The Dog Chronicles – Part II

Does anyone come up to me and give me snacks, pat my head then rub my tummy?
No. But my dog does. In fact he has come to expect it.
When we decided to have dear dog fixed we had hoped that, besides prohibiting
the obvious, that his behavior would tone down somewhat. We were wrong. He just turned
a year old and his monstrous puppy-ness over-rides any hopeful reduction of his prancing
and natural play. Yet, when the time came for D-day (i.e. de-masculization) I couldn‘t help
but sympathize. When he had to go off food and drink on the eve of his operation, I too felt
the urge to do the same.
Even though he is a year old, we still call him our ―pup‖, though he‘s almost the
size of a horse. In reality, he is no longer a pup, I know, but it‘s hard to let go of the cute-
ness and the feeling of being needed in some way. Contrarily, what is the cut off from pup
to dog? In humans, this pigeon holing of time, from baby to infant, to toddler, kid, teenager,
to adult, all have rather opaque boundaries. Some still refer their early offspring in the
monthly state; Oh, my babe is only 24 months old, or that bundle of joy is only 36 months
old. Why isn‘t this carried on to later years? That rotten curmudgeon is a mere 564 months
of age. (The curmudgeon is 47 and is constructing this piece of opinion with a fountain pen
and has a hard time with reality sometimes and will continue to call his dog a ‗pup‘ or his
‗baby‘) This is what a parent must feel like. Oblivious to reality and thinking that theirs are
special.
Our walks cross most periods of the day, from early in the morning or in the dark-
Great December ness late at night. Still committed to proper and responsible management of his activity and
Films!! the potential traces left behind, this at times can be trying. At night, holding his reigns in
one hand, the other hand doubled-bagged, groping for the spot of his recent droppings, and a
17th—The A-Team small flashlight stuck in my mouth. Yes, this is a pretty sight. And then a truck slows down
and passes this scene, likely wondering not only who let the dogs out, but a certain patient.
Saturday 18th Matinee Still our walks serve both of us. I still have deep, sincere conversations alone with
1:30 pm the dog as we walk through and around town. Most of this not only falls on deaf puppy
ears, but when I look at him in hopes for some compassion and understanding, even a nod
Shrek: The Final Chapter would do, all he shows is his backside as he strides on in the hunt for a cat.
The walk around town at night, under the many flickering streetlights that remind
There will be no movies me of a dysfunctional strobe light at a 70s party, I also notice the number of houses for sale.
on the 24th or 31st To me an abnormal amount for a small town. I wonder why. Is it merely a final act of a
due to the Holidays family dealing with the material ends of some longtime resident who has recently passed
away? Is it an opportunity to make an easy buck, long passed the housing bubble that
Doors open at 6:30 PM popped 2 or 3 years ago? I don‘t know. Almost every block has one or two places for sale.
Admission Price The numbers are surprising; and of some concern, at least to me.
$3.50 each
Our ‗dog park‘, now that winter has come, is the old, abandoned tennis court. Be-
Suggestions for movies are fore the snow came I collected a couple of small bags of broken bottles that are scattered
welcome. Please contact: across the broken pavement and shrubs. I‘ve picked up most of them, I think. But, when
the snow came, with the gate closed, at least for a short while my dog can run. Someone
T.rex Discovery Centre passed on the idea of making this an agricultural template, ripping the pavement up and
Eastend, SK. planting plots that identify the number of different crops from the area. A good idea for us
www.trexcentre.ca non-farmers. Maybe a tourist or two would also fine this visually and informationally inter-
(306)295-4009 esting?
Trailers available on We walk further east. Day after day the town seems beautiful. Or at least has the
T.rex Discovery Centre potential of being beautiful. It‘s the location that sets it apart. All of southern Saskatche-
web site wan is surrounded by agriculture and ranching. It‘s our provincial history. But the location
www.trexcentre.ca of Eastend is different. This is our hook. Looking out on the periphery of town, on to the
Movie Synopsis on pg. 3 hills that nest us, the views are absorbing. Benches staring thoughtfully on them, providing
respite would afford added value. Town upon town has benches along its commercial corri-
dor. Few towns recognize look out instead of in.
Along the all too few trails, me and my dog carry on. And we ponder what is and
Merry Christmas could be. He strains the leash as he sees the deer cross over from town to prairie. And after
And a short pause, we move on.
TTT
Happy New Year
The Eastend Edge is a proud supporter of our
community and is distributed across
North America. Publisher: Jeanne Kaufman

Madhatter’s
Flowers
& Eastend Arts Council—Jan. 3
Gifts
Only 2 weeks till Christmas
Call to see that you‘re properly insured
Our fresh Christmas Flowers
are arriving this week.
Order your
Christmas Floral Arrangement
to-day for best selection.
Drop in Friday Dec. 17th
from 2 till 5 pm
for round 2 of wine testing
Come sample 2 of our new
White Wines
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
Call Us for All
Memorial Hall Board—Jan. 10
Your Insurance ECT&EDA—Jan. 4
Needs Historical Museum— Feb. 8
K-40—Jan. 5
 Have you done any renovating? CWL—Jan. 5
 Added any machinery, bins? Friends of the Museum &
T.rex Discovery Centre—Jan. 13
RM of White Valley— Jan. 13
TOWN COUNCIL— Jan. 12
SHOP LOCAL Clay Centre Comm Club—Jan. 18
School Comm Council—Jan. 18
Get Bonnie working for you Chamber of Commerce—Jan. 19
Fire Dept. — Jan. 4 and 18
EASTEND AGENCIES Eastend Swimming Pool— ??
104 Maple Avenue North. Eastend, Sask. Prairie Pearls— Jan. 26
295-3655 RW Institute—Jan. 12
Memorial Hall Board—Jan. 10
TOPS MEET - Health Centre Quiet Room,
Thursdays @ 5:15 p.m.
AA—Monday’s @ 8:00p.m. at Henry’s Place
BINGO—Mondays at 7:00 in the Rink!
Alanon– Health Centre Quiet Room
Tuesdays .

Lots of great gifts still in stock

Hours:
Mon - Fri. 8:30 - 6:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 - 6:00 pm

DECEMBER DATES FOR

PHYSICIAN CLINICS IN EASTEND
BEST WISHES SHERRY HORNUNG RN(NP) - DEC 13
FOR A PHYSICIAN— DEC. 8, 15, 21 AND 22
MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND To book an appointment Phone 295-4184
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
A HAPPY NEW YEAR ―Christmas
is a season There will be no Lab Facilities at the
for remembering Eastend Wolf Willow Health Centre
From Jeanne Kaufman, with love on Fridays
slg the people in our lives
and the Edge who mean a lot....
and all the year –round
the happiness
they’ve brought.‖ Advertising Rates
$15 per week per ad.
Charlie’s Christmas Concert ―#24 ― Space and sizing at Editor‘s discretion
The T.Rex Christmas Memories
Discovery
Centre Last year I had the pleasure of working with
Needs Your Charlie on his 23rd. and last concert. We
spoke of how important the concert was, as it
Help! was his way of giving something back to the
community that was so special to him.
WE’RE NUMBER 13!!!
The Christmas Concert became a very spe-
We are in the running to receive a cial tradition of Eastend. Due to several re- Come check out our NEW menu
$100,000 grant from the Pepsi Re- quests I have undertaken to co-ordinate
fresh Project. But in order to get it ―Charlie‘s Christmas Concert‖ #24. The Clay NEW soups daily
we need You! Centre Ladies have graciously offered to
continue assisting with the intermission
treats and as accountants. Breakfast all day EVERY day
All you have to do is go to
www.refresheverything.ca Eat in or Take out
and find us in the Arts & Culture If you are interested in entertaining, or can
assist with the lighting/sound system, stage
section under the $100,000 cate-
gory. set up, hall set up, decorating etc. please Home-style cooking and
contact: FRESH home made burgers
With this money we plan on bring- Deb Giverhaug/
ing two full dinosaur skeletons to Charlie‘s Christmas Concert OPEN EVERY SINGLE DAY
our galleries! Box 87, Eastend. 5 AM - 10 PM
(306) 295-3565
Remember to vote (306) 295-7892 Remember,
everyday! our Laundromat
and tell your friends! I look forward to hearing from you. Thank- services are always
ing you in advance. available.
Also, outside Canada!
 Jack’s Café Shannon’s Closet
Your gift store and more
will be closed
Dec. 20 - Jan. 3, 2011 Special of the week:
20% off - Jewellery including watches, Christmas earrings and brooches.
Open Jan. 4, 2011 at 4pm
Also on sale is Christmas decorations and greeting cards and luggage tags.
————————
Don't forget the maple candy, coffee and tea...also 20% off.
Wishing everybody a For the toy bear collectors check out Bearington Bear P.J. guy and gal.
Merry Christmas and a Hours: Tues. - Fri. 12:00 - 5:30 pm
Happy New year. Sat. 10:30 - 5:30 pm

OPEN THURSDAYS UNTILL 8:00PM

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… leaving EVERYTHING to the
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seeds, carrying the promise of new
growth,
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creatures sleeping, creatures stirring,
heartbeat of survival slowed by cold;
life on hold brings time to dream;
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in lonely dens, caverns of refuge,
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moist breaths gently move whiskers
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in rhythm with beating hearts
and the ticking of time ….
Gabriele Kück
Sundog
The photo montage on page 7 on the
BlogSpot is provided by slg. This week
it features a photo of the morning ice
crystals creating a sundog.
FREE Installation and Balancing
Steel winter rims available in most sizes
MICHELIN FIRESTONE NOKIAN BFG
Local Artists Awarded Contract
The Swift Current Museum and the Sas-
katchewan Craft Council sponsored a com-
petition this fall for the creation of an exte-
rior mural wall at the Museum. The theme
was the land, land use and the people. Of
eleven applicants three were short-listed and
the final selection was made last week by the
Swift Current City Council. Shon Profit and
Stephen Girard, representing Whitemud Clay
Studio, have been awarded the $25,000 con-
tract to create the 9‘ x 20‘ wraparound archi-
tectural ceramic mural.
The sculpted tiles will reflect land forms
chronologically as pine trees from the Cy-
press Hills flow east into Prairie spaces. Mini
-murals within the tiles will provide cameos
of land use that is the story of the people who
live in the Southwest. It is expected that this
strength of detail will draw many observers
to study the unfolding scenes and follow the
narrative. Authentic clay from the SW Sask.
hills will be used to make the tiles
Shon and Stephen have been interested in
architectural ceramics for some time and are
eager to have the opportunity to create works
in this field which can include anything from
kitchen backsplashes and bathroom tiles to
large public works. The tiles for the Museum
mural, approximately 9‖ square and 1‖ thick,
will include both glazed and matte finishes.
Movie Synopses:
The A-Team
A group of Iraq War veterans looks to
clear their name with the U.S. military,
who suspect the four men of committing a
crime for which they were framed.
Shrek: The Final
Chapter
After defeating an evil
dragon, rescuing a
beautiful princess and
saving your in-laws'
kingdom, what's an ogre
to do? Well, if you're
Shrek, you suddenly
find yourself autographing pitch forks.
Longing for the days when he felt like a
"real ogre," Shrek is duped into signing a
contract with the smooth-talking Rumpel-
stiltskin. Shrek suddenly finds himself in
an alternate version of Far Far Away,
where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is
king and Shrek and Fiona have never met.
Now, it's up to Shrek to undo everything
in the hopes of reclaiming his one True
Love. www.rottentomatoes.com
The Eastend Edge is a proud supporter of our
community and is distributed across
North America.
Publisher: Jeanne Kaufman
 MARK YOUR CALENDAR
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS FOR ST.
AUGUSTINE’S
Anglican Church
Sunday December 19th at 7:30 PM An Advent service of lessons and
carols. This will be a candlelight service with seasonal sing-along music
and readings. The church will be decorated – We need singers, and read-
ers! Contact Alan Howard at teacherbear@hotmail.com or ring me at 295-
3727. Everyone is invited to help celebrate the season.
Christmas Eve 7:30 PM : Candlelight Christmas Eve service. Come and
celebrate with us!

Odie Graven Charlotte Gilbert


Like Dandelion Dust –
Karen Kingsbury
Joey lives an idyllic life with his parents
on the coast of Florida. His days are spent
playing with his cousins, sailing with his
dad, and making up stories with his mom.
It's a perfect life until the day they receive
a disturbing phone call: a stranger's deci-
sion could tear Joey away from the com-
fort and security of the only home he's
ever known.
One family is determined to keep the son
they love, the other is determined to begin
a new life, the life they've always dreamed
of. Joey's future rests in their hands and
someone must make the bravest decision
of their life.
Sometimes the greatest love is letting go.
Brenda Cooke would like to
thank everyone for their
support in the raffle for the
art that has been on display
at the Eastend Post Office
and various craft sales in the
area.
This was a fundraiser for
the Alliance for Equality of
Blind Canadians (AEBC)
to produce their magazine in
Braille.
The draw took place on
December 8 and the lucky
ticket was bought by Robert
Gebhardt of Eastend.
Book Reviews
Christmas in Cedar Grove - Debbie Macomber
First, drop in at 5-B Poppy Lane, where you'll get a chance to visit with
Helen Shelton, her granddaughter Ruth and Ruth's husband, Paul. They'll
offer you a cup of mulled cider and the story of how they met - and they'll
share Helen's breathtaking adventures during the Second World War.
Then drive out to Grace and Cliff Harding's place. They have a small horse
ranch not far from Cedar Cove. Mary Jo Wyse and her little girl, Noelle, will
be there, too. Join them in reliving their memories of the Christmas Mary Jo
came to Cedar Cove, pregnant and alone, and had her baby in the Hardings'
stable (well, actually the apartment above it). That's the night firefighter
Mack McAfee began to fall for Mary Jo and the idea of a family - with her.
The Lost Symbol – Dan Brown
Nothing ever is as it first appears in a Dan Brown novel. This book's narra-
tive takes place in a twelve-hour period, and from the first page, Dan's read-
ers will feel the thrill of discovery as they follow Robert Langdon through a
masterful and unexpected new landscape. The Lost Symbol is full of sur-
prises.
"This novel has been a strange and wonderful journey," said Brown.
"Weaving five years of research into the story's twelve-hour timeframe was
an exhilarating challenge. Robert Langdon's life clearly moves a lot faster
than mine."
Black Valley Riders – Ralph Cotton
Seems like every time Arizona Ranger Sam Burrack turns over a rock, a
Black Valley Rider jumps out. So when two bounty hunters arrive in Minton
Hill trailing the same outlaws, Sam agrees to ride with them. Trouble is, only
a drunken gambler called Tinnis Lucas knows where the gang is holed up-a
dead man's land called Black Valley.
Deeper Than Dead – Tami Hoag
California, 1984. Three children, running in the woods behind their school, stumble upon a
partially buried female body, eyes and mouth glued shut. Close behind the children is their
teacher, Anne Navarre, shocked by this discovery and heartbroken as she witnesses the end
of their innocence. What she doesn't yet realize is that this will mark the end of innocence
for an entire community, as the ties that bind families and friends are tested by secrets un-
covered in the wake of a serial killer's escalating activity.
Detective Tony Mendez, fresh from a law enforcement course at FBI headquarters, is
charged with interpreting those now revealed secrets. He's using a new technique-profiling-
to develop a theory of the case, a strategy that pushes him ever deeper into the lives of the
three children, and closer to the young teacher whose interest in recent events becomes as
intense as his own.
As new victims are found and the media scrutiny of the investigation bears down on them,
both Mendez and Navarre are unsure if those who suffer most are the victims themselves-or
the family and friends of the killer, blissfully unaware that someone very close to them is a
brutal, calculating psychopath.
 The Small Mighty Gym

NOW OPEN

Treadmill, Elliptical Trainer, 2 Exercise Bikes, Bow Flex

Pilates equipment and a fun environment

Memberships:
$35 per month for 3 months = $105
$32 per month for 6 months = $192 SAVE $18
$30 per month for 9 months = $240 SAVE $75
$28 per month for 12 months = $336 SAVE $84
Daily Use $10

Small Mighty Gym Hours:

5 am - 10 am, 4 pm - 11 pm, Mon to Fri
5 am - 11 pm Sat and Sun

We‘ll design a personal routine that works for you!

Make it a social event or a personal journey.

Tanning Available:
Come in to the warmest place in town!
$5 per session or $40 for a 10 session package
Escape winter, make it a day at the beach with warmth,
relaxing music and a peaceful environment.

Don‘t forget!! Massage Therapy Sessions

$35 - 1/2 Hour

$60 - Full Hour

LOOKING FOR A CHRISTMAS GIFT??????

Gift Certificates available for any of the above.
We‘ll help you put a Personal Gift Package together.

I encourage the community to take part.

―If there is beauty in the person,

there will be harmony in the house
and there will be peace in the nation‖

Tania Thronberg, CMT

403 Red Coat Dr.
295-3303
or, 295-7415