Tuesdays With Jo

Dear Mother Jaskey, 

I'm witnessing an absolutely gorgeous sunrise in rich pinks with our spruce trees as a silhouette. 

Pat just left for AB and Zach for Jeff's place. I have a marathon before me, as in cleaning my house. Because, we are actually planning Grandpa's funeral for tomorrow, the Lord willing. 

This last week has been a blur of good food, late nights and reading together as a family. I've always dreamed of a Christmas holiday like this and it was lovely. 

But I'll just whisper it, I really miss people. It's kind of hard to imagine that we need to go walk through Walmart to be with people. 

Anyway, have a great day! This writing a letter once a week thing was a great challenge for me and I thank you for it! 

Love Jo

P.S. Trevor came out for the funeral and Wyatt is mesmerized by him.

P.P.S. Now we're reading Old Yeller aloud together. 

P.P.P.S. Our basement bathroom has white tub-surround again. After a lot of elbow grease.

Tuesdays With Jo

Dear Mother Jaskey, 

Good morning from the snowy plains of Saskatchewan. The sun is barely up in muted hazy tones. Its a lazy Christmas holiday feel around here.

My Christmas cards are draped across windows on jute twine and the coffee bar by the dining room window is well used. I just watered the giant poinsettia basking on the old singer sewing machine. Wyatt and I have a 1000 piece Cobble Hill puzzle going in the living room. 

We finished school on Friday with a party and food from Saskatoon. Pat, Jeff and our boys finished the casket (I spent a day helping line it with black and red buffalo plaid). On Sunday the school board met in the teacherage basement for a time of bonding over flood waters. 

I'm so excited about these two weeks, even though we still have a funeral on the horizon (maybe Dec 31st). We ordered a deep fryer and ice-cream machine with Christmas gift money (from Grandma Isaac) and we're living the life!

So grateful for you, 

Love,

Jo

P.S. We're reading Where The Red Fern Grows aloud together late at night. 

P.P.S. Zach helped me mix a giant batch of Christmas Coffee. 

P.P.P.S. Colby made a doughnut hole cutter. Guess what's in our future?!

Tuesdays With Jo

Dear Mother Jaskey, 

It's a chilly evening. The heaters are blasting. The thermometer says -13C but the weather app says a windchill of -19C.

What a year this last week has been. Grandpa Esau passed away peacefully on Sunday after a week of poor health and a sharp decline. He had been told in August that he had congestive heart failure and that he had 6 months to a year left. Somehow it feels shocking. Only a week ago I was kneeling by his chair feeding him blended up lentil soup. He didn't have the strength.

Last week felt gloomy and overcast every day. In reality Grandpa's life hung in the balance. And so did Ben Ginther's. So working together with Paul's and Jeff's on the school board was... heavy. Ben is feeling better, praise God. Grandpa is safely home, praise God. 

Imagine our surprise to find out only yesterday that Grandpa tested positive for that ugly word. The phonecalls that ensue. The weight. The no funeral. The quarantinement for some. The aloneness for grieving people. The joy that Grandpa's battles are over. 

But let's talk about other things. Jay's came to visit us Sunday evening. Linda brought us soup and biscuits today. Nicole and Isla came to stay with Arlens. I guess I'm always circling back.

I did books today in the shop. And wrote out Christmas cards. And Colby and Zach went to Jeff's to help build Grandpa's casket. There. I did it again. 

I guess its where we're at.

Love

Jo

P.S. Grandpa used to sing with a group, a quartet in Linden and they called themselves the Groaners. 

P.P.S. The day Grandpa went to Outlook on the ambulance he waved to Pat and I and said, "I love you". It felt like goodbye. 

P.P.P.S. Wyatt brought me a little toy chest on Sunday evening. He had wrapped a dead fly in a kleenex and put it carefully inside.

Tuesdays With Jo

Dear Mother Jaskey, 

It is a glorious warm winter day. +2C and for a moment when I was busing this afternoon the sun shone in glimmering splendor over the world. The clouds have bonded once again and the grey envelopes the long late afternoon. 

Grandpa Esau has been quite sick, with a terrible cough, no appetite and a general feeling of misery. This afternoon he perked up when the ambulance came to get him and some of the grandchildren waved to him outside his window. He told Pat & i that he loved us this morning when we left. Only God knows what his future holds. 

Colby and Zach have been working for Jeff the last week, north of Saskatoon a ways, doing long days outside. Pat has been on the truck hauling grain into Alberta and coal back to Saskatchewan. Wyatt is so happy to go to school every day. There certainly are things we don't take for granted!

Love from,

Jo

P.S. 'Tis the Season; peppernuts, mandarins, poinsettias, and Christmas candles. 

P.P.S. It's the Most Wonderful Time... of the year....🎵🎶🎵 shopping Christmas gifts for everyone at Trevor and Robin's request. 😅🥳🥰

P.P.P.S. Tell me more about Christmas... from the eyes of little children and school children. It is truly delightful.

Tuesdays With Jo

Dear Mother Jaskey, 

Today I started a tunic factory. Its not something that's ever been on my list of things to try but I did enjoy it. I've already closed the doors. I think we made 24 tunics. 

That was for school. They are putting on a Bethlehem Walk and believe me, there has never been anything like it before in Swanson. I'm looking forward to it. 

Other than that we've been providing a bit of compassionate care here and there. Last night our neighbor boy stopped by for supper with many questions on his mind and heart.

The weather holds out at possibly the most beautiful November ever, with hoarfrost and snow and glinting sunshine.  The one thing our youth can do is play hockey. So that is what they do. 

I met my fellow Quacky Quilters at church today for a time of fellowship, although we should really call ourselves the Band of Bonding Masked Bandits. 

I miss you, 

Love Jo 

P.S. Wyatt was carefully reading the licorice package. "This has 30 gigs of sugar Mom!" He said, horrified. 

P.P.S. Wyatt opened his report card carefully. "Mom, I've never got this in all my life!" His eyes glowing.

P.P.P.S. Colby got a call to a bad accident last evening and he finally got home about 5 in the morning. I'm immensely proud of him.