A Tribute to Auntie Bernie

This afternoon, we laid to rest my Auntie Bernie. Her and my Uncle Bob have had an immense impact on my life that in some ways I've only fully recognized now that she is gone. I write this blog post to immortalize as many of my memories of her, Bob and the farm that I can. For those that knew her, not all of this will have the same meaning as it had with me but I hope you can be reminded of your own memories by reading those that I have of her, Bob and the farm. For my entire childhood, Auntie Bernie lived on a farm outside of Major, Saskatchewan. I have no idea how many times we came to visit but it was most summers and at least a few holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

The Farm House

The house they lived in was originally an old school that had been expanded into a full farm house. I can still close my eyes and navigate every room, or at least the ones we are allowed in.

The Side Entrance - The front door led directly to the living room which doesn't work well for a farm house. You entered from the side door into a mudroom that included a sink as well as dozens of shoes. I have never been to the farm where there weren't others also visiting. 

The Kitchen - Off the mud room was a few steps that took you up to the kitchen. To the left was a closet pantry where we had access to the sugary cereals we couldn't get at home. Towards the back of the kitchen was the kitchen table that was the main dinner table that I seldomly got to sit at as I was usually relegated to the kids table with so many visitors. The first dishwasher I recall seeing was in the corner and had to be wheeled over to the sink to be used. On the wall were the latest aerial pictures of the farm. I remember thinking they were lucky to have someone fly by just to take pictures of their farm. The kitchen itself was an unusual layout with two u-shaped banks of cabinets. One with the sink and one with the stove top. The oven was nestled in the wall beside the fridge. 

The Hallway - Past the kitchen was a hallway that started with a wall phone that for many years was corded and long enough to reach into the closest bedroom for privacy. It rang constantly whenever we were there. At the end of the hallway was the bathroom. It only had a tub with no shower which I assumed at the time was just how all Saskatchewan bathrooms worked since it was the same at my Auntie Roses. The end of the hall had Alan's old bedroom. We would always head straight there to grab the box of toys that included metal cast tractors.

The Living Room - We didn't get to spend much time in the living room as we were typically sent downstairs to play. I think the real reason was that was where uncle Bob took his naps. There were some gold elephants and a small TV in a cabinet near the entrance. You could also go out to the deck at the back of the house. 

The Upstairs - Off the kitchen, past the pantry were a set of stairs up to a few more bedrooms, a bathroom as well as Uncle Bob's office. We weren't usually allowed up there unless the main bathroom was busy. I just remember the giant calculator where Bob planned the farm finances.

The Basement - Off the mudroom you stayed straight to take the stairs down to the basement. There was carpet on the walls on the way down and this is where I spent much of my time. When Scott had moved out I often got to stay in his bedroom in the basement. There was a tiny window that looked up into the mudroom. His bedroom furniture was still there and I recall a ceramic container on his desk where he stored all of the concert tickets he had been to. When that room was full though I slept on the couch in what I would call the family room. There was a light switch with a red light that kept me company. I still don't know if the red light meant the light on the other side was on or off. The family room was where we got to play Atari and Super Nintendo. We didn't have a gaming system at home so it was a treat every time we came. There was also a VCR which was a luxury we didn't get until I was in high school. I watched 'Sneakers' every time we came. The rest of the basement included a storage room, a laundry room where there was a shower and a cold room that went down several more steps. 

Auntie Bernie's Garden

Auntie Bernie was an amazing gardener that included both vegetables and flowers. 

The Main Garden - The farm house was surrounded by a double row of caragana's. Through those bushes you walked to the main vegetable garden. I came here with my family in 2011 and was amazed at how well everything grew.  Every row was perfectly spaced and weeded. 

The Raspberries - I spent many hours picking raspberries. They were big, juicy and produced for weeks.

Flower Gardens - I have a memory of Auntie Bernie browsing the seed catalogues as she got ready for spring. I was inspired by her excitement for such a simple task. Her flower gardens grew bigger from when I was there as a kid to when I was there as an adult. She started planting bulbs for creating arrangements. The variety would put many flower shops to shame.

Auntie Bernie's Food

It's impossible to think about Auntie Bernie without thinking about her cooking. 

Nanaimo Bars - There were many treats but I enjoyed her Nanaimo bars the most. You had to get to them quickly, before Alan came and ate just the tops. 

Frozen Raspberries on Vanilla Ice Cream - A simple summer treat that started with a bag of frozen raspberries. There were plenty of course. I have my own raspberry patch now and freeze the excess just for this reason. 

Honey Comb Cereal - Perhaps oddly specific but we weren't allowed sugary cereals at home so it was a treat when we came and this is a cereal I specific associate with the farm. We always got to have a bedtime snack and this was always my first choice. 

Bernie Buns - White buns baked to perfection. I have to be cautious on saying these were the best because I have my mother-in-law who makes them very similar. I will call it a tie.

Animals At the Farm

I don't recall all the animals at the farm but there were a few that stood out. 

The Goats - This is not technically my memory but I still remember the stories. The lore is that at one point there were goats at the farm that they eventually had to get rid of because they would jump on the cars when people came to visit. 

Digger - For much of our visits, Alan's dog digger was a highlight. Under 10 lbs and the perfect size for taking out to the fields in the combine. 

Jenny the Cat - This memory is a bit hazy but I recall a cat with a gimped leg was there when I visited with my own family. 

Working on The Farm

I never formally worked on the farm but whenever we came to visit we were put to work on something. We made at least enough money to lose it to Uncle Bob in crib. 

Burn Barrel - When I was younger I got to take the garbage out while Auntie Bernie lit the burn barrel. 

Fence Painting - There was once a white fence to the right of the house that would get stained by the high iron content water. It was my first painting job and I was closely monitored by Auntie Bernie.

Mowing the Lawn - My main job was usually to cut the lawn and spread the clippings between the rows of caragana's.

Retrieving Uncle Bob - My favorite activity when I visited was riding the quad runner. Of course that was one of the ways that Uncle Bob got around on the farm so I was tasked with picking him up from the shop for lunch. It wasn't working when we came to visit with my own family but there was a golf cart that Callie got to drive when she was only six. Driving starts early on the farm. 

Auntie Bernie

The most striking trait of Auntie Bernie was here ability to relate to anyone. This included my own kids when we came to visit. They were 3 and 6 at the time and she got down on the floor to play with them, pushed them in the swing and made sure they had plenty to eat. It had been several years since I had last seen her and we immediately felt at home. Although I didn't get out to Saskatchewan in recent years she was someone that regularly used Facebook to stay in touch. 

She will be missed.

Christmas 2025

Last year's Christmas tree hunt was eye opening. I'm fairly certain I had some sort of blood pressure event because it took forever to cut down the tree and once I I was done I nearly passed out. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure shortly after. So this year, I was not looking forward to the tree cutting event even though I've got my blood pressure back in line. Luckily we went there early on the first day and the family was very willing to make it a quick trip. We found the perfect tree in the section of already cut trees. It wasn't too tall and the only dead spot was towards the back so we were set.

For some reason the farm was open the third week of November and since it was raining out we decided we would wait a few days before brining the tree inside. It was cool and I stuck it in a pail of water until we were ready. One trick I've learned for having your tree last is a 'Fresh Cut' on the base. I take my reciprocating saw and cut the bottom inch off and as an extra step I take my grandfather's hand plain and shave off the bottom. This makes sure that all the pores of the wood are open, similar to what you would do with cut flowers. I always know if I've been successful once I get the tree in side and water it for the first time. If it takes up at least 1/2 to a full litre on the first day it means it's thirsty and still alive enough to take in water. This ensures the tree stays green and doesn't dry out. I'm always amazed at some of the houses that show the step of taking their tree out after Christmas and all the needles fall off. I'm assuming they don't even know you're supposed to water your tree let alone the "Fresh Cut" trick.

The Fondue this year was on the Monday before Christmas. The usual gang of the Dukes, Kildens, Elder Kildens and Ronnie attended. If we ever got a bigger house I would want to have a slightly bigger dining room. Although we don't use it often, it's nice to have access to one  with seating for 12 to 16 would be good for family events. I may have to start a separate budget for his event. With food prices where they are I feel we spent as much as $75 per person and I think it will only get worse. The event itself was great. No one put the hot forks in their mouth and the smell dissipated in about 3 days.

In past years we've gone to Vancouver to the annual Christmas Market. This year we heard about something similar in North Van with the big difference being that this one was free. It had similar booths and similar atmosphere and if I were to recommend one I would probably go with the North Van one, simply because it's free. There was even a covered ice rink. There were more booths and we got lots of local merchandise for Christmas presents. The only issue was that it took us a bit of time to find a parking spot but I think that was because we got greedy and tried to park close. If we knew better we would have started looking farther out.

We started putting Christmas away a couple of days early. Most things stayed up but the most irritating things to put away are the inflatables, especially if they are wet. It was drier on the 29th so I brought those guys in and started to dry them out. Now I can put them away in their boxes right away. 2025 was okay in that nothing bad happened and our trip to Japan was great but it was much too busy with things like work. This year I'm hoping for a bit more balance especially once my big work project starts to wrap up. Happy New Year!

Halloween 2025

For various reasons I didn't have much time to work on an elaborate Halloween project this year though I had also indicated I wasn't going to do anything big anymore after last year. I did want to do something a bit better to keep kids directed towards the front door and off the lawn where there is a spiderweb of extension cords that they can trip over. Previously I just had some garden stakes and some caution tape but I wanted to do something that I could reuse. I found some metal balusters in the bargain bin at Rona and added some plastic skulls to the top followed by some yellow plastic chain.

I have considered learning to weld so I could do something really fancy with metal stakes and bat wings but that will have to wait for another year. This year I didn't put out the arch or the monster in a box because the weather was supposed to be terrible which it was in the morning but cleared up later in the afternoon. Will have to stop listening to the weather man when prepping for halloween. 

Carter Learns to Drive

Carter is now officially a member of the driving public. We ran into a few issues with his Drivers Ed before he got his license. We had really liked the instructor that we got for Callie and she had gone on to start her own company so we went with her. Unfortunately even though we asked for her she sent someone who did mesh well with Carter very well. After a few lessons we insisted she be the instructor and he got in his last few lessons with someone who was much better at providing feedback. Carter did everything he could to get his license on the first try which based on others we've spoken to is not common. 

We had hight confidence in Carter's driving and both our kids have tried to get their license on time so that they could drive to school so we had no issue when it was time for his first solo drive. We had already made sure he knew the route and we have a policy where for the first few trips he has to text when he gets to his destination and when he leaves to come home. The fun part was that on his way to school he witnessed an accident as it happened. I of course always assume even if he wasn't in the accident that he might have influenced it but based on where the cars were and his testimony he had nothing to do with it. At least now he knows what happens when cars collide. 
 

Maan Farm Corn Maze

Out of the blue Jeremy contacted me and asked if I wanted to go to Maan Farms Corn Maze and asked if the family wanted to come too. I quickly asked the kids if they were interested and both had their own reasons for going. Very shortly thereafter the tickets were purchased and we were going to the scariest corn maze in BC. That should have been my first clue this might not go well. My second clue was when I realized we had to fill out a waiver. I never thought anything of it when it first came up but as I reviewed their website I realized that things might not go well.

Maan Farms Corn Maze was something I had heard about in the past and I did want to go which was why I didn't investigate things very thoroughly. I knew it was 'scary' but all the pumpkin patches claim some level of scary. What we didn't realize was just how immersive this experience was going to be. We checked in where they barely glanced at our waiver form and we headed to the front gate. Out of nowhere someone with a giant tasing stick attacked us and went straight for Callie. This did not go over very well as she was really just coming for the pumpkin ice cream.

Carter and I spent the next few minutes defending the family from crazy characters and even when we made it into the store, they kept coming. We made it clear we were done and ducked into the wine tasting area where thankfully they did go. Callie had had enough and Carter wasn't really interested in doing the mazes so they headed back out to the car while Jeremy and Pam went on the maze tour. I spent a bit of time looking up the night time pumpkin patch which was very nice with a lot of good pumpkins, lights and places for the kids to interact. Overall the destination itself was very well done but only if you don't mind dozens of crazed teenagers in costumes attacking you constantly. 

Cataract Surgery Round One

Apparently cataracts aren't something you just suddenly wake up and notice. They come on gradually and the symptoms aren't what I was expecting. I always felt they were more like points of darkness on your vision. Turns out it's more like a smudgy yellow window. Being only 47 I went to the eye doctor assuming I just needed an update on my prescription. A year later and a second opinion and it seems I had early onset cataracts. I say early onset because most people don't develop them until later however 1 in 20 can get them before the age of 50.

At first I though my main symptom was slightly double vision. I didn't feel I had issues seeing colors. It was only after I had my first eye done that I realized how messed up my vision was. The picture on the right is a very close approximation. I can say this because I'm at the point where I have one eye done and can open and close my eyes to see the difference. Everything is brighter and there is no blurriness. 

After my initial diagnosis I started down the process of getting ready for surgery. I missed a very important step for my first appointment with the ophthalmologist. I was supposed to stop wearing my contacts for 5 days so that my eye returns to it's normal dimensions and they can do proper measurements. I had to wait an extra week for a second appointment. Once I got in they formally diagnosed me and scheduled my surgery. Being younger and based on how advanced my cataracts were they rushed me in. I could have had it done within just a few weeks but decided to wait a bit as we had a vacation planned and it can take a few weeks to recover. Once the date was set it was on to lens selection. I've spoken to several family members who have had the procedure done and each has had a slightly different experience. For myself I had access to 5 lens choices. From a free one covered by medical that had a shorter life span to one that would solve all vision issues from far to near but wasn't great at night. I went for the one that gave me good vision for all but reading.

They weren't free but they are supposed to last a life time and vision isn't something I was about to cheap out on. With the lens selected it was time to prepare for the surgery. There wasn't a lot to do except for wait. They sent me a prescription for eye drops that I started taking the day before the surgery. On surgery day we arrived at the hospital and after a short wait were ushered into the surgery prep area. There were four seats and it was like an assembly line. The ophthalmologist does 3 sets of 7 on each of his surgery days. Everyone was very professional. I had to wear booties and a hat and they spent about 30 minutes administering eye drops of various types to numb and sterilize the eye. They offered Ativan which they said about 50% of people take but I chose not to. I wasn't really sure how I would react on it since I had never had it before. They indicated there would be minimal pain and the Ativan was more to relax you. Once it was my turn they walked me into the surgery room.

Surgery itself was quick. You lie on a table with no restraints and they place a plastic bag with a cup cut into it over your eye so that you can't blink. The ophthalmologist then asks you to look directly at the light above and he goes to town. He starts by using a cotton swab to sterilize your eyeball and then makes the incision to take out the old lens. After a bit of spoon work you can tell your lens is gone because everything is bright with no clear points of light. He then pushes the new lens in and you can immediately start to see clearly. For me it was a bigger change because I have always warn contacts and now it was as if I had contacts in. He closes up and sends you on your way. My doctor was like Doctor Strange where he has music playing and sings along. There was also a computer voice assisting him indicating things like 'constant irrigation is on'. So far recovery has been quick. The first day was very bright because my eye remained dilated. I have to avoid heavy lifting but my sight is already clear and my main issues are that my second eye still needs to be done. That's happening in four weeks.

 

Dryer Repair Round Three

We use our dryer a lot so the fact that we are on to our third major repair is not exactly surprising. Laundry happens on Wednesday and Sunday and although I don't usually do the full set myself I think there is typically at least three loads each time. We dry a few things on the line in the summer and most shirts get hung to dry. On top of that there is the usual bedding and special events like me getting muddy in the garden or the shop. 

The first repair happened during Covid and involved the replacement of one of the drum rollers. At the time it happened out of necessity. There weren't any options for repair people to come and so it made sense to see what I could do. Since I knew it was something physical I figured I'd at least be able to confirm what it was. In the end there was a single roller damaged and although I wanted to replace them all while I was in there, I could only source a single roller due to supply chain issues. Everything went back together fine.

The second major repair was the heater. A dryer that doesn't heat up isn't very useful. When it broke this time I figured I didn't have the tools to diagnose so we had someone come in. The irritating thing about getting an appliance fixed that isn't under warranty is that there is usually two visits and you pay for each. One to diagnose and one to come back with the part. Gone are the days when repair people only had to repair a few models and had a stash of parts in their truck. 

This time the issue was the rollers again. With no supply chain issues and an Amazon account, I quickly discovered that there were many options for parts online and it was easy to look up the one for our model. It arrived the next day. I decided this was a good father-son project and had Carter help me take the machine apart and put it back together. Everything came apart with a Phillips screwdriver with the exception of the rollers themselves that required a wrench.

Once we had the machine apart, it was very easy to see that the problem was what I expected and we had everything back together in one day. This time I replaced all the parts that involve spinning including the rollers, tensioner and the drive belt. They come as a kit and are considered 'wear' parts. Although mildly intimidating, the physical aspects of the dryer are something most anyone could do. We kept track of the steps it took to take it apart and then did the reverse to put it back together. Along the way I realized that replacing the heater wouldn't have been that difficult either. It's a whole module. My only issue would have been that I wouldn't have known it was the problem vs the control panel. Maybe I will try to pick that skill up next time. We did have one minor hiccup. When we take our dryer out I have to move the washer at the same time and when I did that it dislodged the drain hose. This sent a whole wash cycle into the crawl space. It was a good test of our water sensors though and dried out quickly.