Homebodies - I did it! - part three, the final

By Rita Friesen

The Neepawa Banner

With reluctance but with wisdom, I chose to stay on the barge, the Elodie, for Wednesday. We had docked in Delft and first thing in the morning, we crossed the street and toured the Delft ceramic factory. Watching the craftsmen at work, meticulously hand painting the designs, I gained a clear understanding that the asking price for any true piece is fair. Another one of the tour group also stayed on board and we had a fantastic time, swapping stories and getting to know each other. The group arrived back at the barge, now at Leiden, by mid afternoon and so Marie and I went for a lengthy walkabout. 

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Faithfully yours - One step at a time

By Neil Strohschein 

The Neepawa Banner

Every year I meet at least one person who has slipped on an icy patch of concrete or pavement and suffered a broken wrist or hand. Their stories are the same. It was an accident and accidents happen. The bone took less than a second to break. It will take weeks to heal.

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Right in the centre - Firm but fair

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

It was an impressive scene to watch the parade of 40 new PC MLAs parade into their swearing-in ceremony last week. Not since 1915 had such a large group of MLAs from one party been sworn into government. The throne speech was impressive this past Monday, but was basically a re-stating of the PC election platform. A look at the seat map for the legislature shows the 40 PC seats, the 14 NDP and the three liberals in their seating arrangement. It’s a massive majority for the PC party and Premier Brian Pallister.

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My perspective - Canadian confession

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

I have a confession. Despite living in Ontario for my first 13 years and making many trips to Ottawa, until last week, I had never actually been to Parliament Hill. When I found myself in Ottawa with a couple of hours to kill, I made arrangements through our constituency office to check out this iconic Canadian landmark.

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Homebodies - I did it! – part two

By Rita Friesen

The Neepawa Banner

One of the highlights of the second day of cycling was spending time in a working windmill. A massive giant, humming with life on a windy, windy day. It is one in a series of four that are controlling the water level in the polder. We were able to climb through the miller’s living space to the top. As I pause, I can sense the vibrations, the scent of the farm below, the power of the wind. I wondered again at the architect and architecture of hundreds of years ago. Massive beams, cast iron screw lifting the water, the device to control the speed and direction of the arms. I was impressed – the coffee and almond cookies helped cement the memory! 

Read more: Homebodies - I did it! – part two