THE STRANGE BIRD.

DAD JUST HAPPENED TO GLANCE OUT THE BEDROOM WINDOW

AND SAW THIS BIRD KNOCKING TO GET IN ACROSS AT OUR NEIGHBPOR'S.

Busy day today with church, Vinyl Cafe taping in town with Carol and Panteli and pot luch supper tonight with our book club.

I made a mess of the Christmas letter as I was trying to do it all in ine day and sent out a very messy letter so I am glad to just forget it all today.

Maybe I am just as strange as this bird! One thing is good that dad and I can laugh at the silly mistakes we are always doing.

Good luck Rick on entering your Masters.

I HAVE BEEN TOLD I AM MY WORST ENEMY

It would really help my back pain, this is upper back that sometimes goes into the chest, if I rest more. Yesterday I had no time to rest before I went visiting at the Nursing Home. Today I will walk over to see Janet and then I have a Christmas luncheon. To-morrow we are thinking of going to Ben,s soccer game at 12. I enjoy my walks with my friends and I want to keep doing things. The trouble is once the pain gets real bad nothing helps.

I tried to get into see my doctor but it will be three weeks. But I am determined to get something that will take away the pain like you had Ken, Celebrix or something, even for the month of December. I may just go over to the old doctor at the clinic which annoys my family doctor but his receptionist does not seem helpful and I feel like I am on the crank list.

I made dad phone his doctor and he got in within three days, he phoned Thrusday and the dddoctor was off Friday soo he got in Monday. Dad is till having pain in his lip, shoulder, and knees. But he takes something and it does help.

I have been told that the pain shows on my face. The best thing to do is lie flat down because sitting does not help.

Kim and Mike dropped by last night and dad sure loves a visit. He loves telling his stories and he really enjoys himself.

My Christmas letter was not really done right and the right pictures were not put on. Dad does the pictures. I was just going to draft it and change it.

I actually came home and tried to get it off and when I turned the computer on it came on again.

Yes, I am going to get some more help and I will try to rest.

Melina I thought you looked very lovely in your picture and of course Matthew is darling. We love gettig your pictures.

I love the morning time because I wake up feeling good so that is a lot to be thankful for.

Hockey Game

JUST BEFOR THE GAME STARTED

The score is tied 2 2 between Calgary and Van. Kim and Mike just left so I 'll write tomorrow. This is grampa - the Canucks lost 3-2 - but it was a good game. Had a nice visit with Mike and Kimberly - she says I'm always telling people to read my stories out loud - well i like listening to my stories, if they are funny that is. It has been raining all day today - went for a walk (this is still grampa) got all tuckered out and came home.

MORGAN ABOUT TO POUNCE

A FAMILY DAY AT THE SOCCER GAME

CHRISTMAS 2008

This was an uncomplete and unedited version that was not suppose to be published.

It all began at Creation when LOVE brought beauty out of all the chaos and a great mysterious hand shaped the universe and the world into existence. Love brought unity into the dysfunction caused by the great burst of unformed energy.

This love was darkened by the evil that grew out of disagreements and selfishness and greed that thrived on power and corruption. The heart of the Creator was saddened and He sent into this world s child, a child of grace, a child of wisdom and compassion to teach the teachable the compassion of love. Some how each one of us has a purpose to fulfill in our lifetime.

Larry and I have been surrounded by the love of our family and the love of the unseen reality that created and sustains our existence. We have grown closer together. and we appreciate our family that can discuss and argue and laugh together.

This year we welcomed baby Matthew, son of Melina and Ken, brother to Jessie, Hobey , Brittany and Tyler. We were thrilled.

Our daughter Sandra and her husband Randy are in Australia visiting them. We wished we were there. We sure do miss them but hope to see them this summer.

Each of our children and our grandchildren and our great grandchildren have been a miracle and their lives bless us each day, Now the grandchildren have boyfriends and Theresa and Mikie are married and started their own family with Ben 5 , and Morgan 2. These little arms give us the most amazing hugs..

Yes, we now have more aches and pains; especially Larry who has a lot of old injuries come back to haunt him; but he would probably say the joy he had in playing hockey was worth his discomfort now. He has conquered his prostate cancer after having hormone treatment [hot flushes and all] and radiation. He has a nasty bit on his lip now but he is being treated with better care now.It would be wonderful to say that we sailed through this on the top of the world but in reality there have been days when one of us felt down and discouraged. We have found it is harder to see someone you love suffer than bearing your own pain.

I am able to go for my long walks and both Larry and I do our visiting with the elderly. I am having back pain that hopefully will go away one of these days. The back rubs from Larry are excellent!

It is harder to get enthusiastic about writing cards and planning Christmas activities. At this stage I do not know if I will be able to attend some of our Christmas parties.

We are looking forward to having Brittany and her boyfriend Byran come from Australia for Christmas. We will have Christmas dinner at Carol and Panteli’s house, and Christmas morning a brunch at our house before Brittany and Byran leave at 2 o’clock.
We will miss Rick and Ranu and Lucas ; Ken and Melina and family, and Stephan and Shawna in Edmonton , and brother Cameron in Edmonton. Rick is working in Fort McMuray challenging the Oil companies, and Leah Rick’s oldest daughter, has resumed her nursing course and lives near by in Burnaby. Chris has a good steady job and a lovely girlfriend Belinda.

Kim and Mary, and boyfriends Mike, and Michael John , are upgrading careers, and going to college. They are all very adventuresome!

We had wonderful trips to Chilliwack to see Ben play scoccer and Morgan do her ballet lessons and have a visit with Mikey too. Sadly Mikey has hurt his back and hip and will be off work for a month. Oliver should be joining us to go to Coast Guard School. in Van.

We had a lovely week end at Harrison Hot Springs that are family treated us to.

When we travel to Vancouver we always drive down to the Sylvia Hotel, a Vancouver Historic place, and sitting by the window or out on the balcony we have a great view of the ocean and all the boats coming and going. We also see all the people strolling by and we feel like we are on a holiday.

We look back at all our happy memories and our hearts are overflowing with thankfulness. I have found a place within myself, which I call me and God] where I go to feel His amazing and unconditional LOVE!

JANE AND I

I have been richly blessed to have such a good friend as Jane.
We had another walk today and sharing our concerns lightens both our burdens.

SANDRA AND RANDY

FROM OUR BEDROOM WINDOW - IT IS A BEAUTIFUL WORLD

We had a beautiful sunset to end our day. Carol spent the morning with us addressing cards but would you believe it I could not find Shawna and Stephen's address. She listened to our woes
that really are not woes but just feeling ; for me, this strange underlying sadness.

Much better now. Christmas Eve dinner at Carols and Sunday brunch at our house if you are here.

WHERE HAS THE HOLINESS GONE FROM CHRISTMAS?

THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
EVEN IF THERE IS TRAFFIC

Christmas is work and stress and dressing up and Santa Clause and what present can I give and what food should I make. Where is Jesus? We have forgotten to ask him to the party? Where is the Hush of Holiness that comes to the empty soul and fills it with indescribable beauty.

How can a small child, a tiny baby, born so long ago bring to us the awe of the angels who sang from heaven, the humble adoration of shepherds in simple robes, the humility of kings who knelt before this wee little babe.

Did they know, really know, this child would bring the very holiness of God not to the church but to the mountain side, to the seashore, to the roads he walked upon, to the places he visited the homes of the outcasts and sinners.

The priests came to mock and criticize and called him a tool of Satan. Yet, his very word cast out evil from unstable minds and brought peace to their souls.

I have no desire to write Christmas cards or even to buy presents. How can we celebrate when the insanity of war carries on; leaving young people scared or dead. Families mourn and cannot find comfort. Homeless people are everywhere and all politicans do is talk.

My 100 year old friend at the Newton Regency may have to leave. She is too old and too tired and too confused to be moved again. The government makes these decisions and ordinary people are helpless. Will she be there when I go on Thrusday I don't know. I have walked into rooms where people are dying but there was peace and yes that holiness of angels; but to walk into an empty room and not know where the person has gone is uterly heartbreaking.

We have all these great univercity trained people who are suppose to run our cities, our hospitals our schools, our churches and they have no compassion.

Yes, we have sent our box away filled with goodies for a child in a far off country, yes we meet next week to make gift baskets for poor and we out a lot of love into this making them very beautiful, and we will buy a meal for a homeless person one or more, and we make our hampers and we give to the foodbank and this is all apart of our church activities.

Maybe this is the holiness that comes in serving and giving and caring.

Carol has just phoned to get addresses and I spent last night searching for Stephan's address because I had a special card for him. I just gave Sandra his address and now I cannot find it. I feel like I am going crazy.

I will beg the doctor to give me something to take away the pain just while we go through Christmas. I have a ladies get together on Friday and a party this Sunday night but it is no fun when all you want to do is go home and crawl into bed and rest.

0000000So guys cheer me up!

The good news is that dad and I have agreed where to put the Christmas Tree by the hole in the wall so you can see it in both rooms. I want a resonable small tree and dad is going for bigger!