We’re having a Turkey &
Vegan dinner on Monday, with assorted friends and family. 15 in all!
Jim’s working hard as
usual. JDS acquired a company in Maryland this year, so he’s made a couple
of trips there and goes to CA head office every once in a while. He just had
a diverticulitis flare-up and was on antibiotics earlier this month, but
other than that he’s fine & having fun!
Jamie & Mimi’s picture
was taken last Christmas when they did a trip to Tofino on the west coast of
Vancouver Island. People go there to “storm watch” during the winter.
Jamie is in 3rd
year at UVic doing Computer Science and Mimi is in 2nd year
Linguistics. Jamie gave us a scare the end of September, when we thought he
had a ruptured appendix. It was a huge infection, but he seems okay now.
Leah started first year University of Ottawa this year & will be here Dec 25
to Jan 5. She’s doing a general Arts program & hopes to switch to Fine Arts.
The photo was taken almost 2 years ago (sorry!) but she hasn’t changed much.
Except that she’s about 5 foot 9 now. She’s arriving on Dec 25th
from Ottawa and leaving to go back the 5th.
Jim’s sister Diane is
here this year, staying in Camp Hill in Duncan, a 45 minute drive north of
Victoria/Saanich. She’s doing a sabbatical from her work in Angus ON, and
hoping to learn more about herbal healing gardens & such. She stayed
with us in September, but is off to Saskatchewan for Christmas.
Elizabeth Flood was in
Tofino a lot this year & we got to see her when she passed through Victoria.
Also got to see Veronica and Jim (and of course Eugene & Emmett who live
around here!) - all cousins on Jim’s Dad’s side. E&E are vegan, like Leah,
so they’re a very healthy influence & great company, even though turkey
hasn’t gotten completely shouldered out! (Why do I hear a voice saying, “You
ARE a turkey!”???)
Our 30th
anniversary was the 12th of April, so we did a 10 day road trip:
San Francisco to Las Vegas (where we had lunch with my cousin Elaine & got
lost in a casino) to Sedona and the Grand Canyon (wow!). We drove all the
way back north to the entrance to Yosemite, in shorts, shaking our heads at
the “Road Closed Due to Snow” signs, figuring they’d forgotten to take them
down. Nope! Access denied! Another year… The photo was taken by Jim’s
co-worker Leanne in San Francisco.
Summer vacation was in
Newfoundland, where 3 of my 4 brothers are, as well as nieces and nephews
and cousins. It was great to see them! We stayed with Rob and visited with
Ron and Mike. Mike’s daughter Katelyn got the job of tour guide a lot of the
time; the photo was taken at Cape Spear. Ann Campbell, who we hadn’t seen
since the year we were married, was down from Toronto. We actually got to
see all the Campbells (my Mom's family), which was fantastic! It was a real summer
of reunions…
The photo below was
taken at my cousin Rob Tizzard’s anniversary party. Cousin Nessie (L-R) was
home from Houston, Sheila Bellows was visiting from Dallas, Mary-Catherine
was up from Louisiana, and Frances came down from Gander.
Aside from Sheila B., it had been a LONG time since we’d all seen each
other, so it was a real treat. My cousins love to laugh!!!
I’ve been doing
watercolour and clay sculpture & am enjoying both. Also did a screenwriting
course, which was interesting. (Don’t hold your breath, though.) Then
there’s the walking club and the book club and the garden club…! Darn good
thing I didn’t find a job! : )
Bahá’í-wise, Jim and I
were both elected to the Saanich Bahá’í Assembly (9 members elected
annually) and we’re both on committees. I took up duties as the Bahá’í representative with UVic Interfaith Services, which means among other
things that I get to meet regularly with a really great group of students,
the Campus Association for Bahá’í Studies.
We watched
Scared
Sacred yesterday evening (before I started this letter), a new film
that’s won a bunch of awards. We managed to borrow from the library.
Definitely worth seeing!
http://www.scaredsacred.org/ It’s not a Bahá’í film but the
director was brought up as a Bahá’í. He spent 5 years filming all the
“ground zeros” of the world – very thought-provoking.
We had the house
painted this year and redid the backyard, putting in two stone walls. Next
month we’re getting those chilly single pane windows redone, and the place
will be a little less vintage 1977, as well as warmer!
That’s it for this
year, I guess…!
Thanks to all of you
guys who sent cards and greetings!!! It was great to hear from you!
And to all the rest of
our wonderful friends & family, we’re looking forward to getting an email before Ayyam-i-Há! : )
Lots of love,
Sheila & Jim
