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The
Squamidian Report – Dec. 24 / 22
Online
Versions
Of This And Past Issues Issue
#1074 Nova
Scotia
Sus *************************************** The best of the season to you and yours. Here we are again at that time of year when everything is winding down in a big frenzy, Christmas lights or decorative lights adorn many homes, shopping malls are embarrassing, some people are walking around being friendly and some are in a self entitled snit. I hope your home is adorned with lights and you are being friendly to the world. It’s just better that way. It would seem the west coast is having yet another white Christmas (although somewhat on the wet side). When we moved here 20 years ago it was almost unheard of for Vancouver to have snow at Christmas and here in Squamish we were lucky to have one about every third year. For the last several years the whole coastal area has been blanketed with snow fairly early in the winter season and the snow tends to stick around. It’s interesting how the weather patterns have changed but I kind of like having a nice clean wintery looking winter. The winter storms that have set in right across the country hit the BC coast early in the week and again paralyzed the area. YVR became hopeless, public transit and the ferries ground to a halt, and so on which means a lot of people ended up ‘walking in a winter wonder land’. On the positive side, I had to go up to the hospital for my second to last dose of antibiotics on Friday and it was 4-wheel drive all the way. I kind of enjoyed that drive. Today (Saturday) is my last dose and the IV stint comes out of my arm. Hallelujah. * I don’t have any of my music to share with you these days (although everything I’ve ever shared is available on my web site). However, I do have a musical family band that I’d like you to check out. A few years ago I had posted some links to a group called the ‘Foxes and Fossils’. I’m now going to rescind that recommendation because they have become so overly produced that it has left them sounding sterile and I simply don’t enjoy their music anymore. However, I’ve become a big fan of a family called ‘The Petersens’, made up of 3 sisters, a brother, their mom (on upright base), and a family friend on dobro (and wow is he ever good). This group does gospel music which I’m not much into although I sure appreciate what they do with it, and they do a bluegrass sounding version of many familiar none gospel type songs. Their harmonies are really really good, their instrumentation is as good as it gets, and they are incredibly tight. On the more churchy side, they have done several concerts that can be seen on YouTube, as well as many stand alone songs. This link should take you to a page with some of their Christmas music including a really nice version of Silent Night. Give them a listen and sit back, relax and enjoy. doug **** From Nova Scotia Sus T'was the night before Christmas, I was standing by the window in Grandma and Grandpa's house changing a record on the record player when suddenly I saw my Dad run past carrying a large basket. The next thing I heard was a very loud knock on the front door. All eyes went to the door but mine saw Dad run back passed the window. I managed to keep Dad's Santa secret seeing the excitement in my brothers and sisters. I felt special that I knew something they don't. Here's wishing you all a good Christmas, a good New Year, a good recovery, good health and much more Squamidian! Sus **** From Karl Hi everyone and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ,I want to get this in as I am upgrading my computer before Christmas and will be down for a few days with the help of Kris I have got myself a iMac mini MGNT3x/A M1 515 with a Sony 43” monitor My other computer was starting to complain it was slowing down and I need more speed and space SO I went with a upgrade ,We are finally getting warm weather here in Melbourne compered to last week where we had SNOW on the mountains and the Cold blast from the Southern ocean ,We went from 10c to 30c in 4 days typical Melbourne weather 4 seasons in one day ,Well I want to wish everyone a Happy and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ,Sending BIG hugs from Australia “CHEERS" Karl
**** From Rosemary The Lego Creche I don't know how many of you incorporate the Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus story into your Christmas activities. By the latest statistics, if you don't you are not alone. Well, a former much-loved former minister returned recently to our church to conduct a service. She said that many children these days don't know the Christmas story. She suggested that those of us with grandchildren might tell them the story this year. You know. See if it grabs any of them. So when two of my grandsons, Bennett (9) and Hugh (7), were over here last week, I brought out the creche figures. I said that Christmas is a birthday celebration but I needed a stable for this family. Would they make me one out of Lego? Well yes! They certainly would, and enthusiastically got right to it. As they built, I told them who all the people were. They chose which animals to place around the stable. When they were done, Bennett went over to his dad, my son, who was on the computer. He asked him if Jesus was a real person. "Well, let's google that", said my technologically-inclined offspring. Oh, oh. One is never too sure what info you're going to get on the internet. But to my relief, Google said that yes indeed, Jesus was a real person. I think the boys were interested in the story. The creche is sitting on a little table beside the Christmas tree. When everyone comes on Christmas Day, we will see if the 5 children say anything about the Lego creche and if Bennett and Hugh tell them about the birthday baby. That would be really nice. The photo is Hugh, happy to show off their creation. Merry Christmas everyone. Rosemary
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From Russ
Christmas, Centreville, Ontario, Canada circa 1935-38 REMEMBERING: Still recovering from The Great Depression. Money scarce, jobs scarce, kids-a-plenty! Christmas tree, natural, and borrowed from neighbour's bush. Decorated with home-made 'sugar' cookies. (Hands off!), strings of popcorn, lead tinsel, a few fragile glass ornaments, and some "home-made" Christmas decorations (paper, coloured with crayons) we kids made at school. We even had electric lights! Wired in "series", if one burned-out - all went dark - had to check each tiny bulb in order to find the 'dead one'. Aggravating! The cat (we always had at least one) would climb the tree, eat the lead tinsel, then bring-up on a carpet. (couldn't reuse the tinsel!) We, the whole family, celebrated "The Birth of Baby Jesus", attending the church just across the highway (#8) from us - twice on Christmas Day (Morning Service and Even-song). Religion was very important back then. Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve. Mom herded us all into the front room to await the Jolly one. Our Dad was always absent. The sound of jingle-bells!! We rushed to the kitchen in hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa, but he always was too fast - but, there on the kitchen floor was the familiar wicker basket with a few wrapped toys - one for each of us. Tearing the wrapping from the toy bearing our name, we squealed with joy - hardly noticing dad had arrived, "Look! Look! See what Santa brought me!" we all shouted with excitement. "WOW!" dad and mom responded - pretending surprise. * When I was age 6 or 7, and still believed in Santa Clause I lied when dad asked, "Did anyone see Santa?" When we all shook our heads, he seemed as disappointed as were we, so I chimed-in, "YES! I saw him!" "You did?" asked dad with a grin "What did he look like?" "I didn't see his face - just a bit of his red coat - as he went out the door so fast!" (I was always haunted by that lie) We boys were given 'wind-up' toys (cars/trucks) made of tin (no plastic back then) which came from Japan (not China as is the case today!) The cheap, Japanese toys didn't last long - usually the spring would break. Evelyn always got a doll which she treated as 'her baby'. Girls were girls and boys were boys back then. (Not like today when some are not sure whether they are one or the other) And yes, we also got a stocking with an orange (a rare treat!), and a few hard candies - which we ate at a later date. And we didn't have to "Dream of a white Christmas" - they were always white in those days! "Sleigh-bells ring, are you listening? Down the lane, snow is glistening" We all remember that song. Ninety-some years ago there was always plenty of snow, and few cars/trucks - the roads were not regularly plowed and farmers would hitch a team of horses to a wagon which they had converted to a sleigh for easy gliding on winter roads. The horses' harnesses were equipped with "sleigh-bells" (not just for fun, but to warn others of their approach - it was a 'safety' feature) But, the bells sure sounded like the Christmas Season! Sometimes the farmers would take a 'whole load' of us kids for a 'moonlight sleigh-ride'. Always fun. Always cold. Always remembered. Wish all you faithful Squamidian readers a very joyous Christmas and a healthy New Year, and may God Bless! Uncle Russ. ****
From Brian
From the shores of Lake Huron RE: Port Elgin
Greetings everyone and a very Merry Christmas. Well it looks like we are going to get some serious winter weather starting Thursday evening and through to Christmas day with rain , tonight temperature dropping rapidly tomorrow then blizzard conditions. I guess it will be much like your area Doug as you have had a lot more winter weather than we have had. so far this year I have only had to use the skid steer twice to clean my driveway , which by the way Doug is the old relic of Franks I bought many moons ago. Still works for what I need. Glad to here your hip is coming along Doug, just be extra careful when out side. I really enjoy your music Doug it takes me back to when you and I got together and jammed together. I go to a couple of jams a week up here at the legion in Tara on Thursdays and the Chatsworth legion on Fridays. both are lots of fun. Prior to covid there were a small group of us that would go and play at a number of senior homes around he area. It was great to break up the time for them living there and to see the enjoyment on their faces makes one feel good.
Again Merry Christmas to everyone and stay safe. Brian
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From Carol & Al Al and I were trying to come up with Christmas stories that we haven’t shared on the Squid before and could not think of any. That could be because the really memorial Christmases only seem happen to children. When you are young the wait for Christmas seems eternal, at our age it is “didn’t we just have Christmas about a month ago?”. That doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy the celebration with family. I am glad we still have “the Homestead” for our Christmas Eve gathering. They both may be gone but I still feel the parents’ presence there, sharing the love. They are predicting a winter storm (which actually should have started by now) in Ontario which could cause many to forego family gatherings. Whatever your situation turns out to be this year, with family or hunkered down alone, we hope you experience, in your hearts, the love and joy this time can bring. Merry Christmas everyone. PS: I thought of one memorial Christmas, how I didn’t earlier is a mystery. That was the Christmas that Jamie got down on his knees, at the Homestead in front of everyone, to propose to Beth. We are so happy he, and his boys, are part of our family. With love from Carol & Al. ****
The Ontarion
Hello everyone! Looks like we’re in for a bad storm over the next few days and including Christmas. I sure hope you’ve all got your Christmas shopping done by now! I had mine pretty well finished about two weeks ago. Just had a couple of peripheral items to pick up over the past couple of weeks and that’s all finished now! I used to wait until about the last week before the big day but learned my lesson shortly after Carole and I were married! It’s not wise to be shopping so close to the day of the celebration for sure! I was out today (Thursday) to pick up some food needs for Carole and found that the stores were filled to the brim with shoppers of the same food stuffs I was after. Of course it didn’t help that the food stores put many things on sale at this last moment! I found out that grocery shoppers wait until the last minute to pick up their Christmas Dinner fixings! So, another lesson learned this year! Speaking of last minute items to be done, the crew that’s been putting off the finishing of the new cable system beneath our boulevards in the whole sub division has finally been here this past few days working like Santa’s little elves to get the work done, I suppose before the new year sets in! Why Could they not have been here during the good weather to do the final touches on this project? Who knows? Oh well I guess it’s not up to me to know so I’ll just have to stop worrying about it and let them work away at it, snow or no snow! Speaking of snow, I hear from the weather service that this storm will be a dandy! Thanks to BC for starting this huge winter beginning! I blame it all on Doug for allowing it to come our way! LOL! I guess the Toro will be getting a good work out this coming couple of days. I had a pleasant job to do today and it made the day out shopping for Carole’s list of goods all worth while! Carole put together a lovely tin filled with her home made Christmas cookies and asked me to deliver them while she finished last minute things around the house to my aunt Rita Hoy. Aunt Rita lives in a senior’s residence just a few blocks away from our place. She was married to my mother’s brother Ken Hoy and when ken passed away she moved into this residence. The last visit Carole and I had with her was on the occasion of her 100th birthday back in May! She’s as lovely and vibrant as can be! I hope we get to celebrate many more birthdays with her but this visit was a little pop in to wish her a Merry Christmas and give her a treat to enjoy over the next couple of days. She was pleasantly surprised to receive Carole’s cookies and in her situation, she doesn’t need or want for anything! Here son now lives in Sarnia and can only visit her once a week! So when we pop in to see her it’s a nice treat for us as well as for her! She’s an interesting person to talk to at her age and was always in our lives while we were growing up! She and Ken had three boys and we had two boys and a girl in our family so it was always a pretty large gathering at Christmas. Of course we had other aunts and uncles and cousins but Ken and Rita lived only a few blocks away so we saw them more than the others! It’s nice to have these memories to look back on and to reminisce with my oldest living relative. In fact she’s the only aunt I have left so I’m happy she’s still around! Christmas always brings good memories flooding in for me and it’s always fun to relate them in my Ontarion at this time of year! At this time I’m going to finish with wishing all of our Squamidian members a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! Please be kind to others all year long and stay safe and healthy! Lotsa Love from the Ontarion and Carole, Adam and I for the season! Bye for now and I’ll talk to you all again next week in the Ontarion Report! HO HO HO! ****
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