Agatha Neufeld Peters (mother to).............................Katharina Peters Bergmann
                                                                                      married to Corneleus J. Bergmann
                                                                                      Children Anna, Maria & Tina
                                                                                      (Corneleus C. Bergmann not yet born)
                                                                                      whose clild was Harold Bergmann
                                                                                      whose child was Charles H. Bergmann
                                                                                      whose children were Dion Bergmann &
                                                                                      Melanie Bergmann

Agatha Neufeld Peters also mother to
Helena Peters who married Heinrich Ens
whose child was Agatha Ens Friesen
whose child was Florence A. Edwards
whose child was Marilyn F. Bergmann
whose children were Dion Bergmann &
Melanie Bergmann

My kitchen may be not so pretty, but it sure seems welcoming to lot of people!

After just celebrating our 36th anniversary, I reflect back on the years, how interesting, challenging, easy and just damn lucky we have been.  The thought came to me as I was watching a commercial showing off the state of the art kitchen, with their ever present stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, stone floors and things like cupboard handles that cost each about as much as a dinner out.  The commercial showed all their friends chatting in their fancy kitchen and gave the appearance that only those fancy open kitchens would attract such wonderful friends.  I realize that is not the case.  The most important thing to have is a large dining room table with lots of chairs.  Sometimes I feel sorry for those with huge "formal" living and dining rooms that never get used. 

I've always felt a bit self conscious about the state of my kitchen, but we all know how expensive it is to renovate that particular room.  So I will not be putting in granite counters ever and I'm sure it will not be seeing stainless steel appliances in my lifetime either. 

But it does not matter because the only thing going in my dufus of a kitchen is my wonderful family and friends who never seem to mind how "not pretty" it is.  I am constantly stepping around 3-5 people in my kitchen when cooking a large dinner, in a room that has peeling floor tiles, ugly wall paper (now taken down), paint job greatly needed, and painted over laminate cabinets from the 70's.  Those folks constantly love to be in that room, I am only sorry it does not open up to the dining room (although a carefully struck sledge hammer might help) so more folks could join in there.  Also having a slightly closed off kitchen allows me to firmly refuse clean-up help and ensure that the visiting continues as I turn the light out on the mess in the kitchen.

They come for the company and the food.  This is as it should be!

FAMILY IS EVERYTHING IN THE END AND GREAT FRIENDS ARE A WONDERFUL BONUS

I've never been more grateful for all the family that likes to come and visit at AJ and UB's place.  They are comfortable where ever they have to sleep, most insist on a dice game or two, and there is always room for more, no matter how small this house is.  I hope that never changes.  I love that they enjoy all the "stuff" we hang onto.  Sometimes I think we do it more for them than us.  I firmly believe that the huge dining room table we invested in when we first moved in here over 25 yrs ago is the hub of it all.  It handles everything from huge turkey dinners for 10 to Brian and I alone.  We always try to sit there at least once a day for a meal and I think we do a lot of reminiscing there too.  It's good for the soul.  Made tons of new memories this week, and got to know the kidlets and their kidlets so much better.

When nephews and nieces come to visit from across the country we feel very humbled.  And we are even more grateful because we aren't financially able to travel right now, but we will again soon I'm sure.  Having my sister close by is amazing.  But could it be even better with a web cam darlin'!

In the meantime we have Facebook, cell phones, email and blogs.  We love to keep track of family stuff that way and it makes you feel closer even though you may be 1 - 8 provinces away. 

And on the "Friends" front.  Well you can never have too many of those either.  But there are always a special few that stand out (L & D).  Thanks, dinner was fab.  We shared the corn with the kids, they were very grateful.  Don't worry, life will sort itself out.  Change what you can but try to let the rest go.

THE FIRST OF MANY MORE TO COME

Well, I've been threatening to start a blog for a long time, if only to see myself type.  I think it could be interesting to see if anyone else has opinions on my thoughts and I on theirs, or if this would end up more of a journal than a blog.  Either way I will certainly try it for now and hope to hear from people with like interests and if I don't get responses then this venue will at least be a place for me to "vent".  I do believe I will have fun in any case and I will learn my blogging etiquette along the way.  (thank goodness for spell checker)