Eclipzed (Michael Van Meekeren's Blog)

scam

2011-12-19T21:36:00.000-04:00

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fn:Michael Van Meekeren
n:Van Meekeren;Michael
org:Van Meekeren Farms Ltd.
email;internet:michael@givethemawink.com
tel;work:+1.902.678.2366
tel;cell:+1.902.691.1178
x-mozilla-html:FALSE
url:www.givethemawink.com
version:2.1
end:vcard

Hi you may have received an email from my yahoo.ca account indicating I
am stuck in the UK with no money. This is a scam please ignore it.
Sorry for the bother.

Michael

Johanne Marie's Candle

2008-12-14T09:45:00.002-04:00

Hey,

Thanks for the candle. It's a special Christmas candle that you burn every day leading up to Christmas. We have been faithfully burning it every day. I don't know about you in Denmark but it takes a long time to burn one day down!

thanks again,

Michael

Games shop

2008-12-14T09:39:00.003-04:00

5262 Grafton st. I think, is a great little games shop. Hard to find but suprising what is inside. I think I had to duck to get in the tiny door.

Jesus cupcake.

2008-11-30T16:06:00.001-04:00

Need I say more...

nanowrimo

2008-11-30T16:03:00.002-04:00

I'm amazed. Our oldest daughter is taking part in nanowrimo www.nanowrimo.org and is writing a 50,000 word novel in one month .... VOLUNTARILY! What's wrong with kids these days!

Of course I am a proud Dad... go Mollie!

Blue Man Group

2008-11-30T16:01:00.003-04:00

Blue Man Group.

Colette and I went a few weeks ago. One of the best shows I have ever seen!

Michael

Ouch!!!

2008-10-27T18:30:00.003-04:00

Just went to Orlando for a food show and found one of those labels that just says a little too much:

Undersea adventures

2008-09-09T19:59:00.001-04:00

Fun!

update

2008-08-12T19:42:00.003-04:00

Gee it has been too long. We are enjoying the pool, summer, fresh corn and stuff like that. Some pretty exciting stuff lately.. um.. Ethan and Emelina have acted in a local play running 6 times in a local theatre, they love it. Mom, Mollie and Schuyler have all helped out. I made sure that the supper dishes got in the dishwasher while everyone else took off for practices. It was a lot of fun.

We have had nice visits with my Sisters Sharon and Elaine and their families. We hope to see some friends, Boris, Petra and Family, maybe Mike and Krista and the kids.

Next week we'll likely head to the buskers in Halifax, it is always a lot of fun.

I've got some tickets for the blue man group in October!

We went to see Riverdance a while ago.

hmmmmm what else. Colette still makes a pretty mean zucchini bread.

Take care, sorry for the broken language and poor grammer.

Michael

valley

2008-03-01T19:58:00.001-04:00

A cool (cell phone) photo of some melted snow.

photo booth

2008-02-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Ah photo booth. This is what happens when you leave your laptop lying around and your son and his friend get ahold of it.

Christmas

2007-12-31T14:28:00.000-04:00

Well, we just want to wish all our friends a very happy and joy filled Christmas and New Year. We have had a great year with lots of crazy stuff happening. We are thankful for our blessings in 07.

Again, remember you're always welcome to visit the farm.

Michael, Colette, Mollie, Schuyler, Emelina, Ethan, Caelan.

2007-12-30T18:21:00.000-04:00

Well I was very lucky to be able to join a trade mission to the middle east representing our local fruit grower association (the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers http://www.nsapples.com). Dubai is quite a place with lots happening that's for sure. Insane amounts of developments, ski slopes in the desert etc...

Here is a skid of McIntosh apples on sale at the market.

After Dubai we went to India. Totally different type of place. Anyway... very brief but a taste of what I saw anyway.

Take care and happy new year!

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

2007-08-30T21:06:00.001-04:00

Just ran across some of his tunes tonight. Pretty interesting.

Going to Ottawa

2007-08-05T21:01:00.000-04:00

Looks like we will be in Ottawa around Aug 15-17. Just FYI for those who live there.

/michael

For Sale!

2007-07-29T06:51:00.000-04:00

Well, there is a time when the kids get so big that you're just ready to sell them....

I think there are four of them here...

Freaky steam

2007-05-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

I just took this picture of an apple bin in the sun of a window with the water evaporating in a silky curtain rising up... it was pretty freaky.. the camera phone does not do it justice, but it's still pretty neat.

Ukraine

2007-04-29T21:42:00.000-04:00

Hey, there is nothing in it yet, but I just created a blog for some folks who plan to go to help out in a street children rescue ministry in the Ukraine. Peggy, remember the marathon you and Colette were in, was that for an orphanage in Odessa, Ukraine?

Princess (hey that makes me the king!)

2007-04-18T18:37:00.000-04:00

Well, Emelina has applied to be the child attendant for this years Coldbrook Apple Blossom Princess and she was chosen. The apple blossom ( http://www.appleblossom.com/ ) festival is a pretty big thing around this area. I admit I've not stopped calling her princess. I call the other girls things too and they have pretty much just started rolling their eyes... but I think they like it!

regards,
The King

Dumped

2007-04-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

We got dumped on over night before Easter. I was quite surprised to get this much snow in just a few hours. There was nothing on the ground before it.

untitled

2007-03-26T20:20:00.000-04:00

I call this one, "camera phone at dawn.... with snow.... and tree and stuff"

Hiyaa!

2007-03-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

Ethan in action at Karate. Taken with camera phone so appologies for the quality.

Caelans Hair cut

2007-02-27T11:28:00.000-04:00

This one is for Auntie Aimee.

As you can see I finally got a hair cut too.

/michael

Home Sick

2007-02-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

So I'm at home sick today. The kids have been pretty sick too. One of those times where between 1 and 3 people are sick at the same time. As a parent if re-affirms how much your needed so I suppose there is a bright side.

2007-02-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

Took a quick picture of the mountain behind the farm with some fresh snow and the sun.

It was a nice morning.

Eagles

2007-02-03T19:37:00.000-04:00

I had the camera with me to take some pictures at Schuylers hockey and on the way home (about 1km from our house) there were about 8 eagles in the trees, I got a picture of these on our brush pile from some plum trees we pulled out.

/michael

No point

2007-01-21T17:49:00.001-04:00

I have no point to making this post. Cealan, Emelina and I were having some fun inside on a cold day. By the way thanks to Neil Turner who stopped in from Ottawa recentley, we're checking into some xbox on line options to see if we can get some games going. As well as for the Valentas. We spent a fun day at the discovery centre in Halifax.

Well, got to go.

2007-01-21T17:28:00.000-04:00

Our provincial government has not been showing that they are serious about supporting local farmers. This is Rob and Anne Hutton standing out front of the legislature at a rally. My brother Stephen is on the right in the forground, Eric was also there.

As Rob said, who would ever quit a computer job and become a farmer!!!

Luuuuke, I am asleep

2007-01-21T16:39:00.000-04:00

ipod

2006-11-06T23:32:00.000-04:00

Well, the other day I sent the iPod off to Apple as it would not turn on at all. No troubleshooting helped. They were very good. You get a box in the mail, put the iPod in, a few days later a new one was sent. Thanks.

/michael

Outlaws

2006-10-25T16:04:00.000-04:00

Well my beautiful in-laws were visiting so we thought we would take the time to capture some images of ourselves.

Bet you did not know that I was related to Tammy-Fae Baker and Spock did you.

/michael

2006-10-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

Hey, I don't know if I already thanked the "core" team for this but I was canning some pears the other day and was getting a bit tired of peeling when I remembered the gift. And wow.... it worked great! I could peel a pear in about 3 or 4 seconds. Thanks guys.

/michael

2006-10-07T14:52:00.000-04:00

One cold morning I looked out and noticed all the mist rising off the warm water and took a few snaps. It was very unreal.

/michael

2006-10-07T14:44:00.000-04:00

Went picking "Honeycrisp" apples the other day. Man they are beautiful. Some of them weigh close to 1lb each. I've finally got around to getting a simple product purchasing and shopping cart setup on our web page as well.

If you like feel free to give me some feedback. It's really a first draft for everything but I'm a little busy to get back to it right now.

www.glooscapapples.ca

/michael

Fooling around.

2006-08-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

Mom's outside so me and the kids had some fun with the Mac.

Gravensteins

2006-08-27T15:28:00.000-04:00

There almost ready. This is a picture of the same blossom covered trees I took in June sometime. It wont be long before the gravensteins are ready Steve!

Family reunion.

2006-08-20T21:53:00.000-04:00

Well everybody came together at our place on the farm and was forced to keep down some of uncle Michaels cooking. Heres what the gang looks like now, missing one neice in this photo.

Apple Picking

2006-08-20T21:35:00.000-04:00

Well, the first day of apple picking was last Wednesday, the weather was nice. Here's what it looks like in the orchards.

We were picking Jersey Macs (like MacIntosh but more sour).

You wear a basket around your waist and shoulders to carry the apples from the tree to the wooden bins.

Just thought you might find this interesting.
/michael

Coco

2006-08-08T05:48:00.000-04:00

A friend visited a few weeks ago and graciously built a new home for coco the hampster. He still likes it, although I have to make two modifications. Stuff falls under the cage door when closing it and jams it so that it wont close and the middle is sagging a bit as plywood and pee don't seem to make a good combination. But no worries it still looks great and has been enjoyed.

Thanks Marcellus.

/michael

Summer

2006-07-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

Well we've been busy over the summer. Thanks to everyone who passes a note along in comments, it's always nice to hear from you. We've had some company and done a little camping. I'll put some pictures with comments for you to follow:

Heres a shot looking down our road towards the neighbours, I just kind of liked it.

We went camping at Kejimkujik national park. I love this sun shot on the morning after a rainy night.

We also found a little turtle on the side of the road so we shoed him into the woods.

Well thats a few tidbits of what we've been doing.

OH and Ken Walker, I thought of you the other day. There's a guy who works on the farm, been here since I was 5 I think, who likes to make jokes. Well he has also mastered whistling the beeps that a forklift make when backing up, it just made me think of you and the microwaves.

By for now
/michael

Halls Harbour.

2006-06-25T20:39:00.000-04:00

Went to Halls Harbour today. We had alot of fun. I had some lobster.. mmm ... it's been a while. DJ, I talked to your parents there for a while, they seem to be doing well. I also met Jodie Schofields uncle at church, Wayne Isnor. Sharon and Bruce, I guess these guys said you got to know each other at their place... it's a small world.

Here are some camera photos from the beach, the tide was out and we found some really neat creatures, hermit crabs, starfish, shrimp and snails to name a few.

The starfish were pretty nice, one had an especially nice orange colour. Anyway off to bed soon... take care.
/michael

Life

2006-06-19T19:58:00.000-04:00

Well things are settling down for us. All the kids are in soccer and enjoying meeting a few new people. Mollie and Schuyler went strawberry picking today, I was impressed, they were up at 6:45 ready to go. The earned some cash and some life lessons....

We're starting to be able to see over the boxes ... and even take some time for a stroll on the beach or in the evenings.

I've been enjoying learning more about organic apple growing and hope to continue to do so.

How have you been? Drop us a note.

/michael

The Trip

2006-06-08T08:44:00.000-04:00

Ok, I think I'm ready to talk about the trip now.

Let me get right to the good stuff:

- 1PM Leave Ottawa
- 3:30 - pulled over by Quebec dept. of motor vehicles
- these are the guys who flunked out of the RCMP and spend the rest of their lives trying to make up for it by giving people a hard time and throwing their authority around
- 4:00 - looks the truck over and wants to check through the back
- 4:05 - takes my license
- 4:10 - threatened to have the truck impounded by rent a cops
- 4:15 - takes a photo copy of my license, says it is not good enough to drive this vehicle (according to U-Haul anyone who breathes can drive it), I have a license for driving fairly large trucks and can't imagine why that would be the case
- 4:20 - mis-reads the english on the back of my license to indicate that I can only drive vehicles of 4500 kg or less (but it really is describing my being able to tow something while driving an 11000kg truck that is not more than 4500kgs
- now I start to think .. our van is about half of 4500kgs... so what truck with air brakes could possibly weigh 4500kgs or less...
- 4:30 they tell me to find another driver with a proper license or they will two the uhual away and it will not be released until I find someone who can drive it.. "don't you know anyone in Montreal with a truck drivers license they ask?"
- I phone around and there is no-one who can help
- 4:45 - I ask to see my license and start to try and convince them it is fine for me to drive
- 5:00 - more convincing
- 5:10 they agree to call the head office
- 5:15 they find that infact my license is just fine for this vehicle
- 5:30 appologies and send us on our way...
- 12 midnight - we arrive at our B&B - lovely place actually "Mont Assumption B&B" in grandfalls NB, an older couple have kept an old monestary as a B&B ... I think it was a monestary...
- 9am the next day, we're back on the road
- 10:30 stop to by some gas in NB and my credit card is frozen due to suspected fraud... yes the suspect is me, crossing the countrying buying all this gas for a truck and van...
- 45 minutes later that is fixed up and we are back on the road..
- the rest of the trip is uneventful... we arrive at the farm around 6pm on Monday night... phew...

Since then we've been unpacking and getting settled, the guys are in soccer and it's been starting this week. Lot's of rain has been falling... that gets a bit depressing but hopefully we'll see sun soon.

By for now friends.
/michael

beautiful

2006-06-07T05:37:00.000-04:00

I took these two pictures recently with my phone camera... not high quality but you get the idea. Steve Northover; these are gravenstein trees with apple blossoms by the way.

I'll tell you the story about our trip home soon, it was eventfull, packed with police chases, credit card fraud and everything.

/michael

I forgot.

2006-05-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

Today I went driving to the local box store location and was getting a bit impatient with all the traffic. I started dreaming while waiting for traffic to pass when I look up and guy has stopped all traffic to let me in... ahh... that was nice.

Things so far.

2006-05-09T19:25:00.000-04:00

Today I was out pruning apple trees all day.. got a sunburn... but then again... I was outside all day. At night I play around with setting up a wireless network in the office and getting some of the machines fixed up... it's wierd to say there is a wireless network in the apple barn..

Anyway... lots of fairly long days spent and I miss the family a lot but hanging in there.

by for now.
/michael

Welcome, maritime style.

2006-05-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

Well I made it to Nova Scotia. Got tonnes of stuff to learn. It's really been a little rainy and grey so far so that's been a classic maritime welcome. My list of things to do on the farm is growing quickly, I guess that means I won't be bored.

I miss my family but can't wait to see them soon.

/michael

Last Day

2006-04-28T15:03:00.000-04:00

Wow, after 12 years I am now at my last day of work at OTI. It's tough to speak to so many good friends and say goodbye. I realize now how much history has been created. But change is good. I'll have to be sure to come back and blog about what's changed and some thoughts on them. Looking forward to not ever having to buy an apple again as well.

Oh and I got a new MacBook Pro last night... ironic eh. Today I hand in my IBM thinkpad and tomorrow work on an apple.

Spring!

2006-04-19T21:34:00.000-04:00

Ottawa spring. If you have too long an afternoon nap you miss it. sigh!

Car Buying and Selling

2006-03-30T00:39:00.000-04:00

Well I'm finding there are some pretty cool features on cars these days like auxilliary plugins on your radio so you can plugin your MP3 player etc... Something that detects if one of your tires are low on air. Must do it by some check for general wheel revolutions on all wheels or something. But they are careful not to say it can detect two tires that are low.. hmm..

But the selling... I just find that insulting. The other day... "uh... that's a nice used van we'll give you .. uh.. say ... $12 and 52 cents.. we don't have a big market for them you see." Kind of insults your intelligence. Anyway I do still recall the day that someone I was working with when I was young traded a car for a pack of smokes!

/michael

Some pictures from Lima

2006-03-20T15:18:00.000-04:00

For those who just need to see proof. Here are some pictures taken in Lima. I can not go into detail about each but I think they are mostly self explanitory.

The classic Peruvian women, we met her at the "World Vision" site

A guy who worked with me (along with his dad) on the construction

man these kids are cute!

Here is a snap of us singing with the kids

building stuff, in the background building a wall around the property and a fence in the foreground

a quick snapshot up a road in Pachecutec, the church is the building on the right, homes on the left

Enough for now.... hope this is useful.

/michael

Tired.

2006-03-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

Whew! Just got back from an overnight flight from Lima, Peru. Had a great time on a mission trip with the youth group from our church. Here's a view from the hostel:

I really missed my family and although tired it's nice to be home. I just need to stay home for a while and be Dad.

bye for now.

The Box fort.

2006-03-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Ah... the box fort. On the weekend the kids built a big box fort out of all our empty boxes. It's funny how it becomes such a castle to them. With secret passages and lots of pets etc... I remember those days when a 10x10 box fort was a whole new world.

/michael

2006-01-03T17:47:00.000-04:00

Boxes, boxes, boxes. I've not filled so many boxes in a long time. Of course Colette is twice as fast as me... I went to my local Loeb and Loblaws (funny... the spell checker wanted to replace this with lobules, what are lobules anyway?) grocery stores and got some free banana boxes, you can't beat them for moving. And finding three freebee bananas in them really appealed to my Dutch sense of cheapness. I think I'll go get some boxes for other things.

We had lots of company of the holidays. Had a great time, skiing, sledding, eating, singing etc...

One other interesting thing of note today, I realized I actually like packing, it's that sense of cleaning out old crap and getting rid of what you don't need anyway. But the piano... do we really need to bring it!

/michael

Picture of my life.

2005-12-23T13:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks Linda.

Blog Started.

2005-11-30T16:57:00.000-04:00

Well, this is my foray into blogging. I just realized that soon I'll be uprooting my family and moving to the fruit farm I grew up on in Nova Scotia. Here's a picture of a small part of it (under construction however) it's at the foot of the North Mountain in the Annapolis Valley.

So what this means is I really want to tell my friends in Ottawa at work, church our neighbours (and old friends from all over) what I've been up to as well as inform those in good 'ol NS what's up with us. I'm going to keep this short for starters. Keep me honest by demanding more information here.

/michael