Flight is Booked

Return to Santa Barbara is 422.00, pretty good. I will have to pay for luggage but still a good price. It has been a very relaxing visit in Rocky. I have made the odd meal and done a few dishes, but mostly reading, knitting and watching TV has been the order of the day. I feel very rested and i might even make it to welcome in the New Year tonight. Yesterday I went over to the Mountaineer and Theresa & I went out for lunch. As I was waiting there for Theresa, I was offered a job there, must be because I am Theresa's sister and they like her so much. Anne and Tim went to Edmonton to the Czech vs US game. Today Grace and Sam are going to the Finland Czech game (courtesy of Tim). The weather here has been fantastic, lots of blue sky temps above freezing, just beautiful.

A Duvet is Born

This is the photo of a duvet Mom and I made! It's a piece of Nigerian fabric I bought a long time ago, and on this trip we bought backing material, fired up the Sewmaster, and created it. Lisa chose the green fabric. It was a good choice. The woman working at the Fabricland cutting table was very crabby. I also bought an iron-on initial L for Lisa and an S for me. We will be like LaVerne Defazio.

Xmas has been very fun here. We went to the big H2O centre and went on the waterslides. One of the lifeguards gave me trouble because I didn't wait enough time after the person in front of me before going. I maintain she was chatting and not doing her job to observe and let me go.

It was fun to hang out with Jim, too. Lisa made him retell the Ron Rodgers story.

Tonight we will go bowling. We also watched Paranormal Activity 2 -- reasonably scary.

Christmas in Victoria part II

Mallory, Patrick and Esther are still here, and we're still having fun! Esther got us up nice and early on Christmas morning (7:00 am), which was tough after a late night. It was worth it watching her open presents, and carry our presents to us. Then we had church, which was a surprisingly well attended service - I had assumed that most people wouldn't bother to come in the morning, but I was wrong. We spent the day playing with Esther's toys. Supper was three kinds of curry, courtesy of Patrick.

We're having a good time exploring the kid friendly parts of Victoria. So far one of the best parts has been the dog park down in Beacon Hill Park, downtown. It's right on the water, which is nice, and Esther loves the dogs. She runs as fast as she can toward them, then suddenly stops before they get too close.

Christmas in Rocky

Was also different this year, No Will and Grace working 7 to 7, but those of us who were here had a great time. I was the last one up (too many Yule Mules?) so all the others had opened their stockings by then, I opened mine and then Sam handed out the presents. What a great set of gift givers in this family, lots of variety and thoughtfulness. The Traditional breakfast followed, Tim and Geoff put their culinary skills to work and we had enough food to keep us until chili cheese dip time. In the afternoon, we watched The Muppets (dvds from their original series) and laughed and laughed. Grace got home from work and we had supper, then Grace opened her gifts and each of us had saved a gift from her and we opened those at the same time. We had dessert after presents, did the dishes and then a little conversation, and people wandered off to bed, or a walk or reading. A very satisfying day.

Merry christmas, it is quiet here and very warm.  Wilf and I went for a walk this morning and had to unbutton our jackets.  I wore my new scarf, very warm and nice to wear.  Since Theresa has her present I can post the pictures of before and after.  It turned out very well.  Hope everyone had a great day lots of love from Grande Prairie. 

Christmas in Kelowna

I am impersonating Mom.
We finished our breakfast-had wife saver. Jim told us the RonRogers story after much prompting from me-he is a good storyteller-perhaps he will take over from Stuart McLean?
Richard and I went to church last night-it was a lovely service-I had a nap to make it to 11 pm.
Mom is making turkey-I made perogies last night and we had a good Christmas Eve supper at our place. Allison's plane was right on time, so we were eating by 7:30.
We are having a good Christmas-I am also planning on having a nap this afternoon.
We are thinking of going bowling tomorrow-lazer!
Jim got some Tin Tin books-I hope to see the movie this week.

Christmas in Victoria

Well, it's not traditional, but Christmas is going ok here in Victoria! We're through one of the Christmas services - the 4:00 children's service- and have two more tonight ( 7 and 10) and one tomorrow morning (10:30). The service tonight was wonderful - over a hundred people there, most of them kids. It's a pretty informal service, and was a lot of fun! I'm leading the service at 7, and preaching at 10.

My friends Patrick and Mallory are here. I know them from school - Patrick is studying to be a priest. They are from Ottawa, so are sort of stuck for Christmas. We decided that since we were all stuck out here, we may as well be stuck together! They have a 2 year old daughter, Esther, who is a lot of fun. She's pretty easy going, and very chatty. We took her to the park yesterday, and she ran around saying "hi" to all the dogs. Tonight we set out milk and cookies for Santa, but he's going to have to move quickly if he wants a shot at the cookies! Since the service tomorrow is not till 10:30, we're going to get up at 7 and open gifts. Tonight after the 10, we'll have appies. Aside from playing with Esther, all we've been doing is eating - I didn't do much baking, but my parishioners stepped bravely into the breach and have sent table loads of cookies. Tim and I made nuts and bolts when he was here, and they were all gone by today, we made a second roaster full. I've also got big plans for some chili cheese dip.

It's strange being here - no snow, no cold. It doesn't quite feel like Christmas, more like another Sunday with a few extra services. I wish I was home, but having Patrick, Mallory and Esther here is the next best thing.

It's good to have the girls here - Jude, Anne and Grace. Grace has done a lot of baking and Anne decorated the house today. Jude is a very good supervisor.
Geoff went to pick Anne up at the airport on Tuesday. Her plane was scheduled to land at 8:30 but didn't get there till 12:30. Geoff said it was 2 a.m. By the time they got to bed at Jude's. Sam is done work tomorrow so someone will drive up to get him. We still have to get a tree.
Christmas will be different this year. No Will for the first time and Grace will be working. She told the Clearwater Centre she would be available to work over the holidays and they said dec 24, 25, and 26were available. After she calculated her pay for those days she decided to work.
Work is done for me! So glad for days off.

Thursday on one of the slowest weeks of the year

I am going to work soon, but thought I'd say hi!
This week has been the slowest ever! I am off next week-triple hurrah!
I like my job, but also like time off-vacation was in August, so I guess it's time.
I have a board lunch today so am leaving work early-at 1230, so today should presumably move quicker.
I still have some wrapping to do, and make perogies for Christmas Eve. Mom, Jim and Allison will be here. Though Allison's plane does not get in until 7 pm-hopefully without being delayed, otherwise we will be very hungry.
I am really excited that Mom's house sold-such good news. Though we need make sure that things go fine with conditions etc. Terry the realtor says that her realtor 'assures me that she's solid'. Interesting that people might go through all the work of making offer etc and then not buy the house.
OK, time for work.

Tim's Visit

Tim has been here since Sunday, and we're having a great time. Well, I am. I think he is. He got in Sunday afternoon just before evensong, so I was able to go and get him from the airport. We've been taking it easy, just relaxing. Yesterday the big adventure was making nuts and bolts. This was a success, and now it smells and tastes like Christmas here.

Today the main item on the agenda was getting a Christmas tree. I wasn't really sure where you buy them in the city (this being the first time I didn't just go cut one down). I knew they had them at Home Depot, but they were sold out when we went there. We were just about to drive to Langford to the other Home Depot when I noticed the garden store was suspiciously green looking. After a brief investigation, we came away with a very nice little tree. Tim bought me lights and some decorations to eke out the ones that Mom and Dad brought, and the tree looks pretty good.

Tim leaves tomorrow night, and I have some work to do tomorrow. The low-income seniors housing has a lessons and carols service, and I get to lead it. Hark the herald angels sing!

hi all
Oh happy day! the - house is sold - we just signed the papers a few minutea ago. I did not get what I really wanted for it but ita not bad and the relief of it being sold is just great - just have to have inapection & mtge approval which will be done by the 27th and possession ia Jan5 so its very fast - was afraid I would have to rent it again so am really happy its been sold. A good Christmas gift for me.
Pretty much ready for Xmas - looking fwd to Jims arrival on Fri and Al on Sat - its snowing so maybe we"ll have a white one





the houseT

My young co-worker has been very excited about Christmas for about a month now. She felt the same even while typing seemingly endless letters to Santa. I was not excited but now I will be able to report to her tomorrow that I am looking forward to it. Every year that point seems to come later and later. But shopping and wrapping are pretty well done and Grace is home. Geoff put up the outdoor lights yesterday before the snow. I feel that things are well in hand and am looking forward to everyone's arrival.
We are short-staffed at work and it is the busiest time of the year so I was feeling frazzled with all that.
Tim has gone off to Victoria to visit the Rev for a few days. For those who don't know, he did get the job he applied for with TransCanada. He starts in January. He is done the other job now so will have time off over Christmas.
Grace and I are going to the show this afternoon - the new Sherlock Holmes. I am sure there are too many fight scenes, but there are also Robert Downey and Jude Law.

Happy Birthday Tim

Twisted

Ankle, that is. When I filled up the gas on my rental car yesterday, I misstepped off the curb and my ankle bent outwards. That was some pain. After a couple of moments of gasping from the pain, I managed to return car, get them to drive me home, order Chinese food, and elevate iced foot for remainder of the night. I think it's just a level 1 sprain, because although it hurts a little when I bend it or put pressure on, it doesn't hurt when I'm just lying there and my swelling is not much. I can wiggle toes.

Todd brought over a tenser bandage, and I keep my foot elevated. We'll see if I can go to work tomorrow.

Williams Lake

Kris was here last weekend-we went up to Williams Lake together to see her dad. I don't know that it is a place that I would want to live. as Kris said time seems to move at a different pace there. 1 hour there equals 3 here. The space time continuum is not the same as here.
But it was good to go and support Kris. Her dad seems in great spirits and was very happy to spend time with her. I left on Tuesday at 330 am, to get here for an all day meeting at 9 am. There is no one on the road at that hour, other than truckers. And hallelujah that Tim Horton's was open as the housekeeper at the hotel did not replace the coffee in the room that morning.
Kris' dad has an enormous Newfoundland-160 pounds of fur, drool and love. Her dad has lost weight and also weighs 160 pounds.
Kris stayed up there until yesterday, then came here last evening, and left this am.
I have known her for over 30 years! She still talks on the phone as much as when we were young. I, however, do not.
Our house is decorated, except for the tree. We plan on getting it Sunday. Tonight we have a Christmas party to go to-the board I am on, and tomorrow we are hosting Richard's work Christmas party.

Bathroom reno

Our bathroom is done. Even though the carpenter was not in hospital it still took three months.

Days to remember

It wasn't until Geoff and I were driving back from Calgary and talking about our time in Victoria that we realized how truly awesome it all was. It was so great to see Anne, Sam and of course the man of the hour, Will. And Jude and Barb. And Jesse and Colleen. And Scott. Just having time to be together chatting without a lot of distractions was wonderful, never mind all the excitement.

I booked our hotel way back in September through Expedia, just picked one which seemed a little extra nice and in a good location, the Laurel Point Inn. As we were checking in the desk clerk told us that although there is usually a charge for parking, we were not to pay for parking, compliments of the general manager. It turns out the general manager is an Anglican priest! He works at the cathedral but his day job is managing the hotel. And of course he knows Will. Once we were in our (very nice) room we found a note from him along with some chocolates congratulating us. Jude also had a note in her room which had been upgraded. Why is an Anglican priest also a hotel manager? I don't know.
The thing is that Geoff is always so annoyed to have to pay for parking at hotels that he grumbles about it the whole time. Nothing to grumble about this time!

We were also so glad that Barb was able to be there. She has been stuck at home for a while but her doctor said she could come out for this. She and her friend Donna were staying not far from us. Barb and Will's friend Jeff were his presenters for the ordination.

We decided to walk from the hotel to the cathedral for the service but of course misjudged the time so were a bit late. But that meant that we were able to take in the sight of all those priests walking from the hall to the cathedral, which Anne caught on camera. It was an impressive sight.

We had a reserved pew at the front, which is also a whole other story I won't go into because my fingers are getting sore, but it was funny.

The service was awesome. In a cathedral with the organ and choir and all, I always feel the great history of the church behind everything. It is ancient and relevant at the same time.

Afterwards there was a very crowded reception in the hall (no sherry like at St. George's last time). Again we were told many times how great Will is. We chatted with people we had met in May and with some people from the new church. Even found someone with a pretty close connection to Rocky. We couldn't get close to Will in there, he was constantly surrounded. One lady said to him, "Where's your mom, I want to congratulate her," and Will replied that I was over there, the lady with the grey hair and black coat. The woman said, "that doesn't narrow it down much."

We were happy to see Grace's (and our) friend Scott at the cathedral. He was her proxy. It's kind of cool because his grandma and Barb knew each other when they were kids in Rocky.

But the night was not over yet. Will had booked a room in a pub for an after party so we adjourned there and continued celebrating. Even Barb came along. A large group of Will's friends from VST came over from Vancouver for the ordination and a couple of them were at the pub too. A very good time. Although Anne did say that she and Will would have to take to their rooms to be alone for a few days after all that visiting.

The next morning Will celebrated his first Eucharist at St. Luke's (they have a regular Eucharist on Thursday mornings.) We picked Barb up and went. We were glad to see Jesse and Colleen and their baby Madison there. Talked to Will's rector Peter, who kept saying how happy he was. We went over to Will's cottage for a while and visited with the Robertsons and Colleen's grandma as well. Then to Barb's hotel for lunch. It was all such a good time.

Geoff and I drove Jude and Sam to the airport Thursday night then we had Chinese takeout at Will's. Will said he couldn't even face the thought of the effort to go to a restaurant. He was pretty tired, it is all very intense. He had been at his pre-ordination retreat from Sat to Tues, then everyone arrived, then the ordination and all.

Flight back was fine, we stopped in Calgary to shop for a bit and now we are back to where there is a ton of snow and more falling all the time.

Yet Another Ordination

A passel of priests outside the Cathedral



After the ceremony:





In between conversations with parishioners who "just HAD to meet Will's family!!"







Bonus pic: Celebrating St. Andrew's Day with a new friend