after a very difficult move from Horace to Bowman. There is a very easy recycling depot just off Marion Avenue in Winnipeg. I think that is where I put all those books. That was a very hard day. 

So, I have never heard from my friend or my sister regarding 'The Orchard' which was to be a separate venture trying to make a little money. 

I soldier on. Writing is hard work. So is making pillow cases. So is making quilts. 

So is raising children... and above all, that is the greatest treasure of most of us. 

Mobile Telephone Problems

                                                       Mobile Telephone Problems 

So, I thought this was so weird the other day. I thought two of my sons still had real telephone numbers... the same ones they had when they lived at 90 Forest Cove Drive but...

"Manitoba" called me the other day and I thought... what the heyday is that? I thought the politicians were playing a joke on me... you know how nobody can get through on the line except the people that aren't remotely related to you.

Then, just now, I phoned all three sons and two of them have a phone number that says, 

                                                          "Manitoba"

 and I think that is so strange. The normal number that I can still get through to has, 

                                          "Mobile ________________ under it.

So, I haven't had a call from the son who was contacting since November, 2024. The next year, 2025 was the first year I remember "Manitoba" calling me but of that I'm not sure.

                                           

If I ever move again...

 

If I ever move again, I would need so much help. How would I ever move a gazebo? The winter tarp is still on but I counted about 21 2x8's just for the floor, top boards, not frame. We built that from scratch... dragging lumber from the store... Heavy!

So, I haven't been given any opportunities so no worries yet... there won't be any moving until we see an upgrade and the problem with that is...

this gazebo was a huge upgrade for the value of the original property.

So, the biggest two projects on this property were the gazebo and one small room inside, a very expensive room... all the rest of the elbow- work I did was basic removals and paint/ stain work.

Some builders, renovators, fixers... have a saying... "Don't over- renovate."

A quick calculation is... take your renovation expenditures, labour included, and divide that into the property tax assessment and... there's your answer as to whether, or not, you spent too much money renovating a house/ property.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

 This is a photo of my 'stuff' when I lived at 3 Donegal Bay. I actually sold the armoire, on the right, because the move from 90 Forest Cove Drive to two rentals to Donegal Bay was very expensive to pay for. If you have ever had to pay for the moving of a heavy armoire you will soon realize it is better to sell it because, by the time you pay $250 for each move for a ridiculous piece of heavy furniture, it makes a whole lot more sense to look for a new piece when and if the finances become available to do that.

 So, I am still waiting for a settlement from this address, 3 Donegal Bay. Some estates are so long in settling. The photo, above, was taken from a transport truck, the company that my dearly departed was, at that time, working for. Have you ever agreed to a 'ride- along' with a transport company? Well, I agreed to the experience, riding along, with B-trains. That is a very frightening experience in winter, in particular. For those of you who may not know what a B- train is... it is two 53' trailers coupled and pulled by a 'tractor...,' which is the word that is used in the transport industry for the cabbed truck that pulls these trailers. I went on two or three of these to experience what my, then, truck driver would be required to make a living. I went through this during    'Covid- 19' and that was rather traumatic.

I really appreciated my son when he agreed to walk from Fleming to 3 Donegal Bay to give me the bad news of the death of my transport driver. I had put my son as a 'emergency contact' in case of injury for my 'ride- alongs' so when Dear B died, my son dutifully gave me the sad news. I was very grateful that my son lived close by to be able to console me that day. 

Another son who lives on Winterton was a little further away. And, I can't recall if my third son was living at his newest residence which was even further away.

When I was at 3 Donegal Bay, I was busy renovating the basement.

This is a door I purchased from the Re-store on Watt Street. I found two of these solid wood doors. One of them I was  able to use at the full 36" width. The other one had to be cut down to fit the basement bathroom. 

I really loved the way the stain was received by the wood. 

The result was such a rich colour. The full door, 36", was able to fit the entrance to the 'rec room.'

It really looked like a lovely library door. 

This photo is of my gardening boxes, built on site, as a gift for me... it was my Mother's Day gift.

This was my gardening, looking from the London street entrance towards the shed.

I was able to walk to my sons' house from this address, it was so close by.

I also purchased quite a few historical books at the church, on the way, when they had a summer sale.

So, I'm still waiting for a settlement from my time here. I hope it comes soon. 

Protected, Protected, Protected

 

The Orchard Walk- El Dueck page 357

"Room Service."

"... got out of bed looking for his robe and grinned lopsidedly when he realized he was still wearing it from the night before."

This past year I have purchased three robes with the name 'Room Service.' I am using all of them because the fabric is so different from the white robes to the blue robe.

I also sent a robe to my son. That was a designer name but, where I purchased, they were all a very good price. So, the photo, at the right, is my stool that my Dad made for me... it is easy to identify because it has a little heart shape in the middle where I put that bowl of flowers... my sister has protected it for a while. She hasn't managed to return it to me yet even though my Dad fixed it for me, before he left for heaven.

I hope she's not in a fugue state. That's my latest researched lingo into a temporary amnesia brought on by a traumatic event. Of course, the passing of a parent is always a traumatic event.

The significant amnesia event that happened in my life, I mention in The Orchard Walk...         El Dueck, page 47 "... that very first car my father bought me when when I turned sweet sixteen. You remember what happened to me in that tin can," Simmy held a bit of a grudge for weightless cars. "The ruts were too large on that dirt road..."

So, the wonderful thing about surviving hardship is that these traumatic events make for good novel scenes. I really did suffer a fugue state from that vehicle rollover. The amnesia I suffered from a head injury has hidden the memory of that accident in the deep recesses of my mind. Fortunately, all was stitched up and 46 years has passed since then and my memory seems very good. 

So, what is there to be learned from this particular story? Well, some rules are impossible to circumvent. For instance, due to a receipt mix up, (for my little light blue used car) my father was only able to claim the amount, for my 'gifted' (pun here) car that he had written on the receipt. At that time, 1979, there was a time frame within which you could claim the entire amount of a purchased vehicle if it was, accidentally, written off by the insurance company but you could only claim what was on the receipt of your purchase. 

Advice for my sons... Always make sure you are protected with receipted paperwork. It's such a good practise.

Site Map

 

My crudely drawn site map, above, was part of my display in May of 2013 at McNally Robinson bookstore. I didn't have all those pillow cases made at the time. 

I think I still have most of those sets of pillow cases and I have made quite a number of quilts since December of 2012, when my self- published novel was actually ready at the printing company I hired. 

The site map is a tree because the basic premise of my novel is a love journey through life represented by "the tree of life."

This is definitely a 'lifetime project.' 

Life is a physical and metaphysical journey. If you look closely at the site map, I deliberately made one side flowing and organic- looking and the other side looks more like building lots because I squared those off. The entire map is my concept of a project that has never been built because I haven't had anyone interested in building a place like this.

So, as I did all this work, I was trying to match a Biblical study to the current day novel that I thought was important to write because so many people think that Biblical history doesn't coalesce with today.

My goal, in writing and publishing The Orchard Walk was to engage the reader in my historical fiction novel. This required a 'modern day' depiction of the old time story that started in a garden.

The Orchard Walk El Dueck

Chapter 1

"Sam slowed the Hummer down to a dusty road crawl."

(In 2009, I purchased a Hummer H3 and it was demolished in an accident on August 19, 2019.)

Much of the inspiration for my novel came from my own life and the people I would meet.

"It was a good thing that they'd decided to travel in this rugged vehicle. These roads were raw gravel, pitted and dust driven by wind that is master of nature. The wrought iron gates of the winery...

Simmy rolled down her window to get a better view, taste, smell. "Hey Sam, maybe this is why I love flowers so much. Flowers are the depiction of Eden before the thistle entered on the back of the serpent.

I think you just found that artistic edge you were hoping would grow wings for your next novel."

So, I really have no intention of publishing the sequel to this novel unless I find a financial backer but I continue to work on this lifetime project.

Is your home peaceful?

 I've been living emotional ups and downs with the husband lately. I don't know very much about men and aging but I am experiencing it!

Now, I know there are many reasons that people start acting a little bit strange and mean... my Dad once told me, when he was still alive, that he and mom always loved each other but they were getting a little grumpy in old age.

I was sound asleep last night (this is a pillow case that I have already worn out but it was the best photo I had to describe sweetly sleeping with grey hair) and my husband woke me up and was berating me for making noise while sleeping and I thought,... oh my, am I going to have to record our sleep habits now? This is crazy! So, I couldn't get back to sleep until he was done with his little tirade (tirade definition- a long, angry speech of criticism or accusation).

Do you think he's watching too much news? Maybe this is why he is struggling with anxiety. 

I was a little relieved when he went to work but I am wondering how long he will be working into his retirement years (65 years of age in Canada).

Now, don't worry about my pillow cases. As you can see I have made many more. I stored them in my armoire for a while but I keep shifting things around.

Now, I know we are all stressed out because of the lack of peace in the world. I make sure I bless my house with peace signs to remind us that the home is really the first place we must make sure we have peace. We all want to feel safe in our homes, yes?

My maintenance peace plan for my home...

I will make a little calligraphy note and put it by my bedside, "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

(just do it in your own writing or printing, it doesn't have to be calligraphy)

 Gratitude, prayer, blessings... I have a little sign in my bathroom that says, 

                                              "God Bless Our Home." 

I believe it is a sign of a very good homemaker who makes peace in the home. Now, we need cooperation to maintain peace especially when you don't live alone. So, every time I enter my home, I am going to say, "Peace to this house." 

I am going to put up a little sign, right where I see it when I come in the door. If you have a hard time remembering... this is a good practice.

Always bless your food. This, actually, seems the easiest blessing my husband speaks. This is where he is most consistent.

I feel peace every day... the peace of God transcends all understanding.

                              I make small blankets and the end result is very satisfying.

Justified

 

Do you know what justified means in 'Adobe' documentation?

So, when I purchased Adobe CS6, it was for the express purpose of putting my novel into the program to bring it to a printer. If you have ever phoned around for prices for a project, piecemeal style... as in, trying to decide what you might be willing to pay others to do versus what you decide to do because the cost is so outrageous...

you will have come to a similar conclusion, in lifes' work, as in all of lifes' work...

do it yourself or pay someone to do it.

Those are the only choices for everything... don't you find?

So, when I utilized my purchased program, I had to learn a lot things to accomplish the task of transferring my novel into this program for the purpose of hiring a printer.

What does it mean when a document is justified? In Adobe.

Well, you have choices... you can justify to the left, to the right, or centered.

So, I tried all the different ways and I looked at many books to see what others had chosen for their format.

Justifying to the right looked very strange because the spaces between letters changes to make each line end up exactly the same. Then, because Adobe doesn't seem to know word hyphenation, some words are not hyphenated properly which required that I justify to the left.

So, by the time my document, my novel, was completely justified, I asked myself this question...

Was the work I did justified in comparison to paying for the service?

The answer is... of course doing the work was justified because I haven't, yet, made any money on my project.

One other bit of information that is needed when choosing a printing company... does their 'dated' printer match the program you are using?

The Gift You Are

Proverbs 15:6            "The house of the righteous contains great treasure..." NIV

Many years ago, when I was living and giving at 90 Forest Cove Drive, I received a greeting card with this Scripture in it.

I had provided 'hospitality' to the person who gave me these words of appreciation.

When thinking of great treasure, what do you think of? I have expressed myself, to a few people, in the song 'the gift you are,' a little known song by a long ago famous artist...

as a way of saying... 

'Don't you know how important you are compared with 'stuff?' 

You can never be replaced by a 'thing.' Think of a list of things you, currently, have in your house. The list will be long, I'm sure. Now, imagine, that each of those 'things' was a gift from someone... even if you bought everything yourself...

Just pretend.

You know what comes to mind when I 'do this exercise' of gratitude?

I see the people who carried the gift into my house. So many times, I see my weary child coming in the door, at the end of a day, carrying food of some kind so I could prepare a meal for all the tired and weary 'worthies.' 

If you really want to bless someone, look them in the eyes, and say... 'You are worthy of this.'

Now I'm crying.

The reason I wrote my novel was... 

I was trying to write a current story to represent our walk of faith and to make the Bible come alive in our every day plodding to that eternal purpose of a life... the allegory, I thought, was brilliant because it was historical and yet, current. 

I wrote about my life experiences, with humour, yet challenging ideals and maybe even 'traditions,' because traditions really can get people... stuck.

So, as you ponder the gifts you have received, in life, ask this...

Was it the giver that I appreciated or the gift? We can, of course, appreciate both... truly, can we even have a gift without a giver?

 

Rental Hell

EBell seems to think they can extort money from good people who always pay their bills.

So, I used to live on De la Morenie Street, in Winnipeg, and that was a very difficult place to live. I was treated very badly there.

Now, I moved out the end of June, 2022. I was living here, where I now am, and Bell telephone service suggested I owed $3.00. So, I disagreed, and believe I have paid up fully.

Today, they seem to think that I owe $103.00. That is impossible. 

How do I deal with these extortionists?  

Where's the H? in G u e n t e r

 This is how I painted my shed floor when I owned 90 Forest Cove Drive. It was a striking gold and black 'Harlequinesque' pattern.

Don't get too excited thinking I wrote some racy love novel; you know how all those church women are! It's historical fiction so you brush up against love, of course, but I let your imagination grow as you read it! My goal wasn't to get your libido going; my goal was to get your brain going... matching my fiction story to your historical knowledge.

I wish I could show you my old year book photo of my 'science project' which had the theme of the atrocities of war... Grade 8, I think. I was one of those 'early' readers who became a writer, the theme still resonates in my novel.

My folks have both passed away now. My dad lived to be 93, my mom almost got to 89? I was told that the family name used to have an 'h' but, somehow, in all that European settlers moving the 'h' was dropped... I'll try to confirm with the person who stole the family history attache case. I know there was a very cool passport from the 1940's that had my Dad's occupation as 'farmer,' When I was growing up, everybody only knew him as a carpenter. So, farmer to carpenter with  Mom's encouragement in reading, I became a writer.

My Favourite House

 This was, definitely, my favourite house, 90 Forest Cove Drive, in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

This is where I wrote my novel. Do you know how many years it took to write my historical fiction novel? Over 3 years. That's a long time, isn't it?

I had this house built in 1986. My brother needed a customer and I became that fortunate client. Every empty lot needs a client. His lot was empty. I was the client. Now, the wonderful thing about being the client of a brother, is that he introduced me to the 'builder loan' process of building a house. So, the way that works is... the client has to go to the bank and secure all the monies for the house that is to be built before anything is started. That's what I did. The tough thing about that is... you learn what you can afford. So, this house is about 967 square feet. The original plan was very unsuitable for my needs so my brother had it re- worked until I was satisfied with the results and it was the most user friendly space for the entire time I owned this little jewel.

I owned this house for over 28 years. I raised my three sons here. Two of my sons lived their entire lives here before they married and started off on their own. My oldest son was only 2 years old when I moved in.

The fireplace was part of the renovation as well as the hardwood floors. If you look closely at the fireplace mantle, you'll see a tiny little Eiffel tower metal figurine beside the E. That Eiffel tower is on the front cover of my novel. I just took a picture of it and then it was added to the photo I took of my tea room table and chairs in a lovely forest setting. You would be surprised at what you can do with a mediocre camera and a lot of 'vision.'

This was my shed... built by myself and my, then, partner. This was another plan that was re- worked from an original but this was built, entirely, by the owner.

For some reason, all my photos have suddenly gone missing. I'll add them when I recover them.

Always doing something

 Living far, far away from Winnipeg is getting so hard to do... currently, I live in Dauphin, Manitoba. I have tried to convince a decorating store, in town, to hire me but the people there really enjoy their jobs. I have inquired as to the availability of a position there, oh, five or six times or more. 

I just love making things better, you know?

I purchased my bathroom flooring from that store. I wish I could load more pictures from my old phone camera to my getting old computer but, alas, it doesn't seem to work! 

Here is a picture of the windows in the old house I have tried to fix up a little. We don't plan to replace any windows because the age of the house and re- sale market might not create a balanced scale. When I moved here, one window was broken and my dear son fixed that for us so, the glass was replaced in the bedroom I'm in. 

So, my desire to move to Winnipeg, again, when the husband is retired, is a careful 'what will be spruced up a bit and what is fine the way it is?'

This outdoor project is still my favourite project I have completed for that wonderful garden setting. The tea room table, featured on the front of my novel, is sitting in the middle of the deck we built and my garden chairs were also used, a lot, to prop up the construction materials we purchased, and purchased, and purchased... mostly at McMunn's... but some at Co-op building supplies too... such helpful places to get supplies.

As you can see, in the background, the 'shed' likely dates back to when the house was built, maybe 1940's... my husband calls it a shed because of the size. It's quite small. Some people might say it's a garage but it can't fit most vehicles.

One day, when my old equipment is cooperating, I will load more photos and show how two $50 screen doors were transformed into wonderfully sturdy doors that were then hung from my 'barn door ironmongery' that I hauled out here, having purchased those in Winnipeg a few years earlier. The construction of those doors was totally the brainchild of myself and my husband. 

When living far away from a major city, you must be very creative to complete little projects with what is available. So much of the work is 'in situ.' It is my guess,... I shall try to find out for sure, that this house was likely built by a rough and ready do-it-yourselfer. I sent a photo to my son, of the joists that are visible from the basement. The rough- cut lumber of one joist, in particular, still has the bark of the tree on it. I am wondering if the lumber came from Kippan's Mill in Riding Mountain... now a National Park. The mill did provide building materials for European settlers from approximately 1895- 1945. The area was proclaimed a Forest reserve in 1895 to properly manage the resources. A very enterprising man by name of Alex Kippan, purchased an area that was excluded from the park, and operated a sawmill until all marketable timber had been logged sawn, and used for building, 1936- 1946. Well before I studied this tidbit of history, I suspected that the lumber for the house I currently live in, likely came from that mill. From my small study of this, it is likely white spruce.

This photo is the the floor, after I removed the very old indoor/ outdoor carpet from the bedroom I mentioned. It was a terrible job removing the glue on the floor. This was the second thing I tackled when I moved here. The first thing was removing all the worn out carpeting on the stairs between the basement and the upstairs. When checking the thickness of hardwood in an old house, open up a register and look for the top layer to see how much hardwood there actually is. If it is 1/2 inch, or less, don't rent a big heavy sander to refinish the floor. Just hand- sand to re- finish this type of old wood flooring.

When opening up the outside bathroom wall, I was surprised to find a very sturdy wallboard that is not used nowadays, in the building of new homes. the entire wall, behind the sheetrock, is constructed of one by six wooden boards. Likely from Kippan's Mill? 

Three years ago, 2022, I was up there cross- country skiing, and snow- shoeing, and I saw what is a bit of a remnant of the mill. Now, it is just a ramshackle memory with a 'danger sign' so be careful if you go exploring. 

So much of the building of Canada was accomplished by European settlers... of which I, also, am a heritage of.  

Live a Good Life

 

I am not very fond of the word aggressive but there is one

place where you must be very aggressive to get good results...

 that place is a garden,

and a kitchen.

Grow something good...

Make something good...

Eat...

     

         Something

                       Good

Lots of work, this good life...