Rick and Joan here....It's a boy!!!

Just got the news a few minutes ago........We are grandparents again! No. 9. We are so thrilled....little Remi Jorge born to Roger and Ella May 28th , at 12:02 am. 7lbs 4 0z, 21 inches long. This is so exciting!!!! We are off to the hospital first thing in the morning to hug and squeeze this little miracle!!!!!

Rick here...You can’t tell where the roses bloom!

Today was a very emotional, shitty day! I woke up feeling very, very stressed. Dying sucks! We have our 9th grandchild coming any moment, my wife lies beside me twitching in her dreams and snoring (okay ---this is where the violins are suppose to start playing…and here I am typing this for Rick –not fair! The snoring part that is!!!)

All I can think of as I see the sun streaming through the window is how much I want to be here for Joan, the kids, the grandkids, for mom and dad and for me. God this is hard! I know the medical realities; I feel the changes in my body. I just don’t want this to happen. It is a tough day…tomorrow will be better, I trust.

I found out that Dunn-rite, Sperling Welding, and many others from the Sperling area , and even one of our competitors in our industry donated to the ALS walk. I was overwhelmed that people who I have never given anything to donated to this cause on my behalf. It is so damn humbling for me!!! I am so thankful!

We went out for a stroll and supper in my wheel chair tonight. We came in to the restaurant outdoor patio area and a chair was in the way. A lady noticed it and jumped up and came over and cleared the chair away so we could get to a table. Small kindnesses mean the world when you are especially in a spot like I am in right now. I had forgotten my cane and was making my way from our table to the bathroom without it. (slow, slightly stumbling, damn sad) and this biker looking guy stopped and held the door for me for about a minute till I got there…I thanked him, and he smiled and said “no problem, bro”. Little did he know how much dignity that gave me at that moment! You can’t tell where the roses bloom!

Appearances don’t matter a damn! That is what growing up in a small town has taught me. The measure of a person is not based on their net worth or appearance but on their character and heart! That is my heritage of being raised in Sperling! My friends from Sperling have proved that!!

While sitting at the Pony Corral, on St. Mary’s Ave. with Joan tonight having supper,
I looked over and saw the bluest sky and the grayest buildings and started to cry. I thought Heaven must be wonderful…look how beautiful the earth is…there is a God!

I also realized that I am not a writer. I am a narrator. I need a mic so I can just speak into it. Otherwise I have to think too much to be happy with what I am writing. I guess when I talk; I feel like I can correct it or elaborate on it in the next sentence. Writing is just too damn precise. Precision was never my strong point. I am more of a shot gun aficionado than a marksman. Kind of funny that my Dad, my brother Garth, and my son Daniel are all marksmen…kind of think Grandpa Fewster and Grandpa Watson were shot gun guys themselves. That may be only my impression because I got along with them so well...but then again I might be the odd ball. Lol They say characteristics jump a generation. So who knows?

We have found that on the hardest days often we experience the most unexpected mercies from the most unexpected people. A young man saw us moving towards the elevator as he came off…the elevator door completely closed…he saw us coming…he stopped and turned around and went out of his way to push the elevator up button and held the door open while Joan pushed me on. We have found that a lot of the young people from the other countries have much compassion and respect for the disadvantaged and old. (HELL that is me now!)

Anyhow…I think I am entering into a new level of blogging in terms of being able to express my inner heart. Something happened to me at the walk…maybe a realization of what really makes a friend, I am not sure, but at any rate something really has happened to me.

I told Joan that I don’t want to die!
I don’t.
I am not afraid to. I just don’t want to now or anytime soon! This whole thing is just so damn hard!!!
Anyhow….more later…
Rick

"Team Rick" & "Team Sperling"

Rick and Joan here...ALS Walk a success!

It was a fantastic day! Sunny and warm to start off with.

We want to thank all our family, friends and the Whitemouth School students and teachers who participated in the walk in person and in spirit!

A special thank you to Diana and Sharon from the ALS Society, Jennifer from the Whitemouth school who coordinated the walk, Lorraine Forester who launched the whole idea, Kyla who organized "Team Rick", Kent and gang for "Team Sperling", Lorna for the "Team Rick" hats, Winnipeg Outfitters for the "Team Rick" tshirts, Dunnrite Foods for their sponsorship and prizes, Jake and Val for opening their home to all and the folks of Whitemouth.

The day was a tremendous success with the ALS Society raising over $13,000! Our granddaughter Tia won a prize for raising the most amount of the students.

The day started out with family and friends coming from all over. Stroller after stroller after stroller lined the sidewalks. lol We joked that we could have been called "Team Stroller".

For us there were so many variety of emotions of the day. We experienced such great joy in seeing people come out especially on the weekday and when Rick's old school mates showed up as a surprise to him "Team Sperling" wow!!! Then as we walked with everyone down the streets it was like what are we doing here...it just doesn't seem real sometimes!

Rick here....

I don't know how Joan and Kent did it. They kept me completely in the dark about the existence of "Team Sperling". I looked up and saw all these purple tshirts pouring out of a big van. I thought "that is neat there is another team here and I wonder who they are". Joan ran ahead of me and I heard her say you must be Kent. I am not often caught for words but when I saw all my old friends...most of whom I have not seen for 30 or 35 years. I lost it!!!

Some of these folks I had not seen since grade 8. I choked back the tears and tried to figure out who was who. I was completely overwhelmed! I was humbled and honoured all at the same time! What an incredible surprise and what an incredible group! What an incredible town!!!

Well...needless to say after the walk we retired to the good old Whitemouth Hotel to catch up on 35 years. It turned into a few hours. We laughed...and laughed...and told stories and laughed some more! What a time!!! We then moved the party over to the suite where we will be staying and spent most of the afternoon laughing and laughing and telling stories and did I say laughing!!!

A few highlights...seems the gang had picked up a big box of doughnuts on the way out to Whitemouth. As they parked the van right in front of the local RCMP detachment which is across from the school it only seemed right that the doughnut box be autographed and left on the front step of the cop shop!!! A short time later several of the guys got their picture taken with one of the officers. Quite a joke seeing that we spent a lot of our time in our teenage years avoiding those guys! Someone joked that it must be different to not have the cops taking the pictures! lol

Anyhow, it was one of the most memorable afternoons of my life! A big THANK YOU to Kent, Don, Rob, Don, Glenn, Gordie, Anne and Fritz, and Jill. I also want to thank Ruth and Jean out in Carmen for their help in the fund raising.

Joan here...I want to thank "Team Sperling" also for really making me feel welcome and accepted. Mercifully they kept all the "Rick" stories quite decent!!! :) All that laughing was so good for the soul!!! Thanks!!!

"Team Sperling"

Rick and Joan here.....Friday is coming!!!

On Sunday we were invited for a absolutely wonderful time back to our former home for a delicious meal, drinks and most of all the terrific hosts! We were very apprehensive about returning to our former home not knowing how we would deal with it all emotionally. To our wonder and amazement we walked in to the house and found it not ours! We felt so comfortable and welcomed. We truly are so grateful for the way Dave and Sheila have treated us through this transition. They have been gracious, sensitive and caring beyond belief!

When Rick and I walked around the yard pointing out the various plants etc. we think it was actually harder then going through the house. Probably being, the house was so different with their things in it but right now the yard is exactly the same. It is weird how we respond to familiar things! They seem to trigger so many memories!

Friday is soon coming!

We will be meeting Lorraine Forester and her family for the first time at the ALS walk in honour of her mom. We really look forward to it.

Also, we look forward to seeing all of you at our first ALS walk in Whitemouth as difficult as it will be emotionally due to the circumstances!!! Thank you to all who have so generously supported the walk and to those who will be able to make it to Whitemouth. Looks like we will have a sunny day if the weather person isn't telling lies! :)

Joan has had more practice handling the wheelchair now so we trust there will be no casualties, either me or innocent bystanders! :) I have discovered that these new fangeled shoes called "crocks" have really helped me to keep lighter on my feet. They are light and comfortable and don't tire me out so much as regular shoes. Joan and I have matching black ones now! :) The grand kids are suggesting neon colours though I think (you know what) will freeze over before I succumb to neon coloured shoes!!!

My folks are unable to attend due to their own health issues right now. We understand that those of you that can't make it in person are there in spirit. Thank you to all of you!

Will update when we return from good old Whitemouth.

Rick here...Some moments

Life is made up of moments. Here are a couple...

I was making my way in from the underground parking in the apartment we have rented for a couple of months. I was using my cane and struggling a bit as the doors are heavy and cumbersome now. Quick as a flash, a little old lady (and I do mean little and I do mean old) bounded up and said "Here, let me get that for you!" :) I kept a straight face and was thankful but as I carried on the reality of the whole thing hit me. Very weird! Life has sure changed!!!
As I tell Joan though...it won't be too long and these will be the "good old days". Agghhh!

Joan and I made our second excursion down to the library through Portage Place with the wheelchair. She is getting pretty expert at this. I never screamed once this time! LOL
We have a system worked out where I hit the wheel chair door opening buttons with my cane then she wheels us through. I think we are getting faster.

Everyone needs to be in a wheel chair for a day. You sure get a different perspective on what a lot of people have to deal with day by day. Humanity seems to fall into two main categories. Jerks and nice folks. This trip we had the nice ones. The library people actually looked and talked to me as a person. The waitress where we stopped for a beer and a snack did also. I think my faith in the general humanity of people may be on the rise again.

I have been very touched by the number of old friends from across the country who have tracked me down since this started. Many I have not seen for 20 or even 30 years! Yikes!!!
Thank you all so much!