Aunt Leah's Urban Thrift Blues: Thursday, December 18th!

Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (1879-1940) 

Who's Who of Tintin

Art: Hergé

Hi Penny and Madcap! Thanks for the lovely card! Hard to believe that Christmas is less than a week away! Have you had time to think about next September's trip? At any rate, let us know when you've cogitated a bit about it. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Corinne has been trying to redress you for years and you have yet to respond. 

Dear Fashionisto! I have yet to capitulate to The Sisterhood, unlike some others I regret to admit, I know. For my part,  "I shall fight on the beaches, I shall fight on the landing grounds, I shall fight in the fields and in the streets and in the malls, I shall fight in the hills; I shall never surrender! Cheers, Armed Combatant Patrizzio!
 
Best Wishes for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year to our Favourite Londoners! Fondestos and Cheers from the Management, Mme Coriandre, Uppity Concierge, and the Selfless, Tireless Staff of the Islay Inn: Cheeky Chambermaid Chloë and Scullion Patrizzio!

Mark, hope this finds you well. Let me know your plans for the holiday. Jake and Amira are out here now and will be here off and on over the holiday.

My new friend Jane's friend Perry just returned from a cycling trip in Vietnam. The URL to his photos is below. Pat is considering doing the same when he is in asia next year. We are going to organize an evening at Pat's with Perry and wondered if you and Susan might like to join us. Perry is planning yet another trip tp the Czech Republic which interests me. Give my fond regards to you and yours, G

Hi Penny! Trust everyone is well. Thanks for the lovely Christmas card. Will all your family be together over the holidays? For our part, Ayn, Pierre and Alexander will be flying up to Bellingham on December 20^th. We will pick them up there as it is much cheaper than flying into Vancouver itself and only about an hour or so away, by car, even with border crossing.  

Hey George,

All is well here, thanks. Susan and I had a great 2 weeks on Hawaii, particularly enjoying a Mauna Kea summit tour and a nighttime dive with mantas. Came back to work with Stephen finishing the upper set of stairs (at long last!) Will do the lower flight after the Nonie and Len return to Nova Scotia.

Plans for the "holidays" include the B3 Kings on the 22nd, some of Susan's cousins here on Christmas Eve, and a small group for Christmas dinner.  Otherwise things are vague while the girls are home - they are both interested mostly in some chillaction.

We would definitely be interested in an evening with Perry et al if the timing works out. Many of his photos remind me of our trip this past spring. Certainly gets the travelling juices going. (As it happens, we have just booked a trip to Ecuador and Peru for this coming April.) Getting over to check out your new digs is definitely on my radar, although it may have to be post-stairs in later January...

Are you over here at all during the next while?  It would be good to hoist a pint or two of some solstice hoppage if you are around and not too overwhelmed by the big city action...Please give our best to Jake and Amira

8^) cheers, Mark

The lovers Okiku and Yosuke play cat's cradle (1804)

Art: Eishosai Choki

Thanks again for the Christmas wishes and would like to reciprocate by sending along our wishes to you all for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Fondestos from Corinne and Chloë. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Tree Lot Elf! Whirlygig and Jane; Volunteer Woman; Christmas baking: snowball production!

Hi Roma and Leonard/Rose and Joe! Trust you are both well. All the best to you and family for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Cheers, Corinne, Chloë and Patrizzio! 

Happy Hanukkah Ania. Merry Xmas and very healthy and happy New Year Ania ����������⛄️����🚲��

Hi TNT/Famiglia Pether/Sheila and Des/Pat and David! Trust everyone is well. All the best to you and family for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Cheers, Corinne, Chloë and Patrizzio!

Thank you! We hope the same for all of you! Will write more when we're back in California. We are currently in Oregon on our way to pick up Susie for the holidays. We'll be back in time to celebrate Christmas at home. Hope you are having a wonderful season! Best, Pat 

Hi Travelling Coffaros! Just a quick note to wish you both and Susie and Kate all the best for hols. Too, too bad that you couldn't have popped over the border for a night! We'd loved to have seen you, if only briefly. I assume you were Tesla-ing! One again, Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Fondestos from Cora lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Famiglia Beavis, Carthew and Gray/Lurch and Grogg! Trust everyone is well. All the best to you and extended family for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Cheers, Corinne, Chloë and Patrizzio!

Merry Christmas! A lovely card-thank you all!! Wish we could get together over the holidays, but lots of family here, so on Island until the New Year. We'll see you in January...Gregg & Francesca 

Hi Kids! Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year to one and all. Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!

 Hello Sylvia and Raymond/Polly and Mick/Susan and Mark! Trust everyone is well. All the best to you and extended family for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Cheers, Corinne, Chloë and Patrizzio!

Hi Misha/Jiani/Wild Bill! Trust you are well. All the best to you and your family for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Cheers, Corinne, Chloë and Patrizzio!

Hello Swedish Twins! Trust you are both well. All the best to you and your families for a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year! Cheers, Corinne, Chloë and Patrizzio!

Liquidity 2013 Viognier, 13.5%, Okanagan Falls. New to us

Merry Christmas. Another great year for us, with the exception of the loss of my dear sister Carol to cancer. We  all miss her .

Lots of excitement with a great and interesting 3 months in Mexico, The weather was incredible of course and the house was full of people and fun. We were fortunate to do a cruise to Alaska with Kim and Bruce to celebrate their 40th and our 39th Anniversary in June it was so beautiful and the weather was very cooperative. I have been busy all year doing Archery lessons and am just finishing my last class tonight until back from Mexico. Had a mini family reunion at Waynes brothers in the USA and it was so fun, they are awesome hosts. We also had a mini reunion on the island. It was so great so see all the relatives and it was at a campground so that was nice. It was a little chilly but had a good time and renewed some friendships with people I have not seen in awhile.

The boys seem really happy with there lives and there great partners.

Daniel and Aleisha (his awesome girl) did lots of  4 wheeling,  and then working on his truck so they could go again. Daniel unfortunately hurt his back at work shoveling cement and was off work for almost 2 months. His back was not good. His back it not perfect but better and he is back to work. He` and Aleisha have been busy doing renos in his basement suite. Renters moving out, They are both hard workers doing carpet rip out and painting.  Aleisha got permanent part time at the care home and then part time at the liquor store. She loves working with the elderly. She is sweet kind and best of all she is really nice to Daniel and I am glad.  Daniel and Wayne did a big job and ripped out his old shower that was tile and put in a new shower.  

Curtis worked 130 days with no days off so he was so ready for some R & R. Although he seem a little antsy at first but he has been really busy hunting with Wayne and with taking Hunter to Hockey  (Hunter is doing very well and enjoying it) we have gone to a few of his games. Curtis and Chelsey ( Curtis girl) enjoy watching puppies they are awesome and so entertaining, but need lots of watching as they chew everything. Chelsey is closing her layer job and took a great position with the cancer clinic and she loves it. Great hour’s,  lots of perks plus a great place to work. She takes the train into Vancouver. She has been putting in many hours trying to get her old job all settled and finished with clients and paperwork at her job in Chilliwack. I thinks she sees the end. She is an amazing Girl and is so great with the boys and they love and respect her. (SO do we)  Curtis said the other day she is the best thing in their life. I thought that was such a great compliment and she is so good for them and with them. We are so lucky to have her in our lives and I can see that Curtis simply adores her. They are a great pair. Did not have the boys very much this year.  We did manage to take them camping a couple times and had so much fun with them. I missed seeing them but they are getting older and we sure do enjoy, when we see them. They are awesome.

Wayne  hunted a lot this year and I went hunting 2 times with him and it was tons of fun. He had a sheep draw in near Osoyoos. We took the trailer and Daniels ATV and spent many hours biking and just as many walking. And yes I dumped the quad on its side. It is a long story but all ended well and no injuries.. The countryside was the most amazing with speechless amounts of color and beauty. We walked up mountains and day 4 found 18 Rams. It was so cool. Wayne is the most amazing hunter he is so good in the bush and he  just has this natural gift of the outdoors. He got a really nice Ram. We left the bike at 9 am and got back to the bike about 5pm. Of course we had to shoot the sheep at the bottom on the hill so we had to pack it back up the mountain. I slipped on the rocks and fell upside down but again was lucky. I was like a turtle upside down on my back and could not get up. Just keeping things exciting. Wayne carried the sheep out and I carried all the stuff.  He is sure tough for an old guy ha ha. We also went on a moose hunt in the trailer and it was pretty chilly so we did mostly truck driving. To cold to bike and there is way to much area to cover to walk. We did a little walking but spent sometime just in the truck glassing with the heater going full blast. No Moose. We saw some and one was a huge bull it was so cool watching them.

Wayne has done lots of hunting this year, he really has a passion for it and is good at it. He bought a new ATV as they boys bugged him for years at to why is he  was still driving a 1987 ATV ( not sure of the year but old). So now has the heated hand grips an even heated thumb thing? It is really nice and he quite likes it. Wayne, Curtis and Hunter are in Rock Creek right now hunting. Hunter was just so excited.  He is such a nice kid. They went from the 10th – the 20th so between Chelsey, her sister, parents and me we are minding the puppies. They are so awesome and full of----They are so entertaining, the double trouble,  the little darlings. . At my house they are only allowed in the laundry room and basement so not much stuff  to be wrecked and chewed up ( little brats). But I love them and they are so full of energy. I have been taking them for long walks and they love it and so do I . I am being very busy as I am getting ready for Christmas, planning food, wrapping gifts, running the shop although it has not been too busy and then I have had the puppies.

I am also thinking Mexico and putting stuff in the bedroom. Kim and I leave the 17th of Jan and are lucky to be staying in the same house for 3 months. So glad Mom and Dad are coming again this year. Dad really has had a time with his leg. I think it is sciatic  and has been so painful for him but the last couple days have been better so here is hoping. I told him as long as he can get on and off the plane he is good to still go to Mexico. He always feels so good there. We do not have lots of people coming so far this year so will see. Carols passing will be hard on us all this Christmas and we will miss her. Her husband Frank , their son Scott and grandson Bryson Mom and Dad , are coming to join us  for Christmas.  

The New years will start off with a bang as we have tickets to a new Years party then I leave the 17th for Mexico and Wayne goes Pig hunting in Texas again then will come to Mexico for a month. I love when he is there with me.

Wayne’s Parents are doing good with his Dad having a few health issues earlier in the year but things seem to be much better. The rest of his family seems to be going good.

Well a little Meyers News along with huggs, Love and a  AYOP- (angel on your pillow). I hope that your Christmas is amazing and that your New Year is spectacular. Love Wendy & Wayne, Big Game Archery, 2044 Filuk Pl, Abbotsford, BC, V2S5P2, www.biggamearchery.com, Tel: 1 (604) 859 2086