Gibberish – School Plays! Part Un!

Budget season is not over. The federal budget will be tabled next week, and the provincial budget is due April 11th. As Canadians are going to the polls this fall, the federal budget will be […]

Around the Corner

by Stormy Howard

Is it really December already? Less than 15 days until Christmas!! It’s crazy, and school seems to be going pretty fast with sports and tests.

Monday, December 3, we received news about how Bill 115 was going to affect our everyday activities. 

Essentially our daily academic life will remain the same (lessons, projects, activities and tests), but unfortunately the extra-curricular side of school is going to change (sports and clubs are put on hold as of Monday, December 10th).  A lot of people (students and staff) are upset about this, and want to change it. 

Bill 115 is a piece of legislation passed in the fall and it imposes a two-year contract on educators that allows the government to take away the teachers bargaining rights. This is unfair to the senior students because it’s their last year, and they will not get to do any sports or clubs. There are some students here at Seaway who are planning to walk out to demonstrate in a positive way their anger over this change to the school day. They have met with our principal, Mr. Gardiner and had a teleconference call with the Director Mr. David Thomas.  I hope we can come to an agreement on Bill 115 so we can all get back to doing the things we love.

Tuesday, December 4th,  the boys basketball team consisting of: Clay Dumoulin, Evan Mullin, Cameron Chayer, Andrew Jarvis, Mustafa Hamadi, Brandon Vandodewaard and Dillon Sullivan, had a tournament at Char-Lan.  They won 40-30. Great work!

On Tuesday December 4th, the Seaway juniors played volleyball at CCVS (they split will all the teams they played, and improved greatly throughout the day according to Coach Waddell). Meanwhile the seniors played across town at La Citadelle.  The Seniors beat Tagwi, Glengarry, and split with La Citadelle and Char-Lan. On Friday, December 7th the Seaway girls played volleyball in Rockland, and both teams did really well, with the seniors bringing home the tournament title!  We were all impressed! Way to be ladies!

On Thursday Seaway had a ‘Tight-n-Bright’ dance for grades 9-12. Tickets were $10 in advance or $12 at the door. You could even sign in friends from other schools. This was an awesome event that was extremely well attended. There was a laser light show that was presented by PINX Productions from Toronto  and  students dressed in neon and other clothing that would glow in the dark with the black lights. It made a really cool effect in the gym . Also for 50 cents you could buy a pot of glow in the dark paint to decorate yourself and your friends. It really was a blast!!!!

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The squirrel and the begonia

Recently I was walking up to the manse (aka parsonage, rectory) and noticed a little black squirrel sitting at the edge of a black pot of begonias.  Now one has to know that with 10 maples trees on the property and walnut trees on neighbouring properties, that squirrels are as plentiful here as spots on a ladybug.  They hide the walnuts in the garage, in the window ledge corners, in pots.  

My neighbour and I watch the little ones figure out how to get down from a second storey roof after they have leapt from a tree branch.  They own the property as far as I am concerned.

Now I tried to shoo the squirrel away from the pot of begonias, and reluctantly it scampered down to the porch and onto the grass all the while holding the begonia plant in its mouth. 

The reason the begonias are in pots, versus in the ground, is because after I had planted them in a few spots I found them dug up by the squirrels, so I thought the pots would ensure the safety of the begonias.  

I was most amazed though that the squirrel was not going to give up that begonia and stopped at least twice to munch on the roots before it dropped the plant and scurried up a tree.  I retrieved the plant and re-inserted it into the pot. 

This morning after watering the plants the squirrel came back.  Or maybe it was a sibling or a cousin.  It matters not. 

What I admire, however, is its (their) persistence and activity level.  I’ve heard the old phrase “busy as a beaver” but I do not recall a phrase about squirrels.  

I once watched a mother squirrel on a large limb carrying her offspring from the far end of the limb back to the nest in the hollow of the trunk and the limb.  One by one she grabbed them by the nape of the neck and retrieved them.

God’s persistent love for humanity and all creation humbles me.  God is the reason and joy and love of life.  When we wander off God hauls us back. 

Years ago a person remarked to me that he “likely was not in the book.”  By that he meant that he was likely, because of the ebb and flow of his life, not in God’s book.  

I replied that it was not that easy to be “out of God’s book.”  God never gives up on us.  God never lets us go.  God provides for us in mysterious ways.  And when we open our hearts and minds to God’s incalculable love for creation and presence in our lives, our lives are lived in a joy-filled manner giving thanks for that abundant life.  

And our rightful and only response is thanks-giving.  Our comfort in life and in death and life after death is that we belong to God.

And I just put out a little cup of water for the squirrels.  I promise not to give them names.  Peace and blessings.

Rev. Arlyce Schiebout

Lakeshore United Church

Morrisburg

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