Right in the centre – A Thanksgiving and Anniversary wrap-up

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Right in the centre – A Thanksgiving and Anniversary wrap-up

Details: Published on Friday, October 18, 2024

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner & Press

Last week, I wrote about the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend and how it coincided with our 55th wedding anniversary. For about two weeks before the big day, I asked my wife what she wanted to do for our anniversary. No real plans were forthcoming so I went about our regular business of doing the best we can to publish three newspapers and help out at the Neepawa Access Community Television Station (NACTV). The Thursday before our anniversary was the regular paper delivery run to Rivers and Rapid City.

That run is about two-thirds more than it used to be because, as of June 21, we took over the Virden Empire-Advance. Now the run is Rapid City and Rivers with a hand-off to Gerry Nolan to do deliveries around Rivers, Hamiota, Oak River, Kenton and Lenore. Our job then is to head down to the T-Can and turn in at Sioux Valley Petro-Can and then on to Virden to deliver papers to a few spots. We sure distribute a pile of papers at Hi-Way Grocery and pick up lunch there too so that I can eat at my desk. No rest for the wicked. Then it’s on to the Flower Attic in Virden, our biggest delivery spot, pick up the mail and head to our Virden Office.

From there, it’s Oliver Nolan’s turn, son of the above mentioned Gerry, to deliver to dozens of spots in Virden. Dad Gerry circles back from his Rivers Banner deliveries and takes the remaining Virden papers to places like Elkhorn, Cromer, Reston and Pipestone.

My job gets a little easier by Thursday afternoon as I look after some admin duties and meet with Jessica Coulter, who sells and designs ads and the papers at Virden and Rivers. Often I meet up with Dianne Hansen who has graciously come out of retirement to sell ads at Virden.

Our job winds up Thursday by delivering the papers to Oak Lake and Alexander on our way home.

So that is how Thursday goes and that’s how last Thursday went. As I said, it was the eve of our anniversary so I had to buy my wife a little present at Dundee Designs in Alexander and also pick up one of the best egg salad sandwiches ever. They are a staple at Dundee and the sandwiches are made at the Honey House in Rivers.

I should also explain that before Thursday can happen, our staff diligently assembles all three papers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Printing takes place at Killarney Wednesday afternoon where the Struth family has been printing now for two generations. Our staff brings the papers back Wednesday, sorts and packages the papers into bundles Wednesday night ready to go early Thursday. We have three vans and a SUV on the road on Thursdays and one on Friday. There is a cycle to the whole process.

So back to the anniversary, what did we do on Friday. Well, I worked a little late at the office, came home and we had pizza and watched a hockey game and a football game. The Blue Bombers lost and the Jets won.

So did our local teams, the Neepawa Titans and Virden Oil Capitals, though Neepawa did end up winning a pair over the weekend to Virden’s lone victory.

On Saturday, we did go to a restaurant but just for breakfast. Prepping for winter is on the top of the list so the annual job of getting all the junk and partly finished projects out of the garage and cars in begins in earnest. That, and painting the garden shed.

Sunday was our Thanksgiving day with a multi family gathering. Just so you get an idea of what that was like, there were 10 children under 10 years of age in one house. Four of them were our great grandsons. Lots of happy noise and laughing and lots of love.

Still worked on the anniversary through Monday, our version that is. Pushed hard (but very slow) and got garden hoses winterized, rain barrels put away. I think my wife is getting some better as I looked across the yard when I took a breather from garage prepping and she was tumbling the rain barrels across the yard. No cane, no walker but carefully and steadily bossing the rain barrels across the yard.

So our anniversary weekend closed off Monday evening with vehicles in the garage, two on the driveway and off the street, the motorhome in the storage compound.

Some people will be somewhat shocked at the way we celebrated our anniversary, but this year was a very good one. Lots to be thankful for, especially since Christine started in January with very serious surgery followed by many months of chemos and a very tired body. Yes, we are thankful.