We saw in the New Year with a barn dance in
the basement of St. George's church and music from each decade of the twentieth
century. It was a good year for downhill skiing with all of the children
enjoying jumps and black diamond slopes and coping with them safely. Michael
was able to finish his first full loppet cross-country skiing. During the summer all the
children were learning golf with John’s parents, Ted and Hazel, and having a
ball. If you came round Jordan Drive and saw golf ball size hail coming from
the sky it wasn’t always hail!
Christine's parents have now returned to
England from Belgium. As detailed on the holiday letter, we had a family
reunion at Stoneleigh. Christine's mother has had hospital
treatment in Belgium which delayed
their trip but now is doing well.
John now still works
in emergency at the hospital and at the walk in clinic, as well as in his
office. Although doing the electrocardiogram course in 1992, it has only been
this year that interpreting E.C.G.s have been a major part of my work. John had a busy spring doing an internet palliative
care course out of Edmonton, a web-page building course from the local college
and recertification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support at Nipawin
In May, thanks to the Saskatchewan Railway Museum John realized an
ambition to go round the rail yards in Prince Albert and a train cab ride
across the bridge to the Red River Park. The passenger train was discontinued
in PA in 1982 before we arrived.
Christine continues to
work part time on the palliative/ medical floor. Christine's palliative care
certificate modules were on
Grieving and Bereavement and Complementary therapies.
She has been part of a
women’s Bible study group and is running the Sunday School since our rector and
his wife retired in June, and is also back on the board of Camp Okema. On
Monday evenings the whole family did an alpha course at St. David's church.
Michael has been
sufficiently active on the guitar to be able to help with Sunday School music,
and to be programming new characters into computer games. He is now old enough
to learn to drive once the course comes round at school.
Peter is enjoying
playing the piano and now also has a guitar. He is serving at church and will
be confirmed on his birthday December 17th. He amazed us by being
able to compete at a city level in athletics and take part in a volleyball
tournament in Saskatoon.
Deborah has been
taking ballet and tap from September. She has made her own website with paper
dolls, and has enjoyed the model railway. She is learning piano and enjoyed
going to Camp Okema on her own.
The year of renovations
This has been the year
of major renovations with new carpet and paint at home, and new phones,
cabinets, computers and desks in the office. When rumours abound about who’s
going to move next, there’s nothing like spending money on fixtures to tell
people that you intend to stay.
Global warming works! After 3 years with only 2-3 months of snow, Canada’s main winter boot manufacturer, Sorel, has gone broke. If you hear a strange roar this Christmas, don’t worry, it’s only Santa’s hovercraft as the North Pole, the most northerly point in Canada, is now open water.