As the days slowly get a bit shorter, and I notice the odd leaf on my lawn (tear), I still am in awe with how quickly our summer in beautiful Brandon goes by. I reflect back on the summer and realize that my intention for a healthy balanced lifestyle maybe didn’t happen exactly as I had hoped. Ok, it wasn’t just me right? The more frequent socializing, the bbqs, the beers around the fire, the snacking, may have somehow out gunned my exercise routine (ok it sure as hell did) and now I’m aching for that balance and routine again. I love the feeling of new beginnings that September brings. It goes back to school days where it was a fresh start to a new year at school. I have never lost that feeling. I still feel like it’s a fresh start and a brand new chance to hit my goals that I set at the beginning of the year. I love setting up a plan and a routine and getting back to my yoga practice and my healthy eating even though I still desperately mourn our long summer days. The Zen Zone has added a few more classes to our fall schedule that we would love for you to come check out and maybe add to your own fall routine. It’s a new beginning for us too as we have new instructors, fun new classes and exciting workshops all lined up for the fall. Whether you come once a week or want to join the Unlimited club we would love to have you come and get back at it! Those of you who haven’t been in a long time, always know that we keep your card on file and we will honour any old classes you have! I know I’m gonna be there with bells on. Will you join me? Carmen

The Assiniboine River in Brandon, MB. I was driving north on first street when this caught my eye. On my way to Mark's Work Warehouse to buy socks which by the way is peculiar since I almost NEVER wear socks. Especially ones that go any higher than the bottom of my ankles because that makes me feel like I'm wearing shackles. Again. Kidding. I knew I'd be waiting until next Christmas to make a left hand turn back onto 1st street on account of the construction on 1st street bridge. There's this huge metal wall/brace structure there for the new bridge and every time the kids and I drive past it my 8 year old asks me if that's Donald Trump's wall......oh boy. I'm gonna tell him Donald Trumps socks are obviously too tight. Love those big rolling clouds.

Thank you to Lori Dmitruk for submitting this story to BDNMB.CA On Monday, July 18, 2016, Hunter Ferguson's life changed forever. Hunter was working on the roof of a pole shed when the board he was walking on broke. He fell through and on the way down he hit another board which turned him upside down and resulted in him falling on his head and neck. The fall severed Hunter’s spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the waist down. He had a fractured diaphragm, some broken ribs, punctured his lung and broke his back. Hunter underwent a seven hour surgery in Regina and is now facing a long road to recovery and rehabilitation in Winnipeg. Our very small community of Boissevain, Manitoba, is putting together a number of fundraisers to help support this family. Our goal is to raise enough money to build Hunter his own specialized home so that he can continue on with his life dreams and have the independence of a young man starting out in life, with the support of family close by. Our first fundraiser is Ferg Fest held on September 3, 2016 in Boissevain. We are hosting a golf tournament and a family fun day, including supper and beer gardens. We are still looking for teams to enter our 4 person golf scramble with a shot gun start of 12:30. $120 a team includes supper and shuttle service to town.  

KidSport Presents their 9th Annual 'For The Love of Chocolate' in the UCT Pavilion of the Keystone Centre on Friday, February the 24th from 7-11 pm. Cocktail hour will begin at 7pm, with a fashion show, chocolate dessert, light snacks and entertainment to follow. ENTERTANMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED! A rainbow auction featuring prizes donated by local businesses, a 50/50 draw, Mandy Wark Photography photo booth with amazing prizes as well and much more! Full Tables (of 8) will be available for purchase on October 11th, 2016 for $400. Single tickets purchases will be available on December 12th, 2016. ($50) Sponsorship packages available and do include tickets. Please inquire if you would like to sponsor this amazing event!

This week Chris is tackling one of our frequently asked questions "Can't I just add money to my mortgage to pay off all my debts?" There are many reasons people want to refinance their home and this video briefly explains what needs to be considered when refinancing your mortgage.