Shirl and Pearl do it again.

Most evenings I speak with my parents. On the weekend it is not unusual for us to speak twice. I guess we are having trouble cutting the apron strings.. but then I am only 58 years old. Some things take more time than others. Having access to my parents on a daily basis helps with the lonliness and keeps us close. And having caller ID is useful as well.

Dad and I always talk politics.. provincial, federal and international. He reads the New York Times daily and then tells me all about it in the evening. He is very good about cutting bits out and sending them to my class. We get some great science stuff from him. I can make several pies while I am listening to him comment on the goings on in the world... the world according to Nink.

Mum and I talk more about the family, what she is knitting, what I am sewing. She visited Salluit two years ago so I try to keep her up to date on the goings on here. Shirley is a very funny lady. She can be downright dangerous at times. She will say something that will send me into fits of laughter. Then we start. Last night was one of the worst nights for fits of giggles. I couldn't get my breath at times. We started remembering silly things we have done over the years. A cooking disaster, a trip, other major fits of laughter. It is a wonder we have not ended up in Dartmouth. (in Nova Scotia the mental hospital is in Dartmouth) There are lots of people who would like to commit us when we start. In fact one of our minor adventures took place in Dartmouth. I was driving across the bridge. I had to make a sharp left hand turn just as I passed the toll booth. I was concentrating on that turn so I forgot to put the money in the toll.
All sorts of alarms went off. My solution was to drive faster and get away from the confusion. Not what you are supposed to do. But when did Pearl and Shirl do what we were supposed to do!

Yesterday Salluit was one of the warmest places in Canada at plus 5 C. I was out around 7pm and it was raining. All day we had a huge snow fall. The snow flakes were huge and fluffy. Often the snow is so dry that it does not pack well so that it is difficult to have a really good snowball fight. Last night was perfect. You can imagine entertainment can be a bit thin on the ground if people are out having snowball fights. The running and yelling is good for the lungs and good for the soul.

To-day it is around plus 2 C. There is a bit of wind but it is still a soft day out. I have duty outside today so I am grateful. It is very overcast. No snow falling. The sky and the land is the same colour. The rocks peaking out give a horizon line. Helicopters don't fly up here in this kind of weather. We have had a mining company here with huge Russian helicopters flying around looking for areas to investigate for a possible future mine. A large torpedo shaped instrument hangs down from the helicopter that picks up some type of informantion. That data is studied and then they go out on the land in these huge snowmobile type carriers to gather samples. It is all rather exciting to watch. There is more and more mining activity here in the North. That changes the educational requirements of the communities here. One of many changes.

In the past few weeks we have had a great many babies born here in Sallluit, two with in the teaching community. Last Sunday we had a baby shower for the young mothers. What a treat to sit and hold a baby. We had three babies at the shower and not on e cried. They only women not holding babies were the mothers. Watching the Mum's bundle up the babies is interesting to watch. The babies are bound very tightly in several layers of blankets so that they can be put in the Inuit style coat that mothers use. One young mother had taught with the Cree so she used the Cree way of binding the baby and then put baby in her Inuit coat. That baby has both a French name, a Cree name and an Inuit name ( which is the inuit word for snow). How brave of these young mothers to have their babies here in the north, far from major hospitals and their families.

The sun is trying topeak thru the clouds. Perhaps we'll have some sun today. what a treat that would be.

Since today is Shrove Tuesday I am having the gang in for supper. I am doing apple pancakes, sweet potato pancakes, German potato pancakes and blueberry pancakes... or as Ealias says 'Pampakes'. Then we'll have a waffle buffet. I have made several different batches of stewed and fresh fruit with fancy sauces for a sweet ending. As if we need any more sweets.

Have a great day.