Happy 50th Ted!

Today Ted turned 50 years old, and we celebrated it a lo grande at his home.  He'd invited close to 50 of his friends, prepared tons of food - Paraguayan and Canadian - and threw a fantastic party.  It reminded me of Paraguayan get-togethers.  

The food was awesome: milanesitas, chipas, alfajores, and my favourite, empanaditas.  There were cupcakes and other goodies too but the Paraguayan treats were amazing.  All home made too, a testament to the effort and energy spent by Karin and the kids to put on this party.

Another thing that impressed me about this celebration was the entertainment.  Again, Karin and the kids came through, putting together a slideshow presentation highlighting Ted's life.  It was accompanied by Ted on the guitar and a friend of his on the piano.  He also had a short speech where he expressed his gratitude to family and friends for all the support received over the years.  It was neither sentimental nor vain, just balanced and ... celebratory.

Happy 50th Ted.  Thanks for being such a good brother.  God love you and bless you always!

Al Watan, Haflingers, Saloniki, And Rook

Well it was a busy day!

I arrived in Vancouver just before noon, where I met Sanjit for lunch at Al Watan.  This is still the best restaurant in Vancouver as far as I'm concerned.  And Khalid is still the best host.  It was good to catch up with Sanjit again too.

We sat and hung out at the restaurant until about 3pm, at which point we went to Broadway Shoes.  I'd planned to get myself some new indoor only birks, but upon discovering these comfy Haflingers I changed my mind.  I also picked up some long johns and a wool hiking t from MEC.

After the shopping spree we went to Ruth and Marty's, where we chatted some more until it was time to go for dinner.  We opted for Saloniki on Commercial.  Good choice.  Benja joined us, as did Alfonso and Anoush.  I woolfed down a lamb souvlaki with the usual fixins of rice and salad.

Before the meal Benja said something that stung a little: "So Ed, you've been living the good life."  Translaton: you've gained some weight.  When he told me this I felt like reaching over the table and punch him in the face, but that says more about me than about him, and it confirms what I see when I look in the mirror: I have been living the good life, or as my friend Scott would say, I haven't skipped too many meals lately.  I've gained some weight, and I need to deal with it.

After dinner we went back to Ruth and Marty's and played Rook until just about midnight.  Ruth and Marty weren't there, as they play soccer on Friday nights, followed by drinks at the pub afterwards.

Tomorrow I'd like to go to Ikea, on my way back to Abbotsford to celebrate Ted's 50th birthday.

Cousins

 My brother Ted invited all the cousins over to his place tonight.  The point was to get us all together for a meal and coversation.  I wasn't sure how it would go over but I can say that it exceeded my expectations.

Stephan and his new wife were there, Tiffany was there (without Christopher) too.  Andy, Jenny and Bruce, and Conrad and Betty (or is it Heidi), and Ted and I made up the rest I think.

I aappreciated Ted' and Karin's show of hospitality.  They're good hosts, and having a big and spacious mansion like the one they have doesn't hurt either...

Tomorrow I'm off to Vancouver for lunch, then dinner and hopefully games with some friends.

Oh and yeah, I forgot: mom prepared my favourite breakfast dish: waffles with vanilla sauce!  And I have to say, her french press coffee is exquisite too...

Off To The Coast...

I left Saskatoon at 6:40pm tonight, on my way to Abbotsford.  I had a stopover in Calgary, where I ate dinner at Chilly's.  The sky in Calgary was smokey and eerie.

I arrived in Abbotsford at 11, and mom and there were to pick me up.

Let's see if I can stay out of trouble for the next 10 days...

Staining Front Porch

A few weeks ago I stained my rear deck.  The past few days I've been staining my front porch.  Here's what it looks like.

It's a different type of wood than my deck, and I think I like the shade of the deck better.

Two More Paintings

I finished my last 2 paintings.  My instructor(s) are moving back to the West Coast, so I'm not sure if or when I'll pick up painting again, but in the meantime, here are my last 2 pieces of work.

Mano In Saksatoon

I saw Mano again tonight...after about 10 years!  He and Karen and their two daughters arrived at my place around 5:30 this afternoon.

We went for dinner at the Freehouse.  Afterwards I bought the girls some ice cream before we all went for a walk along the river, and then returning along Spadina Ave.  Bonus - no mosquitoes.

They're on their way home to Ottawa, after spending a few weeks in Vancouver.

From left to right: Ashwyn, Karen, Mika, Mano, and Edgar.

In many ways Mano hasn't changed at all.  He still loves Formula 1 racing.  He talked about it with the same passion and enthusiasm as in previous years.  He's also the same caring person as always - he heard with great interest as I updated him on the ups and downs of my life since we last saw each other.  He's a good listener.

Dear Lord, please bless Mano and his lovely family.  Amen.

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad there are no more planned visits in the near future.  I've ha d a very busy few weeks: Hugh, camping with Eric, Patri, more Hugh, more Patri, and Mano.  And in between all of that, cheek surgery!

I hope to get a few days' rest, before preparing for my trip west to reconnect with friends and family.

Thank you Lord for all the wonderful people you've placed in my life.  Amen.

Housemate Adjustments

Nasser's been here for 2 months now, and I have to say, things are going much better than expected.  Not only is he clean and conscientious, he's also good company.

Since his arrival we've done a few things that have strengthened bonds of friendship: we've cooked a few meals together, we eat one meal a week together, we've had a few bbqs, and we go grocery shopping together every second Saturday (although I have to say, it's somewhat annoying to shop with someone who likes to spend 2 hours in a grocery store; it takes me 20 minutes, how could it take someone 2 hours!!!!???).

He's from Iran, a good guy who's left his wife and son behind in Tehran to seek fortune in a foreign land with a different language and strange customs.  Brave.

Friends And Ale

My rendezvous with friends continues...

Yesterday afternoon I went to Bruno to pick up Hugh from the institute of Mission.  Went for a walk around the grounds there....quite serene, and a lovely cherry orchard too.

Afterwards we drove back to Saskatoon and grilled some steaks and veggies on the grill.  Hot weather.  After dinner I attended Mass, before returning and spending some time shooting the shit with Hugh on the front steps of my house.

This evening we went to The Woods, on 2nd Avenue.  Had a nice dunkelweizen there, but the food was very average.  Our waitress was friendly and encouraged us to express ourselves as she took a picture of us.  We duly followed her advice...I'm picking my nose in the second pic below.  I'm sure we made a positive impression...

Everywhere we've been we've met friendly people (particularly waitresses...Capanna, Common Cafe, and tonight too)...so Hugh is talking about moving here.

This morning I met up with Patri at the airport for a 10-minute chat before she boarded the plane headed for Montreal.  We both agreed that our community of friends in Vancouver is super unique.  We talked about moving back there once our time in our respective places - Bayreuth and Saskatoon - is complete.  I get teary-eyed just thinking about it...

Tomorrow Hugh leaves, and I get a 2-day break before Mano and his family arrives for a one-day crash.  I haven't seen him in about 10 years.  I have a feeling our visit will be quite special.

Patri In Saskatoon

Patri arrived in town today, so we went for dinner tonight at Amigos with her friend Jackie, Jackie's boyfriend Troy and his buddy Brett.

As the picture shows, Patri brought out a real smile in me.  She's so spirited, full of life, joyful, so ... Patri.  She draws me out of myself in a way that few if any others can.  She is just such a happy person; only sheer stubbornness could keep me in my own, melodramatic world when I'm around her.

Oh how I miss the west coast days; the days of futbol, bbqs, movies, dinners, wine, hikes, and board games.  As beautiful and peaceful as the prairies are, I feel like a lost soul out here.

A New Cheek

After a short cheek surgery yesterday afternoon, I hope to have my "original" cheek back soon.

I checked into the Moose Jaw hospital around noon yesterday, and by 1:30 was out cold, in a deep sleep.  When I woke up around 3:30 I was confused, drowsy, groggy, dizzy, and disoriented.

I stayed the night at St. Joseph's parish rectory.  John, my good Reformed-come-Catholic and now seminarian friend was in town from Edmonton, and so we had the opportunity to catch up.  We ate pizza for dinner.  It was the most tasteless pizza I've ever had.  Come to think of it, it was the most tasteless meal I've ever had.  That's what purgatory must be like - tasteless, senseless, blah.

This morning we had breakfast together, and then I did a bit of reading.  I'm reading Pope Francis' The Church of Mercy right now, a book with short, 2-3 page homilies he's given over the past 2 years.

At noon we went to what used to be Coffee Encounters (now Chrysalis or something like that) for lunch.

At around 5 I left, heading for Toontown, arriving around 8.  I took a different route: #2, then #42, #19, #15, and finally, the #219.  It was a lovely, scenic route which I will surely take again.

Camping and Hiking Cypress Hills

Friday

After dropping Hugh off at the airport (he's on the way to St. Therese's for a week-long retreat on spiritual healing), I picked up Eric at his home shortly after 8am.

We packed his stuff in my car, and then immediately hit the road westward on the #7 to Kindersley, then south on the #21, stopping in Leader.  We actually took an hour-long detour to Checkerboard Hill where we saw some great views of the area.  Along the way, we also saw antelopes on the side of the reoad.

After the short detour, we resumed our journey on the #21, through Maple Creek to the Cypress Hills Winery where we enjoyed a late lunch along with some wine tasting.  I bought 2 bottles: rhubarb, and sour cherry.

The last stretch to Cypress Hills (west block) was a short 1 hour journey.  We camped in spot #17, relaxed in the shade for a bit, and ate dinner.

After setting up camp we went on a 6km hike to the Conglomerate Cliffs. We watched the sunset here, and hiked back at dusk.

Saturday

Saturday was another spectacular day - perfectly hot and sunny.  Our goal was to be up and hiking by 10am, but alas, we were an hour late getting going.  We got up at 8 and stumbled our way through breakfast.  Car-camping can be tedious, packing and unpacking food, storing and retrieving food from the car...

But once we were on the trails, we were motoring.  We hiked 13kms in the heat of the day, along South Benson, Baldy, and La Barge trails.  This was not our intended itinerary, but poor provincial trail maps meant that we had to amend our plans.

Still, we got some wonderful views.

By 3pm we were exhausted, and went back to our campsite to rest and stock up on water supplies.  Then at 6pm we got on the road again, this time on the TCT, heading towards the Hidden Conglomerate Cliffs.

The hike was a short 6km (return), and just what we were looking for.  We'd already covered good territory earlier in the day, and what we were looking for in this early evening hike was essentially viewpoints, and that we got:

When we got back to our campground, it was already after 9pm.  Caked in bug spray and sweat, the first thing I did upon returning was jump into the nearby stream and wash myself clean.  Oh the great feeling of cleanliness after a19km hiking day!

Sunday

Sunday began with breakfast and clean up.  Sidenote: I slept wonderfully on my new 6.5" sleeping MEC sleeping pad.  I've never slept so well camping!

By 11am we were on the road again, this time by car, headed to the centre block of Cypress Hills.  We took the "Gap" shortcut, a 17km dirt road meandering up and down the lovely hills of the area.  It was clearly a farm road, as we encountered cattle and waterholes all along.

Once on the west block, we immediately went to the lookout:

Then we went for lunch, followed by a 13km hike along the TCT.  It was gorgeous, with a variety of field flowers and trees, forests, and medows along the way.  We even had lunch while sitting on a log, with a curious cow standing about 8 metres away, watching our every move.

 

After completing our hike, we got in my Jetta to make the 5 hour trip home.  We went on the #1, eastbound, stopping at the Original Joe's in Swift Current for dinner.  After dinner we took the #4 northbound, through Saskatchewan Landing and Kyle before turning east on the #7 in Rosetown.  I arrived home near midnight exhausted, but with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

I love hiking, and I'm beginning to love camping.  It doesn't replace cultural trips to see other parts of the world, but there's certainly something to be said for exploring the wild outdoors of the places that we live in.  And in terms of hiking experiences in Saskatchewan, there is no better place than Cypress Hills.

Tomorrow I rest, before going for cheek surgery in Moose Jaw on Tuesday.

Hugh In Saskatoon

Hugh has been in Saskatoon the past 3 days.  He's only the second friend to come and visit me since my move here; Sanjit was the first one.  Of course, my bro and his family were here last year, and my parents have come too...

On Tuesday night we went for Indian dinner buffet at Swadesh on 22nd Street.

On Wednesday we went to Capanna Pizzeria.  Here, a waitress blew us away with her friendly and talkative character.

And today we got up early in the morning and drove to Moose Jaw.  I had to do a pre-op there for my cheek surgery early next week, and after that we met up with John and Lamont for lunch at Bobby's.  The original plan was to head to Regina after lunch, but we enjoyed such a good converstaion around the table that we ended up staying in the Jaw until well after 4.  Before heading back home we went to Crescent Park and breathed in some fresh air.  Hugh read a book on the bench, and I took a much-needed nap on the lawn.

Tomorrow Hugh gets on a bus, off to Bruno for a spiritual retreat, and I head the opposite direction, west, to Cypress Hills on a camping trip with Eric.

Backyard

One of the reasons I wanted to buy a house was so that I could enjoy my own backyard, while smoking a cigarette and enjoying a beer.  It takes some work to make the back yard nice, but as the pictures below indicate, if done right, the result can be a really nice and peaceful place to relax and enjoy serenity.

The past few days I've been staining my deck.  The first picture below shows nicely the"before and after" effect of a good stain job.  I'm pretty happy with the job I did.

Next summer I want to tackle the fence: it'll be stained the same "Muskoka Cottage" brown as the deck.

Prairie Cathedrals

So a few days ago after finishing up at the monastery I crossed the highway to take a look at the cathedral that Muenster is known for.

The drive up to the church gave me a "church in the country feel" - dusty dirt road lined by trees on either side - and the cathedral itself was nice enough from the outside with a basic design (sadly, some of the siding was vinyl), but what really impressed me was the interior.

 

It wasn't as impressive as the cathedral in Gravelbourg (below), but still, it blew me away: a massive structure, "in the middle of nowhere" (the church in Gravelbourg seats 1000 and Gravelbourg itself only has about 1000 inhabitants; the church in Muenster is smaller, as is the town itself), with so much love, care, and effort invested in it.

I know very little about either of these towns or their spiritual histories, but I can't help but think that there must have been a thriving faith community present once.  The frescoes in particular point towards hours and hours of love labour.

And we, subsequent generations, have been left a lasting legacy by those who came before us.

The question that comes to mind is: What kind of a legacy are we leaving behind?

Becoming A Benedictine Oblate

A few years ago, while still living in BC, I was thinking about becoming a Benedictine oblate.  I felt that it was important to adopt for myself a Rule of Life - guidelines, principles to which I adhere in all decisions of life - and be attached to a community of people who support and encourage each other in bringing that rule to life.

Then I got busy: I got a new job, moved to the prairies, bought a car and a house, and so on and so forth.  And of course, my relationship with Michelle earlier this year also kept me busy.

But after breaking up with Michelle, 2 things happened: I had a lot more time on my hands, and I didn't know how to fill that time.  This second point became more acute and stressful when I began feeling tremendous feelings of loneliness and discontent.

Fortunately, around the end of March I ventured out on a day trip to a monastery in Muenster, to participate in Oblate Day there.  My experience was quite positive, attending Mass, lunch, and a lecture afterwards.  I also talked to Fr. Paul, in charge of hospitality and oblates at the monastery, and got a really good feeling about re-engaging in the whole conversation regarding becoming an oblate.

That was March; fast forward to today.  I went to Oblate Day again (there are 4 such days per year), and went through the same routine as last time, attending Mass, lunch, lecture, and a short meeting with Fr. Paul.  We both concluded that since I'm quite familiar with the Benedictine tradition already, I am ready to take the next step: make my novitiate vows.

These vows will take place at the next meeting, on October 24th.  In the meantime, I have "homework", 3 readings: 1- the Rule of St. Benedict; 2- A Mystical Portrait of Jesus (Demetrius Dumm), and 3- Poustinia (Catherine Doherty).

This year is turning out to be a momentous year.  First, joining the Roman Catholic Church in April, and now taking my novitiate vows to join the Benedictines.  I will be a Novice for one year before making full vows.

Here, in short are my vows (BCMSS):

1- Balance

2- Change (Continuous Conversion)

3- Moderation

4- Simplicity

5- Stability (Commitment)

By God's grace, these vows will keep in check my thirst for (GPPSW):

1- Glory / Fame

2- Pleasure

3- Power

4- Security

5- Wealth

Jazz Festival

The jazz festival has been on all this week and I finally went to see a show at the Free Stage (19th and Broadway) this evening with Eric.  I'm not a huge jazz fan, but Ikebe Shakedown did just that: they shook down the place, and thoroughly pleased my musical senses.

It was good to get out and about.  I spend a lot of time at home, so it was refreshing for the soul to be out and listening to some good music.

Prairie Sky

Today I went hiking at Beaver Creek, and was greeted by an amazing cloud formation on the sky.

Two months ago I took the exact same route.  Here are a few pics I took then.  Two short months, and such an amazing transformation of creation...

Nasser

I have a new housemate.

This past winter I realized that owning a house is expensive.  Because of the cold prairie winters, I was paying upwards of $400 on utilities some months.

The right way to deal with this unexpected expense is obvious: 1- finish the basement of my new house, or 2- get a housemate.

I opted for #2.  I put in an ad in kijiji 2 months ago and didn't get many bites, but late last week I did get one.  We met last week, he looked at the house, I asked him some probing questions, and here he is, now he's my housemate.  I pray that this was a good decision.

Spain Beckons

 What struck me about yesterday's performance was that it included student performers, young and old.  Watching kids - especially this one little boy - doing the moves, snapping their fingers, tapping their fee, was just amazing.  They had us roaring in approval...

Of course it wasn't just students, but some professionals too.  Here's the only picture I took of the evening:

At the end of the performance they had a Q&A session, and one of the questions asked by a crowd member was whether or not the guitarist offered lessons.  He smiled and nodded in approval...."Yes.  Give us a call", he said.  My heart lept.  I wonder whether I should...

All this talk about flamenco and music - Jesse Cook, Gipsy Kings, etc... - is convincing me more and more that I need to return to Spain. Places like Malaga and Sevilla are beckoning.  That's where greats like Carlos Montoya, Camaron, and Paco de Lucia hail from.  Now, more than ever, I want to go there and immerse myself in flamenco culture...

I also want to walk the Camino again.  Maybe take a different route...like the Portugués; or if I have less time, maybe the Inglés; or maybe I need to re-interpret my last walk - so many things have changed - and re-do the Original.