December, 2021
John Palmer and Carolle Trembley
London, ON |
| John's most recent snow-stomp art |
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year!
We’ve made it through another year! Despite covid and despite all the age-related problems, we’re here, grateful for the time we’ve had, and looking forward to much more.
We got our booster shots last week, and we have our vaccination certificates in hand. Fortunately, most restaurants are open now (and are being extremely careful), and so we’re able to enjoy one of our very favourite activities – going out to dinner together. Also, it means we can get together with different members of our family and with some of our friends for different special occasions. It’s so nice to be able to see them, laugh with them, and hug them again!
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| Carolle enjoying her new chair |
Carolle had some infection problems beginning last spring and spent some time in and out of hospitals, but those seem licked now, and her health is returning, along with her energy. Meanwhile we still play cards together, watch nature programmes and sports together on television, and make sure we have plenty of orange juice and ice cream sandwiches on hand. [No, we don’t have those two things together. It’s just that we really like them both.]
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| John, before getting his post lockdown haircut |
John is delighted that he has been able to perform in some mystery dinner theatre shows this fall and that he has been able to play his French horn with Encore concert band. He has also re-taken-up curling and continues his fiction writing with four different short stories published or accepted for publication this year. The one big mistake he made was agreeing to be on the Board of Directors for our condo. His advice: don’t do it!
Matthew and Laura have this absolutely adorable son, Miles, who is just over two years old and in day care. Laura now works on project management with a traffic control computer firm in Kitchener. Matthew still works on web business for 3M, but now his job is with 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fortunately, both are able to work from home, here in London! Matthew’s daughters are both in university at Western: Cordelia at Brescia College, studying modern languages, and Phebe at King’s College, studying psychology and social justice issues. Cordelia and her partner, Amber, have two energetic huskies and live in the back half of house with a big yard. Phebe’s partner, Nick, is doing web design for a firm near Kingston, but like many others is working from home!
We are so pleased for Rachael, who has been so successful over the past year and a half at pulling her life together. The inner motivation she has exhibited has really been impressive. And to top things off, she has a boyfriend in Toronto with whom she spends a fair amount of time. Her older daughter, Kayla, has moved back to London and lives in an apartment in the same house where Rachael lives. Rachael’s younger daughter, Veronica has her two girls (Paytyn [7] and Paisley [4] in school full time now, and Veronica is looking at the possibility of training to become a personal service worker. Lord knows we need them as the population ages! Her long-time partner Jodie has changed jobs, and seems much happier with his new one. They were all here this past weekend, and their girls helped us decorate our Christmas tree, a fun annual event!
Jacob and Melinda are well-settled in Mississauga. Jacob was working from home with a database firm, but he realized he really wants to be a teacher, and so he quit that job in November and is now doing supply teaching, hoping to be picked up for a math/physics teaching job eventually. Melinda is still doing medical physics at the hospital in Mississauga. Their girls are into everything. Lara [13] and Elise [9] have done dance, art, gymnastics, and music lessons during the year, often over the internet with distance-learning.
It’s a relief to be emerging, albeit slowly and cautiously, from our Covid lairs. Here’s hoping the vaccines and treatment drugs continue to be improved and that we can all enjoy our lives even more in the future.
All the best
With tonnes of hugs and love,
Carolle and John
