Christmas 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

Snow is not supposed to fall in March in Victoria! But we had an awesome view of the bluster through our marvelous new living room window.  Almost as fine had been the view from the ‘balcony’ created by erecting nearly 40 feet of scaffolding outside during the construction.  Fellow renovators won’t be surprised to learn that all did not go smoothly: the glass in the pane was fatally flawed and replacing it required reconstructing the scaffolding!  Thankfully the window was in place in time for our English family to spend their Easter holidays with us.

While here, Sarah guest-conducted Palm Sunday Evensong at the Cathedral and performed a recital on the little organ at St. Barnabas Church.   There was R & R time as well, including a few days on Hornby Island, where Sarah first brought Marcus and assorted Cambridge friends 15 years ago.  After a visit with friends in Vancouver, a rail excursion to Toronto provided a Canadian geography lesson for Marcus and his mum Rita.  Di went along for the ride as far as Winnipeg where during the stopover we all visited Simon, Jennifer and grand-dog Callie. 

The approach to Winnipeg by rail bore an uncanny resemblance to the approach to Venice, except the ‘lagoon’ extended as far as the eye could see, and the architecture was somewhat less imposing, but rather more surreal - houses seemingly afloat on the flooded land.  Winnipeg had just about dried out when Di visited again in November bringing Jeremy to see his younger bro’.

It was lovely to be ‘at home’ this year, the first summer in three years that Bob was not in Ottawa for an extended period. In celebration, the Island experienced a classic west-coast summer with sapphire blue skies, abundant sunshine, warm evenings and ideal swimming conditions. We spent an idyllic weekend at Diana’s favourite childhood holiday spot, Qualicum Beach. While there we discovered the gardens at the Milner Estate, a horticultural gem.  And we enjoyed several visits to Chemainus to see Ted and Bernie and our nieces, nephews and the ‘greats’.
The exceptional event of our summer was an Alaska Cruise to see the glaciers, preceded by a rail trip inland to Denali National Park.  The cruise was great fun and the glaciers were spectacular, but our highlight was the Tundra Tour in Denali.  By good fortune we arrived at the height of the fall colours.  We were privileged to see wolves, Dall sheep, moose, caribou and grizzlies - and the Mountain in all its majesty.  Another highlight was visiting the Iditarod training kennels and holding the puppies. What bundles of potential energy!

Counting on the guidance of experienced Cruisers, we had planned our trip so that Ted and Bernie would meet us on board our ship at embarkation. Imagine our astonishment when brother Jim and wife, Ardis, showed up as well!  They had decided to surprise us all by appearing at what might be the only occasion we had to spend a week together onboard a ship!  I think their chief intention was to induct Diana into the Order of Sliding-Down-the-Banister-in-Formal-Attire.

At home we Old MacDonalds pursue our usual routines.  Bob finished his second pass at translating the psalms and embarked on the Book of Job. This epic poem and parable has proven a joy to read and perform as a mini-series. We spare you the details.  We’ve also tried hard to be scholars, attending the fascinating Darwin Symposium at St. John’s Church or reading lots, such as Marcus’ volume on William Hazlitt: Romanticism and Linguistic Theory, or, for ‘comic’ relief, the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.  We keep busy with church, or AMA, or Youth Orchestra, or troubled offspring, or proffering meals-on-wheels or -on-foot.  We walk, cycle, play tennis, watch gory British mysteries on TV, and garden – where lovely things are happening as we restore the gardens of the old Butchart mansion we call home.

Another ‘normal’ year: but filled with images of grace and beauty, especially in the indomitable spirit shown by friends in ill health, old and young, and the strength of spouses and family members who support them.  And finally, an image of the season:  Star Sunday at St. Barnabas Hall, a noisy pandemonium of fifty youngsters crafting hand-made gifts.  One station took them from the hall to the darkened church, where they walked the stations of the Nativity, quiet, expectant, on each circuit ringing a bell at one end of the nave, and at the other dipping a candle wick into melted wax, creating their own candle, and being caught up in the spirit of the light that was coming into the world.