Seasons Greetings – 2005:

Well, this is probably the earliest, that we have put out our annual Christmas letter, but we’ve moved around a bit and wanted to get back in touch with our friends. As you are aware, last year was our major trip across nine provinces and 27 states – at Christmas time we were sitting at a small campground just north of the Alabama/Florida border. The trip still brings back many smiles and great memories and we wanted to share them with you. In with this letter is a CD that has Pat’s daily journal and a select few pictures. It should be readable under word or Internet Explorer. On the suggestion of a friend that does not have a computer – they still supported this way of sharing – as they would to take it down to the local library and view it on the computer there. The text version of the journal (complete with all the spelling errors) is still available on the website for those of you that want to suffer through it in its raw form. Don’t try and go through it all at once….we certainly didn’t!   After giving it some thought we have decided to keep the old motor home and are thinking of another big trip in a couple of years. Until then we will have to satisfy ourselves with shorter get-a-ways.

Upon returning to Cranbrook, our first challenge was trying to get the kids back into school. The boy’s old school did not have room in Keelan’s class. This was very disappointing after all the work that mom and the boys had done the year before on the playground and keeping the kids school chums updated on our trip, etc.. We ended up having no choice but to go in search of another school – and ended up enrolling the boys in a dual English and French Immersion School. The school was very welcoming of the boys – and they were able to make some new friends very quickly. Both Mickey and Keelan have maintained a couple of friends from the old school – but for the most part are glad to be at their new school. Mickey started late French Immersion this fall (grade 5) and seems to be learning a lot. He comes home saying his head hurts – as they speak French all day with no English translation.   The concentration it takes to try and figure out what’s being said and think in French is a bit of a strain – however he seems to enjoy it. Both kids seems to be at or above the learning level expected of them – there seems to be no gaps as a result of being home schooled on the trip – and they have all the benefits of what they saw and learned.

After all the months of living in the Motor Home – to return to live in the cabin – seemed to be spacious – despite the fact that it also held ALL of the furniture from our house! But it was small and driving back and forth to work / school and to friends motivated us to start the search for a new home. What a shock!! – housing prices in Cranbrook had jumped about 30% and the market was really moving with houses selling within a couple of days. The money we had in the bank from the sale of our house would not replace the home that we had sold – so after taking a look at the houses on the market – and our priorities – we decided to not go into debt and only purchase what we could with the cash we had. The speed in which the market was selling meant that we had to make quick decisions. We chose an older home in a transition neighbourhood and we had the offer to buy it in before the real estate agent had finished doing the measurements. (The market is so hot that there were actually two offers in before the end of the day.) The house itself was originally two legal suites – but has been partially converted back to one (although it still has two kitchens and laundry rooms). It’s on a double lot – with a detached garage and parking area for the motor home. We have a lot of renovation projects that we want to do (and a couple that we need to do) – but both of us think it feels more like a home than our old house did. Without a mortgage, we will just save up and do the projects as they reach the top of the priority list. (First being roof – as there is some minor water leakage into one of the basement rooms). The kids are a two-minute walk to school and just have to go down the block to gymnastics. Dad is close enough that he can walk to work in about 20 minutes. Besides – when we retire – we can rent the upstairs and use the basement for us to return to when we are travelling… .

Since taking possession of our new home in mid July – much of our time was spent painting, moving in and trying to get settled. Deb only moved every piece of furniture (but one) in the living room 5 times. We hired a moving company to move the bigger furniture but we moved all of the boxes, etc. (As they were stored in the 5th wheel at the cabin).   Dad got to bounce up the hill in the Suzuki pulling the trailer (mom was afraid to make the climb) – and after loading the trailer, bouncing down and heading back to town. We have found that the new house does not have the room that our previous home did – and therefore have downsized some things (more to come still) and moved things back and forth to the cabin a couple of times while we figured out what fits where. It was mid-October and it took a visit from Pat’s Aunt and Uncle before we got a single picture hung – but it is slowly coming together.

Deb returned to her work in mid May – with her first day on the job being moving to a new office – in a converted long term care facility. Well not really converted as each office still has its own bathroom, etc. They still had some interesting wrinkles (ha ha do you think her work with the elderly is showing?) with computers, security systems, parking, but for the most part it seems to work. Deb has also increased her hours and now is working a .7 position. Deb was still able to squeeze in a trip with the boys to Loon Lake this summer – and a long weekend kayaking with her girlfriends on Kootenay Lake. We had a bonus visit from the boy’s youngest cousin Ben and his mom who took a well-deserved holiday to BC.

The day after Pat returned to work he was off to Kamloops for a management meeting. Pat spent most of the six-hour drive reviewing a binder of material compiled for him by his staff (highlighting the developments over the last 8-months). However – after sitting in the Management meeting for a couple of hours – it seemed like nothing had changed (and he had never left). The new boss had already hinted through Pat’s co-worker that he might have some changes in assignment in mind for Pat. There also seemed to be a desire to have Pat re-locate to Kamloops / Kelowna – neither of which were an appealing option for the family. Pat was able to negotiate that on a trial basis his team would take on the new duties (as opposed to Pat being re-assigned) and that he would continue to work out of Cranbrook. This would then be evaluated at the end of the year – if it was doable – or if other options had to be looked at. Pat however made it clear that we had already bought another home and that he was not prepared to move out of the Kootenays.

Over the summer – between moving and all we were able to get in a few weekend trips either camping or travelling to Calgary for visits. Two additional very short trips with Keelan for follow-up at Children’s Hospital in regard to his blood pressure (all of which indicated that he’s doing well) and mom is getting to know that road really well. Dad also had a follow-up check-up in regard to his bladder cancer and it continues to be clear – and he does not have to return for a follow-up for another year.

Pat made several trips north to Prince George, to spend some time with his best friend and his family. Brad, who has been friends with Pat since high school, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Although the visits were hard on Pat – it was something he needed to do – and Pat was able to say good-bye before Brad passed away.

The fall and getting settled into a house – brought the addition of a couple of more critters to our fold. First to arrive was a light brown hamster. This was Keelan’s choice as it would stay small and cuddly – unlike a kitten that would grow up. The hamster has been named “Chocolate” and after a few nips seems to be getting hand trained. Mickey’s choice was a long-tailed grass lizard which he called “Question”. Why? We don’t know!! But it sure eats a swack of grasshoppers. It seems that we are now truly home again. (But the kids say that both of their pets are small enough to travel with us when we go travelling again – oh joy).

In addition to this letter serving as a change of address – the other reason it is being written early is that Pat has some time off work right now. After working half of the night on September 27, on a work project – fuelled on coffee and then a late night hot dog – he wrote off not being able to get comfortable and sleep due to the heart burn he was experiencing. However after two days of doing little but sleep – at the insistence of Deb, Arlene and Pat’s co-workers – he went into the medical clinic for some tests. Pat was readily agreeable to this as he had developed a “frozen” shoulder (older injury) and wanted assistance with getting this fixed. The doctor called back and told Pat to report to the hospital for more detailed tests (but not before Pat had walked about 1 ½ miles after taking the motor home in for service).   The hospital immediately hooked him up to an EKG and admitted him to the Intensive Care Unit – saying that the blood enzymes showed that he’d had a heart attack and was still at risk. Given the length of time that had passed they could not tell the extent of the attack but felt that it was significant. After several days in hospital, Pat was flown to Calgary by air ambulance – and underwent an angiogram and angioplasty. Two stents were put in, as there were several significant blockages in his arteries. He returned home on October 4th with instructions to do very little (limited to 10 minutes slow walking twice a day) and to be off work until the middle of November.

Pat is currently doing fine – frustrated that he cannot do more – as he does not feel that bad. He has been seeing the doctor and heart clinic on a regular basis – and has started a new diet and exercise regime. Overall his cholesterol numbers were not too bad – but he has to raise his good cholesterol and reduce tryglicerides. However, Pat will jump into the diet thing with both feet and has already had more tofu in the last couple of weeks than he has had in his entire life. The thing that has him the most depressed is that he now has to think of crawfish in terms of 4 to 6 ounces for a meal – rather than 4 to 6 pounds. He did not present with classic heart attack symptoms so it’s difficult for him to monitor his body for another attack. He’s being careful and a stress test and an abdominal scope scheduled for the latter part of the year, will hopefully give him more information on what is heart burn vs. heart pain. Pat could not drive for a month after the attack – he was getting a bit stir-crazy around the house – seeing things that need to be done – and not able to do them. (Oh well he has come up with a number of renovation ideas that will probably work) On top of that, the teachers in BC went out on a two week illegal strike and guess who got the kids… and they previously thought that mom was a tough teacher!

The family minus Pat went to Calgary for Thanksgiving – at Pat’s insistence. Between not being able to sleep laying flat due to his shoulder, not being able to hold or play cards, not being able to drive, and not being able to probably resist the smell of turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie – he figured that it was easier if he stayed at home. Deb and the kids seemed to enjoy the break – and Dad got along fine with a big salad and grilled chicken breast for Thanksgiving. Between the physio and his own exercises he was able to do enough work on his shoulder – that by the time the family returned on the Monday he had 90 % of his mobility back. Now the only worry is that he will try to do too much too fast…

Last but certainly not least, the family purchased dad an early birthday gift – an exercise companion – a one year old tri-colour Sheltie named Daman. Daman was being raised as a show dog by a local breeder but did not have quite the body lines to be a champion and so we were able to purchase him. He has quickly become ‘da Man’ of the house with all of us catering to him. He is very calm and unlike many shelties has only barked twice in the first week and a half that we’ve had him. Pat and he are up to two 30 minute walks a day and are really enjoying each others company.

With the move into our new home there have been a number of changes in contact information. We have had to change Internet service providers and therefore our old Cyberlink address will not longer function after the end of November. We have also had to change phone numbers. This letter is the only change of address we’ll send.

 

Our plans, at this time, are to have most of Deb’s family out for a quiet ‘Christmas at the Cabin’ – and then close down the cabin for the winter. Hopefully the weather will co-operate and we can have a traditional Christmas like we did a couple of years ago. Pat should be able to have his exercise regime up to the point where he can enjoy the cross country skiing – out the front door, and will have his diet enough under control that he can resist the temptations of the holiday season (or indulge just a little).

So as you can see – things continue to go along quietly and calmly in the Boyle /Reed clan – predictably and in control as Pat like to believe things should be … not. Oh well, it would be boring if it were to happen this way. Maybe the best we can hope for is to live every day to its fullest – and hope to be able to adapt to whatever challenges and adventures it places in front of us.

Hope our annual letter finds you and your family well. To the new friends that we added to our annual letter as a result of our travels – welcome. And to the friends that we made in the southern states, you are in our thoughts and prayers as you begin to re-build after the disasters that have hit the area this year.

Merry Christmas!   Take care and stay healthy.