Season’s Greeting for 2011
Although fewer and fewer people send Christmas letters anymore., we hold this old tradition as a way to touch base with you. This year was, as is usual, full of changes and challenges for our family. All in all, it was a good 365 days !
We had a lovely Christmas last year with Dave’s family in Charlottetown, PEI. We went to hockey games, shopping trips and enjoyed a blizzard! Jim’s niece Ann came from NB to spent a day with us. It was so nice to see her. Dave is now a relief supervisor with Canada Post. He is enjoying the variety of work in his job. Colleen is busy with her quilting business and does some marketing on the weekends. She also volunteers at the kids’ school. Kylie is in Grade 4. She has a creative spirit and excels at school. Jake is our logical one. He is now in Grade 2 and has discovered his skating legs. He plays hockey and is developing some great skills. He, too, enjoys school. Math seems to be his forte!
Viv and Rick are at their same places of work. Rick is still very busy with his community club offices. Viv still battles her migraines. Matthew is going to high school now. He is enjoying his new classes. His transition was easy as he already knew some of his teachers. As he reaches puberty, his eczema has improved immensely.. He is now able to function so much easier. Yesterday he said, “Now, if only we could fix my heart!” He will need to have a valve replaced but hopefully not yet. He had a stress test done this year and he is now waiting for an invasive procedure.
Lisa changed her workplace this year. She is now an accounts receivable clerk for a trucking company. She has a new fellow in her life. She reconnected with Ed on face book. They were friends in Grade school. Ed’s sister is one of Laurie’s best friends. Alyssa is now in Grade 10, has her learner’s license and is a joy to be with. She still has aspirations to be a doctor. Amanda is living on a farm near Quill Lake with her fellow. She is taking some correspondence courses she needs in order to get back into a nursing program next year. She is working part time in a group home in Humbolt. Dustin is still in the oil servicing industry, He is 26. Imagine! Our oldest grandchild is midway through his twenties.
Laurie and Rod bought a home in Parksville, BC. They moved in early January. I visited them in April. Oh my, they truly are living in the Riviera of Canada! Rod is a mortgage specialist with Scotia Bank. Laurie was contacted by a head hunter and is now the bank manager of the HSBC bank in Nanaimo. Jenna received her master’s degree in geology and is employed by The Athabasca Oil Company. She is now living in Calgary, She is curling out of the Calgary Curling Club and thinks she has found heaven.
In October Laurie, our cousin Elaine and I went to Ireland for a few days. It was an early 70th birthday gift for me, Yep, I turn 70 in June of 2012. We had a wonderful holiday. I especially enjoyed visiting Trinity College in Dublin. This was the school our ancestor Thomas Duke went to about 1820. Then we went to Leitrim where he was born. It was a dream come true for me. I shall never forget it. Of course, the company I kept added to the ambience. There really are many shades of green in Ireland. It is a country of contrasts -grays and greens.
Jim, a very youthful 81 still climbs ladders, gardens, does the lawn work and snow blows our driveway as well as the neighbours. He doesn’t know he supposed to be elderly. LOL He does get tired a little more quickly, imagine that! His leukemia hasn’t progressed. He does have to get regular blood tests though. He keeps threatening not to go as it is a waste of his time!
Jim spends his spare time doing jigsaw puzzles and listening to his country music. I spend mine scrap booking, making cards, genealogy and reading. We will have been married 50 years come April. Jim still drinks tea and I, coffee. We surely aren’t bookends.
We send you our very best wishes for a year full of blessings and good health.
Merry Christmas !
Cuddling with Grandpa
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ireland is really Green
We arrived Saturday am Dublin time. It was the middle of the night to we Canucks. After passing through customs - being in a whellchair is truly an advantage with the red tape crowd - Elaine got our rental car.
It was lovely a very new model, BUT - it was a standard and the shift was on the left side so our driver had to adjust to both driving on the left sidea and shifting that way. This was not easy. So after several starts and stalls, trying to shift into the right gear we jerked our way out onto the road to Raheeny and our B&B.
Well. ten minutes on, we were stopped - dead as a door nail- on the yellow line of course. It is illegal to stop at this spot. There were many honks and unfriendly fingers before a nice gentleman came to help us.
He had a cell phone which he used to call the car rental place.
After a very long wait for assistance, my girls became a little giddy. So they penned a very large SORRY, EH on some paper and Elaine held it up so the traffic could read it. It broght many smiles, laughter and downright bewilderment for some of the folks.
We did arrive safely at our destination and are in a lovely old home where the hostess is most gracious.
We spent two days exploring Dublin and absorbing the history of this very old city.
Tomorrow we head off to Leitrim County where the Dukes lived in the early 1800's.
We will have lots of Dublin tales and pictures to share but we are all very tired tonight and so must say goodnight from Ireland.
It was lovely a very new model, BUT - it was a standard and the shift was on the left side so our driver had to adjust to both driving on the left sidea and shifting that way. This was not easy. So after several starts and stalls, trying to shift into the right gear we jerked our way out onto the road to Raheeny and our B&B.
Well. ten minutes on, we were stopped - dead as a door nail- on the yellow line of course. It is illegal to stop at this spot. There were many honks and unfriendly fingers before a nice gentleman came to help us.
He had a cell phone which he used to call the car rental place.
After a very long wait for assistance, my girls became a little giddy. So they penned a very large SORRY, EH on some paper and Elaine held it up so the traffic could read it. It broght many smiles, laughter and downright bewilderment for some of the folks.
We did arrive safely at our destination and are in a lovely old home where the hostess is most gracious.
We spent two days exploring Dublin and absorbing the history of this very old city.
Tomorrow we head off to Leitrim County where the Dukes lived in the early 1800's.
We will have lots of Dublin tales and pictures to share but we are all very tired tonight and so must say goodnight from Ireland.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Where have the months gone?
It has been so long since I have sat down and blogged. I don't know where the time has gone!
I spent a wonderful week in Parksville with my daughter and her husband. It was a relaxing and peaceful week. Oh my, they have a lovely home and a quaint community to nest in. I spent wonderful hours with them touring the area and spotting birds such as eagles, Brandt geese and rosy colored finches. The most amusing sight was that of the mule deer who have no fear of civilization.There is no hunting allowed on the Island so they are very calm and meander at will. I was amused to see them standing on the front step of an affluent home and acting as though they really lived there!
We spent an hour at my aunt and uncle's yard and beach. It was a time of contemplation and memories for me!
I took a picture of my uncle's license plate which is still on the van. Uncle Bill was an amputee as a result of his WW2 injuries.
He met my aunt while he was a patient in Shaunessy Hospital where she worked. They found solace in nature and had a special fondness for birds, It was especially poignant to spy the bright red cardinal carving with the word Bye on it that one would read as they drove away from the yard.
I also had a short visit with my sister and her fellow who came over from Langley. She has been very ill so it was good see her beginning to recover from her latest battle. They all took me to Comox for my flight home. As we drove down the hill into the city the SnowBirds flew up in a formation. Rod grinned as he said it was my special goodbye from the Island. In reality, the Snowbirds practice there every day. It was a breathtaking sight though and is embedded in my memory bank.
AS I sat in my seat on the plane waiting for the take off I silently sent a toast to my BC family.May their lives be enriched as they live amid such beauty. Mother Nature surely blessed our western province.
Cheers from Donna
I spent a wonderful week in Parksville with my daughter and her husband. It was a relaxing and peaceful week. Oh my, they have a lovely home and a quaint community to nest in. I spent wonderful hours with them touring the area and spotting birds such as eagles, Brandt geese and rosy colored finches. The most amusing sight was that of the mule deer who have no fear of civilization.There is no hunting allowed on the Island so they are very calm and meander at will. I was amused to see them standing on the front step of an affluent home and acting as though they really lived there!
We spent an hour at my aunt and uncle's yard and beach. It was a time of contemplation and memories for me!
He met my aunt while he was a patient in Shaunessy Hospital where she worked. They found solace in nature and had a special fondness for birds, It was especially poignant to spy the bright red cardinal carving with the word Bye on it that one would read as they drove away from the yard.
I also had a short visit with my sister and her fellow who came over from Langley. She has been very ill so it was good see her beginning to recover from her latest battle. They all took me to Comox for my flight home. As we drove down the hill into the city the SnowBirds flew up in a formation. Rod grinned as he said it was my special goodbye from the Island. In reality, the Snowbirds practice there every day. It was a breathtaking sight though and is embedded in my memory bank.
AS I sat in my seat on the plane waiting for the take off I silently sent a toast to my BC family.May their lives be enriched as they live amid such beauty. Mother Nature surely blessed our western province.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Unexpected Curves
One never knows what a day will bring. I had a quiet morning. I made a batch of lemon tarts for my grandson as he is 14 today, St. Paddy's Day. Matthew and his Grandpa share the love all things lemon! Forget the chocolate cakes and cheese cakes, just give them something lemon.
This afternoon my friend and I went out on a few errands and I came home to enjoy a quiet time. My daughter called from Parksville to tell me how excited she is that I will soon be visiting them. After a nice chat and our Irish Day greetings, Jim and I had a none green supper.
Then my daughter called back - ok - this isn't good. My antennae were quivering. Sure enough, she called to tell me that my sisiter who lives in Langley is quite ill. When I called my sister's home, her friend answered and told me he had just called an ambulance. So here we are waiting to hear the prognosis. My baby sister has several rare and potentially dangerous forms of autoimmune diseases: her health is precarious at the best of times. I am sitting here hoping for good news and fearing the worst. She had called me one day last week asking about our Ireland connections. She told me that she wasn't really well so if she was to get over the water to visit our ancestral land she needed to go soon. That should have been my cue.
I am thankful that I am flying west very soon. I want to see her. She was born when I ws 15 and I loved that wee babe so much. When I left home, she was the one I pined for.
I am sorry my post is a downer tonight but, God willing, tomorrow the sun will shine and all will be well.
Here's a toast to optimism!
This afternoon my friend and I went out on a few errands and I came home to enjoy a quiet time. My daughter called from Parksville to tell me how excited she is that I will soon be visiting them. After a nice chat and our Irish Day greetings, Jim and I had a none green supper.
Then my daughter called back - ok - this isn't good. My antennae were quivering. Sure enough, she called to tell me that my sisiter who lives in Langley is quite ill. When I called my sister's home, her friend answered and told me he had just called an ambulance. So here we are waiting to hear the prognosis. My baby sister has several rare and potentially dangerous forms of autoimmune diseases: her health is precarious at the best of times. I am sitting here hoping for good news and fearing the worst. She had called me one day last week asking about our Ireland connections. She told me that she wasn't really well so if she was to get over the water to visit our ancestral land she needed to go soon. That should have been my cue.
I am thankful that I am flying west very soon. I want to see her. She was born when I ws 15 and I loved that wee babe so much. When I left home, she was the one I pined for.
I am sorry my post is a downer tonight but, God willing, tomorrow the sun will shine and all will be well.
Here's a toast to optimism!
Friday, February 11, 2011
What a wonderful day!
I have been riveted to the telly this week. Watching the Egyptians struggle for freedom as I sit safely in the warmth and security of my home has been surreal. I only hope that now they are rid of their dictator, they will be able to enjoy the democracy that suits their people. I wish them the peace and the luxury of free speech that we in Canada enjoy. Their struggle to make Egypt a thriving country has just begun but oh, my --- what a wonderful start. I salute the brave women and men of Egypt.
Harriet and I went to our favourite scrapbooking store for a party today! It was her"coming out' event. LOL. We had pizza and drinks in the back room of the store. It was a fun hour as we shared stories and laughs. Thanks Harriet, for hosting this lunch. Of course, we had a few new toys find their way into our shopping baskets.
All in all, it has been a fabulous day. Let those freedom bells ring.
Cheers from Donna
Harriet and I went to our favourite scrapbooking store for a party today! It was her"coming out' event. LOL. We had pizza and drinks in the back room of the store. It was a fun hour as we shared stories and laughs. Thanks Harriet, for hosting this lunch. Of course, we had a few new toys find their way into our shopping baskets.
All in all, it has been a fabulous day. Let those freedom bells ring.
Cheers from Donna
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
What a Life!
I am spending lots of time playing these days! I love my kobo - an e-reader. I also love all my toys in my craft room and of course, I would "just die" if I didn't have my computer(s). None of these relaxing days would be happening except for my fairy godmother Lesya who spent four hours here today, scrubbing and shining up our home. She is a treasure.
My friend Harriet broke her foot a couple of weeks ago. As her husband works full time. I have been her companion for her doctor appointments.
We had a quite an adventure on Monday. I took her to the cast clinic at the hospital. I got the complimentary wheelchair that sits at the information booth in the rotunda; stuffed Harriet into the seat (without doing too much damage to her poor foot) ; wheeled her into the hospital and then parked my car. After her cast was sawed off, we were told to go across the street where she would be fitted for her walking boot. I, in my infinite wisdom and with no other obvious choice, decided to wheel her over to the Brandon Clinic for her procedure. Bad move! The street was rutted and impossible to traverse with this chair. We got stuck in the middle of the street. Thankfully, a fellow kindly helped us out of the predicament and with his strength pushed Harriet to safety. We were in business again. Down to the basement we decended in the elevator. Whammo - the ramp was steep, too steep for me to be in control of the chair. I had to brake sharply and nearly sent Harrriet flying --- into the brick wall at the base of the ramp!
By now, the silliness had us in paroxisms of laughter. All was well, she got her boot and I took her to the exit at the other end of the building. I walked back to the hospital parking lot, drove over to the clinic and picked up my passenger. Oh dear, I still have the wheel chair to return. Harriet suggested I load it in the car and drive back as I had to retreive her crutches anyway. I pushed and pulled, twisted and turned but the darned thing would not fit. A couple of helpful fellows came over and they pushed and pulled until voila! They succeeded. Back to the hospital we drove; pulled up to the ten minute parking zone and tried to remove the chair from my car. I pulled and pushed, turned and twisted. swore and laughed but it was there to stay. A lovely young Hutterite lady got out of her van to help me. She gave up and went back to her vehicle.Again, a good samaritan came to our rescue. He struggled for some time before he succeeded. Thank goodness. I don't have a wheelchair living permanently in my back seat!
So to all the friendly Manitobans who helped a couple of antique women, I salute you!
Cheers from Donna
My friend Harriet broke her foot a couple of weeks ago. As her husband works full time. I have been her companion for her doctor appointments.
We had a quite an adventure on Monday. I took her to the cast clinic at the hospital. I got the complimentary wheelchair that sits at the information booth in the rotunda; stuffed Harriet into the seat (without doing too much damage to her poor foot) ; wheeled her into the hospital and then parked my car. After her cast was sawed off, we were told to go across the street where she would be fitted for her walking boot. I, in my infinite wisdom and with no other obvious choice, decided to wheel her over to the Brandon Clinic for her procedure. Bad move! The street was rutted and impossible to traverse with this chair. We got stuck in the middle of the street. Thankfully, a fellow kindly helped us out of the predicament and with his strength pushed Harriet to safety. We were in business again. Down to the basement we decended in the elevator. Whammo - the ramp was steep, too steep for me to be in control of the chair. I had to brake sharply and nearly sent Harrriet flying --- into the brick wall at the base of the ramp!
By now, the silliness had us in paroxisms of laughter. All was well, she got her boot and I took her to the exit at the other end of the building. I walked back to the hospital parking lot, drove over to the clinic and picked up my passenger. Oh dear, I still have the wheel chair to return. Harriet suggested I load it in the car and drive back as I had to retreive her crutches anyway. I pushed and pulled, twisted and turned but the darned thing would not fit. A couple of helpful fellows came over and they pushed and pulled until voila! They succeeded. Back to the hospital we drove; pulled up to the ten minute parking zone and tried to remove the chair from my car. I pulled and pushed, turned and twisted. swore and laughed but it was there to stay. A lovely young Hutterite lady got out of her van to help me. She gave up and went back to her vehicle.Again, a good samaritan came to our rescue. He struggled for some time before he succeeded. Thank goodness. I don't have a wheelchair living permanently in my back seat!
So to all the friendly Manitobans who helped a couple of antique women, I salute you!
Cheers from Donna
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Oh Canada
Oh my. It is so very cold today. This week we have been in a very deep, deep freeze. The temperature did improve but the wind was so fierce the chill penetrated right through my bones.
I have been watching the terrible situation in Egypt. Thankfully, Rick's family escaped the violence. They were on the first flight Canada chartered from Cairo. It was a time fraught with danger for them. They were among those who had to pay the guards $2000.00 before they were allowed on the plane. After the money was extorted, the Egyptians tried to force them back to their homes and abort their flight. I am sure that as cold as Brandon is this week, their welcome home was warmer than one could imagine. We are so lucky to be Canadians. There are worse things than our climate. Freedom is sacred.
The Lieutenant Governor's Festival starts tomorrow. Jim and our neighbour have plans to attend. Good for them. I don't like standing in line ups since I broke my leg. The pain isn't worth the pleasure of the affair. Matthew used ot be the mascot for the German pavillion! He is really a mix of Anglosaxon and Hungarian; there is no German in his blood. LOL He was the right size to wear the lederhosen. That is where he started honing his public relations skills. I think that Pavillion has taken a hiatus this year.
Our little city has become quite the amalgam of cultures. When we moved here, there were very few different coloured skin tones. Now, we are such a mix. It make our town an exciting place to live. There are several sushi bars, a Korean restaurant, Italian, Greek and we even have a Newfie cafe! What a country!
Here's a toast to the greatest country in the world. Oh Canada!
Cheers from Donna
I have been watching the terrible situation in Egypt. Thankfully, Rick's family escaped the violence. They were on the first flight Canada chartered from Cairo. It was a time fraught with danger for them. They were among those who had to pay the guards $2000.00 before they were allowed on the plane. After the money was extorted, the Egyptians tried to force them back to their homes and abort their flight. I am sure that as cold as Brandon is this week, their welcome home was warmer than one could imagine. We are so lucky to be Canadians. There are worse things than our climate. Freedom is sacred.
The Lieutenant Governor's Festival starts tomorrow. Jim and our neighbour have plans to attend. Good for them. I don't like standing in line ups since I broke my leg. The pain isn't worth the pleasure of the affair. Matthew used ot be the mascot for the German pavillion! He is really a mix of Anglosaxon and Hungarian; there is no German in his blood. LOL He was the right size to wear the lederhosen. That is where he started honing his public relations skills. I think that Pavillion has taken a hiatus this year.
Our little city has become quite the amalgam of cultures. When we moved here, there were very few different coloured skin tones. Now, we are such a mix. It make our town an exciting place to live. There are several sushi bars, a Korean restaurant, Italian, Greek and we even have a Newfie cafe! What a country!
Here's a toast to the greatest country in the world. Oh Canada!
Cheers from Donna
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