I know, you are wondering why I'm posting a picture now, when the show took place last Sept. 6-7 /08 Well, here's the story.

It is Sunday morning, and Bev has just finished serving breakfast to 25-30 folks who have stayed over for day 2 of our Merritt Insulator Show. Folks are wandering about, stretching their legs, when someone calls me.

Now, I took the picture, but all credit for the idea goes to Shelley Harynuk of Qualicum Beach, on Vancouver Island.

Featured in the picture are [left to right] Marcia Ryder of Edmonton, Alberta; Mary Carlsen of Rhododendron, Or; Bev Scafe, Merritt, B.C; Brenda Morgan of Kelowna B.C; Cari Bugera of Kamloops, B.C; and Shelley Harynuk of Qualicum Beach. OK, so the picture was taken, and then I forgot all about it.

Fast forward to Christmas morning. Bev and I are having a quiet Christmas morning opening our presents to each other, as the kids and grandkids don't arrive till later in the day. I'm opening this flat package, and here is a 2009 calendar. What makes this calendar unique is I know the people in the picture on the cover. I took the picture !!!

More surprises are to follow. The ladies have arranged to post their individual pictures on the month of their husbands' birthdays, so Mary's pic was in January, Marcia's pic was in Feb. and so on. As there were only six ladies in the picture, and it seems there are 12 months, 6 other pictures of the insulator show were used to fill up the other months of the calendar.

Now Shelley went to her local Wal-Mart store, and arranged to have the pictures made into a calendar. It was then arranged that the ladies could then pick up their calendars from the Wal-Mart stores in their own home towns. No muss, no fuss, but a wonderful surprise, and a great Christmas present for the 6 husbands.

Shelley and ladies, thanks for making it happen. A wonderful idea and a great gift. There is a rumor that we will be doing something similar at the Sept 12-13, 2009 show for a 2010 calendar.