On a New Year's Eve quite unlike any other in my memory, I sit and read while those in my world sleep: Cuppa because she's sick, and Thesha because she's pregnantly tired. Rocky the cat has actually made it to this point of watching the New Year in with me. I thought he'd head to bed as he usually does by now, but I just had to shove the purring critter from my lap to write this tiny entry.
And so, I have spent the evening reading, finishing one Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery and starting another — thanks to Lorna in Wonderland for the suggestion. I have hoisted a quiet and modest Bailey's (or two) and have felt a bit lonely at times (with all due respect to Rocky), but it's been differently okay.
So, Happy New Year or HNY for short out there across Canada, the USA, the UK, The Netherlands, South Korea, and Australia. I think that covers it, but if not HNY to you too.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Dad's Last Christmas
As the Yuletide season winds down and begins to fade into memory, I think of another memory from another Christmas: Christmas Past but not too far past — just ten years past.
My dad was in the hospital and not doing well, but Cuppa was determined to bring him home for Christmas. It was also my wish to have him home, just for the afternoon, but my mother was against the idea, so I didn't quite know what to do. Partly, she was afraid of him kicking up a great fuss about going back into the hospital in the evening. And it would also be difficult to have him home, even for a short time, for he couldn't walk anymore, not on his own steam. He could bear some weight but for either mental or physical reasons (I'm still not sure which), he couldn't seem to support himself or at least he couldn't ambulate. Nevertheless, Cuppa's will prevailed, and I'm glad it did, for due to the whole strange scenario (which I'm not going to go into here and now) of how he ended up in the hospital in the first place, I was in a state of perplexed ditherdness in those days.
In short, we got him home, and it went quite well. He had a bit of turkey, plucked up a bit of his old-time humour, even in his demented sate, and I felt a lot better about doing this little thing for him whether he was terribly cognizant or not. I think he enjoyed himself in his own way even though he would have forgotten about it almost immediately.
That was his last Christmas. He slipped very quickly after that day, and a few weeks later he mercifully left both us and his misery behind.
My dad was in the hospital and not doing well, but Cuppa was determined to bring him home for Christmas. It was also my wish to have him home, just for the afternoon, but my mother was against the idea, so I didn't quite know what to do. Partly, she was afraid of him kicking up a great fuss about going back into the hospital in the evening. And it would also be difficult to have him home, even for a short time, for he couldn't walk anymore, not on his own steam. He could bear some weight but for either mental or physical reasons (I'm still not sure which), he couldn't seem to support himself or at least he couldn't ambulate. Nevertheless, Cuppa's will prevailed, and I'm glad it did, for due to the whole strange scenario (which I'm not going to go into here and now) of how he ended up in the hospital in the first place, I was in a state of perplexed ditherdness in those days.
In short, we got him home, and it went quite well. He had a bit of turkey, plucked up a bit of his old-time humour, even in his demented sate, and I felt a lot better about doing this little thing for him whether he was terribly cognizant or not. I think he enjoyed himself in his own way even though he would have forgotten about it almost immediately.
That was his last Christmas. He slipped very quickly after that day, and a few weeks later he mercifully left both us and his misery behind.
Christmas 1998
Dad's Last Two Photos
Dad's Last Two Photos
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Piggybacking on the Past
Christmas 2008: at my Daughter's House
Christmas 1973: at my Mother's House (previously posted Feb '08)
Christmas 1973: at my Mother's House (previously posted Feb '08)
Plus ça change, plus c'est pareil.
Monday, December 29, 2008
My Two Christmas Joys
Don't get me wrong, I take pleasure in all of my family. I am a guy with a small circle of friends and family, so everyone in my circle is important to me. But Nikki Dee has become a bright light in my life, both at Christmas and beyond. In the first photo, she is colouring in her new book with her new crayons on the floor as the family opens their gifts. The second photo was taken later in the day when I caught her in mid-bounce on the couch (which is something that she is not supposed to do).
Then there is my Cuppa, my companion of almost forty years who perpetually radiates joy and causes me to be a better person. I think these photos say a lot.
Then there is my Cuppa, my companion of almost forty years who perpetually radiates joy and causes me to be a better person. I think these photos say a lot.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The Kids at Christmas
Many blogs are featuring Christmas photos, and why not? For most of us blogs are multi-functional; they exist not only to air one's thoughts and recollections but serve a keep-in-touch function for family and real-life friends. I also find that I like to see photos of how others live and celebrate life, so I suppose that some others may share similar feelings.
These five photos feature Thesha, Theboy and Nikki Dee (yes, I am compelled to go back to using the Dee — plain Nikki didn't work for me — the child's name begs a Dee). In the first two photos she looks at the Christmas card that she magically printed and remarkably gave to Mom; it features a photo of herself. Naturally.
As you saw from yesterday's photos, Nikki Dee has a ton of fun with Daddy. The first photo is at the dinner table ... er ... high chair, and the second speaks for itself.
Finally: an across the table photo of Thesha that for whatever reason I decided to process as a b&w.
I am thinking that there will be one more post of this type, perhaps two. You are forewarned; depending on your inclination, stay tuned or head for the hills.
These five photos feature Thesha, Theboy and Nikki Dee (yes, I am compelled to go back to using the Dee — plain Nikki didn't work for me — the child's name begs a Dee). In the first two photos she looks at the Christmas card that she magically printed and remarkably gave to Mom; it features a photo of herself. Naturally.
As you saw from yesterday's photos, Nikki Dee has a ton of fun with Daddy. The first photo is at the dinner table ... er ... high chair, and the second speaks for itself.
Finally: an across the table photo of Thesha that for whatever reason I decided to process as a b&w.
I am thinking that there will be one more post of this type, perhaps two. You are forewarned; depending on your inclination, stay tuned or head for the hills.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Hats of Christmas
The piece de resistance. A very warm hat for a very bald head in a very cold place. It made me giddy with glee.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Foto Friday
It's time to be lazy here in Anvilcloudia. The A Team departed yesterday (and due to weather delays took over fourteen hours to fly what should be fly-able in about 6). After driving them to the airport, Cuppa and I headed back over to the kids' to have supper with them and Nikki (I think I will start leaving off the Dee; it has merit and reason for being attached, but I'm lazy it's not necessary for the blog). After two major meals for six, there were slim pickings, but we managed to scrape enough off the bird for one more modest meal for four. The turkey and trimmings were extra delicious this year for some reason, and therefore were almost inhaled by the gang.
It is Boxing Day here in Canada, and a restful day down south, so I won't go to great lengths here, but I would like to post just a couple of snapshots on Foto Friday.
The first shows (not all that clearly) some of the cookies that Puff (or DIL or D3 ... whichever ... I use different names at different times) decorated. Although it's not the best photo (a little fuzzy), I think you can get an idea of the detail that she is able to scrunch onto a tiny cookie. She did dozens upon dozens of these: family theme, underwater theme, space theme, hello kitty theme, Christmuka (Christmas + Hanukkah)and so on. She's amazing.
Nikki coped with the Christmas invasion extremely well. She has tons of fun with Daddy. As you can see, she likes it rough and wild. Her mother was like that but not her sister (Althegal) who preferred to be handled gently.
A Thesha family photo, including CeeBee ... sort of.
Mother and daughter.
Mother and daughters: Althgegal middle and Puff of cookie fame right.
Oh, there are so many, but I have to stop now. It was a long and late night.
It is Boxing Day here in Canada, and a restful day down south, so I won't go to great lengths here, but I would like to post just a couple of snapshots on Foto Friday.
The first shows (not all that clearly) some of the cookies that Puff (or DIL or D3 ... whichever ... I use different names at different times) decorated. Although it's not the best photo (a little fuzzy), I think you can get an idea of the detail that she is able to scrunch onto a tiny cookie. She did dozens upon dozens of these: family theme, underwater theme, space theme, hello kitty theme, Christmuka (Christmas + Hanukkah)and so on. She's amazing.
Nikki coped with the Christmas invasion extremely well. She has tons of fun with Daddy. As you can see, she likes it rough and wild. Her mother was like that but not her sister (Althegal) who preferred to be handled gently.
A Thesha family photo, including CeeBee ... sort of.
Mother and daughter.
Mother and daughters: Althgegal middle and Puff of cookie fame right.
Oh, there are so many, but I have to stop now. It was a long and late night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)