I hope you are having the spectacular weather that we are having out here on the west coast, and that your Canada Day Celebrations were all good!

This will most likely be the last letter I will write as I will be with your next Sunday at the 10 a.m. service.  Sorry you 8 o'clockers but I'd have to get up at 4:30 to be there on time!  And Joan won't allow me to do that!

Mister Syl, our kitten that I wrote about last week, had his first vet visit this past week.  He had his shots and a checkover (where he enchancted all the staff with his purring and his little white paws and bow tie). The vaccination made him very lethargic and it took him a while to feel better.  Tonight, he is back to his young self, terrorizing the house and chasing anything that moves.

The week has not been an easy one in terms of my health.  I came down with a bout of pleurisy, and had a brochial infection, which have produced flu like symtoms that come and go.  Joan had a wedding today of a parishioner, and I was invited, so I went to the ceremony.  Joan said, when she saw me sitting in the congregation that I was very gray.  And, just as she did in March, she dragged me kicking and screaming to the emergency room in Tofino.  We were there for 4 hours, while I was tested and x-rayed.  THe good news is that my heart is doing perfectly well, and my lungs are good, too.  The doctor thinks that thereis an infection there which was not treated in the first round of antibiotics and has put me on a different spectrum of drugs.  By the time Joan drove me back home, it was too late for her to go to the reception.  Burt she tells me she is fine with that, as she didn't have the homily written!

As I told you last week, after church next Sunday, I will be going to the airport to pick up a good friend.  It's too bad he can't stay over for a Sunday — he is a Roman Catholic Deacon and we have been close friends since seminary days.  He's a wonderful preacher!

That's all for now.  I understand this week is supposed to bring warm weather, so enjoy the warmth, but stay cool!

Love and blessings,

Daniel.

PS. Mister  Syl says he would send you a message, but he is sleeping in the new, (and very expensive I might add), perch we got him earlier this week.

Dear People of St. John's,

I'm writing this little note upon my return from the Thetis Island ferry.  Not that I was on Thetis Island.  Joan (and Quinn) spent the week-end there involved in a diocesan leadership conference, as well as diocesan council.  In order for me to have a car, I had to pick her up at the ferry.  Once again I waved at Ladysmith as I drove through.

Not too much has happened this past week in terms of things on the homefront.  I still continue my daily routine of being careful with what I am eating, setting some time for prayer and music, and, of course, exercise on the dreaded treadmill.  We are getting to a point now where the weight is a little harder to shed, as anyone who has tried to lose weight would know.

Last week we told you about Mister Syl.  As we are discovering, being as he he is a kitten, he is very much in character.  His latest conquest seems to be the blinds, or my feet.  I now wear shoes all the time!

Now for some news.  This week I had the opportunity to meet with our wardens.  We discussed when and how my return would happen.  I am happy to announce to you that I will return back to the parish on August 1 to resume my ¾ time ministry among you.  In a nutshell, I'll be working 3/4's time, instead of the full time + hours I was working before.  This means I will have two full days off, (Monday and Tuesday) and will return to the parish each week by Wednesday evening.  Each day I am working in the parish will need to have time factored into it for my personal health, which means time to exercise, and time between afternoon and evening meetings to cook a proper meal.  The bottom line is that Dan needs to take care of Dan.

The person returning to you is not broken; rather, in far better health than when you last saw me.  We have to keep it that way, as I plan to be among you a long time!  I am counting on the understanding and support (and Joan says the “nagging” that she won't be there to do.)  

In addition to returning at the beginning of August, I will also be in the parish to worship with you on Sunday, July 11 at 10:00 (just to sit in the congregation), because I will be picking up a friend at the airport following the service.  Then I will also join the parish council for their summer bbq meeting in July.

I've also been able to find a place to live!  Thanks to all of you who found some leads or have made other suggestions.  I will be living in a small furnished suite – it's on a month to month arrangement.  This will buy me some time to find the right long-term accommodation.

As always, my prayers are with you.

Dan +

Note: Harry the monster and Cleo the midget welcome MisterSyl to Ladysmith.  We just proved what everyone says about cat people.  Don't start showing pictures around us!

Thank you very much for your generous response to the recent Stewardship campaign. It is greatly appreciated.

As a reminder to those who chose to give by electronic banking please be sure to contact Anne Tracey (250-245-3718) to arrange for the increase or to start giving that way.

For those using envlopes and plan on being way during the summer either Anne of Margery Robinson will accept your post dated cheques and put them on the plate at the appropriate date.

You may also contact Anne or Margery should you be called out of town suddenly and have time to pass on post dated cheques for the time you're away.

Yoy may also give post dates cheques to Anne or Margery should post dated cheques be your best tithing solution and they'll ensure they're in the givings on the correct date.

Once again, thank you very much.

The Wardens.

(Photo Living Statue In Front of Tithe Barn by Kodai used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License v. 2.0)

Dear Friends,

Dan is on the treadmill at the moment, walking at too fast a rate to dictate anything, so I, Joan, am writing his Saturday evening letter.  He is getting fitter and stronger each day and I think he looks wonderful!  He is also starting to insert variations of the word "BORED" into his conversations which makes me think he will soon be contacting the wardens to talk about setting a date to return to work within the next few weeks.

It is good to be back home, even though it has been a busy week for me with a memorial service, a service of committal of the ashes and a wedding.

You may wonder what Dan does with his time while I am out of the house working.  Apparently he spends it on the computer checking out SPCA web sites.  The result of all his "research" is that we now have a 9 week old black and white kitten named "Mister Syl".  Because he is black and white, I wanted to name him Sylvester but Dan thought that was too ordinary – hence Mister Syl.  He is a terror and has inexhaustible energy.  Anything that can be knocked off a counter or table has been knocked off, split, and pounced upon.  Tonight, when Dan first got on the treadmill the kitten jumped on the back only to be flung off!

I know that Dan will enjoy having the little darling to keep him company in Ladysmith.

I will sign off now but not before telling you that Dan misses all of you, and keeps you all, and the church, in his daily prayers.

This comes from Dan, Joan, and Mister Syl (a.k.a the little devil).

PS. Dan did manage to gasp out two things.  One is to wish all the fathers, grandfathers, and father figures a happy Father's Day!  Secondly my congratulations to Peter for completing his 4 year EFM program.  Well done, Peter.

-035oipiua-021u 0'oewfh[9ve8n[qwu[pe wm'poif (a message from the cat who walked across the keyboard)

(Photoart by Daniel Oines, used under terms of the Creative Commons Attiribution 2.0 License.)