This summer we had an amazing week with our grand daughters Nasya and Emma. When we picked up the girls up at Pat’s house they were jumping up and down with excitement. That made us feel real good. They were looking forward to it. We soon piled the girls with all their stuff into the car. They had enough dolls and clothes for them to last for 15 years.

Nasya

On the way in Nasya played her music that she had recorded on her iPhone she had recently received.  Much to my surprise, I had to admit the tunes were not bad. I even liked some of the songs. I particularly liked “Fight Song” performed by Rachel Platten

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I’m chasing sleep
Everybody’s worried about me
In too deep
Say I’m in too deep (in too deep)
And it’s been two years I miss my home
But there’s a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me…

Emma

Nasya and Emma

 We spent the first few days at the Lakeview Inn and Suite in Gimli. As soon as we arrived the girls headed for the pool. I gave both of them swimming lessons last year and I was very proud of my students.

Chris and Emma

         In the evening, I and the girls went to the finale of the Gimli Film Festival. I have always wanted to do that. The film was The Great Outdoors starring John Candy and Dan Akroyd. I was surprised at how lame it was, but it was fun to watch outside in the evening on the beach. It was a warm night and there are no mosquitoes this year on account of the dry conditions. The girls did not know if they should watch the film or play on the play structures. So they did both. It was a great start to our holiday!

The next day we went for a walk and stopped at my favorite book store–Tergesen’s. Now the store was a little more precious as we had met Lorna Tergesen, who owned the store with her son, on our trip to Iceland this summer just a couple of weeks ago. We enjoyed a short talk with her and of course, I bought a book that I really did not need. It was a photo book on Iceland.

Later in the week we watched the mega (well by Steinbach standards) parade. Each of the girls left with a HUGE bag of candies (by world standards). Then we went to the museum for lunch and a visit at the petting zoo and ride on a pony and horse and wagon ride and a ride on a oil barrel train. The girls also enjoyed getting their faces painted.

We finished the week at our cottage at Buffalo Point where the girls spent a few days swimming, enjoying wiener roasts and walking their babies (dolls). By the last day Emma was getting anxious to get home and did not want to eat. So she “enjoyed” a “prisoner’s diet” as Chris called it. Bread and water. That is absolutely true. Bread and water! That was all she wanted, so we obliged.  When she was done she said, “This was a great breakfast.” Go figure. The girls found a friend in Aria from the neighbour’s cottage and they explored the beach together. They were mesmerized by a dead fish.  Later Aria said this was the best part of the day. A dead fish!  I have concluded that young girls are very, very, strange. The girls also enjoyed skipping rocks on the surface of the lake and chasing gulls and getting rides on the  ‘side-by-side’ owned by our neighbour Mike.  This is a small All Terrain Vehicle with a box like a truck. When I pressed the accelerator and sharply increased my speed the girls squealed with delight. Basically they screamed the entire trip. Again that was fun! Next they went swimming in the lake with their various flotation devices. They used our tube and Mike’s big swan. The girls had a ball in the water.  It was a gorgeous bugless afternoon. Life is good.   At the girl’s request, Chris made her famous Beer Butt chicken and they loved that too.

It was a great week with 2 beautiful girls.

We attended the Manitoba Teachers Society young Humanitarian Awards.  One of the awards was given to Luxton School  and its Grades 4,5, and 6 members of a group called Kuamini.  This group included 24 students including our very own  own granddaughter Emma.  This group earned the award as a result of their school project to raise awareness, funds, or items for local charities and global initiatives.  The plans for Kuamini, we were told, are always student generated. The group has raised funds for a family that lost their home in a fire, helped to provide medicine and raised awareness to end child labour in Ethiopia, Haiti and rural China. They’ve raised their voices to support Pink Shirt Day and to end bullying. They’ve held an assembly to talk about the 94 calls to action for Truth and Reconciliation. They’ve taught their fellow students about residential schools on Orange Shirt Day. They are the bright, shining stars of the Luxton community.We are proud of them. In particular of course, we are proud of Emma.

Emma was of course not the only award winner. I was very impressed by Alliana Rempela young 11-year from Arborg with a lot of accomplished under her belt. She has written a book that was endorsed by Malala on the cover. It is a child’s book on human rights.  She’s helped local charities bring Syrian refugees to the community and then spent time during summer holidays tutoring the Syrian newcomers and making them feel at home in the community.  When she was five she sold pictures she painted to raise money for a youth shelter. When she was 8 year’s old she raised over $2,000 for the Malala fund by selling her art in 5 different countries. She has not stopped. Her current project is to sell her book and use the proceeds to build a school in Nicaragua. I could not resist buying a copy. I loved her line in the book: “Beating Bad with Beauty.” Pretty good for an 11-year old author. I loved her flawlessly delivered speech in which she thanked the Syrian refugees for coming to their town and teaching her what life was like in Syria. Can you imagine how her life was enriched by refugees? And we worry about the dangers of refugees

We were proud of her too along with all the other young humanitarians. Makes me wonder, what have I done nearing 70?

We were proud of her too along with all the other young humanitarians. Makes me wonder, what have I done? Emma, Alliana and all the other young humanitarians, you are special. Thanks.

PS I have not posted a photo of the group as I did not have permission from all 24 of them