“The RoseBouquet”

Dad and I are getting our inner motors revved up about going away this coming
weekend. We’re invited to a 40th wedding anniversary in Lethbridge, Alberta,
for my second cousin, Wayne and Hilda Kroeker. It has taken us long enough to
decide whether we can afford the gas, (at least 7 hours each way), and whether
we can risk the possibility of a snow storm. Here in the prairies that can
happen any day now.

We like these cousins and of course, there is the prospect of seeing a bunch
more. But what really egged us on to take the risk, is that I’ve discovered
other relatives I didn’t know about, who live in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
(Lethbridge is only two hours further). We are now invited to spend Friday
afternoon, evening and the night at the home of Dad’s second cousin, Kathleen,
and she will have her mother there from a local nursing home. Her mother,
Margaret (Friesen) Stanfield is Dad’s father’s first cousin!

I knew of another one, and thought she was special, but she died in July of
this year, and as far as I knew the last of that generation. I’ve mainly been
in touch with another daughter and granddaughter of this woman in Ontario. But
it sure seems like we have lots in common with this clan; we’re all long-winded
storytellers, and we all love the Lord. What can we lose by going to make
friends with these people in person?

If you know me, you know I collect friends the way some folks go out of their
way to collect antiques, rare editions, or even salt and pepper shakers. I just
call them roses, and add them to my RoseBouquet.