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For Better or For Worse Volume V

by Didrick Gerhard Douglas Jacobson

154 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-2032; ISBN 1-4120-4225-9; US$23.00, C$26.33, EUR19.00, £13.50

The 5th volume in a series of spiritual poetry books based on the life experience of a Saskatchewan farmboy and his wanderings through the late 20th Century.

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About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

Back in December 1984

Upon realizing that I could no longer be gainfully employed I decided to channel my efforts into writing poetry, as long as most of what was written could be meaningful and written with purpose.

I write according to my convictions in the hope that through such I may be of some benefit to others.

Whether I have achieved this or not, or to what degree I trust will eventually be realized.

It is my purpose to convey the right message, therefore much of what I write contains Bible references. I take all of my Scriptural topics from the (K.J.B. or N.K.J.B.)

I use a bit of comedy on occasion as well as a few items about incidents, also a few people I have known or know presently who are or who have proven to be very important to me.

No one can always be right but if one follows the dictates of one's heart and relies on Spiritual guidance as well, this is what is the most important in my view.
Written July 7 - 2003.
D.G.D. Jacobson.

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About the Author

Didrick Gerhard Douglas Jacobson was born at Shaunavon, Sask. Dec. 14/1930. In August 1931 the family moved to the Glenbush area, approximately thirty miles north of North Battleford, Saskatchewan. Dick was raised on a farm and did this type of work until June 1950, at which time he went to B.C. and obtained work at Taylor's Construction on the Dollarton Highway, between Lynmour and Deep Cove. He worked on a rock crusher there for three years. He then went to Colony Farm near Coquitlam and worked there for a short while. In the fall of 1953, Dick returned to farm life in Saskatchewan.

In February 1955, he joined the army. He was stationed at Work Point Barracks in Victoria until November 1955, at which time he was transferred to the R.C.H.A and spent two years stationed at Deilinghoffen, Germany. He returned from Germany in December 1957.

Dec. 30, 1957, Dick married Annie Chugg of Grande Prarie, Alberta. He remained in the army until June 1959, received an honorable discharge from the army and returned to Grande Prarie to farm. In the later part of November 1959, Dick and Annie purchased a farm near Elk Point, Alberta. They farmed there until June 1964 At this time Dick becamed employed at Canadian Salt, at Lindbergh, just eleven miles east of Elk Point.

The Jacobsons have two children, a girl born May 14 1965 (Kathleen Anne) and a boy born August 28 1966 (Carl Peter).

In August of 1967, Dick quit Canadian Salt and the family moved to Surrey B.C.

Dick obtained work at a brass foundry, at 1909 Franklin Street in Vancouver. He was laid off that Fall due to the brass foundry being shut down for the winter months.

Dick sold Fuller Brush products that winter and following spring the family moved to Vernon B.C. in answer to an ad for a dairy herdsman. They spent just two months at that dairy and then moved to Lumby where Dick obtained employment at a saw mill. Later on that fall of 1968, he went back into dairy work, a milk parlor operation for miles easy of Lumby.

The following spring the family moved back to Vernon and Dick found employment north of town, boat building for Sangstercraft. The boat building job was to last just until the Consumer Glass Plant at Lavington started up in September 1969. He worked at Consumer Glass until November, 1974, at which time he quit Consumer Glass to take over a dairy farm. This venture did not turn out very well and so went back to Consumer Glass for a while, then returned to Colony Farm for about a year and a half. He also worked at Dominion Glass for a short time, but was laid off due to cutbacks and union seniority.

The family then returned to the Okanagan and Dick worked at various jobs, including some sales work, till June 1978, at which time he started work at White Western Star in Kelowna, but was forced to quit that job due to Uticaria (giant Hives).

In September of 1978, the family started their own janitorial service, which they worked at until December of 1984. At this time Dick was forced to quit work and go on C.P.D. (later C.P. and O.A.S.). Most of the author's writing has been done since December 1984.

NOT SUCH GOOD OLD DAYS (The Winter of 1947-47)

Into the teeth of a North wind
Blowing with the force of a gale,
A basket rack and a big team of clydesdales
We plow through the snow a new trail.
It is ten miles we need to be going
Ere we arrive at the stack
And I'm frozen right through to the marrow
God knows I may never get back.
Yes, in truth 'twas a fight for survival,
Many times I could just have laid down
To be frozen to death on that hay rack
Or maybe ten miles out there on the ground.
Every day all that winter I battled,
A mere sixteen years was my age,
Through that whole winter I battled such weather,
Ten dollars a month was my wage.
Although some still work hard for a living
And many obstacles I know must be faced,
Oft' time so many bad situations
Into which one may tend to be placed -
But in this day it is a rare situation
That oen would need to diligently strive
And battle those elements each winter
In an effort to merely survive.
Now and then tho' I do hear a statement
Of those days long ago, oh so good,
I think memory gets confused just a little
Or some folks just lie more than they should.
Although it's true along with our many pleasures
There's still a good deal of trouble and strife
Yet it's been years since those elements I've battled
In a day to day struggle for life.
D.G.D. Jacobson.
The Jacobson's presently reside in Victoria B.C. Copyright 399259.

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Excerpts

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Catalogue Information

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