Seasoned People of Age

Tomorrow begins a new decade, my third. Makes me feel young actually, whatever helps. A local lady just celebrated her 100th birthday. 10 decades. I can't even fathom how much wisdom a person like that has to share. I once heard an author say that the most valuable properties in the world are cemeteries because they contain acres of untapped potential. Damn that's depressing. His point was we should all live in such a way that we die empty having used up ourselves on others.

One of my favorite things to do that I never seem to do (why do we live like that) is sit and listen to seasoned people of age. Having lived through the Great Depression, The Final Solution, and the unpresedented development of mind blowing technology, these people have literally seen everything. Imagine their perspectives, commentary, stories....Why is it that we don't take the time to listen? Do we honestly believe they have nothing to say or are we so busy trying to construct our own stories we don't care to hear theirs?

A few weeks ago, Angie started her first job outside the home in over a decade. NND, is an award winning company that provides listening care to seasoned people of age (SPOA). A few days ago I, along with the kids, had the privelage of seeing Angie in action. We had accompanied her to give Christmas gifts to one of her SPOA's. This particular woman has a reputation for being particularly difficult (8 health care aids have already been chewed up and spit out by her before Angie came along). Seeing Angie interact with her client was a Masters course in human interaction, one that has not escaped the equally difficult son's attention. Last week, the son came to her and expressed through tears that Angie was a God sent, a literal answer to his prayers. He went on to say that in the 2 weeks Angie had cared and most of all listened to his mother, the transformation was incredible. He concluded by saying the family had been planning to switch his mother to government care (half the price) but after seeing how Angie has performed, she's worth the price.

Imagine the transformation that would take place if we all took time to really listen to a seasoned person of age? I think of my remarkable Roberts cousins Kris, Karl, Jeff, Lia and Lori and how even as young teenagers, they talked weekly with Roland Briggs, an elderly man living out his final years alone in a rest home. Such a small gesture, such a meaningful result.

Tomorrow launches a decade that will see more people become SPOA's then ever before in human history. We're talking 80-100 million people - many who have sacrificed their lives so we could enjoy ours. Who is your Roland Briggs? Lets find him/her together and keep human potential above ground. Die empty. Live full.

Happy New Year everyone!

John

P.S. I chose The Brothers Karamazov, JFK and the Unspeakable and God: A Biography for my Christmas books. Also, thanks for the Virgin Birth dialogue. Very interesting.

Christmas Books

My most excellent brother in law got me a $50 Amazon gift certificate for Christmas. Since then I've whittled away hours trying to decide which 3-4 books I'm going to order. The issue isn't that I don't like books it's I love them a bit too much so choosing just 3 is torture.

Here's my constantly evolving short list:

1. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Once called the greatest novel ever written (Freud) this philosophical classic explores themes of God, Free Will, Morality, Doubt, Faith all set against a backdrop of murder. This one is here to stay.

2. When the Game was Ours - Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. One of the greatest rivalries sports has ever known- in their own words. This magical book has been flying off the shelves. (giggle)

3. God: A Biography. Jack Miles. This important 1996 book exploring the nature of God won the Pulitzer prize for Non Fiction.

4. The First Paul. John Dominic Crossan/Marcus Borg. Crossan and Borg team up once again to rediscover what we think we already know. They did this previous in The Last Week and The First Christmas, two other excellent books. The subtitle of this book is "Rediscovering the Radical Visionary behind Christianity's Conservative Icon." How could I not?

5. JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters. James W. Douglass. I've always been interested in the truth behind the JFK assasination and this new book attempts to answer important questions as well as shed new light on these forgotten events.

These total $74 which means at least one must go. Oh the pain.

In the meantime I loved reading the free Bootstrappers Bible by my business Jesus Seth Godin. I am also just finishing Vonnegut's SlaughterHouse Five and am starting New York by Edward Rutherford, a handsome Christmas gift from my kids. I once read that if a person only read 1 book a week they would only read 3000 books in their lifetime. I was depressed for a week after. So much too read, but who has the time? I'm guessing this list will take me far too long, definitely longer then 1 a week.

John

Virgin Birth

In honor of Christmas I thought I'd pop the questions.....

1. Do you believe Jesus was born of a virgin? Why or Why not?

2. How has this belief changed the way you live?

John

my life.

i am exsitid for christmas! we have lots of presents. its going to be fun. we didint have a angel for our christmas tree but i made one at school.our christmas tree is about the si ze of my dad my dad is probly 6 feet hes relly tall for me i am only like 3 and a half.by the way i have a brother and sister there names are maddie and ethan my name is alexa .i am 7 my last name is close. each year we get a new decoration this year i got a bird. last year i got a snowman in a snowflake.last year my sister got a girl in a stocking this year my sister got poler bear.i dont no what my brother got last year becouse it broke this year got a ball with mooses on it.each new year we get a new dickens house this year we got a charch.i have a dog named hugo and a cat named clover.

Alexa

Christmas

Christmas is awsome! i cant wait to open all the presents. it will be so exciting! it might even snow on Christmas! my mom is at work she left at 9:am she will be back at 2:pm. Then we will play yahtzee. My dad or my little sister will probably win.

Ethan

GUEST WRITER

6 more days until christmas! I am so exited! We are going to have so much fun. My dad played hockey last night. He didn't score a goal but we thought he did.It was suprising when he told us he didn't. My grandma and grandpa came but had to leave early.It was very cold at the rink and we forgot are blanket in the car. Even when my mom wanted to buy coffee from a machine there was no cup so it all poured out into the vent. But otherwise we had really fun!actually we thought that was pretty funny! the game was interesting there was a lot of fighting and there was this one guy on the other team that was yelling at everybody for no reason so he was out for the whole game. But in the end my dad's team ended up winning there team is called the believers. It was funny because last game they were playing talons verse believers so it sounded sort of funny. Last game which was in nanaimo the rink wasn't as good because this rink had CANDY we bought lots of candy and shared it with everyone. It was awesome. I like going to hockey games. today my mom is at work at her nurses next door that is cool to. Goodbye for now!

Maddie

Winter Lawn Care

Like your lawn? Don't park on it this winter. Soil compaction is the number one result and weeds are the number one result of soil compaction which means next Spring you'll be unimpressed when your lawn has uninvited guests. Btw - when the weeds do spring up, please don't spray roundup or any other herbicide on it. Besides polluting the underground waterways and endangering the livelihood of your family it actually destroys the micro-organisms and worms in your soil, without whom nothing would grow. Once these unpaid farmers are gone, your infertile soil will be an even larger breeding ground for weeds creating a vicious chemical cycle all the folks at roundup are banking on. I say make your soil rich instead. Unless of course you have shares in Roundup.

Ecoguy

The Pinch

The inevitability is now here. The first winter of the first year of our first seasonal business. The sensitive experts remind us that half of all small businesses don't make it to year 3, and over 80% don't make it to year 5. In fact, only 2% of small businesses ever go the distance which means the day we went public we made a choice to probably fail or be one of the blessed 2%. Ours is a pressure packed choice and right now we're definitely feeling the pinch. We've decided to focus our present efforts on networking, education and getting things ready for the crazy Spring but there's still days when we wouldn't mind work now. Bottom line, we trust our plan and are confident in it's execution. We just have to be patient and eat lots of peanut butter.

We had the pleasure of watching our kids perform in their school's winter concert. There was nothing Christmassy about it but it was cute and I was a proud parent none the less. I understand the importance of not using Christmas as a time to Christianize the world but Christmas is Christmas and should either stay as it is or be replaced by something else entirely. Perhaps the replacement has already begun and will take decades longer to reach completion but I have a feeling the completion won't ever occur unless businesses can find a new way to make money. It's interesting how money determines how relevant something is.

As far as I, the writer of this blog goes, I've been loving my Oilers play as of late, even loving my own play as of late scoring on a breakaway last night in front of my cheering wife and kids. Believe me, that doesn't happen every night. Or ever come to think of it. Besides hockey, I'm reading a lot these days, most on Soil Chemistry(I know, yawn but I actually find it fascinating) and the Origin of the Species (Darwin is incredibly misunderstood, its shocking actually) and I'm loving the 5th season of Lost, 7th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and all our traditional Christmas shows. On top of all this, I'm loving the connections I've been making in my new business and church community.

Life in the pinch can still be good, especially when you're confident of what's coming next.

John

hahaha.

Nail gun. | Funniest Video of the Day

cutting down our tree.

Today we went to mount sicker to cut down are Christmas tree. Mount sicker isn't the best place to cut down trees so it was hard to find one. most of them were Douglas fir and we were cold. we were just about to freeze [especially Alexa who just worn a dress] and finally we found one it was not like trees you buy at tree farms all perfect but it was still nice. we brought Hugo our dog with us and he was squished at the back once the tree was put in. but Hugo never complains unless mom and dad are gone. the tree is up to my dads forehead and is a pine tree. we decorated it and then watched small one which is pretty good and Pluto's Christmas and the best one mickeys Christmas carol we had lots of yummy snacks to. Hugo has been sleeping ever since we got home. and clover is exploring the tree. I am happy that we didn't go to a tree farm it is more fun finding your own. It was a really good day.

Maddie

Oh Christmas Tree

Today we will embark yet again on our annual tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree. People look at us strange when we utter such things but we've never been the practical type. Yes people, we're aware that real trees are messier but needles all over the living room and tracked up the stairs are beautiful because each one reminds us to enjoy this season of good tidings and joy. And that's all I'm gonna say about that (Insert Forrest Gump voice)

We're relatively new to the Island so we don't exactly know where to go to cut down said tree. In Calgary we always took the Hwy 20 express, past the Zorns house and on until we passed others coming from the opposite direction with smiles and trees strapped to their Toyota. I did some research last night and there are Christmas tree farms that let you cut down your own tree but they're ridiculously expensive even with promises of hot chocolate. So....I think we're just gonna wing it. One thing we do have a lot around here is mountain roads so I figure if we take our trusted 4x4 up one of these we'll eventually land upon our Charlie Brown and all will be well yet again.

Ethan is of age which means he'll get a chance to use our shockingly sharp saw. I haven't told him yet because we still have a church service to get through and his thoughts should be heavenward and not on cutting..stuff. Speaking of firsts, this will also be the first year we've had a truck to transport the thing. In past years we've used, believe it or not, our car - which of course meant poking branches on the kids and pine needles in the seats for months. All was forgiven though because Bing Crosby and Company would ring out and Mom's home-made hot chocolate warmed even the most pine filled heart.

Arriving home, Angie begins making up the endless supply of snacks that will frame the rest of the evening while I put the tree in its proper place and the kids begin to dress it with home-made decorations and glee. After the tree glows we all settle down for our traditional Christmas shows in this order - Small One, Pluto's Christmas Tree and my favorite Mickey's Christmas Carol. Once the kids are in bed we pull out the real snacks (shh)and drinks (shh shh) and party it up with our favorite Griswald family. "Seriously Clark?" aha ha.

And there you have it, our Christmas tree day. One of the most look forwarded to all year.

John

Sample ladies

Why do we feel the need to offer hope to the sample ladies at Costco? Is it because their outfits are so pretty and their hairnets so sexy? Or are we actually planning to purchase the free food we just scarfed down not a minute earlier. Maybe we would have considered purchasing the spinach mozarella noodle thing but now that we've just had one, we're kinda good. Still, we feel like a giant dummy if we stuff our face and then just walk away, which is why we engage in the following polite behavior....

1. Wave and point. We wave and point and say things like "wow, these are delicious" followed by a brilliant question concerning the name of the product or its price even though both are clearly displayed. All this is done of course while kinda walking away.

2. Munch and Nod. We do both while looking around at everyone as if to say "you really should buy some of these" (even though we clearly aren't going to)

3. Walk and mutter. After finishing our sample we exit the danger zone while saying just loud enough for the host to hear"we should pick up a couple packs of those."

4. Lie and release. We actually ask for a box of the product then turn down the next aisle and release it into the freezer and/or shelf space.

5. Second swoop. This last thing isn't actually all that polite. In this case we love the product but are too cheap to buy it so we actually return to the host asking for a second sample "for my brother." (who lives in South Carolina, shhh)

As much polite fun as the above is, I say lets throw caution to the wind this holiday season and reward these beautiful hosts with a purchase. If you're brave you can even say something like "To be honest, I'm usually a freeloading pig when it comes to these things but what the heck, its Christmas, I'll take 2."

John

United Church Manners

I helped teach Sunday School at our new church today where they do things a little differently than what I'm used to. It was grades 1-3, and everything was so sweet and soft and organized so that the children knew where to sit, when to light the candle or get a certain book, how to take turns in circle prayer, who is serving snack and what to do at journal time. No Veggie Tales or slick, sunglasses wearing Jesuses here. A bit of a time warp, but pretty cute.

Of course kids are kids and there was one who kept flicking over the plastic canvas wise men and saying blah, blah, blah and rolling on his back (wasn't one of mine, so phew). Another boy kept commenting on how nice church smells, why does it smell so good, I love the smell of this place and when the teacher lit the candle "mmmm, that smells great!" Ethan argued with him, saying matches smell horrible and the boy said, dude, what are you talking about? Matches smell awesome.

The teachers must be taught not to get involved or react to interruptions, because through it all she kept on going in her nice, soft voice and when she said "this is the Christ baby with his arms outstretched for a hug", my kids burst out laughing (telling them that a plastic canvas Jesus wants a hug will always end badly...). She ignored it and pulled out a mat to mark the advent and Ethan interrupted (yes, again) and asked if it was 100% polyester. She ignored this as well, so we may never know, but I had a good talk with the kids afterwards about how this class is a little more formal than our old class and what that means manners-wise. I also asked them, as we've asked before, how they like class and they both said they love it, which surprises me a bit. It's definately slower paced, no media, no games, lots of old fashioned Bible stories. I had kind of just assumed it wouldn't be their thing.

So, we're learning the ways of the United Church, the standing and sitting and responding and candle lighting; and so are the kids. I think I really get this idea of being in touch with the older traditions- ways of worship that were followed many generations ago, and when it's paired with an open and modern world view it's a refreshing balance. Now if we can only get those manners in check, we'll be set.


Angie

Guest Blogger

Hi! i am ethan john is my dad. he has been doing great on his business. but he is mostly doing aerating the last couple months. his uniform is nice too! he says when he is done his business he will pass his job on to me.

State of Emergency

Seems our little town of Duncan made national news this week after it was reported we were in a state of local emergency. With all the rain we've had this month the rivers have struggled to drain into the ocean (especially at high tide) resulting in massive flooding. Over 300 families were forced to evacuate after water entered their homes without knocking and put up its feet. Old men raged against the irresponsible municipality for not somehow preventing this while others wept over floating photos and the reality of the words - no flood insurance.

Meanwhile, the rest of Duncan continued on as usual, some having no idea their home town was in a state of emergency until turning on the news that evening or breaking in front of the newly formed blockade. That was us. Sitting in our living room with scenes of flooding waters and floating homes on the TV and the dawning realization"hey, we live in that town." One of the flooded images showed the school across the street from our brother Jordan's apartment so we rang him up to let him know the chances of him surviving the night were likely lower then normal. Turns out he wasn't even aware of the flood, after all its "way across the street", but just to be safe he hung out with us for the evening. The good news is, the waters have begun to subside and even if they return they'll have sand bags and determined citizens to contend with. Still, its weird to think we were living in a state of emergency and didn't even know it. It makes me think this is probably the way life was for the first 15,000 years that humans walked the earth. Emergency loomed everywhere but nobody knew it until tragedy took over the living room. In this way, I guess I'm thankful for media. Some things are worth knowing.

John

P.S. Happy Birthday Dad. Party like its 1936.

Hiccups are gone....for now.

Home

My Man Ethan

One of the reasons I started my own business was I knew it would be great training ground for the kiddoes, Ethan especially. Ethan has always enjoyed grunt work. When he was 4 years old I took him out with the men to cut 3-4 cords of firewood and he worked all day long, so long in fact the men began to grunt words of affirmation. Ethan would just smile and swing the ax harder, which is our secret. *index finger on pursed lips* Years later he's still that same hard worker. Just today I picked him up from school and asked if he wanted to "come work with dad to finish off a job." It was pouring, it always is these days, and so I kinda expected him to decline in favor of warmth and Wii. He accepted though only demanding a snack and his usual pay ($5/hr for light gardening duties, $10 for man work). One hour later we arrived home soaked and weary after filling the back of the truck with drain rock. Ethan showered up then we watched the Oilers beat the best team in the West. See! Own your own business and everybody wins.

John

P.S. Our new Lush website is hiccuping right now. I've tried to sneak up on it and scream as well as dumping water on it but they haven't gone away. Hopefully Angie (webmaster) can do her magic.

disoriented

I had been working on our website until my eyes started to shrivel up and my brain turned into a giant (because my brain is giant) cotton ball. I really, really would like some feed back- at this point I'm only seeing a series of symbols, which some call letters of the alphabet, and lines and some strange images.
Please help. Please. Any advice will do.
Oh- just click on the pretty little symbol at the top of this page.

Angie

slouchy mc sloucherston

Should I feel bad that my chiropractor told me I have a sway back, am a toe walker and will likely develop a hunch in my shoulders if I don't do more intensive yoga? He also said things like I don't like to use the word lazy..., and sitting too much on the couch can cause this..., and (with a disappointed look) you really need to work on your core strength.

He was a nice guy, though, and very thorough and now has me terrified into purchasing yoga books and signing up for classes at the gym. In the end, I will thank him I'm sure. Like when I'm 50 and my back is straight as an arrow, my head sitting squarely on my shoulders. I'll walk around pointing it out to everyone because I would hate for all my hard work to go unnoticed. What? Were you looking at my level neck? No, that's just from years of yoga. That's all. *sniff*

By the way, I don't sit on the couch a lot.

Angie

Tongue tingling

A few weeks back I noticed a tingle in my tongue's tip. I ignored it thinking I had probably singed some taste buds or something. The tingle of my taste buds at the tip of my tongue continued so one night I googled "tingling tongue tip" and after weeding through some nudey sites I found what I was looking for. It seems the condition can arise if the tongue bearer is lacking Vitamin B12. Really? Re a a a llllly. Well, it seemed Vitamin B12 was good for other things too so I bought a bottle and started taking them... and wouldn't you know it the tingling has stopped. So... if you detect a tingle.....

John

I'm a starter

I'm a starter. By nature. One time I started a "100 push ups 5 days a week then re-evaluate progress after six months" program. Two weeks later I started a new program that didn't involve push ups. I once started reading Les Miserables. Surprisingly I made it half way through before starting Pillars of the Earth. A couple years back I started putting a thin layer of coffee grounds on the top of my coffee as a delicacy. Angie said I was gross and I said you mean the coffee is gross and she said no you are gross. She ended up being right on both accounts and my coffee is once again creamy smooth. Delicacy free. A few months back I started setting my alarm at 6:15am every morning so I could "center myself" and such. It turns out 6:15am is a rather chilly time to get up not to mention dark time to get up so I now center myself here and there....

I started a book club with my family recently. Me, Ang, Jordan (her brother) and Clair (their mother). We all picked a classic. I read the first one and that's it. Book club disbanded. I was to blame. Good news is we started it up again and I'm half way through Slaughterhouse Five. I plan to finish. I always plan to finish. I just need to get started. I started this blog post one time called "I'm a starter" and it was about how I tend to start things but never fin

Little Grandpa

I never knew my grandfather or great grandfather on my dad's side. They both passed years before I was born. This was one of my great disappointments growing up. A few months back my dad spent several weeks sending us stories of his youth. 90% of the stories I had never heard before and so I would read them eagerly with relish (not the condiment). Many of the stories he shared involved "little Grandpa", his grandfather, my great grandfather. Although small in stature (he was only 5 foot 3 and could stand underneath my dad's extended arm) he was a man of great character. In honor of Remembrance Day and my Great Grandpa, I'd like to share a few stories of his experiences in the war.

Little Grandpa was involved in both World Wars and was a Medic in the Second. It was his job to run out on the field where the fighting was the fiercest and tend to the injured or fallen. On one such occasion he heard a soldier cry out from a small trench. Picking up his supplies he ran towards the hole, jumped in and starting tending to the soldier's injured leg. After a few moments he looked up to find the end of a enemy soldier's revolver pointed at his head. Wrong hole. Without saying a word, my grandpa looked back down, finished fixing the leg and was on his way.

On another occasion, after a particularly difficult day, the mood in the camp was quite bleak. My Grandpa was known as a strong Christian by the other soldiers, one who would never touch alcohol which is why my Grandpa thought it would be humorous to stumble into camp with an empty wine bottle in hand pretending he was drunk. Apparently his performance was so realistic that his Superior, who has witnessed the entire thing called my Grandpa out for his irresponsible behavior. My Grandpa was obviously mortified and tried to explain which of course only made his already laughing troop laugh harder. Apparently his Superior had been planning to ask my Grandpa to be the accompanying medic on an important assignment but due to his irresponsible behavior he could no longer be trusted with the mission. Once again my Grandpa tried explaining to no avail which of course only made the troop laugh even harder. Three men went out on an important mission that day including a less qualified medic. They were never heard from again....

On another occasion my Grandpa had an artillery shell roll up to him landing right at his feet. It never went off. I'm sure there are thousands more stories like this of brave Grandpa's around the world. Tell yours today. Lest we forget.

John

Lest we forget

Watching the opening minutes of this movie is the closest I ever want to get to war. Tom Hanks had this to say about filming these scenes, "There were people falling and explosions going off around you...There's terror in our eyes in some of those scenes, and rightly so, because we were genuinely scared...and we all knew it was fake." Many veterans have said these opening scenes are the most vivid and realistic ever put to film. So vivid in fact, many could not watch.

Since 2001 I've chosen to watch this movie every year in and around November 11. I have always felt a responsibility to remember and since I'm a visual guy, this is how I do it. As I type this I remember once again. The impact just as strong as the previous year. That being said, I realize this is probably one of the more shallow ways to remember the ultimate sacrifice of these uncommonly brave men. Watch a war movie, feel bad, then at week end start getting excited for Christmas. Unfortunately, this has been my pattern.

This past week our church did a beautiful job of remembering. There was no slick power-point, stirring video clips or controversial words about the the fallacy of war. Nope, just 23 surviving soldiers clad in their garments of honor walking in, sitting down, reading scripture and later the names of the fallen who had once made this church home. Later on, our eloquent minister shared the need for us to follow the soldier's example by seeking peace in our daily lives. And that's when it hit me. Remembering, although important should never be an end in itself. It should only function to spur us onto the action of seeking peace.

So, I'm gonna give it a try because its sure easy to feel bad (I've been reading through the Holocaust Chronicle as well) and even easier to be against war but seeking peace requires that I get up from my all too lazy self and do something when the movie ends. I've made a little list.

- Shed my ego

- Resist the urge to be right

- Control my anger

- Reserve impatience for injustice only

- Enjoy the moment

- Notice beauty

- Be fully present

- Replace fear with love

- Pray for those I can't stand

And so on.

Lest we forget why we remember.

John

Alexa Remembers

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

For the past several days Alexa has been standing on chairs throughout the house reciting John McCrae's famous poem by heart. She will be reciting the poem with her class at their Remembrance Day presentation on Tuesday. To say she's taking it seriously is an understatement.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

I've heard this poem countless times and most of us can probably recite the first two lines by heart, yet, its message no longer penetrates as it once did. Each year my only contribution to "remembering" is watching Saving Private Ryan, which I'll do again I'm sure. I wonder if that's enough? I also wonder how the soldiers would like to be remembered.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

I have never heard this verse before. Heartbreaking stuff. One day the soldiers were common folk like you and me, the next they were fighting a war they didn't start for a cause they would never fully understand. And now most of them lie In Flanders fields while the rest still live with its memory.

A recent poll has shown that today's youth are vastly ignorant when it comes to the events of this century's World Wars. Many believe Adolf Hitler was a German soccer coach for instance.There's no doubt war was and is a horrible reality of human civilization. Perhaps this is why most, including me, often choose to forget. Remembering hurts. Besides, it wasn't our war, right?

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

This last verse doesn't allow us to forget. "If ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep though poppies grow..." I asked Alexa what she thought it meant and she said "oh, it means we must stand with the soldiers."

One way we can stand with them is to tell their stories. I have a few of my own to tell and plan to do that on Wednesday as a tribute to freedom. Please share your own stories with me on that day so together we can never forget.

Thanks!

John

Monarchs

I used to be a blogger. Every day and twice on Wednesdays. I also used to have something to say. The past year was a curious sandwich. Europe and Launching my own business with a lot of EI in between. It was a year where Angie and I decided to leave church work in favor of a question mark. Thankfully the question mark turned into a period and is continuing its transformation into an exclamation. We expect to be Monarchs soon.

3 nights ago I stayed up past midnight to read our Europe blog from start to finish. I was immediately thankful that Angie and I had taken the time to jot down our experiences as a year later I was able to appreciate their richness and beauty once again. When I had finished I was challenged to pick up the pen and start writing again as I was hit with the realization that a year from now I will wish I had written. The only condition was Angie would have to pick up and write too.

We've called this blog Minding our own Business because we are. It often feels like we entered some kind of reverse witness protection program as everything in our lives has changed except our names. New Province, New City, New Vehicle, New House, New Church, New School, New Career, New Business to name a few. Minding our own Business takes most of our attention these days as we've set our sights high even uttering the word franchise. It's been a great 5 months planning, plotting, dreaming and doing. Our business has been received well by the community and there are many reasons to expect that will continue to be the case.

We're looking forward to December 3, when the Sundance Film favorite Fuel comes to town. Lush Eco Lawns is an official sponsor as, together, we promote our joint message of sustainability. In the meantime, we are finishing our fall treatments, putting the final touches on our website and gearing up for our first winter. We have, what we feel is a great winter biz idea but time will tell, just as we will, next post.

Thank for reading. We plan to update regularly. In other news, we haven't gotten the flu shot...

John and Ang