April Post

It's April 9th and nothing much has happened! Kim switched boyfriends (to Kevin, the smartest so far), Julia continues with Adam - nothing much new there! Julia is off to Cuba at the end of the week, Kim is talking of taking a degree in Australia, and we stay at home!

Spring is coming. The snow is melting at last and I can say with absolute certainty I am getting sick of Ontario winters. They go on far too long. The thought that it will be another 6 weeks until we see real greenery is frankly a downer.

Everyone is well. I have lost 25lbs despite my prescription medicines. Isabel mislaid 13lbs in half the time - I say mislaid because she didn't really set out to lose it! Very aggravating. However, on our high nutrition diet both of us are feeling a LOT better. Sharper, and far more energetic.

That is pretty much it. Kim's school is nearly over despite the strike and we have started cleaning out the cabin in anticipation of her moving into it for the summer. The property has survived the worst winter in years quite well - though we need a little gravel on the driveway and the siding still needs fixing after last year.

That's about it!

Julia Club Champion

Well, she did it. A few weeks before her 17th birthday Julia became club ski champion - a year earlier than Kim.

Well done Jules, we're proud of you!

What a group!

 

EuroKays

Great picture! What is the white thing in the background behind Jean? It's driving me nuts!

Julia Racing Snow Valley Feb 2006

She won this race - a great picture. Look carefully at her chin - pure Dave!! See next picture

All Stars 2006: Kipling Redux

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same"
Kipling

I can hardly believe it I am writing the same story about Julia and the All-Stars as last year.
We went to Mansfield yesterday and watched history more or less repeat itself.

The first race was the Super Slalom, and after the first run Julia was in the top group of three girls covered by half a second. Then on the second run she clipped a gate and her dreams came crashing down. She also injured her elbow. Skiing is a 'character-building' sport!!

She had another chance in the afternoon in the Grand Slalom. She had a terrific run despite the pain in her elbow. She was winning by one-hundredth of a second then late in the game another girl pipped her. At All Stars there is no recognition for second places.

There is no doubt at all that she was positionned to win the whole thing on combined times with top positions in both disciplines. But... it was not to be

Tough luck Julia, we all feel desperately for you. One to next year

2006 Mum and Dad's 70th Wedding Anniversery

Rae, Audrey, Dad, Mum, Jack? or Dad's Best Man, Ethel 

Tyler in the Snow

 

Kim's Ikon Christmas 2005

This is based on the Virgin of Vladimir
Each ikon has a particular 'root'. Originally NO variations were allowed under penalty of death for the artist. As ikons were the ONLY thing artists up to the 12th century were allowed to paint this crimped artistic development in Russia.

A New Year

Happy 2006
Once again I'm playing catch-up, but here goes
Kim: is doing well. She hit the Dean's List for the last term. Her apartment in Orillia seems to be working out well. She looks like she will be working at Bigwin (a local top end course) next summer. She worked at Deerhurst in the Sing Show as a drinks waitress this Christmas and made oodles of tips.
Julia: continues with Adam. Her school work is going well - Honor Roll again after doing it for Grade 10. She has a heavy workload but she is sticking with it. In the Skiing she won the top female position in the Club Christmas Camp - for the first time. Now both girls have done it. She beat out her big rival Erin Harper. In the first race of the season she won first place at Devil's Elbow. Great start!! Julia was a busboy at Deerhurst Eclipse over Christmas and got lots of tips - a good start, better than McDonalds!!
Isabel: has got a new car! We were offered a terrific deal on a Subaru Forrester (1 year old and 11000kms) so we took it. She loves the car, though it was a wrench parting with the Outback. For all intents the Inn is closed for the winter, though Isabel is taking some bookings already for the summer. She has started to take on temporary jobs in accounting.
Michael: the Action by Design business did not deliver so we have been looking for something else. We may have found it in a Herbalife Distributorship. If it works out it has terrific financial potential with residual income to take care of our pension. Keep fingers crossed and work at it.
Christmas: went well. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I did well with a new painting from Kim to add to my collection. I had asked for a Russian Ikon, and thats what I got and though a real challenge to her she did a fabulous job of it. Picture to follow.
So 2006 is off and running. Julia will be a camp cousellor at Taylor Statten and everyone is buried in projects.

Julia and friend Semi-formal

October Post

Fall has come and gone though this year the colours stayed around a long time - indeed some trees are still carrying leaves. The Fall has been warm, which cuts the heating costs.
So what's been happening? The top local news is the success of the local new Algonquin Theatre. we have been to a bunch of shows there and they have been excellent.

Isabel's B&B season is over and it was a success. She is starting to get repeat customers and a clientele, which is very pleasant. We got through the season with beautiful gardens and the property seems to have survived well

Kim is now at Georgian, trying to repeat her honors success from Seneca. Her program never seemed to start - because the golf kids work late into the Fall. She got a place on the college golf team and had her first experiences of tournament golf, playing in the Provincial and National championships (they came 4th). She found it a lot tougher mentally than she had expected. Plus, one of her competitors was Tom's new/old girlfriend. Overall she is having a ball. Kim has discovered partying and multiple boyfriends - well this is the right time to enjoy herself.

Julia has been having a harder time. She has a really tough workload - chemistry and biology, law and music. She plays in two bands - a concert band and a stage band as well as on the senior basketball team. Unfortunately the basketball team has been a bust. The new coach never got a grip of the team or really even knew what she was doing and some players took advantage of this to screw their teammates.

My big news is a new car. The Dodge Caravan died. It transmission broke and faced with a $3500 bill and the probability of more to come, we bit the bullet and got rid of it. We leased a Mazda 3, with lots of mileage protection (35,000 pa) and full warranty to the end. Its a terrific car and I LOVE it. It is the first car of my own in decades. Also it used 25-40% less gas and with the explosion of gas prices that was and is a major consideration.

That's about it. Lots of activity but not a hugely exciting Fall.