Jan. 22, 2015

A great big hello goes out to all my readers. Isn't it nice to have a break in the cold temperatures? Some of the roads tend to get slippery, especially in the mornings but a person just has to plan to take more time driving from place to place. the vehicles are pretty slush covered and when driving in Winnipeg a quick trip to the car wash is necessary due to the salt accumulation. you can almost hear the rust eating away at the car.

We took advantage of the sunny balmy weather last Saturday and removed all the outside Christmas lights, garland and wreaths. They're all packed and ready to be used again next Christmas. Many people still have their light shining at night, maybe to take away the winter blues. Apparently this is the worst time of the year for depression to raise it's head due to the short days. I find that if I puzzle in the basement under our grow bulbs it really helps to quash these blahs.

Best wishes

A belated birthday wish goes  out to Gail Shimonek of Altona formerly of the Rosenfeld area. Carol Schroeder and I spent a very nice day with her on Friday, Jan. 16.
A happy anniversary wish goes out to Elmer and Neta Penner of the Rosenfeld area. They celebrated 18 year so marriage on Monday, Jan. 19.

And then we have baby congratulations going to Cornie and Crystal Zacharias. They welcomed Jonathon to their family on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 11:23 a.m. at Boundary Trails. A big boy at 8 lbs. 10 oz. and 221/4 inches, he joins siblings Christina, Sheldon and twins, Samantha and Paige. Maternal grandparents are Abe and Kathy Penner of Winkler and paternal grandparents are Ed and Margaret Zacharias of Altona.

School musicals

W. C. Miller Collegiate will be featuring a Charlie Brown musical this spring and MCI will present Beauty and the Beast. More information will be forthcoming in the future. Tickets of the MCI musical may be purchased online.

Progress report

It's happening just as I anticipated. One of the nails in the right knee is causing grief and will be removed in the near future. I have an appointment with my surgeon this Tuesday to get paperwork done and set the surgery in motion. I've been told that it's not a big deal and I'll be on my way home within an hour after the procedure. The trip south has been put on the backburner for the time being; everything depends on how fast the surgeon can get a slot for this nail removal and then for me to get mobile again. To say "I'm not happy" is an understatement.

Jan. 15, 2015

Before I begin the column I would like to get something out of my system. I hate winter. There I've said it, if it helped I'd scream it and throw a tantrum but we all know what happens in Manitoba in January so I'll just have to buck up and try to ignore  the cold as much as possible. When I was younger, actually I was caretaker until a few years ago, I'd spend most of the winter at the local skating ring but since that's no longer an option, the season seems to stretch out forever. The month of December is always filled with concerts and entertaining but January and February drag on and on, especially when dealing with such frigid temperatures.

I was so looking forward to heading south for sun and sand but it appears that I'll have to wait until next winter. In the meantime, puzzling will be a huge time consumer and an exercise program has begun.

There's not much news to report but I'm waiting for at least three birth announcements. I don't know what happened nine months ago but there's going to be a bit of a baby boom at the end of January.
The temperatures are supposed to get to the single digits this week and I've heard that many guys are going ice fishing. We have on package of fish in the freezer form summer, so fresh fish would certainly be a good thing. Dave always checks the badger activity near the yunge Wolfe's farm and he reports that the badger has been digging a lot of new holes. This means that we're in for a definite weather switch-a-roo; the badger is never wrong.

Birthday wishes

The community would like to send belated birthday wishes to Tatiana Teichroeb of Eastview Place in Altona. Mrs. Teichroeb celebrated her 90th birthday over the Christmas holidays with her family and friends. She was a long-time resident of Rosenfeld and the community wishes her the best.

Rosenfeld history west reserve

Anyone interested in the history of Rosenfeld should go onto the Facebook page; Rosenfeld History West Reserve. Art Wiebe is collecting history information and pictures and a book may be forthcoming in the future. Many people are sending photos and history tidbits and the site is very interesting.

Jan. 08, 2015

So here it is a new year. I wonder what it will bring. It's hard to believe that the days are already getting longer. I know that it's cold out there but if a person doesn't have to go out, well there are lots of fun things to do indoors. And it's perfectly alright to add a nap onto the list. Dave says that my two to three hours don't describe a nap but I have a different opinion. I say any time spent relaxing after the busy holiday season is good for a person.

Many people have the flu; either the stomach ache thing or a very bad cough, respiratory infection. I started with the achy muscles which then became a full-fledged coughing, sneezing thing. Now as long as an earache doesn't develop, I'm laughing. Many adults outgrow the ear infection thing but I still get it at least once a year and I'll quickly add a disclaimer - there are no smokers in this house and no woodstove. According to some information, these two were to blame for all the ear infections that kids used to have. What they'll come up with now, we can only guess.

Spring is just around the corner  for greenhouses and home gardeners and the seed catalogues are coming fast and furious. I love it. Dave and I are experimenting with heritage seeds to find out if there really is a difference in the taste of the produce. Heritage Harvest Seed is located out of Carman the phone number is 204-745-6489 and on the web at www.heritageharvestseed.com. They advertise as no GMO's - no hybrids and untreated natural seeds. This means a person can reuse the seed from year to year and always have the same produce. The seeds stays true and you never have to purchase seed again if you harvest them in fall.

School news

On Monday, Jan.5 2015 school was back in session. Rosenfeld School has many students who do not attend on Jan. 6 and the staff encouraged all the ones who attended to bring skates, board games, Leg and building sets.

Also, a reminder goes out concerning Soup Wednesdays - please bring a reusable cup and spoon.

The after-school program for K-2 offered by the Altona and Area Resource Center has been extended to two days. Beginning next week it will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30 - $:30 p.m. in the school gym. the resource center is also looking to run a healthy cooking/eating program at the Rosenfeld School in the near future.

That's it for this week. Wishing all a Merry Christmas to those who celebrate Ukrainian Christmas.

Dec. 23, 2014

Busy, busy, busy; everyone is busy - shopping, baking, sewing, Christmas concerts and sending in my column. Then on top of all this I've started a 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle which is mostly a snowy grey and blue Christmas scene. I've had a number of helpers, friends Julie Hildebrand and Hilda Wiebe and granddaughter Amber Wolfe came to help but it's far from finished. Oh well, we have a long winter ahead of us so there's lots of time.
Just when a person is into the Christmas mode along come the seed catalogues. What's a person to do? I've stashed them under a pillow. I need to concentrate on meal menus for the upcoming celebrations: family and friends will be coming over and the groceries need to be in the cupboard and freezer.

Concerts

The MCI Christmas concert was absolutely fantastic. I was good to hear some German Christmas carols included. Even though the schools no longer teach German, the grammas and grampas enjoy hearing it. My favourites for the evening were Mary Did You Know by the Resonate Choir and Carol of the Bells sung by the Senior choir. The Hallelujah Chorus at the end brought the house down. Wonderful concert.

The Rosenfeld School concert was a gain a smashing success. The audience was captivated with the student's performance whether it was the Jingle Bell Rock of playing ceramic bells to Jingle Bells and Joy to the World. The play entitled Carriers of the Light  and Brock Harms was wonderful in the angel role. The rest of the cast had worked hard to memorize lines and moved flawlessly through the play. The students and staff deserve a huge round of applause.

May everyone have a safe and happy Christmas and eat, drink and be merry. There's so much sadness in the world, take the time to celebrate all the good things in your life.

Dec. 18, 2014

How is everyone doing with their shopping? I'm pretty much done with shopping and baking which frees me up to have coffee and lunch with friends and family. Busyness used to limit my social part of life and boy, am I making up for that now.
It was nice to have milder temperatures but not the icy roads. And it sure was foggy for a few days; I'm waiting for the sunny wintry days even if it does get colder. Many people have booked trips for the south; some have already left for Arizona for the three coldest months. I read an article concerning taxation which these residents will face from the American government, so if you are heading south for an extended stay, be sure to know changes are continually occurring or you may receive an unwanted tax bill from the good old U. S of A.

Anniversary wishes

Happy anniversary wishes go out to Mike and Anna Wolfe. They celebrated 21 years of marriage on Dec. 6. May you enjoy many more years of togetherness.

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday wishes go out to Carol Schroeder who celebrated on Sunday, Dec. 14 and to Loretta Smith who will have her special day on Dec. 22. Anna Wolfe, Tina Wolfe, Carol Schroeder and Loretta Smith enjoyed celebrating these birthdays by having lunch at Pizza Haven and dessert at Carols' house on Monday, Dec. 15.
Happy wishes go out to anyone else who celebrates in December including Judith Schellenberg of Mitchell.

Concerts

Everyone is busy going to concerts; some families have children in three different schools and must make sure the calendar is front and center where the family can see which days and times are booked. Add to that the church programs and some attend at least four concerts.
Dave and I have one more to attend an that is the MCI Christmas concert. It will be happening on Dec. 18 & 19 at Buhler Hall in Gretna. If you are planning to attend, a note of advice; be early. The hall fills up very quickly. The concert runs from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

I didn't have a very good week last week so I won't bore anyone with that. It will be better when the sun shines. Sun always takes a way the aches and pains. Friends take away the blues. Life is good.

That's it for this week. Take care on the roads, enjoy the gatherings and have a great Christmas.

Dec. 11, 2014

If anyone was wondering where I'd gone last week, well wonder no more. Nothing's wrong, I'm fine, I just took a mini-vacation the week before and gathered no news. I sure did have fun but didn't think I'd write a column just about myself.

Isn't the weather fabulous? Those few bitterly cold days were stark reminders of what winter could be like. Many of the houses shine brightly at night and the windows feature a beautifully trimmed Christmas tree. Some people have finished shopping for gifts but I'm not one of them. It's fun to be able to go to a few stores and look around to see if there are any new ideas out there.

New committees

Every community runs with the help of volunteers and Rosenfeld is very fortunate. The Parent Council has the following on its committee: Andrea Friesen-chair, Sarah Sawatzky-co-chair, Janet Hildebrand-secretary, Elma Sawatzky-treasurer, Ashley Peters, Wayne Kauenhofen, Gwen Herman, Eva Peters and Jason Pilkington-Principal.

The Rosenfeld and Area skating rink committee: Sean Winter - village councillor, Brenda Wiebe - secretary, Warren Schroeder, Jake Hoeppner - RM councillor and James Friesen.
Rosenfeld is not a very big community and it's great to see these positions filled. I'll have the Good Neighbour committee names next week.

Christmas carols

Music was in the air last week Wednesday, Dec. 3 when a group of carolers made their way around town in a wagon of hay bales. Brian Friesen was driving Mike Wolfe's John Deere and they made their way from house to house. They ended the evening at the Bergthaler Church for snacks and hot chocolate. It was much appreciated and a wonderful way to begin the season.

Hockey update

The Miller Aces travelled to Morden Wednesday, Dec. 3 to take on the Morden Thunder. The Aces played fast and furious and the game was tied at the end of the third period. Try as they might they couldn't score and it was reported that they way out-shot Morden but the puck just wouldn't go into the net. The Aces lost in the overtime shootout 5-4. Better luck next time.
Gramps Dave went to watch our grandson play hockey and I stayed home to listen to our granddaughter come caroling. It was a good evening.

Progress report

It's great to be able to get around. I used to complain about washing dishes and vacuuming but since the accident I look at these chore differently. I no longer say "I have to do them", now I say, "I get to do them". Dave still helps when my aches and pains kicks in.
I am also quite upset if someone mentions body shape or weight. If people base their friendship on the other person's body shape, well let's just say - they don't deserve your friendship. And as to worrying about your impression in a swimsuit when you're on vacation - that too is silly. No one at the resort cares. They're much too busy enjoying the sun. So go into the world, be yourself and let the sun shine out of your soul.

Dec. 4, 2014

Good morning to all my readers. It's actually Feb. 15, 2015 today and I'm still trying to catch up with all my newspaper columns. If anyone is interested in reading them in news print just go to The Carillon which is printed in Steinbach, Manitoba.
It's a very blustery morning with blowing snow and nasty north wind so it's a good day to try to catch up.

I would like to welcome Trechelle Bunn to the life of a Carillon correspondent. It's really nice to see a young person take interest in her community and then be willing to share it with the readers of the newspaper.

The flowers outdoors are done for the year; even the hardy mums got frozen the other night when the temperature went down to minus 10. But indoors is another story where the Christmas cactus is in full bloom. The weather outdoors is amazing so far. All we have to do is look to Calgary and we know we'll soon see Old Man Winter with a load of snow.

Another Halloween has come and gone. This year we actually had 15 kids come for treats. there sure is a difference from 10 years ago when we'd get around 60 ringing the doorbell. And we'd know if there would be tricks overnight.

Baby news

Best wishes go out to Frank and Brenda Braun on becoming first time grandparents. Jen and Kristen Epp-Braun were first-time parents to Jonah Alexander on Oct 20. The nurses at the Royal Alexandra Hospital weighed Jonah in at 8 lb. 1 oz. and he measured 54 cm. the family calls Edmonton their home. Maternal grandparents are Frank and Brenda Braun of the Rosenfeld area and paternal grandparents are Richard and Brooke Epp of Stony Plain, AB.

Miller concert

The W. C. Miller concert was held on Oct. 30 at Buhler Hall in Gretna. The audience was entertained for an hour by some very talented young people. I had two favourites for the evening. One was Hallelujah presented by the junior choir and wonderfully accompanied by Victoria Wegner on piano. The other was Bright Morning Stars done by the senior choir in which Madison Smith sang a solo piece. Christina Banman is the choral director and the new band director is Mike Urichuk.
Please note that the Christmas Candlelight service will be held on Dec. 11 and 12 at 7 p.m. at Buhler Hall.

Sports update

The Miller Aces played in a hockey tournament last weekend in Neepawa and won all three games; Miller Aces 5 - Portage Trojans 2, Miller Aces 2 - Neepawa Tigers 1, Miller Aces 10 - Russell's Major Pratt 1. Way to go guys. Sorry to hear that Simon Schroeder was out with an injury. Let's hope he can hit the ice again soon.

The MCI Varsity volleyball team travelled to Portage for a tournament and came through with a huge team effort and won. This makes for happy grandparents when it involves two of the grandkids; Gabby Wolfe attends MCI and Thomas Wolfe plays for the Aces.

Brett Klassen of the Winkler Flyers is continuing to up his stats. Check out his information on the Winkler Flyers home page; it's looking good. His brother Angus plays for the Altona Maroons; he's no slouch either and his stats are listed an that website.

Volunteers

The fall supper committee is grateful to everyone for their continuous support. For the past many years the Rosenfeld Good Neighbour Center has been the venue for an annual fall supper and the generosity of the community is much appreciated. The center serves many purposes - morning coffee shop, family gatherings rentals, church rentals, Rosenfeld School Soup and Pie fundraising, pancake breakfast for the winter carnival and more. The profit from the fall supper goes back to the community center for operation costs and upkeep.

The group organizing the fall supper is looking for new participants for 2015. If you are interested in meeting new people, making new friends and helping to organize, please call Phyllis Friesen at 204-324-6534 or Leona Nickel at 204-324-6223.