Back to school - well not really

Today is the last day of summer really - since school is back in tomorrow. Even though I am retired, it still feels like summer is over. That means that it's my New Year's Eve, since the January 1st one means very little to me. Years are measured from September to September in my world. So I have decided to start my blog again. It's OK if no one reads it. I am going to try to keep a journal. John used to but he has stopped, and sometimes I wish we could check back and see what happened on a certain day, or how long ago that was. So I will try to start, and seeing as how my handwriting is getting worse and my typing is better, I will type it. I am also thinking of getting out of Facebook. If I do, people can send me news and photos on this site, and I can share my news too. Well, it has been a good summer. So much has happened. Jackson and Sheralyn spent almost two months in Victoria while Andrew went to Europe and also completed his Ph.D. It was great to have them here so much more. Now they are moving, probably to New York, very soon, and we are going to look after Jack while Andrew and Sheralyn look for a place to stay. I hope they will also have at least a couple of days to be tourists and see some of New York City. Catherine and Paul are getting closer to being parents. They are having a little girl, due in October! Right now Catherine is just a little over 34 weeks, and things are going well. We spent a few days at their lovely home in Calgary just last week. We drove, which was long and monotonous but do-able once a year. C&P have a great house. We were there for nephew Ryan's wedding to Amanda Hindmarsh, or should I say a reception, since they got married in Cuba. It was so nice to connect with family. A highlight was sitting on the swing with 3 sisters! and later to sit with Kelly and Catherine, the two very lovely and very pregnant ladies. Kelly is due in just three weeks! Catherine is still teaching and doing well, but feeling extremely tired. She is looking very fit, and has kept swimming almost every day. Alex has continued with his welding. It's been up and down. I know he is anxious to move out but has no money. Welding is taking a while, and he is still on the learning curve about how to make/spend money. He has a lovely girlfriend, Sharah, and I hope they stay together. It was her birthday on Friday, and on Saturday Alex organized a party boat for about 11 people. Good for him organizing it, but he had to borrow money from us to do it, which I was not pleased about. It's a tightrope we walk as parents and sometimes I am not sure we are balancing it right. We haven't seen or heard much from Heather (Lorill) but she came over on Father's Day, and then again a couple of weeks ago. She is still on Saltspring, happy at the daycare but needing more money - and she has no permanent place to live. She is seriously thinking of going to Calgary to look for work. We hope it works out for her, but I hope it doesn't mean that she has to go to northern Alberta or something. We had almost a month at Savary. It was wonderful in every way. We got out on the boat, we had Catherine and Paul for six nights, we met new friends, went to the Frolic, Paul was in the Triathlon (next year - recreational! - he didn't do great but he got a medal!) I think I have gained five pounds but I'm scared to weigh myself. Some things are tight and I will try to get them looser before I put myself on the scales. I guess that's what happens when you have fun and eat some good food, despite daily running. One of the highlights of my trip to Calgary was a shopping trip where I was turned loose at CrossIron Mills and had four hours of shopping. It was great. I got running shoes, dress shoes, boots, shirts and a great dress. We're back home now, and it's good to be back. It will be a busy September, and we will be back to Calgary in October (or earlier!) A goal is to get the room above the garage cleaned out and made into a kind of games room/extra bedroom. Wish us luck!