June 1 / 2025

 Some of my neighbors joke about me having the cleanest driveway on the block. I have a good snow shovel but it doesn't get all the snow so I sweep what it doesn't pick up. During spring summer and fall I sweep the leaves and berries that fall from the neighbors trees. Now I keep it extra clean on purpose, I can hear the Mrs. Kravitzs on the block telling their husbands, "Ed's out sweeping his driveway again". One time I was getting ready to put a coating on it and to get the best bond I was using a shop vac to clean it. The neighbor from across the street came over and said, "Ed, we don't mind you sweeping your driveway to keep it clean but we have to draw the line at vacuuming." It was a great line, a good laugh. The truth is I enjoy cleaning my driveway, it's meditative for me, in the winter I clean two others on  a regular basis and a third when the neighbors are away. When I was laid up for 42 days after exploratory surgery on my kidney in early January I figured I would just have one of those driveways that people just drive on and pack down three or four inches of snow. I was pleasantly surprised to look out one day to see my neighbor shoveling the snow for me. They actually kept it clear for me until I was able to exert myself again.

Loved

May 1 / 2025

I met Pat McCashin 30 years ago, summer of the year dad died. He was doing a job for a friend of mine at the time and was looking for someone to help him with the job. I was unemployed at the time and needed the work. He went to Campion high school so he knew of Tony and Lui and it turns out his sister Peggy and Marie are best friends. We became a team for 27 years, and a good one, he never advertised, all our work was from word of mouth. We worked for six of the top home builders in the city on a regular basis and others when we were available. If his wife hadn't retired in 2022 we might still be working, he still gets calls. We became great friends. So when he called me yesterday to help him pick up lumber for his deck I was happy to do it. He didn't expect me to stick around and help but I was happy to. By lunch time we were finished the portion of the deck he was hoping to finish that day. I suggested we go for lunch and then pick up some more lumber. By 2:30 I was putting the saws away as he was driving the last screws. I can't say we weren't tired, I'm only 74 but he's 77. It was a great day. 

Just in case you're wondering, I still have 8 fingers and both thumbs. They're all full length too.

Loved

April 1 / 2025

 It has been said, "Beware the ides of March", but I say, watch out for April 1st. It is a good idea to hermit until noon. I don't know if 'hermit' has ever been used as a verb before, I'm trying to set up a thread for this entry. "When I first wake in the mourning I feel like I'm 18 years old, it's only when I try to get out of bed I feel my real age." I like that saying but I can't take credit for it because I know it was spoken by grandma Antonini a few years ago when I was still a teenager. She would have been in her 70 s when she said that, I know how she felt, I wonder if she had heard it somewhere. So, when Jessica asked us for advice for her gift for Rob's 60th birthday I had to think hard. First of all, Rob is doing pretty well to be taking advice from me but I tried to think of advice I'd heard through the years. The 'Golden Rule' is the first thing I thought of, the Bible tells us the man himself, Jesus Christ spoke it. However, it takes only a little digging to find out, some guy from China, who went by the name Confucius, said it a mere 400 or 500 years before Christ. Then I thought maybe a few thousand years before that some cave mother, while cooking up some saber tooth tiger ribs, saw her son punching his little sister, grabbed him by the hair and said "how would you like it if somebody was punching you". Then I wondered if that's how male patterned baldness started as evolution's way of protecting men in battle. Whoa! I better stop digging, I'm getting deep in this rabbit hole.

Loved

March 1 / 2025

 Down by the station

Early in the morning

See the little puffer bellies

All in a row

See the engine driver

Turn the little handle

Puff puff toot toot

Off we go

We have lost another puffer belly, our train is getting shorter

Rest in peace and love Mary Ellen

Loved

February 1 2025

 Another winter month over and I can truly say I'm looking forward to brighter days.

Loved

January 1 2025 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy birthdays to Chris and Carol.

Years ago our brother Rob decided to walk over to Tony's to visit him every Sunday, then the rest of us here in Regina joined him and we named it our "Church". We continue the practice to this day. I usually drive to Len's and we walk to meet Mike and Rob on the way to Len's and we walk back to Len's together. We then visit for a few hours before going home. The final Sunday of 2024 we decided to take "Church" on the road!

It was 5:20 a.m. when Rob turned his truck onto Wilkie Road, I walked out on to the street to save the few seconds it would take to pull in and out of the driveway. Within seconds I was in the truck seated and belted in, you might say I was excited, you'd be right. We were out of the neighborhood and heading west on the Trans Canada by 5:30. The sky was so clear we could have been like the early explorers and used the stars to guide us, we had Siri "Turn left in 644 kilometers". We made a pit stop in Swift Current for a necessary break and to pick up tastier drinks than water to go with the 16 sandwiches and bucket of goodies Len had packed us for the trip. "You knuckleheads done? Turn left in 400 kilometers". We didn't pay much attention to Siri after that. It was 12:20 when we pulled into the drive at Marty's house in Calgary. It wasn't long before the 4 of us were in the lobby of the Sky Point Hospice and as we were signing in our nephew Martin greeted us and a minute later we were at the bedside of our sister Mary Ellen. She had warned us after our hugs and kisses that she could fall asleep at anytime and it would be quick. Memories shared and laughter made for a terrific visit. We had been visiting for a good 40 minutes before the nurse came in with some medication, we decided to hug our goodbyes then visit until she dropped off. A few seconds after Marty gave her the last hug her eyes drooped, I didn't even get "are you falling asleep" out before a quiet "yep". She had warned us, it was sudden, she was sleeping. The goodbyes turned out to be perfect timing, as she would text me the next day "perfectly orchestrated by someone bigger than us". That's Mary Ellen. We hugged Martin goodbye and at 1:35 we signed out of the hospice. We headed to Lou and Marie's for a short visit, Marie had made us a fresh Caesar salad to go along with some pizza Lou had ordered in. We drove Marty home and by 3:30 we were back on the road. We didn't see a single snowflake on the highway or in the air on the way to Calgary or on the way back home. We had a wee bit of fog as we neared Regina and at 10:45 I pulled into the driveway at 14 Wilkie Road. We couldn't have had a better trip. 

We always enjoy church but this was by far the best church of 2024.

Loved 

P.S. We finished the sandwiches around 9:30 p.m. we didn't get through the bucket of treats though. 

December 1, 2024

 This completes my resolution for the year 2024. It's been a good year, I always have a good year. Betty Jo came out to the province earlier in the year, we visited with her and Marcia in Saskatoon. I was able to help Don and Vic plant a portion of their garden. Marcia also came for a short visit early in October and gifted me a card that sits above my computer desk, I'm looking at it now, well, not right now, when I'm not typing. I can't look away when I'm not typing, this post would look like this...icufyg smsryf gryd d yrg hryyrh ryye7. That was supposed to say "I could maybe get a few letters right". Looks like I overestimated my ability.

 There was an event in September that I remember as well. Leonard sets up a memorial golf tournament for his friend Kelly Hamilton, this was it's second year. Thirty six teams, 144 players sign up for the event, the perfect number for a golf tournament. Actually there were 37 teams, 148 players because Leonard couldn't say no to a final group. It seemed to me that each of these guys and girls have a good friendship with Len and willingly share that friendship with each of his brothers. I hadn't golfed since I played in 2015 on a course in St. Andrews with Dave, Andy and John. Andy taught me one of my favorite words "numpty",(he was referring to himself, for good reason). There were a lot of words in the conversation I didn't understand but I remember that one. Let me get back to the tournament in Regina. I had strangers, to me, who would introduce themselves and tell me how much they liked the Antonini brothers. Besides feeling honored, I thought to myself "you should meet the sisters". Mike, Rob, Lou and I made up the foursome. The real highlight of the tournament, and what made it so special for me, was I got to spend the day riding and playing along side my brother Lou, I have never enjoyed a round of golf more. It was a very special day.

Best of the season to everyone!

Loved