Christmas 2012
Hi All
The end of another year is approaching faster than I like. We have been keeping busy in our retirement and both of us wonder how we ever found time to work.
The weather has been a typical Canadian (at least southern Ontario) winter. I'm still wishing we had managed another trip south, but there are more important things afoot.
We spent the first 2 months of 2012 in Alabama at our favourite Escapee Park where I learned how to re cain chairs and took several cooking classes. Carolyn spent her time learning and teaching various crafts. We also toured several interesting places and even had a ride on a cotton harvesting combine. We discovered an interesting place to buy fish in Pensacola called Joe Patty's. The counter is over 40 Ft long with fresh fish from all over North America. Great cooked shrimp too.
In March we again went with good friends to New Orleans for the St Patrick Day Parades. I'm sure nobody does parades any better than the people of N'orleans.
The Gulf Posse (an Escapee sub chapter we belong to) held their spring rally at a pleasant park in Biloxi, Mississippi. We enjoyed learning about this city that was horribly damaged by hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. Many of the old homes will never be replaced because they can't get insurance anymore. The beach is one of the nicest we have ever come across.
On the way home we stopped for a few days at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania a place we have wanted to visit for a long time. The weather was great and we really enjoyed this area of so much American history.
The fun didn't stop after we arrived home. The Maple Leaf chapter of Escapees (another part of the Escapees Club we belong to) held their spring rally at Simcoe, Ontario.
We enjoyed our time with this friendly group. We joined them again at the fall rally in Meaford where we learned that the underground railway that helped slaves escaping from the south, actually ended. The War of 1812 had an impact here too. The guest speaker one evening was a high school history teacher with a specialty in the War of 1812. He spends his free time re-enacting famous battles with authentic replicas of the original equipment.
Our trailer is stored for now, but should be ready next spring when we plan on going to the spring rally near Kingston. Another busy War of 1812 area.
Kevin and Sarah are both working, leading busy lives. Kevin is working shifts for a temp agency with a contract to Rogers. Unfortunately he drives to Scarborough every day (and night) and frequently has to work weekends. Sarah is the trainer for a school bus company. She helps out in the office as well.
Emylee is 17 now,(that alone makes me feel old) doing well in school and plays for the school rugby team. (in June the team went to the Ontario Girls Rugby Championship and did very well)
She also just got her first job with Old Navy and is working on her drivers permit.
The younger ones Ethan (11 next Feb) is nice and tall and loves his hockey, while Evelyn (9 in January) follows her grandmother in her love of crafts. They spent a week with us this past summer, with a trip to the Reptile Zoo and swimming almost everyday. Another hi-light was a boat tour of the Peterborough lift lock.
The big news is our son Jeff's up coming nuptials. That is happening in March 2013 in Belfast, Northern Ireland and is the real reason we didn't go south this year. We plan on spending a month in Ireland and England and we didn't want to be driving home in late February, early March.
Jeff and Nicola are homeowners in Belfast and we connect on SKYPE almost every week. Jeff still does some acting (He had small parts (one speaking) in the first 2 seasons of HBO's "Game of Thrones") Other than working he is in the final year of a course on Environmental Studies. Planning the wedding is taking up all their spare time. More later.....
We hope you Have the best Christmas and New Year you've ever had.
Pat and Carolyn
