Hi All,
Not much happened this year. Our travel plans were restricted when a routine eye appointment led to Dee learning she had a hole in her retina in March. It led to a referral to the specialist eye centre in Chorley, where they not only fixed the hole but also took care of her cataracts. By this time it was too late to book a summer holiday and anyway part of the post-operative care was no flying for three months. So we mean to get back into the travel routine next year.
Meanwhile we have enjoyed short breaks in Manchester and the Lakes to visit Katie and Matthew and get Basil used to longer stays in kennels. We had a great family meet up in Bowness when we booked a cottage for all of us. Matthew is still the skipper on the Steam Gondola at Coniston. He never gets a summer holiday because that is their busiest time. He takes his holidays in winter and is currently in Vietnam.
Katie is doing well in her job as general manager of the Bay Horse Tavern in Manchester. She has enjoyed another cancer free year but still keeps in touch with the writers’ group at the Maggie’s Centre that was her support group. She now hosts regular lunches for them at her pub because she is too busy to attend the meetings.
Mike has joined a writers’ group in Barrow and performed his poetry at open mic nights to an appreciative audience. He is still looking for a publisher for his children’s books and has entered two of them for the Bath Children’s Novel Award, an international competition worth £5,000. If he wins that, it will definitely pay for a holiday next year!
Our local cultural life is looking up. We have attended a concert by Jess Gillam, the internationally acclaimed classical saxophonist who makes a point of always including her hometown of Ulverston in her tours, which is handy for us, ten miles down the road. And the Liverpool Philharmonic put on regular concerts at Barrow Town Hall. It is not all high culture. Our best night out was in Manchester to see Miss Saigon.
We remain heavily involved in ArtGene, a local organisation for visual arts. They believe in involving local people and Dee is part of their community growing space, Allotment Soup, which provides us with fresh vegetables, alongside conservation work and outreach to local schools.
We wish you all a happy Christmas and end with one of Mike’s poems.
IN MY CHRISTMAS STOCKING
Chocolate money silver and gold
A Christmas story as yet untold
A reindeer bell that none can hear
Unless they are full of Christmas cheer
And all the love that everyone knows
They fill my stocking and tingle my toes
All our love – Dee and Mike xx
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Nice one Dee and Mike. It is interesting what you omitted. But it is good to hear that Matthew and Katie are doing well, long may that continue. Enjoy the Christmas season and hope for a healthy new year.
Lovely Christmas Stocking ditty; takes me back to my grandmother’s house from the 1880s. It’s wonderful to hear how well everyone is doing. Let Dee know I can empathize with her about her eye condition; I have something similar going-on and I wish her Godspeed in healing.
Have a Wonderful Holiday. Love to you & Dee … As always, Cyn.