Christmas arrived

Well Christmas came even though I felt I was not prepared for it. I felt like I could use another week in order to get all the things done I wanted to do. Mind you I feel like that every year and Christmas arrives as usual.


The Saturday before Christmas we went to Cochrane to spend the day with Griff's daughter Ann Marie and her five children. Her husband is currently in Abu Dhabi on a work contract. His adventures can be followed on http://offtotheemirates.blogspot.com/ . It was fun watching the children open their presents and then having time to play with them. We are looking forward to visiting with Griff's other children and grandchildren when they come here on the 27th.

My children were here for Christmas day with Scott staying here for the week and Leila and Ryan staying at his parents home and coming here for gift opening and Christmas dinner. We managed to seat 12 people for Christmas dinner and had an enjoyable evening with the kids, my mom, my sister and her family. Today we spent some time visiting with my brothers and their families. We were able to see all the nieces and nephews as they were all home for the holiday.

In amongst preparing for Christmas we have also been packing bags to take with us when we leave for the British Virgin Islands, packing up the household to put into storage and trying to find renters for the acreage. Looking back over the past month I guess we have accomplished a lot.

As I have told friends and family, the closer our trip comes the more it seems to be unreal to me. There are some days I can't believe we are actually going and other days I feel that the trip is what we are meant to do. I guess ambivalence is normal when making such major changes in your life.

December is On Us!!

Well, although we mean for this site to be used primarily for the actual trip, a couple of people have remarked since we "went public" that we need to do regular updates so here goes.



It's hard to fathom, when Katie (our soon to be greatly missed dog) has to wait (with evident exasperation) while we bundle up to take her for a walk in -20 C weather, that we will soon be in much warmer and sunnier climes.



On the other hand, when we have been doing things such as cancelling the house requirements of electricity, gas, satellite, hi-speed wireless etc etc, the time seems almost to be flying. In 35 days we leave our haven of safety, our "Serenity Acres", for 3-4 years (or more or less), a week after that we leave the province and we are gone from Canada 1o days after that.


I've remarked to Cheryl that I am a little surprised to find myself at odd times questioning the decision we have made to uproot our lives and Sail Into the Mystic! Reflecting on it, however, and discussing it with my very pragmatic, well, somewhat pragmatic wife, I realize that there have been a tremendous number of things happening this year, all life changing - retirement, turning 65, getting married to a wonderful wonderful woman, buying a 49 ft boat and then leaving the place we both love so dearly and have been working so hard to personalize to OUR needs, throw in a trip to Las Vegas with Jason, sailing in Antigua with Julie and Graham, a month's honeymoon in Greece, a trip to BVI and 15 days sailing around Vancouver Island - in cold and wet weather incidentally - and then to top it off, I get my knee replaced and we invited all the family for Christmas. I wonder what a stress scale would say about that. I will have to ask a good psychologist!!


And I cannot even begin to speak for Cheryl (maybe I will get her to add something), who has had more than her share of changes and upheavals as well as a significant loss this year.

The other thing I will mention before I close (I know, I know, it was supposed to be an update - not a "rambling) is regarding my surgery. I don't suppose I will ever change but I realized that I had looked at getting my knee totally replaced as a minor inconvenience that would be short term pain - very very short term pain - for long term gain. So when I was unable to go dancing the Friday after I got out of the hospital, I think I started to feel somewhat weak and vulnerable and subsequently begin to question the decision I mentioned earlier.


For those of you who know me well, you will know that this was/is a decidedly temporary condition of unease. It still rears it's ugly head the odd time, when I have had a bad night of sleep or can't lift something(yet) that I think I should be able to RIGHT NOW, but it has never been strong enough to seriously endanger the dream.


We are going to live our dream!!