Mary-Jo’s 2019 Christmas Letter

This is my second attempt at writing this – I started it, David asked me a question and I went to another application and didn’t save. It nearly put me off as I had decided not to write a note this year but changed my mind – I will give it one more try.

As usual I have my Christmas shopping done and I seem to have trained Adam as my mom trained me as he informs me that their shopping is done as well. I will admit that I did more of it online but that is mainly due to 1) laziness and 2) the fact that stores seem to be keeping less in stock. I ordered some stuff from the Bay (our big department store) and got things sent from Bay stores in P.E.I., New Brunswick and Manitoba as well as Ontario. It’s not just Canada because I also order things from Macy’s in the US and I have received shipment notices from at least 4 different states.

The Christmas lights are up (thank you David) but with a change this year. When we first moved in we put light on the three spruce trees grouped together out back. Then as they grew changed it to putting it on two trees as we couldn’t get to the third and this year one is so tall that even up a ladder with a 18′ pole David couldn’t reach the top. So one spruce got lights and a mountain ash also in the back got the second set of lights. The front is also lit but we had to wait for the early snow to melt so David could get out on the roof to put them up.

Inside decorating will start next week with the tree being done when Adam, Victoria and Travis come down next weekend to help and to make cookies. I do have the Christmas cake made (but not iced).I have been making this cake since I was in Australia for Christmas 48 years ago and we were all homesick. It’s from a recipe in the Australian Woman’s Weekly.

We are still in the same house, no moving plans, but have to do some renovations in the next year of two. Carpets need to be replaced and a couple of bathrooms updated. I say this every year but will have to get to it soon. We are still enjoying the garden (thank you for the good care you take of it David) and spent a lot of time out on the deck this summer. Now that the colder weather is here we are enjoying the birds coming to the bird feeders. We have blue jays (they are really big compared to the other birds), cardinals (male and female), sparrows, chickadees, juncos, finches (several kinds) and woodpeckers as frequent visitors. We had one afternoon with no birds for several hours but that may have been due to the hawk which paid us a visit. I haven’t seen as many squirrels this year but they may come as winter progresses.

Adam continues to live about 30 miles away and is working for the same company. His divorce from Dana was finalized and this summer Victoria and Travis (plus two cats) moved in with him after Travis finished school. David and I spent the spring helping change the living area into a foyer and bedroom. There is also a small dining space. What used to be the dining room is now the living area. It was a lot of work. Victoria left her job in Kitchener and is now working closer to them. Travis seems to have settled well into his new school and has joined the local cub pack. They have also added a golden retriever puppy to the family. Adam had a health scare this fall as he was bleeding internally. He spent a week in the hospital. It cleared up and extensive tests were unable to find the cause so we just have to hope it doesn’t occur again.

Anna is still working at the local Metro (supermarket). She is still in the floral department and loves working with the flowers. Millie her cat is still her devoted companion. I love the way we never hear from Millie while Anna is out at work but the minute Millie hears her voice when she comes home she begins to meow for attention. Unfortunately Millie hasn’t managed to lose weight (but then neither have I) so is still a very large cat.

Clare’s Addison’s disease remains under control with a shot a month and two pills a day. We did have a scare with her limping and the vet thought it might be cancer with a growth on her leg. After a biopsy it proved not to be cancerous after all and she seems to be ok. They don’t know what it was – it seems to be the year for that.

I did Victoria’s genealogy this year and on her grandmother’s side the family has been in Canada since the 1600’s. I was fascinated – never knew anyone who could trace their roots in Canada back that far. They came from France at a time when there were about 500 people in Montreal and one of her ancestors was kidnapped by the Indians and never seen again. I also found out she is very distantly related to Trudeau. I don’t have anything that interesting in my history.

We did have two occasions with David’s family this year. We had the bbq in our backyard at the start of the summer and then David’s great nephew Mitch (oh I feel old saying that) married Brooke on a lovely day in the park in Kitchener in September. There are lots of pictures from both here.

Unfortunately we lost two of David’s sisters this year. Both were quite a bit older than him. Norma passed away in the spring in France after a short battle with cancer and Sylvia passed away in Switzerland this past week after a lengthy battle with cancer. We also lost my cousins’ wife Pat in the spring after coping several years with Alzheimer’s disease. As we get older this seems to be happening with increasing frequency.

This past month I had something unusual happen with the car. I went to pick Anna up from work and when I started the car to come home all sorts of warning lights started flashing – the check engine light came on, the cruise control and the four wheel drive. I crept home and phoned the service department the next day. They said it was probably the sensor and to drive it and it would correct itself after 40 drives. As I was driving out of town in two days I wasn’t happy with this and took it in to get checked. They checked and said yes there was a problem and I needed a part – the bill would be $1300 and it wasn’t covered by warranty. The part would take two weeks to come in. I wasn’t happy but what could one do. It was due to go in next Tuesday. Last Sunday the warning lights all went out and have been off since so called again and we cancelled everything. So not sure why they said I needed this expensive part. Another example for our year of things either not being answered or not being what they seemed.

David has continued to take wonderful photographs of both the birds in the backyard, the garden and things around Oakville. He has also been continuing to work on video editing. He spends a lot of time on his computer working on improving his websites while learning how to use new software that he has purchased. I think he finds it both frustrating and satisfying (sometimes at the same time).

We didn’t go away on holiday last year but hope to go south for a break this winter. Winters are so grey here I need my dose of sunshine – to say nothing of being waited on and enjoying good food I haven’t had to cook myself.

We will be having two Christmas celebrations this year. Travis will be coming for a visit after school ends and spending a couple of days, then Adam and Victoria coming to pick him up and celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day David’s sister Gloria and niece Carolyn will be coming for dinner. I probably won’t eat for a week after all that.

As usual David has added photos from our lives in other posts on this website so take a look around while you’re here.

Life to some degree has evolved into same old same old and we soldier on. Hope everyone in your families are well. Have a wonderful Christmas and all the best in the New Year!