Just A Gal From Glidden: Hope Springs Eternal (and Please, Please Let It Be Cloudy)
By Kate Winquist
Well, here we are—already into February. How did that happen? February always brings with it that age-old question: will that furry little rodent see his shadow or won’t he? I can never remember whether we’re supposed to cheer or groan, so I finally looked it up. If the groundhog emerges from his burrow and sees his shadow, he scurries back inside and we’re stuck with six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see it, spring arrives early.
So please, please let it be cloudy on Monday.
Now, I’ll admit, this winter hasn’t been that bad—but as the saying goes, “Hope springs eternal,” and lately it feels like we could all use a healthy dose of that.
Back Row: Sheri Cook
Middle Row: Katie Drummond, Shawn Tailer, Janice Walde, Michelle Erickson
Front Row: Karla Longmire, Danora Weber, Michelle Campbell, Trina Koska
Missing: Kathy Auger, Francie McCallum
February is also Heart Month, and our friends at the Kindersley & District Health & Wellness Board will once again be canvassing for donations for their Heart to Heart campaign. This year’s focus is on updating the dining area for residents at Heritage Manor, along with purchasing a much-needed Medication Cart for Acute Care. The estimated cost for these projects is approximately $65,000. So when that familiar pink piece of paper shows up in your mailbox, I hope you’ll consider supporting this very worthwhile cause.
And speaking of hearts… is love in the air?
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for romantic couples. It’s a chance to celebrate every kind of love in your life—your friends, your children, your family members, and yes, even your co-workers. Everyone deserves to be reminded how much they’re appreciated.
This time of year always makes me reflect on lifelong friendships—especially since one of my dearest friends is celebrating a birthday this week. Back in high school, we had a pretty tight-knit group, and every time I look at this photo of the nine of us (circa 1987), I can’t help but smile. Is it the acid-wash jeans? The industrial-strength hairspray? The hairstyles that required both commitment and courage?
Probably all of the above.
What a time it was—playing basketball, cruising Main Street for hours on end, passing notes in Mr. Gordon’s Biology class, drinking Bianca in Erickson’s basement… Some of those stories may or may not be suitable for print. I’m not saying I’d want to relive my high school days, but I would love to pile into Koska’s big red Suburban one more time, crank up some Bon Jovi, Poison, or Tom Petty (sorry, Danora—I know you still don’t like Tom Petty!), and just go for a drive.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate that after being away for almost 30 years, I was able to come back to Kindersley and still sit down for lunch with a few of these beauties, picking up conversations as if I had never left. Those friendships are forever treasured.
New friendships have blossomed over the years as well, especially through work. Joan Janzen is one of the most thoughtful and caring individuals you could ever hope to meet. Greg Paulhus and I have known each other since Grade 1 at Westberry School, and truthfully, without Greg’s support—especially when it came to creating our website and sharing his knowledge of the newspaper industry—I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable starting from scratch.
And then there’s the woman I work alongside every week through texts and emails: Patti Moran, whom I have never met in person. Patti works remotely from our nation’s capital, and sometimes I wonder if we weren’t separated at birth (even though she is MUCH older than I). We are clearly wired the same. We’ll text each other at the exact same moment, asking the exact same thing. Honestly, it kind of freaks me out.
So on February 14, do something small to show your appreciation for someone you love. Better yet—don’t limit it to just one day. Let the people in your life know how much they mean to you, and the positive impact they have simply by being there.
Because love, like hope, is always worth sharing.