Good morning everybody!

I am making an exceptional post (a weeday morning when I should be on my way to school!) because I saw this wonderful video on Canada AM. I am curious as to how people make their blogs so diverse, so here's my attempt to embed the You Tube video that captured my fancy. It appears as though Toyota is reaching out to consumers by tickling their sense of humour... have a look. (Once you've watched this, don't forget to read yesterday's post. There is VERY IMPORTANT info included in that one too.)

The job quest continues...

A few weeks ago I blogged/vented about my unsuccessful application as a high school Basic French teacher. Well, yesterday I interviewed for a position as a Middle Years French Immersion teacher with the Louis Riel School Division where I am currently employed. The Division is trying a new hiring strategy for the first time, and that meant that all teachers presently holding a term contract were invited to throw their CV into the ring and the successful candidates would be placed following the interview process. My turn was yesterday at 3 pm, and for the first time in my life, adult or otherwise, I prepared for it. I had notes, a mnemonic device to help me remember everything I had to say about the climat in my classroom, I consulted colleagues and practiced my delivery while riding my bike home. In other words, I managed to get myself in quite a lather! AND, it was thirty degrees yesterday afternoon, which made putting on form fitting underpinnings a real honest to goodness struggle and during which I may have pulled a muscle. I'll do anything to look good in a suit. I was in and out of the interview in thirty minutes, and managed not to commit any blunders, serious or otherwise. I've done my part, and it is now my turn to practice what I preach to my students, the art of being patient.

In the spirit of hockey playoffs (Go Habs !) I am posting a photo of Scott Rees who is Kelly McKeag's eldest son. Scott is assisstant manager at Winnipeg's brand-new Apple store. When Norm and I were in there, the place was hopping; Scott was deeply entrenched in an intense tutorial session with a kid who had brought his laptop in for a look-see. It was pretty cool to see Scott take such good care of this little customer. Here he is, long past the (NHL) drafting age, but in his beer-league prime. THANKS FOR THE PHOTO SCOTT! (That means one more post without a photo of the Châtel boys or my dog.)

Charaty's (Scott's finacée) brother Derrick, Scott & Charaty's other-brother Darren

celebrating the Buzzard's league championship victory.

Before concluding this post, I must correct some of the info I posted about our cousin Dean Campbell. He and his partners are accountants, not lawyers; but Dean, were you ever a lawyer? Our cousin Doug Campbell in Calgary once was a lawyer and he switched teams and became an architect, so you can understand why a person might slip up periodically... This is how Dean so diplomatically let me off the hook when I mistakenly identified him as lawyer

"...although after Enron and Worldcom in the mind of the general public that may be a distinction without a difference".

Who said accountants don't have a sense of humour? I posted a photo of Angelica, who would have been Grandma and Grandpa's first great-great grandchild. I haven't asked Dean his permission to post this next part, but it is a perfect illustration of how when some place is truly home one tends to overlook its shortcomings...

Regarding May in Winnipeg (my last post was mostly about Winnipeg weather), the last time I was there was May 1st 2002(?), I was at a large family gathering at the former home of Uncle Scott and Aunt Sonya on Wellington Crescent, and it was snowing in the afternoon! Roy Drewitt asked me just how hot it could get in El Paso in the summer, and I replied the highs could exceed 100 degrees F. Roy exclaimed that a person would have to be crazy to live there. I mumbled something or other in response and glanced out the window as the snow flakes fell ever faster, all the while wondering how many El Pasoans would regard living in Winnipeg as crazy. To each his own, but I prefer hot and dry to cold and damp. Dean Campbell, El Paso Texas

Happy long weekend everybody,
wherever you may be,
I hope the sun shines brightly.

Good Sunday Morning !

This is the exact moment in time when 'Peggers are lulled into a false sense of meteorological comfort. It is mid-May (even better than midway) and yesterday Mother Nature granted us a beautiful day. We've had a lot of rain & grey skies of late. I know, I know, the rain was badly needed, and the explosion of green is refreshing and desperately needed after weeks of the dust and grime that melting snow leaves behind, but rain to a teacher means indoor recess and mobs of children who's delicate sensors react STRONGLY to changes in barometric pressure (I am nothing if not adept in euphemistic prose). BUT 'Peggers should know better...Mother Nature has duped us before. THEREFORE I have vowed not to gather up the winter gear for the spring-wash-and-store process until July 1. And to those who will goadingly say, "sure sure, it is just procrastination dressed up in scepticism", I say "You try and sit through 3 hours of baseball on a chilly May-June evening." I will not be snookered and the fleece blanket, toques and gloves will remain close at hand.

This weeks photos are courtesy of the eldest Campbell cousin, Dean Campbell, number one son of Uncle Craig (#3 son of Gladys and Douglas) and Aunt Enid. When I was a little girl I thought Dean was extremely tall and, like his brothers, exotic because they were American. Our meetings were years apart, and at some point I realized that maybe he wasn't so tall after all (sorry Dean, but the Campbells aren't really towering giants!) but he does remain exotic because he is still and American, his wife is Mexican, they both have two degrees each and they have the first great-grand-children.

Thanks for the photos Dean. Stay in touch.

Eleven year old Angelica Campbell in a field of East Texas wildflowers

Our cousin, Dean Campbell in his office, looking respectable.

Dean and his partners, looking rather informal.

(I'm sure if you need a lawyer in Texas they would serve you well)

Dean with his wife Maria and friends.

PHOTOS WANTED!

Don't be shy or modest,

send me photos of your vacations,

children, pets, home renos,

I will happily post them for our

collective viewing pleasure.

Alex turns 45 in Venice

Wrights and Drewetts fêtent in Venice

Alex Wright turned 45 this past April - the 18th I believe, and to celebrate she planned a family vacation to Venice. She, Peter and Fraser were accompanied by Liz & Rob, Ashley and jeff, Lynne and Aunt Pat & Roy. What fun. Of course the less fu part was that their trip coincided with the volcano blowing its top thus putting a full stop to air traffic in the 'hood. Once again Mother Nature was reminding us just who is boss. Lynne kindly provided the following photos, but I happened to steal a quick look at Roy's library of photos, and I must say, there are blog worthy indeed.

I experienced some difficulty in uploading the photos Lynne had forwarded to me, but this file uploaded while the others refused to. I am an expert blogger until operations go wrong - I am so quick to jump ship it is truly shameful! I am a fair weather blogger. The end result is that only one of Lynne's photos would upload, but I promise to post more someday... I think we all get the "picture" though - it was a fabulous trip. Happy Birthday Alex.

Aunt Dawn in Anguilla

To round things off, I thought I would post the photos Janis McKeag sent me. Aunt Dawn was in Anguilla over spring break. They are wearing their Easter bonnets; Grnadma would be so proud!

Pip, Janis's husband is seen here giving Aunt Dawn a hand with his luggage. Pip will be back in Canada in July when Scott Reece needs a BBQ chef for his lakeside wedding.

I will sign off now so that I can tune into the last period and a half of the Montreal - Pittsburgh game. Go Habs!

Happy Mother's Day

Cheers Mums!

Aunt Pat, Aunt Sonya, Dilly,

Aunt Sharon and Aunt Dawn

on the occasion of the official opening

of Grandpa & Grandma's

farm house at the

Fort la Reine Museum in P la P, July 2009

And a special tribute to my own mother who has

always valued a good sense of humour!

Here are just some of the great

mums that make up our family.

Dilly and Sonya Burns Christmas 2009

Dilly and Sonya, summer 2009

Janis & Dawn McKeag, fall 2009

Sonya Wright & Lynne Arnason mum to Kirk & Thomas Wright

Summer 2009

Alex Wright with her son Fraser Marco Lyon, summer 2009

Ashley Wright and her cousin, Margot (Tallin) Bigelow

July 2009, Neepawa

Lynne Arnason & Thomas Wright, summer 2009

Kelly McKeag, Alex Wright and Colin Rees (Kelly's son)

Sonya & her daughter Livy doing a time-honoured

Mother - daughter activity; the rite of passage that is ear-piercing

Step 1: Signing the waiver. This is for REAL Liv!

Step 2: Sterilizing the lobe:

So far so good, right Liv?

Step 3: WHAT?!? THERE'S PAIN INVOLVED!

And always remember Liv, your Mum signed the

paper that gave the technician the permission to

inflict the pain upon you.

Step 4: Not so bad eh Liv?

And Mom was there by your side all along.

A Christmas (2009) gift you will have forever,

along with the knowledge that Mum's are there to protect you, always.