Our Christmas 2022

We had a very nice Christmas this year. J and I managed to stay healthy the entire time. Unfortunately, A flew home from school (on the 17th) while feeling really sick. He was sick until about Christmas Eve. Here's our tree 

We received lots of cards this year. Probably the most we've ever received.

We have 24 cards as of Dec 31st. We sent out 58.

We did turkey this year. Last year we had prime rib and it wasn't a hit. I wrote a note to myself to do turkey this Christmas. J wanted to try roasting turkey with bacon on top. It was a hit.

My table centre came from Costco.

My main gift was a potting bench which arrived disassembled. That doesn't photograph well! Once it is assembled, I'll post a photo on Instagram. I also got a shepherd and a camel for my nativity set.

J got a "great coat" from me. He had to buy it for himself since he had to try it on. He also received baclava (the Greek food). 

A got some flannel shirts, a dressier shirt in his favourite colour (mint green), a portable charger for his phone, a 5 year diary, a movie Blu Ray, storage for his digital files, and a new boomerang.

A also got a funny gift from C. C put a loaf of bread, peanut butter and a bag of apples in a box. Those are A's favourite lunch supplies.

C received a Bible, some t shirts that reflect his interests (cars and hiking), a book, a poster from a movie he likes, a 5 year diary, and some hiking themed fun socks.

The boys received a Lego car which they put together on Christmas Day. They have't received Lego for many years.

The main family activity we did was going to see the lights at Evergreen Church.

It keeps getting better and better each year.  They have free cookies (2 kinds), hot drinks for sale, a model train set up, volunteers everywhere willing to take photos, an amazing music and light show, light tunnels, and fake snow. Inside one building they had this nativity inflatable.

The night we went to Evergreen was so cold! A even wore pants as you can see in the photo at the top. 

C, A, and I put together a Christmas themed jigsaw puzzle. 

I revived a tradition this year. There is a man at our church who was widowed about 10 years ago. I started bringing him a selection of cookies after his wife died. He wasn't at in person church for the last 2 years. Since he has returned I made up a box of cookies for him and gave it to him on December 18th. It was very much appreciated. 

Christmas Day was busy this year. We are on "set up" for December at church. We had church service and then tear down. C's friend (and his younger brother) came over as part of a scavenger hunt that is a tradition in his family. 

That's B in the green, directing his brother

We had K spray fake snow on C's 2nd story window 

and J had the boys create some smoke bombs in the backyard. 

We ate our turkey dinner at about 5 pm. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing/dressing, and cranberry sauce.

We had chocolate mousse from Costco for dessert.

I'm always a little frustrated at how quickly the special meal is consumed. My boys eat fast and so does my husband. We always do Christmas crackers and wear the paper hats. I didn't get a photo of that. A fell asleep after dinner. Once he woke up we took a family photo. 

I'm so thankful to be together as a family. Some people's flights were cancelled and their Christmas plans were derailed. My friend's family was supposed to come from Texas but their flight was cancelled and they didn't come. I also know of a family trying to get back to the Seattle area and they were literally stuck at the Chicago airport on Christmas Day!

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Reunited

We were finally able to go back to Canada, all 4 of us. This fall the Canadian government dropped the vaxx requirement for entry into Canada and also A was home from college for Christmas break.

We left on Boxing Day aka the day after Christmas. My car was in the shop so I convinced J to rent a car for us. The Jeep is just not comfortable enough for the journey and too high off the ground for my mom to get into. 

We had to pick up the rental car in Bellingham since no cars were available near our home. We left the jeep in the economy parking lot at the Bellingham airport. Unfortunately, C locked the keys in the Jeep. We rented a Toyota Camry which served us well. 

We had over an hour wait at the border. We worked hard to keep our spirits up during the wait. Once we got to the agent, she said I have passports for only 3 people, where is yours? Oh my! I was driving and my face probably went white! J now has 2 passports since he became a US citizen. At home I grabbed 4 passports not knowing that 2 of them were J's. I presented my drivers license and my green card and thankfully I was let in to Canada.

We got stuck in terrible traffic in Tsawwassen since crowds were headed to the mall for Boxing Day sales. We made the 3 pm ferry. We hadn't eaten lunch so we ate on the boat. 

It was dark when we arrived in Victoria and drove straight to my parents' building. They were amazed to see how the boys have become young men and grown so tall. We weren't sure if J and the boys would be able to get into my parents' building. Technically, proof of vaxx is required since there are assisted living residents in the same building and BC still requires that. Thankfully they were never prohibited from getting in. 

We found some food from Thrifty's (grocery store) to warm up for a late supper and went to our bed and breakfast. Marketa's on Superior Street. C appreciated the historic home. This was our bed.

The boys had their own room for the first time. They also had separate beds. On Tuesday after Marketa's delicious breakfast we walked to see the amateur gingerbread creations at Parkside Hotel. On the way I noticed this government building. Now that King Charles II is on the throne, the building isn't called the Queen's Printer anymore.

The atmosphere inside the Parkside Hotel was lovely. So warm and moist. I think my mom would enjoy going in that building in the winter. It reminded me of the Devonian Garden in Calgary.

The theme for the gingerbread showcase was magic. My favourite (and the one I voted for) was the one which recreated the house from The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I chose it because it represented something from a book written by a Christian.

One amazing creation was the Pegacorn which is a combination of a pegasus (a flying horse) and a unicorn. The wings were hand cut.

Here are some more examples.

I liked the detail on this one.

Next we walked to the parliament buildings. 

The building wasn't open that day. 

C is always willing to take photos for me. 

We drove along Dallas road which has the best views in Victoria

We had lunch at The Taste near my parents' building. Their soup was red pepper and yam. C and I both liked that. I did some tasks for my parents in the afternoon (including a trip to Walmart) and gave them the gifts I had brought up for them. J and the boys finished 4 jigsaw puzzles that day. They hung out in Lounge 6 where they could have more space. My parents' apartment is quite snug. 

We went to the White Spot for dinner with my dad. The wait for the food was terrible and the waitress got snippy when we asked where our food was. "It's only been 12 minutes" was her reply! The food was good at least.

On Wednesday morning we explored the famous Empress Hotel.

Here is the lobby

I took this photo near the new restaurant. Note the painting of Queen Victoria in the background.

We enjoyed the historical photos and artifacts they have displayed. You have to go the basement to find the best photos. I found this one fascinating. I didn't know there were black out rules in Victoria during WW II.

Next we went to Hillside Mall.  Jonathan enjoyed the hobby store and had a fun conversation with the owner. We ate in the food court. Again in the afternoon I did things for my parents including cutting my dad's hair. J checked into our hotel for our 3rd night - The Oak Bay Beach Hotel. Our room was on the ground floor with this amazing view.

We had dinner at the Oak Bay (with all 6 of us) which was another misadventure. Typically when I visit my parents we go to dinner at the Snug Pub. Unfortunately, it is age restricted so when the boys came in the waitress asked them for ID. You have to be 19 to eat in there. C is currently 17. We didn't know what to do since finding another place was out of the question. When another waitress came along and asked how I was, I said not good and explained the situation. She said let me check on the dining room. She came back and said she could get us a table there in 10 minutes. We all moved into the dining room. It is usually much quieter and easier to have conversations but there was a VERY loud woman drinking a lot of wine and talking very loudly at the next table. At least she was amusing.

The menu was a disappointment. Last time we were there (in September) I had salmon and my mom had roast chicken. Neither of those items were on the menu. We ordered four plates of fish and chips for the six of us. I thought that was quite funny to have fish and chips in such an elegant location. 

Desserts really matter to my parents. Mom had white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry and cranberry which she shared with me. Dad had a chocolate cake that he shared with C.

We took the very important group photo (at the top) plus some more photos

We drove my parents back to their apartment and said our goodbyes. It was after 9 pm when we dropped them off. We picked them up at 6 pm. I wasn't able to use the hot tub at our hotel since it closes at 10 pm.

This was the early morning view from the room.

Thursday morning we left without eating breakfast and got on the 10 am ferry. A funny thing happened at the Swartz Bay little cafeteria. I had a hot tea and a little carton of milk ready to pay. The man at the cash said "are you buying that milk for your tea?" I said yes. He said you can put that back. There is a dispenser for both milk and cream over there. That was so nice!

We had another one hour wait at the border. No problem getting in. The US border agent apologized for me not being sent a new green card!

We met the AAA guy at the Bellingham airport and he unlocked the Jeep. We returned our rental car and drove home.

I'm so thankful that we were able to be reunited with my parents. My boys are different people from when they saw them last. I'm grateful to have both of my parents alive. Many people I know (who are my age) have parents with dementia or don't have parents alive. 

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Top 8 Books of 2022

These are my favourite reads of 2022. I read a total of  28 books this past year. Slightly less than last year's total of 29. I tend to read almost all books in audio format now. I enjoy listening to books while driving, sewing, or working in the kitchen. 

I listen to a podcast called The Literary Life. They go through lots of books (usually classics) and I read along. I'm also in a book club so I have plenty of ideas of what to read. I also preview books that I might like to give to my mom. Some books I only skim. I don't record those.

Here's my list in no particular order. I usually do a top 10 list but I think this year's is only 8 books. 

1. When Christmas Comes by Andrew Klavan. From book club

This book drew me in quickly. It is a mystery. I was pleased to find out that more books are coming featuring the main character who acts as an amateur detective. 

Summary from goodreads.com:

    Colorful Christmas lights dapple the family homes in the idyllic lakeside town of Sweet Haven when Jennifer Dean, a young librarian at the local elementary school, is brutally murdered. There are witnesses and her boyfriend Travis Blake confesses to the crime… but something doesn’t quite add up. Blake is a third generation Army Ranger, awarded the Silver Star for his heroism in Afghanistan—how could a beloved son of this tight-knit burgh commit such a grisly deed?

2. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. From book club

I've read three books by this same author. His specialty is historical fiction. Such well developed characters.

Summary from Amazon:

    In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother, Billy, and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden's car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction—to the City of New York. Spanning just ten days and told from multiple points of view, Towles's third novel will satisfy fans of his multi-layered literary styling while providing them an array of new and richly imagined settings, characters, and themes. 

3. Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. From the Literary Life podcast

From Goodreads.com, a summary:

    For more than a century, The Wind in the Willows and its endearing protagonists—Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and, of course, the incorrigible Toad—have enchanted children of all ages. Whether the four friends are setting forth on an exciting adventure, engaging in a comic caper, or simply relaxing by the River Thames, their stories will surprise and captivate you.

4. Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell. From book club

I learned so much about Clementine Churchill. They had a fascinating relationship. She wasn't a good mother as many of that time in that social stratus.

Again, the summary from Amazon:

Late in life, Winston Churchill claimed that victory in the Second World War would have been “impossible” without the woman who stood by his side for fifty-seven turbulent years. Why, then, do we know so little about her? In this landmark biography, a finalist for the Plutarch prize, Sonia Purnell finally gives Clementine Churchill her due.

Born into impecunious aristocracy, the young Clementine Hozier was the target of cruel snobbery. Many wondered why Winston married her, when the prime minister’s daughter was desperate for his attention. Yet their marriage proved to be an exceptional partnership. "You know,"Winston confided to FDR, "I tell Clemmie everything."
 
Through the ups and downs of his tumultuous career, in the tense days when he stood against Chamberlain and the many months when he helped inspire his fellow countrymen and women to keep strong and carry on, Clementine made her husband’s career her mission, at the expense of her family, her health and, fatefully, of her children. Any real consideration of Winston Churchill is incomplete without an understanding of their relationship. Clementine is both the first real biography of this remarkable woman and a fascinating look inside their private world.

5. Live Not By Lies by Rod Dreher. My own choice.

Mr. Dreher interviewed many people who escaped Communist Soviet Block countries. This book is a warning that once you "live by lies" you accept tyranny. Many people today are living by lies.

Here is the summary from Amazon:

    In Live Not By Lies, Dreher amplifies the alarm sounded by the brave men and women who fought totalitarianism. He explains how the totalitarianism facing us today is based less on overt violence and more on psychological manipulation. He tells the stories of modern-day dissidents--clergy, laity, martyrs, and confessors from the Soviet Union and the captive nations of Europe--who offer practical advice for how to identify and resist totalitarianism in our time. Following the model offered by a prophetic World War II-era pastor who prepared believers in his Eastern European to endure the coming of communism, Live Not By Lies teaches American Christians a method for resistance:

  •  SEE: Acknowledge the reality of the situation.
  •  JUDGE: Assess reality in the light of what we as Christians know to be true.
  •  ACT: Take action to protect truth.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn famously said that one of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming totalitarianism can't happen in their country. Many American Christians are making that mistake today, sleepwalking through the erosion of our freedoms. Live Not By Lies will wake them and equip them for the long resistance.

6. Hard Times by Charles Dickens from Literary Life podcast

Here's the summary from Amazon:

    Set in the fictitious Coketown, “Hard Times” is a critical examination of the poor working conditions in many English factory towns of the time as well as the changing nature of the aristocracy and the working-class in the second half of the 19th century. The novel centers on the lives of Thomas Gradgrind, senior, the superintendent of the local school, his children, Louisa and Thomas, junior, and Sissy Jupe, a free-spirited circus girl who struggles to fit in as a student under the rigidly utilitarian instruction of the Gradgrind school. Through the lives of Gradgrind’s children, Dickens’s seeks to criticize the failure of excessively utilitarian philosophy which was so prevalent during his time. As Louisa finds herself in an unhappy marriage and Thomas, junior, descends into a life of moral corruption, their father begins to realize the shortcomings of the philosophy that he has so rigidly applied in raising them.

7. To the Land of Long Lost Friends by Alexander McCall Smith. My own choice.

I've read all the books in this series (The #1 Ladies Detective Agency) set in Botswana. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. 

Here is the summary from Amazon:

    Mma Ramotswe has reconnected with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. Though Precious feels compelled to lend a hand, she discovers that getting involved in family affairs is always a delicate affair. The young woman appears to be involved with a charismatic preacher. But are his ministrations entirely of a godly nature? Elsewhere, Charlie is also struggling with a tricky matter of the heart. He wishes to propose to his girlfriend, Queenie-Queenie, but he's struggling to come up with a bride price that will impress her father. When Queenie-Queenie's brother offers to help by giving him a job, the offer may not be quite what Charlie expected.

As always, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni will offer wise counsel, Mma Makutsi will weigh in with her opinions, and Mma Potokwane will be there with her welcome fruit cake. But in the end it will be up to Mma Ramotswe to reflect on love, family, and the nature of men and women in order to resolve family dramas and remind everyone about all the good things they have in life—so many, in fact, that it would take far too long to count them.

8. The Power of One by Bryce Courtney. Book club selection.

Summary from Amazon:

In 1939, as Hitler casts his enormous, cruel shadow across the world, the seeds of apartheid take root in South Africa. There, a boy called Peekay is born. His childhood is marked by humiliation and abandonment, yet he vows to survive and conceives heroic dreams–which are nothing compared to what life actually has in store for him. He embarks on an epic journey through a land of tribal superstition and modern prejudice where he will learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the power of one.

Such a fascinating life story.

I found this review on Good Reads and I copied a portion:

It is a broad sweeping book about rural South Africa, set in the late 1930s and 1940s prior to apartheid. It imparts a real sense of this exotic country and the friction between its diverse peoples: Dutch Afrikaners, native Boers, a host of black tribes, and the English.

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