We’re waiting for the chimney/woodstove guy to show up to assess our house/chimney/wood burning needs. I think he’s a couple of hours late now, although he didn’t give a specific time, so at 8pm we gave in and ate, and he still didn’t show. Who knows – we’re rural now – he’ll show when he wants. The wood stove he recommends: Napoleon 1900 Our plan is to get a wood stove in now, and to get the wood so we’ll have it stacked and drying for the fall.

I read today that Terry Fox’s restored Tour of Hope van is stopping here on Tuesday on it’s trip across the country. It was in 1980 when Terry Fox headed out on his Marathon of Hope. I started kindergarten just as Terry had to stop his run. I remember my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Collinson, telling us about Terry and showing us his mission on the map on the wall. Through my entire life, growing up as a Canadian, I was always aware of Terry Fox, the Terry Fox runs, and the story of this young man who boldly faced his cancer and ran across half the country with his prosthetic leg. But in the last few years I’m somehow begun to appreciate his mission even more. I remember being at the Terry Fox statue/memorial out of Thunder Bay a few years back, a place I often stopped, but this time a man was playing “Amazing Grace” on his bagpipes there and I brought me to tears. Then I happened to catch the documentary of his life and his run on TV late one night. I cried my eyes out. If you ever get a chance to watch any of that old footage, take it. If more people in our society had a quarter of the hope and determination of that young man our world would be a different place. Cancer took him when he was only 22. Take a look and see if the van is passing through your town – http://tourofhope.ca/toh/

Thanks so much to my Mom and my brother for sponsoring Monty & I in the Purina Walk for Dog Guides on Sunday! Did you know that the Lions Foundation of Canada charges NOTHING to the person who receives a guide dog? And 100% of your donation goes to raising and training the dogs. They use corporate sponsorships for all their administrative costs. They have 3 types of dog guides. There are Canine Vision Dog Guides for people with vision impairments. There are Hearing Ear Dog Guides for people with hearing impairments. They also have a Special Skills Dog Guides program for other medical and physical assistance, like to assist people with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy, as well as dogs that are specially trained to sense seizures. http://www.purinawalkfordogguides.com/personalPage.cfm?ID=3025

Still no wood stove guy. I guess he got tied up at his last job.