Volume III, Number IV: 2013
The Silver Anniversary Edition
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
For the first time in about a decade, we have a real Christmas tree this year. When we were first married, if we had a tree at all, it tended to have a distinct Charlie Brown Christmas tree look and feel to it. But this is a celebratory year. We marked our 25th Anniversary in October.
We're grateful for where we find ourselves at this juncture. Loving family, faithful friends, rich religious reflection, rewarding work, and the opportunity to learn new stuff and see new places. Life is good on our planet.
We're also excited by the promise and prospects of the new year. Both of us shy away from resolutions but there are things we are working on, together. We're making some modest changes in an effort to take better care of ourselves.
There are certain aspects of time management that remain a mystery to us too. Apparently, Christmas comes every year and, if you are going to write a Christmas letter, you should not be surprised by the annual deadline.
In contrast to many of you, we rarely hit it. Our friend Kevin quipped in his card that he would check the site up to Christmas day in the hope that a TaylorGram might appear. Then there are Warren and Viv. Their jointly penned Christmas letter is often the first sign that it 'tis the season again. Day after day, the cards and letters arrive - from Northern Ireland, all parts of Canada and - coincidentally enough - some of the warmer bits of the US. Arizona. California. Hawaii.
We read them all, enjoy and add the photos to a display in the living room ... and, and, and ... still struggle to get ours out on time. Or at all. We are grateful for your continued diligence. Your cards and letters are still a great way to get caught up. Thank you.
We're grateful for where we find ourselves at this juncture. Loving family, faithful friends, rich religious reflection, rewarding work, and the opportunity to learn new stuff and see new places. Life is good on our planet.
We're also excited by the promise and prospects of the new year. Both of us shy away from resolutions but there are things we are working on, together. We're making some modest changes in an effort to take better care of ourselves.
There are certain aspects of time management that remain a mystery to us too. Apparently, Christmas comes every year and, if you are going to write a Christmas letter, you should not be surprised by the annual deadline.
In contrast to many of you, we rarely hit it. Our friend Kevin quipped in his card that he would check the site up to Christmas day in the hope that a TaylorGram might appear. Then there are Warren and Viv. Their jointly penned Christmas letter is often the first sign that it 'tis the season again. Day after day, the cards and letters arrive - from Northern Ireland, all parts of Canada and - coincidentally enough - some of the warmer bits of the US. Arizona. California. Hawaii.
We read them all, enjoy and add the photos to a display in the living room ... and, and, and ... still struggle to get ours out on time. Or at all. We are grateful for your continued diligence. Your cards and letters are still a great way to get caught up. Thank you.
A NEW CAT THAT LOOKS LIKE THE OLD CAT
RumpleteaZer (1995-2013) |
MUNGOJERRIE (2013- ) |
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We said goodbye to an old friend this year. Age began to catch up with Rumples earlier this year and, by the end of October, it was time to shuffle off to the Heaviside Layer. Before too long, Elaine found herself at Animal Services looking at rescue cats. And there was this kitten ... and then ... and then....
Mungojerrie - Jerri for everyday - bears a striking resemblance to Rumples in both looks and personality to Rumples. She and Jennyanydots - Jenny - are still trying to figure each other out. Lots of sniffing, but a good deal less hissing than when they first met. We'll take our wins where we can get them. If the naming of the cats strikes you as odd, the Internets have prepared a video primer on the oringinal pairing of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer by t.s. elliot and set to music in Cats. |
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SHORT TAKES ON THE YEAR THAT WAS
A July trip to Manitoba gave us a chance to catch up with family on both sides of the family.
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WILLIE's 80th BIRTHDAYWe gathered in Bird's Hill in July to celebrate mom's 80th. A pair of mom's brothers were able to be there, as were Dave's family - including his granddaughter which, if you do the math, makes her mom and dad's first great grandchild. There is early word that there are more on the way in 2014.
DAVE'S RETIREMENTWe were also able to raise a toast to Dave's 30+ year career as an independent school educator, administrator and principal. During his tenure, what began as an elementary and junior high grew to include a high school.
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We caught up with the Taylors and Winnipeg friends too - and made a run for Lockport for a Skinner's hot dog (a particular favorite when we were dating).
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Paul's mom and dad were among our visitors this year. Their friends here were are eager coconspirators in pulling an early 80th birthday surprise for mom.
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We joined a new church this year and had the chance to host a couple of youth events at our place. Good people. And a lot of fun. Things look a tad more conventional than this on Sunday mornings.
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Hey Pretty Girl. Elaine and Twitter friend Jessica at a Kip Moore concert in Clark County, WA. They are both hashtag wielding ... ahem ... #kipchicks.
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We hosted 30 people for our annual Easter Sunday dinner this year. We also hosted a number of birthday parties plus a high school graduation over the summer. The neighbors have not complained (yet) but a guy who lives down the street greeted us one day by saying, "Oh, you're the party people."
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ROMA 2013: THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOUROK. As they say in the business. we may have buried our lede.
We headed to the eternal city to celebrate our 25th Anniversary in October, along with a western mediterranean cruise. Best. Vacation. Ever. Elaine has been curating the 3,000 photos she took during our two week adventure and pared them down in a number of photo galleries that add up to a photographic tour. |
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NUTTIER THAN A FRUIT CAKE: THE GREAT AMERICAN-CANADIAN DIVIDE
This time of year reveals a sharp divide between Americans and Canadians. At issue: fruitcake. Our American brethren are openly derisive of this baked Yuletide treat, victims of a conventional wisdom that fruit cake is so bad that nobody actually eats it. Take the old canard, "There’s only one fruitcake in the world that gets passed from family to family."
We are generally get along, go along kind of people but - at the risk of getting all Churchillian - as proud members of the Canadian diaspora, it is the type of arrant baked-in bias up with which we will not put.
The sad truth is that most of our American friends have only eaten mass produced fruitcake made with lousy ingredients, been frozen, shipped long distances and left to languish on store shelves until purchased as a gag gift for the office holiday party.
The situation is so dire that family members in Canada smuggle real Christmas cake to us almost every year. After sister Suzie had a cake confiscated by airport security a few years ago - screeners contended that the density of the fruit cake was indistinguishable from that of plastique explosive - our unindicted coconspirators had no choice but to send it through the mail. Thanks mom!
We may be nuttier than a fruit cake ourselves but smuggled fruitcake is just one more thing that reminds us how sweet we've got it.
Thanks for staying in touch across the miles and over the years.
Merry Christmas and all the very best in 2014.
- Paul and Elaine
We are generally get along, go along kind of people but - at the risk of getting all Churchillian - as proud members of the Canadian diaspora, it is the type of arrant baked-in bias up with which we will not put.
The sad truth is that most of our American friends have only eaten mass produced fruitcake made with lousy ingredients, been frozen, shipped long distances and left to languish on store shelves until purchased as a gag gift for the office holiday party.
The situation is so dire that family members in Canada smuggle real Christmas cake to us almost every year. After sister Suzie had a cake confiscated by airport security a few years ago - screeners contended that the density of the fruit cake was indistinguishable from that of plastique explosive - our unindicted coconspirators had no choice but to send it through the mail. Thanks mom!
We may be nuttier than a fruit cake ourselves but smuggled fruitcake is just one more thing that reminds us how sweet we've got it.
Thanks for staying in touch across the miles and over the years.
Merry Christmas and all the very best in 2014.
- Paul and Elaine