Christmas letter 2014

7 Marcel Street

Lakeville, Westmorland, Co, NB

E1H 1G6

December, 2014

Dear Friends and Family,

It is time, once again, to wish you Merry Christmas and greetings of the season. Christmases come more often nowadays, don’t they?

I am in the throes, once again, of knitting, crocheting, baking and shopping. I am sticking to my resolution to spend less this year, which means, make more. I do enjoy the making, thankfully. I am looking forward, once again, to enjoying Christmas dinner at Mom’s apartment. Her place is different, but her furnishings and menu are much the same as they have been for many years. To help her in the kitchen this year will be me, Pat, Julie and Caroline. Hopefully she will relax enough to enjoy her time with her grandchildren and her great-granddaughter; and, of course, her children. My contribution, I am told, is turnips. Julie’s is the cranberry sauce, and I might get to enjoy, for the first time, one of her cheesecakes for which she is famous. We shall see. Mom, at 92, insists she can do the rest. We are blest!

Bill started off 2014 in Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. He and some golfing buddies left on Boxing Day and returned after New Year’s Day. He said he wouldn’t do it at that time of year again, but, it wasn’t bad.  He took the next few months easy and started working at the golf course in May, until October. About the time he left Lakeside, he started working at the Georges Dumont Hospital for the Corps of Commissionaires. He’s thinking of joining Petitcodiac Golf Course this spring, for a change.

I started off 2014 by resigning my job at the bakery. I love being a homebody, as long as I don’t hit the malls and bookstores too often. High on my winter/spring priority list was the completion of my Holmes family history compilation. It was written, printed and handed out,  with a big sigh of relief, at the Holmes Family Gathering in 2014. Forty-six Holmes family members and guests celebrated, in the Moncton/Petitcodiac area, the 200^th birthdays of Daniel and Charlotte Holmes, whose birthdays were, as far as we can ascertain, in 2014. Daniel and Charlotte were my great-great grandparents. Activities at the reunion were fun and new friendships with distant cousins were made and several cousins have kept in contact since.

A couple of days before the reunion, Erin arrived at the Moncton train station! My most special guest! Bill and I hadn’t seen her for almost five years, although Julie spent last Christmas with her in Taiwan. She stayed around for a couple of months, although she visited friends in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Florida during that time. She is now back in Taiwan, settling down with a new apartment and job in Taipei, and pursuing some filming experience in her spare time. She will now be teaching ESL to adults rather than children, and is expected to study the Chinese language. She has her work cut out for her, I’d say.

Julie continues as Nature Conservancy Canada’s representative in Prince Edward Island – a challenging job that keeps her very busy. We usually see her when she drops in while going to meetings in Fredericton.  She is a member of the Charlottetown Rotary Club and keeps busy with them in her spare time. She is still on call to make cheesecakes! She spent much of her vacation hiking in Ontario this summer.

Toller has had some visits to Dr. Cook this year, but, at thirteen, is doing pretty well, especially when it involves his old yellow ball and his new blue ball. He’s deaf now and going blind, but his sniffer still works fine. He journeyed to Verna’s in Long Island with Bill and me in November, and was an excellent traveler. Elsa stayed next door with my neighbour, Jeanne, and I don’t think she was in any hurry to come home. They will welcome Julie’s white kitty, Luna, for Christmas. There should be some shenanigans around the Christmas tree this year. As it is time to retire the tree, I’ll not worry about it, but maybe I’ll leave the precious vintage ornaments off this year.

And Mom is fine! Still goes out whenever anybody invites her, cooks for church suppers, and loves it when Paul and Pat et al come home for a visit.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful 2015.

“God bless us everyone.” ~ Tiny Tim

Love,

Peg and Bill