Going to an Auction

Tonight I went to an auction that a friend was doing. His name is Bob Heywood and he has been doing this for years. His wife, Martha, helps him by doing the paperwork as Bob auctions each item. He has two other men that hold up the items that are for sale while he takes the bids. The auction was held at the community center in Exeter, Ontario.

Bob has been living in this community all of his life. Besides doing auctions, he is a real estate broker. Sometimes when people want to down size to smaller living quarters, they will want to get rid of most of their household items. Bob will have an auction for them. Probably most of the people that were at the auction tonight were 50 and over. There will also be antique dealers that come. They find good deals among all of the "stuff". People that are there to buy will bring empty boxes for their purchases (also they bring newspaper to wrap up the breakables that they buy). Bob has a fun personality and often brings in humor as he sales the items. Having a snack bar where people can get coffee, diet cokes, etc. helps in keeping things relaxed and friendly.


This winter Jack and I went to Israel and Bob and Martha went with us. They are a special couple and they give of themselves to all those around them. They are very involved in Exeter Bible Chapel. Martha helps in so many ways, teaching Sunday School, helping with the finances and computer related things, does nursery and kitchen duty, plus a host of other things. Bob leads singing on Sundays, preaches, leads Bible studies, plays the piano and accordion, takes many funerals in the community. The Lord has blessed us with this special friendship with Bob and Martha.

New Snow

This past Saturday morning we got up to 18 inches of fresh snow. We had already had 10-12 inches the previous few days. Monday it started warming up and some of the snow has melted. Even if this all goes, we still have 5 more months of snow. Once it is here, we just adjust and get on with life.
Here is our BBQ covered with snow.

Anyone for lunch?

Snow Storms and White Outs

I would like to know the connection of my teaching a Bible Class on Tuesday nights and blinding snow storms that hit the same night.

Last winter I taught a Precept Study that lasted 6 weeks. I had it every Tuesday night in Exeter. Exeter is about 30-35 minutes from our house. Of the 6 Tuesdays, only one night did NOT have a snow storm. I drove in white outs both ways on 5 of the 6 nights, by myself. Between St. Marys and Exeter is farmland. On both sides of the road you have open farmland. The wind blows unhindered across the road, making it hard to see when it is snowing.

Two days ago, on a Tuesday, I had the first of my Precept class at a home near to Exeter. As far as the weather, it was only lightly misting rain when I drove out of my driveway and out of St. Marys. As I turned on the highway to Exeter, it started to snow, heavily. I couldn't believe it. We have not had any snow and I thought it would be at least November (4 days later) before we would start having snow.

I almost started to laugh when I saw the snow coming down heavily. To top it off I had only worn a light fall coat and had my summer type shoes on. I just have a hard time putting summer shoes and fall jackets away.

I thought the snow might be finished by the time the Bible study was over, but no such luck. Before leaving Jan's house, I found the snow scrapper and cleared the front and back windshield. So, the white out weather is upon us. Once again the Lord will prove Himself faithful in His care for me as I drove to and from Bible Studies.

Jackson in Chicago

What do think of when you hear the word fuzz? Until two years ago I would never have thought of it in connection to a two year old boy. At an early age Jackson would pull the cotton batting from his car seat and brush it across his face, with his thumb in his mouth. Every time he goes to bed he has to find some fuzz. He hunts until he finds some. His Mommy has a winter sweater that he loves to snuggle into because of the "fuzz" on it.

Today we went to Hobby Lobby and we were looking at a display with Christmas trees. Below the trees was cotton batting and some of it had fallen on the floor. He saw the part on the floor before either Alysa or I saw it. He immediately said "Fuzz" and picked it up. So he held it the rest of the time we were in the store.


Jackson is a happy, delightful little boy. He loves to jump, climb, run, laugh, sing, etc. We went to McDonald's for lunch. Between eating fries and his hamburger he was climbing and sliding in the playland there.

Right now he playing with a toy that sings the alphabet. He is playing it over and over and over again, holding his fuzz. Yes, it could definitely get on your nerves (the toy, not the fuzz).

Maddie in Chicago

It is always a delight to come to Chicago to be with Maddie. She is a 6 year old and is full of energy, imagination, joy, laughter, etc. Yesterday Alysa, Jackson and I took her to school. I hadn't seen this school before, so Maddie showed me around it and then introduced me to her teacher. There is a beautiful chapel at the school. She enjoys being there every day. She is even learning to do power point on the computer. I only learned to do power point several months ago. It won't be long before she will be teaching me things.


We received a package in the mail yesterday from Aunt Shirley. She knew I was here and sent me several things, but also included some things for Maddie and Jackson. Maddie called Aunt Shirley to thank her for the outfit for her doll, Sophie. She looks so grown up talking on the phone.


Every morning Maddie decides what she will wear to school. Today she also wanted Mommy to put her hair up in braids.

Crane (bird) on the roof

One day last week we were eating lunch and I looked out the patio doors and there was a crane flying and it landed on the roof of one of the houses behind our house. I grabbed the camera and went outside to take a couple of pictures. It was so unusual to see it sitting on the roof. I thought you might like to see it.

Lunch in Exeter

The last day that Shirley, Virginia and Bobbie were here we drove to Exeter to have lunch with two good friends from the Stratford Church. Jan and Gail work in Exeter. We met them at Eddingtons at noon. It is a restaurant that is in an old two story Victorian house. We had a lovely time with them over a delicious meal.

One thing Exeter is noted for is their white squirrels. The only other place that I know of that has white squirrels is Olney, Illinois. We drove around Exeter to see if we could find some. There is a small park close to the church and as we drove up we saw two of the white squirrels. We jumped out and began snapping their pictures. I've been wanting to get pictures of them for quite a while, but keep forgetting to take my camera when Jack and I go to church in Exeter.


There were also a couple of tourist stores that we went into. The temperature was around 70, just the right temperature for walking around town. Virginia found a baseball cap with Canada on it that she had been wanting to get for Clyde, and it was on sale. Here is a picture of the four of us. This is a small park right down town. A man sitting on a bench at the park offered to take the picture.


We found it necessary to check out the Tim Hortons in Exeter. Just needed to see if it was the same as all the others we had visited, after getting Shirley and me a diet coke from McDonalds. Exeter is only about 4,000 but has a busy highway that goes through it, so they have a McDonalds.